The International Institute for Peace (IIP), in cooperation with International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP), and the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), among other partners, warmly invites you to attend the upcoming webinar
Creating Security Beyond the Military: What Else?
Date: Wednesday, 3 June, 2026
Time: 17:00 CET
Venue: ZOOM
SPEAKERS
• Andrew de Sousa, Director, Quaker Council for European Affairs
• HANNES SWOBODA, President, International Institute for Peace (IIP)
• MARIA MEKRI, SaferGlobe
CONTENT
The International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP), in collaboration with Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDO), International Institute for Peace (IIP), and several other organisations, has launched the webinar series Rethinking Security in Europe — a programme of five online sessions taking place between 7 May and 3 June 2026.
The series was conceived against a backdrop of rising military spending, the war in Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza, and the reshaping of international alliances, with the aim of opening up a space for critical debate about what we mean by security today and what alternatives exist beyond strictly military responses.
International security is undergoing a moment of profound transformation. Against a backdrop of rising global military expenditure, proliferating armed conflicts, and deepening humanitarian crises, the pillars on which Europe's security architecture rests are crumbling. The Russian invasion of Ukraine — which pushed Sweden and Finland into NATO and prompted the EU to launch its “ReArm Europe” initiative — the genocide in Gaza, instability across the Middle East and the Sahel, and the shift in American security doctrine under Trump's foreign policy are among the defining factors of this period of transformation for European societies.
European security policies combine explicit, military force-based approaches with normative frameworks that prioritise diplomacy, conflict prevention, and multilateralism. The current risk is that the former comes to overshadow the latter and, paradoxically, generates greater insecurity at both the European and local levels.
In this climate of instability, where alliances have become increasingly unpredictable, the European debate has shifted from “what is security?” to “who defends us, how, and by what means?” This webinar series aims to provide a space for analysis and reflection on these tensions, and to explore available pathways toward a cohesive, sustainable, and democratic European security project.
THE EVENT WILL BE HELD IN ENGLISH.
By participating in this event, you agree that any photos or recordings taken that include footage of your person may be published or used in any other way by the organizers of the event.