Tag Archives: Latin America

Mexico City successfully holds the World Forum of Cities and Territories of Peace

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Cultura Colectiva (translation by CPNN)

The Head of Government of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, was the host of the third World Forum on Cities and Territories of Peace. It brought together important world leaders, an important event in the fight against inequality that exists in the XXI century. Within a complex scenario due to the covid-19 pandemic, major proposals were presented in the capital by mayors who were invited from different cities.


Video of conference

The opening session demonstrated the power of women and their influence in the most important positions to run large cities in the world.

One of the main conclusions of the Forum was to recognize that the fight to end social inequality is one of the main strategies to combat violence and achieve global peace. Claudia Sheinbaum, head of government of the Mexico City and host of the event, pointed out that “you cannot talk about peace or ending violence, if you do not fight against inequalities.” Sheinbaum stressed that it is essential to guarantee access to human rights of health, education, security and a healthy environment to improve equity. “If we do not attend to access to human rights, it will be difficult for us to attain a territory of peace.

In the first session of the event, all the participants were women. Claudia Sheibaum (representative of Mexico City), Claudia López (mayor of Bogotá), Ada Colau (mayor of Barcelona), Manuela Carmena (former mayor of Madrid) and Reyna Rueda (mayor of Managua).

(continued in right column)

(Click here for the original article in Spanish.)

Questions related to this article:

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

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

(continued from left column)

Reflections towards the future

“We cannot think of peace without equality. We know that there will be no peace if inequalities are not reduced; that is why we must work to end them,” said Ada Colau, mayor of Barcelona, ​​Spain, who participated virtually. She stressed that violence is related to all aspects of life. For example, she said, it is impossible to talk about peace in the world without addressing the climate crisis. “Climate change implies population displacement and more violence,” she noted. However, she clarified, global peace begins in the cities themselves; For this reason, it is important not only to actions, but also to raise our voiceto denounce the violation of human rights and support those who suffer injustice.

Claudia López, mayor of Bogotá, pointed out that Colombia has been the only country in Latin America affected by an internal armed conflict in the recent century. Despite this, she highlighted the work done to achieve the peace agreements that ended the conflict. “We knew that as long as the conflict with the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) occupied the epicenter of Colombian politics, there was no way for the causes of women, equity, the environment and other issues to take place,” she said. She pointed out that reconciliation was important since it not only meant a peace agreement, but also to bring tranquility to all Colombians in all areas. “But for this, it is necessary to attend to the social demands for equity, justice and opportunities.”

Finally Reyna Rueda, mayor of Managua in Nicaragua, praised the role of women in current politics. “Obviously there is a lot to do, but women are working on full and comprehensive development,” she said. She stressed that all the inhabitants of the planet must be promoters of peace: “We must promote it, strengthen it, and leave indelible marks for future generations.”

The World Forum on Cities and Territories of Peace began as the World Forum on Urban Violence, in Madrid, Spain, and has now become a process of global and collective reflection that seeks to strengthen peacebuilding from the local spheres. For 2021, Mexico City is the headquarters of its third edition.

(Editor’s note: It was decided that the Fourth edition of the Forum will take place in Bogota, Colombia.)

Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Colombia: ‘5th with 5th Crew’, rhymes and colors for peace in Norte de Santander

. EDUCATION FOR PEACE . .

An article by Anderson Salinas for Radio Nacional Colombia

The cultural and social foundation ‘5ta con 5ta Crew’ was born in 2007, with the idea of ​​strengthening the social fabric among the youth in the department of Norte de Santander. It is a group that deals with violence through the arts from the Itinerant School of the North Bravos Hijos in 12 municipalities of the department.

With rap, graffiti, urban dance and audiovisual productions, this foundation has become a pedagogical path for young people in the department.


Rap video from the foundation

They are a team of 20 young professionals who travel through different rural and urban areas, bearing messages that transcend the memory of violence in the territories affected by the armed conflict.

“I started rapping long before, with passionate rap partners we began to share that music that we liked. To the point, that my mother’s house on 5th Street and 5th Avenue in the Motilones de Atalaya neighborhood, became the main headquarters for a time, ”explains Jorge Botello, leader of the foundation.

The initiative focused on working with young people between 16 and 25 years old, promoting artistic expressions in favor of life and the defense of the rights of youth, activities that provide the region with spaces for coexistence and reconciliation.

“In this space we begin to enjoy every moment from rap, graffiti, muralism, urban dance, audiovisuals, weaving, theater, community cinema, which began a new stage in the foundation, and where we try to manage always the historical look at our reality,” adds Jorge.

‘Ahiman,’ the artistic name by which Jorge is known, found that music provided a way to teach in the search of historical memory and truth. “It was something we did without knowing it, the lyrics, the processes, became the opportunity to express what we felt,” he explains.

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

Question related to 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)

The border area and the Catatumbo are those spaces of resistance, where their cultural processes allow children and adolescents to compose the history that is hidden in each of its 11 municipalities.

“Young people have found the possibility of amplifying the voice, that their voice not only represents themselves, but a whole group, a community, and that through these spaces they allow to transform relationships, and thus have a better coexistence” says Botello.

Currently, the foundation is carrying out the ‘Crafts for peace, memory and truth’ project in the departments of Arauca, Santander, Norte de Santander, Bolívar and César. According to Laura Rangel, a member of the team, this initiative is developed with the purpose of training 510 youth in the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition.

“We reflect around the truth. We find incredible, heartbreaking, hopeful, resilient stories that are very motivating for our work in the territory and today we are closing this project and opening the door for our next stop: the art of truth,” Botello indicates.

This work will be present in Norte de Santander for a year, where it will work for the legacy of the Truth Commission and the fundamental role of youth in the non-continuity of the armed conflict with children and young people.

For Darwin Delgado, one of the young people who participates in these foundation processes, it is necessary to continue keeping history alive in these territories marked by violence in Colombia.

“It is better that the trumpets sound and we do not have the rifles, it is better that the paint is spilled and not the blood of the Colombians; that is the value of art for our region, it allows us to visualize ourselves and represent ourselves under a different perspective before society,” he affirms with a tone of hope.

‘Ahiman’ points out that it is the new generations who must make use of the lyrics, beats, dances and colored lines to rebuild the social fabric that has been fractured by decades.

“For every violent act there are many more rhymes, more murals, more colors, many more break dance steps, art became what holds the new generations to say that there is an opportunity to have a better country,” he says. .

Today they are a medium that runs from art, a path to coexistence and the promotion of a culture of peace in Catatumbo and all of North Santander, with each expression highlighting its message of peace in different languages.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Mexico: Initiative to create the Law of Culture of Peace for the state of Zacatecas presented in the Legislature

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

Un artículo de La Jornada Zacatecas (translation by CPNN)

Deputies from the parliamentary fractions of Morena, the Encuentro Solidario Party (PES), the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM), the New Alliance Party and the Labor Party (PT) have presented an initiative to create a Culture of Peace Law before the 64th Legislature of the state of Zacatecas. This needed to address the causes of violence and to guarantee human rights in a transversal and sectoral manner.


Photo from a previous CPNN article on culture of peace in Zacatecas

In their explanatory statement, they indicated that “The State assumes the commitment to guarantee and respect all human rights, and, above all, the right to a dignified life, free from violence, based on solidarity, tolerance and respect.” For this reason, they pointed out, work must be done to ensure the safety of citizens, as well as to promote peace and harmony and to strengthen a responsible social fabric. This can lead to changes that address the social, cultural, economic and political.
causes of violence.

There are various factors that directly affect the manifestation of violence within these areas, the initiative assured, such as lack of education, poverty, gender inequality, lack of decent job opportunities, social inequalities and unattended antisocial behaviors, which have as a consequence family violence, gender violence, child sexual abuse, organized crime, armed movements and the constant violation of human rights both by individuals and by authorities.

In Zacatecas, it was pointed out, despite the prevention actions, violence continues to grow exponentially, therefore, they considered, a normative body must be legislated and created that permanently articulates public policies as a means of solution to the problem posed. Therefore, the deputies point out, the objective of proposing an initiative by which a Law of Culture of Peace is issued for the state of Zacatecas, in order to regulate actions that promote, develop and implement multisectoral and inter-institutional public policies that generate conditions for the full enjoyment of the human right to peace and the promotion of a positive peace in our entity.

(continued in right column)

(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for this article:

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

(continued from left column)

The legislative proposal is aimed at the creation of a State Program that foresees the necessary actions to achieve the implementation of the culture of peace, detecting, attending to and eradicating any manifestation of violence; as well as it seeks to generate the conditions for a full enjoyment of the human right to peace.

The proposed law aims to promote a policy of peace and non-violence through the establishment of a Municipal Council for the Culture of Peace or in the existing dependencies in the municipalities with their respective adjustments, seeking to restore the fabric social and fostering communities of peace. This Council and / or agency would actively participate in the elaboration of the State Program, contributing their opinions and suggestions, proposals and demands on the culture of peace.

“All actions within the law are aimed at complying with what is established in international conventions and treaties, as well as being coordinated with international organizations for the prevention of violence of all its types and a correct implementation of the culture of peace, achieving implement positive peace throughout the state ”, they specified.

For this reason, the need for it to work in a transversal and multisectoral manner, and to seek to address the causes of violence and inequalities, and to guarantee human rights in its actions. Likewise, they concluded, its importance lies in the fact that it makes it possible to understand conflict and peace situations, creating the opportune areas of action so that the new generations, through education, are guided by respect for human rights, dignity, and on all that practice the culture of peace in their day to day, creating new forms of coexistence based on respect, tolerance and solidarity.

The initiative was signed by Armando Delgadillo Ruvalcaba, Priscila Benítez Sánchez, Sergio Ortega Rodríguez, Susana Andrea Barragán Espinosa, Víctor Humberto de la Torre Delgado, Violeta Cerrillo Ortiz, Imelda Mauricio Esparza, Anali Infante Morales, Ernesto González Romo, Maribel Galván Jiménez, members from the National Regeneration Movement Parliamentary Group, Zulema Yunuen Santacruz Márquez and Roxana from the Muñoz González Refuge, from the PES, Georgia Fernanda Miranda Herrera from the Green Ecologist Party, Soralla Bañuelos de la Torre, from Nueva Alianza, José Xerardo Ramírez Muñoz, Ana Luisa Del Muro García and José Luis Figueroa Rangel, from the PT Parliamentary Group.

(Editor’s note: In related developments, Soralla Bañuelos, mentioned above among those proposing the initiative, has also made a plea for a program to exchange war toys for educational toys, arguing that “If we want a healthier childhood, that develops better, we have to work even on the type of toys that are given to them.” Also, the national organization, Comnapaz Mexico, has installed a chapter in Zacatecas, which will support the legislation for a culture of peace, saying that “education is the vaccine that the country requires at this time.”)

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

The programs of Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum to reduce violence in Mexico City

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from Infobae

The Head of Government of Mexico City Claudia Sheinbaum, through her Twitter account, has emphasized the social programs that she has implemented during her mandate to improve security conditions.


(Photo: Twitter / @ ClaudiaShain)

The president explained that “security is also the result of social justice, that is why we address the causes of violence with programs that allow access to education, culture and sports.”

She also emphasized the projects that have been the foundations of her government in the capital of the country: the Points of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education and Knowledge (Pillars), Yes to disarmament, yes to peace, Inside the Neighborhood and Wellbeing for Girls and Boys, My Scholarship to Get Started.

What are social programs to reduce violence?

Barrio Adentro (Inside the Neighborhood)

The program aims to help girls, boys and adolescents in the Historic Center. It consists of going house to house in the neighborhoods where a high number of criminal acts and violence are concentrated.

The Head of Government mentioned that “it is very important to know about this comprehensive intervention that we are going to carry out in the city center. Obviously it will take all health measures. It addresses the difficult situation that many children and adolescents experience in the particular area where the ‘Barrio Adentro’ program is being carried out.”

(continued in right column)

(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for this article:

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

(continued from left column)

The four fundamental axes of this project are: incorporating minors into social programs and government support, the second is training and education, cultural, recreational and sports activities and the fourth point is prevention actions and monitoring of needs that are seen in each of the properties.

The Pillars

The Points of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education, and Knowledge are intended for the Mexico City Government to develop a better society that implements freedom for young people. The program is present in the 16 municipalities.

The fundamental axis of this program is to give young people access to their rights. The project helps people who did not have access to education including those who were involved in criminal practices and did not have opportunities to return to school. Classes of different knowledge are given such as theater, dance, cooking, computing, biology, astronomy, music, robotics, electricity, painting, photography, plumbing, writing, and business entrepreneurship , among others.

Wellbeing for Girls and Boys. My Scholarship to Get Started

The scholarship program for basic education helps to eliminate some of the conditions that generate inequality in educational services. In this way the government contributes to guaranteeing equal opportunities, the right to education, as well as the eradication of social discrimination due to socioeconomic problems.

Yes to disarmament, yes to peace

The eradication of weapons is the main driver of this government project. It highlights the strategy against violence by preventing accidents and loss of life.

In different parts of the city there are modules so that people who possess weapons can exchange them for cash.

The Ministries of Government and Citizen Security of Mexico City and National Defense are in charge of destroying the weapons that are delivered in each module.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Successful start of the Latin American March for Nonviolence, Multiethnic and Pluricultural

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from Pressenza

The Latin American March for Nonviolence, Multiethnic and Pluricultural, began on 15 September 2021 with a successful start and a profusion of activities.


facebook video

Activists from a multitude of Latin American countries have done their bit to bring about the inauguration of the Latin American March for Nonviolence. It symbolically combines the virtual, using pre-recorded videos, and the direct connection to different parts of Latin America and even to Madrid.

The central inauguration event took place at the UNED in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, organised by the UNED and World Without Wars and Without Violence.

First, the exhibition of photographs of the Marches for Peace and Nonviolence in Latin America was inaugurated.

The opening ceremony of the March consisted of the viewing of videos from various parts of Latin America, the commemoration of the Bicentenary of Central America and the launching of a Call for Peace and Nonviolence in the Region.

(article continued in right column)

Click here for this article in French or click here for the article in Spanish).

Question related to this article:
 
How effective are mass protest marches?

(article continued from left column)

The video of the zoom broadcast of the Inauguration of the Latin American March can be seen on facebook video.

This was the official start with a symbolic act of the virtual and physical March that will travel through Latin America until the 2nd of October.

Throughout the same day, different activities took place in other Latin American countries as a starting point of the Latin American March for Nonviolence.

Some of the activities we took as an example were:

The Forum “Culture of Peace, Road to Reconciliation” which took place in Lima, Peru, at the Colegio María de la Providencia-Breña at 6:30 p.m. Lima time. You can access the video of the forum on facebook here: Foro “Cultura de Paz, Camino hacia la reconciliación”.

The opening ceremony and launch of the March and the unveiling of the sculpture Flor de Paz at the Universidad Distrital de Bogotá Francisco José de Caldas at 10:30 a.m. Bogotá time.

In Bogota, stencil painting has also been carried out in different places to encourage participation.
And, in the Teusaquillo district of Bogotá, the inauguration of the Latin American March was visualised as a group projection of the inauguration of the Latin American March.
From the Book Fair at the ORIGAMI exhibition stand in La Paz, Bolivia, they showed their support for the Latin American March.

In Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, as a greeting to the beginning of the Latin American March, they made a mural about the Latin American March.

We thank the marchers, promoters and supporters for the attention and effort they put into their work and we wish them days of great joy in the meaningful encounters with those who have already awakened and will continue to awaken to this warm spirit of Nonviolence that runs through Latin America.

(Editor’s note: We have not found a summary of the activities of the march as of its conclusion on October 2, the International Day of Nonviolence. However, the website of the march provides brief articles from Argentina, Colombia, Brasil, Surinam, Costa Rica, México, Ecuador, and Chile.)

