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.

Can Cyprus be reunited in peace?

Since 2003 CPNN has carried at least ten articles about initiatives to promote peace and reconciliation on the island of Cyprus that has been divided since 1983 between two sides with allegiance to the ancient enemies Greece and Turkey.

The Presidents of the two sides of the island have called for reconciliation on several occasions mentioned in these articles, but the most consistent action has been carried out at the grassroots by organizations of teachers from the two sides.

CPNN has been describing the education project since it began in 2016.

In 2018-2019, the educational programme “Imagine” which addresses primary, lower and upper secondary and vocational schools managed to bring together 3665 students and 397 teachers from more than a 100 Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot schools from across Cyprus.

At the the ‘Imagine’ Head Teachers Conference in December 2019, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades met with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci. Anastasiades said “there is no other choice or alternative but to bring peace to our land”. In his address, the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci referred to the importance of cultivating a culture of peace in Cyprus and highlighted the value of education.

Akinci added that the decision with President Anastasiades to form the bicommunal technical Committee back in 2015 was “the most important decision we took with my friend Nicos.” That committee thas supported the educational programme “Imagine.”

Here are the CPNN articles on this subject:
d-disarmament

How can the peace movement become stronger and more effective?

Here is a response to this question delivered by Ingaborg Breines to The World Congress of the International Peace Bureau.

More than thousand people have registered for this congress and we know that thousands more would have loved to come. We also know that several thousands are with us in the struggle for a world without war, the struggle to make WAR a thing of the past, something unheard of, something obsolete that humanity only in its infancy could think of.

So we are here to sharpen our non-violent tools, to deepen our understanding and strengthen our cooperation and friendship, so as to be that peace force for a transformative shift presenting alternatives to the insane, dangerous and naïve thinking that inequality, injustice, insecurity and marginalization can be solved by military means. We must develop together the strategies to stop this basically imperialistic thinking that if you want peace, you have to prepare for war. This old fashioned patriarchal way of insisting on the importance of having strong muscles and being militarily strong, is just a sign of moral and creative weakness. If we want peace, and most women and most men do, then we have to prepare for peace and use our financial and intellectual resources accordingly.

Excessive military expenditures not only represent a theft from those who are hungry and suffer, but are also an ineffective means of obtaining human security and a culture of peace. Substantial reductions in military costs would eliminate the crushing poverty whereby nearly one third of humanity lives in insufferable conditions, a majority being women, children and young people. We need to move the money from the military sector and instead tackle the real security issues such as the threat to the very survival of the planet and humanity, be it by climate change, nuclear weapons or excessive inequality. We suggest that all countries reduce their military spending by 10% per year over the 15 years of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda. Although it will not change any power imbalance, it would go a very long way in meeting the needs and aspirations of people. Since one year military spending equals about 615 years of the UN annual budget, such a reduction in military costs would also strengthen the United Nations’ efforts and possibilities to “ save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”.

Rich and poor states alike seem to be pressured into arms races, spending more on armament than they need and can afford. To continue a process of militarization, often outside democratic control, that mainly serves the arms producers and dealers and even brings corruption is a dangerous path that will not bring hope to young people in desperation but may lead into extremism.

There is no way to justify war, killing and suffering. In IPB’s own words, we have to choose between warfare or welfare. We have only this one very unique and beautiful planet. The global climate change warrants urgent remedial actions and an holistic approach which again requires changing attitudes and rethinking of unsustainable and destructive production and consumption patterns.

The path of confrontational policies and accompanying militarization that we are on, is not leading us ahead. So let us create “an active disgust for war” to use Bertha von Suttner’s wording and create the world we want based on the vision and the principles of a culture of peace so well described by UNESCO.

Finally, allow me to share with you an encouragement that former president Gorbachev gave to the peace movement at one of the Nobel Summits in Rome. He said that he would never have dared take the steps he did to end the cold war if it had not been for the urging of the strong peace movement.

Friends, we have work to do.

