Photo: Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations. Credit: Mitsu (Eric) Kimura, SUA Archivist.
By Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury – 21 May 2017
“I am proud to be a feminist … all of us need to be. That is how we make our planet a better place to live for all,” writes Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations. He is an internationally recognized initiator of the UNSCR 1325 as the President of the UN Security Council in March 2000. He is the Founder of the Global Movement for The Culture of Peace (GMCoP), a civil society entity promoting the UN Declaration and Programme Action on Culture of Peace.
NEW YORK (IDN) - The year 2017 is experiencing a ground-swell of much-needed mobilization by women to assert their rights and claiming their due role in contributing to global efforts for a better life for all. The Women’s March in Washington DC on January 21 with a million protesters worldwide was emphatic in its demand for equality joined in solidarity by hundreds of "sister marches" held around the U.S. and the globe. On March 18, more than 10,000 women and men took to the streets of Zurich in protest against sexism and racism and stood up for gender equality. As a reaction to the rollback of women’s rights worldwide, the new activist alliance WE CAN’T KEEP QUIET was founded in Switzerland.
Policy Makers’ Tool - Direct Link to Full 72-Page 2017 UNESCO Publication:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002477/247764e.pdf
Link to Teachers’ Tool – 47 Pages:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002446/244676e.pdf
UNESCO Guidance Tools For Policy Makers & For Teachers on Prevention of Violent Extremism through Education
UNESCO just released its new guidance tool Preventing violent extremism through education: A guide for policy-makers. The new publication will help policy-makers within ministries of education prioritize, plan and implement effective actions for the prevention of violent extremism through education, and contribute to national prevention efforts.
UNITED NATIONS, May 17 2017 (IPS) - Sexual violence is increasingly used as a tactic of terrorism and thus must be addressed as a peace and security issue, officials said at a United Nations Security Council meeting.
UN officials, member states, and civil society representatives came together during a Security Council debate to discuss the pervasive issues, challenges, and solutions surrounding conflict-related sexual violence.
“Too many women live with a spectre of violence in their daily lives, in their households, and families. Armed conflict only serves to exacerbate these prevailing conditions,” said Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, adding that such sexual violence is a “heart-wrenching crime.”
EIGE – European Institute for Gender Equality
Direct Link to Full 44-Page 2017 EIGE Report
Globalisation, technological change, information and communication advances have led to important changes in the employment structure and skills content of jobs. The complexity of jobs is increasing across all sectors and occupations and there is inflation in relative skills demand, even for low-skilled jobs. Many low-skilled jobs now require greater literacy, numeracy and other basic skills. A number of already existing labour market challenges further intensified during the recent economic downturn. Education and investment in skills have now become a corner stone of Europe’s strategy to overcome the crisis and boost growth and jobs.
Every five minutes a child dies as a result of violence.
Despite the increasing condemnation of violence by the international community and a growing body of legislation, policy and institutions to protect them, violence remains a harsh reality in the daily lives of many children. At its core, violence against children reflects an imbalance and abuse of power between children and the perpetrators that is used to inflict harm. Violence happens everywhere: it crosses continents and cultures, it is in our homes, communities and institutions, and it is often perpetrated with impunity.
Children without parental care are among the most vulnerable and left behind members of society, and they are one of the most likely groups to have been exposed to violence.
