Humanitarian Traditions and the Future of Peace: What Have We Learned?

Event abstract

The University of Zurich (UZH) is pleased to host a special event entitled “Humanitarian Traditions and the Future of Peace: What Have We Learned?” At the event, we will explore the role of peacebuilding, the protection of human rights, and humanitarian diplomacy through ethical, legal, political, economic, and historical lenses.

In a time of escalating geopolitical tensions and growing challenges to scientific integrity, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue has become more important than ever. By bringing together policymakers, legal practitioners, and scholars, this event aims to identify key factors that enable or hinder peace and reinforce the role of informed decision-making in shaping a more peaceful world.

The keynote address will be delivered by Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), an independent organization dedicated to protecting and assisting victims of armed conflict and advocating for humanitarian principles and international law. The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion with distinguished experts, including:

• H.E. Jaak Aaviksoo, independent consultant, former Rector of the University of Tartu and of Tallinn University of Technology, former Minister of Education and Defense, Estonia
• Ambassador Thomas Greminger, Executive Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)
• Professor Helen Keller, an international judge serving on the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Chair of Public Law and European and Public International Law at the University of Zurich (UZH)
• Ambassador Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations and President of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
• Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• TBC: Scientist from a LERU university

The panel will examine how ethical and legal frameworks can support sustainable peace, the influence of socio-economic and political structures on peace initiatives, and key lessons from historical peacebuilding efforts. Additionally, the discussion will analyze into the role of science in fostering sustainable communities and the contributions of academia and research networks to global peace efforts.

The evening will be moderated by Eveline van Rijswijk, a Dutch historian and science communicator.

This event is supported by the League of European Research Universities (LERU) and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP).