Category Archives: DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Paraná, Brazil: Draft Law for Culture of Peace as public policy

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An article from a Rede

Initiative for the implementation of Restorative Practices as State policy by the Parliamentary Council for the Culture of Peace – Conpaz

Draft Law No. 115/2017 was filed in the Legislative Assembly (Alep) this week (week of March 30) to create the “State Program of Implementation of Restorative Practices, Conflict Mediation and Culture of Peace in Paraná.” The plan for the system includes a Management Council, an Executive Committee and nuclei with conflict mediators scattered throughout the State.


Pericles de Holleben Mello, image: divulgação

According to the justification of the project, “the nuclei (…) can be installed in Schools, Resident Associations, Social Assistance Networks, Guardianship Councils, Parents and Teachers Associations, or any other institution, or entity, with nature Public or private law, whether or not bound to the State, as long as authorized by the Management Board. ”

According to the secretary general of Conpaz, state deputy Péricles de Holleben Mello, the concept of a Culture of Peace can help people from all social classes, from any ethnic group or religion, embrace the idea of ​​overcoming violence. “In this way it will be possible to contribute to the transformation of schools and communities that experience situations of violence into spaces of dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts.”

Restorative justice is a new model of justice recommended by the United Nations – Resolution 12/2002 – in view of the need for a more adequate response to the resolution of conflicts in society.

For Pericles, “… the dehumanized society in which we live privileges a sterile rationality. In this sense, Restorative Justice proves to be valuable, because it confronts situations of conflict, or its prevention, from the incorporation of the emotions and feelings inherent in the human condition. ” The program will include representatives of the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary, Brazilian Bar Association, Public Defender’s Office, Public Prosecutor’s Office and institutions of organized civil society.

In the justification for the project, the authors argue that “the restorative model seeks to raise awareness and accountability of the parties involved in the conflict relationship, insofar as it proposes the rapprochement between victim, aggressor, family members and the community to which they belong. Since crime represents a rupture of the social fabric, reparation for damages can be achieved. through dialogue that addresses the needs and potentials of all those involved,

The project is an initiative of the Conpaz Secretary General, Deputy Péricles, with 10 more members of the Council, Cristina Silvestri, Rasca Rodrigues, Pastor Edson Prackzik, Tercilio Turini, Marcio Pauliki, Paulo Litro, Evandro Araújo, Chico Brasileiro, Claudio Palozzi and Guto Silva.

(Click here for the original article in Portuguese)

Discussion question
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

USA: NCDD Launches Dialogue & Deliberation Training Partnership with American Library Association

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An article by Roshan Bliss for The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation(NCCD)

As we begin the new year, NCDD is excited to announce we are launching a two-year partnership with the American Library Association (ALA) that will train library staff across the country to use methods and processes from the dialogue and deliberation field to support their communities.


Our Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change partnership will take the form of both online and in-person trainings that we hope will help strengthen the capacity for libraries to serve not only as places of learning and research, but also as hubs for dialogue, engagement, and healing our divides.

We see this partnership as a chance to broaden the reach and the impact of our field’s work, as well as an opportunity to create new audiences and collaborative potentials for D&D practitioners in the future. We’ll be sharing more info on the partnership soon, but for now, we encourage you to read more about the upcoming trainings in the ALA announcement below or to find the original here.

Facing a Divided Nation, ALA Offers Free Training for Libraries

The ALA Public Programs Office and the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD) invite library professionals to attend a free learning series to explore various dialogue facilitation approaches and position themselves to foster conversation and lead change in their communities.

“As our nation becomes increasingly divided, ALA sees tremendous opportunity for libraries to be a leading force for reconciliation, progress, and common ground,” said ALA President Julie Todaro. “We are proud to make community engagement resources available to all libraries, free of charge, through this initiative.”

Through Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change, a two-year project, ALA and NCDD will produce ten webinars and three in-person workshops. Change-making leaders, such as Everyday Democracy, National Issues Forum, and World Café, will develop and lead the trainings, which will be customized to meet the needs of various library types and sizes: large public library systems; small, medium-sized, and rural public libraries; and academic libraries.

First four sessions announced

Registration is currently open for four learning sessions.

• Libraries of all types and sizes are invited to attend a one-hour introductory webinar about the resources and opportunities available throughout the initiative. Register for “Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change Overview” (Thursday, Feb. 9, 1 p.m. CST)

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Questions for this article:

How important is community development for a culture of peace?

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Representatives of public libraries serving large or urban communities are invited to attend the following three-part series:

• In Session 1, NCDD will discuss the range of dialogue and deliberation models available to large public library systems. Register for “Libraries Transforming Communities: Introduction to Dialogue & Deliberation” (Thursday, March 9, 1 p.m. CST)

• In Session 2, leaders from World Café will discuss their method for bringing together large groups of people in a series of small, conversational rounds to spark in-depth conversation. Register for “Libraries Transforming Communities: World Café” (Thursday, April 6, 1 p.m. CST)

• In Session 3, representatives of Everyday Democracy will share their Dialogue to Change process, which encourages diverse groups of people to come together, engage in inclusive and respectful dialogue, and find common solutions to community problems. Register for “Libraries Transforming Communities: Everyday Democracy’s Dialogue to Change Process” (Monday, May 1, 1 p.m. CST)

Each session will be recorded and archived for free on-demand viewing on the Programming Librarian Learning page.

Individuals who view all three webinars, live or recorded, will be invited to attend a free pre-conference workshop at the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

Future sessions for academic libraries and small, mid-sized, and rural public libraries

Future learning sessions will be designed for academic libraries (Fall 2017) and small, mid-sized and rural public libraries (Spring 2018). Details for future sessions will be announced in 2017. To stay informed about future offerings, sign up for the Programming Librarian e-newsletter.

Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change follows up on Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC), a two-year initiative offered in 2014-15 by ALA and the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation that explored and developed the Harwood Institute’s “Turning Outward” approach in public libraries.

With this second phase of LTC, ALA will broaden its focus on library-led community engagement by offering professional development training in community engagement and dialogue facilitation models created by change-making leaders such as Everyday Democracy and National Issues Forums.

LTC: Models for Change is made possible through a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.

You can find the original version of this announcement on the ALA’s Programming Librarian site at www.programminglibrarian.org/articles/facing-divided-nation-ala-offers-free-training-libraries.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America

USA: Video about the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission

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A review by CPNN of the Youtube video The Ashland Culture of Peace Commission by Spencer Barrett

CPNN readers have been following the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission as it has developed over the past couple of years (see listing below). And now there is a video explaining it. The video has been produced by Spencer Barrett in Association with Peace Production through interviews with its commissioners, with an eye towards its significance as a model for the world’s transition to a culture of peace.


Photos of those interviewed, in order upper left to lower right. ACPC Executive Director David Wick, Environmental Spokesman Will Sears, Chief of Police Tighe O’Meara, Faith Unity Minister Norma Burton, Artist Wendy Seldon & Educator Nancy Grace
(click on image to enlarge)

The video starts appropriatedly from from 1999 UN Declaration and Program of Action for a Culture of Peace. David Wick, the Executive Director of the commission explains the origins of Commission since the idea was born in 2013 as a fulfillment of the UN proposal.

Will Sears, an ACPC Commissioner and Environmental Spokesman, stresses the importance of its being a grassroots initiative. “It’s got to come up from the bottom, but it’s being watched on a global scale.”

Tighe O’Meara, Ashland City Chief of Police and member of the Commission, explains that “We want to engage everybody on both sides of debates and problems. Let everyone be heard. Allow everyone their dignity.”

Commission member Norma Burton, a Faith Unity Minister in Ashland, says that “There are so many in the community that would really want to have a culture of peace. . . and yet we accept what society puts foward to us.”

Wendy Seldon of the Ashland Art Center, emphasizes that “One of the best things is getting the whole community thinking about the culture of peace and how they can bring that into their business, their home, the world.”

And Nancy Grace, ACPC Commissioner and Educator, adds that “We have actions in the community that open my heart and allow me to be bigger than I was coming in.”

In conclusion, Will Sears stresses that “We’re making a model that can be exported to other cities. And I can really see how this can spread around the world.”

And David Wick adds: “This is the right time, the right place, the right people.”

The video concludes with reference to two websites for further information:

Follow the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission at: www.AshlandCPC.org

Learn more about the culture of peace at: www.culture-of-peace.info

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Questions for this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America

Madrid: World Forum Against Violence and for Peace Education

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Excerpts from the websites of United Cities and Local Governments and Madrid – Capital de Paz

The World Forum Against Violence and for Peace Education will take place in Madrid on 19-21 April 2017. The World Forum in Madrid, will gather mayors and international leaders to a meeting point that will enable an exchange of experiences, strategies, campaigns and policies. The World Forum will also strive to issue an effective peace agenda from a local perspective.

OBJECTIVES

– Analysis of the causes of violence

– Identification and and exchange of experiences.

– Proposal of specific actions in the fields of mediation and conflict resolution

– Suggestion of peace building policies, programmes and projects.

– Approval of the “Commitment to peace against urban violence”

FORUM OFFICE

Address: Ayuntamiento de Madrid – Palacio de Cibeles – c/ Montalbán nº 1 – 28014
Email: r.institucionales@madrid.es
Phone number: 0034-915881488

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(Click here for a 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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ORGANISING COMMITTEE

Madrid City Council –coordinator-

Paris City Council

Barcelona City Council

United Cities and Local Governments ‐CGLU

UCCI (Union of IberoAmerican Capitals)

United Nations Agencies

AIPAZ ( Spanish Association of Investigation for Peace)

COMMISSION OF CONTRIBUTING ENTITIES

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation

Mayors for Peace

Educating Cities

FEMP (Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces)

ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives)

SEGIB (Secretaría General Iberoamericana)

House of America

House of Asia

House of Africa

(Thanks to the Global Campaign for Peace Education for making us aware of this article).

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe

New cities of peace this quarter

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Excerpts from December newsletter of International Cities of Peace

The following are new cities of peace this quarter!

Kumara, New Zealand: City of Peace

The community is committed to fostering a culture of peace through wellness practices and educational programs. “We are pleased to share that we have just opened our Human Rights and Sustainable Development Centre at the Kumara Town Hall . . .

Buea, Cameroon: City of Peace

Linus Ayangwoh Embe has founded the Association for Community Awareness. The group focuses on reducing the stigma of HIV/AIDS, of which over 5^% of the population is plagued, the environment, peace building, child support and women empowerment. . .

Urbana, Ohio, U.S.A.: City of Peace

On Peace Day, 2017, Urbana Mayor Bean signed their city of peace resolution. “We are gearing up for our third year at, Urbana University promoting and sponsoring programs for the “Season for Non-Violence” through The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund. . .

Port Harcourt, Nigeria: City of Peace

The Global Ambassadors for Peace on Sustainable Development have established Port Harcourt on the Atlantic Ocean as a City of Peace. They work closely with civic officials and the group is re-committing to providing free medical treatment to the less privileges in order “to show love to the disabled persons” . . .

Kubwa, Abuja, Nigeria: City of Peace

They have created an organization called Congress for Peace and Human Rights Defense, Nigeria. 1) Currently we are planing to start a project on peace on the on going strike action in Cameroon. 2) As from match 2017, ASCOA will visit schools to create peace clubs. 3) 2017 ASCOA will also carry out peace project with community groups, schools vulnerable children, orphans and Hiv infected children. 4) On World Peace Day 2017, ASCOA will organizer peace activities including football and a peace conference.”

Makindye, Uganda: City of Peace

The group will work in the area of Uganda characterized by vulnerable households and families in slums, many young people and mainly gangs (locally known as the “Kifesi” groups) and street children subject to neglect and abuse. . .

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Question related to this article:

 

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

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The Gambia: City of Peace

The Gambia is a small country in Africa with borders along the Gambia river. It now has its first City of Peace. Strategy for 2017 is “To ensure the well being of most of the people living in the communities with in our surroundings and across the country. To enable the people to have basic access of knowledge and understanding of the significance effects of culture of peace, cities of peace and the International Cities of Peace around the globe. And to be challenged also in are cultural mores and traditions and politics that violate women and human rights.”

Kabale, Uganda: City of Peace

Ugandan Andrew Amanya has used his radio show, Hope Kids, to create a football program that is helping children in the town of Kabale. . .

South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo: City of Peace

The group has created the Centre Des Jeunes Pour La Paix to help young people, including 130 orphans, with school fees and other necessities of life. : After decades of bloody fighting and broken peace treaties, in January of this year the army launched a successful offensive against remnants of the FDLR, ADF and Mai-Mai militias. The work of Jean Paul and his courageous group are the only true way to heal and move forward for a country more peaceful and prosperous.

Lucerne, Switzerland: City of Peace

At the foot of the Swiss Alps, Lucerne, Switzerland is home to over 80,000 people who speak Swiss German. LATEST NEWS; The leaders’ work for peace is focused on differing perspectives and how diversity contributes to the well being of all. Hans is president of the Perspective Association, a politically neutral and independent group which launched the first Lucerne Peace Day in 2016. . .

Gardnersville, Monrovia, Liberia

The group first priority is to help kids and youth with their lessons after school hours. “We are planning of having children’s party on Christmas day. This will help to keep the children out of the street and to save them from bad boys and bad girls. Before the Christmas party on Monday we will host a one day childrens’ football tournament that will compresses of 8 teams from 4 communities. . . .

Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti: City OF Peace

Haiti has recently been ravaged by another hurricane yet hope burns brightly. The Centre Esperance de la Lumiere des Demunis and Ministry Hope of the Light in Christ in Haiti has 59 children who have been abandoned. The Ministry is located in a small church for the large population of 80,000 in their community. The liaison, Jean Nicolas Joseph, has bought land in order to reach these goals. The school, orphanage and ministry are looking for funding. As Jean says, “I need you help me pray for this city.”

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, global

City Peace Commissions in Brazil and the US: A Comparison

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By Helena Lourenço, Santos City Peace Commission (Brazil) and David Adams, City Peace Commission of New Haven, CT (USA)

As members of the City Peace Commisions in Santos, Brazil and New Haven, USA, speaking at the New Haven Public Library on December 15, we have found much in common.


Helena Lourenco (center), David Adams (right), and Aaron Goode (left, member of the City of New Haven Peace Commission)

For example, both commissionss are in favor of promoting restorative justice practices in schools and other institutions of their cities. In Santos, 80 teachers received training in restorative justice, while in New Haven the number is more than 200, of which 44 are already qualified to train other coaches. Although it is difficult to quantify the results, there is a general agreement in schools that have both cities as it has improved the atmosphere of trust and fairness as a result. In New Haven, a problem remains that teachers have no time in their heavy schedules to engage in restorative circles, while in Santos, these have been recognized practices as an integral part of the teacher’s work.

Both committees meet monthly and their membership includes both municipal officials and representatives of civil society organizations.

Other priorities of the Santos Peace Commission include: interreligious dialogue; gender equality, including respect for homosexuals and sexual orientation; environmental sustainability: and public safety. For the latter, the city police have a course proposed for their municipal police focused on mediation. In Brazil, city police (unlike state police and federal police) do not carry weapons.

Other priorities of the New Haven Peace Commission include: protecting undocumented immigrants; the development of a civilian review board for police practices; and converting the national budget priorities. For the latter, the Commission sponsored a referendum in which 85% of the city’s voters demanded that the national budget for social services be given priority rather than military expenditure.

The New Haven Peace Commission is older, having been established during the 1980s, while the Santos Commission is new, created in 2016 after six years of preparation, which is taking its first steps.

For the month of March, a forum is being discussed in Santos to discuss topics that are important for the development of the Commission.

One of the issues discussed was how to develop the exchange and ongoing relations between peace commissions of different cities around the world.

(Click here for a Portuguese version of this article)

Question related to this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America,

Colombia: The Challenge of Territorial Peace

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An article by Antonio Madariaga Reales, Executive Director, Corporación Viva la Ciudadanía (translated by CPNN)

Hope returns, uncertainty diminishes and peacemaking is becoming possible. That is the first result of the hectic week in which the final peace agreement was endorsed in exhausting parliamentary sessions, in Tuesday in the Senate and Wednesday in the House. On Thursday the process began that must lead to the transfer in the veredales zones and points of normalization by the members of the Farc-EP, including the abandonment of their weapons It is called D-day: on Friday the Commission of Follow-up, Impulse and Verification of the Implementation of the Agreement was installed.

What is clear then is that we have to think of the most democratic and efficient way of implementing the agreements. In this regard, the first thing that appears on the horizon is the need to think about territorial peace. We must give content to that expression, coined by Sergio Jaramillo and today common place in the debate about the peace accords.

Territorial peace requires the design, implementation and monitoring of public policies, with citizen participation. It means a human rights approach, institutional means to execute the policy, some plans and budgets to develop it and transparency which implies – of course – monitoring and social control.

It has to be concrete. The prioritization categories used by the Fundación Pares include local infrastructure: tertiary roads and river navigability, 24-hour lighting and sewage and aqueducts, immediate response on issues of local justice administration and rural security, alternative projects that allow control and mitigation of the effects of illegal economies, physical security and guarantee of participation for human rights defenders. Priorities include local social leaders and additional actions focusing on Unsatisfied Basic Needs (NBI), United Nations supervision of Farc-EP, and local capacities for development, poverty alleviation and humanitarian needs. Counting the municipalities where there will be veredales zones and points of normalization, we have the number of 297 municipalities that should be the priority and that are in, amazingly enough (!), 25 of the 32 departments . Hence the question: how to have national policies which recognize and allow regional diversity, and are implemented in the territories themselves?

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

Question related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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To achieve all this, it is essential to map out and convene all relevant actors in the territory, from a transparent and efficient central state institution that develops actions aimed at the appropriation of the agreements by these actors. The actions must include dissemination and pedagogy and identify how they are put in the agreements, and from there their place and proposals in the implementation process. What is needed is that the national government and the president in particular take the decision to tour the country and deliver the New Agreement to all citizens. It is not sufficient just to have the act of the Teatro Colón.

It must be accompanied by a pact of transparency that establishes rules that make it possible for public monitoring of the process. This has been one of the elements most demanded by diverse groups of young people that have mobilized recently in defense of the peace accords.

In turn, it will be necessary to adapt existing institutional structures of these municipalities to incorporate participatory planning and budgeting as a method for their work.

If we add to this a battery of indicators of effective enjoyment of rights, as developed by the Constitutional Court from sentence T-025, we will have a powerful set of institutional and social tools for implementation.

There will be a need to qualify and extend citizen participation. As we said in a previous approach to this issue, what is at issue is to build and / or strengthen a Social and Democratic State at all levels of national life and in all corners of the country. This requires a strong civil society, with high levels of organization and public involvement, that is to say, an active citizenship.

Let us not be naive. All this will be the flower of a single day if the Democratic Center cannot continue to hold majorities in the national congress, departments and municipalities, as well as the Presidency in 2018. If we are not to lose the peace process,, we will have to defend it at the voting booth.

(Thank you to Amada Benavides, the CPNN reporter for this article)

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Tabling for peace in the USA: A new sense of urgency

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by David Adams, City of New Haven Peace Commission

There is a new sense of urgency in the conversation with people passing by and stopping at the table for the Peace Commission at the Farmer’s Market in New Haven. “We’ve got a lot more work to do, now that Trump has been elected,” this is a common refrain. “Now, more than ever, we need to work together for peace.”

tabling
First two pages of Peace Commission brochure
Click on image to enlarge

We are getting the same reaction of urgency in the interview of local activists as we compile the annual report for the Commission, The State of the Culture of Peace in New Haven. It is not only a discussion of what happened in the city during 2016, but even more so, what we need to be doing in 2017 and beyond. As one person remarked, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

The Peace Commission has been part of city government in New Haven for almost 30 years now, but there is the feeling that we have to increase our outreach and involve new people, new ideas, and, above all, new actions. It is no longer enough to hold a few ceremonies a year for Hiroshima Day and International Peace Day. We need to be out there on the front lines for the defense of human rights, for the development of restorative justice and sanctuary cities and affordable housing, which are necessary if we are to have peace in our community.

The new brochure that we are handing out (see image above) includes a letter from our mayor that invites New Haveners to join the Commission and contribute new ideas and actions to promote all of the aspects of the culture of peace: human rights, peace education, sustainable development, democratic participation, equality of women, tolerance and solidarity, free flow of information, and disarmament and public safety.

The brochure ends by saying that we want to “make New Haven a model for cities across America and around the globe to change the world from its cuture of war and violence to a cutlure of peace and nonviolence.

Questions for this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America

Let’s mark Canada’s 150th birthday by establishing a Department of Peace

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An article by the Canadian Peace Initiative from Common Ground

Canada has a proud history of peacekeeping. Now, more than ever, we need Canada to take leadership and open the road to peace for the rest of the world. The call is out to establish a Department of Peace on our 150th birthday. We have the opportunity to bring a beacon of light to the fragile state of our planet, racked by war, devastation and fear.

department

This is not a far-fetched idea, but something tangible that the Canadian Peace Initiative has worked on for years. Right now, a unique opportunity is open: You can directly ask Canada to increase its capabilities in peace leadership.

Until November 25, 2016, the House of Commons is hosting the CPI’s e-petition, calling for a federal department of peace. This non-partisan petition is sponsored by MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj. It’s time for Canada to build on our international legacy of making the world less violent and more peaceful. Please support this Parliamentary Petition to create a Ministry of Peace in Canada. To sign the petition, go to http://canadianpeaceinitiative.ca/get-involved/sign-the-petition/

The Canadian Peace Initiative is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization with an aim to increase the capacity for peace-building within the Canadian federal government. Similar departments already exist in three other countries.

Canada has a greater role to play in reducing the mass suffering and death caused by war, terrorism and violence, whether domestically or around the world. Join us in demanding that our government establish a Department of Peace.

There is currently no strategic focus for peace in government, and there has rarely been a greater urgency or a better window of opportunity to consider the creation of a Department of Peace in our country. This is one of the principle aims of the Canadian Peace Initiative. We see that Canada has an important role to play in the prevention of violence and the resolution of conflicts at home and abroad.

The Canadian Peace Initiative is committed to the establishment of a Department of Peace within the Government of Canada. The Department of Peace would work towards building a new architecture of peace by establishing a culture of peace and assertive non-violence in Canada and the world. We are part of a growing international movement.

The mandate of the Minister of Peace would be to reinvigorate Canada’s role as a peacekeeper and peacebuilder as follows:

1. Develop early detection and rapid response processes to deal with emerging conflicts and establish systemic responses to post-conflict demobilization, reconciliation and reconstruction.

2. Lead internationally to abolish nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, to reduce conventional weapon arsenals and to ban the weaponization of space.

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Question related to this article:

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

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3. Implement the UN Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (1999) to safeguard human rights and enhance the security of persons and their communities.

4. Implement UN Resolution 1325 on the key role played by women in the wide spectrum of peace-building work.

5. Establish a Civilian Peace Service that, with other training organizations, will recruit, train and accredit peace professionals and volunteers to work at home and abroad, as an alternative to armed intervention.

6. Address issues of violence in Canada by promoting non-violent approaches that encourage community involvement and responsibility, such as Restorative Justice, Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR).

7. Support the development of peace education at all levels, including post-secondary peace and conflict studies.

8. Promote the transition from a war-based to a peace-based economy.

9. Establish processes of reconciliation with Canada’s indigenous peoples.
With a growing list of supporters, individuals and groups, our supporters now represent over two million Canadians.

