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.

Panel on education and peace at UN in Geneva draws faith and secular sectors together

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from the World Council of Churches

Peace education to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between people involving the religious and secular sectors is needed to counter uncertainty fed by radicalization and xenophobia, says a leading human rights advocate.
“Today I would say peace is in jeopardy once again,” said Idriss Jazairy, executive director of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue, a former head of a UN specialized agency and top diplomat for Algeria, speaking in an interview with the World Council of Churches (WCC).


Ambassador Idriss Jazairy, executive director of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC

“We are exposed to a kind of a pincer movement between populism on the one hand and extremism on the other. In those circumstances, we need to see how we can defuse this tension and give the right of way to peace. We have to do this by addressing the problem already at the school level,” he said ahead of the 10 December debate.

The inter-faith bridge-building debate will take place through an interactive dialogue between lay and religious leaders on World Human Rights Day 2018 from 14:00 to 17:00 at the United Nations Office in Geneva in room XXV. WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit will deliver the opening address after introductory remarks by the moderator Ambassador Jazairy of the Geneva Centre.

The panel will build on previous initiatives taken by the Geneva Centre and its partners on the interface between education and equal citizenship rights. The panel will include leaders of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu faiths and other experts on peace education.

‘Ignorance that creates fear of the other’

“It is an attempt to remove in children the veil of ignorance which creates the fear of the Other,” said Jazairy, noting that this approach should not be limited to young people, but also applied to adults.

“It is in this way that we feel we can promote diversity,” he said. “What we want is to teach at the school level that there is a convergence in values between world religions and also with secular leadership.”

(continued in right column)

Question related to this article:
 
How can different faiths work together for understanding and harmony?

(continued from left column)

He said that there is too much emphasis for political reasons in the context of populism and xenophobia that is put on the differences between religions and creeds.

“We want to say first that all the main world religions converge to bring out the same space” in which civilized activity should take place.

“And secondly that religions need not and should not be seen as a problem, but as the beginning on an element of the solution which can be found together with secular leadership,” said Jazairy.

The common space should be used, “as a launching pad for a new, a strong, and powerful idea,” that of “equal and inclusive citizenships rights”.

Jazairy stated that secularity used with identity-driven nationalism can lead to “exclusive secularism and to the doom of society and nations”.

“Secularity added to interaction with all stakeholders as emphasized by the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) particularly item 17.16 of the SDGS, on the contrary, can deliver a notion of diversity in unity which could be celebrated, and which would be the gateway to peace,” he observed.

The list of speakers:

Monsignor Indunil Janakaratne, Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue;

Professor Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion at St. Olaf College (US);

* Professor Majeda Omar, Associate Professor of Contemporary Western Philosophy at the University of Jordan, former Director of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies of Jordan;

* Dr. Debbie Weissman, Former President of the International Council of Christians and Jews. Author of “Memoirs of a Hopeful Pessimist: A Life of Activism through Dialogue”;

* Ms. Maria Lucia Uribe, Director of Arigatou International Geneva – Ethics Education for Children;

* Mr. Renato Opertti, Senior Programme Specialist, IBE-UNESCO;

* Ms. Beris Gwynne, Founder and Managing Director of Incitare. Former Australian diplomat and aid official and NGO Executive;

* Mr. Jan-Willem Bult, Head of Children & Youth Media and Chief Editor of WADADA News for Kids.

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

Europe, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Philippines: Peace Education among top priorities in the new Bangsamoro Government

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

“Kung gusto natin ng kapayapaan, simulan natin sa silid-aralan (If we want peace, let’s start in the classroom).”

This was emphasized by Commissioner Susana Anayatin of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) during the sectoral forum on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) on Wednesday [December 6] here in [Cotabato City].

Saying the education sector holds a vital role in shaping the minds of the youth, Anayatin urged school officials to support the advocacy for peace provided in the BOL.

“The Bangsamoro Government shall institutionalize peace education in all levels. Sa magiging curriculum natin, i-mainstream na iyong framework of peace such as respect for human rights, conflict resolution, alternative dispute resolution, and environmental care,” Anayatin said.

In September 2006, then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Executive Order 570 which requires elementary and secondary schools all over the country to include peace education in their curriculum.

Anayatin, however, said past administrations failed to fully implement the order especially in public schools.

(Article continued in right column)

Questions for this article:

Can peace be achieved in Mindanao?

Where is peace education taking place?

(continued from left column)

“Ang karamihan po sa sumunod doon ay private schools. Sa Bangsamoro, susundin po natin ang kautusan na iyon. Di po iyan bagong kautusan pero inilagay natin sa batas 

(It was mostly implemented by private schools. In the Bangsamoro, we will follow this order. It’s not a new order but it’s something we placed in the law),” she added.

Anayatin said this measure will prevent the recruitment of the youth to violent extremist groups.

“Maraming kabataan ang di nakakapag-aral. Iyong iba naging rebelde, iyong iba naging terorista na ngayon. Iyong nangyari sa Marawi, mga professionals ang ibang nandoon. Bakit? Sapagkat nawawalan na sila ng tiwala sa gobyerno,” Anayatin said.

(A lot of young people are not able to go to school anymore. Some become rebels, others terrorists. Those who laid siege to Marawi included professionals. Why? Because they lost trust in government.)

For his part, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Undersecretary Nabil Tan urged the participants through a video message to maximize the opportunity as they play a vital role in passing on information about the landmark measure.

The same sentiment was shared by Edgar Sumapal, OIC Assistant of Cotabato City Schools Division.

“As an educator and school leader, it is incumbent upon us to provide accurate information about the BOL,” Sumapal said.

The forum, which was attended by around 100 officials and administrators from Cotabato City Schools Division, was held to provide updates on the conduct of the plebiscite and shed light on the pressing issues surrounding the BOL.

Among the resource speakers present during the forum were BTC Commissioners Mohagher Iqbal, Maisarah Dandamun-Latiph, Ibrahim Ali, and Atty. Lanang Ali.

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

East Asia, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

English bulletin January 1, 2019

. REVIEW OF 2018 . .

As we enter a new year, it is a good time to review the peace initiatives of 2018 and ask if they continue to advance. Let us consider the themes of the monthly bulletins of 2018..

December: Europe meets and marches for peace. The most recent demonstrations are those of the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) in France as analyzed this month in an article from Pressenza. The title,”where democracy is on the march!” , reflects the conviction of the author that the movement is a profound protest against governmental policies that favor big industry and finance instead of the interests of the average citizen. The movement has spread from France and is now active in at least 22 other countries around the world.

November. Nobel Peace Prize: End sexual violence. The fight goes on. This month there were mass rallies protesting violence against women in Argentina (#niunamenos) and Israel, as well as activity under the name #niunamenos in Bolivia. And Amnesty International has devoted its annual review to the theme “Oppressive, sexist policies galvanize bold fight for women’s rights in 2018.”

October. International Day of Peace. Using the same methodology in 2018 as that used in 2017, we found even more events than ever around the world for the International Day of Peace. The number of events we could find was almost doubled in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

September. Progress towards peace in the Phiippines, Ethiopia, Colombia. Progress continues as shown during the last month,. We have carried an article on the Mindanao Week of Peace in the Philippines, a speech praising the Mother Ambassadors for Peace by the President of Ethiopia, and three articles from Colombia: remarks by the newly-elected President of Colombia to the National Peace Council, opening of the Truth Commission born out of the peace agreement, and an article entitled “Colombia’s rural radio stations are a key to peace.”

August. Progress in sustainable development, including reforestation projects, divestment from fossil fuels and progress in renewable energy. Progress continues in recent months in the divestment from fossil fuels as well as in a scientific breakthrough for renewable solar energy. On the other hand, it is not surprising that the international meeting of COP24 was considered by climate activists to have been a failure.

July. Slow news for peace from Africa. In December, we carry no less than 9 articles about the culture of peace coming from Nigeria, Angola, Niger, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Darfur West Sudan Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon and Mali, as well as a Report of the Commission on Elections in Africa of the African Union Peace and Security Council.

June. Nuclear disarmament. Unfortunately, there seems to be no progress towards nuclear disarmament since the United Nations canceled the High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament that was scheduled to open on May 14.

May. Korean reunification. Almost every month there is some small progress towards peace in the Korean peninsula. The most recent is the opening of a rail link between the South and North.

April. US students against gun violence. It is not clear if there is progress on this front in the United States, but the students who initiated the March for Our Lives, the American mass movement against gun violence were recently awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize for 2018. They received the prize from Archbishop Desmond Tutu during a special ceremony held in Cape Town, South Africa.

March. Solidarity in Korea, Mexico, UN Alliance of Civilizations. We have mentioned above the progress in Korea. As for Mexico, there is good news that Mexico City has elected its first woman mayor who promised “to lead an honest, open, democratic, austere, inclusive government that acts with, for and for the citizenship, without distinction of party, religion or socioeconomic level, but putting all our effort to make of this, a city of rights, with justice and that diminishes the still serious social inequalities,” And we carry an article by a youth participant in the Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations: “# Commit2Dialogue: Partnerships for Prevention and Sustaining Peace.”

February. Mass media for peace in Mexico, Colombia, and throughout Africa. The project described in Mexico does not seem to have advanced, but as mentioned above, we carry an articles in the last month about rural radio in Colombia. As for the media for a culture of peace in Africa, we have carried articles from Togo, Morocco and Senegal in recent months.

January. Review of 2017. Last year in our review we highlighted the fight against violence to women, progress at the United Nations towards nuclear disarmament and divestment from fossil fuels. As we see above, 2018 shows contijnued progress to combat violece to women and divestment from fossil fuels, but no progress towards nuclear disarmamet.

What was new and especially important last year was the progress as reviewed above towards peace in Korea, Ethiopia/Eritrea and Philippines as well as continued progress in Colombia, a process that we have followed closely for several years now.

      

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION



The 815th meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council: Report of the Commission on Elections in Africa

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT



France: Yellow Vests (Gilets Jaunes): where Democracy is on the march!

WOMEN’S EQUALITY


Argentina: Thousands of women march to the Plaza de Mayo to demand justice for Lucía Pérez

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION


UNESCO and Angola to establish Biennale of Luanda, a Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace

DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY


Global arms industry: US companies dominate the Top 100; Russian arms industry moves to second place

HUMAN RIGHTS



Amnesty International: Oppressive, sexist policies galvanize bold fight for women’s rights in 2018

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY



France: Culture for Peace Award to The Artists in Exile Workshop

EDUCATION FOR PEACE



Mexico: Promoting the subject “Culture of Peace” at all academic levels

Uncategorized

Gilets Jaunes [Yellow Vests]: the “contagion” has reached 22 countries in the World !! The media silence is deafening …

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from Reveillez-vous

The French media are careful not to broach this subject: the movement of the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) is being taken up all over the world: in Europe, in Africa, in America, in Asia … To counter (at my small level) this media silence , I propose you a “world tour of the Gilets Jaunes” …


Pic19-009 LAHORE: Dec19 Engineers protesting for their demand at irrigation office. ONLINE PHOTO by Malik Sajjad

In Taiwan, the League for Tax and Legal Reform (which has been fighting since December 2016 for tax justice), organized a Gilets Jaunes march on December 19th. In Taipei (capital of Taiwan), more than 10,000 protesters answered the call
(Source: Taïwan News)

In Bulgaria, anti-government protesters started wearing yellow vests as early as 16 November (Source: LCI)

In Canada, Gilets Jaunes from Alberta and the provinces of Saskatchewan are protesting the government carbon tax and the recent signing of a migration pact( Source: CTV News)

In Croatia, on December 15, 2018, Yellow Vests demonstrated in Zagreb, Pula and Rijeka (Source: Index.hr)

In Egypt, a lawyer was arrested for 15 days after publishing a photo of himself wearing a yellow vest to support protests in France (Source: Jerusalem Post). The sale of yellow vests has even been banned in Egypt !!( Source: The Guardian)

In Germany, Gilets Jaunes protested in front of the Brandenburg Gate and Munich (Source: Spiegel)

In Hungary, thousands of Gilets Jaunes have protested the Orban government in the streets of Budapest ( Source: Le Monde)

In Iraq, on December 5th, Gilets Jaunes demonstrated in Basra to get more job opportunities and better public services. The government fired on the demonstrators with live ammunition (Source: NBC News)

