Tag Archives: Latin America

UNAM Signs Collaboration Agreement for a Culture of Peace

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from Gaceta UNAM National Autonomous University of Mexico

As part of the Second Culture of Peace Week, the University Program on the Culture of Peace and the Eradication of Violence—affiliated with the Coordination of Humanities—signed a collaboration agreement with the Peace Manifesto International Board.


Alicia Cabezudo and Leticia Cano. Photo: PUCPAZ.

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish.)

Question related to this article:

How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?

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This organization was established in 2021, in accordance with the Department of Association Regulation of the Seine-Maritime Prefecture in France, and is presided over by David Adams, a prominent researcher and international peace activist.

Its objectives are to preserve and maintain the history, memory, and tools of the culture of peace—such as news, archives, biographies, guides, books, and reports—as well as to disseminate and transmit the culture of peace and deconstruct the culture of war through education, research, and training projects.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Mexico: Toluca Red Cross Receives Flag of Peace and Strengthens Commitment Against Violence

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by Digitalmex

The Mexican Red Cross, Toluca Delegation, received the Flag of Peace and was designated an Organization Promoting a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence. In doing so, it committed to strengthening actions based on dialogue, respect, empathy, and humanitarian care among its staff and volunteers.

During the event held to mark the International Day of Peace—observed on September 21—Mario Vázquez de la Torre, president of the Toluca Delegation, noted that serving others is also a way to contribute to peaceful coexistence.

“May our volunteers always serve as an example that helping others is also a way to build peace.”

Toluca Red Cross signs commitment to a culture of peace

In the presence of María del Rocío Pegueros Velázquez, honorary president of DIF Toluca, a letter of intent was signed to promote a culture of peace and non-violence within the Toluca Delegation.

As part of the agreement, volunteers presented and signed a ten-point declaration establishing principles to translate this commitment into the institution’s daily activities.

“True commitment begins right now; it starts with every word we speak, every difference we resolve through dialogue, every person we treat with respect, and every act of service performed with empathy and humanity.”

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish.)

Question related to this article:

How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?

(Article continued from left column)

Vázquez de la Torre called on volunteers to extend these practices beyond Red Cross facilities and apply them within their families, communities, schools, workplaces, and other spaces where they represent the institution. Education and participation: keys to preventing violence

At the gathering, Alicia Cabezudo—an International Peace Ambassador and member of the *Mil Milenios de Paz* (A Thousand Millennia of Peace) Foundation—delivered a lecture on the historical development of the culture of peace since the end of World War II.

The specialist maintained that educating for peace entails assuming responsibility and fostering open, democratic participation, as well as promoting interdisciplinary work to incorporate diverse perspectives and methodologies.

“How wonderful it would be to have groups of proactive people who, drawing from their respective disciplines, contribute perspectives, viewpoints, and methodologies that enrich and strengthen efforts to build peace.”

Red Cross humanitarian work highlighted

Carolina Alanís, an international ambassador for the *Mil Milenios de Paz* Foundation, emphasized that those who join this movement embody values ​​such as respect for life, solidarity, and human development.

She noted that the principles of a culture of peace have been integral to the Red Cross’s work since its inception in the 19th century; the organization provides humanitarian aid without regard to nationality, age, race, color, or gender, always placing the individual at the center of its care.

Key Facts

Why did the Toluca Red Cross receive the Flag of Peace? The Toluca Delegation received this distinction for its commitment to promoting a culture of peace and non-violence through dialogue, respect, empathy, and humanitarian service.

What commitment did the Toluca Red Cross make upon receiving the Flag of Peace? The institution signed a letter of intent and a ten-point pledge to foster peaceful coexistence among its staff and volunteers, both within and outside its facilities.

What role will Red Cross volunteers play in promoting peace Volunteers will seek to apply these principles when serving the public and to share them within their own families, communities, schools, and workplaces.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

National Autonomous University of Mexico: Second Culture of Peace Week

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

Excerpts from two *Gaceta UNAM* articles: September 8 and
September 14.

Peace demands far more than the absence of conflict. It entails defending rights, addressing the root causes of discontent, and creating conditions for full participation in shared life, stated UNAM Rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas.

Inaugurating UNAM’s Second National Culture of Peace Week, he emphasized that this culture “is learned and built day by day in homes, classrooms, workplaces, streets, institutions, and the public sphere. It manifests in how we treat others, in our willingness to listen, and in our capacity to take responsibility for our actions.”


Frame from video of event

He also noted that universities bear specific responsibilities: generating rigorous knowledge regarding the causes and manifestations of violence; training individuals capable of preventing and addressing it; and examining our own institutional practices. . . .

