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An announcement from the website of the PT – Partido dos Trabalhadores (translation by CPNN)

The National Training School of the PT (Partido dos Trabalhadores -Workers Party) the PT National Secretariat for Political Training and the Executive Secretariat of the Popular Struggle Committees will offer this Thursday (14 July) the workshop Culture of Peace and Militant Self-protection.

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

How can election violence be prevented?

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Faced with the intensification of political violence in the country, the objective of the workshop is to analyze the current situation and the threats against the integrity of militancy and street demonstrations. The violence stimulated by the President of the Republic manifested itself in an extreme way last weekend with the assassination of comrade Marcelo Arruda, in Foz Iguaçu (Paraná,).

This scenario generates fears and anxiety than could leading to a possible state of paralysis. Understanding this logic of intimidation practiced by Bolsonarism is fundamental so that, in addition to establishing our practical and political response for the Culture of Peace and Solidarity, we can also advance in the preparation and organization of our Popular Committees of Struggles.

To be stronger and more united, with our heads held high for the important battles that lie ahead, we invite everyone to participate in the workshop.

🚩 Participate in the Workshop “Culture of Peace and Militant Self-protection”

🕐 Write it down on the agenda! Thursday, 14/7 19h in Brasilia time, by the Zoom App.

ATTENTION: Registration is open until 7/14, until 12:00 pm Brasília time

To register click here and fill in the form.

From the Editorial/Popular Struggle Committee

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An article from the city government of Medellin (translation by CPNN)

From June 30 to July 7, the Medellín Mayor’s Office held the now traditional Week for Disarmament. This year the slogan was “Because life is worth it “, as a way to contribute to the prevention of all kinds of violent attitudes, homicides and fatal accidents and, through pedagogy, to discourage the carrying, possession and use of weapons.

In this edition, more than 1,300 young people participated in activities in different parts of the city. For example in the Héctor Abad Gómez Educational Institution, 450 people from the student community were involved.

Photo from Mayor of Medellin

Another development was the “Culture to the park” initiative, with the discussion “Weaving from the word and the experiences on the Medellin Future for the prevention of armed violence, and how art has been a mobilizer for the transformation of the city.”

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(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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“We have carried out all kinds of interventions in the territory. We develop strategies according to the premise “Because life is worth it”. In Villa Hermosa we held a discussion about the experiences of our Medellín Future and the prevention of violence, in which other Secretariats participated. To close this week we have the youth camp with the happiness strategy and the Football Culture component”, said the Undersecretary of Local Government and Coexistence, Carlos Gutiérrez Bustamante.

On July 7, a camp was held for coexistence in the Altavista corregimiento sports area, in the village of Manzanares. The staff of the Coexistence Unit of the Security Secretariat participated in this strategy leading a space for learning and reflection for the community.

The Non-Violence Secretariat also joined the agenda with armed violence prevention strategies that led by the “Partners” and Non-Violence Schools programs in which prevention actions are carried out with boys, girls, adolescents and young people at risk of being used or recruited by armed groups.

“From the Secretariat we want to strengthen the message and the commitment to consolidate a culture of peace and Non-Violence in the city of Medellín, for this reason, our territorial work with a preventive approach focuses on generating scenarios for dialogue and conversation through art. as part of a commitment from the construction of territorial peace to deconstruct violent imaginaries”, said the Undersecretary of Construction of Territorial Peace, Carolina Saldarriaga.

During 2021 and so far in 2022, nearly 1,500 young people and children have benefited from pedagogical spaces through training and work opportunities, as well as artistic and cultural methodologies for peace with the themes of respect for life, rejection of armed structures and the change of attitudes about the use of weapons.

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An article from La Prensa (reprinted according to a license CC – attribution) (translation by CPNN)

The government of Xiomara Castro launched yesterday in Santa Bárbara the “Mesas de seguridad ciudadana” within the framework of the Community Police, which will be in the 298 municipalities made up of members of the National Police, civil society, private companies, non-governmental organizations, judges and fiscal authorities.

(Editor’s note: A “mesa de seguridad ciudadana” is a governance network that brings together citizens with authorities from all levels of government in the construction of a common agenda on security and justice. Through dialogue and collaboration, it builds agreements and defines action measures of local scope. Citizens exercise co-responsibility by participating in the preparation of the agenda and following up on the agreements. The work model of the “Mesas de seguridad” prioritizes a horizontal organization, similar to that of restorative justice.)

President Xiomara Castro launched yesterday in Santa Bárbara the new security model for the country. The Minister and Deputy Minister of Security and the police leadership were present. Photos: Franklyn Munoz.

According to the authorities of the National Police, the Community Police model is not new, since it already existed, but now it seeks to create a stronger link with citizens and the habit of reporting, as well as creating and developing programs that collaborate in the prevention and deterrence of crime.

This new security strategy involves five pillars, according to the police leaders:

* respect for human rights,

*return to the community,

*decentralization and autonomy,

*prevention of conflict,

*and the creation of a new public security institution.

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

Restorative justice, What does it look like in practice?

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This security model of the Castro government includes the community police officers carrying out social surveillance in the intervened neighborhoods and the Military Police combating the maras and gangs through their crime deterrence techniques.

“Now we have to put it into action and put it into practice, we must attend to all the needs that arise within a social group and with the participation of all, and how the Government can collect all the data and translate it into benefits for society,” explained Ramón Sabillón, Minister of Security.

Prevention

The president of the republic, Xiomara Castro, pointed out in her speech that prevention policies “in our country are necessary, especially to reduce the levels of insecurity that we have inherited. In the past we have acted in the cases of homicides and delinquency, but now the most important action must be prevention in our communities and our peoples, which has not previously been addressed.

The president said that the actors will be the “patronatos”, the water collectives, the associations of peasants, farmers, ranchers and neighborhood collectives.

“I want to promote a culture of peace and citizen participation in our country with preventive actions, establishing bonds of trust and proximity between the Police and the community. The proximity of the police with the people is the main asset that the Community Police needs in orde to fulfill this new role that is assigned today,” Castro said.

The director of the National Police, Gustavo Sánchez, said that violence and criminality have generated 65,000 homicides in the last 12 years “due to their poor treatment and poor approach.

The launch of the Community Police with the strategy of “mesas de seguridad ciudadana” seeks the participation and co-responsibility of citizens”.

“There will be a more timely, effective and respectful service, including for the offender who will be referred to the courts or to the competent bodies,” said the director of the Community Police, Germán Sánchez.

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An article by Yucatan State Government (translation by CPNN)

In order to reinforce joint actions in matters of security and social peace in Yucatan, the head of the General Secretariat of the Government (SGG), María Fritz Sierra, presided over the signing of two agreements between 10 municipalities and the Center for the Prevention of Crime and Citizen Participation (Cepredey).

This coordination between state and municipal authorities responds to the instruction of Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal, to add and multiply efforts to promote effective strategies, focused and concentrated to strengthen prevention, to reduce and to eradicate the factors that generate violence or illicit conduct.

Along with the Great Museum of the Mayan World, the mayors of Mérida, Umán, Progreso, Hunucmá, Kanasín, Motul, Tekax, Ticul, Tizimín and Valladolid promised to coordinate efforts to strengthen the culture of peace in this first stage, with other actions to follow.

The head of the SGG highlighted the willingness and interest of the councilors to strengthen collaboration with the Executive, with the idea that prevention is the best way to combat violence and crime, and that these issues are part of the priority agenda of public management in the territory.

Likewise, she stressed that these agreements are an example of a responsible public administration, which seeks to implement policies of real benefit to citizens including complementary efforts to achieve specific and measurable goals.

“Our commitment is to carry out coordinated work, regardless of political associations, since, without you and your participation, our best intentions and strategies could not materialize,” she said in her message to the municipal presidents.

Together with the Undersecretary for Prevention and Social Reintegration, Fernando Rosel Flores, and the Director of the Institute for Regional and Municipal Development (Inderm), David Valdez Jiménez, Secretary Fritz Sierra recalled that Yucatán is recognized for its levels of peace, up to the level of cities in the “first world.”

However, she pointed out, crimes occur as well in the most developed countries; in the same way in our state and some municipalities, especially those with the highest population density.

“The coordination of efforts between the various local government agencies and municipal administrations is essential to address the magnitude of the problem that violence represents in our society,” she said.

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(Click here for the article in Spanish)

The culture of peace at a regional level, Does it have advantages compared to a city level?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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Along with the director of the Mérida Municipal Police, Mario Arturo Romero Escalante, the head of the SGG called for the development of a work agenda to complement action strategies, giving priority to the particular situations of each community.

The document that was signed establishes, among other requirements, to implement training for social prevention of violence and crime for the personnel of the City Councils, in order to strengthen their institutional capacities.

Also, the official instructed the Cepredey staff and its director, Joana Briceño Ascencio, to put all their efforts so that the agreement can yield the expected results. The project is based on scientific social evidence, and it applies an intercultural and community approach.

The approach includes diagnoses, job training and economic support; peace networks with youth, children and women; reeducation and special attention to families with a history of violence, as well as leisure, sports, recreational and educational activities including courses, workshops and talks.

“Today, we take a step in favor of Yucatan; beyond positions, creeds or political interests, I am pleased with your commitment and solidarity, which all Yucatecans share, in favor of the peace and security that we desire,” Fritz said. Likewise, she urged the mayors to maintain the spirit of dialogue and cooperation in order to continue building a better future.

For his part, the secretary of the Municipality of Mérida, Alejandro Ruz Castro, expressed the approval of the Renán Barrera Concha administration with this agreement, since it allows optimization of prevention and the continuation of working together with the State, to strengthen security and provision of justice, that are “props for the development of a society”.

The mayor of Umán, Gaspar Ventura Cisneros Polanco, affirmed that this type of agreement allows us to continue supporting the transformation process promoted by Governor Mauricio, so that our territory continues to be the safest in the country.

What we need, he added, are not only public policies to avoid more risk factors that generate violence in our municipality, but also strategies that lead to the active participation of society, for which he applauded this teamwork, the only way to move towards the needed transformation.

Afterwards, Briceño Ascencio made available the experience and capacity of Cepredey, to accompany and guide the 10 participating municipalities, by strengthening their institutional capacities and achieving effective prevention. For this he requested those present for their commitment, support and, above all, , leadership.

“As the General Secretary of the Government, María Fritz, points out, time is running out for us and this is our moment to lay the foundations for all the best we can do, for our state and its municipalities,” she said.

Finally, she reiterated that “we have an allied State Government committed to the actions that required to achieve our mission, which is to continue making Yucatan the best state to live in.”

The event was also attended by the mayors of Progreso, Julián Zacarías Curi; Tekax, Diego Jose Avila Romero; Ticul, Rafael Gerardo Montalvo Mata; Kanasin, Edwin Jose Bojorquez Ramirez; Valladolid, Alfredo Fernandez Arceo; and Hunucmá, Edna Marisa Franco Ceballos. Representing the municipal president of Tizimín, Pedro Francisco Couoh Suaste, was his secretary, Abelomar Javier Portillo.

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An article from Reporte Indigo (translation by CPNN)

The Government of Jalisco has begun work on its first “State Culture of Peace Program”, one of the main instruments derived from the state’s Culture of Peace Law, designed to reduce the various forms of violence that occur there.

The legislation was approved by the Jalisco Congress on April 22, 2021 with the objective of “respecting, protecting, promoting and guaranteeing peace as a human right of which all people, without distinction, are entitled”. Therefore, its provisions are mandatory for both state and municipal authorities.

The program of the legislation includes a comprehensive strategy that is not limited to the implementation of new security or police surveillance schemes. In fact, the Law establishes that the strategy must be prepared with at least the following items:

I. Education for peace (curriculum; teacher training; school administration; and community formation);

II. Research for peace (institutional linkage; training of researchers; dissemination; and application in the territory and in public policies);

III. Non-violent conflict transformation (community mediation; alternative justice; and non-violent conflict management);

IV. Development of citizen capacities for peace (training of citizens and organizations; and strengthening of networks).

V. Visibility and strengthening of territorial peace (territorial diagnoses with the communities; and peace projects in the territories);

VI. Development for peace (mainstreaming the culture of peace in the different sectors with emphasis on attention to structural, cultural and direct violence);

and VII. Citizen Security and Human Security (development of citizen, community and human security models, and violence prevention).

The challenge is enormous because Jalisco is considered the main center of operations of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) —one of the most violent criminal groups in the country—; and Jalisco has become the state with the most victims of disappearance in all of Mexico, with 15,034 missing and unaccounted for persons, according to the National Registry of Missing and Unaccounted for Persons.

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(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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State Culture of Peace Law

The Governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, says that the legislation that mandates the issuance of the “State Program for the Culture of Peace” is the only one of its kind at the national level, as communicated by the State Government on March 18, 2022.

In Article 2 of the Law on the Culture of Peace of the State, it is detailed that the goal is to eradicate the different forms of violence, from intra-family, gender, to that which is producing organized crime.

It reads to “Satisfy the basic needs of all human beings, in order to eradicate the structural violence originated in the economic and social inequalities existing in the state; eliminate cultural violence that encompasses gender violence, domestic violence, in the educational, labor and neighborhood spheres; and in all areas of social relations; and guarantee effective respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people,”

Delay

The Jalisco Planning and Citizen Participation Secretariat has lagged behind with respect to its obligation to prepare the “State Program for the Culture of Peace”, since it should have concluded last April.

The third transitory article of the Law states that “from the approval of the law, a period of one year is established to generate the State Program for the Culture of Peace” and the approval was given on April 22, 2021. It has been announced that the “Citizen Participation Forums for the construction of the State Program for the Culture of Peace” has already begun (from June 28 to 30).

The intention of the legislators was that both the provisions of this Law and the respective program are also replicated at the municipal level, for this reason the legislation foresees that the municipalities form the Municipal Councils of Citizen Participation for Governance and Peace.

“City councils may form councils or dependencies that they deem appropriate to comply with the provisions of this law, issuing the corresponding regulations, in order to implement actions to promote the culture of peace. (…) may include budget items to meet these objectives (Article 11)”.

These instances, however, can also be of a building nature (Article 12): “City councils may create building commissions for a culture of peace in the municipal regulations that regulate their operation with the aim of collaborating with public actions, programs and policies of a culture of peace and promote the mainstreaming of the approach in other government actions.”

This March 18, 2022, the governor, Alfaro Ramírez, presented the “Spaces for Peace” strategy, also based on the Culture of Peace Law, to promote sports, culture and entertainment in public spaces: “From now on they will have means to combat violence in the social fabric,” he said.

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An article from the Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil (translation by CPNN)

A group of Church bodies in Brazil, including the Pastoral Episcopal Commissions for the Laity and for Socio-Transforming Action of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), have published the booklet “Politics for the Common Good”.

The project takes up central questions from Pope Francis’ encyclicals – Laudato Sí, Fratelli Tutti and the post-synodal exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, which deal, among other topics, with the joy of the Gospel, care for the common home (environment) and it addresses Politics as an ethical consequence of the commandment of love.

The publication is organized into five chapters: a) The universality of Christian Love; b) Social friendship and ethics in politics; c) The great causes of the Gospel; d) Take care of the Common House; and d) 2022 – Elections and Democracy.

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

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

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Ecclesiastical and civil citizenship

Referring to the publication, the Archbishop of Belo Horizonte (MG) and president of the CNBB, Dom Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo, state that it is the result of an offer that marks the sense of the common interest of lay and lay Christians to contribute to their civil citizenship.

It is, according to the president of the CNBB, another formative possibility as an important contribution in the field of citizen political education, for truth in politics, bringing together lessons from our beloved Pope Francis, to inspire studies, reflections and attitudes to help each person to recognize himself as important, and essential to build a world with the features of the Kingdom of God.

The president of the CNBB argues that “no Christian can remain oblivious to the task of contributing to society becoming more just, solidary and fraternal: it is a commitment of faith to devote attention to politics, seeking to rescue its noble vocation – a singular expression of charity” .

To whom it is addressed

The section “Politics for the Common Good” is the result of the work of a network of organizations, services, social pastorals and Church bodies, the Brazilian Network of Faith and Politics, and aims to open up the horizons of Good Politics to more people in the Church.

It is aimed especially at people active in communities and parishes, such as animators and animators of celebrations, catechists, ministers and ministers of the Word, participants in groups and movements, and pastoral workers in general.

A copy can be downloaded here: Caderno Encantar a Política

(Thank you to Herbert Santos for sending this article to CPNN.)

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A blog by Oscar Oyarzo Hidalgo reprinted by Pressenza (This article is part of issue 0 of the recently launched humanist magazine Ciclos.)

Many analyses have been made of last December’s presidential election in Chile, where Gabriel Boric won at the polls with historic popular support that surpasses even what the candidate’s own supporters could have imagined. In this sense, an important variable for the victory was undoubtedly the participation of young people in the face of the dilemma between the candidacy of Boric and the former candidate Kast, the latter being the representative of the country’s most conservative right-wing.

But what is the reason for this reaction of the youth to the call to vote for Boric and leave behind the threat of Kast? Because it was simply a reaction to the results of the first round, where the scenario was truly adverse for the next President of the Republic. In that scenario, the candidate Kast won the election, albeit narrowly over Boric, demonstrating that the polls and projections of a significant growth of the far-right was demonstrated in a convincing way in votes. Faced with this result, massive support for the Apruebo Dignidad candidate was unleashed, a support that went beyond those who genuinely supported the candidate, not least those who, faced with the threat of Kast, immediately joined Gabriel’s campaign.

Faced with this scenario, what role did the youth play? In my opinion, youth played a role in accordance with what young people have historically meant for social processes. A role that is typical of the generational dialectic of advancing towards change or maintaining the status quo, of embracing ideas of profound transformation and respect for all people, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, origin, etc. A youth, which in the Chilean case participated strongly in the popular revolt of 2019, but also in the student struggle of 2011 and 2006. With this I want to get to the idea that there is a generation, the under-35s, who are aware of the different struggles that have arisen in recent times. Here the feminist movement stands out in an important way, which in its latest wave has transformed in an important way those forms and treatments that patriarchy has historically imbued societies with. And so on, passing through the ecological struggle, sexual dissidence, animal rights, among others.

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(Click here for the Spanish version)

Are we seeing the dawn of a global youth movement?

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The reaction is strengthened because those freedoms won and those with which this generation was born – thanks to the struggle of previous generations – were in danger. It was almost impossible to imagine living under a regime that belittles the role of women in society, that discriminates directly or underhandedly against sexual dissidence, and thus, in short, a regime of terror for the future of a generation accustomed to living with these personal freedoms that were being questioned by a political sector.

We might think that perhaps it did not matter so much who the candidate was in opposition to the far right. However, we should not underestimate the importance of the symbol of Boric and the conglomerate that put him forward as a candidate, because beyond the legitimate differences that one might have with that sector, they knew how to interpret in electoral terms the political and social process that had been unleashed after the popular uprising. And among the characteristics of Gabriel’s candidacy, his youth stood out, which was criticised by his opponents; however, this aspect did not resonate beyond the most conservative sectors.

The youthfulness of Gabriel and the team that accompanied him in his campaign was a great asset in the face of a society tired of the same old faces, where young people had been neglected. Apruebo Dignidad represents not only a political change, but also a generational change, although within this generation there is not exclusively one generation, but there is no doubt that it accompanies a process that has been fundamentally raised in recent times by young people.

Gabriel’s performance in his second round campaign and the subsequent result that gave the Magellanic candidate victory, was strongly driven by the youth that through different media got involved in the campaign, either in the territory, as well as through social networks; the latter being a space where creativity and stimulation of the digital world contributed significantly to the dissemination of the campaign, because at the time that people took ownership of the campaign and this was decentralised, it managed to generate the mystique that in the first round had not resulted.

The phenomenon of Gabriel Boric will surely be of interest to many analysts, because the mantle of expectations that the public has covered him represents a great responsibility for the next government, but also for a generation that for the first time since the dawn of the country is taking charge of the country’s destiny. It will be a moment of great hope, but one that will bring difficulties, and here the question is whether the youth that supported Gabriel will have the same impetus to defend his government and proposals in a scenario of foreseeable political complexity. For now, we can conclude that the interest of a particular generation was able to turn the needle in an election that was expected to be close, but which nevertheless ended up being a resounding triumph for progressive proposals against the radical conservatism it opposed.

The author, Oscar Oyarzo Hidalgo, is 22 years old. He is Former Secretary General of the Law Students’ Centre of the University of Chile, Spokesperson for Humanist Action and Humanist Students Coordinator.