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.

Solomon Islands: Malaita and Guadalcanal support peace education

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article by George Manford in The Island Sun

MALAITA and Guadalcanal provincial governments have supported the idea of peace education for both province’s education authorities.

Solomon
Click on photo to enlarge

Deputy Premier of Guadalcanal Hon Peter Aroanisaka said this is a step forward to find lasting peace through education.

“We could find links for our students to have access through attending our various high schools in our two respective provinces.

“This initiative is much important for both education authorities (EA’s) to build relationship for malaita and Guadalcanal provinces.

“It also creates a goal which is peace through education within these two EAs and for the rest of Solomon Islands.

“We want to see true peace and true education among our students and leaders.

“They are time bombs in the future if we don’t create this kind of initiatives for these future generations.”

Speaking on behalf of Malaita provincial government, deputy and the acting premier of Malaita province Hon Alick Maeaba said, “We have to come up with re-creative ideas to contribute on the values of our education.

“The Malaita provincial government see this importance to build this relationship not only through education but through political levels.

“The Malaita provincial government will stand and support the initiative for the betterment of our children in the future.

“We are looking forward for the idea to be implemented Maeaba revealed.”

The delegation also visited Aligegeo PSS and Kware community high school in west Fataleka north Malaita.

(Thank you to the Global Campaign for Peace Education for calling this to our attention.)

Question for this article:
East Asia, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Berlin: World Congress of International Peace Bureau: Opening Speech

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Speech by Ingeborg Breines to International Peace Bureau

Excellencies, peace activists, honorable women and men, friends. Good evening and thank you for being here – and thank you to Arja Saijonmaa and the Berlin Metropol Orchestra for the wonderful music and song. We are lucky, and will hear more to them later.

More than thousand people have registered for this congress and we know that thousands more would have loved to come. We also know that several thousands are with us in the struggle for a world without war, the struggle to make WAR a thing of the past, something unheard of, something obsolete that humanity only in its infancy could think of.

IPB

So we are here to sharpen our non-violent tools, to deepen our understanding and strengthen our cooperation and friendship, so as to be that peace force for a transformative shift presenting alternatives to the insane, dangerous and naïve thinking that inequality, injustice, insecurity and marginalization can be solved by military means. We must develop together the strategies to stop this basically imperialistic thinking that if you want peace, you have to prepare for war. This old fashioned patriarchal way of insisting on the importance of having strong muscles and being militarily strong, is just a sign of moral and creative weakness. If we want peace, and most women and most men do, then we have to prepare for peace and use our financial and intellectual resources accordingly.

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Question related to this article:

How can the peace movement become stronger and more effective?

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Excessive military expenditures not only represent a theft from those who are hungry and suffer, but are also an ineffective means of obtaining human security and a culture of peace. Substantial reductions in military costs would eliminate the crushing poverty whereby nearly one third of humanity lives in insufferable conditions, a majority being women, children and young people. We need to move the money from the military sector and instead tackle the real security issues such as the threat to the very survival of the planet and humanity, be it by climate change, nuclear weapons or excessive inequality. We suggest that all countries reduce their military spending by 10% per year over the 15 years of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda. Although it will not change any power imbalance, it would go a very long way in meeting the needs and aspirations of people. Since one year military spending equals about 615 years of the UN annual budget, such a reduction in military costs would also strengthen the United Nations’ efforts and possibilities to “ save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”.

Rich and poor states alike seem to be pressured into arms races, spending more on armament than they need and can afford. To continue a process of militarization, often outside democratic control, that mainly serves the arms producers and dealers and even brings corruption is a dangerous path that will not bring hope to young people in desperation but may lead into extremism.

There is no way to justify war, killing and suffering. In IPB’s own words, we have to choose between warfare or welfare. We have only this one very unique and beautiful planet. The global climate change warrants urgent remedial actions and an holistic approach which again requires changing attitudes and rethinking of unsustainable and destructive production and consumption patterns.

The path of confrontational policies and accompanying militarization that we are on, is not leading us ahead. So let us create “an active disgust for war” to use Bertha von Suttner’s wording and create the world we want based on the vision and the principles of a culture of peace so well described by UNESCO.

Finally, allow me to share with you an encouragement that former president Gorbachev gave to the peace movement at one of the Nobel Summits in Rome. He said that he would never have dared take the steps he did to end the cold war if it had not been for the urging of the strong peace movement.

