Latin Leaders Plan for Union Based on Culture of Peace
an article by David Adams

It is only one line in their final declaration, but the elected leaders of Latin America meeting on December 10, 2006, in Cochabamba, Bolivia, may have made history when they called for a "balanced, fair world, based on ‘cultura de paz’" and took the first steps towards a community of nations, similar to the European Union.

According to the story carried by Al Jazeera (I could find no story in the European or North American press) the leaders agreed to a high level commission to study the construction of the South American Community of Nations. The goal is to develop integration in political, social, cultural, economic, financial and environmental, and infrastructure spheres.

The Cochabamba pronouncement states that such South American unification is not only necessary to solve large scourges affecting the region, like poverty, exclusion and persistent social inequality, but also it is a decisive step to achieve a multi-polar, balanced, fair world, based on a peace culture.

According to the extensive coverage by the news agency, Prensa Latina, the Cochabamba Declaration, "recognizes influence of the globalization process in economies of the area, to create alternatives to retake growth and preservation of macro-economic balances. The document also estimates the need to emphasize income distribution as an instrument to eliminate social exclusion and reduce poverty and external vulnerability."

According to a March 19 report from Prensa Latina, many of the countries taking part in the Cochabamba Summit have agreed in principle to establish a "Bank of the South" independent of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Inter-American Development Bank, as a major step toward economic independence for the region. The bank could be launched as early as July 1, 2007

There were Presidents and envoys of 12 nations at the two-day summit of the South American Community of Nations in Cochabamba, hosted by Evo Morales, the Bolivian president. Other South American Presidents taking part were Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Paraguay's Nicanor Duarte, Guyana's Bharrat Jagdeo, Peru's Alan Garcia, Uruguay's Tabare Vazquez and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.

The consciousness of culture of peace seems more advanced in South America than elsewhere in the world, especially in Brazil as previously reported by CPNN (see the report Culture of Peace Advances in Brazil.

DISCUSSION

Question(s) related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?


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GLOBAL MOVEMENT FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE

Latest reader comment:

perhaps the question should be where can we find a good environment for leadership to emerge? Thanks for reporting on the meeting in Havana. It seems that Cuba provided the infrastructure for leaders to meet productively, e.g. the leaders of India and Pakistan.

This report was posted on April 16, 2007. The moderator is Tony.

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