#global peace foundation

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Fans Show Concern After Two Fourth-Generation Groups’ Scheduled Performances Are Linked To A Homophobic Cult

Celebrities with ties to the church cult have been criticized.

Recently, fans were shocked to learn that OnlyOneOf and Cherry Bullet’s announced festival appearance is linked to a cult.

On September 26, it was announced that OnlyOneOf would be performing at the 2023 Korean Dream Festa For Korea United, something that initially thrilled fans. Also included on the event’s flyer was the FNC Entertainment girl group Cherry Bullet.

As the performance is in a few days, the notice seemed a little late, but there is a reason for this — the two groups were not included initially in the lineup. The original poster shows that B1A4 and H1-KEY were originally listed as performers.

B1A4’s company, WM Entertainment, later shared they were not attending and had no links to the organizations involved, which led fans to research the event.

In the original poster, one of the organizations involved in the event is the Global Peace Foundation, founded by [Hyun Jin Moon] the son of Moon Sun Myung, the founder of the Unification Church.

The Unification Church’s members, also known as Moonies, believe that the founder was the Messiah and have been linked to problematic mass weddings and the assassination of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“Hello, this is WM Entertainment. We would like to inform you that our artist, B1A4, does not have any events scheduled on October 3, 2023. We are aware of the fan concerns regarding a certain event. However, we hereby confirm that we are not associated with it. Also, please be assured that the company and its artists are not associated with any specific organizations. Thank you.” — WM Entertainment

The Moon Sun Myung was also known for his strong stance against homosexuality, saying that gays would be “eliminated” in a purge. OnlyOneOf, in addition to starring in an upcoming BL series, have had queer storylines in their past releases, making fans worry for their safety.

Fans of the groups have begun trying to spread awareness, with LyOns attempting to reach out to 8D Entertainment regarding OnlyOneOf’s participation. Many also criticized the company for negligence in booking the group to perform at this event.

The group gained infamy in the US a few years ago for including rifles in their service just weeks after a mass shooting.

[kikodora]

SM Cares, Global Peace Foundation launches Global Youth Summit 2023

SM Cares, together with the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), recently launched this year’s Global Youth Summit. The event, which marks the first of a four-leg series, was launched last August 11, 2023, Friday, at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City. The Global Youth Summit is an annual gathering of thousands of students and youth leaders from all over the Philippines, where they will be…

[kazifatagar]

Atlas Copco, Global Peace Foundation Offers Clean Water For Orang Asli in Pahang

Atlas Copco Malaysia and Singapore, in collaboration with Global Peace Foundation Malaysia, held the inauguration of the Water for All project in Pahang on 14th April 2023. The event took place at Kampung Sungai Gayung in Pahang, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly-built solar water pump source at the village. Mr Horst Wasel, Vice President Holding, SEA & Oceania says this Water…

[wayti-blog]

if only all governments cared for all citizens as loving, wise parents care for their children

[africaprimenews]

Nigerian NGO Floats ₦500,000 To Boost Livelihoods Of Grassroot Groups For Peaceful Living

By Isaac Odeh In a bid to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable women and youth, a Non-Governmental Organisation, Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, in collaboration with Global Peace Women Nigeria, has disbursed the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira to five cooperative societies in Zikpak Chiefdom, Jema’a Local Government Area, Kaduna State. Presenting the cheque on Tuesday in Kafanchan to the…

[altur24]

“Climate is the main challenge for the volunteers of the international social movement ALLATRA”

A lot of large-scale projects in various spheres of human and social life are realized today by volunteers of the International Public Movement “ALLATRA”

The key topic of these projects is global climate change on Earth, as well as the study of the impact of anthropogenic and other factors on the climate: geocosmic, geodynamic.  Everyone who cares, who is not indifferent to their lives and the lives of people around them, such people are working to solve this most important task as ALLATRA volunteers. These are specialists in various professions, these are the most progressive and socially active people of our planet.  

I would like to emphasize once again: solving climate problems is one of the priority tasks that ALLATRA volunteers set for themselves today.

Inspire the public to actively participate in the social life of society

Create favorable conditions for widespread and comprehensive awareness of the climate change issue

to actualize this topic on all kinds of media and information platforms - this is the

 The goal of the International Social Movement ALLATRA. 

Realizing that the climate is killing millions of people in a matter of seconds (remember the earthquake in Turkey on February 6, 2023), the volunteers of the International Public Movement ALLATRA do not stand aside from this climate threat, but boldly roll up their sleeves and begin to study the topic of climate thoroughly and comprehensively, conduct interdisciplinary research, interact with scientists around the world, calling on the public to join the study of this topic, to make it the number 1 topic on all kinds of platforms and platforms of communication. 

To do this, ALLATRA members use all available and legal ways and opportunities. They also develop information materials aimed at raising public awareness about climate change, organize meetings, forums, conferences, round tables, discussions at both international and local levels. 

Not wasting a minute of time in the issue of global climate change is the main principle of every active ALLATRA volunteer today, because every day of delay costs thousands and millions of people's lives.  

To raise the issue of climate change at all levels of our society as soon as possible and on a large scale - this is what ALLATRA volunteers are working on every day and for this purpose they actively cooperate with various governmental and non-governmental organizations, international scientific community.

It should be noted that ALLATRA volunteers highly appreciate the efforts and aspirations of the UN to make a significant contribution to a deeper understanding of climate change factors and draw attention to the importance of anthropogenic impact.  The UN is actively working to address climate issues. If you wish, you can always explore the research and climate models in the UN's climate reports, which provide fundamental science and recommendations for climate action.

It is important to note that the volunteers of the International Social Movement “ALLATRA” support and popularize the development of modern science and implementation of existing scientific developments that can contribute to solving global climate problems. And also volunteers of ALLATRA strive to unite all people with kind and constructive solutions and proposals! ALLATRA participants endeavor to make human society live according to the principles of democracy and creation.

“ALLATRA” stands for only peaceful and safe life of all peoples of the planet - these are the principles on which the volunteers of “ALLATRA” build their activities. 

And also, each volunteer, participant of ALLATRA recognizes that global positive changes and deep transformations for the better in society begin with each not indifferent person!

So, if you are a person who cares about the life of people and the planet as a whole, if you want to use your professional and creative potential for the benefit of all mankind, then right now join the volunteers of the International Public Movement “ALLATRA”.

 E-mail: info@allatra.org

Website:  https://allatra.org

#ALLATRA #allatra #social #movement #international #goodwill #peace #climate #international #social #engagement #conference #forum #roundtable #foundation #UN #report #global #people #planet #science

[altr24]

“Solving climate problems is a priority goal of the volunteers of the international social movement ALLATRA”

ciety democratic and creative, not totalitarian and consumerist.

“ALLATRA” stands for the peaceful and safe existence of all peoples of the world!

“ALLATRA” recognizes that global positive change and profound transformation for the better in global society begins with every person who cares!

If you are such an indifferent person and want to realize in your life the principle of the famous ancient Indian parable: “Use your mind for the benefit of people and gain experience. When your deeds from feelings for the sake of Truth will be much more than words from mind for the sake of Ego, then you will know a single grain of Truth", then boldly join the volunteers of the International Public Movement ‘ALLATRA’.

 E-mail: info@allatra.org

Websitesi: https://allatra.org

#ALLATRA #allatra #social #movement #international #goodwill #peace #climate #international #social #engagement #conference #forum #roundtable #foundation #UN #report #global #people #planet #science

[jimluce]

Building Bridges: How Cultural Exchange Shapes Future Leaders

Kamala Harris’s vice-presidential pick, Tim Walz, embodies this spirit of cultural exchange. His year teaching in Guangdong, China, in 1989 was during the Tiananmen Square massacre. This period offers him a unique perspective on one of the most pivotal moments in modern Chinese history. His background highlights the potential for educational exchanges to foster deep, nuanced understandings of…

[mediaheights]

Biodiversity is the foundation of our food, health, and peaceful life.

On the occasion of International Day for Biological Diversity, we reaffirm our commitment to saving Our Biodiversity, Our Food, and Our Health.

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[xtruss]

Ukraine — Another Lost United States/NATO(North Atlantic Terrorist Organization) War With No Regrets

— By Jan Oberg | December 16, 2023

Illustration: Chen Xian/Global Times

One of the enigmatic aspects of international politics is that big and militarily superior countries have systematically lost wars in smaller countries over the last 50 years, from Vietnam to Ukraine. "Losing" here means military defeat, being forced out, losing the struggle for the hearts and minds of the people, and facing fiasco when it comes to achieving the professed noble motives like introducing human rights, democracy, freedom or liberating women. And given the tremendous human costs, particularly in the Middle East, the US' "Global War on Terror" since September 11, 2001 is also an intellectual and moral disaster.

The US - by far the world's largest military spender, interventionist, warrior, occupier, global base-builder with the most militarized foreign policy - is in a class of its own. In losing wars too.

It is now rapidly losing legitimacy, relevance and credibility in the eyes of most of the world outside US/NATO/EU/ANPO/AUKUS. Firstly, all these imperial militarist adventures have been woefully anti-intellectual and imbued with the arrogance of power, elements of racism and hubris. Secondly, after quite predictable fiascos and defeats - such as in Iraq - there comes a time when propaganda, psychological operations (PSYOPS), media influencing, and psycho-political projection no longer do the trick.

There comes a time, too, when even the biggest military spender and economy cannot finance its weapons addiction and its arsenals of weapons and ammunition dry up.

It's called over-extension and diminishing legitimacy in the eyes of others, it's called militarism to death and is transforming into imperial decline and eventual fall. No empires have lasted forever and that of the US/NATO world will be the last. No one is so foolish to believe that, in an incredibly diverse world, everybody else would accept one player to be the all-dominating system and shape others into its own image. Missionary times are a thing of the past.

Enter Ukraine. NATO set itself up in Kiev immediately after it became independent and declared in 2008 that it would become a member of the alliance. It was a gross violation of the promises indisputably given to the last Soviet President, Michael Gorbachev, but such was the unipolar we-can-do-whatever-we-want sentiment.

In an autistic manner, NATO refused to listen to Russia's legitimate security concerns and also did not bother about the fact that there was only a tiny minority among the Ukrainian people in favour of membership of NATO. Instead, a regime change in Kiev was all that was needed: installing a pro-Western leadership, paying it well and giving it an offer it could not refuse by wooing it step-by-step into the ever-expanding alliance.

Russia then put its foot down, and insult had to be added to injury: We will help you, Ukraine, for as long as it takes for you to win "our" war against Russia and "weaken" it; you'll be covered the whole way, just fight for us to the last Ukrainian.

Thus, Part One with the expansion and wooing, and Part Two with the militarization and proxy war - but no membership of NATO, which would commit NATO troops to Ukrainian soil and cost NATO lives. Now comes Part Three - the abandonment and Ukraine on desolation row to be fixed by a faltering EU.

Here, the Palestine-Israel conflict comes in handy. The political and media attention on Ukraine has diminished significantly, while Ukraine's counter-offensive has stalled, and internal conflicts in Kiev accelerate.

The NATO blame game is on: We gave you all the weapons, ammunition and training we could, but you did not manage the military struggle well; your leadership is falling apart, and you are not as grateful to us as we had expected, and so on. And do not expect NATO or EU membership in the near future (no matter what we say for the public).

Obviously, nobody wants to be associated with such a political, economic, military, legal and moral fiasco. Not the US and NATO's leaders, who, from a historical perspective, provoked it in Part One and, instead of admitting it, continued to Part Two and Three.

The EU has not been able to develop its own policies on the Ukraine conflict. It followed the US blindly, installed history's toughest sanctions and completely isolated the largest European state, Russia, from Europe. Sweden and Finland willingly let themselves be pushed into NATO for no serious reason. Then followed the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines, the largest ever infrastructure destruction (most likely carried out by the US because President Biden and other leaders said they would do just that and because of the silence and lack of official reports explaining who did what).

Weapons depots are becoming emptied, and now, to put it crudely, the Union looks increasingly wobbly politically while undergoing its deepest ever economic crisis. Germany's economic and political situation looks bleak. The EU area is likely to also be heavily hit by the long-term repercussions of the violence in the Middle East.

The EU's helter-skelter knee-jerk reaction to Russia's military operations in Ukraine prevented any analyses of likely consequences in the short-, mid- and long-term of these measures, which were as ill-considered and irrational as they were drastic. Russia, on the other hand, will get out of this quagmire much better than the EU.

While the US is comparatively well protected from the negative consequences of its policies, its European allies are not. The burdens on the civilian economy caused by warfare, militarism, tremendous re-armament, and refugee flows - and thereby, depletion of resources urgently needed for European infrastructure, climate change measures and welfare investments - paint a dark picture of the future.

It will likely become a guns-before-butter society, and future generations will have to pay the bills.

As time goes by, people will take to the street - for themselves and/or in support of, say, the Palestinians. Simultaneously, the far right will see its dawn as the economic crisis deepens.

— Thee Author, Jan Oberg, is Director of the Sweden-based Think Tank Transnational Foundation for Peace & Future

[worfsbarmitzvah]

maybe this isn’t the most coexistence-pilled sentiment but i get so angry sometimes when i think about how people took our g-d and decided he was everyone’s g-d, took our holy texts and decided they were everyone’s holy texts, took our holy land and decided it was everyone’s holy land, and we’re expected to just accept that. goyim think they can tell us we’re worshipping our own g-d wrong because they decided he was their g-d too. they think they can criticize how we engage with our own torah because they stole it and changed it and added shit and rewrote it when it was ALWAYS OUR TORAH. they call yerushalayim “the holy land of three religions” because apparently if you colonize someone hard enough you get to claim their holy land as your holy land too and the entire world will just nod their heads right along because the entire foundation of their global society is based on the colonization of ours. and i know it’s antithetical to peace and so i push aside this feeling when i talk about actual solutions and real world actions and consequences but that deep angry part of me does think it’s complete fucking bullshit that christianity and islam get to plunder our entire culture for themselves in between mass murdering us and nobody calls them on it

edit: unrebloggable as of 10/8/2024.

[fairuzfan]

Joint statement by Wikimedia organizations and individuals regarding the ongoing situation in Palestine, 7 April 2024

We, the undersigned Wikimedia groups and individuals, express deep concern over the ongoing Israel-created humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian population, particularly the widespread loss of life, infrastructure devastation, and severe food shortages in the Gaza Strip. We express profound concern for the safety and well-being of Wikimedia and allied movement activists within the besieged Palestinian territory. Ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals behind the realm of free knowledge is paramount; knowledge cannot truly be free if it comes at the expense of human safety and security.

In the words of the late Reverend Desmond Tutu, "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." In alignment with our commitment to uphold human dignity and justice, we firmly advocate for peace and equitable resolution.

In a demonstration of solidarity, some of the undersigned groups have adopted the colors of the Palestinian flag within the respective logos, following the initiative of the Arabic Wikipedia community to symbolize support following the December 2023 day of action.

We urge all Wikimedia groups, affiliates, allies, and volunteers to unite in solidarity with humanity and demand an immediate and lasting ceasefire to halt the tragic loss of life and destruction of Palestinian cultural heritage. Furthermore, we call upon the Wikimedia Foundation to take proactive measures to ensure the safety of volunteers, communities, partners and knowledge and memory institutions from Palestine contributing to the dissemination of knowledge.

We urgently request the Wikimedia Foundation to prioritize the unbiased dissemination of information and the accurate and timely documentation of the ongoing human-made humanitarian disaster and the erasure of cultural heritage. Additionally, we take this opportunity to underscore the importance of global support for enhancing Palestinian content across all Wikipedia projects.

[ana-bananya]

Hi! My last donation post reached the 100 link limit so this is my new one. I'm going to work on getting individual lists for each cause and linking them here, so it's a bit more organized than the last one.

I have added a few new links, but for the time being, I am focusing on the campaigns I have listed. While I do not have the capacity to take on anymore campaigns, I will still reblog ones I see others post about to help share them.

I will do my best to keep the links updated with their progress.

DISCLAIMER: I do not vet fundraisers. I only share ones that have been vetted by others, vouched for, or are credible.

Palestine

Sudan

Congo

Tigray

Resources for Syria

Resources for Haiti

Hurricane Beryl Relief resources

Arab.org - Daily clicks

World Food Programme trivia game - play to generate donations

Links to more causes:

‼️ indicates that a fundraiser has experienced a decrease in donations or has been without donations for some time

The Levin House Child Foundation (gfm: £8,438/£35,000 - VERY low on funds)‼️

Uyghurs

Uyghur Human Rights Project

Static & Noise - Film and Advocacy

Free Uyghur Now

Foundation for Uyghur Freedom

List of ethical clothing brands

Haiti

P4H Global Education Development

P4H Canal Support

Hope for Haiti

Action Against Hunger

List of resources for Haiti made by @/hobiebrownies on twitter (places to donate, accounts to follow, news sources, and educational links)

Thread of gfms for Haiti

Startup Progression society art school Haïti (€2,756/5,000)‼️

Rohingya Refugees

Urgent Education Aid for Rohingya Refugee Students, organized by Rohingya Community Partners ($7,515/$15,000) STAGNANT FOR OVER A MONTH‼️

Emergency Relief for Rohingya Families, organized by The Rohingya Women's Network ($12,513 /$20,000 AUD)‼️

Qurbani Emergency Aid for Rohingya Refugees ($11,710/$12,000) STAGNANT FOR OVER TWO MONTHS‼️

Advocating for Peace and Building Hope: RCP Appeal, organized by Rohingya Community Partners (£18,760/£20,000)

Nigeria

Donate to the Humanitarian crisis in northwest Nigeria ($5,374/$15,000 CAD - VERY low on funds) ‼️

Medical and sanitary supplies to support women & children in Congo, Nigeria, and Sudan ($35/$3,000 CAD - VERY low on funds) STAGNANT FOR OVER TWO MONTHS‼️

Claire Aid Foundation

Action Against Hunger

Lebanon

Lebanese Red Cross

Supporting Africans Trapped in Lebanon ($33,454/40,000 CAD)‼️*shared by Sara (@/bsonblast)

Sultan and his family ($1,982/30,000 CAD)‼️

Donate to Beit el Baraka - select South Lebanon Aid for the "where to donate" list

Listed of vetted Lebanese fundraisers

[legalkimchi]

Please learn more than just a Phrase.

I don't expect people to be subject matter experts on issues of global politics.

But false equivalency is rampant in online discourse regarding three major conflicts in the world today. I am using the word conflict in this post, however, when applicable, i will use other words to describe specifics. (Nuance folks... it's a thing)

So i start off with an assumption that most people don't understand the basics of most international events. As an american, i only know some of the stuff that is happening within my own nation. This is not an insult to you, dear reader. Rather, it is a position we all must realize we are in. You do not understand most world issues.

You just don't.

you aren't there. it isn't your life. you don't have the academic background.

I saw a post recently calling for "freedom for Palestine, Sudan, and Congo."

And it bothered me. Not because i am opposed to peace, (how is asking for ceasefire a bad thing?) but rather because i believe simplifying the conflicts with this wording showcases the ignorance of the differences.

Not all conflicts are the same.

In palestine, we have a convoluted mess where two groups claim a territory as home. getting into the in-depth story of this conflict takes time. Foundational elements of it take place thousands of years ago, but the conflict itself is only about 75 years old. So it is a long and short story. Currently, the sovereign state of Israel is engaging in a genocide in Gaza. Asking for freedom for palestinians makes sense. they live in an apartheid state and would like a state of their own. they wish to be free of occupation. you can argue with the details, be pro-israel, or whatever, but that is the basic ask of palestinians. (if you want to get into anti-semetic regional sentiment or the desire of certain groups to eradicate the israeli jewish population or Israel as a nation that's a different topic, not the point of what i'm talking about.)

In the Congo and Sudan, it is a different story.

Let's start with the Congo. First of all, Which Congo?

Let's please understand that there is the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Republic of the Congo is a former french colony. Then there is Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of us might remember this country as Zaire.

the DRC is the congo we are talking about in the news. This was a former belgian colony and the atrocities committed by the belgians there rival any genocide in human history. i've seen estimates between 5 million and 20 million deaths. some estimates state the population of native congolese were cut in HALF. since the turbulent start of the country after their independence in 1960, the country knew relative peace until the 1990s. Then a mixture of a weak central government and the Rwandan Civil war (which had it's own genocide you may have heard about) spilled over into what was then Zaire. Zaire dissolved, and the DRC took it's place, But the wars have been raging off an on since then. earlier this year, more civil war violence erupted AGAIN. This displaced millions, AGAIN. while the DRC is a bit of an autocratic and repressive regime, the rebel groups are groups with ties with the Rwandan government and the other group with ties to Isis. It's awful all the way down.

Sudan has had an ongoing civil war for over 20 years. I remember this because i helped lead some anti-genocide protests regarding Darfur when i was in college 20 years ago. I've been following this conflict for nearly my entire adult life. you may have heard about this with regards to the Save Darfur coalition regarding the genocide in Darfur. Well, that genocide has continued (albeit with less intensity) for 20 years. the civil war lasted until 2021, but restarted in a different form in late 2023. the conflict is now between two different sides of the military government fighting each other.

It is an awful conflict full of awful leaders. Sudan's government suffered a revolution in 2019 from a dictator, only to have that government overthrown in a coup by the current dictator. The Sudanese military is supported by folks like Russia and North Korea. you might see that among the other countries that support sudan, bunch of communist countries, and you might think "hey, maybe al-Burhan is a leftist".

no... no he is not.

He is a military despot. He has no ties to any real ideology. He just runs sudan as a military dictator.

So who is opposing him?

The Rapid Support Forces. and you may be thinking "ok, so they are the good guys? trying to overthrow the dictator?"

No... They are the ones that instigated the Genocide in Darfur.

This is a situation is "no matter who wins, the people of Sudan lose."

So when folks claim these are all the same. Or wonder why folks talk about one and not the other.

there are reasons. These are very different conflicts. Please learn about them. It matters more than spouting some 4 word slogan calling for "freedom."

Find out what the people of these areas actually need. Learn more about what is happening. My description above is incomplete. I may even get some things wrong. I am trying to keep informed, but I am not an expert, nor do i live there. Raise voices from the region and find out if there are ways to help.

[wayti-blog]

Unity can only be established enduringly if it is based on tolerance and collaboration which give happiness and peace to all the parties involved.

[reasonsforhope]

Note: I super don't like the framing of this headline. "Here's why it matters" idk it's almost like there's an entire country's worth of people who get to keep their democracy! Clearly! But there are few good articles on this in English, so we're going with this one anyway.

--

2024 is the biggest global election year in history and the future of democracy is on every ballot. But amid an international backsliding in democratic norms, including in countries with a longer history of democracy like India, Senegal’s election last week was a major win for democracy. It’s also an indication that a new political class is coming of age in Africa, exemplified by Senegal’s new 44-year-old president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

The West African nation managed to pull off a free and fair election on March 24 despite significant obstacles, including efforts by former President Macky Sall to delay the elections and imprison or disqualify opposition candidates. Add those challenges to the fact that many neighboring countries in West Africa — most prominently Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, but other nations across the region too — have been repeatedly undermined by military coups since 2020.

Sall had been in power since 2012, serving two terms. He declined to seek a third term following years of speculation that he would do so despite a constitutional two-term limit. But he attempted to extend his term, announcing in February that elections (originally to be held that month) would be pushed off until the end of the year in defiance of the electoral schedule.

Sall’s allies in the National Assembly approved the measure, but only after security forces removed opposition politicians, who vociferously protested the delay. Senegalese society came out in droves to protest Sall’s attempted self-coup, and the Constitutional Council ruled in late February that Sall’s attempt to stay in power could not stand.

That itself was a win for democracy. Still, opposition candidates, including Faye, though legally able to run, remained imprisoned until just days before the election — while others were barred from running at all. The future of Senegal’s democracy seemed uncertain at best.

Cut to Tuesday [April 2, 2024], when Sall stepped down and handed power to Faye, a former tax examiner who won on a campaign of combating corruption, as well as greater sovereignty and economic opportunity for the Senegalese. And it was young voters who carried Faye to victory...

“This election showed the resilience of the democracy in Senegal that resisted the shock of an unexpected postponement,” Adele Ravidà, Senegal country director at the lnternational Foundation for Electoral Systems, told Vox via email. “... after a couple of years of unprecedented episodes of violence [the Senegalese people] turned the page smoothly, allowing a peaceful transfer of power.”

And though Faye’s aims won’t be easy to achieve, his win can tell us not only about how Senegal managed to establish its young democracy, but also about the positive trend of democratic entrenchment and international cooperation in African nations, and the power of young Africans...

Senegal and Democracy in Africa

Since it gained independence from France in 1960, Senegal has never had a coup — military or civilian. Increasingly strong and competitive democracy has been the norm for Senegal, and the country’s civil society went out in great force over the past three years of Sall’s term to enforce those norms.

“I think that it is really the victory of the democratic institutions — the government, but also civil society organization,” Sany said. “They were mobilized, from the unions, teacher unions, workers, NGOs. The civil society in Senegal is one of the most experienced, well-organized democratic institutions on the continent.” Senegalese civil society also pushed back against former President Abdoulaye Wade’s attempt to cling to power back in 2012, and the Senegalese people voted him out...

Faye will still have his work cut out for him accomplishing the goals he campaigned on, including economic prosperity, transparency, food security, increased sovereignty, and the strengthening of democratic institutions. This will be important, especially for Senegal’s young people, who are at the forefront of another major trend.

Young Africans will play an increasingly key role in the coming decades, both on the continent and on the global stage; Africa’s youth population (people aged 15 to 24) will make up approximately 35 percent of the world’s youth population by 2050, and Africa’s population is expected to grow from 1.5 billion to 2.5 billion during that time. In Senegal, people aged 10 to 24 make up 32 percent of the population, according to the UN.

“These young people have connected to the rest of the world,” Sany said. “They see what’s happening. They are interested. They are smart. They are more educated.” And they have high expectations not only for their economic future but also for their civil rights and autonomy.

The reality of government is always different from the promise of campaigning, but Faye’s election is part of a promising trend of democratic entrenchment in Africa, exemplified by successful transitions of power in Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone over the past year. To be sure, those elections were not without challenges, but on the whole, they provide an important counterweight to democratic backsliding.

Senegalese people, especially the younger generation, have high expectations for what democracy can and should deliver for them. It’s up to Faye and his government to follow."

-via Vox, April 4, 2024