History of the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP)

The International Network of Peace Museums (INPM) began in 1992, changed its name to the
International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP) in 2005, and became a membership organization in 2008.
Click here for peace museums around the world. Click here for museums for peace in the USA & Canada.

Photos from conferences in 2005 and 2008:

Group Photograph May 2005: 5th Conference in Gernika (Spain)	Group Photograph October 2008: 6th Conference in Kyoto (Japan)
Ikuro Anzai, Peter van den Dungen & Iratxe Momoitio May 2005: 5th Conference in Gernika (Spain)	Peter van den Dungen, Kazuyo Yamane & Edward Lollis October 2008: 6th Conference in Kyoto (Japan)

Chronology of the INPM and INMP:

Right click image to enlarge.

September 10-12, 1992 - 1st International Conference of Peace Museums, in Bradford (England). Convened by the British Quaker charity "Give Peace a Chance" in association with the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford. Over 30 peace museums from 10 countries (including Australia, Japan & USA) exchanged experiences and made a start on future cooperation. The International Network of Peace Museums (INPM) was launched during or soon after this conference. In late 1998 The Peace Museum (qv) opened in Bradford. Click here for "Bringing Peace to People," a report on this conference.

1995 - "Peace Museums Worldwide,". Edited by Peter van den Dungen & others. Published by United Nations Publications on Peace, Geneva (Switzerland). "League of Nations Archives, Geneva, in Association with the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford," 57 pages + annex on UN publications. Describes 50 museums & museum projects in 14 countries. Contains texts by Pierre Pelou, Ursula-Maria Ruser & Peter van den Dungen.

August 1995 - 2nd International Conference of Peace Museums, International Network of Peace Museums (INMP), at the European University Center for Peace Studies (EPU), Burg Schlaining, Rochusplatz 1, A-7461 Stadtschlaining, Bergenland (Austria). Hosted by Dr. Gerald Mader. In 2001 Burg Schlaining became the home of the Europäische Museum für den Frieden / European Museum for Peace (qv). Right image courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek.

1998 - "Peace Museums Worldwide,". Edited by Peter van den Dungen & others. Published by United Nations Publications on Peace, Geneva (Switzerland). "League of Nations Archives, Geneva, in Association with the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford," 79 pages + annex on UN publications. Describes 62 museums & museum projects in 16 countries. Contains texts by Vladimir Petrovsky, Ursula-Maria Ruser, Peter van den Dungen & Anatoly Ionesov.

November 1998 - 3rd International Conference of Peace Museums, International Network of Peace Museums (INPM), in Osaka and Kyoto (Japan). Arranged by Osaka International Peace Center (left image), Kyoto Museum for World Peace (right image), and three other Japanese peace museums. Conference theme: "The contribution of museums to world peace."

November 1998 - Japanese Network of Museums for Peace (INMP) was created at the 3rd International Conference of Peace Museums in Osaka and Kyoto. Click here for MUSE (the JNMP newsletter in English) from July 1999 to December 2000. Click here for MUSE from Janauary 2001 to date. Click here for results of a survey of Japanese peace museums in August 2001 by Kazuyo Yamane, editor of MUSE.

May 11-15, 1999 - Hague Peace Conference, The Hague (Netherlands). Nearly 10,000 people from over 100 countries (largest international peace conference in history). Held on centenary of the First Hague Peace Conference 1899. Attended by representatives of a number of European and Japanese peace museums.

May 2003 - 4th International Conference of Peace Museums, International Network of Peace Museums (INPM), at the IJzertoren Museum of War, Peace & Flemish Emancipation, Diksmuide, Flanders (Belgium). Conference theme: "From memories of war to education for peace." "IJzertoren" = "Yser tower" is named after the Yser River which formed the frontline during most of World War I. Image is the brochure for the 4th conference. Click here for paper by Terence Duffy, Director of Peace Studies, University of Ulster, Magee College, Northern Ireland.

May 1-7, 2005 - 5th International Conference of Peace Museums, International Network of Peace Museums (INPM), at the Gernika Peace Museum, Foru plaza,1. E 48300 Gernika-Lumo (Spain). Click here for a second website. Conference theme: "Peace Museums: A contribution to remembrance, reconciliation, art & peace." Click here for photos of the conference. Name of the INPM changed to International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP). Click here for presentation by Peter Van Den Dungen, University of Bradford.

2005 - "Museums for Peace: A Contribution to Remembrance, Reconciliation, Art and Peace, 5th International Museums for peace Conference Papers," edited by Iratxe Momoitio Astorkia, Fifth International Conference of Museums for Peace, 1-7th May 2005, Fundacion Museo de la Paz de Gernika, Plaza de los Fueros, 1, Gernika-Lumo, Bizkaia (Spain), pp. 479 including texts of 70 papers (in English, Spanish & Basque), photos & list of participants. N.B.: Papers are no longer on-line.

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October 6-10, 2008 - 6th International Conference of Museums for Peace, International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP), at the Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto University of Arts and Design, and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Prof. Peter van den Dungen.)--> Conference theme: "Peace Museums as Spaces for Creating Peace." Click here for the Report of the 6th International Conference. See immediately below for links to other on-line documents related to the 6th conference. Conference logo (left image) adopted as the permanent logo of the INMP.

October 2008 - Two publications released at the 6th International Conference: (1) "Museums for Peace Worldwide" edited by Kazuyo Yamane, Kochi University, Kochi (Japan), 89 pages (udates the 1998 directory), and (2) "Museums for Peace: Past, Present and Future" edited by Ikuro Anzai, Joyce Aspel & Syed Sikander Mehdi, 231 pages (18 essays). Both published by the Organizing Committee of the 6th International Conference of Museums for Peace, Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto (Japan). N.B.: Neither of these documents is on-line.

February 2009 - "Proceedings of the 6th International Conference of Museums for Peace" edited by Risa Ikeya, Organizing Committee, Sixth International Conference of Museums for Peace [October 6-10, 2008], Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto (Japan), pp. 282. Omits "Peace Monuments Around the World." N.B.: The proceedings are not on-line.

On-line documents related to the 6th INMP conference, Kyoto & Hiroshima (Japan), October 6-10, 2008:
Click here for pre-conference brochure (from Kyoto Museum for World Peace). PDF format.
Click here for pre-conference announcement (from Kyoto Museum for World Peace).
Click here for pre-conference announcement (from International Network of Museums for Peace).
Click here for schedule of all 9 plenary speeches (and all 14 plenary panelists).
Click here for schedule of all 69 special interest group presentations.
1st Day: Click here for 1st of 3 press releases by Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto.
1st Day: Click here for only on-line special interest group presentation (by Edward W. Lollis from the USA).
2nd Day: Click here for 2nd of 3 press releases by Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto.
2nd Day: Click here for only on-line plenary speech (by Dr. Kate Dewes from New Zealand). Word format.
3rd Day: Click here for 3rd of 3 press releases by Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto.
3rd Day: Click here for names of persons elected to the INMP Executive Board & Advisory Board. Word format.
4th Day: Click here for description of the exhibit "Art for Creating Peace" at the Kyoto University of Art & Design.
5th Day: Click here for history of peace monuments seen in Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima (and more).
5th Day: Click here for personal impressions of Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima (by the Rev. Dr. Clive Barrett from England).
5th Day: Click here for YouTube video of Steve Leeper performing Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind at the evening reception.
Click here for formal report about the conference (by Prof. Ikuro Anzai, conference organizer, from Japan). PDF format.
Click here for informal report about the conference (by Eleni Kotziamani from Cyprus).
Click here for informal report about the conference (by Satoko Norimatsu from Canada).
Click here for post-conference interview in Kyoto (by Prof. Ikuro Anzai, conference organizer, from Japan).
Click here for post-conference interview in Hiroshima (by Prof. Peter Van Den Dungen, INMP gen. coordinator, from England).

June 19-21, 2009 - Board Meeting, Geneva (Switzerland), International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP), hosted by International Red Cross & Red Crescent Museum. For a "brief report" on the meeting, click here. For a list of board members, click here

February 15, 2010 - Opening of Secretariat office, International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP), Laan van Meerdervoort 70 NL-2517 AN, The Hague (Netherlands), phone & fax 0031-70-3450202, email secretariat@museumsforpeace.org. Near the Peace Palace (in image). First Secretariat Administrator is Ms Nike Liscaljet. Welkom | Willkommen | Bienvenu | Bienvenida | Velkommen

May 21-23, 2010 - Board Meeting, The Hague (Netherlands), International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP). Minutes not yet available (as of July 1, 2010).

May 4-6, 2011 - 7th International Conference of Museums for Peace, International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP), hosted by the City of Barcelona in the new Centre Internacional per la Pau del castell Montjuïc / International Peace Centre at Montjuic Castle, Montjuic Castle. Theme: "The Role of Museums in the Transformation of a Culture of War & Violence to a Culture of Peace & Nonviolence." Go to the INMP website for basic information on the conference.

B U I L D I N G

November 2011 - Bertha von Suttner Gebouw / Building, Laan van Meerdervoort 70, The Hague (Netherlands). Existing building renamed by Alderman De Jong. "Bertha von Suttner [1843-1914] was in The Hague for the inauguration of the Peace Palace in 1913. In the evening, she held debates about world peace in the Kurhaus Hotel. The Hague was her city. On the eve of World War, she implored the world to peace. She already called for an international organization that would act as war threatened." The building houses "smaller international organizations" such as Equalinrights, European Association of History Educators (EUROCLIO), Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP), Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC), United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY) & Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization (UNPO).

2012 - "Museums for Peace: Transforming Cultures" edited by Rev. Clive Barrett & Joyce Apsel, Lulu Press, paperback, pp. 270, price $24.13. "The Role of Museums in the Transformation of a Culture of War and Violence to a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence." Papers based on the 7th conference of the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP), Barcelona Peace Resource Center, Spain, May 2011.

September 2-3, 2013 - Symposium: "Celebrating Peace Philanthropy and Furthering Peace Education - In the Footsteps of Andrew Carnegie," Academy Hall, Vredespaleis / Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, The Hague (Netherlands). Sponsored by the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP). Speakers: Tadatoshi Akiba, Colin Archer, Hetty Burgman, David Cortright, Robert C. Croll, Donald Ferencz, Steve Killelea, Edward W. Lollis, Hope Elizabeth May, Federico Mayor, Theodor Meron, Betty Reardon, Jennifer Allen Simons, Gillian Sorensen, William Thomson, Sakuji Tanaka, Peter van den Dungen (1st day chair), Rien van Gendt, Steven van Hoogstraten, & Cora Weiss (2nd day chair).

September 19-22, 2014 - 8th International Conference of Museums for Peace, No Gun Ri Peace Park & Museum, No Gun Ri, Yongdong County (South Korea). Theme: "Theme: "The Role of Museums for Peace in Preventing War and Promoting Remembrance, Historical Truth and Reconciliation." Photo shows conference participants taken outside the museum on International Day of Peace (September 21). At far left are "Memorial Tower, its three- & two-dimensional depictions of the refugees of 1950 & two arches representing the No Gun Ri tunnel entrances." Photo courtesy of Prof. Peter van den Dungen. /// Right image is cover of 459-page pre-conference publication with texts of conference papers. Click here for PDF file.

April 2017 - 9th International Conference, Belfast (Northern Ireland), International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP). Minutes not yet available.

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