Category Archives: DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

From LA to Bogotá to London, global mayors unite to deliver critical city momentum to world leaders tasked with keeping 1.5 degree hopes alive at Glasgow’s COP26

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

A press release from C40 Cities

In Glasgow today (November 2), Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti announced the successful delivery of UN-backed Cities Race to Zero campaign before handing the baton as C40 chair to his successor London Mayor Khan, who outlined his bold new vision for leveraging what cities can deliver in the fight against climate change.

As the world seeks to turn climate action commitments into tangible emissions reductions within the next decade, cities have emerged as enthusiastic and ambitious engines of the global energy transition. Under Mayor Garcetti’s leadership, more than 1,000 cities and local governments have joined the Cities Race to Zero to raise climate ambition and put the world on track to halve emissions within the next decade, and reach net-zero no later than 2050.

(Global city partners C40, ICLEI, the Global Covenant of Mayors, CDP, UCLG, WRI and WWF, are working together to recruit 1,000 cities to the Race to Zero.)

The 1049 cities and local governments signing onto the Race to Zero represent 722 million people and will pursue ambitious climate action in line with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5℃ – the global standard for climate action. New estimates from Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy show that this collective action has the potential to reduce global emissions by at least 1.4 gigatons annually by 2030.

C40 Mayors’ presence at COP26 is the culmination of years of visionary climate leadership from local leaders who have leveraged their influence to bolster global climate ambition. Under Mayor Garcetti’s chairmanship, C40 mayors have promoted their vision for a Global Green New Deal, which aims to place inclusive climate action at the centre of all urban decision-making to create healthy, accessible, liveable, and sustainable cities for all.

In his first public speech as C40 Chair-elect, Mayor Khan committed to align C40’s budget and staffing behind efforts to tackle air pollution worldwide and support emissions reduction strategies particularly in Global South cities who are at the frontline of climate impacts – putting social justice at the heart of his vision for C40 cities.

As Chair, Mayor Khan will commit two thirds of C40’s budget to support climate action and green recovery efforts in Global South cities experiencing the worst impacts of the climate crisis.

Mayor Khan also announced an expansion of the C40’s Global Green New Deal program funded by the Open Society Foundations, which will direct additional funding to increase the number of cities working in partnership with trade unions, young people and community organisations to ensure climate action benefits everyone.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

Despite the vested interests of companies and governments, Can we make progress toward sustainable development?

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Mayor Khan will also bring his visionary work to tackle air pollution in London to the broader C40 network, expanding Breathe Global, based on his flagship air quality monitoring programme Breathe London, to C40’s almost 100 member cities, as well as targeted, high-level support for seven megacities where air pollution is highest to bring down pollution levels. Last week Mayor Khan oversaw the 18-fold expansion of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone, his world-leading initiative to reduce vehicle pollution, which now covers an area with almost four million residents. The introduction of the scheme has led to Londoners moving to cleaner vehicles, with more than 87 per cent of vehicles seen in the zone now compliant with the new green standards.

C40 Cities Chair and Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, said: “Today, more than 1,000 cities stood united around a historic commitment to make this decade one of exponential action toward a green and just future. Cities are leading the way to save our planet, invest in our people, and leave no one behind — and I’m proud to stand with incoming Chair Khan and this global coalition of mayors who have come together to show the world what’s possible.”

C40 Cities Chair-elect and Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Cities are leading the way when it comes to tackling the climate emergency and I am committed to doing more to support cities in the global south, which are on the frontline – facing the worst consequences of climate change. I want to ensure C40’s resources help all C40 cities around the world speed up their efforts to tackle the climate emergency, toxic air pollution and address inequalities within and between our cities with inclusive climate action. That’s why I’m expanding C40’s Global Green New Deal programme and announcing that our next budget will see two thirds of our total funding allocated to the Global South.

“The world is at a crossroads. We must ensure we help cities around the globe become greener, fairer and more sustainable, and convince national governments to unleash the potential of cities with powers and additional investment to boost our green economies and accelerate climate action.”

Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions, Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Global Ambassador for the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience Campaigns said: “Cities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis and they’re leading the way in finding and implementing the solutions we need to confront it head-on. Mayors are also playing a critical role in pushing world leaders to take action at the national level – through their words, and by providing a blueprint for countries to follow. With more than 1,000 cities now working together to raise their climate ambitions and meet their goals, cities and mayors have never been more influential in the global fight against climate change.”

