International Catalan Institute for Peace ICIP

Presentation

At the end of 2007 the Parliament of Catalonia passed the “Law for the Promotion of Peace” resulting in the creation of the International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP).  Parliament chose, at the request of civil society and after a long period of deliberation and consensus building, to create a public organization, which would be institutional by nature, but also independent of government and private entities.  It would maintain its own legal individuality with full capacity to work both in public and private sectors. In addition, the ICIP would be a public entity, a public company, with full autonomy, but subject to private law.  The Institution is thus independent with the capacity to act in a manner, which is both accountable to Parliament, to the Catalan Government, to civil society as well as to all of its patrons.

The law which produced the ICIP states that it must provide services for and respond to citizens, the peace movement, universities, the academic world in general and public administrations, through the collaboration and organization of activities such as research, teaching, transfer of knowledge, dissemination of ideas and awareness and intervention in the field. It should do so, with conviction and by mandate, seeking synergies, collaborations, practicing the principle of subsidiarity and avoiding redundancies and duplications.

In order to achieve these goals the ICIP developed a Strategic Plan, 2009-2012, which, was submitted to the Consell Català del Foment de la Pau and Parliament of Catalonia as an open proposition.

The principle purpose of the ICIP is to promote a culture of peace in Catalonia as well as throughout the world, to endorse peaceful solutions and conflict resolutions and to endow Catalonia with an active role as an agent of peace. The ICIP, seeking consistency between ends and means, is governed by the principles which promote peace, democracy, justice, equality and equity in relationships between individuals, peoples, cultures, nations and states.  It holds the aim of working for human security, disarmament, the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts and social tensions, and strengthening the roots of peace and coexistence, peace building and advocacy of human rights.