Graz Peace Dialogues

A polished stone globe in cool gray marble, its continents finely etched and filled with soft gold inlay, stands prominently on a simple brushed-steel pedestal. Surrounding the base are carefully arranged placards bearing the names of international agreements and peace frameworks, each printed in clean sans-serif type on thick ivory card. The globe is placed on a dark wood surface in a minimalist, neutral-toned room, with a blurred backdrop of tall shelves filled with neatly aligned archival boxes and policy binders. Directional overhead lighting casts a gentle spotlight on the globe, creating subtle highlights on its curved surface and soft shadows around the placards. Photographed from a slightly low angle, the mood is dignified, reflective, and cautiously optimistic, in crisp photographic realism.

Program

Framing Peace Studies

16 November 2026

17:30 – 18:00 Empfang, Registrierung & Begrüßung
18:00 - 18:10: Feierliche Eröffnung  Begrüßung durch Rektor der Uni Graz (10min)
18:10-18:30: Grußworte: Bundesministerin Eva-Maria Holzleitner (10min) & Bürgermeisterin Elke Kahr (10min)
18:30 – 18:40 Grußworte Dekanin (10min)
18:40 – 18:55 Vorstellung unserer Vision: Maximilian Lakitsch & Jürgen Pirker – stellen die Vision des Peace Forums vor (15min)
18:55 – 20:00  Keynote Speech – Milja Kurki (Uni Wales wo) 
20:00 – 20:30 Award Ceremony Peace & Art   (30min) (Kooperation mit Kunstuni Graz)
20:30 – 22:00 Empfang der Stadt Graz

17 November 2026

Panel 1: Pursuing Peace in times of multipolar power politics
How can the international community still effectively pursue its goal of maintaining peace and security under the conditions of multipolar power politics? 

Panelists 
Cedric de Coning (NUPI) 
Xinyu Yuan (PRIF)
Sandra Pogodda (Uni Manchester) 
Allard Duursma (CSS, ETH) 

Moderation: Erica de Vette

Panel 2: Reconsidering UN Peace Operations
Under current conditions—and considering the sobering record of several missions, including MINUSMA and MONUSCO, which have raised questions about mandate design, effectiveness, host-state consent, and the UN’s authority, as well as instances of serious misconduct by UN personnel — what is the future of UN peace operations? Can UN peace missions be maintained as a viable tool for international peace and security? Should they be, and under what circumstances?

Panelists 
Marsha Henri (KCL) 
Judith Vorrath (SWP Berlin) 
3. Person fehlt noch 

Moderation: Ksenia oder Lisa Heschl vom Menschenrechtszentrum?