What are the connections between men and masculinity on the one hand and peace and war on the other? What are the best ways to change the traditional perception of masculinity to make it more favourable to peace? In what ways can we best educate boys and young men to embrace the spirit of a culture of peace? How should peace-building strategies handle questions of masculinities? These are crucial questions that have, until now, rarely been tackled.
The chapters in this book take as a point of departure the expert group meeting entitled 'Male Roles and Masculinities in the Perspective of a Culture of Peace', which was organized by UNESCO in Oslo, Norway in 1997. The objective of the meeting was to pool the talents and energies of experts in this field to formulate practical suggestions for change from the deep-rooted patterns of the culture of war to a gender-sensitive culture of peace.
The chapters vary from regional case-studies from three continents to social-scientific research on the connections of traditional masculinity and patriarchy to violence and peace-building. The focus is on approaches that favour masculine peace-building capabilities than those that dwell on destructive capacities. The Culture of Peace initiatives in this book show how violence is ineffective, and the book contests the far-too-frequent views in the socialization of boy-children that aggressiveness, violence and force are an acceptable means of expression and could contribute to sustainable solutions to conflicts. These initiatives point towards an exciting gender-balanced, post-patriarchal society for the next millennium.

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The ninth edition of this Directory is appearing during the International Year for a Culture of Peace, proclaimed by the United Nations at the initiative of UNESCO and on the eve of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010). ACulture of Peace may only be built through a coalition of partners and actors established at local, national, regional and global levels. The United Nations Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace underlines the specific function of the specialized institutions which, through education and research, play an essentiel role in constructing a culture of peace.

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For information, please contact:
Namibian National Commission for UNESCO
Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation
Government Office Park
Private Bag 13391
Windhoek, Namibia
Telephone: (264) (61) 270-6319
Fax: (264) (61) 270-6322
E-mail: windhoek@memo.unesco.org

Le siècle qui s'achève a connu des progrès vertigineux dans les domaines de la science, de la technologie et de la communication.  Il a malheureusement échoué à mettre fin aux pratiques fondées sur les rapports de force et la logique de guerre.  C'est pourquoi l'année 2000 a été proclamée année internationale des Nations Unies pour la culture de la paix.
Huit écrivains contemporains, venus d'horizons très divers et connus pour leur engagement humaniste, donnent l'exemple.  Par leurs textes, ils témoignent et appellent à une prise de conscience : la paix est l'affaire de tous, il suffit de l'inventer, par les mots et par les actes.  C'est l'horizon d'une paix possible que promet ce livre-manifeste.

Livre disponible en librairie.

"This diverse collection of essays will be useful for courses in peace studies, especially those exploring the complex and crucial issues surrounding the role of religion, spirituality, moral behavior and individual responsability in creating and strengthening cultures of peace."

Paul Joseph, Professor of Sociology,
Tufts University, and
Chair, Peace Studies Association

To order, please contact: Wisdom Publications - www.wisdompubs.com

"The subject of this conference seem to me to be especially inportant for the international community.  So many of today's conflicts take place within states where communities are aspiring to greater recognition of their cultural and political identity.  We must study these situations in detail and descide to what extent international texts on the right to self-determination are really suited to today's circumstances and are able to prevent this sort of conflict."

Opening Remarks by Federico Mayor, Director-General of UNESCO 21 Nov. 98

"Promover, em parceria com Governos Estaduais e Municipais e com a sociedade civil, campanhas educativas relacionadas às situações de risco, vivenciadas pela criança e pelo adolescente, como violência doméstica e sexual, prostituição, exploração no trabhalo e uso de drogas, visando criar e manter um pradrão cultural favorável aos direitos da criança e do adolescente."

Plano Nacional dos Direitos Humanos, Proposta de Ações Governamentais

"Considerando-se que as primeiras experiências com drogas muitas vezes têm como motivo a curiosidada, o ócio, a falta de confiança em si, a indiferença e a violência do ambiente, assim como as dificuldades de satisfazer nossos requerimentos essenciais: de ser tratados com dignidade e respeito; de ser estimulados a preservar nossos valores, nossos sonhos, nossos projetos de vida, de ser valorizados como pessoas, em decorrência de nossas competências e considerando nossas ações positivas."

Realizações e Desenvolvimentos Individuais, Princípio III da "Carta dos Jovens para um Século XXI" Livre de Drogas