THE SEVILLE STATEMENT 0N VIOLENCE "The same species who invented war is capable of inventing peace." Support Network c/o David Adams, Wesleyan Psychology Dept Middletown, Connecticut USA 06459-0408 NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 6, NUMBER 3, APRIL, 1992 --- Coming to UNESCO to serve as a consultant this spring, I have found complete support here for our work at all levels, from the top leadership to the general service staff. Director-General Federico Mayor gives us his personal compliments and has pledged special support for additional publicity. This will include production of a flyer- poster of the Statement for mass distribution to schools, etc., and a presentation OF the Statement to a general staff meeting of UNESCO later this spring. His support is echoed in a very genuine and personal way at all levels, including the Assistant Director-General for the Social Sciences, Francine Fournier, and the Director of the Division of Human Rights and Peace, Janusz Symonides. --- I am working here most closely with Georges Kutukdjian who is the person most responsible for the work for peace, of which the Seville Statement is but one of many initiatives. On a formal level, we have signed a two-year contract for extension of support for this newsletter. Also, arrangements are being completed for the production of Spanish and Arabic versions of the brochure in addition to the English and French versions that you already have. On a less formal level, we are dreaming up new ideas for publicity and dissemination of the Statement. And we welcome your input; For example, Seville signatory Robert Hinde is due to visit and discuss his ideas with us this spring. --- UNESCO is preparing to take a second step in the process that we began in Seville. Whereas we examined biological myths in Seville, UNESCO will now look at social and cultural myths which lead people to believe that violence is inevitable. The proposal is contained at the end of the enclosed recommendations from the Advisory Working Group established by UNESCO as a followup to the International Congress on Peace in the Minds of Men held in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast in 1989. --- I was privileged to represent the Seville Statement at the first meeting of the group which took place under the direction of Hakan Wiberg, director of the Center for Peace and Conflict Research in Copenhagen in February. As you will note from the enclosed, the Advisory Working Group proposes to address the question, "Are there any immutable social or cultural factors that make it inescapable for conflict to take violent forms...?" By way of comparison, at Seville we addressed the question, “Does modern biology and social science know of any biological factors”. that constitute an insurmountable or serious obstacle to the goal of world peace...?" If you have suggestions for the work of the group, please send them to UNESCO, c/o Georges Kutukdjian, Division of Human Rights and Peace, 1 rue Miollis, 75015 Paris, France. --- The section on the sociology of peace and war of the American Sociological Association has prepared the enclosed statement on sociological factors of war and violence on request of the Association. It is designed to be used in conjunction with the Seville Statement in textbooks and workshops, according to Professor Louis Kriesberg who coordinated the work of preparing the statement, The ideas here will no doubt be useful to the UNESCO Advisory Working Group.