VIJAY MEHTA CENTRE FOR PEACE - Speaking Engagements

The City of Athens, following the widely acclaimed success of the 2004 Olympic Games, to which we introduced a strong cultural component, as well as reintroducing the ancient concept of the Olympic Truce, is now proceeding with the implementation of yet another international initiative: The re-establishment of Plato’s School of Athens under the title the New School of Athens.

The New School of Athens aims at becoming a forum of tripartite global dialogue, bringing together, in addition to academics, political leaders, and representatives from international governmental organisations, the business community and civil society.

This, the new ambitious project of the City of Athens, is in direct partnership with the “Global Governance Group”. It is, furthermore, actively sponsored and assisted by the Greek Government and H.E. the Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis of Greece, the President of the French Republic Mr. Jacques Chirac, and the Prime Minister of Canada Mr. Paul Martin. It is also supported by the Leader of the Official Opposition Mr. George Papandreou, the Federation of Greek Industries, and the General Confederation of Greek Labour.

It is our ambition to encourage a dialogue of global importance between opposing viewpoints, in order to address some of the most difficult challenges facing our world today.

	14th May 2008 6.30pm - 8.30pm Oxford Town Hall “5 years of war in Iraq: What role can the United Nations play in building peace and security.” Speakers: Tony Benn (former MP, Minister and President, Stop the War Coalition), Cllr John Tanner (Mayor of Oxford), Chair Vijay Mehta for full details view: leaflet
	23rd April 2008 Oxford Internationalists Society, New College, Holywell Street, Oxford University 'The Role of Global Institutions in Tackling Poverty' V. Mehta is the keynote speaker for the event
	19th April 2008 World Disarmament Campaign, Spring conference and AGM Wesley Chapel, London Theme - Nuclear proliferation V. Mehta is co-chair or World Disarmament Campaign (WDC) Speakers: Frank Barnaby (nuclear scientist)
	2-5th April 2008 'Athens 3' Third Annual Conference of the New School of Athens (NSOA) Athens, Greece V. Mehta is a panellist and speaking on 'reform of global institutions'
	28-30 March 2008 Exeter University Exeter United Nations Association Annual Conference Contact: Nick Branson, UNA-UK, 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL branson@una.org.uk 28-30 March 2008 Exeter University Exeter United Nations Association Annual Conference Contact: Nick Branson, UNA-UK, 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL branson@una.org.uk
	27th March 2008 The United Nations and Student Association (UNYSA) of the University of St Andrews St Andrews, Scotland The role of the UN in 21st century global politics? V Mehta is a member of the panel and chair of Action for UN Renewal Speaker also include: - Professor Oliver Richmond (University of St Andrews) - Dr Martin Barber, (former director, UN Mine Action Service, New York)
	25th March 2008 The Gandhi Festival of Non-Violence British Library Conference Centre "The Life of Gandhi" 6.30pm For full details see the enclosed 'Invite' and Booklet
	Date to be confirmed Oxford Environmental and Ethics Organisation 'Climate change, sustainable development and the role of the United Nations' Oxford University V. Mehta is the keynote speaker
	Saturday, 23rd February 2008 Action for UN Renewal AGM Friends House, Euston Road, London 'The Protection and Promotion of Human Rights and the role of the United Nations' Guest speaker: Geoffrey Robertson QC V. Mehta is acting chair of Action for United Nations Renewal
	Tuesday, 19 February 2008, 5.30pm Labour Action for Peace, AGM and public meeting Friends House, Euston Road, London 'Britain's special relationship should be with the United Nations, not the USA' Speakers: - Vijay Mehta - Tony Benn - Jeremy Corbyn MP
	Wednesday, 13 February 2008, 5.30pm UNA Leeds 'Reform of the United Nations, and the role of UN in peace and international security' The Rupert Beckett Lecture Theatre, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT V. Mehta is the keynote speaker

	Monday, 3rd December 2007 4.00 pm BBC World Service TV interview Interview with Vijay Mehta about climate change for the opening of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) in Bali, Indonesia. BBC Centre, London
	Tuesday 4th December 2007 7-9 pm Action for UN Renewal Bringing Democracy to Burma – What can the UK government do to promote and implement the rule of law and the UN Charter? House of Lords, Committee Room 4A, London Speakers include: Rt. Hon. Lord (Peter) Archer Q.C. Anna Roberts (The Burma Campaign UK) John Rowley (Gandhi Foundation) Vijay Mehta is chair of Action for UN Renewal.
	Tuesday 6th November 2007, 6.30 - 9.00pm Action for UN Renewal A Celebration of Jim Addington's Life Friend’s House, 173 Euston Road, London, NW1 (opposite Euston Station) Please join in your tribute to Jim. There will be tea and coffee from 6:30pm. All welcome. Speakers who will be contributing include: - Tony Benn - Bruce Kent - Jeremy Corbyn MP - Kate Hudson Vijay Mehta is chair of Action for UN Renewal.
	World Disarmament Campaign (WDC) Annual conference, 2.00 - 4.30pm, 5.30 - 8.00pm Global Security: New Challenges House of Lords, Room 4, London, SW1 Speakers

	24th October 2007 UNA-UK Lobby for the UN 2007-08 Foreign Press Association, London The lobby of parliament led by the UN Association of the UK, to promote dialogue between voters and parliamentarians about the UK’s contribution to the UN’s work in maintaining international peace and security, protecting human rights and promoting sustainable development. Lobby for the UN 2007-08 will focus on the role of the UK and the UN in: - achieving the Millennium Development Goals - finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - regulating cluster munitions - combating climate change - implementing the responsibility to protect Speakers - Lord Hannay of Chiswick, Chair of UNA-UK, the UK’s leading independent policy authority on the United Nations - Astrid Haas of U8, an international network of university students formed to support MDG8 - Laura Cheeseman of the Cluster Munitions Coalition - Tony Klug, a special adviser on the Middle East to the Oxford Research Group Action for United Nations Renewal were co-sponsors to the event
	13 - 14 October 2007 CND Annual Conference City Hall, London, UK Vijay Mehta is a member of the decision-making body of the National CND Council. For further information please contact: www.cnduk.org.
	5-7 September 2007 'Climate Change: How It Impacts Us All' United Nations, 60th Annual Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organization (DPI/NGO) Conference United Nations Headquarters New York, USA Vijay Mehta will be speaking on the following two workshops: Beyond Kyoto: Working Together to Preserve the Planet This workshop will address the need to confront the challenges of climate change by mitigation, adaptation and global cooperation. It will consider how new political momentum can be created through greater public awareness of the urgency of the issues. It will discuss in some detail how governments, the private sector, large NGOs and civil society at large all have a vital part to play. And it will show the essential role of the United Nations system in coordinating efforts, disseminating reliable information, and providing a framework for the negotiation, securing and effective monitoring of new global agreements. Military Wars and the Environment This workshop deals with the fact that the military is the biggest polluter to the environment in the form of remnants of war (land mines, cluster bombs, air-dropped bombs, artillery shells, grenades, mortar, rockets). They contaminate a wide area, are the cause of civilian deaths and injuries and create fear and trauma for the safety of civilians. Furthermore, the effects of biological and chemical warfare against the environment in the form of radiation, toxicity and air pollution are well known. It will also discuss the new protocol to the UN convention governing explosive remnants of war. It will look at civil society and NGO initiatives to have a total ban on weapons as they have lasting health and environmental ramifications. Contact details Tel: 020 7377 2111 Mobile: 07776 231 018 Email: vijay@vmpeace.org
	Thursday, 9 August 2007, 7.00 - 8.45pm Reforming the UN for the 21st Century Action for UN Renewal, Essex Hall, 2 - 6 Essex Street, London, WC2R 3HY Speaker: Joseph E. Schwartzberg (Professor Emeritus, University o Minnesota) Vijay is chair of Action for UN Renewal Contact details Tel: 020 7377 2111 Mobile: 07776 231 018 Email: vijay@vmpeace.org
	12th June 2007, 7pm 'The growth and importance of individual action and its increasing influence in the field of human rights and United Nations reform’ Annual Erskine Childers lecture Action for UN Renewal Friends House, Euston Road, London. Speaker: Kate Allen, (director, Amnesty International) Chair: Rt. Hon. Lord (Peter) Archer Q.C. Vijay Mehta is vice-chair for Action for UN Renewal
	29th May 2007, 8.00pm 'Is business intervention the most effective solution to poverty?' Oxford Union Society debate Oxford, UK Speakers Dr. R. S. Ram Wings of Hope Renu Mehta Fortune Forum Sir Stelios Easy group Craig Sams Green & blacks Sir Tom Hunter Hunter Foundation Chair Smruti Sriram Treasurer Oxford Union Vijay Mehta is a trustee of Fortune Forum
	14-15 April 2007 United Nations Association annual conference University of Warwick Keynote address was given by Dame Margaret Anstee Shanti and Vijay Mehta attended the conference.
	17 February 2007, 10.30 - 3.30 pm Trident Replacement? What do the Faith Communities of Great Britain say? Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament The chapel, Methodist Central Hall Westminster, London Speaker: Vijay Mehta on Hindu perspective of Nuclear weapons
	Saturday 10 February 2007, 3.00 - 5.00 pm Guns and Global Warming - war, peace and the environment Network for Peace Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London Speaker: Dr Stuart Parkinson (from Scientist for Global Responsibility)