IFOR JOINS INTERNATIONAL CALL TO ACTION FOR COP 26 ON MILITARY POLLUTION

The International Fellowship of Reconciliation is committed to achieve a sustainable, just, and nonviolent world and highlights the connection between Climate Change and Peace Issues.

In line with this view, IFOR has joined other international and local organizations in the Call to Governments to commit to meaningful military emissions cuts at COP26.

This Call has been launched by the Conflict and Environment Observatory

Read more about the Call here

IFOR has also joined the Call to Stop Excluding Military Pollution from Climate Agreements sponsored by World beyond War, together with GCOMS - Global Campaign on Military Spending, Peace Action Maine, Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, RootsAction.org

Read more about this Call here.

The 2015 Paris Agreement left cutting military greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the discretion of individual nations. 

Militaries are huge energy users and contribute significant GHG emissions, as well as causing wider adverse environmental impacts from training, activities and operations. Militaries are typically the largest energy consumers among government agencies, but historically there has been a reluctance to disclose data on their emissions.

Global military expenditure rose by 2.6% in 2020 to almost US $2 trillion, in spite of a fall in global GDP of 4.4% due to the COVID-19 pandemic.1 The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change obliges signatories to publish annual GHG emissions, but military emissions reporting is voluntary and often not included. NATO has acknowledged the problem but not created any specific requirements to address it. In June 2021 NATO agreed to ‘assess the feasibility of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050,’ which would apply to its activities.

We encourage individuals and organizations to join these international efforts!

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The Climate Catastrophe is a reality for many people on this planet and will soon affect everyone. It's an emergency!

IFOR is concerned and aware of the connection of this issue with other important ones such as migration, war, land exploitation, nuclear disarmament, human rights and so on.

For these reasons the IFOR fellowship is engaging in an internal discussion to listen to global perspectives and hear many different voices around the globe, identify areas where action is needed and engage in initiatives tackling the Climate Catastrophe.

IFOR joins in a call to the UN member States to "MOVE THE MONEY OUT OF MILITARY, TO FOOD"

IFOR co-sponsored, together with other 13 NGOs, an oral statement on the Right to Food which was delivered by Associazione Papa Giovanni XXIII during the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The statement refers as well to the last encyclical of Pope Francis "Fratelli tutti" ("All brothers"), on Fraternity and Social Friendship, and reinforces the call to

"convert the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures in a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favour development in the most impoverished countries".

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46th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council, 22 February – 23 March 2021

Item 3: ID with Special Rapporteur on the right to food

Joint oral statement delivered by: Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII (APG23)

Check against delivery

Madam President,

APG23 and 14 co-signing NGOs welcome the report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food in which he highlights the issues that will inform his future thematic reports.1

According to the UN Policy Brief on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition from June 2020 “Prior to the onset of this pandemic, more than 820 million people were already identified as chronically food insecure.” 2 We expect that the pandemic will push more children and adults into food insecurity and hunger around the world, undermining the efforts to achieve SDG2 and, more worryingly, increasing malnutrition-related deaths.

In his speech for the last World Food Day in October 2020, Pope Francis remarked: “Hunger is not only a tragedy for humanity, but also a shame. It is caused largely by an unequal distribution of the fruits of the earth, compounded by a lack of investment in the agricultural sector, the consequences of climate change and the increase in conflicts in various areas of the planet.”3

In view of the incoming Food Systems Summit, we hope that the discussion on food systems will focus on putting human rights at their core, addressing inequalities, promoting accountability and ensuring that markets serve social needs above profits.

We concur with the proposal of Pope Francis in the last encyclical “On Fraternity and Social Friendship” to convert the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures in a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favour development in the most impoverished countries.

In this regard, we urge the Member States to make concrete actions that are needed now more than ever. The future of the next generations is in our hands, we must do our part. Thank you!

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1. A/HRC/46/33

2. The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition

3. MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE WORLD FOOD DAY 2020

• You can download the original statement here.

• You can watch the related UN session here.

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Fratelli tutti (All Brothers) is the third encyclical of Pope Francis , subtitled "on fraternity and social friendship". In the document, Francis states that the way theCOVID-19 pandemic was managed by world countries has shown a failure in global cooperation. The encyclical calls for more human fraternity and solidarity, and is a plea to reject wars.

The document was signed on October 3rd 2020, on the occasion of Pope Francis's visit to the tomb of his namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi, and was published the following day on the saint's feast day. You can download the encyclical here.

CELEBRATE THE NUCLEAR BAN and continue to MAKE PEACE THE NEW NORMAL

Get active on January 22nd 2021 – everywhere!

“Es la hora de CELEBRAR LA PROHIBICIÓN NUCLEAR y seguir HACIENDO DE LA PAZ LA NUEVA NORMALIDAD” haz aquí para ver la versión en español

“Célébrer l'INTERDICTION DES ARMES NUCLEAIRESet continuer à FAIRE LA PAIX DU NOUVEAU NORMAL” cliquez ici.

