International
With a huge media display and very Latin human warmth, Bogota welcomes the arrival of the World March.
From the early hours of the morning, Colombia’s national television channels were announcing the arrival of the World March to the South American continent, while the city of Bogota was waking up to the this event. Towards midday members of the international team were welcomed at the airport with dance, music and a lot of human warmth.
Bogotá expresses its longing for peace
In Bogotá, a huge crowd, all dressed in white, took part in a 3-hour march to show their support for the World March for Peace and Non-Violence. The people of Bogotá marched to show their desire and longing to live together in peace, without the threat of violence that directly affects their families and gives such a distorted image of this warm, friendly country.
Aminatou Must Live and Return Home
The humanist organisation ‘Convergence of Cultures’ is carrying out an international campaign for solidarity with Aminatau Haidar, the Western Saharan who has been on hunger strike in defence of the rights of her people. The campaign demands that the authorities concerned comply with both UN resolutions and human rights.
Interview with Miguel Hirsch: “in Africa I felt that the worst form of violence is economic injustice”
And this is powerfully resonant in Latin America. In other words, people feel the tremendous violence of the impossibility to live in minimal living conditions that equate to a decent life. And the worst of the situation is the injustice of the distribution of resources that cause suffering to a huge majority of people and is accepted as “the norm”.
Controversial speech from the new Nobel Prize Winner for Peace
Obama attempted to justify his concepts of “just war” and “just peace” in a tense speech that veered between the idea that “war is sometimes necessary” and the idea that “war is an expression of human error”; between his ideals of non-violence inspired by Luther King and his role as Commander in Chief of a country whose army is currently embroiled in two wars.
Peace is a Human Right
Rafael de la Rubia, international spokesman for the World March for peace and non-violence, wanted to celebrate the International Day for Human Rights. He is doing so from El Salvador, where he is currently with the World March Base Team. In a press release, he proposes that the right to peace be considered a human right.
Sometimes the Good Guys Win
More than sixty percent of Bolivians have decided that Evo Morales should continue to lead Bolivia’s social, political and cultural transformation process. This categorical support of Evo´s government takes place in spite of the act that the great majority of the print and tv media are constantly campaigning with venom against Evo.
Demand delivered to the Base Team of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence
Different residents from the communities of San Marcos walked with the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. The residents made their concerns known to the Base Team of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence about acts committed by the transnational company Union Fenosa in the department of San Marcos in Guatemala.
Save over a quarter million Euro by withdrawing Irish troops from Afghanistan
In response to a question by SF Dail Deputy Caoimhghin O Caolain, the Minister for Defence Mr. Willie O’Dea TD admitted that the annual cost to the Irish people to have 7 Irish soldiers taking part in the war and occupation of Afghanistan was €270,000.
Roger Cole, Chair of Peace and Neutrality Alliance, responds to him here.
Climate Countdown: Largest Climate Summit in World History Opens in Copenhagen
Over the next two weeks, 100 world leaders are expected to attend the UN conference that has been described by some scientists as the most important the world has ever seen. In the opening of Sunday: the mayor of Copenhagen, the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.