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.

Upcoming Virtual Events

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

At CPNN, we are beginning to receive notices of free virtual events concerning the culture of peace. In order to inform our readership of these events, we will try an experiment: a “rolling article” about these events. We will try to update the listing every day or two, removing the events that are past (see for past events) and adding new events as they are received at our contact email address. To be included here, an event must be free and must provide a registration link. Unless otherwise indicated the events are in English.


Zoom is one of many new technologies available for virtual conferences.

Saturday, November 21, 2020, 2:00 – 4:00pm (Japan Time)

Goi Peace Foundation Forum 2020
“Creating a Better World for Future Generations”
— As always when great collective changes are needed, everything starts with a personal change, an intimate mutation:
acting on ourselves to prepare to act in the world, so that it remains liveable for us.
We then discover that acting on ourselves is, in itself, an action on the world. ― Jacques Attali
— In 2020, the world was brought to a standstill, urgently prompting humanity to re-examine our ways of living and being. What kind of life do we want to live, and what kind of future society do we want to create?
— We invite you to take a deep dive into these pressing questions, together with this year’s Goi Peace Award Laureate, Dr. Jacques Attali. He will be joined by philosopher Dr. Hiroshi Tasaka for an insightful conversation bringing together wisdom from West and East.
— Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation available.
— Sign up for free

Nov 21, 2020

The UNAC Youth Against Empire will sponsor a webinar call, “Anti-Imperialist election Response: Youth Fight Back
— Speakers will include representatives of the following organizations:
ANAKBAYAN
International Action Center
Sanctions Kill
Black Alliance for Peace
Pan-African Action Committee
CODEPINK
Minnesota Anti-War Committee
Resist US Led War
More to be announced
— Time : 4:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
— Register here

Wednesday 25 November 2020

In commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the African Union Office of Youth Envoy will convene the High-Level Intergenerational Dialogue to present the “Africa Young Women Beijing+25 Manifesto”
— Keynote Speaker : H.E. Mrs. Jeannette Nyiramongi Kagame – First Lady of Rwanda
— Other speakers :
— H.E. Mrs Imen Houimel – Ministry of Women, Family and Elder People – Republic of Tunisia
— H.E. Mrs. Hanna Serwaa Tetteh – Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union and Head of the UN Office to the African Union
— H.E. Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka – UN Women Executive Director
— H.E. Mrs Bineta Diop, AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security
— Master Of Ceremony: Ms Zozibini Tunzi, Miss Universe 2019
— The event will take place at 2:00 PM GMT+3
— Interprétation disponible en Anglais, Français, Arabe et Portugais.
— Register Here; https://bit.ly/Global-IGD

Nov 28, 2020

Stop the War Coalition : Prospects for War & Peace After the US Elections
— What does the election of Joe Biden mean for UK foreign policy? On one hand the president-elect has called for an end to US support for the Saudi-led war on Yemen, yet on the other he appears committed to escalating tensions with China. All of which will have major ramifications for British foreign policy. Boris Johnson’s unveiling of a huge military spending increase seems designed to please the new US president and demonstrate that the UK remains a devoted ally.
— As Donald Trump’s tenure comes to an end are we expecting huge shifts in foreign policy or more of the same?
— Join us for this fringe session of the North West Connected conference to discuss all of this and how the anti-war movement can organise against it with:
– Richard Burgon MP
– Lindsey German
– Sarah Cundy (Manchester Momentum Vice Chair)
– Jenny Clegg (Greater Manchester Stop the War)
– Rashida Islam (Greater Manchester Stop the War)
Time : 01:00 PM in London
— Register here

Uncategorized

Past Virtual Events: November 11-19

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Here are events from November 11 to 19 that were previously listed on the CPNN page for upcoming virtual events. Unless otherwise noted the events are in English.

26 October – 18 November

WSFTE 2020 – Part II
The World Social Forum on Transformative Economies continues to unfold and move forward, with challenges more urgent than ever in a world in full reconfiguration. In the framework of the new conditions, the registration of participants, organizations, activities and initiatives has been reopened !
You can register or log your self managed activity HERE.
Continue here to know HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Access the PROGRAM
November 4 : Presentation of the selected initiatives of the techno-scientific challenge and knowledge.
November 9 : Presentation of the selected initiatives of the environmental challenge.
November 11 : Inter-confluences I
November 16 : Inter-confluences II
November 18 : Closing and presentation of the Transformative Economies agenda

November 5 and 12 (in Spanish)

The UNESCO CHAIR: Citizenship, Coexistence and Pluralism invites you to the conferences of:
” SCHOOL OF DEMOCRACY ”
Thursday, November 5 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Spanish time)
CONFERENCE: “THE DECADENCE OF PARLIAMENTARIANISM”
AGUSTÍN RUIZ ROBLEDO, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Granada.
Thursday, November 12 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Spanish time)
CONFERENCE: “THE RISE OF THE EXTREME RIGHT”
MIGUEL ÁNGEL SIMÓN, Doctor in Political Science and Public Administration
Free registration through the following link: https://bit.ly/37djSKi

November 5, 12 and 19

November 5, 12, & 19, 2020: Nonviolent Action Lab with the Pace e Bene Team. As we gear up to use nonviolent action if needed to defend democracy in the wake of the November 3 election, people are organizing nonviolent actions and we’re here to help! Learn more and register for these free sessions here.

Wednesday – Nov 11, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

International Peace Bureau Webinar. With the Biden campaign’s victory in the US 2020 election, many expect large changes in policies. However, the US’ role as a hegemonic global power has maintained a level of consistency throughout decades of different administrations. What can we expect to change and what will remain the same?
We have invited three US peace activists to share their insights with us:
— Joseph Gerson, president of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security
— Emily Rubino, Director of Policy and Outreach at Peace Action New York State
— Kevin Martin, President of Peace Action
Register by sending an email to info@ipb-office.berlin
Or simply join with the following details:
https://zoom.us/j/97839342293 Meeting ID: 978 3934 2293

November 11-13

COVENTRY’S RISING Global Peace Forum will go ahead next week despite the latest Coronavirus lockdown.
— Organisers of the internationally-recognised event, taking place from November 11 to 13, have decided to move the whole event online in light of the Government’s new restrictions.
The annual event, now in its fifth year, was due to have been held as a ‘virtual hybrid’ event at Coventry Cathedral and live-streamed online to reach its global audience with only UK-based speakers and around 50 delegates in physical attendance.
— The revised plan means that the whole event will now take place online and without any face-to-face gathering in the Cathedral.
— The ‘Culture of Peace’ theme of this year’s event recognises that as well as being the UK’s only City of Peace and Reconciliation, Coventry will be the UK City of Culture for 2021.
— The Forum will also be the main event in the run-up to the 80th anniversary of the bombing of the Cathedral in 1940 on November 14, which led to the City of Peace and Reconciliation status.
— Prof Mike Hardy, chair of RISING, said: “This year’s RISING Global Peace Forum has so many great speakers lined up that we were determined not to let the Covid-19 lockdown prevent us from sharing their inspiring ideas.
— “It has a more important role than ever in promoting peace at a time of huge global uncertainty and by being held online, will be more accessible and therefore able to attract a larger audience from around the world.”
— Speakers include writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch, who has recently fronted BBC Two’s Enslaved with Samuel L Jackson, Judge Shira Scheindlin, who famously ruled on police use of stop and search in the US, commentator Will Self, and Daniel Bruce, CEO of Transparency International UK.
— Prof Sir David King, former government Chief Scientific Adviser and Special Representative for Climate Change, will also deliver the Lord Mayor’s Peace Lecture on the environment and Covid-19 on November 12.
— The Forum is free to access and to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rising-20-the-culture-of-peace-tickets-79314510837

Nov 18, 2020 06:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Venezuelans Want to Vote! Defending Venezuelan Elections Against US Intervention
— A discussion with Venezuelan peace organizations on the upcoming legislative elections in Venezuela and how peace forces around the world can help protect the people’s right to vote in the face of U.S. blockade and intervention.
— Organized by: Simon Bolivar Institute (ISB) — Venezuela; Committee for International Solidarity and the Struggle for Peace (COSI) — Venezuela; U.S. Peace Council; Canadian Peace Congress
— Moderator: Bahman Azad, Executive Secretary of U.S. Peace Council
–Speakers: Carlos Ron, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Gabriel Aguirre, General Secretary, Committee for Peace and International Solidarity; Miguel Figueroa, President, Canadian Peace Congress; Margaret Flowers, Director, Popular Resistance; Ajamu Baraka, National Organizer, Black Alliance for Peace; Monisha Rios, International Affairs Coordinator, VAMOS Puerto Rico; Vijay Prashad, Executive-Director, Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
— Followed by Q/A Period
— Language: English & Spanish
— Click here to register

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

Past Virtual Events: October 30-November 10

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Here are events between October 30 and November 10 that were previously listed on the CPNN page for upcoming virtual events. Unless otherwise noted the events are in English.

October 30

17:00 – 19:00 CET. Do Black Lives Matter in British History? A Conversation with Professor David Olusoga OBE. David Olusoga is a British-Nigerian historian, broadcaster and BAFTA award-winning presenter and filmmaker. His television series include Black and British: A Forgotten History, A House Through Time, Civilisations, and The Unwanted: The Secret Windrush Files. His books on colonialism and empire have won numerous accolades, including the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize. His latest book is Black and British: A Short Essential History. Join Aston University students and staff for a virtual conversation with Professor Olusoga. Admission is free and open to the public.
This live online event is organised and hosted by the Department of History, Languages and Translation at Aston University.

October 30

The Office of the Envoy of the African Union for Youth in collaboration with the Women, Gender and Development Directorate will organize the Baraza Beijing + 25 of the Youth of North Africa, as part of the “Beijing + 25 Mobilization of Young African Women” co-organized with the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) Young Women Leaders Caucus and the International Youth Task Force for Beijing + 25.

October 30

Invitation: UN75 Dialogue in observance of World Cities Day
Better City, Better Life:: Valuing our Communities & Cities
Friday, October 30, 2020 3:00 PM – 5:45 PM (New York time)
Hosted by the Permanent Mission of Slovakia and the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY and UN-Habitat
Our UN75 Dialogue in observance of World Cities Day: “Better City, Better Life: Valuing our Communities and Cities” will address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our communities and cities while strengthening our resilience to build back better. Thnt World Urban Forum – WUF10 and the UN Economist Network for the UN 75th Anniversary: Shaping the Trends of Our Time Report showed us the megatrends which shape our world. The present report focuses on five of these megatrends: climate change; demographic shifts, particularly population ageing; urbanization; the emergence of digital technologies and inequalities. While many are utilizing innovative communication platforms that allow for better engagement to strengthen the resilience of their communities and cities, through the pandemic, others without access are falling further behind. It is vitally important that we continue our focus on the SDGs and the UN2030 SD Agenda to build partnerships with Member States, UN-Habitat, national and local authorities as well as stakeholders from civil society and the private sector in order to be better prepared to achieve the inclusive, safe, resilient and healthier future we want with the UN we need – to “Leave No One Behind.”

November 2

You are invited to a follow-up webinar on Target 2045: A new rallying call for nuclear weapons elimination , which was one of the calls made in the appeal Protect People and the Planet: Appeal for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World.. The event will take place on Monday November 2 from 10am-11:30am Eastern Time (USA). It will include presentations from:
·       H.E. Mr Magzhan Ilyassov, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations;
·       Mr Ramesh Jaura, Editor-in-Chief & Director-General, IDN-InDepth News, flagship agency of the non-profit International Press Syndicate group;
·       Mr Saber Chowdhury MP, Honorary President, Inter-Parliamentary Union. Co-President, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament;
·       Ms Vanda Proskova, Vice-Chair, PragueVision Institute for Sustainable Security. Co-chair, Abolition 2000 Youth Network.
 The presentations will be followed by comments, questions and answers from the audience. Click here for the event flyer.

November 2-6

2 – 6 November 2020, the Geneva Center for Peacebuilding is hosting a free online event called Geneva Peace Week. All week there will be talks and lectures freely available to anyone. This year, the theme of the week is “Rebuilding trust after disruption: Pathways to reset international cooperation”. It is meant to have speakers and participants from around the world, sharing learning on peacebuilding and facilitating interactive discussions. Seems to be well organized for facilitating online participation. It’s free to sign up and attendees can participate in live workshop sessions. Details on how to participate are at the following link: https://eu.eventscloud.com/website/3030/

November 5 and 12 (in Spanish)

The UNESCO CHAIR: Citizenship, Coexistence and Pluralism invites you to the conferences of:
” SCHOOL OF DEMOCRACY ”
Thursday, November 5 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Spanish time)
CONFERENCE: “THE DECADENCE OF PARLIAMENTARIANISM”
AGUSTÍN RUIZ ROBLEDO, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Granada.
Thursday, November 12 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Spanish time)
CONFERENCE: “THE RISE OF THE EXTREME RIGHT”
MIGUEL ÁNGEL SIMÓN, Doctor in Political Science and Public Administration
Free registration through the following link: https://bit.ly/37djSKi

November 7

The Peace Studies Program and the Centre for Peace Studies at McMaster Universitycpresents The 20th Annual Mahatma Gandhi Lecture on Nonviolence: From the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter
Reflections by Rev. James Lawson and The Hon. Jean Augustine
Saturday, November 7, 2020, 4-6pm EST
Rev. James M. Lawson Jr.
An activist, minister, and the pioneer of nonviolence in the American Civil Liberties Movement. Reverend James M. Lawson Jr. was inspired by  Gandhi’s use of nonviolence  in securing justice and peace. Dr. Martin Luther King described Rev. Lawson as “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” 
The Hon. Jean Augustine
The Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine made history as the first Black woman elected to Canada’s Parliament and served from 1993-2006.  Her legislative successes include the historic Black History Month Motion. She has dedicated her life to  the pursuit of social justice.
To join the event, click on: https://youtu.be/t1uZ6gURHb0
 If you have any questions about this event, please contact Director,Centre for Peace Studies, Dr. ChandrimaChakraborty (chandri@mcmaster.ca)

Tuesday, November 10th, 2020

Join us this Tuesday 6 pm PDT, 9 pm EDT and visit with Dot Maver – who is our founding Executive Director, and co-founder of the Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures of Peace, the Global Silent Minute, the National Peace Academy, and the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding. In 2004, Dot served as National Campaign Manager for Kucinich for President.
Dot’s “keynote” is “inspiring cooperation on behalf of the common good,” and she consistently delivers on that theme.
We will also hear an update from the Department of Peacebuilding Committee, and we hope to hear from YOU! Join the Conversation!!
Once again, we will be hosting our Monthly Field Call using Zoom technology. Those who download the Zoom software can join the call using video tools – seeing the speakers and being seen if you wish. Others may phone in as usual, using the number provided via email after you register.
Here is the link to Register for this Call!

Uncategorized

Why I Work for a U.S. Department of Peacebuilding With Its Rich History

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

Special to CPNN from Anne Creter (originally presented to U.S. Peace Alliance Virtual Advocacy Days Program)

I have been an earnest proponent of the “Spiritual-Politics” movement ever since attending a workshop in 1995 with the inspiring authors of their transformational book Spiritual-Politics: Changing the World from the Inside Out.” By Corrine McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson, that book continues to influence my life even to this day.


Photo from The Peace Alliance. Anne Creter is second from right in second row.

Most particularly during the 2000 Bush-Gore presidential election when they convened a unique “Spiritual-Politics” conference in Washington DC featuring renowned spiritual leaders together with popular politicians, I felt called to be there! Among the exciting speakers was Marianne Williamson (see CPNN Sept 8, 2019). And unknown Rep Dennis Kucinich who talked of a draft bill he was planning to introduce in Congress to create a Department of Peace (See CPNN August 2, 2004.

Instantly upon reading that draft he handed out I was captivated because it spoke to my Quakerism. I had become a “convinced” Quaker after the Viet Nam war because of its Peace Testimony, which emphasizes putting one’s faith into practice. Plus, as a social worker by profession I ascribe to the Social Work Code of Ethics in which working for peace is clearly stated. I knew then my calling was to do what I could to promote that bill. Advocating for it at the Peace Alliance with the compelling Dot Maver became the perfect spiritual-political way for me to put my faith into practice. Plus, as a social worker it was my ethical responsibility to do so. And I’ve been trying to do that work ever since.

I cannot believe 20 years later I’m here at a Peace Alliance program about it with Marianne Williamson, Dennis Kucinich and Dot Maver. We have come full circle in affirming the basic value of peace and government’s basic duty to foster it, per Article 5 of the norm-setting UN Programme of Action on the Culture of Peace which states that “governments have an essential role in promoting & strengthening a culture of peace.” Especially now, grappling with the greatest planetary challenges we have ever faced.

When I first heard the idea of a Peace Department at that conference it struck me as a brilliant pipe dream never before contemplated. Thus, I was surprised to learn the depth of its actual history. For it goes back to before the founding of our country to the Native American Iroquois Great League of Peace Confederacy in the northeast territory which functioned like a Department of Peace. And throughout our history it has been seriously considered many times both in Congress and civil society. For example:

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Question related to this article:

Is a U.S. Department of Peace a realistic political goal?

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In 1793 Dr Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence advocated for an Office of Peace when the constitution was being drafted – saying it was needed to balance their newly created Office of War. He believed not having a Peace Office was a fundamental flaw of our constitution, which we still suffer the consequences of today.

In 1925 Carrie Chapman Catt, founder of the League of Women Voters at a “Cause and Cure for War” Conference first publicly suggested a cabinet-level Department and Secretary of Peace be established.

In 1927 Kirby Page published a Christian pamphlet entitled “A National Peace Department Proposal for Study” articulating the same issues we grapple with today.

In 1935, Senator Matthew Neely introduced the first official legislation. Since then bills proposing a Department of Peace has been introduced many times in Congress.

In 1936, the Biosophical Institute published a piece on “The Need for a Secretary of Peace” stating “All lovers of peace and workers for human welfare are urged to cooperate in the Secretary of Peace Movement by organizing clubs in their localities.”

In 1937 The ROTARIAN magazine devoted a whole issue to the pros and cons of a “department of peace” – not much different from today’s pros and cons.

In 1947 the House Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments held hearings on a bill to create a Department of Peace.

In 1953 Congresswoman Ruth Thompson proposed a Department of Peace saying “All the guns, tanks and bombs we are building during this hectic time are not going to save us from our enemies at home or abroad.” Sadly, her political career ended abruptly following a contentious fight over development of a jet fighter base in her district.

In 1969 Frederick Schuman, a Woodrow Wilson Professor of Government, published a persuasive scholarly booklet entitled “Why a Department of Peace?”

Also, in 1969 the most significant Peace Act to establish a cabinet-level new department was introduced by Senator Vance Hartke to “develop plans, policies and programs designed to foster peace and coordinate all US government activities affecting the promotion of peace.” It got much bi-partisan support because of the Viet Nam War.

July 11, 2001 (two months before 911) Rep Kucinich introduced the first iteration of the bill in recent times. It has been revised and reintroduced in each congressional session since then. Rep Barbara Lee became its sponsor when Rep Kucinich left Congress. Bernie Sanders was one of the few original cosponsors of that bill, which is what motivated me to become a Bernie delegate at the 2016 Democratic Convention.

