posted September 22, 2004 02:36 PM              

Toward a Global Culture of Peace
The United Nations in a series of actions and publications to launch the 21st Century, has called for a transition from the culture of war to a culture of peace. You may read a history and a monograph on the culture of peace on this website.

The culture of peace provides an alternative to the escalating cycle of violence in the world, including the September 11 attacks in the United States and the subsequent attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq.

Cycles of violence are not new. Read the Old Testament or the Iliad or epics of other civilizations. In fact, there is an eerie resemblance in recent events to the crusades of the Dark Ages, and the inquisition that accompanied them.

Does this mean that there is no way out? Does it mean that our species is inherently, genetically violent? That war is in our human nature?

No. The same species that invented war is capable of inventing peace. This is the conclusion of the Seville Statement on Violence, drafted by leading scientists from around the world during the UN International Year for Peace in 1986. The scientific arguments based on evolution, genetics, animal behavior, brain research and social psychology are examined one by one, and the conclusion is drawn that biology does not predestine us to war and violence.

In fact, our biological legacy of aggression is the basis of our capacity for righteous indignation against injustice which is essential for peace activism and peace education. This is the conclusion of my book on The Aggression Systems

If war is not in our genes, where does it come from and why has been so persistent throughout history? The answer is in our culture. Over the course of history, humans have developed a culture that permits and encourages war and violence: a culture of war.

Think of it this way. What do you need to have a war?

an enemy
armaments
a society in which people follow orders
a belief that power can be maintained through violence
control of information (secrecy, propaganda)
In fact, if any one of these is missing, you can't have war. No enemy - no war. No armaments - no war. No control of information - no war. And if people don't follow orders and if they don't believe that power can be maintained through violence - no war.

Add to these three other important aspects of the culture of war:

profitability - whether for plunder, colonies, economic domination or the profits of the military-industrial complex.
male domination
education for war
There is only one way out from the cycle of violence: a culture of peace:

instead of enemy images,
understanding, tolerance & solidarity
instead of armaments,
disarmament, universal & verifiable
instead of authoritarian governance,
democratic participation
instead of secrecy and propaganda,
the free flow & sharing of information
instead of violence,
dialogue, negotiation, rule of law, active non-violence
instead of male domination,
the equality of women
instead of education for war,
education for peace
instead of exploitation of the weak and of the environment,
economies of peace with equitable, sustainable development
Global Movement for a Culture of Peace

Utopian, you say. Yes, but all social change begins from those who dream and who strive to make their dreams come true. And the culture of peace is an dream whose time has come. All of the Member States of the United Nations voted for the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, calling for a Global Movement for a Culture of Peace (for more information see http://www.unesco.org/cp). And during the United International Year for a Culture of Peace, more than 1% of the population of the world (over 75 million people) signed the Manifesto 2000 (for information see http://www.unesco.org/manifesto2000), pledging to practice a culture of peace in their family, school and community.

It is my hope that this personal Website will help you find a way to take part in this Global Movement for a Culture of Peace, and that together, throughout the world, we can make the transition from a culture of war and violence to a culture of peace and non-violence.

posted September 26, 2004 11:01 PM            

instead of violence,
dialogue, negotiation, rule of law, active non-violence
instead of male domination,
the equality of women

beautiful!