.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..
Special to CPNN from Pepe Jesús García Aragón
La Taha Town Council has declared the seven villages of La Taha as ‘Villages for Peace’.
We present here the declaration and manifesto, unanimously approved by the full council on June 17, 2025.
From La Taha Town Council, we encourage everyone to create, TOGETHER, the opportunity to transform the culture of war and violence into a culture of peace and non-violence.
MANIFEST LA TAHA TOWN COUNCIL ‘PUEBLOS POR LA PAZ’
A single stream of water comes down from Mount Mulhacén and, when it touches our irrigation ditches, it becomes life. Likewise, a single idea – peace – descends today into our hearts and makes them beat together.
From the chestnut trees of Pitres to the terraces of Atalbéitar; from the viewpoints of Capilerilla to the alleys of Ferreirola, and the tinaos of Mecina-Fondales, our land knows about hospitality and effort.
In each stone nests the memory of those who knew how to care and be cared for.
Today, in the face of the pain that devastates so many corners of the planet, we raise our voices.
PEACE AS A LIVING HERITAGE
The Alpujarra has been, over the centuries, a crossroads of cultures. Moors, settlers and travelers brought diverse customs that took root without erasing each other: that coexistence is our best legacy.
Every agricultural terrace that shapes the mountain, every tinao (porch) that protects from the midday sun, testifies to cooperation as a form of survival.
Defending peace is, therefore, defending our own history and projecting it towards tomorrow.
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(Click here for the article in Spanish)
How important is community development for a culture of peace?
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PROCLAMATION
Gathered in the heart of the Alpujarra region of Granada, we solemnly declare that the seven villages that make up our municipality—Pitres, Capilerilla, Mecina, Mecinilla, Fondales, Ferreirola, and Atalbéitar—recognize and name themselves: “Pueblos por la Paz” (Villages for Peace).
This declaration is not an empty symbol: it is a profound commitment, a daily task, a seed that we must water with the clean water of justice, freedom, and dignity.
OUR VISION
• A community where differences are celebrated as a shared asset.
• A territory that offers dignified opportunities to young people so they do not have to leave.
• Town squares that are agoras of dialogue, music, and poetry, never trenches of verbal violence.
• A municipality that participates in building peace beyond its borders, supporting those who suffer from war and exclusion.
WHY WE DO IT
• Because the world needs lighthouses that remind us that violence is not destiny.
• Because we believe that every girl and boy deserves to grow up without fear.
• Because the nature that sustains us only flourishes where there is respect.
• Because our ancestors bequeathed us the value of a given word and an extended hand.
• Because peace is not stillness, but a path that is walked together.
• Because the singing of the ditches is only possible if the channel is free of fear.
OUR COMMITMENTS
• Reject all forms of violence and actively work for non-violence in our streets, homes and schools.
• Defend the life and dignity of each person, without distinction of sex, origin, culture or faith.
• Take care of our natural environment with sustainable practices that guarantee water, air and land for future generations.
• Promote education in values of empathy, dialogue and cooperation, strengthening the voice of our young people.
• Make visible and celebrate the good actions that sow peace among us, so that they inspire other people.
• Create alliances with institutions and communities around the world that share this desire, learning and sharing paths.
• Allocate our resources, creativity and effort to projects that reduce inequality and promote inclusion.
• Commemorate each year the International Day of Peace, the Day of Non-violence and any dates that remind us that peace needs to be celebrated and renewed.
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