Back to the main page of the European Spring Conference
Detailed overview of the sessions
Each session will include proposals for action prepared by the organizers. At the end of the event participants can agree on such proposals for action.
Session 1: Global disarmament and way out from the new Cold War
Now more than ever, the necessity of global disarmament is urgent in order to avoid that modern weapons could affect civilians and the global environment in the framework of the new Cold War.
What are the best strategies to achieve this goal? How can the international civil society be involved in this process?
The international community as a whole has the duty to dialogue in order to avoid apocalyptic consequences for all.
Speakers:
- Sean Conner, International Peace Bureau
- Tamas Krausz, History Professor, Hungary
- Ulla Klötzer, Women for Peace, Finland
- Zeno Bernhard. Attac France
- Alexander Buzgalin, Moscow State University and coordinator of Alternative, Russia
- Alexander Shubin, State Academic University for the Humanities, Russia
Session 2: Stop repression in the West and in the East
In the context of the New Cold War, the internal political repression has significantly increased, both in the Eastern and in the Western bloc. Political actors who in whatever way criticizes the policies of the government and, in general, the geo-political placement of the country have been highly persecuted through unequal legal trials and unfair accusations. To face this situation, it is fundamental to find possible ways to communicate and cooperate between pro-peace-building groups and initiatives in the West and in the East to oppose the political repression
Speakers:
- Igor Gotlib, Prague Spring 2 network, Russia
- Marek Hrubec, global scientist, Czech Academy of Science
- Oksana Chelysheva, Finnish Peace Committee
- Tord Björk, Activists for Peace, Sweden and IC member of World Social Forum
Session 3: Environmental Peace-building
This session includes an introduction into the field of environmental peace-building and all the consequences a universal disarmament would potentially have for the environment.
The process of disarmament has to be carefully guided by the international community to avoid affecting the peace-building process and the construction of sustainable societies over the world.
What is a culture of peace? How could it be established or is it pure wishful thinking?
Speakers:
- Alexander Ač, peace environmentalist, Institute of Global Change, CzAS, Brno, Czechia
- Bror Eskil Heiret, Nature and Youth, Norway coordinator of Norwegian Russian environmental cooperation,
- Elena Kruglikova, Initiative group Women for Peace – Apatity, Murmansk region of Russia and Energy saving project in all of Russian federation
- Maximiliam Isendahl, NOrdBruk/Via Campesina Sweden, on resistance against corporate and ecofascist EU Green deal and alternatives
Session 4: Migration issues in a critical socio-ecological context
This session will give a thorough insight into migration caused by wars and corporations with the aim of making short term profit or concentrating power in the hands of the state. It aims at finding international tools to deal with this sort of humanitarian crises and ways to avoid the consequences of geopolitical tensions and conflicts being paid by civilians.
The international community has to solve this problem in order to achieve a social and ecological transition in all parts of the world.
Speakers:
- Attila Melegh, Sociology Assiate Professor, Hungary
- Balint Josa, United for Intercultural Action
- Leo Gabriel, anthropologist, journalist and film-maker, Austria
