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.

Brazil’s ex-president Lula pledges to bolster Latin American integration if elected

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from Xinhua

Brazil’s former President and current presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday unveiled his government plan to strengthen Latin American integration.


Photo from Libérez Lula – click on image to enlarge

“To defend our sovereignty is to defend the integration of South America, Latin America and the Caribbean, with a view to maintaining regional security and promoting development, based on productive complementarity,” the plan’s foreign policy section read.

(Continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

Solidarity across national borders, What are some good examples?

Latin America, has it taken the lead in the struggle for a culture of peace?

(Continued from left column)

If elected, Lula, who served as president from 2003 to 2010, said he will strengthen the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), the Union of South American Nations, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

“We advocate working toward the construction of a new global order committed to multilateralism, respect for the sovereignty of nations, peace, social inclusion and environmental sustainability, which takes into account the needs of developing countries,” the plan said.

Lula’s plan also calls for the resumption of the “South-South policy toward Latin America and Africa” that started during his presidency.

Attending the unveiling of the government plan in Sao Paulo were the seven parties that make up the Let’s Go Together for Brazil coalition that has nominated Lula as president and former Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin as vice president.

Lula, founder of the Workers’ Party, leads in the polls ahead of the Oct. 2 elections, where incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro is seeking a second term. 

(Editor’s note: See also Brazil’s Lula proposes creating Latin American currency to ‘be freed of US dollar’ dependency.)

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Mexico: The Alamo City Council promotes a culture of peace among women

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Avc Noticias (translation by CPNN)

The Nuevo Paso Real, Buenos Aires and Aguanacida ejidos (shared agricultural lands), together with the Pantepec and Santa Cruz neighborhoods, formed the networks of women builders of Peace (MUCPAZ).


Questions related to this article:

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

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

The formation of MUCPAZ networks translates into actions aimed at transforming women’s lives, support and direct communication between women and the Municipal Government headed by Lilia Arrieta through the Municipal Institute for Women.

The objective of the MUCPAZ Strategy is to establish citizen networks of women that allow them to collaborate with government agencies to prevent gender violence, through focused and comprehensive strategies that contribute to identifying risk factors, detecting in a timely manner possible situations of violence, promoting equality between women and men, contributing to creating environments free of violence and promoting a culture of peace.

(Click here for the original article in Spanish.)

Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Mexico: Invitation to register for an online diploma in the Culture of Peace through the Arts

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from the Michoacan Radio and Television System (translation by CPNN°

The Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, through the National Coordination of Children’s Cultural Development, and the Ministry of Culture of Michoacán (SECUM), through Alas y Raíces, invite managers, managers, promoters and promoters of children’s culture, as well as artists who work with children and adolescents in Mexico to participate in the online diploma for the Culture of Peace through the Arts.

(continued in right column)

(Click here for the original Spanish version of this article.)

Question for this article:

Do the arts create a basis for a culture of peace?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

(continued from left column)

The objective of the diploma focuses on reflecting and identifying the violent processes faced by children and adolescents, so that the promoters of children’s culture can take practical and methodological actions for their intervention and care, strengthening skills, values ​​and attitudes for the construction of peaceful environments. In addition, the diploma involves the implementation of an artistic project / activity with a focus on a culture of peace.

The sessions will be offered on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and on Saturdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; from July 2 to October 29.

Registration to participate takes place from June 15 to 30, in person or by internet by going to https://forms.gle/KA2CzxyuerBpVA4J6 with attached explanatory letter of motives and curricular profile. For more information contact scalasyraices@gmail.com

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Yucatan: State Government and 10 Municipalities join efforts to prevent violence and crime

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article by Yucatan State Government (translation by CPNN)

In order to reinforce joint actions in matters of security and social peace in Yucatan, the head of the General Secretariat of the Government (SGG), María Fritz Sierra, presided over the signing of two agreements between 10 municipalities and the Center for the Prevention of Crime and Citizen Participation (Cepredey).


This coordination between state and municipal authorities responds to the instruction of Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal, to add and multiply efforts to promote effective strategies, focused and concentrated to strengthen prevention, to reduce and to eradicate the factors that generate violence or illicit conduct.

Along with the Great Museum of the Mayan World, the mayors of Mérida, Umán, Progreso, Hunucmá, Kanasín, Motul, Tekax, Ticul, Tizimín and Valladolid promised to coordinate efforts to strengthen the culture of peace in this first stage, with other actions to follow.

The head of the SGG highlighted the willingness and interest of the councilors to strengthen collaboration with the Executive, with the idea that prevention is the best way to combat violence and crime, and that these issues are part of the priority agenda of public management in the territory.

Likewise, she stressed that these agreements are an example of a responsible public administration, which seeks to implement policies of real benefit to citizens including complementary efforts to achieve specific and measurable goals.

“Our commitment is to carry out coordinated work, regardless of political associations, since, without you and your participation, our best intentions and strategies could not materialize,” she said in her message to the municipal presidents.

Together with the Undersecretary for Prevention and Social Reintegration, Fernando Rosel Flores, and the Director of the Institute for Regional and Municipal Development (Inderm), David Valdez Jiménez, Secretary Fritz Sierra recalled that Yucatán is recognized for its levels of peace, up to the level of cities in the “first world.”

However, she pointed out, crimes occur as well in the most developed countries; in the same way in our state and some municipalities, especially those with the highest population density.

“The coordination of efforts between the various local government agencies and municipal administrations is essential to address the magnitude of the problem that violence represents in our society,” she said.

(continued in right column)

(Click here for the article in Spanish)

Questions for this article:

The culture of peace at a regional level, Does it have advantages compared to a city level?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

(continued from left column)

Along with the director of the Mérida Municipal Police, Mario Arturo Romero Escalante, the head of the SGG called for the development of a work agenda to complement action strategies, giving priority to the particular situations of each community.

The document that was signed establishes, among other requirements, to implement training for social prevention of violence and crime for the personnel of the City Councils, in order to strengthen their institutional capacities.

Also, the official instructed the Cepredey staff and its director, Joana Briceño Ascencio, to put all their efforts so that the agreement can yield the expected results. The project is based on scientific social evidence, and it applies an intercultural and community approach.

The approach includes diagnoses, job training and economic support; peace networks with youth, children and women; reeducation and special attention to families with a history of violence, as well as leisure, sports, recreational and educational activities including courses, workshops and talks.

“Today, we take a step in favor of Yucatan; beyond positions, creeds or political interests, I am pleased with your commitment and solidarity, which all Yucatecans share, in favor of the peace and security that we desire,” Fritz said. Likewise, she urged the mayors to maintain the spirit of dialogue and cooperation in order to continue building a better future.

For his part, the secretary of the Municipality of Mérida, Alejandro Ruz Castro, expressed the approval of the Renán Barrera Concha administration with this agreement, since it allows optimization of prevention and the continuation of working together with the State, to strengthen security and provision of justice, that are “props for the development of a society”.

The mayor of Umán, Gaspar Ventura Cisneros Polanco, affirmed that this type of agreement allows us to continue supporting the transformation process promoted by Governor Mauricio, so that our territory continues to be the safest in the country.

What we need, he added, are not only public policies to avoid more risk factors that generate violence in our municipality, but also strategies that lead to the active participation of society, for which he applauded this teamwork, the only way to move towards the needed transformation.

Afterwards, Briceño Ascencio made available the experience and capacity of Cepredey, to accompany and guide the 10 participating municipalities, by strengthening their institutional capacities and achieving effective prevention. For this he requested those present for their commitment, support and, above all, , leadership.

“As the General Secretary of the Government, María Fritz, points out, time is running out for us and this is our moment to lay the foundations for all the best we can do, for our state and its municipalities,” she said.

Finally, she reiterated that “we have an allied State Government committed to the actions that required to achieve our mission, which is to continue making Yucatan the best state to live in.”

The event was also attended by the mayors of Progreso, Julián Zacarías Curi; Tekax, Diego Jose Avila Romero; Ticul, Rafael Gerardo Montalvo Mata; Kanasin, Edwin Jose Bojorquez Ramirez; Valladolid, Alfredo Fernandez Arceo; and Hunucmá, Edna Marisa Franco Ceballos. Representing the municipal president of Tizimín, Pedro Francisco Couoh Suaste, was his secretary, Abelomar Javier Portillo.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Mexico: The Jalisco Culture of Peace Program

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from Reporte Indigo (translation by CPNN)

The Government of Jalisco has begun work on its first “State Culture of Peace Program”, one of the main instruments derived from the state’s Culture of Peace Law, designed to reduce the various forms of violence that occur there.

The legislation was approved by the Jalisco Congress on April 22, 2021 with the objective of “respecting, protecting, promoting and guaranteeing peace as a human right of which all people, without distinction, are entitled”. Therefore, its provisions are mandatory for both state and municipal authorities.

The program of the legislation includes a comprehensive strategy that is not limited to the implementation of new security or police surveillance schemes. In fact, the Law establishes that the strategy must be prepared with at least the following items:

I. Education for peace (curriculum; teacher training; school administration; and community formation);

II. Research for peace (institutional linkage; training of researchers; dissemination; and application in the territory and in public policies);

III. Non-violent conflict transformation (community mediation; alternative justice; and non-violent conflict management);

IV. Development of citizen capacities for peace (training of citizens and organizations; and strengthening of networks).

V. Visibility and strengthening of territorial peace (territorial diagnoses with the communities; and peace projects in the territories);

VI. Development for peace (mainstreaming the culture of peace in the different sectors with emphasis on attention to structural, cultural and direct violence);

and VII. Citizen Security and Human Security (development of citizen, community and human security models, and violence prevention).

The challenge is enormous because Jalisco is considered the main center of operations of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) —one of the most violent criminal groups in the country—; and Jalisco has become the state with the most victims of disappearance in all of Mexico, with 15,034 missing and unaccounted for persons, according to the National Registry of Missing and Unaccounted for Persons.

(continued in right column)

(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for this article:

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

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

(continued from left column)

State Culture of Peace Law

The Governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, says that the legislation that mandates the issuance of the “State Program for the Culture of Peace” is the only one of its kind at the national level, as communicated by the State Government on March 18, 2022.

In Article 2 of the Law on the Culture of Peace of the State, it is detailed that the goal is to eradicate the different forms of violence, from intra-family, gender, to that which is producing organized crime.

It reads to “Satisfy the basic needs of all human beings, in order to eradicate the structural violence originated in the economic and social inequalities existing in the state; eliminate cultural violence that encompasses gender violence, domestic violence, in the educational, labor and neighborhood spheres; and in all areas of social relations; and guarantee effective respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people,”

Delay

The Jalisco Planning and Citizen Participation Secretariat has lagged behind with respect to its obligation to prepare the “State Program for the Culture of Peace”, since it should have concluded last April.

The third transitory article of the Law states that “from the approval of the law, a period of one year is established to generate the State Program for the Culture of Peace” and the approval was given on April 22, 2021. It has been announced that the “Citizen Participation Forums for the construction of the State Program for the Culture of Peace” has already begun (from June 28 to 30).

The intention of the legislators was that both the provisions of this Law and the respective program are also replicated at the municipal level, for this reason the legislation foresees that the municipalities form the Municipal Councils of Citizen Participation for Governance and Peace.

“City councils may form councils or dependencies that they deem appropriate to comply with the provisions of this law, issuing the corresponding regulations, in order to implement actions to promote the culture of peace. (…) may include budget items to meet these objectives (Article 11)”.

These instances, however, can also be of a building nature (Article 12): “City councils may create building commissions for a culture of peace in the municipal regulations that regulate their operation with the aim of collaborating with public actions, programs and policies of a culture of peace and promote the mainstreaming of the approach in other government actions.”

This March 18, 2022, the governor, Alfaro Ramírez, presented the “Spaces for Peace” strategy, also based on the Culture of Peace Law, to promote sports, culture and entertainment in public spaces: “From now on they will have means to combat violence in the social fabric,” he said.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

English bulletin July 1, 2022

. COLOMBIA AND NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT .

Two sets of events this month promise progress towards a culture of peace.

In Colombia, the newly-elected President Gustavo Petro promises to re-invigorate the peace process, while at the same time the Colombian Truth Commission has published its long-awaited report.

The election of Petro is the first time in the history of Colombia that a left-wing candidate has been elected President. Petro based his candidature on the promise to complete the peace process by making peace with the ELN guerillas, and to ensure the safety of community leaders and former FARC guerillas. This will not be easy since during the administration of the outgoing President Duque 4,930 leaders were assassinated.

The Colombian Truth Commission has been working since 2018 to clarify the violations that occurred during the armed conflict and to contribute to uniting Colombian society so it can advance towards the construction of a future of peace for all. As expressed by newly-elected President Petro, “The truth cannot be a space for revenge.”

Also in June, two important international meetings took place in the struggle to abolish nuclear weapons.

On 9-10 June scholars and experts met in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to discuss the importance, challenge and prospects for Nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZ). The participants congratulated Mongolia on the 30th year of its unprecedented initiative to establish a single-State NWFZ.

More than half of the world is now covered by Nuclear-weapon-free zones, as shown in the world map published with the article from Mongolia.

Then on 21-23 June, the historic first Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons met in Vienna and adopted a political declaration and practical action plan that set the course for the implementation of the Treaty and progress towards its goal of the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

CPNN readers may recall that the Treaty was was adopted by a majority of States (122) at the UN on July 7, 2017 (See CPNN bulletin for August 2017) and it entered into force on January 22, 2021 (see CPNN bulletin for February 2021).

The urgency of these initiatives was underlined in the most recent report from SIPRI, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Of the total inventory of an estimated 12 705 nuclear warheads at the start of 2022, about 9440 were in military stockpiles for potential use. Of those, an estimated 3732 warheads were deployed with missiles and aircraft, and around 2000—nearly all of which belonged to Russia or the USA—were kept in a state of high operational alert. SIPRI adds that nuclear arsenals are expected to grow over the coming decade.

The war in Ukraine runs the risk of escalating into a nuclear war. Speaking at the meeting in Vienna, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The once unthinkable prospect of nuclear conflict is now back within the realm of possibility.

Cities have no use for nuclear weapons. Hence the United States Conference of Mayors has called on the U.S. and the other nuclear-armed states to commit to a process leading to the adoption no later than 2030 of a timebound plan for the global elimination of nuclear weapons by 2045. The European Chapter of Mayors for Peace expressed their solidarity with Ukrainian cities and called for a long-term vision of international security that overcomes nuclear deterrence. They attended and supported the Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapon in Vienna that is mentioned above. Activists in a number of European cities mounted actions to support that meeting.

We conclude with homage to the great peace activist Bruce Kent who passed away at the age of 93 last month in England. One of his last acts was to join a small CND delegation delivering a letter to the Russian Embassy in London, which said: “For the sake of Ukrainian children taking shelter from Russian missiles; for the sake of all those who will die if the situation escalates and for the sake of the millions of us who will perish if the heightened risk of nuclear war turns into a nuclear conflict, we urge your government to halt the attacks, withdraw the troops and withdraw the nuclear threats.”

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

disarm

Ulaanbaatar Statement on Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

tol

Gabon: Training to Prepare Project of Youth as Weavers of Peace

WOMEN’S EQUALITY

women

One year driving action for gender equality. One year of Generation Equality

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

info

Colombia: What is Gustavo Petro’s campaign proposal for ‘total peace’?

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

dev

La Via Campesina calls on States to exit the WTO and to create a new framework based on food sovereignty

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

dem

Algeria: 19th edition of the Mediterranean Games

HUMAN RIGHTS

hr

Colombia: Final report of the Truth Commission: an oral and written legacy for the country

EDUCATION FOR PEACE

ed

Mexico: First issue of the electronic magazine “Culture of Peace” published by the State Human Rights Commission
d-disarmament

One year driving action for gender equality. One year of Generation Equality

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from the Generation Equality Forum

One year ago, the Generation Equality Forum brought together leaders from governments, civil society, youth and the private sector to take bold global action on gender equality, marking the start of an ambitious 5-year journey convened by UN Women.

Since the Forum, convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the Governments of France and Mexico, countries and partners have already initiated implementation of commitments made  through six Action Coalitions, and a series of global, innovative, multi-stakeholder partnerships for gender equality., In addition, signatories to the Women, Peace and Security, and Humanitarian Action Compact are beginning to make progress on Compact framework actions, designed to drive progress on implementation of existing global commitments to the women, peace and security, and gender in humanitarian action agendas.

Progress made throughout the first year of the Generation Equality initiative includes  work by the Government of Kenya, global leader of the Action Coalition on Gender Based Violence, to make strides in advancement on the implementation of their 12 commitments, which include national gender-based violence prevention and response policies, resource allocation on programmes for prevention and response to gender-based violence, consultations with civil society and violence survivor, production of gender-sensitive data and evidence, and the ratification of international conventions, amongst other actions, including an investment of over US$1 million to eliminate female genital mutilation in the next four years. As part of the one-year anniversary of the Forum, Kenya published a report on the progress that has been made on each one of their commitments.

Other important advancements have been achieved by the Global Alliance for Care Work, which in the last year has presented new evidence on the impact of policies that grant remuneration, recognition and redistribution of care work done by women, helping to develop new national policies and bringing together care work activists and decision-makers to the table.

(continued in right column)

Questions for this article

Does the UN advance equality for women?

(continued from left column)

Youth activists have also made progress in coordination with UN Women by leading the Generation Equality localization of commitments, which provides the opportunity for young activists to share how they have leveraged their experiences during the Generation Equality Forum to localize activities in their communities, and in June 2022 a workshop was organized with 32 adolescents and girls to discuss actions and sharing experiences to strengthen the impact at a local level. During CSW66, youth networks convened to outline recommendations for Compact Signatories to increase youth participation and leadership in the women, peace and security and humanitarian space.

The 2021 Generation Equality Forum secured over 1,000 policy, advocacy and financial commitments for gender equality and a historic US$40 billion pledged to make gender equality a global reality. One year on, those commitments have doubled to more than 2,000 and advocates are beginning the important work of ensuring accountability with a first progress report due for publication in September. 

New commitments include high-impact actions, such as the one presented by the Nordic Council of Ministers for Gender Equality and LGBTI, consisting of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the autonomous areas of Greenland, Åland and the Faroe Islands. The Nordic Council of Ministers presented a joint commitment to invest in gender-conscious climate solutions and to implement domestic policies that interweave sustainable development, gender equality, and youth engagement with climate action. The private sector has also stepped up commitments, an example being the Koc Group, which will mobilize its Group of companies in support of the Action Coalition on Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality.

These and other Action Coalitions commitments by Member States, private sector, foundations, civil society and youth leaders can be viewed through the Generation Equality Commitment Dashboard, launched recently by UN Women: https://commitments.generationequality.org/dashboard/directory/.

The Compact, which calls for the redesign of peace and security and humanitarian processes to systematically and meaningfully include women and girls, has seen more than 160 signatories   pledging investments to over 1000 Compact Framework actions. In the last year, Compact leaders and signatories have developed a Compact Monitoring Framework to track progress and gaps over the next five years, and Compact Signatories have prioritized financing, programmatic, policy and advocacy actions to address women’s and girls’ rights in conflicts and crises in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Myanmar, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.


Compact Signatory Actions can be explored on the Compact Dashboard here: https://wpshacompact.org/wpsha-compact-dashboard/.

A progress report on the first year of Generation Equality implementation will be launched in September at an event in conjunction with the UN General Assembly. Further details will be available closer to the date.

global, United Nations, WOMEN'S EQUALITY,

Colombia: What is Gustavo Petro’s campaign proposal for ‘total peace’?

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION . .

An article from Colombia es euro (translation by CPNN)

After the election of Gustavo Petro as President of Colombia for the period 2022-2026, he and his union and government team have been working on a concept that has been widely discussed since June 19, the date on which he announced his candidature for the presidential race: the Great National Agreement. The President-elect wants to unite all the political forces of the country to, first, put aside polarization, and second, to achieve consensus to execute many of the programs that the country needs in economic, social, educational and peace matters.

One of these issues that has been a priority for Petro is to end the conflict in Colombia. In addition to optimally implementing the peace agreement reached in 2016 with the former FARC-EP. guerrillas, he plans to resume talks with the ELN; even more so with the announcement made by the armed group on Monday, June 20.

In addition to this, another challenge for the Petro government will be, with a possible agreement reached with the National Liberation Army, to reduce the assassinations of social and environmental leaders, as well as the crimes against ex-combatants of the Farc and the massacres, because according to figures of the Institute of Studies for Development and Peace, from August 7, 2018 -the day Iván Duque was sworn in as president- to June 4, 930 leaders were assassinated and 261 massacres were perpetrated, resulting in 1,144 casualties.

(continued on right column)

(Click here for the original Spanish version of this article.)

Questions related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

(continued from left column)

What is the “Total Peace” policy promoted by the Historical Pact ?

Given the complex panorama that the country has faced in the last four years in terms of social and political violence, the government has considered implementing a “Pact for Total Peace” that includes not only the implementation of the existing agreement and the creation of others with other illegal armed agents, but it goes beyond the end of the conflict in the territories.

Another article that may interest you: Interview with Iván Cepeda about the meeting between Petro and Uribe: “I will be willing to contribute in anything”

As proposed by the Historical Pact, this proposal would also contemplate the search for consensus with different political sectors in order to eliminate polarization. This was aggravated during the last presidential campaign that gave the leftist candidate the victory. It also proposes to generate dialogues in the territories, for which it focuses on five key points where, in addition to bringing together various elements of the Peace Agreement with the former FARC, it adds others to overcome inequality and a resurgence of war, such as has happened since 2018.

The first strategy focuses on learning from the implementation of the agreement with the former guerrillas to design an ideal roadmap to achieve the “other half” of peace, by way of negotiations with the ELN guerrilla. In this sense, the Pact proposes to create citizen participation mechanisms to promote the construction of territorial peace. The second focuses on the combatants who did not join the process with the former guerrillas and decided to become part of residual armed groups, also called dissidents.

For them, the Pact proposes that legal guarantees be given to those who decide to avail themselves of the agreement, since it is worth mentioning that they could not enter transitional justice but would be subject to ordinary justice. In addition, restorative justice would come into play by promoting actions for their social and political reintegration.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Colombia: Final report of the Truth Commission: an oral and written legacy for the country

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An article by Fausto García Calderón from Radio Nacional de Colombia (translation by CPNN)

The wait is over. After the Truth Commission was born in 2017, today, Tuesday, June 28, 2022, five years later, the final report was presented at the Jorge Eliecer Gaitán Theater in Bogotá.

The work has been underway since November 29, 2018 when the commission began its mandate, detailing the truth of the conflict in Colombia over more than fifty years. The task was undertaken by 11 commissioners, presided over by Father Francisco de Roux.


Photo: Colprensa

The presentation that began around 11 in the morning, began with the words of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, who highlighted the work carried out by the Truth Commission.

“This process clarifies not only the past of the violations that occurred during the armed conflict, but also contributes to uniting Colombian society so it can advance towards the construction of a future of peace for all,” she said.

In his turn, Father Francisco de Roux, president of the Truth Commission, highlighted the work in which 27,508 stories were heard, from victims, indigenous peoples, Afros, peasants, members of the public force, illegal armed groups, businessmen, politicians and others that in one way or another had to do with the conflict in Colombia.

“We call on everyone to accept ethical and political responsibilities with sincerity of heart. We have verified that those who recognize their responsibilities, far from diminishing their reputation, enhance it”, said Father Francisco de Roux, during his intervention.

You may also be interested in: “The truth cannot be a space for revenge”: Petro on the Commission report

Memories of the truth

Unfortunately, during their work, on August 7, 2020, one of the eleven commissioners, Ángela Salazar Murillo, a defender of women’s rights, died of Covid-19.

Commissioner Leyner Palacios pointed out that her struggle “shows us the importance of writing about the effects on women, cultures, ethnic groups, and implies addressing the damage to the territory. She has left us a great knowledge of what happened in the territories, from San Andrés to Urabá. Those tours that she was able to take left us with a lot of information in terms of testimonies and it has been essential for us to finish this task”. Commissioner Palacios highlighted the legacy of a woman who dedicated her years to the service of the Afro people, “ It’s been wonderful to be able to pick up that work. She told me once: the violence impacted the entire country, but blacks and indigenous people were affected distinctly and differently.”

(continued in right column)

(click here for the article in Spanish.).)

Question related to this article:

Truth Commissions, Do they improve human rights?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

(continued from left column)

The presentation of the report also recalled the sociologist and story seeker Alfredo Molano, who died a year ago, on October 31, 2019. When he began his mission as commissioner, he mentioned the following: “It is time for a light, so be it. tenuous, that allows us to face the tragedy that we have lived. Let the windows open!”

Find out here: What does the Truth Commission report say about the camp?

Pages from the Final Report

There are 10 chapters in the final report of the Truth Commission: Historical Narrative; Violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law; Women and LGBTIQ+ population; Ethnic; Boys, girls, and adolescents; Impacts, coping and resistance; Exile; Testimonial; Territorial; Synthesis, findings, conclusions and recommendations for non-repetition.

Exile is one of the chapters that generates the most interest, given the problems that Colombian men and women who have left the country because of the armed conflict have had to face. In this, especially, the Commission heard 2,200 testimonies in more than 20 countries.

For Commissioner Carlos Beristain, it was essential to listen to and include the truths that are outside the country. “There is a Colombia outside of Colombia that has been invisible in the eyes of society and the State, people who had to leave the country due to the armed conflict, and this is a form of recognition of their experience.”

Beristain, a doctor and psychologist by profession, and today a commissioner and a seeker of peace and truth, considers that this report, together with the book he wrote ‘Una Maleta Colombiana’, adds to what must be done in order to unite Colombia.

“The Colombian maleta (suitcase) refers to the experiences collected by the victims and the reflections that this provokes and is a bridge between exile and Colombia.”

Read here: Why is it important the Final Report of the Truth Commission?

The future of the report

The presentation was conceived as a commitment to the victims left by the war in Colombia. Moments before starting the presentation, the sensations were a diverse mix; there was hope, anxiety, joy, touches of sadness and the desire that what is known in this final report be the agreement not to forget our truth, not to let memory be clouded and dispersed in time.

It should be emphasized that, despite the fact that the final report was presented today, there will be two months for it to be presented around the country, that is, until August 29, 2022, in which each chapter will be delivered periodically.

“We ask Colombian men and women without distinction to accept the truths of the tragedy, of the destruction of life among us and to make the determination not to kill anyone for any reason. We ask everyone to recognize the victims of the armed conflict, their pain and dignity”, Father Francisco de Roux concluded.

HUMAN RIGHTS, Latin America

La Via Campesina calls on States to exit the WTO and to create a new framework based on food sovereignty

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

A press release June 15 from La Via Campesina

La Via Campesina, the global peasant movement representing the voices of more than 200 million small-scale peasants from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, has been mobilizing all week against the WTO. The food crisis that is currently hitting the world is further proof that free trade – far from bringing about food security – is making people starve.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has once again failed to offer a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes. For more than eight years, rich countries have been blocking concrete proposals from African and Asian members of the G33 in this regard.

Jeongyeol Kim, from the Korean Women Peasant’s Association and an International Coordination Committee (ICC) member of La Via Campesina, points out that:

“Free Trade Fuels Hunger. After 27 years under the rule of the WTO, this conclusion is clear. It is time to keep agriculture out of all Free Trade Agreements. The pandemic, and the shock and disruptions induced by war have made it clear that we need a local and national food governance system based on people, not agribusinesses. A system that is built on principles of solidarity and cooperation rather than competition, coercion, and geopolitical agendas.”

Burry Tunkara, from the Gambian Organization of Small-scale Farmers, Fishermen and Foresters and one of the main youth leaders of La Via Campesina, echoes the same sentiment in this testimony:

“The WTO only defends the rich and their commercial interests. It is a tool of neo-colonialism. It only serves the interests of multinationals to find new markets and cheaper labour. It’s time to stop that!

The socio-economic agenda of the poorest and low-income countries is not a priority for the WTO. The proof: its inability to provide a safeguard mechanism against the “dumping” of rich countries and its approach to fisheries subsidies to the detriment of small-scale fisherfolk. There is no point in trying to reform an institution built to favour the business interests of a handful of multinational corporations.

Perla Álvarez from Paraguay, and member of the Latin American Coordination of La Via Campesina (CLOC) stated that a systemic change is urgent and necessary:

(Article continued in right column)

(Click here for the article in French or click here for the article in Spanish).

Question for this article:

What is the relation between movements for food sovereignty and the global movement for a culture of peace?

(Article continued from left column)

“The global food crisis is our moment of reckoning. There is no place for a ‘business as usual’ approach here. We are presenting short-term and long-term proposals that can radically shift the way in which trade affects farming communities around the world.”

Today, June 15, from Geneva, while the WTO Ministerial Conference has once again betrayed the expectations of the populations that have been most affected by the food crisis, we, La Via Campesina, share our proposals;

La Via Campesina calls on all national governments to rebuild public stocks and to support the creation of food reserves at the community level with local products from agroecological practices. LVC also called on all governments to put in place the anti-dumping legislation necessary to prevent exporters from destroying local markets.

Yudhvir Singh of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, one of the unions that spearheaded the historic mobilization of Indian peasants in 2021, shared his country’s experience with public food stocks:

“Peasants need strong public policies, such as minimum prices and public stock, to continue to make a decent living by producing food. The WTO’s attacks against our model of market regulation are extremely dangerous. The G33 must continue to resist and build based on the aspirations and hopes of small-scale producers.”

La Via Campesina has called for an immediate suspension of all existing WTO rules that prevent countries from developing public food stocks and regulating market and prices. Governments should have the right to use self-selected internal criteria to protect and promote their food sovereignty. Each country should be able to develop its own agricultural and food policy and protect the interests of its peasants, without harming other countries. The use of agricultural products for agro-fuels should be prohibited. La Via Campesina has also called for a halt in speculation.

“Agrarian Reform is necessary to build food sovereignty,” added Zainal Arifin Fuat of Serikat Petani Indonesia and member of LVC’s International Coordination Committee. “Governments must put an end to grabbing water, seeds and land by transnational corporations and ensure small-scale producers fair rights over common resources.”

We, La Via Campesina, insist that within the framework of the pandemic and the global supply crisis, governments should prioritize local markets.

Morgan Ody, peasant in Brittany, France, and general coordinator of La Via Campesina, stated on behalf of the global peasant movement:

“The World Trade Organization is a failed project. Our global peasant movement calls on all States, especially those in the South, to leave the WTO immediately. We must create a new international framework for agriculture and trade based on food sovereignty. Only then can we defend the interests of small-scale food producers.”

For queries, write to press@viacampesina.org | Press Kit: https://linktr.ee/laviacampesina

Note: La Via Campesina counts 181 peasant organisations in over 80 countries as its members. The global peasant network and its allies led the negotiations in the UN for 17 years, resulting in the United Nations adopting a UN Declaration for Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP) in 2018.

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT