Category Archives: Europe

EDUCATION: Imagine programme helping to reconcile divided Cyprus

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from Financial Mirror

Educational programme “Imagine” which addresses primary, lower and upper secondary and vocational schools managed to bring together 3665 students and 397 teachers from more than a 100 Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot schools from across Cyprus in the last two academic years.

The Bi-communal Technical Committee on Education, which was established after the agreement between the two leaders, Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akinci, in December 2015, continues its efforts to implement confidence-building measures in schools of the two educational systems and promote contact and co-operation between students and educators from the two communities.

Also, a new initiative to advance the programme was introduced this academic year that includes island-wide study visits.

Study visits are designed in a way to provide students with an opportunity to collaborate with each other and integrate new perspectives with cultural heritage environments to enhance learning initiatives.

A total of 150 students from 3 Turkish Cypriot and 3 Greek Cypriot schools joined the pilot phase of the study visit initiative ‘Learning from Nicosia’ that took place in both parts of the Nicosia walled city.

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Question related to this article:

Can Cyprus be reunited in peace?

Solidarity across national borders, What are some good examples?>

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Another new initiative to advance the efforts of the committee, training of teachers, was introduced this academic year.

The overall aim of the teacher training is to help increase contact and cooperation between teachers of the two communities in Cyprus, based on a holistic understanding of developing their knowledge, skills and attitudes on education for a culture of peace and non-violence.

A total of ten mono-communal training sessions took place with the participation of 254 teachers from all districts of Cyprus and two bi-communal training sessions by international experts took place with the participation of 50 Greek Cypriot and 50 Turkish Cypriot teachers.

“Imagine”, taking place under the auspices of the Bi-Communal Technical Committee of Education and implemented by the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) and the Home for Cooperation (H4C) with the support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus has just successfully completed the second year on June 21.

Grounded in a holistic understanding of a culture of peace and non-violence, the programme is being implemented in two stages: in the first stage, experienced trainers visit the schools of participating students and teachers in both communities to facilitate activities that deal with stereotypes, extremism and intolerance, paving the way for voluntary bi-communal contact at the Home for Cooperation (H4C).

Then, in the second stage, groups of students from the two communities, who wish to participate, are paired and meet in the buffer zone where they take part in either peace education workshops with the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) or sports activities with Peace Players International.
All teachers who have participated in “Imagine” were invited for a ceremony and were awarded certificates of participation.

Efforts of the technical committee on education and particularly the ‘Imagine’ peace education programme has received special praise by the UN Secretary-General in his latest Reports on the United Nations operation in Cyprus.

Europe, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

The projects to be showcased at the Paris Peace Forum 2019

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Press release from the Paris Peace Forum

In response to its annual Call for Projects, the Paris Peace Forum received more than 700 applications from project leaders in 115 countries seeking to expand their impact by participating in the 2019 Forum event. The one hundred projects chosen by the Selection Committee reflect a truly global perspective, representing all regions of the world. This year, nearly half (48%) are already implementing their projects across several continents or globally. Others are predominantly concentrated in Africa (12%), Asia (11%), Central and Latin America (10%), and the Middle East (7%).


A diversity of actors

Multi-stakeholder solutions are the key to addressing today’s complex global challenges. Crafting solutions together is the only path forward. The selected projects are led by several types of organizations, in particular states (8 projects), international organizations (17 projects), NGOs (34 projects), foundations (4 projects), and think tanks (6 projects) – reflecting some of the many actors that are actively working to make change happen.

Solutions to go beyond rhetoric

The Forum is centered on those who implement concrete solutions to the cross-cutting challenges of today’s world. From 11 to 13 November at la Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris, these selected project leaders will be able to showcase their innovative work in areas of peace and security, development, environment, new technologies, inclusive economy, and culture & education. It will be an opportunity for them to develop, energize, and raise visibility to their project by reaching thousands of actors from across sectors and specialties. Their participation will also bring invaluable practical insight to the Forum and facilitate the exchange of best practices on the most pressing challenges the world faces.

Project selected to participate include:
 
Wan Fambul = National Framework for Inclusive Governance and Local Developpement by Office of the Vice President of Sierra Leone
 Peace and security | Africa (Sierra Leone)

Wan Fambul Framework is designed to facilitate inclusive governance, community-centered, sustainable rural development leading to resilient and cohesive communities across Sierra Leone. The process has built structures to resolve long-standing conflict and engage communities to champion their own recovery and Development.

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Click here for the version in French)

Question(s) related to this article:

Global meetings, conferences, assemblies, What is the best way for delegates to interact afterwards?

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D50 Enterprise Digital Economy Summit by China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (CECC)
Inclusive Economy | Asia (China)

Based on the Charter of the United Nations and established international norms, the Entreprise Digital Economy Summit of Fifty Countries (D50) advocates for the principles of equity and justness, openness and transparency, co-negotiation, co-construction and mutual sharing, jointly establishing a consensus platform for dialogue, communication, cooperation and development among the global digital economies.
 
OKA: facilitating migrant access to information by Igarapé Institute
New Technologies | Latin and Central America (Brazil
)
Information is one of the first casualties of displacement crises. The OKA mobile phone app fills part of this knowledge gap by providing up to date geolocated data on federal-level public services in Brazil in areas such as housing, education, health, social, and legal assistance, communities, employment, and emergencies for voluntary and forces migrants.
 
Ecosystems, Companies, Sustainable Development: Rating in Protection the Earth by Socio-Ecological Union (SEU)
Environment | Eastern Europe and Central Asia

In line with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the objective is to assess the environmental impact of companies on the biosphere. The major companies of Russia and Kazakhstan have already been evaluated. The project can contribute to more social responsibility and corporate transparency of business in each country of the world, for each transnational company.
 
Akhlaquna by Qatar Foundation 
Culture and education | Middle East (Qatar)

How can we encourage people to continue doing good in the face of encumbering challenges? How do we ensure that virtue and morality are leading? Akhlaquna aims to award and support youth individuals to seek out change. It is a notion that can bring about a ripple-effect worldwide, and that can be replicated and sustained given that it depends on human effort.
 
Model Drug Law – national engagement in West Afrique and replication in one region by Global Commission on Drug Policy
Development | Africa

The project will target national policy makers, key civil society organizations, and journalists to significantly and sustainably strengthen the capacity for improved drug laws in West Africa. Given significant similarities, a replication for Eastern and Southern Africa where countries are affected by a heroin trafficking route is planned.
 
DISCOVER THE COMPLETE LIST HERE

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Czech Republic: Prague crowds demand PM Andrej Babis step down

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

A report by Emmanuelle Chaze from Deutsche Welle (reprinted by permission)

Hundreds of thousands of anti-Babis activists flooded the center of Prague on Sunday [June 23] in the culmination of anti-government protests.

“Judging from the aerial photos, it looks like we’re about 250,000,” said Mikulas Minar, head of Million Moments for Democracy, the NGO organizing the protest, as crowds were filling Prague’s central Letna square earlier on Sunday.


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Carolina, a flight attendant from the south of the country, told DW she had traveled to Prague to take part in the protests because it “has simply become too much.”

“That’s why people from all across the country came here today, to show that it isn’t simply the people in the capital that are angry.”

Hannah, 31, a saleswoman, said she no longer agrees with the government: “Even in his own party (ANO), there are people against Babis who didn’t want him as a prime minister … now I think it is our turn to show that we disagree with how things are done.”

Previously, some 400,000 people signed a petition calling on billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis to step down amid allegations of fraud. The rallies were triggered after Babis appointed a close ally as the country’s new justice minister at a time when prosecutors are deciding on a potential indictment against him.

Many Babis opponents also claim the 64-year-old politician had collaborated with the communist secret police before the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

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Questions related to this article:

How effective are mass protest marches?

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Corruption and anti-corruption

Babis has built his reputation as the founder and head of his business empire Agrofert, which started in the early 1990s and grew to become the Czech Republic’s biggest private employer, encompassing over 250 companies.

