Snapshots from the Fabian conference

Some musings from me on Saturday's 'Change the World' conference over at the excellent OurKingdom blog from OpenDemocracy.

My friend and former colleague Mark Leonard - director of the new European Council on Foreign Relations - made an important point at the event, that there is a danger that an obsession with America “infantilises” Europe:

“We must not let a running commentary on American foreign policy become a substitute for having our own foreign policy”.

The world after Bush debate we need should focus on what we can do - as progressives in Britain and Europe. That is also the best way we can engage with and help America's progressive voices in their own debates.

Change the World

The big Fabian 'Change the World' conference on Saturday went very well, with over 700 people spending a day debating the big questions on the global agenda. A relaxed David Miliband was tie-less and jacket-less to give his keynote speech. I was suited and booted, so he got a laugh at the start by asking what the world is coming to when the Fabian General Secretary is better dressed than the Foreign Secretary.

Central to Miliband's argument was that we are experiencing fundamental shifts in power, including a new 'civilian surge'.

The left has talked a lot about the essence of globalization – a new interdependence born of rising flows of people, money, culture and trade across national boundaries. But we have not talked enough about its consequence – fundamental shifts in the distribution of power. Power is shifting from West to East. It is shifting from the national to the international level. But there is a third shift – in the balance of power between government and people.

And there was a big argument - applying to both domestic and foreign policy - about the need to bring together the insights of the social democratic and liberal traditions - the necessity of combining the principles of equality with a commitment to individual freedom.

More on the conference will follow, on the Fabian website and on this blog.

Miliband's foreign policy causes

The New Statesman interviews David Miliband ahead of his Fabian conference speech.

There are four great causes in current foreign policy, Miliband says. He lists them: tackle terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, "and that's what we're trying to do in Afghanistan"; try to reduce conflict, "and that's what we're trying to do in the Middle East, Kosovo and Sudan"; tackle inequality through low-carbon, high-growth economic aid and development policies, "and that's what we're trying to do in Bali and elsewhere"; and build durable international institutions that recognise international inter dependence, "and that's what we're trying to do with the EU and the UN". These, he says, "are all great progressive causes".

David Miliband to headline Fabian Change the World conference

We have announced that Foreign Secretary David Miliband will be the keynote speaker at Saturday's Change the World Fabian conference.

He gives some of the best and most nuanced speeches of any Cabinet Minister - his speech for us in his last job, as Environment Secretary, on the future of red-green politics was one of the most challenging ministerial speeches we have hosted.

I will be interested to see to what extent Miliband can make a strong pro-European argument in the speech.