Music video: We are all Palestinian

. TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY . .

Received by email from Mistahi Corkill

Greetings,

Here is my new song and music video We are all Palestinian, linked below.

If you find it inspiring please feel free to share with others.

All the best!

Mistahi Corkill

Click here for the video: We are all Palestinian


Frame from the video

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Question related to this article:

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

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Frame from the video


Frame from the video

Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

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Results of the 2023 Luanda Biennale, Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Excerpts from press releases of the Angola Press Agency

Unlike previous additions of the Luanda Biennale, Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace, there was very little publicity about the results. However, there were several press releases by the Angola Press Agency, that included the following excerpts.

The Biennale calls for the continuation of intergenerational dialogue .

According to the final communiqué, the forum organized by the Angolan Government, the African Union and UNESCO, advised the implementation of policies guaranteeing the participation of young people in decision-making processes to ensure that their proposals are heard and integrated in programs and strategies.


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It called for a review of education systems, prioritizing the training of critical and active citizens, enabling young people and entrepreneurs to better understand political processes and play greater roles in society.

It suggested the formulation of policies promoting gender equality and the creation of scientific research centers and resilience programs to face climate change.

The forum also recommended the promotion of the culture of peace through access and effective use of digital technologies and the creation of a network of African women for conflict prevention, peace negotiation and national reconciliation.

The Biennale also spoke out in favor of the integration of women in conflict resolution, in compliance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN, as well as the increase of the number of women in conflict prevention and resolution actions.

The forum, which brought together 790 participants from different African countries, advocated the establishment of partnerships between political leaders and young people, in sustainable social and economic projects, which could benefit society as a whole.

The role of women in peace processes dominates the second day of the Biennale.

“The process of transforming educational systems, innovative financing practices in the African context” and the “role of women in the process of peace, security and development at the African level” marked Thursday the second day of the Pan-African Forum for the culture of peace – Biennial of Luanda.

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Question related to this article:

The Luanda Biennale: What is its contribution to a culture of peace in Africa?

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The agenda for this second day also included the approach to “Challenges and opportunities for the integration of the African continent and prospects for economic growth” and “Climate change: ethical challenges, impact, adaptation and vulnerability”.

Visit to historical sites marks end of Luanda Biennale.

Visits to the Agostinho Neto Memorial, the Iron Palace and the National Museum of Military History will mark Friday the closing of the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence – Biennial of Luanda, which has been taking place since Wednesday . Participants will also visit the Mint and Anthropology museums. . . .

The Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence was attended by the Presidents of the Republic of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Carlos Vila Nova and the Federal Republic Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Sahle-WorkZewed. The Vice President of Namibia, Nangolo Mbumba, and the Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea, Manuela Roka Botey also took part in the Luanda Biennale.

Biennale participants commit to spreading the message of peace in their country.

Young participants in the Luanda Biennale 2023 pledged on Friday to disseminate as much as possible, in their countries, the contents and experiences learned during the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace, held in Luanda, aimed at consolidating pacification efforts on the continent.

Speaking to Angop, the Botswanan Mpule Kgetsi, the Mozambican Cheldon Maduela, the Tanzanian Genila Hiel, as well as the Angolan Antonira de Carvalho discussed the importance of the forum and the need for young people to be proactive in the promotion of actions that contribute to peace and the well-being of societies, highlighting peace as the main element.

According to Genila Hiel, a university student eager to spread the message to fellow citizens, the spirit of peace must be instilled from a young age within communities so that people grow up and work in healthy coexistence for sustainable development.

 For Cheldon Maduela, it is not only up to governments to address issues related to peace and democracy, which is why he considers the Biennale an inspiring platform to disseminate the experiences obtained. He stressed that peace is the “cornerstone” of the socio-economic development of States and that its preservation requires the contribution of all, without exception.

Namibian leader praises Angola’s commitment to peace in Africa.

The Deputy Minister of Education and Culture of Namibia, Faustina Caley, congratulated this Friday, in Luanda, the Angolan Executive for its key role in the process of the culture of peace and democracy in Africa. . . .

She considered the 3rd edition of the Luanda Biennale a success not only for Angola, but for the continent, because it allowed learning about the concerns of young people, as well as the exchange of knowledge and transmission of experiences between government leaders and former African leaders, with the perspective of leading this fringe towards the best paths for healthy coexistence. 

