Challenging borders
Geographic, political, physiological – dotted, dashed, solid – what are borders? Do they separate us? Limit us? Protect us? Even liberate us? Or simply mark the point where one thing ends and another begins? Are borders imaginary or real? What happens at a border and what happens if it is blurred?
Inspired by this year’s theme of the European Forum Alpbach Liberty & Security, as well as our respective Club origins – the Brennero border in South Tyrol and border discussions around Brexit – we as the FAN Committee decided to give the concept a bigger stage. Through a number of events, we invite you to challenge the existing borders of this world, be it political, social, or geographic. Even more so, we urge you to look within and challenge the borders of your own mind, your empathy, your tolerance and curiosity.
How is this going to work? Scroll down and see for yourself!
To find out more about this year’s FAN Committee, click here.
Treasure Hunt
Date: 14.08.2019
Time: 15:00
Place: start at Erwin-Schrödinger-Saal
On the first day of the Forum, drop your suitcase and group up with your fellow scholarship holders to go explore Alpbach and surroundings!
FAN Reception & Food Fair
Date: 15.08.2019
Time: 18:00-20:00
Place: Playground next to Hallenbad and Hauptschule
Swap your fancy attire and champagne flutes for flip flops and sodas, cause this is a different kind of reception. The FAN warmly invites everybody to bring and share their local foods as well. Dresscode: Come as you are, bring a towel, …
… and some of your proudly cherished delicacy (food and/or drinks) and enjoy this great lay-back atmosphere with good music, drinks, regional food from our Clubs and scholarship holders from all around the world.
The Alpbach Parties
Dates: 16.08.2019, 21.08.2019, 29.08.2019
Time: 21:00 – late
Place: Inneralpbach, Festhütte
Have you ever heard of the legendary Alpbach parties but you couldn’t find them in the official programme? That’s what the FAN Committee is for! It is known that the easiest and quickest way to get to know new people after a long day is in a relaxed environment and most likely, with a beer in your hand. Go on a small hike or take the shuttle bus and join us at the Festhütte in Inneralpbach where we are organising three parties for you in cooperation with FAN and the Alpbach Clubs.
Create your own event
Date: during the entire Forum (registration: 18.08.2019)
Time: registration from 10:00 to 16:00
Place: anywhere in and around Alpbach (registration in the CCA lobby)
Always been missing a type of event at the Forum, thinking “that would have been amazing”? Don’t miss out on this chance to make Alpbach YOUR Forum! Come talk to us and we as the FAN Committee will help you organise and promote your very own workshop, talk, class, hike, or whatever else comes to your mind.
Charity Cycling
Date: 19.08.2019
Time: 13:00-19:00
Place: Lobby of the CCA
Challenge and overcome the borders of your own physiology in order to help people overcome theirs! For every kilometer you sweat on our bikes, our sponsor Philips donates 1 Euro to the Wings for Life Foundation, who support research to find a cure for spinal cord injuries and paraplegia.
Open Space I – III
Dates: 19.08.2019, 24.08.2019, 29.08.2019
Time: 18:30-20:30, 10:00-12:00, 10:00-12:00
Place: Congress Center Alpbach, Saal Einem
It is incredible how much is happening in Alpbach: 3 events in parallel, everywhere, with everyone, we love it! But it can be overwhelming. So this is your opportunity to slow down a bit and digest what you have been soaking in all this time. Or to continue that discussion you didn’t have time for during lunch break. Or to prepare for that exciting panel where you’d love to ask smart questions. You set the agenda, and we provide the time and space where participants come together in small groups to talk about anything.
Kindercafe
Date: 20.08.2019
Time: 10:00-12:30
Place: Volksschule
Grab a coffee and some delicious cake home-made by your hosts, the children from Alpbach and all over the world.
International Evening
Date: 20.08.2019
Time: 20:15
Place: Congress Center Alpbach, Elisabeth-Herz-Kremenak-Saal
The International Evening is the main event bringing together all scholarship holders at the Forum. In a showcase of the diversity and plurality of opinions present at the Forum, we aim to provide you with a platform to express messages you feel passionate about. Put into groups, you will get the chance to create an artistic performance engaging with the Forum’s topic of Liberty & Security. More specifically, this year, the International Evening will be tasked with the aim of Challenging Borders. Whether that be producing a video diary looking at ever so prevalent socio-economic borders or composing poetry about the emotional borders that prevent us from connecting with each other, we are very excited to see what our scholarship holders come up with!
To view the projects, click here. If you’re interested to participate in the projects, please register here.
Strangers on a Gondola – Begegnung am Berg
Date: 21.08.2019
Time: 14:00-16:00
Place/Meeting Point: Wiedersbergerhornbahn, Talstation (Google Maps), or for hiking there, meet at 13:30 in front of Jakober in Alpbach
Scholarship holders, researchers, sponsors, keynote speakers, staff – everyone is invited to go on a journey up the local Alpbach mountain called “Wiedersberger Horn” and spend some time with three unknown persons. Once arrived, either you and your new group get out for a little hike at the top or you ride back down to the valley enriched with new acquaintances! Let us mix up and spend a nice day embracing the beautiful environment of Alpbach as well as the diversity of the Forum’s participants!
How to get there?
You can have a little hike (about 30 minutes from Alpbach Center, meeting point see above), or take one of the shuttle buses to “Alpbach Wiedersbergerhornbahn”.
The bus schedule will soon be posted here.
You can start the gondola ride at any time between 14:00 and 15:30. Drop by whenever you want, no registration needed!
Agree to disagree
Date: 22.08.2019
Time: 14:00 – 16:00
Place: Congress Center Alpbach – Saal Einem
How often do you really engage in a discussion with someone who sits far away from you on the political spectrum? Isn’t it exciting to talk to someone who disagrees with you on the most dividing questions of our time? To find out what drives their answer and maybe even get a little bit closer to understanding the other side?
Join us for this experiment! Answer a set of yes/no-questions, get matched up with someone who completely disagreed, and get talking. You might be surprised of the result!
In cooperation with Anderemeinung.at.
No registration needed, just drop by!
Speaker’s Corner
Date: 24.08.2019
Time: 14:00 – 16:00
Place: Terrace of the CCA
You heard of the Hyde Park speaker’s corner in school and always wanted to try it out just once? This is your chance! Except our Hyde Park is a bit more alpine.
A registration form will be posted here soon!
Movie Night
Date: 27.08.2019
Time: 20:00 – 22:15
Place: CCA Saal Einem
Come along for the screening of a critically acclaimed film (TBC) and expect to be shaken up, provoked and inspired.