Am 13. Dezember lud das Internationale Institut für den Frieden (IIF) zu Vernissage, Lesung und Diskussion über das Thema ‚Peace First – Brauchen wir eine neue Friedensbewegung?` ein. Zu Gast waren Gabriele Matzner, ehemalige Botschafterin Österreichs und Publizistin, Antonio Fian, Schriststeller, Egbert Jahn, Friedensforscher und Hannes Swoboda, Präsident IIF und ehemaliges MEP. Durch den Abend moderierte Trautl Brandstaller, Publizistin; Stephanie Fenkart, Direktorin IIF hieß die Gäste willkommen. 

Am 11. Dezember 2018 fand auf Initiative der ukrainischen Botschaft in Wien hin Gespräch über Augenzeugenberichte aus der Ostukraine im International Institut für den Frieden (IIF) statt. Dazu wurden Igor Kozlovsky und Stalina Chubenko eingeladen, um ihre persönliche Geschichte im Kontext des Konflikts in der Ostukraine zu erzählen und um größeres Bewusstsein für die Lage dort zu schaffen. Moderiert wurde die Veranstaltung von Hannes Swoboda, Präsident des IIF und MEP ret. Olexander Scherba, Botschafter der Ukraine in Österreich, und Stephanie Fenkart, Direktorin IIF, hielten jeweils eine Begrüßungsrede.

With a heavy heart we have to announce that our long lasting Chairman of the Advisory Board of the IIP, Prof. Dr. Norman Birnbaum, passed away on January 4th 2019. He has been chairing the Advisory Board of the IIP for more than three decades until 2016, wrote numerous books and articles and has dedicated his academic life towards the possibilities of a just society in the context of political and transatlantic challenges and developments.

Our condolences go to his family and friends. His work will not be forgotten and we are thankful for his very appreciated input to the IIP and his sense for an inclusive approach towards global challenges.

Our initiative/series Young Generations for the new Balkans 2030: Towards Alternative Horizons sets the spotlight on youth, their progressive stances and hopes for the future.

On December 3rd 2018, the Embassy of Austria in The Hague/Netherlands invited to a panel discussion with the title “New Horizons for the Young Generations in the Balkans” where first results of our initiative have been presented by representatives of the IIP, Karl-Renner-Institut and the International Institute for Peace, as well as the Austrian Institute for International Affairs and the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe, based on a recent conference in Vienna. In addition, young experts from the region, who are participating in our long-term initiatives, have been discussing their visions how to overcome old-fashioned politics and nationalisms and the lack of perspective for younger generations. They sketched alternative horizons and have been debating the look for alternatives for South-Eastern Europe’s way beyond emigration. Den Haag was the first place in Europe after Vienna where the results of the mentioned initiative have been presented to the public.

On November 27 the International Institute for Peace in cooperation with the Sir Peter Ustinov Institute Vienna and the Forum of Journalism and Media invited to discuss the development of right-wing populism in Europe by contrasting the situation in Denmark and Hungary and also considering events in Austria. Susi Meret from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Aalborg University represented András Bozoki is a political scientist from the Central European University, Budapest, and former Minister of Culture of Hungary. He analysed the Hungarian perspective. Hannes Swoboda, president of the International Institute for Peace was referring to the Austrian context in the light of right-wing populism. The discussion was moderated by Stephanie Fenkart, Director of the International Institute for Peace. Leopold Radauer, Sir Peter Ustinov Institute, Vienna, gave an introduction speech in which he briefly outlined todays presence of populist issues, such as exclusion of and intolerance towards `the other’. 

Am 20 November 2018 diskutierten am IIP  ANGELA KANE, ehem. Hohe Repräsentantin der UNO für Abrüstungsfragen, Vizepräsidentin, International Institute for Peace, MARKUS REISNER, Oberstleutnant des Generalstabsdienstes der Landesverteidigungsakademie Wien, THOMAS HAJNOCZI, Botschafter, Direktor für Abrüstung, BMEIA unter der Moderation von STEPHANIE FENKART, Direktorin, International Institute for Peace (IIP) das hochaktuelle Thema die Legitimität und Legalität von sogenannten Robotic Wars.

Report of the Panel Discussion that featured Joonhyung Kim, Angela Kane, Heinz Gärtner, and Markus Kornprobst