The 2017 Notre Dame Student Peace Conference Committee announces "Pathways to Peace,” scheduled for March 31-April 1, 2017, at the University of Notre Dame. This event is sponsored by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.
In its 25th year, this peace conference, organized by students for students, provides a place to engage in important dialogue on issues related to peacebuilding, global issues, and social justice.
As more complex issues of violence and injustice confront the world, peace is often perceived to be unattainable and peacebuilders are considered idealistic. This year’s “Pathways to Peace” conference aims to demonstrate that through interactive dialogue, sustainable peace can be achieved by altering the underlying structures that produce conflict.
Conference co-chairs and seniors Leah Landry, a political science and Spanish major with a peace studies supplementary major and Tori Lew, a political science major and peace studies supplementary major, are organizing an event that highlights peacebuilding as a process that requires a commitment to concrete goals and strategic planning.
“This peace conference is a great opportunity for us as students to create, develop, and organize a conference that brings together students from all over who are passionate about peace studies,” said Landry. “We are looking at re-framing the negative perception to peace and peacebuilding and looking for ideas in creating concrete steps that provide pathways to peace.”
Both Landry and Lew believe the conference will capitalize on the unique perspectives, backgrounds and experiences that each attendee brings. “With the ability to network with like-minded students, as well as receive feedback on the work they are doing at their respective schools, you begin to feel a solidarity with other students who are achieving their goals. This pushes you to keep working on what you are doing or researching,” said Lew.
Call for Proposals
Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit proposals for paper or poster presentations, workshops, roundtable or “hot topic” discussions, panel presentations, artwork or media displays or any other innovative presentation of research that explores how peacebuilders and participants can create pathways to peace and a better world.
How to Submit
Interested students should submit an abstract or description of their project (no more than 500 words) and a short biography summarizing their academic interests and background (no more than 250 words).
The deadline for priority submissions is December 23, 2016. Proposals submitted by that date will be given preference during the review process. The final deadline for proposals is January 23, 2017. Submit proposal »
General registration will open in early February 2017.
Questions may be directed to the organizers at peacecon@nd.edu