An eight-day online conference by the Next Century Foundation. From Sunday, August 7th to Sunday, August 14th 2022.
We are excited to invite you to register to attend all or part of the Next Century Foundation’s eight-day Healing the Nations online conference this summer from the 7th – 14th August 2022, Sunday to Sunday.
The NCF conference will have sessions on Cosmopolitanism, Jerusalem, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan’s relationship with Iran, Extremism in the UK, Ukraine, Bahrain and Iran’s internal situation. Each conference session will last two hours. We anticipate a productive, open discussion.
More details on our agenda can be found on this link.
You will need to register in advance for these meetings and identify the sessions you wish to attend. There is one link for the morning sessions, and another link for the afternoon sessions.
If you’d like to register for a morning session please use this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kdu2rpz0jG9fCqi9Nn-0HvJ_lnHI5PFgB
If you’d like to register for an afternoon session please use this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvc–vpjIsHNENXui_ziHoGbAKB7EJwQ2F
COSMOPOLITANISM : A New Ideology for Peace
Day 1: Sunday, 7th August 2022 from 3 pm – 5 pm
Opening Speaker:
- Rev Larry Wright, Convenor, the Religious Affairs Advisory Council
The core of the philosophical ideology of cosmopolitanism follows the idea that all humans, regardless of social, geographical and economic background, are part of one global community, and are therefore entitled to equal respect. In our opening session Larry Wright will discuss this philosophy and what it could mean for the way we wage peace.
JERUSALEM: Fact, Faith, and Future.
Day 2: Monday, 8th August 2022 from 10:30am-12:30pm
Opening Speakers:
- Hillel Schenker, co-editor of the Palestine-Israel Journal
- Ziad AbuZayyad, co-editor of the Palestine-Israel Journal
- Prof. Jerome Segal, philosopher and political candidate
Jerusalem has been highly contested land for over a century and has subsequently been the heart of numerous violent clashes during the Israel-Palestine conflict. What is a feasible way forward for escaping this cycle of violence and start initiating productive peace talks?
LEBANON: When Crises Collide
Day 2: Monday, 8th August 2022 from 3pm-5pm
Opening Speaker:
- Assaad Chaftari, former Christian militia leader turned peace activist
- Jaafar el-Ahmar, journalist, broadcaster and head of Next Century Foundation UK
Recent elections, protests and the collapse of the financial and economic situation have culminated in a crisis for Lebanon. This session will look to discuss how we can help Lebanon move on from this current situation of instability and unrest.
SYRIA: Making Peace Eleven Years On
Day 3: Tuesday, 9th August 2022 from 10:30am-12:30pm
Opening Speakers:
- Professor Dawn Chatty, Former Director of the Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford University.
- Mohamad Tawam, Director, Arab London Center for Political Studies and Middle Eastern Affairs.
The civil war in Syria has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions of people facing poverty and economic hardship, food insecurity and a lack of access to water. Recent UN interventions have taken the first steps towards helping this situation but this event will emphasise the need further humanitarian assistance.
LIBYA: Finding Stability in a Failed State
Day 3: Tuesday, 9th August 2022 from 3pm-5pm
Opening Speaker:
- Dr Suleiman al Fortia, former National Transitional Council Representative for Misrata
- Dr. Khaled Rmali, President of Misrata Social and Cultural Forum in Tripoli
Tensions are continuing to rise in Libya, in part due to the powers competing for government, which have resulted in a state of political instability. This session will discuss the current political situation, the need for a return to the electoral process for the country and the ways to greater protect the freedoms of those within Libya.
IRAQ: Resolving the Political Paralysis
Day 4: Wednesday, 10th August 2022 from 10:30am-12:30pm
Opening Speaker:
- Ali al-Bdairi, Al-Rafidain Centre for Dialogue
- Hamid Kafaeey, former Speaker for the Iraq Governing Council
This event will look deeper into the issue of political deadlock in Iraq. Nine months on from elections which failed to deliver a new president or prime minister, there is continued dispute between the two largest political blocs which has led to a boycott of parliament and the people of Iraq facing the economic consequences.
IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN: Exploring the Relationship
Day 4: Wednesday, 10th August 2022 from 3pm-5pm
Opening Speaker:
- Ayatollah Safavi, head of the Safavid Sufi movement
The tensions between these two countries have led to violence and underlying friction in their relationship. We will be speaking about this and other foreign policy issues in regard to Iran at a highly sensitive time in international affairs
EXTREMISM IN THE UK: The Threat from the Far-Right
Day 5: Thursday, 11th August 2022 from 10:30am-12:30pm
Opening Speakers:
- Paul Gutteridge, Founder of track2talks.com and Honorary Fellow at the Edward Cadbury Centre, University of Birmingham
- Dr Craig McCann, Director of S.P.E.C.T.R.U.M.
This event will examine concerns about extremism in the UK and the threat from the far-right. The rise recent rise to the cost of living prices in the UK has lead to more people living in increased hardship and subsequently being pushed towards extremism.
UKRAINE: Towards a Negotiated Peace Settlement
Day 5: Thursday, 11th August 2022 from 3pm-5pm
Opening Speakers:
- Maria Sapozhnikova, Head of the Next Century Foundation’s Russia Unit
- Sergei Medvedko, Associated Professor at the Russian State University for the Humanities
The monumental suffering inflicted by the conflict in Ukraine emphasises the need to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, engage in peace talks and initiate ceasefire to prevent further destruction, displacement and deaths. The discussion in this session will focus on what the road to a peace settlement could look like and the negotiations which are going to have to take place to achieve this.
BAHRAIN: Elections come to the Gulf
Day 6: Friday, 12th August 2022 from 3pm-5pm
Opening Speakers:
Ali Alaswad, former Bahrain MP and leading figure in the al-Wefaq opposition group
William Morris, Secretary-General, the Next Century Foundation
This session will discuss the importance of the upcoming elections and the need to allow former opposition political members to contest the elections as individual candidates in order to promote peace and harmony in Bahrain through free and fair elections.
IRAN: Finding Solutions to Internal Crises
Day 7: Saturday, 13th August 2022 from 3pm-5pm
Opening Speaker:
- Mehrdad Khonsari, former Iranian diplomat and senior consultant at the Iranian Centre for Policy Studies
This event will explore the current internal affairs and need for political reform in Iran as well as the economic crisis and the role of the international community.
Reflecting on the Conference
Day 8: Sunday, 14th August 2022 from 3pm-5pm
Opening Speaker:
- William Morris, Secretary-General of the Next Century Foundation
Our concluding session will give an opportunity to reflect on the discussions that have taken place throughout the conference.
