Our vision for peace
Since wars begin in the minds of women and men, it is in the minds of women and men that the defences of peace must be constructed.
These opening lines of UNESCO’s Constitution bear witness to our effort to understand and respond to the very origin of conflict.
They are the backbone of all our action.
UNESCO was created in the aftermath of two world wars, in response to one of the most radical attacks against the dignity of human beings, when violent, racist and antisemitic doctrines were taught in schools, legitimized by pseudo-science and fuelled by systematic propaganda, using the modern tools of culture, communication and information.
UNESCO was born from a simple but firm conviction: that lasting peace must be built on more than the political and economic ties between states alone. That reconciliation and development demand stronger foundations, deeply rooted in mutual understanding, in the respect for the equal dignity of all human beings, and the intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity.
