Professor Jeffrey Sachs is the President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. He is the author of many best selling books, including The End of Poverty and The Ages of Globalization.
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Urgent appeal to the President of the Republic of Colombia Gustavo Petro Urrego
“So leave our country
Our land, our sea
Our wheat, our salt, our wounds
Everything, and leave
The memories of memory
O those who pass between fleeting words!”
Mahmud Darwish, Those
Who Pass Between Fleeting Words, 1988
17.11.2023
State of Palestine Street, Bogotá (inaugurated in September
2023)
Mr. President Gustavo Petro, friends
and other recipients of this communication,
With alarm and anguish we are witnessing the vile genocide perpetrated by the Zionist State of Israel against the Palestinian people. In turn, the United States is complicit in such horror, has deployed its war apparatus to the ar zone and supports Netanyahu's government with weapons.
For decades, it has spent a fortune in arming Israel. This drama is not new, it is 75 years of ignominy since the very creation of this state. It is the aberrant disproportion of two powers raging against a small territory and its people.
Pain and indignation have seized us, the images reveal all the impiety exercised, they have even bombed hospitals and refugee centers causing to date more than ten thousand fatalities without counting the missing, most defenceless girls, boys and women, civilian population. We are seeing the destruction and the bleeding of a people in all its dimension.
Inevitably, repudiation of such ignominy has been expressed from different parts of the world. Massive demonstrations have been held in many cities. As of today, several countries have spoken out. In our case, we are encouraged by your courageous declarations, qualifying this barbarism of the State of Israel as what it is: a genocide, as well as a “cleansing” or continuous ethnic elimination for 75 years. You have pointed out that the Zionist regime has violated human rights, that it has ignored all UN resolutions. You have also condemned their inhumane actions, and this deserves great recognition from us. Colombia, as well as several other countries, has recalled its ambassadors for consultation. The Plurinational State of our sister country Bolivia has broken diplomatic and economic relations with the Israeli State.
Although there is a forceful pronouncement on your part, it is of greater scope, to ratify it, to take one more step; that step that advances among the smoke of bombs to say No more, from our country Colombia we do not condone it. For this reason and in the face of such a misfortune, President Gustavo Petro, we raise our petition, which arises from the heart of the feeling of popular sectors that voted for the Government of Change that you preside together with Francia Márquez. We also call on Colombians who read this communiqué to adhere to this clamor by signing the following petition:
We would like to request President Gustavo Petro, the immediate severance of diplomatic, economic and political relations with the State of Israel with the consequent expulsion from our territory of the diplomatic corps of said country and the cancellation and/or embargo on all contracts concerning military security systems and armaments.
It is imperative to cancel the agreement that absurdly and regrettably grants us the condition of “strategic partner” of NATO, given that our country has no geographical or political reason to belong to that organization. Both the existence of U.S. military bases in our territory and our membership in this military organization, which goes against world peace, not only threatens our sovereignty, but also places us as an ally of the U.S. military forces in the scenario of a possible war between foreign powers. Likewise, Colombia considers itself as a “non-aligned” country, which unfortunately is only possible in words, because in practice we are not, since we are a signatory country of those agreements with NATO and accept the existence of U.S. military bases in our territory, a situation that you fought against and denounced in other days. Asserting Colombia's sovereignty before the world and positioning our country as a territory of peace would constitute the ratification of your policy of total peace, not only for our territory but also for the planet, in accordance with your positioning as a world leader for global peace.
With sincere appreciation and consideration, the following Colombian persons, residing in Colombia and abroad, sign this petition:
Gloria Gaitán, social fighter and writer, daughter of the great leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán.
Hernando Calvo Ospina, writer, journalist, documentary filmmaker, Paris, France.
Renán Vega Cantor, writer, researcher, university professor. Bogotá, Colombia.
Reinaldo Spitaletta, journalist, writer, columnist for El Espectador, Medellín, Colombia.
Daniel Libreros, research professor, Universidad Nacional, Bogotá, Colombia.
Victor de Currea-Lugo, physician, journalist, university professor, Bogotá, Colombia.
Juan Manuel Arango, journalist, Noticiero Clarín, Colombia.
