Framework For a Culture of Peace and Non-violence
	UNESCO has a long tradition of promoting the basic principles of peace. One of its many tasks is to disseminate the international norms and conventions on human rights and fundamental freedoms to the widest possible audience.

 
That is why non-violence, as a means for peace and harmony between human beings, is in principle supported by all UNESCO programmes. This is not new. UNESCO has been engaged in peace-building activities since its foundation in the aftermath of the SecondWorld War.

With the end of the Cold War and the renewed capacity of the United Nations to reach consensus decisions on war and peace, it became evident that the Organization needed a new approach in orderto contribute more effectively to United Nations peace efforts. The programme of Non-violence Education is one of these approaches.

In 1974 UNESCO adopted the principles of peace building ("Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms") and in July 1989, at the "International Congress of Peace in the Minds of Men", (Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire) the idea of a culture of peace was first elaborated. UNESCO was urged by the Congress to "…construct a new vision of peace by developing a peace culture based on the universal values of respect for life, liberty, justice, solidarity, tolerance, human rights and equality between women and men."

Since 1997 UNESCO has adopted the culture of peace as the theme for a new transdisciplinary programme: "Towards a culture of Peace".

The programme has been joined by various sectors of the Organization, committing their respective competencies in education, science, culture and communication to different projects.

At the eve of thenew millennium the United Nations General Assembly declared 2000 the International Year for a Culture of Peace and the Decade 2001-2010 as the International Decade for the Promotion of Non-Violence and Peace for the Children of the World. UNESCO, that has been designated as the co-ordinating Agency, launched the Manifesto 2000, collected more than 74 million signatures around the world in 2000. UNESCO developed as well an information network that links groups and institutions, which promote a culture of peace all over the world.