Check out the facebook event here!!!

After the first call which launched #MPNN and highlighted the need for #compassion, #accountability and #change, we are now to call everyone to action for nuclear disarmament, to contribute to peace and justice, thus to #JustPeace.

On January 22nd we join worldwide celebrations for the entering into force of the UN nuclear ban Treaty which states that nuclear weapons, not only are immoral, but also unlawful according to international law.

We now invite everyone to join a new IFOR Global Day of Action on January 22nd 2021

About the Day of Action

The new Day of Action will celebrate the entering into force of the UN nuclear ban Treaty adopted on July 7th 2017 by the UN General Assembly. It reached its 50th ratification on October 24th 2020, International UN Day. Through actions big and small, we aim to raise awareness about nuclear disarmament and the many issues linked to it such as nuclear investment, nuclear waste, nuclear tests, production, nuclear weapons stationing, nuclear pending threat, humanitarian risks and environmental risks and damages.

We invite everyone, everywhere, to RING A BELL FOR PEACE AT NOON! Click here to read more about it and download the pdf version!!

We will publish thematic posts and also display on Facebook a video message by IFOR president at 12 am CET, together with the video “If you love this planet” by ICAN.

Whether you are in lockdown, moving about and physically distancing, there are things you can do and plan to do in the near future during this year.

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

§ COMMUNITY ACTION: Share solidarity to victims of environmental disasters due to nuclear resources exploitation, testing and waste.

§ 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 for disarmament; thank those who ratified the Treaty and call on those who didn’t yet. Call on City and Regional Councils to pass resolutions supporting the TPNW.

Please decide on the types of activity you intend to carry out. A list of activities is available on the IFOR website to spark your imagination. Click here to read or download the list.

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 and #JustPeace.

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Ways to join the Day of Action

• Take action on social media, share on Jan 22nd the SAVE THE DATE IMAGE, RING THE BELL or take different actions!!! also via Email with your networks. (Don’t forget to use the Hashtag #MPNN and #JustPeace and to tag IFOR (Fb @InternationalFellowshipofReconciliation) And don’t forget to act on the posting on IFOR Fb page and share them on your own pages.

• Join the peace world at noon and RING A BELL FOR PEACE and record it by video or picture and share it on social media and make sure to send to IFOR Fb page or by email to iskra.ramirez@ifor.org  Click here for more details on this action.

• Join IFOR president Lotta Sjöström Becker video message which will be broadcasted on IFOR’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFellowshipofReconciliation at 12 pm CET after the screening of “If You Love This Planet“ video by ICAN (or watch the video afterwards!)

• Support local initiatives regarding the entering into force of the UN Treaty and highlight issues such as 1. stop the money going into nuclear weapons, 2. end the political support and implement the Treaty, 3. environmental impact of nuclear weapons (production, testing, storage and use) and share the thematic graphics on social media, internet and by email. 

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

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Highlight your initiatives

If you are doing something about nuclear disarmament and the entering into force of the UN Treaty, 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 #JustPeace 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!

Got Questions or Ideas?

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

Join an International Delegation to Colombia!

Fellowship of Reconciliation Peace Presence, an effort supported by several branches of IFOR,  is organizing the Longing for Peace International Delegation April 18 – 27, 2017. 

FOR Peace Presence provides physical safety, political visibility and solidarity by accompanying communities and organizations that embrace active nonviolence to defend life, land and dignity.

Colombia is going through an historic but uncertain period. The results of four years of peace negotiations between the government and the FARC-a comprehensive agreement on five areas related to the conflict-was rejected by voters in October 2016 by the narrowest of margins. The Colombian Congress later approved the agreement on November 30th. Amid the hope of what the agreement means concerns about the future of implementation remain. 

The delegation will meet with local human rights defenders; human rights and environmental NGOs' women peace leaders; young Conscientious Objectors; Afro-Colombian, indigenous and small scale farmer leaders; and displaced communities. The delegates will learn about the impacts of corporations, and how global demand for energy is devastating communities and destroying vital ecosystems. 

For more information about FORPP or the delegation please visit their website here.

IFOR Endorses Statement of Feminist Caucus Meeting at UN

IFOR representatives in New York attended the Sixtieth Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. During the session, a diverse group of young feminist advocates, gathered working for gender, reproductive, economic, ecological and social justice and political transformation. IFOR's representative to the United Nations, Patricia Ackerman was among those present for this feminist caucus.

The caucus produced a statement addressing several areas of concern: youth participation, climate change and justice, sexual and reproductive rights and legal barriers, sexual and reproductive health services, education, comprehensive sexuality education, and gender based violence.

The full text of the statement can be found here.