The IIPSGP Audio Collection is available in CD-ROM & Digital (MP3) formats

More details of Dr Daffern’s work are on www.educationaid.net while his publications are available from www.lulu.com/iipsgp. The course took place under the auspices of the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy and all students, members and friends of the Institute are  especially welcome.

ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE MEMORIAL LECTURES 2009: A new lecture series started in Dorset organized by IIPSGP Director in March 2007, featuring the first of what will be the A.R. Wallace Memorial Lecture Series. Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was the co-discoverer with Charles Darwin of the Theory of Natural Selection, and was an esteemed Victorian naturalist and scientist. He is buried in Broadstone, Dorset, where an ancient fossilized stone marks his grave. While there is already an annual Darwin Festival in Shrewsbury, and a huge industry of Darwin events, lectures and commemorative memorabilia around the world, as yet there is nothing commemorating Wallace’s work. Unlike Darwin, Wallace did not believe that the Theory of Natural Selection was a complete explanation for the evolution of human psychology. He was keenly interested in the phenomenology of consciousness and spirit, and was interested in the observations he had made at spiritualist events, which he had attended. He was convinced that there were phenomena connected with human nature, which could only be explained by reference to some kind of supernatural or spiritual order of existence. He did however believe that these phenomena should be investigated with as much rigour and objectivity as the world of outer evolution and the development of different animal and biological types should be. He was also a keen social critic and wanted a world in which peace and justice prevailed – and he thought this was indeed within our grasp provided we seized our evolutionary destiny in our own hands, guided by wisdom.

The lectures will be recorded and published, both in a pamphlet form, and also in an eventual book publication at the end of every 5 years. The themes of the lectures will specifically address the following questions, all of which were dear to Wallace’s heart:

1. How can we reconcile the evidence of natural selection occurring in the natural world with some kind of spiritual explanation for biological existence?
2. How can scientific explanations for the nature of consciousness, connected with our understanding the nature of the human brain, be reconciled with more traditional spiritual explanations of the nature of mind and soul?
3. How can science begin to explain the nature of the survival of consciousness after death, apart from the survival of the physical brain? What implications does this research have for learning, memory, identity, healing?
4. What social and political implications can we draw from our philosophical, scientific and spiritual studies of evolution and consciousness: is it possible to develop towards becoming a more altruistic, less violence and more peaceful species?

The first A.R. Wallace Memorial Lecture took place at Poole Grammar School, which is one of the most successful schools in the West Country. Taking over as Head of the Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy I had long been interested in the work of A.R. Wallace myself and have been researching and teaching in these and related areas over many years. The first lecture took place during National Science Week, from 9 – 18 March 2007, on Tuesday 13 March. The inaugural lecture was given by Dr. Peter Fenwick, Prof of Neuropsychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital, University of London, and one of the world’s leading experts on Near Death Experiences, followed by tea and informal discussion, in the hall at Poole Grammar School, Dorset. Prof Fenwick spoke eloquently about his researches into the nature of consciousness, and presented evidence that the standard model of consciousness as a product of brain generated activity failed to take account of certain anomalous phenomena, such as telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, the premonition of death, near death experiences, and similar phenomena. Prof Fenwick spoke in detail about the life and work of Alfred Russel Wallace and the ways in which he had pioneered some of the first researches into such phenomena himself. Fenwick argued that perhaps the evolutionary thrust of mankind was now moving in the direction of evolving greater degrees of compassion and spirituality in our basic apparatus of intelligence, and that scientists in the future will be able to map in greater detail how our minds actually work on many levels of awareness and cognition beyond the realms available to scientific study at the current time.

The lecture was a fascinating exposition of both Wallace’s thought and also of contemporary research into the phenomenology of consciousness, presented by a neuroscientist and philosopher of consciousness of considerable expertise. Following the lecture, and questions from the boys and visitors, a smaller party made a brief visit to Wallace’s grave site in Broadstone Cemetery just around the corner from the school for a memorial toast in honour of Wallace’s life and work. The Headmaster, Ian Carter made an introductory speech and co-chaired the event with Thomas Daffern. There was some interest in the local press and the Evening Echo carried a full page article on the subject of the lectures. The event was well attended, not only by the pupils of Poole Grammar School but also by teachers, 6th form pupils from other neighboring schools, school governors and other interested educators and academics in the south west region.

