Peace-capable instead of war-ready

Description

In view of global conflicts and increasing security policy tensions, military strength seems to be returning as the obvious response to political crises. Public debates are characterized by terms such as armament, deterrence, and war readiness. Pacifist voices, on the other hand, have become quiet. Today, those who ask for alternatives to the logic of retaliation and counter-violence are quickly considered naive or out of touch with reality – even in church contexts. How can we talk about peace today without ignoring real threats? How can individuals and societies become peace-capable? These questions are explored in two keynote lectures from a Christian theological and feminist perspective and deepened in a subsequent discussion. Practice-oriented workshops provide insights into concrete peace work and open spaces for reflection and exchange. A concluding panel with all speakers addresses the question: How can peace be lived and shaped today? On Saturday, October 24, the conference "Creating Peace - Without Weapons? Pacifism in Transformation" will take place. The two conferences complement each other and examine the topic of pacifism from different perspectives. An event in cooperation with the theologiekurse.ch. The detailed program and workshop contents can be found in the conference flyer (PDF). Guests - Lukas Amstutz, theologian and lecturer, overall director of the Bienenberg training and conference center, co-president of the Mennonite Conference in Switzerland - Annemarie Sancar, social anthropologist, expert in feminist peace policy and development cooperation, former network manager at PeaceWomen Across the Globe (PWAG) - Stephanie Hofer, program officer for the Maghreb, Frieda – the feminist peace organization - Luisa Pacozzi, program officer for the Gaza Strip, Frieda – the feminist peace organization - Angela Elmiger, team leader for Europe/Middle East programs, aid organization of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland (HEKS) - Yara Hostettler, program officer for long-term volunteer deployments, Service Civil International (SCI) Switzerland - Maria Vogelbacher, program officer for communication, swisspeace – Swiss Peace Foundation Leadership and Moderation - Doris Strahm, board member of the Verein theologiekurse.ch - Adrienne Hochuli, head of the Department of Theology and Religion, Paulus Akademie Registration For organizational reasons, please register by Wednesday, October 14, 2026.