The University of Chicago and Queen’s University Belfast on June 26 announced they will convene Global Conflict | The Human Impact on Aug. 23-24 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This conference will be coordinated through The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts at the University of Chicago and the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.
Global Conflict | The Human Impact will address the human cost of violent conflict and identify emerging strategies for conflict resolution. Coming two decades after the Good Friday Agreement, and timed to coincide with the Papal visit to Ireland, this conference offers a distinctive opportunity to assess the lessons learned from the peace agreement, as well as the daunting challenges and human toll of the world’s current refugee crisis; the largest population of displaced people since World War II.
The academic agenda for the conference is being developed by The Pearson Institute and the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, incorporating the academic strength and excellence of two leading institutions while drawing upon the experiences of international leaders such as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, former U.S. Sen. George J. Mitchell, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Anne C. Richard and Dominic MacSorley, CEO of Concern Worldwide.
“Global Conflict | The Human Impact will bring together new insights and empirical findings to better understand the sources of violent conflicts and to explore new approaches to resolve them,” said Daniel Diermeier, provost of the University of Chicago. “We look forward to working with Queen’s University Belfast to convene scholars, leaders and practitioners in a city that has many lessons to teach about conflict and peacemaking.”
Prof. Richard English, distinguished professorial fellow in the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast, added, “Queen’s University Belfast is delighted to be working with the University of Chicago, and with such a diverse and influential set of experts, to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges in this compelling conference in Belfast.”
- Northern Ireland: How peace was built
- Colombia: The path to peace
- Policy responses to the current global refugee crisis
- Impact of the refugee crisis on individuals and families
These panels will highlight evidenced-based research on various conflicts as well as first-person narrative accounts. Sessions also will explore conflicts and humanitarian issues through the eyes of global leaders who are working on-the-ground to address these challenges.
For a list of confirmed participants and to learn more about for Global Conflict | The Human Impact, visit www.globalconflict2018.org.
For more information about The University of Chicago and The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, please visit: thepearsoninstitute.org. Additional information regarding Queen’s University Belfast and the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice can be found at https://www.qub.ac.uk/.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
