We, as the elected representatives
of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations,
an NGO in formal associate relations with UNESCO,
gathered for an extraordinary session
of our Executive Board at UNESCO House,
having signed the "Manifesto 2000" in favour of Peace,

on the eve of this 3rd year of the "United Nations Decade for a culture of peace and non-violence for the children of the world", we reaffirm our involvement, not only in peace keeping, but, above all, in peace building, since, the meeting with the "Other" and the "Dialogue between Civilizations" preserve the "Past" to build a better "Future".

Convinced that the Cultural Heritage of Human Beings, our common heritage, and our diversity which testifies to it, must allow a fruitful dialogue facilitating reconciliation, we vigorously affirm that the coloured multilinguism represents a human music carrying hope, whereas, the inhuman thunder of arms, which destroys human lives and families, scorns the inseparable human rights and promotes poverty instead of the "joie de vivre" that anybody is right to hope for.

We, the representatives of dozens of thousands of militants of all generations, coming from our 5000 Clubs in the world, to express our commitment to the ideals of UNESCO, have only our speaking as a contribution "to build in the minds of men the defences of peace".

So we cannot remain silent in view of the actual world situation and call on every human being to be aware that the destruction of the "Other" is our own destruction and the destruction of a part of our human dignity, since, on the opposite, the richness, offered by exchange and good will, gives us the opportunity to overcome the most difficult situations and preserves a dignified future for the incoming generations.

Paris, March 2003, 18th,

The members of the Executive Board
of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs,
Centres and Associations.

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