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"We the people of the United Nations,
determined to save succeeding generations
from the scourge of war…
"
Charter of the United Nations, 1945
Culture
of Peace : what is it ?
New brochure:
"Mainstreaming
the culture of peace"
As defined by the United
Nations, the Culture of Peace is a set of values, attitudes, modes of
behaviour and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by
tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation
among individuals, groups and nations (UN Resolutions A/RES/52/13
: Culture of Peace and A/RES/53/243, Declaration
and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace). For peace and non-violence to
prevail, we need to:
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foster a
culture of peace through education |
by revising the
educational curricula to promote qualitative values, attitudes and behaviours of
a culture of peace, including peaceful conflict-resolution, dialogue,
consensus-building and active non-violence. Such an educational approach should
be geared also to:
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promote
sustainable economic and social development |
by reducing economic and
social inequalities, by eradicating poverty and by assuring sustainable food
security , social justice, durable solutions to debt problems, empowerment of
women, special measures for groups with special needs, environmental
sustainability…
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promote
respect for all human rights |
human rights and a
culture of peace are complementary: whenever war and violence dominate, there is
no possibility to ensure human rights; at the same time, without human rights,
in all their dimensions, there can be no culture of peace...
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ensure
equality between women and men |
through full
participation of women in economic, social and political decision-making,
elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women, support
and assistance to women in need,…
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foster
democratic participation |
indispensable
foundations for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security are
democratic principles, practices and participation in all sectors of society, a
transparent and accountable governance and administration, the combat against
terrorism, organized crime, corruption, illicit drugs and money laundering…
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advance
understanding, tolerance and solidarity |
to abolish war and
violent conflicts we need to transcend and overcome enemy images with
understanding, tolerance and solidarity among all peoples and cultures. Learning
from our differences, through dialogue and the exchange of information, is an
enriching process…
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support
participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge |
freedom of information
and communication and the sharing of information and knowledge are indispensable
for a culture of peace. However, measures need to be taken to address the issue
of violence in the media, including new information and communication
technologies…
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promote
international peace and security |
the gains in human
security and disarmament in recent years, including nuclear weapons treaties and
the treaty banning land mines, should encourage us to increase our efforts in
negotiation of peaceful settlements, elimination of production and traffic of
arms and weapons, humanitarian solutions in conflict situations, post-conflict
initiatives…
Since wars begin in the minds of
men,
it is in the minds of men
than defences of peace must be constructed
"
Constitution of UNESCO, 1945
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