Developments Final Declaration: International Forum of News Agencies: Coalition for Peace
In the Name of God
The Compassionate
Final Declaration
International Forum of News Agencies:
Coalition for Peace
Tehran, 15-16 October 2002
The participants of the International Forum of News Agencies: Coalition for Peace, hosted by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) and held in Tehran 15-16 October 2002, approved the followings as the Final Declaration:
1) Nations of the world, despite the diversity in their national interests, share many common interests, which can be materialized in an atmosphere of peace. Peace is the sign of maturity, loftiness and eternity of human values and leads to development of human societies, facilitating better life for the peoples.
2) Coalition for peace strives to secure collective interests of humanity and is an intellectual prescription for the chronic sufferings of human beings. Coalition for peace is for promotion of rationalism and recourse to dialogue instead of conflict and war. The motto of opportunity for all, hope for all, and progress for all can be materialized through institutionalizing the culture of the coalition for peace, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations.
3) Turning to peaceful means is the prime principle of the coalition for peace. Elimination of injustices, barriers and obstacles hindering understanding across the world, are ways of achieving a lasting peace. The coalition for peace invites all countries to respect international norms. It also condemns all forms of terrorism.
4) Coalition for peace prevents division of the world into hostile and warring camps and is capable of playing a positive and effective role. Coalition for peace leads countries of the world towards commercial cooperation, and with the emergence of inter-dependent economies creates and consolidates international norms.
5) Coalition for peace is in tune with religious, ethical, logical and scientific beliefs and approaches. The coalition follows the initiative of dialogue among civilizations and divine religions and could be regarded as an administrative step towards materializing the dialogue among civilizations.
6) The peace-dialogue paradigm brings about appropriate conditions for progress and development of human societies as peace and dialogue make future generations immune to war, conflict and terrorism.
7) The world of today is the world of mass media. Communication and interaction among nations, and even among politicians to a great extent is established through the mass media. Mass media are means of dialogue and exchange of opinions and ideas and thus can be effective in the endeavour toward understanding, peaceful co-existence and consolidation of culture of peace.
8) Mass media through the language of international understanding, promote usage of such language in the world. Cooperation among mass media of the world, as the shapers of the world public opinion, will immensely help promotion of global peace and stability.
Coalition for peace calls for promotion of mass media in terms of dissemination of information that contribute to the unity among nations and not provoking hatred and division through political, religious or any other motives. It is also devoted to the just and fair dissemination of the news in order to prevent the manipulation of the events that could lead to conflicts.
9) Mass media play a pivotal role in promoting dialogue. Institutionalizing journalistic ethics in the world and international cooperation of mass media will help advancement of culture of peace and dialogue.
10) Endeavours on the part of mass media to depict cultural and social differences must be directed to signify sources of cultural diversity and wisdom. Mass media shall refrain from fanning the flames of war and conflict. Consolidation of peaceful instances and attention to social and cultural understanding are prerequisites for lasting peace.
11) Since efforts of international organizations and bodies for promoting the idea of peace could lead to recognition of peace-seeking personalities of the world and introduction of their ideas, promotion of culture of peace within an organized action plan for news dissemination will deepen understanding, mutual respect, goodwill and cooperation for materialization of global peace.
12) It is necessary to undertake studies to theorize conceptual principles of coalition for peace. Mass media by reflecting news of the oppressed nations, including those under occupation, and with the objective of achieving a durable peace can move towards international peace and human objectives.
13) Meanwhile, it is necessary that mass media should promote the literature of peace, and work out a professional charter for strengthening global peace.
14) It is proposed to set up the permanent secretariat of the International Forum of News Agencies: Coalition for Peace to implement the Final Declaration of the forum. To this end, the forum invited the Islamic Republic of Iran to prepare a detailed plan for a permanent secretariat.
15) The participants expressed their thanks to the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) for organizing this international forum at the current sensitive juncture as a fruit of the global call for the dialogue among civilizations to establish international peace and security.
16) The participants also expressed their appreciation of and recognition to all those who contributed to the forum making it a success.
17) The Arab group participating at the forum joined by Cuba, Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan and Venezuela condemned all sorts of terrorism by individuals, groups, or states specially those acts and practices directed by Israeli regime in Palestine and other occupied Arab lands, hoping that all international organizations will strive for condemning these actions.
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