There is an epic struggle for the heart of Africa between the forces of the culture of war and those of the culture of peace. On the one hand, attacks by Boko Harem, Al Qaida, ISIS, and Al-Shabaab get the headlines in the commercial media, not to mention potential for civil war in Burundi and the fratricidal war in Southern Sudan, On the other hand, if the many recent articles in CPNN about initiatives for the culture of peace are an indication, it is the culture of peace that is gaining!

African Union: Burundi agrees to accept African Union human rights monitors

African Union: 26th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly concludes with gratitude to Ebola fighters and peace as priorities of the continent

African Union: Retreat of the Pan-African Network of the Wise

Senegal: The feminist Bineta Diop: United against war in Africa

Tunisia: Appeal for massive particiption in the first international meeting on education for peace

Cameroon: Community radio in the service of peace education

Morocco: Muslims Advance Consensus for Citizenship for All: The Marrakesh Declaration

Mali: Elaboration of a national program for culture of peace: Experts at work

Ethiopia: AAPI Convenes 2nd Arts4Peace Forum in Addis Ababa

Congo (DRC): Declaration of the Youth Clubs of the Congo Peace Network

Congo (DRC): Goma, Nord Kivu: Third edition of the Amani Music Festival

Sierra Leone News: Minister urge delegates to develop a culture of peace

The Gambia: ‘African countries must unite’

South Africa: African women organize to reclaim agriculture against corporate takeover

Chad: Commemoration of the National Day of peace, peaceful coexistence and national harmony

As Nestor Bidadanure describes in his article on How to Achieve the Freedom Promised: “In Africa, the decolonization in the legal sense has not been followed by an ideological break with the colonial model of governance by some of the political elite. . . The colonial practice of divide and rule is continued today as the favorite political weapon of extremist elites.”

He concludes that “The Culture of Peace should be considered and taught as an ideal that ties together and strengthens that which has been torn apart. It is the antithesis of Radical Identity Populism, a theory of inclusion and reconciliation with which we can achieve the freedom promised, an Africa at peace with herself and with the world. It considers the differences within a nation to be a precious resource. It reminds us that there is no national identity except the diversity, both cultural and human, of all its citizens.”

As we enter the new year of 2016, we may ask if the culture of peace continues to advance on all the fronts that we covered in the various CPNN bulletins of 2015:

WELCOME THE REFUGEES (December): Despite the political resistance to refugees in Europe, there are also social movements in defense of the refugees. This was expressed recently by rallies throughout Europe marking the Global Day of Action against Racism. The Madrid Rally was held under the slogan: “We are all migrants and refugees, we all have rights.” Another slogan was “No to NATO!, making it clear that the influx of refugees is largely due to the military interventions by NATO in Africa and the Middle East.

CULTURE OF PEACE IN LATIN AMERICA (November): There are peace initiatives underway throughout Latin America. The November bulletin describes actions in Cuba, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Chile, Colombia and Honduras. Last month 500 delegates from 18 countries and 34 education trade unions in Latin America met in Costa Rica in the third meeting of the Pedagogical Movement to renew the cohesion and agenda for the future of education in Latin America.

COLOMBIA PREPARES FOR PEACE (September): The biggest news for peace in Latin America last year was the progress of the peace process in Colombia. As indicated in the chronology published this month, we can expect the signing of peace accords in the month of March.

NEEDED: POLITICAL WILL AT COP21 (August): Although experts regret the lack of political will at the Climate Summit (see last month’s bulletin), the year 2015 has seen “amazing advances in renewable energy,” which raise hopes that we can reverse the process of global warming and climate change despite the failure of the nations to curb their reliance on fossil fuels.

CONFRONTING TERRORISM WITHOUT VIOLENCE (July): The mayors of Paris and Madrid, the cities of Europe that have suffered the most from terrorist attacks have announed that they will hold an international peace forum in response. Rather than promoting military responses, they propose education for non-violence. Similarly, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has released a UN plan of action to confront violent extremism that calls for cultural rather than military measures. Since “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. . . . [we need to emphasize] the critical elements for success: Good governance. The rule of law. Political participation. Quality education and decent jobs. Full respect for human rights. . . a special effort to reach out to young people and recognize their potential as peacebuilders.” The latter element is addressed in detail in the recent resolution 2250 of the United Nations Security Council on Youth, Peace & Security.

MOVEMENTS FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY (June): 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. “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 ANTI-AUSTERITY SPRING (May): The Prime Minister of Portugal has said that the first measures of his government this year will begin to end the country impoverishment and social decline due to the policy of austerity. He came to power in the recent elections as a socialist candidate opposing austerity and is governing in coalition with the marxists parties and the communists. In Spain, Podemos which gained a large vote by opposing austerity is now trying to make a similar coalition with left political parties.

WOMEN, EQUALITY AND PEACE (April): African women, organized in Dzomo la Mupo, the Voice of the Earth, associated with the African Biodiversity Network, are reclaiming traditional agricultural practice, opposing the commercialization of farming: “Women also have to teach young girls and young women about seed and food sovereignty and the importance of soil because they’re the ones who will remain to pass that on.”

PEACE THROUGH TOURISM (March): A World Summit on Sustainable Tourism in November adopted a World Charter for Sustainable Tourism +20 incorporating the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations. The Charter also claims the preservation of the actual quality of the destinations and the tourism industry and the ability to meet the tourist as priorities, as well as the need to promote alternative forms of tourism.

LISTEN TO THE INDIGENOUS (February): We recently republished “15 Indigenous Rights Victories That You Didn’t Hear About in 2015.” “Good news. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a cancelled hydro dam that spares 20,000 people from the burden of displacement. Other times, it takes the shape of a simple court admission that Indigenous Peoples do actually make the best conservationists. . . Indigenous rights victories give us all pause to celebrate, to reflect and to rejuvenate our own quests for justice.” And Chile has created a Ministry of Indigenous People, a National Council and Indigenous People”s Councils. Representatives of the ethic groups Aymara, Quechua, Atacameños, Diaguitas, Kollas, Rapa Nui, Kawesqar, Yaganes and Mapuche were consulted.

TRUTH COMMISSIONS (January 2015): In December, the final report of the Canadian Truth Commission was published. The writer reflects that “We, as a country, are just now starting to come to terms with the sobering realization that the systematic destruction of indigenous cultures, languages, family structures, lands and ceremonies amounted to cultural genocide. . . But change is possible. We can change, we are changing, and I am very hopeful that this momentum we have collectively generated will continue. I am excited about the future that lies ahead of us and I am proud to be part of this country that is embracing this cry for change and reconciliation.”

In the past two months we have carried no less than 18 articles about culture of peace from Latin America, as the continent continues to set an example for the rest of the world.

The leading edge is in Colombia which is emerging from decades of civil war. In Havana on September 23, the government and the FARC guerrilla movement signed a peace accord. And what is most important the entire Colombian people are becoming involved in the peace process. CPNN was privileged to take part in the National Encounter for Peace Education that took place October 1 and 2 in Bogota, involving a wide range of the civil society as well as government officials. Articles about the Encounter by Alicia Cabezuo of the International Peace Bureau and by David Adams are published in CPNN along with a link to a video of the meeting and an interview by Cabezudo about peace education. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos took part in a nationally televised program on peace education with some of educators who took part in the Encounter. Earlier, the National Congress of REDUNDIPAZ met from September 21-23 to address “The Role of the University in Building Peace with Social Justice.” Then, on October 10, the government of Chile announced it is establishing a group of experts, veterans of peace processes in their countries, to work out of El Salvador on behalf of the Colombian agreement. This is a kind of international solidarity for peace that is rarely seen in other continents.

The culture of peace, as such, is on the agenda in Latin America, as shown by other recent CPNN articles. Cuba announced that it will advocate for this at UNESCO. In Argentina a cycle of events dedicated to this was held during the week of the International Day of Peace. Bolivian students marched for culture of peace.

In Brazil, a public hearing of the Congress was devoted to culture of peace in schools. While in Curitiba the Instituto Mundo Melhor (IMM) brought together police officers to discuss the culture of peace. And Cardinal Peter Turkson, the President of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, spoke at an international symposium on “Promoting a Culture of Peace in a World of Conflict” that was held in Rio de Janeiro.

Latin America continues to make a major contribution to sustainable development. The governments of Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela announced at a forum in October that they will advocate for “Pachamama,” or Mother Earth, and civil society at the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in December. In this regard, CPNN recently carried articles about women dealing with waste management in Nicaragua, terrace farming by indigenous farmers in Chile, and a victory by the indigenous farmers of Guatemala against the monopoly practices of Monsanto.

In Guatemala, The Latin American Council for Peace Research (CLAIP) and the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) devoted their Third Regional Conference to “Latin America on the quest for sustainable peace: tools and contributions.” While in Honduras, the struggle of peasant movements for the reclaiming of stolen land is celebrated in the new film, “Fertile Ground“.

As we say in the video of the National Encounter for Peace Education in Colombia: “If you look at the news from around the world, there is war everywhere. . . [but] when we see that Colombia is going towards peace, it is an inspiration. If Colombia can make peace, se we can make peace in other countries also.”

Each year the International Day of Peace (September 21) reveals the spread of anti-war consciousness throughout the world. Last year the bulletin for October 1 concluded that “we have seen this month the most impressive mobilization for a culture of peace since the International Year for the Culture of Peace 14 years ago. In other words, we can say with certainty that the culture of peace is advancing.”

Can we say the same this year? Qualitatively, we can see many examples that suggest we are advancing.

As usual the UN Secretary-General marks the International Day of Peace by calling for cease-fires in the wars around the world. Others, such as the Director of Greenpeace, Kumi Naidoo, use the occasion to urge solidarity with refugees as well as the cessation of the wars that have forced them to flee. He salutes the many acts of solidarity by individuals and communities across Europe, and he quotes the poet Warsan Shire that ‘No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark’. In a similar vein, the International Peace Bureau has given a share of its annual MacBride Prize to the Italian island of Lampedusa whose people have helped thousands of refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean to find asylum in Europe, and the Bureau makes the point that they are fleeing the military interventions by Europe in their homelands.

Peace One Day has been campaigning for over 17 years, making the case for Peace Day. This year it is sponsoring ‘ONE’, the Peace Day anthem recorded by musicians together from five African countries: Zwai Bala (South Africa), Ice Prince (Nigeria) Maurice Kirya (Uganda), Alikiba (Tanzania), Wangechi (Kenya) and Dama Do Bling (Mozambique). The anthem was premiered at the Peace One Day Youth Celebration in Kigali, Rwanda which featured performances from artists from across the Great Lakes region of Africa.

In the United States, the Campaign Nonviolence coordinates hundreds of actions around the country to foster a culture of peace through the power of nonviolence. Last year the campaign was launched with 239 actions and events in every part of the nation.

Here are some other celebrations from around the world:

The United Nations Association of New Zealand celebrated the International Day of Peace at Parliament in the Legislative chamber. In Zimbabwe, dancers, actors and poets came together to commemorate the International Day of Peace with performances at Zimbabwe Hall in Highfield. The Kashmir Peace Network is celebrating International Day of Peace at ‘Samad’s Island of Peace’ in Nageen. They are participating in the Global Feast for Peace, coordinated by the International Cities of Peace, along with many other cities around the world.

The peace activists of Ashland, Oregon (US) have used the day to launch an official City Culture of Peace Commission. And activists in Colombia are including the day in the 7th National Congress of REDUNDIPAZ, dedicated to the role of the university in the construction of peace with social justice.

The celebration of the Day is so widespread that it is difficult to give a quantitative measure. After surveying some of the websites and social media devoted to the International Day of Peace, I conclude that all of our estimates are under-estimates and the celebration is more widespread that we can calculate.

As the government of Colombia and the FARC enter their 40th cycle of peace talks, the people of Colombia are optimistic that an end is in sight to the half century of civil war that has torn their country apart and they are preparing for peace.

The peace talks reconvened August 20 in Havana with “a renewal of confidence in the peace process, spawned by the parties’  expressed willingness to accelerate the pace in Havana and to de-escalate the violence in Colombia.” Among their decisions in recent talks was the promise to create a truth commission. As the peace talks have advanced, the amount of violence has decreased according to a recent study by the United Nations.

As Amada Benevides explains in her letter to CPNN from Colombia, “The process of negotiating a peace agreement with the FARC has advanced many topics, including education for peace. For the first time in Colombia it is being mentioned explicitly, and not by other names, and in this sense we have several new initiatives . . . [including a] National Meeting on Education for Peace, to be held on 1 and 2 October.” She adds, “Since we have been working more than 15 years to put forward the necessity of peace education in Colombia, this is really a very exciting time.”

Peace education is becoming a required subject in the schools of Colombia. According to law 1732, adopted in 2014, the national government has decreed that “the teaching of Peace is regulated in all educational institutions of the country”. Culture of peace and sustainable development are to be implemented in the academic syllabus before December 31, 2015, in the areas of social sciences, history, geography, politics and democracy constitution, life sciences, environmental education, ethics, human values and principles.

There are many local and regional peace initiatives in the context of the talks between the government and FARC:

An important precedent over the years has been set by the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, formally established in 1996, which has been able to resist involvement in the civil war by means of a vast array of nonviolent tactics ranging from public declarations to establishing alternative educational institutions and markets. This impressive tactical diversity has gained considerable international support and, to this day, helps sustain the Community’s resilience. 

In Cundinamarca a regional meeting was devoted to strengthening the national policy of coexistence and security in the issue of reconciliation. Jerome Gordillo, secretary of Government of Cundinamarca, said that is the responsibility of mayors and ombudsmen to efficiently handle the peace process.

In the city of San Agustin, the Faculty of Education of Surcolombiana University held the first International Biennial of education and culture of peace from 13 to August 15.

In Cartagena, the first regional meeting was held to construct a Caribbean Regional Peace Assembly. The meeting was supported by the workers’ labor union -USO- and the company Ecopetrol. It was attended by delegates from Atlantico, Bolivar, Sucre, Córdoba, Cesar and Guajira.

In Bogota, more than 350,000 people attended the Rock in the Park Festival which was dedicated this year to the culture of peace.

At a national level, the Second National Assembly for Peace will take place in November. It will will include four conversations and 10 regional assemblies which will take place in Antioquia, Barrancabermeja, Cartagena, Choco, Villavicencio, Neiva, Puerto Asis, Tibu, Arauca and Popayan. They will focus on three themes: 1) mining and energy policy; 2) regional development and peacebuilding and 3), culture of peace and followup to the peace accords.

In many remote regions in Colombia, radio is the only medium to which people have access. For this reason, the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace this year began training journalists and announcers working at hundreds of small community radio stations across the country to manage programs that bring citizens in touch with the ongoing peace process.

In sum, the people of Colombia are preparing for peace at all levels, providing us lessons for the eventual transition from the global culture of war to a culture of peace.