Pro-Palestinian protests and encampments sweep campuses of major universities across the United States

. TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY . .

An article from The Arab American News

College campuses have become breeding grounds for pro-Palestine protests. Student protesters have continued to set up encampments at their universities and display their support for Palestinians and against Israeli aggressions. Students are also demanding that their universities divest from companies that financially support Israel. 


The encampment created by protesters on the Columbia University campus on Wednesday, April 24. – Photo by Reuters.

 
Encampments and protests have been reported at the following universities:

°Columbia University in Manhattan, New York
°The New School in Manhattan
°New York University in Manhattan
°Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts
°Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island
°Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge
°Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts
°Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut
°Emerson College in Boston
°The University of Michigan
°The University of California, Berkeley
°The University of Southern California
°University of Pittsburgh
°University of Minnesota
°Ohio State University
°University of Texas at Arlington
°University of Texas at Austin
°University of Texas at Dallas
°University of Texas at San Antonio
°University of North Carolina at Charlotte
°Emory University in Atlanta
°University of New Mexico in Albuquerque
°American University in Washington
°Rice University in Houston

(Editor’s note: An article in Al Jazeera, mentions similar mobilizations in the Sorbonne University and Sciences Po of Paris, Univerities of Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, Sapienza University of Rome, and the universities of Warwick, Leicester and Leeds in England as of April 26. By May 14, according to Pressenza, similar protests have spread to 17 countries, including India, Mexico, Japan, as well as the UK, Australia and France.)

According to The Associated Press, with protests and encampments arising, universities have taken steps to extinguish tensions on campus. Columbia University shifted to remote classes, canceling in-person classes and the gates of the Harvard Yard were closed to the public. Crowds of protesters were arrested at Columbia University, New York University and Yale.

These protests have also given rise to tensions between students, with both pro-Palestinian protesters denouncing Israel and Jewish students claiming that has led to anti-Semitism, which makes them feel unsafe. Pro-Israel students have said they feel that the protests occurring at their universities are only encouraging anti-Semitic and hate speech.

According to Al Jazeera, student protesters said they are standing in “solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza”, where the death toll is now above 34,300, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Columbia’s University president, Minouche Shafik, released a statement to the school community regarding the protests and shared that she felt “deeply saddened” by it all.

“To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,” Shafik wrote, also adding that the students who live off campus shouldn’t come to campus.

Pro-Palestinian Columbia students file civil rights complaint

Palestine Legal filed a civil rights complaint against Columbia University this week through the U.S. Department of Education, demanding the agency’s Office for Civil Rights investigate the school’s treatment of Palestinian students and allies.

The complaint goes beyond the events of the last week, when the NYPD arrested more than 100 protesting students. It alleged that for the past months, “Palestinian students, Arabs, Muslims, students perceived to be Palestinian and students associated with or advocating for Palestinians” were subject to anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian harassment and Islamophobia.

The complaint represents four students and Columbia’s Students for Justice in Palestine. Palestine Legal said these students received death threats and were “harassed for wearing keffiyehs or hijab, doxed, stereotyped, being treated differently by high-ranking administrators, including Columbia University President Minouche Shafik.”

Palestine Legal also said the school has the responsibility to protect its students, including Palestinians and supporters, and should not threaten or call the police or military. Columbia has denied threats to call the National Guard were ever on the table in negotiations with protesters.

“Since October 7 alone, the organization has received reports of over 1,800 incidents, over five times the number we received in all of 2022, reflecting an exponential rise in anti-Palestinian repression across the U.S.,” Palestine Legal wrote in a press release.

With protests at Harvard, a sign stated that Harvard Yard was closed to the public, only allowing structures, tents and tables onto the yard with prior permission. Security guards were also checking student IDs.

“Students violating these policies are subject to disciplinary action,” the sign read.

The university’s administration suspended the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee, according to reports. The suspension notice  stated that the committee’s demonstration on April 19 had violated school policy and that committee members did not attend required trainings following a previous probation.

The Palestine Solidarity Committee said in a statement that it was suspended over technicalities and that the university hadn’t provided written clarification on the university’s policies when asked.

“For months, we have been disproportionately targeted by the administration on the grounds of technicalities that we tried to observe vigilantly in the interest of protecting student safety,” the group said in a statement sent to The Middle East Eye.

About 45 protesters at Yale University were arrested and charged with trespassing, according to Officer Christian Bruckhart, a spokesperson for New Haven Police Department. All protesters were let go on promises they would appear in court, he said, in an AP News report.

Protesters assembled tents on Beinecke Plaza at Yale and called for their university to action to divest from defense companies tied to Israel.

Yale President Peter Salovey said in a statement to the school on Monday that police officers gave protesters “several opportunities to leave and avoid arrest”, adding that he felt “deeply saddened that the call for civil discourse and peaceful protest (he) issued” was not recognized or listened to, referring to the previous email he sent Sunday, according to The Yale Daily News.

MIT graduate student Prahlad Iyengar was one of the student protesters who participated in the encampment on that campus Sunday night.

“MIT has not even called for a ceasefire, and that’s a demand we have for sure,” Iyengar said in an AP News report.

Several dozen protesters arrested at Emory University

Thursday morning, an Emory University spokesperson said several dozen protesters “trespassed” into Emory’s campus to set up tents on the school’s quad.

“The activists who initially gathered were not recognized as members of our community and were disrupting the university as our students finish classes and prepare for finals,” a statement read.

Members of the Emory community later joined the initial group, according to the spokesperson.

Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police at the Georgia university on Thursday. Police used pepper spray and pepper balls to clear the area of demonstrators, a CNN team on the scene reported.

The statement said “a couple dozen people” were taken into custody after the Emory Police Department notified them they were trespassing and the people refused to leave.

On Thursday, a group of Democratic Georgia state lawmakers  condemned the “excessive force used by Georgia State Patrol” during arrests at Emory University.

“The use of extreme anti-riot tactics by Georgia State Patrol, including tasers and gas, is a dangerous escalation to protests which were by all accounts peaceful and nonviolent,” Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman, a Democrat who is also Palestinian, posted on social media in a statement co-signed by 10 other legislators.

(continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

Presenting the Palestinian side of the Middle East, Is it important for a culture of peace?

(continued from left column)

The group blamed Georgia leaders and said they have created an environment where “state police feel free or perhaps are directed— to respond to normal peaceful protests with violence.”

“We cannot allow this dangerous repression to continue,” they continued in the statement. “Regardless of one’s views on this or any other issue, there is no justification for this kind of excessive force. We call on all state officials to immediately deescalate and prevent further harm to our constituents.”

The ACLU of Georgia also said on Thursday it was concerned about law enforcement’s response to the protests.

“The freedom to protest without retribution is essential to our democracy,” the organization said in a statement. “Atlanta has historically been a place where citizens could freely exercise their rights to protest, but we have unfortunately seen a series of unconstitutional crackdowns on speech and protest across Georgia in recent years. Colleges and universities should be places where viewpoints, expression, debate and free speech are encouraged, not suppressed.”

USC cancels its main commencement ceremony

The University of Southern California canceled its main commencement ceremony for 2024 graduating students in May, citing “new safety measures in place.”

“We understand that this is disappointing,” the university said in an announcement on its website.

The announcement came days after the university canceled the commencement speech of its Muslim valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, due to what it called security concerns. USC then canceled appearances by prominent speakers and honorees at the May 10 graduation ceremony.

Encampment forms at University of California, Los Angeles

On Thursday, a “demonstration with encampments” formed at the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) in Royce Quad, the university said in a campus activity update.

“We’re actively monitoring this situation to support a safe and peaceful campus environment that respects our community’s right to free expression while minimizing disruption to our teaching and learning mission,” the update read.

Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA posted on Instagram an invitation for others to join and said, “WE ARE STAYING UNTIL OUR DEMANDS ARE MET! BE HERE!

“We camp in solidarity with Palestine. We refuse to be complicit in this genocidal campaign,” the post read.

Pro-Palestinian encampment forms at George Washington University

George Washington University has joined a growing list of schools across the nation where Pro-Palestinian demonstrators are forming encampments on school campuses, according to videos posted by the GW Hatchet student newspaper.

Students at multiple universities across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia organized the encampment, a group representing the coalition of Students for Justice in Palestine said in a post on Instagram.

The encampment is a “united demonstration of our power, uplifting our collective demands for financial transparency, boycotts and divestment from the Zionist state, and an end to the racist repression pro-Palestine students,” the post read.

Netanyahu condemns U.S. universities’ campus protests as “anti-Semitic”

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. university campuses as “horrific” and “anti-Semitic”, calling for them to end.

“It has to be stopped. It has to be condemned and condemned unequivocally,” Netanyahu said in a video message on X.

““The response of several university presidents was shameful.””
Netanyahu added that while some officials have responded differently, “more has to be done” in response to the demonstrations.

Netanyahu said that a rise in anti-Semitism in the U.S. “has terrible consequences.”

More people around the world believe he and his right-wing government are the reasons for the rise of anti-Israeli apartheid, which he wrongly attributes it as “anti-Semitism.”

Iran’s foreign minister slams police response to protests

On Thursday, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed “deep concerns” over the police response to pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. university campuses.

Amir-Abdollahian criticized the “suppression and harsh treatment” of professors and students by police in a post on X.

“This suppression is in line with Washington’s full-fledged support for the Israeli regime and clearly demonstrates the U.S. government’s double standards and contradictory behavior regarding freedom of speech,” Amir-Abdollahian posted.

House Speaker Mike Johnson calls on Columbia’s president to resign

House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Columbia University President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik to resign during a tense press conference Wednesday.

The crowd repeatedly interrupted the speaker and booed him and other GOP lawmakers who were with him as they stood at the mics.

“We just can’t allow this kind of hatred and anti-Semitism to flourish on our campuses, and it must be stopped in its tracks,” Johnson said. “Those who are perpetrating this violence should be arrested. I am here today, joining my colleagues and calling on President Shafik to resign if she cannot immediately bring order to this chaos.”

On Wednesday, the Columbia University Board of Trustees released a statement saying they strongly support President  Shafik.

“The Columbia University Board of Trustees strongly supports President Shafik as she steers the university through this extraordinarily challenging time,” the board said in a statement Wednesday. “During the search process for this role, President Shafik told us that she would always take a thoughtful approach to resolving conflict, balancing the disparate voices that make up a vibrant campus like Columbia’s, while taking a firm stance against hatred, harassment and discrimination. That’s exactly what she’s doing now.”

 The board said it is “urgently working” with Shafik to resolve the unrest on campus and “rebuild the bonds of our community.”

Here are the developments at several universities as of Thursday evening (April 25):

°University of Southern California: USC canceled its main commencement ceremony for 2024 graduating students in May, citing “new safety measures in place.”

°Emory University: At least two professors were  detained during protests on campus. CAIR’s Georgia chapter has condemned the arrests and the NAACP in Georgia has called for a meeting with the university’s president.

°Northeastern University: An encampment has been formed and dozens of protesters have formed a human chain around tents.

°City College of New York: The NYPD says it no longer plans to clear the encampment Thursday afternoon.

°George Washington University: An group of Pro-Palestinian demonstrators has started an encampment on campus representing students from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, organizers and the university confirmed.

°Emerson College: More than 100 people were arrested and four police officers were injured Wednesday at Emerson college in Boston during a pro-Palestinian protest, according to the Boston Police Department.

°Columbia University: House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Columbia’s president to resign if she cannot bring order to the campus. While most protests have been non-violent, some Jewish students are worried for their safety, with one Jewish student saying “the anti-Semitic comments and activity is running rampant.” Negotiations between protesters and Columbia officials about clearing the encampment on its lawn were extended early Wednesday morning for another 48 hours.

°University of Southern California: Police arrested nearly 100 protesters at the University of Southern California after a dispersal order.

°University of Texas at Austin: Following tense resistance, the Texas Department of Public Safety said that 57 arrests had been made by law enforcement on the campus. A Fox 7 photographer was among those arrested amid the heated clashes, the news outlet said in a report. The tally is an overall number of people booked in association with the protest. “We don’t classify arrestees by whether or not they’re students at the university,” Kristen Dark, a Travis County Sheriff’s office spokesperson told CNN.

°Cal Poly Humboldt: The California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt campus will remain closed through the weekend as protesters, including “unidentified non-students,” continue to occupy two buildings, school officials said in an update.

– – – – – –

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on Gala of Solidarity” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.

