News

Essay Competition for Human Rights Conference in Berlin

The Irmgard Coninx Foundation is starting a new program on human rights which in the coming years will consist of international conferences and adjunct workshops to address the social, political, theoretical, and pragmatic issues of human rights today. The Berlin Roundtables on Transnationality will launch this year’s conference with an essay competition to be held on October 4th-6th, 2005 in Berlin. More...

Summer School at Utrecht University (Netherlands)

The overall aim of the summer school is to offer an introduction and a contribution to education for peace, human rights and justice, as it is formulated by the UN Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World and elaborated in EURED, a European initiative for education for peace in Europe. The main focus is on how science and education can best contribute to culture of peace. More..

„The Nonviolent Peaceforce“
- new film available

The 12-minute film, in English, depicts the work of the Nonviolent Peaceforce and offers insights into its mission, philosophy and long-range vision. We hope that you will find "The Nonviolent Peaceforce" useful and inspirational. Please share it widely to spread the word about the work of the Nonviolent Peaceforce. More...

International Woman's Day for Peace and Disarmament

IFOR's Women Peacemakers Program published an action pack to help women and women's organisations to celebrate May 24, the International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament. The 2005 Action Pack looks at women's nonviolent work for peace in the Pacific area, UN SC Resolution 1325 and women combatants. More...

Uganda Fellowship of Reconciliation (JYAK) organizes Youth Camps

For the year 2005, The Uganda branch of IFOR, JYAK will have the Multi Cultural Youth Peace Work Camps which it organizes every year. A research report highlights the need for national reconciliation as a crucial way forward for strengthening of nationhood and peaceful coexistence. The next Multi cultural Youth Peace Work camp this year the theme is based on the recommendations from the research report. More...

International Summer Academy on Human Rights 2005

The lack of opportunity to study the relationship between Human Rights, Human Development and Human Security has inspired the idea of the ETC International Summer Academy which in the last two years turned out to be a very successful and sustainable event. More...

FOR India celebrated Gandhi's Salt March

On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi with 78 others began his march to Dandi from Sabarmati Ashram. March 12, 2005, the 75th anniversary of the Dandi March began with hundreds of men and women, old and young walking enthusiastically down the road which Mahatma Gandhi took in 1930 to oppose the British Government's salt laws. More...

Woman Peace Leaders meet again in the Netherlands

A follow-up Training of Trainers (ToT) is planned for April 1-15, 2005, and will re-unite sixteen international participants from the ToT 2004 for another 14-days training. A working group of experienced trainers will conduct sessions on gender-sensitive nonviolence training, women's leadership, religion and nonviolence, reconciliation, and women's human rights. More...

1000 women for the 2005 nobel peace prize

Swisspeace has started the action '1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005' stating that "Millions of women work day in day out to promote peace. They care for survivors, help with reconstruction and initiate a new culture of peace. To represent these millions, it is our aim that in the year 2005 a thousand women shall collectively receive the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in pursuit of peace. This political prize will show that the work they do is valuable and exemplary:" IFOR supports this action, by nominating women peacemakers in its own branches, groups and affiliates, as well as other peace activists connected with the Women Peacemakers Program. More...

International Summer Academy on Human Rights 2004

The lack of opportunity to study the relationship between Human Rights, Human Development and Human Security has inspired the idea of the ETC International Summer Academy which in 2003 turned out to be a very successful and sustainable event. From 22 August - 3 September the European Training Center (ETC) in Graz organises again this event, which is designated for postgraduate students and re-searchers, young collaborators of ministries and of NGOs with a focus on South Eastern Europe and HSN members with a focus on South Eastern Europe and the South. More...

International Conference
on Right-Wing Populism

Based on recent research findings from the EU-funded project „Socio-economic change, individual reactions and the appeal of the extreme right" (SIREN), which is investigating the impact of recent transformations of work and employment on the appeal of right-wing populism, the conference aims to address some aspects of right wing populism and changes in the labour market in Europe. It will take place on June 17 - 28, 2004 in Vienna. More...

