2010 Call for Proposals
Students, Staff, and Faculty are invited to submit proposals for seminar presentations for the Peace Prize Forum, which will be held at Augsburg, March 5-6, 2010. The Forum will honor the work of Martti Ahtisaari, 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, whose work on the conflict resolution and peace-making in Namibia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kosovo, and the Horn of Africa provide the inspiration for this year’s call for proposals.Faculty are also encouraged to integrate the Forum’s themes into their classes, including assignments that would draw on the forum’s events and speakers. Submissions can be made here.
This year, the conference focus draws on a phrase from President Ahtisaari’s Nobel Lecture, in which he states, “Wars and conflicts are not inevitable. They are caused by human beings. There are always interests that are furthered by war. Therefore those who have power and influence can also stop them. Peace is a question of will. All conflicts can be settled, and there are no excuses for allowing them to become eternal.” We encourage proposals that address the challenges of increasing and supporting the political will to resolve current, ongoing conflicts, but are open to any proposals that relate to the work of the range of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Possible topics for seminars include human rights, climate change, environmental justice, international aid, the relationship of U.S. foreign policy to the work of peacemaking, micro-credit, global health, nuclear proliferation and disarmament, refugees, genocide, and the work of the United Nations.
Presentations will take place during two time slots on Saturday, March 6 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and 1:45-3 p.m. Selected presenters receive an honorarium of $150.
Faculty, staff and students from sponsoring institutions in all disciplines are encouraged to submit proposals. We will also entertain proposals from alumni, as well as people from other institutions, NGOs, the religious community, the government, and the general public.
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Forum History
In cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Institute, five Midwestern colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America sponsor the annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum. This prestigious event is the Norwegian Nobel Institute's only such program or academic affiliation outside Norway. MORE >>
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Schedule
Full schedule, including locations and Saturday seminars (PDF)
Friday, March 5
- 5-7 p.m. - Artist receptions
- 7:30 p.m. - Opening ceremony and first plenary session: Striving for Peace: A Question of Will, featuring Martti Ahtisaari
- 9 p.m. - Festivities featuring music of Dustin Thomas and the African Marimba Band
Saturday, March 6
- 9-10:15 a.m. - Second plenary session: A Deliberative Dialogue on the Role of Small States in Strategic Peacebuilding, featuring Martti Ahtisaari and Kjell Magne Bondevik
- 10:45 a.m.-noon - Concurrent sessions: panels & speakers
- 12:30-3 p.m. - Saturday seminars
- 1:45-3 p.m. - Film screening: Pray the Devil Back to Hell
- 3:15-4 p.m. - Film screening and discussion: Ana's Playground
- 4:15-5:30 p.m. - Third plenary session and closing ceremony: Call to Action: The Role of Citizens and Civil Society in Peacebuilding, featuring Leymah Gbowee