All posts by CPNN Coordinator

About CPNN Coordinator

Dr David Adams is the coordinator of the Culture of Peace News Network. He retired in 2001 from UNESCO where he was the Director of the Unit for the International Year for the Culture of Peace, proclaimed for the Year 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly.

Scientists Found A New Way To Break Down the Most Common Plastic

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Dharna Noor in Gizmodo

The petrochemical industry produces more than 88 million tons of polyethylene, making it the most common plastic in the world. Scientists have found a new way to upcycle it, according to a study published in Science on Thursday. It could help deal with the growing plastic pollution crisis.


This could all be turned into useful chemicals. Photo: Prakash Singh (Getty Images)

Polyethylene comes in several different forms and is used in everything from plastic bags and food packaging to electrical insulation and industrial piping. Since it’s so common and our recycling system is so broken, we end up throwing away a shitload of the stuff. It can end up in landfills or the ocean where it breaks down veeeery slowly, or get burned up in waste incinerators that emit toxic chemicals.

But in the new study, the authors found a way to speed up the process of breaking down polyethylene and turn it into alkylaromatic molecules, which are used as surfactants in cosmetics and laundry detergent, lubricants for machinery, and refrigeration fluids.

“Globally, it’s a $9 billion market today,” Susannah Scott, a chemical engineer at University of California, Santa Barbara who co-authored the study, said in an email in reference to alkylaromatic molecules. “There is economic value and scale here.”

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Question for this article:

How can we ensure that science contributes to peace and sustainable development?

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This isn’t the first time scientists have figured out how to break down polyethylene—there are other methods of chemically recycling the material. But conventional methods of breaking the plastic down require heating it up to temperatures between 983 and 1832 degrees Fahrenheit (500 and 1000 degrees Celsius) and using solvents or added hydrogen to speed up the process.

By contrast, the authors’ new method only requires heating it up to around 570 degrees Fahrenheit (300 degrees Celsius) and uses no solvents or added hydrogen, instead relying on only a comparatively gentle catalyst of platinum with aluminum oxide. Their process helped disassemble the plastic’s polymers in a less rough manner, allowing them to extract the valuable intact alkylaromatic molecules. Scott said the catalyst works to “cut the bonds which hold the polymer chain into smaller pieces,” eventually turning the solid plastic into a liquid they can extract the valuable chemicals from.

The authors’ new process is far less energy intensive than other means of breaking down polyethylene. That’s good news for the environment. It’s also cheaper, which is good news for companies who may want to scale this up. The technique isn’t ready for that scaling up just yet, but the discovery could eventually be used to give plastics a new life as valuable raw materials instead of as polluting waste.

“We dig a hole in the ground, we produce, we make, we use, we throw away,” Mahdi Abu-Omar, a chemical engineer at University of California, Santa Barbara who co-authored the study, said in a statement. “So in a way, this is really breaking that way of thinking. There’s interesting science to be done here that will lead us into new discoveries, new paradigms, and new ways of doing chemistry.”

To be clear, this new method should in no way give the petrochemical industry license to produce even more plastic. Though it’s great to have a better alternative to tossing it out, the creation of polyethylene also threatens public health through toxic emissions as well as the climate. We still need to be working to wean the world off of plastic production and consumption in the first place. But the new technology could help play a role in eventually reducing the amount of waste that gets produced and help clean up the mess we already have on our hands.

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Comment by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the Colombian Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition

… . HUMAN RIGHTS … .

A press release from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

“Transitional justice processes are among the most powerful instruments to overcome conflict and break with cycles of violence and impunity. This is why my Office fully supports the Colombian Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition, which is the cornerstone of the historic Peace Agreement signed in 2016 between the Government – on behalf of the Colombian State – and the FARC-EP to put an end to more than 50 years of armed conflict.


Michelle Bachelet

 

Question related to this article:

Truth Commissions, Do they improve human rights?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

Today I met with the Truth Commission, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace and the Search Unit for Persons deemed as Missing, the three mechanisms that together form the Colombian transitional justice system. I would like to acknowledge the significant achievements of these institutions, as well as the courage of all those who continue to work for the truth to be known. They are fulfilling a fundamental and unique role in ensuring victims’ participation and the realization of their rights to truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition.

Their contribution to the consolidation of peace in Colombia is essential. I urge the State authorities to unconditionally support and cooperate with the transitional justice system, and to guarantee the full independence of its mechanisms, including financial autonomy and the ability to operate in a safe and secure environment.

Truth and accountability for the crimes committed are crucial to restore the dignity of victims and to lead to reconciliation, for the benefit of the whole of Colombian society.”

(Click here for the Spanish version of this article.)

HUMAN RIGHTS, Latin America, United Nations,

Montreal: Demonstration for “climate justice”

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from the Tribune de Geneva (translation by CPNN)

Several thousand people demonstrated in Montreal on Saturday for “climate justice”. Several organizations had called for the rally to advocate for the social project “linking ecological action to social justice”. “Social justice – climate justice – same fight,” proclaimed a large banner, while another called for a “just and green revival”.


As of September 27, 2019, nearly half a million people had already marched through the streets of Montreal. AFP

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(Click here for the original article in French

Question for this article:

Despite the vested interests of companies and governments, Can we make progress toward sustainable development?

Are we seeing the dawn of a global youth movement?

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Last year, on September 27, nearly half a million people marched through the streets of Montreal with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg as part of the “global climate strike.” The march was called “the biggest demonstration in Quebec history” by one of the organizers.

Children’s shoes

Among the organizations that called for the demonstration on Saturday, on the occasion of the world day of climate mobilization, were notably the student coalition for an environmental and social shift (CEVES), “the planet is invited to parliament” and the ” coalition for the de-financement of the police ”.

The protest began in front of a downtown monument that until recently housed the statue of a former prime minister of Canada. The bronze statue of John A. Macdonald, accused of carrying out a policy of forced assimilation of indigenous populations, was thrown to the ground in late August during an anti-racism rally.

Children’s shoes were placed in front of the monument to symbolize the threat of climate change to new generations.

North America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security Holds its Nineteenth Consultative Meeting on 16 October 2020

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A press release from the United Nations

The United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security held its nineteenth consultative meeting via virtual platform on 16 October 2020. 

The meeting reviewed the status of the partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) with an update on the implementation of the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security. The meeting discussed developments and cooperation in support to on-going electoral processes in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Guinea. The meeting also exchanged views on the situations in Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Western Sahara. 

The AU Commission and the UN Secretariat were represented respectively by Commissioners Minata Samaté-Cessouma (Political Affairs), Smaïl Chergui (Peace and Security); and the Under-Secretaries-General Rosemary DiCarlo (Political and Peacebuilding Affairs), Jean-Pierre Lacroix (Peace Operations), Atul Khare (Operational Support), Hanna Tetteh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union and Assistant Secretary-General Bintou Keita (Africa). The meeting was also attended by other senior officials from the two Organizations. 
 


The Joint Task Force took note of the considerable progress achieved in the UN-AU partnership including with regional economic communities and mechanisms in Africa together with international partners. These include sustained collaboration on support to African Union peace support operations, early warning and prevention initiatives, as well as coordinated support to national authorities for the conduct of timely, peaceful and inclusive elections as well as for the promotion and protection of human rights. Both organizations strengthened collaboration in mediation support and have begun to focus more on their joint initiatives on the women, peace and security, and youth for peace and security agendas.

The Joint Task Force took note of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on peace and security in Africa and welcomed the swift actions taken by the continent’s leadership to contain the spread of the pandemic. They further welcomed the collaboration between both organizations, Regional Economic Commissions and Member States in responding to the peace, security and humanitarian impact of the pandemic. 
 
The Joint Task Force exchanged views on the socio-political situations in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Guinea, ahead of the elections scheduled in October and December in those countries. The meeting agreed to foster complementarity in electoral support to Member States and undertake joint conflict prevention initiatives aimed at mitigating election related crisis. The Joint Task Force further agreed to work together in supporting Member States efforts in strengthening their electoral institutions and processes and in enhancing their capacities to organize peaceful, credible, transparent and inclusive elections which among others provide for the participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups.

The Joint Task Force welcomed increased coordination and collaboration in supporting elections in West Africa. A joint UN-AU-ECOWAS analysis paper, joint messaging and joint solidarity missions to Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea illustrated this increased partnership. 
 


The Joint Task Force expressed concern about the tense environment ahead of the presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire. They urged all stakeholders to refrain from incendiary speech and violence, and to engage in dialogue to resolve their differences and create an environment conducive to a peaceful, inclusive and credible election. They further encouraged the authorities, including the security forces to protect and uphold human rights in the electoral process. The Joint Task Force reassured the people of Côte d’Ivoire of the continued solidarity and support of the African Union and the United Nations. 
 


The Joint Task Force called on the relevant Ghanaian stakeholders to ensure the holding of peaceful, transparent, inclusive and credible elections. It further encouraged the competing parties to call on their supporters to adhere to the agreed code of conduct, to refrain from the use of hate or inflammatory speech and any acts of violence before, during, and after the general elections. The Joint Task Force further encouraged all parties to resolve any differences that may arise in connection with the elections through dialogue and in strict respect for the rule of law. The Joint Task Force remains confident that Ghana will, as in the past, continue democratic consolidation by delivering peaceful and credible elections. 
 


The Joint Task Force called on Guinean stakeholders to ensure the holding of peaceful and credible elections. They condemned the frequent recourse to hate speech and the manipulation of ethnicity for political purposes. They urged all actors to act with responsibility, refrain from violence and resolve through dialogue and legal means any disagreements that may arise in connection with the election. They further urged the defence and security forces to exercise utmost restraint and uphold international human rights standards in their conduct during the electoral process. The Joint Task Force reiterated the commitment of the African Union and the United Nations to continue supporting the people of Guinea in the consolidation of democratic gains. 
 


Further, the Joint Task Force exchanged views on the situation in Libya and welcomed the conclusion of the Ministerial Meeting on Libya co-chaired by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Foreign Minister of Germany, Mr. Heiko Maas, on 5 October 2020. They agreed that UN, AU, EU and LAS should continue to work towards enhanced cohesion through the Libya Quartet. 
 

 
 

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Question for this article:

Can the African Union help bring a culture of peace to Africa?

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?

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On the situation in Mali and the Sahel, the Joint Task Force took note of the start of the political Transition in Mali following the establishment of an inclusive transitional government headed by a civilian Prime Minister and a civilian President. The Joint Task Force welcomed the lifting of sanctions and reiterated the African Union and United Nations’ full support to the Transition authorities and people of Mali towards peace, stability and restoration of constitutional order. It committed to deepen the AU-UN collaboration to assist the transitional authorities in the preparation of elections and launch of priority reforms, within the 18-month transition period. 
 


The Joint Task Force urged the parties to uphold their commitment under the Agreement and prioritize the key institutional reforms of the peace process. It welcomed the participation of the signatory armed groups in the Transition Government and called on all stakeholders to work in a spirit of compromise to accelerate the implementation of the Peace Agreement. The Joint Task Force urged for enhanced participation of women in the peace process. It recognized the important role MINUSMA and MISAHEL continue to play in support of the Malian parties to advance the implementation of the Peace Agreement and to address the situation in central Mali. 


The Joint Task Force expressed concern over the alarming deterioration of the situation in Mali and the Sahel region, and reaffirmed the determination of both Organizations to continue supporting national, regional and international initiatives. The United Nations reiterated its commitment to support the African Union in the strengthening of its engagement in the Sahel, including through the deployment of 3,000 troops in support to the G5 Joint Force. The Joint Task Force also called on international partners to scale up their support, and provide the resources and assistance required by the G5 Sahel Joint Force to fully play its critical role in fighting terrorism and transnational organized crime. 
 


With regards to Ethiopia, the Joint Task Force noted the UN and AU’s support to the country’s ongoing reforms, including to domestic initiatives aimed at facilitating a consensus on key political, social and economic issues. The meeting commended the efforts of the AU to facilitate a mutually beneficial trilateral agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. 
 


On South Sudan, the Joint Task Force called to resolve pending issues particularly agreement on Transitional Security Arrangements (TSAs) and formation of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA). The meeting further committed to support the participation of women in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement for Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), and encouraged  the appointment of the head of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC).On Sudan, the Joint Task Force highlighted the continuing critical strategic and political partnership between the United Nations and the African Union and noted that the two organisations will continue to be close partners throughout Sudan’s transitional process. The meeting commended the engagement of the African Union in the planning process for UNITAMS, which will maximise the two organisations’ comparative advantages in support of the transition. The Joint Task Force welcomed the peace agreement signed in Juba on 3 October between the Sudan Revolutionary Front, the Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minnawi faction and the Government of Sudan and urged the non-signatories to the agreement to fully engage in the peace process. 
 


On Somalia, the Joint Task Force welcomed the resumption of political dialogue among the leaders of the Federal Government and the Federal Member States that led to the agreement on a model for elections, albeit indirect parliamentary elections for 2020/21, and stressed the importance of concerted efforts to work towards universal parliamentary elections in 2024/25. The meeting expressed hope that the upcoming electoral process would be timely, free, fair and inclusive of all sectors of Somali society including women, youth and minority groups, and guarantee at least a 30 per cent representation of women in Parliament. Recognizing that 2021 will be a transition year in Somalia toward a new political dispensation as well as towards Somalis taking the leading role on security, the Joint Task Force underscored the criticality for the dialogue among Somalia’s leaders to continue and extend to other priority areas including the constitutional review, building a federal Somali security sector and other institutions, and resolving outstanding differences between the Federal Government and Federal Member States. 


The Joint Task Force recognized AMISOM’s continued critical contribution to peace and security in Somalia and welcomed its efforts to collaborate with Somali Security Forces to consolidate and extend security gains, notwithstanding challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic The meeting took note of efforts underway to chart the way forward on the transition to Somali security responsibility, notably the Federal Government’s work to update the Transition Plan. With regards to the independent assessment, the AU highlighted that its views should be taken into account. The meeting called for continued efforts to strengthen a common approach among Somalia’s partners towards support to peacebuilding and state-building in the country. 
 


With regard to Western Sahara, the Joint Task Force looks forward to the appointment of a new Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara and encourages the parties to refrain from rhetoric and actions that are harmful to a political solution to the conflict. The Joint Task Force discussed the resource shortfall for the humanitarian assistance for the Sahrawi refugees particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 


The Joint Task Force also discussed UN-AU cooperation in counterterrorism. While commending ongoing cooperation in counterterrorism, participants underlined the need for greater coordination and consultation to ensure synergies, build on each other’s efforts and avoid duplication. The meeting agreed therefore to work towards the establishment of a joint coordination mechanism that will be responsible for providing oversight and strategic level guidance to the joint working groups to be subsequently established. 
 


The next statutory meeting of the Joint Task Force will be hosted by the African Union Commission in February 2021, on the margins of the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. 

Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, United Nations,

UNESCO-sponsored Nanjing Peace Forum

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A compilation by CPNN of information provided by Palas Athena, J. Frederick Arment,, and UNESCO Kazakhstan

The UNESCO-sponsored Nanjing Peace Forum, October, 2020 will start in Nanjing and, as time zones change, travel virtually to Paris, France; Almaty, Kazakhstan; Baghdad, Iraq; Bamako, Mali; and Brasilia, Brazil. This prerecorded video speaks about HOW peace can be won globally through decentralized NGOs. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay will kickoff the event with officials and scholars around the globe in attendance.

Question related to this article:

Will UNESCO once again play a role in the culture of peace?

The video from Brazil will addess the challengs and opportunities for a culture of peace in Brazil in the post COVID-19 era. It will be moderated by the UNESCO representative in Brazil, Marlova Noleto and will include as speakers Lia Diskin of Palas Athena (See CPNN January 30, 2005) and Leoberto Brancher, the judge who has worked for restorative justice in Brazil (See CPNN October 14, 2016).

One of the guest speakers at the forum will be J. Frederick Arment, Executive Director of International Cities of Peace

The video from UNESCO Kazakhstan addresses the role of youth in peacebuilding.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, United Nations

Quintana Roo, Mexico: Judicial Power for Culture of Peace

. EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article by Christian Trejo in Diario de Quintana Roo

SOLIDARIDAD, October 19.- The Judicial Power of Quintana Roo, through the Center for Alternative Justice and the Private Certification and Mediation Unit, is conducting, in coordination with the Judicial School, the training program “Training of Trainers in culture of Peace in the classroom and community ”.

The Directorate of the Family Strengthening Center, of the State DIF, promotes these courses —which are based on activities through games— to build a culture of peace, through conflict negotiation and resolution.

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Question for this article:

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

Where is peace education taking place?

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This training provided by the Judicial Power of Quintana Roo, is aimed at public servants of the different dependencies and institutions such as the State Center for Social Crime Prevention and Citizen Participation, the Secretariat of Social Development, Institute for the Development of the Maya People and the Technical Secretariat of the Social Development Hub.

This program, which began on October 5th, will conclude on October 30 with a theme and modules related to “Presentation and Generalities”, “Basic strategies for improving Coexistence and Conflict Resolution”, “Conflicts and their educational potentialities ”,“ Conflict resolution and education in values ​​”,“ Activities in the Classroom for Trainers ”.

Other topics include “Mediation between peers at School and Community”, the “Basic Concepts”, “On the Tools Used in the Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts” and “On the Phases and Stages of the Hearings.”

(Click here for the original Spanish version of this article.)

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire : Young Christian and Muslim leaders take action for peace

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article in Abidjan.net (translation by CPNN)

Young Christian and Muslim leaders took part in a training for peace on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at the initiative of the Fondation Félix Houphouët-Boigny pour la recherche de la paix,. Following the training they began working to promote peace and social cohesion with an operational action plan for before, during and after the elections.

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Question related to this article:
 
Youth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?

The Houghouët-Boigny Foundation of Yamoussoukro: what is its contribution to the culture of peace?

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This commitment is in line with the goals of the foundation, to equip young people with adequate tools to prevent or effectively manage possible community conflicts and to actively involve them in the preservation of peace in Côte d’Ivoire.

During the training, the young people were encouraged to appropriate the values ​​of the culture of peace in order to embody the change they should bring to others. They were urged to be extra vigilant to avoid the trap of false rumors, to verify any information they receive, and to refrain from propagating hate speech that could divide communities.

(Click here for the original French version of this article)

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

‘Democracy Has Won’: Year After Right-Wing Coup Against Evo Morales, Socialist Luis Arce Declares Victory in Bolivia Election

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

An article by Jake Johnson from Common Dreams (licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License)

A year after former Bolivian president Evo Morales was ousted in a military coup that installed a brutal far-right regime, Morales ally Luis Arce declared victory in the South American nation’s high-stakes presidential election early Monday after exit polls showed the socialist candidate with a large advantage over his two main competitors.


Bolivia’s leftist presidential candidate Luis Arce of the Movement for Socialism party celebrates with running mate David Choquehuanca early on October 19, 2020 in La Paz, Bolivia. (Photo: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

“Democracy has won,” Arce, who served as Morales’ finance minister, said in an address to the nation after one exit poll showed him leading the race with 52.4% of the vote and former president Carlos Mesa in a distant second with 31.5%. Right-wing candidate Luis Camacho—an ally of unelected interim President Jeanine Añez—won just 14.1% of the vote, according to the survey.

The Washington Post reported that “if the exit poll numbers are confirmed by the official count, which was being tabulated slowly late Sunday, it would be more than enough to avoid a November runoff and claim outright victory.”

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Question related to this article:

Why was Morales ousted from Bolivia by a coup d’etat?

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Arce characterized his apparently decisive victory, which even Añez was forced to acknowledge, as a mandate to continue the policies of the Morales government, which lifted millions of Bolivians out of poverty and expanded the nation’s economy.

“I think the Bolivian people want to retake the path we were on,” Arce said Monday.

Twice postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sunday’s election was a do-over of last year’s presidential contest, which was thrown into chaos after the U.S.-dominated Organization of American States (OAS) leveled baseless allegations of “fraud” by Morales, who was eventually forced to resign and flee the country under threat by Bolivia’s military.

The coup against Morales sparked a wave of Indigenous-led protests that were violently repressed by the Bolivian military and police forces, which were granted sweeping immunity from prosecution by the anti-Indigenous Añez government.

“The OAS allegations were indeed the main political foundation of the coup that followed the October 20 election three weeks later,” Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, wrote last month. “But they provided no evidence to support these allegations—because there wasn’t any. This has since been established repeatedly by a slew of expert statistical studies.”

From exile in Argentina, Morales on Monday celebrated Arce’s apparent victory as a “great triumph of the people.”

“Brothers and sisters: the will of the people has been asserted,” Morales tweeted. “This is an overwhelming victory… We are going to give dignity and liberty back to the people.”

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Mairo Al-Makura African First Ladies Peace Mission is Serious Business

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from This Day Live

Inspired by the UN World’s Women Conference 1995, popularly known as the Beijing Conference, the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) is designed as an umbrella body of wives of African Heads of State/Presidents and Government to play a supportive role to the African Union, regional organisations, and national governments in fostering peace and reduce conflicts and their effects on the African continent. In this interview with Olaoluwakitan Babatunde, Special Assistant to the President on AFLPM and former First Lady of Nasarawa State, Dr. Mairo Al-Makura, who is now one in office, dissects the Mission’s journey so far and outlines efforts to rave up the organisation to better deliver on its mandate. Excerpts below:

You are now a year in office as the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on African First Ladies Peace Mission where the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari is the Acting President. How has it being, helping the First Lady run the affairs of the Mission?
It has been a tasking, but great experience. It is a kind of thing I am cut out for. Any endeavour that will promote peace and advance the welfare of women and children is my natural call. I must thank President Muhammadu Buhari for seeing the prospects the organisation holds for peace in Africa and also the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, for deeming me fit to assist in driving the Mission. As you rightly mentioned, the First Lady is the Acting President of the Mission and I am greatly motivated by her passion for peace and success of the AFLPM.

The AFLPM has been in existence since the past 23 years, yet not many appear to know much about the organisation and its mission. At most, it is since as the pet project of successive Nigerian First Ladies?

(Laughs) No, while the passion of our First Ladies towards the African First Ladies Peace Mission, AFLPM is not in doubt, while AFLPM is headquartered in Abuja,; and whereas Mrs. Maryam Abacha, was the pioneer President of the AFLPM, it is a truly pan-African organisation that has equally been headed by the First Ladies of various other African countries. I’m talking about the likes of Excellencies Madame Constancia Mangue De-Obiang of Equitorial Guinea, Madame Antoinette Sassou Nguesso of Congo Brazzaville, and Mrs. Chantal Campaore. And they have made their great contributions.

Meanwhile, as you rightly pointed out, the AFLPM is 23 years old as it was inaugurated in 1997. It was inspired by the 4th World Conference on Women, better known as the 1995 Beijing Conference. Recall that one of the affirmations was the equal rights and inherent human dignity of women and men as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The Beijing declaration equally recognises that local, national, regional and global peace is attainable and is inextricably linked with women as fundamental force for leadership, conflict resolution and the promotion of lasting peace.

Now, if you also recall clearly, Africa has suffered an unfair share of the global conflicts and instability. In particular, we had full-blown wars and all manner of conflicts in Africa around 1995. While some African countries were enmeshed in armed conflicts, some were just emerging from it, while several others were sliding into conflicts. Talk about the Burundi civil war, Rwanda civil war, Sierra Leone civil war, Liberia civil war, conflicts in Somali, Sudan, the Eritrea-Ethiopian border conflicts, the Republic of Congo, the Congo DR, and you name them. So, the African First Ladies thought it wise to come up with an international NGO, a rallying organisation to begin to mobilise both government and non-governmental resources to promote the culture of peace, to prevent conflicts, and to reduce violence and mitigate their effects on Africans, particularly the women and children.

You know, when two elephants fight, it is the grass, in this case, the women, girls, and children that bear the brunt. It is the women and children that suffer the hunger and starvation during conflicts. It is the women that are abducted, abused, raped and killed. It is our husbands and sons that are killed, leaving us empty-handed like the hen, which has been rendered childless by the kites and hawks. So, whichever you look at it, we are at the receiving end. So, our First Ladies knew they wouldn’t sit by and watch these things continue.

The AFLPM equally believes that one of the best ways of preventing conflicts is by promoting democratic principles, cultures, and institutions as well as popular participation and good governance. For instance, if elections are free and fair, if governments across Africa respect the rule of law, if they respect the separation of powers and checks and balances, if they respect human rights, and if there is less political persecution, conflicts and instability on the continent will drop drastically.

Another major objective of the AFLPM is to work hand-in-hand with appropriate international partners in promoting peace and the eradication of preventable diseases and promotion of good health in Africa.

So, these and more were the ideals that birthed the AFLPM. The African First Ladies felt they have something to contribute to advance the cause of peace and stability and by extension, development in Africa.

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Question for this article

Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?

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So, would you say that the AFLPM has truly delivered on its objectives and mandate considering that?

Indeed the AFLPM has made a lot of contributions in fostering peace on the continent, in advocacy in matters concerning the rights and protection of women, children, and the girl child from violence. The AFLPM has equally rendered support to women and children.

However, I must concede that the Mission could have made more progress but for palpable challenges, fundamental of which is resources as well as other factors such as lack of a place of our own. At 23, AFLPM is still a tenant in Abuja. These challenges have . The good news, however, is that the Acting President of AFLPM, Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, is currently doing a whole lot of reorganisation and repositioning to take the AFLPM a notch higher.

On her instruction, I undertook in-depth appraisal of the place to know the challenges and how best to fix them. And I am happy that we are making great progress in terms of coordination and day-to-day running of the organisation. AFLPM is not a pet project of the incumbent Acting President or any future President of the organisation. So, we are repositioning it to run more properly as an independent and international NGO.

How much of international support do you get at the moment?

We are quite aware that AFLPM can’t achieve much without international support. Since I was appointed, we have, on the directive of Her Excellency the First Lady as the Acting President of the organisation, been building the necessary international partnerships and goodwill. We are determined to make AFLPM a respected global voice and institution the world cannot ignore.

In conjunction with the Government of Nigeria, we were supposed to host a “Roundtable on Women, Peace, and Security in Africa” in New York on the margins of the 64th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women last March. Sadly COVID-19 struck. The theme was actually “Young Women as Ambassadors of Peace”, and the First Lady of Gambia, Mrs. Fatouma Barrow; the Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, Anita Bhatia; AU Special Envoy on Youth, Mme Aya Chebbi; and Nigeria Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen were all supposed to feature at the event.
In fact, from United States to Canada and Europe, we are getting cooperation by development agencies and getting better connected to the global grid of hose who make peace and development happen.

In your statement on the occasion of the 2020 International Day of Rural Women, you bemoaned the effects of insurgency on women. Why?

(Cuts in) Yes, because as I said earlier, women and children bear the brunt of insurgency. Look at the Boko Haram insurgency and their splinter groups in the Lake Chad Region alone. That is talking about Nigeria, Chad, Cameroun, and Niger Republic. According to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the insurgency affects more than 17 million people in the Lake Chad Region and more than 2.2 million have been displaced; most of them are women and children. In fact, children alone constitute half of the displaced. The women and children are in the eye of the storm and more than 10.8 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

As we stated on that occasion, whenever insurgents strike, women and girls suffer abduction, rape, violation, and fatality. So, you can see where we are coming from and why we want a strong global alliance to help Africa to flush insurgents from the face of the continent. Besides, in a globalised world, no one is really safe until every part of the world, Africa inclusive, is sufficiently safe.

Talking about violence against women, statistics showed that cases of rape rose during the COVID-19 lockdown?

That is quite regrettable. But the thing is that we are not resting on our oars in the fight against violence against women, be it rape, domestic violence, and by whatever name it is called. By the way, the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women 1993, defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.

To mark this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we are holding a live virtual event as we join the UN Secretary – General’s campaign, UNiTE to End Violence against Women by 2030. Apart from the First Lady of Nigeria, who will be delivering the keynote address, the First Ladies of Sierra Leone, Congo Brazzaville, Gambia, and South Sudan as well as representatives of international organisations from the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS will be speaking a the event too.

Apart from raising awareness on violence perpetuated done to women and girls, there will equally be trauma and counseling session for the victims and those who survived such violence. We are also making arrangement to support them with relief packages.

You talked about lack of permanent office earlier. How come AFLPM does not have an office it can call its own after 23 years?

It is a long story and this has greatly hampered our programmes. Mind you that we are not talking about just office spaces. If it were so, we wouldn’t be bothering ourselves. However, because AFLPM is not a jamboree. It is utilitarian in concept and that is why we equally need a permanent office that is also utilitarian in nature.

The Acting President of AFLPM, Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has made it one of her cardinal agenda to ensure we build one soonest. We will be reaching out to all African nations as well as captains of industry and public-spirited individuals across the continent, who believe the cause of peace and women for their support. We believe it is doable and we will do it in our time.

Africa, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

77 Heads of State and Ministers address UN High Level Meeting on Nuclear Weapons

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A message from Unfold Zero

77 Heads of State and Ministers took the opportunity to address the United Nations High Level Meeting on the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons held yesterday (October 2) in the UN General Assembly and by virtual participation.

This is probably the highest number of Presidents, Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers to have addressed any of the high level meetings which have taken place annually since 2013 to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Such participation indicates widespread global concern, especially amongst non-nuclear governments, about the threat from nuclear weapons.


Volkan Bozkir, General Assembly President

Representatives from several regional groups and international organisations, as well as two representatives from global civil society, also addressed the meeting. The civil society representatives called on UN Member States to ‘de-escalate the nuclear arms race, redirect nuclear weapons budgets and investments to meet human security needs, and commit to the total elimination of nuclear weapons by 2045, the 100th anniversary of the UN.’

Click here for the full list of speakers for the event.

UN leadership

The event was chaired by H.E. Vlokan Bozkir, President of the UN General Assembly, who opened the event with a strong presentation reminding us that the UN was born out of the ashes of WWII and the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan, and calling on UN member states to fulfill their obligations to end the nuclear arms race and achieve the comprehensive elimination of nuclear weapons.

H.E. António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, followed with an impassioned speech warning that the world continues to live in the shadow of nuclear catastrophe. He urged nuclear armed states to take practical steps to reduce nuclear risks, and on all members of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to work towards a positive outcome to the Review Conference next year that takes forward concrete nuclear disarmament steps.

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Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

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Statements by governments were introduced by their UN ambassadors sitting in the UN General Assembly, but then presented by the leaders (Presidents and Ministers) by pre-recorded video statements due to pandemic constraints on UN physical meetings.

The six hours of statements included many reports on nuclear disarmament action and calls for further action. These included to:

-adopt nuclear risk reduction measures such as de-alerting and no-first-use;

– support existing nuclear-weapon-free-zones and establish additional ones especially one in the Middle East;

– cut nuclear weapons budgets/investments and redirect these to addressing the pandemic and achieving the sustainable development goals;

– support existing treaties such as the NPT, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons;

– negotiate a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention which includes the nuclear-armed countries and would prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons globally;

– commit to the total elimination of nuclear weapons by the 100th anniversary of the UN.

Click here for a short video (2mins) with selected quotes from speakers at the High Level Meeting. Click here for the video recording of Session 1 (3 hours). The videos of both sessions and all presentations will be posted online here early next week.

Civil society presentations

Two members of global civil society were invited to make presentations to the High Level event. They are Mr Saber Chowdhury MP (Bangladesh), Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, and Ms Vanda Proskova (Czech Republic), Vice-Chair of PragueVision Institute for Sustainable Security and one of the convenors of #Wethepeoples2020.

Mr Chowdhury noted that ‘We all have a key role to play and engage with governments to ensure implementation of nuclear disarmament obligations, and in diverting resources from nuclear weapons to positive impacts for the economy, livelihoods and protection of nature.’ (Click here for his video presentation).

Ms Proskova noted that nuclear weapons ‘are dangerous whether they are used on purpose or due to a miscalculation. They are extremely harmful to the environment which we are so vehemently trying to protect. In the 21st century they are simply obsolete. And, what is more, they are phenomenally expensive.’ (Click here for her video presentation).

Both of the civil society representatives called on UN members to de-escalate the nuclear arms race, redirect nuclear weapons budgets and investments to meet human security needs, and commit to the total elimination of nuclear weapons by 2045, the 100th anniversary of the UN.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global, United Nations,