david Last month’s blog posed two questions. Is the Global Movement for a Culture of Peace growing? And will it be able grow enough to replace the present culture of war when it crashes? This month’s CPNN bulletin indicates that it is growing, but is it growing fast enough to deal with the world crises that are … Read more
The bulletin this month marks a milestone in the evolution of CPNN, as its coverage begins to depend on the extensive involvement of reporters from around the world. Looking back over the 15 years of CPNN since it began at UNESCO in 1998, I recognize this as the most recent of several milestones. At first it … Read more
If we take only a short-term view of history, I think that we have only taken one step forward and one step back with the adoption last month of the Arms Trade Treaty by the United Nations. By this, I mean that we should not expect any real control of the arms trade to be possible as … Read more
In his analysis of the Arab spring on CPNN, the journalist John Mayton concludes that the Egyptian revolution “can, through a culture of peace, set a precedent not only for their own country but for the whole region.” Even further, we ask in the discussion question “Can the Arab Spring inspire democratic movements around the world?” … Read more
Regions where wars are raging are also regions where there is a strong movement for peace, as described in several cases in this month’s CPNN bulletin. This is not new. During the 19th Century, In his extensive notebooks called the “Grundrisse”, Marx made a note that “War attains complete development before peace.” One may assume that … Read more
Latin America continues to take the lead in the transition to a culture of peace. As indicated by this month’s CPNN Bulletin, the continent was the first to establish city culture of peace commissions, as well as city commissions for components such as human rights in Sao Paulo and sustainable development in Aguascalientes. Also the … Read more
There is good reason why the free flow of information is one of the eight key areas of the culture of peace, as defined by the UN Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. On the one hand, it is essential for the consciousness-raising and networking that can make the transition possible from … Read more
Women’s equality is essential to the culture of peace. When we sent the draft Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace from UNESCO to the UN General Assembly in 1998, we made it clear that the linkage is essential between women’s equality, development and peace: “Only this . . . can replace … Read more
As described in this month’s CPNN bulletin, the youth participants at the Budapest training were inspired to continue their activism for a better world. I, too, was inspired, and it has led me to imagine a roadmap for the global transition from culture of war to culture of peace. I see a tremendous multiplier effect in … Read more
My ten years working in the United Nations system left me with a sweet and sour taste. The sweet side was the universality of the UN, both its staff and mandate, and its great significance for raising the consciousness of the peoples of the world. The sour side was the jealousy of the Member States … Read more