C ONCEPT PAPER The Young BSF Has Become A

c oncept paper the young bsf has become a unique meeting place for a diverse array of young leaders, entrepreneurs, bloggers, thinkers and

C ONCEPT PAPER
The Young BSF has become a unique meeting place for a diverse array of
young leaders, entrepreneurs, bloggers, thinkers and socially active
individuals, offering them a platform to share their visions, exchange
ideas and network with one another throughout the year.
Each year, Young BSF brings together young people to engage in lively
discussions on the most pressing current issues, address inventive
approaches to promoting positive change and finding solutions to many
complex challenges.
The Young BSF model is growing and changing annually. The topics have
varied and ideas evolved, but the main objective remains clear: to
bring together bold, brave and action-oriented individuals from
different walks of life, both foreigners and Slovenians, and offer
them a collaborative, creative, and inspiring environment for
discussion and networking.
The (dis)connected reality
We live in interesting and turbulent times. Our times seem to reflect
a quotation in a novel Alamut by a Slovenian novelist Vladimir Bartol:
'nothing is real and everything is allowed'. In the sense, different
'realities' of our physical world look completely disconnected from
the reality that our societies actually live. For the first time in
human history, we are facing the phenomenon of 'mixed reality'. Are
people losing touch with our material reality at the expanse of
actually living in a virtual one? Is life without virtual
'connectedness' even possible in our post-modern world? Can 'modern
humanity' exist without (dis)connected realities in the realms of
electronics, environment and economics (the 3Es)? Is any reality even
possible without 'connected' reality?
The 2017 Young BSF will give visionary young leaders an opportunity to
form real, connected or virtual partnerships and networks. This
goal-oriented forum will seek to prompt discussions and create
synergies of different ideas, turning them into connected or
disconnected realities of, and for, everyone.
Panel 1: Electronics: the future of people in the land of robots
We are living in a world of electronics. It seems we cannot live
without gadgets, smart phones, computers, robots and other electronic
devices any longer. On the one hand, the world of electronics has made
our lives significantly better and our societal/technological
advancements are unprecedented. Our realities have become intertwined
with the realities of the electronic realm. But hyper-dynamism in the
sphere of electronics has led to a reduction in human contact, human
dignity and human rights. How does this 'mixed reality' of
electronics, particularly in digital electronics, affect our physical
reality? Do applications, devices and robots make our lives more
independent or dependent? How do simple mobile applications change our
daily lives? Are robots really taking our jobs and downgrading basic
labour standards?
Panel 2: Environment: No flow, no go
Our physical and social environments are increasingly contaminated.
The Earth might be on the brink of survival and the cohesion of social
contract seems to be at its the worst in modern history. Our
post-modern societies rely on applications to enjoy the 'great
outdoors' and to take care of our planet, counting our footprints
everywhere we go. Why do we need smart phone applications to connect
with the real material world? Why do we need to search
application-made creatures outside our homes in order to socialise in
the physical world? Can different applications and devices contribute
and force us to take better care of our environment? Can they actually
make us 'greener'?
Panel 3: The Virtual Reality of the Economy and the Real Sector
The economy is the quintessence, the source of security and stability
for every individual, society and country. It would appear that the
economy and the real sector are the last bulwarks of material reality.
A closer look discloses the virtuality of the economic sphere as well.
Can the digital world significantly revitalise economy with its
artificial internet-based currencies? Can home-based work drastically
reduce labour-related costs? How will societies without the internet,
the great door to virtual reality, compete with those that have access
to it? Does digital warfare include access to the economy of the
'Net'? And will it create even greater divisions in the world?