Museum for peace to be inaugurated

The Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Progreso Humano will inaugurate a new peace museum and announce plans for a campaign for worldwide arms control today.

The museum is on Avenida 2 opposite the Plaza de la Democracia and its purpose is to show the dividends of peace and the costs of war, said the foundation in an announcement.
The museum will recount the recent history of Central America and the wars that were fought, including that in Nicaragua. . . .

. . . . Costa Rica is known by many as the Switzerland of the Americas. Surrounded by countries often ridden with conflict, it serves as an example of a democratic society with decentralized power. Costa Rica's budget for education, social welfare, and heath care take precedence over its budget for the military. In fact, the country's constitution abolished its armed forces in 1948; Civil, Rural, and Municipal Guards subsequently maintain its internal security. Since 1869, school attendance has been mandatory and free. . . .

. . . In 1987, [Costa Rica] President Arias Sanchez was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for recognition of his peace brokering efforts in the strife-torn countries of Central America. Working with the leaders of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, Arias set dates for ceasefires between governments and rebel forces, ensured amnesty for political prisoners and scheduled democratic elections in these countries. His plan for peace in Central America came at a time when many of Costa Rica's neighbours were being torn apart by war and the countries determination to remain neutral was stretched to the limit. The proceeds of the prize were used to set up the Arias Foundation, one of whose projects is the Peace Museum. . . .