International

Former boxing World Champion, Mensur Peljto is accompanying the World March for Peace and Nonviolence on its Balkan route between Istanbul and Geneva. As the only Bosnian member of the team, and given that most peace and nonviolence activists are unfamiliar with boxing champions, he was an unknown quantity but very quickly he won the hearts of everyone in the bus.

Today a delegation of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence Balkan team had a meeting with Stjepan Mesić, President of Croatia. During the meeting he was presented with the documents of the World March and asked to read and endorse the Nobel Laureates Charter for a World without Violence. “There’s no one more in favour of peace than I am”.

As the World March for Peace and Nonviolence reaches Bosnia and Herzegovina on day 8 of its Balkans tour the March was welcomed by Presidency Chairman Željko Komšić and by the city Mayor, Alija Behmen. Accompanying the March at the start of its procession through the 16th century streets around Baščaršija square, Sarajevo, Komšić wished the March all the best.

Prague, November 3, 2009. Thousands of people have gathered in Prague’s Wenceslas Square to participate in the biggest event in the country organized as part of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. It was the last and the biggest event that concluded a three day stay of members of the World March’s Base Team in the Czech Republic.

“Why isn’t the arms industry threatened by strike?” asks Nobel Prize laureate in Literature José Saramago, at the release of his new book “Caim” at Casa da América in Madrid. Breaking his personal rule of silence, Saramago revealed the theme of his next novel, which will question the lack of protest among arms industry employees.

An important press conference with participants such as Alena Gajdusova, First Vice-president of the Senate, Rafael de La Rubia, president of World Without Wars, and Otakar Mika, expert in nuclear arms issues. They all emphasized that it is important for countries to choose to reduce armaments and assign new roles for their armies.

Between the months of May and August 2010 distinguished long-distance swimmer from the Dominican Republic Marcos Díaz will be crossing between all the various continents in a UN-supported campaign aimed at raising awareness against poverty. The swimmer spoke at the United Nations on the challenges posed by the initiative.

The World March on day 6 of its tour through the Balkans arrives in Kosovo, coinciding with the arrival of Bill Clinton who is in town to receive the thanks of the Kosovan people. World March organisers and nonviolence activists denounced the wars in the Balkans as being manipulated by outside forces driven by selfish interests rather than the good of the people.

The press conference to present the 2009 Report was held on last Monday. The data is surprising: long stays, very high rates of education and employment. Results that undermine the rhetoric on irregular immigration and which throw light on an unknown universe that is viewed with mistrust.
The report analyses data collected between 2000 and 2008.

On the road from Salonicco to Skopje, the coach carrying the World March of the Balkans was welcomed by mayors, councillors for culture and hundreds of children and teachers in the towns of the Republic of Macedonia. The march, organised by the humanist organisation, World Without Wars, this time passed through Bitola, Resen, Ohrid, Struga, Gostivar, Tetovo and Skopje.