In order to approximate the concepts of “security and threat” to their modern understanding, it is not sufficient to know the meaning of these words: it is necessary to look at both the types of security and its threats in their historical sense, both at global, regional and national level. Traditionally, “threats” are understood to mean external military threats against national stability, but security threats tend to be diverse: these are issues of both social security, economic and economic stability, human security and even cultural and information space security. This type of threat has been present in the Baltic region since the advent of independent countries in the 20th century, although security threats are often rooted in even earlier periods of history. However, with the rapid technological development, globalization and changing geopolitical situation, the Baltic States today face increasingly new and increasingly modern internal and external security challenges that go beyond the traditionally accepted threat framework.

In order to analyze security challenges and the changing dynamics of the security situation in the Baltic region,

the Latvian War Museum and the Faculty of History and Philosophy of the University of Latvia

 organize an interdisciplinary international scientific conference “Anatomy of Independence: Security and Its Threats in the Baltic Region Over the Centuries”, which will take place on September 21-22, 2023 at the Latvian War Museum, Riga, Smilšu Street 20.

We invite to present for the conference reports on the following issues: (and not only):

  • the security challenges of the world superpower and the Baltic region in various historical areas;
  • the military factor, the threat of external and internal conflicts in the Baltic region from the Middle Ages to the present day;
  • attempts and instruments of political destabilization in the 20th and 21st centuries;
  • international organizations and other non-governmental actors as a factor in security policy in the 20th and 21st centuries;
  • cybersecurity challenges, cyber risks and their political aspects;
  • the role of culture, education and language in the security discourse in the Baltic space from the Middle Ages to the present day;
  • interpretation and role of monuments and cultural heritage in security issues during the 20th and 21st centuries;
  • the role of hybrid warfare forms, in particular disinformation and propaganda, in security policy;
  • economic, environmental and public safety issues in Baltic states in the 20th
  •  and 21st centuries;
  • the role of museums and their collections informing the public in the context of security policy.

Please send the application for participation in the conference electronically by to Dr.hist. Juris Ciganovs, Deputy Director of the Latvian War Museum (e-mail: juris.ciganovs@karamuzejs.lv)  by June 1, 2023, giving the subject matter of the report, an outline of the content (up to 500 words), as well as brief biographical details of the author. The adoption of the report for participation in the conference will be announced by July 1, 2023.

         Conference Working languages – Latvian and English (synchronous translation will be provided).

         The conference's reports are scheduled to be published in a collection of articles in 2024 – a request to provide for the submission of articles by December 1, 2023.

 

Share