International workshop: THE ALPS-ADRIATIC REGION: OPEN BORDERS BEYOND COLD WAR
4-5 November 2024, University of Padova
The Open Borders team, together with the Department of Political Science, Law and International Studies (University of Padova); Centro di Ateneo per i Diritti Umani ‘Antonio Papisca’, held a bilingual workshop. The first day was dedicated to ‘THE ADRIATIC SPACE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE’, while the panels on day two were held under the heading ‘PEOPLE, PLACES, AND PRACTICES IN ALPE ADRIA’.
The workshop examined the historical, political and cultural dynamics of the Adriatic and Alpine regions, focusing on cross-border relations and cooperation. It explored the Adriatic as a space for political integration and examined the historical relations between Slovenia, Italy and other neighbouring countries.
The sessions addressed connections beyond the Cold War, including transnational cooperation across the Adriatic. International women’s networks of the 1950s, for example, played just as important a role as mountaineering clubs and bilingual television stations.
Further discussions highlighted the intersection of state interests and local practices, particularly in areas such as hunting and fishing tourism and economic investment. Finally, the workshop addressed regional diplomacy and interregional co-operation in the Alpen-Adria region.
Among other topics, the following was discussed vividly: when examining cross-border co-operation, factors as diverse as the personal motives of the actors involved and the historical legacy of an entire empire can be considered relevant.
In the concluding discussion, impulses from the workshop were integrated into the further research process of the ERC-project.
