Category Archives: Europe

The “Assisi Charter” is signed – Universities reaffirm their commitment as bridges of peace

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Agenparl

PREAMBLE

Assisi has, for centuries, been a city that speaks of peace to the world.

From Assisi comes Francis, whose eighth centenary we celebrate this year: a figure who bequeathed to history a humanism of peace founded on fraternity, the protection of creation, reconciliation between human beings and between humanity and the earth that hosts it. An embodied humanism, capable of bringing together differences, fragilities, and tensions without erasing them, and of inspiring profound reflection on human rights, on encounters between people, on respect for the environment, and on peace.

In that same historical period, the university as universitas took shape: a community of people and knowledge, a universal space for relationships, capable from its origins of crossing political, geographical, cultural, and religious boundaries. It is within this horizon that the University of Perugia was also born (1308), a living part of that universal tradition of knowledge.

Umbria continued to speak of peace even in the twentieth century: Aldo Capitini indicated a nonviolent path based on education, participation, and personal and collective responsibility.

For this reason, in Assisi, the University of Perugia, together with the universities and academic institutions gathered here, subscribes to the following principles, assuming a historical and public responsibility.


Photo from Universitá di Roma (click on image to enlarge)

ASSISI CHARTER

Founding principles

The university as a universal space for relationships

The university was born as a universitas: an open community of students , professors, researchers, and all the staff (technicians, administrators, librarians, and cel) who make the life of the university possible, united by a love of knowledge and the method of free, democratic, and peaceful debate.

Its original vocation is not opposition, but relationship; Not identity-based closure, but openness;

Not separation, but encounter.

For this reason, the university is called to be a place where differences are not denied or erased, but inhabited, understood, and transformed into dialogue.

2. Peace as a process, not a slogan.

Peace is not a sudden event nor the result of a victory.

It is a long, patient, formative process.

Universities, by their very nature, operate over a long period of time: they educate, train,
support, and foster critical thinking and responsibility.

In this sense, peace is not an external addition to the university mission, but is an essential constitutive dimension.

3. Knowledge, responsibility and justice

Knowledge is not neutral.

All knowledge has an impact on the world, on people, on communities and therefore requires a sense of responsibility.

Universities are committed to:

• orienting research and teaching towards the common good;

• promoting a responsible use of technologies;

• addressing the great transformations of our time – environmental, social, digital – with ethical awareness.

Peace is inseparable from justice and equity, from sustainability and from caring for the environment that welcomes us and that we have a duty to preserve for future generations.

4. Universities, cities and territories: alliances for peace

Universities are not islands.

They live in cities, territories, and communities.

Being bridges of peace also means:

• building alliances between institutions;

• engaging in dialogue with social, cultural, civil, and productive realities;

• contributing to the human and sustainable development of territories.

Peace grows where relationships of trust and shared responsibility are forged.

5. Peace as a long path

Peace is not a destination, but a journey: it is built day after day, generation after generation. It is a long path that requires patience, perseverance, and vision.

Universities are called to travel it with a particular responsibility: to educate in critical thinking, to cultivate dialogue between cultures and knowledge, to dismantle prejudices through knowledge. It means recognizing that complexity is not resolved by force, but by intelligence and empathy; that conflict cannot be erased, but is overcome with tools of reason and care.

This path passes through classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and seminars; through research focused on humanity’s common problems; through exchanges between students from different countries; through the rejection of any knowledge that becomes an instrument of oppression.

Lasting peace is built by forming free consciences and open minds, capable of recognizing the other not as an enemy, but as a partner. It is a work of attention, listening and responsibility: it is not immediate, it cannot be simplified, it cannot be reduced to slogans.

(Article continued in right column.)

Questions for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

University campus peace centers, What is happening on your campus?

(Article continued from left column.)

6. Spirituality, values ​​and protection of humanity

In a secular and welcoming way, this Charter recognizes that peace is expressedalso starting from a profound reflection on the spiritual values ​​that cross cultures.

Universities welcome dialogue between different spiritualities, with the aim of safeguarding humanity, which is completed by:

• safeguarding the dignity of each person;

• recognizing the value of relationships;

• maintaining an ethical approach in times of great transformations, including those related to artificial intelligence.

7. Universities as bridges of peace in the world

In a world crossed by conflicts, polarizations, and new forms of division, universities reaffirm their role as:

• spaces for dialogue;

• places where differences meet;

• laboratories for a shared future.

Dialogue only makes sense if it is inhabited within a relational universality that fully recognizes the other. Universities choose to be bridges, not walls.

CONCLUSION

This Charter is not a point of arrival, but a commitment, signed and shared.

Universities are committed to educating for Peace, practicing Peace, and building peaceful relationships through actions such as establishing degree programs on Peace issues, establishing chairs or courses on Peace issues, establishing working groups to evaluate agreements between and with universities in conflict contexts, establishing Peace Study Centers , developing international networks on Peace issues, or any other action with the same general goals.

Possible Actions

• Establish degree programs on Peace issues;

Peace requires specific and interdisciplinary skills, capable of understanding the roots of conflicts and imagining paths to reconciliation.

We need mediation professionals, international cooperation experts, and dialogue builders.

• Establish chairs or courses on Peace issues;

Integrating this dimension into all educational programs, as the culture of peace cannot be a marginal specialization: it must cross disciplines, since all knowledge can and must be oriented towards building bridges of peace.

• Establish working groups to evaluate agreements between and with universities in conflict-affected contexts; Taking ethical responsibility for their collaborations, universities commit to rigorously and transparently evaluating every partnership, exchange, and funding, the moral and political implications of which must be assessed.

• Establish Peace Study Centers; Permanent places of research, documentation, and reflection. Centers that can become points of reference for scholars, policymakers, and civil society; laboratories for developing analyses, proposing solutions, and preserving the memory of conflicts and their resolutions.

• Developing international networks on the themes of Peace.
Peace is by definition a global common good. Universities must forge alliances that transcend political borders, creating communities of research and practice that overcome national divisions, building bridges where others raise walls.

Assisi, 25 February 2026

Université Catholique de Lyon (Founded in 1875) Pr. Grégory Woimbée

Universidad de Guadalajara (Founded in 1792) Prof.ssa Karla Planter Pérez

Agricultural University of Tirana (Founded in 1951) Prof.ssa Erinda Lika e Prof.ssa Koto Romina

Université Clermont Auvergne (Founded in 1519) Prof.ssa Marie-Elisabeth Baudoin

Università degli Studi di Siena (Fondata nel 1240) Prof. Gianluca Navone

Università degli Studi di Macerata (Fondata nel 1290) Prof. John Francis McCourt

Sapienza Università di Roma (Fondata nel 1303) Prof. Fabio Sciarrino

Università degli Studi di Perugia (Fondata nel 1308) Prof. Massimiliano Marianelli

Università degli Studi di Firenze (Fondata nel 1321) Prof.ssa Maria Paola Monaco

Università degli Studi di Camerino (Fondata nel 1336) Prof. Graziano Leoni

Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo (Fondata nel 1506) Prof. Giorgio Calcagnini

Università degli Studi dell’Aquila (Fondata nel 1596) Prof. Fabio Graziosi

Università per Stranieri di Perugia (Fondata nel 1925) Prof. Valerio De Cesaris

Università del Salento (Fondata nel 1955) Prof. Salvatore Rizzello

Università degli Studi “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti Pescara (Fondata nel 1965) Prof. Liborio Stuppia

Polytechnic University of Marche (Founded in 1969) Prof. Enrico Quagliarini

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EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe

School Day of Non-violence and Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

by CPNN

The School Day of Non-Violence and Peace is celebrated on January 30.

This year the day was celebrated in Spain, Mexico and Cuba.


March by the students in Teror.

According to Wikipedia, this day was proposed by the Spanish poet Llorenç Vidal Vidal in Majorca in 1964 as a “starting point and support for a pacifying and non-violent education of a permanent character.”

Vidal chose the date of January 30 to commemorate the great prophet of non-violence and peace, Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated on this day in 1948.

It was popularized in France in the 1970’s by the Gandhian disciple Lanza del Vasto in his utopian  Communauté de l’Arche.

The day is recognized by UNICEF in Spain.

In Palma, on the Island of Mallorca in Spain, 3,500 primary and secondary school students took part in the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace event. The celebration included the reading of a peace manifesto by student representatives, followed by a concert by the musical group Pèl de Gall. Afterwards, doves were released, a universal symbol of peace and of the commitment to promoting coexistence and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

In the Mediterráneo secondary schools in Spain,  representatives from each secondary school group read their manifestos on behalf of their classes, linking their pledges to the chain of commitments from the previous group. This gesture symbolized the unity of all students in a shared commitment to positive and respectful coexistence. The grand finale was a reading of the poem “White Souls” by the high school students.

In schools of Zaragoza, Spain, there were artistic creations and exhibitions, fundraisers and charity runs, speeches and poems, music, games, and gatherings in the playground between students of different grades… all promoting peace, non-violence, and kindness.

In the Huerto Escolar Ecológico school in the Canary Islands of Spain, students made presentations for peace and non-violence on their school radio station.

In the Tafira – Nelson Mandela secondary school of the Canary Islands, students listened to “Poetry Committed to Peace” played over the school’s public address system during the first few minutes of each class and the 7th-grade students prepared an “Images for Peace” exhibition.

In the Teror secondary school , also in the Canary Islands, the event began with a march by the students, carrying a banner with the slogan ‘The first condition for peace is the will to achieve it’, and chanting in unison, “Who are we? IES de Teror. What do we want? Peace.” In the Manifesto for Peace read by the students, they also emphasized this message: “Peace is not just the absence of war. Peace is respect, dialogue, equality, and justice.”

The secondary school of La Aldea de San Nicolás in the Canary Islands presented the official video clip of the song “Let us live in peace”.  This audiovisual project is the result of intensive collaborative work aimed at raising awareness among the school community and the general public about the importance of coexistence, mutual respect, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

In Salamanca, Spain, the event included the reading of a manifesto, accompanied by a musical performance by a teacher from the Divino Maestro school, followed by the formation of a large circle for peace. Afterwards, the Mayor of Salamanca received a delegation from the school in the Reception Hall.

Continued in right column)

(Click here for the article in Spanish)

Questions related to this article:
 
How can we be sure to get news about peace demonstrations?

(Continued from left column)

In Villacañas, Spain, a large globe, the work of local artist Manuel García Mochales,was installed in the Plaza de España. Throughout the day, the various participating schools added their artwork and messages to this piece, transforming it into a collective symbol of Villacañas’ commitment to peace. The celebration also included musical accompaniment and the performance of a song that was sung together by all attendees, highlighting the importance of education as a fundamental pillar for building a culture of peace.

In Barcelona, Children from Turó Blau School, Elisenda de Montcada School Institute, Bosc de Montjuïc Institute, Pedralbes Institute, and Caterina Albert Institute shared a series of learning experiences and reflections on “Invisible Violence”. The event was facilitated by the Escola de Cultura de Pau.

Ecologistas en Acción. based in Madrid, took part in the planting of olive trees on the occasion of the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace on January 30. This is part of the campaign entitled “There is no peace without justice.” of the Palestinian Tide platform, comprised of more than 60 educational organizations.

In Lleida, Catalonia, Spain, A total of 1,500 children participated in the commemoration of the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace. The boys and girls left messages of peace on maps installed in the squares of Pau Casals, Magnolias and Sant Jordi. The schools Sant Jordi, Minerva, Sant Josep de Calassanç, Països Catalans, Enric Farreny, Màrius Torres, Parc de l’Aigua, El Carme, Frederic Godàs, Esperança, Maria Rúbies, Joan Oró, Santa Anna, Sant Jaume Les Heures, Santa Maria de Gardeny and FEDAC participated.

In Cieza, Spain, the San José Obrero School in Cieza once again transformed its commemorative day for the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace into a pedagogical and artistic experience. This time, students and teachers climbed onto the deck of a ship to present the play “Pirates of the Sea of ​​Peace”. With the theme that “peace is not conquered, it is built,” students and teachers explored diverse cultures to understand how each people live in harmony, learning the values of each place and performaing a traditional dance from each region.. During the performance, they docked at various ports to receive lessons from each community they visited, including China, Hawaii, Africa, India and Mexico.

The Football Club of Seville, Spain celebrated the day by a series of actions with the Entre Amigos Association in the Polígono Sur neighborhood to combat school absenteeism and bullying.

