With a symbolic activity in the Centre of Santiago, the NGO World without Wars together with the Latin America Coordinator, Tomas Hirsch, continue gathering endorsements for the worldwide activity starting this coming October. This time a strategic point in the capital’s nerve centre, Paseo Ahumada, was chosen by a group of young humanists who made a dynamic action for peace and active nonviolence dressed in overalls, trying to engage the pedestrians walking by.
“The March for Peace is a coming-together of initiatives with the creativity of the people, and we will support all the actions that are done by social, cultural and student organisations. Endorsement gathering is in full-swing,” said Tomas Hirsch, adding that work is continuing with “seminars with the armed forces, working with the government intensely for the mega-concert at the end of the year, the journey to Antarctica (during the march) and many other activities. We are organising training in colleges of communities that have endorsed the March, incorporating the themes of disarmament, peace and nonviolence.”
“In Chile the number of renowned personalities and members of the public who are understanding the importance of being able to achieve a really durable peace through the methodology of nonviolence has grown excellently,” underlined Gloria Morrison, President in Chile of World without Wars, “exemplified by Michelle Bachelet, the first head of state to endorse the march who then called on not only the social leaders of this country but also those of Latin America and the rest of the world to do likewise. Since then there have been many government ministers and mayors who have endorsed”, Morrison explained.
Such is the case of Croatian President, Stjepan Mesic, with local endorsements such as the Mayor of Santiago, Pablo Zalaquett, and the Mayor of Peñalolén, Claudio Orrego, among other politicians of an extensive list of global representatives from all spheres who are committing themselves.
The mobile endorsement action in Paseo Ahumada conincided with a protest by Defensoría del Pueblo (Public Defender) in front of the Ahumada and Cruz Verde pharmacies, calling on the public not to buy from cartel pharmaceutical companies and advocating for a change in Consumer Law. An action that, according to the March Spokesperson in Latin America has much to do with the meaning of this proposal: “It seems to me to be a significant coincidence, because it seeks to defend the people and this is above all a promotion of peace. The protest by Public Defender is a non-violent action because it implies organisation and denunciation of those who swindle the people. This is the methodology of nonviolence. And so Public Defender counts on a very great support of humanism in Chile and in the world”, added Tomas Hirsch who also called for a boycott of pharmacies who were misleading the whole country.
