Manifesto for Life, Peace and Equality

Every day 35,000 children die of hunger as FAO explained. It is genocide with stunning proportions, which is attended idly. At the same time it is estimated that the daily expenditure on armaments is 2,800 million U.S. dollars of agricultural subsidies and the United States and the European Union is about 800 million daily. No funds for AIDS treatment… but the benefits of the complex military industrial affect the global economy. It is urgent to share fairly. There is no better breeding grounds for radicalization, animosity and aggressiveness that the humiliation and exclusion. The violence is not justified, but its origins must be considered carefully.

Instead of strengthening multilateralism and endowing the United Nations with the means and authority to undertake a major development plan for the benefit of all, we continue to exploit the natural resources of progressively impoverished countries whose citizens are forced to emigrate in circumstances that are often an affront to their dignity. Not with captive votes, with blind obedience and fear as it is built and consolidated democracy. Not with wars of greed, demonstrations of force, acts of war and invasions by targeting economic and energy interests, generating a spiral of violence, action and reaction, and counter-intervention could be done as compared to the great challenges and asymmetries of all sorts that the global situation presents.

Leaders abdicated their political responsibilities, replacing universal values by market laws. The result has been the concentration of wealth in few hands and the expansion of social and economic divides.

STOP POVERTY! We must demand that governments, through a true global outcry, give priority to meeting the Millennium Goals. Now is the time of resignation, not of personal involvement.

We proclaim, once more, that we do not justify attacks and violence, wherever it comes from. We condemn all forms of terrorism: the groups hidden in the shadows and state terrorism. It has used torture, cruel and degrading treatment, repeatedly violated international and humanitarian law.

It is necessary that the international community ends the barbarity, the massacres. As stated in the Charter of the United Nations, the people are who should decide their destiny. We must urgently join the voices of all peoples of the world to say: ENOUGH TO WAR AND VIOLENCE!

We were silent too. Now the silence is over. The people will raise their voice. War is a tragedy for all. It is urgent to disarm the armed reason. Today, more than ever, we need the capacity for dialogue and partnership, the commitment to seek peaceful resolution of conflicts, fostering attitudes of meeting and respect for others, through the daily application of Human Rights.

We need to change the course of events through collective action, building solidarity among people. It is urgent that intellectuals, artists, educators, scientists … abandon their passivity and move to action. Only thus their writings and their words are credible and can help to add their efforts to those of many others to stop the madness of war, confrontation and violence.

The time has come for the people. And above all, young, men and women who claim another world possible. Institutions and the media must help the world's citizens so that, finally, stop being spectators and play their role in designing the future. The leaders, parliamentarians, members of municipal councils … have a special responsibility in this historic change.

The time has also come from diverse cultures and religions so that, united in solidarity and love of neighbor that is inherently at the forefront of the rescue of human dignity.

People need to take social resistance, cultural, political and spiritual movements through, non-cooperation to violence and injustice, to join efforts with other nations and to denounce those responsible for the pain and domination affects humanity.

We must get up, walk in peace and walk to new horizons of life and not death. Nevertheless, that's the hope.

As above, with an eye to future generations, we call on all those who are equally concerned to demonstrate peacefully, through all means, and virtual, its commitment to peace.

NO TO THE VIOLENCE!

YES TO PEACE AND JUSTICE!

If we are progressive, we may soon reach the "global consciousness", the real independence of people.

First signatories:

• Adolfo Pérez Esquivel – Peace Nobel, Argentina
• Mario Soares – Former President of Portugal
• Federico Mayor Zaragoza – President Fundación Cultura de Paz, Spain
• Pere Casaldàliga – Bishop, Brazil
• Danielle Mitterrand – President France Libertés, France
• François Houtart – Theologian, Belgium
• Montserrat Ponsa – Journalist, Catalunya, Spain
• Luís Eduardo Aute – Songwriter, Spain
• Arcadi Oliveras – President Justice i Pau, Catalunya, Spain
• Ernesto Cardenal – Theologian, Nicaragua
• Marilia Guimaraes – President Committee Defense of the Humanity, Brazil
• Guayasamín Handel – Architect, Ecuador
• Silvio Rodríguez – Songwriter, Cuba
• James Cockcroft – Writer, USA
• Eliseu Climent, Valencia
• José Enrique González Ruiz, Mexico
• Giovanni Parapini – Journalist, Rome
• Marianna Masciolini – Communication, Rome
• María Novo – Writer and environmentalist, Spain
• Betty Williams – Nobel Peace, Ireland
• Joan Saura – Minister of Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain

To adhere to the manifesto visit: www.fund-culturadepaz.org/

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