South America

“Representing all the Women, Boys, Girls, Elderly Women and Men of the world who are suffering daily violation of their rights, I shall present my message of faith, hope and peace for all human beings and I shall also be flying the World March flag on 01/01/2010 from the highest possible habitation in the world, Monte Aconcagua (6.962msnm.)”.

A huge stage, right in the centre of Santiago, interrupted the usual routine of the street sellers and passers by, who every Friday fill the main pedestrian island of the capital. All got the chance to sing for peace and nonviolence, including lots of young people but also officials, passers by and ladies with shopping bags.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stressed Brazil would not recognize the Honduran election results as legitimizing the process to ensure a serious president for Latin America. “Brazil does not have to rethink the situation in Honduras”, da Silva added, highlighting the need for one´s position to remain firm, serving as a warning to anyone else harboring similar notions.

Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation, and it is perhaps the most pervasive. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development and peace. *Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan*

The popular singer-songwriter, León Gieco, at the Festival for the 127th anniversary of the city of La Plata (capital of the province of Buenos Aires) wore the sweatshirt of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. At the “birthday” concert, held in Plaza Moreno, 10 other groups put on a show for an audience of a hundred thousand people.

In Calera de Tango, on 13 & 14 November, the contemporary art group GAC Grupo de Arte Contemporáneo, made up of youths from the young offenders detention centre Centro Semi Cerrado de Calera de Tango, members of the National Service for Minors, painted a mural alluding to the World March for Peace, under the supervision of their monitors; Patricio Celis and Gabriel González.

Under a burning sun, 700 young graffiti artists and muralists devoted themselves to the visual representation of their ideas on peace, nuclear disarmament, and the rejection of violence. The activity, promoted by World Without Wars, took place over a period of three days, until all 1,800 meters of the wall, located in a town in the foothills of Santiago de Chile, were covered.

Representatives of the honourable municipal council of Moreno, in the province of Buenos Aires, gave Silo the title of ‘Guest of Honour’ of the municipality. The authorities also invited the founder of Universalist Humanism to participate in a caravan for non-violence that will take place on December 27th and will pass through various spots in Moreno.

Exactly one year ago, Pressenza was relaunched as an international press agency exclusively dedicated to peace and non-violence. The place and the occasion could not have been more inspirational. We were in the Park for Study and Reflection in Punta de Vacas, on the mountain frontier between Argentina and Chile for the symposium “Ethics in Knowledge”.

Activists from all over the world participated in Climate Action Day events that ranged from a human sun symbol to a show of flags from mountaintops. They called for an exigent, fair, and binding agreement based on the most recent scientific data that would be enforced rigorously enough to meet the target of an atmospheric CO2 level of 350 ppm.