Advanced European Summer School in Women's Studies

This advanced training course will be organised by NOISE (Network Of Interdisciplinary Women's Studies in Europe) and offers a diversified, but coherent Programme of study form an inter-disciplinary perspective. It is meant for M.A students and starting PhD students and it will provide special and separate tuition seminars to these two groups. The conference will take place in Ljubljana on September 4 - 19 2004. More...

International Summer School Berlin: "Give and Take "

One person gives, the other takes – this is a basic pattern of relations in various cultures. A variety of things can be exchanged in this way, for instance recognition, money, information, love. The handling of related uncertainties becomes the more of a challenge, the more the underlying fundamentals vary, which govern this exchange. The International Summer School in Berlin from August 10th to August 19th 2004 provides the opportunity to experience this variety. More...

Study: Right-Wing extremist attitudes in Germany

By presenting the German case-study of the research project SIREN, Gudrun Hentges and Malte Meyer, both political scientists at the University of Cologne, address the issue of right-wing extremist attitudes and its origins. Since the 50 guidelinebased interviews addressed specific experiences at work as well as more general opinions on politics, an important part of the study deals with the way people link their political attitudes with workplace routines. More...

Exciting Youth Training in India for youngsters

The International Fellowship of Reconciliation's Women Peacemakers Program helped organize a youth training on Nonviolence and Gender. Twenty-eight young people, muslims and hindus, boys and girls, from India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Sri Lanka and Nepal met in the North of India to discuss and
experience gender aware active nonviolence. For the youngsters from Kashmir and Pakistan it was a real adventure to enter the country they were told was dangerous and hostile, but all parties experienced friendship and a broadening of their insights. The training is going to be the starting point
of a series of youth events, carried out by the participants.
For more information contact: Janne Poort - van Eeden

Nonviolent Peaceforce visits Northern Uganda

The goal of this preliminary investigation was to explore possibilities for a large-scale unarmed international civilian intervention.Seven possible activities were defined:, e.g. a Women’s Regional Peace Trek, human rights monitoring, establishing a "peace zone”, entry into Sudan for the purpose of mediating with the LRA. They also consider the use of cultural arts in conjunction with east African and international cultural workers and providing training in third-party nonviolent intervention.
For more information contact David Grant or visit the website of the Nonviolent Peaceforce.

WPP: Annual Training in Soesterberg and other Events

The International Fellowship of Reconciliation’s (IFOR) Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) began in 1997 and works to support and strengthen women’s peacemaking initiatives. This year's annual training for women nonviolence trainers will be August 1 - 15, 2003 in Soesterberg, the Netherlands. Also this year, WPP nonviolence trainings will be taking place in Armenia, Azerbaijan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, as well as Georgia and the USA. For more information visit the following website: http://www.ifor.org/WPP/

Proposal to abolish Death Penalty in Guatemala

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights presented at the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura the report “Justicia e Inclusion Social” (Justice and Social Inclusion), which considers that in order to strengthen democracy and the state of law in Guatemala “the death penalty must be abolished”. Iresident Oscar Berger expressed that executions are no solution to the effects of violence. n the Americas, only Guatemala, Cuba and the United States apply the death penalty, although some countries like Chile apply it in specific cases. The Special Rapporteur Susana Villaran, also a member of the ICHR, stated that in respect of the death penalty, they urge the country to take measures to abolish its application. More...

Africa Gender Training
in Mukongo, Uganda

The first IFOR regional gender training took place in Mukono, Uganda, September 6-10. Judging by both oral and written evaluations, it was a success. There were 21 participants,16 women and five men. The sessions on conceptualizing gender; gender and nonviolence; masculinity; and mainstreaming gender within organizations were particularly appreciated.
Participants (who included three members of local government councils, and a former Member of Parliament) had very concrete ideas of how they would use what they learned back in their own organizations.

Workshop on "Participatory Evaulation" in Berlin, Germany

From October 7 to 9 a workshop on "Partizipative Evaluation" (Participatory Evaluation) has been held for project managers in civic education in Berlin. It suggested a theoretical and methodological framework for an innovative approach to evaluation in civic education. A specific focus was put on an appreciative perspective, which is especially relevant in pedagogical projects dealing with societal "problems" such as intolerance and racism. The workshop encouraged many of the participants to actually start such a process within their professional context. More...