Dedicated to youth

Earlier, Enrique Javier Ochoa welcomed the holding of UNAM’s Second National Culture of Peace Week, an event analyzing the challenges in this area. He added that strengthening the culture of peace is an imperative, as is the commitment to diplomacy and cooperation in a world where deaths resulting from armed conflict are rising exponentially.

At the Alfonso Caso Auditorium, Leticia Cano welcomed attendees to the gathering dedicated to young people—agents of peace who also demand social justice and respect for inalienable rights, and who embrace with hope the creation of societies based on substantive equality and democratic environments where “their voices matter, are heard, and are taken into account.”

According to Daniel Giménez, his country—Norway—defends peace by supporting multilateralism, strengthening international law, and protecting fundamental rights; they view peace as something built through international negotiations as well as within schools, universities, and various other spheres. Furthermore, young people are creating support networks, community-based proposals, and new forms of participation.

Dionisio Meade, President of the Board of Directors of Fundación UNAM, agreed that young people represent an asset in which hopes for transformation are invested, as they can turn conflicts into opportunities for dialogue, prevent violence, and foster inclusion. To this end, the Foundation and PUCPAZ formalized a partnership to provide 84 university high school students with a 10-month scholarship, enabling them to become agents of peace within their respective campuses.

Francisco Gorjón Gómez, Director of the Culture of Peace program at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, noted that the national university system faces the challenge of contributing to the building and maintenance of peace. He emphasized the need to “speak of peace from a place of peace”—rather than merely reacting to violence—and to ensure that educational curricula include the development of peace-building skills. He also stressed the importance of being proactive, rather than waiting until violence occurs to discuss this value.

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(Click here for a Spanish version of this article)

Question related to this article:

University campus peace centers, What is happening on your campus?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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For Estefani López Cruz—a member of the “Peace-Weaving Community” (Comunidad Tejedora de Paz) within the UNAM high school system and a student at the College of Sciences and Humanities (CCH) Oriente campus—peace is something one learns, then practices, and finally spreads to others. She noted that it can be put into action through the way problems are resolved: without shouting, by incorporating diverse ideas, and by caring for shared spaces.


Frame from video of event

Economics strengthens university reflection on the culture of peace

As part of UNAM’s Second National Week of the Culture of Peace (2026), the Faculty of Economics opened a forum for analysis and reflection on a phenomenon currently affecting democratic coexistence: the use of hatred as both a form of discourse and a political strategy.

In the Jesús Silva Herzog Great Hall, Manuel Torres Aguilar—Director of the UNESCO Chair on Conflict Resolution at the University of Córdoba, Spain—delivered a keynote lecture titled “Hatred: Discourse and Political Strategy.” In it, he examined the mechanisms by which prejudice, discrimination, and exclusionary rhetoric can escalate into acts of collective violence.

During the subsequent discussion, Lorena Rodríguez León, Director of the Faculty of Economics, highlighted the importance of addressing these issues from within the university—and specifically from the perspective of economic sciences. She noted that processes of violence and exclusion possess structural dimensions requiring interdisciplinary study, while also emphasizing the role of the public university as a space of resistance, critical thinking, and the construction of alternatives.

For her part, Leticia Cano Soriano, Director of UNAM’s University Program for a Culture of Peace, highlighted the importance of creating spaces for dialogue *with* university youth, rather than merely *about* them. She emphasized that a culture of peace requires community participation, critical analysis, and collective commitment in the face of contemporary scenarios of violence and polarization.

Alicia Cabezudo, a professor at the University of Rosario in Argentina and a specialist in peace education, agreed that building a culture of peace demands an interdisciplinary perspective and the strengthening of values ​​such as solidarity, cooperation, empathy, and respect.

The event concluded with a call to recognize that, in the face of discourses seeking to divide and dehumanize, educational institutions bear a fundamental responsibility: to generate knowledge, strengthen critical thinking, and foster communities capable of building societies that are more just, united, and peaceful.

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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Brazil: Restorative Justice program trains educators to foster a culture of peace in municipal schools

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by the Court of Justice of the State of Roraima

Teachers and administrators from the municipal school system completed a Restorative Justice training course on Friday, August 7. The program focused on implementing practices that encourage dialogue, active listening, and a culture of peace within schools.

The methodology employed by Restorative Justice aims to create spaces for dialogue, strengthen bonds, and contribute to conflict prevention and resolution. Valeska Carvalho, head of the Restorative Justice Unit—coordinated by Judge Marcelo de Oliveira of the Court of Justice of Roraima (TJRR)—explained that the goal is to prepare school professionals themselves to share the knowledge gained during the training with others.

