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BASES FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE

In 1995, UNESCO proposed that we create a culture of peace that could replace the current culture of war. Such a culture would have values, attitudes and behaviors that rejected violence, endeavored to prevent conflicts by addressing root causes, and aimed at solving problems through dialogue and negotiation. The UNESCO group posited that such a culture could be constructed on a foundation of bases that could be contrasted with a culture of war. At the People's World Peace Project (PWPP), we have paraphrased the basis for building a culture of peace as follows:

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  • Democracy

  • Economic Justice

  • Education

  • Environment

  • Gender Equality

  • Human Rights

  • International Security

  • Open Communication

  • Health and Relief

  • Social Cohesion

  • Sustainable Development

MISSION

To Support the Global 

Peace Community

The People’s World Peace Project seeks to contribute to our sense of common humanity, promote global citizenship, and inspire concerted effort to achieve peace by raising awareness and connections among the many people who are dedicated to creating peace and justice. PWPP, working with its media partners, national and local NGOs and individual peace makers, will post articles and other content fostering a culture of peace and acknowledging people who are working toward the betterment of the world around them and who are discovering and implementing solutions to the greatest challenges facing humankind.

STATEMENT OF BELIEFS

We believe world peace has been in the hands of those more concerned with power than the well being of people, and that we are missing opportunities to end a needless loss of life, and the misallocation and depletion of resources.
 

We believe that we cannot rely solely on our political leaders to design and implement policies that foster peaceful coexistence and that the most direct path to world peace is from the bottom up, beginning with each one of us.
 

We believe sustainable peace requires a moral foundation and hope that a more informed world citizenry will realize that caring must dominate fear and greed.
 

We believe that the communication made possible by the Internet will provide a pathway for world peace, as people from all parts of the world and walks of life have the opportunity to work in concert to influence how world peace is accomplished and maintained.

OBJECTIVES

 PWPP seeks to achieve its mission by pursuing the following objectives:

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  • To provide a framework for the exchange of information among those working to establish peace with justice both locally and globally.

  • To foster communication and dialogue among those who have different perspectives on ways to achieve peace and justice.

  • To provide readers with updates on the activities of hundreds of world peace organizations combined with solutions-oriented, world peace news coverage.

  • To contribute a research base for the development and promotion of ideas, methods, and actions that will advance the long-term prospects for peace.

  • To provide the network of resources needed to develop effective peace work, and furnish a base for the collaborations and unified action needed for the attainment of peace with justice.

TEAM

Director, Editorial Board Member

JOSEPH de RIVERA

Joseph served three years in the Navy Medical Service Corps before teaching at Dartmouth College, New York University, and Clark University where he helped found its Peace Studies Program. He is currently a research professor in Clark’s departments of Psychology and International Development, Community and Environment. The author of numerous articles and books on emotional experience and societal peace, Joseph is the editor of the Handbook on Building Cultures of Peace.

Editorial Board Member

DEVON GRAYSON-WALLACE

Devon Grayson-Wallace graduated from Clark University with her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Concentration in Peace Studies. Thereafter, she moved to Washington, D.C. where for two years she worked as a lobbyist on domestic policy issues for the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the largest peace lobby in the country. Since moving to Maine, she has become an active volunteer with the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland and has joined the board of Peace Action Maine. She now lives in Portland with her dog, Moxie; her horse, Bach; and her partner, Pete.

Co-founder, Editorial Board Member

RANDY LABBE

Randy has built his career crafting strategic growth initiatives for leading international brands. The majority of his work over the last ten years has been focused on the successful development of new markets and profit centers for high profile commercial and non-profit food and agricultural organizations, farms, aquaculture operations, state and federal government departments, value-added producers, and leading local food retailers. He graduated from Clark University in 1982 and his interests include social movements and most of the visual and performing arts.

Editorial Board Member

TIMOTHY FAY

Timothy is currently a senior at North Kingstown High School in southern Rhode Island and plans on pursuing studies in political economy or political science in college. His interests include politics, philosophy, sociology, and more broadly the social sciences. His goal is to change people’s lives for the better and to help society progress towards a more peaceful and sustainable future. 

BOARD OF ADVISORS

JOHN MASSAUA

Advisor

John is a principal of JRM & Company, a business development consulting firm. He was with the Maine Small Business Development Centers, an SBA partnership program based at the University of Southern Maine, for ten years, seven of them as the Maine SBDC state director. A graduate of Fordham University with an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson, he has held high-level executive positions within a myriad of small and medium size companies; among which, he was a founding officer at Staples, Inc.

JESSICA MOORE

Advisor

Jessica has been an active member of the peace community in Portland, Maine for several years. She has a BA in Linguistics and Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and an MA in Theology from Bangor Theological Seminary. Jessica is Director of Education at State Street Church, UCC, in Portland and owns and runs a small specialty foods business. She lives in Portland with her husband, Stephen, and their dog, Tugger.

IN MEMORIAM

BOB KELLEHER

Co-founder

Kelleher passed away during 2017. He was adjunct professor in the MBA programs of Ann Maria and Nichols Colleges. He received his undergraduate degree from Syracuse University following an interruption for military service at the end of WWII. He earned his PhD at the University of Santa Clara and built distinguished careers in both academia and business. His most recent work, prior to his involvement with PWPP, was the writing of a book about the challenges of building community in the contemporary world. He is missed by PWPP and all who knew him.

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