As a research consultant and as chairperson of CHI (committeehumanitarianintervention.org), I have been invited to attend the third Western Balkans and EU symposium held in Amsterdam on September 26th, 2024 in Amsterdam, organised by amongst others Free Press Unlimited, Pax for Peace and Committee for Humanitarian Intervention (CHI).
The first two symposia on related topics in this series were held on January 31st, 2024 in Utrecht and on May 26th, 2024 in Leiden, both of which I attended. Both were primarily held, recorded and summarised in Dutch, accounting for their non-mentioning in the Events section of my English-language website (it would have taken me too much time to translate summaries into English).
Alas, I was unable to attend third third Western Balkans and EU symposium, which was held in English this time. Nevertheless, I can show the announcement, programme and summary below.
Confronting disinformation – The case of Western Balkans and EU
Thursday 26 September 2024, 19.00 – 21.30 CET
Wereldhuis Nieuwe Herengracht 18, 1018 DP Amsterdam
Panelists from independent media and civil society will shed light on the challenges of disinformation to the democratic processes and media freedom, ideas on how media and civil society can counter disinformation, and foster a dialogue among the Dutch civil society and experts on the challenges of independent journalism in the Western Balkans and the EU.
The evening also provides an excellent opportunity to meet and share views with several partners from the Western Balkans who will be present. They represent Associations of Journalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia (see further Confronting disinformation in the Western Balkans).
Observations and recommendations from the symposium Confronting disinformation in the Western Balkans and EU on 26 September 2024 in Amsterdam
With the participation of:
Charles Kriel, moderator (Filmmaker and AI Specialist), Ramsha Jahangir (Journalist, Global Network Initiative), Shkelzen Gashi (Political Analyst & Activist), Tamara Filipovic (Secretary General, Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia), Wouter Zweers (Research Fellow, Clingendael) and special guests from the Western Balkans in the audience; partners from the Associations of Journalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, and the Journalists’ Union from Montenegro.
Reflecting on the discussion, we (CHI, FMS, FPU, NHC, PAX, and SNAV), identified key themes and
developed corresponding recommendations (see further Observations and recommendations from debate disinformation in the WB 26.09.24).