Category Archives: d-information

English bulletin January 1, 2022

. . THE BIENNALE OF LUANDA . .

For almost a decade now, CPNN has been following the Biennale of Luanda as it strives to make Africa the first continent to adopt everywhere a culture of peace.

The process began in 2013 with the Pan-African Forum “Sources and Resources for a Culture of Peace ” held in Luanda, Angola. It was extended in by the 2nd international conference on the culture of peace in Africa , December 2016 in Luanda.

The process was formalized to occur every two years as the Biennale of Luanda, and the first Biennale was held in September 2019.

Last month, the process culminated in the Second Biennale of Luanda held from November 27 to December 2 as a hybrid programme of in-person and on-line events.

The representative of UNESCO who led this process from the beginning, Enzo Fazzino, was honored in a videoconference, as he retired after this year’s event. The account on the UNESCO website is entitled, Une étoile s’ajoute parmi les grands sages de l’UNESCO (A star is added to list of the great wise men of UNESCO).

This year’s Biennale gathered high-level participants from governments, international institutions, the private sector, the artistic and scientific communities, and many more. It was organized as an intergenerational dialogue involving young people from all the countries of the African Union, as well the diaspora.

In the end, 118 young people were selected from 49 African countries and 14 countries of the Diaspora to take part in the Biennale, of whom 10 came in person to Luanda and the others participated virtually. The youth made a number of commitments, including to “Strengthen the capacity of Pan-African youth to promote the culture of peace, identify and support youth initiatives and best practices that work towards the sustainable implementation, individually and collectively, of the concepts of the culture of peace.”

The event included a rich selection of films and shows for culture of peace in Africa. Links to videos of 20 are provided on CPNN, coming from Cape Verde, Congo, Ghana, Morocco, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal and Zimbabwe, as well as the Diaspora in Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Germany, Haiti, Portugal and Sweden.

The Biennale was opened by the President of Angola, João Lourenço, He recognized the involvement of the African Diaspora, “Many of Africa’s children have been leaving the continent in inhumane conditions and at the risk of their own lives in fleeing conflict zones or looking for a job and better living conditions. Regardless of their age, academic or professional background, they are all important and needed for the development of our continent. We always have the expectation that one day they will voluntarily return with the desire to contribute towards leveraging progress and development in all sectors of African national life.

Speaking as the President of the African Union, Félix Tshisekedi, assured their continued support and paid tribute to the role of youth, ““Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, in the words of the illustrious Agostinho Neto Kilamba, President and Poet, champion of the liberation of man and human brotherhood, ‘poet of sacred hopes’, we should ‘look at Africa with the eyes of the future’,”

And in her speech, UNESCO Directrice-General Audrey Azoulay said “UNESCO will continue to give its full support to this pan-African initiative, so that it is sustainable, in cooperation with the African Union and the Government of Angola. The culture of peace and non-violence is a long relay race ; it takes s a united team, generation after generation, to be victorious.”

The Biennale will be re-convened in two years, again organized by the African Union, Angola and UNESCO. In the meantime, it is up to the youth to keep the flame going.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

highlights

Highlights of the Biennale of Luanda 2021 : Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

youth

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

WOMEN’S EQUALITY

Phyllis

Phyllis Kotite has passed away

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

mercociudades

Mercociudades: A Latin American Network to Fight for More Inclusive, Egalitarian, Diverse and Supportive Cities

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

India

Indian farmers call off lengthy protest after govt assurances

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

Dhaka

Bangladesh: Dhaka Peace Declaration Adopted

HUMAN RIGHTS

Elders

The Elders: Israel’s designation of Palestinian NGOs as “terrorist” undermines core democratic principles

EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Jalisco

Mexico: Toys and Games as Instruments of the Culture of Peace

English bulletin December 1, 2020

VIRTUAL EVENTS FOR CULTURE OF PEACE

There are now so many virtual events promoting the culture of peace that we have started a new service at CPNN, listing them in advance along with their registration infomation. We list those that are free and open to the general public. In this way, CPNN readers are able to participate in the live event.

