Wilhelm Augustat Int. Ass. PEACE through CULTURE Europe

to encourage and convince politicians, all citizens and peoples of the absolute necessity to take concrete steps leading to reliable actions within the civil society for a non-violent, peaceful and harmonious dealing with each other and structure all other interactions of civilizations and nations accordingly. 

The history of our joint endeavours goes back to 1992 when the International Association PEACE through CULTURE Moscow in partnership with PtC Europe and PtC Kazakhstan organized a first World Conference under the title “Towards Spiritual Concord“ in Almaty. Looking back to this beginning we can very well state that the international and national political resonance and feed-back over the decades since then, were most promising and not only was this path continued, but even maximized in 2010 with the 1st World Forum of Spiritual Culture held in Astana where we had the honour of participating.

In the meantime, unfortunately, we have to note that the global events of today even mark setbacks instead of progress in PEACE building when looking to the various levels of our civil societies. We are faced with extremely sad and particularly shameful results of our present time from a peace policy perspective where even nuclear powers from North America, Europe and Asia are involved. However, we should also take a critical position towards our own shortcomings and mistakes. What did we neglect in the past and how can we correct our own understanding so that successful actions can result from our engagement for PEACE?

WE, and here I am speaking of our own organization, will – no matter what! – in any case direct our best potential to most concrete international community projects that work for the FUTURE. In addition, we will concentrate our energies focused within the global Network PAX UNIVERSALIS, founded and centralized in Austria, for the benefit of a global process towards the immediate target: the foundation of a WORLD PEACE UNION!!! Leaders of today cannot but see clearly that a sound future of the ethnic groups and peoples in their own country can only be reached on the basis of non-violent fundaments securing peace from the very beginning! This concept for a safer future for all must take the first place of our attention – everything else can only be of second priority! In order to exercise this great task, certain institutions will have to be founded that will not lose momentum and will stay focused on this target. At the same time, such institutions will have to be part of all political decision making

processes so that they are on top of up-to-date information and current trends all the time!

As most of you know I myself come from Austria – but I brought my colleague and co-worker from Germany with me who will elaborate on the subject of PEACE in greater detail with pertaining fundamentals – addressed primarily to peace politicians and peace scientists. In this context let me remind you that it was Germany in the first place suffering from two terrible world wars with severe consequences over decades resulting in political and social separation and military occupation – experiences that certainly helped to produce a strong PEACE WILL in the consciousness and HEARTS of this people!

Our own Failures!

Current events reflect many facts unmercifully to us – what was neglected or even omitted etc... Therefore, we would like to take a short retrospective to the year 2010 from a peace political perspective. At that time we had presented most concrete peace building suggestions which, to our sincere regret, were not found in the final resolution formulated by our Russian and Kazakh colleagues! For this reason, we would like to repeat our issue in this meeting hoping that we will find a common understanding of the idea so that we can develop concrete steps for a gradual realization of this proposal.

We all are aware of the present situation in the whole of North Africa and the Arabic cultural region, with day and night bombings and alarming news of all kinds, connected with never ending flows of refugees. And in Europe the keyword UKRAINE draws our attention to the cancerous growth of WAR killing thousands and creating homeless millions of humans – destroying livelihood for an entire country. Only 4 years after our first WFSC in 2010, it is already a sum of billions of Dollars consumed by the consequences from this wrong thinking on the level of High Politics!

Of course, we must not forget the extreme material expenditure required for the military equipment for “future” confrontations which is permanently available. From these facts we can clearly take that the so called High Politics – no matter whether in the East, West, North or South – are far away from any serious peace activities and even unwilling to think in the direction of fundamental corrections to avoid military conflicts in the future!

