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Comprehensive Protection of Civilians (CPoC) Training 2024 – October 21-25, 2024

5. 8. 2024 | POTC, PR

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS IS NOW CLOSED – the deadline was 3 September 2024.

Kliknite tukaj za branje članka v slovenskem jeziku.

This course focuses on the protection of civilians (PoC), by addressing the responsibilities of states, international organizations, and other actors to safeguard individuals, particularly non-combatants, from harm during armed conflicts, natural disasters, and other forms of violence. PoC includes shielding individuals from physical violence, forced displacement, sexual violence, and denial of essential resources and services. The principles of PoC are rooted in international humanitarian and human rights laws and are vital for upholding human dignity during conflicts and crises.

The Comprehensive Protection of Civilians course is primarily designed for police and civilian personnel, including decision-makers, members of non-governmental organisations and individual civilian experts, who are to be deployed to international missions and operations or who are working in civilian crisis management, with no prior knowledge or skills in preventing or responding to violence against civilians. Working language of the course is English and participants are expected to be fluent in English (C1 level or higher).

The aim of the course is for the participants to understand the conceptual, legal and operational framework in protection of civilians, and to provide the participants with understanding of PoC practice in UN and EU missions and operations, effective tools used in practice, skills and knowledge for working in missions with a PoC mandate, understanding of the basic legal framework and documents, and an understanding of UN, EU and NATO operational concepts for PoC.

The residential part of the course will take place between 21 and 25 October 2024 at Jable Castle in Loka pri Mengšu, Slovenia. Participants will also have to complete the mandatory e-learning modules prior to arriving in Slovenia.

Attendance is free of charge for all selected participants. The POTC will also cover:

accommodation costs in a designated hotel for the entire duration of the training travel costs;
reimbursement of plane/train tickets for arrival and departure to and from Slovenia in the maximum amount of 1.000,00 € per participant;
local transport costs between the airport and the hotel;
local transport between the hotel and the course venue;
lunch, beverages and other refreshments provided during the training course at Jable castle

More information can be found in the INVITATION LETTER.

A tentative course programme can be found here.

Participants can apply to the course through the registration form via this link.

For any additional questions feel free to contact Danaja via email: [email protected]

For more information about the training, you can follow us on social media:

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Successful Conclusion of the Mentorship Visit of Novovolynsk to the City of Kranj

25. 7. 2024 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe, Ukraine

Članek v slovenskem jeziku najdete tu.

Kranj, 24 July 2024 — The three-week mentorship visit of the Ukrainian municipality of Novovolynsk concluded today in the City of Kranj. The event marked the culmination of three weeks of collaboration and experience exchange between the two municipalities.

City of Kranj Mayor Matjaž Rakovec emphasized in his opening speech that the first cooperation between Kranj and Ukraine dates back to 2021, stating: »City of Kranj had its first cooperation with Ukraine in 2021, together with the [now] ex-ambassador we set a statue of Taras Shevchenko, a Ukrainian poet, in the Avenue of Prešeren’s Contemporaries. Last year, together with the Ukrainian Embassy, Kranj hosted a Ukrainian cultural event for the Independence Day of Ukraine. The mentorship program with Novovolynsk is another example of good cooperation – an aim to progress and develop. This programme was an opportunity to gain new perspectives and skills. Dear mentees, Inna and Anatolii, I hope the new knowledge will help you achieve your goals. Thank you for your dedicated work and good cooperation. Let the future be bright.«

The municipality of Novovolynsk participated in the event online. The Mayor of Novovolynsk, Borys Karpus, visited Kranj on July 10 and signed a mentorship cooperation protocol with Mayor Rakovec. He thanked the City of Kranj and everyone involved in organizing the visit for their hospitality and for providing opportunities for cooperation and development.

On behalf of the visit organizer, the Centre for European Perspective (CEP), Nina Čepon, CEP Executive Director, addressed the gathering, highlighting that local communities in Ukraine are key players in recovery and reconstruction. She also emphasized Slovenia’s thematic advantage from our experience in post-war recovery, local development, and the EU accession process, as well as the extensive food practice of the City of Kranj.

Ukrainian mentees then presented their three-week visit and the project plans prepared during the visit. Inna Vykhor, a deputy of the Novovolynsk City Council and chair of the permanent committee on education, science, culture, youth, sports, and information policy, presented the NovoHUB project concept. This project focuses on vocational, business, and educational training, reflecting a shift in their project focus after visiting Kovačnica, BSC Kranj, and the School Centre Kranj. The main objective of the project is to ensure a qualified and sufficient labour force, securing jobs for citizens and long-term economic growth of Novovolynsk. The purpose is to renovate vacant buildings to introduce new vocational, business, and educational programs. The target group includes residents, internally displaced persons, redundant coal mine workers, and people from Donetsk. The project aims to address the challenges of a lack of skilled labour force for local enterprises, access to quality and safe education for internally displaced persons, and the lack of a business support ecosystem. Anatolii Dudik, Chief Specialist of the Department for Organizing the Provision of Administrative Services at the Center for Administrative Services of the Executive Committee of the Novovolynsk City Council, presented the Novo Open app. This app focuses on the digitalization of city information, increasing digital citizen participation in local development, and presenting Novovolynsk to tourists. The project aims to provide free, open, and participative access to information and services in Novovolynsk. Mentors from the City of Kranj, Maja Šavs and Mojca Finc, presented the mentorship aspect and provided more information about the work of City of Kranj and Kranj’s institutions involved in the mentorship.

In the concluding part, Ambassador Tomaž Mencin, National Coordinator for the reconstruction of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, greeted the gathering. He emphasized that the decentralization reform in Ukraine is crucial and progressing well, focusing on empowering local municipalities, and stated that Slovenia agrees with the European Union’s request for financial instruments to support decentralized governance in Ukraine. Natalia Markevych Pritsa, Deputy Head of Mission at the Ukrainian Embassy in Slovenia, expressed gratitude to Slovenia for its role in the reconstruction process and hope for the project’s success. Mag Blaž Masle, Acting Chargé d’Affaires of the Slovenian Embassy in Kyiv, praised the good cooperation between Slovenia and Ukraine and confirmed the embassy’s readiness to assist further.

Following the visit, CEP activities will focus on areas identified as needing additional attention. Webinars will involve more Novovolynsk municipality employees. In the next steps, CEP will provide concrete support in implementing the local reconstruction and development plan of Novovolynsk.

A heartfelt thank you for enriching the mentorship programme goes to the City of Kranj, Kovačnica Coworking, BSC Kranj, Regional Development Agency of Gorenjska Biotehniški center Naklo, Iskraemeco, Vincenc Draksler Foundation, School Centre Kranj, Centre of Sustainable Mobility Kranj, TIC Kranj, and more.

The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.

Mentorship visit begins in Kranj

10. 7. 2024 | PR, U-LEAD: with Europe, Ukraine

10 July 2024, Kranj – Today, we began the fifth three-week mentorship of 2024 in the City of Kranj under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’.

The event was opened by the Mayor of City of Kranj, Mr Matjaž Rakovec, who welcomed Mr Borys Karpus, Mayor of Novovolynsk urban hromada and Ms Inna Vykhor, Deputy of the Novovolynsk City Council, Chairman of the Committee on Education, Science, Youth, Sports and Information Policy. Joining the mentorship online is Mr Anatolii Dudik, Chief Specialist of the Department of Organization of Administrative Services Provision of the Executive Committee of Novovolynsk City Council. Mayor of Novovolynsk, Mr Karpus expressed his hope for a successful mentorship and noted that Kranj and Novovolynsk are connected through many interests, not only through the Ukraine Festival held last year. Following was a presentation by Ms Jelka Klemenc, CEP’s project lead, who presented the project and its objectives.

We were also happy to witness Mayor Rakovec and Mayor Karpus who signed the protocol of mentorship between Kranj and Novovolynsk, which will cover topics such as project development & fund absorption, education and strengthening of vocational education, city digitalization, business development, and topics related to the EU enlargement process on the local level.

EDDE Capacity Building training in Chișinău (Moldova) Successfully Implemented

27. 6. 2024 | European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR, Slovenian Development Assistance, Strategic Communication

Governmental communicators, digital diplomats, and other institutional representatives engaged in public outreach from the Republic of Moldova joined capacity-building activities of the EDDE training organised on the 24th and 25th of June 2024 in Chisinau (Moldova). The event supported the exchanges of good practices among participating government departments and ministries stakeholders and organised discussions with expert speakers in the field. The activities contributed to developing joint capacities for increased digital engagement and supporting societal resilience against the challenges of foreign-perpetrated disinformation.

With the advancement of technical opportunities such as social media and digital communication networks that support citizens to actively participate in the public sphere with equal opportunities, creating effective and engaging societal dialogue in policy-making is increasingly important within our societies. Governments are responsible for establishing successful communication networks with their citizens and, through active interaction, establish foundations for transparent information sharing, all contributing to inclusive and efficient policy development based on the needs of citizens. Interactive cooperation among the stakeholders also contributes to a higher degree of trust building in institutions, a foundation for democratic resilience and societal health that is essential in times of crisis (such as natural disasters and challenges) and everyday democratic processes. The expansion of opportunities for access to information has furthermore expanded the space for the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation narratives, a societal challenge that needs to be addressed through the cooperation of stakeholders from all spheres.

The implemented activities are supported and funded by the U.S. Department of State’s grant and implemented by the Centre for European Perspective, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, within the scope of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation.

The Mirage of Truth: Complexities and Challenges of Disinformation in the Western Balkans

27. 6. 2024 | PR, Regional cooperation, Strategic Communication, Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign Perpetrated Disinformation in 6 Western Balkans Countries

Today, the Centre for European Perspective is launching a new publication, »The Mirage of Truth: Complexities and Challenges of Disinformation in the Western Balkans«, in the scope of the Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign-Perpetrated Disinformation in 6 Western Balkan Countries project.

The publication is the last activity upon the conclusion of this project as of June 30th, 2024. It touches upon the following topics: governments’ capacities to tackle disinformation, legislative venues for counter-disinformation tactics, regulation of the digital space, adaptations to education curricula, and possibilities and limits to whole-of-society cooperation mechanisms.

Disinformation is about intent. More specifically, intent to manipulate. Information is not accidentally skewed; the context is not taken out of the equation by chance. The source of disinformation carefully tailors the product following its aims and targets. It is a long-term, coordinated action seeking to undermine another society’s values, cohesion and institutions. In other words, disinformation is not a phenomenon – it is a threat, and even more, a security threat. It is a direct manifestation of foreign interference in domestic affairs, and it should be treated as such. The easiest and most vulnerable targets of disinformation are countries still developing their democratic and economic capacities with a recent history of conflict, like the Western Balkans. Disinformation that targets this region is a threat to the idea of Europe and we must, and we will resist – together.

The publication does not pretend to offer answers or an overview of all the challenges each Western Balkan country is struggling with. However, it does encourage future researchers and practitioners to think about the issue more comprehensively and to consider how disinformation affects the entire societal ecosystem, from security and foreign policy to governance, media, and education. Moreover, it also urges calls for an expansion of the comparative perspectives for which, at this time, we lacked sufficient space.

We would like to thank the following authors for their contribution to the publication: Kristina Voko (BIRN Albania), Vuk Vučetić (University of East Sarajevo), Kreshnik Gashi (Kallxo.com and Birn Kosovo), Marko Banović (Digital Forensic Centre / Digitalni forenzički centar – DFC), Bardhyl Jashari (Metamorphosis Foundation) & Tijana Femić (Novi Sad School of Journalism).

As the project concludes, our commitment to this cause remains unwavering. We will continue our efforts in this area, recognizing that change is only possible with consistency. It would be a disservice to the four years of hard work not to carry it forward in other ways.

The Project Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Disinformation in the Western Balkans is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia through development cooperation funds.

Read the publication HERE.

First EDDE Training for Slovenian government communicators has concluded

21. 6. 2024 | European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR

In an era where digital communication is of most importance, the European Digital Diplomacy Exchange (EDDE) Training held at the Jable Castle in Slovenia aimed to bolster the capabilities of government communicators in the digital realm. Hosted by the Centre for European Perspective (CEP), the two-day intensive training underscored the critical need for strategic digital messaging in combating disinformation and enhancing social cohesion. The event, titled “Improving Digital Strategic Messaging,” brought together almost thirty key stakeholders from Slovenian state institutions – from 10 ministries and 4 other state institutions, offering a robust agenda filled with expert-led sessions and practical exercises. The training’s objective was to equip participants with the tools and strategies necessary to navigate the complexities of digital communication effectively.

The training began with opening remarks from Michael Marble, the U.S. Embassy in Slovenia, Petra Bezjak Cirman, the Slovenian Government Communication Office, and Nina Čepon, the (CEP), highlighting the importance of strategic communication in the digital era. The first day of the training featured lectures on the theoretical aspects of strategic communication, including its role in fostering social unity, digital technologies driving social change, development of a strategic communication plan and components of a digital communication ecosystem. We also hosted a panel discussion providing comparative insights into strategic communication centralisation models from the U.S., North Macedonia, and Slovenia. On the second day, we touched upon the essential elements of designing a digital communication campaign, techniques for identifying and understanding the target audience, crafting policy messages and using digital media analytics. We also discussed ways to improve social media presence with concrete examples of Slovenian State Institutions. Lastly, we talked about countering disinformation with the use of strategic communication.

Participants had quite a few practical activities going on as well. They had to develop strategic communication centralisation assessment and improvement, build a digital strategic communication strategy and design a digital strategic communication campaign.

The EDDE Training provided a learning experience for all attendees. The combination of experts’ insights, practical activities, and collaborative discussions ensured that participants left with a comprehensive understanding of digital strategic messaging. The training underscored the crucial role that strategic communication plays in fostering social cohesion, countering disinformation, and enhancing the overall effectiveness of government messaging.

The project is a result of cooperation between the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana, and the Centre for European Perspective.