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.

Pocheon, Republic of Korea – International Cities of Peace

. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

A post by Fred Arment on the facebook page of International Cities of Peace.

Question for this article:

Can Korea be reunified in peace?

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?
 
Great News! The first City of Peace on the Korean peninsula was established today [February 5] near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Pocheon. A major celebration was held at City Hall where Mayor Park signed a Proclamation as a crowd of media, dignitaries, and over 100 citizens packed the hall. The Mayor spoke of the City re-envisioning Pocheon as travel destination, a prosperous economic area, and a culture and arts center. I was humbled to speak at the Official Ceremony on the importance of Pocheon as a leading force in making the dream of Reunification of South and North Korea come true in order to benefit citizens of both countries. No doubt, “Citycraft” is at work in this historic peace building effort and progress has already been made. Please congratulate the citizens of Pocheon!

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Mali: consolidating peace between communities through cultural heritage

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from Bamada

At the festival of living together, the opening solemnity under the chairmanship of the Minister of Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Lassine Bouaré took place on January 17 and continues until January 22, 2020 in Timbuktu on the site of the monument of the flame of peace in Abaradjou.

The theme of this 4th edition is the “usefulness of heritage for the consolidation of peace”. It is a moment not only for reunion but also for cultural activities in the region of Timbuktu and culture of peace as a whole. It was born under the initiative of Salaha Maïga and funded by Munisma alone in 2016 and is hailed and supported by the authorities and the people of Timbuktu.

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(Click here for the French version of this article)

Question related to this article:

 

Can festivals help create peace at the community level?

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According to the governor of the Timbuktu region Ahmed Kouena the festival promotes respect for dialogue, exchange between young people in the region and those from elsewhere in view of creating links between them friendship, fraternity, strengthening unity and social cohesion, while preserving our cultural identity. The organization of this event gives hope to all ethnic groups.

This 4th edition according to Salaha Maïga has been a great challenge. On the one hand, the city itself was abandoned and served as a dumping ground; on the other hand, this locality of the region, named Abaradjou is considered as “red zone” a regular attack zone. It has been a success because all the challenges have been met.

Salaha is requesting help from the state and goodwill and sponsors for the next few occasions. Hee said that so far we have no official sponsor. ” He thanked the youth and the local, national and international authorities, armed groups and the people of Timbuktu who took it to heart to honor this noble initiative.

The initiative is conceived because the local populations and lives have been decimated by deadly attacks and inter-community conflicts, and it aims to promote respect, cohesion, reconciliation and peace between individuals, communities, regions and the country.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Côte d’Ivoire: For peaceful elections in 2020, three Ivorian artists will walk from Abidjan to Korhogo

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from linfodrome

The citizen movement of artists called “The Peace Walkers” announced Tuesday, January 28, 2020, at the Maison de la presse in Abidjan-Plateau, the project “700 km of sporting march by Ivorian artists for peaceful elections in Côte d’Ivoire ”. On March 9, three artists, Famian Jay’rico, president of the NGO Côte d’Ivoire la belle, Boklay le Bobognard, leader of “actions caritatives’’” and Paul Mady’s, member of the UNESCO chair, will leave from Abidjan, on foot, from the district hotel, in the Plateau, to Korhogo where their journey should end at the town hall, on April 09, 2020. their slogan: “Yes to my voice, no to my life.”


The citizen movement of artists called ’The Peace Walkers’ in action for non-violent elections in 2020 (photo: AC)

“This march is a contribution to the prevention of electoral violence and promotion of the culture of peace for peaceful elections”, explained Atsé Christian, the project leader.

“On the threshold of this year 2020, the year of the presidential elections where the populations remain already frightened by the specter of a possible crisis … maintained by speeches marked by verbal violence and other aggressive remarks made by politicians as well as certain media, we artists from the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, committed voluntarily and socially, have decided to make our contribution to building this fragile thing that is peace and social cohesion, through an initiative called: “700 km to prevent electoral violence, 700 km to promote a culture of peace and social cohesion, 700 km for peaceful elections in Côte d’Ivoire in 2020,” said Atsé.

