Category Archives: FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

India: Activist Disha Ravi, 22, Arrested Over Toolkit, Faces Conspiracy Charge

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from NDTV

A 22-year-old climate activist from Bengaluru, Disha Ravi, was the first person to be arrested by the Delhi Police in the case involving “Toolkit” tweeted earlier this month by Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg to show support for protesting farmers. The police — which earlier said “Toolkit” was a Khalistani conspiracy — have accused her of being a key conspirator in the document’s formulation and dissemination and alleged that she is trying to revive a Khalistani group.

Video about Disha Ravi arrest

“I did not make Toolkit. We wanted to support the farmers. I edited two lines on February 3,” Disha Ravi told the Delhi court where she was produced earlier on Sunday. She wasn’t accompanied by any lawyer and spoke in the court for herself. The court has sent her to police custody for five days for further questioning. Several opposition parties and activists have condemned the arrest.

Here are the Top 10 points in this big story:

* “Disha Ravi is an Editor of the Toolkit Google Doc & key conspirator in document’s formulation & dissemination,” the Delhi Police tweeted, adding that she started a WhatsApp Group and collaborated to make the Toolkit doc. “In this process, they all collaborated with pro Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State,” the police tweeted.

* “She was the one who shared the Toolkit Doc with Greta Thunberg. Later, she asked Greta to remove the main Doc after its incriminating details accidentally got into public domain. This is many times more than the 2 lines editing that she claims,” another tweet by the Delhi Police read.

(Article continued in the column on the right)

Questions related to this article:

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

What is the relation between movements for food sovereignty and the global movement for a culture of peace?

Are we seeing the dawn of a global youth movement?

How can just one or a few persons contribute to peace and justice?

(Article continued from the column on the left)

* “Completely atrocious! This is unwarranted harassment and intimidation. I express my full solidarity with Disha Ravi,” tweeted Congress’s Jairam Ramesh.

* “Some serious charges applied against a 21 year old for sharing a ‘dangerous’ toolkit. As per BJP our nation is so weak that a written document about farmer agitation shared by an international celebrity will lead to its ‘breakup’ The nation is much stronger than this toolkit, BJP,” tweeted Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi.

* “Modi regime thinks by arresting a grand daughter of farmers, under Sedition, it can weaken the farmers’ struggles. In fact, it will awaken the youth of the country and strengthen the struggles for democracy, tweeted CPM’s Sitaram Yechury.

* “The question is when will those people be arrested who continue to issue a literal ‘toolkit’ to break the national and social unity of India morning and evening, giving rise to hatred and division among the masses,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav posted in Hindi.

* The 22-year-old is a graduate of Mount Carmel College, one of Bengaluru’s top women’s colleges. The Delhi Police, which arrested Disha Ravi on Saturday evening, claimed she is influenced by terrorists like Gurpatwant Singh Pannu and Khalistani groups like Poetic Justice. Thousands of others are involved in the conspiracy and further investigation into the matter is in progress, the police said.

* According to the Delhi police, incidents similar to what was stated in the toolkit took place on the Republic Day, The police also claims that the Toolkit was made by M O Dhaliwal of Poetic Justice Foundation, which is a Khalistani organization. The Delhi Police called the toolkit a part of conspiracy against the Government of India and filed a case of sedition against its creators.

* On February 3, Greta Thunberg had tweeted the “toolkit” to show support for the farmers’ protest against the Centre’s farm laws that has been in progress at the borders of Delhi since November 26. She later deleted the tweet, posting an updated one.

* The Delhi Police had asked Google and some social media platforms for help with the investigation. The police had sought email ids, URLs and social media accounts related to the creators of “toolkit”. Later, the Centre asked Twitter to remove 1,178 accounts, which it said were spreading misinformation and provocative content on the farmers’ agitation.

February 16, 2021FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, South Asia, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTSouth AsiaCPNN Coordinator

Past virtual events in February

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Here are events and application deadlines in February that were previously listed on the CPNN page for upcoming virtual events. Where possible links are provided to recordings of the events. Unless otherwise noted they are in English.

Feb 4, 2021 05:45 PM GMT (London)
Liverpool StW: The Assange case: what next?

Speakers:
John McDonnell MP
Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor in chief of WikiLeaks
Deepa Driver, Haldane Society court reporter
Alan Gibbons, Labour activist and author
— Click here for a recording of the event

Thursday, February 4, 2021, 12:00-1:00 EST
Gerald Horne discusses his book, The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism.

— sponsored by the New Haven Free Public Library
Acclaimed historian Gerald Horne joins us for a virtual lunch hour discussion of his book, The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century. Horne is John J. and Rebecca Moores Professor of African American History at the University of Houston. He has published more than three dozen books, including The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism and Jazz and Justice, both by Monthly Review Press.
.. The Dawning of the Apocalypse is a riveting revision of the “creation myth” of settler colonialism and how the United States was formed. Here, Gerald Horne argues forcefully that, in order to understand the arrival of colonists from the British Isles in the early seventeenth century, one must first understand the “long sixteenth century”– from 1492 until the arrival of settlers in Virginia in 1607.
During this prolonged century, Horne contends, “whiteness” morphed into “white supremacy,” and allowed England to co-opt not only religious minorities but also various nationalities throughout Europe, thus forging a muscular bloc that was needed to confront rambunctious Indigenes and Africans. In retelling the bloodthirsty story of the invasion of the Americas, Horne recounts how the fierce resistance by Africans and their Indigenous allies weakened Spain and enabled London to dispatch settlers to Virginia in 1607. These settlers laid the groundwork for the British Empire and its revolting spawn that became the United States of America.
— No registration necessary. Join us in Zoom using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81097812539
— This event will also stream live on our Facebook Page. Click here for the recording.
— For more information, email Isaac Shub at ishub@nhfpl.org or call 203-946-8130.

Saturday, February 6 at 2 PM EST
Building the Antiwar Movement Under the Biden Administration

This will be a discussion with UNAC [Unied National Antiwar Coalition] administrative committee members:
Bahman Azad, Ajamu Baraka, Judy Bello, Sara Flounders, Margaret Flowers, Margaret Kimberley, Cassia Laham, Autumn Lake, Joe Lombardo, Jeff Mackler, Rhonda Ramiro)
— Click here for the youtube recording

February 7-8 (see program for times)
PyeongChang Peace Forum (PPF) 2021

Experts from around the world will discuss concrete approaches and effective campaigns to abolish war and eliminate nuclear weapons, key objectives of the United Nations, with the aim of achieving these no later than 2045, the 100th anniversary of the UN.
— You are cordially invited to register for the three sessions on Peace ans SDGs hosted PNND, APSD, PCK in partnership with many international CSOs during the PPF 2021.
The outcome of the sessions will be incorporated into the PyeongChang Agenda for Peace (PCAP) 2021.
A zoom or youtube link and background materials will be sent to those who have registered here in advance.
— Click here for the recording of day 1.
— Click here for the recording of day 2.
— Click here for the recording of the closing ceremony

Tuesday, February 9, 2021 9 p.m. (EST)
Asia-Pacific Political Economy: Dynamics and Their Implications

In recent decades, the Asia/Indo-Pacific region has been transformed by unprecedented economic growth, driven in significant measure by globalization, law wage production, growing economic inequality, repressive labor laws, technological coemption and disregard for the environment. With the world’s three largest economies the region is responsible for 60 percent of global gross domestic product.
–Impacting these dynamics are the impacts of the pandemic, the U.S.-Chinese trade war including sanctions and restrictions on technological export, China’s Belt and Road, the recent Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, competition for control of the South China Sea, and increasing military tensions across the region.
— The newly launched Asia-Pacific Working Group will host a webinar providing background and analysis about the political economy of the Asia/Indo-Pacific region.
— Featured speakers will be:
Walden Bello, Focus on Global South & University of the Philippines
Juliet Lu, Cornell University
Achin Vanaik, Transnational Institute and University of Delhi (ret)
— You can watch the recording here

Thursday, Feb. 11, 7:00 – 8:00 pm EST =
Fri, February 12, 2021, 1:00 AM – 2:00 AM CET
Mohonk Consultations (USA)

Please join us for an online panel presentation on how to overcome polarization and find common ground. Our speakers will highlight practical approaches, building on the 125-year living tradition of peacebuilding at Mohonk Mountain House. Our panel members and the titles of their presentations are as follows:
— Dennis Kucinich, “Stepping Out of Polarization”
— Lester Strong, founder and director of the Peaceful Guardians Initiative, “The Four Gateways of Communication
— Dior Williams, Rondout Valley High School student and member of its Human Rights Club, “The Importance of Humility”
— It is clear that we are in a period of intense polarization in the US and in many areas around the globe. Recent events have given hope that a shift may be underway, presenting us with an opportunity to change the perspective of enmity to one of collaboration and unity in working toward a common understanding. Tools for avoiding conflict and finding common ground are extraordinarily useful and needed at this unique time, as is the spreading of goodwill. How can each of us, in our own way, be part of a solution?
— Visit our website for more details, including speaker biographies.
— REGISTER HERE
— Click here to see a recording of the event

Friday, February 12, 2021 • 10:00 – 11:30 AM EST (GMT-05:00)
Webinar: Bahrain 10 Years After

10 years after the Bahraini government violently cracked down on mass pro-democracy protests in February 2011, the country remains riven by levels of unrest, political crisis, and human rights violations. Bahrainis continue to protest and demonstrate almost nightly, continuing their calls for greater political and economic freedoms as well as greater respect for human, civil, and political rights. The government continues to meet these demonstrations with force and violence, arresting dissidents and critics, and filling jails with peaceful protesters. These moves by the government have not led to sustainable peace, but have helped fuel dissatisfaction among many.
— After four years of the Trump administration’s total disregard for human rights in U.S. policy toward Bahrain, this panel will discuss what steps Congress and Biden’s administration should take to address the ongoing crisis in Bahrain. The panel will address the efforts to release political prisoners and end the culture of impunity in the country. In addition, the panel will address ways to pressure the Biden administration to end U.S. military support for the Bahraini government.
— Moderator: David Swanson
— Panelists:
Husain Abdulla
Ali Mushaima
Medea Benjamin
Barbara Wien
— Participants had the opportunity to ask questions of the panelists.
— Click here for a recording of the event.

Sunday 14 Feb., 2021, 3 PM, EST
ZOOM with Dr. FRANK ROMANO on ICC decision re: ISRAELI WAR CRIMES

The program will be moderated by activist/artist Jacqueline Taylor Basker, New York City.
— Lawyer Frank Romano was one of the lawyers submitting a brief to the ICC to accuse Israel of war crimes. Hear his amazing story that involved his kidnapping, jailing, escape and evasion of Israeli authorities so he could complete his brief! We will also discuss briefly the ICC – International Criminal Court – its history and function.
— The event will be recorded so If you cannot join in then, send an email to Jacqueline Taylor Basker for a link to the event at: jtaylorbasker@gmail.com.
— Here is the recording of the event.

Monday, Feb 15th from 7-8pm EST / 4-5pm Pacific time.
Campaign Nonviolence Organizer Meeting

Calling all Campaign Nonviolence Organizers,
— If you can’t make it, please fill out this short survey. This is another way to participate in the conversation and share responses to the discussion prompts we’ll explore on Monday. We will also be planning more calls throughout the year at different days/times.
— On Monday, we’ll explore:
What’s most exciting to you about building a culture of nonviolence?
What are you interested in working on this year?
What pro-tips can you share with your fellow organizers?
What’s YOUR vision for Campaign Nonviolence in 2021?
— Register here

February 18 at 8 p.m. EST
For Peace in Korea, No More War Drills!

With the U.S. and South Korea scheduled to resume massive wargames targeted against North Korea, Women Cross the DMZ has organized a webinar, For Peace in Korea, No More War Drills!
— Speakers include: Wooksik Cheong, Director of Peace Network (South Korea), Catherine Killough, Advocacy and Leadership Coordinator of Women Cross DMZ (US), and Jovanni Reyes, Member Coordinator of About Face: Veterans Against War (US)
Click here for the youtube recording of the event.

Wednesday, February 18, at 7 am EST (Boston)
U.S.-China Relations: Challenges and Prospects for Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific

Joseph Gerson will be joining Prof. Wang Danning for an International Peace Bureau webinar.
Discussants include Anurada Chenoy from India, Enkhsaikhan Jargalsaikhan from Mongolia, and Lee Jun-kyu from South Korea.
— YouTube video of webinar available here

February 18 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm GMT
Conflict, Peace, & Covid-19

— Sponsored by the Political Settlement Research Programme
— This event will offer insights into how local and regional actors in the MENA region and the African continent are responding to the pandemic. Panellists will introduce their research on the response to Covid-19 in the following areas:
— Iraq and Syria: Dr Juline Beaujouan will examine how the pandemic has affected political trust and social cohesion in northwest Syria.
— Yemen: Robert Wilson will explore how local actors in Yemen could support the response to Covid-19 by navigating regional and sub-regional local dynamics, alongside early insights into how security actors are enforcing Covid measures in Taiz.
— There will be ample opportunity for questions from the audience after the presentations.
— The webinar will be held over Zoom, with joining links emailed to participants ahead of the event. Register here

Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021 – 2:00PM EST
“The Story of Forgiveness”

We warmly invite you to the premiere of “The Story of Forgiveness,” presented by The Stanford University Forgiveness Project and PEPSTAR. In this inaugural event, we will be screening the short film, “Admissions”, starring Academy Award nominee, James Cromwell, and winner of 26 international awards.
— This will be followed by a moderated discussion with a distinguished panel that will focus on the intersection of peace and forgiveness. For more information please click the button to view and download the flyer.
— Link for Zoom Meeting

February 22 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm MST (Calgary, Canada)
Panel on Student Leadership and Activism

sponsored by Educators for Peace and Justice
— We are excited to have five student activists sit on our panel to discuss student activism and leadership: Nyakier Buong, Tanisha D, Alicia Aikens, Chase Cardinal, and Erin Knight!
— We will be learning more about how these leaders were inspired, what opportunities they have had to be leaders, and what they think teachers can do to support students! These students are working to bring change in the Canadian communities that they are part of.
— Join us in discussion on how educators can continue to support their students and work for a better tomorrow. Additionally, all participants will be given the opportunity to ask our panelists any questions they may have.
— Join Zoom meeting here

Feb. 22, 3 PM EST/12 PM Pacific Time
Julian Assange Appeal & the First Amendment

Sponsored by the United National Antiwar Coalition
— An online panel discussion on the persecution of Julian Assange. A British judge has recently blocked his extradition from the UK to the US, where he would face unprecedented charges that aim to criminalize basic journalistic activity. The US is appealing that decision, but the indictment against Assange was drawn up during the Trump administration, and the newly elected Biden DOJ should take a new look at the case and drop the charges.
— Our panel will give an overview of Assange’s case, the threat his prosecution poses to the First Amendment, and the latest on his legal proceedings in the UK.
— Hear: Alice Walker, Mumia Abu-Jamel, Nathan Fuller & Joe Lombardo with Jeff Mackler moderating
— For more information: AssangeDefense.org
— Click here for the recording of the event on YouTube

Tuesday, February 23 at 10 am EST (Boston)
Nuclear disarmament webinar

The Peace and Planet international network will be holding the first of a series of nuclear disarmament webinars, as we build toward this summer’s Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference. Titled The International Nuclear Disarmament Agenda, it will feature Oleg Bodrov of the Public Council of the South Coast of the Gulf of Finland (Russia), Jackie Cabasso of the Western States Legal Foundation (US), Ariel Denis of the International Peace Bureau (France), Sharon Dolev of the Middle East Treaty Organization (Israel).
— Click here for a recording of the event.

Feb 24, 2021 07:00 PM EST
Is Nonviolent Policing Possible?

The Center for Nonviolent Solutions presents:
Charles Alphin Sr. a retired police captain and veteran trainer in Kingian Nonviolence who thinks that nonviolent policing is possible. Join us for an engaging evening on nonviolence and policing.
— A close associate of civil rights leader Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr, Mr. Alphin has provided trainings in Kingian Nonviolence around the world and to numerous police departments in the US including Atlanta, GA, St. Louis, MO, Detroit, MI, Beaumont, TX, Providence, RI, Oakland, and Beverly Hills, CA.
— YouTube recording of the event

Feb 26, 2021 01:00 PM EST
Dialogue: “Women Artists Making an Impact”

NGO Committee on Sustainable Development
Our Dialogue will highlight women artists who are having an impact in their communities through their social good initiatives. They are empowering women of all ages to be leaders with a focus on sustainable solutions to support the United Nations 2030 Agenda for the SDGs so we “Leave No One Behind.” In addition we will focus on the UN75 Peoples’ Declaration for the UN We Need and the futuree we want.
— Webinar registration

Friday, 26 February 2021, 15:30 CET
Webinar del Progetto “L’intersezione sessismo-razzismo”: InTRATTAbili
Webinar on the project “The intersection of sexism and racism”: InTRATTAbili

The webinar will take place through the “Zoom” platform. The event will be recorded and followed by the Facebook pages of the sponsoring associations. English / Italian – Italian / English translation is provided.
— Il progetto “L’intersezione sessismo/razzismo: rete di donne contro la violenza”, promosso dalle associazioni IParticipate, Progetto Arcobaleno e AntropoLogiche, finanziato da Fondazione Marchi, organizza Venerdì 26 febbraio 2021 (ore 15.30 – 1730) il webinar “InTRATTAbili: schiavitù contemporanee e il caso della tratta delle donne” di confronto e incontro con alcune tra le principali realtà dell’associazionismo femminile sul territorio di Firenze, Scandicci, Pisa che si occupano delle schiavitù contemporanee e in particolare della tratta, nel quadro dell’intersezione sessismo/razzismo. Ospite d’onore Meena Patel, da Londra fondatrice delle Southall Black Sisters, che con i loro 40 anni di attività sia sociale che politica allarga al confronto internazionale su questi temi.
— The project “The intersection of sexism / racism: a network of women against violence”, promoted by the IParticipate associations, Progetto Arcobaleno and AntropoLogiche, financed by Fondazione Marchi, organizes the webinar “Intractable: slavery on Friday 26 February 2021 (3.30 – 1730) and the case of the trafficking of women “of confrontation and encounter with some of the main realities of women’s associations in the territory of Florence, Scandicci, Pisa that deal with contemporary slavery and in particular with trafficking, within the framework of the intersection of sexism / racism. Guest of honor Meena Patel, founder of the Southall Black Sisters from London, who with their 40 years of both social and political activity has expanded to international debate on these issues.
— Click here for more information

Feb 27, 2021 04:00 PM EST
Training on the New Sanctions Kill Toolkit

The Sanctions Kill coalition created a new toolkit that anyone can use to educate their organization, group or community about what economic sanctions are, the impact they have, why they are illegal and how they also hurt people in the United States. The toolkit is composed of a 20-minute slideshow, a sample script and resources.
— You are invited to a webinar to learn more about the toolkit, hear a sample presentation and ask questions. This is led by members of groups in the Sanctions Kill coalition. All who are interested are welcome. Please spread the word.
— Zoom register here

Saturday February 27 from 5:30 – 7:00pm Central European Time
Let’s talk Nuclear Disarmament

Sponsored by UNFOLD ZERO, the UN Youth Association of Denmark and Youth Fusion
— The program includes experts on global initiatives for nuclear disarmament, nuclear weapons & the law, Danish nuclear weapons policy, gender & disarmament, and the inter-generational impact of the B-52 nuclear weapons bomber accident at Thule airbase in 1968 (which Youth Fusion has recently raised in UN Human Rights Committees).
— Click here to register for the event.

Sunday, February 28, 2021 • 5:00 PM • Eastern Standard Time
The journey to a world free of nuclear weapons – where we are and how you can get involved

The Florida Peace & Justice Alliance Presents: “The journey to a world free of nuclear weapons – where we are and how you can get involved” with presentations by Dr. Lynn Ringenberg of PSR-Florida and David Combs of the Union of Concerned Scientists
— Host Contact Info: Al Mytty, amytty@hcamllc.com
— Click here for a recording of the event.

Sunday, 28 February 2021 at 2:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Global Town Hall

Project Save the World invites you to our next monthly Global Town Hall. On the last Sunday of every month, we hold an open meeting on Zoom for activists worldwide who are addressing issues of militarism (especially nuclear weapons), global warming, famine, pandemics, radioactive contamination, and/or cyber risks. We talk for two hours with our video cameras on (not just audio, please), edit the recording, and put it on YouTube, Facebook, and our website: https://tosavetheworld.ca and then we publicize it widely.
— Zoom URL

February 16, 2021FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, globalglobalCPNN Coordinator

Central Africa: Ambassador Sita José Analyzes Luanda Biennial With ECCAS Commissioner

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from the Angola Press News Agency

The executive director of the 2nd Edition of the Peace Biennial, ambassador Diekumpuna Sita José, analyzed Friday, strategic and operational issues with the commissioner for gender promotion and human and social development of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Yvette Ngadu.

The second edition of the Luanda Biennial – Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace is scheduled for September this year.

During the meeting, the interlocutors analyzed issues related to the intervention of the regional organization in attracting support and partners to contribute for the success of the regional event, which is under the shared responsibility of Angola, Unesco and the African Union.

According to ambassador Sita José, Yvette Ngadu expressed the willingness of the regional organization to help mobilize partners and collect initiatives for a wider participation of African countries in the cultural meeting with the greatest annual projection.

(Continued in right column)

(Click here for the Portuguese version of this article.)

Question related to this article:

The Luanda Biennale: What is its contribution to a culture of peace in Africa?

(Continued from left column)

[Editor’s Note: The following is translated by CPNN from the original Portuguese version]

The Angolan diplomat said that the concept of the second edition will revolve around culture, heritage and peace as a contribution to a more sustainable and united Africa.

The event, a tripartite event (Angola, African Union and UNESCO) aims to promote harmony and brotherhood between peoples through cultural and civic activities and manifestations, with the integration of African elites and representatives of civil society, traditional and religious authorities, as well as intellectuals, artists and sportsmen.

The biennial also aims to establish increasingly close cooperation with Unesco, with a view to promoting a true culture of peace in Africa.

The 1st edition held from 18 to 22 September 2019 brought together 16 African countries and 600 international participants, with the theme of commitment to peace and sustainable development.

It is a platform to promote cultural diversity and African unity, a favorable place for cultural and intra-African exchanges, being a special meeting, which brings together actors and partners of a pan-African movement every two years for prevention of violence and conflicts and the consolidation of peace.

The coordinator of the 2021 Biennial established by Presidential Decree is the Minister of State for the Social Area, Carolina Cerqueira, who, in 2019, was a signatory, as then Minister of Culture, in Paris, of the Agreement with Unesco for the responsibility of the parties in the realization of the Biennial of Peace.

February 4, 2021Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATIONAfricaCPNN Coordinator

Opening event to launch the International Year of Peace and Trust was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from the Middle East North Africa Financial Network (MENAFN)

On the 29th of January, 2021, the Opening event to launch the International Year of Peace and Trust was held in the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Trend reports citing Embassy of Turkmenistan in Azerbaijan.

[The International Year was proclaimed in United Nations Resolution A/73/338

The heads and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, deputies of the Mejlis (Parliament), chiefs of diplomatic missions and representative offices of international organizations in Turkmenistan, Rectors of the institutions of higher education of the country, Editors-in-chief of press and representatives of national mass media, as well as foreign journalists accredited in Turkmenistan took part in the event.

The heads and representatives of the United Nations and its structural agencies, Economic Cooperation Organization, Commonwealth of Independent States, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, as well as other regional and international organizations, and foreign mass media participated to the event via videoconferencing.

During her opening remarks, the Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, UNICEF Representative in Turkmenistan Christine Weigand noted the importance of the International Year of Peace and Trust initiated by the President of Turkmenistan for the sake of sustaining peace, stability and mutual understanding between people which is the key to sustainable development.

In continuation of the topic, the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov underlined that the unanimous adoption at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly of the Resolution declaring the year 2021 as the International Year of Peace and Trust has become a reflection of the efforts of the permanently neutral Turkmenistan calling for strengthening of the culture of peace and trust in the international relations. ‘Putting forward this idea, the Leader of Turkmen nation has specifically stated that it has a concrete nature and thus urged the international community to reinforce the adopted document with practical content, enrich it with real actions,’ said R.Meredov. The head of the MFA of Turkmenistan underlined the significance of applying the means of diplomacy, the political dialog based on mutual understanding and cooperation in the advancement of friendly ties between countries and people and to achieve this Turkmenistan actively cooperates with the international partners.

Speaking at the opening ceremony Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Central Asia, Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia Natalya Gherman underlined the importance of the International Year of Peace and Trust, which meant greater cohesion for the sake of peace and prosperity of the world community.

(continued in right column)

Question(s) related to this article:

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?

(continued from left column)

The timeliness of the International Year of Peace and Trust was also highlighted in the speech of the President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly Volkan Bozkir. Thanking the Government of Turkmenistan for initiating the International Year of Peace and Trust, he underlined that in view of the global situation, the need in peace and trust is high as never before. Mr. Bozkir urged the international community to continue cooperating through political dialog and solidarity on the way to peace, security and sustainable development.

His words were complemented by the Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations Aksoltan Atayeva who noted the efficiency of peaceful initiatives of the President of Turkmenistan that help to attain the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Minister of Foreign affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov highlighted in his speech the specific need in conducting International year of peace and trust which calls upon to activate efforts and activity on advocating the culture of peace.

In her speech the Head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat Natalya Drozd spoke about the importance of strengthening the culture of peace and trust.

The Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization Hadi Soleimanpour also gave a speech at the event. He highly appraised the level of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the ECO, as well as emphasized that the economic progress is inseparably linked to the security in the region and in the world, and to attain this it is necessary to strengthen trust between countries and people.

About the importance of strengthening peace and trust between countries and people has also spoke the Chairman of the Executive Committee – Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States Sergey Lebedev. He highlighted the effective role of Turkmenistan in the development of friendly ties not only in the region, but also in the whole world.

The Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva, Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament Tatiana Valovaya and the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Lassina Zerbo highly appraised the role of Turkmenistan in the development of friendly and constructive ties between countries.

In turn, the President of the General Conference of UNESCO Altay Cengizer and Assistant Director-General for the Africa Department of UNESCO Firmin Edouard Matoko emphasized the timeliness of holding the International Year of Peace and Trust. They noted that the notion of peace and trust are the keystones of international cooperation.

Furthermore, the UNODC representative, Permanent representatives of Afghanistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Indonesia and Bangladesh at the UN have underlined the importance of conducting International year of peace and trust in the context of fully strengthening solidarity and mutual support on regional and global levels to create cohesion for addressing pressing issues of present.

During the event, the participants discussed the possibilities of holding joint events in the framework of the International Year of Peace and Trust. A constructive exchange of views and proposals on the improvement of activities on the platform of regional and international organizations for the sake of peace, stability and sustainable development took place. Thus, upon the outcomes of the event, the Roadmap of the International Year of Peace and Trust was adopted.

February 3, 2021FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, United Nationsglobal, United NationsCPNN Coordinator

Ambassadors praise Angola’s efforts for peace in Africa

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An article from O País

The African Union (AU) Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) encouraged Angola on Tuesday [January 26] to continue efforts to promote a pan-African movement to prevent violence and conflicts, through its commitment to disseminate a culture of peace in Africa

According to a note from the Permanent Representation of Angola to the AU, the incentive was expressed during the PRC meeting, which has been taking place since 20 January, in virtual format

The document underlines that in the same session a communication was presented on the 1st Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace in Africa – Luanda Biennial, held in Angola, from 18 to 22 September 2019

In his communication, the Permanent Representative of Angola to the AU, Francisco José da Cruz, said that after the “successful 1st Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace in Africa – Bienal de Luanda ”, the Angolan Government is already creating the conditions for the next edition, this year, with the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, creating a Multisectoral Commission for this purpose.

(Continued in right column)

(Click here for the Portuguese version of this article.)

Question related to this article:

The Luanda Biennale: What is its contribution to a culture of peace in Africa

Can the African Union help bring a culture of peace to Africa?

Will UNESCO once again play a role in the culture of peace?

(Continued from left column)

In addition to the expected promotion of peace and security, the objective is to frame the event in the spirit of celebrating the African Union’s Year of 2021 Theme: “Art, Culture and Heritage: Levers to build the Africa we want”.

The PRC was unanimous in considering that the holding of the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace in Africa – Bienal de Luanda is part of the African Union’s efforts to seek peace, with the Department of Social Affairs congratulating Angola’s proposal and calling for the support of AU Member States.

The document presented recalls that the Government of Angola and UNESCO agreed on 18 December 2018 to hold the 1st Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace in Africa – Luanda Biennial, in September 2019, in order to strengthen the Pan-African movement towards a culture of peace and non-violence, through the establishment of a multilateral partnership between governments, civil society, the artistic and scientific community, the private sector and international organizations.

The strategic objective of the event is to promote a peaceful and prosperous Africa through the defense and encouragement of actions that prevent conflicts in the management of national and cross-border natural resources on the African continent, as well as to educate a generation of young Africans as agents of peace, stability and development.

The first edition was based on three main axes: Partner Forum – An Alliance for Africa; Thematic Forums: Forum of Ideas, Forum of Youth and Forum of Women; Festival of Cultures.

The 41st Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (CRP) has been running since 20 January, in virtual format, preceding the 38th Executive Council (Heads of diplomacy) and the 34th Session of the AU Assembly (Heads State and Government), scheduled for 3 and 4, and 6 and 7 February, respectively.

The meeting has several reports under discussion, including on the activities of the PRC sub-committees, the Specialized Technical Committees of the African Union Commission, other AU bodies and the Specialized Agencies. The African Union consecrates 2021 as the “Year of Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers to Build the Africa We Want”. The year 2020 had as its theme “Silence Arms: Creating Favorable Conditions for Africa’s Development”.

January 28, 2021Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATIONAfricaCPNN Coordinator

Past Virtual Events in January

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Here are events and application deadlines in January that were previously listed on the CPNN page for upcoming virtual events. Unless otherwise noted the events are in English.

Tuesday January 12 8 p.m. (EST-USA)

Introduction to the History & Dynamics of U.S. Asia-Pacific Policies
— The United States has been an imperial power across Asia and the Pacific since Admiral Perry’s Black Ships “opened” Japan, and the U.S. conquered the Philippines, Guam and Samoa and annexed Hawaii during the “Spanish-American War.” President-elect Joe Biden and Antony Blinken are repeating their commitments to reinforce U.S. Asia-Pacific alliances and to the military buildup to contain China that was begun with the Obama “pivot” to Asia and the Pacific and deepened by Trump’s ratcheting up tensions with China.
— Speakers include Corozon Fabros of Asia-Europe Peoples Forum, the ASEAN Civil Society Conference- ASEAN Peoples Forum., Tobita Chow of Justice is Global and Mark Seldon editor of The Asia-Pacific Journal
— Register here in advance for this webinar

January 13, 2021 at 7:30pm – 7:30pm MST

The Nuclear Weapons Stand-off: State of Play
Organised by: Ploughshares Calgary
— Our speaker, Earl Turcotte, will provide a clear, interesting and informed update on the new Treaty that prohibits nuclear weapons. Earl is the current Chairperson of the Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, served over 40 years as an aid worker, Canadian diplomat and UN official. For 15 years prior to his retirement in 2015, he focused on arms control and disarmament, including being lead negotiator for Canada of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Since retiring in 2015 he has focused his efforts on nuclear disarmament.
— Virtual event | link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85810285613
Meeting ID: 858 1028 5613
Passcode: 166927

Thursday, 14 January 2021, 14:00 – 15:00 CET

PeaceTech: Digital Platforms for Inclusive Peace
This webinar will explore how digital platforms can support peacebuilding, with a special focus on the new PeaceFem mobile app which illustrates women’s inclusion in peace processes around the world.
— Featuring Dr Sanja Badanjak, Dr Devanjan Bhattacharya, and Fiona Knäussel from the PeaceTech team of PSRP (Political Settlements Research Programme), with special guest Dr Benjamin Bach, Lecturer in Design Informatics and Visualization at the University of Edinburgh, as event chair.
— This event is free and will be held on Zoom. Joining instructions will be sent to registered participants.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021, 15:00 CET

On January 19, the Basel Peace Office, Basel-Stadt Kanton, UNFOLD ZERO and Youth Fusion will hold Intergenerational dialogue on peace, the climate, nuclear disarmament and the pandemic, a forum of youth, experts and policy makers discussing actions and effective policies for peace, disarmament, the climate and public health especially in times of pandemic.
— Speakers include Marzhan Nurzahn (Kazakhstan/Switzerland), Convenor of Youth Fusion, the Abolition 2000 Youth Network for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World; Davina Maloum (Cameroon), Founder of Children for Peace. International Children’s Peace Prize Co-winner 2019 (with Greta Thunberg), Prof. Dr Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker (Germany), Past Chairman of the German Bundestag Environment Committee, Honorary President of the Club of Rome: Maria Espinosa (Ecuador), Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, President of the UN General Assembly (2018-2019), Chair of the World Future Council Commission on the Rights of Children and Youth, and more…
— The event will also include the finalists and award ceremony for the Basel PACEY Plus youth award.
— Click here to register.

21 January, 2021 @ 2:00 – 3:10 pm GMT

Entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the Role of Health Professionals
— Share your contact information below to receive updates on the Global Health Webinar, co-sponsored by the International Council of Nurses, International Committee of the Red Cross, International Federation of Medical Students’ Association, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, World Federation of Public Health Association, and World Medical Association.
Confirmed speakers:
-Moderator; Tilman Ruff, co-President, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)
-Mahmood Al-Hamody, Liaison Officer for Human Rights and Peace Issues, -International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations
-David Barbe, President, World Medical Association
-Bettina Borisch, Executive Director, World Federation of Public Health Associations
-Erica Burton, Senior Advisor on Nursing and Health Policy, International Council of Nurses
-Véronique Christory, Senior Arms Control Advisor, The International Committee of the Red Cross
-Carlos Umaña, Regional Vice-President, IPPNW
— Register here

Friday – Jan 22, 2021, 1:00-3:00 pm CET

Celebration of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
— On January 22nd, the world will celebrate the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), supported by over 120 states at the UN in July 2017.
— On this historic day, we call on members of the IPB family, our friends and all peace lovers to celebrate this historical step, and deliver this great news with noise and fun in your countries all across the globe, as the road to a world free of nuclear weapons is now wide open!
— We invite you to join us for a virtual IPB Zoom party where we will celebrate this milestone toward nuclear disarmament together!
— Register to join the event here: https://bit.ly/ipbprt

Saturday, January 23 09:30 AM (EST)

Reducing the Threat of Nuclear War: Invest in Minds not Missiles” A National Conference
— CPDCS has been privileged to work with Jonathan King of MIT and many others in organizing this important national disarmament conference together.
— Though the Coronavirus has devastated the economy, it has not had any braking effect on the Presidential and Congressional push for spending more of our tax dollars on military and nuclear weapons development programs. Thus, we will have to find ways to continue to collaborate and cooperate in the development of a social movement strong enough to reverse the new nuclear arms race. This Conference is focused on that task.
— Speakers include Alan Robock, Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Ayana Pressley, Rev. Liz Theoharis, Elaine Scarry, Subrata Goshroy, Lindsay Koshgarian, and many others.
— Breakout sessions – including the Asia-Pacific session led by CPDCS – A. Ban Treaty & Arms Control Treaties: B. The Costs of 21st Century Wars and the Politics of Defense Spending: C. Back from the Brink Campaign: D. No Resumption of Testing: E. No First Use Campaign: F. Demilitarizing Police: G. Climate and War/Green New Deal: H. Divesting from Weapons Manufacture: I. Bringing Peace into Electoral Contests: J. No New Cold War: The U.S., China, and the Asia Pacific: K. Moral Budget for Massachusetts: L. Vaccines Not Submarines: M. Campus Organizing
— Register here for free

23 de enero – 31 de enero
Foro Social Mundial: COMUNICACIÓN, EDUCACIÓN Y CULTURA

— Hola, Te has inscrito al FSM Virtual 2021 y has expresado tu interés en el espacio temático COMUNICACIÓN, EDUCACIÓN Y CULTURA.
— En este enlace puedes seguir las actividades que se están registrando en relación con este Espacio Temático.
— El correo electrónico educacioncomunicacioncultura@wsf2021.net está disponible para preguntas sobre este Espacio Temático.
— Para registrar organizaciones, actividades o iniciativas para Agora, inicie sesión en join .wsf2021.net y acceda al formulario correspondiente.
— En caso de necesitar más información sobre su actividad, una persona del Grupo Facilitador se pondrá en contacto contigo.

January 23 – January 31
World Social Forum 2021: COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND CULTURE

— Hi, You’ve signed up to the WSF Virtual 2021 and indicated interest in the COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND CULTURE.
— In this link you can follow the activities being registered in connection with this Thematic Space.
— The email educacioncomunicacioncultura@wsf2021.net is available for questions about this Theme Space.
— To register organizations, activities or Initiatives for Agora, log in to join .wsf2021.net and access the appropriate form.
— In case you need more information about your activity, a person from the Facilitator Group will contact you.

23 janvier – 31 janvier
Fórum Social Mundial: COMMUNICATION, ÉDUCATION ET CULTURE

— Bonjour, Vous vous êtes inscrit(e) au FSM 2021 virtuel et avez manifesté votre intérêt pour l’espace thématique COMMUNICATION, ÉDUCATION ET CULTURE.
— Sur ce lien, vous pouvez suivre les activités en cours d’enregistrement en lien avec cet espace thématique.
— L’e-mail educacioncomunicacioncultura@wsf2021.net est disponible pour toutes questions concernant cet espace thématique.
— Pour enregistrer des organisations, des activités ou des initiatives en vue de l’Agora, connectez-vous à join .wsf2021.net et accédez au formulaire approprié.
— Au cas où vous auriez besoin de plus d’informations sur votre activité, une personne du groupe de facilitateurs vous contactera.

Sunday, January 24, 2021 • 13:30 EST, 18:30 GMT

Webinar: Divest-Reinvest: Towards a Local Peace Economy
Grassroots-led divestment campaigns are springing up all over the world. There’s a reason why divestment is trending, and that’s because it’s a winning organizing tactic. Divestment gives direct agency to individuals and communities to cut ties to destructive industries. Change can be affected on a grassroots level, by individuals (switching banks and divesting retirement funds), by institutions (divesting universities, workplaces, & religious organizations, among others) and by communities (divesting municipal & state public pension funds).
— In this panel, three leading organizers will present case studies of successful & diverse divestment models, including fossil fuel and weapons divestment. Beyond divestment, we will explore how divestment must be paired with reinvestment strategies that advance a just transition from a war economy to a local peace economy.
— Moderator: Greta Zarro, Organizing Director, World BEYOND War; West Edmeston, NY, USA
Panelists: David Swanson (Co-Founder & Executive Director, World BEYOND War;
Susi Snyder (Coordinator for Don’t Bank on the Bomb;
Kelly Curry (CODEPINK Local Peace Economy Organizer;
— Join Zoom Meeting via this link
— Here is a recording of the webiner.

Sunday, January 24, 1-3 PM, EST

World Social Forum Peace Day. CPDCS/IPB workshop “For Peace, Justice & Democracy: U.S. Movement Perspectives”.
— President Biden assumes office in the midst of a host of national crises that impact the world: a white supremacist fascist insurrection and threats of continuing domestic terrorist attacks, the Covid-19 pandemic which has claimed nearly 400,000 U.S. lives and devastated the national economy, emerging and deepening cold wars with China and Russia, and a national budget that prioritizes preparations for war over human needs.
— This webinar will present leading voices from the U.S. justice and peace movements, summarizing the challenges the U.S. people face and the priorities of the U.S. justice, peace and democracy movements.
— Speakers include:
Rev. Karleen Griffiths Sekou – Director for International Relationships and Organizing for the Black Lives Matter Global Network
Michael Klare – Military Affairs Editor of The Nation Magazine, Co-Founder Committee for a Sane U.S.-China Policy.
Lindsay Koshgarian – Director, National Priorities Project
— Initiated by the International Peace Bureau and the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security.
— For more information contact: JGeson80@gmail.com
Zoom link: http://bit.ly/PeaceJan24

Monday, 25 January, beginning at 11:00 PST, 14:00 EST 19:00 GMT 22:00 Yemen

WORLD SAYS NO TO WAR ON YEMEN
Global online rally sponsored by the Stop the War Coalition
— Over 230 organisations from 17 countries have signed up for a call to action against the war on Yemen so far, making this the biggest international anti-war co-ordination since the campaign against the Iraq war.
— The shockingly under-reported war in Yemen has led to the death of 250,000 people and created the worst humanitarian crisis anywhere in the world according to the UN. They estimate that more than 24 million people in the country, which was already one of the poorest on the planet prior to the war, will need humanitarian assistance in 2021.
— The war is led by Saudi Arabia, with the involvement of the UAE, but it is backed by some key Western powers – the US, the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Canada. In particular, the US and the UK have maintained unquestioning support for Saudi Arabia since the war began and are both participants in the war.
— This protest is timed to take place just days after the inauguration of Joe Biden, who has promised to end US support for the war. This is our one central aim – to hold him to his word and force fellow governments to follow suit.
— Among the participants:
Ahmed Al-Babati (British-Yemeni Soldier)
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Danny Glover (Actor)
Tawakkol Karman (Yemeni Nobel Peace Laureate)
Daniele Obono (French National Assembly Member)
Yanis Varoufakis (MeRA25 Secretary-General)
— Click here to register

Monday January 25. 11:00-12:30 Eastern USA time/17:00-18:30 Central Europe time

The United Nations and Nuclear Abolition
Cosponsors: Basel Peace Office, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, Right Livelihood Foundation, UNFOLD ZERO, World Future Council and Youth Fusion.
— Last January the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists set the Doomdsay Clock to 100 Seconds to Midnight, indicating how close humanity was to a nuclear disaster by accident, miscalculation or conflict escalation. Amidst the gloom of the pandemic, 2021 dawns with some new rays of light for nuclear disarmament.
— On January 20, a new US administration more amenable to nuclear disarmament was inaugurated. Tow days later (Jan 22) the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force.
— Join us for an international event on Monday January 25 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of UN Resolution 1 (1) – the very first resolution of the United Nations – which established the global goal for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
— The event will include discussion by experts and activists on the political openings for global nuclear disarmament and the vital roles being played by the United Nations and civil society. It will also include presentations of some global civil society appeals for nuclear abolition. Click here to register (if you have not already done so).
— January 25 event speakers.
— Click here to register.

January 26th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm EST
Dialogue as a Tool for Healing

Sponsored by Pathways to Peace
Sharing our thoughts and feelings by speaking our own truth and listening to the truth of others, is a simple action we can take to heal ourselves and to contribute to the healing of others. Dialogue builds community and through community we do our work to advance Peace.
Please Join Us!
— Tezikiah Gabriel and Kim Weichel will facilitate the upcoming dialogues. In the January 26th dialogue, we will be exploring the questions:
— What is on your heart at this time in this country?
— As committed peacebuilders, what kind of positive action can we take to begin to heal ourselves and talk with others?
— How can we transform our anger, sadness, or concern into positive action?
— We look forward to seeing you there! In the meantime, we wish you Peace!
— Zoom Room Access: https://zoom.us/j/6091308836
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,6091308836# US (New York)
+16699006833,,6091308836# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 609 130 8836

Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 16:00 CET
Parliamentarians, peace and disarmament in cyber-space.

UNFOLD ZERO has been actively promoting Securing our Common Future, the Disarmament Agenda released by the UN Secretary-General in 2018. This includes cooperation with Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament to engage parliamentarians in support action at national, regional and international levels. On November 5, 2020 the parliamentary handbook Assuring our Common Future was launched. It includes over 80 examples of effective policies and parliamentary actions in all disarmament areas.
— On January 27, 2021 the first of a series of follow-up webinars going into more depth on specific areas covered in the handbook. The webinars are open to legislators, governments, experts and civil society representatives working with legislators to advance disarmament.
— Speakers for the first webinar, The role of parliamentarians to advance disarmament in cyber-space, include Saber Chowdhury MP, Honorary President of the InterParliamentary Union, Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament; Tilman Rodenhauser, Legal Adviser, International Committee of the Red Cross; Anne-Marie Buzatu, Chief Operations Officer, ICT4Peace Foundation and Arthur Duforest, Research Assistant, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament.
— Click here for more information.
— Click here to register.

Wednesday, January 27, 4 p.m. EST
Webinar “Biden and China: Challenges & Opportunities?”

The Committee for a Sane U.S.-China Policy will be formally launched on January 27 with the release of its signature statement, “Averting a New Cold War Between the United States and China,” and a webinar on the challenges and opportunities in U.S.-China relations facing the incoming Biden administration.
— This webinar will explore the current tensions between the U.S. and China, likely Biden Administration responses, and steps that can be taken for the mutual benefit of both nations.
— Speakers Michael Klare, Rachel Odell and Zhiquin Zhu.
— Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1Fyq2BB6Tg2QvqMHkImINg

Wednesday, January 27th at 2:30 pm EST
Search for Common Ground

Join us for a discussion with Shamil Idriss and Cynthia Miller-Idriss, two world-renowned experts who will discuss the origins of this wave of extremist violence, how peacebuilding can heal the United States, and suggest practical steps for each of us to take in building a country where we can live in community—separated by our differences but grounded in justice, equality, and respect. . .. As the Biden-Harris Administration starts to work, we have an opportunity to take action to reduce violence and repair America’s social fabric. Join the conversation about a path forward for America on Wednesday,
CLICK HERE FOR WEBINAR REGISTRATION

Thursday, Jan. 28th from 2:30pm to 5pm EST
The Critical Role of Communication in Building Cultures of Peace

sponsored by the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY
— Welcome: Margo LaZaro, President & Chair of the NGOCSD-NY & Co-Founder/CSO of the SDGIAs
— Keynote Reflections:
Narinder Kakar, Permanent Observer of the University for Peace to the United Nations;
Satya S. Tripathi, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the UN Environment, NYO;
Alyn Ware, Global Coordinator of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation;
Yasmeen Ally, Communications Specialist with Religions for Peace;
Mandy Sanghera, International Human Right Activist & Award Winning Philanthropist
— Cultures of Peace – Plans of Action:
Monique Cuillerier, Coordinator, of the Women, Peace and Security Network – Canada;
Neil Ghosh, President and CEO of SOS Children’s Villages USA;
Mary Muia, Soroptimist International UN Rep, UNEA in Nairobi, Kenya;
Dennis Wong, Co-Founder of the Rotary Action Group for Peace;
Steven Aiello, Founder and Director of Debate for Peace, Israel;
Jeffery Huffines, Senior Advisor of the Coalition for the UN We Need and Together First
— Interactive Exchange
— Webinar Registration

Saturday January 30, 14:00-17:00 GMT
Virtual World Assembly of Inhabitants

(Intérpretes: En/Es/Fr/Pt/It)
— Balance de la movilización global Cero Desalojos para Coronavirus
— Acuerdos: construir la alternativa basada en los derechos humanos y ambientales y la redistribución equitativa de los recursos
— Definir la Agenda Solidaria de lxs Habitantxs 2021, la convergencia de las re-existencias en tiempos de pandemia
— Coordinación política: Cesare Ottolini, coordinador global AIH, Italia
— Aportaciones
Medha Patkar, Fundadora Narmada Bachao Andolan y National Alliance of People’s Movements, India (por confirmar)
Richard Wolff, Economista Marxista y Profesor emérito Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst, EEUU
Raquel Rolnik, Profesora USP, ex Relatora ONU sobre el derecho a la vivienda, Brasil
Faeza Meyer, Activista Justicia por el Agua, African Water Commons Collective, Sudáfrica
Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Relator ONU sobre el derecho a la vivienda, EE.UU. (por confirmar)
— Click here to register
— Info y contacto: vwai2020@habitants.org

Jan 30, 2021 16:30 in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
No War on Iran

Youth Against Empire will sponsor this webinar called, “No War on Iran.” US has been trying in instigate a War with Iran. Within the past year, the US has been seen to be behind the assassinations of leading scientific and military officials of Iran. The US has Iran surrounded with military bases and Navy ships and has imposed harsh sanction on Iran including sanctioning that deny Iran medical resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Register here

Sunday, Jan. 31, 2:00 – 4:00 PM EST (Toronto Time)
Global Town Hall

Peace Magazine and Project Save the World Invite You to Our Next Monthly Global Town Hall
— On the last Sunday of every month, we hold an open meeting on Zoom for activists worldwide who are addressing issues of militarism (especially nuclear weapons), global warming, famine, pandemics, radioactive contamination, and cyber risks. We talk for two hours with our video cameras on (not just audio, please), edit the recording, and put it on YouTube, Facebook, and our website: https://tosavetheworld.ca and then we publicize it widely.
— Zoom Link
— Facebook Event Page
— Visit Our Website
— Visit Our YouTube Channel

31 January 2021
Closing date for applications for the Youth Solidarity Fund of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.

The Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF) supports youth-led organizations that foster peaceful and inclusive societies. Seed funding is given to projects, for and by young people, that demonstrate innovative and effective approaches to intercultural or interfaith dialogue. UNAOC additionally offers capacity-building support to help youth-led organizations strengthen the implementation of their projects.
— Application guidelines can be found here. Please read the guidelines carefully before applying.
— Please check the FAQs as they can provide more clarity too.

January 24, 2021FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, globalCPNN Coordinator

World Social Forum 2021

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A press release from the World Social Forum

From January 23 to 31, the World Social Forum will celebrate its 20th anniversary online: already nearly 5,000 people and 700 organizations have registered and thousands more are expected.

The world civil society will meet at the World Social Forum (WSF) from January 23 to 31 2021, hoping to provide answers to the urgent challenges imposed by the current global situation. It will thus celebrate its 20th anniversary with a virtual edition against the backdrop of the pandemic.

Since its creation in January 2001 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, by passing through India, Pakistan, Senegal, Kenya, Tunisia, Canada and many others, the World Social Forum has been the largest convergence process of global civil society organizations, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of people throughout its history. For this edition, nearly 5,000 people and 700 organizations from all horizons have already registered and will take part in the hundreds of activities proposed by the participants themselves. It is expected that thousands more people will join the activities that will take place during the 9 days of the WSF, to reaffirm that another world is possible, necessary and urgent.

(Article continued in right column)

Question for this article:

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

(Article continued from left column)

A rich program planned for the virtual stage of the WSF:

On January 23rd, there will be a great virtual march for democracy, human dignity and for our future on the planet! Broadcasting of videos from organizations, testimonies of activists from all over the world and a Global Opening Panel with important social and political activists from the five continents, including : Aminata Dramane Traoré, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Leila Khaled, Ashish Kothari, Miriam Miranda and Yanis Varoufakis.

From January 24 to 29, major conferences will be held in each of the nine thematic areas of the virtual WSF: Peace and War, Economic Justice, Education, Communication and Culture, Society and Diversity, Indigenous and Ancestral Peoples, Social Justice and Democracy, Climate, Ecology and Environment. Look at the different activities here.

On January 30th, the Convergence Assemblies will prepare the Agora of the Futures held on January 31st, a pivotal moment where social movements and organizations from around the world will be able to share their initiatives and build a calendar of actions to be implemented until the next edition of the WSF (click here to see the general program of the WSF

Through the email below, the WSF Facilitating Group remains at the disposal of the media around the world for any questions or clarifications.

Email: forumvirtual@wsf2021.net
Website: wsf2021.net

Information (Whatsapp messages): Carminda Mac Lorin (+1 514 381 7090) and Carlos Tiburcio (+55 11 97 666 0176)

(Thank you to Azril Bacal for sending this to CPNN)

January 23, 2021EDUCATION FOR PEACE, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, globalglobalCPNN Coordinator

Israel to ban human rights groups from school visits

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An article from the Middle East Monitor

Israel’s education minister is banning groups that call the country an “apartheid state” from making schools visits to present information to students, CBS News has reported. Yoav Galant tweeted yesterday that he had instructed the ministry’s director general to “prevent the entry of organisations calling Israel ‘an apartheid state’ or demeaning Israeli soldiers from lecturing at schools.”

The move follows publication of a report last week by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. The organisation branded Israel an “apartheid” state that “promotes and perpetuates Jewish supremacy between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.”

Echoing the UN’s 2017 report which concluded that Israel was practising apartheid, B’Tselem dismissed the popular misconception that it is a democracy within the Green (1949 Armistice) Line. It argued that after more than half a century of occupation, the state should be treated as a single entity guided by the core racist organising principle of “advancing and perpetuating the supremacy of one group – Jews – over another – Palestinians.”

(Article continued in the column on the right)

Question related to this article:

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

Presenting the Palestinian side of the Middle East, Is it important for a culture of peace?

Israel/Palestine, is the situation like South Africa?

(Article continued from the column on the left)

B’Tselem said that it will not be deterred by the minister’s announcement. Director-General Hagai El-Ad spoke at a school in Haifa earlier today.

“For many years we’ve exposed our students to a broad variety of opinions from across Israel’s political spectrum,” said the Hebrew Reali School. “We respect the students’ right to express their opinion and are proud of their involvement in issues at the heart of Israeli society. We hold respectful dialogues and intend to continue this tradition.”

Established in 1989 during the first intifada, B’Tselem documents human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. “B’Tselem is determined to keep with its mission of documenting reality, analysing it, and making our findings known to the Israeli public and worldwide,” it insisted.

January 20, 2021DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, MideastMideastCPNN Coordinator

Cooperation and Chocolate: The Story of One Colombian Community’s Quest for Peace

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Agostino Petroni in Yes Magazine

A community in Colombia is ditching traditional capitalist models in order to build a collective future.

Volunteers of the nonprofit organization Operazione Colomba accompanying some members of the Peace Community to Mulatos village.

When it’s time for harvest, Germán Graciano Posso, a 38-year-old Colombian farmer, leaves his village, La Florencita, with a group of co-workers and heads into the hills where the cacao trees grow surrounded by a lush rainforest. Cacao pods the size of giant lemons hang off the trees’ branches: They come in various colors—green, red, and purple—but tend to turn yellow when they ripen. Posso harvests the fruits by hand, cracks them open with a machete, and collects the grape-sized seeds, which are covered in a white, squishy casing. Then he places the seeds in a wooden box where the casing undergoes a process of fermentation. Finally, Posso spreads out the seeds on a flat surface to dry in the sun. After eight days of drying, they will be ready to become chocolate.

This might seem a common agronomic practice, no different from the one conducted by other cacao growers worldwide, yet it carries a greater significance in this northwestern corner of Colombia.

Posso belongs to the Comunidad de Paz de San José de Apartadó, a conglomerate of villages scattered in Urabá of Antioquia, one of Colombia’s deadliest areas. For more than five decades, from 1964 to 2016, a bloody internal war between the Colombian army, right-wing paramilitary groups, and FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) killed more than 200,000 people. In this war dictated by drug-traffickers’ interests (both FARC and right-wing paramilitary groups financed their fight by growing coca and trafficking cocaine), farmers were among those who paid the highest toll. Over the past half-century, the United Nations estimates, more than 7 million Colombians—in a country of 49 million—were displaced by the war.

However, resisting the relocation trend, in 1997 the San José de Aparadó farmers declared themselves a peaceful community, neutral to the conflict, and chose to stay in their territory. Their decision carried violent consequences for the community: threats, sexual assault, kidnappings, torture, forced disappearances, assassinations, and massacres. Posso himself suffered the killing of 13 family members, and in 2017, he said, he survived a murder attempt.

Two decades after its declaration of neutrality, the community still carries on its peace crusade. Despite many difficulties, they are hanging on to their collective work thanks to the precious cacao cultivation.

“This is a life project,” Posso says. “We’re not doing this only for ourselves, but also for the new generation.”

The Risks of Existence

In the ’70s, cacao production expanded around San José de Apartadó, adding to the corn and beans that were cultivated for subsistence there, and quickly became the area’s principal cash crop. In 1985, a group of farmers, supported by the leftist party Unión Patriótica, founded Balsamar Cooperative, seeking better terms for the sale of their product. They built facilities and bought trucks, paying higher prices for the cacao from the area because they could cut out intermediaries and sell the cacao directly to Luker, a Colombian chocolate company. The farmers of San José, seeing the profit, started planting more cacao trees.

The land on which the cacao trees grew didn’t just interest farmers but also paramilitary groups, the FARC, drug-traffickers, landowners, and the army. The fertile soil was great for illicit coca cultivations, and proximity to Panama made it a natural smuggling corridor to North America. In the early ’90s, the various groups started taking hold of the area and threatened social groups such as the Balsamar Cooperative.

In 1996, all of the local leaders of the Balsamar Cooperative and other social groups were either assassinated or fled for their lives. Just being in the territory was a danger: If an armed force set up a base camp close by, the opponents would often accuse the farmer who happened to live there of supporting the other group and murder them. A large proportion of the 7,000 residents of San José de Apartadó fled, which quickly reduced the community to 500.

On March 23, 1997, Brígida Gonzáles, 69, along with the others who decided to stay, founded the Comunidad de Paz de San José de Apartadó. This “Peace Community” declared itself neutral in the conflict, pledging not to get involved in any way—from acting as informants to cultivating illicit crops—and asked to be left in peace. Anybody who was willing to comply with those rules was allowed to be part of the community.

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Question for this article:

What is the relation between movements for food sovereignty and the global movement for a culture of peace?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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“We had already suffered more than 300 deaths, forced disappearances, and displacements,” says Gonzáles, who today is one of the community leaders. Like the rest of her community, her personal losses are many: She lost 17 relatives to the war, including two sons and three siblings, some of whom were militarized by the FARC.

The new neutrality status did not last long. A week after the declaration, members of the community were forced out by the conflict. The cacao trees were abandoned, and the forest took them back.

But San José farmers had been subsisting on that agriculture and their cacao sales: Staying away from the fields meant economic ruin. After a few years of abandonment, the community decided to go back to their land slowly.

Tending to the fields alone was too dangerous because a disappearance could easily go unnoticed, so they organized daily trips to the Peace Community in groups of 50 or 100 to take care of the cacao trees and harvest their fruits. That was the beginning of the peaceful communal effort to regain their territory. What started as protection mechanisms soon became part of a broader philosophy of life.

Building Peace Together

Gwen Burnyeat, a political anthropologist at the University of Oxford, in England, who has studied the Peace Community, says that the concept of community is a reaffirmation of how they live, work, survive, and build peace together.

“You have a really interesting solidarity economics model in which you have individual economics interacting with a kind of collective economics,” says Burnyeat, who published a book in 2018 called Chocolate, Politics and Peace-building and produced Chocolate of Peace, a documentary about the role of cacao in the Peace Community. Members of the Peace Community have some individual land, but most of the 150 hectares of cacao trees grow in collectively owned plots. Members gather in small groups to tend the different plots, and every Thursday they do any work the community might need, from repairing a roof to planting more cacao trees. All of the produce from the community-owned crops goes into a collective pot, and then the community decides together how to distribute the funds.

“To them, this is actually a very profound act of transcending traditional capitalist society models and building something together,” Burnyeat says.

The Peace Community is known internationally thanks to the support of nonprofit organizations such as Peace Brigades International and Operazione Colomba. And because of the outside support, the community was able to enter the Fair Trade network and sell their cacao abroad for higher prices. According to Posso, the community sells about 50 tonnes of organic cacao a year to Lush, a British cosmetic company that makes soaps and other products with their cocoa.

But according to Burnyeat, the visibility brought by the nonprofits is an advantage that few other communities have, and she believes it provides a protection mechanism that is unsustainable in the long term. Plus it’s a double-edged sword: The community openly denounces the crimes against humanity on their official website, but this visibility also increases the risk of reprisals, like in 2005, when eight community members, three of them children, were slaughtered by a group of paramilitary and army soldiers. Since then, the community has ended any interaction with the Colombian government.

Fruits of Hope

In 2016, FARC, the revolutionary paramilitary group that had carried out the bloody war against the state for decades, signed a long-awaited peace accord with the government of former President Juan Manuel Santos. The agreement deeply polarized the country but marked a historic moment for Colombia.

However, four years later, the peace is shaky, failing those it pledged to protect: According to a 2019 report of Colombia’s Institute of Studies for Peace and Development, 700 community leaders have been murdered since 2016.

The Peace Community, in addition to suffering this new wave of violence, is also under the threat of losing their communal land from a state project of agrarian reform, according to Germán Romero, a lawyer with dhColombia, a nonprofit organization in charge of representing the community in court to seek justice for the violence they have experienced.

“We’re trying to keep the integrity of the territory,” Romero says. He says the community has survived physical extermination but might not survive the state’s project of redistribution of land. Local politicians and entrepreneurs who are against the community accuse them of having stolen the lands they cultivate, a claim Romero dismisses.

Losing the land that gives them the fruits of hope might mean the community’s end. But by continuing to harvest cacao, the community is stating, season after season, their right to live in the place they call home.

“The world is tired of war,” says Gonzáles, the community’s founder. “Why don’t they leave us in peace?”

(Thank you to Alicia Cabezudo and Azril Bacal for sending this to CPNN)

January 17, 2021FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTLatin AmericaCPNN Coordinator

Who to Believe about Venezuela’s Election: Firsthand observation or PBS Newshour?

. .DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

 An article by Rick Sterling in Transcend.org

In early December I traveled to Venezuela to be an election observer at their national assembly election. I was part of a group of eight persons from Canada and US organized by CodePink. There were about two hundred international observers in total, including the Latin American Council of Electoral Experts. I have previously been an official election observer in Honduras and was an unofficial observer at the 2015 Venezuela national assembly election.

Photo: Rick Sterling

Meeting Opposition Leaders

Before the election, our small group met eight leaders of the Democratic Alliance. This is the major opposition coalition. Pedro Jose Rojas of Accion Democratica said the US sanctions are not doing what is claimed; they are hurting average citizens. Bruno Gallo of Avanca Progressista said Venezuela needs negotiation not confrontation. Juan Carlos Alvarado of the Christian Democratic Party said Venezuelans have been “victims of politics” and that dialogue and flexibility are needed. Several leaders spoke about the importance of the national assembly and the road to change is through voting not violence. Several leaders expressed the wish for better relations with the US; another one said Venezuelan sovereignty needs to be respected. The common request was to end US sanctions and interference in Venezuelan politics.

We visited the factory where voting machines were assembled, tested and certified. The staff was openly proud of their work. In March this year, nearly all the pre-existing voting computers were destroyed in a massive fire at the main election warehouse. There were calls to delay the December election. But in six months, forty thousand new computers were ordered, built, assembled, tested and certified for the December election.

The Election Process

On election day, Sunday December 6, we visited many different elections sites. Typically, the election voting takes place at a school, with five or ten classrooms designated as “mesas”. Each voter goes to his or her designated classroom / “mesa”.

The voting process was quick and efficient, with bio-safety sanitation at each step. The first step is to show your identity card and prove your identity with fingerprint recognition. Step 2 was to make your voting choices at the touchscreen computer and receive a paper receipt. Step 3 is to verify the receipt matches your voting choice and deposit the receipt in a ballot box. The fourth and final step is to sign and put your fingerprint on the voting registry. The entire voting process took about 3 minutes.

At the end of the voting day, we observed the process of tabulating the votes. At each “mesa”, with observers from other parties present, the paper receipts were recorded one by one. At the end, the results were compared to the digital count. Voting results were then transmitted to the headquarters for overall tabulation.

Election results were announced by the Council for National Election (CNE) which manages the entire process. CNE leaders are not permitted to be members of any party and the CNE leadership was recently changed at the request of the opposition. In our discussion with leading opposition members, they complained about incumbent party advantages but acknowledged the election process is free, fair and honest.

PBS Newshour Special

With this firsthand experience, on December 29 I watched a PBS Newshour segment about the Venezuela election and overall situation. PBS reporter Marcia Biggs said, “Maduro’s party essentially ran unopposed in this month’s election.” As noted above, this is untrue.

In fact, there were 107 parties and over 14,000 individuals competing in the December 6 election for 277 national assembly seats. While 8 parties were in alliance with the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), there were over 90 opposition parties. The strongest opposition coalition was the Democratic Alliance comprising 7 opposition parties. The Democratic Alliance won 1.1 million votes or 18% of the vote. The LEFT opposition to the PSUV, under the banner of the Communist Party of Venezuela, received 168 thousand votes.

Reporter Marcia Biggs claimed that “politics permeates everything in Venezuela and can determine whether you support Maduro and eat or go hungry.” This claim is based on a campaign statement by PSUV Vice President Diosdado Cabello encouraging people to vote. He jokingly said that women are in the forefront and can say to their family, “No vote, no food.” Video of him making the statement is here. This statement has been distorted out of all meaning and context.

The PBS story showed a fistfight in the national assembly, implying that it was the Venezuelan government. But, as reported in the “Juan Guaidó surreal regime change reality show”, the fight was between competing factions of the Venezuelan opposition.

(continued in right column)

Question for this article:

What is really happening in Venezuela?

(continued from left column)

When they showed Juan Guaidó climbing over a fence, that was a publicity stunt to distract from the important news that Luis Parra was elected Speaker of the national assembly one year ago. That was embarrassing because Guaidó’s claim to be “interim president” was based on his being Speaker.

Election turnout was lower than usual at 31% but one needs to account for the election taking place despite covid19 with no mail-in voting. Also, millions of registered voters have had to leave the country due to economic hardship. Also, transportation is difficult due to gasoline scarcity. This was a national assembly election, equivalent to a US mid-term election, which gets lower turnout. Note that 95% of voting eligible Venezuelans are registered voters compared to just 67% in the USA. Thus a turnout of 50% registered voters in the US equates to 33% of eligible voters.

US Meddling in Venezuela

The star of the 7-minute PBS story is Roberto Patino, the Venezuelan director of a food distribution charity. The report neglects to mention that Patino is associated with a major US foreign policy institution. He is a Millennium Leadership fellow and “expert” at the neoliberal Atlantic Council where the “regime change” goals against Venezuela are clear. His food charity “Alimenta la Solidaridad” is allied with the “ Rescue Venezuela ” funded by the US with the apparent goal of undermining the Venezuelan government and promoting “interim president Juan Guaidó”.

Roberto Patino says the Venezuelan government is “very paranoid and they see conspiracies all over.” Paranoia is a mental condition where there is fear of imaginary threats. But US threats and aggression against Venezuela are not imaginary; they are very real:

In 2002 the US supported the kidnapping and coup against the popular and elected President Hugo Chavez. The years have gone by but US hostility persists.

* In August 2018 there was a drone assassination attempt on the Venezuelan President.

* In January 2019 the US declared that it would not recognize the elected President Maduro and instead recognized Juan Guaidó as “interim president”. His background is described in the article “The Making of Juan Guaidó: How the US regime change laboratory created Venezuela’s coup leader”

* In February 2019 President Trump threatened military intervention against Venezuela.

* In March 2019, there was massive power blackout caused by sabotage of the electrical grid, with probable US involvement.

* In May 2020, two former US Special Forces soldiers and other mercenaries were arrested in a failed attempt to overthrow President Maduro.

* In June 2020, the US Navy warship Nitze began provocative “freedom of navigation” patrols along the Venezuelan coast.

* In August 2020, the US seized four ships carrying much needed gasoline to Venezuela.

* In September 2020, in a attempt to undermine the Venezuelan election, the US imposed sanctions on political leaders who planned to participate.

* The US 2021 stimulus bill includes $33Million for “democracy programs for Venezuela”.

Based on the past twenty years, Venezuela’s government has good reason to be on guard against US threats, meddling and intervention. The PBS program ignores this history.

Another hero of the show is the exiled politician Leopoldo Lopez. He was imprisoned in 2014 for instigating street violence known as “guarimbas” which led to the deaths of 43 people.

Like Patino, Lopez is from the Venezuelan elite, studied in the US and has major public relations support in the US. Like Guaidó, Leopoldo Lopez is more popular in Washington than his home country.

Will the US respect Venezuelan sovereignty?

If the PBS Newshour reporters had not been so biased, they would have interviewed members of the moderate opposition in Venezuela. Viewers could have heard Democratic Alliance leaders explain why they participated in the election, why they are critical of US economic sanctions and US interference in their domestic affairs. That would have been educational for viewers.

On January 5, the newly elected national assembly will commence in Venezuela. The fig leaf pretense of Juan Guaidó as “interim president” of Venezuela will be removed because he is no longer in the national assembly. In fact, he was removed as speaker of the national assembly one year ago.

But viewers of the PBS special did not learn this. Instead, they received a biased report ignoring the moderate opposition and promoting a few US supported elites. The report ignores or denigrates the efforts of millions of Venezuelans who carried out and participated in an election which compares favorably with the election process in the US. You would never know it from PBS, and you might not believe it, unless you saw it with your own eyes.

January 15, 2021DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin AmericaLatin AmericaCPNN Coordinator