Indigenous Elders Send Stern Message to UN Paris Delegates: Preventing 2°C Is Not Nearly Enough

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from Alternet

Thousands are gathered in Paris for the United Nation’s climate talks that began on November 30 and will run through December 11, 2015. Among the world leaders in Paris, including President Barack Obama, are indigenous peoples from around the world. The SPIRET Foundation released the following statement, entitled “Indigenous Elders And Medicine Peoples Council Statement United Nations Convention on Climate Change,” to the media that provides a voice to the indigenous peoples of the North America:

indigenous
Photo Credit: VectorLifestylepic/Shutterstock.com
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This statement reflects the wisdom of the Spiritual People of the Earth, of the four directions, working in unity to restore peace, harmony and balance for our collective future and for all living beings. This statement is written in black and white with a foreign language that is not our own and does not convey the full depth of our concerns.

The Creator created the People of the Earth out of the Land and gave us a Way of Life. This Sacred Way of Life has been passed down generation-to-generation since the beginning of the Creation of Life. The sanctity of this Way of Life has been violated and abused by people who are living without regard for the well being of Mother Earth and our collective future.

We, the Original Caretakers of Mother Earth, have no choice but to follow and uphold the Natural Law, which sustains the continuity of Life. We recognize our umbilical connection to Mother Earth and understand that she is the source of life, not a resource to be exploited. We speak on behalf of all Creation today, to communicate an urgent message that man has gone too far, placing us in the state of survival.

There is no more time for discussion on preventing “Climate Change”. That opportunity has passed. “Climate Change” is here. The Air is not the same anymore. The Water is not the same anymore. The Earth is not the same anymore. The Clouds are not the same anymore. The Rain is not the same anymore. The Trees, the Plants, the Animals, Birds, Fish, Insects and all the others are not the same anymore. All that is Sacred in Life is vanishing because of our actions. The truth is we have moved beyond climate change to survival.

The COP21 Climate Summit in Paris, France is being held to contemplate strategies to prevent more than two degrees Celsius of warming. Though this is important, it is not nearly enough. To truly heal Mother Earth and ensure our survival, we must recognize that the entire natural system is one life system rather than fragmented parts. Our concern is with the acceleration of the cumulative and compounding devastation that is being wrought by the actions of people around the world. Modern living and all that it encompasses does not respect the Sacredness of Life and has ruptured the sacred seal around the Earth. This has contributed to extreme weather patterns and the melting of the Ice – the sacred cooling system of Mother Earth.

Man-made creations of vehicles, trains, railroads, airplanes, bullets, guns, weapons, spaceships, building of high rise towers, shopping malls, pipelines, roads, slaughtering of animals for recreation, the genetic alteration and pollution of our food and water sources, introduction of invasive species, drilling and digging deep into Mother Earth, and into the mountains for oil, gas, gold, silver, minerals, precious stones, coal and uranium, and all the others. Changing whole ecosystems forever by draining wetlands, changing the course of rivers, clear cutting of forests, damming rivers and flooding lands to cool nuclear reactors and natural gas plants, damming rivers for hydroelectric power, using rivers and lakes for dumping toxic chemicals and sewage, polluting the Earth and Oceans with toxic chemicals and waste and piling up and burying garbage has contaminated and polluted our Earth. All these actions and more created Climate Change.

Aboriginal Indigenous Peoples have seen first-hand the impacts these destructive actions have had on our sacred places and the natural world. We have sent out messages to the people of this world warning that “this dark time” or “this day” would come if the people did not immediately stop their destructive activities and re-align themselves in harmony and balance with the Creator’s Natural Law. Our messages of prophecy fell on deaf ears and remained unseen by eyes blinded by money, greed and power.

Today, we lack leadership. We have misplaced our trust in governmental leaders and the leaders of industry. They failed us by trying to maintain their profits, economies and their power over the people. Their lack of action to adequately and seriously work to prevent “climate change” has brought us to the state of survival, threatening the collective future of All Life. Leaders meeting in Paris have a responsibility to create real solutions and do something right for the future of all life. We strongly urge all leaders to work and consult with us, the spiritual people of the Earth, to solve the world’s problems, without war. We, the Original Caretakers of Mother Earth, offer our spiritual insight, wisdom and vision to the global community to help guide the actions needed to overcome the current threats to all life and shift from the path of self-destruction to the path of peace, harmony and balance with All Creation.

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Question for this article

Indigenous peoples, Are they the true guardians of nature?

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We cannot live on the Moon or Mars so people must change their behavior. We must sacrifice and move beyond our own comforts and pleasures. We must stop the damaging activities and begin working on healing the natural environment for the future of All Life. To date, the Sacred has been excluded from all discussions and decisions.

We must heal the Sacredness within ourselves, within our families, within our communities and within our Nations. We must respect, follow and uphold the Creator’s Natural Law as a foundation for all decision-making, from this point forward. This begins with a deep respect and understanding of the human life cycle. To bring sacredness back into this cycle, human beings must bring forth life in a conscious way, honoring our sacred obligation to care for that life. With the creation of life comes a responsibility to ensure the care and survival of that life throughout the lifespan of the child. When we bring forth life haphazardly and without sacredness, with no concern for how that life will be sustained, we violate our sacred responsibility and bring imbalance to Mother Earth. We must restore our balance with Creation and respect the sacredness of our sexuality, and our ability to bring new life into this world.

We must open our hearts to Love, Care and have Respect for one another and All Creation to create peace. No one can survive without clean Air, clean Water, and a clean Earth. We cannot breathe money, we cannot eat or drink money. The people of the world must recognize that man made laws have failed us and will continue to fail us, because those laws attempt to place profit and power over our sacred obligation to All Life and our shared future. Those seeking profit and power have created a business of war and destruction that now threatens the lives of billions around the world. It is time to address this spiritual illness and begin the process of healing, together.

Aboriginal Indigenous Elders and Medicine Peoples are not scientists, but we do have a connection to the source of Truth and Life, we have our “Prophecies“ and the “Signs” of disharmony. All of these sources of knowledge tell us clearly what will happen if we do not change our behavior. All of the things that are happening today are the very same things that were spoken of in the earlier days, the very things that the Creator warned would happen, if we failed to respect and follow His Natural Law. There are scientists and experts that know the scientific reality of what is going on. They know that life will vanish if we continue in the direction we are going. These scientist and experts must speak the truth to the people and not be controlled by those that provide their paychecks.

We are all responsible and we are all capable of creating a new path forward with new sources of energy that do not harm the people or the Earth. We are obligated to all take action now to protect what is left of the Sacredness of Water and Life. We can no longer wait for solutions from governmental and corporate leaders. We must all take action and responsibility to restore a healthy relationship with each other and Mother Earth. Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of humankind. Did you think the Creator would create unnecessary people in a time of such terrible danger? Know that you yourself are essential to this World. Believe that! Understand both the blessing and the burden of that. You yourself are desperately needed to save the soul of this World. Do you think you were put here for something less?

Water is Life

We are the People of the Earth united under the Creator’s Law, with a sacred covenant to follow and uphold and a sacred responsibility to extend Life for all future generations. We are from various Nations and we are spiritually related. We will not be divided by any terminology that defines us as “recognized” or “unrecognized”, by the Government of the United States or any other body. We are expressing deep concern for our shared future and urge everyone to awaken spiritually and take action. It is critical that we come together with good minds and prayer as a global community of all faiths, to honor the Creator and the Creator’s Gift. We must work in unity to help Mother Earth heal so that she can bring back balance and harmony for all her children.

Representatives of the Council:

Chief Arvol Looking Horse
19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred
White Buffalo Calf Pipe
Spiritual Leader The Great Sioux Nation Peoples

Bobby C. Billie
Clan Leader and Spiritual Leader
Council of the Original Miccosukee
Simanolee Nation Aboriginal

Faith Spotted Eagle
Tunkan Inajin WinBrave Heart Society
Grandmother/Headswoman & Ihanktonwan Treaty Council
Ihanktonwan Dakota from the Oceti Sakowin 7 Council Fires

Leland Grass, Dine’ Traditionalist

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, United Nations,

This new initiative out of Paris will help fight climate change with trees

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Wanjira Mathai, Grist

When world leaders gathered in Paris to open negotiations for a pivotal international climate agreement, I was happy to see so many heads of state reaffirm the central role of trees and forest landscape restoration in fighting and adapting to climate change. As an African woman and the daughter of Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement, the restoration agenda is very close to me. The movement my mother established has been mobilizing communities for close to 40 years to restore their landscapes by planting trees for food, for fuel, and to bring barren land back to productive life.

Mathai
Planting a tree in Kenya photo: USAID Kenya

Restoration is also Africa’s best chance to protect itself from climate change. Even though the continent as a whole has contributed minimally to the global climate change problem, Africans will be among those most affected.

By mid-century, Africa’s population is expected to nearly double — from 1.1 billion to 2 billion — pushing the demand for already scarce resources of soil and water. Nearly three-quarters of all drylands in Africa — 1 billion hectares (3.86 million square miles) — are affected by desertification, while a quarter of African agricultural land is seriously damaged, costing an average of 3 percent of GDP each year due to the loss of soil and nutrients on farmland. In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly half the population, 47 percent, earns less than $1.25 a day.

Restoration holds the potential to shield us from those dangers while also providing a wide range of benefits: trees as a source of energy; trees as a source of nutritious food; trees to bind the soil so that agriculture thrives; trees that make our landscapes beautiful. And especially in the developing world, restoring landscapes and planting trees is something we can do right away — we have boots on the ground! By investing in this amazing opportunity, we can tackle a suite of problems with one useful tool.

A new movement called AFR100 — the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative — is poised to take advantage of this opportune moment. This new pan-African, country-led effort aims to restore 100 million hectares (386,000 square miles) of degraded and deforested landscapes in Africa by 2030. It’s an ambitious goal, but within reach — at the initiative’s launch in Paris during COP21, African countries committed to restore more than 30 million hectares (116,000 square miles), an area larger than the nation of Gabon or the United Kingdom. And AFR100 partners are earmarking more than $1 billion in development finance and $600 million in private sector investment to support restoration activities.

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Question for this article

When you cultivate plants, do you culivate peace?

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AFR100 builds on global commitments for landscape restoration, specifically the Bonn Challenge and the New York Declaration on Forests. It is also inspired by programs such as Initiative 20×20, which focuses on landscape restoration in Latin America and the Caribbean. We are proud to contribute so substantially to this global movement, as restoration is both in our own self-interest and benefits the whole world.

I get energized by the landscape restoration movement in its power to address so many issues simultaneously — health, environment, energy security, and empowerment of women — in a way few other interventions can. Restoration can be especially powerful when paired with other solutions like clean cook stoves and lighting, which I also advocate as director of the Women’s Entrepreneurship in Renewables (wPower) Hub at the Wangari Maathai Institute, where we spotlight and support the important role women play in their communities.

The challenges are great, but so are the opportunities. More than 700 million hectares of land are ripe for restoration in Africa, according to analysis by World Resources Institute and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These lands are diverse, offering the potential to both restore natural forests and wooded landscapes and also increase the density of trees in highly populated landscapes to help farmers and protect watersheds.

At the opening ceremonies at COP21, many African leaders called for more climate action from the developed world, and that is appropriate. There are a handful of countries we know are responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions, and this is going to cause catastrophic suffering in Africa. We must then call upon the developed countries to play their part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and finance mitigation and adaptation activities like restoration in other parts of the world.

We didn’t choose this challenge. But we also can’t afford to wait for others to take action. We have a huge responsibility to mitigate and adapt for our own sake and the sake of our children, because a world of extreme climate change is grim for us all. We have to be diligent in our advocacy for climate justice, but at the same time, we cannot be asleep. We have to put the measures in place in our own countries that will protect our people from the climate crisis. Planting or nurturing a tree seedling in African soil is a good place to start.

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

Africa, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

International Peace Delegation to Syria 24-30 Nov. 2015

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Mairead Maguire for Transcend Media Service

Our delegation has just spent five days with the people of Syria visiting the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Qara and Ma’alula. We have been deeply moved by the kindness and warmth of the Syrian people whom we have had the privilege and joy of meeting. Although they have suffered unimaginable violence, they have inspired us by their vision of a peaceful Syria and deep commitments to solutions in their country. These are the findings of our delegation, consisting of eleven peace and human rights advocates from six countries. Over the course of five days, we met with internally displaced persons, refugees, affected communities, religious leaders, combatants, government representatives and many others in Syria.

maguire
Mairead Maguire

We call on the international community to protect the territorial integrity of Syria and to respect the fundamental rights of Syria as a sovereign State. We deplore any intent to breach the integrity of Syria’s frontiers or to damage the unity and rich diversity of the Syrian people.

We recognize the legitimacy of the aspirations of the Syrian citizens for change, reforms and an end to all violence and we support those working for the implementation of a democratic life that respects and protects the fundamental rights of all citizens and we believe that effective and lasting reforms can only be achieved through non-violent means.

Our primary appeal is that all countries stop their interference in Syrian affairs, more specifically, that they halt the supply of arms and foreign combatants. If foreign countries agree to stop the influx of arms and fighters, we are confident that Syrians can find their own solutions to their problems and achieve reconciliation.

We consider it beyond debate that the Syrian people have the right to determine their own government and their own future. Foreign interference is currently preventing the Syrian people from exercising their right to self-determination. We are concerned that such pernicious intervention is tearing apart the fabric of the country itself, with long-term consequences that can only be imagined.

The cautionary examples of Iraq, Libya, Yemen and other countries serve to remind us of the dire consequences of such international folly. This humanitarian crisis is already spilling into neighboring countries. A collapse of Syrian society will destabilize the entire region. We appeal to the international community that it can learn from history and make better choices in the case of Syria that will spare further tragedy for the courageous Syrian people.

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Question for this article:

How can there be a political solution to the war in Syria?

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Secondly we appeal to the international media to stop the flow of misinformation regarding the Syrian conflict. We believe that every Syrian should be given the right to be heard and we do not see this reflected in the international coverage of this crisis.

Thirdly, we urge the international community to review and reconsider the crippling sanctions that are taking such a heavy toll on Syrian people.

Fourthly, we urge the international community to take seriously the vast numbers of refugees and persons who have been internally displaced by this conflict.

We appeal to the entire religious community to call the faithful to nonviolence and peacemaking, and to reject all forms of violence and discrimination, and we express our admiration and respect for the many Syrian religious leaders who have refused to endorse the use of violence and have dedicated their lives to working for a peaceful solution to this conflict.

We pay tribute to the Patriarch Gregorios III Laham and Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun for their inspirational work for peace and reconciliation for Syria and the Patriarch Gregorios III Laham for his kind invitation to our delegation. Our delegation would like to express to Mother Agnes Mariam and Sheik Sharif Martini our deep gratitude and appreciation for all their commitment to peace and reconciliation in beloved Syria.

As we leave Syria we are filled with hope that the Syrian people will have peace and so be a light of hope to the world.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Mideast

UN adopts Bangladesh-sponsored resolution on “culture of peace”

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from bdnews24

United Nations has adopted a Bangladesh-sponsored resolution on “culture of peace”, as it has done in the previous years.

bangladesh

Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN Masud Bin Momen introduced on Thursday the resolution that emphasised on the importance of a “culture of peace” to deal with growing terrorism and intolerance worldwide.

The resolution was adopted unanimously without any voting.

This resolution based on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s vision of peace has been adopted by the UN with majority support since 1999. But this was the first time the resolution was passed without any voting and supported by 93 member nations.

Permanent representatives of 20 countries spoke in support of the resolution.

Momen said the implementation of this resolution would help increase compassion in the world. “Hatred among people and wars will be reduced. Mutual respect and love will become stronger. This will establish peace in the world.”

After Bangladesh introduced the resolution on “culture of peace” in 1999, 2001-2010 was observed across the world as a “decade of culture of peace.”

President of the United Nations General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft in his inaugural address appreciated the role of the Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the UN and stated that the promotion of culture of peace has assumed more importance now in confronting terrorism and growing intolerance.

[Click here for the resolution.]

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

Boletín español el 1 de diciembre 2015

. . ACEPTAR A LOS REFUGIADOS . .

La crisis de los refugiados en Europa ha revelado contradicciones profundas en la cultura de guerra. Como indicó el comunicado de Premios Nobel de la Paz después de su reciente reunión en Barcelona: “La crisis de los refugiados y la migración no son aisladas. Es un síntoma de problemas más amplios de la humanidad que incluyen… las consecuencias del militarismo, el nacionalismo extremo, y el uso de la fuerza y las guerras por las potencias mundiales en la búsqueda de sus intereses estratégicos, financieros e ideológicos.”

En su discurso sobre la crisis, el premio Nobel Kofi Annan dijo que Europa debe tener en cuenta a los refugiados como un recurso potencial más que un problema. En esto sentido, abordamos en el CPNN este mes numerosas iniciativas en todo el mundo que reciben e integran los refugiados en sus sociedades.

En Francia, 15 organizaciones de la sociedad civil y las organizaciones internacionales están trabajando actualmente para recibir e integrar a los refugiados. Esto incluye una red de 570 asociaciones en el FNARS “Fédération nationale des associations d’accueil et de réadaptation sociale” (Federación Nacional de Asociaciones de acogida e integración social).

En España, La Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado (CEAR) tiene en comprometimiento de las organizaciones e instituciones que componen su asamblea: partidos políticos, sindicatos, grupos religiosos, organizaciones no gubernamentales y personalidades que defienden los derechos humanos de los solicitantes de asilo. Por ejemplo, la Escuela de Cultura de Paz de Barcelona está desarrollando un mapa de ciudades con las buenas prácticas en este sentido.

América Latina ha sido un líder en acoger a refugiados, con excelentes leyes en muchos de sus países. Los principios básicos se adoptaron en diciembre pasado en Brasilia, con motivo del 30 aniversario de la Declaración de 1984 de Cartagena sobre Refugiados. En su plan de acción, los gobiernos de América Latina y el Caribe comprometen-se a abordar el tema desde una perspectiva humanitaria. Ejemplos de estos esfuerzos incluyen la implementación de programas como “Asilo de Calidad” y “Fronteras Solidarias Seguras”, que satisfagan las necesidades de las personas que viven, cruzan o regresan por las zonas fronterizas. En cuanto a la crisis actual, unos 6.000 sirios ya han fueron recibidos en Brasilia, Buenos Aires y Montevideo.

Los gobernadores republicanos de Estados Unidos se opusieron a la acogida de refugiados de Siria, pero en respuesta, la organización ” Ciudades Unidas para la Acción de Inmigración“, una coalición de casi 100 ciudades dirige el esfuerzo de promover y administrar la reforma migratoria a nivel nacional. Con esta iniciativa 18 alcaldes de las principales ciudades, como Nueva York, Chicago y Baltimore, escribieron una carta diciendo entre otras cosas que “la crisis de refugiados mundial trae consigo una responsabilidad y la oportunidad de dar la bienvenida a los que buscan el exilio de la tiranía y la opresión”.

Por ejemplo, la ciudad de New Haven ha invitado a una familia siria que había sido rechazada por el gobernador republicano de Indiana. Al llegar, la familia fue recibida por el gobernador demócrata de Connecticut: “Yo les aseguré que no sólo dio la bienvenida, pero yo estaba orgulloso de que llegaron a los Estados Unidos y que vienen a Connecticut”.

El comediante y director estadounidense Michael Moore resume la lucha en una carta abierta al gobernador republicano del estado de Michigan: “Sólo quería hacerle saber que, contrariamente a su declaración negando una casa de refugiados sirios en nuestro estado de Michigan, voy a desafiar a su prohibición y ofrecer mi casa en Traverse City, Michigan, a los refugiados sirios. Me pondré en contacto con el Departamento de Estado en Washington para hacerles saber que estoy feliz de proporcionar un alojamiento seguro para todas las parejas de refugiados sirios aprobadas por los procedimientos de control de la administración Obama en el que tengo toda la confianza… Pido a todos los que tienen habitaciones en sus casas o apartamentos que estén vacías, para ponerlos a disposición de refugiados sirios e iraquíes… Eso es lo que queremos que sea la “American way” a partir de ahora. Basta de guerra! Basta de interferencia en la vida de los demás. No más dar la espalda a aquellos que sufren de los daños que hemos creado”.

Por último, reconocemos las 50 ciudades de ICORN ( La Red Internacional de Ciudades de Refugio). Todos los miembros de ICORN son ciudades de refugio que proporciona refugio temporal a través de residencias para escritores y artistas perseguidos. En general, la residencia es por dos años. Según ICORN, estos “escritores y artistas representan un recurso valioso para toda la red de ciudades. Ellos traen un nuevo impulso a la vida cultural de cada ciudad. Contribuyen a mejorar el conocimiento de las diferentes culturas en su ciudad y que enriquecen nuestro debate, nuestra visión y comprensión”.

A largo plazo, los refugiados pueden enriquecer nuestro debate, nuestra visión y entendimiento de que debemos pasar de la cultura de guerra actual a una cultura mundial de paz.

      

TOLERANCIA Y SOLIDARIDAD

granma
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 IGUALDAD HOMBRES/MUJERES

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DESARME Y SEGURIDAD

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 DERECHOS HUMANOS

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Uncategorized

Bulletin français 1 decembre 2015

. . ACCUEILLIR LES RÉFUGIÉS . .

La crise des réfugiés en Europe a révélé des contradictions profondes dans la culture de guerre. Comme les lauréats du prix Nobel de la paix l’ont exprimé dans leur récente réunion à Barcelone : “La crise des réfugiés et de la migration n’existent pas isolément. C’est le symptôme de problèmes plus larges qui se révèlent à l’humanité, tels que. . . les conséquences du militarisme, du nationalisme extrême, et de l’utilisation de la force dans des ‘guerres par procuration’ activées par les puissances mondiales dans la poursuite de leurs intérêts stratégiques, financiers et idéologiques.”

Dans ses remarques sur la crise, le lauréat du prix Nobel Kofi Annan affirme que l’Europe doit considérer les réfugiés comme une ressource potentielle et non comme un problème. Tenant compte de cela, CPNN révèle ce mois-ci les nombreuses initiatives à travers le monde qui accueillent et intègrent les réfugiés dans leur société.

En France, 15 associations de la société civile et des organisations internationales travaillent actuellement à accueillir et à intégrer les réfugiés.  L’une de ces organisation comprend un réseau de 570 associations: le FNARS «Fédération nationale des associations d’accueil et de réadaptation sociale».

En Espagne, la Commission pour l’aide aux réfugiés (CEAR) engage des organisations et des institutions pour la solidarité avec les réfugiés.  Font partie de son Assemblée: des partis politiques, des syndicats, des groupes religieux, des ONG et des personnalités qui défendent les droits de l’Homme des demandeurs d’asile.  L’Ecole de la culture de paix à Barcelone élabore actuellement un plan du monde montrant des villes avec de bonnes pratiques à cet égard.

L’Amérique latine a longtemps été un chef de file dans l’accueil des réfugiés, avec une législation excellente dans plusieurs de ses pays. Les principes fondamentaux ont été adoptés en décembre de l’an dernier à Brasilia, à l’occasion du 30e anniversaire de la Déclaration de Carthagène de 1984 sur les réfugiés. Le plan d’action engage les gouvernements latino-américains et Caraïbes d’aborder le problème d’un point de vue humanitaire. Des exemples de cet effort comprennent la mise en œuvre de programmes tels que “Asi­lo de Calidad” et “Fron­teras Solidarias y Seguras,” qui répondent aux besoins des gens qui vivent, traversent ou retournent dans les zones frontalières. En ce qui concerne la crise actuelle, quelque 6000 Syriens ont été déjà reçus à Brasilia, Buenos Aires et Montevideo.
.

Aux États-Unis les gouverneurs républicains sont opposés à l’accueil des réfugiés de Syrie, mais en réponse, l’organisation “Cities United For Immigration Action“, une coalition de près de 100 villes et comtés dirige l’effort de promouvoir et exécuter des réformes de l’immigration à l’échelle nationale.  Avec cette initiative 18 maires des villes les plus importantes, y compris New York, Chicago et Baltimore, ont écrit une lettre disant entre autres que «la crise mondiale des réfugiés apporte avec elle une responsabilité et l’opportunité d’accueillir ceux qui cherchent l’exil de la tyrannie et de l’oppression.”

Par exemple, la ville de New Haven a invité une famille syrienne qui avait été rejetée par le gouverneur républicain de l’Indiana.  En arrivant, la famille a été accueillie par le gouverneur démocrate du Connecticut: “Je leur ai assuré que non seulement je leur souhaite la bienvenue, mais que je suis fier qu’ils soient venus aux États-Unis et plus particulièrement au Connecticut.’’

L’humoriste et réalisateur américain, Michael Moore, résume la lutte dans une lettre ouverte au gouverneur républicain de son État du Michigan: “Je voulais juste vous faire savoir que, contrairement à votre déclaration de refuser l’accueil à des réfugiés syriens dans notre état du Michigan, je défie votre interdiction et j’offre ma maison de Traverse City, Michigan, aux réfugiés syriens que vous avez rejetés. Je vais contacter le Département d’Etat de Washington pour leur faire savoir que je suis heureux de fournir un refuge à tous les couples de réfugiés syriens approuvés par les procédures de contrôle de l’administration Obama dans lesquelle j’ai toute confiance… Je demande à toute personne qui possède des chambres vides dans sa maison ou appartement, de les mettre à la disposition de réfugiés syriens et irakiens… Voilà ce que nous voulons être à partir de maintenant dans l’ “American way” !  Assez de guerre!  Assez  d’interférence dans la vie d’autres personnes.  Assez  d’ignorer les dégâts que nous avons créés.”

Et enfin, nous saluons les 50 villes de ICORN (Le Réseau Internationale des Villes de Refuge). Chaque membre de ICORN est une ville de refuge qui fournit des abris temporaires à travers des résidences pour écrivains et artistes persécutés. La résidence est généralement de deux ans. Selon ICORN, ces “écrivains et artistes représentent une ressource précieuse pour l’ensemble du réseau des villes.  Ils apportent de nouvelles impulsions à la vie culturelle de chaque ville.  Ils contribuent à l’amélioration des connaissances sur les différentes cultures dans votre ville et ils enrichissent notre débat, notre vision et notre compréhension.”

À long terme, les réfugiés peuvent enrichir notre débat, notre vision et notre compréhension du fait que nous devons passer de la culture de guerre actuelle à une culture mondiale de la paix.

      

TOLERANCE ET SOLIDARITÉ

routard
France: Comment veir en aide aux réfugiés ?

ÉQUALITÉ HOMMES/FEMMES

< geneva

International dialogue on gender equality in the media to be held in Geneva

DISARMAMENT ET SECURITÉ

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DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE

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ÉDUCATION POUR LA PAIX

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Uncategorized

English bulletin December 1, 2015

. . WELCOME THE REFUGEES . .

The refugee crisis in Europe has revealed the deep contradictions in the culture of war. As stated by the Nobel Peace Prize winners in their recent meeting in Barcelona: “The refugee and migration crisis does not exist in isolation. It is a symptom of the broader problems that confront humanity that include . . . the consequences of militarism, extreme nationalism and the use of force and proxy wars by global powers in pursuit of strategic, financial and ideological interests”

In his remarks on the crisis, Nobel Prize winner Kofi Annan says that Europe should consider the refugees as a potential resource rather than a liability. Taking this into consideration, at CPNN we look this month at the many initiatives around the world that welcome and integrate refugees into their societies.

In France, 15 civil society and international organizations are currently working to welcome and integrate refugees, which includes a network of 570 associations in the “Fédération nationale des associations d’accueil et de réadaptation sociale” (National Federation of Associations for Reception and Social Integration).

In Spain, the non-governmental Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR) has the commitment of organizations and institutions in solidarity with refugees that form part of its Assembly: political parties, trade unions, religious groups and NGOs and prominent personalities in the field of defense and the human rights of asylum seekers. The School for the Culture of Peace in Barcelona is presently developing a map of cities with good practices in this regard.

Latin America has long been a leader in receiving refugees, with excellent legislation in many of its countries. The fundamental principles were adopted last December in Brasilia, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees. The action plan commits Latin American and Caribbean governments to approach the problem from a humanitarian point of view. Examples of this effort include the implementation of programs such as Quality Asylum, and Borders with Solidarity and Security, which address the needs of people who live, cross or return to border areas. With regard to the current crisis, some 6,000 Syrians have been received thus far in Brasilia, Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

In the United States Republican governors have opposed the reception of refugees from Syria, but in response, Cities United For Immigration Action, a coalition of nearly 100 cities and counties is leading the effort to promote and execute immigration reforms nationwide. The initiative includes a letter from 18 mayors of the most important cities, including New York, Chicago and Baltimore, saying among other things that “The global refugee crisis brings with it a responsibility and opportunity to welcome those seeking exile from tyranny and oppression.”

