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Synopsis of the UN High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace

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Statement at the closing of UN High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace on behalf of the President of the UN General Assembly

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
On behalf of the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency, Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, I want to thank you for participating in this High-Level Forum.

Our discussions today were very rich. They brought many aspects and issues to the table. And, I will not be able to summarise them in a few minutes.

Instead, I will focus on three areas – which I think came to the fore.


Photo from the Culture of Peace Initiative

I. Sustaining Peace

First, we talked about the state our world is in, when it comes to peace.

And a lot of it was far from positive. Many of you pointed to the changing nature of conflicts. From more interstate violence…… to the proliferation of non-state and terrorist actors.

Others talked about the devastating effects of conflicts in their own countries.

So, we heard about a lot of pain and suffering. But we also listened to many messages of hope. In particular, on the topic of Sustaining Peace.

It was clear that there is wide support for this new approach. And we heard that it can be a credible pathway to a culture of peace.

For example, in Liberia. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country has now closed its doors. And Liberians have turned peace from an objective into a tangible part of daily life.

Also, Colombia was flagged as another example. This country was home to armed conflict for over five decades. But, now, a culture of peace is growing stronger every day.

These achievements were made possible through hard work and sustained investment

– by national actors, regional partners and the international community.
Our discussion showed that the potential of Sustaining Peace is huge. We are already harnessing some of it. But a lot remains untapped.

Many of you argued that certain tools should be used more by the United Nations

– from good offices and mediation support ……to longer-term peacebuilding partnerships. And you pointed to gaps at the regional and national levels.
So, we still have work to do.

II. Coherence Across Pillars

Secondly, I think we acknowledged something important today. Which is: if we want to achieve a culture of peace, we need to look beyond, just, peace.

Many of you stressed the vital role played by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Ms. Rigoberta Menchu told us that inequalities and exclusion can destroy the conditions needed for a culture of peace to thrive. And we heard about how poverty eradication, and inclusive growth, can increase the chances of peace taking hold.

Today’s Forum also placed major emphasis on education. I want to repeat a line from the Constitution of UNESCO, which was quoted today: “Wars begin in the minds of men”.

Of course, wars begin in the minds of both men and women. So, the sooner we can promote peace, in the minds of both men and women, the better. And that means starting from the first days of a child’s education.

Climate change also featured in our Forum. Some of you raised the warning flags. And you told us that the effects of climate change can spark or worsen conflict.

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Question(s) related to this article:

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

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We also talked about finance. We heard that too much money is flowing towards securitisation and armaments. But not enough is being used to stop conflict at its roots – and invest in drivers of peace. Other delegations argued that illicit financial flows pose a threat to peace and security. And we heard resounding calls for more predictable financing for Sustaining Peace.

Human rights form another issue which came up, again and again, today. We heard speakers and delegates from all over the world call for a human-rights-based approach to both peace and development.

Almost every delegation flagged gender equality as a priority. A culture of peace cannot exist without it. That was clear, before this Forum. But our discussions today have reaffirmed it. Some women are actors of conflict. And many, many others are agents of peace. But all must lead, participate and be counted.

Moreover, an emphasis was placed on young people. Some of you stressed that the vast majority of young people are passionate about peace. So, yes, we do need more action, to prevent young people from joining terrorist groups or mobilising for violence. But we also need far more support for the young people who are out there, on the ground, working for peace.

III. Partnerships

A third theme today was partnerships.

Governments shared some best practices. These ranged from support to the United Nations peacebuilding activities to efforts for national reconciliation or inter-religious dialogue.

Moreover, regional actors featured strongly. We heard a lot about the efforts of regional organisations – from ASEAN and the EU to the African Union- in supporting peacebuilding on the ground.

And we learned about innovative efforts, led by the United Nations, to create partnerships for peace.This includes exciting work by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund to partner with other UN entities and national actors. But we also heard calls for more coherence, across the UN’s work. Various delegations also argued that the ongoing reform of the UN’s Peace and Security Pillar is crucial to creating a culture of peace.

And, there were calls for broader partnerships. Some of you said that the private sector should play a bigger role. Many stressed that think tanks and academic institutions, like the Peace and Justice Institute, are crucial in providing data and research.

