Category Archives: DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

Palestine: Breaking the Silence Tour in Hebron

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Jamie Stall, Holy Land Trust

Earlier this month, we had the chance to visit Hebron and participate in a city tour with Breaking the Silence, an organization founded by former Israeli combatants who served in the Occupied Territories. The aim of the organization is to raise awareness about the daily realities of those living under occupation and stimulate public discussion of these issues among Israelis.

hebron

We started off the tour near Shuhada Street, where we gathered in a hidden room behind a souvenir shop. Our tour guide, Shai, began by giving us a view into his personal experience as an IDF combatant in the West Bank. He recounted several of his experiences for the group, including being ordered to chase a young child while holding a loaded firearm because the kid was playing near a security fence, and searching Palestinian households at random for the purpose of “making the IDF’s presence felt” within the community.

After the introduction, we began walking through an almost entirely deserted “ghost town.” As it turns out, this abandoned street is called Al-Shuhada Street and was the bustling commercial center of Hebron until about 20 years ago. Shay explained that in 1994 all its businesses were closed by the army “for security purposes” following the murder of 29 Muslim worshipers at the Cave of the Patriarchs by the Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein. As we walked down the street, we encountered several placards that told a very different story about the street’s closure. According to the signs, “these stores were closed by the IDF for security reasons after the Arabs began the ‘Oslo War’ [aka The Second Intifada] in September 2000, attacking, wounding and murdering Jews on this road.” A quick fact check proves this to be false as the reason for the street’s closure, not to mention that The Second Intifada began six years after the stores were closed. There is no doubt that the Jewish settler community in Hebron did experience many detestable acts of violence, including several murders, but that does not change the fact that the sign’s claims are nonfactual propaganda meant to mislead its readers and evoke a negative opinion of the city’s Palestinians.

As we continued up Al-Shuhada Street, passing a military base and several settlements, we encountered a pedestrian checkpoint separating the settler communities and a Palestinian commercial area. As we were finishing our tour near the checkpoint, a young Palestinian man began to walk through the checkpoint while singing a song to himself. One of the Israeli soldiers on duty told him “shtok!” (“shut up!”), but he continued walking, singing to himself as before. At this point he was stopped, searched, questioned and prevented from leaving for about ten minutes, all because he was singing.

Seeing and listening to the history and present-day reality of this small slice of Hebron was not easy. Frankly, nothing in Palestine has been easy. There is so much suffering and resentment on both sides of the separation wall that it can put a damper on your hopes for a better future. But hearing courageous testimonies and messages of hope from people like Shai and Breaking the Silence bring some of that hope and optimism back. I’m so appreciative of what they are doing. May there be more people and communities like them, willing to speak out against the occupation and work for truth, peace and reconciliation.

Questions for this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Mideast

Strong outcome of 1st Review Conference of Convention on Cluster Munitions 

DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY ..

An article from Artistes pour la Paix

The 1st Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions is wrapping up in Dubrovnik, Croatia. For the most part, this meeting has been full of good news. Colombia ratified the Convention, Cuba issued a surprise announcement that it is working towards joining the treaty as well and a number of states announced that they have finished destroying their stockpiled cluster munitions. These successes show that the treaty is working and the norm against cluster munitions is growing.

minesaction

Amidst all this success, Canada joined the United Kingdom and Australia in an attempt to weaken the norm against cluster munitions by objecting to the Dubrovnik Declaration‘s condemnation of all use of cluster munitions. For these three states, the idea that they would have to condemn all use of cluster munitions was not acceptable despite being states parties to a treaty banning cluster munitions. Mines Action Canada staff and campaigners from around the world in partnership with friendly governments lobbied hard for the declaration to stay strong. In the high level discussion state after state took the floor in support of a strong declaration condemning all use of cluster munitions.

