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However, progressively, the predominant culture of war, of generations grown and educated (ill-educated) and their assumption, already evocated by Cicero, that "si vis pacem, para belum" (if you wish peace, prepare war) jointly with the immense interests of the warfare industry, attenuated the terms of the Covenant. Before long, the "traditional" activities after a conflict (peace keeping, frontiers, the armament for security and stability at large... ) reflected the high degree of reluctance to accept the new ideas of the US President, who left anyhow the League of Nations as a symbol of what was, against the views and inertia of his allies and all those involved in defence mattering his own country, a new vision of governance at the worldwide level. Was another President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1944, when the Second World War was coming to an end, terrified not only by the magnitude of the conflict but also by the genocide and most inhuman practices of extermination, thought, as Wilson did, that peace is the result of dialogue and understanding among the different countries and that, therefore, appropriate institutions should be created. In Breton Woods, the World Bank for Reconstruction and Development as well as the International Monetary Fund were conceived as the tools to ensure a future with less asymmetries between the haves and the haves-not, one of the basic pillars to avoid frustration, hatred and violence. Some months later, also in the territory of the United States, in San Francisco, the United Nations emerged. "We, the peoples of the United Nations have resolved to save the succeeding generations from the scourge of the war ... ". What a wonderful drafting of the first paragraph of the preamble of the Charter! I wish to precise three concepts that are essential in this beginning of the text: first, "We, the peoples ... ", what means all the peoples, without exclusion, the peoples of all the nations that are united in order to save peace and justice and freedom, in order to be able to leave onwards without fear, violence, suspicion; second, "to avoid ... war", what means that peace must be built everyday in a preventive attitude, that from now on "if you wish peace, prepare peace", contribute to build peace with your everyday behaviour; and, third, very important, the "succeeding generations" are placed at the very centre of all policies and strategies, because they are our common future, the "present" of the tomorrow's people. When the German bombs were dropping over London, the Ministry of Education, Richard Butler, thought that confrontation and violence could only be converted into brotherhood by means of education. He convened later on a meeting of the Ministries of Education of the allies "shadow" governments. After the foundation of the United Nations in San Francisco, in November 1945, takes place in London the creation of UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - with the mission, as stated in its most inspiring Constitution, "to build peace in the minds of men". Through education, culture and science and ensuring to everybody full capacity of expression, UNESCO is the crucial institution to "avoid the scourge of war". The "democratic principles" are enshrined in its Constitution: justice, freedom, equality and solidarity. "Intellectual and moral solidarity"... in order to establish the links and bridges among all the human beings, without exception. The 10th of December of 1948 took place what, in my opinion, is the most important event of the twentieth century: the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the "Universal Declaration on Human Rights". If we were able to follow only the first article of the Universal Declaration, life on earth will be peaceful, hopeful, harmonious! "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood". All equal! That is the basis to avoid any kind of discrimination, of exclusion, of animosity. In article 26, the definition of the aims and targets of education is also, without doubt, a universal rule to be observed by all: "Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace". Respect for human rights, promotion of understanding, tolerance and friendship ... and to support and reinforce the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace! The Declaration of Human Rights provides guidance to the humanity as a whole with universal principles. At that point of the last century, the United Nations System established, was indispensable to have the values that could inspire and orient all the human beings, equal, free, brothers. Provided with a world institution and universal principles, it appeared indispensable to better share. For this reason, early in the fifties, the United Nations Development Program was set up. "Development" was also a name for peace. Development must be integral, meaning that it must not only promote economy, but social, cultural and educational improvement. Endogenous development, meaning that they are the peoples of the countries themselves who must acquire the knowledge and abilities, in a process of capacity-building, to contribute, at least, in the utilization and exploitation of their natural resources. Development must also be sustainable, as recommended in the eighties by the Commission chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland, in such a way that the industrial and economic interests do not alter the environmental equilibria, renewing all those natural goods that can be renewed and seeking alternative solutions (new energy sources for instance) when they are non renewable resources. And human development! : it was at the end of the eighties when, finally, Richard Jolly, Deputy Administrator of UNICEF, published "Development with Human Face". All human beings as protagonists and beneficiaries of development. From that moment onwards, the UNDP turned its reports on development on "human development reports". All