International Relations

"Symposium: Ending Wars - Finding Peace"

 

Photo: from left to right, Prof. Amanda Grzyb, Prof. Valerie Oosterveld, Prof. Frank Schumacher, Ph.D. Candidate Sara Khorshid, Cecilia Cai and Prof. Oleksa Drachewych. Credit: Oscar Chou. 

On November 20th, 2024, the International Relations Program and the Association of International Relations (AIR) held its fall symposium “Ending Wars – Finding Peace” at the Dr. David S.H. Chu International Student Centre. The Student Donation Fund generously supported this very well-attended event.

The symposium featured four speakers:

Valerie Oosterveld, Western Research Chair in International Criminal Justice and Professor, Special Adviser to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Crimes Against Humanity, discussed gender-sensitive transitional justice.

Amanda Grzyb, Professor of Information and Media Studies at Western and Project Director “Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador”, discussed the historical roots, context, and development of this comprehensive project of peace-making in El Salvador, www.elsalvadormemory.org.

Oleksa Drachewych, Assistant Professor in history at Western and lecturer in history at King’s University College, discussed the history and politics of peace in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Sara Khorshid, Ph.D. Candidate in history at Western and acclaimed journalist, explored the concept of peace in histories of the ‘Arab Spring’ in the early 2010s.

An extensive Q&A session after the presentations provided in-depth opportunities for students to further discuss opportunities and challenges of achieving lasting peace. The engaging discussions carried over into a reception which provided students with valuable opportunities to exchange their ideas and network with the symposium speakers.

The very well organized symposium served the dedicated team of AIR students under the leadership of president Cecilia Cai as a further experiential learning opportunity in IR-event management; for the wider campus community, the event provided another outstanding learning and engagement opportunity for those interested in international relations and the IR program at Western.