United Nations Culture of Peace: Historic Timeline

By Justin Curmi (2019)

1940s

1. 1945

   1. UNESCO’s Constitution: The creation of the organization that will later strive for the Culture of Peace. This can be seen in the preamble of its Constitution, which states, “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed” (1945).

1980s

1. 1986

   1. Cultura de Paz: The idea to use the term culture of peace was inspired by an educational initiative called Cultura de paz developed in Peru and by the Seville Statement on Violence.

2. 1989

   1. Congress on Peace in the Minds of Men: A meeting that essentially stated that the aims of civilization and society is to strive for peace and interculturalism. Peace is the ultimate and inherent good.

   2. UNESCO Seville Statement on Violence: A statement that humankind is neither inherently violent nor biologically programed to cause war.

1990s

1. 1992

   1. 140 EX/28: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization holds its Hundred and fortieth Session. On the agenda (Item 5.4.2) is the Culture of Peace, proposed by H. E. Mr Ahmed Sayyad.

      1. UNESCO Members adopted a Culture of Peace Programme to bring peace to conflict zones.

2. 1994

   1. Forum on the Culture of Peace: First international forum on the Culture of Peace in San Salvador, El Salvador to promote and discuss the culture of peace.

3. 1995

   1. UNESCO Women and a Culture of Peace Programme: The UNESCO Women and a Culture of Peace Programme was established after the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, to promote gender equality and gather proposals on how to combat the issue.

   2. Second Forum on the Culture of Peace: Second International forum on the Culture of Peace in Manila, Philippine to promote and discuss the culture of peace.

4. 1997

   1. A/RES/52/15: Proclamation of the year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace.

   2. First international conferences on male roles, masculinities and violence in 1997, in Oslo: A group of experts conveyed in Oslo in 1997 to discuss the matter of gender equality and the role of males. This meeting was later to produce an UNESCO book, “Male roles, masculinities and violence.”

5. 1998

   1. Declaration on “The Dialogue Among the Three Monotheistic Religions: Towards a Culture of Peace:” Representatives from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam meet in rabat, Morocco to discuss how to promote the culture of peace within each respective religion.

   2. International Forum on “A Culture of Peace and Dialogue of Civilizations, against a Culture of War and Violence:” Kishinev, Republic of Moldova on the culture of peace and how to promote is within each culture.

   3. Second International Symposium "For a Culture of Peace in the Third Millennium: Held in Baden-Baden, Germany to discuss on how to talk about harsh realities of history in such a way to promote a culture of peace.

   4. UN General Assembly Resolution A/53/25 - International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World (2001–2010).

6. 1999

   1. Hanoi statement on the culture of peace national workshop on a culture of Peace Hanoi, Viet Nam, 15 May 1999: A workshop of thinkers and intellectuals to discuss the culture of peace.

   2. UN General Assembly Resolution A/53/243: A declaration on a Culture of Peace.

2000s

1. 2000

   1. The Manifesto 2000 on a Culture of Peace: A pledge to six ideas that promote a culture of peace through inspiring nonviolence and tolerance.

      1. A goal of 100 million was set, but only more than 75 million people signed the Manifesto 2000.

   2. UN Security Council Resolution SC 1325: A resolution that aims to incorporate women more in the diplomatic process of creating a culture of peace.

2. 2001

   1. Sep 2001- The traumatic event of the plane crashing into the Twin Towers has lead to a change in policy, which resulted in the war on terror. In addition, this has lead to an increase in spending and trade on military weapons and other lethal gear.

   2. A/56/349: International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World: Report of the Secretary-General.

   3. A56/5 : International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World, 2001-2010.

3. 2004

   1. Culture of Peace Exhibit: "Building a Culture of Peace for the Children of the World," an exhibit sponsored by SGI-USA that coalesced different cultures to promote the ideas of culture of peace through the arts.

4. 2012

   1. Human Rights Council Resolution 20/15: Reaffirm and promote that all humans should share the same rights that was established in the original UN chart.

      1. This created the Open-Ended Working Group on the Right to Peace.

5. 2015

   1. Nobel Peace Prize Nomination: Nominated for a Nobel Peace prize by IPB (International Bureau of Peace).

6. 2016

   1. Thematic Cluster for Peace: created in the NGO Major Group, this Thematic Cluster is based on the Programme of Action for a Culture of Peace, and seeks synthesis between the Programme of Action and the Sustainable Development Agenda for 2030.

Bibliography

• Ingeborg Breines, I. (2015). The culture of peace – a necessary utopia? [PDF]. Helsinki: International Peace Bureau.

• Adams, D. (2000). History of the Culture of Peace [PDF]. New York: UNESCO.

• Constitution | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/history/constitution/.

• The International Congress on Peace in the Minds of Men Côte d'Ivoire, June 26 - July 1 1989, Yamoussoukro Declaration on Peace in the Minds of Men Available from http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/declarations/yamouss.pdf.

• United Nations, United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, The Seville Statement (16 Nov. 1989) available from http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/declarations/seville.pdf.

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Hundred and fortieth Session Item 5.4.2 of the provisional agenda, Co-operation to promote a culture of peace, 140 EX/28 (14 August 1992) Available from http://www.culture-of-peace.info/annexes/140ex28/coverpage.html.

