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| 2010 Highlights | ||||||
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20th Anniversary of the CIAV-Nicaragua (International Support and Verification Commission)The International Support and Verification Commission (Comisión Internacional de Apoyo y Verificación, CIAV) was created by the Organization of American States and the United Nations on August 25, 1989 in support of the Esquipulas II Peace Plan with the purpose of demobilizing and reinserting into society illegal armed groups. Under its mandate (1990-1997), approximately 22, 500 combatants were demobilized and 18,000 Nicaraguan citizens were repatriated from Honduras and Costa Rica. During its seven-year existance, CIAV-OAS successfully carried out a series of civilian peace-keeping and peace-building activities which involved: facilitation, dialogue and negotiation; guarantees for negotiators; disarmament; demobilization; repatriation; humanitarian assistance; verification of peace accords; human rights observation; and reintegration programs, among others. See Photo Gallery |
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Corporate Social Responsibility for a Culture of PeaceOctober 27-28, 2010Buenos Aires, Argentina Though apparently distinct and apart, Business and Peace share nonetheless critical linkages that must not be overlooked. It is undeniable that the vast majority of businesses require a peaceful and stable environment in order to prosper and that conflict poses extremely high risks to their operations and reputation. On the other hand, and as empirical evidence has demonstrated, businesses can also play a decisive role in promoting and strengthening peace. The cornerstone of this virtuous cycle between enterprise and peace is Corporate Social Responsibility. By pursuing ethical business practices, rooted on the principles of transparency and sound governance, environmental sustainability, social cohesion and respect for the human rights, companies can indeed be catalysts of peace. More than an investment incentive, corporate engagement in peacebuilding is a moral imperative. Recognizing the potential of the private sector to foster understanding, tolerance and peace, and the need for a more profound debate on the current status of CSR in the interamerican context, the Peace Fund of the Organization of American States in collaboration with the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development of the OAS and FOPAZ, will hold a seminar on “CSR for a Culture of Peace” in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This forum will convene prominent business leaders, senior government officials as well as civil society representatives to debate the role of CSR in promoting a culture of peace, examine the latest advances in this area and share successful experiences and best practices. Through an ambitious two-day program which addresses the various dimensions of CSR, from Gender to Sustainable Development to Youth Engagement, the OAS Peace Fund and FOPAZ intend to raise awareness on and enhance the CSR policies and initiatives in the Western Hemisphere and to decisively root business in the inter-american peace agenda. |
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Rural Tourism Enterprises as an Income Generator CourseThe Course Rural Tourism Enterprises as an Income Generator will take place on August 23-27, 2010, in the Belize-Guatemala Adjacency Zone under the auspices of the OAS Peace Fund and in coordination with the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT).Through this initiative, the Peace Fund hopes to help promote development in the Adjacency Zone, strengthen cooperation between Belize and Guatemala and bring the communities along the Adjacency Line closer together. Course Description With the decline of international tourism and more customers willing to vacation within their home countries, there are new opportunities for small businesses in the rural tourism sector. The creation of small businesses in the tourism sector in rural communities would have a positive impact and encourage economic growth in the region. The course will address a major consideration needed before initiating a project in rural tourism, which is the planning policies for employment creation that promote investments and new start-ups in peripheral areas. Additionally, these policies should place a strong emphasis on sustainable activities that balance development and the conservation of the environment and local customs. The objectives of the course include the development of a proposal for the creation of a rural tourism enterprise through the identification of factors and potential opportunities related to tourism development in rural areas. |
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Peace and Water Conference Water is the fuel of life. Yet, as it becomes scarcer and its quality deteriorates, due to heightened demand, pollution and the effects of climate change, competition over this vital resource is also increasing, leading many academics, politicians, practitioners and media to claim that future wars will be over water. The defiant nature of water, freely crossing political boundaries, raises this conflict potential and seems to back such claims. However, a more optimistic school of thought is gaining ground, asserting that history has proven water to be a greater pathway to peace than conflict between riparian nations.
