Russia's war against Ukraine, pandemic, climate change and extreme weather events: More and more new crises are shaking societies around the world. At the same time, the number of violent conflicts is rising, often involving non-state, irregular militias and rebels. In the current Peace Report 2023, Germany’s leading peace research institutes provide answers to the current peace and security issues of our time and make policy recommendations for policy makers.
At a joint event with the ZEIT Foundation Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius at the Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Aydan Özoğuz, MdB, Vice President of the German Bundestag discussed current security crises and challenges as well as the relevant recommendations of the Peace Report with peace researchers. There was a lively discussion about the scope for action that German policy-makers have in peace and security policy and what is the best way of approaching the so-called "Zeitenwende”:
Prof. Dr Ulrich Schneckener, Professor of International Relations & Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Osnabrück, proposed doubling the 100-billion-euro special fund for the Federal Armed Forces in order to invest more broadly and sustainably in foreign, security, peace and development policy, including research. Aydan Özuğuz then pointed to the measures that the current government has already taken to counter the “turn of the times”. Prof. Dr Ursula Schröder, as a co-editor of the Peace Report, advocated for one of the main recommendations of the Peace Report: ensuring continued support for Ukraine. This includes necessary arm supplies and training assistance, and above all, how the Western community can already contribute to a stable and peaceful co-existence between Ukraine and Russia – with or without Putin.
Sascha Suhrke, Head of Division Politics and Society at the ZEIT Foundation introduced the event and the long-term Stern-journalist Katja Gloger moderated the evening.
About the Peace Report 2023:
Further information on the Peace Report can be found at http://www.friedensgutachten.de/en and at https://ifsh.de/en/ww/ukraine-conflict.