Project Group
»Changing the Munich Security Conference« e.V.

Unsere Vision ist eine Münchner Konferenz für Friedenspolitik – Our Vision is a Munich Conference for Peace Policy

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MSKv Side Event 2025 – Peace Experts as a Counterpoint at the MSC

Since 2015, we have been proposing side events as a space for reflection and learning for the international participants of the MSC. Our cooperation partners were or are in particular: forumZFD, APTE.

Our theme for 2025 is:

“On the Way to a Century of Tolerance: Don’t Shoot!
Nonviolent De-escalation and Peace Practice of the Global South”


We know that courageous civil society campaigns, especially in the Global South, have an impact even in mostly very complex situations of systematic violence, towards the emergence of resilient communities that renounce violence. The MSC participants from international diplomacy, politics, business and military, institutes and think tanks, as well as civil society are invited to engage with the successful practice of our guests and to learn how conflict resolution and de-escalation can be tested in their area of responsibility through empathy, healing and active nonviolence, and how humane, human security succeeds.

The following resource persons have accepted our invitation and will speak at the MSC:

Marie-Noelle KOYARA, Bangui, Minister of Defense (2022), Dialogue with the terrorist groups in the Central African Republic
Archbishop Martin KIVUVA, Mombasa, Chairman (2024) Kenyan Conference of Catholic Bishops, Prevention of ethnic-political street violence after the dismissal of the President
Dr. Sylvain KOFFI, Abidjan/Ivory Coast, international consultant in social and peace programs, founding member of the Pan-African Union of Peace Professionals, Secretary General of the African network and the political campaign “Rethinking African Security” (RAS).

Press release by MSKv and Sicherheit neu denken on the Side Event at the MSC 2025

MSKv Side Event 2025 – Peace Experts as a Counterpoint at the MSC Read More »

02/07/2025: Project Newspaper No. 20 on the MSC 2025

The new edition of our project newspaper is now available for you. This issue again contains many interesting and up-to-date articles. Here is a little preview:

“Dear friends of peace, in a time of right-wing nationalism and extreme armament, in order to be as fit for war as possible, the International Munich Peace Conference is once again drawing attention to the foundations of peace. Our Munich Peace Meeting has also made proposals on this topic (→P.3) and all articles in this project newspaper deal with the central question of peace in the currently prevailing politics, which are determined by the logic of war. Are voices like those of Richard D. Precht and Heribert Prantl still being heard (→P.1)? The fact that medium-range missiles are being stationed in Germany again does not even lead to any significant protests, and the repeatedly invoked raison d’état towards Israel is not questioned despite violations of international law and war crimes (→P.5). This makes it all the more important to support the goals of the ‘Rethinking Security’ campaign – also at the MSC (→P.10) – (→P.6). After all, the MSC itself has already recognized that the West’s double standards call its credibility into question, but unfortunately they continue to be applied (→P.9). Interviews with the CEO of the MSC, Benedikt Franke, reveal that the transatlantic orientation towards the USA under Trump will hardly lead to a European peace architecture (→P.11). Unfortunately, no sustainable contribution can be expected from the parties (election programs) either. This makes our commitment to peace all the more important!”

Don’t miss out on this issue!

Click here to go directly to the project newspaper:

If you prefer the English version:

We look forward to receiving your feedback on the content.

02/07/2025: Project Newspaper No. 20 on the MSC 2025 Read More »

International Munich Peace Conference

This year, the Peace Conference is titled ‘Foundations of Peace’. Renowned speakers, including Prof. Dr. Heribert Prantl, Prof. Dr. Hanne-Margret Birckenbach, Francesca Albanese, are expected.

Finding a suitable venue for the conference was particularly challenging this time. It is becoming evident that independent, dissenting opinions are being increasingly marginalized. For instance, LMU (Ludwig Maximilian University) cancelled another event planned for February 16th with Francesca Albanese on short notice. All the more reason to give the conference special attention again this year.

Details on the program, venues, and online participation can be found here: friedenskonferenz.info

International Munich Peace Conference Read More »

Peace demonstration on the occasion of the MSC

As in previous years, we support the AntiSiko demonstration as a signal of peace from civil society. In our own appeal, we elaborated on this: “With our participation in the demonstration, we aim to focus on creative and non-violent protest. We advocate for civil conflict resolution and for the reallocation of arms expenditures towards a sustainable, civil security policy, as currently described by the ‘Rethink Security’ campaign in its Positive Scenario 2025-2040 ‘The Role of Europe for Peace in the World’.”

The full call: Demo call MSKv

With our appeal as an invitation to all those who desire peace, we support the peace demonstration, which aims to (loudly) remind the MSC and the public of “Create Peace – Without Weapons.”

Opening Rally:
Sat, February 15, 2025, 1:00 PM, Karlsplatz/Stachus. Followed simultaneously by a peace chain through the pedestrian zone and a demonstration march. Closing Rally: approx. 3:00 PM, Marienplatz.
Further information about the demonstration: Anti-Siko Demo

Peace demonstration on the occasion of the MSC Read More »

Praying for Peace (Sat, February 15, 2025) – with the MSKv Project Group

“We pray for the participants of the Munich Security Conference, high-ranking decision-makers and opinion leaders from around the world, that they may promote peace through dialogue. We ask for God’s assistance for those who, through no fault of their own, must endure great suffering in the world’s crisis regions. Bless us, God, so that we ourselves may live in peace and become true partners for our neighbors.”

The individual prayer times are organized by religious orders, aid organizations, spiritual communities, churches of the ACK Munich, associations, and initiatives.

Date for “Prayer Chain”: Sat, February 15, 2025, 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Prayer Hour by MSKv & pax christi: Sat, February 15, 2025, 5:00 PM

Location: Bürgersaal Unterkirche, Neuhauserstraße 14, Munich

Information and further offerings for “Living Peace – Prayer for the Munich Security Conference” can be found here: Praying for Peace

Praying for Peace (Sat, February 15, 2025) – with the MSKv Project Group Read More »

Our Munich Peace Meeting 2024

The 6th Munich Peace Meeting (MPM), initiated and organized by MSKv, took place on November 29, 2024. The participants from the fields of peace science, peace movement, and peace work exchanged views with Dr. Benedikt Franke and other representatives of the MSC on current security and peace policy challenges.

Together, concrete proposals for the 2025 conference were developed. We are very excited to see what activities MSC has derived from this.

A brief report on the MPM 2024 can be found here: MPM_2024

Our Munich Peace Meeting 2024 Read More »

Thinkmail No. 45 on the MSC publication “But NATO – 10 popular myths about Putin’s war against Ukraine”

Dear friends of peace,

the Munich Security Conference (MSC) publishes well-founded publications to present the military-based foreign and security policy of the NATO states. Conference Director Christoph Heusgen pointed out to us in our last conversation the recent publication “Standard Deviation,” which deals with double standards and double morals of the “West.” And that in an astonishingly critical way for the MSC, even if the violations of the values of the UN Charter are not named with sufficient specificity.

The publication “But NATO – 10 popular myths about Putin’s war against Ukraine” is quite different, both in terms of presentation and content. It is probably intended to be a kind of polemic against the myths and conspiracy theories of extremists and populists, who bring these up in “the emotionally charged discussions.” According to the authors, politics and the public are “not yet practiced in dealing with war,” hence the “Zeitenwende on tour” campaign, for whose accompaniment this publication was written.

To ensure that this practice in dealing with war is as effective as possible, the publication uses a clear black-and-white representation: Each of the 10 myth claims is dualistically opposed to what is correct. One and a half pages of clarification with assertions and also emotional statements are sufficient for this, all with little and questionable reference to sources (e.g. newspaper articles). It seems that it is that simple!

The fact that a war always has extremely complex backgrounds, a conflict genesis that is often not even historically worked through, and that a schematic friend-enemy scheme is unsuitable without considering multi-layered influencing factors and different actors, seems actually trivial. Especially in a conflict that is related to the constellation of nuclear world powers. The meanwhile dominant “Zeitenwende narrative,” constantly repeated by Western politics and the media, therefore by no means represents the irrefutable truth and can equally be regarded as a myth.

At the MSC, an in-depth discussion of these connections, fact-based and with rational argumentation and with the inclusion of different points of view, would have to be conducted in order to counter the myths of any provenance.

What do you think? Do you think such a discussion makes sense? We look forward to hearing your opinion!

With peaceful greetings
Erwin Schelbert

Thinkmail No. 45 on the MSC publication “But NATO – 10 popular myths about Putin’s war against Ukraine” Read More »

We mourn the passing of Mechthild Schreiber, the honorary chairwoman of our association.

 

 

 

Mechthild Schreiber was very closely associated with our association from the very beginning, even though she was not among the founding members.

At the general meeting on 2015-03-27, she was formally admitted as a member, and at the general meeting on 2017-03-27, she was elected to the association’s board. She then served on the board without interruption until the general meeting on 2024-04-13, where she was unanimously elected honorary chairwoman of the association.

Among her many important contributions to our association, I would like to mention just a few of her most recent ones: For the celebration of the 20th anniversary of our first “Call for a Change in the Security Conference” in April 2024, she played a significant role in the preparation and also moderated the event. Most recently, in July 2024, we were able to meet at her home for a pleasant evening of political discussions on her terrace. A few days ago, Mechthild passed away at the age of 94 – quite suddenly and unexpectedly for us.

Mechthild was – with her sociology studies and her intensive engagement with women’s research and feminism – a clever and widely informed woman. We lose a very credible pacifist, a courageous and upright fighter for the cause of peace. Her dedicated contributions will be greatly missed!

In February 2021, Mechthild wrote in one of her regular contributions to our annual project newspaper – which she had also very credibly presented in a conversation with MSC Conference Director W. Ischinger:
“I know what war means, as I experienced it painfully as a child: the wailing of sirens that tore us from our sleep, the thunder of the FLAK, the anti-aircraft guns, the anxious hours in the cellar during air raids: will it hit us this time? Or will we still escape? The incendiary bombs that one night actually destroyed our apartment in Berlin, the familiar home of my childhood; the loss of my father, who never returned from a trip to our pastor, and whose abduction and death in a Polish prisoner-of-war camp my mother and I only learned about two years later… For many years, the people said: ‘Never again war!’ And today it can only mean: ‘Si vis pacem para pacem!’ If you want peace, prepare for peace!”

Further information on Mechthild’s life and commitment can be found via the following links:

In memoriam Mechthild Schreiber, Peace Activist

forumZFD – Farewell to a Peace Fighter

Listen persistently

Cultural regulars’ table with Mechthild Schreiber

The members of the “Changing the Munich Security Conference” Project Group e.V. will always fondly remember their long-standing chairwoman and honorary chairwoman Mechthild Schreiber.

Mechthild, we will miss you!

Munich, 2024-10-11

Thomas Mohr
Chairman

We mourn the passing of Mechthild Schreiber, the honorary chairwoman of our association. Read More »

06/25/2024: Thought Mail No. 42 – “War always begins in the minds”

Dear Colleagues,

If this statement is true, then the rapidly increasing militarization, as is happening worldwide, most recently at the Munich Security Conference, is certainly not the path to a peaceful future. Only jointly negotiated peace in all conflicts can establish true peace and thus security. How can this pacifism finally find its way into our thinking?

A thought experiment: Let’s just imagine that the Gaza war, with its boundless destruction and the unbearable loss of tens of thousands of human lives, is forever the last war between Israel and the Palestinians!

With international support, both peoples learn together to overcome the deep hatred (in projects such as Combatants for Peace, Rabbis for Human Rights, dialogue project Transaidancy), thereby perceiving the other, above all, in their pain as a human being. The traumatic experiences of Shoah and Nakba can become a bridge for each other.

“If you feel pain, you are alive. If you feel the pain of the other, you are human.”
(by Osama Ellewat, Combatants for Peace).

Because – according to Jeremy Milgram, Rabbis for Human Rights – “the only way to secure peace is to share it with others.” Perhaps it is now truly a radical act, after October 7, for Jews and Palestinians to approach each other, shake hands, and embark on the path to a peaceful future by beginning an extremely arduous reconciliation process.

At the same time, justice, human rights, and international law must become the fundamental principle: An upgraded UN as a protective body for all of humanity would stand for this strength of law (instead of the violence of the stronger).

Radical thinking? In any case, a challenging, courageous task.

However, a peace agenda of this kind probably requires an MSC with new content and different participants!

What do you think?

In solidarity
Christoph Steinbrink
Guest author for MSKv

06/25/2024: Thought Mail No. 42 – “War always begins in the minds” Read More »

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