Deconstructing Conflict: The Pearson Global Forum 2019 in Berlin

BERLIN (September 17, 2019) – Renowned experts from politics, academia and civil society will come together on 18 and 19 October at the invitation of the University of Chicago for The Pearson Global Forum entitled “Beyond Walls | Deconstructing Conflict.” Inspired by the thirty-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Forum will discuss lessons learned from the German experience and research-based solutions to help prevent, de-escalate and resolve current global conflicts.

The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts will host the second annual Pearson Global Forum at the Axica Convention Center in Berlin, steps from where the Berlin Wall used to divide the city. Keynote speakers including Markus Meckel, former foreign minister of the GDR, and Roland Jahn, acting Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records, will give first-hand insight into the political and social events of autumn 1989 and the lessons learned since then.

Developing recommendations for action to solve global conflicts

“The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts is dedicated to applying rigorous, evidence-based inquiry to the issues of peace and conflict,” said Daniel Diermeier, Provost of the University of Chicago. “The Pearson Institute seeks to contribute to a world more at peace through field-defining research, educating the next generation of policy scholars and leaders, and engaging the policy community in conversation through The Pearson Global Forum.”

Berlin was chosen as this year’s venue because it offers a distinctive perspective on what can drive conflict, as well as factors that contribute to lasting peace and reunifying a society. The conference will address, among other topics, lessons from German reunification that might be applicable to current conflicts.

Looking beyond the German context, Feisal al-Istrabadi, former Deputy Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations, will speak on state building in Iraq. Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian Mission in the United Kingdom, Stav Shaffir, Israeli politician and member of the Knesset, and peace activist and author Yousef Bashir, will give insight into the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine. The situation of minorities in China will be addressed by Sophie Richardson, China Director at Human Rights Watch, and by author Jewher Ilham.

“The purpose of this Forum is to bring together international policy makers, academics and practitioners to ensure that we are working together to impact policy based on the best research of the day,” said Professor James Robinson, Institute Director of the Pearson Institute. 

View the complete program of the conference. 

If you are interested in an interview or a background discussion, please email Alexandra Ortloff at Weber Shandwick Berlin.   

About The University of Chicago and The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts:

The University of Chicago is a leading academic and research institution that has driven new ways of thinking since its founding in 1890. As an intellectual destination, the University draws scholars and students from around the world to its home in Hyde Park and campuses around the globe. The University provides a distinctive educational experience, empowering individuals to challenge conventional thinking and pursue research that produces new understanding and breakthroughs with global impact. Home to more than 90 Nobel laureates, the University of Chicago is dedicated to an environment of fearless inquiry and academic rigor. 

In 2015, the University announced the creation of The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts at the Harris School of Public Policy, the first of its kind research institute dedicated to applying rigorous, evidence-based inquiry to the issues of peace and conflict. Established through a grant from The Thomas L. Pearson and The Pearson Family Members Foundation, and led by Institute Director James Robinson, co-author of Why Nations Fail, the Institute seeks to understand the complex causes and consequences of conflict by mobilizing the best minds and the most innovative tools and technology to drive new breakthroughs and understanding that informs policy and leads to a world more at peace.