Apply for GPW22

The ninth edition of Geneva Peace Week (GPW) is proud to launch its call for applications. Geneva Peace Week is a leading annual forum in the international peacebuilding calendar in which organizations in Geneva and their international partners come together to share knowledge and practice on a diverse range of topics relating to the promotion of peace across contexts and disciplines.

Geneva Peace Week 2022 will take place both in-person and also online. GPW will seek to create an increased number of spaces for physical, in-person meetings for professionals who are able to attend in Geneva (up to 15). Meanwhile, recognizing that GPW has reached new audiences, the forum will also prioritize the participation of attendees who are based in cities outside of Geneva (over 70% of participants in 2021). There will be an opportunity to participate as an organizer of a Workshop or a Digital Series production. The Selection Committee will accept the highest quality of applications for approximately 25 workshops (up to 15 in-person), and 25 contributions to the adapted Digital Series. The thematic tracks will be the same for both Workshops and for the Digital Series.

Please read through the Application Criteria document carefully to learn more about the thematic tracks for GPW22, the different ways in which organizations can participate, the application criteria, and how to apply.

Thematic Direction

The overarching theme of GPW22 is ‘Peace is Possible'. Geneva Peace Week 2022 will continue to build upon the thematic discussions that emerged in 2021, while creating spaces for contextualizing and discussing recent local and geopolitical developments, and how they impact the work of those working towards a more peaceful and just society globally. The thematic tracks for GPW22 have been developed and adjusted to build upon discussions from 2021, and to take them a step further. 

The organizing consortium proposes the following thematic tracks to guide content and conversation at GPW22:

1. Confronting inequalities and advancing inclusion, peace, and SDG16

2. Moving beyond securitization: Risk management and new horizons for peacebuilding

3. The Power and Limits of Innovation in Peacebuilding

4. Containing the fallout: environmental challenges and opportunities for peace in a new age of insecurity

2022 Workshops (Online and In-person)

These 90 minute sessions will take place online and in-person. They should be practitioner-led and facilitated with a high degree of interactivity, aimed at offering participants the opportunity to exchange and share knowledge, good practice, and peacebuilding skills to apply in their daily work. Information can be presented by speakers, however it is encouraged that input from speakers be no more than 50% of the session time (and preferably less). Selections will prioritize the most innovative and interactive workshop approaches.

The application forms will be completed in a way that ensures that every workshop submission is online-ready, but with the extra opportunity to indicate a) whether the organizer would be interested in running the workshop in person, b) why the workshop would be suitable for an in-person format and c) whether the organizer is able to take responsibility for ensuring that all speakers are available and present in Geneva during GPW. Please note that only up to 15 in-person events will take place during GPW22, and that this will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

2022 Digital Series

This will feature contributions in which organizers develop their peacebuilding expertise, research, and stories into short, educational and digital formats (videos, podcasts, and other media). An adaptation for the 2022 Digital Series will be that it will place a focus on information-sharing that is concise, but in-depth, with the goal of educating online audiences on peacebuilding topics related to GPW22. This content will be released to the public ahead of Geneva Peace Week (approximately 2-4 weeks in advance).  

In 2022, the Digital Series contributions will be 15 minutes long maximum, and recorded panel discussions will no longer be included. The only Digital Series format that will have the possibility to be longer will be the documentary format (60 minutes). The Digital Series will be broadcasted on the GPW website and major streaming platforms (including YouTube and Spotify etc.) The Digital Series offers an opportunity for contributions to the frontline work of peace to continue beyond Geneva Peace Week, across geographical, cultural and temporal borders.

To view a full breakdown of the Digital Series, view the Digital Series Guidance note. 

Please read through the Application Criteria document, which includes detailed guidelines on the GPW22 application process and the selection criteria.