Pressenza IPA

The town hall of Fuenlabrada, south of Madrid, is exhibiting thirteen paintings made by students from several local schools. They are inspired by Pablo Picasso’s famous painting that portrays the horrors of war. This initiative is one of the activities developed by ‘World Without Wars and Without Violence’ during the World March for Peace and Nonviolence.

In my Reflection of January 14, two days after the catastrophe in Haiti, which destroyed that neighboring sister nation, I wrote: “In the area of healthcare and others the Haitian people has received the cooperation of Cuba, even though this is a small and blockaded country. Approximately 400 doctors and healthcare workers are helping the Haitian people free of charge.

The Obama administration will not unveil the results of a major review of United States’ nuclear weapons strategy until March 1 2010, a senior Defense Department official told Congress late last month, “Because of the complexity of the issues being addressed”. Reports reveal dissension within the Obama administration.

Doctors Without Borders, international humanitarian organisation delivering medical care and awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1999, is carrying out effective action by assisting and helping voluntarily in the city of Port au Prince, recently devastated by an earthquake. The natural and human disaster stirred compassion in numerous organisations and governments around the world.

On November 19th, President Barack Obama wrote a stirring tribute in USA Today to the most famous draft resister in US history, Muhammad Ali. On Tuesday, Obama spoke at West Point, calling for an increase of 30,000 troops into Afghanistan, with a speech that recalled the worst shadings of George W. Bush’s “war on terror.”

Taking place in Punta de Vacas Park of Study and Reflection (Argentina), in the context of restructuring of the Humanist Movement, the organization Convergence of Cultures held a meeting setting the new stage of the organization based on establishing dialogue among cultures and denouncing discrimination. An international forum in Istanbul was announced for December.

After traveling 200 thousand kilometers, the international team of the World March arrived today, January 2, at the Park of Study and Reflection Punta de Vacas in Argentina. Close to 20,000 people heard the representatives of the World March from Chile, Argentina, India, Italy, the Philippines, Spain and England that circled the globe calling for nuclear disarmament.

Bolivian President Evo Morales announced that a world conference of social movements is to take place in Bolivia, as a response to the failure of the 15th Summit on Climate Change, recently held in Copenhagen.
“The problems of climate change are directly linked to the irrational development of industry,” said the president from the region of Chuquisaca.

On December 28, Peace Boat’s 68th Global Voyage for Peace will set sail from Yokohama on a 103 day, 17 port journey around the world. The voyage will take a southern route, visiting ports in Africa and Latin America, as those on board focus on global efforts to end poverty. Peace Boat sees 2010 as an important and symbolic year for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

A diverse group of social organizations have launched a campaign nominating the former Cuban president Fidel Castro for the Nobel Peace Prize this coming year 2010. The nomination is based on Cuba’s achievements in health, education and reduction of infant mortality, among other improvements made under Castro’s leadership.