31 August to 2 September 2021, Bled, Slowenia
No less than the future of Europe was the topic of discussion at this year’s Bled Strategic Forum, taking place in Bled, Slovenia, from 31 August to 2 September. For the sixth year in a row, the Global Diplomacy Lab was invited to contribute with two interactive sessions. Following this call, GDL members Elif Çavuşlu and Burak Ünveren created two formats addressing communication challenges.
“Leaders of Communication: Fostering future engagement with citizens”
by Elif Çavuşlu
Apathy towards the European Union (EU) poses a considerable challenge for democracy as it creates a barrier to developing and improving public policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has only widened the gap between communities across Europe and eroded citizens’ trust in the EU as well as in national governments. The Conference on the Future of Europe is an opportunity to get EU affairs onto the public agenda and spark interest in Europe’s future in all segments of society.
Research shows that, compared to international organisations, communication by national representatives (government or civil society) is more effective in shaping citizens’ perceptions. Furthermore, exposure to information on European politics and engagement in political discussions are factors that increase citizens’ interest and engagement in European affairs. This entails a responsibility for everyone, be they politicians, diplomats, bureaucrats or civil society representatives, a responsibility to promote the EU’s achievements, European values and democracy.
This session aims to encourage participants to be “leaders in communication” by addressing how to effectively engage their communities on the role of the European Union to help plug the gap on awareness, needs and expectations.
“Fighting Disinformation with Information: Securing Security through Facts“
by Burak Ünveren
Disinformation campaigns and fake news are emerging as a long-term threat to the values and security of the EU, as the line between information and disinformation becomes increasingly blurred. While there is a consensus that this challenge exists, there is no consensus on how to deal with it. However, efforts to fight disinformation have improved in recent years. They include the promotion of free and unbiased international media outlets that protect editorial independence; cybersecurity agencies; fact-checking teams and networks; and international non-governmental organisations dedicated to the freedom of the media.
The session on this topic was organised and conducted in partnership with GDL Leading Partner BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt. It contributed to the ongoing debate by bringing together various experts and activists who are involved in the process of fighting fake news and disinformation campaigns. As part of the participatory forum, those who play a direct role in the process were able to engage in dialogue with European citizens who were directly or indirectly affected by these developments.
Voices from the community
Further Events
Elif Çavuşlu is an EU affairs expert based in Brussels. She currently works as a consultant to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development. Prior to this, she served at the Ministry for European Union Affairs (MEU) of the Republic of Turkey for eight years, where she began her civil service career in 2010. She also worked at the European Parliament as a Pat Cox Fellow and at the European Commission as a National Expert in Professional Training.
As the co-founder and co-director of Roman Medya, she is actively involved in issues concerning human rights, anti-discrimination and Roma rights in Turkish civil society. Ms Çavuşlu holds a BA in Social and Political Science from Sabancı University and an MA in EU Foreign Policy and Security Issues from the University of Warwick, which she attended with a Jean Monnet Scholarship.
Burak Ünveren is a political scientist and journalist. In addition to his role as Multimedia Editor at the Turkish Programme at Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster, he works as Planner in DW’s Chief Editorial Office. His fields of expertise are global affairs, international security, Turkish foreign policy, political communications and German-Turkish relations.
As an alumnus of the IPS programme of German Bundestag, as well as the Training for International Diplomats programme of the German Foreign Office, he earned his international M.A. degree in global studies in Leipzig and Vienna and his B.A. degree in political science and international relations in Istanbul and Bonn.
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You can learn more about Burak and his view on the role of international media for inklusive diplomacy in his first blog article.
Elif Çavuşlu is an EU affairs expert based in Brussels. She currently works as a consultant to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development. Prior to this, she served at the Ministry for European Union Affairs (MEU) of the Republic of Turkey for eight years, where she began her civil service career in 2010. She also worked at the European Parliament as a Pat Cox Fellow and at the European Commission as a National Expert in Professional Training.
As the co-founder and co-director of Roman Medya, she is actively involved in issues concerning human rights, anti-discrimination and Roma rights in Turkish civil society. Ms Çavuşlu holds a BA in Social and Political Science from Sabancı University and an MA in EU Foreign Policy and Security Issues from the University of Warwick, which she attended with a Jean Monnet Scholarship.
Burak Ünveren is a political scientist and journalist. In addition to his role as Multimedia Editor at the Turkish Programme at Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster, he works as Planner in DW’s Chief Editorial Office. His fields of expertise are global affairs, international security, Turkish foreign policy, political communications and German-Turkish relations.
As an alumnus of the IPS programme of German Bundestag, as well as the Training for International Diplomats programme of the German Foreign Office, he earned his international M.A. degree in global studies in Leipzig and Vienna and his B.A. degree in political science and international relations in Istanbul and Bonn.
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You can learn more about Burak and his view on the role of international media for inklusive diplomacy in his first blog article.
