Category Archives: DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

United States: No Kings, No War, on Pride Day

. HUMAN RIGHTS .

Received at CPNN by email from the Campaign for Peace, Disarmamen and Common Security

Friends,

I am writing to everyone on the CPDCS e-list, except those who feel personally vulnerable to unconscionable ICE detentions, to join one of the 1,800 No Kings protests across the country this Saturday.



Map of planned NoKings events

If you had doubts about Trump/MAGA tyrannical ambitions and the threat to democracy, think about Trump’s illegal and totally mobilization of National Guard troops,  the dispatch of Marines to repress protests in Los Angeles, the threat to arrest Governor Newsom or Trump’s stupid birthday gift to himself – his massively expensive and wasteful military parade.

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Questions related to this article:

The struggle for human rights, is it gathering force in the USA?

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All this to press his white supremacist mass deportation campaign and to distract media tension from the pathetic Trump-Musk competition for who can be more corrupt and disgusting.

Mass Peace Action, on whose board I serve, has created an excellent announcement with information about how to access and join any one of the 1,800 protests, close to 100 are in Massachusetts alone.

Mass Peace Action – No Kings

This is a critical moment that requires compromises and a united front unity to resist tyranny.

Join Us!

Joseph Gerson
For CPDCS

Find an Event Near You

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, HUMAN RIGHTS

Mediation injects new impetus of peace into a turbulent world

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An editorial from the Global Times

On May 30, the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) was held in Hong Kong. Senior representatives from 85 countries and nearly 20 international organizations gathered in the city, and 33 countries signed the convention on the scene and became founding member states.


Photo: www.fmprc.gov.cn

As the world’s first intergovernmental organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation, the IOMed provides a new platform for mediating disputes between countries, disputes over investment between the state and the people of other countries, and international commercial disputes.

The establishment of the IOMed is a historic breakthrough in the international dispute settlement mechanism. For a long time, settlement of international dispute has mainly relied on judicial adjudication and arbitration mechanisms, both of which have certain limitations. Mediation is based on respecting the wills of the parties, and explores win-win solutions through the assistance of a neutral third party, with the final decision made by the disputing parties. Hong Kong’s judicial practice shows that the settlement rate of court mediation cases is about 50 percent, which fully proves the unique value of mediation in resolving complex contradictions. This approach, which contains the wisdom of “harmonious coexistence,” has opened up a new path for dealing with international disputes with large cultural differences and high political sensitivity.

At present, the world is undergoing rapid change of a century, and various contradictions are intertwined. Using a “Cold War” confrontational mindset to deal with various global and regional issues has clearly deviated from the needs of the times and the development trend of the rule of law. In the existing international judicial system, developing countries often face difficulties such as lack of voice, insufficient applicability of rules, and high costs. However, some major countries are accustomed to handling international disputes through unilateral sanctions, often bypassing existing international rules and mechanisms and acting on their own. This not only fails to solve problems, but also gives rise to more contradictions.

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Question related to this article:

How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?

Mediation as a tool for nonviolence and culture of peace

Does China promote a culture of peace?

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The international community has never been so eager to resolve disputes peacefully. From the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Beijing to the signing of the Beijing Declaration on ending the division by various Palestinian factions, countries have seen the great potential and possibility of resolving differences through dialogue. The birth of the IOMed is timely, and its establishment is an important step in promoting the development of the international order to a more just and reasonable direction.

The IOMed advocates for the peaceful and amicable settlement of international disputes, aiming to build more harmonious international relations and embody an inclusive and pluralistic culture of the rule of law. Against the backdrop of profound adjustments in the global order, the IOMed provides the international community with a public good of global rule of law that is peaceful, just, trustworthy, and efficient.

At the level of international law, the IOMed represents an innovative response to the United Nations (UN) Charter’s principle of peaceful dispute settlement. It breaks through the traditional methods of handling disputes – whether between countries, between countries and investors, or between equal commercial entities – offering the greater flexibility, convenience, lower costs and more effective implementation. At the same time, it complements and enhances existing international dispute settlement mechanisms such as litigation and arbitration, helping to build a more comprehensive and diversified system for resolving international disputes.

Through consultations among the negotiating parties, Hong Kong was agreed to be the headquarters of the IOMed – a strong recognition by the international community of the culture of the rule of law under “one country, two systems.” The return of Hong Kong itself is a successful example of dispute settlement, and its prosperity and stability stand as a testament to the vitality of “one country, two systems.”

With the advantages of both common law and civil law traditions, a mature legal environment, and extensive experience in “super mediation”, Hong Kong – an international metropolis backed by the motherland and connected to the world — offers an ideal environment for the development of the IOMed. This “rising star of international rule of law,” the IOMed, will surely shine in tandem with the “pearl of the orient,” creating a future of shared brilliance.

As the world reaches the crossroads of history, what countries are calling for is not an arena of power, but a dialogue platform that transcends the zero-sum mentality of “you win, I lose” and promotes the friendly settlement of disputes. This is the mission of the IOMed. It carries not only the practical need to resolve disputes, but also the civilized pursuit of eliminating conflicts through dialogue and resolving disputes through consultation. The healthy growth of this seedling of peace requires the care and support of the international community. We welcome more countries to join hands to nurture it.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, East Asia, global,

Uruguay: The 5th World Forum of Cities and Territories of Peace

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from City of Montevideo (translated by CPNN)

The 5th World Forum of Cities and Territories of Peace: the opening plenary session, which took place at 5:00 p.m. in the West Room of the Antel Arena, featured the participation of the Mayor of Montevideo, Mauricio Zunino, along with the Director of the International Relations Division, Fabiana Goyeneche; the President of UCLG and Mayor of The Hague, Jan Van Zanen; as well as the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Valeria Csukasi; and the Vice President of the Republic, Carolina Cosse, as representatives of the national government. Zunino highlighted the importance of cities and their governance in helping to resolve different types of conflict and urban coexistence, and emphasized inequality as one of the most important factors that generate violence in the world.

The mayor of Montevideo emphasized that these types of broad-based participation events contribute to reflecting on how conflicts are resolved and “other types of violence such as xenophobia, discrimination, gender-based violence, and other ills that exist in cities.”

In the face of these types of situations, city governments can implement a set of actions that integrate processes of reflection, cooperation, and the exchange of good practices. The awarding of the Peace Prize to those cities that have worked and provide adequate solutions to these needs helps to encourage societal transformations.

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

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

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Zunino also highlighted the participation of 180 foreign representatives from all continents, which provides an important framework due to the quality and experience of the presentations, in addition to the local contribution. She also highlighted the opportunity to interact with multilateral agencies that take advantage of the meeting to network and coordinate with governments, as well as with civil society organizations that are also participating in the event.

The opening session concluded with a speech by the Vice President of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, who especially thanked those participating and highlighted the importance of the forum for Montevideo and the country.

In her address, Cosse referred to uncertainty as a fact of current reality but, based on her scientific training, reflected that in scientific work, “uncertainty is the cornerstone of the problem; it’s not a bad thing. You don’t know the solution and you don’t know what it’s about, so uncertainty is normal.” She recalled that uncertainty can “respond to an innovative surge, to an urgent need,” and becomes complex when it doesn’t respond to those needs. In this sense, Cosse asserted that in the face of uncertainty, there are also agreements, such as democracy, “that great social agreement” that provides a framework for resolving conflicts and is “one of the minimum certainties that human beings need.”

Cosse concluded by stating that, just as the truth lies locally, on street corners, in neighborhoods, “there too are the problems, but there too is hope, always, always, no matter how big the problem, if there is hope, it will emerge from there.” She expressed her pride in being part of a government that publicly recognizes the importance of multilateralism and the importance of cities.

The World Forum of Cities and Territories of Peace is one of the two activities taking place within the framework of Montevideo, Destination for Peace: an event that brings together training, exchange, and exhibition, cultural and entertainment opportunities.

Access the thematic axes and activities of the 5th World Forum of Cities and Territories of Peace.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Kurdish language at the forefront of Turkey’s peace process: Recognition demands intensify

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Medyanews

Kurdish Language Day, observed annually on 15 May, was commemorated throughout Turkey with an array of political, cultural and grassroots events calling for formal recognition of Kurdish in education and public life. The occasion mobilised political parties, human rights organisations and community groups across a wide range of cities, from metropolitan centres to Kurdish-majority regions.

The central message was clear: Kurdish must be granted official status and incorporated into Turkey’s education system and administrative institutions as part of the broader democratic transformation that is now under discussion  following the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).


Click here for video

Statements released by the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, the Human Rights Association (İHD), and the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) collectively framed the absence of Kurdish in public policy as a legacy of cultural repression. These groups underscored that constitutional reforms should guarantee linguistic rights and reflect the multicultural reality of Turkey.

The DBP characterised state policy as institutionally exclusionary:

“The refusal of education in the mother tongue is the clearest manifestation of this century-long hostility,” the party stated, asserting that linguistic justice is fundamental to democratic life.

Similarly, the DEM Party’s Commission on Language, Culture and Arts cited the imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s writings, which conceptualise language as central to both personal and collective identity.

“Language is not merely a vehicle for expression—it is foundational to the continuity and evolution of a people’s political and cultural existence,” the Commission declared.

From the parliamentary floor, DEM Party Group Deputy Chair Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit reinforced this position, pointing to past and present restrictions on the public use of Kurdish. She remarked: “A people’s language is the embodiment of their dignity. Repression of linguistic diversity obstructs democratic development and perpetuates inequality.”

Public commemorations were held in cities including Adana, Diyarbakır (Amed), Iğdır (Idîr), Urfa (Riha), Mersin, Ankara and Istanbul. These events featured speeches, music, community statements and visual displays, with participants carrying banners that read “No life without language” and “Our language is our identity”.

