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.

Central Africa: Video Conference for International Day of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Sent to CPNN by Jerry Bibang

As part of the commemoration of the International Day of Peace, celebrated this year under the theme “Shaping peace together”, the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (Unoca) and the Central Africa Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), organized, on September 21, 2020, a video conference dedicated to peace issues and security.


The meeting brought together about sixty participants, in particular experts from the UN, ECCAS, civil society as well as researchers, It lasted for nearly four hours, allowing for discussion on several themes including the challenges of calls to cease fire, preventive diplomacy, the commitment of civil society to the culture of peace, the social responsibility of journalists in the promotion of the culture of peace, among others.

(Article continued in right column)

(Click here for the original version in French)

Question for this article

What has happened this year (2020) for the International Day of Peace?

(Article continued from left column)

During this high-level meeting, in the presence of the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Head of UNOCA, the President of ECCAS, the Sub-Regional Representative of UNESCO, PAYNCOP Gabon invited the various organizations to strengthen the capacities of local actors in awareness raising, preventive diplomacy, mediation and peaceful resolution of crises and conflicts.

For Jerry Bibang, the National Coordinator of PAYNCOP Gabon, “it is necessary to involve young people at all levels of the peace process, particularly in awareness-raising, prevention, mediation as well as post-conflict operations, in accordance with RESOLUTION 2250 (Jeunes, peace and security) of the United Nations.

“For the latter to be able to participate effectively, we must first train them, equip them, and strengthen their capacities,” he explained. “The current Covid19 pandemic sufficiently shows that international actors are no longer sufficient for peace operations, as their movements are strictly limited due to the disease. It is therefore necessary to involve local actors, especially young people who constitute a strategic demographic dividend for the culture of peace in Africa.”

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Gabon: Payncop and Unesco in Support of People Living with Disabilities

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY . .

Special to CPNN from Jerry Bibang

As part of these activities relating to the Covid19 pandemic, the National Coordination of the Pan-African Youth Network for the Culture of Peace (PAYNCoP Gabon) launched, on Tuesday September 15, 2020, the support project for people living with a handicap.


The initiative, which benefits from the support of UNESCO and the National Commission for UNESCO, supports the actions of public authorities. The project consists of three components, in particular an awareness campaign on barrier gestures, the distribution of bibs and hydroalcoholic gels and the provision of food.

(Click here for the original version in French.)

(continued in right column)

Question related to this article:
 
How can we work together to overcome this medical and economic crisis?

(continued from left column).

According to Jerry Bibang, the National Coordinator of PAYNCoP Gabon, “the project involves four associations including the Organization of Handicapped People (OPH), the National Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Gabon (ANAAG), the Association of the Deaf (ANDES ) and the NGO Bagniamessebe. It will impact a total of 50 Gabonese families, or around 200 people.”

For the National Commission for UNESCO, “this project helps implement the resilience strategies advocated by the Gabonese Government and UNESCO, in this period of global health crisis, marked by the Covid19 pandemic.” This was explained by Philippe MEMENE M’EYI, its Deputy Secretary General.

The urgent support project for people living with a disability follows on from other actions carried out by PAYNCoP Gabon since the onset of the pandemia. These include, among others, the awareness campaign on social networks, in partnership with the National Youth Council; participation in the awareness-raising video on fakes news around Covid19, produced by UNESCO; the establishment of hand washing points in the neighborhoods of Libreville, in partnership with the NGO Engineers Without Borders and the New World Citizen Laboratory; and the production of two comics, dedicated to raising awareness among young people about Covid19.

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

France: Declaration of the National Collective: March for peace 2020

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Statement by the national collective “En Marche pour la paix” on the occasion of the International Day of Peace (September 21) and the United Nations Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (September 26, 2020)

Saturday, September 19 “Together for Peace and against climate change, for social justice and human rights, for nuclear disarmament”

The Covid-19 pandemic has made it clear that the destiny and interest of all humanity is at stakr. In the face of predatory forces, driven by neoliberal globalization, seeking to make immediate profits from all human activity, and to preserve their stranglehold on the world through an unprecedented increase in military spending, the mobilization of all citizens has become the order of the day.



