All posts by CPNN Coordinator

About CPNN Coordinator

Dr David Adams is the coordinator of the Culture of Peace News Network. He retired in 2001 from UNESCO where he was the Director of the Unit for the International Year for the Culture of Peace, proclaimed for the Year 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly.

South Sudan Chapter of African Union Master Plan Roadmap “Practical Steps To Silencing The Guns By 2020”

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Khamis Comas Lokudu from Gurtong

The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) on Monday [October 16] launched the Economic Social and Cultural Council South Sudan Chapter(ECOSOCC). The Economic, Social and Cultural Council is an advisory organ to the African Union composed of civil society organizations (CSOs). The principle of the ECOSOCC is for the civil society to organize itself to work in partnership with the African Union. Its mandate includes contributing through advice, effective translation of the AU’s objectives, principles and policies into concrete programmes, as well as evaluating those programmes.

The objective of the chapter is to empower South Sudan civil society organization on the implementation of AU-ECOSOCC action plan for implementation of AU agenda on silencing the guns by 2020.

According to Richard Ssewakiryanga, the Executive Director of a Ugandan National NGO and Presiding Officer – African Union – Economic, Social and Cultural Council, said in his presentation that, the Aspiration 4 of Agenda 2063 which is the African Union’s strategic framework for socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next five decades, highlights the need for dialogue-centred conflict prevention, as well as the management and resolution of existing conflicts, with a view to silencing the guns in the continent by the year 2020.

(continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

Can the African Union help bring a culture of peace to Africa?

Can peace be achieved in South Sudan?

(continued from left column)

Mr Richard Ssewakiryanga added that the agenda 2063 provides that in order to achieve sustainable conflict prevention and resolution, a culture of peace and tolerance must be cultivated and nurtured in children and youth, among others, through peace education.

Ssewakiryanga furthermore explained that in its first ten years implementation plan, agenda 2063 stresses the imperative of ending all wars, civil conflicts, gender-based violence and violent conflicts as part of Africa’s collective efforts to silence the guns in the continent by 2020.

The Organization of African Union/ African Union, (OAU/AU) 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration, adopted by the AU Heads of States¬ and government in Addis Ababa on 26th May 2013 expressed determination to achieve the goal of a conflict-free Africa, to make peace a reality for all and to rid the continent of wars, civil conflicts, human rights violations, humanitarian disasters and violent conflicts.

The Heads of States pledged not to leave the burden of conflicts to the next generation of Africans but assume to end all wars in Africa by 2020 according to Mr Richard.

Africa, Mideast, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,

United Nations Special Climate Report: 1.5ºC Is Possible But Requires Unprecedented and Urgent Action

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from The United Nations

Limiting global warming to 1.5ºC would require rapid, far- reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said on Monday [October 8] in a new assessment. With clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems, limiting global warming to 1.5ºC compared to 2ºC could go hand in hand with ensuring a more sustainable and equitable society, .

The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5ºC was approved by the IPCC on Saturday in Incheon, Republic of Korea. It will be a key scientific input into the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December, when governments review the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change.

“With more than 6,000 scientific references cited and the dedicated contribution of thousands of expert and government reviewers worldwide, this important report testifies to the breadth and policy relevance of the IPCC,” said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC.

Ninety-one authors and review editors from 40 countries prepared the IPCC report in response to an invitation from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) when it adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015.

The report’s full name is Global Warming of 1.5°C, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.

“One of the key messages that comes out very strongly from this report is that we are already seeing the consequences of 1°C of global warming through more extreme weather, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice, among other changes,” said Panmao Zhai, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group I.

Limiting global warming

The report highlights a number of climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5ºC compared to 2ºC, or more. For instance, by 2100, global sea level rise would be 10 cm lower with global warming of 1.5°C compared with 2°C. The likelihood of an Arctic Ocean free of sea ice in summer would be once per century with global warming of 1.5°C, compared with at least once per decade with 2°C. Coral reefs would decline by 70-90 percent with global warming of 1.5°C, whereas virtually all (> 99 percent) would be lost with 2ºC.

“Every extra bit of warming matters, especially since warming of 1.5ºC or higher increases the risk associated with long-lasting or irreversible changes, such as the loss of some ecosystems,” said Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II.

Limiting global warming would also give people and ecosystems more room to adapt and remain below relevant risk thresholds, added Pörtner. The report also examines pathways available to limit warming to 1.5ºC, what it would take to achieve them and what the consequences could be.

“The good news is that some of the kinds of actions that would be needed to limit global warming to 1.5ºC are already underway around the world, but they would need to accelerate,” said Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Co-Chair of Working Group I.

The report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’ around 2050. This means that any remaining emissions would need to be balanced by removing CO2 from the air.

(Article continued in the right side of the page)

Question for this article:

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

(Article continued from the left side of the page)

“Limiting warming to 1.5ºC is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes,” said Jim Skea, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III.

Allowing the global temperature to temporarily exceed or ‘overshoot’ 1.5ºC would mean a greater reliance on techniques that remove CO2 from the air to return global temperature to below 1.5ºC by 2100. The effectiveness of such techniques are unproven at large scale and some may carry significant risks for sustainable development, the report notes.

“Limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared with 2°C would reduce challenging impacts on ecosystems, human health and well-being, making it easier to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” said Priyardarshi Shukla, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III.

The decisions we make today are critical in ensuring a safe and sustainable world for everyone, both now and in the future, said Debra Roberts, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II.

“This report gives policymakers and practitioners the information they need to make decisions that tackle climate change while considering local context and people’s needs. The next few years are probably the most important in our history,” she said.

Special Report

The Report was prepared under the scientific leadership of all three IPCC working groups. Working Group I assesses the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II addresses impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and Working Group III deals with the mitigation of climate change.The IPCC is the leading world body for assessing the science related to climate change, its impacts and potential future risks, and possible response options.

The Paris Agreement adopted by 195 nations at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in December 2015 included the aim of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by “holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre- industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”

As part of the decision to adopt the Paris Agreement, the IPCC was invited to produce, in 2018, a Special Report on global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways. The IPCC accepted the invitation, adding that the Special Report would look at these issues in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.

Global Warming of 1.5ºC is the first in a series of Special Reports to be produced in the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Cycle. Next year the IPCC will release the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, and Climate Change and Land, which looks at how climate change affects land use.

The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) presents the key findings of the Special Report, based on the assessment of the available scientific, technical and socio-economic literature relevant to global warming of 1.5°C.

Key statistics of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5ºC

91 authors from 44 citizenships and 40 countries of residence

14 Coordinating Lead Authors (CLAs)
60 Lead authors (LAs)
17 Review Editors (REs)
133 Contributing authors (CAs) Over 6,000 cited references
A total of 42,001 expert and government review comments
(First Order Draft 12,895; Second Order Draft 25,476; Final Government Draft: 3,630)

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, United Nations,

France: Marches for the climate, we repeat !

