foreign policy

Civilian Safety in Armed Conflict: Community-based protection, early warning, and conflict preparedness

Civilian Safety in Armed Conflict: Community-based protection, early warning, and conflict preparedness

In this webinar, the second of a two-part series exploring existing efforts to improve the safety of civilians during armed conflict, we at PHAP will be discussing “secondary” prevention programs, in particular those focusing on strengthening communities in conflict-affected areas to reduce the risk of harm and mitigate the effects of armed conflict on civilian populations. We will hear from NGOs active in situations of armed conflict around the word about how they approach building capacity for prevention in communities – what the main considerations are and in which situations they are effective. We will also discuss what other organizations can learn from their approach and the implications this has for the humanitarian community as a whole.

Register here!

Background:

In armed conflict, the humanitarian community continues to witness highly disturbing situations where the safety of civilians is ignored or not addressed, or where civilians are purposely targeted by parties to a conflict. While protection services continue to provide much-needed support to vulnerable and marginalized groups and individuals and respond to protection concerns with remedial service provision, limited progress has been made on contributing to civilians’ safety in armed conflict. As Hugo Slim expressed it in the recent Oxford Lecture Series on Protection: “When you look at protection’s track record through wars, protection is at its weakest here, in this challenge in protecting people from physical harm and unlawful devastating attacks on their persons and homes.”

In the last few years, there has been a push by both humanitarian agencies and donors to examine how we can prevent and protect civilians from physical harm during conflict. Key questions remain: what does prevention mean and look like within our protection of civilians programming? Where does civilian safety “fit” within the humanitarian architecture?

There are, however, several existing approaches to mitigate and reduce risk in armed conflict for the civilian population, including how to prevent violence from happening in the first place and how to strengthen civilian self-protection strategies through community-based initiatives. This two-part webinar series aims to provide an overview of the range of strategies currently undertaken by national and international civil society organizations, UN agencies, and donors, providing examples of good practice, and discuss how such efforts can be advanced and systematized in the wider humanitarian community.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Migration, please visit ngo-migration.org.

Civilian Safety in Armed Conflict: Community-based protection, early warning, and conflict preparedness

Civilian Safety in Armed Conflict: Community-based protection, early warning, and conflict preparedness

In this webinar, the second of a two-part series exploring existing efforts to improve the safety of civilians during armed conflict, we at PHAP will be discussing “secondary” prevention programs, in particular those focusing on strengthening communities in conflict-affected areas to reduce the risk of harm and mitigate the effects of armed conflict on civilian populations. We will hear from NGOs active in situations of armed conflict around the word about how they approach building capacity for prevention in communities – what the main considerations are and in which situations they are effective. We will also discuss what other organizations can learn from their approach and the implications this has for the humanitarian community as a whole.

Register here!

Background:

In armed conflict, the humanitarian community continues to witness highly disturbing situations where the safety of civilians is ignored or not addressed, or where civilians are purposely targeted by parties to a conflict. While protection services continue to provide much-needed support to vulnerable and marginalized groups and individuals and respond to protection concerns with remedial service provision, limited progress has been made on contributing to civilians’ safety in armed conflict. As Hugo Slim expressed it in the recent Oxford Lecture Series on Protection: “When you look at protection’s track record through wars, protection is at its weakest here, in this challenge in protecting people from physical harm and unlawful devastating attacks on their persons and homes.”

In the last few years, there has been a push by both humanitarian agencies and donors to examine how we can prevent and protect civilians from physical harm during conflict. Key questions remain: what does prevention mean and look like within our protection of civilians programming? Where does civilian safety “fit” within the humanitarian architecture?

There are, however, several existing approaches to mitigate and reduce risk in armed conflict for the civilian population, including how to prevent violence from happening in the first place and how to strengthen civilian self-protection strategies through community-based initiatives. This two-part webinar series aims to provide an overview of the range of strategies currently undertaken by national and international civil society organizations, UN agencies, and donors, providing examples of good practice, and discuss how such efforts can be advanced and systematized in the wider humanitarian community.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Migration, please visit ngo-migration.org.

Intergenerational Dialogue on Gender, Peace and Disarmament

UNFOLD ZEROYouth 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.

The dialogue will be conducted in four mini-panels, each one with a highly experienced woman leader and a youth advocate introducing the sub-topics: Women in disarmament, Shifting security frameworks from nuclear deterrence to common security, Disarmament and sustainability, Nuclear disarmament and a feminist foreign policy, and Nuclear disarmament & grassroots/interfaith action.

The event will also include the launch of the PNND Gender, Peace and Security program, which consolidates and builds upon the work PNND has been doing on gender and nuclear disarmament since their establishment in 2003.

We welcome both women and men to the event. A gender approach is about inclusivity, cooperation and expanding our notions of security. It is not about setting women against, or in competition with, men.

The dialogue will be held by zoom on International Women’s Day, Monday March 8 at 18:30 CET (12:30 Eastern Time USA/Canada). Click here to register.

Speakers

Moderator: Michaela Sorensen (Denmark), UN Youth Association of Denmark. PNND Program Officer on Gender, Peace and Security.

Introduction to the PNND Gender, Peace and Security Program: Vanda Proskova (Czech Republic). Vice-Chair, PragueVision Institute for Sustainable Security. PNND Program Officer on Gender, Peace and Security.

Closing Comments: Alyn Ware (Czech Republic/New Zealand), PNND Global Coordinator.

 

Youth speakers

  • Kehkashan Basu, (UAE/Canada) Founder of Green Hope Foundation, UN Human Rights Champion, Winner of the 2016 International Children’s Peace Prize & Winner of the First-Ever Voices Youth Gorbachev-Shultz Legacy Award for Nuclear Disarmament 
  • Vanessa Lanteigne, (Canada) National Coordinator of Voice of Women, One of the winners in the 2020 UN #75Words4Disarmament Youth Challenge
  • Lejla Hasandedic-Dapo, (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Europe Liaison Officer for United Religions Initiative. Board member of European Interfaith Youth Network
  • Yasmeen Silva, (USA) Partnerships Manager for Beyond the Bomb, Team member of the 2020 Count the Nuclear Weapons Money action in New York
  • Nico Edwards, (Sweden/UK) PNND Gender, Peace and Security Program Officer

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For information on the NGO Committee on Peace (Vienna), contact the Chair: Helga Kerschbaum | Pax Romana | helga.kerschbaum@aon.at

Intergenerational Dialogue on Gender, Peace and Disarmament

UNFOLD ZEROYouth 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.

The dialogue will be conducted in four mini-panels, each one with a highly experienced woman leader and a youth advocate introducing the sub-topics: Women in disarmament, Shifting security frameworks from nuclear deterrence to common security, Disarmament and sustainability, Nuclear disarmament and a feminist foreign policy, and Nuclear disarmament & grassroots/interfaith action.

The event will also include the launch of the PNND Gender, Peace and Security program, which consolidates and builds upon the work PNND has been doing on gender and nuclear disarmament since their establishment in 2003.

We welcome both women and men to the event. A gender approach is about inclusivity, cooperation and expanding our notions of security. It is not about setting women against, or in competition with, men.

The dialogue will be held by zoom on International Women’s Day, Monday March 8 at 18:30 CET (12:30 Eastern Time USA/Canada). Click here to register.

Speakers

Moderator: Michaela Sorensen (Denmark), UN Youth Association of Denmark. PNND Program Officer on Gender, Peace and Security.

Introduction to the PNND Gender, Peace and Security Program: Vanda Proskova (Czech Republic). Vice-Chair, PragueVision Institute for Sustainable Security. PNND Program Officer on Gender, Peace and Security.

Closing Comments: Alyn Ware (Czech Republic/New Zealand), PNND Global Coordinator.

 

Youth speakers

  • Kehkashan Basu, (UAE/Canada) Founder of Green Hope Foundation, UN Human Rights Champion, Winner of the 2016 International Children’s Peace Prize & Winner of the First-Ever Voices Youth Gorbachev-Shultz Legacy Award for Nuclear Disarmament 
  • Vanessa Lanteigne, (Canada) National Coordinator of Voice of Women, One of the winners in the 2020 UN #75Words4Disarmament Youth Challenge
  • Lejla Hasandedic-Dapo, (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Europe Liaison Officer for United Religions Initiative. Board member of European Interfaith Youth Network
  • Yasmeen Silva, (USA) Partnerships Manager for Beyond the Bomb, Team member of the 2020 Count the Nuclear Weapons Money action in New York
  • Nico Edwards, (Sweden/UK) PNND Gender, Peace and Security Program Officer

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For information on the NGO Committee on Peace (Vienna), contact the Chair: Helga Kerschbaum | Pax Romana | helga.kerschbaum@aon.at

An NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security Discussion: Spending to Increase Nuclear Danger

Join the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security as we discuss how in the midst of an economic and public health crisis, the US is set to spend hundreds of billions on new nuclear weapons which could never be used, add nothing to national security, and actually increase the risk of nuclear war. Funding for these extremely dangerous weapons systems will come up soon in Congress. The NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security presents three leaders to clarify the key issues and discuss possible plans of action.

Register here!

Speakers:

Bruce Knotts has directed the Unitarian Universalist Office at the United Nations since 2008. Before that, he served as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State with notable service during the Nairobi Embassy bombing 1998, Embassy Khartoum, Sudan, Regional Refugee Coordinator for West Africa and Deputy Chief of Mission in The Gambia. His final tour was in the Bureau of International Organization at the Department of State.

Dr. John Burroughs is Senior Analyst for the New York City-based Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy. He has represented LCNP in Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty meetings and negotiations on the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons. His articles and op-eds have appeared in publications including Fordham International Law Journal, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Arms Control Today, Newsweek, and Newsday.

Jackie Cabasso has been Executive Director of the Western States Legal Foundation, based in Oakland, California, since 1984. In 1995 she was a “founding mother” of the Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, and she continues to serve on its Coordinating Committee. Since 2007 she has served as an Executive Advisor to Mayors for Peace. In the U.S., she is a National Co-convener of United for Peace and Justice. Jackie was the 2008 recipient of the International Peace Bureau’s Sean MacBride Peace Award.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Peace (Vienna), email its Chair,  Helga Kerschbaum at helga.kerschbaum@aon.at

An NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security Discussion: Spending to Increase Nuclear Danger

Join the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security as we discuss how in the midst of an economic and public health crisis, the US is set to spend hundreds of billions on new nuclear weapons which could never be used, add nothing to national security, and actually increase the risk of nuclear war. Funding for these extremely dangerous weapons systems will come up soon in Congress. The NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security presents three leaders to clarify the key issues and discuss possible plans of action.

Register here!

Speakers:

Bruce Knotts has directed the Unitarian Universalist Office at the United Nations since 2008. Before that, he served as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State with notable service during the Nairobi Embassy bombing 1998, Embassy Khartoum, Sudan, Regional Refugee Coordinator for West Africa and Deputy Chief of Mission in The Gambia. His final tour was in the Bureau of International Organization at the Department of State.

Dr. John Burroughs is Senior Analyst for the New York City-based Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy. He has represented LCNP in Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty meetings and negotiations on the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons. His articles and op-eds have appeared in publications including Fordham International Law Journal, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Arms Control Today, Newsweek, and Newsday.

Jackie Cabasso has been Executive Director of the Western States Legal Foundation, based in Oakland, California, since 1984. In 1995 she was a “founding mother” of the Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, and she continues to serve on its Coordinating Committee. Since 2007 she has served as an Executive Advisor to Mayors for Peace. In the U.S., she is a National Co-convener of United for Peace and Justice. Jackie was the 2008 recipient of the International Peace Bureau’s Sean MacBride Peace Award.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Peace (Vienna), email its Chair,  Helga Kerschbaum at helga.kerschbaum@aon.at

[Monthly Meeting] Climate Working Group of the Committee on Religious NGOs at the UN

The Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations (CRNGO) will convene the monthly virtual meeting of its Climate Working Group on Monday, March 1, at 10:00 am EST.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://bic-org.zoom.us/j/94974579057?pwd=WENDQmlqdUJibnNTNE5XZHM3MkJqZz09

(ID: 94974579057, passcode: 8JuE2k)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org.

[Monthly Meeting] Climate Working Group of the Committee on Religious NGOs at the UN

The Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations (CRNGO) will convene the monthly virtual meeting of its Climate Working Group on Monday, March 1, at 10:00 am EST.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://bic-org.zoom.us/j/94974579057?pwd=WENDQmlqdUJibnNTNE5XZHM3MkJqZz09

(ID: 94974579057, passcode: 8JuE2k)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org.

Strong Families, Strong Society: Policies Supporting Families

The NGO Committee on the Family-New York is pleased to invite you to join us for remarks by Shiraz Mohamed, Former Guyanese Diplomat and CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Lead Negotiator.

Please RSVP by Jan. 27th at 6pm EST to attend at https://forms.gle/z9oqLHfJ8RdVmF8q8

The family at its best is a place of mutual care, encouragement, joy, and collaboration in the shared work of life. Strong families strengthen the fabric of society through providing a stable foundation for childhood development and caring for their members throughout the life course. It is for this reason that international law recognizes that “[t]he family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State,” (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 23(1)). Some national legislatures have decided to prioritize the family in their policies, not in contrast to individual rights but in recognition of the family’s importance for personal development and society as a whole. At this event, Mr. Shiraz Mohamen, Former Guyanese diplomat and CARICOM (Caribbean Community) lead negotiator will discuss Guyana’s family-responsive policies. He will also discuss the negotiation process during the General Assembly, both within CARICOM, and with the entire body. Finally, he will address why Guyana chose to address social policy at the family level, not just the individual level, as well as how pro-family policies gained support both among legislatures and society. Following this, there will be an opportunity for questions.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Family-NY, please visit ngofamilyny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights-NY, please visit childrightsny.org.

Strong Families, Strong Society: Policies Supporting Families

The NGO Committee on the Family-New York is pleased to invite you to join us for remarks by Shiraz Mohamed, Former Guyanese Diplomat and CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Lead Negotiator.

Please RSVP by Jan. 27th at 6pm EST to attend at https://forms.gle/z9oqLHfJ8RdVmF8q8

The family at its best is a place of mutual care, encouragement, joy, and collaboration in the shared work of life. Strong families strengthen the fabric of society through providing a stable foundation for childhood development and caring for their members throughout the life course. It is for this reason that international law recognizes that “[t]he family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State,” (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 23(1)). Some national legislatures have decided to prioritize the family in their policies, not in contrast to individual rights but in recognition of the family’s importance for personal development and society as a whole. At this event, Mr. Shiraz Mohamen, Former Guyanese diplomat and CARICOM (Caribbean Community) lead negotiator will discuss Guyana’s family-responsive policies. He will also discuss the negotiation process during the General Assembly, both within CARICOM, and with the entire body. Finally, he will address why Guyana chose to address social policy at the family level, not just the individual level, as well as how pro-family policies gained support both among legislatures and society. Following this, there will be an opportunity for questions.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Family-NY, please visit ngofamilyny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights-NY, please visit childrightsny.org.

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