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.

2019 Biennial of Luanda [Angola]: The initial budget has about 440 thousand euros

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from the Observador (translation by CPNN)

The Angolan Government presented this Friday the Biennale of Luanda 2019 – Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace, with a budget of more than 500 thousand dollars for “initial costs” in the framework of an agreement with UNESCO.


The UNESCO representative for the meeting, Enzo Fazzino. Photo: AMPE ROGÉRIO / LUSA

Highlighting the contribution of African cultures to world peace through a wide variety of cultural expressions from the six African regions, including the fine arts, music, dance, theater and literature, is the objective of the Luanda Biennial, which will take place from September 18 to 22.

According to the national coordinator of the Luanda Biennial, Alexandra Apatricío, during five days the meeting will gather reflections, as well as hold cultural and sporting events.

Under an agreement signed between the Angolan Government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the national coordinator of the biennial said that Angola “already has an initial budget set aside from funds already identified that is 505 thousand dollars “(about 440 thousand euros).

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(Click here for the Portuguese version of this article.)

Question related to this article:

The Luanda Biennale: What is its contribution to a culture of peace in Africa

Will UNESCO once again play a role in the culture of peace?

(Continued from left column)

“[The budget is] deposited for certain costs and we are currently collecting all the costs of all these actions and there are already large institutions in the country and other international institutions that have approached us willing to contribute to the actions of the Luanda Biennial” , he pointed out.

At the ceremony held this Friday at the Anibal de Melo Press Center (CIAM), in Luanda, the official said that during the biennial “the intention is to promote a culture of peace by taking into account the diversity of Africa.”

According to the Angolan authorities, 12 countries, namely two from North Africa, two from West Africa, two from East Africa, two from Central Africa, two from Southern Africa and two from the diaspora are expected to be participants.

“The idea of ​​this Biennial is to have a space where we can contribute to a culture of peace and violence prevention to create more actions, share, and exchange these moments that exist in other countries for sustainable development,” he said.

The UNESCO representative at the meeting, Enzo Fazzino, also pointed out the relevance of the Luanda Biennial 2019 – Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace, which is an opportunity to find actors in conflict prevention in Africa.

“The idea is to create a Pan-African Movement for the Culture of Peace that values ​​ongoing actions and that creates opportunities for these projects to gain more support,” he said.

He added that it will be “an opportunity to show the cultural diversity of the African continent and create a sense of better integration between African cultures. The achievement of bringing together countries from across the African sub-regions can create greater integration.”

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Bolivia: Evo Morales says the United States seeks to “devastate and impoverish” Venezuela as did to Iraq and Libya

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from RPP Noticias

The president of Bolivia and friend of his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, Evo Morales, said Wednesday that the United States wants Venezuela to be “devastated and impoverished” like Iraq and Libya, by provoking violence through its threats to coexistence in Latin America. .

Through his Twitter account, the Bolivian president wrote. “The US threats against Venezuela are threats to peaceful coexistence in Latin America, they want to provoke confrontation between brothers with war and violence.”

He also accused the US government of seeking that Venezuela “be devastated and impoverished as Iraq and Libya”, referring to interventions in which the United States participated in those countries.

Morales said in another message on the well-known social network that “by failing at the UN to justify a military intervention that allows it to take over Venezuela’s oil, the United States arbitrarily confiscates the money of the Venezuelan people to finance the coup [… ] The United States undermines peace and the right of peoples to dispose of their natural resources, “he added.

(Article continued in the right column.)

(Click here for the original article in Spanish.)

Question(s) related to this article:

What is really happening in Venezuela?

(Article continued from left column)

To this he added. “Latin America is a region of peace, we are once again proposing to build a South American identity in terms of defense and we reject any attempt at intervention, we must promote the peaceful resolution of conflicts and a culture of peace in the continent and the world.” (EFE)

Evo Morales Ayma
@evoespueblo

The economic sanctions of #EEUU against the brother country of #Venezuela, when trying to confiscate the assets of @PDVSA, violate the Charter of the United Nations that recognizes the equality and sovereignty of the States, as well as the self-determination of the peoples.

Evo Morales Ayma
@evoespueblo

The threats of #EEUU against #Venezuela are threats to peaceful coexistence in # AméricaLatina. They want to provoke confrontation between brothers with war and violence. The empire wants Venezuela to be devastated and impoverished as were Iraq and Libya.

Evo Morales Ayma
@evoespueblo

# AméricaLatina is a region of peace, we are once again planning to build a South American identity in terms of defense and reject any attempt at intervention. We must promote the peaceful resolution of conflicts and a culture of peace on the continent and the world.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Jamaica: Tek Sleep an Mark Death with the Venezuela Situation

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from the Jamaica Observer

[Editor’s note: In saying the following below, “We had better “tek sleep and mark death”, the author uses a Jamaican proverb that means to use a simple experience so as to know what to expect in a more dangerous situation. In other words, beware, the same fate could happen to us!]