In Diyarbakır (Amed), a notable cultural initiative was unveiled: classical Kurdish poetry by figures such as Melayê Cizîrî and Feqiyê Teyran was inscribed on paving stones along a major thoroughfare. The project, coordinated by the municipality’s Department for Language Protection, was intended to bring Kurdish literature into public view and assert its place in the collective urban landscape.

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Question for this article:

What is the relation between peace and education?

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The Human Rights Association (İHD) marked the day by referencing international human rights standards, asserting that linguistic repression constitutes a violation of cultural rights. In their statement, they recalled the case of Vedat Aydın, a leading Kurdish politician who was assassinated after publicly using his native language, highlighting the risks historically faced by defenders of linguistic freedom.

Kurdish Language Day commemorates the publication of Hawar magazine on 15 May 1932, edited by the Kurdish intellectual Celadet Alî Bedirxan. The magazine marked a pivotal moment in the codification and standardisation of the Kurdish language and helped promote Kurdish as a literary and educational medium.

Hawar was the first publication to use a Latin-based alphabet for Kurdish, a decision that played a key role in modernising the language and expanding its use in both cultural and political spheres. The date has since become a symbolic occasion for asserting the linguistic and cultural rights of the Kurdish people. The magazine played a formative role in the standardisation of the Kurdish language, building upon earlier efforts such as the 1898 newspaper Kurdistan. These publications laid the groundwork for a modern Kurdish literary and political consciousness.

The 2025 observances took place within a newly developing political context. The PKK declared on 12 May that it would dissolve its armed structures and transition towards non-violent democratic engagement. This historic decision has effectively dismantled one of the Turkish state’s main justifications for restricting Kurdish cultural rights—namely, the association between Kurdish identity and insurgency.

With this pretext removed, Kurdish political actors argue that the continued ban on Kurdish in public education and administration is no longer tenable and must now be seen for what it is: a form of cultural exclusion. Legal recognition of the Kurdish language has since emerged as a central demand within the redefined peace framework, alongside broader calls for structural reform.

Following the PKK’s declaration that it would dissolve its armed structures and seek a democratic resolution, the peace process has become a renewed focus for Kurdish political and civic initiatives. Legal recognition of the Kurdish language has since emerged as one of the central demands accompanying calls for structural reform.

Cities in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast—commonly referred to by Kurds as North Kurdistan (Bakur)—continue to be hubs of cultural production and mobilisation. Local institutions and activists have played a pivotal role in preserving Kurdish heritage and resisting assimilationist policies.

Despite these efforts, Kurdish remains effectively excluded from the formal education system and is not employed in state institutions. While limited elective courses and symbolic acknowledgements exist, the absence of structural guarantees has sustained what many describe as a regime of cultural erasure.

Linguists, educators, and community leaders have argued that this undermines linguistic vitality, intergenerational transmission, and collective memory.

Kurdish political actors and civil society organisations are now placing increased pressure on the Turkish government to abandon restrictive policies and embrace a model of inclusive governance.

Within the scope of the peace process launched in October 2024, they assert that cultural recognition must be prioritised. For them, recognising Kurdish as a constituent part of the country’s national identity is not only a question of justice but a prerequisite for sustainable peace and coexistence.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe

AFSCME, United States: It’s Time to Get Organized

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

[Editor’s note: An excellent article about the AFSCME initiative by Fortune Magazine may be found here.]

In 1968, when Dr. King addressed AFSCME-represented sanitation workers during their historic strike in Memphis, Tennessee, he said that “only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.”

These are some dark times for our country. Elon Musk, billionaires and anti-union extremists have amassed more power than ever before – and they’ve been granted free reign to implement the radical Project 2025 agenda.

AFSCME is fighting back. Already, our lawsuits have helped reverse the illegal firings of thousands of federal workers, including AFSCME members.

But the illegal attacks on federal civil servants are just the tip of the iceberg. An even bigger threat now looms over public service workers, at every level.

The House has passed a budget resolution that sets the stage for nearly a trillion dollars in cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and other federal programs – all to pave the way for even bigger tax breaks for billionaires.

These cuts won’t just rip away health care from millions of seniors, children, Americans with disabilities and working families. They will starve state and local budgets of critical federal funding for hospitals, schools, nursing homes, prisons, transit systems, and all the essential services AFSCME members provide in our communities every single day.

These cuts also would stack the deck against public service workers headed into contract negotiations. The cuts could lead to pay cuts, furloughs and hiring freezes. Our jobs, hard-won benefits, and retirement security are threatened. Our workplace health and safety and even our right to form a union are under attack.

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Question related to this article:
 
What is the contribution of trade unions to the culture of peace?

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The billionaires behind this agenda don’t understand the first thing about what working people go through or why anyone would pursue a career that’s about serving others instead of getting rich.

Indeed, Elon Musk himself – the richest man in the world – has spread online propaganda comparing public service workers to genocidal murderers like Hitler at the very same time he’s pushing for massive cuts to vital public services relied on by seniors, veterans, children, and millions of Americans.

But as Dr. King reminds us, we are not lost in the darkness. Mobilizing and organizing to grow our union’s power has always been AFSCME’s North Star, and that is exactly how we’re going to fight back now.

AFSCME has launched a new campaign, called Get Organized, or AFSCME GO.

The GO campaign is all about making sure everyone in the AFSCME family understands what’s at stake in this fight. It’s about standing up to the billionaires and anti-union extremists trying to steal our power, and defeating any efforts to gut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.

Through Get Organized, we will bring more workers without a voice on the job into the AFSCME family. We will increase engagement among current working members and retirees alike, empowering everyone to build on AFSCME’s proud legacy of activism.

We have faced big challenges before. The billionaires behind the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME tried to take us out of the ball game completely, but they failed. They failed because they underestimated AFSCME members and our capacity to organize, mobilize and grow. They underestimated Americans’ overwhelming support for unions that give workers a seat at the table and a voice on the job. And they are underestimating us once again.

The battle lines have been drawn. We may not win every fight, but we will emerge stronger than ever before.

Turning crisis into opportunity. Turning defense into offense. It is the AFSCME way. It’s time to fight back. It’s time to get organized.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America

The Labor Movement Won Big Victories in 2024. Now It Must Fend Off Trump

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by Michael Arria in Truthout

(Editor’s note: On February 22, the President of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employees union, told workers not to obey Elon Musk’s demand for federal workers to justify their jobs or resign.)

In recent years the labor movement has witnessed a resurgence in organizing, and 2024 was no different. Tens of thousands of workers fought for pay raises, increased job protections and union representation. Workers across the United States also linked their domestic struggles with Israel’s assault on Palestine, demanding an arms embargo and an end to the genocide in Gaza. While the labor movement undeniably gained ground in 2024, union organizers now face the looming return of Donald Trump’s pro-business agenda. However, unions are preparing to fight back.


A Starbucks employee pickets outside of a closed Starbucks store during a strike on December 23, 2024, in New York City. ADAM GRAY / GETTY IMAGES

Wage Gains

Thousands of workers achieved wage gains through organizing, whether that be through state-level ballot campaigns or strikes and union negotiations. Ballot initiatives in Alaska and Missouri led to voters boosting the states’ minimum wages in November. The ballot question approach also established paid sick leave in Missouri, Alaska and Nebraska.

“If you can put it on the ballot, people love to vote for a raise,” Fairness Project Executive Director Kelly Hall told Truthout shortly before the election. “This strategy has resulted in raising the wage every time it has gone on the ballot. It’s been a very effective tool for helping to separate common-sense issues like raising the wage from the partisan politics that keep these highly popular issues locked up in state houses.”

After a three-year campaign, American Airlines employees negotiated a five-year deal in September that includes back pay from their 2019 contract expiration and an immediate 20 percent pay hike. The new contract also makes them the first flight attendants to have pay during boarding time guaranteed in a union contract. (Delta, which has fended off several unionization campaigns from flight attendants, was the first to pay flight attendants during boarding.)

“The coolest thing is I had people from so many different unions across the country texting me congratulations,” a Chicago attendant told Labor Notes. “You know, a win for one is a win for all.”

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) secured a new four-year contract for Southwest flight attendants, giving them a 22.3 percent raise by May 2025, and Delta Air Lines raised its starting wages to $19 in response to a union-organizing campaign.

A seven-week strike earned Boeing machinists a 38 percent wage increase over the next four years, 401(k) contribution increases and new signing bonuses.

A three-day strike initiated by the International Longshoremen’s Association resulted in a 62 percent pay increase over six years for thousands of dockworkers.

Union Campaigns

From October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) received 3,286 union election petitions, which was up 27 percent from the 2023 fiscal year.

Overall, union petitions doubled during the Biden years, thanks in no small part to the pro-labor bent of the administration’s NLRB. Through a number of decisions, such as Cemex Construction Materials Pacific, which established a new framework for bargaining, the board made the process easier for workers and undid many of the restraints that were instituted during Trump’s first term. Union petitions haven’t just increased; the win rate for union elections has risen over the last few years.

Seventy-three percent of the employees at a Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted to join the United Auto Workers (UAW). The massive victory came after unionization efforts narrowly failed at the plant in 2014 and 2019.

Nearly 10,000 nurses at Corewell Health of Southern Michigan voted to join the Teamsters in one of the biggest NLRB elections in decades, despite a robust union-busting campaign from their employer.

“Health care workers like Corewell Teamsters were praised as heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but their employer has had little to no appreciation for them since,” said Director of the Teamsters Public Services Division Peter Finn in a press release after the victory. “Nurses are tired of being disrespected, paid poverty wages, and denied access to the same high-quality care that they provide.”

Thousands of public school employees voted to unionize in Virginia’s Fairfax County, in a victory that affects over 27,000 workers. The win came just four years after the state’s assembly passed legislation overturning a law prohibiting public employees from unionizing.

The unionized editorial staff at Forbes went on a strike in December to protest the business magazine’s slow-walking contract negotiations. It was the first work stoppage in the history of the 107-year-old magazine.

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Question related to this article:
 
What is the contribution of trade unions to the culture of peace?

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“We formed this union to protect the standards of a professional newsroom and create a more inclusive and transparent workplace, as well as for job security, equity in pay and opportunity, and accountability,” said Forbes Statistics Editor Andrea Murphy in a statement. “Management’s only interest is to delay, stall and obstruct, as well as try to block our members from protected union action. We are taking this unprecedented step to show that we will not allow such disrespectful behavior towards our negotiations to continue.”

They walked out again in December, purposely timing it to coincide with the release of the magazine’s popular 30 Under 30 lists.

The ongoing, high-profile labor battles at Amazon and Starbucks continued. Thousands of Amazon workers went on strike for days at the height of the holiday season. “Make no mistake the Teamsters will never let up and workers will never stop fighting for their rights at Amazon,” said a union representative after the work stoppage ended. “Stay tuned.”

December also saw a five-day strike from Starbucks workers across multiple cities after contract talks broke down. The organizing effort got a boost from the NLRB in 2024, as it determined that the company had broken the law by informing workers at its flagship Seattle store that they would lose benefits if they unionized.

Gaza Solidarity

The domestic struggles of 2024 occurred amid Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, which has been fully supported and funded by the Biden administration. Many workers understandably view the struggles as interlinked.

“The agricultural worker in Idaho may not realize it, but the chickpeas he harvests may be sold to Sabra — jointly owned by PepsiCo and the Strauss Group, Israel’s largest food and beverage manufacturer,” wrote Illinois union plumber Paul Stauffer for In These Times. “Penn Hospital is partly funded by donors to the University of Pennsylvania, some of whom have threatened to pull their donations because they think school officials haven’t done enough to quiet pro-Palestinian voices on campus. The bulldozers that crushed displaced Palestinians as they hid in their tents in Gaza were Caterpillar D9Rs, manufactured in East Peoria.”

Massive labor unions like The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the UAW publicly called for a ceasefire, but rank-and-file members of those organizations are pushing for more action.

Purple Up 4 Palestine, a collective of SEIU workers organizing against imperialism, criticized their union for endorsing Biden amid the carnage. The group is calling on SEIU leadership to call for an end to the genocide, an end to the siege on Gaza, an end to U.S. military support for Israel, and support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement.

Within the UAW, a group of rank-and-file members are pushing the union to divest from Israel bonds.

Trump’s Return

Donald Trump’s return to power signals more tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. It also means the restoration of a pro-business labor board. Any hope of the NLRB maintaining a Democratic majority during a portion of Trump’s second term was extinguished after the Senate blocked President Biden’s renomination of board chair Lauren McFerran. Trump will be able to immediately nominate two pro-business Republicans to the vacant seats and is expected to quickly dump the board’s current general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo.

Many pundits have suggested that Trump’s victory represents a realignment of the working class, but it’s safe to assume that Trump won’t exhibit any of the public nods to organized labor like those from the White House over the past four years. Biden became the first U.S. president to walk a strike picket line, when he joined UAW workers in Michigan in 2023. During the aforementioned dockworkers strike, Biden refused to intervene despite mounting pressure from Republicans and business groups, despite using his authority to block a strike from rail workers back in 2022.

Additionally, many immigrant workers face a potential threat during a Trump administration, as he has vowed to launch a massive deportation program.

Organized labor is currently preparing to fight back. Just a week into 2025 the SEIU announced that it was rejoining the AFL-CIO to help fight Trump’s anti-worker agenda. The two unions have been unaligned for almost 20 years.

In remarks made at a roundtable discussion shortly after the decision, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler stressed the need for solidarity among workers.

“We just finished an election cycle where one party spent the entire time telling working class people across this country, ‘Look how different you are from each other,’” said Shuler. “‘He’s an immigrant. She’s transgender or they worship differently than you do’ and it worked to some degree, right? We watched it. The scariest thing in the world to the CEOs, to the billionaires in this country and the folks like Donald Trump who do their bidding, is the idea that we might one day see through that. That there is a barista and an airport services worker and a fast food worker and a home care worker and a teacher and a warehouse worker and a cook and an electrical worker, all of them together saying, ‘Your fight is my fight.’ It terrifies them.”

Despite Trump’s victory, enthusiasm for unions remains high. A recent Gallup poll found that disapproval for unions is at 23 percent, the lowest level in almost 60 years. Support for them is at 70 percent — just one point under their highest rating ever.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, HUMAN RIGHTS, North America

Thousands in Midwestern GOP Districts Attend Sanders’ First Stops on Tour to Fight Oligarchy

. HUMAN RIGHTS .

An article by Julia Conley from Common Dreams reprinted according to provisions of Creative Commons

After addressing more than 3,400 Nebraska residents in Omaha Friday evening, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Saturday made his second stop on his National Tour to Fight Oligarchy—telling Iowa City, Iowa residents that "Trumpism will not be defeated by politicians inside the D.C. Beltway."

"For better or worse, that is not going to happen," said the Vermont Independent senator, whose broadly popular policy proposals have long been dismissed by Democratic leaders as unrealistic and radical while President Donald Trump has increasingly captured the attention of the working class Americans who would benefit most from Sanders' ideas.

