Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player

Culture of Peace

The UN has nominated the year 2000 as the “International Year for the Culture of Peace” and the decade 2001-2010 as the “International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence”, aiming at sending a message to the entire planet that Peace can only be established if we build our future based on Culture of Peace, if we add the values of Culture of Peace in our everyday life, home, schools, work, i.e. the respect to human beings and their dignity, justice, solidarity, tolerance, understanding…

As it is henceforth evident, Peace cannot be established from the top levels, since the rulers of the Earth keep on declaring wars in the name of Peace and Justice, but also because Peace is not a part of our DNA.

Peace should be learnt step by step, precisely as we learn how to walk and speak; we should allow peace “to imbue” every cell of our brain and body, to raise our children with the principles that promote the spirit of peace, daily teaching them practices originated by the spirit of peace and justice, so that they are able to apply these values to their communities in their turn once they have grown up.

In other words in order to achieve peace, we should build a Culture of Peace.

This can only be achieved if we start from the basis: the individual i.e., fighting to shape the mentalities which finally are more powerful than the law. The basis, on which we should act, is primarily the family, since the concepts of democracy, tolerance and solidarity are born there.

Regarding the means of action, Education is the fundamental one, as it shapes the characters and determines the attitudes of life.

Moreover, art, history, tradition, sports, science and technology play a particularly important role for teaching Peace and creating new standards and values.

For the promotion of Culture of Peace, the “Foundation for the Child and the Family” closely collaborates with UNESCO, the International Peace Bureau, the International Network “Hague Appeal for Peace” and "The Suzanne Mubarak Women's International Peace Movement".

The Foundation has organised the International Athens - Delphi Meeting “For the Children and Peace” and drew up  the “Declaration of Delphi for the Children and Peace”; it has also organised the international conference entitled: "The child: war victim and peace messenger" and participated in the international conference entitled: “Hague Appeal for Peace”, the international conference on “Education for a Culture of Peace”, the international conference on "Women Defending Peace" as well as the international conference entitled "Women in the Service of Peace".