North America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Haifa Symposium: Bridging faiths for peace in the Middle East

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Dr. Kobby Barda in the Jerusalem Post

On May 7th, 2024, the Haifa Laboratory for Religious Studies (HLRS) at the University of Haifa will host its 2nd Annual Symposium on Religion and Diplomacy in the Middle East. This one-day event takes place in the shadow of recent events, as October 7th saw a renewed conflict fueled by religious tensions.

A Beacon of Hope in Haifa:

This timely symposium will be held in the vibrant and religiously-diverse city of as such, Haifa, a model for communities living side-by-side, serves as the perfect backdrop for crucial discussions aimed at achieving a more hopeful future for the Middle East.

Exploring Religion’s Role in the Region:

The symposium delves into the multifaceted role of religion in the Middle East. The event will explore how religion can be a force for peace and reconciliation, while also acknowledging the complexities and challenges it can present. Through engaging discussions and presentations by leading experts, the symposium seeks to bridge divides and foster understanding between different faiths.

Engaging Discussions with Renowned Experts:

The symposium will open with a keynote address by Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, the UK Minister of State for the Middle East.

The heart of the symposium lies in its engaging panels. The first, titled “Religion and peace: working at grassroots level,” brings together a diverse group of experts. Moderated by Shlomi Eldar of Channel 13 Israel, the panel features Prof. Katherine Marshall, Kadi Dr. Iyad Zahalka, journalist Henrique Cymerman, and Archbishop of Acre Youssef Abedallah Matta. These voices from academia, religious institutions, and media will offer unique insights into grassroots peacebuilding efforts. 

(continued in right column)

Question related to this article:
 
How can different faiths work together for understanding and harmony?

(continued from left column)

The panel will be followed by a conversation between renowned specialist on issues of global religious freedom and HLRS senior research Dr. Chris Seiple and Prof. Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, the founding director of the Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh on collaborations between scholars and religious practitioners in promoting regional diplomacy. Their conversation will set the floor for the formal launching of NEXUS – the first online platform focused on the interface of religion and politics in the Middle East. 

Another special session will feature conversation between former minister rabbi Michael Melchior and sheikh dr. Eyad Amer, both of Mosaica, on their work behind the scenes to bring about reconciliation around religious conflicts within Israeli society. 

The concluding panel on “Religious answers to religious radicalism,” will delve into the theological and social responses to religious extremism. Panelists include peace activist and United Nations Security Council advisor Huda Abu Arqoub, Prof. James Walters of the London School of Economics, Prof. Katherine Marshall of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and Dr. Tomer Persico of the Shalom Hartman Institute. 

A Special Recognition:

The symposium culminates with a special address by President Isaac Herzog, who will share a message of peace and use this platform to call for global interfaith collaboration, a cornerstone for a more hopeful future in the Middle East. President Herzog will deliver his message at the beginning of  a special honorary session dedicated to Rabbi David Rosen, a renowned leader in regional interfaith endeavours, and international president of Religions for Peace. This session will feature distinguished guests who will acknowledge Rabbi Rosen’s contributions to promoting peace and understanding.

About the Haifa Laboratory for Religious Studies

Founded in 2020, the HLRS has established itself as a hub for research, education, and dialogue on interfaith dynamics. Through its commitment to interfaith understanding, religious pluralism, and freedom of worship, the HLRS seeks to contribute valuable insights to navigating the complexities of the Middle East.

– – – – – –

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.

Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

UN Security Council Holds Rare Nuclear Disarmament Debate

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Daryl G. Kimball and Shizuka Kuramitsu in Global Issues

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa a rare, high-level UN Security Council meeting on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation on March 18.

Although the meeting underscored the urgency of addressing the growing threats posed by nuclear weapons, it also highlighted the chronic divisions among key states on disarmament and nonproliferation issues.

“The world now stands on the cusp of reversing decades of declines in nuclear stockpiles. We will not stop moving ahead to promote realistic and practical efforts to create a world without nuclear weapons. Japan cannot accept Russia’s threats to break the world’s 78-year record of the nonuse of nuclear weapons,” she added.


Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa chairs a UN Security Council meeting on nuclear disarmament in New York on March 18. She has warned that “the world now stands on the cusp of reversing decades of declines in nuclear stockpiles.” Credit: Japanese Foreign Ministry

UN Secretary-General António Guterres; Robert Floyd, executive secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization; and Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova, director of the nonproliferation program at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, were invited to brief the meeting.

All Security Council members were represented, including the five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Many stressed the urgency of addressing growing nuclear weapons threats.

But the exchange also underscored the extent to which rising geopolitical tensions and long-standing divisions among leading states impede tangible progress on disarmament and nonproliferation issues.

In his opening remarks, Guterres warned that “umanity cannot survive a sequel to Oppenheimer. Voice after voice, alarm after alarm, survivor after survivor are calling the world back from the brink.”

“And what is the response?” he asked. “States possessing nuclear weapons are absent from the table of dialogue. Investments in the tools of war are outstripping investments in the tools of peace. Arms budgets are growing, while diplomacy and development budgets are shrinking.”

Guterres said the nuclear-armed states in particular “must re-engage” to prevent any use of a nuclear weapon, including by securing a no-first-use agreement, stopping nuclear saber-rattling, and reaffirming moratoriums on nuclear testing.

He urged them to take action on prior disarmament commitments under the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), including reductions in the number of nuclear weapons “led by the holders of the largest nuclear arsenals, the United States and the Russian Federation, who must find a way back to the negotiating table to fully implement the and agree on its successor.”

To catalyze action, he reiterated his call for “reforms to disarmament bodies, including the Conference on Disarmament …that could lead to a long-overdue fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament.”

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield criticized Russia’s “irresponsible…nuclear rhetoric” and said that “China has rapidly and opaquely built up and diversified” its nuclear arsenal. In addition, “Russia and China have remained unwilling to engage in substantive discussions around arms control and risk reduction,” she said.

Thomas-Greenfield reiterated the U.S. offer to “engage in bilateral arms control discussions with Russia and China, right now, without preconditions.”

Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, said that his country shares “the noble goal” of a nuclear-weapon-free world. Nevertheless, he described the possession of nuclear weapons as “an important factor in maintaining the strategic balance.”

(Continued in right column)

Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

(Continued from left column)

Polyanskiy countered criticism of Russian nuclear threats by charging that it is the “clearly Russo-phobic line of the United States and its allies creates risks of escalation that threaten to trigger a direct military confrontation among nuclear powers.”

He said the current situation is largely the result of the “years-long policy of the United States and its allies aimed at undermining the international architecture of arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation.”

Polyanskiy added, “As for the issues of strategic dialogue between Russia and the United States with a view to new agreements on nuclear arms control, they cannot be isolated from the general military-political context. We see no basis for such work in the context of Western countries’ attempts to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia and their refusal to respect our vital interests.”

Maltese Ambassador Vanessa Frazier called on the nuclear-weapon states to fulfill their disarmament obligations under the NPT. “Current tensions cannot be an excuse for the delay…. Rather they should be a reason to accelerate the implementation,” she said.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun acknowledged that “the risk of a nuclear arms race and a nuclear conflict is rising” and “he road to nuclear disarmament remains long and arduous.”

He reiterated Beijing’s long-standing position that “nuclear weapons states should explore feasible measures to reduce strategic risks, negotiate and conclude a treaty on no first use of nuclear weapons against each other” and “provide legally binding negative security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states.”

Apparently in response to U.S. criticism of a Chinese nuclear buildup and refusal to engage in substantive arms control and risk reduction talks, Zhang said these “allegations against China do not hold any water.”

“Demanding that countries with vastly different nuclear policies and number of nuclear weapons should assume the same level of nuclear disarmament and nuclear transparency obligations is not consistent with the logic of history and reality, nor is it in line with international consensus, and as such will only lead international nuclear disarmament to a dead end,” the Chinese envoy said.

Some states proposed new initiatives. In response to U.S. concerns that Russia may be pursuing an orbiting anti-satellite system involving a nuclear explosive device, Japan and the United States announced they will “put forward a Security Council resolution, reaffirming the fundamental obligations that parties have under this Treaty,” which prohibits the deployment of weapons in space. (See ACT, March 2024.)

Japan also announced the establishment of a cross-regional group called Friends of FMCT “with the aim to maintain and enhance political attention” and to expand support for negotiating a fissile material cutoff treaty (FMCT) banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons.

For decades, the 65-nation CD has failed to agree on a path to begin FMCT talks. Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Nigeria, the Philippines, the UK, and the United States will join the FMCT group, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

High-level Security Council debates focused on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation have been infrequent in the post-Cold War era, and few of them result in consensus statements or resolutions.

In 2009, the council held a summit-level meeting chaired by U.S. President Barack Obama on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. It adopted Resolution 1887, which reaffirmed a “commitment to the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons” and outlined a framework of measures for reducing global nuclear dangers.

In September 2016, the council adopted Resolution 2310, which reaffirmed support for the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. It called on states to refrain from resuming nuclear testing and called on states that have not signed or ratified the treaty to do so without further delay.

More recently, the council has held briefings on nuclear disarmament issues but without tangible outcomes.

The last such meetings were in March 2023, when Mozambique chaired a discussion on threats to international peace and security, including nuclear dangers, and in August 2022, when China organized a meeting on promoting common security through dialogue in the context of escalating tensions among major nuclear powers.

– – – – – –

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global, United Nations,

Youth Lead Global Strike Demanding ‘Climate Justice Now’

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Olivia Rosane from Common Dreams (licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Ahead of Earth Day, young people around the world are participating in a global strike on Friday to demand “climate justice now.”

In Sweden, Greta Thunberg  joined hundreds of other demonstrators for a march in Stockholm; in Kenya, participants demanded that their government join the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty; and in the U.S., youth activists are kicking off  more than 200 Earth Day protests directed at pressing President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency.


Climate strikers march in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 19, 2024. (Photo: Albin Haglund via Greta Thunberg/X)

“We’re gathered here to fight, once again, for climate justice,” Thunberg told Agence France-Presse at the Stockholm protest, which drew around 500 people. “It’s now been more than five and a half years that we’ve been doing the same thing, organizing big global strikes for the climate and gathering people, youths from the entire world.”

The first global youth climate strike, which grew out of Thunberg’s Fridays for Future school strikes, took place on March 15, 2019. Since then, both emissions and temperatures have continued  to rise, with 2023 blowing past  the record for hottest year. Yet, according to Climate Action Tracker, no country has policies  in place that are compatible with limiting global heating to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.

“We are many people and youths who want to express our frustration over what decision-makers are doing right now: They don’t care about our future and aren’t doing anything to stop the climate crisis,” Karla Alfaro Gripe, an 18-year-old participant at the Stockholm march, told AFP.

The global strikes are taking place  under the umbrella of Friday’s for Future, which has three main demands: 1. limit temperature rise to 1.5°C, 2. ensure climate justice and equity, and 3. listen to the most accurate, up-to-date science.

“Fight with us for a world worth living in,” the group wrote on their website, next to a link inviting visitors to find actions in their countries.

Participants shared videos and images of their actions on social media.

European strikers also gathered in London, Dublin, and Madrid.

In Asia, Save Future Bangladesh founder Nayon Sorkar posted  a video from the Meghna River on Bangladesh’s Bola Island, where erosion destroyed his family’s home when he was three years old.

“I lost my home to climate change,” Sorkar wrote. “Now I’m fighting so that others don’t lose their homes.”

(article continued in right column)

Question for this article:


Are we seeing the dawn of a global youth movement?

Despite the vested interests of companies and governments, Can we make progress toward sustainable development?

(Article continued from the left column)

Also in Bangladesh, larger crowds rallied  in Dhaka, Sylhet, Feni, and Bandarban  for climate action.

“Young climate activists in Bandarban demand a shift to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels,” said Sajjad Hossain, the divisional coordinator for Youthnet for Climate Justice Bangladesh. “We voiced urgency for sustainable energy strategies and climate justice. Let’s hold governments accountable for a just transition!”

In Kenya, young people struck specifically to demand that the government sign on to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“As a member of the Lake Victoria community, the importance of the treaty in our climate strikes cannot be overstated,” Rahmina Paullette, founder of Kisumu Environmental Champions and a coordinator for Fridays for Future Africa, said  in a statement. “By advocating for its implementation, we address the triple threat of climate change, plastic pollution, and environmental injustice facing our nation.”

“Halting fossil fuel expansion not only safeguards crucial ecosystems but also combats the unjust impacts of environmental degradation, ensuring a more equitable and sustainable future for our community and the wider Kenyan society,” Paullette said.

In the U.S., Fridays for Future NYC planned for what they expected to be the largest New York City climate protest since September 2023’s March to End Fossil Fuels. The action will begin at Foley Square at 2:00 pm Eastern Time, at which point more than 1,000 students and organizers are expected to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to rally in front of Borough Hall.

The strike “is part of a national escalation of youth-led actions in more than 200 cities and college campuses around the country, all calling on President Biden to listen to our generation and young voters, stop expanding fossil fuels, and declare a climate emergency that meaningfully addresses fossil fuels, creating millions of good paying union jobs, and preparing us for climate disasters in the process,” Fridays for Future NYC said in a statement.

The coalition behind the climate emergency drive, which also includes the Sunrise Movement, Fridays for Future USA, and Campus Climate Network, got encouraging news on Wednesday when  Bloomberg  reported  that the White House had reopened internal discussions into potentially declaring a climate emergency.

“We’re staring down another summer of floods, fires, hurricanes, and extreme heat,” Sunrise executive director Aru Shiney-Ajay said in a statement. “Biden must do what right Republicans in Congress are unwilling to do: Stand up to oil and gas CEOs, create green union jobs, and prepare us for climate disasters. Biden must declare a climate emergency and use every tool at his disposal to tackle the climate crisis and prepare our communities to weather the storm. If Biden wants to be taken seriously by young people, he needs to deliver on climate change.”

The coalition is planning events leading up to Monday including dozens of Earth Day teach-ins  beginning Friday to encourage members of Congress to pressure Biden on a climate emergency and Reclaim Earth Day mobilizations on more than 100 college and university campuses to demand  that schools divest from and cut ties with the fossil fuel industry.

– – – – – –

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Amnesty International: Julian Assange’s five-year imprisonment in the UK is unacceptable

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An article from Amnesty International

Today (April 11) marks five years of Julian Assange being detained in Belmarsh, a high security prison in the UK. As he fights the extradition request from the US authorities, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said:

“Julian Assange dared to bring to light revelations of alleged war crimes committed by the USA. It is unacceptable that years of his life have been stolen. He remains arbitrarily detained in the UK on politically-motivated charges, brought by the USA for exposing their suspected wrongdoing. The US authorities have failed to conduct a full and transparent investigation into their alleged war crimes. Instead, they have chosen to target Assange for publishing information leaked to him – even if it was of public interest. The ongoing persecution of Assange makes a mockery of the USA’s obligations under international law, and their stated commitment to freedom of expression.


(continued in right column)

(click here for the article in French or click here for the article in Spanish.).)

Question related to this article:

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

Is Internet freedom a basic human right?

(continued from left column)

“If extradited to the USA, Assange will be at risk of serious abuse, including prolonged solitary confinement, which would violate the prohibition on torture or other ill-treatment. Dubious diplomatic assurances made by the USA as to his treatment are not worth the paper they are written on, not least because they are not legally binding and are riddled with loopholes.

Assange is wanted for activities that are fundamental to all journalists and publishers, who often receive sensitive government information from outside sources. Wikileaks published evidence of civilian deaths and of alleged war crimes. The public has a right to know if their government is breaking international law. The US authorities are paving the way to a disastrous precedent for worldwide media freedom if Assange is extradited. The USA must drop all the charges against Assange, which will allow for his prompt release from UK state custody.”

Background

Julian Assange faces prosecution in the USA under the Espionage Act of 1917, a wartime law never intended to target the legitimate work of publishers and journalists. He could face up to 175 years in jail. On the charge of computer misuse, he could receive a maximum of five years.

On 26 March, the UK High Court adjourned  to give the USA an opportunity to file fresh diplomatic assurances. The UK court will reconsider Julian Assange’s permission to appeal his extradition to the USA on 20 May 2024.

– – – – – –

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, HUMAN RIGHTS

United Nations in Ghana and key partners set to roll out “I Pledge for Peace Campaign” in Ghana ahead of 2024 elections.

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from the United Nations Office in Ghana

As Ghana prepares for the upcoming 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, the United Nations in Ghana, in collaboration with the National Peace Council, is set to roll out the “I Pledge for Peace Campaign”. This initiative aims to reinforce the principles of peace among all Ghanaians before, during and after the forth coming elections.

The campaign, initially launched to coincide with the 2023 International Day of Peace, will actively engage a diverse range of stakeholders, including individuals, communities, civil society organizations, government entities, religious leaders, and youth groups. The overarching goal is to foster a culture of peace, advocate for peaceful elections, and promote tolerance and peaceful co-existence before, during, and after the electoral process.
 

“Elections represent a key moment for citizens to use their voting power to reflect, choose, and select leaders to act for their country and the future. This can only be possible when there is peace and stability, freedom, tolerance, and respect for one another. Elections are not a period of combat and the unhealthy exchange of views or for divisive language” says the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Mr. Charles Abani. “We want to use this campaign to urge stakeholders to publicly commit to peace, and by extension, a peaceful election. We believe that the positive actions of stakeholders, through social media and other channels, will encourage tolerance and discourage misinformation.” He further notes.

(Article continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

(Article continued from left column)

The campaign encourages individuals and organizations to make public pledges for peace, amplifying the message through various communication channels, including social media. The aim is to create a collective commitment to a peaceful electoral environment. These pledges will be shared on all the UN in Ghana and National Peace Council social media platforms.



The Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, underscores the importance of individual contributions to achieving peace. “Until every life is respected, and properties protected, achieving peaceful co-existence remains a distant goal. We all, as individuals, need to spread messages that encourage peace because its very existence begins with us, for all we have is one Ghana. The National Peace Council will do everything in its power to support this campaign and ensure a peaceful election come December 2024.”



The “I Pledge for Peace Campaign” reflects a collaborative effort between the United Nations, the National Peace Council, and various stakeholders to create a peaceful and inclusive electoral process in Ghana.

`

Ghana’s democracy remains a beacon of hope for the continent. The UN continues to support the country to foster its development agenda in a peaceful atmosphere and uphold its reputation as a regional pacesetter for democratic governance. Join the UN Team in Ghana and key stakeholders and PLEDGE FOR PEACE.



For media inquiries, please contact:
Faith Junko Edison, Head of Public Relations, National Peace Council – Junkogawa.isd@gmail.com


Cynthia Prah, National Information Officer, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) – prah@un.org

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

On the road to lasting peace in Mali: “A mother hen must reunite her chicks”

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by Ansoumane Karamoko Cissé in Maliweb (translation by CPNN)

The Inter-Malien Dialogue for Peace and National Reconciliation meetings are underway at the CICB. These meetings take place after the various initiatives which had sought to set up this consultation framework.through the Steering Committee of the Inter-Malien Dialogue for Peace and National Reconciliation, headed by Mr. Ousmane Issoufou Maïga. We can say that Mali is a mother hen which is in the process of bringing together and uniting its children to achieve what has not always been possible: to achieve peace and stability.


After the National Accord Conference (CEN) in 2017; the Inclusive National Dialogue (IND) in 2019; the National Refoundation Conference (ANRS), in 2021; the Consultation Days for intercommunity, ethnic peace, here is yet another “National Meeting” around the Sacred Union.

Following the announcement of the New Year, His Excellency Colonel Assimi Goïta, President of the Transition, Head of State, who is constantly attached to peace and the spirit of committed patriotism, through a Presidential Decree No. 2024-0061/PT-RM of 01/31/2024, has appointed members of the Steering Committee of the Inter-Malian Dialogue for Peace and National Reconciliation.

This Steering Committee was set up with a list of 140 people (one hundred and forty) made up of men and women including historians, sociologists, etc. The desired objective is to find possible solutions to the multiple problems that prevent peace, reconciliation, national unity and to address them at their roots, without referring to any ethnic, political, social affiliation… Since it is quite simply the unification of Malians, “Mali first,” no Malien should compromise this Union.

Mali is a great hospitable country, which has known great peoples of various ethnic groups, who have lived together for a very long time; from the medieval periods and the end of the Neolithic (– 3000 years BC), to the great Empires and Kingdoms, including the very powerful Empire of Ghana which governed three worlds: the black African, Arab-Berber world and that of the Moors of Armankour .

These people have forged a sacred bond – joking cousinage or Sanakounya – the very first judicial organization in West Africa. The famous and mysterious Charter of Wagadou is the core of the Empire of Ghana, proclaimed by the Ighoh Ancestor, Mama Dinka Cissé, the ancestor of the Bozos and the Soninkés, with the Kakoro. Hohana, Mama Dinka is the founder, the pioneer of the Kingdom of Wagadou in the year -295 BC. This social movement played a very big role in Mali, in Guinea… in the resolution of social crises between peoples and demarcated all the emerging conflictual relationships.

No matter if it burns, heats up or explodes, we are all condemned to get along to live better in good coexistence. It would be good to see the culture of peace established in Mali, in the West African sub-region, and even throughout the world. If the peoples understand each other, listen to each other and forgive each other all the evils committed to each other. and others, and may hearts be ready to grant each other forgiveness, with sincere tolerance.

A real concertation is necessary

For the wound to properly heal, it is necessary to first remove the sores, sanitize the surface against parasites and germs… It seems to me that our authorities have not organized real consultation with all levels of society. Since 1914, humanity has not known universal peace, shaken as it is by conflicts of economic, religious, territorial order and interest, etc. This is why Maliens must now bring lasting peace, stability, prosperity, for the defense of Mali: the Motherland of the entire West African sub-region!

(Article continued in right column)

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

Question related to this article:

How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?

(Article continued from left column)

The conflicts are multidimensional: among others, religious, ethnic, legal, identity, regionalist, economic, territorial… Above all because of poor governance, sown seeds of favoritism in the workings of the administration, and large-scale corruption which allows certain clans of personalities to be in all the “sauces”, even if they had already shown their limits because they are not specialists in their subject. The culture of mediocrity must be banished in favor of proven competence. This is what will bear fruit…

Calling on all Maliens, without exception…

For the success of the steering committee, and after several unsuccessful attempts in the search for peace, “we need peace, peace everywhere in the world”, according to the late Tamacheck singer, Mahmoud Cissé. It would also be necessary to appeal to all Maliens, without exception, from leaders to Maliens from inside and outside, under all ethnic and regional entities; historians, sociologists, political actors, religious authorities, umbrella organizations, groups of discontented people, opponents… Examine with them all their problems, in a careful, consensual and peaceful form of communication. For full implementation of its recommendations.

However, some gray areas still remain a reality: the noted absence of some major figures forgotten on the nominative list, while other names are retained without having been consulted, and who “are not ready to get on board “. This indicates a need to review certain proposals… To do this, the commissions set up must gauge the skills acquired necessary for the success of the objective, set up listening sessions and list all grievances such as proposals and suggestions coming from other forgotten people.

The commissions must go to all communes, circles, regions; identify grievances, as was the case with the ANRS in all its phases:

° Committee for the prevention and management of inter-community conflicts between farmers and herders and on other conflict risk activities;

° Case of displaced and refugee populations, to satisfy their needs and resolve their problems, because they are in refugee camps without means for their return;

° Strategies for the participation of resource persons

° Monitoring and evaluation of conclusions and recommendations on proposals…

For political and institutional reforms, this will involve:

° Review the sources of conflicts and correct them, non-compliance with commitments, texts, non-compliance with the presidential mandate or any other activities;

° Review the role, place and responsibility of the republican opposition and the political class;

° Ensure equal treatment and consideration for all levels of society

° Avoid supremacist feelings and superiority complexes between black, mixed-race or white populations;

° Strengthen joking cousinship between ethnic groups where they live;

° Turn away from the spirit of revenge, which belongs to the past;

° Avoid frustrations, and promote acceptance of others, forgiving them for the faults committed;

° Challenge the critics who have no proof of abuses…

Malien people! Unite for lasting peace! Together we can!

– – – – – –

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

World Youth Orchestra debuts in Vietnam with “Sound of Brotherhood” project

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Nhân Dân

The World Youth Orchestra (WYO) will perform alongside the Vietnam National Academy of Music Youth Symphony Orchestra (VNAMYO) in the musical project titled “Sounds of brotherhood”, which will take place in Hanoi .

Conductor Damiano Guiranna and 45 members of WYO, as well as 25 members of VNAMYO, will rehearse and perform together from March 30 to April 10, as part of the musical project entitled “Sounds of brotherhood”.


Founded in 2001 by Italian conductor Damiano Giuranna, the WYO has welcomed around 3,500 talents from all continents and participated in numerous musical tours around the world. Photo: WYO.

Among the highlights of the event will be concerts on the theme “The night of ascending dragon”, on the evening of April 6 at the large concert hall of the National Academy of Music, and “Gala Opera Puccini” on April 10 at the Hanoi Opera House.

During the two concerts, audiences will have the opportunity to experience classical musical instruments and works written by famous composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rossini and Puccini, as well as works by Vietnamese composers such as Dang Huu Phuc and Trân Manh Hung.

The combination of young artists from 20 countries and territories around the world will spread positive energy to music lovers in Hanoi.

Promote cultural diplomacy and peace efforts

“Sound of Brotherhood” is a music project launched by WYO in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, for a period of three years.

This project originates from the initiative of the artistic director and founder of the WYO, Damiano Giuranna, who wants to demonstrate that music should not be limited to being a cultural necessity of the upper class, but that it can represent a powerful tool communication of ideas and values, or even an instrument of cultural diplomacy. It benefits from the assistance of the CDP and LCA Studio Legale foundations, the Italian Embassy in Hanoi, the Italian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and a number of Vietnamese and international partners.

The project reflects WYO’s commitment to promoting dialogue and a culture of peace between people around the world through art and music. It also makes it possible to strengthen cultural and artistic cooperation between Italy and Vietnam, to develop artistic, musical and theatrical expression among younger generations, as well as to support the training of young Vietnamese artists.

(Article continued in right column)

(Click here for the French original of this article)

 

Question related to this article:

What place does music have in the peace movement?

(Article continued from left column)

In addition to musical concerts, the project includes a theater workshop entitled “Dialogues in Music”, led by professional Italian actors, in collaboration with the University of Theater and Cinema of Hanoi, and a call for multidisciplinary projects for Vietnamese artists, with the help of the National Institute of Culture and Arts of Vietnam (VICAS).

The music and arts program called WYO4Children is an important part of the project. Officially launched on January 27, in Ho Chi Minh City, by the WYO foundation, in collaboration with the Missionary Sisters of Charity of Binh Duong province, the program brings together 80 Vietnamese orphans and abandoned children, aged 5 at 17, to support their individual, emotional, social, human and spiritual growth through music and art.

The program includes weekly lessons, during which children have the opportunity to receive basic musical training and play classical and traditional Vietnamese instruments.

The Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco Della Seta welcomed the launch of the “Sound of Brotherhood” project in Vietnam, as a significant contribution to popular exchanges between Vietnam and Italy.

Enrico Padula, Consul General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City, for his part, described music as “a universal language that brings cultures together and transmits emotions and sensations that transcend individual realities.” He stressed that this project represents between Vietnam and Italy “a fundamental bridge for dialogue and mutual understanding, in order to overcome geographical distances”.

The WYO, based in Italy, was founded on September 15, 2001 by Italian conductor Damiano Giuranna, to support cultural diplomacy and contribute to peace efforts.

The WYO has welcomed around 3,500 talents from all continents and participated in numerous musical tours around the world.

In January 2014, the organization created the WYO Foundation, whose mission is to manage the activities of the WYO and all the music groups that come from it. Placed under the management of the non-governmental organization Musica Europa, the WYO foundation aims to develop young musical talents and to launch artistic and musical projects intended to raise public awareness on major social issues such as peace, fraternity, multicultural dialogue, or even cultural diplomacy.

Adolfo Vannucci, president of the WYO Foundation, said his organization “searches for and encourages local tradition, developing artistic experiences that connect tradition and modernity, that provide educational enrichment and that nourish social life and personal growth with new blood. After successful initiatives in countries such as Iran, Israel, Palestine, Morocco, Lebanon, the United States, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bulgaria, the WYO wishes to arrive in Southeast Asia, a “land of ancient civilizations.”

– – – – – –

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.

East Asia, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Colombia: The first meeting is held in Cali to weave a network of peace initiatives in the territories

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from the Ministry of Culture of Colombia

Between April 3 and April 5, the first national meeting took place for territorial networks for a culture of peace, an initiative of the Culture of Peace Strategy of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge.

The beginninf of the space was marked by the voices of the Cantaoras de Pogue (Bojayá) who evoked the pain of their history; an echo to leave war and seek peace.

The song invited the 25 artistic and cultural organizations from the municipalities of Antioquia, Nariño, Chocó, Putumayo, Caribe and Bogotá, attending the event, to reflect on the transformative power of unity, mutual protection and trust in the ability of the territories to forge peace.

Space for mutual recognition of organizations. Photo: Paula Beltrán.

The objective of this meeting is to recognize the artistic and cultural organizations strengthened by the Culture of Peace Strategy of the Ministry of Cultures and promote their exchange of experiences, methodologies and processes.

“In the arts you show us that other country that some have called ‘the geography of hope.’ We must move from resistance to guarantees of rights, so that we can advance beyond war and everything that has harmed us,” said Adriana Molano, Vice Minister of Heritage, Memories and Cultural Governance.

(continued in right column)

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

Question for this article:

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

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

(continued from left column)

It is expected that during the three days of the meeting, these organizations will connect experiences, create peace networks and share their territorial processes, commitments and methodologies around the creation of a culture of peace.

For the Culture of Peace Strategy, these initiatives are platforms that, from the territories, make it possible to address daily violence, long-term violence and the factors of persistence of armed conflict.

The main purpose of the strategy is to enhance the political and transformative nature of culture in the care of all forms of life, as well as in the understanding and processing of conflicts.

“We work with children and young people, so that through culture they are part of a new world. I think that this meeting invites us to learn about the initiatives of the other groups, to know how we are all working for that long-awaited peace,” said Fernanda Tenorio Quiñones, who comes from Tumaco and is a member of the Pacific Folklore School Foundation.

A culture of peace for what?

Since 2023, Minculturas has been accompanying and supporting territorial peace culture initiatives. It does so with processes to strengthen its management capabilities, training spaces and guaranteeing the visibility of its actions. This is in line with the commitment to recognize that peace is forged from the territories and that the cultural efforts coming from the communities are decisive for the transformation of the stories of war into new imaginaries of the nation.

The proposal of a Culture of Peace is to strengthen political participation and territorial transformation, promote the sensitivity that art contains towards daily life, dignify life, process mourning and repair damage. To build, together, new stories of the nation.

– – – – – –

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on Colombia artists” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Speech by Brazil President Lula at the opening of the 37th African Union Summit

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

A report from the Government of Brazil on February 17

It is with great joy that I return to Africa for the twenty-first time, once again as President of Brazil, to address the leaders of the African Union. I come to reaffirm the partnership and bond between our country and our people and the sister continent.


Lula and Africa

The African struggle has a lot in common with the challenges faced by Brazil. More than half of the 200 million Brazilian citizens recognize themselves as Afro-descendants. We, Africans and Brazilians, must chart our own paths within the emerging world order.

We must create a new global governance that is capable of facing the challenges of our time.

Minimal State theories are no longer applicable. Planning agricultural and industrial development has once again become part of public policies in all sectors.

Energy and digital transitions require government leverage and guidance.

Attempts to restore a global system based on ideological blocs are not applicable in the real world. Multipolarity is an inexorable and welcome component in the 21st century. Consolidation of BRICS as the world’s most important arena for the articulation of emerging countries is an undeniable advance.

Without the participation of developing countries, it will not be possible to open any new cycle of global expansion — combining growth, environmental preservation and reduced inequality and with increased freedoms.

The Global South is becoming an unavoidable part of the solution to the main crises that afflict this planet.

These crises arise from a model that concentrates wealth, and which mainly affects the poorest — and, among these, immigrants. The alternative to the ills of neoliberal globalization will not come from the racist and xenophobic far right. Development cannot be the privilege of a few.

Only an inclusive social project will allow us to establish prosperous, free, democratic, and sovereign societies. There will be no stability or democracy if hunger and unemployment remain.

The time is ripe to revive the best humanist traditions of the great leaders of African decolonization.

Being a humanist today means condemning the attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israeli civilians, and demanding the immediate release of all hostages. Being a humanist also demands rejecting Israel’s disproportionate response, which has killed almost 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza—the vast majority of them women and children—and caused the forced displacement of over 80% of the population.

The solution to this crisis will only last if we move quickly towards the creation of a Palestinian State that is also recognized as a full member of the United Nations—a strengthened UN that harbors a more representative Security Council, in which there are no countries with veto power, and which includes permanent members from Africa and Latin America. For two years now, the war in Ukraine has exposed the Council’s paralysis. Beyond the tragic loss of life, its consequences are also being felt around the world in food and fertilizer prices.

There will be no military solution to this conflict. The time has come for politics and diplomacy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Africa—with its 1 billion 500 million inhabitants and its immense and rich territory—has enormous possibilities for the future. Brazil wants to grow alongside Africa, but never dictating any paths.

The Brazilian people are recovering their political and economic sovereignty. We are adopting an ecological transformation project which will allow us to take a historic leap forward. We are reviving our democracy and making it increasingly participatory.

Through Bolsa Família and other successful public policies, we will once again leave the hunger map and lift millions of Brazilians out of poverty.

Talking about “Inclusive Education”—this Summit’s main topic—is talking about the future. Around the world, almost 250 million children do not attend school. In Brazil we are implementing full-time schools, as well as granting a benefit to the poorest high school students as a way of reducing the number of school dropouts.

(Article continued in the column on the right)

(Click here for the Portuguese version of this article)

Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

(Article continued from the column on the left)

I am proud to say that thousands of African citizens have concluded their studies in Brazil—but we are going to do even more. We are going to increase the number of scholarships we offer so as to welcome African students to our public higher education institutions.

We are willing to develop educational programs in Africa, and to promote intense exchange of teachers and researchers. Let us collaborate so that Africa may become independent in its food and clean energy production.

Africa harbors 400 million hectares spread across over 25 countries which have the potential to make this continent one of the great breadbaskets of the world, enabling policies to combat hunger and produce biofuels.

I also want to extend our partnership to the health sector. There is much to learn from both of our health strategies, and from the possibility of structuring robust and broad-reaching public systems.

We will work alongside the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to tackle neglected tropical diseases. We will aim to expand access to medicines, avoiding repetition of the vaccine “apartheid” that we saw in COVID-19.

Taking care of the health of the planet is also our priority. The imperative of protecting the world’s two largest tropical rainforests—in the Amazon and the Congo basins—makes us protagonists in the climate agenda.

Current international instruments are insufficient to effectively reward the protection of forests, their biodiversity and the people who live in them, take care of them, and depend on them.

By recovering degraded areas, we can create a true green belt to protect forests in the Global South. Alongside African partners, Brazil wants to develop and construct a family of satellites to monitor deforestation.

To carry all this out, we are going to create a cooperation outpost with the African Union in sectors such as agricultural research, health, education, environment, and science and technology.

Our diplomatic representation in Addis Ababa will soon include employees from government bodies such as the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, EMBRAPA and FIOCRUZ—our research and development bodies in agriculture and health.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our paths will meet again at the G20 Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, and at COP 30, in Belém. The presence of the African Union as a full member of the G20 will be of great value—but including more countries from the continent as full members is still also necessary. We have common agendas to defend.

It is unacceptable that a world capable of generating wealth in the order of USD 100 trillion dollars per year still harbors the hunger of more than 735 million people. We are creating the Global Alliance against Hunger at the G20 so as to promote a set of public policies and mobilize resources to finance them.

Around 60 countries—many of them in Africa—are coming close to financial insolvency, allocating more resources to paying external debt than to education or health. This reflects the obsolete nature of financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank, which often worsen crises that they should be resolving.

Solutions to transform unfair and unpayable debts into concrete assets—such as highways, railways, hydroelectric plants, wind and solar energy parks, green hydrogen production and energy transmission networks—must be sought after. We need to follow the evolution of new technologies step by step.

Artificial Intelligence cannot be monopolized by a few countries and companies—and may also become fertile ground for hate speech and misinformation, as well as cause unemployment and reinforce racial and gender biases which accentuate injustice and discrimination.

Brazil is going to promote G20 interaction with the High-Level Panel created by the UN Secretary-General to support discussions on the Global Digital Compact.

In this way, we hope to contribute to effective and multilateral governance in Artificial Intelligence that fully incorporates the interests of the Global South.

My friends,
I want to close by saying that there is no Global South without Africa.

Resuming Brazil’s rapprochement with Africa means recovering historical ties and contributing to the construction of a new, more just and supportive world order. Above all, it allows us to join forces in overcoming the challenges that lie ahead.

Thank you very much.

– – – – – –

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America,