Tag Archives: Europe

Città della Pieve, Italy: The Declaration of the Scientists for Peace

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

A press release from Comunità di Etica Vivente

Can Peace be conquered on the Planet permanently? For the researchers of various branches of learning who took part in the International Conference “Scientists for Peace” – which was recently held in the “Aula della Cultura” – the answer is yes.


(Click on photo to enlarge)

The first step will be the commitment to increase the awareness of that part of the public opinion conditioned by information that is often distorted and incomplete.

Only effective communication can enable individuals to know, and therefore operate, with increasing awareness, in their daily actions, respecting themselves and their peers. Starting from their own consumptions and rethinking their needs, whose ideological, as well as economic, burden harms the entire planet and its resources.

All this requires dialogue between the various disciplines to arrive at a joint effort where Psychology and Physics intertwine in Mathematics and Law, Economics and Education, Philosophy and Medicine.

The goal is a Healthy world where Prejudice, Fear and War are no longer present. Where Science, as well, gives human beings awareness of the Cosmos, revealing more and more surprising analogical correlations and interconnections, taking a position for certain distortions to be corrected.

For these purposes, the scholars who took part in the Convention have signed the “Declaration of the Scientists for Peace” which will be sent to UNESCO [see text below]. Formative interventions are encouraged to increase a responsible human and social conscience in the school and university paths of those who become practitioners of applied sciences. Starting from the acceptance that scientists and technicians who are part (or that such could become) of a chain of production of war instruments can oppose, appealing to the ethical principles on which the applied sciences must be based. And that, at the same time, intervene in the media so that the war does not continue to be considered possible but definitely reveals the face of an absolute aberration and violation of fundamental human rights.

The Declaration will be brought into the world and will be enriched in the coming months with the signing of other scientists who will be joined under the aegis of “Flag of Peace”, the international association that promoted the conference and has in its mission the promotion of Culture as instrument of Peace, through Science, Art and Philosophy.

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Question for this article:

How can we ensure that science contributes to peace and sustainable development?

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Visit the Conference page to see photos, videos and to download the file of the abstracts of the speeches.

Declaration

Recommendations from the “Scientists for Peace” Conference

Science has an important role to play in promoting and achieving peace on Earth. The main question which we ask in this respect is, why are scientists and engineers, highly educated individuals, willing to violate basic humanistic principles by developing and producing weapons? This is mostly due to a limited ethical consciousness, whereby each human being is seen as an isolated individual, and the wider implications of one’s work for society and for humankind are usually belittled.

To change this state of affairs we must become conscious of the fact that humankind can only thrive in peace if it is able to live up to universal ethical principles. Peace on Earth can be fostered and maintained; a world without wars can be developed, where peaceful relationships of responsibility and respect among peoples and individual human beings are properly cultivated.

How can this vision be achieved? What is the proper role for scientists and engineers to fulfil this vision?

We are committed to a view of science as an invaluable resource to promote peace in all areas of life. Accordingly, as a meaningful step towards realizing Peace on Earth, we submit to the United Nations the following recommendations, directed to the world of science and engineering:

• Schools and universities should be strongly invited to offer courses addressing the social responsibilities of scientists and engineers, especially concerning the potential and actual warfare applications of their work. Along with their professional expertise, science and engineering students should develop the ability to raise societal awareness about the threats that existing and prospective weapons systems pose to the survival and flourishing of humankind, especially in connection with weapons of mass destruction.

• It should be made clear that scientists and engineers consciously participating in the development, production, distribution and use of weapons of mass destruction go against the fundamental ethical principles that should be at the core of science and engineering.

• Everybody shall have the right to refuse to obey when it comes to the use of weapons of mass destruction and should be protected accordingly.

• It should be continually reaffirmed that mass media and other sources of information which advocate the view that waging war is an acceptable way to solve conflicts betray universal ethical principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the prohibition of propaganda for war asserted in the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

(Thank you to the Good News Agency for calling our attention to this article)

Europe, global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,

Abolish Militarism and War: Mairead Maguire to the International Conference against US/NATO Military Bases

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Transcript at Transcend

Presentation by Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate at the International Conference against US/NATO Military Bases, 16-18 Nov 2018, Dublin, Ireland

Dear Friends, It is good to be here with you all. I would like to thank the organizers for inviting me to address the conference.  Firstly I thank you all for your work for peace.  It is good that we will have an opportunity in the next few days to get to know each other and together discuss what kind of a world we want to live in?  There will be many different perspectives on this and the way forward, but let us agree to respect each other and to engage in deep listening and conversation no matter how hard and where the dialogue might take us!


