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.

Experts explore effective approaches for sustainability in peace, education (Rwanda)

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from the Global Campaign for Peace Education

Prominent academics, researchers, educators, policymakers, and civil society representatives convened in a groundbreaking international peace education conference to discuss and reflect on the most effective approaches to address conflicts, promote human well-being, and achieve sustainable peace.

The conference, which was organized by the University of Rwanda, Kent State University, and Aegis Trust run from July 11 to July 13 and significantly contributed to the global understanding of peace education as a transformative process.


(Click on image to enlarge)

Peace education was recognized as a means to impart the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary for behavioral change, enabling individuals to prevent conflict and violence at all levels.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Rwanda, Didas Muganga Kayihura, emphasized that the conference facilitated the exchange of experiences, practices, and strategies to enhance peace and values education. The outcomes of this gathering would assist decision-makers in making more informed actions and decisions.

“No matter how great of a scientist or researcher one may be, without peace or a commitment to peace, everything is lost,” he noted.

The conference also provided invaluable insights into Rwanda’s unique challenges regarding peace education, including its experience with the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, the integration of peace education into the curriculum, post-genocide reconciliation efforts, and societal healing approaches.

Kayihura emphasized that peace education is indispensable at all levels, encompassing schools, churches, communities, families, and institutions. It should cater to both illiterate and literate individuals of all ages, from adults to youth and children. The shared experiences and knowledge among researchers at the conference aimed to identify gaps in peace education and pave the way for sustainable peace in societies plagued by war and conflict.

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Question for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

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Key elements such as tolerance, diversity, freedom, equity, gender, and social cohesion were highlighted as crucial for building peaceful societies and achieving sustainable peace. The Vice Chancellor stressed that peace education is essential in fostering a culture of peace.

He also recognized the pivotal role played by the University of Rwanda’s Centre for Conflict Management (CCM), the Rwanda Peace Academy, and the National Civic Education Program in peace education. These institutions serve as platforms for sharing experiences and knowledge with other countries.

Mandy Munro-Stasiuk, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Kent State University, highlighted the significance of holding the peace education conference in Rwanda. The government’s commitment to integrating peace education into the national curriculum and communities across the country made Rwanda an ideal location for such an event.

The conference was a result of the growing collaboration between Kent State University and the University of Rwanda. Both institutions are drawing on their respective histories to forge a path toward global peace. Kent State’s Board of Trustees approved the formation of a non-profit corporation to be based at the University of Rwanda in Kigali. This corporation will serve as Kent State’s operational hub for recruitment throughout Africa, deepening the relationship between the two universities.

“We are collaborating to enhance educational capacity and learn about effective peace education tools,” Munro-Stasiuk stated.

James Smith, the Founder and Deputy Chair of the Aegis Trust Board of Trustees, emphasized the importance of strengthening peace education, particularly in light of ongoing denial of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Smith, also a co-founder of the UK’s National Holocaust Centre and Museum, played a pivotal role in establishing the Kigali Genocide Memorial in collaboration with genocide survivors and the Kigali city council.

“Peace education is not merely about learning about peace; it is about actively making peace,” he emphasized.

Freddy Mutanguha, CEO of the Aegis Trust, a key organizer of the conference, stressed the need to enhance peace education to prevent conflicts that could lead to genocide. By integrating peace education into various curricula, students, teachers, and graduates would possess the capability to teach peace education worldwide, fostering sustainable peace for future generations. Mutanguha emphasized the importance of sharing experiences and lessons from different countries to improve peace education further.

Pacifique Niyonzima, a PhD student and researcher who participated in the conference, expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with students and researchers from other countries. Their goal is to inform policy makers about necessary improvements in peace education to achieve sustainable peace.

Niyonzima emphasized the importance of conducting research not only on Rwanda’s history but also in other conflict-affected nations. He highlighted the partnership with students from Kent State University to facilitate these research endeavors.

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Does China promote a culture of peace?


A recent article in CPNN (June 7, 2023) quotes the Deputy Director-General of the Chinese Academy of History “The pursuit of peace and harmony is the foundation of the Chinese spirit. It is in the gene of Chinese civilization. In the 5,000-year history, our ideal world is of great unity. We value a culture of peace and unity.”

An example of recent peacemaking initiatives of China is their proposal for peace in Ukraine, based on a series of fundamental principles for peaceful international relations. Their proposal was welcomed by many countries that are not directly involved in the war, but some voices were more critical of the Chinese proposal. Writing from Indonesia, the news agency Inilah quotes the India-based EurAsian Times that the Chinese plan contradicts their own policy towards Taiwan, since the Chinese do not respect their sovereignty and have imposed sanctions against them.

China has never recognized the independence of Taiwan, and has threatened military intervention. As stated in a recent blog, “Among the peacemakers are the Chinese to some extent. We can only hope that this aspect of Chinese policy will dominate in the coming turbulent period of history. Will the Chinese be able to resist peacefully the provocations of the American Empire such as those connected with Taiwan? Faced with such provocations in the Ukraine, the Russians fell into the trap of war: we must hope that the Chinese will not do so in Taiwan.”

Here are CPNN articles related to the question whether China promotes a culture of peace:

11th World Peace Forum held in Beijing

China Culture: Xi calls for protection of Chinese civilization, culture and heritage

Chinese proposal of principles for a peace settlement of the Ukraine War and reactions around the world

d-disarmament, d-information

11th World Peace Forum held in Beijing

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article in PR Newswire from china.org.cn

The 11th World Peace Forum, organized by Tsinghua University and the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, concluded in Beijing on July 3. The forum, themed “Stabilizing an Unstable World through Consensus and Cooperation,” gathered former political leaders, diplomatic envoys, experts, and scholars from around the world to shed light on promoting world peace and win-win cooperation.


China’s Vice President Han Zheng delivers a keynote speech at the 11th World Peace Forum opening ceremony on July 3, 2023.

China’s Vice President Han Zheng delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony. Han said that in the face of profound changes in the international situation, China has put forward a series of major initiatives, such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, constantly enriching the connotation and practical path of the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity, and injecting strong positive energy into world peace and development.

Han stressed that Chinese modernization follows the path of peaceful development, and China will unswervingly advocate, build and uphold world peace.

The future lies in dialogue and consultation

In the panel discussion titled “Security in the Asia-Pacific: Challenges and Solutions,” Singapore’s Ambassador to China, Peter Tan, emphasized the importance of dialogue and consultation when discussing Sino-U.S. relations. “It is, therefore, in our view, critical for China and the United States to have regular, peaceful, and constructive engagements. This will help stabilize the relationship,” he said.

Tan believed that the two countries should maintain open and effective channels of communication and interaction, whether conducted in the public domain or behind closed doors. Tan said that dialogue is the basis for building mutual understanding and bridging differences.

Pankaj Saran, former deputy national security advisor for strategic affairs of India, proposed during the same panel discussion that countries should address issues through dialogue and negotiation rather than force, abide by the rules-based order, and respect sovereignty and territorial integrity to foster interconnectivity.

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Questions for this article:

Does China promote a culture of peace?

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During the panel discussion titled “Major-Power Collaboration in Managing Global Problems,” Jia Qingguo, a professor from the School of International Studies at Peking University, underscored the importance of consultation and dialogue in managing major-country relations. Jia noted that encouraging dialogue and negotiation to find common political solutions is especially crucial to the current Russia-Ukraine conflict.

We must allow those pragmatic and kind people to make their voices heard in international exchanges and interactions, and they have to join together to deal with some extremist voices in the international arena, Jia said.

Multilateralism needs to deliver mutual benefits and win-win results

The world today is undergoing complex and profound changes. How can we restore stability to this unstable world through harmonious and multilateral cooperation? How should multilateralism adapt to the realities and needs of the 21st-century international system?

Igor Ivanov, president of the Russian International Affairs Council and former secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, underscored the importance of multilateralism at the major plenary session titled “The Evolution of Multilateralism.” According to Ivanov, multilateralism serves as a mechanism for fostering more open and transparent international relations and for interactions between countries with different political systems, ideologies, histories, and cultures. The multilateralism of the 21st century can only be universal and effective if it is suitable for a world of value, political and economic pluralism, Ivanov said.

