The key elements of the transformation towards a culture of peace are to follow the manifesto and to help to make it better known, to try every day to become a better person, to try to settle our differences peacefully, and to support the organizations and institutions that are trying to foster an international culture of peace. Through these various commitments, each one of us should succeed in transforming reflexes and habits of hate, violence, intolerance and greed into reflexes and habits of love, understanding, sharing and generosity. Indeed, establishing a culture of peace requires that we go beyond superficial changes, which only maintain the status quo, and make in-depth transformations. 1 Then, little by little, a value shift will take place, a shift that will make peace an attitude, a daily way of living. The goal of this fact sheet is to clarify what is meant by a value shift and the realization that it requires of us.

Learn to Unlearn

To understand the meaning and the potential of this shift in values, it is not necessary to discuss the good and bad aspects of human nature. Indeed, the way in which women and men think and act in their daily lives is not solely determined by what we sometimes call human nature. Our behaviour and ways of thinking are influenced by what institutions such as international organizations, schools, family, the media and society in general tell us. These various institutions produce standards to which our actions generally conform and which finish by forming our culture.

For example, hockey, television and films often give us the idea that it is acceptable to hit and try to hurt other human beings. The behaviour of States that develop nuclear weapons or wage war against other States gives us the impression that it is normal that States develop and be ready to use their military arsenal. The way our economy is organized and the way certain companies act gives the impression that it is normal to only think of oneself and to not respect the environment and the labour force, all in the name of economic rationale.

Nonetheless, these institutions were not only created by men and women, they are also directed by men and women. Consequently, people can influence these institutions so that the latter establish standards that contribute to a culture of peace, as was shown in "The Role of the United Nations”. Shifting our values to construct a culture of peace means realizing that people have the power to influence their culture and to determine what tomorrow’s society will be.

Certain values that are opposed to a culture of peace are sometimes thought to be universal and eternal. This is where we must learn to unlearn. Here are a few examples of the values we must unlearn:

Individualism and an “every man for himself” attitude, which restrict good neighbourly relations and make us turn away from human misery.

Economic logic and rationale, which are at the base of our economic system and which have lead us to sacrifice nature in the name of profit and have pushed us to always produce more at any price without really knowing why.

Nationalism 2, which sometimes justifies the killing of human beings in the name of the nation.

We sometimes believe that these values are part of human nature and that we cannot change them. However, they have not always existed and are not shared by all.

There are cultures, such as in Africa, where the members of a community are linked by a strong sense of solidarity and where money is not the main measure of personal success.

In certain other traditions, such as those of the native peoples, the impact of human work on the environment is taken into account from the very beginning of project planning. Nature is not sacrificed for economic demands or enrichment. Dr. Vandana Shiva, during a BBC interview 3, also showed that the Western agricultural model must sometimes be called into question. In her opinion, instead of exhausting vast fields through the excessive cultivation of a sole crop, otherwise known as a monoculture, it would be better, in certain cases, to take inspiration from small Himalayan farmers, who grow several products in a field at a more human scale with more human methods. Indeed, this type of agriculture preserves planetary resources while providing an equivalent total production. Dr. Shiva feels that our inability to recognize the value of practices that our different from our own comes from our inability to call our preconceptions into question. Dr. Shiva calls this the “monoculture of the mind” by analogy with the way that we cultivate our agricultural resources.

Finally, nationalism is a fairly recent invention that is closely related to the assertion of the State. With globalization, people are travelling and communicating more easily and identities are becoming less rigid. Furthermore, State power is being transferred to international institutions, multinational corporations and civil society. Nationalism seems to be lessening due to this evolution. These values, which were once thought to be natural and unalterable, are increasingly showing that they are simply historical in nature.

Shifting these values thus means becoming aware of the limitations of what was once thought to be universal and unalterable. By imagining possible changes, we are learning to unlearn. Once this is done, it becomes easier for each one of us to open up and understand the values that other cultures hold and that could help us build a culture of peace in our communities.

A Culture of Peace Come True

If shifting our values to build a culture of peace corresponds to opening up to other ways of community living and taking the environment and human relationships into account, then a well-established culture of peace should take the form of active tolerance. This means acknowledging the value of practices and opinions that are different from our own and considering our culture not as a way to exclude, but rather as a way to reach out and appreciate others and their differences. Indeed, culture is too often used as a way of differentiating and, when all is said and done, rejecting certain people. In the well-known Molson television ad that appeals to certain caricatural aspects of our culture, the Canadian identity is defined exclusively in opposition to the American identity. In contrast to this, the culture of peace, as described in the manifesto, invites us “listen to understand” and “rediscover solidarity”.

The attainment of a culture of peace does not mean a world in which “everyone is nice”. As was explained in “In Praise of Conflict ”, conflicts are not harmful in themselves and can, on the contrary, create new and productive positive changes. Humanity would have undergone little or no progress without conflict. Conflict can also result from an angry reaction to an unjust situation. In such a case, conflict can help us to surpass the injustice. A society based on a culture of peace is not, therefore, an entirely peaceful society if peaceful means spineless and without conflict. Rather, in such a society, people take negotiating seriously and want to resolve conflict through consensus or compromise instead of through violence.

In a society where a culture of peace is well-anchored, being peaceful does not only mean refusing to fight. In “How Can We Cultivate Peace?”, it is explained how the lack of respect for the environment, local and global economic inequalities, racial and social inequalities and discrimination between men and women are the source of tensions that can turn into violence. Indeed, wanting peace is the first step in creating the conditions for it to exist. This means trying to reduce elements that are the source of violence and which are contrary to the establishment of peace. It is a general, day-to-day attitude, applied to all aspects of life, and is not limited to looking for solutions when violence is on the verge of erupting.

If we are to succeed in shifting our values and firmly establishing peace, we must stop believing that it is an impossible task. We must call into question ideas that are seen to be true and unalterable and that we might be tempted to accept too easily. Each one us is capable, within our own personal limits, of pursuing this questioning and transforming our own values in keeping with a culture of peace. The manifesto is made up of concepts that are easy to apply in our daily lives, as can be seen in the examples given in “Why a Manifesto? What Can We Do?”. The manifesto bears witness to each person’s ability to cultivate attitudes that foster peace, beginning with oneself. Realizing each person’s importance and trusting in each person’s ability to enact change is already, in the spirit of the manifesto, a step towards a culture of peace.

1 This corresponds to the distinction that Anne Adelson, in quoting George Spindler, makes between “changes in principle” and “changes in substitute”. 2 Nationalism is different from patriotism. Being patriotic means being proud of one’s country and does not necessarily have negative connotations. 3 Vandana Shiva, besides being the director of the Research Foundation on Science, Technology and Natural Resources Policy, is a physicist, activist, ecologist, editor and author of numerous books. She has also established Nandanya, a movement to defend biodiversity conservation and farmers’ rights.