Join us to build a culture of Peace!
The search for peace, equality and justice is a universal goal, and, a society united and aligned through actions towards this purpose will be more effective. To achieve this goal, it is necessary that violent and unjust situations are faced and their contexts understood and addressed so that determinant conditions are considered while planning actions. Concrete and relevant facts should be known in order to develop a just, inclusive and harmonic society.
Individuals have demanded these joint movements since the beginning of time. Century after century, it is clear that these joint actions present major challenges. Therefore, the commitment to actions toward building peace should be even more planned and optimized. Moreover, it should be based on objective criteria and concrete actions that will contribute to strengthen and disseminate a culture of peace in its broadest sense.
Within this context of uncertainties and challenges, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are called to act. Diverse and complex peace scenarios have represented important societal contexts for debate, reflection and action. Many situations include opportunities for educational and research institutions, other entities and Governments. Society requires movements that organize reflections and opinions, and, most of all, plans and actions that can promote positive and meaningful changes.
Considering this complex and important scenario, educational and research institutions, other entities and Governments are called upon to present actions and quality their social standings. One of the mechanisms capable to organize and mobilize these agents is the Forum of Universities for Peace (FOUP). The forum emerges with broad and fundamental goals to define and deploy integrated leaders of higher education and research institutions to plan, structure and implement programs and projects driven by peace objectives. Especially, it focuses on the following: life safety and justice; education and professions; environment and climate; social and racial inclusion; technology and infrastructure; health and well-being; economic development and work; urban and rural sustainability; human and natural resources and energy. All aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) established by the United Nations.
Being a beacon for knowledge creation, learning, community engagement and human rights protection, the Higher Education Institutions connected with other entities and Governments are essential to conceive and plan programs, projects and actions to promote a culture of peace. Academic collaborations at national and international levels are an initial step toward this goal.
Relevance
The main tool to discuss peace as a structuring axis is The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and associated principles. This discussion has always been current since the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789).
In 1997, the United Nations General Assembly declared the year 2000 as the “International Year for the Culture of Peace”, and, that the following decade would be known as the “International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World”.
In recent decades, society has demanded joint movements for a culture of peace. Accordingly, actions based on real situations are important to develop society, using objective and systematic criteria that aim the implementation of concrete programs and projects. These actions should present a real contribution to strengthening and disseminating the culture of peace in a wider sense.
This movement is important not only relating to the duality “Peace vs. Violence”, but also in diverse relationships with the Planet, populations, animals and environment. Moreover, the circumstances and conditions in which a society lives and challenges faced by individuals indicate, undoubtedly, the existence of contexts that are gradually becoming more complex. This context requires the participation of Higher Education and Research Institutions that, by nature, are spaces for knowledge creation, enhanced community engagement and human rights promotion. These institutions should lead movements that value this discussion, social diversity and contribute to the implementation of actions in diverse knowledge fields and human life dimensions, having as integrated and supporting agents Governments and State initiatives, acting in synergy with the manifestation of a culture of peace and development of a just and sustainable society.
It is believed that through a connection and well-established competences of research and higher education institutions, at regional, state, national and international levels, it is possible to implement and strengthen the “Forum of Universities for Peace (FOUP)”. This should be an efficient mechanism to establish systematic discussions, actions driven by strategic objectives and strengthen knowledge creation on the topic of Peace, observing sociological, anthropological, historic, psychological, linguistic, cultural, behavioral and legal perspectives.
Mid-term, the actions of the FOUP, through its signatory institutions, will echo the knowledge creation and implementation of programs for the promotion of a culture of peace, led by Higher Education and Research Institutions, other entities and government agents. However, for the expected effects, it is necessary to ensure that the FOUP is a shared and democratic space, where each institution and individuals understand and contribute to a social collective. Peace (at the Forum) can only be achieved if all individuals and groups are tolerant, without bias and discriminatory attitudes, being mindful and sensitive of others.
Considering that the topic of “Peace” is complex and global, it is necessary that the FOUP keep promoting relationships with opposites and a comprehensive look into reality, understanding the dynamics of the theme. In order to maintain this consistency and avoid dissonance, this project does not encompass concepts for “Peace”, since that will be part of the work within the thematic groups and committees of the FOUP and those, certainly, will be composed by positive insights that will contribute to strengthen the consensus related to a culture of peace.
Main Aim
Create the Forum of Universities for Peace (FOUP) as a neutral structuring and catalytic instance for peace, above any political, religious and/or ideological interests. A space and environment capable to trigger, from the competences and experiences of Higher Education and Research Institutions, through partnerships with Governments and other entities, systematic discussions of relevant social realities for peace and knowledge creation on the topic, involving multiple variables.
Specifics Objectives
- Identify, at national and international level, Higher Education and Research Institutions, other entities and Governments that match with the general aim of this project and manifest their willingness in participating as FOUP signatories;
- Organize working groups and committees for systematic discussions on the topic of Peace and its multiple variables;
- Facilitate discussions so that the FOUP keeps its essence and remains above and beyond any political, financial, religious and ideological interests;
- Organize and schedule events for socialization and multiplication of knowledge on the general theme of Peace;
- Raise awareness of governmental and non-governmental organizations instances related to the urgency of the topic and existence of the FOUP;
- Build a “Peace Agreement” as the initial outcome of discussions, reflections and positions of the HEIs, Governments and other signatory entities;
- Connect research and education institutions, public agencies and Governments, aiming to facilitate funding opportunities for projects, investigations, networks, events, innovative and community actions around the topic of peace and its axes;
- Discuss thematic axes to organize studies and actions with the leadership of education and research institutions, other entities and Governments;
- Promote the visibility of research labs, centers and groups of the signatory institutions that act on the topic of Peace, aiming to generate new connections and knowledge dissemination produced on the topic;
- Create a database of technical documents, studies, scientific papers, reports on projects and investigations to advance knowledge and community integration around the topic of Peace;
- Map and publicize ongoing projects, investigations and actions related to the topic of Peace promoted by education institutions, other entities and Governments;
- Create, in partnership with Higher Education and Research Institutions, other entities and Governments, the Advanced Center for Peace Studies in Latin America.
How is It Going Work?
Becoming a member of the Forum and nominating members that will integrate the working group; the signatory party will discuss general guidelines and structuring axes.
This participation will count on education and research institutions, other entities and Governments through active methodologies that encompass characteristics such as placing the participant as protagonist of this process and valuing previous experiences.
Using this perspective, members will be invited to think, discuss, investigate and produce knowledge as well as analyze reality and acknowledge facts and capabilities that had not previously emerged. This is necessary, because social transformation requires understanding reality in a systematic manner, respecting diverse identities.
Volunteers are vital agents for this movement. They will participate in dialogues and build programs and projects with the Working Group.
What will they build?
Our main outcomes/products
- Connect institutions involved in building a culture of peace, in all regions of the globe;
- Create the Advanced Center for Peace Studies in Latin America;
- Annual meeting of the Forum of Universities for Peace;
- Schedule of systematic discussions;
- Events to socialize experiences;
- Knowledge database to support regional, national and international public policies.
Stay informed on successful experiences developed within the signatory institutions.