The International Institute for Peace (IIP), in collaboration with the Austrian Institute for International Affairs, Karl Renner Institute, cordially invite you to an online discussion on the topic:
Post-Covid or Post-Democracy Balkans?
What future for the Region? A Discussion with Goran Svilanović
Date: Tuesday, 23 June 2020
Time: 5:00 pm
Venue: Zoom link will be sent to registered participants
Registration: https://www.iipvienna.com/registration/
Panelists:
· GORAN SVILANOVIĆ, former Foreign Minister of Serbia and former Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)
· HANNES SWOBODA, President of the IIP, former MEP
Moderation:
· STEPHANIE FENKART, Director of the IIP
Content:
As the world slowly starts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, new challenges have begun to surface. In the Western Balkans, aside from direct consequences for the health and economic sectors, concerns are rising over political turmoil in the region, the further weakening of democratic institutions, the suppression of protests and political opposition, and restrictions and violations of civil and political rights. Will the period after the pandemic trigger a democratic rollback in the region? What will it mean for regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and EU integration? What might its impact be on human rights, civil society, the media, and young people across the region?
To answer these and other pressing questions, we have launched a series of online discussions titled Post-COVID or Post-Democracy Balkans? taking place over the coming weeks. Each discussion will feature a panel of young experts from the region who will cover issues such as political instability, human rights and media freedom, challenges for civil society, prospects for education, and more. The discussions will take place within the framework of our initiative ‘Young Generations for the Western Balkans 2030,’ jointly run with the Karl-Renner Institut and the Austrian Institute for International Affairs.
The event on June 23rd will conclude this series of discussions on the current political and societal developments in the Western Balkans.
Other discussions in the series (available on Youtube) Post-Covid or Post-Democracy Balkans? include:
2 June 2020: Political turmoil in Albania, Kosovo and Serbia
9 June 2020: State of human rights, media freedoms and civil liberties during the pandemic
16 June 2020: Solidarity within the region and beyond
30 June 2020: Transitional justice and reconciliation after the pandemic
The Discussion will be held in English.
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Photo © Shpat Buzoku/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0