Latin America and Caribbean: International Day of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A survey by CPNN

The following 58 events in 16 Latin America and Caribbean countries were listed in “Google News” during the week of September 21-28 under the key words “International day of peace” and “Dia internacional de paz,” and “Dia internacional da paz.” This also includes some events listed on the websites of the Global Feast for Peace, and event map for the International Day of Peace.


Here are excerpts from the articles.

GUAYANA : A peace walk and concert in observance of International Peace Day was held by Ministry of Social Cohesion on Thursday, September 21, 2017. Under the theme, “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety, and Dignity for All” the march which commenced from Parade Ground and concluded at the National Museum, saw a wide cross-section of individuals participating, including those from the Guyana Karate School, Glaston Twirling Dancerettes Company.

ST LUCIA : The Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassador’s Network (CYPAN) St. Lucia’s Chapter joined the United Nations in celebrating International Day of Peace under the theme “Together for peace, respect, safety and dignity for all”. The organization is hosting an inter-district essay competition organized primarily for Secondary School students. Students are encouraged to write a 100 – 150 word essay, using the topic: “What Does a Peace Building Commonwealth Mean to Our Business Community”.

(Note: From this point on, the events are translated by CPNN from the Spanish or Portuguese original)

CASILDA, ARGENTINA : This 21st of September is celebrated around the world as the International Day of Peace, and at the request of the Ombudsman of Santa Fe, in our city, as in many others in the province, the Flag of Peace will be hoisted in the Plaza Casado de los Mástiles, at 9:30 am. This will happen this Thursday, at 9:30 am, and the event will be attended by the municipal mayor, Juan José Sarasola, and officials of the City Council.

SALTA, ARGENTINA : With a symbolic walk and different activities, the International Day of Peace was commemorated under the motto “We celebrate the Pulse of Peace”, with the participation of different groups committed to the construction of a Culture of Peace. The activity, which included the Ministry of Human Rights and Justice along with other organizations, began with a symbolic walk to the Monument of Güemes, where the organizers of the event raised the flag of peace and carried out activities alluding to the day.

Other descriptions of peace day activities in Argentina were reported from CÓRDOBA and NECHOCHEA

CAMPO GRANDE, BRAZIL : With cultural performances of music and dance, 850 students of the municipal school “Vanderlei Rosa de Oliveira”, in the neighborhood Novo Maranhão, celebrated the International Day of Peace, celebrated on Thursday (21). In all, the event brought together an audience of over a thousand people. . . . Children from preschool to grade 9 presented numbers with songs about peace. . . . In another presentation, the students danced holding candles, which symbolized the light needed to illuminate the decisions of humanity.

CANOAS, BRASIL : The Directorate of Policies for Diversity and Traditional Communities, in partnership with the Municipal Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents of Canoas (Comdica) and the NGO Parceiros Voluntários, on September 21 the Walk of Peace. The path of the walk leaves the Emancipation Square, in front of the City Hall. . . The initiative is part of the Arte Legal project, a social intervention that aims to inform, sensitize and mobilize citizens of Cano for the implementation of Law 13.185 / 15, known as the Law to Combat Bullying.

CARUARU, BRASIL : The International Day of Peace was celebrated in Caruaru with a Walk for Peace, on the afternoon of Thursday 21. Thousands of people followed the Walk from the railroad station through the main streets of the city center to Marco Zero. Public authorities, private institutions and associations, trade unions, organizations gathered in forums with representatives of the judiciary, councilors, rights advisers, artists and the community.

ITAJAÍ, BRASIL : Next Thursday (21), when the “International Day of Peace” is celebrated, 5th year students of the Basic School develop the “Pinwheels for Peace” project. . . . The windbreakers will bring messages about peace, anti-bullying and non-violence, and will be distributed to the population. There are also moments of reflection on peace, artistic presentations, recitation of poetry, as well as the offering of white balloons, face painting and the distribution of tree seedlings. . . . Another action planned by the promoters will be the delivery of leaflets releasing phrases from peacemakers such as Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Tereza of Calcutta and Anne Frank.

PELOTAS, BRASIL : The City Hall and the Religious Diversity Committee are organizing the celebration of World Peace Day on Thursday beginning at 13.30 in the Baronesa Park. The event includes the Alberto Rosa School Band and capoeira workshop, the Areal student orchestra, Musical performance of Escola Anchieta, a Hip Hop Presentation, a Presentation of Angels and Cherubs, the Brigade Band, a Culture of Peace closure, and the UNESCO message.

SÃO PAULO, BRASIL : This Saturday (23/9), at the internal garden of the Courtyard of the College, in the center of the capital of São Paulo, leaders and representatives of different religions will meet with a single objective: to ask for and to emanate world peace. Among them are Assembly of God, Buddhism, Candomblé, Catholicism, Spiritism, Hinduism, Presbyterian Church, Islam, Umbanda. The “Interreligious United Act for Peace” is organized by the Commercial Association of São Paulo in celebration of the International Day of Peace.

Other descriptions of peace day activities in Brazil were reported from PASSOS MAIA and PORTO ALEGRE.

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA : On September 21, as part of the International Day of Peace, the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá and the Mayor of Bogotá, as well as the Ministry of Culture and allied entities, launch the general agenda that seeks to reaffirm the title it holds “Bogota as World City of Peace,” assigned during the 16th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, held in February this year. . . . The agenda is a series of activities and programs that have been developed during the year and are scheduled until 2018, with which it is hoped to continue activating citizen participation around the dialogue on construction and reconciliation in the city.

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( Click here for the Spanish version.)

Question for this article

What has happened this year (2017) for the International Day of Peace?

(Survey continued from left column)

SAN ANDRÉS DE TUMACO EN NARIÑO, COLOMBIA : The Youth Network “This is Peace Too” in Tumaco, is carrying out various activities within the framework of the peace week, September 19, 20 and 21 as part of the strategy to reflect on the situation that our country and transmit messages about forgiveness and reconciliation. They are performing activities such as staging and theater image with a gallery of body images. Young people who are part of the “Project Use Your Power to Build Peace” are also participating in the Youth Encounter for Peace in Tumaco, where it has been possible to exchange ideas with other young people with different youth processes for peace that take place in the surrounding municipalities, Several cultural activities have been carried out, such as murals, ancestral recovery through women’s songs and young songwriters, actions that favor the integration of communities and the construction of healthy spaces for the population.

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA : As part of the celebration of the International Day of Peace, nearly 200 young people from all over the country gathered at the National Cultural Center where the results of the fourth edition of “Song for Peace” were presented. . . . In total 60 students from the seven provinces of the country participated in the contest and an artistic camp with renowned national artists. “Only with a word” theme of the young Jessica Matus Moreno of the Professional Technical College of the East obtained the first place of the contest.

HABANA, CUBA : Members of the project “Sociocultural Communication and Activism Join Us!” visited a Havana educational center to celebrate together with students and teachers the International Day of Peace, held every September 21. . . . Artists of the popular program Sonando in Cuba, transmitted by the Cuban Television, talked with students and teachers. . . For her part, Alodia Suárez, director of the school for five years, said that. . . “In a fun and attractive way, knowledge on various topics such as non-violence, gender equality, environmental protection, the rights of children and people with disabilities, among other issues can be transmitted”.

SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR : Celebration of the international day of peace with a colorful act in our capital (video report).

TECOMÁN, MÉXICO : The municipal coordinator of the Program for the Care of Girls, Children and Adolescents (PANNAR) Lluvia María Bueno Sánchez, stressed the importance of students promoting peace among schoolmates, as well as in the family. . . Thus a group of children from the Paladins of the Revolution primary were responsible for painting the mural commemorating the International Day of Peace held on September 21. In the mural highlighted values such as love, respect, understanding, tolerance, patience, responsibility, smile, among others.

CHETUMAL, MÉXICO : More than 300 people gathered in front of the Museum of Mayan Culture to commemorate September 21 International Day of Peace, with the participation of different civil organizations and students. . . . There were hundreds of children who came from different Scout groups, with their different banners alluding to peace. In the event, also came students of the College of Bachelors, who formed their own contingent as well as a motorcyclists club. . . . The interviewee commented that for two months they have been organizing for this day that can not go unnoticed in order to make citizens aware that in the current world, Mexicans and especially children, we want peace!

CHIHUAHUA, MÉXICO : As part of the commemoration of the “International Peace Day”, the Secretariat for Social Development, through the Cohesion Coordination of Social Cohesion and Citizen Participation, held an awareness event at the Francisco Javier Torres Arellano Elementary School to encourage mediation between the new generations. Laurencio Barraza Limón, Coordinator of Social Cohesion and Citizen Participation, said that this act is part of a series of trainings that are being developed so that new generations know that there are peaceful ways to solve any type of conflict in their environment. The official added that at the moment, the state agency implements this action in 20 primary, secondary and preparatory institutions of the City of Chihuahua with the intention of extending the coverage to about 60 schools and gradually extend to other municipalities .

MANAGUA, NICARAGUA : Thousands of balloons along with paper doves were launched in the gardens of the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN-Managua), by students and authorities of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nicaragua, within the framework of the celebration of the World Day of the Peace. “For me this day is very important. We are firm believers and promoters of peace” said Alexander Sidorov, Second Secretary of the Russian Embassy. “In World War II, 26 million Russians died, and that is why we do not want wars, we want peace in the world.: On each little bird that flew on a balloon was the name of a Russian person killed in the war as a tribute to those men and women who contributed to the end of the armed conflicts at that time. The UNAN-Managua Chancellor, Ramona Rodríguez, pointed out that Nicaraguan youth are very committed to the country’s development and recognize that to achieve that, it is necessary to maintain and strengthen peace.

LIMA, PERU : With dance music and an artistic show, Chimbote celebrated yesterday, the International Day of Peace. Among the participating groups were the municipal creche “Cruz de la Paz” and Amigas de Chimbote, members of the Integral Center for the Elderly (CIAM) as well as members of the Civil Association of the “Perpetual Relief for the Disabled”, the Food Complementation Program, the Glass of Milk Program, and IEP students “My Good Jesus.” The representative of the Provincial Municipality, Paola Huamán, stressed the importance of placing peace on the agenda, especially in situations of social problems and violence, such as those experienced in the region.

CARACAS, VENEZUELA : To celebrate the International Day of Peace, a concert was held at the Teatro Principal in Caracas with the participation of several popular artists, according to the Venezuelan News Agency. Delcy Rodríguez, accompanied by singer-songwriters like Lilia Vera, Luisiana Pérez, Fabiola José, Daisy Gutiérrez, Amaranta Pérez, Roque Valero and Leonel Ruíz participated in the concert organized by the National Constituent Assembly (ANC). . . . The activity began with the opening speech of the constituent Roque Valero, who highlighted the Government’s efforts to protect the stability of the nation, especially after the installation of the ANC that aims to promote a dialogue with all sectors. Also present were Father Numa Molina and Luis Milagro, mother of David Vallenilla, murdered during the street actions promoted by extremist sectors of the opposition.

In addition to the above events, there are a number of events in Latin America and the Caribbean listed on the event map for the International Day of Peace, including an assembly in ST MICHAEL, BARBADOS, music in CALI, COLOMBIA, meetings and music in MAGDALENA, COLOMBIA, school activities in MONTERREY, MEXICO, meditation in SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, activities in KINGSTON, JAMAICA and a student peace march in SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA.

Many cities and communities are members of the International Peace Cities network and the following are listed on the Global Feast Map as celebrating a feast to mark the International Day of Peace:

ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires, Vicente Lopez, Tigre, San Salvador du Jujuy, Moron, Escobar, Junin, Rivadavia, La Paz, San Rafael, Neuquen, Villa de Merlo, Carpinteria, La Carolina, Los Molles, San Miguel de Tucuman, Monteros, San Isidro and Adrogue.

HAITI: Port-au-Prince, Hinche, Fort Liberté, Croix-des-Bouquets

MEXICO: Guadalajara, Zihautanejo, Querétaro

COLOMBIA : Medellin, Bogotá, Cajicá, Leticia

BARBADOS: Bridgetown

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Africa: International Day of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A survey by CPNN

The following 81 events in 29 African countries were listed in “Google News” during the week of September 21-28 under the key words “International day of peace” and “Journée internationale de la paix.” This also includes some events listed on the websites of the Global Feast for Peace, and event map for the International Day of Peace. It is likely that there were articles in other local languages that are not listed here.


(Click on image to enlarge)

Here are excerpts from the articles.

GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Our friends in Goma celebrated Peace Day with a football match, participatory theatre show (pictured), live music and a march for peace, ending the day with some words of hope from the city’s mayor and a commitment to peace in DRC. Thanks to our partners Interpeace, ISSSS, Search for Common Ground and MSI for a wonderful day.

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA: The African Union (AU) in partnership with the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), Oxfam International, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) organized a panel discussion on the theme, “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend: Meaningful Youth Inclusion in Peace-Building”, on the occasion of the International Day of Peace (Peace Day) 21 September 2017.

HO, GHANA: Rev. Monsignor Kornu was addressing a peace forum between the Nkonyas and Alavanyos in Ho to mark the International Day of Peace celebrations, which was on the theme: Together for Peace, Respect, Dignity and Safety for all.

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Eastern Africa Standby Force joined the rest of the world in celebrating the International Day of Peace on Thursday, 21st September 2017 in Karen, Nairobi. The day’s events started with the traditional Peace Walk which was led by the Kenya Army Band along the streets of Karen up to St. Nicholas Children’s Home; a home for orphaned children dedicated to giving these young people a fair chance and hope for the future.

LIBERIA : Peace Walk and Youth Peace Talk organized by Messengers of Peace-Liberia Inc (MOP) in collaboration with United Nations Mission in Liberia with support from UNDP and UN Peacebuilding Fund at the launch of the “Enhancing Youth Participation in the 2017 Legislative and Presidential Electoral Process,” and the commemoration of the International Day of Peace. . . . . It was gratifying to be graced by representatives from UNDP, UNMIL, UNFPA, UN Women, ECOWAS, Ministries of Youths & Sports, Justice, Information, Culture Affairs & Tourism, Rotary Club of Monrovia, National Civil Society Council and the media. Over six hundred students from thirty schools in Montserrado, Bomi, Bong and Margibi counties attended and listened keenly to the peace talk among members of the political parties.

BLANTYRE, MALAWI : People in Blantyre on Friday 22nd September 2017 joined their friends across the world to commemorate this year’s global International Day of Peace which was organised by the People’s Federation for National Peace and Development (PEFENAP). . . . peaceful processions which started from Old Town Hall, via Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) to Blantyre Chichiri Shopping Mall and back to the Old Town Hall.

NIAMEY, NIGER : Our country, like the international community, celebrated today, 21 September, the International Day of Peace. Under the patronage of SEM Birigi Refinei, Prime Minister, head of government, the activities that took place in the course of this day were held this morning at the martial Arts Academy in Niamey.

ABUJA, NIGERIA : Nigerian youths across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, congregated in Abuja, where the unity and peaceful coexistence among the Nigeria people was unequivocally addressed. The event, which had the theme ‘Together for Peace: Respect, safety and dignity for all’, was organised at the instance of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, under the leadership of Dr Dickson Akoh.

IKORODU, NIGERIA : As the world celebrate the International Day of Peace, a Non-governmental organisation, African Democratic Development Initiative, religious leaders and stakeholders in Ikorodu Lagos State have advocated for a society that is all inconclusive and violence free. The celebration was held, today Friday at the Ikorodu Local Government Secretariat.

LAGOS, NIGERIA : Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has acknowledged the role of citizens’ mediation in the promotion of peaceful co-exientence in the State, assuring that his administration would establish more centres in all the nooks and crannies of the State. . . . Ambode spoke at the celebration of the United Nations International Day of Peace at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

KIGALI, RWANDA : To mark the day, over 400 Rwandan youth from across the country convened at Parliamentary Buildings in Kimihurura, Kigali to deliberate on different interventions of promoting values of respect towards more peaceful families. The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) together with its partners aim to enhance citizens’ capacity to analyse the root causes of conflicts, facilitate dialogue, and appreciate diversity to ensure sustainable peace and development.

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE : The Day was commemorated at the Saint Antony Hall on Skye Street, Brookfieds, Freetown with several state and non-state actors deliberating on the need for peace, credible, free and fair elections in 2018.

CAPETOWN, SOUTH AFRICA : Residents and foreign nationals commemorated the International Day of Peace by launching an organisation that aims to promote harmony between them. The Association for Refugee Communities and Organisations in South Africa (ARCOSA) was launched last Thursday at the Blue Hall, in Site C, Khayelitsha. The launch was done in partnership with Cape Town Refugee Centre (CTRC) and Peace Builders Team.

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA : From 19-21 September 2017, ACCORD conducted a training for political officers working in the African Union Situation room in the Conflict Early Warning Systems (CEWS) which was held in Durban, South Africa.

HARARE, ZIMBABWE : A dialogue forum was held today at the UN Information Centre in Harare to celebrate the International Day of Peace.

KAMPALA, UGANDA : To celebrate the International Day of Peace, SOUTH SUDANESE STUDENTS studying at universities in Uganda are embracing their country’s cultural diversity to foster peace rather than focusing on tribal differences that have torn apart South Sudan in a nearly four-year-long conflict. The South Sudanese Students’ Union in Uganda organized a festival in Kampala as part of a series of events marking the United Nation’s International Day of Peace on September 21, whose theme this year is: “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.” Organizers said the event brought together South Sudanese communities and students in Uganda who have been divided along tribal and political lines.

CAPE VERDE : Under the motto “Together for Peace: Respect, Dignity and Security for All” is celebrated on September 21, World Peace Day. The Cape Verde National Commission for UNESCO, in partnership with the Ministry of Family and Social Inclusion, through the General Directorate of Immigration, will celebrate the day on Thursday, at the Manuel Lopes Secondary School in Calabaceira, starting at 09h. The event is attended by the Minister of Family and Social Inclusion, Maritza Rosabal. (translated by CPNN from the Portuguese original)

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Question for this article

What has happened this year (2017) for the International Day of Peace?

(Survey continued from the left column)

(Note: the following events are translated by CPNN from the original French)

COTONOU, BENIN : “Peace is a matter for all, without discrimination of region and religion”. This is the message yesterday to the people of Cotonou by the Scouts on the occasion of the International Day of Peace. Organized by the Agro-Mechanical Center in Ouidah (Camo), these events, which took place at the Placodji Public Elementary School, were massively attended by pupils, teachers and parents. There were also the Scouts of the University Districts of the Injeps of Porto-Novo and Lokossa and those of the districts Notre Dame and Monsignor Isidore de Souza of Cotonou.

BURUNDI, RWANDA AND DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO : On the occasion of the International Day of Peace celebrated on 21 September, 1,500 young people from Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC met in Goma to discuss peace. They participated in workshops on peace and gender and a charity concert.

BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC : Among the activities planned in Bangui, this Thursday, an official ceremony will be held at the Omnisports Stadium in Bangui, in the presence of the national authorities and the leadership of MINUSCA, followed by a photo exhibition at UNMIS headquarters in Bangui. . . .The International Day of Peace will also see a gathering of solidarity with the returnees, returnees and refugees from Bangui around the Abel Goumba roundabout. An activity organized with the Women’s Network of the MINUSCA Police in partnership with the Forces of Internal Security (FSI). A peace caravan initiated by the National Youth Council (CNJ) will travel through all the boroughs of the capital followed by the final of the Peace Tournament organized by the Bangui Football League.

COMORES : Like the other countries of the world, the Comoros celebrated, yesterday Thursday 21 September, the International Day of Peace. The ceremony took place at the council of the island of Ngazidja, in the presence of the political, military and religious authorities of the country. It was sponsored by the Salam association, an NGO working for the consolidation and maintenance of peace.

KANANGA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO : About 500 people gathered at Independence Square in Kananga to commune and commit to Peace, a theme chosen by MONUSCO to celebrate the International Day of Peace. One year after the beginning of violence and repression in the region, the celebration of the International Day of Peace is of particular importance in Kananga.

KASAI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO : For four days, the forum on peace in the Great Kasai was held in Kananga, capital of the Central Kasai. It was closed by a reconciliation ceremony, followed by rejoicing. Despite this, we must admit that questions remain unanswered.

LINGWALA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO : Inspired by the principles advocated by Unesco, namely peace and the quality of education, the kindergarten children of the Academic Complex ACADEMIA celebrated yesterday Thursday with enthusiasm the International Day of Peace . . . Their performance of the song “We Advocate Peace” was highly applauded by the representative of the parents’ committee and the teaching staff at the headquarters of this private school, associated with Unesco.

GABON : Under the label of UNESCO, 103 Gabonese NGOs are fighting for peace as the women of other African countries already do. In this spirit, the Association A ‘Soif, whose founder is none other than Victoire Lasseni Duboz, celebrated the International Day of Peace. . . . Before a rich audience of all nationalities and representatives of UNESCO, the patroness of A’SOIF highlighted the different missions that this association is focused on and presented the plans for a national network of women for peace. “Through this network, 103 women’s NGOs unite to be apostles of peace in Gabon, while placing emphasis on poverty and unemployment which are real factors for the destitution of peace in a state”, hammered Francine Meviane, General Secretary of the National Network of Women for Peace. This UNESCO initiative is already established in several African countries with a clear ambition to create a pan-African network of women for peace.

CONAKRY, GUINEA : On the occasion of the celebration of the International Day of Peace . . . it was before a heterogeneous audience of Guinean and Senegalese writers, artists and other actors of civil society that the ambassador of peace Elhadj Djériba DIABY addressed the audience in a language full of humility and wisdom . ” The peace ! The peace ! Growing peace, without it, there is no development. I am deeply touched by this day because it marks a very important turning point in my life as a peace ambassador not only in Guinea but also throughout Africa. . . . As for the President of the Writers’ Association of Guinea, he also made his messages to the public in order to build a Guinea in peace : “The writer is a shepherd, a lighthouse that can put gunpowder or which can extinguish the fire by his pen. His works must therefore unify, educate, sensitize and inform and at the other end, peace is the central link for all human activities, which is essential to humans in their evolutionary process. So the book helps to understand the importance of peace, freedom and the consequences of war. It would then be opportune to say that this day must call on the young people to invest themselves in the reading to better understand the importance of peace. . . . The day not only allowed the youth to touch the hands of the recommendations of these men of peace but also to enroll in an impulse promoting the behaviors of respect for others. It was also an opportunity for exchanges between the youth and the writers.

LA REUNION : Eric Magamootoo, former President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is visiting Réunion and will be hosting a conference on the theme of Peace and Living Together in Reunion on Thursday September 21st in St Pierre. At the same time, there will be a symbolic olive-tree planting by the Mayor of Saint Pierre and Mr Magamootoo today at the Edith Piaf school in Saint Pierre and there will also be a conference “L’olivier et la paix” at the media library Antoine Louis Roussin in St Benoît

MADAGASCAR : To mark the celebration of the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2017, the Regional Tourist Office of Analamanga ORTANA and the Rotary Club Antananarivo Ainga will organize a distribution of honey for all in the Garden of Antaninarenina this Thursday, September 21, 2017 starting at 09:00. . . . In the Malagasy tradition, honey is important and ubiquitous, whether to celebrate, welcome or bless, honey is definitely anchored in Malagasy culture.

MALI : As part of the celebration of the International Day of Peace, the Association of Journalists for Peace and Non-Violence (AJPV), in partnership with GENOVICO, organized a conference-debate on the theme: to have a more professional press in Mali. It was moderated by Sadou Abdoulaye Yattara, Journalist, Expert in Communication, Advocacy and Media Education, at the Djoliba Center, on Friday, 22 September 2017.

TOGO : On September 18, 2017, the Regional Office for West Africa of the International Organization of la Francophonie hosted some 30 young people for an awareness-raising and training workshop on the values ​​and tools of animation of the initiative “Libres ensemble.” Initiated by the Association les Messagers de la Jarre de Paix (AMJP), the workshop is organized as a prelude to the International Day of Peace.

In addition to the above events, there are a number of events in Africa listed on the event map for the International Day of Peace, including in SONDU, KENYA, as well as ENTEBBE, UGANDA and TAMALE, GHANA and the Buhera rural district of ZIMBABWE.

Many cities and communities are members of the International Peace Cities network and the following are listed on the Global Feast Map as celebrating a feast to mark the International Day of Peace:

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Bukavu, Fizi, Lubumbashi, Goma, Uvira, North and South Kivu, Kasongo-Lunda.

NIGERIA: Warrake, Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, Uyo, Benin City, Warri, Port Harcourt, Lafia, Sukkur, Ibadan

KENYA: Nairobi, Nakuru, Oyugis, Ringa, Homa Bay, Ogamo, Kakamega

MALAWI: Mzuzu, Lilongwe, Chikwawa

SOUTH SUDAN: Nyala (Darfur), Juba

BURUNDI: Bujumbura, Gitega, Rohero, Ngozi

UGANDA: Kampala, Wakiso, Luweero, Wobulezi, Kabale

RWANDA: Kibuye, Kabare

CAMEROON: Douala, Bameneda, Kumbo, Buea

GHANA: Accra

LIBERIA: Monrovia, Voinjama,Lofa

SOMALIA: Hargeisa, Mogadishu

SIERRA LEONE : Freetown

TANZANIA : Zanzibar City, Dodoma

GUINEA : Conakry

GAMBIA : Banjul

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Uncategorized,

Mauritania: Festival Nouakchott Jazz Plus: 18th to 23rd of September 2017

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Le Reflet (translated by CPNN)

In order to better know the jazz music in Mauritania, the association “Les Echos du Sahel” has organized this year the jazz festival in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Crafts, the French Institute (IfM) , the Embassy of France, the Embassy of Spain and the Embassy of the United States, also with the support of other associations and economic institutions.

This festival is intended to be “a great meeting of intercultural exchanges between Mauritanian musicians and those of the sub-region, Europe and the United States. It is part of the promotion of jazz music as a vector of peace, freedom of expression and unity: It carries a message of tolerance and openness to others, for a perfect social cohesion . ”

The challenge is also to “create and develop time and space for exchange between cultures through discovery workshops, sharing experiences with professional musicians from Mauritania and abroad. To introduce Mauritian musicians and young people to the practice of jazz, to promote the culture of peace and tolerance in the subregion, in the countries of the Sahel and in the world through the jazz festival and to perpetuate the jazz festival in Mauritania” according to Babi Sarr, secretary general of the” Echos du Sahel “and initiator of the festival of jazz in Mauritania.

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(Click here for a French version of this article)

 

Question related to this article:

What place does music have in the peace movement?

(Article continued from left column)

The program includes: Concerts by Mauritanian and foreign artists, educational workshops between foreign and Mauritanian musicians, an exhibition, lectures and debates, screenings of jazz films and a vibrant tribute to the late Saidou Bâ Banbaado, traditional guitarist, by his son Cheikhou Bâ and the musician Steve Shehan from France.

Among those invited to this cultural event: Kahil El’Zabar and David Murray (USA), Samy Thiébault (France), Steve Shehan (France), Jerez – Texas (Spain), Noura Seymaly (Mauritania), Walfadjiri Orchestra (Mauritania).

As a reminder, the launch of this edition is scheduled for September 18 at 8 pm at the Echos du Sahel. A press conference of the Nouakchott Jazz PLUS Festival 2017 will take place Tuesday, September 19 at 10 am at the Hotel Monotel.

The event will be marked in particular by a concert by Samy Thiebault, on September 19th at the IfM (1,000um / 500 um for the members) at 8 pm, on 21 September a concert at the Ifm at 8 pm with Noura Seymali, Dental Orchestra (Mauritania), Jerez Texas, David Murray and Kahil El’Zabar (USA) (free entry). A dinner concert is scheduled on Friday, September 22 at the Hotel Monotel at 8 pm entrance 10,000 um.

A restitution of the educational workshops with David Murray & Kahil El’Zabar and Mauritanian trainee musicians will be offered on Saturday 23rd September at 8pm at the Echos du Sahel (free admission), the public will also vibrate during this evening to the rhythm of the duo Steve Shehan and Cheikhou Ba to the Echoes of the Sahel.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Mideast

Egypt: Women’s Conference in Gharbia organizes “Women’s Peacemaker” conference

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Soutalomma (Google translation from original Arabic)

The National Council for Women in Gharbia Governorate organized a conference in the conference hall of the governorate’s General Directorate entitled “Women Who Make Peace Together against Extremism and Terrorism”, on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, in the presence of Mr. Ahmed Saqer, Governor of Al Gharbia, Major General Ahmed Saqr, Governor of Al Gharbia, Dr. Saad Al-Zant, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies and Communication Ethics, and Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, Dean of the Faculty of Law Tanta University, Dr. Zeinab Abu El Fadl, Professor of Jurisprudence at the Faculty of Arts, Dr. Yasser Qansouh, Professor of Political Philosophy at the Faculty of Arts, and Dr. Rania El Kilani, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Faculty of Arts and a number of executive leaders at the government level.


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Question for this article

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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The aim of the conference was to consolidate the role of women in establishing a culture of peace, fighting extremism, stirring brotherly spirit among the people of the homeland, rejecting hate speech, rejecting the other and consolidating the role of women in dealing with the effects of terrorist events and restoring national balance.

Al-Gharbi stressed in his speech the pivotal role of women in consolidating culture of peace and eradicating terrorism and extremism through educating children especially in light of the circumstances and challenges faced by the country, pointing out the need to observe the behavior of children and work on their evaluation.

The Governor of Gharbia praised the role of Dr. Safaa Mara’i, Rapporteur of the National Council for Women in the West Branch in supporting the role of women through continuing courses to raise awareness of women in all fields and to identify the problems of rural women and to present them to the officials to solve them. During the conference, Al-Gharbia in supporting the role of women in Gharbia province and thanked him for his interest in the activities of the Council, pointing out the role of women in society and facing terrorism through proper education.

Mideast, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

United Nations: Erica Ford Leads the International Day of Peace with Oprah’s Winfrey’s Guru Deepak Chopra

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from The Source

In 1994, Tupac Shakur tapped Erica Ford to be The Chairwoman of The Code, his Brooklyn-based anti-violence organization, she knew her life would never be the same. Hip-Hop needed a moderator, someone who in the midst of all the machismo ‘rah-rah’ could come in and usher peace in as a lifestyle. This has been her call: To work with rappers to use their prophetic gifts of emceeing and attraction to promote good. 20+ years later, Erica is still stomping the streets and moving Hip-Hop culture towards a lifestyle of peace.

Thursday, September 21, 2017, Ford attended the United Nations’ International Day of Peace for a conversation on the intersection of violence and public health. In attendance was New York City Council Member, Robert E. Corneygy, Jr (36th District), Shanduke McPhatter, the CEO & Founder of Gangsta’s Making Astronomical Community Changes (GMACC), Dr. Michael A. Lindsey, Director of McSilver Institute and Professor of Poverty Studies at New York University and Oprah Winfrey’s personal yogi and spiritual advisor, Deepak Chopra (The Chopra Foundation). Ford also provided an inclusive platform for Hip-Hop at the table for The Urban Yogis — a rap collective that also teaches yoga throughout South Jamaica, Queens to kids seeking to find a way to destress from the chaos of the day.

Question(s) related to this article:
FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, United Nations

Feminist icons join bid to upend Congo’s rape capital reputation

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article by Sebastien Malo from the Thomson Reuters Foundation

Leading feminist figures from around the world lent their support on Thursday to scores of Congolese women gathered in a bid to end the Central African country’s rape epidemic.

Giving women a role in peace efforts in the conflict-torn nation could help address its astronomical rate of sexual violence, they said, which has earned it the tag of “rape capital of the world.”

More than 400,000 women are raped in Congo every year, and much of the sexual violence is considered to be a by-product of years of fighting.

The women, hailing from each of Congo’s provinces and meeting in Kinshasa, linked up via social media with Liberian Nobel laureate Leymah Gbowee and Ms. magazine co-founder Gloria Steinem in New York.

Involving Congolese women in ending the nation’s ongoing political turmoil would help establish the law and order needed to prevent rape, they said.

Gbowee, who was co-awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her work for peace and women’s rights, warned against incendiary politics getting in the way.

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Question related to this article:

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

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“Peace is more important than any political ideology,” she said.

“You have to tell yourselves ‘For us to start this journey, for us to work together collectively to sustain the peace in Congo, we have to put aside those things that will easily take us from on track’.”

A string of ethnically motivated attacks including rapes has been reported in recent months as Congo’s government has been fighting insurgents in the central Kasai region.

Violence in Congo follows President Joseph Kabila’s decision to stay in power beyond the end of his two-term mandate. It has escalated amid fears that a presidential election may not take place.

Speaking from her native South Africa, Navi Pillay, the former U.N. rights chief who rose to prominence as an anti-apartheid lawyer, said she was reminded of her own country’s struggles in establishing democracy for all.

“I feel for you right now because we also twenty years ago started like you did, we got into a room, all the women,” she said.

“Even though we disagreed with one another, we agreed on the principle points we want which is equality and fundamental rights and democracy.”

Gbowee, Steinem and Pillay were joined on the Donor Direct Action Facebook Live broadcast by television series creator Lena Dunham, actress Meryl Streep and Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, who called Congo the rape capital in comments she made as a United Nations Special Representative on sexual violence in conflict.

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

Africa, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2017

.. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ..

An article from the Transcend Media Service

Nuclear power was born in a sea of euphoria out of a collective American guilt over dropping the atomic bomb. And for at least two decades it was the “clean” alternative to coal that was going to meet all of our energy needs forever. The Three Mile Island meltdown, in 1979, ended the euphoria but the dream continued and it still goes on without much regard to contrary facts.


(click on image to enlarge)

The opponents of nuclear power have shown a similar disregard for changing facts. They largely ignored the fact that many well-meaning people viewed local air pollution and climate change more of a danger than nuclear. In those years shutting down a nuclear plant did mean increased emissions of local pollutants and green house gases.

The debate about nuclear power was similar to talking about a religion. It was seldom grounded in all the relevant facts- each side had a religious belief in their point of view boosted by whatever ad hoc facts supported their view.

Because of that history, this 2017 World Nuclear Industry Status Report is perhaps the most decisive document in the history of nuclear power. The report makes clear, in telling detail, that the debate is over. Nuclear power has been eclipsed by the sun and the wind. These renewable, free-fuel sources are no longer a dream or a projection-they are a reality that are replacing nuclear as the preferred choice for new power plants worldwide.

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Question for this article:

Are we making progress in renewable energy?

Is there a future for nuclear energy?

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It no longer matters whether your greatest concern is nuclear power or climate change the answer is the same. The modern-day “Edisons” have learned to harness economically the everlasting sources of energy delivered to earth by Mother Nature free of charge.

The value of this report is that this conclusion no longer relies on hope or opinion but is what is actually happening. In country after country the facts are the same. Nuclear power is far from dead but it is in decline and renewable energy is growing by leaps and bounds.

The entire Report is must reading so that the facts of nuclear decline in the U.S., Germany, Japan, and France –indeed just about every country- really sinks in. It is more than symbolic that the Japanese Government has formally accepted the death of its breeder reactor, which was the original holy-grail of nuclear power.

Most revealing is the fact that nowhere in the world, where there is a competitive market for electricity, has even one single nuclear power plant been initiated. Only where the government or the consumer takes the risks of cost overruns and delays is nuclear power even being considered.

The most decisive part of this report is the final section- Nuclear Power vs Renewable Energy Development. It reveals that since 1997, worldwide, renewable energy has produced four times as many new kilowatt-hours of electricity than nuclear power.

Maybe the Revolution has not been televised, but it is well underway. Renewable energy is a lower cost and cleaner, safer alternative to fossil fuels than nuclear power.

The world no longer needs to build nuclear power plants to avoid climate change and certainly not to save money. If you have any doubt about that fact please read the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2017.

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, Uncategorized

USA: Labor Unions Are Stepping Up To Fight Deportations

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

An article from the Huffington Post (reprinted according to the principle of “fair use”)

Organized labor is finding creative ways to protect immigrant members and families vulnerable in the Trump era.

Yahaira Burgos was fearing the worst when her husband, Juan Vivares, reported to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in lower Manhattan in March. Vivares, who fled Colombia and entered the U.S. illegally in 2011, had recently been given a deportation order. Rather than hide, he showed up at the ICE office with Burgos and his lawyer to continue to press his case for asylum.


UNITE HERE 631 out in force in Phoenix demanding that Motel 6 stop cooperating with ICE

Vivares, 29, was detained for deportation. That’s when Burgos’ union sprang into action.

Prepared for Vivares’ detention, members of the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ gathered for a rally outside the ICE office that afternoon, demanding his release. Union leadership appealed to New York’s congressional delegation, enlisting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) to reach out to ICE leadership. The union president even disseminated the name and phone number for the ICE officer handling Vivares’ deportation and urged allies to call him directly.

“I was very lucky to have a union,” said Burgos, a 39-year-old native of the Dominican Republic who works as a doorwoman on the Upper East Side. “They moved very fast. They moved every politician and every union member. … If it were not for the union he would be deported.”

Vivares is now at home with Burgos and their 19-month-old son, having been granted a stay of deportation as the court considers his motion to reopen his asylum case. Although he’s far from being in the clear, his lawyer, Rebecca Press, says the union’s quick response was critical to keeping Vivares in the U.S. for now. “I do believe that their being able to reach the upper echelons of Congress gave us a window of time,” she said.

Vivares’ case provides a vivid example of the gritty work unions are doing to protect immigrant members and their families vulnerable to deportation in the Trump era.

Their efforts show the ways in which many unions ― particularly those in the low-wage service sector ― have become de facto immigrants rights groups advocating for their members. They also show how much organized labor on the whole has evolved on immigration issues. It wasn’t so long ago that unions generally viewed undocumented workers as competitors who undercut wages (in fairness, some unions still see them that way).

In recent months unions around the country have been hosting “know your rights” workshops to teach workers how to handle encounters with ICE agents and where to turn when someone is detained. They’ve provided legal assistance to and rallied around members and their families who have wound up in deportation proceedings. And they have made a concerted push to win language in union contracts aimed at avoiding deportations and helping workers who run into problems with their immigration papers.

“We’re trying to make people realize that part of the power of being organized at work is you really do have the ability to get additional binding protections if you have the strength to win them at the bargaining table,” said Shannon Lederer, the director of immigration policy at the AFL-CIO, a federation of 56 unions.

Some unions have gotten employers to agree to notify a shop steward whenever ICE or the Department of Homeland Security reaches out to the company about employees’ status. They have also succeeded in getting companies to agree not to allow immigration officials onto the worksite unless they have a warrant. In some contracts, employers have vowed not to conduct “self audits” of their employees’ immigration paperwork unless the feds force them to.

While these tactics predated Trump’s election, unions are now making them a priority. The AFL-CIO recently distributed a nearly 200-page toolkit to its member unions that included contract language they could push for with respect to immigration. In many cases, companies and unions have a mutual self-interest in enacting the protections: Employers do not want to lose trained workers, and unions do not want their members deported.

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Questions related to this article:

The post-election fightback for human rights, is it gathering force in the USA?

What is the contribution of trade unions to the culture of peace?

(Article continued from the left column)

Ron Herrera, the secretary-treasurer at Teamsters Local 396 in Los Angeles, said it was a point of pride for his union to secure clauses in their sanitation contracts guaranteeing workers a grace period for dealing with any snags that come up with their work papers. The contract assures that, so long as they can eventually clear up the problem, the workers won’t lose their jobs or their seniority while they deal with immigration officials.

Herrera said he has received two phone calls in the past week from alarmed members who are working under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which was created by President Barack Obama. The program granted legal work status to an estimated 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who’d come to the U.S. as children. Last week Trump said he would rescind DACA in six months, leaving it to Congress to pass legislation authorizing such a program.

Herrera’s union is a good example of the changing demographics of many labor groups. As a Latino, Herrera said, he was an affirmative action hire at UPS in the 1970s. Now, many of the workplaces his union represents are predominantly Latino. “Even if somebody has legal residence, a lot of times there’s a family member that doesn’t,” he said. “We need to step up and understand that this social issue is actually a work issue, too.”

One of the most powerful things a union can do for an undocumented worker or family member is intervene politically on his or her behalf. Not all cases turn out like that of Juan Vivares. Eber Garcia Vasquez, a Long Island sanitation worker and father of three U.S.-born children, was detained by ICE last month. He had left Guatemala and entered the U.S. illegally 27 years ago. His union, Teamsters Local 813, rallied in lower Manhatta after he was detained, and the union’s Washington lobbyists took his case directly to the Trump administration.

Garcia Vasquez was nonetheless sent back to Guatemala last week, according to the Daily News. He hadn’t been back since he left more than a quarter-century ago.

Many unions have launched training programs aimed at helping members navigate run-ins with immigration agents. In Seattle, an immigrant rights group taught members of SEIU Local 775 how to run such workshops; the union’s members in turn were able to fan out and teach colleagues.

“It’s stuff that we’ve always had on our radar but we kicked into high gear,” said Heather Villanueva, one of the union’s organizers. “The tone changed from generally talking about it to literally trying to protect families once Trump was elected.”

In Austin, Texas, the teachers union has been doling out Fifth Amendment rights cards and packets to help students’ families plan for immigration raids. Many teachers sought out rights training from the union after seeing how frightened their students’ families had become, according to Montserrat Garibay, the vice president of Education Austin. They have been partnering with pro bono immigration attorneys to host presentations for families after school hours.

“We feel this is a crisis that the Latino immigrant community is going through right now,” Garibay said. “As teachers we feel an ethical and moral responsibility.”

The hotel and hospitality union Unite Here, which is heavily immigrant, went so far as to create a ringtone in Spanish called “Nada Nada,” with lyrics enumerating one’s rights when la migra comes knocking: “If immigration comes to arrest you, keep calm / You have the right to not sign anything and not say anything.”

Maria Elena Durazo, Unite Here’s general vice president, said the union redoubled its efforts on immigrant rights once it saw Trump’s cabinet taking shape, with nominees such as Jeff Sessions, now attorney general, making clear that the deportation talk was more than campaign bluster. The union wants to insert more immigration safeguards into new contracts moving forward, like having employers contribute to assistance funds for undocumented workers who lose their jobs, she said.

Part of the challenge unions face, Durazo said, is making all their members see the value of such investments, particularly those who have little sympathy for undocumented immigrants.

“The main thing is to understand the union as an organization of their fellow workers, that we’re all in this together,” she said. “In some places, that could be more difficult: Why are we doing this if they’re here undocumented? It takes a lot of work to build that kind of clarity and solidarity.”

North America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

France: What mobilizations for peace?

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article in L’Humanite (translated by CPNN)

Panel discussion with Paul Quilès, President of IDN, former Minister of Defense and former Chairman of the Defense Committee of the National Assembly, Patrice Bouveret, Director of the Armaments Observatory, co-host of Ican France (International Campaign to abolish nuclear weapons) and Roland Nivet, vice-president of Mouvement de la Paix.


Background facts. With the exacerbation of tensions in Asia, the question of peace is urgent. As part of the International Day of Peace, a call for demonstrations everywhere in France on Saturday 23 September was launched by a collective of more than 50 organizations.

A renewal of international tensions seems to be observable since the inauguration of the new President of the United States. Is this situation irreversible?

Paul Quilès
Donald Trump is not solely responsible for what you call the revival of international tensions, even though his foes and his changing and aggressive attitude tend to destabilize the international scene. Beyond the excitement of a news that the media make us live minute by minute, we must put the developments in their context in the long term. Our multipolar world is crossed by many conflicts of interests and potential confrontations. The reduction of tensions can only be achieved if there is an international will of the great powers to dialogue, which is irreconcilable with systematic defiance, radical antagonism and threats.

The new arms race that we are witnessing is making this dialogue even more difficult. It is regrettable in this respect that France, which is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), is not meeting its commitments and is preparing to substantially increase the budget for nuclear deterrence. As for the official discourse of the atomic weapons powers (including France), it is similar to that of the North Korean leader in an astonishing way, justifying the possession of this weapon by the need to defend the “vital interests” of their countries ! The agreement negotiated two years ago with Iran shows that even in a very complex context, a strong political will and persevering diplomatic work can open the way for a less conflict-oriented world.

Patrice Bouveret
The renewal of tension began before Trump came to the presidency of the United States, although his way of managing his country’s relations with the rest of the world resulted in an acceleration of certain ongoing crises. Effectively, we have to get out of the short media time to take into account, on the one hand, the root causes of the current international disorder – mainly the reinforcement of inequalities – on the other hand, the main threats we face, climate change and weapons of mass destruction. History has taught us that no situation is irreversible. Everything depends on the ability of different civil societies to seize this or that topic to shake up the game of states and their leaders – both internally and within the international community. In this regard, the adoption of the UN treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons last July is a good example of what mobilization of associations can achieve when they group around a specific objective and find relays among a majority of States. The fierce opposition of the nuclear Powers, the pressure they have exerted on many States, underlines, if need be, the shock caused by this development.

Roland Nivet
Trump multiplies irresponsible decisions and contributes to creating a climate of fear to justify massive increases in the US military budget, a source of profits for the military-industrial complex. It will be increased to $ 600 billion in 2018 (+ $ 54 billion). It fuels the arms race ($ 1.8 trillion worldwide in 2016), the militarization of international relations, and perpetuates the logics of domination. The policy of NATO encircling Russia, the Korean crisis, etc. strain tensions. These policies accentuate the uncertain and dangerous character of the present period. The situation, especially in the Near and Middle East, shows that war is always a failure, leads to chaos and engenders monstrosities like Daech. It is never the solution. On the other hand, the political resolution of the Iranian crisis, the peaceful transition in Colombia and the adoption of a treaty banning nuclear weapons in the United Nations show that political solutions are possible and that nothing is irreversible.

The United Nations voted a nuclear-weapons treaty on 7 July. How can we get out of the era of nuclear terror?

Patrice Bouvere
By bringing this treaty into force so that the nine current nuclear powers – the five permanent members of the Security Council – the United States, Russia, France, China, the United Kingdom, plus India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – find themselves forced to participate, not only by stopping to modernize their arsenal – as planned in particular by France – but also by eliminating their nuclear weapons in a controlled, transparent and irreversible way. This implies, of course, a complete change in their strategy, which is currently based on the threat of mass destruction, a strategy not aimed at ensuring the security of the population, but their domination on the international scene – or the regime’s “impunity” its national space as for North Korea or Israel – at the risk of total destruction of the planet! Yet, as Mikhail Gorbachev noted in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet bloc, “everyone must ensure the safety of the other”. It is exactly the opposite way that is being implemented with the nuclear threat and the increase in military budgets.

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

Question for this article:

Does military spending lead to economic decline and collapse?

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Paul Quilès
This requires demonstrating that nuclear weapons are useless in current and future conflicts, that they are in themselves a cause of nuclear proliferation, that they are very costly, and that they are terribly dangerous. The world came close to the catastrophe during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, not to mention the dozens of accidents or possible misinterpretations that could have led to the outbreak of nuclear war. Tomorrow, a technical error, a cyber attack, a terrorist attack could threaten global security. Even limited use of nuclear weapons would have catastrophic environmental impacts on a part of the planet, resulting in the devastation of agriculture, cold and famine through a “nuclear winter”. The treaty that has just been voted at the UN is to delegitimize nuclear weapons, as has already been done to eliminate other weapons of mass destruction – biological, chemical – antipersonnel mines, submunitions, to prohibit nuclear testing and even to reduce nuclear weapons stocks (from 70,000 in the late 1990s to about 15,500 today). It is the indisputable proof of the will of a majority of States to overcome the era of nuclear terror, despite the strong contrary pressures of the “endowed” states.

Roland Nivet
The UN treaty of July 7 states that atomic weapons pose a major risk of humanitarian catastrophe. It prohibits any State from engaging in the development, testing, production, manufacture, acquisition, possession or storage of nuclear weapons and prohibits any commitment to use or threaten to use weapons nuclear. This is another historic achievement in the actions that, since the 1950s, have mobilized tens of millions of people for the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction, without undervaluing the determination of the military-industrial complex and of the nine States, which possess a total of 18,000 nuclear bombs (184 states do not), to delay its implementation. But the principle of the illegality of nuclear weapons being confirmed, it is the timetable for their elimination which is now on the agenda. The register of ratification of the treaty will be opened at the UN on September 20, 2017. There is urgency to get together in action to win ratification of the treaty by the maximum number of states, including France, but also the immediate freeze modernization programs, for which it is planned to double the expenditure on nuclear weapons in France in the years to come, when so many resources are lacking to meet social needs (health, education, employment).

What can be the role of popular mobilizations to promote peace as a goal of international relations?

Patrice Bouveret
War is above all the result of a political choice. So it is obvious that the mobilization of the various civil societies and the establishment of strong solidarities between them, are paramount. It remains to define what is meant by the word “peace”! We are witnessing a global pacification of our societies. The number of deaths due to armed conflict is decreasing. Except that in parallel, the number of migrants, the violence they suffer, is exploding; the climatic catastrophes have dramatic human consequences that are becoming more and more important, to take only the two most glaring examples … Except that this pacification takes place with a reinforcement of the militarization of our societies, through the development of various tools social control, the reduction of individual freedoms, etc.

Peace is not only the absence of war, but must be accompanied by freedom and social justice. It must be shared by all of us, no matter where on the planet we live. It is indeed the whole issue of the nuclear-weapons treaty that concerns the right of non-dominant states to say precisely the right, a binding right for all.

Roland Nivet
A global convergence of forces for peace is brought about by the mobilization of the peoples (trade unions, NGOs, parliamentarians, mayors, International Red Cross, feminist, pacifist and environmental movements, associations for the defense of human rights, social forums …) with the action of the United Nations. It is this convergence that has won the prohibition treaty and seeks to build peace through projects such as the culture of peace and the objectives of sustainable development (SDO). In this context, the collective “En marche pour la paix” was founded in France, including more than 120 different organizations working for human rights, against racism and xenophobia, for gender equality, for the decrease in armaments expenditure, for peace education, to deal with the climatic emergency. In this dynamic, 53 organizations of this collective have co-authored a white paper for peace, which formulates concrete alternative proposals for a policy of peace. This white paper is meant to be a tool for the debate and the popular mobilization of all those who intend to come together so that the right of everyone to peace and human security is the primary goal of international relations. Believing that “none of our differences of belief, belonging or philosophical, political, religious, trade union or other sensibilities should hinder the expression of our common will to live in peace in a world of solidarity, justice and fraternity”, this collective calls, within the framework of the International Day of Peace, to organize, all over France, Saturday, September 23, marches for peace to express this common will. These marches will also contribute to the global wave of peace launched on 6 August 2017 in Hiroshima

Paul Quilès
This mobilization would be desirable and certainly effective, even if the leaders do not always listen to the people! It would still be necessary for the latter to be able to express himself or herself and to be provided with the information needed to assess what is happening when a conflict spreads. For example, the alarmist and sometimes caricatured statements about the Korea do not help understand the distant origin of the confrontation between North Korea and the United States, the interests involved, and the role of China. By suggesting warlike responses (bombardment of Korean nuclear sites), evoking the hypothesis of a third world war, or suggesting that France might be at the mercy of a Korean missile fire, to prove to public opinion that there is no other answer than military, this is inaccurate.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

Brazil: Mahatma Gandhi monologue will bring the Culture of Peace to the Municipal Theater of Barueri

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An announcement by Barueri na Rede (translated by CPNN)

On Thursday, September 9, with two presentations, at 3 PM and 8 PM, the Municipal Theater of Barueri will feature the free monologue of Mahatma Gandhi, The Change We Want to See, performed by the actor and journalist João Signorelli. The purpose of the show is ‘to spread a culture of peace and to replace the culture of war and domination of the other by a culture of respect and acceptance of cultural diversity’.


During the 50-minute presentation, Signorelli shows the public the trajectory of Gandhi as leader and his task of sowing solidarity among peoples. Throughout the day there will be a program focused on the theme Culture of Peace and Nonviolence, a thinking for peace – that begins at 1:00 pm with the exhibition Occupation for Peace, followed at 2:00 pm by a children’s talk and a sample of research on the theme done by students of the municipal network.

The first presentation of Gandhi’s monologue will be at 3 o’clock. The program extends to 19 hours with poems recited by students of municipal schools and ends at 20 hours, with another presentation of the show Mahatma Gandhi – The Change We Want to See.

In 2000, the manifesto For a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence was launched by Unesco with six basic principles: respect for life; reject violence; be generous; listen to understand; preserve the planet; rediscover solidarity.

For those who want to check out the monologue presentations, free tickets are already available at the TMB box office, located at Rua Ministro Raphael de Barros Monteiro, 255, in Jardim dos Camargos.

(Click here for the original Portuguese version)

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America