Culture of Peace Advances Despite Media Silence
an article by David Adams

The culture of peace is advancing, according to a vast majority of the 700 organizations participating from over 100 countries in the 2005 World Report on the Culture of Peace. The report provides the first comprehensive view of the progress of the global movement for a culture of peace, since it was called for in 1999 by United Nations Resolution A/53/243. A summary of the report was presented by the Ambassador from Bangladesh to Secretary-General Kofi Annan on June 29 so that it can be considered in the plenary debate of the General Assembly to mark the midpoint of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010).

The summary report includes assessments of progress and obstacles by region: International NGOs (two pages), Africa, Arab States, Latin America, Asia, Europe, North America and the Caribbean, all of which report progress. It also includes two pages of advice to the United Nations from participating organizations which addresses the eight program areas for the culture of peace that are recognized by United Nations Resolutions. There are now almost 500 photographs on the Information Board of the report website (for a few of them, see the illustrated version) of the summary report).

The inspiring advance of the global movement for a culture of peace comes despite almost total neglect from the mass media, according to most accounts from all regions. This suggests a major challenge for the second half of the decade: to ensure that news of the global movement for a culture of peace is recognized and documented by both the mass media and alternative media.

The Information Board of the World Report website will remain open for additional organizations to participate until the General Assembly debate in the fall of 2005.

DISCUSSION

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How can we know if the culture of peace is advancing?


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GLOBAL MOVEMENT FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE

LATEST READER COMMENT:

In regard to your question, the answer is: YES, the Culture of Peace is advancing. I manage to overlook the indifference and absolute silence demonstrated by the commercial mass media regarding the Culture of Peace, because what I focus my attention on, here in my microcosm, is:

* the great number of Professors (more than 100) from all the Schools of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and other Greek Universities (University of Thessaly, University of Thrace, etc.), who constantly teach and support the Courses of the UNESCO Chair for the Culture of Peace, since 1993, on a purely voluntary basis, without recompense of any kind

* the students from all the Schools of the A.U.Th., who eagerly choose and attend this demanding Course every academic semester and who claim that this Course Programme is the most valuable learning experience they have had during their studies

* the innumerable teachers of primary and secondary education, from all specialties throughout Greece, who constitute the Greek National Network of Schoolteachers for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence of the UNESCO Chair/A.U.Th. These teachers are our invaluable partners in the promotion of the Culture of Peace in the school classrooms. It is with great imagination, originality and commitment to the Culture of Peace that they organize many commendable activities with their students in the classroom. Every time that I am honored to receive Reports of their work, apart from my satisfaction and admiration, I feel certain that the Culture of Peace is in the rights hands.

And these are only some of my sources of strength and optimism. So, what do we really need the mass media for? Let them go on with their significant work.. . ...more.

This report was posted on July 18, 2005. The moderator is Tony.

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