Blanca Merz, social leader, Hamburg, Germany.
Mauricio Vidales, poet and columnist, Hamburg, Germany.
Eleazar Plaza, writer, editor, director of Rosa Blindada Ediciones, Cali, Colombia.
Alberto Aguilera, historian, researcher specializing in Simón Bolívar, Cali, Colombia.
Juan Diego García, writer, Colombia.
Matilde E. Trujillo U. freethinker, popular educator, Cali, Colombia.
Luis Alfonso Mena, journalist, lawyer, historian, director of Periodismo Libre de Cali.
Ildebrando Arévalo, historian, international analyst, professor ESAP, Cali, Colombia.
Luis Carlos Domínguez Prada, lawyer, writer, human rights defender, Bogotá, Colombia.
Manuel Caicedo Paz, freethinker, socio-political activist, Cali, Colombia.
José Urbano, documentary filmmaker, Cali, Colombia.
Carlos Fuentes Delgado, metallurgical engineer, university professor, Cali, Colombia.
Iván Enrique Chaves, health worker, pensioner, Cali, Colombia.
Harold Adolfo Ortíz Calero, magister in political science, doctor in philosophy, Cali, Colombia.
Henry Montesdeoca, singer-songwriter, Cali, Colombia.
María Piedad Ossaba, independent journalist, director of La PLuma, Paris, France.
Mario Ossaba, painter, sculptor, Paris, France.
Lilian Eugenia Gómez Álvarez, agronomist, PHD Biological Sciences, Medellín, Colombia.
David López, jurist, director AIDHES, Switzerland.
Álvaro Lopera, journalist and engineer, Colombia.
Eliécer Jiménez Julio, journalist exiled in Geneva, Switzerland.
Evelio Loayza, physician, human rights defender, CPDH, Cali, Colombia.
Alcides Lesmes, trade unionist, human rights defender, exiled from the UP, Valencia, Spain.
José Manuel Gómez, UP political exile, Geneva, Switzerland.
Zoilo Angulo Ríos, agricultural engineer, PHD candidate, Valencia, Spain.
Nelson Restrepo Arango, lawyer, human rights defender, exiled, Madrid, Spain.
Jaime Jiménez García, historian, lawyer, Medellín, Colombia.
Carlos Arturo Velandia, peace promoter, Medellín, Colombia.
Patricia Quintero, teacher exiled in Belgium.
André Veraart, pensioner, Belgium.
Cecilia Saavedra Ruiz, journalist, director of Zuma Qamana Cooperative, Bogotá, Colombia.
Rodrigo Vargas, human rights defender, CPDH, Cali, Colombia.
Heidy Rojas, project technologist, human rights defender, CPDH, Cali, Colombia.
Jovanny Rojas, human rights defender, demobilized FARC-EP peace signatory, Cali, Colombia.
Milton Luna, teacher, graduate in Chemistry, Cali, Colombia.
Elías Díaz, writer, Cali, Colombia.
Diego Gil, writer, Cali, Colombia.
Ana Ruth Mejía, architect, Cali, Colombia.
Yamil Gutiérrez, philosopher, Cali, Colombia.
Stella Jane Potes Cortés, artist, Cali, Colombia.
Jairo Ramírez Benjumea, social psychologist UNAD, Cali, Colombia.
Pablo Angarita, actor, playwright, stage director, Cali, Colombia.
Margarita María Aristizábal Ariza, anthropologist, Cali, Colombia.
Hugo Sánchez, cultural manager, director of Café Cinema, Bogotá, Colombia.
Luna Vera, actress, cultural manager, artivist, Bogota, Colombia.
Aleida Tabares Montes, actress, playwright, stage director, poet. Bogota, Colombia.
María Catalina Hurtado, graduate in Social Sciences, Cali, Colombia.
Clemencia Gálvez, literature teacher, poet. Cali, Colombia.
José Figueroa Fernández, exiled in Brussels, Belgium.
María Fernanda Quintero, geographer, researcher Territorio y Población, Bogotá, Colombia.
Miguel Hernández Chavarro, industrial engineer, Bogotá, Colombia.
Javier Meza Lagrancurth, petroleum engineer, Santa Marta, Colombia.