Mayor of Bogotá, Claudia López Hernández, said: “As mayors gather in Glasgow, the influential C40 network of global cities should be proud of its historic leadership under Mayor Garcetti and excited about the visionary future represented by Mayor Khan. I look forward to continuing this important work with colleagues around the world to create greener, healthier, more inclusive cities that drive the large-scale collective action essential to constraining global warming to 1.5 degrees.”

Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, said: “Under the leadership of Mayor Eric Garcetti, C40 cities around the world have taken climate ambition and action to new heights. From standing up a Global Green New Deal, securing ambitious, science-based commitments from more than 1,000 cities, and urging national leaders to invest in a green and just pandemic recovery, Mayor Garcetti has been instrumental in cementing cities’ place as global climate leaders. As we look towards 2030 and turning commitments into tangible progress, Mayor Khan’s bold vision for the C40 Cities network will be critical to moving us towards our goal to limit global warming to 1.5C and secure the future we want.”

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Cities in Spain, USA and Japan press their national governments to support nuclear disarmament

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Excerpts from the newsletter of Mayors for Peace

The October newsletter of Mayors for Peace includes several examples of cities pressing their governments to support nuclear disarmament.


Spain

The City of Granollers, headed by Mayor Mayoral, has invited Catalan cities to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as well as recruited them to join Mayors for Peace. Whenever the occasion arises, Mayor Mayoral and the city staffers always promote Mayors for Peace and the TPNW to other cities. Over the last couple of months, Mayor Mayoral called different mayors in Catalonia to urge them to approve a motion in which they recognize the danger posed by nuclear weapons, to show solidarity with the people and communities affected by their impact, and to call on the Spanish Government to sign and ratify the TPNW. The motion has been adopted by 59 localities in Catalonia, as well as the Barcelona Provincial Council, which represents more than half of the population of Catalonia.

To read the full text of the report, please visit this link.

United States

On September 23, 2021, the Back from the Brink campaign released an Open Letter signed by over 300 local, county and state officials in 41 U.S. states. The letter, directed to President Biden and the U.S. Congress, welcomes the entry-info-force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and “urge[s] bold action and U.S. leadership in the pursuit of global, verifiable nuclear disarmament and concrete policy steps to reduce and eliminate the severe danger nuclear weapons pose to each and every one of our constituents – and all of humanity.”

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Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

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

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Signatories include Mayors for Peace Vice President, Mayor Frank Cownie of Des Moines, Iowa and twelve other U.S. members of Mayors for Peace. The letter signers hope to influence the Biden administration’s Nuclear Posture Review, the document that sets U.S. nuclear policy.

The Back From the Brink campaign calls on the United States to:
Actively pursue a verifiable agreement among nucleararmed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals;
• Renounce the option of using nuclear weapons first;
• End the sole, unchecked authority of any president to launch a nuclear attack;
• Take U.S. nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert; and
• Cancel the plan to replace the entire US arsenal with enhanced weapons at a cost of more than $1 trillion over the next 30 years.

The campaign has been endorsed by 53 U.S. municipalities, six state legislative bodies, and over 380 organizations including the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Read the Open Letter and full list of signatories here: Open Letter | Back from the Brink (preventnuclearwar.org)

Japan

On October 4, Fumio Kishida, a member of Japan’s lower House of Representatives representing the A-bombed city of Hiroshima, was elected as Japan’s 100th prime minister. The arrival of a new leader who advocates the realization of a “world without nuclear weapons” and calls nuclear disarmament his “life’s work” has led to growing expectations for the future. At the same time, some have voiced their concerns about how far Mr. Kishida can achieve concrete progress under the current circumstances in which Japan adheres firmly to a policy of reliance on nuclear deterrence for security.

The first touchstone is the momentous first meeting of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), scheduled to be held in March next year. Japan’s national government did not participate in meetings to negotiate the treaty’s establishment in 2017. At the time, Mr. Kishida was the Japan minister for foreign affairs. Even after TPNW’s entry into force in January this year, the Japanese government did not change its stance of refusing to sign and ratify the treaty. In the A-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there are forceful calls for the government to participate in some capacity in the meeting, because non-signatory nations also have the right to attend the meeting as “observers.”

Setsuko Thurlow, an A-bomb survivor living in Canada, and Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), have respectively sent Mr. Kishida a letter to the effect that they are looking forward to meeting him at the meeting’s conference hall in Vienna, Austria. Switzerland and Sweden, non-participants in the treaty for the time being, are said to have expressed their intent to attend the meeting as observers. We will continue to keep our eyes focused on the actions of “the only nation in the world to have experienced nuclear attacks in wartime.”

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

Mexico: Women who weave communities of peace in Chihuahua

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article by Eugenia Coppel in Milenio

Urbivillas del Prado and Riberas del Bravo in Ciudad Juárez illustrate how the strategy of Women Builders of Peace (MUCPAZ) operates, a federal program that by March of this year has reached 107 municipalities in 27 entities.


Until just a year ago, the Urbivillas del Prado subdivision, on the southern outskirts of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, was a group of gray houses, with streets full of rubble, tires and garbage, and without adequate public spaces for meetings between neighbors. . “It was sad because everyone was on her own,” says Mari Velázquez, a teacher who has lived in this neighborhood for 12 years with her husband and her two children.

“Right now it’s another world, it’s totally changed,” says Velázquez, one of the women leaders who has promoted the transformation of her environment, proudly. The most obvious change is the colors that illuminate the facades of about 90 percent of the buildings, which were painted by the community itself, and with special enthusiasm of the girls and boys, says Mari Velázquez.

The strength of the neighborhood organization is also reflected in cleaner streets, in a park without rubble and in the trees planted there; on the newly demarcated soccer field and on the now colorful tires that serve as games for children. Also in the kermesses, collective harvests, piñata workshops, boxing classes, mental health campaigns and initiatives for the prevention of gender violence and addictions, among other activities that began to take place this same year.

For Mari Velázquez, the most important thing that has been generated is the union between neighbors, which grows stronger every day. “Before it was just a greeting and that’s it, but now we have more communication, more friendship; We are committed to working together to seek solutions to the problems we have, working together with women, men, girls and boys, ”says the president of the newly formed Urbivillas coalition.

The former governor of Chihuahua himself, Javier Corral, recognized the efforts of Mari and the entire community in an event held in August 2021, a few weeks before she ended her term.

In front of one of the many walls transformed into multicolored murals, the politician described the subdivision as a “referential model that can serve not only many other areas of Juárez but of the country.”

Corral gave thanks personally for the design of the project, as well as for the coordination of the participating public and private actors to Eunice Rendón, expert in public policy and international consultant on security, migration and bioethics issues.

Eunice Rendón works as an external advisor to governments in the creation of strategies to prevent violence and addictions. One of the federal programs with which she collaborates is Mujeres Constructoras de Paz (MUCPAZ), of which the Urbivilla project is part.

As an activist for the rights of migrants she has implemented projects of the same program in another neighborhood of Juárez, Riberas del Bravo, as well as in municipalities of Oaxaca, Tlaxcala and the State of Mexico.

In an interview, Eunice Rendón explains that she designed a protocol based on the Women Builders of Peace program, where she detailed the step by step to achieve a successful operating experience in any municipality in Mexico. This includes a baseline, a follow-up evaluation and different possible scenarios in the process of articulating a community, in conjunction with municipal, state, federal, private sector and society actors.

Women in peace processes

In the Global Peace Index 2021, Mexico ranks 126th out of a list of 161 countries, with the latter being the most violent.

For Johan Galtung, one of the most important theorists in peace studies and director of the International Peace Research Institute, peace is not only defined as the absence of conflicts, but as the positive transformation of them. Generating positive peace means creating harmonious relationships between two or more parties to the conflict and undertaking community projects.

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish.)

Questions related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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

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Also, the international community has recognized that women are agents of change and that their participation is essential in peacebuilding processes. In 2000, the United Nations Security Council approved resolution 1325, which urges women to actively participate in achieving lasting peace processes.

The MUCPAZ strategy, which starts from these bases, was launched in 2019 by the National Institute of Women (Inmujeres) and the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP). Its objective is to incorporate a human rights perspective in Mexican municipalities, promote gender equality and empower women to contribute to peace processes.

According to data from the Mexican government, as of March 2021, 217 networks of Women Peacebuilders have been implemented, with the participation of 3,510 women in 107 municipalities and 27 states, with an investment of more than 123 million pesos.