25 Years of Woman's Liberation Policy in the Netherlands

The Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs is going to celebrate 25 years of
(women's)liberation policy. Saturday 15 November will be a moment of shortly looking back and deeply look into the future of the emancipation process in the Netherlands, under the name M/F@The Future. Liberation and integration is the event's central theme. Because of its active positive contribution to women's empowerment, IFOR's Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) has been invited to facilitate a workshop on media images of masculinity. WPP will show the video Tough guise from Jackson Katz, and have a discussion between the public and the Dutch expert Jens van Tricht.

Peaceforce Team welcomed in
Sri Lanka

Local partner peace organizations PAFFREL (People's Action for Free and Fair Elections) and Sarvodaya welcomed the 11-member Peaeforce team to Sri Lanka at an opening ceremony in Colombo, on Monday, September 29, 2003. Team members come from 9 countries, with half from the Global South and half from the Global North. The team is now completing intensive in-country training on language, culture, and conflict history. In November, they will break into four units to serve in high-risk regions in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka.
For more information contact David Grant (grant@tolerance-net.org)

New Publication:
"Tolerance Matters"

Tolerance, diversity and human rights - issues that lie at the very core of democratic societies. "Tolerance Matters" identifies fundamental issues. The 10 case studies compiled in this volume examine educational responses in a wide range of cultural, social and economic contexts. With contributions from Brazil, Chile, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa and the United States of America, this unique collection offers a cross- and intercultural approach.
More...

Fifth network conference
in Berlin

From the 14th.-15th. of May 2003 the Network met for its fifth conference. It took place on the premises of the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. More...

Methodological Workshop
in Buenos Aires

The "Workshop for the Implementation of the Quebec Action Plan" gathered 21 civil society organizations that belong to the InterAmerican Democracy Network (IDN) and the Regional Social and Economic Research Coordinator (CRIES) with the purpose of starting the implementation of the follow-up strategy of the Quebec Action Plan in subjects related to the strengthening of democracy. It was organised by PARTICIPA in cooperation with several partners. More..

Publication and Consulting:
"Participative Evaluation"

"Partizipative Evaluation - ein Konzept für die politische Bildung" sets evaluation in a historical context and describes how it can become fruitful for projects and programs in education. The authors want to
sharpen a modern understanding of evaluation. Additionally they have set up a consulting offer in the context of
their experiences with and research in evaluation. They help initiate
evaluation processes and offer a facilitative bridge between educational projects and evaluators. More...

IFOR starts "Gender Awareness Dialogue"

Nonviolence and Reconciliation are the core of IFOR's message. IFOR realizes that this message does not only apply to the outside world, but also to private situations. In its meeting of 12 November 2002, the International Committee decided to create an IFOR Gender Working Group to help develope an
IFOR gender policy. In July 2003, the Gender Working Group had its first
meeting and made a working plan to involve all IFOR branches, groups and affiliates in the process.
Conctact: Janne Poort - van Eeden

Women Peacemakers Program: Training in Germany

IFOR's Women Peacemakers Program is organising in August the second Training of Trainers, for thirteen women from all continents. They already had a two weeks training in Germany in 2002, where they were prepared to carry out
their own trainings on nonviolence and gender awareness back home. They now will return and exchange experiences to be trained in depth on topics such as nonviolent direct action, masculinity, communication skills and fund raising skills.
More information: www.ifor.org/WPP

"Nonviolent Peaceforce"
in Sri Lanka

In Chaing Mai, Thailand, the assesment of potential members for the Nonviolent Peaceforce took place in June. 18 candidates engaged in a process of mutual selection and self-selection. Currently a dozen candidates have completed the assessment and three week Core Proficiencies training in order to enter in-country training in Sri Lanka in mid-September. Plans are for a field team of fifty unarmed civilian peacekeepers to support the peacemaking process now underway in Sri Lanka after nearly twenty years of
civil war. More information: www

First SIREN-Newsletter

The project SIREN has undertaken to investigate subjective perceptions of and individual reactions to socio- economic change and the recent transformations in working life, with a special focus on their potential interrelations with the growing support of right-wing populist and extremist parties and ideologies in Europe. So far a European Literature Review and the Synthesis of findings of the qualitative research phase of SIREN are available. In addition to a brief introduction to the SIREN project, the newsletter (available as pdf-Download) offers information on both reports. More...

New Manual:
"Understanding Human Rights"

A new Manual on Human Rights Education entitled "Understanding Human Rights" has just been published. It has been endorsed by the 5th Ministerial meeting of the Human Security Network in Graz, Austria, from 8-10 May, 2003. Experts from Argentina, Austria, Canada, Greece, India, The Netherlands, Mali, South Africa, Switzerland and the United States contributed to the manual, edited by Wolfgang Benedek and Minna Nikolova from ETC Graz.
More...

Civic-Mindedness.
Participation in Modern Society

What is it that keeps modern societies together despite all plurality? The key to integration and cohesion is participation. The "Project Gemeinsinn" of the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Munich-based Center for Applied Policy Research (CAP) therefore aims at reinforcing constructive cohesion, civic-mindedness and solidarity in democratic societies by enhancing the ability to participation skills in different groups and communities. Now a broshure in English language is available on the projects idea, background, and approaches.
PDF-Download

Perspectives
in overcoming violence

The Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe EYCE organises an international seminar to take place in Moscow September 14 - 21. The target group for this event are young people and youth leaders with interest in the issue of overcoming violence. Deadline for Applications is June 27. More...

Evaluation Subgroup visits South African Partners

A recent visit to South Africa of the subgroup provided an occasion to work on adapting the workshop to the needs of organizations working in the South African context. Hosted by the Network’s South African partner organizations U Managing Conflict (UMAC) and the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR), ,but also gave the subgroup members the chance for a first hand impression of UMAC’s and CCR’s work. More...

International Summer School:
"Bridging Bounderies"

Cultural Diversity in Groups and Organisations" isthe topic of the theme-centered group dynamics seminar that will take place from August 5th to August 14th, 2003 in the European Academy in Berlin. With one group being conducted in English and the otherin German, the International Summer School targets also participants from non-German-speaking countries. More...

Conflict Resolution in Schools:
Learing to Live Together

The European Centre for Conflict Prevention, in co-operation with the Netherlands Commission for UNESCO, is organizing an international conference on Conflict Resolution in Schools. With speakers from a wide range of European countries, Africa and North America, and an audience of practitioners and policy makers from over 20 European countries, this conference will be a lively and engaging forum aimed to put theory and pilot projects into broad and institutionalized practice. More...

Diversity and Citizenship: Challenge and an Opportunity for Classrooms
Florence, 3/4 July 2003

As a result of today’s massive migratory flows, the composition of our schools has changed profoundly. What answers can now be provided to those teachers who work with a muticultural youth on a daily basis? How can a truly European citizenship that respects those values essential to democracy, the rights of the general population and of the individual be contributed to?
Themes and questions of the networks second annual conference: 1) Initial training of teachers, 2) Didactiv practices concerning diversity, 3) Language and communication, 4) Schools and community. More...

'Human Rights' Summer Camp for young activists
Grimnitz/Berlin, 4 - 19 July 2003

FOR/Germany's Ecumenical Department, along with the Grimnitz Community, is hosting a gathering for young people from Eastern and Western Europe, July 4-19, 2003, in Germany. The camp's theme is 'Human Rights'.
Participants will be able to visit some local human rights or ganizations and a home for asylum seekers, as well as engage in hands-on publicity work and garden maintenance. Other activities will include daytrips, sightseeing, cooking, visits to cultural events in Berlin, worship service, and free time. To attend, participants must be between the ages of 18 and
26. More...

