Making Wars Obsolete: Pathways to Peaceful Futures

Wars have long been seen as inevitable, but in the 21st century they threaten humanity’s very survival. The destructive power of conflict is escalating exponentially — with autonomous military robotics, AI-driven warfare, and thermonuclear weapons raising risks beyond human control. At the same time, climate breakdown, ecological stress, political polarisation, and widening inequality are driving instability that fuels new conflicts that can spiral into an ultimate global war.

In this growing complexity, traditional diplomatic  tools — such as states-based negotiations and treaties — are no longer enough. New peacebuilding approaches are needed involving both state and non-state actors, respecting human security principles. What we urgently need is a new paradigm that aims not only to end wars, but to make them obsolete: building systemic conditions where violent conflicts cannot continue, empowering new generations of leaders, and scaling practices that normalize life without violence.

The launch of Atlas of Peaceful Futures Practices and the inauguration of the Global Peace Offensive Center in Maribor in Autumn 2025 mark two milestones on this path — providing both vision and practical tools to help shape futures where war is no longer an option. Organizations behind these initiatives – Learning Planet Institute and World Academy of Art & Science (WAAS) – come together with their partners in the joint panel discussion to explore conditions of building peace-based society.

Questions to be explored in the panel

1. Why must we urgently change our approach to peacebuilding — and how? What makes traditional approaches insufficient in the face of accelerating risks and instability, and what role can technology (including AI) play in advancing peace for all?
2. What conditions are needed to make war obsolete in the 21st century? How do we need to evolve governance, culture, economy, and technology so that war is no longer viable?
3. How do we empower the next generation to lead us toward peaceful futures? Which tools, practices, and global networks can equip young leaders to orchestrate systemic peace?

Presenters

• Donato Kiniger Passigli, Vice President of WAAS, Founder of The Global Peace Offensive
• Pavel Luksha, Founder of Global Education Futures, Associate Research & Lead of Peaceful Futures initiative at Learning Planet Institute

Panelists

• Judy Foster, CEO Stop Ecocide International [To be confirmed]
• Peace Monica Pimer, Founder and Executive Director, Nile Girls Forum
• Janani Ramanathan, Secretary General of WAAS, Senior Research Associate at The Mother’s Service Society
• Luka Martin Tomažič, Vice-Rector for Research at Alma Mater Europaea University, Legal Researcher for Columbia University Global Freedom of Expression