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.

Amnesty International: Israeli forces must end the use of excessive force in response to “Great March of Return” protests

. HUMAN RIGHTS .

An article from Amnesty International

The Israeli authorities must put an immediate end to the excessive and lethal force being used to suppress Palestinian demonstrations in Gaza, Amnesty International said as fresh protests have started today [April 13].


(Click on photo to enlarge)

Following the deaths of 26 Palestinians, including three children and a photojournalist, Yasser Murtaja, and the injuring of around 3,078 others during protests on the past two Fridays, Amnesty International is renewing its call for independent and effective investigations into reports that Israeli soldiers unlawfully used firearms and other excessive force against unarmed protesters.

“For the past two weeks, the world has watched in horror as Israeli forces unleashed excessive, deadly force against protesters, including children, who merely demand an end to Israel’s brutal policies towards Gaza and a life of dignity,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“The Israeli authorities must urgently reverse their policies and abide by their international legal obligations. Their horrifying use of live ammunition against unarmed protesters, and the resultant deaths, must be investigated as possible unlawful killings.

“The Israeli authorities must respect the Palestinians’ right to peaceful protest and, in the event that there is violence, use only the force necessary to address it. Under international law, lethal force can only be used when unavoidable to protect against imminent threats to life.”

Eyewitness testimonies as well as videos and photographs taken during demonstrations point to evidence that, in some instances, unarmed Palestinian protesters were shot by Israeli snipers while waving the Palestinian flag or running away from the fence.

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Questions related to this article:

Rights of the child, How can they be promoted and protected?

Presenting the Palestinian side of the Middle East, Is it important for a culture of peace?

(Article continued from left column)

Among those injured since Friday 30 March, there were around 445 children, at least 21 members of the Palestinian Red Crescent’s emergency teams, and 15 journalists. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, some 1,236 people have been hit by live ammunition. Others have been injured by rubber bullets or treated for tear gas inhalation dropped by drones. The World Health Organization expressed concern that nearly 350 of those injured may be temporarily or permanently disabled as a result of their injuries. So far, at least four people have had leg amputations.

On two consecutive Fridays, tens of thousands of Palestinians, including men, women and children, have gathered in five camps set up around 700 meters away from the fence that separates the Gaza Strip from Israel to reassert their right of return and demand an end to nearly 11 years of Israel’s blockade. While protests have been largely peaceful, a minority of protesters have thrown stones and, according to the Israeli army, Molotov cocktails in the direction of the fence. The Israeli forces claim that those killed were trying to cross the fence between Gaza and Israel or were “main instigators.” There have been no Israeli casualties.

While the Israeli army indicated that it would investigate the conduct of its forces during the protests in Gaza, Israel’s investigations have consistently fallen short of international standards and hardly ever result in criminal prosecution. As a result, serious crimes against Palestinians routinely go unpunished.

In a statement made on 8 April, Fatou Ben Souda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court expressed concern at the deaths and injuries of Palestinians by Israeli forces, reminding that the situation in Palestine was under preliminary examination by her office.

“Accountability is urgently needed not only for this latest spate of incidents where excessive and lethal force has been used by Israel but also for decades of potentially unlawful killings, including extrajudicial executions, and other crimes under international law.”

The protests were launched to coincide with Land Day, and are demanding the right of return for millions of refugees to villages and towns in what is now Israel.

The protests are expected to last until 15 May, when Palestinians commemorate the Nakba or “great catastrophe”. The day marks the displacement and dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948-9 during the conflict following the creation of the state of Israel. 

HUMAN RIGHTS, Mideast, Uncategorized

India: Peace Channel promotes peace education in schools of Kohima

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Morung Express

Peace Channel conducted peace celebration and capacity building programmes in five schools of Kohima district – Little Flower Hr. Sec School, Kohima, Sacred Heart School, Khuzama, St. Paul School, Phesama, Don Bosco Hr. Sec. School, Kohima, and St. Andrews School, Jotsoma village – on the theme ‘Concept of peace and peace building’ in the months of March and April.


Participants of the programme organised by Peace Channel at Little Flower Hr. Sec School, Kohima.

Addressing the Peace Club members in the respective schools, Susan Kulnu, Peace Channel Kohima district coordinator emphasised on the main objective of peace and peace building

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Question for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

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She motivated the students to understand the concept of peace, to think of peace, love peace and make peace so as to take up initiatives in one’s own home and locality, to transform a culture of violence into a culture of peace, stated a press release from Peace Channel.
 
