Chapter 1: The Anti-Imperialist League 1898-1902
Pages 3 - 4
Chapter 2: The People's Council 1917-1919
Pages 5 - 6 - 7
Chapter 3: The American League Against War and Fascism and the Emergency Peace Campaign 1933-1939
Pages 8 - 9 - 10
Chapter 4: The Progressive Citizens of America 1946-1948
Pages 11-12
Chapter 5: The "Mobes" against the Vietnam War 1966-1970
Pages 13-14
Chapter 6: The Nuclear Freeze Movement and People-to-People Diplomacy 1980-1990
Pages 15-16-17-18
Chapter 7: Global Movement for a Culture of Peace 2000-
Pages 19-20-21
Chapter 8: The Root Causes of War
Pages 22-23-24-25-26-27
Chapter 9: The Future of the Peace Movement
Pages 28-29-30-31
Acknowledgements
Page 37
Although the involvement of the American people was not extensive, there were 75 million people around the world who made a commitment to practice a culture of peace in their daily lives in celebration of the International Year for the Culture of Peace in 2000. This was initiated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and all of the Nobel Peace Laureates, and picked up by the UN General Assembly, who, in September 1999, called for the first time for a global movement, a global movement for a culture of peace. The movement was launched during the UN International Year for the Culture of Peace in 2000 and continued during the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010) (note 14).
The culture of peace, as it had been adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1997, is broader and deeper than traditional concepts of peace; it is conceived as an alternative to the culture of war and violence. The UN resolution stated that a culture of peace was to be based on "respect for human rights, democracy and tolerance, the promotion of development, education for peace, the free flow of information and the wider participation of women". In the 1999 resolution, disarmament was added to this list. The culture of peace thus provides an alternative to the exploitation, authoritarianism, enemy images, military education, secrecy, male domination and war preparations (armies and weapons systems) that are necessary and sufficient for the culture of war and violence. It undercuts the very basis on which war systems have always been built and it provides the basis for a common, universal vision for a peaceful future.
As Director at UNESCO of the International Year for the Culture of Peace, I had the unique opportunity to help launch this global movement against war with the unanimous authorization of the nation states of the world, with the widespread network of UNESCO and the strong support of its Director-General, Federico Mayor.
With the help of the campaign that had engaged the Nobel Peace Laureates, we developed a popular version of the UN resolutions on a culture of peace. The Manifesto 2000 commits each individual to work for a culture of peace in his or her daily life, in schools, family, workplace and community. The diplomatic language for the behavior of states was translated into the language of everyday life, a commitment to:
• respect all life
• reject violence
• share with others
• preserve the planet
• listen to understand
• rediscover solidarity (building the community with democratic participation and the full participation of women)
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