Pressenza Pressenza International Press Agency San José , 12/12/09 The current president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Oscar Arias, welcomed at his residence a delegation from the Wolrd March for Peace and Non-violence, lead by Rafael de la Rubia, Guillermo Sullings and Mario Gazel. The President received the delegation, which was accompanied by congresspersons Alexander Mora Mora and Edine Van Herold.
Oscar Arias expressed his support for the World March movement, indicating his agreement with the necessity for raising consciousness in communities in order to achieve disarmament, the abolition of armies and the general cessation of violence, and also agreeing that education is the appropriate tool for such consciousness-raising.
Guillermo Sullings, spokesperson for the Humanist Movement in Argentina, mentioned the need for beginning to disarm in Latin America in order to reverse the growth of military expenditures in the region, in addition demanding that the main powers dismantle their nuclear arsenals.
Rafael de La Rubia, spokesperson for the World March, emphasized the importance of the Costa Rican example of abolishing the army, and encouraged that country to continue being a leader internationally, so as to promote the integration of the Right to Peace in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Mario Gazel, representative of the World March in Costa Rica, expressed the importance of including Non-violence Methodology in educational curricula, and the implementation of counter disinformation campaigns as concrete measures to raise awareness of Non-violence and Peace.
The World March Base Team will continue its activities scheduled in Costa Rica, in order to travel later to Panamá, continuing its journey which will end on January 2, 2010 in Punta de Vacas, Argentina.
(Translation provided by Iuslingua LLC)
