In June 2016, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, with the publication of the Global Strategy Global Strategy for the EU’s Foreign and Security Policy, shared her vision of how Europe should position itself as a global player in a conflict-ridden and highly complex world. In light of the new geopolitical situation and the myriad of challenges that the Union faces, the report was long overdue – now, more than ever, the EU feels the need to adapt its strategies in the fields of prevention, peace policy and robust missions to ever changing global conditions if it seeks to uphold its integrity as an international Soft Power.

How can Europe meet its shared responsibility for the causes of flight? How can we effectively combat terrorism, hatred and marginalization? How to deal with authoritarian regimes, how to resolve conflicts through civil means? These and other questions will be discussed in two panels at the presentation of 2016 Peace Report.

The EU Office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the Brussels Office of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) are co-organising an event entitled ‘Can Europe Make Peace Without Weapons?’ where the Peace Report 2016 will be presented. The Peace Report is the joint yearbook of the German Institutes of Peace and Conflict Research and addresses interventionism, power struggles in Syria and Iraq and their fall out in Europe as major challenges to a sustainable peace policy. How can Europe meet its shared responsibility for the causes of flight? How can we effectively combat terrorism, hatred and marginalization? How to deal with authoritarian regimes, how to resolve conflicts through civil means?

These and many more questions will be discussed in two expert panels:

1. The war on terror – can Jihadism be beaten militarily?

2. Operation Peace – civil conflict prevention in the EU’s new foreign and security policy

Please click here for more information and here to register your participation.