Tag Archives: Europe

The International Society Culture of Peace: Solidarity concerts in Athens and Mytilini / Lesbos

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Information taken from the website of The international Society Culture of Peace

Together with Greek refugee initiatives, trade unions and peace groups, the international Society Culture of Peace, based in Germany, is organizing solidarity concerts in Athens and Lesbos to support refugee relief efforts and peace initiatives.

zierock

Here are the programmes in Athens and Lesbos.



Programme Athens



Tuesday, 1st November 2016, 21.00h, City Plaza Hotel,
St. Acharnon 78 and Katrivanou, Athens, 104 34
Solidarity and Peace-Concert with the Afghan singers Shekib Mosadeq and
Masoud Hasanzada from Kabul/Germany. Greek music from MikisTheodorakis-Ensemble
with participation of the Peace delegation from Syria.



Wednesday, 2nd November 2016, Visits and concerts in other refugee camps in Athens
3nd November, Departure to Lesbos



Programme in Mytilene/Lesbos:



Friday, 4th November 2016, Visit of the refugee camps around Mytilene.
19.30h, Hotel Lesvion, Mytilene, “Refugee crisis or Political Crisis ?”,
Public discussion about causes of flight. With the peace delegation from
Syria, Heike Hänsel, (Member of German Parliament), Leo Gabriel
(Journalist, Austria), Members of the local community and Siniparxi in Mytilene.
Moderation by Henning Zierock (Society Culture of Peace),
Music by the Afghan singers Shekib Mosadeq, Masoud Hasanzada.
Songs from Mikis Theodorakis



(Article continued in right column)

Question for this article:

The refugee crisis, Who is responsible?

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

(Article continued from left column)

Press meeting:
Saturday, 5th November 2016, 11.00h in the Hotel Lesvion, Mytilene
14.00h Manifestation, Sappho Square, “Overcoming the causes of flight –
We must win peace not war!” with international speakers and music.
Center of Mytilene, “Message from the Sea” , by boat.



Sunday 6th November 2016 visit of historical places around Mytilene
12.00h, Monument of Liberty. March to the Port of Mytilene in
commemoration of the dead refugees in the Aegean Sea. Appeal from Lesbos
for a “Culture of Peace and new relation-ship between the peoples”



Contact: Henning Zierock, Gesellschaft Kultur des Friedens, Tel. 0049 172 7406310
email: info@kulturdesfriedens.de, www.kulturdesfriedens.de



Monday, 7th November, 18.00h at the Press Center ESIEA (organized by
www.peaceinsyria.org ) with participation of leading members of the
 Syrian Civil Society,Contakt: Leo Gabriel, email:lgabriel@gmx.net



Panel discussion
”TOWARDS PEACE THROUGH A NEW CONSTITUTION IN SYRIA ?”
Given the humanitarian disaster in and around Syria and the failure of
the international community of States to produce a sustainable peace
some prominent members of the Syrian civil society got together in
Austria and elaborated the ground for a future constitutional process in
Syria.


In the context of a tour of concerts for the refugees in Greece
organized by the German based NGO Cultures of Peace the international
initiative www.peaceinsyria.org will present the results of this
conference in order to promote in Greece a Constitutional Assembly for
Syria in the upcoming months.


Speakers: Mouna Ghanem from Damascus, Madjoleen Hassan from Latakia,
Sheruan Hassan from Rojava, Evangelis Pissias from Greece and Leo
Gabriel from Austria.



Music by the Afghan singers Shekib Mosadeq, Masoud Hasanzada.
Songs from Mikis Theodorakis
Date and time: Monday, 7th November 2016 at 18.00h
Place: ESIEA (Trade Union of Journalists); Akadimias Str. No 20 (Metro
Syntagma) Athens

(Thank you to Henning Zierock for sending this to CPNN)

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

Swiss ban new nuclear reactors

. .. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT .. .

