Ei-iE

Following the violent attacks of 11th March in Madrid, which are linked to the 11th September attacks in the United States and which put us in a context of indiscriminate, unjustified and irrational violence resulting in the random murder of civilians, workers and students, EI condemns war and terrorism, whilst campaigning for democratic coexistence and calling for teachers worldwide to promote education for peace and intercultural learning. The Fourth World Congress of Education International, meeting in Porto Alegre (Brazil) from 22 to 26 July 2004:

1. Declares that: a. A year after the start of the Iraq war and Iraq's subsequent occupation without United Nations support, it is essential that international legality is restored without delay;

b. The UN, its own inspectors and the Americans have confirmed that Iraq did not possess any weapons of mass destruction after all;

c. The introduction of the strategy linked to "preventive war" represents an unprecedented attack on the beginnings of peaceful relations between nations, relations regulated by the rules of international law;

d. The invasion and occupation of Iraq has not helped to fight international terrorism. Quite the opposite, it has led to the development of fundamentalist tendencies, tendencies responsible for the bloody attack of 11th March in Madrid, among others.

2. Reiterates its defence of the fundamental values of freedom, democracy and equal rights for all peoples and nations, so that citizens' safety is combined with respect for the civic rights of all people;

3. Condemns the invasion and occupation of Iraq and the use of terrorist acts as a political weapon, whether individually, by a group or by a State, as well as the military attacks perpetrated by countries under the pretext of fighting international terrorism;

4. Demands: a. An end to militaristic policies and the resolution of conflicts by diplomatic and peaceful means;

b. An international policy based on justice and the respect of human rights, a policy capable of confronting extreme poverty and environmental destruction.

5. Confirms its solidarity with the Iraqi people, who must be able to recover their sovereignty by securing democratic and freely adopted institutions under UN supervision, and with the victims and their relatives affected by the terrorist attacks;

6. Supports a peaceful solution for the Middle East and the strict application of the UN resolutions regarding Palestinian territories;

7. Pledges to promote education for peace and intercultural learning as the best antidote to racist and fundamentalist phenomena in order to prevent social conflict and the recourse to social violence. The principles contained in the declarations of UNESCO, the UN and other international organisations must represent the foundation of education for peace and understanding amongst peoples.