Rotary Peace Conference

Rotary Peace conference 2025: “The Building Blocks of Peace”

A full-day conference at DCU All Hallows on 5th April drew together Rotarians and DCU speakers, and community members. The day began with the Official Opening by DCU President Daire Keogh and welcoming Remarks by Verity Swan, Raheny Rotary. The first keynote, ‘Peace - A Common Purpose?’ by DCU’s Dr. Andrew Forde, explored the shared human commitment to peace, setting the tone for the day. Lesley O’Connor delivered a presentation, drawing Lessons from the Conflict in the Middle East, emphasizing the personal and collective toll of decades of violence, occupation, and displacement. This was followed by a presentation on peacebuilding efforts in Northern Ireland by Prof. Philip McDonagh. Easy Treesie charity, led by Orla Farrell, highlights how grassroots environmental projects of planting trees can have a huge impact on the schoolchildren and the community involved.

In the afternoon, the programme continued with a presentation on the symbolic and educational value of Peace Poles, delivered by Margaret Morley, followed by a thought-provoking talk focused on Conflict and the Right to Seek Asylum by Gary Daly and Cebsile. The day culminated with an Interfaith Panel Discussion facilitated by Prof Philip McDonagh, where representatives of the Christian, Sikh, Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim communities addressed the themes of fraternity, solidarity, and hope. The panel was as follows:

Philip McDonagh, Centre for Religion, Human Values and International Relations (chair)

Adrian Cristea, Dublin City Interfaith Forum 

Dr. Jasbir Singh Puri, Sikh community

Dr. Sheila Curran, Mercy Sisters

Adam Sabbagh, Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland and Discover Islam

Swami Purnananda Puri, Hindu community

Hilary Abrahamson, Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation

Imran Haider, Shia community 

The event concluded with a closing reflection and an interactive debrief, led by Niamh Flynn