World March for Peace and Non Violence
“All we are saying …is Give Peace a Chance…” John Lennon
The World Wide March for Peace and Non Violence began in New Zealand on October 2,2009 , the anniversary of Ghandi’s birth, declarded the “ International Day of NonViolence” by the United Nations. It wrapped up 90 days later in the Andes mountains in Punta de Vacas , Argentina on January 2, 2010.
It passed through all climates and seasons, from the hot summer of the tropics and the deserts, to the winter of Siberia. A permanet base team of a hundred people of different nationalities completed the journey bringing their message of Paz , Fuerza y Alegria ( peace , strengh and joy) through the three month journey.
While the world waited for our leaders to come to some kind of agreement at the Copenhagen talks on the climate changein December this growing movement had captured the spirit and hope for change that was lacking at the end of 2009.
Universal Humanism was developed in 1969 by its founder Mario Rodríguez Cobos, or Silo. New Humanism focuses on the overcoming of pain and suffering at a personal, interpersonal and social level. It defines violence as anything that causes pain and suffering to human beings. In this way violence is seen to have many different aspects, not just the well-known physical form but also; economic, religious, psychological, sexual, ethnic, etc.
Thousands of people have travelled from all over the world including countries like Mexico, Sengal, Brazil , the Philipines ,Germany , Peru and Bolivia to come along on this once and a lifetime journey and to hear Silo’s message. “The way out of this crisis, he says, is to create global awareness of peace and disarmament. “But it is also necessary,” he went on, “to awaken a consciousness of Active Nonviolence that allows us to reject not only physical violence, but all forms of economic, racial, psychological, and gender violence.”
The March for Peace also met with and received endorsements from the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Nobel Peace winner Oscar Arias, Presidents Evo Morales, Michelle Bachelte, Cristina Kirchner , Rafeal Correa Film Director Pedro Almodóva and Actress Penélope Cruz, Isabel Allende , Noam Chomsky among others
Punta de Vacas in Argentina where the world wid march is set to end still has 4 more daywith several more days of activties , talks, a music concert planned for those who make the final journey. This location has gained worldwide interest as it was the first site of one of Silo’s first public speeches on May 4th 1969 , “ the healing of Suffering” .This site is now a Park where Silo's followers meet from time to time for study ,reflection mediation and to share ideas.
written by Christian Peña
Links
http://www.cmehumanistas.org/en
http://www.humanistmovement.net/index.php?secc=PH