Friends, we have work to do.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2016: Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Press release by the Nobel Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his resolute efforts to bring the country’s more than 50-year-long civil war to an end, a war that has cost the lives of at least 220 000 Colombians and displaced close to six million people. The award should also be seen as a tribute to the Colombian people who, despite great hardships and abuses, have not given up hope of a just peace, and to all the parties who have contributed to the peace process. This tribute is paid, not least, to the representatives of the countless victims of the civil war.

nobel

President Santos initiated the negotiations that culminated in the peace accord between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas, and he has consistently sought to move the peace process forward. Well knowing that the accord was controversial, he was instrumental in ensuring that Colombian voters were able to voice their opinion concerning the peace accord in a referendum. The outcome of the vote was not what President Santos wanted: a narrow majority of the over 13 million Colombians who cast their ballots said no to the accord. This result has created great uncertainty as to the future of Colombia. There is a real danger that the peace process will come to a halt and that civil war will flare up again. This makes it even more important that the parties, headed by President Santos and FARC guerrilla leader Rodrigo Londoño, continue to respect the ceasefire.

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Question(s) related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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The fact that a majority of the voters said no to the peace accord does not necessarily mean that the peace process is dead. The referendum was not a vote for or against peace. What the “No” side rejected was not the desire for peace, but a specific peace agreement. The Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasizes the importance of the fact that President Santos is now inviting all parties to participate in a broad-based national dialogue aimed at advancing the peace process. Even those who opposed the peace accord have welcomed such a dialogue. The Nobel Committee hopes that all parties will take their share of responsibility and participate constructively in the upcoming peace talks.

Striking a balance between the need for national reconciliation and ensuring justice for the victims will be a particularly difficult challenge. There are no simple answers to how this should be accomplished. An important feature of the Colombian peace process so far has been the participation of representatives of civil war victims. Witnessing the courage and will of the victims’ representatives to testify about atrocities, and to confront the perpetrators from every side of the conflict, has made a profound impression.

By awarding this year’s Peace Prize to President Juan Manuel Santos, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to encourage all those who are striving to achieve peace, reconciliation and justice in Colombia. The president himself has made it clear that he will continue to work for peace right up until his very last day in office. The Committee hopes that the Peace Prize will give him strength to succeed in this demanding task. Furthermore, it is the Committee’s hope that in the years to come the Colombian people will reap the fruits of the ongoing peace and reconciliation process. Only then will the country be able to address effectively major challenges such as poverty, social injustice and drug-related crime.

The civil war in Colombia is one of the longest civil wars in modern times and the sole remaining armed conflict in the Americas. It is the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s firm belief that President Santos, despite the “No” majority vote in the referendum, has brought the bloody conflict significantly closer to a peaceful solution, and that much of the groundwork has been laid for both the verifiable disarmament of the FARC guerrillas and a historic process of national fraternity and reconciliation. His endeavors to promote peace thus fulfil the criteria and spirit of Alfred Nobel’s will.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Colombia: Youth for Peace: Mass marches in 16 cities across the country

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article Caracol TV (translation by CPNN)

Tens of thousands of people marched Wednesday [October 5] in at least 16 cities in Colombia demanding the government and the opposition to reach a peace agreement with the FARC, after the rejection of the agreement with the guerrillas in a plebiscite. In 12 cities, including Bogota, Barranquilla and Cali, citizens demanded that President Juan Manuel Santos, promoter of the peace pact with the FARC, and the former president Alvaro Uribe, a fierce opponent of the agreement, should work together to overcome the armed conflict that has hurt Colombia for over half a century.

march
video of march available on website of Caracol TV

“My heart is aching. Peace is not Uribe or Santos, peace is us. That makes me angry,” said Alejandro Quevedo, a math teacher of 31 years who attended the university rally in Bogota .

With white shirts and white flowers, at least 30,000 people participated in a silent march for peace in Bogota that ended in the central Plaza de Bolivar. They protested the results of the plebiscite on Sunday, where 50.21% of voters said “No” to the agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) after nearly four years of negotiations in Cuba.

Santos called for a national dialogue to seek alternatives. He met Wednesday with Uribe in the presidential palace, where he said he is determined to “seek ways of unity and reconciliation” to achieve peace.

“No more victims”

“For all that unites us and what separates us,” read the poster that led the march, carried out in absolute silence with the flames of white candles, the colored flags of Colombia and the gay community. Only a few marchers raised their fists.

“I march with uncertainty in the face of the silence and lack of will to solve things of those who voted ‘No’, I feel that is all I can do now to try to find solutions,” said Lina Vanegas, a university teacher of 29 years present at the demonstration.

Silently holding candles, some government officials also participated, for example, Interior Minister, Juan Fernando Cristo, and senior advisor for post-conflict Rafael Pardo.

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

Questions related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

How effective are mass protest marches?

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But the silence of the march was broken when the audience sang the national anthem. That gave way to shouting slogans like “We want peace”, “No more war”, “No more victims” and “Not one step back” as marchers formed the symbol of peace with their candles.

Protesters then read the “Prayer for Peace”, a speech of the assassinated liberal leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan, who in February 1948 led protests by 100,000 people in the capital against political persecution by the conservative government of Mariano Ospina Perez.

“Stop the violence, Mr. President. We simply ask for the defense of human life, which is the least a people can ask”, cried Gaitan, a few months before he was killed.

It is “necessary” to stop the hate

In Barranquilla and Cali, dozens of citizens dressed in white also demanded an end to the internal conflagration and an extension of the bilateral cease fire respected by FARC since August and extended by Santos until 31 October.

“People who have actually lived through the war itself are those who want change, they want a transformation (…) and that was not shown in the plebiscite,” said Stefany Vergara a literature student 28 years of the Universidad del Valle in Cali, where about 4,000 people marched.

The FARC, meanwhile, supported with tweets on what they called “#PazALaCalle”. “They will maintain peace and willingness to use only words as weapons for future construction. Peace will triumph,” they said.

The call for demonstrations went beyond the borders of Colombia. In New York, some 50 Colombians gathered in Times Square, the heart of Manhattan, to sing “Colombia wants peace!” and advocate for the end of the continent’s oldest armed conflict.

“Civil society has begun to mobilize to tell the government that we do not want a renegotiation but the accords that are already done,” said the painter Ricardo Prado, 25, in the Times Square gathering

Mobilizations of Colombians calling for an end to the war also took place in cities of Holland, England, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and France.

The armed conflict in Colombia for more than 50 years involving guerrillas, paramilitaries and government forces, killing some 260,000 dead, 45,000 missing and 6.9 million displaced.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Poland: Women force historic U-turn on proposed abortion ban

. HUMAN RIGHTS .

An article from Amnesty International

The decision by Polish MP’s to reject a proposed amendment to their already restrictive abortion laws is a huge victory for women and girls, said Amnesty International.

“Women in Poland made history today [October 8]. This is a huge victory for the millions of women and girls who mobilized, showed their fury, and successfully blocked a law which would have taken away their rights and endangered their health,” said Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe.

Poland
“More hell for women!”
Click on image to enlarge

“Through standing up for their rights they have forced Poland’s normally intransigent government to reconsider further restrictions to an abortion law that is already one of the most restrictive in Europe.”

“We salute all the inspirational women and girls who stood in the rain, raised their voices and went on strike on Monday to stand up for their rights.’

“A woman who needs an abortion is not a criminal and decisions about her body and her health should never be placed in the hands of politicians.”

After yesterday’s hastily organised session, which most civil society organisations were unable to attend, the Parliamentary Committee rejected the bill and the Parliament’s plenary rejected it this morning as well.

Question related to this article:
Europe, HUMAN RIGHTS

‘Women’s Boat to Gaza’ set to arrive in Gaza within hours amid fears of Israeli hijacking

.DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

An article from Ahram Online

The Women’s Boat to Gaza (WBG) mission is set to arrive in Gaza in a couple of hours and aims to challenge the 10-year blockade of the strip and highlight the critical role of Palestinian women in the resistance movement amid fears of Israeli forces intercepting the mission, according to WBG’s website.

flotilla
Sandra Barralilo, MP Jeannette Escarilla, Ann Wright, Ambassador , Dr. Fauziah, Mairead Maguire, MP Samira Douliafia. Above MP Marama Davidson. Olympic Athlete Leigh-Ann Naidoo. (Photo Courtesy of Women’s Boat to Gaza website)
Click on photo to enlarge

The Israeli naval and land blockade has severely restricted the movement of 1.8 million Palestinians and goods to and from Gaza since the Islamist Hamas movement became its de-facto ruler in 2006, inflicting increasing suffering on the impoverished population.

