Colombia: No more war! Yes to life, yes to peace

"President Juan Manuel Santos, who backed the march, is facing increased pressure from Colombians to seek an end to the conflict that has killed tens of thousands over the decades. Responsible for some of the harshest blows against the FARC, including killing the group's leader Alfonso Cano last month, Santos has expressed willing to hold peace talks if the Marxist rebels stop kidnapping, lay down their weapons and cease attacks on civilians and the military. While the FARC has refused, Cano had hinted before his death that dialogue was the only way forward. "It's not just the government calling for peace, it's all of Colombia," Santos said at the start of the demonstration. "The people are sick of violence." More than a decade of U.S.-backed strikes against the FARC has severely weakened the rebels and limited their ability to launch attacks on the nation's economic infrastructure, attracting billions of dollars in foreign investment. But the group remains a formidable part of the conflict, which strips as much as 1 percent from the economy each year."

'via Blog this' read more: Colombians protest at FARC executions, call for peace | Reuters:

Update: Afghanistan: French human rights activist trying a new way to break the cycle of violence thru yoga and meditation

""In thirty years of war, we've tried everything and nothing has worked," said Amandine Roche, who believes it is better to try to rid the mind of vengeful thoughts than to disarm a fighter at gunpoint. Her organization, the Amanuddin Foundation, aims to promote nonviolence by teaching techniques of calm. Volunteering since February as she searches for funds, she has given classes at which she demonstrates yoga and meditation to men, women, children, police officers, soldiers and former Taliban insurgents. "It's a new solution to an old problem. War starts in the minds of men, so peace starts in the minds of men. You cannot bring peace with the means of war, it's as simple of that." The most recent conflict, which started with the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban government in 2001, has killed thousands of soldiers and civilians, and cost tens of billions of dollars. According to United Nations figures, 2011 is the most violent year since the war began: all signs, Roche argues, that the Western military and diplomatic effort isn't working."

'via Blog this' Can yoga and meditation help bring peace to Afghans? | Reuters:

Philippines: It is Mindanao where the barangay justice system is most important

At the gathering called BJP End of Congress held the other day in Davao City, the LGUs of Maguindanao, Tawi-tawi, Davao del Sur, Cotabato, Saranggani, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay have donated almost P8 million pesos for the expansion of BJP activities, especially in the barangays where the impact is still not felt. BJP is a 2-year program under the Mindanao Peace and Development Program of US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), and is implemented by the Gerry Roxas Foundation. It aims to reduce violent conflicts in Mindanao barangays and strengthen alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in the barangays. After two years, the program was able to train and mobilize not less than 3,000 barangay justice advocates all over their target municipalities and cities, and have resolved roughly 11,000 community conflicts. Gloria Steele, USAID Mission Director expressed her appreciation for the commitments made by the LGUs representatives to sustain and replicate the program."

'via Blog this'[PIA News] Mindanao LGUs commit to bring community peace in more barangays:Gloria Steele, USAID Mission Director expressed her appreciation for the commitments made by the LGUs representatives to sustain and replicate the program.

“I have worked for USAID for almost 30 years, and we have always wondered if anything that we have started will ever be sustained. This is the first time that I hear, straight from the officials that they will continue a project,” Steel said.

Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo also noted during the congress that in the entire Philippines, it is Mindanao where the barangay justice system is most important.

“A peaceful nation can move forward faster, we hope that more barangays can benefit from this kind of program,” he added.

One of the highlights of the congress is the oath taking of the Mindanao Consortium for Barangay Justice Advocates, which serves the sustainability strategy of the BJP program. This consortium was organized by the Gerry Roxas Foundation in partnership with the 8 LGU partners.

“Let us rally behind each other to achieve piece. They have already started something, let’s continue it,” encouraged MinDA Chair Luwalhati Antonino.

Antonino said that programs such as BJP is a beautiful legacy that people, especially government officials should support and replicate. (MinDa)

UN: Security Council will hold Session on Kosovo and Metohija in New York on Tuesday; it will be attended by Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić

"In the report released early November, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over the deterioration of the security situation in Kosovo, stressing that the number of violent incidents affecting Serbs increased after the attempt by Kosovo authorities to assert control at the administrative crossings in north Kosovo. He said that the Kosovo authorities attempted to deploy their unit ROSU at two administrative checkpoints in northern Kosovo, "Gate 1 (Jarinje) and Gate 31 (Brnjak)", adding that this attempt was not coordinated with the international presences. The developments in northern Kosovo during the reporting period serve as a strong reminder that the underlying, unresolved issues constitute a threat to the region's peace and stability. I am concerned not only about the deterioration of the security situation on the ground as a result of the recent developments, but also about the deterioration of inter-ethnic relations throughout Kosovo, the polarization of political positions and the widening of the gap between the communities north and south of the Ibar River, the UN secretary general said. "

'via Blog this'B92 - News - UN Security Council to discuss Kosovo:

Update: Ukraine: John La Plante now 80yrs old became Peace Corps volunteer at 77yrs old & wrote his own book about the experience

A Peace Corps Adventure At 80 - New London, CT Patch: "self-published book 27 Months in the Peace Corps: My Story, Unvarnished. LaPlante has also authored Around the World at 75; Alone, Dammit! and Around Asia in 80 Days; Oops, 83! about his other travels. LaPlante said he was interested in the Peace Corps when the organization was established in 1961 to have volunteers represent the United States and promote peace and friendship in other countries. However, a relationship and a career kept him from making the commitment. At age 77, after a career working in journalism and public relations, an ad in the newspaper caught LaPlante’s eye. The Peace Corps was looking for older volunteers. LaPlante lives in Deep River for part of the year, but was spending the winter in California when he saw the notice. He paid a visit to a local Peace Corps recruiter to learn more about the organization and volunteer requirements. After that, he had to go through a rigorous inspection process complete with fingerprinting and waiver forms, and was still unsure where he would end up if accepted. “When you join the Peace Corps, you agree to go anywhere and do anything,” he said."

'via Blog this'

Egypt: Arab Women Seek a Place in the Spring

According to the International Parliamentary Union, 6.5 percent of parliamentarians in the Arab world in 2005 were women, compared to 4 percent in 2000. Egypt, whose population of about 85 million constitutes a third of the Arab world and which hosts the MENA region’s largest parliament, had only 4 percent female representation in 2005. In an effort to facilitate women’s entry into politics, Egyptian women’s rights advocates encouraged a group of rural women to have a say in what a new domestic violence law should entail. "

'via Blog this'Arab Women Seek a Place in the Spring - IPS ipsnews.net: "

Israel & Palestine: Letter of Intention to Negotiate a Process of Reconciliation that would lead to Reunification of West Bank & Gaza into one

"Hamas and Fatah just ended another round of talks in Cairo on what they call reconciliation. Both sides are reporting that progress was made, but they have not yet reached the point of agreement on several key issues. In May of this year Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal signed an agreement orchestrated by Egyptian intelligence. Initially the deal was described as a landmark reconciliation pact aimed at ending their bitter four-year rift. In fact, the deal was essentially a letter of intention to negotiate a process of reconciliation that would lead to the reunification of the West Bank and Gaza into one territorial unit under one governing power – as was designated in the Oslo agreements. They agreed to negotiate the establishment of a government of technocrats in which there would be neither Fatah nor Hamas representation. The job of that government would be to begin the process of the reconstruction of Gaza and to prepare for new national elections for president and parliament within one year."

'via Blog this'Further from peace, closer to rec... JPost - Opinion - Columnists: