歷經五個世紀多次的戰爭與和平，「國家」的觀念和形式不斷演變。今日世界再不能退回昔日局面。而置身於這恐懼與不穩的時代，我們正面對什麼挑戰？當戰爭機器已足以摧毀任何國家的國防，我們可怎樣保護自己？本書回顧歷史，檢視1914年到1990年這場「長戰爭」，以及展望將來；它預示民族國家（Nation-State）的死亡與史無前例的新衝突的誕生。

不論虛構還是紀實，戰爭是媒體中經常出現的主題。 是次沙龍聚會邀請了三位嘉賓： 潘達培是香港電台紀錄片編導，製作了獲聯合國獎項的《孩子上戰場》(Child Soldiers)特輯，紀錄片重視的不是即時性，卻是對問題的跟進。 電影史上也曾出現不少以戰爭為題材的偉大電影，這些電影往往能帶領我們思考由戰爭引申的種種哲學與人生問題。影評人馮家明將為大家介紹多部戰爭電影。

“If I had known, I would be a locksmith” – A. Einstein, on hearing that the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. In 1945, the atomic bomb opened up a new era. Science has granted people a power never existed before. Science brought over 100 thousand deaths in instance in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Science has given the man kind the ability to destroy the world with little efforts. Prof. Chu will briefly introduce the scientists who contribute to the founding of this era, and their reflections on war and weapons.

Mr Simon Shen is Table-host and CEO of RoundTable – Hong Kong Avant-garde Policy Research Institute. He also teaches part-time at the Department of Government and Public Administration, CUHK. He teaches the General Education course “Terrorism and Anti-terrorism” this semester.

Drawing upon different sources from Europe and China, renowned scholar Prof. Leo Lee will talk about how war shaped the creative sensibilities of writers and artists in literature, film and music. The historical context was World War I and II and the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-45.