6108
'It is evident that men's efforts have not been sufficient,' the meeting concluded, 'that belief in the efficacy of violence is misplaced and that women's participation provides breadth and makes a qualitative difference in the nature and the effectiveness of policies related to peace and security... We believe that the interests of human security can best be served by an intentional transition from the culture of war, which now prevails, to a culture of peace.'
UNESCO's Culture of Peace Programme and Unit on Women Gender and Development worked with the UN Department of Women in the preparation of materials for the Beijing World Conference on Women.
United Nations University
Ethnic conflict is a key problem in the development of a culture of peace. Therefore, it was an important step in 1993 when the United Nations University, in collaboration with the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, established the Initiative on Conflict Resolution and Ethnicity (INCORE). INCORE aims to integrate research, training, practice, policy and theory on the growing problems associated with ethnic violence.
As the result of an INCORE colloquium on multi ethnic and multi cultural societies in collaboration with UNESCO's programme Management of Social Transformations, the theme of women and ethnic violence has been identified as a priority area. In another project, INCORE is collaborating with the University of Limerick and the Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution to examine the training of UN military and civilian peace-keepers.
Other research initiatives of INCORE which have already begun or are planned include: a comparative assessment of approaches to mediation; the anticipation and prevention of violence; conflict transformation, the management of divided cities; and the relationship between economic factors and ethnic conflict.
Women's participation can make a qualitative difference in the nature and effectiveness of policies related to peace and security.