Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-03-Speech-3-146"
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"en.20030903.6.3-146"2
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"Mr President, as we discuss the war in Iraq we should realise immediately that never in the history of the world has there been a war in which the vast majority of victims have not been innocent civilians. For that reason, it should be our primary objective now, as we enter the new century and the new millennium, to do all in our power to ensure that Iraq is the last war in the history of the world.
The way to do that for the European Union should be as follows: instead of sending armies to areas of conflict, we should be sending the philosophy and principles of peace, plus a large team of officials to promote dialogue. I know what I am talking about in this regard. The European Union is in a very powerful position to do this. Look at the century we have just left. The first half was the worst in the history of the world: two world wars and 50 million human beings slaughtered. Who could have forecast that in the second half of that century all those countries would be together or that we would be all together as we are today? Therefore, we should study how that was done and how the philosophy behind it was sent to every area of conflict.
Principle number one of the European Union is respect for difference. What is all conflict about? Difference in religion, nationality and race. The answer to difference is to respect it. Principle number two is to have institutions to do that. Principle number three creates the circumstances in which they can then all work together in their common interests and break down the barriers of the past. Those are the three principles we have in our peace process in Northern Ireland.
The European Union and all the world's major countries should come together to create that kind of world and to take the necessary steps to prevent war. The European Union itself, as I have said before – given that it is the best example in the history of the world of conflict resolution – might begin by creating a Commissioner for peace and reconciliation, backed up by a department of peace and reconciliation, which could be sent to areas of conflict with the principles of conflict resolution that are the heart of the European Union. In doing that, let us build a world for the new century and the new millennium in which there will no longer be any war or any conflict but total respect for diversity. Because when you look at humanity no two human beings are the same. Difference is the essence of humanity, and it should therefore be totally respected and never fought over."@en1
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