During the inauguration of the program in the Venustiano Carranza mayor’s office, in Mexico City, the head of Inmujeres, Nadine Gasman, emphasized that MUCPAZ consists of preventive work, rather than direct care for victims of gender violence, since that work corresponds to other instances. What the strategy seeks is to influence “the reconstruction of communities and the reestablishment of the social fabric,” said the official.

Some results are already visible in the two neighborhoods of Ciudad Juárez where the pilot projects were launched. Eunice Rendón talks about the various activities that have been carried out in these territories, starting with the main thing, which is the formation of networks of women, but also of men, young people, girls, boys and adolescents.

From there, courses and workshops have been offered on the basic principles of gender, on how to contact various authorities and / or report violence, or on how to carry out productive projects. Through community activities, such as soccer, hip-hop or mechanics, the theme of positive masculinities among young men is introduced.

Both in Urbivillas del Prado, as in Riberas del Bravo – one of the neighborhoods where the highest rates of feminicides and sexual violence are registered in Juárez – the most successful activities have been those that have to do with providing women with tools for their productive development, with courses, workshops, certifications and creation of cooperatives.

“You cannot ask for gender empowerment if women are financially dependent on the aggressor; that is what often slows them down. The other learning is enhanced when there is something that can give them an economic possibility, ”says Eunice Rendón.

Feminist rice pudding

A 40-second video illustrates the type of work that has been done in the Riberas del Bravo neighborhood. In it a group of girls and boys appears singing and dancing a feminist version of a popular children’s round: “Rice pudding / I want to find / a partner who wants to dream / who believes in herself / who goes out to fight / to conquer the dream of more freedom “…

“It is part of the empowerment process,” says Yadira Cortés, coordinator of the Red Mesa de Mujeres, in whose Facebook account the video can be found.

This network is a civil association that since 2004 works for gender equality and non-violence against the women of Ciudad Juárez. Since 2017, it has been present in Riberas del Bravo, where it has focused on the training of women leaders and has just joined the MUCPAZ network.

Cortés explains that the work that she and her colleagues have carried out is very similar to the proposal of the federal program, and considers that by joining this larger network, her intervention methodology has been strengthened and focused. “We were already working on violence prevention and now we are also working on peace-building issues,” says the activist and professor at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez.

Riberas del Bravo, in the description of Yadira Cortés, is a peripheral colony where there is no industry or medical services; the ambulance does not arrive and the police units almost never pass; the pavement is in poor condition, public transportation is poor and scarce, and there are high rates of drug use and violence.

For this reason, the Red Mesa de Mujeres highlights the importance of training women leaders in this area. “We started with the idea of ​​building a group of ten women and we already have 65 of all ages,” says the activist.

“They are women who are already known in the community: the lady who always talks to the police, the one who reports on support programs or the coordinator of the chapel. Other women identify them and are a point of reference ”.

Finding and activating these natural leaders and helping them continue to work in a self-managed way is the main purpose of MUCPAZ, in the opinion of the specialist Eunice Rendón. The strategy has shown that through them it can have a positive impact on different levels of daily life in the community.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Pittsburgh : Black leaders seek ‘city of peace’

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from the Post Gazette

A month ago, a group of African American lawmakers announced an initiative to curb the wave of gun violence and violent crime throughout Allegheny County.

The group, which calls itself the Black Elected Officials Coalition, announced it would begin a series of community events to promote peace in the streets. Democratic state Rep. Ed Gainey, who represents Lincoln-Lemington and is favored to win the Pittsburgh mayoral race next week, acted as the primary spokesman for the group, raising dramatically the expectations for the BEOC’s access to resources and cooperation across bureaucracies.

Mr. Gainey said the lawmakers, in cooperation with partners in government, the nonprofit sphere and law enforcement, would work together with at-risk young people to “create a city of peace” and promote a culture of nonviolence. This is a tall order, but not an impossible one, especially when elected officials are willing to stand behind their work with their names and reputations attached.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

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Even before BEOC was formed, Pittsburgh City Councilman Ricky Burgess, whose district includes Homewood, East Liberty and Garfield, had been working with Councilman Daniel Lavelle, whose district includes Downtown, the Hill District and Oakland, on the Stop the Violence Trust Fund.
 
Both councilmen are deeply involved in the effort to give $9 million to the Center that CARES, a Hill District nonprofit that deploys a dozen outreach workers to seven neighborhoods where most of the violence has been centered. All studies show that early intervention before neighborhood beefs escalate is the key to curbing conflicts.

