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.

VIEW Reactions to India’s decision to repeal farm laws

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from Reuters (reprinted by permission)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that he had decided to repeal three agriculture laws that farmers have been protesting against for more than a year. read more.
(See also CPNN January 26, 2021)


A farmer sits on barricades at the site of the farmers protest against farm laws, at Ghazipur near Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, in New Delhi, India, October 29, 2021. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

The protesting farmers said the laws, that allow growers to sell produce beyond government-regulated wholesale markets, where they are assured a minimum price, would benefit big private buyers at their expense.

The government said the legislation was needed to reform an agricultural sector beset by wastage.

Modi, in an address to the nation, said the laws would be repealed in the new session of parliament, starting this month.

Following are some reactions:

ARVIND KEJRIWAL, CHIEF MINISTER OF DELHI
“Generations to come will remember how the farmers of this country put their lives on the line and saved farming in this country. I bow before them.”

RAHUL GANDHI, LEADER OF OPPOSITION PARTY CONGRESS
“Congratulations on this victory against injustice!”

Question for this article:

What is the relation between movements for food sovereignty and the global movement for a culture of peace?

How effective are mass protest marches?

NAVJOT SINGH SIDHU, LEADER OF OPPOSITION CONGRESS PARTY IN PUNJAB STATE
“Repealing of black laws a step in the right direction … You’re sacrifice has paid dividends.”

ARVIND SINGH DHANKAR, SECRETARY OF FARMER UNION KHEDUT SABHA
“With our consistent protests despite pandemic we have proven that we were doing the right thing by questioning the government’s flawed farm laws, we showed the world all the problems it will create for millions of Indian farmers. Finally, government has acknowledged our legitimate woes.”

DARSHAN PAL, SENIOR LEADER OF FARMER UNION COALITION SAMYUKTA KISAN MORCHA
“We welcome the announcement made by the prime minister, but we need to know the government’s stand on our other key demand of making minimum support prices compulsory for call crops.”

MAMATA BANERJEE, LEADER OF OPPOSITION ALL INDIA TRINAMOOL CONGRESS
“My heartfelt congratulations to every single farmer who fought relentlessly … This is YOUR VICTORY! My deepest condolences to everyone who lost their loved ones in this fight.”

RAKESH TIKAIT, LEADER AND SPOKESMAN OF BHARTIYA KISAN UNION
“The agitation will not be withdrawn immediately, we will wait for the day when agricultural laws will be repealed in Parliament. Along with MSP, the government should also discuss other issues of farmers.”

RAMAN SINGH RANDHAWA, HEAD OF JAI KISAN ANDOLAN IN RAJASTHAN STATE
“It is a win of farmers and this should have been repealed on the day one. These laws are not against the farmers but against the Indian structure. Had the government listened to us on day one many farmers lives could have been saved. You also see the elections are here so the government had to repeal the laws.”

RAMESH PATEL, REGIONAL PRESIDENT OF GUJARAT KHEDUT SAMAJ
“This is a big victory for farmers. Implementation of the three farm laws would have been detrimental to the interests of farmers, traders, and consumers. The government has done the right thing by announcing withdrawal of the laws.”

MAHUA MOITRA, A LAWMAKER FROM OPPOSITION ALL INDIA TRINAMOOL CONGRESS
“Whether it was fear of losing (Uttar Pradesh) or finally facing up to conscience @BJP govt rolls back farm laws. Just the beginning of many more victories for people’s voices.”

.

South Asia, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Brasilia: Meeting to debate culture of peace in the public sector

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from the Brasilia Agency (Translation by CPNN)

The School of Government of the Federal District (Egov) will hold, on the next 18th, the 1st Meeting of Culture of Peace in the Public Sector. In line with the climate of peace promoted throughout the year by the Executive Secretariat for Valorization and Quality of Life (Sequali), the event will take place from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm, in the institution’s auditorium, and interested parties will have until next Tuesday (16) to make the entries, on the Egov website .