Marco Alfredo Forero Parra, lawyer, Bogotá, Colombia.
Luis Eduardo Agudelo Caro, pensioner, Bogotá, Colombia.
Eduardo Duplat Sanjuan, demobilized M19, Cúcuta, Colombia.
Iván Bocanegra, mechanical engineer, Corinto, Colombia.
Adolfo León Arciniegas Martínez, beekeeper, Palmira, Colombia.
Mauricio Domínguez Caicedo, university professor, Cali, Colombia.
Alfredo Martínez Vásquez, veterinarian and zootechnician, Cali, Colombia.
Francia Elena Prado Cedano, lawyer, Cali, Colombia.
Jorge Kujar, plastic artist, Cali, Colombia.
Jesús Alberto Gómez, architect, Cali, Colombia.
José Ramírez, M19 exile in Spain.
Walter Tello, plastic artist, Cali, Cali, Colombia.
Beatriz Eugenia Hurtado, plastic artist, Cali, Colombia.
Marta Inés Hurtado, poet, Cali, Colombia.
Harrinson Riascos Torres, systems engineer, Hamburg, Germany.
Victor Edgar Vélez Giraldo, peasant artist, Palmira, Colombia.
Edgar Aníbal Roa Zamora, social leader, Cali, Colombia.
Ángela María Quintero, psychologist, PhD University of Valencia, Spain.
Emely Marín, human rights lawyer, Valencia, Spain.
Willie Milton Hostos Álvarez, visual artist, Valencia, Spain.
María Cristina Palacio, sociologist, public policy specialist, Manizales, Colombia.
Gladys Giraldo, psychologist, Medellín, Colombia.
Alba Nora Aristizábal, human rights lawyer, Manizales, Colombia.
Amparo Mejía Arbeláez, sociologist, Manizales, Colombia.
David Marcelo Idarraga, publicist, Barcelona, Spain.
Pietro Alfonso Schiavo, soccer coach, Köln, Germany.
Sara García, economist, Valencia, Spain.
Rafael Escobar, publicist, Cali, Colombia.
Anilsa Caicedo Salazar, lawyer, Universidad Nacional, Bogotá, Colombia.
Jairo Restrepo, freelance journalist, USA.
Juan Carlos García Rivera, anthropologist, Universidad Nacional, Bogotá, Colombia.
Miryam Christel, sociologist, Stuttgart, Germany.
Gloria Mesa, graduate in English philology, pensioner, Manizales, Colombia.
María Carolina Estepa Becerra, lawyer, Bogotá, Colombia.
Juan Pablo Estupinan, lawyer, Bogotá, Colombia.
Blanca Lucía Mera, attorney, Procuraduría, Bogotá, Colombia.
Francia Elena Correa, psychologist, Manizales, Colombia.
Luz Marina Cruz Pérez Cruz, psychologist, Pereira, Colombia.
María Emma Rodriguez Mosquera, social activist, Cali, Colombia.
Johanna María López, head nurse, Medellín, Colombia.
Beatriz del Socorro Escobar, lawyer, Medellín, Colombia.
Silverio Mejía, artist, Manizales, Colombia.
María Teresa Puerta Marín, social activist, Toronto, Canada.
Oswaldo Quintero, lawyer, Pereira, Colombia.
Claudia Patricia Gómez, social worker, Bogotá, Colombia.
Silvia Zuleta, social activist, Barcelona, Spain.
Martha Isabel Povea de Caicedo, retired teacher, Armenia, Colombia.
Laura Vargas, administrative, Valencia, Spain.
Stella García, business administrator, Cali, Colombia.
Patricia Duque, therapist in Traditional Oriental Medicine, Cali, Colombia.
César A. Duque Córdoba, lawyer, public official, Cali, Colombia.
Yira Bolaños Arturo, reincorporation and reconciliation project coordinator, Cali Mayor's Office
Patricia González, business administrator, Cali, Colombia.
Daniela Córdoba, professional in international business, Cali, Colombia.
Silvia María Salazar Giraldo, lawyer, human rights defender, Cali, Colombia.
Rosalba Hernández, independent trader, Cali, Colombia.
