Philosophy of security and NATO

Kyiv will host a forum to generate new ideas for world security in early October. The format of the assembly will add a special appeal to the event. It is going to depart from the conventional standards, as is usually the case when it comes to world threats, terrorism, military conflicts, etc. This time politicians, diplomats, and military leaders will be sitting next to representatives of various NGOs, including students, budding politicians, and members of women’s associations, who are nevertheless competent in security issues.

The discussion is scheduled to take place on Oct. 7–10, 2009, within the framework of the 55th General Assembly of the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA)—to be held in Ukraine for the first time.

The Association is a non-governmental organization whose activities aim at strengthening cooperation networks in the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond. Founded in 1954, it brings together political leaders, scholars, and diplomats, so it may be called, to a certain extent, a professional association.

Following the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, a number of NGOs have sprung up in the NATO member countries. Their activities are aimed at creating a better public awareness of NATO’s role. Such non-structural formations and groups eventually united under the newly created ATA.

In more than 50 years of its existence, the world and the organization itself have undergone dramatic changes, but the ATA still continues to carry out its main task. Its activity can be briefly summarized as a kind of discussion forum that enables NGOs to influence the activities of the North Atlantic Alliance itself.

According to Oleh Kokoshynsky, Vice President of the Atlantic Council of Ukraine, NGOs determine the NATO agenda and the composition of the delegations taking part in summit meetings and set tasks before the Alliance. In other words, the ATA members bring NATO’s closer to the burning problems of today.

It should be mentioned that this year the General Assembly is going to allot very little time to the issues of military defense. The top five issues on the agenda will address socioeconomic problems. Thus, as the representatives of the Atlantic Council of Ukraine noted, the level of discussions rose. Founded on a voluntary basis, the ATA functions on a teamwork principle. It doesn’t discriminate between NATO members and those who do not belong to the Alliance.

It is interesting to note that 14 years ago, in 1995, Ukraine joined the ATA an associate member on recommendation of the Russian Atlantic Treaty Association. Now Ukraine is going to welcome the ATA members in its capital and has a chance to demonstrate to the world its contribution to the cause of world security. Serhii Dzherdzh, Director of Ukraine–NATO Non-Governmental League, noted that this forum’s importance for Ukraine is comparable with that of Euro 2012. This is an extraordinary opportunity that will bring to Ukraine renowned scholars and politicians, many of whom have never been to this country.

Within the framework of the General Assembly, another meeting will take place in Kyiv involving young politicians and the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (YATA). This year the young participants will be asked to consider the problems of energy security. The YATA sees its principal task in training and supporting debates for future generations. It educates political leaders of the future who understand and share NATO’s values. The YATA takes pride in six ministers of various countries and even the President of Albania, who were members of this organization as students. Meanwhile, the YATA’s “nonage” does not imply a lack of seriousness: the items on the agenda are typically the same as at official NATO summits.

The YATA also practices modeling crisis situations, which it places among its achievements. For instance, German and Canadian university students recently worked in groups of 40 to 50 during a five-day-long interactive seminar. The young people discussed the recent developments in Afghanistan and casualties among the civilian population and suggested their solutions to the conflict.

According to Troels Froling, Secretary General of the Atlantic Treaty Association, sometimes students come up with an exceptionally critical view of the problem and an unconventional solution.

There is a interesting youth program called Ariante within the framework of the ATA. Working under the slogan “Safe country, safe Europe, safe world,” it enables students to visit the NATO military bases and travel in the Alliance member countries.