NEW: Flagship Report of the Halving Global Violence Task Force

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July 17, 2024 | 10:00–11:30 a.m. (ET) | 777 United Nations Plaza, 8th FL, New York, NY

Amid the economic, climate and health crises, as well as rapidly evolving socio-economic contexts, and escalating conflicts, societies are seemingly facing a new major threat: fragmentation. Polarization has increased in almost every region since 2005, and the Edelman Barometer reveals a widespread belief across 28 countries that the social fabric holding countries together has grown too weak to serve as a foundation for unity and common purpose. Confidence in our ability to collectively address climate change, resolve conflicts, and achieve sustainable development for all is eroded when it seems virtually impossible to build consensus, even on the most fundamental aspects of decision-making. Making matters worse is the widespread distrust towards societal leaders in government, media, business, and non-governmental organizations.

While there is no single solution to these problems, there are actionable strategies and dedicated people already working towards addressing these challenges.
Join us for a high-level discussion on the sidelines of the 2024 High-Level Political Forum, hosted by Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies and supported by the governments of Bangladesh, Canada, and Czechia, where we will hear from those committed to building inclusive, peaceful, and just societies as they share timely lessons and effective strategies. This gathering will bring stakeholders from various sectors together to address polarization and fragmentation—and foster a policy framework to bridge divides and foster resilient communities.

Objectives

  • To address vulnerabilities: Understand what makes societies, communities, and individuals susceptible to divisive and polarizing narratives. This includes the connections between societal inequalities and power imbalances, growing distrust, and the lack of independent and diverse media and information ecosystems.
  • To promote solutions: Develop diverse approaches and a comprehensive framework that feed into effective and inclusive governance principles, drawing lessons from different fields (tech- policy, peace-building, social dialogue tools, media), cultures, and contexts.
  • To foster dialogue and collaboration: Bring together relevant actors across contexts and disciplines to discuss what it would take to craft a resilient global strategy that propels us toward achieving SDG16+.

Speakers

  • Ambassador Martin Kimani, PhD, Executive Director, New York University’s Center on International Cooperation
  • H.E. Ms. Kenyeh Barla, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Sierra Leone [TBC]
  • H.E. Mr. Petr Hladík, Minister of Environment, Czechia
  • H.E. Mr. Md. Akhter Hossain, Principal Coordinator (SDGs), Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh
  • Ms. Tonia Ries, Executive Director of the Edelman Trust Barometer
  • Dr. Rosana Pinheiro Machado, Professor in the School of Geography at University College Dublin (UCD) and director of the Digital Economy and Extreme Politics Lab (DeepLab)
  • Ms. Luz Mely Reyes, Journalist and Director and co-Founder of Efecto Cocuyo
  • Mr. Merle Mcgee, President and CEO, Everyday Democracy
  • Mrs. Alissa Wahid, Founder, Gusdurian Network Indonesia (GNI)
  • Dr. Daniel Rogers, Adjunct Assistant Professor, NYU Center for Global Affairs, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index
  • Ms. Raquel Jesse, Program Officer, New York University’s Center for International Cooperation

RSVP by Friday, July 12

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