"It will only be defeated by millions of Americans in Iowa, in Vermont, in Nebraska, in every state in this country, who come together in a strong grassroots movement and say no to oligarchy, no to authoritarianism, no to kleptocracy, no to massive cuts to programs that low-income and working Americans desperately need, no to huge tax breaks for the wealthiest people in this country," said Sanders.

The senator announced his tour earlier this month as Elon Musk, the head of the Trump-created Department of Government Efficiency( DOGE) who poured $277 million on the president's campaign, swept through numerous agencies, with DOGE staffers setting up illegal servers, seizing control of data, shutting federal employees out of offices, and working to shut down operations across the government.

Since Trump took office for his second term just over a month ago, roughly 30,000 federal employees have been fired or laid off—part of Musk's push to cut $2 trillion in federal spending in order to fill the $4.6 trillion hole that Trump's extension of the 2017 tax cuts would blow in the deficit.

Republican lawmakers have also pushed to include cuts to Medicaid, and Trump this week signaled he would back Medicare cuts after repeatedly insisting he would not slash the popular healthcare program used by more than 65 million Americans, in order to save money while handing out tax cuts to the same corporations and ultrawealthy households that benefited from the 2017 tax law.

"Today in America we are rapidly moving toward an oligarchic form of society where a handful of multibillionaires not only have extraordinary wealth, but unprecedented economic, media, and political power," said Sanders in Iowa City, which like Omaha is represented by a Republican U.S. House member who narrowly won reelection last November and has faced pressure to reject the GOP budget plan. "Brothers and sisters, that is not the democracy that men and women fought and died to defend."

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Questions related to this article:

The struggle for human rights, is it gathering force in the USA?

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Sanders began his tour in Omaha and Iowa City to pressure the Republican House members there—Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) out of supporting the GOP's proposed cuts.

"Together, we can stop Republicans from cutting Medicaid and giving tax breaks to billionaires," said Sanders ahead of the Iowa City event.

Sanders drew loud applause when he noted that the increasingly oligarchic political system extends past just Trump, Musk, and Republican lawmakers.

"The role of billionaires in politics, it's not just Musk, it's others," he said. "It's not just Republican billionaires, it is Democratic billionaires. It is the corruption of the two-party system."

Progressive activists and journalists in recent weeks have expressed growing frustration with Democratic leaders as they have publicly appeared to throw up their hands and deny they have any power to fight Trump's attacks on immigrants, transgender children, and other marginalized people.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has garnered scorn for meeting with Silicon Valley executives to "mend fences" with the powerful tech sector—where numerous CEOs have signaled support for Trump during his second term.

Ken Martin, the newly elected chair of the Democratic National Committee, said last month that the party should continue to take money from "good billionaires."

Some Democratic senators have voted for Trump's Cabinet nominees even as members of the caucus have accused Musk of orchestrating a coup on Trump's behalf, and leaders including Jeffries have reportedly become "very frustrated" with progressive advocacy groups like Indivisible and MoveOn for organizing grassroots efforts to pressure the Democrats to act as a true opposition party.

Meanwhile, Sanders this weekend has captured the attention of thousands of people in Republican districts along with hundreds of thousands of people who have watched his anti-oligarchy tour online.

"The energy around what Bernie is doing is insane," said Matt Stoller, a researcher at the American Economic Liberties Project. "It's like there's only one person who is actually able to sidestep the demoralization and frustration."

Jeremy Slevin, a senior adviser to Sanders, reported that in Iowa City, the senator gave “not one, not two, but three different speeches to overflow crowds,” with 2,000 people lining up to see him speak “on a freezing cold day in a Republican district.”

Pointing to the enthusiasm shown in Nebraska and Iowa, Sanders supporters questioned the idea, reportedly embraced by Democratic consultants and politicians, that “Americans don’t understand the word oligarchy.”

“Bernie Sanders launched an anti-oligarchy tour, and it’s the only thing that has popularly resonated within the Democratic Party base,” said Stoller. “That’s fascinating and notable.”

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, HUMAN RIGHTS, North America

Burkina Faso: Living together: Traditional and religious leaders speak to their communities

. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION .

An article by Romuald Dofini in Lefaso.net

The Peulh community of Bobo-Dioulasso organized a day to promote culture, peace and social cohesion in Burkina Faso on Sunday, December 22, 2024 in the city of Sya. The theme of this day was: “For good living together in Faso: Traditional and religious leaders from Western Burkina speak to their communities”. During this day, which brought together several social groups, commitments and resolutions were made by the actors to promote social cohesion by giving priority to dialogue in conflict resolution.


Traditional and religious leaders commit to promoting peace and social cohesion

It was with an open heart that traditional and religious leaders spoke to their communities on Sunday, December 22, 2024 in Bobo-Dioulasso. According to them, it was more than necessary to organize this day in view of the situation that the country has been going through for several years. Indeed, the security situation in Burkina Faso has led to dysfunction at all levels, causing in certain areas a disintegration of all segments of the social fabric.

For traditional and religious leaders, this security crisis has also generated conflicts within the populations and led to mistrust between individuals and between communities. For them, the fight led by the defense and security forces against terrorists is commendable, but they believe that for lasting peace, it would be necessary to “re-sew” the social fabric, in order to improve social cohesion, prevent and manage disputes between communities. For this, the establishment and promotion of spaces for dialogue have proven necessary. It is therefore aware of this erosion of the social fabric caused by the security crisis and the role of customary and religious leaders in social mobilization that the Peulh customary chiefdom of Bobo-Dioulasso initiated this day to promote the culture of peace and social cohesion.

The objective of this day was to promote social cohesion in Burkina and particularly in the Grand-Ouest of Burkina. This activity brought together about sixty traditional and religious leaders from the Grand-Ouest of Burkina, citizen watch organizations, women’s organizations as well as the population of Sya, the majority of whom are Peulhs. According to the Peulh chief of Bobo-Dioulasso, Issiaka Sidibé, this day aims to recreate harmony and symbiosis between communities, to invite populations to talk to each other, to accept each other, to forgive each other and to create the conditions for the return of peace in the region and in Burkina Faso.

“It was a duty for us to organize this day because we really want to help the authorities finish their mission to reconquer the territory. We see that they have done a lot, which is why we want to make our contribution through actions. We want to tell our FDS [Force for Defense and Security] and VDP [Volunteers for Defense of the Homemand] that we are with them in heart because it is thanks to them that we live here. This meeting with the customary and religious leaders of the Grand-Ouest is to help ourselves first,” he explained.

During this activity, the traditional and religious leaders were informed about their roles in social mobilization and conflict resolution within their communities; commitments were also made by actors to promote social cohesion, by favoring dialogue in conflict resolution. From the delegation of women, the message conveyed to the community was the same. All the delegations promoted understanding, forgiveness, peace and social cohesion. Furthermore, a message of awareness, support and collaboration between the FDS and the population was conveyed for greater efficiency in the fight against terrorism.

(article continued in right column)

(Click here for the original article in French.)

Question for this article:

Islamic extremism, how should it be opposed?

The new military governments in Africa: Are they promoting a culture of peace?

(article continued from left column)

The strong mobilization of all actors leaves the Fulani leader of Bobo-Dioulasso with a feeling of joy and satisfaction. According to him, this mobilization demonstrates their commitment to the culture of peace and cohesion in Burkina Faso. “We are happy and satisfied because the message has been received and all the communities have understood it,” he rejoiced.


Battalion Chief Lassané Porgo, Commander of the Second Military Region of Burkina, welcomes the initiative of the activity

The initiative is welcomed by the military and administrative authorities

The day was attended by Battalion Chief Lassané Porgo, Commander of the Second Military Region of Burkina. In his speech, he did not fail to welcome the initiative of the activity. He believes that the population is finishing the work of the defense and security forces because for him, this war is almost over. “Beyond the room which is full, all the communities, all the points of view, came to give a message and that makes us happy. We are committed to serving the population, to serving Burkina Faso; so as long as this population does not have peace, does not have tranquility, it is our duty not to sleep. And we are not going to sleep until it is over,” he insisted.

Before continuing: “If religious and customary leaders speak to their communities and everyone in their family listens to the big brother or the elder, who listens to the chief and who knows his place, we will end this crisis right away and now. The problem is that we no longer respect the elder. We respect money or the one who has money more than the elder in the family and that must change.” This is why he asked everyone to be sincere, honest and upright and above all to love their neighbor. Battalion Chief Lassané Porgo affirmed that if all the messages passed in the room are sincere, Burkina Faso will soon end this security crisis.

This activity was chaired by the governor of the region, represented by the secretary general of the Hauts-Bassins region, Abraham Somdo. On behalf of the governor, he also welcomed the initiative of this day. “This activity is welcome because it is in line with the government’s priorities. Obviously, the priority that is worth it is the reconquest of the national territory, but in addition to reconquering the territory, we must have activities that allow us to sew the social fabric that has been torn apart by war and conflicts,” he said.

He did not fail to pay tribute to the fighters who watch over the well-being of the civilian population. For him, this day will help strengthen collaboration between the FDS and the population. He stressed that “the FDS create the conditions for the return of peace and it is up to the customary and religious leaders to work to consolidate this peace, to strengthen social cohesion through messages that advocate living together.” The governor’s representative invited the daughters and sons of the region to listen to the community leaders. To these community leaders, he asks them to march resolutely to the rhythm set by the country’s authorities because it is, he said, about building a strong nation, a nation where the daughters and sons speak with one voice, look in the same direction.
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Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Colombia: Cúcuta Mayor’s Office Successfully Concludes Workshops on Historical Memory and Culture of Peace

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from the Alcaldía de San José de Cúcuta (translation by CPNN)

The Secretariat for Post-Conflict and Culture of Peace has carried out workshops on historical memory, culture of peace and human rights. The project, carried out at the facilities of the Regional Center for Attention to Victims, concludes the measure “Action on historical memory, promotion of the culture of peace and promotion of human rights”, of the Return and Relocation Plans of the communities of Ciudad Rodeo and San Fernando del Rodeo, in the municipality of San José de Cúcuta.

