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At UN Forum Member States call for implementation of the 1999 Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace

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A compilation by CPNN

At the recent United Nations High Level Forum on a Culture of Peace, delegations from around the world recalled the 1999 UN Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and called for its implementation. Here are excerpts from statements made at the Forum by delegations from Europe, Latin America, East Asia, South Asia and the Arab States.


Her Excellency Mme. Elisenda Vives Balmaña, Permanent Representative to the United Nations from Andorra

On the other hand, just as they boycotted the UN Conference to ban nuclear weapons, the countries of NATO and their allies boycotted the forum. The only exception was the delegation from Belgium.

“Andorra applauds the action of UNESCO in favor of the culture of peace based on the universal values of tolerance, liberty, solidarity, human rights and gender equality. It is a concept that can be found already in the 1999 adoption by the General Assembly of resolution A/53/243 which proposes the promotion of peace through education which should be available to all children, with a particular attention to women.”

“Bangladesh along with all the stakeholders have been engaged in the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace which highlighted the priority areas for the full and effective implementation of this visionary and universally applicable idea.”

“Belgium remains convinced of the pertinence of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace adopted in 1999.”

China: “States should accelerate the realization of the goals related to the culture of peace in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and effectively implement the General Assembly’s Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.”

Cuba: “Eighteen years after the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, Cuba reaffirms its full validity and is grateful for the convening of this High-Level Forum, which allows to reflect on how much is yet to be done to achieve and enjoy a true cultue of peace, fostering understanding among peoples and tolerance of diffeences.”

“India welcomes and fully supports the landmark resolution A/53/243 on the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. A culture of peace is the keystone of the foundation of a global order of peace and tolerance. In the long history of human civilization which have seen many years of warfare, the United Nations has been a guiding light in the 20th Century with the many initiatives it has taken to build a peaceful and just order.”

Lebanon: “This event gives us the opportunity, not only to celebrate, but also to review our commitment made almost two decades ago in the adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.”

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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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Libya: “In 1999 the General Assembly adopted the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace which was considered a guide for governments and civil society to promote the culture of peace. This declaration linked the concepts of culture and peace as th main pillars of peacebuilding.”

Malaysia: “My delegation reaffirms its support and commitment for the continued and effective implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace which remains relevant to uphold respect for life as well as human values and diversity. It would be remiss for me to not mention the importance of values set about by the Declaration, including ending of violence, practice of education, dialogue and cooperation, as well as adherence to principles of justice, tolerance, cooperation and cultural diversity. It is our view that these principles , when applied, will address the challenges that we have been facing in attaining the culture of peace.”

Mexico: “The adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace represents an important step towards establishing integral strategies to promote the culture of peace that contributes to guarantee a sustainable peace in the long term.”

Pakistan: “The General Assembly Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace of 1999 bound us all in a global commitment to build a new century of peace and coexistence.”

Qatar: “In conclusion, I would like to stress our commitment to implement the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and we will continue to provide support to all efforts at the national, regional and international levels in order to promote the culture of peace and nonviolence so that we can benefit the entire humanity.”

Republic of Korea: “The 1999 Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace expanded the parameters of the concept of peace, connecting it more firmly to development, empowerment, human rights and government transparency. In our rapidly changing world, we must zero in on those who can benefit the most from programs meant to promote a culture of peace and ask ourselves if they are being well served,”

Russian Federation: “The significance continues to grow of the inter-religious, inter-civilizational and intercultural dialogue and cooperation and promotion of principles and orientation, that was established by the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace in 1999.”

“Venezuela has actively supported all initiatives of the United Nations fostering a culture of peace, and the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, as well as the International Year for the Culture of Peace, and innumerable specific actions which contributed to a culture of peace and nonviolence from 2000 to 2010.”

Editor’s note: The statements from Andorra, Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Cuba, Mexico, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and Russia are available as pdf images at https://papersmart.unmeetings.org/ga/71st-session/high-level-forum-on-the-culture-of-peace/statements/. Remarks from Andorra, Belgium, Cuba, Mexico and Russia are translated by CPNN. Statements from Lebanon, Libya, Qatar and Venezuela, are transcribed from the English language interpretations available at http://webtv.un.org/search/high-level-forum-on-the-culture-of-peace-general-assembly-71st-session/5567708131001/?term=&lan=english&page=2, while those from India and Malaysia are transcribed from the English language interpretations available at http://webtv.un.org/search/panel-discussion-on-sowing-the-seeds-on-the-culture-of-peace-at-high-level-forum-on-the-culture-of-peace-general-assembly-71st-session/5566146546001/?term=&lan=english&page=2.

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IPI Forum at United Nations: Advancing the Culture of Peace

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An article from International Peace Institute

On September 7th, IPI together with the Al-Babtain Foundation cohosted a policy forum on the culture of peace during the annual UN High-Level Forum entitled “Advancing the Culture of Peace.” This event provided input into the high-level forum by building upon the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (A/RES/53/243) adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1999.


Video of Forum

Please note that the event was broadcast in native language. An English-language version will be forthcoming.

The eight pillars identified in the 1999 Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace echo today’s priorities set by the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly. The event on September 7th at IPI explored the connections among culture, peace, security, and development, focusing specifically on the connections between the culture of peace, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the 2016 resolutions on sustaining peace.

As there is significant overlap between the Sustainable Development Goals and the eight pillars, it is important to reflect on the ways sustainable development can be integrated into the culture of peace. Similarly, it is critical to consider ways to strengthen the structures, attitudes, and behaviors that both foster a culture of peace and sustain it. This event provided an opportunity to discuss the links among the three agendas, exploring the opportunities, risks, and best strategies moving forward.

Welcoming Remarks:
Ambassador Terje Rød-Larsen, President, International Peace Institute

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the UN General Assembly
Dr. Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain, Chairman and Founder of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation

Speakers:
H.E. Ms. Gillian Bird, Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
H.E. Mr. Masud Bin Momen, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the United Nations
Mr. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support

Moderator:
Dr. Adam Lupel, Vice President, International Peace Institute

Question(s) related to this article:
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United Nations High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace – 2017

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An announcement from the United Nations

On 7 September 2017, the President of the UN General Assembly will convene a High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace.

Following the wide-ranging success of the UN General Assembly’s first High-level Forum on The Culture of Peace held on 14 September 2012 and each successive annual Forums, the Assembly, under the guidance of its President H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson and co-sponsored by 102 Member States, adopted by consensus the resolution 71/252 on “Follow-up to the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace”.


Peter Thomson, President of the UN General Assembly

On 13 September 1999, the General Assembly adopted, by consensus and without reservation, resolution 53/243 on the Declaration and Programme of Action on Culture of Peace. Amongst others, it provided the driving force for the advancement of the UN-declared International Decade for Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010).

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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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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, this year’s High-level Forum aims to highlight emerging trends that impact on the realization of a culture of peace and to enable Member States and others to exchange ideas on further promoting a Culture of Peace.

Programme

The High-level Forum as in past years 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 10.00 am to 1.00 pm. The panel discussion will take place in the Trusteeship Council Chamber and will focus on “Sowing the Seeds of the Culture of Peace: Early Childhood Development is the Beginning”

Format

A President’s summary of the meeting will be made available to all Member States.

Participation

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

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Brazil: Open Letter convenes World Social Forum 2018 in Salvador

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Letter from the World Social Forum 2018

The Brazilian Collective of Organizations and Social Movements, which is the articulating space of the WSF 2018, is hereby inviting the people, organizations, social movements, networks and platforms of movements from Brazil, Latin America and the World to join the process of organization and implementation of the 2018 World Social Forum to be held in Brazil, from March 13 to 17, 2018, in Salvador, Bahia.


Baiano Collective for the WSF
(Click on photo to enlarge)

The International Council of the WSF, at its latest meeting in January 2017 in Porto Alegre, considered it urgent and necessary to hold a world edition of the WSF in March 2018, in Salvador, due to the severity of the economic, social, environmental and economic crises, including the crisis of democratic values that mankind is experiencing. The growth of reactionary and authoritarian thought, in Brazil, in Latin America and in the World, places us all advocates of a new world in the framework of solidarity, social justice, democracy and peace, in a state of alert and permanent mobilization, and demands a process of articulation and world unity of social movements for the struggle of resistance and transformation of the chaotic reality that afflicts humanity.

The World Social Forum has consolidated itself as an open space of horizontal and plural encounter for the democratic debate of ideas, the formulation of proposals, the free exchange of experiences and the articulation for effective actions by organizations and movements of the planetary civil society that oppose the control by capital and by any form of imperialism. It is a worldwide process that seeks to build alternatives to neoliberal globalization and has sought to strengthen the articulations of social movements, networks and other forms of articulation of civil society in national and international spheres increasing the capacity of social resistance, with plurality, to the process dehumanization that the world is experiencing.

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(Click here for the article in French.)

Question for this article:

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

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In this sense, facing the serious global civilization crisis, the WSF 2018, in Salvador, is a great opportunity to unite alter-globalist movements to think common solutions for humanity, in a democratic perspective of solidarity and respect for diversities, that seek to face the causes of various forms of violence and of social and regional inequalities.

Brazil and Bahia, in particular, are spaces where resistance movements have expanded in recent months in the face of attacks by national and international conservative sectors. Here, it is sought to reflect on the errors and achievements of the strategies adopted by democratic and popular forces in the latest historical period. For this reason, an edition of the WSF in Salvador will be a great opportunity to unite these various experiences of resisting, in a fraternal and committed way, to think about effective actions to confront the authoritarian thoughts that take shape in Brazil and in the World.

The choice of the motto, to resist is to create, to resist is to transform indicates that, for the Brazilian Collective, our resistance carries the germ of the new. We understand that in this world-wide process of peoples’ struggles, territories and movements against neoliberalism, against imperialism and against environmental degradation, we are constructing, in practice, day-to-day alternatives to another possible world.

Therefore, the WSF International Council and the WSF 2018 Facilitation Committee call on the world citizens committed to the construction of a society that is solidaire, radically democratic, environmentally sustainable and socially just, to join the process of organizing and holding the 2018 World Social Forum. The participation of all and everyone is fundamental to the future of our utopias.

São Paulo, August 18, 2017

Brazilian Collective of the WSF 2018

Replies should be sent to: forumsocialmundial@fsm2018.org or through the website www.fsm2018.org. Please let us know your name and organization in your reply to this WSF call

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Mandela’s vision for a better world

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A press release from The Elders

The Elders, an international group of ex-world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, releases a short documentary celebrating their ten years of work across the globe.

• The film features never-before seen footage of Nelson Mandela, President Carter and Richard Branson meeting in 2007 to set the agenda of their work.

• The film’s launch coincides with both Nelson Mandela’s birthday and International Nelson Mandela Day.


Film: Mandela’s Vision for a Better World

Tuesday 18th July 2017 marks a significant milestone for The Elders as they celebrate ten years since Nelson Mandela founded the group, brought together for peace, justice and human rights. The group will gather in Cape Town to celebrate a decade of accomplishments with a screening of the documentary, and to launch their latest campaign, Walk Together; which aims to show solidarity with those who are most downtrodden and vulnerable in today’s world.

“We have nothing to lose, we have our careers behind us. So we should be free to raise our voices and steer people in the right direction.” –Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Laureate

The film begins with footage from The Elders’ first meeting in 2007, and includes unseen footage of Nelson Mandela with accompanying interviews from President and Nobel Peace Laureate, Jimmy Carter; Co-Founder of The Elders, Graça Machel; and first female President of Ireland, Mary Robinson.

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Question related to this article:
 
Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

What is the legacy of Nelson Mandela for us today?

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The documentary celebrates their work across the world, providing insight into the delicate negotiations that have gone on to address conflicts and geopolitical tensions in Iran, the Korean Peninsula, Cyprus and Israel/Palestine, and the group’s public advocacy on issues such as climate change, child marriage, equality for girls and women, and refugees and migration.

“We have all come a long way in the past decade, but our long walk to freedom, following in Madiba’s footsteps, will continue.” –Graça Machel

The Elders invite all viewers and supporters to join the Walk Together campaign to continue Nelson Mandela’s walk to freedom and tackle faultlines of division. We encourage you to share the video via Facebook or Twitter, or to feature the video on your website to help The Elders celebrate the achievements of the past decade and to continue to give the citizens of our world hope for the next ten years.

