25. 8. 2023 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR, Young BSF
Cooperation, dialogue and youth empowerment will hold the central stage within the Young Bled Strategic Forum, organised at Ljubljana and Bled from 25th August until 28th August 2023. The activities will gather more than 40 young leaders from 5 continents, and experts from public administration, academia, private sector, media, civil society and youth organisations. The three-day training and discussions will continue with the participation in the Bled Strategic Forum conference, organised from 28th August until 29th August 2023, further outlining the importance of young professionals working towards solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.
The 12th edition of the Young Bled Strategic Forum implemented under the title Mitigating our Butterfly Effect celebrates the power of every individual and stakeholder to contribute their knowledge, expertise and inspiration to positive change within communities on the local, regional and international levels. Active citizenship and solidarity are not virtues that can be measured in quality or quantity, as every action can hold the momentum to cause or prevent a storm in other parts of the world. Our interconnected communities, faced with challenges and opportunities in sustainability, security, swift technological advancement, geopolitical balancing of power, and other imperative fields, require coordination and joint approaches to build a positive sum (non-zero sum) future.
The event is set to draw a distinguished lineup of guests, all converging to participate in meaningful discussions and exchanges with youth. Saturday’s discussions will culminate in a special one-on-one talk with H. E. Ms Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, touching upon the pivotal role of young individuals in shaping the society of today and tomorrow, Slovenia’s tenure on the UN Security Council, feminist foreign policy, and the demonstration of solidarity in response to this year’s devastating local floods.
The Young Bled Strategic Forum is supported by the Central European Initiative, the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana grant, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung think tank, implemented within the activities of the Slovenian Presidency to the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region and supported as part of the Priority Area 10 Institutional Capacity and Cooperation, an Interreg Danube Region Programme project co-funded by the European Union.
The Bled Strategic Forum international conference is the leading conference in Central and South-Eastern Europe. The conference is a gathering of participants from various fields with diverse knowledge, encouraging them to exchange views and generate ideas to address present and future challenges. In addition, the conference also offers a unique opportunity for tailored meetings and networking with regional and global stakeholders. The 2023 edition of the Bled Strategic Forum is devoted to the support and empowerment of Solidarity for Global Security.
For more information on the Bled Strategic Forum and Young Bled Strategic Forum visit the conference webpages.
22. 8. 2023 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR, Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign Perpetrated Disinformation in 6 Western Balkans Countries
Kliknite tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
Project Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign Perpetrated Disinformation has invited twelve representatives of Western Balkans media and civil society organisations to join a roundtable discussion at the margins of the Bled Strategic Forum.
The roundtable discussion will take place on 28 August, titled ‘The Line Is(n’t) Thin: Fact v. Opinion, Regulation v. Censorship’.
Western Balkan participants will be joined by Mr Jakub Kalensky of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats and Mr Burak Ünveren, a journalist at Deutsche Welle.
Through an open and dynamic exchange, participants and guests will have an opportunity to touch upon questions that do not always have straightforward answers in the fight against disinformation, such as: how to ensure that democratic standards and freedom of speech are upheld while still curbing the spread of disinformation? Are the current projects and initiatives focused on countering disinformation largely on the right track – or do we need to adjust our course? How has the experience with Covid-19 and the Russian aggression against Ukraine changed journalism – have we learned anything?
Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign Perpetrated Disinformation project continues to support efforts of Western Balkan governments, media and civil society to establish national mechanisms for countering disinformation. The roundtable event will further be an opportunity to discuss the way forward in these efforts, and in particular, the role of media and civil society.
After the roundtable discussion, Western Balkan participants are invited to join and enjoy the rich program of the Bled Strategic Forum on 28 and 29 August.
The project is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia through development cooperation funds.
5. 5. 2023 | Bled Strategic Forum, Young BSF
YOUNG BSF 2023 – Mitigating our Butterfly Effect
The Bled Strategic Framework is excited to announce the 12th edition of the Young Bled Strategic Forum, an interactive platform, capacity building and global network of young professionals that will be held late this summer from 25 August to 28 August 2023 at Ljubljana and Bled, Slovenia. The Young BSF encourages and supports the participation of young leaders, entrepreneurs, influencers, thinkers and social activists aged from 18 to 35 who will once more join forces, their creativity and ingenuity to discuss and actively propose solutions to the salient challenges and opportunities within our societies.
