Pune Declaration Draft
International Youth Congress for Peace Pune, February 2006
We, the participants of the International Youth Congress for Peace, gathered here to represent people of different faiths and creeds, students of different countries, students federations and peace organizations, take the opportunity to make the following Declaration:
Principles
We affirm that all life is sacred and worthy of reverence
Therefore, any offence or harm caused to any living being is an offence not only to that individual but to the whole of mankind
Therefore, there should be no place for violence and terrorism against any living being
Therefore, it is time we call for a stop to all kinds of violence, cruelty, torture, disrespect, killing and war.
We affirm that all religions are equal
That different religions have different names for God, but the cosmos is one and only one
We affirm the brotherhood of man or “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” which is the dream of all saints, prophets and social reformers thoughtout the ages all over the world
We reject all religious fundamentalists and fanatics; be they of any religion or sect, especially those who spread hatred and war
We reject the division of the world into west and east, north and south, rich and poor, developed and underdeveloped, pro-Islam and anti-Islam
We affirm that our survival depends on Reverence for Mother Earth
That today’s ongoing ecological destruction threatens the entire web of biological life on earth
That failure to care for the planet Earth which sustains all of us could result in the extinction of the humans species
That the young generation who will soon inherit the responsibility of stewardship of the earth, they will perceive the oncoming life-threatening catastrophe and take measures to reverse it
We acknowledge that in today’s violence, young people are the greatest number of victims
That young people want the assurance of peace, freedom and justice for their future
That the young are our hope for the future and will guide the destiny of mankind
That educating the youth in the ideas of peace, mutual respect and understanding will ensure a peaceful future
Resolutions
In furtherance of our aspirations for Peace on the Earth and the Brotherhood of Man, we hereby commit ourselves to doing everything within our power to make the 21st century one of peace and humanity. By mutual consenses, we declare the following resolutions, and pledge to direct all our efforts in future to enacting them:
WE RESOLVE
To allow peace to begin with ourselves , in our own minds, our families and neighbourhood
To abstain from violence, support of violence and approval of violence
To commit to certain peaceful qualities of being which include generosity, morality, loving kindness, equanimity, austerity, tolerance truthfulness, effort, mindfulness and good intention
To fight all discrimination and inequality based on caste, class, creed, religion, age, sex , region, language, nationality or race
To promote a change towards a more friendly and sustainable way of life at an individual level
To strengthen inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue thereby respecting cultural differences
To help young people know, respect and develop the cultural heritage of their own country and that of all mankind
To support youth promoting global solidarity
To enable young people to participate in building peaceful societies based on diversity and inclusion, in respect and mutual understanding
To encourage student exchanges, travel and tourism, study of foreign languages, educational, cultural and sport meetings in the spirit of this declaration which will facilitate young people of all countries to come together
To develop youth ambassadors worldwide to represent their countries for peace especially in times of conflict
To engage willing young people to engage in peace organisations
The World Foundation on Reverence for All Life Pune, forwards this Declaration, passed on this day, the 19th February 2006 at Pune, to Government Authorities, youth organizations, the United Nations and peace organizations in India and all over the world.
Proclaimed and signed by members of the WFRAL, Symbiosis International, MIT World Peace Centre, University of Pune and student representatives of the International Students Federation Pune, this Sunday, 19th February 2006 at Pune, India.
