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20240926_094743

27 Sep 2024

Guernsey and Jersey at the 2024 Normandy Peace Forum

 

The 7th edition of the Normandie pour la Paix took place on September 26th and 27th, at the historic Abbaye aux Dames in Caen. This year’s forum theme “This World That Escapes Us – How to Win Peace in the Face of New Violence?”, brought together diplomats, experts, and activists to explore the challenges of achieving peace in a rapidly changing world. Deputy Kirsten Morel, Minister for Sustainable Economic Development for the Government of Jersey, and Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture for the States of Guernsey attended the event.

Among the 2,000 participants, were four young people from Jersey Youth Parliament and their two Youth Service Leaders, who had the chance to attend the conferences and take part in the debates. For them, it was an eye-opening experience. They learnt a lot from hearing about the challenges of today’s conflicts, and the forum inspired them so much that they were excited to return to Jersey and act as spokespersons for the next edition of the forum and share their experience with their schoolmates to encourage others to get involved in future events.

The 2024 edition of the forum explored how global conflicts have evolved, with new forms of violence, including cyber-attacks, racism and political extremism, posing challenges to international peace and security. The event highlighted the need for adaptability when facing threats, focusing on diplomacy and resilience in conflict resolution. The event provided a platform for reflection and dialogue and the rich conferences and debates left participants with a deeper understanding of the world’s most pressing challenges and a sense of commitment to working together towards a more peaceful and secure future.

Warm thanks to the Region of Normandy for such an amazing event. The 8th edition of Normandie pour la Paix will take place in 2026.

 

Guernsey's Bailiff and other island officials