Mid-East Peace Talks: John Kerry deserves great credit for his Mideast initiative. When Secretary of State John Kerry first waded into the muddy waters of Middle East peace, he was ridiculed and ignored. After his third trip to the region, he was called “ham-handed” and “naive.” After his fifth trip, he was accused of “Don Quixote” diplomacy. But now talks between Israelis and Palestinians are finally resuming after years of stalemate. Kerry’s quiet, dogged efforts are being celebrated. He deserves credit for sheer determination in the face of so many naysayers and skeptics....- Editorials - The Boston Globe

John Kerry deserves great credit for his Mideast initiative - Editorials - The Boston Globe: "Of course there is no guarantee that talks will actually lead anywhere. Kerry has a long road ahead if he wants a place in history as the statesman who solved this intractable problem. But Kerry has breathed new life into process that nearly everyone had abandoned." CLINK TO READ ARTICLE

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UN International Day of Peace 2013 (playlist)

How to Achieve Peace via Meditative Prayer? Ambassador Zara Jane Juan We...

African bishops urge international community to help end 'forgotton war' in The African bishops, meeting in Kinshasa, Congo, have concluded the 26th plenary meeting of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), calling upon the political leaders of the continent to work not in their own interests, but for the benefit of all the African population. They also urged the international community to help end the "forgotton war" in Congo. The theme of the plenary was 'The Church, the family of God in Africa at the service of reconciliation, justice and peace' and its aim was to adopt new pastoral orientations for reconciliation through the Gospel. The prelates, who met from 9 to 14 July, invited Africans to commit themselves urgently to the struggle for a just social order and to enable the rights proper to human dignity to be enjoyed by all, in all areas of life. They also called for an end to the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, that has been destroying the country for years and which has caused millions of deaths and serious human rights violations, in addition to the rape of thousands of women and girls. - Congo on Independent Catholic News.

African bishops urge international community to help end 'forgotton war' in Congo on Independent Catholic News: ""We cannot remain silent before a drama which appears to have been forgotten" said the bishops. "We launch an urgent appeal to the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and the governments of other countries in any way involved to take resolute action to bring an end to this war which has already lasted too long"." CLICK LINK FOR THE ARTICLE

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Troop Withdrawal From Mali - Nigeria Petitions UN Chief ....Contrary to the misconception that the Federal Government of Nigeria is withdrawing its troops from the United Nations, UN, peace-keeping force in Mali because of pressing security challenges at home, Sunday Vanguard has authoritatively learnt that the action is a protest against the UN for naming a Rwandan army general as the force commander instead of a Nigerian officer. The Rwandan is 50-year-old General Jean-Bosco Kazura and he has been appointed to command the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Nigeria's Major General Shehu Abdulkadir, who was the force commander of African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) from inception in January 2013, was said to have come out tops in the interview for the appointment of the force commander but was sidelined, a source said. This is the first time Nigeria would be unilaterally recalling its troops from any UN operations. Nigeria is the fourth largest troop contributing country under the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations - and no Nigerian has had any appointment as force commander in any of the UN peace keeping missions.

allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Troop Withdrawal From Mali - Nigeria Petitions UN Chief: "Nigeria is the fourth largest troop contributing country under the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations - and no Nigerian has had any appointment as force commander in any of the UN peace keeping missions." CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

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Abbas: 'All options open' if peace talks fail - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned in comments published Monday that "all options are open" if the U.S. fails to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The comments, Abbas' first since U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced last week that peace talks may resume for the first time in five years, may be an attempt to exert pressure on the U.S. and Israel to meet Palestinian demands on the terms of formal negotiations. Israeli and Palestinian representatives are to hold preliminary talks in Washington soon. There, the sides are to work out the final details of what Kerry portrayed as broad agreement on the framework for restarting peace talks that collapsed in 2008.- Yahoo! News

Abbas: 'All options open' if peace talks fail - Yahoo! News: "Abbas did not name his other options, but referred to last year's upgrade of the Palestinian status at the U.N. At the time, the General Assembly accepted a state of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem — lands Israel captured in 1967 — as a non-member observer state in a largely symbolic gesture.

Palestinian officials have said that in the absence of negotiations with Israel, they would seek further U.N. recognition, including membership in U.N. agencies and possible redress against Israeli policies at the International Criminal Court." CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

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"U.N. envoy to Afghanistan Jan Kubis called for peace as Muslims across the world mark the holy month of Ramadan. "Afghanistan has endured more than three decades of violence and is undergoing a political and security transition, which is vital to its future development," he said in a statement. "I take the opportunity to also call upon all parties to the conflict to respect the sanctity of this month and allow Afghan families to worship and celebrate in peace.""

U.N. calls for Afghan peace during Ramadan - UPI.com: CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

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UN Department of Peacekeeping Operation (DPKO) Hervé Ladsous pledged UN support in helping South Sudan develop into a modern state. UN peacekeeping chief, Hervé Ladsous speaks to reporters after a meeting with Jonglei state governor Kuol Manyang Juuk (left behind) who discusses with his aides in Bor on 7 July 2013 (ST) "We are very supportive to make the country a modern state with functioning institutions with full respect for human rights. This is the fundamental objective of the United Nations”, said Ladsous who was accompanied by other top officials of the peace keeping operation

UN peacekeeping chief visits Bor, pledges support to South Sudan - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan: "Ladsous said the UN’s mandate in South Sudan would soon be renewed and that the peace keeping mission will continue to monitor peace in areas where they have been deployed in the country. The UN’s head of peace keeping however said that with austerity measures in many countries around the world, the UN is facing financial challenges which he said makes it difficult for the global body to address all the challenges in South Sudan. “It is clear that the United Nation doesn’t have the means to take over all these issues immediately in this time of financial austerity in the whole world”, said Ladsous. In his briefing to the UN team, the state governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, attributed the violence in his state to poverty." CLINK LINK TO READ MORE of the article of John Actually

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"The UN is beginning its military mission in Mali by bringing 6,000 West African troops already in the country under its command. By December it will reach full strength with 12,640 uniformed personnel. The UN will take over security duties from the French forces which led an operation to oust Islamist militants from the north in January. Its first mission will be to secure the north so that Mali can hold a presidential election on 28 July."

UN peace force begins Mali operation - Updated News:
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