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 “[Tap the] potential of environmental peacemaking particularly as regards trans-boundary water issues. * Because of interdependence water can be a bridge towards peace building…. * pollution prevention and habitat protection benefits are long term - therefore cooperation requires 3rd party support.”
“Preservation of the Environment is most important and crucial to the future generations. Listen to the Indigenous and local communities in rural areas. They are aware of what is needed to preserve the environment. Wealth is dissipated in unfinished projects and studies geared to the choices of the donors, not to the need of the recipients.”
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
“Restructure the United Nations so that the distribution of power between the nations that compose it is more equitable and the UN becomes an example of democracy. “
“The promotion of a culture of peace during the next five years should be linked to community development and a real democracy in all the countries of Africa … It is well known that true democracy gives birth to a state of rights, which means that the people must find it to be on their side, and that there will be no more disorders, no more wars. That’s what we call in our Association, the resurrection of Africa.”
EQUALITY OF WOMEN
“We would like to request to the Secretary General to please do something for the women, especially in the underdeveloped countries, who are suffering a lot from violence, torture and passing life with unsafe conditions.”
“Assistance should be given to women’s organizations and associations so that they can be provided effective and modern means of communication …. NGOs or other continental or national organizations suffer much from this lack of communication between them. Thus it is very important, even essential that the modern means of communication are accessible to all the organizations which fight to support the living conditions of women and the African people.”
UNDERSTANDING, TOLERANCE, SOLIDARITY
“Motivate all faith communities and cultures to engage in interfaith dialogue as well as intra-faith dialogue. Specifically, UNESCO should (a) sponsor a world commission on interfaith dialogue for building and educating for a culture of peace; (b) implement curriculum and teacher education projects for integrating interfaith dialogue and the contributions of faith and spirituality traditions to a nonviolent and sustainable solution to conflict and violence.”
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“For every conflict in the world, there is a community that has learned to cope with the same factors in a peaceful way. Rather than focusing only on the areas of conflict that now need to be assuaged and rehabilitated, increase awareness of what it is that has allowed the peaceful community to develop. Learn how to replicate the positive in addition to stemming the flow of the negative.”
FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE
“Invite national and regional organizations to interchange experiences on cultures of peace (in plural) in each region to learn of the other experiences, to empower the local groups or to promote peace. For these encounters they would have to develop methodologies appropriate to the countries of the South.”
“Provide substantial financial support for the creation of Peace Literature, Theatre, Television films and Programs, Peace Literature Education, Prizes (as substantial as the Nobel), for Peace Literature for all ages, Peace Literature Competitions, Grants, and support to Peace NGO's.”
“The United Nations ought to have its own television channel. This could be used to give unbiased news reports, and to support a global culture of peace. The UN TV Channel could broadcast cultural programs from various parts of the world which would help to increase international understanding … For this project, and for its other activities, the UN needs much more money than it has at present. A Tobin Tax should be instituted, with proceeds going to the UN.”
“Develop openly a campaign for the culture of peace together with the media and through it (TV, magazines, review, etc.) and with the film industry and through it, taking into consideration that they have been strong propagators of the culture of violence.” “Since China is the largest developing country in the world, we hope UN could set up an information center in China. So that Chinese NGOs could have easy access to and more involvement with UN activities.”
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY
“Work harder on reducing manufacturing and distribution of arms and ammunitions.”
“Bring the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty into the 21st Century so that it addresses the realities of the threats we currently face … The prevention of weapons development in nations not having them now must be clearly tied to the systematic elimination of nuclear weapons among the existing nuclear powers. Verification must be universally applied to states that might produce a nuclear weapon and to those that already have them.”
“Creation of a UN Agency for Mediation, with several thousand professionals and similar to other international organisations, who can detect emerging conflicts and help transform them peacefully before they lead to war. That would be an excellent investment for a more peaceful world.”
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