Geneva PeaceTalks 2024

Geneva PeaceTalks: The Future of Peace

GENEVA PEACETALKS 2024

19 September 2024

3:00 – 5:00 PM CEST

Room XVII, Palais des Nations, Geneva (& livestreamed online)

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Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. Never has our world needed peace more.

The Geneva PeaceTalks are brought to you by the United Nations Office at Geneva, Interpeace, the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, the Swiss Government and in partnership with the City and Canton of Geneva, Mirabaud and Nagulendran Philanthropy.

Register to celebrate the International Day of Peace and Interpeace’s 30th anniversary at Geneva PeaceTalks to be held on Thursday, 19 September 2024, from 15.00-17.00 at the Palais des Nations, Room XVII. It will be streamed live.

Under the overarching theme of “The Future of Peace,” this year’s Geneva PeaceTalks will feature personal stories from people on the frontlines of peacebuilding, linking the past, present, and future of peace.

22 editions of the PeaceTalks live events have taken place in more than 8 countries with over 8,000 in person attendees and 200+ speakers, ranging from elementary school students to the former United Nations Secretary-General.

Storytelling for Peace

The PeaceTalks is a global initiative that uses storytelling as a tool to build peace and inspire action.

Stories and their telling can create change. The best ones influence our beliefs, inspire us to make an impact, and illuminate what it means to be human. Everyone has a story to tell through which we can learn.

Storytelling is a powerful educational and peacebuilding tool. Through the telling of personal stories, topics usually addressed from a general angle in the news, come to life, taking human form. Through stories we see the individual instead of the abstract mass. This fosters empathy, understanding and dialogue

IF…we expand the space for dialogue about peace beyond technical peacebuilding through storytelling, focusing on personal stories and what is working;

THEN…a greater audience of people will become more aware of their potential individual roles and contributions in building peace, and that their actions can have a meaningful and positive impact in sustaining peace;

BECAUSE…they will feel inspired, empowered, and encouraged to support relevant initiatives where they work or to take personal action of their own.

The Geneva PeaceTalks will feature the following speakers:

Abdinasir Yusuf, Programme Coordinator & Deputy Director, Puntland Development Research Centre (PDRC), Somalia
Ninette Umurerwa, National Executive Secretary of Haguruka, Rwanda
Saype, Worldwide LandArtist who uses an ecofriendly paint to create hyperalistic and massive paintings directly on natural surfaces
Victoria Sandino Simanca Herrera, Feminist leader, former Senator to the Republic of Colombia and ex-guerrillera commander from the FARC-EP, Colombia
Fawaz Baker, Musician, composer and architect and former director of the Aleppo Conservatory, Syria and France
A message on the International Day of Peace, Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations and other Organizations in Geneva
João Boavida, Peacebuilder, Executive Director at Center of Studies for Peace and Development, Timor Leste
Natasha Latiff, International Human Rights Lawyer and Co-Founder, Strategic Advocacy for Human Rights (SAHR), Singapore
Arnoldo Gálvez, Journalist, award winning author, peacebuilder, Guatemala
Sidonia Gabriel, Senior Policy Advisor Fragility, Conflict and Human Rights, Swiss Development Cooperation, Switzerland

The event will also feature

A message on the International Day of Peace from António Guterres, ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations
Special remarks by Tatiana Valovaya, 13th Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva
Message from Bernardo Arévalo de León, President of Guatemala
Special remarks, Itonde Kakoma, President, Interpeace
Master of Ceremony, Sarah Noble, Curator of PeaceTalks