The research network RECAST (Reappraising Intellectual Debates on Civic Rights and Democracy in Europe) has opened Call for Applications for the Training School in the Humanities and the Social Sciences 2021 with a focus on Democratic Constitutionalism and Rights.

Scheduled for 10–12 February 2021, the RECAST Training School will be hosted by the Institute of Legal, Political and Sociological Research, Moldovan Academy of Sciences in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova.

Deadline for applications is 11 December 2020.

The RECAST network is financed through the COST-program (Cooperation in Science and Technology) and researchers from 30 European countries belong to the netwotk. The Director of the Peace Institute, Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark, acts as the Vice Chairperson of the network.

For further information about the Training School and Call for Applications see here.

The second seminar in the series “25 years in the EU: experiences of Åland” takes place on 25th November 2020. The seminar is organized by the Statistics Åland and is held in Swedish. The speakers, Jouko Kinnunen and Kenth Häggblom from Åland Statistics and Johanna Fogelström-Duns from the Office of the Åland Ombudsman, will discuss their observations on the development among population, education, labour market and civil society on Åland during its membership in the EU. Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark, Director of the Peace Institute, modarates the discussion.

The webinar is sent live at 13:00-14:30 EET at Zoom.

In this seminar series, given during autumn 2020 and spring 2021, the Åland Islands Peace Institute and Statistics Åland will present results from an evaluation of what the EU-membership has meant for Åland during 25 years. The evaluation has been commissioned by the Åland Government. All seminars will be held in Swedish.

The first seminar in the series took place on 13th October and can be watched at the Peace Institute’s youtube channel.

To ensure sustainable development, autonomous regions must “think for themselves” and provide inspiring, inclusive and dynamic environments for developing new ideas, as well as attract young people to stay or to return to the region. Strategies, cooperation, digitalization and investments on infrastructure are perquisites for knowledge development and research. What are the key development areas of Åland, and what is happening in other regions?

These thoughts and questions where discussed on 22 October when the KUT-network (Network for sustainable knowledge development on Åland) organized a conference on the subject “Knowledge and Research as Motors for Regional Development and Innovation”. 

The first half of the conference was held in English with four keynote speakers: Günther Rautz, EURAC Research in South Tyrol Italy, Nina Harjunpää, University Association of South Ostrobothnia, Annika Sølvará, the Research Council in Faroe Islands, Jouko Kinnunen, ÅSUB.

The conference can be watched on the youtube channel of the Åland Islands Peace Institute.

What is the color of peace? What inspiration and practical elements can be derived out of experiences in the Baltic Sea and Nordic region? How do we deal with what often seems to be insoluble conflicts?

The Director of the Peace Institute Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark takes part in a discussion on the Åland example and the Nordic way to peace in the newest Nordic Talks-podcast together with Arzu Abdullayeva, peace activist and chairwoman of the Azerbaijan National Committee of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, from Azerbaijan and Elçin Aktoprak, PhD and expert on conflict resolution and diversity issues, from Turkey.

In this episode the elements and usefulness of the Åland Example are discussed together with experiences of the peace practitioners working in the South Caucasus and the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, and with Kurdish matters. Through the discussion rises the main question of the episode, how can we contribute towards a more peaceful world?

“There is usually a way of not describing everything as black and white. The color of peace is grey” – Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark

Nordic Talks is a series of talks and podcasts addressing the biggest global challenges of our time.
Listen to the episode “the Nordic way to peace”.

Is it compatible with the demilitarisation of Åland that coast guards from Turkey, most likely with a military degree, are trained in maritime search and rescue on Åland Islands?
Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark, the Director of Åland Islands Peace Institute, asks this question in a debate article published in newspaper Ålandstidningen 28.10.2020.

Links to her article and other information about this issue in Swedish can be found here.

Contents

• Online conference 22.10: Knowledge and Research as Motors for Regional Development and Innovation
• Call for Interns at the ÅIPI in the spring of 2021
• EU seminar series: 25 years in EU – experiences of Åland
• And more ...

Innehåll

• Konferens 22.10: Vad har Åland för behov av kunskap och hur gör andra regioner?
• Praktik vid Ålands fredsinstitut våren 2021
• Seminarieserie: 25 år i EU – åländska erfarenheter
• Med mera ...

Read the newsletter here.

Läs nyhetsbrevet här.

In a seminar series given during autumn 2020 and spring 2021 the Åland Islands Peace Institute and Statistics Åland will present results from an evaluation of what the EU-membership has meant for Åland during 25 years. The evaluation has been commissioned by the Åland Government.
The first seminar in the series was held as a webinar and took place on 13th October 2020. 50 participants listened to presentations by Susann Simolin (ÅIPI) and Gustav Blomberg (Munincipal Director) about how the EU has impacted the decision-making abilities and democratic participation of the autonomous Åland Islands. The webinar continued with a panel discussion with Roger Nordlund, amongst others Head of Government of Åland 1999-2007, and Julia Lindholm, the Government of Åland Representative in Brussels 2014-2020, with Katarina Fellman (ÅSUB) as moderator.
Coming seminars will regard among others population changes during the EU membership, EU's impact on legislative work in Åland and changes in the economy. All seminars will be held in Swedish.

The Åland Islands Peace Institute offers a possibility to experience a dynamic and flexible internship during the spring semester of 2021.
We are looking for applicants interested in issues of peace, security, minorities and autonomy. Work assignments include participating in the arrangement of annual Kastelholm talks on peace and activities regarding the Åland Islands 100 years celebration. Assignments can also include assisting with research related tasks as well as tasks under the Åland Mediation Office if needed. We appreciate skills and experience in arranging events and in text production both in Swedish and English.

My name is Vilma Kallio and I am a communications intern at the Åland Islands Peace Institute from October to December 2020. I study International Relations at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi. In my studies I have focused on topics concerning the Arctic, Indigenous peoples and the EU as well as questions of security and peace. I am currently writing my Master’s thesis about the politics of reconciliation in Canada. During my internship I will assist with communication tasks such as updating the ÅIPI’s homepage, newsletters and social media as well as marketing the upcoming seminars and publications focusing on EU. I will also help with conferences and presentations as well as more research related tasks if needed. This internship gives me an opportunity to closely follow the Peace Instititute’s work related to peace and mediation and to better understand the different aspects concerning minorities and autonomy. In addition to gaining valuable working experience in communications and in Swedish-speaking environment, I hope to gain new insights for the Arctic context as well.

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 is awarded to the World Food Programme (WFP) for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon for war and conflict. 

The Director of the Åland Islands Peace Institute, Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark comments: 

2020 has been an exceptional year. We have become deeply aware of the vulnerability of peace and life. That is why the UN’s World Food Programme is an excellent Nobel Peace Prize winner for this year. Both in times of peace and in times of conflict, they work to promote food security and to prevent hunger crisis.