A blog by Craig Morris in Energy Transition – The German Energiewende

Another setback for the “nuclear renaissance”: Switzerland voted on Friday to focus more on renewables and efficiency. For the first time ever, new nuclear plants are officially off the table—though admittedly, none were planned. The Swiss just “adopted the Energiewende,” writes the Neue Züricher Zeitung. Is no one paying attention? Craig Morris has the details.

swiss
The sun sets on the Leibstadt nuclear power plant, as seen from Dörflingen, Switzerland (Photo by Hansueli Krapf, edited, CC BY-SA 3.0)
(Click on image to enlarge)

Now here’s a news item you probably haven’t heard, at least judging from what I can gather on the internet: Switzerland’s new Energy Act (Energiegesetz, PDF) of 30 September 2016. You would think that, given its scope and Switzerland’s central role in Europe’s power sector, the following contents would have warranted a mention at, say, Reuters, CNN, Bloomberg, and Co.:

* The generation of non-hydro renewable power is to grow from 1.7 TWh last year (PDF in German and French) to 4.4 TWh by 2020 and 11.4 TWh by 2035 (nearly tenfold).

* “Per capita energy consumption” is to shrink by 16 percent from 2000 to 2020 and by 43 percent by 2035. “Per capita” is an important caveat in a small country whose population can easily grow quickly. (Switzerland’s is up around 10 percent over the past decade, like even smaller Norway’s.) Unfortunately, the law does not specify the most important aspect here: final or primary energy?

* Power consumption is to drop by 3 percent by 2020 and 13 percent by 2035.

* The law also, confusingly, speaks of “expanding” hydropower to 37.4 TWh by 2035 – even though it came in at 39.5 TWh last year. (If any readers know how to dissect this, please drop us a comment below.)

* It amends the 2003 Nuclear Energy Act (here’s the old one) to ban permits for new nuclear reactors. It also bans the reprocessing and export of spent fuel rods for reprocessing (except for research purposes with the consent of the Bundesrat). And “changes may not be made to existing nuclear plants.”

(Continued on right side of page)

Question for this article:

Are we making progress in renewable energy?

Is there a future for nuclear energy?

(Article continued from left side of page)

There’s a lot more in the law, much of which deals with the policy mechanisms (level of feed-in tariffs, etc.). But what’s above is a real breakthrough. So why has it gone unreported in English?

One reason may be that a referendum could change everything, as the Swiss press explains (in German). But the report also suggests there is little support for such a referendum in industry, so the referendum may not even take place; in other words, the Swiss business world is happier with renewables and efficiency than with old-school energy production, consumption, and waste.

Another referendum will be held on 27 November 2016: the one for a closure of the existing reactors (in German). It does not necessarily stand a good chance of passing; parliamentarians overwhelmingly reject it (it’s an idea of the Swiss Greens). On the other hand, a recent survey of the public revealed support for a total phaseout by 2029 (basically, a limited service life of 45 years per reactor). This idea may have as much as 58 percent public support (in German)—possibly another example of politicians out of touch with the people. The first reactor to be shut down would then go offline in 2019. Leibstadt, the youngest, would be the last to go in 2029.

Opponents of the phaseout referendum will reportedly not try to reject the idea of a nuclear phaseout outright. Instead, they will try to win over the “silent majority” of undecided voters in the middle of the political spectrum by simply arguing that setting a specific date or service life for all reactors makes no sense. This clever tactic is likely to succeed, but a quick comparison with the historic debate in Germany over a nuclear phaseout suggests something less savory for nuclear supporters. Remember that slippery slope? By the time you resort to the tactic of “setting a date for a phaseout makes no sense,” you have reached the bottom of it. There is no way back up the slope for nuclear at that point.

Oddly, the Swiss press outlets all report that the new law is part of the government’s “Energy Strategy 2050” even though “2050” is never even mentioned in the new Act. This law is in fact just a starting point. By the end of this year, we will probably know what direction the country is headed.

One wonders when the international media will catch on. Maybe never—or did you know that Switzerland implemented a nuclear phaseout (by 2034) in the wake of Fukushima back in 2011?

Craig Morris (@PPchef) is the lead author of German Energy Transition. He is co-author of Energy Democracy, the first history of Germany’s Energiewende, and is currently Senior Fellow at the IASS.

Europe, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

UK: Stop the War Conference

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Excerpts from the website of the Stop the War Coalition

Last weekend’s Stop the War conference was a big success. It attracted around 700 people who came together to discuss the wars which have raged for 15 years across Asia and the Middle East. It contained people who were involved in Stop the War from the very beginning, as well as young people from very diverse backgrounds. Speakers included trade union representatives, international guests, campaigners over drones and nuclear weapons and of course the Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn.

stopwar
Photo credit: Justin Tallis/reportdigital.co.uk
(Click on image to enlarge)

At the conference on 8 October, the following Anti-War Charter was adopted:

After fifteen years of catastrophe it is time to end Britain’s involvement in wars of aggression. While the electoral choices look bleak in the US, we have the opportunity to send an anti-war message around the world by committing to a sharp change in direction, including an end to new interventions and a withdrawal of troops from the Middle East, Central Asia and beyond.

1)  An end to foreign policy based on Washington’s global ambitions or on a junior imperial role for Britain.

2)  Recognition of the illegality of wars for regime change and the rights of peoples to self-determination and to oppose foreign occupations.

3)  No war by executive decision of the cabinet.

4)  Action to be taken against those found to have misled parliament and the people in the run up to the Iraq War by the Chilcot report, and a recognition that the series of foreign wars have made the world a more dangerous place.

5)  Withdrawal of all British troops, including special forces from Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries.

6)  Opposition to all military interventions and an effort to end the war in Syria rather than escalate.

7)  An independent investigation into Britain’s involvement in extraordinary rendition during the War on Terror.

8)  An end to military support and arms sales to countries involved in foreign military aggression or domestic repression, including Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

9)  An immediate initiative to de-escalate tension with Russia, including the withdrawal of all British troops from Eastern Europe and the Baltic, and opposition to the Eastward expansion of NATO.

10)  Freedom for Palestine and an end to illegal settlements and the siege of Gaza.

After fifteen years of catastrophe it is time to end Britain’s involvement in wars of aggression. While the electoral choices look bleak in the US, we have the opportunity to send an anti-war message around the world by committing to a sharp change in direction, including an end to new interventions and a withdrawal of troops from the Middle East, Central Asia and beyond.

Question related to this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

Berlin: World Congress of International Peace Bureau: Opening Speech

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Speech by Ingeborg Breines to International Peace Bureau

Excellencies, peace activists, honorable women and men, friends. Good evening and thank you for being here – and thank you to Arja Saijonmaa and the Berlin Metropol Orchestra for the wonderful music and song. We are lucky, and will hear more to them later.

More than thousand people have registered for this congress and we know that thousands more would have loved to come. We also know that several thousands are with us in the struggle for a world without war, the struggle to make WAR a thing of the past, something unheard of, something obsolete that humanity only in its infancy could think of.

IPB

So we are here to sharpen our non-violent tools, to deepen our understanding and strengthen our cooperation and friendship, so as to be that peace force for a transformative shift presenting alternatives to the insane, dangerous and naïve thinking that inequality, injustice, insecurity and marginalization can be solved by military means. We must develop together the strategies to stop this basically imperialistic thinking that if you want peace, you have to prepare for war. This old fashioned patriarchal way of insisting on the importance of having strong muscles and being militarily strong, is just a sign of moral and creative weakness. If we want peace, and most women and most men do, then we have to prepare for peace and use our financial and intellectual resources accordingly.

(Article continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

How can the peace movement become stronger and more effective?

(continued from left column)

Excessive military expenditures not only represent a theft from those who are hungry and suffer, but are also an ineffective means of obtaining human security and a culture of peace. Substantial reductions in military costs would eliminate the crushing poverty whereby nearly one third of humanity lives in insufferable conditions, a majority being women, children and young people. We need to move the money from the military sector and instead tackle the real security issues such as the threat to the very survival of the planet and humanity, be it by climate change, nuclear weapons or excessive inequality. We suggest that all countries reduce their military spending by 10% per year over the 15 years of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda. Although it will not change any power imbalance, it would go a very long way in meeting the needs and aspirations of people. Since one year military spending equals about 615 years of the UN annual budget, such a reduction in military costs would also strengthen the United Nations’ efforts and possibilities to “ save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”.

Rich and poor states alike seem to be pressured into arms races, spending more on armament than they need and can afford. To continue a process of militarization, often outside democratic control, that mainly serves the arms producers and dealers and even brings corruption is a dangerous path that will not bring hope to young people in desperation but may lead into extremism.

There is no way to justify war, killing and suffering. In IPB’s own words, we have to choose between warfare or welfare. We have only this one very unique and beautiful planet. The global climate change warrants urgent remedial actions and an holistic approach which again requires changing attitudes and rethinking of unsustainable and destructive production and consumption patterns.

The path of confrontational policies and accompanying militarization that we are on, is not leading us ahead. So let us create “an active disgust for war” to use Bertha von Suttner’s wording and create the world we want based on the vision and the principles of a culture of peace so well described by UNESCO.

Finally, allow me to share with you an encouragement that former president Gorbachev gave to the peace movement at one of the Nobel Summits in Rome. He said that he would never have dared take the steps he did to end the cold war if it had not been for the urging of the strong peace movement.

Friends, we have work to do.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

Poland: Women force historic U-turn on proposed abortion ban

. HUMAN RIGHTS .

An article from Amnesty International

The decision by Polish MP’s to reject a proposed amendment to their already restrictive abortion laws is a huge victory for women and girls, said Amnesty International.

“Women in Poland made history today [October 8]. This is a huge victory for the millions of women and girls who mobilized, showed their fury, and successfully blocked a law which would have taken away their rights and endangered their health,” said Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe.

Poland
“More hell for women!”
Click on image to enlarge

“Through standing up for their rights they have forced Poland’s normally intransigent government to reconsider further restrictions to an abortion law that is already one of the most restrictive in Europe.”

“We salute all the inspirational women and girls who stood in the rain, raised their voices and went on strike on Monday to stand up for their rights.’

“A woman who needs an abortion is not a criminal and decisions about her body and her health should never be placed in the hands of politicians.”

After yesterday’s hastily organised session, which most civil society organisations were unable to attend, the Parliamentary Committee rejected the bill and the Parliament’s plenary rejected it this morning as well.

Question related to this article:
Europe, HUMAN RIGHTS

UK: Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group sign Pledge to Peace

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from Rochdale online

Representatives of Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group joined other groups from throughout Greater Manchester at the Civic Centre in Oldham on Monday (26 September) to sign the ‘Pledge to Peace’ (also known as the ‘Bruxelles Declaration’), a European project to promote the development of a culture of peace.

Rochdale
Rae Street from Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group (standing), Elaine Dutton Mayoress of Rochdale (sitting), Councillor Derek Heffernan Mayor of Oldham (sitting), Di Heffernan Mayoress of Oldham (sitting), Councillor Ray Dutton Mayor of Rochdale (sitting), Philip Gilligan Chair of Greater Manchester and District Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (standing), Steve Roman from Manchester Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (sitting) and Linda Walker from Glossop Peace Group

Rae Street and Philip Gilligan were guests of the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Derek Heffernan who became the first mayor in Greater Manchester to sign the Pledge on behalf of his council. He, like Rochdale’s mayor, Ray Dutton, who also attended the event, is a member of Mayors for Peace which campaigns for the total abolition of nuclear weapons.

On behalf of the Peace Group, Philip Gilligan said: “We are delighted that both Rochdale and Oldham now have a Mayor for Peace.

“Mayors for Peace is a crucial organisation with more than 7000 city leaders worldwide. Their programme launched by the Mayor of Hiroshima in 1982 promotes much needed solidarity among cities to campaign for a world freed from the threat of nuclear annihilation.”

For more information about Pledge to Peace, please see http://www.pledgetopeace.eu

For more information about Mayors for Peace, please see http://www.mayorsforpeace.org

Questions for this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe

Greece: Union pushes for access to education for all refugee children

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

An article from Education International (reprinted according to provisions of Creative Commons)

Confronted with a dramatic increase of refugees from neighbouring countries in conflict, the Greek Federation of Secondary State School Teachers is calling for solidarity to see that all children receive an education.

The Greek Federation of Secondary State School Teachers (OLME) President and General Secretary are urging the Greek Government to seek special funding to cover the costs of creating proper reception and accommodation centres for refugees. These centres are to provide food, health care, translation and legal services in decent living conditions. The OLME also asked the Government to ensure access to education for all children who will remain in Greece, adding that the necessary infrastructure and proper conditions should be provided for their smooth transition.

Greece
Photo © UN

A lost generation

The union’s call comes as a recent UNICEF report, ‘Education Under Fire,’ exposed the harsh reality facing refugees, in particular children. It stated that, due to the wars in the Middle East and North Africa, 13 million children have been left without access to education. In addition, 9,000 schools in the Middle East are not operating and about 700,000 refugee children do not attend school because the existing school facilities cannot accommodate the increased number of additional schoolchildren.

Since the Balkan states closed their borders in March, thousands of refugee children in Greece have had little or no access to education. Rights organisations have warned of a “lost generation” of refugee children missing out on education.

OLME: Call for solidarity and dialogue

“We invite the local teacher unions and the teachers to lead the way once again,” said the OLME leadership in its 18 September statement. “We invite them to show their solidarity to refugees and immigrants in a concrete manner by organising or joining actions that aim to provide all kinds of material and moral support to refugees. At the same time, we invite them to lead discussions within the school community aiming to make young people aware of the issues pertaining to refugees and immigrants. Racist perceptions and discrimination against refugees and immigrants have no place within the education system nor within the Greek society.”

In response, local teacher unions, schools, and students have undertaken various initiatives showing their solidarity towards refugees.

(Article continued in right column)

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

Question for this article

The refugee crisis, Who is responsible?

(Article continued from left column)

Financial assistance

The OLME Executive Board has allocated funding to local teacher unions directly experiencing a higher influx of refugees; this funding is to be used to secure humanitarian aid. OLME intends to support mobilisations along with the people’s movement, to support every effort stemming either from schools or the wider social context to consolidate a society of freedom, equality and respect for human rights.

“Funding is key to the implementation of the above-mentioned educational plan,” said the OLME leadership. To date, €7 million has been used for the construction of host centres, training of teachers and teacher trainers, and the production of school textbooks. Moreover, €2.8 million is to be provided by the International Organisation for Migration to pay for children’s transportation to and from reception classes and school cleaning until December 2016.

Long-term plans

In addition, the Greek Ministry of Education hasdeveloped an induction programme for refugee children within the Greek formal educational system, addressing educational and pedagogical considerations. Of the 27,000 refugee children stranded in Greece, at least 18,000 are thought to be of school age. For the past seven months, children in camps have only had access to casual volunteer-run classes. The Ministry estimates that, towards end-September, the first reception classes will begin and other ‘regular’ classes will gradually follow, with thousands of refugee and migrant children being enrolled in Greek schools.

Meanwhile, teachers appointed to refugee reception classes and host centres for the education of refugees are receiving special training. Since the number of Greek teachers qualified to teach the children’s native languages is not sufficient, the Ministry has invited NGOs to contribute human resources.

The OLME is adamant, however, that this initial stage of reception classes should be followed by the integration of all refugee children within the mainstream school community.

EI refugee conference

Education International will be holding a conference, on the theme “Education of refugee children – Fast track to equal opportunities and integration” from 21-22 November in Stockholm, Sweden. This event will be a unique opportunity to showcase education unions’ work worldwide to ensure that refugee and migrant children get a proper education. It will also highlight unions’ efforts to ensure that refugee and migrant teachers receive good training and work and living conditions. And it will reaffirm that education is a human right of which nobody should be deprived, regardless of their circumstances.

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

Europe, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

From pacifism to nonviolence in Berlin

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article by Gabriela Amaya from Pressenza (reprinted according to Creative Commons)

With the slogan “Reconciliation is the only path to peace”, on the 1st of October, the eve of the International Day of Nonviolence, hundreds of people formed a human peace symbol in Berlin that then transformed into the symbol of nonviolence, coinciding with the celebration of the day itself in numerous points of the planet.

The event took place within the World Congress of the International Peace Bureau, in Berlin’s Ernst-Reuter-Platz on the initiative of this international news agency.

Berlin
Click on photos to enlarge
(Image by Pressenza Berlin)

The wellknown form of the peace symbol was transformed at a certain moment into the nonviolence symbol representing the need to advance from the field of pacifism to the field of nonviolence, something which implies the recognition of different forms of violence, not only physical violence whose greatest expression is war, but also economic, racial, religious, generational, sexual, psychological and moral violence among others.

Nonviolence assumes a lifestyle in everyday life which is based on the universal moral principle, “Treat others as you would like them to treat you.”

The words in the mouths of persons of different ages and geographical lattitudes, and the pictures that accompany this text are a better explanation of this meaningful and inspiring act.

Tomorrow, the 2nd of October, the anniversary Gandhi’s birthday, is the International Day of Nonviolence.

We are here today to celebrate it, illuminating the darkness of this moment with the simple light of our phones and with the powerful force of our best aspirations.

There are many people like us in the world, people who have struggled for peace and who believe that violence is not natural and can be surpassed.

And that’s why we are not only in this square in Berlin because around the world, many events are taking place in these days: flash mobs, music, theatre, films, videos, photos for nonviolence, courses in schools, workshops for children and adults, and so on. These events are too many to mention them all, but we want to greet the people and organisations that are raising their voices up for a new Humanism, an historical moment of reconciliation, and a climate of peace and disarmament.

(Article continued in right column)

Click here for article in French or here for article in Spanish)

Question for this article:

Can peace be guaranteed through nonviolent means?

(Article continued from left column)

And now we turn our lights on!

In this moment, the living symbol of peace is illuminated by the light of our phones, while we invite you to meditate…

Today we are here to send a sign of support to the millions of people around the world who are demanding peace.

To send a sign of hope for all those who are living in war. To let them know that we haven’t forgotten them.

To send a sign of relief to those who want peace, but who are not yet here with us.

To send a sign to ourselves, so that we never forget the importance and value of what we do.

To send a warning to those who feed wars and violence, so that they know that we are not asleep.

So that they know that a new culture of peace and nonviolence is being born.

And now we are going to form the living sign of nonviolence!

We condemn dehumanisation, oppression and violence in all its forms – physical, economic, racial, religious, ecological, psychological, gender and moral.

We refuse to continue enchained to a mechanical culture of resentment, guilt and revenge, and we launch an intentional, person and social nonviolent revolution.

We will not accept a closed future for human beings and our planet.

We demand the right for all human beings to be happy and free. Free of external and internal ties, free from pain and suffering.

So, connected with what makes us human inside ourselves, let’s take a deep breath and carry it to the depths of our hearts, asking to surpass violence. And from the depths of our hearts, we commit ourselves here to give the best of ourselves to build a culture of peace and nonviolence, seeking what unites us, creating bridges between human beings and working for reconciliation with ourselves, between individuals and entire peoples.

For everyone: Peace, Force and Joy!

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe

Swedish government wants to reward citizens who repair instead of toss

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Matt Hickman for Mother Nature Network (reprinted by permission)

Last week, the always-enviable country of Sweden unveiled yet another forward-thinking maneuver geared to make all other developed nations look positively backwards in comparison. The maneuver in question, crafted by the country’s ruling Social Democrat and Green Party coalition, comes in the form of a parliamentary proposal that would usher in tax breaks that reward Swedes who opt to send off consumer goods such as bicycles, clothing and shoes for minor mending and repairs instead of chucking said items in the trash and replacing them with new ones. This would be achieved by lowering the rate of the value-added tax (VAT) applied to the professional repair of such items from 25 percent to 12 percent.

sweden

An additional incentive introduced to Swedish Parliament would offer tax refunds — half the labor cost of repairs — to those who fix bigger ticket items including home appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and ovens. As noted by the BBC, Swedes can already recoup 50 percent of labor costs of “paid house work” such as employing a handyman or cleaning person from their annual income taxes.

“I believe there is a shift in view in Sweden at the moment. There is an increased knowledge that we need to make our things last longer in order to reduce materials’ consumption,” Per Bolund, the country’s Minister For Financial Markets and Consumer Affairs, explains to The Guardian. “We believe that this [the proposed tax breaks] could substantially lower the cost and so make it more rational economic behaviour to repair your goods.”

Bolund anticipates that by offering generous tax breaks on appliance repairs, more waste-conscious Swedes will be encouraged to fix instead of toss. This, in turn, will foster a thriving repairs industry and create new blue-collar job opportunities for the country’s immigrant population.

“Consumer are quite active in changing both what they buy and how they buy in Sweden, to change the environmental impact, so we see a huge increase in the sale of organic food, and we also see that the interest in the ‘sharing’ economy and the ‘circular’ economy is growing quite rapidly,” Bolund adds to the BBC.

Sweden, unfailingly humble one-upper that it is, has proven itself to be at the top of the game when it comes to planet-bettering schemes such as eliminating its reliance on fossil fuels and recycling, an activity that Swedes are so skilled at that it’s created a national garbage deficit — and for a country that relies on waste-to-energy incinerators to heat homes, that’s not necessarily a good thing. However, the governments of other nations have also embraced the art of repairing as an alternative to sending perfectly fixable items to the landfill.

(Article continued in the right side of the page)

Question for this article:

What is the relation between the environment and peace?

(Article continued from the left side of the page)

Take for example France, which, in 2015 passed a law outlawing planned obsolescence and requiring manufacturers to offer consumers free repairs or replacement parts on appliances up to two years after the date of purchase. Like the proposals in Sweden, the French law — Germany and Norway have similar laws on the books, as well — aims to curb the amount of waste entering landfills, keep money in the pockets of hand wringing-prone consumers and generate jobs in the appliance repair sector.

In other countries, the act of repairing in lieu of chucking is less about mandates and 21st century environmental do-goodery and more about upholding ages-old cultural traditions. Take Japan, for example, where broken yet still-valuable ceramics are meticulously mended in a fix-it-centric art form known as kintsugi. After undoing the traditional kintsugi process, shattered bowls and plates and the like are considered more beautiful — and valuable — than they were before the breakage occurred.

Jugaad — a Hindi word that essentially translates to “a hack” — is practiced throughout India. The idea here is to apply ingenious, duct tape-heavy fixes to broken or on-their-way items instead of trashing them.

The Netherlands is the birthplace of the Repair Café Foundation, a popular grassroots nonprofit that promotes community gathering spots where, as the New York Times describes, “neighbors pool their skills and labor for a few hours a month to mend holey clothing and revivify old coffee makers, broken lamps, vacuum cleaners and toasters, as well as at least one electric organ, a washing machine and an orange juice press.” While the movement was borne in Amsterdam and in its infancy remained largely a Dutch phenomenon, repair cafes have appeared in more than 29 countries spread out across every continent.

And then there’s Ireland.

While Dutch-style pop-up repair cafes have also appeared in Irish cities such as Dublin, the Emerald Isle’s greatest contribution to the fix-it movement will forever be Sugru, the putty-like miracle goo that can be used to repair just about everything. And I mean everything. Marketed as the “world’s first mouldable glue,” the idea for Sugru — a riff on sugradh, the Irish word for “play — was developed by Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh, a product designer hailing from Kilkenny. “I wanted to design something that was so easy and so fun to use that more people would consider fixing things again,” Ni Dhulchaointigh recently told the New York Times.

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter who sent us this article.)

Europe, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Russia and Ukraine: International Day of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A survey by CPNN

The following events were listed in “Google News” during the week of September 17-24 under the titles for the International Day of Peace in Russian (“Международный день мира”) and Ukrainian (“Міжнародний день миру”). For events elsewhere in the world, click here.

map or russia:ukraine
(Click on image to enlarge)

As you can see from the preceding map, there were articles about 24 events in these countries.

Here are excerpts from the articles.

Lutsk, Ukraine Students and teachers of the Lutsk gymnasium №4 celebrated the International Day of Peace with a flashmob, “We are for peace.”

Kovelchany, Ukraine: In Kovelchany city the audience was told that the International Day of Peace was proclaimed by the General Assembly to perpetuate the ideals of peace both in relations within states and among all nations and peoples. At the end of the children released in sky blue and yellow balloons and pigeons with wishes, hopes and expectations that Ukraine will be a peaceful and happy state .

Kalush, Ukraine: “Let there be peace in our native Ukraine!” Under this slogan, youth celebrated the International Day of Peace at the Kalush branch library. Unfortunately, there is ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine, Not all schools are open. Some are destroyed, in others there is no one to teach.

Poltava, Ukraine: About a hundred students gathered to mark the International Peace Day in Poltava with a flashmob “Dove of Peace”. Among them were students of Lugansk who fled to Poltova during the war.

Kiev, Ukraine: A peace march was attended by representatives of local government and central government authorities, UN representatives, NGOs veterans, participants in anti-terrorist operations and Kiev Youth. The solemn procession was held from Ukraine memorial to soldiers who fell in Afghanistan, the National Museum of History of Ukraine in World War II. People carried banners with the words: “We vote for peace” as well as flowers.

Pokrovsk, Ukraine: In school №2, an exhibition of drawings “World Without War”, symbolized the right of children to live in joy, love, and friendship under a peaceful sky. Children in primary school and high school students took part in the exhibition.

Kremenchuk, Ukraine: By tradition every year on the Day of Peace, Kremenchuk receives a delegation from Indonesia. The delegation was warmly welcomed by representatives of the Kremenchug city authorities. They were taken to the Peace Park, for the ceremony “Dzvony Gong of the World.”

Berdyansk, Ukraine:
Berdyansk took part in the international project for a mural dedicated to the day of peace. The winner was the work of the photographer-designer Darina Polovets “haven of peace”.

Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine: On the International Day of Peace Dnipropetrovsk held a Regional Roundtable for the “Women for Peace” national platform. Natalia Nacharyan, deputy of Dnipropetrovsk City Council, said, “Women have an inherent nature of diplomacy, and at the same time a strong will. Therefore, today joined forces, we require a national dialogue in order to achieve peace, mutual understanding and social well-being in Ukraine.” The executive director of the Fund” Ukrainian Perspective “Oksana Zhivaga said “Every day we help peaceful people affected by the war – displaced and wounded. This is a real contribution for the peace and unity of our country.”

Sevastopol, Russia/Ukraine: Doves of peace were released In Sevastopol for the International Day of Peace. The head of the Sevastopol Parliament Ekaterina Altabaeva said “This year for our country is special. October marks 75 years since the heroic defense of Sevastopol in the Great Patriotic war. “We must not allow repetition of the terrible tragedies that war brings.”

Brest, Belarus: On the International Day of Peace in Brest, lamps were set adrift on the canal in favor of life without war and violence. Children enjoyed performances of jugglers and magicians. And then the children released white doves into the sky – a symbol of peace.

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Question for this article

What has happened this year (2016) for the International Day of Peace?

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Vladivostok, Russia: On Wednesday, September 21, at the sports waterfront Vladivostok held the action “Let there be peace,” in honor of the International Day of Peace, The action was aimed at attracting the attention of citizens to wish to live, and to recall the heroism of their ancestors.

Stavropol, Russia: In the central square of the Alexander village a children’s program “Peaceful fun”, was dedicated to the International Day of Peace. The event was opened by a small group of the choir of the Stavropol Territory.

Kurgan, Russia: The celebration took place in three stages. At first the townspeople gathered pre-formed doves of peace, second they created their own, third – the participants drew “Dove of Peace” by Picasso. All crafts could be taken home or given to someone. Later hand in hand, participants created a large circle as a symbol of friendship and cooperation among peoples.

Volgograd, Russia: Thousands of bells rang out at Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd as students and delegates from 60 regions of Russia, near-abroad countries and the Baltic states voted for peace.

Serov, Russia: International Day of Peace was celebrated in Serov by students of schools of the city at the square in front of leisure center “Rodina”. They carried yellow balloons and hand-written posters such as “No to war!”, “Happy World! Peace one day”, “Let there be happiness on the planet.”

Moscow, Russia: Every year, the school “Promo-M” celebrates the International Day of Peace. This year the them was the “sustainable development goals” of the United Nations. After singing John Lennon’s song «Imagine» each student hit the Peace Bell to commemorate the victims of war and fighting.

Astrakhan, Russia: The social and health center “Zdravushka” showed a film about Peace Day, following which pensioners left messages on the “Tree of Good” in the form of paper doves symbolizing harmony, world peace and friendship. The Narimanov integrated center organized an event “Let there be peace,” for parents and children involved in the social services.

Kazan, Russia: On the International Day of Peace, the Kazan Federal University held a celebration dedicated to the international round table “Prevention of terrorist and extremist behavior of young people in the Internet space: traditional and innovative forms.” The organizer of this event was the Department of Conflictology of the Institute of Social and Philosophical Sciences and Mass Communications.

Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia:
For the 8th time, the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District government organized the “Peace in the world” youth festival. This time it was held in August in the Town of Kiten, Republic of Bulgaria. About 170 people between the ages of 18 and 30 from 22 Russian Federation constituencies and countries of the near and far abroad took part in the event. The “Peace Formula” creation was the main focus of the event. The “Formula” will consists of initiatives presented by constituencies or countries and aimed towards achieving Global Peace. All the ideas were refined into a final decision to culminate in a flashmob, event, or contest conducted on September 21, the International Day of Peace.

Biysk, Russia: For the International Day of Peace, students from the Bijskogo State College took part in a flashmob action “dove of peace” releasing white paper doves, tied to balloons, filled with helium.

Magnitogorsk, Russia: The schoolchildren of Chelyabinsk region launched into the sky thousands of white paper doves to celebrate the International Day of Peace.

Murmansk, Russia: Sponsored by the public organization “Murmansk Association of youth” and municipal autonomous institution “House of youth”, citizens of Murmansk will take part in the campaign “Dove of Peace” in the city center on Leningrad Street.

Nekrasovka, Russia: The International Day of Peace was celebrated with a festive program called “Peace and Harmony” including a concert organized by residents of the district. The newspaper “Voice of Nekrasovka” published a photo report from the scene.

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