17-20 Sep 2007
The Second NATO-Afghan Student Forum took place at the Sant’Anna School of Pisa from 17 to 20 September. This initiative, which was co-organised by the School Sant’Anna and NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division, involved a wide range of university students coming from Afghanistan, Central Asia and NATO countries, including Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania and Slovakia.
Participants discussed a variety of themes including the prospects for long-term security in Afghanistan, the key role of the Afghan nation in that respect, and the contribution provided by NATO.
The connection between the stabilisation process in Afghanistan and the broader regional security setting was also a topic of discussions.
Participants highlighted the Afghan ownership as an essential condition for long-term stability in Afghanistan. They also flagged the need to strengthen the cooperation between Afghans and different actors of the International Community as a way to bolster security, reconstruction, economic development, good governance and the rule of law.
Along with the exchanges of views among themselves, students had the opportunity to discuss with representatives of the NGO community, international academia, the European Youth Media Network and NATO. An interactive videoteleconference question and answer session was held with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
