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] .
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.
25. 8. 2022 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR, Young BSF, Youth
11th edition of the Young Bled Strategic Forum, held between 26 and 28 August entitled ‘Democracy fit for the new age’, will focus on the discussions regarding challenges our democracies face in response to the transformation of our societies.
Thirty-six young people from 20 different countries participating in this year’s conference will be joined by 20 speakers, panellists and workshop facilitators.
As every year, the conference has a particular leitmotif – this time it is covered by the title ‘Democracy fit for the new age’. Democracy is not a static term or a form of governance – it evolves to correspond with the transformations of our societies, our understanding of what it means to be democratic, and in response to the changing environments. There has been no shortage of societal disruption in recent years – from the Covid-19 pandemic, the return of war in Europe, and pervasive technological developments to a growing polarisation within our societies.
Are our democracies catching up with these changes? Are we capable of providing answers to the challenges we are facing within our current systems of governance? Are they fit for the new age? These are just some of the questions that the participants will address through the prism of four content pillars, which will focus on 1) the search for joint international solutions to international challenges (transnational cooperation), 2) prosperity through diversity, 3) the advantages and disadvantages of democracies; and 4) the role of the media and disinformation.
The three-day conference will begin on Friday, 26 August with the visit of the National Assembly of the Republic where the President of the National Assembly, mag. Urška Klakočar Zupančič will open Young BSF 2022 and join an interactive discussion on the topic of challenges and opportunities of democracies, with speakers Ms Katja Geršak, Executive Director of Centre for European Perspective, Ms Lucija Karnelutti, EU UN Youth Delegate 2022/23 and Ms Dolores Kores, Director Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth.
The following two days will explore democracies through the prism of four thematic pillars: I) Media literacy and information society; II) Prosperity through diversity; III) Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?; IV): Joint solutions for joint challenges; with participants engaging in discussions and a diverse evening programme.
Young BSF is made possible with the contribution of the Interreg ADRION Programme and the EUSAIR Facility point, supported by the European Union and cooperating within the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian region; Danube Transnational Programme and Priority Area 10 ´Institutional capacity and cooperation´ Supported by the European Union, that are engaged within the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region; Central European Initiative (CEI) and Triglav d.d.
11. 1. 2022 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR, Young BSF
We invite you to read the recently released BSF 2021 Conference Report with an overview of the events, discussions, and issues tackled at the Bled Strategic Forum 2021 and Young Bled Strategic Forum 2021.
The 16th Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) took place on 1 and 2 September 2021 in Bled, Slovenia. The focus of the two-day event was the future of Europe with a call to increase its resilience to respond more effectively to current and future challenges.
The overarching theme of 2021 Bled Strategic Forum was the Future of Europe, with the panels structured in 4 clusters, showcasing the key areas for the debate – a cluster on the Future of Europe offered an honest and soul-searching debate on where Europe stands at this point and where is it heading, with discussions on the most pressing issues Europe is facing and the importance of a viable enlargement perspective and a process towards it for the Western Balkans to counter a growing influence of third countries in the region.
A cluster with global panels featured discussions on the status of Afghanistan, the rise of China and the changing balance in the world that will significantly affect the future European standing in the world and thus its future. Analysis of the EU’s policies and their effects, strengthening the cohesion and an increased presence in the world were recognised as key challenges. Stronger cooperation with India and Africa were also discussed.
While global developments will in no small measure determine the general direction the EU will head towards in the future, the regional outlook and development will have an even greater impact on the Future of Europe – with discussions in the regional cluster panels addressing the CEE region, the Three Seas Initiative and Eastern Partnership, alongside discussions focused on Europe’s defence, security and stability in the Mediterranean and cooperation in the Adriatic.
The cluster of transformational panels showcased some of the areas, issues and challenges Europe must face to better prepare for the future. Discussions addressed post-epidemic sustainable economic recovery, green and social recovery, future of European tourism, sustainable future growth, digital and transatlantic cooperation, cybersecurity, exploration of space, decarbonisation of transport, climate neutrality and COP26, the importance of strategic communication and communication with citizens, and the fight against disinformation.
You can find the BSF Conference Report here.
