Category Archives: FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

African Media Initiative and URI–Africa Join Forces to Fight Hate Speech

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an article by the United Religions Initiative

The African Media Initiative (AMI) and United Religions Initiative – Africa (URI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to counter violent extremism, radicalization and terrorism in Africa and to combat hatred, prejudice, intolerance and stereotyping on the basis of religion and culture. The agreement [signed in Nairobi, Kenya, February 13] will strengthen the media sector in Africa to ensure and enhance the working partnership on the continent between media, religious leaders and faith-based organizations to promote a culture of peace, inter-religious and intercultural constructive dialogue and harmony.

AMI-URI
Click on the photo to enlarge
Ambassador Hailu Mussie Continental Director for URI-Africa with AMI CEO Eric Chinje

The partnership calls for:

The establishment of Departments of Peace in each African country

The establishment of the African Editors-in-Chief Forum to promote a culture of peace

Promotion of peace education in Africa as part of the school curriculum

Promotion of the African Union Interfaith Dialogue Forum

Promotion of the teaching of the Golden Rule “Treat others the way you want to be treated”

To campaign against hate speech in Africa

To engage leaders, journalists, bloggers, writers, poets, cartoonists and citizens in Africa and across the globe, with the aim of bringing the media and the public’s attention to the devastating effects of hate speech

“It is indeed a great pleasure for URI – Africa to join hands with AMI to promote ethical, tolerant and inclusive journalism, good media governance and responsible communications free from hate speech,” says Ambassador Mussie Hailu, Continental Director of URI Africa and Representative at the UN in Nairobi, ECA, UNEP and African Union. “The working partnership established will help combat hatred, prejudice, intolerance and stereotyping on the basis of religion, ethnicity or culture which represents a significant challenge to peaceful co-existence in Africa. We need to promote the teaching of the Golden Rule: “treat others the way you want to be treated” more than ever as it is a practical action and a road map to prevent hate speech and promote human dignity and a culture of peaceful co-existence among people of different religions, cultures and ethnicities,” he adds.

On the occasion of the signing ceremony, Amb. Hailu also appealed to journalists not to cover hateful speech coming from politicians or community and religious leaders and called for media leaders and operators in Africa to lend their full support to efforts to turn the tide against the rise of hate speech on the continent.

“I couldn’t think of a better partner than the inter-religious organization represented by URI-Africa to address the radicalization, violent extremism, and conflict issues we currently face on this continent,” says AMI CEO Eric Chinje. “We want to deepen the reporters’ understanding of hate speech and of the issues of peace and conflict, religious violence and the fight that’s occurring in places like Nigeria and Cameroun, with Boko Haram, or Kenya with Al Shabbab.”

The two organizations have begun work already by partnering to organize the World Interfaith Harmony Week celebration held at the Desmond Tutu Centre in Nairobi last weekend under the theme “Beyond Our Differences.” The event gathered a host of youth as well as religious leaders and practitioners from a number of religious organizations and spiritual traditions to discuss the challenges of religious intolerance, ethnic conflict and terrorism in Africa and how media covers those topics.

Question related to this article:

African journalism and the culture of peace, A model for the rest of the world?

This discussion question applies to the following articles:

Second High Level Media Workshop on the African Peace and Security
Pour une ‘culture de paix’ dans la presse du Cap-Haïtien
Culture de la paix : les journalistes à l’école de l’Idem
Culture of Peace: IDEM workshop for journalists in Mali
Somalia: Somali radio on peace mission
Mali: L’émission «Anka Ben ! – Faisons la paix !» sur Radio Kledu
Mali: The Radio Kledu broadcasts, “Anka Ben ! – Let's make peace !”
Gao, Mali : Les jeunes à l’école de la culture de la paix
Gao, Mali : Youth at school for a culture of peace
Africa: Faire des médias des voies pour la promotion de la culture de la paix
Africa: Creating media channels to promote the culture of peace
African Media Initiative and URI–Africa Join Forces to Fight Hate Speech

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Pax Christi International Peace Award 2015: Women Collective for Reflection and Action (Colombia)

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an article by Pax Christi

The 2015 Pax Christi International Peace Award has been granted to the Women, Peace and Security Collective for Reflection and Action (Colectivo de Pensamiento y Acción Mujeres, Paz y Seguridad) in Colombia for making visible and encouraging the essential contribution of women to peacebuilding in their country and for their work to promote an ethical transformation of Colombian society as the path towards sustainable peace. Established in 1988, the Award is funded by the Cardinal Bernardus Alfrink Peace Fund and honours contemporary individuals and organisations who make a stand for peace, justice and non-violence in different parts of the world.