In Santander, Spain, to celebrate the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace, the mayor placed a plaque to rename the park next to La Anunciación Scholl as “La Paz Park” and a group of children from the school sang a song for peace..

In Peñaranda, Spain,  the school community of La Encarnación celebrated Peace Day in the school auditorium. The students carried symbols related to this commemoration, and a manifesto in favor of peace and against violence was read..

In Vitoria-Gasteiz , in the Basque region of Spain,  a total of 1315 students from all the Church schools in the capital of Alavesa – shared a central event in the New Cathedral for the School Day of Non-violence and Peace. The program included testimonies from several students, music, a prayer, and a manifesto for peace.

In Léon, in the Northwest of Spain, the educational community of the Divina Pastora School commemorated the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace. Students from each grade level created a peace pledge.

In Zocalo Monclova, Mexico, an event was held at the Ignacio Zaragoza Secondary School with educational and municipal authorities. The municipal government reiterated its commitment to promoting initiatives that strengthen a culture of peace in schools.

In the Yucatan, Mexico, the State Center for Social Crime Prevention held a soccer tournament to commemorate the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace.

In Holguín, Cuba, the group Friends of Cuba, based in Victoria, Canada, held a solidarity meeting at the “Ronald Andalia Nieves” school, coinciding with the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace. Accompanied by representatives from the Party, the Government, and the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, as well as neighbors and local students, the visitors participated in political and cultural activities and planted a tree as a symbol of brotherhood and commitment to a fairer world.

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EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America,

Protests in France agains US attack on Venezuela

Question related to this article:
 
Can Trump force regime change in Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia?

(Continued from left column)

° ° ° ° °


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DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe, Latin America,

Greta Thunberg Arrested in UK for Supporting Palestine Action and Opposing Gaza Genocide

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Julia Conley from Common Dreams (republished according to Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Because in the world we live in, Western leaders can arm a genocide and walk free—while Greta Thunberg is arrested as a dangerous terrorist supporter."

That was the assessment of journalist Owen Jones on Tuesday after the Swedish climate justice leader was arrested in London outside the offices of Aspen Insurance, a company that provides services to an Israeli weapons maker, where she had been seated on the ground with a sign stating, "I support Palestine Action prisoners, I oppose genocide."

The protest was in solidarity with demonstrators who have been imprisoned for taking part in nonviolent direct actions with the UK-based group Palestine Action. The government banned Palestine Action in July as a terrorist group, making it the first group to be declared as such under part of the UK Terrorism Act that defines "serious damage to property" as an act of terror—rather than violence against people.

Under the law, anyone who displays items or clothing that "arouse reasonable suspicion" of support for Palestine Action can be punished with up to six months in prison.

Thunberg is one of thousands of people who have taken to the streets in support since the group's proscription, and one of about 2,000 people who have been arrested for doing so. Two other activists were also arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

(continued from left column)

In Thunberg's case, a spokesperson for City of London police said "she has been arrested for displaying an item (in this case a placard) in support of a proscribed organization (in this case Palestine Action) contrary to section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000.”

The protest was specifically in support of eight people who have been on a hunger strike to protest their imprisonment and Israel's continued attacks and blocking of essential aid in Gaza.

At least two of the prisoners are in their 52nd day of the hunger strike, and medical professionals have raised grave concerns about their health. Advocates in the UK have also demanded that the Labour government meet with lawyers for the detainees. On Monday, attorneys for the activists said in a letter that the government's refusal to meet with them violates the Ministry of Justice's policy for handling cases of hunger strikes.

“It is up to the state to intervene and put an end to this by meeting these reasonable demands that pave the way for the freedom of all those who choose to use their rights trying to stop a genocide, something the British state has failed to do themselves," said Thunberg.

Member of Parliament Zarah Sultana, co-founder of the socialist Your Party, said that government leaders in the UK, who have continued to back Israel's attacks on Gaza, should be imprisoned, rather than those protesting.

"Greta Thunberg has just been arrested for opposing genocide," said Sultana. "Meanwhile, [Prime Minister] Keir Starmer—complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people—walks free. He should be arrested and sent to The Hague."

Journalist Matt Kennard said images of police confiscating Thunberg's sign and arresting her "will be studied in history books."

"Fascism is already here," he added.
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Europe, Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

Spain: Documentary “International Zone of Culture of Peace” in Manzanares El Real

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from Manzanares El Real

This documentary explains how Manzanares El Real became the first municipality in the world to declare itself an “International Zone of Culture of Peace,” given the series of requirements it met.


Video

“I came to live in Manzanares El Real and realized that Manzanares El Real truly meets all the requirements for the creation of the first International Zone of Culture of Peace,” states Valentín Oliveros Sanz, a human rights and peace activist.

“It offered us the possibility of bringing it to the plenary session, to the ordinances, to make it a reality, so that it would have a political impact on the residents of our town,” says Patricia Ibáñez, Councilor for Social Welfare.

It was then that the legal and juridical foundations were developed, and finally, on September 18th, it materialized when part of the governing group approved the declaration of Manzanares el Real as an International Zone of Culture of Peace. “I think this aspect of politics is very important because we are a mirror for society, and if the culture of peace doesn’t emerge from the political sphere, how can we expect peace in society?” states Patricia Ibáñez.

On September 21st, 70% of the citizens of our municipality gathered to celebrate the International Day of Peace. “I brought together a number of activists and artists, poets, renowned speakers, and, above all, children,” adds Valentín Oliveros.

Eva Saldaña, Executive Director of Greenpeace in Spain and Portugal, explains that “the culture of peace is participatory democracy, sustainable mobility, and generating another possible energy system based on clean energy that reaches all citizens.” A culture of peace means using public funds for things that promote the common good, creating pedestrian-friendly spaces, sustainable mobility, and accessible public transportation. It also means curbing violence and generating healthy spaces for interaction, leisure, and free time for everyone.”

Marisa García de Aguinaga, spokesperson for Amnesty International, adds that “civil and political rights, such as the right to freedom of expression, fair trials, equality of opportunity, housing, healthcare, and education, are rights that require states to uphold in order to be realized. Peace is not just the absence of armed conflict: for a more compassionate and just world, where everyone is treated equally, other rights must be fulfilled to achieve that peace.”

A culture of peace is “how we all build human relationships with each other and with the environment in which we live, and even with ourselves; “How do we relate to all of this and build an environment, a space, and a world where we can all feel that we live dignified lives and are free from violence and oppression?” adds Eva Saldaña.

(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for this article:

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

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“A culture of peace is a set of values ​​that includes the first and most fundamental: the right to life, to human dignity, education in human rights, and the democratic participation of society, so that people understand that they must not only attend to their individual affairs, but also to the affairs of the community as a whole,” says Valentín Oliveros.

Furthermore, Marisa García de Aguinaga adds that “it is essential that municipalities, citizens, and all authorities work together to ensure that all these rights, achieved over years and generations, are not lost.” Patricia Ibáñez comments, “I am absolutely certain that this can be contagious. I believe that today’s society needs these kinds of messages; it needs tools from institutions.”

“The fact that even a small town council has the will to show itself and allow its citizens to express their opinions and begin to generate this is already an important step,” says Eva Saldaña.

Marisa García de Aguinaga expresses that “peace, if we don’t build it together, is impossible.”

Finally, Valentín Oliveros concludes the documentary by saying, “We give that enthusiasm, that hope of understanding or believing that another world is possible, a better world, of course.”

Contributors:
– Asociación Cultural El Real de Manzanares.

– Asociación de Mayores +60.

– Asociación Radar.

– Asociación de Sentido Social.

– Asociación ARBA
– Pedriza Refugia.

– La Sierra con Palestina

– JAFRA Dabke Palestino

– Coral de Manzanares El Real.

– Compañía de Teatro de Yoana González.

– Cia La Fábrica de Sueños / El Duende del Globo.

– Escuela de Música Peña Sirio.

– Federación Madrileña de Asociaciones Solidarias con el Sáhara (FEMAS)

– Proyecto Indomitas

– Móstoles sin Fronteras.

– CAUM (Club de Amigos de la UNESCO de Madrid)

– Greenpeace.
– Amnistía Internacional.

– Colectivo Alternativas no Violentas.

– Grupo Mujer, Vida y Libertad de Madrid.

