CULTURE  OF  PEACE
INTERNATIONAL
Cultura de Paz • Culture de Paix • Cultura della Pace • Kultur des Friedens • Baris kültürü

Co-founders of the International Society ”Culture of Peace”:

Mikis Theodorakis Composer, Greece

Dchingiz Aitmatov
Writer, Russia

Hans-Peter Dürr, Scientist, Alternative Nobel Prize Winner, Germany
Christa Wolf, Writer, Germany
Robert Jungk, Journalist, Austria (†)
Karola Bloch, Writer, Germany (†)
Jakob Uexküll, Journalist, Sweden, Founder of the Alternative Nobel Prize
and others

Supporters of our organization:

Mercedes Sosa
Singer
 Argentina

Rigoberta Menchu
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Guatemala 

Felicia Langer, Human Rights Lawyer, Alternative Nobel Prize Winner, Israel
Ramsey Clark, former US-Attorney,USA 
George Wald, Nobel Prize Winner,USA†
Anthony Quinn, Actor, USA (†)
Maria Farantouri, Singer, Greece
Selim Beslagic, Mayor of Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Johan Galtung, Peace-researcher, Alternative Nobel Prize Winner, Sweden
Carmen Gloria Quintana, Human Rights Activist, Chile
Walter Jens, Writer, Germany
Zülfü Livaneli, Musician, Turkey
Giuseppe Santomaso, Artist, Italy (†)
Hermann Scheer, Politician, Alternative Nobel Prize Winner, Germany
Elmar Schmähling, former Admiral, Germany

International Society Culture of Peace

”From the Cult of War towards the Culture of Peace”

During the ”Cold War”, 12 years ago, in occasion of the anniversary day of the end of World War II, artists, scientists, writers and musicians came together in Tübingen (Germany) on 6.-8. May 1988, in order to develop a new counter-project to our endangered world: the idea of the Culture of Peace was born. 
The International Society Culture of Peace was founded by Mikis Theodorakis, Dchingiz Aitmatov, Karola Bloch, Christa Wolf, Robert Jungk and many others in order to overcome war and worldwide militarization, racism and hatred, hunger, exploitation and poverty, cultural and environmental destruction. 

»I wish that the  ‘Culture of Peace’ becomes a worldwide movement of thinking and acting«, Christa Wolf, 8. May 1988 in Tübingen

Until now many projects and activities towards a peaceful living together of peoples have been realized – beyond the borders of nationality, race, religion and ideology. By means of international cooperation in the fields of science, art, culture, media , and sports, bridges are supposed to be built within and between societies in conflict regions. In war regions civic and democratic forces are supported in order to overcome violence and human rights violations. Projects were already launched in Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Iraq, Indonesia, Greece, Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina and former Yugoslavia. 

2001-2010 : UN-Decade of the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence

The United Nations and UNESCO have proclaimed the year 2000 the ”International Year for the Culture of Peace” and 2001-2010 as ”Decade of the Culture of Peace for the children of the world”. We need this global effort in order to abolish war in the 21st century. Culture of Peace ought to become a strong international movement helping to settle down conflicts by non-violent and civil means. The International Society Culture of Peace is official partner of the Culture of Peace-Programme in UNESCO for these activities. 

Let’s globalize solidarity and peace

Our work comprises many different activities like:
- civic, non-violent interventions in conflict regions (peace-marches, peace-caravans and peace-camps)
- support of independent media like radio-stations in conflict regions
- education and qualification (teach-the-teacher)programmes in the fields of renewable energies

Sign MANIFESTO 2000 for a Culture of Peace on Internet ! www.unesco.org/manifesto2000 

”Culture is the pleasure
to change the world”
Bertolt Brecht

•	Campaign for the «Human Right to Peace»
We are convinced that after this century with horrible wars, barbarism and crimes against humanity and human rights it is high time for the “Human Right to Peace”. The right to live is not applied in times of war. This contradiction and the undermining of the universality of human rights must be ended by the recognition of the human right to peace, and WARS MUST BE MADE ILLEGAL. HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN. THEREFORE WE MUST FORCE GOVERNMENTS TO SETTLE DOWN CONFLICTS POLITICALLY.
We all, people and peoples, are called upon to prevent violence, intolerance and injustice in our countries and societies in order to overcome the cult of war and to build up a “Culture of Peace”. In cooperation with the former Director-General of UNESCO, Federico Mayor, we have launched a campaign on occasion of 50 years Universal Declaration on 10th December 1998 in order to promote the idea.
Hearings will be held in different cities with lawyers, experts of right, representatives
of human rights groups, peace groups, in order to postulate this demand 
for the United Nations. All interested organizations and people 
are kindly invited  to organize own hearings ! 
Federico Mayor,
former Director-General of UNESCO, promotes the idea of the Human Right to Peace

•	 International ”Solar for Peace-Programme” 
A past and future cause of wars (as seen in the Gulf War) has been and will be the fight for access to energy and water resources all over the world. The Near east, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus and Caspian Sea, as well as different regions in Africa will become future scenes of crisis and war, if we won’t be able to change our energy systems radically from fossil into renewable energies. Solar energy is a real possibility to transform conflicts between countries regarding oil exploitation into co-operation regarding the use of sun energy, biomass, geothermic, wind and water power. Moreover renewable energies contribute to a sustainable development in the poor countries by providing cheap and clean energy, creating new markets. Decentralized structures of solar energy have also an impact on democratisation processes in countries and particularly in remote areas. We need projects which give the people a share in solving the conflicts in the Region and help us to come from confrontation, exclusion and military armament towards more civic co-operation. Therefore solar projects in Bosnia, Greece/Turkey, Israel/Palestine and former Yugoslavia have been started in order to build bridges in the Region. Projects are thinkable in Ecuador/Peru, Brazil, Cuba and other regions.

•	”We, the peoples…” – ”Let’s globalize solidarity and peace”
Social-Forums and Peace Parliaments in every community
In order to overcome globalization of neo-liberalism and worldwide militarization, we have to strengthen and foster civil society. NGOs, human rights, and peace-groups, trade-unions should found Social-Forums and Peace Parliaments in every city and community as ”United Nations from below”. These Forums should meet regularly and act in a very early stage of conflicts, dealing peacefully with:
- developing civil society in conflict regions
- supporting and strengthening independent media in conflict regions
- organizing peace negotiations with participation of social groups, peace groups, women groups etc.
Learning from the Local Agenda 21-Process which started in Rio de Janeiro ten years ago, we want to initiate ”Local Agendas for the Culture of Peace” linking social, environmental and peace issues.

Society Culture of Peace, Am Lustnauer Tor 4, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
Phone: + 49 7071 52200  fax + 49 7071 24905
e-mail : culture-of-peace@t-online.de