GENEVA PEACE WEEK 2016
7 – 11 November
Why Geneva Peace Week?
Geneva is home to a large number of international organizations, including more than 40 United Nations entities, a thriving community of non-governmental organizations and renowned academic and research institutions. Together, all these actors work for peace, rights and well-being, touching the lives of individuals across the world. Geneva Peace Week offers an opportunity to connect and highlight the work of these actors and to expand the space for dialogue about building peace and resolving conflict.
What is Geneva Peace Week?
The third Geneva Peace Week will be held from 7 to 11 November 2016 and is a collective action initiative facilitated by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies (IHEID) and the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform with the support of the Swiss Confederation. By synchronizing meetings on different topics related to the promotion of peace during one week, Geneva Peace Week maximizes synergies between organizations in Geneva, focused on the cross-cutting nature of peace.
Geneva Peace Week underlines that each and every person, actor and institution has a role to play in building peace and resolving conflict. It also highlights that peace promotion occurs in many different contexts and cuts across disciplines and sectors. In this sense, Geneva Peace Week highlights the importance of working outside the silos, that all-too-often characterise the international community, to enable more creative responses.
Programme
Geneva Peace Week 2016 has two programme tracks.
- Main Programme developed collaboratively between the UNOG, the founding Partners of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, organizations hosted in the Maison de la Paix, and the University of Geneva.
- Programme of Side Events open for events organized by Permanent Missions, International Organizations, and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC.
UNOG, the Graduate Institute and the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform do not endorse any particular event of the Geneva Peace Week Programme. Geneva Peace Week events also do not necessarily reflect the views of UNOG, the Graduate Institute or the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform.
Organizations interested to organize an event under the patronage of Geneva Peace Week must apply for an event following the guidelines below.
Geneva Peace Week principles
1. Each organization organizes its own events by itself, retains its own visibility and ownership of the event, and acknowledges the event is part of Geneva Peace Week.
2. Events should focus on substantive and original contributions about building peace and resolving conflict. Events are not allowed to serve the exclusive promotion of a specific organization. Geneva Peace Week is not a political platform.
3. Parallel public events should not coincide with four major Geneva Peace Week events:
- Monday 7 November, 9:30– Opening
- Monday 7 November, 10:00-12:30- Outlook 2017
- Wednesday 9 November, 9:00-13:00– Annual Meeting of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform
4. All organizations wishing to organize an event must apply to Geneva Peace Week (see instructions below). All event information will be advertised in the programme of Geneva Peace Week and the programme of side-events.
Applications for the main programme
- The main programme of Geneva Peace Week is restricted to UNOG, the founding Partners of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, organizations hosted in the Maison de la Paix, and the University of Geneva
- Information should include:
- Event title
- Date, time, location
- Name of organizers
- Event description (including target public and event objectives)-max 100 words
- Confirmed speakers
- Contact point for the event. Email and phone number for registration (if applicable)
- UNOG and the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform do not endorse any particular event of the Geneva Peace Week Programme. Geneva Peace Week events also do not necessarily reflect the views of UNOG or the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform.
- “Expressions of interest” are welcomed prior to April 11, 2016.
- Applications must be sent to Silvia Nussbaumer: gpw@gpplatform.ch before 15 June 2016.
