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Although many such initiatives are described in the following pages, no doubt there are many others as well. Hopefully, this monograph will initiate a process in which the movement for a culture of peace is linked into an effective and mutually reinforcing network.
The monograph will look first at UNESCO's Culture of Peace Programme. It has been given a high priority in UNESCO's medium term strategy for the coming years. The Programme's role is that of a catalyst, serving as an inspiration and initiator of key activities and a centre for the exchange of information and ideas.
Second, we will consider UNESCO, which has taken up the culture of peace as the theme of a new transdisciplinary project. In this project the Programme is joined by all the sectors of the Organization, in a common undertaking which engages all its fields of competence, education, science, culture and communication, as essential tools to build a culture of peace in co operation with partners throughout the world.
Third, we will consider the National Culture of Peace Programmes in which UNESCO cooperates with the government and civil society in El Salvador, Mozambique and Burundi. In these countries the people are engaged in national initiatives to overcome a culture of war and to put in its place a peace culture based upon traditional peacemaking practices and on a continuing process of participation, dialogue, mediation, and co operation.
Fourth, we will consider the role of the United Nations family, including its specialized agencies and other related institutions. At this moment in history, the United Nations recognizes that the building of a culture of peace is perhaps our most urgent task. This task is at the heart of the mission of the UN which is to foster the integrity of cultures and, upon this basis, to promote information, dialogue, understanding and co operation among all the world's diverse cultures.
Fifth, we will look at other intergovernmental organizations which are increasingly engaging their member states in peaceful co operation rather than military defence.
Sixth, we will consider governmental culture of peace initiatives. Whereas in the past the state has monopolized the forces of war and violence, using them for internal control as well as external defence, today many states are seeking a change to non violent solutions for social conflicts, developing new alternatives for economic and political security.
Finally, we will look at some of the thousands of non governmental organizations (NGOs) that are contributing to a culture of peace. This is perhaps the most important area of all, for it is the most accessible way for ordinary people to become involved and active in its promotion.
Of course, by limiting the scope of the monograph to these institutional structures, we may not give as much attention to the many actions and roles of other institutions which play a key role in the transition to a culture of peace. Educational systems, both formal and non formal, the media and other modern communication systems, the arts, science, religion, various professions, the family, just to mention the most obvious, are both active and are being transformed in the process. They will be referred to frequently in the pages that follow, but without any attempt at a systematic survey and perspective.
In conclusion, we will consider the emergence of a global movement and vision of a culture of peace. A vision is needed which unites people working in the various social movements for peace and justice which gives hope and inspiration for the common task of historical transformation. Through its information and networking system the UNESCO Culture of Peace Programme provides a focal point for the development of this vision.
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Every person has a role to play in creating a culture of peace; the question is how to find that role and join with others in its planning and implementation - linking the local to the national, regional and global.