Central America
Honduras is entering a new phase following the swearing-in of a new president and the departure of the now former president Manuel Zelaya. On Wednesday, President Porfirio Lobo was sworn into office. A wealthy landowner, Lobo was elected in a November race boycotted by Zelaya supporters. Zelaya ended his four-month stay in the Brazilian embassy and left Honduras for exile.»
In this note, we reproduce the homage given by members of the international team of the World March for Peace and Non-violence to President Rodrigo Carazo, who died as a result of a heart condition days before being able to welcome the team in his country, Costa Rica. The career of Rodrigo Carazo places him among Latin American Humanist leaders.»
The Obama administration is moving further away from its stated support for the reinstatement of the ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Porfirio Lobo, a wealthy landowner, emerged victorious with 55 percent of the vote. Zelaya’s supporters boycotted the election, and many Latin American countries have refused to recognize its outcome.»
Oceania
Petra Klein carried the Nuclear Abolition Flame, lit from the flame in Hiroshima's Peace Park. She said she wanted people to understand the strength of unity in the name of peace. "People think 'what can I do?' but for peace to work each single person is important." Tauranga Simon Bridges said "It is very good to be part of this small but important part of the world march."»
The 53-member Commonwealth voted to fully suspend Fiji because it has failed to schedule elections by October of 2010. The Commonwealth objects to the decision by the government of Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who seized power in a 2006 coup, to delay elections until 2014. Mr Bainimarama wants to reform the voting system which he says works in favor of ethnic Fijians.»
News managers at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation fought against my complaint over their coverage of Australia’s Defence White Paper, which provides for a continuing rise in spending on the military at three percent above inflation’s rate.
As expected, they’ve come out fighting: none of my points has the slightest validity, ABC is fully satisfied with its reporting.»
Middle East
Israel is coming under widespread international criticism for its plan to engage in a new round of illegal settlement expansion on occupied Palestinian land. Israel says it will build 900 new housing units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Gilo. Palestinian Authority leaders began a renewed effort for endorsement of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.»
Music is the language of the people, one of the signs of excellence and growth believes the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. The programs and projects of the Conservatory clearly aim at improving the musical life for all age and socio-economic groups in the provinces of Palestine. It targets the disadvantaged to discover their talents as well as those with means.»
The UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke from Germany, proposed holding a football match between Palestinians and Israelis as a way of helping to resolve the long-standing conflict dividing the two peoples. The UN official claims that the sporting event could be held in Ramallah, the Gaza Strip or in Tel Aviv.»
North America
Premieres on CBC’s The Nature of Things - Thursday, January 21, at 8p.m. (8:30 NT) -
Filmmakers Donna Zuckerbrot and Daniel Zuckerbrot, Reel Time Images, produced, directed and wrote this exciting and intriguing documentary called “Bugs, Bones & Botany: The Science of Crime”, that will surprise even faithful viewers of TV’s many forensic programs. »
Excellent news for the Quebecois! The organising committee of Non-violence Week in the Saguenay region in partnership with Stéphane Bédard, deputy of Chicoutimi, obtained the introduction of a bill on non-violence at the National Assembly of Quebec on November 12. This bill aims to designate 2 October every year as International Day of Non-violence.»
The YMCAs of Québec is happy to announce the names of the finalists for the 22nd annual Peace Medal ceremony. Exceptional individuals who have thought about peace, demonstrated it, and inspired it at the local, national, or international levels will have their contributions publicly recognized. This year, 17 nominees are in the running in six different categories. »
South America
It took less than 24 hours to create the Haiti Solidarity Committee on Jan. 14th. The people of Pernambuco have donated almost 1 ton of supplies to the victims of the earthquake. Military police section of Derby, district of the city of Recife, is the place with the highest number of donations. There are hundreds of bottles of drinking water, staple food, clothing and toys.»
Bolivia points the way to emancipation for the world’s indigenous peoples with the consolidation of the process of change and the indigenous leader Evo Morales’ second presidential term. This was affirmed on Wednesday by the Guatemalan Rigoberta Menchú, a well known human rights activist and a Nobel Peace Prize winner.»
Taking place in Punta de Vacas Park of Study and Reflection (Argentina), in the context of restructuring of the Humanist Movement, the organization Convergence of Cultures held a meeting setting the new stage of the organization based on establishing dialogue among cultures and denouncing discrimination. An international forum in Istanbul was announced for December. »
Asia
The members of the peace action network, US for OKINAWA, assembled on January 31st to express their concern about the enormous burden that U.S. military bases are placing on Okinawa. Already, U.S. military facilities occupy nearly 20% of Okinawa Island, and even the U.S. and Japanese governments agree that Futenma Air Base should be closed. »
On Aug. 27, the SS Oceanic departed Yokohama on its 107 day journey around the world visiting 20 different countries during its global voyage for peace. Among the 500 participants on board are 10 Hibakusha (Atomic Bomb Survivors) from Hiroshima and Nagasaki who have shared testimonies with people around the world. On Dec. 11 the ship returns from the global voyage.»
During a demonstration over the deaths of five people, following a clash with the police, over which the shadow of property speculation looms, marchers intervened in support of the relatives of the victims, who had been surrounded by police. The solidarity the group showed towards them and the words of a Zen monk to the police resolved the situation.»
Europe
Under the motto “Vicenza fights back” pacifists of the Italian city of Vicenza protested against the expansion of the US military base there. Braving the winter snow and cold, they entered the zone currently under construction making a laughing stock of security guards during their change of shift, and hanging peace banners from the tops of cranes.»
An appeal to the European Court of Human Rights is planned. A simultaneous legal challenge to the ban on same-sex marriage and opposite-sex civil partnerships is being prepared by LGBT human rights group OutRage!. The group has the support of legal expert, Professor Robert Wintemute, Professor of Human Rights Law at Kings College in London, who has agreed to take on the case. »
For another year, the International Humanist Party has returned to participate in the Madrid round of the World Social Forum. On this occasion, some members of this party led two workshops: “Nuclear disarmament: social and economic effects of military spending” and “Conclusions of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence”. »
Africa
Moroccan human rights activist and peace advocate Zakaria El Hamel was appointed Ambassador for Peace by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and the Inter religious and International Federation for World Peace (IIFWP).
The Ambassadors for Peace is a global network of leaders from religion, politics and civil society working cooperatively for the sake of world peace.
»
A Rwandan inquiry has concluded that radical Hutus were responsible for the death of President Juvénal Habyarimana in an airplane crash in 1994. The assassination triggered a genocide that killed around 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. After hearing over 500 witnesses, the commission that conducted the probe says the President was shot down by soldiers within his own army.»
A Western Saharan human rights activist is in the third week of a hunger strike after being deported against her will by Moroccan authorities occupying her homeland. Aminatou Haidar, known as the “Sahrawi Gandhi,” is at the airport on the Canary Islands and is demanding that she be allowed to return to home. Morocco has occupied most of Western Sahara since 1975.»
