Build Peace 2025

Build Peace 2025 gathered over 300 practitioners, activists, academics and artists to re-think what we talk about when we talk about peace. To do this, we focused on three sub-themes, each representing key dilemmas in the peace and conflict field with the aim to problematize these dichotomies and to explore the entry points to building and redefining peace:

Between Polarization and Deliberation. This subtheme will focus on the power of dialogue and narratives. What participatory and deliberative tools, methods and spaces can tackle rising affective and toxic polarization? How can polarized digital spaces become deliberative?  We aim to explore where and how that shift happens, the role of alternative narratives and what approaches (technological or otherwise) can be used to include all voices in social and peace processes and movements.

Between Deterrence and Nonviolence. This subtheme dives into peace and security policies. How can we reshape and reclaim the use of technology in surveillance states, regions and borders in the name of “safety”? What are existing and future alternatives to militarized security? We aim to reflect on the ways in which we understand peace and security, from pacifism and nonviolence to deterrence and perceived need for militarized security. 

Between Erasure and Memory. This sub-theme invites us to think about how we collectively learn from the past, live in the present and imagine the future. How do we heal from trauma that poses a challenge to coexistence? In what ways can/ do we collectively learn and heal from societal crisis? What role do reconciliation processes, truth commissions and amnesties play in bringing lasting and sustainable peace? We aim to highlight the importance of creatively exploring innovative tools and ways to archive and preserve memory, and intergenerational dialogue to cultivate peaceful present and future societies.