Region

To encourage even greater awareness of this important International Day, the United Nations is encouraging people around the world to send text messages for peace on or before 21 September. UN offices in several countries are organizing campaigns. Messages collected by the UN will be presented to world leaders gathering in New York for the 63rd General Assembly from 23 September.

During meeting with Rafael de la Rubia, Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, the president of the General Assembly, says that there is 100 per cent agreement with the goals of the World March

Hunger Strike at the Rafah Gate by 4 representatives of the International Movement to Open the Rafah Border (IMORB) demanding an end to the siege of Gaza which has lasted for more than two years. 1.5 million Gazans need to get food and medicines, as well as rebuild their homes after Israeli military strikes that have left the Gaza Strip decimated.

The fourth edition of the PEACE CUP will take place for the first time outside of Korea. This year the tournament will happen in Spain with the participation of Real Madrid, Olympique Lyonnais, Oporto, Aston Villa and Liga de Quito among other clubs.

The Brazilian President, in an official visit yesterday to Kazakhstan, advocated for international disarmament initiatives, including nuclear weapons.

The president of the World Peace Council, Socorro Gomes, in an exclusive interview for Pressenza talks about the current campaigns of her organization and demands the withdrawal of troops from invaded countries and the end to military bases.

United States envoy George Mitchell called Tuesday for a “prompt resumption” of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, saying regional support for President Barack Obama has boosted peace prospects.

*”We all share an obligation to help create the conditions for the prompt resumption and the early conclusion of negotiations,”* the special Middle East envoy said.

Mitchell, speaking at his first press conference in Washington since his appointment in January, gave no time-frame but hoped his preliminary discussions aimed at reviving the negotiations would conclude in a matter of weeks.

Adopted by the UN in 1996, the treaty can only come into force when 44 specific countries who at the time of negotiations had nuclear technology have ratified it. China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States have yet to do so although during the US election campaign Obama said, “As president, I will reach out to the Senate to secure the ratification of the CTBT at the earliest practical date.”

On Capitol Hill, the Democratic House leadership is pressuring antiwar Democrats to support a $106 billion supplemental war funding bill. In May, fifty-one antiwar Democrats opposed an earlier version of the bill.

Former President Jimmy Carter has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of setting up new obstacles to peace with the Palestinians. On Sunday, Netanyahu said for the first time he could accept a two-state solution, but only if the new Palestinian state had no army and no control of its airspace and borders. Jimmy Carter spoke during a stop in Jerusalem.