“At the macro level, when the Prime Minister needs advice when making policy or program choices about peace, there is a big vacuum. There is no strategic focus for peace in government.” – Bill Bhaneja, former Senior Policy Advisor, Foreign Affairs & International Trade

“The Canadian Department of Peace Initiative is the right action at the right time… as more and more citizens and politicians recognize and act upon the human right to peace.” – The Honourable Doug Roche, former Canadian Ambassador for Disarmament

“A ministry of peace could be a place where peace-building activities could be consolidated and [where we could] develop techniques for reconciliation.” – The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Canada

“Years hence, when every country has a Ministry of Peace, people will look back and ask, ‘What took us so long?’ After all, we have a ministry for almost everything else: health, education and so on. How odd that, of all things, we have no ministries of peace.” – Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, spiritual leader, Shambhala International

“The idea of establishing a department of peace is beyond overdue. We must strive to become a beacon of hope. We must usher in a new era of conflict resolution. We know how to live harmoniously in our great country. We now need to share this knowledge with the world.” – Senator Mobina Jaffer

“The creation of a Ministry for Peace… is not the final achievement, merely the making of a road to achieve a sustainable order that would allow resolution of human conflicts without violence.” – Dr. Oscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Laureate

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America

Brazil: Restorative justice to be expanded in Rio Grande do Sul

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An article by Suzy Scarton in the Jornal de Comércio (translated by CPNN)

Although innovative, the practice is simple. Restorative justice aims to deal with violations by put ting the victim and aggressor face to face, so that the latter can reflect on the damage caused to the first. The initiative, already deployed in the capital and in some cities, such as Caxias do Sul and Santa Maria, became statewide on the afternoon of Thursday [October 13]. At the Piratini Palace, the heads of the Executive, the Judiciary, the Legislature, the Public Ministry and the State Public Defender signed a protocol that allows the Rio Grande do Sul to seek social peace by this means.

brazil
The protocol development is an initiative of the State Court
JONATHAN HECKLER / JC

The protocol sets out four lines of action: promoting actions of social mobilization and dissemination of culture, promoting the restorative approach and the culture of peace, training human resources to apply the concepts of restorative mode, as well as the implementation of programs related to it. The first task of the Executive Committee responsible for the implementation of the methodology will relate to activities that are already being developed.

Precursor of this method in the state, the judge Leoberto Brancher, of the Children and Youth Regional Juvenile Court in Caxias do Sul, explains that the restoration plans to solve crimes and conflicts based on dialogue and accountability. “It places an emphasis not on the discussion of laws, but of people and relationships in order to repair the consequences of these problems,” he explains. Since the Court, the Legislative Assembly, the Ministry of Justice and the Public Defender’s Office are involved in the project, Brancher believes that all services will be united in the resolution of conflicts which would otherwise go to the judiciary.

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(Click here for the original article in Portuguese)

Discussion question

Restorative justice, What does it look like in practice?

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In practice, restorative justice can work with or without the involvement of the victim. “The victim has been damaged. Instead of using punishment, we propose a constructive action: the offender needs to implement a compensation plan for the damage that was caused,” says the magistrate. The victim may prefer not to participate, in which case the alternative is to involve family members and people involved in the community to which the offender belongs. “There are cases where we end up with a family strengthening circle, to strengthen ties.” The judge hearing the case can even suspend it until a compensation plan is drawn up. If it is considered adequate, the judge can decide that the compensation plan is implemented instead of the sentence.

Brancher adds, however, that the success of the method depends on the training of a facilitator, since the work must be done face to face. “The measure has preventative efficacy. We have a thousand facilitators trained in Caxias do Sul to work on prevention. Then we form a group to resolve conflict situations,” said the magistrate. In addition to avoiding conflicts, the measure also seeks to inhibit recidivism, as it aims to strengthen the adhesion of the subject to compliance with a socially acceptable conduct. “The intention is to follow offenders without their being sentenced. They are pressured to recognize its value, as people close to them are witnessing and charging them,” he explains.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America