European Leadership Conference
Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future
United Nations International Day of Peace 2012
Stortinget, Oslo, Norway, 20th-22nd September
Web: www.uk.upf.org & www.wfwp.org
You are cordially invited to attend a European Leadership Conference from September 21st to 22nd under the theme ‘Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future’. The European Leadership Conference (ELC) is sponsored by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP) and is part of a series being held in Parliaments and at UN institutions around Europe. This particular conference benefits from sponsorship from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For reports of previous ELCs please follow this link.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon wrote in June about this year’s International Day of Peace theme: The International Day of Peace, marked every year on 21 September, gives us all a chance to reflect on the unconscionable toll — moral, physical, material — wrought by war. Those costs are borne not only by us today, but by future generations as well. That is why this year’s theme is “Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future.” It highlights the fact that we cannot possibly think about building a sustainable future if there is no sustainable peace. Armed conflicts attack the very pillars of sustainable development, robbing people of the opportunity to develop, to create jobs, to safeguard the environment, to fight poverty, to reduce the risk from disasters, to advance social equity and to ensure that everyone has enough to eat.
After international arrivals on September 20th the conference programme will convene on September 21st and 22nd in the Stortinget (Norwegian Parliament) and include sessions on Sustainable Peace and their relationship to: A New Vision, Human Rights, Spiritual Traditions, Education for Global Citizenship, Human Security and Retaining Military Strength. A draft programme can be found below listing topics as well as confirmed and invited speakers.
A fee of 320 Euros for each participant will include two nights stay in a twin – bedded room in the Thon Stefan Hotel, with meals, transport and all aspects of the programme (single accommodation and extra nights will incur additional cost). To notify us of your wish to attend, please complete the attached registration form and send it to your local UPF or WFWP contact person. We look forward to hearing from you soon and hope that you will be able to take time out of your busy schedule to join us for this very meaningful conference.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Yong Cheon Song Carolyn Handschin-Moser
Chairman, UPF Europe President WFWP Int. - Europe
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European Leadership Conference:
Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future
United Nations International Day of Peace 2012
Stortinget, Oslo, Norway, 20th-22nd September
Thursday, 20th September
Afternoon and Evening: Arrivals and Registration at the Thon Stefan Hotel
Friday, 21st September
07:00 Breakfast at the hotel
08:30 Depart for the venue for the morning session: Restaurant Mehfel in Kirkegt. 15
09:00 SESSION I: A new Vision for Sustainable Peace
Moderator: Steinar Murud, UPF secr.gen, Norway
Mr. Stian Bragtvedt, UN Communications Office, Norway
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Section for Peace and Reconciliation
Mr. Mark Brann, Secretary general UPF Europe
Comments and questions
10:00 Coffee Break
10:30 SESSION II, Youth: Education for Global Citizenship and Sustainable Peace
Moderator: Bogdan Pammer, UPF Youth leader
Ms. Hilde Ekeberg, National Director, Youth for Understanding
Ms. Nassima Dzair, International Federation of Medical Student’s Associations
Ms. Irene Incerti, Boardmember “Ung Dialog”
Ms. Andrea Hellener, PRESS - Save the Children Youth Norway
Comments and questions
12:00 Lunch Venue for the afternoon: Stortinget – The Parliament
14:00 SESSION III: Our Spiritual Traditions and Sustainable World Peace
Moderator: Ed Brown, Stefanus Alliance International
Mr. Stein Villumstad – General Secretary for European Council of Religious Leaders - Religions for Peace (ECRL)
Dr. Imam Abduljalil Sajid, Chair, Dialogue of Cultures in Europe, Deputy Chair, Religions for Peace- Europe
Bhante Sobhana, Prelate of Scandinavian Sri Lanka Theravada temple in Stockholm
Mr.Jack Corely, UPF Europe
Comments and questions
15:30 Coffee Break
16:00 SESSION IV: Human Rights – a Necessity for Sustainable Peace
Moderator: Ed Brown, Stefanus Alliance International
Mr. Jan Egeland , Human Rights Watch Europe
Ms. Silvia Escobar, Former Human Rights Ambassador of Spain
MP Ine Eriksen Søreide, Leader of the Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs and Defence
Comments and questions
17:30 SESSION V: Contributing to Sustainable Peace between Israelis and Palestinians
Mr. Robin Marsh, UPF UK
Film Premier: ‘Within the Eye of the Storm’
19:00 Dinner and great cultural performances at Restaurant Mehfel, Kirkegata 15
Saturday 22nd September : Venue: House of the Conservative Party, Høyres Hus, Stortingsgaten 20
07:00 Breakfast and Check-out
09:00 SESSION VI, Women: Human Security and Sustainable Peace
Moderator: Robin Marsh, UPF UK
Prof. Akiko Yamanaka, Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan (2005-2006)
Ms. Carolyn Handschin-Moser - President WFWP Int. – Europe
Ms. Kerstin Schultz, Researcher – Institute for International Studies, Stockholm
Ms. Isabel Hillestad, Institute for Family Policy, Oslo
Comments and questions
10:30 Break
11:00 SESSION VII: Peace Loving Nations retaining Military Strength- a Prerequisite for Sustainable Peace?
Moderator: Mark Brann, UPF UK
Dr. Werner Fasslabend, Former Minister of Defence Austria (1990-2000), President, Academy of the conservative party Austria.
Colonel Gjermund Eide, The Norwegian Defence University College
Mr. Tore Nyhamar, Researcher FFI, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
Comments and questions
12:30 Lunch
14:00 SESSION VIII: Peacemakers
Moderator: Cecilie Fortune, UPF UK
Norway’s Global Role for Peace:
-Prof. Øyvind Tønnesson, Lillehammer University College and University of Oslo
A Peace Loving Global Citizen:
-Mr. Timothy Miller, Vice-Chair UPF Europe
15:00 Break
15:30 SESSION IX: Closing Session
Moderator: Tim Miller, UPF UK (TBC)
Update and Overview
Ms. Carolyn Handschin-Moser - President WFWP Int. – Europe
Mr. Mark Brann, Secretary General UPF Europe
Reflections and Ambassador for Peace Awards
17:00 Departures
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UPF Global Peace Council
Partial listing of European members
H.E. Dr Alfred Moisiu President Albania 2002-07
Prof Dr Christian Brunner Professor Emeritus of Constitutional Law University of Graz, Austria
Robert Vandemeulebroucke Ambassador (retd.) Kingdom of Belgium
Prof Dr Anto Domazet Former Minister of Finance, Bosnia Herzegovina
Mr Rony Wolf Smolar Councillor, Former Vice-Pres. European Jewish Congress Finland
Prof. Zsuzanna Horvath Lestak
Professor of Marketing & Communications, Budapest College of Finance & Economy Hungary
Dr Antonio Stango Secretary-General Helsinki Committee, Italy
The Hon Noel Farrugia Member of Parliament, Malta
Dr Willem Van Eekelen Former Minister of Defence, The Netherlands
Dr Andrzej Szewinski Senator, Poland
Dr. Gabriela Elena Rezk-Gavrila Vice Pres. National Agency for Social &Health Problems, Romania
Hon. Anton Rop Prime Minister of Slovenia (2002-2004)
Lord Tarsem King House of Lords, United Kingdom
Imam Dr Abduljalil Sajid European Representative World Council of Muslims Inter-faith Relations