26. 6. 2019 | European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR
The Centre for European Perspective, together with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassies in Greece and North Macedonia, co-hosted a workshop entitled “Empowering Journalists to Address Disinformation in Greece & North Macedonia” in Thessaloniki, from 24 – 26 June 2019.
Developments in the last few years have transformed the communications landscape, raising questions about the quality, impact and credibility of journalism. At the same time, agents of disinformation are using anonymous online spaces to seed rumors and false content aiming to reach professional news outlets and multiply their effect. How can journalists protect themselves from being manipulated?
The workshop gathered 40 journalists from Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), North Macedonia’s Media and Information Agency (MIA), private media outlets, as well as academics and representatives from civil society to discuss how to address the disinformation challenges faced by both countries and multisector approaches to combating it.
The project is a result of a joint cooperation between the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassies in Greece and North Macedonia, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), along with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), and the Centre for European Perspective.
24. 6. 2019 | PR, U-LEAD: with Europe
Centre for European Perspective is hosting its 8th International Study Visit in Slovenia. The event begun on Monday, 24th of June at Jable Castle and will continue throughout the week.
The topic of the visit is “Improving Institutional Capacity Development Measures of Ukrainian Local-self-government (LSG) Associations”. Among the key players in the capacity development process arena with regard to local self-government reform are Ukrainian LSG associations such as Ukrainian Association of Rayon and Oblast Councils (UAROR), All-Ukraine Association of Village and Settlement Councils (VASSR), Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities (AATC) and Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC) which undertake initiatives in raising awareness of their members and local self-government officials on various decentralization-related topics. However, the resources and capabilities of the mentioned associations in terms of durable capacity development measures to be provided for LSG bodies need to be enhanced. The Ukrainian LSG association experience a shortage of EU practices in organisation of on-going capacity development measures towards the Amalgated Hromadas (AHs). The lack of coordinated mechanisms to identify and prioritise intervention measures for the stakeholders at both regional and sub-regional levels as well as poor practical experience in identification of their needs may lead to inefficient and, at times, overlapping efforts while designing and implementing interventions for AHs. The role of each of the associations in the course of the decentralisation and post-decentralisation period is to be clearly understood with the help of additional insights and practical examples especially from the EU associations such as, for example, the Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia – Skupnost občin Slovenije (SOS) and the Association of Municipalities of Slovenia – Združenje občin Slovenije (ZOS).
There are currently 15 local officials from Ukraine taking part in the study visit. Participants are coming from different spheres, ranging from Project coordinators, Advisors on regional development, Experts of strategic planning from Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Communal Services, Heads of amalgamated hromadas to the Head of regional development centre from Chernivtsi region.
The event was open by Katja Geršak, Director, CEP and Andrej Vrčon, Administrative Director, CEP, who warmly welcomed the participants at Jable Castle, and gave an overview of its work. Opening remarks were given by Andreja Purkart Martinez, Head of Sector, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Slovenia, who gave an insight into general work Ministry does with Ukraine and the region. Finally, welcome speech was given by Andrii Borodenkov, Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Slovenia, who introduced the participants to Slovenia, doing business there and the topics handled in general. Meliha Muherina, Project Manager at CEP, followed their introductory remarks with an overview of the agenda for the following days and answered all the questions participants had.
First lecture of the day was given by Dr Robert Drobnič, discussing the topic of Regional Development Planning. He focused on planning regional development, implementation of national programs, implementation of EU programs and development of mountain areas.
Second lecture of the day was given by Dr. Roman Lavtar, who focused on System of Local Self-Government, political and territorial structure of Slovenian government and organization, tasks and financing of local communities.
Finally, participants were greeted by Dr. Vladimir Prebilič, Mayor of Kočevje and Representative of Association of Municipalities of Slovenia, who presented some selected projects for growth and Public Procurement of Association of Municipalities.
The visit is taking place in the framework of the multi-donor action U-LEAD established by the European Union and its Member States Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Sweden. It aims at contributing to the establishment of multilevel governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine. U-LEAD with Europe is supporting the Ukrainian Government, represented by the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine (MinRegion) as a key political partner in the coordination and implementation of the decentralization and regional policy reforms. The Program carries out demand-driven and targeted trainings for officials at the national, regional and local level.
23. 6. 2019 | European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR
Click here to read more about the project in Slovenian language. 
Bohinj and Bled were the settings of the European Digital Diplomacy training this week, bringing together government communicators from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. The event was prepared as a joint effort between the U.S. Department of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia within the framework of the Official Development Cooperation, the U.S. Embassy in Slovenia and Centre for European Perspective. Activities of the three-day training enforced the participants to join forces, ideas, and best practices to bridge challenges in the field and build a strong network for the future of the project.
On Wednesday morning, the participants were addressed by CEP Executive Director Katja Geršak, Public Affairs Officer Jean B. Leedy from the U.S. Embassy in Slovenia and Miriam Možgan, Head of Public Relations Office within the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The training was then set off by Matt Jacobs from the U.S. Department of State and Centre for European Perspective’s very own Project Coordinator Ingrid Omahna, who have been supporting and coordinating the project from the very beginning.
The first day of the training was devoted to a series of discussions, workshops, and lectures that covered the communication sphere of governmental institutions and the ever-growing threat of misinformation/disinformation. The digital revolution has yielded a unique opportunity for individuals and communities alike to stay informed and engage within their audiences. At the same time, digital innovation is proving the importance of communication activities governments and other state institutions have to undertake in order to build on the engagement of their communities. Digital platforms, social media and other methods of digital data transmission, therefore open the door to transparent and more effective politics with engaging policies that can more closely listen to the needs of communities affected by them.
The sharing of ideas and best practices among peers working at the same capacities have always been in the heart of the overall EDDE project, so to better address the challenges that occur in their profession. Being no different for the training in Bohinj, the afternoon of the first day continued with a presentation of successful digital campaigns. Jane Lazevski working as a Special Adviser to the Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia presented a successful digital campaign from North Macedonia meanwhile Nataša Adlešič Barba working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia presented the most recent Slovenian successful digital campaigns within the scope of Official Development Cooperation. The participants were also engaged in a lecture on how to address disinformation so to preserve information integrity. The debate based on the participant’s experiences and challenges continued within a Night Owl Session on identification and responses to misinformation.
The second day of the training moved the participants to the ambient of Lake Bled, where the event was hosted by the IEDC Bled School of Management. Participants were divided into two smaller groups who sequentially cooperated in interactive lectures. The first pair of workshops covered Photography training (led by the experienced journalist Uroš Hočevar) and Infographic and Design Training (led by Ingrid Omahna). Both of the workshops covered practical aspects and skills, which can help public officers build on better and more effective visual material for their campaigns and digital efforts. The afternoon session engaged participants in a discussion on analytics (prepared by Paolo Ganino working at the European External Action Service) and Matt Jacobs on the topic of social listening. Both the presentations covered many useful aspects on how to better engage with their audiences and secure digital campaigns that more effectively resonate within communities. The evening program continued in Bohinj, where the participants once more engaged in a Night Owl Session, this time on the topic of Policy as Lifestyle.
All of the lectures, infographic and design training, debates, photography training, exchange of experiences and best practices were brought to a practical test on Friday, when the participants were faced with a digital challenge. A hands-on simulation based on a descriptive storyline challenged the groups of participants to prepare a specific digital campaign for their imaginary country Frakya. All of the groups were innovative and successful in their efforts to build visually appealing campaigns and content with creative solutions for the task in question. The evening continued with closing remarks and a certificate ceremony.
18. 6. 2019 | European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR
ANNOUNCEMENT: European Digital Diplomacy Exchange Training
The Centre for European Perspective, together with the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia is organizing a three-day training designed to enhance the digital press and public diplomacy capacities of government communicators.
Governments have been uniquely challenged by the proliferation of digital communication channels. On one hand, they have never had as much access to domestic and foreign publics – access that they can use to understand and inform their audiences. On the other, the proliferation and democratization of the digital media space has increased their narrative competition, and opened them up to a number of consequential challenges, including proactively destructive counter-narratives and disinformation. Governments that are active on social networks therefore require new knowledge and experience, different abilities and skills that are necessary to effectively operate within the information space.
For this purpose, a fourth iteration of the training, taking place between 19th and 21st June 2019 in Bohinj, Slovenia, will recruit government communicators from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. The training will cover a range of topics from public relations and public diplomacy theory to practical application of digital tools.
The project is a result of a joint cooperation between the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the scope of the International Development Cooperation and the Centre for European Perspective.
Click here to read more about the project in Slovenian language.
18. 6. 2019 | Perspektive/Perspectives, PR
Tokrat so PERSPEKTIVE posvečene temi umetne inteligence (UI), ki se počasi, vendar vztrajno, širi na vsa področja naše družbe. Umetna inteligenca lahko izboljša naša življenja, prinaša pa tudi izzive in odpira etična vprašanja.
