Building a Culture of PeaceFor the Children of the World

Barriers to Peace“It is not the violence of a few that scares me, it is the

silence of the many.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nuclear NegativityNuclear weapons are theultimate embodiment ofhuman negativity. A balanceof nuclear power isimpossible.

There are enough nuclearweapons stockpiled to devastatethe earth and kill every personon the planet.

Prejudice andStereotypingTo motivate people to makewar, the Enemy must be arecognizable evil – astereotype. Prejudice and hateare fueled by ignorance.

In 2002, the Southern PovertyLaw Center counted 708 activehate groups in the United States.According to the Federal Bureauof Investigation, in 2001 in theUS there were 9,726 hate crimesbased on race, ethnicity, religion,sexual orientation or disability.

Greed

Competition betweencountries for land andresources led to twoWorld Wars and the ColdWar. Now the struggle isfor economic domination.

Europe consumes roughly14 times the resourcesit contains. The UnitedStates, with just over4% of the world’s people,consumes 28% of theworld's resources.

PovertyNeed is the root cause ofmany of the conflicts in theworld. Where children arehungry, there can be no peace.

78% of Sub-Saharan Africansand 84% of South Asians liveon less than $2 a day. Of theworld’s 1.3 billion poor people,it is estimated that nearly 70 %are women.

IsolationismPeople can become frightenedby the rising tide ofinternationalism. Some retreatto familiar places and customsand avoid encounters withforeigners.

Only 10% of people in theUnited States speak a languageother than English.

EnvironmentalIrresponsibilityPollution and the destructionof the natural environmentrequire solutions that gobeyond national boundaries.

Global warming could cause40 to 50 percent of the world’spopulation to be affected byinsect-transmitted diseases suchas malaria and dengue fever.

The Illusion of“Efficiency”In the name of technologicaland scientific progress, peopleare reduced to things.

In discussions about nuclearlimitation, phrases such as:“assured destruction,” “damagelimitations,” and “cost-versus-benefit ratio” have been used.

Preamble to the Charter of the United NationsWe the peoples of the United Nations determinedto save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twicein our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and

to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worthof the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and ofnations large and small, and

to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligationsarising from treaties and other sources of international law can bemaintained, and

to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

And for these endsto practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another asgood neighbors, and

to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and

to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods,that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and

to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economicand social advancement of all peoples,

Have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aimsAccordingly, our respective Governments, through representativesassembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their fullpowers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the presentCharter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an internationalorganization to be known as the United Nations.

Fosteringa culture of peacethrough educationby promoting education for all,focusing especially on girls;revising curricula to promote thequalitative values, attitudes andbehavior inherent in a culture ofpeace; training for conflictprevention and resolution,dialogue, consensus-building andactive non-violence...

t Is there a conflict prevention andresolution training program at your school?Can you start or join one?

t UNESCO has a non-violence educationkit for teachers and trainers.

www.unesco.org/education/nved/index.hmtl

Promotingsustainableeconomic andsocial developmentby targeting the eradication ofpoverty; focusing on the specialneeds of children and women;working towards environmentalsustainability; fostering nationaland international co-operationto reduce economic and socialinequalities...

t Do you know what a biosphere reserveis? Can you find out?

t UNESCO supports arts and craftsprograms for women and publishes a Guideto International Craft Trade Fairs.

www.unesco.org/culture/crafts

Ensuringequality betweenwomen and menby integrating a genderperspective and promotingequality in economic, social andpolitical decision-making;eliminating all forms ofdiscrimination and violenceagainst women; supporting andaiding women in crisis situationsresulting from war and all otherforms of violence...

t What are some examples in yourcommunity of ways that women are notequal to men? Do you believe that womenhave a special role in creating a culture ofpeace? Why?

t UNESCO has gender sensitive trainingmanuals and reference books.

http://upo.unesco.org

Promotingrespect for allhuman rightsby distributing the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights atall levels and fully implementinginternational instruments onhuman rights...

t Do you think violence in movies andtelevision affects children? Is there anythingyou can do about violence in the media?

t UNESCO’s Clearinghouse on Childrenand Violence on the Screen has resourcesand publications.

www.unesco.org/humanrights/indext.html

The General Assembly of theUnited Nations has designated2001-2010 as the InternationalDecade for a Culture of Peace andNon-Violence for the Childrenof the World.

What is the Culture of Peace?The Culture of Peace consists ofvalues, attitudes and behaviorsthat reject violence. In a peacefulworld, we solve problems throughdialogue and negotiation.

What can we do to create theCulture of Peace?In 1999, the United Nationsdefined eight action areas that yousee pictured here. As you visit thisexhibition, think about actionsthat you can take in your school,home or community.

The United Nations’8 Action Areas

for Peace

Fosteringdemocraticparticipationby educating responsible citizens;reinforcing actions to promotedemocratic principles andpractices; establishing andstrengthening nationalinstitutions and processes thatpromote and sustain democracy...

t Does your school teach democraticcitizenship? What can you do to helpchildren learn responsibility?

t UNESCO has an educational kit, ThePractice of Citizenship.

www.unesco.org/education

Advancingunderstanding,tolerance andsolidarity by promoting adialogue among civilizations;actions in favor of vulnerablegroups; respect for difference andcultural diversity...

t Do you have friends from othercountries or cultures? What are you doingto fight prejudice and stereotyping?

t UNESCO promotes interculturaldialogue projects.

www.unesco.org/dialogue2001

Supportingparticipatorycommunicationand the free flowof information andknowledge by means ofsuch actions as support forindependent media in thepromotion of a culture of peace;effective use of media and masscommunications; measures toaddress the issue of violence inthe media; knowledge andinformation sharing through newtechnologies...

t Do you know how to access the Interneton a computer? What could you do to helppeople in poorer countries get the equipmentand the knowledge that you have?

t UNESCO has a program to tackle thedigital divide, combining community radioand telecenter facilities.

www.unesco.org/webworld/com/broadcasting/broad04.shtml

Promotinginternational peaceand security throughaction such as the promotionof general and completedisarmament; greaterinvolvement of women inprevention and resolution ofconflicts and in promoting aculture of peace in post-conflictsituations; initiatives in conflictsituations; encouragingconfidence-building measuresand efforts for negotiatingpeaceful settlements...

t What are you doing to promote peace?

Paths to Peace“Today’s real borders are not betweennations, but between powerful andpowerless, free and fettered, privilegedand humiliated. Today, no walls canseparate humanitarian or human rightscrises in one part of the world fromnational security crisesin another…

“It isn’t enoughto talk about peace.

One mustbelieve in it.

And it isn’t enoughto believe in it.

One mustwork at it.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

In this new century, we must start fromthe understanding that peace belongsnot only to states or peoples,but to each and every member of thosecommunities. Peace must be made realand tangible in the daily existence ofevery individual in need.Peace must be sought, above all, becauseit is the condition for every member ofthe human family to live a life ofdignity and security.”

—Kofi Annan

Self Mastery

Peace begins with the individual. When we can examine and get rid ofthe negativity in our own lives, we

can solve problems without violence.

“Nothing can bring youpeace but yourself.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“As human beings,our greatness lies not so much

in being able to remake the world,as in being able to remake ourselves.”

—Mohandas Gandhi

“If we have no peace,it is because wehave forgotten

that we belong toeach other.”

Mother Teresa

Dialogue andTolerance

“We need to dreamnew dreams.”

Bono

Intolerance and discrimination happenwhen people see one another as objects, as“other.” As we frankly exchange ideas and

get to know one another as people likeourselves we establish true world harmony.

“I believe that the widespread use ofcross-cultural dialogue will foster theglobal community we so earnestly seek.”

—Michael Nobel

“Teaching our children to treat othersas they wish to be treated is one ofthe most fundamental values we adultscan pass on. We would have a different

country and world if this lesson waslearned and followed.”

—Marian Wright Edelman

Community“Heroism hasnothing to do

with skin color orsocial status.

It is a state ofmind and a

willingness to actfor what is right

and just.”

Maya Angelou

“I hear people talking about thecommunity, and I stop and think and

I feel that we each use a differentlanguage. Community means balance.”

—Rigoberta Menchu Tum

To have peace we must end economic andmilitary competition and acknowledge our

planetary interconnections. As citizens of theworld we must consider the needs of the entire

planet and of all humankind.

Culture“At a time when people of very different traditions,faiths and ideals have come into sudden and close

contact with one another, the survival of humankindrequires that people be willing to live with one

another and to accept that there is more than onepath to truth and salvation.”

—Arnold Toynbee

Moving from a culture of wara culture of peace means vast

internal transformations inindividuals as well as nations.We must move from an era ofcultural imperialism, in which

powerful nations impose their willon weaker countries, to an era of

cultural exchange and respect. “A single, all-embracing globalcivilization has arisen.”

