Excerpts from UNESCO's
Declaration on the
Role of
Religion
in the Promotion of a Culture of Peace
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Declaration on Tolerance
We, participants in the meeting, "The Contribution
by Religions to the Culture of Peace," organized by UNESCO…
(Barcelona, 12 to 18 December, 1994)… declare:
1. We live in a world in which isolation is no longer possible….
We are all interdependent and share an inescapable responsibility
for the well-being of the entire world.
2. We face a crisis which could bring about the suicide of
the human species or bring us a new awakening and a new hope.
We know that religion… has an indispensable role to play….
4….neither the meaning of peace nor of religion can be
reduced to a single and rigid concept….
6. Religions have… led to division, hatred, and war. Religious people have too often betrayed the high ideals they
themselves have preached. We… call for sincere acts of repentance
and mutual forgiveness, both personally and collectively
- to one another
- to
humanity in general, and
- to
Earth and all living beings.
8. Peace entails that we understand that we are all interdependent….
collectively responsible for the common good.
11. We must… cultivate a spirituality which manifests
itself in action...
13. We commit ourselves to –
-
work
towards a reduction in the scandalous economic differences between
human groups and other forms of violence and threats to peace…
-
overcome
all forms of discrimination, colonialism, exploitation, and domination
and to promote institutions based on shared responsibility and
participation…. Human rights, including religious freedom
and the rights of minorities, must be respected.
-
assure
a truly humane education for all. We emphasize education for
peace, freedom, and human rights, and religious education to
promote openness and tolerance.
-
commit
ourselves to a civil society which respects environmental and
social justice.
-
work
towards a world without weapons and to dismantle the industry
of war.
RELIGIOUS RESPONSIBILITY
19. Our communities of faith have a responsibility to encourage
conduct imbued with wisdom, compassion, sharing, charity, solidarity, and
love; inspiring one and all to choose the path of freedom
and responsibility. Religions must be a source of helpful energy.
20. … our religions must not identify themselves with
political, economic, or social powers, so as to remain free to
work for justice and peace. We should distinguish fanaticism
from religious zeal.
21. We will favor peace by countering the tendencies
of individuals and communities to assume or even to teach
that they are inherently superior to others …
22. We will promote dialogue and harmony between and within
religions … respecting the search for truth and wisdom that
is outside our religion. We will establish dialogue with all,
striving for a sincere fellowship…
APPEAL
23. …we will build a culture of peace based on non-violence,
tolerance, dialogue, mutual understanding, and justice. We call
upon the institutions of our civil society, the United Nations
System, governments, governmental and non-governmental organizations,
corporations, and the mass media, to strengthen their commitments
to peace and to listen to the cries of the victims….We call
upon the different religious and cultural traditions to join
hands… and to cooperate with us….