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from La France Insoumise

One month after the first wave of marches for the climate , dozens of mobilizations were again held this Saturday, October 13 throughout France. This successful new act brought together nearly 100,000 people in total. In many cities, the number of participants was identical to that of the last march, proof that this citizen movement is not weakening, but also that the demands are struggling to reach the president’s ears. Indeed, the “Champion of the Earth” Emmanuel Macron seems already busy keeping a government in full decomposition. Unfortunately, at the same time, he continues to implement his climate policy. It seems that he listens much more to the lobbies than to the people or even the experts.

(Article continued in the right side of the page)

( Click here for the French version of this article.)

Question for this article:

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

(Article continued from the left side of the page)

It was in the wake of the alarming report of the IPCC on global warming that these new marches took place. The new conclusions leave no room to appeal: to reach the goal of not exceeding 1.5 ° C of warming requires a complete change of mode of production and consumption. Pursuing current policies will take us straight into a major climate crisis. The message is clear: stop measuring, it is time to move to strong acts and concrete manifestations of a real ecological policy. Not in 10 years, not in 3 years, but now! Recurring climate disasters, in France and elsewhere, are proof of this. That is why we are rebelling in large numbers at the rallies to demand the implementation of the green rules and ecological planning. Even if “there is still time” as put by one of the march slogans, the question is: how long?

Click here for images of different climate marches in Paris, Lille, Grenoble, Marseille and Strasbourg.

(Thank you to Kiki Chauvin, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

Europe, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

France: Several thousand students have signed a manifesto in which they pledge not to work for companies that disagree with their values

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Clothilde Bru for Konbini News

In the face of the environmental and social disaster we are facing, we students are worried.

We think that collectively speaking the changes we want to happen is a first step. It’s high time to wake up! Here is our manifesto.

For an ecological alarm clock (@ReveilUn) September 26, 2018

“What good is it to ride to work on a bike if we are working for a company whose business contributes to accelerating climate change?” The day after the publication of IPCC report , (the Group of intergovernmental experts on climate change) recalling the absolute need to limit global warming to 1.5 ° C, thousands of French students have decided to act.

(Article continued in the right side of the page)

( Click here for the French version of this article.)

Question for this article:

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

(Article continued from the left side of the page)

Uploaded less than a month ago, our Student Manifesto for an ecological alarm clock has already collected 11,800 signatures. Joined by university students, these are students from the best schools in France (HEC, Normal Higher Schools, Agro …) who are at the origin of this initiative , as explained by France inter.

The text starts from this implacable conclusion: “our societies continue their trajectory towards an environmental and human catastrophe.” Hence the need to change course. Aware of the strength we represent and our future weight in the labor market, we have decided to commit themselves:

“As we get closer to our first job, we realize that the system we are part of is leading us to positions that are often incompatible with the fruit of our reflections and confines us to everyday contradictions.”

This means choosing our employer according to its carbon footprint: “We want to take advantage of the power we enjoy as students by turning to potential employers with the demands expressed in this manifesto. . ”

The success of this text is a pledge of hope as the situation is more critical than ever.

(Thank you to Kiki Chauvin, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

Europe, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The Nobel Prize for Peace 2018

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An announcemet from The Nobel Prize Organization

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2018 to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict. Both laureates have made a crucial contribution to focusing attention on, and combating, such war crimes. Denis Mukwege is the helper who has devoted his life to defending these victims. Nadia Murad is the witness who tells of the abuses perpetrated against herself and others. Each of them in their own way has helped to give greater visibility to war-time sexual violence, so that the perpetrators can be held accountable for their actions.

The physician Denis Mukwege has spent large parts of his adult life helping the victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since the Panzi Hospital was established in Bukavu in 1999, Dr. Mukwege and his staff have treated thousands of patients who have fallen victim to such assaults. Most of the abuses have been committed in the context of a long-lasting civil war that has cost the lives of more than six million Congolese.

Denis Mukwege is the foremost, most unifying symbol, both nationally and internationally, of the struggle to end sexual violence in war and armed conflicts. His basic principle is that “justice is everyone’s business”. Men and women, officers and soldiers, and local, national and international authorities alike all have a shared responsibility for reporting, and combating, this type of war crime. The importance of Dr. Mukwege’s enduring, dedicated and selfless efforts in this field cannot be overstated. He has repeatedly condemned impunity for mass rape and criticised the Congolese government and other countries for not doing enough to stop the use of sexual violence against women as a strategy and weapon of war.

(Article continued in right column)

(click here for the article in French.)

Question related to this article:

Protecting women and girls against violence, Is progress being made?

What role should men play to stop violence against women?

(Article continued from left column)

Nadia Murad is herself a victim of war crimes. She refused to accept the social codes that require women to remain silent and ashamed of the abuses to which they have been subjected. She has shown uncommon courage in recounting her own sufferings and speaking up on behalf of other victims.

Nadia Murad is a member of the Yazidi minority in northern Iraq, where she lived with her family in the remote village of Kocho. In August 2014 the Islamic State (IS) launched a brutal, systematic attack on the villages of the Sinjar district, aimed at exterminating the Yazidi population. In Nadia Murad’s village, several hundred people were massacred. The younger women, including underage children, were abducted and held as sex slaves. While a captive of the IS, Nadia Murad was repeatedly subjected to rape and other abuses. Her assaulters threatened to execute her if she did not convert to their hateful, inhuman version of Islam.

Nadia Murad is just one of an estimated 3 000 Yazidi girls and women who were victims of rape and other abuses by the IS army. The abuses were systematic, and part of a military strategy. Thus they served as a weapon in the fight against Yazidis and other religious minorities.

After a three-month nightmare Nadia Murad managed to flee. Following her escape, she chose to speak openly about what she had suffered. In 2016, at the age of just 23, she was named the UN’s first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.

This year marks a decade since the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1820 (2008), which determined that the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict constitutes both a war crime and a threat to international peace and security. This is also set out in the Rome Statute of 1998, which governs the work of the International Criminal Court. The Statute establishes that sexual violence in war and armed conflict is a grave violation of international law.  A more peaceful world can only be achieved if women and their fundamental rights and security are recognised and protected in war.

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize is firmly embedded in the criteria spelled out in Alfred Nobel’s will. Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad have both put their personal security at risk by courageously combating war crimes and seeking justice for the victims. They have thereby promoted the fraternity of nations through the application of principles of international law.

global, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Indigenous Peoples Link Their Development to Clean Energies

.. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ..

An article by Emilio Godoy for the Inter Press Service (reprinted by permission)

Achuar indigenous communities in Ecuador are turning to the sun to generate electricity for their homes and transport themselves in canoes with solar panels along the rivers of their territory in the Amazon rainforest, just one illustration of how indigenous people are seeking clean energies as a partner for sustainable development.

“We want to generate a community economy based on sustainability,” Domingo Peas, an Achuar leader, told IPS. Peas is also an advisor to the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon, which groups 28 indigenous organisations and 11 native groups from that South American country.


United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz of the Philippines (3rd left), calls for the full participation of indigenous communities in clean energy projects during the forum Our Village in San Francisco, California. Credit: Emilio Godoy/IPS

The first project dates back to the last decade, when the Achuar people began to install solar panels in Sharamentsa, a village of 120 people located on the banks of the Pastaza River. Currently they are operating 40 photovoltaic panels, at a cost of 300 dollars per unit, contributed by private donations and foundations.

The villagers use electricity to light up their homes and pump water to a 6,000-litre tank.

“There is a better quality of services for families. Our goal is to create another energy model that is respectful of our people and our territories,” Peas said.

The Achuar took the next step in 2012, when they started the Kara Solar electric canoe motor project. Kara means “dream” in the Achuar language.

The first boat with solar panels on its roof, with a capacity to carry 20 people and built at a cost of 50,000 dollars, began operating in 2017 and is based in the Achuar community of Kapawi.

The second canoe, with a cost of 35,000 dollars, based in Sharamentsa – which means “the place of scarlet macaws” in Achuar – began ferrying people in July.

The investment came partly from private donations and the rest from the IDEAS prize for Energy Innovation, established by the Inter-American Development Bank, which the community received in 2015, endowed with 127,000 dollars.

The Achuar people’s solar-powered transport network connects nine of their communities along 67 km of the Pastaza river – which forms part of the border between Ecuador and Peru – and the Capahuari river. The approximately 21,000 members of the Achuar community live along the banks of these two rivers.
“It was an indigenous idea adapted to the manufacture of canoes. They use them to transport people and products, like peanuts, cinnamon, yucca and plantains (cooking bananas),” in an area where rivers are the highways connecting their settlements, said Peas.

The demand for clean energy in indigenous and local communities and success stories such as the Achuar’s were presented during the Global Climate Action Summit, convened by the government of the U.S. state of California.

The event, held on Sept. 13-14 in San Francisco, was an early celebration of the third anniversary of the historic Paris Agreement on climate change, reached in the French capital in December 2015.

Native delegates also participated in the alternative forum “Our Village: Climate Action by the People,” on Sept. 11-14, presented by the U.S. non-governmental organisations If Not US Then Who and Hip Hop Caucus.

In addition to Ecuador, innovative experiences have also emerged from indigenous communities in countries such as Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Guatemala, Malaysia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, and the United States, according to the forum.

(Continued in right column)

Question for this article:

Are we making progress in renewable energy?

Indigenous peoples, Are they the true guardians of nature?

(Continued from left column)

For example, in Bolivia there is an alliance between the local government of Yocalla, in the southern department of Potosí, and the non-governmental organisation Luces Nuevas aimed at providing electricity from renewable sources to poor families.

In Yocalla, a municipality of 10,000 people, mainly members of the Pukina indigenous community, “755 families live in rural areas with limited electricity; the national power grid has not yet reached those places,” project consultant Yara Montenegro told IPS.

Thanks to the programme, which began in March, 30 poor families have received solar panels connected to lithium batteries, produced at the La Palca pilot plant in Potosí, which store the fluid.

Each system costs 400 dollars, of which the families contribute half and the organisation and the government the other half. The families can connect two lamps, charge a cell phone and listen to the radio, replacing the use of firewood, candles and conventional batteries.

The development of clean sources plays a decisive role in achieving one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which make up the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Goal seven aims to establish “affordable and non-polluting energy” – a goal that also has an impact on the achievement of at least another 11 SDGs, which the international community set for itself in 2015 for the next 15 years, within the framework of the United Nations.

In addition, the success of the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4All), the programme to be implemented during the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2014-2024, which aims to guarantee universal access to modern energy services, and to double the global rate of energy efficiency upgrades and the share of renewables in the global energy mix, depends on that progress.

But most of the groups promoting an energy transition do not include native people, points out the May report “Renewable Energy and Indigenous Peoples. Background Paper to the Right Energy Partnership,” prepared by the Indigenous Peoples’ Major Group for Sustainable Development (IPMG).

That group launched a Right Energy Partnership in July, which seeks to fill that gap.

For Victoria Tauli-Corpuz of the Kankanaey Igorot people, who is the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, energy represents “a problem and a solution” for indigenous people, she told IPS at the alternative forum in San Francisco.

“The leaders have fought against hydroelectric dams and I have also seen projects in the hands of indigenous peoples,” she said.

Because of this, “the communities have to be at the centre to decide on and design projects that help combat poverty, because they allow electricity without depending on the power grid, and they strengthen the defense of the territory and benefit the people,” she said.

“It’s about guaranteeing rights and defining development processes,” she summed up.

Examples of projects that can be replicated and expanded, as called for by the U.N special rapporteur, are provided by communities such as Sharamentsa in Ecuador and Yocalla in Bolivia.

Sharamentsa operates a 12 kW battery bank that can create a microgrid. “A power supply centre is planned that allows the generation of value-added products, such as plant processing,” Peas said.

In Yocalla, the plan is to equip some 169 families with systems in December and then try to extend it to all of Potosí. But Montenegro pointed out that alliances are needed so that the beneficiaries can pay less. “In 2019 we will analyse the impact, if the families are satisfied with it, if they are comfortable,” she said.

This article was produced with support from the Climate and Land Use Alliance.

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

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Nuclear Abolition Day: Security Council session clashes with UN High-Level Meeting

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from Unfold Zero

The UN General Assembly held a high level meeting on nuclear disarmament on Wednesday last week (September 26) to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers and other leaders from around the world used the opportunity to promote key initiatives and measures for nuclear disarmament including the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, nuclear-weapon-free zones, de-alerting, no-first-use, stockpile reductions, the Korean peace and denuclearization process, the Iran nuclear nonproliferation deal, the recently adopted treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons and the global elimination of nuclear weapons through a nuclear weapons convention.

However, apart from India and Pakistan, the nuclear armed States were noticeably missing from the meeting. The P5 (China, France, Russia, UK and the USA) were instead down the hall in the Security Council chambers for a competing event on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction chaired by US President Donald Trump. Their absence from the High Level Meeting highlighted the fact that the P5 place very little priority on their obligations to eliminate their own weapons of mass destruction, focusing instead on preventing others from acquiring such weapons.


Photo by John Angelilio

Youth activist calls on states to ‘Move the Nuclear Weapons Money’

‘The United Nations and its member countries should focus more on disarmament for sustainable development’, says 18 year old environmental activist and youth leader Kehkashan Basu who was selected by the President of the UN General Assembly as one of the two representatives of civil society to address the September 26 UN High Level Meeting.

(Continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

(Continued from left column)

‘Every second, a person dies of hunger. Which means that by the time I finish speaking, 500 more people would have died of hunger and starvation,’ Ms Basu told the UN session. ‘And yet the nuclear-armed States continue to spend billions of dollars for building nuclear stockpiles, ostensibly in the name of security, but in reality threatening current and future generations and violating the rights of children to a peaceful and non-irradiated planet.’

‘Our banks, universities, cities, pension funds and governments continue to invest in the corporations manufacturing and promoting the nuclear arms race for their own personal gain with no consideration for the ethics of investing in death,’ she said.

‘Civil society organisations, in cooperation with parliamentarians from around the world, have launched the Move the Nuclear Weapons Money campaign to cut the $100 billion annual nuclear weapons budget and reallocate these resources into the Sustainable Development Goals and other areas of human and environmental need. This includes direct cuts to nuclear weapons budgets, and divestment from the nuclear weapons industry. Already four governments and a number of cities, banks and investment funds have adopted nuclear weapons divestment policies.’ (Click here to read the full speech and see the video of Ms Basu’s speech).

Ms Basu was also a keynote speaker at Youth, disarmament and sustainable devlopment, an international youth forum held in New York to commemorate UN Peace Day (Sep 21) and International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Special screenings of ‘The Man who saved the World’

The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is held on September 26, the anniversary of the incident in 1983 when a nuclear war almost erupted by accident. On this day, the Soviet nuclear early warning center Serpukhov-15 detected ballistic missiles heading towards Moscow. Stanislav Petrov, duty officer at the time, reported a ‘false alarm’ despite the information, and probably averted a nuclear ‘retaliation’ from the Soviet Union.

The story of this incident, and the follow-up visit by Stanislav Petrov to the USA 30 years later, is told in the award winning movie ‘The Man Who Saved the World.’ The movie was shown in a number of special screenings around the world to commemorate the International Day.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global, United Nations,

English bulletin October, 2018

. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE .

Using the same methodology this year as last, we see even more events than ever around the world for the International Day of Peace. The number of events we could find was almost doubled in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, from 126 to 233, from 96 to 177, from 67 to 158, and from 58 to 95 respectively.

For the most part, celebrations were organized by cities and towns, schools and civil society. However, a few heads of state issued proclamations. Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada stated, “As we mark the International Day of Peace, and celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I encourage Canadians to reflect on how we can all stand up for human rights, and build a better country and more peaceful world.” Chinese Vice President, Wang Qishan proclaimed that “the International Day of Peace represents good hope for world peace for all the people in the world. The Chinese people, always a lover of peace, expect to pursue, maintain and enjoy peace with the peoples of other countries.” President Maduro of Venezuela said “The heroic people of Venezuela have managed to overcome their difficulties peacefully. On this International Day, we confirm that it is the only way to achieve true freedom. With Peace everything is possible.” And at the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres said “Peace is the unifying concept that brings us together. Peace is at risk. Peace is violated in so many places. But we will not give up.”

Similar to last year, the greatest number of events took place in schools, involving the children of the world in the hopes for peace. An outstanding example was that of the Montessori schools around the world, where the tradition of singing “Sing Peace Around the World” is used annually to mark the International Day of Peace. “Peace is a big part of the Montessori curriculum,” said Kennebec [Maine, USA] Montessori School Principal Rebecca Green. “It’s the foundation for helping children figure out who they are in the world and how to treat others with respect.” Maria Montessori, the founder of the Montessori educational philosophy, was a three-time nominee for the Noble Peace Prize who encouraged teachers to cultivate peace and courtesy in their classrooms.

In school after school, the Day was an occasion to appreciate diversity. In Boca Raton (Florida), students in the Coral Sunset Elementary School dressed in their native colors and countries: “We have over 64 countries represented in the Palm Beach School system.” At the University of Bradford (UK) “our students cover over 50 nationalities. The chance to meet people of different backgrounds and experience makes our school a very rich learning environment.” In   Vitoria, Brazil, students at the Centro Educacional Leonardo da Vinci produced a mural for respect for differences among peoples, through generosity and a careful look at the other. Each group worked with a continent, painting butterflies with the colors of the flags of each country, but these butterflies are not restricted to their borders, joining on the same planet, showing that although we have different colors and flags, we are similar and have a same heart.

Below are photos of children around the world releasing balloons or doves into the sky as a symbol of their wish for peace everywhere.

In hundreds of events, music served as a universal language. A typical example was in Piratininga, Niteroi, Brazil, where students of the Colégio de Aplicação Dom Hélder Câmara, gathered in the central plaza to sing “La paz” by Gilberto Gil, the most popular singer in their country. We have already mentioned above the use of music by the Montessori schools. The initiative One Day, One Choir, connected world class ensembles with school, community, faith, workplace and local choirs in more than 70 countries to sing for peace and unity.

Everywhere the day was an occasion to bring people together across the divides of religion. For example, in Brussels, Belgium, as part of the International Day of Peace, the City hosted a conference organized by Almouwatin (Citizen, in Arabic) to address the themes of exchange and sharing in collaboration and with the support of various Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, lay, Freemason, Christian associations. In Sao Paulo, Brazil, representatives of Catholicism, Spiritism, Buddhism, Umbanda, Protestantism, Hinduism, Candomblé and Islam participated in an interreligious act “Unity for Peace.” In Sydney, Australia, this year for the first time, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Coptic Orthodox, and the Sufis joined in the annual Interfaith Prayer Service. And in Raipur, India, students of the Rungta International School visited the four major religious places of their city. the Ram Mandir , the Church , the Masjid and the Gurudwara where the religious leaders of all these places spoke about their respective religions . They emphasized the need to enable the next generation to understand and assimilate the essence and spirit of peace of all religions and respect them.

In Africa, where democratic transition is a difficult challenge, a common theme on the International Day of Peace was the need for peaceful elections. This was the theme in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.

This year there were many peace celebrations in countries emerging from armed conflict From Colombia, we publish the events in Tibu, Bogota, Santa Marta (Magdalena), La Paz (Cesar), Dabeiba (Antioquia), Bosa and Medellin. Those of Dabeiba and La Paz involved the former FARC combatants who were demobilized in the UN supervised camps near these cities. “This is a historic moment, some 15 years ago it was impossible to think of such a moment, and today we all come together for peace,” said Isaias Trujillo, who served 47 years in the FARC. And from Syria, we publish events from Aleppo, Homs, Sahnaya, and Qamishu, as well as a 12-hour marathon, in which about 15,000 people from different age groups took part. The marathon began at 8 am in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Lattakia, Tartous and Sweida, where the participants ran simultaneously for a distance of 3 kilometers, before a number of them went to participate in another evening marathon in Damascus, concluded by a ceremony held by the Umayyad Square in the Syrian capital which can be seen in a video by CNN.

On the other hand, there were poignant comments from the events in the Ukraine, a country that continues to be divided by military conflict. In the capital of Kiev, there were competing celebrations of the International Day of Peace by those supporting the two sides and we publish descriptions of events from six other cities in the Western, official government zone and four cities from the Eastern, breakway zone. In Kurakhiv, the theme was “I want to live without war” and in Marazlievskoy, it was “We want to live in peace.” In Kiev, the chairman of the All-Ukrainian Union of Women Workers said “We, Ukrainian mothers, do not want our children to die. Let the war end!”

We give the concluding word to Kyrgyzstan where the Day of Peace was a moment to appreciate the absence of war: “For some of us, peace is an everyday reality. Our streets are calm, our children go to school. Where the foundations of society are strong, the priceless gift of peace can not be particularly noticed by anyone.”

      

GLOBAL


What has happened this year for the International Day of Peace

AFRICA



Africa: International Day of Peace

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN



Latin America: International Day of Peace

ARAB STATES AND MIDDLE EAST



Arab and Middle East: International Day of Peace

EX-SOVIET COUNTRIES



Ex-Soviet Countries: International Day of Peace

ASIA AND PACIFIC



Asia and Pacific: International Day of Peace

EUROPE



Europe: International Day of Peace

UNITED STATES AND CANADA



United States and Canada: International Day of Peace

Uncategorized

What has happened this year (2018) for the International Day of Peace


FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

This year we gave links to 233 events coming from most of the provinces and states in Canada and the USA. Next was Europe with 177 events in 32 countries. There were 158 events cited in 22 Asian countries, 95 from 24 Latin American and Caribbean countries, 71 from 9 countries formerly part of the Soviet Union, 71 from 25 African countries, and 30 from 15 Arab and Middle Eastern countries. See the CPNN bulletin for October for a synopsis.

Detailed data may be found on the following CPNN articles:

United States and Canada: International Day of Peace

Europe: International Day of Peace

Asia and Pacific: International Day of Peace

Ex-Soviet Countries: International Day of Peace

Arab and Middle Eastern States: International Day of Peace

Latin America and Caribbean: International Day of Peace

Africa: International Day of Peace

d-information, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, Uncategorized

United States and Canada: International Day of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A survey by CPNN

Here are 233 events for the International Day of Peace located in all the United Staters except Alaska and South Dakota, as well as 12 events in Canada in seven provinces. In order to save space, one event is given in detail for each state and province and internet links are provided for the others.
The events were listed in Google during the week of September 21-28 under the key words “International Day of Peace” and “Journée Internationale de la Paix” or were listed on the following websites:
– Campaign Nonviolence
– International Cities of Peace Facebook
– UN event map for the International Day of Peace.

In addition to the above events, there were several hundred singing events listed on the websites of
– One Day One Choir.
– Montessori schools singing for peace


In Bass River , the International Day of Peace was marked with a ceremony that included large Peace Dove puppets being raised into the air by children from West Colchester Consolidated School. The doves played a part in a story told during the event, called ‘Peace is a Dream Unfolding,’

CANADA

PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued a statement on the International Day of Peace. In conclusion, he said, “As we mark the International Day of Peace, and celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I encourage Canadians to reflect on how we can all stand up for human rights, and build a better country and more peaceful world.”

ALBERTA

EDMONTON: The Edmonton Interfaith Centre for Education & Action has organized a program of music, reflections and short talks to celebrate the International Day of Peace. It will take place in the Homeless Memorial Park where the Community Flag Pole has been relocated.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

NANAIMO: Unity Spiritual Education Centre of Nanaimo’s minister is hoping people will pause, ponder and pray at a newly constructed multi-faith labyrinth as part of International Day of Peace celebrations. Rev. Patricia Zogar said this year it will be a two-day event, with a chance to walk the labyrinth at the centre on 2325 East Wellington Rd. on Saturday, Sept. 22. Labyrinths are found in many faith traditions, said Zogar, and it’s essentially a walking meditation and a place to become serene and reconnect.

VANCOUVER

MANITOBA

WINNEPEG PEACE DAYS: Peace Days will feature a screening of the 2016 film She Has a Name and the launch of World Vision’s Power of Her gender equality initiative. Following the film there will be a moderated expert panel with the film’s screenwriter Andrew Kooman, Diane Redsky – Executive Director of Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre Inc., Dr. Bob Chrismas – Staff Sergeant of the Winnipeg Police Service’s Community Support Division, Joy Smith – Joy Smith Foundation; and a representative of Beyond Borders/ECPAT Canada. When: September 11, 2018; 7:00-9:30 PM Where: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 300 Memorial Boulevard, Winnipeg

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA, WINNEPEG

NOVA SCOTIA

BASS RIVER: International Day of Peace was marked in the Bass River park on September 21, with a ceremony that included large Peace Dove puppets being raised into the air by children from West Colchester Consolidated School. The doves played a part in a story told during the event, called ‘Peace is a Dream Unfolding,’ which tells story of a woman’s journey to find a mystical peace garden she remembers from her childhood. “On this International Day of Peace 2018, we remember it’s 100 years since the end of the First World War,’ said Dr. Karen Ewing, who wrote ‘Peace is a Dream Unfolding.’ “Many of us have family members who fought in this war; ‘the war to end all wars,’ yet today, 100 years later, war continues in many parts of our world.”

HALIFAX

ONTARIO

HAMILTON: Culture of Peace Hamilton invites you to join us in celebrating peace and embracing live-affirming pathways of living that help to build a local and global culture of peace. Join us for a Brown Bag Lunch in the Hamilton City Hall Peace Garden by the Peace Pole @ 1:00 It will be followed by a ceremony from 1:30 to 2:30 which includes:
– Drumming
– Welcome by Culture of Peace member Rev. Cynthia Vermillion-Foster
– Collective Reading of the UN Declaration of the Right of Peoples to Peace
– A Puppet Show directed by Melanie Skein
– Reading of 6 Pathways (by children)
– Moment of Silence
– Singing of Peace Is In Your Hands: an original song created by a Hamiltonian

TORONTO: (See CPNN article about the World BEYOND War annual global conference.)

QUEBEC

MONTREAL The International Day of Peace is an event where the citizens of Plateau Mont-Royal and the surrounding area are invited to come together in a festive and convivial setting to create links between them and their families. to express on the subject of peace. Music, hot dogs and free juice. Fri 21st September 2018. Laurel metro on the square at the exit Laurier.

SASKATHEWAN

SASKATON
Video for the International Day of Peace by the UNESCO Chair at the University of Saskathewan.

* * * * UNITED STATES * * * *

ALABAMA

TUSCALOOSA:Join University Programs for the 34th annual International Day of Peace holiday, or World Peace Day. Come to the Ferguson Student Center and take the “I am a Pathway to Peace” Pledge, painting Peace Rocks, and chalking peaceful messages and images for the Chalk4Peace activity. Register for free at upua.tix.com!

ARKANSAS

ARKANSAS PEACE WEEK: Arkansas Peace Week is a program of events planned in observance of the United Nation’s International Day of Peace in the third week of September. These activities educate and promote peacemaking in our society and raise awareness of organizations working to build a lasting peace in Arkansas. The lessons learned and relationships formed during Arkansas Peace Week create a foundation for continuing a sustainable peace in our society throughout the year. Arkansas Peace Week is conducted by a coalition of local, national and international organizations, faith groups and individuals, with a mission to promote peacemaking and justice. Numerous events are planned throughout our state, featuring education, service, dialogue and outreach activities promoting our mission. Arkansas Peace Week is planned in coordination with the nationwide Campaign Non-Violence Week of Actions.

RESERVOIR ROAD SCHOOL, LITTLE ROCK

ARIZONA

PHOENIX
Join Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest to celebrate International Peace Day at this multi-generation event and create a culture of peace in our community. Come for 30 minutes or for three hours. Families and community members will be able to engage in a variety of stations including:
– Participate in 30-minute Family Yoga sessions
– Engage in Peace Story Telling
– Assemble kindness cards for community members
– Create your own peace story
– Embellish rocks for our peace rock garden

SONORA
KINGMAN
FLAGSTAFF
PHOENIX
TUCSON
SEDONA

CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES, CA: Open house begins 11:30 at Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens , “A Spiritual Oasis in the City”. 12:00 noon observation of the Worldwide Minute of Silence at the Labyrinth. 2:00 CONCERT of music by Merrill Collins, former Composer in Residence of Pathways to Peace. Merrill will perform on grand piano joined by Maksim Velichkin on cello and vocalists Elizabeth Matson and Harrison Crenshaw. Honoring the 70th Anniversary of the UDHR Merrill’s award winning composition Every Man, Woman, and Child will be presented inter-activelywith the attendees.

BUENA PARK
CASTRO VALLEY
ENCINITAS
ENCINO
EUREKA
FORT BRAGG
FREMONT
HAYWARD
LAKE CHABOT
LAZOO
MORRO BAY
NAPA
OAKLAND
OJAI
ORANGE
PACIFICA
PALM SPRINGS
REDDING
REDWOOD CITY
SAN DIEGO,
SAN RAFAEL
SANTA CRUZ
SANTA ANA
STOCKTON
THOUSAND OAKS
UKIAH
WILLITS

COLORADO

DENVER At the Centennial School for Expeditionary Learning there will be an elementary school-wide celebration all week, leading up to the International Day of Peace on Friday. Art projects, books, team-building games and activities will focus on peace.

GRAND JUNCTION

CONNECTICUT

NORWALK: The Career Club at Norwalk Community College will hold an event to address both the dangers to and the possibilities for protecting human security, education and human rights of refugees. They also will explain how refugee resettlement and “vetting” of asylum seekers actually works and has changed in the recent past.

NEW HAVEN
BRANFORD
HARTFORD

DELEWARE

WILMINGTON: Over 100 events are planned for the Campaign Nonviolence, including their 5th annual March for a Culture of Peace. Learn more at http://www.peaceweekdelaware.org. Also working with Pacem In Terris.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

WASHINGTON: Special Pop-up Museum on the history of human rights celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with artwork and exhibits demonstrating the Right to Peace. The event includes a luncheon from 12 pm and a presentation on How Human Rights Education brings about non-violent solutions in the community.

See CPNN article on CAMPAIGN NONVIOLENCE NATIONAL CONVERGENCE

FLORIDA

BOCA RATON, FL: Students in 3-5th grade created pinwheels and placed them around our school, the Coral Sunset Elementary. The entire school dressed in their native colors and countries today. We have over 64 countries represented in the Palm Beach School system. This effort was organized by Mary Cavaioli and Cynthia Gil, art teacher and guidance counselor. We plan to extend this day of peace throughout the year highlighting “peaceful” activities and love of country!!!!

PANAMA CITY
FORT MYERS
MINNEOLA
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY, BOCA RATON
POMPANO BEACH:
OAKLAND PARK:
PEMBROKE PINES:
JUPITER:
VENICE:
TAMPA:
LAKE MARY:
ORLANDO
PENNEY FARMS
ST.AUGUSTINE

GEORGIA

WOODVILLE: Woodville Thompkins High School celebrated the International Day of Peace with a program planned by Woodville’s International Students of Excellence, a club that includes kids from a vaiety of ethnicities and cultures. It included a moment of silence and a call for togetherness at school, in the community and around the world. “We want everyone to be able to feel free as they do in school,” said Prya Patel, the President of the International Students of Excellence. “We don’t want to exclude anyone, we want to allow everyone in, allow everyone to be unique and represent their own cultures or heritage.” Students also had the opportunity to use a photo booth and share their message of Peace in their social networks using – #PeaceDay

SAVANNAH

HAWAII

HONOLULU: Wednesday, Sept 19, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm … Festival of Resistance at the University of Hawaii-Manoa Campus Center.   There will be a Campaign Nonviolence table.

HILO
KAHULUI, MAUI
HONOKA‘A

IOWA

CEDAR RAPIDS: On September 21st at 1:30 pm the Sisters of Mercy WMW, Mt. Mercy University and Regis Middle School will extend arms from one peace pole to another with moments of silence and a peace song.

DES MOINES
CEDAR RAPIDS
CORALVILLE
DUBUQUE
FAIRFIELD

IDAHO

BOISE: Peace Vigil. 9/21 11-12:30pm meet at the Borah Post Office

ILLINOIS

WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, MACOMB, IL: We are filling our campus with art on the theme of peace. The student groups will be creating chalk art on the sidewalks around Western Illinois University’s campus.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
CAMPAIGN NONVIOLENCE, CHICAGO
CRESTWOOD, IL:
UNIVERSITY PARK
LOVES PARK
CARBONDALE
ROCK ISLAND
URBANA

INDIANA

NOTRE DAME: Celebrate the International Day of Peace with the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the following events co-sponsored by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies and the Klau Center for Civil and Human Rights. Sept 20: Thania Paffenholz Lecture “Pathways to Inclusive Societies: Opportunities and Challenges for International and Local Peacemaking and Peacebuilding in a Turbulent World” and film screening of “In the Name of Peace” about John Hume’s contribution to peace in Northern Ireland; Sept 21: Panel discussion on The Status of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70

EVANSVILLE
BLOOMINGTON
FORT WAYNE
NEW CASTLE
ANDERSON
INDIANAPOLIS
GOSHEN

KANSAS

HESSTON COLLEGE, HESSTON: The Hesston College Music Department will present “Grant Us Peace,” featuring Ralph Vaughn Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem.” Featuring a mass choir of students, community members, and professional orchestra, the concert will take place at Hesston Mennonite Church on Saturday, September 22 at 7 pm. with a peace fair to follow. This capstone event is among four days of events happening on campus to celebrate International Peace Day. Visit hesston.edu/peaceday for a full schedule

WICHITA
CONCORDIA
PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS:

KENTUCKY

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE: Stations will be set-up focusing on the U.N Sustainability and Development Goals. Multiple NGOs, students, and experts will promote various forms of sustainability from clean water to life on earth.

NAZARETH
OWENSBORO

LOUISIANA

NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Job Corps hosted a parade down S. Jefferson Davis Parkway and peace festival in Comiskey Park Friday for the 2018 International Day of Peace. It’s the second day in a row that local students have rallied against violent crime in New Orleans. Friday’s event is focused on jobs. “Once a young person sees a light at the end of the tunnel, achieves a certification in medical or culinary or carpentry arts, then they know that they can have a career,” said Randy Savoie, who is the business and community liaison for New Orleans Job Corps. Their self-esteem rises.

MASSACHUSETTS

BOSTON, MA: Massachusetts Peace Action: The free celebration (our ninth annual) will be focused on the United Nations’ theme for this year – “The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70”. It will be on the Boston Common near the Park Street MBTA station from 2-4 pm. Similar to the 2013 World Council of Churches General Assembly in Busan, we expect to have program elements featuring Human Rights for the Earth, its peoples, the marketplace, and the community. The program will include brief presentations by peacemakers about their work, performances of music, dance, song, and poetry, and activities for children. It will conclude with the reading of a list of recent local victims of violence. We will then walk to the nearby Garden of Peace to pray for peace among stones engraved with the names of local victims of violence.

CAMBRIDGE
SPRINGFIELD

(Survey continued in right column)

Question for this article

What has happened this year (2018) for the International Day of Peace?

(Survey continued from left column)

MARYLAND

BOONSBORO: U.N. International Day of Peace: Global Feast for Peace AT St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, September 23rd, 2018 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. International food, entertainment and interfaith understanding. Guest speaker is Tod Rutstein facilitating a conversation on interconnectedness and reflections on oneness. Drum circle.

GAITHERSBURG
SALISBURY

MAINE

FAIRFIELD: At exactly 11 a.m. Wednesday morning, students at the Kennebec Montessori School lined up in a semi-circle holding colorfully decorated handmade pinwheels and prepared to sing the familiar words of the song “Sing Peace Around the World.” In Montessori schools around the world, the tradition of singing “Sing Peace Around the World” is used annually to mark the International Day of Peace. “Peace is a big part of the Montessori curriculum,” said Kennebec Montessori School Principal Rebecca Green. “It’s the foundation for helping children figure out who they are in the world and how to treat others with respect.” Maria Montessori, the founder of the Montessori educational philosophy, was a three-time nominee for the Noble Peace Prize who encouraged teachers to cultivate peace and courtesy in their classrooms in addition to the idea that children learn best from their environment.

BANGOR
PORTLAND

MICHIGAN

STATE CAPITOL, LANSING, MI: “Stand Up for Peace” rally with many speakers, music, information tables. Part of a month long series of events and programs we call PeaceQuest 2018

HOLLAND
EAST GRAND RAPIDS
GRAND RAPIDS
DEARBORN HEIGHTS
VETERANS FOR PEACE, TRAVERSE CITY
CAMPAGIN NONVIOLENCE, TRAVERSE CITY

MINNESOTA

NORTHFIELD: Northfield will celebrate the 16th International Day of Peace with a program from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21 in Carleton’s Great Hall, with emcee Bill McGrath. Opening remarks will be provided by City Councilor Suzie Nakasian and the Human Rights Commission, followed by Carleton student Charlie Kilman’s short film “Who Are You Now.” This year’s celebration will include a focus on indigenous people. Dorothea Hrossowyc will give a presentation about the people that lived in the area before European settlement. Larry Johnson of Veterans for Peace will speak about the 100th anniversary of the 1918 Armistice that ended WWI. Daisy Leonard will read her award-winning peace essay, “Becoming Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable.” Clarita Kell will speak on the commitment to maintaining indigenous traditions and the creation of the Aztec Dancers Group. Carletton students of indigenous studies will also give presentations. Daisy, Coco and Sunny of DCS Academy will speak on the topic of youth as peacemakers. Music will be provided by traditional Irish performers, Bill McGrath and the Justice Choir.

CROOKSTON
DULUTH
SAINT PAUL
WEBSTER

MISSOURI

SPRINGFIELD: Peace Begins With Me: As a culminating event of two weeks of peace education Eugene Field Elementary students will participate in a Peace Walk through the neighborhood. The event will include a moment of silent reflection, singing for peace, poetry reading, cheering for peace and then the walk. At the end students will tie a blue ribbon on our fence symbolizing their wish for a more peaceful world. Students also decorated kindness rocks and will place their rock in our front garden

GRANDVIEW
KANSAS CITY
O’FALLON

MISSISSIPPI

JACKSON: Campaign Nonviolence teaching gradeschool students about nonviolence on the International Day of Peace

MONTANA

MISSOULA: I will be celebrating the International Day of Peace by joining hands across the border with our neighbors in Canada and the First Nation celebrating the goodwill between our nations. – Betsy Mulligan-Dague, Executive Director, The Jeannette Rankin Peace Center

NEBRASKA

WAYNE: In recognition of the enduring pursuit of peace and justice, Wayne State College faculty present a Celebration of International Day of Peace Concert. Dr. Kolbeck performs Eternal Garden: Four Songs for Clarinet and Piano by David Maslanka, a deeply meditative piece filled with creative expression. “This music is about the transformation of suffering,” said Maslanka. “There is not a path to world peace; peace is the path, and it begins inside each person.”

NORTH CAROLINA

WARRENTON,NC: This is a walking vigil for Peace Day. Come stay as long as you can. Music, poems, prayers, singing celebration. Free for all ages. Posters for display. Pinwheels and peace pins for all. Bring your lunch, lawn chairs and enjoy our new park. Frisby disc golf and other games. Rain or shine…

SANFORD, NC:
CHARLOTTE
COLOMBIA
RALEIGH

NORTH DAKOTA

FARGO: Campaign Nonviolence making a presentation on the meaning of Peace Day and on our Peace Pole to classrooms K – 5th grade at Nativity Catholic School in Fargo. Each group will then visit our Peace Pole, speak the words inscribed on our pole – “May peace prevail on earth”, in English, Spanish, Lakota and Arabic. Our students will give suggestions on how they can be peacemakers at school, at home, and in their activities. We will also link hands around the pole and pray for peace for the entire world, with special emphasis on the children who can’t be in school throughout the world.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

PETERBOROUGH: The Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center is thrilled to continue the community tradition of welcoming Tibetan Buddhist monks to the Monadnock Region by bringing the Sacred Arts of Tibet Tour from Gaden Shartse Monastery in South India to Peterborough September 15-22! The monks’ visit will include a lecture commemorating the International Day of Peace on Friday, September 21 at 7pm. The topic of the lecture will be Climate Change and the Six Delusions.

NEW JERSEY

LEONIA, NJ: Leonia United Methodist Church observance of UN International Day of Peace. Live jazz music, speeches, songs, prayers, candle-lighting, children’s activities, community tables

KINNELON, NJ:
HOPATCONG LAKE
WESTFIELD
LAURENCEVILLE
OAKLAND
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP

NEW MEXICO

ALBUQUERQUE: We are planning two trainings (nonviolence and anti racism) plus a human peace sign, then a party with music, root beer floats and mural making, and a brief talk about the UN declaration on human rights and honoring the treaties the US has signed. We also will be asking the city of Albuquerque to declare sept 21 international day of peace.

ALBUQUERQUE PEACE DAY
ALBUQUERQUE PEACE CHOIR
SANTA FE
PLACITAS

NEVADA

LAS VEGAS: Weekly Peace Vigil Sept 20 from 9 to 10 am at the federal building (333 S Las Vegas Blvd).

NEW YORK

TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK CITY: SEPTEMBER 21, 2018, 12:11 PM www.peacedayparty.org, live tv broadcast worldwide, creation of the largest human peace sign on Times Square, entertainment, art, proclamations, celebrities, premiere movie on major billboard, Woodstock Forever: Peace, Love & Hope, footage from 20th Anniversary in 1989 with Richie Havens and more.

BUFFALO, NY, USA:
ROCHESTER
LYNBROOK
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK CITY
CITY PARKS, NEW YORK CITY
UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK CITY
FOLEY SQUARE, NEW YORK CITY/a>
WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK, NEW YORK CITY
EAST HAMPTON

OHIO

DAYTON: The Salem Avenue Peace Corridor and First Baptist Church Dayton are sponsoring this International Day of Peace celebration on September 27, 2018 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. We will be walking from First Baptist Church (4:00 pm), to the Salem Garden and making stops along the way to recognize & celebrate symbols of peace along the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor (see map). We will be ending our event at the Gem City Market Block Party! You can walk, bike or drive along this path to peace!

DAYTON INTERNATIONAL CITY OF PEACE
CAMPAIGN NONVIOLENCE, DAYTON
TOLEDO
MILLER FERRY
ASHTABULA
HUBER HEIGHTS
CINCINNATI
TIFFIN

OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA CITY: UNA-OKC’s 2018 International Day of Peace Celebration. we at UNA-OKC, believe in the the power of food as tool of peace. Peace begins with individual action and we believe nothing starts a conversation better than a good meal. We believe in the power of food in cultivating community knowledge and power that builds foundations, friendships, collaborations, and connections.With all of this in mind, we hope you can join us for a community culture potluck.

OREGON

ASHLAND: On September 21, 2018, the International Day of Peace, the World Peace Flame was lit in the Thalden Pavilion, Sustainability Center on the Southern Oregon University (SOU) campus. A delegation from the World Peace Flame Foundation came to Ashland for the lighting ceremony, together with our State and City dignitaries. This symbol of peace, unity, freedom and celebration aims to inspire people everywhere that the individual plays a crucial role in creating peace at every level. From a few feet to less than a mile from the World Peace Flame Monument reside Walker Elementary School, Ashland Middle School, Ashland High School, and Southern Oregon University. The World Peace Flame will provide hope and inspiration to our future leaders, and light the hearts of all who visit it.

GRESHAM
PORTLAND
TUALATIN
SHERWOOD
PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
HIGHLAND
BEAVERTON
NEWBERG

PENNSYLVANIA

PHILADELPHIA Full house for our Peace Day Philly Benefit Concert with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Friends and Immigrant/Former Refugee special guests. A wonderful concert with proceeds benefiting refugee resettlement services provided by HIAS PA.

LEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE, ANNVILLE
KEMBLESVILLE
PITTSBURGH
COLLEGEVILLE, PA:
PHOENIXVILLE, PA:
Williamsport, PA

RHODE ISLAND

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND, KINGSTON URI students joined the world in the spirit of peace on Thursday as the campus celebrated the UN’s International Day of Peace. Thousands wore blue peace bands that read, “Think Peace – Live Peace,” put on peace stickers and pins, and saw the world through peace-sign sunglasses. They enjoyed hula hooping for peace, while others created life-sized peace bubbles, and students hungry for peace devoured Orange Leaf’s delicious Yogurt for peace. See our Facebook photos! The candlelight vigil included a circle of friends who honored all victims of violence by reading universal peace messages, meditating, and singing together. Afterwards, the Dance for Peace featured amazing dancers who rocked, shook and twirled for peace, involving all of us in learning how do break dancing, African dancing, Nepal dancing, and capoiera. It was an international experience of various world dances that filled our evening with fun and excitement. Thanks to all dancers who participated!

PROVIDENCE
WESTERLY MIDDLE SCHOOL, WESTERLY
WESTERLY AND PAWCATUCK

SOUTH CAROLINA

COLUMBIA: Join us for Peace Day at the Statehouse, a festival style event in celebration of the International Day of Peace featuring live music from Jahson & the Natty Vibez, the Columbia Community Drum Circle, Kevin McKinney, the Dances of Universal Peace, spoken word with Mama G, activities for all ages, and an organization fair of groups working for peace, justice and the environment. 3+ Hours of Peace, Love & Music. SATURDAY Sept 22nd 11AM-2:30PM

TENNESSEE

KNOXVILLE: At Nature’s Way Montessori School, we will dedicate another plaque for our Peace Pole. On this one, Let Peace Prevail on Earth will be written in the Cherokee Language to honor the native inhabitants of East Tennessee. We will hang banners with Let Peace Prevail on Earth in all the languages spoken in the homes of our families. We will have poems read, interpretive dance, and all 160 of us at Nature’s Way Montessori School will sing the song, Sing Peace Around the World.

WINCHESTER
MEMPHIS

TEXAS

AUSTIN: Nonviolent Austin will be tabling in front of the 3101 Guadalupe Wheatsville Food Co-op 2-6 Friday afternoon, September 21st, and at the 4001 S. Lamar Wheatsville 2-6 Saturday afternoon, September 22nd. We will have a Campaign Nonviolence banner across the front of our table and will hand out Campaign Nonviolence brochures and free “Nonviolent Futures Command” bumper stickers in four models: “Love Your Enemies and Pray for Them”; “Do As You Would Be Done To”; “Respect the Disrespected”; and “Learn From the Mahatma and Dr. King.”

TYLER
KATY
BELTON
HOUSTON
CYPRESS-FAIRBANKS HIGH SCHOOL, HOUSTON
WESLACO
EL PASO
SAN ANTONIO
SPRING

UTAH

SALT LAKE CITY: Pinwheel art display created by elementary students.

VIRGINIA

CHARLOTTESVILLE On the International Day of Peace, 9/21/18, we will gather with many others from our community to begin to address those questions in an interactive program. The title for our program is “Growing the Circles of Trust and Care”. From childhood through adulthood each of us lives within our circles of trust and care. We will explore those circles in Trust Circle discussions as we look for pathways to a nonviolent society. We ask everyone longing for peace with justice, everyone searching for a path to a nonviolent society to join us. Our program will take place at The Haven, 112 W. Market St., Charlottesville and will begin at 7:00 PM.”

ROANOKE/SALEM
WISE
ALEXANDRIA
RICE
DALE CITY
BLUEFIELD
LYNCHBURG

VERMONT

RUPERT Planning a 4 hour training in nonviolence for youth, plus eight other Vermont area events!

WINOOSKI
COLCHESTER
RUTLAND

WASHINGTON

BELLINGHAM: 9/21 at 6pm. Village Books and the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center present “Violent Pasts, Peaceful Futures,” the 15th annual International Day of Peace celebration in Bellingham.

SPOKANE
BELLEVUE
OLYMPIA

WISCONSIN

MILWAUKEE PEACE CENTER: World Peace Day at the Milwaukee Peace Center: Live-stream of World Beyond War 2018 Toronto Conference and discussion with the Greater Milwaukee Area United Nations Association on the effect of war on human rights.

MILWAUKEE 14 TODAY
MILWAUKEE END THE WARS COALITION
RIPON
STEVENS POINT
ELM GROVE
GREEN BAY
MADISON
STEVENS POINT

WEST VIRGINA

CHARLESTON: Students of the Charleston Job Corps Center and Capital High School students will be walking from Daniel Boone Park and walk to the Capital Building in celebration of Peace. Anyone in the community is welcome to attend!
UPPER NEW RIVER

WYOMING

CASPER: International Day of Peace & Autumn equinox Celebration. John May will again debut his new album All In riverside on the fall equinox with Casper Mountain on the horizon. Casper kids and young adults will share their thoughts on peace in between sets. And, some of the instructors from Yoga on The Labyrinth will lead a candle lit labyrinth walk as the sun sets on the river.

In addition to the above events, One Day One Choir lists participating choirs for the International Day of Peace in over 100 cities and towns in the United States and Canada.

And the map of Montessori schools singing for peace on the International Day of Peace includes several hundred schools in 48 states of the United States including ANCHORAGE and JUNEAU in Alaska and 6 provinces of Canada.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America