On October 26th 2017, eleven LGBTIQ Faith Leaders came before the world at United Nations Headquarters in New York City to tell their stories. They came together under the auspice of the Ethics of Reciprocity project and with great courage poured their hearts and souls on that international stage. Long before that, however, they came to know each other as members of the same family.
It is with great sadness and disbelief that we, members of the Ethics of Reciprocity family, mourn the passing of one of our own. On December 11th, 2017, Abubakar Sadiq Yussif passed away.
On Thursday, Oct 26 from 11:30am – 3:00pm, IFOR is hosting an unprecedented gathering of conservative & progressive religious leaders, diplomats and human rights experts in a project called the Ethics of Reciprocity (EOR).
IFOR has a long history of engagement at the intersection of gender and peace building and has a long history of advocacy against violence and discrimination on the basis of gender. With millions of people around the world suffering increasing amounts of violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, IFOR is proud to host this important conversation. EOR was envisioned by IFOR's representative to the United Nations Dr. Patricia Ackerman.
IFOR's Branch in Madagascar, Fikambanana Entanin’ny Fampihavanana eto MADAGASIKARA (FIEFA) celebrated its 25th anniversary recently. The anniversary was held in the village of St. François of Antananarivo. The association chose as it's theme "La force ne vaut pas la vertu" or "force is not worth the cost of virtue." The anniversary was an opportunity for members of FIEFA to consider the moral importance of the movement's values and to renew the commitment to promote active nonviolence and peace.
July 03-28, 2017 IFOR's Representatives to the United Nations in Geneva attended the 120th Session of the Human Rights Committee. This synopsis is taken from notes provided by IFOR's Fellow in Geneva, Martina Lanza.
The HR Committee reviewed the implementation of civilian and political rights in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Honduras, Mongolia and Swaziland. IFOR attended the meetings on Switzerland, Honduras and Mongolia reviews.
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.
The European Branches of IFOR gathered in Vienna, Austria from April 28th to April 30 to share work and collaborate on the common problems of violence in Europe. Discussions included Security and Disarmament, Campaigns for Nuclear Disarmament, Migration, Refugees, Social Inclusion, and Peace Education. They were joined by IFOR's Honorary President Hildegard Goss-Mayr who spoke with the group and offered words of counsel and encouragement.
The branches released a statement at the conclusion of the meeting...
