International Year of Peace Secretariat

“In 1981 the Government of Costa Rica presented to the Untied Nations a proposal to declare a month, day and year of Peace. There was no enthusiasm in the General Assembly and the matter was quickly sent to ECOSOC for analysis. I was assigned as the officer who would be responsible for the implementation of the resolution. We had the ECOSOC session just at the outbreak of the Falklands/Malvinas War and at that time peace was perceived as something going on between states, that peace was mostly related to the avoidance of wars; that was the most important issue. The task of celebrating the United Nations Year of Peace was an unbelievable task. I was desperate for more than a year, trying to find some common ground on which such programs could be successful.

Peace was perceived mostly as an absence of war, as an interstate affair, as related mostly to hostilities and ways to avoid them. There was no positive vision. What was inserted into the UN Charter, but was lacking in the UN practice, was the reference to values, to build cooperation and contacts between and among people based on values. The Brahma Kumaris’ input is based on values, but it is not only of expressing values, there is also the emphasis on transferring values into action.

The spirit of cooperation is base on no condition and no prejudice – the fact that there is a human being willing to share and cooperate is the only condition. In the present world, prejudices have become a real factor and danger to peace. This element or concept of cooperation with no condtions and no prejudices is extremely important.”

Mr. Kyzystof Ostrowski, Executive Secretary
United Nations International Year of Peace Secretariat.