Tag Archives: East Asia

The 2023 Nanjing Peace Forum “Peace, Security, and Development: Youth in Action” was successfully held in Jiangsu Expo Garden

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from UNESCO

The Nanjing Peace Forum is an annual forum initiated jointly by UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO, the Information Office of Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government, and Nanjing Municipal People’s Government since 2020. The past forums have gathered young participants from many countries, for dialogue, exchange and creating platform for building of a community with a shared future for humankind.


Main Forum of 2023 Nanjing Peace Forum © UNESCO

On September 19-20 2023, the third Nanjing Peace Forum with the theme “Peace, Security, and Development: Youth in Action” was successfully held in Jiangsu Expo Garden. The 2023 Nanjing Peace Forum, was focused on “Peace and Sustainable Development”, inviting participants and representatives from international organizations, national and provincial government institutions, private sector bodies, young talents, aimed at promoting dialogue, and building a community with a shared future and achieving lasting peace and sustainable development.

In the opening ceremony on 19th September at the Cliff Theatre of Jiangsu Expo Garden, Ms. Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences Sector gave her welcome speech by video. She highlighted the significant role of youth action on the peace and development. She expressed her appreciation to the partner institutions for their support and stressed on the theme of Nanjing Peace Forum 2023, emphasized that “We need women and young people to take ownership of peace processes – it is the only way they can be sustainable.”

Prof. Shahbaz Khan, the Director of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony on the topic of “Together for Global Development, Together for a Sustainable Future”. In his speech he described the progress of global development through peace, the importance of fostering inclusive dialogue, and the role of youth as key pillar for a sustainable future. “It is through youths’ collective actions that we prepare our youth to face unforeseeable future challenges and opportunities” he emphasized.

Question related to this article:

Will UNESCO once again play a role in the culture of peace?

During the main forum on September 20th 2023, experts, youth and scholars from different fields delivered keynote speeches under the theme and presented on various topics on environmental challenges and China’s Strategies, the Voices of Young People in Sustainable Development, Youth Action and Leadership in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals, etc. The sub-forums and discussions were aligned with the Chinese Government’s policy agenda such as shared prosperity, ecological civilization, modernization aligned with digital economy, green economy and transformation of education systems. Youth is strategic priority in UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for China (2021-25). There were also parallel sub-forums held at the same time, at the 2023 Nanjing Peace Forum under various themes such as promoting Regional Peace Building through Green Development, Disaster Risk Reduction, Cultural and intangible heritage, Peace Building and Sustainable Development, Curriculum Guide on Peace Education, Advocating a Culture of Peace and Advancing Youth participation in Peace Education Collaboration.

The sub-forum Advocating a Culture of Peace and Advancing Youth Peace Education Cooperation discussed the draft curriculum guide on peace education for Northeast Asia. Over 50 participants, teachers and experts from China discussed the draft curriculum guide to promote peace in the region. This peace guide serves as a framework supporting peace education in diverse communities across Northeast Asia. The experts from Universities from China, Japan, Republic of Korea and UNESCO discussed the final draft of the common curriculum guide for Northeast Asia. Mr. Robert Parua, the Programme Specialist of Education sector of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, joined the exchanges and dialogue with experts and scholars at the Sub-forum to finalize the common curriculum guide for peace education.

As an important component of the Nanjing Peace Forum, the parallel sub-forum with the theme of the Power of Peace in Culture was held on September 18th at Tsinghua University, and another parallel sub-forum on Global Security and Development will be held on November 13th at Emlyon Business School Paris Campus.

At the closing ceremony of the Nanjing Peace Forum 2023, the Forum’s Report “Youth Security Perspectives on the Belt and Road Initiative” was released highlighted the key points as the major outcome of the forum. In his remarks at the closing Ceremony of the 2023 Nanjing Peace Forum, Mr. Robert Parua, Education Specialist from UNESCO Multi-Sectoral Regional Office for East Asia thanked all the Institutional Partners who have collaborated closely to ensure the successful hosting of the Forum. He reassured all the participants on UNESCO’s solid commitment to promote peace through education, sciences and Culture and the UNESCO’s global culture of peace programme. In his concluding remarks he stressed on Peace as a fundamental pillar for sustainable development and prosperity.

Since 2020, UNESCO has been closely partnered with its Nanjing partners to jointly organize the Nanjing Peace Forum, injecting new vitality into achieving global peace and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals at the global, regional and country level.

East Asia, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Asia and Pacific: International Day of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

A survey by CPNN

We have found 82 events in 16 Asian and Pacific countries. They were listed in Google during the weeks of September 17-28 this year under the key words “International day of peace”, “Peace Day”, 国际和平日 (Chinese) 国際平和デ (Japanese) and अंतर्राष्ट्रीय शांति दिवस (Hindi, new this year). No doubt there were also events listed on the Internet in languages other than those for which we searched.

In addition to these, there are about 140 events listed on the maps of One Day One Choir and Montessori schools singing for peace, but, with the exception of 14 Montessori schools listed here that sang for the first time this year, there is no indication which took place this year and which took place only in previous years.


Fukuyama City, Japan, dedicated calligraphy for peace

Here are excerpts from the articles.

AUSTRALIA

BRISBANE: On the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Association of Australia Queensland and St John’s Cathedral Brisbane are proud to present International Day of Peace 2023. . . This year’s event will be a celebration of local agents of peace, and will feature a lecture to be delivered by Craig Foster AM: Human Rights Activist, Agent for Peace, Former Socceroo, Broadcaster, Adjunct Professor, Author. Craig is a tireless campaigner for refugee and humanitarian rights, and uses his platform and the power of sport to advocate for the fair treatment of all.

COWRA: Cowra’s Peace Day Program will be held on Tuesday 19 September 2023 and includes: Cowra Community World Peace Bell Ceremony, Cowra Youth Peace Forum and Cowra Peace Day Dinner. Alongside this year’s exciting program of events, Cowra Council is collaborating with the Cowra Youth Council and World Peace Bell Association to hold a Peace Day Public Speaking Competition for school students. Local primary school students have also been invited to take part in the Postcards for Peace project, where their messages of peace will be sent to the United Nations Secretary General.

MELBOURNE: Join us for a special silent UN Peace Day online vigil and offer your peaceful thoughts, intentions, meditations and prayers.There will be three intentions around peace (7:30 – 7:40am), hope (7:40 – 7:50am), and compassion (7:50 – 8:00am), held around a beautiful visual of our world with gentle music. Whether you come for 3 minutes or for the full half an hour, it would be lovely to have your contribution to a wave of peace for the day rippling across our world.

MONASH: Join the Women’s Federation for World Peace for the UN International Day of Peace Conference at Mount Waverley Community Centre on Saturday 16 September, 10am to 4pm. The seminar is part of an interactive series developed by the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) and the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) based on the research of Dr John Bellavance’s 12 Pillars of Meaning and Connection Course Syllabus. The series fosters the values and abilities that underpin personal growth and positive relationships.

SYDNEY: Join us for a candle pouring workshop with CandleXchange to celebrate this International Day of Peace.
When: 8am Thursday 21 September 2023
Where: Tower 3 South Lobby, International Towers
To book a candle pouring session please click below to sign in to the Partner Portal, and click “Book now”.

BANGLADESH

DHAKA: The United Nations-declared ‘World Peace Day-2023’ was celebrated in the capital Dhaka with colorful arrangements. JMI Group, one of the leading companies in the pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing sector of the country, celebrated the day with due dignity like every year, keeping the theme of “ACTIONS FOR PEACE – Our Ambition for the #Globalgoals” with the objective to establish united peace. On this occasion, the Founder and Managing Director of JMI Group Md. Abdur Razzaq announced the inauguration of the World Peace Day parade by flying balloons and white doves as a symbol of peace in front of the “Shantir Stomvo – Pillar of Peace” established at the Curzon Hall of Dhaka University on Thursday.

EASTWEST UNIVERSITY : Similar to past years, the Department of Information Studies, in collaboration with Dr. S. R. Lasker Library will commemorate “International Day of Peace 2023” on 21 September 2023. In honor of the occasion, we’ll disseminate a range of topics tied to this year’s theme via our social media channels, raising awareness within our university community about the vital role of peace in our existence.

NORTHSOUTH UNIVERSITY: The Centre for Peace Studies of the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance on Thursday collaborated with the office of external affairs at North South University to commemorate the International Day of Peace.

UN IN BANGLADESH: The United Nations in Bangladesh has teamed up with influencers and the Bangladesh Community Radio Association to mark the International Day of Peace, stated a press release. On 21 and 22 September, 19 community radio stations reaching 28 districts across Bangladesh will broadcast inspiring messages on the link about peace and sustainable development. The messages were recorded by the UN resident coordinator’s office and feature various voices from Bangladesh including educational platform 10 Minute School teacher Sakib Rashid, cricketer Jahanara Alam, ActionAid country director Farah Kabir, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum general secretary Sanjeeb Drong and development coordination officer at the UN RCO Halima Neyamat.

BHUTAN

THIMPHU:The resilient Rover scouts of the Faculty of Traditional Medicine gracefully celebrated the International Day of Peace on 21st September with an act performance fostering sensitization on the emerging issues of LGBT stigma and Drug abuse. Along with the act a short advocacy on climate action was presented. Coinciding with the day, scarf ceremony for the new Rover scout members were also conducted. May peace and prosperity prevail globally. Happy International Peace Day.

CAMBODIA

CAMBODIAN PRIME MINISTER: Prime Minister Hun Manet released a statement marking the International Day of Peace. “On behalf of the Cambodian government, I congratulate and join the international community in observing this occasion, and raising awareness of the precious value of peace. I reiterate the strong will of the Cambodian people to protect and join in building peace and stability in the country, regionally and globally, in a sustainable manner,” he said.

PHNOM PENH: Minister of Cults and Religions Chay Borin instructed all municipal and provincial departments to cooperate with the chief monks and religious leaders to organise a Buddha teaching event at pagodas, spreading compassion to all people on the 21st International Day of Peace. “The capital and provincial departments of cults and religions are instructed to collaborate with chief monks and religious leaders to celebrate the 21st International Day of Peace. They are to conduct Buddhist functions in pagodas, spreading Buddha’s teachings to promote compassion among humans and call for global peace,” announced the ministry in a September 15 statement. “All pagodas must raise national flags, religious flags, banners, slogans and coloured lights to celebrate this day,” the ministry said.

CHINA

BEIJING: On International Peace Day this year, Western Academy of Beijing is offering students across the whole school the opportunity to learn the many different ways we can make a difference and work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of the highlights of the day will be the leading role student clubs will be taking in running workshops on the day for other students. Throughout the day, students from High School, Middle School, and Elementary School will participate in a variety of workshops and activities centered around the theme of “promoting peace in ourselves, the community, and the world”. Over 20 community partners will be welcomed on campus to deliver spark talks. During these short talks, they will discuss their organization’s missions, goals, background stories, and inspirations. The purpose is to share the amazing work they are doing to further SDG goals as well as motivate our students by sharing what inspired them to “make a difference”.

MACAO: The first “World Bay Area Chorus Bridge” program specially invited the top youth choirs from the two major bay areas in China and the United States – the Guangdong Experimental Middle School Choir from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the New York Youth Chorus from the New York Bay Area to sing through the “cloud” for the first time. Chorus” and jointly performed the original theme song “Wish to Walk on the Sea” .The song “Wish to Walk on the Sea” was composed by Chen Si’ang, a young Guangdong composer and associate professor of the Composition Department of Xinghai Conservatory of Music. The lyrics were written by young lyricist Chen Yang. It was performed with two major choirs and took half a year to create. The energetic lyrics and music are full of fairy tale colors and express the good wishes of world peace.

NANJING: September 21st is the International Day of Peace. Nearly 300 foreign students from 34 countries around the world gathered at the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Invaders to get closer to history and pray for peace. Nearly 300 international students pray for peace. The international students come from 34 countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Belarus, India, Jordan, and Vietnam. They are currently studying at universities in Nanjing such as Southeast University, Hohai University, and Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology. Some of them are international volunteers of the Memorial Hall Zijincao. .

INDIA

ALMORA: International Peace Day was celebrated with enthusiasm at Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Paparshaili, Almora. The chief guest of this program was Advocate Bhavna Joshi Bar Association, Almora and Mahila Samiti, Almora (Vice President). The students of the school presented a song of world peace and presented a short drama explaining the importance of collective transcendental meditation. Peace Volunteers Vandana Tiwari and Aditya Negi talked about the Transcendental Meditation inspired by Maharishi Ji and their responsibilities and inspired all the people to do Transcendental Meditation and Siddhi program regularly, The program was concluded with distribution of Prasad.

ASANSOL: International Peace Day was celebrated on Thursday at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Do Mohani Railway Colony, Asansol. A large number of students including all the Bharat Scout Guide teachers and female teachers of the school participated in the program organized under this. At the beginning of the program, school in-charge Principal Sanjay Narayan shared his thoughts with everyone, after that school student Arpita Sharma gave a speech and class V student Rishita Das presented a very beautiful poem in front of everyone. All the students and teachers associated with the Scout Guide Movement took out a Prabhat Pheri from the school premises to create awareness among the people through slogans and tried to create awareness among the people to establish peace.

ASSAM: International Peace Day was celebrated at The Assam Royal Global University today, by the University Peace Club. Rev Father Clement Raj Kumar, Former Vice-Principal, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, the Speaker for the day, joined Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr) S. P. Singh in disseminating the message of peace, non-violence, and ceasefire.

AZAMGARH: .International Peace Day was organized on Thursday at Mokima Biwi Hall of Shibli National College. . . . Dr BK Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, who organized the program, said that peace and brotherhood should prevail in the country and the world. Our country India has always wished for world peace since ancient times and has always maintained world brotherhood, . . . In the program, former Head of Hindi Department, Professor Altaf Ahmed, Shagufta Khanum, Shaheen Bano, Dr. Javed Ahmed, Dr. Anita Rai, Mohammad Adam, Rajlakshmi Jaiswal, Shivangini Gupta, Sumaiya Parveen, Nidhi Yadav, Aakriti Chauhan, Rashid Khan, Suraj Kumar Yadav, Sarvesh Maurya, Sujeet Kumar, Praveen Kumar Anand, Tooba, Hina Akmal Shaikh Anushka Singh Mohammad Atif Sneha Gupta Alishba and all the students and teachers were present.

GONDPUR BULLAN: Nehru Yuva Kendra Una organized a program under the Meri Mati Mera Desh Swachhta Hi Seva and Nutrition Awareness Campaign dedicated to International Peace Day in Gram Panchayat Gondpur Bullan. . . . On this occasion, District Program Manager of National Rural Livelihood Mission Jyoti Sharma, Akash Bhardwaj from Nehru Yuva Kendra and Master Trainer Surbhi Sharma, Principal Neha Dutta, Anita and others were present.

GURUGRAM: International Peace Day and World Gratitude Day were celebrated with the courtesy of Sweat and Manthan Club of Dronacharya Post Graduate College, Raith. The program was started by BBA Department Head Mukesh Sharma. He welcomed Executive Director Dr. Balbinder Singh Pathania as a resource person.

JAMSHEDPUR: A leading private school of the city, Narbheram Hansraj English School (NHES), observed the International Peace Day (IPD) here on Thursday in partnership with the Times of India. . . Keeping in line with this year’s theme of IPD ‘Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for Global Goal’, the NHES organised an intra-school festival named Serenity-Samanam — an array of events revolving around peace.

MEDININAGAR: Unemployed Sangharsh Morcha organized a symposium on International Peace Day. It was presided over by Morcha President Ram and conducted by Sanjay Kumar. Morcha President Uday Ram said that the United Nations had started celebrating International Peace Day in 1981.

PRESIDIUM SCHOOLS: With a mission to give rise to conscientious global citizens with granules of peace, harmony, empathy, and non-violence ingrained in them, Presidium organized a special assembly on the occasion of International Day of Peace. The students celebrated the Day with an informative narration of quotes on peace by well-known preachers of non-violence like Nelson Mandela and Dalai Lama and highlighted the theme of this year, “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world.” Presidians also shared their ideas of what peace means with powerful speeches. The assembly ended with the students taking on messengers’ roles of peace and pledging to spread love and harmony in the world.

PUNE: Ahead of 21st September which is globally recognized as International Peace Day, residents of Kalyani Nagar in Pune have called for a day of unity and ceasefire.

RAMGARH: On the occasion of International Peace Day, an oath ceremony was organized by the Lions Club Bhurkunda on Thursday in the premises of E’La Anglais School, Bhurkunda. In which students from first class to eighth class of the school were present. . . . On the occasion, Mala Sharma, President of Lions Club Bhurkunda said that in today’s era, we all should follow life with peace and should always help our nature and the helpless people around us. If we are useful to even one person in our life then it will definitely be a definite initiative in the betterment of humanity. Said that human welfare and progress can be possible only through peace in the world.

SAMASTIPUR: Samastipur Kendriya Vidyalaya program was organized on Thursday on the occasion of International Peace Day. On the occasion, students of the school’s Scouts and Guides participated in full costumes. The children gave the message of world peace by shouting slogans and holding pictures of great men who were messengers of peace. Sanskrit teacher Anil Kumar Gupta recited peace song and peace mantra by the students. On this occasion, school principal Shripati Ram told the children in detail about International Peace Day

SINDHAULI: On the occasion of International Peace Day, at MA Public School located at Mudiya Mod in the area, teachers expressed their views and congratulated International Peace Day. School Manager Mohammad Asif Ali Mansoori, while addressing the seminar, said that in order to maintain peace in the world, all the teachers, elite citizens and enlightened people should keep spreading inspirational words to the people around them. The elected members of the world should come together on the world stage and brainstorm extensively for the pursuit of peace. Keeping away from communal tensions based on religion-caste, high-ranking, untouchability, we should prepare a plan for the welfare of all mankind.

SURAJGARH: A meeting was organized under the chairmanship of Dharampal Gandhi to celebrate International Peace Day at Gandhi Agricultural Farm Surajgarh. . . India has always shown the world the path of peace. The principles of Mahatma Buddha and the path of truth, non-violence and justice of Mahatma Gandhi have taught human society how to achieve its objectives peacefully even in situations of conflict. This path has been paved. This peaceful conduct has always been visible in the behavior of Indian policy makers. The country’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru also gave the message of peace to the world through the Panchsheel principle. With everyone’s consent in the meeting, it was decided to give the message of peace to the world through yoga, music and prayer.

JAPAN

FUJI CITY: Ahead of the International Day of Peace, elementary school students in Fuji City rang the bell on the roof of City Hall in hopes of peace. . . . At the outset, Mayor Yoshimasa Konagai announced that Fuji City, as a “city that has declared peace and abolished nuclear weapons,” aims for a world free of nuclear weapons.Next, two children gave presentations about peace, and one of them, Akari Sunagawa, said, “I think peace will come if everyone is considerate, follows rules, and is kind to others.” Afterwards, three children’s representatives rang a bell together with the mayor at a special observatory to pray for peace.

FUKUYAMA CITY: The calligraphy club of Seinokan High School in Kinosho-cho, Fukuyama City dedicated calligraphy filled with thoughts of peace to Bingo Gokoku Shrine (Marunouchi, Fukuyama City). An initiative commemorating the United Nations’ International Day of Peace.

HAMADA CITY: Before the International Day of Peace (21st), six calligraphy clubs of Hamada High School and Gotsu High School wrote up and dedicated peace letters and four-character idioms at Hamada Gokoku Shrine in Tono-cho, Hamada City on September 16th.

HOKUTO: Today, September 21st, is a day designated by the United Nations as the Day of Nonviolence and World Ceasefire, which calls on countries and peoples around the world to cease hostilities. Our Hokuto UFC 4th year students and above participated in an event with a soccer match held at the Ikoinomori Community Park in Akeno-cho, Hokuto City. . . A bonfire event was also held, where participants wrote down their thoughts for peace. As the sun began to set, the atmosphere at the venue suddenly became magical as the members of the Hokuto High School guitar club performed wonderfully. And then there was the spectacular performance by the Hokuto High School calligraphy club

Question for this article

What has happened this year (2023) for the International Day of Peace?



Samastipur, India

(Survey continued from left column)

HYODOSAN: The Mt. Hyodo Peace Bell will be rung at noon to coincide with the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, which calls for an end to conflicts around the world. Anyone can join.

KANAZAWA: At a shrine in Kanazawa, high school students and others dedicated books praying for world peace. This ceremony is held simultaneously at Gokoku Shrines and other locations across the country to coincide with the United Nations’ International Day of Peace. Calligrapher Toyohisa Abe created two calligraphies to accompany the flute performance. This year, the calligraphy club of Japan Airlines High School Ishikawa wrote calligraphy.

KOBOJI TEMPLE: On September 21st (Thursday), which is International Peace Day, we will hold a special International Peace Day Goma Prayer Puja and International Peace Day Mini Concert at Koboji Temple.

KUNAMOTO: Eleven members of our school’s calligraphy club participated in the 7th September 21st World Peace Prayer Dedicatory Calligraphy. In commemoration of September 21st, the International Day of Peace designated by the United Nations, these festivals are held mainly at Gokoku Shrines across the country. Although the preparation period was short, we were able to come up with the words, paper decorations, sound source, etc. and write them ourselves. Continuing from last year, we had the cooperation of the Kumamoto Prefecture Junior Chamber, and we were able to proceed with the meeting without any problems. Parents were also able to watch the event, and they were happy that it was a good opportunity.

KYOTO: Kyoto Bunkyo Jr. College Elementary School. Tomorrow is the International Day of Peace. We spent time wishing for peace and thinking about peace through talks by the Educational Volunteer Team and the principal. Through studying the SDGs, I would like to continue to look at the world and think about what we can do with a kind heart.

MATSUMOTO CITY: On the 19th, the calligraphy club of Matsumoto Misugaoka High School performed a dedicatory calligraphy at the Prefectural Gokoku Shrine in Misusu, Matsumoto City, in conjunction with the United Nations International Day of Peace (21st). Under the sunny autumn sky, five second-year club members said words such as “Japanese style Keiun” (Japanese-style Keiun), which refers to people with a gentle personality, and prayed for world peace.

MIE PREFECTURE: Bridge International Co., Ltd. will hold “World Peace Festival 2023” on September 23rd at Tsu Country Club in Mie Prefecture. This event is held in conjunction with September 21st, the International Day of Peace, and is an event where you can have fun and think about peace and happiness in the open atmosphere of a golf course.

MIHARA: September 21st is International Day of Peace. This day is designated as World Day of Armistice and Nonviolence. On this International Day of Peace, Radio FM Mihara will be presenting a special program titled “Hoko Nakaoka’s Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Experience.” This is the personal experience of Hoko Nakaoka, who arrived in Hiroshima as an apprentice nurse shortly after the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945. Hoko Nakaoka, now 94 years old, will talk about what she experienced and saw with her own eyes in Hiroshima immediately after the atomic bomb was dropped. These are the words of the person who experienced it. This is valuable historical testimony. I hope you will listen to it.

MORIOKA CITY: In conjunction with the International Day of Peace on the 21st, high school students in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, dedicated a calligraphy containing their wishes for peace to a shrine. This event was planned by “Wa Project TAISHI,” which engages in peace activities through calligraphy, and 50 high school calligraphy clubs across the country are participating. Eight members of Morioka 2’s calligraphy club participated from within the prefecture, and they wrote each letter powerfully, one stroke at a time, on a piece of paper measuring 1.6 meters in length and 3 meters in width. The words he wrote are “Taihei Tenka.” It contains the hope that the world will be in peace and that everyone will be able to smile.　The work will be displayed inside the main building of Iwate Gokoku Shrine.

NAGASAKI: Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum Circular Pavilion. Exhibition of works wishing for peace. The municipal nursery school and certified children’s garden will conduct peace learning and display the feelings for peace felt there as works.

NAGOYA: On the 17th, local high school students dedicated a calligraphic message praying for world peace at Gokoku Shrine in Nagoya. The event was planned by a Nagoya-based organization called “Wa Project TAISHI,” which dedicates calligraphy to 51 locations around the country, including Gokoku Shrine and Peace Parks in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, every year on International Day of Peace. 14 calligraphy club members from Aichi Commercial High School participated in the event in Nagoya. I used a brush to fill a sheet of paper approximately 3 meters square. The message written by the club members is “heart of love.” He appealed for world peace and harmony. “We performed this performance with the feeling that we wish for peace in the world with a heart of love, for peace now and peace in the future.” (Aichi Commercial High School Calligraphy Club Director Hise Kanamori)

NIGATA: On September 21st, the International Day of Peace designated by the United Nations, an event was held at Gokoku Shrine in Niigata City’s Chuo Ward to write messages of peace with calligraphy. Calligraphers and high school students from across the prefecture prayed for world peace by powerfully inscribing words such as “Eternal Peace” on large sheets of paper.

NUMATA: Eight second-year students from Numata High School’s calligraphy club performed calligraphy at Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine. Ahead of September 21st, the International Day of Peace designated by the United Nations, I wrote a message wishing for peace on a piece of paper measuring 2 meters high and 1 meter wide. This event is sponsored by an organization that spreads peace through calligraphy, and by September 28th, 50 high school calligraphy clubs across the country will deliver their works to shrines around the country.

OKINAWA: On the 21st, the International Day of Peace designated by the United Nations, six students from Oroku High School’s calligraphy club expressed their feelings for peace in calligraphy in Naha City. The words written on the paper, which is 4 meters long and 5 meters wide, include “Keep smiling forever” and “Lucky comes to the door that smiles.” He chose this because he believed that peace begins with a smile.

OMOTEMACHI: 9/21 (Thursday) International Day of Peace. The Peace Parade is celebrating its 50th anniversary✨The parade was started by Mr. Ohashi. . . Everyone will parade through Omotemachi while praying for peace for people living around the world. If you have time, please come to Ishiyama Park at 15:00 ✨There is no politics, religion, or ideology, just a gathering to simply love and pray for peace. Let’s spread prayers of peace from Okayama✨

OSAKA: Festival / MATSURI Festival in Osaka Expo Commemorative Park / Bell-ringing ceremony to protect the United Nations Peace Bell September 21st (Thursday) “International Day of Peace”.A new type of festival where you can listen to the peace bell and pray for peace through the sound together with many people.

TAKASAKI CITY: Ahead of the United Nations’ International Day of Peace on the 21st of this month, high school students dedicated calligraphy works to pray for world peace at Gokoku Shrine in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. At the venue, three students from Maebashi Nishi High School’s calligraphy club waved their brushes in prayer for world peace. The three people wrote the four words, “Taihei,” with each stroke they wrote, expressing their desire for peace. It was stored on a sheet of paper 5 meters wide. In addition, before the dedication by the three high school students, soprano singer Yumie Shinagawa from Takasaki City and chanson singer Shintaro Nakano from Kanra Town performed four songs wishing for peace.

TAKAYAMA: On the 21st, which is the International Day of Peace designated by the United Nations, Rakugan, a Japanese confectionery shop in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, handed out rakugan in the shape of the character “wa” to customers. This day was also “Takayama City Peace Day,” and they casually conveyed their wish for peace to tourists and local guests. . . . This year, we have about 200 heart-shaped rakugan and 3-piece sets. For three days until the 21st, we handed them out at stores along with pieces of paper announcing Peace Day. Her wife Tomiko (62) said, “I hope this day becomes a day where everyone becomes conscious of world peace once again.” Takayama City has also been handing out Japanese rakugan for free every year since 2013, when it designated Peace Day. On this day, in front of City Hall, Mayor Akira Tanaka and other city officials read out the Peace City Declaration and then struck the gong of the Bonds for Peace monument with a wooden mallet. 

TOKYO FILM FESTIVAL: The UNITED FOR PEACE FILM FESTIVAL (UFPFF) is a short film festival for students with the themes of “peace” and “SDGs” held every year in conjunction with Peace Day, and this will be the 13th time . This year, for the first time , the event will be co-sponsored with PEACE DAY, a general incorporated foundation , and will be held from September 15th (Friday) to September 21st (Thursday) at Human Trust Cinema Shibuya in Tokyo, starting September 18th (Monday/holiday). It will be held as one of the main actions of “PEACE DAY WEEK”. Part 1, the PEACE DAY special program, will feature a historical dialogue between two Nobel Peace Prize winners, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, titled Mission Joy, which is scheduled to be released in theaters in January. The second part of the International Peace Film Festival (UFPFF) 2023 will feature screenings of this year’s 10 finalists, a judging panel, and an award ceremony.

TOKYO YOYOGI: 　PEACE DAY2023@Yoyogi Park, an outdoor festival held at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo on Peace Day (September 21st), will feature singers Yo Yoyogi and AI, as well as children with hearing and visual disabilities. The White Hand Chorus NIPPON choir will perform. The artistic director of this choir is Erica Colon, a soprano singer from Venezuela.　The choir consists of a “voice corps” made up of visually impaired children and a “sign corps” made up of deaf children who express their “songs” through body language and facial expressions. “I want to express a world of joy and freedom that connects divided things,” says Colon. While working to popularize El Sistema, a music education program that originated in Venezuela, in Japan, she came across the White Hand Chorus. El Sistema was started in 1975 to raise the self-esteem and sociability of children against the backdrop of poverty and drug crime.

UNIQLO COMPANY: September 21st is International Peace Day. Uniqlo’s charity T-shirt project “PEACE FOR ALL”, which prays for a peaceful future where all people can live in peace, has exceeded 690 million yen in donations.　To date, PEACE FOR ALL has received volunteer participation from collaborators with ties to UNIQLO, including architect Tadao Ando, ​​novelist Haruki Murakami, film director Wim Wenders, and artist KAWS. All profits (equivalent to 20% of the sales amount per shirt) will be donated to three organizations: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) , Save the Children, and Plan International) through their respective Japan contact points.

UTSUNOMIYA: Ahead of the 21st International Day of Peace designated by the United Nations, the Sakushin Gakuin High School Calligraphy Club performed a dedication calligraphy to pray for peace on the 18th at Gokoku Shrine in Yozai-cho, Utsunomiya City. 10 first and second year students participated. Wearing a hakama and wielding a large brush, they wrote messages such as “peace” and prayers for peace on a piece of paper 3.5 meters long and 4 meters wide. “The world is unstable, including the war in Ukraine. I prayed for peace for everyone,” said Kenta Kitsunezuka, 16.

YANAGAWA: September 21st every year is the International Day of Peace, commonly known as Peace Day, designated by the United Nations. In Yanagawa City, a Koppori concert and a Wish Tree workshop will be held at Shintomachi Ryokuchi Hiroba, a place associated with Yoko Ono.

MALAYSIA

TERENGGANU: Let’s join our International Day of Peace Run 2023 – Terengganu! 4Km or 8 Km. RACE PACK COLLECTION
Date: 8 September 2023 (Friday)
Time: 10am to 5pm
Venue: Kompleks Sukan Negeri Terengganu

NEPAL

NEPAL: Nepal has marked the International Day of Peace since 2002 by organizing several activities. On the occasion today, various organizations, including Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) and The Story Kitchen (TSK) are hosting programes to assert global peace.

KATHMANDU: The Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES), Kathmandu has staged a sit-in in front of the Bouddhanath Stupa, a world heritage site, wishing for the prevail of sustainable peace. The protest has been launched to create an atmosphere to maintain peace in Nepal for world peace on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, said Bhagawan Pudasaini, the Society, Kathmandu President. The program was attended by over five dozen of activists working for human rights and peace. The participants called for maintaining peace in the country with placards in their hands. People from various walks of life including the Society’s former presidents Uttam Pudasaini and Homkanta Chaulagain, former chair of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-6 Dipendra Lama, former chair of Gokarnesheor Municipality-6 Ramesh Aryal and the municipality-8 chair Manoj Kumar Dhungana participated in the protest.

NEPAL ROTARY: The Rotaract Club of Pashupati-Kathmandu cordially invites you to our heartfelt event, the Peace Lantern Lighting Ceremony. Join us on September 21, 2023, at Dasharath Stadium, Kathmandu.

NEW ZEALAND

AOTEAROA: Peace Movement Aotearoa. Tomorrow on International #PeaceDay, join our lunchtime ‘Election 2023: Let’s get disarmament on the agenda!’ forum to discuss party positions on: • disarmament and arms control policy • space launches • military spending • use of explosive weapons in populated areas • women, peace and security agenda • climate change and military activity • autonomous weapon systems • AUKUS

PAKISTAN

HYDERABAD: The Department of Social Work, University of Sindh Jamshoro orchestrated an enlightening seminar on the occasion of International Peace Day, being observed every year globally. The event unfolded at the Local Hotel Hyderabad, with a primary objective of stimulating dialogues and awareness concerning the paramount importance of peace in contemporary society. . . . The event reached its zenith with the closing remarks delivered by the chief guest renowned social activist and senior civil citizen advocate Om Parkash who shared his invaluable insights on the imperative task of nurturing peace and unity within society.

PHILIPPINES

VISAYAS: International Day of Peace 2023 – Boy Scouts of the Philippines Western Visayas Region. I am Scouter Dulce Canata of Iloilo Confesor Council and this International Day of Peace, September 21, 2023, I am with the Boy Scouts of the Philippines Western Visayas Region as we proudly join the global movement as Messenger of Peace.

SOLOMON ISLANDS

SOLOMON ISLANDS: The Ministry of Traditional Governance, Peace and Ecclesiastical Affairs each year marked and celebrated International Peace Day (IPD) and this year 2023 Ministry is celebrating on the theme “Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #Global Goals”. In a statement marking the IPD Minister Hon Samuel Manetoali thanked the Ministry and its peace-building stakeholders for the commitments and effort rendered forwards maintaining sustainable, peace and unity in the country. . . . Permanent Secretary Peter Mae also thanked and acknowledged Ministry staff for their continuous efforts and commitments in delivering peace-building programs and activities in the Country. . . . Due to financial constrain, the IPD was marked and celebrated at the Ministry head office with food and cutting of IPD cake.

SOUTH KOREA

KYUNG HEE: In celebration of the 42nd United Nations International Day of Peace, Kyung Hee University System is holding its annual Peace BAR Festival (PBF) on Sept. 21. To commemorate the UN’s seminal day, the annual PBF discussion sessions will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., deliberating how to create a new path for a transitional civilization.

THAILAND

BANGKOK UNPKFC: This is the 7th year celebrating the UN International Day of Peace by the United Peace Keepers Federal Council. At this free event, there will be a host of activities and reflections on the 2023 theme, Actions for Peace. After the delivery of the peace messages, there will be a gathering around the Peace Pole – a symbol of hope for Bay Area communities and peace on Earth for the global family.

BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL: This year, the theme of the United Nations International Day of Peace is “Actions for Peace”. One of the themes of our International School Bangkok (ISB) Peace Day Assembly on September 20th will be the concept of sustainability as an action for peace. The elementary students will lead the singing of “The Three R’s” by Jack Johnson. They have been working on it in music class and would be happy to teach you the three movements for “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. Feel free to play the song in your classroom!

***** MONTESSORI *****

In addition to the events listed above, there were 14 new events in Asia-Pacific to celebrate the International Day of Peace on the website of the Montessori Schools, i.e. events that were not listed last year:

Australia: Bentleigh, Kensington, Melbourne
Cambodia: Phnom Penh
China: Liaoning
Laos: Vientiane
Malaysia: Puchong
New Zealand: Beachlands, Palmerston
Philippines: Angeles City (2), Nabuq Camarines, Silano Cavite
Thailand: Kalasin Khonkaen

East Asia, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, South Asia,

From Trauma to Healing: New Book Series from International Cities of Peace

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An announcement from International Cities of Peace

Announcing a Book Series on International Cities of Peace just published in China in Chinese and English. The Series is edited by Professor Liu Cheng, UNESCO Chair of Peace Studies in China and Board Member of Cities of Peace, a nonprofit U.S.-based association of nearly 400 global Cities of Peace. The Series already includes books on many cities that have experienced major trauma from war: Dresden, Nanjing, Warsaw, Coventry, and Hiroshima.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

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“When the traumatic memory of a city is transformed into a common human memory,” the books begin, “we can understand the past disasters in a new way beyond stereotyped political memory. Only this can enable the traumatic history to be linked to the future peace, which can promote the reconciliation between the former hostile parties, and boost hope to the establishment of a community with a shared future for mankind.”

This book series on International Cities of Peace is a tremendous step forward in recognizing the horror of war and understanding the need to move our communities from simply memorializing the trauma toward cultural and personal healing. Great thanks to Professor Liu Cheng who is leading a surge of peacebuilding dialogues and Peace Studies programs in Asia. International Cities of Peace is a platform that can take the world beyond the traumas of the past into a new age of community engagement and healing.

(Thank you to Fred Arment, for sending this announcement to CPNN.)

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, East Asia, global,

2023 World Conference against A and H Bombs

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Excerpts from the conference schedule from Gensuikyo, The Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs

Theme and Schedule of the World Conference

Main Theme: With the Hibakusha, Let Us Achieve a Nuclear Weapon-free, Peaceful and Just World – for the Future of the Humankind and Our Planet

Conference Schedule:

August 4 (Fri) – 5 (Sat): International Meeting (Hiroshima JA Building)
August 6 (Sun): Hiroshima Day Rally (Green Arena, Hiroshima Sports Center)
August 7 – 9: 2023 World Conference against A and H Bombs – Nagasaki
August 7 (Mon) Opening Plenary (Nagasaki Shimin Kaikan Gymnasium)
August 8 (Tue) Forums/ workshops/ field trips (different venues in Nagasaki City)
August 9 (Wed) Nagasaki Day Rally/ Closing Plenary (Nagasaki Shimin Kaikan Gymnasium)

International Meeting (First day)
Venue: Hiroshima JA Building

Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation is provided.

Format: In-person meeting & Livestreamed by Zoom

14:00-14:40 Opening Session

Opening declaration; Introduction of overseas delegates
Organizer’s speech: Noguchi Kunikazu, Co-Chair, Steering Committee
Greetings on behalf of the Hibakusha: Hamasumi Jiro, Assistant Secretary General,
Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo)
Presentation of messages

14:40-17:00 Session I: “Spreading voices of the Hibakusha to the world”

Speakers:

Kodama Michiko, Hibakusha of Hiroshima
Yokoyama Teruko, Hibakusha of Nagasaki
Special report on the Black Rain: Dr. Tamura Kazuyuki, Prof. Emeritus, Hiroshima Univ.
Lee_Ki-yeol　Korean A-Bomb Casualty Association
Sim_Jin-tae　Hapcheon Branch Chief, Korean A-Bomb Casualty Association
Abacca Anjain-Maddison, Representative of the Rongelap Islanders, the Marshall Islands.

Drafting Committee Meeting
Time: 19:00 – Venue: Hiroshima Road Building (2-9-24 Hikarimachi, Higashi-ku, Hiroshima. Conference room on the 3rd floor); One representative from each organization is invited to take part in the meeting.

August 5 (Saturday):
International Meeting (Second day)
Venue: Hiroshima JA Building

Format: In-person rally & Livestreamed by Zoom

09:30-12:00 Session II: Prohibition of nuclear weapons and achieving a world without nuclear weapons

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(Click here for a version in French.)

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

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Speakers:

Joseph Gerson, Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security, U.S.
Oleg Bodrov, North-West Russia Peace Movement/ Public Council of the Southern Coast of the Gulf of Finland, Russia
Roland Nivet, French Peace Movement
Lee Jun Kyu, Institute for Unification and Peace Policy, Hadfnshin University, ROK
Yasui Masakazu, Secretary General, Japan Council against A and H Bombs

12:00-13:30 Lunch break

13:30-16:00 Session III: A nuclear weapon-free, peaceful and just world – Solidarity and actions of civil society

Speakers:

Margaret Engel, Peace Action New York, US
Kate Hudson, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, U.K.
Reiner Braun, No NATO Campaign, Germany/ Former Executive Director, IPB
Ulla Klotzer, Global Women for Peace United against NATO, Finland
Sean Conner, Executive Director, International Peace Bureau (IPB)

16:00-16:30 Closing Session:

Proposal and adoption of the Declaration of the International Meeting

Closing remarks

August 6 (Sunday):
06:30 Meet at Sejour Fujita; Walk to the Peace Park

08:00-08:45 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (Hiroshima Peace Park)

Hiroshima Day Rally
Venue: Green Arena, Hiroshima Sports Center (4-1 Motomachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima.)

Time: 13:00-15:30 (JST) Format: In-person rally & Livestreamed by Zoom

Program:
Opening song; Opening remarks; Introduction of overseas delegates
Presentation of messages
Organizer’s keynote report: Tomida Koji, Drafting Committee Chair
Greetings by Hiroshima Mayor: Matsui Kazumi, Mayor of Hiroshima (TBC)
Greetings from the Hibakusha: Mimaki Toshiyuki, Co-Chair, Nihon Hidankyo
Guest speaker: Wada Shizuka, Writer/ Co-convenor, Signature campaign to urge the
Japanese government to join the TPNW
Greetings of solidarity from political parties/ parliamentarians
– Shii Kazuo, Chair, Japanese Communist Party
Special campaign: “Conveying Hibakusha’s voices to the world”: Hiroshima Shinfujin
– Setsuko Thurlow, Hibakusha of Hiroshima
– Yano Miyako, Hibakusha of Hiroshima
– Makino Kazumi, Chair, Black Rain Sufferers’ Association of Hiroshima
– Abacca Anjain-Maddison, Rongelap Islander, Marshall Islands
Prohibition of nuclear weapons/ achieving a world without nuclear weapons –Movements in nuclear powers and “nuclear umbrella” states
– Ersilia Soudais, Member of French National Assembly, France Unbowed
– Daniel Högsta, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
– Phan Thi Khanh Chi, Vietnam Peace Committee- ICAN (TBC)
– Corazon Fabros, Nuclear-Free Philippines Coalition/ IPB Co-President

Cultural Program: Chorus “Hiroshima – Rivers of Love” and speech by Nakazawa Misayo (wife of Nakazawa Keiji, author of the “Barefoot Gen”) -TBC

Report from the Scientists Forum of the 2023 World Conference “Sending out messages of peace from students, in the midst of stormy nuclear-arms buildup”

People’s campaign to urge the Japanese government to join the TPNW:
– Youth organizing Committee of Kochi Prefecture
– Toyoki Keiko, Kofu Citizens Association to urge the signing/ratification of TPNW
– Murakami Atsuko, Through marcher of Tokyo-Hiroshima course, 2023 Nationwide Peace March

Message from Hiroshima (Hiroshima Organizing Committee)
Adoption of a conference declaration
Closing

(Editor’s note: The program for Nagasaki is similar to that for Hiroshima. For details, go to the source website listed above.)

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia

Hiroshima Peace Declaration 2023

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from the City of Hiroshima

Every year on August 6, the City of Hiroshima holds a Peace Memorial Ceremony to pray for the peaceful repose of the victims, for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and for lasting world peace. During that ceremony, the Mayor issues a Peace Declaration directed toward the world at large. As long as the need persists, Hiroshima’s mayor will continue to issue these declarations calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons from the face of the earth. This is part of Hiroshima’s effort to build a world of genuine and lasting world peace where no population will ever again experience the cruel devastation suffered by Hiroshima and Nagasaki.


Video de la Declaration par mayor Matsui

Peace Declaration (2023)

“I want the leaders of all countries with nuclear weapons to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki and, using their own eyes and ears, learn the realities of the atomic bombings―the lives lost in an instant, the bodies charred by heat rays; lives lost in agony from burns and radiation, tended to by no one. I want them standing here to feel the full weight of the countless lives lost.” The hibakusha making this plea was eight years old when the bomb exploded 78 years ago. He always remembered that day as a living hell.

The heads of state who attended the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May this year visited the Peace Memorial Museum, spoke with hibakusha, and wrote messages in the guestbook. Their messages provide proof that hibakusha pleas have reached them. As they stood before the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, I conveyed the Spirit of Hiroshima underlying its inscription. Enduring past grief, overcoming hatred, we yearn for genuine world peace with all humanity living in harmony and prosperity. I believe our spirit is now engraved in their hearts. And in this spirit, the first G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament reaffirms their “commitment to the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all,” and declares that their “security policies are based on the understanding that nuclear weapons, for as long as they exist, should serve defensive purposes….”

However, leaders around the world must confront the reality that nuclear threats now being voiced by certain policymakers reveal the folly of nuclear deterrence theory. They must immediately take concrete steps to lead us from the dangerous present toward our ideal world. In civil society, each of us must embrace the generosity and love for humanity embodied in the hibakusha message, “No one else should ever suffer as we have.” It will be increasingly important for us to urge policymakers to abandon nuclear deterrence in favor of a peaceful world that refuses to compromise individual dignity and security.

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(Click here for a version in French.)

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

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Mahatma Gandhi, who pursued independence for his native India through absolute nonviolence, asserted, “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” The Un General Assembly has adopted, as a formal document, a Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. To end the current war as quickly as possible, the leaders of nations should act in accordance with Gandhi’s assertion and the Programme of Action, with civil society rising up in response.

To that end, it will be vital to build a social environment in which our dreams and hopes come alive in our daily lives through contact with or participation in music, art, sports, and other activities that transcend language, nationality, creed, and gender. And to create that social environment, let us promote initiatives to instill the culture of peace everywhere. If we do, elected officials, who need the support of the people, will surely work with us toward a peaceful world.

The City of Hiroshima, together with more than 8,200 member cities of Mayors for Peace in 166 countries and regions, intends to promote the culture of peace globally through citizen-level exchange. Our goal is an environment in which our united desire for peace can reach the hearts of policymakers, helping to build an international community that maintains peace without relying on military force. We will continue to expand our programs to convey the realities of the atomic bombings to young people around the world so they can acquire the hibakusha’s passion for peace, spread it beyond national borders, and pass it on to future generations.

I ask all policymakers to follow in the footsteps of the leaders who attended the G7 Hiroshima Summit by visiting Hiroshima and sharing widely their desire for peace. I urge them to immediately cease all nuclear threats and turn toward a security regime based on trust through dialogue in pursuit of civil society ideals.

I further urge the national government to heed the wishes of the hibakusha and the peace-loving Japanese people by reconciling the differences between nuclear-weapon and non-nuclear-weapon states. Japan must immediately join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (Tpnw) and establish common ground for discussions on nuclear weapons abolition by attending, at least as an observer, the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Tpnw to be held in November this year. The average age of the hibakusha now exceeds 85. The lives of many are still impaired by radiation’s harmful effects on mind and body. Thus, I demand that the Japanese government alleviate their suffering through stronger support measures.

Today, at this Peace Memorial Ceremony commemorating 78 years since the bombing, we offer heartfelt condolences to the souls of the atomic bomb victims. Together with Nagasaki and likeminded people around the world, we pledge to do everything in our power to abolish nuclear weapons and light the way toward lasting world peace.

August 6, 2023
Matsui Kazumi

Mayor

The City of Hiroshima

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia

US prelates lead ‘Pilgrimage of Peace’ to Japan seeking abolition of nuclear weapons

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by John Lavenburg in Crux

A “Pilgrimage of Peace” to Japan led by two U.S. archbishops will soon depart, with advocacy for the elimination of nuclear weapons worldwide and for the creation of a peaceful global environment chief among their priorities.

Led by Archbishops John Wester of Santa Fe and Paul Etienne of Seattle, and joined by organizations and archdiocesan officials dedicated to nuclear disarmament advocacy, the delegation also hopes to strengthen ties with the bishops of Japan.


John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe, speaking at a recent forum held by Department of Energy officials at the Santa Fe Convention Center. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

“During this Pilgrimage of Peace to Japan, I hope to encourage conversation about universal, verifiable nuclear disarmament and walk together towards a new future of peace, a new promised land of peace, a new culture of peace and nonviolence where we all might learn to live in peace as sisters and brothers on this beautiful planet, our common home,” Wester said in a statement.

Etienne, in a statement of his own, added that to build a community where humanity can flourish, it’s important to “keep educating ourselves, praying for peace, and appealing for verifiable nuclear disarmament, which reflects Catholic teaching and is the path for the common good.”

The delegation will depart for the pilgrimage on July 31, with an itinerary that includes stops in Tokyo, Akita, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. They will return to the States on August 12. The trip is funded by grants and personal contributions; according to organizers, no diocesan funds were used.

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

Religion: a barrier or a way to peace?, What makes it one or the other?

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The trip follows a May open letter from Wester, Etienne, Archbishop Peter Michiaki Nakamura of Nagasaki and Bishop Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama of Nagasaki, where they implored leaders of the Group of Seven countries to take concrete steps towards nuclear disarmament.

The letter came as G7 leaders met in Japan from May 19-21. Out of that meeting leaders from the G7 countries committed to working towards a world absent of nuclear weapons, and called on Russia, Iran, China and North Korea to cease nuclear escalation. Beyond the joint statement in support of nuclear disarmament, G7 leaders took no concrete steps towards that goal.

As of 2022, Russia and the United States have far and away the largest nuclear arsenals. According to data published in March by the Federation of American Scientists, Russia and the United States have 5,899 and 5,244 nuclear warheads, respectively. Third on the list is China with 410, followed by France (290), the United Kingdom (225), Pakistan (170), and India (164). No other country has an arsenal of more than 90 nuclear warheads, the data shows.

Both the Santa Fe and Seattle archdioceses, led by Wester and Etienne, have ties to nuclear weapons. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe is the U.S. diocese with the most spending on nuclear weapons per capita, and contains two weapons laboratories and the nation’s largest nuclear weapons depository. The Archdiocese of Seattle is the U.S. diocese that has deployed the most strategic weapons.

Meanwhile, two of the dioceses the delegation will visit on the pilgrimage, the Dioceses of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are the only two dioceses in the world that have suffered from atomic attacks when the United States bombed both cities during World War II.

As part of the pilgrimage to Japan, the delegation will pray a novena for peace from August 1 to August 9, the anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki in 1945.

Wester has been especially outspoken about the need for nuclear disarmament in recent years, prompted both by a 2017 trip he took to Japan, and the reality of his diocese’s involvement in the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal. In his statement on the upcoming pilgrimage, he said he holds out hope that one day nuclear threats can be a thing of the past.

“I hope one day, we will stop building these weapons, disarm our state and our world, and embark on a new future without the fear and terror of the nuclear threat,” Wester said.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia, North America,

Does China promote a culture of peace?


A recent article in CPNN (June 7, 2023) quotes the Deputy Director-General of the Chinese Academy of History “The pursuit of peace and harmony is the foundation of the Chinese spirit. It is in the gene of Chinese civilization. In the 5,000-year history, our ideal world is of great unity. We value a culture of peace and unity.”

An example of recent peacemaking initiatives of China is their proposal for peace in Ukraine, based on a series of fundamental principles for peaceful international relations. Their proposal was welcomed by many countries that are not directly involved in the war, but some voices were more critical of the Chinese proposal. Writing from Indonesia, the news agency Inilah quotes the India-based EurAsian Times that the Chinese plan contradicts their own policy towards Taiwan, since the Chinese do not respect their sovereignty and have imposed sanctions against them.