The Women, Peace and Security Collective for Reflection and Action (Colectivo de Pensamiento y Acción Mujeres, Paz y Seguridad)

Founded in October 2011, the Collective is a women’s network that currently brings together women from different social and professional backgrounds (religious, ex-combatants, indigenous, afro-descendants, journalists, academics, human rights defenders, union leaders, etc.), as well as organisations committed to a revolution in ethics as the basis for sustainable and lasting peace in Colombia. With a mission to foster conditions for a permanent and re-humanising dialogue among various sectors – including those traditionally opposed to each other – in different regions of the country, the Collective is in itself an example of how diversity can be embraced and used for positive change in a highly polarized society.

The Collective’s flagship initiative is the “Ethical Pact for a Country in Peace,” a civil society framework agreement for the ethical transformation of Colombia. This initiative points out that in order to achieve lasting peace, efforts beyond official peace talks between the Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) will be necessary. The Pact is a 15-point plan promoting a series of value-based steps that Colombian society must undergo for sustainable peace. One highlight is the importance of an inclusive dialogue for peace where women’s participation is actively sought and encouraged.

Through this award, Pax Christi International acknowledges the Women, Peace and Security Collective’s pivotal work in challenging women’s traditionally limited assigned role in the building of peace in Colombia. The Collective has identified many diverse spaces for women’s participation in public dialogue and political debate, including across inter- generational and inter-ethnic divides. At the same time, the Pax Christi International award honours symbolically the important role that women play worldwide in conflict transformation and peacebuilding at the local, national and international level.

The Peace Award Ceremony will take place on Saturday, 16 May 2015, in Bethlehem, Palestine, during the Pax Christi International’s 70th Anniversary celebrations in that city.

Question(s) related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

This discussion question applies to the following articles:

Colombian villagers practice non-violent resistance
Legacy of a Nonviolent Political Leader: Governor Guillermo Gaviria of Colombia
Working for a Culture of Peace in the Valley of the Cauca, Colombia
Remise des Prix de la Fondation Chirac pour la prévention des conflits
Chirac Foundation Prize for Conflict Prevention
The University and the Peace Process in Colombia
La paz supera coyunturas y fronteras (Colombia y Venezuela)
Peace is not stopped by borders (Colombia and Venezuela)
Campesinos colombianos celebran primer acuerdo agrario de paz
Colombian Govt and FARC Reach Agreement on First Stage of Peace Talks
Colombia Campaña de la ONU “La Paz es mía”
UN Campaign in Colombia:
Presidente colombiano reactivará la Comisión Nacional de Paz
Colombian President to Reactivate National Peace Commission
FARC-EP y Gobierno colombiano avanzan en acuerdos para la paz
FARC-EP and Colombia Government advance in their peace accords
Colombia debe ser también la Nación más educada en derechos humanos: Presidente Santos
Colombia should also be the most educated nation in human rights : President Santos
Gabriel García Márquez and the peace process in Colombia
Colombia amanece con un presidente reelecto, esperanzada en la paz
Colombia awakens to hopes for peace with the re-election of their president
Mujer, ruralidad y memoria, entre los temas del congreso de paz (Bogotá, Colombia)
Women, rurality and historical memory among the themes of the Peace Congress (Bogotá, Colombia)
Sonia Ines Goéz Orrego on a speaking tour in the U.S. to share her experience building peace in Colombia
Pax Christi International – Peace Award 2015: Women, Peace and Security Collective for Reflection and Action (Colombia)

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Sonia Ines Goéz Orrego on a speaking tour in the U.S. to share her experience building peace in Colombia

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an article by Pressenza International Press Agency (Reprinted according to creative commons licenses 4.0)

The presentation was organized by Colombia Human Rights Committee & Latin America Working Group Education Fund at The Graduate Center, CUNY in NYC.

