WORLD FORUM FOR PEACE 2026
The Culture Ticino Network Association of Lugano is proud to present the 14th edition of the World Forum for Peace, which will take place from November 21 to December 10, 2026, in various venues throughout the Lugano area.
The World Forum for Peace was created with the aim of raising collective awareness and encouraging the sharing of ideas, proposals, and concrete solutions for a fairer and more peaceful future. This year the Forum becomes even more special, not only because we are celebrating 15 years since our founding, but also because we have set ourselves an important goal: to create a space for discussion in which international law can represent the fundamental pillar for building a more peaceful world. The West is currently facing crises on multiple fronts and no longer seems able to defend the principles of international legality: numerous rulings by the International Criminal Court have been ignored by European governments. For this reason, we believe it is important to create a hub in Swiss territory that can serve as a place of rebirth for the culture of peace and human rights, hosting researchers, academics, and professionals who engage in discussion on the great themes of geopolitics.
The initiative aims to create in Ticino a stable point of reference for dialogue, exchange, and the relaunch of international law, focusing on strategic themes such as migration law and border management, the protection of civilians, energy cooperation, and the impact of new technologies. Swiss territory serves as a strategic base due to its cultural and linguistic position, its proximity to Geneva, and its traditional neutrality.
Funds raised during this 14th edition will go to support the Association’s charitable projects both in Ticino and in the Philippines.
Download the official flyer of the event (soon online)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2026, FROM 5:00 PM AT THE HOTEL DE LA PAIX
OPENING OF THE 14TH WORLD FORUM FOR PEACE: ROUND TABLE AND SOLIDARITY GALA DINNER WITH RENOWNED INTERNATIONAL GUESTS
You are all warmly invited to attend this special evening full of culture, discussion, and networking. This special first part of the evening will be brought to life by the “Swiss Accordion” Orchestra, conducted by Maestra Nadia Zanelli-Sartori, which includes more than twenty accordion players from all over Canton Ticino and the Italian-speaking Canton Graubünden.
After institutional greetings from local, national, and international authorities, there will be an engaging Round Table, moderated by journalists Lucia Vastano and Antonio Franzi — a moment of lively dialogue featuring contributions from high-profile speakers on topics ranging from Europe’s commitment to peace to major issues in international geopolitics.
This special edition will feature several new additions, and we’ll be sharing news of an important twinning partnership. The program has been enriched with testimonies from various international guests. We will, for example, have the privilege of hearing from Shirine Jurdi, an activist and researcher with over twenty years of experience in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and the promotion of gender equality in the Middle East and North Africa region; the Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Switzerland, Bernard Faustino Dy; and Associate Professor of International Economic Law at the USI Institute of Law and researcher at the World Trade Institute (WTI) of the University of Bern, Dr. Ilaria Espa.
The second part of the evening will be hosted by Maristella Polli and will continue with an aperitif, guest interviews, and plenty of networking. Attendees will also be able to visit the exhibition “The Cycle: Breaking Free from the Cycle of Violence,” along with other surprises, by Mario Brunner, a Swiss-Filipino artist, created in collaboration with our Association to celebrate our 15th anniversary.
The evening will conclude with the Solidarity Gala Dinner, filled with entertainment, guests, and important messages. The evening will be enlivened by talented singer Francesca Parrotta and guitarist Fabrizio Pastori, along with artists from the Mendrisio School of Music and Classical Arts
During the evening, our Spyri Prize will also be awarded — a significant recognition established in 2013 to honor individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves in promoting peace and human rights.
Limited seats available! Hurry to register — the cost of the dinner is CHF 120.00 per person.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2026, AT THE LUGANO CONVENTION CENTER — THE VILLAGE OF PEACE RETURNS BY POPULAR DEMAND: A DAY DEDICATED TO PRIMARY, SECONDARY SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS
To celebrate our 15th anniversary, we are delighted to invite schools to our significant “Village of Peace”, which reaches its 11th edition this year.