This month we have listed an average of almost one event per day coming from all regions of the world. Here is a brief summary, organized by theme.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE

A lab for nonviolent action was sponsored the the US organization Pace e Bene on November 5, 12 and 19.

Nonviolence: From the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter. This year’s Mahatma Gandhi lecture was held online on November 7. The lecture now held annually for 20 years is sponsored by the Peace Studies Program and the Centre for Peace Studies at McMaster University in Canada.

Mediation and Restorative Justice was the theme in Mexico on November 27 at the Fifth Congress of the Federación Nacional De Colegios De Mediadores.

HUMAN RIGHTS

with the Palestinian people. A dozen or so French organizations hosted activists for the human rights of the Palestinian people on November 30.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

“School of democracy” was the theme of a series of conferences sponsored by the UNESCO Chair in Pamploma, Spain. On November 5, the conference featured Agusin Ruis Robledo, Professor of Consitutional Law at the University of Granada, speaking on the theme “the dceadence of parliamentarianism.” On November 12, Miguel Angel Simon spoke on “the rise of the extreme right.”

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Transformative economies. The World Social Forum on Transformative Ecoomies held a series of five programs between November 4 and 18 with specific examples from throughout Latin America.

“Creating a better world for future generations” was the theme of a web event on November 21, sponsored by the Goi Peace Foundation of Japan and featuring Dr. Jaques Attali.

WOMEN’S EQUALITY

The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 promoting the role of women in UN peacemaking was celebrated on its 20th birthday November 20 in the annual Texas (USA) symposium on Women, Peace and Security.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was celebrated by the African Union Office of Youth Envoy on November 25 with a number of very high-level officials from Africa and the United Nations.

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY

Defense of the Venezuelan elections against US imperialist interference was discussed in a forum on November 18 sponsored by proggressive organizations in the US.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Youth leading the movement against racism was the subject of a webinar sponsored by the Global Campaign for Peace Education on November 20.

Speakers addressed various culture of peace themes in the annual Global Peace Forum of Coventry Rising on November 11-13.

INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY

Analysis of the prospects for peace with the new US government.This was the theme of several internet conferences. Two were sponsored by the Stop the War Coaltion in the UK. On November 30, the speaker was Jeremy Corbyn. On November 28, there were five speaker, including a member of parliament. A similar theme,”Anti-imperialist election; Youth fight back”, was discussed on November 21 by member organizations of the United National Antiwar Coalition in the United States. Another webinar on this subject, on November 11 was sponsored by the International Peace Bureau

of nuclear war and global warming were discussed in a confeerence on November 29 by the Canadian organizations Peace Magazine and Project Save the World.

Pathways to reset international cooperation” was the theme of Geneva Peace Week that was held on line from November 2-6 sponsored by the Geneva Center for Peacebuilding. A similar theme, “inspiring cooperation on behalf of the common good”, was sponsored by the National Peace Academy of the United States on November 10.

Elimination of Nuclear Weapons was the theme of the webinar on November 2 sponsored by Unfold Zero.

CPNN readers are encouraged to regularly consult the listings contained on our webpage, and to share this information with yout friends and colleagues. Above all, participate. Participate! PARTICIPATE!

HUMAN RIGHTS




France: Thousands protest against bill to curb filming of police

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION



Five new digital media platforms for uncensored news from Colombia

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT



FAO : Strong support for innovation and digital technologies in Latin America and the Caribbean

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION



Toluca, Mexico, establishes more than 150 Peace Centers

          

EDUCATION FOR PEACE



Burkina Faso: Blanche Bana wins the Sotigui Awards 2020

WOMEN’S EQUALITY



I am Generation Equality: Ixchel Lucas, youth advocate for girls’ leadership

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY


France: Youth in Normandy Mobilize for Human Rights and the Freedom Prize

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY



Following peace deal, talks on Libya’s political future begin

English bulletin October 1, 2020

. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE .

In our survey of the Internet this year we found actions for the International Day of Peace in 717 communities located throughout the world. This total is similar to what we found last year, although the geographical distribution was a bit different.

This year the greatest number of actions took place in Europe.

In Western Euope we found reference to actions in 274 communities. The greatest number was recorded in Belgium where 159 towns and municipalities participated in a campaign to fly the peace flag on official buildings, calling for a Belgium without nuclear weapons in a world without nuclear weapons. An article from the Italian island of Sardegna lists actions in 37 communities. In France, the Collective for 21 September coordinated and described actions in 43 communities, including marches and demonstrations, often linked to the struggle to preserve the planet from global warming.

The Collective for 21 September is composed of 35 French organizations, led by Mouvement de la Paix. Their statement declares “More than ever it is necessary to cry out loud and clear: Stop wars, Stop violence, Stop misery, Stop injustices. Together, let us act to shape peace and the development of a culture of peace through the construction of a united world, free from all weapons of mass destruction.”

In the former Soviet countries of Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine and Belorus, we found actions in 168 communities, most of them involving the children in schools. Often the children made paper doves and wrote their wishes for peace, sometimes attaching them to balloons to fly into the sky and travel across the earth.

As was the case last year, many of the actions took place in communities across the two sides of the armed coflict in the Ukraine. One of them, in Svyatogorsk, was hosted by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with the purpose of ending the armed conflict in the Donbass region. The Metropolitan of Svyatogorsk recalled that “Blessed are the peacemakers, says the Lord. We dare to take upon ourselves the title of peacemaking, so as not to renounce the great title of the sons of God.”

In North America we found actions in 159 communities, of which 110 were coordinated and listed on the website of the Campaign Nonviolence, “working for a new culture of nonviolence free from war war, poverty, racism and environmental destruction.” All 50 states of the United States were represented, along with the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.

For example, in Philadelphia, Peace Day Philly 2020 included eleven programs over seven days – all on-line and all free – related to personal, local and global peace and justice.

Ongoing wars and recent peace accords were addressed by the day’s celebrations in the rest of the world.

In Africa, we found celebrations in 35 communities in 23 countries, many of them torn by violent conflict. In Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, a round table discussed the contribution of local actors in the process of building sustainable peace and social cohesion in a region plagued by successive armed attacks and religious radicalism. In the city of Goma, in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, citizen movements and artists marched in the street to protest against massacres of civilians in the east of the country. Meanwhile in the DRC, seventy-five women’s civil society organizations unanimously formulated a joint declaration on the establishment of peace. And the African Union held a video conference: “Youth as agents for Silencing the Guns and Shaping Peace.”

In the Middle East and North Africa, we found actions in 19 communities in 10 countries and regions. In South Sudan on Peace Day September 21, which coincides with the second anniversary of the Revitalized Agreement on Conflict Resolution representatives of various faiths in Sudan of the South issued a collective statement calling for implementation of the peace agreement. In Yemen, still at war, a youth campaign calling for a ceasefire was launched with a vox pop video in which young people share their messages on peace. And from Aleppo in Syria, there is a video for the International Day of Peace in Arabic : “Living in peace is our legitimate right”!

In Latin America we found actions in 29 communities. Celebrations in Colombia were linked to commemoration of the fourth year since the signing of the peace agreement. For example, in the article from Prensa Latina, “Colombians from all over the country will march today in the context of the International Day of Peace to demand that the government comply with the Havana Agreement and put an end to violence in the country.” The largest number of community celebrations came from Mexico, another country that experiences a high level of violence.

In Asia and the Pacific we found actions in 33 communities in 13 countries. In Korea, a campaign called for an ending to the Korean War, signed by more than 350 South Korean and international civil society organizations. In the Philippines, solidarity was proclaimed with the young people of Mindanao who have been directly affected by the consequences of a conflict that is still being felt despite progress in the peace process. And in Pakistan, there were calls for the United Nations to intervene in Jammu and Kashmir where there is armed conflict with India.

A new feature of the celebrations this year was the increased importance of virtual meetings and conferences, such as that mentioned above by the African Union. A good example was the initiative Peace Weekend 2020 with the convergence of multiple online summits and music festivals including the UP Convergence, Peace One Day Live Digital Experience as well as the Shift Festival and Music Festival.

      

GLOBAL



What has happened this year: International Day of Peace

UNITED STATES AND CANADA



United States and Canada: International Day of Peace

EUROPE



Europe: International Day of Peace

ASIA AND PACIFIC



Asia and Pacific: International Day of Peace

EX-SOVIET COUNTRIES



Ex-Soviet countries: International Day of Peace

ARAB STATES AND MIDDLE EAST



Arab and Middle Eastern States: International Day of Peace

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN



Latin America: International Day of Peace

AFRICA



Africa: International Day of Peace

English bulletin August 1, 2020

. SOME GOOD NEWS . .

There is a lot of bad news this month as people suffer from the spread of the pandemic, unemployment, famine, and even the threat of civil war. However, we can also find some good news.

In the U.S:

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has announced its 2020 Vision for America: a call to action. Among the 12 priorities are protecting and promoting human and civil rights and “fixing our immigration system” as well as “tackling climate change by accelerating the use of clean energy”.

The Progressive Caucus of the United States Congress announced its opposition to the Pentagon’s “wasteful and bloated” budget proposal. They have proposed an amendment that would reduce the proposed Pentagon budget by 10% and redirect savings toward health care, housing and education in poor communities.

In France :

The recent results of local elections in France are celebrated as an “Incredible Green Wave” and a “mandate to act for climate and social justice.” According to one observer, “Much of the important work done by the Greens is at the municipal level. This is where they demonstrate that they can rule. And this in turn shapes the national landscape. ”

Subsequent to the their electoral victory, mayors and ecologists on the French Left met in the city of Tours to develop a national network for sharing ideas and building common projects. Ecology was widely discussed during this meeting, with the issues of 5G, clean transport, the development of bicycle networks, ecological transition and waste treatment. Beyond the environmental issue, elected officials also worked on the city’s policies in terms of youth and precarious employment, integration of working-class communities, reception of refugees, housing and a social and solidarity economy.

In Latin America :

The city government of Guadalajara, Mexico has established an online diploma in Culture of Peace, to address to build peace in the neighborhoods and within the civil society.”

Colombia hosted the 2nd Latin American Congress of Restorative Justice. According to one of the speakers, “The culture of peace presupposes profound changes in two spheres , in the sphere of justice where it is necessary to guarantee rights, and in the political sphere where it is also necessary to transform the pattern of power domination.”

The International Folklore Festival will take place virtually, hosted by the association Abrasoffa in Brazil, on 22 and 23 August under the slogan “Folklore unites us and the world – dance for peace.”

HipHop Week’ was celebrted virtually in Cali, Colombia. The theme is “to make Hip Hop visible as a culture of peace, a culture with a political stance and in turn that can unite us as hiphoppers and as elements of culture, because we converge djs, graffiti artists, rappers and others.”

At the United Nations :

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed addressed “Women Rise for All,” a virtual gathering of influential women from across different regions, sectors and generations, to examine how their leadership is shaping pandemic response and recovery that benefits all people. “Even in the midst of this devastating crisis, there is an opportunity to build a better world that works for all. That will only be possible when we recognize the value of women front and centre, together leading the way and rising for all.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a major address for Nelson Mandela International Day, calling for a New Social Contract for a New Era. “We stand together, or we fall apart.  Today, in demonstrations for racial equality… in campaigns against hate speech… in the struggles of people claiming their rights and standing up for future generations… we see the beginnings of a new movement.  This movement rejects inequality and division, and unites young people, civil society, the private sector, cities, regions and others behind policies for peace, our planet, justice and human rights for all. It is already making a difference. . . . We are at breaking point. But we know which side of history we are on.”

HUMAN RIGHTS




UN Secretary-General: Tackling Inequality: A New Social Contract for a New Era

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION



Third edition of the Paris Peace Forum

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT



Russia: Ambassadors of Specially Protected Natural Territories

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION



Mayors and Ecologists on the Left in France: A “tour de force”

          

EDUCATION FOR PEACE



More than 29 thousand people registered in the Second International Montessori Congress, a free virtual event

WOMEN’S EQUALITY



United Nations: ‘Women Rise for All’ to shape leadership in pandemic response and recovery

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY


Adolescents in Cuba delve into the culture of peace

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY



US: Progressive Caucus Announces Opposition to ‘Wasteful, Bloated’ $740 Billion Pentagon Budget Proposal

English bulletin June 1, 2020

. LINK GLOBAL, EAT LOCAL . .

As we have seen in this bulletin in recent months, the global health and economic crisis has inspired many to envisage and prepare for radical change believing that “another world is possible.”

This month we feature two aspects of this movement: 1) towards local food production and consumption, known as food sovereignty; and 2) global rlinkage of activists via webinars and online courses and conferences. Hence a new variation on the old slogan that we should “Think global, act local.”

Food sovereignty

As pointed out by The People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty , the disconnect between food supply and demand has never been this huge. While almost a billion people around the world sleep hungry at night, tons of food are wasted across fields caused by transportation and market bottlenecks. Every year, a third of the world’s food – amounting to as much as USD 1.2 trillion – is lost or goes to waste. With today’s pandemic, lockdowns and supply chain failures have put this problem into overdrive. To meet this crisis, The People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty, has issued 9 demands, including priority to local food production and local markets. One of their demands is to lift sanctions and cease all military aggressions which are exacerbated the crisis of hunger.

Another coaltion, the Planetary Coalition, also based in Asia and including partners around the world, calls for “a new earth Democracy” with a wide range of actions including “local biodiverse food systems.” They remind us that “Contrary to what we are made to believe, it is not globalisation that protects people from famines, which it produces and aggravates, but peoples food sovereignty, where people at the community level have the right to produce, choose and consume adequate, healthy and nutritious food, under fair price agreements for local production and exchange.”

A leader in the food sovereignty movement has long been the international peasant’s movement La Via Campesina, a global coalition of 182 organisations in 81 countries. Now they remind us that “As the world reels under the fallout of a pandemic, now is the time to start building an equal, just and liberal society that embraces food sovereignty and solidarity.”

The North African Network for Food Sovereignty has put forward a series of demands and urgent measures in response to the health emergency including support to subsistence farming activities, subsistence stockbreeding, and coastal subsistence. As well as encouraging the consumption of their products through the creation of direct markets and fighting illegal and monopoly speculation.

The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa is working to establish food sovereignty and agroecology as a key policy response to the climate crisis that is negatively impacting Africa. “Agroecology is a reverse response rejecting the industrial monoculture agriculture that contributes more than 90% of greenhouse gas emissions, degrades the environment, depletes biodiversity, erodes diverse cultures, and only feeds less than 30 percent of the world population.”

In the United States there is a rebirth of the Food Sovereignty Movement. This is illustrated by the increased use of urban farms and gardens in the city of Detroit and the program Seeds and Sheep by the Navajo Nation in Utah.

Examples from France, Thailand and Singapore are cited in the article “Grow your own: Urban farming flourishes in coronavirus lockdowns.”

Webinars, online courses and conferences

Increasingly, conferences are taking the form of Webinars so that people can take part from around the world.

The world conference “No Nukes, Climate Justice, Peace” originally scheduled for New York City in April was held instead online with up to 500 people joined by Internet and with simultaneous live streaming so anyone could join by listening in simultaneously or later on a YouTube publication. The conference was sponsored by hundreds of leading nuclear disarmament, peace, climate and justice organizations. Speakers came from the United States, Japan, Germany, Costa Rica, Iran and Australia.

The Webinar “Youth Actions for Climate, Nuclear Disarmament and Sustainable Development” was held on May 14 and 19 sponsored by Abolition 2000 Youth Network, World Future Council, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament and the Basel Peace Office. Speakers came from Switzerland, United States, Canada, Kenya, Morocco, Czech Republic, Philippines, Bangladesh, South Korea and Japan.

The Webinar “How Young People Can Lead Climate Change Action, sponsored by the International Youth Foundation took place in November 2019 and was made available as a video this month on a website called Youthlead.

Nonviolence International has a weekly Webinar series. “Young Women Fighting for Our Planet” took place on April 22 and the video is available online via Facebook. Speakers are from Kenya, United Arab emirates, Canada and South Korea.

Campaign Nonviolence is holding a Weekly Nonviolence Community Course online for six weeks from May 28 through July 2. There are places for 50 participants. Advanced registration is required.

Movimento por la Paz (Spain) is holding an online course “Five paths for peace” beginning on May 18, with places for 20 participants filled in order of registration.

Finally, here at the Culture of Peace News Network, Mirian Castello, based in Brazil, is hosting a weekly Webinar interviewing activists for a culture of peace. Registration is open for people around the world to access the webinar live and submit their questions to the person interviewed. The first three interviews are now available as online videos.

Now we see that the technology is available and is being used for the “global movement for a culture of peace . . . promoted through sharing of information” that was envisaged in 1999 by the United Nations Declaration and Programme of Action.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT



Earth Day Communiqué – 22nd April 2020 Making Peace with the Earth

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION



If Culture of War was a human choice and invention, what if we choose a culture of peace?

HUMAN RIGHTS




Amnesty International: Ignored by COVID-19 responses, refugees face starvation

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION



Mexico: Universities of ANUIES to share best practices on culture of peace

          

EDUCATION FOR PEACE



Campaign Nonviolence: Weekly Nonviolence Online Community Course

WOMEN’S EQUALITY



Webinar and Video: Young Women Fighting for Our Planet

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY


The New World Citizen Laboratory, Yali Gabon and PAYNCoP Gabon join forces to raise awareness about Covid 19

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY



Global military expenditure sees largest annual increase in a decade—says SIPRI

Global meetings, conferences, assemblies, What is the best way for delegates to interact afterwards?

Awaiting comment

Here are the CPNN articles on this subject:

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

What is really happening in Venezuela?

The commercial media almost without exception continues to support the United States and dozens of its allies in its attacks on Venezuela. Hardly a culture of peace!

In order to present an alternative to this “war propaganda,” we have published some articles that give the other side.

We began with critiques of the commercial media coverage in the monthly bulletin for March, 2019.

Here are the CPNN articles about this question.

UN human rights expert urges to lift unilateral sanctions against Venezuela

Who to Believe about Venezuela’s Election: Firsthand observation or PBS Newshour?

Despite destabilizing actions Venezuela lives a peaceful Christmas

Venezuela. The construction of peace must have the quality of feminism

Latin America and the Caribbean need a culture of peace

Statement on Escalating Tensions in Venezuela Issued by the Thirtieth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community

Red Cross, UN Slam ‘Politicised’ USAID Humanitarian Assistance to Venezuela

What do the people of Venezuela want?

What the Press Hides from You about Venezuela — A Case of News-Suppression

US Media Ignore—and Applaud—Economic War on Venezuela

Venezuela: An Open Letter to the People of the United States from President Nicolás Maduro

Bolivia: Evo Morales says the United States seeks to “devastate and impoverish” Venezuela as did to Iraq and Libya

Jamaica: Tek Sleep an Mark Death with the Venezuela Situation

US attack on Venezuela: alternative media coverage

Julian Assange, Is he a hero for the culture of peace?

Here is what Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire wrote in nominating Julian Assange for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.

“Julian Assange and his colleagues in WikiLeaks have shown on numerous occasions that they are one of the last outlets of true democracy with their work for freedom of speech.  Their work for true peace by making public our governments’ actions at home and abroad has enlightened us to their atrocities carried out in the name of so-called democracy around the world.  This included:

* Footage of carnage perpetrated by NATO/US military

* Release of email correspondence revealing conspiracy for regime change in Middle Eastern countries

* Elected officials paid to deceive the public

“This is a huge step in our work for disarmament and nonviolence worldwide. Julian Assange, fearing deportation to the U.S. to stand trial for treason, sought out asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012.   Selflessly, he continues his work from there increasing the risk of his prosecution by the American government. 

“In recent months the U.S. has increased pressure on the Ecuadorian government to take away what remains of his freedom.  He is now prevented from having visitors, telephone calls or other electronic communications, thereby removing his basic human rights.  This has put a great strain on Julian’s mental and physical health.  It is our duty as citizens to protect Julian’s human rights and freedom of speech as he has fought for ours on a global stage.

“It is my great fear that Julian, who is an innocent man, will be deported to the U.S. where he will face unjustified imprisonment.  We have seen this happen to Chelsea (Bradley) Manning who allegedly supplied WikiLeaks with sensitive information from NATO/US Middle Eastern wars and subsequently spent multiple years in solitary confinement in an American prison.   If the US succeeds in their plan to extradite Julian Assange to US to face a grand jury, this will silence journalists and whistle-blowers around the world in fear of dire repercussions.

“Julian Assange meets all criteria for the Nobel Peace Prize.   Through his release of hidden information to the public we are no longer naïve to the atrocities of war, neither oblivious to the connections between big business and the acquisition of resources and spoils of war.

“As his human rights and freedom are in jeopardy, the Nobel Peace Prize would afford Julian much greater protection from governments’ forces.

“Over the years there have been controversies over the Nobel Peace Prize and some of those to whom it has been awarded.  Sadly, I believe it has moved from its original intentions and meaning.  It was Alfred Nobel’s will that the prize would support and protect individuals at threat from government forces in their fight for nonviolence and peace, by bringing awareness to their precarious situations.  Through awarding Julian Assange the Nobel Peace Prize, he and others like him will receive the protection they truly deserve.

“It is my hope that by this we can rediscover the true definition of the Nobel Peace Prize.

“I also call on all people to bring awareness to Julian’s situation and support him in his struggle for basic human rights, freedom of speech, and peace.”

Here are the CPNN articles on this subject:

RSF launches global “Collateral Damage” campaign highlighting the danger of the Assange prosecution to media and the public’s right to know

Tribunal in Washington Calls on President Biden to End Prosecution of Julian Assange and to Defend Rights of Journalists and Whistleblowers

Because ‘Publishing Is Not a Crime,’ Major Newspapers Push US to Drop Assange Charges

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

Peace and Justice Organizations call for Freedom for Julian Assange

Afghanistan and Julian Assange

Key witness in Assange case admits to lies in indictment

Germany: Collateral Crucifixion – Pressuring for Julian Assange’s Release!

Groundswell of support for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange

Daniel Ellsberg Speaks Out on the Arrest of Julian Assange

Remembering the Crimes of the Powerful Exposed by Wikileaks’ Julian Assange

Chomsky: Arrest of Assange Is “Scandalous” and Highlights Shocking Extraterritorial Reach of U.S.

Nobel Peace Laureate Maguire Requests UK Home Office for Permission to Visit Her Friend Nobel Peace Nominee Julian Assange ln Prison in London[

UN experts warn Assange arrest exposes him to risk of serious human rights violations

Mairead Maguire Nominates Julian Assange for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize

Free Julian Assange!

Statement by Julian Assange after Six Months in Ecuadorian Embassy

WikiLeaks: The Latin America Files

Can peace be achieved in Mindanao?

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.

Here are the CPNN articles on this subject:

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

Peace Initiatives in SOCSARGEN-Philippines

Thousands call on UN to prevent massive war in Philippines