Consejo Atlántico Juvenil Español (COAJE) Youth Atlantic Treaty Association of Spain

National Network
Spain
Address

C/Velazquez 54 2ºFloor
28001 Madrid
Spain

Telephone
+34636949355
E-Mail
secretariat@coaje.es
Mobile Phone
+34608960888
Organisation Type
Non-Governmental Organization
Year of Establishment
2013
Fields of Activity
  1. International/Cultural relations
  2. Others
  3. Youth and education
General Information
COAJE (YATA Spain) is the Spanish youth chapter of an international network called the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association. It is structured in the following way: there is an executive board, composed by a president, a secretary general, a treasurer, and four vice-presidents (communication, finance, public diplomacy, and organization). COAJE members (42 in total) are assigned to the different vice-presidencies, depending on their fields on interest and experience. They can also be latent members. Our budgetary resources depend mainly on the membership fee. Our main financial sponsors are the Spanish Ministry of Defence and NATO, which fund the Youth Mediterranean Dialogue (YMD), a one week international conference we organize. Plus, we have other sponsors and supporters, such as the Spanish Atlantic Treaty Association. In addition to the YMD, we organize conferences in collaboration with national and international universities, and our members attend several events throughout the year.
Mission and Objectives

COAJE's main mission is to spread the Culture of Defence and International Security among young people, both in Spain and abroad. Our objective is to get university students and young professionals become more interested in such matters. In particular, we focus on NATO issues, and try to reach people in as many universities as possible. As the Spanish chapter, we also believe in the importance of intercultural dialogue and cooperation. For this reason, we focus on the Southern flank of NATO, believing it is the most relevant for us. We are deeply interested in the North of Africa and Middle East region, and as such, we work with partner countries to get new generations from both cultures cooperate and debate about important international relations and security topics. 

Main Projects / Activities

Our annual flagship event is the Youth Mediterranean Dialogue (YMD), sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Defence and NATO. It is a one week conference that reunites young people from more than 30 different nationalities, from both NATO and MENA region countries. Participants attend lectures, debate in simulations and participate in workshops related to various topics of defence and security. They visit important and interesting places such as military bases or the Spanish Centre for National Defence Studies. Most importantly, they meet people from different countries, cultures and religions and get to learn from each other. 
In addition to the YMD, COAJE collaborates with different institutions from different countries throuhout the year. In June 2017, it organised a two day conference called "NATO's role in the Contemporary World" along with Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and the Polish Naval Academy. Fifty Polish and Spanish students participated. 
COAJE members love travelling and participating in the flagship events other YATA youth chapters organise. We have represented Spain in international conferences all over Europe, such as in Portugal, Latvia, Denmark, Slovenia, etc. 

How can you contribute to the Network in your country?

We can contribute to the Network in different ways: we are strong in social media, and therefore we can help spread other events organised by another members, which can be interesting for the youth. We can contribute by becoming partners of different projects related to International Relations, Security, Politics, etc., or by providing logistic assistance. We are open to discuss any type of collaboration with other members of the Network. 

Why do you want to join the ALF Network?

We want to join ALF because we believe in international cooperation and multicultural dialogue. We would like to belong to a big international network that can help us reach countries in the Mediterranean and spread our ideas and projects there. We also like hearing from others, seeing what they are participating at, and join them whenever possible. If we all work together and help each other, we can get very far and show the relevance of the region, as well as international dialogue and partnership. 

Contact (1) Full Name
Claudia Peña Butrón
Job Title
President of COAJE
Head of the organisation
Ms. Claudia Peña Butrón
Contact (2) Full Name
Rosario Soler Tomé
Job Title (2)
Vice-president of Public Diplomacy of COAJE