For example, the city of New Haven expressly invited a Syrian family that had been rejected by the Republican governor of Indiana, and the family was welcomed by the Democratic governor of Connecticut: “I assured them that not only was I welcoming them, but I was proud that they’ve come to the US and come to Connecticut.”

The American humorist and movie director Michael Moore summed up the struggle in an open letter to the Republican governor of his state of Michigan: “I just wanted to let you know that, contrary to your declaration of denying Syrian refugees a home in our state of Michigan, I myself am going to defy your ban and will offer MY home in Traverse City, Michigan, to those very Syrian refugees you’ve decided to keep out. I will contact the State Department to let them know I am happy to provide a safe haven to any Syrian refugee couple approved by the Obama administration’s vetting procedures in which I have full faith and trust. . . I’m asking anyone who can, anyone who has spare rooms in their homes or an empty apartment, cottage, or whatever, to make it available for Syrian and Iraqi refugees . . . THIS is what we want the “American way” to be from now on. No more war, or interfering in other people’s lives, no more turning our backs on the messes that we’ve created.”

And finally, we salute the 50 cities of ICORN (The International Cities of Refuge Network). Each ICORN member is a city of refuge and provides temporary shelter through residencies for persecuted writers and artists. The residency is typically for two years. According to ICORN, these “writers and artists represent a rich resource for the entire network of cities. They bring new impulses to the cultural life of each city; they contribute to enhancing knowledge about different cultures in your city and enrich our debate, our insight and our understanding.”

In the long run, the refugees can enrich our debate, our insight and our understanding that we must move from the present culture of war to a global culture of peace.

      

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY

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 HUMAN RIGHTS

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

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New Cities of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

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EDUCATION FOR PEACE

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Spain: The Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

Information from La Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado (translated by CPNN)

CEAR, with over 30 years experience, is an organization of voluntary, humanitarian, independent and pluralistic action; inspired by a deep respect for the values ​​of justice, solidarity, freedom, equality, independence, ethical commitment, plurality, transparency, participation and coherence. The defense of these principles, since our founding in 1979, constitutes its main heritage and is the essential motivation for their work.

CEAR

CEAR’s mission is to defend and promote human rights and the integral development of refugees, stateless persons and migrants in need of international protection and / or at risk of social exclusion.

Currently CEAR has the commitment of 454 volunteers and 154 workers. But also it has the commitment of organizations and institutions in solidarity with refugees that form part of its Assembly: political parties, trade unions, religious groups and NGOs and prominent personalities in the field of defense and the human rights of asylum seekers.

Political parties: Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Popular Party (PP) and Izquierda Unida (IU).

Trade unions: Workers Commissions (CCOO), General Union of Workers (UGT) and the Workers’ Trade Union (USO).

Religious denominations: Caritas, Spanish Evangelical Church and the Muslim Association of Spain.

Social Organizations: IEPALA, Association Proderechos Humanos of Spain (APDHE) and the Club of Friends of Unesco.

The composition of the Assembly of CEAR is a true reflection of the plurality of political organizations and civil society that have come together to work for our country to become a land of welcome and protection of refugees. Synonymous with the political and social consensus to defend the right to asylum and the will to join forces, one of its main strengths of CEAR is its diversity.

CEAR is a non-profit organization according to Title II of Law 49/2002 of 23 December on the taxation of non-profit entities and tax incentives for patronage.

( Click here for the original version in Spanish.)

Question for discussion
Europe, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

España: La Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado

. . TOLERANCIA E SOLIDARIDAD ..

Información de La Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado

CEAR, con más de 30 años de experiencia, se define como una organización de acción voluntaria, humanitaria, independiente y plural; inspirada por un profundo respeto a los valores de la justicia, la solidaridad, la libertad, la igualdad, la independencia, el compromiso ético, la pluralidad, la transparencia, la participación y la coherencia. La defensa de estos principios, desde nuestra fundación en 1979, constituye su principal patrimonio y es la motivación esencial de su trabajo.

CEAR

La misión de CEAR es defender y promover los Derechos Humanos y el desarrollo integral de las personas refugiadas, apátridas y migrantes con necesidad de protección internacional y/o en riesgo de exclusión social.

En la actualidad CEAR cuenta con el compromiso de 454 personas voluntarias y 154 trabajadoras. Pero también cuenta con el compromiso de organizaciones e instituciones solidarias con las personas refugiadas y que forman parte de su Asamblea: partidos políticos, sindicatos, confesiones religiosas y ONG, así como personalidades de reconocido prestigio en el campo de la defensa del asilo y los derechos humanos.

Partidos políticos: Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE), Partido Popular (PP) e Izquierda Unida (IU).

Sindicatos: Comisiones Obreras (CC.OO.), Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT) y la Unión Sindical Obrera (USO).

Confesiones religiosas: Cáritas, Iglesia Evangélica Española y la Asociación Musulmana de España.

Organizaciones Sociales: IEPALA, Asociación Proderechos Humanos de España (APDHE) y Club de Amigos de la Unesco.

La composición de la Asamblea de CEAR es el fiel reflejo de la pluralidad de organizaciones políticas y de la sociedad civil que se unieron para trabajar porque nuestro país se convirtiera en tierra de acogida y protección de las personas refugiadas. Sinónimo del consenso político y social por la defensa del derecho de asilo y de la voluntad de unir esfuerzos, otorga a CEAR una de sus principales fortalezas: la pluralidad.

CEAR es una organización sin ánimo de lucro, declarada de utilidad pública por el Ministerio de Interior. CEAR aplica el régimen fiscal especial regulado en el Título II de la Ley 49/2002, de 23 de diciembre, de régimen fiscal de las entidades sin fines lucrativos y de los incentivos fiscales al mecenazgo.

( Clickear aquí para la version inglês.)

Question for discussion
Uncategorized

Michael Moore (USA): My home is open for Syrian refugees

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

By Michael Moore

Friends,

This past Friday I sent a letter to Governor Rick Snyder, our governor here in Michigan. Earlier in the week he had joined with 25 other governors in telling the President that they would block Syrian refugees from settling in their states.

michaelmoore
(Reed Saxon / AP)

Will you join me in defying this act of bigotry?

Their actions are unconstitutional, and worse, immoral. I am going against this “ban” by offering to give up my apartment in Traverse City, MI, to Syrian refugees who are currently seeking entry into our country.

Here is the letter I sent to the governor:

Dear Gov. Snyder:

I just wanted to let you know that, contrary to your declaration of denying Syrian refugees a home in our state of Michigan, I myself am going to defy your ban and will offer MY home in Traverse City, Michigan, to those very Syrian refugees you’ve decided to keep out. I will contact the State Department to let them know I am happy to provide a safe haven to any Syrian refugee couple approved by the Obama administration’s vetting procedures in which I have full faith and trust.

Your action is not only disgraceful, it is, as you know, unconstitutional (only the President has the legal right to decide things like this).

What you’ve done is anti-American. This is not who we are supposed to be. We are, for better and for worse, a nation of descendants of three groups: slaves from Africa who were brought here in chains and then forced to provide trillions of dollars of free labor to build this country; native peoples who were mostly exterminated by white Christians through acts of mass genocide; and immigrants from EVERYWHERE around the globe. In Michigan we are fortunate to count amongst us tens of thousands of Arab and Muslim Americans.

I’m disappointed in you, Governor Snyder, for your heartless and un-Christian actions, and for joining in with at least 25 other governors (all but one a Republican) who’ve decided to block legal Syrian refugees from coming into their states. Fortunately I’m an American and not a Republican.

Governor, count me out of whatever you think it means to be a Michigander. I look forward to welcoming Syrians to my home and I wholeheartedly encourage other Americans to do the
same.

Michael Moore

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Question for this article

The refugee crisis, Who is responsible?

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P.S. By the way, my 700-sq. ft. apartment in northern Michigan is a little small, but it’s got cable, wi-fi and a new dishwasher! Also, no haters live on my floor! Stop by any time for a hot chocolate this winter.

I’m not kidding about this. I’m making my apartment in Michigan available, rent-free, for six months to a year until the Syrian family gets settled and is doing well on their own. My family came here from Ireland in the 1800s. I know what it was like for them. There was bigotry and harassment — but there were also those who held out a helping hand. That I would have the chance to do the same thing for a new family of immigrants 150 years later is an honor. (Besides, legend has it that St. Patrick was originally from Syria/Lebanon — so I’m just passing on the green!)

I’ve written to Secretary of State John Kerry informing him that my home is available to place a Syrian couple. I’ve also asked him to please speed up the process of admitting these refugees (it’s taking 18 to 24 months right now, and that’s unacceptable).

I’m asking anyone who can, anyone who has spare rooms in their homes or an empty apartment, cottage, or whatever, to make it available for Syrian and Iraqi refugees for between six months and a year while they’re being settled in the U.S. If you can do this, would you please sign up on the #MyHomeIsOpen registry. Your name and contact info will be kept private and will only be shared with the appropriate refugee agencies sanctioned and overseen by the Obama administration and its participating NGOs. They will contact you when they have refugees that they’ve vetted and need to be placed in homes.

THIS is what we want the “American way” to be from now on. No more war, or interfering in other people’s lives, no more turning our backs on the messes that we’ve created.

Thanks for joining with me in this effort. We are, indeed, our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. I can think of no better way to celebrate Thanksgiving and the holidays this year than by helping those who are suffering from the mistakes that have been made in our name.

All my best,

Michael Moore

Great-grandson of refugees and immigrants

North America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY