Peace building in the aftermath of September 11
Posted on 8 July 2002
Prince Hassan of Jordan will outline new ideas for peace building in the aftermath of September 11, at a discussion forum hosted by the University of York on Thursday 11 July.
He will describe his idea for the formation of an international peace corps to bridge differences of religion and ethnicity, and take part in an open discussion with those who work in the field in strife-torn countries, academics and the military.
The event has been organised by the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU) at the University of York. The staff of the Unit, who have experience of advising war-torn communities in the Middle East, Central Europe, Afghanistan and Somalia, will describe their own work in rebuilding communities and finding creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems.
Prince Hassan is well-known for his extensive work in building inter-faith dialogue, helping communities recover from war, human rights and economic co-operation. An abiding theme of his international work is that of co-existence and conflict resolution.
"At a time of enormous conflict and division, particularly along religious lines, ideas for peace-building and opportunities for dialogue are enormously important," said Director of PRDU, Dr Sultan Barakat.
"We live in tense times. These issues are considered at various levels by organisations like the UN to research and consultancy organisations like PRDU. More significantly, individuals like Prince Hassan can make a real difference in reducing that tension and in building up careful and solid confidence and trust. I believe that his ideas for involving young people in that process are promising."
Notes to editors:
- The PRDU Colloquium on peace-building and post-war recovery begins at 2 pm on Thursday 11 July at St William's College, York (adjacent to York Minster).
- Reporters and photographers are welcome. Please contact Anna O'Connell on 01904 432640 for further details.
- Prince Hassan will receive an Honorary Degree from the University of York on Thursday morning at 9.30 am.
- During his visit to York, Prince Hassan will meet with PRDU's advisers and individuals such as the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope.