This pathway includes:

Co-creative, integrative expressions of the basic seven paths (sectors) of human creativity. Synthesis of humanity’s highest Soul expression and evolutionary development. Building life-enhancing cultures of Peace for succeeding generations. Arts, media, communications, and cultural exchanges. Unity in Diversity.

PEACE THROUGH CULTURE is the eighth, synthesizing segment of the Peace Wheel. Culture is integrated into all the other pathways. A great Peacebuilder, artist, and author, Nicholas Roerich defined culture as the cultivation of the creative potential in all people. He said, “Positive creativeness is the fundamental quality of the human spirit. Let us welcome all those who, surmounting personal difficulties… propel their spirits to the task of Peacebuilding, thus ensuring a radiant future.”

Culture, broadly defined, is a system of language, customs, rituals, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a nation, people, or other social group. Preserving culture is exceedingly important as historical and current practices have meant the assimilation and obliteration of cultures around our planet, creating a cultural void with affects all of us. “Peace” that ignores the reality of historic and current violence and oppression of cultures and people around our world, is no Peace at all. Peace can only be achieved through authentic justice, equity, and an honoring of differences among all people. Building a “Culture of Peace” recognizes and Peacebuilding needs to be inclusive of all diverse cultures and peoples around our world.

The Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) is a UN-designated “Peace Messenger Initiative” with participants in all the world’s regions. The Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) is a cooperative local-global Peacebuilding Initiative, uniting the strengths of organizations, networks, projects and people to realize a Culture of Peace for the Common Good. The CPI also serves as a vehicle for bringing to light many previously unseen and unheard Peacebuilders, working along diverse paths, who are embodying the emerging Culture of Peace within Humanity.  The annual highlight of the Culture of Peace Initiative is the International Day of Peace (Peace Day), which provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and nations to work together, on a shared date, to create practical acts of Peace. The goal of CPI is to make every day Peace Day.

The United Nations is dedicated to promoting social and economic development and building international Peace. The preamble to the UN Charter (from whose opening lines the name for the “WE THE PEOPLES” INITIATIVE was taken) states: “We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in the fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, And for these ends, to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, Have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.”

UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Director-General Federico Mayor stated: “It is the cohesion and integration of our societies that must be enhanced…We need to build not only geographical but spiritual bridges between people and strengthen the intellectual, cultural and communication linkages between our societies. UNESCO stands ready to participate in the effort to promote social integration and create a culture of peace.”

RELATED LINKS:

www.internationaldayofpeace.org  International Day of Peace
http://www.un.org/en/ga/62/plenary/peaceculture/bkg.shtml  UN Decade for a Culture of Peace
www.unesco.org  UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
www.peacecorps.gov  Peace Corps
http://culture-of-peace.info/  David Adams, Culture of Peace 
https://www.peacethruculture.org/  Peace thru Culture