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

Question related to this article:

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

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The singer songwriter Boklay le Bobognard explained that they are demonstrating through this march, a will for peace and peaceful elections. “We will give our bodies and our souls to get our message across,” he said. And he added: “The message that we want to send to the people and to all the political actors is that we have one country, one homeland. Do everything to preserve peace because without peace, there can be no concerts”.

Paul Mady’s stressed that this march must be considered as “a symbol because in 2002, the crisis started from the north of the Ivory Coast. So it’s as if we were to resume this same crisis in the south, to bring it out in the north. We don’t want to see this repeated,” he insisted.

Famian Jay’Rico Jay One noted that the march is “apolitical.” “We are addressing the Ivorian citizen, whoever he is, wherever he comes from. We decided to sacrifice ourselves physically for the Ivory Coast because we have to work together so that this country regains its identity,” he clarified.

The organizers of this walk have several objectives. Among other things, share with the population the concept of peaceful elections in view of the upcoming electoral deadlines, raise awareness among Ivorians and the authorities on the prevention of electoral violence, and advocate for inclusive elections. From Abidjan to Korhogo, the three artists and their staff will make stops in Yamoussoukro, Tiébissou, Djebonoua, Bouaké, Katiola, Tafiré and Ferkessedougou.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

The 12th peace and sport international forum concludes magnificently

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from Peace and Sport

The 12th edition of the Peace and Sport International Forum took place in Monaco from 11 – 13 December 2019. The Forum with the theme of “Investing in Peace, Acting through Sport”, brought together 500 decision-makers from 90 countries, 53 high-level speakers, 10 Peace and Sport Award winners and 40 Champions for Peace, to pinpoint and share solutions to scale-up investment in longer-term efforts to transform societies and leave a sustainable legacy for generations to come.

The event began on Wednesday 11 December with three debates and a ministerial round table that allowed participants to share experiences and led to partnerships with UNESCO, the Princess Charlène of Monaco Foundation  and the National Football League Alumni Association.

On 12 December and to mark the 10th anniversary of their club, the Champions for Peace launched a  call for action  through a 10-point manifesto in which they pledged their help to transform society.  A collaboration with international organisations such as the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Olympic Committee fuelled three plenary sessions et two stimulating master-classes. A youth program fortified by partnerships with the University of the Western Cape, the Yunus Sport Hub, the Swiss Academy for Development and ENGSO Youth offered 15 young people from 13 nationalities the opportunity to express their views and make recommendations on the subject.

A press conference was held to mark the official launch of the Peace and Sport app developed by My Coach. This digital solution combines the expertise of Peace and Sport’s field programs with the digital know-how of the leading French sports app My Coach, to provide an innovative way to promote peace through evolutive, annual sports programs.

On this occasion, Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport and Pascal Granero, Administrative and Financial Director of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation announced the signing of a 4-year partnership with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation to pool join efforts and contribute to the well-being and development of children regardless of their origins and conditions, through the positive values of sport, particularly through rugby and swimming.

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(click here for a version in French).

Question for this article:

How can sports promote peace?

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A press conference was held to mark the official launch of the Peace and Sport app developed by My Coach. This digital solution combines the expertise of Peace and Sport’s field programs with the digital know-how of the leading French sports app My Coach, to provide an innovative way to promote peace through evolutive, annual sports programs.

On this occasion, Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport and Pascal Granero, Administrative and Financial Director of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation announced the signing of a 4-year partnership with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation to pool join efforts and contribute to the well-being and development of children regardless of their origins and conditions, through the positive values of sport, particularly through rugby and swimming.

Furthermore, Peace and Sport renewed its partnership with UNESCO in order to fully contribute to implementing the Kazan Action Plan (KAP), which is widely recognized as essential for facilitating international convergence to integrate sport into the UN 2030 Agenda. This cooperation includes several government awareness projects, including the “April 6” celebration and the development of the Peace and Sport Methodology.

South African captain Siya Kolisi, reigning world champion and the first black captain of the Springboks, was the grand prize winner at the prestigious Peace and Sport Awards Ceremony held on Thursday night, winning the 2019 Champion of the Year Award. In the presence of Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II of Monaco – Patron of Peace and Sport – and Princess Charlene of Monaco, other organizations were also accoladed, including the FC Barcelona Foundation, the Danone Nations Cup and the Bosnia and Herzegovina National Olympic Committee with two cities – Sarajevo and East Sarajevo – for jointly organizing the 14th European Youth Olympic Winter Festival (EYOF).

The Forum ended on Friday, 13 December with a networking session for all delegates, to encourage interaction and make contacts to generate new synergies and initiatives for peace through sport. Furthermore, Peace and Sport then signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Football League Alumni Association to promote sport as tool for social development, capitalizing on the willingness of retired NFL players to give back to their local communities.

Joel Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, declared:

“This unprecedented edition of the International Forum demonstrated that investing in peace can have a positive impact on business whilst helping to create more inclusive societies. We’ve spent three amazing days learning and sharing. Delegates have strongly expressed their desire for change to foster peace throughout the world. I would like to thank everyone for their contribution, and I am delighted to build on the foundations that have been laid here.”

Didier Drogba, Vice President of Peace and Sport and Champion for Peace added:

“This Forum has initiated a new way of thinking and acting. It has succeeded in highlighting initiatives that, in time, will transform societies and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. The manifesto launched by the Champions of Peace is anchored in this dynamic and has already received favourable feedback promising tangible action for peace. “

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, global

English bulletin February 1, 2020

MILITARY SWALLOWS UP THE AMERICAN BUDGET

Usually this bulletin puts the emphasis on positive actions that promote the culture of peace. But this month, it seems that the most important events were negative, and we need to look at them in detail.

In particular, the principal center of the American empire, the budget of the United States, is being almost completely swallowed up by military spending. Last month, the US congress, both Republicans and Democrats voted to adopt a military budget of $738 billion dollars.

As shown by a recent analysis, the military portion of the budget is even higher than reported because much of it is hidden from the eyes of the public. According to the analysis, the US government has spent a staggering $5.4 trillion on its post-9/11 war on terror, with an additional $1 trillion due for veterans’ care in the future. That’s an average of $23.7 billion monthly for the past 228 months.

Every indication says that this spending will continue.

Following the recent drone strike by the US military that killed Iran’s most powerful general, the big US defense companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon scored huge military contracts worth $1.93 billion and $758 million respectively.

As reported in the CPNN article, “Traditionally, defense stocks tend to outperform the market during periods of budget growth,”  “shares of defense companies outperform the broader market in the six months after a crisis event in the Middle East.”

One can easily see that this is driven by a huge military-industrial-complex, which is perhaps better described as a “military-industrial-congressional complex.”

There is no indication of a political solution in the United States. Senators and representatives in the US tend to receive big campaign contributions from the companies and individuals that profit from military contracts, and this is necessary because their election campaigns are very costly. The vote for the military budget was 377-48 with 188 Democrats joining with 189 Republicans.

And not a single candidate for President in this year’s election campaign has proposed an alternative budget. It seems that the military budget is politically “untouchable.”

Where does this lead? Rather than trying to analyze the historical significance of these events here, I refer the reader to my blog for this month: “Why the bloated military budget threatens to bring down the American empire.”

          

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY



‘Atrocious’: 188 Democrats Join GOP to Hand Trump $738 Billion Military Budget That Includes ‘Space Force’

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION



A Brutal Violation of Press Freedom’: Glenn Greenwald Targeted With Investigation by Brazilian Government After Reporting on Corruption

HUMAN RIGHTS




Tens of thousands march in southern India to protest citizenship law

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION



Peru: Electoral peace promoted in 4 native languages

EDUCATION FOR PEACE



Lebanon: Interview with Ogarit Younan (prize for conflict prevention and peace)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT



Greta Thunberg Addresses Global Elite at Davos: Our House Is Still on Fire

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY


Burkina Faso: Struggle against radicalization: Imams and preachers strengthen their knowledge

WOMEN’S EQUALITY



UNWomen: In lead up to Generation Equality Forum, Action Coalition themes announced
Uncategorized

CONGO issues statement ahead of United Nations 75th anniversary

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations

President Liberato Bautista of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) will be holding presidential briefings in Geneva, Vienna and New York this December.

The briefings will focus on CoNGO’s Declaration on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. This thoughtful and challenging document was adopted by the CoNGO Board when it met in Geneva this past October.

The Declaration was a product of intense consultations involving many CoNGO members and leaders of CoNGO Substantive Committees worldwide. 

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Question(s) related to this article:

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?

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The Declaration honors the United Nations System as the essential multilateral mechanism that the world needs to mobilize, coordinate and manage solutions to the planet’s ”Problems without Borders”.

CoNGO calls for the 75th Anniversary to be the occasion for the United Nations System to be strengthened, better structured, better used by governments,  and considerably better financed.

CoNGO calls for the UN System to make greater use of the competence and experience of NGOs and the broader Civil Society as essential partners in ensuring a peaceful and just world built upon achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

President Bautista will hold these Presidential B riefing s to expound upon the Declaration, and to seek further input and participation in conveying the central messages to Civil Society worldwide, to all governments, to all elements and entities of the UN System, and to the people of the planet.

President Bautista will make use of the occasion to discuss CoNGO’s invitation to other NGO and civil society groups with similar initiatives of revisiting the 75 years of the UN and proposing visions of the “world we need”, the world we want” and the UN that is responsive, accountable and well-funded to meet these needs and wants.

Bautista hopes for the development of he calls “CS75 at UN75”. These 75 unities that will be developed through NGO and civil society consultations will be short statements on agreed issues and concerns that shall be conveyed to all entities within the UN System and its member states as the UN approaches its 75th anniversary next year and plan for the years ahead.

The CoNGO Declaration is for use throughout the whole Anniversary Year, and in all UN and Civil Society fora. It is available in English , French  and Spanish  versions.

Your presence and active participation in any of these three  briefings is most welcome.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, United Nations,

Spain: Professor Marta Gonzalo Quiroga recognized for her impetus to the culture of peace

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

A teacher from FCJS [Faculty of Law and Social Sciences Campus de Madrid] has recently received the ‘Medal of Professional Merit for promoting the Culture of Peace, Dialogue and Mediation’, awarded by the Spanish School of Mediation and the Journal of Mediation.

The award rewards more than 20 years of work in this field from the URJC professor who explains that she felt very grateful for this recognition.

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(click here for a version in Spanish).

Question for this article:

Mediation as a tool for nonviolence and culture of peace

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This medal falls to Marta Gonzalo for promoting mediation with its own scientific autonomy at the Spanish University. In this sense, the teacher recalled that “for a long time now the URJC has opted to introduce mediation and the Culture of Peace.” This fact is demonstrated by the existence of the Own Title of ‘Mediation Expert’ and the University’s membership in various interuniversity research networks in the field.

“We need mediation to be transversal”

Marta Gonzalo considers “very necessary” the impulse of a culture of greater dialogue and understanding, “now we are in a moment in which everything is radicalized and judicialized, we must promote dialogue and negotiation”.

For this teacher “mediation must be transversal and especially exercised by politicians to do their job better and find solutions to the problems of citizenship.”

The delivery of medals was held last Friday 17 and took place within the framework of the Chair of Social Welfare, Communication, Education and Employment UDIMA-EDAE. In the previous edition, personalities such as the former mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena and the journalist Irene Villa were awarded.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe

The government of the state of Mexico holds an International Congress on Culture of Peace and Gender Perspective

. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION .

An article from Asi Sucede

In order to reflect and analyze various alternatives for the promotion of harmonious, peaceful and inclusive schools and for the development of a culture that prevents discrimination and bullying, the International Congress on Culture of Peace and Gender Perspective was held , with the participation of national and international specialists.


The Congress was organized by the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the National School Coexistence Program, and with the participation of national and foreign specialists, as well as teachers and public servants (Photo: Special).

Organized by the Ministry of Education of the Government of the State of Mexico, through the Council for School Coexistence (Coexist), in collaboration with the National School Coexistence Program, the Congress offered simultaneous training, exchange of experiences and opinions, as well as the deliberation of studies on the Culture of Peace, Socio-Emotional Education and Gender Perspective, as key issues.
During the inauguration of the activities, the Secretary of Education, Alejandro Fernández Campillo, said that the Congress seeks to generate mechanisms for school peace.

Before about 900 teachers and public servants linked to education processes, Fernández Campillo said that for Governor Alfredo Del Mazo Maza it is essential to join forces to create a harmonious school life, which contributes to the formation of leaders who will consolidate progress and well-being of the State of Mexico and their families.

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

Question for this article:

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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In his participation, Bienvenida Sánchez Alba, a professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, highlighted the importance contributinf methodologies and teaching instruments to minimize gender discrimination in the school community, as well as to carry out work in collaboration with families, with administrative staff and local authorities.

For his part, Rafael Grasa, speaker from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and expert in Peace Studies gave the lecture “The weak link: how to evaluate education in values ​​and education for peace.” He said that, to make a evaluation of both issues, you must first plan and then build harmonious environments based on three pillars: ability to analyze conflicts, tools for dialogue: consensus and dissent, and non-violent collective action.

The Congress also addressed alternatives for more adaptive and disciplined behaviors, for the generation of thoughts and emotions that motivate learning that contributes to the improvement of academic performance, attachment to school and the improvement of relationships. among the members of the school community.

During the Congress five keynote lectures were given, the Specialized Discussion Forum was held: “Emotional education and gender perspective for the construction of peace in the school”, in addition to 18 workshops in which knowledge and successful experiences about living together were shared from the lines of Gender Equality, Human Rights, Conflict Mediation, Peaceful Coexistence and Nonviolent Communication.

Among the speakers were: Lucas JJ Malaisi, a psychologist with postgraduate studies on Gestalt Psychotherapy, Psychological Evaluation and BioNeuro; Gloria María Abarca Obregón, PhD in International Studies of Peace, Conflicts and Development at the UNESCO Chair of Philosophy for Peace at the University Jaume I from Castellón, Spain; in addition to the participation of Elizabeth María del Pilar Ozuna Rivero, director of the Convive.

With this type of action, the government of the State of Mexico contributes to the continuous education and training of teachers, by providing them with tools to complete and enrich their training as builders of a culture of peace in Mexican schools.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Doomsday Clock Moves to 100 Seconds Before Midnight Due to Threats of Nuclear War and Climate Change

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Olivia Rosane in Ecowatch

The Doomsday Clock is now 100 seconds to midnight, partly because of the climate crisis.

That’s the closest the clock has moved to the apocalypse since it was first started in 1947 to warn of the dangers of nuclear war, BBC News reported.


“It is 100 seconds to midnight. We are now expressing how close the world is to catastrophe in seconds – not hours, or even minutes,” President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Rachel Bronson said in a press release announcing the time change Thursday. “It is the closest to Doomsday we have ever been in the history of the Doomsday Clock. We now face a true emergency – an absolutely unacceptable state of world affairs that has eliminated any margin for error or further delay.”

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded by scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first nuclear bomb, according to NPR. It has 13 Nobel laureates on its board, which determines how close humanity is to annihilation each year, using the Doomsday Clock to raise awareness of global threats. This year, they were joined in the decision by the Elders, a group of world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela who work independently for peace and human rights, according to the press release.

“The Doomsday Clock is a globally recognized indicator of the vulnerability of our existence,” Elder and former Irish President Mary Robinson said at the annual clock-unveiling ceremony, as NPR reported. “It’s a striking metaphor for the precarious state of the world, but most frighteningly, it’s a metaphor backed by rigorous scientific scrutiny.”

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Question related to this article:

Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

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The two groups made their decision to move the clock closer to the zero hour based on the two threats of nuclear war and climate change, compounded by the rise of false information online and the refusal of world leaders to act on these critical issues.

“Civilization-ending nuclear war — whether started by design, blunder, or simple miscommunication — is a genuine possibility. Climate change that could devastate the planet is undeniably happening. And for a variety of reasons that include a corrupted and manipulated media environment, democratic governments and other institutions that should be working to address these threats have failed to rise to the challenge,” the bulletin wrote in a statement explaining its decision.

On the nuclear front, the group cited several concerning foreign policy developments. These included increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which has continued to stockpile uranium after the U.S. pulled out of a nuclear deal. The group also mentioned the official end of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which has led the U.S. and Russia to begin developing previously banned weapons.

When speaking of climate change, the group called out the government of the U.S. for withdrawing from the Paris agreement and the government of Brazil for weakening protections for the Amazon rainforest. But it also spoke of the general failures of world leaders to make any significant progress at either September’s UN Climate Action Summit or December’s COP25 in Madrid.

The Doomsday Clock was set to two minutes to midnight in 2018 for the first time since 1953, when both the U.S. and the Soviet Union tested hydrogen bombs. In 2019, the clock stayed at two minutes, but this year the bulletin decided to move it forward even further.

The group did say that there were things world leaders and citizens could do to move the clock backwards again. When it comes to the environment, they recommended that world leaders recommit themselves to the goals of the Paris agreement and that U.S. citizens pressure their government to acknowledge climate change and to act to address it.

“We ask world leaders to join us in 2020 as we work to pull humanity back from the brink,” Robinson said in the press release. “The Doomsday Clock now stands at 100 seconds to midnight, the most dangerous situation that humanity has ever faced. Now is the time to come together – to unite and to act.”

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

A Brutal Violation of Press Freedom’: Glenn Greenwald Targeted With Investigation by Brazilian Government After Reporting on Corruption

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from Common Dreams (licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0)

The Brazilian government is targeting one of its biggest critics, journalist Glenn Greenwald, in a move that has been decried by observers as an intimidation tactic designed to stifle opposition to right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. 


Glenn Greenwald, founder and editor of The Intercept, gestures during a hearing at the Lower House’s Human Rights Commission in Brasilia, Brazil, on June 25, 2019. (Photo: Evaristo Sa/AFP/Getty Images)

The government’s finance ministry’s money laundering unit was asked by federal police to investigate Greenwald’s finances, O Antagonista  reported  Tuesday. The right-wing Brazilian news site said that the investigation would focus on whether Greenwald paid for access to leaked records he used in reporting on the Bolsonaro government’s “Operation Car Wash” sting. 

“If there is an investigation for doing journalism it is illegal and it is an attempt at intimidation,” University of Sao Paulo law professor Pierpaolo Bottini told  The Guardian.

Attacks on Greenwald and his family, including husband David Miranda, a member of Brazil’s Congress, were criticized by U.N. and Organization of American States (OAS) Edison Lanza and David Kaye. In a joint press release, Lanza and Kaye called on  Brazil “to conduct an exhaustive, effective, and impartial investigation on the threats against the journalist and his family.”

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Question related to this article:
 
Free flow of information, How is it important for a culture of peace?

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“The Special Rapporteurs remind the Brazilian State that it has an obligation to prevent, protect, investigate, and punish violence against journalists, particularly those who have been subjected to harassment and threats or other acts of violence,” the rapporteurs’ statement said.

Greenwald, co-founder of independent news organization The Intercept, published in the online magazine’s Brazilian edition a number of investigations that use leaked documents to prove that the prosecution of former President Lula da Silva for corruption was steered by now Justice Minister Sergio Moro. The reporting has impacted Brazil’s politics and thrown the Bolsonaro presidency into crisis. 

Given the impact of the reporting, said José Guimarães, a congressman who is a member of da Silva’s Workers’ Party, the investigation appears to be “a brutal violation of press freedom.”

That point was echoed by Trevor Timm of the Freedom of the Press Foundation. In a statement, Timm said  that an investigation into Greenwald would be “not only an outrageous attack on press freedom, but a gross abuse of power.”

“Criminally investigating journalist Glenn Greenwald for reporting on corruption within the Bolsonaro government is a shocking violation of his rights as a reporter,” Timm said. “Worse, the same person who is the primary subject of The Intercept’s reporting—Minister of Justice Sergio Moro—would also have ultimate authority over any Federal Police investigation.”

The fallout from Greenwald’s reporting is having a major affect on Brazilian politics. On Tuesday, Moro appeared in front of the Brazilian Congress to answer questions on “Operation Car Wash” in a hearing that devolved at one point into near-violence. 

Greenwald, who spoke to the lower house of Brazil’s Congress about his reporting in June, was invited this week to testify  in front of the Brazilian Senate. A date for that testimony has yet to be set.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America