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WILPF Sections mobilise for COP26

The COP26 countdown has begun. We are approaching the biggest, and most anticipated, global climate summit in history.

Swedish WILPF outside a red building
Image credit: WILPF
  • 5 min
WILPF International Secretariat
28 October 2021

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The COP26 countdown has begun. We are approaching the biggest, and most anticipated, global climate summit in history.

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In just a few days, WILPF members from multiple continents will come together in Glasgow to campaign for a greener world. WILPF is advocating for a world led by feminist values, prioritising environmental justice, human rights, and sustainable peace.

Whilst COP26 will be the epicentre of global climate activism from 31 October to 12 November, our Sections around the world have also been proactive in creating regional and national campaigns to amplify their work around environment and peace.

Are you looking for inspiration for peace and environment work in your Section, or do you simply want to learn more on the links between environment, peace, and feminism via resources and webinars? Read on to explore the amazing work of our Sections on the road to COP26.

WILPF Canada: A campaign to “Demilitarize, Decarbonize, Decolonize: The Climate Impacts and Injustice of the Canadian Military” 

WILPF Canada has implemented a project entitled “Demilitarize, Decarbonize, Decolonize: The Climate Impacts and Injustice of the Canadian Military” and will be supporting the “No New Fighter Jets” Coalition. 

Two years ago, the Liberal government under Prime Minister Trudeau launched a $19-billion competition for 88 new fighter jets. The federal government is also planning to extend the runways and to expand the hangars on the air force bases in Cold Lake, Alberta and at Bagotville, Quebec to accommodate the new combat aircraft. These Canadian air force bases are currently contaminated with hydrocarbons and PFAS and the bombing range is littered with spent munitions. This contamination will worsen with a fleet of new fighter jets. The federal government has not done any report on risks to the climate, environment, animals and Indigenous peoples of this expensive, carbon-intensive procurement. If Canada buys costly, carbon-intensive fighter jets, it will not be able to decarbonise and meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement.

In response, WILPF Canada will be releasing two reports: 

  1. A study on the climate impacts of the Canadian military;
  2. A report on the climate, environmental, and socio-cultural impacts of Canada’s planned purchase of new fighter jets. 

WILPF Canada will also be organising two webinars: “The Trauma of Fighter Jets: Why Canada Must Not Buy a New Fleet” in October and “A Feminist View from COP: Canadian Women Mobilizing for Climate Justice at Glasgow” in November.

In November, WILPF Canada will support the National Days of Action Against Fighter Jets that has been rescheduled for the week of November 22 when the new Parliament begins. Members and supporters will stand outside of their MPs’ offices with signs “No New Fighter Jets” and will deliver letters with information about the adverse impacts of fighter jets, military emissions and military expenditures.

Through this programme, WILPF Canada will help make the crucial connections between demilitarisation, decolonisation, and decarbonisation and will help make the case for disarmament for climate justice and peace.

WILPF UK: COP26 Exhibition

WILPF UK’s exhibition covers vital themes, explaining what COP 26 is, what is at stake, as well as what climate justice looks like, asking the question: What do children today and in the future depend on us to do and what will they thank us for?

WILPF UK aims to inspire hope by showing some of the people-centred and nature-based solutions available. They invite those not normally involved in campaigning to engage with a vision of what could be possible in a world where people and planet are prioritised over profit and funds now invested in militarism. The exhibition therefore focuses on vital themes such as human security and sustainable livelihoods, global solidarity and the connection of environmental justice to social and racial justice. The role of militarism in its contribution to the current crises, as well as the threat from nuclear weapons, is also a key theme. The exhibition shows the links between climate change, environmental degradation, and militarism and how the role of the military and war contribute to the climate crisis and disproportionately impact the world’s poorest, particularly women, girls, Indigenous communities, and minority groups, whose perspectives are often missing. WILPF UK also collaborated with the Stop Ecocide  campaign to explain how we can activate such a law and why it is needed so urgently.

The exhibition is being shown at several locations around the UK to coincide with COP26 in Glasgow and can also be seen on WILPF UK’s website wilpf.org.uk/climate-exhibition.  For the latest information on where to find the exhibition or if you would like to host it please contact WILPF UK at climate-exhibition (@) wilpf.org.uk.

WILPF Sweden: A webinar series on militarisation, environment and climate – a feminist issue

Held over several weeks in the autumn, WILPF Sweden has arranged a four-part webinar series which highlights the connections between military activities, environmental degradation, climate change, and conflict. Together with panels of activists and experts, the events will focus on four different aspects of this theme. The purpose is to highlight and reflect on the causes, connections, and consequences of militarism as well as environmental degradation and the climate crisis.

  1. Militarisation, environment and climate – The Swedish Armed Forces’ military exercises Time: Wednesday 20 October 16:30 – 17:30
  2. Militarisation, environment and climate – The climate crisis and nuclear weapons Time: Wednesday 27 October 16:30 – 17:30
  3. Militarisation, environment and climate – What happened at the UN climate conference? Time: Wednesday 17 November 16:30 – 17:30
  4. Militarisation, environment and climate – Local activism for global change Time: Wednesday 15 December 16:30 – 17:30

The talks will be in Swedish but are open to all. More information and registration can be found here: https://ikff.se/webinariumserie-militarisering-miljo-och-klimat-en-feministisk-angelagenhet/

Would you like to get involved with WILPF’s Environment Working Group and work towards achieving sustainable, feminist peace? Please contact katrin.geyer (a) wilpf.org to find out more about the work and join the mailing list.

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WILPF International Secretariat

WILPF International Secretariat, with offices in Geneva and New York, liaises with the International Board and the National Sections and Groups for the implementation of WILPF International Programme, resolutions and policies as adopted by the International Congress. Under the direction of the Secretary-General, the Secretariat also provides support in areas of advocacy, communications, and financial operations.

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Berit Aasen

Europe Alternate Regional Representative

Berit Aasen is a sociologist by training and has worked at the OsloMet Metropolitan University on Oslo. She has 40 years of experience in research and consultancy in development studies, including women, peace, and security, and in later years in asylum and refugee studies. Berit Aasen joined WILPF Norway five years ago. She is an alternate member of the National Board of WILPF Norway, and representing WILPF Norway in the UN Association of Norway, the Norwegian 1325 network and the Norwegian Women’s Lobby. Berit Aasen has been active in the WILPF European Liaison group and is committed to strengthening WILPF sections and membership both in Europe and relations across continents.

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.