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.

El Salvador Votes for Water over Gold

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Pedro Cabezas for Inequality.org, a project of the Institute for Policy Studies

The people of El Salvador and their international allies against irresponsible mining are celebrating a historic victory. After a long battle against global mining companies that were determined to plunder the country’s natural resources for short-term profits, El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly has voted to ban all metal mining projects.


Members of El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly display banners reading “No to mining, yes to life” as they prepare to vote on a historic mining ban. Photo: Genia Yatsenko.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

The new law is aimed at protecting the Central American nation’s environment and natural resources. Approved on March 29 with the support of 69 lawmakers from multiple parties (out of a total of 84), the law blocks all exploration, extraction, and processing of metals, whether in open pits or underground. It also prohibits the use of toxic chemicals like cyanide and mercury.

In the lead-up to the vote, communities in the town of Cinquera had rejected mining through a local referendum and the Catholic Church of El Salvador had called for massive participation in a public protest to demand legislators to start discussions on the prohibition of mining. When the protest arrived at the legislative assembly, on March 9, they were greeted by a multi-party commission that committed to start discussions immediately and have legislation ready before the Easter holidays.

Despite the fact that there is a national consensus among communities, civil society organizations, government institutions, and political parties for a mining prohibition, the Australian-Canadian company OceanaGold and its subsidiaries in El Salvador have consistently attempted to slow the bill’s progress and sought to gain support for their so-called “Responsible Mining” campaign.

The company launched the campaign at a fancy hotel in San Salvador after losing a $250 million lawsuit against El Salvador in October 2016. The company had filed a claim with the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), demanding compensation when the government declined to grant the firm a permit for a gold extraction project that threatened the nation’s water supply. In the face of tremendous opposition from a wide range of groups inside and outside El Salvador, the ICSID tribunal ruled against the company.

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Question for this article:

Despite the vested interests of companies and governments, Can we make progress toward sustainable development?

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When legislators announced that they would begin serious discussion on the mining ban, the company intensified its activities. Besides publishing paid communiqués in local pro-business newspapers, social organizations reported that OceanaGold representatives met with government officials to lobby against the bill.

On March 23, a pro-mining protest was organized by the El Dorado Foundation (the foundation created and funded by OceanaGold) in front of the Legislative Assembly while the Commission deliberated over the bill. It was later reported by FMLN Representative Guillermo Mata, President of the Environment and Climate Change Commission, that the busloads of people brought by the foundation from the Department of Cabanas had each been paid $7 plus a free lunch to attend. They were also directed not to talk to the press. Also on March 23, Luis Parada, the lawyer who led the defense team for El Salvador in the ICSID case, denounced through his twitter account a letter sent by OceanaGold and its subsidiary Pac Rim containing veiled threats of further legal action should El Salvador vote to ban mining.

But the push for a mining prohibition remained strong. To support the anti-mining coalition, Carlos Padilla, Governor of Nueva Vizcaya in the Philippines, visited El Salvador to share his province’s adverse experience with OceanaGold. On March 28, in presentations to El Salvador’s Environment and Climate Change Commission, Padilla reported that the mine had brought no significant economic growth, had violated human rights, and posed a threat to the province’s agricultural activity, the environment, and future generations.

His testimony helped break down the myths of economic growth and responsible, sustainable mining propagated by OceanaGold. After Padilla’s presentation the legislators on the Commission unanimously voted to advance the Law to Ban Metal Mining to the floor of the Legislative Assembly.

Also in advance of the assembly vote, many foreign organizations and individuals wrote to the president of the Legislative Assembly, Guillermo Gallegos, expressing solidarity with the people of El Salvador and support for the law.

By voting in favor of the mining ban, these lawmakers in El Salvador have chosen water over gold, and people and the environment over corporate profits. And they showed that even a very poor country can stand up to powerful global mining firms.

Latin America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

USA; Panel discussion on news and a ‘culture of peace’

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article by John Darling for the Ashland Tidings

In a time of alternate facts, public bullying and intense polarization of our public life, how can we use the media to foster a culture of peace, rather than violence? That’s the question addressed Monday by a panel at Southern Oregon University called “Cultivating a Culture of Peace in an Era of Trump: What’s the Media’s Role?”


Photo by John Carling
Click on the image to enlarge

Citing the “unprecedented antagonism of the Trump administration to media,” Jeff Golden, producer of “Immense Possibilities” on Southern Oregon Public TV, said our challenges didn’t start Jan. 20, because, years ago, much of the media abandoned its role in public service and became driven by profit.

This trend greatly increases the need for independent media, he notes, and much of it can flower on the internet.

“We’d be in much deeper trouble than we are now if not for independent media. Our challenge is very deep,” he said.

In the process, the journalist who supports a culture of peace “may not appear very peaceful. Journalists have to be combative and warriors for our own rights. You’ll do a more valuable job building a culture of peace than those who want to lie down.”

David Wick, executive director of Ashland Culture of Peace Commission, agreed, noting, “We’re not saying ‘let’s all just be peaceful.’ There always will be conflict, but peace is a powerful force. It’s not just sitting by the river on Lullaby Lane.”

The discussion is part of Independent Media Week, now in its 13th year. Sponsors include KSKQ Community Radio, the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission, Southern Oregon Jobs With Justice and the UN Club of SOU.

Its goals include “transforming attitudes, behaviors and institutions (for) harmonious relationships, (especially now) when the information landscape has been roiled by new national leadership.” It’s theme this week is “A well-informed citizenry is a cornerstone of democracy.”

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Question(s) related to this article:

Free flow of information, How is it important for a culture of peace?

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Hannah Jones, editor of SOU’s The Siskiyou newspaper, says the election “totally polarized us” leading her to “feel like a watchdog against someone who told us we’re wrong. We report the verifiable truth. It’s so easy to attack each other but that gets us in a culture of war and hate. People say journalism is dying, but it mustn’t.”

Several panelists referred to the slogan, “Speak truth to power,” coined by Bayard Rustin, a leader for social justice, nonviolence and gay rights, in 1942.

Journalists cyclically get too cozy with the powerful and begin to trust their sources too much, as happened with the widely liked Secretary of State Colin Powell as he claimed weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, said Jason Houk of Southern Oregon Jobs With Justice.

Jones responded with, “You can’t have peace without the truth.”

Seeking to avoid conflict has often led to the opposite of a culture of peace, added Golden, noting the mainstream media “failed in its job” by accepting the official story that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, thus leading to a huge war.

“They didn’t want to be in conflict with President Bush,” he said, “and the results are there to see.”

Media are deeply self-examining now, as they were taught to be objective and balance opinions, said Golden, however, what do they do when faced with lies — and that the supposedly balancing point-of-view is comprised of alternate facts? And should journalists use the word “liar?”

David Adams, coordinator of the Culture of Peace News Network, and a creator of the Culture of Peace movement (speaking via a video link from New Haven, Conn.), said the trend is that more and more people, informed by media, want democracy and oppose war. However, the state has come to “monopolize the culture of war and use media as a weapon … while they create incidents (of conflict) to convince people they have to have war.”

Daily Tidings Editor Bert Etling, a member of the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission, cited the “hurricane” in Washington, advocating actions “opposite of the culture of peace,” fragmenting and setting religions against each other, and trying to frame media and politics as an “us vs them … degrading what the media says … and the value of the information.”

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America

Beirut Declaration enhances role of religions in promoting human rights

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights

​​​A “Faith for Rights” initiative launched at a recent gathering of faith-based and civil society actors from around the world aims to unite religious communities of various faiths to counter discrimination and religious-based violence through a shared objective to promote human rights and to uphold the freedom of religion or belief.

“Our objective is to foster the development of peaceful societies, where diversity is not just tolerated but fully respected and celebrated,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said in a video message to participants at the two-day meeting hosted by the UN Human Rights Office in Beirut.

“Religious leaders, with their considerable influence on the hearts and minds of millions of people, are potentially very important human rights actors,” said Mr. Zeid.

Building on the 2012 Rabat Plan of Action that laid out religious leaders’ core responsibilities in countering incitement to hatred, the Beirut Declaration (pdf) expands those responsibilities to the full spectrum of human rights. It calls on believers of all faiths to join hands and hearts in articulating ways in which they can stand together in defending fundamental rights against discrimination and violence.

Sheikh Maytham Al Salman, a religious leader and rights defender from Bahrain, urged religious leaders and faith-based organizations to assume leading roles in countering hate campaigns targeting particular religious groups. “Religious hostility has risen to alarming stages,” he said.

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

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Linked to the Beirut Declaration are 18 Faith for Rights commitments (pdf) to uphold human rights, including pledges to avoid invoking “State religion” in order to justify discrimination against any individual or group, to ensure gender equality and minority rights, to refrain from oppressing critical voices and to engage with children and youth.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the freedom of religion or belief Ahmed Shaheed said he was concerned about the explicit targeting of youth “by those who would prey on young minds.” He called on religious leaders to pay particular attention to the vulnerability of young people subjected to hate speech.

“Youths look up to religious leaders for guidance, mentoring, support and advice. Therefore there is a need to engage with those communities at a very early age and provide a mind-set that is tolerant, broad-minded and has respect for others,” said Mr. Shaheed. “It is important to go beyond the human rights council chamber out into the field and to engage people and ensure we develop solidarity and cross-community collaboration to mobilize people to support the freedom of religion or belief.”

Ibrahim Salama, chief of the UN Human Rights Treaties Branch, hailed the Beirut Declaration as a rights-based call to people of all faiths around the world to promote peaceful societies based on mutual respect.

“Rather than focusing on theological and doctrinal divides, the Beirut Declaration favours the identification of common ground among all religions and beliefs to uphold the dignity and worth of all human beings,” he said.

(Thank you to Böðvar Jónsson of Akureyri, Iceland, the CPNN reporter for this article)

global, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Gandhi Peace Award to Omar Barghouti and Ralph Nader

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

An article compiled by Arab America

Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti and Arab American consumer rights crusader, Ralph Nader received the 2017 Ghandi Peace Award from the Connecticut group, Promoting Enduring Peace. Barghouti was honored for his work as the co-founder of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) and Nader for his five decades of work regarding consumer and civic activism and his human rights advocacy for the Palestinian peace movement.


Ralph Nader, left, and Omar Barghouti, right. Photo Credit: Don LaVange and intal

Barghouti was initially banned by Israel to travel to the U.S., but on Sunday, he was allowed entry to the U.S after winning a temporary suspension of the ban.

Barhgouti dedicated the award to the more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners who are on a massive hunger strike in Israeli jails.

At the ceremony, he stated, “As I humbly accept the Gandhi Peace Award for 2017, I dedicate it to the heroic Palestinian political prisoners on hunger strike in Israel’s apartheid dungeons and to every Palestinian refugee yearning to return home to Palestine to reunite with the land and the homeland.”

Barghouti leads the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions National Committee, which organizes the BDS movement worldwide. The committee demands an end to Israel’s occupation, calls for ending racial discrimination and advocates the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland.

Nader is the founder of the Center for Study of Responsive Law, which focuses on environmental issues, consumerism, and safety. In addition, the center hosts numerous conferences, focusing on government and corporate accountability empowering citizens.

In his remarks, Nader spoke of “state terrorism”, saying it was more widespread than terrorism by individuals. He added that U.S. forces can kill anyone; as well as, U.S. presidents can commit “state terrorism” with no declaration of war by Congress.

Arab America congratulates Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti and Arab American consumer rights crusader, Ralph Nader for receiving the 2017 Ghandi Peace Award.

Question for this article
North America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Earth Day around the World – 2017

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A survey by CPNN

On the website, http://earthday.org, we find the following quotation: “Earth Day Network’s mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 50,000 partners in nearly 195 countries to build environmental democracy. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.”

Certainly this is a good cause, and one that is central to the culture of peace, since, as defined by the United Nations, sustainable development is one of the eight program areas of the culture of peace. But are the numbers correct? Where can we find a list of the “50,000 partners in nearly 195 countries”? And how can we verify the participation of “more than 1 billion people”?

We find 102 partners listed on one of the website’s pages. A few of them are networks, such as Sister Cities International or the National Wildlife Federation, but most of these partners are small organizations (for example, the Woods Hole Research Center) or government agencies, for example, the Maryland Transportation Authority or the California State Parks. None, as far as I can tell are organizations with large memberships.

Looking at the list of Earthday partners, we find many countries represented, although the vast majority are limited to the United States. If one counts the partners of Sister Cities International , there are already 145 since they have “2,000 partnerships in 145 countries around the globe.” There are a eight with names in non-English scripts, mostly Arabic or Chinese. And there are at least 13 partners from other countries including Vietnam, Australia, Guatemala, Guyana, India, (Agastya), Bahamas, Kosovo (Eco Viciana and Shoqata), Tanzania (Friends of Usambara), Italy (Dietro le fo’), UK (University of Leeds), UK and Canada (International Fund for Animal Welfare), Peru (Ecoan), and Malaysia (Rakan Segari).

We search in vain on the website of earthday.org for a listing of earthday observations around the world, although their claim of 1 billion participants is quoted by wikipedia and a other websites such as the The Guardian (UK).

With this in mind, we decided at CPNN to search the internet using google to find examples of the celebration of Earthday. What we found were celebrations mostly in North America, in all 50 states of the USA and most of the Canadian provinces. To a lesser extent, the “Dia de la tierra” or “Dia de la madre tierra” was celebrated in Latin America and the Caribbean. Articles about celebrations in the rest of the world were spotty, with a few in Europe and Asia and very few in Africa.

The largest number of celebrations in the rest of the world were the satellite marches for science, in solidarity with the march in Washington. On the website of Science Magazine, we find descriptions of the satellite marches in Seoul, Tokyo, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Tromsø and Svalbard in Norway, Bonn and Berlin in Germany, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra in Australia, Aukland in New Zealand. According to Africa News, there were satellite marches in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, Ghana’s capital Accra, Kampala in Uganda, Blantyre in Malawi and Cape Town as well as Durban in South Africa among other cities. In the Philippines, there was a satellite march in Quezon City.

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Question for this article

What has happened this year (2017) for Earth Day?

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Ironically, given that the new administration in Washington is considered to be against ecological initiatives – for which the March for Science is a protest – the foreign embassies of the United States are one of the biggest sponsors of Earth Day events in the rest of the world. Hence, for example the article about Earth Day cleanup in Vietnam quotes the US ambassador and begins, “More than 1,000 volunteers from the US Embassy, associations, organisations and universities, joined hands to pick up garbage in Thong Nhat Park in Hanoi Saturday morning to mark Earth Day here.” In Fiji, “the Embassy of the United States hosted a clean-up campaign with Bank South Pacific (BSP) at the My Suva Picnic Park.” In China, “Earth Day Network is also partnering with the US Embassy in Beijing to host the Earth Day Expo at Beijing American Center.” In India, “As part of the Earth Day activities, the US embassy, in cooperation with programme partner Clean Air Asia, organised a two-day campaign “Better Air, Better Earth” to promote air quality awareness.”

Some other Earth Day sponsors were also surprising. In Malaysia, the Earth Day celebration was sponsored by the World Wildlife Federation based in the United States and the Soka Gakkai sect based in Japan. In Pakistan, the Earth Day celebration was sponsored by the Defence Housing Authority, an upscale real estate and property development organisation administered by the Pakistan Army which develops housing for current and retired military personnel. In Kenya, the earth day activities were sponsored by Chandaria Industries, makers of tissue and hyigiene products, and by Youth for Earth, an Australian-based NGO. According to the website tnf.org, “Tanzanians around the country celebrated Earth Day. Check out some of the great activities that took place: A Picnic, tree planting; and more.” But when we click on the links for the picnic, the tree planting and more, we get the US Nature Conservancy, US earthday and Jane Goodall’s website Roots and Shoots in the United States.

In Europe there were several Earth Day events that were local in nature. In Spain, The Provincial Delegation of Almería celebrated the ‘International Day of Mother Earth’ of 150 species of almucine in the environment of Laujar de Andarax, involving schoolchildren of the municipality. In France, the website Jour de la Terre, reported that there were at least 60 local events in that country. In Norway, there were events organized by the Center for Ecology-Based Economy. In the village of village of Ninotsminda in (Georgia) school №2, 9-10 held a lesson in the open air and celebrated “Earth Day” by cleaning the school grounds from the accumulated garbage. In Moscow, there were several events, including a festival in the “Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo” park. Also in Russia, there was a school celebrations in Rostov on the Don and Ryazan.

We found two Earth Day events in Asia that were local in nature. In Indonesia, SINTALARAS, an outdoor club from Makassar State University, rallied-up together to clean a large amount of wastes at Mount Bulusaraung in commemorating Earth Day. And in Kuo Tao, an island resort in Thailand, “As well as an island wide land clean-up in the morning, an island wide underwater clean-up in the afternoon and an evening of fairground-style games, food & drinks and a raffle with huge prizes, the local government will be launching their Shark & Turtle Sanctuary Project for Shark Bay/Rocky Bay and a Giant Clam Project in Sai Nuan.”

We found one Earth Day event in Africa that was local in nature. In Ghana, “The Ghana Youth Climate Coalition in partnership with Ghana Youth Environment movement and zoom lion- Ghana embarked on a cleanup exercise and sanitation education.”

Is the Earth Day initiative gaining in scope? According to the Earth Day Network website, it has grown from 200 million people in 141 countries in 1990 to 1 billion people in 195 countries this year. But judging from the survey results above, we have to be skeptical of these numbers. It’s a good initiative, and we’d like to see it grow, but wishful thinking is not enough!

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Día de la Madre Tierra (Earth Day), 2017

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A survey by CPNN

April 22, recognized as Día Internacional de la Madre Tierra (Mother Earth Day) by the United Nations, was celebrated throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Some of this year’s celebrations underline the link between care for the earth and the need for peace and disarmament.

Mexico

The World Embassy of Peace Activists celebrated International Mother Earth Day in the Torreón Urban Forest. The event sought to promote the protection of ecological balance and raise awareness among citizens about the deterioration of the planet by the “uncontrolled” use of nature and its impact on the safety and health of human beings. The embassy presented the Proclamation of Constitution of the Rights of Mother Earth. The document considers that it is necessary to establish a solid basis for a sustainable and resilient development and growth, where the interrelation between the rights of Mother Earth and the fundamental rights of human beings is recognized.

Bolivia

President Evo Morales, through his Twitter expressed Saturday that as children of Mother Earth our duty is to defend it, in the framework of the International Day of Mother Earth. “We are all children of Mother Earth, we come and we end in her, therefore, as sisters and brothers, our duty is to take care of her.” He says he is convinced that the planet would exist better without the human being while the human being would not live without the planet. Pachamama or death! The president asks how much was spent on the preservation of MadreTierra in 2016, when the capitalist budget for arms purchases was US $ 68 billion?

Trinidad and Tobago

As the world celebrated Earth Day yesterday, members of the National Council of Orisha Elders in T&T marked the occasion with a march through San Fernando praying for an end to violence. The procession began with prayers and offerings of olive oil, milk, water and honey to the earth by various priests in the Orisha faith at Kings Wharf, San Fernando, at 10 am yesterday. “It is done to elevate the female principle through our Mother of the Earth, through our Onile because of the crime situation in the country and the violence against women and children generally and to elevate the feeling of despair that permeates the land today.”

Chile

Chile commemorated International Earth Day with activities in different parts of the country including distribution of seeds in Santiago and a walk with astronomical observation in La Serena. “The activity intends that through a walk in contact with nature can observe the astronomical richness of the region, but also taking into account how light pollution has effects on climate change,” explained the representative of the Ministry of Environment of the Region Of Coquimbo, Eduardo Fuentealba.

Colombia

A hundred people, led by scientists and students of the National University of Colombia (UN), joined Saturday in the “March for Science” initiative that was born in the USA. In response to the cuts in funding for scientific research proposed by President Donald Trump. At the local level, the demonstration aimed to show the state that science is indispensable for progress in the economic, social and environmental fields. “Colombia has suffered budget cuts and there have been multiple state policies that threaten and restrict the capacities of science, and therefore of all its findings,” said UN geology student and logistics coordinator Maria Trinidad Ceferino

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Question for this article

What has happened this year (2017) for Earth Day?

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Honduras

Public and private environmental organizations in Honduras commemorated “Earth Day” with the planting of thousands of trees in urban and rural areas to raise awareness of the importance of caring for the planet. The crusade has also been joined by students from schools and colleges.

Nicaragua

The Sandinista Youth organized a walk and fair on Saturday in Juigalpa, to celebrate Earth Day. The tour of the main streets of the city is called ““Amor a la Naturaleza, Corazón Verde” (“Love to Nature, Heart of Green”) and its objective is to sensitize people about the importance of preserving Mother Earth with responsible attitudes that help protect natural resources, as well as flora and fauna. The activity included a varied cultural program, with cultural presentations, folkloric dances, competitions, and recognitions to young people that stand out in the protection of the environment.

Panama

Panama joins the international community in the commemoration of Earth Day with festivals, waste collection, tree planting and messages about the permanent responsibility of all to preserve the planet.”

Peru

Joining the commemoration of World Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, various educational and recreational activities take place in the zonal clubs and metropolitan parks of the capital, reported the Municipality of Lima. These activities promote the care of green areas, trees and biodiversity of these ecosystems that extend over more than 400 hectares in Lima. In the zone clubs Flor de Amancaes (Villa Maria del Triunfo); Huáscar (Villa el Salvador); Huiracocha (San Juan de Lurigancho), among others, there are parades, educational talks, storytelling, play activities, recycling workshops and small plants will be given to visitors. One of the most symbolic activities is the placement of messages in the branches of trees, as a call to citizens to express our commitment to mother earth.

Venezuela

The president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, celebrated Earth Day through a message shared in his Facebook account where it was expressed that “ecosocialism is a concept that we have promoted from the Bolivarian Government, it is a hope to make a change real and meaningful “. In this reflection, he said that since 1970, World Earth Day has been celebrated, “in an attempt to raise awareness about the serious climatic problems that have been affecting the planet due to pollution, the indiscriminate use of natural resources and the lack of policies that preserve the environment. ”

Barbados

Barbadians are being urged to “pick up after themselves” after more than 200 bags of garbage was removed from a 12-kilometre stretch of West Coast beach yesterday. The exhortation has come from Gayle Talma, the group operations director of the Elegant Group of Companies as it spearheaded a clean-up campaign as part of Earth Day.

Argentina

Argentina joins the international community in the commemoration of Earth Day with workshops, ecological activities and even the country’s first “bio festival” of music, held in the city of Rosario.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Earth Day in North America

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A survey by CPNN

Earthday, April 22, was celebrated in all 50 states of the USA and most of the provinces of Canada.

The central theme for many of the events was the March for Science which affirmed the need for scientific research, especially regarding the problem of global warming, and in reaction against the policies of US President Donald Trump who is cutting support for this research. The largest march was in Washington, D.C. where tens of thousands of people turned out behind the banner shown below.


Click on photo to enlarge
photo credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA

According to ABC News, “… famed American scientist Bill Nye, an honorary co-chair of the event, delivered a speech to a huge crowd in pouring rain. ‘Show the world that science is for all. Our lawmakers must know and accept that science serves every one of us,’ Nye said before shouting out, ‘Save the world!’ Even with the rain, thousands of people packed the Washington Monument grounds for the start of the march Saturday morning. Some were clad in white lab coats while others carried handmade signs calling for funding for scientific research. At least 27,000 Facebook users said they were attending the march in Washington, D.C.”

According to the same source, satellite marches were set for more than 600 cities in addition to Washington and including New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Des Moines, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Austin, Miami, San Francisco, Mobile, Oklahoma City, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Paris, Munich, Berlin and many more.

A survey of crowd sizes in 209 cities and towns across the United States was listed as of April 28 in Wikipedia indicating that between half a million and one million people took part in the marches.

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Question for this article

What has happened this year (2017) for Earth Day?

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Descriptions and photos of satellite marches for science were published from Victoria, British Columbia, Winnepeg, Manitoba, Flagstaff, Arizona, Berkeley, California, Hartford, Connecticut, Kansas City, Kansas, St Paul, Minnesota, Roswell, New Mexico, Portland, Oregon, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Rapid City, South Dakota, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Salt Lake City, Utah, Seattle, Washington and Riverton, Wyoming.

Earthday fairs with educational activities such as booths about ecological initiatives were held in many towns and cities, including Edmonton, Alberta, Unionville, Delaware, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, Crystal Lake, Illinois, Valparaiso, Indiana, Springfield, Massachusetts, Kalamazoo, Michigan, St. Louis, Missouri, Salem County, New Jersey, Durham, North Carolina and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Tree planting was a favorite earthday activity, as in Montreal, Quebec, Ashland, Kentucky, Billings, Montana and South Burlington, Vermont.

Another favorite activity was community environmental clean-ups as in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Orange County, California, Marshalltown, Iowa, Southern Maine, Baltimore, Maryland, Martha’s Vinyard, Massachusetts, Ashtabula County, Ohio, Central Falls, Rhode Island, Berkeley County, South Carolina, and Portage, Wisconsin

In many cases events were held by universities, including Arkansas State University, Mississippi State University, Virginia Tech University, West Virginia University and the University of Hawaii

Special internet sites and facebook pages were established to publicize the many earthday events in Hamilton, Ontario, Omaha, Nebraska, Reno, Nevada, Austin, Texas as well as all of Texas and Louisiana.

Participants could choose from a wide range of earthday events according to the calendars published for Alabama, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Ontario, Fairbanks, Alaska, Colorado Springs, Colorado, South Florida , Atlanta, Georgia, New Hampshire and New York, New York.

Especially unique and appropriate was the earthday event in North Dakota, where the horseback riders of the indigenous Dakota Exile Healing Ride celebrated the “Sweet Corn Treaty” that occurred in 1870 with the Chippewa and Sioux tribes. They called for “sharing our homelands and responsibilities to the lands, and water as well as respect for each other’s cultures and traditions by sharing once again as Dakota did”.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America

Madrid, Spain: International Conference on Security, Conflict and Cross-cultural Dialogue

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An announcement from the International Conference on Conflict and Aggression (CICA) (abbreviated)

We would like to inform that the coming 42nd CICA (International Conferences on Conflict and Aggression) will take place in Madrid, Spain, from 18th to 20th September 2017.

The main goal of this 42nd CICA, organized by the Nebrija-Santander Global Chair for Management of Risks and Conflicts (Center for Conflict Studies, Nebrija University) and the Spanish Pugwash National Group, will be an opportunity to exchange our ideas on the main issues in the broad field of Conflict and Aggression, with a specific focus on the current knowledge and research on Conflict and Cross-cultural Dialogue, emphasizing that problems or disputes cannot be permanently resolved through the use of military force, but through respect, tolerance and dialogue. This, indeed, may be a quite effective tool for bridging the diverse cultures and, consequently, for solving many of the conflicts of today’s world, characterized by a dynamic interchange of populations with very diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Consequently, the main, but not exclusive, topics of this conference are: international conflict and security problems, with a special focus on migrations and refugees, and their possible solutions; values and risks of cross-cultural societies; and the crosscultural dialogue as a mean for overcoming this kind of conflicts.

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Question(s) related to this article:

Global meetings, conferences, assemblies, What is the best way for delegates to interact afterwards?

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For this purpose, we have the tentative active participation of reputed scholars from different continents and from different cultures and fields of expertise. Among them, the following keynote speakers:

Hon. Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, President of the Parliament., Luxembourg.

Sheikh Dr. Hojjat Ramzy, Executive Member of the Muslim Council of Britain. U.K.

Prof. Saideh Lotfian, Chair, International Council, Pugwash Movement (Nobel Peace Prize 1995). Iran.

Ms. Emina Omanovic, Secretary General, ABACUS., Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Hon. Amiira Neff, President of l’Alliance Globale MGF. Switzerland.

Prof. Predrag Vujovic, Founder and President. PublicRelations Business School, Serbia.

Dr. Abraham Haim, President of the Council, Sefardi Community of Jerusalem. Israel.

George Rayess Yazbeck, Interpreter & Journalist., Líbano.

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Please, submit communications abstracts by July 15th, 2017 (notification of acceptance will be e-mailed in one week), and early registration deadline: July 30th, 2017. The submitted contributions (with title, authors with short biosketches, and about 300 words abstracts) may have the form of:

1. Oral (duration: about 20 min) and Poster presentations

2. Symposium (3-4- talks on a common topic, with a total duration of about 90 min)

3. Languages: English and Spanish

An edited volume based on the most outstanding contributions of the conference will be published by a prestigious international Publisher.

For their submission and more information, you may contact us, writing directly to both the following e-mail addresses:
• cica@nebrija.es
• agressionresearch@med.ucm.es

In any case, we would be grateful for spreading the attached invitation and draft program throughout your respective networks. Since this is meant to be a multidisciplinary event, the widest diversity in backgrounds (business, science, government, international organizations, civil society, media, etc.) will be welcome.

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Togo: Minister Lorenzo Launches Support for master in “culture of peace and development”.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from Alwihda Info (translated by CPNN)

The Minister of Communication, Culture, Sports and Civic Training, Guy Madjé LORENZO opened this Tuesday [March 28] in the premises of the Regional Institute of Higher Education and Research in Cultural Development (IRES -RDEC) in Lomé, the work of defense of the first promotion (2014-2016) of master in “culture of peace and development”.

During four semesters of training, students gained theoretical and practical skills on subjects such as conflict and the mechanisms of their resolution, preventive conflict management. They may also conduct projects related to peacebuilding.

For Minister LORENZO, “the establishment in the subregion of the Master in Culture of Peace and Development is the fruit of a new initiative to be welcomed”. The Minister of Communications also invited the recipients to serve as an example for future promotions.

It should be noted that 34 students from Benin, Niger and Togo attended the training. Of these, four graduated and five dropped out. The Regional Institute for Higher Education and Research in Cultural Development is a school for regional training and integration in culture related to development.

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

Question for this article:
Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Opposing tax havens and corruption: part of the culture of peace?

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .


In drafting the United Nations Declaration and Programme of Action for a Culture of Peace, we included the following:

“It is increasingly recognized that in the long term, everyone gains from the implementation of sustainable human development for all. The poverty and exclusion of some increases the vulnerability of all. This represents a major change in the concept of economic growth which, in the past, could be considered as benefitting from military supremacy and structural violence and achieved at the expense of the vanquished and the weak. . . . Special consideration should be given to the reduction of sharp economic inequalities among nations and peoples so as to avoid potential sources of violent conflict.”

It turns out that tax havens are a major method of structural violence achieved at the expense of the poor countries and leading to more and more inequality between the rich (exploiting) North and the poor (exploited) South. The key data are kept secret, but have been unmasked recently by a team of academics at the US-based Global Financial Integrity (GFI) and the Centre for Applied Research at the Norwegian School of Economics and published by the Guardian.

“Multinational companies also steal money from developing countries through “same-invoice faking”, shifting profits illegally between their own subsidiaries by mutually faking trade invoice prices on both sides. For example, a subsidiary in Nigeria might dodge local taxes by shifting money to a related subsidiary in the British Virgin Islands, where the tax rate is effectively zero and where stolen funds can’t be traced. GFI doesn’t include same-invoice faking in its headline figures because it is very difficult to detect, but they estimate that it amounts to another $700bn per year. And these figures only cover theft through trade in goods. If we add theft through trade in services to the mix, it brings total net resource outflows to about $3tn per year. That’s 24 times more than the aid budget. In other words, for every $1 of aid that developing countries receive, they lose $24 in net outflows. These outflows strip developing countries of an important source of revenue and finance for development. The GFI report finds that increasingly large net outflows have caused economic growth rates in developing countries to decline, and are directly responsible for falling living standards.”

Hence, the answer would seem to be, “Yes, opposition to tax havens and corruption is a key part of the culture of peace!”

See the following CPNN articles on this subject:

Three large South American economies sign an agreement in Cartagena to tighten tax policies against “ghost companies”

‘Historic Win’: UN Members to Start Talks on ‘Inclusive and Effective’ Global Tax Standards

The “Fihavanana” of Madagascar: corruption or culture of peace?

Global Alliance for Tax Justice: #EndTaxHavens campaign update: (6 April)

d-sustainable