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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. View all posts by CPNN Coordinator →

Over a Million Mobilize for International Women’s Day in Latin America

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article with photos from Left Voice

Millions across Latin America took the streets on March 8 for International Women’s Day. All over, the message was clear: women want an end to all violence and oppression.

Video

Throughout Latin America, people mobilized on March 8 and/or 9 for International Women’s Day. International Working Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, commemorates a textile workers strike in New York City. Inspired by the actions of the women’s worker movements in the United States and elsewhere, German Socialist Clara Zetkin proposed to designate March 8 as International Women’s Day during the International Socialist Women’s Congress of 1910.

  In the past few years, the day has taken on new life with massive mobilizations around the world. Here, we highlight some of the biggest mobilizations in Latin America.

Chile

In Chile, millions gathered across the country for a historic International Working Women’s Day demonstration on March 8. In the capital city of Santiago alone, over a million people took to the streets and squares. A giant green bandana was laid in the heart of the square by the socialist-feminist group, Pan y Rosas, and read a central demand for women across Latin America — that of free, legal, and safe abortions.

The massive protest in Santiago, Chile

The mobilizations in Chile are particularly noteworthy since they occur amidst ongoing protests against the political regime. In the days leading up to Sunday, March 8, hundreds of thousands gathered in the central square in Santiago and the front-line of the protests, Plaza de la Dignidad, chanting “Chile Despertó”, that “Chile has woken up”. The marches and demonstrations before and on March 8 put the demands of the movement front and center. Chants and slogans amplified the months-long demand for the resignation of the President, Sebastian Piñera, and against the repression by the police who have mercilessly unleashed violence on the protesters for months.

Since March 8 was on a Sunday, various women’s organizations as well as coordination groups called for a strike on Monday, March 9. However, due to the lack of support from unions, these strike actions were confined to particular workplaces, as opposed to last year’s general strikes against the Pinera government. The Chilean state prepared for the strike actions by gathering its repressive forces, putting up road blockades in key neighborhoods in Santiago, and violently attacking and arresting school students who were making their way to Plaza de la Dignidad. In the Antofagasta, a town that has become central to the coordination of the anti-government movement, teachers, education workers, and students are playing a central role to ensure the success of the strike. In addition to demanding an end to the Piñera regime, they’re making historic demands for better working conditions, including free public education.

Mexico

In Mexico, hundreds of thousands gathered across the country for demonstrations on March 8. In Mexico City, over 150,000 women turned out to protest inequality, violence, and oppression, while the march in the western city of Guadalajara was over 30,000 strong. This was the biggest March 8 protest in Mexican history. On March 9, many women walked off the job for “A Day Without a Woman.”

Massive protest on March 8 in Mexico City.

The primary motor for the protest was the indignation with femicides, which are all too common in Mexico. Femicides in Mexico have increased by 137% in the last five years. In 2019 alone, about 10 women were killed every day. Thousands more have gone missing.

(continued in right column)

Questions for this article

Protecting women and girls against violence, Is progress being made?

Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

How can we be sure to get news about peace demonstrations?

(continued from left column)

Protesters also spoke out against the precariousness of work and layoffs due to austerity measures. In Mexico City, over 1,000 people marched with Pan y Rosas, the socialist feminist group with a clearly anti-capitalist and anti-patriarchal message that for the end of women’s oppression and for socialist revolution.

These demonstrations have been the largest mobilizations since the beginning of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency in 2018. López Obrador overwhelmingly won his election on the basis of progressive rhetoric and promises . However, while in office López Obrador has maintained austerity measures and has not taken steps to stop the epidemic of femicides in Mexico— in fact, femicides have increased during his mandate. The right to an abortion is still confined to Mexico City and Oaxaca, leading to countless deaths due to illegal and unsafe abortions.

Uruguay

Nearly 300,000 people took the streets in Montevideo, Uruguay on March 8. This year, March 8 was particularly important due to the rise of a right-wing government in Uruguay. As La Izquierda Diario Uruguay writes, “The threat that all these reactionary sectors make is the loss of our historical conquests such as the right to abortion or marriage equality. They are religious and anti-rights sectors that today feel impunity to wave their flags provocatively because they are backed by the State.” In fact, in the days before the march, police repression increased against street vendors and youth in working class neighborhoods.

At the International Women’s Day March, the police were out in full force, with water cannons and riot gear, prepared to act against the marchers.

Argentina

Over a hundred thousand people across Argentina mobilized on March 9 for International Working Women’s Day. A Catholic mass against the right to an abortion on March 8 and there were smaller actions for the right to an abortion by left and feminist groups. One of the primary debates among organizers o the feminist movement had to do with the day of protest. Feminist groups that support the Alberto Fernandez government argued against a confrontation with the Catholic church on March 8, while other left and feminist groups stated that it was important to rally on International Women’s Day.

Even so, on March 9, hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country mobilized, demanding the separation of church and state, the right to an abortion, as well as against femicides. The official statement also said “The debt is owed to us, not the IMF and not the church.” This is particularly important in the context of a massive economic crisis in Argentina and the massive inflation rate.

Members of the socialist feminist group Pan y Rosas began the day with an action and road blockage in solidarity with teachers that are currently fighting for a salary increase and better working conditions in smaller cities in Argentina. Nathalia González Seligra, a leader of the teachers union in the neighborhood of La Matanza said “While the government wants to negotiate with the IMF and the bondholders, who take millions of dollars from the country, the education workers — overwhelmingly women — have no choice but to work two or three charges to make ends meet.”

Argentina has had one of the strongest feminist movements in the world over the past five years, starting with massive protests against femicide under the banner of Ni Una Menos (not one less) in 2015. March 8 was revived as a day of massive protest bringing out hundreds of thousands of people starting in 2017. And last year, well over a million people took the streets for the right to an abortion, which was narrowly denied due not only to votes from the right wing parties, but also votes from the “progressive” Peronist coaltion that is now in the government.

A few days ago, the President of Argentina announced that he would present a law to Congress to legalize abortion — seemingly a different law than the one written by the feminist movement and presented to Congress last year. The new law hasn’t been made public yet, although there was some speculation that it would be presented yesterday for International Women’s Day.

From Santiago to Mexico City, millions took to the streets waving green bandanas for abortion rights. Throughout Latin America, the message was overwhelmingly similar — women want an end to violence and oppression. As the anger at the demonstrations show, even “progressive” governments have been inadequate in addressing even the most basic demands of the feminist movement. The growth and interventions of groups like Pan y Rosas, however, show us a path to victory: one built with a coalition of working class women, students, and youth that can challenge the very capitalist system that exploits and oppresses us.

This article was based on articles from the La Izquierda Diario news network.

March 9, 2021Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITYLatin AmericaCPNN Coordinator

International Women’s Day : Images from Europe and Asia

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from the Los Angeles Times

Women across Europe and Asia shouted their demands for equality, respect and empowerment Thursday to mark International Women’s Day, with protesters in Spain launching a 24-hour strike and crowds of demonstrators filling the streets of Manila, Seoul and New Delhi.

An artist paints a message on a wall in Sana, Yemen, to mark International Women’s Day. (Yahya Arhab / EPA/Shutterstock; A.M. Ahad / Associated Press)

During a Women’s Day rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, men hold placards highlighting violence against women. (Yahya Arhab / EPA/Shutterstock; A.M. Ahad / Associated Press)

Spain

Spanish women were staging dozens of protests across the country against the wage gap and gender violence. In Barcelona, protesters disrupting traffic into the city center were pushed back by riot police.

In Madrid, hundreds of women gathered in its central square to demand change. Teresa Sonsur, a 38-year-old social services agency worker, said she wanted to end workplace discrimination.

The 731 crosses at Forti de Vinaros beach in Castellon, Spain, represent women who died in gender-related violence since 2007. (Domenich Castello / EPA/Shutterstock)

A young woman in Barcelona attends a protest during a one-day strike for women’s rights. Right, riot police surround women on a Barcelona street during the general strike for International Women’s Day. (Lluis Gene / AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey

Women gather as they shout slogans and flash the V-sign for victory during a demonstration to mark International Women’s Day in Diyarbakir, (Turkey. Ilyas Akengin / AFP/Getty Images)

(continued in right column)

Questions for this article

Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

(continued from left column)

Asia

Across Asia, women came out to mark the day. In China, students at Tsinghua University used the day to make light of a proposed constitutional amendment to scrap term limits for the country’s president. One banner joked that a boyfriend’s term should also have no limits, while another said, “A country cannot exist without a constitution, as we cannot exist without you!”

Pakistani women rally in Karachi to mark International Women’s Day. (Shahzaib Akber / EPA/Shutterstock)

In Manila, Filipinas hold a march to mark the day and to protest President Rodrigo Duterte’s human rights abuses. (Jes Aznar/Getty Images

South Koreans supporting the #MeToo movement wear all black to rally in Seoul. (EPA/Shutterstock)

Russia

International Women’s Day is a public holiday in Russia, but opposition presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak was one of only a few demonstrators in Moscow.

A member of the Russian feminist movement attends a rally dedicated to the struggle for women’s rights and against the patriarchate in St. Petersburg, Russia. Anatoly Maltsev / EPA/Shutterstock

(Editor’s note: For other photos from India, Turkey, Indonesia, Nepal, Japan, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Pakistan, Germany, Kosovo, Italy, Romania and France, see the report in Al Jazeera.)

March 9, 2021East Asia, Europe, Mideast, South Asia, WOMEN'S EQUALITYEast Asia, Europe, Mideast, South AsiaCPNN Coordinator

Ghana Election Petition Judgment: ‘Let’s Maintain Our Peace’

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from Peace FM Online

The National Peace Council (NPC), has appealed to Ghanaians, especially, political actors to maintain peace in the country ahead of the Supreme Court’s judgment on the 2020 Presidential Election Petition.   The NPC asked the citizenry to accept the judgment for peace to prevail.  

Speaking at a virtual stakeholders’ convening on the roadmap towards the eradication of political vigilantism in Ghana, Mr George Amoh, Executive Secretary, NPC, pleaded that the feuding political actors impressed on their constituents to guard the peace currently being enjoyed in the country.

Mr Amoh said activities of political vigilantes, which did not manifest so much during the last elections were due to the work done by all stakeholders prior to the elections, which had been commended by well-meaning entities, and that such work was going to be continued.

He noted that the international community had commended Ghana over the reduction of activities of political vigilantism in the December polls and emphasized the need to sustain the gains.  

Mr Amoh said the work led by the NPC in collaboration with NORSAAC, a pro-marginalised and policy influencing organisation, and other partners was paying off, adding that the monitoring group set up in the round up to the December 2020 general election to monitor vigilantism practices, was still in place, serving as early warning systems.  

(Article continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

(Article continued from left column)

Nana Kojo Impraim, Deputy Director in charge of Monitoring and Evaluation, NPC, in a presentation, said as part of the processes to disband vigilantism in the country, the two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress, were made to sign an agreement to commit themselves to the process.  

Thus, the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act 2019 (Act 999) as well as the Roadmap and Code of Conduct to end political vigilantism in Ghana, also referred to as the roadmap, were put into action with the NPC as the lead implementer, partnering varied partnerships and support towards its enforcement.  

He said NORSAAC with funding from STAR-Ghana Foundation, partnered the NPC to focus on the role of the monitoring team of the roadmap, while more stakeholders were engaged in a high level meeting to deliberate further on the course.  

Mr Impraim said many advocacy work and sensitisation of citizens, as well as monitoring was undertaken in various districts, while mediation committees were set up to work towards a peaceful election.  

In all those engagements, the need to build a culture of peace and coexistence were paramount, Mr Impraim stated, adding that it was also revealed that government would need to intensify its partnership with the private sector in addressing the socio-economic needs of the people, especially, the youth.  

Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko-Amidu, Chief Executive Officer of the Star Ghana Foundation, commended the partnerships, emphasizing the need for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to partner the State and other stakeholders to source for funding to support peaceful, credible and transparent elections in Ghana.  

He said there was also the need to start election education and awareness creation soon after one election was ended to forestall eventualities.  

It is expected that deliberations of the virtual meeting participated in by officials of the Electoral Commission, Small Arms Commission, the Judiciary Service, MMDAs, Ghana Journalists Association and other CSOs, would contribute to decent elections project and “Enhance CSOs and the NPC’s partnership in ensuring public adherence to the Roadmap and Code of Conduct to End Political Vigilantism.”

March 8, 2021Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATIONAfricaCPNN Coordinator

Civil society in northeast Syria promotes women’s role to fight extremism

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Akhin Ahmed in the Al-Monitor

The Democratic Solutions Organization (Demos), a civil society organization operating in northern and eastern Syria with the aim to build a democratic state to fight extremism, wrapped up its first annual conference on Feb. 17 in the northern Syrian city of Qamishli.

Some 42 public figures, including 15 women, in addition to activists, media professionals, politicians, representatives of civil organizations and community leaders, took part in the conference to discuss the results of Demos’ project dubbed “Promoting Positivity of Life to Counter Violent Extremism.”

The project was launched a year and a half ago and directly targeted about 13,000 people and indirectly targeted many more across Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor.

Abbas Ali, the project manager, discussed with Al-Monitor the goals of the project, saying, “Our project aims to boost the steadfastness of local communities in the cities of Hasakah, Qamishli, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor against extremism.”

He noted, “The project also aims to strengthen the role of women, youth and the displaced in fighting violent extremism through a number of workshops Demos held in the past year and a half as part of its project.”

Abbas added that through its project, Demos focuses on several topics, most notably countering violence against women’s rights and promoting pride in cultural identity.

(Continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

Islamic extremism, how should it be opposed?

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

(continued from left column)

Mirna Namis, one of the participants and supervisors of the Demos workshops, told Al-Monitor, “In the absence of a role for women in fighting extremism and terrorism, we sought — through our [Demos] project — to support women in this field. We sought ways to engage women in ensuring the safety and security of their families and protecting them from terrorism and extremism. We also discussed ways to involve women in confronting negative forces in society and the effective role that they can play in their surroundings, whether inside or outside their homes, in order to instil a culture of peace as an alternative to hatred.”

Namis praised the prominent role of education and the press in rejecting the culture of extremism and violence.

She added, “Our project directly targeted about 13,000 people and was implemented in Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. The participants in the conference included decision-makers in the region, in addition to politicians, civil society activists and representatives of civil organizations, independent figures and media professionals.”

Rakan Dargham, a civil activist from Raqqa who participated in the conference, told Al-Monitor, “The conference included sessions on the role of the internet in spreading violence and extremism on the one hand, and its role in combating extremism on the other.”

He explained, “Our project addressed the role of the internet as a double-edged sword. The internet is used by militant groups to influence the minds of young people and recruit them.

The Islamic State [IS] and other radical groups have used the internet in their recruitment process. But the internet and the media are also used to expose the true intentions and plans of these radical groups, such as IS, that influence and lure a large number of youth and convince them to commit crimes.”

In regard to the possibility of women serving as a catalyst in the peace process in Syria, Abbas said, “Women can play a key role in instilling peace by preventing their husbands, sons or brothers from participating in wars and armed conflicts and getting involved in the activities of extremist groups. Women are inherently peace-loving and their awareness of the importance of peace reflects positively on the environment in which they live. They can be a catalyst in the peace process in the country.”

March 8, 2021DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Mideast, WOMEN'S EQUALITYMideastCPNN Coordinator

Emails Reveal: U.S. Officials Sided With Agrochemical Giant Bayer to Overturn Mexico’s Glyphosate Ban

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Kenny Stancilde from Ecowatch

While Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has given farmers in the country a 2024 deadline to stop using glyphosate, The Guardian reported Tuesday that agrochemical company Bayer, industry lobbyist CropLife America, and U.S. officials have been pressuring Mexico’s government to drop its proposed ban on the carcinogenic pesticide.

”

The corporate and U.S.-backed attempt to coerce Mexico into maintaining its glyphosate imports past 2024 has unfolded, as journalist Carey Gillam detailed in the newspaper, “over the last 18 months, a period in which Bayer was negotiating an $11 billion settlement of legal claims brought by people in the U.S. who say they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma due to exposure” to glyphosate-based products, such as Roundup.

(article continued in right column)

Question for this article:

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

(Article continued from the left column)

Roundup, one of the world’s mostly widely-used herbicides, was created by Monsanto which was acquired by Bayer in 2018.

According to The Guardian, which obtained internal documents via a Freedom of Information Act request by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), “The pressure on
Mexico is similar to actions Bayer and chemical industry lobbyists took to kill a glyphosate ban planned by Thailand in 2019. Thailand officials had also cited concerns for public health in seeking to ban the weed killer, but reversed course after U.S. threats about trade disruption.”

In addition to instructing Mexico’s farmers to stop using glyphosate by 2024, the López Obrador administration on Dec. 31, 2020 issued a “final decree” calling for “a phase-out of the planting and consumption of genetically engineered corn, which farmers often spray with glyphosate, a practice that often leaves residues of the pesticide in finished food products,” the news outlet noted.

The Mexican government has characterized the restrictions as an effort to improve the nation’s “food security and sovereignty” and to protect its wealth of biological as well as cultural diversity and farming communities.

Mexico’s promotion of human and environmental health, however, “has triggered fear in the United States for the health of agricultural exports, especially Bayer’s glyphosate products,” Gillam wrote.

March 8, 2021Latin America, North America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTLatin America, North AmericaCPNN Coordinator

Women’s leadership in the struggle for Palestinian freedom

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

Excerpts from a mail received at CPNN from Mazin Qumsiyeh

We know that women are often at the forefront of struggles for justice. Here is a good example received from Mazin Qumsiyeh and excerpted from his 2012 book on “Popular Resistance In Palestine: A history of Hope and empowerment.”

An image from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

The first Arab Women’s Congress of Palestine was held on 26 October 1929 in Jerusalem and was attended by about 200 women. The demands were those of the Palestinian people against: the Balfour Declaration and the establishment of Jewish colonies, and for self-determination. They elected a 14-member executive committee headed by Matiel E. T. Mogannam. Mogannam later wrote a book titled “The Arab Women and the Palestinian Problem”, which detailed the activities of the movement. The women who participated were diverse. Some were fully veiled and some very liberal, some Christian and some Muslim. In their meeting with the British High Commissioner, the women ‘threw back their veils’ and presented their demands in strong language.The High Commissioner was impressed, but stated plainly that his ‘authority is limited and some things must be decided by the Ministry of Colonisation … [however,] I am pleased with the progress of the women’s movement in Palestine … and will do my best to help in the educational areas of the Palestinian woman so that she can reach her appropriate place in society’. Energised by this meeting, the Congress concluded with a 120-car motorcade through the old city of Jerusalem and sent a telegram to Queen Mary, which opened with these words:

“Two hundred Palestine Arab Muslim and Christian women representatives met in twenty-sixth instant in Congress Jerusalem, unanimously decided demand and exert every effort to effect abolition Balfour Declaration and establish National Democratic Government deriving power from Parliament representing all Palestinian Communities in proportion to their numbers; we beseech assistance in our just demands.”

(continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

Presenting the Palestinian side of the Middle East, Is it important for a culture of peace?

(continued from left column).

The group was active for many years, developing novel forms of Palestinian resistance such as silent protests, publishing letters in foreign newspapers, direct support of those suffering from the occupation and prisoner support groups. They ‘sent hundreds of letters to the British government, newspapers, and news media outlets, Arab leaders, and other women’s organisations’. It was not without an impact; for example, their persistent letters about political prisoners in British jails resulted in three prisoners being pardoned.

[from anther section of the book:]
…. An Arab Women’s march to demand an end to the Zionist programme on 15 April 1933 heard speeches delivered by such notable Arab feminists as Tarab Abdul Hadi. A large demonstration on 13 September 1933 in Jerusalem led by Palestinian religious and civic leaders spilled over to other cities……

From the 1920s and 1930s women took the initiative at the most critical times when even the will of the strongest men was tested.30

Thus it was not surprising that women also took the lead in the early years of the post-1967 era while the national will was debilitated. The first demonstration in Jerusalem held in Spring 1968 was led by women and was dispersed by force. In February 1968, over 300 women demonstrated in Gaza about the policies of the occupation, including the expulsions and land confiscations. Kuttab and Awwad explained that ‘Women’s political associations connected with the different Palestinian political parties are considered the core of the Palestinian women’s movement. These include organisations such as the Union of Palestinian Women’s Work Committees (UPWC) and the Federation of Women’s Action Committees. The General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW), founded as a body within the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in 1965, is an umbrella institution of the different women’s committees and charitable societies.’ In 1965, the Society for the Rejuvenation of the Family (In’ash Al-Usra) was founded by Samiha Khalil. She was born in Anabta, Tulkarem in 1923 and lived in the 1940s in Asqalan (Ashkalon). She became a refugee in 1948 in the Gaza Strip and in 1952 travelled via Beirut to the West Bank, becoming a member of the Palestinian National Council in 1965. She served as president of the Women’s Federation Society (El-Bireh), of the Union for Voluntary Women’s Societies and the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW), also founded in Jerusalem in 15 July 1965.34

Such women’s groups mushroomed in the 1970s and played a significant role in the uprising of 1987. In February 1968, 300 women demonstrated against the policies of deportation and land expropriation. On 8 March 1978, the Women’s Work Committee was established and by 1989, had more than 5,000 members. The growth of Palestinian women’s movements since then has been strong, though many challenges remain……

[references & footnotes in original book but here is a key one worth reading: Matiel E. T. Mogannam, The Arab Women and the Palestine Problem, London: Herbert Joseph, 1937]

March 8, 2021Mideast, WOMEN'S EQUALITYMideastCPNN Coordinator

Statement by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director, on International Women’s Day 2021

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

A statement from UN Women

International Women’s Day this year comes at a difficult time for the world and for gender equality, but at a perfect moment to fight for transformative action and to salute women and young people for their relentless drive for gender equality and human rights. Our focus is on women’s leadership and on ramping up representation in all the areas where decisions are made – currently mainly by men – about the issues that affect women’s lives. The universal and catastrophic lack of representation of women’s interests has gone on too long.

Video of Statement

As we address the extraordinary hardship that COVID-19 has brought to millions of women and girls and their communities, we also look ahead to the solid opportunities of the Generation Equality Forum and Action Coalitions to bring change.

During the pandemic, we have seen increased violence against women and girls and lost learning for girls as school drop-out rates, care responsibilities and child marriages rise. We are seeing tens of millions more women plunge into extreme poverty, as they lose their jobs at a higher rate than men, and pay the price for a lack of digital access and skills. These and many other problems cannot be left to men alone to solve. Yet, while there are notable exceptions, in most countries there is simply not the critical mass of women in decision-making and leadership positions to ensure that these issues are tabled and dealt with effectively and this has affected the pace of change for women overall.

(continued in right column)

(Click here for a French version of this article or here for a Spanish version.)

Questions for this article

Does the UN advance equality for women?

Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

(continued from left column)

There are breakthroughs to celebrate, where women have taken the helm of organizations such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank and we look forward to more such appointments that help to change the picture of what a leader looks like. Yet this is not the norm. In 2020, as a global average, women were 4.4 per cent of CEOs, occupied just 16.9 per cent of board seats, made up only 25 per cent of national parliamentarians, and just 13 per cent of peace negotiators. Only 22 countries currently have a woman as Head of State or Government and 119 have never experienced this – something that has important consequences for the aspirations of girls growing up. On the current trajectory, we won’t see gender parity in the highest office before 2150.

This can and must change. What is needed is the political will to actively and intentionally support women’s representation. Leaders can set and meet parity targets, including through appointments for all executive positions at all levels of government, as has occurred in the few countries with gender equal cabinets. Special measures can work; where countries have put in place and enforced quotas, they have made real progress on women’s leadership, as have those that have policies to address representation. Where these measures do not exist, progress is slower or even nonexistent and easily reversed.

No country prospers without the engagement of women. We need women’s representation that reflects all women and girls in all their diversity and abilities, and across all cultural, social, economic and political situations. This is the only way we will get real societal change that incorporates women in decision-making as equals and benefits us all.

This is the vision of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals and the vision of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. It is the vision of civil society and multitudes of young people who are already leading the way and of all those who will join us in the Generation Equality Action Coalitions. We need bold decisive action across the world to bring women into the heart of the decision-making spaces in large numbers and as full partners, so that we can make immediate progress on a greener, equitable and inclusive world.

March 7, 2021global, United Nations, WOMEN'S EQUALITYglobal, United NationsCPNN Coordinator

International Women’s Day 2021

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

A publication of UN Women

Women of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights and opportunities for all. To get us there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made.

This year, the theme for International Women’s Day (8 March), “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world,” celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the gaps that remain.

Credit: UN Women/Yihui Yuan

Women’s full and effective participation and leadership in of all areas of life drives progress for everyone. Yet, women are still underrepresented in public life and decision-making, as revealed in the UN Secretary-General’s recent report. Women are Heads of State or Government in 22 countries, and only 24.9 per cent of national parliamentarians are women. At the current rate of progress, gender equality among Heads of Government will take another 130 years.

(continued in right column)

(Click here for a French version of this article or here for a Spanish version.)

Questions for this article

Does the UN advance equality for women?

Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

(continued from left column)

Women are also at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, as front-line and health sector workers, as scientists, doctors and caregivers, yet they get paid 11 per cent less globally than their male counterparts. An analysis of COVID-19 task teams from 87 countries found only 3.5 per cent of them had gender parity.

When women lead, we see positive results. Some of the most efficient and exemplary responses to the COVID-19 pandemic were led by women. And women, especially young women, are at the forefront of diverse and inclusive movements online and on the streets for social justice, climate change and equality in all parts of the world. Yet, women under 30 are less than 1 per cent of parliamentarians worldwide.

This is why, this year’s International Women’s Day is a rallying cry for Generation Equality, to act for an equal future for all. The Generation Equality Forum, the most important convening for gender equality investment and actions, kicks off in Mexico City from 29 – 31 March, and culminates in Paris in June 2021. It will draw leaders, visionaries, and activists from around the world, safely on a virtual platform, to push for transformative and lasting change for generations to come.

Meet the activists, and get inspired by stories of women leaders we admire.

Event: United Nations Observance of International Women’s Day 2021
UN Women is pleased to invite you to the United Nations observance of International Women’s Day 2021. The theme is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world on the way to the Generation Equality Forum”. Learn more.

Statements

Statement by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director, on International Women’s Day 2021.
 In her statement for International Women’s Day (8 March), UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said: “We need women’s representation that reflects all women and girls in all their diversity and abilities, and across all cultural, social, economic and political situations. This is the only way we will get real societal change that incorporates women in decision-making as equals and benefits us all.”

March 6, 2021global, United Nations, WOMEN'S EQUALITYglobal, United NationsCPNN Coordinator

Past virtual events in March

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Here are events and application deadlines in March that were previously listed on the CPNN page for upcoming virtual events. Where possible links are provided to recordings of the events. Unless otherwise noted the events are in English.

Mar 1, 2021 06:00 PM CET
World Future Day Launch of Youth Fusion Elders

An online intergenerational dialogue launching the Youth Fusion Elders initiative. The event is being held in conjunction with World Future Day and Nuclear Remembrance Day, both of which occur on March 1.
— This launch event will feature an inter-generational dialogue between youth and elders within the peace and nuclear disarmament fields. We will learn from the highly valuable experiences and knowledge of ‘Elders’ in a conversation facilitated by youth leaders.
Click here for YouTube recording.

3 Mars 2021 Heure : 10H (GMT)
“Repenser l’Afrique Post Covid 19”

Organisé par l’Institut Mandela en partenariat avec l’Ecole Doctorale GAMO et le Laboratoire de Recherches et d’Actions Diplomatiques (LaRAD) vous invitent à la Vidéoconférence Panafricaine.
— Panélistes:
1)- Son Excellence Madame Fatima HARAM ACYL, Vice-Présidente de la Commission de la CEMAC,
2)- Professeur Mohamed HARAKAT, Professeur à l’Université Mohamed V de Rabat, Responsable de l’Ecole Doctorale Gouvernance de l’Afrique et du Moyen-Orient (GAMO)
— Modérateur : Dr Paul KANANURA, Spécialiste en Géopolitique, Géostratégie et Gouvernance, Président de l’Institut Mandela.
— Youtube recording of Vidéoconférence

jeudi 4 mars 2021 de 9h30 à 13h00 (Central European Time)
Webinaire Sur Femmes, Education Et Culture

Un cycle de trois webinaires organisés en France par la Commission nationale consultative des droits de l’homme (CNCDH) dans le cadre de webinaires consacrés aux droits des femmes,
— Mme Stefania Giannini, Sous-directrice générale pour l’éducation prononcera l’allocution d’ouverture au nom de la Directrice générale de l’UNESCO, conjointement avec Mme Karima Bennoune, Rapporteuse spéciale des Nations Unies dans le domaine culturel.
— Mme Véronique Roger-Lacan, Ambassadrice, Déléguée permanente de la France auprès de l’UNESCO, prononcera l’allocution de clôture.
— Georges Kutukdjian, animera la Table ronde N° 1 sur Comment l’éducation peut-elle promouvoir l’égalité femmes-hommes ?
— Programme détaillé en ligne ici.
— Cliquez ici pour l’enregistrement vidéo.

March 8 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
Women’s Leadership in and for Health

Celebrated by the Pan American Health Organization
— Welcome remarks by Carissa Etienne, PAHO Director
— Panel Discussion:
Claudia López Hernández, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
Alejandra Mora Mora, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission of
Women (CIM/OAS)
Julio Frenk, President of the University of Miami, U.S.A.
— Video – Women’s Leadership in and for Health
— Closing remarks by Mary Lou Valdez, PAHO Deputy Director
— Click here for the youtube recording

March 8 from 15:00-16:00 Central European Time
ILO celebration International Women’s Day

The International Labor Organization (ILO) proposes a high-level collective reflection on the challenges and opportunities in building a transformative agenda for gender equality as called for by the ILO Centenary Declaration
— Click here for the youtube recording.

Monday March 8 at 18:30 Central European time (12:30 Eastern Time USA)
Intergenerational Dialogue between Women Involved in Nuclear Disarmament

UNFOLD ZERO, Youth Fusion and Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) cordially invite you to join an inter-generational dialogue on March 8 highlighting the roles of women in the peace, disarmament and security fields, and the importance of including gender approaches to these issues in order to build more effective and sustainable security for all.
— Click here for the recording.

Tuesday, March 9, 2021 • 7:00 PM • Eastern Standard Time
Webinar: Leah Bolger on the U.S. Overseas Military Base Empire

The Overseas Military Base Empire: Presentation by Leah Bolger, President of the Board, World BEYOND War and retired U.S. Naval officer. She will present on the social, environmental, and economic impact of U.S. bases and how to close them.
— Sponsored by the CNY Beyond War and Militarism Committee
— The United States has over 200,000 troops stationed on more than 800 bases in more than 80 countries and all seven continents? They are provocative, increasing tensions throughout the world. Maintaining these bases drains hundreds of billions of U.S. tax dollars annually which could be much better used to fund human needs here and abroad.
— Host Contact Info: Greta, greta@worldbeyondwar.org
— Click here for the youtube recording.

March 9, 2021 11:00 AM in Bangkok
Together for Peace : Living Well with Super Diversity

On 30 and 31 March 2021, UNESCO Asia and the Pacific Regional Bureau for Education will be hosting the ‘Together for Peace (T4P) Regional Dialogue on the role of education in building a peaceful and sustainable future in Asia-Pacific’. As a leadup to this event, a series of three webinars on January 27, February 16, and March 9, will explore different dimensions of positive peace and solicit engagement from UNESCO National Commissions, development partners, education policymakers, teachers and school staff, and the general public.
— Living well with Super Diversity. Over the past several decades, there is an increasing recognition and acknowledgement among peoples and nations worldwide of the urgent challenges of living ethically and sustainably on a shared planet. Building a peaceful world must recognize that we are now living in global, national and local contexts where societies and communities are hyper connected, where mobility is accelerating, and where encounters with diversity are more salient in everyday realities and across social media and digital platforms. Such extreme diversity, if not acknowledged properly by the political and socio-economic systems in place, including education and the media, can unfortunately lead to misunderstandings, exclusion, marginalization, and violence.
— Click here for the youtube recording.

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 • 7:00 PM Greenwich Mean Time
No Return to Blair Wars – Online Launch

by Stop the Wars Coalition
Anti-war opinion is deeply embedded within British society and has been since the disaster of the Iraq War. The desire for a new foreign policy was part of the attraction of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party; to distance itself from Corbyn, and the anti-war movement he represents, the Labour leadership has recently endorsed attacks on Stop the War – with accusations that by opposing wars we support dictators. Our members and supporters will recognise this trope.
— To rebuke these attacks Lindsey German and Andrew Murray have produced a new pamphlet, No Return to Blair Wars – A Reply to Open Labour, clarifying Stop the War Coalition’s anti-imperialist philosophy and setting out the left’s foreign policy choices.
— As a result of the overwhelming response and debate provoked by the pamphlet we’ve decided to host an online launch– event where you can hear from the authors and put forward your questions on the topics discussed in the pamphlet. We look forward to seeing you there.
— Click here for the youtube recording.

March 10, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Taps for America’s empire of bases? Reducing the U.S. global bootprint

Sponsored by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
The Biden administration is conducting a “Global Posture Review” meant to ensure that the worldwide presence of U.S. military forces is “appropriately aligned with our foreign policy and national security priorities.” This review offers an opportunity to change the way the United States deploys its forces, currently scattered on 800-some overseas bases. Momentum is growing to close hundreds of those bases and bring troops home, as proposed by experts across party lines in a new open letter. Join a group of those experts on Wednesday, March 1o from 1-2 pm EST to discuss why the Biden administration should sunset America’s base empire and how to strengthen U.S. national security in the process.
— The panel will include David Vine, professor of political anthropology at American University and board member of the Costs of War Project; Christine Ahn, Executive Director of Women Cross DMZ; and John Glaser, director of foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute. Quincy Institute President Andrew Bacevich will moderate.
— Click here for a recording of the event.

Wed, March 10th, at 10:00am-11:30am Eastern Standard Time (15:00-16:30 GMT)
Resisting Occupation: Connecting Palestine and Western Sahara

Sponsored by Nonviolence International (NVI)
— We will hear Palestinian, Sahrawi and other voices share their stories of nonviolent resistance to Moroccan and Israeli occupations. We have an amazing array of panelists that Mubarak Awad will be co-hosting with Rafif Jouejati a fellow NVI board member and Syrian-American human rights activist.
— Panelists:
Salka Barca, Founder of Karama Sahara, a Sahrawi advocacy group
Kamal Lfahsi, A Moroccan human rights activist
Stephen Zunes, Professor in international studies.
Jonathan Kuttab, NVI co-founder and Palestinian human rights lawyer.
— Click here for a recording of the webinar..

11 March 2021 08:00 – 09:30 Eastern Standard Time
Interactive dialogue: Counter-terrorism and COVID-19: Gendered perspectives

Join UN Women, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE ODIHR), the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), and a panel of experts for a discussion on the gendered impacts of securitized approaches to preventing violent extremism and counter-terrorism, the new challenges that have emerged through the global pandemic, and the principles to guide civil society and governments moving forward. The webinar will be in English with simultaneous interpretation in Arabic, Spanish, French, and Russian.
— Full details
— Click here for a recording of the event.

March 11 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Greenwich Mean Time
Three forms of power-sharing and their relationship

sponsored by the Political Settlements Research Programme of The University of Edinburgh
— This webinar will examine the relationship between power-sharing and inclusion of non-dominant groups, and will use PA-X data to demonstrate how peace agreements provide for above-average inclusion of women, girls, and gender.
— Many case studies show post-conflict power-sharing to be exclusionary of various non-dominant groups. However, analysis of the PA-X database of peace agreements shows that those agreements with political power-sharing have provisions for women, girls and gender at a well above average rate. This research shows how Prof Christine Bell’s three-way functional typology of political power-sharing gives explanatory value to the relationship between power-sharing and inclusion. It shows that sub-state indigenous autonomy in particular is related to higher levels of inclusion of a variety of non-dominant groups in peace agreements. Further, the provisions in these agreements also tend to articulate inclusion in a particular way that emphasises community power rather elite driven aid. Featuring PSRP’s Dr Kevin McNicholl.
— The webinar was be held over Zoom, with joining links emailed to participants ahead of the event.
— Click here for a youtube recording.

March 16-25
Three Events at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 2021 (CSW65) sponsored by Pathways to Peace

Forced Sterilization and Rape as a Form of Genocide, March 16, 1:30 pm EST
Empowering the Divine Feminine Within, March 21, 4:30 pm, EST
Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Identification, and Eradication, March 25, 9:30 am, EST
— Sign up for an account here. Due to an overwhelming response to our virtual platform and Parallel Event application, you can now register for free!

March 18, 7:00 pm Eastern Standard Time
The Doomsday Machine with Daniel Ellsberg

Daniel Ellsberg, the man best known for his courageous act of sharing the secret history of disastrous U.S. Vietnam War planning, also – at the age of 30 – designed the U.S. nuclear warfighting strategy and doctrine. Chastened and committed to preventing nuclear war and preparations for omnicide, Dan wrote The Doomsday Machine, which describes the dangerous and illusionary foundations of U.S. nuclear war planning and urges specific steps that can be taken to reduce the dangers of nuclear war.
— Registration

18 March 2021 at 9am Eastern Standard Time
Advancing Gender Equality

Based upon the feedback and recommendations received from the first Global Webinar Series, Religions for Peace, in coordination with Regional Offices, will convene the second series of global capacity development webinars in 2021, with a view to continuing to facilitate the process of strategic Learning Exchange among IRCs across the movement.
— These webinars will focus on our Six Strategic Goals:
Promote Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Societies
Advance Gender Equality
Nurture A Sustainable Environment
Champion the Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion
Strengthen Interreligious Education
Foster Multi-religious Collaboration and Global Partnerships
— Simultaneous translations for Arabic, French, and Spanish will be provided for all global webinars. Following each of these, regional webinars will be organized under the leadership of the Religions for PeaceRegional Secretaries General, in coordination with Religions for Peace International Secretariat.
— This event is by invitation only. Inquiries can be sent to pbartoli@rfp.org.

Thursday 18 March 2021, 15.30-17.30 Eastern Standard Time
Webinar – Seizing the moment: preparedness in early peace processes

An event hosted by Conciliation Resources and the United States Institute of Peace.
— This event, will explore how and under what conditions diverse stakeholders to conflict – such as non-violent movements, mediation support actors and conflict parties themselves – can seize opportunities to build nascent peace processes in the midst of challenging conflict contexts. The conversation will draw on Conciliation Resources’ latest Accord series publications, Pioneering peace pathways, outlining strategies and innovations to enable more resilient peacemaking practice, with reference to the emergence of Covid-19 and the growing climate crisis.
— Speakers:
Alexander Ramsbotham (Conciliation Resources)
Tabatha Thompson (United States Institute of Peace)
Cate Buchanan (Independent, Pioneering peace pathways Issue Editor)
Sophie Haspeslagh (American University Cairo)
Jonathan Pinckney (United States Institute of Peace)
Irena Grizelj (Independent, expert on youth participation in peace processes)
Michael Frank Alar (consultant, currently World Bank’s Fragility, Conflict and Violence team)
Ayak Chol (Strategic Defence and Security Review Board, South Sudan)
John Packer (Professor of International Conflict Resolution, University of Ottawa)
Ulrike Hopp-Nishanka (Senior Policy Officer, German Federal Government; conflict transformation practitioner)
TBC (Sasakawa Peace Foundation)
— Click here for a youtube recording of the webinar.

18 March 2021 (Thursday) 10:00-11:00 AM Japan Standard Time (08:00-09:00 PM Eastern Standard Time)
Initiative for Peace in South Sudan: Insights from the Work of the Community of Sant’Egidio

A Webinar of the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability
— Speaker: Dr. Andrea Bartoli, the President of the Sant’Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue. He works primarily on peacemaking and genocide prevention.
— Discussant: Mari Katayanagi, teacher at both International Peace and Coexistence Programme (IPC Programme), Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences; and Department of Integrated Global Studies, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University.
— Click here for a recording of the webinar.

March 20, 2021 15:00 Central European Time
“Peace & Security in Albania” conference

Sponsored by Pathways to Peace, Së Bashku and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
— This conference will focus on further establishing peace & security in Albania and will address humanitarian impact, European security, health, and women, peace, and security.
— Some notable speakers include:
Parliamentarian Elona Gjebrea Hoxha,
Parliamentarian Ermonela Felaj,
Daniel Högsta (ICAN),
Deputy Ambassador Clarisse Pasztory of the OSCE PiA,
Mayor of Mati Agron Malaj,
Secretary General of Red Cross Albania Artur Katuci,
Rinor Jani of Pathways To Peace,
Suela Lala of Fondacioni Së Bashku,
Christian Ciobanu of Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and more.
— Register here

Sunday, March 21st – 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
THE COLD WAR TRUTH COMMISSION: A Day of Education, Testimonials & Action

Sponsored by Witness For Peace Southwest, CODEPINK & Addicted To War
— Part 1 Roots of U.S. Anti-Communism and Cold War
— Part II The Domestic U.S. Cold War
— Part III The U.S. Global Cold War, Then and Now
— Detailed program
— For More Information Contact Rachel: sojournerrb@yahoo.com – 310-971-8280 or Frank at: frank.dorrel@gmail.com – 310-838-8131
— Click here for a recording of the event.
— A youtube recording is also available here

Mon, March 22, 2021, 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM Central European Time
An evening with Ray Acheson and a preview of her brilliant new book: “Banning the Bomb, Smashing the Patriarchy”

The book offers a look inside the antinuclear movement and the recent successful campaign to ban the bomb — from scrappy organising to winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 and achieving a landmark UN Treaty banning nuclear weapons.
— Hosted by Scottish & UK ICAN Partners: WILPF, Scottish CND, Medact Scotland, UN House Scotland, Peace & Justice, and Trident Ploughshares.
— Register here

March 23, 2021, 6:30-8:30 pm Eastern Standard Time (USA)
Women as Catalysts for Peace

Hosted by Affinity Intercultural Foundation & the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
— The integrated nature of the SDGs shows the strong link of peaceful and inclusive societies with strong institutions to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Investing in women’s leadership, economic empowerment and breaking down the barriers to enable women to thrive contributes to a peaceful and inclusive society. Better gender data matters for if we are not measuring progress, it can be very hard to call attention to the problem and find solutions. IEP is dedicated to shifting the world’s focus to peace as a positive, tangible and achievable measure of human well-being and progress. IEP women peace practitioners will be featured.
— Click here for a youtube recording of the event.

Tuesday, March 23: Noon. Eastern Standard Time
Walk with Me: A Biography of Fannie Lou Hamer

Sponsored by the Center for Nonviolent Solutions
Author Kate Clifford Larson speaks on her upcoming biography of civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer. Fannie Lou Hamer was an extraordinary American activist whose fight for basic human and political rights changed the course of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s
— Click here for youtube recording.

March 24, Wednesday, 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Demilitarize the Budget! Budget Advocacy Training

Sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee
In this webinar, you’ll learn why the United States’ militarized budget is such a problem, how the budget and appropriations process works, and how you can get involved in the call to move money out of militarism and into our communities!
— Speakers Include:
Ashik Siddique, National Priorities Project
Savannah Wooten, Public Citizen
Moderator: Tori Bateman, AFSC
— Click here for a recording of the webinar
— It is also available on youtube.

Thursday March 25, 1:00-2:45 Eastern Standard Time
CSW65 Dialogue: “Women Leaders Impact Change”

An event supported and promoted by the Global NGO Executive Committee
For our contribution during the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women we have a dialogue with Women Leaders from various sectors and regions who will share their initiatives that support women’s rights and gender equality.
Register here

Thursday March 25th 2021 • 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time
Common Ground: A Defining Moment

An anniversary program of Search for Common Ground
— Since 1982, we have worked on the frontlines of violent conflict, learning hard but powerful lessons. We know how to bring people together to identify their common interests, and how to heal communities to prevent violent conflict.
— On Thursday, March 25th, we will take stock of this defining moment and share lessons about how to find common ground and use it to strengthen your country, community, and own life. We hope that you can join us virtually for a special anniversary celebration as we rise to meet this moment.
— Click here for a youtube recording of the program.

Friday, March 26, 2021 • 6:00 PM • Greenwich Mean Time
Online Rally: #YemenCantWait – Stop British Support for the War

The Saudi-led war on Yemen is about to enter its sixth destructive year. According to a recent UN report, the war has already claimed 233,000 lives. It is estimated that 24 million Yemenis need humanitarian assistance – some 80% of the population – which is being thwarted by the Saudi-led coalition’s air and naval blockade of the country.
— And who is the main Western backer of the war? Boris Johnson and his Tory government. Even after Joe Biden announced an end to US support for the war the British government shamefully continues to sell bombs and aircraft to the Saudi regime who have created the worst humanitarian crisis on earth.
— We call on the British government to stop prolonging the carnage in Yemen by ending all arms sales and military support for the Saudi-led coalition immediately.
— Host Contact Info: office@stopwar.org.uk
— Click here for a youtube recording of the event.

Sunday, 28 March 2021 at 2:00 to 4:00 PM EDT (Toronto Time)
Project Save the World Invites You to our Next Monthly Global Town Hall

On the last Sunday of every month, we hold an open meeting on Zoom for activists worldwide who are addressing issues of militarism (especially nuclear weapons), global warming, famine, pandemics, radioactive contamination, and/or cyber risks.
— We talk for two hours with our video cameras on (not just audio, please), edit the recording, and put it on YouTube, Facebook, and our website: https://tosavetheworld.ca and then we publicize it widely.
— Facebook Event Page
— Visit Our Website at https://tosavetheworld.ca
— Join us here by zoom

Tuesday, March 30th, 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Annual Meeting of the Center for Nonviolent Studies

The evening includes a brief review of our 2020 programs and a presentation by Paula Green and Beth Johnson on Hands Across the Hills: US Dialogues in an Era of Polarization, a highly recognized residential program of dialogue and cultural exchange engaging progressives from Western Massachusetts with conservatives from Eastern Kentucky coal country.
— Youtube recording of the meeting.

Mar 30, 2021 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (US and Canada)
A Seat at the Table: In Conversation with Ambassador Swanee Hunt focused on women in roles of leadership

Join the World Trade Center Washington, DC and the World Trade Center Dublin for a webinar series focused on women in roles of leadership in diplomacy, international business, philanthropy, culture and the arts. Hosted by Susan Sloan, author of “A Seat at the Table: Women, Diplomacy and Lessons for the World” our first conversation will feature Ambassador Swanee Hunt, activist, philanthropist, scholar, artist, internationalist, former U.S. Ambassador to Austria and founder of the DC-based Institute for Inclusive Security.
— Click here for a youtube recording of the conversation.

Tuesday, March 30, 2021: 8:00 – 9:30 pm Eastern Standard Time
Webinar for nuclear abolition

This webinar, featuring three internationally recognized advocates for nuclear abolition, will provide an update on nuclear weapons policies and programs and an overview of relevant developments in international law. It will also expand thinking on the need to rethink familiar approaches to disarmament and to shift the focus of disarmament advocacy from recognizing the effects of nuclear weapons to analyzing the causes of nuclear arms racing and the risks of war among nuclear-armed countries. How do the same root causes drive many of our most pressing crises? Speakers include Jackie Cabasso, co-convener of United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ).
— Click here to register.

Tuesday, March 30th at 12 pm Eastern Standard Time
The Hard Choices that Women Peacebuilders Face

Women all over the world are dedicating their lives to building peace and ending violence. But while their impact gets the spotlight, their challenges, sacrifices, and personal hardships often do not. What hard choices do they face? What do they choose? On occasion of Women’s History Month, Search for Common Ground is tackling these questions at an interactive discussion.
— Our speakers:
Adrienne Lemon, Director, Institutional Learning Team at Search for Common Ground
Aude Darnal, Associate Director of the New American Engagement Initiative at the Atlantic Council
Mena Ayazi (moderator), Program Officer, Children & Youth at Search for Common Ground
— Click here for a recording of the event.

March 3, 2021globalCPNN Coordinator

English bulletin March 1, 2021

AFRICAN UNION AND CULTURE OF PEACE

The African Union (AU) increasingly promotes a culture of peace on the continent.

As described in a new book by Kathryn Nash, the African Union has developed, since its beginning at the turn of the century, a conflict management policy that was not available to its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity. Currently, the AU deploys monitors, authorizes peace support operations, and actively engages to resolve internal conflicts.

The 34th Session of the African Union Summit ended on 7 February 2021 with the new Chair, President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), outlining an ambitious agenda, including combating climate change, expediting regional integration, investing in human capital, promoting Africa’s culture, empowering women and youth, and accelerating the operationalization of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

One of the priorites mentioned by President Tshisekedi is the “Silencing the Guns” campaign, which has been extended to 2030, and now consists of a roadmap and practical steps to achieve its objectives. There will be a two-year periodic review of implementation.

As part of Youth Silencing the Guns Campaign, the Office of the Youth Envoy (OYE) in collaboration with partners has recently provided grants to four youth projects:
– Silencing the Climate Crisis Award to project Ibn El Bitar (Algeria)
– Silencing Gender-Based Violence Award to #ShutItAllDown movement (Namibia)
– Silencing Corruption Award
to Citizens Gavel Foundation for Social Justice (Nigeria)
– Silencing Youth Unemployment Award
to Garden of Hope Foundation (Kenya)

Another recent initiative of the AU Office of the Youth Envoy has been the virtual meetings of women activists in the five regions of Africa, which resulted in a Africa Young Women’s Manifesto. The Manifesto is a comprehensive document addressing all aspects of the culture of peace.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), mentioned as a priority for the AU, began operation on January 1, 2021. This may become an important contribution to the culture of peace on the continent as it may transform conflicts across the continent by reducing the incentives for participating in conflicts, via the creation of jobs. AfCFTA has the potential to promote women’s equality in Africa as stated in remarks to the AU Summit by outgoing President Cyril Ramaphosa. He stated that state parties would report annually on progress made in strengthening women’s participation in continental trade matters. “This includes tailor made financial products for women with reliable means to save, access, transfer and borrow money.” He called for a “women-led Peace Forum to be attended by Heads of State and Government and to implement decisions of the Peace and Security Council to institutionalise the office of the special envoy on women, peace and security.”

In his remarks to the AU summit, incoming President Felix Tshisekedi also confirmed the AU participation in the 2nd Biennale of Luanda on the Culture of Peace to be held in Angola in September, 2021 (see the many articles on this in CPNN). The strategic objective of the Biennale is to promote a peaceful and prosperous Africa through the defense and encouragement of actions that prevent conflicts in the management of national and cross-border natural resources on the African continent, as well as to educate a generation of young Africans as agents of peace, stability and development. The theme of the event this year will be: “Art, Culture and Heritage: Levers to build the Africa we want”.

In her analysis of the African Union, Kathryn Nash Nash argues that the devlopment of its conflict management policy largely happened within the African context, and international pressure was not a determinant factor in its evolution. If the AU continues its independent development, it has a chance to escape from the culture of war that was imposed by the old colonial powers and that is maintained by the economic exploitation of Africa by the empires of Europe, United States and China. The development of the new continental free trade zone can help protect this independence and enable an Africa in peace.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

Book review: African peace: Regional norms from the Organization of African Unity to the African Union