Editorial:
THE CULTURE OF PEACE
By Ada Aharoni
1. INTRODUCTIONResearch of the theory and practice of the building of a global and regional cultural climate of peace, counteracting violence and war, should be a top priority in peace research today, as it has become evident that conflicts and wars are caused not only by territorial claims, but also have a cultural and ethnic basis.
In September 21, 1995, I had the pleasure to be part of a "Middle East Panel," at a United Nations NGO Committee Conference on "Arms Control, Disarmament and Peace in the Middle East" (September 21, 1995). I was glad to find out on that occasion, that some of the Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian scholars who were on the panel, not only lectured and suggested new initiatives for peace in the Middle East, but moreover, presented some moving peace poetry and stories, which had a powerful impact on the audience. This sharing of the fruits of each delegations' culture with the other delegations and with the audience, created a warm bridge of harmony, understanding and respect among us.
Throughout this illuminating panel and indeed the entire conference, I realized again as I had often done in the past, how important it is to use peace culture and literature, including not only creative works by poets, writers, playwrights and movie script writers, but also that of peace-literature researchers and literary critics. These latter could help through their scholarship and their research and analysis of creative works and art, dealing with the various themes of peace and the condemnation of violence and warfare. Together with the writers and artists dealing with the themes of non-violence and peace, they could contribute a major and crucial contribution to the creating and promotion of a global cultural climate of harmony and peace - which are so needed for ushering a world beyond war.
After this important conference and experience, and on seeing the powerful impact of the sharing of peace works by "delegations from conflicting sides," upon the mixed audience of Moslems, Jews and Christians - we at "IFLAC: The International Friends of Literature," decided to start a homepage dedicated to the PAVING OF PEACE THROUGH CULTURE AND LITERATURE.
We also suggested to "IPRA: The International Peace Research Association," to set up a new commission entitled "Peace Through Literature and Culture," which could add important insights to global and regional peace research. IPRA recognizing the integral symbiotic relationship between peace and culture, accepted the proposal. I am delighted that the founding of the "PTLC: Peace Through Literature and Culture Commission," as well as the IPRA Electronic Magazine: PAVE PEACE, has aroused great interest and has had a powerful impact. On this occasion, we would like to congratulate the United Nations for declaring 1998 - 1999 a year dedicated to the culture of peace. We hope that the theory and practice of promoting the peace climate through culture and the arts, will soon be adopted by thousands of NGO's and it will soon become widespread throughout the world.
2. AGENDA OF THE CULTURE OF PEACEWe suggest the following goals for promoting the culture of peace:
1. Researching Peace Literature and Peace Culture, and publishing the results of the research, nationally and internationally.
2. Promoting the creation of electronic peace literature, movies, TV scripts, programs, videos, CD's, Internet programs, satellite, and all other means available.
3. Encouraging the knowledge and understanding of the ethnic-cultural heritage of the "other," in the Buberian sense.
4. Translating and publishing the works of the "other," so that it becomes available for the building of bridges between nations.
5. Encouraging democratic and anti-discriminatory literature and art.
6. Disseminating both classical and modern peace works *(see details below).
7. Promoting involved and "engaged" peace art: theatre, painting, sculpting, dancing.
8. Developing educational "CRC: Conflict Resolution through Culture," at all levels, for children as well as adults.
9. Creating, developing and disseminating educational children's peace oriented literature, TV, video games and programs.
10. Initiating Peace Prizes and Awards for literary, poetical, theatrical and artistic works of outstanding value and impact **(see details below).
* In number 6 above, the mention of both modern and classical peace works signifies promoting not only new contemporary creations, but also using more the great classical works of peace literature and art, as for instance, Tolstoy's masterpiece "WAR AND PEACE." Both the new and the classical peace works should be more researched, published and used in the electronic media, as well as in schools, colleges and universities all over the globe.
** In number 10 above, national and international Prizes and Awards for cultural works oriented to peace themes, would encourage writers and artists to create new peace works in the various arts. This could be helped through the setting up of International and National Creative Peace Awards and Competitions, for the various art forms such as: TV and film script writing and production, novels, poetry, prose drama, music, painting, and journalism. Cultural contests already exist in some fields, however, they are not specifically devised to promote peace culture and creativity.
3. PEACE PRIZES AND AWARDSIFLAC: PAVE PEACE is ready to help in developing and organizing the suggested Peace Prizes, Awards, and Contests, and would welcome funding for these projects. We would also welcome collaborating with other institutions and NGO's, including in the conducting of research on the following subjects:
1. The concept and ideology of peace culture, literature and art.
2. The compendium of peace works - what is available at home, and "out there" in the "other's" culture.
3. Promotion of the creation of new peace works.
4. Expertise and knowledge how to communicate peace culture to the "global village" and to our own "village."
Other subjects related to peace culture promotion, which prospective sponsors and institutions would like to initiate and suggest, are welcome. Several keen and serious researchers who are members of PAVE PEACE, would welcome the opportunity of working on peace related research and creative subjects.
4. IN CONCLUSION: VISIONS, DANGERS AND ASPIRATIONSWe must remember that good peace literature and art are authentic and they express not only some specific reality but also our true thoughts, feelings and aspirations. Neither mawkish nor self-pitying outpouring, that unfortunately lately abound, or hollow pseudo-snobbish texts that are often quite meaningless, can replace authentic artistic works of value. Real and good literature and art should inspire us with new visions and be at the forefront of our human aspirations.
What could be a greater aspiration today for humanity than to express and get rid of our fears concerning the danger of being choked by chemical warfare, or blown up by the nuclear arsenals that abound around the world? We are told that seven hundred billion dollars ($700.000.000.000!), were spent last year in our global village in chemical arms, without speaking of biological warfare. As to nuclear arms, there are more than a hundred times the amount needed in our global village to blow up the whole of humanity and to bring on a "nuclear winter," where as we are told: "the remaining living would envy the dead."
As Einstein warned us - when something exists, one day it will be used. Therefore, we should use all the means we have, including our literature and art to rapidly and thoroughly build the culture of peace, so as "not to let it happen." That is why we have started this new PAVE PEACE Magazine, which will attempt to contribute to the creating and building of the Culture of Peace, by bringing to our members and our readers concrete examples of our global peace aspirations, as expressed through literature and works of art. We shall also forward information about our various projects for paving the culture of peace, including the preparations for the International Congress on Conflict Resolution Through Culture and Literature (28 - 30 June, 1999), to which all are welcome. (Please see details in the following URL.)
With best peace wishes,
Dr. Ada Aharoni, Pres. PAVE PEACE
Conflict Resolution, Dept. of General Studies, Technion,
57 Horev Street, Haifa, Israel 34343
Email: ada@iflac.com
URL: http://www.iflac.com/ada