Building a Culture of Peace ...

On 27 March 1953, the Canadian Government presented seven nickel-silver doors for the General Assembly building. On the exterior of each one of them are four panels in bas-relief symbolizing fraternity (inset), peace, justice, and truth. United Nations.

Together, we can pave the way for a more peaceful, inclusive and just world for all people.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Human fraternity for peace and cooperation

We need — perhaps more than ever before — to recognize the valuable contribution of people of all religions, or beliefs, to humanity and the contribution that dialogue among all religious groups can make towards an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind.... READ MORE  https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-fraternity

What is the Culture of Peace?

A culture of peace is a set of values, attitudes, traditions and modes of behaviour and ways of life based on:

• Respect for life, ending of violence and promotion and practice of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation;
• Full respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States and non-intervention in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any State, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law;
• Full respect for and promotion of all human rights and fundamental freedoms;
• Commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts;
• Efforts to meet the developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations;
• Respect for and promotion of the right to development; Respect for and promotion of equal rights and opportunities for women and men;
• Respect for and promotion of the right of everyone to freedom of expression, opinion and information;
• Adherence to the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations; and fostered by an enabling national and international environment conducive to peace.

Source: A/RES/53/243

Why do we mark International Days?

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.

 

Related websites

• International Day of Peace
• International Day for Tolerance
• Human Rights Day
• International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures
• World Interfaith Harmony Week
• International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
• Sustainable Development Goals
• United Nations Alliance of Civilizations

 

IMEU: Israel has permanently disabled tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.

The IMEU

@theIMEU

Untold stories and facts on all things #Palestine. We connect press to expert sources: info@imeu.org. Affiliated organization of @imeupolicy

Read on X

THREAD: Israel has permanently disabled tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.

Experts are calling Israel’s genocide a "Mass Disabling Event." Here's what you need to know 

 

Within the first 3 months of Israel’s genocide, @UNICEF reported that already “thousands” of Palestinian children had lost one or more limbs from Israel’s bombing. 

 

By July 2024, the @WHO estimated that at least 22,500 Palestinians had sustained “life-changing injuries” from Israel’s assault. 

 

Israel starved thousands of pregnant Palestinian women in Gaza while subjecting them to impossible physical and emotional trauma.

 
It did the same to over 1 million Palestinian children – many in the earliest and most crucial stages of development. 

 

There is no telling how many thousands of Palestinians will face chronic conditions related to the genocide in the decades to come.

Palestinian communities in Gaza will spend the rest of their lives enduring the devastating impact of Israel’s genocide on their health. 

 

As Israel permanently disabled Palestinians in the thousands, it completely destroyed Gaza’s healthcare system — leaving thousands of Palestinians without the medical equipment they need to survive.

Where will Gaza’s disabled Palestinians go for the care they need now? 

 

Palestinians disabled by Israel’s genocide need relief, so they can begin the difficult process of rehabilitation.

Beyond a ceasefire, they need real freedom: a future free from Israel’s violent oppression. 

The Gaza Strip | IMEU Policy Backgrounder

Learn More

• Why Israel Must Be Held Accountable for Policies toward the Gaza Strip, IMEU, January 2022
• Putting Palestinians “On a Diet”: Israel’s Siege & Blockade of Gaza, IMEU, August 2014
• We Are Not Numbers 
  

"All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered." - Article 2 of the United Nations Charter

United Nations Geneva

@UNGeneva

 Working for peace, rights and wellbeing since 1945.

 

 https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text

United Nations Charter

Preamble

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED

to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and

to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and

to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and

to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

AND FOR THESE ENDS

to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and

to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and

to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and

to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,

HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS.

Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.

Chapter I: Purposes and Principles... READ MORE  https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

In “Tent,” Palestinian poet and artist Asmaa Dwaima offers a brief, heartbreaking lyric that explores the unimaginable suffering of Gaza’s children as they endure the brutalities of genocide.

Tent

Asmaa Dwaima

February 1, 2025

 

Poetry

In a tent,
Two thin mats stretched
Over the rippled sand.
Two little girls chat:
“I earned more money today,”
One says,
Moving her fist in a circular motion
Over her other palm,
Teasingly.
The other promises
She’ll force her small neck
To endure the box of biscuits
For a longer time,
To withstand more hours of work.
She slowly twists her body,
With great difficulty,
To the other side
And cries…
Then she realizes…

That – for comfort – she doesn’t even have arms
To hug herself.

---

Asmaa Dwaima is a Palestinian writer, poet, artist, and dentist. After being displaced multiple times since October 2023, she currently shelters with her family in southern Gaza. Her creative work delves into themes of loss, resilience, and identity, capturing the enduring strength of the Palestinian people. She is committed to preserving their stories and humanity amid ongoing conflict.

 

 https://proteanmag.com/2025/02/01/tent/

The Inaugural Joint Statement of The Hague Group, January 31, 2025

 

INAUGURAL JOINT STATEMENT

The Hague Group, January 31, 2025

We, the Representatives from the Governments of Belize, Plurinational State of Bolivia, Republic of Colombia, Republic of Cuba, Republic of Honduras, Malaysia, Republic of Namibia, Republic of Senegal and Republic of South Africa in The Hague, Netherlands, on this 31st day of January 2025, inaugurate The Hague Group,

Guided by the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, and the responsibility of all nations to uphold the inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, that it enshrines for all peoples,

Grieving the lives, livelihoods, communities, and cultural heritage lost due to Israel, the occupying power’s genocidal actions in Gaza and the remainder of the Occupied Palestinian Territory against the Palestinian people,

Refusing to remain passive in the face of such international crimes,

Determined to uphold our obligations to end the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine and support the realisation of the inalienable right of the Palestinian People to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine,

Recalling

the orders of the International Court of Justice in the case of South Africa v. Israel of 29 December 2023, which reflect a serious concern about the perpetration of crimes of genocide in Palestine, and noting the significant and diverse number of States that have joined as third States in the case, to demand the condemnation and immediate cessation of the ongoing genocide,.

the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024 on the ‘Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem’,

and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 9 July 2004 ‘’Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory’’

the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/Es-10/24, adopted on 18 September 2024 at the Tenth Emergency Special Session, which endorsed the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion of July 2024, and the commitments of member states to comply with the obligations under international law as reflected in the advisory opinion,

the International Criminal Court’s issuance on 21 November 2024 of warrants of arrest for indicating “reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant each bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population...the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare...and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts”.

the order of the International Court of Justice in Nicaragua v. Germany of 30 April 2024 “remind[ing] all States of their international obligations relating to the transfer of arms to parties to an armed conflict, in order to avoid the risk that such arms might be used to violate” the Genocide Convention and the Geneva Conventions in relation to Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the remainder of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,

the United Nations Security Council Resolution 418 of 4 November 1977, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 591 of 28 November 1986, that “imposed a mandatory arms embargo” against Apartheid South Africa.

all the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, including resolution 2334 (2016) of 23 December 2016, which reaffirmed that “the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law”;

Stressing that the legal norms violated by Israel include certain obligations of an erga omnes character that are, by their very nature, the concern of all States and, in view of the importance of the rights involved, all States can be held to have a legal interest in their protection,

Emphasizing the need to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes under international law through appropriate, fair and independent investigations and prosecutions at the national or international level, and to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes;

Convinced that collective action through coordinated legal and diplomatic measures at both national and international levels is an urgent imperative to uphold the principles of justice and accountability that form the foundation of the UN Charter,

Declare our intention to:

1. Uphold the UN Resolution A/RES/Es-10/24 and, in the case of States Parties, support the requests of the International Criminal Court comply with our obligations under the Rome Statute, with regards to the warrants issued on 21 November 2024; and implement the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice, issued on 26 January, 28 March, and 24 May 2024.

2. Prevent provision or transfer of arms, munitions and related equipment to Israel, in all cases where there is a clear risk that such arms and related items might be used to commit or facilitate violations of humanitarian law, international human rights law, or the prohibition on genocide, in compliance with our international obligations and consistent with the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 and the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/Es-10/24.

3. Prevent the docking of vessels at any port, if applicable, within our territorial jurisdiction, in all cases where there is a clear risk of the vessel being used to carry military fuel and weaponry to Israel, which might be used to commit or facilitate violations of humanitarian law, of international human rights law, and of the prohibition on genocide in Palestine, in keeping with states’ peremptory legal obligation to cooperate towards preventing genocide and other violations of peremptory norms by all legal measures at their disposal.

We will take further effective measures to end Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine and remove obstacles to the realisation of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine.

We invite all states to take all possible actions and policies to end Israel’s occupation of the State of Palestine.

We call on all nations to join us in The Hague Group in the solemn commitment to an international order based on the rule of law and international law, which, together with the principles of justice, is essential for peaceful coexistence and cooperation among States.

Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt

@FranceskAlbs

This is absolutely the best news that has come from a coalition of policy-makers in a long time. Let it be justice. Let's make it real. And let's keep growing.

 

Systematic Oppression by Israel

This graphic predates the most recent  Israeli  WAR on Palestinians in Gaza 2024-2025

 & don't forget to also factor in Israel's racist refusal to respect the Palestinians' inalienable right to return to original homes and lands as clearly spelled out by the United Nations and international law since 1948.

UN Palestinian Rights Committee Bureau welcomes Gaza ceasefire, demands full implementation and move towards a solution of the conflict, and condemns Israel’s UNRWA ban perpetuating Palestinian suffering

STATEMENT OF THE BUREAU OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

UN Palestinian Rights Committee Bureau welcomes Gaza ceasefire, demands full implementation and move towards a solution of the conflict, and condemns Israel’s UNRWA ban perpetuating Palestinian suffering

New York, 31 January 2025 – The Bureau of the UN Palestinian Rights Committee welcomes the Gaza ceasefire as a crucial step in halting the Israeli military operations on the Palestinian civilian population since October 2023 and stemming the vast human suffering and loss of life. As hundreds of thousands return to devastated homes, urgent and sustained humanitarian aid is essential to all civilians in need in Gaza. The Bureau underscores the irreplaceable role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in delivering lifesaving assistance and stabilizing the ceasefire.

The Committee Bureau strongly condemns Israel’s adoption of legislation banning UNRWA and stripping it of its privileges and immunities, obstructing its operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in direct violation of the General Assembly mandate and resolution ES-10/25 recently adopted by the General Assembly by overwhelming majority. The Bureau calls on Israel, the occupying power, to immediately suspend and reverse the implementation of this legislation that curtails UNRWA’s vital operations and will negatively impact delivery of essential services and assistance, including education and healthcare, to the Palestine refugees.

Coming immediately after the Gaza ceasefire deal, Israel’s ban on UNRWA is a blatant move that will exacerbate Palestinian suffering – not with airstrikes and bombs, but with deprivation, hunger, and disease. As affirmed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion of July 2024, Israel, due to its status as an occupying power, has no sovereignty in any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, where the UNRWA headquarters is located. The UNRWA ban is as unlawful as the Israeli occupation itself, which must end, as determined by the ICJ and consecutive General Assembly resolution ES-10/24 of September 2024. This unprecedented attack on a UN-mandated agency deepens the suffering of millions of Palestine refugees, for whom UNRWA is a lifeline for survival. The Agency’s operations are essential in all fields of operation, including to alleviating the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, restoring basic services and sustaining the ceasefire and cannot be replaced.

Israel’s actions violate the United Nations Charter, the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, its obligations as the occupying Power under the Fourth Geneva Convention and multiple General Assembly and Security Council resolutions. Such ongoing Israeli policies and measures will cripple humanitarian efforts, hinder Gaza’s recovery, and destabilize the ceasefire, jeopardizing regional stability. Israel must immediately cease all attacks on UNRWA and its humanitarian operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and cease all violations of international law and the human rights of the Palestinian people.

The Committee Bureau urgently appeals to the General Assembly, the Security Council, and all Member States to categorically reject Israel’s unlawful legislation, demand its immediate repeal, and insist that Israel uphold UNRWA’s mandate. The Bureau urges prompt ICJ action, as requested by the General Assembly on 19 December 2024, to urgently deliver an Advisory Opinion on the obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organizations and third States to uphold the rule of law and obligations thereunder and to avert further Palestinian suffering. The Committee Bureau reaffirms its support for the ceasefire agreement and calls for its full respect and implementation, leading to a lasting cessation of hostilities and a just, enduring peace, based on international law and the relevant UN resolutions and achieving the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the two-State solution on the basis of the pre-1967 lines.

 https://www.un.org/unispal/document/un-palestinian-rights-committee-bureau-statement-unrwa-ban-31jan2025/

Segregation is the act or process of separating individuals or groups based on characteristics such as race, class, or ethnicity, often resulting in unequal treatment and access to resources. It can occur through enforced laws or voluntary actions, leading to distinct living, educational, and social conditions for different groups.

State Sponsored Segregation is OPPRESSION and INJUSTICE

Segregation In The  1950s America 

The Ku Klux Klan burning a cross in Tennessee, 1948.  The Ku Klux Klan employed terror in pursuit of their white supremacist agenda

1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I HAVE A DREAM

"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. 

When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, Black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt..."

meanwhile

Israeli imposed Segregation in what had been historic Palestine 1948-2025 so far

Nakba means "Catastrophe" in Arabic. It refers to the destruction of Palestinian society in 1948 when approximately 750,000 Palestinians fled or were forced into exile by Israeli troops. Because the Palestinians were not Jewish, their presence and predominant ownership of the land were considered obstacles to the creation of a Jewish state. Their exodus, or Nakba, was already nearly half-complete by May 1948, when Israel declared its independence and the Arab states entered the fray.

In 1948 United Nations Mediator Count Folke Bernadotte pointed out that "IT WOULD BE AN OFFENCE AGAINST THE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE IF THOSE INNOCENT VICTIMS [Palestinian men, women, & children] COULD NOT RETURN TO THEIR HOMES WHILE [Zionist] IMMIGRANTS FLOWED INTO PALESTINE TO TAKE THEIR PLACE"

2 years later

UNWRA the United Nations agency to provide education, healthcare, relief and social services to officially displaced Palestinian refugees began operations 1 May 1950.

75 year later & counting Israeli racism, injustice, supremacism, and violence is only becoming more entrenched and dangerous.

2025 ‘Branded’: Satellite images show Star of David carved into Gaza

The symbol, apparently created by Israeli tanks, can be seen from space in the Palestinian enclave.

2025 in Gaza: Palestinians re-entering their abandoned neighborhoods have found the bodies of loved ones crushed beneath the ruins of their homes.

"For Israel to unilaterally ban Unrwa operations in the occupied Palestinian territories in a period of unparalleled deprivation and social need, following 15 months of total siege and constant bombardment in Gaza and relentless military and settler aggression in the West Bank, is immoral, illegal and inhumane." Stephen McCloskey

Israel’s ban on Unrwa in Gaza and the West Bank is inhumane

Stephen McCloskey condemns the ban, while Bernie Evans condemns western leaders for not standing up to protect Palestinians

Israel’s targeting of UN staff and installations should be more than adequate grounds for it to be unseated from the UN. It has also repeatedly defied UN resolutions as well as the July 2024 ruling of the international court of justice that declared Israel’s occupation of the Gaza strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, unlawful.The protection of UN staff and Unrwa services in the occupied territories, and the integrity of the rules-based order, demands concerted multilateral action that ensures Israeli compliance with international law.... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/31/israel-ban-on-unrwa-in-gaza-and-the-west-bank-is-inhumane

Anne Frank 1929-1945 + Hind Rajab 2018-2024... NEVER AGAIN MEANS NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE

Sign seen in Berlin Germany 2025

2018 UNWRA spokesman Sami Mshasha "There are [Israeli] think tanks, researchers and specialists whose aim is to undermine the agency," he told Middle East Eye.

Palestinian children fly kites at a school belonging to UNRWA in Gaza City on 12 March 2018 as a protest against US aid cuts (AFP)

 

2018 UNWRA spokesman Sami Mshasha "There are [Israeli] think tanks, researchers and specialists whose aim is to undermine the agency," he told Middle East Eye.

“At times they try to question the neutrality of the agency and its staff. At others they attack the curricula taught at the agency’s schools, especially in the Palestinian territories, claiming that it contains material promoting incitement, hate and discrimination, which is not correct.”... READ MORE  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-unrwa-schools-united-nations

2019 Palestinian children fear for their future as Israel moves to shut schools

Read More »

 

Human Rights

2020 EXCLUSIVE: Israel stops granting visas to UN human rights workers

 

Occupation

2019 Israeli draft law seeks to ban UNRWA in East Jerusalem

 

The United States, European countries, and other major donors must re-evaluate their concerns about the UN’s agency for Palestine refugees in light of the imperative to aid vulnerable populations and take immediate steps to renew funding for UNRWA’s vital humanitarian mission amidst the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

Damage at UNRWA's headquarters in Gaza City sustained during Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Journalism from the heart of crises

"It's outlandish that a Member State of the UN system would choose to undo the mandate of an organisation, which is mandated by the UN General Assembly."

The UK, France & Germany urge Israel to abide by its international obligations & ensure humanitarian access. No entity can replace @UNRWA’s critical role. 

We support UNRWA’s mandate & call for cooperation with international partners.

Joint statement on behalf of the Foreign Ministers of the UK, France and Germany

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"There has been excellent solidarity from countries around the world and within the UN to put pressure so that this bill [that bans UNRWA from operating] is not implemented," @JulietteTouma  tells Russia Today. “Our focus is to stay and deliver.”

Recent photo of how Israel targeted UNWRA schools and aid workers in Gaza

Recent photo of how Israel targeted UNWRA schools and aid workers in Gaza

Recent photo of how Israel targeted UNWRA schools and aid workers in Gaza

 

UNRWA’s personnel and services are critical to the success of the #ceasefire in #Gaza. "These are the teams who have reached more than half a million people with food and supplies" since the ceasefire started, tells   @TamaraAlrifai to  @TheNationalNews 

 

UNRWA is committed to continuing to deliver lifesaving services.

@UN_JWFOWLER

tells

@UN_News_Centre

Across occupied East Jerusalem alone, UNRWA provides 70,000 patients with primary healthcare. "It's outlandish that a Member State of the UN system would choose to undo the mandate of an organisation, which is mandated by the UN General Assembly."

 

UNRWA is committed to continuing to deliver lifesaving services