“The intention is for them to be prepared to transfer this knowledge to their own environments—their schools. It was a 40-hour course where they learned about the ‘peace-building circles’ methodology, which is the approach we use in schools. This gives schools the autonomy to manage their own projects.”

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(Click here for the original article in Portuguese)

Discussion question

Restorative justice, What does it look like in practice?

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For those who have participated in previous sessions, the impact of the training is directly visible in daily school life. Teacher Conceição Rebouças, from the José David Feitosa Neto Municipal School, participated in a Restorative Justice training program for the third time; she notes that the practices she has learned have contributed to the children’s development.

“We have achieved good results at the school because the children are developing a culture of peace. Whenever we bring the experiences shared here and the guidelines we’ve worked on into the classroom, we notice the school making progress and seeing significant benefits—especially for the children,” she stated. According to the educator, student participation also demonstrates their interest in the activities developed based on the techniques they learned.

“The results are visible. Parents come to praise the work we do, and the children actually ask when we’ll be back in the classroom to apply the techniques learned in the course. So, that is rewarding for us,” she said.

The training also covered topics such as assertive communication, listening, mediation, and conflict resolution. For Adélio Gomes, a teacher at the Senador Darcy Ribeiro Municipal School, the knowledge gained expands the educators’ options for handling common situations in the school environment.

“This is a very comprehensive course that teaches us how to communicate and listen correctly. Often, we listen but interrupt, without waiting for our colleague to finish speaking. We worked on assertive communication, conflict resolution, and how to act as mediators,” he explained.

Spanning 40 hours, the course took place over two weeks and introduced participants to the peace-building circles methodology.

Armed with this new knowledge, teachers and administrators return to their schools with tools they can apply in their daily routines—especially in conflict situations and in building relationships grounded in dialogue and listening.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

UNAM, Mexico: Establishment of Commission to Develop Content on a Culture of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from Gaceta UNAM

An Academic Working Commission has been established at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) with the aim of contributing to and supporting high school education through the development of educational courses on a culture of peace for students and faculty,

This commission is comprised of the University Program on a Culture of Peace and the Eradication of Violence (PUCPAZ), the general directorates of the National Preparatory School and the National School of Sciences and Humanities, the High School Academic Council, the General Directorate of Incorporation and Revalidation of Studies (DGIRE), and the Institute of Legal Research.

Leticia Cano Soriano, head of PUCPAZ, led a ceremony held at the Program’s offices in the Engineering Tower. She explained that the design, development, and integration of an elective course and a training course are part of the University’s strategy to disseminate a culture of peace across all levels of education, beginning in secondary school and later being integrated into higher education.

The Master of Social Work commented that it is important to develop this elective course and training program to offer students and faculty tools that allow them to incorporate a culture of peace and violence prevention into academic activities, with an emphasis on human rights, interculturality, and community social fabric. She also emphasized integrating these themes with other subjects in the high school curriculum.

Sergio Abraham Reyes Pantoja, Academic Secretary of PUCPAZ, explained that, based on the University Program’s Founding Agreement, one of the program’s objectives is the development of its own educational content on a culture of peace. In addition to advising institutions on mainstreaming these topics into their curricula, the commission also promotes the development of human resources for teaching. The aim is to establish plans and strategies at the high school level for disseminating a culture of peace and implementing specific actions to eradicate violence in university environments.

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(Click here for a Spanish version of this article)

Question related to this article:

How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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During the meeting, Consuelo Arce Ortiz, secretary of the Academic Council of the UNAM High School, stated that it is essential to begin with an understanding of the regulations, specifically the General Regulations for the Presentation and Approval of Study Plans and Programs. This will provide greater academic validation, and the need to address a culture of peace has already been raised, calling the University to action.

Arce Ortiz added that the commission’s intention is to place the dignity of individuals at the center of education, fostering positive attitudes and positively impacting the lives of the school and teaching community.

Restorative Approach

Mara Hernández Estrada, from the Institute of Legal Research, mentioned that collaborative work is crucial to ensure the classroom becomes a suitable pedagogical environment for fostering a culture of peace, especially in conflict management, and with a restorative approach.

She emphasized the importance of addressing students’ needs to prevent negative impacts in the classroom, aligning with the ethics of care, and raising awareness about violence.

Speaking next, Alejandro Benítez Jiménez, Continuing Education Coordinator at the DGIRE (General Directorate of Educational Research), shared that the affiliated system serves more than 17,000 students in 28 states across Mexico, who follow 263 different curricula, and that they will now be able to incorporate these courses to promote a culture of peace.

