Distriiution: limited CPP-97/coNF.402/2 Paris, 12 July I997 Original: English. UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCLENTlFlC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION

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1 Distriiution: limited CPP-97/coNF.402/2 Paris, 12 July I997 Original: English UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCLENTlFlC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION GOVERNMENT OF MOZAMBIQUE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CULTURE OF PEACE AND GOVERNANCE l-4 September 1997 Parliament House Maputo, Mozambique ANNOTATED PROGRAMME CPP-97iCONF.402KLD.2

2 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND We are entering the 2 1 st century with hope and fear. Recent political transformations in the world have led to the settlement of a number of violent inter- and intra-state conflicts. These conflicts have resulted in chronic underdevelopment and attendant poverty exacerbated by psychological and material impact of the war; numerous returning refugees, internally displaced persons, demobilized soldiers and other destitute victims of the war, high levels of crime, violence and moral degradation. Today, more than ever before, conflicts are emerging due to poverty, exclusion and lack of participation in the democratic process by the majority or sectors of the population, weak institutional commitment, limited financial resources and the existence of an unfavourable environment for democratic governance and governability in many countries. Despite the difficulties and constraints, there is hope to move from a culture of violence to a culture of peace. Grass-root communities need to be empowered to organize their own lives and participate in the management of public life and the construction of a better future for themselves and their children. The democratization process, the emergence of a strong civil society and genuine participation of the citizen in governance, insistence on good governance, empowerment and peacetil co-existence provide the framework for reflection on culture of peace and democratic governance. Conflict, though defined as the manifestation of different and even opposing views and interests, is not necessarily a negative phenomenon and does not need to degenerate into violence. The practice and theory of constructive conflict resolution clearly indicate that it is possible to change the way that individuals, groups and communities address their differences. It is possible through education for peace to devise systems and inculcate attitudes and values that facilitate co-operative rather than adversarial approaches to problem-solving. Such is the approach of the UNESCO transdisciplinary project Towards a Culture of Peace. Dialogue in a pluralistic world, towards democratic governance in a peaceful environment is the main agenda of this conference. The International Conference on Culture of Peace and Governance is justified by the need to seek ways of engaging ethnicity and the energy of vulnerable groups, transforming them into a force that brings people together in a spirit of confidence, equality, mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. The President of the Republic of Mozambique offered to host an International Conference on Culture of Peace as a contribution to the solution of conflicts in the African continent during the 3 1 st session of the OAU Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Addis Ababa, Following a proposal made by Mozambique and supported by other countries, UNESCO s 28th session of the General Conference (1995) supported the organization of an international congress of demobilized soldiers in post-conflict countries.

3 The Government of Mozambique and the Director-General of UNESCO agreed to combine both initiatives, by jointly organizing the International Conference on Culture of Peace and Governance, scheduled for September PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES The general purpose of the Conference is to contribute to the establishment of sustainable peace and governance through education for peace, application of the democratic principles in the day-to-day governance and reconstruction of the country. Specifically, the Conference aims to: a. b. C. d. e. f. g. h. Contribute to the establishment of country-based plans of action on culture of peace. Identify specific follow-up actions in order to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation. Reflect on the application and daily practice of the democratic principles of freedom, justice, equality, solidarity and participation. Involve politicians, religious groups, interest groups, journalists, civic and professional associations, other groups of the civil society and the international community to reflect and take part in the debate on key issues of democratic governance and conflict management. Contribute to the enrichment of ongoing peace-building activities, or stimulating the promotion of such activities where they do not yet exist. Provide lessons for the planning, management and implementation of programmes for the social and economic reintegration of vulnerable groups with primary focus on reconstruction and peace-building. Sensitize the international community and the UN and its agencies on the need to support the long-term approaches to peace-building in post-conflict countries. Contribute with lessons and models from the Mozambican experience for peace and reconstruction efforts in other parts of the world. 3. EXPECTED RESULTS (1) 00 Maputo declaration on culture of peace and governance. Plan of action (addressing three main areas: application of democratic principles and governance; social and economic reintegration of vulnerable groups, including intensive skills training; and education for peace, including training of peace promoters).