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

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

David Malcom Krieger, Man of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

An obituary from Waging Peace

David Malcom Krieger, man of peace, passed away on December 7, 2023 and left the world with one less champion.

David was born on March 27, 1942 to Herbert and Sybil Krieger in Los Angeles. The family settled in the San Fernando Valley where his father was the first pediatrician. David attended North Hollywood High before heading to Occidental College where he graduated with a degree in Psychology. He was getting his PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii when he met and married Carolee, his wife of 57 years. He did get the PhD, too.

David traveled to Japan to study as part of his PhD work and was so moved by what he experienced and learned in Hiroshima and Nagasaki that he dedicated the rest of his life to abolishing nuclear weapons and achieving peace. He was drafted into the army during the Vietnam War almost simultaneously. However, his clarity of mind and morals would not allow for participating in war and killing. He was, as far as we know, the first Officer in the Vietnam War to sue for Conscientious Objector status.

In 1972, David came to Santa Barbara to work as an assistant to Elisabeth Mann Borgese at the Center for The Study of Democratic Institutions. Here he collaborated with some of the greatest minds of the time on the subject of democracy. He and Carolee stayed in Santa Barbara, raising their three children among the blood orange trees and peacocks on the property they worked tirelessly to convert from rocks and weeds to the artists’ and gardeners’ paradise that it is now.

In 1982, David, Frank Kelly, Wally Drew, and two others founded the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. This was to be David’s proudest accomplishment. David Krieger led the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation until his retirement in 2019. His work, educating, advocating, writing extensively, and speaking all over the world about the dangers of the nuclear age and the insanity of the nuclear arms race helped advance the cause of peace with justice, particularly among young people, however, also with nearly everyone he personally encountered. David’s charisma, honesty, and depth of knowledge on the subject were hard to disagree with. David Krieger was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize ten separate years.

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Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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David developed a passion for karate when he was in Japan in his early 20s. As with everything he was passionate about, he dedicated himself to being among the best at it, earning his black belt in the Shito-Ryu form, and founding and running his own Dojo, Pacific Karate-Do Institute. He taught many Santa Barbarians karate in the 1970s and 1980s, and counted some of those former students among his closest friends.

David loved to play tennis and for years, his free afternoons and weekend mornings were spent playing with some of his other closest friends.

David was also a prolific poet. He found poetry to be an excellent way to express his impression of world events and daily joys.

David Krieger was a man of thought, of conviction, and of honor. He wanted to make the world safer, more peaceful, and ultimately a kinder and more just place for everyone and everything. He never stopped believing it was possible. In his honor, we admonish you to carry this work on.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to: The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

– –

Here is an excerpt from his last message as President of the Nuclear-Age Peace Foundation:

When we founded NAPF in 1982, the world was adrift in nuclear dangers. We began with a belief in the necessity of awakening people everywhere to the dangers of the Nuclear Age – a time in which our technological prowess exceeded our ethical development. This dilemma continues today. For nearly four decades, we have been a steady, consistent and creative voice for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons.

As the calendar page turns to 2020, we are working to create a peace literate world, based upon empathy, caring, kindness and overcoming fear, greed and trauma: a world in which nuclear weapons can be abolished and stay abolished. Our Peace Literacy Initiative, headed by Paul K. Chappell, a West Point graduate, goes to the root causes of war and nuclear weapons. It is a profound way of waging peace.

As the next generation prepares to take the helm at NAPF, I ask you to believe in the power of our work now more than ever. We have exciting plans to scale up our Peace Literacy work and deliver measurable and increasing impacts over the coming months and years.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America

Nikolai Firjubin, Founder of UNOY Youth Peace Network

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

On December 11, CPNN was informed that Nikolai Firjubin has passed away by the facebook post that follows from Celine Del Felice:

We are sad to share that one of UNOY’s founders, Nikolai Firjubin, passed away last Friday.

On his 50th birthday, Nikolai had a dream about a general assembly hall filled with young people discussing the major challenges facing humanity. Nikolai gathered together a group of young people with a shared vision and commitment to build a world in which peace, justice, solidarity, human dignity and respect for nature prevail. In September 1989, UNOY was founded.

We are honoured to carry on Nikolai’s vision: a growing, global network of peace powered by youth.

Nikolai, thank you for your dream and belief that young people can “save the world and preserve peace on Earth”

UNOY made important contributions to the culture of peace, including advocacy campaigns in 2005 and again in 2006 at the United Nations during the International Decade for a Culture of Peace.

Here are excerpts from Firjubin’s account of the source of the idea for UNOY back in 1989:

The dream that became UNOY It was a beautiful early morning, that Saturday in July, in Geneva on the eve of my 50th anniversary. A few days before, in flagrant but very joyful violation of the ‘Rules of the Soviet Citizens working abroad’ I became a member of The Ski Club International. That was my first ever personal secret rebellion against the Communist Party and the KGB; an act of free will and for the first time in my life, I felt really free and full of joy… I boarded the train to Martigny, not suspecting that this simple act would radically change my life and make me a happy and an accomplished human being. . . . At the Alpine Club in Champex, I finally celebrated my 50th birthday at a noisy party attended by my very nice and kind fellow trekkers…

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Question related to this article:
 
Youth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?

How can just one or a few persons contribute to peace and justice?

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The night was very short, and I slept not more than two, maybe three hours. I asked permission from the Leader to spend the day in Champex as we had to climb another mountain before returning back to Geneva. He kindly allowed me to stay for the reason of my birthday. I was very happy as I wanted to reflect on the dream which I had during that short night. In my dream I saw a large hall filled with young people with different ethnic backgrounds and having different skin colors. They were gathered together for some serious purpose. They were listening to an old man, who vaguely looked like a self portrait of Dr. Svetoslav Roerich. I was very surprised that I even remembered my dream – for the first time in my life. The old man said something like: “We brought you here to help save the world and preserve Peace on earth….”

Before taking the bus back to Martigny station, I spent a few hours on a bench of a small island in the middle of Lake Champex, in an attempt to understand the meaning of this dream, until I suddenly got a vision of a United Nations of Juniors (UNOJ) which appeared in my mind.

The week thereafter, I was looking for the address of Dr. Svetoslav Roerich in India. Quite unexpectedly, I was invited for a 5 o’clock tea by my colleague from Moscow who came for a private visit to Geneva. He helped me to contact Dr. Roerich. Soon after, I wrote a letter to Dr. Roerich about my dream and asked for an appointment in Bangalore to talk about it. In his reply he supported my UNOJ vision and agreed to meet me in India.

On the 2nd December, I left Geneva for Bangalore and on December 4th, I met Svetoslav Roerich for the first time in his office in Bangalore. That day, I talked with him for several hours about the dream. Hence, this was the beginning of the beginning of the UNOY. (During the first UNOY meeting in Handel, the Netherlands in May 1989, the youth participants renamed UNOJ ‘United Nations Of Youth’ (UNOY ).

No account of the origin of UNOY could be complete without reference to Maria Kooijman, who co-founded the organization with Firjiubin:

It was April 1989. At that time, I worked for Universal Education and its magazine Educare, promoting holistic and inclusive approaches and methods in education and child rearing. I was approached by Nikolai Firjubin (at that time a UN civil servant/ diplomat) who shared his dream and requested me to assist in organising the 1st International Working Group for the UNOY. The whole staff of Universal Education also became involved. In 6 weeks time, all was arranged and set for the participants to arrive in Handel, the Netherlands at De Weyst, a conference centre based on Ghandian principles. The event became a great success. It was a revealing and overpowering experience to see how youth from around the world bonded together as true friends and took the concept of UNOY utterly serious and as a great challenge.

global, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Guernica stands in solidarity with Gaza

. TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY . .

An article from the Peoples Dispatch (published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license)

On Friday, December 8, thousands of people from the Basque city of Guernica hit the city center in a stunning display of solidarity with the people of Gaza who are facing Israel’s genocidal attacks. The thousands who assembled at the Pasialeku Market Place in Guernica formed a human mosaic depicting the Palestinian flag and part of Pablo Picasso’s famed anti-war painting, Guernica.


Frame from a video of the event. credit: Gotzon Aranburu / @GotzonAr via Spectee.

In the event organized by the Guernica-Palestine Citizens’ Initiative, citizens, trade unionists, artists, anti-fascist groups, anti-war groups, and activists from left-wing parties, including the United Left (IU), condemned the Israeli bombardment of Palestinian people. The city’s anti-aircraft siren sounded  for a minute, drawing parallels between Guernica’s enduring pain from the bombing it faced during the Spanish Civil War and the ongoing airstrikes faced by the people of  Gaza.

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Question related to this article:

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

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Guernica is a historically significant city in the Basque region of Spain that was bombarded on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italian air forces in support of their ally, the Spanish military general Francisco Franco. The infamous bombing of the city, which was a stronghold of the Republican forces, was one of the events that paved the way for the Fanco’s capture of northern Spain.

Hundreds of civilians were killed in the bombing which evoked widespread outrage across the world. Renowned artist Pablo Picasso’s landmark painting  ‘Guernica’ was in response to the brutal bombing. It is regarded as an exemplary anti-war painting in modern history.

In its statement on the Palestine solidarity event, the Guernica-Palestine Citizens’ Initiative insisted that the world and history must not accept a new Guernica and that “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. The international community [must] share the suffering of the Palestinian people and stop the massacre.”

On December 10, on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Basque Federation of the United Left (IU) stated  “What is happening in Gaza is a genocide contrary to ideals envisaged by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

As of December 12, over 18,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli bombardment in Gaza, and around 50,000 people have been wounded. More than 7,500 people are reportedly missing and more than 1.9 million people have been displaced by the relentless airstrikes.

(Thank you to Fatima Zédira for calling our attention to this event.)

Europe, Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

Graça Machel: Enhancing women’s participation in peacebuilding is key to building a peaceful world

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from The Elders

At the 5th International Conference on Action with Women and Peace, hosted by the Republic of Korea on 30 November 2023, Graça Machel  discussed the importance of women’s leadership as an essential component of peacebuilding and called on leaders to prioritise women’s inclusion at decision-making tables. 


Photo Credit: Tlhabi Monnakgotla

Read Graça Machel’s speech

Greetings to Foreign Minister Park Jin, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am grateful to the organizing committee of the ‘5th International Conference on Action with Women and Peace’ for the invitation to address this important convening highlighting the crucial role of women as catalysts for peace. I commend the Republic of Korea for your focus on the Women, Peace and Security agenda as you take up a seat on the UN Security Council next year. 

I join you today from my native country of Mozambique, and am honoured to share a few words with you on behalf of my fellow Elders.

As we know, it has been 23 years since the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1325, which set forth a framework mandating women’s meaningful inclusion in peace processes. And yet over two decades later, women are still shockingly in a small minority at negotiating tables worldwide. This is despite the overwhelming evidence which demonstrates that women’s participation is key to ending violence as well as the success and longevity of peace processes. 

As we convene today, we see conflict and war raging around the world: from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to the brutal Israeli Occupation of Palestine and horrific siege on Gaza, to civil strife in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar, to name but a few. 

Escalating arms races, increased investments in miliary expenditure, and war mongering narratives are dominating politics on a global scale. All this alongside a deepening of toxic patriarchal norms and reversal of generational gains made in women’s rights – with gender-based violence, military aggression, and militarised responses to political problems on the rise.
 
With so many seeds of destruction being sown the world over, it may feel as though we are headed for complete self-destruction as a human family. There is a silver lining, however: Women and youth are an untapped reservoir as powerful agents for change and for peace. They are the effective force as mediators, negotiators, and peace builders we need.  A more inclusive approach to peace making and peacebuilding must be made a priority by world leaders if we are ever to stand a chance of advancing as a human family.

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Questions related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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Let us focus on women’s agency. Women are not only victims of war, but brave survivors and often leaders of peacebuilding efforts across the dividing lines of conflict; at great risk to their own safety and security. 

I have seen over and over again—in all corners of the world—the power of women and women’s organizations to bring serenity to spaces of extreme contention.

Women are innate bridge builders. They offer a natural capacity to listen, to empathize, and to allow vulnerability to surface. They bring a unique human perspective to the hardened dynamics of war. 

I know firsthand, from my own peacebuilding work in Africa how, when given the respect and platform, women can play an influential role in shaping peace accords and their implementation. They often make sure peace agreements reach to the heart of discord, beyond the competing demands of ego-driven politics. Women mediators and negotiators play a key role in helping to understand root causes of conflict, which then leads to more comprehensive problem solving and a lasting peace.

I have witnessed how women also lay the foundation for the necessary social cohesion in peacebuilding. They think strategically with the long-term end game of a better life for our children and a brighter future for generations to come in mind.

In every corner of the globe, there are great examples of the powerful way in which women have contributed to peace building through their leadership. We must insist, again and again, on the right of women to participate fully and on equal terms with men in conflict resolution and peace-building processes. 


 It is also women who are the first to shine the spotlight on the gendered impacts of war. They raise the alarm the loudest around sexual abuse and gender-based violence and the moral imperative to end these scourges.

This includes work to prevent and address sexual violence as a weapon of war.  The Elders support a survivor-led approach, with survivors’ experiences, rights and needs at the centre of responses to this horrific practice. 
As both history and current affairs show us, it is to our own collective detriment, when women are absent from formal decision-making tables. 

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It must remain our guiding star in addressing all issues of women, peace, and security.

Let it be a reminder that prioritizing women’s inclusion in peacemaking is a global responsibility. Enhancing women’s participation in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, resolution, and post-conflict processes must be the new order of the day.

I urge us all here to find meaningful ways to develop women’s political leadership and ensure women are seated at the main negotiation and decision-making tables, in their capacities as experts, civil society leaders, scholars, lawyers, human rights advocates–in all their professional diversity. 


We have the most influential of weapons right here in our midst: the power of female leadership. The time is now to act. We must finance, defend, and protect women peace-builders to do their vital work to prevent and resolve conflict.  Any hope we have a for a peaceful and just world, for ourselves and for future generations, depends on it.

I thank you.

Watch Graça Machel’s speech online.

global, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Movement Milestone: Global Fossil Fuel Divestment Surpasses 1600+ Commitments

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from Stand.earth

 On the heels of COP28, where world governments finally recognized the need to “transition away from fossil fuels” but failed to acknowledge the inevitable phase-out, the global fossil fuel divestment movement surpassed a major milestone, already leading the way to a fossil free world: 1600+ institutions, representing $40.6 trillion in assets, are cutting ties with the toxic energy of the past.

Swiss pension fund CPEG, the UK’s Wiltshire Pension Fund, and the largest private pension fund in the Netherlands are the latest to join the unstoppable movement. In 2023 alone, major divestment commitments were made by the Church of England, New York University, the National Academy of Medicine, and Triodos Bank.

“This 1600 commitment milestone is an undeniable proof of concept, all thanks to people-powered momentum, even in the face of climate chaos and collective grief,” said Amy Gray, Stand.earth Climate Finance Associate Director and coordinator of the Climate Safe Pensions Network. “Even in times of heartache, we are resolved in our work to hold polluters accountable for climate chaos, and to reclaim, repair, and rebuild healthy and safe communities.” 

From educational institutions and public pension funds, to faith-based and healthcare groups, to governments, nonprofits, and cultural institutions, fossil fuel divestment spans every sector of society, and continues to gain momentum with consistent reports of positive returns following fossil fuel divestment.

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Question for this article:

Divestment: is it an effective tool to promote sustainable development?

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Surpassing 1600 fossil fuel divestment commitments would not have been possible without millions of climate justice leaders around the world, countless economic, racial, and climate justice organizations, and steadfast support from Ellen Dorsey, who is stepping down from the Wallace Global Fund, as a long-time leader of the movement.

A June 2023 report from the University of Waterloo revealed that just six U.S. public pension funds would be $21 billion richer  had they divested from fossil fuels a decade ago. 

“This milestone follows years of attempted shareholder engagement, now a proven futile strategy, with fossil fuel corporations hell-bent on our destruction,” said Richard Brooks, Stand.earth Climate Finance Director. “Instead of financing climate chaos-causing fossil fuels, violence, and extraction, financial institutions like big banks and pension funds must protect people and planet alike, cutting ties with fossil fuels and reinvesting in proven community-led climate-safe solutions.”

Not only is a world beyond fossil fuels possible, millions are building it right now – it’s time for fossil fuel companies and their financiers – including major banks like Royal Bank of Canada and Citibank, and private equity firms like KKR – to stop holding us back.

The Global Fossil Fuel Commitments Divestment Database  is managed by Stand.earth, and is the world’s most comprehensive tracker of fossil fuel divestment commitments. 

Stand.earth also coordinates the Climate Safe Pensions Network, a group of 25+ grassroots campaigns across Turtle Island demanding local pension funds protect returns and our climate, phase out fossil fuel holdings, and reinvest in climate-safe solutions.

Stand.earth’s Climate Finance  program focuses on pushing the financial sector to divest from fossil fuel projects and invest in climate solutions, such as renewable energy infrastructure. We’re also pressuring major pension funds throughout North America to pull workers’ money out of fossil fuel companies that violate Indigenous rights and exacerbate the climate crisis, and reinvest in climate-safe solutions.

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Romania: 1982 Concert for Peace on Earth

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

Sent to CPNN from Elisaveta Nica

As a promoter of Culture of Peace and Friendship (COPF), I send you this video that presents a musical message of peace. I hope you would enjoy it.  


(Click on the image to watch the video)

Question for this article:

What place does music have in the peace movement?

This musical concert was organized in Bucharest, Romania in 1982 by a genius poet and great patriot Adrian Păunescu during comunism regime more than 35 years ago. His genuine enthusiasm and love for peace greatly expressed in the way how he conducted this concert with thousands of people chanting “Să fie pace în lume” (Let there be peace on earth) associated with moments of a dove play and Olympic flames stand as  symbols of hope and beauty of all Romanians. 

Through its message, this concert has a great contemporary significance for the world we live in.

Păunescu has passed away since 2010, but he left a great legacy to humanity: love for peace and living in peace.
 
In the last years of his life he lived in loneliness. I read that in his last poem, he wrote “not even GOD sits at table with me.”

I wept.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe

USA: Union Leaders Join Progressive Lawmakers in Demanding Gaza Cease-Fire Now

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by Brett Wilkins in Common Dreams ( licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Leaders of major U.S labor unions joined progressive members of Congress at a Thursday rally and press conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., where they implored President Joe Biden to support a cease-fire in Gaza without delay.

Leaders of unions including the United Auto Workers (UAW); the Postal Workers Union; and the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America held a press conference outside the Capitol, where they were joined by Democratic U.S. lawmakers including Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

“The world has seen enough slaughter and devastation. Peace is the only path forward," UAW president Shawn Fain—who recently led the fight for historic new contracts for Big Three autoworkers—told attendees. "While we call for a cease-fire, we also condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, [and] anti-Arab racism, all of which are growing in our nation at this moment and must be stopped.”

“As union members, we know we must fight for all workers and suffering people around the world. We must fight for humanity,” he added. “That means we must restore people's basic rights and allow water, food, fuel, humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. We must also call for the release of all hostages.”

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Question related to this article:
 
What is the contribution of trade unions to the culture of peace?

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Bush, the lead sponsor of a congressional cease-fire resolution drafted in October, said that “as an activist and organizer and a proud daughter of a former union member, I know that the foundational message of every guild is to stand with the people, to fight for their dignity and to advocate for those most marginalized.”

“Our humanity needs a cease-fire, and that is precisely why I’m so happy to have unions here today to join in this fight,” she added, “because we know that unions know how to organize. Unions know how to mobilize and galvanize and energize.”

Thursday’s rally came as Israeli forces continued attacking Gaza by land, air, and sea. Since the October 7 Hamas-led attacks that killed more than 1,100 people in southern Israel, over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed, maimed, or left missing by Israel’s retaliatory war, which many critics have called genocidal.

Additionally, around 1.9 million Gazans—or over 85% of the besieged strip’s population—have been forcibly displaced, and hundreds of thousands of cases of infectious diseases have been reported.

While Biden this week privately decried what he acknowledged as Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza, the president remains a staunch Zionist who is seeking $14.3 billion in additional U.S. military aid to Israel atop the nearly $4 billion it already receives annually from Washington.

Tlaib, who introduced the cease-fire resolution with Bush, said, “I’m a proud daughter of a UAW worker, and I know my Yaba (father), if he was here, he would be so proud.”

“The UAW taught him he deserved human dignity, even though he only had a fourth-grade education, even though he was Palestinian, even though he was Muslim," continued Tlaib, who last month was the target of a successful House censure motion over her defense of Palestinian rights. "On that assembly line, he was equal to every single human being on that line. Who did that for him? The United Auto Workers did that for him.”

I’m so grateful for each and every one of your voices in this movement to save lives,” she added. And I’m proud to stand alongside you all. So today we raise our collective voice to say, “Enough is enough. Cease-fire now.”

(Editor’s note: One day after the above press conference, America’s largest health-care union, 1199SEIU , voted also to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.)

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America