Latin America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Mexico: Saltillo promotes the culture of peace

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from El Siglo de Torreon (translation by CPNN)

The present administration headed by Manolo Jiménez, through the DIF system has replicated the theme of the culture of peace throughout the city, achieving a positive focus so that, with the daily actions of citizens, they reflect a peaceful way of life, and they reject the cycles of violence and negativity.

Taking into account the above, we are working on the Mano Cadena program whose main objective was to create, implement and disseminate preventive strategies for conflict resolution that promote a culture of peace.

In this way, collaboration agreements were signed with the Judicial Branch, the Attorney General’s Office and the Secretary of Education of Coahuila for the creation and implementation of school and Municipal Mediation Centers in the Community Centers.

(continued in right column)

(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for this article:

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

(continued from left column)

With the support and advice of Facilitators belonging to the Judicial Branch, the Attorney General’s Office and the DIF Saltillo, more than 138 information and awareness talks have been given on the subject of alternative justice, 30 workshops were held on Peace Circles, activities of pacification as 70 peace lotteries, and 160 “Peace Craftsmen” recognitions were awarded to male and female teachers.

Three university forums on Alternative Justice were held with 187 participants, four Peace Congresses with more than two thousand participants and a thousand School and Community Mediation Manuals were created, edited and printed in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office, the State Judiciary de Coahuila, the Ministry of Education, Empresa Constructora de Paz, AC, and Grupo Educativo Inglés de Saltillo SC

In addition, more than 50 training courses-workshops in community, school and alternative justice mediation have been given to more than 1,800 participants, community representatives, teachers, and 88 of both have been certified as mediators and mediators before the Judicial Branch of the State of Coahuila.

In the present administration, three School Mediation Centers were opened in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Community Mediation Centers located in Community Centers, in collaboration with the Judicial Power, within which the Public Defenders provide their services to the community, fruit of the collaboration agreement made with the State Institute of Public Defender, within the framework of the “Convenio Mano-Cadena”.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Mexico: UdeC holds international discussion on the culture of peace and human rights

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from El Comentario (translation by CPNN)

This weekend an international discussion was held on “Freedoms, culture of peace and human rights in education”, organized by the High School 32 of the University of Colima, located in Suchitlán. The aim was to have an interactive meeting space where activists and social leaders from Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala could share their experiences and proposals with students from the school.


Opening the event, Rector Christian Jorge Torres Ortiz Zermeño highlighted that this type of initiative as “an example of the importance of educational institutions in the implementation and promotion of the culture of peace”; In this sense, he added, the UdeC itself has promoted different actions, such as the inclusion of the subject in study plans, a humanistic educational model aimed at comprehensive training, as well as efforts to offer quality education.

However, he pointed out, the high interaction that occurs in university spaces, as well as the diversity and dynamics of the student population, “require permanent and coordinated activities to achieve the long-awaited culture of peace.”

This, he stressed, “is not an simple task; Therefore, together with participation in national programs such as ANUIES and the design of institutional strategies for the promotion of values ​​that privilege respect, freedom and justice, it is essential to learn about other experiences and to reflect and discuss aspects that allow us generate new projects aimed at guaranteeing peace, human rights, inclusion and substantive equality.

Finally, he highlighted that universities are called to be generators of these spaces. In this sense, he thanked the speakers for their willingness to contribute to enriching the participants’ knowledge; “I wish the organizers and speakers success and a profitable learning for the university students, which we will surely see materialized in actions in favor of tolerance and the eradication of violence.”

(Article continued in right column)

(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

Questions for this article:

How do we promote a human rights, peace based education?

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

(Article continued from left column)

The president of University Volunteering, Blanca Liliana Díaz Vázquez, said that talking about a culture of peace “means placing special emphasis on values, principles, attitudes and positive behaviors that reflect respect for the dignity of all and all” , since this concept, she emphasized, “puts human rights at the center, the rejection of violence in all its forms and modalities, promotes substantive equality and inclusion, and incorporates principles such as freedom, justice, solidarity and tolerance ”.

She added that “peace allows understanding between peoples and groups of people.” For this reason, she pointed out, it is of great importance to speak and reflect on the culture of peace in university spaces, “since we are convinced that educational institutions are the propitious place for the analysis and promotion of projects aimed at promoting changes in the way of relate ”.

In this sense, she reported that within Volunteering, and hand in hand with the University Family Development Center (CEDEFU), “we work to foster and promote the culture of peace as an instrument that contributes to the education of those who are trained in our highest house of studies, through intervention programs where this perspective is linked to volunteer work.

We also promote the participation of university youth in solving problems in their environment, we bet on awareness and training as transformative mechanisms and we promote leadership and human development from a transversal and holistic perspective ”.

Finally, Díaz Vázquez recognized and congratulated Baccalaureate 32 for the relevance of this discussion, because through specific actions, those who study at said campus can access this training; “I am convinced that this activity will allow a greater understanding of the meaning of peace for the community of this school, but also the possibility of replicating in the institution those actions and proposals that our renowned panelists will share with the university community.”

During his speech, the director of Bachillerato 32, Cirilo Topete Alcaraz defined the culture of peace “as an element that allows the construction of new routes for the sustainable development of peoples and is promoted through training actions that put human rights, prevention of violence, substantive equality between men and women and inclusion. For this, I thank our Rector Christian Torres Ortiz for his support to promote these actions. They strengthen the training of all our students, as well as the teaching, administrative, secretarial and general services staff ”.

In the framework of this Conversation, recognized activists and promoters of the culture of peace participated, such as Andrea Palomo from Switzerland, Carolina Letona from Guatemala, Johan Jaramillo from Colombia, Lucero Padilla from Oaxaca, Jesús Monjarás from San Luis Potosí, Esther Pérez de Hidalgo and Edder Reynaga from the University of Colim

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Latin America and the Caribbean: International Day of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

A survey by CPNN

The following 29 events in 11 Latin American countries include those listed in Google during the week of September 21-28 this year under the key words “International day of peace”, “Dia Internacional da Paz” and “Día Internacional de la Paz” The events also includes some listed on the facebook page of the International Cities of Peace.

About 48 events are listed in One Day One Choir and Montessori schools singing for peace, but there is no indication which events took place this year and which took place only in previous years.

video from Miraflores, Peru

CORRIENTES, ARGENTINA

The German Association of Corrientes adhered to the International Day of Peace, adding a third Post of Peace in the plaza Avenida Costanera and May 25. The opening ceremony was held on Saturday morning, with the accompaniment of all immigrant communities and associations, who began the day of celebration with a colorful parade with their flags and typical clothes.

JUJUY, ARGENTINA

In the framework of the International Day of Peace, from the Coordination of Child Care of the Provincial Directorate for the Comprehensive Protection of Children, Adolescents and the Family, a day of reflection was held with the slogan “Institutional Peace” with the staff of the Directorate. . .From this initiative, the staff and coordinators expressed personal and group perspectives on how to achieve institutional peace based on individual and collective changes in daily actions, expressing these messages through posters and cards that were placed in the office accompanied by balloons. and symbolic photographs.

MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

In the city of Mendoza, on the occasion of commemorating the International Day of Peace, the activity “Arming cranes” will be held, with staff and children in context of the Directorate for the Protection and Restitution of Rights.

SAN CARLOS DE BARILOCHE, ARGENINA

On the International Day of Peace, a brief act was held on Tuesday in the Plaza de la Iglesia Catedral. . . Those who make up the local committee of the Barilochense Banner of Peace commented that “those of us who participated in this important event, we want to especially commemorate this day, promoting peaceful coexistence in our city, the country and the world.” “Where there is Peace there is culture and where there is culture there is Peace” this was Roerich’s motto that continues to be proclaimed.

SAN LUIS, ARGENTINA

With the aim of contributing to the dissemination of the peaceful resolution of conflicts and promoting a pacifist culture from an early age, a new edition of the Drawings for Peace Contest will be held , whose work slogan will be the slogan proposed by the UN “Better recovery for a fair and sustainable world”, in commemoration of the International Day of Peace . This contest, which is intended for the students of the different schools in the province, will be carried out through the Judicial and Extrajudicial Mediation Centers and Rooms distributed throughout the provincial territory.

SUNCHALES, ARGENTINA

On the occasion of commemorating September 21, the International Day of Peace, from Casa de la Pax Cultura / Nodo Sunchales, they share the following Video. “Peace is not an idea, but a culture. It is a process of collective construction. If war and violence are a human invention, then human beings can also invent and build peace.” David Adams.

BRAZIL

This week’s Animated Radio features an article about the International Day of Peace. Check out an interview with author and director Vida Oliveira in the player above, who gave tips for books and movies with stories of courage and the search for peace, and also talked about the play Qual é Meu Nome Mama, a children’s show performed by the Cegonha Bando group of Creation, which tells the story of a child and his mother who are forced to leave their country of origin in search of survival.

COLOMBIA – FORUM

Video of Forum for International Day of Peace: Experiencias e iniciativas de construcción de paz

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA – VETERANS

In commemoration of the International Day of Peace, this September 21, the Unit for Victims reiterates its commitment to those most affected by the violence, working to implement all the actions that are the central axis of the Final Agreement with the FARC. . . Since 2017, the Unit has placed 1,673,602 Humanitarian Assistance transfers to 269,000 households who are victims of forced displacement. . .

CAJICÁ, COLOMBIA

We celebrate the international day of peace led by the psychology team of the Newman School, in the different activities carried out, all the students of the school participated in a proactive way. . . With the realization of recreational activities such as the creation of the vaccine of good treatment or activities around the symbols of peace, the importance of peace was reinforced in the students. (with many photos)

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA

Make me an Instrument of your Peace was the campaign with which the Mayor’s Office of Medellín joined the commemoration of the International Day of Peace, as it was the city chosen by the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia to carry out the central act of the activities of this day; . . In this commemoration, which took place in the Pedregal Open Air Theater, the Symbolic Manifesto for Reconciliation was signed, which seeks to articulate actions between institutions, non-governmental organizations and civil society to enhance joint work actions on construction of peace. . . The day was accompanied by a concert by the Reconciliation Choir, made up of victims of the armed conflict and people in the process of reincorporation. In addition to the presentation of the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra, artistic interventions and the elaboration of a canvas for peace. . . “ Medellín is becoming an epicenter for the implementation of the Peace Accords and the message was that, to maintain, five years after the agreement was signed, the commitment of all State institutions to fully implement it, but above all, putting in the center to the victims and their right to access justice, truth and guarantees of non-repetition ”, added the Secretary of Non-Violence, Juan Carlos Upegui.

NARIÑO, COLOMBIA

Within the framework of the International Day of Peace, the department of Nariño becomes the venue for the Third World Summit that will take place between this Tuesday and Wednesday. The event takes place at the facilities of the Morasurco hotel in the capital of Nariño. It is a reality, San Bernardo and Tablon de Gómez in Nariño are now free of antipersonnel mines. Click here for video from Mariana University.

PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA

Transformation in Violent Times Foundation, World without Wars and Violence, Costa Rica Azul Foundation, Municipality of San José, Distance State University and Antígono Gallery have the honor of inviting you to cover and spread positive messages in this Month of the Bicentennial of Independence and Peace and Non-Violence, since on September 21 the International Day of Peace is celebrated. . . TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, International Day of Peace, Creation of Mural for Peace, Time: 10 am, Place: Distance State University (UNED), Puntarenas headquarters, Organized by: UNED Puntarenas, Fundación Transformación en Tiempos Violentos and Galería Antígono

CUBA

The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said today that his country joins the celebrations for the International Day of Peace, with the conviction that only peace will allow us to build a better world. Through his Twitter account, the president ratified the Caribbean nation’s commitment to defending life, hope and reconciliation, “in the midst of a planet overwhelmed by Covid-19 and military conflicts.” The day before, when intervening in the second moment of the debate on the Sustainable Development Goals of the 76 session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the head of state called to renounce selfishness and work together to transform the unjust current international order. ‘Building the world we dream of is a huge task, but possible, if we renounce selfishness and work together to transform the current unjust international order into a more just, democratic and equitable one, in which, finally, no one is left behind! ‘Diaz-Canel emphasized in the forum.

(Survey continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

What has happened this year (2021) for the International Day of Peace?

(Survey continued from left column)

HAVANA, CUBA

Havana, Sep 17 (Prensa Latina) Cuba will organize a race in the neighborhood for peace on the 21st of this month, with the participation of runners, walkers and systematic practitioners of physical exercise, the weekly Jit reported today. The event, convened by the National Institute of Sports, will greet the 61st anniversary of the founding of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution and the International Day of Peace, specified the direction of the Marabana-Maracuba project, in charge of providing technical support.

GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR

Ecuador, a member of the World Association Without Wars and Violence, is present at the 1st Multiethnic and Pluricultural Latin American March for Nonviolence, beginning with the Pilgrimage to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi, located in Puerto Santa Ana, Plaza del Paseo y la Contemplación between The Point buildings and Wyndham hotel. The Bust was donated by the Government of India and was inaugurated in March 2018 by the then mayor of Guayaquil, Jaime Nebot. “There is no way for Peace, Peace is the way” Gandhi.

JAMAICA

The Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA), in collaboration with its partners, will observe the series of virtual activities in celebration of International Peace Day. The VPA in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI), the Early Childhood Commission, among other entities, will aim to encourage children to write Peace Day letters. This will reinforce the message of peace being the cornerstone of the nation’s development as it realises the goal of unity for all. These letters will be published in the local newspapers and shared on social media platforms of the VPA and its partners. Meanwhile, the Peace Management Initiative, (PMI) Western Chapter will host a webinar to mark the day. The webinar will focus on the progress updates on how PMI has impacted communities.

JAMAICA

This International Day for Peace, UNESCO is partnering with UNDP to host the Youth Summit on Crime and Violence in Jamaica as part of the Amplifying Youth Voice and Action (AYVA) project. The Youth Summit on 21 and 22 September 2021 will be led by 11 youth groups from Jamaica who will present their solutions for citizen safety and security through the AYVA project and how young people can meaningfully contribute to shaping crime prevention and control policies and programmes to build lasting peace.

CULIACAN, MEXICO

Considered one of the most conflictive and violent settlements in Culiacán, the Alturas del Sur neighborhood will host the events that will take place within the framework of the “II International Week for Peace”. . . . Among them, lectures on the role of youth in peacebuilding, panels on public safety and citizen security, and an analysis of those who build peace. The week of activities will close with a “Rodada Por La Paz” on Saturday, September 25, which will depart from the Alturas del Sur neighborhood park at six in the afternoon.

GUANAJUATO, MEXICO

Within the framework of the International Day of Peace, the International University Meeting Towards a culture of peace from the Alternative Media for Conflict Resolution was held, an event that aims to disseminate, disseminate and address challenges and progress on this issue. Organized by the Mediation and Conciliation Unit of the University of Guanajuato (UG), this meeting aims to make visible the peaceful understanding as the means and first way for the peaceful resolution of conflicts, for the eradication of violence and the generation of communities that are more supportive, empathetic, tolerant and respectful of human dignity.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

The Public Prosecutor’s Office, through the Community Mediation Program Coordination Office, commemorates the International Day of Peace, declared by the United Nations General Assembly. . . . To commemorate the day, the coordination office will hold a conference on September 24, 2021, which will be broadcast on the YouTube channel of the Training and Research Center of the Attorney General’s Office, Dr. Alma Montenegro de Fletcher.

TABASCO, MEXICO

With the reading circle “Peace through letters”, the State Center for Social Crime Prevention and Citizen Participation (Cenepred) launched this Monday the Week for a Culture of Peace, within the framework of the International Day of the Peace, which is celebrated on September 21 of each year. The general director of Cenepred, Walter Chacón Escalante, launched the works that will be carried out virtually throughout the week, with the present reading circle, stories and poems, murals, folk dance and a keynote conference, related to the theme of the peace. . . . The writer Ana Livia Salinas González participated in the reading circle, presenting the chronicle “The Most Precious Good”, which shows how it is possible to build peace from homes, since it is the most precious good for all members of a society. Little Kevin Cordero López, only ten years old and originally from the indigenous area of ​​Tamulté de las Sabanas, read in the Yokot’an language and in Spanish, the story “The man and the grasshopper”, which teaches people to not be selfish and share things with everyone, in the hope that there is a good relationship between men and women.For her part, the bilingual teacher, writer and promoter of the Yokot’an language, Mariana de la Cruz García, offered the story of her authorship “The unexpected gift”, which talks about a town where everyone was treated badly and there was a lot of violence But the arrival of a new teacher means that, through education and healthy coexistence, there is peace and tranquility. In turn, the nine-year-old girl, Jennifer Acuña López, also read the story “Golden Corn”, which tells the story of a town that had food problems, but that with the union of all its inhabitants proclaimed that their pre-Hispanic God helps them get corn to plant, grow crops and make their tortillas and their pozol.

TICUL, MEXICO

Within the framework of the international day of peace, the SEDESOL Joven department in coordination with various areas and departments of the Ticul city council, as well as its commissioners, carried out activities to commemorate the international Day of Peace. . . . In the Yotholin police station, a symbolic representation was made that consisted of a historical remembrance of the date and a representation of The silhouette of a dove with the lighting of candles, with which the young people promised to work for peace and the common good of the municipality, the state, the country, and the whole world, in this activity the inhabitants of the commissioner participated and authorities such as councilors and directors of the Ticul town hall. Along with this activity, at the Pustunich police station they performed a representation of the word “Peace” with white balloons and banners with messages of peace.

TOLUCA, MEXICO

The municipal government of Toluca, headed by Juan Rodolfo Sánchez Gómez, invites the population to celebrate the International Day of Peace, through the virtual activities that the General Directorate Social Welfare prepares for Tuesday September 21 on their social networks. . . . At 10:00 hours, in the Facebook General Directorate of Social Welfare, the inauguration of activities will take place; at 11:00, an interview with young people about What is peace? At 1:00 pm, digital participation of various NGOs; at 14:30, the OFiT will delight the virtual public with a concert; while at 4:00 p.m. the opportunity will come to Brushstrokes for Peace; at 16:15, the Reforestation for Peace will be presented; at 6:00 p.m., there will be a Clothesline for Peace and at 8:00 p.m., a FlashMob for Peace.

ZAPOPAN, MEXICO

With the aim of commemorating the International Day of Peace, this September 21, DIF Zapopan organized a series of activities aimed at children and adolescents, which took place at the Tabachines Ludoteca and had the participation of President Maye Villa de Lemus. During the morning, the child and adolescent population that attended the educational-creative center made drawings about the culture of peace and painted ceramic figures in an activity designed to learn about respect for animals. They listened to stories about non-violence and received snacks.

CHICLAYO, PERU

Organization: CONSEJO REGIONAL POR LA PAZ
Action Details: banners, with children, youth, schoolchildren, women and the general population, dissemination of phrases alluding to the action through social networks, and in the regional councils for peace and the local councils of my region and districts

MIRAFLORES, PERU

The mayor of Miraflores, Luis Molina, participated in the commemorative act of the International Day of Peace, which took place in our district with a parade that started from Alfredo Salazar Park and ended in Central Park. During the course, a homily was held at the monument to the victims of the attack with two car bombs committed by the terrorist group Sendero Luminoso in July 1992, against the civilian population of Calle Tarata “in which 29 residents died and there were more than 200 injured ”, recalled the mayor. Click here for video

URUGUAY

As the Scout Movement of Uruguay we celebrate the culture of peace in all areas, indirectly our scout law reminds us of this daily in the following articles: “The scout is the brother of every scout and promotes brotherhood among men” and “The scout is just and builder of justice”. Bearing in mind this special day and remembering these two articles, let us reflect on whether we are generating that culture of peace, if in our daily acts we see thoughts of peace, social construction, justice and brotherhood among the men and women of our society. We also invite you to send us a photo with a scarf and a sheet with the following message # díainternacionaldelapaz #MSU. We leave you two historical documents of the United Nations with the resolutions adopted on September 21.
UNITED-NATIONS-RESOLUTION
Resolution 2001

GUAYANA, VENEZUELA

For the upcoming International Day of Peace, Fundación Guayanita gave details of the celebration they have prepared for that date. According to the information shared by its director Yesmin Salcedo, artists and institutions came together to coordinate the filming of the music video, “Dancing with myself” for September 21st. The filming will take place in the Roma race at the University parish, “a site that since the beginning the year at the will of organized neighbors we have been recovering from unhealthy conditions”. Salcedo explained that the song will be interpreted by the young talent from Guyana Henry de Los Santos, accompanied by the members of the Villa Asía dance therapy, directed by Rosmery Salavarría, and the La Churuata dance therapy, directed by Delvalle Mora.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

“Week for Peace 2021” Initiative for the consolidation of peace in Colombia

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An article from Area Cucuta

The increase in femicides, domestic violence, murders against social leaders and the growth of poverty, indicates that the struggle in Colombia to achieve a healthy territory is still a challenge. For this reason, it is important that between September 5 and 12, version 34 of the “Week for Peace” will be held. The initiative of peace-building organizations of Colombian civil society, has, since 1987, made visible the daily effort of people , collectives and institutions that work in the construction and consolidation of peace, the redignification of the victims, the care and respect of life in and from the regions of the country.

The initiative invites people to find ways of reunion and solidarity for reconciliation with life and biodiversity. It includes the participation of the Truth Commission, National Secretariat for Social Pastoral, United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, Center for Memory, Peace and Reconciliation (CMPR), Redepaz, Universidad Javeriana, the National Network of Regional Development Programs and Paz (Redprodepaz) and for the fourth consecutive year Compensar, among other organizations. The slogan is “The Truth we can !”
(continued in right column)

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

Question related to this article:

Truth Commissions, Do they improve human rights?

Can festivals help create peace at the community level?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

(continued from left column)

According to statistics from the Database of Collective Actions for Peace (Datapaz) of the Center for Popular Research and Education (CINEP / PPP), this is the month that historically presents the highest levels of mobilization and that between 1987 and 2016, most of the mobilizations (86%) were oriented to the promotion of peace. For this reason, this year it emphasizes the practices developed by individuals, groups, families, social organizations and communities, focused on truth and reconciliation. It shows how people organize themselves to re-signify and overcome the factors that generate violence, enable peaceful coexistence and commit all the actors in the conflict and civil society in improving the living conditions of the community.

“We are convinced that reconciliation is the best way to rebuild the social fabric, in a year impacted by the pandemic and by historical social demands. For this reason, in order to make visible the different collective initiatives of integral well-being that are had, Compensar is committed to the development of the country with different programs to attend early childhood in rural territories, complementary school days in Bogotá, Soacha, Caparrapí, Yacopí, La Palma and La Peña or programs for the elderly in Caparrapí. In this way, it will be possible to consolidate a culture of peace ”, assured Margarita Añez, director of Compensar’s Welfare and Social Development Unit.

In this line, the Week for Peace aims to describe the main tasks of peacebuilding and defense of human rights that must be promoted at the moment in the country, in accordance with the moment of legitimate social protest that Colombia is experiencing, the The Covid-19 pandemic, the final report that the Truth Commission has been preparing, and the progress and difficulties in the implementation of the Peace Agreement, both in public institutions and in civil groups of ex-combatants, victims and society in general. .

In this way, it will be recognized as a process that requires commitments and agreements, which are woven in a differential and multiscale way from the different social, community and territorial processes committed to the defense of human rights, human dignity and the comprehensive implementation of the agreement. of peace, having as a fundamental axis the work carried out by the Truth Commission.

Thus, the formation of a more equitable society will be achieved for the construction of a plural, participatory and lasting peace, with a view to national reconciliation.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, HUMAN RIGHTS, Latin America

The Páramo de Sumapaz, will be the scene of Colombian cinema festival

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from El Cine Suma Paz

The protection of the environment, citizen participation and the culture of peace will be the main themes of the first edition of the International Festival El Cine Suma Paz.

The festival will take place from September 10 to 25 with 10 face-to-face stages and a worldwide access platform to the festival’s contents for training, creation, transmission, promotion and circulation of audiovisual and cinematographic content.

Bogotá, DC, August 2021. The last great páramo in the world, El Páramo de Sumapaz, will be the setting for the first edition of the International Film Festival “El Cine Suma Paz” which aims to generate spaces for reflection through cinema that allow the discussion on the protection of the environment and the culture of peace to be shared by an international audience.

(Editor’s note. The scene, the Páramo de Sumapaz, is a unique high-altitude ecosystem in Colombia, above the tree line.)

On this occasion, the programming has been carried out in a hybrid way from September 10 to 25, with face-to-face and virtual activities. This project was born as an initiative of the Social Cinema Foundation with stories about the protection of the environment and the culture of peace.

(article continued in right column)

(Click here for the Spanish original.)

Questions related to this article:
 
What is the relation between the environment and peace

Film festivals that promote a culture of peace, Do you know of others?

(article continued from left column)

The first edition of the Festival will feature international exhibitions, academic spaces and an official selection made up of 80 films from around the world that positions cinema as a tool that raises awareness about the protection of the environment and the culture of peace among humans and the ecosystems that surround it.

It should be noted that this festival takes place in a complex social context, in a country that has seen more than 100 assassinated social leaders. “The Suma Paz Cinema is a space with which we seek to reaffirm our commitment to environmental education, with the defense of the environment and with the people who fight for social and environmental transformations, from different parts of the world,” said Cristhian Ossa, Director of the Social Cinema Foundation.

“We believe that this is a great opportunity to make visible the stories of the community and the relationship between the protection of our environment and the culture of peace. In these times where Colombians go through such a deep division, we need to generate bridges of communication and dialogue between us, in addition to nourishing ourselves with experiences related to the themes of the festival where the world has already explored historical paths and solutions, which sometimes we do not know. and make it impossible to implement them in our daily lives. ” Ossa added.

One of the films within the framework of the festival is Pico de Plata, which tells the story of a group of peasants who fought a historical battle to protect the Pico de Plata hill from mining in Fusagasugá . This short film will premiere on September 10 at the Festival’s opening ceremony.

Within the framework of the festival there will be exhibitions of the films in the communities that make up the Province of Sumapaz, Municipalities of Cundinamarca and the city of Bogotá, in the same way, during the development of the festival, there will be a platform that will allow to reproduce the films and the contents of the festival without any cost in any country of the world.

For more information visit www.elcinesumapaz.com.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT