Belgrade ECPD

The European Center for Peace and Development, affiliated with the University for Peace established by the United Nations, has been working for over thirty years on reconciliation, religious tolerance and human security in Eastern Europe and most particularly the Western Balkans. On 27 October 2017, ECPD held an International Round Table in Belgrade City Hall on ”Peace and Democratic Multilateralism”, chaired by H.E. Prof. Dr. Federico Mayor, former Director General of UNESCO. Other opening speakers were Dr. Ouided Bouchamaoui, Nobel Peace Prize 2015, and H.E. Prof. Dr. Erhard Busek, former Vice-Chancellor of Austria. I was a rapporteur for the round table, chaired one session, and presented a paper on “UN Charter Revision as the Foundation for Peace”.


Belgrade City Hall . Parliament . Belgrade from my hotel
Belgrade City Hall, site of the meeting; Parliament across the street; view of Belgrade from my hotel

Belgrade from my hotel . Belgrade from my hotel Views of Belgrade from my hotel

The ECPD Round Table

group photo

ECPD Round Table . keynote speakers . Arthur Dahl as chair and rapporteur 
ECPD Round Table; keynote speakers Dr. Busek, Prof. Mayor; Dr. Bouchamaoui; me as a co-chair and rapporteur

ECPD Round Table . ECPD Round Table . ECPD Round Table
Participants in the Round Table included political leaders, diplomats and academics

ECPD Round Table

Global ECPD Youth Forum

On 28 October, ECPD organized a Global Youth Forum with over 50 participants from many countries, on ”Youth Peace-builders for a Sustainable Future”. I was a co-chair and moderator of the forum. Federico Mayor, Ouided Bouchamaoui and Erhard Busek again gave opening keynotes on the importance of youth for peace. In the morning, presentations were given on “Peace and Education as Inseparable Aspects of Civilization”, and on “Unity in Diversity: Inclusion for a Sustainable Future”. Dr. Farhang Tahzib, a Baha'i from England, spoke on "Capacity Building and Youth Spiritual Empowerment", and several youth from the youth spiritual empowerment programme participated in the forum. The afternoon was occupied with workshops on “Conflict Prevention and Interfaith Dialogue”, “Building Peace Online: How the Internet and Social Media can be Utilized for Advocacy and Peace”, and “Essential Skills for Today’s Sustainable Development Challenges”.

Youth Forum group

Federico Mayor . Dr. Bouchamaoui and Federico Mayor . Federico Mayor speaking
Federico Mayor delivering the opening keynote

Ouided Bouchamaoui . Erhard Busek . other speakers
2015 Nobel Peace Prize Dr. Ouided Bouchamaoui giving her keynote; H.E. Prof. Erhard Busek speaking; other forum speakers

participants . participants . participants
Participants in the Youth Forum from many countries

participants . participants . small group discussions


Nicholas Maclean and Farhang Tahzib . Alba Sabaté Gauxachs . Farhang and participants
Nicholas Maclean and Dr. Farhang Tahzib, who spoke on the Youth Spiritual Empowerment Programme; Alba Sabatè Gauxachs reporting on youth and religion; Dr. Tahzib and participants

participants . participants . poster
Participants
working groups . working groups . working groups
Working groups each preparing part of a group exercise on developing a social media campaign
working groups . working groups . working groups
Groups at work
working group leaders . working group leaders . participants
Working group leaders integrating their assignments; participants listen to the group reports
reporting on the group exercise . Jaleh reporting on the group exercise . reporting on the group exercise
Reporting on the group exercise
reporting on the group exercise

The participants in the Youth Forum went away stimulated, encouraged and motivated to work even harder for peace and sustainability.

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Last updated 5 January 2018

Photographs copyright © Arthur Lyon Dahl 2017