In France, this crisis has highlighted the inadequacy of the means made available to public health services, social divisions that are unacceotabe and an economy incapable of providing rapid and effective solutions to deal with the pandemic.

The urgent need for new policies to ensure human security (physical, health, economic, ecological and social) for populations in France and around the world is understood and shared by a growing number of people and organizations. Faced with this pandemic, everywhere in the world, the potential for creativity and solidarity to cope has been revealed, but also an awareness of the harmfulness of a certain number of political choices and of the need for human resources and financial resources allocated as a priority to economic, social, health and ecological security and to the well-being of populations through a consequent reduction in world military expenditure which in 2019 reached the level never reached of 1917 billion dollars in 2019 (1624 billion euros).

In this context, the national collective “En Marche pour la paix” has decided, as in previous years, to contribute to the success of the International Day of Peace (September 21) and the United Nations Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. (September 26).
Everywhere in France, on Saturday, September 19, let’s organize Marches for Peace and various public initiatives to allow the expression of popular demands:

* for peace and against climate change,
* for social justice and human rights,
* for nuclear disarmament.

More than ever it is necessary to cry out loud and clear: Stop wars, Stop violence, Stop misery, Stop injustices. Together, let us act to shape peace and the development of a culture of peace through the construction of a united world, free from all weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons, a fairer and more human world. Humanity’s future has no other path than peace.

In addition to marching for eace, the collective “En Marche pour la paix”

* Will address all elected officials, whether parliamentarians or mayors, to highlight these emergencies,

* Will organize a videoconference on Friday September 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to allow expression of the diversity of organizations calling for the success of the International Day of Peace and the Marches on September 19,

* Will organize a videoconference with international participation on Saturday September 26 from 4 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. in order to underline the urgent need for ratification of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty adopted at the UN on July 7, 2017 by a grand number of States and in particular by States possessing nuclear weapons,

* Will address all the embassies present on French territory to ask that States everywhere respect the peoples’ aspiration for peace and international law with regard to the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction and for the allocation of funds for the achievement of the objectives of sustainable development, protection of the planet and human security in the economic, health, ecological and social dimensions,

* Will ffirm its solidarity with all social struggles that carry the values ​​and objectives of the 8 areas of Culture of Peace, the Sustainable Development Goals and the conclusions of the Paris climate conference.

(Click here for the original version in French)

Question for this article

What has happened this year (2020) for the International Day of Peace?

The National Collective En Marche pour la Paix:

Abolition des Armes Nucléaires / Maison de la Vigilance – Agence de Promotion des Cultures et du Voyage (APCV) – Agir pour la Paix – AHSETI (ASTI du Havre) – Alternatiba Rennes – Amendil Awraɣ / Ruban Jaune – Amitié Droujba 19 – Anciens appelés en Algérie et leurs amis contre la guerre (4ACG ) – Appel des cent pour la paix Bagnolet – Art et Paix Rennes – Artistes pour la Paix – Assemblée de Citoyens Argentins en France (ACAF) – Assemblée des citoyens du Monde – Assemblée européenne des citoyens (AEC HCA-France) – Association AMANI – Association Art Monumental – Association CHEMINS – Association Compostelle-Cordoue – Association corrézienne de renaissance communiste (PRCF) – Association Culture Bio/Salon Ille et Bio — Association Culturelle des Travailleurs Immigrés de Turquie (ACTIT) – Association d’Amitié Franco-Vietnamienne – Association départementale des élus communistes et républicains de l’Ariège (ADECR 09) – Association des combattants de la cause anticoloniale (ACCA) – Association des Médecins pour la Prévention de la Guerre Nucléaire (AMFPGN) – Association de Solidarité avec le Peuple Sahraoui Lorraine (ASPS) – Association « Droit Solidarité » des Juristes Démocrates – Association Fonds d’alerte contre l’Agent Orange/Dioxine (FaAOD) – Association Française d’Amitié et de Solidarité avec les Peuples d’Afrique (AFASPA) – Association française des Communes Départements et Régions pour la Paix, Section française de Mayors for Peace (AFCDRP) – Association France Palestine Solidarité Nord-Pas de Calais (AFPS) – Association Gauche Citoyenne Nanterre – Association Internationale des Éducateurs à la Paix (AIEP) – Association Internationale des Juristes Démocrates (AIJD) — Association La Courtine 1917 – Association La pause joyeuse – Association Loisirs et Réflexion 19 (ALER 19) – Association nationale des élus communistes et républicains (ANECR) – Association POIL DE CAROTTE – Association pour la taxation des transactions financières et pour l’action citoyenne (ATTAC) – Association « Pour l’AVENIR » – Association Pour l’Emploi, l’Information et la Solidarité des chômeurs et travailleurs précaires (APEIS) – Association Rennaise d’éducation à la paix (AREDAP) – Association Républicaine des Anciens Combattants (ARAC) – Association Réseau Espérance – Association Salam Nord-Pas-de-Calais – Association Simon Bolivar – Association soins palliatifs – Association Togo 19 – Association Un jour la paix – Aux actes citoyens – Boycott Désinvestissement Sanctions France (Campagne BDS) – Bureau International de la Paix – Café associatif « Les femmes s’inventent » – Cap à Gauche 19 – Carline — Cercle Louis-Guilloux – CGT Edu’action 42 – Coexister Rennes – Collectif Citoyens Musulmans pour la paix – Collectif Citoyens & Policiers – Collectif Citoyens pour la climat – Collectif des iraniens contre la guerre – Collectif de solidarité France-Brésil – Collectif Ethique sur l’Etiquette – Collectif Interuniversitaire de Coopération avec les Universités Palestiniennes (CICUP) – Collectif Maquis de Corrèze – Collectif Ni guerres Ni état de guerre – Collectif National pour une Paix Juste et Durable entre Palestiniens et Israéliens, Saint-Denis (CNPIDPJ) – Comité anti-impérialiste, Paris – Comité Corrézien de Défense et de Développement des Services Publics – Comité pour l’abolition des dettes illégitimes (CADTM) – Compagnie Erinna – Confédération des Opprimés Immigrés en Europe (AvEG-KON) – Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) – Conseil Démocratique Kurde en France (CDK-F) – Conseil Portugais pour la Paix – Convergence nationale de collectifs de défense et développement des services publics – Convergence services publics d’Indre et Loire – Corrèze-Cuba Estrella – CUGA/ENSEMBLE 3e circo du 93 – Déclic Femmes – Demain l’Homme – Eco-Choix – EINSMER « Europe in your life » – Enseignants pour la paix – Ensemble ! Mouvement pour une alternative de gauche, écologiste et solidaire – Espéranto-France – Europe Écologie Les Verts (EELV) – Fédération des Tunisiens pour une citoyenneté des deux rives (FTCR) – Fédération Espérantiste du Travail (FET) – Fédération Nationale des Déportés et Internés, Résistants et Patriotes (FNDIRP) – Fédération Syndicale Unitaire (FSU) – FSU Haute-Garonne 31 (FSU 31) – FSU Meurthe-et-Moselle 54 (FSU 54) – Femmes Égalité – Femmes Solidaires – Flandre Terre-Solidaire – FranceKurdistan – Graine de citoyen – Groupe Non-Violent Louis Lecoin – Groupe parlementaire La France insoumise – H.I.J.O.S. Paris – Initiative Féministe EuroMéd – Institut de Documentation et Recherche sur la Paix (IDRP) – Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament – Jeunes écologistes Rennes-Bretagne – Jeunes Enfants Malgaches à l’École (JEME) – Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne – La Coordination Nationale Solidarité Kurdistan (CNSK) — La Libre Pensée – La Maison du Gabon – La Médiation Actes de Parole (La MAP) – La Paille et le Mil – Le Mouvement de la Paix – Les Amis de Continuer la CGT (CL-CGT) – Les Jeunes Écologistes – Les Mondialistes, Citoyens du monde pour l’unification politique de l’humanité (Luxembourg) – Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH national) – LDH 13 – LDH Annecy – LDH Beauvais – LDH Brive et Corrèze – LDH Bretagne et Pays de Loire – LDH Indre 36 – LDH Le Creusot – LDH Mulhouse – LDH Paris Centre – LDH Rennes – Ligue Internationale des Femmes pour la Paix et la Liberté (WILPF) – Maison franco-kurde de Toulouse – Maison Internationale de Rennes – Marche Mondiale des Femmes France (MMF) – Mesa Social para la Paz en Colombia – Mission de France – Mission ouvrière – Mouvement contre le Racisme et pour l’Amitié entre les Peuples (MRAP) – Mouvement des Femmes Kurdes France (TJK-F) – Mouvement Jeunes Communistes de France – Mouvement pour une Alternative Non-violente (MAN) – Mouvement Rural de Jeunesse Chrétienne (MRJC) – Nouveau Depart Guadeloupe – Oasis KarmÔnie – ONG Paix et Bienveillance en Action – Palenque – Parti Communiste des Ouvriers de France – Parti Communiste Français (PCF) – PCF Saint-Brieuc – Pax Christi France – Perma G’Rennes – Pessoas-Animais-Natureza, Portugal – Plateforme des ONG Françaises pour la Palestine – Premières Assises Africaines de la Paix – Quakers de Toulouse – Réseaux de Solidarité et d’Entraide pour le Progrès (RSEP) – Secours Catholique du diocèse de Rennes – Service Civil International France (SCI France) – SNUipp-FSU des Vosges – Socialisme et République – Solidarité Internationale LGBTQI – Solidarité Mondiale contre la Faim (Globidar-France) – Sortir du colonialisme – Sortir du Nucléaire Isère – SOS Racisme Besançon-Doubs – Stop Fuelling War – Survie – Syndicat National des Enseignements de Second degré (SNES) – Syriza Montpellier France – Terre d’Errance, Norrent-Fontes – The Mondialists – Total Respect / Tjenbé Rèd – Union Démocratique Bretonne (UDP) – Union Départementale CGT 44 (UD CGT 44) – UD CGT 49 Maine-et-Loire – Union des Étudiants Communistes (UEC) – Union des Fédérations des Pionniers de France – Union Générale des Fédérations de Fonctionnaires CGT (UGFF-CGT) – Union Juive Francaise pour la Paix (UJFP) – Union Nationale des Étudiants de France (UNEF) – Union Pacifiste de France – Union syndicale Solidaires – Unis pour la Planète Think Tank – Université Européenne de la Paix – Voix des migrants – …

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Burkina Faso : The 5th edition of Sotigui Awards looks at the contribution of women filmmakers to the culture of peace

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article by Judith Sanou in Le Faso

From November 12 to 14, 2020 the 5th edition of the Sotigui Awards will be held in Ouagadougou. The organizers of this event, namely the Académie des Sotigui, in partnership with FESPACO, held a press conference on Saturday, September 5, 2020, to announce the festival. [FESPACO is the Panafrican Festival of Cinéma and Télévision of Ouagadougou.] 


The participants in the press conference

Launched in 2015, Sotigui Awards is an initiative of the Academy of Sotigui, African Cinematographic Arts and the Diaspora, in partnership with FESPACO. This event aims to contribute to the recognition and enhancement of the profession of African actors and comedians. The 5th edition is held under the theme “Culture of Peace: The Contribution of Women in Cinema and Audiovisual? “.

(continued in right column)

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

Question for this article:

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

(continued from left column)

According to the president of the Académie des Sotigui, Kévin Evrard Moné, this theme is justified by the observation that women of the 7th art continue to make their contribution in the face of adversities including terrorist attacks, the crisis of Covid-19 and all forms of violence experienced by women.

The 2020 edition, which will be held from November 12 to 14, features sixteen categories in competition and some innovations. It includes the opening of the “Sotigui of the African public” for almost all categories; the award ceremony which amounts to 20,000 CFA francs; and the organization of an “After Sotigui” with the movie stars in partnership with the Bravia Hotel.

Forty actors and comedians from Africa were nominated for this edition. According to Akoubou François Adianaga, commissioner in charge of the selection, the method of appointing actors and actors is based on several criteria: the credibility of the actor in the role he or she plays, the ability and the quality of conversation of the actor and the quality of the acting.

While waiting for the award ceremony, participants can watch film screenings, a round table on the theme of publishing, practical training sessions in acting, and a panel on piracy organized by Canal +. All these activities will take place in compliance with barrier measures in this period of Covid-19, reassured Gustave Sorgho, commissioner in charge of external relations.

For this edition, special tribute will be paid to the actor Chadwick Boseman [whose Hollywood roles included Jackie Robinson and James Brown], who died on August 28 in Los Angeles. Also the concept “Hashtag – we dress as Africans” will be highlighted during this edition, a way of highlighting African culture in all its forms.

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

President of Cuba’s National Assembly rejects efforts to restore unipolar world order

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An article from Granma

“During the pandemic, and despite international opposition, the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States for six decades has been tightened. A genocidal blockade that not only violates the human rights of Cubans, including the legitimate right to development, while denying and offending the sovereign right of other countries to sustain relations with Cuba,” stated Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the National Assembly of People’s Power, during the recent Fifth Conference of Parliament Presidents.


Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the National Assembly

During the gathering, held online, Lazo, also a member of the Party’s Political Bureau, reiterated our country’s firm commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, that constitutes the foundation of multi-lateralism and a guide for international relations conducted by states.

“The democratization of international relations, and the culture of peace,” he continued, “require both recognition and respect, by all states, of the right of peoples to choose the economic, political and social system they consider appropriate, as well adherence to the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other nations.”

“Cuban parliamentarians reaffirm that a truly strong and pro-active United Nations is needed, with a transparent Security Council that it duly democratized, and also a re-vitalized General Assembly, that supports states in the sovereign construction of the future each nation itself chooses, with no interference whatsoever,” he insisted.

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Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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Lazo, the country’s top legislative authority, rejected attempts to restore a unipolar world order; the United States’ failure to abide by international commitments the country has made; and its attacks on multilateral bodies.
He referred to Cuba’s humanist vocation and solidarity, during these difficult times for the world, providing assistance in 43 countries to support the COVID-19 battle with medical collaboration.

“The National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba reaffirms our commitment to continue working with parliamentarians around the world in the establishment of a democratic, just international order, that responds to the demands for peace, security, stability, development and social justice for all peoples and contributes to fulfillment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. At the same time, we demand that developed countries supply developing countries the necessary aid to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to advance toward more sustainable patterns of consumption and production,” Lazo stated.

“Cuban parliamentarians,” he added, “also defend international cooperation as the only way to confront global problems like climate change, terrorism and migration, that undermine peace. In this spirit, we condemn violations of the Charter and international law, including threats of the use of force against sovereign states, interventions, the imposition of unilateral coercive measures, and actions meant to provoke regime change, which jeopardize the maintenance of international peace and security.”

Lazo reiterated the Cuban government’s energetic, firm position rejecting and condemning all acts, methods and practices of terrorism, in all its forms and expressions.

He also noted, “The COVID-19 pandemic makes clear the need to pay attention to migrants’ health and sanitary conditions, as well,” adding that Cuba is strongly committed to safe, orderly migration, and aspires to a change in the current situation of inequality, inequity and poverty, to support a lasting solution to migratory problems.

Referring to the Conference’s central topic, the President of Cuba’s National Assembly emphasized that the representative body’s members support the principles that guide the country’s foreign policy, as codified in the Constitution of the Republic.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

30,000 back US campaign seeking Nobel for Cuban doctors

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from the Anadolu Agency

A US campaign that asks Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Cuban doctors to praise their international efforts during the coronavirus outbreak has reached nearly 30,000 signatures.

Nobel Peace Prize for Cuban Doctors campaign has been endorsed by prominent intellectuals, artists, politicians, and citizens worldwide, according to the campaign’s website.


Cuba has maintained its vocation for solidarity amidst the pandemic, despite the tightening of the U.S. blockade. Photo: Granma Archives

Prominent endorsers include Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel, former President of Ecuador Rafael Correa, actors Danny Glover and Mark Ruffalo, writers Alice Walker, Noam Chomsky, and Nancy Morejon, filmmakers Oliver Stone and Petra Costa, musician Tom Morello, and singer/songwriter Silvio Rodriguez, among numerous others.


