(2020-06-26). Colombia's Other Pandemic: Unchecked State Violence in the Time of COVID-19. counterpunch.org 
The human rights group Indepaz reports that 800 activists have been killed in the past three and a half years in Colombia, since November 24, 2016, the date the government signed "the Peace Accord" with the FARC.[1] Taking advantage of society's fear and distraction, and the demobilization caused by the novel coronavirus, state and paramilitary
(2020-06-26). US street-based projects are talking about more than just police reforms. They want outright liberation. thecanary.co On the west coast of America, authorities have threatened to send in police to retake Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ). While on the east coast, the Black Lives Matter chair for Greater New York has called for armed "peace officers" to monitor police activity. | Meanwhile, all across the US, legislation is being introduced to
(2020-06-26). Mines, mass graves: Haftar's human rights violations. yenisafak.com An Anadolu Agency team in Libya has monitored the evidence of mines, mass graves, and executions left behind by the militias of warlord Khalifa Haftar as they retreated from south of the capital Tripoli as well as the city of Tarhuna, to the southeast. Libya's internationally recognized government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.This March, the Libyan government launched Operation Peace Storm to counter attacks on the capital, and recently retook strategic locations, including Al-Watiya airbase and the city of Tarhuna, Haftar's final stronghol…
(2020-06-26). Imran Khan on Pakistani-US Relations: 'We Will Not Fight Their War'. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday took credit for holding successful peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban on behalf of the US, stating that the world has acknowledged Islamabad's efforts toward reconciliation in the region.
(2020-06-26). Saturday 6/27: Peaceful Protest for Black Lives Matter. indybay.org Santa Cruz Clock Tower | Pacific Ave. and Water St., Santa Cruz…
(2020-06-26). Joe Biden Should Not Try to Out-Hawk Trump on Venezuela. commondreams.org Thousands gather in Caracas to protest Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. April 2019 (Photo: Helena1 / Shutterstock.com) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-06-26_at_11.10.04_am.png …
(2020-06-26). The 'New' American Mercenary: A Pocket History. popularresistance.org Though the bizarre story has been subsumed by other events, last month's aborted invasion of Venezuela should've hardly shocked anyone. The United States has long used mercenaries to do its bidding. They have provided Washington distance and deniability for unsavory operations. During the Cold War, the U.S. hoped this would limit domestic and international protest. Policymakers also discerned mercenary alternatives to bloody, expensive quagmires like the Vietnam or Iraq Wars. Traditionally, most of these hired guns were foreigners — ex-soldiers of declining European empires. | Much of this parallels the lat…
(2020-06-25). Coronavirus casts 'huge shadow' over Afghan life as multi-dimensional crisis continues. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a health emergency, but a multi-dimensional crisis for Afghanistan, dealing its people a painful blow just as Kabul and the Taliban prepare for peace talks in Qatar, the top UN official in the country says.
(2020-06-25). Sunday 6/28: Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park (19th st. and Telegraph ave), Oakland, CA | Dear siblings, these times are a great call for change. | As mindfulness practitioners, we can breathe for others who cannot. Let's bring the practice of peaceful compassionate nonviolence to the streets; to listen, to follow, and support black people. | As Thich Nhat Hanh once said: "Nonviolent action, born of the awareness of suffering and nurtured by love, is the most effective way to confront adversity." | Together we can walk in peace, love, compassion and awareness.
(2020-06-25). Digital tools being used to track people as never before, warns UN rights chief. news.un.org The internet and new digital tools are being manipulated as never before to infringe on people's right to free assembly, the UN's top rights official said on Thursday, in a call for a moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology during peaceful demonstrations.
(2020-06-25). Interactive Map Shows Police Using Violence Against Peaceful Protesters in 125 Cities and 40 States. counterpunch.org 
Click here to view the map. It hasn't been a great couple of weeks for the supposed "Land of the Free" these days, though a lot of brave protesters across the country have continued to stand up to a lot of cowardly militarized police and American soldiers who have been using weaponized military helicopters, M-16
(2020-06-25). Racialized Militarism, Peacebuilding And Defunding The Military. popularresistance.org As the Canadian government prepares to spend $1 billion on Raytheon missiles and related equipment, award a $19 billion contract for new fighter jets in 2022, and increase spending to $32.7 billion a year on the military by 2026, it is both timely and necessary to have a conversation about peacebuilding and the structures of violence. In this regard, the Canadian Peace Initiative has a campaign to establish a federal Department of Peace. And Eriel Tchekwie Deranger has urged NGOs advocating for a Green New Deal to: "center the destructive intertwined roles of capitalism, consumerism, militarism and colonialism as…
(2020-06-25). Tuesday 6/23: Community Meeting on Police Response at Protests. indybay.org Zoom online meeting | Register in advance for this meeting: bit.ly/ComMtg0623 (or us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApd-yvrjIvGtIy2_uCkP4yNI3-5dheaEDs) | After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
(2020-06-25). Bitcoin bolivars? Venezuela reportedly accepting crypto as payment for passport applications. rt.com 
Venezuela's passport service is accepting Bitcoin as payment for some applications, according to people using the online system. The move suggests an increased shift to alternative payment systems in the South American state. | A screenshot of a Bitcoin (BTC) payment prompt on Venezuela's Administrative Service for Identification, Migration and Foreigners (SAIME) was posted to
(2020-06-25). US Sends Powerful Message to Iran, Venezuela as Warship Sails Near Caracas. globalresearch.ca The U.S. Naval Command in the southern region announced on Wednesday, that a warship belonging to it sailed near the Venezuelan coast, hours after an Iranian tanker was docked in the port of Caracas. | According to the Southern Command's official …
(2020-06-25). India, China Swear Upon Past Agreements, New Confidence-Building Measures to Break Stand-off. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): India and China have been in a border stand-off along the 4,057km long Line of Actual Control since the last week of April. The tensions between the neighbours escalated last week when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent face-off between the Indian Army and PLA.
(2020-06-24). As peace in Sudan remains elusive, protesters mobilize to "correct the revolution" peoplesdispatch.org The repeated delays in peace talks to end the civil war in Sudan have also delayed the formation of the legislative council. This has effectively stalled any progress in meeting the demands of the Sudanese Revolution which overthrew Omar al-Bashir…
(2020-06-24). Int'l law will determine future of Libya, says Turkey. yenisafak.com The vice president of Turkey on Wednesday underlined that international law would determine Libya's future."Putschists should know that it will be on the legitimate basis of international law that will determine the future of peace in Libya," Fuat Oktay said, adding that with Tripoli's "decisive stance" and Turkey's support, all "games and traps have been thwarted."Oktay said Turkey would back "its Libyan brothers until peace, tranquility and justice are established in the country."He emphasized that those who until now "could not propose any approach towards resolution" to the conflict between the war-torn count…
(2020-06-24). Mapping Police Violence Across The USA. popularresistance.org Police forces across the United States have committed widespread and egregious human rights violations in response to largely peaceful assemblies protesting systemic racism and police violence, including the killing of Black people. | Amnesty International has documented 125 separate incidents of police violence against protesters in 40 states and the District of Columbia between 26 May and 5 June 2020. These acts of excessive force were committed by members of state and local police departments, as well as by National Guard troops and security force personnel from several federal agencies. Among the abuses docum…
(2020-06-24). Why Black Lives Matter Global Network's Fundraising Bonanza Rings the Scam Alarm. sputniknews.com Though the Black Lives Matter Global Network positions itself as a charity, its funding and spending are not transparent, while its activities appear partisan and less than peaceful, say Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel and Robert Bishop, retired corporate CPA, suspecting the entity may be involved in potential fraud and money laundering schemes.
(2020-06-24). US unilateralism poses serious threat to international peace, security: Ghalibaf. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 24 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf called the unilateral behavior of the US a serious threat to international peace and security and stressed the need for regional and international cooperation to counter the irrational actions of the White House.
(2020-06-24). A US Navy Destroyer Just Entered Venezuelan Waters. Is Trump Trying to Start a War? mintpressnews.com The USS Nitze is conducting what the US military is calling a "freedom of navigation operation… contesting an excessive maritime claim by Venezuela."
(2020-06-24). Bolton weaves a tall tale in his Venezuela chapter. peoplesdispatch.org 
Per Bolton, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro remains in power only because the Trump administration lacked the determination to keep the pressure on. He argues that sanctions were neither strict nor swiftly applied. Yet during Bolton's tenure, the Trump administration blocked Venezuela's ability to trade gold, froze the assets of state oil company PDVSA (including US based subsidiary Citgo Petroleum), sanctioned Venezuela's Central Bank, and imposed an economic embargo. All of this occurred between November 2018 and August 2019, during Bolton's tenure as Trump's National Security Advisor. | Four major sanction…
(2020-06-24). US sanctions five Iranian ship captains for bringing oil to Venezuela. yenisafak.com Speaking to reporters, Pompeo also said the United States continues to support Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. Washington, which seeks the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and most other Western governments have recognized Guaido as the legitimate leader of the OPEC nation.
(2020-06-24). US Sanctions Iranian Ship Captains as Russia Hosts Venezuelan FM. venezuelanalysis.com Russian FM Sergei Lavrov reiterated his opposition to US aggression in Venezuela.
(2020-06-23). Greenpeace USA Endorses the DNC Climate Crisis Council 2020 Platform. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-06-23). Several international delegates join Palestinians' protest against proposed Israeli annexation. peoplesdispatch.org The protests in Jericho in the Jordan Valley were part of the Palestinian Authority's popular initiatives against the annexation move by Israel. The UN peace envoy and representatives of Russia, China and EU attended the protest…
(2020-06-23). UN condemns killing of Indonesian peacekeeper in DR Congo. news.un.org The United Nations has strongly condemned an attack believed to be carried out by rebel militia on peacekeepers serving with the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), which left one Indonesian 'blue helmet' dead, and another injured.
(2020-06-23). Russia Can't Broker China-India Peace: The Best It Can Do Is Balance Its Response to this Crisis. globalresearch.ca Nobody should have the false expectation that the virtual Foreign Minister's meeting between the Russian, Chinese, and Indian dignitaries, nor the presence of the latter two's Defense Ministers in Moscow this week to attend the delayed Victory Day celebration there, …
(2020-06-23). Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org Dear siblings, these times are a great call for change. | As mindfulness practitioners, we can breathe for others who cannot. Let's bring the practice of peaceful compassionate nonviolence to the streets; to listen, to follow, and support black people. | As Thich Nhat Hanh once said: "Nonviolent action, born of the awareness of suffering and nurtured by love, is the most effective way to confront adversity." | Together we can walk in peace, love, compassion and awareness.
(2020-06-23). Hopes Quashed: The Sudan Uprisings. counterpunch.org John Young has lots of guts and stamina to probe every nook, cranny and hidden crevice of the multiplex conflicts, strife, wars and struggle for power in a country, the Sudan, that lacks the necessary ingredients to call itself a viable nation-state. Young provides exacting detail demonstrating the deep fractures that disenable peace processes and
(2020-06-23). Thousands Of Palestinians Protest Against Israeli Annexation Plan. popularresistance.org Thousands of Palestinians have rallied in Jericho to protest against Israel's unilateral plan to annex large swaths of the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley. | Monday's gathering was also attended by dozens of foreign diplomats, including the United Nations peace envoy for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, and the European Union's representative, Sven Kuehn von Burgsdorff. | British, Chinese, Russian, Japanese and Jordanian diplomats were also at the rally. | Citing the presence of the dignitaries, Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim said: "Palestinians hope that by doing gatherings like this, they would pressure the…
(2020-06-23). Japanese reporter goes to CHAZ to prove it's peaceful, leaves within 15 min with BLACK EYE. rt.com 
A Japanese artist, activist and reporter went to Seattle to cover the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) and to show that the protest was non-violent. He left within 15 minutes having been severely beaten up. | Oogesa Taro, the organizer of a collaborative social art project called ' "Ç∑"Ç¢"Éà"É´"Å´Á…
(2020-06-23). DNC 'Snubs' Climate Movement Just as Greenpeace Endorses Democratic Panel's Visionary Plan. commondreams.org Despite mounting pressure on Democrats to craft a 2020 platform that includes ambitious climate policies, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez on Monday announced a drafting committee that "snubs progressive climate activists again," in the words of journalist Emily Atkin. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/tom_perez_dnc_climate_debate_0.jpg …
(2020-06-23). Victoria Nuland Alert. Her Ambition is Confront Russia to Deter Putin. globalresearch.ca It is difficult to find anything good to say about Donald Trump, but the reality is that he has not started any new wars, though he has come dangerously close in the cases of Venezuela and Iran and there …
(2020-06-23). Mexican Government Punishes Companies and Citizens that Supplied Food to Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Mexico and US are two countries that have a curious political history, alternating in long periods of rivalry and Mexican subordination. In fact, Mexico was the first country to suffer the consequences of American expansionist ideology, both for its policy …
