Page 454 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

Related Intolerance also coincides with the General Assembly's proclaimed
Year for the Dialogue of Civilizations. Such mutually reinforcing action should
contribute to promoting tolerance, solidarity, and respect for diversity and
human dignity.

Here in Geneva, in addition to the artistic exhibitions we intend to
organize musical performances, movie festival and seminars for the young
opinion makers with the participation of prominent figures from art and
literature, philosophy and political science.

Last but not least in the education of human rights, in all the system of
coordinates, the major role belongs to the civil society. I strongly believe that
enrolling support of civil society is very important. Civil society has the
capacity to mobilize world public opinion and can play a leading role in
educational campaigns aimed at combating ignorance as one of the major
causes of disregard for human security. Civil society can hold Governments
and parliaments accountable for upholding their international commitments
and possibly entice them to act where they might be tempted to look the other
way.

* * *

To conclude, the world expects a lot from the ongoing Decade. Having
recently attended a number of conferences and hearings where civil society was
well represented, was struck by the concurrence of statements on the need to
improve implementation of existing Human Rights norms. The twentieth
century was a period of modem norms setting in the field of Human Rights and
the international community has played this role quite satisfactorily. The
twenty-first century will be the time for implementation of these norms and
thus for the international community, the greatest challenge still lays ahead.

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