—Vaclav Havel

“If you are neutralin situations of

injustice, you havechosen the side ofthe oppressor. If an

elephant has itsfoot on the tail ofa mouse and you say

that you areneutral, the mousewill not appreciateyour neutrality.”

Bishop Desmond Tutu

Nations“Imagine

all the peopleliving life in peace.

You may sayI’m a dreamer,

but I’m notthe only one.

I hope somedayyou’ll join us,

and the worldwill be as one.”

John Lennon

“More than an end to war, wewant an end to the beginning of

all wars – yes, an end to thisbrutal, inhuman and thoroughlyimpractical method of settling thedifferences between governments.”

—Franklin D. Roosevelt

What will the role of nations be in the newmillennium? There will always be a place for

homelands dedicated to equality, mutual respectand peaceful coexistence. We must also transcendnational boundaries to establish principles and

universal ideals that are global in scope.

“The love of one's country is asplendid thing. But why should

love stop at the border?”

—Pablo Casals

GlobalAwareness

“The good we secure forourselves is precarious and

uncertain until it is securedfor all of us and incorporated

into our common life.”

—Jane Addams

“Our human situation no longer permits usto make armed dichotomies between those

who are good and those who are evil, thosewho are right and those who are wrong. Thefirst blow dealt to the enemy's children will

sign the death warrant of our own.”

—Margaret Mead

Environmental destruction, populationgrowth and poverty are intricately connected.Aid from industrialized nations and internal

education and reform are bothneeded. A new world view inwhich all things are seen asconnected and all human

beings are equal is theultimate solution.

“Establishinglasting peace is thework of education;all politics can do

is keep us outof war.”

Maria Montessori

Disarmament

“To suggest that war can prevent waris a base play on words and a despicableform of warmongering. The world hashad ample evidence that war begets

only conditions that beget further war.

—Ralph Bunche

Ultimately, we must end our reliance onweapons, particularly nuclear weapons, as so-called deterrents to war. Ending our trust inarms is the only way to bring trust among

peoples. The solidarity and action of commonpeople can bring about total disarmament.

“I know not with what weaponsWorld War III will be fought,

but World War IV will befought with sticks and stones.”

—Albert Einstein

“The life of activenonviolence is thefruit of an inner

peace and spiritualunity…”

Mairead Maguire

“Religion isessentially the

art and the theoryof the

remaking of man.Man is not a

finished creation.”

Edmund Burke

Religionsand Peace

“Throughout history, religious differences have divided men and womenfrom their neighbors and have served as justification for some of

humankind’s bloodiest conflicts. In the modern world, it has become clearthat people of all religions must bridge these differences and work together,to ensure our survival and realize the vision of peace that all faiths share.”

—H.R.H. Prince El-Hassan bin Talal, of Jordan

“I prayed fortwenty years

but received noanswer untilI prayed with

my legs.”

Frederick DouglassThere are dozens of majorreligions in the world andthousands of belief systemsby which people guide their

lives, design ethical codes andfind comfort from pain.

We must learn to use oneanother’s religious beliefs as

ways to connect—not asreasons for conflict.

Religionsand Peace

“The foremost treasure of sentient beings isnone other than life itself…

When you light the path before anotherperson you brighten your own.”

Buddhist - Nichiren

“Do not do to otherswhat you

do not want themto do to you.”

Confucius - Analects

“You shall loveyour neighbor as

yourself.”

Jewish - Leviticus

“A person should treatall creatures as hehimself would be

treated.”

Jainism - Sutraktanga

“Not one of you is abeliever until he lovesfor his brother whathe loves for himself.”

Islam - Fourth Hadithof an-Nawawi

“Therefore all thingswhatsoever ye would

that men shoulddo to you, do ye even

so to them.”

Christian - Matthew

“This is the sum ofduty: do nothing toothers which would

cause you pain ifdone to you.”

Hindu - Mahabharata

Childrenare the Future

“If we are to teach real peace in thisworld, and if we are to carry ona real war against war, we shallhave to begin with the children.”

—Mohandas Gandhi

“These are all ourchildren.

We will allprofit by, or pay for,

whatever theybecome.”

James Baldwin

“Our children and grandchildren – and unborngenerations to come – are depending on us…tomake the wise decisions that will determine their

future. The choice is in our hands.

—James P. Grant

Children’sDreams for Peace

One World.One dream.One Universe

When you open your eyes do you see what you see?

Peace is love.Peace is family and friends…Peace is getting along.Peace is you.Peace is everyone.Peace is animalsPeace is me.

Peace to me is not discriminating andsegregating people because of their color orculture. Peace to me is helping others and notfighting when you don't like someone.If someone hits you shouldn't hit them back...The only way you can get peace is by respectingothers…The world should be one whole with everyone sharing it…

At home I'm peaceful when my family getstogether at the dinner table…I think war ishorrible. It is never the answer…War is destruction, depression and anxiety. Ithink peace is creation, joy, hope, and unity. Iwant peace for the world.

I am happy when I play hockey with my friends,and I am so happy when I'm shopping with myfamily. And when I'm in school, doing computerclass, and also when I'm playing my violin. I'mnot happy when I'm mad, and I don't followthe direction.

Now I know happiness is in my heart.

My dream of peace is…no wars. Nobody wouldhave to be excluded by race, color, or politics. Peoplewouldn't feel like there isn't a place for them in theworld.

People's cultures wouldn't have to be made fun of.People would not have to look on TV and seeanother and another person dying. Nobody wouldbe afraid of being hurt physically or mentally…soldiers would not have to leave their families togo to war and have the chance of being killed.

People would put away all guns and use the weaponof love.

Harmony ,freedom they all called peacewhen we all stand together uniting our land ashard as we could from head to toesnothing will destroy our land no bangs! or booms!so be happy not sadand do what I wroteand you'll become a child of ourfreedom land.

I believe that world peace and the elimination ofviolent behavior can one day be achieved. I believethat I can contribute to this great dream through myactions as a human even though I am only nine (soonto be ten) years old. But I can't do it alone.

It is my wish to contribute to world peace. The bestway for me to do this is by starting where I am now—in the fifth grade at the Casimir Pulaski School. Iwant to show my friends that there are other waysin which to solve their problems without using violenceso they can then teach others to do the same. This ishow I am working and will continue to work forworld peace throughout my life.

My biggest dream for peace is to one day see aworld where we respect each other so much thatwe all choose hope—not bombs. Where we allsay “yes” to peace, because we love each other toomuch to choose war.

My parents named me after a famous Africanfighter for peace named Desmond Tutu. DesmondTutu…once said: “For the sake of the world, letus all become instruments for peace.”

Well, I believe that if we fight for peace, not war,the world will be a lot safer and people will beless afraid.

“No one has yet realized thewealth of sympathy, thekindness and generosity

hidden in the soul of a child.”

—Emma Goldman

Our children will inherit the earth.The words of the children pictured here remind us that weare all responsible for making sure that children everywheregrow up in peace and security. We work for peace so that

children may live free from the terrible effects of war.

My definition of a peaceful world is one withinhabitants that trust and care for one another,where poverty is a thing of the past, and wherehumans and animals live in harmony.

My definition of a peaceful world is one with clearskies, where justice is the one law, and where weall treasure life.

Xera Agana-Woodbine Nic Earl Alice Clark Cezanne Amber Panton Christina Goach

Desmond Fong Clara Antonia Reyes Charles Augustus Michiru Aita

“Youth is the firstvictim of war,

the first fruit ofpeace. It takes

twenty years ormore of peaceto make a man;it takes only

twenty secondsof war to

destroy him.”

King Baudouin I, King of Belgium

The

EarthThe Earth Charter contains four

interdependent principles:“To move forward we mustrecognize that in the midst of

a magnificent diversity ofcultures and life forms we are

one human family and oneEarth community with a

common destiny…”

—From the Preamble of the

Earth Charter

Respect and Care for theCommunity of Life

Ecological Integrity

Social and Economic Justice

Democracy, Nonviolence,and Peace

Please take a copy of the Earth Charter home with you, orread more about it at http://www.earthcharter.org

The

Manifesto2000Charter for Peace

he Nobel Prize for Peace, first awarded in1901, is designated for a person who “shall

have done the most or the best work for fraternitybetween nations, for the abolition or reduction

of standing armies and for the holding andpromotion of peace congresses.” Prize winners

include politicians and heads of state as well ascommon people. Over the years more than 80

individuals and 20 organizations have won thisprestigious prize. A few are featured here.

For more information about the Nobel Prize,go to: http://www.nobel.se/peace

T he United Nations GeneralAssembly proclaimed the decade

2001-2010 as the International Decadefor a Culture of Peace and Non-violencefor the Children of the World. UNESCOwas designated as lead agency for thisDecade.

The Manifesto 2000 for a culture ofpeace and non-violence was drafted bya group of Nobel Peace Prize laureatesto translate the resolutions of the UnitedNations into everyday language and tomake them relevant to peopleeverywhere.

The Manifesto 2000 does not appeal toa higher authority. It is an individualcommitment and responsibility.

The Manifesto 2000 is open to signaturesfrom the wider public throughout the world. By September 2003, over 75 millionindividuals around the world had signed the Manifesto. You are invited to join theNobel Prize winners, heads of state, and common people everywhere and to becomea Messenger of the Manifesto 2000.

I pledge in my daily life, in myfamily, my work, my community, my country and myregion, to:

• Respect the life and dignity of each human being withoutdiscrimination or prejudice;

• Practice active non-violence, rejecting violence in all itsforms: physical, sexual, psychological, economical and social,in particular towards the most deprived and vulnerablesuch as children and adolescents;

• Share my time and material resources in a spirit ofgenerosity to put an end to exclusion, injustice and politicaland economic oppression;

• Defend freedom of expression and cultural diversity,giving preference always to dialogue and listening withoutengaging in fanaticism, defamation and the rejection ofothers;

• Promote consumer behavior that is responsible anddevelopment practices that respect all forms of life andpreserve the balance of nature on the planet;

• Contribute to the development of my community, withthe full participation of women and respect for democraticprinciples, in order to create together new forms of solidarity.

T

Nobel Prize

“As defined by the United Nations,the Culture of Peace is a set of values,

attitudes, modes of behaviour andways of life that reject violence and

prevent conflicts by tackling their rootcauses to solve problems throughdialogue and negotiation amongindividuals, groups and nations.”

The United Nationsand a Culture of Peace

Change begins with individuals who work to make theirdreams come true. We begin by believing that a

Culture of Violence can change to a Culture of Peace.

Toward a GlobalCulture of Peace

Violence

Hierarchical, vertical

Rules, orders

Exploitative of people

Male-dominated

Secretive (information is controlled)

Demonizing “other” or enemy

Division

Responding to conflictwith violent suppression

Nonviolence

Democratic, participative authority

Dialogue, communication

Respect for human rights, dignity and thenatural environment. Sustainabledevelopment.

Power sharing between men and women.Empowerment of women

Open sharing of information

Tolerance and respect for diversity

Unity and cooperation

Negotiation, mediation search fornonviolent solutions to causes of conflict

Adapted from “UNESCO’s Cultureof Peace Programme: An

Introduction” by David Adamsand Michael True, in InternationalPeace Research Newsletter, Vol

XXXV No. 1. March 1997

The Pattern of PeaceThe Culture of Peace

is made up of an infinitenumber of interlockingpieces. Each of us has

a part to play inthe pattern of peace.

Peace andHuman Security

http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/uk/uk_sum_cp.htm

A “culture of peace” was first expressedofficially at the International Congress onPeace in the Minds of People held in IvoryCoast, Africa.

UN designated the year 2000 the“International Year for the Culture of Peace.”

On September 13, the UN General Assemblyadopted the “Declaration on a Culture ofPeace” and the “Programme of Action on aCulture of Peace.”

“International Year for a Culture of Peace”UNESCO implemented the Manifest 2000signature-collecting campaign.

Start of the “International Decade for aCulture of Peace and Non-Violence for theChildren of the World.”

1989

1997

1999

2000

2001

Non-violence

Listening

Respect forDiversity

Dignityof Life

Dialogue

Democracy

Equality of Menand Women

Free Flow ofInformationEducation

for All

ConflictTransformation

Love ofEarth

“A peace culture maintains creative balance among bonding,community closeness, and the need for separate spaces. It canbe defined as a mosaic of identities, attitudes, values, beliefs,and patterns that leads people to live nurturingly with oneanother and the earth itself without the aid of structured powerdifferentials, to deal creatively with their differences, and toshare their resource. Violence is more visible and gets moreattention in our history books and in our media than peacedoes. But peace culture will take us where we want to go.”

—Elise Boulding, Women’s

Views on the Earth

Charter

What are thedifferences between aCulture of Violence

and a Culture ofPeace?

Culture of PeaceCulture of Violence/War