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Bolivian President Evo Morales announced that a world conference of social movements is to take place in Bolivia, as a response to the failure of the 15th Summit on Climate Change, recently held in Copenhagen.
“The problems of climate change are directly linked to the irrational development of industry,” said the president from the region of Chuquisaca.

On December 28, Peace Boat’s 68th Global Voyage for Peace will set sail from Yokohama on a 103 day, 17 port journey around the world. The voyage will take a southern route, visiting ports in Africa and Latin America, as those on board focus on global efforts to end poverty. Peace Boat sees 2010 as an important and symbolic year for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

This proposal developed by Tomás Hirsch and delivered to the President of Ecuador, Mr Rafael Correa, comes from the Humanist Movement, as the World March for Peace and Non-Violence is approaching its final destination, arriving at Punta de Vacas, at the foot of Mount Aconcagua, on border between Chile and Argentina on 2 January 2010.

A diverse group of social organizations have launched a campaign nominating the former Cuban president Fidel Castro for the Nobel Peace Prize this coming year 2010. The nomination is based on Cuba’s achievements in health, education and reduction of infant mortality, among other improvements made under Castro’s leadership.

I was standing in the queue at passport control when Rafael de la Rubia took me to one side and said quietly: “We’re hoping to introduce someone to you, the governor of this department, Antonio Navarro, the former leader of the M-19 group who was indirectly involved in the operation that took your father and several other ambassadors hostage…”

There are times when Latin American magical realism falls short in describing what has occurred, as happened on the Rumichaca bridge on the border between Colombia and Ecuador, when Juanes and Rafael de la Rubia were preparing to hand over the World March for Peace and Non-Violence flag to the Ecuadorian singer Juan Fernando Velasco.

In 2009 Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented human rights violations against migrant women, men, and children in every region of the world, publishing dozens of materials, including 14 reports. This issue is treated by the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers ratified by 42 countries since the UN adoption on December 18, 1990

From the early hours of the morning, Colombia’s national television channels were announcing the arrival of the World March to the South American continent, while the city of Bogota was waking up to the this event. Towards midday members of the international team were welcomed at the airport with dance, music and a lot of human warmth.

In Bogotá, a huge crowd, all dressed in white, took part in a 3-hour march to show their support for the World March for Peace and Non-Violence. The people of Bogotá marched to show their desire and longing to live together in peace, without the threat of violence that directly affects their families and gives such a distorted image of this warm, friendly country.

The humanist organisation ‘Convergence of Cultures’ is carrying out an international campaign for solidarity with Aminatau Haidar, the Western Saharan who has been on hunger strike in defence of the rights of her people. The campaign demands that the authorities concerned comply with both UN resolutions and human rights.