Again and again states passionately defended the Declaration as it was and to reaffirm that any use of cluster munitions by any actor was unacceptable. In the end, the Declaration was adopted without amendment. We were thrilled to see our hard work pay off. The norm against use remains strong and so does the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

We were able to prevent Canada, the UK and Australia from weakening the declaration this time but we need your support to ensure that we will be ready next time someone threatens the norm against these inhumane weapons.

Mines Action Canada [info@minesactioncanada.org] would appreciate your support

Their site contains the following crucial information:

151 financial institutions worldwide invested US$27 billion [27 milliards de $!] in companies producing cluster munitions from 2011 to 2014, according to a report launched by Dutch peace organization PAX. The report, “Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions: a shared responsibility,” details the scale of investment in companies producing this banned weapon by banks, pension funds and other financial institutions around the world. Two Canadian financial institutions were singled out for their investment in cluster munition production in the report’s Hall of Shame.

While Canada and the majority of states have banned cluster munitions due to the humanitarian risk to civilian populations, production of the weapon continues in a limited number of countries yet to join the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions.

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Question related to this article:

Can cluster bombs be abolished?

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“Cluster munitions are currently killing civilians in Syria and eastern Ukraine and they continue to claim lives in Laos fifty years after they were used. Yet financial institutions have invested US$27 billion—more than twice the GDP of Laos—in producers of this inhumane weapon. Canada has banned cluster munitions and during the lengthy discussions about the legislation government officials and parliamentarians frequently stated that investment in cluster munition producers is in fact considered aiding in their production and is illegal,” said Paul Hannon, Executive Director.

The new report from PAX shows which financial institutions have invested in cluster munition producers between June 2011 and September 2014. The report’s “Hall of Shame” shows the majority of investments come from financial institutions in states that have not yet joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Yet financial institutions from countries like Canada that have joined the treaty are also still involved.

Royal Bank of Canada and Sun Life Financial appear on the “Hall of Shame” list for their investments in cluster munition producers. These investments are falling foul of the treaty’s prohibition on assistance in the production of the weapon and of the recently passed legislation implementing the Convention in Canada which criminalizes aiding and abetting cluster munition production.

“Cluster munitions are banned by international law; a majority of the countries in the world has recognised that this weapon is unacceptable. And yet cluster munition producers are still able to fund their activities. Financial institutions should introduce robust policies to ensure they are not supporting companies involved in the production of this banned weapon,” said Suzanne Oosterwijk, co-author of the PAX report.

While the number of financial institutions investing in companies producing cluster munitions remains high, the report shows an increase in financial institutions with policies to prohibit this practice. Seventy-six financial institutions are listed in the 2014 report as having cluster munition policies in place.

Recent use of cluster munitions in Syria and eastern Ukraine further demonstrates the urgent need to eradicate this weapon. Last month Cluster Munition Coalition member Human Rights Watch documented widespread use of cluster munitions in eastern Ukraine, in fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels. In Syria, civilians account for 97% of recorded deaths where cluster munitions have been used over the past two and a half years.

This report follows a similar report released by PAX on investment in nuclear weapons. The Don’t Bank on the Bomb report found that numerous Canadian financial institutions are investing in nuclear weapons production [La Financière Sun Life en tête]. Mines Action Canada calls on all Canadian financial institutions to adopt strong policies prohibiting investment in banned and indiscriminate weapons.

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

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

New Zealand: International Day of Peace

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from Scoop Independent News (reprinted as Creative Commons)

The UNANZ [United Nations Association of New Zealand] celebration for the International Day of Peace will take place on Monday 21st September 2015, 5.30 – 8.30 pm at Parliament in the Legislative chamber.

new newzealand

Our Keynote Speaker, Dr Kennedy Graham MP, will set the scene by speaking on the ‘invincible power of community spirit’.

The event will take the form of a panel discussion of ideas contributed from various community groups around NZ on actions which can be taken to create a culture of peace locally. The basis for the discussion will be the 9 point summary of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – “Transforming the World by 2030 – A New Agenda for Global Action” – to be presented for adoption at the United Nations at the end of September 2015.