Susan further spoke about human rights, which she said, are the vital assets for everyone. “These rights are interrelated, interdependent and indivisible,” she asserted. The speaker also emphasized on the principle of “Do No Harm” which is a holistic perspective that is focussed on mutual benefits and not win-lose situation. The students were also motivated on leadership and life skills.
 
Sedekieno Rino, a peace activist, also spoke on anti-war toys “as children are also seen to be manipulated into replicating the violent content they see on television, videos, video games or violent cartoons,” the release stated. She urged the students to dream of a peaceful society and put efforts of changing oneself towards promoting peace so that one day that dream will turn to a reality.
 
Altogether, 227 quality Peace Club members along with 10 teacher animators of different schools participated in the sessions, informed the release.
 
The participants have been encouraged to take initiatives in bringing peace wherever they are and “they are now to bring peoples together, striving for peace, justice, equality and fraternity.”
 
It was informed that Peace Channel is also undertaking similar programmes in other districts like Dimapur, Wokha, Mon, and Peren.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, South Asia

Latin American mayors meet in Costa Rica for development goals

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from La Vanguardia (translated by CPNN and reprinted without commercial ends)

Mayors of Ibero-America will meet this Thursday and Friday [April 18-19] in Costa Rica to celebrate the XVIII General Assembly of the Union of Capital Cities (UCCI) seeking to advance in the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The organization will define its strategy for the 2018-2020 biennium in order to determine how its members can continue to advance in the local implementation of the SDGs.

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(Click here for the Spanish version)

Question related to this article:

Can cities take the lead for sustainable development?

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A total of 23 international delegations from capital cities will attend the event in San José, including the mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena.

According to the organizers, initiatives linked to institutional strengthening, social development, local economic development, sustainable urban development, culture and communication will be addressed, as well as cross-cutting issues such as gender, environmental sustainability, culture of peace, innovation and human rights.

One of the main priorities for the coming period is the incorporation of culture as a strategic area in the organization, since the cultural dimension is fundamental to achieve more just, supportive and sustainable societies.

The Assembly will also present a management report (2016-2018) and an economic balance and will propose the definition of a strategic framework to achieve the effective implementation of the SDGs in Ibero-American cities.

The General Assembly of the UCCI meets every two years and that of 2018 is the second to be held after the cycle change that the organization approved in 2016.

The mayor of San José, Johnny Araya, will participate in the meeting; as well as the mayor of San Salvador, Nayib Bukele; the mayor of Panama City, José Blandón; the mayor of La Paz, Luis Revilla; and the mayor of Montevideo, Daniel Martínez, among others.

The opening ceremony will be attended by the president of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solís, and the head of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, Rebeca Grynspan.

Latin America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Bolivia calls for the preservation of South America as a zone of peace free of nuclear weapons

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from Sputnik News

On assuming the temporary presidency of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, has called for the preservation of South America as a zone of peace, free of the war dangers that affect other parts of the world.

“This is the second time we have assumed the responsibility to coordinate work with countries throughout South America, and Bolivia’s great desire is for South America to be a zone of peace,” said President Evo Morales at the Government Palace.

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

Question related to this article:

Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

Where in the world are zones of peace?

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The Bolivian leader, in a statement through state media, said he also intended that Unasur coordinate with the European Union on issues such as development planning, legislation and common citizenship.

“We propose to build a South American identity in terms of defense, to consolidate the region as a zone of peace, free of nuclear weapons and of mass destruction, rejecting war, promoting disarmament and the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the culture of peace in the world,” he said, concerning the main objective of his temporary regional presidency.

Morales succeeds his Argentine counterpart Maurio Macri in the pro tempore presidency of UNASUR, an organization created in 2008 and whose first important resolution was to support the Bolivian president that same year in the face of a wave of political and regional protests that apparently sought to remove him from power.

More here: President of Bolivia says that the main threat to peace is the US Government

The president said that UNASUR has effectively acted in favor of the peaceful settlement of disputes, supporting negotiations between the Government of Colombia and rebel armed groups in that country, following the logic that “peace is built with social justice.”

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Dominican Republic: Integrating art subjects in centers helps create a culture of peace

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from Hoy digital (translation by CPNN)

The anthropologist Tahira Vargas considers expelling students from educational centers because of bad conduct does not solve the problem, but it aggravates it, For this reason she suggests to work with these students through theater, dance and music, in order to build a culture of peace.

“To break the cycle of violence you should not answer with more violence. Instead you need to change the relationships within the centers, creating other types of spaces, where you can dialogue with students and establish responsibilities and tasks that promote a change of behavior,” she said.

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(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?, What is, or should be, their role in our movement?

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She explained that the teachers and directors of the centers do not understand the context of vulnerability that violent students experience, such as the case when their parents have to go out to work and cannot be at home to help educate their children.

Vargas spoke about the issue when asked about the statements of directors and teachers of high schools in Salcedo, who have alerted the Ministry of Education about the constant misconduct of many students.

Vargas points out that the streets and schools are the main space for the socialization of young people, so schools should be a space for building a culture of peace, not a space for the reproduction of violence, and for exclusion which is a form of violence.

“What I suggest is that teachers, principals and counselors work with students to change the internal relations of the center, and they are responsible for their behavior.” They should understand that it is important to integrate art, which is a strategy used in many countries to transform violent behavior into a culture of peace.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

The Gambia: PAG hold peace advocacy camp

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article by Cherno Omar Bobb from The Point

Peace Ambassadors – The Gambia, a youth-led peace advocacy organisation with funding from ChildFund- The Gambia recently held a master camp for recruitment of peace educators and advocates under the theme: Promoting the culture of peace and non-violence in School and communities. The event was held at Banjulinding Lower Basic School.


Photo from PAG facebook

The Master Camp was designed to induct members of PAG on national youth leadership training, recruitment of peace educators and advocates as well as ambassadors peer-peace motivation coordinators training.

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Question for this article:

How do we promote a human rights, peace based education?

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The organisation’s vice president Ida Jatta said since its inception in May 2001, they have been advocating for peace in the minds of young people. “We focus on peace advocacy, community outreach and grassroots engagement to fulfill our thematic obligation as an organisation. We see peace as a continuous process and the leadership training will enable members to serve as role models in communities,” she said.

ChildFund- The Gambia communication specialist Famara Fofana said the international child aid agency have been championing the cause of young people, promoting child welfare and helping vulnerable young people to become productive adults. “Many people we supported are today manning important positions in the country. As peace ambassadors, let us propagate peace messages in the minds of young people.”

Alieu Marr, child protection and advocacy officer of ChildFund also said young people are the productive assets of the society, saying they will continue to support the activities of Peace Ambassadors. “We must have peace of mind in ourselves to promote peace in communities and schools.”

Peace Ambassadors Executive Secretary Yankuba Manjang said they have a role to play as young people to advocate peace in the nation, adding that the master camp will introduce the participants on leadership skills, peace and conflict management.

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Book review: World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21stCentury

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

By Richard Falk, reprinted by Transcend.org

This is a brief promotional comment to call attention to the publication of a truly outstanding contribution to creative and restorative world order thinking. The book is entitled A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21stCenturyby Jo Leinen and Andreas Bummel, translated from German by Ray Cunningham, and published in 2018 in Berlin under the imprint of Democracy Without Borders. The book is currently available for purchase from Amazon.


I hope at a later time to do a serious review of this urgent plea for what might be called ‘cosmopolitan rationalism,’ the undergirding of a populist movement dedicated to overcoming the menace of the war system and predatory capitalism, placing a great emphasis on the potential of institutional innovation beyond the level of the state, above all, through the establishment of a world parliament with legislative authority. This would be a revolutionary step in the governance of humanity, and if it happens, is likely to be preceded in the evolutionary agenda of the authors by a global assembly endowed with recommendatory powers but lacking a mandate to make and implement binding decisions, and hence incapable of resolving conflicts or solving challenges of global scope.

The authors are both dedicated advocates of the institutionalization of governmental authority of regional and global scope. Leinen has been a leading member of the European Parliament since 1999 as well as a German government official. Bummel is an internationally known and respected champion of world federalism incorporating democratic values. He is co-founder and director of the NGO, Democracy Without Borders.

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Question for this article:

What are the most important books about the culture of peace?

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What makes this book a great gift to humanity at a time of global emergency, is what I would call its ‘informed global humanism’ that sheds light on the long and distinguished history of proposals for global parliamentary authority.  The institutional focus is greatly expanded and deepened by an erudite consideration of why global problems, as varied as food, water, environment, climate change, and economic justice cannot be solved without the presence and help of a world parliament capable of generating enforceable law. The authors bring to bear an astonishing range of knowledge to support their conclusions, drawing on the accumulated wisdom of philosophers, scientists, social scientists, moral authority figures, and statesmen to illuminate the question of how to meet the formidable challenges of the age. This enlargement of concerns lends weight to their commitment to clear the path of obstacles currently blocking the formation of a world parliament.
 
Indeed, while building their central case for a world parliament, Leinen and Bummel, have authored a book that tells you all you need to know to understand with some depth what is wrong with the world as it now functions, how it can best be fixed, and by whom. Their central political faith is rooted in an espousal of democratic values that they project as a positive global trend. Only here do I have some reservations, reflecting my reactions to the militarization of democracy in the United States and to the strong trends favoring autocracy in most leading countries. I do share with the authors a skepticism about the capacity of existing elites to promote the necessary reforms, as well as their sense that the time of a transnational revolution of the industrial proletariat has passed, with hopes now resting in the eruption of a transnational democratic and cosmopolitan democratic movement promoting progressive and humane forms of global governance.
 
I strongly recommend this book as a source of wisdom, thought, and the fashioning of a positive vision of the human future. Pasted below is the table of contents of A World Parliament to give a more concrete picture of the scope and grandeur of this extraordinary scholarly contribution with manifold activist implications for those of us who consider themselves citizen pilgrims.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, global

Children from Cauca, Córdoba and Bogotá will participate in Cinema Solidario of the UNICEF School of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from Radio Santa Fe (translation by CPNN)

Next Monday, April 16 from 9 a.m. UNICEF will work in partnership with the Union of Bilingual Schools (UCB) on the Cinema Solidario initiative.

9,000 students from 16 schools in Bogotá, 300 children from 4 schools in the department of Córdoba and the New Vision Educational Institution of Honduras located in Buenos Aires (Cauca) will participate, involving 35 children and adolescents; They will receive the visit of Goodwill Ambassador Belky Arizala, who will be the facilitator and leader of the day.


Photo: Radio Santa Fe CM

The “Schools in Peace” strategy throughout the country benefits 11,884 students, 614 teachers, 4,380 families, 106 educational agents and 6 community councils. It is a pedagogical proposal led by UNICEF that creates, develops and consolidates learning communities around the construction of a culture of peace in educational and community contexts that have been affected by the armed conflict in Colombia. Currently, this promotes knowledge, skills and attitudes that generate changes in the behavior of children, adolescents, youth and adults to resolve conflicts peacefully, create participatory learning environments for coexistence and democracy and link pedagogies to prevent new conflicts and forms of violence at the interpersonal, social and structural levels.

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

Question related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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“For UNICEF, it is important that schools have spaces where children from different regions of the country can participate, express their points of view; argue and debate their opinions. It is essential for them to train in democracy and citizenship. Respect for difference, constructive dialogue and peaceful coexistence build a culture of PEACE, “says Frederick Spielberg, UNICEF OIC Deputy Representative.

Solidarity Cinema will be made under the cinema-forum methodology, because through it, UNICEF seeks to promote reflection and exchange of school initiatives around the construction of peace, human rights and coexistence in the school and community environment, through the participation of girls and boys.

The day will feature five (5) key moments for girls and boys, which are:

1. Reflection, exchange and dialogues will be generated among students around the construction of peace, coexistence and human rights with cultural and territorial diversity.

2. A brief review of the film will be shared and the context in which it is developed will be explained.

3. The movie “Whale Rider” will be screened.

4. Belky Arizala, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador will share with the students and motivate their participation through questions, which will motivate the discussion and reflection on children’s rights.

5. At the end, the students will be organized by groups and will share their experience during the Cinema Solidario and they will make an artistic show for the educational community.

According to Mauricio Castaño, Executive Director of UCB: “The partnership with UNICEF has been very relevant for the UCB. These activities, such as the film forum, have allowed our students to know other realities, be aware of the rights of children and develop leadership skills and social entrepreneurship.”

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Alliance in Asia: A subsidiary for International Cities of Peace in China!

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

Excerpt from April newsletter of International Cities of Peace

In January, Executive Director J. Fred Arment traveled to Nanjing, China, our 169th city of peace, to discuss forming an alliance to extend the reach of International Cities of Peace throughout Asia. The purpose of the alliance is to create a partnership with the UNESCO Peace Studies Chair of Nanjing University and the Director of the Memorial Hall of the Nanjing Massacre. This alliance is much like a subsidiary organization formed by for-profit corporations such as GM and AT&T.


We are pleased to report that there was great success as a result of the trip. Professor Liu Cheng, the only UNESCO Peace Chair in China and director of the Nanjing University Institute of Peace has formed an alliance to promote cities of peace in Southeast Asia. In September, the Mayor of Nanjing will host a week-long celebration of International Day of Peace. City of Peace leaders will be present for a Conference. Extremely wonderful news!

Questions for this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, East Asia

Gaza Children Cinema – Update March 2018

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

An update from the Gaza children cinema

In a local library in Rafah, South of the Gaza Strip, children are busy working on a white cardboard. They are creating their cinema’s box office. Others are allocating number stickers to the seats. Another group of children are in charge of distributing popcorn in preparation of a film screening. Children then line up to get their tickets before entering the screening venue; they stay quite as their eyes gaze at the screen; but once the movie ends, they are eager to talk about what they just saw and reflect on their first cinema experience. Some talk, some sing, some dance and some draw.


A frame from the video about the Gaza children’s cinema

This is only a brief scenario of one of the 160 screenings we have managed to implement across the Gaza Strip in 2017 thanks to your generous donations. Below is an update of some of the major outcomes of the cinema’s Project activities last year.

Gaza Children Cinema:

The idea was to create a peaceful, creative space where kids could be just kids—a space where a child can live a joyful moments while surviving the bitter reality of siege loss, hardship and war. The result was the Gaza Children’s Cinema, a project was born out of a desire to create a safe haven for children, and it is evidence of the magic of cinema—of how film can relieve suffering and provide light to literally one of the darkest places in the World.

The Cinema in 2017:

In 2016 and early 2017, we managed to raise 7800 AU$ through our online fundraiser page and through other fundraising events in support of the Gaza Children Cinema project.

In April 2017, we partnered with the Tamer Institute for Community Education, Gaza, in order to facilitate the implementation of the cinema screenings and to allow the initiative to be led by the local community, especially young volunteers. This partnership was important for building on the existing community resources in reaching more children. We did not want to re-invent the wheel, no one does want!

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Question for this article

Presenting the Palestinian side of the Middle East, Is it important for a culture of peace?

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Besides targeting marginalised areas for the screenings, we have successfully managed to engage libraries and to promote regular screening within library settings across the Gaza Strip.

In preparation of the screenings, the Tamer Institute held two training workshops for the librarians and the young volunteers from Tamer Institute. The workshops focused on brainstorming the best ways to make the screening a successful enjoyable experience for the kids, the choice of the films and training the librarians to use arts as a tool of expression for the children to reflect on their inner thoughts and emotions.

About 160 cinema screenings were held with the children throughout 2017. We have managed to reach out to hundreds of children each month through organizing several screenings at several locations. The screenings were held across the Gaza Strip in Gaza, Rafah, Khan Younis, Maghazi Refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, amongst many other locations.

Gaza Children Cinema activities have been carried out across the Gaza Strip including border areas, marginalised children communities and refugee camps.
We have seen children join the cinema sessions with their parents in inclusive and entertaining settings. With the support of Gaza Children Cinema volunteer team, these children had the opportunity to engage into stimulating and interactive discussion prior and after the film screenings.

In September, and as part of our attempts to reach the most marginalized children in the most remote areas, we launched a call for proposals for initiatives around cinema and children. To our surprise, we received about twenty proposals from grassroots community groups. This has assured us that the impact of the Gaza Children Cinema is invaluable and is growing.

This project has been fully funded by charitable fundraiser events that we have voluntarily carried out here in Perth, Australia. Either through food stall markets, various movie screenings or an online fundraiser page, we have managed to raise enough funds to keep this initiative going and growing. And today we are hoping to raise funds to sustain this project for another year.

This is a message of gratitude and appreciation for making this initiative real. Without your generous donations, we wouldn’t be able to reach many of children across the Gaza Strip, and offer them some moments of peace, dialogue, and entertainment. We are determined to continue in this track, this time with more commitment and enthusiasm. We always appreciate your input and feedback. If you wish to know more, please contact us on info@gazachildrencinema.org.

Yours Sincerely,
Ayman Qwaider and Mohammed Al-Rozzi
For Gaza Children Cinema Team

(Thank you to Ayman Qwaider, the CPNN reporter for this article)

Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY