The following is the draft mission statement for a proposed Law for the Promotion of Education and a Culture of Peace in Paraguay:
This Law is based on the conviction that humanity can live together in peace and that our nation can be an example of this principle. Our democratic system and the Constitution are instruments which oblige us to participate actively in the construction of a harmonious society; a society that promotes values, tolerance, solidarity and the peaceful resolution of conflicts by means of education and discussion.
Our Constitution provides clear guidelines and commitments for the development of a Culture of Peace Law. Furthermore, the present reality of the society in which we live obliges us to orient new laws towards the realization of a culture which supports, promotes and strengthens the objective of building a peaceful and harmonious society.
This Law is the result of a collective effort that recognizes the cultural, social, political and territorial diversity within our nation, including each of its community groups, collectives and minorities that live and share a common history. The final objective of this law is that its components and their implementation be useful to the individual and to the society in general.
The Law for the Promotion of Education and a Culture of Peace is based on the premise that our nation can only achieve its objectives, in accordance with the aspirations of today’s global and more humanitarian community of nations, by means of a legal framework.
Furthermore, in line with the UN proclamation of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace (2001-2010), this law recognizes the essential role of education in society and is intended to be a starting point from which a new culture of peace will substitute the culture of violence that has characterized the 20th century.
In this sense, it is truly important and necessary to educate our children and young people based on values and principles rooted in faith, hope and love, which transcend our being and lead us towards internal peace, as without this, it will be impossible to attain a true Culture of Peace that may be reflected in a better society.
A Culture of Peace takes into account all values, behaviors, attitudes, practices, feelings, beliefs, etc. It opposes desequality and discrimination in all their forms.
It is also fundamental to highlight the rights of our children, the promotion of social development and the reduction of economic and social disadvantages, with a view to eliminating poverty as well as generating solutions that guarantee the security of property, individuals, and the environment for present and future generations.
This Culture of Peace can only be implanted by means of an education oriented towards peace, non-violence and human rights, and through the promotion of dialogue and the practice of non-violence in the management of conflicts, guaranteeing each person the full rights and resources to participate in the development of the society.
This law is being proposed under the provisions of subsection a.2 of the Program of Action for a Culture of Peace, approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1999. It establishes a series of actions directed towards the areas of education and investigation, with the objective of promoting a culture of peace and nonviolence in our society.
