Region

US State Department advisers have recommended the removal of former Honduran president Manuel Zelaya to be considered a coup. If the Secretary of State follows the advice, the step could cut off tens of millions of dollars. Foreign ministers agreed not to recognize the result of a presidential election set for November unless Mr Zelaya is first restored to power.

Minister of Education, Dr. Leonardo Garnier Rímolo, demonstrates his support endorsing and organizing activities in the file of education for the World March. Dr. Rímolo considers the the March to be of great interest to the country, “Education for Nonviolence”, especially the elements that can be incorporated in the Costa Rican curriculum, is very useful in this moment.

Former President Jimmy Carter and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu visited the construction sites of the Israeli separation wall in the West Bank and criticized Israel’s settlements in the region. Carter and Tutu are both part of The Elders, an organization of former global leaders trying to pressure Israel and the Palestinians to relaunch peace talks.

The commander of the UN-African Union peacekeeping force in the Sudanese region of Darfur, Rodolpho Adada, says the mission has been a success. He says there are no longer any major bloodbaths and the conflict has diminished. Mr Adada does not deny that the region is plagued by instability; however, he says that ordinary bandits are the major cause of the troubles.

High school students of St. Paul College of Pasig City form and document human peace and nonviolence signs as part of their preparation to the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. This is an anticipation of the “Million Human Signs for Peace” campaign which officially starts on September 21 (International Day of Peace) promoted by Genevieve Kupang.

At the summit of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to be held in the city of Bariloche, Argentina, Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia, will propose a continental referendum on the establishment of US military bases in Colombia. In recent declarations he has called for a defence of the interests of Latin American peoples.

Two days from the start of the UNASUR meeting in Buenos Aires, where a regional interest in dealing with the US military presence in Colombia has been announced, President Chavez is preparing to sever relations with Colombia. President Evo Morales has expressed his opposition in a different manner by stating that “we must save Colombia from this intervention”.

If the world military expenditure were distributed between all the people living at this moment on the planet, each one would receive US$146,40.
Theses numbers will probably attract youngers’ attention but they are not less shocking for adults. Figures as such can be found at the educational booklets created by Margaux Verdier and Henry de Boisseguin, for Montreal students.

An attempt to mediate in Honduras by the Organization of American States (OAS) is being resisted by the interim government of Honduras. The OAS sent a delegation of top officials to negotiate the return of the ousted president Manuel Zelaya. The OAS proposed Tegucigalpa to install a government of national unity with Manuel Zelaya at its head until the November elections.

Peace proponent Cindy Sheehan calls all peace leaders to come sail with her aboard ‘SS Camp Casey’ anchored in Martha’s Vineyard for a shipboard peace summit from August 27 to 29. Cindy, who is sometimes referred to by the media as “the peace mom” lost her son Casey in the Iraq War when he was killed in action on April 4, 2004.