Esperanza Cerón, physician, Cali, Colombia.
Elizabeth Cubaque, popular leader, Ciudad Bolivar, Bogota, Colombia.
Santiago Duque, worker, Cali, Colombia.
Ángela Liliana Mazuera León, psychologist, philosophy graduate, human rights defender, Cali, Colombia.
Pilar Orozco, psychologist, Cali, Colombia.
Lisandro Duque Naranjo, cineasta, columnista y escritor
Carsten Hanke, 26-2-2023
Translated by Fausto Giudice, Tlaxcala
Rostock-Berlin - The increasing rejecting by the German population of the war course of the Federal Government and the reporting of the bourgeois media, is reflected in street actions in many cities. It became particularly clear on the 1st anniversary of Russia's military intervention in the killing by the Kiev government of its own population in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions practiced since 2014. According to U.N. observers, at least 14,000 people have been killed in the attacks there since then, and schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and other essential facilities for maintaining supplies to the population have been destroyed.
I would like to give two examples to show that more
and more citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany are publicly expressing
their opposition to the war course of the Federal Government through various
peace actions. These peace-loving people are no longer deterred by defamation
in the media, as happened repeatedly in the run-up to the Manifesto for Peace
by Alice Schwarzer and Sahra Wagenknecht. This Manifesto for Peace was not only
supported by well-known public figures as initial signatories, but also by more
than 600,000 people in a very short time.
On February 24, 2023, about 1,000 demonstrators followed the call of the Berlin Peace Coordination under the motto “Stop the killing in Ukraine - for ceasefire and negotiations!”, which was jointly written by 18 peace groups. Besides well-known speakers, e.g. the initiators of the “Darmstädter Signa”", where active and former German army officers and soldiers always stand up for peaceful conflict resolution, there was a call for protests against war and for peace, with cultural inserts like singing by Diether Dehm, to become active.
"Whoever wants peace, should talk about war" (Walter Benjamin)
Cease-fire, disarmament, peace now!
On February 25 at 2:00 pm the large gathering announced by its initiators Alice Schwarzer and Sahra Wagenknecht as well as retired Brigadier General Erich Vad took place on the west side of the Brandenburg gate in Berlin.
In the announcement of the demonstration, it was expressly pointed out that no party symbols such as flags etc. would be displayed and that party members of the right-wing party AfD and other right-wing extremist groups were not welcome. The organizers themselves had expected a number of participants of about 10,000 people. Due to the fact that nationwide the participants had traveled specially (further members of the GeFiS arrived organized with buses from Rostock and and surrounding area) the beginning of the demonstration had to be shifted around approx. 10 - 15 minutes.
I myself tried to walk the whole demonstration area to take pictures and had to stop my project because the participants were standing so close that it was not possible to get through. According to testimonies of other participants, participants still came to the rally even with a 40-minute delay. The number of participants of 13,000, which was repeatedly reported by the police and the media, did not correspond to the facts by far and gives further evidence that those people do not report truthfully if it is not in their interest.
The numerous spontaneous conversations with the participants of the demonstration were characterized by the great concern that more and more arms deliveries will only bring armament profits, but no peace. Refusing to negotiate does not show the will for peace, but endangers life. The participants are aware that the sanctions and the economic war are damaging Germany and that every citizen is already feeling the effects. They denounce the German government as responsible for inflation and economic decline with their war rhetoric.
Many visitors of the demonstration are aware of NATO commander Stoltenberg's words “rather a nuclear war than a Russian victory in Ukraine”. They have become active in order to make clear that they are against the atomic madness, against [the Installation of US hypersonic missiles] Dark Eagle, against the clearly more extensive atomic equipment with US atomic weapons in Europe and particularly in Germany,. They want to set a public sign against this madness, to rouse at the same time those citizens, who are still passive, to become finally also active.
The divisive smear campaign by politicians in unison with the bourgeois media that the event was “open to the right wing” was made absurd not only in the run-up to the manifestation but also during the entire event.
It was a powerful demonstration for peace and against the federal government and its practiced war course with the constant delivery of weapons to Ukraine. This became clear among other things also by the repeatedly loud demand of the demonstration participants, who chanted “Barebock muss weg!” [“Baerbock* must go!”].
