Just Peace Dialogue: Imagining Peace

On 16 June 2025, The Jean Monnet Chair on the European Union’s role in Security and Global Affairs (EURISGA) cooperated with the Hague Humanity Hub and the City of The Hague to advance a dialogue between academics, students, policy-makers, NGOs and peace activists on contemporary challenges of peacemaking, peacebuilding and dialogue. The event consisted of a round-table, breakout sessions and an informal reception to bring together participants from a wide range of backgrounds.

The Just Peace Dialogue formed the opening event of the wider “Just Peace Festival” – see external website for details.

Professor Joachim Koops participated in the roundtable discussions alongside Baukje Harmsma (Youth Activist for Peace), Shyamika Jayasundara-Smits (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Paul Klahre (United Network of Young Peacebuilders, UNOY), Lidija Zelovic (Producer and Director at Zelovic Film) and Alexandre Taillandier (The Hague Humanity Hub).

In his remarks, Professor Koops examined the European Union’s role and instruments in peacekeeping, peacebuilding and mediation and reflected on the significance of a value-based approach to European foreign policy and global governance. The balancing act between security and defence on the one hand (in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), but the need for strengthening internal democratic resilience, economic fairness and human rights on the other needed reinforcement and was at risk of sliding too far into military spending. In addition, Professor Koops underlined Europe’s failure in the Middle East and in particular its failure to prevent (and stop complicity) in the large-scale atrocities and human rights violations in Gaza. This is not only a serious failure of EU foreign policy in itself, but also undermines the EU’s alleged value-based approach to peace and security.

The round-table discussion included additional reflections on individual approaches to peace, the importance of civil society approaches as well as institutional roles of the EU, but also OSCE, NATO and United Nations in the field of peace and security.

The discussion also included an active discussion with the audience, including policy-makers, civil society representatives, students and citizens. After break-out group discussions, the participants gathered for a reception and informal conversations at the foyer of the University’s Wijnhaven Building.