China has never recognized the independence of Taiwan, and has threatened military intervention. As stated in a recent blog, “Among the peacemakers are the Chinese to some extent. We can only hope that this aspect of Chinese policy will dominate in the coming turbulent period of history. Will the Chinese be able to resist peacefully the provocations of the American Empire such as those connected with Taiwan? Faced with such provocations in the Ukraine, the Russians fell into the trap of war: we must hope that the Chinese will not do so in Taiwan.”

Here are CPNN articles related to the question whether China promotes a culture of peace:

11th World Peace Forum held in Beijing

China Culture: Xi calls for protection of Chinese civilization, culture and heritage

Chinese proposal of principles for a peace settlement of the Ukraine War and reactions around the world

d-disarmament, d-information

11th World Peace Forum held in Beijing

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article in PR Newswire from china.org.cn

The 11th World Peace Forum, organized by Tsinghua University and the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, concluded in Beijing on July 3. The forum, themed “Stabilizing an Unstable World through Consensus and Cooperation,” gathered former political leaders, diplomatic envoys, experts, and scholars from around the world to shed light on promoting world peace and win-win cooperation.


China’s Vice President Han Zheng delivers a keynote speech at the 11th World Peace Forum opening ceremony on July 3, 2023.

China’s Vice President Han Zheng delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony. Han said that in the face of profound changes in the international situation, China has put forward a series of major initiatives, such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, constantly enriching the connotation and practical path of the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity, and injecting strong positive energy into world peace and development.

Han stressed that Chinese modernization follows the path of peaceful development, and China will unswervingly advocate, build and uphold world peace.

The future lies in dialogue and consultation

In the panel discussion titled “Security in the Asia-Pacific: Challenges and Solutions,” Singapore’s Ambassador to China, Peter Tan, emphasized the importance of dialogue and consultation when discussing Sino-U.S. relations. “It is, therefore, in our view, critical for China and the United States to have regular, peaceful, and constructive engagements. This will help stabilize the relationship,” he said.

Tan believed that the two countries should maintain open and effective channels of communication and interaction, whether conducted in the public domain or behind closed doors. Tan said that dialogue is the basis for building mutual understanding and bridging differences.

Pankaj Saran, former deputy national security advisor for strategic affairs of India, proposed during the same panel discussion that countries should address issues through dialogue and negotiation rather than force, abide by the rules-based order, and respect sovereignty and territorial integrity to foster interconnectivity.

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Questions for this article:

Does China promote a culture of peace?

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During the panel discussion titled “Major-Power Collaboration in Managing Global Problems,” Jia Qingguo, a professor from the School of International Studies at Peking University, underscored the importance of consultation and dialogue in managing major-country relations. Jia noted that encouraging dialogue and negotiation to find common political solutions is especially crucial to the current Russia-Ukraine conflict.

We must allow those pragmatic and kind people to make their voices heard in international exchanges and interactions, and they have to join together to deal with some extremist voices in the international arena, Jia said.

Multilateralism needs to deliver mutual benefits and win-win results

The world today is undergoing complex and profound changes. How can we restore stability to this unstable world through harmonious and multilateral cooperation? How should multilateralism adapt to the realities and needs of the 21st-century international system?

Igor Ivanov, president of the Russian International Affairs Council and former secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, underscored the importance of multilateralism at the major plenary session titled “The Evolution of Multilateralism.” According to Ivanov, multilateralism serves as a mechanism for fostering more open and transparent international relations and for interactions between countries with different political systems, ideologies, histories, and cultures. The multilateralism of the 21st century can only be universal and effective if it is suitable for a world of value, political and economic pluralism, Ivanov said.

In addition, countries must learn to recognize the equality of all actors in the multilateral format to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. “Cooperation can be successful if it is mutually beneficial, meaning that it can prove its effectiveness of multilateralism for the individual actors in the international system,” Ivanov said.

Multilateralism also took center stage in a panel discussion about climate change. Siddharth Chatterjee, the U.N. development system resident coordinator in China, pointed out that the world is facing unprecedented risks due to climate change that extend beyond the environmental sphere. Only multilateralism can effectively address this crisis and ensure a sustainable existence for future generations.

Global cooperation is required to mitigate these risks and aid vulnerable regions. This necessitates a commitment to multilateralism, as no single country can resolve the climate crisis on its own, added Chatterjee.

This year marked the first in-person edition of the forum in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The forum consisted of four major panel discussion sessions and 20 panel discussions, covering topics such as the international order, relationships between major countries, the evolution of multilateralism, nuclear non-proliferation, and artificial intelligence security.

The forum attracted worldwide attention, bringing together more than 150 journalists from more than 50 countries.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Australia Teachers for Peace

. EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from The Educator on line

American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’

As societies grapple with escalating global tensions  and the increasingly visible effects of militarisation, one small group of thoughtful, committed citizens is aiming to do just that.

Set up in 2022 following a philanthropic grant, Teachers for Peace has been working tirelessly to steer the narrative towards peace and disarmament in the one place where many of children’s core ideas are formed – the classroom.

A particular focus of the group is to counteract the normalisation of war, challenging the influence of the weapons industry on school STEM curricula, and advocating for policies that promote peace.

Teachers for Peace director Elise West is also the Executive Officer of the Medical Association for Prevention of War, Australia – a national network of health professionals which works from a basis of medical ethics to advocate and educate for peace and disarmament.

“We are building on the long history of teacher advocacy for peace and disarmament, and – in our specific goal of eliminating weapons company influence in education – on the work of organisations Medical Association for Prevention of War and Wage Peace,” West told The Educator.
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We are currently pursuing our strategy for change, building connections, and growing our membership – current and former teachers, education workers, and students are all encouraged to join us.”

Militarism is growing worldwide, but it doesn’t have to here

West’s call for action comes at a critical time in Australian – and indeed world – history.

Increasingly worried about China’s burgeoning military and the superpower’s deepening ties with Russia, Australia’s key ally, the United States has been rallying support for a more assertive force posture in East Asia that includes new military pacts.

The AUKUS security pact, announced in September 2021 between the United States, Britain and Australia, includes a $368bn deal to build nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.

While the Federal Government emphasises that aim of the alliance is to upgrade Australia’s ageing submarine fleet, there are growing concerns it could worsen diplomatic relations with our largest trading partner, China, which perceives the AUKUS alliance as a counterproductive influence in an already tense and volatile region.

Another concern is that the STEM arm of the AUKUS project is beginning to reach deep into the nation’s schools, foreshadowing a quiet recruitment drive by the Defence Force.  

“Some of the world’s biggest weapons companies influence STEM education through sponsorships, partnerships, events, competitions, and more,” West said. “These companies profit from war and insecurity; some of them are associated with weapons of mass destruction, alleged crimes of war, human rights breaches, and corporate misconduct. They should not advertise to children.”

In a 19 June press release, the Royal Australian Navy unveiled a nationwide “Nuclear-Powered Submarine Propulsion Challenge” in high schools, which it touted as “an opportunity for students to gain a greater appreciation of the STEM principles behind the [AUKUS] project”, and a gateway for careers as “submariners, engineers and technicians.”

“The classroom curriculum provided through this program seeks to inspire students to be more engaged with STEM subjects and see how they are practically applied in the real world,” Rear Admiral Jonathon Earley, Deputy Chief of Navy, said.

“The winners [of the Challenge] will experience a visit to HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, tour a Collins-class submarine, dine with submariners and virtually drive a submarine through Sydney Harbour in the submarine bridge training simulator.”

Education equity till 2040 – for the cost of a single submarine

The NSW Teachers Federation  recently issued a statement opposing the AUKUS project stating, “there have been too many times in history when warmongering and armaments build-up have led to international conflict, death and destruction.”

“The agreement compromises the pursuit of an independent foreign policy and has the potential to drag Australia once again into foreign conflict and war,” NSWTF president, Angelo Gavrielatos said.

Gavrielatos said recent “alarmist, war mongering commentary, deployed in an attempt to bolster unsubstantiated predictions of an inevitable war with China” is of deep concern to the Federation.

“For less than the price of one nuclear submarine, the Federal Government could fund the SRS shortfall for the 13 years of school of two cohorts of kids [26 years] till 2040, which coincides with the reported arrival of the first submarine,” he said.

“By that time, the submarines we’re due to receive may well be outdated technology.”

West agrees, saying there is far too little discussion about the real consequences of war and militarism for young Australians, and for young people everywhere.

“The consequences of war for people and the planet are devastating; they devastate for generations. But even before actual conflict occurs, great harm can be caused by things like over-investment in the military, racist and xenophobic framings of others – and by pessimism,” she said.

“Right now, we’re being told to ‘prepare’ for Australia to [willingly] involve itself in a U.S-China war in the next 3-20 years: that’s a profoundly pessimistic vision of the future for our young people. We can and should be doing more to ensure peace.”

Indeed, the stakes of such a war between the U.S and China are higher than most realise, as Max Boot, a columnist, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in a recent op-ed in the Washington Post:

“The risk of nuclear escalation is all the greater because, as a senior U.S. admiral explained to me, it would be difficult for the United States to win a war over Taiwan by attacking only Chinese ships at sea and Chinese aircraft in the skies. The United States could find itself compelled, as a matter of military necessity, to attack bases in China. China, in turn, could strike U.S. bases in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Guam, even Hawaii and the West Coast.”

Suffice to say, how such a war between two nuclear-armed superpowers evolves from there is the stuff of nightmares. 

What does peace education look like?

On 26 October 1984, the Australian Teachers Federation held the Symposium on Peace and Disarmament in Melbourne, where the Minister for Education & Youth Affairs at the time, Senator Susan Ryan, declared her support for peace education in the curriculum.

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Question related to this article:
 
What is the best way to teach peace to children?

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Addressing the symposium, Senator Ryan said the transition of peace studies into educationally acceptable programs was “just beginning”, and outlined some of the things she wished to see included in peace studies programs in Australian schools:

These included:

* A consideration of what might be termed ‘human rights and welfare’, which could include an examination of poverty and social problems associated with the unequal distribution of power;

* Development issues, which would involve an examination of the developed world’s response to third world issues;

* An investigation of ‘conflict and war’, which would deal with the history of militarism, warfare, the arms race, weapons technology and the issue of disarmament;

* Major global issues such as the historical development of nationalism and its effects on world events, particularly war;

* Some consideration of personal development and the importance of conflict resolution.

“Much still has to be done before peace education can become an accepted and approved reality in Australian education,” Senator Ryan said.

Peace education is not a matter for one government or one organisation. A concerted effort among Commonwealth and State Governments, non-government education authorities, teachers, and the general community is needed.”

Encouraging signs of change 

West said there are positive signs of change in Victoria and Queensland, whose governments have updated their learning materials and sponsorship policies to recognise that companies that make weapons are inappropriate partners for schools.

“This is a great step forward, and we’re happy to be engaging with the NSWTF to seek similar changes in NSW,” West said.

A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education  said the government has today updated its Commercial Arrangement, Sponsorship and Donations policy to exclude weapons manufacturers.

“Schools are not permitted to engage with organisations that make harmful products including unhealthy food, tobacco, alcohol products, gambling products, weapons manufacturing, or anything illegal,” the spokesperson told The Educator, adding the changes to the policy are now live on the Department’s website.

A spokesperson for the Queensland Department of Education told The Educator the Department’s Education’s Sponsorship procedure specifies “unacceptable” sponsorship organisations, which include those that are involved in the manufacturing or selling of weapons, including guns.

“The Sponsorship procedure ensures the department – including our schools, programs and initiatives – is not affiliated with organisations that manufacture, distribute or are associated with the use of weapons.”

No, war is not inevitable

In 1931, an article that appeared in the British newspaper The Times quoted Mahatma Gandhi as saying, “If we are to reach real peace in this world, we shall have to begin with the children”.

There are others however, from Sigmund Freud to Leo Tolstoy, who have argued that war is an inevitable event; an ingrained feature of human nature.

In 1932 Albert Einstein asked Freud, ‘Is there any way of delivering mankind from the menace of war?’ Freud answered that war is inevitable because humans have an instinct to self-destroy, a death instinct which we must externalise to survive.

Leo Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ asserts that war, fuelled by inherent human aggression and ego, inevitably imbues life and death with meaning, and is therefore here to stay.

Likewise, Hungarian-American psychoanalyst Franz Alexander, peacetime is nothing more than “a period of preparation for future wars that are inevitable”.

Another example of war’s supposed inevitability that is sometimes brought up is that if a large, powerful nation wants something it cannot get by non-violent means from a smaller, weaker nation, it will invade that country to seize it – whether that be mineral resources, or land that is of religious or cultural significance – by force.

So, is war really inevitable? And are ongoing efforts aimed at getting kids to un-learn this seemingly inbuilt feature of humanity nothing more than a fanciful endeavour?

The answer to that question is, fortunately, no.

More than four decades of study into the drivers of aggression reveal that peace does, in fact, have a real chance.

Henri Parens, groundbreaking psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, author, and inspirational Holocaust survivor, published a book in 2014, titled: ‘War is Not Inevitable: On the Psychology of War and Aggression’, in which he argues that our historical tendency towards destructiveness stems from excessive psychic pain rather than an inherent aggressive drive.

“Humans have the capacity to choose peace over violence,” Parens wrote. “We need to educate ourselves about the causes of war and develop strategies for preventing it. We also need to create a culture of peace, where people are taught to resolve conflict peacefully.”

In this context, schools have perhaps the most important place of any institution when it comes to making meaningful changes. After all, today’s young people will become tomorrow’s leaders.

On June 12, two-term Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker gave a commencement speech at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in which he distinguished an unevolved society from an evolved society by explaining it in terms of empathy and compassion.

“When we see someone who doesn’t look like us, or sound like us, or act like us, or love like us, or live like us — the first thought that crosses almost everyone’s brain is rooted in either fear or judgment or both. That’s evolution. We survived as a species by being suspicious of things we aren’t familiar with,” he said.

“In order to be kind, we have to shut down that animal instinct and force our brain to travel a different pathway. Empathy and compassion are evolved states of being. They require the mental capacity to step past our most primal urges.”

Pritzker continues: “I’m here to tell you that when someone’s path through this world is marked with acts of cruelty, they have failed the first test of an advanced society.”

Schools are where peace can begin, and war can end

Pointing to today’s precarious geopolitical climate, West said there is perhaps no better time than now for schools to ramp up peace education than now.

“There is a long tradition of Australian educators teaching the importance of peace across the curriculum. Schools’ focus on things like tolerance for difference, or restorative approaches to conflict, are also great examples of how education contributes to a more peaceful society,” she said.

“In our current geopolitical climate – with the prospect of war looming – we think there’s also a need to loudly and explicitly challenge the normalisation of war, examine the underlying causes of conflict, and to ask who suffers – and who benefits – when war happens.”

West said rejecting the influence in education of corporations that profit from war is “a concrete action” schools can take to foster future leaders who can take up this challenge.

“School principals play an absolutely definitive role in eliminating harmful influence in education, and we’re here to help them do just that,” she said.

“Principals can choose not to participate in programs branded by weapons companies, adopt internal policies on the matter, ask education departments to improve policies, and ask their favourite STEM programs to reconsider their association with companies that do harm.”

East Asia, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

China Culture: Xi calls for protection of Chinese civilization, culture and heritage

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

President Xi Jinping has called for the protection of the country’s rich cultural heritage. Cen Ziyuan spoke with experts from the Chinese Academy of History, where he made the call in a speech on Friday.



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CEN ZIYUAN Beijing “President Xi said a deep and comprehensive understanding of the Chinese past will allow the nation to draw upon its traditional culture to meet current challenges. The Chinese leader described Chinese civilization as unique, cohesive, innovative, uniform and peaceful. He said the nation is not afraid of facing up to challenges and stressed the need for creativity and innovation.”

LI GUOQIANG Deputy Director-General, Chinese Academy of History “The pursuit of peace and harmony is the foundation of the Chinese spirit. It is in the gene of Chinese civilization. In the 5,000-year history, our ideal world is of great unity. We value a culture of peace and unity.”

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Questions related to this article:

Does China promote a culture of peace?

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Chinese President Xi Jinping made his remark after visits to the China National Archives of Publications and Culture and the Academy.

He reaffirmed that China does not aim to impose its own values and system on others, and that Beijing will continue to contribute to world peace and international order.

LI GUOQIANG Deputy Director-General, Chinese Academy of History “In such a cultural value, we do not support hegemony. We do not colonize others or occupy them. We continue to be open and embracive about foreign cultures.”

President Xi stressed the unity of the country is China’s core interest.

He said the country is at a historic turning point and he called on experts working in the field of culture to continue preserving and innovating the riches of Chinese civilization.

LIU JIAN Deputy Head, Institute of World History Chinese Academy of History “The continuity of Chinese civilization is developed under a uniform area of land and supported by pluralism. The condition to sustain the continuity is to uphold the traditions and innovate. We embrace culture from abroad.”

Experts say the continuity of Chinese civilization is a reference and promotes dialogues and exchanges of world cultures.

LIU JIAN Deputy Head, Institute of World History Chinese Academy of History “But now we also put emphasis on peace. This is the foundation of connectivity. This is also China’s contribution to world civilization.”

The Chinese civilization has always been ready to interact with different others. Engaging with the Chinese culture is key to understanding the nation better while its people are mutually willing to share their stories with the world.

East Asia, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION