Learn more about the IFOR’s first edition of its UN “introduction” program, where participants get to come and see how the internal structure of the UN works and how the fellowship participates in it.
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Interfaith Cooperation
The vice-president of MIR Italy together with the IFOR Main Representative at the United Nations in Geneva participated in an Italian radio program last month. During the radio interview, the history and intent of IFOR, the meaning -and related initiatives- of nonviolence and conscientious objection were presented.
Conscientious objection to military service was acknowledged as a right in Italy by an Act dated December 15th 1972, following a lengthy national campaign carried out by movements and organizations incl. the Movimento Internazionale della Riconciliazione and the Movimento Nonviolento. Prior to that term, objectors were tried for 'disobedience' or because 'missing at draft call'. They were sentenced to many jail months, after serving which they would again be requested to enroll; on a renewed refusal, they would be again sentenced to jail, and so forth ..., their serving obligation supposed to cease no sooner than on getting 45 years old. Yet, after a few repeated such sentences, the military establishment, to get rid of such a nuisance, would discharge the convict by stating his 'unfitness' on the grounds of some fancy ailment.
During the radio interview some local initiatives concerning peace education were also described, such as the peace trails and the website www.discoverpeace.eu; as to national campaigns it was addressed also #nuclearban in favour of the UN ban on nuclear weapons, signed in New York on July 7th 2017, with the appeal to Italy to ratify the treaty.
Link to the radio show, click here.
For additional information: segreteria@miritalia.org
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The bombings of hotels and churches on Easter Sunday in Colombo and other cities in Sri Lanka are a cause of great pain to IFOR, and we add our voice to the messages of solidarity from around the world in recent days. Churchgoing Sri Lankans cannot have expected to face any such situation on the holiest day in their calendar. Within the last six months, the three Abrahamic faiths have now suffered significant acts of violence: at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, USA, and at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. We are deeply concerned that the basic right to freedom of worship should come under attack on different continents in this fashion. IFOR sends its sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those killed, and wishes survivors a speedy physical and mental recovery. Violence in the name of God is not acceptable. We promise to continue to work for an increase in peace and for a nonviolent world in which people of all religious beliefs and none, can live in harmony.
Les attentats perpétrés contre des hôtels et des églises le dimanche de Pâques à Colombo et dans d'autres villes du Sri Lanka sont une cause de grande douleur pour l’IFOR, et nous ajoutons notre voix aux messages de solidarité du monde entier de ces derniers jours. Les chrétiens srilankais ne peuvent pas s'avoir attendu à ce qu'une telle situation se produise le jour le plus saint de leur calendrier. Au cours des six derniers mois, les trois confessions abrahamiques ont subi des actes de violence notables: dans une synagogue à Pittsburgh, aux États-Unis, et dans des mosquées à Christchurch, en Nouvelle-Zélande. Nous sommes profondément préoccupés par le fait que le droit fondamental à la liberté de culte devrait être attaqué de la sorte sur différents continents. L'IFOR adresse ses plus sincères condoléances aux familles et aux amis des personnes décédées, et souhaite aux survivants un prompt rétablissement physique et mental. La violence au nom de Dieu n'est pas acceptable. Nous promettons de continuer à œuvrer en faveur d'une paix accrue et d'un monde nonviolent dans lequel des personnes de toutes croyances religieuses et aucune, pourront vivre en harmonie.
Los ataques a hoteles e iglesias el domingo de Pascua en Colombo y otras ciudades de Sri Lanka son una causa de gran dolor para el IFOR, y sumamos nuestra voz a los mensajes de solidaridad surgidos de todo el mundo en los últimos días. Los cristianos de Sri Lanka no pueden haber esperado que tal situación ocurriera en el día más sagrado de su calendario. En los últimos seis meses, las tres denominaciones abrahámicas han sufrido un acto de violencia significativo: en una sinagoga en Pittsburgh, Estados Unidos, y en mezquitas en Christchurch, Nueva Zelanda. Estamos profundamente preocupados de que el derecho fundamental a la libertad de culto deba ser atacado de esta manera en diferentes continentes. El IFOR hace llegar su más sincero pésame a las familias y los amigos de los fallecidos, y desea a los sobrevivientes una pronta recuperación física y mental. La violencia en nombre de Dios no es aceptable. Nos comprometemos a continuar trabajando por una mayor paz y un mundo noviolento en el que las personas de todas las religiones y de ninguna, puedan vivir en armonía.
During November 2018 the quadrennial IFOR council took place, before council the Migration conference ‘On the Move’ was held. After this week a press release was released to the public mentioning the appointment of Lotta Sjöström Becker, from Sweden as the new president of IFOR. Followed by some important actions and visits made by IFOR delegates from all over the world that were attending council during this week.
Read on to find out more!
The International Fellowship of Reconciliation is the world's oldest interfaith, pacifist movement, and its US branch is similarly the oldest of its kind in that country. As IFOR prepares to gather in Italy for its quadrennial Council, we learned with sadness of the murders of a worshipping Jewish community at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.
During the 38th session of the Human Rights Council held in Geneva, IFOR organized a side event, co-sponsored by War Resisters International, focusing on the causes of migration from Eritrea and the struggles of Eritrean refugees.
The event was well attended and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Eritrea, Ms. Sheila B. Keetharuth, offered a valuable contribution to the discussion.
Among the speakers was Father Mussie Zerai, a well known advocate for the rights of refugees and chairman of the Habeshia Agency. In addition to his participation on the panel, Father Zerai offered an additional statement calling on European governments to respond to migration in humane ways.
Stacey Mitchell of IFOR's International Committee joined leaders from FOR-USA in Charlottesville this weekend as they gathered with thousands to send a message of love in opposition to the expressions of hatred and bigotry that permeated the U.S. city. White Supremacists and Neo-Nazis gathered in Charlottesville to demonstrate their opposition to the removal of a statue honoring the general that lead the army of the Southern States during the U.S. Civil War.
Several national and international media outlets covered the events in Charlottesville and FOR-USA posted several images and videos to it's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FORUSA/
Dr. Cornel West and Stacey Mitchell during an organizing meeting in Charlottesville Virginia
From June 6-23 IFOR's Representatives in Geneva attended the 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. IFOR's Representatives Derek Brett, Hans Ulrich Gerber and IFOR Fellow Martina Lanza worked with IFOR's members and contacts around the world to provide make oral statements, submit written statements and host side events during the council.
On April 8th, IFOR's branch in the United States issued a statement in response to U.S. military action in Syria. While acknowledging the horror of the chemical weapons attack on civilians, FOR called upon its members to contact the White House to express their disapproval of military response to the crisis in Syria. The statement calls upon the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. just days after the commemoration of his assassination and his famous statement against the Vietnam War one year earlier.
The statement says "The logic that a military strike, even a limited one, will deter and quell aggression from the Assad regime, or the armed resistance, or the movement of Al-Qaeda believed to be in Syria, is fundamentally flawed. In violent escalation, both sides respond in turn with their own escalation of use of arms and aggressive attacks. We are already seeing the rumbling of this in Russia’s pronouncement of the strike as “an act of aggression.” As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can't establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate through violence. Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.”
To read the full statement click here.
Amid escalating violence, IFOR's Branch in South Sudan, the Organization for Nonviolence and Development (ONAD) joined a coalition of organizations who have responded to the call for National Dialogue issued by South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
The coalition of organizations is known as "The Voluntary Civil Society Taskforce on Implementation of the Peace Agreement." It is a coalition of over 20 diverse and non-partisan South Sudanese civil society organizations and networks. The Taskforce is interested in genuine and full implementation of the Peace Agreement and a quick end to the suffering inflicted on innocent citizens of South Sudan by the political crises in the country.