Join us for a one-day youth-focused security conference in Tbilisi that will combine formal and non-formal education methods to explore green visions on European security, including enlargement as a tool for EU security and resilience.

Despite the ideals and efforts of several generations to bring lasting peace to Europe and the world, armed conflict and escalation remain a daily presence in the lives of many young Europeans – whether in their direct lived experience, their fears for the future, or their contacts and solidarity with peers elsewhere. This includes not just Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but also violence in the South Caucasus and Gaza, among others. While the Green movement is rooted in non-violence, these terms are at times vaguely defined and understood within and outside the Green movement. They are also easier to defend in times of peace.

This one-day conference in Tbilisi will spotlight and dive deeper into the work on the security and defence policy that CDN and GEF worked on during 2023 and 2024. It also builds on the peace and security study day that CDN and GEF hosted for 40 young people in Budapest last October. Expert panels will be combined with non-formal education methods, to produce an engaging programme targeted especially at young people from Central and Eastern Europe. With a particular focus on enlargement as well as youth perspectives, the conference aims to be a space for learning and reflection, and to highlight green visions for a safer Europe and world.

Programme (GET Time):

9:30-10:15 Opening 

10:15-11:45 Plenary panel: Paradigm shifts and non-violence today

The perception of security policy changed a lot within the Green European Movement after the global challenges in 2020s arose. Eastern European Greens were in front of this change. During this panel, we will hear how the Green values on security evolved and what needs to be changed.

Speakers: Laurent Standaert (GEF), Joanna Kamińska ((mediation team of the European Parliament), Giorgi Ptskialadze (former CDN Sec-Gen), Yevheniia Bryhinets (CDN). Moderation: Igor Skórzybót (CDN Sec-Gen).

12:00-13:30 Green perspectives on European Security – visions and testimonies

The Green Perspectives on European Security was a project that involved 2023 Study Session, and series of articles on the diffent issues related to security in Eastern Europe. During this session, the people involved in the previous phases on the project will present their findings.

The presentations (all confirmed):

·         Tatia Ishkneli – Queer security in Georgia

·         Serdar Şengezer – Securitization of Migration in Europe: Processes, Influences, and Paths to De-Securitization

·         Natalia Volyk – The security of Europe through the experience of the russian-Ukrainian war

·         Nej Goolé – Navigating Challenges: Queer Security Dynamics in the South Caucasus and EU Involvement

·         Kateryna Andrieieva – On the Study Session and Security Toolkit

Moderation: Filip Janković (CDN EC)

15:00-16:30 Parallel session A: Environment and security

The security policy has many aspects, one of the most important ones is Environmental Security. The sessions will be focusing on the impact of war to the environment, including often omitted topics as animal rights, and how to prevent them without excessive securitization of discourse on environmental policy.

Speakers: Yevheniia Zasiadko (Razom we Stand), Mariam Yeghiazaryan (CSN Lab), Alexei Ovchinnikov (Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group).

15:00-16:30 Parallel session B: Peacebuilding and reconciliation

Peacebuilding and reconciliation is necessary to transform the societies affected by the conflicts into the peaceful one. During this session, we will hear to people dealing with peacebuilding, from the perspective of both European institutions and the grassroots social movement in country affected by the conflict. We will get to know what the steps are necessary to start and continue the process.

Speakers: Joanna Kamińska (mediation team of the European Parliament), Maria Khachatrian (Frontline Youth Network), Nikola Kožul (Human Rights Lawyer at Serb National Council, Sustainable Development Forum – Green Window). Moderation: Cemre Nayir (CDN EC).

17:00-18:30 Interview + workshop: Green defence policy in practice

During the Green Perspectives on European Security, we started discussion on the different aspects of security. Now, we will go beyond that and equip young progressive changemakers with the necessary capacities to actively engage in political processes by introducing them to more specific and detailed concepts in the areas of security.

 Speaker: name TBC (Progresīvie, Latvian Ministry of Defence) + Interactive workshop by CDN

18:30 Closing 

Acknowledgements:

This Summer School is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of the Cooperation and Development Network in Eastern Europe (CDNEE) and the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. 

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Our guest will be:

Filip Janković (he/him) – a member of the CDN Executive Committee and Main Board of Zelena Omladina Srbije. He recently run for New Belgrade Municipal Assembly, and he was helping in organisation of 2024 European Train Tour in Belgrade.

Christina Kessler (she/her) – a member of the FYEG Executive Committee since 2022. During the 2024 European election campaign her main focus was on supporting young Green candidates from across the EU.

Pamphylia Madyavanhu (she/her) – co-spokesperson of Global Young Greens, the vice chairperson of the Zimbabwe Young Greens. She works to amplify the voices of young people in the global green movement and drive progress on critical issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, and gender equality.

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The European Train Tour is organised by Young European Greens (FYEG) and consist of decentralised one-day events coordinated by FYEG across Europe and will show young people how EU politics impacts their lives and why they should vote in the 2024 EU elections in June!

Why starting outside the EU? Serbia, like other European nations, deserves to be part of our European Union. We want to hear the voices of young people in Serbia and make them part of building a better EU.

If you are in Belgrade or another city in the region on 23.03.2024, sign up to spend a day with Greens, NGO representatives, activists and others and delve into how the EU affects Serbia and other Balkan countries now, what Serbian accession would mean especially for the youth, and what has to be done to achieve better European integration. Visit FYEG’s page to learn how to register, the programme and speakers.