Orrego
Sonia Ines Goéz Orrego speaking at The Graduate Center, CUNY in NYC on March, 2nd 2015 (Image by David Andersson)

Sonia Ines Goéz Orrego is the executive director of CEDECIS, a community organization working in some of the most violent areas of Medellín. With two decades of experience in community organizing and building a culture of peace, she discussed how people have come together to prevent forced recruitment of young people by gangs, paramilitary, and guerrilla organizations, to train children and adolescents in nonviolence, and to build more resilient and peaceful communities. There are a lot of invisible borders in Medellín.” The 13th District, locally known as the Comuna 13, is known to be one of Medellin’s most troubled and dangerous districts, and is continually suffering from gang warfare and violence. Two powerful crime networks, the Caribbean-based Urabeños and Medellin’s own Oficina de Envigado crime syndicate, have vied for control of the neighborhood for years, causing repeated territorial wars in the streets of Comuna 8.”What’s an invisible border? It’s a place where nobody can be, only those who belong to the combo that controls the territory,”

CEDECIS’s experience is especially relevant today as the Colombian government and FARC guerrillas steadily advance the peace negotiations in Havana, Cuba, that would end the Western Hemisphere’s longest running conflict.

Ms. Goéz is also a representative of the Coordinación Colombia Europa Estados Unidos (CCEEUU), the main network of some 245 Colombian human rights and nongovernmental organizations.

Other articles related to this one:
FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

USA: Rock solid rules to ensure the internet stays open and free

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an article by Pressenza International Press Agency (Reprinted according to creative commons licenses 4.0) (abridged)

Breaking news: in an historic victory of global importance, the US Federal Communications Commission just passed rock solid rules to ensure the Internet stays open and free for generations to come. . .2048 internet

Click here to enlarge photo

Just six months ago, we were facing staggering odds. Big corporations like US cable TV giant Comcast had spent more than $750 million lobbying for a corporate- controlled Internet. Google, the biggest lobby in the industry, was refusing to speak up. The FCC chair Tom Wheeler, a former Big Cable lobbyist, was hostile to Net Neutrality.

But against all odds, we’ve pulled off one of the biggest victories in the history of the Internet, in what the New York Times called “the longest, most sustained campaign of Internet activism in history”, won by “an army of Internet activists.”Together, here’s a snapshot of some of the amazing things we’ve done:Submitted tens and tens of thousands of comments to the FCC in support of Net Neutrality, making sure the agency received more comments than ever before on a public consultation.

Flooded FCC offices with thousands of phone calls, to build internal pressure for the agency to do their job and protect the open Internet.

Tied FCC chairman Tom Wheeler to his past as a former Big Cable lobbyist on social media and his personal Twitter account, forcing him to publicly choose a side.

Helped turn out hundreds of people to emergency rallies and vigils across the country, including outside the White House.

Organized tens of thousands of people to speak up online and on the phone to demand Google publicly support real Net Neutrality.

Pulled off a creative protest to bring Internet slow lanes to life by literally putting private buses transporting Google employees to work in a SumOfUs-created “Slow Lane”.

Worked together with a huge coalition of amazing groups like Demand Progress, Free Press, Fight for the Future, Color of Change, and too many others to count.

And it worked! Following each piece of the campaign President Obama, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, and Google all came out in support of Net Neutrality — and now the FCC has adopted an official decision to protect Net Neutrality.

But even though we’ve won this crucial fight, we must stay vigilant.

Big telecom corporations like Verizon and Comcast are already working with conservatives in the US Congress to try and undermine our win. We need to be ready to put the pressure on again in the coming months to make sure we don’t lose an inch of our progress.

Please chip in $1 to make sure we defend this historic victory from Big Cable corporations and keep up the fight to save the Internet.

Up against corporate millions, this decision to protect Net Neutrality is a massive victory for citizen campaigning. Thanks to all of us, we can finally say 2015 was the year we won Net Neutrality. Let’s keep working together to make sure it stays that way.

Thanks for all you do,

Taren, Paul, Nick, Nicole, and the team at SumOfUs

Latest Discussion

Is Internet freedom a basic human right?

Here are additional remarks from the speech by Mary Robinson.It has been inspiring to see how new communications technologies have allowed us to expand the space for public debate in recent years. The internet has enabled an explosion of information and expression worldwide, and while I am sceptical about claims that Twitter and Facebook ‘caused’ events like the Arab Awakening, it is evident that social media was an indispensable tool in the dissemination of uncensored information and the coordination of public protests in the region.

This raises questions concerning the role of companies and highlights a critical gap – many business leaders are taking major decisions on their own, often without a firm understanding of their impacts on human rights. To help mainstream respect for human rights in corporate decision-making, the European Commission has embarked on a project to develop guidance for three critical industry sectors, including information and communication technologies, which are so important in today’s world. My colleagues at the Institute for Human Rights and Business and Shift are working with the Commission to develop this guidance in order to give practical meaning to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which were adopted in 2011.