Here are the CPNN articles on this subject:

Training for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence

Campaign Nonviolence Action Days 2024 – Calls-To-Action

Manifesto: European mobilization against increasing militarization and wars

Sign the World Peace Treaty”>

Hundreds Protest, Block Entrances to North America’s Largest Weapons Fair

USA: A Labor Statement on the Crisis in Ukraine

German petition against war in the Ukraine

Statement of Ukrainian Pacifist Movement

Statement of Peace Supporters against the Party of War in the Russian leadership

International Peace Bureau : Common Security Approaches to Resolve the Ukraine and European Crises

USA: United National AntiWar Coalition : US and NATO aggression towards Russia – danger at the Ukrainian Border

UK: Stop the War statement on the crisis over Ukraine

France : War is never the solution. Yes to a negotiated political solution.

Bangladesh: Dhaka Peace Declaration Adopted

Australia : Brisbane Weapons Expo Protest Planned

Latin American Congress of Research for Peace will be held virtually in August

First International Conference Against US/NATO Military Bases November 16-18, 2018, Dublin, Ireland

UK: Surprise, Surprise, Jeremy Corbyn’s Anti-War Policies Turned out to Be a Vote Winner

UK: Stop the War Conference

Berlin: World Congress of International Peace Bureau: Opening Speech

UK: Corbyn and the Anti-war Movement

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

International Peace Bureau World Congress 2016: “Disarm! For a Climate of Peace – Creating an Action Agenda”

Court victory gives momentum to long struggle against London arms fair

d-disarmament

If we can connect up the planet through Internet, can’t we agree to preserve the planet?

This expression, “If we can connect up the planet through Internet, can’t we agree to preserve the planet? “, was inspired by an article by Len Yannielli in the beginning of CPNN back in 2002: Chilean Fisherpeople Fight Salmon Introduction.

Over the years since then, we have carried many articles on this theme. See many of them listed here and here.

Here are the CPNN articles on this subject:

Historic day in the campaign to beat plastic pollution: Nations commit to develop a legally binding agreement

A message from Palestine: This is the time to re-imagine, re-create and restore.

UN Launches First-Ever Global Plastics Report on World Environment Day

NASA Study: First Direct Proof of Ozone Hole Recovery Due to Chemicals Ban

Moonshots are not a question of age: millennial Boyan Slat inventor of The Ocean Cleanup

Canada: After three decades, Inuit achieve meaningful protections for Lancaster Sound

World’s Largest Marine Reserve Created Off the Coast of Antarctica

South America: A ‘sweeping’ win for the oceans that you didn’t hear about

History Made: New England Ocean Treasures Protected!

A Tiny Reef in the Philippines Offered Early Proof That Marine Parks Also Help Fishers

Fishing ban in remote Pacific waters is working, report finds

World Wildlife Federation: 2012 Living Planet Report

Chilean Fisherpeople Fight Salmon Introduction

d-sustainable

“Put down the gun and take up the pen”, What are some other examples?

This expression, “Put down the gun and take up the pen”, comes from the Somali Youth Organization. Here are excerpts from their Web presentation:

The somali youth organization SOY is a non-governmental organization founded by a group of Somali youth in the millennium year 2000 in order to serve Somali social protection and engage in development and reforming activities for the Somali community.Due to the collapse of the central government of Somalia, Somalia has been exposed to lack of protection and lack of development during three decades of inefficiency.

In the past 15 years, Somalia has been engulfed by civil confrontation, which devastated the whole country’s infrastructure and institutions. As a result, many services remain paralyzed including hopes for peace, social services, democracy, Human rights, education and other social development factors. In view of all this, SOY was initiated to respond to the general social setback of the Somali people.

INTRODUCTION:

We are national youth Organization which consists of many Somali youth in different countries as network representing different NGOe’s non governmental, non political and non- profitable.

MAIN FIELDS:

Democracy and civil society ,support Reforming and development programs Peace building process through the participatoryApproaching ,Youth militia demobilization, disarmaments andIntegrating, Protecting and advocating civilian social rights Specially equality of women ,Investigation and documentation of Human rightsViolation Education skills development Income generations programs.

TAGET PEAPLE

Youth, vulnerable community groups, misleading militia groups, illiterate people, women, and authorities.

OPERATINIG AREA

All Somali regions south, central, and north Motto: “put the gun down and take up the pen”

Here are the CPNN articles on this subject:
d-disarmament

Solidarity across national borders, What are some good examples?

The nature of the state includes its defense of national borders. Hundreds of years ago, city-states defended themselves with fortifications and armed guards, but now the cities have open borders and it is only the state that limits the movement of people. Historically, it can be seen as one of the aspects of the culture of war.

In some cases, regional groups of states have pledged to respect a culture of peace in their relations. Here are examples from Southeast Asia in 2022 and from Latin America and the Caribbean in 2014.

Civil society organizations often work to reduce the barriers with those in neighboring states. Here are examples from Cyprus, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Northern Europe (Norway and Russia), Central America (Guatemala and Belize) and the Great Lakes region of Africa, among others.

Here are the CPNN articles on this subject:

Montpellier: Euro-Africa Biennial and Water Days

Greece and Turkey commit to dialogue

Azueï: the union of Dominicans and Haitians through art

Women from Chile and Bolivia meet in La Paz to build a “neighbor friendship

Conakry: Forum on national unity and peace

ASEAN Regional Forum Statement to promote peace, stability, and prosperity through confidence building measures and preventing diplomacy

Regional Peace Boosted by Colombia-Venezuela Relations Reset

The Two Waves of Latin American Progressive Governments

Brazil’s ex-president Lula pledges to bolster Latin American integration if elected

Gabon: Training to Prepare Project of Youth as Weavers of Peace

Chad, Cameroon and Gabon: Youth as Weavers of Peace in the border region

Rutilio Escandón holds meeting with Rigoberta Menchú, Nobel Peace Prize winner

G5 Sahel: Heads of State announce Prize for the promotion of the culture of peace

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

Neighbours as friends, not enemies: Nordic-Russian seminar, PRIO, Oslo, 3.- 4. February 2020

EDUCATION: Imagine programme helping to reconcile divided Cyprus

Haiti – Dominican Republic : “For a culture of peace at the binational level”, theme of the 8th edition (2019) of the week of the diaspora

Nordic trip to Russia: Neighbours As Friends, Not Enemies

Belize and Guatemala host Garifuna Cultural Event

A Visit to Russia for “Life Extension” of the Planet

Central Africa: ICGLR Summit On Formal Peace Education in the Great Lakes Region Concludes in Nairobi

The Gambia: ‘African countries must unite’

Click here for articles before 2016.

2014: Proclamation of Latin America and Caribbean as a zone of peace, signed by the Heads of State and Governments of the Community of Latin American and Caribbeans States

d-tolerance

How can parliamentarians promote a culture of peace?

Here is a good example of how parliamenarians promote a culture of peace, taken from the CPNN article “Inter-Parliamentary Union: 139 parliaments demand immediate action on climate change”.

For many years, the IPU has been calling for legislative action on climate change and risk reduction. Since 2009, it has organized parliamentary meetings at each Global Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COPs) to increase the parliamentary contribution to global negotiations. With the adoption of this emergency resolution, the IPU will mobilize its member parliaments at the COP24 taking place in Krakow, Poland, later this year.

The 139th IPU Assembly brought together over 1500 delegates including 56 Speakers of Parliament, 52 Deputy Speakers, and over 750 MPs. Women MPs accounted for 33% of the total number of MPs in attendance, one of the highest percentages at an IPU Assembly. Young MPs under 45 made up 19% of the parliamentarians, the first time that the IPU is tracking this statistic.

Here are the CPNN articles on this subject:
d-democratic

Rights of the child, How can they be promoted and protected?

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is a legally-binding international agreement setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities.

The Convention consists of 54 articles that set out children’s rights and how governments should work together to make them available to all children.

Under the terms of the convention, governments are required to meet children’s basic needs and help them reach their full potential. Central to this is the acknowledgment that every child has basic fundamental rights. These include the right to:

Life, survival and development

Protection from violence, abuse or neglect

An education that enables children to fulfil their potential

Be raised by, or have a relationship with, their parents

Express their opinions and be listened to.

In 2000, two optional protocols were added to the UNCRC. One asks governments to ensure children under the age of 18 are not forcibly recruited into their armed forces. The second calls on states to prohibit child prostitution, child pornography and the sale of children into slavery. These have now been ratified by more than 120 states.

Here are the CPNN articles on this subject:

Fourth Paris Peace Forum ends with a series of initiatives

Iran: Educational program for parents was held by the First National Campaign to Prevent Child Abuse in IRAN

Bangladesh: Rohingya children get access to education

PAYNCoP Gabon Partners with the National Youth Council to Stop Violence against Youth

The Global Campaign for the Prevention of Child Marriage

Iran: 3000 signature campaign for child abuse prevention

The carnage against Gaza civilian protesters

Amnesty International: Israeli forces must end the use of excessive force in response to “Great March of Return” protests

Israel/OPT: Palestinian child activist Ahed Tamimi sentenced to 8 months in prison

Cuba a ‘Champion’ of Children’s Rights: UNICEF

Nobel Laureate leads historic march across India to keep children safe

Click here for earlier articles on this subject.

d-human rights

Zimbabwe: MDC Leadership Engages National Peace And Reconciliation Commission

… . HUMAN RIGHTS … .

An article from Pindula News

The MDC leadership today met with Commissioners of the , an independent Constitutional Commission, at the party headquarters at Morgan Richard Tsvangirai headquarters in a frank and honest debate regarding the work and mandate of the Commission.

[Note: The Movement for Democratic Change is the main opposition political party in Zimbabwe.]

President Nelson Chamisa welcomed the Commissioners to the party headquarters and said the party appreciated the heavy workload of the Commission.

In his welcome remarks, he said that he hoped for an open, frank and honest discussion between the party leadership and the NPRC in a manner that would further the interests of the people of Zimbabwe and entrench a culture of peace and tolerance in the country.

President Chamisa sought leave of the Commissioners to attend the funeral of one his drivers in Mbare. He left Vice President Hon. Tendai Biti to chair the MDC leadership’s two-and-half-hour fruitful and candid engagement with the leadership of the NPRC.

(Article continued in right column)

 

Question related to this article:

Truth Commissions, Do they improve human rights?

(Article continued from left column)

The MDC leaders raised issues to do with the independence and autonomy of the Commission, the continued culture of impunity in the country in spite of the existence of the Commission as well as the disturbing fact that the NPRC had not referred anyone for prosecution, even in cases where the culprits of violence and conflict had been identified.

The party leaders cited Gukurahundi, the electoral violence that has been committed by Zanu PF over the years and the non-prosecution of perpetrators of violence in cases such as the State-sponsored violence of August 01, 2018, in which six people were killed as well as the State-driven violence of January 2019 in which more innocent people were callously murdered.

The NPRC insisted that it was an independent Commission and that it would roll out a national visibility programme in 2020, even though they said they required more resources to execute their Constitutional mandate.

The party leadership and the NPRC agreed to continuously engage to solve conflicts and promote peace and reconciliation in the country.

As a party, the MDC has been a victim of Zanu PF and State-sponsored violence in which thousands of people have been brutally killed, with no action taken against the culprits.

The party leadership insisted in the meeting that peace and reconciliation alone were not enough as justice had to be seen to be done particularly against the perpetrators of violence and genocide against the people.

Luke Tamborinyoka

Deputy National Spokesperson

Africa, HUMAN RIGHTS

Cyprus: We have no alternative but peace, President Anastasiades tells Akinci

. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

An article from In-Cyprus

The status quo in Cyprus is not the choice of Cypriots, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Monday, adding that “there is no other choice or alternative but to bring peace to our land” while addressing Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.


President Anastasiades attended this morning the ‘Imagine’ Head Teachers Conference, organised by the bicommunal Technical Committee on Education, in Ledra Palace, in the presence of Akinci, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative Elizabeth Spehar, the heads of the Technical Committee, as well as Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot head teachers.

In his address, President Anastasiades referred to the peaceful coexistence of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, he said however that the interventions by third parties “without excluding nobody” led to the problems that followed. “What we are looking for is Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to take on the fate of this country by creating the conditions for peaceful coexistence” and their future, the President added.

He also said that his presence in the conference, together with Akinci, aims at send a message of support for the actions and initiatives of the Technical Committee for Education.

Speaking about the status quo on the island, President Anastasiades said that it does not allow fellow compatriots to enjoy the rights, freedoms and the level of prosperity other EU citizens enjoy. We acknowledge the difficulties but with respect to each other’s sensitivities and concerns and through mutual respect, we ought to merge what we consider to be the joint interests of Cypriots, he added.

The only way to achieve this is by creating a viable and functioning bicommunal federal state, securing our joint future in a united Cyprus, member of the EU, without dependencies on any third parties.

The President called on teachers to continue educating critically thinking and active citizens who will search for creative solutions to the challenges that may arise in the future.

(continued in right column)

Question for this article:

Can Cyprus be reunited in peace?

(continued from left column)

He also welcomed the initiatives undertaken by the Technical Committee, particularly through the ‘Imagine’ programme that brought together more than 4,000 pupils and 650 teaches in the last 2,5 years.

He also pointed to educational activities in schools against racism and in order to develop a culture of peace. Among others, the President said that pupils are being taught Turkish Cypriot literary texts translated into Greek, while Turkish lessons are optional for high school pupils.

Before attending the conference, President Anastasiades made a statement calling for respect towards Cyprus, while saying that the country can not be a vassal of any third country.

He said that without disregarding the ethnic origin, the conference aims to cultivate a culture of peaceful coexistence, “an important element in the framework of the efforts we are making for peaceful coexistence if and when conditions allow us to work as Cypriots in order to solve the Cyprus problem as an independent country.”

These are steps to the right direction, but they are not enough for a Cyprus solution, the President added and called for respect towards Cyprus.

In his address, the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci referred to the importance of cultivating a culture of peace in Cyprus and highlighted the value of education.

Speaking through an interpreter, Akinci said that people may have different views and goals, but it is important to have a culture of peace in order to address these issues.

He also noted the importance of dialogue while trying to solve differences and referred to the need to respect equality, multiple identities and pluralism. All these elements are essential for the federal government to work, Akinci added.

He said that the decision with President Anastasiades to form the bicommunal technical Committee back in 2015 was “the most important decision we took with my friend Nicos.”

He noted finally that the Technical Committee has a long way to go and referred to the curricula and the instruction of Greek and Turkish in the schools. We need to encourage these initiatives in order to see them implemented and have peace, Akinci concluded.

The conference was also addressed by the Heads of the Technical Committee for Education, Michalinos Zembylas and Meltem Onurkan Samani, while professor Tony Gallagher from Queen’s University in Northern Ireland delivered a speech about the transformational leadership for peace.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

Global Campaign for Peace Education: Year-end review

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from the Global Campaign for Peace Education

Dear reader, Season’s Greetings! As fall turns to winter here in Washington, DC, we are fond of reminiscing on the many changes and experiences we’ve had thus far in 2019.


Amongst the highlights, we held a big celebration to honor the 90th birthday of Betty Reardon, co-founder of the Global Campaign; we helped launch advocacy campaigns in Cameroon and Nigeria; and we kicked-off Peace Knowledge Press, our new publishing house.

To wind down the year, I just returned from Ukraine where I joined colleagues from the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) Peace Education Working Group to strategize efforts for scaling up peace education from the grassroots to the country level. The Global Campaign will be partnering with GPPAC on an ambitious new project in 2020 to help map the field of peace education – stay tuned for more details!

(Continued in right column)

Question for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

(Continued from left column)

Be sure to check out and share the many new events and job postings shared below. As always, we welcome you to submit your own news, articles, research, and events to share with other campaign members. You can submit your articles for sharing via our online form.

All-in-all, energy continues to bubble up around the world for mainstreaming peace education. We hope you find the actions of our colleagues contained in this month’s newsletter hopeful, and contagious, and embark on new efforts to develop and grow peace education in your community.

Please don’t forget to help us “spread peace ed” by using the hashtags #SpreadPeaceEd and #PeaceEd, following us on social media, and by sharing and reposting news on your timeline and in your communities. This is one small way each of us can help grow the campaign. You can also follow the Global Campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

In peace & solidarity,

Tony Jenkins

Coordinator, Global Campaign for Peace Education

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, global