EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from Le Nouvelliste

Evans Okan, General Director of Educultura Educación Sin Fronteras and International Director for Latin America of IFLAC World (International Forum for Literature and Culture of Peace), talks about the first edition of the IFLAC World Peace Festival that he conducted this year in Argentina from September 21-25, 2022.

Ticket: What is the iFLAC World Peace Festival? (Tell us a bit about the festival; Date of creation, objective, etc.?)

Evans Okan: The first edition of the iFLAC World Peace Festival, which took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from September 21 to 25 this year, brought together around 30 poets, artists and cultural leaders, from countries such as Sri Lanka , Argentina, Colombia, United States of America, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile, Haiti, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, among others. This international event has been promoted by several cultural and educational organizations such as Educultura, IFLAC World, Fundación FEPAIS, Universidad de la Marina Mercante, La Casa del Poeta del Reino Unido, La casa de la Cultura de Buenos Aires and Asociación Civil Casa Paraguaya.

I had the great honor of leading the festival this year as International Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of IFLAC World, but also as Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the event, accompanied by three renowned poetesses of the region: Samiri Hernández Hiraldo, festival coordinator, originally from Puerto Rico, Jennifer García from Colombia was in charge of promoting this great event and Alicia Muñoz Veri from Argentina, as vice-president of the committee.

We have the firm conviction that peace is born from the heart and becomes an act and an immediate presence when the word manages to penetrate and deeply move souls, deciphering their dreams and clarifying their uncertainties. It is therefore from poetry, art, creative thought and culture that the world can change and in fact it does, despite the great differences and conflicts that sometimes divide us and seek to isolate.

Ticket: How is this event important to you as a Haitian?

Evans Okan: First of all, we must consider that Haitian literature is a literature of resistance, which is directly associated with the struggle for freedom and the promotion of universal peace, as mentioned by Dr. Reina Sotillo, Minister Plenipotentiary of Argentina, in his opening speech. Our literature was born at the time of the revolution and culminated with the great epic of Toussaint Louverture and the proclamation of independence in 1804.

Yet the first free country in Latin America and the Caribbean suffered from foreign harassment from the start, starting with the abusive debt of independence that France demanded from our country and that took more than a century to liquidate.

For me, as a Haitian, faced with this harsh reality and in a world largely marked by war, borders and discrimination, the IFLAC World Peace Festival Argentina 2022 was the perfect opportunity to:

1. Remind our brothers in Latin America of the great cultural richness and social ties that unite Haiti to the other countries of the region in a common dream of freedom, peace, greatness and prosperity, beyond linguistic differences or others. It is this wave of love and fraternity that has united us. The love of our roots, of what we really are and not of what the other wants us to be.

2. Advocate for a more humane political and social system in our region, whose sole purpose is development and the common good.

3. On the other hand, it was also an opportunity to plead, through art, for real social justice in our countries, for a fairer distribution of wealth and opportunities. We cannot speak of peace when, before our very eyes, neighboring countries are dying of hunger and whole populations sinking into violence, conflict and disease.

4. To say that in 2022, it is UNACCEPTABLE that many countries in the Caribbean region and Latin America, such as Haiti, the first black republic, the country that was the first to rise up against slavery to obtain freedom from colonialism, be plagued by internal conflict and ruined by the burden of international debt for Third World countries.

5. Draw the attention of our leaders and the various sectors in Haiti to this, to remind them that the only way out is to be able to decide for ourselves and take charge of the future of our people. Together we can eradicate hunger, poverty, injustice, violence, mental slavery and domination.

6. Remind everyone that Haiti is a land of art, culture, spirituality and mystery, far from being the poorest country in the Americas.

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(click here for the French original of this article)

How can poetry promote a culture of peace?

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Ticket: The festival brought together different countries including Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, among others. What explains the choice of these countries in particular?

Evans Okan: The International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace (IFLAC), is a voluntary association founded and directed by the Egyptian-born Israeli writer Ada Aharoni (Ph.D), since 1999, in addition to her vice-president, writer Elena Vargas, who lives in England, the organization enjoys a global reach, with 22 years of promoting peace and representations in several countries around the world. But, this particular festival was sponsored by the regional representation that I lead, which includes Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain.

In this context, poetry, art and the different cultural manifestations of the countries of the region were present in a fraternal encounter full of hope, with the aim of creating new links and spaces of solidarity, recognition and cultural diffusion. through the voice of our poets, writers, artists, journalists, teachers and cultural promoters as the most effective, authentic and powerful way to build a better, more harmonious and more humane society in pressing and difficult times like the ones we are experiencing .

