WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT 06457 PSYCHOLOGICAL LABORATORY October 5, 1986 Support Network Seville Statement on Violence Dear Friends. I believe that the state of our work is best expressed by Federico Mayor, who recently wrote to me that "The Sevilla Statement on Violence is acquiring support and dissemination because it is an excellent and timely text...0ur snowball is growing fast... If all the snowballs starting their way would have such strength, all the world would be covered with snow. I hope that we will succeed to cover it with peace." Dr. Mayor also wrote that he is in contact with Isidoro Alonso Hinojal concerning the support of the Spanish Commission of UNESCO and the first steps towards the formal presentation of the statement. UNESCO is key to our work. As Santiago Genoves writes (his letter is enclosed), UNESCO is the world organization that should and can make the Statement on Violence reach every corner of our planet. Santiago wrote this summer to UNESCO and recently received the most encouraging reply (enclosed) from Dr. Julio Labastida on behalf of the Director General of UNESCO. A translation of Dr. Labastida's letter is enclosed along with a description of UNESCO's structure and proposed meeting dates. I propose that we all take Santiago‘s urgent request to heart. Summer is about to end on the International Year of Peace, and we should move fast to introduce the Statement to UNESCO and to nongovernmental organizations, scientific and educational bodies, and National UNESCO Commissions as soon as possible. Not only are we approaching the end of the International Year of Peace. to which the Statement is dedicated, but also we face an urgent world situation that cries out for the optimism that our Statement can help provide. Here is the present status of our contacts with National UNESCO Commissions. The Spanish Commission is mentioned above. The unofficial US Commission has pledged support as mentioned in a letter distributed to you in the August 4 mailing. In Venezuela, the representative to UNESCO of the Institute of Scientific Investigation, Dr. Horacio Vanegas, has submitted the Statement for support. In Poland we are in touch with the Academy of Sciences to ask them to Contact their UNESCO Commission. In Czechoslovakia the Statement has been submitted by the eminent neuroscientist Jan Bures (letter enclosed). In Denmark it is being submitted by Aage Nielson, President of the Association for World Education (letter enclosed). This is over and above those of you who have already pledged to contact your Commissions in India, West Germany. Finland, Soviet Union, Australia. etc. Obviously. we could use support from additional Commissions. If you or friends can help, please contact them and send the information to me so that it can be acknowledged in the next mailing.