About The Elders

The Elders are independent leaders using their collective experience and influence for peace, justice and human rights worldwide. The group was founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007.

The Elders are Martti Ahtisaari, Kofi Annan (Chair), Ban Ki-moon, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Harlem Brundtland (Deputy Chair), Hina Jilani, Ricardo Lagos, Graça Machel, Mary Robinson and Ernesto Zedillo.

Ela Bhatt, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Jimmy Carter and Desmond Tutu are Elders Emeritus.

Find out more

For biographies of the Elders, blogs, photos, videos and more information about their work please go to www.theElders.org.

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article)

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Seminar on Violence and Peace: Diagnoses and Proposals for Mexico

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Program of the website of Violencia y Paz, Colegio de México

Seminar on Violence and Peace: Diagnoses and Proposals for Mexico. With the support of the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH) and the Belisario Domínguez Institute (IBD) of the Senate of the Republic, we invite you to participate in this forum for three days of dialogue and reflection, on 7, 8 and 9 August.

On August 7, all activities will take place in the house of Xicoténcatl (Former seat of the Senate of the Republic).

On August 8 and 9, all activities will take place in the auditorium Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada in Donceles # 14. The entrance to the panels in both locations is free and it is not necessary to register in advance.

Program of the 7 of August of 2017.

10:00 Welcome, opening and initial ideas.

Silvia Giorguli, President of The Colegio de Mexico, Luis Raúl González Pérez, President of the National Commission on Human Rights, Miguel Barbosa Huerta, President of the Belisario Domínguez Institute of the Senate, Sara Irene Herrerías, Subprocurador for Human Rights, Crime Prevention and Community Services of the PGR [General Prosecutor of the Republic] and Sergio Aguayo, Coordinator of the Seminar on Violence and Peace of El Colegio de México.

11:00 – Panel 1. Northwest Region

Moderator: Laura Flamand (The Colegio de México)

Lecturers:

Sonora: Manuel Perez Aguirre (The Colegio de México).

Sinaloa: Yani Limberopulos (The Colegio de México).

Chihuahua: César Alarcón (UNAM) and Othón Partido (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México – UNAM).

Baja California: Carolina Robledo (Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social – CIESAS).

Commentators: Carlos Echarri (El Colegio de México) and Alejandro Vélez Salas ([Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México – ITAM)

15:30 – Panel 2. South Region

Moderator: Arturo Alvarado Mendoza (The Colegio de México).

Lecturers:

Michoacán: Edgar Guerra, (Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas – CIDE).

Guerrero: Juan Camilo Pantoja G. (The Colegio de México).

Oaxaca: Rogelio Salgado (CIDE)

Commentators: Mónica Serrano (El Colegio de México) and Ina Zoon (Open Society)

* * * * * * *

Program of August 8, 2017.

11:00 a.m. – Panel 3. Northeast Region

Moderator: Ana Covarrubias (The Colegio de México).

Lecturers:

Coahuila: Mario Pavel Díaz Román (The Colegio de México)

Nuevo León: Zulia Orozco (Universidad Autónoma de Baja California)

Tamaulipas: Pedro Iniesta (The Colegio de México).

Commentators: Eduardo Guerrero (Lantia) and Gabriela Capó (Insyde)

15:30 hrs.- Transverse approaches on violence and crime in Mexico

Moderator: Lorenzo Meyer (The Colegio de México).

Lecturers:

Corruption: Fernando Nieto (The Colegio de México).

Economy: David Ramírez de Garay (Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey – ITESM).

Practices and territory: Natalia Mendoza Rockwell (Fordham University).

Commentators: Alejandro Hope and Elena Azaola (CIESAS)

(Program continued in right column)

(Click here for the original program in Spanish)

Question related to this article:

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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18:00 hrs. – Office of the Special Rapporteur.

Moderator: Sinaia Urrusti Frenk (The Colegio de México).