As these tools become more accessible to people around the world – by 2020 there will be an estimated 5 billion people with access to the internet – civil society becomes better-equipped to engage in public life. Citizens have used mobile phones and internet platforms to record human rights abuses, pressure leaders to become more accountable, and connect and work together across borders. As one young Egyptian told us, “the only borders now are on maps.”

At the same time, our expectations are getting higher – and this is a good thing. When we are used to finding information freely available online, we expect to have the right to access that information without restriction. When we see various world leaders on Twitter, we expect to be able to contact our own leaders directly through such platforms. The more we grow accustomed to voicing our opinions online, the more we resist being silenced.

I believe this is part of a broader global trend towards greater participation. There is such a strong desire now to be consulted – really consulted, not just in a tokenistic way – and to be involved in government as opposed to just being objects of someone else’s policy decisions. We must embrace this trend; by supporting greater inclusivity and participation in governance, we will strengthen the development of democracy worldwide.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America

NetGain: Let’s Work Together to Improve the Internet

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an article by Lisa 
A. Hayes, Center for Democracy & Technology

Video: Launch of Netgain Challenge

This week, Nuala and I had the opportunity to take part in the launch of the NetGain Challenge, an exciting new initiative aimed at realizing the full potential of the Internet to “spark the next generation of innovation for social change and progress.

Launch of Netgain Challenge

Launched by the Knight, MacArthur, Mozilla, and Ford Foundations, the NetGain Challenge aims to unite all sectors to find genuine solutions to the challenges of our digital age. At the launch event, several innovative and proactive speakers started the conversation. Many talked about the immense amounts of data we now have and the potential it creates for both incredible good and serious privacy abuses; others spoke of the power of the Internet to facilitate free speech, to connect people, and to spread good ideas; and still others cautioned against censorship and the chilling effect of government surveillance.

The most motivating parts of the launch for me were the discussions around digital inclusion and empowerment, especially of women and minorities. The digital world we build depends on everyone being involved in shaping it – not just those with the most privilege or access to the newest technology.

The great news is that YOU can be a part of finding ways to shape this empowering digital world. The NetGain Challenge is about harnessing the power of the Internet to find solutions. It’s about engaging the global Internet community and generating fresh, new ideas that propel us forward. And with the philanthropic community rallying around these efforts, it is far more than just talk – it is action.

The Center for Democracy & Technology encourages everyone to take part in the NetGain Challenge. Share you voice. Share your ideas. Shape the digital society you want to live in.

Question related to this article:

Is Internet freedom a basic human right?

Here are additional remarks from the speech by Mary Robinson.

It has been inspiring to see how new communications technologies have allowed us to expand the space for public debate in recent years. The internet has enabled an explosion of information and expression worldwide, and while I am sceptical about claims that Twitter and Facebook ‘caused’ events like the Arab Awakening, it is evident that social media was an indispensable tool in the dissemination of uncensored information and the coordination of public protests in the region.

This raises questions concerning the role of companies and highlights a critical gap – many business leaders are taking major decisions on their own, often without a firm understanding of their impacts on human rights. To help mainstream respect for human rights in corporate decision-making, the European Commission has embarked on a project to develop guidance for three critical industry sectors, including information and communication technologies, which are so important in today’s world. My colleagues at the Institute for Human Rights and Business and Shift are working with the Commission to develop this guidance in order to give practical meaning to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which were adopted in 2011.

As these tools become more accessible to people around the world – by 2020 there will be an estimated 5 billion people with access to the internet – civil society becomes better-equipped to engage in public life. Citizens have used mobile phones and internet platforms to record human rights abuses, pressure leaders to become more accountable, and connect and work together across borders. As one young Egyptian told us, “the only borders now are on maps.”

At the same time, our expectations are getting higher – and this is a good thing. When we are used to finding information freely available online, we expect to have the right to access that information without restriction. When we see various world leaders on Twitter, we expect to be able to contact our own leaders directly through such platforms. The more we grow accustomed to voicing our opinions online, the more we resist being silenced.

I believe this is part of a broader global trend towards greater participation. There is such a strong desire now to be consulted – really consulted, not just in a tokenistic way – and to be involved in government as opposed to just being objects of someone else’s policy decisions. We must embrace this trend; by supporting greater inclusivity and participation in governance, we will strengthen the development of democracy worldwide.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America

Volunteering for the World We Want: Annual Report of United Nations Volunteers

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an article by Richard Dictus, Executive Coordinator, United Nations Volunteers (abridged)

I am pleased to present the UNV Annual Report for 2013, which depicts the work and achievements of UN Volunteers in addressing the challenges of peace and sustainable human development. This report highlights UNV’s partnerships and results, and attests to the commitment, creativity and talent of our UN Volunteers, UN Youth Volunteers and UN Online Volunteers.


On International Volunteer Day 2013, UN Volunteers organized activities with school children to raise awareness on volunteerism in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (Alexandra de Bournonville/UNV, 2013)

In 2013, 6,351 United Nations Volunteers were deployed to 129 countries. They contributed to the effective delivery of the peace and development interventions of 34 UN system partners. Of these, 1,021 were UN Youth Volunteers. Additionally, 11,328 UN Online Volunteers completed over 17,370 assignments. Many of these worked together with UN Youth Volunteers on advancing the UN global consultations to shape the post-2015 development agenda, as part of our partnership with the United Nations Millennium Campaign and the World We Want 2015/MY World initiatives. Through this most innovative collaboration, UN Volunteers amplified the voices of marginalized and disenfranchised people who would not have been able to respond to a web-based UN-language questionnaire without this support.

I have taken time during my travels to connect with UN Volunteers, particularly our UN Youth Volunteers. For instance, during my visit to Burkina Faso, I was pleased to see the outcome of proactive collaboration between an internationalUN Volunteer and a Red Cross volunteer. Working with men and women, the volunteers established innovative shelters for the refugee camp community that were acceptable in traditional terms, durable in climate conditions and low in cost. This model is now being adopted across the Sahel. . .

The new Strategic Framework reflects UNV‘s focus on working more systematically with United Nations and other partners to jointly deliver stronger results for peace and development. Recent Memoranda of Understanding signed with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat further cement existing partnerships and plans.

True to its mandate, UNV continued to engage people, particularly youth, in development processes and contribute to development impact. We provide our partners with the best quality volunteers, who increase the sustainability, effectiveness and efficiency of joint interventions.

At the end of September 2014, UNV is convening a forum to provide a platform for UNV’s longstanding and new partners to share good practices and experiences in promoting volunteering for peace and development. The Forum will also provide an opportunity for UNV to share with partners its key achievements in 2013, its new strategic focus,as well as opportunities for partnering with UNV.

As the new sustainable development agenda takes shape, UNV is poised to deliver more talent and more results for peace and development. I applaud our volunteers and salute our partners: let us continue volunteering for the world we want.

[Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.]

Question related to this article:

 

Can the UN help move the world toward a culture of peace?

The following comes from the CPNN Coordinator’s blog of October 2012

The United Nations and the Culture of Peace

My ten years working in the United Nations system left me with a sweet and sour taste: the sweet side was the universality of the UN, both its staff and mandate, and its great significance for raising the consciousness of the peoples of the world; the sour side was the jealousy of the Member States who make sure that the UN does not encroach on their freedom to rule over their own citizens, as well as people in other countries that they may dominate through neo-colonial relations. This became crystal-clear to me when the United States delegate, during the informal meetings of the UN General Assembly in 1999, opposed the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, saying that it would make it more difficult for them to start a war. In fact, throughout history, war (call it “defense” if you prefer) has always been the most fundamental “right” of the state

With this in mind, I have been pleasantly surprised by the extent to which the UN system has once again taken up the culture of peace as a priority, as shown in this month’s CPNN bulletin, just as it was a priority in the Year 2000 when I was the director of the UN International Year for the Culture of Peace

Of course, this does not happen by chance, and great credit belongs to two men who played key roles for the Year 2000, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, who made the culture of peace a priority of UNESCO, and Anwarul Chowdhury, who played the role of midwife at the UN General Assembly, guiding the culture of peace resolution through nine months of opposition by the powerful states. Once again, this last month, these two men motivated and spoke eloquently at the High Level Forum on a Culture of Peace at the UN

As always it was the countries of the South who supported the initiative (see the CPNN article of September 24 and its discussion), but at least this month it was not blocked by the powerful states

In fact, it is my impression that the powerful states pay less and less attention to the United Nations. When there was a financial crisis a few years ago, the powerful states did not turn to the UN agencies , the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, but set up their own temporary system of finance ministers, and when it came time for the review of nuclear non-proliferation, President Obama held his own meeting with heads of state in Washington and ignored the UN conference where the only head of state to speak was that of Iran. And the US has pulled out of UNESCO entirely, forcing drastic cuts in its budget

In fact, the lack of attention by the powerful states may provide the UN system with an opportunity to push the agenda of the culture of peace without their opposition – let us hope that the UN can take advantage of this

Of course, in the long run, the UN, or any other institution, cannot mandate a culture of peace; instead, the culture of peace can only grow from the consciousness, both understanding and action, of the peoples of the world (see last month’s blog below). That’s why the role of the UN for consciousnes-raising is ultimately its greatest contribution!

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, United Nations,

Sudan Open University Graduates Sign Peace Pledge

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an article by AllAfrica News Service, press release from UNAMID

On 10 February 2015, thousands of people in El Fasher, North Darfur, attended a graduation ceremony organized by UNAMID for the students of the Sudan Open University.


Sudan Open University Graduates Sign Peace Pledge

The occasion, held under the theme “Darfur: Talk Peace Now,” included a musical concert, traditional dances and drama performances.

The highlight of the event was the signing of a peace pledge by graduates from 2006-2012. “As we have gained a lot through our education at the University, we pledge before everyone present here to become messengers for peace and development,” said Khalil Gamareldin, on behalf of the graduates.

UNAMID Deputy Joint Special Representative (DJSR), Abdul Kamara, addressed the gathering saying that such events motivate the youth to support peace initiatives through their education. Speaking to the new graduates, Mr. Kamara said, “Today’s ceremony represents a giant step for you, as it will enable you to begin contributing to the promotion of all peace initiatives using your newly gained education and credentials, through avenues that are now open for you, to place the agenda for peace in Darfur firmly on national, regional and international platforms.”

DJSR Kamara reconfirmed that the African Union and United Nations, along with other international partners, remain cogniscent of developments in the region, and will continue to work with the Government and all parties in the implementation of initiatives that can guarantee peace and security for all Darfuris. “UNAMID stands ready to support anyone, any group, any community, that is willing to work for better lives and livelihoods for the people of Darfur,” remarked UNAMID’s Deputy JSR.

On his part, Mr. Abu Abdelrahman, Chair, Sudan Open University, spoke about the work of the University in areas such as human resource development, social cohesion and the dissemination of the culture of peace. Additionally, he expressed his gratitude to UNAMID for its continued support.

“Focusing on learning and education can help address many of the significant issues Darfuris are dealing with,” said the Wali (Governor) of North Darfur State, Osman Kibir, reaffirming his support for speeding up the pace of education to bring about peace and development in the region.

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Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Children’s Thoughts on Peace: Marking 1 Year of Civil War in South Sudan

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an article by Tiffany Easthom, Nonviolent Peaceforce Country Director

Video: Nonviolent Peaceforce in South Sudan

[Editor’s Note: In South Sudan, where the danger of a full-scale war looms with the return of the dry season, Nonviolent Peaceforce provides training to nongovernmental organization workers, NP is able to spread protective coverage for civilians and at the same time mainstream protection methodologies. Over the next three months, NP will train 150 people in five areas in South Sudan. Here is a special message from South Sudan country director Tiffany Easthom.]

What is peace to you? For children in South Sudan it’s the little things that we often take for granted. A year after the conflict, children were asked to share their perspective on what peace means to them. They communicated this through art. Illustrations included images of water, school, planes, sharing, playing sports, and growing food. See their drawings here.

Looking back at 2014, we have faced many challenges together. It has been a year of heart- break and hardwork. We have laughed together and cried together as we struggled to come to terms with the reality of the terrible violence that has continued to shake the country. We have learned a great deal, and have been able to contribute to keeping conflict affected people around the country safe. We have welcomed many new colleagues into the family and have sadly bade a few farewell.

Through all of this tragedy, we have been able to continue to develop and improve both the programming and the operational sides of the house. All of these achievements are a testament to you – to each and everyone of you who makes their contribution, who fulfills their responsibilities and who contributes to making sure that we are doing everything we possibly can for improving the safety and security of conflict affected communities.

So as the year draws to a close, I am filled with gratitude and love for all of you and am looking forward to continuing our struggle together in the new year.

[Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.]

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Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Launch of the Network Youth and Culture of Peace in Africa

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an article by UNESCO Priority Africa (abridged)

Video: Youth and Culture of Peace in Africa

“It is often said that youth is the future – but for me, youth is the present,” said the Director-General on 13 December in Libreville surrounded by 90 young African men and women, coming from forty countries for the Libreville Pan African Forum — “African youth and the challenge of promoting a culture of peace”.


Youth participants in the Forum

The Forum was held from 11 to 13 December in Gabon, with the participation of Pascaline Mferri Bongo Ondimba, Honorary President of the Omar Bongo Ondimba Foundation, Ida Reteno Assonouet Minister of National Education and Technical and Vocational Education, President of UNESCO’s National Commission for Gabon, Anatole Collinet Makosso, Congolese Minister of Civic Education and President of the Conference of Ministers of the African Union responsible for youth, Rose Christiane OSSOUKA RAPONDA, Mayor of Libreville as well as Forest Whitaker, UNESCO Special Envoy for peace and reconciliation.

The event was marked by the official launch of the “Youth and Culture of Peace” Network, made up of National Youth Councils and youth organizations from Africa and its Diaspora, engaged in actions aimed at promoting a culture of peace. Gabon will host its secretariat.

The Forum also celebrated the strengthening of the partnership with UNESCO Special Envoy Forest Whitaker’s Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation (WPDI), which aims to promote young people’s ability to work for peace and development in their communities within fragile states. Forest Whitaker said to the young participants: “your generation is the one that will grow the seeds” of peace and prosperity, “the only limit you will encounter is your imagination.”

The Omar Bongo Ondimba Foundation for Peace, Science, Culture and the Environment also announced the creation of an international youth prize for the culture of peace that will reward the action of three youth organizations, who will share a total of 45 million CFA (nearly 85 000 USD). . .

The work of young people began three months earlier on an online platform created by UNESCO with the support of the Foundation and Omar Bongo Ondimba of Gabon National Commission for UNESCO. Soon, the young people took ownership of the tool to discuss joint activities of their network and its organization. This preparatory work has mobilized more than 200 youth organizations from Africa and its Diaspora. The meeting of Libreville allowed online discussions to continue through a series of participatory and prospective work that enabled them to consider their long-term strategies. Through these innovations in the methods of work, young people were able to develop an action plan and a structure of the network that they will finalize in the coming months via the online platform. At the end of the Forum, a bureau of the network was elected with two delegates from each of the six regions of Africa region, including the Diaspora.

Young participants from the Network concluded the event by singing the song that guided their Forum: “War does not pay; peace wants our arms”.

( Click here for the French version.)

 

Question related to this article.

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

Most recent comment:

It is very appropriate that this new impulse for the culture of peace at UNESCO should come from Côte d’Ivoire, since the global movement for a culture of peace was initiated at a UNESCO conference in that country in 1989. See Yamoussoukro and Seville in the early history of the culture of peace.

Note added on September 2:

The official reports from the UNESCO Conference in Abidjian are now available:

English

French

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

25 years of efforts for the culture of peace

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an article by Ingeborg Breines, co-President International Peace Bureau

Dear members of the Nobel Committee,

I would hereby, as co-president of the International Peace Bureau (IPB), like to nominate the culture of peace initiative for the Nobel Peace Prize.


Federico Mayor

The Culture of Peace initiative would naturally be represented by UNESCO, the UN Organization for Education, Science and Culture, and its former Director General, Federico Mayor, for piloting the project, representing all those who tirelessly have been working – and continue to work – for human dignity, for equality, for conciliation, for disarmament, for democracy and for the transition from a culture of imposition and war to a culture of dialogue, alliance and peace.

The vision and the birth of culture of peace program came out of the UNESCO International Congress on Peace in 1989 in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire. The UNESCO culture of peace program involved a huge number of partners such as governments, parliamentarians, intellectuals, educators, artists, civil society groups and lead e.g. to the International Year for a Culture of Peace, the Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World and a Plan of Action to facilitate implementation. Please see the historic background of the culture of peace initiative

The 11 September 2001 events and the ensuing war on terror, unfortunately undermined the hoped effects of the initiative, the hope of finally moving from force to words, from confrontation to dialogue. The culture of peace initiative has for some years mostly been honored and cherished by civil society, notably the peace organizations and the women’s organizations. But in September 2014, a UN High Level Forum took stock of achievements and stumbling blocks and made plans for future work related to the culture of peace, so desperately needed in this period of harsh and scary confrontations. A Nobel Peace Prize for the culture of peace would be an enormous boost to the initiative and the many people, institutions and organizations engaged.

The African continent has with UNESCO taken the lead in revitalizing the culture of peace initiative on a governmental level e.g. by organizing a conference, (Pan-African Forum “Africa: Sources and resources for a culture of peace in Angola in March 2013 and a meeting entitled Peace in the mind of men and women, in Yamoussoukro in September 2014 to mark the 25 years of the concept of a culture of peace and to launch the activities of the network of foundations and research institutions for the promotion of a culture of peace in Africa.

[Editor’s note: For more about Federico Mayor, see CPNN articles of March 25, 2012 and December 15, 2013.

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UNESCO, the UN institution to “build peace in the mind of men” in order to “save the succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, will celebrate its 70th anniversary 16th of November this year. It deserves, with all its virtues and defects, successes and failures, a recognition for peace building worldwide. It is actually quite difficult to understand how UNESCO with its mandate and high level of activity in favor of peace has gone under the radar of the Norwegian Nobel Committee for so long.

UNESCO’s as the intellectual and ethical body of the UN has deserved to get the Nobel Peace Prize on many occasions, for its work on international understanding, for its facilitation of an extensive cooperation between scientists, teachers, artists, cultural workers and journalists, for its focus on peace education in its broadest sense, for the safeguarding of different forms of our cultural heritage, for inspiring art and creativity, for its normative work in favor of humanistic ideals, and most of all for its extensive initiative for the culture of peace involving millions of people around the world. Other UN organizations, some perhaps with a more short-term humanitarian focus than a long-term humanistic one such as that of UNESCO, have received the Nobel Peace Prize. To-day, the UN is undermined in its function by lack of resources whilst global military expenditure continue to rise and bodies of the more affluent, such as the G6, G7, G20, the IMF and the World Bank, even NATO, dictate much of the world agenda. National security takes the lead over world peace and ideologies of short-term gains undermines the living conditions of both humanity and the planet. It is time to strengthen the global mandate of the UN, and especially honor UNESCO for its efforts in favor of “the people” and their needs and aspirations.

Federico Mayor managed in an unprecedented way during his period as Director General of UNESCO from 1987 to 1999 to make a platform for the involvement of Governments, a large number of professional groups and civil society movements in reflection and action on the then new concept of a culture of peace. Since 2000, his devotion to the ideals of a culture of peace and his many initiatives have been expressed through different channels, not least the Foundation for a Culture of Peace based in Madrid.

The culture of peace concept was first brought to the international community at a UNESCO peace conference in Yamoussoukro, the Ivory Cost, in 1989, and it was further defined and refined through a series of UNESCO meetings and conference involving thousands of scientists, teachers, cultural workers, artists, peace activists and personalities, both governmental and non-governmental. The governing bodies of UNESCO established a project and a program at UNESCO, with a large number of partners, and encouraged the UN to make the year 2000 the International Year for a Culture of Peace to be followed by the Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010). A Recommendation and a Plan of Action were developed to guide and inspire the work both at a governmental and civil society level. UNESCO developed with some Nobel Peace Prize Laureates a Manifesto for a Culture of Peace that was signed by more than 70 million people and presented to the Secretary General of the UN. The culture of peace vision appealed not least to women and young people who, also through new communication means, contributed strongly to develop the initiative into a broad movement. Many individuals, organizations and institutions find an added value to their own efforts for gender equality, human rights, disarmament or sustainable development in the more comprehensive culture of peace platform.

Federico Mayor was heading the UNESCO secretariat through the whole period when top priority was given to the culture of peace (1987 – 99). His tireless work and wisdom, his scientific mind and artistic ways of expressing himself, his enthusiasm and charisma made him an extraordinary “pilot”. For him, and for those of us who had the chance to work with him, the culture of peace initiative was a revitalization of the normative instruments both of UNESCO as such, and of the UN. He was critical of how the UN became more and more known for peace-keeping whilst peace building and peace-making was much more important to him. He was also very critical to high military costs at the expense of social expenditure. He was convinced that most people wherever they are in the world want peace and wanted to encourage people to express themselves more clearly on these issues vis-à-vis their governments. He wanted the culture of peace initiative to help clarify and strengthen the conditions for peace, and actively confront the culture of war and violence and its root-causes: poverty, deprivation, inequality, injustice and ignorance. He was firmly convinced that quality education, the learning to live together, is an indispensable tool for a culture of peace, fully in line with the preamble to UNESCO’s Constitution which reads: “Since war begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses for peace must be constructed”.

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