Finally back from Kiev! I just returned to Granada (the Spanish city where I am studying for a semester), and thought this would be a good opportunity to recount the last day of the conference, as well as some thoughts I had following the entire experience.

As I mentioned in my previous entry, today was chock-full of activities, and the sessions were packed because this was the first day that ATA and YATA had combined meetings. The morning began with a panel discussion regarding what approach NATO should take regarding the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. The panel was very similar to the discussion I sat in on during the first day with YATA, but this time the focus was on the strategic direction of international actors rather than how communication affects political interaction both between Afghanistan and other countries and within Afghanistan itself. Among the panelists were Mr. Mohammad Tariq Ismati, the Executive Director for the National Solidarity Programme of Afghanistan who spoke at the YATA panel earlier, and Ms. Larissa Blavatska, the Deputy Head of Mission of Canadian Embassy, who spoke about the Canadian interests and efforts in Afghanistan. I found both speakers to be very engaging, especially in light of recent US military involvement in Afghanistan. Delegates from other countries seemed to take a keen interest as well, and though discussion often circled back to military activity in Afghanistan and the surrounding region by NATO members, the entire delegation seemed to recognize the larger issue at hand: the de-stabilitzing effect of Al-Qaeda activity and its implications on global security. One other interesting facet was the outpour of sympathy for those killed in the attack oustide the Indian embassy in Kabul. Nearly every speaker or person who asked a question gave their condolences to those killed before or after they made their point, a unified sentiment amongst all the differing viewpoints.

Next, I attended a panel on Energy and Financial Security in the Wider Black Sea Area, moderated by the President of the Greek Association for Atlantic and European Cooperation, Mr. Theodossis Georgiou. The key issue during this panel was European dependency on Russian gas and oil, which apparently is a very controversial issue. Russia exports these resources through pipelines that run throughout the Black Sea region, sending a third of their supply abroad. According to the panelists, this presents several problems: dependency on Russian gas and oil, environmental hazards, and the unregulated market of energy trading, which is only leading to politicization of what needs to be a cooperative effort. Other topics discussed included the future of renewable energy though the use of wind turbines and solar panels and how energy policy should be integrated in NATO’s New Strategic Concept. The discussion got very heated during the question and answer session, and even though I didn’t have extensive knowledge of the region, it was evident that many of the tensions that arose were based on historical conflict between different states.

The conference concluded with some closing remarks by Dr. Karl Lamers, the ATA President, and a summary of the topics discussed by Ms. Larissa Blavatska, who spoke during the Afghanistan panel. Following the conclusion, we were treated with a very nice dinner at the restaraunt on the second floor of the hotel, complete with performances of traditional Ukranian song and dance.

Looking back on the conference, it was an incredibly rewarding experience. I often felt humbled to be involved in a discussion with such distinguised speakers, but at the same time felt very welcomed and encouraged to speak. Being from the United States gave me an interesting perspective for discussion, and was often time a great way to start conversation, especially during the final day, when everyone at the conference was speaking about President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize. Though there was no official recognition of the award, it was the talk of the town (or rather conference). I encountered a variety of opinions, ranging from the appreciative (“He has changed the international paradigm”) to the outraged (“That was literally the worst choice they could’ve made”). I still felt proud to be from the United States, but it was always a dicey matter bringing up Obama, though I made a conscious effort to slip it in to casual conversation, even when it was completely unwarranted.

Example:

“Have you tried the mushroom dip?”

“No, but did you hear Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize?”

Lastly, I would like to thank Grinnell College, Lynn Stafford, Professor Bob Grey, and Professor David Harrison for their assistance and generosity in helping me attend this trip, as I would otherwise have not had such a fantastic opportunity. I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog and feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you might have at mistrycy@grinnell.edu. Adios!