On October 25th and 26th 2012, the NATO Defense College (NDC) held its first “NATO Retreat”.
The meeting, scheduled to become an annual event, was organized by the Research Division (RD) of the College as a forum enabling senior NATO civilian and military personnel from Headquarters in Brussels to meet the NDC researchers and dialogue with them on a range of issues. For the researchers, the meeting offered an important chance to address a number of questions which do not (yet) feature on NATO’s agenda.
Invited participants, from different Divisions and backgrounds, thus had a unique opportunity to gather on neutral territory at the College and reflect not only on current topics of interest, but also on inveterate “thorny” issues which continue to raise many questions inside the Alliance. The extent and the quality of the discussion to which the format was conducive allowed participants to acquire a better understanding of each other’s perspectives and priorities, identifying a number of original solutions in the process.
The “Retreat” entailed five sessions, where “themed issues” were raised as a catalyst for constructive discussion. Subjects covered ranged from Smart Defense and the Connected Forces Initiative to partnerships, nuclear questions and the situation following the Arab Spring. Participants were also asked to discuss and imagine what could be on the agenda for the next NATO Summit, providing a window of opportunity for cooperation on highly relevant research questions and new study projects.
All participants fully embraced this opportunity for a frank exchange of views, however controversial or original. Another major benefit of the event was the chance to rediscover the virtues of sitting together, leaving outside the meeting room any concern with flag-waving: the resulting discussion contributed greatly to bolstering our common culture and understanding.
NDC Public Affairs Office
NATO Defense College