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Open letter to Her Excellency
Dr. Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor
Minister for International Relations and Cooperation,
BRICS Chairship 2023, South Africa

Dear Minister Naledi Pandor,

we – friends of peace worldwide – wish you and the world a more peaceful New Year 2024. Therefore we are hoping on BRICS. We understand BRICS as an emerging political organization that emancipates itself from colonialism in/with the spirit of the United Nations:  “setting sails” instead of “building walls”.

With this letter we would like to thank warmly the BRICS Ministers for Foreign Affairs and International Relations for the BRICS Declaration 2023. 

This declaration refers expressively to the Charter of the United Nations (UN). It even sees the Charter as an indispensable cornerstone of the UN. It also emphasizes the central role of the United Nations in maintaining peace in the international community.

We particularly appreciate the spirit of respect and understanding to which the BRICS countries have committed themselves in the declaration  – holding up the spirit of the United Nations.

We welcome the intention of the BRICS countries to strengthen cooperation within the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council - without double standards:  in a constructive, non-selective, non-politicizing manner.

We share the concerns of the BRICS countries about the use of unilateral (coercive) measures (sanctions). These are incompatible with the principles of the United Nations. Furthermore they have negative effects, especially in developing countries. However, they also have negative impacts in the developed world.

We see the main reason for the emergence of global confrontations nowadays in the unilateral US military and NATO expansion in large parts of the world.  Although after the Cuban Missile Crisis US President John Kennedy warned (1963): 
"Above all... nuclear powers must avert confrontations."

We trust in the joint diplomatic efforts of the BRICS countries to reduce tensions in different parts of the world and to transform rivalries and hostilities into solid partnerships. The new BRICS members have already pointed out that BRICS is successful in its diplomatic efforts - even in reducing age-old tensions. This gives us hope for a more peaceful world.

We welcome the national positions of the BRICS countries on the European conflict in and around Ukraine. We warmly thank the African Leaders Peace Mission regarding this conflict. We see in this mission the goal of finding a peaceful solution for a world that is more together: 
“one earth, one family, one future”!

Finally, we would especially like to thank the government and people of South Africa for the BRICS Chairmanship in 2023. Because  this outstanding BRICS Declaration was adopted at the XV. BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2023.

Impressed by the spirit of mutual respect and understanding of the BRICS countries, we – friends of peace worldwide – hope to find opportunities to contribute to BRICS development – ​​for greater social justice and peace between people and nature worldwide.

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrica
Magret Bonin
(first signatory)

“…language of the UN”
https://chng.it/QtMVX4VfjH

“…doves of peace” 
https://chng.it/RcthhZLZKn 

“Give Peace a Chance”
https://chng.it/bJpQnjMGZ5

„Hoping on BRICS“ Letter to Naledi Pandor
https://chng.it/58ZHVMzNfV 
https://www.change.org/BRICS_Pandor