2018 Conference report 10 – 11 September 2018 2018 BLED STRATEGIC FORUM: Bridging the Divide CONFERENCE REPORT Publishers: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia Prešernova cesta 25, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia Centre for European Perspective Grajska cesta 1, 1234 Loka pri Mengšu, Slovenia Executive Editor: Miha Trstenjak Authors: Miha Trstenjak, Sabina Carli, Matej Gregorec, Slovenian Press Agency (STA) Language editing: Philip Burt Design and illustrations: David Fartek DTP and prepress: Premedia, Andrej Juvan Printing: Grafični studio K Print run: 400 Ljubljana, November 2018 @BledStratForum, #BSF facebook.com/BledStrategicForum BledStrategicForum medium.com/bled-strategic-forum w bledstrategicforum.org [email protected] youtube.com/BledStrategicForum flickr.com/BledStrategicForum www.bledstrategicforum.org youtube.com/user/bledstrategicforum www.flickr.com/photos/bledstrategicforum facebook.com/BledStrategicForum @BledStrategicF [email protected] @bledsforum Bled Strategic Forum Mobile App Preface Ours is an era of endless streams of information, Our worlds are in a constant process of mutual ne- instant access and around-the-clock interaction. An gotiation. As long as we are willing to hear what each era of tweets, posts, shares and re-shares. An era of us has to say, they will continue to co-exist. It in which the practical negation of time and space does not mean they will not change; however, they through digital exchange has made the uncertainty will do so peacefully and probably for the better. begotten by informational blindness a distant mem- If, on the other hand, we allow our perception of ory. So it seemed. Because ours is also an era in other people’s voices and the realities they portray which human kind lost its ability to communicate. to become reduced to mere inconveniences at best and existential threats at worst, sooner or later our Perhaps counterintuitive at first glance, lack of com- worlds will collide. munication does not necessarily manifest itself in silence. Our times could hardly be characterised as Earnestly stating that Bled Strategic Forum 2018 silent. Images of visceral violence mixed with mun- succeeded in bridging any of the deepest contem- dane scenes of everyday lives all appearing within porary divides would do little more than signal a the length of a single scroll. Furious men wielding the profound lack of insight into the complexities of fiercest of tools fill our daily news feeds. Strategies our time. What this year’s conference did achieve and memes. Grave warnings and GIFs. Treaties and was an honest and open exchange of views, made troll posts. Trade wars and flame wars. Catastrophes possible by everyone’s willingness to listen. And as and cats. There no longer seems to exist a clear di- we slowed down just a little, we discovered that, al- vide between what matters and what does not. And though rifts run deep and bridging them will require while everyone is busy talking and shouting, we are patience, some of the bridges still stand, at least running out of time to stop and listen. In all this for the moment. Needless to say, merely preserving chaos and confusion, one divide does exist – that them will not suffice. Nor will it be possible without between people. A divide which is becoming wider also allowing ourselves to change. Yet as we contem- by the day, and one that we will be able to bridge plate the new, we should not lose sight of the old. only by regaining our capacity to listen. For listening Because it was built for a reason. We are immense- necessarily precedes understanding. This is what we ly grateful to all our participants, our partners and set out to do at the 13th Bled Strategic Forum. sponsors, the organising team, and everyone else who in any way contributed to another successful Listening, we discovered, is not easy. Even if we Bled Strategic Forum for making us realise that – by could somehow liberate ourselves from all the infor- helping us to listen. mational clutter, it would hardly make much differ- ence. Because the unsettling truth about our world Peter Grk is that it contains no single, universally internalised Secretary-General of Bled Strategic Forum reality, but is instead composed of multiplicities. BSF 2018 3 Peter Grk / Photo: Daniel Novakovič, STA Opening Address by Mr Peter Grk Mr Peter Grk, Secretary-General of Bled Strategic This divide is making us angry and uncomfortable, Forum, who led the opening ceremony, used his leaving many feeling excluded and forgotten, and address to outline the inspiration behind the main turning to populism, nationalism, radicalisation, hate theme of the 13th forum, titled ‘Bridging the Di- speech, and sometimes even violence in a search for vide’. He began by noting how the organisers, when answers. Stating plainly and clearly that multilater- contemplating different themes, kept returning to alism too requires a more dynamic approach, that the same conclusion: that, as a society, we have there is no denying Brexit will have severe conse- forgotten how to communicate. A paradox, Mr Grk quences, that even in developed countries women stressed, given the array of communication tools are often equal only on paper, and that no amount available to us today. Our failure to talk and to listen of denial will help us undo climate change, Mr Grk to each other is making the divide between us wider advocated a sober reckoning with reality if we are to and wider. One reason for this is that other people’s ever bridge the divides. views are often perceived as disruptive, as a threat to our way of life and our point of view. Consequent- ly, we are becoming a society with no time for com- promises or shared ideas. 4 Bridging the Divide Karl Erjavec / Photo: Nebojša Tejić, STA Welcome Address by H.E. Mr Karl Erjavec Bled Strategic Forum 2018 saw two opening ad- minister noted that the event had discussed many dresses, the first being delivered by H.E. Mr Karl topics dedicated to the European Union, including Erjavec, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic the economic and financial crisis, integration, mi- of Slovenia and the host of the forum. Mr Erjavec gration, solidarity, people’s trust in institutions and, made it clear that trust, dialogue and compromise of course, Brexit. While the Western Balkans and its were the only way to bring people together, and em- place in the future in the EU have also been tradi- phasised the important role that the forum plays in tionally high on the agenda, the Forum is not afraid this process by providing an open platform for taking to look beyond European borders. He mentioned dis- a closer look at some of the most pressing issues of cussion on the Mediterranean and Middle East, as our time. well as more esoteric topics, such as technological advances and the digital revolution, demographic Looking back on its history, he noted that in the change, tourism, sport, art and media, as only a few last seven years, the Forum had expanded beyond examples of the conference’s far-reaching outlook. all expectations, with the number of participants almost tripling since 2012. Providing his view of the substantive dimension of the conference, the BSF 2018 5 Miro Cerar / Photo: Nebojša Tejić, STA Address by H.E. Dr Miro Cerar In the second opening address, H.E. Dr Miro Cerar, ethical and democratic values. Survival requires Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, observed acting in unison and with sincere intent, so we need that the world had changed dramatically over the to continue our efforts to bridge the divide, and pro- last few years. The existing economic order and stra- mote freedom and security, he added. With Europe tegic alliances that have been known for decades finally experiencing steady economic growth, a spike are suddenly coming into question. “All this is giving in investments, and much-needed job creation, the a boost to growing individualism and divisions in our basis for optimism does exist, although we should society. If we really care for the prospects of our not get ahead of ourselves. “I truly hope that our countries, for the wellbeing of our citizens, for the focus will be on how to make the EU better, stronger future of Europe and the world, we need to bring and more united. Only in this way can we, as Europe, change,” he said. be a genuine player in the relentless global arena, bridging the divides of our time,” he concluded. One way to confront those who continuously sow fear and division is by making them face hard facts about reality, while continuing to promote shared 6 Bridging the Divide Borut Pahor / Photo: Nebojša Tejić, STA Keynote Address by H.E. Mr Borut Pahor Delivering the keynote address as an introduction In his view, merely believing in a strong EU will not to an interview with Mr Barnier, H.E. Mr Borut Pa- be enough without a clear vision of how to turn this hor, President of the Republic of Slovenia, picked faith into realty. If those responsible do not offer up on the theme of Brexit, saying how the process some sort of a vision soon, the European idea will epitomises the standstill of the EU and signals a not only remain paralysed, but is likely to decline. return to national policies. “A standstill does not “The standstill experienced by the EU will turn into mean that everyone is waiting, standing in place. a crisis if nationalist politics begin to prevail. For the It is obvious that those who are not in favour of the time being, this is not yet the case. However, it is future strengthening of the EU are moving on.