Молодежный международный Пагуошский семинар "Новые вызовы безопасности человечества"

From 14-16 June 2006, ISYP (International Student / Young Pugwash ) organizes a workshop in Wageningen, the Netherlands that intends to raise awareness and stimulate debate among ISYP members about the relation between poverty, economic deprivation, environmental deterioration, resource scarcity, discriminatory policies and new wars, complex political emergencies or non-state transboundary conflict. A few selected participants of this ISYP workshop will also participate in the subsequent Pugwash Workshop on the same topic.

Dear ISYP members,

Pugwash Netherlands is hosting an ISYP and a Pugwash workshop June 14-18, 2006 (with the senior workshop taking place from the 16th onwards). The title is ‘New Challenges to Human Security’, and several senior members of Pugwash, amongst who are Prof. Swaminathan en Prof. Muller, have already agreed to take part in the senior workshop.

In addition to the senior workshop, we are organizing an ISYP workshop starting on June 14th. Several of the participants of the ISYP-workshop will then continue on to take part in the senior workshop as well.

In the ISYP pre-workshop we are planning to study the dynamics and processes of present-day conflict situations from a variety of perspectives, especially including their relationship with human security (such as political economy of war, ethnic and religious dimensions of conflict, influence of poverty and environmental degradation on conflict, etc).

The general theme of the international workshop is ‘How can organisations like Pugwash – and its individual members – promote real progress on issues of the World Problematique’ (a term launched by the Club of Rome: to describe and understand the many interlinked vital problems that the world is facing and their causes). There is no lack of opinions of what ‘should be done’, what we find missing is the ‘How’. This is where we hope to find new insight (and practical results).

The workings of the ISYP pre-workshop may be of a different nature than what you are used to – one that we are very excited to be able to offer. We are, of course, finding inspirational speakers on the issues of Human Security, but in addition we are planning a full-scale moderated role-play of an actual international conflict situation. This means that participants will be asked to actively take part in the role-play conflict (participants will individually or in a group represent one of the organisations with a role in the conflict). Participants will be provided with coaching, guidance and feedback during the process in which the conflict is ‘enacted’. It is a method often used at international conferences and institutions of education to increase the awareness of participants on the interlinking issues of complex (international) problems. We have found this an extremely interesting and active way to find creative solutions.

Please spread this announcement amongst all existing and potentially new ISYP members that you know. We are asking those of you who are interested in participating to get in touch with me (lianmerkx@yahoo.com).

If you have any questions I will be happy to answer them!

Hope to see some of you in June!

Regards, Lian Merkx