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.

Latin America: What are countries doing to combat femicide?

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article in El Universo

Campaigns, emerging actions, laws and other projects are being implemented in various countries to combat femicide.


Three weeks ago a protest was held in Quito to reject violence against women. Photo: Roberto Rueda

Chile

In 2010, the Femicide Law was enacted. The regulations modified the Criminal Code and the Law of Domestic Violence, condemning femicide, increasing the penalties applicable to this crime and modifying the rules on parricide (killing a relative).

Chile currently has 103 centers nationwide where first care is given to all women who need help, as well as guidance and information in relation to the different manifestations of violence against women. In addition, shelters have been established to protect women victims of violence, incorporating housing, food and services.

Argentina

On November 14, 2012, the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina approved a law that provides for certain amendments to the Criminal Code. This reform incorporated femicide as an aggravated crime of simple homicide.

In the country a plan of prevention, assistance and eradication of violence has been developed, because a woman is killed every 37 hours.

Uruguay

This year, the Chamber of Senators of Uruguay unanimously approved a bill that modifies articles 311 and 312 of the Criminal Code, in which femicide was introduced as a particularly aggravated form of homicide because of a woman’s gender, and which will carry penalties of up to 30 years in prison.

Among its programs, a 2016-2019 Action Plan is being carried out for a life free of gender violence, with a generational view.

Paraguay

The Senate approved in 2016 with amendments the draft Law on Comprehensive Protection against Violence against Women. Among the reforms is the typification of the crime of femicide with prison terms of up to 30 years. In Paraguay the term femicide is used and one in every ten murders are being considered as femicide.

Paraguay has a “Protocol of Inter-institutional Action in the face of violent death, attempted death and high-risk violence against women (“Promuvi-Mujer”). In addition, there is a Ministry of Women which is the governing body of the system for attention to violence against women and for support of those affected by feminicide.

There is also the Witness Program of the Public Ministry, for cases in which the risk assessment indicates assistance.

Bolivia

The crime of feminicide is punishable by a 30-year prison sentence, without the right to a pardon, after the Comprehensive Law to Guarantee Women a Life Free of Violence was approved in 2013.

The campaign ‘For a life without violence’, was recently launched, aiming to promote respect for women’s rights.

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

Question related to this article:

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

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Brazil

With the Femicide Law, approved on March 9, the murder of women as a result of domestic violence or discrimination based on sex, becomes a heinous crime and is included as such in the Brazilian Penal Code. In the country, every two minutes five women suffer physical violence.

Since August 2014, UN Women, the Secretariat of Policies for Women of Brazil and the Embassy of Austria have been coordinating with law, justice and police operators to adapt the Model Latin American Protocol for the Investigation of Violent Deaths in Brazil for reasons of Gender. With that, they provide guidelines and instruments to support the work of the people responsible for the investigation and criminal prosecution of the violent death of women due to gender.

Peru

Since 2016, Article 108 has recognized femicide. In 2015 Law 30364 was passed to prevent, eradicate and punish all forms of violence produced in the public or private sphere against women because of their condition.

Peru has carried out the campaign “Voices for change” an ingenious initiative that initially counted on the participation of representatives of the staff of the Ministry of Women.

Recently, participants of the Miss Peru 2018 beauty pageant took advantage of the catwalks and spotlights to denounce gender violence and femicides in their country.

Colombia

In 2015, President Juan Manuel Santos sanctioned the law that defines femicide as an autonomous crime, guaranteeing investigation and criminalization of violence against women for reasons of gender. The sentences established in the norm vary between 250 and 500 months of imprisonment.

Currently, the campaign ‘Conmuévete y Muévete’ is being used to raise awareness against femicides and murders of social leaders. In addition, it is required that violence in society not be considersd as normal

Venezuela

Femicide was included as a crime for the first time, in the Organic Law for the Right of Women to a Life Free of Violence. On November 25, 2014, the reform was formalized in which this act was classified as a crime under the name of femicide.

In October of this year, the group of women and sexual diversity, Pan y Rosas, launched the campaign for an “Emergency Law against Violence against Women”, where they ensure that prevention and assistance to women who have been violated, in order to prevent crimes and murders against women. In addition, they argue that the financing of this law must be guaranteed through large taxes on large companies

El Salvador

In 2016, specialized courts were created to prosecute crimes of violence against women. One of the most important achievements was the recognition of femicide as a crime, punishable by 20 to 50 years in prison.

A campaign has been launched against machismo with the slogan “Put a goal to machismo”, promoted by international organizations. The campaign, which will last until December, fosters a culture of peace and denunciation so that women can assert their human rights.

Mexico

Since 2007 there is a General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free of Violence, but only 20 of the 32 Mexican states apply the protocols. The resolution indicates that homicides of women on grounds of gender are called femicides. These crimes will be investigated according to specialized protocols with a gender perspective. Femicide has been prohibited since 2011 with a prison sentence of 20 to 50 years.

In September, the video “Seguras” was released, a collective effort by Mexican women, concerned about the situation of gender violence.

Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Dominican Republic, San Francisco de Macorís: Men’s march to combat violence against women

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article by David Díaz Valerio in El Jaya

The Inter-institutional team for a Culture of Peace in San Francisco de Macoris, has announced the men’s walk against gender violence called “All United for Respect for Women.”

The activity will start on Friday, November 24, at 9:00 in the morning, starting from the Policarpo Mora park in the Pueblo Nuevo sector and go to the Duarte park where they will be met by the women.

The mottos that will accompany this walk include: I respect women, I respect mothers, I respect my grandmother, I respect my daughter, I respect my sister, I respect my wife.

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

Question related to this article:

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

What role should men play to stop violence against women?

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The team, made up of different institutions, explained that the main objective of the activity is to promote the active participation of men with a view to building a different vision of the problem, of which they are part together with women.

In addition to promoting a culture of peace through respect, union and effective dialogue, they intend to strengthen family and cultural life. Participation is intended to contribute to the reduction of gender violence, the empowerment of men and the active participation of women.

The inter-institutional team brings together Casa Abierta, the Department of Women of the City Council, CONANI, the Ministry of Women, Pro-Family, the Public Ministry, the Community House of Justice, and the Ministry of Education, among others.

Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Ecuador: International Conference on Gender Violence

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from La Hora

The 2nd International Conference on ‘Gender Violence in Ecuador and Latin America’ will be held at the House of Culture of Esmeraldas, organized by the Mayor’s Office of Esmeraldas, the Inter-Institutional Gender Board of this canton, the Peruvian Bar Association and the Consultative Commission on Gender, Equality and Non-Discrimination.


(Click on photo to enlarge)

The conference of women’s defenders takes place, starting from 9 AM, on the occasion of the International Day of Non-Violence against Women, which is celebrated on November 25, the date established by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

In this meeting, the situation of women’s rights in the region will be exposed and disseminated; the elimination of violence against women will be promoted. The conference will seek to empower women in legal, social and political spaces.

The Congress will make proposals that promote equality of rights and opportunities between men and women and promote the construction of a culture of peace and equality in a society free of violence and without discrimination.
 
Activists in favor of women’s rights take this day as a day of protest and commemoration against violence, date that was taken as a commemoration of the brutal murder in 1960, of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists of the Dominican Republic, by order of the Dominican President Rafael Trujillo.
 
To commemorate women’s rights, the Municipalities of the Regional Technical Unit 1 (UTR1) of the Association of Municipalities of Ecuador (AME), will carry out programs in each of the cantons.

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

Question related to this article:

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

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The representative of the Bar Association of Lima, Peru, and president of the Consultative Commission on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination, Mirka Silva Mendoza, will be one of the exponents in the international congress along with other national and international personalities.

The theme of the conference is the ‘Analysis and proposals of solution on sexual violence’. Among the proposals to be considered is that mental health policies should be implemented in schools, with the support of psychologists, considering that problems first arise in the home.
 
Another of the alternatives proposed will be the creation of a draft law that allows extending the term of detention from 24 hours to 48 hours, in case of flagrancy in crimes of sexual violence to prevent impunity.

The mayor of Esmeraldas, Lenin Lara, said that these actions seek to generate awareness as well as statistics, “but the fundamental vision is that of a culture of peace, a culture without violence of gender in general that discards the violence of our interpersonal relationships of our lives daily ”
 
The local representative of the Population Fund of the United Nations and member of the cantonal and provincial gender board, Ruth Quiñónez, said that the congress is timely, because it will allow analyzing a problem that is causing harm to society, whereby violence against women is seen as normal, but it is not.

Shee added that on November 25 there will also be an open house in coordination with the Judicial network involving more than 30 institutions in the province and the canton.
 
In addition, tomorrow there will be a meeting of lullabies and songs, organized by the cantonal, provincial and prefecture, as inter-institutional response activities.
 
Quiñónez explained that of 10 women asked if they have been violated, six say yes. These data indicate that the canton Esmeraldas needs to mobilize forces and take actions to combat violence.

Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

USA: The ‘Me Too’ Campaign Was Created By A Black Woman 10 Years Ago

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from the Huffington Post (reprinted according to principles of “fair use”)

A black woman named Tarana Burke is the original creator of the #MeToo campaign that has recently taken over social media. 


Tarana Burke in the Democracy Now interview

Burke, founder of youth organization Just Be Inc., created the “Me Too” campaign in 2007 long before hashtags even existed. The 44-year-old told Ebony Magazine that she created the campaign as a grass-roots movement to reach sexual assault survivors in underprivileged communities. 

“It wasn’t built to be a viral campaign or a hashtag that is here today and forgotten tomorrow,” Burke told Ebony on Monday. “It was a catchphrase to be used from survivor to survivor to let folks know that they were not alone and that a movement for radical healing was happening and possible.”

The campaign recently turned into a hashtag after actress Alyssa Milano wrote a call-out on Twitter asking followers to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault using the phrase “Me too.” While Milano did not state that she created the campaign, many media outlets credited the actress for originating the hashtag. 

Burke told Ebony that it’s “powerful” to see the hashtag go viral. “What’s happening now is powerful,” she said. “And I salute it and the women who have disclosed but the power of using ‘me too’ has always been in the fact that it can be a conversation starter or the whole conversation ― but it was us talking to us.” 

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Question related to this article:

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

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On Monday, Milano tweeted that she was “made aware of an earlier #MeToo movement” and linked to Burke’s story. 

Alyssa Milano: “I was just made aware of an earlier #MeToo movement, and the origin story is equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring”

In a Tuesday morning interview with Democracy Now, Burke discussed the origins of the “Me Too” movement and why it’s still so relevant today. As a survivor of sexual violence herself, Burke said she used the “me too” phrase as a way to connect with other survivors, specifically young women of color. 

”[I was] trying to find a succinct way to show empathy,” Burke said. “Me too is so powerful because somebody had said it to me and it changed the trajectory of my healing process once I heard that. Me too was about reaching the places that other people wouldn’t go, bringing messages and words and encouragement to survivors of sexual violence where other people wouldn’t be talking about it.” 

Burke tweeted her thoughts about the hashtag going viral on Sunday night, writing: “The point of the work we’ve done over the last decade with the ‘me too movement’ is to let women, particularly young women of color know that they are not alone ― it’s a movement.” . . .

The #MeToo movement highlights a common problem: Feminist movements are often whitewashed when they’re brought into mainstream conversations. Women of color are often overlooked and left out of the very conversations they create.numbers.

As the #MeToo hashtag went viral, many people thanked Burke and tweeted their support of her movement. 

Co-founder of Black Lives Matter Alicia Garza thanked Burke, tweeting: “Thank you @TaranaBurke for bringing us this gift of #MeToo almost 10 years ago. Still powerful today.”

Other Twitter users gave credit to Burke for #MeToo and asked media to stop crediting white women for the work of women of color. ”#MeToo was started by Tarana Burke. Stop erasing black women,” Twitter user Aura Bogado wrote. 

North America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Making Waves: Local radio transforming perceptions of gender-based violence in Africa

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from UNESCO

Local radio is raising awareness for gender violence across many hard-to-reach regions in Africa through dedicated gender-sensitive programming. Training in gender-sensitivity is assisting radio staff in the identification and removal of harmful biases and stereotypes from broadcasts and encouraging positive change in the communal perception of gender equality. UNESCO’s “Empowering Local Radio with ICTs” project is helping radio stations to inspire intolerance for gender-based violence and hold perpetrators and duty-bearers responsible.


photo © Hector Conesa/Shutterstock

In one reported case from Tanzania, a woman attempting to press an identified suspect with allegations of rape faced only indifference among municipal authorities. When local leaders demanded a bribe in exchange for the arrest of the suspect, Dodoma FM, one of the stations involved in UNESCO’s project, took up the story. They publicized the woman’s ongoing struggle until the district commissioner was stirred into action. Dodoma’s coverage of the scandal resulted in the arrest of the perpetrator of the crime, as well as punitive measures taken against the three local leaders accused of blackmail.

Gender-sensitive training helps radio staff identify and cover relevant stories, but the interest to remove harmful stereotypes in pursuing these issues is coming from local reporters. “I’m interested in gender-sensitive reporting because gender equality levels are low and more knowledge is needed. Training helped me to report on stories dealing with gender violence and child marriages in ways that can improve the situation in the community,” said Ayo Rebecca, a reporter from Radio Apac FM in Uganda, during a workshop organised by UNESCO.

Even in hard-to-reach areas, local radio stations are creating awareness and broadcasts are sounding out favourable responses in the community. At the gateway to Virunga National Park, Dorika FM in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is receiving strong local support for its programs dedicated to positive action that can contribute to greater social independence and empowerment among women. The broadcasts have been so well-received as to result in the creation of a listener’s club and NGO that in turn supports and promotes the topics of the program.

(article continued in right column)

Questions related to this article:

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

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

African journalism and the Culture of Peace, A model for the rest of the world?

How can peace be promoted by radio?

(article continued from left column)

Social perceptions and tolerance for gender-based violence, especially that occurring domestically, are significant obstacles faced in tackling this problem. Gender issues and their solutions require action that targets both men and women in order to change the social landscape that facilitates such behaviour. “Targeted radio programs have the capacity to challenge masculinity norms and the unfortunate tolerance for gender violence, as shown by Radio Ijwi ry’Umukenyezi (RIU) in Burundi,” said Mirta Lourenço, UNESCO’s Chief for Media Development.

RIU created a dedicated gender unit in their station to monitor the content of broadcasts and host awareness programs. They advocate positive behaviour amongst men and women that promotes intolerance for gender violence and disrepute for perpetrators. The program has been popular enough in the community that listeners’ groups have been formed and grateful residents have even begun to support the station by supplying RIU with water free of charge.

Aside from evoking support from the community, local radio stations are targeting duty-bearers and holding them accountable to the responsibilities of their office. Tumbatu FM in Zanzibar, Tanzania is bringing gender-based violence and the role of authorities to the forefront of social discussion through their programs. Broadcasts stressed the importance of intolerance and the necessity for reporting incidents to the local authorities rather than resolving the issue within the household. As a direct result of the awareness spread, the police have established gender desks at local stations where residents can receive information and report gender-based crimes.

To confront the issue of gender violence further, national policy can contribute in several ways through the creation and development of media regulatory bodies, as well as the promotion of media literacy amongst boys and girls to understand gender equality challenges and stereotypes. UNESCO’s “Empowering Local Radio with ICTs” project (https://en.unesco.org/radioict/), supported by Sweden, is one such international initiative that is giving priority to gender in media, improving media access and control and supplying the tools to radio staff to make positive change in their communities.

The importance of gender equality and the empowerment of women have increased to become leading priorities in both developed and developing countries as nations strive to remove the social and economic disparities between men and women. To combat the cycle caused by gender misrepresentation in media, UNESCO has also created Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media (GSIM) to promote gender parity and women empowerment in all forms of media, as in line with the UN’s SDG 5. By addressing the significance of this issue, countries can help advocate for autonomy and the fair treatment of women, such as reducing the social tolerance for gender-based violence.

Africa, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Gabon: Pan-African Youth Forum for the Culture of Peace and the Fight Against Radicalization

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from UNESCO (translated by CPNN)

The Gabonese Government, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and UNESCO, in cooperation with the Pan-African Youth Network for the Culture of Peace, are organizing from November 30 to December 2, 2017, the Pan-African Youth Forum for the culture of peace and the fight against radicalization for the creation of an early warning system in Central Africa.


(click on image to enlarge)

The first Pan-African Forum “African Youth and the Challenge of Promoting a Culture of Peace” was held in Libreville (Gabon) from 11 to 13 December 2014, under the High Patronage of His Excellency Mr. Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Gabonese Republic, at the joint initiative of the Gabonese National Commission for UNESCO and the Omar Bongo Ondimba Foundation for Peace, Science, Culture and the Environment, with support and participation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the African Union (AU).

This forum, part of the implementation of the Action Plan for a Culture of Peace in Africa, adopted at the end of the Pan-African Forum “Sources and Resources for a Culture of Peace” (Luanda / Angola, March 2013) , has allowed the official launch of the Panafrican Youth Network for the Culture of Peace (PAYNCOP), which Gabon hosts from the Headquarters.

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( Click here for the French version.)

 

Question related to this article.

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

(Article continued from left column)

The present project “Pan-African Youth Forum for the Culture of Peace and the Fight Against Radicalization for the Creation of an Early Warning System in Central Africa” ​​is a continuation of this December 2014 forum , one of whose recommendations invited the Panafrican Youth Network for the Culture of Peace to meet every two years, in a general assembly, in Libreville (Gabon).

This activity was planned to be carried out in 2016, under the UNESCO Participation Program, under the theme: “The ideological and religious radicalization of young people: a challenge to the culture of peace”, because of the the importance of this issue for peace and security, especially on the African continent.

Boko Haram’s religious radicalism is spreading to the Central African subregion, particularly through the Lake Chad region and the far north of Cameroon. Due to the porosity of borders, the radicalism of young people could, moreover, thrive on the soil of many unsolved political crises, socio-economic difficulties and the frustration born of unemployment, human rights violations, in short, the inadequacy of governance. Moreover, in the context of increased access to information technologies and the massive use of the Internet and social networks, Central Africa is obviously not immune to the radicalization of young people.

This forum, which contributes to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2249 calling for the active fight against terrorism and violent extremism, is also an extension of the subregional workshop on terrorism. enhanced cooperation between the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and civil society in early warning and conflict prevention in Central Africa, organized by the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa ( UNOCA) and ECCAS, from November 30 to December 2, 2017, in Libreville (Gabon).

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

UN Women: Leave No One Behind – End Violence against Women and Girls

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from UN Women

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign spanning from 25 November through 10 December, is taking place this year against the backdrop of an unprecedented global outcry. Millions have rallied behind the hashtag #MeToo and other campaigns, exposing the sheer magnitude of sexual harassment and other forms of violence that women everywhere suffer, every day. Breaking the silence is the first step to transforming the culture of gender-based violence.


Young school girls organize themselves before the March to End Gender-Based Violence in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. One sign reads: “Refrain from using abusive language for Women and Children”. Photo: UN Women/Deepika Nath

At the heart of this year’s theme, “Leave No One Behind – End Violence against Women”, for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November) and UNiTE Campaign’s observance of the 16 Days of Activism to End Violence against Women (25 November – 10 December), is the imperative to support those who are particularly vulnerable. The UNiTE Campaign is calling on everyone to join the movement to end violence against women, using the colour orange to make your action visible. Find out how you can take action►

One in three women and girls experience violence in their lifetime—that is one too many. It happens in every country and every society. It happens at home, in schools, on the streets, at work, on the internet and in refugee camps. It happens during war, and even in the absence of war. Too often, it is normalized and goes unpunished.

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Click here for the version in Spanish of this article, or click here for the version in French)

Question related to this article:

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

(article continued from left column)

No matter where violence against women happens, what form it takes, and whom it impacts, it must be stopped. The promise of the Sustainable Development Goals—to leave no one behind—cannot be fulfilled without ending violence against women.

Ending violence against women and girls is possible. There are proven solutions for supporting and empowering survivors to stop the reoccurrence of this violence. Laws and policies are powerful tools to punish perpetrators, provide justice and services, and end impunity. There are many ways that we can resist and prevent violent norms, attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate violence against women, and everyone has a role in it.

While gender-based violence can happen to anyone, anywhere, some women and girls are particularly vulnerable—for instance, young girls and older women, women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex, migrants and refugees, indigenous women and ethnic minorities, or women and girls living with HIV and disabilities, and those in humanitarian crises. See our top stories from around the world that show what it means to leave no one behind, and what people are doing to stop the cycle of violence against women.

Join the conversation
#Orangetheworld in #16days

Join the conversation and Orange the World in 16 Days on social media! Hashtags: #orangetheworld and #16days

Join the ‘Orange the World’ Event page on Facebook and post photos and actions happening in your country during the 16 Days of Activism.

Orange your Facebook wall, Instagram and Twitter accounts with a variety of images, banners and promotional material. A social media package with sample messages in English, Spanish and French is available here.

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article)

global, United Nations, WOMEN'S EQUALITY,

Divestment: is it an effective tool to promote sustainable development?

Despite the fact that the climate accord negotiated by the Member States of the UN in Paris does not promise to solve the problem of global warming, the growing progress in renewable energy along with divestment from fossil fuels may ultimately solve much of the problem.

Below are articles since 2015 in CPNN about divestment:

Dutch pension fund divests from two Israeli banks over settlements’ finances

BlackRock goes green? Investment giant joins Climate Action 100+ amid controversy

Fossil Free Movement: 1000 Divestment Commitments and Counting

Coal Divestment Reaches Japan

Emerald Isle Goes Green: Ireland just voted to divest from fossil fuel companies

‘Tide Is Turning’: Cheers Erupt for NYC’s Suit Against Fossil Fuel Giants and for Divestment

World Bank Group Announcement at One Planet Summit

Norway: ‘Biggest Pile of Money on the Planet’ To Dump Fossil Fuels Holdings

Catholic Institutions Announce Largest-Ever Joint Divestment from Fossil Fuels

REPORT: Fossil Fuel Divestment Doubles in Size as Institutions Representing $5 Trillion Commit to Divest

Laureates and scientists call on Nobel Prize Foundation to divest fossil fuels

Catholic institutions around the world announce they are divesting from fossil fuel extraction, marking the largest faith-based divestment announcement

For articles prior to 2015 on this question, click here.

Uncategorized

Norway: ‘Biggest Pile of Money on the Planet’ To Dump Fossil Fuels Holdings

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Julia Conley for Common Dreams (reprinted according to terms of Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License)

Environmental advocates on Thursday applauded the latest organization to shift away from continued support of the fossil fuel industry—Norway’s national bank.

In a move 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben called “astonishing,” Norges Bank, which oversees the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, advised the Norwegian government to dump all of its shares in oil and gas companies, leaving those entities out of its $1 trillion fund.


About six percent of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund is invested in oil and gas companies—but the countries central bank advised that all those shares be dumped, amid falling oil prices and expectations of a dim future for fossil fuels. (Photo: Guy Beauchamp/Flickr/cc)

The bank’s decision comes two years after Norway’s parliament approved a measure calling for the fund to begin divesting from coal companies.

Norges Bank made the new recommendation in light of falling oil prices. Oil and gas are seen as increasingly risky investments as more countries turn to cleaner energy sources in order to meet requirements under the Paris climate agreement, which aims to keep global warming under two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

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Question for this article:

Divestment: is it an effective tool to promote sustainable development?

(continued from left column)

While Norway has built much of its sovereign wealth through oil and gas development in the past—six percent of the fund is invested in fossil fuels—it’s now home to a fast-growing solar power sector, with solar installations rising by 366 percent from 2015 to 2016.

“It is not surprising that we see the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund managers no longer prepared to take the increasing risk associated with oil and gas assets, which do not have a long-term future,” said Paul Fisher of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, in an interview with the Guardian.

McKibben compared the bank’s recommendation to “the moment when the Rockefellers divested the world’s oldest oil fortune” in 2014, when the heirs to Standard Oil said that if founder John D. Rockefeller were alive in the 21st century, “he would be moving out of fossil fuels and investing in clean, renewable energy.”

“This is the biggest pile of money on the planet, most of it derived from oil—but that hasn’t blinded its owners to the realities of the world we now inhabit,” said McKibben.

Nicolò Wojewoda of 350.org Europe was also hopeful about the implications of Norges Bank’s decision, calling it “yet another nail in the coffin of the coal, oil, and gas industry.”

“To stop climate catastrophe, fossil fuels need to stay in the ground. Investing in them is no longer financially sound, nor morally acceptable, and this proposal is a clear recognition of that,” Wojewoda added.

Europe, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Taiwan: The sixth Buddhist-Christian talk in progress

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from Radio Vatican

The sixth Buddhist-Christian talk is taking place in Taiwan from Monday to Thursday [November 13-16] on the theme “Christians and Buddhists: Let’s walk together the Way of Nonviolence”.

The four day event is being organized by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) and is represented by delegates from 18 countries mostly Asians.

The Secretary of PCID, Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot opened the inaugural session illustrating the role of the Dicastery since its founding in 1964. For more than fifty years he recalled, the PCID has been involved in dialogue and collaboration with Buddhists all over the world. The first Buddhist-Christian formal talk was held at the Fokuangshan Monastery in Taiwan in 1995 on the theme “convergences and divergences” between the two religions. The second meeting was held in 1998 at the Asirvanam Benedictine Monastery Bangalore, India on “word and silence”. The third was held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2002 at Rissho Kosei-kai, on “Sangha in Buddhism and Church in Christianity.” The fourth was “Interior Peace, peace among peoples” and was held in Rome in 2013 and the fifth on “Buddhists and Christians together encourage fraternity” was held in Bodh Gaya, India, in 2015.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can different faiths work together for understanding and harmony?

(continued from left column)

The current theme of the assembly is taken from the traditional message that PCID sends to the Buddhists for the Vesakh festival, which this year emphasized in particular the urgent need to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence.

“Terrorism is on the increase, as well as the number of people killed in terrorist attacks and most victims are women and children” said the Bishop. Moreover, in most cases, conflicts cross the frontiers and especially affect the poor countries, he added. Making a mention of domestic violence especially come across by women the bishop said that the study of violence is not a simple academic exercise but a matter of life and death. Some of us come from conflict-torn societies, some others experience the long-term or short-term effects of past wars. Some are victims or witnesses of unreasonable atrocities. In many of our countries, we daily hear the cry of the victims of violence he observed. Yet he said, uncontrolled nationalism, sexism, racism, caste, ethnic and religious fundamentalism may numb our hearts and blind our eyes to the suffering of so many people, hence the Buddhists and Christians work together to prevent and defeat violence he concluded.

More than 1.3 million people around the world die each year because of violence; and about 1.2 billion, or one fifth of the world’s population, are affected by some form of violence or insecurity.

Cardinal P Jean-Louis Tauran, President of PCID will take part in the concluding session of the assembly on Thursday.

East Asia, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY