Category Archives: global

Nonviolent Peace Force Nominated for 2016 Nobel Peace Prize

. EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

A press release from the American Friends Service Committee

Nonviolent Peaceforce, an unarmed, paid civilian protection force which fosters dialogue among parties in conflict and provides a protective presence for threatened civilians, has been nominated for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).

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“Unarmed civilian protection is a method for direct protection of civilians and violence reduction that has grown in practice and recognition. In the last few years, it has especially proven its effectiveness to protect women and girls,” according to a UN report of October 2015 cited in its nominating letter by AFSC, a Quaker organization working for peace and justice across the U.S. and around the world.

“Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Nonviolent Peaceforce would highlight and strengthen their work and the work of other similar organizations, at a time when worldwide tensions seem to be at a boiling point, and their work is vital and relevant,” AFSC wrote.

“We are honored to be nominated. We are especially honored to have this nomination come from the American Friends Services Committee. This is a tribute to our courageous civilian peacekeepers who are at the frontline of violent conflicts around the world,” said Mel Duncan, co-founder, and Doris Mariani, CEO of Nonviolent Peaceforce.

Founded in 2002, Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) fielded its first intervention team one year later, in Sri Lanka. With headquarters in Brussels and an office in Minneapolis MN, NP field teams are presently deployed in the Philippines, in South Sudan, Myanmar, and the Middle East. Their field staff include veterans of conflict zones, experienced peacekeepers, and those new to the field.

Aware of the danger of neocolonial models of intervention, Nonviolent Peaceforce only serves in areas where they have been invited, and they conduct extensive and thorough interviews and research with all parties to a conflict before they decide whether or not to deploy teams to a conflict area.

NP is also clear that their goal is “to arrive to leave,” not intending to establish long-term presence, but seeking to address the conflict that caused their invitation, see it through to resolution, and then withdraw.

As part of its work, NP has reunited child soldiers with their families and helped create weapons-free zones in conflict areas. NP mitigates gender violence through their Women’s Security Teams, “which have dramatically lessened the number of rapes that South Sudanese women experience while gathering water or firewood for their families. In the past year, (NP) provided over 1,000 accompaniments for vulnerable people, primarily women and children, throughout South Sudan,” the AFSC wrote.

In 1947, AFSC and the British Friends Service Council accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of “Quakers everywhere.” Peace Prize laureates have the privilege to nominate candidates for this honor. The AFSC Nobel Nominating Committee includes a representative of Quaker Peace and Social Witness, the AFSC’s counterpart in Great Britain. For more on the nomination criteria, visit http://quakernobel.org/

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

Question for this article:
EDUCATION FOR PEACE, global

Amnesty International: 10 ways we’ve defended women’s rights in the past year

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Amnesty International

March 8th is International Women’s Day and we’re taking a moment to reflect on how your support has changed women’s lives around the world in the past year. From policy breakthroughs to freedom for courageous women human rights defenders, here are just a few of the ways you’ve defended women’s human rights and helped break down barriers for women and girls:

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1. The Canadian government announced an inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

For well over a decade, Amnesty International has stood alongside Indigenous women, families who have lost loved ones to violence, and so many others to call for an end to the disturbingly and unacceptably high rates of violence experienced by Indigenous women and girls. We have published reports, written letters, gathered petition signatures, joined vigils, and spoken out in the media, in Parliament and at the United Nations. And throughout it all we have stood with Indigenous women and families and let them know they are not alone in the struggle to end the violence.

Together, with your help, we are making strides. The tireless work of Amnesty supporters has helped generate a groundswell of public support for concrete action to end the violence.

In December, we welcomed the federal government’s announcement of a public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The announcement was a major breakthrough after years of government inaction.

So much lies ahead. We need your help to make sure that government commitments truly lead to an end to the violence. And your solidarity is crucial to making sure Indigenous women and families know they are not alone in their struggle to end the violence.

TAKE ACTION: Sign the pledge to stand with Indigenous women and families to end the violence

Learn more: No More Stolen Sisters

2. Burkina Faso has made commitments to end early and forced marriage

In December 2015, Burkina Faso adopted a national strategy and a three-year action plan to prevent and eliminate child marriage in the country. The strategy and plan came after the government committed to address the obstacles that women and girls face when trying to access sexual and reproductive health services and information. And in February, Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Civic Promotion committed to raise the legal age of marriage for girls to 18 years and to ensure that forced marriage is clearly defined in Burkina Faso’s criminal code. The government also committed to introducing free healthcare for pregnant women in an effort to reduce the number of maternal deaths.

Prior to these announcements, on December 10th, Amnesty International supporters Canada and around the world sent thousands of letters, emails and tweets to the government of Burkina Faso as part of our global Write for Rights letter-writing marathon. The government acknowledged in their February announcement that they have been receiving messages from around the world urging them to take immediate action to end this practice.

While these promises are a step in the right direction, we need your help to ensure these plans turn into real action.

TAKE ACTION: Sign our action calling on Burkina Faso to turn their plans to end early and forced marriage into real action

Learn more: Ending early and forced marriage in Burkina Faso

3. Miscarriage is not a crime: Justice for Guadalupe in El Salvador

In 2007, at just 18 years old, Carmen Guadalupe Vasquez was sentenced to 30 years in prison after suffering a miscarriage. She was wrongly accused of having an abortion, which is outlawed in all circumstances in El Salvador. She was one of 17 women in jail with lengthy sentences for being accused of having an abortion.

In January 2015, thanks to years of hard work by dedicated activists in El Salvador, El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly took a vote on whether to pardon Guadalupe. Amnesty International condemned the outcome of the vote and international pressure led to a re-vote being scheduled. In the days leading up to the re-vote, Amnesty supporters took to the internet to send a wave of messages to Assembly members urging them to release Guadalupe and the other jailed women. Guadalupe was finally pardoned and walked free from prison in February 2015.

Her exoneration is a victory in the long fight for women’s rights, but her story is tragically not unique. El Salvador continues to condemn thousands of women to death or decades behind bars by criminalizing pregnancy-related complications and prohibiting abortion even when a woman’s life depends on it. As part of our My Body My Rights campaign, Amnesty International has been campaigning to end El Salvador’s total ban on abortion.

TAKE ACTION: Sign our action calling for Teodora del Carmen Vásquez, another woman jailed in El Salvador for pregnancy-related complications, to be released now.

Learn more: Read our report on violations of sexual and reproductive rights in Latin America and the Caribbean

4. Five women’s rights defenders released on bail in China

Five Chinese activists decided to mark International Women’s Day in 2015 by launching a campaign against sexual harassment. They had made stickers to distribute, printed with slogans like “Go police, go arrest those who committed sexual harassment!”

Just before March 8th, authorities arrested them on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles.” Amnesty International swung into action, mobilizing our letter-writing Urgent Action Network to join the voices of activists from around the world.

The outcry secured the release of the five on April 13, 2015. However, the charges have yet to be removed and they still face a possible five year sentence. In fact, the Chinese government continues to harass and silence women’s rights defenders by threatening and arresting activists, even shutting down women’s rights organizations.

Women’s rights defenders can pay a high price for their dedication to advancing women’s human rights and empowerment. One such defender is Bahareh Hedayat, an Iranian student activist in prison for 10 years on charges including “insulting the president.” Bahareh is with a group known as the One Million Signatures campaign (also known as the Campaign for Equality), a grass-roots initiative to end legal discrimination against women in Iran.

TAKE ACTION: Sign our action calling on Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Bahareh Hedayat

5. You stood with sisters threatened with sexual punishment in India

In May 2015, 23-year-old Meenakshi Kumari and her 15-year-old sister fled their village in Baghpat, Utter Pradesh, to Delhi, fearing a backlash after their brother, Ravi, eloped with a married woman from a higher caste.

Sadly, their fears were confirmed when just days later their house was ransacked. Two months on, the village’s male-only unelected council (khap panchayat) ruled that Meenakshi and her teenage sister should be raped and paraded naked with their faces blackened as punishment for their brother’s actions.

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Question related to this article:

Protecting women and girls against violence, Is progress being made?

Abortion: is it a human right?

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Meenakshi, a Dalit woman, courageously reported the human rights violations. When Amnesty International India learned about their case, they rallied more than 500,000 Amnesty supporters worldwide to call for their protection.

The authorities took the concerns seriously. On September 16, India’s Supreme Court ordered Delhi police to provide protection for the two sisters and their family. Amnesty International continues to call for justice and reparation for Meenakski and her family. If they are unable to return to their village, they must also receive support to rebuild their lives in another community.

Learn more: Read their story and learn more about Amnesty International India’s work to end gender discrimination in India

6. A Sudanese court overturned the conviction of a teenager sentenced for “indecent dress”

On August 16, 2015 Ferdous Al Toum was found guilty of “indecent or immoral dress” and sentenced to 20 lashes and a fine of 500 Sudanese pounds.

She was arrested as part of a group of 11 young women on June 25th who were leaving a church ceremony at the Evangelical Baptist Church in Khartoum North. The women were all wearing skirts or trousers, yet were accused of “indecent or immoral dress.” Incredibly, Ferdous was charged again for the clothes she wore in the courtroom at her trial. She was sentenced to a large fine for her appearance in court (paid on her behalf by activists and supporters), as well as the lashes.

In light of this news, more than 16,000 Canadians joined Amnesty International supporters from around the world to condemn the sentence. Following an appeal by Ferdous’ lawyers, her conviction was finally quashed by the Court of Appeal on October 14, 2015. She was the second last woman to be released, and eventually all 11 women were freed.

Sudan’s “indecent dress” law applies to women and men on paper, but it is used exclusively against women. Women and girls around the world face discrimination in law and practice simply because of their gender. Women and girls can face harsher punishments for the same “offences,” such as the case of Atena Farghadani. In 2015, Atena, a young painter and activist, drew a cartoon critical of proposed laws that would make it difficult for women to obtain contraception or seek a divorce in Iran. She was arrested for her peaceful activism and sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison.

TAKE ACTION: Call on Iranian authorities to release Atena Farghadania now!

7. Justice for a Courageous Torture Survivor

In 2012, marines broke into the home of Claudia Medina Tamariz. They took her away to a local naval base. There, Claudia suffered terrible torture, including electric shocks and sexual assault.

The torture was aimed at forcing Claudia to incriminate herself in drug-related crimes. To make the torture stop, Claudia signed a piece of paper put before her. She later discovered it was a “confession” to crimes she had not committed.

More than 300,000 people, including thousands of Canadians, sent letters to the Mexican Attorney General. Claudia is now free. In reviewing her case, a judge confirmed that after her arrest Claudia was tortured and sexually assaulted by marines in order to force her to incriminate herself and others in drug-related crimes. On February 6, 2015, that judge informed her that the last remaining charge was dropped.

Despite everything she’s gone through, Claudia is filled with determination to help others: “After this long process I had to go through I felt the need to become a human rights activist, to show that I’m not a criminal, as authorities portrayed me. I will not allow even one more woman to be tortured in Mexico.”

Torture, including sexual assault, is the preferred crime investigation technique for some Mexican police and military officers. They torture people into signing false statements and use them as evidence to prosecute. Claudia and Amnesty International continue to speak out for other torture survivors in Mexico, like Yecenia Armenta. Police hung Yecenia upside down, asphyxiated and brutally raped her until she signed a “confession,” while still blindfolded, to her husband’s murder. She’s been in prison ever since.

TAKE ACTION: Call on the Mexican authorities to drop the charges against Yecenia, release her immediately and bring her torturers to justice.

Learn more: Amnesty’s Stop Torture campaign

8. Amnesty activists rallied for a domestic violence victim sentenced to death

Li Yan in China made repeated calls to the police about her abusive husband, Tan Yong, who frequently beat her. He stubbed out cigarettes on her face. He locked her, near-naked, on the balcony of their apartment for hours at a time during the freezing Sichuan winter. On one occasion, he cut off her finger.

After repeated ignored requests for help, in late 2010, isolated, afraid and denied protection by the authorities, Li Yan resorted to violence and beat her husband to death with a gun.

She was sentenced to death. But thanks to international support, her sentence has since been commuted to the death sentence with a two-year reprieve. Under the Chinese law, death sentences with a two-year reprieve should be commuted to life imprisonment upon the expiration of the two-year period, as long as the prisoner does not commit another crime during the period of suspension.

This tragic outcome could have been avoided. “The reprieve for Li Yan could prove a landmark verdict for future cases where domestic violence is a mitigating factor. With her case, the highest court in China has sent a clear message that judges must not ignore domestic violence,” said William Nee, China Researcher at Amnesty International.

This may not feel like a landslide victory for Li Yan, but it remains an important moment of shedding light upon the issue of domestic violence in China.

Activists still face serious risks for speaking out about violence against women and other women’s rights issues in China. One such women’s rights activist is Su Changlan, a former teacher in prison since October 2014 for her peaceful activism. She is being held in deplorable conditions and faces life imprisonment simply for calling on the government to respect human rights.

TAKE ACTION: Write a letter to Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Su Changlan

9. You helped put women’s rights on the Canadian federal election agenda

Amnesty International Canada was a proud member of the Up for Debate campaign to promote women’s rights and gender equality in the lead up to Canada’s federal election in 2015. Our goal was to make sure that all federal political party leaders explained how they would build a more equal Canada for us all, and make meaningful commitments to change the lives of women and girls for the better at home and around the world. And we succeeded!

Learn more: The Up for Debate campaign helped bring meaningful change

10. You helped break the silence around sex, relationships and reproduction in many countries

In 2013, Amnesty International launched its My Body My Rights campaign, founded on the principle that people of all genders have the right to make decisions about our health, body, sexuality and reproductive lives without fear or force.

Thanks to educational materials and training materials produced through the campaign, 100,000 young people have challenged discriminatory attitudes and gender-based violence through workshops, video, theatre, debates, poetry, song and dance. In rural Zimbabwe, activists opened empowerment centres in schools as a safe space for young girls to talk about sex, relationships and pregnancy.

Learn more: Visit our My Body My Rights campaign webpage

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

global, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

2015: When Global Governments Trampled Human Rights in Name of National Security

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

An article by Andrea Germanos, senior editor and staff writer at Common Dreams. (reprinted according to principles of Creative Commons)

Governments worldwide in 2015 capitalized on supposed national security threats to trample over human rights. That’s Amnesty International’s assessment of global human rights in its latest report.

amnesty
Photo caption:
Protesters in London take part in a November 2015 action to protest a visit by Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. (Photo:  Alisdare Hickson/flickr/cc)

“Your rights are in jeopardy: they are being treated with utter contempt by many governments around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

Driving some of the government attacks on human rights are “misguided reactions… to national security threats,” including “the crushing of civil society, the right to privacy and the right to free speech; and outright attempts to make human rights dirty words, packaging them in opposition to national security, law and order and ‘national values.’ Governments have even broken their own laws in this way,” he continued.

“Millions of people are suffering enormously at the hands of states and armed groups, while governments are shamelessly painting the protection of human rights as a threat to security, law and order or national ‘values.'”

Looking at abuses “by the numbers,” the watchdog group found that:

• At least 122 countries tortured or otherwise ill-treated people;

• At least 30 or more countries illegally forced refugees to return to countries where they would be in danger;

• Over 60 million people were displaced from their homes;

• At least 113 countries arbitrarily restricted freedom of expression and the press; and

• At least 156 human rights defenders died in detention or were killed.

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Question(s) related to this article:

What is the state of human rights in the world today?

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In addition to rights and rights defenders being under attack, so “are the laws and the system that protect them,” Shetty said.

The new report covers a wide range of abuses, such as Ireland’s restrictions on and criminalization of abortion and Australia’s disproportionate jailing of Indigenous people and its denial of rights to asylum-seekers.

The United States and some of its allies fared poorly as well.
Saudi Arabia continued its crackdown on freedom of expression and association, locked up human rights defenders, and tortured prisoners. Women also faced discrimination by law and lacked protections from sexual and other violence.

Israel continued its “military blockade of Gaza and therefore collective punishment of the 1.8 million inhabitants there.”

The UK repealed its Human Rights Act and pushed forth surveillance laws. “The UK is setting a dangerous precedent to the world on human rights,” said Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen.

And Egypt arrested thousands “in a ruthless crackdown in the name of national security.”

As for rights abuses in the U.S., the report states:

There was no accountability nor remedy for crimes under international law committed in the secret detention program operated by the CIA. Scores of detainees remained in indefinite military detention at the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, while military trial proceedings continued in a handful of cases. Concern about the use of isolation in state and federal prisons and the use of force in policing continued. Twenty-seven men and one woman were executed during the year.

“President Obama has often said the right thing but failed to turn his rhetoric into an agenda that makes human rights, in fact, a national priority,” said Margaret Huang, interim executive director of Amnesty International USA.

While numerous abuses are cataloged, Shetty stresses in the foreward that the report “cannot convey the full human misery of the topical crises of this last year, notably the refugee crisis—even now exacerbated in this northern winter. In such a situation, protecting and strengthening systems of human rights and civilian protection cannot be seen as optional.

“It is literally a matter of life and death.”

global, HUMAN RIGHTS

Where to Study Peace Education: A Global Directory

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An announcement by the Global Campaign for Peace Education

All around the world there is a growing demand for peace education, yet few know of the learning opportunities that exist for gaining knowledge, developing capacities, and building the fundamental pedagogical skills for teaching peace. In support of this need, the Global Campaign for Peace Education, in partnership with the International Institute on Peace Education and the Peace Education Initiative at The University of Toledo has developed “Where to Study Peace Education: A Global Directory.”

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This online catalog provides an easy to search inventory of formal and non-formal programs, courses, workshops and recurring conferences in peace education from around the world.
Peace studies programs are abundant in the US and abroad, however, few of these programs focus on educational theory or practice. Therefore, our directory is unique in its focus on programs, courses and trainings specific to research and the study of peace education, and the preparation of formal and non-formal educators to teach for peace. Current listings are oriented towards adult learners or educators, not programs offered directly to students in schools.

Listings in the directory fall into two broad categories:

1) The study of education (systems, philosophy, pedagogy) and its role in building peace

2) Teacher and learning facilitator training and preparation in peace education (theory, methodology, pedagogy)

The Directory thus far includes programs, courses and trainings focused on the study of the philosophy of education, critical pedagogy, democratic education / citizenship education, emergency education, social justice education, restorative practices, conflict resolution education (and peer mediation), educational development studies, human rights education and learning, and education for gender equity / equality and women’s empowerment.

Visit – Where to study Peace Education: A Global Directory

We need your help to grow the directory!

We know there are many more programs out there. If you are running a program, teaching a course, or are currently a student studying peace education, or have the necessary information about such a program, please take a few moments to complete our online submission form. We are interested in gathering details about current formal (university based), informal (conferences, non-university based trainings) and non-formal (independent, citizen-based) programs of study and ongoing trainings and workshops. Programs submitted should go beyond the content of peace and conflict studies courses and should emphasize pedagogy or practice, teaching theory, educational policy, or research related to peace education.

Question for this article:
EDUCATION FOR PEACE, global

Asia and the Middle East lead rise in arms imports; the United States and Russia remain largest arms exporters, says SIPRI

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A press release by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

The volume of international transfers of major weapons has grown continuously since 2004 and rose by 14 per cent between 2006–10 and 2011–15, according to new data on international arms transfers published today (22 February 2016) by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

SIPRI

Six of the top 10 largest arms importers in the 5-year period 2011–15 are in Asia and Oceania: India (14 per cent of global arms imports), China (4.7 per cent), Australia (3.6 per cent), Pakistan (3.3 per cent), Viet Nam (2.9 per cent) and South Korea (2.6 per cent). Viet Nam’s arms imports rose by 699 per cent. Arms imports by states in Asia and Oceania increased by 26 per cent between 2006–10 and 2011–15, with states in the region receiving 46 per cent of global imports in 2011–15.

‘China continues to expand its military capabilities with imported and domestically produced weapons,’ said Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. ‘Neighbouring states such as India, Viet Nam and Japan are also significantly strengthening their military forces.’

Imports by Middle Eastern states on the increase

Arms imports by states in the Middle East rose by 61 per cent between 2006–10 and 
2011–15. In 2011–15 Saudi Arabia was the world’s second largest arms importer, with an increase of 275 per cent compared to 2006–10. In the same period, arms imports by the United Arab Emirates rose by 35 per cent and those by Qatar went up by 279 per cent. Egypt’s arms imports increased by 37 per cent between 2006–10 and 2011–15, primarily due to a steep rise in 2015.

‘A coalition of Arab states is putting mainly US- and European-sourced advanced arms into use in Yemen,’ said Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. ‘Despite low oil prices, large deliveries of arms to the Middle East are scheduled to continue as part of contracts signed in the past five years.’

Arms exporters: the USA remains well ahead

With a 33 per cent share of total arms exports, the USA was the top arms exporter in 
2011–15. Its exports of major weapons increased by 27 per cent compared to 2006–10.

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(Click here for a version of this article in French or here for a version in Spanish.)

Question for this article:

Does military spending lead to economic decline and collapse?

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Russian exports of major weapons increased by 28 per cent between 2006–10 and 2011–15, and Russia accounted for 25 per cent of global exports in the recent 5-year period. However, in 2014 and 2015 Russian exports returned to the lower annual levels observed in 2006–10.

Chinese exports of major arms were just above those of France in 2011–15, growing by 
88 per cent compared to 2006–10. French exports decreased by 9.8 per cent and German exports halved over the same period.

‘As regional conflicts and tensions continue to mount, the USA remains the leading global arms supplier by a significant margin,’ said Dr Aude Fleurant, Director of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. ‘The USA has sold or donated major arms to at least 96 states in the past five years, and the US arms industry has large outstanding export orders, including for a total of 611 F-35 combat aircraft to 9 states.’

Other notable developments

Between 2006–10 and 2011–15 imports by states in Africa increased by 19 per cent. Algeria and Morocco remained the two largest arms importers in the region with a combined total of 56 per cent of African imports.

Due to economic constraints most sub-Saharan African states imported only small volumes of arms in 2011–15, despite many being involved in armed conflicts during that period.

Mexico’s arms imports grew by 331 per cent in 2011–15 compared with 2006–10.

Azerbaijan increased its arms imports by 217 per cent between 2006–10 and 
2011–15.

Arms imports by Iraq rose by 83 per cent between 2006–10 and 2011–15.

France concluded several major arms export contracts in 2015, including the first two firm contracts for its Rafale combat aircraft.

Imports by states in Europe decreased by 41 per cent between 2006–10 and 
2011–15.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

Search for Common Ground: Take Action to End Violence against Civilians

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

An email from Shamil Idriss, President and CEO of Search for Common Ground

Violence against civilians – from mass shootings to genocide – is a horror we all want to prevent. Such terrible tragedies should be unconscionable. Learn more and take action:

1. Save lives from Boko Haram

Recently, Boko Haram murdered at least 86 individuals, kidnapped children, and burned down homes in Dalori, Nigeria. It happened just 11 miles one of our bases of operation. Click here for Program Manager Gideon Poki’s take as he speaks with TIME Magazine about the violence. Thankfully, none of our staff or their families was harmed. But, Boko Haram has killed about 20,000 people and driven 2.5 million Nigerians from their homes in 6 years. They’ve been gaining momentum, with deep roots in economic desperation and grievances. Boko Haram’s increasing attacks terrorize civilians in northeast Nigeria, leaving broken families, widespread loss of life and property, breakdown of basic services, hunger, and increased poverty.

idriss

Right now, Search is piloting an early warning system in two communities at the heart of the attacks. Think of it like Paul Revere’s ride or a tornado siren, using trained volunteer community responders. Check out a similar system we used to help stop violence around Nigeria’s elections last year. We need to expand this vital warning system to more communities. We also need to bring civilians and government officials together, building trust so they can anticipate threats and prevent them together. Give now to stop violence against civilians.

2. Urge U.S. Congress to take action

After mass violence, the world looks back in shame. Why did we allow it to happen? Couldn’t we have saved thousands, even millions, of lives? Genocide and other mass violence is an unspeakable crime that can be prevented. If you’re a U.S. citizen, here’s a chance to join the effort.

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Question for this article

Islamic extremism, how should it be opposed?

Readers’ comments are invited on this question and article. See below for comments box.

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The Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act will create opportunities for civilian-led efforts to prevent mass violence:

• Authorizes the President to establish an Atrocities Prevention Board (APB). It will coordinate the U.S. government’s efforts to prevent and respond to atrocities.

• Trains all Foreign Service Officers in recognizing early warning signs of emerging conflict or atrocities – similar to how Search is training Nigerian community responders (above).

• Makes mass violence prevention the U.S.’s official policy, so that resources and political will may be mobilized in time to save lives.
Through the Peace Alliance, you can easily send letters to your representatives in Congress. Urge them to support the bill.

3. Listen and share radio spots

Radio can cut across diverse landscapes to the most rural areas. It can divide people and stir up hate, as it was used in the Rwandan genocide. Or it can dispel rumors and build peace. Our fearless radio partners around the world are an objective voice in a biased news cycle. In celebration of World Radio Day, we’ve rounded up some of the most critical ways we used radio in 2015 to stop violence and bring people together. From Burundi’s political violence to Nepal’s earthquake response to Niger’s refugee tensions, radio is a powerful tool to prevent violence from spinning out of control. Check out our radio spots.

We can all agree that violence against mothers and fathers, boys and girls who are simply going to work and school, living their lives, is wrong. We’re getting smarter, as people, as countries, and as a global community, about how to stop mass atrocities before they happen. Understand what’s at stake and what we can do. Then let’s come together and get it done.
  
Thank you for your tireless efforts,

global, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

United Nations: Experts call for efforts to save indigenous languages

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

An article from Xinhua News

Endangered indigenous languages are being brought back from the brink of extinction but there is still much work to be done, a group of indigenous language experts told reporters here Thursday [United Nations, January 21].


indigenous
Edward John (FLICKR)

“There are examples of us not just holding onto our languages, but using them to educate new generations, using them in our homes again,” said Amy Kalili, an expert in the Hawaiian language, who participated in a panel of indigenous language experts here this week.

The panel provided examples of indigenous languages being revitalized around the world, from Maori in New Zealand to Hawaiian in Kalili’s native Hawaii.

It is now possible to study in the Hawaiian language from infancy through to doctoral level, said Kalili, mostly due to community efforts to save the language from extinction.

Kalili said that saving indigenous languages would also benefit the global community through preserving vital indigenous knowledge.

“The wealth of knowledge that we have to offer the global community is codified in our native languages,” she said.

However, Grand Chief Edward John from the Tl’azt’en Nation in British Columbia, Canada said that sadly one Indigenous language dies every week or two weeks.

“If there’s an animal or plant or fish going extinct, people are up in arms over that, but when a language is going extinct, no one says anything,” he said.

And while technology may offer some assistance, it is not the answer in and of itself, said John.

“We now need to get the elders into these gadgets so that they can use this technology to teach the young people,” he said. “Technology in and of itself won’t be the answer, but it’s a tool.”

Tatjana Degai from Kamchatka in the far East of Russia said that despite a multicultural approach and government support for indigenous languages in Russia, some languages are still on the brink of extinction.

“Our language is surviving, in Russia which is a multicultural country (with) over 200 different languages”, she said.

“Some languages are spoken by a million people, some languages are spoken by thousands, and mostly it is indigenous languages of the people of North Siberia and the far-East which are at the brink of extinction,” she said.

There are between 6,000 and 7,000 languages globally, said John. One of the panel’s recommendations is for countries to help map out the indigenous languages within their own borders, he added.

Question for discussion
global, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY, United Nations,

UN Secretary-General’s Remarks at General Assembly Presentation of the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

Taken from the UN website, 15 January 2016

I would like to thank your Excellency, Mr. President for organizing this very important occasion for me to brief the General Assembly about my Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, and to call for a new global partnership to confront this menace.

ban ki-moon

You have had a chance to review the plan, which is the product of many months of consultations. Let me thank you for your engagement and good ideas.

I would like to make a few brief comments, but I would also like to hear from you.

Violent extremism is a direct assault on the United Nations Charter and a grave threat to international peace and security.

We are all appalled by the barbaric crimes that terrorist groups such as Daesh, Boko Haram and others are committing against humanity.

They have brazenly kidnapped young girls, systematically denied women’s rights, destroyed cultural institutions, warped the peaceful values of religions, and brutally murdered thousands of innocents around the world.

These groups have become a magnet for foreign terrorist fighters, who are easy prey to simplistic appeals and siren songs.

The threat of violent extremism is not limited to any one religion, nationality or ethnic group.
Let us also recognize that today, the vast majority of victims worldwide are Muslims.
Addressing this challenge goes to the heart of the United Nations. And it compels us to act in a way that solves – rather than multiplies — the problem.

Many years of experience have proven that short-sighted policies, failed leadership, heavy-handed approaches, a single-minded focus only on security measures and an utter disregard for human rights have often made things worse.

Let us never forget: Terrorist groups are not just seeking to unleash violent action, but to provoke a harsh reaction.

We all lose by responding to ruthless terror with mindless policy – policies that turn people against each another, alienate already marginalized groups, and play into the hands of the enemy.

We need cool heads and common sense. We must never be ruled by fear – or provoked by those who strive to exploit it.

Countering violent extremism should not be counter-productive.

My Plan of Action takes a practical and comprehensive approach to address the drivers of violent extremism. It focuses on violent extremism which can be conducive to terrorism.

It puts forward more than 70 recommendations for concerted action at the global, regional and national levels, based on five inter-related points:

Number one, we must put prevention first.

The international community has every right to defend against this threat using lawful means, but we must pay particular attention to addressing the causes of violent extremism if this problem is to be resolved in the long run.

There is no single pathway to violent extremism. But we know that extremism flourishes when human rights are violated, political space is shrunk, aspirations for inclusion are ignored, and too many people – especially young people – lack prospects and meaning in their lives.

As we see in Syria and Libya and elsewhere, violent extremists make unresolved and prolonged conflicts even more intractable.

We also know the critical elements for success: Good governance. The rule of law. Political participation. Quality education and decent jobs. Full respect for human rights.

The recent report of the High-level Panel on Peace Operations, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the reviews of the Peacebuilding Architecture and the Women, Peace and Security agenda – as well as Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security — have all stressed that we need to make prevention work.

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Question for this article

Islamic extremism, how should it be opposed?

Readers’ comments are invited on this question and article. See below for comments box.

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We need to make a special effort to reach out to young people and recognize their potential as peacebuilders.

Through a global partnership, we need to build on the positive vision of the future that many young people are themselves constructing. The protection and empowerment of women must also be central to our response.

Second, principled leadership and effective institutions.

Poisonous ideologies do not emerge from thin air. Oppression, corruption and injustice are greenhouses for resentment. Extremists are adept at cultivating alienation.

That is why I have been urging leaders to work harder to build inclusive institutions that are truly accountable to people. I will continue to call on leaders to listen carefully to the grievances of their people and then act to address them.

Third, preventing extremism and promoting human rights go hand-in-hand.

All too often, national counter-terrorism strategies have lacked basic elements of due process and respect for the rule of law.

Sweeping definitions of terrorism or violent extremism are often used to criminalize the legitimate actions of opposition groups, civil society organizations and human rights defenders. Governments should not use these types of sweeping definitions as a pretext to attack or silence one’s critics.

Once again, violent extremists deliberately seek to incite such over-reactions. We must not fall into the trap.

Fourth, an all-out approach.

The Plan proposes an “all of Government” approach.

We must break down the silos between the peace and security, sustainable development, human rights and humanitarian actors at the national, regional and global levels—including at the United Nations.

The Plan also recognizes that there are no “one size fits all” solutions.

That is why the Plan calls for national ownership, recommending that each Member State adopt a National Plan of Action that sets priorities, such as promoting access to justice, strengthening institutions, and investing in education programmes that foster pluralism.

We must also engage all of society – religious leaders, women leaders, youth groups leaders in the arts, music and sports, as well as the media and private sector

Fifth, UN engagement.

I intend to strengthen a UN system-wide approach to supporting Member States’ efforts to address the drivers of violent extremism.

Acting within their mandates, UN missions and country teams will support Member States when developing National Plans of Action and will review their own activities.

I am also creating a UN system-wide High-Level PVE Action Group, to spearhead the implementation of this Plan at both the Headquarters and field levels.

The Plan before you builds on your own efforts and initiatives, including General Assembly resolutions on the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and a “World against Violence and Violent Extremism”, as well as Security Council measures, including resolutions 2178 on foreign terrorist fighters and 2253 on Daesh.

Some Member States have already pledged to help transform the Plan from ideas to reality. I look forward to the International Conference on the Plan of Action that the Swiss Government has offered to co-organize with the United Nations in Geneva in April.

Above all, the Plan is an urgent call to unity and action. The General Assembly is the only forum with the legitimacy and universality to address this problem in all its complexity.

Together, let us pledge to forge a new global partnership to prevent violent extremism.

Thank you.

global, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY, United Nations,

Native Cultures Push For Sustainable Food Solutions

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Carla Capalbo for Zester Daily

Six hundred representatives of native communities around the world recently gathered in Shillong, northeastern India, for Indigenous Terra Madre (ITM), an event that helps forge a global network of indigenous peoples, activists and their supporters.

indigenous terra madre
Members of Meghalaya tribes dance during the Indigenous Terra Madre gathering. Credit: Copyright 2015 Carla Capalbo

The event, under the auspices of Slow Food, takes place every four years. This ITM was held in cooperation with the Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty (supported by the Christensen Fund) and was hosted by the Indian region of Meghalaya and the North East Slow Food Agrobiodiversity Society. Their individual stories vary but are closely linked.

Focus on food sovereignty

Chi Suwichan is a member of the Karen tribe of northern Thailand. His people have lived there for centuries, yet the current Thai government does not recognize them as citizens. Maria Bautista Leon, from the Tzeltal indigenous people of Chiapas, Mexico, and a descendant of the Mayans, is protesting the increase of monoculture and the threat of genetically modified corn in her country. Winona LaDuke, a Native American activist of the Ojibwe tribe, has led battles to save her people’s local wild rice as she fights for tribal land claims.

The focus at ITM is on environmental, biodiversity, food sovereignty and other sustainability issues linked to these communities’ way of life, many of which are increasingly under threat. Members of 140 tribes from 58 countries on five continents attended the 5-day event. Open meetings were arranged by themes, including: learning about food systems from matriarchal societies; building bridges between the private sector and indigenous communities; oral history; pastoralists and their challenges; and the future of food.

Prince Charles, who has long been a champion of these kinds of issues, sent a video message for the inauguration. “In our modern world, we are totally disconnected from indigenous knowledge,” he said. “The essential unity of things as reflected in nature has become dangerously fragmented. The modern world has shifted away from the holistic indigenous cosmology of seeing ourselves within nature to us standing apart from it. We must look after the earth and help it maintain its health and balance.” He suggests we listen to indigenous wisdom for the guidance we need to live in harmony with our planet.

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Questions for this article:

What is the relation between peasant movements for food sovereignty and the global movement for a culture of peace?

Indigenous peoples, Are they the true guardians of nature?

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Uniting voices for change

Carlo Petrini, who founded Slow Food 30 years ago in Italy and later created Terra Madre to bring together food-making communities from all corners of the globe, also spoke at the meeting. “Our planet is suffering from the greed of those who want to steal its resources,” he began. “We hope the Climate Change conference in Paris will make constructive decisions about this disaster. Our food has lost its value. It has been turned into a commodity to be paid as little as possible for. The truth is that 500 million small household food communities feed 70 percent of the world, yet they are treated the worst of all. The large multinationals claim ownership of their seeds and promote intensive, genetically modified farming and monocultures that are destroying the lives of these indigenous food-producing communities. There can be no sustainability if we don’t change this model.”

With most delegates attending in their native dress, the get-together was colorful, musical and emotional. At large communal meals hosted by local chefs (the most memorable was an invitation to dinner for everyone at the Shillong Sikh’s Gurdwara temple), there was plenty of time for people to share stories, problems and solutions.

“My people’s history was written in song, in folk tales and by calling the mountains and rivers names in our language,” said Suwichan, one of 500,000 Karen in northern Thailand. “We used traditional natural farming, with a seven-year rotation for our rice and other crops. But since the government has declared our area a national park we are no longer allowed to practice this kind of farming, which has forced us to use chemical fertilizers. We lived in symbiosis with the forest and relied on it for wild plants and foods as we protected it. Now our forest has been designated a wildlife reserve and we are no longer allowed to take anything out of it. But they never consulted us about this, they never consulted our ancestors or our community leaders. My parents say we are now like orphan chickens, that we each have a small voice, but together with the others at ITM it may become louder.”

‘A universal language’

“As Carlo Petrini says, we need to defend our native plants and animal breeds, our flavors and methods, for they are a universal language,” LaDuke said. “We have fought to reject the patents industrial agriculture has tried to put on our indigenous varieties. Our food is pre-colonial, pre-GMO and pre-petroleum. We are part of a movement to stop the theft of our seeds and land, and the theft of our economies. We fight against the politics of those who try to oppress us, and the closer the links between all of our tribes can get, the stronger our resistance will be.”

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Nonviolent Peaceforce Strategy: 2015-2020

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

Excerpts from the strategy document of the Nonviolent Peaceforce

Nonviolent Peaceforce is a global civil society organisation. We protect civilians in violent conflicts through unarmed strategies. We build peace side by side with local communities. We advocate for the wider adoption of these approaches to safeguard human lives and dignity. [See CPNN articles about their work in South Sudan, Philippines, Ukraine, Syria, and Myanmar].

NVP

Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) is a proven way to reduce violence before, during, and after armed conflict; the effectiveness stems from providing direct physical protection, while empowering local peace processes and infrastructures. Unlike traditional military peacekeeping or armed private security firms, there is no reliance on weapons; this paradigm uses relationships rather than threat.

To increase our impact, we have two mutually reinforcing strategic aims for the next five years:

• Enhance protection for civilians in armed conflicts and strengthen local peace processes. We will expand our programme implementation by increasing field activities, enhancing civilian participation in peace processes, and building local protection capacities.

• Mainstream UCP policy and practices as an effective response to violent conflicts. We will step up our advocacy to advance unarmed civilian protection by influencing decision makers, advancing the methodology, and promoting greater adoption of unarmed civilian protection by others across the world stage.

Nonviolent Peaceforce is endorsed by many world leaders, from Nobel Peace Laureates to heads of state, such as Justin Trudeau, Rigoberta Menchú, Desmond Tutu, Jose Ramos Horta, Oscar Arias Sánchez, Lech Wałęsa and the Dalai Lama. They believe that our approach offers an innovative and effective solution to civilian protection and conflict transformation. In June 2015, the High-level Independent Panel on United Nations Peace Operations, commissioned by the United Nations Secretary General, concluded that “Unarmed strategies must be at the forefront of UN efforts to protect civilians.”(United Nations, 2015, p. 23)

Vision

We envision a worldwide culture of peace in which conflicts within and between communities and countries are managed through nonviolent means.

Mission

We protect civilians in violent conflicts through unarmed strategies. We build peace side by side with local communities. We advocate for the wider adoption of these approaches to safeguard human lives and dignity.

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Question for this article:

Can peace be guaranteed through nonviolent means?

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Guiding Principles

* Nonviolence: We believe nonviolence is the strongest and most effective force for achieving the peaceful settlement of conflicts. We will not engage in nor support actions which may result in harm or loss of life. NP’s adherence to nonviolence is unconditional, because it asserts that conflict transformation cannot be achieved by violent means.

* Non-partisanship: We do not take sides nor advocate for partisan positions in any conflict. Instead, we are guided by international laws and norms, including International Humanitarian Law, Refugee Law, Human Rights Law, and relevant UN Resolutions. We are committed to the dignity, human security, and well-being of all and are independent from any interest group, political party, ideology or religion.

* Primacy of local actors: We facilitate and create safer spaces for local actors to work out their own solutions to their problems.

* Civilian-to-civilian action: We employ civilians to protect civilians in communities affected by violent conflicts.

Approach

Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) is a strategic mix of key principles, sources of guidance, and a set of methods with specific skills. Applied together, they constitute the core of UCP (see figure below). UCP is the practice of deploying professionally-trained unarmed civilians before, during, and after violent conflict to prevent or reduce violence, provide direct physical protection to non-combatants, and strengthen local peace infrastructures. Unlike traditional military peacekeeping or armed private security firms, with UCP there is no reliance on weapons; this paradigm uses relationships rather than threat.

Over the past 12 years, Nonviolent Peaceforce has developed and field-tested unarmed civilian protection techniques, which are based on four main methods: proactive engagement, monitoring, relationship building, and capacity development. Each of these methods has a number of applications as detailed in the graphic [see original article]. Frequently, UCP methods and applications are used in a dynamic interaction, reinforcing and complementing each other. Actual implementation activities are based on specific context, conflict analysis, and risk assessment.

By creating networks of relationships, strengthening self-protection strategies, developing local peace infrastructures, and creating safe spaces for civilians to address urgent issues, UCP broadens the options for civilians to choose their own security priorities.

NP’s civilian teams are diverse and comprised of staff from the violence-affected communities as well as from outside. All NP personnel are rigorously trained in the tools and strategies of unarmed civilian protection. They are committed to a code of conduct focused on mutual respect, equity, and non-discrimination. NP works in partnership with local communities, organisations, and complementary international organisations to create locally owned, sustainable solutions that protect and support civilians struggling to survive in conflict zones.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, global