The meeting aims to awaken synergy between the individual, social and environmental aspects, towards sustainability, with ethics and respect for life. The idea is to promote a holistic view of the human being, sustainable development and the adoption of responsible practices by public entities.

The opening of the meeting will be attended by Adriana Faria, executive secretary for Valuing and Quality of Life, and the dean of the Environment at Unipaz, Regina Fittipaldi, a guest who will give a lecture on the theme “Paths to a culture of peace”.

The secretary of Economy, André Clemente, highlights that, since the beginning of this administration, the secretariat has been promoting actions aimed at the valorization and development of GDF servants.

(continued in right column)

(Click here for the Portuguese original of this article)

Questions for this article:

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

(continued from left column)

“The servant valuation agenda is part of this management, which proposes the recognition and development of servants, through initiatives like this, aimed at personal and professional growth, promoting balance, ethics, respect for life, the good -being and productivity”, said Clemente.

According to Adriana Faria, the initiative to promote the meeting is in line not only with the secretariat’s actions, but with the current scenario. “The idea of holding this meeting arose from the need to encourage reflection on the culture of peace, a fundamental issue in the current social and political context of the country”, he says.

She explains that “servers will have the opportunity to know a worldview that privileges dialogue and mediation to resolve conflicts, abandoning violent attitudes and actions and respecting the diversity of ways of thinking and acting of each individual, fundamental attitudes for life in society.”

The executive director of Egov, Juliana Tolentino, highlighted the relevance of the meeting. “This event is extremely important. It is the opportunity to connect this culture of peace with the work developed by the public administration, acquire new knowledge and add to the efficiency and quality necessary for the provision of public services”, he said.

To participate in the meeting, click here and register.

Service
I Meeting of Culture of Peace in the Public Sector

Date: November 18, 2021

Time: 8:00 am to 5:30 pm

Modality: in person

Registration: until November 16, 2021

Check the program here.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Petrópolis, Brazil : III International Restorative Justice Week will open next Monday

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from the prefeitura de Petrópolis

Four lectures are part of the program elaborated by the Petrópolis da Paz Program, for the III International Week of Restorative Justice. The event, which takes place online, will open next Monday (15th), at 3:30 pm, broadcast by the City Hall’s official networks, such as Facebook and Youtube.

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“This event encourages a new vision of conflicts while giving a voice to victims and offenders, valuing, for example, the maintenance of family, school and community ties”, explains the interim government.

North American expert Kay Pranis will open the cycle of lectures talking about “Restorative Justice in Education: Building Restorative Communities”. The judge of Law at the São Paulo Court of Justice, Marcelo Nalesso Salmaso, will speak on the topic “Restorative Justice and Socio-education”. São Paulo teacher Liliane Claro Rezende was invited to speak on “Restorative Justice in Education: Experience Report in Santos”, while psychologist Paulo Henrique Moratelli addresses “Restorative Justice: Conflict Transformation Processes and Transformative Dialogs and Circles.

(article continued in right column)

(Click here for the original article in Portuguese)

Discussion question

Restorative justice, What does it look like in practice?

(article continued from left column)

“The III International Week celebrates restorative practices and represents the incessant work of the Petrópolis da Paz Program in its aspect of Restorative Justice in the recognition and expansion of the remarkable effects of these practices in our city and throughout the world”, highlights the coordinator of the Petrópolis Program of Peace.

The event is being organized by Vanessa Siqueira, the Program’s Restorative Justice coordinator. “It connects us with the world and with actions aimed at a culture of peace.

We are celebrating another year of achievement in our city by joining this international movement. Once again, we have the participation of renowned guests”, he explains, adding: “May this week inspire us and connect us to continue opening paths so that restorative justice and Movement Circles are present in schools, communities and other spaces.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Mexico: Municipal Mediation Unit of the City of Merida to promote a Culture of Peace

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Mi Punto de Vista

With the aim of consolidating a culture of peace and dialogue, the Mérida City Council provides a mediation service to offer alternatives for a peaceful solution to family disputes and conflicts. or neighborhood, announced the Mayor, Renán Barrera Concha.

