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English bulletin July 1, 2016

. . . PEACE IN COLOMBIA . . .

The government of Colombia and the FARC guerilla movement have agreed on a ceasefire and plan for demobilization. The bilateral ceasefire and surrender of the weapons will begin with the signing of the final peace agreement (expected in July) and this last point will have a term development of 180 days. A monitoring group composed of delegates from the UN will be created by the FARC and the Colombian government to verify the delivery of the guns. Also announced was the creation of areas and camps for demobilized guerrillas and commitment by the authorities to combat paramilitary groups, by means of a special unit of the Colombian police.

As stated by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, “Today the Colombian peace process validates the perseverance of all those around the world who work to end violent conflict not through the destruction of the adversary, but through the patient search for compromise.”

According to analysts, “What remains between now and a final, conflict-ending peace accord are details. Some of these will be thorny, and may require weeks or even a few months to unravel. But the hardest parts of the FARC peace process are now in the past.”

Already, the first United Nations observers have arrived to help with the demobilization process.

The Colombia people are celebrating but still fearful, as described by Amada Benavides, Fundación Escuelas de Paz: “Today at 12:39 when President Santos and the FARC leader signed the agreement, all of us, our partners and myself, only can to cry. After 60 years of war, we not really believe what it happened in that moment. Many of us never think in could seeing this moment. At night, we had a workshop about Women, Diversity and Peace, and the feeling turned between hope, fear and anxiety. Hope for the possibilities the agreement has. Fear for many populations is not yet convinced in the benefits of peace; and anxiety for all the work we have in this moment. Peacebuilding moment starts just now. Today we need more support than ever.”

Last month the government and FARC signed an agreement to ensure that their peace accords will be binding on future governments of Colombia. This is important because there is already an opposition movement in Colombia headed by an ex-president who say they will try to overturn the accords.

As we have often said, peace is too important to be left alone in the hands of the national government. What is important is that it is being taken up by people at all levels in Colombia.

A key role is played by teachers and the movement for peace education, as in a recent meeting in Bogota: “Participants . . . included teachers, academics and trainers who shared their experiences and daily reflections. Together, they reaffirmed that there will be no peace unless there is peace education to transform the culture, and this requires a renewal of pedagogy.”

Artists and cultural actors have an important role to play, as described by the Director of a theatre in Medellin: “We have to to disarm our words because they are still loaded with violence. That will take a lot of pedagogy and here culture can help a lot. We need to heal, to seek the truth, to have some kind of repair,”

Colombian women, under the banner of “One Million Women for Peace,” are demanding a greater role in the peace process, saying that “Peace in Colombia Is Impossible Without Us”. The newly-formed bloc aims to create a community movement to provide popular backing for the peace process. The movement brings together farmers, artists, journalists, youth and political representatives of indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

It is especially important to establish peace at the level of local government. For example, the city of Cali, Colombia, has established a “Plan for Peace and Peaceful Coexistence”. It is a guide prepared by the Peace Advisory Council, in consultation with different social actors such as the High Council for Peace and Human Rights of the Government of Valle, the Archdiocese, universities along with staff of the mayor’s office in Cali and agencies such as the Post-Conflict Advisory Council.

As stated by Raul Castro, who mediated the accords, “The achievement of peace in Colombia represents a hope for millions of people on the planet, whose main concern continues to be human survival in a world shaken by violence and wars. Peace is not a utopia; it is a legitimate right of every human being and of all peoples. It is a fundamental condition for the enjoyment of all human rights, particularly the supreme right to life.”

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION Ceasefire between FARC and the government of Colombia is sealed in Cuba	WOMEN’S EQUALITY Guatemalan Women Healing Toward Justice: Speaking tour	EDUCATION FOR PEACE Ivory Coast: UNESCO announces the creation of a school for the Culture of Peace in Yamoussoukro	HUMAN RIGHTS ‘March of Silence’ in Uruguay sends message of remembrance to South America
TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY Togo in the struggle against terrorism: The “Pacific Magazine” plays its part	SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT The film “Demain”, a manifesto?	DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY The Elders welcome Paris conference as step towards two-state solution for Israel-Palestine	DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION The Peace Prize for city initiatives in conflict prevention, resolution or peace building

July 1, 2016d-disarmamentenglish bulletinCPNN Coordinator

English bulletin June 1, 2016

. REFORMING THE UNITED NATIONS .

Since its creation over 70 years ago, the United Nations has been the hope of mankind “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” But more and more, we are losing hope that in its present form it can succeed. This was especially evident in recent weeks when the great powers did not bother to send high-level delegations to the UN’s Humanitarian Summit despite the fact that 60 other countries sent their heads of state. While Germany was represented by its Chancellor Angela Merkel, the other great powers were essentially absent: Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia and China.

Therefore, it is not surprising that there is a rising chorus of demands for reform of the United Nations.

