Your Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, I intend to address one issue only, and that is the perilous state of our planet due to threats to peace, compounded by climate change that wastes lives and causes disabilities and disease, and how UNESCO ideals and goals could help. We have always had wars, but in the past 70 years they were fairly simple ones. They were mostly proxy wars between the two major superpowers and as a rule they started when required, finished when required and didn’t spread around unless required.

1. ART
AS
A
GLOBAL
TOOL
FOR
PEACE
Statement
by
Goodwill
Ambassador
Ivonne
A-­‐Baki,
Ecuador
Your
Excellencies,
Ladies
and
gentlemen,
I
intend
to
address
one
issue
only,
and
that
is
the
perilous
state
of
our
planet
due
to
threats
to
peace,
compounded
by
climate
change
that
wastes
lives
and
causes
disabilities
and
disease,
and
how
UNESCO
ideals
and
goals
could
help.
We
have
always
had
wars,
but
in
the
past
70
years
they
were
fairly
simple
ones.
They
were
mostly
proxy
wars
between
the
two
major
superpowers
and
as
a
rule
they
started
when
required,
finished
when
required
and
didn’t
spread
around
unless
required.
Looking
around
today,
I
fear
that
we
live
in
an
ugly
world.
Advanced
technology
has
created
wealth,
for
some
at
least,
but
it
has
also
created
armies
of
unemployed
and
impoverished.
We
have
continued
to
rape
and
plunder
our
planet
as
if
we
hate
our
children
and
intend
to
leave
them
a
wasteland
as
heritage.
We
live
in
a
world
in
which
at
least
eight
states
have
nuclear
arms.
We
have
re-­‐discovered
Gods,
I
use
the
plural
because
while
all
the
major
ones
are
single,
there
are
a
number
of
them
…
Gods
who
are
all
about
love
and
peace
and
equality
only
to
abuse
them
in
the
name
of
our
own
distorted
perception
of
what
that
God
wants.
The
way
we
read
the
holy
books
it
would
appear
that
the
all
merciful
and
all
loving
gods
want
nothing
more
than
war
to
annihilate
the
“other”.
And
we
have
conflicts
on
all
continents,
we
have
frozen
conflicts
and
dozens
and
dozens
of
other
threats
to
global
peace.
I
am
here
to
propose
and
lobby
for
the
“Art
as
a
tool
for
global
peace”
concept.
Yes,
I
know,
Hemingway’s
“For
whom
the
bell
tolls”
didn’t
stop
any
war
and
neither
did
Lennon’s
“Imagine”
nor
did
“Vonnegut’s
“Slaughterhouse
5”
nor
did
Picasso’s
“Guernica”.
So,
how
can
an
artist
with
a
pen,
a
guitar,
a
paintbrush
stop
an
Abrams
M1
main
battle
tank?
How
can
ideals
stop
a
bullet
from
a
Kalashnikov?
Well,
to
paraphrase
Carl
Schurz:
"Ideals
are
like
stars;
you
will
not
succeed
in
touching
them.
But
by
following
them,
you
can
reach
your
goal,
fulfil
your
destiny.”
Let
us
remember
what
UNESCO
is
–
Arts
and
Culture
are
its
raison
d’
être.
Consider
what
the
UN
stands
for
–
it
is
peace
in
all
four
corners
of
the
world.
Why
would
it
be
impossible
to
imagine
the
former
working
for
the
latter?
Why
should
something
that
is
not
a
force
of
nature
but
a
consequence
of
positive
and
creative
human
behaviour
be
“Impossible”?
Why
should
we
let
things
be?
Why
should
we
not
fight
for
what
we
believe
in
–
fight
not
with
the
force
of
arms,
but
unleashing
the
healing
powers
of
art!
A
battle
against
war
-­‐
via
art,
not
force.
Let
me
put
it
simply
–
if
peace…
reconciliation…
interfaith
tolerance…
multi-­‐culturalism…
social
justice…
sustainable
development…
if
all
of
these
were
businesses,
the
investors
would
have
pulled
out
a
long
time
ago.
But
none
of
these
is
a
business,
they
are
all
our
destiny.
If,
as
the
human
race,
we
do
not
want
to
hand
over
our
planet
to…say,
cockroaches
–
all
of
the
above
are
much
more
than
ideals,
they
are
goals
that
we
have
to
achieve.
The
idea
started
with
a
simple
yet
bold
suggestion
by
another
UNESCO
Artist
for
Peace,
Cecile
Guidote
Alvarez
whom
I
represent
today
–
a
peace
concert
for
the
Spratly
islands,
the
contested
archipelago
in
the
South
China
Sea.
The
idea
immediately
galvanised
other
members
of
South-­‐South
Cooperation
Council,
an
NGO
with
global
reach
to
which
Cecile
and
I
belong,
that
facilitates,
connects
and
instigates
projects
to
contribute
to
the
strengthening
of
peace
and
sustainable
development
within
a
South
–
South
Dialogue.
I
have
a
tangible
offering
to
share
with
you,
a
song

2. composed
in
Colombia
-­‐
“La
Paz”
–
“Peace”.
It
was
immediately
followed
up
with
a
version
in
Swahili
by
Congolese
artists
in
Astana,
and
students
in
Kazakhstan,
and
will
also
be
showcased
in
both
languages
of
the
former
warring
parties
in
Sri
Lanka.
Moroever,the
Phlippine
Earthsavers
UNESCO
Artist
for
Peace
will
celebrate
UNESCO
International
Arts
Education
Week
on
21st
May
with
a
world
premiere
on
child
warriors,
thus
opening
dialogue
on
children,
most
vulnerable
victims
of
war
together
with
the
song
“Child
of
War”
which
the
Director
General
viewed
in
Manila
performed
by
handicapable
artists
with
street
kids
and
indigenous
youth.
Together
with
writers,
photographers,
painters,
choreographers,
cinematographers,
we
want
to
reach
out
to
the
conflict
and
post-­‐conflict
areas.
What
the
Artists
want
is:
-­ To
achieve
reconciliation,
genuine
tolerance
and
respect
for
“the
other”
and
genuine
peace
as
the
basic
goals
which
could
benefit
from
interventions
via
art;
-­ To
act
preventively
where
appropriate
and
act
in
post-­‐conflict
situations
as
soon
as
feasible;
-­ Do
a
mapping
exercise
on
where
and
how
is
Art
already
applied
for
these
causes
and
identify
concepts
which
could
be
applicable
universally
or
regionally;
-­ To
identify
suitable
areas
for
pilot
projects
and
then
do
it.
Dare
you
dream
with
me
and
help
make
this
happen?
Have
Art
win
over
war?
What
I
propose
is
to
use
the
respected
and
esteemed
flag
of
UNESCO
to
build
up
the
only
acceptable
army
–
an
army
of
artists
creating
for
peace,
tolerance
and
reconciliation.
And
it
is
my
pleasure
to
announce
that
the
South-­‐South
Cooperation
Council
will
be
fielding
specific
project
proposals
within
weeks.
On
behalf
of
the
SSCC
team,
Cecile
Guidote
Alvarez
and
myself,
I
am
making
a
promise
here
and
now.
We
believe
in
the
power
of
art
to
build
a
more
peaceful,
resilient,
secure
and
sustainable
future
for
our
children.
We
hope
for
the
affirmation
and
blessing
of
our
colleagues
in
this
assembly
guided
by
the
Director
General
Dr.
Irina
Bokova´s
policy
of
a
new
humanism.
We
believe
that
with
your
support
we
can
achieve
what
others
may
consider
an
impossible
dream.
Paris,
10th
May
2016
Ivonne
A-­‐Baki