Kyung Hee University System Hosts 44th Peace BAR Festival in Commemoration of the UN International Day of Peace

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The international conference - featuring a commemorative ceremony, roundtable sessions, and related events - will be held under the theme "The Moment of Chaos: Planetary Consciousness and Future Politics."

From September 19th (Friday) to 20th (Saturday) at Kyung Hee University's Grand Peace Hall and the Seoul Campus

The International Day of Peace Week is taking place from Monday, September 15, through Saturday, September 20.

The Kyung Hee University System (Chancellor Inwon Choue) annually hosts the Peace BAR Festival (PBF) to commemorate the United Nation's declaration of the International Day and Year of Peace, initially proposed by its founder, the late Miwon Dr. Young Seek Choue. At its 36^th session on November 30, 1981, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the International Day of Peace—originally observed on the third Tuesday of September and, since 2001, on September 21 - as well as the International Year of Peace (1986). This year's 44^th PBF, themed "The Moment of Chaos: Planetary Consciousness and Future Politics," will take place from Friday, September 19^th, to Saturday, September 20^th, at Kyung Hee University's Grand Peace Hall and other venues.

The commemorative ceremony on September 19^th will explore pathways to peace and coexistence amidst this era of chaos. Kyung Hee University System Chancellor Inwon Choue will deliver a commemorative address under the title "The Moment of Chaos: A Quest for Holistic Engagement." His address will reflect upon contemporary crises and future prospects while proposing new conceptualization of peace in this emergent era. Following the commemorative address, Professor Naomi Oreskes of Harvard University will deliver a keynote speech titled "From Global to Planetary Society: A New Pathway Toward Human Civilizations." Her speech will highlight the need for a planetary transition to move beyond the current global crisis.

Following the ceremony, a special panel discussion titled "The Moment of Chaos: The Future of Planetary Politics," will feature Chancellor Inwon Choue, Professor Naomi Oreskes, and Professor G. John Ikenberry of Princeton University and the Global Eminence scholar of Kyung Hee University. They will examine current crises facing humanity and explore the paradigm shifts in politics and civilization required to address them.

That same afternoon, the Havel Dialogue will highlight the spirit of Václav Havel, an iconic symbol of Czech democracy. The session, titled "Revisiting the Havel Spirit for Civic Values and Engagement," will feature leading international scholars, including Tomáš Sedláček, Director of the Havel Library.

Subsequently, a roundtable discussion, "Breakthrough or Breakdown: Planetary Consciousness and Transformative Politics," will gather leading global intellectuals and practitioners to explore humanity's trajectory at this crossroads of civilizational transition and envision a new global solidarity.

The speakers will include Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway's first woman Prime Minister, and Founding member of The Elders—a globally respected leadership group and the first recipient of the Miwon Peace Prize last year—and Paul Shrivastava, Co-President of the Club of Rome.

The Kyung Hee University System has designated September 15^th (Monday) to 20^th (Saturday) as "The International Day of Peace Week," featuring diverse events. On September 20^th(Saturday), a colloquium and a Youth Peace Forum will address "Climate Justice and Intergenerational Justice: A Road Toward Planetary Citizenship," fostering dialogue on the vision for a planetary society with younger generations. A variety of parallel events will also take place, including commemorative activities for civil society and students, a digital short-form contest co-hosted by Kyung Hee University-affiliated institutions, global citizenship booths, and a Humanitas writing contest.