A line from the noble preamble of the UNESCO constitution states that "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed."

Although the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization often tends to attract attention mainly for its World Heritage registrations, its primary objective was originally to build peace. The organization was established the year after the conclusion of World War II. Members pledged to promote academic and cultural exchange, reflecting on how ignorance and a lack of understanding toward each other had emerged as a cause of conflict.

According to the U.S. State Department, the preamble to the constitution was written by Archibald MacLeish, a U.S. poet known for his humanitarianism. He was deployed as a soldier to France during World War I and became head of the Library of Congress just before the start of the second World War. He led the U.S. delegation to the conference that would establish UNESCO, and in his later years dedicated himself to farming.

UNESCO's constitution came into force on Nov. 4, 1946, meaning that we just passed its 78th anniversary. Looking at the world today, fighting continues in Ukraine and the Palestinian territory of Gaza, while societal divisions are deepening in Western and other countries.

Many World Heritage sites lie in battle zones. UNESCO has inscribed the historic center of Odesa in southern Ukraine and Saint Hilarion Monastery in Gaza on its "World Heritage in Danger" list, and has called for their preservation. In Lebanon, areas near Roman-era ruins have also been bombed.

Far from a lack of understanding toward other parties, hatred and hostility have grown, and it seems that the principles of the UNESCO constitution have been completely forgotten. MacLeish wrote, "A man who lives, not by what he loves but what he hates, is a sick man."

As we remember the anniversary of the constitution, we want to place our hands on our chests and ask, "Are we truly listening to differing opinions and building defenses of peace within our own minds?"

("Yoroku" is a front-page column in the Mainichi Shimbun)