25 years working for peace

25 YEARS WORKING FOR PEACE

1983 - 2008

Fundació per la Pau - 25 years working for peace

5

Many things have happened over the last

twenty-five years. In Spain, the suppression

of mandatory army conscription. Worldwi-

de, the prohibition of landmines and cluster

bombs, thanks to civilian initiatives. The mo-

bilisation of millions of citizens against war,

with Catalonia playing a key role. The Cata-

lan parliament passing the Llei del Foment

de la Pau and Llei de l’ICIP (creating the

Institut Català Internacional per la Pau).

The progressive demand by society for con-

trol of the arms trade. The creation of the

International Criminal Court... And the Fun-dació per la Pau has played a part, in many

different ways, in all these processes, in a lot

of cases by amplifying the voice of many ci-

tizens.

If our sense of realism tells us that violence

still persists, then we must also recognise the

appearance of new effective social dynamics,

inspired by nonviolence, cooperation, dialo-

gue and citizen involvement. The culture of

peace, based on nonviolence, dialogue and

cooperation, stands as a necessary alternati-

ve. But we would be dreamers if we thought

that weak, intermittent pressure would im-

mediately bring the necessary changes. More

time and commitment are required.

When celebrating our group’s 25 years, we

must ask ourselves what exactly we are

commemorating, if there is still so much vio-

lence. And the response is that we are cele-

brating the steadfastness that underlies our

unceasing work; the achievement of results

that show how important and forceful public

opinion can be when it is organised. We also

celebrate our devotion to an initial idea and

an approach whose undeniable feature is in-

dependence, but an independence that is nei-

ther neutral nor sits on the fence. Finally, we

are celebrating a belief: people build peace.

This book aims to be a modest testimony to

the work carried out by the Foundation du-

ring this quarter century, but we could not

have done this work in isolation, unaware of

the events shaping the political and social

context at any particular time. Events that,

in many cases, have inspired, motivated and

mobilised the actions and decisions of the

Fundació per la Pau. All the Foundation’s

actions have also been motivated by a pur-

pose defined as unique in its founding text: to

collaborate in creating and helping to emer-

ge public opinion that is articulate, informed

and active, and that applies democratic pres-

sure in favour of peace.

We think we have remained faithful to this

initial definition. From our position of po-

litical independence, which has nothing to

do with an aseptic fence-sitting position, we

have worked to spread the values of the cul-

ture of peace and disseminate our concepts

and new analyses to help people understand

the real situation. And we have done so both

due to the need for intellectual rigor as well

as our wish to mobilise public opinion; hence

our insistence on campaign work. Public opi-

nion is probably the most decisive factor in

bringing about the necessary changes requi-

red in order to gradually establish a culture

of peace.

The work we have been called upon to do

has also enabled us to be involved in an in-

ternational network of groups that work for

the culture of peace. We have gathered toge-

ther international initiatives and have passed

them on to our own citizens, but our efforts

have also made the opposite journey.

Twenty-five years ago, a good number of ci-

tizens responded to a call that still continues

today. A call to work together to introduce a

new culture: a culture of peace. We propo-

se direct accountability for each citizen and

offer the Fundació per la Pau as a channel

and instrument of the democratic pressure

that, together, we can all apply.

Many thanks to everyone for your uncondi-

tional support!

Alfons Banda

President of the Fundació per la Pau

1. INTRODUCTION


7

2. CHRONICLE OF A QUARTER OF A CENTURY

In this chronicle we remember some of the most relevant historical developments in conflicts and peace that have characterised the last quarter of a century in the history of humanity.

Year Historical developmentsnobel peace

price

1983 The same year in which the Fundació per la Pau (Foundation for Peace)

was born, the North American president Ronald Reagan launched his

Strategic Defense Initiative, popularly known as ‘Star Wars’. That year,

Reagan denounced the Soviet Union as “an evil empire” and encouraged

a policy of military intervention to wipe out Marxist regimes in Third

World countries.

In retaliation to Reagan’s threats, the Soviet Union also announced the

installation of new missiles.

Lech Walesa Polish politician, founder of So-

lidarity and President of Poland

between 1990 and 1995. He

campaigned in favour of human

rights during the pro-Soviet

regime.

1984 This was the year in which the United Kingdom withdrew from UNESCO

because of disagreements over the organisation’s objective, mainly be-

cause of the MacBride report “Many Voices, One World”. The US also

announced its decision to leave, as did Singapore. The United Kingdom

rejoined the organisation in 1997, the US in 2003 and Singapore in

2007.

After much debate, on 28 December, on the Día de los Inocentes (Spain’s

equivalent to April Fool’s Day), the Official State Gazette published a

law regulating the right to conscientious objection to military service in

Spain. However, because of the restrictions this imposed on the right to

object, the Ombudsman appealed against it on constitutional grounds.

At the end of 1987, the Constitutional Tribunal fully validated the law.

The Soviet Union, at the height of the arms race, deployed SS-20 missi-

les in Eastern Germany.

In Catalonia, the first year of the International University for Peace at

Sant Cugat del Vallès was celebrated.

Desmond Tutu Bishop of South Africa. For his

work against apartheid.

1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became president of the Soviet Union and his Per-

estroika policy made Reagan reconsider his foreign policy. The United

States and Soviet Union resumed talks and negotiations on nuclear and

space disarmament after four years of Cold War.

International Physicians for

the Prevention of Nuclear War An international medical or-

ganisation founded in 1980 by

Russian and American doctors.

For the prevention of nuclear

war and armed conflict..

1986 Declared International Year of Peace by the United Nations.

Switzerland’s Prime Minister, Olof Palme, was assassinated while out

walking with his wife. Palme was a strong defender of pacifism and

worked to improve the tension between the two blocs.

Elie Wiesel North American writer from

Romania, who survived the Nazi

concentration camps. For stories

of her personal experience and

her work for the peace cause.


8


price

In Chernobyl (Ukraine), the worst nuclear accident in history occurred.

Radioactive rain fell as far away as the Unites States, United Kingdom

and Scandinavia.

The Palestine leader Arafat accepted the United Nations’ 242 resoluti-

on, which recognised the existence of the state of Israel.

The Spanish government called a referendum on 12 March on whether

the country should remain in NATO. This proved to be a controversial

referendum because, just after coming into government, the Spanish So-

cialist party, led by Felipe González, had campaigned against the coun-

try’s membership. Around 52.5% of voters voted “yes” as opposed to

39.8% who voted against it. The “no” vote triumphed in Catalonia, Na-

varra, the Basque Country and the Canary Islands.

In the Basque Country, the “Gesto por la Paz” coordinating group was

created, bringing together different hitherto silent initiatives and groups

that were finding their voice and becoming organised to reject violence.

1987 On 19 July, one of the worst ETA terrorist attacks took place at the

Hipercor supermarket in Barcelona: 21 people died and more than 45

were injured.

On 9 December, the first Intifada broke out on the West Bank and in

Gaza against the Israeli occupation.

Also in December, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed the

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). For the first time in

history, an agreement was reached to reduce the superpowers’ nuclear

arsenals.

Federico Mayor Zaragoza was chosen as Director General of UNESCO,

where he strongly encouraged a culture of peace.

Óscar Arias Sánchez

Lawyer, philosopher, businessman

and politician, and president

of Costa Rica at the time, a

position he occupied from 1986

to 1990. For his contribution

to peace negotiations in Central

America.

1988 On 15 January, Seán MacBride died in Dublin. Journalist, lawyer and

politician, co-founder of Amnesty International, president of the Inter-

national Peace Bureau (1974–1985) and Nobel Peace Prize winner in

1974.

In March, an agreement was signed in Sapoa, Nicaragua. This was a

ceasefire between the Sandinista government and the opposition and

various programmes were presented on how to achieve peace in the

country.

In July of the same year, Iraq and Iran also signed a peace treaty after

eight years of an intense war that, using weapons from several western

countries, caused the death of more than a million persons.

In August, the Burmese activist and pacifist Aung San Suu Kyi held her

first demonstration for democracy in Burma. Unfortunately, in Sept-

ember, a coup d’état occurred and the military dictatorship came into

power that is still controlling the country now.

United Nations Peace Corps

Better known as the Blue Berets.

For their participation in peace

missions in numerous conflicts

since 1956.


9


price

On 15 December, the United Nations recognised the state of Palestine.

This same year, a group of Israeli women organised a silent protest

against the occupation of Palestine. From this point on, the demonstra-

tions continued, giving rise to the feminist and pacifist movement known

as “Women in Black”, later on becoming very active in the Balkan con-

flict.

1989 In Spain, ETA declared its first unilateral truce and announced the be-

ginning of rounds of negotiations with the Spanish government in Al-

giers. Thus the “Algiers Conversations” were born.

On 4 June in China, various pro-democracy demonstrations, led by stu-

dents, were violently quashed by the Chinese army in Tiananmen Square.

Nearly five thousand people died and two million were injured. This put

an end to the popular uprisings that had started on 15 April.

On 9 November, the Berlin Wall, symbol of the Cold War, fell.

On 16 November, armed forces in El Salvador assassinated six Jesuit

priests and two workers at their residence at the Central American Uni-

versity of San Salvador. Amongst those assassinated were the president

of UCA, Ignacio Ellacuría, and the director of Human Rights at the

university, Segundo Montes.

The MOC (Moviment per l’Objecció de Consciència) and other collecti-

ves launched strategies against the mandatory social service that young

men had to do if they refused to do military service in Spain. At the end

of the year, the first courts martial were held and prison sentences were

given out to protesters.

The fourteenth Dalai Lama,

Tenzin Gyatso

Religious and political leader of

Tibet. For his constant resis-

tance to the use of violence in

his people’s fight to regain their

freedom.

1990 On 11 February, the South African leader Nelson Mandela was released

from prison after 27 years in captivity. A few days later, for the first time

in 30 years, a general assembly of Nelson Mandela’s African National

Congress (ANC) took place.

In August, the crisis between Iraq and Kuwait escalated when the Iraqi

army rapidly invaded the emirate, in the face of little resistance.