He pointed out that the Municipal Mediation Unit is an effective tool to remedy those conflicts that arise between neighbors or relatives. Otherwise they could lead to crimes such as threats, injuries or damage to someone else’s property.

“In the City of Mérida we continue to implement alternative mechanisms that allow us to prevent the commission of crimes, especially those that appear due to disagreements, thus we are committed to dialogue between the parties to prevent these situations from escalating to another level,” he said.

(Article continued in right column)

(click here for the original version in Spanish).

Question for this article:

Mediation as a tool for nonviolence and culture of peace

(Article continued from left column)

The Municipal President reported that in the 2018-2021 administration, attention was paid to 529 cases, of which 40%, that is, around 200 files, due to neighborhood conflicts, 21% due to voluntary divorce, 15% family conflicts and the rest was divided on issues such as alimony, spouses, custody of minors and family visits.

“Mediation is gradually being accepted and adopted by the people of Merida. Once they know the benefits that this entails, the answer is positive. People not only achieve the solution of the conflict they are going through, but they also promote communication and peaceful coexistence between the parties involved,” he stressed.

For her part, the director of the municipal DIF (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia), Silvia Sarti González, explained that the procedure is carried out free of charge and with the support of a professional mediator. “People who have resorted to this model have found solutions from a different perspective, since we have them listen to the other’s version, discuss those points of view and, through dialogue, propose a way to resolve their disagreements.”

She added that those who resort to conflict mediation find less financial and emotional wear and tear, and, in most cases, avoid legal processes that are often lengthy and expensive.

The Municipal Mediation Unit provides services from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, and it deals with cases of a family, school, community and commercial nature.

To request attention, those interested should contact the Legal Coordination of DIF Mérida, located at 59 # 432 between 50 and 52-A, Centro, or they can call 9999 28 69 77 extension 81516 presenting a copy of their INE and CURP.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Tunisia: Inter-Religious Conference in Tunis On International Day for Tolerance

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from All Africa

 The celebration of the International Day for Tolerance aims at enshrining the principles of peaceful coexistence between citizens of the same country, regardless of their cults and beliefs, said participants in the inter-religious conference held Tuesday (November 16) in Tunis at the initiative of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The participants also stressed the role of culture and education in consolidating the values of tolerance and openness, saying that Tunisia is a platform for peace.

Minister of Religious Affairs Brahim Chaïbi said that the conference aims to bring children of the same country closer together and to overcome the barriers of religion.

He called on the men of faith representing the three great monotheistic religions to unite in the service of peace, humanity and the homeland, “spared until now by interfaith conflicts and discord”, warning against any attempt to stir up tensions using the sacred as a pretext for fomenting crises that run counter to the values of tolerance and peace advocated by the religions.

(continued in right column)

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

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

(continued from left column)

Minister of Cultural Affairs Hayet Ktat Guarmazi stressed that the celebration of the International Day for Tolerance reflects the deep conviction that peace, peaceful coexistence and respect for religious diversity are indispensable and essential to enable the world to combat all forms of fanaticism that lead to hatred and violence.

She recalled that inter-religious dialogue imposes tolerance as a social, political and economic requirement, adding that her department works, in collaboration with other ministries, to establish the values of culture, art, beauty, positivity and building bridges, as vectors of tolerance and peace in society.

The Mufti of the Republic Othmane Battikh explained that tolerance implies an ease in contact and relations with others, far from any rancour, rejection and hatred. He recalled that Tunisia has always been a land of tolerance, even before the arrival of Islam, and that these values have been anchored in Tunisians throughout the ages and are perfectly consistent with the founding principles of international laws and charters.

Father Jawad Alamat, representative of the Catholic Church of Tunis, said that the Church works to spread the culture of peace through an open discourse that welcomes Muslims to all festivals and religious ceremonies, in addition to opening its library to Tunisian researchers and thinkers and encouraging, through the Catholic school of Tunis and in collaboration with civil society, the building of a tolerant and supportive society.

