Pax et Bellum

Rising Tides in the Indian Ocean

Pax et Bellum — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:23:50 +0000

Pax et Bellum invites you to and event where Tor Sellström will give a presentation on peace and conflict in the African part of the Indian Ocean. The event will take place at Hall 1 of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Gamla Torget 3 on Tuesday February 14th at 16.15.

Tor Sellström was until December 2011 seconded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) as a researcher within the NAI cluster on Conflict, Displacement and Transformation. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Stockholm . After post-graduate studies at the Institute of Political Science in Paris , he has for more than 20 years lived and worked in Southern Africa , holding positions with the United Nations, Sida and non-governmental organizations. In 2000, Sellström was awarded the gold medal Illis quorum meruere labores by the Swedish government for his documentation of Sweden and the struggles for national liberation in Southern Africa; in 2002 he was granted the annual FUF Prize by the Swedish NGO Development Forum for important contributions in the development field; and in 2010 he was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Uppsala for his engagement with Africa, bridging development and academia.

Fika will be available for 20kr. For more information on this event please e-mail activities@paxetbellum.org.

Study Trip to IDEA (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance)

Pax et Bellum — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:09:51 +0000

Pax et Bellum is organizing a study trip to Stockholm to visit the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) on Friday the 10th of February. The amount of places is very limited (7 Pax et Bellum members) and to be able to take part you need to sign up by e-mailing Head of Activities Caroline Folmer via activities@paxetbellum.org by Sunday the 5th of February. Places will be allocated on a first come first basis.

Assistant professor Roland Kostić from the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies will accompany Pax et Bellum on this trip and the the visitors will be meeting one of the election teams. For more information on IDEA visit www.idea.int
For those coming to the trip from Uppsala, we will be meeting at 11.45 at the Uppsala Central Station to take the 12.09 regional train (Tåg 833) to Stockholm Central Station and meet the rest there at 13.00. Note that you will have to arrange and buy your own train tickets.
When signing up, please indicate whether you will be meeting us in Uppsala or Stockholm.

For more information on this event please contact activities@paxetbellum.org

Last Lecture series: Seeking Security, Regulating Threats – Implications for Democracy and Human Rights

Pax et Bellum — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:37:09 +0000

The Last Lecture Series is a new event series by Pax et Bellum where professors are asked to present a lecture as if it was their last. In the first installment of this series Dr. Roland Kostić, assistant professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, will hold a lecture on Seeking Security, Regulating Threats: Implications for Democracy and Human Rights. He will present the lecture as if 30 years have passed from the present and expound on the developments that have occurred throughout that time. Thus, he is presenting his predictions about what the field of peace and conflict will resemble 30 years hence.

Dr. Kostić’s areas of research are conflict resolution in intra-state armed conflicts (with focus on ethnic conflicts), post-war peace building, reconciliation, transitional justice, and diaspora and peace.

The lecture will take place on Thursday the 2nd of February at Hall 2 of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research (Gamla Torget 3).

Fika will be available for 20kr.
For more information on this event contact the vice chairperson.

Pre-event Mingle and Annual General Meeting

Pax et Bellum — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:09:54 +0000

Pre-event Mingle (24th January, 15:30): Presentation of the organization for new and potential members prior to General Annual Elections

Join Pax et Bellum, the student association of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, dedicated to establishing a dialogue on issues related to peace and conflict, for its information mingle on the 24th of January at 15.30 prior to Annual General Meeting. At this mingle, we will give a presentation on what Pax et Bellum is, what it does, as well as the different ways to get involved, including a presentation of all the board positions open for election at our Annual General Meeting on the 31st of January. If you are thinking about getting involved in our various activities or want to learn more about the organization, come and join us!

Annual General Meeting (31st January, 15:30)

Join us on the 31st of January at 15.30 for Pax et Bellum’s Annual General Meeting, for the election of our new board. This is your chance to get involved, hear what we have achieved over the past year, and become a part of this exciting organization! Membership is free of charge and you can even decide to become a member at the General Meeting itself. As a fresh member you can still put forward your application for a board position at the Annual General Meeting!

For those of you interested in running for a board position, Pax et Bellum is composed of the following board positions, all of which will be elected for the new year 2012: Chairperson , Vice Chairperson, Head of Activities, Treasurer, Head of Marketing, Head of Public Relations, Secretary, and several General Board member positions. Everyone who is a member of Pax et Bellum can join the board. To do so you are welcome to send an email with CV and short motivation to info@paxetbellum.org before 28th of January.

Fika will be available for 20kr on both occasion. For more information on thiese events please contact Sayra Van den Berg the chairperson of Pax et Bellum.

The Future of EU and NATO military strategy

Pax et Bellum — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:39:53 +0000

Pax et Bellum is excited to welcome Brigadier General Dennis Gyllensporre from the Swedish Armed Forces who is also a visiting researcher at the Department of Peace and Conflict studies

on Friday the 20th of January at 16. Brig. Gen. Gyllensporre will discuss his new book ‘Pursuing Strategy: NATO Operations from the Gulf War to Gaddafi’ that will be published in February, in addition to discussing the EU as a crisis management actor in light of the Common Security and Defense Policy.

Formulating a strategy involves complex interactions between politicians, strategic commanders and generals in the field. It is a misconception that overall strategies radiate solely from political leaders. Instead, military officers at an operational level can achieve change as General McChrystal did for Afghanistan in 2009.

The event will take place at the Alva Myrdal room at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Gamla Torget 3. Note that seating will be limited at the Alva Myrdal room. To make sure you fit in, please come on time.

Fika will be available for 20kr. For more information about this event contact Caroline Folmer (Head of Activities)

Uppsala Crisis Simulation 2012 registration open until the 15th of January

Pax et Bellum — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:03:03 +0000

Pax et Bellum is proud to present the Uppsala Crisis Simulation 2012. The
simulation will be on the 28th and 29th of January. Registration opens
online on Thursday the 15th of December at 12.00 (noon) and is open until
the 15th of January or as long as places remain (the amount of
participants is limited to a maximum of 30).

The Libyan Revolution will provide the background for this year’s
simulation, and will challenge participants to delve into one of many
different and diverse Libyan roles. Participants will struggle, strive,
cooperate, and scheme to shape the face of the emerging Libyan state. The
simulation is designed as a laboratory, in which students learn to apply
theoretical knowledge to ‘real world’ scenarios.

The cost of 150kr includes the whole weekend of the simulation, a social
event for the participants in the evening, lunch and fikas as well as an
information folder and a certificate of participation in the simulation.
There will also be opportunities for registering in person (times and locations to be announced).

To find out more about the simulation and the available roles please check the UCS section of the website
There are still a few places left, registration is open here!

If you’d prefer to register and pay in person a registration point will be open at the following time at the student lounge of Department of Peace and Conflict Research (Gamla Torget 3)
- Tuesday the 10th of January between 11-13

If you have questions that you cannot find answers to on the website
please e-mail UCS

Dag Hammarskjöld’s Legacy – its relevance for today

Pax et Bellum — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:54:03 +0000

Presentations by Henning Melber and Peter Wallensteen followed by a discussion on Tuesday, 17 January 2012, 17.15-18.45 at the House of Peace (Fredens Hus), Uppsala Castle, entrance A2.

Organised jointly by The Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, Pax et Bellum and the House of Peace (Fredens Hus).

2011 marked the 50th year of Dag Hammarskjöld’s death. As second Secretary-General of the United Nations he had shaped the organization in many respects. The presentations deal with the relevance of Dag Hammarskjöld’s legacy and translate his ideas into the current global governance architecture, diplomacy and policies.

The event also presents the printed results of the Foundation’s commemorative activities during 2011.

Henning Melber is Executive Director of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation. Prof. Peter Wallensteen holds the Dag Hammarskjöld chair at the Department for Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University. Both are honorary members of Pax et Bellum.

For more information about this event contact Caroline Folmer (Head of Activities).

Conflict Minerals, Labour Rights and the DRC – exhibition and seminar

Pax et Bellum — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:41:52 +0000

From the 8th of December until the 15th of December Pax et Bellum in cooperation with the Hemispheres Project (http://www.hemispheres-eu.org/) will host an exhibition on Conflict minerals and labour rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the student lounge of the Department of Peace and Conflict research. The exhibition will open at 18.30 on Thursday the 8th of December at 18.30 and conclude with a documentary screening and seminar on the 15th of December at 16.15 on Conflict minerals and labour rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The seminar will start by a screening of the documentary Blood in The Mobile (directed by Frank Piasecki Poulsen in 2010) and will be followed by a presentation by Jill Trenholm from the Uppsala University Department of Women’s and Children’s Health and Centre for Gender Research on Local Leaders Perspectives and a discussion with the audience. The event will take place at Hall 1 of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Gamla Torget 3.

Conflict minerals originate in conflict or post-conflict zones where warlords and militias maintain possession of mines. Warlords often extract minerals (such as coltan) with slave labor and, after selling these resources on the global market, use the proceeds to strengthen their grip on local communities. This process contributes to state weakness and an erosion of human rights. Developed economies enable this system by purchasing vast quantities of conflict minerals.

Attendance is free of charge as usual and free fika will be available both at the exhibition opening and the seminar.

For more information about this event contact Caroline Folmer (Head of Activities) via activities@paxetbellum.org

Human Rights, People’s Security and Development

Pax et Bellum — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:10:04 +0000

Pax et Bellum in cooperation with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation (http://www.dhf.uu.se/) are proud to present a panel discussion in celebration of the UN Human Rights Day. The seminar will take place on the 8th of December at 17.00 in Hall 1 of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research (Gamla Torget 3).

Jan Axel Nordlander (former Swedish Ambassador at large for human rights) will present on the topic Freedom from fear, freedom from want – Human rights and development and Peter Nobel (Honorary doctor of laws at Uppsala University and former head of the Swedish Red Cross) will discuss The relationship between development, democracy and human rights.

After the respective presentations a discussion with the audience led by Qazal Jamali (research assistant at DPCR) will ensue. There will be plenty of time for questions and comments.

Attendance is free of charge. The event will be followed by a post-seminar mingle which will include the opening of Pax et Bellum’s exhibition on Conflict Minerals and Labour Rights in the DRC. Free fika will also be available.

For more information about this event contact Caroline Folmer (Head of Activities) via activities@paxetbellum.org

Transitional Justice Participation Game

Pax et Bellum — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:29:52 +0000

Pax et Bellum, in cooperation with Humanity in Action, an NGO promoting human and minority rights (www.humanityinaction.org), will organise a Simulation Game on Transitional Justice and Reconciliation in a post-conflict environment. Participants will take on the roles of different actors and negotiate on which measures of transitional justice should be taken and how these will be implemented. The simulation game will be supervised by Anne Stahlfort from Humanity in Action.

The event will take place at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research (Gamla Torget 3) Hall 1 on Saturday the 10th of December from 10am to 6pm and will be followed by a social event at one of the student nations. Note that you need to be able to commit for the whole time to be able to participate. Registration happens via e-mailing Head of Activities, Caroline Folmer via activities@paxetbellum.org.

Registration opens on the 23rd of November at 12.00 and closes on the 27th of November at 17.00. There are no participation costs and registration will take place on a first come, first serve basis.