– Asociación Memoria Histórica Los Barracones.

– Isidro Jara Hernández.
– Coordinación técnica, Rafa Rubio y David Elorriaga.

– Coordinacion general, dirección artística, y contenidos,

– Marisa Tejada, Comunicación medios y redes Carlos.

– Rivas y Pilar Bobadilla.

– Valentin Oliveros. Coordinación general.

– Thamatatto Graffitero

– Merian Zidan Lamaadi

– AFA Peña Sacra

– AMPA Los Abetos

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe

France: Coop-médias Invests in 5 Independent Media Outlets

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION . .

An article from Coop-Medias

One year after its creation, Coop-médias, the citizen cooperative that supports, promotes, and defends independent media, has reached a key milestone in its mission to promote media pluralism: funding independent media outlets.

Basta!, Fracas, Marsactu, Street-Press, and Vert: these are the names of the first five media outlets supported by Coop-médias, one year before its launch in October 2024. From among the dozen or so projects submitted, these five outlets were chosen by the cooperative’s Board of Directors, which prioritized the potential to strengthen their business models as well as their impact on media pluralism and quality.


Why raise funds?

Largely underfunded by both public programs and the private banking system, independent media outlets struggle to invest in developing stable business models. Coop-médias addresses this need by raising citizen savings to finance media projects of general interest, essential for media pluralism.

(continued on right column)

(Click here for the French original of this article.)

Questions related to this article:

Free flow of information, How is it important for a culture of peace?

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

(continued from left column)

Indeed, thanks to its cooperative model based on citizen participation, pooling resources, and transparency, Coop-médias raised over €850,000 in its first year of operation, €250,000 of which will be allocated to this initial funding.

So, what exactly will they do with this money?

Basta! – €50,000 over 4 years: creation of an online portal for independent media offering an alternative to Google News with over 80 French and 250 international sources, to increase the visibility of the richness and diversity of the independent press.

Fracas – €55,000 over 7 years: funding for a new editorial format, a hybrid of traditional journalism and a manual, designed to encourage mobilization around major societal issues, beginning with the publication of a first special issue: “A Manual for Media Response.”

Marsactu – €30,000 over 5 years: complete overhaul of the community management system (subscribers, newsletters, social media, etc.) on a shared technical platform across multiple media outlets. Local independents to reduce dependence on Big Tech.

StreetPress  – €50,000 over 4 years: strengthening the media outlet’s economic tools with a view to increasing coverage of the far right in France and redesigning the website with an eco-design and digital commons approach that can benefit the ecosystem.

Vert  – €50,000 over 5 years: developing podcast content production and structuring the video department with the aim of creating new, innovative, and accessible formats to reach new audiences and strengthen its impact on environmental issues.
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Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Spain: Four Days of Activities for Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

An article by Gabriel Aguirre in World Beyond War

Barcelona, Spain was the location of a meeting of various organizations and activists organized by the Delàs Center for Peace and the International Peace Bureau — of which World BEYOND War is a member.


Conference of the International Peace Bureau

On Thursday, October 23, a peace conference was organized, which had the title “Pacifism in Times of Genocide and Rearmament.” At the event activists from Palestine, researchers, and representatives of organizations shared their reflections on the current global political context. For his part, Gabriel Aguirre, organizer for Latin America of World BEYOND War, shared the urgency of raising the complaint against the current threats by the U.S. government in the Caribbean, through the militarization of this area with the aim of militarily attacking Venezuela.

The event continued on Friday with the use of working groups that addressed thematic axes related to: “Global Disarmament and Militarization”, “Geopolitical Changes and reform of Global governance”, “Solidarity with Palestine and the People who are victims of militarization around the world”, and “Peace, Climate, Social and Gender Justice.” These spaces served to exchange visions and build proposals for common actions.

(article continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

(article continued from left column)

During the weekend of October 25 and 26, the triennial meeting of the International Peace Bureau was held, with the objective of evaluating the work, and advancing in strategic planning.

During this meeting the global situation was also evaluated, where Gabriel Aguirre was able to mention the serious situation of militarization in Latin America, through the deployment of troops in several countries, and more recently in the Caribbean, with the presence of warships, nuclear-capable submarines, with the support of the Southern Command and the IV Fleet, as well as the use of United States and NATO military bases on the continent, this should undoubtedly alert the global peace movement to speak about the true interests of this deployment protected by the false narrative of combating drug cartels. U.S. actions have the goal of seizing strategic resources in Latin America. The collective call of all attendees was to reinforce solidarity with all of Latin America and particularly Venezuela and Colombia.

In recent days, we have shared a petition to denounce the current situation in the Caribbean, if you have not yet signed it we ask that you do so here.

The activity also highlighted Spain’s role in responding negatively to the United States’ desire to increase the military budgets of NATO members.

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Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

More than half a million march in London to demand lasting peace in Gaza

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Qazi Zaid from the Middle East Eye

Hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators took to the streets of central London on Saturday, calling for lasting peace in Gaza, a day after the ceasefire took effect.

According to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which organised the demonstrations against Israel’s genocide in Gaza along with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Muslim Association of Britain, Friends of Al Aqsa and Palestinian Forum in Britain among others, more than 600,000 people joined the march.


Some 500,000 march through Whitehall to demand lasting peace in Gaza, London, 11 October 2025 (Supplied)

PSC director Ben Jamal said that the plan put forward by US President Donald Trump was “not a plan for enduring peace”, adding that it fails to address “the root cause of violence”.

He vowed that demonstrations would continue “until the Palestinian people are finally free”, even as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced new measures to restrict demonstrations, saying they had caused fear within the Jewish community. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government was considering potential action against specific chants used at pro-Palestine rallies.

Saturday’s protest marked the 32nd national demonstration since Israel’s military campaign began, PSC said.

Protestors carried Palestinian flags, banners calling for an end to UK arms sales to Israel and placards demanding accountability. 

The protests come after the US-brokered ceasefire took effect on Friday, easing more than two years of bombardment by Israel that has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians since October 2023. 

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory in September said Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli military on Friday announced it had begun preparations to “partially” pull back troops.

According to the initial stages of the deal, Israel will withdraw to a designated line, and Hamas will release around 20 living captives, along with the bodies of about 25 others.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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Israeli Army Radio on Friday announced that the interior ministry in Israel has published the names of 250 Palestinian captives who will be released as part of the ceasefire agreement.

The report said that 100 of these Palestinians held in prisons will be allowed to leave for the West Bank, and five will head to Jerusalem. 

The US military on Saturday said following the announcement of the ceasefire, Israel had completed the first phase of withdrawal from Gaza.

However, despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have killed at least 17 Palestinians and wounded 71 others in the past 24 hours, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Israeli forces also shelled areas across the Gaza Strip.

The truce officially began in the early hours of Friday, after receiving final approval from the Israeli government. However, air strikes, artillery fire and gunshots were reported in Gaza City and Khan Younis. 

The United Nations has said that 170,000 metric tons of humanitarian aid have already been positioned in neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Egypt and that officials were awaiting permission from Israeli forces to restart their work. 

Unicef on Friday called for all crossings into Gaza to be opened, saying children in the territory were especially vulnerable because they have gone without proper food for long periods. 

Gaza’s civil defence has said that some 9,500 people are still missing under the rubble across Gaza and its teams have begun rescue operations, recovering the bodies of some 155 people so far. 

According to the agency, 500,000 displaced Palestinians have arrived in  Gaza City since the ceasefire took hold on Friday. People have erected makeshift tents on the rubble, but lack adequate shelter as aid is not due to enter the Strip until tomorrow.

Some 700,000 people were displaced from Gaza City and the north by intense Israeli bombardment and raids in the region.

Gaza’s Government Media Office has called for a war crimes probe and asked for “the international community, the United Nations, all international and legal organisations, and the International Criminal Court to hold the leaders of Israel accountable and to not grant them any political or legal immunity”.

The media office said it wanted the formation of an independent international committee to investigate war crimes and genocide and ensure the return and compensation of all displaced people. 

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Europe, Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

Paris Anti-War Conference

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

Email received from No to Nato List

COUNTERFIRE – October 8, 2025 – Welfare not warfare goes international 

An international mass meeting against war and genocide took place on Sunday in Paris. Four thousand people, including delegations from nineteen countries, filled out the Dome de Paris. The arena was a sea of Palestine flags and flags of socialist and anti-war organisations.

The scale of the meeting was a breakthrough for the international movement against genocide in Gaza and the rearmament of Europe. …

Following the Italian general strike, unions in Spain have called a national walkout on 15 October. Activists from Germany, Denmark and Portugal spoke about how the national demonstrations in London have given inspiration and confidence to activists in their countries to organise their own mass demonstrations.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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There was a great feeling of unity and solidarity, but also a sense of urgency. European governments have been central to facilitating Israel’s genocide, in prolonging the war in Ukraine, and in spending hundreds of billions more on weapons. 

The meeting demanded ‘not a penny, not a weapon, not a human life for war.’

StoptheWar Coalition – October 8, 2025 – International meeting in Paris  

Activists and politicians from Europe and North America have held an anti-war conference in Paris. The event was aimed at coordinating the European-wide opposition to the Genocide in Gaza and the war drive of the European Union. 

150 delegates from 20 different countries and more than 4,000 people attending the meeting. Below the broadcast of the meeting in English. Speakers from many countries.

At about 1,48 min an overview of the huge size of the event.

https://www.youtube.com/live/lXG4g2iFj5E

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Students Stage Walkouts in Dozens of Spanish Cities to ‘Stop the Genocide’ in Gaza

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Brett Wilkins from Common Dreams (reprinted  under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Tens of thousands of students walked out of classrooms in cities and towns across Spain on Thursday to protest Israel’s ongoing US-backed genocide in Gaza and abduction of Global Sumud Flotilla members, dozens of whom are Spanish.


Students in Málaga, Spain march behind a banner reading “Stop Everything to Stop the Genocide” on October 2, 2025. (Photo by Jesus Merida/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The National Students’ Union organized Thursday’s protests under the slogan “stop the genocide against the Palestinian people.” Demonstrations, which took part in at least 39 cities and towns, varied in size from small groups to thousands who turned out in Barcelona and the capital Madrid, where students held banners with messages like “Stop Everything to Stop the Genocide,” “All Eyes on the Global Sumud Flotilla,” and “Free Palestine!”

“We’re not going to look the other way,” the union said in a statement. “The Palestinian cause is the cause of the youth and the millions who stand for human rights and social justice. That is why… we called the general student strike to empty the classrooms and fill the streets with dignity.”

Maria, a Spanish student interviewed by Turkey’s Anadolu Ajansı in Madrid, said: “While young people like us are being killed and subjected to genocide in Palestine, we cannot be in class. The whole world must do everything it can to stop this genocide.”

Another Madrid protester, Francesca—an Italian student studying in Spain—told Anadolu that “we must pressure governments to stop Israel.”

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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“Allowing genocide in full view of the world is unacceptable,” she added. “The killing of women, children, and students in Palestine must end.”

In Barcelona—whose former leftist Mayor Ada Colau was among the dozens of Spaniards who set sail for Gaza from the port city—an estimated 6,500 students and others took to the streets Thursday.

“What I can do is be here, with my presence,” student Donia Armani told El País. “The more people, the better; so the Palestinians will not be alone.”

Armani’s mother added, “The Palestinians are like a brotherly people, we feel a lot from the absurd images we see.”

Ana, a 14-year-old student protesting in Barcelona, said: “I think it’s very bad what’s happening,” adding that Israel does “not let food arrive and also bombs them, which causes many, especially small children, to die, and I am very sorry.”

Thursday’s walkouts took place as Israeli forces continued assaulting Gaza on Thursday, killing scores of Palestinians amid a backdrop of ongoing famine and forced displacement. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed at least 66,225 Palestinians in Gaza, although experts say the actual death toll is much higher. At least 168,938 other Palestinians have been wounded, and thousands more are missing and presumed dead.

Spain’s socialist-led government has been a leading critic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, taking numerous proactive steps including cutting off arms transfers to the erstwhile ally, prohibiting the shipment of fuel to the Israeli military, formally recognizing Palestinian statehood, and backing South Africa’s genocide case currently before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry says at least 30 Spaniards are among the many Global Sumud Flotilla activists seized by Israeli forces in international waters overnight Thursday while attempting to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza.

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