Category Archives: global

Inconsapevole Records releases “Punk Rock Against War Vol. 2” compilation

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An announcement from Dying Scene

Italian label Inconsapevole Records  have released the second installment of their “Punk Rock Against War” compilation series. 


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Question for this article:

What place does music have in the peace movement?

All the proceeds go to Emergency, an independent and neutral international organisation founded in 1994 to provide free, high-quality medical and surgical care to victims of wars, anti-personnel mines and poverty. It promotes a culture of peace, solidarity and respect for human rights.

The compilation has an incredible 111 bands on it, including many you’ll know and love. Check it out below.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, global

Launch of the Second World March for Peace and Nonviolence

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Excerpts from an article in Pressenza

At the launch of the 2nd World March for Peace and Nonviolence in Madrid, on October 2nd, International Nonviolence Day that commemorates Gandhi’s birth, Rafael de la Rubia said:

“It should be said that this is not just a peripheral journey through the surface of the planet, through the surface of the earth. To this walking along roads, places, countries… you can add an internal journey, going through the depths of our existence, trying to match what we think with what we feel and with what we do, in order to be more coherent, gain more meaning in our lives and eliminate internal violence.” . . .


In Chile, with Parliamentarian Tomas Hirsch: “Active Nonviolence is the Force that will transform the world”

The beginning of the March was celebrated in different points of the world

From Antonio Gancedo’s blog:

Chile: the beginning of the 2 World March was announced in the National Parliament By the humanist parliamentarian Tomás Hirsch. And Santiago de Chile stretched with a “Hug for Nonviolence” as a dissemination of the 2 World March for Peace and Nonviolence.

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Question for this article:

How can we be sure to get news about peace demonstrations?

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From Seville and the Port of Santa Maria, in Spain to embark on the ferry journey to Tangier, Morocco the entry point of the WM in Africa where A Humanist Forum took place. In the Spanish cities of Seville and A Coruña, where the March was launched during a session in the Town Hall, different activities expressed the commitment to Peace and Nonviolence.

The World March in the Italian Parliament: The World March has among its objectives the dissemination of the culture of Peace and Non-Violence, disarmament – especially nuclear disarmament -, the defence of the environment and the enhancement of diversity. During the event “The beginning of the end of nuclear weapons” was projected, a work produced by the international press agency Pressenza on the occasion of the second anniversary of the approval of the UN Nuclear Disarmament Treaty (ICAN campaign, Nobel Prize of the Peace 2017). The documentary aims to contribute to the goal of reaching the end of the World March with the ratification of the TPAN  by 50 countries to make it binding.

Brazil: From Pernambuco, Brazil, accompanying the launch of the 2ª World March the first “Live EAD”Live from Nonviolence in schools  with 474 enrolled, 10 tutors in 20 states of Brazil, which connect on the website of the UFRPE (Federal Rural University of Pernambuco). A talk by Gunther Aleksander, of the Pressenza Agency, and Vinicius Pereira, of the Nonviolence in Schools Project, about the launch of the 2 World March for Peace and Nonviolence, giving the appropriate explanations on the free course of distance education for the formation of non-violence Centres in schools. Londrina also in Brazil connected with Peace and Nonviolence symbols.

Argentina: the documentary “The Beginning of the End of Nuclear Weapons” by director Alvaro Orus and producer Tony Robinson from Pressenza was shown in Cordoba. The film produced in the participants a very particular sensitivity that was expressed in the subsequent exchange. A campaign to collect signatures began to demand that the government of Argentina sign the treaty banning nuclear weapons and then ratify it.

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

Honouring the Me Too Movement with the 2019 Sydney Peace Prize

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from the Sydney Peace Foundation

Starting with two words, ‘me too’, women around the world have united in solidarity to share personal experiences about sexual harassment. This global call for change – the Me Too movement – has played a game-changing role in destigmatising the experiences of survivors of sexual assault and harassment, and, indeed, has re-imagined a future free from pervasive sexual violence. In recognition of its impact, the movement will be awarded the 2019 Sydney Peace Prize, with Tarana Burke and Tracey Spicer accepting the Prize on behalf of Me Too. The 2019 Sydney Peace Prize Jury citation reads:


“For empowering survivors of sexual harassment and violence, and elevating their voices; for championing truth and justice; for highlighting the breadth and impact of sexual violence worldwide; and for launching a demand for change that is sweeping the world.”

Founder Tarana Burke began building the movement in 2006 in the United States to support survivors of sexual violence, particularly black women and girls, connect to resources for healing, and to build a survivor-led community of advocates against sexual assault. Her grassroots work has now expanded to reach a global community of survivors from all walks of life.

Me Too is a movement about the far-reaching power of empathy. It’s about the millions of people who have raised their hands to say ‘me too’. And their hands are still raised..
Tracey Spicer AM is a journalist, author and broadcaster who has spearheaded the Me Too movement in Australia. She has produced award-winning investigations into sexual harassment in workplaces and founded NOW Australia in 2018 to advocate for safe workplaces and to support those who have been sexually harassed at work.

A demand for change sweeping the world

Contrary to popular belief, the Me Too movement did not spontaneously burst into existence, spurred by allegations from Hollywood actresses against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. While much of the mainstream media coverage of Me Too has centred around the entertainment industry and the downfall of powerful perpetrators, Tarana Burke is quick to bring the focus back to where it belongs – to the survivors.

“Me Too is a movement about the far-reaching power of empathy. It’s about the millions of people who have raised their hands to say ‘me too’. And their hands are still raised.”

In recounting the first sparks of Me Too, Tarana recalled her deep despair at witnessing rampant sexual assault in her community. Laying on the bed in her one-bedroom apartment in early 2006, Tarana pulled out a piece of paper and scrawled ‘me too’ across the top of the paper. But she didn’t stop there. Below ‘me too’, she began to build an action plan for a movement based on empathy between survivors that would allow the healing of deep wounds. From the idea of empowerment through empathy, Tarana built Just Be Inc., a not-for-profit and network with a mission to support and amplify the voices of survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and exploitation.

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Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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

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On our own shores, Australian broadcaster, journalist and author Tracey Spicer has been spearheading the Me Too movement, speaking out about prevalent sexual abuse and harassment in the workplace and seeking to build a support network for survivors. The spark which truly ignited the Me Too movement in Australia was a tweet from Tracey in 2017 to her 57,000 followings asking people to “contact me privately to tell your stories.” The tweet received more than 2,000 responses and propelled Me Too into the Australian public conscious and discourse. Following a flood of responses and harrowing stories from survivors, Tracey set up NOW Australia to support people across all industries who have been sexually harassed, assaulted or intimidated at work.

Commending Tarana for starting the movement, Tracey spoke of her optimism for a better future. “The Me Too movement has changed everything, it gives women a support base and information with which they can speak out and tell their stories.”

In our own backyard

The Me Too movement has kickstarted an outpouring of individual and collective voices shining a spotlight on the universal experience of women and some men with sexual harassment and abuse. And Australian society is unfortunately no exception. Statistics show that 1 in 5 Australian women will experience sexual violence in her lifetime, and that 1 in 2 will be subjected to sexual harassment. And these statistics only become more severe for indigenous women and women living with a disability. It is clear that we continue to have a very serious problem with attitudes towards domestic violence, consent, sexual abuse, and harassment.

The Me Too movement has revealed holes in our cultural norms and legal structures which must be addressed to better serve our communities and promote progress. Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins announced in 2018 an Australian Human Rights Commission-led National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. ‘Me Too has given us reason to be hopeful,’ says Jenkins.

Julian Burnside AO QC, 2014 Sydney Peace Prize Laureate, strongly supported Jury’s choice:

“It is a wonderful thing that Me Too is to be awarded the Sydn ey Ppppeace P“It is a wonderful thing that Me Too is to be awarded the Sydney Peace Prize…The Me Too movement has done a remarkable job drawing attention to a problem which was recognised by virtually all women and virtually no men. Since men are at the heart of the problem, it is a great thing that no man will now be believed if they say they are unaware of the problem Me Too has exposed.”

2019 Sydney Peace Prize

Without justice, peace is hollow and fragile. Every human being has the right to live their life in dignity, and when rampant sexual harassment and violence goes unchecked, we are all diminished and lose sight of our common humanity.

Me Too has changed the way we understand and talk about sexual harassment and violence, by highlighting the magnitude and impact of sexual harassment and violence around the world, in domestic, public spaces, and workplaces.

We owe future generations a world free of sexual violence. I believe we can build that world. Do you?”
To create spaces where survivors can speak truth to power in search of a better world requires courage, vision, leadership, and heart. Tarana, Tracey, and the many women and men raising their hands in unison to demand that their voices be heard challenge the societal structures and norms we have thus far accepted.

In Tarana’s words, “We owe future generations a world free of sexual violence. I believe we can build that world. Do you?”

The Sydney Peace Prize will be awarded on Thursday 14 November at Sydney Town Hall. Tickets available at bit.ly/SPPMeToo

East Asia, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, WOMEN'S EQUALITY,

Nipun Mehta and ServiceSpace to Receive the 2019 Goi Peace Award

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .      

An announcement from The Goi Peace Award

The Goi Peace Foundation will present the 2019 Goi Peace Award to Nipun Mehta and ServiceSpace, an incubator of projects that works at the intersection of volunteerism, technology and gift-economy.

The selection committee has chosen Nipun Mehta and ServiceSpace for the Goi Peace Award “in recognition of their collective efforts to transform the world through generosity. Through their exemplary acts and through various innovative projects, they have ignited the spirit of service in the hearts of many people around the world, demonstrating that ‘giftivism’ could shift our societies and economies.”

Nipun Mehta will receive the award at a ceremony during the Goi Peace Foundation Forum 2019, to be held at Nikkei Hall in Tokyo on November 23, 2019.

Nipun Mehta is the founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of ServiceSpace, an organization run entirely by volunteers. What started as an experiment with four friends in the Silicon Valley has now grown to a global ecosystem of over 600,000 members from 171 countries that has delivered millions of dollars in service for free. Nipun has received many awards, including the Jefferson Award for Public Service, Wavy Gravy’s Humanitarian award, and Dalai Lama’s Unsung Hero of Compassion. In 2015, President Barack Obama appointed him to a council on poverty and inequality. Nipun is routinely invited to share his message of “giftivism” to wide ranging audiences, from inner city youth in Memphis to academics in London to international dignitaries at the United Nations. One of his most formative experiences was a walking pilgrimage across India, with his wife of six months, whose profound lessons also became the subject of his widely-read address at UPenn commencement. Nipun’s mission statement in life reads: “Bring smiles in the world and stillness in my heart.”

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Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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ServiceSpace leverage technology to encourage everyday people around the world to do small acts of service. It was originally started in 1999 by volunteers to help non-profits with technical services. Over the past twenty years, without any paid staff, fundraising, advertising, or pitches for media coverage, the organization has grown to become an umbrella for many generosity-driven projects, ranging from a daily positive news service, to an acts-of-kindness portal, to a gift-economy restaurant. Regardless of the endeavor, members of ServiceSpace communities around the globe act in concert to create service opportunities for each other and to support each other’s service journeys. ServiceSpace aims to ignite the fundamental generosity in all people, creating both inner and outer transformation.
ServiceSpace website

About the Goi Peace Foundation and the Goi Peace Award

Based in Japan, the Goi Peace Foundation is a public benefit organization supported by members around the world working together to create a culture of peace. Our mission is to foster a sustainable and harmonious global society by promoting consciousness, values and wisdom for creating peace, and by building cooperation among individuals and organizations across diverse fields, including education, science, culture and the arts.

Established by the Goi Peace Foundation in 2000, the Goi Peace Award is an international award presented annually to honor individuals and organizations in various fields that have made outstanding contributions toward the realization of a peaceful and harmonious world as envisioned in the Declaration for All Life on Earth.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

Desmond Tutu Announces the Winners of the International Children’s Peace Prize 2019

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .      

An announcement from Kids Rights

From an impressive 137 applicants from 56 countries, the KidsRights’ Expert Committee selected Divina from Cameroon and Greta from Sweden as winners. The International Children’s Peace Prize will be awarded on November 20th, on Universal Children’s Day in The Hague. The very special award ceremony, will also celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the International Children’s Peace Prize which became a global phenomenon and reached 1.2 billion people last year.


Greta Thunberg and Divina Maloum

PERSONAL CONGRATULATIONS FROM ARCHBISHOP TUTU

Archbishop Tutu, who has been the patron of the International Children’s Peace Prize and KidsRights for more than a decade, said in a personal message to the winners: “I am in awe of you. Your powerful message is amplified by your youthful energy and unshakable belief that children can, no must, improve their own futures. You are true change-makers who have demonstrated most powerfully that children can move the world.”

INTRODUCING THE WINNERS

“The impact of both Greta and Divina for the future of many children is unmistakable, they are the rightful winners of the International Children’s Peace Prize 2019”, said Marc Dullaert, Founder of KidsRights and chairman of the Expert Committee.

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Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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DIVINA: Nominated by African Network of Young Leaders for Peace and Sustainable Development (ANYL4PSD)

Divina Maloum (14 years old, Cameroon, theme: Peace) – Since 2014, Cameroon has experienced terrorist attacks. When Divina visited the north of the country, she was horrified to see that children were the biggest victims of these terrorist attacks. She realized that many children do not know their rights, and so she created Children for Peace (C4P) to warn them about enrolment in armed groups and to reinforce the participation of children in peace-building and sustainable development. C4P is now a network of 100 children across the ten regions of Cameroon. She empowers them to be changemakers and to take part in peace initiatives in their communities. She has organized an inter-community children’s peace camp, established peace clubs in mosques, and together with other children, made a children’s declaration against violent extremism. Divina has big plans for the future and will not stop advocating for the right of children to live in peace.

GRETA: Nominated by Private Person: Jan van de Venis

Greta Thunberg (16 years old, Sweden, theme: environment) – Greta is a climate activist and a role model for international student climate activism. At the age of eight, when she first learned about climate change, she was shocked that adults did not appear to take the issue seriously. She could not understand why adults were not taking action against the climate crisis. Greta became depressed. She didn’t eat, go to school or speak for months. It was vital for Greta to take measures in her own life; she refrains from flying, eats no meat or dairy and she has a shop stop, meaning that she doesn’t buy new things. On August 20th 2018 Greta decided that it was time for her to take her efforts to the next level and speak out. She wanted more people to be aware and take action. Inspired by the 2018 International Children’s Peace Prize winners March for Our Lives, she sat down in front of Sweden’s parliament with a self-made banner skolstrejk för klimatet (school strike for climate).

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

Alfred Fried Photography Award’: world-best picture on the theme of peace

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article and photos from The Alfred Fried Photography Award

The Alfred Fried Photography Award recognizes and promotes photographers from all over the world whose pictures capture human efforts towards a peaceful world and the quest for beauty and goodness in our lives. The award goes to those photographs that best express the idea that our future lies in peaceful coexistence.

Winner of the Alfred Fried Photography Award’s world-best picture on the theme of peace, worth € 10000, is Stefan Boness, Germany, with an image from his work „FridaysForFuture Climate Protest“


„FridaysForFuture Climate Protest“, Stefan Boness, Germany

Stefan Boness lives in Berlin and Manchester, working as a photographer on a wide range of topics. He has not only documented the political Berlin with its protagonists and the right-wing populist movements in towns like Dresden or Cottbus, or traced the steps of Walter Benjamin. He also worked in Japan, and photographed landscapes of ruins, animal graveyards as well as Eritrean welders. With his book Flandern Fields he created a “photographic meditation on the battle fields of WWI”. He photographed architecture in places like Tel Aviv, Asmara, or Hoyerswerda. In 2015, Boness was awarded the first prize at the German photo competition ‘Rückblende’ for a photograph of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and has won a World Press Photo Award and a Fuji Euro Press Award.


„BORN FREE – Mandela’s Generation of Hope“, Ilvy Njiokiktjien, Netherlands

Ilvy Njiokiktjien bought her first camera in 2002, graduated from the school of journalism in her home town, and is working as a photographer and multimedia journalist. She finances long-term projects like the one in South Africa through day jobs for new media. The has been published inter alia in the New York Times, in Spiegel, in the Telegraph Magazine, and in l’Espresso. In 2012, she received the World Press Photo Award in the category Multimedia. In 2018, her photos of new-born babies in Africa were shown at a UNICEF exhibition at the United Nations in Geneva. The jury of the Alfred Fried Photography Awards should like to extend their heartfelt congratulations to her for her peaceful and obviously enjoyable work.


„The Forest Orphanage“, Nur Adilla Djalil Daniel, Indonesia

Dilla Dlalil Daniel was born in 1966 in Jakarta where she lives today. She was given a camera at the age of nine with which she photographed her dogs. As she had to give up her dream of becoming a vet she studied English literature, working for an advertizing agency for a while. Workshops with the well-known photographers Alex Webb and Peter Turnley turned her into a ‘workshop junkie’. She attended such workshops in Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Chiang Mai, South Africa, and on Antigua. She started to admire NGOs – and above all she has been expelled from her comfort zone. Wherever she went she was looking for animal sanctuaries. Be it the elephant hospital in Thailand, be it a rescue centre for maltreated donkeys in Nepal. She has two dogs, two cats and one horse. We can assume that she treats them very well.

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Question for this article:

Do the arts create a basis for a culture of peace?, What is, or should be, their role in our movement?

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„Le temps retrouvé“, Alain Laboile, France

Alain Laboile, born in May 1968 in Bordeaux, was first interested in insects which he also photographed as macro images which served as inspirations for his metal sculptures. He taught himself about photography making an incredible career. Because his heart-warming, engaging positive family photographs have enchanted people all over the world – and now also the jury of the Alfred Fried Awards. Laboile regards the books with the photos of his children – called ‘At the end of the world’ or ‘The summer of a fawn’ or ‘Under the monochrome rainbow’ − also as a private treasure as he himself has only one photo from his own childhood. He now celebrates what a childhood could be like – and he has been celebrated at exhibitions in France, Cambodia, the USA, in Japan, India, Austria, Mexico, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, in Poland and Hungary. The recipients of his images apparently recognize a universal longing for an unwavering innocent life in what he depicts.


„The Rugbywomen: Tackling Stereotypes“, Camilo Leon-Quijano, France

Camilo Leon-Quijano was born in Bogotá, Columbia, and lives in Paris, where he studied sociology and focussed on Latin American studies at the Sorbonne. His photos have been published inter alia in the Washington Post, in Líberation, Paris Match, and Vice, he has had exhibitions in France, in the USA, in Germany, and Italy. Leon-Quijano was finalist and award-winner of several competitions such as Lens Culture, Prix la France Mutualiste, and the UNICEF Photo of the Year 2018. In addition to the rugby girls, the people in the suburbs of Paris in general are his favourite subject at present.


Winner of the The Children’s Peace Image of the Year, worth € 1000, is Dune Laboile, France, with her image „Slow Stream“

Dune Laboile – the surname will ring a bell. Yes, Alain Laboile, her father, is one of our five award-winners in the adult category this year. We have never had such a constellation. One could also say: like father, like daughter. Alan Laboile described his daughter beforehand. He calls her cute and quiet. And he says that she has a lot of time for discovering her little world; for painting and sketching and shaping; for playing with five cats; building caves and swimming; reading and watching films; making short videos and, of course, photography – because she does not go to school, but has private lessons at home. Moreover, he says, Dune doesn’t like racists and the destroyers of our plant. All this makes us curious about what will become of young Dune.

Click on the title to see the complete story. [Editor’s note: only one photo is shown here, but there are many more photos on the original article.]

Click here for the shortlist of the Alfred Fried Photography Award 2019.

Click here for the shortlist of the Children Peace Image of the Year 2019.

Thank you to everyone who submitted to the Alfred Fried Photography Award 2019.

Award Ceremony
The Alfred Fried Photography Award 2019 was presented on 12 September 2019 at a gala in the rooms of the Austrian Parliament. On behalf of Wolfgang Sobotka, speaker of the Austrian National Council Harald Dossi introduced the ceremony attended by 200 guests. More…

Exhibitions
All entrants will have the chance to take part in worldwide exhibitions.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, global

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2019

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Press release from The Nobel Peace Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea. The prize is also meant to recognise all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions.

When Abiy Ahmed became Prime Minister in April 2018, he made it clear that he wished to resume peace talks with Eritrea. In close cooperation with Isaias Afwerki, the President of Eritrea, Abiy Ahmed quickly worked out the principles of a peace agreement to end the long “no peace, no war” stalemate between the two countries. These principles are set out in the declarations that Prime Minister Abiy and President Afwerki signed in Asmara and Jeddah last July and September. An important premise for the breakthrough was Abiy Ahmed’s unconditional willingness to accept the arbitration ruling of an international boundary commission in 2002.

Peace does not arise from the actions of one party alone. When Prime Minister Abiy reached out his hand, President Afwerki grasped it, and helped to formalise the peace process between the two countries. The Norwegian Nobel Committee hopes the peace agreement will help to bring about positive change for the entire populations of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

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Question for this article:

Can peace be achieved between Ethiopia and Eritrea?

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In Ethiopia, even if much work remains, Abiy Ahmed has initiated important reforms that give many citizens hope for a better life and a brighter future. He spent his first 100 days as Prime Minister lifting the country’s state of emergency, granting amnesty to thousands of political prisoners, discontinuing media censorship, legalising outlawed opposition groups, dismissing military and civilian leaders who were suspected of corruption, and significantly increasing the influence of women in Ethiopian political and community life. He has also pledged to strengthen democracy by holding free and fair elections.

In the wake of the peace process with Eritrea, Prime Minister Abiy has engaged in other peace and reconciliation processes in East and Northeast Africa. In September 2018 he and his government contributed actively to the normalisation of diplomatic relations between Eritrea and Djibouti after many years of political hostility. Additionally, Abiy Ahmed has sought to mediate between Kenya and Somalia in their protracted conflict over rights to a disputed marine area. There is now hope for a resolution to this conflict. In Sudan, the military regime and the opposition have returned to the negotiating table. On the 17th of August, they released a joint draft of a new constitution intended to secure a peaceful transition to civil rule in the country. Prime Minister Abiy played a key role in the process that led to the agreement.

Ethiopia is a country of many different languages and peoples. Lately, old ethnic rivalries have flared up. According to international observers, up to three million Ethiopians may be internally displaced. That is in addition to the million or so refugees and asylum seekers from neighbouring countries. As Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed has sought to promote reconciliation, solidarity and social justice. However, many challenges remain unresolved. Ethnic strife continues to escalate, and we have seen troubling examples of this in recent weeks and months. No doubt some people will think this year’s prize is being awarded too early. The Norwegian Nobel Committee believes it is now that Abiy Ahmed’s efforts deserve recognition and need encouragement.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee hopes that the Nobel Peace Prize will strengthen Prime Minister Abiy in his important work for peace and reconciliation. Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous country and has East Africa’s largest economy. A peaceful, stable and successful Ethiopia will have many positive side-effects, and will help to strengthen fraternity among nations and peoples in the region. With the provisions of Alfred Nobel’s will firmly in mind, the Norwegian Nobel Committee sees Abiy Ahmed as the person who in the preceding year has done the most to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019.

Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global,

What has happened this year (2019) for the International Day of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION
This year we give links to 280 actions carried out in most of the provinces and all the states in Canada and the USA. Next is Europe with 144 actions in 21 countries. There are 50 actions cited in 16 Asian countries, 53 from 17 Latin American and Caribbean countries, 54 from 6 countries formerly part of the Soviet Union, 53 from 27 African countries, and 21 from 14 Arab and Middle Eastern countries. See the CPNN bulletin for October for a synopsis.

Detailed data may be found on the following CPNN articles:

United States and Canada: International Day of Peace

Europe: International Day of Peace

Asia and Pacific: International Day of Peace

Ex-Soviet Countries: International Day of Peace

Arab and Middle Eastern States: International Day of Peace

Latin America and Caribbean: International Day of Peace

Africa: International Day of Peace

d-information, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

Global climate strike: When, where and how you can join and take action

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Jackson Ryan from CNET

On Sept. 20, students and adults will rally across the globe, demanding immediate action on climate change. Here’s where you can join them.


Greta Thunberg leads the Fridays for Future Rally.
Ernesto Rucio/Getty
”

The planet is in a pretty bad way. The Arctic has been burning and fires still rage in the Amazon rainforest. Iceland recently held a funeral for a 700-year-old glacier killed by climate change. One million species are threatened with extinction and some have already been lost. We are living through a crisis — and the kids are absolutely not alright with where our planet is headed. Over the coming week, students and adults will join together in global strikes to demand action on climate change.

If you want to know the what, when and where of the September Global Climate Strikes, we have you covered.

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Question for this article:
Despite the vested interests of companies and governments, Can we make progress toward sustainable development?

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What is the Climate Strike?

When Greta Thunberg, a Swedish school student, sat in front of the Swedish parliament building with her hand-painted “Skolstrejk för klimatet” sign, she kick-started a worldwide movement. It wasn’t the first time school kids had walked out of school to demand change, but Thunberg’s one-person strike on the steps of parliament drew global attention. On Fridays leading up to the 2018 Swedish election, she’d miss class to protest, sign in hand.

Thunberg has become the face of the new movement, inspiring students across the world to leave school and demand action on climate change. In March, students took to the streets in over 2,000 cities asking adults to take responsibility for the climate crisis. Smaller strikes occurred in May, June and August.

The next series of strikes are set to be the biggest yet and will see students and adults walk out of their schools and workplaces to “demand an end to the age of fossil fuels.”

When is the Climate Strike?

The upcoming strikes will take place on two successive Fridays designed to coincide with an emergency climate action summit being held at the United Nations in New York beginning on Sept. 23.

On Sept. 20 and Sept. 27, thousands of climate strikes will take place in cities across the world. Thunberg herself will be attending the climate strike in New York City on Sept. 20, but no matter where you are across the world, a climate strike is likely within your vicinity.

Where can I join a strike?

A massive number of strikes are registered on the Global Climate Strike website, so that’s a great place to start if you’re seeking a nearby climate strike to attend.    

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

URI International Peacebuilding Network Joins with Worldwide Groups Calling for Peace 

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A press release from Globe News Wire

With tensions growing between people of different ethnicities and faiths across the planet, and humanitarians increasingly worried about healing the rifts, URI (United Religions Initiative) and likeminded organizations worldwide are coordinating efforts to lift up the International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) on September 21.



Children in Sri Lanka celebrate Peace Day with “Understanding Cultural and Religious Values,” a URI grassroots member group.

The worldwide URI community, which consists of more than 1,000 grassroots interfaith groups (called Cooperation Circles) working in 108 countries, celebrates Peace Day every September 21. This occasion was established in 1981 by a unanimous United Nations resolution which provided a shared date for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences, and to contribute to building a worldwide culture of peace.

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Question(s) related to this article:

What has happened this year (2019) for the International Day of Peace?

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This year, the celebration is particularly significant: It is the 20th Anniversary of the UN Resolution on the Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace – a resolution which is needed more strongly than ever in the current political climate. The 2019 Peace Day theme is also particularly timely: “Climate Action for Peace.” The theme draws attention to the importance of combatting climate change as a way to protect and promote peace throughout the world.

Throughout September 2019, URI Cooperation Circles around the world will celebrate peace with events such as school programs, community marches, film showings, interfaith meals, silence walks, shared prayers, candle lightings, musical performances, and more. You can see a sampling of last year’s URI’s Peace Day 2018 celebrations here.

The United Nations Peace Day celebrations will take place at the UN Headquarters on Friday, 20 September 2019, beginning at 9:00am in the Peace Garden. A student observance will follow, where about 700 high school and college students will interact with UN Messengers of Peace, including young people from the United Nations Mission in Kosovo participating via videoconference. URI invites you to take part as well via webtv.un.org.

From September 11 – 21, many URI Cooperation Circles will be celebrating 11 Days of Global Unity: 11 Days to Transform Your World. This is a worldwide platform for the promotion of peace, justice, sustainability and transformation. URI invites you to take part in any or all of these September events to bring more awareness to the need for unity in the world.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global