As an integral part of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, the Maison de la Paix houses various lecture facilities and an auditorium. It actively fosters synergies that drive innovative solutions to promote peace, human security, and sustainable development.
H.E. Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and immediate past chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, reflects on the organisation’s role in peacebuilding and regional integration. He examines democratic transitions, collective security mechanisms and economic cooperation as catalysts for lasting stability in West Africa. The lecture will be followed by a conversation with Geneva Graduate Institute faculty and students and a question-and-answer session that explores policy implications and pathways for regional cooperation.
In English.
Carol Graham delivers the opening lecture of the academic year, examining how hope and subjective wellbeing shape health, productivity, labour market outcomes and premature mortality. The talk reviews empirical evidence on hope as a distinct dimension of wellbeing, investigates mechanisms linking psychological states to economic and health trajectories, and assesses policy options to restore hope where it has eroded. Attendees will gain an evidence-based framework for understanding how interventions can influence individual and population life outcomes.
In English.
Julie Benzoni, Manon Heurtel and Jérôme Prouvost’s documentary The Tradwives of America examines the recent rise of the #Tradwife movement through intimate portraits and testimony. Focusing on Solie and Andre, a practising Catholic couple, and Enitza, a former tradwife who left after ten years and four children, the film probes how online conservatism shapes domestic ideals and challenges women’s autonomy. Concise and observational (25 min), it navigates ideology, family intimacy and the emotional costs of prescribed gender roles.
Manas: Making Visible the Invisible navigates the fragile coming-of-age of thirteen-year-old Marcielle in an isolated riverside community on Marajó Island. Built from years of testimonies and interviews, the film adopts a documentary-rooted, intimate approach to reveal hidden gender-based violence, structural oppression and patriarchal systems across Latin America. The narrative blends real voices and lyrical realism to trace resilience, memory and the social forces that shape childhood, offering a restrained but powerful cinematic meditation on visibility and ethics.
Swiss wildlife photographer Michel Roggo presents a photographic study of Lake Geneva’s hidden underwater ecosystems, from glacial headwaters to the harbour. Through large-format images and immersive compositions, Roggo reveals the lake’s ecological dynamics, the health and climatic challenges it faces, and the delicate biological balances sustaining aquatic life. The series balances scientific observation with poetic framing, inviting reflection on conservation and the fragile interdependence of species within freshwater environments.
Opening: 16 November
This seminar’s 12th edition examines Switzerland–EU relations amid great‑power rivalries, economic uncertainty and shifts in the European landscape. Discussions will explore Bilaterales III, Swiss neutrality, Switzerland’s role in the international order, security, sovereignty, resilience and European strategic autonomy. Contributors from academic, economic and institutional fields will take part in a morning of reflection and debate, offering comparative insights and policy‑relevant analysis.
In French.
Your password has been reset successfully. You can now log in with your new password.
We’ve sent you a password reset email to the address provided. Please check your inbox and/or spam folder.
Please check your inbox for a verification email to complete your sign-up.
Culture, curated weekly.
Event removed from your CoolAgenda.