In the framework of its Integrated Water Resource Management program and the Peace Fund, the OAS will hold a conference on Water and Peace in the Americas to debate the risks of conflict in shared waters - a critical question in a region that houses over 70 major transboundary river basins and to find ways of turning them into opportunities for dialogue, cooperation and trust, so that water becomes not a trigger of war but a catalyst for regional peace. |
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Chiefs of OAS Peace Missions MeetingWashington, DCSome of the Organization’s leading experts on conflict resolution and peace building will gather at a major conference in the Hall of the Americas on September 21, 2010 to commemorate International Peace Day and mark the 20th Anniversary of the International Support and Verification Commission (CIAV-Nicaragua). This conference, organized within the framework of the Inter-American Peace Forum, will feature current and former Chiefs of OAS Peace Missions who will provide key insights and reflect on the main challenges and results of the missions they headed. The keynote address will be made by OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, who was recently reelected for another five-year term as head of the Organization. Ambassador Albert Ramdin, the OAS Assistant Secretary General will deliver the closing remarks. This event provides a unique opportunity to examine the role of the OAS in conflict resolution in the Americas, as well as to better understand the current and potential threats to hemispheric peace and identify opportunities and challenges for future OAS Peace Missions. The CIAV/OEA, the Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP/OEA), the Mission of Good Offices between Colombia and Ecuador (MIB/OEA), the Peace Fund Mission for Belize and Guatemala and the recent diplomatic mission to Honduras are some of the OAS peace initiatives that will be discussed. Program |
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Past Events: |
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The Americas Project |
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The "Americas Project" is a joint undertaking of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Baker Institute at Rice University which recognizes the best and the brightest in leadership in the countries of the hemisphere, in a wide variety of fields. The main objectives of the "Americas Project" are to promote better understanding among the young leaders of the Americas, to increase and foster the exchange of ideas and information among these individuals and to provide the basis for a viable network among them. The individuals selected to participate in this project must be from an OAS member state between the ages of 25 to 40 and must demonstrate significant achievements in their careers, leadership qualities, and ability to have an impact on society. |
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| October 8-10, 2009 | ||||||
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International Peace Day |
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| CLARA ROJAS shares her account of struggle and survival in the Colombian jungle, where she was held captive by the FARC guerrilla for almost 6 years: a story of dignity, tenacity, and determination in the face of adversity.
Inter-American Peace Forum Monday, September 21, 2009 Hall of the Americas, OAS Washington, D.C.
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Clara Rojas
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The Day After Peace Documentary Sreening |
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| The Day After Peace charts the remarkable 10-year journey taken by award winning filmmaker Jeremy Gilley to establish a day of Peace on September 21st. During the course of his mission the camera follows Gilley as he galvanizes the countries of the world to recognize this as an official day of ceasefire and non-violence. After the official motion is unanimously adopted in the UN, Gilley turns his efforts to implementing the ideals of Peace Day around the world. Celebrity support from the likes of Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller and corporate support from Puma, Coca-Cola, Ben & Jerry’s and Ecover enhances the momentum. Jeremy’s persistence is rewarded when UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and local affected communities decide to try and use the Day to carry out a mass vaccination against Polio, in one of the toughest conflict areas in the world, Afghanistan. Jeremy asks Jude Law to accompany him to Afghanistan, to help persuade the government and insurgents to ratify Peace Day. The task seems impossible, but pure human spirit in a country exhausted with conflict, may just win through. | ||||||
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Notas de Paz |
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| A child who learns to play an instrument will never hold a weapon Notas de Paz is a youth symphonic orchestra made up of underprivileged children and youngsters from the poor neighborhood of Bellavista in the city of Cali, Colombia. Created in March, 2007 by initiative of the Scarpetta Foundation, the project aims at offering an alternative path to children who are daily exposed to the hardships of extreme poverty, violence, abuse and delinquency. Musical education is used as a strategy to foster discipline, team-spirit and tolerance as well as mutual and self-respect. Through the transforming power of music, Notas de Paz drives these children and youngsters away from violence and promotes a culture of peace in their marginalized communities. The strategy has proven to be successful as the violence indicators in the contemplated district have significantly lowered. See Full Program | Photo Gallery
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Exhibit of Historic Photographs of Columbus Memorial Library |
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| Throughout more than 60 years of existence, the OAS has strived to foster peace and prosperity in the Western Hemisphere. Preserved in the archives of the Columbus Memorial Library, the photographs that document some of the most significant moments in this quest for a peaceful hemispheric coexistence now come to light in a unique photographic exhibition. The Columbus Memorial Library houses the world's most complete collection of photographs, maps, commemorative stamps, archives, and records documenting the history of the Organization of American States and its predecessor agencies from 1889 to the present. The extensive collection of books and periodicals dates back to 1535. The library holds one of the richest repositories for material on the Inter-American system in the world. Today the Columbus Memorial Library is responsible for the Archives and Records Management Program of the OAS General Secretariat, and for preserving and indexing the OAS official documents, as well as carrying out the functions of a traditional library. The Columbus Memorial Library serves the staff of the OAS General Secretariat, Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the OAS, Embassies and researchers throughout this hemisphere and the world. See Full Program
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Display of Major Works of Permanent Collection of the Art Museum of the Americas |
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| A selected group of major art works of the Permanent Collection of the Art Museum of the Americas will be on display at the OAS Main Building from September through December, 2009. These include an oil on canvas titled Testimonial del Tiempo by César Menendez, a Salvadoran artist whose exceptional paintings depict a surreal world that reflects death and tragedy, inspired by the struggles of the Central American people with ruling military dictatorships, as well as an important piece by Colombian artist Alejandro Obregon who at different times throughout his career produced works related to political violence in Colombia since 1948. Obregon’s Estudiante Muerto, awarded the national prize for Colombia at the 1956 Guggenheim International Exhibition, belongs to a group of paintings commemorating students and popular leaders who lost their lives during this period of social unrest. | ||||||
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| Art Exhibition Related to Peace Permanent Collection of the Art Museum of the Americas Tuesday, September 22, 2009 OAS Main Building Washington, D.C. |
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Chalk4Peace |
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Repainting the planet the colors of peace Chalk4Peace is a global chalk art project which turns pavements into a blank canvas where young artists of all ages can create messages and images that materialize their visions of peace. Founded by John Aaron, a long time artist, educator and events coordinator, in 2003 in Arlington, Virginia, Chalk4Peace started as a Sunday sidewalk chalk project for children. It has since spread to four continents, thus becoming a global event to promote peace through art. The OAS Art Group has collaborated with Chalk4Peace since 2006 and is once again joining the initiative to celebrate the International Peace Day. See Full Program
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Coexist Sow Peace/Convivir Sembrar PazThe OAS Peace Fund proudly supported the Coexist Sow Peace Campaign in December, 2008. This initiative is sponsored by the United Nations, the Catholic Church, the UNIR Foundation, and many other institutions who are working together to create an environment where the Bolivian society can promote peace as an engine for change. It is a movement that seeks to commit every sector of the country to peaceful coexistence based on the principles of tolerance, mutual respect, acceptance and understanding of differences. |
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"Giving Peace a Chance", New Film Series in Cine Americas, from December 15 to 18The OAS Peace Fund sponsored the Cine Americas Film Series “Giving Peace a Chance” featuring selected movies from different countries in the Americas that tell stories about people trying to make the world more peaceful by resolving conflicts, dealing with the consequences of violence, following the path of nonviolence, struggling against oppression, and/or appealing to standards of justice. The movies chosen for this series address peace topics in daily life, in communities, and in international settings. Cine Americas is a program of the Art Museum of the Americas of the Organization of American States. |
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Rural Tourism Course as an Income Generator |
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Photo gallery For more information, please contact us [email protected] |
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