Lodz

Building Bridges - European Conflict Areas
28.04.2005 to 30.04.2005
Lodz (Poland)
35 participants

From 28th to 30th of April 2005, the first TAP event "Building Bridges - European Conflict Areas" took place in Lodz (Poland). During the three days of conference, 35 participants came together with diplomats, students, journalists and academics.

The lectures and discussions focused on Israel-Palestine, the Caucasus, the Balkans, Ukraine, and the role of the EU and the USA in conflict solution. Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Israeli ambassador to Poland and a representative of the Egypt embassy gave speeches on the development and the history of the conflict and its attempts for solutions, followed by a lively discussion. The workshops on the Caucasus and on the Balkans, given by students and young journalists, were introduced by a general lecture on different types of conflicts by a lecturer of the University of Lodz who nicely pointed out the aim of the get-together: "We are here to understand."

Through a lecture by young Ukrainian journalists on the integration of Ukraine in the EU and on the Transdnistria conflict, followed by an engaged discussion on the reasons for the separation movement, the participants took another step towards comprehension and making a difference. All the issues were presented by highly experienced speakers coming from American and Israelian embassy, European Parliament, Press and Universities.