(Article continued in right column)

(click here for the original version in Spanish).

Questions for this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

(Article continued from left column)

During these meetings, the community became familiar with the basic concepts of historical memory and culture of peace, and deepened their knowledge of human rights. Through timelines, phrases and drawings, they described their surroundings, told their life stories, talked about their neighborhood and projected their aspirations for the future. Through various symbolic acts, they shared their experiences, promoting the recognition of the truth and contributing to their emotional and psychological repair, which helped heal the wounds of the past and strengthen the reconstruction of the social fabric.

The culture of peace workshops created spaces for young people from the municipality, promoting integration and the exchange of experiences. These activities facilitated the improvement of peace practices, using Hip Hop culture as an educational and transformative tool to face challenges, promote values ​​of peace and respect for human rights.

Through various dynamics, the youth sought to promote mutual respect, coexistence, understanding and social transformation through the arts.

Finally, it is important to highlight that all these workshops
contributed significantly to the process of reparation and reconciliation of the victims of the armed conflict, initiating a process of healing and rebuilding relationships based on respect, non-violence and peaceful coexistence; thus contributing to the construction of a more just, stable and harmonious society.
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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Cameroon: young African scholars rally to cultivate culture of peace

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from News Watch Cameroon

Young people are generally vulnerable to radicalisation by extremist groups, but experts say the young people, especially in Africa, are hardly invited to the dialogue table where peace processes are being discussed. Some young African scholars want to change the narrative.

Drawn from over 20 countries on the continent, the students of the Pan African University Institute of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences (PAUGHSS), the African Union’s premiere institution of higher learning, have taken part in a strategic discussion on how to promote a culture of peace on the continent.


Inaugural panel of two-day strategic discussion on “Cultivating a Culture of Peace”

Hosted by PAUGHSS in collaboration with Civic Watch, implementing organisation of the #defyhatenow initiative in Cameroon, the two-day strategic discussion on “Cultivating a Culture of Peace” in Cameroon and across Africa held at the campus of the University of Yaounde II, Soa on the outskirts of the Cameroon capital from November 28 to 29. It was organised as part of activities to mark the UN International Day of Peace, albeit belatedly. The day is observed globally on September 21 of each year.

Desmond Ngala, Founder of Civic Watch and #defyhatenow Country Project Manager for Cameroon said conflicts affect young people on a daily basis and there is need that the age group be brought to the dialogue table to discuss peace processes. By organising the two-day discussion, with varsity dons, experts and the young African scholars, he said, they want to get expertise “but also experiences from different countries across Africa”.

“I must tell you that more and more, young people are not invited to the dialogue table as far as questions of peace are concerned. By organizing this strategic discussion, we are also pushing out the highest call—let’s bring young people to the table”, said Ngala.

(continued in right column)

(Click here for another version in French of this article)

Question related to this article:
 
Youth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?

(continued from left column)

Organisers of the two-day gathering said this year’s theme, “Cultivating a Culture of Peace” matches their institutions’ mutual objectives of fostering peace, unity, and understanding amongst the people in Cameroon and Africa, and is also a powerful reminder that for peace to be possible, everyone must play a part.

New threats require new reforms

In his inaugural lecture, Prof Joseph Vincent Ntuda Ebode, Director of the Center of Research for Political and Strategic Studies of the University of Yaounde II said at the end of the Cold War, the African Union put in place a Peace and Security mechanism to prevent conflicts and ensure stability of countries across the continent. However, the emergence of new threats that were inexistent at the time the instrument was put in place require new reforms at the level of the continental body.

“For example, the AU peace and security mechanism focused on combatting inter-tribal conflicts within countries. By the time it was established, terrorism was not a general threat as it is today. This new threat cannot be managed like inter-tribal conflicts. So, to solve the problem of terrorism for example, we need a new reform at the level of the AU that will put in place forces to fight it,” said Prof Ntuda Ebode who is an expert in International Security and Defense.

Diverse cultures, one objective

In order to promote peace across countries of the continent today, it is undeniable that young people must be taught values such as dialogue, diversity and social cohesion, according to Dr Biloa, PAUGHSS Deputy Director. He said during the two-day discussion, they were going to imbibe in the young scholars the idea that the values will lay the foundation for the construction of Africa and the development of African countries.

“The two-day discussion has brought together young people from different regions of Africa—with diverse cultures, but with one objective—cultivate a culture of peace across the continent,” said Dr Biloa.

Like the other speakers, Prof Arrey William Herman of the Protestant University of Central Africa said it important include all segments of the population in peacebuilding processes for as he puts it: “any peace built for the people without the people is peace built against the people”.

Besides masterclasses and panel discussions with experts from UN agencies, development partners, diplomatic corps, government, and academia, the young scholars also shared experiences of what peace means to them.

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Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION