With the International Day of Peace approaching on 21 September, we are excited to announce the second round of the Geneva Peace Talks! Interpeace is organizing the event along with the United Nations Office at Geneva and the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform. The inaugural event was held in 2013 and the second edition aims to be even better than the first. With a variety of speakers from different backgrounds, new viewpoints presented will challenge and expand how we think about peace.

Raising awareness of peace

Once again taking place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, the Geneva Peace Talks are open to the general public. The speakers in the spotlight bring different cultural perspectives, creating a unique environment for sharing ideas on peace. The complete list of speakers will be revealed just prior to the event, but we can provide a preview of two speakers who will be giving talks on September 19th.

Sneak preview of speakers

The Geneva Peace Talks will feature renowned cartoonist Jean "Plantu" Plantereux. Engaging political topics with his illustrations, Plantu created Cartooning for Peace in 2006 with Kofi Annan. Another speaker making an appearance at the Geneva Peace Talks is Monica McWilliams, professor of Woman's Studies at the University of Ulster. Monica played a crucial role in the peace talks that lead to the Good Friday Agreement, facilitating the Northern Ireland peace process. The theme of the Geneva Peace Talks, "Let's Talk Peace", emphasizes the role of communication in overcoming barriers to peacebuilding.

Watch this space

In addition to the above mentioned speakers, there will also be a number of surprises during this year's Geneva Peace Talks so be sure to follow closely. The 2014 Geneva Peace Talks will take place on Friday, 19 September in Room XVII at the Palais des Nations. The much anticipated day is almost here so be sure to register here and visit the Geneva Peace Talks 2014 page for more information. With an exciting line-up of speakers and interesting perspectives to reflect on, you won't want to miss the 2014 Geneva Peace Talks.