I believe this remarkable history shows that the concept of a Peace Department has seasoned and matured over time, thus is ready now for activation. Our current all-systems breakdown is crying out for new common sense, evidence-based all-systems responses to transform from our culture of violence to the culture of peace. Let us correct our Founding Father’s fundamental flaw in the constitution by finally balancing the Department of Defense with a Department of Peacebuilding. It is long overdue time now to awaken to the necessity of establishing a Department of Peacebuilding to bring lasting sustainable peace to our NEW NORMAL POST COVID WORLD.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America

I am Generation Equality: Ixchel Lucas, youth advocate for girls’ leadership

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from UN Women

I am Generation Equality because…

Adolescent and young girls should have the space and opportunity to lead without fear of discrimination or violence.

I was selected by my peers to represent my class and organize students when I was seven. I liked having the opportunity to express my opinion and to participate in social and cultural events. Over time, I started raising awareness about the challenges that adolescent and young girls face in Guatemala, where I am from. More of our voices should be heard.


Ixchel Lucas. Photo: Las Niñas Lideran
Stepping up during the global pandemic

Even before COVID-19 hit, the situation was difficult for girls and women. In many places, women are still not allowed to speak up. Food is served first to boys and men, and the best pieces of food are reserved for them.

The challenges young girls face in Guatemala have worsened during COVID-19. Lack of access to the Internet, smart phones and computers is hampering their access to education. Additionally, girls are facing increased domestic violence and have been forced to continue living with their abusers, and support services are limited. As a result, we are seeing an increase in teenage pregnancies and maternal and child mortality – particularly in the rural areas, where there is a marked lack of access to proper healthcare.

(continued in right column)

Questions for this article
 
Does the UN advance equality for women?

Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

(continued from left column)

I had the opportunity to raise these issues during a high-level meeting  of the UN General Assembly on behalf of other young girls. Governments should invest more in supporting us by increasing healthcare services, enhancing services to survivors of violence and increasing access to education.

What keeps me going is that I have seen that [when given a platform] we can achieve.

I am part of the “Las Niñas Lideran” (Girls Lead) organization and following our advocacy work a few years ago, our municipality, Concepción Chiquirichapa adopted a new policy covering education, health, protection, participation and culture. The municipality held education fairs with multiple schools, providing children and adolescents with information on HIV, teenage pregnancy, girls’ leadership and more. There were also numerous cultural activities led by adolescent girls, [to raise awareness of] and mitigate the risk of rising suicide among adolescent girls. .

Society has a lot to learn from adolescent and young girls, as we see problems through very different lens.

* * * * *

Ixchel María José Lucas Adolfo, 21, is the Training Coordinator at Las Niñas Lideran in Guatemala and a youth leader in the Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence. She is also currently studying Physiotherapy. The Action Coalitions are global, innovative partnerships with governments, civil society, international organizations, and the private sector, convened in the context of the Generation Equality Forum. They aim to catalyze collective action, drive increased public and private investment, and deliver game-changing results for women and girls everywhere..

global, United Nations, WOMEN'S EQUALITY,

UN Member States Make Recommendations to U.S. to Protect Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

… . HUMAN RIGHTS … .

An article from the Center for Reproductive Rights

United Nations Member States from around the world yesterday [November 9] strongly recommended to the United States that it act to protect sexual and reproductive rights and ensure access to sexual and reproductive health care and services.

The recommendations came during the U.S.’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which takes place for each country before the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) every four years. At the interactive review in Geneva, all UN Member States can ask questions and make recommendations to the nation under review.

Recommendations given to the U.S. ranged from improving equitable access to reproductive health care and services and addressing maternal mortality, to ending restrictions on international aid for sexual and reproductive health services and improving access to basic health services for migrants and refugees in detention.

“The Trump administration has curtailed access to reproductive health care globally and systematically undermined affordable access to reproductive health care within the U.S.,” said Risa Kaufman, the Center’s Director, U.S. Human Rights. “Its policies have caused extraordinary harm to people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQI people, immigrants, people who are low-income or living in poverty, and people who are incarcerated.”

Kaufman added, “These UPR recommendations offer a clear roadmap for the incoming Biden administration to reverse course and ensure access to reproductive health care for all, including access to safe and respectful maternal health care and abortion care. The Biden administration has an immediate opportunity to make clear its commitment to advancing reproductive rights as human rights, in the United States and around the world.”

(Article continued in right column)

 

Question related to this article:

Can the United Nations protect human rights in its Member States?

(Article continued from left column)

In preparation for the November 9 UPR, the Center for Reproductive Rights and its partners submitted a stakeholder report  requesting Member States to urge the U.S. to improve its human rights record in the area of reproductive rights and health.

At the UPR, Member States urged the U.S. to:
* Ensure and improve equitable access to sexual and reproductive health care and services, with particular focus on people experiencing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
* Ensure that laws allowing for refusals of care (such as for religious objections) do not restrict access to health care.
* End restrictions that prevent U.S. international aid from going toward sexual and reproductive health—for example, by ending the Global Gag Rule and stripping the Helms Amendment from upcoming spending bills.
* Address maternal mortality. The U.S. has one of the highest rates among wealthy nations, and it disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous women.
* Ensure universal maternal health care.
* Rescind Title X regulations that forbid publicly funded clinics from providing information about abortion services.
* Improve access to basic services for migrants and guarantee human rights for migrants and refugees in detention.
* Ensure accessible health care and enjoyment of the right to health for all.

The official report memorializing the review and resulting recommendations will shortly be available to the public on the UN’s website. 

The Center led a strong coalition effort  to ensure that reproductive health, rights, and justice issues were on the agenda for the UPR, including through the stakeholder report, a briefing for UN diplomats, and additional advocacy. This advocacy centered on the disproportionate harms experienced by marginalized communities.

Although the Trump administration represented the U.S. in this review, it is the Biden administration that will be responsible for returning to the Human Rights Council when the Council formally adopts the report in March 2021. At that time, the Biden administration will formally recognize and respond to each of the recommendations.

HUMAN RIGHTS, North America, United Nations,

Abortion Without Borders: Standing with Polish Women

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by: Merle Hoffman in We-news

Have you seen those extraordinary photos? The women of Poland, thousands and thousands of them, pouring into the streets, disrupting business as usual and denouncing the government’s new ban on abortion. They carried symbols of red thunderbolts, umbrellas and wire coal hangers – hangers! A universal symbol of dangerous, illegal abortions which they refused to accept.

I immediately flashed back to the action I had led decades earlier in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC in 1989, surging across Fifth Avenue with hundreds more to the Cathedral steps. I held high a six-foot replica of a wire hanger, chanting with the many others, “Not the Church, not the State, Women will Decide our Fate!” Two of our crew stood before the massive bronze doors and held up a huge Proclamation which began, “On behalf of the women of New York City and their sisters throughout the country and out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, we stand here today…”

This action was inspired by then Cardinal O’Connor’s active support for anti-abortion blockades of clinics. It was the first pro-choice civil disobedience action, an historic event that could not be ignored by the media. The New York Times quoted me as saying, “Women’s rights are in a state of emergency,” and the Philadelphia Enquirer stated the action marked “an important strategic change in the movement.” Oh, how I want to be there in Poland with these fearless and inspiring women, storming into the streets and challenging government and religious institutions. Marching and chanting, full of revolutionary rectitude!

Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to travel to Poland directly due to the Coronavirus, but I needed to do something. I contacted a feminist academic and writer in Warsaw involved in the protests. I was asked to write a letter of support from American Feminists that could be widely disseminated and published in a major newspaper. So I did, and Phyllis Chesler, Gloria Steinem, Frances Kissling, Naomi Wolf and others soon signed on. (See the letter, below.) It was published earlier this week in both Polish and English in the women’s extra to Poland’s largest daily news outlet, GAZETA WYBORCZA and was shared widely on social media by The Women’s Strike (the leading organization behind the demonstrations) as well as by local women’s groups. (Read article here.)

[Editor’s note. Another letter of support for the struggle of Polish women was written by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Center for Reproductive Rights.]

Just as I am now inspired by the courage of the Polish women, so was I inspired to travel to Russia and assist in developing women’s health services there when I heard the story of one woman who came to Choices Women’s Medical Center for her 36th abortion. I was also inspired by attacks on women’s clinics to organize the St. Patrick’s action, and I have been inspired to carry on this work at Choices – with my wonderful staff – by the memory of holding the hand of the first patient who stepped through our doors nearly 50 years ago. It’s always the women’s stories, the women’s needs and women’s bravery.

The good news from Poland today is that the courage and persistence of Polish women have forced the government to pause and step back from implementing its all but total, viciously cruel ban, even forbidding abortions where the fetus has severe abnormalities. The fight is not over, but we are confident the women of Poland will continue to inspire the rest of us.

Question related to this article:

Solidarity across national borders, What are some good examples?>

Abortion: is it a human right?

Letter of Support: November 4th, 2020

To the Great Women of Poland,

The world is in awe of your principled activism and is filled with admiration for your courage and commitment. American Feminists stand with you. We salute and support you with love and pride.

You have marched by the thousands in response to the October 22nd Tribunal ruling which denied abortion even in cases of fetal abnormality in what has been called the largest demonstration in the country since the fall of communism.

Ignoring threats of prosecution, violence from the Right, and the dangers posed by a surging Coronavirus, while displaying symbols of Red Thunderbolts, Hangers and Umbrellas, your resistance intensifies daily. You have challenged formerly “untouchable” institutions and are a stellar example of what people everywhere need to do in the fight against oppression and for women’s freedom.

Julia Przylebska, President of the Tribunal, has stated that allowing abortions in cases of fetal abnormality legalizes “eugenics” and because the Polish Constitution guarantees a right to life, terminating a pregnancy based on the health of the fetus amounts to “a directly forbidden form of discrimination.” This latest ruling imposes a near total ban in Poland that already has some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe.

You have had the courage to say no to this egregious diminishment of women’s humanity and moral agency.

Legal abortion is an integral core of women’s health and is the necessary condition for women’s freedom. We all know that nothing stops abortion – no law, no government, no religious authority. Making abortion illegal only makes it dangerous and deadly.

You demand legalization of abortion in the name of all your daughters, mothers, sisters, and grandmothers who alone and in pain lost their lives in back alleys or on dirty kitchen tables for their right to choose.

Women of Poland-We stand with you and attest that Women’s Rights are Human Rights.

Women are full moral agents with the right and ability to choose when and whether or not they will be mothers.

Abortion is a choice made by each individual for profound personal reasons that no man nor state should judge or control.

The right to make reproductive choices is women’s legacy throughout history and belongs to every woman regardless of age, class, race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual preference.

Abortion is a life-affirming act chosen within the context of women’s realities, women’s lives, and women’s sexuality.
Abortion is often the most moral choice in a world that frequently denies healthcare, housing, education, and economic survival to women.

Women’s rights remain in a state of emergency. If not now, when? If not you–then who?

We stand with you in solidarity

(click here for list of signatories)

Europe, HUMAN RIGHTS, North America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

Five new digital media platforms for uncensored news from Colombia

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from Advox Global Voices (published under a Creative Commons Attribution-Only license (CC BY))

Colombia is one of the world’s most dangerous countries  for journalists and broadcasters.  Threats and harassment  by those involved in drug trafficking and armed groups are commonplace, and journalists frequently self-censor in order to avoid reprisals.


Photo by Ahdieh Ashrai/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

In addition, Colombian mainstream media’s close links to business empires and politicians undermine editorial independence, according to Reporters Without Borders. Most media outlets in Colombia are owned by only three conglomerates.

Recently, new media outlets have sprung up, challenging the traditional media monopolies. Below is a list of five independent digital media platforms in Colombia to follow.

Los Danieles, launched in April 2020

Every Sunday, three well-known journalists in Colombia, all of them named Daniel, read their columns live on social media. Their posts have become very popular: One recent video, which features the journalists Jorge Ramos and Enrique Santos Calderón  as guests, received over 65,000 views on YouTube. From November, the award-winning journalist Santos Calderón will officially remain as the fourth columnist of Los Danieles, which means “the Daniels.”

Los Danieles began after Daniel Coronell was fired in April 2020 from the Colombian magazine Semana for writing about the publication’s shareholders. On his last column  at Semana, he wrote: “Semana’s shareholders own the brand, its magnificent office building, the equipment, the furniture and fixtures, but not the information. The information is public property and can only be used for the benefit of the citizens, not for corporate retaliation.”

Coronell’s dismissal, which he announced on Twitter, sparked outrage on social media. He also gained the support of one of his colleagues, the writer and YouTuber Daniel Samper Ospina, who handed in his resignation to Semana out of solidarity with Coronell. Together they decided to set up an independent, virtual media platform and were later joined by the journalist and writer, Daniel Samper Piza.

The three Daniels named their column “Columnas sin techo” (“columns with no ceilings”), for having developed this project without sponsorships or assistance from any traditional media outlet. They say on their live broadcasts that their “techo” (roof) is made up of their following and readership, which have been increasing significantly.

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Question related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

Journalism in Latin America: Is it turning towards a culture of peace?

(Article continued from left column)

La Nueva Prensa, launched in March 2018

La Nueva Prensa, or “the new press,” whose motto is “la verdad sea dicha” (“truth be told”), is a news site created by Gonzalo Guillén.

The site has been very critical of the former right-wing president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, as well as President Ivan Duque’s government. La Nueva Prensa is supported by crowdfunding and donations by organizations.

This year, Guillén and other Nueva Prensa colleagues received death threats after reporting on the murdered drug trafficker Ñeñe Hernández, who was allegedly involved in a vote-buying scheme  in favor of President Duque at the latest elections.

Vorágine, launched in June 2020

Vorágine’s  slogan is “Periodismo Contracorriente” (“counter-current journalism”). The main aim of this new investigative journalism portal  is to highlight Colombia’s human rights violations. It was created by the journalists José Guarnizo, formerly an editor at Semana magazine, María José Jaramillo, Juan Sebastián López (Morphart), Angélica Penagos (Angie Pik), Laila Abu Shihab, Juan Pablo Barrientos, and Pacho Escobar.

Escobar stressed  that the objective of the new site, which was launched in the midst of the pandemic on June 1, is “to not do business with the state, not because that would be bad, but in order to stay independent.” The site is funded by the sale of tickets for workshops  and donations from readers.

Notiparaco, launched in December 2019

Notiparaco  is run by Levy Rincón, who invites a wide range of well-known personalities on to his live shows for open, uncensored debates on current affairs. Levy Rincón has received numerous threats but continues to conduct interviews and to speak out on social media against what he calls the dictatorship of the party led by the former president, Álvaro Uribe Vélez. Rolling Stone magazine described Levy as “one of the online personalities who speaks from the fringes without fear of those in power.”

The following video features an interview with the Colombian lawyer and activist Miguel Angel del Río, who also refers to the growing power of alternative media sources. Furthermore, del Río stresses the importance and potential of these new forms of media, as they are distinct and independent from the traditional media, which is influenced by the government. He calls for people to be critical and “to put everything under the microscope” in order to create a new model of society.

video : NOTIPARACO | Medida de aseguramiento para el Matarife ¡Por fin!

Tercer Canal, launched in March 2020

Tercer Canal’s slogan is “everything remains to be seen.” This YouTube channel features critical analyses of current affairs from a progressive perspective. It was co-founded  in March 2020 by Hollan Morris, a journalist and former candidate for Mayor of Bogotá who returned from self-exile in 2012, having left Colombia due to death threats. On his channel, he aims to “promote and value the 1991 Constitution of Colombia, a culture of peace that respects the environment and the defense of human rights.”

Through the use of a song, the following video draws attention to the Minga Indígena, a movement formed by indigenous peoples from across Colombia, in particular from the department of Cauca. At the end of October, the group traveled to the capital Bogotá with the aim of meeting President Duque, who chose not to receive them. The group demands the state puts a stop to the massacres of their communities and murders of their leaders.

Video : Vivimos juntos la travesía #LaMinga caminando la palabra.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Colima, Mexico: Virtual Forum “University Fostering a Culture of Peace”

. EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from AF medios

The University Family Development Center (Cedefu) of the University of Colima, through the University Program for Culture for Peace, held the virtual forum “University Students Fostering a Culture of Peace”, with the aim of generating a space for dialogue and exchange of ideas regarding the construction of a culture of peace.

With the emphasis on the concept of “peacebuilding agents and strategies that promote a culture of peace”, the participating university students interacted by sharing their experience in this university program.

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(Click here for the original Spanish version).

Question for this article:

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

Where is peace education taking place?

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In her speech, Alicia López de Hernández, general director of Cedefu, spoke about the importance of the participation of university teachers in this matter. “Students provide an example for the construction of peace. It is the students themselves who have a great challenge in this pandemic, which requires us to be at home without seeing our colleagues and teachers. Therefore, from Cedefu we unite our wills to carry out this challenge based on non-violence, self-esteem and attitude, which is what identifies university students ”.

The participating students agreed that when they speak of peace, the themes that stand out are tranquility, respect, tolerance and equality.

Present at the activity were the director of Human and Social Development of Cedefu, David Silva Martínez; the professor of the Baccalaureate 4 of the University of Colima, Octavio Juanarena Ventura, who produced the monologues Visions for peace, as well as the head of the University Program for the Culture of Peace, Fabiola Soto Estrada.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Youth invited to sign letter to disband NATO

. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

An invitation from the International Network to Delegitimize NATO

Youth are invited here to sign the following letter addressed to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg,

We want to voice our opposition to the fact that you will host the NATO 2030 Youth Summit on November 9th.
 

As young people concerned about our future and the future of our planet, we are very concerned that the focus of the event is ‘keeping NATO strong militarily, making it stronger politically and more global’. We do not believe that strengthening NATO is the best way to secure our future. Instead we would like to see NATO disbanded.

One of the main challenges of the 21st century is to reimagine our concept of security. We are living in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, of unfolding climate change disaster and racial unrest. Addressing these challenges is the priority, by working alongside the international community and cooperation of the people, not strengthening a nuclear-armed military alliance that provokes mistrust and conflict.

NATO is committed to an interventionist military agenda and causes instability across the globe.

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Questions for this article:

Can NATO be abolished?

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We urge you to use the NATO 2030 Youth Summit to discuss how we build a more sustainable, more peaceful and fairer world, and to start the discussion about how the world that we will inherit would be better served by bringing an end to your alliance.

Best wishes,

The next generation,

Bela Irina Castro, Research Manager and Junior Researcher at the
Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, Portugal

Sean Conner, Staff International Peace Bureau, USA

Dr. med. Lisann Marie Drews, Physician and member of IPPNW & Stop Airbase Ramstein Campaign, Germany

Eskil Grav, Staff International Peace Bureau, Norway

Sara Medi Jones, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, UK

Ellie Kinney, Youth and Student CND convenor, UK

Vanessa Lanteigne, National Coordinator of the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace

Quique Sánchez Ochoa, Project manager at Centre Delàs of Peace Studies and GCOMS, Spain │
Lisa Silvestre, Mouvement de la Paix, France

Lucas Wirl, International Network No to War – No to NATO, Germany

Mikis Wulkow, Peace Activist, Germany

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe, global,