It is therefore urgent to do everything in our power, with determination and tenacity, to reverse the processes which have made our 20th century the scene of the greatest carnage in history. We will transmit to the children of the third millenium the wonders of our technology, with its promises of progress in all of Life's spheres. If we are to escape from the ever-increasing threat of famines, war, poverty, exclusion and ecological catastrophees, then our children must acquire the wisdom that we lack. This aim of Appeal is not senseless dramatisation. The aim of the Appeal is to bring people together to reflect, in the simplest of terms, on the future we want to build for ourselves and our children.
Life is permanent transformation by organic processes.
But Peace is not an inborn reflex. It is something to be accquired, learnt, merited. We believe that it is our duty to participate in the eclosion of a peace generation. It is our duty to help them become aware of the possible alternatives, so that they may live in self-respect, at peace with their consciences, at peace with their world. How the Appeal started The first person to express the idea that non-violence should be taught to children at school was Thich Nhat Hanh.