New ADL programs
for children

Recently ADL has launched two programs nationally, the "Names Can really Hurt us Assembly Program" and "Becoming an Ally: Interrupting Name-Calling and Bullying".  These programs reinforce ADL's commitment to helping children "unlearn" prejudice before it can evolve into discrimination and violence, and help to create inclusive and safe environments. 
For more information see http://www.adl.org

"Compass" published in French and Russian

Compass, the manual on human rights education with young people, has just been published in French and in Russian. Recently produced by the Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe, Compass provides youth leaders, teachers and other educators, with concrete ideas and practical activities to engage, involve and motivate young people to form a positive awareness of human rights in their own ways in their own communities. Compass can be ordered in English, French or Russian at eycb.secretariat@coe.int
or online at http://www.book.coe.int

Report: “Gandhi-King Season of Nonviolence”

The "Gandhi-King Season of Nonviolence" was opened on January 30 2003 at the UN Headquarters in New York. The 'season' will last the 64 days between the 60th anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination, January 30th (the opening session), to the 40th anniversary of King’s assassination, April 4th (closing session). At this opening session the World Health Organization presented its just-released report on “Violence and Health”. Several speakers spoke of individual responsibility. In the very short question-and-answer period afterwards, the subject of the impending war against Iraq came up. More...

'Train the Trainer' in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Between January 5 and 10 a basic Train the Trainers workshop was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The goal of the workshop was to prepare a new generation of trainers working with Tashkent Public Education Center - one of the top civic education NGOs in Central Asia. Candidates for trainers were selected among university students who for the last few years were active in youth leadership programs. The future new trainers will participate in developing the student council movement in Uzbekistan. Sponsored by National Endowment for Democracy, the Workshop was conducted by trainers from Lion Society, Education for Democracy Foundation as well as the Tashkent Public Education Center.

Naval bombings end, damage continues

The US Navy has recently certified that it will cease bombing exercises on the inhabited island of Vieques, Puerto Rico by May 2003. The bombing range, which has been used by the navy for training and weapons tests for more than 60 years, is to be replaced by alternative sites in Florida and North Carolina. While applauding this action, FOR/USA continues to urge the Navy to address the environmental and health crisis on the island resulting from the military's use of radioactive materials. Studies have revealed that cancer rates in Vieques are still on the rise due to heavy metal contamination. To address these concerns, FOR/USA, sends a delegation of environmental and health activists to Vieques in February 2003. (Source)

IFOR supported elections in Zimbabwe

In spite of the difficulties in the country, Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR)/Zimbabwe has been able to organize trainings for election monitors, also working inside churches to raise awareness of the need to confront domestic violence. In March 2002, ten of their election monitors got arrested during the course of the elections, and one of the election supervisors was severely assaulted. Following the presidential elections in June, FOR/Zimbabwe was able to deploy monitors in all by-elections with no further incident. However, much tension remains in Zimbabwe, aggravated by the nationwide shortages in food and clean water. More details on these and other related issues...

Multicultural Women Peacemakers
in the Netherlands

After a training in Nonviolence and Conflict Resolution, a group of migrant women from 11 different countries, all living in the Netherlands, launched the Platform 'Multicultural Women Peacemakers in the Netherlands' (MWP.nl) Goal of the Platform is to support the building of a culture of peace and the empowerment of women of different cultural and religious backgrounds regarding conflict, tension and violence in the Netherlands and in the original countries. The Platform MWP.nl is linked to IFOR's Women Peacemakers Program.

Cross-Border Cooperation between Poland and the Kaliningrad District

In 2002 the ‚Foundation in Support of Local Democracy Center’ in Olsztyn (Poland) conducted the project "Tripartite cooperation in the community" aiming at starting cooperation among and with businesses, NGOs, and local governments in the Kaliningrad region, a Russian exclave neighboring Poland. One of the results is the extension of the ‚Train The Trainer program ‚ of the Education for Democracy Foundation. Between January 15 and 20 workshops were held for 10 local leaders. As another Result the INFRUST Center was established for the purpose of exchanging information, establishing contacts and cooperation among organizations from Poland (and possibly other countries) and the Kaliningrad District. Moreover, two contact centers were established.

Power of Language - first German manuscript version available

The Tolerance Network Publication "The Power of Language - an activity guide for facilitators" is further on its way to a German publication. The German publication will contain an additional section showing where the material can be relevant in Germany. Different essays will highlight the situation in the multi-lingual classroom, the relevance of language for East-West biographies, the work with migrants in city-quarters and the linguistic changes in Germany affecting the identity of different social groups. If you want to contribute to the German version or are interested in a workshop, please contact Florian Wenzel or Michael Seberich.

For

previous

news

click

here