• “Unesco Executive Board Debate on October 27, 1992 on Culture of Peace Item” (Executive Debate, A debate on the merits and benefits of a Culture of peace, Paris 14 August 1992), http://www.culture-of-peace.info/annexes/140ex28/coverpage.html.

• “First International Forum on the Culture of Peace” (Final report, Government of El Salvador, A Forum The Forum examined the perspective of countries at different stages of peacebuilding, the processes being used and the results which can be achieved in constructing a culture of peace, El Salvador, 16 - 18 February 1994), http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/projects/firstforum.htm.

• “The Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace Beijing, 4-15 September 1995” (Conference, The advancement and empowerment of women in relation to women’s human rights, women and poverty, women and decision-making, the girl-child, violence against women and other areas of concern. China, 4-15 September 1995), http://www.un.org/geninfo/bp/women.html.

• “The Second international forum on the culture of peace” (forum, to further elaborate on details of the first international forum on the culture of peace, Philippines 26 - 30 November), http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/projects/manila.pdf.

• General Assembly resolution 52/15, Proclamation of the year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace, A/RES/52/15 (20 November 1997), available from http://www.un-documents.net/a52r15.htm.

• Warters,, Bill. Male Violence, Unlearning of. N.p.: The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Peace, 2010. PDF.

• "Male Roles and Masculinity in the Perspective of a Culture of Peace Report” (Expert Group Meeting, a discussion and debate on the male ethos and to ponder on solutions of how to adjust the role, Norway 24-28 September 1997), http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001096/109628Eo.pdf.

• “The Dialogue Among the Three Monotheistic Religions: Towards a Culture of Peace” (dialogue, a conversation of the role of the monotheistic religions in the culture of peace, Morocco, 16 February 1998), http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/declarations/religion2.pdf.

• “For a Culture of Peace and Dialogue of Civilization” (International Forum, A discussion of the culture of the peace and how to uphold it, Republic of Moldova, 18 May 1998) http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/declarations/kishinevltrhed.pdf.

• “Second International Symposium ‘For a Culture of Peace in the third Millennium’” (Symposium, full support for the efforts of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aimed at the development and furthering of the concept of a culture of peace, Germany, 20 August 1998) http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/declarations/baden.htm.

• General Assembly resolution 53/25, International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001–2010), A/RES/53/25 (19 November 1998), available from http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/kits/a53r025.pdf.

• “National Workshop on a Culture of Peace” (Workshop, develop and disseminate the concept of a culture of peace through various workshops and discussions, Viet Nam 15 May 1999) http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/declarations/hanoi.htm.

• General Assembly resolution 53/243, Declaration on a Culture of Peace, A/RES/53/243 (13 September 1999) http://www.un-documents.net/a53r243a.htm.

• Security Council resolution 1325, Landmark resolution on Women, Peace and Security, S/RES/1325 (31 October 2000) http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/wps/#resolution.

• “Manifesto 2000 for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence” (Meeting, a pledge to principles of culture of peace, France 4 March 2000) http://www.unesco.org/bpi/eng/unescopress/99-38e.htm

• “Manifesto 2000 for a culture of Peace and Non-violence” (Pledge, 6-point-pledge to the culture of peace, France 4 March 2000) http://www3.unesco.org/manifesto2000/uk/uk_manifeste.htm.

• Andrzejewski, Adam, and Thomas W. Smith. The Militarization of America. N.p.: OpenTheBooks.com, June 2016. PDF.

• General Assembly Resolution 56/349, International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, A/RES/56/349 (13 September 2001) available from http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/kits/A56349.pdf

• General Assembly Resolution 56/5, International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, 2001-2010, A/RES/56/5 (5 November 2001) available from http://www.un-documents.net/a56r5.htm

• Building a Culture of Peace Exhibition | SGI Quarterly. (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.sgiquarterly.org/artedu2004Apr-1.html

• United Nations, Human Rights Council Report of the Human Rights Council on its twentieth session, A/HRC/20/2 (3 August 2012 ), available from http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session20/A-HRC-20-2_en.pdf

• Breines,, I. (2015, January 27). 25 years of efforts for the culture of peace. [Letter to Members of the Nobel Committee]. Europe, Oslo, Norway.

• Our Challenge. (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.peacecultureworld.org/71i1dvuh8e16m3awg0m92xj4glemzj

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, The Culture of Peace. NA (France: UNESCO, 20012) available from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001263/126398e.pdf

Important Links

• http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/kits/uk_concept.pdf

• http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/

• http://www.culture-of-peace.org/english/

• http://www.culture-of-peace.info/index.html

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL0LJxH6PpY

• http://www.cultureofpeacealliance.org/

• http://cpnn-world.org/

• http://www.copoj.ca

• http://www.ashlandcpc.org/

• http://pathwaystopeace.org/culture-of-peace-initiative/

• http://www.fund-culturadepaz.org/

• http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/declarations/

• http://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/c14/e1-37-05-15.pdf

• http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0009/000926/092670eb.pdf

• http://ask.un.org/faq/14438

• http://www.fund-culturadepaz.org/spa/DOCUMENTOS/Report-Development_of_culture_of_peace-2010.pdf

The timeline provided by UNESCO

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