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  • Getting To Know NATO

    GETTING TO KNOW NATO

    NATO HQ
    http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-86A46BC2-2F03AD7E/natolive/news_89265.htm
    July 27 2012

    Three young people from Armenia, Russia and the United Kingdom were
    among 20 competition winners to win a trip to NATO's Chicago Summit
    in May. Upon returning home, they took time to reflect on their
    experiences.

    Called 'iReps' the winners, from as far and wide as Libya and
    Indonesia, spent three days talking to NATO and national officials in
    the margins of the Chicago Summit. They also debated the challenges
    facing international peace and security with their peers.

    "Having a chance to penetrate deeply into the NATO's goals and mission,
    realising and analysing them, I found it surprising to change my
    stereotypes about it," explains Emma Ohanyan from Armenia. "[NATO
    moved] from an aggressive organization into one of the world's
    principal contributors in peace and security," adds the 23 year-old who
    works as a Russian-English translator at ARKA News Agency in Armenia.

    More than 300 people accepted the challenge of the 'iReps' competition,
    submitting a one minute video explaining what peace and security
    means to them. The winners flew to Chicago to take part in the Young
    Atlanticist Youth Summit which ran in parallel to the main Summit
    meetings. They discussed the same Summit agenda themes of Afghanistan,
    future capabilities and partnerships.

    "NATO is no longer confronted by one clearly defined threat, such as
    was evident during the Cold War," says 23-year old Thomas Durham, a
    graduate student from Durham University in the United Kingdom. "There
    are, in fact, a plethora of many diverse and multilateral threats -
    which make the peace building process behind NATO more relevant than
    ever," he explains.

    Evolving views on NATO

    Twenty-two year old Ekaterina Markova is a student at the Moscow
    State Academy of Law. After reflecting on the debates and opinions
    offered during the Summit weekend, she was surprised to learn about
    the involvement of non-NATO members at the Summit and the Alliance
    as a whole.

    Reflecting on the global nature of today's security challenges,
    Markova says it is increasingly important for countries to work
    together to achieve success. "The invitation to other non-NATO members
    to attend the Summit is a good decision for making concerted solutions,
    which entertain the opinion of every member of our common community,"
    she adds.

    Discovering that NATO's fundamental decision making system was
    consensus based was also new to some of the 'iReps', according
    to Durham. "The idea of equality between all NATO members was
    particularly revealing. [Meaning that] each member has the power
    to veto any decision made by NATO... [where] a general consensus is
    required for each policy decision to be ratified," Durham says.

    Looking back

    Along with students from the United States, the 'iReps' were joined
    at the Youth Summit by several Afghan Fulbright Scholars. "They were
    fascinating," says Durham, "and at the same time wholly enlightening."

    He feels the Scholars imparted a sense of "cautious optimism"
    when discussing the challenges that lie ahead for the future of
    Afghanistan. "[I learnt that] one should not always come from the
    angle of being disappointed when dealing with Afghanistan - that in
    fact, Afghanistan does have strong foundations."

    Neither Markova nor Ohanyan could identify one element of the
    experience as being better than the rest. "It was an exciting
    opportunity for all of us to attend the press- conference of NATO
    officials and heads of state and government, and be involved in the
    process of discussion," says Markova.

    Ohanyan adds that "meeting new friends from all over the world, having
    the chance to hear their viewpoints on different issues as well as
    hanging out in Chicago was just part of the fabulous experience."

    The three iReps say they and their fellow winners came away from the
    NATO Summit in Chicago with a better understanding about the inner
    workings of NATO, as well as about their peers in other countries. "I
    think, NATO is a very powerful organization that can defend not only
    NATO member states, but also the whole world," says Markova. "That
    is why NATO is important for peace and security."

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