Let us be encouraged by the fact that we have made an important first step when we agree to enter into dialogue, and when we agree that peace is both the means and the great achievable gift. It would be wonderful too no matter what area of social/political change we work in, if we can unite on a shared vision of a demilitarized world and find strength in agreeing we will not limit ourselves to civilizing and slowing down militarism, but demanding its total abolition.

Some people might argue that peace is not possible in such a highly militarized world.  However, I believe that peace is both possible and urgent.  It is achievable when we each become impassioned about peace and filled with an ethic that makes peace our objective and we each put into practice our moral sense of political/social responsibility to build peace and justice.

To build peace we are challenged to reject the bomb, the bullet, and all the techniques of violence.  Unfortunately, we are constantly bombarded with the glorification of militarism and war; therefore building a culture of peace and nonviolence will not be an easy task.  We are hearing about the building of a European army and we are asked to accept austerity and budget cuts to our health, education, etc. whilst increasing money to our own armies and also European military expansion.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization-NATO, which should have been disbanded when the Warsaw Pact was dissolved, continue to carry out wars and proxy wars in many countries pushing towards the borders of Russia and resurrecting a cold war between the East and West. I believe that NATO should be disbanded and should be made accountable and make restitutions to the millions of people in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and many others it has illegally attacked, invaded, destroyed.   We will never be allowed by our governments, or our mainstream media, to hear many of the stories of the lives of so many civilians killed by US/NATO forces.  NATO forces have targeted and assassinated individuals and entire families.

It is to all our shame in the International community, that their illegal criminal acts   of horror and bloodletting which embodies the comeback of barbarism, is allowed to continue.  NATO should be brought before the International Criminal Court  for war crimes.

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Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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It would be all too easy to point fingers and play the blame game but unless we all take responsibility for the highly dangerous militarised situation with which we are faced in the world today, things will not get better.

Ireland with the militarization of its Foreign and Defence Policy has been unfaithful to the Irish peoples’ wish for a Neutral State and worse by being complicit in accommodating illegal wars.  Ireland’s peace activists have been peacefully protesting US military use of Irish airports whereby over two and a half million armed US troops have passed through Shannon Airport on their way to and from the US-led Afghan and Iraq wars.  I believe ireland should refuse permission to any further stopover and refueling facilities being granted to aeroplanes ferrying troops or munitions to the wars and also withdraw Irish participation from all NATO and EU military operations overseas.

Ireland is deeply admired in many countries and has a proud record in helping developing countries.   Their role as mediators and peace negotiators is well known.   I would like to propose that Ireland disband their army and focus their finance and people on developing their great expertise in the science of peacemaking through a Government Dept. of Peace.   Recommitting to its tradition of neutrality and multilateralism, placing ethics, morality and justice as core values at the heart of its foreign policy would send out a clear message of Irish Government rejecting the road of militarism and war and choosing the road of peace and reconciliation, both locally and internationally.

For our survival through the UN we need to move to General and Complete Disarmament – including nuclear weapons.  This is not an impossible dream.  I commend the Irish Government in their work at UN to work for Nuclear Disarmament.  I believe we can take hope from Pope Francis statement after pointing out the dangers of nuclear weapons when he says‚

‘The threat of their use, as well as their very possession, is to be firmly condemned.’

And the Pope quotes as an example the

‘historic vote at the UN the majority of the members of the international community determined that nuclear weapons are not only immoral, but also must be considered an illegal means of warfare.’

It is to be hoped that UK, Israel, USA and other nuclear armed states will begin to dismantle their nuclear weapons and help turn back the hands of the doomsday clock.   Up to the end of 1961 at the United Nations general and complete disarmament was the aim of all governments.  In a joint Soviet-United states statement of 20 Sep l961 they stated,

‘The goal of negotiations is to achieve agreement on a program which will ensure that disarmament is general and complete and war is no longer an instrument for settling international problems’.

Let us unite our voices to call for an end to enmity and war, and for President Trump and President Putin to join together with all world leaders in a World Peace Conference to work for an agreed Programme of General and Complete Disarmament.  Such courageous leadership towards dialogue and disarmament would give hope to humanity.

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global,

Madrid: Women close the Anti-Violence Forum with a message of peace

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Ultima Hora (Note: Also available from Europapress)

Ten women leaders of politics and society closed today [Nov 8] the II World Forum on Urban Violence and Education for Coexistence and Peace in Madrid with a message of peace.

“Women do not shy away from conflict. When there is injustice, it must be revealed, “said the mayor of the Spanish capital, Manuela Carmena. “But the big difference is that we do not use violence to resolve conflicts. Women are agents of peace.”

For two hours before an audience that interrupted the interventions with applause, the participants discussed from a feminist perspective a large part of the topics of the forum organized by the city council of Madrid in the Matadero cultural venue, which included dozens of papers, workshops and events.

Mayor Carmena had the last word, sending a message of hope and asking for a cultural change. “Why have we chosen this extraordinary panel to finish? It has an explanation: we have defined 2018 as the violet year. Millions of women went out to the streets to remember that the prominence of women is still pending. We must be protagonists in the 21st century and in the following centuries,” she said.

“Violence is still linked to the culture of machismo and that erroneous concept of masculinity. Earlier we heard that in Latin America there are 400 homicides a day. But that statistic does not say that most are committed by men. Just 1 percent are committed by women,” she added.

“We have to say it. Women do not have their hands stained with blood, “said Carmena, who nevertheless pointed out that the culture of peace has been moving forward in the 20th century despite the atrocities of world wars.

As noted, interpersonal violence has been reduced by 16 percent. “And that’s partly due to the triumph of women’s values,” she said. “You just have to read the women of the past. The war correspondents all spoke against the war, but they were not listened to. Now we are here their daughters and granddaughters so that it is known that the voice of women is the voice of peace “.

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(Click here for a version in Spanish)

Questions for this article:

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

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

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Sitting next to Carmena, the Ibero-American General Secretary, Rebeca Grynspan, drew a somewhat more pessimistic picture of Latin America, which she described as “one of the most violent regions in the world.”

To the data of 400 daily homicides, she added that more than half of citizens say they live with fear. In addition, she stated that many countries in the region are among the worst in feminicide statistics.

“We must change the conception of masculinities and we must ensure that women have more autonomy,” said the Costa Rican official, who also pointed out some immediate measures that can be taken to reduce violence in the cities.

“We know that where public areas are set up for sport, culture or art, violence is reduced. We know that where there is less overcrowding violence is reduced. We know that putting more light on the city reduces violence. But we also need a longer-term vision,” she said.

The Latin American region was also represented by the president of the Association of Municipalities of Bolivia, Rocío Alejandra Molina, and by the mayor of Rosario, Mónica Fein.

Molina said that her country is in a “process of change” and stressed that more than 50 percent of Bolivian parliamentarians are women, but that there is still much to be done to eradicate “structural violence.” For her part, Fein recalled the strength of the feminist movement in Argentina and the struggle to pass a law in favor of the voluntary interruption of pregnancy. “We have won many battles, but there are still many battles to be fought,” she warned.

Other participants in the panel included: Liv Torres, executive director of the Nobel Peace Center; Concepción Gamarra, mayor of Logroño and first vice president of the FEMP; Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons; Emilia Saiz, General Secretary of UCLG; Elena Biurrun, Mayor of Torrelodones, and Tunisian Ouided Bouchmaoui, Nobel Peace Prize 2015.

In her brief closing speech, Carmena thanked Pope Francis for the message of support he sent to the forum and that was read during the women’s talk, as well as insisting on what he said on Monday at the inauguration, citing the legendary former South African president Nelson Mandela: “Violence is not intrinsic in the human being.”

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe, global,

Dublin: Global Campaign Against US/NATO Military Bases

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Excerpts from the website of No US/NATO Bases

Conference Program and Schedule

November 16-18, 2018 — Liberty Hall, Dublin, Ireland

Friday, November 16

1:00 – 3:00 PM — Registration and Check-in


3:00 – 5:00 PM — Rally Against US/NATO Military Bases at the Dublin General Post Office, Site of the Irish Rising of 1916

5:00 – 7:00 PM — Dinner (on your own)

7:00 – 10:00 PM — International Night

Chair: Ed Horgan, International Secretary, Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Ireland

• Welcoming Remarks

— Roger Cole, Chair, Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Ireland
— Bahman Azad, Coordinator, Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases, US

• Keynote Speakers:

— Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, Dail Eireann, Ireland
— Clare Daly TD, Dail Eireann, Ireland

• International Speakers:

— Socorro Gomes, President, World Peace Council
— Thanassis Pafilis, Member of Greek Parliament; General Secretary of WPC
— Alfred L. Marder, President, U.S. Peace Council
— Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate
— Ann Wright, Veterans For Peace, CodePink
— John Lannon, Member of the Executive, PANA; Founding Member, Shannonwatch, Ireland
— MK Aida Touma-Sliman, President, Peace and Solidarity Committee, Israel
— Dave Webb, Chair, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), UK
— Moara Crivelente, Member of the Executive, CEBRAPAZ, Brazil
— Chris Nineham, Chair, Stop the War Coalition, UK
— Paola Renada Gallo Peláez, President, MOPASSOL, Argentina
— Dr. Zuhal Okuyan, Chairwoman, Peace Committee of Turkey
— Joe Lombardo, Co-Coordinator, United National Antiwar Coalition, US
— Kristine Karch, Stop Air Base Ramstein, Germany

• Musical Performance

Saturday, November 17

8:00 – 9:00 AM — Registration and Check-in

9:00 – 9:45 AM — Opening Session

Chair: Gerry Condon, President, Veterans For Peace, US

• Keynote Speaker:

— Dr. Aleida Guevara, Member of Cuban National Assembly, Cuba

10:00 – 11:15 AM — Plenary 1: Militarism, Nuclear Weapons, and Military Bases

Chair: Margaret Flowers, Popular Resistance, US

— Iraklis Tsavaridis, Executive Secretary, World Peace Council, Greece
— Dave Webb, Chair, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), UK
— Gerry Condon, President, Veterans For Peace, US

Q & A / Discussion

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Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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11:30 AM – 12:45 AM — Plenary 2: Environmental and Health Impact of Military Bases

Chair: Senator Grace O’Sullivan, Green Party, Ireland

— Hideki Yoshikawa Director, Okinawa Environmental Justice Project, Okinawa
— Milan Krajca, Chairman, Czech Peace Movement, Czech Republic
— Dr. Zuhal Okuyan, Chairwoman, Peace Committee of Turkey

Q & A / Discussion

12:45 – 1:45 PM — Lunch (served)

1:45 – 3:00 PM — Plenary 3: Central and South America / Guantanamo

Chair: James Patrick Jordan, Alliance for Global Justice, US

— Silvio Platero, President, MOVPAZ, Cuba
— Myriam Parada Avila, Executive Director, School of Peace Foundation, Colombia
— Paola Renada Gallo Peláez, President, MOPASSOL, Argentina

Q & A / Discussion

3:15 – 4:30 PM — Plenary 4: Asia Pacific / Pivot to Asia / Okinawa

Chair: Anette Brownlie, Chairperson, IPAN, Australia

— Hiroji Yamashiro, Director, Okinawa Peace Action Center, Okinawa, Japan
— Teddy Casiño, Former Member of Congress, Philippines
— Tarak Kauf, Formre Member of National Board, Veterans For Peace, US

Q & A / Discussion

4:45 – 6:00 PM — Plenary 5: The Middle East: US/NATO Plan

Chair: MK Aida Touma-Sliman, Peace and Solidarity Committee, Israel

— Dr. Issam Makhoul, Chair, Emil Touma Institute, Israel
— Medea Benjamin, Founder, CODEPINK, US
— Dr. Akel Taqaz, Coordinator, Palestinian Committee for Peace and Solidarity, Palestine

Q & A / Discussion

6:00 – 7:30 PM — Dinner (on your own)

7:30 – 9:00 PM — Cultural Event

Sunday, November 18

9:00 – 10:15 AM — Plenary 6: Europe / NATO Expansion

Chair: David Swanson, World BEYOND War, US

— Chris Nineham, Chair, Stop the War Coalition, UK
— Ilda Figueiredo, Chair, Conselho Português para a Paz e Cooperação, Portugal
— Frank Keoghan, Chair, People’s Movement, Ireland

Q & A / Discussion

10:30– 11:45 AM — Plenary 7: Africa / Africom

Chair: Margaret Kimberley, UNAC; Black Agenda Report, US

— Ajamu Baraka, Black Alliance for Peace, US
— Anne Atambo, President, WILPF Kenya
— Chris Matlhako, South African Peace Initiative, South Africa

Q & A / Discussion

11:45 – 12:45 PM — Lunch (served)

12:45–2:15 PM — Regional Organizing Breakout Meetings

— Discussing Regional Plans of Action
— Regional Report Back to the Final Plenary

12:45–2:30 PM — Final Plenary: Global Campaign’s Future Plan of Action

Chairs: Roger Cole, PANA, Ireland; Bahman Azad, Coalition Against US Foreign Military Bases, US

— Identifying Major Campaign Areas
— Planning Other Actions for the Coming Year
— Confirmation of the Coordinating Committee for the Global Campaign

2:30 – 3:00 PM — Closing Remarks

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global,

Navarra, Spain: The “Schools for Peace and Coexistence” Program will be extended to 61 centers and more than 10,800 participants

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Pamplona Actual

The “Schools for Peace and Coexistence” Program will continue for a third year, responding to the requests received from Primary, Secondary and Vocational Training centers throughout Navarra, as well as the Public University of Navarra.


Promoted from the 2016-2017 academic year by the General Directorate of Peace, Coexistence and Human Rights of the Department of Citizen and Institutional Relations in cooperation with the Department of Education, “Schools for Peace and Coexistence” has been consolidated and each course serves a greater number of students, families and education professionals.

The Program makes available to schools several educational and educational tools that enable both students and teachers and families to address, from a positive and educational point of view, different aspects of coexistence. It brings together training workshops, pedagogical experiential activities and participatory workshops that are being carried out in public and concerted educational centers throughout Navarre.

The objective of the workshops is to advance in the construction of coexistence and a culture of peace through activities that allow the educational community:

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

Questions for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

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– to learn the different ways of expressing and verbalizing a conflict in order to approach its solution in a positive way;

– to know which are the most important humanitarian crises worldwide and reflect on Human Rights in these contexts;

– to experience and reflect on the damage and the conflict that negative attitudes and prejudices cause when they put in risk the coexistence between people of different ethnicity, culture, ideology, religion, etc .;

– to learn to make correct use of new technologies free of abusive and violent practices;

– to learn to play cooperatively in the spaces and times that the educational centers allocate to activities, without discrimination, without exclusions and without violence;

– and to internalize skills and favorable attitudes for the positive transformation of conflicts.

In addition, this Program is complemented with other initiatives of Peace and Coexistence that are expressly open to the participation of schools, such as exhibitions, film forums, contests, etc.

The Program in data

During the 2016/2017 academic year, a total of 4,311 students participated in the first edition of the program, from 41 educational centers and throughout 140 activities carried out. In the 2017/2018 academic year, the number of participants increased to 6,499 from 63 educational centers, with a total of 385 activities carried out.

This course, the Regional Government has received the request of 61 centers, so that a total of 10,832 people participate in the programmed activities.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe

The II Forum on Urban Violence closes in Madrid with the commitment to an agenda of cities of coexistence and peace

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from Tercera Informacion (translation by CPNN)

The II World Forum on Urban Violence and Education for Coexistence and Peace closes Thursday [November 10] with the commitment to elaborate an agenda of cities of peace. Madrid continues the line started in April last year when, in the first edition of this meeting, a line of work was opened that highlighted the potential of cities as a stage to advance in the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (ODS), through the construction of a culture of peace.

The instruments to materialize such actions include:

– implement policies of caring rather than policies of security;

– articulate with the state governments the preparation, implementation and supervision of action plans for the prevention of violence;

– develop local action plans to address them.

In this sense, both the Forum and the commitment with which it closes its second edition “could become the basis for a more continuous and systematic expression of a local effort aimed at the prevention of violence.”

Pope Francis sent, through the archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro, a letter to all the participants in the II World Forum on Urban Violence in which he expressed his hope that these days have served for dialogue and exchange: “That they have been an auspicious occasion to promote the construction of the social fabric of our towns and cities, so fragmented today by selfishness, injustice and aggression.”

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(Click here for a version in Spanish)

Questions for this article:

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

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The Pope’s letter also encourages all participants to welcome certain people in a special way: “To the most fragile members, to the marginalized, to the discarded, so that they may have the opportunity to feel at home in a community that welcomes, integrates, sustains, and favors the recognition of the other in his own wealth and diversity.”

The words of the Holy Father were read by Carlos Osoro in the plenary on interreligious dialogue that was held early in the morning. Subsequently, Juan Luis Cano, the moderator of the closing, who read the letter during that session concluded the forum in a roundtable with a dozen women with experience in institutional representation and in government work and who have participated or actively participate in public life and the responsibilities of city government.

Women, agents of peace

“Women can feel safe being agents of peace. The most positive data on the culture of peace according to the latest statistics available for 2014 show that 16% of interpersonal violence has been reduced in the world “. This was pointed out by Mayor Carmena during the closing ceremony of the second edition of a forum that exceeded the figures of the previous year by bringing together 5,000 participants and sharing1000 experiences.

Liv Torres, executive director of the Nobel Peace Center, recalled that the regard and presence of women in conflict resolution is more important than ever: “The processes of mediation in which women participate last longer and they are more sustainable over time. We have to sit next to each other, support each other and show the value of women in their role as leaders.”

For its part, the Ibero-American General Secretary, Rebecca Grynspan, has pointed out that inequality is one of the main causes of violence and has added: “In Latin America there are 400 homicides per day but 80% of those cases occur in 2% of the Latin American territory.”

All have agreed on the importance of talking about education, changing the conception of masculinity and giving more economic autonomy to women to ensure that future generations really live in cities of peace.

After the debate, 400 girls and boys, between 12 and 16 years old, from different schools in the two districts of Valleca, have drawn the symbol of peace in Plaza Matadero, accompanied by an orchestra of social excluded children, an action initiated by the NGO Mundo sin Guerras.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe

Peace and disarmament on the streets of Germany

. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

An article from Pressenza

During the Days of Protest for Peace and Disarmament, actions were carried out in almost 50 German cities and thousands of signatures were collected.

The days of protest from 1 to 4 November 2018, organised by the national initiative “disarm instead of rearm”, have not yet ended. Some actions in different cities will last until 10.11.2018. In many places they were actively supported by trade unions. The cooperation at national level in the initiative “disarm instead of improve” continued in many places. This action was supported by the two big networks of the peace movement “Cooperation for Peace” and the Committee of the Federal Peace Council.

The days of protest were held almost exactly one year after the foundation of this initiative and more than 120,000 signatures had already been obtained on the days of action. Among the first signatories were four trade union leaders, the presidents of major environmental associations, scientists, including a German Nobel laureate, church leaders*, politicians from various parties and peace activists. The exact list of initial signatories can be found at https://abruesten.jetzt/

Some of the first points of this successful action can already be mentioned:

We have intervened actively and with commitment in the budgetary debate of the German Bundestag, we have said no to armament, to mad increases in the armament budget to 85 billion. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, the defence budget is expected to increase by 11.8%, and no other budget line even has an approximate increase in this percentage.

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Question for this article:

How can we be sure to get news about peace demonstrations?

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In thousands of debates we have been able to point out the link between armaments and social affairs, we have made it clear time and again that every euro can only be spent once, either on armaments and war or on the people. Never in recent years have we had such a coordinated offensive of national dialogue from the peace movement towards the people of our country.


In almost 50 places in the republic, actions took place in the streets. They were often well-designed information booths with active collectors of signatures. Up to 1000 participants demonstrate the possibilities of decentralized actions. The “peace question” and disarmament were present in public.


In many places the collection was combined with rallies and demonstrations. In large cities, several hundred people participated in these events. Speakers from the peace movement and trade unions support the call for disarmament.


Several thousand were collected, in the end probably as many as 10,000 new signatures. The collection of signatures was welcomed with great sympathy and support from the population.


The days of protest have led us to take a good step forward. We were able to converse simultaneously with many people in many places and with an active presence. We were able to provide intensive information and clarification about the dangers and costs of updating. We have also shown in many small towns and villages that something is happening for peace.

The actions of local peace alliances in the streets and squares were supported by committed people from trade unions, environmental associations and Christian initiatives. Members of various political parties and movements were present and actively supported our protests.

For future actions we need many more participants and even better cooperation. Peace, climate and environmental protection go hand in hand. Disarmament frees funds to finance the International Climate Fund.

By calling for an end to arms exports and wars, we are making the causes of leakage a problem. Every euro can only be spent once on education, schools, science, health and care or on arms and war. We need a new policy of détente in Europe and also with Russia. These common positions are shared by many millions of people. Let us build on this foundation and move even more active street activities into public space over the next few years. Let us take advantage of the good experiences of the protest days for wider and more central actions.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

The Paris Peace Forum November 11-13, 2018

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Press Kit of Paris Peace Forum

I – THE PARIS PEACE FORUM: A NEW INTERNATIONAL MEETING

International tensions are increasing at a time where solutions to global challenges are urgently needed. With these issues in mind, the Paris Peace Forum aims to bring together all actors of global governance to strengthen multilateralism and international cooperation.

The Paris Peace Forum will convene political and numerous civil society actors as well as all those involved in the research and application of these global challenges (i.e. global warming, destabilization of the internet, armed conflicts etc.).


Actors from civil society, regional and international organizations leaders, Heads of State and Government will be among the participants. The Paris Peace Forum will provide all attendees with the opportunity to have an open dialogue

Regarding the content and the format, the Paris Peace Forum is neither a summit nor a conventional international conference.

The Paris Peace Forum places at its heart innovative solutions to current governance challenges.

One hundred years after the end of the First World War, the Paris Peace Forum recalls the fact that there is an urgency to act; this will require concrete action, free speech and dialogue between all actors.

120 concrete solutions to today’s problems

The Paris Peace Forum focuses on those who seek to implement concrete actions to today’s challenges. 850 initiatives were audited by the Selection Committee; 120 projects were selected and will be presented at the Paris Peace Forum.

The presence of all traditional actors of governance

105 countries were invited. More than 60 Heads of State and Government have confirmed their participation. States are obviously a key part of the solution and their presence is necessary at such a forum. However, their attendance at a meeting with such a format will be unique in the sense that there will be direct meetings between Heads of State and project leaders.

In addition to States, representatives from various international and multilateral institutions will be present at the Paris Peace Forum; e.g. the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the IMF Director, the WTO Director, the President of the World Bank. Numerous multilateral organizations will also be present, including those based in Paris (OECD, UNESCO, OIF, IEA etc.). Their presence shows that this initiative complements existing actors and initiatives.

Cross-cutting themes

The Paris Peace Forum is organized around 5 themes: peace and security, environment, development, inclusive economy, new technologies. The challenges we face are not concerned with sectoral constraints: the Paris Peace Forum takes note of this.

An original program

Heads of State and Government will speak simultaneously during the first day in several spaces at the venue and in various configurations. One speaker may make a plea or give a masterclass, several speakers may be involved in round-tables or have discussions – an innovative format for such a high level meeting.

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Click here for the version in French)

Question(s) related to this article:

Global meetings, conferences, assemblies, What is the best way for delegates to interact afterwards?

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All participants will be able to take part in the controversial debates. The formats of the debates (Fishbowl, Brainstorm, Conversation, Vote) respond to a need for frankness and simplicity in the way in providing answers to the highlighted challenges.

Finally, a hackathon on financial data transparency will to mobilize collective intelligence in the fields of computer, economics or social sciences around global governance and financial data transparency issues

II – MISSION: TO CREATE THE FIRST PLATFORM FOR SOLUTIONS TO INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGES

After a call for projects that was resulted in almost 900 submissions in the summer, 120 projects were selected to be presented in Paris this autumn. The project leaders of the selected solutions for governance will not present their projects in the conventional way that is observed at conferences. Instead, they will be at the center of the event, which will be conceived as a ‘global village of action’. The project inventors will represent a community of actors engaged in the search and the application for concrete solutions.

Creating international and inter-project synergies

The Space for Solutions at the Paris Peace Forum will convene all the inventors of the selected projects from 42 countries and 10 international organizations. Within this space, the inventors will be able to present their solution to the participants, and address any questions about them

A web application to create dialogue between all participants

The web application of the event will enable stakeholders to interact in order to band together and learn from each other before and during the Paris Peace Forum.

10 projects supported in thelong term

The Forum is focused on the long term. The idea is not just to highlight the initiatives, but to strengthen and support them in their growth and implementation. A monitoring committee composed of experts will follow 10 of the 120 projects presented in Paris from 11 to 13 November for the period of one year.

Listening to the needs of key actors in the field

Prior to the Forum, a study will be conducted on the expectations of the project leaders, so as to offer the best possible experience.

Examples of the governance solutions that will be presented at the Paris Peace Forum

Tax Inspectors Without Borders by OECD – Inclusive economy . . .

Climate Resilient Zero-Budget Natural Farming in Adhra Pradesh by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha – Develpment / India . . .

Antarctica 2020 by Ocean Unite – Environment / Costa Rica . . .

Paris Call for Digital Peace Principles by Microsoft – New technologies / USA . . .

Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance by IDDRI – Environment / France . . .

The World Benchmarking Alliance by Indiex Initiative – Inclusive economy / The Netherlands . . .

III – AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION FUNDED BY NON-GOVERNMENTAL AND INTERNATIONAL DONORS . . .

Composition of the Executive Committee . . .

Composition of the Steering Committee . . .

The Circle of Partners . . .

IV – THE PARIS PEACE FORUM SCHEDULE . . .

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global,

Madrid: One week before the World Forum for Peace in Cities

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article by Natale Salvo for Pressenza (reprinted according to Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license)(translation by CPNN)

Everything is ready for Madrid to host the “World Forum on Urban Violence and Education for Coexistence and Peace”.

“Organizers say that cities are the main space for interaction between people, collectives, businesses, ideas and values. But they are also spaces that generate inequalities and the proliferation of different types of violence. Cities and local authorities have the duty, the responsibility, to work for peace, against violence as a means of conflict resolution and for education, peace as a means of coexistence and future well-being. We need inclusive, safe and sustainable cities.”


(Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Madrid CC by)

On Monday, November 5, at 4:30 pm, the Matadero Cultural Center will welcome local leaders, international and civil society organizations and networks to open a joint process of debate, brainstorming and building solutions that foster urban environments that can put an end to the manifestations of violence.

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(Click here for the Spanish version of this article or click here for the French version)

Questions for this article:

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

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Madrid Mayor Manuela Carmena, Vice President of the Government Carmen Calvo and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wided Bouchamaoui as well as many members of social organizations will attend the opening ceremony. Among the guests are Ada Colau, Mayor of Barcelona and ​​Gabriela Firea, Mayor of Bucharest.

Representatives of social organizations, among others, will be: Federico Mayor Zaragoza – Foundation for a Culture of Peace; Patrick Keuleers – the United Nations Development Program, Mpho Franklyn Parks Tau -UCLG, the global advocacy association of local and regional governments and José Graziano da Silva, Director General of FAO. The Mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, will represent FEMP, the Federation of Spanish Municipalities.

Among the few hundred participants from all continents, Italy is not represented by a mayor, but exclusively by the writer and activist Patrizia Fiocchetti, who will participate in the debate on “Violence for radicalization, extremism and international terrorism “.

The Forum’s work, which will end on Thursday November 8, will include 12 debates on topics such as violence in sport, aporophobia [N.d.T. an attitude of hostility, more or less visible, towards people who live in poverty or precariousness] and social exclusion, violence against women, international terrorism, violence against children, racist and xenophobic violence, phobia against LGTBI, lack of access to housing, corruption and interreligious dialogue against violence.

With this initiative, now in its second year, the city of Madrid hopes to become known as the “capital of peace”.

Pressenza Italia will be present at the event and will endeavor to inform its readers.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe

Women in Iceland have walked out of work to dispute the gender pay gap

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from the World Economic Forum

Imagine if you worked a full day but stopped being paid at 2.55pm.

That’s the fate of women in Iceland, according to a protest group that organized rallies  across the country this week [October 21-27], demanding equal pay and rights and declaring “Don’t Change Women, Change the World!”


The sitting Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrin Jakobsdottir, joined the demonstration, according to the Bloomberg News Service.

While the protestors at ‘Kvennafrí 2018’, Women’s Strike, acknowledge that Iceland has made progress – it has the smallest overall gender gap of 144 countries ranked  by the World Economic Forum and has enacted the world’s first equal pay  law – they say they want faster and more meaningful progress.

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Question for this article

Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

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Demonstrations were held in 16 towns and cities and the largest was in Reykjavík, where female musicians, poets, actresses and a 230-strong choir performed.

“Pay discrimination is wage-theft,” Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, former Prime Minister of Iceland told the rally

Finding a voice

Social media is creating a wave of protest where women are speaking out, repeating #MeToo and telling the world that they have had enough.

That underscores the themes in the Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2017, which estimated it will take another 100 years  to achieve gender parity at the current rate of change and 217 years to close the economic gender gap. The 2018 report is due for publication in December.

Such themes have also been highlighted on social media via campaigns including #TimesUp  and #MeToo and the Forum’s ongoing work shows how addressing these issues is more than an ethical or moral concern.

“Gender parity is also fundamental to whether and how economies and societies thrive,” the report said. “A variety of models and empirical studies have suggested that improving gender parity may result in significant economic dividends.”

Iceland has the smallest gender gap, according to the Forum’s report, which focuses on four areas: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. The nation has topped the rankings for the past nine years, reflecting a strong political and cultural will to change.

Europe, WOMEN'S EQUALITY