Editorial by Hervé Morin,
President of the Normandy Region
I have envisaged the Normandy World Peace Forum as a hub for ideas and debates as well as a laboratory for experiments, proposals and initiatives directed at achieving permanent peace in the world.
This objective was formalized during the 2019 Forum, attended by four Nobel Peace Prize laureates, with the signature of the Normandy Manifesto for World Peace . This Manifesto calls for everyone, from citizens to civil society representatives, to act in the service of peace.
In line with this Manifesto, the Parliamentarians for Peace project, organized jointly with the Open Diplomacy Institute and the Normandy Region, brought together nine elected representatives from the entire political spectrum to reflect on innovative peace building initiatives.
Together, they worked on the three main factors threatening peace highlighted during the 2020 Normandy World Peace Forum: environmental deteriorations, social upheavals and the digital revolution.
The current pandemic affecting the entire world has highlighted the vulnerabilities of the international system as a whole, as well as the absolute necessity of cooperation if permanent solutions to the crisis are to be found. The work of the Parliamentarians for Peace has itself been affected by the pandemic but members of the Project have been able to find solutions to preserve the crucial cooperation which is crucial among them.
The final Declaration, which I have the honor to preface, contains the results of the parliamentarians collective analysis as well as a confirmation of their engagement to support all initiatives in their respective countries that would promote the ideals of peace and freedom. This objective will be pursued, made audible and relayed to their respective national parliaments.
I encourage everyone to support, reach and get involved in these initiatives and I look forward to seeing you at the 2021 Forum, to take this project to the next step.
Editorial by Senator Catherine Morin-Desailly and Thomas Friang, Co-chairs of the P4P
Our world is affected by social upheavals, increasing geopolitical tensions and quick developing environmental dangers. Crafting a sustainable peace amid these distressing conditions has never been more difficult, and requires bolder political will.
The Normandy World Peace Forum offers a major opportunity to bring together international leaders to uphold conflict resolution through mediation, dialogue and reflection. This is the role of Parliaments too.
This is the reason why the Open Diplomacy Institute and the Normandy Region developed, at the heart of the Normandy World Peace Forum, a new driver for peace: the Parliamentarians for Peace programme. We have brought together ten members of parliaments at the Forum to highlight concrete and impactful policy solutions for peace guided by shared principles.
Because of the pandemic and the way it affects more and more people all over the planet, we hope that this transnational legislative cooperation initiative will foster peace, both for the short term and the long run, as the World Normandy Peace Forum aims at.