4 4. THEMATIC FRAMEWORK The overall theme of the Conference is Culture of Peace. Emphasis will be given to the process of change from a culture of violence to a culture of peace and how the component processes (democratic governance, education for peace, and sustainable human development), by themselves and interacting with each other, contribute to the consolidation of a culture of peace. The Conference shall examine and discuss in depth three component processes: Democratic principles and governance Education for peace Social and economic (re)integration of vulnerable segments of society. 4.1 Democratic principles and governance The application and daily practice of the principles of democracy (freedom, justice, equality, solidarity and participation) are the cornerstones of governance that lead to lasting peace. Although the principles of democracy are universal, the forms of democracy vary according to many factors, including the country s history, economic basis and culture, and the nature of conflicts which the society has experienced. The Conference will identify the relevant principles of democracy and find ways to their application in the specific social contexts. It will elaborate strategies in order to eliminate obstacles that hinder and prevent the consolidation of democracy, its viability and hence peace and social development. 4.2 Education for peace, human rights and democracy Learning to live together is one of the pillars of education. The acquisition of values of peace (respect for human dignity, justice, equity, freedom and social responsibility, tolerance and solidarity), attitudes and beliefs leads to a preference for constructive, active non-violent resolution of conflict, and encourages individual and social action for building peace communities. The conference shall analyse the rich experiences from different parts of the world in mobilizing various means of education, socialization, communication and advocacy, in both formal and non-formal contexts. Emphasis will be given to the involvement of NGOs, religious groups, vulnerable groups and community groups in the education and training processes, particularly as peace promoters Social and economic (re)integration of vulnerable segments of society Vulnerable groups such as women youth, demobilked soldiers, the unemployed and those who suffered the effects of violence, need to be empowered through their active participation in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country. Skills training for self-employment is an important contribution to bridging peace and development. Mechanisms that encourage the vulnerable groups to contribute to their own social and economic reintegration will be the focus of debate in the Conference.

5 5. FORMAT AND WORKING METHODS According to UNESCO s Category IV meetings, the Conference will feature plenary sessions and working commissions. Besides the opening session, plenaries will be held for the introductory presentation of the Mozambican and the international experiences in culture of peace and governance, the presentation of the results of the Commissions debates, and the approval of the Maputo Declaration. The Commissions will debate the Conference themes in a more extensive and participatory mode. There will be four (4) parallel Commissions, sharing the same agenda. Each Commission will be coordinated by a Chair/Moderator, who will be in charge of guaranteeing wide participation and help building consensus on key issues, a Resource Specialist who gives inputs and stimulates the debate by raising problematic issues on the basis of the working documents of the Conference, and a Synthesis Rapporteur, who will produce interim and final syntheses of the debates. During the Commissions debates, the Synthesis Rapporteur will produce half-page or one-page synthetic notes, aimed at being shared by the other Commissions. By submitting these notes to the Commissions, the Moderators will be calling the participants attention to undiscussed or different issues. It is anticipated that this methodology and dynamics will favour greater consensus building. The participants will elect the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Rapporteur General of the Conference, as well as the four Commissions Moderators and Synthesis Rapporteurs. A Declaration Working Group will be constituted to formulate the drar Maputo Declaration on Culture of Peace and Governance, to be approved by the Conference. This Group will be composed of the four Commissions Synthesis Rapporteurs, one member of the Government of Mozambique s Conference Coordination Committee and one member of the UNESCO Secretariat. There will be two working documents dealing with the Conference themes: (a) Culture of Peace and Governance: the Mozambican experience and prospects; 09 Culture of Peace and Governance: international experiences and prospects. The working languages of the Conference will be Portuguese, English and French.