Young BSF 2023 was inspired by the work of Edward Norton Lorenz, who in his article ´Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow´ explained his discoveries which became known as “The Law of Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions”, also referred to as the butterfly effect. His mathematical discoveries were coined in the metaphor: “When a butterfly flutters its wings in one part of the world, it can eventually cause a hurricane in another”, and soon became an important reference in multiple fields. Applying the concept to our globalised and connected world associated through economic value chains, digital means and other networks, flutters in one part are truly felt on the other side of the globe. Our shared experience of the economic crisis, ecological devastation, wars and displacement, but also of pandemics such as Covid-19, further demonstrates how united our communities are, and teaches us important lessons in humility, solidarity and resilience-building. The title of the Young BSF 2023 – Mitigating our Butterfly Effect reflects the importance of actions by all stakeholders within our societies that carry a shared honour and duty to make decisive and responsible decisions in the long and short term, with effects on the local, national and global level.
Young participants will be engaged in capacity building and consultations, and cooperate in interactive workshops, round table discussions and other structured activities prepared in cooperation with expert speakers, partner organisations, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders. Young BSF 2023 will consist of online preparatory activities and the main event organised live at Ljubljana and Bled, followed by active participation of Young BSF participants within the Bled Strategic Forum organised from 28 August to 29 August 2023 at Bled, Slovenia. Interested participants can apply to the Young BSF by Friday May 25th 2023.
Who can apply?
- Field of profession: Accepting all students and young Accademia representatives, young employed professionals, NGO representatives and civil society members (active citizens on the local, national and international level), young members of public administration and governmental institutions, members of international organisations, social entrepreneurs, representatives of private sector and commerce and all other inspiring young future leaders.
- Age: Accepting applicants aged 18 to 35 years
- Geographical scope: The region, EU and globally (with accommodation and sustenance during the Young BSF and BSF for all selected participants, and travel grants discussed on each participant separately to allow equal opportunities for participation depending on available resources)
Ensuring equal opportunities to attend the Forum is of the utmost importance, enabling the participation of talented, inspiring individuals, regardless of their social background and ability to pay. The organisers are working closely with partners to provide all participants with accommodation, while a number of travel grants for candidates from various backgrounds and nationalities will be ensured. These grants may be awarded to selected participants on a case-by-case basis and only up to the amount assigned by the organisers, who will also ensure equal regional and expert representation.
The Young Bled Strategic Forum is co-organised by the Centre for European Perspective and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. The programme activities are supported and organised in partnership withthe Interreg Danube Region Programme project co-funded by the European Union, the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) Priority Area 10 ´Institutional Capacity and Cooperation´ and the Central European Initiative.
For additional information regarding the programme activities, possibilities of cooperation and eligibility of travel costs please contact Mr Jernej Grahor, BSF Project Manager (responsible for Young Bled Strategic Forum) at [email protected] .
5. 5. 2023 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR
The 18th Bled Strategic Forum international conference will take place between 28 and 29 August 2023 under the title ‘Solidarity for global security’.
Contemporary global uncertainty and insecurity are a product of multiple interconnected and interdepended crises. Ours is the age of polycrisis. From climate, food, and energy to the governance crisis, they all affect our security. These mutually reinforcing global crises require common responses based on solidarity. Alone and each for ourselves, we cannot find adequate solutions to ensure global security.
#BSF2023 will explore different ways of ensuring global security by working together.
As per its mission, BSF 2023 will bring together a diverse set of participants, including heads of state and government, ministers, diplomats, businesspeople, scholars and experts, youth, and media from around the world. It will provide a platform for participants to openly discuss and contrast opinions and seek solutions for contemporary regional and global challenges
Additionally, the Forum will provide an excellent opportunity for tailored bilateral and multilateral meetings and networking with prominent regional and global actors from the spheres of diplomacy, policy, business, science, and innovation.
Prior to the BSF, Young BSF will take place between 25 and 27 August in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
For more information visit the Bled Strategic Forum website.
4. 5. 2023 | Bled Strategic Forum, POTC, PR
Last week, from the 24th to the 26 of April, Jable Castle welcomed 33 participants from 25 countries in what was the first training of its kind on the topic of the emerging concept of “climate security”. 20+ participants were previously part of the 12th International Africa Day Conference in a joint venture between the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and POTC/Centre for European Perspective.
Kliknite tukaj za branje članka v slovenskem jeziku.
According to the definition of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union »climate security« refers to the potential impacts of climate change on peace and security across the globe, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable populations. It encompasses various risk management strategies such as mitigation, adaptation, resilience building, food and nutrition security, disaster risk reduction, conflict prevention and sustainable development. It also includes the integration of a security perspective within these processes and inclusive participation in order to alleviate the destabilising impacts of climate change on achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).
