Reykjavík Peace Days 2020

Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centres annual international conference the Imagine Forum 2020 was inevitably marked by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On October 10 each year Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centre creates a platform for dialogue on different issues relating to peace and conflict, shedding light on the valuable contribution of individuals, social groups, entrepreneurs and activists in working towards sustainable peace. Previous conferences and peace days in Reykjavík have focused on women, peace and security, displaced youth and the effects of conflict on children and youth. The Imagine Forum and the peace days in Reykjavík 2020 will take place in October, as in recent years, but this time they will take place entirely online, under the heading "Er friðurinn úti?"

In collaboration with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, UNWOMEN, UNICEF and the UN association in Iceland we created a platform for a dialogue about violence in Iceland and possible peaceful solutions to counter it as well as Icelands role when it comes to fighting for human rights internationally. The discussion took place in the week of October 12 to October 16 through a series of podcasts and opinion pieces by renowned specialists, academics, policy makers and stakeholders were the goal was to attempt to define the terms gender-based and domestic violence, discuss the state of play locally, explore ways of improvement on a domestic and international level and discuss how Iceland can take the lead in fighting human rights abuses on the international arena. The five podcasts are in Icelandic, and are available here on Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centres webpage (switch to Icelandic version to listen)