Category Archives: FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Iran protests 2026: our surveys show Iranians agree more on regime change than what might come next

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An article dated January 12 from The Conversation

Iranians have shown a willingness to pay a devastating price for political change, as protest has consistently been met by the Islamic Republic with violence and mass killing. The death toll since Iranians took to the streets on December 28 has reportedly passed 500, with more than 10,000 arrested. Incoming reports put the casualty count much higher.

A clear majority of Iranians do not want the theocracy that came to power with the 1979 revolution. They want a secular democracy. But what does public opinion tell us about what that should entail and how this change should be achieved?

Measuring public opinion in one of the world’s most repressive countries is not an easy matter. Conventional surveys conducted through (landline) phones or by face-to-face interviews tend to reflect an implausibly homogeneous Islamic and pro-regime society. By contrast, Gamaan — the Group for Analysing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran — conducts surveys anonymously through the internet.

Our research is based on representative samples of anything from tens of thousands to over 100,000 respondents. In 2020 a Gamaan survey revealed a diverse, secularising and dissident society, in which around 70% rejected the compulsory hijab. These numbers materialised in the streets in 2022, during the “woman life freedom”  protests (find out more about sample characteristics, weighting information, and external benchmark tests at gamaan.org and this Wapor methodology webinar).

To improve randomisation, we collaborate with Psiphon VPN, which is widely used across Iran. By 2025, an estimated 90% of Iranian internet users relied on VPNs to access blocked platforms, including basic messaging apps such as Whatsapp.

This level of coverage enabled what we call VPN sampling, yielding large, socially diverse samples under conditions of safety and anonymity. Combined with scale, anonymity offers reliable insight into what Iranians really want. The latest survey on the 12-day war with Israel, taken in September 2025, secured more than 30,000 responses from inside the country.

Why protests, again? What is different?

Our surveys consistently show that the majority shares a consensus on what it does not want. Across provinces, rural and urban areas, age groups and gender, roughly 70–80% say  they would not vote for the Islamic Republic.

In all survey waves, support for regime change as a precondition for meaningful progress has been the most popular position. This support previously spiked during the “woman life freedom” protests. We believe we are currently witnessing another spike, given the increase observed after the 12-day war.

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Questions related to this article:
 
How can we be sure to get news about peace demonstrations?

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In contrast with the context of previous protests, the regime is militarily weakened from the 12-day war, during which many senior commanders were killed. Iran is now culturally weakened, no longer able to enforce the compulsory hijab. It is also economically weakened, with a plummeting currency.

Iranians believe that protests, foreign pressure and intervention are more likely to bring about political change than elections and reforms. They were thus emboldened when, for the first time, a US president threatened intervention  should protesters be killed. This came days after the abduction by the US military of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, a key ally of the Islamic Republic.

What might lie ahead?

Protesters today separate the very idea of Iran from the Islamic Republic. They view the regime as an alien element, an occupying force. This has long been expressed in slogans such as “Our enemy is right here, they lie that it is America” and “Not Gaza, not Lebanon, I only give my life for Iran” (supported respectively by 73% and 64% when we tested them in 2021).

The popularity of Reza Pahlavi, the former crown prince in exile who represents inherited monarchical nationalism, can be understood in light of this Iran-first mentality. Pahlavi’s social base remained stable in Gamaan’s surveys between 2022 and 2025. Roughly one-third are strong supporters and another third strongly oppose him. The remaining segment somewhat agrees or disagrees, or expresses no opinion.

The current surge in pro-Pahlavi slogans suggests that his popularity is attracting segments of the latter moderate or undecided population. But our surveys found that his popularity is unevenly distributed. It is lower in provinces with higher ethnic minority populations, such as the Kurds, Azeri Turks and Baluch.

Although there is no consensus on the form or structure of an alternative political system, it is noteworthy that in 2025 there was, for the first time, a marked increase in support for monarchy. Given the significant size of those who do not voice a strong opinion on the alternative, any group that can successfully topple the Islamic Republic will have an advantage in convincing the majority to adopt its proposed model.

Iranians overwhelmingly support a “democratic political system” – with 89% in favour. Support for political liberalism, however, is weaker. In 2024, 43% agreed with having “a strong leader who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”. This view is significantly higher among those without higher education – among monarchists, it is 49%.

These facts should not be lamented or mocked but understood, if the threat of a lack of liberalism is to be mitigated. While nationalism may generate the force of a revolutionary storm capable of toppling the regime, long-term stability, after the fall of the Islamic Republic, will also require an acceptance of Iran’s cultural and ideological diversity as permanent features of a truly free nation

(Editor’s note: In suppressing the demonstrations, the Iranian government claimed that it was manipulated by the United States and Israel, i.e. by agents of Mossad and the CIA. Reliable sources from Israel, such as the Jerusalem Post, suggest that this probably has some truth.

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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Mideast

Appeal by Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel. For Peace and Unity. “Listen to the Voice of the People”

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An appeal from SERPAJ, Servicio Paz y Justicia

We, the signatories of this Appeal, are protagonists of our own lives and walk alongside our peoples in their fights and hopes for a more just and fraternal world.

We express our deep concern and our strongest rejection of the attempts by the government of Donald Trump, President of the United States, to invade Venezuela. Such actions would violate international treaties, agreements, protocols, and UN declarations, flagrantly disregarding the sovereignty and self-determination of the peoples.

We likewise bear in mind the bombings of Iran by the United States and Israel, which also threaten its sovereignty.

DECISIONS ENDANGERING WORLD PEACE

Latin America is a Zone of Peace. An attack on Venezuela is an attack on the entire continent.

WE EXIGE THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL of the United States armed forces from the Caribbean, whose actions have provoked attacks and deaths of innocent fishermen, sinking their boats under the false pretext that the Venezuelan government is responsible for drug trafficking in the United States.

WE EXIGE President Trump to cease his threats against the governments of Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, countries that defend their sovereignty and their freedom and do not submit to the colonialism of the United States.

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(Click here for the version in Spanish or here for the version in French or click here here for the version in Spanish .)

Question related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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The world is experiencing a profound uncertainty due to wars, conflicts, and hunger in various regions, factors that endanger World Peace. We are facing an unpredictable escalation: we know how wars begin, but no one knows how they end.

Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people has caused an extermination that hurts all of humanity. Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to provoke deaths and hunger in the Gaza Strip, with the support and complicity of the United States and several European countries.

We likewise bear in mind the bombings of Iran by the United States and Israel, which also threaten its sovereignty.

DECISIONS ENDANGERING WORLD PEACE

Latin America is a Zone of Peace. An attack on Venezuela is an attack on the entire continent.

WE EXIGE THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL of the United States armed forces from the Caribbean, whose actions have provoked attacks and deaths of innocent fishermen, sinking their boats under the false pretext that the Venezuelan government is responsible for drug trafficking in the United States.

WE EXIGE President Trump to cease his threats against the governments of Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, countries that defend their sovereignty and their freedom and do not submit to the colonialism of the United States.

The world is experiencing a profound uncertainty due to wars, conflicts, and hunger in various regions, factors that endanger World Peace. We are facing an unpredictable escalation: we know how wars begin, but no one knows how they end.

Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people has caused an extermination that hurts all of humanity. Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to provoke deaths and hunger in the Gaza Strip, with the support and complicity of the United States and several European countries.

You can sign the Appeal here.

(Editor’s note: Thank you to Alicia Cabezudo for having sent this to CPNN.)

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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, HUMAN RIGHTS

Peace Manifesto Update

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In the CPNN bulletins of May and June, 2025, we announced the following Peace Manifesto 2025, saying that CPNN cannot be content to report the news for a culture of peace. We must create it.

Here is an update on the Peace Manifesto as we enter 2026.

Strategy

The overall goal is to establish a popular movement for the culture of peace linked by social media around the world that is ready to transform global governance when the present system of governance controlled by the billionaires collapses in a global economic crash

The strategy is to make the Peace Manifesto 2025 viral in all social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, WhatsApp, Telegram, Bluesky, Vkontakte, Tencent Qq, Weibo) to the point that millions of people are engaged around the world

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Question related to this article:
 
Can you help spread the Peace Manifesto on social media?

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Tactics

1. establish Activating Teams of 3 or 4 youth and students who support each other in regular contact to continue pumping out Peace Manifesto posts by social media to their media friends and networks on a regular basis for a long-term, urging them to repost in order to make the Manifesto viral.  Activating Teams should be established in all regions of the world.  

2. establish a communication system (by WhatsApp and email) linking the all of the Activating Teams to each other and to The Peace Manifesto Team in order to exchange news of what works and what does not work, and suggestions of how to improve the tactics and strategy. 

At The Peace Manifesto Team, we have finalized a Volunteer Action Agreement to be signed by us and the Activating Team Members.  This provides the guidelines for action.  We have also finalized a Certificate of Achievement to be signed by The Peace Manifesto Team and sent to each Activating Team once it has begun work. 

We would appreciate your involvement in this process as an Activating Team, and we look forward to working with you on this important initiative.  More than ever, the world needs a popular movement for the culture of peace.

You may contact us at info@activatingpeace.org

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

Julian Assange says peace prize has become “instrument of war” and sues Nobel

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An article from the Peoples Dispatch (reprinted according to Creative Commons  Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license)

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange filed a criminal complaint on Tuesday, December 17, against the Nobel Foundation, accusing 30 members of the organization, including its chairwoman and executive director, of involvement in serious crimes under Swedish law. The action challenges the Norwegian Nobel Peace Committee’s decision to award this year’s prize  to far-right Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado.

Assange is requesting the immediate freezing of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately USD 1.18 million) scheduled to be transferred to Machado, arguing that awarding the prize completely distorts the principles expressed in Alfred Nobel’s will, which stipulated that the prize should go to whoever worked for fraternity among nations and the reduction of standing armies.

In the complaint submitted to Sweden’s Economic Crimes Authority and War Crimes Unit, Assange maintains that the selection of María Corina  “converted an instrument of peace into an instrument of war.” The legal filing mentions possible crimes including misappropriation of funds, facilitation of war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as financing the crime of aggression. Assange argues that “Machado’s incitement of the largest US military buildup since the Iraq war makes her categorically ineligible.”

Read more: Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize “stained with blood,” social movements warn

The document lists recent public statements by the Venezuelan politician, such as explicit support for the United States’ military strategy in the Caribbean, her advocacy for military intervention in the South American country, and alignment with the offensive by Donald Trump, the US president reelected in 2024. “Alfred Nobel’s endowment for peace cannot be spent on the promotion of war,” Assange stated in the filing.

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Question related to this article:
 
Julian Assange, Is he a hero for the culture of peace?

The Nobel Peace Prize: Does it go to the right people?

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Beyond challenging the selection of María Corina, the WikiLeaks founder questions why the Nobel Foundation did not exercise the same oversight it had in 2018, when it suspended the transfer of the Literature prize. Assange notes that the administrators have a legal obligation to ensure compliance with Alfred Nobel’s will, and that any disbursement contrary to its purpose may constitute a crime.

Between war and oil: Nobel deepens international crisis

The complaint comes amid a major US military escalation in the Caribbean region. Just two days after the Nobel Peace ceremony on December 10, Trump announced that military attacks on Venezuela “would begin by land.” The deployment of more than 15,000 soldiers, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, is considered by analysts to be the largest US military deployment in the Caribbean since the Missile Crisis in 1962.

