Overview

The application for this year’s Torino Forum for Sustaining Peace is now open and is going virtual this year. This forum is held in the format of a course in 2020. The 2020 Torino Forum is using innovation and technology to bring the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) community together with the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) community for a series of virtual debates and exchanges.

Likewise, the event will discuss the status of the agendas of these respective communities in an open exchange with the broader peacebuilding community via the internet at UNSSC’s headquarters in Torino, Italy.

Details

Enrolment deadline: 01 September 2020

Organizing body: United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC)

Mode: Online (Italy)

Dates of the forum: 07-11 September 2020

Duration: 5 days

Language: English

Cost of participation

The forum will be held with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; therefore, it is free of cost.

Why this forum?

Twin UN resolutions introduced the concept of Sustaining Peace, stressing the imperative to preclude the outbreak, escalation, persistence, and repetition of conflict in response to disturbing global trends and the progressively complex and extended nature of contemporary conflicts. Due to this, sustaining peace requires an ecosystem of partners working collaboratively to sustain peace, including governments and their peoples, local stakeholders, and critical actors for attaining sustainable peace – women and youth peacebuilders.

Therefore, the Torino forum, especially in 2020, in the catalytic moment is aimed at advancing the Women’s and Youth’s agendas for peace and bringing global perspectives together on the issue.

Objectives of the forum

The forum aims to support efforts to promote the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) as well as Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agendas by sparking dialogue, inspiring action and stimulating learning among women and youth peacebuilders – alongside UN staff and select various participants from academia, government, private sector, and relevant institutions. Furthermore, by convening this event, UNSSC aims to strengthen the capacity of key actors working hands-on with peacebuilding, particularly the civil society representatives participating in the Forum.

Course Methodology

The Forum will benefit from a number of online tools enabling genuine exchange among members. Participation from a number of time zones will be possible by joining live in the afternoon Central European Time. All participants will take advantage of the UN Kampus platform and live session recordings.

Course Contents

Overall, the theme of the 2020 Virtual Torino Forum for Sustaining Peace is “Women and Youth at the Frontlines” – which will constitute and set the stage for all sessions all over the week. Therefore, a range of virtual discussions and exchanges will explore the state of play for advancing the WPS, and YPS agendas as well as peacebuilding to a larger extent – in an open exchange with the wider peacebuilding groups.

The forum will merge plenary sessions with smaller group workshops. Each breakout workshop will focus on a critical agenda item and will invite active participation from all participants. So, these sessions will also serve as collaboration hubs for recognizing best practices, plans, and future initiatives.

Additionally, on day one, the Forum will also host a cultural event to highlight the momentum of music by bringing together the diverse cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious communities in support of commonly shared values around peace.

Who is the Target Audience?

Women and youth peacebuilders, UN staff, governments, experts, representatives of women’s and youth groups and civil society institutions, private sector, academia, and representatives of institutions engaging in advancing the Sustaining Peace, Women, Peace, and Security, and Youth, Peace, and Security agendas can participate.

How to apply?

To apply for this forum, you should sign up online through the given link.

For more information, visit Virtual Torino Forum for Sustaining Peace.