In addition, countries must learn to recognize the equality of all actors in the multilateral format to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. “Cooperation can be successful if it is mutually beneficial, meaning that it can prove its effectiveness of multilateralism for the individual actors in the international system,” Ivanov said.

Multilateralism also took center stage in a panel discussion about climate change. Siddharth Chatterjee, the U.N. development system resident coordinator in China, pointed out that the world is facing unprecedented risks due to climate change that extend beyond the environmental sphere. Only multilateralism can effectively address this crisis and ensure a sustainable existence for future generations.

Global cooperation is required to mitigate these risks and aid vulnerable regions. This necessitates a commitment to multilateralism, as no single country can resolve the climate crisis on its own, added Chatterjee.

This year marked the first in-person edition of the forum in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The forum consisted of four major panel discussion sessions and 20 panel discussions, covering topics such as the international order, relationships between major countries, the evolution of multilateralism, nuclear non-proliferation, and artificial intelligence security.

The forum attracted worldwide attention, bringing together more than 150 journalists from more than 50 countries.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

G77 Statement to High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

A statement from The Group of 77 at the United Nations

Statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China by H.E. Mr. Alejandro Gil Fernández, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Planning of the Republic of Cuba, at the general debate of the high-level segment of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development under the auspices of ECOSOC (New York, 17 July 2023)


Image from Wikipedia

Her Excellency Ms. Lachezara Stoeva, President of ECOSOC,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the G77 and China.

As we approach the midpoint of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we have witnessed how many are still lagging behind.

We meet today at a time of extremely critical juncture, in which developing countries face multiple challenges, particularly those concerning economic and social recovery from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, enormous financial and debt difficulties, rising food prices, escalating climate emergency and an unbalanced economic order that perpetuates inequalities and poverty.

Humanity has before it a thick and complex set of documents, based on basic principles, which in theory are the basis for our sustainable development. However, the progress achieved is still insufficient for the realities of the poorest and most vulnerable. Let us not forget that poverty eradication is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.

The increasing global challenges, including the negative effects of climate change that threatens the very survival of many developing countries especially of Small Island developing states and deepen the vulnerability of all, the rising global interest rates, tightened financial conditions, high cost of debt and risks of debt distress, have deeply impacted economies in the Global South, especially in low and middle income countries. In this regard, the G77 and China expects to have a meaningful debate on the centrality of development finance to overcome those challenges.

Concrete actions by developed countries to deliver on previous commitments, as well as on the reform of the international financial architecture are essential for the transformation we are advocating.

Madam President,

It has been almost a decade since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Multiple pledges have been made since then.

Contrary to the notion of progress, we find ourselves in a situation where our people is even more in need now than years before. The IMF is forecasting that a third of the global economy will be in recession in 2023. For the first time, UNDP has found that human development is falling in nine out of 10 countries.

The high cost of borrowing prevents the capacity of developing countries to invest in the SDGs and it also raises the risk of debt default. For developing countries in the Global South interest rates can be eight times higher than those in developed countries, as highlighted by the Secretary General, who has pointed out as well that today 25 developing economies are spending over 20 per cent of government revenues solely on servicing debt.

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Question for this article:

Sustainable Development Summits of States, What are the results?

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Madam President,

Since its inception, the G77 and China has been advocating for a new international economic order. Now it´s more evident than ever that these transformations cannot wait any longer. The UN Secretary General recently recognized that the Global Financial System is biased, morally bankrupt and skewed to benefit wealthy countries. This is no longer a plea only from developing countries.

The reform of the international financial architecture, especially of IMF and the World Bank, cannot continue to wait. We need to strengthen the participation of developing countries in international economic decision-making, norm-setting and global economic governance, so as in order to adapt to changes in the global economy. We look forward to fulfill the commitment of IMF to revisiting the adequacy of quotas and continuing the process of governance reform under the sixteenth general review of quotas and to conduct the shareholding review of the World Bank.

We welcome the UN Secretary-General’s proposal for an “SDG Stimulus” for developing countries, in particular the most in need and distressed countries, which aims at massively scaling up affordable long-term financing for development and aligning financing flows with the SDGs. We call upon the international community to follow up on the SG’s proposal.
We urge developed countries to fulfill their unmet ODA commitments to developing countries to achieve the target of 0.7 % of gross national income and 0.15 to 0.20 % of ODA to the least developed countries.

We urge the initiation of an United Nations intergovernmental process to establish measures that go beyond GDP in order to have a more inclusive approach to international cooperation and financing for development.

The Group emphasizes the need for special and differential treatment for developing countries in harnessing the developmental benefit of international trade and the importance of a multilateral trading system that relies on universal, rule-based, open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory rules as embodied in the WTO agreements.

In this connection, the Group remains deeply concerned and rejects the increasing trend by developed countries to impose unilateral and protectionist measures that undermine the multilateral trading system and would constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries or a disguised restriction on international trade, such as unilateral and discriminatory border adjustment mechanisms and taxes, negatively impacting the access of developing countries’ exports to the global markets.

The climate change agenda must be fully implemented in accordance with the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement and upholding the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. In this regard, it is critical to increase ambition on mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation, and materialize the provision and mobilization of resources by developed countries to tackle climate change. We are deeply disappointed that the goal to mobilize 100 billion dollars by developed countries per year up to 2020 was never met and we strongly call developed countries to fulfill this pledge. We also urge the full operationalization of the loss and damage fund by COP28.

It is critical an urgent promotion of technology transfer and capacity building as well as technological and scientific cooperation from developed to developing countries in order to foster sustainable development in its three dimensions and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Finally, we emphasize that as stated in the 2030 Agenda, States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries.

Madam President,

The actions just mentioned have been enunciated in several occasions by the leaders of the Global South. The lack of progress must not be attributed to a lack of solutions. Actions are there. What it is required urgently is political will to implement what we all know is needed to overcome one of the most complex crises humanity has seen in the modern history.

We, as leaders from the developing world, have the responsibility to come all together and claim with a united voice the changes needed to ensure a sustainable future for the current and coming generations.

I thank you.

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, United Nations,

The Houghouët-Boigny Foundation of Yamoussoukro: what is its contribution to the culture of peace?


The Culture of Peace Program of UNESCO was born in Yamoussoukro in 1989 at the Conference for Peace in the Minds of Men. Since then, the Houghouët-Boigny Foundation of Yamoussoukro has continued to promote the culture of peace, with an emphasis on peace education.

The 25th anniversary celebration of the 1989 Conference in 2014 established a network for research institutions for the culture of peace. Among its activities, the network reprints the CPNN bulletin each month for an African audience.

Here are CPNN articles related to this theme:

Promotion of the Culture of Peace in Africa – A Pan-African School of Peace in Yamoussoukro

Women from several African countries trained in the culture of peace

Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire : Young Christian and Muslim leaders take action for peace

Côte d’Ivoire: traditional chiefs gather in Yamoussoukro

Côte d’Ivoire: A seminar on the culture of peace organized at the FHB Foundation of Yamoussoukro

Ivory Coast: UNESCO announces the creation of a school for the Culture of Peace in Yamoussoukro

Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire: Opening of ISESCO Regional Centre for Culture of Peace

Africa, d-education

Promotion of the Culture of Peace in Africa – A Pan-African School of Peace in Yamoussoukro

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article by Harry Diallo in L’Intellgent d’Abidjan

The Pan-African School of Peace (EPAP) will soon open its doors in Yamousoukro.

The course documents and training content, the various certificates, certificates and diplomas that this school will be able to issue were presented during a workshop on Monday, July 10, 2023 at the Foundation Felix Houphouët-Boigny of Yamoussoukro. The workshop involved Professor Abou Fofana, Director of Higher Education, and his teams of university experts in the sciences of peace and in Human Rights and Citizenship Education, as well as to heads of decentralized services, community and religious leaders and students


Thus, under the aegis of the African Union and Unesco in a few months, the high-level pan-African center for training and research for the culture of peace will open its doors in the Ivorian political capital within the Foundation Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

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(click here for the French original of this article)

Question for this article:

The Houghouët-Boigny Foundation of Yamoussoukro: what is its contribution to the culture of peace?

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This school for peace, said Abou Fofana, will have the mission of equipping professionals, leaders, political and economic decision-makers, media men, religious leaders, traditional leaders, youth organizations and women, civil society leaders with high-level knowledge and skills in matters of peace and human rights as well as the mental dispositions and attitudes necessary to prevent violence and guarantee peace and sustainable development in the world in general and in Africa in particular. This will be done through scientific, cultural and educational activities.

To do this, the EPAP will offer qualifying and diplomat training in the form of workshops, seminars, and introductory and advanced courses. This will include training modules for obtaining attestations (10) and certificates (9) on peace and two diplomas, in particular the license and the master’s degree in science of peace and in Education in the Right of Man and Citizenship (EDHC).

The satisfaction of the FHB Foundation and Unesco

With regard to the training courses which lead to attestations and certificates, they are open to all actors of civil society, institutions wishing to learn about the culture of peace. As for those sanctioned by a university degree (bachelor, master or even doctorate) in science of peace and Education in Human Rights and Citizenship (EDHC), they are open to people who have obtained a Bac + 2 or equivalent to do a license in Edhc and for the master in Edhc, The license is required, all sectors combined.

Representing, on the occasion, Professor Jean-Noël Loucou, Secretary General of the FHB Foundation for Peace Research, Kouakou Mathias reiterated his institution’s commitment to work for the full success of this school of peace.

Bamba Seydou, on behalf of the Ivorian National Commission for Unesco, welcomed this initiative which is in line with the ideals of Unesco, which are the search for and establishment of peace through international cooperation in education, science and culture. He thanked the team of experts for the work they have done.

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) Center are joining efforts to build a Culture of Peace in Africa, through Training Trainers on Conflict Management

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from African Business

The UCLG Africa’s (www.UCLGA.org) Local Governments Academy (ALGA) and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) based in Durban, South Africa, will kick off their first Training-of-Trainers (ToT) Programme on Conflict Management Capacity this month with the first Workshop planned to take place from July 16th  to 22nd 2023, in Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Kingdom of Morocco.  


This Workshop is the first step of an important Conflict Management ToT Programme that will end with the graduation Ceremony and awarding of Certificates in 2025. 

Given the scope and challenges of conflicts faced by African Local and Regional Governments, the training, empowerment and capacity building of a first Cohort group within UCLG Africa Constituency will help in the promotion and anchoring of a culture of Peace at the Subnational level. 

This activity is part of the implementation of the Strategic and Sound Partnership signed between UCLG Africa and ACCORD in 2021.  

A group of 15 Representatives of African Local and Regional Governments will benefit from this rich and promising Program.

This first Seminar will be delivered and animated by Key Peacebuilding Experts and Practitioners of ACCORD, namely: 

* Mr. Philip Visser, ACCORD’s Manager of Applied Knowledge and Learning, 

* Mrs. René Ngwenya, ACCORD’s Consultant Trainer and Conflict Analyst.  

This first in-person ToT event will focus on peacebuilding, dialogue, negotiations and mediation with the goal of building a Network of competent and capacitated Trainers within UCLG Africa, who will be able to design, facilitate, disseminate, and evaluate peacebuilding and conflict management training in their own local contexts, and conduct conflict management workshops for Local and Regional Governments, Political leaders and Territorial Managers. The objective is also to encourage the production of contextual knowledge products and Peer Learning. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa).

Press contact:
lbensmain@uclga.org
+212641884326 

About UCLG Africa:  


United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) is the umbrella organization of local authorities in Africa whose founding congress took place in 2005 in the city of Tshwane, South Africa. UCLG Africa stems from the unification of three continental groupings of local governments following the official language inherited from the colonial period, namely: the African Union of Local Authorities (AULA), mainly English-speaking; the Union of African Cities (UVA), essentially French-speaking; and the Africa chapter of the União das Cidades e Capitais Lusófonas Africanas, Americanas e Asiáticas (UCCLA), mainly Portuguese-speaking.  

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Question related to this article:

How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?

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UCLG Africa currently brings together the 51 national associations of local governments operating in Africa as well as 2,000 cities and territories with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Through its members, UCLG Africa represents more than 350 million African citizens. Founding member of the world organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), UCLG Africa is its regional chapter for Africa.  

The general secretariat of the organization is established in Rabat, capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, where UCLG Africa enjoys diplomatic status as an International Pan-African organization. UCLG Africa is also represented in the five regions of Africa through regional offices. based: in Cairo, Egypt, for the North Africa Region; in Accra, Ghana, for the West Africa Region; in Libreville, Gabon, for the Central Africa Region; in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Eastern Africa Region; and in Pretoria, South Africa, for the Southern Africa Region. www.UCLGA.org 

About ALGA of UCLG Africa: 


At the origin: a “Moroccan Initiative for an African Vision”. The African Local Governments Academy (ALGA) was created based on the Resolution adopted by the Hon. Members of UCLG Africa, the Hon. Ministers of Decentralization and their Partners, at the end of the Summit V of Africities, organized in the Kingdom of Morocco, in Marrakech in 2009.   

«The promotion of the territorial dimension of development in Africa cannot be fully effective without the support of trained Human Resources that are involved in implementing it. This is why the African Ministers and Mayors who attended the Marrakech Meeting subscribed to Morocco’s Proposal to create a « Support Centre for the reinforcement of Local Authorities’ managerial and technical capacities ». The goal is to build up, share and spread best experiences and practices in Africa. This recommendation gave rise to the plan to create an African Academy of Local Authorities». (Source: Report of Africities Summit V, Local Africa moves Africa. Marrakech 16-20 December 2019, pp. 32-33).  

After several feasibility studies, including a mapping of the Training Institutes targeting the Local Governance, organized with the support of the Ministry of the Interior of Morocco, ALGA of UCLG Africa became operational since 2016. 

About ACCORD:  


The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) is a conflict management institution based in Durban, South Africa, that seeks to encourage and promote the constructive resolution of disputes, by the peoples of Africa, and so assist in achieving political stability and socio-economic recovery, within just and democratic societies, towards peaceful co-existence.

ACCORD works to bring conflict resolution, dialogue and institutional development to the forefront as a preferred approach to deal with protracted conflict and escalation to violence and armed combat. ACCORD builds capacity and skills through training, policy development and research, and recognizes the important role of the stakeholders at the local and national level, such as local governments and civil society organizations. 

Within ACCORD, its Applied Knowledge and Learning cluster/unit is responsible for the design and implementation of strategic training and learning to position ACCORD as the continent’s leading peacebuilding capacity development organization. https://www.ACCORD.org.za/

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Colombia: The Schools Embrace the Truth

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

Special to CPNN from Amada Benevides

On June 9, more than 1,300 educational institutions throughout Colombia commemorated the first anniversary of the delivery of the Final Report of the Truth Commission. In the company of civil society organizations and education secretariats, the schools organized to live a special day with their educational communities, opening a path of dialogue and reflection on the value of truth in coexistence and the history of the Colombian armed conflict.

On June 28, 2022, after more than 3 years of work, the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Non-repetition delivered its Final Report to society. The Truth Commission (CEV), together with the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and the Unit for the Search for Disappeared Persons in the framework of the Armed Conflict (UBPD), are part of the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-repetition (SVJR). The SVJR arising from the Agreement between the FARC-EP and the Colombian Government to end the armed conflict that lasted more than 60 years.

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

Question related to this article:

Truth Commissions, Do they improve human rights?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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The Commission’s report is made up of 11 chapters that are designed in multiple formats so that they can be addressed by diverse communities and populations. The Commission’s Final Report is a public good. Its recommendations arise from an in-depth analysis of what happened during years of violence from more than 1,000 reports delivered by civil society, nearly 30,000 people interviewed and heard about what is necessary for non-repetition. Not all the recommendations are addressed to the Government or the State; there are several that fall on the rest of civil society and that is why their dissemination with the formal and non-formal education sectors is so important. Girls, boys, adolescents and young people, as well as the entire educational community, have the right to know the truth about what happened in the context of the armed conflict and the commitment to work on actions so that this does not happen again.

To commemorate the date of the launch of the report, the organizations allied with the Commission invite the educational institutions to develop three special days of deliberation and action. The aim of these journeys are to promote spaces for reflection with the educational community on the most important aspects of the report and how these processes contribute to the construction of peace from the clarification of the truth and the recommendations for the construction of coexistence that the CEV developed in its three years of work.

The allied organizations of the Commission, including Fundación Escuelas de Paz – civil society organizations, universities, Secretaries of Education and the Ministry of National Education – are aware that the contribution to Peace must be a continuous process. We unite in order to propose the development of a commemorative agenda with three milestone dates that motivate reflection on the work that is carried out from the Comprehensive System for Peace and keep the Legacy of the Commission alive.

These sessions will be:

June 9: The School Embraces the Truth.

August 30: The School embraces empathy.

October 2: The school embraces justice and restoration.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, HUMAN RIGHTS, Latin America

Colombia: With the “Tourism for a culture of peace” strategy, the Government of Change will invest $8.2 billion to boost tourism in 88 territories

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia (translation by CPNN)

With the purpose of turning tourism into a mechanism that promotes the construction of a culture of peace in the territories, creating productive alliances and making known the rich cultural, gastronomic and natural diversity of the country, the strategy “Tourism for a culture of peace” was presented in the town of San José del Guaviare.

This initiative of the Government will benefit targeted population groups including victims of the armed conflict, signatories of the final peace agreement, demobilized combatants, farmers changing from illicit to legal crops and other actors for peace.

In the launch of the strategy, led by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, its Vice Ministry of Tourism, representatives of the international cooperation entities that have been linked, such as the CAF Development Bank, the United Nations Development Program; German Cooperation Colombia and the United States Agency for International Development. They support the initiative and will play an active role in its implementation.

Likewise, as it is an integrating project of the government of President Gustavo Petro Urrego, entities such as the Unit for Victims, the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization, the Renewal Agency, the Colombia in Peace Fund and 4-72 have joined this commitment to build a culture of peace in the Territory/ They participated in the launch and will play an active role in its implementation.

Also participating were the federations and associations of the country’s tourism sector.

A comprehensive strategy

During the launch of “Tourism for a culture of peace”, the Deputy Minister in charge of Tourism, John Ramos, highlighted that the first phase of implementation will have an investment of $8.2 billion, and will impact 3.5 million inhabitants of the 88 tourist territories with a peace focus.

Initially, it will benefit 34 peace firm initiatives (18 tourism production projects and 16 tourism sector value-chain projects) that are ready for commercialization; and promote the productive chain of more than 4,000 productive units led by victims of the armed conflict.

For his part, César Oliveros, advisor to the office of the Vice Ministry of Tourism, stressed that the project includes four major axes.

The first axis seeks to strengthen peace tourism territories through work that promotes governance models and lessons learned; the creation of the network of tourist territories of peace as a mechanism for the promotion and visibility of the work of reconciliation and coexistence. In addition, the goal of investing in 10 tourism infrastructure projects is proposed.

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(Click here for the Spanish original.)

Questions related to this article:
 
How can tourism promote a culture of peace?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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The second axis will be focused on promoting scenarios of economic opportunities through programs of productive chains of goods and services that can be associated with the extended value chain of tourism, making visible the work of building a culture of peace that local communities have been developing. The main mechanisms are the development of business roundtables; programs of chaining short circuits and in some cases, digital programs.

A third axis includes promoting a culture of peace through tourism by technical support for the consolidation of experiences and the construction of narratives that do not glorify the war, on the contrary, narratives that contribute to the historical memory of the country and the construction of peace. Also, the construction of the Code with Ethical Principles of tourism for the historical memory for the country.

And the fourth axis includes the development of a tourism promotion with a purpose, which aims to position these tourist territories with a differential value, with documentaries that tell stories of communities that work for transformation and that today are committed to life and that invite tourists to live these tourist experiences.

The actions will be developed in two phases, the first of which includes strengthening and development, and an initial base investment of $8.2 billion has already been approved and will be carried out over 18 months.

The second phase, of consolidation, will be executed according to the progress and dynamics of the prioritized territories and in this sense, the investments will depend on the new needs that are identified.
 
Where will it take place?

As part of the execution of this strategy, the following are considered peace tourism territories:

° The municipalities with Development Programs with a Territorial Focus -PDET-;

° The former Territorial Spaces for Training and Reincorporation -AETCR-;

° The Zones Most Affected by the Armed Conflict -ZOMAC;

° The Zones in processes of substitution of legal instead of illicit crops and

° The metropolitan areas that are transformed by scenarios for coexistence and culture.

An important condition is that they are territories with great potential for tourism, enjoyed by residents and visitors.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism has begun the process of strengthening the tourist territories of peace that include municipalities in the PDET subregions of:

1) Sierra Nevada-Perijá, Cesar;
2) Macarena-Guaviare subregion;
3) Caguan Basin and Piedemonte Caqueteño
4) Pacific Nariño;
5) Montes de Maria
6) Cauca and Valle del Cauca;
7) Arauca;
8) Putumayo;
9) Urabá Antioqueño and
10) Chocó.

Also included are five areas most affected by the armed conflict and three metropolitan areas.

Latin America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The Gloria Fuertes School of Andorra demonstrates the “transformative power of education” at the UNESCO National Meeting of Schools

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from La Comarca (republished by permission – translation by CPNN)

(See also The Unesco Schools Meeting in Andorra to strengthen the culture of peace).

“In these times, with frequent hate speech and violence, I only hope that the essence of what was built 41 years ago with this school lives forever and stays with you.” This is how Lola Oriol, director of the Gloria Fuertes Public School of Special Education in Andorra, concluded the XXXIV National Meeting of UNESCO Schools, which was hosted this year by the center. She received the applause of the 130 participating teachers from all over the world, before which The Friends of Andorra Folklore filled the room with music to conclude an event that “has been a success” and that, above all, has shown “the transformative power of education.”


The UNESCO National Meeting of Schools is organized every year in an educational center in Spain. Last year it was held in Zumaia (Guipuzkoa) and it had not been in Andorra for 28 years. At that time, in 1995, the Gloria Fuertes hosted the eighth UNESCO Schools Meeting, leaving an “indelible memory” for the most veteran people in the network, a feeling that will also be repeated after this year’s meeting. “Being able to carry out this meeting has been the dream of my life,” said Oriol.

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish.)

Question for this article:

What is the relation between peace and education?

Will UNESCO once again play a role in the culture of peace?

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The events of the meeting began on Monday and lasted until this Thursday (July 3-6) with conferences, different working group sessions and a round table with experts on the territory’s heritage. In these three days, there was also no shortage of important symbols for Andorra and the rest of the towns in the region, such as the drums and bass drums on the route or visits to “must-see” places such as the Centro Pastor and the Iberian settlement ‘El Cabo’ in the mining town . Representatives of UNESCO Schools from different parts of Spain, and other more distant places such as Angola, Portugal, Poland, Argentina or Cuba were able to discover them. And all this without neglecting the opportunity to taste products from Teruel and enjoy a night of live music and tapas through the streets of the town organized by the Andorra-Sierra de Arcos and Bajo Martín Business Association under the name ‘La noche del Gloria’.

Among the objectives pursued by this meeting are: to promote cooperation, the exchange of knowledge and collaborative associations between similar schools throughout the Spanish territory; highlight the four pillars of education – learning to know, learning to do, learning to be and learning to live together; and act as a laboratory of ideas to stimulate innovative and creative pedagogies to put global concepts into practice in the school.

The three intense days of activity served to set the work objectives to achieve the next course from the Gloria Fuertes School. «Everything will be closely linked to the prevention of bullying and abuse. In addition, we will also work on sustainability issues, something in which we have been immersed for five years now through the ‘Desplastify’ project, with which we seek to raise awareness about the use of plastic in our lives”, explained Oriol.

These objectives will also add value to the heritage of the territory, another of the themes that was present on more than one occasion during the meeting and which could also include the role that Gloria Fuertes fulfills for hundreds of families.

Next year the meeting will be in Aguilar del Campoo (Palencia), although the Andorra special education school will keep its doors open “forever” to all those who made this edition possible this year. «We carry out many events, but I think this has been the most important. For me, it has been the culmination of my life. It has become clear that our school, the Gloria Fuertes, radiates light and people have been able to capture it. I can’t do anything other than say thank you,” its director concluded emotionally.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe, Uncategorized