Building Bridges for the Future: The First PEACE NextGen Workshop in Ljubljana

How can peace be built in a time of rising global tensions? We sought answers to this question at the first PEACE NextGen meeting, hosted at the Peace Institute in Ljubljana on March 19–20, 2026. The central theme was an exploration of war and peace in the former Yugoslavia, featuring lectures by Dr. Vlasta Jalušič on the dissolution of Yugoslavia and Dr. Rok Zupančič on the case of interethnic coexistence in the Bosnian village of Baljvine. As part of this two-day event, we launched a mentorship program designed to support a new generation of peace researchers and facilitate their integration into the European research landscape.

In addition to theoretical discussions, the workshop included practical work: through mentorship processes, participants developed concrete research plans and laid the groundwork for future collaboration. The meeting concluded with a visit to the Metelkova Mesto Autonomous Cultural Centre (AKC Metelkova), where participants gained insight into local practices of creativity and coexistence. The PEACE NextGen program will continue with research visits and another meeting at the end of the summer, with the primary goal of strengthening a community of researchers dedicated to the study and practice of peace.