Background

The Peace Talks initiative was jointly established by the United Nations Office at Geneva (referred to as UNOG), the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, and Interpeace, with the support of the Swiss Government. Launched in 2013 in Switzerland, PeaceTalks has evolved into a premier global event serving as an annual commemoration of the International Day of Peace. Over the past ten years, it has since expanded globally and more than 20 editions have been held in more than 8 countries featuring 200+ speakers from over 50 countries. 

Jointly established by

Vision and Objectives

The vision of the Peace Talks is to expand the space for dialogue about building peace and resolving conflict by: 

DEMONSTRATING that solutions to conflict and violence exist

SHOWCASING inspiring stories to encourage innovation and out of the box thinking to build peace

RAISING AWARENESS that each and every person, actor and institution has a role to play in building peace and resolving conflict

INSPIRING ACTION in everyday life and on a global scale

The Peace Talks showcase inspirational stories of people who are making extraordinary contributions to peace. The Peace Talks underline that building peace is not only an effort of technical specialists, but that each and every individual has a role to play.

Through city-specific events, people deliver a short inspirational talk, known as a ‘Peace Talk.’ Speakers share their inspirational stories and practical solutions for resolving conflict, and for inspiring action. Three key aspects of the Peace Talks are the diversity of speakers, the authenticity of each Peace Talk and the high quality of each Peace Talk and event. The Peace Talks is not a political platform; rather, the emphasis of the event is on practical lessons and personal observations. Speakers come from diverse backgrounds. The audience should also represent a diversity of backgrounds. Through webcasts and other means of communication, a broader reach beyond the immediate audience in the room is made possible.

The Peace Talks aim to facilitate a global conversation on solutions to some of the most challenging issues of our time. With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN Member states have a commitment to promote more peaceful and inclusive societies. The Peace Talks emphasize that each and every person has a role to play in building peace and resolving conflict, whether in far away, conflict-affected zones or close to where they live.  

There are few platforms that showcase solutions about resolving conflict that include not only the perspectives of conflict resolution experts, but experts from other sectors.  By expanding the conversation about practical solutions for peace from beyond the realm of politics, new ideas and insights can emerge and be showcased and silos can be broken down.

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