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Chilean Tomas Hirsch, reference for new humanism in Latin America, spoke in the closing event of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence celebrated on January 2, 2010. Hirsch took the opportunity giving testimony of his experience marching in Latin America and spoke about the growing consciousness there with inspiring images of the future activities of the Humanist Movement.

A Rwandan inquiry has concluded that radical Hutus were responsible for the death of President Juvénal Habyarimana in an airplane crash in 1994. The assassination triggered a genocide that killed around 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. After hearing over 500 witnesses, the commission that conducted the probe says the President was shot down by soldiers within his own army.

The Portuguese parliament has passed a law that legalises same-sex marriage, becoming the sixth country in Europe to do so.

The bill proposed by the Socialist government was backed by other left wing parties and rejected by the centre-right opposition. The law gives gay marriages the same rights as heterosexual marriages, including those on taxes, inheritance and housing.

Almost 26 years after its founding, the International Humanist Party, which proclaims “active nonviolence” as its method of action, began a new phase with a global meeting. At the Park of Study and Reflection at Punta de Vacas members of Humanist Parties from all over the world converged. Exchanges were conducted and a short term plan was defined.

Taking place in Punta de Vacas Park of Study and Reflection (Argentina), in the context of restructuring of the Humanist Movement, the organization Convergence of Cultures held a meeting setting the new stage of the organization based on establishing dialogue among cultures and denouncing discrimination. An international forum in Istanbul was announced for December.

Today, a meeting was held by the Community for Human Development, an international humanist association that undertakes sociocultural activities, which through the new worldwide campaign ‘10,000 volunteers for active nonviolence’, intends to continue the activities initiated during the World March for Peace and Nonviolence.

In a few hours the international team of the World March will finalize their journey, which started in New Zealand on October 2nd, and went all over the world asking for nuclear disarmement. Thousands of people, coming from the five continents are coming to the Park of Study and Reflection “Punta de Vacas”, located in the Andes, at the foot of Aconcagua.

After traveling 200 thousand kilometers, the international team of the World March arrived today, January 2, at the Park of Study and Reflection Punta de Vacas in Argentina. Close to 20,000 people heard the representatives of the World March from Chile, Argentina, India, Italy, the Philippines, Spain and England that circled the globe calling for nuclear disarmament.

At the foot of Mount Aconcagua on the border between Argentina and Chile, there was a diverse and multicultural New Year celebration. A greeting in 18 languages was led by Silo: “For us and for all human beings, let us anticipate the embrace of Peace, Force and Joy,” read the final sentence of the message. Attending the event were about 1500 people.

On Saturday, January 2nd a grand finale of the World March for Peace will take place. It will begin at 18 hours (Argentine time), with the testimonies from the international team that did the planetary march. There will be a direct transmission through the internet. The international media that can not be present at the Park will also be able to do internet interviews.