Uganda

Inclusive Adaptation: A Benefit Multiplier for Climate Action and Women, Peace and Security

Join us for the launch of Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security’s (GIWPS) latest climate report, “Inclusive Adaptation: A Benefit Multiplier for Climate Action and Women, Peace and Security,” in collaboration with the Better Way Foundation.

GIWPS experts will highlight key findings from the report and demonstrate how meaningful inclusion of women in local-level climate adaptation efforts can strengthen climate responses, gender equality, and security. Panelists will include grassroots women climate leaders to discuss how inclusive approaches to local-level climate adaptation in the energy and agricultural sectors can drive progress for all. Register here!

Featured speakers:

  • Lydia Wanjiku, Chief Executive Officer, Lensational
  • Constance Okollet, Chairperson, Osukuru United Women’s Network (OWN), Uganda
  • Saliha Dobardzic, Senior Climate Change Specialist, Adaptation Fund
  • Clara Chiu, 2021-2022 Hillary Rodham Clinton Fellow and Lead Report Author, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
  • Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Executive Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security

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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 the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. 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-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP

Same Storm Different Boats: Telling the African Climate Story

Youth climate activism has continued to raise the consciousness of the urgency with which public and political action on the climate crisis is required.

The continent of Africa bears the brunt of the impact of the climate crisis and young Africans are at the frontline of climate action, however, they are not seen on the front page (and sometimes even deleted from the front page), nor are their voices heard during the debates on climate change.

What will it take to get their voices to the table? What do they offer to the conversations? and what are they optimistic about?

Our Chairperson, Wanjira Maathai will host Greta Thunberg, a  young climate and environmental activist from Sweden, Elizabeth Wathuti, a Kenyan environment and climate activist, Vanessa Nakate, a  young climate justice activist from Uganda, Olumide Idowu, an environmental and climate activist from Nigeria.  and Prof. Youba Sokona, a veteran scientist in addressing energy,  environment and sustainable development in Africa.

Register here!

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org.

Redefining Leadership, Re-Envisioning Faith and Reconstructing Humanitarianism

Dear Religions for Peace Leaders,

We are so pleased that many of you have already registered for the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW 65). If you have not already registered on the NGO/CSW platform, please be informed that the event will be live-streamed on 25 March at 9AM ET from our Facebook page.

Kindly be sure to select our event, “Redefining Leadership, Re-Envisioning Faith, and Reconstructing Humanitarianism” on 25 March here. To join the webinar, please select the button “Join Meeting,” which will appear exactly at 9:00 am ET.

Program Agenda

  • Moment of Silence

PART I: WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace

PART II: A CONVERSATION ON WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE: REDEFINING LEADERSHIP

Moderated by Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace

  • Dr. Mary McAleese, Former President, Republic of Ireland; Advisor to the Religions for Peace Secretary General
  • H.E. Sima Samar, Former Minister of Women’s Affairs; Member, Religions for Peace Standing Commission on Advancing Gender Equality, Afghanistan
  • Mr. Humberto Carolo, Executive Director, White Ribbon Campaign Canada, MenEngage Network, Religions for Peace Standing Commission on Advancing Gender Equality, Canada
  • Hon. Ela Gandhi, Trustee, Gandhi Development Trust and Religions for Peace Co-President, South Africa
  • Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President, Union for Reform Judaism and Religions for Peace Honorary President, United States

PART III: A CONVERSATION ON RE-ENVISIONING FAITH AND RECONSTRUCTING HUMANITARIANISM

Moderated by Grand-Mother Marie-Josée Rankin-Tardif, President, Kina8at Together; Elder from the Anicinape (Algonquin) Tradition, Canada

  • Rev. Clement Joseph, Secretary General of the Social Mission of Haitian Churches; Secretary General, Religions for Peace-Haiti, Haiti
  • Rt. Rev. Francisco Duque-Gomez, Anglican Bishop and leader of Religions for PeaceColombia, Colombia
  • Ms. Nageeba Hassan Tegulwa, Board Member, Women of Faith Uganda, Executive Member, African Women of Faith Network; Board Member, ACRL; Member, IWCC, Uganda
  • Ms. Fatima Hallal, Junior Researcher, Hartford Seminary-Interreligious Relations; Member, International Youth Committee, Lebanon

PART IV: Q&A 

PART V: CLOSING REMARKS

  • Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mr. Pietro Bartoli at pbartoli@rfp.org or Ms. Lexie Ruth Mitchell at lrmitchell@rfp.org.

