In partnership with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the Alliance for Peacebuilding is proud to present PeaceCon 2020, Pandemics, Peace and Justice: Shaping What Comes Next, taking place virtually, December 7-9. In the midst of a global pandemic, rising global violence, and a national and worldwide reckoning over systemic injustice and racism, PeaceCon 2020 will bring together experts and practitioners to consider the interplay of justice and peacebuilding, and strategies to elevate and integrate peacebuilding in our collective effort to shape a more just, secure and peaceful future in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recognizing the challenges to international travel and large group gatherings this year, PeaceCon 2020 will take place entirely online, from December 7 - 9, 2020. Peacebuilders from across the world are invited to share their ideas for interactive sessions, workshops, or other creative online formats. We are seeking submissions for interactive panels, ignite talks, workshops, and networking sessions with diverse institutional affiliations and speaker backgrounds. Online sessions will be designed to stimulate discussion and audience participation, with opportunities for engagement in the weeks leading up to PeaceCon and in the year to follow. You can find the link to our call for proposals below and on our PeaceCon 2020 event page. The deadline to submit proposals is September 13, 2020.
The world was experiencing a 30-year high in violence and violent conflict before the pandemic, with 1.5 billion people living under the threat of violence in more than 50 global conflict zones and nearly 80 million forcibly displaced – the highest number in modern history. COVID-19 has exacerbated these trends, as the pandemic upends societies and economies, fuels polarization and competition for resources, and escalates citizen mistrust, government repression, and violent extremism. At the same time, the pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color and marginalized communities domestically and exacerbated structural inequalities inherent in the international system. The twin disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and global call for racial equality offers a unique moment to rethink and reinvigorate efforts – such as Sustainable Development Goal 16 – to put peace and justice at the center of international policy and practice.
PeaceCon 2020 will explore the intersection of justice and peacebuilding, and consider how the peacebuilding field can forge creative solutions to global challenges of building more equitable, just, and peaceful societies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Sessions will go beyond exploring the problem to challenge participants, put forward differing points of view, and distill learning outcomes into pragmatic solutions.
For more than 10 years, PeaceCon has provided a dynamic platform for peacebuilders to engage the global affairs community. The conference brings together policymakers, donors, NGO and private sector, academics and professionals from a range of related disciplines, such as human rights, democracy and governance, development, and environmental protection to share achievements and insights and catalyze partnerships. With the move to an entirely virtual format in 2020, PeaceCon aims to attract an even more diverse set of voices, expertise, and ideas from across the world.
How to register:
PeaceCon 2020's full Request for Proposals, along with guidelines and submission information can be found here. If you would like to contribute to the conference, the deadline for all proposals is September 13. You can learn how to submit a proposal here. We ask those interested in submitting a proposal to carefully read the submission guidelines.
There is no registration fee for selected panelists and speakers to PeaceCon 2020.
