Summer College on Peace and War

As defense budgets rise and wars from Ukraine to Iran and the genocide in Palestine escalate, the question of "true security" becomes increasingly urgent. On June 30 2026 at Theater Ins Blau we organized a special lecture evening where three leading female experts – Soheila Najand, Wendela de Vries, and Lidija Zelović – challenged dominant narratives on geopolitics and defense. The evening is hosted by Floor van Leeuwen, who also lead an interactive spatial thinking exercise.

In a field traditionally dominated by male voices, this evening offers a necessary alternative perspective. The speakers analyze the underlying structures of the arms trade, hybrid warfare, and the impact on our democracies. They examine how economic and geopolitical interests shape current security policies.

The Program: The evening begins with a spatial thinking exercise, and dialogue on Peace and War,

We then continue to an analysis of the systems behind conflicts by Soheila Najand (complex systems researcher, member of Minab/Global Solidarity Coalition). She dissects how hybrid warfare – an interplay of political, media, economic, technological, and military structures – fuels conflicts, looking beyond the daily news cycle.

Next, Wendela de Vries (defense industry analyst, author, and researcher at Stop Wapenhandel) takes the audience into the economy of war. She analyzes the complex power dynamics and financial interests that drive the global arms trade and European security policy. Moving beyond political rhetoric, she offers a factual analysis of the war economy – essential insights for anyone seeking to understand the reality of today.

This is followed by an interview with Lidija Zelović (filmmaker, journalist, and scientist), known for her award-winning film Home Game. She dissects the complex dynamics of the war in Ukraine and the role of NATO. Drawing on her experience as a journalist and scientist, she investigates how militarism and imperial interests put both security and democracy under pressure.

After the lectures, Floor van Leeuwen hosts the concluding phase of the evening. They leads a spatial thinking exercise in which the audience is invited to determine their own position relative to the presented themes. This exercise forms the basis for a post-lecture discussion where the audience engages in dialogue with each other on the question: "What is true security?"