Category Archives: FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Leftist President of Honduras Blocks Indigenous Community’s Eviction

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

An article by Andrea Germanos from Common Dreams (reprinted according to Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Honduras’ new leftist president on Wednesday intervened  to halt a court-ordered eviction of an Indigenous community from their ancestral lands following violent scenes of the attempted forced removal by police earlier in the day.

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What is the state of human rights in the world today?

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Human Rights Minister Natalie Roque shared  on social media that, with orders from President Xiomara Castro, lawyers and officials from her office went to the Tierras del Padre community, located just south of the capital of Tegucigalpa, to stop the evictions, saying the suspension was in accordance  with the law and authorized by the state.`

“We are not going to tolerate any aggression or blow against a pregnant woman or against a citizen or against a child,” presidential adviser Pedro Amador said on the scene,  according to  video circulated on social media

In a tweet, Roque accused judicial officials who’d approved the evictions of continuing “in the power of the dictatorship.” As  Agence France-Presse  reported  last month, “four of the five judges in the court’s constitutional chamber were named to their posts by the previous Congress, which was dominated by the right-wing National Party of former president Juan Orlando Hernandez.”

A statement from the country’s human rights ministry  called  the proposed expulsions—performed at the behest of a businessman and land developer who claims ownership of the area—a “clear violation of the human rights of over 100 families who live in the sector in an ancestral Lenca territory that dates from the year 1739.”

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, HUMAN RIGHTS, Latin America

Chinese-Russian Text on Constructing a Community of Common Destiny for Mankind – A Crucial Peacebuilding Approach

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article by René Wadlow in the Transcend Media Service

The presence of the Russian President to the start of the Winter Olympics led to an important Joint Statement which goes well beyond a press statement usual after bilateral meetings. Thus the Joint Statement must have been in preparation for some time and stresses current proposals of the two States. Thus it merits close attention. The Joint Statement highlights the concept of the community of common destiny for mankind:


Putin and Xi Jinping in Pekin

“The Russian side notes the significance of the concept of constructing a community of common destiny for mankind proposed by the Chinese side to ensure greater solidarity of the international community and consolidation of efforts in responding to common challenges.”

The Joint Statement sets out the political framework for its proposals.

“Today, the world is going through momentous changes, and humanity is entering a new era of rapid development and profound transformation. It sees the development of such processes and phenomena as multipolarity, economic globalization, the advent of information society, cultural diversity, transformation of the global governance architecture and world order. There is increasing interrelation and interdependence between States; a trend has emerged towards redistribution of power in the world; and the international community is showing a growing demand for the leadership aiming at peaceful and gradual development.”

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

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The United Nations is to play a central role in this effort. The Joint Statement goes on to call

“to protect the United Nations – driven international architecture and the international law-based world order, seek genuine multipolarity with the United Nations and its Security Council playing a central and coordinating role, promote more democratic international relations, and ensure peace, stability and sustainable development across the world …The Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights set noble goals in the area of universal human rights, set forth fundamental principles, which all the States must comply with and observe in deeds…Interaction and cooperation on human rights matters should be based on the principle of equality of all countries and mutual respect for the sake of strengthening the international human rights architecture.”

Economic development is stressed.

“ In order to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we call on the international community to take practical steps in key areas of cooperation such as poverty reduction, food security, vaccines and epidemics control, sustainable development, including green development, industrialization, digital economy and infrastructure connectivity.”

Given current world tensions and the possibility of armed conflicts, the Joint Statement stresses that

“The international community should actively engage in global governance to ensure universal, comprehensive, indivisible and lasting security.”

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Full text of the Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China  on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development of 4 Feb 2022

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

US Must Take Russia’s Security Concerns Seriously

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article by by Natylie Baldwin in Antiwar.com

(Editor’s Note: In recent weeks, Russian President Putin has proposed new peace treaties between Russia and the US and between Russia and NATO. Google lists perhaps a hundred news articles that mention Putin’s proposals but nowhere in any of the articles could I find a reference to the actual text of the proposals or to the historical context that includes American assurances at the end of the Cold War that NATO would not be expanded towards Russia. Instead, the articles listed by google support American and NATO claims that that Putin’s proposals mask a justification for Russian invasion of the Ukraine. Finally, after a rather long and detailed search, I found the following article (not listed by google) that links to the treaty proposals and to the historical context. Here it is.)

Illustration from the blog of Natylie Baldwin

An American Russia expert recently observed that diplomacy is not a reward for good behavior. Rather diplomacy is a necessary activity required for averting war. Skilled diplomacy requires one to understand the perceived interests of the other side and what shapes those perceptions. This helps both sides to arrive at a mutually agreeable resolution that takes into account the most serious concerns of each. The Biden administration would be wise to give a fair hearing to the security concerns of the world’s other nuclear superpower at the upcoming meeting with Russia on January 10th in order to avert unnecessary escalation in Eastern Europe.

As Putin gets further into what could be his final term as president, he has decided to try to get a meaningful resolution to one of his top priorities: ensuring Russia’s national security. If he can successfully resolve this issue, he may feel freer to open up the purse strings and invest more in his other top priority: raising Russia’s living standards, which have fallen behind as a result of the austerity  that has been imposed as the Russian government has focused on macroeconomic stability to make the economy “sanction-proof. ”

He has started by offering a proposed draft agreement between  Russia and the US and one between  Russia and NATO that guarantee no further eastward expansion of NATO and no stationing of US/NATO troops in Ukraine or intermediate- and short-range missiles in Europe.

While it may seem like Russia is making extreme demands and offering no concessions of its own in return, one must keep a few points in mind. First, at the beginning of negotiations, parties will typically start with maximalist positions with the idea that they will be whittled down during talks to something they can live with. Second, Russia has genuine security concerns that many Americans are not aware of because most media has made little attempt to explain Russia’s perspective with regard to its disagreements with the US-led west.

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

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Lacking some of the natural barriers that Americans take for granted, Russia has a history of invasions from the West, including Germany twice in the 20th century – having come through the Polish/Ukrainian corridor. Hitler’s invasion in WWII resulted in around 27 million dead Soviets and destruction of a third of the country. These perceived security interests are driven by historical experience and therefore represent a Russian view, not simply a Putin view.

With this heavy history, Mikhail Gorbachev was hesitant to allow a reunified Germany during 1990 negotiations with western leaders. Declassified government documents  reveal that in order to secure Gorbachev’s agreement, he was promised verbally more than once by US Secretary of State James Baker and other western officials that NATO would not move “one inch eastward.”

After the mutually negotiated end of the Cold War and subsequent dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, NATO had lost its reason for existence and had to resort to finding other justifications for remaining in business. This project was assisted by political ideologues , such as Zbig Brzezinski and Neoconservatives, as well as intense defense contractor lobbying  which helped spur NATO expansion rather than a re-negotiation of a European security architecture that would ensure the security of all parties. From Russia’s perspective, it made sense to ask: if the Cold War had ended, Russia had voluntarily given up its empire and was no longer an enemy, then why was NATO being expanded with Russia excluded from these new security arrangements?

Not only has the US overseen several rounds of NATO expansion since 1999, it has unilaterally withdrawn from several important treaties governing arms control. The first is the ABM Treaty, the abrogation of which Russia viewed as a threat to its nuclear retaliatory capability. There is also the INF Treaty, the dissolution of which will now allow the US to potentially station intermediate range missiles in Europe, representing another perceived danger to Russia’s security interests.

Then there was the US-supported coup that removed the corrupt but democratically elected leader of Ukraine in 2014, which sparked deeper dissension in a country that has political and cultural divisions that go back centuries. The cold hard reality is that Ukraine has more strategic and historical significance to Russia than it could ever have to the US thousands of miles away. Russia also has the advantage of proximity in the event of a military conflict. The US should seriously reconsider the wisdom of paying lip service to Ukraine’s military defense for any such scenario. Ukraine is the poorest  country in Europe and also one of the most corrupt . Ukraine would provide no benefit to NATO as a member and it’s safe to say that neither Americans  nor most Europeans  would be willing to die for it. Ukraine would be best served if it were militarily neutral and allowed to negotiate economically beneficial relations with both Russia and the West, with the most extreme political elements in the country discouraged from their most reckless inclinations.

It’s time for the US to get beyond its post-Cold War triumphalist mentality and pursue practical diplomacy with Russia. Insisting that all countries have the right to decide what military alliances they join without regard to the larger real world context is a nonstarter. Everyone knows the US would never take this attitude if Russia and China decided to lure Canada or Mexico into joining a military alliance with them.

The Russia of 2022 is not the Russia of the 1990’s. In order to get something, the US-led west will now have to give something. That means a willingness to seriously address Russia’s security concerns. It remains to be seen if the US is capable of the shift in mindset needed to rise to the occasion.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global,

Colombia: Forum in the Valle del Cauca commemorates the five years of the signing of the Peace Agreement

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION . .

An article from Government of Valle del Cauca

On November 23, 2021, the Secretariat for Territorial Peace and Reconciliation of the Government of Valle del Cauca, in its mission to promote spaces for reconciliation between the various actors of the armed conflict and generate a culture of sustainable peace, held the forum “Towards a Colombian countryside”. The forum looked at the Final Peace Agreement from the perspective from Valle del Cauca, five years after the signing of the Final Agreement. The Forum was held in alliance with the Truth Commission, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the ConPaz de la Pastoral program Social – Cáritas Colombiana, the Tuluá Mayor’s Office, the national initiative Tejiendo un Acuerdo para la Vida and the Central Unit of Valle del Cauca (Uceva).

Questions related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

The event allowed the active participation of farmers, peasants, victims of the armed conflict, the reincorporated population and members of civil society.

An interdisciplinary and inter-institutional environment was fostered, allowing the exchange of knowledge regarding the implementation of Point 1 of the Final Agreement for the Termination of the Conflict and the Construction of a Stable and Lasting Peace, five years after its signature.

With this review of the event, the Secretariat for Territorial Peace and Reconciliation reaffirms its commitment to continue working for peace and reconciliation, fostering spaces for the exchange of knowledge, where different views are shared that generate reflection and dialogue around the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement.


Download here the review document that collects the perspectives of the dialogues held at the event.

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

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

López Obrador and the offer of asylum to Julian Assange: honest politics in a time of double standards

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An opinion piece by Javier Buenrostro from RT (translation by CPNN)

Last Monday (January 3), in his first morning conference, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador appeared flanked by Jeremy Corbyn, a British MP and leader of the Labor Party between 2015 and 2020. Corbyn, who is one of the main references of the European left, has strong ties with Mexico since his wife, lawyer Laura Álvarez, is Mexican and for this reason maintains an important bond that extends to all of Latin America. For example, Corbyn does not stop pointing out that Gabriel Boric’s triumph in Chile a few days ago gives him joy and hope.A petition from United National Antiwar Coalition


Obrador (left) and Corbyn (right) at the January 3 press conference (photo from Reuters

Due to Corbyn’s presence, the Mexican press asked López Obrador about his offer of asylum to the Australian journalist Julian Assange , WikiLeaks founder and who is about to have served three years in a London jail and ten years deprived of his freedom, counting the time he was asylum in the Embassy of Ecuador in the United Kingdom.

The United States government is close to prosecuting Julian Assange on charges of espionage and attacking national security, after British judges accepted that the WikiLeaks leader could be extradited to that country. Given this , the possibility of asylum for Assange in a country has once again been considered , as a measure to protect human rights and freedom of the press and information.

Mexico, honoring one of its best traditions in foreign policy, which is that of giving refuge to those persecuted for political or ideological reasons, has on several occasions expressed its intention to provide asylum to Julian Assange, even in the face of the possible controversy and confrontation that could arise. ith the United States.

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Click here for the Spanish original of this article.

Question related to this article:
 
Julian Assange, Is he a hero for the culture of peace?

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

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López Obrador revealed that on December 23, 2020, he wrote a letter to Donald Trump asking the United States government to exonerate and pardon Julian Assange. In the letter, the Mexican president explained to his counterpart that, in his opinion, Assange was a person moved by ideals and principles, and that for that fact he should be worthy of compassion. Unfortunately, the letter was never answered.

Currently, according to Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s asylum offer to Julian Assange is still in place and his lawyers are in contact , however, for procedural reasons, the offer cannot be made effective at this time . After ten years, Assange is still trapped in legal situations that have kept him confined all this time and one wonders if the United States will ever allow him to enjoy freedom in a host country.

Less than a month ago, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei posted a video on social media where he runs on a treadmill. It is a campaign that has the hashtag #RunForOurRights and that seeks not only the release of Assange but also to raise awareness about the defense of press freedom and human rights.

Ai Weiwei visited Assange in London in October 2016, while the WikiLeaks founder was in asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy. Since then, the Australian activist’s health has deteriorated dramatically, even suffering from a stroke a couple of months ago. Thus, while the majority of people who believe in freedom of the press and information advocate that Assange should not die in prison, the United States, a country that calls itself the “defender of freedom” requests 175 years in prison for someone who defended the right to information of citizens. Such hypocrisy!

If things continue as they have in the last decade, it is more likely that we will see an extradition of Assange to the United States in the coming months rather than the approval of asylum in a country like Mexico. If Assange dies in prison, either in England or in the United States, his death should fall on the conscience of the justice systems of both countries and will be one more example of the false narrative of freedom of their societies that the official propaganda wants the world to believe, especially in the case of the United States.

Mexico, for its part, continues to uphold the tradition of asylum and refuge in some of the thorniest and most complicated cases in international geography. In the last century the Spanish Republicans, Jews and Communists and the thousands of Argentines, Chileans and Uruguayans who fled from military dictatorships were received in our country, in the López Obrador government Evo Morales was already given refuge following the coup in Bolivia. Now, the hand is outstretched for Assange and for freedom of the press and information.

If only the asylum could materialize, it would honor all involved international actors and put an end to an act of injustice and arbitrariness that the United States intends to carry out in continuation of its double standards and hypocrisy on freedom issues.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Peace and Justice Organizations call for Freedom for Julian Assange

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A petition from United National Antiwar Coalition

Imprisoned Wikileaks founder, journalist and free speech champion Julian Assange today faces life imprisonment for telling the truth about U.S. war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and at the U.S. torture base in Guantanamo Bay.

Assange faces charges under the 1917 U.S. Espionage Act. Prosecution under that WWI anti-democratic law placed thousands of antiwar activists in prison for exercising their free speech right to protest WWI.

Ironically, the Dec 19, 2021 New York Times front-page two-part series entitled, Hidden Pentagon Records Reveal Patterns of Failure in Deadly Airstrikes, follows in Assange’s footsteps in reporting U.S. war crimes, yet The Times staff writers remain free.

Some 100 Times reporters evaluated Pentagon confidential document obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. These included reports on 50,000 U.S. airstrikes on Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan conducted under the Obama and Trump administrations. The Times on-the-scene reporters subsequently confirmed tens of thousands of civilian casualties – collateral damage.

“The [Pentagon] documents,” according to The Times, “identify children killed or injured in 27 percent of cases; in The Times’s ground-breaking reporting it was 62 percent.”

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Question related to this article:
 
Julian Assange, Is he a hero for the culture of peace?

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

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The Times and several other major publications worldwide reprinted much of the same Pentagon material that Assange’s Wikileaks released to the world. Yet Assange faces a life in prison for publishing the truth.

The persecution of Julian Assange by the U.S. government is a threat against free speech and free press. It is also a threat to the Peace Movement and all movements for social change since without information and the ability to speak and write freely about U.S. wars and war crimes we are greatly limited, and the people of the world are kept in the dark.

Therefore, Peace and Justice organizations and activists demand:

Free Julian Assange!
No to U.S. wars!
Freedom of the press!
Free journalists!
Free speech!

Initial signers:
Organizations:  United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), ANSWER coalition, Code Pink, Black Alliance for Peace, International Action Center, US Peace Council, Veterans for Peace, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), World Beyond War, Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, Popular Resistance, Alliance for Democracy, Ban Killer Drones, People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism and Racism, Free Palestine Movement, International Solidarity Movement (Northern Calif), Palestine Children’s Welfare Fund, Syria Solidarity Movement, NakbaTour, Resumen Latinoamericano, One State Assembly, Association for Investment in Popular Action, Upstate NY Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars, Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War, Sanctions kill Coalition (Editor’s note: We have added CPNN.)

SIGN HERE

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America

The Elders mourn the loss of Archbishop Desmond Tutu

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A press release from The Elders

The Elders are deeply saddened at the passing of their dear friend and colleague Archbishop Desmond Tutu. His death follows a long and brave battle against ill health, which never dimmed his determination to fight against injustice in all its forms.


Video by the Elders

“Arch”, as he liked to be called, was the first Chair of The Elders from 2007-2013. He played a vital role in shaping the organisation, its values and its work. Like The Elders’ founder, Nelson Mandela, Arch was an implacable and tenacious opponent of apartheid. His years of struggle in South Africa made him a fierce defender of equality and human rights worldwide.

Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

How can we carry forward the work of the great peace and justice activists who went before us?

A devout and compassionate Christian, his faith in, and espousal of, the fundamental goodness of people helped his country cope with the often difficult transition to a multi-racial democracy.

Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders, said:  
   
“We are all devastated at the loss of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Elders would not be who they are today without his passion, commitment and keen moral compass. He inspired me to be a ‘prisoner of hope’, in his inimitable phrase. Arch was respected around the world for his dedication to justice, equality and freedom. Today we mourn his death but affirm our determination to keep his beliefs alive.”  
   
All of the Elders, their Advisory Council and staff members send their heartfelt condolences to Arch’s family: his wife Leah, their children and grandchildren. They have lost a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

The Elders have lost a dear friend, whose infectious laugh and mischievous sense of humour delighted and charmed them all. The world has lost an inspiration – but one whose achievements will never be forgotten, and whose commitment to peace, love and the fundamental equality of all human beings will endure to inspire future generations.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

Youth at the Luanda Biennale – Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

Excerpts from the Action Programme 2021-2023 : Young People Committed to the Pan-African Movement for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence

As described previously in CPNN, the 2021 Biennale of Luanda was organized in a new and unique format with an Intergenerational Dialogue by which youth from Africa and the Diaspora debate with Ministers of Youth and Culture on the importance of cultural and heritage diversity of Africa and its Diasporas to promote the culture of peace in the continent. 

We now have a more detailed description of how that was accomplished and its potential for the future of the culture of peace in Africa.

The preparations were initiated with the creation, on 7 June 2021, of an ad hoc Youth Committee.

The said committee had the mission to contribute, in general, to the preparations of the second edition of the Luanda Biennial, and in particular, by participating in the organisation of the Intergenerational Dialogue and precisely (i) by having organised and implemented the selection of the 118 young people and their online participation not only in the Dialogue, but also to the different thematic and good practice forums on the agenda of the Biennial, to the partnership sessions and (ii) by contributing, with the support of their respective organisations and networks in their countries, to the mobilisation and online participation of other young people as well.

The ad hoc youth committee was composed of 14 young people from 12 African countries and was supported by another 04 young people who, based on their proven experience and membership of well-established youth organisations and networks, have contributed and are contributing to the mobilisation and engagement of their peers before, during and after the second edition of the Biennale.

The 118 young people who were selected are nationals of 49 African countries and 14 countries of the Diaspora. Of these selected young people, 10 have been selected to participate in the Biennale’s activities in person and, as such, to be the spokespersons for all the others. . . .

The work of the young people, following the Intergenerational Dialogue, the Thematic Forums and the partnership sessions, led to the adoption of positioning statements that will provide the framework for designing, implementing and contributing to joint projects. . . .

1. We commit to support and encourage the promotion and preservation of African arts and cultural heritage in participating countries, through the use of social media and all other possible avenues.

2. Inspired by the legacy of Kofi Annan that “Without progress there is no peace and without peace there is no progress”, we commit to using education and youth empowerment as vehicles to promote a culture of peace and non-violence and to ensure the sustainable development of Africa in order to build a bridge in conflict prevention through transformative socio-economic practices.

3. We commit to advocate, in our countries, for the inclusion of vulnerable young people living with disabilities and marginalized, the harmonization of the lifestyle of new generations with the principles of endogenous values of living together, the promotion and vulgarization of all relevant international normative instruments relating to women’s rights.

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(Click here for a French version of this article)

Question related to this article:
 
Youth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?

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

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4. We commit to contribute to the strengthening of governance, protection and sustainable management of the oceans in developing and underdeveloped countries, as well as in small islands, in order to ensure an equitable distribution and sharing of ocean resources, based on popular awareness and education programmes, state-of-the-art scientific research policies. . . .

. . . To contribute to the overall objective of the Luanda Biennale to strengthen the Pan-African Movement for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence . . .

I. (We) commit and call on youth-led and youth-focused organisations, networks and initiatives to work together to:

– Form youth-led, multi-level pan-African movements for a culture of peace, from the local to the international level, by encouraging networking, complementary and joint collaboration and knowledge sharing between organisations.

– Promote the creation and expansion of existing environments and spaces where Pan-African youth can live and embrace their diverse cultural heritages, thereby contributing to building and strengthening a transformative Pan-African outlook.

– Facilitate and enhance knowledge sharing, interaction and cooperation between institutions (especially universities/higher education institutions), governments and youth-led organisations based in Africa and elsewhere towards the realisation of regional and global agendas for peace, non-violence and sustainability in the 6 regions of Africa.

II. Engage potential partners and stakeholders to work together to

– Advocate for the accountability, continued commitment and involvement of civil society, governments and the private sector in maintaining and supporting good practice in the 5 main regions of the continent and its diaspora.

– Establish a permanent youth platform that strengthens intercultural and inter-religious dialogue between young people from the six African regions and contributes to the entrenchment of peaceful co-existence and common citizenship.

– Strengthen the capacity of Pan-African youth to promote the culture of peace, identify and support youth initiatives and best practices that work towards the sustainable implementation, individually and collectively, of the concepts of the culture of peace, raise awareness on the importance of promoting a culture of peace and mutual respect in the six African regions.

2) Continue to develop concrete projects and initiatives at local, national and international level to implement the 2021-2023 roadmap.

As part of their contribution to the Roadmap 2021-2023, young people also commit themselves to implementing, through concrete projects and activities, the “African Youth Pledge for the Culture of Peace”, adopted at the end of the Youth Forum, organised at the 1st edition of the Luanda Biennale (2019), under the general theme “Youth and Culture of Peace”.

This commitment, which lists twelve (12) commitments whose implementation (in the short, medium and long term) has been placed under the coordination of the Pan-African Youth Network for the Culture of Peace (PAYNCOP), with the support of UNESCO and the AU.

In addition, the youth would like the following projects to be included in the Roadmap

1) The holding of an “International Conference on the role of youth in culture, as a lever for living together and a factor of economic empowerment of young people”;

2) the creation of a “Pan-African Platform for Intergenerational and Interfaith Cultural Dialogue for the Mutual Knowledge of Peoples and Cultures”.

