PBI: International Peace Day 2008 Wamena 21 September

PBI making space for peace

Peace Brigades International (PBI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which protects human rights and promotes nonviolent transformation of conflicts.When invited, they send teams of volunteers into areas of repression and conflict. The volunteers accompany human rights defenders, their organizations and others threatened by political violence. Perpetrators of human rights abuses usually do not want the world to witness their actions. The presence of volunteers backed by a support network helps to deter violence. PBI CREATES SPACE for local activists to work for social justice and human rights.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

International Peace Day 2008 Wamena 21 September

The PBI team in Wamena was very busy with the preparation of the Peace Day 2008 activities in the past weeks. These activities took place form the 15th of September till 21st of September 2008. On the 21st of September International Peace Day is celebrated all over the world. The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations as an annual observance of global non-violence and ceasefire. Harold and I arrived in Wamena at the 11th of September and we were immediately drown into the Peace Day activities. Indirect this was a golden opportunity to meet and get to know all the PBI contacts in Wamena. The first one and a half week our house was full of visitors. Everybody walked in and out from early in the morning till late in the evening. It was great to meet everybody in this informal way and already be of help with questions.

The first activity of Peace Day 2008 was the Seminar about Peace in a broad way, which was visited by around 100 people. Day two followed with a children’s competition on the second day. For small children there was a colouring competition, for elder children there was a draft competition about Peace and for the youth there was a Pikon (local mouth harp)competition for the boys and a Noken competition for the girls. The third event was an interactif radio dialogue with the regent of the District Jayawijaya, the local head of the military and a representative of the police and two chairman of our Peace Day committee.

De last activity was the main activity, a great Parade consisting of 700 people through the streets of Wamena with at the end a big Bakar Batu. A Bakar Batu is a local traditional way of cooking and eating together and on this Peace day event we had our first Bakar Batu experience. There is a big fire where stones are heated. As soon as these stones are really hot they are thrown into a big hole in the ground together with vegetables and sweet potatoes (Ubi) and pig meat and/or chicken and then you have to wait a few hours until it is ready for eating.

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Awards

2007
Winnipeg, Canada YMCA-YWCA Peace Medal, by Kevin Freedman, a PBI Indonesia Project Volunteer. The YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg marks YMCA World Peace Week by engaging people of all ages in exploring peace and integrating peace building activities into in their personal lives.
March 2001
The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders was awarded to PBI for providing unarmed protection to human rights defenders under threat.

February 2001
2001 Nobel Peace Prize nomination from the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).
December 1999
Human Rights Prize awarded by the town of Weimar, Germany to long-time PBI activist Heike Kammer for her work as a volunteer on PBI teams in Colombia, El Salvador and Guatemala.
September 1999
Aachener International Peace Prize awarded by the Aquisgran Foundation in Germany for the "exemplary work of PBI volunteers in Colombia."
March 1999
Citation from the Guatemalan Congress in recognition of the contribution PBI made to the peace process in Guatemala.
1999
Seivershausen Peace Prize awarded by a German anti-war centre in recognition of the peace education work of the PBI Haiti Project.
1999
Medalla Comemorativa de la Paz, awarded by the Rigoberta Menchú Túm Foundation for PBI's contribution to promoting the peace to which the foundation and its founder (Rigoberta Menchú, 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner) are dedicated.
1996
Pfeffer International Peace Prize awarded by Fellowship of Reconciliation (USA) to PBI for two decades of service to human rights workers, indigenous peoples, refugees and others through the provision of life-saving accompaniment programmes.
December 1995
Memorial de la Paz y la Solidaridad entre los Pueblos awarded by Fundacion Servicio Paz y Justicia (SERPAJ - Argentina) in recognition for PBI's solidarity with those committed to building peace with justice in Colombia and Guatemala.
1995
Friedrich Siegmund Schultz Peace Prize awarded in Germany by the Protestant Community of Conscientious Objectors in recognition of PBI's work on non-violent intervention to support civilians in areas of conflict.

1989
Memorial Per La Pau "Josep Vidal I Llecha." A Catalan peace prize awarded to PBI for the promotion of nonviolent action, dialog, and commitment to nonviolent conflict resolution especially in Central America.

PBI

PBI making space for peace