The Conference

In its 150th Anniversary Year the University of Melbourne will host International Perspectives on Peace and Reconciliation as its Flagship Conference.

The Conference will run over 4 consecutive days from the 14th to the 17th of July 2003 in the Sidney Myer Asia Centre at the University of Melbourne.

An extensive cultural program including sculpture, painting, dance, drama, film and music will take place alongside the academic program.

The Conference will increase understanding of the regional and global context of peace and reconciliation by bringing international guests together with the many strands of Australian society to draw upon diverse communities' experience and understanding of peace-building.

Need and Importance

Peace is an issue on many people's minds today. With a number of unresolved global and regional conflicts threatening peace around the world, it is a particularly important time to explore the potential for peace-building and reconciliation. Learning from the successful work of peace-builders around the world is vital to our futures.

The Conference tackles the issues of national reconciliation, regional conflict and the determinants of cultures of peace. These issues are of both national and international importance and of enduring significance.

One of the modern features of conflict is that it can be within and transcend national borders. Such conflicts can be hard to move forward; however, learning from similar circumstances in other contexts has been shown to assist in the resolution process. Given the difficulty of "holding the mirror" to conflicts we are involved in, it is important to have opportunities to learn from the experience of others and to view local conflicts within an international framework.

For Australia, finding new ways to move forward with the reconciliation process is a pressing issue. The quest for a more mature national identity depends on a greater embracing of and respect for Aboriginal culture in Australian society.

A parallel focus of concern for Australia is its role in cooperating with and supporting its regional neighbours in achieving democracy, peace, stability and a respect for the diversity of their peoples. Australia has a great stake in understanding the social and political dynamics within our region given the likelihood that neighbours such as Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, the Solomon Islands and Fiji will face challenges in achieving these ideals. To this end the Conference aims to further mutual understanding and assistance within our region.

Finally, Australia faces great challenges in negotiating its response to international and global conflict. The Conference will explore options for Australia to advance its interest in a safer regional and global environment in positive ways.

Conference Program

The Conference will run from 14-17 July 2003 in the Sidney Myer Asia Centre at the University of Melbourne. On the experience of past events, organisers envisage that between 350-400 individuals will attend. A Cultural Program and Youth Forum will extend prior to and after the Conference.

The Conference's academic program will focus on the following themes:

• Indigenous perspectives on reconciliation
• International cooperation for human security
• Education and training
• Peace-keeping, building and making
• Culture and healing
• Discourses on reconciliation
• Leadership for reconciliation

There will be representatives from, and case studies of, a number of countries including East Timor, Northern Ireland, the Philippines, South Africa, Papua New Guinea, France, Indonesia, the USA, the Middle East and Australia.