Promoting a culture of peace.

• Author: Cattivelli, Adrian
• Position: OAS

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THE INTER-AMERICAN Peace Forum, an OAS program that seeks to promote a regional culture of peace in different sectors of the Inter-American society, was introduced recently by OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza and Costa Rica's President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Oscar Arias Sanchez.

In the course of the ceremony, held in the Salon de las Americas on September 23, the Secretary General announced a series of measures for implementing the Peace Forum. The measures include: "putting a 'messengers for peace' initiative into practice," and the creation of an "inter-American prize recognizing those who have contributed selflessly and significantly to the promotion of peace and peace-building," Insulza explained.

Secretary General Insulza also stated that conferences and seminars on peace and conflict management would be held within the framework of the Inter-American Peace Forum. "We also plan to produce specialized reports, develop statistics and surveys, and promote publications on these topics. The Forum will maintain a complete data bank of institutions and NGOs dedicated to the promotion and study of peace in order to support the exchange of information, experiences, and best practices."

"We are convinced that this initiative will contribute directly to strengthening the capacities of OAS member states to confront situations of conflict and overcome post-conflict situations so that a lasting peace can be achieved in their territories and in their internal and external...