From July 8 to 11, eleven scholars and one alumnus from Central and Eastern Europe came together at the Thomashof conference center in Karlsruhe under the direction of Markus Leimbach. The aim was to reflect together on central questions of peace ethics. The aim was not to find quick answers, but to reflect together on the prerequisites for a just peace in the midst of a conflict-ridden reality.
Many of the participants come from countries in Central and Eastern Europe where military violence, territorial threats, political instability and social polarization are part of everyday life. For them, war is not an abstract quantity, but a reality – be it through personal experiences of flight, through threatened relatives, through a militarized public sphere or through confrontation with moral dilemmas in a civilian environment. This direct involvement had a significant impact on the debate on peace ethics. Questions about attitudes and possible courses of action were posed from the perspective of concrete life situations. In the reflection, individual experiences met theoretical concepts – a field of tension that enabled intensive, sometimes controversial, but always dialogical discussions.
This personal resonance gave rise to an in-depth examination of peace ethics concepts from philosophy, theology and political science. The event began with a presentation by Dr. Markus Patenge from the German Commission for Justice and Peace. He traced the central lines of current debates on peace ethics and drew particular attention to the tension between normative principles and political realities. These tensions ran through many of the contributions and discussions over the following days.
A change of perspective was provided by a thematically framed city tour entitled "In the name of the people – Karlsruhe has spoken", which led to the highest constitutional bodies of the Federal Republic of Germany. Visits to the Federal Constitutional Court, the Federal Court of Justice and the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office opened up space for an examination of the legal foundations of democratic order. The focus was particularly on the interrelationship between peace, security and the rule of law.
The participants discussed key issues in four themed discussion rounds. The initial focus was on the importance of law for peace and the limits of legal procedures in dealing with social conflicts. A differentiated picture emerged of what can be considered "legal peace" – both as a normative framework and as a challenge for responsible action. The role of society in conflicts was also discussed, in particular the possibilities of civil society involvement in preventing and dealing with conflicts. Another focus was on the role of the media in wars and conflicts. It was discussed how reporting shapes public perception, what responsibility arises from this and how targeted disinformation in the form of "fake news" or "alternative facts" exerts influence.
In addition to the specialist impulses, the seminar offered space for spiritual orientation and personal reassurance. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Engel OP, spiritual advisor to the KAAD, accompanied the group with theological impulses and discussion prompts on the topics of peace, justice and faith. This spiritual offering was complemented by a church service and morning meditations by participants from Ukraine, Slovakia and Armenia.
It became clear that peace ethics gains depth when it is exposed to the tension between biographical experience and normative orientation.
Thinking Peace in Times of War
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Osteuropa, Aktuelles, Seminare, Veranstaltungen
Wars shape our present – not only through military violence, but also through their far-reaching political, social and moral consequences. Against this background, the KAAD seminar "Current challenges in peace ethics" was dedicated to the question of how peace ethics can be thought of and lived responsibly today in the face of ongoing violent conflicts.