Rapporteurship: Raúl Zepeda Gil (Seminar on Violence and Peace)

Comments: Froylán Enciso (CIDE) and Luis Astorga (IIS-UNAM)

19:00 hrs Closing.

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Program of the 9 of August of 2017.

9:30 a.m.- Welcome and general presentation of the forum

Miguel Barbosa Huerta, President of the Belisario Domínguez Institute of the Senate. Silvia Giorguli, President of El Colegio de México. Luis Raúl González Pérez, President of the National Human Rights Commission. Javier Velázquez Moctezuma, Director of the Neuroscience Area, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana. Sergio Aguayo, Coordinator of the Seminar on Violence and Peace of El Colegio de México.

10:00 a.m. – Conference: United Nations Program of Action for a Culture of Peace

Lecturer: David Adams (Culture of Peace News Network)

Commentator: Cristina Ávila-Zesatti (Peace Correspondent)

Presenter: José Luis Díaz Gómez (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México – UNAM).

11:30 hrs – Table 1.- Culture of Peace and Environment

Lecturer: Fernando Díaz-Barriga (Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí)

Commentators: Prisco Manuel Gutiérrez (Commission of Indigenous Peoples of the National Association of Mayors) Natalia Mendoza Rockwell (Fordham University).

Moderator: Juan Carlos Sánchez Olmos (Environmental and scientific adviser, Senate of the Republic)

13:30 hrs- Table 2: Freedom of Expression, Human Rights and the Right to Information

Lecturers: Sara Mendiola (Civic Proposal) and Ana Cristina Ruelas (Art.19)

Commentators: Patricia Colchero Aragonés (Secretaría de Gobernación – SEGOB) and Ricardo Sánchez Pérez del Pozo (PGR)

Moderator: Angélica de la Peña (Human Rights Commission of the Senate of the Republic)

16:00 hrs. – Table 3: Intervention for mental health of victims of violence

Lecturer: Diana Hernández and Elena Estrada (Doctor Without Borders-Mexico)

Commentators: Luciana Ramos Lira (National Institute of Psychiatry) and Miriam Camacho Valladares (Universidad Iberoamericana)

Moderator: Carlos Galindo (Instituto Belisario Domínguez)

17:30 hrs. – Conference: Peace is scientifically possible

Lecturer: Jesús Martín Ramírez (Complutense University of Madrid)

Commentator: Javier Velázquez-Moctezuma (Metropolitan Autonomous University)

Presenter: Roberto E. Mercadillo (CONACYT-Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana)

18:30 pm

Rapporteur General: Roberto E. Mercadillo (CONACYT-Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana)

Commentators: Raúl Zepeda (Instituto Belisario Domínguez) and Froylán Enciso (CIDE).

Moderator: Sinaia Urrusti-Frenk (The Colegio de México)

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Santos, Brazil: Forum on the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence

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Program received at CPNN

Forum on the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence organized by the Peace Commission of Santos – COMPAZ

With the support of the Restorative Justice Program of Santos, the Secretary of Education of Santos, the Secretariat of Institutional Relations and Citizenship, Santos City Hall, ABrasOFFA and OAB [Brazilian Bar Association].

On August 16 all activities will be held at the Municipal Theater of Santos
Av .: Senador Pinheiro Machado, No. 48.

On August 17 and 18, all activities will be held at the Paulista University of Santos (Unip) Av .: Rangel Pestana, s / nº Auditorium, Block 07, 1st floor.

Program directors:

Liliane Claro de Rezende / Restorative Justice Program / Seduc-PMS
Selma M. S. R. de Lara / Restorative Justice Program / Seduc-PMS
Helena Lourenço / ABrasOFFA – Unip
Diego Duarte / Seges- PMS

* * * * * * * * *

Program of 16 August 2017.

Evening session (7:00 pm to 9:00 pm)

Theme: A trajectory of success for peace.

Speaker: Dr. David Adams

Summary: Presentation of the important trajectory and successful outcome by the director of the International Year for the Culture of Peace – Unesco (2000).

* * * * * * * * *

Program of 17 August 2017.

Morning session (9am to noon)

Theme: The importance of the Culture of Peace: the Force of Example in Education.

