1. 9. 2024 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR, Young BSF
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The 19th International Conference Bled Strategic Forum will take place in Bled on 2 and 3 September. This year’s event is titled “A World of Parallel Realities”.
The focus of the Bled Strategic Forum 2024 will be a call to work together for the common good: by listening, by hearing, and by going beyond one’s own views.
We are living in a time of great global transformation, which has the potential to shape our common future profoundly. At such a time, the ability to hear and listen in the international community is crucial if we are to find effective and sustainable solutions. This is what this year’s Bled Strategic Forum offers – an inclusive platform where the different voices, perspectives and reflections of key players in the global multilateral environment are heard and taken into account. We believe that constant and constructive dialogue is the only way to build a multilateral system that operates on universally accepted norms.
This year, BSF will once again host a wide range of interesting guests from the worlds of politics, business and civil society. It will touch on all the most crucial challenges of global society while also raising themes that have the potential to shape our common future. The most exciting panels will therefore include a panel on the (dys)functioning of the global multilateral framework (including Slovenia’s experience in the work of the UNSC so far), a panel on the Middle East, preparations for the Future Summit, the Indo-Pacific, India, disinformation, food security, energy and much more.
As one of the novelties of the Bled Strategic Forum 2024 programme, an innovative concept of “Living library” will be introduced. This is an interactive event where people with different experiences and backgrounds on a chosen topic act as “books”. Conference participants (“readers”) talk to them and learn about their stories and perspectives on the topic.
The Bled Strategic Forum continues to strengthen its partnerships and, this year is working with more than ten key global thinkers from different continents to shape the programme. It continues its long-standing collaboration with leading organisations such as the Atlantic Council, the Nelson Mandela Center and the BMW Foundation. This year, for the first time, it is working with the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity and the Oxford Process on International Law Protections in Cyberspace. Collaborating with global partners allows for a broader understanding of global issues, a wider range of speakers and topics, and the inclusion of new perspectives.
This year, for the 13th time, the Young Bled Strategic Forum will take place on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum. This year, 42 selected young people from all over the world will take part in the event, which will take place in Pokljuka between 30 August and 1 September. They will focus on the causes of the existence of different realities and on ways to reunite them in a programme entitled “Restoring Common Ground“. This year, the participants of the Young Bled Strategic Forum will also be actively involved in the Bled Strategic Forum International Conference. They will have the opportunity to participate as speakers in the debates, the priority to ask questions in the debate (the so-called first question opportunity) and the possibility to organise their own debates within the Forum.
17. 5. 2024 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR, Young BSF
We are happy to announce that the Young Bled Strategic Forum 2024 (Young BSF 2024) applications are open!
Young Bled Strategic Forum is a unique meeting place for young leaders, offering them a platform to share their visions, exchange ideas and network with other exceptional young individuals from all over the world. Each year, it attracts a group of about 40 young leaders from diverse backgrounds and engages them in interactive discussions on pressing challenges and addresses inventive approaches to developing creative solutions. Young Bled Strategic Forum is an inseparable part of Bled Strategic Forum, the leading conference in Central and South-Eastern Europe.
If you are between 18 and 35 years old and committed to bringing positive change within society (you can be a student, young academic, NGO representative, activist, politician, engineer, young member of public administration or governmental institution, athlete, member of international organisation, entrepreneur, or anything else) you are eligible to apply. You can apply here for Young BSF by 2 June 2024 23:59.
This year, the Young Bled Strategic Forum will take place under the title Restoring Common Ground. It will take place between 30 August and 1 September 2024 in Pokljuka, Slovenia. The participants will then participate at the 19th Bled Strategic Forum on 2 and 3 September in Bled. Young Bled Strategic Forum participants will explore the factors that contribute to the divergence of realities and what can be done to bring these realities closer together to restore common ground from which meaningful social action can emerge.
For more information on the content of the conference and the format of the conference you can refer to the concept note and the website.
9. 5. 2024 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR, Young BSF
The 19th Bled Strategic Forum International Conference, titled’ A World of Parallel Realities,’ will take place between 2 and 3 September 2024.
Within the framework of the title, the thematic focus of the Bled Strategic Forum 2024 will call for cooperation for the common good, by listening and hearing beyond one’s own views. Sustainable solutions are needed at a time when international society is confronted with a cycle of competition, insecurity, and antagonism, manifested in instability, violence, and conflict. The awareness that we live in a world of parallel realities encourages us to bring these realities together for the common good.
#BSF2024 will aim to bring new innovative approaches to the programme and involve young people more.
As per its mission, BSF 2024 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 diplomacy, policy, business, science, and innovation.
Before the BSF, Young BSF will take place between 30 August and 1 September in Pokljuka, Slovenia.
4. 9. 2023 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR, Young BSF
Ljubljana and Bled, Slovenia, once more hosted young leaders within the activities of the Young Bled Strategic Forum and Bled Strategic Forum. More than 40 young perspective leaders from 25 countries (Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, United States of America) joined forces, experience and creative energy in a three-day training and capacity building organised between Friday 25th of August and Monday 28th of August 2023. The Young BSF strives to empower young leaders from different sectors (academia, civil society, private sector, public administration, and other fields of expertise) to build joint solutions for joint challenges of our societies through transnational cooperation. Young BSF 2023 was organised under the title ´Mitigating our Butterfly Effect´, underlining the power and responsibility of all stakeholders within our societies to make positive changes and contributions in the short and long term. The activities of the Young BSF continued with active participation within the Bled Strategic Forum, organised on Monday, 28th and Tuesday, 29th of August 2023 at Bled, focusing on contributions to ´Solidarity for global Security˙.
Day 1, or the opening day of the Young Bled Strategic Forum 2023, stressed the importance of cooperation and networking to share ideas to solve today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. New knowledge and development of skills will enable us to build a world we want to live in.
The Young participants were addressed by Mr Peter Grk, Secretary General of the Bled Strategic Forum and Ms Nina Čepon, Executive Director of the Centre for European Perspective, who commended the wide participation of young experts from different fields of expertise and countries. The opening discussion set the stage for the work and capacity-building of young leaders.
Day 2 began with a practical session focused on traditional and media literacy. Following was the Pillar I session, which focused on understanding our shared history, noting the role of narratives in our lives and the importance of critical thinking, followed by the Pillar II discussions focused on empowering youth through cooperation with the government, CSOs and various initiatives aimed at supporting and promoting active citizenship. Each pillar consisted of an expert panel followed by a world cafe, where Young BSF participants embarked on a deeper exploration of topics.
The second day concluded on a high note with a conversation with H. E. Ms Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, on the importance of solidarity, current global issues, Slovenia in UN SC, feminist foreign policy and more. “Be curious and brave. Curious, I say, as we live in this polarised world where everything is changing so fast, where we have to think outside the box to adapt,” was Minister Tanja Fajon´s opening call to the Young Bled Strategic Forum participants.
Day 3 of the Young Bled Strategic Forum continued with thematical Pillar III, focusing on the leading question: “How do we address our present actions to secure the future us and for the younger generations?”. The Young Bled Strategic Forum participants transferred from Ljubljana to Bled in the afternoon using a train. The last closing elements of the Young BSF included two capacity-building and inspirational sessions. The Young BSF was closed on Monday, August 28 2023, with presentations of participants’ group work that once more exposed the importance of ideas and work of young leaders that contribute to positive changes within our societies. Their ideas, recommendations and proposals will be joined within the Young Bled Strategic Forum Declaration, which will be published following the event. The Young perspective leaders joined the activities of the Bled Strategic Forum in the following days as panellists and active participants.
Young Bled Strategic Forum and Bled Strategic Forum are honoured for the opportunity to have hosted the first meeting of the CEI Youth Reference Points organised by the CEI Secretariat at Bled, Slovenia, on Tuesday, 29th of August, to exchange best practices, experiences and ideas for youth empowerment within the CEI region. The discussions pave the way for closer cooperation in the field of youth policies and transnational and cross-sector cooperation.
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.
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.
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] .
