Five Criteria for Lasting and Just Peace Agreements
Event Date: 9th May 2025
Location: Internet, 18:00 BST
The World BEYOND War Europe Network has an exciting calendar of events planned for May and June, both online and in-person! Here is what’s coming up:
A look at the most important peace negotiations and treaties in Europe over the past centuries (1648, 1815, 1919, 1975, etc.) from the perspective of international law shows that the most enduring peace agreements followed a set of criteria or principles, referred to here as the SMILE criteria: S stands for STRUCTURED / SERIAL; M stands for MULTILATERAL; I stands for INCLUSIVE; L stands for LEGAL / LEGITIMATE; E stands for EMANCIPATORY or EMPOWERING.
WBW Romania Chapter Co-Coordinator Hans Hedrich will present the SMILE principles, an analysis of key peace agreements in Europe in terms of their adherence to the SMILE criteria, and how the criteria could be applied to achieve a lasting and just solution to the war in Ukraine.
The subsequent Q&A session will subject the SMILE peace model to a stress test—critical questions are highly welcome! Remarks will be given by Yurii Sheliazhenko, Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, and Olga Karach, Director of Our House (Belarus), who will comment on the feasibility of the SMILE criteria based on their regional contexts and how we can chart a path forward for peace.
The WBW Europe Network invites you to take part in a series of peace events in Europe this June, which various World BEYOND War staff, board members, and volunteers will be participating in.
- June 21-22: The Hague, Netherlands: Join us for a counter-summit to NATO’s meeting in The Hague. The event will include panel sessions, cultural activities, and a demonstration. Following the counter-summit on the evening of June 22 we’ll have a special WBW Europe Network gathering to meet with other WBW members from across Europe! Hope to see you there!
- June 23-24: Brussels, Belgium: Join us for a peace conference in partnership with other European peace and anti-war organizations. More details to come!
- June 26-27: Geneva, Switzerland: Join us for the Neutrality Colloquium in Geneva! This forum seeks to promote active neutrality as a key strategy for global stability and sustainable development in response to increasing geopolitical tensions, militarization, and humanitarian crises. This event is being organized by: Global Veterans Peace Network (GVPN), World BEYOND War, Inter-University Network for Peace (REDIPAZ), International Peace Bureau, Transnational Institute, Colombia Peace Agreement, and Geneva Center for Neutrality.
- June 27-28: Ramstein, Germany: Come to the peace camp at the Ramstein U.S. military base and participate in the demonstration at the base! Ramstein is one of the U.S. military’s largest foreign military bases and is the headquarters for the U.S. air force in Europe.
For a world beyond war,
Greta Zarro
Organizing Director
World BEYOND War
[email protected]
World BEYOND War is a global network of volunteers, chapters, and affiliated organizations advocating for the abolition of the institution of war.
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