Activities Archives - Democratization Policy Council

DPC’s Valery Perry addresses the Third Business Forum of the Slovenian Business Association in BiH

Democratization — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:43:16 +0000

The Slovenian Business Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina held its third Business Forum on 5 March 2026 at Bjelasnica. The forum theme was, “Growth Plan 2026: Bridging Geopolitical Challenges and Market Competitiveness.” Perry delivered an introductory presentation highlighting the growing impact of global geopolitical dynamics on the region.

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Reflection on the Dayton Peace Accords

Democratization — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 15:26:14 +0000

DPC’s Valery Perry and Kurt Bassuener participated in the FAMA Knowledge Transfer Module, The Good, the Bad, and the Missing: the Dayton Peace Accords. They and other long-time BiH observers and analysts, including Jessie Barton Hronešová, Sead Turčalo and others, reflect on lessons learned – and not learned – 30 years after the end of the war.

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Dayton at 30: University of Michigan Panel

Democratization — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:11:57 +0000

The Donia Human Rights Center at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, hosted a discussion on December 3 to mark 30 years of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. DPC’s Valery Perry participated on a panel with Edin Hajdarpašić and Tatjana Papić, with moderation by Steven Ratner to discuss lessons to be learned 30 years after the Dayton Agreement, and how to think about conflict, peace, democracy and human rights at a time of great international change.

The discussion can be viewed here.

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An Opportunity to take Preventive Steps, and Catalyze a Forward Looking Rethink

Democratization — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 16:38:56 +0000

DPC’s Kurt Bassuener and Valery Perry worked with the Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes to prepare a Special Briefing on Maintaining Bosnia’s Sovereignty, Peace, and Security. The UK government will host the London Leaders’ Summit on October 22, which provides an opportunity for a long overdue strategy rethink towards BiH and the rest of the region. The press release and briefing can be found here.

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DPC participates in Sarajevo Security Conference

Democratization — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 15:10:31 +0000

DPC’s Valery Perry participated on the panel, “Invisible hands: Unmasking foreign interference in the Western Balkans” at the 2025 Sarajevo Security Conference. The conversation was wide-ranging, with a discussion about malign influence, the region’s role in the trans-Atlantic space, whether the EU enlargement process offers a credible future perspective, and the competition between values-based alliances and autocratic transactionalism.

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NATO Defense College Foundation Conference

Democratization — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 15:02:23 +0000

DPC’s Valery Perry was on a panel at the NATO Defense College Foundation Conference, “Building bridges: diffusing hybrid threats for regional stability” in Rome on October 13, 2025. A number of interesting points were raised by all speakers, with some good questions coming from the audience.

In her remarks (available for viewing here), Dr. Perry tried to emphasize that the best way to protect against hybrid threats is through a recommitment to the principle of comprehensive security, grounded not solely in defense and warfare, but in accountable good governance, human rights, and the values that have been at the core of the transatlantic relationship for decades.

It’s becoming worrisome clear that in the face of rising authoritarian threats and an erosion of norms in many consolidated democracies, the notion of comprehensive security and the liberal/democratic peace is often forgotten. The sooner that the democratic world recognizes this, the sooner much needed momentum in support of values-based alliances can be enhanced.

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DPC at the 2024 Budapest Balkans Forum

Democratization — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 05:27:06 +0000

DPC’s Kurt Bassuener and Valery Perry attended the Budapest Balkans Forum (March 12-13), participating in plenary and breakout sessions, and getting a view of the view of Hungary’s priorities in the region.

In her blog on the event, Valery Perry writes that year’s Budapest Balkan Forum provided a clear view of Hungary’s interests in the Western Balkans, as well as its role as a connector of illiberal agendas.

Read the essay here

A link to the BBF is at https://budapestbalkansforum.hu/

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DPC at the World Forum for Democracy

Democratization — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 11:32:42 +0000

DPC Senior Associates Kurt Bassuener and Valery Perry participated in the Council of Europe’s World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg from November 7-9, 2022. In addition to discussions on the health of democracy globally, the impact of the climate crisis on democracy and human rights, the need for more and stronger civic education, political polarization, and the impact of rampant economic inequality on (dis)satisfaction with governance, the Forum provided an opportunity to meet politicians and activists working to expand democratic participation through citizens assemblies, referenda, and bottom-up articulation of interests in social contracts that better the lives of people.

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Conference on education, democracy and reconciliation

Democratization — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 11:15:23 +0000

Valery Perry participated in the conference, “The Role of Education in Overcoming the Legacy of the Past and in Reinforcing Democratic Institutions,” sponsored by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague from November 23-24, 2022. Perry spoke about the consequences of the intentional political weaponization of education to feed polarization and social division.

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Looking for Dayton – the Documentary

Democratization — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 17:57:59 +0000

DPC’s Valery Perry has made her documentary film Looking for Dayton available online.

Screened at the 2020 Sarajevo Film Festival, Looking for Dayton follows 3 average guys from Sarajevo as they traveled to Dayton, Ohio, New York City, and Washington, DC in 2015.

While in the US they talked to some of the people involved in crafting and critiquing the Dayton peace agreement that ended the war, but ushered in a post-war settlement that seems to offer little to citizens.

As discussions continue about Dayton’s role and the country’s future, Looking for Dayton is recommended viewing for anyone interested in the impact of peace agreements, and what happens when the voices of regular people are not included.

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