And we heard how the media can help to spread messages of peace – particularly among children and young people.

So, in essence, we all agreed that we cannot achieve a culture of peaceon our own.

Conclusion

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

I want to thank you all again for taking part in this Forum. Particular thanks must go to Ambassador Chowdhury – for his commitment to this issue.

Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.

And, as we look towards it, I want to mention one other message that came from our Forum today.

It was one of humanity.

Today, we all acknowledged our differences.

The understanding of a culture of peace differed from delegation to delegation – and person to person.

There was no uniform definition. Because, there are differences between us – whether based on religion, culture, language, or politics. But they do not need to hold us back.

Humanity can be the foundation of a culture of peace. It can be the bedrock.
Our differences and diversity, however, can give it colour.

So, we look to the 20th anniversary, next year, let’s focus more than ever on our humanity.

Because, it is our guarantee that a culture of peaceis possible.

Thank you.

(Thank you to Anwarul Chowdhury and the GMCOP for sending us this speech)

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Colombia: Schools for Peace deliver their first results

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An article from La Nacion

Schools for Peace, providing a diploma to children, adolescents, youth, parents, teachers and community leaders have delivered their first results in Villa de Los Andes, in La Plata; Silvania, in Giant; La Arcadia, in Algeciras; and Carlos Ramón Repizo, in San Agustín.

According to the Secretary of Education, Gloria González Perdomo, the project carried out forums and workshops, and the product was the publication of a pedagogical primer.
She added that these have been delivered to the educational communities in subregional forums in the educational institutions referred to. The fourth and last forum was held in

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Question related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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“These primers, as a pedagogical product of the project, should serve as a reference for all the educational, private and public establishments of the department, to address the problems related to peace. Coexistence is one of the pillars of the Development Plan ‘The Way is Education”, said Gonzalez Perdomo.

Peace: transversal theme

Humberto Montealegre, coordinator of the transversality programs of the Departmental Education Secretariat explained, “The purpose of the project of Schools for Peace and Participatory Democracy is the construction of a basic curricular document to develop the Chair of Peace in all educational institutions, not as a single subject, but as a transversal theme.”

He concluded by saying that in this way and in accordance with the curriculum of each educational establishment, all teachers, from preschool to eleventh, should develop teaching programs that promote culture of peace, coexistence and democracy

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Angola to pass on peace experience to UNESCO members in Paris

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An article from Xinhua Net

The Republic of Angola will convey its experience on the culture of peace and interreligious dialogue during the International Conference on Peace scheduled for Sept. 17-19 at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Culture Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris.


Ambassador Sita Jose

Angola’s ambassador to UNESCO, Sita Jose, told the press on Thursday in Luanda that the meeting is an initiative of the permanent delegations to the organization, mainly of the African and Asian continents.

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Question related to this article.

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

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

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The event will focus on intercultural and interreligious dialogue and education for a world of peace, harmony and tolerance.

The country will once again have the opportunity to pass on its experience on the role of the church in the process of consolidating peace in partnership with the states, the diplomat said.

The activity will serve as an opportunity of the countries for a profound approach to the contribution of churches in peace-building processes and dialogue among peoples, said the diplomat.

“The aim of the event is to transmit the experiences of the countries in what concerns the promotion of intercultural and interreligious dialogue and the role of education in the consolidation and construction of peace, harmony and community life,” he added.

Angola was asked to intervene, mainly, by its experience in the process of reconciliation and pacification with the contribution of the churches, for the conquest and preservation of peace, according to the diplomat.

Angola experienced a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, United Nations,

Rigoberta Menchú speaks at the UN about obstacles to the culture of peace

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An article from Prensa Latina

The goodwill ambassador of Unesco, Rigoberta Menchú, highlighted today [5 Sep] in the high level forum of the UN General Assembly the obstacles that prevent the development of a culture of peace.


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29 years have passed since the concept of a culture of peace was proposed at a Unesco event, and on October 6 next year will be two decades after the adoption of the Declaration and Program of Action for a Culture of Peace, recalled the indigenous leader and Nobel Peace laureate.

Currently, the legitimacy and fairness of that declaration and of the action program – as international legal norms and instruments – are unquestionable decisions that have irrefutable validity, she said.

But the good wishes tthat the culture of peace should become positive law are opposed by the historical tendencies of a culture of violence and war, she added. The culture of peace is a utopia with great obstacles and enemies.

Instead of decreasing, threats increase and multiply, she warned.

Only a hundred rich individuals concentrate the world’s wealth, while malnutrition and extreme poverty directly affect 60 percent of the world population, lamented the goodwill ambassador of Unesco.

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Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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According to this calculation, four billion 408 million people are direct victims of inequalities and global exclusions, she explained.

“The arms race is a manifestation of the nuclear, chemical and bacteriological war industry and who knows what other lethal methods are being tried to annihilate human life in a massive and rapid way.”

Menchú also warned about global warming, its irreversible damage to the planet and the little that has been achieved on this issue, despite the international agreements that have been adopted.

In the same way, she spoke about the tragedy that corruption and impunity represent in the world. They violate democracy, impede sustainable development, and put the peoples at risk.

‘Once again the most horrendous practices of racism and discrimination, xenophobia and homophobia offend conscience and annihilate human dignity’.

She also called for a halt to hate-filled speeches and ttitudes that are on the increase in different corners of the planet and she gave as an example the recent actions against migrants at the borders of the United States. Confining migrant children in concentration camps reminds us of the horrors of the holocaust of World War II, she said, and she criticized the dehumanization behind practices that are assumed as a normal fact.

Menchú regretted that the Declaration and Program of Action for a Culture of Peace has suffered the same fate as other international instruments and initiatives, due to the lack of political will, especially from States, economic and political sectors.

She also highlighted the peaceful worldview of the indigenous peoples of the world and how the culture of peace should be understood again as a transversal theme.

However, this is not possible when the economic, political and social machinery goes in the opposite direction and its effects disrupt any institutional mechanism, any individual and collective will to live in peace, she concluded.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, United Nations,

Togo: Catholic Church urges media to serve dialogue, peace and reconciliation

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An article from Togo Presse (translated by CPNN)

Some 50 journalists from Catholic media and secular media from the seven dioceses of Togo took part, on Tuesday and Wednesday (21-22 August), in CESAL, in Lomé-Tokoin, in a training workshop on the theme: “The media at the service of dialogue, reconciliation and peace”. The project is in the hands of the Catholic Episcopal Council for Social Communications (CENCCS), in partnership with the World Catholic Association for Communication (SIGNIS), the Propaganda Fide, with the sponsorship of the Conference of Bishops of Togo (CET) ). It aims to strengthen the capacity of media professionals to contribute to the success of inter-Togolese dialogue, national reconciliation and the consolidation of social peace.


Emmanuel Mawusi, clarifies the objectives of the workshop

The essential functions of a media is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, in a process of dialogue and reconciliation, as is the case in Togo, which is going through a momentous moment in its history, the media must be mediators between the protagonists of the crisis. But it is clear that the Togolese press, for the most part, ignores this role, preferring to play the game of politics. It is therefore to remind them of this role of awakeners of conscience that the Catholic Episcopal Council for Social Communications (CENCCS) initiated, for the pastoral agents of the sector of Catholic media and secular media of the seven dioceses of Togo , a workshop on the theme: “Media for Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace”.

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Question(s) related to this article:

African journalism and the Culture of Peace, A model for the rest of the world?

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For two days, seasoned speakers spoke on several sub-themes namely “Dialogue in the management of a political crisis: the case of Togo”, “Reconciliation in traditional and contemporary societies”, “Promotion of culture of peace: the role of the media professionals “, “The role of the media in a process of dialogue and reconciliation”and “Exchanges on the use of traditional and contemporary techniques of production of media content in favor of ‘peace journalism”.

“We want that, starting from here, we can act as we should with great circumspection by using the words and doing the right thing to really help the Togolese to reconcile, to know how to manage the moments of crisis. Words have strength. By speech or a statement, people can be manipulated based on what is said. So, as media professionals, we hold the very crux of the crisis in this country. When there is a crisis without dialogue, we go to the impasse. We are here to teach Togolese to stay together while being on various sides,” said Rev. Emmanuel Mawusi, Secretary General of CENCCS.

For Daniel Lawson Drakey, one of the communicators, the journalist, as an educator and awakener of conscience, must make a difference. The journalist should be at the disposal of the population wherever there is an issue without taking a stand. “It’s about not throwing oil on the fire. Today we have the impression that journalists have become political actors. They speak in the place of the politician. This makes us no longer understand the role of the media within the populations. Combat journalism has had its day. Today, everyone is talking about the development of our states. When a journalist engages politically, he loses credibility. But if it becomes independent, the people find in it a credibility and they listen to it,

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

David Swanson Awarded 2018 Peace Prize of the US Peace Memorial Foundation

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

Report from the US Peace Memorial Foundation

The Board of Directors of the US Peace Memorial Foundation  has voted unanimously to award its 2018 Peace Prize to The Honorable David Swanson “whose inspiring antiwar leadership, writings, strategies, and organizations help to create a culture of peace.”


Video of presentation

Michael Knox, Chair of the Foundation, presented the award on August 26 at the Veterans For Peace 33rd Annual Convention held in St. Paul, MN.

In his remarks, Knox said, “Thank you, David, for dedicating your life to ending wars.  You are one of the most prolific writers, speakers, activists, and organizers for peace.  The breadth of your work is staggering.  You have enlightened us with books that are in the forefront of modern antiwar thought; and with speeches, debates, conferences, blogs, billboards, radio shows, online courses, videos, websites, and more innovative ideas than we can name.  We want you to know that your efforts are greatly appreciated, here and around the world.”

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Questions for this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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Upon learning of the award, David said, “This wonderful honor is definitely having the impact on me that I imagine is intended, namely it is inspiring me to keep at it and work harder to advance the abolition of war and the development of peaceful behaviors and institutions.  Thank you for the pat on the back but also for the kick in the rear.  We have a long ways yet to go.”

In addition to receiving the 2018 Peace Prize, our highest honor, Swanson has been designated a  Founding Member  of the US Peace Memorial Foundation.  He joins previous Peace Prize  recipients Ann Wright, Veterans For Peace, Kathy Kelly, CODEPINK Women for Peace, Chelsea Manning, Medea Benjamin, Noam Chomsky, Dennis Kucinich, and Cindy Sheehan.  Nominees considered by the Board in 2018 included Daniel Ellsberg, Nancy Mancias, Colman McCarthy, Sharon Tennison, Sally-Alice Thompson, and S. Brian Willson.  You can read about the antiwar/peace activities of all recipients and nominees in our publication, the US Peace Registry.


The US Peace Memorial Foundation directs a nationwide effort to honor Americans who stand for peace by publishing the US Peace Registry, awarding an annual Peace Prize  , and planning for the US Peace Memorial  in Washington, DC.  These projects help move the United States toward a culture of peace by honoring the millions of thoughtful and courageous Americans and U.S. organizations that have taken a public stand against one or more U.S. wars or who have devoted their time, energy, and other resources to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts.  We celebrate these role models to inspire other Americans to speak out against war and to work for peace.

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Colombia: Fundación Escuelas de Paz: Illustrating the Art of Peace

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Special to CPNN from the Fundación Escuelas de Paz

The Colombian Government is moving forward in the implementation of the Peace Accord with the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force (FARC) political party and is working to secure a peace deal with the National Liberation Army (ELN). With the peace process in place, Colombia is setting an example to the world for peace and reconciliation after over half a century of armed conflict and severe violence. However, the government cannot alone bring peace to this nation.

That is why the Bogotá-based peace-building NGO, Fundación Escuelas de Paz (FEP) has been supporting peace development in Colombia since 2001. FEP plays a vital part in the emerging multi-level and multi-dimensional approaches to peace-making in Colombia by working with civil society, government, and foreign partners to discuss the importance of diverse paths to peace and promote programs that educate youths on peace-building through a multitude of projects.

FEP employs a range of actions such as research, publication, and peace-building projects, and works closely with conflict resolution field experts to support the fundamental principles of “Culture of Peace” to make peace a right and a responsibility for all citizens, especially for the new generation of Colombians. FEP operates through an interdisciplinary team that works in stimulating environments that strengthen youth networks, teachers, and schools of peace.

Every year, FEP designs and executes conflict resolution and reconciliation type projects. From May 2018 to December 2018, FEP is performing a project titled “Música, Arte y Memoria: Jóvenes del Meta transformando el tejido social” (Music, Art, and Memory: Youths of Meta transforming the social fabric), which is funded by USAID Human Rights Program and FEP. The project includes a series of eight workshops to teach peace-building skills to youths through the use of the arts. Today, recognition of the contributions of arts and culture to peace is real and quickly evolving. It is fueled not only by artist-peace-builders and cultural facilitators, but the interest is also increasing from practitioners of more traditional peacebuilding approaches, such as mediation, facilitation, negotiation, transitional justice, and human rights advocacy.

This year, FEP is getting help from two current graduate students, Valentin Castro and Evan Tueller. Valentin and Evan are both candidates in the Masters of Conflict Resolution Program at Georgetown University. Last December, both students received a fellowship through Georgetown University to go abroad during the summer and work with an organization on peacemaking themes. Valentin and Evan arrived in Bogota, Colombia on June 2, 2018, to begin their 10-week internship at FEP and help design their first peace-through-the-arts workshop for youths living in rural Colombia.

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Question related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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The project takes place in the Department of Meta in two small towns: Mesetas and El Castillo, territories once plagued by extreme violence and armed conflict. Valentin and Evan will help execute peace workshops and develop two products to leave behind with FEP: a video documenting the execution of the first workshop and a template for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) that FEP can use to analyze and measure their overall success better.

The goal of this project is for youth groups belonging to the municipalities of Mesetas and El Castillo to become peace ambassadors for their communities by carrying out non-violent collective actions using mediums such as art and music. Other essential themes within this project include education on human, civil, and political rights, and promoting responsibility and leadership roles at individual and group levels. Upon the completing these peace workshops, the follow-on intent is for the youths to use the skills and lessons learned to replicate and teach smaller peace workshops to other youth groups in their communities. This project will help influence and raise the competence of the young people of Meta as peace representatives on the issues of human rights, conflict transformation, peace-building, and intercultural dialogue.

The first peace-building workshop entailed two parts: one part in the morning and the second one in the afternoon. The first phase is titled “El Canto de Nuestra Memoria: Tu Cancion” (The Song from our Memory: Your Song) and the second half is “Desvelando tu lienzo interior a traves del arte, la danza y la creatividad” (Unveiling Your Inner Canvas through Art, Dance, and Creativity). The first half of the workshop uses music to help individuals understand themselves better by using the space to express themselves through musical instruments, vocal sounds, and dance. These techniques also help enable trust within the students since music is known to have the potential to bring people together. The second half of the workshop entails more dancing and concludes with designing a mural that exhibits how the students view the future in their community. Art is fundamental to the development of a child’s imagination because they cannot create nor achieve anything unless they imagine it first.

Our experience at FEP has been remarkable and eye-opening. The FEP team goes beyond being our colleagues—FEP is our family. Professor Amada Benavides is an excellent leader and seasoned professional with many years of experience in constructing peace. We feel lucky to have had the opportunity to work with the FEP team here in Bogotá and the remote regions of Mesetas and El Castillo. The internship with FEP surpassed our expectations and gave us a chance to work in the field and help execute these art peace-building workshops. This internship experience left us thinking of what Aristotle once said, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”

We leave FEP and Colombia with a better understanding of how to achieve peace through the culture of the arts and with a new positive perspective of how Colombians are finding ways to make their tomorrow better.

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Colombia: Where there once was war is now the Route of Peace

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An article for El Tiempo

A family weekend to the beat of drums in San Basilio of Palenque, or to the rhythm of porro by the composer Lucho Bermúdez in El Carmen de Bolivar, and do not return home without bringing a hammock from San Jacinto.

These towns are part of the Ruta de la Paz, a strategy promoted by the the Ministry of Culture and the departmental government of Bolivar as part of the project ‘Bolívar si avanza’. The project promotes tourism and cultural development in regions and municipalities that were affected by the Colombian armed conflict. Today they are areas full of life, progress and courage, where the inhabitants show their natural beauty, share their cultural wealth and generate economic development.

The Route of Peace includes the municipalities of Santa Catalina de Alejandría, Turbaco, Arjona, San Basilio de Palenque (Mahates), María la Baja, San Juan Nepomuceno, San Jacinto, El Carmen de Bolívar, Magangué and Mompox. Here the traveler will find natural beauty and cultural wealth, such as the filigree artisans in Mompox, the magical port on the Magdalena River, whose renowned colonial architecture still breathes the spirit called Macondo by Gabriel García Márquez.

The route, as a tourist product, is articulated with the Caribbean Corridor that has been designed by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism to strengthen employment, productivity, competitiveness, sustainability, formalization, safety and education through the schools for tourism.

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Question related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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In Magangué, for example, work has started at the José Francisco Chico Cervantes Cultural Center, under the project ‘Bolívar si avanza’ and Icultur. Here, 343 young people have begun their studies in different cultural programs, among which are vocal technique, piano, guitar, percussion, dance, theatrical performance and communication. All this with teachers hired by the Office of the Mayor.

Julio Rojas Cultural Center

One of the jewels of the Montes de María, a land full of folklore and traditional costumes, is San Juan Nepomuceno. It already has a cultural center named Julio Rojas Buendía, in honor of the famous musician and lawyer who was born in those lands on July 9, 1959 and died in Barranquilla on June 20, 2016, accordionist and twice the king of the Festival of La Leyenda Vallenata, in 1983 and 1994. The center was inaugurated two months ago by the Government of Bolivar and Icultur in an event attended by the director of the National Planning Department, Luis Fernando Mejía; the director of the National Federation of Departments, Carlos Felipe Córdoba, the mayor and other personalities.

As explained by the general director of Icultur, Lucy Espinosa Díaz, “this inauguration consolidates the Departmental Network of Music Schools in Bolívar, It was made with resources of the General System of Royalties (SGR), In general, there will be six cultural centers in Bolívar, of which four have already been established by the the departmental government and Icultur. The Municipalities of Santa Rosa de Lima, Magangué, Cicuco and now San Juan Nepomuceno already have a cultural center. Those of Regidor and Tiquisio remain to be established. Thus we have cultural infrastructure at the service of all in Bolivar, above all for children, who are the ones who hope to take advantage of these spaces for culture.”

Now the people of San Juan will be able to advance artistic vocational training in the programs of band music, accordion music, acoustic guitar, bagpipes, whistles and drums, folk dance and plastic arts.

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United Nations: High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace, September 2018

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Letter from Miroslav Lajčák, President of the UN General Assembly

Recognizing the need to further promote the Culture of Peace, particularly in the current global context, and responding to paragraph 15 of Resolution 72/137, the President of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, will convene a oneday High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace, on Wednesday, 5 September 2018, at UN Headquarters, New York.

Background and Objectives

On 13 September 1999, the General Assembly adopted, by consensus and without reservation, Resolution 53/243 on the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. The Declaration on a Culture of Peace establishes fundamental principles and reiterates political commitment to promote a culture of peace in the millennium. The Programme of Action defines a set of actions to help Governments, civil society, and individuals to foster culture of peace at national, regional and international levels.

Further, the General Assembly by its resolution 52/15 of 20 November 1997 proclaimed the year 2000 as the “International Year for the Culture of Peace” and in its resolution 53/25 of 10 November 1998, the Assembly proclaimed the period of 2001-2010 as the “International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World”.

The General Assembly resolution 72/137 of 11 December 2017, entitled “Followup to the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace”, requested the President of the General Assembly to consider convening a High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace.

Through annual substantive resolutions for the last 20 years as well as annual High-level Forums since 2012, the General Assembly has highlighted the priority it attaches to the full and effective implementation of these forward-looking objectives which are universally applicable and sought after by the vast majority of peoples in every nation.

In keeping with this approach, the 5th September High-level Forum aims to highlight emerging trends that have an impact on the realization of a culture of peace and to enable Member States and Observers and other stakeholders to exchange views on how to further promote a culture of peace. 2

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has put significant emphasis on the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence. These are essential to pave the way for the international community to engage and march towards achieving the sustainable development goals. To meet this end, we need to sustain peace. Our efforts in sustaining peace should be built upon the three pillars of the United Nations, namely peace and security, human rights and development, in order to have a holistic outcome.

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Question(s) related to this article:

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

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At the High-level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace convened by President of the General Assembly H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák in April 2018, it was emphatically asserted that “peace is more than a ceasefire. It is more than a peace deal. And, it is more than the absence of war”. For that, there is a need to tackle conflict at its roots. There is a need to invest in achieving sustainable peace. To make peace last long for the benefit of humanity, it is essential to build a culture of peace. The High-level Meeting reiterated that “sustaining peace is not an easy task” and “making peace is harder than silencing the guns”. Therefore, a wideranging discussion on the interlinkages between these two concepts is required, to chart a credible pathway towards sustaining peace for a prosperous and more peaceful world for all.

Participation

Member States and Observers are invited to participate at the highest level possible. The meeting is also open to UN agencies, civil society organisations, including NGOs, the private sector and other stakeholders.

Format

The Forum will consist of an opening session, a plenary segment, an interactive panel discussion and a closing segment.

The opening session and plenary segment will be held in the General Assembly Hall from 10:00am-1:00pm. The panel discussion will take place in the Trusteeship Council Chamber from 3:00pm-5.30pm, followed by closing segment from 5:30pm6:00pm. The opening session and plenary segment will feature statements by the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General (TBC), and will hear a keynote address by a preeminent Nobel Peace Laureate.

The plenary segment will comprise of statements by Member States and observers of the General Assembly. A list of speakers will be established in accordance with the established practices of the Assembly. The list of speakers will be open for inscriptions via the e-Speakers module of the e-Delegate platform on 16 August at 12 noon. The time limit for the statements is three minutes.

The panel discussion in the afternoon will focus on the of the 2018 High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace: “The Culture of Peace: A Credible Pathway to Sustaining Peace 3

The panel discussion will feature remarks by distinguished panelists followed by an interactive discussion. The panel will be moderated by Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace and the former Under Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. There will be no established list of speakers for the panel discussion.

Registration of members of official delegations Official delegations and members of the parties of Heads of State or Government, Vice-Presidents and Crown Princes or Princesses will be registered by the Protocol and Liaison Service. Missions/offices are required to submit their registration requests by using the online system “e-Accreditation” available through the e-Delegate Portal at https://delegate.un.int.

Outcome

A Chair’s summary of the meeting will be circulated to Member States. Further information regarding this meeting will be available on the PGA’s website.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, United Nations,

More Than 300 Newspapers Denounce Trump Attacks on the Press

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from Prensa Latina

More than 300 US media are publishing editorials to denounce President Donald Trump”s growing attacks against the press, in an initiative launched by the Boston Globe newspaper.

As part of the unprecedented campaign, each newspaper organization on Thursday disseminates its own considerations on the subject, with the common point of denouncing the position of a president who has said that the media are ‘enemies of the people’ and has branded them as ‘dangerous and sick.’ 


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We propose to publish an editorial on August 16 about the dangers of administration assault on the press and ask others to commit to publishing their own editorials on the same date, urged the Globe in recent days, and many texts began to appear in since yesterday.

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

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In Missouri, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called journalists ‘the most loyal of patriots’; in Illinois, the Chicago Sun-Times said that most Americans know that Trump says nonsense; and in North Carolina, the Fayetteville Observer considered that the president manipulates reality to obtain what he wants.

For its part, The New York Times noted that in 2018 some of the most damaging attacks against news organizations come from government officials.

Criticizing the media for minimizing or exaggerating the stories, for doing something wrong, is totally correct. Journalists and news editors are human and make mistakes. Correcting them is essential for our work, the newspaper said.

For its part, The Mercury News, published in San Jose, California, reported that in its rallies, the president verbally abuses the press, and ‘it is not surprising that some of his followers have taken it to the next step, threatening with violence.’ 

For the Philadelphia Inquirer, in Pennsylvania, Trump made the term ‘false news’ a mantra with which he points to any news coverage and, often, to any fact with which he does not agree.

In some media, however, there are some contrary opinions, considering that it could give the president more arguments in his speech that there is a coordinated attempt among the country’s publications against him.

‘Trump will get enough fresh material to hit the media for at least a month,’ said journalist Jack Shafer in the digital portal Politico.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America