Asia

Base team members did not travel to South Korea in vain. Thanks to their visit to this country known as the “Land of Morning Calm”, this is the first time that foreigners have set foot in the zone marking the border between the two countries, called the “demilitarized zone” or “DMZ”, a buffer zone surrounded by the highest concentration of armed forces in the world.

The 20 marchers arrived in New Delhi on October 12 to honour several meetings in various provinces of India. After a long march to New Delhi, where the base team was received by Tara Gandhi Bhattacharji, Ghandi’s grand-daughter, the group split up to go to Bombay, Amritsar, Chennai and Trichur (in the province of Kerala).

The call for peaceful and nonviolent election in Basilan, Philippines took on a new face as local and international peace groups and government agencies launched the Zero Violence in 2010 Campaign last October 7 at the Basilan State College Gymnasium, Isabela City, Basilan. The launching coincided with the World March for Peace and Non-violence arrival to The Philippines.

Members of the base team marched alongside Bangladeshis in Dhaka. The event was organized within the framework of the University of the Capital by the association “World without Wars” and other members of the humanist movement. To mark the occasion, a press conference was held attended by some twenty journalists and numerous spectators.

In front of the monument dedicated to the great Philippine national hero, pacifist José Rizal, Mayor Alfredo S. Lim declared Manila’s support for peace and non-violence and symbolically offered the keys to the city to Rafael de la Rubia, president of World Without Wars, organizer of the three-month-long march for peace that will circle the world.

North Korea says it is prepared to return to six-party talks on its nuclear programme as long as the US agrees to bilateral meetings first to improve “hostile relations” between the two countries. The US says it wants to restart negotiations to convince North Korea to end its nuclear programme. A planned visit by special US negotiator Stephen Bosworth is expected this month.

The World March for Peace and Non-Violence definitely experienced one of its emotional highpoints on the morning of October 7th. The base team members were invited to attend the formation, before their very eyes, of the largest human peace sign, executed to perfection by over 12,000 students from schools in the town of Lucena, in the south of the Philippines.

India has a high commitment to internationalism. Mahatma Gandhi had desired India to come forward for the establishment of a worldly order dedicated to peace and prosperity. This gigantic task could be considered to be her responsibility. India must come forward for the establishment of a true and real internationalism, and become ideal for others in the world.

Given the rise of religious fundamentalism and blatant attacks on minorities especially minority women.  There is widespread practices of discrimination and social exclusion of women from Dalit (untouchable) communities, despite constitutional guarantees of equality and decades of targeted interventions by government. 

James Elder, an Australian national, was appointed spokesperson for the United Nations children’s fund (UNICEF) in July last year. He appeared regularly on television and radio news, as well as in print media, discussing the plight of children caught up in Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war. He has now been accused by the government of doing propaganda in support of the LTTE.