On 21 November, at the OSCE summit in Paris, the Cold War officially

ended.

Mikhail Gorbachev

President of the Soviet Union

from 1989 until 1991. For his

important role in the process

that ended the Cold War.

1991 The Golf War started in January when a coalition of forces led by the US

army confronted Iraq. The intense allied attacks forced Iraq to withdraw

from Kuwait and the war ended on 28 February when Iraq surrendered.

Thousands of citizens around the world demonstrated against this war.

Also, in Barcelona, the Diari de la Pau (Diary of Peace) was created, an

initiative led by a group of journalists to denounce the war.

The United Nations voted unanimously to condemn Israel’s treatment of

Palestinians in the country. At the end of October, a Middle East Peace

Conference took place in Madrid.

Aung San Suu Ky Activist and leader of the Na-

tional League for Democracy in

Burma. For her nonviolent de-

fence of democracy and human

rights.


10


price

On 1 July, the Warsaw Pact was officially dissolved.

During this year, the Baltic republics and various Soviet countries in

Eastern Europe gained their independence from the former USSR. Con-

flicts also began this year in the former Yugoslavia, with the Ten-Day

War for the independence of Slovenia.

1992 In January, the USA and Russia officially re-established diplomatic re-

lations.

The same month, in Mexico City, representatives from the San Salvador

government and the FMLN (Frente Farabundo Martí para la Libera-

ción Nacional) signed the Chapultepec Agreements, putting an end to

the 12-year civil war in El Salvador.

In February, an historic non-aggression and de-nuclearisation agree-

ment was ratified between the two Koreas, which had been officially at

war since 1953.

In spring, Bosnia and Herzegovina was declared an independent state.

Barely after this declaration had been made public, Serbian forces su-

rrounded Sarajevo, the country’s capital, and began a three-year siege,

becoming one of the longest in modern military history. The city remai-

ned without electricity, water, heating and medicine. More than 12,000

people died and 50,000 were injured.

Butros Butros-Ghali, elected the new Secretary General of the United

Nations in January of this year, presented “An Agenda for Peace” in

which he promoted a more active role for the United Nations in the pre-

vention of violence and in the construction and maintenance of peace.

In December, Elkarri was created – a social movement for dialogue and

agreement for the Basque Country. The group tried to bring about a pea-

ce process while defending a peaceful solution to the Basque conflict.

Rigoberta Menchú Tum Indigenous Guatemalan leader

and member of the Quitxé-Maya

group. For her work in favour of

social justice and ethnic-cultural

reconciliation based on the res-

pect of indigenous people.

1993 In January, the North American president George Bush and the Russian

president Boris Yeltsin signed the Start II nuclear disarmament agre-

ement to reduce nuclear arsenals. A few days later, an agreement was

signed in Paris prohibiting the use of chemical warfare.

In February, the United Nations approved the creation of the Interna-

tional Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, finally constituted

on 25 May.

On 13 September, the Declaration of Principles for the self-government

of the Gaza Strip and Jericho was signed in Washington, the first agree-

ment between Israel and the Palestine PLO, which made the Palestinian

National Authority (PNA) official. The Israeli leader Yitzak Rabin and

the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shook hands.

Nelson Mandela, F.W. de Klerk Mandela, leader of the African

National Congress (ANC) and

de Klerk, last president of the

apartheid regime in South Afri-

ca. For their work to peacefully

end the apartheid regime and for

laying the foundations for a new

democratic South Africa.


11


price

1994 This year, the Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict escalated into widespread

violence and the civil population suffered. A howitzer that exploded in

Sarajevo market on 5 February caused the death of 68 people and in-

jured more than 200, in one of the most brutal killings in the Bosnian

capital during the city’s siege.

On 6 April, the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi were killed during

an aerial attack on Kigali. Civil war and the inter-ethnic killings spread

through Rwanda and ended up causing hundreds of thousands of deaths,

two million refugees and three million more displaced people.

The Russian army invaded Chechnya to take charge of a territory that,

since 1991, had enjoyed de facto independence. In spite of the superio-

rity of the Russian forces, the war continued until 1996, when a pea-

ce agreement was signed and the withdrawal of Russian troops was

agreed.

The British government and Sinn Fein – the political arm of the IRA –

made their first official contact after 22 years of non-communication

on 9 December at Stormont Castle. The start of talks was the first proof

that Northern Ireland was moving towards peace, after 25 years of ar-

med conflict and more than 3,000 deaths.

This same year, Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa,

making him the first black president in the country’s history and also

the first elected by universal suffrage.

Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres,

Yitzhak Rabin

The Palestinian leader Yasser

Arafat was president of the PLO

and leader of the secular politi-

cal party Fada-hi. Shimon Peres,

politician and Israeli states-

man, was twice Prime Minister

(1984–1986 and 1995– 1996)

and has been President of Israel

since 2007. Yitzhak Rabin,

Israeli politician and Primer

Minister (1974–1977 and

1992–1995). He was assassina-

ted in 1995 by an Israeli right-

wing radical extremist. They all

received the prize for their joint

efforts to work for peace in the

Middle East.

1995 Fifty years after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasa-

ki, various commemorative acts were held. However, these were muddied

by the nuclear powers’ failure to reach a compromise on eliminating the-

se types of arsenals. This was set out at the revision conference for the

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which took place in April and May in

New York. The atomic tests carried out by the French and Chinese go-

vernments during the 50th anniversary year also constituted a peculiar

way to commemorate such an event.

On 11 July, the Serbian army evacuated and deported 20,000 people in

Srebrenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and then killed 8,000 while the

European Union and the United Nations looked on, passive and impo-

tent.

In September, the Bosnia and Herzegovina war ended, and on 21 Nov-

ember the presidents of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia (Slobodan Milose-

vic, Franco Tudjman and Alija Izetbegovic, respectively) signed a peace

agreement in Dayton (Ohio). After 20 days of negotiations, an unders-

tanding was reached with mediation by the United States.

On 11 September, in Catalonia, Terra Lliure, an independent armed Ca-

talan organisation founded in 1978, was formally dissolved. Thus ended

the attempt to develop armed resistance in Catalonia.

In New York, October saw a summit for heads of state and govern-

Joseph Rotblat, Pugwash

Conferences on Science and

World Affairs

Nuclear physicist, of Polish ori-

gin. For his efforts in eradicating

nuclear arms.


12


price

ment to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Uni-

ted Nations.

1996 In January, British Prime Minister, John Major, proposed the idea of

holding elections in Northern Ireland to the House of Commons, in an

attempt to re-establish the Regional Assembly and electorally legitimi-

se those who were to negotiate the future of Northern Ireland. Gerry

Adams rejected the offer on the 9 February and the IRA broke their

17-month truce with an attack on London. On 4 March, Sinn Fein was

excluded from peace negotiations for refusing to condemn the attack.

In September, the Taliban took military control of Kabul, the capital of

Afghanistan, and forced the Mujahidin army government, led by Ahmed

Shah Massud, to abandon the city and seek refuge in the mountains.

The peace process between Israel and Palestine, which had been gai-

ning credibility in previous years, went through some very delicate times

because of the difficulties faced by Yasser Arafat’s PLO in controlling

terrorist acts by radical Islamists, and also because of the electoral

victory in Israel of Likhud Benjamin Netanyahu.

War returned to the African Great Lakes region. Thousands of Hutus

who had survived the 1994 killings fled to refugee camps in Burundi,

Zaire and Tanzania. The number of refugees grew so much that ethnic

hatred broke out in these countries and the conflict became more wides-

pread.

Carlos Filipe Ximenes Bello,

José Ramos-Horta

Leaders of the resistance move-

ment in Eastern Timor. For their

search for a peaceful solution

to the conflict between Eastern

Timor and Indonesia.

1997 In May, Zaire remained in the hands of the rebel troops of Laurent-Désiré Kabila, who was appointed president of the country, whose new name became the Democratic Republic of Congo. On 7 September, the dictator Mobuto Sese Seko died in Rabat, after leading Zaire since 1965. Mobutu’s death put an end to a series of civil and ethnic wars that, in only a few years, had affected Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Rwan-da and Burundi, as well as Zaire, and which had put into power old left-wing leaders such as Kabila himself.

This year, the South African president Nelson Mandela began a slow retreat from the front line of power by giving up the presidency of his party, the African National Congress (ANC), making it very clear that he would not be standing at the next presidential elections planned for 1999.

In Colombia, nearly 10 million people participated in the ‘Mandato po-pular por la Paz’, in which they rejected violence and reclaimed the right for the protection of human rights.

In December, the Mine Ban Treaty was approved in Ottawa.

Terrorist organisation ETA kidnapped and assassinated the town coun-cillor of Ermua, Miguel Angel Blanco. During the kidnapping, various demonstrations were held all over the country demanding his freedom but, two days later, he was discovered gravely injured and died the fo-llowing day.

International Campaign to

Ban Landmines, Jody Williams

Prize awarded to the Internatio-

nal Campaign to Ban Landmines

(ICBL), led by Jody Williams.

For its work to ban the use of

and clear up landmines.


13


price

1998 April: the British and Irish governments signed the “Good Friday Agree-

ment”, a treaty which saw the culmination of a long process of dialogue

and negotiations between the republican and unionist forces, and the

beginning of the end of the most virulent conflict in Northern Ireland.

In July, the Treaty of Rome was signed to create a permanent Interna-

tional Criminal Tribunal, with headquarters in The Hague. Its objective

was to establish worldwide jurisdiction and prevent impunity for such

offences as genocide, war crimes and those against humanity.

On 7 August, two terrorist attempts were made against the North Ameri-

can embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, leading to 258 deaths and

more than 4,250 injuries. The attacks were carried out by the unknown

“Liberation Army for Holy Sites”, behind which the USA saw the Saudi

millionaire Osama bin Laden, thought to be hiding in Afghanistan. In

response to the attack, the USA bombed Afghanistan and the Sudan.

On 12 December, political parties, trade unions and social organisations

signed up to the Declaration of Lizarra, a peace agreement that de-

manded a political and negotiated solution be found to end the historic

conflict between Euskal Herria and the Spanish and French states. The

agreement, which took the Irish referendum as its model, was unpre-

cedented in the Basque Country. Days later, on 16 of December, ETA

announced an indefinite truce.

On 19 October, General Augusto Pinochet, Chilean dictator from 1973

to 1990, was detained in London. This represented an important step

forward in ending impunity through international justice.

In October, a report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, crea-

ted in 1995 and presided over by Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu,

was presented in Pretoria to clarify the crimes committed in the years

of apartheid and to bring to light those involved.

The 10 December saw the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the

Human Rights Act by the United Nations.

John Hume, David Trimble John Hume, leader of the Social

Democratic and Labour Party

(SDLP), and David Trimble,

president of the Ulster Unio-

nist Party (UUP) and prime

minister of the new government

of Ireland set up in 1998. For

their efforts to find a peaceful

solution to the Northern Ireland

conflict.

1999 In February, the United Nations decided to withdraw all US and UK

personnel from Iraq.

From March until the end of June, NATO forces took part in a military

intervention in the Yugoslavian war, carrying out continuous bombard-

ments against Yugoslavian objectives. Albanian fighters also continued

attacking the Serbian forces and the civil services in Kosovo, while the

Serbian forces attacked the Albanian civil rebel forces, causing ethnic

cleansing that culminated in massive human displacement into neigh-

bouring countries.

On 1 March, the Ottawa Treaty to Ban Landmines came into full effect,

after being ratified by 65 countries.

On 20 April, two youths carrying various weapons went on a killing

spree in Columbine. They killed more than 30 people and injured 24

Médecins sans Frontières

Medical and humanitarian orga-

nisation, international in nature,

created in 1971, which offers

medical assistance in times of

emergency in more than 79

countries. In recognition of its

pioneering humanitarian actions

on different continents.


14


price

before killing themselves.

In May, the Hague’s Appeal for Peace was celebrated. More than

10,000 activists from around the world gathered to commemorate 100

years since the first international peace conference.

Some months later, in November, around 100,000 trade unionists, NGOs

and other social organisations demonstrated in Seattle against the World

Trade Organisation (WTO) and the launch of a new millennium round

of trade negotiations. It was considered the first large demonstration in

favour of a different kind of globalisation.

On 3 December, ETA announced the end of its ceasefire.

2000 The United Nations declared 2000 the International Year for the Cul-

ture of Peace.

In February, the Russian Army took Grozny, the capital of Chechnya.

A few days later, the Human Rights Watch organisation revealed that

almost 62 civilians had been executed by the army in the Adli district, in

the south of the Chechnyan capital.

In July, a second round of negotiations took place at Camp David. Un-

der the auspices of North American president Bill Clinton, Palestine’s

Yasser Arafat, and Israel’s Ehud Barak, the delegates tried to reach an

agreement for a final status for Palestine. The summit ended without

any agreement being reached.

On 28 September, the second Intifada uprising began in Palestine, after

which Ariel Sharon visited the esplanade of the Mosques in Jerusalem.

On 20 May, a demonstration was organised in Barcelona in favour of

peace and the demilitarisation of society, and against the military pa-

rade that the Ministry of Defence had organised in the city. As well

as the demonstration, other activities were held during May, such as a

people’s camp and a Festival for Peace, which was attended by more

than 50,000 people.

Kim Dae-Jung President of South Korea

between 1998 and 2003. For

his work in favour of democra-

cy and human rights in South

Korea and all of Asia, and for

peace and reconciliation with

Northern Korea in particular.

2001 The Porto Alegre World Social Forum was celebrated for the first time. More than 12,000 people attended.

On 20 January, George W. Bush Jr. became president of the United Sta-tes. In less than a month, the North American air force bombed Bagh-dad, the capital of Iraq.

On 11 September, the worst terrorist attacks in US history took place. Suicide bombers took control of four passenger jets, two of which cras-hed into the World Trade Center buildings. Shortly after impact, these collapsed and nearly 3,000 people died. A third aeroplane crashed into the Pentagon and another came down to the east of Pennsylvania, after missing its objective, Washington DC. The attacks were blamed on the radical Islamic group Al-Qaida, led by Osama bin Laden.

In October, Afghanistan was invaded by the United States and its allies.

The United Nations and Kofi

Annan

For their work for a better orga-

nised and more peaceful world.


15


price

2002 From this year onwards, military service stopped being compulsory in

Spain and the armed forces became completely professional.

In February, the president of Colombia, Andrés Pastrana, after various

attempts at an agreement, suspended the peace process with the FARC

guerrilla group, which he accused of kidnapping and killing civilians. A

few days later, the FARC kidnapped the country’s presidential candi-

date, Ingrid Betancourt. On 26 May, the liberal Guyanese Álvaro Uribe

won the elections by an absolute majority, stating that a war to the

death against the guerrillas was the only way to get the economy back

on track and guarantee the good name of the country.

Also in February, the Israeli army launched a massive attack on Palesti-

nian civil refugee camps in Bethlehem, Jenin and Nablus.

In December, in Pretoria (South Africa) the government of the Demo-

cratic Republic of Congo and its opposition signed a peace agreement

that put an end to four years of civil war.

On 14 October, in the Spanish state, more than a million researchers,

headed by Federico Mayor Zaragoza, declared themselves “scientific

objectors” to show their opposition to the growing militarisation of

Spanish scientific research in recent years. The researchers joined the

campaign: “Per la pau: Prou investigació militar”, supported by more

than 50 organisations.

Jimmy Carter Ex-president of the USA. In

recognition of his efforts to find

peaceful solutions to internatio-

nal conflicts.

2003 After the news of an imminent attack on Iraq by the USA and Great

Britain, which was supported by Aznar, the Spanish president, millions

of people from around the world demonstrated against the war on 15

February. In Barcelona, more than a million and a half people took to

the streets. A few days before, on 11 February, all the opposition groups

in Spanish government supported a motion against the military position

adopted by Bush, Blair and Aznar towards the Iraqi crisis.

On 20 March, North American and British troops launched their first

attack against an Iraqi city. The Iraq war had begun. On 9 April, US tro-

ops took control of Baghdad and a group of civilians tore down a large

statue of Saddam Hussein. On 14 April, US troops occupied Tikrit, the

last important city in the country to be conquered. On 1 May, President

George W Bush declared the end of the Iraq War. In December, the USA

announced that they had captured Saddam Hussein.

In Catalonia, on 4 July, the Parliament approved the Llei de Foment de

la Pau, a pioneering law in Europe.

Shirin Ebadi Lawyer and judge in Iran. For

her efforts in defending demo-

cracy and human rights, especia-

lly those of women and children,

in Iran and in the Muslim world

in general.

2004 On 11 March, the worst terrorist attacks in Spanish history took place

in Madrid. The attacks, carried out by radical Islamists, comprised a

chain of explosions caused by bombs left on commuter trains and pro-

grammed to go off simultaneously on the trains’ approach to Atocha

Station. Two hundred and two people died and 1,400 were injured

In September, the kidnapping of a thousand boys and girls at a school

Wangari Maathai Biologist and professor from

Kenya. For her contribution to

sustainable development, demo-

cracy and peace.


16


price

in Beslan, in North Ossetia, ended in the death of more than 330 people

after the intervention of Russian security forces.

2005 In January, elections took place in Iraq to choose a transitional National

Assembly that would be responsible for drawing up a new Constitution

for the country and for appointing a provisional government.

In February, North Korea announced that it had nuclear arms, two years

after withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In the same month, the Israeli Parliament approved the law to withdraw

from around twenty settlements in Gaza and the liberation of the PNA’s

territory, 38 years after occupation. In August, the dismantlement of the

Jewish colonies started near the border of the Gaza Strip, in accordance

with the withdrawal plan. Hamas announced that it would not abandon

the armed fight.

International Atomic Ener-

gy Agency and Mohamed El

Baradei Doctor in law. For his efforts

to avoid nuclear energy being

used for military purposes and

for guaranteeing that, if it is

employed for peaceful purposes,

that it will be used in the safest

way possible.

2006 On 25 January, the Islamist party Hamas won parliamentary elections

in Palestine, defeating Al Fatah, the historic leader of the Palestinian

battle.

On 22 March, ETA announced a permanent ceasefire.

In November, a Baghdad tribunal sentenced to death the ex-dictator of

Iraq Saddam Hussein, for crimes against humanity.

Muhammad Yunus and Grame-

en Bank

Economy professor Yunnus foun-

ded the Grameen Bank to give

credit to poorer people. For his

efforts in favour of social and

economic development for the

least fortunate.

2007 In February, North Korea agreed to stop their nuclear programme in

exchange for economic aid and fuel.

The same month, an international conference took place in Oslo to try

to ban cluster bombs. The Oslo Process ended with the approval of a

prohibition treaty in December 2008.

In June, the terrorist group ETA announced the end of the ceasefire they

had started on 22 March 2006, even though the group had already ca-

rried out an attack on Barajas Airport on 30 December 2006.

In November, the Spanish government approved the Arms Trade Law by

a large parliamentary majority.

In Catalonia, in December, the Parliament approved the Law of the

l’Institut Català Internacional per la Pau (ICIP).

Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change, Al Gore

Former Vice President of the

USA. For his efforts to obtain

and spread information about

the role of mankind in clima-

te change and to propose the

necessary measures to fight

against this change.

2008 In February, Kosovo unilaterally formalised the declaration for indepen-

dence of Serbia, supported by most of the western community.

On 2 July, Colombia’s military forces liberated ex-presidential candidate

Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other people who had been kidnapped by the

FARC.

Also in July, the Serbian politician Radovan Karadzic was detained in

Belgrade and accused of genocide during the Bosnian war.

Martti Ahtisaari Former President of Finland.

For his important development

work in different continents and

during more than three decades,

to resolve international conflicts.


17


price

On 4 November, democrat Barak Obama won the US presidential elec-

tions and became the country’s first ever Afro-American president.

At the end of December, Israel started the bloodiest military offensive in

the past 40 years on the Gaza Strip, where more than 850 people died.

