In order to pursue a valid European integration it is necessary to create a common culture of Peace which in recent European history was not sufficiently present . Recent political events which engaged, singularly and unitarily, the countries of Europe (conflicts in Iraq, former Yugoslavia, Middle East, etc.) have showed the feebleness of a unitary line of intervention to support the processes of Peace. The role that Europe has played was structurally feeble and qualitatively weak in comparison with the real possibilities of researches, and researches for action, which are present in this area. For our opinion the fragmentation of the activities of scientific researches in Europe, even if singularly of a high level, has not allowed the birth of an adequate, theoretical and practical, culture about the prevention , the creative management, and the nonviolent resolution of armed conflicts. The recent introduction, in academic curricula, of University training for “workers for Peace” demands , at the European level, a renovation and brought up to date of these topics, and a greater exchange of experiences which could allow the establishment of a scientific unitary subject of study in this field from the theoretical, and methodological point of view. This could have clear implications in the concrete management of conflicts. For these reasons this project aims to establish a stable network of Universities, and University Research Centres, which are studying Peace and nonviolent resolution of conflicts.
A network of this type seems particularly important for a valid, actual and future, integration into Europe of countries of ex-Yugoslavia, with reference to the Stability Pact for the Balkans and the agreements of Ancona and Bologna.
As a matter of fact the split up of Yugoslavia has sharpened problems of relations between areas inhabited by peoples of different ethnic, cultural and religious background. University, in this project, put itself as a partner which can work to overcome these barriers working for mutual understanding and for the elaboration of common projects which could tend to a cultural revitalisation of civil society, in view of the growth of the community on problems of democratic development and of the overcoming of conflicts between different ethnic groups and nations.
The network can represent an useful instrument of communication and support of this process, if in addiction to keep open the reciprocal communication between universities of this area, connects these universities with other European universities which, since long time, work on problems of Peace, prevention and nonviolent resolution of armed conflicts.
The main working modalities of the network will be:
a continuous reciprocal information, via internet or through the forwarding of scientific material on reciprocal activities in these sectors;
exchange of teachers, researchers, and students for researches, information and formation activities;
common researches and action-researches projects on topics of Peace, mutual understanding, , the formation and education to a culture of Peace and nonviolence, of prevention of armed conflicts and of reconciliation of peoples after a war.
The initiatives of the project aim to create stable working groups to study: a) the prevention of armed conflicts; b) the nonviolent management and creative transformation of conflicts; c) the best ways to educate new generations to nonviolence, democracy, and the overcoming of ethnic, cultural, and religious boundaries, between groups, nationalities and countries..

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