Extended Deadline: The Nexus of Decision24 - Instytut Pileckiego

Poland, Ukraine, Germany: An interdisciplinary journey into the substance of Memory, Freedom, Peace, and Security

“The Nexus of Decision24” 

Augustow, Poland

The Nexus of Decision 2024: Poland, Ukraine, Germany

An interdisciplinary journey into the substance of Memory, Freedom, Peace, and Security.

Organizers: Vitsche e.V., 

Co-organizers: Pilecki-Institut Berlin and Augustów 

Partner:  Konrad Adenauer Stiftung

Sponsors: Stiftung für Deutsch-Polnische Zusammenarbeit

Curator: Kataryna Tarabukina

For whom: philosophers, historians, political scientists, interdisciplinary artists, writers, researchers, peacebuilders, international relationships, memory studies, international security studies, aged 20-45, from Ukraine, Poland, and Germany.

When: 15-21.11.2024

Where: Augustów Pilecki Institute (Poland)

Language of residency: English

Deadline for application: 05.10.2024

OVERVIEW

“The Nexus of Decision” is an annual intensive week-long residency-academy dedicated to the concept of “Decision” in social, political, historical, existential, and other dimensions. It is designed for 15 young open-call selected participants from 3 countries: Ukraine, Poland, and Germany. This program focuses on the perspective of choice and decision, particularly influenced by the impactful Russian aggression in Ukraine. 

“The Nexus of Decision23” took place for the first time in the residency of Stiftung Genshagen and Berlin last year. During the workshops and seminars, the Polish-German-Ukrainian group discussed the sources of understanding of concepts such as peace, freedom, and security from the perspectives of political science, history, philosophy, memory cultures, and art. 

Learn more about previous residency-academy: https://berlin.instytutpileckiego.pl/de/news/nexus-2023 

This year, “The Nexus of Decisions24” we all meet in Augustow (Poland) to center on crucial historical, social, security, and cross-cultural aspects. The aim is to deepen mutual understanding among our three geopolitical regions, fostering collaboration for coherence in Europe. We aim to engage young intellectuals in debate and share their experience of their geopolitical region. The focus extends to comprehending the future of our security and exploring sustainable long-term peace solutions. Given the imminent tensions surrounding security decisions for Eastern European countries and the European Union. In the turbulent election years 2024 and 2025, there is a critical need for an educational effort to enhance explicit and informed discussion on international relations. Within this context, it becomes imperative to recognize historical precedents, particularly decisions made during 20th-century peace negotiations that significantly influenced enduring security challenges in the 21st century. The current environment is marked by ongoing conflicts and fragile peace agreements, lacking a comprehensive retrospective analysis. 

An interdisciplinary residency-academy program offering intensive blocks of lectures, workshops, and city/museum tours led by top scholars and practitioners from Ukraine, Poland, and Germany.

Main blocks of seminars, workshops, lectures: 

Memory and Mythology.

Memory and myths shape our history, politics, culture, and philosophy. Beyond relics of the past, they are dynamic forces molding our present and future. Explore historical myths, propaganda, and cultural blind spots in the West’s knowledge of the East, influencing decisions regarding ongoing aggression in Europe.

Long-term cooperation to reach sustainable peace. 

This section explores the complex geopolitical landscape, emphasizing the risks of peace negotiations with today’s Russia. It underscores the dangers of diplomatic engagement without fully understanding the historical context between Russia and Europe, focusing on the nuanced perspective needed. The objective is to empower individuals to critically assess decisions made by communities, states, and diverse stakeholders, advocating for strategies that ensure long-term global peace, freedom, and security. 

New Crises, New Paradigms.

In this block, we will explore how to navigate through the new crises and challenges that Germany, Ukraine, and Poland face after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Middle East crisis, and the Global Security ecosystem.  We assess the potential rightwing ascendancy in Germany and its correlation with state security and security in the EU. Additionally, we’ll examine how new paradigms seem to emerge as consequences of old problems that were long set aside and how turbulent the decisions towards security and freedom are reshaping Germany, Poland and Ukraine as well as the whole of Europe. 

SELECTION

Participants will be selected in an Open Call procedure, with a maximum of 15 people (5 from Germany, 5 from Ukraine, 5 from Poland). Refugees from Ukraine are welcome.

OUR OFFER INCLUDE

Participants will be selected in an Open Call procedure, with a maximum of 15 people (5 from Germany, 5 from Ukraine, 5 from Poland). 

Temporary displaced people from Ukraine are welcome.

The program covers:

1. Participation in the lectures, seminars, and workshops of the residency program „The Nexus of Decision 2024″
2. Accommodation and catering in Augustów are covered in full. 
3. Travelling expenses for participants from Poland and Germany are covered in the range of up to 60,00 euros.
4. Travelling expenses for participants from Ukraine are covered in full. 
5. Selected participants will be picked up/dropped off from/to Warsaw.

AN APPLICATION SHOULD BE SUBMITTED ONLY THROUGH ONLINE FORM

1. The application should be submitted only through this application form https://forms.gle/EGx2aSd1aQQXRhyR9
2. The organisers reserve the right to contact the selected candidate(s) for additional online interviews if needed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The application form should be fielded on the deadline;
• Application documents will be accepted in English only;
• Courses, lectures and workshops will be held in English;
• The results of the recruitment procedure will be announced by 16.10.2024. 
• The list of selected participants will be published:

– on Vitsche e.V. website https://vitsche.org/ and social media pages
– on the website of the Pilecki Institute: pileckiinstitut.de and social media pages

If you have any questions, please send the email to kateryna.tarabukina@vitsche.org 

The organizers are not under any obligation to substantiate the enrolment committee’s decisions, and no appeal procedure has been provided. For candidates selected to participate in the project, the present document will constitute an attachment to the agreement concluded between any such candidate and Vitsche e.V.

Organizer: Vitsche

Co-organizer: Pilecki-Institut Berlin and Pilecki-Institut Augustów

Partner: KAS (Konrad Adenauer Stiftung)

Sponsored by: SDPZ (Stiftung für Deutsch-Polnische Zusammenarbeit)