International issues

Before travelling to attend ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I dwelled on what would be the priorities for pacifists today. To find answers, I asked myself what would be the most brutal violence against human beings? The image of the detonation of a nuclear bomb over a population living in any city around the world.

In his address to the UN-sponsored International Media Seminar on Peace in Middle East, held July 27 to July 28, with coverage by Pressenza, the UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon encouraged “creativity and engagement of the media and of the international community” in promoting conflict resolution between Palestine and Israel.

The Obama administration’s special envoy to Sudan is calling for a major shift in U.S. policy towards the Sudanese government. In May 2007, the Bush administration imposed economic and other sanctions against Sudan, because of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. In the Darfur conflict, due to violence and disease, UN estimates 400.000 people killed and 2 millions displaced.

Confirming the May’s announcements, British forces will end the 3,700 troops withdrawal from Iraq by the end of July, this Friday, ending their more than six years as an occupying force. Iraqi lawmakers blocked a vote on an agreement that would have allowed 100 British troops to remain in Iraq beyond the Friday deadline.

With the slogan “United for global consciousness in defense of peace”, the Community for Human Development, World Without Wars, the Humanist Center of Studies, and the support of the Defense of the People, held an official presentation Tuesday, July 21 of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence with more than 100 countries participating, now including Panama.

The Obama administration took major steps this week toward helping several major US defense contractors sell sophisticated US arms and nuclear technology to India. Increased US-India nuclear cooperation is stoking fears the US is escalating India’s arms race with Pakistan. Both states are declared nuclear states endangering the regional situation.

India presented on Sunday the first of five nuclear powered submarines that it plans to produce, with its energy source being an 85 megawatt nuclear reactor which can generate a speed of 44 kilometres per hours underwater. The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh called it an “historic milestone in the country’s defence preparedness.”

Raila Odinga, Prime Minister of Kenya, drew attention to the injustice of military spending when the money could be better spent on eradicating poverty and disease.

The Prefecture of the Pontifical Household confirmed that the Pope will receive members of the Peace March in a general audience on the coming 11th of November. The members of the base team who start in New Zealand on the 2nd of October will have travelled through Oceania, Asia and Europe before presenting their proposals for nuclear disarmament and nonviolence before the Vatican.

Organisers of the World March in Ghana today highlighted the issue of the Treaty of Pelindaba to the Deputy Speaker of parliament who promised to investigate and see what could be done to ratify it as soon as possible.