Pressenza IPA

After having crossed Oceania, Asia, the Middle East, northern Europe and the Balkans, the World March for Peace and Nonviolence arrived in Italy today, where it will remain until November 12. Trieste, the first Italian stop, welcomed the March with official greetings from the Mayor and the Provincial President, and a huge symbol of peace in the evocative Piazza dell’Unità.

“Why isn’t the arms industry threatened by strike?” asks Nobel Prize laureate in Literature José Saramago, at the release of his new book “Caim” at Casa da América in Madrid. Breaking his personal rule of silence, Saramago revealed the theme of his next novel, which will question the lack of protest among arms industry employees.

An important press conference with participants such as Alena Gajdusova, First Vice-president of the Senate, Rafael de La Rubia, president of World Without Wars, and Otakar Mika, expert in nuclear arms issues. They all emphasized that it is important for countries to choose to reduce armaments and assign new roles for their armies.

The new sponsor of the World March in Benin, Martin Assogba, President of the Association Against Racism, Ethnocentrism, and Regionalism , declared: “In the same way that we fought against slavery, we are now fighting for an end to war and for the abolition of nuclear weapons”. Mr Assogba equally stated that he will be at the head of the huge Caravan on the 26th December 2009.

The Pre-parliament of the World’s Religions was held on October 22nd and 23rd in Guadalajara, Mexico with the theme “Hope: Opportunities for Religious and Spiritual Pluralism.” Representatives from all manner of religious denominations exchanged ideas. The World March for Peace and Nonviolence was present on the scene.

October 27, before departing for a European tour, singer-composer Gilberto Gil announces his support endorsing The World March for Peace and Nonviolence on its international campaign for peace and disarmament. The former Minister of Culture declares: “Peace is a daily task of construction, laying the foundation brick by brick, maybe one day it will start growing…”

War correspondent Hernán Zin, echoing the words of Gervasio Sánchez on receiving the Ortega y Gasset award, in this article condemns the military agreement to be signed by the Governments of Israel and Spain that suggests the implicit support of an occupational army (that of Israel) and a betrayal of leftist ideals by Zapatero’s Government.

A team of 15 mountaineers, who had to cope with harsh climatic conditions, managed to plant the flag of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence on Eagle’s Peak, which is the second summit of the volcano Nevado de Toluca in Mexico. The volcano is a popular reference for many legends and is a sacred place for the native peoples of the area.

Finnish President Tarja Halonen received a delegation of the World March for Peace and Non-Violence that had recently arrived from Estonia in the official presidential residence in Helsinki. Halonen expressed her public support for the March, saying, “The government of Finland supports the total elimination of nuclear arms”.

Rodrigo Carazo Odio, the former president of Costa Rica and founder of the Universidad de la Paz (University for Peace), dedicated to the instruction of professionals and academics in global peace policies and strategies, endorses the *Charter for a World without Violence* drafted by the Nobel Peace Laureates.
Costa Rica, has not had an army since 1948.