Today, there are forty-two ongoing conflicts across the globe, some of which have been continuing since the end of the World War II. Whereas one is caused by an occupation, another is driven by a deliberately constructed hatred of the other on the basis of religion or belief. Whereas in one the people are fighting for their fundamental rights, freedom and dignity, in another a few are perpetuating the conflicts just to be able to cling onto their privileges and powers. In fact, the conflicts are no longer confined to the battlefields. The racism, xenophobia, bigotry, and hatred have transformed an individual’s heart and mind into the potential battlefields as well.
A little more than a decade into the 21st century, the humanity has already achieved an unprecedented level of advancement and wealth, which one could not have even imagined only quarter a century ago. The digital media has given the individual an ability to communicate the ideas and images with the millions around the world through a couple of finger moves. The barriers between the individual and the information have almost become non-existent. The transportation revolution has made the distance an antiquated concept. Every aspect of our lives has been changing constantly, exponentially, and ever more rapidly as the time passes. Yet, what is unfortunately not changing is the presence, pervasiveness, and destructiveness of the conflicts. Last but not the least, this massive change has brought to the fingertips of an individual not only the world of knowledge and wealth, but also a potential nuclear doomsday.
No matter what the nature or the scale of the conflict is, at the core of it lies the individual. It is the individual that makes the decision between hating and not hating; it is the individual that prevents the millions of others from enjoying their birthright freedoms; and it will be an individual that will make the decision to either cause or prevent a nuclear disaster that can, God forbid, perish the nations. So, given that the individual lies at the core of every conflict, is it possible to eliminate the ongoing conflicts, and to prevent the potential ones by educating the individuals? Given that the terrorists, criminals, and trouble-makers of today were the children of some twenty years ago, could the education of the children be an effective tool to prevent conflicts and build sustainable peace? These are the main questions that will guide the presentations and discussions during the conference.

The event is free of charge. However, it is by invitation only. To RSVP please visit our website peaceislands.org and look for our RSVP link on the upper right hand side of the site.