Public can’t attend Dayton NATO session, but IS invited to UD panels on topic

For security reasons, most people in the Dayton region will not be allowed to attend or even get very close to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly sessions that will be hosted in downtown in about 60 days from now.

But that doesn’t mean the local community will be completely shut out of this history-making experience.

The public is invited to attend about a dozen panel discussions put on by think tanks and other groups that will explore the importance of NATO, the Dayton Peace Accords and other relevant topics.

This public forum programming, which will be held at the University of Dayton’s Roger Glass Center for the Arts, is expected to feature some of the delegates and special guests who will be in town for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA).

“On the sidelines of the official session, here at the Roger Glass Center for the Arts on the UD campus, we will host four days of thought-based discussions with high-level elected officials, security and policy experts and local leaders from across the NATO countries,” U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, said during a press conference this week.

This programming has been named “The Dayton Dialogue: Conversations about Peace & Security in the Balkans.”

Participants are expected to include representatives from groups like the Atlantic Council, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the German Marshall Fund, the National Endowment for Democracy, New Lines Institute and the Dayton Development Coalition.

The conversation will be anchored by the historic Dayton Peace Accords and focus on the current tenuous situation in the Balkans, highlighting the need for the transatlantic alliance to work together toward a lasting peace.

The NATO PA session runs from May 22 to 26, and the panel discussions will take place on four of those days. There will be three talks per day.

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Rep. Turner said there will be a lot of attention paid to the Dayton Accords, which were signed 30 years ago, bringing an end to the war in Bosnia. But he also said the discussions will be forward-looking.

“We’ll look to ‘How did we end a war?’ but also ‘How do we end a war now?’ as we look to even Ukraine,” he said.

UD President Eric Spina said the school will have some of its own experts at the talks, and local students and faculty will get an opportunity to engage with visitors from across the nation and globe.

There will be other local NATO PA-related activities, including a “Concert for Peace” on May 29 at the Schuster Center. World-renowned conductor Marin Alsop will be joined by the Sarajevo Philharmonic and the Dayton Philharmonic for the performance.

The NATO PA is expected to draw leaders from around the world, including a couple hundred parliamentarians from the 32 NATO countries. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were invited, though it’s unclear if they will attend.

A sizable section of downtown will become the “NATO Village,” a secure area that only people with the right credentials will be able to access. There will be a significant police presence, fencing and other security measures to prevent unauthorized individuals from getting into the village.

Earlier this month, the Ohio Controlling Board approved providing $4.3 million in state funding to reimburse the city of Dayton and other partners for public safety and security costs associated with hosting the PA session.

Matthew Martin, the chief administrative officer of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, said some funding will pay for security equipment and for the Ohio State Highway Patrol to assist with security.

Security equipment expenses are expected to include fencing, concrete barriers and drones. About $2.8 million is expected to reimburse the city of Dayton for police, fire, public works personnel and other costs.

“In just a few months, the world’s eyes will be on Dayton, Ohio,” state Rep. Andrea White, R-Kettering, said in a statement. “We worked hard with our legislative team, Congressman Turner and local partners, and the governor’s office to ensure our state’s resources are mobilized and aligned with local resources so that we can provide a safe, landmark, world-class experience to the world.”

Rep. Turner said the PA session will show that Dayton is a “world-class community” and will highlight Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s contributions to peace and security.

“We’re very hopeful that in addition to just this event that this will establish lasting relationships, both with the community, the university — both the University of Dayton and Sinclair,” Turner said.

“Dayton Dialogue: Conversations about Peace & Security in the Balkans” event schedule

Thursday, May 22, NATO’s role in transatlantic relationships

10:30 a.m.: Why NATO matters to everyday Americans

1:30 p.m.: NATO’s transatlantic economic impact

3:30 p.m.: Putting the transatlantic defense industrial base back on track

Friday, May 23, Dayton Accords 30 years later — A historical look back

10:30 a.m.: TBD.

1:30 p.m.: Journalists’ stories: Telling the truth during and after conflict

3:30 p.m.: U.S. global strategy at a historic inflection point

Saturday, May 24, Dayton Today for the Balkans present and future

10:30 a.m.: Economic recovery and development: Post-Dayton progress and future challenges

1:30 p.m.: Next steps after Dayton? Getting to Constitutional reform in Bosnia-Herzegovina