Speaker: José Antonio Oliveira de Rezende

Summary: Peace, to be lived, has to be built, day by day, in small acts, from which germinate the great transformations. Peace is to be realized, not only idealized. Peace is done, not given.

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(Click here for the original program in Portuguese)

Question related to this article:

Latin America, has it taken the lead in the struggle for a culture of peace?

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Afternoon session (2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

Theme: Contributions to a multicultural reflection on human rights.

Speaker: Raphael da Rocha Rodrigues Ferreira

Summary: Presentation of Human Rights not only in its expression of universal rights, but also as a multicultural right. Discussion on multiculturalism as a perspective that presents Human Rights as a common resource of humanity, open to the contributions of all civilizations.

Evening session: 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Theme: Culture of Peace and Human Rights as Public Policy of the New Millennium.

Participants of the roundtable: Dr. Cahuê Talarico, Dr. David Adams, Dr. Evandro Renato Pereira.

Importance of the inclusion of the new paradigm of the “Culture of Peace” as an urgent and necessary public policy, in its various developments, based on Human Rights.

* * * * * * * * *
Program of 18 August 2017.

Morning session: 9am to 12 a.m.

Theme: School of value – significance for life and for the art of educating

Speaker: Maria Helena Marques

Summary: Presentation on the possibility of reflecting on human values ​​and their implications in educational practice, in order to found a more ethical school space conducive to the exercise of citizenship.

Afternoon session: 2 to 5 pm

Topic: What is peace? How can we want something if we do not know what it is?

Speaker: Herbert Santos de Lima

Summary: Discussion of the difficulties of understanding the theme and how to make people aware of what to do.

Evening session: 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Theme: Changing Paradigms: The Path begins with Education.

Participants of the roundtable: Prof.Dr. David Adams, Profa. Dr. Selma M. S. R. de Lara, Profa. Ma. Liliane Claro de Rezende

Summary: At the present time, in the world we live in, we are seeing a series of changes in all fields of society, which also leads us to paradigmatic changes, responsible for a new approach in classifying and interpreting the facts. The path of change is at the same time a challenge and an urgent need in education. Education should set principles for this new path, ethical principles that will guide not only the behavior of professionals, but the principles that will guide man’s relationship with nature, of man with other men, and also the principles that will guide the construction of a more just and more humane nation.

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Colombia’s FARC disarmament confirmed by United Nations

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An article from Deutsche Welle

One of Latin America’s longest-lived and most powerful rebel groups, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), has turned in all its previously registered weapons under a milestone peace deal signed last year, the United Nations has confirmed.

UN monitors said on Monday [June 26] they had “the entirety of the FARC’s registered individual arms stored away,” apart from some that were exempted for transitional security at demobilization camps until August 1.


See video on Deutsche Welle.

The group’s 6,800 fighters handed in the 7,132 weapons in three phases this month in a disarmament process supervised by the UN. Monitors are, however, still collecting and destroying other weapons and munitions stored in remote caches that FARC have identified to the UN.

An official ceremony to mark the completion of disarmament is scheduled for 1500 UTC Tuesday in a camp near the central town of Mesetas in the department of Meta.

The ceremony is to be attended by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who received last year’s Nobel Peace prize for his efforts to reach a peace deal, along with FARC leader Rodrigo Londono, aka Timochenko, and UN representatives.

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Question related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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Too lenient?

FARC will now transform into a political party under the landmark deal, which also includes rural reforms, cooperation on combating drug trafficking and the creation of a system of transitional justice.

Critics of the deal, who include former conservative President Alvaro Uribe, have called it too lenient on FARC members, some of whom will be amnestied or given reduced sentences for crimes committed during the conflict.

But Londono called his group’s disarmament “a historic moment for Colombia,” describing it on Twitter as “an act of will, courage and hope.”

Colombia’s internal conflict broke out in 1964 over land rights issues and pitted FARC and other left-wing rebels against the military, police and right-wing paramilitary groups. It left 260,000 people confirmed dead, more than 60,000 missing and 7 million displaced.

President Santos says he now wants to achieve “complete peace” in the country by obtaining a deal with the last major rebel group still active in Colombia, the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN).

