Normandy for Peace World Forum

The Normandy for Peace World Forum is an annual event to bring people together from around the world to reflect on issues such as current tensions and peacekeeping. It is more than just a talking shop, it is also a time to reflect on how to build a better world. It takes place in Caen on 26 and 27 September 2024 at the Ladies’ Abbey (Abbaye aux Dames).

NORMANDY, LAND OF LIBERTY

The D-Day Landings and three-month Battle of Normandy that followed had a profound effect on the wartime generation and those that followed them. Europe as we know it was forged on the beaches and in the fields of Normandy. This conflict gave an edge to what we understand by freedom, which has to be why millions of visitors choose to come and remember those who came from far away to fight and die for our freedom. The Normandy Region has responded to this notion of remembrance by going one step further and creating the Normandy for Peace World Forum, a so-called ‘laboratory of reflection and mediation’, which aims to tackles head-on the major issues of war, peace, freedom and human rights.

In addition, teaching projects, seminars, university exchanges, and arts projects of all kinds are organised throughout the year, which also highlight the values of peace and freedom. The World Forum operates at an international level, and is free of charge.

A WORLD FORUM

The Normandy for Peace World Forum takes place for the seventh time this year amid the magnificent setting of the Ladies’ Abbey in Caen. For two days, debates and conferences bring together over 250 attendees from all around the world, focusing on the theme ‘Avoiding war: Responding to new threats.’  Heads of State, Nobel Peace Prize winners, diplomats, geopolitical experts, journalists and other organisations gather to share their experience and reflect upon how we might build lasting peace for future generations. Associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) hosts a ‘Village for Peace’ to discuss international initiatives and what is being done. In addition, the European ‘Walk the Global Walk’ programme brings together over 800 youngsters from across Normandy to share their thoughts on how best to fight global warming and tackle the climate emergency.

THE FREEDOM PRIZE

In 2019, the Freedom Prize was awarded to young Swedish activist Greta Thurnberg in the presence of two World War II veterans. In 2021, the finalist was Sonita Alizada for her fight against forced marriages. In 2022, the Freedom Prize was awarded to the Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network. The CRARN’s mission gets rid of the witchcraft stigmatization in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. The 2023 prize was awarded to the Club des Jeunes Filles Leaders de Guinée.

In 2024, three personalities, who defend fights in favor of freedom, were selected:
Motaz Azaïza: Young Palestinian journalist, he covers the conflict in the heart of Gaza.
Noura Ghazi: She dedicates her life to defending the rights of political prisoners and, in particular, to collecting their testimonies.
Maria Kolesnikova: A figure in the Belarusian opposition, she is committed to the fight against the political oppression imposed by Alexander Lukashenko.