The co-ordinators of JPIC of the Franciscan family are participating in the Hague Peace conference. It will start on Monday 17th May 1999 and 4000 people are expected to take part from all over the world, both from governments and NGOs. The first peace conference took place at the Hague 100 years ago and this is the anniversary celebration. Conferences and meetings will take place on all sorts of Peace initiatives and conflict resolution.

Peace is God's gift. Peace becomes a reality when based on respect for differences of race, religion, nationality and where exclusion of others is not tolerated.

In recorded history since 3600 BC over 14,500 major wars have killed close to four billion people - two-thirds of the current world population (The New Internationalist, No. 311, April 1999)

In armed conflicts since 1945, 90% of casualties have been civilians compared to 50% in the second world war and 10% in the first world war (ibid).

More than 300,000 child soldiers are currently participating in armed conflicts. (Taken from Internet: The Hague Peace Appeal)

The violation of human rights is one of the root causes of war. These violations include the denial of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as political and civil rights.

Since the end of the Cold War civil society has launched campaigns aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons, eradicating landmines, reducing the traffic in small arms, alleviating the debt of the poor countries, ending violence against women and children, building an independent International Criminal Court, etc. These campaigns have generated solidarity and cohesion, and give hope.

Inspired by Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi, we wish:

• to live the gospel values of peace, non-violence, justice, reconciliation, sharing and solidarity in our present world of neo-liberal globalisation;
• to collaborate with others: to develop mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution; to promote new methods of settling disputes and conflicts; to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, curb the arms trade, reduce military budgets in order to shift the resources towards Human Security and Environmental Protection Programmes; to replace the Law of force with the Force of Law;
• to proclaim anew that all rights are for all peoples, and we want to do so peacefully.

"In the face of persisting evidence of war, and countless grievous defeats of life, Christ, the Conqueror of sin and death, urges us not to surrender. Peace is possible, peace is a duty, peace is a prime responsibility of everyone." (John Paul II).