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.

Senegal: Launch of the National Initiative “Resilience at the Borders”

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from the Agence de Press Sénégalaise (translation by CPNN)

The think tank Timbuktu Institute-African Center for Peace Studies Institute will launch, Wednesday [October 13], in Kedougou the initiative called “Resilience at the borders” to promote the culture of peace, APS has learned.


Photo from Tibuktu Institute

The launch of this initiative is part of the implementation of the think tank’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, and in particular Axis 3 relating to “ Promotion of the culture of peace through education and development of endogenous, cultural heritage and resilience-building resources.”

Timbuktu Institute-African Center for Peace Studies is launching the ‘Border Resiliency’ initiative in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

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(Click here for the original article in French.)

Question related to this article:

Solidarity across national borders, What are some good examples?

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“ In view of the strategic choice to favor border areas in terms of peace consolidation and resilience building, the Institute is launching this initiative with an inaugural session in Kédougou, ” said in a press release sent to APS.

“Building and strengthening resilience in an unstable regional environment: What role and place for young people and women?” Is the theme of the launching ceremony.

The session will be materialized by “a day of capacity building and participatory dialogue on security issues and the building of resilience in a context where the sub-region is deeply concerned by the crisis raging in neighboring countries”.

It will also include a component for the exchange of experiences and collection of strategic recommendations.

A conference will also be moderated by the Director of the Timbuktu Institute, Dr Bakary Sambe, on the theme: “Regional security situation and challenges of building community resilience: Complementary roles of state and local populations”.

Other interventions are also planned and will focus on various themes including “Women and conflict” and the radicalization of young people.

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Côte d’Ivoire : The traditional chiefs of Gagnoa call for peaceful elections

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from Yeclo

The traditional chiefs of Gagnoa have called for peaceful elections, expressed by the second vice-president of the National Chamber of Kings and Traditional Chiefs of Côte d’Ivoire and the president of the regional committee of traditional chiefs of Gôh, Gbizié Lambert, Monday 12 October 2020 in Gagnoa, at the opening of the awareness day for peaceful elections.

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

Questions related to this article:

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

Can traditional chiefs help install a culture of peace in Africa?

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“For some time now, the presidential election has been preceded or followed by tension, crisis and / or violence,” lamented Chief Gbizié Lambert, explained the reason behind the peace awareness tours organized across the country by the National Chamber of kings and traditional leaders to help maintain social cohesion in different regions.

Addressing a hundred or so traditional leaders, community and neighborhood leaders, women and young people, Chief Gbizié reminded everyone that they must relay information back in their respective communities, in order to that the message be known and understood by all, and that everyone should be at the same level, so that peace reigns in Gôh.

With the approach of the 2020 elections, there is an “immobilization” within the communities as a result of the acts, actions and comments of the politicians, worried Chief Gadji Joseph, president of the departmental committee of the traditional chiefs of Gagnoa. According to him, it is therefore the duty of traditional leaders to continue to work for peace.

“We leaders are part of the culture of peace. And as we are your leaders, listen to us, ”he insisted.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Culture of peace: UN calls on Gabon’s youth

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from the Gabon Review (translation by CPNN)

Dedicated to the prevention and resolution of conflicts in the sub-region of Central Africa, the creation of a network of “Young peace weavers” in Gabon, Chad and Cameroon was recently presented to the Minister of Decentralization Mathias Otounga Ossibadjouo by the head of the United Nations System in Gabon, Dr. Stephen Jackson.


Dr Stephen Jackson and Mathias Otounga Ossibadjouo, during a previous meeting in August 2020. copyright: Ministry of Decentralization

The creation of a “Network of Young Peace Weavers” was at the heart of recent exchanges between the head of the United Nations System in Gabon, the representative of UNESCO and the Minister of Decentralization Mathias Otounga Ossibadjouo. The UN intends to set up a program of “young people active in conflict resolution at the local level”. The Gabonese government is asked to help materialize this project.

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Question related to this article:
 
Youth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?

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According to Dr Stephen Jackson, the aim will be to involve 1,800 young people from three countries in the Central African sub-region, including Chad and Cameroon, aged between 18 and 35. “We want young people who live there, who speak the languages ​​of these countries, so who are able to communicate, explain and present the project”, specifies Vincenzo Fazzino, UNESCO representative in Gabon .

As part of the creation of this network, UN officials in Gabon indicate that young people who will be identified in the three countries will be trained in conflict prevention and resolution techniques. They will also be equipped with means of communication, in particular to enable them to communicate with each other.

Ultimately, this project should make it possible to support the Conflict Resolution Network through an early warning mechanism within the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). The project will last 2 years, of which the first 3 to 6 months will be devoted to training network members.

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

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY, United Nations,

Iranian film “Castle of Dreams” wins at Religion Today filmfest in Italy

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from the Tehran Times

The Iranian award-winning drama “Castle of Dreams” has won the award for best feature film at the 23rd Religion Today Film Festival in Italy.

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Photo: “Castle of Dreams” by Reza Mirkarimi

Last Wednesday [September 30], Trento as the greenest Italian city hosted the closing ceremony of the festival, which selected the motto “Earth I Care”.

Directed by Reza Mirkarimi, the film is about two young children whose mother has just died, and their father, Jalal, after long years of absence, returns to sort things out, but he does not want to take the children with him.

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Question for this article:

Film festivals that promote a culture of peace, Do you know of others?

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In addition, “Ojagh” by Iranian filmmaker Ali Bolandnazar also won the award for best short documentary. It is a study of the rituals of the Qashqai Turkic tribe regarding fire.

In the documentary competition, Iranian filmmaker Hamid Jafari’s “The Wind” received a special mention, while “Mother Fortress” by Italian director Maria Luisa Forenza was named best.

“The Wind” is about the Zar traditional ceremony in southern Iran. Spirits ride the wind of the seas and spread illness into the bodies of human beings. Zar is synonymous with the wind which carries illness. The Zar ceremony can free the body from evil spirits with the assistance of music and song.

The Grand Prize in the Spirit of Faith went to “Order and Soul” by Hungarian director Suzsanna Bak.

Founded in 1997, the Religion Today Film Festival is organized every year by Associazione BiancoNero. The event has been the foremost international and itinerant film festival dedicated to cinema and religions for a culture of peace and dialogue between faiths, cultures, peoples and individuals.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe, Mideast,

Spain: L’Alfàs participates in a conference on the Culture of Peace organized by the Fons Valencià de la Solidaritat

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from L’Alfas

The Councilor for Cooperation and Volunteering of the Municipality of l’Alfàs del Pi, Isabel Muñoz, attended the Conference ‘ODS 16: Ciutadania per la Pau, Educació en i per al Conflicte’, organized by the Fons Valencià per la Solidaritat in Gandía . The initiative is part of the ‘Valencia for Peace’ project, which is co-financed by the Diputación de Valencia, and whose main objective is to raise awareness and promote the Culture of Peace and SDG 16, regarding the construction of peaceful, fair and inclusive societies.

The event was attended by Federico Mayor Zaragoza, president of the Culture of Peace Foundation and former Secretary General of UNESCO, and Jesús E. Núñez, co-director of the Institute for Conflict Studies and Humanitarian Action. In addition to their speeches, the documentary ‘Els Fils del Tauler’, by the Collectiv Mirades, was screened, and a debate was opened with the director and with two refugees who star in the film.

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(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for this article:

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

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“These conferences have been of great interest to us, because they follow the same strategy that the City Council of l’Alfàs has been promoting for years, spreading the Culture of Peace through mediation in the educational and family sphere with workshops, courses and conferences aimed mainly at the educational community,” explained Isabel Muñoz.

L’Alfàs del Pi is a pioneer in the application of mediation in conflict resolution in the school environment, a project aimed at improving coexistence in classrooms and preventing violent attitudes. The school mediation program began a decade ago at IES L’Arabí and, given the good results, in 2015 it was extended to the three public Primary schools: Veles e Vents, Racó de l’Albir and Santíssim Crist del Bon Encert.

Following in the same vein, the City Council of l’Alfàs promoted four years ago the creation of a mediation service for families from the educational field whose main objective is to promote a climate of dialogue that enriches coexistence in the family environment.

The Councilor for Cooperation and Volunteering has reiterated “the commitment of l’Alfàs del Pi to the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda’, for which different activities and initiatives are promoted throughout the year.

L’Alfàs del Pi joined the Fons Valencià per la Solidaritat in 2019, an association in which more than a hundred municipalities of the Valencian Community are integrated to develop cooperation projects for development and awareness and education in values.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe

Les Héritiers du Zouglou release a maxi single to raise awareness among Ivorians

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Linfodrome (translation by CPNN)

“Les Héritiers du Zouglou” released this Thursday, October 01, 2020 a maxi single of two titles, “Never again” and “My Zouglou”. Faced with the tense socio-political situation in Côte d’Ivoire, Bloco, one of the members of the group, confided that the objective is to sensitize the political class and the Ivorians, in particular the youth, to peace and social cohesion.


The Héritiers du Zouglou call on Ivorians to raise collective awareness.

A few weeks away from the presidential election scheduled for October 31, 2020, Les Héritiers du Zouglou are making their return to the Ivorian music scene with two titles, “Never again” and “My Zouglou”. In their songs, they particularly invite young people, political leaders and all the sons and daughters of the Ivory Coast to the culture of peace.

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(Click here for a French version of this article)

 

Question related to this article:

What place does music have in the peace movement?

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The strong lyrics of their maxi single call out. “We want peace. We don’t want any more war. Never again in my country. It is hand in hand that we will have development,.”

Bloco Héritier spoke of their source of inspiration. “It was the current events that inspired us. The events that took place in the different cities also inspired us,” he said.

In their maxi single, Les Héritiers du Zouglou make it clear that Ivorian politics and the future of Côte d’Ivoire are not necessarily linked to the three great political leaders who are Henri Konan Bédié, Gbagbo Laurent and the current president, Alassane Ouattara. “Their time will pass, but the Ivory Coast will always remain,” Bloco Héritier remarked.

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Burkina Faso Center Region: 96 hours of activities for the culture of peace

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article by E.K. Samboé in Le Faso (translation by CPNN)

“Culture of peace, prevention and management of crises; guarantees of sustainable social cohesion ”. This is the theme of the 3rd edition of the “96 hours of the Center region.” The festivities were launched in Ouagadougou on October 1, 2020 by a panel organized at the Burkinabè Shippers Council (CBC). An opportunity for participants to reflect on the issues of the day, in particular peace, crisis prevention and management, social cohesion, etc.


For the governor of the Center region, Sibiri de Issa Ouédraogo, “the 96 hours intend to establish a period of reflection and action around ways and means for strengthening social cohesion in the Center region”.

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(Click here for the article in French)

Questions for this article:

The culture of peace at a regional level, Does it have advantages compared to a city level?

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The panelists, composed of historians, anthropologists and civil society actors, proposed solutions to strengthen social cohesion during the discussions. For the governor, “by dealing with social cohesion, this panel will put us on the need to unite for a useful whole, in order to fight against the scourges which hamper the peace of the populations and the harmonious development of our region”.

At the end of the panel, the governor expects the participants to work for a peaceful social climate, in order to contribute to the economic and social development of the Central region. But also, that they be ambassadors of social cohesion with the various parts of the population.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Diffa, Niger: Launch of an awareness campaign to strengthen the participation of women and young people in intercommunity dialogue

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article by Mato Adamou in News a Niamey (translation by CPNN)

On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, there was a launching ceremony of the awareness campaign to strengthen the participation of women and young people in the various inter-community dialogue frameworks and to facilitate the consideration of their specific needs. This ceremony took place in the meeting room of the Governorate under the chairmanship of the Governor of the region Mr. Issa Lemine.

We noted on this occasion the presence of the prefect of Diffa, the Head of the Diffa office of OXFAM, the head of the FAO Sub-Office, the Head of Canton of Koumadougou, representatives of the Communes of N’Gourti, of N ‘ Guigmi, Kablewa, Toumour, Gueskérou and Bosso. Organized by the NGO OXFAM, this ceremony aims to put in place a holistic approach that supports the Emergency-Development-Peacebuilding triptych.

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(Click here for the original French version)

Question for this article

Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?

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In her speech on this occasion, the Head of the OXFAM office first thanked the participants for their massive participation in this ceremony before setting the objective of this activity. According to Hadjia Gouya Mahamane Delley, the aim is to sensitize communities on the importance of taking into account the specific needs of women and young people in community decision-making bodies. It is also about sensitizing these communities on the role of women and young people in the culture of peace, social cohesion, peaceful coexistence and non-violent conflict management. The Head of the Diffa office of OXFAM also noted the feasibility of presenting a plea to the leaders for a better representation of women and young people in community programs. Finally, she insisted on the important role of women in the management of conflicts linked to transhumance.

Launching this campaign, the Governor of Diffa first welcomed the initiative to involve women and young people in the different decision-making systems within the communities. Mr. Issa Lemine then underlined that the issue of local development is essential for good governance. It is a challenge for public authorities, local authorities and local communities. For the governor of the Diffa region, this approach is part of the participatory and in-depth analysis of the determinants of conflicts and factors of peace to strengthen regional and local consultation frameworks, with a view to facilitating peaceful access to natural and especially pastoral resources for a contribution to the consolidation of peace.

Africa, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Nigeria: Akeredolu, Jegede, Ajayi Sign Peace Accord

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by James Sowole from This Day Live

The Ondo State Governor and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, his two major challengers, the state’s deputy governor and candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Hon. Agboola Ajayi, and Eyitayo Jegede, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and other governorship candidates have promised to embrace peace in the forthcoming Ondo election.


The Catholic Bishop of Diocese of Sokoto, who is a member of the National Peace Committee (NPC), Matthew Hassan Kukah, watching the Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, as he signs the Peace Accord.

The candidates made the pledge at the signing of a peace accord organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The event took place at the International Cultural and Event Centre, the Dome in Akure, the state capital.

Addressing the contestants, the chairman of NPC and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), who spoke via Zoom, advised all stakeholders to demonstrate commitment to the spirit of the accord.

The former head of state, who urged the candidates to use the Edo election as a lesson for the Ondo State exercise, called on the electorate to cast their votes in the election without fear of intimidation or coercion.

He explained that those who signed the peace accord had committed themselves to ensuring peace in Ondo State and Nigeria at large before, during and after the election.

“The tension and anxiety associated with election necessitated the setup of the National Peace Committee which is to support peaceful election process and enthrone culture of peace.

“In 2014, the committee conveyed efforts to support peaceful election as well as ensuring a peaceful transition.

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Question related to this article:

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

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“The intervention of the committee contributed immensely to the success of the 2015 election. The NPC has since successfully intervened in the general election to ensure a peaceful outcome to the 2019 general election even at the just concluded Edo governorship election.

“The governorship election in Ondo State is only a few days away and we want peace during and after the election. We want to see Nigeria as a place where people come out peacefully and vote during the election without deprivation and Ondo State deserves this.

“As we go into the election, we have been given assurance by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that they will conduct a free, fair and credible election. The rest is left for the voters to do what is right,” Abubakar said.

Also, members of the NPC, Bishop Mathew Kukah, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, charged the youth not to allow themselves to be used for political violence.

According to Bishop Kukah, “It is imperative to call on everyone to work towards peaceful election to ensure peace reign during and after the election.”

In his remarks, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mamood Yakubu, said the commission had met 12 of the necessary steps for the smooth conduct of the election. Yakubu urged political parties and their supporters to maintain peace for the conduct of the exercise to be peaceful.

The Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, represented by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Leye Oyebade, while assuring the people of the safety of lives and properties, said the police had been able to map out all the three senatorial districts and the 18 local government areas in the state.

The IG advised members of the public to follow the guidelines for a peaceful election.

In their words, the three major candidates from APC, PDP and ZLP, Akeredolu, Jegede and Ajayi restated their commitment to ensuring a peaceful poll.

Other political parties that signed the accord apart from the three major ones included Accord Party, the African Alliance (AA), African Democratic Congress (ADC), African Democratic Party (ADP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The event was also attended by the Chairman, Ondo State Council of Obas and the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Fedrick Akinruntan, the Deji of Akure, other traditional rules and religious leaders, among others.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

October 2nd a Nonviolence Day in the White West

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from Pressenza (reprinted under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license)

This year it’s really complicated in this part of the world to hold a joyful celebration about nonviolence. The International Day of Nonviolence is a celebration of Gandhi’s birthday and an opportunity to commemorate the work of many others who have opened a path a to nonviolent conflict resolution, built a culture of peace, opposed systemic discrimination, and fought against the destruction of humanity’s habitat.


NYC Walk for Nonviolence (Image by David Andersson)

It is very suspicious that mainstream media will be not be covering this day, since corporate media makes large profits from reporting all forms of violence and bias. There will be no trending on Twitter, no special debate in Congress. Joe Biden will not be announcing his plans for developing nonviolence curricula for Kindergarten to college students. CEOs won’t unroll their strategy for reinvesting the money, concentred today in very few hands, to serve the community at large. And we probably won’t see the police addressing their entrenched discrimination against communities of color, and talking about how to stop being hypermilitarized agents beating and killing people on the street. This list can go on and on.

Now, of course, we have seen some opportunist politicians asking protestors — after seeing the killing of their brothers by police — to organize nonviolently, but without themselves condemning the immoral and disproportionate use of violence by the police and city officals. For them, it seems nonviolence is to be used by minorities fighting against a violent system that created the problem at the first place.

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Question for this article:

Can peace be guaranteed through nonviolent means?

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Today, we recognize nonviolence’s power of transformation. Nonviolence has transformed countries, changed the face of continents, and given cultural identity to discriminated communities. We are perhaps in front of the total collapse of this violent system we live in and we need to actively build a culture of nonviolence. It is the only real option for the future of the human race and our environment.

In closing, here are few words from Silo, an Argentinian leader in nonviolence, extracted from one of his most important speeches, “The Healing of Suffering,” given in Punta de Vacas, Argentina on May 4, 1969:

“There are other forms of violence that are imposed by the Philistine morality. You wish to impose your way of life upon another; you wish to impose your vocation upon another. But who has told you that you are an example that must be followed? Who has told you that you can impose a way of life because it pleases you? What makes your way of life a model, a pattern that you have the right to impose on others? This, then, is another form of violence.

Only inner faith and inner meditation can end the violence in you, in others, and in the world around you. All the other doors are false and do not lead away from this violence. This world is on the verge of exploding with no way to end the violence! Do not choose false doors. There are no politics that can solve this mad urge for violence. There is no political party or movement on the planet that can end the violence. Do not choose false doors that promise to lead away from the violence in the world… I have heard that all over the world young people are turning to false doors to try to escape the violence and inner suffering. They turn to drugs as a solution. Do not choose false doors to try to end the violence.

My brother, my sister, keep these simple commandments, as simple as these rocks, this snow, and this sun that bless us. Carry peace within you, and carry it to others. My brother, my sister—if you look back in history, you will see the human being bearing the face of suffering. Remember, even as you gaze at that suffering face, that it is necessary to move forward, and it is necessary to learn to laugh, and it is necessary to learn to love.

To you, my brother and sister, I cast this hope—this hope of joy, this hope of love—so that you elevate your heart and elevate your spirit, and so that you do not forget to elevate your body.”

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, global