The Jamaica Peace Council (JPC) joins all peace-loving people in rejecting the orchestration of what seems to us to be a coup d’état in Venezuela by the United States and its allies on January 23, 2019. They opted to endorse the self-appointment of Juan Guaido as president while demanding that Nicolas Maduro step down or face the possibility of a military intervention.

When asked by the media if the US may invade Venezuela, President Donald Trump gave the snide response that, “All options are on the table.” This can only be viewed as a declaration of war against a sovereign nation whose citizens have exercised their democratic right to elect a leader that is not favoured by the Donald Trump Government.

In 2014 the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean came together and established a treaty declaring the region a Zone of Peace, meaning that dialogue, not war, will be the means by which issues are resolved within and between states. This declaration of war against Venezuela is not only in breach of international law, it is disruptive to the culture of peace that we are creating in our region.

Wars destroy the fabric of nations and create a psyche of violence which manifests itself in spiralling violent crimes across the world and right here at home. Mass murders are now a frequent occurrence in the United States. We must reject the warmongering, dictatorial posture of the United States towards Venezuela.

Let us get the facts straight about what is unfolding. On the January 10, 2019 Nicolas Maduro was inaugurated as the legitimate president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, having been elected by over six million people on May 20, 2018. In that election, over nine million people exercised their right to vote for three candidates, despite the right-wing guarimba violence aimed at preventing them from going to the polls. The right-wing Opposition party had chosen to boycott the polls. The election proceeded in accordance with the Venezuelan Constitution of 1999.

According to the conclusions of the “extensive international technical electoral accompaniment mission”, which oversaw the process, the Venezuela electoral system was perfectly free, fair and transparent. This is contrary to the claim that the elections were fraudulent and that ballot boxes were stuffed. Venezuela has a sophisticated electronic process that does not use ballot boxes. The self-declared “Interim President” Juan Guaido is false and undemocratic. It does not accord with any of the provisions of the constitution. He is being imposed on the people of Venezuela by the United States even though he was not even a candidate in the election last year.

US officials recognised Guaido as president even before he swore himself in. This is not surprising because the US has a history of setting up puppet regimes in Latin America to give their multi-national corporations unbridled access to the rich resources of the countries.

This matter must be taken seriously by the citizens of Latin America and the Caribbean as it contravenes our right to elect governments of our choice. It has implications for all our nations. Picture some relatively unknown individual declaring himself prime minister of Jamaica and receiving the backing of the US, who then tells Prime Minister Andrew Holness to step aside because he is not obeying their dictates. That is the scenario in Venezuela. We had better “tek sleep and mark death” with this Venezuela situation.

We denounce this coup attempt, which has only received support from a small number of US allies, including the Lima Group, and is condemned by rest of the world. We denounce the attempt to instigate civil war in Venezuela by calling on right-wing supporters to take to the streets. We condemn the US for imposing sanctions against Venezuela with the obvious aim of destroying the economy in order to turn the people against Maduro. We condemn the US Government for lobbying the Bank of England to block Venezuela from withdrawing $1.2 billion worth of gold from its assets placed in their trust. We condemn their latest cruel action of freezing the revenue from CITGO stations in the US.

(continued in right column)

Questions for this article:

What is really happening in Venezuela?

(continued from left column)

As imperialism bears its fangs, it calls to mind Henry Kissinger’s plot to make Chile’s economy scream prior to the overthrow of Salvador Allende in 1973. The US officials claim to be concerned about the Venezuelan people. How do these actions benefit the Venezuelan people? No, they don’t care about the people. They only care about corporate greed. They are making the people suffer as part of their planned strategy to overthrow a Government that puts the interest of the people first. This is the same cruelty that was displayed during the government shutdown in Washington. The Trump Administration cared nothing about the plight of the federal employees, most of whom live from pay cheque to pay cheque and found themselves unable to pay rent, mortgage, car note, and medical expenses. Some could not even buy food and medication.

We applaud the nations that stood up at the meeting of the UN Security Council on January 26 and obstructed the attempt of the US to obtain endorsement for intervention in Venezuela. We are proud of the representatives of Caribbean and Latin American nations that courageously refuse to support the call for intervention in Venezuela. We applaud the over 180 nations which recognise Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela based on the results of the May 2018 election.

As an organisation dedicated to peace, justice and freedom from interventionism, war and violence, we call on the Trump Administration to stop their regime-change destabilisation tactics in our region. We call on the Trump Administration to withdraw all military bases from the region and to realign its foreign policy to the spirit of the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC) Declaration of the region as a Zone of Peace.

The US has no history of promoting democratic governance in the Caribbean. Cuba in 1961, Grenada in 1983, and Honduras in 2009 are examples of their imperialist intervention and paramilitary violence. We say: “No more interference and no more coups!”

We stand with the people of Venezuela in their leadership through the Bolivarian Revolution. They have promoted freedom, dignity, and peaceful cooperation in our region and around the world.

Instead of fomenting coups and wars, we recommend that the US Government turn its attention to the following issues at home:

• There are approximately 553,742 homeless people, including war veterans, many of whom rummage through garbage for food on a daily basis.

• There are an estimated 100 million people living in poverty.

• There are a rising number of homeless deaths in the streets.

• A vast number of US citizens have to work two or three jobs just to survive.

• The super-exploitation and financial insecurity of American workers through short-term contracts with no benefits.

• There’s a resurgence of overt racial discrimination and ascendancy of white nationalism.

• There’s wanton killing of blacks which gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement.

• There’s a vast community of people still living in tents and make-shift abodes under bridges more than 10 years after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

• The harsh conditions still being faced by Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria which claimed the lives of an estimated 4,600 persons.

• Recall the poisoning of the rivers and streams by mining companies which sparked the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

• The increasing number of mass shootings as the interest of gun lobbyists is placed above the safety of the citizens.

These are just a few of the issues that the US Administration should address at home if it really cares about people. In clear Jamaican parlance, we say, “Clean up yuh own yard and stop faas in other people business.”

 
This piece was submitted by the Jamaica Peace Council. Send comments to the Observer or jamaicapeacecouncil@gmail.com.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

English bulletin February 1, 2019

SLOW NEWS : EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Several years ago we updated the rules for CPNN articles to say that “unlike in the commercial media they do not have to be ‘breaking news.’ Instead, they may reflect the ‘slow news’ of processes that develop slowly over long periods of time.” The reasoning for this was expressed in an article about CPNN in the Journal of Peace Education: “The commercial media emphasize ‘fast news’ or what they often call ‘breaking news.’ This tends to ignore or mask the fundamental processes that make for deep historical change. The processes of historical change accumulate slowly over time. Only rarely do the contradictions arrive at a point of rupture or revolution, at which time events may take place very rapidly.”

In the past two and a half years, CPNN has carried 58 articles about peace education coming from over 40 countries in all regions of the world. This is “slow news.” And n the last month alone CPNN has carried 8 articles concerning peace education, coming rom all regions of the world:

West Africa

Since 2008 the countries of West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte D’ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo) have worked together in a Conflict Prevention Framework. This year’s Plans of Action for the Framework were launched on the 28th of January 2019 at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters, in Abuja, Nigeria. The components are early warning, preventive diplomacy, democracy and political governance, human rights and rule of law, media, natural resource governance, cross-border initiatives and security governance, Women, peace and security, youth empowerment, ECOWAS Stand-By Force, Humanitarian assistance, peace education (Culture of peace) as well as its Enabling Mechanism.

Most of the ECOWAS countries were also represented at a meeting of 100 young people on January 22 in Lomé, Togo, with the theme, “Gender and responsible citizenship in youth circles for peace in West Africa.” The training includes conflict prevention and the culture of peace, civic democracy, and the notion of female leadership in the African context.

Southern Africa

Lesotho has an ongoing program of Developmen for Peace Education (DPE). Of special interest is their emphasis on student democracy, which could well serve as a model for the rest of the world. A total of 12 schools in the 8 DPE areas are ready to have students’ elections in the first quarter of 2019. This shall be preceded by leadership orientation on peaceful school model for teachers and principals. An interesting example is one of the campaigners who used teachers’ dodging of classes as his campaign message. “he stated that he is going to ensure that a teacher who may miss his/her lessons will pay for those lessons missed…… that  made every teacher to attend lessons to avoid further embarrassment ….”

Philippines

Peace education is among the top priorities in the new Bangsamoro government that is trying to bring peace to a region long torn by civil war. “Kung gusto natin ng kapayapaan, simulan natin sa silid-aralan (If we want peace, let’s start in the classroom).” was emphasized by Commissioner Susana Anayatin of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission. “The Bangsamoro Government shall institutionalize peace education in all levels . . .  such as respect for human rights, conflict resolution, alternative dispute resolution, and environmental care,”

Cyprus

The 2019 International Institute for Peace Education (IIPE) will be held in Nicosia, from July 21 to July 28, 2019. Themes will include the interaction of peace education with history, political theory, conflict studies, reconciliation, the philosophy of peace, justice, and democracy in challenging times.

Mexico

With the objective of sensitizing Mexican teachers about the importance of the process of peaceful conflict transformation within the classroom and school, the Secretary of Education of the State of Mexico, through the Council for School Coexistence ( Convive), has launched the program “Learning to live together in a culture of peace” in more than 800 schools. By the end of by 2019, all schools in the state will have material tp strengthen the teaching task to promote a culture for peace. In addition, training sessions will be conducted for school leaders in each of the regions of the State of Mexico.

Mauritius

Promotion of peace and peace education through schooling: Perspectives and experiences of girls and boys in Mauritius. This is the subject of a doctoral thesis by Priya Darshini Baligadoo. The research brings together various philosophies of education and peace for the promotion of peace education including the theories of M.K. Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Maria Montessori.

USA

The Appalachian Peace Center in Virginia and Tennessee continues its 36 years of activity for peace and justice with celebrations this month celebrating the contributions of Martin Luther King.

No doubt, the preceding sample is but a small part of the peace education activities taking place every day around the world. Hopefully, this process will continue to accumuate over time and contribute eventually, by preparing youth for their future responsilbity, to a deep historical change.

      

EDUCATION FOR PEACE


Togo: Young people in West Africa trained in Lomé for conflict prevention

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT



Greta Thunberg: My Message to Davos Elites: Act As If Our House Is on Fire. Because It Is.

WOMEN’S EQUALITY


India Forms World’s Largest Women’s Wall for Gender Equality

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION


US attack on Venezuela: alternative media coverage

DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY



Mayors and parliamentarians call on Russia and the U.S. to preserve the INF Treaty

HUMAN RIGHTS



Australia: Conference Calls for Mainstreaming Human Rights Education

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY



Pakistan: 500 Muslim Leaders Sign Islamabad Declaration

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION



Democratic Republic of Congo: Activities Report of JFDHOP during the 2018 elections
Uncategorized

Mayors and parliamentarians call on Russia and the U.S. to preserve the INF Treaty

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

A press release from the Basel Peace Office

Mayors, parliamentarians, policy experts and civil society representatives from forty countries – mostly Europe and North America – yesterday [January 29] sent an open letter, the  Basel Appeal for Disarmament and Sustainable Security, to Presidents Putin and Trump and to the leaders of the Russian and US legislatures, calling on them to preserve the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, prevent a new nuclear arms race in Europe and undertake measures to reduce the risk of a nuclear conflict and support global nuclear disarmament. (Appeal also available in French, German, Russian and Spanish).

The INF Treaty is an historic agreement reached in 1987 between the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate all of their nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers, and to utilize extensive on-site inspections for verification of the agreement.

Following President Trump’s 20 October, 2018 announcement of his intent to withdraw the United States from the INF Treaty, the State Department has signaled that the US will suspend implementation of the treaty beginning 2 February 2019 and commence the six-month withdrawal process. If the Treaty is dissolved it would further stimulate the current nuclear arms race. In particular, it would open the door for intermediate-range, ground-based nuclear-armed missiles returning to Europe and for US deployment of such missiles in Asia.

‘We are extremely concerned about the deteriorating security environment in Europe and internationally which led the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to last week re-set the Doomsday Clock at 2 Minutes to Midnight,’ says Christine Muttonen (Austria), Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament.

‘Conflicts over the INF Treaty should be resolved through the Treaty, not by abandoning it. And other conflicts should be resolved through diplomacy and common security mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),’ said Ms Muttonen, who recently served as the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.  ‘They cannot be resolved by elevating nuclear threats and ratchetting up the arms race.’

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Questions for this article:

How can parliamentarians promote a culture of peace?

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

(continued from left column)

‘Mayors and parliamentarians, especially those of us from Europe, will not sit idly on the side while the US and Russia erode our security,’ said Thore Vestby (Norway), Vice-President of Mayors for Peace and a former member of the Norwegian parliament. ‘Cities and parliaments are therefore taking action to support nuclear arms control treaties such as the INF and START treaties, promote additional measures such as no-first-use and the new  Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and to put an end to city and state investments in nuclear weapons corporations.’

‘Legislators in nuclear armed States have a specific role to prevent authorization and funding for new more sophisticated and usable nuclear weapons that increase the risk of destruction of humanity by accident, miscalculation or intent,’ said Paul Quiles (France), Mayor of Cordes sur Ciel, President of Initiatives pour le Désarmement Nucléaire, and Former Defence Minister of France.

‘The fact that the President of the US Conference of Mayors is among 18 US mayors who endorsed on short notice is a significant indicator that ‘Main Street USA’ opposes the Administration’s destabilizing and expensive nuclear weapons program and supports proactive efforts to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world’’ said Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa and Vice-President of Mayors for Peace.

‘We do not want to see the dark days of Cold War conflagrations of the 1980s return to Europe. All effort is required to maintain a productive nuclear weapons disarmament regime so that we don’t see the return of nuclear weapons across the continent,”  said Councillor David Blackburn, Chair of UK & Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities. ‘I urge the United States and Russia to go back to the diplomatic table and not seek to build a new generation of dangerous nuclear weapons’

‘Nuclear weapons and climate change pose an existential threat to current and future generations,’ says Dr Andreas Nidecker MD (Switzerland), President of the Basel Peace Office. ‘The massive amount of spending in nuclear weapons – over $100 billion per year – should instead be spent in areas which increase our security – such as diplomacy, climate protection and the Sustainable Development Goals.’

‘Diplomacy is starting to work on the Korean peninsula with North and South building cultural, sporting and other contacts despite their political differences,’ said Alyn Ware (Czech Republic), PNND Global Coordinator and Member of the World Future Council. ‘We give full support to the Korean peace and denuclearization process and we call on US, NATO and Russia to follow a similar diplomatic approach with regard to their conflicts, and to help achieve global nuclear disarmament.’
 
Background

Renew Nuclear Arms Control, Don’t Destroy It. By Andrew Lichterman and John Burroughs

Who lost the INF Treaty? by Pavel Podvig, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists;

Parliamentary action to preserve the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, PNND.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, global

India Forms World’s Largest Women’s Wall for Gender Equality

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from Telesur

Thousands of women in India’s coastal state of Kerala joined together, forming a 386-mile wall, to send a message in support of gender equality.

Official sources told the BBC that approximately five million women from different parts of Kerala took to highways to form a human chain in protest of gender disparity.

The “women’s wall” stretched from the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram to the northern district of Kasaragod.


Video from @Cyt.Vishwa

(Article continued in right column)

(Click here for a Spanish version of this article or here for an article on this subject in French.)

Question for this article

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

(Article continued from left column)

The demonstration is part of a series of protests against a ban  which prevents women of “menstruating age” (ages 10 to 50) to enter the temple. India’s Supreme Court had overturned the ban back in September, however, attacks on female visitors by conservative groups persist, citing a violation of the holy site.

Last month, two women tried to enter the temple but were prevented from doing so by protesters defending the ban. Right-wing Hindu protesters base their actions on an interpretation of a temple deity, Lord Ayyappa whom they allege is “celibate.”

The “women’s wall” was initially proposed by Kerala’s Left Front Government and was originally scheduled to take place in December 2018.
In November 2018, dozens of protesters at the Sabarimala Temple were arrested for demanding the removal of a ban on overnight stays, which was implemented by the government as a response to right-wing demonstrations against women devotees.

However, since the court order gained prominence, a major battleground has manifested between devotees and gender activists, sparking protests across the southern state. More than 2,000 people were arrested following clashes near the temple in October.

The Supreme Court will hear challenges  to the decision to overturn the ban, starting January 22.

(Editor’s note: Telesur is the only news source we could find for this story in English that allows for reproduction, requiring only that the source be given. There are many other articles in news sites that forbid reproduction. Interestingly this article was not listed in a Google search.)

South Asia, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

USA: Appalachian Peace Education Center

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

Excerpts from the website of the Appalachian Peace Education Center

In 1982, APEC opened an office in Abingdon, Virginia, representing small peace groups in coalfield  and agricultural communities such as Big Stone Gap, St. Charles, and Dungannan and Bristol. First focusing on education around nuclear disarmament, military spending, and cold war politics, the organization grew to oppose U.S. government’s intervention in Central America, and became involved in labor rights, conflict resolution, race relations, and opposition to U.S.-sponsored wars and military presence around the globe. APEC members demonstrated publicly for years against the U.S. initiating and conducting war in Iraq. APEC continues its work for peace and justice today, welcoming new peacemakers in the era of President Trump.


Current Activities

32nd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr., March and Celebration
Abingdon, Virginia, Saturday, January 19, 2019

12:30 pm: “People Like Us: Building Allies for Justice” led by Jerry Hill. Charles Wesley UMC, 322 East Main St.

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Question for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

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1:30pm: March begins at Charles Wesley UMC, 322 East Main St. We invite organizations to bring a banner or sign that identifies their group as part of this community event. (We’ll march 3 blocks to…)

2:00 pm: Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration – Abingdon UMC, 101 East Main Street.

On Wednesday, 6th March 2019, Cameroon Peace Foundation Association, in collaboration with the Global Campaign for Peace Education, launched a National Campaign for Peace Education in Buea. The Campaign brought together religious leaders, lecturers, teachers and police officers.

The purpose of the campaign is to create awareness about the need to introduce peace in Cameroon schools. With Cameroon facing a very critical moment in its history, when everything has failed to bring back the peace that is desired and cherished, Cameroon needs to review its educational system. Peace education is a timely intervention and the best weapon to fight against terrorism and violence.

“Peace education is education for human dignity, and is capable of dismantling a culture of war that is pervading Cameroonian society,” said Mforndip Ben Oru, the coordinator of the Cameroon Peace Foundation.
At the close of the launching, it was agreed that peace education is the pathway to a culture of peace. The next stop for the Campaign will be in Bamenda in the North West Region of Cameroon. The Campaign intends to visit all 10 regions of Cameroon.

The Cameroon Peace Foundation is seeking $5000 to support the next steps of the Campaign. If you are able to donate, please contact Mforndip Ben Oru: ben.mforndip@gmail.com

Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North
Film Screening and Discussion led by Filmmaker Katrina Browne

St Thomas Episcopal Church, 124 East Main Street, Abingdon, Virginia

Thursday, January 17th
Reception at 5:30 pm, Program at 6:00 pm

This documentary, first shown on PBS’s POV, describes a New England family’s discovery of their ancestors’ slave-trading past and how their present white privilege was gained generations ago.​ Event sponsored by St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

Bristol’s 2nd Annual MLK, Jr., March and Celebration
Monday, January 21st

1:30 pm – March – Gather on MLK Blvd. 
in Tennessee gather at YMCA; In Virginia gather at First Christian Church
2:45 pm – MLK Celebration at Bristol Train Station

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, North America

West Africa: Stakeholders call for support of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from ECOWAS, Economic Community of West African States

The Plans of Action (PoA) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)’ Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) were launched on the 28th of January 2019 at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters, in Abuja, Nigeria.


officials cutting the ribbon for the launch

The Framework’s 15 Components with peace-building mechanisms, provide, among others, tools for strengthening regional and national capacities for preventing violent conflicts or their recurrence in the region.
 
In his opening statement at the event, the ECOWAS Commission’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security General Francis Béhanzin noted that the ECPF was established for the realization of the dream of a stable and secured West African region with strong democratic institutions, resilient border security and an environment conducive to economic growth and productivity.
 
Calling for the support and collective ownership of the Framework, Commissioner Béhanzin maintained that the ideal of a peaceful, progressive and prosperous region had been the main motivation of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council when it adopted the ECPF in 2008.
 
According to him, beyond the ECOWAS Commission and Member States, conflict prevention is the responsibility of the citizens of the community, civil society activists, academics, civil servants and the international community including Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Diplomatic Missions.

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Question for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

(Continued from left column)

As adopted, the ECPF is to operationalize the 1999 Protocol on the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and security. General Béhanzin stressed in this regard that the Framework is to “serve as a guiding reference for the ECOWAS Member states to strengthen human security in the region”

Introducing the broad objectives of the Framework, the Director of Political Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Remi Ajibewa remarked that what has been birthed is a solid platform for channeling partners’ cooperation to ensure stable, peaceful and more prosperous West Africa while enabling ECOWAS to consolidate on the peace building gains made so far.
 
The Charge d’Affairs of the embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria Mrs Anne-Beatrice Bullinger held that the new and comprehensive ECPF Action Plans represent a very important step forward towards “a coherent, coordinated, complementary and effective implementation of the Framework by ECOWAS, its Member States and the civil society”
 
The Danish ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Jesper Kamp stressed that the government Denmark is supporting the ECPF processes in keeping faith with the strides of the regional community as an “indispensable organization for peace, security and governance across West Africa.
 
Ambassador Kamp said further that the planned activities “provide a platform for youth as well as women. Only through the inclusion of these groups can we ensure that solutions are sustainable”.
 
The keynote address of the Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria Ambassador Ketil karlsen resonated by painting the image of the ECPF as that of a noteworthy conflict prevention instrument.
 
A presentation of the PoA made by the Commission’s Principal Officer, for Conflict Prevention Mr. Constant Gnacadja revealed the Framework as a comprehensive, operational, conflict prevention and peace-building strategy that is a harbinger of hope through a timely resolution of conflicts in the region.
 
The PoA are to drive the activities of the 15 components of the ECPF which are: Early warning, preventive diplomacy, democracy and political governance, human rights and rule of law, media, natural resource governance, cross-border initiatives and security governance, Women, peace and security, youth empowerment, ECOWAS Stand-By Force, Humanitarian assistance, peace education (Culture of peace) as well as its Enabling Mechanism.
 
