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'''Peace & related UN activities'''

'''How this report was written'''

Dozens of people reported on Servas Peace activities in
North and South America, Europe, Asia and the South
Pacific, including Peace Secretaries, Area Coordinators
and Servas Representatives to the UN. About 40
individual Servas hosts provided personal views on Servas
and Peace, offering to attend meetings on Peace at the UN
and at World Summits.

Beneath the surface of this summary lives a great diversity
of Servas contributions to Peace. We cannot describe the
hopes, fears, joy and passion for Peace which volunteers
expressed. Separate papers have been compiled, with
detailed information from national Servas representatives,
several Peace Secretaries, many Servas hosts, and Servas
UN delegates to the UN at Vienna, Geneva & New York.

'''Discussion:'''

Not everything is complete. We heard at the World
Tourism Summit that Servas could contribute to more
peaceful global development through tourism by adopting
an Eco-tourism Code, to help limit damage of tourism to
nature and communities. And globally Servas would
benefit from local links to UNDP.

We have also been told (e.g. by Oxfam and by United
Nations Association) that Servas could facilitate the work
of millions of others, if Servas could be made more visible
and more receptive to travellers who serve Peace-seeking
charities, e.g. Servas to deliberately encourage
international and local volunteers of reputable Peacebuilders,
including workers for the relief of poverty,
getting them to join Servas as qualified travellers, and
make use of the Servas system.

There is a lot of Peace activity in Servas, but it is often not
being internally disseminated and shared among hosts,
travellers and interviewers. The core activity of Servas, as
home-hosting, hospitality network could be strengthened,
by informing/educating Servas area coordinators,
interviewers, hosts and travellers on Peace goals and
actions. But apart from the outstanding website
established by US Servas, and the references on the Servas
South Africa website, communications appear rather
incomplete, with many gaps. Possibly Servas Net and the
SI Servas.org web-page have been under-utilized, as have
teleconferencing and presentations at Servas meetings.
Some Peace Secretaries are active; several are isolated.
Some countries report no Peace activity.

Through its delegates Servas comes in close contact with
the community of thousands of voluntary sector Civil
Society groups and networks who observe and participate
in discussions of Peace and Peaceful Development at the
UN. In addition to our regular delegates to the Human
Rights Commission at Austria and to UNO at Geneva and
US Servas at the Department of Public Information at the
UN in New York -- since the last General Assembly,
Servas has participated in several Global Summits and at
other UN briefing meetings.

Gary Seale,y, Canada

NB: International Day of Peace 21 Sept 05

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'''Peace Activities'''

There are many Peace Activities around the world. This
set were sent as of possible interest to Servas members.
Some are activities that occurred in 2004, others are ongoing
projects. Find out more on the following website.
Hague Appeal for Peace www.haguepeace.org.

'''ARGENTINA'''

Educating Cities Latin America (ECLA), have been busy
with a series of colorful conferences and programs in
promoting peace education. Children's Day in Argentina
will be celebrated through the "Give Peace a Chance"
Program, launching a new edition of Peace Cards for the
public transport in Rosario.

'''COLOMBIA'''

In the Week For The Peace The Schools of Peace Project
will coordinate a meeting for 1000 teachers from schools
of Bogota, to discuss different methods and strategies to
impart the `Lecture in Schools,' a program linking school
life with peace education. The teachers will present the
Human Rights Lecture, approved by Bogota's Council,
and to be implemented in all schools of the Capital.
Parents will discuss ways they can be integrated into the
Human Rights Lecture learning program in schools."

'''INDIA'''

The Magsaysay Award for Peace and International
Understanding for 2004 was awarded to Admiral
Laxminarayan Ramdas of India who shares this award
with his counterpart from Pakistan Mr. I. A. Rehman,
Director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

'''PERU'''

The Hague Appeal for Peace, the UN Department for
Disarmament Affairs Peace and Disarmament Education
Project's Culture of Peace Team, prepares educational
proposals to assure that sustainable high quality work is
carried out with the different actors of the scholastic
community. Education modules and programs have been
formulated to equip teachers, students and youth with
techniques to promote a culture of peace in Peru.

The International Day of Peace (IDP) provides an
opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to
create practical acts of peace on a shared date. Use the
International Day of Peace annually to highlight the
International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-
Violence for the Children of the World, 2001 to 2010. For
more information and ways you can contribute to this day
visit http://www.wethepeoples.org/intl_day_peace.php

'''GHANA'''

A peace rally was held, bringing together school children,
the ruling government, the press, and foreign diplomats.
As part of the program, an International Symposium was
held with the theme: "Africa's Peace Process, The Role of
the International Community."

'''AUSTRIA'''

Invitation to Study Peace and Conflict Resolution
European University Center for Peace Studies (EPU)
Stadtschlaining, Austria Spring and Fall terms 2005


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