The campaign launched on June 16 describes its mission “to promote the nomination of the Cuban International Medical Brigade, called the Henry Reeve Brigade, for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize” and “educate people about how a small, poor country has demonstrated to a world reeling from COVID-19 what global solidarity looks like.”

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we work together to overcome this medical and economic crisis?

(continued from left column).

“Cuba is the only country to have shown genuine internationalism during this coronavirus crisis,” the website cited Chomsky, an intellectual and activist known for both his groundbreaking contributions to linguistics and his critiques of political systems.


The US “attempts to discredit Cuba’s internationalist healthcare program, from labeling it as a form of human trafficking to pushing governments not to accept Cuba’s aid,” the campaign said, adding that it plans to expose “such crass and mean-spirited sabotage.”


“Selflessness, solidarity and working for the common good characterize what the Nobel Peace Prize should be about,” it said. “These traits aptly describe Cuba’s Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade, which has saved over 80,000 lives since 2005 and has been fighting COVID-19 in 27 countries.”

Over 2,000 doctors, nurses, and medical professionals from Cuba have been collaborating in 27 countries affected by the coronavirus and providing urgently needed assistance in Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Cape Verde, Dominica, Grenada, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Kuwait, Mexico, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Suriname, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.


The medical brigade received Dr. LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health from the World Health Organization in 2017.

The petition, with over 29,700 signatures currently, has a goal to reach 35,000 signatures.

Since originating in China last December, the novel coronavirus infected over 16.26 million people worldwide so far, with fatalities nearing 650,000, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The global recoveries currently stands around 9.4 million.

global, Latin America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

ECOSOCC / Morocco: Launch of the e-caravan of peace, flagship event of Amnesty Month in Africa

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Hicham Alaoui in MSN (translation by CPNN)

The e-Caravan of Peace, a flagship event of the “Month of Amnesty in Africa 2020”, was launched on Tuesday from Rabat, capital of Morocco, to travel [virtually] through all African countries, with the objectives of promoting values ​​of peace, tolerance, solidarity and pan-African integration.


(click on image to enlarge)

Initiated by the Moroccan Association Key to Peace for Development and Solidarity, the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC-UA) and the Moroccan national chapter of ECOSOCC-UA, this virtual caravan is part of the AU theme for this year namely “Silencing the Guns: Creating the Conditions for Africa’s Development”.

The silence of the guns on the continent, a wish of the populations of the African hemisphere, is a long process which requires a very strong commitment to implement the policies, frameworks of action and instruments of the African Union.

Indeed, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons is clearly linked to the violent conflicts that continue to undermine peace and development in Africa. This situation leaves the continent very vulnerable, these weapons causing enormous destruction and claiming many victims.

In Africa, the dynamics of conflicts and current trends in arms trafficking are changing due to the evolving nature and diversity of actors, such as pirates, terrorists and criminal organizations. This means that the existing challenges persist while becoming more complex.

The AU’s 2063 vision calls for a solid partnership to establish synergies and effective coordination between the various initiatives in order to reduce armed conflicts in Africa. It is to raise awareness of the importance of this theme of the year of the AU, that the e-Caravan of Peace, as an initiative of civil society, has mobilized to promote the culture of peace, solidarity and living together, to build a continent free of conflicts where the conditions for a decent life are guaranteed.

It is nonetheless true that in the face of the current dynamics of conflicts and new trends in the arms trade, a strong partnership with civil society is highly crucial. At this critical juncture, it is important to highlight the role it can play in ending conflicts, promoting peace and raising awareness in local communities.

The e-Caravan proposes to:

* fight against the illicit arms trade, destabilization and misuse of small arms and light weapons in Africa,

* undertake awareness-raising campaigns through traditional and social media in AU Member States,

* create an enabling climate the participation of civil society organizations in peace processes in Africa

* and establish a solid partnership between governments and ECOSOCC on issues related to peace and security in Africa.

(article continued in right column)

(Click here for a version of this article in French.)

Question for this article:

Can the African Union help bring a culture of peace to Africa?

(article continued from left column)

According to the vice-president of ECOSOCC for the North African region, Khalid Boudali, the e-Caravan of peace is a solidarity event aimed at “rallying all stakeholders to participate in humanitarian action for help establish peace and security on the continent and free Africa from the yoke of armed conflict ”. For him, the e-Caravan constitutes a milestone in the efforts made for an Africa without conflicts or wars.

It is also designed to support the ongoing efforts of the various actors and at the same time take stock of the progress made so far with the objective of strengthening peace and security in Africa, said Mr. Boudali, who presides over the destinies of the Key International Association for Peace for Development and Solidarity. “The social, economic and political factors that motivate groups and communities to acquire these weapons must be addressed. It is undeniable that efforts to disarm communities must take into account security and development concerns and offer them alternatives to crime and other illicit activities,” he said.

As a conflict prevention tool, the African Peace and Security Architecture, and all its supporting instruments, appear to be very effective. However, it is important that the African Union continues its efforts to ensure that the implementation of Program 2063, launched to build a prosperous continent endowed with good governance, respecting human rights and encouraging popular participation. and development, remains at the center of its efforts.

It should be noted that the e-Caravan will take place on a virtual platform in all Member States of the African Union during the month of September. Awareness-raising actions and debates will be initiated every week at the national level, in cooperation with the national platform of civil society organizations with a series of webinars to present the results and recommendations made in each of the five regions of the continent.

The culmination of the e-Caravan will be the holding, on September 30, 2020, of an e-symposium on public policies, an event during which the overall report of the activities and the recommendations adopted during the various activities carried out at all levels, national and regional, will be presented.

The initiative to hold the Caravan as a virtual event was dictated by the current situation marked by the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting consequences, in particular the closure of air, land and sea borders.

In fact, a Caravan of peace, solidarity and pan-African integration, which the Moroccan Key Association for Peace for Development and Solidarity intended to organize, and was going to travel through 12 African countries, was about to be organized. But with the arrival of the coronavirus, it was changed from a real-world event to a virtual event. Thus, the overland journey of this Caravan has turned into an e-journey.

Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

Sudan: Darfur deal welcomed by UN chief as ‘historic achievement’

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from the United Nations

A peace agreement between Sudanese authorities and key armed movements from Darfur could provide a path to national unity, the head of the joint UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said on Monday. Secretary-General António Guterres later described it  as an “historic achievement” towards lasting peace.


UNAMID/Albert Gonzalez Farran. UNAMID, in collaboration with the North Darfur Committee on Women, organised an open day session on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security (file photo).

Sudan’s transitional Government initialled the deal alongside the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) and Sudan Liberation Movement–Minni Minnawi (SLM/MM), at a ceremony held in neighbouring South Sudan. 

Determination, courage and commitment 

“The Secretary-General congratulates the people of the Sudan for this historic achievement and commends the parties to the negotiations for their political will and determination in working toward the common objective of peace”, said the statement released on Monday night in New York.

“He also thanks the Government of South Sudan and President Salva Kiir for their important role in facilitating the talks. The Secretary-General calls on the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North–Abdelaziz Al-Hilu and the Sudan Liberation Movement–Abdul Wahid Al-Nur to join the peace process.”

(Article continued in right column)

Question for this article:

Can peace be achieved in South Sudan?

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Mr. Guterres said he was fully committed to supporting the implementation of the agreement, “which marks the start of a new era for the people of the Sudan and for people living in Darfur and the Two Areas, in particular. This will require sustained commitment and collaboration between the parties and the people of the Sudan.”

Earlier, Jeremiah Mamabolo, the UNAMID Joint Special Representative who attended the ceremony, said  the deal was a “significant step” and commended in particular the signatory parties for their “determination, courage and commitment to lasting peace in Sudan”.

17 years of brutal fighting

It is expected that the peace agreement will end 17 years of often brutal conflict in Darfur. 

Fighting between the forces of former President Omar al-Bashir, backed by allied militia, and various rebel movements, left around 300,000 dead, according to UN estimates, and millions displaced. 

President al-Bashir was overthrown in April 2019 following unrest that began in December 2018. 

 “We hope that this agreement is perceived as the start of a process that includes all in a positive move towards peace, justice and national unity. This includes the full realization of the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all the people of Sudan, including Darfuris”, said Mr. Mamabolo. 

Praise for South Sudan mediation 

At the ceremony, the UNAMID chief conveyed greetings from UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the AU Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki. 

He also applauded the South Sudanese mediation team for facilitating the negotiation process amidst challenges. 
Mr. Mamabolo hoped that those parties who remain outside will soon join the peace process to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the Sudanese people and the objectives of the December 2018 Revolution. 

“To that end, the United Nations and the African Union remain committed to supporting this process to the very last day of UNAMID’s mandate”, he said. 

Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Mideast,

Côte d’Ivoire: traditional chiefs gather in Yamoussoukro

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by TKEmile in KOACI (translation by CPNN)

A great meeting between the Mediator of the Republic and the National Chamber of Kings and Traditional Chiefs of Côte d’Ivoire was held at the Félix Houphouët Boigny Foundation for the search for peace in Yamoussoukro, hosted this Saturday, August 29, as noted on the spot by KOACI,.


Traditional leaders at the Foundation in Yamoussoukro (photo by KOACI)

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

Question related to this article:

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

The Houghouët-Boigny Foundation of Yamoussoukro: what is its contribution to the culture of peace?

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This meeting which saw the effective participation of the President of the National Chamber of Kings and Traditional Chiefs, His Majesty Amon Désiré Tanoe, of the Minister of State, Minister to the President of the Republic, in charge of Relations with Institutions, Gilbert Kafana Koné, was placed under the theme “the mechanisms for establishing a lasting peace in Côte d’Ivoire.”

The Mediator of the Republic, Adama Toungara, said that the kings and traditional leaders of the country on mission are at the heart of the culture of peace, pledge of lasting stability and harmonious development of Côte d’Ivoire. “I remain convinced that it is with the involvement of all, members of the government, traditional leaders, political leaders, religious guides and civil society, that we will succeed in forging and sustainably maintaining the image of fraternity, solidarity, union and peace.” said the mediator.

About 200 chiefs, from 108 departments of Côte d’Ivoire, took part in the meeting in Yamoussoukro this Saturday. The Mediator of the Republic and the President of the National Chamber of Kings and Traditional Chiefs, called on the traditional chiefs, guarantors of customs and traditions, to be messengers of Peace and social cohesion in their different villages, cantons and kingdoms in this election year. To conclude, they invited the political actors in the right tone and to avoid any action likely to undermine the peace and the unity of the Nation.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

The International Network of Latin American and Caribbean Women is inaugurated

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from El Mostratodor

The network seeks, from a gender perspective, to foster a culture of peace and promote regional integration.

We are “Latin American women with a deep vocation for peace, committed to the democratic struggle, social equality and human rights of women and all citizens.” Thus the International Network of Latin American and Caribbean Women (RIMLAC) presented themselves on Saturday 29, via zoom.

To date, the network has 50 members from the region.

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

Questions related to this article:
 
Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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The group’s statement states that “in our political and professional career we have been linked to the international field, foreign relations and feminism.”

Along with highlighting the commitment to the gender equality agenda, the document underlines the interest in “socializing collaborative practices that reject traditional dualisms” and that contribute to creating trust and reaffirming a Latin American identity, fostering a culture of peace and promoting regional integration. .

Coming from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Haiti, El Salvador, Paraguay, the women express in the document: “We promote policies and cultural changes that stop violence against women , guarantee sexual and reproductive rights and sexual dissidence, as well as the permanent fight against racism and social inequality “.

These objectives, say its members, “call us to work for fairer and more inclusive democracies, the full validity of human rights, a lasting peace and the strengthening of multilateralism at the regional and global levels.”

The initiative to create this Latin American network arose from the reflections of the Group of Women that develops the Permanent Forum of Foreign Policy of Chile.

Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY