.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..
An article from El Diario (reprinted according to the rules of Creative Commons)(translation by CPNN)
The Mayor of Móstoles (Madrid) and President of the International Relations Commission of the FEMP, Socialist David Lucas, expressed the support of the institution to the IX General Assembly of the Mayors for Peace Network, 8 and 9 August in the Japanese city of Nagasaki. This forum is designed to build peace and the FEMP has expressed the commitment and collaboration of the Spanish mayors towards this objective.
On behalf of the FEMP, Lucas addressed the plenary session with regard to future action plans, including the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020. During his speech he called for a greater collaboration of Mayors for Peace with other global actors, such as the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and UN-Habitat, for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
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How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?
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Following the proposal of the FEMP, the 2017-2019 action plan of “Mayors for Peace” includes compliance with the 2030 agenda for sustainable development objectives and the reinforcement of coordinated work with UCLG. Lucas also expressed the need to involve other regional actors such as the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and the Council of Europe.
The mayor of Móstoles emphasized in his speech that the commitment of the FEMP to the organization “Mayors for Peace” has made it possible in the last year to involve 130 Spanish cities in this initiative.
Lucas is accompanied in Japan by several first selectmen: Josep Mayoral of Granollers (Barcelona), Alberto Casero of Trujillo (Cáceres), and Martí Pujol of Llinar del Vallès, along with the Spanish ambassador in Tokyo, Gonzalo de Benito.
The FEMP participates in the strategy of city diplomacy and peacebuilding through the UCLG world organization. ‘Mayors for Peace’ network is an indispensable partner in such relevant issues as development, culture of peace, migration, coexistence and intercultural dialogue. After several years of collaboration with the Global Network of ‘Mayors for Peace’, the last plenary session of the FEMP promoted the adhesion of Spanish local governments to the Network with the objective of forming a Spanish section within the Federation.
(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)