INTERNATIONAL YEAR FOR THE CULTURE OF PEACE (IYCP)

Vienna, 28 February 2000/P/K/16752c-is

The United Nations Organization has proclaimed the year 2000 the "International Year for the Culture of Peace" (IYCP). The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been entrusted to co-ordinate all activities related to the IYCP. Among many NGOs, the International Progress Organization has endorsed the "Manifesto 2000 for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence" and has joined those NGOs as a "Messenger of the Manifesto 2000." Following is the text of the Manifesto:

Manifesto 2000 for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence

Because the year 2000 must be a new beginning, an opportunity to transform - all together - the culture of war and violence into a culture of peace and non-violence;

Because this transformation demands the participation of each and every one of us, and must offer young people and future generations the values that can inspire them to shape a world based on justice, solidarity, liberty, dignity, harmony and prosperity for all;

Because the culture of peace can underpin sustainable development, environmental protection and the well-being of each person;

Because I am aware of my share of responsibility for the future of humanity, in particular to the children of today and tomorrow,

I pledge in my daily life, in my family, my work, my community, my country and my region, to:

Respect the life and dignity of each human being without discrimination or prejudice;

Practice active non-violence, rejecting violence in all its forms: physical, sexual, psychological, economical and social, in particular towards the most deprived and vulnerable such as children and adolescents;

Share my time and material resources in a spirit of generosity to put an end to exclusion, injustice and political and economic oppression;

Defend freedom of expression and cultural diversity, giving preference always to dialogue and listening without engaging in fanaticism, defamation and the rejection of others;

Promote consumer behaviour that is responsible and development practices that respect all forms of life and preserve the balance of nature on the planet;

Contribute to the development of my community, with the full participation of women and respect for democratic principles, in order to create together new forms of solidarity.

Those who wish to endorse the Manifesto 2000 are kindly invited to use the hyperlink in the text of the Manifesto or to inform the head office of the I.P.O.