#freemedia4you is one of our frontline projects we are looking forward to present in Brussels, how to engage meaningfully and give sustained support to independent media outlets, to better integrate their valuable work into other sectors of concern such as security, trade, energy, climate change, migration, and, most importantly, to staff democracies with a sound information environment! More to come! See also newsletter of capacity4development here.

Great panel discussion in Berlin with Berghof Foundation, Diplomats without Borders, CSSP - Berlin Center for Integrative Mediation, Bundesverband MEDIATION e.V., European Parliament in Germany, European Commission - Representation in Germany on peacebuilding and mediation. What is mediation, is peace mediation possible today, how can the EU respond to geopolitical challenges? A great deal of expertise on mediation and peacebuilding, EU Mediation Support, community of practitioners ‘around the table’.

While all panelists perceive the role of the UNO as universal and distinct, there is a risk of it becoming peripheral. This perspective is contested by the NSM theory of international checks and balances based on a triangle of peace consensus, democratisation / decentralisation, and a dual-layer peace mechanism ('regionalisation'), coupled with a demand for authentic leadership by multilateral decision-makers.

Conclusion: It is necessary to embrace more courage and risk in foreign policy, conduct political assessments, and lead decisively. Mistakes may occur, but inaction or idleness are not options. A call is made for establishing a Cabinet Focal Point within the HR VP for Mediation. Let us forge multilateralism!

Guy Patrick Banim, Martin Kobler, Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, Theresa Lünemann, Christoph Lüttmann, Dr Carla Schraml, Elisabeth Pape - a great team and an honourable invitation to the European House Unter den Linden, less than 50m from the Brandenburg Gate and the German Bundestag!

The recent HLC gathered distinguished scholars and representatives of all European institutions, the European Commission, the European External Services, the European Defence Agency and many more as well as senior officials of the EU member states to discuss the future of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDC). And this in a critical time of the established settings, against the background of the newly designated European Commissioners to be heard by the European Parliament. A Special Edition of the Defence Horizon Journal presented the multi-facetted perspectives of these exciting discussions in Special Edition 3/2024.

In this section you will find the reports and some of the comments and assessments of the SotF 2024 as from 3 October 2024.

The Team Europe Democracy Initiative gathers experts of member states and civil society for sustained action in support of democratisation and human rights. The network is split in three interactive working groups, on inclusion, rule of law and media and digital governance. Austria is co-chairing the media group.
-> Discover more in the recently published newsletter.

On 9 September 2024, former ECB Governor Mario Draghi presented his report on the current and future competitiveness of the EU (which he consistently refers to as ‘Europe’, wasn't there something else? It weighs in at 400 pages, of which 69 are ‘competitiveness strategy’ and 328 are ‘detailed analyses and recommendations’). As you would expect from Draghi, the top civil servant, investment banker, central bank governor and ECB governor, it is an easy-to-read, well-argued report with a series of ‘radical’ proposals. ...

In response to the balkanisation of Africa due to colonisation, which resulted in fragmented micro-nations marked by economic fragility, the heads of state of 16 West African countries established the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1975. This community aimed to foster economic integration and solidarity, bridging the divide between English- and French-speaking countries. Following civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, ECOWAS evolved into a peace and security organisation focused on democracy, good governance, and human rights, with a zero-tolerance policy for military coups. However, recent developments, including the fifth coup recorded in the region from 2020 onwards, and the subsequent formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) by Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, countered the effectiveness of ECOWAS in maintaining peace and democratic norms in the region, raising significant geopolitical consequences.

Democracy needs the free flow of information, and freedom of information needs democracy (#ijf24 Perugia) with Thomas Seifert, Chief editor of European Voices, Mira Milosevic from GFMD, and many others!

Uniting for Democracy - Supporting Free and Independent Media 2024 points to the fact that information governance is changing. What we need is responding to new scenarios and threats to media freedom. Why?
We live in a new era of geopolitical shifts, multipolarity and the competition of world orders. Polarisation is rising, open space closing, and what is more, human rights at large eroding. As a matter of fact the governance map is being rewritten. 72 percent of the world's population already live in autocratic systems, compared to 46 percent a decade ago. How to safeguard healthy information ecosystems as the very pillar of democratic space?

Would you like to share something? This is the best place for flashes and highlights by you, NSM Members and Affiliates! Please send an email with your content for this page to email: ursula.werther-pietsch@univie.ac.at.