The outcome of our discussion will act as a contribution from New Zealand, and will be sent to the NZ Permanent Representative to the UN and the government of NZ.

The evening will conclude with a lively performance by the Multicultural Council of Wellington; highlighting how New Zealand continues to emerge as a kaleidoscope of multiculturalism, peace and unity among nations.

Event outline

5.30pm

* Refreshments

* Welcome:

– Maori welcome

– City welcome – Her Worship the Mayor, Celia Wade-Brown

* Key-note speaker: Kennedy Graham MP, on “The Invincible Power of Community Spirit”

* Panel Chair: Dr Graham Hassall (President of the United Nations Association of New Zealand)

Questions for this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia

Ashland (Oregon, USA): Culture of Peace Commission Launches with World Peace Flame and OSF Oracle

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

by David Wick

The Ashland Chief of Police, an Oracle from Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and the World Peace Flame from Wales come together to launch the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission. Monday, September 21st, the United Nations International Day of Peace is the introduction of the historic Ashland Culture of Peace Commission along with the hopes of many people around the world.

Ashland
Ashland Community Tiles for Peace Wall – Ashland Library Main street

Ashland’s 1st Annual Culture of Peace Festival and Peacebuilding Resource Fair are being held 4:00pm – 8:00pm at the Ashland Elk’s Lodge, Basement Level and alley entrance (Will Dodge Way). Mayor John Stromberg provides a welcome at 5:00 pm, to be followed by an introduction of the Commission members, a lighting ceremony from the World Peace Flame in Wales (bring a candle to participate), predictions for the future of the Commission by the OSF Head Over Heels Oracle (Michele Mais), and a dedicated performance by Dancing People Company.

The Ashland Culture of Peace Commission is unique in the United States, and the world, and is acknowledged and supported by the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace at the United Nations. This culminates two years of work by a local citizens group working with the community and the Ashland City Council to create this one year pilot Commission.

Members were invited through the use of the Pathways To Peace, Peace Wheel (www.ashlandcpc.org). This process attracted the current fourteen people from various sectors of the community and more will be added. This includes members such as Police Chief Tighe O’Meara, Amy Blossom Manager of the Ashland Library, Editor of the Daily Tidings Newspaper Bert Etling and Joanne Lescher, counselor in Non-Violent Communications. The Commission will soon include students from Ashland High School and Southern Oregon University.

The Ashland Culture of Peace Commission (ACPC), endorsed by the Ashland City Council, is a body of diverse citizens who have a goal of an Ashland that identifies itself as a culture of peace, both as a commitment to itself and a presentation to the world. Essential elements are working with City Government and the Community to maintain and enhance respectful and caring relationships between all sectors of society and the environment upon which they depend. The Commission will work with serious concerns that are facing the Ashland community now, and in the future.

The Peacebuilding Resource Fair will have information and demonstration tables focused on local Peacebuilding resources such as mediation, conflict resolution, Non-Violent Communication, Restorative Justice, Collaborative law, and inner peace practices. There will also be musicians, poetry, and a grand finale dance.

A press conference will be held at 12:00 pm, September 21st with Police Chief O’Meara, Legal Counsel Eric Sirotkin and other Commission members at the ACPC office 33 First St, Suite 1, Ashland (First St/Lithia Way across from the Post Office).

For additional information www.ashlandcpc.org or contact Executive Director, David Wick 541-552-1061, davidwick111@gmail.com.

Questions for this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, North America

Zimbabwe: Artists Celebrate Peace

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Godwin Muzari, The Herald (Zimbabwe)

Dancers, actors and poets will come together to commemorate the International Day of Peace with performances at Zimbabwe Hall in Highfield. The International Day of Peace is celebrated on September 21 and the performances are set to take place on September 25. The programme was put in place by EDZAI ISU Theatre Arts Project founded by acclaimed actor and director Tafadzwa Muzondo.

zimbabwe
Blessing Hungwe in “Burn Mukwerekwere Burn”

One of the plays that are likely to be outstanding at the event is “Burn Mukwerekwere Burn” a 2010 production written by Blessing Hungwe. The anti-xenophobia play is a story of two Zimbabweans that are caught up in a dangerous situation following violence against foreigners that erupts in South Africa.

The characters, initially separated by tribal lines, realise they have more in common than their perceived differences. On their way to escape the horror of xenophobic attacks, the Zimbabweans eventually concur that love for their country and the fight for survival bind them together.

“Burn Mukwerekwere Burn” was showcased at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (2010) and had a run at Theatre in the Park. The play won a National Arts Merit Awards accolade and has been staged outside Zimbabwe and recently toured Germany.

Despite being written in 2010, last year’s xenophobic attacks in SA reignited interest in the production and it has been on rotation on various stages, culminating in its invitation to the Zimbabwe Hall event. Also featuring on the Zimbabwe Hall stage would be poet Mbizo Chirasha, well-known for his poem “Africa My Motherland”.

Chirasha was recently in Zambia for performances and said he is geared up for the upcoming International Day of Peace celebrations. “It is an honour to be invited to take part at such an event. I have been on a regional tour and I am more than prepared to go on a local stage at a big event,” said Chirasha.

“As poets we are glad to celebrate peace and condemn violence. There is war in many countries and some big nations are fanning violence in small nations. We have to add our voice in condemning war and violence. We want peace in the world and we will preach peace through poetry.”

The list of dancers at the event will be led by award-winning Zvido Zvevanhu dance ensemble from Mufakose. The group, which is led by Gibson Sarari, has made headlines during international tours and remains one of the best traditional dance ensembles. Sarari said the group will showcase various traditional dances at the event.

“It will be a big event for us. We have performed at various stages locally and internationally and we will continue showcasing various Zimbabwean traditional dances,” said Sarari. “We will mainly be showcasing celebratory dances because it will be a day to celebrate peace. We want the Highfield community to join us in the celebrations. We will dance to peace and sing songs of peace.”

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Question for this article:

How are you celebrating peace day

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Muzondo said the programme was part of a new project by Edzai Isu called TISU.COM (Theatre Inspired Social Unity for Community Organisation and Mobilisation). The programme is supported by Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust in partnership with SIDA and DANIDA.

“We will be bringing award winning and internationally acclaimed theatre plays to Zimbabwe Hall so that communities can watch internationally acclaimed plays by professional theatre practitioners every last Friday of the month starting with International Day of Peace and ending on World Theatre Day (March 27),” said Muzondo.

“Each professional play will be complemented by a community play followed by post performance discussions and spiced by guest poetry, dance and/or music appearances every month end targeting women and young people in Highfield and beyond.

“We have already identified the plays to showcase and we trained seven community groups in transformative theatre so that they incorporate some of the strategies in their work as community development communicators.”

Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

Colombia: VII National and II International Congress of REDUNIPAZ, 21, 22 and 23 September

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article of Uniminuto Tolima (translated by CPNN)

The University Corporation Minuto de Dios and the Regional Center Ibagué along with three higher education institutions of Tolima, will host the Seventh National and Second International Congress of REDUNIPAZ.

redunipaz

The academic meetings will be held on 21, 22 and 23 September in the city of Ibagué and will address “The Role of the University in Building Peace with Social Justice”.

The Ibagué Regional Center, is responsible for addressing the issue of Culture (Education, Education, Communication Art and Peace). 500 attendees are expected.

The Congress will start on September 21 with a National Assembly in the Ocobos Auditorium of the University of Tolima with delegates from all participating universities. Later a press conference with local and national media will be held, in order to disseminate the results of the academic meeting.

The same day in the afternoon will take place the installation of the Congress in the Auditorium Alfonso López Pumarejo of the Government of Tolima. The general public is invited.

At night the opening day will close with a concert of Colombian music in the Sala Alberto Castilla Conservatory of Tolima.

On the second day of the meeting activity will take place in each of the organizing universities.

The activity at the Regional Center Ibague will take place at the Chicalá Headquarters. There, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, the main theme will be culture. Education, Arts and Peace, Education and Communication, will be addressed at work tables, along with 13 papers that address the issue of peace.

On September 23 experts in the field of peace, will hold a conferences open to all the community of Ibagué. In the evening the academic event will close with general conclusions.

Click here to take part in the II International REDUNIPAZ Seventh National Congress.

(Click here for the original version in Spanish.)

Questions for this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Latin America

Global Feast for Peace, held annually during Peace Week, Sept. 15-21

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from the International Cities of Peace

International Day of Peace, September 21st of each year, was created by a United Nations Resolution in the 1980s and has grown to become a day of global celebration, education, and reflection on peace in local communities and throughout the world. During Peace Week, Sept. 15-21, families, friends, organizations, as well as cities, towns, and villages across the world gather and break bread together in a Global Feast for Peace.

Arment

ADD YOUR CITY TO THE MAP OF CITIES HAVING A FEAST FOR PEACE!

Sharing food together in celebration of friendship and common interest is a tradition as old as the human family. The Global Feast for Peace is part of the U.N. sponsored International Day of Peace, celebrated around the world on September 21st each year. Whether it’s a small family celebration or a large community gathering, the Feast for Peace is a simple and profound expression of peace that everyone, no matter how humble or blessed their circumstances, can connect with and enliven the global celebration. Feast for peace!

Who can participate?

• Families, neighborhoods, communities, and cities
• Organizations, including faith-based, interfaith and secular
• Businesses, both for-profit and not-for-profit
• Schools from nursery schools to higher education
• Anyone who wishes to express their wish for peace

What to do?

Join together during International Day of Peace or during Peace Week. The gathering can be a formal lunch or a group potluck where people bring a dish and share. Other events can be planned before, during, and/or after the Global Feast, including bell ringing, speakers, musical events, meditations and prayers, moments of silence and other activities that foster a culture of peace.

When to celebrate and plan?
Each year, there are thousands of celebrations around the world. Planning for the Global Feast should begin weeks or, better, several months ahead in order to involve as many people as possible.

Where to have the Feast?
The place for the Feast can be as small as a family dining room or as large as an amphitheater. One person can even Feast for Peace at home!

Why plan a Global Feast?
To come together as members of the human family; to honor those who have worked and who are working today for a more peaceful world; to encourage the next generation of peacebuilders. The Global Feast for Peace is a thanksgiving of the peace we have and to inspire actions to foster a culture of peace during the coming year.

To Register Your Event:
Send info to: story@internationalcitiesofpeace.org
Join our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Feast-for-Peace/490665730993992

Initiated by members of the Peace Cities Subcommittee of the IDP NGO for United Nations International Day of Peace.

Question for this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

Argentina: Cycles of Culture of Peace 22 September to 1 October

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A communication from the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, National University of La Plata (UNLP) (translation by CPNN)

In commemoration of the International Day of Peace and Nonviolence, which is celebrated on September 21, the following cycle will take place from 22 September to 1 October, at six and eight o’clock. This cycle will feature various presentations and photo exhibitions during the week.

ciclos

Days for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence

The International Day of Peace and Nonviolence reflects the profound aspiration of all peoples to live together, free and equal in dignity and rights,

September 22

INTRODUCTION: PROMOTING A CULTURE OF PEACE. PHILOSOPHY FOR MAKING PEACE, THE RIGHT TO PEACE AND ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE

Coordinator Rocio Pilar Gomez, Lawyer (UNLP) Criminal Law Specialist (UBA), Diploma in Culture of Peace (University of Barcelona) – Prosecution of Crimes Related o Trafficking in Persons – Assistant Professor of Law and Faculty Social UNLP.-

September 23

THE PROCESSES OF INTEGRATION AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL PEACE AND DEMOCRACY

Mag. Laura Maira Bono, Lawyer (UNLP), Coordinator of the Department of Latin America and the Caribbean and CENSUD -. IRI, Master in International Relations, Professor of Public International Law FCJyS -UNLP. Researcher IRI.

Mag. Laura Lucía Bogado Bordazar,, Doctor of Law and Social Sciences (Lawyer) and Master in International Relations, University of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, teaching and research of public international law FCJyS – UNLP. Coordinator of the Department of Latin America and the Caribbean, South American Studies Center and the Chair of IRI Brazil UNLP.

September 24

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND HUMAN RIGHTS: The Human Right to Adequate Food

Dr. Marcos Ezequiel Filardi, lawyer specializing in Human Rights (UBA and Columbia). He has visited more than 200 projects for Human Rights and Development in countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Professor of Human Rights Law School (UBA), in charge of the Interdisciplinary Seminar on Hunger and the Human Right to Adequate Food. He chairs the teaching of Food Sovereignty in the School of Nutrition and Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Buenos Aires, and the Chair of Food Sovereignty of the National University of Lomas de Zamora.

Carolina Maria Gomez Fonseca, Sociologist, PhD in Human Rights, University of Lanus, Master of Agricultural Social Studies, FLACSO. She specializes in studies on gender and rural organization and has extensive experience in working with rural communities, migrant populations including those who have been forcibly displaced.

September 25

INSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE: BUILDING SPACES FOR NEW PRACTICES

Dr. Esteban Rodriguez Alzueta, Lawyer, essayist and Master of Social Sciences (UNLP), Teaching, Research and Extension in UNQ and UNLP, Author of the book “Fear and Control. Managing insecurity as a form of government.”Also author of Media Justice (2000), Against the Press (2001) and Crude Esthetics (2003); coauthor of The radicalism of legal forms (2002); The criminalization of social protest (2003) and Policies of Terror (2007). Member of the Collective for Research and Legal Action (CIAJ), human rights commission of the city of La Plata; member of the cultural group La Grieta of the city of La Plata

September 28

CHILDREN, HUMAN RIGHTS AND PUBLIC POLICIES: THE CHALLENGE TO TRANSFORM THE VARIOUS DAILY VIOLENCE SUFFERED BY CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH OPTIONS OF A DECENT LIFE, TOGETHER WITH OTHERS.

Dra. Carola Bianco, lawyer, specialist in Improving Law Procedure, Associate Professor of Sociology of Law Faculty of Law at the National University of La Plata, director of the Program for Children, Human Rights and Public Policy of the Extension Secretariat FCJyS UNLP-.

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(Click here for the original version in Spanish.)

Question for this article:

How are you celebrating peace day

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September 29

WOMEN AND CULTURE OF PEACE: Resolution 1325 of the Security Council of the UN. “Women, Peace and Security” – an innovative milestone in the peace agenda and gender

Dr. Maria Julia Moreyra, “Women for Peace around the World”, Regional Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean for Women for Peace around the World. Lawyer, Master in International Relations (FLACSO – Argentina), Author of the book “Armed Conflict and Sexual Violence Against Women” (Publishers Puerto- 2007), lecturer in public and private universities in Argentina and in international forums on Resolution 1325 Security Council UN and on the International Criminal Court.

Mr. Alejandro Alvarez. Collaborator with the Regional Office of Women for Peace around the World. Former member of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations.

September 30

TRUTH, JUSTICE AND REPARATION: THE PROCESS OF TRANSITION TO PEACE IN LATIN AMERICA

Dra. Natalia Barbero, PhD in Criminal Law (UNED, Spain). Master of Comparative Law (USD, United States). Legal adviser. Specialist consulting on the theme of Human Rights and International Criminal Law. Professor of Human Rights, Criminal Law, International Criminal Law and Transitional Justice at the University of Buenos Aires, Belgrano University and St. Thomas University (Colombia). INTERVENOR IN COLOMBIA PEACE PROCESS

October 1st

Closure: Dr. Fabian Salvioli, President of the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations

WHERE: Hall of Mirrors (Edificio de la Reforma – 48th Street between 6th and 7th # 582)

Free admission

RIGHT TO CERTIFICATION: with 80% attendance at the conference

REGISTRATION: personally at the University Extension Department (1st Floor of the Reforma building), Monday through Friday from 8 to 20 hours.

Brief history

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by resolution 36/67 of the UN General Assembly. Peace Day was celebrated for the first time in September 1982.

Every September 21 the International Day of Peace is celebrated. This day is devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace among all nations and peoples.

The motto of this year’s celebration is “Partnership for peace, dignity for all”, to highlight the importance for all social groups to work together for peace.

Along with this, the International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the independence movement in India and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of nonviolence.

According to the resolution A/RES/61/271 of the General Assembly of June 15, 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness “. The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence.”

As a result, Argentina enacted a law declaring 2 October as the Day of Nonviolence, norma 27.092, enacted last December by the Congress. The date chosen coincides with the International Day of Non-Violence established by the UN to mark the anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.

(Thanks to Rocio Pilar, CPNN reporter for this article.)

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Latin America

Curitiba, Brazil: Military police discuss culture of peace

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Un article from the Instituto Mundo Melhor (translation by CPNN)

On 25 August, the Instituto Mundo Melhor (IMM) brought together police officers from Curitiba to discuss the culture of peace. The activities put an emphasis on values ​​education and pedagogy of coexistence. The project involved about 30 professionals from the 12th and 13th Battalions of the Paraná Military Police and trained police officers from the Units of Paraná Seguro.

curitiba

The President of the IMM, Jeroslau Pauliki, commented on the pilot experience of working with public outside the areas of education, welfare and health in which they already have expertise. “This pioneering initiative brings us to an important reflection. Even if their professions are diametrically opposed, the work environment, their conflicts and challenges are similar in many ways and this contributes to an open discussion and development for all,” he said.
 
The initiative is evaluated favorably by the commander of the 12th Battalion, Colonel Antonio Zanatta Neto. “It is an excellent opportunity to integrate the military police in society and to seek new knowledge. Our expectations are good, because I know the platform crafted by the IMM. The contents have been adapted to the military police and we are the pioneers. We want to break paradigms and further advance community policing and citizen services, “he added.
 
The next meeting of Education for Peace by the IMM with the 12th Military Police Battalion will take place on September 16. In all, there will be four meetings. The contents will be taught by the Center for Studies and Teacher Training in Education for Peace and Coexistence of the Ponta Grossa State University.

(Click here for the original version in Portuguese)

Questions for this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

Afghan Girl, Sakina, Buries Toy Gun and Says…

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Dr. Hakim, Voices for Creative Nonviolence

Ten-year-old Sakina, an Afghan street kid, had this to say, “I don’t like to be in a world of war. I like to be in a world of peace.” On 27th August 2015, Sakina and Inam, with fellow Afghan street kids and the Afghan Peace Volunteers, held a mock funeral for weapons and celebrated the establishment of a green space in Kabul.

afghan
Sakina breaks a toy gun

Dressed in long black coats, they broke and buried toy guns in a small spot where, over the past two years, they have been planting trees.

Sakina breaks a toy gun before burying it. Inam and other street kids await their turn.

Inam, a bright-eyed ten year old, caught the group’s energetic desire to build a world without war. “I kept toy guns till about three years ago,” he acknowledged with a smile.

On the same day, Nobel Laureate Oscar Arias Sanchez, ex-President of Costa Rica, was in Mexico for the Arms Trade Treaty’s First Conference of States Parties.

In his statement at the Conference, he told the story of an indigenous Guatemalan woman who thanked him for negotiating a peace accord 28 years ago. The mother had said, “Thank you, Mr. President, for my child who is in the mountains fighting, and for the child I carry in my womb.”

No mother, Guatemalan or Afghan, wants her children to be killed in war.

Oscar Arias Sanchez wrote: “I never met them, but those children of conflict are never far from my thoughts. They were [the peace treaty’s] true authors, its reason for being.”

I’m confident that the children of Afghanistan were also in his thoughts, especially since he had a brief personal connection with the Afghan Peace Volunteers in 2014, having been part of a Peace Jam video message of solidarity to the Volunteers, wearing their Borderfree Blue Scarves which symbolize that “all human beings live under the same blue sky”.

I thank Mr Oscar Arias Sanchez for his important work on the Arms Trade Treaty, though I sense that an arms trade treaty isn’t going to be enough.

Afghan children are dying from the use of weapons.

To survive, they need a ban against weapons. Regulations about buying and selling weapons perpetuate a trade that is killing them.

I saw Inam and other child laborers who work in Kabul’s streets decisively swing hammers down on the plastic toy guns, breaking off triggers, scattering nozzles into useless pieces and symbolically breaking our adult addiction to weapons.

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Question for this article:

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

Is peace possible in Afghanistan?

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Children shouldn’t have to pay the price for our usual business, especially business from the U.S., the largest arms seller in the world. U.S. children suffer too, with more U.S. people having died as a result of gun violence since 1968 than have died in all U.S. wars combined. U.S. weapon sellers are killing their own people; by exporting their state-of-the-art weapons, they facilitate the killing of many others around the world.

After burying the toy guns, surrounded by the evergreen and poplar trees which they had planted, the youth shed their black coats and donned sky-blue scarves.

Another world was appearing as Sakina and Inam watched young friends plant one more evergreen sapling.

Inam knew that it hasn’t been easy to create this green space in heavily fortified Kabul.

The City Municipality said they couldn’t water the trees (though it is just 200 metres away from their office). The Greenery Department weren’t helpful. Finally, the security guards of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission just across from the garden, offered to help, after the Volunteers had provided them with a 100-metre water hose.

Rohullah, who coordinates the environment team at the Borderfree Nonviolence Community Centre, expressed his frustration. “Once, we had to hire a private water delivery service to water the tree saplings so they wouldn’t shrivel up. None of the government departments could assist.”

Sighing, he added ironically, “We can’t use the Kabul River tributary running just next to the Garden, as the trash-laden trickle of black, bracken water is smelly and filthy.”

Meanwhile, in the rest of the country, according to figures from the National Priorities Project, a non-profit, non-partisan U.S. federal budget research group, the ongoing Afghan War is costing American taxpayers US $4 million an hour.

It is the youth and children who are making sense today, like when Nobel Laureate Malalai Yousafzai said recently that if the whole world stopped spending money on the military for just 8 days, we could provide 12 years of free, quality education for every child on the planet.

“I don’t like to work in the streets, but my family needs bread. Usually, I feel sad,” Inam said, looking away, “because I feel a sort of helplessness.”

Oscar Arias Sanchez said at the Arms Trade Treaty’s First Conference, “And we must speak, today – in favour of this crucial treaty, and its swift and effective implementation. If we do, then when today’s children of conflict look to us for guidance and leadership, we will no longer look away in shame. We will be able to tell them, at long last, that we are standing watch for them. We are on guard. Someone is finally ready to take action.”
That morning, I heard the voices of Sakina, Inam and the Afghan youth ring through the street, “#Enough of war!”

It wasn’t a protest. It was the hands-on building of a green spot without weapons, and an encouraging call for others to do so everywhere.

Through their dramatic colours and clear action, they were inviting all of us, “Bury your weapons. Build your gardens.”

“We will stand watch for you!”

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

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, South Asia