Africa

In a historical ceremony, a Peace Torch was passed from the Liberian delegation of the World March for Peace and Non Violence, to the delegation of the same World March of Sierra Leone on the Mano River Union Bridge, the border between the two countries, were participants gathered on both sides to allow this important gesture.

A novel idea favouring children has become a reality now that the Namibian Ministry of the Interior and Immigration has established an office in the maternity wing of Windhoek’s main public hospital. This initiative, supported by UNICEF, is designed to ensure that every child born in the hospital receives a birth certificate.

The new sponsor of the World March in Benin, Martin Assogba, President of the Association Against Racism, Ethnocentrism, and Regionalism , declared: “In the same way that we fought against slavery, we are now fighting for an end to war and for the abolition of nuclear weapons”. Mr Assogba equally stated that he will be at the head of the huge Caravan on the 26th December 2009.

The spokesman for the World March in France, Alain Ducq, went to Abidjan to adjudicate the March’s mission during a conference at an Ivorian university and television station where he invited the President of the Republic, Laurent Gbagbo, to support the *Charter for a World Without Violence*, drafted by Nobel Peace Laureates.

On October 19th, 20th, and 21st, humanist workers from the COHUB association (Cercle des Ouvriers Humanistes) in Benin participated in the 2009 Civil Society Days (JOSC), where they won the Achievement Prize for their presentation and campaign implemented within the framework of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence.

The Project involves the planting of trees along a 7000 kilometer east-west extension from Dakar, the capital of Senegal, to Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, to reduce the impact of desertification. Senegal has called upon the international community to support the “Great Green Wall” project that will contribute to environmental protection.

On October 4, the Moroccan capital, Rabat, became a platform for the launch of World March for Peace and Non-violence. During this extraordinary day, the entire city saw a march of residents, associations, artists and elected representatives who wanted to give a public demonstration of their commitment to a world without violence and war.

Nearly 1000 people belonging to various ethnic groups involved in conflict of civil war last year, today walked together united in peace and non-violence in Kisumu, a city located on the banks of Lake Victoria. Leading the march walked those who suffer most from violence in the world: Children.

Among the official ceremonies for Peace Day, and by invitation of the Government of Zambia, the World March for Peace and Nonviolence has been officially announced. During the opening ceremony for the March, the Minister of Information and Communications and the African country’s Representative to the United Nations have publicly joined this inaugural global march.

Noufou Tiendrebeogo, President of the Muslim Student’s Association AEEMB which includes more than 100,000 members, explained: “We are becoming a member of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence because the promotion of peace (the root of the word Islam) is the very essence of the Muslim religion and the sine qua non for development”.