US: District of Colombia: Tops Peace Corps rankings @ 8.4 Peace Corps volunteers per 100,000 residents, the highest rate of any area

"DC-Arlington-Alexandria vicinity has 372 Peace Corps volunteers, which means it trails only the New York-New Jersey-Long Island metro area (with 393) in the sheer number of folks who serve in the corps. Peace Corps volunteers even rank among the town’s boldfacers. Former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who now heads the Motion Picture Association of America; and California Democratic Reps. SamFarr , Mike Honda and Steve Garamendi are among the organization’s alums."

'via Blog this'D.C. tops Peace Corps rankings - In the Loop - The Washington Post

Durban, South Africa: Nobel-Winning IPCC Chair Rajendra Pachauri Urges Obama to "Listen to Science" on Global Warming

"Pachauri is chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with Al Gore. "What we have done is we have increased the concentration of these greenhouse gases in the atmosphere far beyond what has taken place over the last 650,000 years," Pachauri says. "As a result, during the 20th century, we had average warming of about 0.74 degrees Celsius, sea-level rise of about 17 centimeters, and a whole range of impacts, as I mentioned, on human health, on agriculture, on ecosystems... The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report had clearly brought out that if we want to limit temperature increase to two degrees or thereabouts, two to 2.4 degrees Celsius, and if we want to do it at least cost, then emissions will have to peak no later than 2015. And we are now talking about 2020. That means the world will incur a much larger expense in reducing emissions. And in the meantime, we’ll also suffer far more serious impacts of climate change." "

'via Blog this'Nobel-Winning IPCC Chair Rajendra Pachauri Urges Obama to "Listen to Science" on Global Warming:

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'