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Culture at the Luanda Biennale – Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Excerpts from the Festival of Cultures on the website of UNESCO for the Luanda Biennale

The Biennale brought together a rich selection of films and shows. Here is a listing of those on the themes of the culture of peace in Africa and the diaspora where links are available to the full production.

FILMS

BRAZIL “The Slave Route – The Soul of Resistance” | UNESCO

In this film, the history of the trade in human beings is told through the voices of slaves, but also of slave masters and slave traders. Each one tells his or her experience: from the deportation of men and women to the plantations to the daily work and the abolition movements. Watch here

CAPE VERDE Documentary “The Tabanca” | Instituto Patrimonio Cultural

The tabanca is a sociocultural organisation, of a mutualistic nature and a ritualised, syncretic manifestation, subordinated to a patron saint, manifested essentially on the islands of Maio and Santiago in Cape Verde. Watch here

GERMANY Watch a series of videos made in the context of a partnership bewwen ethnological museums of Luanda and Berlin

Tampas Proverbiasis – Watch here; Kissanje – Watch here; Estela Funeraria – Watch here; Trono – Watch here.

GHANA Animated Series / Begho, a Market Town in 16the Century West Africa / France in Ghana

A discovery of the Begho market, in West Africa in the 16th centruy, through the eyes of a little girl named Kasi . . .Watch here

HAITI Discovering Haiti (Short Film) | The most beautiful places in Haiti

The perfect collaboration among some influential public figures to make a touristic video that showcases the most beautiful places in Haiti and to encourage tourists to visit and travel to Haiti. “This is Haiti”…They all have a common purpose which is to promote the hidden beauty of Haiti; the side that most medias don’t emphasize on. Watch here

NAMIBIA NBC Documentary | Namibian Heritage Week

The documentary was filmed by the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) for Namibian Heritage Week 2020 and discusses the importance of heritage and culture in relation to tourism, sustainability, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector. Watch here

PORTUGAL “Pele escura” / “Dark Skin” / Graça Castanheira

Six black friends from different places on the outskirts of Lisbon – Poreto Brandão and Cacém – decide to travel to Centro Cultural de Belém to watch a show. . . A reflection on the centre and the periphery, blacks and whites, racism and inclusion. Watch here

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Question related to this article:

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

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SENEGAL 7 Senegalese World Heritage Sites seen by Layepro

The seven World Heritage sites in Senegal as seen through the eyes of talented Senegalese filmmaker, Layepro. Watch here

SWEDEN Martha & Niki | Street Dance

In 2010 Martha Nabwire and Niki Tsappos took part in the biggest international Street Dance Competition, Juste Debout in Paris. It was the first time ever two women became World Champions in Hip Hop. This film depicts their love of dance, each other and about friendship put to the test. About desires, yearning and finding the right path in life. Watch here

ZIMBABWE Documentary

Gender based violence experiences of women and girls with disabilities in Zimbabwe. Watch here

SHOWS

ARGENTINA Graciano 4 Quartet / Mandinga

“Tango has its ‘mother’ in the Milonga, music with African roots which arrived in Rio de La Platza along with slaves shipped to the port of Buenos Aires” (Julian Graciano). Watch here

“Sou Assim” / This is who I am – Afro Woman” / Kulily Afrofeminist Women’s Artistic Collective

To commemorate the International Day for Women of African Descent (25 July 2021), the Ministry of Culture of Argentina created Así soy, mujer afro: a video-dance to disseminate and recognize the struggles ofhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLdvSC5sFTI Afro women and reflect on the construction of a more inclusive society . . . Watch here

CONGO

Special Concert: Les Bantous de la Capitale given during International Jazz Day 2021. Watch part 1 – Watch part 2 – Watch part 3.

CUBA

Presentation”Dahomeño” of the Conjunto Folclórico Nacional. Choreography by Manolo Micler. Watch here

Yoruba Andabo – a remarkable Cuban musical group formed in 1961 that enjoys great prestige inside and outside Cuba. A true example of the authentiity and versatility needed to take on folk and popular traditions, always representing the great diversity of the Cuban essence. Watch here

MOROCCO

Fez Festival of Sufi Culture. Watch here

PORTUGAL Dissonância – Concert designed by JAS and Ango-Jazz

Show performed on October 5, 2021, as part of the launch of the Biennale of Luanda . . . a repertoire that combines Jazz with Portuguese intervention music and Angolan popular music. Watch here

RWANDA

Shared Stories deals with experiences on the topics of war, genocide, diaspora and home ij relation to the conflicts in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda in the 1990’s. Watch here

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Speeches by the Sponsors of the Luanda Biennale : Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace

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Excerpts from speeches listed on the UNESCO website for th Biennale of Luanda 2021

The Biennale of Luanda 2021 was organized jointly by UNESCO, the African Union and the Government of Angola. At the meeting UNESCO was represented by its Director-General Audrey Azoulay. The African Union was represented by its President Félix Tshisekedi. And Angola was represented by its President João G. Lourenço. Here are excerpts from their speeches.

From the speech of the President of Angola João Lourenço, to open the Biennale (translated from the Portuguese by CPNN):

“It is with deep joy that I take the floor in the presence of distinguished Heads of State and High Representatives of the African Union and UNESCO, who grant us the honor of participating in the inauguration of the second edition of the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace – Luanda Biennial 2021. Allow me to welcome you to Angola, in whose capital, Luanda, we will have in the coming days, the opportunity to reflect on topics that can help us to build the paths of Peace and Harmony between Peoples and Nations. . . .

“It is important to try to understand the real causes of the still prevailing climate of conflict in Africa, after a journey of just over six decades of construction of independence and sovereignty. Let us find formulas to will lead us out of the situation of uncertainty and instability that we face. We must recognize the immediate need for a general effort to stem the recurrent outbreak of conflicts of different nature, which contribute to instability and which impede our continent’s progress and development.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Republic of Angola is an example of a country plagued by an armed conflict that has lasted for decades. However, we have managed to find the paths to lasting peace and project, in conditions of stability and the construction of a democratic society with forgiveness, reconciliation, tolerance, and solidarity with the peoples of our continent, who still face armed conflicts and their consequences. We have defined an internal line of conduct for the culture of peace and tolerance at all levels of Angolan society, so that we can avoid the specter of war. It is in this spirit, resulting from political achievements in favor of national unity, that we want to continue to consolidate peace and national reconciliation and advance towards economic and social progress.

“African youth must be at the center of all strategies aimed at peace. It must be the starting and ending point of all the pedagogy that is carried out in order to calm those spirits most prone to conflict and violence.

“Let us promote initiatives that involve families, schools, political organizations, religious institutions and society in general, in the effort to raise awareness among young Africans for the culture of peace, respect for the Law and the Constitution and respect for democratically elected institutions.

“Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

“This second edition of the Luanda Biennial brings us closer to achieving the a reference platform that brings together governments, civil society, artistic and scientific community, the private sector and international organizations, in the attaining and maintenance of peace, and in the prevention of conflicts and violence.

“The Biennale of Luanda is an alliance of partners, that include governments, United Nations agencies, the African Union, the European Union, the members of the organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, universities and non-governmental organizations, associated in a common effort to promote peace. Culture is the main support for the achievement of the goals that we have outlined, as it is helps to build bridges between peoples and nations, as a universal language of understanding. . . .

“Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

“It is important to know how to objectively identify the real causes of our difficulties, the paths to follow and partners genuinely interested in supporting development of Africa.

“In all this effort, we must continue to work on the electrification and industrialization of the our continent, improve infrastructure in general, increase the supply of goods and services for our populations, increase the supply of jobs for young people, meet education and training needs, so that we can prosper sustainable as countries and as a continent.

“It is my conviction that, with perseverance, we can achieve this level of satisfaction of our needs and move to a stage where the Africa we want, without precariousness and with greater predictability, provides us with a life at peace that favors dialogue over conflict, so that each individual naturally becomes an agent of peace.

“Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

“Many of Africa’s children have been leaving the continent in inhumane conditions and at the risk of their own lives in fleeing conflict zones or looking for a job and better living conditions.

“Regardless of their age, academic or professional background, they are all important and needed for the development of our continent.

“We always have the expectation that one day they will voluntarily return with the desire to contribute towards leveraging progress and development in all sectors of African national life.

“This step would mark the re-encounter with their lands, their people, in a fraternal embrace to the homeland where they were born, so that they could become protagonists of progress and development of their respective countries.

“Between us and the diaspora there is an immense ocean that separates us, but which can also serve as a vector of economic progress and social transformation of coastal communities and the country in general. The ocean offers us the potential of highly valuable resources for African economies . . .

“Members of the diaspora who have expertise in this area could help their respective countries – and in this way the continent in general-, to define and implement strategies for the preservation and sustainable use of marine resources and protection of the coast, often affected by climate change. . . .

“Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

“Angola has been learning to deal better with differences, in the context of a democracy in constant evolution. It is in this atmosphere that I want to wish you a good and productive stay in Luanda, so that this Biennale may be a success worthy of record, with a beneficial and lasting impact on our continent and all humanity.

“Thus, I declare open the second edition of the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace – Bienniale of Luanda 2021.”

Question related to this article:

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

(Continued from left column)

From the speech at the opening ceremony by African Union President Félix Tshisekedi, also President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (translated from the French by CPNN):

” . . . The African Union, by my voice, salutes this great moment. Our continental organization has always placed culture and peace at the top of its priorities. Thus, the seven Fundamental Aspirations of its Agenda 2063, ‘The Africa that we want’, includes two that are largely devoted to this, in particular the promotion of ‘culture, arts and heritage as levers for the building of Africa that we want’ and ‘silencing the guns by 2020 extended ten years, until 2030.’

“The 24th Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government invinstituting this biennial in 2015, instructed the African Union Commission to work for the organization of this pan-African forum for the culture of peace, in consultation with Unesco and the Government of the Republic of Angola. Their visions and their aspirations intersected and complemented each other.

“This is an opportunity for me to thank not only our Commission for the African Union but above all to salute the determination of the Government of Our Sister Republic of Angola. It is their dynamism, despite the serious difficulties generated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which made this event possible . . .

“I also extend my congratulations to UNESCO. From its inception in 1946 until this year marking its 75th anniversary, this great organization has never ceased, through its activities in education, science and culture, to support the first steps of our young States on the paths of development and peace. Allow me, Madam Director General Audrey Azoulay, here represented, to take this opportunity to offer you my warm congratulations your re-election, during the work of the 41st of the recently concluded session of the UNESCO General Conference.

“The noble objective of strengthening the Pan-African movement for a culture of peace is both existential and a priority, as we witness the macabre spectacle of the deadly effects of terrorism, inter-community violence and latent wars that are part of the daily life of our states. The most effective way to deal with this in a sustainable way is without doubt the approach adopted by our forum.

“The long history of our organization, since the birth of Pan-Africanism, has shown us that cultural fraternity is the foundation of the solidarity that our continent aspires to achieve, particularly economically and politically. Culture is not only our common foundation but it also continues to offer us the “palaver tree” around which is tied and untied all forms of dialogue and reciprocal listening, including the voices of those who are the most disadvantaged.

“I wish to emphasize how highly I appreciate that our Biennale can host a multiplicity of forums, in particular on intergenerational dialogue, on the engagement of women and young people as actors in the prevention of conflicts, on taking into account the potential of the oceans and the effects of climate change. Fortunately, even the contribution of the diaspora in social transformations has not been overlooked.

“Indeed, the fight for the Renaissance and African dignity cannot stop at the borders of our countries or even our continent. We must also promote interchangeability and open cultural osmosis throughout the world, especially between Africans here and elsewhere. This is promoted by the opening in the near future in Kinshasa of the Maison de la Culture African and Afro-descendant, as well as the launch of the Pan-African Festival of Kinshasa (FESPAKIN), and the Pan-Qfrican Literature Grand Prix.

“Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, in the words of the illustrious Agostinho Neto Kilamba, President and Poet, champion of the liberation of man and human brotherhood, ‘poet of sacred hopes’, we should ‘look at Africa with the eyes of the future’,

“We are gathered here in Luanda, the land of Njinga, Ndongo and Matamba, the land of Kimpa Mvita, so that the light of the African Renaissance shines through in the values ​​of peace, fraternity and solidarity to nourish the Zone of African Continental Free Trade.

“The Democratic Republic of Congo and all of its people are at your side to continue this long fight for the future of our states, our continent and the entire world.

“It is with this determination that I wish every success to this second edition of the Luanda Biennale.”

___________________

From the speech of UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay at the closing ceremony (translated from the French by CPNN):

“. . . The success of this second edition of the Luanda Biennale is due to the quality of the cooperation between UNESCO, the African Union and the Republic of Angola; which has grown steadily since the holding, in 2013, here in Luanda, the Pan-African Forum “Sources and Resources for a culture of peace.” I was then that the decision was taken to create a Biennial for the Culture of Peace.

“I would like, on this occasion, to reaffirm our commitment to continue this cooperation with the Commission of the African Union and to congratulate its President Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat for his personal support to our joint initiatives in Africa. . . .

“The 41st session of the General Conference of UNESCO which has just ended has again designated Africa as one of the global priorities of our Organization with the adoption of a new operational strategy for the programme Priority Africa for the period 2022-2029. The Conference also adopted a decision engating all Member States, UNESCO and its partners to support the organizations of the next editions of the Luanda Biennale.

“This commitment intends to make the concept of a culture of peace a real tool available to citizens and peoples. It echoes the preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO which states that “a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous, lasting and sincere support of the peoples of the world.”

“UNESCO will continue to give its full support to this pan-African initiative, so that it is sustainable, in cooperation with the African Union and the Government of Angola.

“The culture of peace and non-violence is a long relay race ; it takes s a united team, generation after generation, to be victorious.”

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