oiip

16.09.2019 - 17.09.2019
12:00 - 1:30

Austrian Embassy in Berlin
Stauffenberggasse 1, Berlin

The International Institute for Peace (IIP), in collaboration with the Austrian Institute for International Affairs, Karl Renner Institute, European Stability Initiative, and the Austrian Embassy in Berlin cordially invite you to a talk over lunch on the topic “Young Generations for the New Balkans 2030: Towards Alternative Horizons.”

Caught in a vicious circle between old-fashioned backwards oriented politics and nationalism on one hand side and the lack of economic, educational and social perspectives on the other, young generations in the Balkans seem to be losing patience and when possible emigrating to the West in a search for a better life. UN agencies and experts speak about a massive demographic revolution going on in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, changing societies more than many other developments in their younger history. In parallel, democracies in the region are vulnerable, EU integration process is not delivering fast results, and alternative horizons are not easy to find. Our initiative on turning the flashlights on youth, their progressive stances and hopes for the future wants to ask tough questions about the region, about educational opportunities and limits, about reconciliation, EU hopes and possible illusions. Based on sound and sober assessments of the situation, we want to look forward, sketch alternative horizons, and look for alternatives for South-eastern Europe’s way beyond emigration.

This discussion and a closed workshop meeting on the 17th of September in Berlin are the next steps of the initiative series “Young Generations for the New Balkans 2030: Towards Alternative Horizons”. The discussions and results of the regional events will be taken further to European capitals and the region, first to Berlin and Paris and then to Brussels. Visits and events in other European Cities – among others also in the context of EU presidencies – will prominently feature young participants from the region as ambassadors representing the fresh and alternative view on and of the Western Balkans. By the means of continuous engagement throughout 2019 and beyond, we will keep working on promoting alternatives to the status quo and also embarking upon the real and tough work and action to make alternative horizons possible.

Registration by Friday, September 13th, 2019, at noon to a.cerimagic@esiweb.org (please, indicate your name, birth place and birthdate)

Program