Nedvomno bo umetna inteligenca preobrazila naša gospodarstva, zato je na tem področju pomemben proaktiven pristop. Slovenija ima na področju umetne inteligence primerjalne prednosti in je po številu UI raziskovalcev per capita uvrščena v sam svetovni vrh. Potrebna pa je seveda podpora tako razvoju kot tudi vpeljavi UI v gospodarstvo in javno upravo za izboljšanje storitev za državljane in konkurenčnosti slovenskih podjetij.
V luči tega predstavljamo prispevke Inštituta Jožef Štefan in štirih svetovno znanih podjetij, ki so med vodilnimi na tem področju: Microsoft, IBM, SAP in Siemens. Hvaležni smo za njihove analize in poglobljena mnenja, ki predstavljajo pomemben doprinos k razpravi o prihodnosti umetne inteligence.
Razprava o prednostih kot tudi izzivih UI, ki jo naslavljamo skozi junijske PERSPEKTIVE, pa je tudi ena od ključnih tem, ki jo bomo obravnavali na letošnjem Blejskem strateškem forumu.
14. 6. 2019 | PR, U-LEAD: with Europe
The Centre for European Perspective has hosted its 7th International Study Visit of Ukrainian Local officials in Slovenia. The event begun on Monday, 9th of June at Jable Castle and ended on the 14th of June with a closing ceremony in Vogrsko.
The topic of the visit was “Local Economic Development”. Local economic development is one of the key issues for ensuring the success of the decentralization process in Ukraine. However, the number of enterprises and economic activity at the local level remains very low.
18 local officials from Ukraine have taken part in the study visit, coming from different spheres – from Heads and Deputy Heads of hromadas to Land managers, Capacity development advisors, Experts of the expert group on strategic planning from Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Communal Services to the Head of regional development centre from Chernivtsi region.
The first day started with a welcome speech from the CEP Executive Director Katja Geršak, followed by the opening delivered by Andrii Borodenkov and Oleksandra Yanushevska from the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Slovenia. Later on, Meliha Muherina, Project Manager at CEP, followed their introductory remarks with an overview of the agenda for the following days.
The first lecture of the day was given by Mr. Robert Drobnič, discussing the topic of regional development planning, implementation of national programs, implementation of EU programs and social entrepreneurship.
The second lecture was given by mag. Peter Medved, who focused on the functioning of development councils of cohesion regions, initiating consultations, coordination, cooperation and joint action of ministries, development regions and development partners in the development region (representatives of municipalities, the economy and the non-governmental sector).
The third and last lecture of the day was given by Dr. Boštjan Grabner, from the Development Agency of Savinjska Region. Dr. Grabner spoke about regional sustainable development in Slovenia; national and international regional development; connecting and developing partnerships for sustainable development; finding financial resources and promotion of the region.
The following day was full of good practices in the field of social entrepreneurships in Slovenia, as the participants visited Skuhna and social farm Brinjevka. They also visited Štanjel, where they heard more about Interreg projects between Slovenia and Italy and the process of application for such cross-border projects.
The third day began in Nova Gorica, with a lecture on theoretical approach to historical ties between Slovenia and Ukraine by Mr Sašo Radovanovič. Later, the participants visited the municipality of Nova Gorica, where they met with Deputy Mayor of Nova Gorica, Mr Simon Rosič, who spoke about the history of Nova Gorica and the development of the municipality. He also spoke about cross-border cooperation and EPK project. Later on, the participants visited the Europe square – the joint square of Gorizia (Italy) and Nova Gorica (Slovenia), which honours the entry of Slovenia into EU and the cementery in Zalošče, where they paid their respects to the soldiers of the 22nd Domobranski regiment from Chernivtsi in Ukraine who died during WWI.
On Thursday, the participants visited the Municipality of Renče-Vogrsko, where they met with the Mayor Mr Tarik Žigon, who spoke about the municipality, their projects and plans for future development of the municipality. They also visited main investments that took place in the municipality with the help of EU funds. The participants also paid their respects by laying a wreath at the WWI. cemetery in Bukovica in memory of Ukrainian soldiers, who died in the region during WWI. The study visit ended with a closing ceremony in Vogrsko.
The visit is taking place in the framework of the multi-donor action U-LEAD established by the European Union and its Member States Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Sweden. It aims at contributing to the establishment of multilevel governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine. U-LEAD with Europe is supporting the Ukrainian Government, represented by the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine (MinRegion) as a key political partner in the coordination and implementation of the decentralization and regional policy reforms. The Program carries out demand-driven and targeted trainings for officials at the national, regional and local level.
