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 IFOR joins a statement on the violation of human rights of migrants and refugees in the Balkan Route: 46th UN HRC

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IFOR joins a statement on the violation of human rights of migrants and refugees in the Balkan Route: 46th UN HRC

IFOR has joined a statement, at the ongoing 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, on the continued systematic and institutionalized violation of the rights of migrants crossing the Balkan route to Europe.

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The statement has been delivered during the General Debate with the High Commissioner on human rights Michelle Bachelet on March 1st, by Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII, following the presentation of reports by the High Commissioner.

"Madam President,

APG23 and 10 co-signing NGOs are concerned about the continued systematic and institutionalised violation of the rights of migrants crossing the Balkan route to Europe.
We refer to thousands of persons who are spending the freezing Balkan and Greek winters in camps, often lacking the fundamental rights. According to reports of NGOs directly monitoring the situation, including some co-signatories of this statement, people in camps live in dreadful conditions lacking heating, electricity and proper sanitation. This causes the insurgence of illness and degradation of living, and exposes several persons to inhuman and degrading treatments. Indeed, there are remarkably high cases of self-harm and suicide attempts inside the camps, even among children.


Furthermore, the current COVID19 health crisis has often been used as an instrument of pressure by the host countries against both migrants and NGOs, creating a strong criminalisation of those who denounce the current situation. Permissions to leave the camps are often denied even if migrants present evidence of serious proven health problems. At the same time, it is increasingly difficult for NGOs to support migrants. The current law of some host countries foresees heavy fines for helping migrants and some NGOs have even been accused by the authorities of abetting illegal immigration after reporting pushbacks by the coast guard.


Finally, other illegal practices continue to be carried out, such as the violent pushbacks of migrants on land and sea, as well as the registration of people as adults even if they are minors, to reduce the State's reception costs.


We believe that time has come to put an end to these human rights violations, which have taken place for too long and that risk becoming even more systematic trends perpetrated with impunity. It is critical to find long-term solutions and reflect on the underlying reasons and policies that have triggered the situation.
Thank you!"

The statement is available here.

You can watch the reporting of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights at this link.

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IFOR Day of Action May 27th i

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IFOR Day of Action May 27th i

It’s Time to

MAKE PEACE THE NEW NORMAL

Get active on May 27th 2020 – everywhere!

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Dear Friends and IFOR family,

As the pandemic began to make its way around the planet, several people from different branches within the International Fellowship of Reconciliation felt the need to check in on each other and find out how others were responding to new and old challenges within our collective work for peace.

As the conversations developed we realized that these challenging times provide an opportunity to create a lasting change that would make peace the “new normal” through:

  • COMPASSION: Prioritizing the protection of poor and marginalized people.

  • ACCOUNTABILITY: Protecting civil liberties and human rights.

  • CHANGE: Using the momentum of this global crisis to shift resources to meet human needs and foster a culture of nonviolence and peace. 

We soon discovered that all wanted to do more than share ideas. We wanted to take a stand, support each other and speak for peace!

On May 19th, IFOR sent an open letter to Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, endorsing his call for a global ceasefire and urging the UN and its Member States to go further to protect human rights and build peace.


We now invite the entire fellowship to join a

Global Day of Action on May 27th 


About the Day of Action 

The Day of Action is titled “MAKE PEACE THE NEW NORMAL” and will highlight the need for compassion – accountability – change. Through actions big and small, we aim to raise awareness about the necessity to prioritize peace now and in the future.

Whether you are in lockdown,  moving about and physically distancing, or have yet to be impacted by COVID-19, there are things you can do.

We invite everyone to engage at any or all of following levels:

  • COMMUNITY ACTION: Build community among those whose vulnerability is highlighted by the virus.

  • SPIRITUAL ACTION: Provide a point of spiritual focus and reflection.

  • POLITICAL ACTION: Engage politicians, policy makers and public opinion leaders and authorities about the need to make peace the “new normal”.

Please decide on the types of activity you intend to carry out. A list of activities is available at the end of this post. Scroll down.

One common theme is the need to make people aware that we are taking action. On social media, we will connect our efforts by using the hashtag #MPNN.

Ways to join the Day of Action

- Share THE OFFICIAL GRAPHIC [ LOGO CAMPAIGN, Facebook 1 and Facebook 2, Instagram 1 and Instagram 2, Twitter 1 and Twitter 2] on Social Media or via Email with your networks. (Don’t forget to use the Hashtag #MPNN and to tag IFOR (Fb @InternationalFellowshipofReconciliation)

- Download IFOR’s Open Letter to the UN Secretary-General and share it, or use it as an inspiration to write to your government.

- Join IFOR president Lotta Sjöström Becker for a live “Pause for Reflection” broadcast on IFOR’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFellowshipofReconciliation at 3 pm CEST (or watch the video afterwards!)

- Encourage supporters and volunteers to download and print the white event poster [PRINT THIS] or to handwrite their own – and take a selfie with it and post it, using the hashtag #MPNN

 - Implement these actions in your community! (Don’t forget to share with us what you are doing by posting it under #MPNN and tagging IFOR, or sending it to iskra.ramirez@ifor.org!)

 

Highlight your initiatives

If you are doing something within the scope of “Make Peace the New Normal” (#MPNN), put it in the spotlight and make it known!

Post on social media! (Pictures, videos and short stories are all are great! Connect it to the larger movement by using the hashtag #MPNN and tagging IFOR-International Fellowship of Reconciliation!

Download our official graphics for the Day of Action available on IFOR website.

Send in your pictures, stories, and short descriptions of your projects to IFOR Communications Assistant iskra.ramirez@ifor.org and GET FEATURED on the IFOR Facebook Page!

 

Share what other IFOR members are doing 

On May 27th check the IFOR Facebook Page and the hashtag #MPNN to connect with what people around the globe are doing to support their communities and promote compassion, accountability and change worldwide!

Got Questions or Ideas? 

Please contact us at iskra.ramirez@ifor.org for support with your ideas and graphics!


Anthony, Denis, Emma, Kyoko, John, Light, Lucia, Mathew, Max, Nathaly, Pete, Richard, Susan, Veronica, Zaira


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IFOR OPEN LETTER TO THE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL

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IFOR OPEN LETTER TO THE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL

Open letter to U.N. Secretary-General H. E. Mr. António Guterres and in copy to the U.N. General Assembly 

His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres
Secretary-General United Nations
Headquarters New York City 

19th May 2020 

Dear Mr. Secretary-General, 

We are writing to you as International Fellowship of Reconciliation, a global movement seeking to transform, through nonviolence, the world away from endless cycles of violence towards justice, rec- onciliation, and lasting peace. As a concerned international NGO, accredited to the UN ECOSOC, we are writing to you to express our appreciation for your efforts dealing with the current health crisis in the world and to share some of our thoughts with you at this difficult time. We join with you in recognizing "the fury of [COVID-19] illustrates the folly of war," and we thank you for your leadership in calling for a global ceasefire as a first step to “end the sickness of war”. We are encouraged that your call has resonated with millions across the world, and gained endorse- ments from 70 Member States, with expressions of acceptance from parties to conflict, and non-state actors as well. We call on all UN member States to support Your appeal, to the General Assembly and to the Security Council, and put it into practice. 

The pandemic has revealed the single common vulnerability of humankind, which knows no border. We who are but one of the species on the planet earth must shun our urge for identity superiority or risk even more devastating pandemics. With this shattered illusion of separateness, humanity cannot tolerate war and violence anywhere, as it threatens health and peace for everyone everywhere. Coun- tries are grappling internally with political, economic, racial, and social divides that exacerbate efforts to contain the virus, while inequity in the global community reveals the new depths of suffering in countries that already bear the brunt of the pain caused by climate change, hunger, economic sanctions and exploitation, and armed conflicts. 

While the impact of COVID-19 on the countries where we have active members has varied, together, we affirm the urgency for a new and creative way forward that builds human security globally through health, economic justice and peace. We therefore appeal: 

1. Prioritize the protection of poor and marginalized people. Economic inequality increases the impact of the pandemic and sets the stage for more devastation with the risk of even greater lethality. For instance, underinvestment in healthcare means many countries are unable to meet the simple challenge of providing personal protective equipment to those in 

need. Concentrated poverty means sheltering in isolation, and for women and children locked down with abusers, it promises new levels of violence, abuse, and death. 

2. Protect civil liberties and human rights. Emergency legislation rushed through in many countries may serve as cover for oppressive measures and the violation of human rights. Traditionally marginalized communities are forgotten or ignored, and vulnerable people are cut off from official support. We urge you, Mr. Secretary-General, to prioritize and support the work of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Michelle Bachelet to adapt the global index for human rights to ensure that it monitors abuses in a world now reshaped by COVID-19 legislation. We urge you to call on all member States for accountability. 

3. Use the momentum of this global crisis to shift resources to meet human needs and create lasting peace. Weapons of war cannot defeat a virus, address climate change, nor solve any other world problem. As States pursue ‘business as usual’ military strategies to contain the virus and create security, the world wastes opportunities to coalesce around creative responses that match the grave nature of this crisis, like protecting the most vulnerable from harsh economic impacts and working in solidarity to ensure global health emergency preparedness. These are the kinds of creative responses that lead to lasting peace. We call for disarmament and a major reduction in military spending worldwide, starting with the abolition of all nuclear weapons. We call for the conversion of military industry to civilian production and for the end of exports of weapons to states at war or violating human rights. Humanity will thrive with equitable local community investment and the shift from funding warfare to funding healthcare and peace. We urge the United Nations to invest more capacity and financial support in nonviolent conflict transformation, mediation and Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping. 

Now is the time to create a “new normal” built on a culture of peace and non-violence. We call for global bridge-building and cooperation, and global leadership encouraging increased global solidarity. The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals recognize the interconnected reality of our world. With branches, groups, and affiliates in more than 40 countries, IFOR offers its support to UN agencies in achieving these goals. By highlighting the centrality of peace to a world free from poverty and inequalities, the SDGs challenge the world to put into practice a new way of thinking. Addressing the issues named above ensures that nations can create roadmaps out of COVID-19 that leave no one behind. 

We wish you well and further success in your work. 

Charlotte Sjöström Becker
President of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation

*The present Letter has been sent in cc to H. E. Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, current president of the U.N. General Assembly and to the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council.

For a downloadable version of this letter, click here.

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