Although the ELN started talks with the government in February, it and other fringe groups have been blamed for ongoing violence over the past months.

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The European Union gives voice to peace in Colombia with community radio

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An article by Jaime Ortega Carrascal in La Vanguardia – translated by CPNN and reprinted for non-commercial purposes.

A survivor of the Bojayá massacre, a FARC guerrilla who is about to leave his weapons or a peasant who stopped cultivating coca are some of the anonymous Colombians who found in the community radios the way to promote the peace thanks to support from the European Union (EU).

The initiative “Community Radios for Peace and Coexistence”, launched in mid-2016, supports 400 of the 627 community radio stations in Colombia to generate a culture of peace in the most remote rural areas, those most affected by the armed conflict.


Photo Resander

“This is very important because community broadcasters disseminate the expressions and feelings of those living in distant territories,” the EU ambassador to Colombia, Ana Paula Zacarias, told EFE.

The EU allocated two million euros (about US $ 2.23 million) to this initiative promoted by the Cooperative Network of Community Media in Santander (Resander) with the support of the Colombian Presidency, the Ministries of Culture and ICT, The Office of the High Commissioner for Peace and the newspaper El Espectador.

“The messages are adapting to the different regions,” added Zacarias, recalling that the “Fiesta Estéreo” station in Barrancas, in the Caribbean department of La Guajira, emits in Castilian and Wuayuunaiki, a language of the Wayú Indians who represent a high percentage of the population of the area and are distributed between Colombia and Venezuela.

In the Wuayuunaiki language curiously there are no words like “peace” and “coexistence”, which is why in these programs they say it in Spanish.

Building peace and providing post-conflict support after the agreement with the FARC guerrillas is the EU’s priority, which also emphasizes issues such as indigenous communities, children, gender equality and environmental protection.

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(Click here for the original Spanish version of this article

Question related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

Journalism in Latin America: Is it turning towards a culture of peace?

How can peace be promoted by radio?

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“All the guerrillas of the FARC are committed to the peace process and on our part we do not want to use words as a weapon”, says a guerrilla at the station “La Calidosa”, Policarpa, municipality of the department of Nariño, on the border With Ecuador.

Policarpa houses one of the 26 temporary transitional zones of normalization in which about 7,000 FARC guerrillas will leave their weapons to return to life in society and that is why messages of reconciliation are very important among listeners of ” La Calidosa “.

“We are sure that this project is one of those that is having an impact in the construction, in the transmission of the peace in the territories because the 400 radios can reach an audience of ten million listeners”, indicates Zacarías .

At the same station, Juan, a peasant, tells how “violence has hit very hard” in the area and with his testimony advises listeners to return to traditional crops, such as coffee that for years was replaced by coca, which brought them nothing but misfortunes.

“People came and were infusing what is called the cultivation of illicit uses … we went directly or indirectly, without realizing that we were hurting our families,” he says.

The EU initiative not only opens microphones to the people, but also includes workshops in which 200 community radio journalists have been trained in the elaboration of educational content on peacebuilding, as well as 50 broadcasters receiving technical assistance and donations of recording equipment.

The project is secured until next November, although the EU ambassador is of the opinion that this “does not mean that we can not in the future study other formulas to continue supporting this work of sending messages on peace to the territories” to promote reconciliation between the Colombians.

An example of this is Noel, a singer-songwriter known as “El Negrito del Swing”, a survivor of the Bojayá massacre, the worst committed by the FARC, which on May 2, 2002 caused between 79 and 119 deaths when a bomb launched during a combat against paramilitaries fell in the church of that town of the department of the Chocó where hundreds of people had sought refuge.

“Art will allow us not to forget what happened, it will preserve our memory, and I think that I am contributing (to peace) by not being spiteful and trying to heal,” comments Noel in “Suba al aire” in which he remembers “that we were happy in Bojayá.”

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Uganda has benefited from peace journalism

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An article by Gloria Laker Aciro for D+C /E+Z D+C Development and Cooperation

Uganda has a history of conflict and violence. In particular, the strife caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda from 1995 to 2004 made peace efforts necessary. At the time, a strong foundation for peace journalism was laid. Its principles are of lasting relevance in view of unrest in border regions and the refugee population which is growing due to civil war in neighbouring countries.


Peace journalists from Uganda and South Sudan

After years of failed military interventions and series of futile peace talks, the Ugandan army opted for peace journalism in order to try to reach out to LRA insurgents. In 1998, the first peace radio was established in Gulu, a town in northern Uganda. It was called Radio Freedom. The army used it to communicate not only with displaced people, but even the rebels, inspiring hope among child soldiers that demobilisation might be possible.

After the media highlighted atrocities collectively, international attention turned to the LRA conflict. Donor agencies started to consider radio programming and professional media work as a way to promote peace and later to reduce tensions in the post-conflict situation.

Important principles of peace journalism are to avoid hate speech and involve voices from all sides of a conflict. Balance, fairness and factual accuracy matter very much. The idea is to convey an understanding of a conflict’s reasons, history and possible non-violent solutions rather than to fan the flames. Attention must be paid not only to acts of violence, which are easy to report, but also to longer term developments in society, which are harder to cover.

Effective peace reporting does more than merely report events. It puts them in context, by engaging communities. Various approaches matter, including social media, local discussions and drama performances. They all serve to enhance the news reporting, talk shows and public service announcements.

Successful approaches

From 1999 to 2002, Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID) fully backed the use of persuasive radio programmes to urge rebels to abandon fighting. DFID funded the establishment of Mega FM radio in Gulu. The station went on air in August 2002, covering parts of Uganda as well as of southern Sudan and eastern DR Congo. It broadcasts general information on conflict and development as well as specific items geared to conflict resolution and promoting the peace process in the region.

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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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In a surprising innovation, Ogena Lacambel, the host of Mega FM’s flagship programme Dwog Paco (which means “come back home” in Luo), invited former child soldiers to share their stories on radio. They were assured free passage. Today, Mega FM still has several peace-building programmes including Kabake (“community dialogue”) and Teyat (“stakeholders’ debate”). Open dialogue and call-ins with community members and rebel LRA soldiers have contributed to several abducted children returning home.

Over 22,000 child soldiers and commanders responded to the appeal and abandoned the rebellion, significantly weakening the LRA. In short, the LRA conflict could only be ended after the intervention of peace journalism.

Today, the LRA has retreated into the Central African Republic. The Ugandan army is still using the come-back-home radio format, as Innocent Aloyo, host of Mega FM’s Kabake programme, reports. The host is flown into the CAR to interview child soldiers there.

Since the LRA was defeated in Uganda, local community radio stations have been reaching out to the public through peace reporting with a focus on development. The next crucial step is for media houses to adopt in-house policies and guidelines. Many radio hosts in rural areas are not aware of what peace journalism requires, and even some who are aware have proven unable to handle people who call in by phone to incite hatred.

International agencies that promote media development such as Internews and DW Akademie have trained hundreds of local journalists in peace reporting. The impact of trainees on the peace process has been assessed. A number of community radios were set up with a commitment to peace journalism and are still active today.

Today, the sensitive issue in Uganda is reporting about refugees. Even though the country hosts thousands of refugees, the matter is under-reported. The point of view of the refugees is rarely included. When Chris Obore, a well-known journalist, highlighted the plight of a Burundian refugee girl, his reporting changed the girl’s life for the better.

Peace journalism must give marginalised people a voice. Moreover, these efforts must transcend national borders. Since refugees from South Sudan, the DRC and other countries live in Uganda, conflicts spread to the border region.

It therefore makes sense for Ugandan and South Sudanese journalists to cooperate on covering refugee issues. Speak FM, a small community radio in Gulu, is doing just that. Station manager Jane Angom says that “exiled South Sudanese journalists contribute important information about the refugee community in northern Uganda, which our radio otherwise would not be able to access”. Language matters, after all.

In 2005, the media were a key player in the Juba peace talks that led to the signing of a cessation of violence and hostilities agreement (CPA) in South Sudan. Traditional leaders who were active in the peace and reconciliation efforts point out that peace journalism as a tool was “useful in mobilising people and reaching out to rebels”.

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION