Hybrid format: in-person and on-line participation and attendance

Contemporary policy debate challenges traditional concepts of ‘international’ and ‘national’ security by underlining the primary responsibility of the State to protect its own population from mass atrocity crimes and provide ‘human’ security within the new overarching framework of the responsibility to protect (R2P). International instruments (the 2001 ICISS Report, the 2005 UN World Summit Outcome, the UNSC resolutions) narrowly define the R2P as a humanitarian doctrine aimed only at protecting peoples from mass atrocity crimes whatever is the form of government in power. The EU foreign and security policy as elaborated by the High Representative in the 2016 Global Strategy instead reveals an alternative and expansive interpretation of the human security concept instrumental in spreading EU-style democracy worldwide on the assumption that human rights and security can only flourish in an EU-informed and value-driven institutional framework.

Security, human rights, and democracy are the terms of a holistic equation that every global and regional player (Russia, China, Africa, the AU, European States, the EU, the US, Turkey, the Middle East States, etc.) knows and respects but differently solve according to its own strategies, perspectives, and background.

To solve this holistic and transdisciplinary equation was the core business for the participants to the International Spring School hosted by the Faculty of Law and Economics of Kore University. There were taken successful efforts to illustrate solutions, balances, and strategies found by any global and regional player at home and in the wider world as well as their own solutions and strategies were proposed. The participants dealt with a wide range of themes those came within the overarching framework of this holistic and transdisciplinary equation.

The participants analysed and discussed the most urgent topics. They observed such international security threats as move towards authoritarianism as a COVID-19 impact, antitrust, migration, human trafficking and transnational organized crime, and piracy. A specific focus was made on armed conflicts and political confrontations such as situation in Ukraine, preventing mass atrocity crimes and the European ‘Genocide Network’, Cyber warfare and applicability of international humanitarian law. Reflection on the EU in the wider world were developed from the perspective of promotion of democracy through interregional relations and EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.
Security issues on energy and food were the focus of a particular session providing observations on energy Security in the Middle East, food security in Morocco as a factor of promoting human rights and dignity.
A number of speeches were devoted to Women and international justice focusing on The UN Women, Peace and Security agenda and fostering women’s rights in Afghanistan.
From the point of regional security there was made an impact analysis of coltan and cobalt mining industry in the DRC through the lens of the Just Ecological Transition, delivered a speech on the efficacy of international actors on the abolition of the death penalty in South Africa and Botswana and presented an overview of Turkey’s foreign policy towards the Kurdistan Regional Government.
The International Spring School gathered together 173 participants where young researchers, PhD students, and master students were supported by teachers and professors from Kore University, University of Turin, Dokuz Eylül University, and University of Seville.

The research outcome of the event is a e-publication of collection of participants’ research papers, articles and essays.

There were delivered 26 lectures in 9 sessions by Italian and foreign 7 professors, 4 young researchers, 10 Ph.D. students, and 10 students (6 lecturers were external to POWERS project).

Registered and attending students and Ph.D. students received a Certificate of Completion. The Proceedings of the Spring School are a special issue of KorEuropa (e-journal of UKE Faculty of Law and Economics).

Workshop on Afghanistan was held in parallel to the Spring School. It was developed as a diplomacy simulation on political and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban.

Observations on the future of Afghanistan as research outcome of the diplomacy simulation were presented by UKE participating students to the audience of the Spring School on the last day at the event. The attending students received a Certificate of Completion (forthcoming) and ECTS credits.

Contacts

Prof. Paolo Bargiacchi, Professor of International Law, Faculty of Law and Economics, Kore University of Enna
paolo.bargiacchi @ unikore.it Mobile/WhatsApp: +39 348 23 52 877

Dr. Antonella Galletti, Teacher of EU Law, Faculty of Law and Economics, Kore University of Enna
antonella.galletti @ unikore.it Mobile/WhatsApp: +39 329 07 22 705

Mrs. Francesca Bruno, PhD student, PhD programme in Legal, Economics and Business Sciences, Kore University of Enna
francesca.bruno16 @ unikorestudent.it Mobile/WhatsApp: +39 338 81 80 413

Information about the event —
https://unikore.it/cdl-s-news/progetto-powers-international-spring-school/
https://unikore.it/cdl-s-news/international-spring-school/
https://unikore.it/cdl-s-news/international-spring-school-copy/
https://unikore.it/ricerca/pubblicazioni-e-attivita-editoriale/#koreuropa

Collection of articles —
https://korestudent.unikore.it/ koreuropa/KorEuropa_POWERS_ Special_Issue.pdf