Meeting – Rethinking security
Swiss Peace Council
4.03.2023, 10.15am – 3.15pm in Gartenhofstr. 7, 8004 Zürich
The collapse of the European post-war order following the war of aggression against Ukraine has raised many questions about Switzerland’s future security and peace policy. For example, have disarmament issues become obsolete or even more crucial? Do we need entirely new approaches to a long-term peace policy? The Swiss Peace Council would like to discuss these questions for Switzerland, based on a federal German proposal that developed a scenario from a military to a civil security policy, and a related concept. On January 21, 2023, several people from peace organizations met for the first time in Zurich. If you are interested in rethinking security and getting involved, either in the working group or in reflecting with us, please contact info@friedensrat.ch. We will gladly inform you about our work by mail or invite you to our next meeting on Saturday, March 4, from 10.15 to 15.15 in Zurich.
Mission and Colonial Violence in the First World War
Mission 21
16.03.2023, 12.15 – 1.30 pm (online/Zoom)
Mission 21 continues the critical reflection on the interwoven history of mission and colonialism. In the series “Mission – Colonialism Revisited“ the conflict between the British Empire and Basel’s Mission in Hong Kong during the first World War will be illustrated on March 16.
Since 1847, the Basel Mission was active in the Crown Colony. With the war it was also classified as an enemy of the British Empire and expelled from Hong Kong. The missionaries were detained and property and assets of the mission were confiscated.
The historian Iris Leung Chui-wa talks about the reasons for the aggressive policies of the colonial government and its effects on the process of independence of the Chinese church. Moderation: Claudia Buess, Head of Educational Events at Mission 21.
Register here
Coordination meeting GSoA
18.03.2023, 10:30am – 1:30 pm in Breitenrainstrasse, Bern
Once a month, the GSoA coordination team meets up. At these meetings, open to public, the main decisions about their work are made.
The Forum für Friedenskultur Receives the Peace Stick for the Sixth Peace Conference
The Forum für Friedenskultur has received the peace stick for 2023 and is organizing the peace conference in advance to the Ilanzer Summer on August 8 and 9, 2023 in Kloster Ilanz. With the approach “Rethinking Security”, questions concerning a new policy of peace and security will be the focus of our discussions.
What kind of peace conference are we talking about? Between the First and the Second World War, different peace conferences took place in Switzerland. In 1919, the International Women’s League met for a peace congress in Zurich. One hundred years later, in 2019, the historic conference was re-staged historically in Zurich with more than 170 participants from 22 countries. The demands from 1919 were discussed and updated. Moreover, the participating organizations created the peace stick, which is passed on to a peace organization each year, which is supposed to organize the next peace conference.
More information here
Ilanzer Summer 2023 – Future Rage/Future Courage
August 9-13, 2023
The next Ilanzer Summer, the peace culture festival in the mountains, is just around the corner. The third edition “Future Rage / Future Courage” poses current questions like rethinking security or how civil resistance can be worthwhile. During multiple days guests from diverse societal sectors, people engaged in the cultural sector and nature enthusiasts meet for encounters, exchange and exercise in the mountains.
First highlight: The Atelier “Is resistance worth it?”, which can be visited on multiple days (Thu-Sat), focuses on case studies and guests from the resistance movement and conflict research, including mediator Friedrich Glasl. On multiple evenings a film series curated with KOFF takes place in the comfy Arthouse-Cinema “Cinema Sil Plaz”. You have the chance to dive into the Surselva not only through hikes but also through music: In their concert singer Mattiu (SRF 3 Best Talents, 2022) and the choir kontra.cant will create an understanding of how music can unite people and how poetic Rhaeto-Romanic can be.
Mission 21‘s Education Agenda
With the Education Agenda, Mission 21 provides a compact overview of its numerous educational events and courses.
Mission 21 is using the digital sphere and thus enables international participation of interested parties and experts – through the organization of its inter-religious forum on transcultural peacebuilding, or its webinars “Mission-Colonialism Revisited” for a critical reappraisal of historical entanglements of mission and colonialism. The young@mission21 network provides young adults with enriching opportunities for encounters and further education. The focus is on cultural exchange and commitment to a fair world.
In Basel, Mission 21 brings up exciting conversations, insights into the treasures of the research archives of Basel Mission/Mission 21, and with “World Arts”, musical-poetic discoveries from all around the world.
Download the educational agenda here:
