[Part 1]
The Hague Appeal for Peace's Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st
is
ready in draft form. Attached is the Introduction and Preamble.
The full
text can be downloaded on our website: <http:www.haguepeace.org>
Please download the Agenda and circulate it as widely as possible.
We will
also mail you a copy of the Draft Agenda with the next issue of Peace
Matters. We hope that you will be able to reproduce and send out the Agenda
to your constituencies. It is critical that we receive as much
feedback
as possible.
Also, if you have not already done so, please link your website to ours.
If you would like a link for your site to ours please let us know.
Thank you for all your work in helping create this draft.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Best regards,
Gouri Sadhwani
Campaign Coordinator
------------------------------------------------------------
Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century
DISCUSSION DRAFT (February 1999)
This Discussion Draft Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century
has emerged from an intensive process of consultation between the members
of the Hague Appeal for Peace Organising and Coordinating Committees, the
numerous other organisations that actively participate in the Hague Appeal
for Peace process and the Hague Appeal for Peace programme coordinators.
It
represents, in draft form, what these civil-society organisations consider
to be the most important challenges facing humankind as it prepares to
embark upon a new millennium.
The Agenda reflects the four major 'strands' of the Hague Appeal.
1)
Disarmament and Human Security 2) Prevention, Resolution and Transformation
of Violent Conflict 3) International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law and
Institutions and 4) Root Causes of War / Culture of Peace.
Send Your Feedback
In order to develop into a truly global Agenda for Peace and Justice for
the 21st Century, this document must grow to reflect even more the
priorities of civil-society world-wide. Since feedback should be as
representative as possible, we encourage you to mobilise your organisation
or network - in cooperation, if possible, with other organisations and
networks - to discuss this Agenda. Mark your results "Feedback on the
Hague
Appeal for Peace Discussion Draft Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st
Century," indicate clearly which organisations contributed to drafting
the
feedback, and send it to:
The Hague Appeal for Peace, c/o WFM, 777 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017,
USA.
Fax: +1-212-599-1332. E-mail: <hap99@igc.org>.
In order to be considered when compiling the Draft Hague Agenda for Peace
and Justice for the 21st Century - the core discussion document for the
Hague conference - your feedback should reach this address before March
31,
1999. Feedback received after this date, however, will be taken into
consideration when compiling the final version of the Hague Agenda for
Peace and Justice for the 21st Century.
PREAMBLE
The world is emerging from the bloodiest, most war-ridden, century in
history. On the eve of the new century, it is time to create the conditions
in which the primary aim of the United Nations, "to save succeeding
generations from the scourge of war", can be realized. This is the
goal of
the Hague Appeal for Peace.
Skeptics will say that it cannot be done. The Hague Appeal challenges
this
assumption. This century has seen unimagined changes. Society now has the
means to cure disease, reduce poverty and eliminate starvation. The
twentieth century has also seen the creation of a set of universal norms
which, if implemented, will go a long way toward making war unnecessary
and
impossible. And this century has seen the replacement of authoritarian
forms of government by democratic governance, a phenomenon which enables
civil society to play a far greater role than heretofore in the affairs
of
humanity.
This historic mission cannot be entrusted solely to governments. Recent
years have seen outbreaks of genocide in Cambodia, Bosnia and Rwanda,
brutal attacks against civilians and the spread of horrendous weapons of
mass destruction capable of ending life on much or all of the planet. In
all but a few cases, the world's governments have manifestly failed to
fulfill their responsibility to prevent conflict, protect civilians, end
war and create the conditions of permanent peace.
As a result, the Hague Appeal proposes a citizens Agenda for Peace and
Justice for the 21st Century. This will entail a fundamentally new
approach, building on the recent model of New Diplomacy in which citizen
advocates, progressive governments and official agencies have worked
together for common goals. We will embrace the moral imagination and
courage necessary to create a 21st century culture of peace and to develop
national and supranational institutions which ultimately must be the
guarantors of peace and justice in this world.
There is already much to choose from. Civil society has flourished since
the end of the Cold War and launched campaigns aimed at eradicating
landmines, reducing the traffic in small arms, alleviating third world
debt, ending violence against women, abolishing nuclear weapons, stopping
the use of child soldiers and building an independent, International
Criminal Court. These grass-roots efforts are having a major impact. They
are succeeding because they engage ordinary people; because they integrate
different sectors (human rights, the environment, disarmament, sustainable
development, etc.); because they invite the full participation of women,
youth, indigenous peoples, minorities, the disabled and other affected
groups.
These campaigns have generated unity and cohesion and demonstrate what
can
be done when people are listened to instead of talked at.
The Hague Appeal for Peace intends to listen, learn and then to build.
Out
of this process will emerge a new citizens' Agenda for Peace and Justice
for the 21st Century. It is a vital and realisable goal.
THEMES
Components of the Hague Appeal, from the conference program to the
campaigns, are motivated by the following main themes:
Traditional Failure
Traditional approaches to preventing war and building peace have by and
large failed disastrously. This is evidenced by the growing brutality of
warfare, and the callous disregard for civilian life in such conflicts as
Kosovo, the Congo and Sierra Leone. Big-power bullying tactics are not
diplomacy. Sanctions that starve the poor are not solidarity. Fire-brigade
peacekeeping efforts are no substitute for sophisticated early warning
systems.
Human Security
It is time to redefine security in terms of human and ecological needs
instead of national sovereignty and national borders. This will establish
new priorities, and redirect funding to sustainable development instead
of
armaments.
All Human Rights for All People
The violation of human rights is one of the root causes of war. These
violations include the denial of economic, social and cultural rights, as
well as political and civil rights. The artificial distinction between
these two sets of rights can no longer be tolerated.
Soft Power
We are profoundly encouraged that civil society and progressive governments
are choosing 'soft power' paths, utilizing negotiation, coalition building
and new diplomacy methods of settling disputes, while rejecting the 'hard
power' dictates of major powers, militaries and economic conglomerates.
Replacing the Law of Force with the Force of Law
The rule of law has been contemptuously ignored in contemporary conflicts.
The Hague Appeal seeks to invigorate, develop, and promote universal
adherence to and implementation of international law. It also seeks to
create and invigorate the international institutions of law, like the
International Court of Justice and the new International Criminal Court.
International law must also be made more accessible to individuals.
Taking the Initiative in Peace-Making
It is time for people to assert their commitment to peace and - if
necessary - to wrest peace-making away from the exclusive control of
politicians and military establishments. Too often, peace initiatives are
proposed as a last resort, with negotiations restricted to the warmongers,
and imposed on those most affected (particularly women and children). Those
who have suffered most must have a place at the table when peace agreements
are drawn up, with equal representation for women. If necessary, civil
society should also convene peace initiatives before a crisis gets out of
control, and lives are lost. This could help to turn early warning from
a
slogan into a reality.
Bottom-up Globalization
The alarming concentration of economic power and the irresponsible
imposition of neo-liberal, macro-economic policies are destroying the
environment, generating poverty and desperation, widening divisions and
fomenting war. The Hague Appeal encourages efforts to challenge this
destructive model of globalization through community-based coalitions such
as the Jubilee 2000 call for debt forgiveness and through campaigns to
eradicate poverty.
Democratic International Decision-Making
The United Nations system and other multilateral institutions have the
capacity to be a unique and universal force for peace. Yet in recent years
they have been treated with cynicism, politicized and under-funded. The
international system must be revived, democratized and provided with
resources if it is to realise its potential in peace-building. In
particular, we call for a Security Council that can serve human security
rather than Great Power interests and for a radical reorientation of
international financial institutions to serve human rather than corporate
needs.
Humanitarian Intervention
The Hague Appeal demands the speedy and effective intervention of
humanitarian forces, subject to the prescriptions of the United Nations
Charter, when civilians are threatened by genocide, war crimes, crimes
against humanity and extreme national disasters. It is extraordinary that
so little attention has been paid to the idea of establishing a standing
intervention force. Civil society should consider new forms of civilian
intervention as a matter of urgency.
Finding the Money for Peace and Starving the Funds
for War
The allocation of resources is seriously distorted. Many of today's
conflicts are fueled by economic greed and the grab for raw materials,
while billions are spent on the arms trade and other forms of
militarization. At the same time, many worthwhile peace initiatives and
programs for human security suffer from a lack of funds even though
governments have adopted an extraordinary series of global action plans
at
the historic world conferences convened during the last ten years. These
priorities must be reversed. In addition to eliminating weapons of mass
destruction and drastically curbing the arms trade, military budgets must
be progressively reduced.
MAIN ACTIONS.
The Hague Appeal for Peace will serve as a launch pad for several major,
new initiatives and actions. It will also infuse many important, ongoing
campaigns with increased momentum. Other campaigns will be identified
between now and May 1999. Among these campaigns will be:
Small Arms
The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) will launch the next
major grass-roots disarmament campaign, for a drastic reduction in the
trade in small arms.
Landmines
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) will unveil its first
report on implementation of the Ottawa mine ban treaty and renew the call
for its universal ratification.
The International Criminal Court
The Coalition for an International Criminal Court (CICC) will launch a
global campaign to ratify the statute and complete the establishment of
the
new court.
Nuclear Weapons
Abolition 2000 and the Middle Powers Initiative will present their campaign
for a convention outlawing nuclear weapons, building on the momentum
generated by the 1996 International Court of Justice advisory opinion and
the New Agenda Coalition.
Global Action to Prevent War
The Hague Appeal with the Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies,
Union of Concerned Scientists and World Order Model Project, will promote
the launch a major new program for a phased reduction in military
establishments over a period of years, accompanied by the creation of
effective mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution.
Humanitarian Intervention
The Helsinki Citizens Assembly and a number of other groups plan to start
a
world-wide coalition of peace forces to promote humanitarian intervention.
Education for a Culture of Peace
The Hague Appeal will call for a major campaign (1) to make universal peace
education compulsory in primary and secondary schools and in teacher
education, (2) to include, as standard offerings, human rights- and
peace-studies in universities and compulsory international law education
in
law schools, and (3) to strengthen cooperation with UNESCO's program to
promote a culture of peace.
Child Soldiers
The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers will intensify its campaign
to prohibit the recruitment and use in hostilities of children under the
age of 18.
Poverty
Actions on poverty, i.e. raising economic rights to the same level as civil
and political rights, are being planned.
...........................................
Dr Patrick Mc Carthy
Programme Coordinator
Prevention, Resolution and Transformation of Violent Conflict
THE HAGUE APPEAL FOR PEACE 1999
http://www.haguepeace.org
c/o The International Peace Bureau
41 rue de Zurich
CH-1201 Geneva
Switzerland
Tel: +41 (22) 741-4010
Fax: +41 (22) 738-9419
E-mail: p_mccarthy@iprolink.ch