In developing new courses, she noted, it is essential to consider the needs of affiliated schools both in Mexico City and throughout the country. She added that the new courses for students and faculty will be an important opportunity to convey not only the message of fostering a culture of peace, but also the teaching strategies to achieve it.

Finally, Jacqueline Leyva Chávez, coordinator of the Institutional Tutoring Program at the General Directorate of the College of Sciences and Humanities, emphasized that the course topics are particularly relevant because students face diverse challenges, and the training must include specific strategies to effectively support and guide them.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Dominican Republic: Violence Reduction and Peace Culture Promotion Program in Schools

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article by Erasmo Lara Peña in Acento

Promoting a culture of peace in schools is a strategic priority for the Dominican education system. Within this framework, schools are recognized as a privileged space for the formation of citizens capable of living together respectfully, valuing diversity, and managing conflicts constructively.

After retiring from the United Nations in 2005 and subsequently serving as the Dominican Republic’s ambassador to the United Nations in 2009, I have dedicated myself to projects related to promoting a culture of peace, community mediation, conflict resolution, and international negotiations, primarily within public institutions and civil society organizations in our country.

I have carried out much of this work through the Dominican Center for Peace, a private, public-service institution that I founded in 2006. One of the most significant projects has been the establishment of peace clubs in schools throughout the Dominican Republic through the Violence Reduction and Peace Culture Promotion Program in Schools.

I would like to document the process of creating, developing, consolidating, and institutionalizing the Peace Clubs program in the Dominican Republic, highlighting the main achievements, the partnerships forged, and the impact generated within the educational community during the years of implementation.

The program originally emerged in 2017 as a pilot initiative. Subsequently, during the 2022-2023 school year, it became part of the activities of the Vice Ministry of Preventive Security in Provincial Governments of the Ministry of the Interior and Police, in collaboration with the Directorate of Guidance and Psychology (DOP) of the Ministry of Education.

By the end of the 2025-2026 school year, the main achievements included the implementation of the program in 500 schools, the training of more than 12,000 student peace promoters, the training of 700 counselors and psychologists, as well as 48 regional and district technicians. The program also has a presence in seven regional education offices and forty-one school districts.

It is important to mention that the standardization of teaching practices was also achieved through the production of printed, audiovisual, and digital materials to support the various training activities. Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, the program became an integral part of Presidential Goal 21 on a Culture of Peace, incorporated into the action plan of the Directorate of Guidance and Psychology until 2028. The objective is to incorporate approximately 800 new schools.

Among the main challenges faced during the program’s implementation were inter-institutional coordination, territorial expansion, and the sustainability of the training activities. However, the commitment of the regional and district technical teams, counselors, psychologists, and students allowed for the consolidation of a high-impact experience for school coexistence.

The Peace Clubs operate in schools identified by the Ministry of Education and located in priority areas within the Comprehensive Citizen Security Strategy, “My Safe Country.” Currently, the program operates in all school districts of San Cristóbal, Santo Domingo Este, the National District, Santiago, La Vega, San Francisco de Macorís, Moca, Bonao, and Piedra Blanca.

Promoting a culture of peace in schools is a strategic priority for the Dominican education system. Within this framework, schools are recognized as a privileged space for developing citizens capable of living together respectfully, valuing diversity, and managing conflicts constructively. Presidential Goal 21 on a Culture of Peace reinforces this commitment by promoting safe, participatory, and violence-free school environments.

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(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Question for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

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Peace Clubs are organized spaces within schools, led by and for students, with the support of counselors and school psychologists.

Their main objectives are:

• To contribute to the development of a culture of peace in schools.

• To prevent and reduce violence in schools.

• To empower students to act as peace promoters.

To strengthen students’ civic education.

Through these clubs, students develop key social-emotional skills, such as empathy, assertive communication, conflict resolution, and teamwork.

The program is implemented through three fundamental actions:

1. Training of counselors, psychologists, and students.

2. Organization of the club within the school.

3. Awareness-raising activities aimed at the entire school community.

These actions ensure that a culture of peace is not just content, but a daily practice.

To support the program, a series of printed and audiovisual materials have been designed that frame the facilitation of standardized educational content and practices on topics such as conflict, youth violence, coexistence, communication and active listening, peer mediation, and restorative practices, among others.

The Peace Club is a space run by and for students. In it, young people become agents of positive change, learning and promoting social skills such as empathy, assertive communication, peaceful conflict resolution, and teamwork.

