19 November 2009
University launches unique Centre for Peace History
A visit by an advisor to the Nobel Prize committee heralded the opening of a new Centre for Peace History at the University of Sheffield yesterday (18 November 2009).
Professor Helge Pharo, from the University of Oslo in Norway, where he is Director of the Forum of Contemporary History, gave an inaugural lecture on the history of the Nobel Peace Prize at the opening event. As part of the lecture he also discussed the background to this year´s decision to award the prestigious honour to US President Barack Obama.
The Centre for Peace History will be producing world-class research, with the aim of engaging the wider public in Sheffield and beyond in our understanding of peace. The Centre is assisted by an international, inter-disciplinary advisory board including academics from Colombia University in the USA and Birbeck College in London.
Commenting on his visit to Sheffield, Professor Pharo said that:
"I am excited to have been invited to open the new Centre for Peace History at the University of Sheffield. The Centre is unique in Europe, and I am sure that it will go from strength to strength."
Professor Keith Burnett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, gave opening remarks at the event, which took place in the Jessop West exhibition space at the University.
He added" We are delighted to announce the launch of The Centre of Peace History at the University of Sheffield. All over the world there have been extensive studies of conflict, but this unique centre will bring together inter-disciplinary expertise on peace and conflict resolution with a wide-ranging international and historical perspective.
It seems highly appropriate that a University in a city which has at its heart the Peace Gardens should bring together academic expertise which will deepen our understanding of how peace is made and maintained, and share those findings with the public and official bodies in the UK and around the world."
Dr Holger Nehring, one of the directors of the new Centre who specialises in protests against nuclear weapons in Europe, said: "With this Centre, we intend to study how peace activists, politicians and ordinary people have envisioned and practiced peace in the past. We will work with school teachers and the wider public to develop teaching materials and other accessible publications that can be used in school and for an informed debate about the chances of peace."
Notes for Editors: The Directors of the Centre for Peace History are Dr Mike Foley, Dr Holger Nehring and Dr Benjamin Ziemann, from the University of Sheffield´s Department of History.
The advisory board of the Centre for Peace History consists of:
Professor Thorsten Bonacker, Department of Sociology, Centre for Conflict Research, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
Dr Garrett Brown, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield
Dr Wendy E. Chmielewski, Swarthmore College Peace Collection, Swarthmore, PA, USA Professor Michael Doyle, Columbia Law School, Columbia University, USA
Professor Renato Moro, Dipartimento di Studi Internazionali, Università Roma Tre, Italy Professor Helge Pharo, Forum for Contemporary History, University of Oslo, Norway
Professor Sasha Roseneil, School of Psychosocial Studies, Birkbeck College, University of London
Professor Lawrence S. Wittner, Department of History, State University of New York at Albany, USA
More information can be found at http://www.peacehistory.dept.shef.ac.uk/, which will be launched in the near future.
For further information please contact: Kyle Christie, Media Relations Assistant, on 0114 2229852 or email K.Christie@sheffield.ac.uk
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