Security Jam A Massive Success!

On March 23^rd, the second annual Security Jam came to a successful close, with over 17,000 logins from more than 3,000 participants across 115 countries.

The ATA has been supporting Security Jam since it began in 2011 and was once again one of its 57 Coalition members promoting the transatlantic security dialogue. Several of our own members along with those from YATA participated in the 4 day long Jam, presenting their own interesting views on how shape security in the next decade.

Experts, officials, and business leaders from all around the world came together for this 4 day event to offer their best ideas on how best to deal with a range of contemporary international security issues ranging from strategic partnerships to crisis management.

On the Security Jam website, visitors were also asked to respond to a survey regarding different NATO and international security issues. The results have revealed some very interesting numbers, and we can see this in just a few of the question responses:

• More than 50% of respondents feel that NATO should take a predominately advisory and assistance role after 2014.
• Cyber-security is the top transnational threat that respondents worry about the most.
• An overwhelming 73% feel that the EU-US partnership does not live up to its expectations.
• 92% do not feel the Afghan is ready to take over from the ISAF.
• 46% often use social media to connect with colleagues and organizations.
• Over half supported NATO’s involvement in Libya.

Some of these responses certainly come as more of a surprise than others, but what is clear is that Jammers seem to agree on far more issues than perhaps some of us may have thought.

Security Jam takes place very year, and it is opportunity for experts from across different fields to have their voices heard more clearly by some of the world’s highest ranking policymakers. Even on a more personal level, it is a chance for those who are most interested in NATO and international security issues to come together in one community to exchange and rate each other’s ideas. All of this, of course, in the service of strengthening partnerships and enhancing international security.

The Security Jam is organized by the Security and Defense Agenda, a think-tank in Brussels focusing exclusively on defence and security issues. This all-inclusive organization ensures that all of its voices–from students to professionals–are heard by representatives from NATO, the EU, national governments and parliaments, industry, academia, think-tanks, NGOs, and the media.

Now, the Security Jam team will look at all of the posts and compile the best and most innovative ideas into a report that will be presented to global leaders ahead of the G8 and NATO summits this May. One final report will also be presented at the SDA’s annual NATO Conference on May 25^th following the Chicago summit. The team will be paying attention to those posts that have received particularly high ratings, so make sure to log on to securityjam.org and rate the posts you find most interesting.