Youth manifesto for the 2lst century (extracts).

We, the young citizens of 175 countries assembled in the World Parliament of Children in Paris, from 2 1

to 27 October 1999, have adopted the following Manifesto:

We, the young people of the twenty-first century, want that century to be one of peace among

nations.

The world’s different civilizations, cultures and religions have a common purpose in the good of

humanity and the cause of the peace; this is a fundamental philosophy which is to be embodied by all

nations. While there should be analysis of past events, from which we may learn, we must focus on attempt-

ing to correct the inequities of the present.

It is imperative that the world strive to attain peace, by diplomacy, dialogue, community campaigns

and any other viable means. Peace is not only a dream but a goal. Provided the international community is

sincere in its desire to create and maintain peace, peace is a reality which can be attained. This is the worlds

only hope for survival.

War is a major disease caused by world leaders, blind and unmindful of the fact that with their actions

they are destroying our future and burying deep under ruins our right to live and thrive. Underlying causes

include unequal distribution of wealth, prejudice based on race, creed, sex or nationality, and undemocratic

authoritarian systems of governance. (. . .)

Despite the barriers that may seem at times to divide us, we are entitled to exercise our right to equal

respect and equal opportunity. (. . .>

Our names, surnames, nationalities, languages, religions and colours may be different but in essence all

of us are the same, all of us are human.

Foreword

I n 1998 the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” celebrated 50 years of existence. Twenty-four months

later under the initiative of UNESCO, the year 2000 was

proclaimed “International year for the culture of peace”

by the United Nations General Assembly

Inspired by these events, UNESCO’s Office of Public Information (OPI) launched an essay-writing competi-

tion in 1998/1999 for young Africans aged between 1.5 and

20, nearing the end of their secondary school education.

This gave us a means to capture an overall view of their awareness of United Nations ideals: peace, human rights,

tolerance, mutual understanding and solidarity...

This brochure is a collection of extracts from the essays

written by pupils from C8te d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Burkina

Faso, Senegal, Nigeria and Togo. Finally, more than 400 entries were received, 100 of which were in English.

Due to budgetary and practical constraints it was impos- sible to include all the sub-Saharan member States of

UNESCO in this competition. The eleven that took part were selected as fairly as possible on a geographical and linguistic basis.

The following participants were identified in this man-

ner: four English speaking countries: Ghana, Nigeria,

Zimbabwe, and South Africa; four French-speaking coun-

tries: Burkina Faso, CBte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Togo; two

bilingual countries: Cameroon and Mauritius; and one

Portuguese-speaking country: Mozambique. Various dif-

ficulties however hindered the organisation of the com- petition within all of these countries.

In order to retain the originality and freshness of their ori- ginal styles, it was decided not to modify in any way the

texts written by the pupils.

The thoughts expressed here should be an encourage-

ment to others, to those in associated schools, UNESCO clubs and associations, and also to youths from all back-

grounds, militant or not within organisations, as well as to those supervising them.

OPI wishes to express its gratitude to all those who have participated in the creation of this booklet which

addresses youth, in Africa and throughout the world.

the wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”.

do you think of this extract from UNESCO Constitution?

Fatma BA Ly&e Lamine G&ye, Dakar

War stems from the minds of men before being materialised; it is therefore in their minds that the principle of safekeeping international security must be built. Is it necessary then to proceed with the spiritual education of society to maintain peace? Is this spiritual education more essential than all forms of dissuasion? Is it really possible for people to place world interest before their own in order to guarantee peace? (...) Of course it isn’t an easy task to put aside one’s personal interest for the benefit of a group, but if one really thinks about it, per- severing the interest of a group is the surest way to safeguard our own interests.

Abdourahmane Sy Lyc6e Lamine G&ye, Dakar

Lack of tolerance is the main cause of wars today, but men and women also have decreasing moral standards. Weapon produ- cing countries are largely responsible for wars and in general these are not their wars. (. ..) It is truly necessary to make people understand that mankind is one. The only differences are cultural or in the colour of skin. This is where the Universal Decl- aration of Human Rights is important as it proclaims freedom and equality between human beings.

El Moussa COULIBALY Ly&e Lamine G&ye, Dakar

Basic education should be impartial and should introduce racial difference as an advantage and not as an inconvenience. It should instil1 confidence amongst human beings, teaching them to acknowledge their fellows as they acknowledge themselves. We can hope for a better world by means of educating humanity morally

Phameta MBU Ly&e bilingue of Esso, Cameroon

War is a conflict that exists between two of more

people and it can go to the extent of people taking

up arms against each other in order to solve pro- blems.

Nevertheless, these wars or conflicts that come

from the mind can be solved only in the mind. As it

is said: where a problem starts that is where its solu-

tion lies. We cannot start climbing a tree from the

top. So the very first step that we have to take in

order to solve this problem of war is by eliminating the wars in the mind.

We need to be united with each other in order to promote peace in the world and the only way by which we can be united is by loving each other who-

leheartedly. What the people need today are bonds of love which come from the mind and that was

conceived in the heart,

Sophie Amma NIANG Lyc6e Lamine G&ye, Dakar

In a world submerged by scientific and technical progress, wars and conflicts take place just about everywhere in the world. The origins of war can be found in the atti- tude and in the behaviour of men and women. In fact, mankind has always wanted to dominate others, even using strength if necessary to make others their subjects. Furthermore, Engels describes this aspect of human attitude well, saying “self-awareness only becomes apparent when opposed to the awareness of others”.

Ablavi SOWOU Ly&e d’Agbal6p6do, Lome

In places where injustice, inequality and hate are present men and women must stri- ve to swamp them and to live in perfect har- mony. It is a categoric imperative for man- kind to be humanistic; with this in mind, Albert Camus declared “Myself, I live for those who live on the same earth as I, it is for them that I struggle, it is for them that I want to die”.

Komi Megnisseh HODONOU Collkge Protestant, Lome

We think that the only way to defend peace is by love. It is to love ourselves, to love others, those close to us, friends but also those unknown to us; it is to accept our- selves with our weaknesses and our strengths and likewise to accept the other. It is the small efforts we make each day for others, the brother to his sister, the member of one ethnic group to a member of another one, the manager to the worker, and vice versa, one country for another; an effort which consists of accepting others with their weaknesses and valuing their strengths, for- giving their sins, giving help...

We are ourselves the cause of war and of peace. We must refuse to be the cause of

war. We should cultivate love and brothe- rhood, banish hate and as Martin Luther King said when he was presented with the Nobel Prize for Peace: “We truly believe that even in the middle of exploding bombs and thundering cannons there lies the hope of a glorious morning. (...) We believe that one day peace and brotherhood will be the law”. Let us do the same.

yawa Amen ABOTSI Coll&ge Protestant, Lome

We should bear in mind that our racial and ethnic differences are not barriers to the set- ting up of a new order in the world: one of peace. It is on this subject that Antoine de Saint Exupery said: “My brother, if you are different from me, this is no handicap to me, you enrich my life”.

But nothing can be achieved through declarations and other principles subject to the unmodifiable law of change. The world has evolved and it is now our duty to change our methods of struggle against war.

Moussa OUEDRAOGO Lycke Marien N’Gouabi, Ouagadougou

From the start of the first world war in 1914, never

have we used so much energy and intelligence working

towards death and dehumanisation. It is sure that this

century has known uninterrupted success in terms of

science and technology, but never have we been part of

such decadence in moral awareness. It has been more destructive than all that has preceded it. (...) To summe-

rize, let us underline that it is man himself who is at the

origin of wars that threaten his own existence. And this

can lead us to say that man, as a creator of wars, can also

be the guarantor of peace. Religion is also a means to strengthen the defenses for

peace. It touches the mind much more closely than the

body; and from this stance it can teach full moral unders- tanding of peace to citizens. But religion should avoid

extremes and not lead us to religious fundamentalism which in many cases is a threat to world peace.

Sthphane ZAGRE Lycke Ph. Zinda Kabore, Ouagadougou

It would seem that action must be taken to instruct children as they are more expo- sed to, and victims of today’s blood-thirsty wars. (...) It is necessary to cultivate the spirit of peace in them while they are young so that as adults they will not be side-trac- ked from it, but will contribute to its deve- lopment. We must also appeal to their parent’s consciences, school teachers and others, so that they can teach children to live in peace.

T. Antoine de Padoue DABIRE Lycke Marien N’Gouabi, Ouagadougou

Men should know that war doesn’t neces- sarily mean physical or moral violence. If man cannot stop himself from dominating, let him dominate nature with its bad wea- ther. As Felix Houphouet Boigny said: “The most beautiful battles are those that are constructive and not those that are destruc- tive.” So man should avoid senseless violen- ce and conflicts in the world because we always need others and being concern about respecting lives as human beings should be placed above other concerns.

Pegrewaoga Esther Josiane ZIGUIZANGA Ly&e Ph. Zinda Kabork, Ouagadougou

Educating people on the consequences of war is also a means to build a defense for peace. As awareness of the evils of war grows, people will act in such a way to avoid it. In this manner, the discovery of concen- tration camps together with the medical experiments carried out on prisoners pushed the allied forces after the second world war to create a new legal notion, that of crime against humanity. By acknowled- ging that the only value that counts is that of human beings, then we commit ourselves to defending peace in the world.

Yacouba GNEGNE Lycke Ph. Zinda Kabork, Ouagadougou

All happens in our minds. Thus it is the minds of men and women that determine war. And in order to build defences for peace in the minds of men and women, it is necessary to act on their minds, to develop a “positive mind” in them in terms of peace.

Firstly, this is the job of education which must focus especially on the universal prin- ciples of freedom and fundamental rights of human beings. Men and women must be brought to accept and recognize these prin- ciples.

It is also a cultural task which must allow populations to know and to accept one ano- ther. This should lead to tolerance of people from different cultures, or whose behaviour is unlike that of the majority. For this, to

work it is necessary to develop cultural exchanges throughout the world. A cultiva- ted person is a responsible and free person.

Finally it is a task that must consist of developing solidarity as much within the country as internationally. There are many inequalities, many people left out of society even within their own country. Northern industrialized countries must, in particular, appreciate that this solidarity is now neces- sary. It is necessary for the stability of our continents. This is not a solidarity which is to be seen as humanistic, it is more like a pre-requisite for peace. Millions of people subject to dramatic economic and social situations are potential “guerilleros”. We must respect human dignity because as

Antonio Machado underlines: “The eye which you see is not an eye because you see it, it is an eye because it sees you”. This dignity is within each man and woman. Let us respect humanity so that at the least peace can be guaranteed.

Abdel Aziz NAPON Lycke Ph. Zinda Kabor4, Ouagadougou

In certain cases, war can be a necessary means to guarantee or obtain freedom. One of the realities of mankind which it defends dearly, is freedom. In this manner, the sligh- test attack on freedom can set off a more or less violent reaction. War of independence can be explained likewise and we can even say that it is the most striking and the most apparent fight for freedom.

Konlongwendt? Adeline YAMEOGO Lycee Marien N’Gouabi, Ouagadougou

We should work towards teaching peace as an indispensible value on earth. To achieve this we must reach children especially as they are to become tomorrow’s adults. Notions of keeping peace should be part of their educational pro- gramme. (...) The world is progressing towards true peace despite conflicts that break out here and there. The culmination of this ideal now rests in the hands of youth. Their mission is to continue the work begun by the adults; to pre- pare the generations to come to work for peace in the world. My dream is that one day, we will no longer see these terrible images on television; that on this earth there are no more war widows or orphans, that peace reigns on earth, nothing but peace.

Marthe EZANGONO EMAH Lycke g6n6ral Leclerc, yaounde

Pascal made man out to be the weakest sreed of nature, but the thinking sreed, the- refore capable of thought. But man does not always make good use of this faculty which differentiates him from animals and this is why we are permanently down-trodden by wars. Taking to weapons is nothing more than the formalization of what has been created, premeditated by the minds of men. This proves that the very origin of war can be found in the mentality of men. It is through this mentality that the ideologies that are at the source of many wars between people, between nations and between races are developed.

re of peace is a process which arises from ‘s convictions and actions and evolves in each

country according to specific historical, sociocultural and economic contexts.

Ndeye Fatou NDIOUR Cours Sainte Marie de Hann, Dakar

When people from a same nation disagree because of past conflicts, the only remaining solution to build the foundations of peace is tolerance. We must know how to forgo the past when it is a subjet of disagreement and to build conciliations.

Mouhamadou M. NDOYE Cours Sainte Marie de Hann ,Dakar

It appears outrageous to speak about the culture of peace to a population living in misery, each day braving famine. Effectively, lending oneself to the ideals of peace implies enjoying adequate conditions in life. Whatever we think, man possesses an ins- tinct for survival that is awakened by neces- sity. And then man finds himself in an ani- mal state capable of all types of atrocities to ensure his survival. How is it possible to talk about peace to an individual when his very survival is threatened? So setting up lasting peace also depends on economic factors.

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Nafissata DIOP Cours Sainte Marie de Hann, Dakar

It is not possible to respect others unless we have acknowledged our dependence on them, no matter what the socio-cultural values prevail. If the condition of women has rapidly evolved in certain countries, it is due to the fact that we have come to realize the impact they have in our society: by way of being the educators, the pillars of the family, and because it is through them that the young learn about sure values, notions of tolerance and peace; it is in effect women who build the future.

K. Elom NTEM Coll&ge Protestant, Lome

The different sides in a war must have a will for

peace, the sine qm non condition for true peace. President Felix Houphouet Boigny said: “Peace is

not a word, it is a way of being”. That is to say that

peace is only possible by the evident and profound willpower of belligerents. Peace does not come

about easily.

Jean Paul Sartre said: “When the rich go to war, it

is the poor that die”. It is therefore necessary for all

conscious individuals to recognize the fact that war has never solved problems. It does nothing but wor-

sen misery and poverty in our states. By acknow- ledging this fact, each individual must strive whole-

heartedly to renounce violence and to respect the

rights of others. We should acknowledge that buil- ding peace can only begin with ourselves, firstly

through our respect of others.

. CB . . . Amah Justin Thkophile d’ALMEIDA Coll&ge Protestant, Lome

Peace doesn’t arise ex niLG!ilo. It finds its roots in men convinced of the need for peace and who do everything they can to achieve it. The long list of Nobel Prize winners for Peace makes up a never-ending source of examples of men and women driven by peace.

A rich country where the riches are well dis- tributed generally lives in peace. This was the case of the African empires in medieval times. But as soon as the source begins to dry up, it leads to disintegration. It is understandable that poor countries are ready to kill each other for a few square kilometres of fertile soil rich in mining resources. Whatever the circumstances, the path to peace is not the easiest.

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difficulty about tolerance is that it is both sax-y and impossible”.

Antoine EDZANGA Ly&e g&-&ral Leclerc, yaoundk

Faced with the natural individualism of mankind, root of all selfishness, tolerance can stimulate a disinterested respect for dif- ferences and can hold back political explo- sions which cause so many horrors to the populations of the world. Today Africa repre- sents a significant cliche regarding this sub- ject. Intolerance on the part of its elite sub- jects could have dragged its populations towards the worst possible sacrifices, even going as far as genocides.

With the onset of globalization, North- South cooperation requires more tolerance in view of the new constraints of competi- tion brought on by it. Without tolerance poor countries are simply “not in the race”. (...)But it is quite difficult, if not impossible

to access a world of tolerance under present conditions. In Africa, the economic crises has literally transformed mentalities. This earth on which misery and underdevelop- ment grow with ease wouldn’t truly know how to accommodate tolerance. It is more a case of “each to his own” that we witness. In developed countries too, economic and stra- tegic competition create new values each day which completely elude the concept of tolerance because friends do not exist, only self-interests count. Yesterday it was the ideological East-West conflict that aboun- ded. Today it is from the economic stand- point that confrontation between States arise, each time with the same perverse slo- gan: “We must preserve our self-interests”.

Siaka BERTE Lyc6e classique d’Abidjan

By nature man is a sociable being and can- not do without tolerance and forgiveness which form the very basis of all significant human relationships. This is because true human relationships are not possible without accepting differences.

Souleymane DIALLO Lycke classique d’Abidjan

It is a sure thing that water is indispen- sable to life, but tolerance is even more so. Through tolerance we maintain balance, harmony and peace in our society by making the latter progress gently towards happiness, to which all men aspire.

Through tolerance society can survive. To include this virtue successfully into society, each human being must cultivate the follo- wing moral values within himself: patience, fellowship, altruism, modesty. He must recognize that an energetic man is not one who brings down his opponents but one who forgives others when they are angry, thereby triumphing. (...) This simply requires a litt- le effort, determination and the ability to surpass oneself.

Austin Hiplpolyte DEMINE Lycke classique d’Abidjan

Our many differences, far from being wrongs in themselves or obstacles to social harmony, are riches for society as a whole. Furthermore, we should note that the world would be terribly monotonous if we were all alike.

Man remains a selfish being centered on himself. He himself is the object of all his mindfulness and sollicitude. And in fact, this is what leads him to consider his fellows not as people but as a means. For such a being, the end justifies the means and the reasoning of the strongest is best. Such a being thinks he is the centre of the world.

_.

Kouassi Jean Nicael N’DOUFFOU Lyc6e classique d’Abidjan

Let us recall the chronicles relating the mas-

sacres in Algeria or the war opposing Hutus and

Tutsis in Rwanda, and the atrocities spoken about in

the media worldwide. It is as if man rejects man and behaves like a wolf towards man, refusing to accept

otherness. However tolerance seems to be indis-

pensable to the evolution of mankind as the funda-

mental differences that exist between humans, far from hindering them, enrich them considerably.

“Non-violence is more violent than violence”,

used to say Ghandi, because physical violence can reprimand a body, can make it change direction; but

when it comes to the human spirit no force, even superhuman, can make it bend, not even prison as

Ghandi witnessed for himself during his life. From

then on tolerance towards others becomes a funda- mental element for the evolution of mankind.

Nafissadou MBOUP Lyc6e Lamine G&ye, Dakar

Tolerance is a virtue we cannot do without. However, to become tolerant we need to instil1 moral values in ourselves that we must try to follow. We should not look upon our differences as obstacles, but rather as what allows us to discover others. This is why education plays a dominant role. It is the education we have received that deter- mines our behaviour towards others, enabling us to stand them, or to help them.

Rama NDOYE Ly&e Lamine G&ye, Dakar

Faced with the diversity of people, one of the funda-

mental aspirations of humanity is peace and cohesion amongst people. So tolerance, if defined as the fact of

accepting in others a different way of being, thinking,

acting, can it constitute a transcendental condition for

unity amongst people? Now this notion gives way to a paradox : of course tolerance is vital, but it is also utopic.

In all times, there has been and will always be an

unconscious fear of what is different, this fear of letting

ourselves become absorbed by others, in order to preserve

our identity. Therefore freedom of conviction is always ridiculed. (...) But isn’t asserting the impossible nature of tolerance a way of admitting defeat? We are talking about

the welfare of humanity and faced with such a fundamen-

tal aspiration, no effort should be spanned in order to turn the ideal for tolerance into reality.

ly by standing back from oneself that respect for is possible.

Djibril NDOYE Cours Sainte Marie de Hann, Dakar

A conflict which opposes two individuals can be explained by the fact that each party believes he holds the indestructable truth. Faced with this situation, Ghandi said: “Everyone is right about his point of view, but it is not impossible that everyone is wrong, hence the necessity of tolerance”. Tolerance rests therefore on a notion of mutual respect, on a high degree of aware- ness of human beings and on the will to tigh- ten links with others in a spirit of exchange. In order to know others it is necessary to gain a certain level of distance regarding one’s own convictions in order to understand them objectively.

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oever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for

: ief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever c!eps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men; (...)

The Koran, surah V The Food, verse 32

lssaka DAOUEGA Lyc6e Ph. Zinda Kabor6, Ouagadougou

There is also the fact that the gap bet- ween the rich and the poor is growing inces- santly. This situation is paradoxical with the conception in the Koran. See how close to opulence and leisure we find famine, lack of drinkable water... Those without don’t even dispose of the rations fed to the domestic animals of the rich. In what way does the hardship of the poor interest the rich? The answer is clear and shows no ambiguity: “It doesn’t”. The sadness and suffering of the poor involves only themselves.

If in fact what the Koran said was true, this gap should disappear as men cannot bear the hardships of others. Thoughts do have their limits.

an is an island, entire to it self. Every man is a piece of the continent, a f the main; (...) any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in ind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for

thee. John Donne, English writer (1571-1631)

KkbClfolo COULIBALY Lycee classique d’Abidjan

By showing indifference towards the suf- ferings of others, we do not harm them alone, we harm ourselves without knowing it. This is why a philosopher once said: “No one is willfully unkind”.

Nicole-Paule MONGUEI Lycke classique d’Abidjan

We can say that solidarity is a means to the unification of mankind on earth as it brings about a spirit of helping others and fellowship within society. This can be observed in traditional African society In Africa the term “individualism” is little used because Africans have always lived in com- munity. When one member of the village or the society has hard times, everybody suffers with him. Everyone in his or her way brings comfort to the person, helps the person and supports him in order to help him overcome difficult times. Is it not said that union brings strength?

Kouame KANGA Ly&e classique d’Abidjan

Man can achieve nothing without calling on his kind or without doing it for his kind. So, man cannot be self-suporting, no more can he reach his goals by living his life indi- vidually, because it is his fellow with whom he lives in society who conditions his being and makes him become aware of himself.

Fulbert DAN Lycke classique d’Abidjan

“In order to make a man, wrote a French thinker, we need men”. The existence of man is a cycle in which everyone is present to give and to receive.

We shouldn’t see a conqueror or an oppo- nent in others, but rather a brother. It is in this vein that many nations qualified apar- theid as a “crime against humanity”. When, for example, the inhabitants of Bosnia fight against each other, it is normal that a young African raises his voice and says no. The world does not belong to one type of person claiming dominance over everthing. The world is everbody’s business.

Ahi Morisson KASSI Ly&e classique d’Abidjan

Man discovers himself through others. Others become the receptacles of his reflec- tion. As Jean-Paul Sartre said: “Others are the mediators between me and myself”. In other words, others are the mirror through which I discover myself.

ion is an instrument for creating a culture of ity among citizens of different nations.

Adeyemi ADEDIRAN King’s College, Mature, Nigeria

The efforts in which the world has applied in installing peace and development in all the countries will come to naught, if education is ignored. That is why in all conferences of the UNESCO, education is being emphasized as the only means in which a change can be brought into the world. Teaching the younger generations the moral principles and ethical values is very important to foster unity and the moral values that are so much needed.

Education, democracy and sustainable development form an interactive triangle; without education there cannot be a change in development and without development, democracy cannot be installed.

Paul NWIGWE King’s College, Lagos

Education is the only way to lighten the path that has been darkened by ignorance, illiteracy, poverty, prejudices and non-tole- rance. These vices have eaten too deep into our global village and caused many armed conflicts that have destroyed lives and pro- perty instead of building up our world. Education is the key to the urgently needed change in today’s world, that is increasing disparities in the possession of material goods and forgetting knowledge. Education as a means of promoting human intellectuality and morality is an instru- ment for creating a culture of solidarity among citizens of different nations.

Eze OBIANUJU Kunmi OTITOJU Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos Queen’s College, yaba, Lagos

Lasting Peace is not the peace of silence which both men and women maintain but a peace of freedom where everybody is given the same opportunity. Education helps to create a culture of peace and solidarity by making one aware of different beliefs and practices and helping one tolerate his or her neighbour. When one is educated, he is aware that he lives in a society that is dyna- mic and where people are totally different both in colour and in race. This awareness helps him realise that he can learn from these people, who are different from him, and also helps him appreciate them and what they have to offer.

Education is an indispensable instrument for creating solidarity among citizens of dif- ferent nations because it is through educa- tion that we attain a medium of communica- tion, without which solidarity will be impos- sible. It instils a special kind of maturity in us, maturity which enables us to accept others as our equals, put our past behind us and strive for a better future, which would be impossible without co-operation, trust, commitment and hard work.

Mayoma EKURECHE Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos

In the process of education, we become actor people from all over the world. They may be of different rates, they may have dif- ferent religious beliefs, they may also have different cultural beliefs and tradition, but essentially we will realise that they are human beings like we are.

Through education we learn more about people of other nations and we learn to appreciate them more thus making it easier to live with them, tolerating their cultural practices.

SC0 and the role of the youth in ensuring in our society and the world.

Nwenne IYASELE Toluwanimi OSINOWO King’s College, Lagos King’s College, Lagos

Youths should stand up and in once voice Everything great must start somewhere. tell these corrupt leaders that we are tired of Today, peace as an important ingredient for their scramble for selfish gains and that we tolerance and mutual understanding must wish for a better and peaceful approach start with the youth. towards conflicts.

Preamble of the Constitution of UNESCO The Governments of the States Parties to this Constitution on behalf of their peoples declare:

That since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed;

That ignorance of each other’s ways and lives has been a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that

suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world through which their differences have all too often broken into

war;

That the great and terrible war which has now ended was a war made possible by the denial of the democratic prin-

ciples of the dignity, equality and mutual respect of men, and by the propagation, in their place, through ignorance and

prejudice, of the doctrine of the inequality of men and races;

That the wide diffusion of culture, and the education of humanity for justice and liberty and peace are indispensable

to the dignity of man and constitute a sacred duty which all the nations must fulfil in a spirit of mutual assistance and

concern;

That a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of governments would not be a peace

which could secure the unanimous, lasting and sincere support of the peoples of the world, and that the peace must

therefore be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind.

For these reasons, the States Parties to this Constitution, believing in full and equal opportunities for education for all,

in the unrestricted pursuit of objective truth, and in the free exchange of ideas and knowledge, are agreed and determined

to develop and to increase the means of communication between their peoples and to employ these means for the purposes

of mutual understanding and a truer and more perfect knowledge of each other’s lives;

In consequence whereof they do hereby create the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

for the purpose of advancing, through the educational and scientific and cultural relations of the peoples of the world, the

objectives of international peace and of the common welfare of mankind for which the United Nations Organization was

established and which its Charter proclaims.

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