Communication and International Relations

In what may be currently described as a global culture of war, the possibility of a universal culture of peace is easily dismissed. The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) currently oversees the rather ambitious global movement toward a culture of peace. By engaging countries and marshalling the resources of organizations across the globe, UNESCO hopes to foster values, attitudes, and behaviors that reject violence and work toward addressing the root causes of conflict.

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The Independent Media Center: A Place for Peace?

By Jane Austin

Indymedia is an online media outlet aimed at creating “radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth” in conscious opposition to corporate coverage of grassroots political events. This global network of journalists embraces open publishing: anyone can contribute stories or comments. Indymedia’s emphasis on access for marginalized groups aligns with an important goal of the peace journalism movement: for people to move beyond the "home team" bias of mainstream media and hear the stories and voices of those beyond our borders. By proving a space for the global exchange of information, Indymedia may increase international understanding and solidarity.

One of the most common criticisms of this movement is that it neglects a very simple aspect of the human experience: people are perhaps biologically predisposed toward violence and conflict. How else can we account for our collective history so fraught with bloody discord?

But we cannot justify war, genocide, and suppression of the weak with ostensible science. At a meeting of scientific minds in Seville in 1989, as the Cold War was fading, the Seville Statement on Violence was adopted by UNESCO. Scientists from around the world concurred that it is scientifically incorrect to say that violence is hardwired into our brains.

Despite being a global, seemingly abstract movement, achieving a culture of peace requires a host of practical elements. On a broad scope, it requires education, sustainable economic and social development, and increased democratic participation. But on an individual level, it involves respecting human rights and equality between men and women. It begs that every person strive toward understanding, tolerance and solidarity.

If we are capable of constructing a culture of war, then we are certainly as capable of constructing a culture of peace. Though ambitious, this global movement is not naïve, and every country—every person—must play a role. Transforming culture relies upon the recognition of universal values and the immutable right of everyone to a life of peace and nonviolence.