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.

News from the Culture of Peace Foundation in Nigeria

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

Excerpts from the instagram page of the Culture of Peace Foundation

The Culture of Peace Foundation (CUPEF) brings together changemakers and thought leaders with a common vision to advance culture of peace and non-violence.

A official statement dated October 20, 2023 says “Culture of Peace Foudation was founded with a vision to advance UNESCO culture of peace and non-violence amongst all class of humanity regardless of race, gender, color or creed. The mission of the foundation is to create conditions for the attainment of sustainable peace through human capital development, empowering individuals and communities to cultivate culture of peace and non-violence.


Week one with Paulinho Muzaliwa and Titilope Adedokun CHC agri-technicians training program 2024 in cooperation with Culture of Peace Foundation

A lecture dated October 24, 2023 by Freddy Mutanguha, CEO of Aegis Trust, is publicized on the subject of “Strategizing for our collective future; Dialogues of peace; Dismantling Hate.”

January 13, 2024. Partnership with African University Student Platform for African Youth Conference January 18-20 in Kigali, Rwanda.

January 13, 2024. Farouk Chibuzor Akaolisha, founder and president of the Culture of Peace foundation speaks on NTA Channel 5, Abuja, concerning “Role of Intercultural Communication in Effective Leadership.”

January 20, 2024. The President of Culture of Peace Foundation Farouk Chibuzor met with some stakeholders in Maitama, Abuja at the office of CHC AgriTech Africa LTD to discuss better ways to engage with the state governments in some Northern States for the proposed AgriTech Training and Empowerment Project- a partnership between Culture of Peace Foundation (CUPEF) and CHC AgriTech Africa with commitment to train smallholder farmers in Nigeria on the use of eco-friendly and fast-acting microbiome technology to improve food security and environmental health protection.

March 30, 2024: culture_of_peace_foundation, Maitama, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Are you are a farmer, teacher, student, freelancer, unemployed graduate, civil servant, business person, or even a stay-at-home mom interested in creating new economic opportunities through agriculture, we invite you to register for the CUPEF-CHC Agri-Technicians Training Program to unlock exciting new opportunities in the agro-value chain.

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Question for this article:

What is the relation between movements for food sovereignty and the global movement for a culture of peace?

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May 11, 2024. We are pleased to announce the launch of CHC Agri-Technicians Training Program on Microbiome Technology- a partnership between Culture of Peace Foundation (CUPEF) and CHC AgriTech Africa aimed at promoting food security and economic empowerment of smallholder farmers.

May 28, 2024. The First Session of Train the CHC Agritechnicians Program. Meet Our Distinguished Trainer- Ms Titilope delivered the topic on the “Benefits of Social Media for Farmers”. Titilope, a renowned social entrepreneur and digital expert shared insights on using social media to drive impactful change and empower communities. Creating opportunities for Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture.

May 28, 2024. Paulinho Muzaliwa- Uganda Unidos Projects also shared knowledge and experiences with our participants us on “SOIL HEALTH”. Passionate about Regenerative Agriculture, Paulinho Muzaliwa is a multiple social impact award winner, Founder of UNIDOS Project and a Congolese Nationale living in Uganda as a Refugee.

May 29, 2024. The Second Session was delivered by Mr. Hammed Kayode on the “Art of Story Telling” taking the participants on exciting new experiences on how farmers an adapt a unique storytelling techniques to communicate their businesses and success stories to their target markets and the global community.

June 12: the Third session of CHC Agritechnicians Training Program in collaboration with @chc_agritech_africa_nigltd and @culture_of_peace_foundation featured two amazing Speakers, Earnest Corner and Dominique Edwards, both from the United States of America and Fellows at Western Union Foundation and Watson Institute. Our goal is to raise 100 Certified and Well-trained Agritechnicians that will reach and empower 100,000 farmers in 2024 and we aim to achieve this by collaborating with community leaders, social impact changemakers, farmers cooperatives, NGOs and Community Based Organisations to reach large number of smallholder farmers across communities for increased agricultural productivity and economic empowerment. We are currently working with diverse stakeholders both in the government and the private sector organisations to provide our Agritechnicians with mentorship and best experience in agricultural innovation for increased capacity development and sustainable food security.

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‘Glimmer of Hope’ as UN Security Council Approves Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY .

An article by Brett Wilkins from Common Dreams

In a move that boosts the three-phase plan announced by President Joe Biden late last month, the United Nations Security Council on Monday voted 14-0—with permanent member Russia abstaining—in favor of a U.S.-sponsored resolution for a cease-fire in Gaza.


The ambassadors of the United Kingdom, United States, and Algeria raise their hands to vote in favor of a United Nations Security Council resolution for a cease-fire in Gaza in New York on June 10, 2024. (Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia chose not to exercise its power to veto the resolution, which urges Israel and Hamas to “fully implement its terms without delay and without condition.”

Responding to the vote, Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement that “although the Biden administration should have allowed the U.N. Security Council to pass a permanent cease-fire resolution many months and many slaughtered Palestinians ago, we welcome today’s development as a positive and long overdue step toward ending the genocide.”

“The Biden administration must now use American leverage to force [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to agree to a permanent cease-fire so that the massacres of Palestinian civilians can end, all hostages and political prisoners can safely go free, international tribunals can begin holding those responsible for war crimes accountable, and the world can finally begin pursuing a credible end to the illegal occupation of Palestine that has fomented decades of injustice and oppression.”

As U.N. News explained:

Phase one includes an “immediate, full, and complete cease-fire with the release of hostages including women, the elderly and the wounded, the return of the remains of some hostages who have been killed, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners.”

It calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from “populated areas” of Gaza, the return of Palestinians to their homes and neighborhoods throughout the enclave, including in the north, as well as the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale.

Phase two would see a permanent end to hostilities “in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”

In phase three, “a major multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza” would begin and the remains of any deceased hostages still in the strip would be returned to Israel.”

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Question related to this article:

How can a culture of peace be established in the Middle East?

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The council also underlined the proposal’s provision that if negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one, the cease-fire will continue as long as negotiations continue.

“The only way to end this cycle of violence and build a durable peace is through a political settlement,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield—who vetoed several previous Security Council cease-fire resolutions— said following Monday’s vote.

The Biden administration has provided Israel with billions of dollars in military aid, arms and ammunition sales, and diplomatic cover.

In a statement, Hamas—which led the October 7 attack on Israel that left more than 1,100 people dead and over 240 others taken hostage—welcomed the resolution’s passage and affirmed  its willingness “to enter into indirect negotiations on the implementation of these principles.”

However, Reut Shapir Ben-Naftaly, Israel’s representative at the U.N., said her country’s objectives in the war have not changed and vowed to keep fighting “until all of the hostages are returned and Hamas’ military capabilities are dismantled.”

“Israel will not engage in meaningless and endless negotiations which can be exploited by Hamas as a means to stall for time,” she added.

According to Palestinian and international agencies, at least 37,124 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed by Israeli forces during the 248-day Gaza onslaught, which is the subject of an International Criminal Court genocide case  brought by South Africa and supported by more than 30 nations and regional blocs. Nearly 85,000 Palestinians have also been injured. At least 11,000 other Palestinians are missing and believed buried beneath the rubble of hundreds of thousands of bombed-out buildings.

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan is seeking  arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders for alleged crimes including extermination.

Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama said  after Monday’s vote that “as a free and dignified people, the Palestinians will never accept living under occupation. They will never abdicate their fight for liberation.”

“This text is not perfect, but it offers a glimmer of hope to the Palestinians as the alternative is continued killing and suffering,” he added. “We voted for this text to give diplomacy a chance. It is time to halt the killing.”

The Security Council resolution’s passage follows last month’s vote by the U.N. General Assembly to recognize Palestinian statehood—a move supported  by 143 members of the World Body but vehemently opposed by Israel and the U.S. Only nine nations voted against recognizing Palestine as an independent state.

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Report of World Peace Foundation activities in DR Congo

. EDUCATION FOR PEACE . .

Special to CPNN from John Mukhuta Muhiana (translation by CPNN)

We are an organization called the World Peace Foundation in DR Congo. During this period of war in our Country, we organized many activities on Peace with different categories of the population, especially with students from different schools always within the framework of promoting Peace.

The World Peace Foundation asks the authorities to get involved in promoting the culture of Peace while always respecting our motto: Peace, love and unity. Also with the following objectives: to educate children, adolescents and adults for a culture of Peace, non-violence and justice; educate children, adolescents and adults in conflict resolution; Intervene in cases of conflict resolution between individuals, between families, between companies, businesses, NGOs or between members of a group, different groups or social or administrative institutions; supervise children; create schools; create universities for learning conflict resolution; celebrate the International Day of Peace every year.

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

Questions related to this article:

Can a culture of peace be achieved in Africa through local indigenous training and participation?

What is the relation between peace and education?

A constant fact we have noticed is that it is a challenge for the supervision of youth; they commit acts of violence, killing, theft. These young people are commonly called coulouna in Kinshasa and in my province they are called shegués. Despite the restoration of certain young people, the community does not find Peace, there is an African proverb which says, the small tree of today will become the forests of tomorrow, if today the organizations of civil society, the government is not totally involved, this means our planet is in danger. We have an obligation to make all our efforts to supervise these young people and achieve the objective of promoting the culture of Peace and non-violence and create a possible world. Our planet earth needs Peace.

We believe that with globalization no one can live as an island, so we are obliged to live together or we say that without Africa there will be no America, without America there will be no Asia, without Asia there will be no Europe and without Europe there will be no Oceania, and without Oceania there will be no Africa. This is why our Organization asks the Congolese population to use a simple diagram of cups for Peace, where you will find “love, kindness, charity, dignity, honesty, joy, peace, prosperity and unity. » which could bring our planet Earth to its full development.

If we use this simple diagram, we will see a real change in our planet Earth.
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How can just one or a few persons contribute to peace and justice?

At CPNN we have carried many articles showing that the actions of one or a few persons can contribute substantially to peace and justice.

The initial action may seem insignificant and futile, but if it inspires others to join in, the individual action and grow into a social movement.

A good example is the story of Greta Thunberg.

As described in the CPNN article about the social movement Fridays for the Future, it all began with what seemed at the time like an insignificant and futile act by Greta Thunberg, a 15-year old girl who had been labeled as autistic.

It all started in August 2018, when Greta began a school strike for climate. In the three weeks leading up to the Swedish election, she sat outside Swedish Parliament every school day, demanding urgent action on the climate crisis. She was tired of society’s unwillingness to see the climate crisis for what it is: a crisis.

To begin with, she was alone, but she was soon joined by others. On the 8th of September, Greta and her fellow school strikers decided to continue their strike until the Swedish policies provided a safe pathway well under 2° C, i.e. in line with the Paris agreement. They created the hashtag #FridaysForFuture, and encouraged other young people all over the world to join them. This marked the beginning of the global school strike for climate.

Here are the CPNN articles that touch on this subject:

USA: Graduation speeches for the cause of Palestine

The artists Mira Awad and Noa: voices for peace in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

Nikolai Firjubin, Founder of UNOY Youth Peace Network

UNESCO: How can young people become actors of peace?

Colombian Civic Leader Offers a Grassroots Strategy for Peace

A song for peace

Celebrating Rachel Corrie

Yurii Sheliazhenko: Peace in Ukraine: Humanity Is at Stake

Nobel Peace Prize 2023: PRIO Director’s Shortlist Announced

Mr. Rajagopal P. V. to receive the Niwano Peace Prize

Teen peace prize winner on a mission to give Japanese youth a voice

Basel Peace Office announces the nine finalists for the 2023 PACEY Youth Award

International Peace Bureau: 2022 MacBride Peace Prize recipients

Moscow TV protester plays ‘Russian roulette’ with risky comeback

Satish Kumar to Receive the 2022 Goi Peace Award

UN Women : Five young women on the forefront of climate action across Europe and Central Asia

Fridays for Future: Who we are

Spain: First-person testimonies: this is how we fight for gender equality by activism and participation

Adja Kadije, peace mediator in the Central African Republic

United States: Who Is Clare Grady and Why Should We Care that She is in Federal Prison?

India: Activist Disha Ravi, 22, Arrested Over Toolkit, Faces Conspiracy Charge

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations: Five Youth-Led Organizations Selected as Recipients of the Youth Solidarity Fund for 2019

2015-16 Recipients of UN Youth Solidarity Fund, Africa and Middle-East

Advances by the anti-war left in Israel: Interview with Uri Weltmann

DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY .

An article by Federico Fuentes in Nueva Sociedad, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (translated by CPNN)

Standing Together is an Israeli Jewish-Arab social movement against racism and occupation and for equality and social justice. In this interview, Uri Weltmann, national organizer for Standing Together, talks about the growing peace movement in Israel, how activists are confronting far-right extremists who are trying to block humanitarian aid from reaching the Gaza Strip, and recent electoral advances of the left.

How has the peace movement within Israel evolved since October 7? Is it changing public opinion and counteracting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war efforts? What role does Standing Together play within the movement?

After October 7, the Israeli police limited people’s right to protest and exercise their civil liberties. It was almost impossible to get a permit to demonstrate. That’s why, throughout October and November, most of the actions undertaken by the peace movement – including Standing Together – were not necessarily marches, pickets or rallies. Instead, we hung street signs reading “Only peace will bring security” and organized emergency Jewish-Arab conferences in two dozen towns and cities across Israel, where we raised the demand for an alternative path to the government’s.

Only in December did the possibility of organizing larger protests arise. At the time, Standing Together brought together hundreds of people at a rally in Haifa on December 16 and another 1,000 people at a rally in Tel Aviv on December 28. In January, we held our first anti-war march, in which a coalition of more than 30 peace movements and organizations mobilized thousands of people.

The latest and largest demonstrations to date occurred in early May, featuring Palestinian and Jewish speakers and thousands of people marching in Tel Aviv under the slogan “Stop the war, bring back the hostages.” One of the speakers was Shachar Mor (Zahiru), whose nephew is held by Hamas in Gaza. He harshly criticized the cynicism of Netanyahu and his allies, and called for an end to the war to bring back the hostages. Avivit John, a survivor of the Kibbutz Beeri massacre, where many civilians were killed on October 7, told the crowd that although he had lost friends and family in the Hamas attack, he did not want us, as a society, to also lose our humanity. He called for an end to the war, recognition of the shared humanity of Israelis and Palestinians and the return of the hostages.

Along with the protests organized by the peace movement, there has also been a broader protest movement demanding the return of the hostages and which, over time, has taken an explicitly anti-war line. In the first months after October 7, family and friends of the hostages organized demonstrations to raise awareness about their plight, with the aim of putting pressure on the government. However, two months ago, this movement took a left turn by linking up with anti-Netanyahu organizations and publicly announcing that they had concluded that Netanyahu and his government were an obstacle to a ceasefire agreement that could facilitate the release of the hostages. Instead, they said, what is needed is a mass movement to force out the government and hold early elections.

A few weeks ago, when negotiations between Israel and Hamas seemed on the verge of reaching an agreement, the protest movement openly declared itself in favor of ending the war in exchange for the return of the hostages. They held one of their massive Saturday protests in Tel Aviv – attended by tens of thousands of people – under the slogan “Hostages, not Rafah”, and popularized the chant “Kulam Tmurat Kulam” (Hebrew for “[Liberation] of all of them, in exchange for all of them”), a call for the release of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails in exchange for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

This broad protest movement has changed the political climate within Israel: the right-wing and far-right parties that make up Netanyahu’s coalition are losing ground among the population. Although they obtained 64 of the 120 seats in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) in the November 2022 elections, according to the latest polls today they would only win between 45 and 52 seats. This poses a problem for Netanyahu, as it not only means that he would be removed from office, but that his corruption trial would be resumed and he could possibly end up in jail. So he has both a political and a personal interest in a long, extended war against Gaza, as his far-right coalition partners demand. He knows that a hostage deal will most likely mean the end of the war. And that the end of the war means the dismantling of his coalition government and the calling of early elections, with a consequent political defeat and the possible loss of his personal freedom. It is this assessment that has led the broad protest movement calling for the return of the hostages to realize that Netanyahu is an obstacle that must be removed and not merely an interested party that must be convinced.

Members of Standing Together have intervened in these mass protests – in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Beer Sheva, Kfar Sava, Karmiel and elsewhere – insisting that the safe return of the hostages must be accompanied by ending the war and the massacres of innocent civilians in Gaza. Furthermore, our message is that the long-term security of both peoples will not be achieved through war, occupation and siege. On the contrary, we demand an end to the occupation and a peace between Israel and Palestine that recognizes the right of everyone to live in freedom, security and independence. There are millions of Israeli Jews in our country and none of them are going to leave. There are also millions of Palestinians in our country and none of them are going to leave. This must be the starting point of our politics if we want to imagine a future of justice, liberation and security.

Standing Together formed the Humanitarian Guard to counter far-right attempts to block aid convoys heading to Gaza. What can you tell us about this initiative?

In mid-May, images and videos drew attention of violent and extremist settlers, known as The Young People of the Hill, attacking trucks at the Tarqumia checkpoint – the main border crossing connecting occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank with Israel – carrying food and other humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. The Palestinian truck drivers were beaten and hospitalized, the bags of flour and wheat were destroyed, and the trucks were set on fire. These violent attacks received local and international media attention, especially because they occurred in front of Israeli soldiers and police who did nothing to prevent them.

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(Click here for the original Spanish version.)

Question related to this article:

How can a culture of peace be established in the Middle East?

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In response, Standing Together announced the formation of the Humanitarian Guard, an initiative to bring together peace activists from across Israel to act as a physical barrier between extremist settlers and the trucks, document what was happening, and force the police to intervene. . To date, more than 900 people have signed up to volunteer for this initiative. Every day, dozens of people flock from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to the checkpoint. Our protective presence at the Tarqumia checkpoint has allowed the safe passage of hundreds of trucks during the first two weeks, delivering tons of food to the civilian population of the Gaza Strip, where a growing famine and humanitarian catastrophe is occurring. .

The first day I was there, the police were forced to move the settlers away and allow the trucks to pass, whose drivers honked their horns in support. The settlers seemed visibly upset by our presence and the fact that we outnumbered them. They abandoned the checkpoint, but we learned from their WhatsApp group that they were regrouping on the road to attack the trucks before they reached the checkpoint. When we reached the intersection where they were, we found them looting a truck, destroying packages of food and throwing it on the side of the road. Only when we arrived did the police reluctantly move them aside, allowing the wrecked truck to drive away. We collected the food to put it on the next trucks. We also documented settler attacks and filed complaints, which led to the police arresting some of them.

We consider the Humanitarian Guard as both a way of expressing solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip and waging a fight for the character of our society: we refuse to allow Israeli society to be modeled after the moral frameworks of the fanatics of extreme right that dehumanize Palestinians and promote a politics of death. Standing Together, as a movement, is rooted within Israeli society, with all its complexities, and works to create changes in public opinion and organize the Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel to build a new majority within our society, one that allows us to move towards peace, equality and social and climate justice.

The United Nations (UN) recently voted to elevate Palestine’s status in that organization, while some European governments have officially recognized the Palestinian state. The United States has even refused to supply bombs to Israel to attack Rafah. Within Israel, is there a feeling that international support is being lost? What impact does this have on public opinion about the government?

The UN vote to give more rights to the Palestinians, as well as the decision by Spain, Norway and Ireland to formally recognize the Palestinian state, are important diplomatic steps to reinforce the international legitimacy of the struggle for liberation and the right to a Palestinian state. I am convinced – and there is a broad international consensus on this matter – that the UN resolutions constitute the best basis to allow the Palestinians to achieve their right to national self-determination, through the establishment of an independent State with East Jerusalem as its capital and the Green Line (the border before June 4, 1967) as the border between the States of Palestine and Israel. Such a peace agreement would have to include the dismantling of all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law; a fair and consensual solution for Palestinian refugees based on UN resolutions; the demolition of the so-called Separation Wall built in the early 2000s; and the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, including the more than 3,600 “administrative detainees” who remain in jail without charge, trial or conviction, in some cases for many years.

Within Israel, the mainstream media presents this shift in foreign public opinion and diplomatic developments as supposedly directed against all Israelis. The Israeli political class tries to identify the government and the State with ordinary people and presents the international criticism directed against the actions of the Netanyahu government in Rafah as criticism directed against all Israeli citizens, while the accusations of war crimes against Netanyahu and others in high positions are presented as accusations directed against all Israelis. This has the effect of consolidating people around Netanyahu’s government, so that even people who criticize his actions or are looking for a political alternative side with him against the Hague court.

This demonstrates the importance of creating a space within Israeli society to criticize the policies of the political establishment. If all the criticism is external, or if the criticism confuses the people with the government, the effect will be to close, rather than widen, the gap between the majority of the people and the current leaders.

In the midst of the war, local elections were held in which, for the first time, Standing Together gained representation in the municipal councils of Tel Aviv and Haifa. What can you tell us about these results and their importance for the construction of a new left in Israel?

On February 27, local elections were held in Israel. Initially scheduled for October, they were postponed due to the war. These elections, held every five years, determine the composition of the municipal councils. In the months prior to the elections, two new urban movements, both ideologically related to Standing Together, emerged in Tel Aviv and Haifa to compete in those elections.

In Tel Aviv, the local Purple City movement, led by Standing Together national leadership member Itamar Avneri, brings together a majority coalition of urban youth around housing and climate justice issues. In September, he joined with other left-wing sectors, such as the Communist Party, a local environmental movement and some community activists to form an electoral coalition called La Ciudad Somos Todos. This coalition obtained 14,882 votes (7.6%) in the elections and won 3 of the 31 municipal council seats. Avneri, who was the third candidate on the coalition’s list, was elected as a councillor.

In Haifa, the local City Majority movement, led by Sally Abed, from the national leadership of Standing Together, participated in the elections and obtained 3,451 votes (3%), which allowed Abed to be elected as a councilor. It was the first time that a Palestinian woman headed a list for the Haifa municipal council. The list also included as a candidate Orwa Adam, an openly gay Palestinian activist, something unprecedented in Israeli electoral history.

Both lists were joint Jewish-Arab movements and, although organisationally, legally and financially independent of Standing Together – as electoral laws require – both were publicly recognized as consistent with our political “mark”. These successful experiences of electoral movements organized from below are important for the construction of a new popular and viable left in Israel with roots in our communities, an internationalist orientation and grounded in socialist values. In the coming years, this is the main challenge facing all of us who hope to see a combative left in Israel capable of confronting the dominant institutional hegemony and building power around an alternative political project.

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2024 Theme for the International Day of Peace: Cultivating a Culture of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from the United Nations

The 2024 Theme for the International Day of Peace is “Cultivating a Culture of Peace”.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.

In that declaration, the United Nations’ most inclusive body recognized that peace “not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.”

In a world with rising geopolitical tensions and protracted conflicts, there has never been a better time to remember how the UN General Assembly came together in 1999 to lay out the values needed for a culture of peace. These include: respect for life, human rights and fundamental freedoms; the promotion of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation; commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts; and adherence to freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations.

(Click here for the article in French or click here for the article in Spanish.)

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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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In follow-up resolutions, the General Assembly recognized further the importance of choosing negotiations over confrontation and of working together and not against each other.

The Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) starts with the notion that “wars begin in the minds of men so it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”. It is this notion that framed the theme and logo of this year’s observance of the International Day of Peace. The ideas of peace, the culture of peace, need to be cultivated in the minds of children and communities through formal and informal education, across countries and generations.

The International Day of Peace has always been a time to lay down weapons and observe ceasefires. But it now must also be a time for people to see each other’s humanity. Our survival as a global community depends on that.

Background

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.

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Speech by Alba Barusell i Ortuño, President of Mayors for Peace European Chapter

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

Text from speech on youtube

It is a pleasure and an honor for me as president of the European Chapter of Mayors for Peace and mayor of the city of Granollers, to be her with you and to share this space for reflection and peacebuilding. I thank Basel Peace Office for once again inviting Mayors for Peace to participate in this event on “Peace, Climate Protection, and the United Nations: The role of cities and young people”.

The first recommendation of the new peace agenda, which will be presented at the United Nations Summit of the future, is the elimination of nuclear weapons and the promotion of new preventive and diplomatic mechanisms. The more than 8,000 city members of Mayors for Peace are committed to global peace and nuclear disarmament.

We have six years left to comply with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, and we are falling behind. The roadmap for reducing poverty, hunger in the world, climate change, and peacefully resolving armed conflicts is not only stagnating but also receding. Accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is a fundamental condition for achieving the objectives proposed by the New Agenda for Peace. It must be nurtured and inspired by the peace policies that are implemented at the national, regional, and, above all, local level by the municipalities.

(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for this article:

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

The new generations have a big challenge ahead of them. The participation of young people is essential to ensuring compliance with the 2030 Agenda. Its contribution increases the legitimacy and sustainability of decision-making and peace processes. All over the world, we find young people fighting for justice, gender equality, human rights, and climate protection. Cities must listen to them and work with them to take advantage of their power as peacekeepers.

Cities build peace by focusing on preserving and guaranteeing the rights of all people, regardless of their condition, and thus reducing the causes of violence in our cities and territories. We build inclusive societies that allow all the people who live in them to feel involved and leaders of their own future. This is a way to strengthen and take care of democracy. Not leaving anyone behind is our global goal. An objective that must be worked on by our municipalities, our territory and our cities.

From Mayors for Peace we consider it important that there are spaces as significant as this forum, in which different actors willing to work for peace in the world converge. We have our most sincere and profound respect for all the efforts made in organizing this forum, and I thank you very much for allowing us to participate and contribute to it.

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English bulletin June 1, 2024

. MOBILIZING FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE AROUND THE WORLD

Last September we described more than 942 events to mark the International Day of Peace that took place in 93 countries. And in March we carried photos of mobilizations for International Women’s Day that took place in 68 countries in all regions of the world.

Mass mobilizations for peace and justice continued during the past two months.

Workers took to the streets around the world to celebrate May Day, and we carried photos from events in 11 countries of Europe, 10 countries of Asia/Pacific, 6 countries of Africa and the Middle East and 12 countries of the Americas. In addition to the traditional demands of wage increases and job security amid soaring food and oil prices, many of them demanded action against the Israeli genocide in Gaza, and others protested the new fascist regimes in Italy and Argentina. A transcript of the rally in New York with its demands for peace in Gaza has been published by Amy Goodman.

University students occupied their campuses to protest the Israeli genocide. The latest counts of university encampments list 17 countries including India, Mexico, Japan, as well as the UK, Australia, France and, of course, the United States where encampments are listed in at least 24 colleges and universities.

Michael Moore compares the students’ actions to those that made possible women’s suffrage, trade union rights, civil rights and protests against the American war in Vietnam. The Global Campaign for Peace Education published an eloquent description by an encampment participant explaining how they are guided by the UN definition of a culture of peace.

Youth participated in a global strike marking Earth Day to demand “climate justice now”. In Sweden, Greta Thunberg  joined hundreds of other demonstrators for a march in Stockholm; in Kenya, participants demanded that their government join the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty; and in the U.S., youth activists held more than 200 Earth Day protests directed at pressing President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency. Mobilizations took place around the world, not only in Sweden, US and Kenya, but also in Bangladesh, UK, Ireland and Spain. An interview with Earth Day founder Denis Hayes says the young climate activists carry on the spirit of his generation.

Mobilizations like this are necessary if our world is to survive the economic and political storms that are gathering on the horizon of history. But they are not enough. As described in this month’s blog, they need to be guided by a vision of a new world of peace and justice. Recent bulletins describe voices of reason and hope and culture of peace as a vision for the future. But will the activists for peace and justice be guided by them?

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION



May 1, workers’ day, around the world

HUMAN RIGHTS



Michael Moore: I Now Bring You the Voices of a New Generation

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT



Working for water and peace in the Tessalit area of Mali

WOMEN’S EQUALITY



UN Women: Rebuilding the women’s movement in Afghanistan, one organization at a time

  

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY



Manifesto: European mobilization against increasing militarization and wars

EDUCATION FOR PEACE



Egypt: Role of Universities in Building Bridges of Understanding and Peace between East and West” International Conference

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY



Recasting the narrative of pro-Palestine student encampments: a commitment to nonviolent changemaking

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION



“Workers Have Power”: Thousands Rally in NYC for May Day, Call for Solidarity with Palestine

Does military spending lead to economic decline and collapse?

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A press survey and analysis by CPNN

For many years now, CPNN has carried a discussion page on this question, Does military spending lead to economic decline and collapse?

In his 1986 book, The Overburdened Economy, the economist Llloyd J. Dumas argued that in the long run military spending will undermine the ability of the economy to function efficiently; and cause a general decline in economic wellbeing. This is because it does not contribute to the standard of living as consumer goods do, or to the economy’s capacity to produce standard-of-living goods and services in the future, as producer goods do.

This analysis is repeated in his 2005 contribution to a symposium on The Political Economy of Military Spending.

Recent news articles by financial specialists suggest that the Dumas prediction is now coming true, in the form of the ballooning national debt of the United States.


The national debt based on data from the US Department of the Treasury Fiscal Service (click on image to enlarge)

I On May 2, The Economist ran an article with the headline “America’s reckless borrowing is a danger to its economy—and the world’s; Without good luck or a painful adjustment, the only way out will be to let inflation rip.” It blames “the costs of wars, a global financial crisis and pandemic, unfunded tax cuts and stimulus programmes.”

On May 1, Fortune Magazine summarized a number of financial sources as follows:

“The nation’s debt, currently over $34 trillion, is rampantly growing as U.S. lawmakers have been unable to agree to long-term budget reforms that could tame it. 

“Officials from several institutions warn a tipping point is near and it will only get worse if it snowballs into a crisis. The national debt is currently almost the same size as the entire U.S. economy, which is roughly $27.3 trillion, according to a Council on Foreign Relations report, and is on track to double within the next thirty years. 

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Question for this article:

Does military spending lead to economic decline and collapse?

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“In the last few months, officials at several institutions including the International Monetary Fund, Congressional Budget Office and banking giant Goldman Sachs  Group have cautioned that the country’s skyrocketing debt is a big problem–literally bigger than ever before–and some fear similar market chaos  that derailed former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss’ economy when she was in office in 2022.  . .

“In the U.S., IMF officials have warned that public spending and borrowing will “overheat” the country’s economy, while pushing up funding costs  in the rest of the world. Phillip Swagel, the director of the Congressional Budget Office, said the country’s debt is on an “unprecedented” trajectory in an interview  with the Financial Times, and could risk a Truss-style economic crisis. John Waldron, the president and COO of Goldman Sachs, expressed a similar concern  at Semafor’s World Economic Summit on April 18

With the exception of the passing mention of “the costs of wars” in the Economist article, it is notable that military spending is not mentioned in the many articles quoted here, even though it is the largest contribution to the national debt. It is “forgotten” just as another recent Economist article headlines “Budgetary blindness – America’s fiscal outlook is disastrous, but forgotten.”

The Economist article refers to the fact that the debt problem is “forgotten” by the two main Presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump. They continue to make the problem worse, as Biden increases military spending for the Ukraine, and Trump promises to reduce taxes on the rich.

Not mentioned are the positions of third party candidates Cornel West and Chase Oliver.

As reported in CPNN on April 6, Cornel West would address the debt problem by drastically cutting the military budget and instituting a wealth tax.>

And as reported in CPNN this week (May 29), Chase Oliver calls for “major cuts to the federal budget with an eye toward balancing the budget . . . and the closure of all overseas military bases and ending of military support to Israel and Ukraine.”

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USA: Libertarians nominate anti-war candidate for Presidential ballot

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

A press survey by CPNN based on various articles as cited

The largest third political party in the United States, the Libertarian Party, has nominated Chase Oliver as their candidate for President. Oliver is openly gay and has announced his opposition to the Israeli war on Gaza, unlike the leading Presidential candidates, Biden and Trump. He has also signaled his support for abortion rights, unlike Trump.


Frame from video of Oliver at Libertarian Convention

Trump attended the Libertarian convention, seeking their nomination, but was rejected. According to CNN, “Oliver called it a “mistake” to have Trump speak. “You are not a libertarian, Donald Trump,” he said. “You’re a war criminal and you deserve to be shamed by everyone in this hall.”

According to Associated Press, “Oliver is an activist from Atlanta who previously ran for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House from Georgia. His campaign website calls for major cuts to the federal budget with an eye toward balancing the budget, the abolition of the death penalty, and the closure of all overseas military bases and ending of military support to Israel and Ukraine.”

In a brief video reposted by Al Jazeera, he says “I will be the only national candidate – RFK won’t, Joe Biden won’t, Donald Trump won’t, but I’m saying right now, end the genocide, ceasefire now and support peace around the world. No more proxy wars. Bring the hostages home! Absolutely. Free the hostages, too.”

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Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

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According to CNN, “Oliver has called for simplifying the pathway to citizenship for immigrants and expanding work visas and has strongly opposed US involvement in foreign wars. He has said he wants to encourage states to “decriminalize” abortion procedures while also promoting alternatives to abortion.”

“I wanted to demonstrate to the delegates and to the voters that we have the drive and energy to push ourselves everywhere to grow our party’s foundation in every state,” Oliver said in an interview with Politico. He said he has made campaign stops in all 50 states and has 500 volunteers.

According to The Guardian, the party, expects to be on the ballot in at least 37 states, and it won 1.2% of the popular vote in the 2020 election.”

According to Politico. “Oliver said his foray into politics came as an anti-war protester in the early 2000s, and that he plans to target young voters angry about the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses, Twitch and TikTok.

“We were looking at who are the most likely populations to be ready to go outside of the two-party system, and we’ve identified young people, and in particular those who are upset with the war going on in Gaza, upset with the immigration crisis, and upset with cost of living,” Oliver said. “Those are the young people that we’re going to target.”

Oliver is 38 years old, less than half the age of Biden and Trump who are 81 and 77, respectively.

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