For the development of a culture of peace,
for greater world justice, solidarity. and democracy

This is the central theme of all the presentations, workshops and events which will take place during the Conference, underpinning their diverse approaches, analyses, testimonies, experiences and proposals.
Within this central theme, four subject areas will be explored during the four days of debates (with the exception of  the opening and closing sessions) and during four round table discussions.
Without claiming to draw precise frontiers, and accepting the unavoidable but probably fruitful interferences, this distribution in four subject areas known in advance, should optimise the dialogue, debate, convergence and synergy arising from the different contributions of the participants. It also guarantee that all the desired topics are treated, in reasonable time and in conjunction with the highlights of the other participants interested in these subjects.
With the exception of interventions during the opening session (IAEP, personalities, video...) and the closing session (synthesis, assessment, perspectives...) it would be helpful if:
participants   hoping   to   present  a  prepared   contribution   or   workshop   could  indicate
the subject  areas to which it is best  adapted , the  organising  committee  could  gather
and  balance these  planned  interventions, in  order  to ensure  the best  chance  of  coherent
and fruitful exchanges.
 

 
1. The culture of peace and international solidarity. Action for peace and disarmament,
the rights of peoples and minorities.
The role of educators, citizens, associations and international institutions,states, and UNO.

An international, intercontinental dimension appears very quickly necessary to the citizen, social, local and global responsability. We are both dependent on and responsible for what is going on elsewhere, even if our inter-connectedness is not always immediately apparent. Because it is not obvious, nor immediate in the time.
On the contrary, there is much to be learned from the history of peoples, countries and religions, concerning the genesis of war, the existence, the values and the contribution of different civilisations and societies. Beyond an underlying generosity of vision, and the provision of help often of the most immediate necessity, international solidarity between peoples and populations depends on how we function in the world as an individual, and on the collective conscience for a society.
Co-existence, co-development, reciprocity in the respect of rights, are challenges which must be taken up, if not there can be no peace, security or justice. Such challenges concern people’s rights, without forgetting the rights of native peoples but also those of minority populations. They imply the rejection, at both legislative and grass-roots level, of all discrimination based on racism, ethnic origin, xenophobia, religious faith, sexism. They further imply the conquest and respect of democracy and fundamental liberties, in particular the liberty of conscience.

But do not they imply as well equity in economic exchanges, the right for a people to access the land and resources of its country, and to build the basis of its national existence, free of  economic or military domination?

Such an approach includes necessarily action for peace, everywhere, between and in the countries, the stopping of the arms trade and a total ban on nuclear, neutronic, chemical, bacteriological and anti-personnel weapons, in their development, production, storage and of course, their use.
The responsability of states is essential, whatever their positioning is, favorable or not. But the role of international organisations, institutions or NGOs, solidarity associations, associations struggling for peace, those of the individuals themselves, is also essential to progress on the way of peace and disarmament.

The culture of peace, taking shape in the activity of a citizen, or in the life of a society, is again fundamental.

2. Educational challenges for developing a culture of peace.

Education for peace extends beyond schools and universities, to the life and activities of  sports and leisure centers, cultural associations or others, youth clubs and hostels.
It concerns as much the youth, who carries the future, as the adult world, responsible for the most serious confrontations.
This education materializes through the practical experience of conflict resolution, in the response to discrimination or the disrespect of rights, through a specific pedagogical approach. It can be explored through role play, the preparation of documentary material, talks, or the critical analysis of art, literature, drama.
Education for peace is also the responsibility of the media, the publishing world, and the artistic and play world. The family of course, at the first place, is an essential element, and in principle favorable to peace education.

Actually, is there any field of human activity untouched by the need to foster a culture of peace?

 We need to understand what generates violence, and how to make this intelligible to those involved in real situations of conflict. An analysis of the succession of events which brought about the confrontation should lead to a process of dialogue aiming at a peaceful, non-violent resolution. This process of dialogue should also seek to modify the factors involved at the starting-point of the crisis, leading to greater justice, and an increased recognition of the legitimate aspirations and of the culture of all involved, without striking a blow at the universal values of the humanity.
 In this same educational approach, it will of course appear the rejection of discriminations and of unconsidered condemnations, as well as the respect of cultural diversities, which are able to enrich all of us.
 
 

3. The educational system, a living centre of democracy and security, a place of training for local and global citizenship and responsibility.

Is not school above all a place of  apprenticeship, where we acquire practical knowledge and know-how, but also the savoir-être and savoir-vivre which will allow our potential and personalities to blossom alongside others, in the total respect of others who have the same rights ?

School is truly, then, a "place of life" demanding the full exercise of democracy for the adults working there, as well for the pupils studying there. An atmosphere of security and sharing, the non-violent resolution of conflicts, must be developed through learning and effective training for citizenship and responsibility.
This responsibility to arouse, to learn, to practice and to develop, should be conceived with regard to oneself and others, with the individual and social behaviour, in particular at school.

As a consequence is there not the need of learning social responsibility and engagement, taking into account the widest possible range of topics relevant to human society, its life, its challenges and its survival?

The human being,  both an individual and a social body, the humanity, cumulative expression of the activity and creativity of successive generations, must face the consequences of the evolution of the earth’s ecosystem. The one and the other must think about the environmental consequences of their own interventions.
This is a big responsibility in the sight of the future generations. Here again, we see the necessity of training for truly "global" responsibility of planetary issues.

Are not we precisely in the birth of the culture of peace ?

This culture of  peace can only stem from education for peace, which pre-supposes  learning in this field. This learning extends across every educational discipline, because every aspect of education contributes to an engendering of awareness, to specific analysis and action in the resolution of situations of conflict. Specially-developed teaching materials are needed.
A culture of peace should inform about the many ways to be connected with each other and with the wider world: inter-school correspondence, exchanges, travel, mini-projects, reciprocal exhibitions.
The culture of peace takes necessarily an international dimension.
 
 
 

4. Human rights and social rights in today’s society:

The culture of peace cannot be conceived without the absolute respect of person's rights, man's rights, women’s rights, the rights of the child, human rights and citizen’s rights. It is a field in which much progress have to be done, and educators for peace have to invest resolutely in action in order to speed up and respect human rights and citizen's rights.
But social rights are often forgotten in the overriding drive for peace and justice within society as a whole: citizenship in the workplace, the right to housing, healthcare and social security, to a safe, disease-and accident free environment, to live as a couple, without statutary discrimination, to live as a family,…
It is the same for cultural rights and for the absolute education right.

Is it not time to consider all of these rights as facets of the same basic requirement?

One of the great ambitions of modern times is the dissemination of awareness of a new set of individual and social rights: the right to peace, to an equitable system of justice, to safe, unpolluted environment and food; to a continued, balanced, well considered development.

Should not be the creation of a culture of peace perceived as a fundamental duty of :
- aiming without respite to the realization of a world community of cooperation, peace and solidarity?
- working to the development of a society conceived for human beings and their full blossoming?
- requiring an approach of integrity which we owe to ourselves and every other species on Earth, to our planet itself and to the future generations from whom it is in fact borrowed?
 

 
IAEP 1999