The Future of Building Peace

Zentrumstage 2026 / 25th Anniversary CCS

The world is experiencing rising levels of violence, with ongoing wars and geopolitical tensions challenging established approaches to peacebuilding. Meanwhile, institutions and norms associated with the liberal international order are facing increasing opposition, raising fundamental questions about how peace can be understood and pursued in the future. This conference examines how peace is conceptualised, negotiated and practised in conditions of global instability and transformation. Bringing together scholars of peace and conflict studies and related disciplines, it encourages reflection on emerging challenges, evolving responses, and the future of peacebuilding.

Key questions include: How can peace be established amidst geopolitical tensions, shrinking civic and academic spaces, and conflicting claims to knowledge? Which actors and practices influence contemporary peace processes? And how can peace research remain relevant in an evolving global landscape? These issues are addressed through themes such as international peace and security interventions, political representation and inequality, environmental conflicts, migration and human rights, transitional justice, peace education, gender and LGBTQ+ rights, and post-colonial power relations.

Organised by the Center for Conflict Studies on its 25th anniversary, the 2026 Zentrumstage provide a platform for critical dialogue and interdisciplinary exchange on the future of peace in a contested world.