The billionaire entered politics in 2011 by founding the ANO (YES) party on an anti-corruption platform, becoming finance minister and deputy prime minister in 2014. He was forced out of the Cabinet in 2017 over allegations of tax fraud and suspicious business dealings. However, the crisis brought down the government and triggered a parliamentary election, which saw Babis’ ANO place far ahead of its rivals.

During the campaign, Babis was hounded by charges of defrauding the EU for around €2 million ($2.28 million) in 2007. He has denied any wrongdoing.

In April this year, police said Babis should stand trial over the alleged fraud. Babis rejected the move as a political plot against him. When Justice Minister Jan Knezinek resigned over the probe, Babis replaced him with his own longtime adviser Marie Benesova.

Last month, Babis found himself fending off another crisis when preliminary results of a European Commission audit were leaked to the public. According to the draft document, Babis has a conflict of interest as his companies benefit from EU funding. Specifically, it found that Agrofert should not have received €17.4 million in EU subsidies. The prime minister dismissed it as “an attack on the Czech Republic.”

He also pledged not to resign.

Risky vote of no confidence

The opposition has called a no-confidence vote for next week. To oust Babis, the opposition would need to have his coalition partners, the Social Democrats, side against him, or have the Communist Party revoke their parliamentary support for the government.

However, some observers believe Babis could also turn to the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy party to stay in power.

A state attorney is set to decide whether Babis will go on trial over subsidies later this year.

Europe, HUMAN RIGHTS

Ivan Golunov case: Russian media mark victory over police

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An article from Deutsche Welle

After an unprecedented public outcry, Russian police have dropped questionable drug charges against investigative journalist Ivan Golunov and freed him from house arrest. What caused authorities to back down?


Three top newspapers covering Ivan Golunov’s arrest were in total solidarity: “I am/We are Ivan Golunov,” they read

There is an unwritten rule in Russia that when someone is arrested, that person will also be tried and sentenced. But on Tuesday [June 11], this rule was broken when drug possession charges against 36-year-old investigative reporter Ivan Golunov were dropped. Golunov, who writes for the dissident Meduzaonline platform, had maintained that Russian police were trying to frame him. Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has now announced that those responsible for the trial will be fired.

Exceptional display of solidarity

In an exceptional display of solidarity, three leading liberal Russian newspapers — Vedomosti, Kommersant and RBK —  ran identical front pages  on Monday [June 10] declaring: “I am/We are Ivan Golunov.” Even pro-Kremlin, state-run media outlets and major television stations demanded Golunov be treated fairly.

Last weekend, pro-Golunov rallies were also held outside Russia’s embassy in Berlin. A spokesperson for the German government on Tuesday told DW that it welcomes Golunov’s release, saying: “The government is carefully monitoring Russian developments and the treatment of journalists, opposition politicians and civil society.” After various smaller pro-Golunov rallies in Russia over the past days, thousands had planned to take to the streets on Wednesday in support of the journalist, even though authorities had not approved the protest.

Until recently, few Russians were familiar with Ivan Golunov’s name. Yet Meduza, the online platform for which he writes, is widely known and respected throughout the country. It was founded in 2014 by exiled dissident journalists in the Latvian capital, Riga, and grew to become one of the most widely read Russian-language media outlets in the world. The site is particularly popular among the urban middle class.

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Question(s) related to this article:

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

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Golunov mainly publishes investigative reports exposing corruption in the Russian capital, for example regarding the procurement of plants or New Year’s Eve decorations for a party. Recently, the journalist had been researching illicit practices within the funeral industry and reportedly received threats.

In past years, Russians have repeatedly showed solidarity with individuals suspected of being prosecuted on the basis of trumped-up charges, like star director Kirill Serebrennikovor respected Chechen human rights activist Oyub Titiyev. But the massive pro-Golunov rallies of recent times surpassed these displays of solidarity by far.

Golunov’s case bears similarities to Titiyev’s, though the latter was sentenced for alleged drug possession. On Monday, however, word got out that the human rights activist would soon be released from jail. The announcement is seen as a move to ease tensions.

Further demonstrations loomed

There seem to be several explanations as to why Golunov’s case was thrown out. One is that those who had brought him to trial had not expected the tremendous show of solidarity in the media. When Russia’s three major liberal papers publicly sided with the investigative reporter, Golunov’s arrest transformed into a high-profile case. On the other hand, street clashes and anti-police violence could have followed, in particular due to Wednesday being Russia’s national holiday.

For months, pollsters have been documenting a growing willingness among Russians to protest. Russia’s government, which appears concerned by this development, has started giving in to the will of the people. Several weeks ago, for instance, Russian authorities surprisingly stopped the planned construction of a church in a popular Yekaterinburg park  after citizens protested against the move.

Appeasing Russians ahead of live Q & A?

The timing of Golunov’s release may also have to do with the Direct Line television show planned for June 20th, an annual live show during which Russians can phone in and ask President Vladimir Putin questions on air. Some media outlets had reported that the Kremlin had sought to sort out the Golunov case ahead of the live Q&A show, but Putin’s spokesperson denied this was so.
  
A further explanation for Golunov’s swift release may be that Putin plans to visit western Europe in early July and does not want the case to overshadow his trip. So far, it has been confirmed that the Russian leader will meet the Pope in Rome. And in spring, unconfirmed reports surfaced that Putin intends to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Petersburg Dialogue civil society summit near Bonn. Moreover, accusations of arbitrarily charging a dissident journalist would not cast Russia in a favorable light just as the country is set to rejoin the Council of Europe, the continent’s main human rights body.

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

International Institute for Peace Education 2019: Cyprus

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An announcement from the International Institute for Peace Education

The 2019 International Institute for Peace Education (IIPE) will be held in Nicosia, Cyprus at the Home for Cooperation (H4C)  from July 21 to July 28, 2019. This year’s institute is organized in partnership with the IIPE Secretariat and the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR).

IIPE 2019: Cyprus will convene educators from around the globe for a week-long, residential, learning community experience in peace education. A rich exchange of peacebuilding research, academic theory, best practices, and actions will be shared with participants from around the world through IIPE’s evolving dialogical, cooperative, and intersubjective modes of reflective inquiry and experiential learning.

IIPE 2019 will focus on global issues of particular relevance to Cyprus and the adjoining region of the Mediterranean, North Africa, Southern Europe, and the Middle East – the intersection of Asia, Africa and Europe. This region is characterized on the one hand, by turmoil and tension, and on the other by the rich perpetual movements of people, ideas and experiences. While peoples’ past and present are presented in grey terms, their shared history(-ies) of coexistence, cooperation and exchange are often neglected in official discourses. In this context, recent developments with regards to war, terrorism, migration and refugedom have led to the creation of monolithic narratives and rigid identities. These excluding narratives perpetuate violent conflicts and structural conditions that limit opportunities for sustainable peace and development. IIPE 2019 will emphasize the role of educators on all levels in addressing conflict in creative ways and offering alternatives to violence in contexts such as the Cypriot one. Educating for practical and theoretical methods is of paramount importance for the creation of inclusive identities and a critical hope for the region, and for humanity as a whole.

Being concerned with reconciliation and abetting conflict, we peace educators, theorists, researchers, students, and activists together face a serious challenge. On the one hand, dynamic transitions and tensions shape our present world: new movements of peoples are working for more dignity and inclusion, while at the same time forces of power are consolidating in ways that challenge how local, regional and global citizens can contribute to this vibrant transition in nonviolent, humanizing and ecologically viable ways. IIPE 2019 Cyprus’s inquiry is centered on how might we collectively frame the challenges we face in our diverse, particular, and shared spheres? How can a relational paradigm for peace help us theorize these challenges for more dignity, inclusion, and coordination? As we engage in deep listening and critical and reflective dialogue, what new understandings will we reach? What creative practices will emerge? In examining crossover issues, we aim to bring our best selves in relation to each other so that we might meld together our best theoretical, educational, and activist practices.

Peace education and its intersections with history, political theory, conflict studies, reconciliation, the philosophy of peace, justice, and democracy in challenging times are among the areas of inquiry that will be most relevant at IIPE 2019. Applicants are invited to offer contributions on these and other thematic areas including, but not limited to:

* Identities (and anti-racist education) in divided and/or multi-faith, multi-ethnic and culturally and linguistically diverse societies

* Memory and remembrance (collective memory, communal memory, family history and memory, memory transmitted through celebrations, museums, monuments, oral history, understanding of heritage…)

* National celebrations (memory transmitted through ceremonies, anniversaries, memorials, commemorations and celebrations)

* The philosophical basis for reconciliation and peace

* Dialogue for reconciliation

* History teaching and historical dialogue as means for peacebuilding: the role of history education in conflict or post-conflict communities; peace and reconciliation; teaching history in divided societies; history education and values, beliefs and human rights

* Gender and peacebuilding in divided societies; gender and history

* Civil society, global citizenship, and local participation

* Youth and entrepreneurship

* Public space and deliberation; the city as an educating agent

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Question for this article:

Peace Studies in School Curricula, What would it take to make it happen around the world?

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Experiencing Cyprus

Cyprus, the island of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, has been separated for over 50 years, and, apart from a divided capital, barricades, barbwires and checkpoints, it offers numerous opportunities for exploring ancient and recent civilizations and experiencing, first hand, manifestations of the willingness to defeat time and space barriers and create spaces for creativity, imagination and sharing. The ‘wondering peace educator’ will be offered the chance to explore issues of memory and remembrance, conflicting narratives and identity and public history, while, at the same time, he/she will engage in the exchange of ideas and examples on breakthrough initiatives that have the potential to turn the island into a hub of innovation in the fields of History for Reconciliation and Education for a Culture of Peace.

In particular, all participants will have the opportunity to experience the contextual conditions existing in Cyprus regarding the conflict and become acquainted with local breakthrough initiatives on history as a means for reconciliation and education for a culture of peace. This will be enhanced through an Open Public Day, excursion(s), and unique cultural experiences in Cyprus. IIPE 2019 will also facilitate an exchange with Cypriot educators, from all communities, via the Open Public Day, which will feature immersion and exchange opportunities exploring global obstacles and possibilities for peacebuilding through education in other contexts.

About The Association for Historical Dialogue & Research (AHDR)

The Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR), based at the Home for Cooperation (H4C) which is a hub for intercommunal collaboration, dialogue, and education for a culture of peace, is the host and core resource for IIPE 2019’s thematic focus.

The AHDR is a unique multi-communal, non-for-profit, non-governmental organization established in Nicosia in 2003 that envisions a society where dialogue on issues of history, historiography and history teaching and learning is considered a means for the advancement of historical understanding and critical thinking and is welcomed as an integral part of democracy and a culture of peace. The AHDR contributes to the advancement of historical understanding amongst the public and more specifically amongst children, youth, and educators by providing access to learning opportunities for individuals of every ability and every ethnic, religious, cultural, and social background, based on the respect for diversity and the dialogue of ideas.

Since its establishment, the AHDR has broadened its mission by promoting peace education in formal and non-formal settings and is currently bringing together school children of all ages from all communities on the island through the implementation of the ‘Imagine’ Project which has received acclaim from the UN Secretary General for its role in promoting contact and cooperation between the future generations of Cyprus.

Cyprus, through the work of AHDR and H4C, is recognized as a regional center for offering state-of-the-art services for education for peacebuilding and dialogue as a means for reconciliation.

About the International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE)

The International Institute on Peace Education is a weeklong residential experience for educators and scholars hosted in a different country every other summer. The Institute facilitates exchanges of theory and practical experiences in teaching peace education and serves to grow the field. In serving the field, the IIPE operates as an applied peace education laboratory that provides a space for pedagogical experimentation; cooperative, deep inquiry into shared issues; and advancing theoretical, practical and pedagogical applications. Since its inauguration at Teachers College Columbia University in 1982, the IIPE has brought together experienced and aspiring educators, academics, professional workers, and activists in the field of peace education from around the world to exchange knowledge and experiences and learn with and from each other in its intensive residentially based learning community.

Held annually at various universities and peace centers throughout the world, the IIPE is also an opportunity for networking and community building. that has spawned a variety of collaborative research projects and peace education initiatives at the local, regional, and international levels. The International Peace Bureau, in nominating IIPE for the 2005 UNESCO Peace Education Prize described it as “probably the most effective agent for the introduction of peace education to more educators than any other single non-governmental agency.” The objectives of each particular institute are rooted in the needs and transformational concerns of the co-sponsoring host partner, their local community, and the surrounding region. More widely, the educational purposes of the IIPE are directed toward the development of the field of peace education in theory, practice, and advocacy.

Applications are due March 15, 2019, and will be reviewed by the end of March/early April. Be sure to apply early for full consideration.

*The application deadline for IIPE 2019 has passed and we are no longer accepting applications.

Sponsorship and Support

IIPE 2019 is supported by a generous grant from the  Federal Foreign Office of Germany.

The conference is also under the aegis of the President of the European Parliament with the support of the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe, global,

Conference of European Churches Peace Conference 2019

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

An announcement from the Conference of European Churches

CEC [Conference of European Churches] will be holding a Peace Conference from 10 to 12 September 2019 at the Institut Protestant de Théologie, Paris, France. 

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Question for this article

Religion: a barrier or a way to peace?, What makes it one or the other?

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The conference will be held as part of the CEC 60th anniversary this year, focusing on the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, identifying its legacies and the hard lessons learnt from the European and global past, and search for new and creative ways of peace building in the 21st Century.

This conference will also identify the current threats to peace in Europe and will articulate the challenges presented by the global experiences of the 21st century. In doing so, it will draw inspiration from the role and work of the Conference of European Churches as an ecumenical organisation engaged with peacebuilding, reconciliation and the healing of memories.

The 2019 Peace Conference will reflect on the contemporary world and identify a theological way of living and acting that can enable CEC and its Member Churches to engage faithfully and practically in transformation, healing and reconciliation.

For more information, contact Ms Charlie Belot (cbelot@cec-kek.be).

Europe, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Peacecamp Steinwenden, Germany, 28 June

. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

An article from the Ramstein Campagne

Between 23 and 30 June 2019, for the 5th year, a series of actions will be promoted to protest the continuation of the Ramstein Air Base – one of the biggest US-American military basis in the world, located in Germany. On this occasion, the campaign „Stopp Air Base Ramstein“ – together with the International Peace Bureau (IPB), the „No to War – No to NATO International Network“ & the European Left – invites you to the International Conference „Wars and Military Bases“, taking place on 28 June at the Apostelkirche in Kaiserslautern (Germany).

The meeting will be an opportunity for the peace movement to analyse the current international political situation, to report on actions around the world, and to discuss future actions and projects.

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Question for this article:

How can we be sure to get news about peace demonstrations?

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We live in a time of wars and violence. The armament race has been growing, especially among the NATO countries. Their goal: 2% of country’s GDP for war and war preparations. Foreign military bases play an important role in the policy of confrontation: they are a crucial element for the preparation of yet new wars, the promotion of regime changes and the nurture of repression. While the USA has, by far, the highest number of military bases outside its territory (currently over 800), countries such as the UK, France, Russia and China also rely on military bases to project and enlarge their power.
We believe that sustainable peace and international security are best achieved by pursuing an approach of common security that is based on cooperation, trust, understanding, diplomacy and respect. Foreign military bases are not compatible with this vision: they represent constant threats of military action and the subsequent destruction that war casts over human life, nature, environment and infrastructure.
Due to our limited financial means, we cannot cover travel and accommodation costs. If you have any questions and/or comments, contact Reiner Braun at hr.braun@gmx.net. The conference will be conducted in English.
 
Download the program >

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

Europe: Call for participants – International Youth Camp “Dialogue”

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An announcement from the Council of Europe

The Council of Europe Youth Department and the National Youth Council of Russia are co-organising the X International Youth Camp “Dialogue” to be held from 3 to 9 August 2019 (including arrival and departure days) at the Tourist-cultural centre “Ethnomir” (Kaluga region, Russian Federation).


Click on image to enlarge

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Question for this article

Youth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?

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The Dialogue Camp will bring together more than 200 youth leaders and youth workers from a wide range of ethnic, religious and cultural background from Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States countries and different regions of the Russian Federation. The focus of the camp in 2019 will be the development of competences of youth workers and exchange of practices of youth NGOs working in the area of intercultural dialogue in order to emphasise the role of youth NGOs in promoting the culture of peace and preventing extremism, discrimination and exclusion in the society.

The camp is a part of the 2019 Programme of activities of the Framework Programme on co-operation between the Council of Europe and the Russian Federation in the youth field.

All interested candidates from the states party to the European Cultural Convention (other than the Russian Federation)are invited to apply by 3 pm (CET) on 25 June 2019 by filling in the online application form available at https://youthapplications.coe.int/Application-forms

All interested candidates from the Russian Federation are invited to complete an online application form by 10 am (Moscow time) on 10 July 2019:  https://forms.gle/LSXwRtavSvJNeKYm6

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Youth for climate: 130 scientists support the youth climate strike

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from LCI

APPEAL – 130 scientists working in the field of climate and environment have announced their support for the youth climate strike on Friday (May 24th). Among them Valérie Masson-Delmotte, Robert Vautard, or Jean Jouzel.

On Friday, May 24th, when young people from around the world once again take to the streets to warn about climate change, they will be able to count on the support of 130 scientists who announced their support of the youth climate strike. The movement warns about “the urgency of climate change” and the non-compliance with the commitments, citing the case of France.

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

Question for this article:

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

How can we ensure that science contributes to peace and sustainable development?

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“We, scientists in the field of climate and the environment, stand in solidarity with middle school students and students who are mobilized. How can not be worried about the future of the world?” The scientists include climatologists Valérie Masson-Delmotte, Robert Vautard, Jean Jouzel, Gilles Ramstein, the paleoclimatologist Elsa Cortijo and other researchers at the Pierre Simon Laplace Institute (ISPL), research in environmental sciences.

“For nearly 30 years, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and many scientific studies have sounded the alert on the urgeny of climate change (…), but nothing has changed”, they say. “In our country where the Paris Agreement was signed, which is highly symbolic, the commitments taken are not respected “, they continue .

“We support the mobilization of the younger generations, who will face tomorrow a world made more difficult by today’s inertia,” say the scientists, who say they are “available to provide (their) expertise and their knowledge to this mobilization”. On Thursday, the site youthforclimate.fr listed calls for the strike in more than 2,260 cities in 90 countries , including about a hundred cities in France.

In France, more than 85 associations and unions have joined the call to mobilize this Friday. For employees who can not join the strike, the collective “Citizens for the climate” suggests going to work with an armband to support the strikers or to speaking to the employer about global warming and the decline of biodiversity. More walks or bike rides are planned in 80 cities, mainly in France, although not in Paris.

Europe, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Cyprus: Teachers from both sides attend seminars on peace education

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Cyprus Mail (reprinted by permission)

Teachers from both sides of the divide attended two seminars on peace education on Saturday organised by the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Education.

In total 100 teachers – 50 Greek Cypriots and 50 Turkish Cypriots – participated in two bicommunal training sessions by international experts which took place at the Home for Cooperation in the Nicosia buffer zone.


Questions for this article:

Can Cyprus be reunited in peace?

What is the relation between peace and education?

The co-chairs of the committee, Dr Meltem Onurkan Samani and Dr Michalinos Zembylas also took part in the teacher training that is part of the ‘Imagine’ peace education programme. Participants were trained on how to promote peace, anti-racism and human rights through education.

This is a new initiative introduced during the current academic year by the committee. The committee was established after the agreement between the two leaders in December 2015, to implement confidence-building measures in the two educational systems. Part of the committee’s mandate is to promote contact and cooperation between students and educators from the two communities.

“The overall aim of the teacher training is to help increase contact and cooperation between teachers of the two communities in Cyprus, based on a holistic understanding of developing their knowledge, skills and attitudes on education for a culture of peace and non-violence,” a written statement said.

So far, 10 mono-communal training sessions have taken place with 250 teachers participating from all areas across the island.

‘Imagine’ is under the auspices of the Bi-Communal Technical Committee of Education and implemented by the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) and the Home for Cooperation (H4C) with the support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe