April 3, 2017
March 17th, 2017
On March 17, Yan St-Pierre was invited to speak at the fifth congress of the Mannheim Forum, organised by the students of the university of Mannheim in Germany. This year’s main topic “Change to new Beginnings” (Umbruch zum Aufbruch) discussed a variety of cultural, economic, managerial, political, security and technological topics including Brexit, big data and terrorism. Along with co-panelists Katja Kipping (Member of the Bundestag – Die Linke), Cemile Giousouf (Member of the Bundestag – CDU) and Wolf Poulet (Director of International Governance Consulting – IGC), Yan St-Pierre took part in the panel discussion “Changing Security – Our Society between Distrust, Exclusion and Fear” moderated by the ARD’s terrorism expert Michael Stempfle. The discussion focused on the state of security in Germany following the terrorist attacks of 2016 and several thwarted attacks in 2017, the failings of the security apparatus, security policy setting and how the issue of migration and security needs to be managed. Panelists also discussed the merits of hard security versus soft security, centered around the merits of military intervention and deradicalisation programs. There was a pre-campaign feel in the air as the debate clearly demonstrated very opposite positions and approaches to security, but all to the benefit of those in attendance, who were not only faced with perspectives not commonly heard, but also got an important glimpse of just how complicated and volatile security policy setting is.
Yan St-Pierre would once again like to thank the organisers for the invitation and congratulate everyone that took part in the event for the high quality organisation at every level.