PEACE is a common aspiration for Humanity, a shared value for religions and a core goal of the United Nations.

Vision

The long-term vision of the initiative for a UN Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace is for a genuine and lasting peace based on more equitable, fraternal and harmonious societies––societies that fully respect human rights and all manifestations of life, in which sharing is more important than competing, where dialogue replaces all forms of violence for resolving conflicts, and where cultural and religious diversity are appreciated. We seek a peace that is deeply rooted in diverse people’s cultures as well as in the hearts of all human beings.

Mission

This ambitious vision requires concerted action with effective social impact; high level meetings and wise declarations are not enough. Consequently, the MISSION of this DECADE is to better mobilize the immense spiritual, human and organizational resources of the religious communities, interfaith organizations, spiritual traditions and movements, traditional indigenous groups, and other aligned values-based civil society organizations. This should be undertaken in partnership with the United Nations, its member states and other constituencies of civil society in the pursuit of pertinent UN objectives, such as the Millennium Development Goals, human rights (including the rights of women, children and youth, refugees and migrants), gender equity, decent work for all, dialogue among civilizations, promoting a culture of peace and nonviolence, peace-building and shared security.
Expected outcomes

We expect that by 2020, as the DECADE comes to a close, the proposed interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation will have significantly contributed to the achievement of meaningful goals toward sustainable peace in the world, such as:

• Ending extreme poverty and hunger
• Making basic education –including education for peace— universal
• Enhancing the respect for the rights of all human beings –particularly those of women, children, youth, migrants, refugees and displaced people
• Making available decent jobs for all those who want to work and abolishing any form of child-labour abuse and slavery
• Developing social institutions and attitudes in the people that facilitate inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue and cooperation as well as the peaceful resolution of conflicts at all levels
• Developing a responsible behaviour towards the environment

A long-lasting culture of cooperation among religious communities and individuals at all levels is also expected to flourish from this DECADE.