The ECPF processes are being supported by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), the European Union (EU) among others.

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

US attack on Venezuela: alternative media coverage

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An analysis by CPNN

For the most part the major mass media supports the attack on Venezuela led by the government of the United States. They give the headlines to the US and EU charges against Venezuela, and imply that the Chinese and Russian refusal to go along with the American initiative at the UN Security Council is simply a revival of the Cold War.

According to the news agency of the United Nations, some other countries also gave reasons to oppose the US initiative during the Security Counil meeting, as described below.

Meanwhile, the website Common Dreams carries a statement from 70 intellectuals opposing the US initiative.

Here are the remarks at the UN Security Council from the representatives of South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Cuba, Bolivia and St Vincent and the Grenadines:

JERRY MATJILA (South Africa) emphasized that, in any country, political parties choose the provisions on which to conduct elections.  Recalling that Venezuela held presidential elections in May 2018 on the basis of its national laws, he voiced deep concern over the “clear attempt […] to circumvent the country’s constitutional legal mechanisms which govern its elections”.  Any grievances or disputes should be resolved in a peaceful manner through the proper mechanisms, without external influence.  Echoing calls for the swift de-escalation of tensions to prevent violence, and for the relevant actors to commit to inclusive and credible political dialogue, he urged the international community and United Nations entities to work with Venezuela and its neighbours to assist those in need.  South Africa stands against any attempt at undue constitutional change of Government in Venezuela, he stressed, warning that the Council must never be an instrument that validates such attempts.

ANATOLIO NDONG MBA (Equatorial Guinea) appealed to Venezuelans to arm themselves with courage and wisdom to overcome this crisis.  The solution, aside from being peaceful and democratic, must be in accordance with the Venezuelan Constitution.  The situation in Venezuela is an internal matter and does not pose a threat to international peace and security, and the Security Council must be cautious in that regard.  The main focus of the United Nations and the Council should be on encouraging the parties to negotiate the differences that are “pushing them to the edge”.  The international community “should not put fuel” on the situation, but rather, facilitate a dialogue.  External interference will only exacerbate tensions.  Recalling the suffering caused by foreign interventions in the Middle East and Africa — “only to change a regime and without any consideration of what could happen afterwards” — he said Equatorial Guinea acknowledges, respects and adheres to the constitutional order of Venezuela.  He expressed hope that all parties will resolve their differences through dialogue, calling on Secretary-General António Guterres to use his diplomatic experience to mediate this crisis.

PAUL OQUIST KELLEY (Nicaragua) reiterated his Government’s full solidarity for the legitimately elected President, Mr. Maduro.  The situation in Venezuela does not represent a threat to international security, he added, strongly urging that the sovereign decisions of the country’s people be respected.  The interest and insistence of the United States to include the subject of Venezuela in the agenda of the Security Council is another form of interventionist action into another nation’s internal affairs.  Its clear objective is to impose a change of Government and replace the constitutional Government of President Maduro through a coup d’état.

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Question(s) related to this article:

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

What is really happening in Venezuela?

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These actions do not contribute to a political solution, which belongs to the Venezuelan people as the ones to exercise their right to self-determination, he said.  What characterizes the situation in Venezuela are the brazen attempts to destroy prior achievements made in health, education, housing and reducing poverty.  Nothing should hinder the peace zone of Latin America and the Caribbean and therefore any threat of military aggression is condemnable.  Venezuela is defending non-interventionism and the multilateral order based on independence, sovereignty and the equality of States.

ANAYANSI RODRÍGUEZ CAMEJO (Cuba) said the Caribbean is the stage for threats that are incompatible with the region’s zone of peace, recalling that the 2014 proclamation signed at the second summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) enshrined a duty to uphold the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, notably to refrain from interference in internal affairs, and respect for sovereignty and equal rights.  The current United States Administration appears to have “dusted off the Monroe Doctrine”, and in a fresh extension of imperialism in the region, gone so far as to say that all options are on table.  The region is like a lawn during a drought — a single spark could set off an uncontrollable fire that damages the interests of all, she said, calling it a “tinder box”.  She rejected statements by the United States delegation made today, seeking to exploit the Council to illegitimately campaign against Mr. Maduro’s constitutional leadership.  The main threat to the region is the bullying by the United States and its allies, she said, calling it a flagrant affront to the popular will of Venezuelans.

She voiced unwavering support to the Bolivarian revolution, the union of the Venezuelan people and their democratic Government.  She condemned in the strongest terms, attempts, through a coup d’état, to install a lackey Government to United States interests.  She supported Venezuela’s right to chart its own future.  She decried unilateral coercive measures, calls for a military coup to topple Venezuela’s Government, warnings that the use of military might is an option, the 4 August attempt to assassinate Mr. Maduro, actions by a group of countries, the shameful role of OAS and attempts to apply a worthless policy of regime change, which has been frustrated, time and again, by the resistance of the Venezuelan people.  She advocated respect for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, expressing Cuba’s unwavering support for the principles of sovereignty, non-use of force or the threat thereof, and non-interference in domestic affairs.  History will judge those who push for a coup d’état, she cautioned.

GARETH BYNOE (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) said his county has been monitoring developments in Venezuela at the bilateral and multilateral levels and expressed deep concern over the unfolding events.  Stressing his Government’s adherence to the principles of non-interference, non-intervention and sovereignty, along with respect for human rights and democracy, he emphasized the need for meaningful dialogue among all stakeholders.  “We are undoubtedly living in an unpredictable era and must reject all attempts to aggravate dangerous situations or engender change of democratically elected leaders,” he said.  The history of Latin America and the Caribbean is indelibly scarred by military interventions and imposition of dictator Governments.  The need to triumph over its lingering remnants drives the countries in the hemisphere “to be viscerally abhorrent to any semblance of its re-emergence”.  Constitutionally, Venezuela has an elected President in Mr. Maduro, but an unconscionable crusade against the legally elected President, orchestrated by OAS, aims to erect a parallel unelected Government.  OAS has abdicated its role of arbiter.  Venezuela is not a threat nor represents a danger to international peace and security.  History teaches that rejection of dialogue is often the precursor to unilateralism and war, he said, an option that cannot be allowed in the region’s zone of peace.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America, United Nations,

Greta Thunberg: My Message to Davos Elites: Act As If Our House Is on Fire. Because It Is.

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from Common Dreams reprinted under under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License

The following is a slightly edited version of remarks delivered by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg to attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Friday, January 25, 2018.

video of Greta’s speech
”

Our house is on fire. I am here to say, our house is on fire.
According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), we are less than 12 years away from not being able to undo our mistakes. In that time, unprecedented changes in all aspects of society need to have taken place, including a reduction of our CO2 emissions by at least 50%.

And please note that those numbers do not include the aspect of equity, which is absolutely necessary to make the Paris agreement work on a global scale. Nor does it include tipping points or feedback loops like the extremely powerful methane gas released from the thawing Arctic permafrost.

At places like Davos, people like to tell success stories. But their financial success has come with an unthinkable price tag. And on climate change, we have to acknowledge we have failed. All political movements in their present form have done so, and the media has failed to create broad public awareness.

But Homo sapiens have not yet failed.

Yes, we are failing, but there is still time to turn everything around. We can still fix this. We still have everything in our own hands. But unless we recognize the overall failures of our current systems, we most probably don’t stand a chance.

We are facing a disaster of unspoken sufferings for enormous amounts of people. And now is not the time for speaking politely or focusing on what we can or cannot say. Now is the time to speak clearly.

Solving the climate crisis is the greatest and most complex challenge that Homo sapiens have ever faced. The main solution, however, is so simple that even a small child can understand it. We have to stop our emissions of greenhouse gases.

Either we do that or we don’t.

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Question for this article:

 

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

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You say nothing in life is black or white. But that is a lie. A very dangerous lie. Either we prevent 1.5C of warming or we don’t. Either we avoid setting off that irreversible chain reaction beyond human control or we don’t.

Either we choose to go on as a civilization or we don’t. That is as black or white as it gets. There are no grey areas when it comes to survival.

We all have a choice. We can create transformational action that will safeguard the living conditions for future generations. Or we can continue with our business as usual and fail.

That is up to you and me.

Some say we should not engage in activism. Instead we should leave everything to our politicians and just vote for a change instead. But what do we do when there is no political will? What do we do when the politics needed are nowhere in sight?

Here in Davos—just like everywhere else —everyone is talking about money. It seems money and growth are our only main concerns.

And since the climate crisis has never once been treated as a crisis, people are simply not aware of the full consequences on our everyday life. People are not aware that there is such a thing as a carbon budget, and just how incredibly small that remaining carbon budget is. That needs to change today.

No other current challenge can match the importance of establishing a wide, public awareness and understanding of our rapidly disappearing carbon budget, that should and must become our new global currency and the very heart of our future and present economics.

We are at a time in history where everyone with any insight of the climate crisis that threatens our civilization—and the entire biosphere—must speak out in clear language, no matter how uncomfortable and unprofitable that may be.

We must change almost everything in our current societies. The bigger your carbon footprint, the bigger your moral duty. The bigger your platform, the bigger your responsibility.

Adults keep saying: “We owe it to the young people to give them hope.” But I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act.

I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.

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

Europe, global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,