ACIC’s Symposium 2022 will examine the ways justice, equity and institutions are at the core of sustainable development and can both support and hinder peace-building efforts around the world.  Understanding the importance of Sustainable Development Goal #16 in helping to safeguard peace, we will explore the concept of peace from a multitude of perspectives and consider the intersection of peace with sustainable global development both locally and globally.

Many regions of the world have enjoyed sustained and prolonged periods of peace and enhanced security and well-being over the last few decades. However, many countries and regions are faced with long-term conflict and violence, and even more parts of the world experience political and socio-economic struggles that are linked to weak institutions, and a lack of equity and justice which results in further delaying or impacting sustainable development.

In Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, “through the looking glass” is a metaphor for a time when the world was unfamiliar as if things had been turned on their head. ACIC’s Symposium theme, Peace Through the Looking Glass: Reflections on Justice, Equity and Strong Institutions offer a timely opportunity to critically reflect on the concept of “peace” by bringing a multidimensional lens to examine what this term implies in a world seemingly upturned by historical conflicts and contemporary agitations.

The Symposium will bring together international cooperation practitioners, environmentalists, youth, Indigenous leaders, human-rights activists, newcomer associations, feminists, local governments, civil society leaders, issue-specific experts, advocates and academics to encourage dialogue across sectors and cultures. The Symposium is rooted in fostering a learning environment through a combination of keynote sessions, panel discussions, workshops and opportunities for connection, that will strengthen individual and collective capacity to engage Atlantic Canadians and provide them with the tools to recentre peace as a critical value at a time when global solidarity is challenged at every turn.

Hotel Booking and Other Information

• Should you need a hotel booking, rooms are made available at the Sheraton Four Points in Halifax (1496 Hollis St). Please call +1 902-423-4444 to reserve your booking. If you need assistance with this, please reach out to Mizel Cluett at Mizel@acic-caci.org.

• Limited number of travel bursaries are available for members (ranging from $100-$400; depending on the location you will be travelling from). If you need this, please let us know where you'll be travelling from, using the form below.

Ticket Options Available:

• ACIC Organizational Member: CAD$50

• ACIC Individual Member: CAD$35

• Student: CAD$40

• Non-members: CAD$75

• Online-only: Free

• Bursary Ticket: CAD$0: To ensure financial barriers are not a deterrent to your participation, we have bursaries available for those who might need them.

• Reception-only: CAD$25

Tickets for the Symposium are available till October 24 for in-person tickets, and October 27 for online tickets.

Let’s Talk Peace and Justice

Social injustice is a key contributor to conflict and violence in the world today. Crises in different parts of the world are fuelled by the unfair treatment of people - ethnic minorities, racialized groups, immigrants, religious groups, and historically-marginalized people. To achieve a world with sustainable peace, we need to continously address the root causes of oppression, discrimination, marginalization that have emerged from history influencing the current world order.

Conversations and sessions under this stream will focus on how existing approaches, like truth and reconciliation mechanisms, multicultural conflict resolution, reparation, resource redistribution, Indigenization, and economic justice can better inform our international justice system as means to better address social injustice of all people between borders and beyond.         

Let’s Talk Peace and Equity

The concept of peace, and what peace means and feels like, can vary greatly around the world. Prevalent rhetorics suggests that peace  is simply the absence of violence, and while there’s no denying the monumental shifts that have taken place in the global political landscape in the past two years, it’s important to ask ourselves how we are approaching enhancing justice and strong institutions, and therefore moving towards long lasting sustainable peace, from an equity lens. How do Atlantic Canadians and their partners tackle complex, interrelated challenges while simultaneously sustaining and maintaining an equity lens, and in particular, a lens that brings localization to the forefront of work being done to contribute to the SDGs?

In a world where civic spaces are shrinking, where divisiveness is gaining currency, how do we ensure that our work, our contributions, and our approaches are truly reflective and representative of the diversity of voices, perspectives and experiences involved?

Conversations and sessions in this stream will focus on forefronting equity as a necessary component for the bold and transformative actions that are required at the moment.

Let’s talk Peace and Strong Institutions

There are many critical institutions that play an important role in fostering and sustaining peace at various levels. These include the media, faith based organizations, local/regional and national governments, multilateral organizations, diplomatic institutions and many more. While individual engagement is important for facets of peace permeating various aspects of diverse communities, strong institutions need to  support communities and spearhead systems change to create sustainable and resilient peace. These institutions must orient their actions to focus on measures that address growing inequality, instability and vulnerabilities around the world.

Discussions under this theme will explore the importance of trust in various institutions, how that trust can be fostered and nurtured, and some of the root causes that may undermine or impact that trust; the role of strong public and social policy in fostering and sustaining peace; and how institutions can and should leverage their power and strengths to connect with communities towards strategies and tactics that support the enhancement of peaceful metrics and benchmarks.