Moshe Wazan, Deputy Chief Rabbi of Tunisia, stressed the importance of such conferences which bring together representatives of various religions, adding that faith remains a private matter and that religious diversity in Tunisia is not an obstacle to peaceful coexistence among Tunisians.

Leila Ben Sassi, Director of the National Observatory of Education, stressed, in her speech on behalf of the Minister of Education, the essential role of schools in developing a sense of citizenship and raising awareness of tolerance and openness to all religions and civilisations.

Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

United Nations : UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An action circular from UN Women

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign that takes place each year. It commences on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, indicating that violence against women is the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide. It was originated by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and this year marks its 30th anniversary. Over 6000+ organizations in approximately 187 countries have participated in the Campaign since 1991, with a reach of 300 million1 people. It continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) and is used as an organizing strategy by individuals, institutions and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.

In support of this civil society initiative, under the leadership of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign (UNiTE Campaign), launched in 2008 is a multi-year effort aimed at preventing and eliminating VAWG around the world calling for global action to increase awareness, galvanize advocacy and create opportunities for discussion about challenges and solutions.( 1) Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) United Nations Secretary-General’s Campaign UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women ACTION CIRCULAR: October/ November 2021 Theme: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence BIMONTHLY ACTI

2021 CONTEXT

According to the latest estimates, nearly 1 in 3 women aged 15 years and older, around the world have been subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner, non-partner sexual violence or both at least once in their lifetime, indicating that levels of violence against women and girls (VAWG) have remained largely unchanged over the last decade.(2) These numbers do not reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and would be even higher if they included the full continuum of violence that affect women and girls including sexual harassment, violence in digital contexts, harmful practices and sexual exploitation.

COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated all the risk factors for VAWG and reinforced many of the root causes such as gender stereotypes and harmful social norms. It has been estimated that 11 million girls may not return to school because of COVID-19, thereby increasing their risk of child marriage.(3) The economic fallout is expected to push 47 million more women and girls into extreme poverty in 2021, (4) reversing decades of progress and perpetuating structural inequalities that reinforce VAWG.

In addition to the impact of COVID-19, the global context of violent conflicts and humanitarian crises, including climate related disasters, are affecting more people than ever before, with a disproportionate impact on women and girls, perpetuating all forms of VAWG. While the forms and contexts may differ across geographic locations, women and girls universally experience different forms of violence in public and private settings, in contexts of peace and in contexts of conflict as well as in humanitarian or crises settings. If we want to ensure that no woman or girl is left behind, we need comprehensive and inclusive approaches that can be adapted to rapidly changing contexts, preventing and responding to all forms of VAWG such as the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative which is making significant progress in preventing and eliminating VAWG even under the constraints of a pandemic. (5)

(continued in right column)

Questions for this article

Protecting women and girls against violence, Is progress being made?

Does the UN advance equality for women?

(continued from left column)

This year’s global campaign theme “Orange the World: END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN NOW!” will mobilize all UNITE networks, civil society and women’s rights organizations, the UN system, the Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence, government partners, schools, universities, private sector, sports clubs and associations and individuals to advocate for inclusive, comprehensive and long-term strategies, programmes and resources to prevent and eliminate VAWG in public and private spaces prioritizing the most marginalized women and girls. VAWG is not an inevitable part of our societies. It is preventable and the 16 days of activism this year will be an opportunity to showcase effective strategies and interventions to inspire all actors to scale up what works. It is also an opportunity to promote the leadership of women and girls in their diversity and their meaningful participation in policy making and decision making from global to local levels and to build on the momentum created during the Generation Equality Forum.

MAIN PRINCIPLES OF UNiTE CAMPAIGN ADVOCACY

• Honour and acknowledge women’s movements and their leadership in preventing and ending violence against women and girls.

• ‘Leave No One Behind’: Apply a human rights-based approach and focus attention on the most underserved and disadvantaged groups of women and girls in efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls.

