Podcasts
Episode Description
A discussion with Frances Namoumou, ecumenical coordinator for the ecological stewardship and climate justice program of the Pacific Conference of Churches. In conversation with Kevin Clements and Volker Boege, they discuss the work of Pacific Conference of Churches at a local and regional level in meeting the needs of those most affected by climate change.
Speakers:
Frances Namoumou is the ecumenical coordinator for the ecological stewardship and climate justice program of the Pacific Conference of Churches. She's an i-taukei indigenous Fijian woman, a Methodist and a social justice activist. Frances's current work focuses on the role and accompaniment churches provide towards communities faced with the dilemma of climate-induced mobility. She's co-convener of the Climate Change Working Group of the Commission for Climate Justice and Sustainable Development of the World Council of Churches Kevin Clements is Director of the Toda Peace Institute. The Foundation Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies and Foundation Director of the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (NCPACS) at the University of Otago, New Zealand
Volker Boege is a former Senior Research Fellow for Climate Change and Conflict, Toda Peace Institute; Director of the Peace and Conflict Studies Institute, Australia
Episode Description
As part of SGI’s Oceania O60, a peace symposium titled “Challenges to Peace in Turbulent Times” was hosted at the New Zealand Parliament. The event featured a thought-provoking dialogue between Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Prof. Kevin P. Clements, Director of the Toda Peace Institute as the world grapples with unprecedented social, economic, and political challenges, with conflicts raging from Ukraine, Middle East to Sudan. The dialogue revolved around the role of the United Nations and multilateral institutions in these turbulent times, as these bodies struggle to maintain peace amidst crises in the global hotspots. Both speakers passionately highlighted the global threat of climate change, stressing its disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. Another key area of concern was New Zealand’s potential involvement in AUKUS, the trilateral security pact between the US, UK, and Australia. They advocated for the country’s independent foreign policy and firmly opposed military alignments that target specific nations, particularly China. Clark and Clements warned against the dangers of "politics of fear," which they argued breeds polarization and stifles the pursuit of constructive, peaceful visions for the future.
The Peace Symposium was organised on October 4, 2024 by SGI-NZ, Toda Peace Institute, New Zealand Institute of International Affairs Wellington Branch, New Zealand Centre for Global Studies, United Nations Association of New Zealand, Wellington Interfaith Council and hosted by Ingrid Leary, MP for Taieri.
Speakers:
Helen Clark (ONZ SSI PC) served three consecutive terms as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2008, before becoming the first woman to lead the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where she served two terms as Administrator from 2009 to 2017. She was New Zealand's fifth-longest-serving prime minister, and the second woman to hold that office. Helen is a member of the Elder, a group of former world leaders who continue its call for bold decision-making on global challenges. She continues to be a passionate defender of multilateralism, and has played critical roles in support of nuclear disarmament, sustainable development and public health.
bKevin P. Clements is the Director of Toda Peace Institute, the Foundation Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies and former Director of the New Zealand National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (NCPACS) at the University of Otago, New Zealand. For several years, he served as Secretary General of the International Peace Research Association (IPRA), President of the IPRA Foundation and Secretary General for IPRA's Asia-Pacific region (APPRA). He was also Secretary General of International Alert, London; Lynch Professor and Director of Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR) at George Mason University; and Head of the Peace Research Centre at Australian National University.
Episode Description
A conversation between Ambassador Thomas Greminger and Toda Peace Institute Senior Research Fellow Keith Krause, the speakers focus on prospects for the future of the war in Ukraine.
Speakers:
Ambassador Thomas Greminger is currently the Executive Director of the Geneva Center for Security Policy. He joined the Swiss diplomatic service in 1990. From 2010, Ambassador Greminger was the Swiss Ambassador to the OSCE, the United Nations and international organizations in Geneva. In 2017, Ambassador Greminger was also designated secretary general of the OSCE.
Keith Krause is Senior Research Fellow for the Toda Peace Institute, where he is responsible for the programme on cooperative security and disarmament. He is Professor of International Relations at the Geneva Graduate Institute, and Director of its Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP). He is also Chief Policy Advisor to the Principles for Peace Foundation.
Interview recorded 26 November 2024
The Toda Peace Institute is an independent, nonpartisan institute committed to advancing a more just and peaceful world through policy-oriented peace research and practice.
Episode Description
A discussion with Carol Farbotko from Griffith University on her project that aims to understand what indigenous solutions to global challenges look like, with a particular focus on climate change in atoll countries like Tuvalu. With Kevin Clements and Volker Boege, the conversation explores the narrative of inevitable uninhabitability, habitability thresholds, and the impact of adaptation measures on the ability to stay put. To what extent are Pacific experience and philosophies informing decisions by policy makers and development partners, and how can climate change knowledge be decolonized?Speakers: Carol Farbotko is the recipient of an Australian Research Council fellowship held at Griffith University, where she's focusing on climate change and its interaction with social, cultural and political life in Tuvalu. Carol has worked with organisations such as the Australian Government's CSIRO, International Organization of Migration, UNICEF and the Migration Policy Institute. Kevin Clements is Director of the Toda Peace Institute. The Foundation Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies and Foundation Director of the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (NCPACS) at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Volker Boege is Senior Research Fellow for Climate Change and Conflict, Toda Peace Institute. Interview recorded on 30 August 2023