Hope in Conflict is an event tackling the situations of conflict all of us experience, either personal, national or international. Our keynote speaker is Padraig O Tuama the Leader of the Corrymeela Community, Northern Ireland's oldest peace centre that hosts visitors and volunteers from all over the world.

He says: Conflict is part of every day. There are some conflicts that need to be reduced. Other conflicts are part of the human condition. What does not help is ignoring conflicts – whether they are conflicts to be solved, or conflicts to be learnt from:The gospel texts are replete with dynamics of conflict: occupation; internal conflict between people about whether one should or shouldn’t work for an occupying force; conflict about the inclusion of others; conflict about the role of leadership and the role of popular voices.

Other speakers bring their stories from a variety of contexts: Jo Berry of Building Bridges for Peace: Finding our own humanity; Louisa Burnand of the Centre for Peaceful Solutions, who has worked with prisoners in Dartmoor: From Conflict to contribution; Jayme Reaves, a public theologian on the uses of hospitality to bring people together; Jude Taylorson, acupuncturist and student of Vietnamese Zen: Peace in oneself, peace in the world; two members of the Hilfield Friary Dorset on A Franciscan view of peace and reconciliation. The University Multifaith Chaplaincy is hosting the event alongside the SW Corrymeela group and will lead a discussion on creative working in a multifaith team. 

All are welcome, of all faiths and none.

Tickets: £20/ £10 students from  Facebook @HopeinConflictCorrymeela or https://www.corrymeela.org/