Overview

The “World without Walls” Project (2009–2014) was a five-year initiative implemented by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance for Human Rights & Global Peace (IPAHP) in partnership with international governance organisations, national governments, and leading academic institutions. The project aimed to advance dialogue and deepen understanding within the field of peacebuilding and reconciliation, with particular attention to its intersections with international politics and economics, human rights and arts & culture.

A key focus of the project was the role of cultural diplomacy in contributing to peacebuilding and reconciliation processes, including a systematic examination of its potential to support sustainable global peace. Through conferences, lectures, structured debates, delegations, visits and research-based analysis, the project underscored the need to advance the vision of a world without walls.

The project comprised annual high-level conferences held from 2009 to 2014, alongside more than 250 associated events, intensive week-long young leaders’ seminars, and extensive academic research activities. It further supported the establishment of graduate-level academic programmes, as well as professional certification and e-learning initiatives in the field of global peace and reconciliation. In addition, the project facilitated the development of a broad range of follow-up initiatives emerging from its networks and participants, aimed at sustaining dialogue and ensuring long-term impact at both local and international levels.