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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 Freedom of Religion or Belief, please visit unforb.org. 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-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch

UN Day 2020: An Inclusive Dialogue on the UN We Need

To mark the occasion of UN Day, we invite you to join #UN75 and United Cities and Local Governments for United Nations Day 2020: An inclusive dialogue on the UN We Need on Tuesday, October 27 at 10AM ET. This panel event will bring together different stakeholders to discuss the UN75 findings and how best to take them forward at the local, national and global level.

Register here! 

The event will be live-streamed in English, French and Spanish on the UCLG YouTube. It will also feature analysis of the UN75 results by Edelman Intelligence and the Pew Research Center, followed by:

Introductory remarks by:
Emilia Saiz, Secretary-General, United Cities and Local Government
H.E. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly
Fabrizio Hochschild, Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Preparations for the Commemoration of the UN’s 75th Anniversary

Speakers:
Ada Colau, Special Envoy to the UN, United Cities and Local Government, Mayor of Barcelona
John Frank, Vice President, UN Affairs
Vanessa Nakate, Founder, Fridays for Future Uganda
Anne Nuorgam, Chair, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Mary Robinson, Chair, The Elders

Background:
In 2020, the United Nations turned 75 and launched an ambitious effort to crowdsource priorities and solutions to global challenges – from COVID-19 to the climate crisis. Over one million people from all countries have taken part, sharing their hopes and fears for the future and expectations of international cooperation, and the UN in particular. The result was a strong call for access to basic services and action to tackle inequalities to be prioritised in pandemic recovery plans; for urgent action on climate change and environmental protection; and for more – and more effective – global cooperation. The report can be viewed here.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on CoNGO and the commemoration f the 75th anniversary of the UN, visit its website.

[Virtual HLPF Side Event] Overcoming systemic challenges to address hunger, unemployment and healthcare

Overcoming systemic vulnerabilities and financing challenges for a fairer and sustainable future- intentional collaborative actions to address hunger, unemployment and healthcare in the context of COVID-19

A virtual conversation organized by the NGO Committee on Financing for Development-NY

Panel discussion: 8:00 – 9:00 am New York Time
Breakout session: 9:00 – 9:30 am

Register by July 12: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUuf-ihrjkvHdblKZvD5FxOqkbpFnnjd1U_

According to recent figures from the World Food Program (WFP), lives and livelihoods of 265 million people in low and middle-income countries will be under severe threat as a result of corona virus pandemic. This is nearly double the 135 million people in 55 countries that the Global Report on Food Crises 2020 has estimated as facing acute hunger as a result of conflict, the impact of climate change and economic crisis prior to the onset of COVID-19. ILO estimates that as many as 25 million people could become unemployed, with a loss of workers’ income of as much as USD 3.4 trillion due to COVID19 globally. The evidence from the drastic effects of the pandemic clearly speaks to a broken system , social safety nets, health care, and social protection systems, that are either severely lacking or completely missing and that will continue to amplify poverty and income, wealth, health, gender, trade, debt and market inequalities in many of the developing and least developed countries.

As Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus shared, “The best defense against disease outbreaks and other health threats is preparedness, which includes investing in building strong health systems and primary health care. […] If we don’t invest in both, we will face not just health consequences but the social, economic, and political fallout that we’re already experiencing in this pandemic.” Now is the time to reevaluate, invest where it is needed the most, and fix these broken systems, because if we do not nobody else will.

The panel will explore financing challenges in the aftermath of COVID -19 and strategize on how best to build effective collaboration and partnerships between, pubic private and civil society organizations to address hunger, unemployment and healthcare. Panelists will share specific challenges faced by migrants, women, workers in the informal and agricultural sectors, and micro small and medium enterprises as they strive to revive their livelihood and economy. We will hear voices from the communities most impacted by the lock downs and fall-out from COVID-19. Panelists will also share positive impacts of measures they have taken to address the challenges and propose further action to reevaluate, reinvest and rebuild.

Moderator:

Anita Thomas, Chair, NGO Committee on Financing for Development

Speakers:
Harsh Mander, Director, Center for Equity Studies, India
Ziada Nabembezi Zalwango, Co-Founder and Programs Director at ZACHEDO, Uganda
UN Member State Representative (TBC)
Representative from ILO (TBC)
Representatives from Sub-national Government / Planning Forum, Kerala, India (TBC)

Cosponsoring organizations:

Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund (DBA Women First International Fund), Salesian Missions Inc., New Humanity Focolare Movement, Global Foundation for Democracy and Development

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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on Financing for Development is a substantive committee of the Conference of
NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations. To learn more about the work of the Committee, visit ngosonffd.org.