The Nexus of Decision24

Szczegóły

“The Nexus of Decision” took place for the first time in February 2023, as a week-long academy in Stiftung Genshagen and in Berlin. During the workshops and seminars, the Polish-German-Ukrainian group discussed the sources of understanding of concepts such as peace, freedom and security from the perspective of political science, history and memory cultures as well as culture and art. Why do societies and states make
such annual decisions in response to such extreme situations as war, danger and death? What are the sources of the decisions and differences between the three states? The academy garnered immense popularity, with nearly 300 applicants from the three countries, of which 15 were selected. The excellent discussions and group work underscored the pressing need for profound reflection on the intersections of history, culture, and politics in the present. This imperative has driven us to expand the academy and carry the project forward, with the upcoming session planned for Poland this year. 

Given the imminent tensions surrounding security decisions for Eastern European countries and the European Union in the coming year 2024, there is a critical need for an educational effort to enhance explicit and informed discussion on international relations. Ukraine is more and more pushed to participate in negotiations with Russia under the guise of an alleged "peace" solution to resolve the existing war.

Within this context, it becomes imperative to recognize historical precedents, particularly decisions made during 20th-century peace negotiations that significantly influenced enduring security challenges in the 21st century. The current environment is marked by ongoing conflicts and fragile peace agreements, lacking a comprehensive retrospective analysis.

This prompts central questions: How can lessons learned from historical negotiation efforts inform our understanding of contemporary challenges? And why are long-term peace solutions overlooked? How are the new threats and crises in the Middle East turbulently shaping a new reality? What are the new strategies of cooperation between the three geopolitical regions of Germany-Poland-Ukraine we can propose?

2024, “The Nexus of Decisions24” meets in Poland and center on crucial historical, social, security, and cross-cultural aspects. The aim is to deepen mutual understanding among our three geopolitical regions, fostering collaboration for coherence in Europe. Our aim to engage young intellectuals for debate and sharing an experience of their geopolitical region. The focus extends to comprehending the future of our security and exploring sustainable long-term peace solutions.

Program

 

Main blocks of seminars, workshops, lectures

Memory and Mythology.
Memory and myths shape our history, politics, culture, and philosophy. Beyond relics of the past, they are dynamic forces molding our present and future. Explore historical myths, propaganda, and cultural blind spots in the West's knowledge of the East, influencing decisions about aggression in Europe.

Long-term cooperation to reach sustainable peace.
This section explores the complex geopolitical landscape, emphasizing the risks of peace negotiations with today's Russia. It underscores the dangers of diplomatic engagement without a full understanding of the historical context between Russia and Europe, focusing on the nuanced perspective needed. The objective is to empower individuals to critically assess decisions made by nations, advocating for strategies that ensure long-term global peace, freedom, and security.

New Crises, new Paradigms.
In this block, we will explore how to navigate through the new crises and challenges that Germany, Ukraine, and Poland face after Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine and the Middle East. Additionally, we'll examine how new paradigms seem to emerge as consequences of old problems that were long set aside and how turbulent the decisions towards security are reshaping Germany, Poland and Ukraine as well as the whole of Europe.