YATA International

❝It is my responsibility and my duty to serve in the armed forces, in peacetime or in wartime.❞ Meet Lieutenant Lily-Mae Fisher, the only woman currently serving as a Commando in the 🇬🇧 UK Royal Navy

On 26th February 2025, we took part as co-organizers at the 'Youth Perspectives on Disinformation' conference, organized in collaboration with Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels School of Governance), University of Helsinki, YATA Belgium and Turkish Atlantic Council. This event brought together youth leaders to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time: disinformation. Our President Selin Yılmaz, and various YATA representatives, shared the perspectives of their respective countries, highlighting the different actions and strategies being implemented to tackle this global issue. A special thank you to Beaudine Verhoek, NATO’s Data Insights and Information Threats Section representative, for delivering an insightful speech on NATO’s role in countering disinformation and the importance of youth engagement. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the organizers for making this impactful event possible! #Disinformation #YATA #NATO #FutureLeaders #YouthEngagement

"Digital Frontlines: Youth Radicalization & Extremism – YATA at Munich Security Conference 2025" On February 15, 2025, in collaboration with Amerikahaus Munich, YATA Germany and NATO YOUTH 🇨🇦 | YATA—NATO we hosted an official side event at the Munich Security Conference, at Amerikahaus Munich. The event opened up crucial discussions on the challenges of youth radicalization and extremism in the digital age. The event was opened by Mariam Kublashvili, Vice President of YATA, followed by a keynote speach by Marie-Doha Besancenot, NATO ASG for Public Diplomacy. An insightful panel discussion with Natalia Gherman, UN, and Shafqat Munir, BIPSS, was moderated by Selin Yılmaz, President of YATA. Our speakers' expertise shed light on counterterrorism strategies, digital vulnerabilities, and policy solutions. We were also honored to host the winner of the 2024 Bavarian Winter School on Transatlantic Trade and Security, bringing fresh perspectives from the next generation of leaders. A huge thank you to our speakers for their valuable contributions, our engaged audience for their thought-provoking questions, and Munich Security Conference and Amerikahaus for having us there again. #MSC2025 #Amerikahaus #YATA #YATAGermany #YATACanada

🌟 Tech & Security at #MSC A spot-on topic by the Young Atlantic Treaty Association : Digital Frontlines: Youth Radicalization and Extremism— a critical challenge at the intersection of technology and security. 📲 How can we detect, prevent youth radicalization and online recruitment tactics? A difficult task with encrypted groups, unregulated streaming platforms & the increasing politicization of communities that risks trapping users in echo chambers. Recent exposures of Russian efforts to “instill fear, the most powerful emotion in the human psyche”, and lead citizens to violence is a reminder that terror is being used for geopolitical gains. And this year’s Munich Security Conference began with a tragic attack. 🪖 Proud to share NATO’s efforts to prevent and counter terrorism. Terrorism, alongside the threat from Russia, remains NATO’s top security concern. In 2023, several Allied populations identified terrorism as their #1 threat. 🔎 NATO’s Counter-Terrorism Approach: Prevention, Protection, and Response NATO combats terrorism through intelligence-sharing, capacity-building, joint training exercises. It has long included the digital dimension as exemplified by many reports by its Centers of Excellence: • 🇹🇷 NATO COE for Defence Against Terrorism (Ankara): Research and training to address evolving terror tactics • 🇱🇻 NATO COE for Strategic Communications (Riga): Insights into digital propaganda & extremist narratives 📊 Some key recommendations from 2020–2023 reports: 🔹 Intelligence &threat mapping: active monitoring of online ecosystems & emerging threat actors 🔹 Multi-level awareness: National, regional, local engagement on info threats 🔹 Crisis readiness: Clear messaging protocols to protect critical infrastructure from digital threats 🔹 Civil society partnerships: with tech experts, industry leaders, civil society orgs 🔹 Media Literacy Initiatives: Promoting critical thinking &resilience to info manipulation 🔹 Support for independent journalism 🎙️ Congrats for bringing the expert insights from Natalia Ghermann, Head of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), United Nations and Shafqat Munir, Head of the Bangladesh Center for Terrorism Research (BIPSS) 📊 with 135 million social media users out of 180 million people, the digital landscape in 🇧🇩 is shaping perceptions &algorithmic echo chambers can have an impact at scale. 👏🏼 A big shoutout to YATA Germany 🇩🇪 &YATA International for driving this conversation at the Munich Security Conference. Your dedication to amplifying youth voices in global security debates is invaluable! Youth perspectives are not a footnote—they are the frontline. Young people aren’t just digital natives but early adopters of key technologies. Their insights are crucial to navigate algorithm-driven realities &develop effective solutions. Selin Yılmaz 🫶🏼 📖 Mariam Kublashvili Leonhard Simon Musawer Begana Lea Haupt Marie-Magdalena Bradova YATA Sweden YATA Belgium

👥 Meet the Speakers for “Digital Frontlines: Youth Radicalization & Extremism” We’re happy to share the lineup of speakers for our Munich Security Conference side event: Marie-Doha Besancenot, Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy at NATO; Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; Shafqat Munir, Head of the Bangladesh Centre for Terrorism Research (BIPSS); Selin Yılmaz, President of the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association. 📅 Date: February 15th, 2025 ⏰ Time: 19:30 - 21:00 📍 Location: Amerikahaus Munich We’re looking forward to hearing their insights and engaging in meaningful discussions. Join us for the conversation! YATA Germany NATO YOUTH 🇨🇦 | YATA—NATO #MSC2025 #DigitalFrontlines #YATA #YATAGermany #YATACanada #Amerikahaus

📢Digital Frontlines: Countering Youth Radicalization and Terrorism We’re proud to announce a Munich Security Conference side event, where we’ll discuss how to tackle youth radicalization in the digital space. 📅 Date: February 15th, 2025 ⏰ Time: 19:30 - 21:00 📍 Location: Amerikahaus Munich We’re excited to welcome expert speakers who will share their insights on this important topic. Looking forward to an engaging discussion! 🌟 Get together In cooperation with Airbus and Junge DGAP, we invite our event participants to join a reception after the discussion. A great opportunity to connect and build your network. 🔗Register here to save your spot: https://lnkd.in/g8VpNV7c YATA Germany NATO YOUTH 🇨🇦 | YATA—NATO #MSC2025 #DigitalFrontlines #YATA #YATAGermany #YATACanada #Amerikahaus

On December 5th, YATA, alongside the ATA delegation, attended a special event at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, marking the 70th anniversary of the Atlantic Treaty Association. The event, titled "75 Years of NATO - The Success of an Alliance. What next?" focused on the evolving challenges facing NATO and the global security landscape. Throughout the day, we heard valuable insights from experts, high-ranking politicians, and ambassadors. The event began with an opening speech from the Deputy Secretary General Mrs. Radmila Sekerinska, followed by remarks from Mr. Marco Perestrello, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. We were also privileged to hear from Adm. Rob Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, and Mrs. Marie-Doha Besancenot, ASG for PDD, among other distinguished speakers. Our President, Selin Yılmaz, introduced the event alongside Simone Zuccarelli, former YATA International President, and later participated in the panel discussion “Policies in partnerships with the Organized Citizens”. It was a highly insightful day, filled with engaging discussions on pressing global security issues. We extend our sincere gratitude to NATO for their warm hospitality, to Atlantic Treaty Association for organizing such a productive event and to its President, Mr. THEODOSSIS GEORGIOU, for his great leadership and for having us there. #ATA70NATO75 #NATO #StrongerTogether

On december 4th, as part of the ATA General Assembly, YATA had the privilege of visiting the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Mons. Alongside the ATA delegation, we had the opportunity to hear from officials about critical topics, such as cyber threats, hybrid threats and operations. It was a highly productive morning, marked by engaging discussions. We extend our gratitude to NATO - Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) for the warm hospitality during our visit. #NATO #SHAPE #ATA70NATO75

🌍Greetings from the NATO Headquarters in Bruxelles, Belgium! On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Atlantic Treaty Association, YATA was present at the NATO Headquarters on december 5th. #ATA70NATO75 #NATO #StrongerTogether

Make an impact! 🌟 Do you want to have your voice heard at NATO or know anyone who can help NATO better engage with young people? Tag them in the comments ⤵️ Apply now to become part of the NATO Youth Advisory Board and help us create positive change. This is your chance to voice your ideas and help NATO reach young people. Learn more about this unique opportunity to influence, inspire, and lead ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dcdUqmNv