It is not utopia nor idealism asking the world leaders for decisive answers about their programmes to combat crushing poverty, to protect the environment and to eliminate nuclear weapons. In this way they would therefore fulfil their duty to leave a sustainable world to the next generation. This is what the Nobel Peace Laureates Betty Williams, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Muhammad Yunus, Mikhail Gorbachev and H.H. the Dalai Lama firmly stated during the closing press conference of the 8th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates of Rome.
The Nobel Laureates also presented the ‘Charter for a World without violence’ which Gorbachev has addressed like - “the result of two years of work with the aim to combat the spreading violence worldwide”.

In the document accompanying the Charter it is stated that - “We as Nobel Peace Laureates and Peace Laureate organizations have a duty to demand answers to these questions and we commit to continue to press political candidates and all world leaders for responses. We encourage citizens, especially youth who will be most effected by the answer to these questions, to energetically pursue them also. Further, we expect the press to insist that candidates and leaders articulate their plans to ensure a sustainable and just future”.

“The Charter for a World without violence is not an utopian document - as it has been stressed by prof. Yunus, known as the “banker of the poor” since his Grameen Bank - the world is changing quickly and if we are not brave and daring we will not be able to make the difference. If all the citizens of the world comply with the Charter, the world will not be the one imposed by our leaders. Poverty is not inborn in humankind. Poverty is imposed by the system. We must change the system”.