*Annalena Baerbock: Green warmongering Minister of Foreign Affairs
Carsten
Hanke, 26.2.2023
Tradotto
da Fausto Giudice, Tlaxcala
Rostock-Berlino - Il rifiuto del corso bellico del governo tedesco e della copertura dei media borghesi da parte della popolazione tedesca si esprime sempre più spesso in azioni di piazza in molte città. È diventato particolarmente chiaro nel primo anniversario dell'intervento militare della Russia nella strage della propria popolazione nelle regioni di Donetsk e Lugansk, praticato dal governo di Kiev dal 2014. Secondo gli osservatori delle Nazioni Unite, da allora almeno 14.000 persone sono state uccise negli attacchi e sono state distrutte scuole, asili, ospedali e altre strutture importanti per il mantenimento dei rifornimenti della popolazione.
Vorrei usare solo due esempi per chiarire che sempre più cittadini della Repubblica Federale Tedesca stanno esprimendo pubblicamente il loro rifiuto della linea di guerra del governo federale con varie azioni di pace. Queste persone amanti della pace non sono più scoraggiate dalle diffamazioni dei media, come è accaduto ripetutamente nel periodo precedente al Manifesto per la Pace di Alice Schwarzer e Sahra Wagenknecht. Questo Manifesto per la pace non è stato sostenuto solo da noti personaggi pubblici come primi firmatari, ma anche da oltre 600.000 persone in pochissimo tempo.
La prima manifestazione per la pace si è svolta venerdì 24 febbraio alle ore 17.00 sulla Pariser Platz, proprio di fronte alla Porta di Brandeburgo e all'Ambasciata Usa a Berlino. Questa azione di pace è stata indetta da settimane dal Coordinamento per la pace di Berlino (FRIKO), che da molti anni lavora per la pace in tutto il mondo con varie attività di pace. In questa alleanza collaborano diverse organizzazioni, tra cui i nostri membri nell'area di Berlino della Società per la pace e la solidarietà internazionale (GeFiS).
Il 24 febbraio 2023, circa 1.000 manifestanti hanno seguito l'appello del Coordinamento con il motto “Stop alle uccisioni in Ucraina - per il cessate il fuoco e i negoziati!”, scritto congiuntamente da 18 gruppi pacifisti. Oltre a noti oratori, ad esempio i promotori del “Darmstädter Signal”, in cui ufficiali e soldati della Bundeswehr ancora o non più attivi si schierano sempre a favore di una risoluzione pacifica dei conflitti, è stato lanciato un appello a manifestare contro la guerra e per la pace, tra l'altro con la partecipazione del cantante Diether Dehm.
Ai margini di questo evento, alcuni passanti hanno ripetutamente cercato di disturbare con grida e provocazioni verbali questa manifestazione per la pace. Durante le varie misure di de-escalation da noi praticate, come la conversazione pacata, è stato ripetutamente notato che questi cosiddetti sostenitori di ulteriori forniture di armi all'Ucraina non solo avevano deficit storici, ma erano anche informati solo in modo unilaterale. Nonostante alcuni insulti feroci, i nostri sforzi di distensione hanno avuto successo e hanno evitato possibili scontri fisici.
Il 25 febbraio 2023 alle 14.00, sul lato ovest della Porta di Brandeburgo a Berlino, si è svolta la grande manifestazione annunciata dalle promotrici Alice Schwarzer e Sahra Wagenknecht e dal generale di brigata in pensione Erich Vad.
Nell'annuncio della manifestazione è stato esplicitamente dichiarato che non sarebbero stati esposti simboli di partito come bandiere ecc. e che i membri del partito AfD e di altri gruppi estremisti di destra non erano i benvenuti. Secondo gli organizzatori, si aspettavano circa 10.000 partecipanti. A causa del fatto che i partecipanti provenienti da tutta la Germania avevano viaggiato appositamente (altri membri del GeFiS avevano viaggiato in modo organizzato in autobus da Rostock e dintorni), l'inizio della manifestazione ha dovuto essere posticipato di circa 10-15 minuti.
Io stesso ho cercato di percorrere l'intera area della manifestazione per scattare delle foto e ho dovuto interrompere il mio tentativo perché i partecipanti erano così stretti da non potere passare. Secondo altri partecipanti, anche con un ritardo di 40 minuti, le persone continuavano ad arrivare. Il numero di 13.000 partecipanti, ripetutamente riportato dalla polizia e dai media, era lontano dai fatti e dimostra ulteriormente che questi non riportano la verità quando non è nel loro interesse.
Le numerose conversazioni spontanee con i visitatori della manifestazione sono state caratterizzate dalla grande preoccupazione che un numero sempre maggiore di forniture di armi porti solo profitti, ma non pace. Il rifiuto di negoziare non dimostra la volontà di pace, ma mette in pericolo delle vite. I partecipanti sono consapevoli che le sanzioni e la guerra economica stanno danneggiando la Germania e che ogni cittadino lo sta già sentendo. Denunciano il governo tedesco di essere responsabile dell'inflazione e del declino economico con la sua retorica di guerra.
Molti visitatori della manifestazione sono a conoscenza delle parole del comandante della NATO Stoltenberg “piuttosto una guerra nucleare che una vittoria russa in Ucraina”. Si sono attivati per chiarire che sono contro la follia nucleare, contro [l’istallazione di missili ipersonici usamericani] Dark Eagle, contro l'equipaggiamento molto più esteso con armi nucleari statunitensi in Europa e soprattutto in Germania. Vogliono fare una dichiarazione pubblica contro questa follia e allo stesso tempo invitare i cittadini che sono ancora passivi a diventare finalmente attivi.
La campagna diffamatoria e divisiva dei politici, all'unisono con i media borghesi, secondo cui l'evento sarebbe “aperto alla destra”, si è rivelata assurda non solo nel periodo precedente la manifestazione, ma anche durante l'intero evento.
Si è trattato di una forte dimostrazione per la pace e contro il governo tedesco e la sua pratica di guerra con la costante consegna di armi all'Ucraina. Ciò è stato reso evidente, tra l'altro, dalle numerose richieste a gran voce dei partecipanti alla manifestazione, che hanno scandito “Baerbock muss weg!” ( “Baerbock* vattene!”).
*Annalena Baerbock: Ministra guerrafondaia verde degli Affari Esteri
Carsten Hanke: autoritratto
Sono nato a Rostock, nella RDT, nel 1960. Ho completato la scuola secondaria di secondo grado e poi ho seguito una formazione de tornitore, perforatore e fresatore, cioè di costruttore metallico. Poi mi sono arruolato nella Volkspolizei (Polizia Popolare) e ho percorso tutti i gradi da zero, ho studiato lì e sono diventato ufficiale. Dopo la cosiddetta Svolta, nel 1990, l’Ovest non ha riconosciuto i nostri titoli di studio e poiché non volevo comunque prestare servizio negli organi di sicurezza del sistema capitalista dove magari avrei dovuto proteggere manifestazioni naziste, ho lasciato il servizio di polizia. Andai al dipartimento municipale dell'ordine pubblico e studiai per altri due anni per diventare un funzionario di grado superiore. Ma poiché ero troppo di sinistra, trovarono un modo “non ufficiale” per sbarazzarsi di me. Poi mi sono andato a lavorare in impresa e nel 1997 sono stato mandato in pensione anticipata a causa della mia malattia ossea. Ho dovuto lottare per 4 anni in tribunale con un avvocato per far riconoscere la mia malattia e ho vinto. Da allora sono sempre stato attivo politicamente e nel 2020 ho fondato con alcuni amici la "Società per la Pace e la Solidarietà Internazionale" (GeFiS), dove sosteniamo le forze progressiste dell'America Latina e abbiamo avviato la campagna di solidarietà “Farmaci per il Venezuela”. Sono stato invitato dal Consiglio elettorale nel 2019 come unico osservatore elettorale tedesco alle elezioni parlamentari in Venezuela e di nuovo nel 2021 con altri 3 rappresentanti come osservatore elettorale per le elezioni comunali. Sono stato selezionato come rappresentante delle ONG.@HankeCarsten
