The Declaration of the Dachau "IOU Respect" Cultural Exchange

"In a trying time in human history, Dr. Martin Luther King shared with the world his dream. It was a vision of unity amongst all human beings regardless of the colour of their skin, the culture they embrace, or the gods they may or may not worship. With his message in our hearts, it is with great honour that we, the respective delegates from Germany, Morocco, Tunisia, and the United States who are participating in the Dachau "IOU Respect" Cultural Exchange, declare that we also have a dream. 

Our dream is that all people one day will strive to find similarities in the face of differences and optimism in the winds of negativity. We feel that through sharing each other's cultures, religions, and personal beliefs we may overcome the adversity that spawns from ignorance. We agree to surpass the limitations of acceptance in favour of the beneficial enlightenment of mutual understanding. Such efforts will allow us to build bridges of peace from continent to continent. 

We declare that we will make the conscious effort to abandon stereotypes and instead will remember that people share similarities –both negative and positive, no matter what piece of land they call their home. Through programs like IOU Respect, sponsored by Hostelling International, we can explore and come to understand our differences and similarities and share these with the world.   

We declare respect."

Dachau, August 2004