The NSM#BLOG will be available here starting from September 15, 2025.
For African Youths
Leaders and not dealers
Youths have learned nothing
About democracy and politics,
But hatred and bitterness
Of opposing political parties
That lack morals of public life.
Youths have not learned to talk.
Their mouths are sealed
And tongues, tied
Like that of ancient slaves
In the sugarcane plantations.
Youths have not learned to act,
to share what they have in common.
They are in the dealership kitchens
Learning how to cook up profits
With social irresponsibility burners.
Today’s youths are troubled enough.
They want to become leaders and not dealers
Break free from chains, pains and inertia.
To reshape their collective destiny.
They want to learn from adults
The best practices and morals of life.
Not in the marketplace,
But in the public space.Folorunsho Moshood
NSM#BLOG Short Description
IDEAS WITHOUT BORDERS
Blog for Open Debate in Global Affairs
We live in a multipolar, contested, and volatile international system. The level of disagreement on fundamental rights and future organisation of society is increasing globally. The blog will address topics around four areas of interest, democracy, governance, security, and rules-based international order.
HUMAN-CENTRED AGENDA SETTING
A Platform for Scientists and Young Academics
We offer you an interdisciplinary, evidence and science-based platform in German, French, Spanish and Anglophone spheres consisting in short scientific pieces addressing pressing geopolitical issues. Our focus lies on innovative, less heard creative voices identifying new ways of constructing global international relations. We follow an explicit open access policy.
WHO WE ARE
Our Team (as of 15.09.2025)
Founders: Ursula Werther-Pietsch and Friedarike Santner
Associates: Patrick C. R. Terry, Irene Giner-Reichl, Fred Tanner, Martin Kreutner, Reinhard Heinisch and Niklas Hintermayer
Young Publicists Group "The Editorial Bureau": Philipp Röhr, Carla Fetcas, Sophie Gaugl, Anna Beer, Nicolai Wachmann, Stefanie Friedl, and Lars Ullrich
Rules for contributing: Submissions will only be published if they: (a) are written in clear English, French, German or Spanish, to the point and well structured; (b) comply with our word limit of around 1000 to 1500 words; and (c) are respectful and of a fresh and innovative scientific style. Contributions should be genuinely original and novel. Excellence is a necessary condition for publication, further we intend to balance areas of interest and special thematic pipelines. Submissions by PhD students are very welcome. To submit a post for consideration, please email to: ursula.werther-pietsch@univie.ac.at. We normally take a few days to review submissions and give you feedback for revisions. Once this is done, the contribution can be published.
Style guidelines: 1. Your bio. Please submit in the same word document as your post a CV in 2-3 lines, including if applicable a hyperlink to your university or professional webpage. 2. Length and abstract: The general limit of about 1000 to 1500 words guarantees attention and readability in time. Please provide an abstract of up to 5 lines, which will be the teaser of your post in SM. 3. Fonts, spacing, and paragraph format: Upon request, a template can be sent to you by the editor. Otherwise, orient yourself simply on existing blog contributions. The final layout will be provided by the Editorial Bureau. 4. Citations and footnotes: Please put any references in parentheses immediately after the quotations they support. We do not accept footnote citations. Further reading can be added at the end of the article. 5. Hyperlinks: Embedded hyperlinks are welcome if useful to the reader. In word, this can be easily be made selecting text, right-clicking, and choosing the hyperlink option in the contextual menu.
The NSM#BLOG is happy to liaise with Empowering Democracy and Militär Aktuell.
Lecture on Future International Relations
I delivered a presentation on my theory of international relations on 20 and 21 October 2024 at the European Academy of History and Culture in Dornbirn: Friedens- und Sicherheitsarchitektur. Wo stehen wir? Was ist zu erwarten? Vorschläge der New School of Multilateralism. The lecture is accessible on YouTube under WeltNetzOrdnung, Werther-Pietsch. If you want to learn more, please visit my YouTube channel Videos UWP on security policy, current shifts in geopolitics, the future of the multilateral system, as well as independent media and journalism.
News Corner. The Platform
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, democratization/decentralization, and a dual-layer peace mechanism ('regionalization'), 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 EuropeanHouse 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 will present the multi-facetted perspectives of these exciting discussions early next year.
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 contributions by NSM Members and Affiliates. Please send an email with your content for this page to Ursula Werther-Pietsch (see Please contact me! on the Landing page).