Colloquium for peacemakers 16th March 2015
The Peace Day rhetoric calls for a recognition of the ‘Right of Peoples to Peace’. The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations was founded on the desire to create peaceful organisations in a sane society. To this end a group led by Dr Mannie Sher and Leslie Brissett has been exploring how Tavistock thinking can help those working in peace and conflict situations.
We are holding an invitation-only, one-day colloquium on Monday 16th March at the House of Lords in London, to think about the impact of dynamics of hatred and deeper thinking about emotional processes that have hindered progress in the world’s march toward peace.
We have developed a programme to support those working in negotiating, peace-keeping and peace-building to think more deeply about the dynamics of peace, bringing them face-to-face with the dynamics of hatred, contempt and malice. The colloquium will look at a range of perspectives on the nature and impact of learning opportunities for those working in peace-building.
Getting beneath the surface of conflicts: testing our hypothesis
In order to cope with increasing numbers of conflict situations within and between states and nations, the actions of governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have grown in scale of both human and financial contributions to ‘fix’ the problem. Industries have developed to support ‘peace-building and technical assistance programmes’, and yet every year at least one significant massacre, uprising or civil war threatens the stability and comfort of human life.
The Dynamics of Peace: New thinking on conflict and atrocity programme will be aimed at senior policy developers and lead practitioners of peacekeeping programmes of governments and NGOs and also at political leaders of movements in conflict situations. In order to effectively address the deep issues at work in these arenas, policy and practice need to be informed and shaped by a deeper understanding of the unconscious dynamics and lived experience of hatred.
Developing the Unique Learning Opportunity
The colloquium will see the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations in conversation with ambassadors, senior decision-makers and advisers of global and regional peacekeeping programmes, government aid agencies and international NGOs with an explicit focus on peace and conflict resolution.
The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations brings its nearly 70 years of expertise to support the UN Director General’s desire for the world to ‘commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace’ by continuing our drive to create a sane world through effective organisations.
See more on the United Nation’s International Day of Peace
For further information on the programme please contact Dr Mannie Sher or Dr Leslie Brissett, or to register interest in the colloquium contact Daphne Saunders (020 7417 0407)