Varieties of Peace Jakarta conference receives praise and sets way forward
The first major international Varieties of Peace conference came to an end last week. The three-day event, celebrated in Jakarta under the auspices of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies of Indonesia (CSIS), gathered over fifty scholars and practitioners from all corners of the world.
The opening day of the conference was introduced by welcome remarks, a keynote speech and a round table discussion. The overarching theme, "Understanding Varieties of Peace in Asia", was present throughout the day and participants were offered an insight into how peace is understood and performed locally by actors in Asia.
Parallel paper panel sessions, formed along thematic lines, started on the second day of the conference. Participants were able to introduce their work in groups of three to four papers and were given the chance to deliver a short presentation before opening the floor for the assigned discussant and for questions from the audience. The panels on day two were the following:
1A. Analyzing multiple relations of peace and conflict
1B. Local dynamics of peace in Indonesia
2A. Local practices of resistance and alternative peacebuilding
2B. Envisioning and embodying peace through the arts
3A. International intervention, geopolitics, and peace
3B. The politics of peace: governance, resistance, and legitimacy
A total 21 papers were presented and discussed on day two.
On the third and last day of the conference it was time for the following parallel panel sessions, where a total 15 papers were discussed:
4A. Exploring pathways to sustainable peace
4B. Ideologies of peace - liberal, hybrid and beyond
5A. The role of religious actors and ideas in shaping peace
5B. Evaluating peace processes and explaining peace outcomes
Towards the end of the three-day event, participants attended a lunch seminar led by Yuyun Wahyuningrum, Representative of Indonesia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, where she presented her take on ASEAN and the Right to Peace. Varieties of Peace team member Elisabeth Olivius delivered the final words during the closing ceremony.
The Varieties of Peace team would like to thank everyone who made this conference possible and all participants for attending. Your contributions were essential for the success of this event and we are looking forward to seeing you in the future!
