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CPNN Administrator
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Posted: Dec. 29 2013,08:40 |
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The following comes from the blogspot of ABrasOFFA. . .
What is a Culture of Peace ? Are we born violent ? or do we acquire violence throughout our lives ?
It's questions like these that ABrasOFFA has been working on over the years, according to the guidelines of UNESCO, indicating that there is an imperative need to build a new vision of Peace
Peace is the absence of expressions of violence, minimizing conflicts and transforming them through real negotiations as a possible alternative. To that end, since 1987 the NGO ABrasOFFA, has been working on the creation of International Folklore Festivals in Brazil and abroad, in order to meet different folk groups around the world and work with the issues surrounding cultural diversity of each nation with this initiative. The organization has worked on important issues like cultural revival, actions and exchanges for young people in order to spread the culture of peace and nonviolence among youth.
Within the Programme of Action for a Culture of Peace of United Nations, adopted in 1999 are eight programme areas that deserve special attention, such as : Culture of Peace through Education, Sustainable Development and Social Economy; Commitment to all human rights, equity between genders; democratic participation; understanding, tolerance and solidarity; participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge; and peace and International Security .
Working with other international movements for peace, ABrasOFFA has already obtained prominence with international organizations such as UNESCO on two of its projects : the Network of Youth for Culture of Peace and the International Folklore Festival in Brazil. In the International Exhibition of Best Initiatives for Peace, held in Paris in 2006 and 2008 ABrasOFFA was the only Brazilian organization invited to participate in workshops and lectures aimed to promote their projects.
In August 2009 ABrasOFFA realized the World Peace Congress in the Americas , with the support of Senac and UNIP Santos.
People came from projects linked to the Culture of Peace and Non Violence from countries like Spain, Norway , Austria , United States , England , Mexico, Paraguay and Brazil. The highlight was the renowned Lia Diskin from Sao Paulo, who attended the opening event at the Coliseum Theatre .
Also participating in this initiative was a former Director of UNESCO , the neuroscientist David Adams, an American who was responsible for the Decade of Peace under the guidelines implemented by UNESCO in the year 2000-2010 .
In March 2010, David Adams, returned to Brazil and lectured in the presence of over 500 people in the Auditorium of UNISANTOS, requesting the creation of a peace council in the city of Santos to the Alderman at that time, Arlindo Barros, who headed Executive but it was not yet accepted.
Since then, ABrasOFFA has carried out projects focused on Culture of Peace and Non Violence, such as Peace as the Tip of Chalk, the Peter Crescenti School and the Santos Municipal Market besides continuing the creation of Festivals of National and International Folklore with a focus on the Culture of Peace and Nonviolence .
Responsible in Brazil for the preparation of the Decade of Peace World Report, the NGO participated with renowned organizations throughout the world, collecting and compiling information on Civil Society and the actions undertaken. In September 2010 , the report was tabled at the UN with relevant information about the work being done around the world .
In the week 02-08 December in Agrestina - Pernambuco , a group of young people gathered to put into practice some actions for Culture of Peace and Non Violence, focused on culture, an idea that emerged from the work of young volunteers of ABrasOFFA and is part of the Youth Project for a Culture of Peace
On 12 December, after some negotiations, an act creating a Council for Peace was signed by the Mayor of Santos. It was on the initiative of ABrasOFFA and had the support of Dr. Eustazio Pereira - Vice Mayor of Santos, the Secretary of Citizenship Marcelo Del Bosco, and was signed in the presence of Ex - Minister of Brazil , Dr. José Gregori.
With this initiative the entity , see achieved one of their greatest efforts so that concrete actions are made possible by the Government and the civil society organizations and the common good , peace be worked effectively together .
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