Awaiting comment
Iraqi group spreads tolerance and peace through art
Many Peaces in Iraq: Creating a Foundation for Conflict Transformation Through Peace Studies
Center for Justice and Peacebuilding partners with UNDP and Iraqi youth to build culture of peace
258,000 Iraqi children back at school in eastern Mosul as battle rages in west of city
Iraqi teachers’ campaign strives to end violence against women
Since 2003 CPNN has carried at least ten articles about initiatives to promote peace and reconciliation on the island of Cyprus that has been divided since 1983 between two sides with allegiance to the ancient enemies Greece and Turkey.
The Presidents of the two sides of the island have called for reconciliation on several occasions mentioned in these articles, but the most consistent action has been carried out at the grassroots by organizations of teachers from the two sides.
CPNN has been describing the education project since it began in 2016.
In 2018-2019, the educational programme “Imagine” which addresses primary, lower and upper secondary and vocational schools managed to bring together 3665 students and 397 teachers from more than a 100 Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot schools from across Cyprus.
At the the ‘Imagine’ Head Teachers Conference in December 2019, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades met with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci. Anastasiades said “there is no other choice or alternative but to bring peace to our land”. In his address, the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci referred to the importance of cultivating a culture of peace in Cyprus and highlighted the value of education.
Akinci added that the decision with President Anastasiades to form the bicommunal technical Committee back in 2015 was “the most important decision we took with my friend Nicos.” That committee thas supported the educational programme “Imagine.”
Cyprus: We have no alternative but peace, President Anastasiades tells Akinci
Cyprus: Salpy Eskidjian Weiderud: “Work for a world that’s a better place”
Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot educators and activists speak about building peace
EDUCATION: Imagine programme helping to reconcile divided Cyprus
Cyprus: Teachers from both sides attend seminars on peace education
Finalization of activities of ‘Imagine’ Project for school year 2017-2018 (Cyprus)
Programme unites Greek and Turkish Cypriot students
‘Cyprus can be symbol of hope’ the world badly needs, says UN chief Guterres as conference opens
Cypriot teachers work for peace and reconciliation through educational programmes
United Cypriot economy to focus on shipping, tourism, education
Here is a response to this question delivered by Ingaborg Breines to The World Congress of the International Peace Bureau.
More than thousand people have registered for this congress and we know that thousands more would have loved to come. We also know that several thousands are with us in the struggle for a world without war, the struggle to make WAR a thing of the past, something unheard of, something obsolete that humanity only in its infancy could think of.
So we are here to sharpen our non-violent tools, to deepen our understanding and strengthen our cooperation and friendship, so as to be that peace force for a transformative shift presenting alternatives to the insane, dangerous and naïve thinking that inequality, injustice, insecurity and marginalization can be solved by military means. We must develop together the strategies to stop this basically imperialistic thinking that if you want peace, you have to prepare for war. This old fashioned patriarchal way of insisting on the importance of having strong muscles and being militarily strong, is just a sign of moral and creative weakness. If we want peace, and most women and most men do, then we have to prepare for peace and use our financial and intellectual resources accordingly.
Excessive military expenditures not only represent a theft from those who are hungry and suffer, but are also an ineffective means of obtaining human security and a culture of peace. Substantial reductions in military costs would eliminate the crushing poverty whereby nearly one third of humanity lives in insufferable conditions, a majority being women, children and young people. We need to move the money from the military sector and instead tackle the real security issues such as the threat to the very survival of the planet and humanity, be it by climate change, nuclear weapons or excessive inequality. We suggest that all countries reduce their military spending by 10% per year over the 15 years of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda. Although it will not change any power imbalance, it would go a very long way in meeting the needs and aspirations of people. Since one year military spending equals about 615 years of the UN annual budget, such a reduction in military costs would also strengthen the United Nations’ efforts and possibilities to “ save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”.
Rich and poor states alike seem to be pressured into arms races, spending more on armament than they need and can afford. To continue a process of militarization, often outside democratic control, that mainly serves the arms producers and dealers and even brings corruption is a dangerous path that will not bring hope to young people in desperation but may lead into extremism.
There is no way to justify war, killing and suffering. In IPB’s own words, we have to choose between warfare or welfare. We have only this one very unique and beautiful planet. The global climate change warrants urgent remedial actions and an holistic approach which again requires changing attitudes and rethinking of unsustainable and destructive production and consumption patterns.
The path of confrontational policies and accompanying militarization that we are on, is not leading us ahead. So let us create “an active disgust for war” to use Bertha von Suttner’s wording and create the world we want based on the vision and the principles of a culture of peace so well described by UNESCO.
Finally, allow me to share with you an encouragement that former president Gorbachev gave to the peace movement at one of the Nobel Summits in Rome. He said that he would never have dared take the steps he did to end the cold war if it had not been for the urging of the strong peace movement.
Friends, we have work to do.
Training for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence
Campaign Nonviolence Action Days 2024 – Calls-To-Action
Manifesto: European mobilization against increasing militarization and wars
Hundreds Protest, Block Entrances to North America’s Largest Weapons Fair
USA: A Labor Statement on the Crisis in Ukraine
German petition against war in the Ukraine
Statement of Ukrainian Pacifist Movement
Statement of Peace Supporters against the Party of War in the Russian leadership
International Peace Bureau : Common Security Approaches to Resolve the Ukraine and European Crises
UK: Stop the War statement on the crisis over Ukraine
France : War is never the solution. Yes to a negotiated political solution.
Bangladesh: Dhaka Peace Declaration Adopted
Australia : Brisbane Weapons Expo Protest Planned
Latin American Congress of Research for Peace will be held virtually in August
First International Conference Against US/NATO Military Bases November 16-18, 2018, Dublin, Ireland
UK: Surprise, Surprise, Jeremy Corbyn’s Anti-War Policies Turned out to Be a Vote Winner
Berlin: World Congress of International Peace Bureau: Opening Speech
UK: Corbyn and the Anti-war Movement
Florianópolis, Brazil: World Peace Forum: a space to build a better world
Court victory gives momentum to long struggle against London arms fair
This expression, “Put down the gun and take up the pen”, comes from the Somali Youth Organization. Here are excerpts from their Web presentation:
The somali youth organization SOY is a non-governmental organization founded by a group of Somali youth in the millennium year 2000 in order to serve Somali social protection and engage in development and reforming activities for the Somali community.Due to the collapse of the central government of Somalia, Somalia has been exposed to lack of protection and lack of development during three decades of inefficiency.
In the past 15 years, Somalia has been engulfed by civil confrontation, which devastated the whole country’s infrastructure and institutions. As a result, many services remain paralyzed including hopes for peace, social services, democracy, Human rights, education and other social development factors. In view of all this, SOY was initiated to respond to the general social setback of the Somali people.
INTRODUCTION:
We are national youth Organization which consists of many Somali youth in different countries as network representing different NGOe’s non governmental, non political and non- profitable.
MAIN FIELDS:
Democracy and civil society ,support Reforming and development programs Peace building process through the participatoryApproaching ,Youth militia demobilization, disarmaments andIntegrating, Protecting and advocating civilian social rights Specially equality of women ,Investigation and documentation of Human rightsViolation Education skills development Income generations programs.
TAGET PEAPLE
Youth, vulnerable community groups, misleading militia groups, illiterate people, women, and authorities.
OPERATINIG AREA
All Somali regions south, central, and north Motto: “put the gun down and take up the pen”
Cameroon : From a life of violence to a culture of peace
Chiapas, Mexico: Arms exchange supports peace and security, says Velasco
Israel: “I’m going to prison rather than serve in the Israeli army”
Remembering the US soldiers who refused orders to murder Native Americans at Sand Creek
UN: Former child soldiers should be treated humanely “not as menaces”
While it’s not clear that war toys promote a culture of war, it is clear that the reverse is true, i.e. the culture of war promotes war toys.
Here is a good discussion of this.
Critics of war play frequently treat play as if it occurs in such a social vacuum, with little consideration of the broader societal context in which play happens. Social and cultural values shift with time and it is foolhardy to think that toys and play will not follow these trends. Increasing levels of aggression within toys have to be seen as part of a wider trend within society towards desensitisation of violence. Today, violence is brought ever closer to home through the intensity of round-the-clock news footage of armed conflict and incidents of terrorism, and the use of cultures of fear by world leaders to sustain particular (geo)political ideologies.
When reflecting upon the trend reported in the study, economic factors also have to be taken into consideration. Toy companies have to produce a saleable product – and this tends to be a product reflective of wider societal trends. With the drive towards franchising and diversification of target audiences as marketing strategies (as seen with the Lego brand, prompting the likes of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter themed play sets, and the targeting of adult consumers) digital media is leading developments in non-digital media. Here we are seeing trends towards fantasy scenarios centred on overcoming imaginary evils.
Scholars have shown this is part of wider cultures of fear within the post 9/11 era. Toys and digital media are, therefore, reflecting the social and political life of their time and contributing to the prevailing geopolitical climate. Childhood is not a sphere of innocence magically shielded from the wider world; it plays an active part in shaping it.
At least one analysis responds to this question by saying that the culture of peace cannot be established with states, because the states have become themselves the culture of war. Here is the argument.
“The state devotes its resources and is more or less controlled, overtly or covertly, by the military throughout the world. This is not new but has been true throughout history.
“Let us begin with the Great Powers. The United States, which we may more appropriately refer to as the “American empire” devotes more than half of its national budget to the military and now maintains hundreds of military bases throughout the world. Countries without an American military base are exceptional. Now we learn that almost every African country has one. A Nobel peace laureate, Barak Obama, aided in this expansion.
“Where is the ultimate power in China if it is not with the Red Army?
“Not one of the world’s nuclear powers, the U.S., Britain, France, China, Russia, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea, took part in the negotiations at the United Nations for nuclear disarmament.
“Should we have been surprised when the Arab Spring was cut short by a military coup in Egypt?
“At one time it was believed that believed that peace could be obtained by converting the state from capitalism to socialism. And indeed, in the 20th Century, we saw many examples where capitalist states were indeed overthrown by socialist revolutions. But what ensued was not peace. What ensured was a socialist culture of war instead of a capitalist culture of war.
“And we can see why socialism has failed. A socialist culture of war will alway lose in competition with a capitalist culture of war. Socialists tend to share wealth with their client states, while capitalists exploit their client states. In the long run, it is the capitalist states that win the economic competition. The socialist states must either submit (as was the case of the USSR) or become capitalist (as in the case of China).
“If socialism is to succeed it cannot be based on the state. If peace is to be obtained, it cannot be based on the state.”
Macron, Merkel defend multilaterism as Trump avoids peace forum
Discussion question: Does Costa Rica have a culture of peace?
Film: Costa Rica Abolished its Military, Never Regretted it
Survey of national measures and unilateral efforts toward disarmament
Consolidation as a zone of peace is the aim of Venezuela
Consolidarse como una zona de paz es el objetivo de Venezuela
Outgoing Rep. Dennis Kucinich: With 2 Parties Failing U.S., It’s on Us to Build a
Lema de Cumbre ASPA: Una cultura de paz, inclusión y desarrollo
Slogan of the ASPA Summit: A culture of peace, inclusion and development
The PRI to propose a National Commission for the Culture of Peace in Mexico
Plantea PRI crear Comisión Nacional para la Cultura de la Paz
The Fifth Summit of the Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments
Brazil mulls deforestation patterns as Lula government launches new action plan
Peace Dividend Signatories: Over 50 Nobel laureates and presidents of learned societies
Climate change widespread, rapid, and intensifying – IPCC
Scientists Found A New Way To Break Down the Most Common Plastic
The end of plastic? New plant-based bottles will degrade in a year
Moroccan Researcher Karima El Azhary Wins International Sustainable Development Award
Environmental damage is a war crime, scientists say
Youth for climate: 130 scientists support the youth climate strike
Spain: A group of professors creates ‘Manifesto for the Survival of the Planet’
Città della Pieve, Italy: The Declaration of the Scientists for Peace
Tunis: Strengthening the scientific partnership between Iran and the Arab countries
The Senegalese winners of the “Next Einstein Forum” present the results of their scientific work
Science for Everyone, for More Democracy
Les sciences pour tous, pour plus de démocratie (France)
International Symposium 2013 “Science, Technology and Culture of Peace (France)
It would seem from the following excerpt from the CPNN bulletin of September 2018 that peace is possible in Mindanao:
On July 27, Philippine President Duterte signed into law the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BOL) which aims to complete the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the Southern Philippines. The agreement gives the Moro people greater autonomy in ruling their homeland in Mindanao.
Following the ratification of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, who chairs the Senate subcommittee on the BOL said “It’s a new dawn for Bangsamoro in Mindanao.” “The MILF and the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) are ready to work with the Philippine Government especially in the conduct of the plebiscite that will be held around November.”
Four years of lobbying for the inclusion of peace education in the BOL was crowned with success. Under Article IX, the Education provision of the BOL, second paragraph says: “The Bangsamoro government shall institutionalize peace education in all levels of education” Some 6,000 new teachers are deployed in five southern provinces and they are now actively helping propagate interfaith solidarity among schoolchildren in support of the government’s Mindanao peace efforts.
Putting the new law into practice, in an historic solidarity event, the Philippine military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) gathered together to celebrate the muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha.
Peace Education among top priorities in the new Bangsamoro Government
“Peace through dialogue: Our destiny” is theme of Mindanao Week of Peace 2018
A ‘new dawn’ for Mindanao’s Bangsamoro
6,000 teachers deployed to promote peace in Mindanao (Philippines)
Philippines: Hope, compassion reign over at the peace month culmination in Iligan
The Mindanao-Sulu Peace and History Education Project (Philippines)
Philippines: Local Bangsamoro films show peaceful, harmonious side of Mindanao
Philippines: Mindanao mayors back Bangsamoro Basic Law
Interfaith dialogue vs. ‘spoilers’ of Mindanao peace set in Cotabato
Nonviolent Peaceforce opens protection site in Lanao del Norte (Philippines)
Philippines: Schools of Peace: Antidote to culture of war, violence
Philippines: Bangsamoro peace pact a major contribution to country, world
Nonviolent Peaceforce Statement On Framework Agreement On The Bangsamoro (FAB) Signing (Philippines)
One Step Closer to Peace in the Philippines
Why peace has a foothold in the Philippines
It has been argued that over the past century the control of information, especially through the mass media, has become the most important characteristic of the culture of war. Why?
It is because there has been such an advance over the past century in democratic participation that the modern state is forced to justify its culture of war. Since people in general do not want war, the state and its military-industrial complex must convince them that military preparations are necessary in the face of external enemies. This is a major change from earlier history when the state was not subject to election by the people and it could pursue its policies regardless of their attitudes.
In fact, we see that the mass media in countries with the most powerful military forces, such as the United States, are pro-military and continually publish propaganda against external enemies and give priority to news about unavoidable violence and disaster. They do not give place to peace initiatives.
If the commercial mass media will not give us news about peace demonstrations, how can we be sure to get it?
The answer is in the alternative media like CPNN that do not rely on advertising and support from the military-industrial-financial complex.
Here are comments in this regard from a recent meeting during Independent Media Week, now in its 13th year in Oregon.
Citing the “unprecedented antagonism of the Trump administration to media,” Jeff Golden, producer of “Immense Possibilities” on Southern Oregon Public TV, said our challenges didn’t start Jan. 20, because, years ago, much of the media abandoned its role in public service and became driven by profit.
This trend greatly increases the need for independent media, he notes, and much of it can flower on the internet.
“We’d be in much deeper trouble than we are now if not for independent media.”
(Click here for earlier discussion on this question.)
Austrian Censorship of Peace Conference Is An Outrage
More examples available of Russian opposition to the war against Ukraine
March 17: The struggle for free flow of information about the Russian war against Ukraine
Russian anti-war movement takes shape on the streets – and on screens
Russian regulator censors Ukraine war coverage, reporters told to toe Kremlin line
Over a Million Mobilize for International Women’s Day in Latin America
United States: Who Is Clare Grady and Why Should We Care that She is in Federal Prison?
USA: Patriots for Peace fighting the good fight
Launch of the Second World March for Peace and Nonviolence
The Americas are preparing for the second World March for Peace and Nonviolence
Peacecamp Steinwenden, Germany, 28 June
UK: Nationwide Public Meeting Tour: Stop Bombing Yemen, Stop Arming Saudi
Peace and disarmament on the streets of Germany
UK: Protests: Trump & May – No More Bombs on Syria, 13-16 April, Nationwide
Global Anti-war Protests Against US-led Aggression in Syria[
London: International Peace Congress April 7
United Kingdom: Thousands call for Britain’s nuclear deterrent Trident to be scrapped
Protest to Stop Western Intervention in Syria
International Conference: Confronting War Ten Years On
Thousands march in London for Gaza and freedom for Palestine
October 27 Anti-War Marches in US
It was back in 2015 that we reported on a peace agreement in the long war in South Sudan. At the time Nonviolent Peaceforce told us that “While the signing of the agreement is not a guarantee of peace, it is a public declaration of constructive, peaceful and positive intentions to end the war. Having been on the front line of the conflict since the first day, the Nonviolent Peaceforce team is greatly relieved at the signing of the agreement and we want to extend our appreciation and support to the parties as they move into this new phase. We look forward to seeing strong, people centred leadership and action to move into the implementation of this agreement starting with an urgent and immediate cessation of hostilities. Getting to peace is as complicated if not more so than getting to war. The road ahead will be a long one that will take the dedication of all South Sudanese and the support of the international community to engage in reconciliation, justice and reconstruction.
Since then the struggle goes on to make the peace agreement take hold, and we continue to report on whether progress is being made.
South Sudan : Community leaders in Unity state pledge to promote a culture of peace
Sudan: Darfur deal welcomed by UN chief as ‘historic achievement’
Humanitarian community praise Sudan PM’s visit to Nuba Mtns
Churches in South Sudan promote “three pillars of peace”
The women who helped bring down Sudan’s president
Southern Sudanese leaders agree to promote a culture of peace
South Sudanese speak on new peace deal
‘Back to Learning’ education campaign to benefit half a million children in South Sudan
Nonviolent Peaceforce in South Sudan: The extremes of the human spirit
Winners of Youth Innovation Challenge to Engage in Peacebuilding in South Sudan
Beating the drum for peace: A chat with the general secretary of the South Sudan Council of Churches
Peace Agreement in South Sudan
Nonviolent Peaceforce: Urgent Update from South Sudan
Nonviolent Peaceforce: Women’s Peacekeeping Teams incorporated into South Sudan communities
Sudan Open University Graduates Sign Peace Pledge
Children’s Thoughts on Peace: Marking 1 Year of Civil War in South Sudan
Sudan: Unamid Organizes Cultural Festival in Mellit