The most dramatic and far-reaching demand comes from Africa. This month the Pan-African Parliament, with representives from the 54 countries of Africa, has called upon the African Union to support its demand for a new UN body, a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. The Parliament’s President explained that “It is long overdue that ‘We, the Peoples,’ as the UN Charter begins, have more say in global affairs. For this purpose, a UNPA needs to be established.” This could become a powerful voice for peace. Instead of reflecting the policies of Member States with their military budgets and military policies, the proposed Assembly would be composed of representatives of bodies directly elected by the people and without direct responsibility for military institutions.

Another call for extensive reform comes from a group including former UNESCO Director-general Federico Mayor. Their joint declaration calls for a “new UN System” with a General Assembly of 50% of States representatives and 50% of representatives of civil society, and adding to the present Security Council and Environmental Council and a Socio-Economic Council. In all cases, no veto but weighted vote.

Many calls for reform consider that the present Security Council, with veto powers by the five Permanent members, the victors of World War II, is outmoded and ineffective in dealing with today’s global problems.

There are ongoing meetings of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform, but they are complicated by rivalries among the Member States. At the most recent meeting at the beginning of May, India called for additional Permament members, including themselves, Brazil, Japan and Germany, thus including the losers as well as the winners of World War II. But immediately there were objections from India’s rival Pakistan and from Japan’s rival North Korea, as well as from another group of 13 countries led by Italy. Another proposal was put forward by Ireland for a new category of Security Council members with an 8 year term. They proposed 6 seats in this category, with 2 each from the African and Asia-Pacific group, and 1 each from WEOG (Western Europe and Others Group) and GRULAC (Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries).

At the recent Humanitarian Summit, the Arab League, which consists of 22 member states, including Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, called for limitation on the veto power of the Permanent Security Council Members, echoing a similar demand by Turkish President Erdogan. This, too, was complicated by inter-state rivalries as their remarks were directed only against the use of the veto by Russia with regard to the war in Syria.

The Elders, the group of former heads of state and international agencies that was formed several years ago around Nelson Mandela, has made a series of recommendations regarding reform of the Security Council. They call for a new category of Council members with longer terms to counter-balance the five Permanent members, a pledge to restrict the use of their veto and more involvement of the civil society,

Another proposal of the Elders is for a more independent UN Secretary-General. This proposal is echoed in conclusions of the recent United Nations High Level Thematic Debate on Peace and Security, and it is already being implemented to some extent in new procedures to choose the next Secretary-General.

But the question remains: are these proposals radical enough to enable the UN “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war?” In the view of the CPNN coordinator, we need a more radical approach; see his blog.

DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform	WOMEN’S EQUALITY Peace in Colombia Is Impossible Without Us, Women Declare	EDUCATION FOR PEACE Paris: A standing orchestra !!!	HUMAN RIGHTS Red carpet film festival asserts Gaza’s pride and talent
TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY Mali: The struggle against terrorism: Towards the creation of a global network of Ulemas	SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Tens of Thousands Take Part in Global Actions Targeting World’s Most Dangerous Fossil Fuel Projects	FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION Colombia celebrates agreement to legally bind the peace accord	DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION For the first time, a Peace Plan for Cali, Colombia

June 1, 2016d-democraticenglish bulletinCPNN Coordinator

English bulletin May 1, 2016

. NONVIOLENCE IS MAKING HISTORY .

Nonviolence is in our news these days. Let us begin by recalling the words of the great tactician of nonviolence, Martin Luther King, speaking of Mahatma Gandhi: “nonviolent resistance is not a method for cowards; it does resist. If one uses this method because he is afraid or merely because he lacks the instruments of violence, he is not truly nonviolent. This is why Gandhi often said that if cowardice is the only alternative to violence, it is better to fight… nonviolent resistance … is not a method of stagnant passivity… For while the nonviolent resister is passive in the sense that he is not physically aggressive toward his opponent, his mind and his emotions are always active, constantly seeking to persuade his opponent that he is wrong. The method is passive physically but strongly active spiritually. It is not passive non-resistance to evil, it is active nonviolent resistance to evil.”

Perhaps the most active practitioner of this approach today is the Nonviolent Peaceforce. They have recently been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of their teams “on the ground” in the various “hotspots” around the globe. In addition, they are actively trying to convince the United Nations and various governments to adopt nonviolence as a paradigm shift: “One of the most dramatic shifts will have taken place when everyone realizes that, the assumption that an armed actor will not yield to anything except a weapon has been proven to be untrue.”

All of this is part of the long-term strategy announced recently by Nonviolent Peaceforce: “We protect civilians in violent conflicts through unarmed strategies. We build peace side by side with local communities. We advocate for the wider adoption of these approaches to safeguard human lives and dignity.”

Another major practitioner of nonviolence is the Mennonite Central Committee, which recently publicized initiatives in seven countries on four continents.

Meanwhile, Pax Christi and other activists recently convened a meeting at the Vatican to enlist the Catholic Church in the approach of nonviolence, requesting that the church reverse its support for “just wars.”

We should also mention the Nonviolence Charter which has now been signed by 104 organisations from 33 countries, as well as the new initiative that we mentioned last month for nonviolent cities.

In celebrating Earth Day this month, the Campaign Nonviolence reminds us that to protect our planet we need to live “nonviolently” with such practices as sustainability, renewable energy, lowering meat consumption, and supporting local food.

One of the major tactics of nonviolence is mediation. Recently, we have featured articles on the training of police for mediation, as well as specific initiatives in Mexico and Bolivia.

These initiatives may not be featured in the headlines of the commercial media, where violence is considered more newsworthy, but in the long run the initiatives for nonviolence are making history, while violence is only impeding it.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE Nonviolent Peaceforce: A paradigm shift?	WOMEN’S EQUALITY Bahrain Women Association conducted a workshop on peace	DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY Disarm! World Congress 2016 of International Peace Bureau	HUMAN RIGHTS USA: Prisoners in Multiple States Call for Strikes to Protest Forced Labor
TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY Landmark Vatican conference rejects just war theory, asks for encyclical on nonviolence	SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT On Earth Day, Commit To The Great Turning	FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION 2016 World Press Freedom Index – leaders paranoid about journalists	DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION Democracy Spring: Thousands Descend on US Capitol, Over 400 Arrested

May 1, 2016d-educationenglish bulletinCPNN Coordinator

English bulletin April 1, 2016

. . CULTURE OF PEACE CITIES . .

The culture of peace is increasingly promoted at the level of the city according to the articles we have been publishing so far this year in CPNN.

At the highest level, the mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, and the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, are planning to hold an international forum against violence and for peace education. Along with Brussels, their cities have suffered the most from terrorist attacks in Europe. While nation states promote military responses, they propose education for non-violence.

While nation states continue to make nuclear weapons, the network of Mayors for Peace, with over 6,900 cities in 161 countries, continues to prioritize the struggle for nuclear disarmament. We recently published an article from one of their member cities, Wellington, New Zealand.

The network of International Cities of Peace, with 130 member cities in 40 countries, has recently announced an alliance with the newly formed network of Compassionate Cities that includes 70 cities in almost 50 countries that have affirmed the Charter for Compassion, which promotes a culture of peace at the local level.

In the United States there is a growing movement of cities that undertake the transformation to a culture of peace.

In New Haven, Connecticut, this is the fourth year that the City Peace Commission, an organ of city government, has published a report on The State of the Culture of Peace in New Haven. The report identifies priorities for action by the city. Two of their priorities have been featured in recent CPNN articles: restorative justice in the schools, and welcoming refugees.

The city of Ashland, Oregon, has recently established an official City Culture of Peace Commission, and among its tasks is a similar annual report on the state of the culture of peace in their city. Other tasks include the training of peace ambassadors, peace education in schools, a directory of community resources that promote a culture of peace, and a monument containing the World Peace Flame.

Civil society organizations in Wilmington, Delaware, are developing a “strategic vision, plan and resource document that will bring peace to Wilmington. The plan will deal with the actions needed to transform a culture of violence to a culture of peace. The plan would include input from civic groups, city and state governments and agencies, churches, students, the elderly, and general public.”

A new initiative aims to create a network of Nonviolent Cities, modeled after an initiative in Carbondale, Illinois. Its goals are similar to those of New Haven, Ashland and Wilmington: “Nonviolent cities would work to end racism, poverty, homelessness, and violence at every level and in every form; dismantle housing segregation and pursue racial, social and economic integration; end police violence and institutionalize police nonviolence; organize to end domestic violence and teach nonviolence between spouses, and nonviolence toward all children; work to end gang violence and teach nonviolence to gang members; teach nonviolence in every school; pursue more nonviolent immigration programs and policies; get religious leaders and communities to promote nonviolence and the vision of a new nonviolent city; reform local jails and prisons so they are more nonviolent and educate guards and prisoners in nonviolence; move from retributive to restorative justice in the entire criminal justice system; address local environmental destruction, climate change, and environmental racism, pursue clean water, solar and wind power, and a 100 percent green community; and in general, do everything possible to help their local community become more disarmed, more reconciled, more just, more welcoming, more inclusive, and more nonviolent.”

The practices promoted by culture of peace cities include mediation, restorative justice and participative budgeting, as described in previous CPNN articles.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION USA: Working on creating a culture of peace in Ashland	WOMEN’S EQUALITY Education International and other Global Union Federation delegations begin their work at the 60th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women	DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY United Kingdom: Thousands call for Britain’s nuclear deterrent Trident to be scrapped	HUMAN RIGHTS 2015: When Global Governments Trampled Human Rights in Name of National Security
TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY GLOBAL YOUTH RISING: Empowering passionate activists and peace workers from around the world– JULY 2016	SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Fishing ban in remote Pacific waters is working, report finds	FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION Guantanamo could be turned from a war facility to a peace park	EDUCATION FOR PEACE Romania: Systemic Peacebuilding, Conflict Transformation & Post-War Recovery and Reconciliation

April 1, 2016d-democraticenglish bulletinCPNN Coordinator

English bulletin March 1, 2016

. . THE STRUGGLE OF AFRICA . .

There is an epic struggle for the heart of Africa between the forces of the culture of war and those of the culture of peace. On the one hand, attacks by Boko Harem, Al Qaida, ISIS, and Al-Shabaab get the headlines in the commercial media, not to mention potential for civil war in Burundi and the fratricidal war in Southern Sudan, On the other hand, if the many recent articles in CPNN about initiatives for the culture of peace are an indication, it is the culture of peace that is gaining!

African Union: Burundi agrees to accept African Union human rights monitors

African Union: 26th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly concludes with gratitude to Ebola fighters and peace as priorities of the continent

African Union: Retreat of the Pan-African Network of the Wise

Senegal: The feminist Bineta Diop: United against war in Africa

Tunisia: Appeal for massive particiption in the first international meeting on education for peace

Cameroon: Community radio in the service of peace education

Morocco: Muslims Advance Consensus for Citizenship for All: The Marrakesh Declaration

Mali: Elaboration of a national program for culture of peace: Experts at work

Ethiopia: AAPI Convenes 2nd Arts4Peace Forum in Addis Ababa

Congo (DRC): Declaration of the Youth Clubs of the Congo Peace Network

Congo (DRC): Goma, Nord Kivu: Third edition of the Amani Music Festival

Sierra Leone News: Minister urge delegates to develop a culture of peace

The Gambia: ‘African countries must unite’

South Africa: African women organize to reclaim agriculture against corporate takeover

Chad: Commemoration of the National Day of peace, peaceful coexistence and national harmony

As Nestor Bidadanure describes in his article on How to Achieve the Freedom Promised: “In Africa, the decolonization in the legal sense has not been followed by an ideological break with the colonial model of governance by some of the political elite. . . The colonial practice of divide and rule is continued today as the favorite political weapon of extremist elites.”

He concludes that “The Culture of Peace should be considered and taught as an ideal that ties together and strengthens that which has been torn apart. It is the antithesis of Radical Identity Populism, a theory of inclusion and reconciliation with which we can achieve the freedom promised, an Africa at peace with herself and with the world. It considers the differences within a nation to be a precious resource. It reminds us that there is no national identity except the diversity, both cultural and human, of all its citizens.”

WOMEN’S EQUALITY 26th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly concludes with gratitude to Ebola fighters and peace as priorities of the continent	DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION US: New Haven Peaces Out. A Bit	DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY Burundi agrees to accept African Union human rights monitors	HUMAN RIGHTS US: We come to the gates of Hancock Drone Base today to install a memorial of Jerry Berrigan.
TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY Muslims Advance Consensus for Citizenship for All: The Marrakesh Declaration	SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT France expects to have 1000 kilometers of solar routes within 5 years!	FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION Colombia: National Meeting on Education for Peace	EDUCATION FOR PEACE Tunisia: Appeal for massive particiption in the first international meeting on education for peace

March 1, 2016d-informationenglish bulletinCPNN Coordinator

English bulletin February 1, 2016

PEACE: ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS ?

As we enter the new year of 2016, we may ask if the culture of peace continues to advance on all the fronts that we covered in the various CPNN bulletins of 2015:

WELCOME THE REFUGEES (December): Despite the political resistance to refugees in Europe, there are also social movements in defense of the refugees. This was expressed recently by rallies throughout Europe marking the Global Day of Action against Racism. The Madrid Rally was held under the slogan: “We are all migrants and refugees, we all have rights.” Another slogan was “No to NATO!, making it clear that the influx of refugees is largely due to the military interventions by NATO in Africa and the Middle East.

CULTURE OF PEACE IN LATIN AMERICA (November): There are peace initiatives underway throughout Latin America. The November bulletin describes actions in Cuba, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Chile, Colombia and Honduras. Last month 500 delegates from 18 countries and 34 education trade unions in Latin America met in Costa Rica in the third meeting of the Pedagogical Movement to renew the cohesion and agenda for the future of education in Latin America.

COLOMBIA PREPARES FOR PEACE (September): The biggest news for peace in Latin America last year was the progress of the peace process in Colombia. As indicated in the chronology published this month, we can expect the signing of peace accords in the month of March.

NEEDED: POLITICAL WILL AT COP21 (August): Although experts regret the lack of political will at the Climate Summit (see last month’s bulletin), the year 2015 has seen “amazing advances in renewable energy,” which raise hopes that we can reverse the process of global warming and climate change despite the failure of the nations to curb their reliance on fossil fuels.

CONFRONTING TERRORISM WITHOUT VIOLENCE (July): The mayors of Paris and Madrid, the cities of Europe that have suffered the most from terrorist attacks have announed that they will hold an international peace forum in response. Rather than promoting military responses, they propose education for non-violence. Similarly, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has released a UN plan of action to confront violent extremism that calls for cultural rather than military measures. Since “extremism flourishes when human rights are violated, political space is shrunk, aspirations for inclusion are ignored, and too many people – especially young people – lack prospects and meaning in their lives. . . . [we need to emphasize] the critical elements for success: Good governance. The rule of law. Political participation. Quality education and decent jobs. Full respect for human rights. . . a special effort to reach out to young people and recognize their potential as peacebuilders.” The latter element is addressed in detail in the recent resolution 2250 of the United Nations Security Council on Youth, Peace & Security.

MOVEMENTS FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY (June): Six hundred representatives of native communities around the world recently gathered in Shillong, northeastern India, for Indigenous Terra Madre (ITM), an event that helps forge a global network of indigenous peoples, activists and their supporters. “The truth is that 500 million small household food communities feed 70 percent of the world, yet they are treated the worst of all”

THE ANTI-AUSTERITY SPRING (May): The Prime Minister of Portugal has said that the first measures of his government this year will begin to end the country impoverishment and social decline due to the policy of austerity. He came to power in the recent elections as a socialist candidate opposing austerity and is governing in coalition with the marxists parties and the communists. In Spain, Podemos which gained a large vote by opposing austerity is now trying to make a similar coalition with left political parties.

WOMEN, EQUALITY AND PEACE (April): African women, organized in Dzomo la Mupo, the Voice of the Earth, associated with the African Biodiversity Network, are reclaiming traditional agricultural practice, opposing the commercialization of farming: “Women also have to teach young girls and young women about seed and food sovereignty and the importance of soil because they’re the ones who will remain to pass that on.”

PEACE THROUGH TOURISM (March): A World Summit on Sustainable Tourism in November adopted a World Charter for Sustainable Tourism +20 incorporating the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations. The Charter also claims the preservation of the actual quality of the destinations and the tourism industry and the ability to meet the tourist as priorities, as well as the need to promote alternative forms of tourism.

LISTEN TO THE INDIGENOUS (February): We recently republished “15 Indigenous Rights Victories That You Didn’t Hear About in 2015.” “Good news. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a cancelled hydro dam that spares 20,000 people from the burden of displacement. Other times, it takes the shape of a simple court admission that Indigenous Peoples do actually make the best conservationists. . . Indigenous rights victories give us all pause to celebrate, to reflect and to rejuvenate our own quests for justice.” And Chile has created a Ministry of Indigenous People, a National Council and Indigenous People”s Councils. Representatives of the ethic groups Aymara, Quechua, Atacameños, Diaguitas, Kollas, Rapa Nui, Kawesqar, Yaganes and Mapuche were consulted.

TRUTH COMMISSIONS (January 2015): In December, the final report of the Canadian Truth Commission was published. The writer reflects that “We, as a country, are just now starting to come to terms with the sobering realization that the systematic destruction of indigenous cultures, languages, family structures, lands and ceremonies amounted to cultural genocide. . . But change is possible. We can change, we are changing, and I am very hopeful that this momentum we have collectively generated will continue. I am excited about the future that lies ahead of us and I am proud to be part of this country that is embracing this cry for change and reconciliation.”

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION < International Peace Forum Proposed by the Mayors of Madrid and Paris	WOMEN’S EQUALITY African women organize to reclaim agriculture against corporate takeover	DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY Global arms industry: West still dominant despite decline; sales surge in rest of the world, says SIPRI	HUMAN RIGHTS 15 Indigenous Rights Victories That You Didn’t Hear About in 2015
TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY President Creates Ministry of Indigenous People in Chile	SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Native Cultures Push For Sustainable Food Solutions	FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION The peace process in Colombia: A Chronology	EDUCATION FOR PEACE US: The First Mural Museum in the World is a Culture of Peace Museum

January 28, 2016d-informationenglish bulletinCPNN Coordinator

English bulletin January 1, 2016

COP21: GOING BACKWARDS OR BEGINNING ?

There are many contradictory opinions about the results of the Paris Climate Agreement, so CPNN turned to two of the most independent and scientific authorities, James Hanson, the former Nasa scientist, who first alerted the world to climate change in 1988, and Naomi Klein, Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalization (see CPNN review of her most recent book, This Changes Everything).

According to James Hanson the agreement is a complete fraud, diverting us from the real cause of global warming. which is the continued reliance on oil and coal. According to his most recent research, if we do not radically cut this reliance, “the sea level could soon be up to five meters higher than it is today by the latter part of this century [which] would inundate many of the world’s cities, including London, New York, Miami and Shanghai.

According to Naomi Klein, the Paris agreement takes us backwards. At least the Kyoto Accord of 1997 included binding language, while the Paris Accord does not. And Klein makes the link between the reliance on oil and the disastrous wars of recent years: “Do we think Iraq would have been invaded if their major export had been asparagus [as journalist Robert Fisk once asked]? Probably not. We wanted that prize in the west, Iraq’s oil. . . This destabilized the whole region, which was not particularly stable to begin with because of earlier oil wars and coups and support for dictatorships.”

But there were other actors in Paris in addition to the representatives of national governments. The cities of the world were there, as were indigenous elders, African women and non-governmental organizations such as Greenpeace, and perhaps they can pick up where the national governments are failing.

ICLEI, “the world’s leading sustainability network of over 1,000 cities, towns and metropolises” pledged to continue their own actions “to make their cities and regions sustainable, low-carbon, resilient, eco-mobile, biodiverse, resource-efficient and productive, healthy and happy, with a green economy and smart infrastructure.” “Our pilot of the Transformative Actions Program (TAP) 2015 has brought forward 125 applications to demonstrate ambitious, crosscutting, and inclusive local action plans that have the potential to contribute to keeping global warming below 2°C.”

A meeting of indigenous elders in Paris released a statement saying, among other things, that “We are all responsible and we are all capable of creating a new path forward with new sources of energy that do not harm the people or the Earth. We are obligated to all take action now to protect what is left of the Sacredness of Water and Life. We can no longer wait for solutions from governmental and corporate leaders. We must all take action and responsibility to restore a healthy relationship with each other and Mother Earth.”

Wanjira Mathai, daughter of Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai, brought news to Paris about a new movement called AFR100 — the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative — [that] aims to restore 100 million hectares (386,000 square miles) of degraded and deforested landscapes in Africa by 2030.

And Kumi Naidoo, the Director of Greenpeace, while recognizing the shortcomings of the Paris Agreement, sees it as the beginning of a long road. It is the new generation that must take up the cause: “We need substantial, structural, systemic change – and this change can only be led by the youth, who are not infected by the political pollution of the past.”

That leads us to another agreement this past month that did not receive headlines, but which was led by those of the new generation who seek “substantial, structural, systemic change.”

Romeral Ortiz Quintilla tells us how she and others from the United Network of Young Peacebuilders launched a campaign to develop “a global framework that would recognize and guarantee the role of youth in peacebuilding and violence prevention.” They developed partnerships with key stakeholders such as the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth to the Peacebuilding Support Office, Search for Common Ground, World Vision and UN agencies such as UNDP, among others. As described previously in CPNN, two years ago, they came to the UN in New York to lobby for the effort.

On December 9, as a result of their efforts, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace & Security. The resolution calls on Member States to “facilitate an enabling environment for youth to prevent violence, and to create policies which support youth socio-economic development and education for peace equipping youth with the ability to engage in political processes.”

Welcoming the adoption of the resolution, Romeral and UNOY now call on every young peacebuilder to join them in the next steps.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Naomi Klein: We are going backwards, COP21 is the opposite of progress	WOMEN’S EQUALITY Eight ways 2015 was a momentous year for girls	DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY 2015 Black Solidarity Statement with Palestine	HUMAN RIGHTS Reconciling Canada: Hard truths, big opportunity
TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY Chad: Commemoration of the National Day of peace, peaceful coexistence and national harmony	DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ICLEI Declaration to the Ministers at COP21, Paris, France	FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION Porto Alegre, Brazil: Fifteenth anniversary of the World Social Forum	EDUCATION FOR PEACE Latin America: Pedagogical Movement: new phase, new impetus

January 1, 2016d-sustainableenglish bulletinCPNN Coordinator

English bulletin December 1, 2015

. . WELCOME THE REFUGEES . .

The refugee crisis in Europe has revealed the deep contradictions in the culture of war. As stated by the Nobel Peace Prize winners in their recent meeting in Barcelona: “The refugee and migration crisis does not exist in isolation. It is a symptom of the broader problems that confront humanity that include . . . the consequences of militarism, extreme nationalism and the use of force and proxy wars by global powers in pursuit of strategic, financial and ideological interests”

In his remarks on the crisis, Nobel Prize winner Kofi Annan says that Europe should consider the refugees as a potential resource rather than a liability. Taking this into consideration, at CPNN we look this month at the many initiatives around the world that welcome and integrate refugees into their societies.

In France, 15 civil society and international organizations are currently working to welcome and integrate refugees, which includes a network of 570 associations in the “Fédération nationale des associations d’accueil et de réadaptation sociale” (National Federation of Associations for Reception and Social Integration).

In Spain, the non-governmental Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR) has the commitment of organizations and institutions in solidarity with refugees that form part of its Assembly: political parties, trade unions, religious groups and NGOs and prominent personalities in the field of defense and the human rights of asylum seekers. The School for the Culture of Peace in Barcelona is presently developing a map of cities with good practices in this regard.

Latin America has long been a leader in receiving refugees, with excellent legislation in many of its countries. The fundamental principles were adopted last December in Brasilia, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees. The action plan commits Latin American and Caribbean governments to approach the problem from a humanitarian point of view. Examples of this effort include the implementation of programs such as Quality Asylum, and Borders with Solidarity and Security, which address the needs of people who live, cross or return to border areas. With regard to the current crisis, some 6,000 Syrians have been received thus far in Brasilia, Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

In the United States Republican governors have opposed the reception of refugees from Syria, but in response, Cities United For Immigration Action, a coalition of nearly 100 cities and counties is leading the effort to promote and execute immigration reforms nationwide. The initiative includes a letter from 18 mayors of the most important cities, including New York, Chicago and Baltimore, saying among other things that “The global refugee crisis brings with it a responsibility and opportunity to welcome those seeking exile from tyranny and oppression.”

For example, the city of New Haven expressly invited a Syrian family that had been rejected by the Republican governor of Indiana, and the family was welcomed by the Democratic governor of Connecticut: “I assured them that not only was I welcoming them, but I was proud that they’ve come to the US and come to Connecticut.”

The American humorist and movie director Michael Moore summed up the struggle in an open letter to the Republican governor of his state of Michigan: “I just wanted to let you know that, contrary to your declaration of denying Syrian refugees a home in our state of Michigan, I myself am going to defy your ban and will offer MY home in Traverse City, Michigan, to those very Syrian refugees you’ve decided to keep out. I will contact the State Department to let them know I am happy to provide a safe haven to any Syrian refugee couple approved by the Obama administration’s vetting procedures in which I have full faith and trust. . . I’m asking anyone who can, anyone who has spare rooms in their homes or an empty apartment, cottage, or whatever, to make it available for Syrian and Iraqi refugees . . . THIS is what we want the “American way” to be from now on. No more war, or interfering in other people’s lives, no more turning our backs on the messes that we’ve created.”

And finally, we salute the 50 cities of ICORN (The International Cities of Refuge Network). Each ICORN member is a city of refuge and provides temporary shelter through residencies for persecuted writers and artists. The residency is typically for two years. According to ICORN, these “writers and artists represent a rich resource for the entire network of cities. They bring new impulses to the cultural life of each city; they contribute to enhancing knowledge about different cultures in your city and enrich our debate, our insight and our understanding.”

In the long run, the refugees can enrich our debate, our insight and our understanding that we must move from the present culture of war to a global culture of peace.

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY The Barcelona Declaration – Refugees: Meeting the Challenge to Our Humanity	WOMEN’S EQUALITY International dialogue on gender equality in the media to be held in Geneva	DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY USA Exclusive: Air Force Whistleblowers Risk Prosecution to Warn Drone War Kills Civilians, Fuels Terror	HUMAN RIGHTS Nearly 100 Home-based Workers from 24 Countries Gather in Delhi to Adopt Historic Delhi Declaration on Workers’ Rights
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT We are the solution: African women organize for land and seed sovereignty	DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION New Cities of Peace	FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION Angola to host biennial on culture of peace in Africa	EDUCATION FOR PEACE USA: Restorative Practices in Schools

December 1, 2015d-toleranceenglish bulletinCPNN Coordinator

English bulletin November 1, 2015

CULTURE OF PEACE IN LATIN AMERICA .

In the past two months we have carried no less than 18 articles about culture of peace from Latin America, as the continent continues to set an example for the rest of the world.

The leading edge is in Colombia which is emerging from decades of civil war. In Havana on September 23, the government and the FARC guerrilla movement signed a peace accord. And what is most important the entire Colombian people are becoming involved in the peace process. CPNN was privileged to take part in the National Encounter for Peace Education that took place October 1 and 2 in Bogota, involving a wide range of the civil society as well as government officials. Articles about the Encounter by Alicia Cabezuo of the International Peace Bureau and by David Adams are published in CPNN along with a link to a video of the meeting and an interview by Cabezudo about peace education. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos took part in a nationally televised program on peace education with some of educators who took part in the Encounter. Earlier, the National Congress of REDUNDIPAZ met from September 21-23 to address “The Role of the University in Building Peace with Social Justice.” Then, on October 10, the government of Chile announced it is establishing a group of experts, veterans of peace processes in their countries, to work out of El Salvador on behalf of the Colombian agreement. This is a kind of international solidarity for peace that is rarely seen in other continents.

The culture of peace, as such, is on the agenda in Latin America, as shown by other recent CPNN articles. Cuba announced that it will advocate for this at UNESCO. In Argentina a cycle of events dedicated to this was held during the week of the International Day of Peace. Bolivian students marched for culture of peace.

In Brazil, a public hearing of the Congress was devoted to culture of peace in schools. While in Curitiba the Instituto Mundo Melhor (IMM) brought together police officers to discuss the culture of peace. And Cardinal Peter Turkson, the President of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, spoke at an international symposium on “Promoting a Culture of Peace in a World of Conflict” that was held in Rio de Janeiro.

Latin America continues to make a major contribution to sustainable development. The governments of Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela announced at a forum in October that they will advocate for “Pachamama,” or Mother Earth, and civil society at the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in December. In this regard, CPNN recently carried articles about women dealing with waste management in Nicaragua, terrace farming by indigenous farmers in Chile, and a victory by the indigenous farmers of Guatemala against the monopoly practices of Monsanto.

In Guatemala, The Latin American Council for Peace Research (CLAIP) and the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) devoted their Third Regional Conference to “Latin America on the quest for sustainable peace: tools and contributions.” While in Honduras, the struggle of peasant movements for the reclaiming of stolen land is celebrated in the new film, “Fertile Ground“.

As we say in the video of the National Encounter for Peace Education in Colombia: “If you look at the news from around the world, there is war everywhere. . . [but] when we see that Colombia is going towards peace, it is an inspiration. If Colombia can make peace, se we can make peace in other countries also.”

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION National Encounter for Peace Education in Colombia	WOMEN’S EQUALITY United States: Religious Groups Mobilize to Promote Feminism and Faith	DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY Spain: An appeal against NATO military exercises galvanizes demonstrations and civil disobedience actions	HUMAN RIGHTS France: Territories of zero long-term unemployed
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela Agree to Defend Mother Earth at COP21	DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION Nobel Peace Prize 2015: Lesson in Hope from Tunisia . . .	TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY Beating the drum for peace: A chat with the general secretary of the South Sudan Council of Churches	EDUCATION FOR PEACE Brazil: Public hearing discusses education for culture of peace

November 1, 2015d-informationenglish bulletinCPNN Coordinator

English bulletin October 1, 2015

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE 2015 .

Each year the International Day of Peace (September 21) reveals the spread of anti-war consciousness throughout the world. Last year the bulletin for October 1 concluded that “we have seen this month the most impressive mobilization for a culture of peace since the International Year for the Culture of Peace 14 years ago. In other words, we can say with certainty that the culture of peace is advancing.”

Can we say the same this year? Qualitatively, we can see many examples that suggest we are advancing.

As usual the UN Secretary-General marks the International Day of Peace by calling for cease-fires in the wars around the world. Others, such as the Director of Greenpeace, Kumi Naidoo, use the occasion to urge solidarity with refugees as well as the cessation of the wars that have forced them to flee. He salutes the many acts of solidarity by individuals and communities across Europe, and he quotes the poet Warsan Shire that ‘No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark’. In a similar vein, the International Peace Bureau has given a share of its annual MacBride Prize to the Italian island of Lampedusa whose people have helped thousands of refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean to find asylum in Europe, and the Bureau makes the point that they are fleeing the military interventions by Europe in their homelands.

Peace One Day has been campaigning for over 17 years, making the case for Peace Day. This year it is sponsoring ‘ONE’, the Peace Day anthem recorded by musicians together from five African countries: Zwai Bala (South Africa), Ice Prince (Nigeria) Maurice Kirya (Uganda), Alikiba (Tanzania), Wangechi (Kenya) and Dama Do Bling (Mozambique). The anthem was premiered at the Peace One Day Youth Celebration in Kigali, Rwanda which featured performances from artists from across the Great Lakes region of Africa.

In the United States, the Campaign Nonviolence coordinates hundreds of actions around the country to foster a culture of peace through the power of nonviolence. Last year the campaign was launched with 239 actions and events in every part of the nation.

Here are some other celebrations from around the world:

The United Nations Association of New Zealand celebrated the International Day of Peace at Parliament in the Legislative chamber. In Zimbabwe, dancers, actors and poets came together to commemorate the International Day of Peace with performances at Zimbabwe Hall in Highfield. The Kashmir Peace Network is celebrating International Day of Peace at ‘Samad’s Island of Peace’ in Nageen. They are participating in the Global Feast for Peace, coordinated by the International Cities of Peace, along with many other cities around the world.

The peace activists of Ashland, Oregon (US) have used the day to launch an official City Culture of Peace Commission. And activists in Colombia are including the day in the 7th National Congress of REDUNDIPAZ, dedicated to the role of the university in the construction of peace with social justice.

The celebration of the Day is so widespread that it is difficult to give a quantitative measure. After surveying some of the websites and social media devoted to the International Day of Peace, I conclude that all of our estimates are under-estimates and the celebration is more widespread that we can calculate.

DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY Trying to Survey Events around the World for the International Day of Peace	WOMEN’S EQUALITY Hundreds of women trade unionists gather for world conference in Vienna	FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION Pact between the government and FARC-EP raises hopes for peace in Colombia	HUMAN RIGHTS Germany: PRO ASYL presents human rights award to U.S. AWOL soldier
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Islamic Declaration Turns Up Heat Ahead of Paris Climate Talks	DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION UK: Power to the Peaceful – Support Jeremy Corbyn – Join Stop the War	TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY Is dropping more bombs on Syria way to solve refugee crisis?	EDUCATION FOR PEACE Music Builds Peace One Day at a Time

September 27, 2015d-informationenglish bulletinCPNN Coordinator