Redacción Madrid

By Aaron Elberg, from Jerusalem At some point, the fire will cease. Maybe in a couple of days, maybe a couple of weeks, but at some point the uproar of the cannons and the missiles will quiet. Until that time…

Following the report in Pressenza yesterday about the elderly couple in Majorca who committed suicide under pressure from their debts we report on social demonstrations taking part in Spain tomorrow.  The Platform of Mortgage Holders and groups of 15M (The…

The movement “Real Democracy Now” has remained small, and has transformed into “Take the Plaza!”. It has declared that it is political, but non-partisan. It has extended through all of Spain, to more than thirty European cities and to parts of Latin America. We are publishing the information that the organization has sent to us about who they are, as well as their objectives.

The actions of **Real Democracy Now!** monopolize the news, the front pages of newspapers, the debates on the radio. While some are accused of subverting the old order, others try to build bridges to be voted on themselves by the ‘outraged’. A nonviolent revolution has begun to take shape, say participants in these gatherings.

The humanist organisation ‘Convergence of Cultures’ is carrying out an international campaign for solidarity with Aminatau Haidar, the Western Saharan who has been on hunger strike in defence of the rights of her people. The campaign demands that the authorities concerned comply with both UN resolutions and human rights.

On his stop in Spain, Bolivia’s Foreign Minister, David Choquehuanca, asked for the vote of Bolivians residing there. He listed before the press the domestic accomplishments achieved by the government of Evo and the improvements for Bolivians living abroad. Regarding the future, he made clear the next big challenge for the coming years: the industrialization of the country.

The World March for Peace and Non-Violence base team was festively greeted by local organising teams at the Barcelona airport. Later, a delegation participated in various receptions held in Barcelona’s City Hall, the Generalitat (Catalonia’s autonomous government), and the Parliament of Catalonia. The Charter for a World without violence was given to Catalonian authorities.

Various events marked the Base Team’s first day in Madrid upon their arrival from Barcelona, including a meeting with the press, an honorary ceremony at the monument for the 11th of March victims, and a demonstration full of color and rhythm along main avenues. Thousands of people and diverse groups marched for peace and non-violence.

Humanist activists change the names of several streets in Malaga from those of military figures from the Spanish civil war. The names chosen for temporary “substitution” have been key non-violence figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi or the generic “Non-violence Avenue”. This action is part of the introductory discourse from the arrival of the World March in Malaga.

Rajagopal, founder of Ekta Parishad, a movement that promotes non-violent struggle in favor of the landless in India, is currently touring Europe. In Madrid, he held a meeting with various organizations to share information and create a network of support for his initiatives, aimed at making legal changes to assist the poorest segments in Indian society.