International

Spanish rocker Miguel Ríos played on 12 September in Alcorcón (Madrid), as part of his farewell tour “Memorias de la Carretera” (“Memoirs on the Road”). During the concert he encouraged those present to participate in the World March for Peace so that one day no human being will be struck down for any reason – “it’s a dream, but it will come true!”

In a meeting at the Forum Nueva Economía that President Evo Morales held this morning with Spanish businessmen, they listened to the same speech that thousands of people were able to hear the day before in Leganés. During the breakfast meeting, Morales welcomed foreign investments as long as they met Bolivian regulations.

Poor families often want their children to work in order to earn money for the family. There are employers who like child labourers in the unskilled and semi-skilled sector as child labourers are cheap and work quickly. People in society from the top to the bottom are responsible for child labour, there must be a collective will power to stop child exploitation.

Last April, World March organizers and Meir Margalit, councilman of the Meretz´s political party, agreed to build in Jerusalem a square to celebrate the World March. In the center, a six meters “green dome” will protect from the sun and circular seats will allow the place to be a “meeting point”. The square will be located between a Jewish and an Arab neighborhoods.

The WM spokesperson in Europe, Giorgio Schultze had a meeting with the “Nobel Peace Laureates”. The group will receive the World March Base Team in Berlin during the Summit that will take place on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. On this occasion, Silo has been invited to speak about the subject of “peace and nonviolence in the present moment”.

South American countries spent more than US$51billion dollars in defense in 2008, almost 30% more than last year, according to a study carried out by the Centro de Estudios Unión para la Nueva Mayoría. Military investment is to increase further following a recent military purchase and technology sharing agreement between France and Brazil.

With the upcoming special session of the UN Security Council on September 24 approaching, Abolition 2000 calls on world leaders, “to focus attention and promote tangible steps that would reduce the nuclear weapons danger, and move decisively toward a nuclear-weapon-free-world, based on the UN Secretary General’s five – point plan.”

About 776 million adults, mostly women, are illiterate, and 75 million children are outside the schools system, the UN Secretary General stressed on the occasion of World Literacy Day, and went on to explain that only education allows individuals to exercise their rights as citizens and human beings. Mr. Ban called upon all to redouble the commitment to universal literacy.

A letter aimed towards endorsers of the World March has been sent by the International Spokesperson for the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, Rafael de la Rubia, asking for people to donate kilometres to the team of people who will cover the 160,000 km of the World March. Kilometres can be donated through the internet in the official World March website.

From August 26 to 28, the XXIst United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues – one of the most important forums for dialogue on nuclear non-proliferation – took place in the Japanese city of Niigata. “The Nuclear-Armed States must lead by example by reducing their nuclear weaponry”, stated Kanat B. Saudabayev, Secretary of State of Kazakstan.