Roundtable Peace & Security 27 October 2023

On October 27, 2023, the Roundtable on the theme of Peace and Security took place.

The collaboration with The Hague University of Applied Sciences and the students from the Making Peace Not War minor was highly successful!

See below the video made by Chiel Eijt as illustration of the activity:

We kicked off the day with the beautiful film by Marijke Kodden about the KIVA ceremonies, followed by interesting and critical questions from our Worldconnectors and students.

After a short break, Caecilia Johanna van Peski took the floor. She spoke about her own experiences in her professional career, among other things. Additionally, Caecilia provided a nice overview of existing scholars and their theories regarding international peace, such as Juval N. Hariri, who wrote a book on “21 Lessons for the 21st Century.” She also mentioned Gro Harlem Brundtland, the first female Prime Minister of Norway, who was deeply involved in sustainable development and also headed the WHO, serving as an inspiration to the students! Caecilia kept it interactive, which often led to engaging questions and laughter from the students.

After all the listening and watching, we moved on to the interactive part: a real simulation of peace negotiations! The students and the Worldconnectors were paired and formed one of the parties at the negotiation table. Expertly led by Christa Meindersma and Pieter Lossie as chairpersons, compromises were reached between the Indigenous Wisdom keepers, various parties, and the International Court of Justice. Indigenous traditions and rituals were also featured, initiated by the groups representing the Wisdom keepers. This created harmony among the different parties and spontaneous moments. The sometimes complex topics of the day came together beautifully during this simulation.

After the first steps toward peace were taken through the excellent collaboration between the students and the Worldconnectors, there was a concluding drinks reception. Over some snacks and drinks, students and Worldconnectors engaged in further discussion about the day’s topics and various future plans.