International issues

“Thank you very much. May God bless you all.” These were the words of Benedict XVI as he received the gift delivered to him by the delegation of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, which, having left Wellington in New Zealand on October 2, with numerous legs in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, arrived at Vatican City to be received by the Pope.

Silo, the founder of Universalist Humanism and the inspiration behind the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, addressed the 10th Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. His talk, “The Meaning of Peace and Nonviolence in the Present Moment,” spoke to the possibility of constructing a Universal Human Nation founded upon a culture of active nonviolence.

Numerous volunteer organizers promoting the World March for Peace and Nonviolence arrived in Berlin from throughout Europe and the world to attend the Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. These World March promoters will participate in an international meeting, November 10 from 5 to 11 pm in beautiful Café-Restaurant *Kalkscheune*, at Johannisstraße 2, the city center of Berlin.

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.

Today a delegation of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence Balkan team had a meeting with Stjepan Mesić, President of Croatia. During the meeting he was presented with the documents of the World March and asked to read and endorse the Nobel Laureates Charter for a World without Violence. “There’s no one more in favour of peace than I am”.

As the World March for Peace and Nonviolence reaches Bosnia and Herzegovina on day 8 of its Balkans tour the March was welcomed by Presidency Chairman Željko Komšić and by the city Mayor, Alija Behmen. Accompanying the March at the start of its procession through the 16th century streets around Baščaršija square, Sarajevo, Komšić wished the March all the best.

Prague, November 3, 2009. Thousands of people have gathered in Prague’s Wenceslas Square to participate in the biggest event in the country organized as part of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. It was the last and the biggest event that concluded a three day stay of members of the World March’s Base Team in the Czech Republic.

The World March on day 6 of its tour through the Balkans arrives in Kosovo, coinciding with the arrival of Bill Clinton who is in town to receive the thanks of the Kosovan people. World March organisers and nonviolence activists denounced the wars in the Balkans as being manipulated by outside forces driven by selfish interests rather than the good of the people.

The World March for Peace and Nonviolence is soon to arrive in the Czech Republic. On the occasion, among other things, a conference will be held at the Senate and a Peace Party, of multicultural content, will fill Prague’s largest square. The base team, which Lucie Fialová of the Czech Republic joined for the European stage, will arrive in Prague on November 1.

Invited by the Danish section of the international organisation “Peace Alliance” to a conference on Peace in Copenhagen, representatives of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence acknowledged and supported the creation of a Ministry for Peace such as already exist in Costa Rica, Nepal and the Solomon Islands.