Tampere Peace Day 2024: (Re)Searching Peace
Date: December 2nd
Time: 10:15 – 17:00
Followed by reception at Tampere Old City Hall (Keskustori 10)
Location: Tampere University, A210 Main Building (Päätalo)
Address: Kalevantie 4 33100 Tampere
You can register for the event here (Registration closes on November 22nd).
The second annual Tampere Peace Day is centered around the theme of (Re)Searching Peace. With this theme, we encourage participants to critically re-imagine peace and ask how peace research and practice can adapt to pluralities of peace(s) and to the contested nature of defining peace. This year, the event will be organized jointly by Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI), CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation (CMI), Finn Church Aid (FCA) and the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (Felm).
Please find the programme of the day below.
More information about our speakers can be found here.
If you have questions about the event, please feel free to contact Marko Lehti, Research Director of TAPRI, at marko.lehti@tuni.fi or TAPRI Intern, Stine Rasmussen, at stine.rasmussen@tuni.fi
Tentative Programme of Tampere Peace Day 2024
10.15-10.20 Welcome Remarks by Marko Lehti, Research Director of TAPRI – Tampere Peace Research Institute.
10.20-10.30 Opening Speech by Pekka Haavisto, Finnish MP
10.30-11.15 Keynote Address by Swati Parashar:“(Re)searching for Peace Between Everyday Violences and Violent Everydays”
11.15-12.30 Plenary Session – Pluralities of Peace
Defining peace is a complex task that resists simple answers. It is a potent and empowering concept with numerous meanings that evolve through the experiences and practices of individuals, communities, and institutions. Peace encompasses everyday experiences as well as mediating practices at a global level. The panel will explore the diverse perspectives on peace by examining various conceptualizations and approaches to it.
Panelists: Swati Parashar, Professor in Peace and Development Studies at the University of Gothenburg, Saana Keskitalo, Senior Manager at CMI- Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Benjamin Klasche, Senior Researcher and Lecturer of Politics and International Relations at Tallin University, Mikael Mattlin, Deputy Director and Research Professor at FIIA – Finnish Institute of International Affairs, & Élise Féron, Senior Research Fellow at TAPRI – Tampere Peace Research Institute.
Moderated by Matthias Wevelsiep, Director of Programs and Operations at the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers
12.30-13.30 Lunch Break
13.30-14.45 Parallel Breakout Sessions:
Room A1: Session I – AI, Future Wars, and What it Means for Peace Practitioners
This roundtable session creates a space for interdisciplinary dialogue, bringing together diverse perspectives beyond traditional peace research. Through focused discussions and expert insights, we will explore how AI is transforming conflict dynamics and challenging conventional approaches to peacemaking—both now and in the future.
Human Panelists: Antti Tarvainen, Researcher at the Foundation of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East and Doctoral Researcher at the University of Helsinki, and Petteri Hemminki, Teacher of Military Technology at the Finnish National Defense University, and Maria Mekri, Executive Director of SaferGlobe.
AI Panelists: Claude (Philosopher), Gemini (Fact-Checker), and ChatGPT (Visionary and moderator).
Moderated by Matthias Wevelsiep, Director of Programs and Operations at the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers and Johanna Poutanen, Head of Women in Peacemaking and Digital Peacemaking, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation
Room A3: Session II – Decolonizing Peace – Video Screening
Tampere Peace Day premier of short videos on the theme Decolonising Peace. These videos are produced by students of the “Decolonizing Peace Participatory Video Course” (led by Marjaana Jauhola, Kazimuddin Ahmed and Zahra Edalati) as part of their coursework using participatory methods and tools.
Room C8: Session III – The Role of Peace Education in Times of Uncertainty and Polarization
This panel discussion will delve into the role of peace education in an era characterized by increasing uncertainty, polarization, and global crises, showcasing its transformative potential in fostering nonviolent conflict resolution
Panelists: Daniel Munayer, Executive Director of Musalaha, Frans Kruger, Associate Professor in Education at University of Nottingham, Riikka Pöyhönen, History and Social Studies Teacher and Teachers Without Borders Expert in Uganda (2022-23), and Mira Pohjanrinne, the Finnish Youth, Peace and Security Network.
Moderated by Eeva-Liisa Kiiskilä, Leading Expert in Peace Education at the Peace Education Institute Finland.
Room D11: Session IV – Feminist Visions of Peace: Perspectives on Building Inclusive Futures
This moderated panel discussion will bring together distinguished voices from practitioner and academic backgrounds to explore feminist visions of peace focusing on grassroots efforts and forward-looking strategies for building inclusive societies.
Panelists: Zahra Edalati, Doctoral Researcher at TAPRI – Tampere Peace Research Institute, Farah Selmi, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist. More TBA.
Moderated by Tarja Väyrynen, Professor of Peace and Conflict Research at TAPRI – Tampere Peace Research Institute
14.45-15.15 Coffee Break
15.15-16.45 Plenary Session – Embracing Pluralities of Peace: Mediating Practices and Agency within Evolving Multipolarity
The global systems for maintaining peace and security are perceived to be weakening, as evidenced by unresolved conflicts in places like Syria, Palestine, Ukraine, Myanmar, Yemen, Sudan, and the failure to build peace in Afghanistan. This panel explores emerging agencies and practices in this new multipolar era.
Panelists: Katariina Mustasilta, Senior Research Fellow at FIIA – the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj, Consultant and co-founder of LUGARIT, Tetiana Kyselova, Associate Professor at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and Peter Wallensteen, Senior Professor of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University.
Moderated by Marko Lehti, Research Director of TAPRI – Tampere Peace Research Institute
16.45-16.55 Concluding Remarks and Closing of the Event
17.30 – 19.00 Reception – Hosted by the City of Tampere at Tampere Old City Hall (Keskustori 10)