Building the Dialogue for Development and Peace

by Marcia Merry Baker (EIRNS) — Oct. 29, 2026

In three weeks, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference of national leaders Nov. 18-19 in Shenzhen, China, takes place, giving the opportunity for a three-way meeting among the presidents—Xi Jinping of China, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Donald Trump of the United States, whose chance to confer is critical to shifting the world away from the warfare paradigm, and into dialogue for development and peace. Leaders of the 21 APEC member nations plan to be in Shenzhen.

In the last 10 days two internaistional conferences contributed greatly to this dialogue, by bringing together international experts committed to bringing about a world shift. In Xiong‘an New Area, China, Oct. 23-25, was the 2026 Global Governance Forum, with the theme: “Rebuilding Confidence and Cooperation: Reforming and Improving Global Governance in a Transforming World.” Schiller Institute founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche participated in this event, and this week is providing report-backs on the proceedings, including at the Oct. 30 International Peace Coalition, which she founded in 2023. In Assisi, Italy, on Oct. 25-27, the conference titled “Disarmed and Disarming Peace” took place, addressed (by video) by Pope Leo XIV, on the urgency to build peace. The Assisi Declaration was issued.

The Oct. 30 IPC will also receive reports from attendees from France and Germany. The IPC has been the launching platform for the international appeal circulating in recent weeks, calling on Pope Leo “To Organize a Global Leaders Summit To Address the Questions of Peace and Nuclear Disarmament,” in order to roll back today’s worsening threat of nuclear war.

However, this week, the happenstance of two multi-nation gatherings, both North-South, presents a striking contrast between this vector toward international collaboration for development and security, such as against the warfare paradigm of might-makes-right, and its threat of nuclear annihilation.

The positive model is seen in the deliberations in Moscow ending today of the Third Russia-Africa Summit, after a packed two days of plenaries, working sessions, exhibits and side meetings among representatives of 48 African nations, and Russia, including 22 heads of state and government. The motto of the Summit, chaired by Pres. Putin, is, “For Peace, Security and Development.” Putin gave an extensive presentation yesterday of the array of projects and policies in the mutual interest between Russia and many nations in Africa.

Today the Kremlin and African agencies have published the text of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2027-2029. Its 236 individual points are grouped into 19 clear categories of cooperation, ranging from nuclear power, to education, to combatting infectious diseases, combatting terrorism, and much more.

In stark and dangerous contrast to all these pro-peace and development conferences and configurations, was this week’s North-South confab in the Caribbean, in which the United States and 18 co-member nations of a sub-group of the Shield of the Americas met Oct. 26-27. Hosted in Santo Domingo by the Dominican Republic, the event was the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition—A3C, which itself was launched in March this year in Miami, personally by U.S. Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth. This week’s focus, as reported in a press release by the U.S. Southern Command, was to have the 19 nations in the Western Hemisphere “review a military campaign plan outlining their operational strategy and a governance charter” for warfare as they think best, in the name of combatting narcoterrorism. No need to cite such operational examples, as the U.S. takeover of Venezuela, threats to take over Cuba, exertion of control over Greenland, etc. On the eve of the A3C gathering, Hegseth ordered the 80th bombing of a boat in the Caribbean, killing five people. This makes for a death toll of over 240 since the unilateral bombings started in September 2025.

The Western Hemisphere nations not participating in this Washington warfare operation include Mexico, and also Brazil, where last Sunday’s resounding vote for Lula da Silva is a vote against the Shield of the Americas/A3C rubric.

Thus, the lines are drawn and visible sharply delineating two directions for humanity right now, even despite the media and opinion control operations to keep people—especially youth—in the dark. The International Peace Coalitionwill hear Friday Oct. 30 from young leaders in Brazil and Europe: “Youth of the World Demand a Future without War.” Participate and mobilize to build the dialogue for peace and development.