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Protecting peace

What does peace mean to you?

What does peace mean to any of us and is it universally the same? We believe that the foundation of peace – the desire to live a life of freedom, dignity and the right to work, eat, learn, worship and develop as an individual is universal.

As the UN prepares to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its peacekeepers' programme on May 28, it serves as a good moment to reflect on what we want our world to look like and how we can together inch closer towards that vision. It also makes for a good moment to truly acknowledge the faces of those who are fighting for peace – environmental, societal and global.

Welcome back to FairPlanet's weekly newsletter, a place to Read, Debate: Engage.

The good

The UN celebrates 20 years of its peacekeeping mission

Established on 29 May 1948, the UN Peacekeeping Mission initially set out to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and Arab neighbours under the title of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

Today, almost 20 years later, the UN prepares to celebrate 20 years since its founding, with over 1 million men and women who have served in UN peacekeeping operations. These operations have ensured the protection of millions of the world's most vulnerable across numerous countries including Abyei and Darfur, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti and Lebanon to Mali and South Sudan. In light of its two-decades in operation, this years theme is 'Protecting Civilians, Protecting Peace'.

Action-for-peacekeeping-UN
The bad

The Amazon basin is under attack by governments

Spanning across over 35 percent of the South American continent, the Amazon has become a tragic hotspot of exploitation for the world's richest, from international corporations, governments and drug cartels, each fighting for a slice of the profit this invaluable jungle can offer in return for its destruction.

To date, over 20 percent of this unique land has been destroyed for the sake of big business, and it is crucial we come together now to put pressure on its culprits. Amazon Watch collaborate with local indigenous and environmental organisations in their campaigns to promote human rights, corporate accountability, climate justice, and the conservation of the Amazon. Sign the petition now.

amazonwatch

Support Amazon Watch in protecting the rainforest and its indigenous peoples

by Yair Oded

Amazon Watch partner with local indigenous and environmental organizations to protect the rainforest and promote human and land rights of local tribes.
More from human rights defenders
freedom-of-press

The long walk to press freedom

by Bob Koigi

“Promoting a free press is standing up for our right to truth.”
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enviromental activist latin america

Environmental defenders endangered in Latin America

by Magdalena Rojo

During the past decade, 1,356 attacks against leaders and communities protecting their environment happened in Latin America.
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India_LGBTQ

India's first HIV treatment centre and clinic for the LGBTQ

by Shuriah Niazi

Every year, a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in India experience harassment, threats of violence, unemployment, intolerance, prejudice, penury and lack of healthcare facilities due to their sexual orientation.
Country focus
Israel-country-profile
Israel

A small country in terms of land but with on going international coverage, Israel is a country that has, since its founding in 1948, grappled with a complicated and often tragic socio-political existence.

With a population of over 8 million people, Israel is a densely populated nation in the Middle East, with the majority of its border lining the eastern end of the Mediterranean sea, and tucked between Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt.

It is impossible to talk about Israel without mentioning its current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is chairman of the right-wing Likud party. His governing coalition of religious politicians is widely criticized for never making far a serious attempt to terminate the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories in the West-Jordan-land and for its continued opposition to a two-state solution.

FairPlanet's new columnist
Tish Sanghera
Tish Sanghers

Tish is an Independent journalist currently based in Mumbai, India. Her stories are data-driven and focus on the intersection between social, political and economic issues told through a human narrative.


You can find her tweeting at @TishSanghera