Pacific Concept for Peaceful Co-existence and Human Security

Forum for Pacific Peace and Human Security, Peace Boat,

September 2000.

The Forum for Pacific Peace and Human Security was held on board the Peace Boat from 21 - 25 September 2000, convened by the Pacific Concerns Resource Centre and the Peace Boat. Participants included indigenous leaders and elders, peace activists and educators, chiefs, church workers, trade union, women and youth leaders from the Pacific communities. The forum identified and addressed what it considered to be the root causes of peace issues and certain areas which require urgent attention and action.

Peace Issues

The Forum for Peace and Human Security at the end of its deliberations on the Pacific vision for peace, hereby makes the following declarations:

That the root causes of tension, conflicts and armed violence are linked to colonial legacies, land struggles, militarism, government decisions and misguided and inappropriate policies and actions;

That we are witnessing peace issues emanating from structural conflicts, value conflicts, social conflicts, information conflicts, economic interest conflicts and political conflicts;

These peace issues are identified to be centred around;

• self-determination,

• appropriate education especially human and cultural values and technical skills,

• foreign systems of government which are not compatible with indigenous institutions,

• clear visions for development,

• the need for governments to address longstanding indigenous issues,

• the myth that military is needed for employment and national security,

• the negative effects of globalisation.

The Forum for Pacific Peace and Human Security:

is mindful of our collective ownership and our responsibility for peace;

is aware of our vulnerability to tensions, conflicts, socio-economic disparities, violence, militarism and globalisation.

The Forum for Pacific Peace and Human Security in order to promote Peace, calls on all peoples of the Pacific to:

a) live in peace and harmony, protecting and safeguarding our cultural history, identity and a sustainable future for our children;

b) reassert and rediscover our indigenous concepts of peace to build a peaceful environment;

c) extract only those elements of foreign systems and cultures that re-enforce peaceful co-existence and humane values;

d) implement peace education as a priority subject at all levels;

e) outlaw and ban all forms of militarisation including standing armies in the Pacific;

f) address the important issue of socio-economic disparities;

g) review and reform current systems of government and vision for development in the Pacific to suit our needs;

h) reassert our right to self-determination, our sovereignty, land and control over our resources;

i) resist the negative effects of globalisation;

j) protect indigenous peoples and others who share the Pacific from militarism, mining, toxic waste, genetically modified organisms, pharmaceutical and other products;

k) protect the Intellectual Property Rights of Indigenous peoples;

l) encourage indigenous peoples developing and implementing alternatives such as the Turaga Nation peace model of Vanuatu and the Bougainville Peoples Integrated Peace and Economic Self Reliance System.

We endorse and support:

• the ‘Manifesto 2000’ for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence;

• the Statement of the Pacific Conference of Churches on Indigenous Peoples land and identity in the Pacific;

• the Developed Countries Indigenous Peoples Statement;

• Initiatives such as those undertaken by the Peace Boat;

• the Peoples Charter for a Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific.

Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific, further articles

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