On 3 December, the Cluster Bomb Ban Treaty was passed in Oslo, with

the signature of 94 countries.


18


19

3. CREATING BALANCE: IF WE LIVE IN A DYNAMIC WORLD, PEACE IS POSSIBLE

Living from day to day, it can seem as if we

exist closed off from everything else. As life

carries on, we often don’t realise that sce-

narios, structures and situations keep chan-

ging.

But if we look at a significant period of time

as a whole, such as the last 25 years, we can

see that notorious changes have been made

in many directions. Structures, governments,

precepts, rules and models have disappea-

red. New risks and unimaginable dangers

have appeared. New possibilities for civil ac-

tion have arisen. There have been some sig-

nificant advances, but there have also been

steps backwards in other aspects too.

But what is evident from all of this is that we

live in dynamic times. And this is the best an-

tidote to pessimism, fatalism or resignation.

It’s true that such dynamism is not always

confined to the consolidating framework of

the peace culture, human rights and justice.

That’s fine. But what is certain is that our

world and our reality are not monolithic.

They are changeable. In terms of peace,

change is a real and possible scenario. And

if we can intervene and influence things our

way, peace can be achieved.

In 1983, the world was still in the grip of

the Cold War. A confrontation between two

sides, the East and the West that had a pro-

found effect on the international scene du-

ring the second half of the 20th century, even

though the two sides never actually met on

the battlefield. At the end of the 1990s, even

though total war between the two sides was

avoided, the balance was still frustrating and

distressing: wars between third countries

that had served as an indirect battlefield

between both sides; the endless escalation of

military armament and expense; the invisi-

bility of serious problems (poverty, injustice,

violation of human rights, intractable con-

flicts, oppression of peoples, etc.) due to the

priority given to bloc policies, etc.

This physical and direct non-confrontation

between the NATO bloc and the Warsaw

Pact bloc came at a great expense for other

parts of the world. Different countries and

regions became the ideal stage (indirectly,

mediating, manipulating, carrying out and

boosting the dynamics of internal and regio-

nal tensions) for settling their own disputes.

It’s therefore not surprising that these irres-

ponsible actions have led to countries beco-

ming adrift.

Nowadays, even though the overall number

of wars is in decline thanks to peace pro-

cesses, open armed conflicts are still diverse.

Africa, Asia and especially the Middle East

have the highest levels of conflict. Many of

these conflicts, latent and long-lasting, are

insignificant when seen within a short-term

context, but when seen accumulatively, they

exact a huge toll on human lives through

physical destruction and also by destroying

social cohesion, the standards for coexistence

and trust among people and groups. Fertile

ground for the consolidation of a culture of

acceptance and resignation to violence, im-

punity and injustice. In many of these cases,

the international community has proved to be

at least hesitant, and even directly unconcer-

ned or insensitive. It’s also important to note

that some of the current, more worrying and

bloody focuses of armed violence have many

connections with irresponsible policies from

previous years: the situations in Afghanistan

and Iraq would be incomprehensible without

the irresponsible policies seeking immediate

effects implemented during the Cold War.


20

Finally, there is the conflict between Pales-

tine and Israel. Apart from the suffering

that this generates, it is one of the conflicts

with the most impact on the global security

of the world: growing destabilisation in the

region, interference in worldwide governabi-

lity, influencing some of the actions of new

international terrorism, etc. A conflict that,

during these last 25 years, has seen all kinds

of actions: open battles, tension, intifadas

and popular revolts against occupation and

repression, cautious but apparently solid ho-

pes (the 1993 peace agreement), frustrated

peace processes (e.g. of 2000), beginnings

that are timid but at least moving in the

right direction to get rid of bad policies (dis-

mantling the shanty towns on the West Bank,

etc.). But, ultimately, we are faced with a

highly unstable and worrying scenario: an

Israeli government that is increasingly deci-

ded to hand out tough policies to the Pales-

tinian community; a divided Palestine that is

advancing towards an impasse without any

institutional exit, and an international com-

munity incapable or frightened of making

governments move towards a solution (two

viable, just and secure states) which, the

more time that we waste, the more impossi-

ble it becomes to achieve.

With regard to the consolidation of structu-

res and mechanisms of global governance,

the UN has had a range of experiences but,

overall, its capacity for action and its cre-

dibility have been falling. States, especially

the most important ones, have never really

wanted to allow such a major advance. Mo-

reover, many of their decisions and actions

have often involved significant deregulation

of the institution’s role. For example, the

five permanent members of the UN Security

Council break, or help to break, many reso-

lutions, recommendations and declarations

that have arisen from the United Nations’

system.

At the beginning of the Eighties, the USA’s

republican President Ronald Reagan mana-

ged to combine a management style based

on certain global agreements with other

actions emphasising a perspective of self-

sufficient isolation. In 1985, for example,

the USA left UNESCO because of discrepan-

cies in many areas (amongst others, for the

excellent report on communication, headed

by Seán MacBride). At the start of the 21st

century, we can see how this trend became

more radical and was brought to its ultimate

unilateral extreme under the presidency of

George W Bush Junior: boycott, contempt

and delegitimisation of worldwide govern-

ments and of the United Nations’ system, fa-

ilure to implement international legislation,

ignoring resolutions, boycotting worldwide

treaties and protocols, etc.

If, at the end of the 1990s, the discourse cri-

tical of security that had been encouraged

by centres of controversy studies and con-

flict analysis started to be taken on board,

at least at a formal level, then the 9/11 crisis

and the appearance of a new type of interna-

tional terrorism brought about a clear chan-

ge in trend. All parties opted to reopen and

restart militarisation (e.g. increases in mili-

tary spending, rearmament, etc.) and to ge-

nerate a discourse that, for reasons of safety

and security, had to reduce opportunities

for freedom and democracy. Guantanamo

is the most evident and palpable example of

this but it hasn’t been the only one. In many

countries significant limits to press freedom

or a reduction in human rights and liberties

have occurred, with the excuse that this is

necessary in order to combat terrorism and

better defend ourselves. In recent years,

however, strong evidence has resurfaced for

the following: in order to achieve a more se-

cure world, we must broaden democracy and

human rights, not limit and reduce them.


21

With the democratic presidency of Barack

Obama, at least, a new age is beginning,

whose characteristic traits might be consen-

sus-building, a bid for dialogue and the wish

to build a leadership not solely based on fear

and brute force.

With regard to the issue of economic resour-

ces for militarisation, we find a contradic-

tion that once affected the Cold War (which

was used as justification for a spectacular

arms race) the peace dividend that was so

talked about (the release of funds for social

policies) has not occurred. And especially

because, since the start of the 21st century,

military expenditure and investment in arms

have risen to hitherto unknown levels.

Despite these undeniably worrying trends,

recently we have also seen more promising

processes. Amongst these is the possibility of

achieving concrete objectives through global

campaigns.

Not many successes could be chalked up in

1983 but, since then, disarmament agree-

ments have made fairly significant advances.

The Anti-Personnel Mine Treaty, approved in

1997, as well as the Cluster Bomb Ban Trea-

ty, approved in 2008, are clear examples of

how campaigns coordinated at a global level

can define precise and realisable objectives,

forge links with NGOs and groups outside

the peace movement and with the support

of some governments, members of the pea-

ce corps and the media, it has been possible

to make progress. Right now, there is also a

more open, complex but also essential move-

ment towards greater levels of collective se-

curity: the transparency and control of trade

in small arms.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Thatcher’s UK

government and Reagan’s US government

headed an economic package of measures

based on deregulisation and liberalisation

that, years later, would end up being sum-

marised and defined publically as the “Was-

hington Consensus”. This drive turned into

an ideological, neo-liberal wave that would

eventually set off the emergence of a move-

ment in favour of a different kind of globa-

lisation. A movement that, with the addition

of traditional energies and new sectors, war-

ned that policies and societies were gradua-

lly adapting to economic models and policies

that were decided by a few, instead of buil-

ding economic systems that could adapt to

the needs of individuals and societies. At the

beginning of 2009, very few doubted that the

current economic crisis made it necessary to

impose limits on deregulation, on the lack of

control over certain business practices and

the excessiveness of the financial economy.

Concerning the protection of human rights,

all these years there has been a growing

awareness in the face of barbarous acts, ge-

nocide and war crimes, and the growing be-

lief that impunity can no longer be allowed.

The persecution of some of those responsible

for genocide and dictatorships, as well the

formal creation of the International Crimi-

nal Tribunal are positive steps towards the

end of barbarity and impunity.

Finally, at a global level, it is necessary to

highlight the presence and emergence – as a

relevant player – of global citizenship. This

is not a precise or homogenous player, nor

is it always coherent. But at certain times,

the huge demonstrations against the war in

Iraq in 2003, or the various processes en-

hancing participation and agreement regar-

ding alternative standards, generated inside

the Worldwide Social Forums, have demons-

trated that global citizenship has been both

strong and present.

In Spain, in 1983, discussions were still

underway about the law concerning cons-

cientious objection, contained within the


22

Spanish Constitution of 1978. At the end

of 1984, the Ley de Objeción de Conscien-

cia was approved and – in an avalanche of

criticism from NGOs, the Autonomous Com-

munities and the Ombudsman, which would

end up bringing appeals, the Constitutional

Court supported the key principles. A di-

fferent compulsory social service, longer in

duration, was imposed on objectors. Despite

being a restrictive law to dissuade objection,

within the clarification of a legal framework,

objection was diminished. Over the next few

years, significant numbers of young men op-

ted to refuse doing military service (greater

numbers than those of other European de-

mocratic countries).

At the end of the 1980s, a new strategy

appeared from both the oldest and newer ob-

jection groups, namely insubordination, en-

couraging opposition to all types of service.

The significant social criticism that encoura-

ged objection and noncompliance, the resul-

ting media impact, the solidarity of different

sectors in the face of reprisals against in-

subordinates, etc, were all important factors

that endangered the model of mandatory mi-

litary service. All this, in addition to the new

international context (the end of the Cold

War, new approaches in defence policies,

new models promoted within the context of

NATO, etc) made the continuity of compul-

sory military service impossible.

This was the end of compulsory military

service but not the end of militarisation. In

fact, in some ways it provided a new incen-

tive. With the excuse of modernising obso-

lete armies, of renovating weapons, of im-

proving professionalism, etc., more money

was allocated to military spending, to very

significantly increase scientific research into

the military and strengthen the promotion

and marketing of the army, aimed at young

people and educational spheres. In turn, this

new militarisation led to new responses and

criticism: educational objectors, who oppo-

sed the presence of armed forces in their

classrooms, and objectors from research and

universities, who renounced participating in

and developing military research.

Armies, not only in Spain but also in the en-

tire Western world, continued changing their

appearance and justification. Only 25 years

ago, people still talked about the need to de-

fend a country or territory, whereas nowadays

armies everywhere are being portrayed as

humanitarian agents. Beyond the weakness,

contradictions and problems involved in this

new “humanitarian militarism”, we nonethe-

less need to remember that the figures re-

lated to the investment (personnel and eco-

nomic) in Western military “humanitarian”

or “peace” missions is small and limited in

comparison with the global figure.

None of this is new to the transformation

of NATO. The reason that one of the most

important civic campaigns of the 1980s

throughout the state, now NATO is experien-

cing a complex situation: it survives within a

totally different context to that in which it

was created and, in theory, gave it meaning.

There is another significant change that can

be evaluated concerning the military in this

period: in 1987, the Spanish government de-

cided to make its arms trade secret.

And so began a hijacking of all democratic

debate for an issue so important and with as

much impact as the global arms trade. Af-

ter many complaints, campaigns and work,

in 2007 a law was passed by the Spanish

government to regulate the arms trade in

Spain. A small and insignificant step but a

necessary one to bring an obscured issue to

light.

In Catalonia, perhaps what stands out most

about this period is how significant civic

awareness, in favour of peace, has become


23

Catalonia’s distinctive feature, and how

it has had an impact in both political and

institutional terms. The demonstrations and

mobilisation at the beginning of the 1990s

against the Iraq War, the implication of the

Balkan conflicts, the significant figures of

objection and insubordination, the important

work that took place in education (as much

in formal settings as in leisure centres) or,

later on, on entry to university and the aca-

demic world, have all been factors helping to

spread a culture of peace throughout Cata-

lan society.

Civic and social opposition to the military

process in May 2000 had important and

unforeseen consequences. The initial appro-

val of a legislative text which, after parlia-

mentary debate with civil society, ended up

with the Llei de Foment de la Pau in 2003

being passed by the Catalan parliament, a

pioneering text in how it claimed that public

institutions should assume their own respon-

sibility in building a culture of peace. The

spectacular response from citizens before

the 2003 war made it clear how important a

culture of peace is in Catalonia.

Later on, the start-up of the Consell Català

de Foment de la Pau (an organisation jointly

made up of civilians, public administration

and academia, whose aim was to ensure

the promotion of public peace policies), the

creation of the Oficina de Promoció de la

Pau i els Drets Humans of the Catalan go-

vernment, and the contribution to the “axis

of peace” made by the Agència Catalana

de Cooperació al Desenvolupament have all

been elements of significant public action

culminating in the very recent creation of

the Institut Català Internacional per la Pau

(ICIP), a proposal arising from the Funda-ció per la Pau, discussed and agreed on with

the rest of civil society, academia and the

political world, ending with the Parliament

creating a body with a public purpose but no

governmental control. This is a good example

of the action that should be taken: the cha-

llenges we face on the long road towards the

construction of peace are too important not

to be able to make bold, generous and ambi-

tious proposals in order to make headway.


25

RoadshowsDuring the last 25 years, the Fundació per la Pau has created a total of ten exhibitions

that have travelled hundreds of thousands

of kilometres from town to town. Thousands

of children, teenagers and adults have had

the chance to visit exhibitions in town halls,

schools, museums, associations, and civic

centres in hundreds of locations in Catalonia,

mainly in the districts around Barcelona.

“Per la Pau” (1985–1998) For Peace was the first exhibition roadshow

created by the Fundació per la Pau. It offe-

red a dynamic but comprehensive overview

of the issues that hinder peace: the death pe-

nalty, 20th-century wars, the abyss between

North and South, daily violence, nuclear

threat, military spending, the arms trade,

etc., as well as work for peace.

During November and December 1985, this

exhibition was based at Drassanes (Barcelo-

na) and later at the Fundació per la Pau. It

made use of different technologies (from in-

teractive computer programs to audiovisual

materials), involving significant investment

and impact on the part of the Foundation.

From 1992 to nearly the end of 1998, a copy

of the exhibition visited hundreds of munici-

palities throughout Catalonia.

“Humoristes gràfics per la Pau” (1984)Cartoonist for Peace. A dozen cartoonists

loaned, donated or drew humorous drawings

about peace and the anti-NATO movement

that the Fundació per la Pau brought toge-

ther for its 1984 roadshow. Work by Cesc,

Chumy Chúmez, Forges, Guillén, José Luís

Martín, Martín Morales, Máximo, Núria

Pompeia, Oli, Quino, Perich and Romeu

showed the need to resolve the contradic-

tions faced by humanity, mainly regarding

this universal issue: if we want peace, we’ve

got to prepare for it.

“Desarmem la mar” (1991) In 1991, the Fundació per la Pau and Green-

peace organised a joint exhibition (Let’s Di-

sarm the Sea) on the danger that nuclear

weapons represent for human life and the

preservation of the environment, considering

their impact on the sea.

“Una casa comuna, una casa complexa”

(1995–1999) To commemorate the International Year for

Tolerance, the Foundation devised an educa-

tional activity for school groups to promote

tolerance and the acceptance of diversity.

This initiative was based on the production

of the exhibition entitled A common house,

a complex house, which had a permanent

home at the Foundation and was visited by

many school groups.

During 1998, this exhibition was set up at the

hall of the Palau del Mar and, from 1999,

it moved to La Conreria, the colonial home

raising awareness and education for peace Since it was created, the Fundació per la Pau has worked towards raising awareness of, disseminating and prioritising the values of peace, disarmament, tolerance, human rights, nonviolence and solidarity. To achieve this, a number of educative and cultural resources have been made available to actors in Catalo-nia to help them carry out their educational and training work. Amongst the Foundation’s proposals have been roadshows, pedagogical activities, teaching materials, publications and a resource centre.

4. 25 YEARS OF WORK FOR PEACE

Cora Weiss President of the Hague Appeal for Peace, New “Achieving peace when the citizens of the world unders-tand global problems; having the skills to resolve con-flicts in a constructive way; knowing and living with the standards of human rights, of gender, of racial equa-lity; appreciating cultural diversity; and respecting the integrity of the Earth... The-se lessons cannot be achie-ved without a continuous, systematic and international education about peace.”


26

of the Fundació Pere Tarrés. In the middle

of 1996, the Fundació per la Pau created

a roadshow that visited educational centres

around Catalonia.

“De la mà dels drets humans”

(1997–1999)Created midway through 1997, with the

hope of making an informative contribution

to human rights, this exhibition, By the hand

of human rights, reviewed the creation, con-

tents, and objectives of the Universal Decla-

ration of Human Rights, as well as the vio-

lations and challenges that have arisen. The

roadshow visited numerous locations throug-

hout 1998 and 1999.

“Cultura de pau per al nou mil·lenni”

(2000–2001)The 20th century witnessed war, genocide

and abuse of human rights, but it also showed

that it’s possible to move forward and build

a different world, with peace, justice, and li-

berty being a reality. Culture of peace for the

new millennium was an invitation to reflect

on the legacy of the 20th century and to con-

sider the best way forward for peace in the

new millennium. The exhibition, specifically

aimed at secondary school pupils, was ac-

companied by a teaching programme.

“Globalització” (2003–2004) Globalization. For some years now everyo-

ne has been tal-king about globalisation: the

media talks about it with complete ease, so-

ciety is aware of its pros and cons. But what

exactly does this term mean? Is it just an

economic process? Is it beneficial or disa-

dvantageous for most people? With this ex-

hibition, the Fundació per la Pau wished to

clearly and simply explain what globalisation

is and what effects it may have to help us

better understand what is happening in the

world and how we can react.

“Desarmats, més segurs?” (2005–2006)Governments from around the world arm

themselves in the name of security, in res-

ponse – they say – to the threat of terrorism.

But what really makes us secure? What puts

our lives in danger? Does military defence

guarantee that we are safe? Disarmed, more

secure? asked visitors these questions and

invited them to take a standpoint.

“La violència que acceptem”

(2007–2009)With a graphic direct style, the exhibition The

violence we accept invited reflection on how

we live alongside violence in our daily lives,

on our capacity to identify violence and how

we might avoid it. The exhibition also gave

clues tips on how we can build and spread,

little by little, the culture of peace from our

own homes, our schools, our work places and

our neighbourhoods.

“Cinema i Pau” (2008–2009)Cinema and Peace. From examples of films

such as Gandhi, Do the Right Thing, Paradise

Now and many others, this roadshow invited

visitors to reflect on the presence of a cultu-

re of peace, nonviolence, forgotten conflicts,

terrorism, the military and the arms trade on

the big screen. The exhibition could be seen

in the outskirts of Girona.

Other materials and proposals

“Cinema per la Pau” (1989–1992) The annual Cinema for Peace exhibition was

held from 1989 until 1992. The exhibition,

which was open to all types of public, showed

commercial films with themes based on pea-

ce, human rights and development, documen-

taries, videos and cartoons of an educational

nature. During these years, various films and

materials were shown that were subsequently

distributed commercially.

Maleta Pedagògica per la TolerànciaIn 1995, on the request of the Catalan So-

cial Welfare Department and together with

Oxfam International, the Fundació per la Pau developed a “pedagogical case for to-

lerance”, distributed to all schools in Cata-

lonia. The case contained dossiers for pupils

and teachers, notes, videos, books and a ‘to-

lerance’ game.

Programme: “No hi ha drets humans

sinó hi ha pau”

There are no human rights but there is pe-

ace. Since September 1997 and during

1998, with the support of the Civil Rights

department of Barcelona City Council, an

awareness-raising programme was deve-

loped to publicise various conferences and

educational activities. Educational posters

Fèlix Martí Honorary president of Unescocat, Barcelona“Peace cannot be reduced to a combination of attitu-des and thin proposals. One must establish legal systems, structures and procedures that allow you to prevent and resolve conflicts. In edu-cation, democratic practices must be taught. Education for peace requires an awake-ning of a sense of justice and participation in the creation of norms and preventative procedures for violence and for conflict resolution.”


27

were also published based on the 50th an-

niversary of Gandhi’s death and the crea-

tion of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights. Related to this were the concepts of

peace and human rights, sent free of charge

to all schools in Barcelona.

“Seriosament... 25 arguments per la pau

en còmic”Seriously... 25 arguments for peace in co-

mics. In 2004 the Fundació per la Pau pu-

blished a collection of posters containing

the 25 ideas from the “Cap a una cultura

de pau, 25 arguments” document. These pos-

ters contained illustrations by our best car-

toonists, as well as some from outside the

region. This collection is the poster version

of the comic published by the Foundation of

the same name.

Document and Resource Centre Since it was developed, an aim of the Fun-dació per la Pau has always been to provide

as many resources as possible for centres,

groups, individuals and citizen initiatives that

are attempting to bring a perspective of pea-

ce and solidarity. Consequently, the centre’s

library, the newspaper library, video library

and various didactic resources are open and

available for consultation and advice.

Educational workshops for peace Since 2002, different workshops for schools

and leisure centres have been offered with

the objective of working on and analysing

themes in the classroom such as the cultu-

re of peace, nonviolence and the peaceful

resolution of conflicts. These workshops are

organised with groups of 20 people and, in

recent years, there have been 80 each year

on average.

Talks, lectures and round tablesDuring the 25 years since it was created, re-

presentatives from the Fundació per la Pau

have given numerous talks in educational and

leisure centres to disseminate information on

and promote the culture of peace, nonviolen-

ce, human rights, tolerance and diversity.

The Foundation has also been invited by

other NGOs, town councils and other pu-

blic and social institutions to participate in

round tables and talks on different themes.

Reports and other communications have

also been given, as well as seminars to spe-

cialised congresses.

Events, courses and conferences organised

Apart from attending events to which it

has been invited, the Foundation has also

directly organised many conferences and

round tables in different countries about the

need to work towards a culture of peace.

Course “Educació per la Pau”

Education for Peace. In 1991, the Founda-

tion started its course entitled “Educació

per la Pau”, which was later changed to

“Curs d’Introducció a la Pau i els Conflic-

tes” (Introductory Course to Peace and

Conflicts). For 14 years, these sessions were

attended by some of the most outstanding

peace specialists in Catalonia and were a

training tool for teachers, students and the

general public.

Barcelona MeetingIn 1990, the Fundació per la Pau, together

with Justícia i Pau, organised the Trobada

de Barcelona, an international debate and

discussion on themes of peace, in which

speakers and members of organisations from

around the world took part.

Seeing how well received this initiative was,

the Trobada continued to be held year after

year until 2007, covering very diverse themes

(e.g. “Which defence for tomorrow’s Euro-

pe?”, “There is no peace without human

rights”, “The arms trade”, “Nationalism, a

factor for violence?”, “Preserving the envi-

ronment, building peace””, etc.). From each

meeting, a publication containing the reports

was published, contributing to the analysis

of international issues from a dimension of

peace research. The transcriptions and audio

recordings from the talks have been added

to the Foundation’s website. Various groups,

research centres and renowned analysts and

specialists have taken part in these events

which, in spite of a year’s gap (in 2008),

started up again in May 2009.

Trobada: “Dones i Pau” In 1995, the Fundació per la Pau organised

the first edition of an innovative and signifi-

cant activity. Various groups of women from

Vicenç FisasDirector of the Escola de Cultura de Pau de la UAB, Barcelona“From a propositional pers-pective, peace groups should ‘stop crying’ and look for re-alistic alternatives. We must have Utopia for ever. Whoe-ver does not have a utopia in mind will remain paralysed in the middle of the road. But we will never reach this Utopia, it’s as if it’s always on the horizon, always in view but we never reach it. But working towards it is what is important.”


28

around the world, living in states of conflict

and war or suffering from serious violation

of human rights, participated in the Women

and Peace exhibition. Israeli, Palestinian,

Algerian, Bosnian, Serbian and Argentinian

women shared their experiences, analysing

their perspectives on conflicts and women’s

participation in these, either as victims or

as principal driving agents of peace and the

promotion of human rights.

Two years later, in 2005, the second “Dones

i Pau” exhibition was organised, where the

participants looked at such themes as terro-

rism and the role of women as promoters of

peace and disarmament. They also remembe-

red the first woman to win the Nobel Peace

Prize, Bertha von Suttner.

Peace Seminars at the Universitat Autò-

noma de Barcelona (UAB)Since 1993, and for several years, the Fun-dació per la Pau held peace seminars at the

UAB that included various activities such

as conferences, videos and displays, among

others. These seminars, which were fully at-

tended, helped to mobilise actions to promo-

te peace at the university.

Veus de Pau at La Pedrera“Veus de Pau” (“Voices of Peace”) is the

name of a cycle of conferences that the Fun-dació per la Pau began in 2000 with the aim

of bringing a relevant international persona-

lity to this emblematic building of Barcelona,

as part of the organisation’s work towards a

culture of peace. The initiative was suppor-

ted by the Welfare Work area of the Caixa

de Catalunya. The following people were

invited: in February 2000, the ex-director

general of UNESCO, Federico Mayor Zara-

goza; in December 2000, the Nobel Peace

Prize Winner and President of Costa Rica,

Oscar Arias; in March 2002, the president of

The Hague’s Appeal for Peace, Cora Weiss;

and in March 2007, the director of the In-

ternational Action Network for Small Arms,

Rebecca Peters.

Competitions and prizes

Joan Gomis MemorialFrom 2006, Cristianisme i Justícia, Justícia

i Pau, the Fundació per la Pau, the Funda-

ció Cultura de Pau and the Foc Nou and El

Ciervo magazines called for an annual prize

to keep the memory of Joan Gomis and his

commitment to solidarity alive. Gomis was

president of the Federació Catalana d’ONG

per al Desenvolupament and of the Federació

Catalana d’ONG per la Pau, and participa-

ted in various human rights missions to Afri-

can, Latin American and Asian countries,

amongst other initiatives. The Memorial’s

aim is to recognise the best pieces of journa-

lism featuring people, institutions or collec-

tives that stand out for their commitment to

peace, human rights, the fight against pover-

ty or against north-south inequality.

Animations for Peace AwardIn 2006, the Fundació per la Pau organised

its first Animations for Peace Award, whose

objective was to promote the creation of au-

diovisual material about the culture of peace,

to raise awareness and educate people about

peace. The second award was held in 2008

and the third is being prepared for 2009.

Participation during the first two years was

a complete success, both in terms of quality

as well as the quantity of work presented:

around 60 in each year.

Other activities

During the last quarter of a century, the

Fundació per la Pau has been involved in a

wide range of initiatives related to civic par-

ticipation and promotion, from its presence

at Barcelona’s Festa de la Diversitat to fairs

and booths at festivals and events organised

by councils, schools, organisations, groups,

etc. Also of note is the material provided

by the Foundation in different years for the

Colin ArcherSecretary general of the International Peace Bure-au (IPB), Geneva“When considering what the new challenges are, we must not forget the old. For example, it is vital that we take into consideration that there is currently a renewal of the Cold War. Pluralism and multiplicity are also fundamental in the work for peace. This is a complex world, one which will require answers from different areas and with different ways of working.”


29

Festival de la Infància i la Joventut in Bar-

celona.

Communications, books and pu-blications

“Butlletí” This periodical has been published since the

Foundation was created, with the aim of

being an instrument of communication, in-

formation and awareness, as much for the

Foundation’s members as for those people

who are interested in its work and goals.

From 1983 to 2008, a total of 91 bulletins

have been published on a quarterly basis.

Throughout the years, the publication has

gone through various changes in form and

content, the last of which was in December

2007, coinciding with the start of the year

of celebration for the Foundation’s 25th an-

niversary.

“Anuari” / “Memòria d’activitats” In 1986, the Foundation published its first

Anuari sobre la Pau (Yearbook of Peace),

conceived as a flexible instrument of con-

sultation and using a language that made

it accessible both to academia as well as to

all sectors of society without any speciali-

sed knowledge of the issues involved. Given a

favourable welcome, the Yearbook has been

published regularly every year since 1989. In

2000, it was decided to change the Yearbook

into a “Memòria d’activitats” (Activities re-

port) on what had happened with the Foun-

dation and, after year’s break, it has been

continuously published since then.

Correu per la PauIn May 1999, “Correu per la Pau” was mai-

led out for the first time, an electronic news-

paper that covered not only the activities

and campaigns of the Foundation but also of

the peace movement more generally, as well

as current issues related to peace-building.

Sent to everyone who requests it, the Foun-

dation took a risk by using new technologies

with its members, sympathisers and people

interested in its peace work.

Fundació per la Pau websiteIn 1997, the Fundació per la Pau created its

own website, an indispensable instrument for

making information about the Foundation

and its peace topics more easily available. In

more recent years, the website has been mo-

dified several times (in 2001, 2005, 2009)

to keep it up to date, while always main-

taining its objective of offering information

both about its own activities and the peace

movement in general. The Foundation’s web-

site currently receives 300,000 visits on ave-

rage each year.

Apart from the institutional website, during

these last 25 years the Foundation has also

created websites with a more concrete objec-

tive: covering various campaigns, e.g. “Per

la pau: prou investigació militar”(1999);

“Per la pau, no a la guerra” (2003), both

of which give updates on actions against the

war in Iraq; the web dialogue “Cap a un món

sense violència” during the Fòrum Univer-

sal de les Cultures (2004); “Objecció fiscal

a les despeses militars” (2005); the Con-

curs d’Animacions per la Pau (2006); and

the campaign “Stop bombes de dispersió”

(2008), which included a special area for

the summit held in Dublin in May 2008.

Rafael GrassaPresident of the Institut Català Internacional per la Pau (ICIP) Barcelona“Peace groups that never get their hands dirty, that never think about building alternatives, can hope for, but never achieve, their ex-pectations. They must build alliances, shared agendas, networks and a common language. Re-establishment is required. This renaissance is key, it’s elementary. They should try to find mecha-nisms to find new formulas, an analysis of conscience.”


30

Books and other publications In recent years, various members of the Fun-dació per la Pau (Arcadi Oliveres, Francesc

Gusi, Enric Masllorens, Xavier Masllorens,

Jordi Armadans, Toni Soler, etc.) have writ-

ten or edited chapters and texts published in

books dealing with peace, disarmament and

nonviolence.

In the case of entire books, we should men-

tion the following, which were also written by

people from the Foundation: Alfons Banda,

“Educació per la Pau”, Editorial Barcano-

va, 1991; La Cultura de Pau”, Oxfam Inter-

national, 2002; Antoni Soler i Maria Àngels

Dumé, Crèdit variable per a l’ESO, “Educa-

ció per la Pau. Geografia dels Conflictes”,

Editorial Claret, 1996; Antoni Soler, “Això

és la Cultura de la Pau”, Editorial Medite-

rrània, 2001; Jordi Armadans i Anna Tarrés,

“Pau, drets humans, desenvolupament, eco-

logisme.. Les organitzacions no governamen-

tals (ONG)”, Editorial Graó, 1999; Xavier

Masllorens, “El cinquè poder. La solidari-

tat activa”, Intermón Oxfam, 2004; Xavier

Masllorens i Adela Farré, “Els objectius del

mil·lenni. No s’hi valen excuses”, Intermón

Oxfam, 2007; Miguel Ángel Molina, “Por la

Paz: ¡No a la investigación militar!” Edicio-

nes Bajo Cero, 2006.

The Foundation also advised on the collec-

tion of books: “La Pipa de la Pau”, publis-

hed by Cruïlla.

Regarding the publication of its own mate-

rials, the Fundació per la Pau produces a

considerable number of both paper-based

publications and audiovisual materials, in-

cluding updates on campaigns, collections

of talks and the publication of publicity CDs

and DVDs, as well as other materials. Some

are as follows:

“Seriosament...25 arguments per la pau en

còmic” (2002)

“2006: l’any per controlar la crisi de les

armes”, report by the International Action

Network on Small Arms (2006)

“SIPRI Yearbook”. Translation into Catalan

of the summary of the yearbook published by

SIPRI (from 2006)

“Supervivents”, witness reports by seven-

teen women on the devastating effects of

small arms (2007)

“Violència Armada: La Crisi Mundial”, re-

port by the International Action Network on

Small Arms (2008)

“Practicar la pau”, collection of the four

editions of this activity organised by the

Foundation (2008)

“Resum de les Jornades dels 25 anys de la

Fundació per la Pau”. Collection of talks

(2008)

“El CD de la Pau”, interactive CD Rom on

the culture of peace (1999)

DVD of the Concurs d’Animacions per la Pau

(First competition – 2006 / Second compe-

tition – 2008)

“Tallers de pau”, DVD with workshops held

at different secondary schools (2007)

“Trencaclosques per la pau”, teaching ma-

terial to promote education for peace, aimed

at children aged 8 and older (2005)

Federico Mayor ZaragozaPresident of the Fundación Cultura de Paz, Madrid“Peace must be an attitude, a personal resolve for which we do everything possible to replace force with the spo-ken word. It seems very easy but there are two great ene-mies to the peace culture: social injustice and a lack of solidarity. We must encou-rage global development with all countries from an economy based on equality and solidarity.”


31

NGOs against mandatory social service

(PSS in Catalan)Various Catalan NGOs, called upon by the

Fundació per la Pau, reunited in 1996 to

jointly reflect on the role of NGOs with res-

pect to the situation regarding conscientious

objection, mandatory social service and non-

compliance.

From this debate and reflection came the

manifesto entitled “Les ONG davant la

PSS” (published in October 1996), in which

they demanded an important change in po-

licies with regard the current state of cons-

cientious objection, addressing those respon-

sible in government. Later on, in the middle

of 1997, 18 NGOs decided break with con-

vention and protest against the repressive

policies adopted by the Spanish government.

Campaign Against the Arms Trade (C3A)This campaign, jointly coordinated between

Justícia i Pau and the Fundació per la Pau,

was created in 1988 with the aim of bringing

to light the truth about the arms trade and

the state of Spain, working to reduce and eli-

minate such trade.

The campaign kept going for more than ten

years, during which time the organisations

publicised several articles and took part in

talks and seminars. They also created and

printed fifteen “Materiales de trabajo” pu-

blications, which included articles and analy-

ses of information on the arms trade in both

Spain and the rest of the world. Just before

the tenth anniversary of the campaign, they

also published the book “El ciclo armamen-

tista espanyol”, Editorial Icaria, 2000, a co-

llection of various analytical articles on the

arms trade and Spain.

Campaign

“La pau no passa pels exèrcits”

Peace does not come through armed forces. In 1996, the Fundació per la Pau organised

a defence and security seminar from which

it became clear that a campaign was nee-

ded to bring the issues discussed into public

debate. Thus was born: “La pau no passa

pels exèrcits”. The perspective of abolishing

military service opened up an interesting

scenario, introducing elements of reflection

and debate on the political models of de-

fence and security created by Spain. In the

terms of dissemination and raising aware-

ness, there were numerous talks and works-

hops, participation in seminars and articles

in several magazines and other media.

The abolition of mandatory military servi-

ce also led the Ministry of Defence to im-

plement a number of activities to bring the

army into schools, in a strategy to attract

potential recruits. To combat this initiative,

the Fundació per la Pau decided to promote

a counterattack in all secondary schools in

Catalonia, warning them against these plans.

A large number of schools adopted the decla-

ration: “Fem Objecció, eduquem per la pau”,

in which they refused to cooperate with the

Ministry of Defence and, instead, undertook

to encourage education for peace.

campaigns and activities to mobilise people for peace

In its 25-year history, the Foundation has taken part in a large number of peace, disarmament and human rights campaigns and listing all of them would be a huge task. However, we should highlight those campaigns that have been promoted directly by the Foundation, such as “Per la pau: Prou investigació militar!”, and “La Pau no passa pels exèrcits”, and more global campaigns in which the Foundation was more comprehensively active, such as the campaign to control the arms trade.

Arcadi OliveresPresident of Justícia i Pau, Barcelona“It is essential to reduce worldwide military expen-diture which, now, is in the region of $1,200 billion per year. To justify this expense, one would have to look for enemies such as Islamic threats and international terrorism. We must denoun-ce artificial enemies that we dream up in order to justify military expenditure and obey the critics at the United Nations who recom-mend a 5% reduction in this expenditure, and give this money to the Third World.”


32

Campaign: “Per la pau: prou investigació militar”For peace: enough military research!. This campaign was created in 1999 to work on the commitment between science and peace and to oppose the growing militarisation of scientific research by the Spanish state. For more than seven years, the campaign worked to shift resources from military research into civilian areas.

In this way scientific objection was born, at-tracting more than 2,000 researchers from 43 universities, 18 research centres and va-rious businesses. All of these declared them-selves scientific objectors and promised not to take part in any research project with military purposes or supported by military means. They agreed to pressurise the Spa-nish government, universities and research centres until accomplishing their goals to make such research transparent and to transfer resources to civilian areas.

They also managed to persuade more than 15 Spanish universities to incorporate, in their articles, a commitment for peace and a refusal to develop military projects and for the governing bodies of different universities to approve a motion in favour of their cam-paign. Additionally, they promoted a “good use clause”, in which researchers refused to let their studies be used by armies or armed groups.

The campaign, initiated and coordinated by the Fundació per la Pau, also brought out an annual report on research for military purposes for the Spanish state. It is impor-tant to highlight here that one of their main successes has been to achieve a reduction in the percentage destined for military re-search, from around 50% in 2000 to 20% in 2007.

Tax Conscientious Objection CampaignSince 1989, the Foundation and other pa-cifist organisations have promoted the Tax Conscientious Objection Campaign – a cam-paign for conscientious objection to military spending and to denounce high military ex-penditure. This initiative proposes civil non-compliance as a way of diverting revenue, provided by citizens, from preparing for war towards investments in peace and human rights projects. This Fiscal Objection cam-

paign runs every year during the annual tax return campaign.

Arms Under Control CampaignThe Fundació per la Pau, as a member of the International Action Network for Small Arms (IANSA), has formed part of this worldwide campaign since 2005. Promoted by Oxfam International, Amnesty Internatio-nal and IANSA itself, the campaign denoun-ces the negative effects of the proliferation and illegal use of conventional arms and works towards achieving an international treaty that controls such trade. The current lack of control, especially concerning small arms, leads to an increase in armed violence, exacerbates open conflicts and facilitates the violation of the most basic human rights.

Campaign for an Arms Act in SpainFor more than two years, and using diffe-rent campaigns, the aim of this initiative was to persuade the Spanish state to pass a law controlling the arms trade, regulating foreign business related to arms and dual-use goods. The Fundació per la Pau actively participa-ted in the campaign’s development, which achieved its target in November 2007: the Spanish parliament passed its arms trade law by a large parliamentary majority. From this moment on, the Spanish government has had to offer detailed information about arms exported and their destination. The campaign for the arms law received a prize for the best initiative for solidarity in 2007, chosen by the Periódico de Catalunya.

Campaign against cluster bombs In February 2007, the Oslo Process was created, an initiative promoted by the Norwe-gian government to achieve an international treaty that would ban cluster bombs. The Fundació per la Pau, member of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC), an international network made up of more than 300 NGOs, played an active role in the whole process. Together with other state organisations, the Foundation pressurised the Spanish govern-ment to lend its support to the process. Fi-nally, in December 2008, 94 countries, in-cluding Spain, approved the Cluster Bomb Ban Treaty. For it to be completely accepted, it was necessary for 30 states to ratify the

text.

Rebecca PetersDirector of the Internati-onal Action Network on Small Arms, London“We have made great pro-gress towards disarmament, even though this process is slow. Recently, the United Nations has recognised that small arms are a problem that all countries must work together on, as soon as pos-sible, rather thank thinking it is just an issue of natio-nal sovereignty. Now it is recognised that this was an erroneous assumption becau-se small arms cross borders, illegally, with the arms trade, as well as legally.”


33

The creation of the ICIPIn 2008, the Institut Català Internacional

per la Pau was created, an organisation

approved by a Catalan parliamentary act

that relies on public financing but is run in-

dependently from the government. The ICIP

was first proposed by the Fundació per la Pau in 1999, within the framework of the

Fòrum Català per Repensar la Societat, and

its main objective is to promote a culture of

peace, to mediate in conflicts and carry out

research and development. From this initial

idea, contributions kept being made for eight

years to the mission and the structure of

the group on the part of private universities

and the political arena. Finally, in November

2007, the Catalan parliament passed the act

known as the Llei de l’Institut Català Inter-

nacional de la Pau.

Other campaigns and mobilisation The Fundació per la Pau has taken part in

other civic campaigns and mobilisation in

which its presence has been intense and de-

cisive.

During 1983, 1984 and 1985, the Funda-ció per la Pau played an active role in the

Coordinadora pel Desarmament i la Desnu-

clearització Totals (CDDT) and the Coordi-

nadora Estatal d’Organitzacions Pacifistes

(CEOP).

It also played an active role in the campaign

against Spain joining NATO (1986), as well

as diverse platforms created against Spain’s

continued presence in the Atlantic Organi-

sation.

In 1991, before the Gulf War, the Fundació per la Pau was also actively involved in crea-

ting the Plataforma contra la Guerra al Golf

Pèrsic, donating its premises and infrastruc-

ture to the creation of the Diari de la Pau,

containing critical opinions from journalists

and groups against propaganda for the war.

The Foundation became responsible for

maintaining the campaign’s website, provi-

ding updates on mobilisation and the current

situation on the platform.

Other notable collaborations of the Funda-ció per la Pau have been:

- Financial and infrastructure support for

the Permanent Court of the Peoples of the

Former Yugoslavia, which gathered in Bar-

celona at the end of 1995 to pass judgement

over those who had conducted war crimes

against the civil populations of Bosnia, Ser-

bia and Croatia.

- Active support of the campaign against the

Euro Army of the South, which managed to

stop the possibility of Barcelona becoming

the headquarters of European armed forces,

ready to attack and intervene in the south of

the Mediterranean.

- Support (through workshops, promotion,

etc) of the Alternative Mediterranean Con-

ference, held in Barcelona in 1995 while the

Euro-Mediterranean Summit was taking

place.

- Support for and promotion of the campaign

against landmines (events, publications, poli-

tical pressure).

Manuela MesaPresident of the Asociaci-ón Espanyola de Investiga-ción para la Paz (AIPAZ), Madrid“Recently, we have advanced considerably in creating ins-truments to prevent and re-solve conflicts. Even though we know it’s better to do this before a war starts, it’s a relatively new consideration for state powers to consider prevention as a fundamen-tal task. Political will is lacking to turn proposals, in the form of declarations, conventions and treaties, into action.”


34

Platforms in favour of peaceConcerned about the political evolution of

different international conflicts, the Funda-ció per la Pau has participated throughout

these many years in different campaigns and

platforms that have been organised in Cata-

lonia, in support of a peaceful and long-las-

ting solution to conflicts in Kosovo, Africa’s

Great Lakes, Iraq, Palestine, Colombia, etc.

With its adherence and support to these ini-

tiatives and campaigns, the Fundació per la Pau wishes to express its support for inno-

cent victims and its commitment to building

a just peace.

Basque Country From its beginnings, the Fundació per la Pau

has lent support to those initiatives in the

Basque Country that work for peace and the

end of violence. In this way, amongst others,

a close link has been maintained with the

movements Gesto por la Paz and Lokarri

(previously Elkarri), with which it has parti-

cipated in numerous public acts and diverse

activities.

Practicar la Pau (Practising Peace)In 2006 the Fundació per la Pau started a

new line of work to introduce the work of

individuals and organisations that, despite

the hard conditions that violence imposes,

have chosen to work for peace. The first four

editions of Practicar la Pau, held between

2006 and 2008, allowed the following orga-

nisations – Sou da Paz, from Brazil; IPCRI

(Israel and Palestine Centre for Research

and Information), from the Middle East;

IEPADES (Instituto de Enseñanza para el

Desarrollo Sostenible), from Guatemala;

and RECAAL (Réseau Congolais d’Action

sur les Armes Légères et de petit calibre),

from the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

to take on this task.

conflicts: support for agents of peace With the aim of advancing towards the eradication of violence as a means of communication between people and populations, the Fundació per la Pau has always wished to support those organisations and people that have worked for peace despite the conflicts and difficulties around them. Therefore, throug-hout its 25-year history, it has promoted and participated in various initiatives to raise awareness of and support groups and people from around the world who depend on peace.

Jonan Fernández,Director of the Centro por la Paz Baketik, Arantzazu“The peace movement is going through a lull at the moment and it needs rejuve-nating. We have to introduce, with force if necessary, the concept of global citizenship, a condition that can only be achieved if there is a worldwide ethic census. Only such a consensus, in which everyone is represented, can create a basic framework for the peaceful resolution to conflicts.”


35

Participation of the Fundació per la Pau in networks and groups

Catalan sphere. founder member of the UNESCO Centre of

Catalonia

. founder member of the Universitat Interna-

cional per la Pau in Sant Cugat del Vallès

. member of the Federació Catalana d’ONG

pels Drets Humans

. founder member of the Federació Catalana

d’ONG per la Pau

. founder member of the Plataforma Aturem

la Guerra

. collaborative entity of the Consell Nacional

de la Joventut de Catalunya (CNJC)

. member of the Taula Catalana per la Pau i

els Drets Humans de Colòmbia

Spanish sphere. member of the Asociación Española de In-

vestigación para la Paz (AIPAZ)

. member of the Arms Under Control cam-

paign

International sphere. member of the International Peace Bureau

(IPB)

. promoter of the Hague Appeal for Peace

(HAP)

. member of the IANSA network (internatio-

nal campaign against small arms)

. member of the Abolition 2000 network (in-

ternational campaign against nuclear arms)

. member of the PNND (parliamentary net-

work for nuclear disarmament)

. member, in representation of the IPB, of

the International Council of the World So-

cial Forum

. member of the Campaign for the Reform of

International Institutions, by UBUNTU

. member of the Cluster Munition Coalition

(CMC)

external relations and institutions Building peace is not a simple task, nor can it be accomplished alone. Coordination with other entities, organisations and study centres, the exchange of data and information and joint campaigns at both a national and international level are all essential for everyone to be more effective and efficient in this task. Aware of this, since it was set up the Fundació per la Pau has immersed itself in national and inter-national networks and has participated in joint initiatives with other organisations.


36

Board MembersAlfons Banda (president), Antoni Soler (vice

president), Francesc Gusi (secretary), Tere-

sa Dalmau, Miquel Insausti, Enric Masllo-

rens, Xavier Masllorens, Josep M. Queralt,

Gabriela Serra, Carme Suñé and Francesc

Tubau (members)

The following have also been members of

the Board

Enric Angelet, Josep Aranda, Eugeni Bar-

quero, Pepe Beúnza, Moisès Broggi, Fran-

cesc Casanovas, Conxita Ferré, Vicenç Fisas,

Tica Font, Enric Frigola, Joan Gomis, Rafael

Grasa, Miguel Angel Molina, Arcadi Oliveres,

Santiago Ramentol, Anton Raventós, Maria

Àngels Roca, Palmira Rodríguez, Raül Ro-

meva, Carme Romia, Francesc Sabater and

Martí Terés.

Members of the International Commit-

teeHilarión Capucci, John Paul Lederach, Fèlix

Martí, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Arcadi

Oliveres, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Rebecca

Peters and Cora Weiss.


the International Committee

Oscar Arias, Bernard Benson, Joan Gomis,

Cassià M. Just and Sean McBride.

StaffJordi Armadans (director), Roser Cardona

(administration), Virginia Garzón (projects),

Lourdes Vergés (communication) and Toni

Viader (website).


the Staff

Regina Arquimbau, Eugeni Barquero, Cristo-

phe Duclau, Conxita Ferré, Marta Gay, Enric

Masllorens, Martí Olivella, Maria Rosa Oli-

veres, Anna Pla, Albert Pujol, Palmira Ro-

dríguez and Marta Zamora.

We have also benefitted from the invaluable

contributions of more one hundred people

actively involved (bureau support, partici-

pation in campaigns, working committees,

local groups, etc.) and the support of more

than 4,000 financial partners, donors and

supporters.

members of fundació per la pau


37

Fundació per la Pau - 25 anys treballant per la pau

39

Written by: Jordi Armadans and Lourdes Vergés

Coordination: Lourdes Vergés

Correction of Catalan and translation into Spanish: Marc Alba

Translation into English: Tracy Byrne

Design and layout: Toni Viader

Printed by: Gràfiques Alpres

You can reproduce or photocopy the text of this book only if you mention the source.

June 2009

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

c/ Casp, 31, 2n 1a A - 08010 BarcelonaTelèfon: 93 302 51 29 Fax: 93 301 75 62

[email protected]

With the support of:

Fundació per la Pau (Foundation for Peace) is an

NGO founded in 1983 that works for a world in

peace. By means of increasingly better informed and

active public opinion, it promotes all the cultural

and structural changes required to enable the

eradication of violence in relations between people

and cultures.

25 Y

EA

RS

WO

RK

ING

FO

R P

EA

CE

25 years working for peace

Documents

culture of peace

unceasing work

favour of peace

campaign work

forceful public opinion

necessary changes

emerge public opinion

public opinion