Dear Friends,
The Global Youth Solidarity Fund took another step forward when it was formally adopted this month as one of the main decisions of the first forum of the United Nations initiative for Alliance of Civilizations. The forum was held in Madrid, Spain the 15th and 16th of January.
A number of global youth organizations met prior to the Alliance forum and took part in it. As quoted in the CPNN article (see below), Christopher Derige Malano, delegate from the International Movement of Catholic Students, said "I was pleased to see the optimism of civil society, religious leaders and private sector representatives, as well as diplomats, and their commitment to build a culture of peace. I felt that our opinions as youth were heard with respect, even if our ideas were not always included in the agenda-setting of the forum. For example, in the future there could be more attention to the kinds of communication used by the majority of youth who are not involved with formal organizations or media, e.g. street art, internet groups and networks, etc. Ultimately, it is comforting to know that our collective contributions at the Forum were a step in the right direction."
Jo Lofgren, who worked with me and others on the original proposal for the Youth Solidarity Fund, is now working at the Alliance of Civilizations, and we expect to hear more about the Fund in the coming months. The original proposal, for those who have not yet read it, is available on the website of the Decade Culture of Peace Report: http://decade-culture-of-peace.org
Meanwhile, CPNN, the Culture of Peace News Network at http://cpnn-world.org, continues to publish initiatives for a culture of peace around the world. Here are the most recent articles listed by region.
ARAB STATES
A letter from the Palestinian Nonviolence Resistance
… "throwing stones did not work and suicide bombs definitely did not work. In this new time period we must use the nonviolence method, but even that seems aggressive to the Israeli occupiers"
Breaking Them Down: Walls that Block People and Walls that Block Words
… "no power can stand up against a mass of people that has crossed the border of despair. That is the lesson of Gaza, January, 2008."
AFRICA
Shalom Centre for Africa
.. "Principal activities we envisage are: educating for peace, doing researches for peace, and cultivating the culture of nonviolence."
North-Kivu, Congo: Peace is needed to stop the use of child-soldiers in the clashes
… "ADECOP strongly recommends ... to the international community to ... to remind the Congolese government its commitments as regards the elimination of the use of children in military activities ..."
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Letter from India
… "I had given the inaugural Gandhi lecture at Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University, 'Gandhi and Global Nonviolence,' emphasizing his legacy to the world."
Teaching and Learning for Peace Foundation
… "We consider the most powerful change agent to be a good story especially if it is illustrated well"
Training Workshop on Educational Policy and Education for International Understanding
… "so that the trainees can have a comparative reflection on their local educational conditions and envision for better policy and system towards a Culture of Peace"
EUROPE
Important Peace Initiatives of Alliance of Civilizations
.. "I was pleased to see the optimism of civil society, religious leaders and private sector representatives, as well as diplomats, and their commitment to build a culture of peace."
NORTHERN AMERICA
Campus Peace Centers: Building a Culture of Peace, One Campus at a Time
… "an innovative project to encourage university students working for the various aspects of a culture of peace to form local meeting centers"
Activities of the Santa Barbara Association for UNESCO
… "a concert entitled "Many Voices, One Song: Thresholds to a Culture of Peace, featuring four diverse vocal music ensembles"
October 27 Anti-War Marches in US
… "We are pleased that people from all of the regional actions felt so positive about their experience, and that in the process of organizing, stronger ties were forged among peace and justice groups in each region."
Peace Ambassadors
… "At the center of the program are teenagers who serve as young ambassadors and ... pass on their convictions, understanding and reflections on peace to children in primary schools."
ALL REGIONS
Gathering the Pieces of Peace
… "I thought the best way to reach people was using the internet so I created a site ... with the aim to connect the web sites to each other that support world peace."
Everyone can be A Center for Global Nonkilling
… "The participants called upon the UN General Assembly and educators to include the right not to be killed, and the responsibility not to kill others, as part of universal human rights education"
Call for Submissions: Peacebuilding Approaches Catalogue
… "Global Peacebuilders is publishing a catalogue of worldwide approaches to peacebuilding, and we are looking for effective, fresh and innovative approaches from organisations working to create the conditions for a sustainable peace in their area."
*************************************************
DISCUSSION TOPICS
Here are some of the topics that have been discussed since the previous Bulletin. They may be found under the Forum indicated on the CPNN DiscussionBoard (http://cpnn-world.org/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi ).
SCHOOLS AND PEACE EDUCATION
Peace-building stories, literacy development with peace-building
What is the best way to teach peace to children?
GLOBAL MOVEMENT FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE
Can you add to this analysis of the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
MAKING AN EFFECTIVE PEACE MOVEMENT
How can we be sure to get news about peace demonstrations?
**********************************************
For details on how the CPNN website works, please see the bulletin for April/May, 2007, which was sent to you by email and which is available online at http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/bulletin/may2007english.html
To repeat from previous bulletins, "Please go to the http://cpnn-world.org and write your own news report about events or media that promote a culture of peace. It may be something that you and your organization have done, or something that your read or saw in the media that promotes one or more aspects of a culture of peace (human rights, democratic participation, understanding, tolerance and solidarity, sustainable development, free flow of information, equality of women, peace education or disarmament).
Also add your comments to the DiscussionBoard which already hundreds of questions that have already been raised. Your comments may be on your own story or to any story previously submitted.
Peace,
David Adams
http://www.decade-culture-of-peace.org