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.

10,000+ Turn Out in Warren, Michigan to ‘Fight Oligarchy’ With Bernie Sanders

. HUMAN RIGHTS .

An article by Brett Wilkins from Common Dreams

The Democratic Party may have twice stymied Sen. Bernie Sanders’ White House ambitions, but the National Tour to Fight Oligarchy launched  last month by the democratic socialist has been drawing crowds that would be the envy of any presidential campaign.

On Saturday, more than 10,000 people turned out to see Sanders (I-Vt.) speak in Warren, Michigan. Not only did they pack the main event space—the gymnasium at Lincoln High School—literally to the rafters, they filled two overflow rooms, with hundreds turned away outside, according to Michigan Advance.


(Click on image to enlarge)

“We have an administration that is leading us to oligarchy, an administration that is leading us to an authoritarian form of society, an administration that is leading us towards kleptocracy,” Sanders said at the beginning of his speech.

Noting that three of the world’s richest men—Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg—sat in the front row of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Sander said that “instead of a government of the people, by the people and for the people, we have now become a government of the billionaire class, for the billionaire class.”

Sanders also took aim at Trump’s false election claims and the wider “post-truth” trend on the right, telling the crowd: “We’re up against a phenomenon that we have never seen, and that is the Big Lie. The Big Lie is not just stretching the truth; the Big Lie is not just fibbing. The Big Lie is creating a parallel universe, a set of ideas that have no basis in reality.”

The senator also linked past struggles against injustice with the current crisis, arguing that “the change that we have experienced over hundreds of years of our nationhood only occurs when ordinary people stand up against oppression and injustice and fight back.”

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Questions related to this article:

The struggle for human rights, is it gathering force in the USA?

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Sanders was joined on stage by United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain, who wore a T-shirt reading “Eat the Rich” and told the audience that “billionaires don’t have a right to exist.”

Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, who ran for Michigan governor in 2018 and is considering a Senate run, pointed to the size of Saturday’s crowd in Warren as proof of the enduring power of progressivism.

“They want us to step back, and today, all of you have said that we are not stepping back, we are stepping forward,” El-Sayed told Michigan Advance. “We are recognizing that in one another, we have all we need to build that government for the people and by the people.”

In a dig at the unofficial motto of some Silicon Valley startups, El-Sayed said that the Trump administration wants “to move fast and break things.”

“But what they’re breaking is the government that our hard-earned tax dollars have been funding,” he said. “And we’re here to say that that is our money, that is our government, take your damn billionaire hands off of it.”

The Warren rally was the latest on a tour that’s seen overflow crowds at almost every stop. Thousands also turned out in Altoona, Wisconsin  on Saturday and Kenosha, Wisconsin  on Friday to see Sanders speak.

There’s more to Sanders’ tour than just raging against Trump and the oligarchy. He chose to visit districts where Republicans narrowly won congressional races, hoping to pressure GOP lawmakers to vote against proposed cuts to programs upon which working-class people rely, in order to pay for the $4.5 trillion cost of extending Trump’s first-term “tax scam” that overwhelmingly benefited the ultra-wealthy and corporations.

“Today, the oligarchs and the billionaire class are getting richer and richer and have more and more power,” Sanders said in a statement Friday. “Meanwhile, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and most of our people are struggling to pay for healthcare, childcare, and housing. This country belongs to all of us, not just the few. We must fight back.”

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HUMAN RIGHTS, North America

AFSCME, United States: It’s Time to Get Organized

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

[Editor’s note: An excellent article about the AFSCME initiative by Fortune Magazine may be found here.]

In 1968, when Dr. King addressed AFSCME-represented sanitation workers during their historic strike in Memphis, Tennessee, he said that “only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.”

These are some dark times for our country. Elon Musk, billionaires and anti-union extremists have amassed more power than ever before – and they’ve been granted free reign to implement the radical Project 2025 agenda.

AFSCME is fighting back. Already, our lawsuits have helped reverse the illegal firings of thousands of federal workers, including AFSCME members.

But the illegal attacks on federal civil servants are just the tip of the iceberg. An even bigger threat now looms over public service workers, at every level.

The House has passed a budget resolution that sets the stage for nearly a trillion dollars in cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and other federal programs – all to pave the way for even bigger tax breaks for billionaires.

These cuts won’t just rip away health care from millions of seniors, children, Americans with disabilities and working families. They will starve state and local budgets of critical federal funding for hospitals, schools, nursing homes, prisons, transit systems, and all the essential services AFSCME members provide in our communities every single day.

These cuts also would stack the deck against public service workers headed into contract negotiations. The cuts could lead to pay cuts, furloughs and hiring freezes. Our jobs, hard-won benefits, and retirement security are threatened. Our workplace health and safety and even our right to form a union are under attack.

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Question related to this article:
 
What is the contribution of trade unions to the culture of peace?

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The billionaires behind this agenda don’t understand the first thing about what working people go through or why anyone would pursue a career that’s about serving others instead of getting rich.

Indeed, Elon Musk himself – the richest man in the world – has spread online propaganda comparing public service workers to genocidal murderers like Hitler at the very same time he’s pushing for massive cuts to vital public services relied on by seniors, veterans, children, and millions of Americans.

But as Dr. King reminds us, we are not lost in the darkness. Mobilizing and organizing to grow our union’s power has always been AFSCME’s North Star, and that is exactly how we’re going to fight back now.

AFSCME has launched a new campaign, called Get Organized, or AFSCME GO.

The GO campaign is all about making sure everyone in the AFSCME family understands what’s at stake in this fight. It’s about standing up to the billionaires and anti-union extremists trying to steal our power, and defeating any efforts to gut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.

Through Get Organized, we will bring more workers without a voice on the job into the AFSCME family. We will increase engagement among current working members and retirees alike, empowering everyone to build on AFSCME’s proud legacy of activism.

We have faced big challenges before. The billionaires behind the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME tried to take us out of the ball game completely, but they failed. They failed because they underestimated AFSCME members and our capacity to organize, mobilize and grow. They underestimated Americans’ overwhelming support for unions that give workers a seat at the table and a voice on the job. And they are underestimating us once again.

The battle lines have been drawn. We may not win every fight, but we will emerge stronger than ever before.

Turning crisis into opportunity. Turning defense into offense. It is the AFSCME way. It’s time to fight back. It’s time to get organized.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America

On the ground at UN women’s conference in New York City

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from the Catholic Register

Every March thousands of government officials, activists and policy makers descend on the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York City for two weeks of both high-level meetings and side-events at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).


UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous delivers remarks at the opening of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, 10 March 2025, UN headquarters. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown.

The CSW began in 1946 as one of the original sub-commissions of the UN’s Economic and Social Affairs Commission (ECOSOC). Its purpose, according to the UN website, is to promote “gender equality, the rights and the empowerment of girls.” 

Since March 10 when the 69th CSW session began, the streets around UN headquarters on East 45th have been filled with men and women from every corner of the world. African women, wearing traditional dress underneath hastily purchased sweaters as protection against the East River wind, walk alongside young female urbanites carrying tote-bags that proclaim, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made,” that a quote of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

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Questions related to this article:

Does the UN advance equality for women?

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In the line-up in front of the UN Pass and ID office, waiting to receive my press pass, I was sandwiched between a woman who was a director of “Gender Equality and Social Inclusion” at a UK-based think tank and a tiny, red-lipsticked New Yorker who works for NGO Girls Not Brides. The two women were quite excited when they heard I was a journalist but went completely silent when I told them I worked for The Catholic Register.

According to the CSW website, the commission is a “one-of-a-kind platform for feminists from around the world to advocate, learn and share experiences.” 

This year is a particularly important one for the CSW as it marks 30 years since the fourth World Conference on Women at which the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted. Signed by 189 countries, the 1995 global policy document outlines 12 focus points which includes women and the economy, human rights and the environment. Since the adoption of the declaration, subsequent commissions have been engaged with member countries monitoring and reporting on progress in those 12 areas.

Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women, introduced the 69th CSW with the note, “while we have not yet known a world of full equality for all women and girls, the global community collectively imagined it in the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.” [Click here for her speech.]

Every year, much of the work of the commission takes place in the hundreds of side events both on the grounds of the UN headquarters and offsite in nearby hotels. Organized by non-governmental organizations in conjunction with member state delegations, the topics range from the realities of sex-selective practices to the role AI might play in combating human trafficking. 

The Canadian delegation co-hosted several side events in the first week, including one co-hosted with Sierra Leone, Plan International, UNICEF and CHOICE for Youth & Sexuality, entitled, “Stories from the future: Charting a path towards the future girls want.”

This year, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth of Canada Marci Ien leads the Canadian delegation. Ien has stated that the primary focus of Canada’s advocacy at the commission will be “Women’s empowerment and the advancement of 2SLGBTQI+ rights.”

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global, United Nations, WOMEN'S EQUALITY,

CODEPINK at International Working Women’s Day 2025

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Codepink

This year’s International Working Women’s Day was a welcome respite from the chaotic, maddening, and often heart-wrenching news cycle that is defining 2025. Our local chapters showcased last weekend that we will never let ourselves be defined by, nor distracted by the chaos and cruelty that’s being unleashed on us and our sisters all over the world. Instead, we focused on meeting people where they are at and growing the movement one person at a time.


From Los Angeles to Dallas, from Massachusetts to London, UK, our local chapters centered international working women’s resistance to send a powerful and urgent reminder that if women around the world are standing together – liberation from imperialism and militarism is inevitable! 

CODEPINK’s birth 23 years ago also culminated in powerful action on IWWD 2003, kicking off our alternate, feminist vision for peace against the backdrop of U.S. militarism and violence against women at home and in the Global South. 

Our chapters are doing the hard work of movement building. Many of them showed up to Women’s Day events in their community and brought flyers that educate on war and peace in a way that makes sense to anyone and everyone. This sparked lively conversation with people our movement wouldn’t otherwise reach. Scroll down to read more and see action photos!

CODEPINK Bay Area honored the revolutionary struggles of working women within Turtle Island and the Global South by holding community-led workshops to oppose fascism. Bay Area Organizer Cynthia stated, “The event was a beautiful collaboration of many groups. People were happy to receive our CODEPINK flyers. A highlight was the Palestinian Feminist Collective workshop where we learned about the crucial role of women in Palestinian life and resistance.”

CODEPINK London, UK took to the streets to mark the International Feminist Strike 2025 as part of a global anti-colonial movement.

We asked our CODEPINK London Regional Organizer, Nuvpreet: In the spirit of IWWD, what does true solidarity with international women look like? 

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Questions related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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“As feminists in the imperial core, we must recognize that our governments fund, support, and maintain systems of militarism and colonial domination that harm women across the world. Our role is to oppose and end these systems so that women across the world can live in peace.”

CODEPINK Milwaukee did not let their local IWWD protest forget the women of Palestine! They brought signs, chants and extra PINK to the streets of Milwaukee! The women of Palestine are our sisters!!!

CODEPINK North Carolina showed up at their first event together with the message that militarism and war has no place in our feminism! Or at IWWD!

We asked our National Co-Director, Danaka: How do we care for ourselves and each other all year round? 

“It’s pretty easy to get swept up in the constantly devastating news cycle. But I try and remember that feeling defeated isn’t helping anyone…it’s not helping me, and it’s certainly not doing anything for women in the Global South who my country is bombing, starving, or exploiting. When I practice my feminist values of care, solidarity, and curiosity – how could I ever feel hopeless? There’s billions of people in the world with kind hearts, we just need to organize them.” 

CODEPINK NYC joined partners to host an educational screening of Leila and the Wolves (Leila wa za’ib) followed by a discussion on women leading resistance and liberation movements. 

Kurt from CODEPINK NYC reflected after, “The discussion was just as impactful as the movie itself. It felt good to be in a room where people could share their thoughts openly, even when the topics were tough. I walked away feeling really grateful for the chance to connect in community over such an important film. Thanks to everyone who made the event happen!” 

Our chapters have their work cut out for them as they disrupt the war narrative everywhere. And the work hasn’t stopped at IWWD! Last week, CODEPINK London, UK made news launching  BasesOffCyprus, a brand new coalition-led campaign to end joint US/UK surveillance flights aiding Israel’s genocide, which forced the UK government to publicly respond. Our chapter in Missouri is organizing to stop Israel Chemicals Limited from opening up a new facility in St. Louis. CODEPINK North Dakota is working on kicking Elbit Systems out of their state. The chapter in Chicago is part of a massive coalition to divest from Israeli bonds. They are taking on the war machine locally while educating and activating their friends and neighbors. 

Thank you to all those that brought messages of peace and justice to their International Working Women’s Day actions! We cannot do this work without each of our amazing local leaders, online organizers and global partners. 

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global, North America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY,

English bulletin March 1, 2025

LIGHT IN A TIME OF DARKNESS

It has been difficult to find good news this year.

Last month it was the fate of Gaza and the fate of Humanity.

This month it is the devastation being wrought by Trump and Musk.

But there are signs of a fightback, light in this time of darkness.

Bernie Sanders, the only declared socialist in the American Senate, is attracting big crowds in his “National Tour to Fight Oligarchy.” This comes even as he targets districts where the Republican Party, the party of Trump, is in the majority. “”Today in America we are rapidly moving toward an oligarchic form of society where a handful of multibillionaires not only have extraordinary wealth, but unprecedented economic, media, and political power. Brothers and sisters, that is not the democracy that men and women fought and died to defend.”

“Trumpism will not be defeated by politicians inside the D.C. Beltway,” he says. “It will only be defeated by millions of Americans in Iowa, in Vermont, in Nebraska, in every state in this country, who come together in a strong grassroots movement and say no to oligarchy, no to authoritarianism, no to kleptocracy, no to massive cuts to programs that low-income and working Americans desperately need, no to huge tax breaks for the wealthiest people in this country.”

The political force with the greatest potential to oppose Trumpism is the trade union movement. In recent years the labor movement has witnessed a resurgence in organizing, and 2024 was no different. Tens of thousands of workers fought for pay raises, increased job protections and union representation. Workers across the United States also linked their domestic struggles with Israel’s assault on Palestine, demanding an arms embargo and an end to the genocide in Gaza.

Organized labor is currently preparing to fight back. Just a week into 2025 the SEIU announced that it was rejoining the AFL-CIO to help fight Trump’s anti-worker agenda. The two unions have been unaligned for almost 20 years. A first sign of the fightback came on February 22 when the President of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employees union, told workers not to obey Elon Musk’s demand for federal workers to justify their jobs or resign.

Despite Trump’s victory, enthusiasm for unions remains high. A recent Gallup poll found that support for unions is at 70 percent — just one point under their highest rating ever.

The American Peace Movement, although reduced in size, continues its struggle for nuclear disarmament and world peace.

Codepink urges us to sign the Peace Clock Manifesto:  “We must stop giving our blessing and consent to endless steps to “control” arms that lead to ever more danger as illustrated by the aging Doomsday clock. Instead, we must demand their abolition, and the transition to a nuclear free world at peace unthreatened by catastrophic annihilation and the ultimate climate change; a nuclear winter.”

World Beyond War urges us to demand the closure of American military bases: “The thousands of military bases, both foreign and domestic, around the world are a critical piece of the war machine that must be dismantled. Closing bases is a necessary step to shift the global security paradigm towards a demilitarized approach that centers common security — no one is safe until all are safe.”

Michael Klare, a veteran peace activist known for his strategic advice, proposes that we support those policy statements by Trump and his cronies that align with a peace agenda. These statements include calls for agreements to reduce nuclear arms, cutting defense spending and shutting US foreign military bases. He reminds us that the old foreign policy establishment of the United States that has risked World War III by their bellicose policies is gone forever, and a new policy elite is emerging. Their agenda is full of contradictions, but their primary goal is to enrich Trump and his cronies, which may, in some cases, lead them to reverse certain militaristic policies.

In publishing Trump’s statements for nuclear arms reduction in CPNN, we asked if it is possible to take his words seriously, “Or are they just part of a game he is playing with the world, much like Charlie Chaplin’s portrayal of Hitler playing with a toy balloon of the world. Let us hope they can be taken seriously in this case.”

In any case, as argued in this month’s blog for the Transition to a Culture of Peace, we cannot sit still but must act more vigorously than ever for peace and justice.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY


Remarks by Michael Klare on strategy for the peace movement

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT


China’s Renewable Energy Boom: A Record-Breaking Shift or Still Chained to Coal?

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION


Global Day of Action to Close Bases

WOMEN’S EQUALITY


Women, Peace and Security: Mongolia, a Feminist-oriented Foreign Policy
  

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY


Australia: Symbols, messages of peace mark interfaith gathering

EDUCATION FOR PEACE


Wilmington, Delaware: Visionary Peace Youth Art Exhibition

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION


The Labor Movement Won Big Victories in 2024. Now It Must Fend Off Trump

HUMAN RIGHTS


Thousands in Midwestern GOP Districts Attend Sanders’ First Stops on Tour to Fight Oligarchy
Uncategorized

Australia: Symbols, messages of peace mark interfaith gathering

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Kirralee Nicolle  from Salvos on line

Representatives from faith groups – including the Hindu, Baháʼí, Jewish, Sikh, Sufi, Alevi, Buddhist and Christian religions – gathered at Glenroy Community Hub in Victoria on 9 February to mark World Interfaith Harmony Week. 

The event was hosted by the Merri-Bek Interfaith Network, which includes Captain Steph Glover from Merri-Bek Salvation Army. Merri-Bek Corps members also led the group in singing ‘Make Me a Channel of Your Peace’ to begin the event, accompanied by the corps’ brass band. 

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

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Steph said the event was quite a moving one, especially for those who have recently had windows to their offices smashed or buildings graffitied in incidents alleged to be religiously motivated. She said many Palestinian and Jewish residents in the area had been taking cover in fear of attacks. She said as a precautionary measure, the event, originally planned for an outdoor location, had been moved to an indoor one. 

She said reciting the Shared Act of Reflection and Commitment – a declaration spoken at the beginning of each meeting – reminded them of the values they all shared. 

“As faith leaders, we wanted to be the ones to go out and set an example and say, ‘Actually, we all might have slightly different beliefs, but what we do all agree on are these things’,” Steph said. 

Representatives from each faith tradition present at the event shared a message of peace through song, dance, prayers and spiritual readings. Attendees exchanged olive branches as a symbol of peace across religions. 

Steph described the Network as a “really, really close-knit community” which met once every couple of months.  

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East Asia, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

China’s Renewable Energy Boom: A Record-Breaking Shift or Still Chained to Coal?

.. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ..

An article from Carbon Credits

China is making record-breaking progress in renewable energy. The country has already achieved its 2030 clean energy goal six years early. With massive investments and policy support, China is set to remain the global leader in renewable energy expansion. But can it sustain this rapid momentum while balancing energy security and economic growth?


Beating the Clock on Clean Energy: Surpassing Renewable Energy Targets

In 2020, China set a goal to install at least 1,200 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind power by 2030. By the end of 2024, China had already surpassed this target, reaching this milestone 6 years ahead of schedule. This was made possible by aggressive investments, government policies, and a surge in solar and wind installations.

China’s solar capacity grew by an incredible 45.2% in 2024, adding 277 GW.  Wind capacity also saw a strong increase of 18%, with an additional 80 GW installed. Overall, total power generation capacity rose by 14.6% in 2024, driven mainly by renewables.

One major milestone was the completion of the Ruoqiang photovoltaic (PV) project. This massive 4-GW solar farm in the Taklamakan Desert is one of the world’s largest solar power projects. It is part of China’s broader strategy to peak emissions  before 2030 and transition toward cleaner energy sources.

This rapid progress is due to strong government support, record investments, and local manufacturers producing affordable solar and wind components.

Leading the World in Renewable Investments

China is the world’s largest market for low-carbon energy investment. In 2024, the country attracted $818 billion in clean energy investments—more than the combined total of the U.S., the European Union, and the UK. This accounted for ⅔ of the global increase in clean energy investments that year.

The world’s biggest carbon emitter’s commitment to renewables is reshaping its energy mix. In June 2024, wind and solar power combined surpassed coal in installed capacity for the first time. 

China’s 14th Five-Year Plan set a goal for renewables to supply 33% of its electricity by 2025. By 2026, solar capacity alone is projected to overtake coal as China’s leading energy source, with 1.38 terawatts (TW) of solar power expected—150 GW more than coal.

Remi Eriksen, CEO of energy consultancy DNV, once remarked that:
“Intense policy focus and technological innovation are transforming China into a green energy powerhouse.”

And one of these innovations is in the field of nuclear power.

Nuclear Power and SMRs: A Game-Changer for China’s Energy Future?

China is also investing heavily in nuclear power, with 29 reactors under construction, totaling 33 GW of capacity. This makes up nearly half of all new nuclear projects worldwide. By 2030, China will surpass the U.S. as the largest nuclear power producer, with a projected capacity reaching up to 320 GW by 2050.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are a key part of China’s nuclear strategy. The country’s first SMR, a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR-PM), began operations in 2023. Other SMR designs, including the ACP100 and NHR200, are under development. 

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Question for this article:

Are we making progress in renewable energy?

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These compact reactors will support industrial heating, electricity supply, and district heating. By 2050, China’s SMR capacity is expected to reach 35 GW, making it the leading global market for this next-generation nuclear technology.

China is quickly growing its renewable energy and advancing nuclear power. This makes it a leader in clean energy worldwide. Even though it still uses coal, the focus on renewables and nuclear is cutting carbon emissions a lot.

The Road to Net Zero: Can China Meet its 2060 Goal?

China has set ambitious climate goals. The country aims to peak its carbon emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2060. A key driver of this transition is energy independence, as China seeks to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.

A recent report from DNV highlights China’s rapid progress. The country had 1.45 TW of renewable energy capacity online by the end of 2024 and is on track to increase its clean energy capacity fivefold by 2050.

By that time, renewables are expected to supply 60% of China’s energy needs, although fossil fuels will still account for around 40% of the mix.

Challenges and the Role of Coal

Despite this rapid progress, coal remains a significant part of China’s energy system. The country still consumes over 50% of the world’s coal and continues to build new coal-fired power plants. In 2022, China approved 6x more new coal capacity than the rest of the world combined.

The heavy reliance on coal is partly due to energy security concerns. Events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and reduced rainfall affecting hydropower have made alternatives like gas and hydroelectric power more expensive.

Coal remains a backup energy source to support the country’s rising electricity demand, which increased by 6.8% in 2024.

However, China’s long-term goal is to reduce this dependence. The government is implementing policies to phase out fossil fuels gradually while ensuring energy stability. By 2050, China’s emissions are expected to drop by 70% compared to current levels, marking significant progress in its clean energy transition.

Future Outlook: A Renewable Superpower

China’s energy transition is at a critical turning point. The country’s investments and policy shifts indicate a strong commitment to clean energy.
By 2030, China’s total energy consumption is expected to peak and then decline by 20% in 2050 due to increased efficiency and electrification.

China aims for net zero by 2060, which is ten years later than the UN’s 2050 target to keep global warming under 1.5°C. So, while progress is strong, more efforts are needed to speed up the shift from fossil fuels.

Overall, China is leading the world in renewable energy expansion, breaking records in solar and wind installations. The country’s rapid growth in clean energy capacity is reshaping its power mix and reducing its reliance on coal. 

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East Asia, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Women, Peace and Security: Mongolia, a Feminist-oriented Foreign Policy

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from the United Nations University

On 3 March 2025, UNU, in partnership with the Embassy of Mongolia in Japan, will co-host the symposium “Women, Peace and Security: Mongolia, a Feminist-oriented Foreign Policy”. This event will be held from 09:30–12:00 in the 2F Reception Hall at UNU Headquarters (Tokyo).

Under Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh, Mongolia has increasingly championed women’s issues in its diplomacy and foreign relations. In June 2022, Mongolia hosted the international conference on “Strengthening the Role of Women in Peacekeeping,” welcoming female peacekeepers from over 30 countries.


Photo: Provided by Embassy of Mongolia in Japan. Battsetseg Batmunkh is 4th from left.

In June 2023, Mongolia hosted a historic Meeting of Female Foreign Ministers in Ulaanbaatar. The first of its kind in Asia, the meeting gathered female ministers from France, Germany, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, and South Africa to discuss feminist foreign policy. The meeting produced the “Ulaanbaatar Declaration” to enhance women’s leadership and participation in addressing global challenges.

The Declaration included: “We note with deep concern the adverse impact of war, its humanitarian consequences for women and children, and for global food security, and urge all UN member states to cooperate in the spirit of solidarity and to support the UN Secretary-General in his efforts to address these impacts”. The Declaration reflects the strong focus of feminist-oriented foreign policy on cooperation and the need for creating an ecosystem for coordinated actions between nations rather than individual state actors pursuing narrow self-interest.

In 2024, Mongolia hosted the first World Women’s Forum, “Towards a Green Future”, which further built on the Ulaanbaatar Declaration.

This symposium at UNU will include a keynote speech by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia Battsetseg Batmunkh (to be confirmed), followed by a panel discussion on the integration of feminist principles into foreign policy, an audience question and answer session, and informal discussions and networking opportunities. The symposium will explore questions such as: What are the key principles of Mongolia’s feminist foreign policy? What are the roles of international actors, including the United Nations, in prioritizing women, peace and security issues? Can feminist foreign policy create an effective framework for achieving sustainable development?

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Questions related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

(Article continued from left column)

This event will be held in English. Advance registration (by 28 February at 15:00) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button to access the online registration page.

UNU@50

This event is part of the UNU 50th anniversary celebration. To learn more, visit: https://unu.edu/unuat50  

Agenda

Opening remarks

09:30 — Tshilidzi Marwala, UNU Rector and Under-Secretary-General of the UN

09:40 — Representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan

09:50 — Representative of Female Ambassador Group, Tokyo Diplomatic Corps

Keynote address

10:00 — Battsetseg Batmunkh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia (to be confirmed)

Panel discussion

10:30 — Integrating Feminist Principles in Foreign Policy

Moderator: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia

Panelists: Ambassadors from the Tokyo diplomatic corps, Tokyo-based researchers and UNU experts

Interactive session

11:10 — Q&A with audience

Closing remarks

11:35 — Summary of key points

11:45 — Closing address — Representative of UNU

Networking session

12:00 — Informal discussions and networking opportunities
 

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East Asia, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Sign the Peace Clock Manifesto

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from Code Pink

Join us to pivot from Doom to Peace and disarm the world from nuclear weapons. Sign the Manifesto!

Over the years, the hands of the clock have been reset, forward and backward, as scientists and policy makers estimated how immediate the nuclear danger loomed, based on the perils faced by other countries obtaining nuclear weapons as well as new arms control measures, weapons limitations, and agreements, particularly between the US and Russia for disarmament measures. At its most optimistic, the Doomsday hands were moved to 17 minutes to midnight in 1991 when the US and USSR announced the complete cessation of nuclear testing.

Shockingly, despite years of nuclear arms control measures, resulting in arsenals down from a high of 70,000 bombs at the peak of the world’s nuclear insanity, to about 12,000 today, 11,000 of which are in the US and Russia with nearly 4,000 poised and ready to go, with another 1000 held by the six other nuclear weapons states—UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea– the clock has never been set closer to Doomsday than it is today—At 90 seconds to midnight! (1)

It’s time to transform the clock and change the conversation! Dire warnings about Doomsday have done little to increase our world’s safety these 77 years. It’s time to pivot our focus from doom to the many small necessary steps we each need to engage in to create peace. The fear of doom encourages compromise with those who are only interested in building Empire and the war economy. This never brings us to our goal of peace. We must stop giving our blessing and consent to endless steps to “control” arms that lead to ever more danger as illustrated by the aging Doomsday clock.

Instead, we must demand their abolition, as we move to a nuclear free world at peace unthreatened by catastrophic annihilation and the ultimate climate change; a nuclear winter.

Let us deemphasize procedural steps that keep up stuck, which scholars have already named: ‘anti-preneurism’ steps towards illusory progress. (2)

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Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

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We are at a turning point in history. It is time to change the conversation with bold new proposals. Proposals that are guaranteed to bring us a respite from the growing terror. Proposals that will bring a shift in planetary consciousness allowing us to respond cooperatively to the impending cataclysmic climate disaster down the road! Proposals that will usher in a rising dawn and change our focus from Doom to Peace. Mother Earth grows impatient with the folly of humankind.

We will take steps that lead to peace on earth and mobilize, expose and render powerless the MICIMATT (Military, Industrial, Congressional, Intelligence, Media, Academic Think Tank complex) in our work for peace. Bringing about:

° US acceptance of Russian and Chinese proposals for treaties to ban weapons in space and cyberwar

° The reinstatement of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia and removal of US missiles from Romania and Poland

° Removal of US nuclear weapons from five NATO states in a deal for Russia removing its recently placed nuclear weapons in Belarus

° All nuclear weapons off high alert and separate the warheads from their delivery systems as China does – following the wisdom of the East

° The dissolution of NATO and respect of a reformed United Nations empowering global democracy, where all countries have decision-making power, not just imperial powers.

° US, China, Russia, India, Pakistan, UK, France, North Korea, and Israel completely disarm.

Russia and China have offered to be willing partners in these initiatives. They have been proposing them to the United States and voting on them in the UN for more than ten years. Let us together make this real for the people and the planet.

1 Status Of World Nuclear Forces

2 Resistance to the emergent norm to advance progress towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons

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DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

Wilmington, Delaware: Visionary Peace Youth Art Exhibition

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from Pacem in Terris

This year’s Visionary Peace Youth Art Exhibition was a smashing success! More than 550 young artists, teachers, and their friends and families filled the Wilmington Public Library Commons with exuberance and positive energy for peace. 

On exhibit were 546 examples of peace art from 32 different schools and community organizations. Now we look forward to continuing the momentum at our Traveling Peace Kick-off event in April.

Pacem in Terris is grateful for all who participated in the exhibition, for our volunteers, and for ongoing financial support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, the Laffey-McHugh Foundation, and Incyte.

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Question for this article:

Do the arts create a basis for a culture of peace?

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For those of you who missed it, here’s a little glimpse of the magic!


Pacem in Terris is a grassroots organization committed to building relationships that transform minds to foster healing and peace.

Our programs provide opportunities to develop a collective understanding of both our different experiences and our shared humanity.

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EDUCATION FOR PEACE, North America