Remembering Peace-Making at a Time of War - A Peace History Conference

Dave Webb

Bringing together scholars, activists, and community members to explore the past, present, and future of peace efforts across the globe.

John Stanley Bell Lecture Theatre, University of Bradford

On 20th September, the Peace History Conference will bring together scholars, activists, and community members to explore the past, present, and future of peace efforts across the globe.The all-day event continues a series of Conferences that was initiated in 2007 and sponsored by the Movement for the Abolition of War (MAW). The conferences aim to help develop a culture of peace by raising awareness of individuals, movements, ideas and initiatives from all periods of history concerned with promoting peace, overcoming violence, and abolishing war.Several of the earlier conferences were organised in cooperation with, and hosted by, the Imperial War Museum in London. Last year’s conference was hosted by the Peace Museum in Saltaire. It is most appropriate that this year’s conference is being held at the University of Bradford where the country’s first Chair in Peace Studies was inaugurated more than half a century ago. The conference introduces a variety of peace history topics and offers reflections on the need to remember peace-making and peacemakers at a time when war and conflict are rife.In a time marked by growing geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts, and environmental crises, the need to reflect on the lessons of peace history has never been more urgent.

Agenda

1.	A History of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs 

2.	The Hiroshima Maidens: An Episode in a Feminist History of Nuclear Warfare 

3.	Gender & Peace: Indonesia in the Afro-Asian Women's Conference 1958 &1961

Lunch and Stalls

1.	Art vs War: Felix Moscheles & Felix Mendelssohn (and the Leeds connection)

2.	Picasso and the World Peace Congress in Sheffield (1950)

3.	Celebrating Peace & Love, Protesting War & Injustice - in song

Tea/Coffee

1.	Reflections on Immanuel Kant’s Essay Towards Perpetual Peace (1795-2025) 

2.	Costa Rica – the History of the Abolition of its Army

Emma Goodway, Outreach Worker, Commonweal, J. B. Priestley Library, University of Bradford 

3.	The Commonweal Collection 

4.	The Bradford Peace Trail 

a) A guided walk along the Peace Trail with Peter Nias  or   b) a visit to the Commonweal Collection with Emma Goodway

Further events for those interested