30 July: Summer College Peace and War - Den Haag

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 July 30, De Gymzaal organizes a special lecture evening where three leading female experts – Soheila Najand, Wendela de Vries, and Lidija Zelović – will challenge dominant narratives on geopolitics and defense. The evening is hosted by Floor van Leeuwen, who will 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 community dinner. A space for all of us to come together and share food and ideas.

We then continue to the main event with 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 a lecture from 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?"

Practical Information

What: Lecture Evening: Peace and War

When: July 30, start 19:00

Pre-event Community Dinner, start 18:00

Where: De Gymzaal, Den Haag

Speakers: Soheila Najand, Wendela de Vries, Lidija Zelović

Host: Floor van Leeuwen

English subtitles

Reservations: https://cryptpad.organise.earth/form/#/2/form/view/HO5z0oBopKcM03eNbmJqk9ieUPgFrZucxtA1gJSwjgI/