18/4/18 - The 2018 Pax Christi International Annual General Meeting (AGM) is being organised in conjuction with the association Centenaire pour la Paix marking the 100th anniversary of the First World War. The AGM is taking place in Arras, France from 19-22 April 2018. Located in northern France in the Hauts-de-France region, Arras was the only town in France to occupy a front-line position for the entire duration of the First World War. Because of this, dozens of places of remembrance of all nationalities are marked all across the region. This makes it a very interesting and meaningful location to organise a Pax Christi gathering and to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the end of the Great War with all the peace-related activities organised by the Association Centenaire pour la Paix, for the "Faites la Paix" (Make Peace) event.

Members of the International Board, representatives of Pax Christi sections from around the world, Pax Christi International representatives from international decision-making bodies (UN, UNESCO, Council of Europe, etc.), and the staff of the International Secretariat will all take pare in the AGM. 

In addition to the organisational meetings, the programme includes pilgrimage visits to WWI commemoration sites, an interfaith ceremony, an interactive program on peace organised by the Centenaire pour la Paix, a human chain to connect several commemoration sites (AM), and an overnight walk for peace. 

Pax Christi sections will exchange information and learn how our members are working on peace in their own context, and there will be presentations on international advocacy work, youth engagement, the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, regional projects and consultations, plans for the 2020 World Assembly in Hiroshima, interfaith dimensions of our work, and more.

You can follow the meetings and events on our social media platforms and at the hashtag #ArrasPeace and #Faiteslapaix. We will also post links to photos and other items as they happen on this page below.

• Click here for photos from Thursday, 19 April. Photos are from the morning AGM sessions and our visit to WWI cemeteries in the region where we participated in an interfaith peace ceremony. 
• Photos from Friday, 20 April
• Photos from Saturday, 21 April
• Photos from the overnight walk for peace with Faites La Paix, 21-22 April
• Photos from the selfie campaign for the Global Days of Action on Military Spending 
• Video of a French children's choir singing "Imagine" at the interfaith peace ceremony
• Click here to visit the Faites la paix website. Pax Christi International will be taking part in these activities during our AGM in Arras.