Press Releases

Today, a meeting was held by the Community for Human Development, an international humanist association that undertakes sociocultural activities, which through the new worldwide campaign ‘10,000 volunteers for active nonviolence’, intends to continue the activities initiated during the World March for Peace and Nonviolence.

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.

In this note, we reproduce the homage given by members of the international team of the World March for Peace and Non-violence to President Rodrigo Carazo, who died as a result of a heart condition days before being able to welcome the team in his country, Costa Rica. The career of Rodrigo Carazo places him among Latin American Humanist leaders.

Rafael de la Rubia, international spokesman for the World March for peace and non-violence, wanted to celebrate the International Day for Human Rights. He is doing so from El Salvador, where he is currently with the World March Base Team. In a press release, he proposes that the right to peace be considered a human right.

On Aug. 27, the SS Oceanic departed Yokohama on its 107 day journey around the world visiting 20 different countries during its global voyage for peace. Among the 500 participants on board are 10 Hibakusha (Atomic Bomb Survivors) from Hiroshima and Nagasaki who have shared testimonies with people around the world. On Dec. 11 the ship returns from the global voyage.

Manuel Zelaya criticized the position of various governments, among them the United States, for supporting the efforts to “whitewash” the coup d’etat of June 28. In a letter to presidents of the Americas, to the OAS and to the UN, Zelaya referred to the countries that recognized the election carried out in Honduras under the de facto regime.

During November 156 new members joined the movement of local authorities
demanding the elimination of all nuclear weapons by 2020. As of December
1st Mayors for Peace counts 3,396 member cities and municipalities in
134 countries and regions. This latest sharp increase of members is an
encouragement for Mayors for Peace.

The Region of the Casamance has activated itself for peace and nonviolence: on November the 14th, 15th and 16th different humanists associations have realized a lot of initiatives in the towns of Oussouye and Bignona, involving the local institutions and the population, and the 22nd the World March for the Peace and Nonviolence has reached Ziguinchor, chief town of the Region

The World March for Peace and Nonviolence was welcomed to Rabat by Siba, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and by Dermolini, the Secretary General for Youth. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Popular Movement, a party which includes many former members of the resistance who chose peace as the only method for conflict resolution.

The three-day World Summit on Food Security ended today after committing the international community to investing more in agriculture and to eradicating hunger at the earliest date. FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf, who hosted the event, said the Summit marked “an important step towards the achievement of our common objective – a world free from hunger”.