In Israel, economic uncertainty and corruption led to a gathering of Gilets Jaunes in Tel Aviv on Dec. 14 (Source: Jerusalem Post)

In Italy, the Gilets Jaunes inspired a pro-government but anti-European movement: “We are inspired by the French Gilets Jaunes, but we are motivated by other issues. Unlike the French, we support our government. We protest against Europe. We want Europe to no longer interfere with Italian politics.” (Source: The Guardian)

In Jordan, protesters critical of the country’s economic situation began to don yellow vests as protests spread outside the capital (Source: The National)

(Article continued in right column)

(Click here for the French version of this article)

Questions for this article

What is the future of the Gilets Jaunes movement?

(Article continued from left column)

In the Netherlands, on 1 December, Gilets Jaunes demonstrated in Dutch cities. New demonstrations took place on 8 December, during which peaceful protesters passed through Rotterdam ( Source: NL Times)

In Pakistan, hundreds of engineers organized a day of protest in Lahore wearing yellow vests (see photo above) (Source: Pakistan Today)

In Poland, December 12, a group of farmers blocked the A2 motorway
30 kilometers from Warsaw, claiming compensation for the pigs they were forced to slaughter (due to African swine fever) and protesting against the importation of untagged Ukrainian agricultural products from their country of origin. Agriculture Minister Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski met with protesters to explain that the government would meet all their demands ( Source: New York Times)

In Portugal, on 21 December 2018, a gathering of Gilets Jaunes was organized under the slogan “Vamos Parar Portugal”, which translates roughly to “Stop Portugal” ( Source: Euronews)

In Russia, on December 23, 2018, protesters wore yellow vests at a rally against the increase in parking fees in Moscow (Source: Kommersant)

In Serbia, a civil rights organization “Združena akcija Krov nad glavom” (translation: combined action, a roof over the head) began to wear yellow vests in their demonstrations to oppose expulsion of a resident of Mirijevo district in Belgrade and to show solidarity and a common cause with the movement of French Gilets Jaunes (Source: N1 Info)

In Tunisia, a derivative group, the Gilets Rouge (“Red Vests”), appeared on Facebook, calling for protests against the country’s economic situation(Source: Independent)

The symbol of yellow vests was also used by protesters in the UK, Sweden and Greece (Source: BBC)

In Belgium, the “Gilets Jaunes” movement has been very active for one month.
Riot police in Brussels were hit by billiard balls and cobblestones on 30 November. They fought back with water cannons. 60 arrests were made for public disorder(Source: Mercury News)

Several oil depots were blocked in Wallonie on November 16, 2018 ( Source: Le Monde). Some Belgian Gilets Jaunes have started to form a political party for the Belgian federal elections planned in 2019 under the name of “Mouvement citoyen belge” (Source: Le Soir)

On December 8, protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Charles Michel tried to cross a riot fence. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters. Protesters threw stones, flares and other items on the police, Hundreds of protesters were arrested (Source: Belfast Telegraph)

The media are careful not to talk about this global contagion of the “Gilets Jaunes” phenomenon. This is to avoid motivating even more Gilets Jaunes in France !! Charge to us to circulate this information

(Thank you to Kiki Chauvin, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Bolivia: #NiUnaMenos demands prevention to stop violence against women

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article by Nona Vargas in El Deber

EL DEBER spoke with the organization #NiUnaMenos, a movement that has raised the fight against sexist violence and that, in Bolivia, demands more help from the State to prevent the epidemic of feminicide and rape


They wear a purple ribbon on their wrists to identify with the global feminist movement. The militants of #NiUnaMenos arrive the streets with banners and crosses with the names of the last women who fell victims of the macho violence. They have a lot of work to do. More than 100 women die every year in Bolivia as victims of femicide. More than 16 girls and women are raped every day while state actions are weak in the face of the repeated action of violent men who scream, beat and kill women for no apparent reason. Their violence is not justified in any case.

EL DEBER spoke with the main leaders of #NiUnaMenos in Santa Cruz, an organization that emerged three years ago in La Paz and that today has a presence throughout the Bolivian territory with a directory in each district. Their objective is to help and advise the thousands of women who are desperate and dominated by fear when their partners, closest relatives or any stranger attacks them for the mere fact of being women.

