Seeds of Peace

Preamble

During the past decades the Middle East has known and experienced nothing from the Israeli-Arab confrontation but painful and bloody results. The younger generation of the region has grown up in the shadow of this horrible conflict and has seen little besides the ravages of war and the brutality of violence.As young adults we can learn the lessons from these bloody chapters, and then leave the past behind us by striving to achieve the true, just, equal, permanent peace of the future. We, Seeds Of Peace, have united at The Middle East Youth Summit in Villars, Switzerland from 1 May to 7 May, 1998 to end the senseless fighting and lay the groundwork for a new era of peace and prosperity for all. We have realized the value of peace as the only viable solution to end the conflict - a peace in which we reject the use of violence as a weapon of terror, a weapon of oppression, and a weapon used for the advancement of political aims and goals. We recognize each other's mutual legitimate political rights, as well as the importance of human rights and freedom of belief and religion. We desire the right to coexist side by side within a true, secure, permanent peace. We hope for two strong democratic societies. We agree that the basis for a strong and lasting peace must be centered around mutual cooperation between the two sides, including economic cooperation, ecological cooperation, cooperation in combating terrorism, and cultural and educational exchange.

Declaration of Principles

We, Seeds Of Peace delegates, know that it is truly possible to build friendship out of hatred. We who have begun to reap the benefits of our camaraderie are ready and willing to take on the responsibility of striving for a permanent, just, and secure peace based on the following principles: Article 1: We desire the right to live in peace. We have put the violence of the past behind us, rejecting it as the way to a solution. We have chosen to achieve our goals and resolve our conflicts in a tolerant, non-violent manner, committing ourselves to peace and justice for all.

1. When there is peace, we believe that we should resolve our differences by discussing the problem that may threaten the state of peace. We respect the non-violent struggle for justice and equality. We should discuss our differences, argue when we disagree, and negotiate until we find a solution that can stop the threat, both in the short term and for the future. Under no circumstances will we choose violence as a solution or as a means to achieve our goals. Any solution itself must not have negative effects that will interfere with a lasting peace. It must be agreed upon by the two parties.
2. We reject solving our problems by taking any action that does not take both peoples' opinions and rights into account.
3. We are committed to keep order and to prevent terrorism or the incitement to violence from being a part of our lives. We will work to dismantle any infrastructure that supports violence against innocent people. If there are violent acts, then there should be a coordinated response to ensure safety and security for all sides. Both sides should cooperate to minimize the negative repercussions of the violent acts on both peoples.
4. In a state of peace, both sides should be committed to keep the area safe and to respect the borders that will be established.

Article 2: We, the young generation of the peoples involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict promise not to forget the past but affirm that we must head together towards the future. Learning lessons from yesterday and looking for a brighter tomorrow, we agree that:

1. The history of this conflict has made us feel insecure, unprotected, stressed, pressured, afraid, angry, sad, depressed, and tired of living in the past.
2. Both sides made mistakes in the past, and we truly desire not to repeat them in our common future.
3. We need to recognize and understand each other's suffering in order to reach a mutual understanding of our shared history.
4. There are different perspectives of history which we do not have to agree on, but each should be equally respected.
5. Different versions of the same history are one of the main reasons for the disputes and mistrust between the two nations. Rather than allowing different versions of history to become a barrier to our relationship, mutual policy decisions that require historical data (such as numbers and dates) will be provided by the United Nations. (For principles dealing with the history curricula for both Israeli and Palestinian schools, see Article 3.)

Article 3: Education on both sides is crucial to promote and preserve peace. The ability of people to cooperate and coexist is dependent upon their education, which is key to their values and their thinking. Sustained educational efforts should emphasize the mutual benefits of peace and coexistence for a better future and way of life. Such efforts should not be neglected nor denied in order to attain peace. Striving to understand each other — not as enemies or as stereotypes but as complex human beings — we believe that:

1. Education systems should guide the young to accept the importance of human rights and teach them to solve conflicts and stand up for their values in a non-violent manner.
2. Israeli and Palestinian schools should teach children critical thinking skills to prepare them for more democratic and tolerant societies.
3. Educational programs for people of all ages, including exchange programs, should be designed to help people from both groups understand each other. Such programs should discourage incitements to violence and emphasize the advantages of peace and coexistence.
4. Both groups should learn about the other peoples' history, culture and traditions in an objective and respectful fashion.
5. Mass media, including TV programs and commercials, should support these educational efforts of both peoples.
6. There should be cultural exchange — such as festivals, exchange of arts, tourism of each other's museums and collaborative creative work — all undertaken with sensitivity to the cultural and religious values of both peoples.
7. We are committed to act wisely and respect each other, even when we disagree on major issues. An emphasis on education is critical to ending the violence.

Article 4: We respect all the religions of our region, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. We strive to live side by side, each person with his or her belief.

1. We reject misinterpreting or distorting religion to include the killing of innocent people or as an excuse for violence.
2. We call on influential members of our religious communities to find common values, to interpret traditions in ways that support coexistence, and to emphasize those texts that support peace.

Article 5: Economic cooperation is a vital necessity in order to attain and keep a secure and lasting peace. Economic growth should be based on mutual trust and cooperation. We agree that:

1. Economic advantage should not be used as a political weapon.
2. The economic interests of each society should be respected.
3. Each society has the right to manage and develop the resources on their land provided they do not further harm others.
4. Medical aid and access to medical resources should not be used as a political tool.
5. There should be freedom of access to the religious and tourist sites for all.

(The importance of economic cooperation and further recommendations to achieve economic growth are outlined in the section on Economic Cooperation, below.) Article 6: In conclusion, we envision our future relationship to be based on mutual respect in which the citizens of each country enjoy human rights, including the freedom of movement and residence within the borders of their countries. Our negotiations should be based on equality and trust. We trust each other to implement this treaty in the spirit of partnership and reconciliation in which it was written. We mutually commit ourselves to fulfill all of the obligations of this treaty. Declaration of Principles Committee Final Version, unanimously accepted by secret ballot the Declaration of Principles Committee. Wednesday, May 6, 1998, 11 p.m. Plenary Voting Results: PASSED Israeli Delegates: 100% Palestinian Delegates: 95% Jordanian Delegates: 100% Egyptian Delegates: 100% American Delegates: 100% Introductory Letter Values of Sovereignty Jerusalem Committee Security Committee Land Committee Economic Committee Refugee Committee To return to the Main Conference page, click here.