In times of political aggression, collective fear and growing insecurity, the need for bold peace work becomes increasingly urgent. At the same time, this need is often overshadowed by dominant narratives of deterrence, militarization and realpolitik. The Austrian Forum for Peace (AFP) 2026 therefore asks the question of how sustainable peace and security can be thought of and designed beyond sole military logic. Strategic de-escalation, diplomacy, dialogue and mediation as well as civil society conflict transformation play a central role in transforming crises into long-term development, stability and peace.

The forum sees peace as both a craft and an art. Peace work requires professional methods, expertise and international networks, but at the same time creativity, empathy and intuition. Building on a human-centered and intersectional understanding of peace, AFP 2026 focuses on the security, dignity and agency of everyone.

The focus of the forum is on the core competencies of state-of-the-art peace practice: conflict resolution through mediation and dialogue, the practice of international peace operations including protection concepts and new technologies, as well as long-term approaches to conflict transformation such as reconciliation, peace building and culture of remembrance. Based on international frameworks such as the UN New Agenda for Peace and UNESCO's vision of a global culture of peace, the Forum understands peace not only as the absence of violence, but as an emancipatory process that is based on local agency, social participation and the design of digital and ecological transformations.

The Forum will bring together diplomats, scholars, practitioners, students, policymakers, and civil society representatives including professional artists to engage in deep dialogue and intellectual exchange, creative processes, and hands-on collaboration towards future scenarios of bold peace. 

More information 

The description was extracted from peaceforum.at.