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Organization: The Goi Peace Foundation
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade?

YES. We observe that more and more people are asking themselves what they can do for peace and betterment of human society. There is a worldwide awakening of consciousness happening on the individual level, and that is the most important aspect in bringing about a shift toward a culture of peace.

The growing number of young people participating in our Essay Contest; increased opportunities to bring our work into the formal education system; and the expanding network of likeminded individuals and organizations are some of the indications of the progress made through our activities to build a culture of peace.

OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?

Key difficulties encountered include the following:

- Language barrier
The International Essay Contest can only accept entries in English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese, due to our limitations in handling other languages.
Having to prepare all our information both in Japanese (for our domestic audience) and English (for our international audience) is also time and resource consuming.

- Sharing our work with others
While we often have great material resulting from our Essay Contests, Symposia and other programs that could inspire and benefit many people, we lack the means to disseminate them widely.

ACTIONS: What actions have been undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?

Our activities to promote a culture of peace include the following:

- Declaration for All Life on Earth launched by the Goi Peace Foundation on the occasion of the International Year for the Culture of Peace is disseminated around the world to promote shared values and universal principles for a culture of peace. Symposia and lecutures are organized regularly by the Foundation and its supporters in various regions to promote the culture of peace in the context of the Declaration. The document is listed on UNESCO website as a "Declaration Relative to the Culture of Peace."

- International Essay Contest for Young People is organized annually since 2000. It has been held under the banner of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World since 2001. Each year, the contest adopts a theme relevant to the culture of peace, such as "Harmony", "Respect for Life," and "Caring for Our Planet." A Collection of Essays from the contest is published in a booklet.

- School lectures by diplomats are organized at elementary through high schools throughout Japan as an educational program to promote international understanding and cultural diversity. (Ongoing program since 2001)

- International Day of Peace Educational Program is promoted in elementary through high schools throughout Japan as an occasion to engage in education for peace and non-violence. The program is co-sponsored by the Goi Peace Foundation and UNIC Tokyo. (Annual program since 2003)

- Goi Peace Chair on Peace and Conflict Science is held at the Munich School of Political Science. (Ongoing program since May 2004)

- Public Service Announcement was produced and broadcast worldwide on CNN International with Message of Peace and Nonviolence from the Children of the World (2003)

- Creating Peace satellite TV program series is produced and broadcast biweekly to help build a culture based on spiritual values. A video series with the same title is also produced.



Pupils celebrate the International Day of Peace at Honjo-Higashi Elementary School in Saitama, Japan.

ADVICE: What advice would you like to give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade?

Promotion of a culture of peace and nonviolence is fundamentally a question of values, consciousness and will of each human being. We must deal squarely with the problems arising from human hearts if genuine world peace and human happiness are to be attained. It is time for the United Nations to seriously take up this intangible realm of work.

PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the global movement for a culture of peace?

We have created partnerships internationally and among various fields and actors. One of our mission is to promote cooperation among individuals and organizations in all fields, including science, education, culture and the arts, building a peace network to stimulate the global trend toward a culture of peace.

For example, we co-organized Peace Pole dedication ceremonies to promote a culture of peace with the following intergovernmental organizations (2001 - 2004):
ASEAN, OSCE Secretariat, International Organisation of the Francophonie, UN Office at Nairobi, OAS, League of Arab States, The World Bank Group, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, CIS, Pacific Islands Forum, WTO, UN General Assembly President's Office, SAARC, IMF, OPEC, IAEA, WHO, UNHCR, OHCHR.

PLANS: What new engagements are planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)?

In addition to the ongoing projects listed above, the following new projects are in the planning:

- Earth Kids Space will be launched at 21 locations across Japan to offer a place for children to gather after school and on weekends, where they can learn about peace and nonviolence, respect for all life and our environment through games, stories and interactive workshops. (Starting April 2005)  

- Lecture series "Peace Building in Today's World" at the Gunma Prefectural Women's University, Faculty of International Communication. Lectures offered by diplomats from various countries and NGO representatives are intended to offer education for peace building, cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. (Starting May 2005)

Postal address of organization

1-4-5 Hirakawacho
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093 JAPAN

E-mail address of organization

info@goipeace.or.jp

Website address of organization

www.goipeace.or.jp

Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace

Education for a culture of peace

Second priority action domain of a culture of peace

Understanding, tolerance, solidarity

Highest priority country of action (or international)

International

Second priority country of action (or international)

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Organization: The Goi Peace Foundation

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