Program
January through June 2025
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photo exhibition
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e-sports & education
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debate & research
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Program
January through June 2025
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photo exhibition
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e-sports & education
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debate & research
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‘NATO and the Netherlands’: discover, learn and join the conversation
Take part in one or more activities and discover what peace and security really mean. Visit the photo exhibition, attend a debate and more. A list of activities in The Hague is shown below.
If you’re curious about the role of NATO, or about the NATO Summit, come by, take part and join the conversation!
Activities
Peace, security and NATO
PHOTO EXHIBITION
Want to find out more about peace and security, and the roles of the Netherlands and NATO?
Visit the photo exhibition!
- Pictures that tell a story: each picture tells a story about conflict, cooperation and hope.
- Easy to understand: the topics are explained in language that is easy to understand.
- Inspiring and educational: gain new insights, and think about the future of peace and security.
Don’t miss this chance to broaden your perspective on peace and security. Come by and see!
Organising partner: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
NATO – Strong enough in uncertain times?
DEBATE IN THE THEATER
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a wake-up call for the Netherlands and Europe. Suddenly, we’re dealing with a war on our doorstep. And we’re increasingly feeling its effects. Cyberattacks and sabotage are in the news almost every day.
Come to the live event ‘NATO – strong enough in uncertain times?’ to find out why we can’t take peace and security for granted any more. Speakers will include historian Professor Beatrice de Graaf, Admiral Rob Bauer, and international security expert Bob Deen.
Are we still capable of protecting our free and open society? And can we still depend on NATO?
Organising partner: Haagsch College
NATO – Strong enough in uncertain times?
DEBATE IN THE THEATER
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a wake-up call for the Netherlands and Europe. Suddenly, we’re dealing with a war on our doorstep. And we’re increasingly feeling its effects. Cyberattacks and sabotage are in the news almost every day.
Come to the live event ‘NATO – strong enough in uncertain times?’ to find out why we can’t take peace and security for granted any more. Speakers will include historian Professor Beatrice de Graaf, Admiral Rob Bauer, and international security expert Bob Deen.
Are we still capable of protecting our free and open society? And can we still depend on NATO?
Organising partner: Haagsch College
Tactics and Teamwork: Online Valorant Tournament
ESPORTS & MORE
In three preliminary rounds, Valorant teams will battle for a place in the grand final, where the best teams take on armed forces e-sports teams from a number of NATO countries. Between matches, armed forces experts will talk live in the studio about cyber warfare, disinformation and the importance of NATO.
Valorant is about teamwork (being stronger together), communication and perseverance – just like in the real armed forces.
Follow the matches live on Twitch and YouTube. If you want to enter your team, keep an eye on the website.
If you want to enter your team, keep an eye on the website. Registration will open soon.
Follow the games live on Twitch and YouTube. Or sign up with your team. Registration will open soon.
Organising partner: Ministry of Defense.
Listen to a podcast
BNR Perestroika
GeoPoliticsNow Podcast
The Atlantic Gaze
Activities
Essay competition – Your vision on peace and security
STUDENT PROJECT
Leiden University is holding an essay competition for students in higher education. The topic is ‘The Future of NATO’. Submissions should be written in English and be no more than 2,500 words long.
The authors of the best essays will be invited to participate in the Young Atlantic Association’s annual event on 12 April 2025 and the Leiden University Serious Game: NAC Crisis Simulation in The Hague on 5 June 2025.
The winning essay will be published in Atlantic Perspective, the periodical of the Atlantic Association. You can also win an invitation to a NATO Public Forum event in the margins of the NATO Summit on 24 and 25 June 2025.
Send your essay (in English) to NATOseriousgame@fgga.leidenuniv.nl by 24 March 2025. Don’t forget to include your full name, email address, your study programme and year. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to engage with pressing security challenges, develop negotiation skills and interact with experts in international security and diplomacy.
Organising partner: Leiden University and the Young Atlantic Association
Essay competition – Your vision on peace and security
STUDENT PROJECT
Leiden University is holding an essay competition for students in higher education. The topic is ‘The Future of NATO’. Submissions should be written in English and be no more than 2,500 words long.
The authors of the best essays will be invited to participate in the Young Atlantic Association’s annual event on 12 April 2025 and the Leiden University Serious Game: NAC Crisis Simulation in The Hague on 5 June 2025.
The winning essay will be published in Atlantic Perspective, the periodical of the Atlantic Association. You can also win an invitation to a NATO Public Forum event in the margins of the NATO Summit on 24 and 25 June 2025.
Send your essay (in English) to NATOseriousgame@fgga.leidenuniv.nl by 24 March 2025. Don’t forget to include your full name, email address, your study programme and year. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to engage with pressing security challenges, develop negotiation skills and interact with experts in international security and diplomacy.
Organising partner: Leiden University and the Young Atlantic Association
NATO Veterans in the Classroom
SCHOOLS PROJECT
Veterans in the Classroom is exactly what it sounds like: a serving or retired member of the armed forces visiting a class to talk about their experiences during missions abroad.
Many of them have served in NATO missions. The veterans will offer insights into what they and others do to promote peace and security around the world, and how this has affected them personally.
The veterans have been specially trained to give guest talks to pupils and students at every level of education. These activities always focus on themes like peace, freedom and war, veterans’ own personal stories and what we can learn from their experiences. Having a veteran visit a class is a great way to encourage discussion on these important subjects in the run-up to the NATO Summit.
Organising partner: Netherlands Veterans Institute
Model NATO – simulation
SCHOOLS PROJECT
How does international cooperation work in practice? How does a large alliance reach consensus? Model NATO is a simulation in which secondary school students take on the role of diplomats to find out how decisions are made within NATO.
The educational role-play challenges participants to work together, negotiate and make unanimous decisions about security matters in today’s world. It offers a unique inside view on the complexity of international politics and how NATO works.
Model-NATO is niet alleen een leerzame ervaring, maar ook een educatieve manier om jongeren te laten kennismaken met de wereld van diplomatie en internationele samenwerking.
Organising partner: Netherlands Atlantic Association
Model NATO – simulation
SCHOOLS PROJECT
How does international cooperation work in practice? How does a large alliance reach consensus? Model NATO is a simulation in which secondary school students take on the role of diplomats to find out how decisions are made within NATO.
The educational role-play challenges participants to work together, negotiate and make unanimous decisions about security matters in today’s world. It offers a unique inside view on the complexity of international politics and how NATO works.
Model-NATO is niet alleen een leerzame ervaring, maar ook een educatieve manier om jongeren te laten kennismaken met de wereld van diplomatie en internationele samenwerking.
Organising partner: Netherlands Atlantic Association
Listen & Read News updates
Reliable Sources
BNR - The Strategist
Atlantic Perspective
Activities
The Children’s Correspondent on peace and security
SCHOOLS PROJECT
What do children think about peace and security? The Children’s Correspondent helps primary-school-aged children make their voices heard. Children can make their own video clips that share their insights, hopes and concerns about these important themes.
They learn to use the journalist’s tools of the trade, not just for telling a story, but also for thinking critically about the wider world. Children have refreshing and often unique perspectives on issues usually dominated by grown-ups.
Organising partner: Children’s Correspondent
MBO Teaching Program: Security close to home
STUDENT PROJECT
Why is the Netherlands hosting the NATO summit this year? And what does international security have to do with your daily life? This interactive teaching program allows MBO students to think about peace and security in an engaging way. Catchy statements, inspiring examples and sharp discussions make difficult issues understandable and concrete. The program informs and motivates, making you more aware of your role in a constantly changing world.
Organizing partner: The Electors & Atlantic Commission
MBO Teaching Program: Security close to home
STUDENT PROJECT
How do national and international security affect our daily lives? In an interactive show, De Kiesmannen challenges students in secondary vocational education to think about peace and security. Through a combination of hot topics, inspirational cases and incisive discussions, students get a better grasp of complex issues. This is a dynamic activity that aims to inform young people, inspire them to action and make them aware of their role in a changing world.
Organising partner: De Kiesmannen & Netherlands Atlantic Association
Stay tuned and join us
NATO through the Netherlands officially launched Jan. 28 in The Hague. The program travels through several cities in the Netherlands and also ends again in The Hague.
Keep an eye on this page for updates on program components, dates and locations.
The Netherlands Atlantic Association provides an overview of its various activities through this platform. Stay informed and check it out regularly. Or sign up for updates through the newsletter of the Atlantic Commission.