The second lecture took place at Poole Grammar School in Spring 2008. and featured the Pots Twins, from Bournemouth Spiritualist Church, talking about Wallace’s interest in Spiritualism, and was attended by over 500 pupils and staff at the Grammar School.

The third annual lecturetook place in Bournemouth in June 2009 on Spirituality and Peacemaking – the legacy of Wallace and Darwin, and also commemorated the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth.  Please contact the IIPSGP Director for details of our current Alfred Russel Wallace lecture programme.

Telephone: +33 05 8756 5489 - Mobile: 07500 238523 Email: iipsgp@educationaid.net

Currenet lectures taking place in France at IIPSGP headquarters in 2017 are as follows:

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF PEACE STUDIES & GLOBAL PHILOSOPHY
European Peace Museum, 13 Grande Rue, Betete, Limousin, 23270, France
Tel.  +33 (0)5 8756 5489  Email:  iipsgp@educationaid.net or thomasdaffern@gmail.com

FRENCH AND EUROPEAN PHILOSOPHICAL THINKERS AND THE PATHS TO PEACE 2017

Master Seminar with Dr Thomas Clough Daffern at the IIPSGP base in La Creuse, France

September 25th – Ancient Celtic Gaul and the Druid paths to peace   
October 2nd—Bodin, Montesquieu, Saint Simon, Pierre Leroux, Raymond Aron and the Political thinkers path to peace
October 9th – Pascal, Descartes, Marie Curie and the Scientific Paths
October 16th – The French Jewish heritage and the Qabalist Path to Peace
October 23rd – Sartre, Camus, Heidegger, Hadot and Philosophical Paths to peace
October 30th - Postel, Doinel, Papus, Guenon, Faivre and the Esotericists’ Path to Peace
November 6th – Montaigne, Racine, George Sand, Proust, Victor Hugo and Literary Paths to Peace
November 13th – The Lodge of the 9 Sisters and the Freemasonic path
November 20th – Henri Corbin and the Islamic and Sufi path to Peace
November 27th – Monnet, De Rougemont and the pan-European path to Peace
December 4th – St. Bernard, Abelard,  Teilhard de Chardin, Lanza del Vasto and the Christian Theological Paths to peace 
December 11 – Lady Caithness, Edgar Schure, Eastern religions and Theosophical Paths to peace

For the Autumn academic term here at the IIPSGP we are pleased to present a series of talks and seminars on the following themes. Each week is set around the idea of “paths to peace” it is offered in the spirit that peace is a complex, multidimensional and therefore multidisciplinary task to track down. There is far too much "un-peace” in the world, not least in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Palestine/Israel.. and even closer to home, in the streets of many European cities.

Recently arrived in France from Scotland, IIPSGP is one of the very few academic research institutes in the world that specialises in the holistic and philosophical approach to studying peace, in all its complexity. This seminar series therefore enables us to transmit a master class, so to speak, based on some 30 years of thinking, writing, and lecturing in these themes.

The seminars are open to all when coming from the locality of La Creuse or further afield. They will be delivered in English and/or French depending on the language of the participants.

Please email or telephone first to pre-register attendance. To obtain a certificate of Peace Studies from IIPSGP, an essay will need to be completed at the end of the course, on a pre-agreed topic.

The venue for this seminar series is 13 Grande Rue, Betete, La Creuse, 23270, Limousin, France. The seminars take place each Monday afternoon from 3pm to 5pm., in the Autumn term of 2017, and punctual attendance is requested.

Attendance is by donation. Tea and biscuits will be served.

About the lecturer: Dr. Thomas Clough Daffern B.A. (Hons.) PGCE. D.SC. (Hon), PhD. is a philosopher, historian, teacher, poet, author, lecturer, musician, thinker, educator, consultant and peace studies specialist. His academic background includes degrees in European and world history (with political philosophy) and religious education, plus a long period of intense personal study in philosophy, religion and the history of ideas – together with over 30 years teaching experience in the same fields. He has also trained and practised in conflict management within communities and schools, specialising in multifaith and multicultural mediation. He is also a trained and experienced teacher in secondary schools, specialising in philosophy, religious education, history and citizenship studies. He was awarded his PhD from the University of London for a thesis which explores the history of the search for peace from 1945-2001 and which proposes a new field of historiography, Transpersonal History, as the best way to establish a rigorous discourse on peace among rival and contending spiritual and intellectual traditions, currently battling for hegemony on the planet. He is an expert in research techniques and methodologies on all aspects of history, religious studies, the history of world philosophy and transpersonal psychology. He has lectured in peace studies, philosophy and religious studies for many years at the Universities of London and Oxford, and has spoken twice at the UN Headquarters about the role of Universities in changing the climate of fear and violence on the planet to one of trust and wisdom-seeking. He is a founder and coordinator of International Philosophers and Historians for Peace and has worked with philosophers and intellectuals from many countries worldwide to help establish intellectual and spiritual networks for peace and goodwill. In 1990 he was elected in Moscow as Coordinator of International Philosophers for Peace, a specialist body of philosophers worldwide searching for peace and international understanding. He is Director of the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy(IIPSGP) which works across many academic fields to bring together all those with an interest in and a commitment towards the study of peace and philosophy on all levels of the personal and global and to applying the qualities of love and wisdom to the resolution of the problems and tensions of today's world. Dr Daffern is also a poet and Druid and Coordinator of the European Council of Druids, being the Archdruid of the Peace Druids of Britain, He is the rector of the Global Green University, and Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the Middle East, and is the author of more than 40 books which can be found here: www.lulu.com/iipsgp. He is an expert in the philosophical and theological aspects of peacebuilding and mediation and had taught and lectured all over the planet in over 30 countries. He has been living in La Creuse since March 2017, believing that Europe is best facing the problems of the contemporary world as a united continent, promoting international peace and reconciliation.

INSTITUT INTERNATIONAL DES ÉTUDES DE PAIX ET PHILOSOPHIE MONDIALE
Musée Européen de la Paix, 13 Grande Rue, Betete, Limousin, 23270, France
Tel.  +33 (0)5 8756 5489  Email:  iipsgp@educationaid.net or thomasdaffern@gmail.com

LES PENSEURS PHILOSOPHIQUES FRANÇAIS ET EUROPÉENS ET LES CHEMINS À LA PAIX 2017

Séminaire principal avec le Dr Thomas Clough Daffern à la base de l'IIPSGP à La Creuse, en France
25 septembre - Ancienne Gaule Celtique et les chemins druides vers la paix
2 octobre - Bodin, Montesquieu, Saint Simon, Pierre Leroux, Raymond Aron et les penseurs politiques, chemin vers la paix
9 octobre - Pascal, Descartes, Marie Curie et les chemins scientifiques
16 octobre - L'héritage juif français et le chemin Qabaliste vers la paix
23 octobre - Sartre, Camus, Heidegger, Hadot et chemins philosophiques à la paix
30 octobre - Postel, Doinel, Papus, Guenon, Faivre et le Chemin des Esoteristes à la Paix
6 novembre - Montaigne, Racine, George Sand, Proust, Victor Hugo et chemins littéraires vers la paix
13 novembre - La loge des 9 sœurs et le chemin maçonnique
20 novembre - Henri Corbin et le chemin islamique et soufis vers la paix
27 novembre - Monnet, De Rougemont et le chemin paneuropéen vers la paix
4 décembre - Saint-Bernard, Abelard, Teilhard de Chardin, Lanza del Vasto et les chemins théologiques chrétiens à la paix
11 décembre - Lady Caithness, Edgar Schure, les religions orientales et les voies théosophiques à la paix

Pour le terme académique d'automne ici à l'IIPSGP, nous sommes heureux de présenter une série de conférences et de séminaires sur les thèmes suivants. Chaque semaine se concentre sur l'idée de «chemin vers la paix», il est proposé dans l'esprit que la paix est une tâche complexe, multidimensionnelle et donc multidisciplinaire à suivre. Il y a beaucoup trop de "non-paix" dans le monde, notamment en Syrie, en Irak, en Ukraine, en Afghanistan, en Palestine / Israël ... et même plus près de la maison, dans les rues de nombreuses villes européennes. Arrivé récemment en France en provenance d'Écosse, l'IIPSGP est l'un des rares instituts de recherche universitaire au monde spécialisé dans l'approche holistique et philosophique de l'étude de la paix, dans toute sa complexité. Cette série de séminaire nous permet donc de transmettre une classe de base, pour ainsi dire, sur la base de quelque 30 ans de réflexion, d'écriture et de conférences sur ces thèmes. Les séminaires sont ouverts à tous en provenance de la localité de La Creuse ou plus loin. Ils seront livrés en anglais et / ou en français selon la langue des participants. Veuillez envoyer par courrier électronique ou par téléphone d'abord pour pré-enregistrer la présence. Pour obtenir un certificat d'études de la paix de l'IIPSGP, un essai devra être terminé à la fin du cours, sur un sujet pré-convenu. Le lieu de cette série de séminaires est 13 Grande Rue, Betete, La Creuse, 23270, Limousin, France. Les séminaires ont lieu chaque lundi après-midi de 15h à 17h., Au terme d'automne 2017, et une participation ponctuelle est demandée. La présence se fait par donation. Le thé et les biscuits seront servis. Le musée est également destiné aux visites du mardi au samedi après-midi. À propos du conférencier: Dr Thomas Clough Daffern B.A. (Hons.) PGCE. D.SC. (Hon), Ph.D. est un philosophe, un historien, un enseignant, un poète, un auteur, un conférencier, un musicien, un penseur, un éducateur, un consultant et un spécialiste de l'étude de la paix. Ses antécédents académiques comprennent des diplômes en histoire européenne et mondiale (avec philosophie politique) et éducation religieuse, ainsi qu'une longue période d'étude personnelle intense en philosophie, en religion et l'histoire des idées - avec plus de 30 ans d'expérience dans les mêmes domaines. Il a également formé et pratiqué dans la gestion des conflits au sein des communautés et des écoles, spécialisé dans la médiation multifacétique et multiculturelle. Il est également un enseignant formé et expérimenté dans les écoles secondaires, spécialisé en philosophie, en éducation religieuse, en histoire et en études de citoyenneté. Il a reçu son doctorat de l'Université de Londres pour une thèse qui explore l'histoire de la recherche de la paix de 1945 à 2001 et qui propose un nouveau domaine de l'historiographie, l'Histoire transpersonnelle, comme le meilleur moyen d'établir un discours rigoureux sur la paix parmi des traditions spirituelles et intellectuelles rivales et concurrentes, luttant actuellement contre l'hégémonie sur la planète. Il est expert en techniques de recherche et méthodologies sur tous les aspects de l'histoire, des études religieuses, l'histoire de la philosophie mondiale et la psychologie transpersonnelle. Il a enseigné pendant de nombreuses années des études de paix, de la philosophie et des études religieuses aux universités de Londres et d'Oxford et a parlé deux fois au quartier général de l'ONU sur le rôle des universités dans la transformation du climat de peur et de violence sur la planète par une confiance et la recherche de la sagesse. Il est fondateur et coordinateur de Philosophes et historiens internationaux pour la paix et a travaillé avec des philosophes et des intellectuels de nombreux pays du monde entier pour aider à établir des réseaux intellectuels et spirituels pour la paix et la bonne volonté. En 1990, il a été élu à Moscou en tant que coordinateur des Philosophes internationaux pour la paix, un corps spécialisé de philosophes à travers le monde à la recherche de la paix et de la compréhension internationale. Il est Directeur de l'Institut International d'Études de la Paix et de la Philosophie Globale (IIPSGP) qui travaille dans de nombreux domaines universitaires pour rassembler tous ceux qui s'intéressent et s'engagent à étudier la paix et la philosophie à tous les niveaux de l'environnement personnel et mondial. à appliquer les qualités d'amour et de sagesse à la résolution des problèmes et des tensions du monde d'aujourd'hui. Le docteur Daffern est également poète et druide et coordinateur du Conseil européen des druides, étant l'archiduque des Druides de la Grande Bretagne,  il est le recteur de l'université verte mondiale et président de la Commission de la vérité et de la réconciliation pour le Moyen-Orient, et est l'auteur de plus de 40 livres qui peuvent être trouvés ici: www.lulu.com/iipsgp. Il est expert dans les aspects philosophiques et théologiques de la consolidation de la paix et de la médiation et a enseigné dans toute la planète dans plus de 30 pays. Il vit à La Creuse depuis mars 2017 après avoir quitté le Royaume-Uni en désaccord avec l'idée de Brexit, croyant que l'Europe est le mieux confrontée aux problèmes du monde contemporain en tant que continent uni, en promouvant la paix et la réconciliation internationales, par la sagesse et la science.