Press Releases

Alicia, Pasqual and Albert were kidnapped by Al Qaeda in Southern Mauritania on the 29th of November 2009. They were travelling in the Solidarity Caravan, organised by the Barcelona Solidarity Action association, transporting support material for projects which are being carried out by 36 Catalan associations in Morocco, Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal. They were freed today.

The Convergence of Cultures calls for urgent action to help refugees in Libya where reports of violence have been received with authorities failing to assist the injured and making deportations to countries in humanitarian crisis. Many of the victims are men, women and children rejected by European authorities, in violation of the Geneva Convention.

Sir Richard Jolly, former Assistant General to the United Nations and co-director of UN intellectual history project, will give the Annual Erskine Childers Lecture entitled “Inequality and Millennium Development Goals.” at Friends House on Tuesday 15th June, 2010 at 6.30pm hosted by Uniting for Peace, Action for UN Renewal and World Disarmament Campaign.

On June 5, 2010, thousands of people across the world will take part in coordinated local events to mark Nuclear Abolition Day. The message is simple: it’s time for governments to begin negotiating a Nuclear Weapons Convention to ban all nuclear weapons.
In some countries, protests will take place outside government buildings or at nuclear facilities.

The traditional knowledge and practices of about 370 million indigenous peoples in 90 countries around the world are increasingly being recognized as vital for conservation of nature and efforts to combat and adapt to climate change.
Ban Ki Moon called on “governments, indigenous peoples and UN to ensure that the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples becomes a reality”.

Peace Boat’s Global Voyage will be setting sail from the port of Yokohama on April 16 (Fri) on the third Global Voyage for a Nuclear-Free World, in which ten Hibakusha will (atomic bomb survivors) will participate. During the 101 day journey until July 25, they will be visiting 22 ports in 20 countries, giving testimonies of their experiences.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament described today’s United States’ Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) as timid, with the modest advances not living up to the ambitious goals the Obama administration has set itself.
“We had hoped this review would mark a sea-change in US nuclear policy. The result is markedly disappointing”, Kate Hudson, Chair of the CND, said.

Global warming, global economic crisis, US-Japan alliance, nuclear proliferation, poverty – the 21st century world is now facing multiple crises requiring global solutions. With the election of a new government and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference, Japan now has the opportunity to become a world leader in dealing with the challenges of a changing world.

“The forthcoming Football World Cup in South Africa provides an opportunity both to take a fresh look at the issue of racism in sport, and to enhance sport’s tremendous potential to undermine racism, xenophobia and similar forms of intolerance in wider society”, declared Navi Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Agriculture, rural development, reforestation key to greener, more productive future.
A significant increase in national food production, rural employment and reforestation are the keys to a greener, more productive Haiti, said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf during a four-day visit to the country to launch with the government the critical spring planting season.