Dev Diary #32: Hello 2020!
Hello all and welcome to Atlantic Forum in 2020!
After a wel deserved hiatus the team is kicking off 2020 with renewed energy and vigour and fresh plans to promote transatlanticism and connect NATO with our generation of (future) leadership!
We finished last year with an excellent presence at #NATOEngages and the wonderful news that Mr. Robert Vass joined our board of recommendations. We start 2020 equally well with an excellent meeting with Col. Giuseppe De Magistris, director of the Stability Policying COE and a great enthousiast of our COE plans, as well as with the equally wonderful news that Ms. Tessy Anthony - de Nassau also joined our board of recommendations!
We greatly accelerated in September after reaching our initial milestones (except for the 1000 patron count - hint hint, go recruit your friends!), which we also admittedly misjudged in terms of overhead such a sprint would bring. The holidays were a nice moment to catch up, but also to look critically at what things we would prioritize, and which we would put back on the shelve.
What can you expect from Atlantic Forum in 2020?
During the first 8 months of our existence (April 2019 - December 2019) we mostly focussed on existing programing by other organizations focus on students and young professionals. For 2020 we set out to host our own events and programming, with two envisioned flagship projects: Our own seminar/winter school and our own conference (and simultaneously the first GA of the YTLN). We are currently in conversation with our sponsors to gather the necessary funding and have recruited teams for both projects. There is still room in the conference team, so don't hesitate to apply by sending an email to info@Atlantic-Forum.com (Check the patron only page for more details!). Of course we will continue being the spider in the web of NATO youth engagement and bring to you the best of external events.
Our incubator is nicely stuffed with some excellent programs. The Atlantica Magazine succesfully completed its 2019 commitments, and has been extended for another year. Keep a close watch on the topic lists and announcements. The magazine has outgrown the incubator status and editor Megan is running the program on her own. Do you want to write for Atlantica? Email her at Atlantica@Atlantic-Forum.com
That leaves us the other incubator projects that we will keep on sustaining and monitoring:
- The Academy / High School Program (under supervision of Jelle Jochem)
- The Young Journalist Program (under supervision of Joseph)
- The COE program (under supervision of John)
- The Champions of Transatlantic Youth (under supervision of John)