Centre for European Perspective - CEP

20/12/2024

🎄 CEP’s Holiday Special Monthly Digest is here!

From last month’s highlights to holiday cheer, don’t miss the surprise inside! 🎁!

Over the past year, the CEP Team has been on a mission: collecting the flashiest magnets from every business trip and proudly displaying them on our castle fridge. 🏰✨

Now it’s your turn to get involved! We've selected the best 5️⃣ out of 20 magnets, and we need your help to choose the flashiest of them all. 🧲

👉 Vote for your favourite magnet by clicking on the link in the comments.

We’ll tally the results and reveal the winner in January’s CEP Monthly Digest. ✨

19/12/2024

At the Centre for European Perspective, we are waving goodbye to a year full of new projects, challenges and faces, surprises, and experiences all around the globe (this year, we travelled so much someone could easily mistake us for Santa Claus 🎅).

May 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ be spontaneous, warm, dynamic and full of successes.

Happy holidays, and see you in 2025! ✨

18/12/2024

🚔🇸🇮🤝🇷🇸
Today, we gathered in Belgrade to mark the conclusion of the project ‘Chapter 24 - Strenghtening Patrol Management in Serbia’. The project that began in 2019 with the goal of enhancing patrol management capacities in the Republic of Serbia built upon excellent cooperation between the Ministry of Interior of Serbia and Ministrstvo za notranje zadeve & Slovenska policija / The Slovenian police, and empowered over 500 Serbian police officers in the usage of patrol management system.

We thank all our partners, especially Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ministry of Interior of Slovenia and Slovenian Police for their support, we also thank Serbian MUP and Veleposlaništvo Slovenije v Beogradu/ Ambasada Slovenije u Beogradu for the support and organisation of the final event.

18/12/2024

🇲🇰🤝🇸🇮
On December 17–18, 2024, the first set of workshops under the project "Advancing Nursing and Midwifery Education and Establishing the System for the Recognition of Professional Qualifications in the Republic of North Macedonia (2024–2025)" took place at the Austrian Palace Hotel, Skopje.

The workshops, focusing on education, regulation, and legislation, brought together key stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, educators, and policymakers, to address essential topics related to nursing and midwifery education and professional regulation aligned with EU directives.

Day one focused on sharing Slovenian experiences and best practices, presented by experts such as Prof. Dr. Skela Savič from Fakulteta za zdravstvo Angele Boškin / Angela Boškin Faculty of Health Care and Ms. Monika Ažman, Ms. Anita Prelec, and Dr. Andrej Vojnović from Zbornica - Zveza. Discussions covered the evolving roles of nurses and midwives in modern health systems, necessary curriculum reforms, legislative updates to meet EU standards, and the importance of professional regulation and unified registers. Workshops also tackled the initial analysis of North Macedonia education systems, identifying actionable recommendations for improvement.

On the second day, participants focused on collaborative planning, tackling key challenges, and defining the next steps for project implementation. Contributions from diverse stakeholders provided valuable insights and strategies to ensure the project's success. Next steps in the project implementation were also defined.

This event marks a significant step toward enhancing nursing and midwifery education and establishing a robust framework for professional qualification recognition in North Macedonia.

Project is implemented with the support of Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through programme and Ministry of Health of North Macedonia, with technical support from World Health Organization (WHO) Office North Macedonia.
Slovenian Embassy Skopje/Амбасада на Република Словенија
Embassy of the Republic of North Macedonia in Slovenia

17/12/2024

🇲🇰🤝🇸🇮
CEP and other project partners—representatives of the Ministries of Health of North Macedonia and Slovenia, the Zbornica - Zveza, the Fakulteta za zdravstvo Angele Boškin / Angela Boškin Faculty of Health Care, WHO Country Office in North Macedonia — held an exceptionally constructive meeting with Mr Jovica Andovski, Deputy Minister at the Министерство за здравство / Ministria e Shëndetësisë on the margins of the local launch of the project "Advancing Nursing and Midwifery Education and Establishing the System for the Recognition of Professional Qualifications in the Republic of North Macedonia".
During the meeting, we outlined the important next steps for the project, discussed further needs identified within the project, redefined the framework for cooperation to make it more efficient, and clarified the roles of individual (new) stakeholders.

Today, the 1st set of thematic workshops is launched, where more than 50 representatives of health education institutions, associations of nurses and midwives, deans of health care faculties, National Institute for Public Health and the Ministry of Health of North Macedonia attend the morning sessions on advancing health care education.

Project is implemented with the support of Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through programme and Ministry of Health of North Macedonia, with technical support from World Health Organization (WHO) Office North Macedonia.
Slovenian Embassy Skopje/Амбасада на Република Словенија
Embassy of the Republic of North Macedonia in Slovenia

16/12/2024

🇲🇰🤝🇸🇮
The "Advancing Nursing and Midwifery Education and Establishing the System for the Recognition of Professional Qualifications in North Macedonia" project held a local launch today in Skopje!

The event was opened by H.E. Mr Arben Taravari, Minister of Health of North Macedonia (Министерство за здравство / Ministria e Shëndetësisë), and H.E. Ms Vesna Janevska, Minister of Education of North Macedonia, who emphasized the importance of the project for strengthening the nursing sector and improving the education and status of nurses and midwives; with opening remarks also delivered by Ms Nika Rotar, Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Ambassador (Slovenian Embassy Skopje/Амбасада на Република Словенија) and Ms Vesna Marinko, Director-General of the Directorate for Public Health (Ministrstvo za zdravje).

We were honoured by the attendance of Prof. Dr Igor Gila Nikolov, Advisor to the Prime Minister, and Dr Rashela Mizrahi, representative of the Parliament and President of the Health Commission, whose presence underscored the project’s significance at the national level.

More about the event & workshops by Zbornica - Zveza: https://www.cep.si/local-launch-of-the-project-and-workshops-in-skopje/

The project is implemented with the support of the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs [through the International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Programme] and Министерство за здравство / Ministria e Shëndetësisë, with technical support from WHO Office North Macedonia.

16/12/2024

BiH’s Visionary Voices Forum: Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders

The first forum of the “Enter: Change” project, BiH’s Visionary Voices: Leading the Change, has come to an end on Friday. Held in Portorož from 9 to 13 December, it brought together 12 young politicians from Bosnia and Herzegovina for a program focused on leadership, governance, and social change.

Over five days, participants discussed important topics such as challenges in the Western Balkans, the rule of law, democracy, and fighting corruption. They learned about strategic communication, tackling misinformation, and using media to bring people together.

Sessions also focused on gender equality, the role of women in leadership, and the importance of diversity and inclusion in decision-making. Workshops helped participants build skills in leadership, teamwork, communication, and strategic planning while encouraging youth involvement in politics and democracy.

The forum combined discussions, workshops, and interactive activities to help participants gain practical skills and share ideas. They worked on how to take what they learned and use it in their communities to make a positive impact.

The event featured contributions from key figures, including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana Ms. Melania Arreaga, and former Slovenian President Mr. Borut Pahor. Their insights inspired participants and added great value to the forum.

This forum is the first step in the Enter: Change project, and we look forward to continuing this work and helping young leaders create meaningful change.

The activities within the project ‘Enter: Change’ are financed by the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs within the and Partnerships programme and by the U.S. Embassy Ljubljana.

13/12/2024

The BiH’s Visionary Voices Forum Wraps Up

We’ve closed BiH’s Visionary Voices: Leading the Change forum with an inspiring session higlighting recent achievements and future aspirations for young BiH politicians.
Concluding ceremony opened with a keynote by H.E. Mr. Borut Pahor, Founder and Director of the Institute Friends of the Western Balkans and former President of Slovenia (2012–2022). His talk, Charting Bosnia’s Future: Leadership Lessons for and by Youth, offered participants interesting insights and encouragement.
The concluding session featured participants presenting key takeaways, sharing lessons learned, and reflecting on how these insights will shape their future efforts. These presentations underscored their dedication to applying new ideas in practical and impactful ways.

The successfully concluded forum highlighted the need for further cooperation, promoting meaningful discussions, skill-building, and networking. We will continue our work within the Enter: Change project and we already look forward to hosting another forum next year.

The activities within the project ‘Enter: Change’ are financed by the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs within the and Partnerships programme and by the U.S. Embassy Ljubljana.

11/12/2024

The BiH’s Visionary Voices: Leading the Change forum is halfway through, offering an enriching experience for all participants.

Participants have delved into some crucial topics, including:
📈The challenges and opportunities of the Western Balkans and pathways to progress
⚖The principles of rule of law and democracy
📱Shaping impactful messages for the media through effective communication
💬Using strategic communication to build democratic resilience and social cohesion
🌎The role of media in fostering social change, with a focus on youth and citizenship
Two workshops further encouraged participants to explore leadership in depth—examining its core competencies, reflecting on their own leadership experiences, and considering how they can create meaningful change in their communities.

In the remaining two days, participants will focus on two very important topics, gender equality and the role of women in the political context, and diversity.

The activities within the project ‘Enter: Change’ are financed by the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs within the and Partnerships programme and by the U.S. Embassy Ljubljana.

09/12/2024

09/12/2024

The “Enter: Change” Forum Has Officially Begun!

The first forum of the “Enter: Change” project, BiH’s Visionary Voices: Leading the Change, kicked off today in Portorož.
The Opening Ceremony featured speeches by:
🇧🇦 H.E. Mr. Dario Novalić, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Slovenia
🇺🇸 H.E. Ms. Melania Arreaga, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Slovenia
🌍 Ms. Nina Čepon, Executive Director of CEP
This forum brings together 12 promising young politicians from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who will engage in discussions and workshops on topics such as the rule of law, democracy, strategic communication, combating misinformation, diversity and inclusion, and youth political engagement.

The activities within the project ‘Enter: Change’ are financed by the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs within the and Partnerships programme and by the U.S. Embassy Ljubljana.

03/12/2024

📢 CEP's November Newsletter is here!

Dive into this month's highlights, including the Bled Strategic Forum 2024 Report, mentorship programs strengthening Ukraine-Slovenia ties, training courses in Montenegro and Slovenia, and exciting upcoming events like the voyage of the Young Bled Strategic Forum team to China, Strategic Communications training and more. 🌍✨

Read the newsletter 👇
🔗 https://us15.campaign-archive.com/?u=59290325eaf1d10656ddebfff&id=8b74866aa5

🔔 Subscribe to receive the future editions straight into your mailbox:
https://cep.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=59290325eaf1d10656ddebfff&id=0e74352352

29/11/2024

🇺🇦🤝🇸🇮
Quite a busy two weeks in our cooperation with Ukraine.
On 27 November, we successfully concluded the study visit of the Ukrainian delegation within the scope of the project ‘Enhancing Slovenian Engagement in Ukraine: Economic and Social Sustainability of Regions and Cities’.

In the two weeks, representatives from Ukraine learnt more about the good practices of Slovenian regional development, EU accession and funding, connecting local economy and businesses, circular economy, sustainability in waste management and construction, and shared their experience of rebuilding efforts in their communities.
The visit concluded on 27 November, with participants participating in the forum entitled ‘Ukraine - Business Revival and Reconstruction’, which was organised in cooperation with the Gospodarska zbornica Slovenije and supported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia.

Activities are financed by Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs & supported by ULEAD з Європою / ULEAD with Europe

28/11/2024

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 – 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐤𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞
🤝 Yesterday, on 27 November, the first forum on reconstruction and business revival in Ukraine was attended by industry leaders, policymakers, embassies, international development institutions and other stakeholders, who could immerse themselves in the current needs and projects of Ukrainian authorities directed toward reconstruction and development.

The event was co-organised with the Gospodarska zbornica Slovenije and supported by Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenia Aid & Partnerships programme.

The event also marked the successful conclusion of a week-long study visit of mayors and key representatives of Ukrainian municipalities, Міністерство розвитку громад та територій України, business associations, inter-municipal associations, accompanied by representatives of the EU Programme ULEAD з Європою / ULEAD with Europe implemented by German GIZ, focusing on the development of local economy and boosting local entrepreneurship. They contributed knowledge and ambitious projects on reconstruction and development, which inspired rich discussions on the opportunities in Ukrainian priority sectors ripe for investment - waste management and circular economy 🔁, building for the future 🏗️, and energy ⚡.

🇸🇮 Slovenian businesses shared their knowledge, innovative solutions, and experience operating in the Ukrainian market. The event provided further information on important tools for facilitating investment in Ukraine and connections between businesses.

27/11/2024

🇺🇦🤝🇸🇮
We have concluded the seventh three-week mentorship of 2024 between the City Municipality of Slovenj Gradec (Mestna občina Slovenj Gradec) and Municipality Ladyzhyn (Ладижинська міська територіальна громада) under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’.

The three-week mentorship in Slovenj Gradec focused on:
✍️ project writing and funding
📈 business development and cooperation
🔋 energy efficiency
🦿 medical rehabilitation.

Mentees from Ladyzhyn have, for the last three weeks, worked on the preparation of a project draft on rehabilitarion and the development of Ladyzhyn as regional rehabilitarion hub.

Joining us for the closing event were Ms Anuša Pisanec from the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ms Natalia Markevych Pritsa from the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Slovenia, and Slovenj Gradec mentors Mr Sašo Blatešič and Ms Sanja Paradiž.

Activities are financed by Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs & supported by ULEAD з Європою / ULEAD with Europe

23/11/2024

🇺🇦🤝🇸🇮
A busy week for our Ukrainian delegation on the study visit within the scope of the project ‘Enhancing Slovenian Engagement in Ukraine: Economic and Social Sustainability of Regions and Cities’.

🇪🇺 On Wednesday, representatives from Ukraine learnt more about good practices of Slovenian regional development, EU accession and EU funding with workshops at Pomurje Chamber of Commerce.

📈 Thursday’s conversations at Kodila Gourmet focused on connecting local economy, social entrepreneurship and support for establishing local brands with Diši po Prekmurju as a case study. We continued with a presentation of Pomurje Technology Park, their projects and development of business model through time, and circular economy initiatives with a visit to Štajerska gospodarska zbornica.

♻️🏗️ Discussions on Friday focused on sustainability in waste management and construction, and opportunities for Ukraine with workshops and site visits to Surovina , Marles SI and Slovenian National Building And Civil Engineering Institute.
With a visit to Surovina d.o.o. we explored circular economy practices in waste management, while a visit to Marles, demonstrated sustainable construction and innovation in building environmentally friendly homes. Led by experts from ZAG Ljubljana, we joined workshop on construction waste and the future of construction, with a focus on sustainable rebuilding efforts in Ukraine.

🌲♻️ Today's conversations took us to Izola and InnoRenew CoE, where we spoke about New European Bauhaus and opportunities for Ukraine.

Activities are financed by Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs & supported by ULEAD з Європою / ULEAD with Europe

20/11/2024

🇺🇦🤝🇸🇮
Today, we kicked off the study visit in Murska Sobota as part of the project ‘Enhancing Slovenian Engagement in Ukraine: Economic and Social Sustainability of Regions and Cities’. From 20 to 28 November, 20 representatives of Ukrainian local communities, business support organisations, and municipal associations, supported by the U-LEAD with Europe Programme, will join us.

Today's activities began with four workshops on regional development, EU accession, EU funding and opportunities for Ukraine, organised by Pomurje Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and will continue with a visit to the company Medicop.

The project is supported by the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs & ULEAD з Європою / ULEAD with Europe

19/11/2024

V okviru francoskega predsedovanja Svetovalnemu odboru ITF, je imela 🇫🇷 veleposlanica Florence Lévy čast sprejeti ukrajinsko delegacijo na visoki ravni, ki je na povabilo dr. Aleša Musarja, soproga predsednice Republike Slovenije na obisku v 🇸🇮. Ukrajinsko delegacijo vodi podpredsednica vlade 🇺🇦 Julija Svyrydenko.

Predstavniki delegacije so se srečali s slovenskimi nevladnimi organizacijami, aktivnimi na področju odstranjevanja min, zdravja ter telesne in duševne rehabilitacije žrtev vojne, ki v Ukrajini traja že tisoč dni.

Veleposlanica je ob tej priložnosti ponovno izrazila neomajno podporo Francije Ukrajini, pri čemer je izpostavila njeno civilno podporo, ki od leta 2022 dalje znaša 3,2 milijarde evrov, zlasti na področju energetike in zdravstva.

Dans le cadre de la présidence française de l’ITF, l’ambassadrice 🇫🇷 Florence Lévy a eu le plaisir de recevoir une délégation ukrainienne 🇺🇦 de haut niveau, accueillie en Slovénie 🇸🇮 par dr. Aleš Musar, époux de la Présidente de la République de Slovénie, emmenée par Mme Yuliia Svyrydenko, 1ère vice-première ministre.

La délégation a ainsi pu échanger avec des ONG slovènes actives dans le domaine du déminage, de la santé, ainsi que de la réhabilitation physique et mentale des victimes de la guerre, qui vient d’atteindre les mille jours.

L’ambassadrice a également réitéré le soutien indéfectible de la France à l’Ukraine, rappelant la nature de son soutien civil qui s’élève à 3,2 Mds€ depuis 2022, principalement dans le domaine des énergies et de la santé.

ITF Enhancing Human Security Nataša Pirc Musar
Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF)
Centre for European Perspective - CEP Slovenska filantropija
Center za mednarodno sodelovanje in razvoj - CMSR