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#Palestine

WILPF Urgent Response in Palestine

WILPF is deeply saddened at the ongoing and escalating loss of life in Palestine and Israel, which take place in the context of ongoing Israeli occupation, war crimes and impunity. We denounce all attacks against civilians by all parties. Indiscriminate attacks on civilians are a crime under international law and cannot be justified.

Image credit: WILPF
WILPF International Secretariat
16 October 2023

Amid the ongoing and escalating loss of life in Palestine and Israel, which occurs in the context of the Israeli occupation, war crimes, and impunity, we denounce attacks against civilians by all parties. We reiterate all the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and stress the critical need to address the root causes of violence and oppression.

WILPF urgently calls for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages and arbitrary detainees, and an end to the root causes of violence and oppression. We call upon member states and the UN to demand Israel’s strict adherence to international law, as well as the lifting of the Gaza siege, the reinstatement of aid to Palestinians, the initiation of a UN-brokered peace process, and the discontinuation of support for Israel’s occupation and apartheid regime.

Take Action!

In an attempt to support  your efforts to mobilise in response to the unfolding situation, we want to share with you some resources and guidance on what you can do to help stop the ongoing atrocities and loss of life, support demands for a just and sustainable peace, and act in solidarity with Palestinians:

  • Countering disinformation and influencing the narrative: In light of the concerning reports of disinformation and the spread of false narratives of the conflict, we are sharing with you a set of resources to help ensure that we all have access to accurate and reliable information. (see list under)
  • Amplify Palestinian voices and demands: By sharing first hand testimonies, demands and supporting grass-root organising, we can amplify the voices of those most impacted by the violence and injustice.
  • Join mobilisations in your own country whenever it is safe and secure: 
    • Ask for the protection of civilian lives by joining mobilisations and doing actions and campaigns that are relevant locally. 
    • Support actions that help end complicity in Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians such as calls for and applications of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, check the BDS movement → URGENT ACTION ALERT for meaningful support for Palestinians
    • Advocate for your government, local councils and EU agencies in your country to hold Israel accountable, including through imposition of economic sanctions, incremental restrictive measures, ban on arms trade, restrictions on individuals and companies involved in the settlements, and suspension of all security cooperation and free trade agreements with Israel.
  • Donate and share donation campaigns to support the victims:
  • Let us know what reliable sources you are reading, what actions you are taking, what statement, demands and voices you think should be amplified and what campaigns should be supported. Sources and campaigns in your own languages and from your own contexts are important. We want to know and amplify a global response against war crimes, occupation and impunity. You can reach out to us at membership@wilpf.org or connect through our social media platforms.

List of Trusted Sources

Media outlets
Trustful Palestinian Sources on Twitter:
Trustful Sources on Instagram: 

Read statements and appeals of local Palestinian movements and international campaigns/organisations: 

If you have any additional sources to contribute or wish to participate in the dissemination of mobilisations and solidarity demonstrations taking place in your respective countries, please don’t hesitate to share them with us.

Other Sources of Background Content

WILPF has a long history of engagement in advocacy and solidarity actions for Palestine. In addition to the WILPF Palestine Section, this work is advanced through the International Secretariat’s MENA programme, the recently created Palestine campaign working group  and through Section initiatives such as the recent petition supported by WILPF Italy in defence of advocates for Palestinian rights, and the Middle East Peace & Justice Action Committee of WILPF US. For more information about WILPF’s work in Palestine, visit our dedicated webpage.

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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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Thank you!

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.

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