Ticket: Why the choice of Indran Amirtanayagam as one of the two personalities to be honored within the framework of this first edition?

Evans Okan: It was a wonderful opportunity, as part of the official program, to highlight and recognize two important personalities in the international literary world who represent two different generations, namely Indran Amirtanayagam from the United States, IFLAC World PRIZE World Poet and young Colombian poet Jennifer García, IFLAC World Entrepreneurship And Poetry PRIZE.

These awards are now part of the official activities and initiatives of IFLAC World, to stimulate, promote and exalt the life and work of writers, artists and cultural leaders committed to the ideals of peace that define them.

For IFLAC World and Educultura, awarding this prize to these two great literary references is a unique opportunity to celebrate their fundamental principles and values ​​expressed in a poetry full of meaning and quality, always attentive to the evolution of history and realities. of our peoples.

The life and work of the poet Indran Amirthanayagam, is a categorical example of consecration and humanism in our century, not only for his immense creative talent, but also for his very high quality as a human being, as a leader, as a diplomat, as a teacher and as a friend to all.

Ticket: Who were the representatives of Haiti at this first edition of the iFLAC World Peace Festival?

Evans Okan: We all know that literature is a strong point of Haitian culture, on this occasion Haiti was represented by me, not only as international director of IFLAC World Latinoamerica but also as a writer, because in addition to n being in charge of the direction of the festival, I participated in two reading tables where I presented some of my poems written in French.

Jovanie Jean Pierre, a young student from the city of Jérémie, who is participating in the Educultura study program in Argentina, did me the honor of reading the Spanish translation of my poems, which was a very moving moment for me. and for all the public.

On the other hand, the Haitian poet Martine Milard, residing in France, was also invited to participate in the event, but could not attend for personal reasons.

Ticket: A review of this edition? What are your prospects for the other years to come?

Evans Okan: During the four days of the festival, cultural and educational activities were carried out, which the local people received with great affection, enthusiasm and gratitude. The IFLAC World Peace Festival, Argentina 2022 has successfully fulfilled its mission to bring a message of peace to the world and to summon the highest commitment, responsibility and love for our people, our country, our continent.

Haiti has long been considered a symbol of peace and freedom, however, due to the social, political and economic problems the country is currently facing, this image has weakened. We are aware that art, education, culture and creative thinking are the best way to recover communities, strengthen their connection with the world and contribute to their development. For this reason, we are working so that the location of the next IFLAC World Peace Festival is Haiti, because among other things, we recognize its great cultural richness, its heritage and all that it can offer to the other peoples of Latin America.

The fact that the first edition held in Argentina was led by a Haitian artist and cultural ambassador opens the door for this project to be enthusiastically welcomed by my people next year. The IFLAC World Peace Festival, Haiti 2023, is now our main focus. We hope to bring poetry, art and other cultural manifestations to this community, through a fraternal encounter, which generates new bonds and spaces of solidarity, recognition and cultural diffusion.

Finally, I would like to thank the whole team at Le Nouvelliste for allowing me to reconnect with my roots through this interview and for giving me the opportunity to remind our society that our country still retains many values ​​and the hope of a future change.

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Corrreo del Sur (translation by CPNN)

“We are moved by the hope that another world is possible, that spending one’s life serving others is worth it…” These emotional words were expressed by the president of the University Network of Conciliation and Mediation Centers and dean of the Faculty of Law, Political and Social Sciences of the Universidad San Francisco Xavier, Fátima Tardío, during the closing ceremony of the XVIII World Mediation Congress, co-organized by the Universidad de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca in Sucre, Bolivia, the Universidad de Sonora (Mexico) and the Institute of Mediation of Mexico.

The congress took place for five days, between August 1 and 5 and brought together more than 2,000 people including exhibitors, workshop leaders, teachers and university students from different parts of the world. They came from countries such as Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Spain, France, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Portugal and Uruguay.

Its success is due to the quality of the participating professionals and also to the efforts of the teams responsible for every detail of the organization: a battalion of University officials and generous volunteers. At the level of authorities, the Vice Chancellor Peter Campos and Dean Tardío were in charge, in addition to the Director of Social Interaction and University Extension, Narda Gonzáles, and the articulating link with the Mediation Institute of Mexico, César Rojas.

THE SEED, THE CONGRESSES

“From this event will come the seed of a new way of understanding education in Bolivia, that change is possible, that utopia is possible and that it is worth fighting for a dream,” emphasized the Dean, who had previously described as “very symbolic” the fact that Vice President David Choquehuanca and the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Ricardo Torres, were present at the closing ceremony of the congress.

Walt Disney warned of the risk of dreaming by indicating that if one has dreams, they are likely to come true…

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(click here for the original version in Spanish).

Mediation as a tool for nonviolence and culture of peace

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A few weeks ago, the conflictologist from Chuquisaca, César Rojas, was in charge of the conversation “Culture of peace, mediation and journalism”, organized by the National Association of the Press (ANP), and there he expressed his hope that Sucre could host more congresses such as the which was developed between the historic building of the Faculty of Law and the modern International Center for Conventions and Culture (CICC).

Following this route, on Friday, the Vice Chancellor of San Francisco Xavier, Peter Campos, announced the letter of intent for the 400 years that this institution will celebrate in 2024: “We want our city of Sucre to be the capital of international congresses”. He made an important announcement: in 2023, in the Bolivian capital, the “First World Congress of Restorative Justice” will be installed and in 2024, the Latin American Congress of Research for Peace (CLAIP).

ONE CHANGE, ONE COMMUNITY

Also in his farewell speech, the president of the Mediation Institute of Mexico, Jorge Pesqueira Leal, awarded with the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa by the San Francisco Xavier University, advocated “the desire to build a change for the good of our planet ”. He said: “We have been truly cruel to our home… it is inadmissible, but it is a reality, the social injustice that we live.”

“Let’s generate that much-needed change,” he invited the crowd, which once again packed the CICC auditorium.

María Auxiliadora Moreno Valenzuela, head of the University Rights Ombudsman of the University of Sonora, on behalf of María Rita Plancarte Martínez, University rector, highlighted the work, the meeting and the learning of the congress days. “Especially important are the new processes to disseminate mediation within the framework of the culture of peace (…), the creation of a large community of mediators, as well as promoters of mediation, to improve relationships in families, schools and workplaces; also in the universities, since these are the motor and impulse of the works related to mediation”.

She expressed her conviction that the results of the congress will result in “alliances and projects that serve to create in everyone’s consciousness the need to make our environments and spaces into friendly places with positive human relationships and healthier environments.” She called on everyone to contribute to “a more egalitarian world and, with it, a more humane one.”

The Sucre congress also served to consolidate the new Ibero-American Network of Conciliation and Extrajudicial Mediation Centers, made up of 17 countries, which was underlined by its ad hoc president, José Javier Tapia Gutiérrez.

ORGANIZERS

In San Francisco Xavier, the departments or units that worked on the organization of the XVIII World Mediation Congress were: Infrastructure (30 people), Academic Commission (5), Administrative and Logistics Commission (6), Systems Area (10 engineers), Accreditors and Registration (16), Social and Cultural Commission (4 in charge of 100 Protocol students), Choristers (30). Source: Narda Gonzales, director of Social Interaction and University Extension (USFX).

. EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from Noticias Sin (translation by CPNN)

The Dominican College of Journalists (CDP) and the National Conflict Resolution System (Sinarec) have signed an agreement to promote a culture of peace at the national level through workshops, courses, seminars and other forms of education.

The agreement was signed by Aurelio Henríquez, president of the CDP, and Petronila Rosario Adames, director of Sinarec. They will promote a broad program of awareness at the national level through continuous education of the Culture of Peace with the aim of reducing violence in the Dominican Republic.

(Click here for the original Spanish version).

Where is peace education taking place?

Both organizations will work in all the sections of the country to strengthen non-violent communication that facilitates a culture of peace, through seminars, workshops, talks, forums, workshops, conferences, congresses and any other way that educates for peaceful and non-violent coexistence in society.

Sinarec is a body attached to the office of the Attorney General of the Republic and was created by the Superior Council of the Public Ministry, with the aim of implementing a system at the national level that allows the culture of peace to be carried out through social organizations, along with neighbors, professional associations and non-profit organizations.

The two organizations agreed to create a monitoring commission to ensure the development and execution of this agreement. The commission will include made up of two people, who will plan the programs to be executed, prepare logistics and make the invitations.

CDP-CINAREC committed to managing and promoting the activities they carry out together, such as courses and diplomas that they deem relevant for technical development and professional improvement for the strengthening of peaceful coexistence in our communities.

CDP and Sinarec will initiate a cycle of conferences, talks, courses and specialized training. At the end of each training which includeds more than eight hours of face-to-face classes, the participants will receive a certificate of participation.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from the Michoacan Radio and Television System (translation by CPNN°

The Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, through the National Coordination of Children’s Cultural Development, and the Ministry of Culture of Michoacán (SECUM), through Alas y Raíces, invite managers, managers, promoters and promoters of children’s culture, as well as artists who work with children and adolescents in Mexico to participate in the online diploma for the Culture of Peace through the Arts.

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(Click here for the original Spanish version of this article.)

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

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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The objective of the diploma focuses on reflecting and identifying the violent processes faced by children and adolescents, so that the promoters of children’s culture can take practical and methodological actions for their intervention and care, strengthening skills, values ​​and attitudes for the construction of peaceful environments. In addition, the diploma involves the implementation of an artistic project / activity with a focus on a culture of peace.

The sessions will be offered on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and on Saturdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; from July 2 to October 29.

Registration to participate takes place from June 15 to 30, in person or by internet by going to https://forms.gle/KA2CzxyuerBpVA4J6 with attached explanatory letter of motives and curricular profile. For more information contact scalasyraices@gmail.com

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Sintesis (translation by CPNN)

The State Human Rights Commission (CEDH) has published the first issue of its electronic magazine “Culture of Peace”, which seeks to open communication channels and spaces for dialogue with society and create efficient interaction.

One of the intentions is to reach civil associations and public and private institutions, which are an important part of the dissemination and awareness of the importance of defending human rights.

Ombudsperson Jakqueline Ordoñez Brasdefer informed that the address through which the magazine can be consulted is https://cedhtlax.org.mx /contenido_Digital/culturadepaz/. It seeks to generate awareness and socialization on the subject of human rights, as well as promoting values, attitudes and behaviors aimed at rejecting violence and preventing conflicts.

“It is utopian, since in the State Human Rights Commission we aspire to a whole system of values, skills, attitudes and modes of action that reflect respect for life, human beings, dignity and the rejection of the violence. With this publication we add our grain of sand, ”she said.

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

How can we promote a human rights, peace based education?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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In addition, she pointed out that with the magazine the Commission complies with its Internal Regulations, in the sense of having a publication body in printed or digital form, whose publication is at least every four months, including Recommendations, official letters of non- responsibility, proposals, pronouncements, protests, Council agreements, annual or special reports, as well as diverse material that, due to its importance, requires dissemination.

Regarding the content of the magazine, Ordoñez Brasdefer explained that “Culture of Peace” will publish news, articles, interviews, statistics, photographs and information on the subject of human rights. He specified that the purpose is to pluralize its content through the participation of academia, public institutions and universities.

In its first issue, the magazine publishes the commitments that representatives of the three powers and autonomous state agencies assumed on February 24, during the commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the ECHR, in an event held at the Xicohténcatl Theater from the city of Tlaxcala.

Similarly, the magazine publishes a brief review of what the State Human Rights Commission is and how it is integrated, as well as a description of the Mexican Federation of Public Human Rights Organizations.

Lastly, its pages include opinion articles written by advisory counselor Agustín Flores Peña; the director of the Research and Training Center, Leopoldo Zárate García; and the deputy director of the same Research Center, Herminia Hernández Jiménez.

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An editorial by Rodrigo Mancera in the Tribuna de Querétero (translation by CPNN)

With the aim of promoting a series of values, attitudes and behaviors that reject violence and prevent conflicts, the Culture of Peace aims to learn and teach to engage in dialogue, reflection and consensus, as well as to solve problems through respect for human rights. It is not the absence of violence, but a refocus that guarantees learning from conflict and the positive development of people and their communities.

Approved by the United Nations Organization (UN) on October 6, 1999, in the document Declaration and Program of Action on a Culture of Peace, the General Assembly emphasizes the Charter of the United Nations, the constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It recognizes that peace is not only the absence of conflict, but also a process aimed at a solution.

Made up of nine articles, it includes a Program of Action with Objectives, strategies and main agents and a consolidation of the measures to be adopted by all peace agents, relevant at the national, regional and international levels, in which measures are discussed to promote a Culture of Peace mainly through education. It calls on all (individuals, groups, associations, educational communities, companies and institutions) to bring to their daily activities a consistent commitment based on respect for all lives, solidarity, generosity, understanding, environmental preservation and rejection of violence.

According to the Manifesto for a culture of peace and non-violence of the year 2000, this movement seeks a fairer, more supportive, freer, dignified and harmonious world, as well as prosperity for all. It urges countries to maintain a world free of wars, without conflicts and corruption. Its four axes include rejecting violence, practicing active non-violence and rejecting physical, sexual, psychological, economic and social violence in all its aspects, particularly towards the weakest, such as children and adolescents.

The Manifesto calls for generosity through actions, sharing time and material and psychological resources with the people who most need it and giving them the privilege of having an opportunity; Contribute to the development of the community, promoting the full participation of women and respect for democratic principles, in order to create together new forms of solidarity; And preserve the planet, by promoting responsible consumption and taking into account the importance of life and the balance of the natural resources of the planet on which we live.

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

How can we promote a human rights, peace based education?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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By October 2006, the movement for a culture of peace had more than 700 organizations, which participated in a report on the advances in this culture in 2005. As well as the culture of non-violent resistance, it became a form of protest related to civil disobedience that advocates the achievement of political, social and cultural change without the need to use violence as a political weapon. Symbolic protests and acts of non-cooperation in the political and economic areas are used in this practice.

Currently, the culture of peace is formed in a long-term process of action based on moral and ethical principles of personal recognition in the relationship of people with people. It continues the search to sow the values ​​of peace in the minds of human beings.

As Elsa Rojas Bonilla, a teacher in Social Sciences in Colombia, points out, educating for a culture of peace and citizenship education is a challenge for the community. Its different components are a way to transform the society to allow human beings to find solutions that allow conflicts to be faced without violence, with the necessary strength to reach solutions in a convulsed society so thateveryone is a winner,

In her article “The culture of peace and its importance in the process of citizen training”, Rojas Bonilla points out that the objective is to search for a new type of citizen, capable of relating to other people, respecting the rules of coexistence, knowing their rights, fulfilling their duties, and inserting themselves constructively in the new society. The pedagogical processes that allow the creation of a culture of peace must promote the process of appropriation of knowledge related to the territory, culture, the economic and social context and historical memory, with the purpose of reconstructing the social fabric, promoting general prosperity and guarantee the effectiveness of the principles, rights and duties.

In the Mexican context, although the culture of peace has few investigations and lacks applications to a great extent, there are organizations that seek the same goal as that previously stated by the UN. Mexico suffers from an internal war between the authorities and organized crime, the processes and acts of corruption, as well as statements with hate speech by both local and state leaders as well as the head of the executive, which makes the country a candidate for the process and the necessary practice of the culture of peace and non-violence.

In fact, speeches like “I want to address you, criminal; I don’t care where you are or where you’re hiding” by Mauricio Kuri, Governor of the State of Querétaro, and the various threats made by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador himself against the opposition and the national press, these cases, among others, create a context that discourages peace in our country. As the UN manifesto reminds us, one of the challenges is to transform the perspective, traditions and imposed cultures that were created based on violence, racism and corruption, because : “only in societies that live in equity, freedom, equality and solidarity, can there be peace”.

Click here to see how these principles are put into action for education at the Autonomous University of Querétaro.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from El Universo (translation by CPNN)

Given that the hip-hop movement and its cultural values ​​are growing in Ecuador, thanks to the various initiatives of artists, managers, communicators and activists, this Saturday, May 21, the first meeting of local urban art and culture will be held, called Hip-hop to the Garza.

The event is rooted in the Hip-Hop Peace Declaration, which Temple of Hip Hop, Ribbons International, UNESCO and 300 pioneering hip hop culture activists signed in May 2001. The declaration recognizes the movement as a culture of peace, personal development and international prosperity at the service of communities. The movement fights against the realities of inequity and social inequality in society and governments. It is celebrated annually in the month of May.

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(Click here for the original Spanish version of this article.)

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

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This year the initiative is a development of the groups Música en Casa, Casa Impro, Wide Mixer and the Garza Roja Cultural Foundation.

“Most of the urban areas in Guayaquil are engaged in the urban culture of hip hop. We want to show that urban culture not only encompasses singers, graffiti artists, but also many people who make other types of art, and that is why this event is important so that all these actors can also get to know each other and that the public can identify with them”, explains Sara Arana, the Rap Lawyer and spokesperson for the meeting.

“We don’t need to sing rap or dress in a stereotyped way, we live urban art every day”.

The festival is projected as an outdoor urban experience with the four elements of hip hop: the MC (master of ceremonies), the DJ (beats), break dance and graffiti. It includes comedy, poetry, circus arts, cultural endeavors and freestyle, with special guests such as Junox Mc, A2H+, De Jota El Máximo Exponente, Las Ratas, Juliana Solís, Lucky Luciano, Dj Mandy, La Abogada del Rap. Graffiti artists like Kamikaze Mc, from Quito and representing female power, Hans Knopf from Guayaquil and more than 20 artists on stage.

It is a family event and suitable for all audiences, and will take place in the facilities of the Garza Roja Cultural Park (km 37 via Daule – Nobol), from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Admission is free, with prior registration.