was, therefore, on the right trucks: a supranational institution, guided by universal values, able to better share through a right approach to development. However, progressively in the context of the Cold War, ... the grants for endogenous development were substituted by loans given in foreign currency, with interests, and the draconian conditions of the "structural adjustment". The loan's receivers should adopt measures of privatisation, streamlining of the administration's staff and invest in important infrastructures that, as they were unable to do by themselves, resulted in an excellent business for the donor countries. I remember many pages of magazines and journals devoted to the "development business". With the growth of the external debt, and the parallel increase of internal unemployment and frustration, many countries that at the beginning of the sixties were dreaming in their economic and social progress, realized that the real outcome was financial and technological colonization. The gap between the haves and the haves-not was widening instead of narrowing. In 1989, a system based on equality but that had forgotten freedom, collapsed. With the collapse of the Berlin Wall a historical shifting point took place. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was the key promoter and driver of the crucial events - with a magistral utilization of the mass media - leading to a new era. Was the best way to celebrate the second centenary of the French Revolution: freedom, equality, fraternity. Unfortunately, the alternative, based on freedom, had forgotten equality and the asymmetries of all kinds were damaging the social tissue throughout the world. The brotherhood stated in the Article No 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was, most regretfully, completely out of the scene. At that moment, many expectations that were a part of the dream at the end of the Cold War were not fulfilled. On the contrary, the visionary "We, the peoples ... " of the UN Charter was turned into "We, the most powerful ... ", and a great contradiction between democracy - which is the solution - at local scale and plutocracy (represented by the G7 or G8) at the world scale took place. The values to guide human behaviour enshrined in the Declaration of the Human Rights and in the UNESCO Constitution were substituted by the free market laws. Market economy instead of economy based on equity, cooperation, justice... . The results for the richest countries were so good that in May 1996 some leaders recommended (unbelievable) the convenience of a "market society" and a "market democracy"! However the result today is very clear: frustration, radicalization, poverty, hunger, exclusion... . The strength of the states has been progressively weakened by a process of privatisation leading, through fusion of the resulting corporations in colossal multinationals, to a considerable share of the financial, industrial, mediatic and political world power. Simultaneously, the United Nations System was weakened and utilised only whenever convenient for the most powerful countries. Instead of a peace - building institution, the United Nations System became a humanitarian agency with eventually some peace - keeping activities, after the conflicts. Instead of ensuring the observance of international law with the resources needed to guarantee peace, security and stability at the supranational scale, the UN System was left aside as a inefficient institution, requested only to act after warfare or natural hazards. Transgressions of all kinds in the political, environmental and economical fields remained unpunished and trafficking of all kinds took place in complete impunity. The World Trade Organization, founded at the beginning of the 90's outside of the UN System, showed before long to be a tool - as the World Bank and the IMF - in the hands of the leading countries. How can today still claim a "free market" when the agricultural subsidies in the United States and the European Union amount more than one billion dollars per day? Nothing can justify violence. Nothing, never. But we must explore the roots of indifference, of hopelessness, of aggressiveness. Promises of capacity building and endogenous development have not been honoured (with the exception of the Nordic countries) and a majority of the people of the world is living in inhuman conditions. The outcome is uncontrolled emigration fluxes. Emigrants are needed in most of the developed countries because of the clear cut reshaping in the last twenty years of their demography. The kind of cooperation that was envisaged in the United Nations during the decade of the 70's, mostly based on education and vocational training for the under developed world could avoid the emigration of hopeless people, and could avoid also, perhaps, many attitudes of violence and terror. The reason of force has been normally utilised instead of the force of the reason. Violent action against violence ... action and resiliation in a vicious circle. Huntington claimed at the end of the 80's that a clash between muslims and christians would take place after the extinction of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the Commonwealth of Independent States. What means really christian, muslim, western civilization... in the context of Huntington's predictions? Coincidentally, what was the "end of the history" proclaimed by Fukoyama? Certainly should be the end of the history based on imposition, on a culture of force and violence, a culture of war... and to start building, brick by brick, a culture of dialogue, conciliation, understanding. That is the history that humanity deserves and claims for. Even in the critical conditions described, the United Nations System promoted during the last decade of the 20 century many important declarations and recommendations for world guidance and governance, democracy building, security, justice and peace throughout the world: 1990 - Education for all - Jomtien, Thailand. 1992 - Environment protection - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1995 - Summit on Social Development- Copenhagen, Denmark. Declaration on Tolerance - Paris, France. Women and Development -Beijing, China. 1997/98 - Declaration on the Human Genome (UNESCO - UN) 1999 - Declaration and Plan of Action on a Culture of Peace (UN) 2000 - The Earth Charter - Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 2001 - Declaration on Diversity (UNESCO) In the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, UNESCO, November 1995, on the occasion of the 50 Anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations, the concept of a culture of peace appears in its Article. No 1: "Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. It is fostered by knowledge, openness, communication, and freedom of thought, conscience and belief. Tolerance is harmony in difference. It is not only a moral duty, it is also a political and legal requirement. Tolerance, the virtue that makes peace possible, contributes to the replacement of the culture of war by a culture of peace". The 13th of September 1999, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted a Resolution on "Declaration and Program of Action of a Culture of Peace". The following paragraphs are particularly relevant: "Recognizing that peace is not only the absence of conflict, but requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation, Recognizing further the need to eliminate all forms of discrimination and intolerance, including those based on race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status..., Article 1: A culture of peace is a set of values, attitudes, traditions and modes of behaviour and ways of life based on: * Respect for life, ending of violence and promotion and practice of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation... Article 3: The fuller development of a culture of peace is integrally linked to: * Strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring full participation in the development process; * Eradicating poverty and illiteracy and reducing inequalities within and among nations; * Promoting sustainable economic and social development; * Eliminate all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Article 6: Civil society needs to be fully engaged in the development of a culture of peace. Article 8: A key role in the promotion of a culture of peace belongs to parents, teachers, politicians, journalists, religious bodies and groups, intellectuals, those engaged in scientific, philosophical and creative and artistic activities, health and humanitarian workers, social workers, managers at various levels as well as to non-governmental organizations." In the Action Program to implement the culture of peace different measures concerning how to promote a culture of peace by means of education, economic and social sustainable development the respect of all human rights, equality between women and men, democratic participation,... among others: 14. Actions to advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity: * Implementation of the Declaration of Principles of Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the United Nations Year of Tolerance (1995); * Support activities in the context of the United Nations International Year of Dialogue among Civilizations in the year 2001; * Further supporting the attainment of the goals of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People; * Support actions that foster tolerance and solidarity with refugees and displaced persons bearing in mind the objective of facilitating their voluntary return and social integration; * Support actions that foster tolerance and solidarity with migrants; 15. Actions to support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge: * Support the important role of the media in the promotion of a culture of peace; * Ensure freedom of the press and freedom of information and communication; * Taking measures to address the issue of violence in the media including new communication technologies, inter alia, the internet; 16. Actions to promote international peace and security: * Promote general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control taking into account the priorities established by the United Nations in the field of disarmament; * Emphasize the inadmissibility of acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in all parts of the world; * Encourage confidence building measures and efforts for negotiating peaceful settlements; * Discourage the adoption of and refrain from any unilateral measure, not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, that impedes the full achievement of economic and social development by the population of the affected countries, in particular women and children, that hinders their well-being that creates obstacles to the full enjoyment of their human rights, including the right of everyone to a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being and their right to food, medical care and the necessary social services, while reaffirming food and medicine must not be used as a tool for political pressure; * Promoting greater involvement of women in prevention and resolution of conflicts and in particular, in activities promoting a culture of peace in post-conflict situations; Concerning the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World": Aware that the task of the United Nations to save future generations from the scourge of war requires transformation towards a culture of peace, which consists of values, attitudes and behaviours that reflect and inspire social interaction and sharing based on the principles of freedom, justice and democracy, all human rights, tolerance and solidarity, that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation and that guarantee the full exercise of all rights and the means to participate fully in the development process of their society... " "4. Calls upon the relevant United Nations bodies, in particular the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund, and invites nongovernmental organizations, religious bodies and groups, educational institutions, artists and the media actively to support the Decade for the benefit of every child of the world." I would like to underline until what point this necessity of converting peace building in a permanent behaviour attitude has been reflected both in the preamble and in the "commitments" of the Earth Charter: "We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations. a. Encourage and support mutual understanding, solidarity, and cooperation among all peoples and within and among nations. f. Recognize that peace is the wholeness created by right relationships with oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger whole of which all are a part. In the "way forward" it is said: "In order to build a sustainable global community, the nations of the world must renew their commitment to the United Nations". This is exactly what is already established in the Article 26/2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace". It's also worth to mention the Resolution in 1997 concerning the Dialogue of civilizations, at the proposal of the Iranian President Jatami (1998). In conclusion, numerous Resolutions delt with the necessity of favouring the transition from a culture of violence to a culture of peace, and many others - starting with the Universal Declaration - emphasized the reinforcement of the UN as an indispensable step forward. However, unfortunately, the cleavage at world level was not appropriately addressed and the so called "globalization" had many negative "colateral" consequences. A growing profound disagreement with the way utilized by the United States in its "pax Americana" has taken place. The support to dictators as Somoza in Nicaragua or Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, the imposition of military regimes as General Pinochet in Chile in the frame of the abominable "Condor Operation", led to a frontal ciriticism, including many of the "allies", for the antidemocratic policy followed by the US superpower. Simultanoeusly, the erosion of the multilateral system, particularly pronounced during the Reagan's presidential period, preparared the way towards a world oligo-power or, as it is the case in the present times, practical hegemony. The 11th of September of 2001, a well planned suicide terrorist attack against the main symbols of the United States-the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington... - represented an immense strike against the traditional defense and security systems. Horrified by the innocent victims and the tragedy followed in real time through the television, an immense majority of the world citizens placed immediately themselves at the side of life, sharing the mourn of all those that were particularly affected in their relatives by the Al-Qaeda attack. No doubt this was a "momentum" to be diligently used in favour of a new approach at global scale: a new world fair strategy; the reinforcement of the multilateral system; the search of a Earth union ("We, the peoples"...) against those unable to express their dissentment by non-violent means. However, the way in which the world issues were addressed afterwards (invasion of Iraq based on wrong information, threats, fear, mediatic support of a unilateral decision based on an inexistent mass-destructive capacity, particularly after peaceful demonstrations of more than one hundred and ten million people throughout the world against the war, enlarged the divide at planetary scale, as many problems were not solved and many were worsened. The treatment of the prisoners in Guantanamo and in the Baghdad Abu Ghraib, the behaviour of troops unprepared to manage the post-war, resulted in the present situation of economy of war, of a reduction of the freedom of expression, of inestability at the world level. Instead of redesigning the security strategies, the war industrial complex produces the artifacts as for a conventional belic confrontation. It's now urgent, in the benefit of all the citizens of the world, to return to a multilateral system inspired in the Article No 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: brotherhood, freedom, equality. And justice, and solidarity to make possible the other world in which we dream everyday. Through UBUNTU, a network of networks, interacting with many other organizations that firmly believe that the in depth reform of the international institutions is absolutely indispensable, we have been working for the last years on new approaches for the relevance and authority of the UN System. For instance, the General Assembly - "We, the peoples"! - should consist not only in representatives of the states, but of elected representatives and worldwide associations and NGO's. The Security Council should not only deal with political matters but, with the pertinent assessments, on economic, cultural, environmental, social and ethical matters. In other words, the System envisaged by President Roosevelt in 1944 must be now updated in order to serve efficiently at the dawn of a new century and millennium. It is time for action. Action in education; in democracy-building; in the utilization of the modern communication technology to mobilize people in all the corners of the world. To, peacefully, express their views, to influence, at last, the decision making process for better governance. To transit from a culture of war to a culture of peace, with the people for the first time as a protagonist in the world scenario. At last, the voice of the people. At last, genuine democracy. Perhaps the twenty-first century will be the century of people. Perhaps "a new history", based on the force of reason and not on the reason of the force, will emerge. May 2005 *Most of the references mentioned in this article can be consulted and downloaded: www.fund-culturadepaz.org.
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