No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveNew C.R. Peace Ministry To Support Nonviolence

New C.R. Peace Ministry To Support Nonviolence

If harboring the United Nation’s University for Peace and being home to a Nobel Peace Prize-winning president weren’t enough, Costa Rica now is establishing a Peace Ministry to further brand itself as the nonviolence capital of the Americas.

Legislators last week approved a bill that lays the foundation for the new Peace Ministry, which will be charged with promoting peace programs among youth groups and other institutions.

“We think it’s very important that Costa Rica have an identity of peace; a reputation for looking for alternative answers to conflicts and a reputation for not accepting crime within our country,” said lawmaker Ana Helena Chacón, a sponsor of the bill.

Already known as the “Switzerland of the Americas,” Costa Rica’s peace-loving reputation dates back at least to the 1940s, when it became the first country in the Western Hemisphere to abolish its army.

Forty years later, President Oscar Arias played a key role in negotiating settlements to the Central American conflicts of the 1980s. This involvement resulted in his being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. And, most recently, Arias has been at the center of the mediation process for the present Honduran crisis, which began June 28 when President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a coup d’état and the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti was installed.

Costa Ricans have long demonstrated a tendency to go to lengths to quedar bién (get along well with others), a trait that results in a generally non-confrontational approach to life.

–Chrissie Long

 

Trending Now

Retired Nicaraguan Army Captain Sentenced to 50 Years for Treason

A retired military officer was sentenced to 50 years in prison in Nicaragua for the crime of "treason against the homeland," his family denounced...

Former Costa Rican Minister Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Faces U.S. Extradition

Costa Rica’s judicial police arrested Celso Gamboa, a former security minister and Supreme Court judge, on Monday, following a U.S. request for his extradition...

El Salvador Slams Paris Fashion Show Inspired by Cecot Mega-Prison Inmates

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, joked on Saturday that he could send inmates from his mega-prison to France, after they were represented...

Prisma Dental in Costa Rica Keeps Customers Happy and Smiling

I am 81 years old and have had teeth removed, bridges, and cavities fixed several times to sustain my ability to eat and function....

Costa Rica Pushes USA to the Brink but Falls in Penalty Heartbreak

If you just caught the end of the USA vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal, you probably feel like you need another cup of...

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica