On 5 – 8 July 2011 the Yerevan-based Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC) with support from the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation, a project of the German Marshall Fund carried out the Second South Caucasus Young Leader’s Summit. The participants were young scholars from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The first South Caucasus Young Leader’s Summit was held in Turkey by the Turkish well-know organization ARI Movement.
The goals of the meeting were:
- Development of the sustainable network building among participants from Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan through the establishment of a sustainable and annual exchange program and a web portal for Turkey and the South Caucasus initiated by the civil societies in four countries.
- Enhancing the intercultural dialogue in the region and facilitating the exchange of ideas and best practices concerning the region.
- To raise awareness in the respective countries about the problems and solutions for the region through active interaction among the 12 fellows who will participate in the second summit and the relevant institutions and experts in the host country.
- To make a future projection of the region during the in-depth roundtable discussions foreseen in the program with representatives from the media, civil society and academia.
- To initiate a cross-border collaboration platform among the young opinion leaders and public opinion shapers (representatives from politics, media and the private sector) through the means of annual exchange and the internet.
- To give young leaders a clear understanding of the political system, political parties, opportunities and challenges to regional cooperation, as well as about important policy issues for the region, such as energy security and the culture of the host country through visits of relevant institutions, meetings with experts and in-depth discussions as forseen in the program.
