
Posted by The EarthAction Team at 08:14 PM in Action Alert, Blog Post, Civil Liberties, Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0)
We are pleased to share that the UN Youth Office has officially launched the search for the next cohort of 17 Young Leaders for the SDGs!
On a biennial basis, the Youth office is proud to recognize outstanding young leaders between 15 and 35 years old for their agency, courage and ingenuity in finding lasting solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Becoming a Young Leader is a title of recognition from the United Nations for young people who are excelling in their contributions to helping deliver on the SDGs in their communities.
Throughout the two-year term, these 17 Young Leaders will engage young people for the 2030 Agenda, not only through their existing initiatives, platforms and networks but through advocacy opportunities with the United Nations and our partners. For inspiration, you can check out the profiles of previous Young Leaders from the 2022 cohort, 2020 cohort, 2018 cohort and 2016 cohort.
How can you engage and support the call for applications?
Many thanks in advance for your support in helping to identify and recognize the next set of inspirational Young Leaders who are leading us towards the world we all want.
Read more about UNEP here
Posted by The EarthAction Team at 08:10 PM in Action Alert, Blog Post, Civil Liberties, Human Rights | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Palestinian House of Friendship (PHF) is located in Nablus, a medium-sized city north of Jerusalem on the West Bank in Palestine. Mohammed Sawalha, founder and director of PHF, describes the current situation there as extremely dangerous throughout the city and region, with illegal settlers attacking villagers and Israeli soldiers patrolling the streets of Nablus day and night. The city is literally under siege these days, and it often takes two or three hours to cross it because of numerous checkpoints where settlers stand next to Israeli soldiers and verbally or physically humiliate travelers.
Soldiers have been particularly threatening to worshippers going to their local mosques to pray in the early morning before work. Recently they entered a neighborhood mosque for the first time, interrupted the prayers, and detained participants.
Most distressing is the collapse of the local economy, as small businesses are forced into bankruptcy, and unemployment skyrockets. It is difficult for Palestinians to obtain cash or building supplies, though recently the Israeli government announced construction of 2300 new housing units for settlers on the West Bank.
In spite of these stressors of daily life for people living in the Nablus region, PHF continues to offer programs for children and their families. This summer six smaller camps for 180-200 children took place within their communities, so parents could quickly collect them if danger developed. 120 Boxes of Love containing food, books, toys, and warm winter clothing were distributed to needy families over the past four months. 200 school backpacks have been donated to children who are able to return to school this fall. Dancing and singing groups continue to meet. After-school programs, Girl Scouts, and the music studio are in operation this fall. And three or four English conversation classes are being held in order to raise money for other programs.
Thanks to a generous donor, PHF has opened a small café near its offices in downtown Nablus where young people can drink coffee at discounted prices, use the internet, and study in a quiet, peaceful environment.
PHF has also initiated a series of “Democracy Building” workshops in Nablus and the wider region to train adults in how to become active participants in a civil society, learning how to vote, how to run for office, and how to develop legislative proposals. Planning for a future in which Palestine may someday become an autonomous state reinforces identity, dignity, and hope during stressful times.
Meanwhile families are anxious, some schools opened late or not at all, and people are living in a state of hypervigilance on the West Bank in the fall of 2024.
Mohammed, his staff, and the families of PHF all express their gratitude for your continuing generosity in supporting the Palestinian House of Friendship.
To read more about the Palestinian House of Friendship, click here.
Posted by The EarthAction Team at 07:42 PM in Action Alert, Blog Post, Civil Liberties, Culture, Current Affairs, Disarmament, Military Spending, peace, Photos, Weapons | Permalink | Comments (0)
“I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a
militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction… I believe that even amid
today’s mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I
believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations,
can be lifted from this dust of shame and reign supreme amongst the children of men. I
have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their
bodies, education, and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their
spirits.”
Posted by The EarthAction Team at 12:27 PM in Action Alert, Blog Post, Civil Liberties, Culture, Human Rights, peace, World Events | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Climate Governance Commission (CGC) yesterday released Governing our Planetary Emergency. This is a ground-breaking report which highlights that current policies are failing to address the global climate emergency, and which puts forward a platform of climate governance proposals in order to ensure more effective cooperative action to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C or less.
“The world faces a deepening planetary emergency—and is on a reckless path toward runaway, catastrophic climate change—having already over-shot six of nine scientifically-identified Planetary Boundaries,” according to the Report. “Collectively, we must chart a safe and sustainable path for a workable future for all of humanity.”
The report was released two days prior to the start of the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP28) taking place in Dubai, with the aim to positively influence the deliberations and decision-making at the COP.
The report provides a package of fifteen near-and-medium-term proposals
“The science is clear. It is telling us that we are already living within an extinction crisis and a climate crisis. Life on Earth as we know it, and even our own survival as a species, is at risk,” says María Fernanda Espinosa, Co-Chair of the Climate Governance Commission and President of the UN General Assembly 2018-2019. “What we need is a reflection on and reconsideration of our global governance architecture, to ensure it is fit for purpose and adequate to the tasks ahead."
Among the near-term recommendations proposed by the Commission of experts:
“We stand at the cusp of a green energy transformation, poised to shape a fairer, cleaner, healthier future. The means to finance the climate action we need to see are within reach, but it is good governance that holds the key,” says Mary Robinson, Commission co-chair, former President of Ireland and Chair of The Elders.
The Commission will form diverse, high-level working groups to refine its recommendations and advocate for their associated transformations. This will be done in conjunction with Mobilizing an Earth Governance Alliance (MEGA) a new global alliance the Climate Governance Commission is establishing in partnership with the World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP) and Citizens for Global Solutions with a number of other cosponsoring organizations.
At root, it is not an environmental crisis. Humanity has created a global governance crisis,” says John Vlasto, Chair of the WFM-IGP Executive Committee and Co-founder of MEGA. “Resolve this and we can unite to live in harmony with each other and with nature.”
The MEGA platform went live yesterday - in conjunction with the launch of the Climate Governance Commission Report - and will be publicly launched in the New Year.
For more information see Governing Our Planetary Emergency: Release of the Climate Governance Commission Report.
From UNFOLD ZERO. Read more here.
Posted by The EarthAction Team at 06:58 PM in Blog Post, Civil Liberties, Conservation, Culture, Current Affairs, Disarmament | Permalink | Comments (0)
We are excited to share the latest updates on the International Children’s Peace Prize 2023!
As you may know, the International Children's Peace Prize (‘ICPP’) is the most important award given to a young changemaker who has made an exceptional difference for the rights of the child and the position of vulnerable children, anywhere in the world.
The prize was launched in Rome during the 2005 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev. Since then, each year the prize has been awarded by a Nobel Peace Laureate.
For the first time ever, this year’s awards ceremony for the winner of the 2023 International Children’s Peace Prize will take place on November 17th at the Palace of Whitehall, London. To ensure as many people as possible can join the ceremony, it will be held in a hybrid format.
For the ICPP 2023, we have received 140 nominations of young changemakers from 35 countries around the world! The nominees are working on a range of topics, including education, climate change, refugees and migrants, sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, non-discrimination against children of prisoners, indigenous people, and many more.
You can now see all their amazing stories on our website!
We hope that you will be inspired by their stories and encourage young people to continue their changemaking activities with more passion and rigor. You can also contribute to make this happen by donating on our website.
Learn more about Kids Rights here
Posted by The EarthAction Team at 06:48 PM in Blog Post, Civil Liberties, Culture, Current Affairs, Human Rights, Press Release | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filing of petition and complaints at the regional office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples-Cordillera (NCIP-CAR)
Posted by The EarthAction Team at 01:01 PM in Action Alert, Blog Post, Civil Liberties, Conservation, Culture, Current Affairs, EarthAction, Environmentalism, Renewable Energy, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution late last night (Feb 23), calling for an end to the war and demanding Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter.
Coming just hours before the war entered its second year, the resolution was adopted under the Uniting for Peace mandate, which provides the possibility for the UN General Assembly to take action to address acts of aggression or other serious threats to international peace when the Security Council is blocked by the veto power of one of the Permanent Five Members.
The UNGA resolution, entitled Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine contains 11 key points including;
- Deploring the dire human rights and humanitarian consequences of the war;
- Expressing deep concern about the adverse impact of the war on global food security, energy, nuclear security and safety and the environment;
- Calling for full adherence by the parties to the armed conflict to their obligations under international humanitarian law;
- Emphasizing the need to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes under international law committed on the territory of Ukraine through independent investigations and prosecutions at the national or international level, and ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes;
- Underscoring the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations;
- Reaffirming that no territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force shall be recognized as legal;
- Demanding that the Russian Federation withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized border;
- Calling for a cessation of hostilities.
Time for Russia to End the Continuing War Against Ukraine
InDepthNews, February 23
"Russia should end its invasion of Ukraine, withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory and enter into negotiations with Ukraine to resolve historical disputes and establish a lasting and just peace that guarantees the security of both nations," says the World Future Council in an article Time for Russia to End Continuing War Against Ukraine published in InDepthNews yesterday.
“Regardless of any grievances and unresolved conflicts that Russia may have with Ukraine and the United States/NATO, the use of force to resolve such conflicts is prohibited under Article 2 of the UN Charter,” says Alyn Ware, Director of the World Future Council Peace and Disarmament program.
"War has no place in the 21st century when humanity already needs to address so many pressing issues such as climate change and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals” says Angelina Davydova, in the InDepthNews article. Ms Davydova is a Member of the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group and Council Member of World Future Council.
“We regret that better use is not made of diplomacy, mediation and Common Security mechanisms earlier in conflicts to address and resolve historical grievances." says international lawyer Neshan Gunasekera, Co-Chair of the World Future Council Peace and Disarmament Commission and a Director of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms. “We call on the United Nations and the international community to make better use of these common security mechanisms to address unresolved conflicts and prevent war."
Such Common Security mechanisms include the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, International Court of Justice, UN mediation services, UN Human Rights Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and others.
Posted by The EarthAction Team at 07:01 PM in Blog Post, Civil Liberties, Climate change, Conservation, Current Affairs, EarthAction, Environmentalism, Military Spending, Nature Conservation, World Events | Permalink | Comments (0)
From Unicef
Posted by The EarthAction Team at 11:28 AM in Action Alert, Blog Post, Civil Liberties, Climate change, Current Affairs, EarthAction, Environmentalism | Permalink | Comments (0)
EarthAction's mission is to inform and inspire people everywhere to turn their concern, passion, and outrage into meaningful action for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world.