This initiative will be one part of the strategy that these elected officials will lean on in the coming years. What BEOC proposes goes far beyond the usual “throw money at the problem and hope for the best.” These are elected officials who understand the nature of the problem and are heartbroken by the disappointing results of previous efforts.

This is too important to be left to law enforcement to figure out. The BEOC believes it has the empathy and motivation required to make this initiative a game changer.

Others on the coalition are Allegheny County Council members Olivia Bennett and DeWitt Walton and state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Hill District.

For their willingness to put their names and reputations on the line, the Black Elected Officials Coalition deserves our respect and appreciation. If the coalition succeeds, it will help Pittsburgh to serve all of its people, including those formerly without hope and left to settle scores on their own, in the streets.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America

2021 Nanjing Peace Forum successfully concluded and released the “Nanjing Peace Consensus”

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from Teller Report

On October 26, the 2021 Nanjing Peace Forum, which lasted for 3 days, closed. With the theme of “Harmony and Coexistence: Peaceful Coexistence with Nature” this year’s Peace Forum, it discussed in depth “How man and nature can live in peace”.


Getty Image

The “2021 Nanjing Peace Consensus” was released at the closing ceremony, sending an invitation to the world to “build a community of life on earth”.

Xia Zehan, the representative of UNESCO to China, said in his concluding remarks that active peace must include environmental protection, not only for mankind, but also for all life on earth : “We can build a global peace of sharing, mutual benefit and stability in the future.”

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Question related to this article:
 
How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

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This Nanjing Peace Forum conducted a lively and in-depth discussion on the natural environment and human destiny, sustainable development goals and green investment, environmental challenges and youth actions, global green recovery and good business, peace actions and international practices. The “2021 Nanjing Peace Consensus” was passed.

Liu Cheng, head of the Chair of Peace Studies at Nanjing University, and the youth representative Isabel jointly read the “2021 Nanjing Peace Consensus”.

Qin Changwei, Secretary-General of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, delivered a closing speech. He suggested that everyone quickly translate the results of this forum into practical actions to promote the noble cause of peace for the benefit of all mankind : “We must seize the day, quickly transform the results of this forum into practical actions, and earnestly implement the “2021 Nanjing Peace Consensus”, starting from me, starting from daily, starting from our own work, bravely exploring, and constantly innovating , Design for peace, work for peace, implement the concept of protecting nature and promoting the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, and encourage more people to join the noble cause of promoting world peace and benefiting all mankind.”
　
Finally, Li Qi, vice chairman of the Nanjing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, announced the successful conclusion of the 2021 Nanjing Peace Forum, sending the voice of Nanjing to peace-loving people around the world: “Here we extend an invitation to the world, and welcome more friends who are committed to peace building to join in the construction of Nanjing International Peace City. Let us work together to promote science and technology, education, humanities, innovation and other fields to connect, communicate, and communicate with the world. Mutual sharing.”

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, East Asia

Mexico: Initiative to create the Law of Culture of Peace for the state of Zacatecas presented in the Legislature

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

Un artículo de La Jornada Zacatecas (translation by CPNN)

Deputies from the parliamentary fractions of Morena, the Encuentro Solidario Party (PES), the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM), the New Alliance Party and the Labor Party (PT) have presented an initiative to create a Culture of Peace Law before the 64th Legislature of the state of Zacatecas. This needed to address the causes of violence and to guarantee human rights in a transversal and sectoral manner.


Photo from a previous CPNN article on culture of peace in Zacatecas

In their explanatory statement, they indicated that “The State assumes the commitment to guarantee and respect all human rights, and, above all, the right to a dignified life, free from violence, based on solidarity, tolerance and respect.” For this reason, they pointed out, work must be done to ensure the safety of citizens, as well as to promote peace and harmony and to strengthen a responsible social fabric. This can lead to changes that address the social, cultural, economic and political.
causes of violence.

There are various factors that directly affect the manifestation of violence within these areas, the initiative assured, such as lack of education, poverty, gender inequality, lack of decent job opportunities, social inequalities and unattended antisocial behaviors, which have as a consequence family violence, gender violence, child sexual abuse, organized crime, armed movements and the constant violation of human rights both by individuals and by authorities.

In Zacatecas, it was pointed out, despite the prevention actions, violence continues to grow exponentially, therefore, they considered, a normative body must be legislated and created that permanently articulates public policies as a means of solution to the problem posed. Therefore, the deputies point out, the objective of proposing an initiative by which a Law of Culture of Peace is issued for the state of Zacatecas, in order to regulate actions that promote, develop and implement multisectoral and inter-institutional public policies that generate conditions for the full enjoyment of the human right to peace and the promotion of a positive peace in our entity.

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(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for this article:

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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The legislative proposal is aimed at the creation of a State Program that foresees the necessary actions to achieve the implementation of the culture of peace, detecting, attending to and eradicating any manifestation of violence; as well as it seeks to generate the conditions for a full enjoyment of the human right to peace.

The proposed law aims to promote a policy of peace and non-violence through the establishment of a Municipal Council for the Culture of Peace or in the existing dependencies in the municipalities with their respective adjustments, seeking to restore the fabric social and fostering communities of peace. This Council and / or agency would actively participate in the elaboration of the State Program, contributing their opinions and suggestions, proposals and demands on the culture of peace.

“All actions within the law are aimed at complying with what is established in international conventions and treaties, as well as being coordinated with international organizations for the prevention of violence of all its types and a correct implementation of the culture of peace, achieving implement positive peace throughout the state ”, they specified.

For this reason, the need for it to work in a transversal and multisectoral manner, and to seek to address the causes of violence and inequalities, and to guarantee human rights in its actions. Likewise, they concluded, its importance lies in the fact that it makes it possible to understand conflict and peace situations, creating the opportune areas of action so that the new generations, through education, are guided by respect for human rights, dignity, and on all that practice the culture of peace in their day to day, creating new forms of coexistence based on respect, tolerance and solidarity.

The initiative was signed by Armando Delgadillo Ruvalcaba, Priscila Benítez Sánchez, Sergio Ortega Rodríguez, Susana Andrea Barragán Espinosa, Víctor Humberto de la Torre Delgado, Violeta Cerrillo Ortiz, Imelda Mauricio Esparza, Anali Infante Morales, Ernesto González Romo, Maribel Galván Jiménez, members from the National Regeneration Movement Parliamentary Group, Zulema Yunuen Santacruz Márquez and Roxana from the Muñoz González Refuge, from the PES, Georgia Fernanda Miranda Herrera from the Green Ecologist Party, Soralla Bañuelos de la Torre, from Nueva Alianza, José Xerardo Ramírez Muñoz, Ana Luisa Del Muro García and José Luis Figueroa Rangel, from the PT Parliamentary Group.

(Editor’s note: In related developments, Soralla Bañuelos, mentioned above among those proposing the initiative, has also made a plea for a program to exchange war toys for educational toys, arguing that “If we want a healthier childhood, that develops better, we have to work even on the type of toys that are given to them.” Also, the national organization, Comnapaz Mexico, has installed a chapter in Zacatecas, which will support the legislation for a culture of peace, saying that “education is the vaccine that the country requires at this time.”)

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

The programs of Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum to reduce violence in Mexico City

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from Infobae

The Head of Government of Mexico City Claudia Sheinbaum, through her Twitter account, has emphasized the social programs that she has implemented during her mandate to improve security conditions.


(Photo: Twitter / @ ClaudiaShain)

The president explained that “security is also the result of social justice, that is why we address the causes of violence with programs that allow access to education, culture and sports.”

She also emphasized the projects that have been the foundations of her government in the capital of the country: the Points of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education and Knowledge (Pillars), Yes to disarmament, yes to peace, Inside the Neighborhood and Wellbeing for Girls and Boys, My Scholarship to Get Started.

What are social programs to reduce violence?

Barrio Adentro (Inside the Neighborhood)

The program aims to help girls, boys and adolescents in the Historic Center. It consists of going house to house in the neighborhoods where a high number of criminal acts and violence are concentrated.

The Head of Government mentioned that “it is very important to know about this comprehensive intervention that we are going to carry out in the city center. Obviously it will take all health measures. It addresses the difficult situation that many children and adolescents experience in the particular area where the ‘Barrio Adentro’ program is being carried out.”

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(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for 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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The four fundamental axes of this project are: incorporating minors into social programs and government support, the second is training and education, cultural, recreational and sports activities and the fourth point is prevention actions and monitoring of needs that are seen in each of the properties.

The Pillars

The Points of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education, and Knowledge are intended for the Mexico City Government to develop a better society that implements freedom for young people. The program is present in the 16 municipalities.

The fundamental axis of this program is to give young people access to their rights. The project helps people who did not have access to education including those who were involved in criminal practices and did not have opportunities to return to school. Classes of different knowledge are given such as theater, dance, cooking, computing, biology, astronomy, music, robotics, electricity, painting, photography, plumbing, writing, and business entrepreneurship , among others.

Wellbeing for Girls and Boys. My Scholarship to Get Started

The scholarship program for basic education helps to eliminate some of the conditions that generate inequality in educational services. In this way the government contributes to guaranteeing equal opportunities, the right to education, as well as the eradication of social discrimination due to socioeconomic problems.

Yes to disarmament, yes to peace

The eradication of weapons is the main driver of this government project. It highlights the strategy against violence by preventing accidents and loss of life.

In different parts of the city there are modules so that people who possess weapons can exchange them for cash.

The Ministries of Government and Citizen Security of Mexico City and National Defense are in charge of destroying the weapons that are delivered in each module.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

France: The best mayor in the world is in Montpellier, it is Philippe Rio, mayor of Grigny

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article and video by Le Mouvement

This Wednesday, October 13, in the council chamber of the Town Hall of Montpellier, the first national forum of the AFCDRP (Association of Mayors for Peace, France) took place, in the presence of its President Philippe Rio.


[VIDEO] Philippe Rio, Mayor of Grigny, Vice-President of the Greater Paris Sud agglomeration and President of AFCDRP-Mayors for Peace France

Working in a factory at age 16, before getting an education at Sciences Po, Philippe Rio became mayor of Grigny in the first round in 2014, as again in 2020. Last September, he was chosen as best mayor in the world by the London association “ City Mayors Foundation ”to reward his management of the Covid crisis, and his fight against poverty in his city. His mantra is the same as that of Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world.” But he adds an important clarification:” education for a culture of peace. ”

AFCDRP? The AFCDRP-Maires pour la Paix France is the French Association of Municipalities, Departments and Regions for Peace. It represents the French branch of the international network “Mayors for Peace,” including: Mayors for Peace. A movement founded by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 1991, the organization was registered as an NGO with special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

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(Click here for the French version of this article)

Question related to this article:
 
How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

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Question to Philippe Rio: How can cities weave a true culture of peace? You were elected best mayor in the world thanks to your management of the Covid crisis, and your fight against poverty.

Philippe Rio: The “Mayors for Peace” aim to contribute to the establishment of world peace, by arousing the interest of the citizens of the world for the total abolition of nuclear weapons, through close solidarity between its member cities. And also: by aiming to solve vital problems, such as famine and poverty, the plight of refugees, human rights violations and environmental degradation. Worldwide, 8,047 cities are members of “Mayors for Peace. ”

“The fate of the City”

We must “look further” to organize “the fate of the City. “Joseph Mayoral, mayor of Granollers in Spain explains it thus:” we have to install a new type of governance based on proximity […] the only possible way is a dialogue with our citizens. “One of the processes for successfully disseminating the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) for safe and resilient territories: the 17 goals to be achieved by 2030 to save the world.

“A small piece of land which must try to work in its own way for the problems of the big Earth”

Montpellier is now a member of “Mayors for Peace”, the tree that survived the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, a Ginkgo biloba was planted to symbolize this belonging. Michaël Delafosse marked the city’s attachment to “this very important network,” with “the awareness that the metropolis of Montpellier is a small piece of land which must try to work in its own way for the problems of the great Earth. We are facing the challenge of climate change, and when big cities enter into transition decisively, they can mitigate the great peril that we encounter in the 21st century. We must work collectively, so that actions go beyond words and speeches.

(Editor’s note : A video of the entire forum is available here and a longer interview with Mayor Rio is available here.)

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe

Mexico: Saltillo promotes the culture of peace

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from El Siglo de Torreon (translation by CPNN)

The present administration headed by Manolo Jiménez, through the DIF system has replicated the theme of the culture of peace throughout the city, achieving a positive focus so that, with the daily actions of citizens, they reflect a peaceful way of life, and they reject the cycles of violence and negativity.

Taking into account the above, we are working on the Mano Cadena program whose main objective was to create, implement and disseminate preventive strategies for conflict resolution that promote a culture of peace.

In this way, collaboration agreements were signed with the Judicial Branch, the Attorney General’s Office and the Secretary of Education of Coahuila for the creation and implementation of school and Municipal Mediation Centers in the Community Centers.

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(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for 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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With the support and advice of Facilitators belonging to the Judicial Branch, the Attorney General’s Office and the DIF Saltillo, more than 138 information and awareness talks have been given on the subject of alternative justice, 30 workshops were held on Peace Circles, activities of pacification as 70 peace lotteries, and 160 “Peace Craftsmen” recognitions were awarded to male and female teachers.

Three university forums on Alternative Justice were held with 187 participants, four Peace Congresses with more than two thousand participants and a thousand School and Community Mediation Manuals were created, edited and printed in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office, the State Judiciary de Coahuila, the Ministry of Education, Empresa Constructora de Paz, AC, and Grupo Educativo Inglés de Saltillo SC

In addition, more than 50 training courses-workshops in community, school and alternative justice mediation have been given to more than 1,800 participants, community representatives, teachers, and 88 of both have been certified as mediators and mediators before the Judicial Branch of the State of Coahuila.

In the present administration, three School Mediation Centers were opened in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Community Mediation Centers located in Community Centers, in collaboration with the Judicial Power, within which the Public Defenders provide their services to the community, fruit of the collaboration agreement made with the State Institute of Public Defender, within the framework of the “Convenio Mano-Cadena”.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

“Week for Peace 2021” Initiative for the consolidation of peace in Colombia

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An article from Area Cucuta

The increase in femicides, domestic violence, murders against social leaders and the growth of poverty, indicates that the struggle in Colombia to achieve a healthy territory is still a challenge. For this reason, it is important that between September 5 and 12, version 34 of the “Week for Peace” will be held. The initiative of peace-building organizations of Colombian civil society, has, since 1987, made visible the daily effort of people , collectives and institutions that work in the construction and consolidation of peace, the redignification of the victims, the care and respect of life in and from the regions of the country.

The initiative invites people to find ways of reunion and solidarity for reconciliation with life and biodiversity. It includes the participation of the Truth Commission, National Secretariat for Social Pastoral, United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, Center for Memory, Peace and Reconciliation (CMPR), Redepaz, Universidad Javeriana, the National Network of Regional Development Programs and Paz (Redprodepaz) and for the fourth consecutive year Compensar, among other organizations. The slogan is “The Truth we can !”
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(click here for the article in Spanish.).)

Question related to this article:

Truth Commissions, Do they improve human rights?

Can festivals help create peace at the community level?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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According to statistics from the Database of Collective Actions for Peace (Datapaz) of the Center for Popular Research and Education (CINEP / PPP), this is the month that historically presents the highest levels of mobilization and that between 1987 and 2016, most of the mobilizations (86%) were oriented to the promotion of peace. For this reason, this year it emphasizes the practices developed by individuals, groups, families, social organizations and communities, focused on truth and reconciliation. It shows how people organize themselves to re-signify and overcome the factors that generate violence, enable peaceful coexistence and commit all the actors in the conflict and civil society in improving the living conditions of the community.

“We are convinced that reconciliation is the best way to rebuild the social fabric, in a year impacted by the pandemic and by historical social demands. For this reason, in order to make visible the different collective initiatives of integral well-being that are had, Compensar is committed to the development of the country with different programs to attend early childhood in rural territories, complementary school days in Bogotá, Soacha, Caparrapí, Yacopí, La Palma and La Peña or programs for the elderly in Caparrapí. In this way, it will be possible to consolidate a culture of peace ”, assured Margarita Añez, director of Compensar’s Welfare and Social Development Unit.

In this line, the Week for Peace aims to describe the main tasks of peacebuilding and defense of human rights that must be promoted at the moment in the country, in accordance with the moment of legitimate social protest that Colombia is experiencing, the The Covid-19 pandemic, the final report that the Truth Commission has been preparing, and the progress and difficulties in the implementation of the Peace Agreement, both in public institutions and in civil groups of ex-combatants, victims and society in general. .

In this way, it will be recognized as a process that requires commitments and agreements, which are woven in a differential and multiscale way from the different social, community and territorial processes committed to the defense of human rights, human dignity and the comprehensive implementation of the agreement. of peace, having as a fundamental axis the work carried out by the Truth Commission.

Thus, the formation of a more equitable society will be achieved for the construction of a plural, participatory and lasting peace, with a view to national reconciliation.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, HUMAN RIGHTS, Latin America