Nawal El Saadawi
The World Forum for Democracy was launched in 2012 on the initiative of Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland. The first edition took place between 5 and 11 October 2012 and was titled "Bridging the gap: democracy between old models and new realities". The discussions dealt with a broad range of issues, including the fate of democracy in post-Arab Spring countries, youth and democracy, the democratic potential of the internet and the impact of the economic crisis on democracy. The Forum was inaugurated by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Other speakers included Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman and Egyptian activist Nawal El Saadawi.