The European Forum for Freedom and Peace (EFFP) will host a major peace conference in Berlin from 31 August to 1 September under the theme “We Weave the Future Together”. The event, planned to coincide with World Peace Day on 1 September, comes at a critical time amid rising conflicts in various parts of the world, including the Middle East, Eastern Europe and beyond.

In its invitation, the EFFP stresses the importance of creating “a space for peace and solidarity” in the heart of the world on this symbolic day and encourages widespread participation. The forum, made up of academics, journalists, writers, artists and politicians, describes itself as a movement against “undeclared global war”.

The event will focus on current wars and their devastating effects, including those in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Palestine and Kurdistan. It will address broader issues of militarism, nationalism and the rising tide of racism, sexism and anti-immigrant sentiment. According to the Forum, these forces are “diminishing hopes for peace and democracy” while exacerbating conflicts around the world.

As well as examining international experiences, the conference will discuss specific issues such as the Kurdish question, state war crimes and the concept of isolation as a form of torture. It will also advocate for the release of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and others who are seen as symbols of the struggle for peace, while focusing on the role of women in peace efforts, exemplified by the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom”.

In the face of a worsening global climate, with wars breaking out in new regions even before existing ones have ended, the EFFP aims to promote dialogue and cooperation in order to lay the foundations for a lasting peace movement. The Forum emphasises that “peace, freedom, democracy and dialogue” are needed more urgently than ever in today’s fractured world.

Preparations for the event included a workshop held in Germany’s NRW region on 2 June 2024. The outcomes of this workshop have helped shape the agenda for the Berlin conference, which will bring together a broad international spectrum of participants, including academics, representatives of political parties, civil society organisations, and legal and media professionals.

As conflicts around the world continue to escalate, this EFFP initiative provides an important platform to promote peace and democracy at a time of great uncertainty and division.