Dear Friends,
Many of you responded to my question about going to the World Social Forum in Belem, but only a few of you came to the Forum, and only a few of us were able to meet there. In fact, the Forum had very little presence of the culture of peace. Even the organizations from Brazil that were represented in the 2005 World Report were mostly absent.
Despite this, the Forum was very important and inspirational (see the CPNN article at http://cpnn-world.org/cgi-bin/read/articlepage.cgi?ViewArticle=432 ), with a leadership role for the indigenous peoples and a strong presence of youth.
In addition to the article about the Forum, CPNN has received seven other new articles which are listed below.
In response to the call for suggestions about follow-up to the International Decade, we have received a number of very interesting and informative replies:
- According to Michel Cibot of the Association Française des Communes, Départements et Régions pour la Paix, it would be useful to follow-up with a Decade for Disarmament. He says that "In any case, we will have international campaigns such as that of Mayors for Peace that will enable us to maintain contact with institutions even if the economic and financial crisis forces us to take up other priorities."
- Joe DeRivera of Clark University in the US suggests that we should publicize the scholarly work that the culture of peace concept has generated, and to "present the tools that different people believe may be used to build a culture of peace."
- Nina Goncharova, president of the Siberian center for Eurasian projects, suggests " a Women for a New World Vision meeting together with heads of the states to bring the male / female balance for the planet of culture of peace." She also suggests a "Theatre of New Time world tour to become a real international voice for culture of peace by means of media & arts - all countries who are interested in hosting this international art event are welcome to cooperation."
- Denis Alberto Torres, Director of the Martin Luther King Institute in Nicaragua, reminds us that, in response to their request, this year has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Reconciliation, which is complementary to the culture of peace. He would would like to help develop programming and networks such as those for the culture of peace and to disseminate through our networks the Declaration of the General Assembly of the United Nations so that its call for reconciliation is taken up by governments and the civil society. The Declaration is available at the following Internet address: http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/RES/61/17 "
- Helena Lourenço, from the IOV South America (International Organization of Folk Art), reminds us that "we will hold a major Peace Congress in the Americas, for which information is available at http://www.abrasoffa.org.br/ "
- Irene Hadjidakis - van Schagen writes from the Netherlands: "Let us invite elders from all kind of indigenous peoples around the globe to be our elders too. Let us invite them to celebrate the International day of Peace with us in front of the peace palace at the Hague, or maybe even inside, together with the judges of the International Court of Justice and ask them to be consultants in our disputes. I think they are the best teachers to educate us to listen to understand again, to preserve the planet, to respect all life and share with others."
- David Inkey writes from the United States: "Let us examine the first known peace treaty on earth, the treaty of kadesh, 1269 b.c.......and prepare all of our peace study programs to study it now and to prepare programs bridging from the end of the decade for the culture of peace to 2031.....the presumed 3300th anniversary of the treaty of kadesh, not allowing any calendar corrections in that long expanse crammed with so many skirmishes, conflicts, battles, war and rumors of war."
RECENT CPNN ARTICLES
AFRICA
Program of Socio-economic Training and Job Placement for Young Ex-Soldiers in North Kivu
... "Barzas have been created by PEREXC for youth in the city of Butembo since January 2008. A barza is a village-based, inter-communal forum for conflict resolution, based on African traditional rituals of reconciliation and non-violent settlement of local conflicts."
ARAB STATES
Life-Link Friendship-Schools: Working with Schools in Arab Countries and UNESCO's Global Network
... "Life-Link program is Education for Sustainable Development!"
EUROPE
Living Faiths Together – Tool kit on inter-religious dialogue in youth work
... "EYCE and its inter-religious partners combined their expertise in the pioneer field of inter-religious youth work and wrote this special hand book in a unique, consensus-based process. "
International Renewable Energy Agency founded in Germany
... "Swift action has to be taken in order to change current trends in climate change. In addition to energy efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy will be an essential factor in mitigating climate change."
Young Peacemaker of the Year
... "Both children and their teachers are taking part in an interdisciplinary program, the "Network of Schools of Peace" in the different regions of the country [Russia], establishing direct contacts and outlining plans for the future."
LATIN AMERICA
World Social Forum in Belem, Brazil
... "the indigenous peoples spoke as an important voice of the forum ... They came in their warpaint; one indigenous woman explained to me that they consider themselves engaged in a fight to save their forest from exploitation and destruction "
Commemorative Publication of the UNESCO Chair of Education for Peace [Puerto Rico]
... "The contents of the anthology are divided in three thematic parts: Culture of war and violence, culture of peace and nonviolence, education in human rights and for peace."
ALL REGIONS
Happy New Year from TRANSCEND International
... "Our kind invitation goes to you, to contribute in 2009 to the development of Peace Studies and Action."
Peace,
David Adams
http://decade-culture-of-peace.org
http://cpnn-world.org