Pressenza IPA

The Municipality of Resistencia, in the Chaco province, Argentina, and the Community for Human Development, held a tree planting event as a symbolic act to demand world peace. It took place in Kohanoff Park, in the capital of the Chaco, where 20% of its inhabitants are indigenous and the humanitarian situation of the native towns they live in is catastrophic.

The bagpipes (la gaita) will leave the Galician region of Fisterra, and accompany the Base Team travelling through the towns and cities of Galicia and Portugal. It will go from Madrid to Punta de Vacas, Argentina. In each location a bagpipe player will sound it in homage to all emigrants, a Galician song to diversity, solidarity among peoples, to Peace and to Non-Violence.

In the extraordinary place where the Nile River and the arts converge in Cairo, The World March has once again achieved its objective: more than 150 people came together in the spacious concert hall of El Sawy Cultural Wheel, the cultural epicenter of this cosmopolitan city, to issue a worldwide call for peace and the construction of a culture of non-violence.

A Press conference was held at 11 am at the Culture House with the participation of several organizations, singers, actors, and public figures who have endorsed the march in Sweden. Afterward, participants played music, gave speeches and formed a symbol of nonviolence with lighted candles in Norrmalmstorg Park, chanting together in concert with the wind: “World Without War”.

Midday Friday October 2nd, pedestrians in downtown Sao Paulo leaving their offices to have lunch were surprised by the breath-taking performance of mountain-climbers Bruno Sellmer and Fábio Cascino, who with the help of their young sons, scaled the façade of the Light Shopping Mall and unfurled a 30-meter banner to launch the World March for Peace and Non-Violence in Sao Paulo.

A symbolic march through the downtown of the Argentine city Rosario by the longest flag in the world, “High in the sky”, passed through the city’s downtown in order to commemorate the inauguration of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. Students and young people went from Pringles Plaza to the National Flag Monument, where they assembled the Sign of Nonviolence.

The World March for Peace and Non-Violence started well. Beyond the hundreds of events that took place to celebrate the March, its launch will bring about a change of attitude as well. In Brazil, a historical rivalry was transformed into partnership through the commemoration of the start of the largest ever international pro-peace initiative.

The Plaza de la Democracia in Asunción, Paraguay, was the scene of an event which combined art, sport and fun to commemorate the beginning of the World March for Peace and Non Violence on 2 October. Chess was chosen because “it creates a link between people”, and was played by around 400 Paraguayan students from six colleges.

The Nonviolence Fair, held as a kickoff event for the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, took place in Cinemateque Square in Tel Aviv, Israel. The fair was organized by the group Greenpeace and the Humanist Movement, together with the participation of 20 Israeli non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in different areas of nonviolence.

Nearly 1000 people belonging to various ethnic groups involved in conflict of civil war last year, today walked together united in peace and non-violence in Kisumu, a city located on the banks of Lake Victoria. Leading the march walked those who suffer most from violence in the world: Children.