On August 8, 2023 the Foreign Policy Association organized the first event within the project “Strengthening civil society’s engagement in protecting national security under new hybrid threats: challenges, opportunities and key decisions”, implemented with the support of the UK Government and the Institute of War and Peace Reporting. The brainstorming brought together partners from the northern, central and southern regions of the country, namely Nord News, Pro-Europe Center in Comrat and Security Zone. Among the guests were also present representatives of civil society concerned with security issues, representatives of state institutions, journalists and members of the academic community.
The first panel of the discussion focused on the issue of national security of the Republic of Moldova, during which the partners had the opportunity to share their views on the main challenges that are felt in different regions of the country. They drew attention to the problems created by political instability, energy volatility, the harmful influence of propaganda and the manipulation of public opinion, as well as the lack of effective communication between civil society and state institutions in different regions. However, the openness to collaboration between non-governmental organizations from Chisinau and those from the north and south of the country in areas of interest was also reiterated.
Panel 2 focused on the mechanisms of influence of civil society on the maintenance of the national security of the Republic of Moldova. During the discussions, the subject of the impact of the war in Ukraine on the solidarity of civil society in Moldova was addressed, as well as the main challenges for the country’s security. Moreover, the guests debated optimal solutions for reducing the impact of the energy crisis, but also highlighted the increasingly important role of women in the development of security policies and in conflict management. The participants concluded that the issue of national security is a subject that remains current in the conditions of the intensification of hybrid warfare instruments in the country, and constant dialogue and communication between civil society representatives from different regions of the country are extremely important for increasing resilience capacities.
The Brainstorming is organized within the project „Strengthening Civil Society’s Engagement in National Security Protection under New Hybrid Threats” implemented by APE in partnership with Nord News, the “Pro-Europe” European Center from Comrat and the Security Zone, funded by a grant from the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) with support from the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
