International Coalition for the Decade

Welcome to the website of the International Coalition for the Decade
for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010)!

You will find on it some information about the International Decade, but also about the history and the functioning of our Coalition. You will also have the possibility to read our newsletter and stay aware of the actions in favor of peace and non-violence in the world. Finally, you will find a description of all our members and the instructions to join the Coalition.

You can write to us at this adress: secretariat@nvpdecade.org

> Read the last newsletter

International Campaign for children's right to violence-free education and to peace and non-violence education

We would like UNESCO's General Conference to adopt a declaration on children's right to violence-free education and to peace and non-violence education, within the framework of the International Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010).

For this reason we have drawn up a Proposal for an International Declaration, available in French (original version), in English and in Spanish.

We invite those associations and organisations interested to join the campaign by giving their support and questioning their respective governments on this matter.

> Call to support

3rd International Salon for Peace Initiatives
30-31 May and 1 June 2008, in Paris (France)

The 3rd International Salon for Peace Initiatives, organised by the French Coalition for the Decade, which took place during three days at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie in Paris, on 30, 31 May and 1st June 2008, highlighted the tremendous work carried out by civil society in France and abroad to break with the culture of violence.

Inaugurated by Federico Mayor Zaragoza, member of the International Coalition's Honorary Board, the Salon gathered more than 13 000 participants who had the opportunity to meet 190 exhibitor organisations, to participate in several participative workshops, in very diverse activities and in the International Conference, co-organised with the International Coalition for the Decade. This Conference included 6 roundtables and 60 workshops giving the word to peace actors. 300 organisations were present, and each one presented its actions and its commitment.

Most of the International Coalition's members participated or were represented in this Salon.

For further information about this event, to look at videos, listen to the interviews about the Salon and have a look at the first pictures, you can visit the website of the Salon.

European news on non-violence

Adoption by the European Parliament of the annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2007
Thursday, May 8th, 2008

The European Parliament, in its 2007 report on the world human rights situation, "Considers that nonviolence is the most appropriate means of ensuring that fundamental human rights are enjoyed, upheld, promoted and respected to the full; believes that its promotion should constitute a priority objective in EU human rights and democracy policy". In view of this, the Parliament is advocating the organisation of a 2009 European conference on Non-Violence, the designation of 2010 as "European Year of Non-Violence" and, among other things, asking member States to work within the United Nations system to proclaim the "Decade of Non-Violence 2010-2020". This paper was adopted in the Commission for Foreign Affairs on Wednesday 2nd April 2008 and in plenary session of the European Parliament on Thursday 8th May 2008, by a real majority.

> Read the report

First International Day of Non-violence
2 October 2007

The United Nations have chosen the 2 October, anniversary of Gandhi's birth (1869), to celebrate each year the International Day of Non-violence. According to the General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007, which decided this commemoration, this International Day is an occasion to "disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness".
> Read the UN Resolution

Launching of the International Campaign for children's right to violence-free education
and to peace and non-violence education

The International Coalition for the Decade marked the official launching of its International Campaign for children's right to a violence-free education and to an education for non-violence and peace with a press conference which was held on Monday 24 September in Paris.

Here you will find the press file (in French) explaining the process and idea of the Campaign and presenting the Proposal for an intenational declaration on children's right to violence-free education and to peace and non-violence education addressed to all member States of UNESCO.

The Proposal for an international declaration exists now in French (original version), in English and in Spanish. It will soon be translated in other languages. For further information on the evolution of the Campaign, you can visit the page Our activities.

Five meetings in Europe on the topic of non-violence and peace education

Albacete, Spain - April 20 to 22, 2007
The municipality of Albacete and the World Association of Early Childhood Educators organized on April 20th, 21st and 22nd at the Congress Palace of Albacete, in the autonomous community of Castilla - La Mancha, the first world conference "Early Childhood Education for Peace".
> Visit the website of the conference in Spanish
> Visit the website of the conference in English

Paris, France - December 9, 2006
The French Coalition for the Decade, member of the International Coalition for the Decade, organized on December 9th in Paris the 4th Forum "Non-violence at school" on the topic "What place for education to non-violence and peace in tomorrow's school?". You will find here the leaflet and the report. You can also contact Christelle Huré for any question about the Forum.

Chieri, Italy - December 1-2, 2006
The Italian Committee for the Decade (Comitato italiano per il Decennio), member of the International Coalition for the Decade, organized on December 1st and 2nd in Chieri, near Turin the second international conference on the Decade for the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence for the children of the world 2001-2010. You can consult the leaflet or contact the Centro Studi Sereno Regis for further information.

Vienna, Austria - November 25, 2006
The Austrian Network for Peace and Non-violence (Österreichisches Netzwerk für Frieden und Gewaltfreiheit), member of the International Coalition for the Decade, organized on November 25th in Vienna a study day on the topic "Overcoming violence - educating to peace as a teacher". For further information on this day, you can consult the leaflet or contact the secretariat of the Austrian coalition.

Barcelona, Spain - November 9-10, 2006
The Comparte Foundation and the Permanent Seminar of Peace Education (Seminario Permanente de Educación por la Paz - SPEP) organized on November 9th and 10th at the University of Barcelona two days of studies and meetings on the topic "Meaning and necessity of peace education". For further information you can consult the leaflet or contact the Comparte Foundation.

Presentation of Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro's study on violence against children
UNESCO - Paris, France - November 2006

A round table on the topic "Gender-related violences in school in the context of education for all" was organized by UNESCO, the French national Commission on UNESCO and the French ministry for Foreign Affairs within the framework of the International Day for the Elimination of violence against women. It was held on November 23rd at the UNESCO House in the presence of Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, independent expert in charge of the UN study on violence against children.

International Day of Peace
September 21st, 2006

A day to celebrate and observe peace: this was what that the UN General Assembly wished for by adopting in 2001, the 21st of September as the "International Day of Peace". This day is an international day of ceasefire and non-violence, an occasion to strengthen the ideals of peace and to soothe tensions and causes of conflict.

> Read the press release of the International Coalition for the Decade
> See the events organized by the French Coalition for the Decade
> Read the report of the Brazilian NGO ABrasOFFA

And for more reports and testimonies, you can visit the Peace One Day website.

International Salon for Peace Initiatives
International Conference
Paris, France - June 2006

The second International Salon for Peace Initiatives and the International Conference "Actors for a culture of peace and non-violence", co-organised by the French Coalition and the International Coalition for the Decade, encountered a great success with around 13,000 participants.

Click here to read the press release.
To get more information and see the pictures, you can visit the Salon website.

International Nonviolence Conference
Bethlehem, Palestine - December 2005

Holy Land Trust and Nonviolence International organized an international conference "Celebrating Nonviolent Resistance" in Bethlehem, Palestine on December 27-30, 2005. Among the participants, there were notably Matin Luther King III, Bernard LaFayette, Mahmoud Abbas, Mustafa Barghouti, Mary King, Cindy Corrie... The Conference was endorsed by the International Coalition for the Decade. For further information, please visit the website of the Conference.

UN Expert Group Meeting on Dialogue in the Social Integration Process
New York, United States - November 2005

The Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) organized an Expert Group Meeting on "Dialogue in the Social Integration Process: Building peaceful social relations – by, for and with People" at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, from 21 – 23 November 2005.

The meeting aimed to discuss and demonstrate the analytical and operational relevance of the concept of "Social Integration" for peace-building and conflict transformation and, further, to explore, through case studies and a strategic framework, how participatory dialogue can facilitate the social integration processes.

Approximately twenty researchers and/or practitioners who are working on people-centred peace-building or dialogue related initiatives were invited to participate, together with representatives of United Nations Departments and agencies. Christian Renoux, president of the International Coalition for the Decade, participated in the meeting. For further information, visit the website of the Expert Group Meeting.

European Conference "Raising Children without Violence"
Berlin, Germany - October 2005

A European Conference on Raising Children without Violence was held in Berlin, on October 20th and 21st 2005. Statements were given by the German Ministers Renate Schmidt and Brigitte Zypries and well-known experts in the field. The president of the International Coalition for the Decade, Christian Renoux, intervened in the framework of a round-table discussion on "The Concepts of Raising Children in Europe".
> Download the Conference program

Mid-Decade Report

By the end of the year 2005, we were at the mid-point of the International Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010). For this occasion, the International Coalition has prepared a report, that gathers, in annexes, the reports of most of its member associations and national coalitions. The Report has been sent to the UNESCO and the UN.

> Download the Coalition's report

> You can also get the Civil society report at midpoint of the Decade, which includes the one of the International Coalition as well as many other organisations, on the website of the Fundación Cultura de Paz or at the following direction http://decade-culture-of-peace.org

Conference: Non-violent Strategies for Confronting Global Terrorism and for Promoting Peaceful Social Change
Norway - September 2005

The Center for Peace Studies, of the University of Tromsø, Norway, organized a Conference from the 7th to the 9th of September 2005 on the nature and political potential of non-violence. The conference aimed to explore the possibilities of non-violence in the context of two key contemporary themes of global conflict: terrorism and its variety of responses, and social resistance and political activism.

> Visit the Center for Peace Studies website

Forbidding Corporal Punishment againt the Children of Europe

On June 23th 2004, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe passed a text saying that it would be normal to forbid the corporal punishments against the children in the family surroundings. It is a considerable overhang towards a non-violent education for the children. Indeed, before this vote, the corporal punishments were forbidden in the schools and in the prisons but they were not formally forbidden in the families. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requests all its members to adopt a legislation which would be a guarantee for this ban.
> Read the text of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The Human Rights Prize of the French Republic 2004

On December 8th 2004, the Human Rights Prize of the French Republic was awarded to a partner of the Secours Catholique-Caritas France, the Russian NGO "For an initiative of justice in Chechenia". A dotation of 15,000 euros and a medal were given to the laureates by the First Minister, Mr. Raffarin. This happened during the International Day of the Human Rights.The objectives of this Russian NGO are to prevent torture and all other forms of violation of the Human Rights in Chechenia and to struggle against the impunity of these crimes. Its principal axes of work are to ensure the juridictional protection of the victims and to help them to lodge a complaint at the juridictional competent authorities, to question the juridictional institutions of the Council of Europe in order to guarantee the respect by Russia of the Human Rights in Chechenia, to alert the Russian and International public opinion about the situation in Chechenia, and to train lawyers members of associations to the defence of the victims of torture.
Caritas France is a member of the French Coalition for the Decade and of Caritas Internationalis, member of the International Coalition for the Decade.

International Peace Prize 2004

On November 21st 2004, the Etudes Center "Giuseppe Donati" of Pistoia (Italia) awarded the International Peace Prize to the Cardinal Martino for his work at the head of the Pontifical Council Justice and Peace. The Pontifical Council Justice and Peace is a member of the International Coalition for the Decade. The Coalition warmly congratulates the cardinal Martino, member of its Honorary Board, for this prize which is a recognition of his work in favor of peace.