Bridging Generations: Co-Creating Solutions for Peace and Social Development

Context

In 2025, the United Nations General Assembly will convene the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) to address ongoing social challenges and renew commitments made in the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action. This summit, held 30 years after the first, aims to accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by focusing on social justice, equality and inclusion.

For the 2025 WSSD, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), as the only institution within the UN system with a dedicated mandate to research the social dimensions of development, has launched a global consultation to understand public concerns and collect effective solutions and policies to the biggest social development challenges of our time, shaping the outcomes of the WSSD and future implementation of its programme of action. 

In this context, UNRISD, in collaboration with the Warwick Interdisciplinary Research Centre for International Development, is launching a research initiative to explore the nexus between peace and social development, with a particular focus on peace and care. As a result of this collaboration, a paper will be published as a further contribution to the WSSD.

To support this mission, a survey has been launched in September targeting students and young peacemakers to collect their perspectives on peace and social development. Participants will have a chance to be selected to join the research project and contribute to the final paper. The survey results will be collected by UNRISD and will serve as a framework to guide the event discussions.

About the Workshop

In today’s crucial moment for integrating peace and social development, this event seeks to unite diverse generational perspectives into a cohesive strategy. By leveraging survey insights and youth viewpoints, we aim to foster an inter-generational dialogue that creates a shared vision for advancing peace and social development.

Participants will explore core concepts of peace and justice, engage in interactive discussions,  address common challenges, and formulate solutions through thematic working groups. The findings from the group discussions will help co-create a coherent vision to address pressing global challenges on peace and social development.

This initiative is pivotal in building momentum towards the World Summit for Social Development, with the intention of presenting a comprehensive and actionable vision to global leaders. Additionally, the outcomes of this event will contribute to the production of a paper by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). This paper will focus on the intersections of peace and social development and reflect on lessons learned as well as potential ways forward for local, national, and global level action.

Speakers

• Briony Jones,  Professor, Warwick Interdisciplinary Research Centre for International Development, Politics and International Studies Department, University of Warwick
• Rebecca Morris, Associate Professor, Department of Education Studies, University of Warwick

Moderator:

• Karima Cherif, Head, Communications and Outreach, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)

Live streaming

This workshop will only be available in-person.

Main organiser

• United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)

Co-Organizers

• Warwick Interdisciplinary Research Centre for International Development

Registration

To attend this workshop, please make sure to  register here (in addition to the general GPW registration).