Höfði's annual conference on building trust for sustainable peace
Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centre’s annual conference in cooperation with the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs, The Institute for Sustainability Studies and GRÓ GEST will take place on Friday, October 8 at 11.30 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Veröld - house of Vigdís at the University of Iceland. The conference will be held in English and there will be a live stream.
The UN has declared the year 2021 as the International Year of Trust and Peace, emphasizing the importance of reaffirming the UN's role to settle disputes peacefully. The effectiveness of international organizations depends upon state leaders and the public trusting them. However, in recent years, international cooperation has been under threat as the effectiveness of multilateral institutions has been questioned. The threats of climate change, pandemics, and the increasing role of non-state actors in conflict are challenges that the international system faces in a rapidly changing environment. Without trust in the effectiveness of international organizations, how can we work on sustainable solutions to these biggest threats that we currently face?
The conference consists of four seminars
12:15 - 12:45 Conversation with Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and the Head of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009-2017*
Q & A Session
Moderator: Martin Eyjólfsson, Permanent Secretary of State
12.45 – 13:45 Broken Promises? The International Community and Afghanistan
This session will discuss the situation in Afghanistan and the international community's responsibility for the current situation. What is the international community's role in protecting human rights, refugees and encouraging peacebuilding in the region?
14:00 – 15:00 Global Citizenship Education for Peace
How do we encourage citizens to think globally and mobilize them to act? The session will focus on how literature can be used to drive change, increase empathy between different individuals, and promote critical thinking.
15.15 – 16:15 Addressing the Impact of Climate Change on Peace
In this session, we will discuss the challenges of climate change to peace and security. Climate change is a threat multiplier, that can worsen disruptions caused by conflict and inflame existing social, economic, and environmental risks. How can the international community work towards global sustainable solutions to the climate threat?
The speakers include; Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009-2017; Fawzia Koofi, Afghan politician and women’s rights activist; Gulalai Ismail, human rights activist and founder of Aware Girls; Juan Pablo Villalobos, Mexican author and writer of the novel Down the Rabbit Hole; Sanam Nagaragi- Anerlini a British-Iranian author, Director of the Centre for Women, Peace, and Security at LSE and Founder and Executive Director of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) and Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President of the Indigenous women and peoples association of Chad and Co-chair of the Facilitative Working Group of the Local communities and indigenous peoples of the UNFCCCA full program will be published soon.
All are welcome!
