In War and in Peace: Protecting Rights and Democracy in Times of Crisis

In the wake of Russia’s war of aggression, Ukraine showed the critical importance of social capital, civil society mobilization, and solidarity in ensuring rapid response and resilience in times of crisis. But protracted security concerns and a constant state of emergency can also undermine precisely these strengths. This applies across Europe, as proclamations that “there is no alternative” risk feeding polarisation, disinformation, and disillusionment among citizens, ultimately leaving us all much more vulnerable to conflict and disruption. Security without democracy is a fall into autocracy, illiberalism, and closed societies.

Greens and progressives have a vital role in advocating for peace, supporting civil society, and defending pluralism, even in times of crisis. This session will explore the intersections between defence and democracy and reflect on how to navigate tensions and maintain a commitment to transparency, accountability, and social rights in the pursuit of secure societies and durable peace.

Speakers:

Luiza Bialasiewicz, Professor, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

Prof. dr. Luiza Bialasiewicz is Professor of Political and Economic Geography at Ca’ Foscari, University of Venice. Until September 2024, she held a Professorship of European Governance at the University of Amsterdam, where she also directed the Amsterdam Centre for European Studies (ACES). Professor Bialasiewicz is also a permanent Visiting Professor at the College of Europe, where she has taught the College’s required introductory course on geopolitics since 2013. Prof. Bialasiewicz’s research examines the evolution of EU geopolitical imaginaries and the emergence of a European ‘geopolitical subject’ over the past two decades. She has also written extensively on the geopolitics of the EU’s migration management, with particular attention to the Mediterranean and North Africa, examining various forms of externalization of border and migration management since the early 2000s. Her present research focuses on the links between geopolitics and geoeconomics, including new forms of securitization and weaponization of economic and trade policies. She is also currently investigating the ways in which geopolitical agendas ‘touch down’ in European domestic politics, with a focus on far-right movements and parties. Her most recent books are the co-edited collection Spaces of Tolerance: Changing Geographies and Philosophies of Religion in Today’s Europe (2019) and the edited volume Europe in the World: EU Geopolitics and the Making of European Space (2011; paperback edition 2016). Bialasiewicz is also one of the editors of Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, an international journal of critical, heterodox, and interdisciplinary research into the relations between the political and the spatial.

Elīna Pinto, Deputy Chairperson, Progresīvie

Presidential candidate (2023) and Lead EP candidate (2024) of Progresīvie (Latvia), co-chair of the party’s strategic council. Progressive public policy professional with human rights, crisis management and public governance expertise and extensive public interest advocacy experience.

Alice Stollmeyer, Founder & Executive Director, Defend Democracy

Alice Stollmeyer is the Founder & Executive Director of Defend Democracy, a nonpartisan NGO defending democracy from foreign, domestic and technological threats. Alice has a background in social studies of science, technology and society. A former energy policy adviser and digital strategist, she now works on democracy, technology and sharp power (also known as hybrid threats). Alice has lived and worked in Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels, and increasingly travels across Europe and beyond for her work. She is in Politico’s #Power40 top influencers who are most effectively setting the agenda in politics, public policy & advocacy in Brussels.

Joanna Kaminska, Mediation Expert, European Parliament

Joanna works as an advisor in mediation and dialogue facilitation at the European Parliament, where she supports the inter-party dialogue at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Between 2019-2022 she was a foreign and security advisor to the President of the European Parliament David Maria Sassoli. Joanna holds a PhD in EU foreign affairs from the University of London. She is an author of number of publications in the area of foreign and security affairs and EU relations with Eastern neighbours.

Kateryna Kvashnytska, Programme Coordinator Democracy Support, Heinrich Boll Stiftung Kyiv

Kateryna has a background in environmental studies and public policy, complemented by professional experience in nature conservation, capacity building, youth engagement and education. Since October 2023, she has been the Democracy Support Program Coordinator at the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Kyiv Büro where she leads and collaborates on initiatives spanning urban development, grassroots empowerment, decolonization and history, cultural heritage, and education.

Moderator:

Giorgi Ptskialadze, former Secretary General of Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe

Giorgi is the former Secretary General of the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Relations at Central European University (CEU) in Vienna. Earlier, he has been the spokesperson of Young Greens of Georgia, actively involved in politics and civil society.

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