South America

Peruvian President Alan García has been accused by the Executive Director of Peru’s Association for Human Rights (APRODEH), Miguel Jugo Viera, of trying to force the Police to use their weapons to repress popular protests. During 2009 Peru has been witness already to 52 cases of people assassinated in protests in the country.

From August 26 to 28, the XXIst United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues – one of the most important forums for dialogue on nuclear non-proliferation – took place in the Japanese city of Niigata. “The Nuclear-Armed States must lead by example by reducing their nuclear weaponry”, stated Kanat B. Saudabayev, Secretary of State of Kazakstan.

The Governor of the province of Mendoza, Celso Jaque, in a document of adhesion to the World March for Peace under the auspices of the World Without Wars Foundation, appealed to people to “unite in a commitment to work for freedom, dialogue, equality, respect and justice, and to achieve peace. May this be an opportunity for light to dispel the shadows that cloud our future”.

A study published by the University of Heidelberg reveals the gap between the media-generated image of war and the nature of the actual conflicts. Although the Second World War ended with great aspirations for world peace, since that time the total number of world conflicts has risen in a moderate, but constantly upward, curve.

Celso Jaque, the governor of the Argentine province of Mendoza, has signed the Provincial Declaration of Interest in the World March for Peace and Non-Violence. The government’s backing was announced in the Official Gazette on Monday, June 8th. The global journey’s completion will be commemorated with a ceremony in Punta de Vacas Park, Mendoza, on January 2nd of 2010.

The National Professional Football Association, (ANFP), represented by Harold Mayne Nicholls, has signed an agreement with the World Without Wars and Violence Organization, committing itself to disseminating, through the football matches associated with the second phase of the National Championships, the international activity of the World March for Peace and Non-violence.

The United Nations General Assembly awarded President Evo Morales a medal and scroll, naming him “Global Defender of Mother Earth”. The ceremony took place at the Palacio Quemado, the presidential palace in La Paz. The honor was bestowed after the Bolivian president’s tireless efforts before the United Nations defending the environment and natural resources.

The United Nations (UN) is en route to its renovation because its current structure doesn’t respond to worldwide reality, declared to the ABI the president of this organization, Miguel D’Escoto, who was in Bolivia to hand to President Evo Morales a parchment in which he was declared by the international organization “World Hero of Mother Earth”.

Miramar is a coastal resort where thousands of Argentinians choose to spend their summer vacations. It is located 50 km from the world-renowned city of Mar del Plata. Its Mayor, Patricio Hogan, recently joined in supporting the proposals of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence and committed to promote the global initiative against violence throughout his municipality.

Renowned Columbian singer Juanes, winner of five Grammy awards, requested permission from the Cuban government to put on a concert for peace in September, along with other Latino artists such as Juan Luis Guerra, Silvio Rodríguez, and Spain’s Miguel Bosé. The idea has met with some resistance from vocal antihumanists based in Miami.