María Corina, who has been in exile since July 2024 following coup attempts against Nicolás Maduro’s reelection, welcomed the mobilization. In an interview with CBS, she declared unconditional support for Trump’s strategy and said she aspires to the Venezuelan presidency following a possible foreign intervention.

Assange

Assange’s own trajectory is also directly shaped by conflicts like those now involving Venezuela. Persecuted for more than a decade for revealing war crimes committed by the US in Afghanistan and Iraq, he spent seven years in asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London and five years imprisoned under maximum security  in the United Kingdom. Released in June 2024 following a judicial agreement with the US, he now lives in Australia, his home country.

Assange’s criminal complaint against the Nobel Foundation requests, among other measures, that the money be frozen, the medal returned, the foundation members investigated, and that the case potentially be referred to the International Criminal Court. For the activist, the 2025 prize marks a dangerous turning point: “María Corina Machado may have tipped the scales in favor of war, facilitated by the named suspects.”

First published in Portuguese at Brasil de Fato.

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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

France: Coop-médias Invests in 5 Independent Media Outlets

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An article from Coop-Medias

One year after its creation, Coop-médias, the citizen cooperative that supports, promotes, and defends independent media, has reached a key milestone in its mission to promote media pluralism: funding independent media outlets.

Basta!, Fracas, Marsactu, Street-Press, and Vert: these are the names of the first five media outlets supported by Coop-médias, one year before its launch in October 2024. From among the dozen or so projects submitted, these five outlets were chosen by the cooperative’s Board of Directors, which prioritized the potential to strengthen their business models as well as their impact on media pluralism and quality.


Why raise funds?

Largely underfunded by both public programs and the private banking system, independent media outlets struggle to invest in developing stable business models. Coop-médias addresses this need by raising citizen savings to finance media projects of general interest, essential for media pluralism.

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(Click here for the French original of this article.)

Questions related to this article:

Free flow of information, How is it important for a culture of peace?

How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?

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Indeed, thanks to its cooperative model based on citizen participation, pooling resources, and transparency, Coop-médias raised over €850,000 in its first year of operation, €250,000 of which will be allocated to this initial funding.

So, what exactly will they do with this money?

Basta! – €50,000 over 4 years: creation of an online portal for independent media offering an alternative to Google News with over 80 French and 250 international sources, to increase the visibility of the richness and diversity of the independent press.

Fracas – €55,000 over 7 years: funding for a new editorial format, a hybrid of traditional journalism and a manual, designed to encourage mobilization around major societal issues, beginning with the publication of a first special issue: “A Manual for Media Response.”

Marsactu – €30,000 over 5 years: complete overhaul of the community management system (subscribers, newsletters, social media, etc.) on a shared technical platform across multiple media outlets. Local independents to reduce dependence on Big Tech.

StreetPress  – €50,000 over 4 years: strengthening the media outlet’s economic tools with a view to increasing coverage of the far right in France and redesigning the website with an eco-design and digital commons approach that can benefit the ecosystem.

Vert  – €50,000 over 5 years: developing podcast content production and structuring the video department with the aim of creating new, innovative, and accessible formats to reach new audiences and strengthen its impact on environmental issues.
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Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Spain: Four Days of Activities for Peace

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An article by Gabriel Aguirre in World Beyond War

Barcelona, Spain was the location of a meeting of various organizations and activists organized by the Delàs Center for Peace and the International Peace Bureau — of which World BEYOND War is a member.


Conference of the International Peace Bureau

On Thursday, October 23, a peace conference was organized, which had the title “Pacifism in Times of Genocide and Rearmament.” At the event activists from Palestine, researchers, and representatives of organizations shared their reflections on the current global political context. For his part, Gabriel Aguirre, organizer for Latin America of World BEYOND War, shared the urgency of raising the complaint against the current threats by the U.S. government in the Caribbean, through the militarization of this area with the aim of militarily attacking Venezuela.

The event continued on Friday with the use of working groups that addressed thematic axes related to: “Global Disarmament and Militarization”, “Geopolitical Changes and reform of Global governance”, “Solidarity with Palestine and the People who are victims of militarization around the world”, and “Peace, Climate, Social and Gender Justice.” These spaces served to exchange visions and build proposals for common actions.

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Question related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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During the weekend of October 25 and 26, the triennial meeting of the International Peace Bureau was held, with the objective of evaluating the work, and advancing in strategic planning.

During this meeting the global situation was also evaluated, where Gabriel Aguirre was able to mention the serious situation of militarization in Latin America, through the deployment of troops in several countries, and more recently in the Caribbean, with the presence of warships, nuclear-capable submarines, with the support of the Southern Command and the IV Fleet, as well as the use of United States and NATO military bases on the continent, this should undoubtedly alert the global peace movement to speak about the true interests of this deployment protected by the false narrative of combating drug cartels. U.S. actions have the goal of seizing strategic resources in Latin America. The collective call of all attendees was to reinforce solidarity with all of Latin America and particularly Venezuela and Colombia.

In recent days, we have shared a petition to denounce the current situation in the Caribbean, if you have not yet signed it we ask that you do so here.

The activity also highlighted Spain’s role in responding negatively to the United States’ desire to increase the military budgets of NATO members.

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Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

World Social Forum Heads to Benin: A Comeback for African Civil Society?

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Articles from Peace Magazine and Habitat International Coalition

Next year’s World Social Forum (WSF) will take place August 4–8 in Cotonou, the capital of Benin. It will mark the seventeenth edition of the global gathering since the first was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2001. The Benin forum represents a revival of African civil society, which has struggled in recent years”.


Unlike the corporate-driven World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the WSF has always positioned itself as its counterpoint: a space for grassroots movements, activists, and civil society organizations (CSOs) to network across borders, debate urgent global issues, and share alternative visions for development.

This time, the spotlight falls on Benin, a small West African nation tasked by the WSF International Board with hosting duties. Civil society groups in the region lobbied hard for it, securing government backing—and even commitments to expand the Cotonou airport and other infrastructure— to accommodate the expected flood of participants.


For many, the Benin forum represents a revival of African civil society, which has struggled in recent years under political repression, funding shortages, and organizational challenges. Previous WSFs in Africa were held in Mali (2006), Kenya (2007), Senegal (2011), and Tunisia (2013). But why choose Benin, a relatively small and little-known state among Africa’s 54 countries?


The answer lies partly in its geography and history. Benin—home to 15 million people—sits between Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo. To the north, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali have banded together as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a bloc of military-led governments gaining notoriety for their populist stances, anti-French rhetoric, and growing alignment with Russia.

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Question for this article:

World Social Forums, Advancing the Global Movement for a Culture of Peace?

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By contrast, Benin’s story is one of peaceful transition. The country moved from a MarxistLeninist regime to a multiparty democracy, and today boasts more than 300 active NGOs across sectors. For advocates, it’s a promising setting at a moment when Africa is asserting more autonomy and experimenting with indigenous forms of governance. For more details, visit FSM 2026.

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From November 20–21, 2024, the Global Convergence for the Struggle for Land and Water (CGLTE-OA) held a pivotal workshop in Cotonou, Benin, setting the stage for the highly anticipated 2026 World Social Forum (WSF). Bringing together key stakeholders, including traditional leaders, trade unions, and civil society organizations, the event sought to evaluate progress, galvanize support, and establish structures to ensure the success of the forum. HIC participated in this encounter represented by HIC African Coordinator, Desmond Chiese. . . .

The 2026 World Social Forum promises to be a landmark event, addressing critical global challenges while fostering dialogue and collaboration for sustainable development. With the structures and strategies laid out during this workshop, CGLTE-OA and its partners are poised to make this forum an enduring legacy of progress, inclusion, and global solidarity.

Stay tuned for updates as we count down to WSF 2026 in Cotonou!

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Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Jane Goodall: Remembering Dr. Jane

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An article from the Jane Goodall website

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace and world-renowned ethologist, conservationist, and humanitarian, has died at the age of 91 of natural causes.

Dr. Jane was known around the world for her 65-year study of wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania. However, in the latter part of her life she expanded her focus and became a global advocate for human rights, animal welfare, species and environmental protection, and many other crucial issues.

Jane was passionate about empowering young people to become involved in conservation and humanitarian projects and she led many educational initiatives focused on both wild and captive chimpanzees. She was always guided by her fascination with the mysteries of evolution, and her staunch belief in the fundamental need to respect all forms of life on Earth.

Born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall, Jane was the eldest daughter of businessman and racing car driver Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall and writer Margaret Myfanwe Joseph.

Jane was passionate about wildlife from early childhood, and she read avidly about the natural world. Her dream was to travel to Africa, learn more about animals, and write books about them. Having worked as a waitress to save enough money for a sea passage to Kenya, Jane was advised to try to meet respected paleontologist Dr. Louis Leakey. Louis employed her as a secretary at the National Museum in Nairobi, and this led to her being offered the opportunity to spend time with Louis and Mary Leakey in at the Olduvai Gorge in search of fossils.

Having witnessed Jane’s patience and determination there, Louis asked her to travel to Tanzania, to study families of wild chimpanzees in the forest of Gombe.
Looking back, Jane always said she’d have “studied any animal” but felt extremely lucky to have been given the chance to study man’s closest living relative in the wild.

On July 14th, 1960, Jane arrived in Gombe for the first time. It was here that she developed her unique understanding of chimpanzee behaviour and made the ground-breaking discovery that chimpanzees use tools. An observation that has been credited with “redefining what it means to be human.”

Knowing Jane’s work would only be taken seriously if she was academically qualified, and despite her having no degree, Louis arranged for Jane to study for a PhD in Ethology at Newnham College, Cambridge. Jane’s doctoral thesis, The Behaviour of Free-living Chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve, was completed in 1965. Her three-month study evolved into an extraordinary research program lasting decades and it is still ongoing today.

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Questions related to this article:

How can we carry forward the work of the great peace and justice activists who went before us?

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Jane was married twice. Her first husband, Hugo van Lawick, was a Dutch baron and wildlife photographer working for National Geographic when they met. Jane and Hugo divorced in 1974, and Jane later married Derek Bryceson, a member of Tanzania’s parliament and a former director of Tanzania’s National Parks. Derek died in 1980.

During her life Jane authored more than 27 books for adults and children, and featured in numerous documentaries and films, as well as two major IMAX productions. In 2019, National Geographic opened Becoming Jane, a travelling exhibit focused on her life’s work, which is still touring across the United States. Her latest publication, The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Her awards and accolades span the scale of human achievement. In 2002, she was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Two years later, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) at Buckingham Palace. Jane was also awarded the United States Presidential Medial of Freedom, French Légion d’honneur, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, Japan’s prestigious Kyoto Prize, the Ghandi-King Award for Nonviolence, The Medal of Tanzania, and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. In addition, she has been recognized by local governments, educational establishments, and charities around the world.

Jane founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in 1977, initially to support the research at Gombe. There are now 25 JGI offices operating diverse programs around the world.

In 1991, Jane founded Roots & Shoots, her global humanitarian and environmental program for young people of all ages. The initiative began with just 12 high school students in Dar es Salaam. Today, Roots & Shoots is active in over 75 countries. Roots & Shoots members are empowered to become involved in hands-on programs to affect positive change for animals, the environment, and their local communities.

In 2017, Jane founded the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation, to ensure the ongoing stability of the core programs she’d created – her life’s work.

Throughout her life and remarkable career, Jane inspired generations of scientists, brought hope to countless people from all walks of life, and urged us all to remember that “every single one of us makes a difference every day – it is up to us as to the kind of difference we make.” Her legacy continues with the ongoing research at Gombe, the community-led conservation program Tacare, the work of the sanctuaries Chimp Eden in South Africa and Tchimpounga in the Republic of the Congo, and Roots & Shoots empowering young people to become involved in hands on programs for the community, animals and the environment.

Though Jane travelled 300 days a year, her home was in Bournemouth, United Kingdom, in the house her grandmother and mother had lived in before her. Her sister Judy Waters and her family played a huge role in supporting Jane’s work over the decades, providing a warm welcome whenever she returned home. Jane is survived by her son Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick (affectionately known as Grub) and her three grandchildren, Merlin, Angel, and Nick.

(Editor’s note: Thank you to the Transcend News Service for calling out attention to this article.

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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

Japan: September 21st is International Peace Day: Calligraphers and high school students pray for peace through calligraphy in Kagoshima City

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An article from Newsdig (Translated from Japanese by Google translator)

Today, September 21st, is the United Nations’ International Day of Peace. At a shrine in Kagoshima City, calligraphers from the prefecture and high school students took up their brushes to write messages of hope for peace.

This event is held annually by the Wa Project TAISHI at shrines across the country to coincide with International Peace Day on September 21st.


(Click on image to enlarge)

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Question related to this article:

What is happening for the International Day of Peace?

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On the 21st, at Gokoku Shrine in Kagoshima City, calligraphers Matsuda Yoshinobu and Ueno Hiroko, both natives of the prefecture, and students from the calligraphy club at Shonan High School wrote messages of peace.

(Wada Haruka, Calligraphy Club Leader, Shonan High School) “This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, and I’m glad that I was able to write at this event while praying for world peace.”

(Calligrapher Matsuda Yoshinobu) “I hope that young people today will have even just a few opportunities to think about peace.”

The message written on the 21st will be displayed at Gokoku Shrine until the 1st of next month.

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East Asia, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Tanzania marks peace day amid election calls for calm

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An article from The Citizen, Tanzania

Dar es Salaal. Tanzania will join the world in marking the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2025, with this year’s commemoration carrying special weight as the country approaches the General Election.

Calls for calm have grown louder from both national leaders and grassroots groups, highlighting the importance of safeguarding harmony as political competition intensifies.


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President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi have both placed peace at the heart of their campaign messages.

Speaking in Makunduchi, Zanzibar, on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, President Hassan urged Tanzanians to embrace unity during the election period, saying: “Peace is the foundation of our democracy. Without it, no election, no development, and no progress can take place.”

President Mwinyi echoed her message, reminding citizens that Tanzania’s tradition of tolerance and cohesion must never be taken for granted.

“We must all stand guard to protect our peace. It is our greatest strength as a nation,” he said.

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Question related to this article:

What is happening for the International Day of Peace?

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Their remarks set the tone for this year’s International Day of Peace events in Tanzania, which opened on September 18, 2025, with the second Youth, Peace and Security Forum in Dar es Salaam.

The three-day forum has drawn young people from across the country, alongside religious leaders, diplomats, civil society groups, and government officials.

Its theme, ‘Youth and Peace: Take Action Now to Sustain a Culture of Peace’, highlights the role of young people in shaping a stable future.

The African Leadership Initiative for Impact (ALII), Executive Director, Mr Joseph Malekela, said the forum would address four priorities: youth participation in decision-making, the role of young people in digital spaces, economic empowerment as a safeguard against crime, and youth-led climate action.

“Young people make up the majority of Tanzania’s population. When empowered on peace and security, they become the backbone of a resilient nation,” Mr Malekela said.

He revealed the forum would end with a peace walk from Coco Beach to the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JKCI) as a public demonstration of unity.

The Ministry of Labour, Youth, Employment, and Persons with Disabilities has also pledged support.

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