Come too! Q&A with Eduard Cousin on the political situation and elections in Egypt
On Tuesday 5 December, at 14:00, writer and journalist Eduard Cousin will be our guest at the FMS to answer questions about the political situation in Egypt! Presidential elections are coming up in the country (10-12 December), in addition the country is also in the spotlight because of the war between Israel and Hamas. Eduard [...]
Security in the Sahel: More soldiers or more development aid?
Photo: MINUSMA troops in 2018 (source: Flickr) In recent years, there have been coups in several countries in the Sahel. At the same time, a UN peacekeeping mission has failed and the security situation of the population is deteriorating. Less emphasis on military means and a renewed focus on development cooperation may offer a solution. In late July this year, a coup [...]
Annual Meeting of the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity
The Annual Meeting of the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity took place on 25 November 2023. During the meeting, which was held in Sarajevo, FMS discussed several topics with a large group of Forum members. We started the day with a discussion on training and discussed how to increase synergy [...]
The Africa Day Youth Think Tank in action!
At the FMS, youth engagement is a high priority. For this reason, last summer we launched the Africa Day Youth Think Tank, a project in cooperation with Erasmus+. Thirty young people, from diverse educational and personal backgrounds, united around a shared interest: the African continent. Together, they have spent the past [...]
30 years of HCNM - an ode to Max van der Stoel
Last October 24 marked the 30th anniversary of the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) - an institute under the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The HCNM's main role is to identify and address tensions involving national minorities that would develop into conflict [...]
Solidarity with Ukraine remains essential
Photo: Destroyed city centre of Kharkiv, Ukraine, March 2022 - Pavel Dorogoj Today, the Max van der Stoel Foundation, in cooperation with Libereco and PvdA International, is organising a political café on the theme 'Solidarity with Ukraine', for which you can register here. During the event, the situation Ukraine will be discussed in two panels. In [...]
UN General Assembly 2023: key talking points
Photo: Basil D Soufi Today begins the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. During the General Assembly, world leaders from around the world gather in New York to discuss the most pressing developments facing our civilisation. The meeting gives an impression of international relations and offers [...]
Jenin attacks: yet another escalation by a far-right Israeli government
Photo: Twitter/OCHA oPt Large-scale discontent with the Israeli government On 29 December 2022, Israel's 37th government took office, the most right-wing, anti-Palestinian, and religiously conservative cabinet in Israeli history. This cabinet, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu of the Likud party, consists of two ultra-Orthodox and three ultra-nationalist parties. Several ministers from this [...]
New European publication on the way forward in Ukraine
Russia's aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world and brought great devastation and trauma. The war continues in 2023, characterised by an unruly Ukraine, fighting courageously and energetically for its sovereignty, rule of law and self-determination. Western forces, with the European Union at the forefront, play an important role in [...]
Anne van der Meer leaves the FMS after 10 years
The FMS without Anne van der Meer is something many could hardly imagine, yet here it is. After working at the FMS for more than 10 years, Anne is leaving to work at Milieudefensie. Many Africa Days, several positions and two major studies (read here and here) have been [...]