Recent Highlights from the Movement

IFOR's branches in the Northern Hemisphere along with the International Secretariat have been experiencing summer over the past months. Even before summer, our team at the International Secretariat fell behind on providing updates to the news section of IFOR's website. Here are some important happenings within IFOR in the past several months that we've missed:  

Cultural Academy of Peace Celebrates Pearl Jubilee

IFOR's Affiliate in Kerela, India celebrated the Pearl Jubilee. CAP's newsletter described:

"it is the Day we realized the impact of 30 years of our “commitment and service” to women and children especially those in crisis situation. The large number of Social activists, professionals, secular and religious groups, Government  representatives and our network Partners, almost 500, was indeed quite heartening. Many people have commended that it was an indicator of the  acceptance of Cultural Academy’s mission."

The event was held in on April 9th Ashir Bhavan, Ernakulam. It was a remarkable day as they simultaneously observed NIRBHAYA DAY, in memory of the deceased victims, and survivors of Sexual abuse. Cultural Academy runs Nirbhaya Home, a project of Kerala Government. The Residents of this Home as well as Shanthi Bhavan  took active part in the celebration.

The Cultural Academy also hosted a one day workshop on Gender Equity for Social Safety with Emphasis on Masculinity led by Dr. Suseela Mathew, an International Trainer on Gender and Conflict Management, on 30th July 2016 at Shantibhavan Auditorium, Ernakulam. 

The Human Cost of the War on Drugs

April 19-21 there was a Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Drug Policy.  The International Secretariat helped coordinate the involvement of FOR-USA and SERPAJ-AL.

FOR-USA participated in the Special Session in collaboration with the Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference who had assembled an international collection of clergy to give voice the damage that the War on Drugs has caused on communities around the globe: religious leaders from the United States, El Salvador, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and the United Kingdom told of the horribly punitive and violent actions taken through the War on Drugs.  SERPAJ-America Latina was represented by the presence of Carlos Martinez of SERPAJ-Chile.

Longing for Peace Campaign

FOR Peace Presence launches Longing For Peace Campaign: FOR Peace Presence represents the work of several members of the IFOR to protect communities and human rights defenders in Colombia. With the Peace Process negotiating an end to the armed conflict, there is a lot of work on a grassroots level that needs to be done to guarantee that implementation of the agreement and the continued physical and political space for communities and organizations to continue their essential work for peace as well as social, economic, cultural, and environmental justice.

In light of all this, FOR Peace Presence is organizing an interactive multimedia campaign titled Longing for Peace. The campaign is designed to coincide with the signing of the accords while highlighting the diverse voices and experiences of FORPP partners, members of Colombian civil society, and members of the international community as they share understandings of peace, hopes for a their country post-accord, and ongoing challenges to building lasting and meaningful peace. The campaign aims to broaden the physical and political space necessary for building peace and to recognize that peace is a process-oriented action, requiring ongoing and long-term participation at all levels.

IFOR's Beloved Communities Project Continues

Following the visit of Palestinian American lawyer and activist Ahmad Abuznaid, 20 May- 20 June, IFOR was pleased to welcome Dr. Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons as it's 5th speaker for the Beloved Communities Project. Dr. Simmons is a veteran of the U.S. Civil Rights and Black Power Movements. She is a Sufi muslim and a professor of Islamic Studies. She spoke to a variety of communities in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, Berlin and Budapest about Islam, nonviolence, feminism, the U.S. Black Freedom Struggle and many other topics. 

IFOR & UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), Vienna

UNODA  introduced a program called "Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education Partnership". July 5-6th, the "Women Higher Education for Peace Vienna Forum" was held. It included a "job fair" for women mainly from the Global South, to be involved more deeply in disarmament affairs and also job opportunities. IFOR is one of 6 NGOs from the Vienna UN Committee on Peace who were partners of the whole program -we were invited to participate in both the Forum and the job fair.  IFOR was represented by Therese Kirchner, board member of IFOR Austria and IFOR's representative to the UN in Vienna, Pete Haemmerle participated  in a short video clip on the work of the NGO Committee on Peace (including IFOR) in Vienna. 

Much more work for peace was done by IFOR members around the world in the past several months. We will not be able to report them all here but these were some of the highlights we thought it was important to share.

IFOR Condemns Violence in Juba

IFOR's international leadership stands with it's branch in South Sudan, the Organization for Nonviolence and Development (ONAD),  condemning the ongoing political violence in the capital city of Juba. We also call for the immediate release of the South Sudanese journalist Mr. Alfred Taban.

On July 13, 2016 ONAD released the following statement:

“ONAD is disappointed with the recent eruption of armed violence in Juba the capital of the Republic of South Sudan. The fighting that erupted between forces loyal to the Sudan’s People Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in Government and Sudan’s People Liberation Movement/Army SPLM/A – in Opposition started since 7th to 11th July 2016. The organization is concerned that the conflict resulted to lose of lives, destruction and looting of properties. The violent conflict has further displaced thousands and inflicted significant suffering on the civil population at a time they are supposed to enjoy the peace dividends. While, ONAD appreciates the order and call for ceasefire by the President and the First Vice President, the organization calls for compliance of commanders, genuine political will and commitment to full implementation of the security arrangements and the whole Agreement on Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS). While the organization welcomes the quick response of the United Nations, African Union Commission and IGAD Council of Ministers on the recent deteriorating security situation in the country. ONAD is concerned with the IGAD Ministers recent call during their 56th Extraordinary Session demanding to establish an intervention brigade and increase the number of troops from the region to inter alia secure Juba.

We do not believe having more troops will make Juba secure. More troops will only make civilians more insecure. Right now civilians need PEACE without weapons, more humanitarian and nonviolent protection responses. ONAD wishes to take this opportunity to encourage regional and international community to rather pressure the political leadership to fully implement the peace agreement in letter and spirit.”

—Moses Monday Executive Director

EUFOR Calls for New Vision of Europe

EUFOR – European Fellowship of Reconciliation

Wednesday 06.04.16 12:00AM

Original press release.

At a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, 25 representatives of the European branches of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) call for a “renewed vision of Europe” based on Culture of Peace; not military might.

A new way of working in Europe is needed based on unity, solidarity and humanity to tackle 21st Century challenges.

The following areas in need of urgent and collective attention are:

1. Recognize Refugees and Migrants as Citizens
2. Disarmament and Abolish Nuclear Weapons and Arms Trade
3. Promote Peace Education, Inter-faith Dialogue and Social Empowerment
    

The European Branches made the following statements: 
 

“The European civil society has experienced on many occasions the power to transform conflicts through a firm stand for human rights, non-violence and human security. We want to build on this heritage of positive values.

Refugees and migrants are making a statement with their feet on failed policy. Europe's efforts and resources should be spent tackling the root causes of their migration as well as accepting refugees and migrants as citizens. 

Europe is in a larger value crisis and it must act and shift resources away from arms expenditure, nuclear weapons, and military strategy.

There is a further need to prioritize non-violent intervention in order to foster and create a Europe of solidarity.

EUFOR calls on the people of Europe to exercise their cooperative responsibility on forming a Europe of hope not fear, and neighbors not strangers. Together we can change our communities and governments.”

NOTES:

• EUFOR brings together groups committed to faith-based non-violence.
• The Fellowships started in 1914 with people who conscientiously objected to taking part in war because of their religious beliefs
• EUFOR continues to work for non-violence, peace and reconciliation
• EUFOR meeting (01.04.16) consisted of representatives from Wales, England, Scotland, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands, Austria and Belgium. 

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.

SERPAJ-AL Repudiates Assassination of Leader Berta Cáceres

The IFOR movement joins the many people around the world who continue to respond to the murder of human rights activist Berta Cáceres. IFOR in Latin America (known as SERPAJ) released the following statement shortly after news broke of the Caceres assassination. 

For the original statement in spanish click here.

El Servicio Paz y Justicia en América Latina, SERPAJ-AL, expresses their protest for the recent vile assassination of the Honduran indigenous leader Berta Cáceres Flores, who was general coordinator of the Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras (COPINH).

Berta Cáceres was a strong promotor of various campaigns against the construction of a hydroelectric dam meant to be built in the Rio Gualcarque, which is considered a sacred site for the Lenca ethnicity. Accomplishing with her constant campaigns that the powerful company Sinohydro, considered one of the biggest dam builders in the world, would withdraw their involvement in said project.

The project for the construction of the dam in the Gualcarque river, had the support of the International Financial Corporation, a member of the World Bank, who had strong economic investments in this ambitious project, which threatens the most of sacred places of the Lenca ethnicity.

Berta Cáceres received the Goldman environmental award, for her activities in defense of human rigths, especially those concerning the right to a healthy environment, highest acknowledgement for those that promote the protection of both nature and the global environment, both such beloved by humankind.

IFOR/MIR France Responds to Paris Attacks

Translated from original text in French

Living together in brotherhood

In recent days, Paris and Saint-Denis has been the scene of violence that has dumbstruck us. These terrorist acts were claimed by the Islamic State, which is also responsible for numerous attacks like the one against the Russian Airbus above the Sinai or the one in Beirut the day before that of Paris.

In these times marked by collective emotion at the thought of all the victims of these deadly attacks, we call to resist the fear of the other, resentment and hatred and we want to oppose all forms of amalgam or revenge that could justify and cause racist, xenophobic and anti-Muslim acts.

Fight against terrorism and their preparation must be done in compliance with the individual and collective freedoms, strengthening the cohesion of our society through greater solidarity and fraternity.

But it seems essential to break the spiral of violence. Military interventions and wars, which are based on excessive militarization and maintain the lucrative arms trade, will not bring lasting and just solution to the ongoing conflict. They will only lead to more death, destruction, refugees and bring new acts of terrorism.

Our world needs to develop a culture of non-violence and peace, of dialogue and tolerance, to strengthen democracy and social justice, and justice between peoples. It is urgent to support and empower all those who are carriers of these values o that they can take action toward their fellow citizens and their leaders. This is the best way to work for the safety of all and to take care of our lives and of all those around us.

We believe that God calls us to a disarmed love for our brothers and sisters in humanity. We call upon all believers to join us on this active nonviolence way to lay, with all the inhabitants of our planet in danger, the foundations of a world where everyone can live with dignity in an insured peace and towards an appeased future.

Paris, November 19, 2015