Symposium Constructing Peace through Public Space: What Publics? Whose Commons?

Cyprus Aesop International Symposium

The Goethe-Institut Cyprus is pleased to support the Cyprus Aesop International Symposium titled “Constructing Peace through Public Space: What Publics? Whose Commons?” taking place in the Goethe-Institut and Home for Cooperation, on May 30th to 31st, 2024. The symposium is arranged by the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) – Public Space and Urban Cultures (PSUC), with the scientific committee chaired by Socrates Stratis, Sebnem Hoskara, Nadia Charalambous, Sabine Knierbein, and Evangelia Athanassiou (AESOP PSUC members).

This symposium aims to examine the relationships between the publics and peace-building processes in contested cities, with the intention of answering the following questions:

• How do we create spaces for conciliation to transform conflicts constructively?
• How does the active agency of the urban environment support or cancel out conciliation processes?
• Should public space be taken for granted, or should it be part of creating common ground in deeply divided societies?
• What is the role of civil societies and bottom-up initiatives?
• How do commoning practices support the diversity of publics in peacebuilding and related planning processes?
• Can urban challenges of common concern regarding social-ecological transformations (climate and other crises) trigger such commoning practices, and how?

Through keynote talks, roundtable discussions, and a guided walking tour offered by AHDR and Home for Cooperation, participants will delve into the role of urban environments in fostering reconciliation. Additionally, attendees can engage in Critical Urban Play, interactive board games designed to address complex issues in conflict resolution.

The symposium is open to the public.
 

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