| Author | UNESCO |
| Publication | Conflict Prevention Newsletter |
| Year | vol. 2, no. 3 (October 1999), pp. 16-17 |
Keywords
violenceA Logical, yet Abstract Response to Increasing Violence
The UN proposal for a year of policy-making and reflection for a Culture of Peace is intended primarily as a catalyst for governments and NGOs alike. But this is not to diminish the importance of the initiative. Responses to such policy initiatives can and should come from grassroots levels as well as from established organisations. Common agendas have a relative usefulness in focusing attention, means and interaction. Shared visions are forged only over very long periods of time, and opposition to international policy-making remains. Unlike the ECOSOC commission implementing procedures on the respect of human rights, the Year for the Culture of Peace has no obvious instrumental implementation, but rather, will be implemented through the education branch of the UN, UNESCO. The Paris-based organisation can promote education through its permanent supervisory commissions. It does not necessarily require direct links with political, economic or social governmental departments. If governments sign a UN declaration however, they commit their government, not just their education services. Whether implementation becomes a reality will depend on the responses from governments, NGOs, schools, training centres, health, education and mediation services, social services, police forces etc. Consequently, widespread publicity will be of vital importance. A Culture of Peace has one main strategy and that is education. An international call for a Culture of Peace is a logical, yet abstract response to increasing violence in the world. It is not a new normative moral theory. It recognises and celebrates diversity. It recognises enlightened self-interest; it clearly invites all groups and communities to recognise and acknowledge cultures of peace within their own cultures and to seek linkages with cultures of peace within other cultures. It also indicates a willingness to share the burdens of the cost of conflict throughout the world, which may take generations to heal and to overcome. By indicating similarities, trends and demystifying the mythic origins of ethnic conflict, it calls upon populations to de-legitimise the gains obtained by leaders and warmongers in political, economic or other spheres where these gains have been achieved through armed struggles. Business communities, political leaders, economic actors as much as NGOs are addressed as well as ordinary individual citizens. A culture of communication and empowerment through peaceful means will de-legitimise unlawful powers and re-create community links. It will help combat those forces which threaten the work of generations - especially where neighbours have been led to kill neighbours, where families who intermarried across ethnic divides have been torn apart, where hatred and feuds have been sown. There is no world culture. There will be no world Culture of Peace. There might be many new Cultures of Peace after the decade 2000-2010. Idealism? The shortcomings in neo-realist and liberal attempts to address the violence of conflict have become apparent. The decentralisation of governments brings responsibilities closer to NGOs. A rich variety and interaction of organisations working for tolerance, education for democracy (bringing controversially more conflict), campaigning for rights and promoting self-organisation for productive, environmentally safe peaceful developments, is creating world wide networks of NGOs and movements. Some of these movements politicise and become armed. They do not control all other groups in society. They are necessarily small separate networks, seldom reaching across sectors in society.
| Cultures of War Use of dialogue and tolerance Rationale of cooperation Active use of non-violence Respect of human rights Democratic, participatory decision making Gender awareness and sensitivity Sustainable human development | Cultures of Peace Use of violence, terror and intimidation Rationale of conquering Militarism Abuse of rights Non-democratic decision making Absence of gender considerations Exploitation of people and environment |
A Culture of Peace requires more
A UN declaration for a Year for the Culture of Peace and support for a Decade of Peace by all Nobel laureates of Peace has received the support of many governments. It continues efforts begun in 1994 when a Declaration of Peace, Human Rights and Democracy was adopted. The development of separate cultures of peace from below is taking place throughout the world through the action of NGOs and through education in many schools. The Year and the Decade are about linking separate cultures of peace of different communities across sectors in societies. Only if governments, NGOs, the health and education sectors, police forces, armies, business communities etc. interlink their respective cultures of peace will a small beginning have been made. A campaign for a Culture of Peace should be backed-up financially. Businesses, NGOs, governments and grassroots communities should subscribe to the ideas of the Culture(s) of Peace because governments alone will never achieve its implementation. Legitimacy and justice are not easily promoted in short periods of time. Only long-term commitments to justice and action in each community, in the design and shape of economies and institutions and in the interaction between ethnic and social groups, especially in divided societies, will change the conduct of organisations and governments. And if conduct is changed, the institutionalisation of force will change of necessity. Not until justice is felt to be done will cultures of peace have a chance, wherever we live.
| New activities The Flemish Peace Week in Belgium is a yearly pluralistic national campaign of several peace organisations. This year the theme is the Culture of War and Violence/Culture of Peace, supported by UNESCO International Year. The campaign is aimed at a broad public and underlines the individual responsibility in matters of war and violence. People will be encouraged to sign the Manifesto 2000. In Canada a working group has been formed to plan for the Year 2000. Their aim is to make this year 'a turning point, not an event. We expect to strive to supply what is missing: as agents of change, to establish a link between those like-minded people to synergise around Year 2000 activities, oppose what is distorting in our system and propose the government (and others) alternatives.' The Canadian working group hosts an extensive website with an information clearing-house. Also available on their site is the workshop kit 'Creating a Culture of Peace', created by Canadian Voice of Women. |
| Website addresses * UNESCO Culture of Peace site including Manifesto 2000: www.unesco.org/cpp or www.unesco.org/opi/paix2000/ * Appeal of the Nobel Prize Laureates: www.rapidsite.net/nobelw/eng/index.htm * National Culture of Peace Programme for Canada: www.peace.ca/copp.htm * The working group for a Culture of Peace in Canada: www.peace.ca/un2000celebration.htm * Workshop Kit Produced by Canadian Voice of Women for Peace: www.peace.ca/vowworkshopkit.htm * Information about the Flemish Peace Week: http://paxchrvl.ngonet.be/vw01.htm * Site of the Conflict Resolution Network with an overview of Activities in Australia: www.crnhq.org/ |