We seek to improve the school climate and develop students committed to social peace, fostering a sense of responsibility toward their environment and contributing to the strengthening of peaceful coexistence and safety in schools.

One of the program’s main focuses has been empowering students with strategies for promoting peace and the constructive resolution of conflicts. Likewise, spaces have been created for them to construct their own knowledge and actively contribute to promoting peaceful coexistence from their own perspectives.

The enthusiastic work of counselors and psychologists involved in the program, along with the commitment and empowerment of the students, has significantly contributed to the acceptance and legitimacy it enjoys today. This 2025-2026 school year has marked a transition for the program, transferring it from the Ministry of the Interior and Police to the Ministry of Education, for implementation by the Directorate of Guidance and Psychology (DOP), which is taking the necessary steps to ensure its consolidation as a national program. These include its integration into Presidential Goal 21 on a Culture of Peace, the appointment of a national specialist to oversee it, its incorporation into the Annual Operating Plan (AOP), and the necessary budget allocation.

I feel that my seven years of work have yielded the expected results, as this effort has become a national program under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education.

I wish to express my gratitude to Engineer Ángela Jáquez, Vice Minister of the Interior and Police; to Dr. Ancell Scheker, Vice Minister of Education; to Mario Frías and Esther Custodio, two extraordinary facilitators of the hundreds of workshops given to counselors, psychologists, and thousands of student members of the club network; and, in a very special way, to Divina García, Director of Guidance and Psychology, on whose shoulders now rests the continuity and strengthening of this initiative.

Beyond the figures and the results achieved, the greatest achievement of the Peace Clubs Program has been to demonstrate that students can become active agents of social transformation when they are given the right tools to promote coexistence, dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

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EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Haiti: National Conference : Commitments of religious leaders, joint declaration

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from Ici Haiti

On Friday, May 29, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs held the closing ceremony of the National Conference of Religious Leaders for Peace, Stability, and Civic Engagement. Following the workshops, the religious leaders adopted a Declaration reaffirming their collective commitment to peace, social cohesion, civic education, support for vulnerable populations, and the effective integration of young people.

Commitments of the Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders :

1 – We commit to promoting, within our religious communities, concrete initiatives for violence prevention, civic education, and support for vulnerable populations, and to working to raise awareness among our Haitian brothers and sisters of the values of peace, tolerance, civic responsibility, and living together, particularly through community activities, mediation efforts, awareness campaigns, and youth programs;

We also commit to strengthening, within our communities, mechanisms for violence prevention, spaces for dialogue, listening, and community mediation, as well as initiatives that promote the mentoring, training, and reintegration of vulnerable youth;

2 – We call for a national mobilization around peace, civic responsibility, and the effective integration and/or reintegration of young people, particularly those from vulnerable communities and those affected by violence;

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(Click here for a French article on this subject.)

Question related to this article:
 
How can different faiths work together for understanding and harmony?

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3 – We call upon the State, religious leaders, those of ancestral traditions, as well as spiritual and philosophical guides, the private sector, and civil society to unite their efforts to strengthen social cohesion, promote civic education, and build a culture of peace, stability, and civic responsibility;

4 – We reaffirm our commitment to supporting victims of violence and assisting young people through training, mentoring, psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual support initiatives, as well as the development of concrete alternatives to violence and crime;

5 – We recommend that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs promote the protection of places of worship and support religious leaders, those of ancestral traditions, as well as spiritual and philosophical guides in initiatives that foster interreligious dialogue, social cohesion, and the promotion of civic responsibility for peace, stability, and the strengthening of the Haitian social fabric;

• We urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs to establish a National Council for Interreligious Consultation (CNCI) to foster ongoing dialogue among all religious sectors, ancestral traditions, and spiritual and philosophical leaders to promote peace, security, and social cohesion in Haiti;

• We also urge the Government to declare May 28th “National Day of Religious Leaders, Ancestral Traditions, and Spiritual and Philosophical Leaders” to ensure the sustainability of this initiative, which involves groups from this sector in matters of national interest;

• We reaffirm our commitment to promoting responsible religious discourse that fosters hope, unity, fraternity, solidarity, and reconciliation in the best interests of the Haitian nation;

• Finally, we reaffirm our commitment to working alongside the Haitian State, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, and civil society, to implement strategic plans to give concrete form to this Declaration.

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Latin America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Mouvement de la Paix: For Peace in the Caribbean; Stop the Blockade Against Cuba !

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

A press release from Mouvement de la Paix

The Mouvement de la Paix demands the immediate end to the illegal and inhumane blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba for the past 60 years and respect for the sovereignty of Cuba and all Caribbean states.


In recent statements, the President of the United States announced his intention to “deal with Cuba,” stating that “Cuba will be next on the list” because “Cuba continues to pose an extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security. Following the pressure exerted on several Latin American countries and the military aggression against Venezuela, Cuba is once again being targeted, even though it poses no threat to the United States.

Let’s think about this together! The facts speak for themselves: The USA is a country of 390 million inhabitants (43 times the population of Cuba—a small country of 9 million inhabitants), it is the world’s largest military power with approximately $900 billion in annual military spending; it has 1.8 million soldiers (active and reservists) compared to only a few tens of thousands of soldiers in Cuba. The USA has 7,500 nuclear warheads, while Cuba possesses no nuclear weapons and is determinedly fighting for the total elimination of nuclear weapons and practicing a policy of peace and cooperation, as seen in the medical field. It is not Cuba that has a military base in the USA, but the USA that maintains, against Cuba’s will, a military base at Guantanamo, infamous as a detention and torture center, particularly during the illegal US war in Iraq.

For more than sixty years, the Cuban people have suffered a blockade condemned every year by the United Nations General Assembly (1). This blockade causes serious human suffering by preventing normal access to essential products; it is an obstacle to the country’s economic development and to international cooperation since any person or economic entity (banks, various organizations) who would like to cooperate with Cuba are systematically subject to sanctions.Les nouvelles sanctions décidées par les États-Unis contre Cuba et contre les pays apportant leur aide à Cuba (ordre exécutif  du 1 mai 2026) (2)  constituent des violations supplémentaires du droit international. L’objectif  de ces sanctions  est quasiment  de ruiner l’économie du pays et de soumettre la population à des souffrances et des pénurie sources de souffrances et susceptibles  de mettre en cause la cohésion sociale du pays.

Beyond individual political opinions, the issue today is to defend the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law: respect for the national sovereignty of states, peaceful and political resolution of disputes and conflicts, and the rejection of the use or threat of force in international relations. The rule of law must prevail over the use of force.

(Click here for the original press release in French.)

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with Cuba?

How can war crimes be documented, stopped, punished and prevented?

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France, present in this region of the world through Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, and other territories, has regularly condemned the blockade at UN General Assemblies. Faced with the strengthening of the blockade, France must make its voice heard at the Security Council and the UN General Assembly. It must exert all necessary energy to ensure that the regular and near-unanimous condemnation by the UN General Assembly translates into concrete measures of economic and financial aid for Cuba. France cannot remain silent in the face of the measures dictated by the USA to the national and international banking system. It must take steps to remove the obstacles preventing French charitable and humanitarian organizations from transferring their aid to the Cuban people; it must speak out against the militarization of the Caribbean and against illegal U.S.A. military interventions in the region, whether carried out directly by the U.S.A. or by private militias or military or paramilitary organizations, all of which increase tensions and threaten regional peace.

We call upon the French government, parliamentarians, local elected officials, trade unions, associations, and citizens’ organizations to take action to achieve:

° The immediate end of the blockade against Cuba, as demanded by the United Nations General Assembly (1);

° Respect for the sovereignty of Cuba and all Caribbean states;

° Respect for international law and the Charter of the United Nations;

° The establishment of a zone of peace and cooperation throughout the Caribbean and Latin America region.

The Cuban people and all Caribbean peoples have the right to live in peace, to cooperate freely, and to build their future in mutual respect and solidarity, as enshrined in the Charter of CELAC (3), which aims to build peace in Latin America and the Caribbean through the development of a culture of peace as defined by the UN and UNESCO. Long live peace and friendship among peoples.

Le Mouvement de la Paix – 16 mai 2026

1- Excerpts from the UN website, October 2025: “It has now become a UN tradition, almost a ritual on the diplomatic calendar. As it has every year for the past 33 years, the United Nations General Assembly adopts a resolution calling for the lifting of the blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States.”

2- Le Monde – AFP, May 1: Donald Trump announces strengthened sanctions against Cuba: In an executive order, the US president imposes sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the energy sector. “US President Donald Trump announced on Friday, May 1, a strengthening of US sanctions against Cuba, which ‘continues to pose an extraordinary threat’ to US national security.”

3- The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CACAC) is an intergovernmental mechanism for dialogue and political agreement link.

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Europe, Latin America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

Cuba Is Not a Failed State – It Is a Besieged State. We Need to Build a Unified Resistance

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

A email message received at CPNN from the United National Antiwar Coalition

The statement below is a response to the ongoing blockade against Cuba and the propaganda derived from it.   We hope you will endorse this statement, but we also hope you will commit to emergency actions if the Trump Administration follows through with their threats to invade Cuba.



Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel lead mass march against US blockade

Sign On  to  “Cuba is Not a Failed State – It Is a Besieged State”
Register  your Emergency  Actions

At this critical junction in world history when the Cuban Revolution is being threatened by US hegemon, it is essential to come to its defense. Cuba is the hope of humanity.

We defend Cuba by combating the intentionally negative stereotyping of a failed state. The problems Cuba faces under blockade conditions should not be portrayed in such alarmist ways that it reinforces Washington’s propaganda. We need to combat this defeatist approach.
Cuba is being sanctioned for the crime of being a good example.

That Washington continues to intensify its six-decade campaign against the Cuban Revolution testifies to the island’s resilience and strength.

Washington’s regime-change campaign has taken a heavy toll. Responsible Statecraft describes US policy as “bent on breaking the island.” The Guardian reports “an epidemic of flies, rats, waste and foul odors.”

These accounts portray Cuban hardship but intentionally overlook Cuban social achievements. Even statements from Congressional leaders advocating for an end to the blockade by focusing on the crisis it has created, can feed into Washington’s self-serving narrative that Cuba is a “failed nation.”

When descriptions of the humanitarian crisis caused by the escalated blockade do not question the ideological assumption that accepts capitalism as the natural state of humanity, they can be used to depict socialism as an abortive failed experiment.

This is why solidarity activists must take special care to highlight the incredible achievements of Cuba, even under blockade conditions, all while waging an active campaign against the sanctions and gathering supplies to take to the island in solidarity.

Doing so much with so little

The Center for Economic and Policy Research documents a dramatic increase in infant mortality from 4.9, now rising to 9.9 per 1,000 live births, attributable to deteriorating living conditions caused by the US economic war.

Yet, even under this intentional strangulation, Cuba’s infant mortality rate remains among the lowest in the region. Cuba has free public, personalized healthcare for every Cuban from birth and throughout life.

Surrounding countries that are not facing any U.S. sanctions but are forced to survive under capitalist relations have consistently higher infant mortality rates. Panama (11), Dominican Republic (16), El Salvador (12), Honduras (15), Guatemala (20), Jamaica (12), Haiti (45-50).

Most stunning is that Cuba’s infant mortality figures under a ruthless blockade are still lower than for African Americans in the U.S. (10.9).

This reflects the demonstrated success of Cuba’s social medicine model, even under the most challenging of circumstances.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with Cuba?

How can war crimes be documented, stopped, punished and prevented?

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Using Cuba’s example of people-centered healthcare, Nicaragua dramatically reduced their infant mortality from 29 deaths per thousand in 2005 under a right-wing, pro U.S. government to 9 under the Sandinistas and with the assistance of Cuban doctors.

This is why the Trump administration is determined to block Cuban medical staff from providing medical care in the Caribbean. A dozen countries have acquiesced to demands from the U.S. to end medical agreements with Cuba.

Cuba’s medical staff focuses heavily on underserved areas in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. They provide more doctors and medical staff than the World Health Organization and most western nations combined. The United States calls Cuba’s medical internationalism “human trafficking” – but it’s really an internationalist lifeline for the Global South.

Cuba is not alone, as it receives significant solidarity aid from allied states. China, for example, is helping address Cuba’s fossil fuel dependency by supplying 49 solar farms (20% of all its energy needs) and fleets of electric buses, cars, and scooters. Our solidarity movement should highlight and encourage such international cooperation.

Among Cuba’s public health achievements are its international medical brigades, excellence in advanced research, response to the pandemic, service to underserved populations, south-south cooperation initiatives, and the world’s highest doctor-to-patient ratios.

The Cuban socialist model has also produced notable successes in sports and public education.

Writing from Cuba, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio defended the country’s accomplishments over the past decade despite the “intense economic war,” including:

° sustaining the national electrical system while expanding renewable energy

° strengthening telecommunications and expanding internet access

° supporting vulnerable populations through food cultivation

° improving water infrastructure in underserved communities

° developing COVID vaccines and other medicines
expanding domestic industry including the assembly of electric vehicles

For a small, natural resource-poor island, Cuba has achieved so much with so little and under such extraordinarily adverse conditions. The nation asks only that the jackboot of imperialism be lifted so that it may truly flourish.

International people’s solidarity must not allow these incredible achievements to be overlooked as we advocate for relief from the cruel blockade. We should describe this crisis the same way that the Cuban leadership describes it – acknowledging the harms of US imperialism, but always stressing the achievements of the Cuban revolution and the power of solidarity and cooperation.

¡Venceremos!

Leading Organizers from the Following Organizations support this Cuba statement and the Call to Action.

United National Antiwar Coalition, Cuba Si NY/NJ, International US-Cuba Normalization Conference, Venezuela Solidarity Network, US Peace Council, Alliance for Global Justice, SanctionsKill! Campaign, Resist U.S. Led War Movement, Black Alliance for Peace, International League of Peoples Struggles, Americas Without Sanctions, Chicago ALBA Solidarity, Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition, Task Force on the Americas, International Action Center, Veterans For Peace, Code Pink NY, National Lawyers Guild, Anti War Action Network, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Socialist Action, Bronx Antiwar, Compas de la Diaspora, Struggle for Socialism Party, Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle, Diaspora Pa’lante Collective, Workers World Party,

(This statement was initiated by the SanctionsKill Campaign.)

Add your support and help to circulate this statement.

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Latin America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Colombia: Conference on the Transition Beyond Fossil Fuels concludes with five key outcomes

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from Minambiente, Colombia (translation by CPNN)

– April 29: In Santa Marta, Colombia, 57 countries met with 13 stakeholder groups, totaling more than 1,500 participants. The discussions focused on three key themes: reducing economic dependence on fossil fuels, transforming supply and demand, and advancing international cooperation.

The main conclusion of the conference is clear: this momentum must be sustained and efforts must be organized on a larger scale. This conference delivers five key outcomes that create a practical platform for working together and supporting one another to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels:

1. The second conference on transitioning beyond fossil fuels was announced, to be held in early 2027. It will be co-chaired by Ireland and Vanuatu.

2. A coordination group will be established to ensure continuity to the second and future conferences, strengthen links between initiatives, and avoid duplication. This group will bring together countries leading key transition efforts—such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, Brazil, France, and the Marshall Islands—along with the co-host countries Colombia, the Netherlands, Tuvalu, and Ireland, and will be advised by the COP30 Activation Group.

3. The results will be shared with the COP30 Presidency to inform its roadmap. They will also be aligned with the COP31 roadmap and Action Agenda, and will contribute to the second Global Stocktake.

4. Three lines of work have been established to identify concrete ways to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and strengthen cooperation. Their structure will be defined between the first and second conferences. They will remain open and flexible, allowing countries to join or lead, with the support of existing initiatives and experts from the Santa Marta process.

5. The Scientific Panel on the Global Energy Transition (SPGET) was launched to support countries in moving beyond fossil fuels. This panel will contribute to the development of roadmaps aligned with the 1.5°C target and will address legal, financial, and policy barriers.

(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

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Question for this article:

Despite the vested interests of companies and governments, Can we make progress toward sustainable development?

Sustainable Development Summits of States, What are the results?

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“We succeeded in bringing the world together. We decided not to resign ourselves to an economy built on the destruction of life; we decided that the transition beyond fossil fuels can no longer remain a slogan, but must become a concrete, political, and collective effort. When people look back in the future, they will not only remember this conference. They will remember whether or not we rose to the challenge of our time,” stated the acting Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, Irene Vélez Torres.

For her part, the Netherlands’ Minister for Climate and Green Growth, Stientje van Veldhoven, stated: “I can confidently say that, in recent days, we have laid the groundwork for concrete action to move away from fossil fuels. With such a broad coalition of countries and representatives from the private sector, civil society, and beyond, this is a group capable of making a significant impact. The countries convened in Colombia represent approximately 30% of global energy demand and nearly 20% of global energy supply. Together, we have begun to organize on a large scale to meet this challenge, committing ourselves to sustained, long-term participation. This transition will require navigating a complex set of economic, social, and technical challenges. The message for addressing these was clear: let’s get to work and support each other throughout the process.”

Final list of participating countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Luxembourg, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City – Holy See.

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(Editor’s note: According to Greenpeace, “The landmark Santa Marta conference for the transition away from fossil fuels represents an important milestone on the road to long-term climate and energy stability.” According to the World Wildlife Fund, “Santa Marta tackled the toughest climate hurdle – turning ambition into action, while bringing all stakeholders into the conversation”. And according to Bill Mckibben, founder of 350.org, “Santa Marta Leads the World Into the Energy Future, while the US Clings to the Past.”

(Editor’s note 2: At last year’s COP30 in Belém, a group of 80 countries called for the design of a global roadmap to phase out coal, oil and gas, but it was blocked by large oil producers and consumers like Saudi Arabia, Russia, India and China.

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global, Latin America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,