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PART III: CONFERENCES
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19TH IPRA
GENERAL CONFERENCE, SEOUL (2002)
Papers:
Global Sustainability and the Urgent Necessity of a Peace Culture and Communications
By Prof. Ada Aharoni
Operation Sadbhavana - A Culture of Peace Process
Creating A Culture of Peace at A Peace Museum
IFLAC - RABIN CONFERENCE,
LONDON (March, 2002)
There are no Sacred Places
Greeting and Appraisal
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2ND IFLAC
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, SYDNEY (2001)
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Poem:
Illusion (Ernesto Kahan) |
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ADA AHARONI
From July 1-5, 2002, over 300 peace researchers, educators, writers and activists from around the world, met at the biannual International Peace Research Association (IPRA) Conference on the campus of Kyung Hee University in Suwon City, Korea, to discuss issues related to the theme of the conference, "Globalization, Governance, and Social Justice: New Challenges for Peace Research." At the opening session the participants were addressed by Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former Secretary General of the United Nations. Among other important issues he raised, he said that the challenges of the next century were: extending democracy to all countries, greater involvement of States in global affairs, and the necessity to promote peace in the Middle East and in the rest of the world. He condemned terrorist organizations and suicide bombings, and declared that national aims should be promoted by non-violent activity, and discussed at the negotiating table and not by killing innocent people through terrorist actions. NGO's are taking an increasingly important role in world affairs, and they bring new democratic dimensions, and crucial cultural exchanges, as well as the transfer of multi-cultural technologies and skills. He looks forward to increased participation of international and regional organizations, like that of the United Nations, and more participation by NGOS. In 1960 there were 1300 nongovernmental organizations. In 2000 there are 40,000, so that at world conferences there are more NGO delegates than government representatives. The Media has a special role for spreading the Culture of Peace and democracy. The advance at such a rapid pace of the electronic media is good news for peace, as it has the ability to share information and communication in an immediate, thorough and vast manner. Peace Culture satellites and peace media networks, as well as Television and Radio for the spreading of the culture, literature and research of peace, should be set up in all conflict areas over our global village, as for instance, over the Middle East. The peace writers, poets and researchers from both sides of the conflict would then be able to powerfully voice the will of their people - their foremost will for peace, and their governments will have to listen to them. Boutros Boutros-Ghali also called for a greater role of parliamentarians in the promotion of regional peace, more involvement of local authorities, and participation of business and multinational corporations, in the promotion for world peace. He pointed out that some transnational businesses have more power than many governments. They are powerfully working behind the scenes. It would be better to have them officially involved so that their activities could be more transparent and more helpful in promoting a world beyond war. He ended his impressive speech on a hopeful note: "What is Utopia today will be a reality tomorrow." |
Professor Young Seek Choue, Chancellor of Kyung Hee University, maintained that we are all interdependent, and we must maintain a world of peace at all times. Religious Fundamentalists are at the root of our trouble. War is a willful choice by governments. We have to remove the reasons for conflicts and wars. His presentation was followed by the presentation of the Secretary General of IPRA, Dr. Katsuya Kodama, who thanked Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali for his agreeing to open the conference with his brilliant speech, and he thanked Prof. Young Seek Choue for hosting the conference. He presented his best wishes for a successful conference to all the participants. Several other host speakers emphasized the challenges of building a global common system, to promote a sense of justice and save local community structures that are collapsing under the weight of globalization. If problems such as: Terrorism, racial and ethnic conflict, international organized crime, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, trans-border terrorism, illegal immigration, the trafficking of women, the spread of deadly epidemics - are to be addressed, the world's people need a global network of cooperation that transcends ethnic, religious and national differences. In the mornings during the conference delegates attended successful plenaries. In the afternoons they met in smaller commissions to discuss their research findings. Plenaries included "Nonviolence as a Way to Social Justice in the Globalized World," "Overcoming Racism: What Do We Know?" "Building a Global Common Society and the Role of the United Nations," "The Uncivil War against Women: Gender as Societal Battle Line?" "The Youth and the Future of the World," "Toward Sustainable Development: Social and Environmental Changes under Globalization," and "Democracy in an Age of Globalization." The commissions included:
"Ecology and Peace"
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The following lecture was presented at the PCC: PEACE CULTURE AND COMMUNICATIONS Commission at the IPRA Conference in Korea (July 2002). There are more than 60 Peace Museums in Japan, and Japan should be a model to all other countries. Kazuyo Yamane is the Editor of the Peace Museums Bulletin, and is writing her Ph.D. on this important and innovative subject. She is also the Director of IFLAC: The International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace in Japan, and she participated, together with her husband, Dr. Kiu Yamane, the founding of IFLAC in the Galilee, Israel, in July 1999. IFLAC is of the opinion that world governments and institutions should promote the founding of peace museums all over the world.
at A Peace Museum
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ABSTRACT
A peace museum plays an important role in creating a culture of peace through art, education, dialogue and cooperation. The Grassroots House, a small peace museum in Kochi, Japan, contributes to creating a culture of peace through art. Every year a peace concert, a peace film festival, a peace art exhibition and so forth are held by various groups. Some examples are given such as an art class for children who drew a huge picture that is based on their experiences of planting nursery trees. The picture of a peaceful forest was exhibited at International Museum of Peace and Solidarity, Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Uzbek children sent their picture to the Grassroots House, which contributed to the international understanding.
Reconciliation is possible through dialogue between conflicting parties at a peace museum. One example is a peace trip to China organized by the Grassroots House. Many Chinese had suffered from damages done by Japan's army during World War II and had not trusted the Japanese. The dialogue between the Chinese and the Japanese helped mutual understanding. As a result the Japanese started to support Chinese lawsuit against the Japanese government demanding the apology and the compensation for the damages during the war.
It is possible for a small peace museum to create a culture of peace through art, education, dialogue and cooperation. There should be many peace museums where people can think internationally and act locally in order to create a culture of peace.
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The Palestinian leader Sa’ida Nusseibeh, opened the
IFLAC - RABIN Conference in London (March, 2002)
with the following words:To me there are no sacred places. To me they are just earth, and a pile of bricks.
To me what makes any place sacred is the gathering of souls who want to love, care and nurture each other whatever the name of the religion.
A thousand years down the line do we even know what was a previously perceived sacred site? When we kill people in the name of this place we have totally lost sight of what it was meant to represent - reverence and humility.
Well, we are all at it again in the name of personal egos and it seems to me to be a darn shame. I just wish we could remember how to get it right and learn from our mistakes in the past.
This does not mean that I do not feel sorrow and despair for the poor folks who will fight to the death to pray in a particular mosque, synagogue or church - as what is happening in Jerusalem, it just makes me wonder what the difference is if we chose to use a field, a barn or a dance hall.
Oh well I suppose the millions of people who have died for these so-called sacred places, for centuries don't have any answers either.
For me, all the mosques, synagogues, or churches in the world, are not worth the blood of one child.
Let us all return to sanity and presume the peace talks that will satisfy both the Palestinians and the Israelis. With wisdom, tolerance and understanding, we can indeed stop the needless and inhumane bloodshed and resolve this terrible and continuous conflict.
IFLAC - RABIN London Conference
It is well known that there is always a gap between one's theoretical support of elevated values and one's actual deeds for their fulfillment. Whereas most of the people support the notion of peace, IFLAC London's conference (March 2002), actually helped building "peace culture". By a play, a film, a poem, an essay and even by philosophical exchange of ideas, this event enhanced the notions of peace, freedom of speech and human rights.
Even though my natural tendency is to be preoccupied with academic presentations in the field of peace-education, I discovered a new realm of "peace-practitioners" that practice what they preach.
Thank you for making me a part of all of this.
Sara Zamir
Hora Dancing by participants, at the International Dancing Evening
during the IFLAC - RABIN London Conference
Tolerance
In summer
Now, I have it
© Ernesto Kahan, January 2002
is a dove,
that came
from Oslo
to Jerusalem.
it laid
an egg
and then,
departed.
in my hands,
oh illusion!
help me,
please, come!
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