Join us in our last webinar in the series “A Climate of Insecurity for COP27” on Thursday, 27 October at 7PM CEST, where we will shed light on the myriad impacts of the climate crisis in the MENA region. Speakers will illuminate different impacts of the climate crisis on women under militarised regimes and in conflict areas, and they will sketch out grassroots solutions, and share their key demands for COP27 and beyond.

Moderator: Salma Kahale, WILPF MENA Director

Opening remarks: Hanan Awwad, MENA Representative and President of WILPF Palestine

Panelists:
– Nouha Ghosseini, President, WILPF Lebanon
– Rula Assad, Syrian Female Journalist Network
– Shirine Al Jurdi, WILPF Lebanon
– Dr. Nadia Al Sakkaf: Independent Yemeni researcher and Director of Research at Arabia Brain Trust

In solidarity with the Month of Action against US AFRICOM #ShutDownAFRICOM

How is the West militarising the African continent, and why does this prevent countries in the region to adapt to climate change and ensure the well-being of its people?

Join us in the second webinar of our series “A Climate of Insecurity for COP27” where we will explore how military alliances such as NATO and US AFRICOM are militarising the African continent. Africa is the continent hit hardest by the climate crisis and is already experiencing severe droughts, desertification, worsening heat and water, and food insecurity. Instead of helping Africa adapt and become more resilient, the US and NATO allies are exporting arms, training security forces, conducting destabilising military operations, and increasing tension causing a climate of insecurity across the continent. The issue of Western militarism exacerbating the climate emergency cannot be overlooked in the lead up to COP 27. It is important to consider that the climate summit in November will be taking place in Egypt, which borders Libya. In 2011, NATO forces bombed and helped to overthrow the government of Libya, which was one of Africa’s richest countries. A decade later as a result of the NATO intervention, Libya is suffering from a civil war and refugee crisis that makes it more challenging for the country to deal with climate-induced extreme drought and dust storms. There is a crucial connection between Western militarism and climate injustice across the African continent.

For background, please see Djibo Subukwe’s article “NATO and Africa: A Relationship of Colonial Violence and Structural White Supremacy” as well as Margaret Kimberley’s interview “Blacks must oppose US AFRICOM” and Abayomi Azikiwe’s “Africa Remains at the Center of a 21st Century Cold War”.

Join us for this online event in the lead up to the UN Climate Conference (COP27) to take place from 6–18 November 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

This webinar “A Climate of Insecurity for COP27–African women raising their voices for feminist climate justice,” invites you to listen to feminist activists and women human rights defenders’ lived experiences of the impacts of the climate crisis on the African continent. Panelists will share why the climate crisis is a feminist issue, and how it affects and compounds other challenges in their region. From Zimbabwe to Cameroon, from Ghana to South Africa, speakers will shed light on the interlinkages between the climate crisis, gender, and issues such as conflict, food security, and livelihoods. With COP27 taking place on the African continent, and droughts, wildfires, flooding, and soaring temperatures accelerating in their countries, panelists will share key demands for COP27 to effectively address the climate crisis and alleviate the worst impacts on the African continent.

Co-moderators: Tamara Lorincz, WILPF Canada and Katrin Geyer, WILPF International Secretariat

Opening remarks: Sylvie Ndongmo, WILPF International President

Panelists:

• Aubine Zambou, WILPF Cameroon
• Mpiwa Mangwiro, WILPF South Africa
• Ayo Ayoola-Amale, WILPF Ghana
• Edwick Madzimure, WILPF Zimbabwe

Join us for this online event, held in parallel to the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), to discuss the role of the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya (FFM) in supporting the rule of law and sustainable peace.

Chair: Lucy McKernan, Acting Geneva Director – Human Rights Watch

Speakers:

• Suki Nagra – Director of the Human Rights, Transitional Justice and Rule of Law division at UNSMIL. 
• Mohamed Auajjar, Chair of the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) to Libya.
• Elham Saudi – Director of Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL). 
• Marwan Tashani – Human rights defender, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and Defender Center for Human Rights (DCHR).
• Nadège Lahmar, Maghreb Researcher – Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
• Hussein Baoumi – Egypt and Libya Researcher, Amnesty International

A parallel-event to CSW66, this webinar will feature Yemeni women peacebuilders to share their take on the process of developing the Feminist Peace Roadmap and its validation by the affected communities, and how political, security, humanitarian, and environmental issues are interlinked.