Speech of Federico Mayor Zaragoza

 

Now we are entering in the anthropocene era in which, for the first time in history, humanity is threatened by potentially irreversible processes. Human kind activities are progressively deteriorating the environment and it is necessary to act without delay in order to protect the Earth as supreme place of worship.

 

It is necessary a new concept of security in which in defense of territories takes duly into account the quality of life of the human beings living there.  It is absolutely intolerable that everyday 4 billion dollars are invested in armament and military expenditures while thousands of persons, most of them children from 1 to 5 years, die of hunger and extreme poverty.  Nothing can be expected of the present neoliberal system that has led the governments of the world in the hands of plutocratic groups (G6, G7, G8, G20).  It is urgent to promote and support a democratic multilateralism, a reinforcement of the United Nations System to ensure a dignified life of the human beings through the five UN priorities:  food, water, health, environment care, education.

 

From the origin of times, absolute male power has followed the perverse proverb “Si vis pacem, para bellum”, “If you wish peace, prepare war”.  Only from three decades ago, “We, the peoples” are aware of what happens worldwide and are able to express freely. And particularly important, the “peoples” are already women and men, and therefore the transition from a culture of imposition, domination, violence and war to a culture of encounter, dialogue, conciliation, cooperation and alliance can take place. From the reason of the force to the force of the reason.  From “para bellum” to “para verbum”.

 

This year is the XX anniversary of the Declaration and Program of Action on a Culture of Peace, and the President of the UN – General Assembly has convened a special Forum to celebrate and observe in the everyday behavior. 

 

All human beings are equal in dignity without any kind of discrimination by gender, ethnia, ideology, religion, culture…   In the last few years, women are progressively becoming, “the cornerstone of the new era”, as emphasized by President Nelson Mandela “because women exceptionally utilizes force… and men only exceptionally do not”.

 

Now, to really protect worldwide worship we must follow the Resolution of the General Assembly of September 2015 entitled precisely “to transform the world”, putting in to practice the SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals).  The citizens live in the cities and, being actors and not spectators anymore to promote democracy and democratic multilateralism being aware of their world citizenship in order to promote peace at global scale, in order to protect the planet, place of worship of mankind.