“At home we are all asking our governments to ensure the safe passage of Zaytouna [the Women’s Boat to Gaza]. We are calling on government leaders to stand with us in this challenge and to support our efforts to end this blockade, which is a collective punishment and is illegal under international law,” Wendy Goldsmith, an organiser of the Canadian Boat to Gaza campaign, told Ahram Online.

The women’s boat to Gaza, which includes only women from all over the world, is the fourth mission that has been organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition after the last attempt in 2015 ended with the seizure of the boat by Israeli forces in international waters.

“If Israel chooses to intercept this peaceful mission, they will be greeted by 13 incredibly strong and resilient women who are on a course to break the illegal blockade of Gaza. They will be met with love and determination to reach the conscience of humanity,” she said.

The two boats that make up the women’s boat mission — the Amal-Hope and Zaytouna-Oliva — have docked at a number of Mediterranean ports since 12 September, but the Amal-Hope broke off at Barcelona due to unexpected engine problems with only Zatouna-Olivia continuing the journey.

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Question related to this article:

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

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“The women on the boat send us daily updates and they report that they are in fine spirits and are looking forward to reaching the shores of Gaza,” Goldsmith said, adding that “we are also in regular contact with the women in Gaza and West Bank who have been organising many solidarity events. We are deeply touched and encouraged by the spirit of sisterhood around the world.”

The first attempt to break the siege with a flotilla, which was organised in 2010, ended in the killing by Israel of nine activists in international waters on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara.

A second attempt was organised out of Greece in 2011, but the vessels were turned back by the Greek coastguard.

Among the diverse group of women on board are Swedish Member of European Parliament Malin Björk; a retired American army colonel and former diplomat who resigned in 2003 in opposition to the invasion of Iraq, Ann Wright; Irish Nobel Laureate and peace activist Mairead Maguire; and Turkish athlete and coach Cigdem Topçuoglu, whose husband was killed in the Israeli attack on the first freedom flotilla in 2010.

“Within this struggle, men and women play equal roles. In this particular project, it has been decided that women will take on the major role of confronting the Israeli Occupation Force (IOF). This does not minimise in any way the role that men take in both the organising and planning stages,” according to the launching statement of WBG sent to Ahram Online in March.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is an international coalition composed of civil society organisations and initiatives from all over the world challenging “the illegal and inhumane” Israeli blockade of Gaza.

“When we arrive in Gaza we expect to be greeted by our many supporters, perhaps with coffee and falafel, music and dance. We hope to join hands with our sisters and claim an end to the blockade that has created the world’s largest open air prison, where innocent children and their families suffer every day,” Goldsmith said.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Mideast

Reunion: Statement from the 2016 Symposium of the Interfaith Network of the Indian Ocean

, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from Temoignages (translated by CPNN)

Idriss Issop-Banian, president of GDir (Interreligious Dialogue Group of Reunion), just sent us the Final Declaration of the 3rd Symposium of the interfaith Network of the Indian Ocean, which took place from 22 to 24 September in Saint-Denis . Here is the full text of the statement that contains a slogan defended for over 40 years by the Reunion Communist Party: “Indian Ocean zone of peace”.

Reunion
The closing ceremony of the 2016 Symposium of the Interfaith Network of the Indian Ocean

Preamble: We reaffirm our common spiritual conviction that we are one family. All human beings are inhabited by the same light of God and have the same dignity. Life is sacred and the same Golden Rule governs our fundamental relationships: “Do unto others the good that you wish for yourself.”

We, the delegates of interreligious dialogue groups from Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Reunion, all the members of the Interfaith Network Indianocéanie,

– strengthened by the Port-Louis Declaration following the first symposium held in Mauritius in 2009,

– consolidated by Victoria Declaration following the second symposium held in the Seychelles in 2012,

– reaffirming our conviction that dialogue between religions is an essential vector for coexistence of people and nations, and in doing so eager to engage other actors in human societies for the arrival of peace,

– having at heart to develop peace and cohesion in solidarity and sharing an ethical humanist,

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

Question related to this article:

 

How can different faiths work together for understanding and harmony?

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– meeting from 22 to 24 September 2016 in Saint-Denis de La Reunion have reflected on Peace in the Indian Ocean and have covered the following topics:

Indian Ocean zone of peace;

Peace in our societies;

The challenges of climate change – ecology and spirituality;

Indianocéanité.

Following deliberation, the Symposium of of the Interreligious Network of the Indian Ocean, adopts the following resolutions:

Resolution No. 1, We call upon politicians and governments to put into practice resolution 70/22 adopted by the UN General Assembly on 7 December 2015, making the Indian Ocean a Zone of Peace.

Resolution No. 2: We call upon all actors of society to be aware of the implications of climate change in the region of the Indian Ocean.

Resolution No. 3: We call for reflection on spirituality in the activities of daily living, concerning respect for the environment and populations.

Resolution No. 4: We reaffirm our commitment to fight against the scourges of poverty, corruption, racism and xenophobia and in favor of a fair and supportive co-development in the Indian Ocean region.

Resolution No. 5: We upport the desire of the observer from Mayotte to create a group of interfaith dialogue in Mayotte.

Resolution No. 6: We support the desire of the observer from the Comoros to create a group of interfaith dialogue in the Comoros.

Resolution 7: We reeaffirm the right of the Chagossians to return and live on their land.

“Lord God, make us peacemakers and keep us in the light.”

Done at Saint-Denis, Reunion, September 24, 2016.

Follow the signatures of delegations PLeROC (Madagascar) – CoR (Mauritius) – SIFCO (Seychelles) – GDir (Reunion)

South Asia, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

UK: Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group sign Pledge to Peace

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from Rochdale online

Representatives of Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group joined other groups from throughout Greater Manchester at the Civic Centre in Oldham on Monday (26 September) to sign the ‘Pledge to Peace’ (also known as the ‘Bruxelles Declaration’), a European project to promote the development of a culture of peace.

Rochdale
Rae Street from Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group (standing), Elaine Dutton Mayoress of Rochdale (sitting), Councillor Derek Heffernan Mayor of Oldham (sitting), Di Heffernan Mayoress of Oldham (sitting), Councillor Ray Dutton Mayor of Rochdale (sitting), Philip Gilligan Chair of Greater Manchester and District Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (standing), Steve Roman from Manchester Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (sitting) and Linda Walker from Glossop Peace Group

Rae Street and Philip Gilligan were guests of the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Derek Heffernan who became the first mayor in Greater Manchester to sign the Pledge on behalf of his council. He, like Rochdale’s mayor, Ray Dutton, who also attended the event, is a member of Mayors for Peace which campaigns for the total abolition of nuclear weapons.

On behalf of the Peace Group, Philip Gilligan said: “We are delighted that both Rochdale and Oldham now have a Mayor for Peace.

“Mayors for Peace is a crucial organisation with more than 7000 city leaders worldwide. Their programme launched by the Mayor of Hiroshima in 1982 promotes much needed solidarity among cities to campaign for a world freed from the threat of nuclear annihilation.”

For more information about Pledge to Peace, please see http://www.pledgetopeace.eu

For more information about Mayors for Peace, please see http://www.mayorsforpeace.org

Questions for this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe

Philippines: Fostering a culture of peace through art

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from the Manila Bulletin (slightly abbreviated)

Mindanao has . . . been through decades of armed conflict, which has claimed countless lives and displaced some 30,000 to 50,000 persons annually. Children and adolescents are among those who have suffered the most, caught in the midst of violence, displacement, poverty, and the loss of loved ones. It is for this reason that civil society groups have taken initiatives in introducing the culture of peace among the children in Mindanao’s conflict-affected communities through the promotion of their own traditional, cultural, and artistic abilities.

Philippines
(Click on image to enlarge)

One of these groups is the 13-year-old Kalimudan Culture and Arts Center, a non-profit organization based in Gen. Santos City. It is currently undertaking the Fostering Culture of Peace and Child Protection program, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Coined from the Maguindanaon term for gathering, Kalimudan is composed of artists and advocates for social reforms, backed by their experiences as cultural and community workers, trainers, researchers, and teachers.

In recent months, Kalimudan has been conducting the Adolescent Development and Participation-Peace building program in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Lanao del Sur.

According to Al Nezzar Ali, the project uses culture and arts as tools to assist communities in creating a violence-free home environment, and helps children promote a culture of peace.

Among the strategies used in the workshops are play production dance drama and choral narration, peace tiles and peace totems, interactive storytelling, dance, music, and visual workshops, which enhance participants’ coping mechanisms.

(Article continued in right column)

Question for this article:

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

(Article continued from left column)

“The program also helps develop children’s creativity, appreciation of tradition, and culture to foster peace, which get them more engaged in sports and recreational activities, instead of getting involved in armed activities,” Ali enthuses.

He said that the project hopes to contribute to the attainment of strengthened mechanisms for promoting the rights of children in peace process and situations of armed conflict and supporting children’s participation.

During the International Day of Peace held last Sept. 21 at the Mindanao State University Gymnasium in Maguindanao, children and adolescents representing the different Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) areas in Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Lanao del Sur will be the highlight of the celebration. These children and adolescents took part in the ADAP workshops and #ChildrenNotSoldiers campaign traditional cultural performance showcase, which were exhibited on the same day.

Ali said that peace building measures should address the root causes of the conflict, enhance social cohesion, build trust in governments, and build capacity of individuals, communities, and institutions to manage conflict and deliver appropriate services.

He noted that under the UNICEF framework, programs create space for young people and enhance their capacity to participate in the decision-making on the peace process, especially between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the MILF, while promoting pro-peace knowledge, attitudes, and lifestyle.

He pointed out that the quest for peace is integral to the fulfillment of the rights of children to safety and wellbeing, since young people have distinct capacities in contributing to peace-building due to their diverse experiences in armed conflict.

Founded in 2003, Kalimudan Culture and Arts Center seeks to raise awareness, advocate basic social issues through culture and arts as its tool, as it links with local and national movements for social and cultural development

It specializes in Mindanao cultural dances and music, contemporary arts (music, film, and video), and collaborates with national agencies like the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, as well as NGOs such as the SOCSARGEN Peace Network, and Mindulani, a Mindanao-wide network of theater workers.

East Asia, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Chandigarh, India: 11th Global Youth Peace Fest

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from the Tribune of India

The 11th Global Youth Peace Fest (GYPF)-2016 concluded at the Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management here today with the delegates making a fervent plea for global peace and harmony in the spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, the whole world is one family, which they displayed over the week by embracing each other.

gypf
Delegates from Pakistan in a jubilant mood during the valedictory function of the 11th Global Youth Peace Festival in Chandigarh on Sunday. Tribune Photo: S Chandan
Click on image to enlarge

The collective aspiration for peace and harmony took the form of a resolution that called for establishing peace in every corner of the globe.

On the concluding day of the event, organised by Yuvsatta, an NGO, the high-octane aspiration for peace and harmony was evident as countries cheered the delegates from across the globe, forgetting regional tensions and lack of harmony. “As we met and embraced each other over the past week, we connected to the aspiration of the world as one family in the hearts and minds of every participant,” the final GYPF resolution passed by them read.

What was striking in today’s event was the rapport that the young people built over the week which translated into a standing ovation for every country as they walked up to the stage to get their mementos and certificates. The Pakistani delegation waving the Indian Flag was a touching sight in stark contrast to the tension that has been experienced across the border between the two countries.

The delegates also called upon the governments and international bodies to support youth programmes and projects and involve them in the decision-making process.“We all agree that there is an urgent need for exploring meaningful participation of young people in establishing a culture of peace by actively pursuing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and connecting to the universal yearning for peace,” they said, adding that the GYPF had shown the way to building a global culture of voluntarism and service.

The delegates presented action plans on what they would be doing back home in areas of women empowerment, sustainability, global citizenship and promoting youth leadership in SAARC countries with the learning of the GYPF fresh in their minds. The young people decided that they would remain in touch with each other and report the progress in achieving the goals in the next GYPF.

Earlier in the day, a “Wildlife Conservation Walk” was organised with all delegates assembling at Sukhna Lake carrying the message of “live and let live”.

A felicitation ceremony for all delegates from 33 countries was organised in which they were honoured with a canvas depicting a sketch of Mahatma Gandhi by Shammi Malik, state retail sales manager of Indian Oil Company Limited, Rani Sharma, chairperson, Sidharth Vashisht Charitable Trust, American Gandhi Bernie Meyer, Principal of the Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management TK Razdan and Dr Markandey Rai, Adviser, UN Habitat.

Question(s) related to this article:
FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, South Asia