ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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For Progress and Obstacles, see international report by Pathways to Peace which makes an annual report of Peace Day activities, from which the following is taken:
SPECIAL EXTENDED REPORT FROM UNDP: Capacity Building For Conflict Transformation & Peace Building Project
Capacity
Building For Conflict Transformation & Peace Building Project,
UNDP, celebrated the International Day of Peace in Juba (the South of
Sudan). The celebration opened with devotions from the Holy Bible and
the Holy Quaran. More than 1000 people from Government, the UN
Agencies/ NGOs, Police Band and general spectators attended the
occasion, which received extensive media coverage. The Master of
ceremony commented on the significance and origins of the occasion,
first celebrated in the year 1981, secondly in Khartoum in 2001/2002,
and in 2003 at displaced camps in Khartoum, and now celebrated in Juba,
September 22nd 2004. This occasion offered a welcomed cessation of
violence and conflicts throughout the world and the related importance
of achieving the broadest possible awareness and observance of the
International Day of Peace amongst the global community by alleviating
tension, poverty and causes of conflict. The programme included many
important speakers, such as:
A women’s union representative, who
indicated her organization stood behind Peace and appealed to the
concerned authorities (Government and the UN) to bring Peace to the
people of the Sudan in general and Southern Sudan, in particular.
A
Southern Women’s Peace Group Representative explained the aims of the
Agency: to achieve sustainable Peace, development, and promotion of
women in the Peace initiative process; to have a country where justice
and Peace prevailed, human rights and social rights were respected, and
a country where all participate in decision-making on issues that
affected their lives. The Agency’s implementation includes political
leaders, the government, grass roots, and mobilizing international
support and recognition of all Sudanese people towards the achievement
of justice, equality, sustainable Peace, and human development. The
representative defined Peace as "love, unity, solidarity, justice, and
freedom of movement." She pointed out that Peace was at the door, and
that people should not forget the last 15 years events when 1.5 million
people died during the war, leaving widows & orphans who need
assistance from Government, NGO’s and the UN agencies. She
stressed the concern for the Sudanese people in Darfour who had
witnessed and experienced the effect of war, and urged the achievement
of Peace, so as to enroll the vagrant children in schools. She
expressed her happiness with the current freedom of movement of women
from Juba when they travel to cultivation areas and collection of
firewood without harm. She concluded by asking people to pray hard for
Peace.
The Representative of the Chiefs asked the UN Agencies
"to initiate more programmes focusing on children and agriculture". He
also suggested that agencies should contribute much to provide
essential food and non-food items for the war-affected citizens because
of low production from a regional dry spell.
Several traditional
dances participated including the Kuku Tribe, Bari Groups, Lokoya
Traditional Dance, and Kakwa Traditional Dances.
A Civil Society
Network Representative said his agency’s network started in 2001 as one
committee and, by now, helped create thousands of Peace committees in
the Sudan. He stressed the importance of working collectively within
Sudan and neighboring countries to build Peace, so as to achieve
permanent Peace, and create programmes for building capacity of Peace,
human rights and transparency to build Peace.
The Acting
Minister of Social Affairs highlighted the importance of this Peace Day
for everyone. He also outlined the following as the common issues
facing the developing countries: no investment; no developmental
projects; lack of employment; no improved housing; lack of food and
non-food supplies; lack of drugs for animals and lack of agricultural
implements. However, the Acting Minister felt that the UN distribution
mechanism in the Government and SPLA-controlled areas are not the same.
It was also felt that the UN provides more assistance to the
SPLA-controlled area.
Speech by H.E. Minister for Peace (CCSS):
He stated that the whole world today is celebrating the International
Peace Day, the intention being to mobilize world public opinion to
promote the ideals of Peace and to give positive evidence of their
commitment to Peace in all viable ways. He said that Southern Sudan has
only had ten years of Peace, which was the fruit of the Addis Ababa
agreement 1972-1983. The minister, acknowledging the spirit of the
International Peace Day and thanking the organizers of the celebration,
highlighted that the IGAD-sponsored peace process for Sudan was shaping
up slowly but surely and hoped that it would be implemented fully by
the time we celebrate the International Peace Day in 2005. He
concluded: "Where Peace exists, there is stability, security and rule
of law. This will not only encourage public spending on development,
but shall also provide private, local and international capital and
investment."
The Archbishop of the Catholic Church spoke, and,
although unscheduled, addressed the gathering. He criticized the work
of all UN agencies operating in emergency programs in Equatoria for not
cooperating or assisting, and having unnecessary bureaucracy within the
UN Agencies, especially in emergency issues. "No transparency from the
UN personnel and they considered themselves above the government
instead of being servants". UN Agencies officials have never visited
him, and reports of UN about the people in Juba are not accurate. He
observed that the UN assistance was not reaching the people-- its
policies do not support the process of freedom of movement.
The
Governor of Bahr Al Gebal mentioned that the problem in Darfour has
retarded the Peace process, and that the people of Juba are the most
affected. He informed the audience that discussions were under way for
the Government of the Sudan to proceed to Naivasha to resume Peace
talks on the 7th October 2004. He also supported the other speakers who
criticized the UN Agencies operating in Juba, but thanked UNICEF and
ICRC as the only successful ones. He also pointed out, "In 1972 when
agencies started operations in Equatoria, the agencies selected their
locations of operations, but this time after signing of Peace, it would
be the Government to locate where the NGO’s should operate." H.E the
Wali emphasized that the Government has the right to know the aims of
the development programmes, implementation sites and beneficiaries’
details as well as the budget. In conclusion, he thanked the UN
Secretary General for designating the 21st September every year as
International Peace Day.
H.E. the Chairman CCSS, began by
saying: "On behalf of the Revolutionary Command Council (i.e., the
Government of Khartoum) which has led us to the very day of
celebration, a very important day all over the world and in spite of
the problems faced since colonialism we hope there will be a solution
to all these, from a culture of war, to Culture of Peace". He also
condemned the work of all the UN agencies operating in Juba by saying
that the UN as a whole was very "segregative" and giving services only
to the SPLA-controlled areas. It was generally observed that the morale
of the people who took part in the ceremony was very high as everybody
was hoping for Peace. The Juba TV broadcast the whole-day programme
that evening, and local news items devoted all its time to cover
various aspects of the ceremony. The local radio broadcasted a special
programme covering the day, and included the reading of the
International Day of Peace Message by the UN Secretary-General.
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