The Palazzo dei Congressi of the City of Lugano will be transformed on November 26, 2026, into an active laboratory of culture and action. Nonviolence and the Environment will be the beating heart of the day, to train future Ambassadors of Peace today. In a world that challenges us every day, we believe that education is the only true compass. We want to give a voice and tools to the citizens of tomorrow, because peace is not just a desire, but a skill to be cultivated from the earliest years. The Village will be a vibrant space where kids can get involved with small gestures with a big impact. The 11 Workshops on the agenda, carried out in collaboration with associations and professionals in the sector, will transform the major themes into concrete experiences. Here, the ideas, reflections and dreams of the participants will take shape, becoming actions for the future.
The day will begin at 9:20 am with the official opening in the presence of choirs and renowned guests. Two rounds of Workshop will follow during the day: from 10:15 to 12:15 and from 13:30 to 16:00. From 12:15 to 13:30 there will be a shared lunch, organized by our Association.
We sincerely thank the City of Lugano for its hospitality, the associations and professionals who will liven up the stations together with us, namely: Associazione Culture Ticino Network curated by A. Margherita Maffeis-Natale, the Rugby Lugano sports club curated by Diego Azzolini; Association for Sarva Seva Farms (ASSEFA) curated by Katharina Kindler supported by Pietro Tafaro; World Without Wars and Without Violence (MSGV) edited by Tiziana Volta and Dino Mancarella (pedagogist and andragogist); the Telephone Association SOS Childhood edited by Tina Mantovani in collaboration with Lidia Canonico (President of the La Sorgente Association), Dr. Myriam Caranzano (former director of the ASPI Foundation), Secretary Gioacchino Lo Nardo, and Andreina Lo Nardo (retired preschool teacher); Friends of Ticino for Burundi (AMTIBU) edited by Marco Barzaghini; Suzanne Palermo (illustrator and children’s author) and Pinuccia Soffientini (music therapist); Centro di Cultura Italia Asia curated by President Susanna Marino; the Naturinonda project curated by Alessandra Melucci; Associazione Mezanmi curated by Sebastiano and Maria Laura Pron; and finally, artist Mario Brunner, who will curate the exhibition “The Cycle: Let’s Get Out of the Cycle of Violence.”
You can find additional information by clicking this link: Village of Peace | Generations In the Hearth of Peace
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2026 – GRAND FINALE EVENT: SOLIDARITY CONCERT FOR PEACE, at the Church of S. Antonio in Lugano
The 14th edition of the World Forum for Peace will conclude with a concert in the evocative Church of S. Antonio in Lugano.
Once again this year, we joyfully invite you to our traditional gathering at the beautiful Church of S. Antonio in Lugano, where music becomes a vessel for the message of peace. In this evocative setting, we want to bring together all those who, like us, believe in a different future.
Admission is free, with donations welcome. Funds raised will support the projects of the Culture Ticino Network Association in Ticino and in the Philippines.
Three important artistic groups will enliven the evening of December 10: the Swiss Accordion Orchestra, the Otello Group of Mendrisio, and the Ticinese Songs and Costumes Group of Bellinzona.
The “Swiss Accordion” Orchestra is conducted by Maestra Nadia Zanelli-Sartori and includes more than twenty accordion players from all over Canton Ticino and the Italian-speaking Canton Graubünden. The orchestra performs regularly in various formations, and its repeated successes across Italian-speaking Switzerland — where it enjoys a loyal audience — as well as in the rest of the Confederation and abroad (Italy, France, Czechoslovakia, Spain), have given it a reputation for deeply rooted, carefully cultivated, and enduring musical tradition.
The Otello Group of Mendrisio was born on the occasion of the 1971 World Cycling Championships; only four years later it took on its current name, doing so to honor and remember Mr. Otello Sedran, a well-known and beloved figure in the town, and a promoter of numerous events and activities. The Otello Group is made up of 30 members.
The Ticinese Songs and Costumes Group of Bellinzona was founded in Bellinzona in 1923, thanks to the efforts of a small group of enthusiasts, in order to take part in the MUBA fair in Basel. Since then, it has worked to keep Ticino’s traditions alive, bringing the dances and songs of Ticino culture to squares across Switzerland and abroad for over a hundred years. .
We invite you to participate to all our events: it is only by staying “united” that we can make a difference and give a voice to all the innocent victims, suffering violence or living in war zones! Only “together” we can build a more just and peaceful world for ourselves “Today”, and “Tomorrow” for future generations.