Fireside Peace Chats: Father Dionysius Mintoff
Join us for our latest Fireside Peace Chats event, co-hosted by Leiden University College, on 21 March. These events are informal, intimate discussions with global expert peacebuilders.
Join us in hearing Fr Dionysius Mintoff from Malta on how to work for peace at the global level. Fr Mintoff will share his thoughts on how to address the key challenge faced by the world. He will announce the International Laboratory for Peace in The Hague that will focus on dialogue, education and practical solutions for peace. Walk-in registrations are welcome! Simply arrive at the location, Leiden University College Floor 1.
In 2010 Fr Mintoff was awarded the inaugural FI Human Rights Award in Geneva, Switzerland and is a co-founder of Franciscans International. His Peace Lab was founded in Malta in 1971 with a mission for peace education. Today it also acts as a sanctuary for refugees and is a place of learning, inclusion, and acceptance regardless of personal beliefs.
Programme: 17:30-19:00 Dialogue
- Welcome Remarks by Robert Micallef, Lecturer Leiden University
- Key Note Intervention: Fr Dionysius Mintoff, Founder of Peace Lab
- Reflections and Q&A: Dr. Maja Vodopovic, Assistant Professor, Leiden University
Fr. Dionysius Mintoff established the Pope John XIII Peace Laboratory in 1971, following an appeal made by Pope John XXIII, who called for the world to reflect on peace. “As a Franciscan, and a Maltese who has personally seen the outcomes of war, I decided to open a space that advocates for peace education in Malta” he explained some years ago in an interview. And it is no secret that Fr. Mintoff had been hoping to personally welcome the Pope and show him around, during the Apostolic Visit to Malta that had been scheduled for 31 May 2020 and was postponed due to the pandemic. The Peace Lab runs an extensive adult education programme. It has its headquarters at Hal Far, a site that was originally part of the HalFar airfield which saw intensive air combats during World War II.