I would like to use today’s opening conference to repeat the modules in short that were presented in our 2010 papers – those issues that will have to lead to the establishing of social institutions for practical work very soon:

1. The initiation of a WORLD PEACE INSTITUTE – preferably in Astana!

2. The initiation of a WORLD ETHICS ADVISORY BOARD (preferably in Switzerland or Austria)

3. The initiation of a WORLD CULTURAL ADVISORY BOARD (preferably in India or on Crimea?)

These ideas we believe will open up the path towards an education system considering the teaching of active peace building, peace care and the maintaining of peace to the young generations at school, in the universities etc. – just like any other topic of knowledge, on a worldwide basis!

Our Association PtC Europe interprets the subject of PEACE and WORLD PEACE as an obligation that each individual has to follow within all his possibilities during his and her lifetime! This means that every human being has to take efforts most seriously and in active steps in order to help build a non-violent, peaceful future for our children and grandchildren! We will strictly follow this idea in cooperation with other PEACE institutions and initiatives being active on a similar ethical level, because this very concept was introduced to all of us by the world renowned artist and intercultural carrier – Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich in his peace treaty PAX CULTURA in the USA around 1935. There is no doubt that the original concepts will have to be adapted to the needs of our time and we agree, there may be different opinions on the methods of practical performance. From a global and even Cosmic point of view, we believe that the most outstanding qualities in awareness and character building can only be

achieved in childhood! It is in this age that the future ethical fundaments for the attitude of a PEACE CARRIER are formed in attitude, thinking and acting! It is for this reason that we advocate strongly the establishing of qualified institutions by the state leaders, taking responsibility for the realization of concrete targets. It is today’s humanity that is responsible to use the momentum of awareness – who else is supposed to take charge in this seemingly helpless situation of mankind and of our planet – if not OURSELVES?!

Looking back to the cultural development of our civilizations since 1992, it is still Kazakhstan and the responsible politicians of this Republic who continue to be open for socially constructive ideas and concepts. In this context the unique body of the PEOPLES’ ASSEMBLY certainly has helped this country to form unity, since this Assembly unites the diversity of ethnics in open and profound meetings and dialogues, beyond the political and legislative institutions.

Our vision, therefore, would include the following possibility, as long as the leaders of Kazakhstan and Astana would be willing to go this direction:

To make Astana and even the whole of Kazakhstan a SOCIAL AND CULTURAL METROPOLIS taking over the task of WORLD PEACE BUILDING within Eurasia, i.e. Europe and Asia as an organic unity.

It is our conviction that political power structures grown over the past centuries will gradually experience a NEW order in many ways, since this is demanded by evolution! All politicians, therefore, who direct their efforts into the future, will have to realize that the new WORLD ORDER will not base on military and weapon technology and superiority!

Already we can see some positive development such as the unanimous decision by the community of thirty (30) Mid and South American states (UNASUR – Union of South-American Nations), where the official declaration of this political union was defined as a principle PEACE UNION and all state leaders committed themselves to this statement.

However, the citizens of Mid, West and Northern Europe in the meantime had to become aware of the horrible war possibility we all are confronted with.

What can we set against this true danger? There are some social and political developments and institutions developing increased PEACE fundaments – such as the trend of political and military NEUTRALITY!... Whereas several other states (such as Poland and the Baltic countries who all were part of the former Soviet Union) are now heading for ‘protection’ by NATO. Still others – especially those new concepts mentioned for the UNASUR and similar unions with state structures reflecting the ethnic components, are striving for NEUTRALITY with respect to their military status and in their foreign policy.

Summing up this brief introductory comment, I would like to take the opportunity of whishing to all of us who have come to Astana from various continents, countries and cultures that we will develop – in Spiritual Concord and with most serious efforts – ideas, concepts and realistic plans finally leading to a GLOBAL PEACE status for ALL! I cannot think of a more honourable task at this point in time!

In this context the most significant aspect for ethically based actions should be emphasized here once more – especially for politicians, but also for all human beings on our beautiful planet:

The extremely high importance and social value of NON-VIOLENCE – whether in domestic or foreign affairs !... an aspect valid for EACH INDIVIDUAL in his personal environment!

PEACE and JOY to you!