With this in mind, and the known future impact of climate change on peace operations themselves, POTC set out to develop one of the first trainings of this kind in Europe. This is in order to better prepare decision-makers, experts, and everyone else involved with peace operations for the impending difficulties that peace operations, governments, and international organisations will have to face in the coming decades.
The training was introductory and covered all the basics associated with climate change and peace operations with topics ranging from the 9 Planetary Boundaries, Climate Change, the Environment and Security, the International Legal Framework regarding Climate Change, Water Security as an Integral Part of Climate Security, Climate Mainstreaming in the EU CSDP Context, Energy Security, CC and Human Rights, Climate Justice and Collective vs Individual Action on Climate Change. This was made possible with the help of 9 Slovenian and foreign expert contributors who made sure that the participants received all the relevant knowledge that will help them make the right decisions when it comes to climate security. The training is intended to be developed even further and organised once again in 2024.
The POTC Team would like to thank everyone that attended the training, the expert contributors and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs with special thanks to State Secretary Samuel Žbogar for presenting the participants with Course Certificates.
Below you can view some of the training highlights:
Flickr Album (Photo: Marko Arandjelović)
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6. 3. 2023 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR, Young BSF
‘Provocation, Uncertainty, Turbulence: Lighthouse in The Tempest?‘ was the main title of the 2023 Raisina Dialogue, the leading geopolitical and geoeconomic conference in India and the South Asian Region, held in New Delhi (India) between 2 and 4 March 2023.
The Bled Strategic Forum organising team from the Centre for European Perspective and Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs was there listening to engaging discussions, meeting new international partners and colleagues, and experiencing how it is to attend the conference rather than organise it, thus also learning what could be done to improve BSF. Additionally, BSF co-hosted a discussion on the reforms needed for our multilateral system. In its endeavour to become a yearly platform for addressing main contemporary challenges, BSF works with like-minded international partners. Both conferences share its mission of creating open spaces for discussion and action on salient and most pressing challenges within our societies. The participation of the BSF team in the activities of the Raisina Dialogue represents a valued partnership and continuation of cooperation, knowledge exchange and joint activities organisation.
On March 4th 2023, the Raisina Dialogue held a panel discussion in partnership with the Bled Strategic Forum under the title ‘Peace in Pieces: New Pathways for a UN that works‘, focusing on reforms within the international community that have an opportunity to give new momentum to the multilateral systems of today and tomorrow. The following speakers participated in the discussion:
- E. Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Armenia)
- E. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister for Information (Ghana)
- E. Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (Slovenia)
- E. Ivan Korčok, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Slovak Republic)
- E. Lakshmi Puri, Former Assistant Secretary-General to United Nations and Former Ambassador (India).
The panel discussion was moderated by Mr Peter Grk, Secretary-General of the Bled Strategic Forum.
As stated by H.E. Ivan Korčok in reference to the discussion title: “all pieces are in place, but still, the war is happening. /…/ One piece is missing, namely responsible behaviour which respects the very rules (that create or represent a foundation of the international system)”. H. E. Tanja Fajon outlined that we (societies) are today more connected than ever before but, at the same time, more fragmented than ever. H.E. presented the continuous efforts of the Republic of Slovenia in the process of candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council. Slovenia strongly supports multilateralism and, as a small country in the international community, understands the importance of being an honest broker, being capable of listening and building bridges. H.E. called upon the shared responsibility of politicians, business (wo)men, civil society, academia (and other stakeholders) to work together, to have a full picture of activities around the world and try to address all these big global challenges. The latter are not challenges of one small country or one big continent but are global challenges for all of us.
Raisina Dialogue, hosted by the Observer Research Foundation and the Ministry of External Affairs of India, is an international forum of cross-sectorial cooperation that connects representatives of global initiatives, decision-makers, academia, private sector and business, non-governmental organisations and civil society, young leaders and all interested stakeholders. The dynamic conference is interwoven with additional events, discussions and conferences, with a high degree of support for young people in the form of the Raisina Young Fellows programme. The challenges creating a tempest and disruption within the international community, with challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and breaches of international law, have inspired the theme of the conference edition, focusing on cooperation, creativity and joint approach, powering lighthouses that identify and lead opportunities within our societies.
The Raisina Dialogue, through its comprehensive and progressive thematical focus, inclusive partnership and delegate participation (connecting representatives from all parts of the globe), and dynamically engaging cooperation formats, facilitated a unique generator for discussion, networking and shared work that recognises and supports each individual or organisation to be a beacon of progress at the local, national and international level.
The Bled Strategic Forum team returns to Slovenia with newly established networks, partnerships and good practices that will be invested in the preparation of the upcoming 18th edition of the BSF and 12th edition of the Young BSF.
