Following the 10th ISYP Conference in Astana, a number of the papers presented were selected by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists for inclusion in their “Voices of Tomorrow” section.
Joseph Schofield, Northeast Asia’s inflection point for plutonium stockpiling, 2 March 2018
Ezra Friedman, A Gaza seaport: New ideas for conflict management, 21 March 2018
International Student/Young Pugwash (ISYP) held a second annual meeting organized jointly with the DCAF Centre of Geneva on 24-26 November 2017.
“Narratives of Change: Cooperation and Partnerships among Communities in the MENA Region” sought to reinforce the message that young people should not be constrained by the existing beliefs and political orientations of the older generation. Asking how it is possible to change the region by challenging beliefs, the conference provided an opportunity for both past and new participants to exchange ideas on issues of common interest in the region and identify possibilities for cooperation and partnerships to tackle them. Continue reading
The 10th International Student/Young Pugwash (ISYP) conference, “Nuclear World Order: Global and Regional Security Issues and Prospects for Cooperation,” was held in Astana, Kazakhstan on 23-24 August 2017.
The conference included 32 participants from 20 countries who presented papers on a broad range of subjects: measuring disarmament progress; interplay between disarmament and non-proliferation objectives; future of deterrence; impact of emerging technologies; assessment of regional challenges in North-East Asia, South Asia and the Middle-East, and other issues central to the mission of ISYP and the Pugwash Conferences.
ISYP has been a unique platform that brings new and young voices into the debate. It aspires to inspire and encourage the next generation of both scientists and policy-makers to develop a forward-thinking mentality in addressing the complicated challenges of today. The below report is a summary of the themes and topics covered in the conference. ISYP is grateful for the opportunity to share our thoughts with the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. It is our hope that this report and the activities of ISYP will enrich the conversations and actions of the entire Pugwash community. ISYP also expresses its gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan for its support for this conference.
Conference page (password protected for participants)
International Student/Young Pugwash (ISYP) held a meeting organized jointly with the DCAF Centre of Geneva on 25-26 November 2016. “Reassessing Beliefs and Belief Systems in the Middle East” gathered a group of 40 participants for discussions on:
Forced migration and refugees
Radicalism and violent extremism
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Arab Spring five years on
The conference’s purpose was to initiate a process which engages influential young people from the MENA region to collaboratively develop solutions and tools to address these challenges. Young academics, entrepreneurs and professionals working in national parliament and government, media organizations, international organizations, think tanks and NGOs, were drawn from over 20 countries across the MENA region, from Tunisia to Iran, from Sudan to Turkey, as well as from Europe and the United States.
All participants of the conference were able to make presentations based on the topic of their choice. Subsequently, they explored what they can do in their countries and across borders to promote positive change by challenging the beliefs and beliefs systems which sustain violence and thwart reform efforts in the MENA region.
A conference report is now available: ISYP-DCAF 1st Conference Report, November 2016
Please direct all additional information & general inquiries to the following email: menaconference2016@gmail.com