Eva Morales takes the floor to remind us that the fight against sexist abuse is a matter not only of women, but also of men, because of the patriarchal system of oppression that has been established in the country for decades not only affects women but also men.

“The purple ribbon means ‘take my hand’, that is, any woman who sees another woman with this tape can know that she has someone to help her if she is a victim of violence.”

#NiUnaMenos is a global movement that has arisen to combat the proliferation of murders of women for reasons of gender. In Bolivia. It began its activities two and a half years ago in order to unite women victims of violence, family members and activists. “We seek to dignify and support those who have suffered any type of violence.”

A national committee coordinates departmental and national actions to mobilize women. As an independent civic organization, it has no links with political parties and its task is focused on the struggle of women against violence.

“We have no commitments and for that we are free to denounce any type of event that affects women,”

Morales considers that the key is in prevention, for which #NiUnaMenos requires concrete budgets in municipalities and governorates to combat violence through education and training. “That is why we are calling for an orange alert in the department and for the Minister of Justice to present himself so that he can see with us the situation of violence against women.”

Since March 2013, Bolivia has a Law to Combat Violence against Women, but the reality is that more and more women are being abused, raped or killed.

(article continued in right column)

(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

Questions related to this article:

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

(article continued from left column)

“We can clearly say that the crime of violence against women is finally defined. And only since 2008 that we have data from the Office of the Prosecutor on this type of crime. This is an advance, given that the Bolivian state never had data about the abuses. Due to international pressure, the Government has been forced to systematize the information on these cases in order to make visible the number of women affected. Santa Cruz is the first department in number of femicides, then comes La Paz and, thirdly, Cochabamba. But the official data of those women who denounce the abuses, in fact, are many more.

__ The case of a young girl raped by a “pack” of young men has shocked Bolivia. The relatives of the aggressors justify their children and accuse the victim. How do you see this case?

This clearly shows the degree of information and awareness that our families have.

Although they are people with an acceptable level of education, they demonstrate prejudice, misinformation and discrimination against a young woman. Violence has to do with the abuse of power. It has to do with the concept that we have of power. When does an act of violence occur? When someone does abuse their power. These young people come from affluent families and, as such, have access to certain privileges. Sexist violence has to do with the power that has been granted to man in cultural, symbolic, political and economic terms.

This culture of machismo and patriarchy has given men the belief that they are superior to women. Both men and women suffer from this belief and its consequences. It we do not dismantle this culture based on deeply rooted and traditional beliefs and practices, we will not be able to stop violence against women. Today we are identifying more and better these acts of violence, and that is why the figures are increasing, but before there were the same number of cases, only that they were not reported, but kept quiet.

__ And this comes from when we are kids .
..
So it is. We can trace the machista practices from the first years of childhood.

A study conducted in La Paz revealed that 70% of families use violence as a practice to discipline their children. Bolivia is a violent society where families use violence for abuse and punishment. Of every 10 women, eight suffer some type of violence at some point in their lives. Of every 10 women who have a partner, seven suffer some type of abuse. We have a violent culture in families and it also translates into public bodies such as the Police, the Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary.

__ Holding off the aggressors is not a guarantee …

Definitely. In fact, not even a legal complaint can guarantee that justice will be done. In many cases, women who make the complaint ask for actions that the law does not require such as forensic exams, witnesses and lawyers. The State is not prepared to offer these. The whole process of justice is inadequate; leading to revictimization and violation of rights.

__ How do you see the action of the State?

Weak, very weak. If we want to reduce violence, we need to work on prevention policies at all levels of the State.

We need violence prevention programs that also include men. Because violence against women is not a matter only of women; it is a matter of men and women. That means working with girls and boys, youth and adolescents to create a new generation that frees itself from the patriarchal and macho culture. Let both men and women be liberated. Because men also suffer from this system, because they can not express their emotions freely. The man who has a cultural belief that he is “the head of the house”, that he has to solve all situations and support the family: these are beliefs that must be unstructured from the collective imagination and our cultural practices, because we are all responsible for everything. The best way to prevent violence is to promote a culture of peace.
 

Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Nigeria: National Council for Arts & Culture moves for peaceful elections

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by Osa Mbonu in Vanguard

Critical stakeholders and indeed all Nigerians have been encouraged to embrace the long tested culture of peace during and after the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

This admonition was given by a collective assemblage of relevant stakeholders who converged at the headquarters of the National Council for Arts and Culture in Abuja to preach the message of peace as Nigeria prepares for 2019 elections.


Director-General (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe

Leading the call for peace, Director-General (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe charged everyone to maintain the culture of peace and brotherliness that Nigerians have been known for from time immemorial.

(Article continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

(Article continued from left column)

Runsewe gave the advice while addressing major interested parties like the Independent National Electoral Commission, National Council of Women Society, National Youth Council, traditional leaders, NGOs, the media, security agencies and the international community.

Speaking further, Runsewe appealed to other agencies to join the NCAC as it enjoins all Nigerians especially the youths to remain peaceful as the country goes into an election year noting that Nigerians have always been peace loving people irrespective of ethnic or political leanings.

Also adding his voice to the call for peace was the chairman of the occasion, Maj-Gen I. B. M. Haruna (rtd) who reminded everyone that the peace accord for 2015 elections has also been adopted for 2019 and should be adhered to by all players.

He extolled the NCAC for leading the call for peace agreeing that peace is a major part of Nigeria’s culture even from historical perspectives.

On his part, the Executive Director, news of the Nigerian Television Authority, Baba Barau expressed his delight with the NCAC for fulfilling its mandate with a timely initiative like the peace program affirming that Nigerians from all divides will continue to coexist in harmony notwithstanding the outcome of the 2019 elections.

The Peace Program with the theme: Building a culture of peace towards 2019 elections, was organized at the instance of NCAC with the aim of sensitizing Nigerians on the need to maintain peace before, during and after next year’s elections.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Fossil Free Movement: 1000 Divestment Commitments and Counting

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

Excerpts from the website of Go Fossil Free

As the world wakes up to urgency of keeping global warming below 1.5C, a major milestone has been reached in the worldwide movement to stop investments in the fossil fuel companies driving the climate crisis. Over 1000 institutions with managed investments worth almost USD $8 trillion have committed to divest from fossil fuels.

Since 2012 the number of institutions commiting to fossil fuel divestment has increased rapidly and spread globally. From 181 institutions and $50 billion worth of assets committed to divestment at the end of 2014, to almost $8 trillion today.

The reach and impact of this new global movement is huge, major institutions committing to remove, in whole or in part, nearly $8 trillion in assets from fossil fuel investments. The momentum has been driven by a people-powered grassroots movement, ordinary people on every continent pushing their local institutions to take a stand against the fossil fuel industry and for a world powered by 100% renewable energy.

In the financial world, divestment has taken on a momentum of its own as well. Fund managers and fiduciaries are increasingly aware of the risks of climate breakdown and deciding of their own accord to divest from morally unsound and financially risky industries.

The 1000th institution to divest is the Caisse des dépôts et consignations (CDC), which manages France’s public sector pensions, savings, and investments worth €173 billion (USD $196 billion). It recently announced that from 2019 it will no longer invest in companies that generate more than 10% of their business from coal. . . .

(continued in right column)

Question for this article:

Divestment: is it an effective tool to promote sustainable development?

(continued from left column)

What started as a trickle of early divestment announcements from pioneering progressive institutions like the Quakers and a small number of universities has now swept up some of the world largest pension funds and insurers, dozens of world-class universities, the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, the country of Ireland, major capital cities, as well as philanthropic foundations, health associations and worldrenowned cultural institutions. . . .

The impact

While some continue to dismiss divestment, arguing it will have no discernible impact on the bottom line of fossil fuel companies, they miss the point of the movement entirely — Our theory of change is two fold:

1. Create an opportunity for millions of people to get directly involved in challenging the drivers of climate breakdown

2. Stigmatise the fossil fuel industry and reduce its power over politicians and climate policy. We measure how well the Fossil Free campaign is doing not only by the amount of money divested from any particular oil company.

We measure success by how publicly an institutions makes its Fossil Free commitments, by how many activists are taking action online and in the streets and by how socially acceptable it is to invest in or be publicly associated with the reckless fossil fuel industry.

When institutions as diverse as the British Medical Association, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (the French public financial institution), New York City, Capetown, the World Council of Churches, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Stockholm University, Tate Britain museums and Allianz Insurance all turn their backs on the fossil fuel industry, the signals are starting to get through loud and clear to a wide-cross section of society.

Fossil fuel companies have never had a worse reputation or been more on the defensive than today. Solar power, wind energy, tidal, geothermal and advances in battery storage and hydroenergy are leaping ahead of antiquated fossil fuels like coal and tarsands in terms of affordability, popular public support, and cost-effectiveness per kilowatt hour. The success and profile of the divestment movement has created the space for governments to advance climate policy and legislation, and in some cases to go further and directly challenge fossil fuel companies through litigation.

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Ethiopian President Calls to Work for Peace and Security

. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

An article from Prensa Latina

December 24: The president of Ethiopia, Sahlework Zewde, called to work for unity, peace, and stability that the country needs today to guarantee security and welfare of all citizens.

We must work together so that each person is protected by laws, and can exercise their rights and perform their duties because those are fundamental bases for democracy and the development of our nation, she said.

(continued in right column)

Question for this article:

Can peace be achieved between Ethiopia and Eritrea?

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

(continued from left column)

We have several problems related to this and we must solve them soon, she emphasized in a meeting with Mother Ambassadors for Peace, a group composed of representatives of nine regional states and two municipal administrations.

According to Fana Broadcasting Corporate, Zewde said that the population has an unlimited desire to live in a peaceful situation, ‘and the people itself, with our cooperation, must work for the defense of peace, as the Ambassadors preach.’ 

Also, I praise this group that during the last 30 days toured the country with the aim of detecting deficiencies and propose actions to solve them.

Women have the ability to solve critical problems, and they would play an important role in resolving conflicts and bringing peace and security, she assured.

Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Special Train Departs for Railway Groundbreaking Ceremony in N. Korea

. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

An article from KBS World Radio

A special train carrying about 100 South Koreans has left for North Korea for a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for a project aimed at modernizing and connecting roads and railways across the border.


Photo YONHAP News

The train carrying nine cars departed Seoul Station at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday [December 26] for the ceremony set for 10 a.m. at Panmun Station in the North’s border town Gaeseong. 

(continued in right column)

Question for this article:

Can Korea be reunified in peace?

(continued from left column)

The South Korean delegation includes Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee, ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Hae-chan and floor leaders of ruling and opposition parties.

The North’s delegation will be led by Ri Son-gwon, the chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country. He will be joined by high-ranking North Korean officials including Kim Yun-hyok, the railway minister.

The 50-minute ceremony will feature events in which officials of the two Koreas will sign a sleeper, connect railroad tracks and unveil a road sign.

The South Korean delegation will return on Wednesday afternoon after a lunch at a lodging facility in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia

Mexico: Promoting the subject “Culture of Peace” at all academic levels

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from ONU Noticias México (translation by CPNN)

The Office in Mexico of the United Nations for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), will accompany the process of discussion and analysis of the initiative that promotes the incorporation of the subject “Culture of Peace” at all academic levels , according to the President of the Commission of Culture and Cinematography, Sergio Mayer Bretón, speaking last Monday, December 17.

Photo: UNESCO Mexico Frédéric Vacheron, Representative from UNESCO Mexico (left); Sergio Mayer, President of the Commission of Culture and Cinematography (center, wearing glasses), Francisco Guerra, Coordinator of the World Embassy of Activists for Peace in Mexico; Bertha Rodríguez, Sria. Gral. Of AAPAUNAM (checkered jacket).

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Questions for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

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The proposal was promoted by the World Embassy of Activists for Peace in Mexico and proposes additions in the General Education Law to include this chair in the Mexican educational system.
In this regard, Frédéric Vacheron, Representative a.i. from the UNESCO Office in Mexico, explained that this action represents a great opportunity to rethink the tools to support the construction of a Culture of Peace in Mexico, in which education plays a fundamental role.

He commented that the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and the UNESCO conventions ratified by Mexico, are commitments and tools to achieve the culture of peace and promote and protect human rights, and offered the accompaniment of the Office in Mexico in the discussion and analysis of this initiative.

For more information, click here.

(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America