This week, is a ceasefire coming to Israel and Lebanon soon? Nigeria and US join forces to support peace structures. World March for Peace and Non-Violence visits Pakistan.
Is a ceasefire coming to Israel and Lebanon soon?
The war between Israel and Lebanon might be coming to a ceasefire soon, according to Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati. After speaking with US envoy Amos Hochstein on the phone, Mikati said in a televised interview with Al Jadeed that Hochstein, “suggested to me that we could reach an agreement before the end of the month and before 5 November” (the US election date)”
Lebanon’s health department says the war has killed over 2,790 people since October 8 last year. Most of those deaths have been reported in the last five weeks, and officials say more than a million people have been displaced, Sky News reported.
In the attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7 last year, Hamas killed around 1,200 Israelis. In the past year, 777 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza and Lebanon.
Last month, the United Nations said in a statement that Israeli tank fire had wounded two peacekeepers at the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura. The statement also noted that escalation was causing “widespread destruction” of towns and villages in Lebanon’s southern region.
Nigeria and US join forces to support peace structures
Nigeria and the US are joining forces to support peace structures. The initiative, named Peace Action for Rapid and Transformative Nigeria and Early Response Partner (PARTNER), is led by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), and funded by USAID.
At a national stakeholder engagement on Tuesday, the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Joseph Ochogwu, said the initiative’s nature was to bring together national, international and local entities to promote social cohesion and prevent violence.
PARTNER aims to empower communities with tools to monitor and report early signs of conflict, Daily Trust reported. Ochugwu said that PARTNER, which operates in nine states, has used digital tools to enable 100 active reporters and 63 responders to document 363 conflict-related incidents.
Last month, there was another important development in peace in Nigeria. Mercy Corps hosted a two-day youth dialogue in Nigeria’s Katsina State on Wednesday to foster awareness and promote Youth Peace and Security (YPS). To learn more, read here.
World march for peace and non-violence visits Pakistan
The World March for Peace and Non-violence 2024-2025 stopped by Pakistan from October 26-31. The march first launched in 2009 in 400 cities across the globe. This week, members of the World March for Peace visited Lahore and Karachi.
Modern Diplomacy reported that in Karachi, the March engaged with local civil society organizations, students, and peace activists to promote the values of nonviolence and tolerance. Participating in the march allowed Pakistani activists to connect with international activists for potential future collaboration.
Pakistanis have recently been standing up for peace against terrorism. Thousands of Pakistanis demonstrated for peace on October 21 in the city of Bannu, located in the country’s northwestern region. The rally came after several Taliban attacks in Bannu this year, with the most recent attack occurring the previous week. To learn more, read here.
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is a journalist in Bangkok. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
