This, the sixteenth annual OxPeace Day-Conference, aims to survey the current world scene and reflect on new issues and actors in peacemaking and peacebuilding, including the roles of AI, climate change, the private sector, China, Qatar, and grassroots actors.
Keynote speakers: Professor Roger Mac Ginty (Durham University School of Government and International Affairs, Director of the Durham Global Security Institute, Editor of ‘Peacebuilding’, co-director of the Everyday Peace Indicators project, with a particular interest in the intersection between top-down and bottom-up approaches to peacemaking; and Nisreen Elsaim, Sudanese environmental activist, expert in energy and climate policy, recently chair of UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. Panel speakers: Dr Mateja Peter (St Andrew’s; Global Governance, peace operations, PeaceRep) on ‘Global fragmentation and its impact on peace processes;
Sam Daws (Senior Practitioner Associate, Dept. of Politics and IR, Oxford, on ‘AI in peace and security: the opportunities and challenges’;
Leon Yu Liang (Saferworld, Beijing office; online): China’s new roles.
Dr Richard Barltrop (consultant practitioner, Oxford): new mediators in the Middle East and North Africa.
Daniel Schaefer (postdoc, Psychology, Oxford): new insights from psychology on intractable conflict and de-escalation.
Dr Isabella Bunn (Oxford, Law): new roles of business in peacebuilding.
Interaction: The Conference this year aims to dedicate time to in-depth engagement with the speakers and their topics.