• Survivor-centred: Take a respectful and ‘do no harm’ approach to the telling and retelling of survivor stories, only with their informed consent and under conditions in which they have agreed. This and the empowerment principles are vital for the engagement of survivor advocates/activists on their own terms. All UNiTE partners must ensure that survivor advocates’ rights, safety, dignity and confidentiality are prioritized and upheld.

• Multi-sectoral: Everyone in society has an important role to play in ending violence against women and girls and we all must work together across sectors to address the various aspects of violence against women and girls.

• Transformative: Fostering critical examination of gender roles, regimes and practices, while seeking to create or strengthen equitable gender norms and dynamics for fundamental, lasting changes for women and girls.

• Elevate the voices of young feminists: While the world’s reviewing progress made over the past 25 years since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, it is time to create platforms to elevate voices of the next generation feminists who are shaping their future now. • The colour orange continues to be a key tool unifying all activities to bring global attention to the initiative.

(1) Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL)

(2) Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates, 2018 – World Health Organization, on behalf of the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence Against Women Estimation and Data (VAW-IAWGED) (2021).

(3) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Keeping Girls in the Picture (2020); United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Impact of the COVID19 Pandemic on Family Planning and Ending Gender-based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage: Pandemic threatens achievement of the Transformative Results committed to by UNFPA (2020).

(4) UN Women, From Insights to Action: Gender equality in the wake of COVID-19 (New York, 2020).

(5) https://www.spotlightinitiative.org. Page | 3

global, United Nations, WOMEN'S EQUALITY,

Film review: Oliver Stone’s new JFK documentary

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A review by Michael McCaffrey in RT.com

Stone’s new documentary, ‘JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass’, isn’t perfect, but it’s vitally important. He goes back into the assassination case with a fervor and has produced an insightful film that’s well worth a watch.


Trailer of film

Stone’s ‘JFK’ hit theaters in 1991 and sent shockwaves through Washington and the corporate media because it was a compelling cinematic counter-myth to the equally fantastical Warren Report.

The Praetorian Guards of the establishment in the halls of power and press met the film with ferocity as they set out to debunk and defang it, because it directly challenged their narrative and thus their authority. They failed. ‘JFK’ was nominated for eight Academy Awards and brought in over $200 million at the box office. More importantly, though, it broke the spell of public indifference and somewhat loosened establishment obstruction with regard to JFK’s assassination.

In the film’s wake, the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 was passed, and the Assassination Records Review Board set up and funded.

Now, some 30 years later, Oliver Stone is back, this time with a documentary streaming on Showtime, ‘JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass’, which sticks its thumb in the eye of those who mindlessly espouse the ‘official’ story of JFK’s assassination as the truth.

As someone interested in the assassination, and who has read a multitude of books on the subject across the spectrum, from Gerald Posner’s ‘Case Closed’ and Vincent Bugliosi’s ‘Reclaiming History’ to Jim Marrs’ ‘Crossfire’ and James W. Douglass’ ‘JFK and the Unspeakable’, finding a decent documentary worthy of a watch on the topic is a challenge.

Thankfully, Stone has stepped up to the plate with ‘JFK Revisited’ – a serious and worthy work that offers a coherent, if limited, counter-theory to the official assassination line.

The film runs to a brisk two hours, features a bevy of talking heads – including John M. Newman (whose ‘JFK and Vietnam’ and ‘Oswald and the CIA’ are terrific), David Talbot (who wrote ‘The Devil’s Chessboard’ – also fantastic), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., James K. Galbraith, Dr. Cyril Wecht, and Dr. Henry Lee – and is a well-paced primer that would be a useful launchpad for anyone interested in diving even deeper into the case.

(Article continued in the column on the right)

Question related to this article:
 
Free flow of information, How is it important for a culture of peace?

What are some good films and videos that promote a culture of peace?

(Article continued from the column on the left)

There’s a four-hour cut of the film that will purportedly be made available to the public in the new year, and I’m looking forward to seeing that version, as I assume it gets more into the specifics of who did the actual shooting – a subject the at-times-rushed two-hour version foregoes in favor of more foundational topics.

The film does examine a plethora of fascinating JFK assassination topics, though, including the following: Assassin Lee Harvey Oswald’s numerous and obvious connections to the intelligence community. The Warren Commission’s, intel community’s, and media’s knowing distortions and deceptions regarding the assassination. The fantasy of the magic-bullet theory. The contradictory medical evidence from Parkland Hospital in Dallas, and the autopsy at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. The remarkably similar plots to kill Kennedy in Chicago and Tampa, leading up to Dallas, which included other Oswald-esque patsies Thomas Arthur Vallee and Gilberto Lopez. And the story of Abraham Bolden, the first black secret service agent, who allegedly tried to inform the authorities of the Chicago plot, but instead of being hailed a hero, was railroaded and sent to prison.

‘JFK Revisited’ also spotlights the struggle between Kennedy and the political establishment. His famed American University speech of June 1963, where he laid out his vision for a new, peaceful US foreign policy, opens the film. This vision is foundational to ‘the why’ of Stone’s theory regarding the assassination, as it provides a motive for the intelligence agencies and military to act to remove a president they deemed soft on communism and weak in general.

Kennedy wanted to promote anti-colonialism, normalize relations with Cuba, not make the same mistake as the French in Vietnam, and have détente with the Soviets, even including combining efforts in the space race.

The intelligence community and the Pentagon had a very different and much more nefarious agenda. They were busy eliminating Lumumba in the Congo, fomenting a military coup in France, conjuring both the Bay of Pigs and Operation Northwoods – which would use false-flag terror attacks on US targets to force a war in Cuba – and pushing for American escalation in Vietnam.

This is why Kennedy moved to reduce the CIA budget by 20%, fired CIA warhorse Allen Dulles (who, curiously enough, would become a powerful member of the Warren Commission), and famously declared he would shatter the CIA into a million pieces. According to Stone, the CIA beat Kennedy to the punch, as it shattered his skull into a million pieces in Dealey Plaza, on November 22, 1963.

The gaping, gangrenous wound at the heart of America, which rots our national soul, was born on that fateful day, and it still festers and it still matters.

Unlike both malignant political parties and the shameless corporate media, Oliver Stone – whose status as pariah is the fuel that powers all his documentaries – understands this, and he’s trying to heal that wound by seeking out the truth about JFK’s killing.

While the establishment may ignore ‘JFK Revisited’, the general public shouldn’t. It’s a useful and insightful film for anyone who wants to understand their government and what it’s willing to do to maintain both its grip on power and the lucrative status quo.

Seek out and watch ‘JFK Revisited’. It isn’t perfect, but it’s vitally important.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

What I Saw on Election Day in Nicaragua

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article by Rick Sterling in Transcend Media Service

US media and politicians have condemned the November 7 Nicaragua election as a “fraud” and “sham”.  On the day of the election, the White House issued a statement saying Nicaragua held a “pantomime election that was neither free nor fair, and most certainly not democratic.”

But are these accusations true?


Voting from a wheelchair

Along with other international volunteers, I was an eye-witness to the election last Sunday. Previously I have been an observer in elections in neighboring Honduras.  Here is a snapshot of what I saw:

Our group of 6 people (two from Canada and four from US) visited three voting centers and twenty voting stations in the small city of Juigalpa in Chontales province.

At 7 am Sunday morning, there were long lines of voters.  Hours later, there was still a steady of stream of voters. Election staff said the turnout seemed higher than the last election.

Voters were all ages.. Nicaraguans can vote starting at age 16.  There were lots of families coming to vote together. There were kids playing on swings while their parents voted. There were very old or disabled peopled voting. Family members were allowed to help them if needed. Otherwise election staff helped them.

One elderly woman got dizzy and almost collapsed as she was to enter the voting station.  She was adamant that she wanted to vote before taken away. The ambulance arrived in about five minutes and she was taken to hospital despite her protestations that she wanted to vote first.

The process was well organized and efficient.  At the entrance there were staff with computers. They scanned the citizen’s ID card, confirmed the identity and that he or she was registered for this voting center. Then they explained which voting station to go to. The voting station assignments were also printed and taped to walls at the entrance.

There were 3,100  voting centers with 13,459 voting stations throughout the country. These are mostly in educational institutions (schools or colleges).  Each voting station serves about 400 voters.  In urban areas,  there are 10 or 20  voting stations in one voting center (school).

(Article continued in the column on the right)

Question related to this article:
 
Free flow of information, How is it important for a culture of peace?

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

(Article continued from the column on the left)

A huge number of people staffed the election process.  At each voting station, there were about ten people performing various tasks: two “electoral policia” for sanitary spraying the hands of each voter and to resolve any issues; three people verifying voter ID, recording the signature, and passing out the ballot; two or more “fiscal” from different parties who monitored the process. At each voting center, there were two co-coordinators. At all positions there were equal numbers of men and women.

All election staff wore vests or t-shirts with their official role as part of the Supreme Electoral Council. In Nicaragua this organization is independent of the government and responsible for organizing the election nationwide.

All voters wore masks and proceeded without difficulty, one person at a time. The process was clear: show your identity card and confirm that you are registered to vote in this station; receive an official ballot; mark your choices on the ballot (secretly); deposit your ballot in the ballot box; receive your identity card back;   have your finger painted to indicate you have voted and to prevent double – voting.

The paper ballots were counted at the voting station and verified by all the party representatives. The results were then transmitted electronically to the Supreme Electoral Council headquarters for tabulation of the final results.

Media accusations that FSLN leader Daniel Ortega was running unopposed are blatantly false. The voting ballot was clear and showed six competing parties.  Media reports that the population is fearful of President Daniel Ortega are laughably false and disproven by the large turnout. The final results show a turnout of 65% of registered voters with about 75% of those voting for FSLN.

We asked “fiscal” monitors representing both the Sandinista Front and opposition parties if there had been any problems. Each time they said the process was proceeding calmly -“Todo tranquilo”.  One would-be voter said he had moved and not been able to register his new location because he was too busy working. The voting staff calmly said, “Sorry, you had months to register your new location. You will have to vote at your old residence voting station.”

We asked numerous voters why they were voting. The answers were that the country’s leadership matters, the constitution requires it, and to protect Nicaraguan sovereignty.  “Sovereignty” and “peace” were the most common responses.
It is ironic and hypocritical that US media and politicians, who reject any question regarding the integrity of the US election, smear the Nicaraguan election based on false information. Biased media and information censorship are a major cause of the lack of knowledge and ability of major news outlets to repeat nonsense without correction. An example: While we were in Nicaragua, one of our team members, Dr. Tim Bood from Halifax Canada, was banned from Facebook just for posting a message regarding US interference in Nicaragua.

Washington politicians carry on the long tradition of US interference and aggression against Nicaragua. A few days before the election, the US Senate passed the RENACER Act imposing more sanctions based on false information about the election process in Nicaragua.

The high turnout and vote for the FSLN in the Nicaraguan election shows that the Nicaraguan people are not intimidated by Washington’s bullying and threats.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Fourth Paris Peace Forum ends with a series of initiatives

. HUMAN RIGHTS .

An article from China.org (translation by CPNN)

The 4th edition of the Paris Peace Forum, which brought together 1,000 participants in Paris and 15,000 online, ended this Saturday (November 13) with a series of initiatives, including the launch of an international appeal to defend the rights of the child in the digital environment.


Frame from video of the Forum

The international regulation of digital technology was one of the main issues of this edition of the Paris Peace Forum. In addition to the opportunities it opens up for children, the digital environment can also expose them to “illegal or hateful” content online and to cyberbullying, hence the decision of this forum to host the launch of a international call to defend the rights of the child in the digital environment.

This appeal was signed by major digital platforms, including Amazon, Google, YouTube, and Twitter, a dozen non-governmental organizations and nearly a dozen states, according to a press release from the Forum.

The signatories also pledged through series of actions “to enable children to use digital tools safely and to benefit to their full potential, without being exposed to abuse,” the document said.

(Article continued in right column)

(Click here for the original in French.)

Questions related to this article:

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

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Still in the digital domain, the United States and the European Union have joined the Paris Call for Confidence and Security in Cyberspace. Launched in 2018 during the first edition, this call invites “to react together in the face of new threats that endanger citizens and infrastructures”.

The “Net Zero Space” initiative which calls for a sustainable use of outer space by 2030, with the objective of reducing pollution of the “Earth’s orbit” environment has also been launched as part of the project. of the forum.

The Armed Forces of 22 countries, represented at the forum by their Minister of Defense, are also committed to reducing their impact on the climate.

The Forum participants thus recalled the importance of cooperation in responding to the challenges facing the world. This is for example the case of the call to defend the rights of the child in the digital environment. “Taking back control of a number of digital business operations can only go through international cooperation,” explained the president of the Paris Peace Forum, Pascal Lamy.

In a message addressed to the participants of this forum, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres stressed the importance of dialogue and solidarity to reduce the fractures that threaten the world. “No state will be able to absorb them alone. Solidarity is our only chance,” he stressed.

It is this same global solidarity through cooperation that will rid the world of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“The pandemic will end when the world decides to put an end to it. It is in our hands. It is a question of political will and courage”, announced the head of the WHO during the forum.

The Paris Peace Forum is an international event focusing on issues of global governance and multilateralism. This fourth edition, which was held from November 11 to 13, brought together 45 heads of state and government and leaders of international organizations.

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Amnesty International: Leaders’ catastrophic failure on climate at COP26 shows they have forgotten who they should serve and protect – humanity at large

. HUMAN RIGHTS .

An article from Amnesty International

Leaders have catastrophically betrayed humanity at large by failing to protect people most affected by the climate crisis and instead caving into the interests of fossil fuel and other powerful corporations, Amnesty International said today as the climate conference, COP26, concludes for another year.  Following two weeks of negotiations by world leaders in Glasgow, Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said:

“The United Nations Climate Change Conference has failed to deliver an outcome that protects the planet or people. Instead it has betrayed the very foundations on which the United Nations was built – a pledge first not to countries, nor states, but to the people. Throughout their negotiations, our leaders have made choices that ignore, chip away or bargain away our rights as human beings, often discarding the most marginalised communities around the world as expendable collateral damage.

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Questions related to this article:

Sustainable Development Summits of States, What are the results?

What is the relation between climate change and human rights?

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“Their failure to commit to maintaining the global temperature rise at 1.5°C will condemn more than half a billion people, mostly in the global south, to insufficient water and hundreds of millions of people to extreme heatwaves. Despite this disastrous scenario, wealthy countries have failed to commit money towards compensating communities suffering loss and damage as a result of climate change. Neither have they committed to providing climate finance to developing countries primarily as grants, a decision that threatens poorer countries – the least equipped to cope with the climate crisis – with unsustainable levels of debt.

“It is bitterly disappointing to see the many loopholes in the COP26 agreement which bow to the interests of fossil fuel corporates rather than our rights. The agreement fails to call for the phasing out of all fossil fuels and all fossil fuel subsidies – demonstrating the lack of ambition and bold action needed at this critical time. In addition, the focus on carbon offsetting by rich countries, without even putting in place adequate environmental and human rights protection  measures, ignores the threat to Indigenous peoples and communities who risk being evicted from their land to make way for these schemes. It is a hollow and unacceptable substitute for real zero emissions targets. 

“The decisions made by our leaders in Glasgow have grave consequences for all of humanity. As they have clearly forgotten the people they serve, the people must come together to show them what can be achieved. Over the next 12 months, we must stand together to call on our governments to take ambitious action on climate change that puts people and human rights at its centre. If we do not put our hearts and minds into solving this existential threat to humanity, we lose everything.”

global, HUMAN RIGHTS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, United Nations,