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.

Florianópolis, Brazil: World Peace Forum: a space to build a better world

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Claudia Quintero in FIPU Press (Federación Internacional de Prensa de la Pueblos) (translated by CPNN)

Representatives of 60 countries will be in Florianópolis from 22 to 25 September for the Version 2016 X World Peace Forum (World Peace Forum). Florianopolis is the capital of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, known for its natural beauty, host of the largest and most important meeting of world peace agents.

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The organizers, the Schengen Peace Foundation, have created the forum “to promote the message of peace in Europe and throughout the world, contribute to building a more peaceful world by promoting peace, tolerance and multicultural understanding through dialogue, debates, publications, exhibitions, workshops, internet platforms, meetings, and education programs, as well as peace studies “.

Since 2007, this NGO organizes the World Peace Forum, which brings together teachers, academics, peace activists, businessmen, journalists, students, religious leaders and politicians, as well as any citizen who is interested in building world peace/

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

Question related to this article:

How can the peace movement become stronger and more effective?

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Among the promoters of the forum are Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Nobel Peace), the University of the Sorbonne in Paris, and the president of the European Commission, Jacques Santer.

In 2015, the World Peace Forum made progress in the search for peace by organizing the 1st World Peace Forum of Youth in Cairo, Egypt, and the World Peace Forum in the city of Baia Mare, Romania where the objective was the “Search for common global values.”

The World Peace Forum is a partnership involving people from all over the world in the search for world peace. There we can debate, for example: What contribution can each of us make for peace? Here in Colombia, we are on track and at the forum will seek to elucidate the most urgent issues, the root causes of violence and the need to overcome them in order to achieve a peace with justice.

No place is more appropriate for this great event than the UNIPAZ University in Brazil which is dedicated to training for peace. The university is recognized for its holistic curriculum for the culture of peace, which puts integrity of the human being in first place and the need to elaborate regional peace proposals.

Representing Colombia in the Forum will be the director of the Foundation for a New Life (Funuvida), Alejandro Toro, who will present the Qantu Project – Plan for International Support for the non-recurrence of armed conflict in Colombia, a peace strategy for the country with international vision.

Click here for more information about the World Peace Forum

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Latin America

Mexico: Presentation of the project “Oaxaca Intercultural”

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from ADN Sureste (translated by CPNN)

Oaxaca, July 18. The project “Oaxaca Intercultural” is being organized by a number of cultural and social associations in order to strengthen cultural life and citizenship skills for coexistence and dialogue through the linkage of education and culture,

oaxaca
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Lucina Jimenez, Unesco expert consultant and director of the International Consortium for Art and the School A.C. (ConArte), said that the project has been launched with resources provided by the Federal Ministry of Culture thanks to legislative management by federal deputy Francisco Martínez Neri.

She explained that the themes of culture of peace and intercultural dialogue are the keystones for which ten organizations of civil society will support a series of projects in Oaxaca. The project will encourage reflection and dialogue about contemporary art production through academic exchanges in urban artistic and cultural sectors as well as with young speakers of indigenous languages.

For his part, the federal legislator praised the willingness of civic associations to join the project which shows that regardless of any differences, they can work together towards a common goal of dialogue and coexistence in Oaxaca through artistic and cultural activities.

It should be noted that the project began on Saturday and will continue until next August in various locations.

(Click here for the article in Spanish)

Questions for this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Mexico: The government promotes mediation as an alternative for the resolution of conflicts

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from La Jornada Aguascalientes (translated by CPNN)

As the representative of the General Secretary of the Government [SEGOB], Alejandro Bernal Rubalcava has released the 6-month report from the Coordination of Mediation which indicates that between January and June 2016 the Coordination of Mediation completed 736 mediations of conflicts between individuals, as well as 653 legal advisories for citizens who opted to use this service.

SEGOB

The Coordination of Mediation offers citizens legal advice as well as the dialogue and the construction of accords by means of alternative conflict resolution, free of charge and confidential, creating channels to facilitate communication in order to resolve problems between individuals in a way more rapid and efficient than the judicial process, explains Bernal Rubalcava.

He emphasizes that the promotion of mediation among citizens as an effective tool for achieving satisfactory agrreements of conflicts between two parties has contributed to generating a culture of peace among the population of Aguascalentes, while decreasing the demands on the judicial system.

He adds that in addition to the satisfactorily concluded mediations and agreements constructed and accepted by the parties involved, the 653 legal advisories on civil, criminal and family law, provided a guide allowing people to assert their rights and clarify conflicts.

Mediation, through its form and content, promotes a more peaceful and just society. To this end, the representative of the General Secretary of the Government invites citizens requiring advice or looking for a quick and peaceful solution to a conflict, to come to the offices of the Coordination of Mediation located on Hornedo street 104, first floor, in the city center, with hours open to the public from 8:30 to 15:00 hours.

(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

Question for this article:
EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Culture of Peace: Artistic Creations by African Youth

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Special for CPNN by Kiki Chauvin (English translation by CPNN)

Last week, CPNN republished an article concerning the launch of the youth campaign for a culture of peace in Central Africa which took place in Libreville, Gabon. This week, we have received two remarkable videos created by the youth for this campaign. They are presented on the Facebook page of the campaign, appropriately named “Africa4peace”.

The first is a spot video of one minute 20 seconds which will be run by many television and radio stations in Gabon. The youth of the campaign are shown bearing traditional ceremonial torches and calling out the word “peace” in various languages spoken in Central Africa. The word “peace” in the 40 languages of the region are arranged as a design for the composite logo for the campaign:

gabon2
Click on the image to enlarge

The second video features a song, “Donnons la paix”, composed by Annie-Flore Batchiellilys and presented by the youth campaign as an artistic production. Click here to view it.

Introducing the campaign members and their videos, the representative of UNESCO in Gabon, Enzo Fazzino, emphasized that it took three months of work by the youth to prepare these productions. The work was in itself a “veritable culture of peace, as they took responsibility and engagement on a daily basis as the actors of the project, participating with others to construct socities that will be more just, more equitable, inclusive and peaceful.” (Click here for the video of the presentation ceremony.

( Click here for the French version.)

 

Question related to this article.

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

The Third International Conference on Mediation to take place in Guatemala

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Noticias Panorama (translated by CPNN)

The International Mediation Center (CIM) has announced that the Third International Congress on Mediation will take place on Thursday August 18 from 8:00 to 18:00 at the Salón Jade y Plata of the Hotel Camino Real. The Congress aims to provide effective methods for the solution of social and trade conflicts that affect the development of our society through dialogue. Mediation seeks to provoke changes that will benefit the people of Guatemala.

mediation
Mario Bucaro, President of CIM

The method of mediation is practical, effective and suitable because it helps people find the solution to their conflicts and dialogue and peace as a result. “The mediator does not decide the result of a dispute, the parties retain the autonomy of their solution.”

“The aim of the Congress is to show firsthand the benefits of the method and how to put into practice the techniques in the social and business environment through dialogue. The intention is to achieve peace in the world “, stated Mario Bucaro, President of CIM.

The activity will be attended by national and international speakers who will share their experiences, techniques and methods in order to promote the culture of peace around the world.

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

Question for this article:

Mediation as a tool for culture of peace and nonviolence

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The International Mediation Center is a private institution created and supported by CAMEX [The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Guatemala/Mexico], made up of experts in the method of mediation to facilitate the resolution of disputes on a voluntary basis through dialogue and cooperation as the best way to resolve the differences between people and entities in the national and international private sector.

Mediation began in the public sphere in 1998. Under the program of modernization of the judiciary, the President of the Judicial Agency created the Pilot Center of Mediation and Conciliation (21/998 and 22/998 agreements). Currently there are 78 public mediation centers in 14 departments led and managed by the judiciary. The one private center is the International Mediation Center.

Congress Keynotes:

* The Phenomenon of Mediation and Its Trends. Mario Bucaro – Lawyer, Certified Mediator, President International Mediation Center Guatemala.

* Alternative Dispute Resolution in International Trade. Judge Cristina Pareyra, lawyer, journalist Mediator and Legal Expert JAMS (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services) Miami USA.

* Prevention and management of conflicts in Labor Relations. Wanda Azmitia – expert in mediation, Coordinator of the Unit of alternative dispute resolution Judicial Branch.

* Juan Carlos Lucero-Lawyer, International Labor Mediator, an expert in social dialogue.

* Community and Business Mediation as a response to restore social harmony. Laura Avila, Lawyer, Master in Business Law, Center for Arbitration and Mediation Center, Legal College, Costa Rica.

* Workshop: Techniques to manage nonverbal language in conflict resolution. Dr. Virgilio Gordon, consultant, professional coach, writer, university professor, therapist and lecturer. – Guatemala

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Michoacán, Mexico: Law Approved for Culture of Peace and Prevention of Violence

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from Quadratin, Michoacán (translated by CPNN)

Morelia, Michoacan, July 15, 2016.- The Regular Session of the Congress of Michoacán has approved the recommendation of the committees of Justice and Public Security and Civil Protection, and approved the Act for a Culture of Peace and Prevention of Violence and Crime for the State. The purpose of the law is to provide additional institutional support to restore the social fabric and social inclusion, foster a culture of peace and a harmonious society and ensure public participation to protect the peace of our families and communities. Where appropriate, it aims to provide strong denunciation of crimes and serve the collective interest. This was announced by Deputy Wilfrido Lazaro Medina who presented the initiative which is now an approved Act of the Legislature.

Michoacan
Click on photo to enlarge

According to a statement, the President of the Commission of Public Safety and Civil Protection, said that this initiative was also strengthened in its technical aspects by an analysis and updating of legislation on public safety that was carried out in conjunction with the Ministry of State Security. Other contributions came from participants in the Diploma in Public Safety and Culture of Prevention of the Latin University of America, as well as observations by the State Center for Violence and Delinquency Prevention and inputs from civil society organizations and associations, citizens and experts on the subject.

Lazaro Medina said that peace is the social value that motivated him to present the proposed Law for the Culture of Peace and Prevention of Violence and Crime. He said “this represents a progressive reform of the law. It is not utopian but rational and possible to achieve a culture of peace through the observance of the rule of law. Our people need security and stability as a condition of being able to have a full life and exercise the rights and freedoms that our Constitution gives us.”

“There is no way to peace, peace is the way,” said Mahatma Gandhi. But we must also say that the path only exists if you build it through respect, tolerance, humility, generosity, dialogue, understanding, agreements and reconciliation. Only then can we construct a positive peace in the state, by doing our part in Michoacan, “he concluded.

(Click here for the article in Spanish)

Questions for this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

The Elders welcome new moves in Africa to end child marriage

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

Press release from The Elders

The Elders today welcomed recent moves by leaders in The Gambia, Tanzania and Uganda to end or curb child marriage, as part of the African Union’s continent-wide campaign to eradicate the harmful practice.

elders

In The Gambia, where almost a third of underage girls are married, President Yayha Jammeh has announced that anyone marrying a girl below 18 would be jailed for up to 20 years, with legislation due to by drawn up in the coming months. In Tanzania, meanwhile, parliament has declared that current child marriage laws are unconstitutional.

The Ugandan health ministry has also recently announced that it will provide more advice to girls and adolescents, and educate them on their sexual and reproductive health and rights, joining 10 other countries which have already adopted national strategies and action plans to end child marriage.

Kofi Annan, Chair of The Elders, said:

“It is encouraging to see more African leaders and legislators taking action to end the damaging and abusive practice of child marriage. This is an issue of rights, health, justice and protection that affects individual girls and women, their families and their wider community. Governments across the continent must now work hard to educate the wider population and eradicate this practice once and for all.”

The Elders have campaigned against child marriage since 2011, when they formed the global civil society alliance Girls Not Brides, now an independent organisation in its own right.

Mary Robinson added:

“As Elders, we are committed to promoting equality for women and girls and ending all forms of discrimination. Child marriage is cruel and harmful. It denies girls the chance of an education and economic independence. Their talents cannot then be tapped by communities which could benefit from their knowledge and resilience. These latest steps are welcome but much more still needs to be done to protect girls’ rights.”

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article)

Question related to this article:
Africa, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Malaysia: Tenaganita Still Fighting for Women Workers’ Rights, 25 Years On

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

An article by Mickey Spiegel for Human Rights Watch

It’s now a quarter of a century since Tenaganita, a civil society pioneer in the fight for women workers’ rights in Malaysia, was founded. It has thrived despite persistent government harassment and roadblocks to its work. But one look at its determined and principled leadership explains a lot.

malaysia
Irene Fernandez speaks at the presentation of the winners of the Right Livelihood Awards in Stockholm, Sweden on December 7, 2005. © 2005 Reuters
Click on photo to enlarge

Since Tenaganita has never blown its own horn, too few people know of the group’s ground-breaking struggles for decent working conditions for both Malaysian and migrant women – be they on remote palm oil plantations, crowded factory assembly lines, or isolated in private homes as abused migrant domestic workers. Since 1991, Tenaganita has been instrumental in fighting for justice for women and men trafficked into forced labor and sexual exploitation in Malaysia; for urban refugees seeking the right to work and for their children’s right to schooling; and fighting for a bigger vision – that all ASEAN countries make their laws and practices conform with international rights standards.

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Question(s) related to this article:

The right to form and join trade unions, Is it being respected?

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I and other Human Right Watch staff members learned much from Tenaganita about finding possible solutions for women workers’ struggles. The first lesson came from visiting its modest offices, jammed each day with clients patiently waiting their turn for help, and watching the staff never hurry a person in distress, no matter how late the hour or how difficult their case. The combination of modesty and principled persistence won through.

A second lesson came from the exceptional women who formed and led Tenaganita. The inimitable founder, Irene Fernandez, faced down repeated government threats to her work and her freedom in a trial and appeal that lasted 13 years. The authorities charged her for “maliciously publishing false news” after Tenaganita issued a report about the abysmal conditions in Malaysia’s immigration detention centers. After a seven-year-long trial, she was found guilty in 2003 – a conviction that hung over her head until the High Court overturned the verdict in 2008.

I’m forever grateful to Irene, who passed away in 2014, for the advice she gave me on migrant issues; to her sister Aegile Fernandez, part of the leadership team since the beginning; and to Glorene Das, now executive director. Glorene, dynamic yet modest, is never too busy to explain a new convoluted government program, or to rally activists when it is apparent that workers are in peril.

The hope, of course, is that someday workers will no longer need groups like Tenaganita. But it is a life saver for those in need. I am confident it will tackle challenges with the expertise, modesty, and tenaciousness that has been its trademark for 25 years.

East Asia, HUMAN RIGHTS

Tunisia moves closer to achieving gender equality in politics

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from UN Women

Tunisia’s Parliament has approved an amendment ensuring that women have greater representation in local politics. This amendment, which applies to both municipal and regional elections, includes a proposal for “horizontal and vertical” gender parity in Article 49 of the electoral law.

Tunisia
Plenary session in the Assembly of Representatives of the People (ARP), with UN Women. Photo: ARP
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Horizontal parity requires that municipal election lists across Tunisia have equal number of both men and women, while vertical parity requires that men and women alternate within each list. Both were adopted by the Assembly of Representatives of the People (ARP), the Tunisian parliament, on 15 June 2016. Out of 134 representatives, 127 agreed to the new measure.

“The adoption of the new electoral law on parity aligns with the democratic path that the country has chosen to take,” said Bochra Belhaj Hamida, a parliamentarian and member of the Commission of Women, Family, Children, Youth and Seniors. “For the first time, 73 women parliamentarians, from different parties, backgrounds and political ideologies, voted unanimously and conducted their own lobbying in favour of the horizontal and vertical parity.”

UN Women joined forces with the advocacy efforts led by civil society for horizontal parity in local elections. On the eve of the plenary session in Parliament for this draft law, a specific session was held in partnership with the International Development Centre for Local Innovative Governance. Women parliamentarians presented arguments and evidence in favour of the adoption of horizontal and vertical parity.

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Question for this article

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

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According to the Gender Gap Report 2015, Tunisia is ranked 69th in terms of political empowerment out of 145 countries. Enshrining horizontal and vertical parity in the electoral law increases women’s chances of being elected in the upcoming local elections planned in March 2017, and will allow for better representation in municipal and regional councils. It constitutes significant progress towards inclusive government, equal opportunities and gender equality.

“Besides being a first in our region, the adoption of horizontal and vertical parity in electoral law is a timely achievement because it will guarantee effective participation of women in the upcoming decentralization process in Tunisia,” said Leila Rhiwi, UN Women Maghreb Representative.

In line with its efforts to support women’s leadership and political participation, in March 2016 UN Women initiated a project with parliamentarians in Tunisia that involved advocacy sessions around the legislative agenda, capacity building, networking and support for the implementation of the women’s caucus. This initiative, conducted with Members of Parliament, aims to improve the representation of women in both local and national politics. To date, four sessions have been held.

These efforts are in line with UN Women’s “Step It Up” initiative. At the Global Leaders’ Meeting on 27 September 2015, Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid pledged to expand women’s ability to participate in politics and public affairs, saying: “Our experience in democratic transition recently is witness to the fact that women should be represented in all legislative bodies. Hence, we enhance women’s ability to participate in politics and in public affairs. This is a commitment.”

Mideast, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx acknowledge shooting victims with t-shirts

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article by Brad Weiss at Fansided

The United States has been ravaged with shooting deaths over the past few weeks, and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx showed their support for the victims on Saturday. [July 9].

[Editor’s note. In the United States, the Minnesota Lynx basketball team has won the championship of the Women’s National Basketball Assocation in 2011, 2013 and 2015]

lynx
Photos from Minnesota Lynx @minnesotalynx
(Click on photo to enlarge)

The Minnesota Lynx are showing their support for change, as the team wore black warm-up shirts before their game against the Dallas Wings on Saturday night. On the front of the shirt, it read “Change starts with us — Justice & Accountability.” On the back of the shirt are the names Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, who were both shot and killed by police this past week.

Castile was killed by a suburban St. Paul police officer during a traffic stop, while his girlfriend uploaded the video to Facebook. The team is also showing support for the Dallas Police Department, as the shirt has their shield above the phrase “Black Lives Matter” on the back of the shirt.

Five Dallas police officers were shot and killed by a sniper on Thursday night, as they helped keep the peace during a protest over the killings of Sterling and Castle.

“If we take this time to see that this is a human issue and speak out together, we can greatly decrease fear and create change,” Lynx star Maya Moore said. “Tonight we will be wearing shirts to honor and mourn the losses of precious American citizens and to plead for change in all of us.”

Question for this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America