IHRICON Commits and Calls

 Amsterdam, 14^th December 2009

 Institute of Human Rights Communication Nepal (IHRICON) expressed its commitment towards the call to the men and boys on the equal rights for the women from the allied members of the Gender Sensitive Active Non Violent Men representatives of 17 countries.

Mr. Kapil Kafle, Executive Director of IHRICON signed during his Training of Trainers Course on Masculinity, Gender Equality and Non-violence in Amsterdam from 29^th  November to 11^th December 2009 which was organized by the Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) at Egmond aan Zee in the Netherlands.

IHRICON has aproved the document released by the ToT participants which reads as follows:

Together for Transformation: A Call to Men and Boys

On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2009 we 19 men from 17 countries coming from Africa, Asia, Europe, America, the Middle East and the Pacific gathered here in Egmond aan Zee in the Netherlands for a Training of Trainers on Gender-Sensitive Active Nonviolence, organised by the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, its Women Peacemakers Program, collectively draft this document and express our commitments towards this statement/call.

We understand that men and women are socialised in a patriarchal system that legitimises use of different forms of violence to gain, restore and control power affecting powerless and marginalised sections of society. We fully acknowledge that women suffer far more than men from gender oppression.

We understand and recognize that women have always been active agents of change. Women worldwide are standing up against all forms of discrimination and violence to bring social and gender justice and peace to the world. Some men are standing as allies with women’s struggles and notions of dominant masculinities across cultures have posed challenges for gender equality and social justice.

Both men and women are suffering in this system and they need to join hands to bring about transformative change. Men also have much to gain in health, general wellbeing and safety through this change.

We believe that all individuals have equal human rights irrespective of their gender, origin, nationality, age, religion, caste, class, race, colour, occupation, physical and mental abilities, and sexualities. All human beings have the right to a dignified life free of threat and discrimination. We assert our commitments to all international conventions and declarations, especially The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Economics Social and Cultural Rights, UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, UN Security Council

Resolution 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889. These need to be fully implemented in their true spirit and further steps need to be taken to improve policies and programs pertaining to women and gender justice.

We strongly speak out against gender inequality and discrimination towards women in all forms and show our deep commitment towards gender sensitive active nonviolence as a way of life. We are inspired by and committed to this work and the prospect of change in our lives and in our societies. We believe in people’s capacity to bring transformative change in nonviolent ways.

Therefore we call on all men and boys to:

• Adopt gender-sensitive Active Nonviolence as a way of solving problems

• End violence against women in any form

• Engage in constructive dialogue with women

• Provide space for equal and meaningful participation of women in private and public spheres

including peace building processes

• Stop militarising resistance and peace processes

• Promote policies that bring dignity to all people

We call on men and boys to join us on this journey.

Signed,

Gender Sensitive Active Non Violent Men

Women Peacemakers Program Training of Trainers

Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands

December 10 , 2009

Alphonse Ilot Muthaka

PEREXC

Mentoring Program and Socio Economic Reinsertion of Former Combatants

Democratic Republic of Congo

Alimou Diallo

West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)

Ghana

Anand Pawar

SAMYAK – A Communication and Resource Center

India

Ali Gohar

Just Peace International

Peshawar, Pakistan

Babar Bashir

ROZAN

Pakistan

Christian Ngendahimana

Fountain-Isoko for Good Governance and Integrated Development

Burundi

Kapil Kafle

Institute of Human Rights Communication

Nepal

Nixon Nembaware

Zimbabwe

Otim Tonny

Teso Women Peace Activists

Uganda

Oluoch Dola

CHEMCHEMI YA UKWELI

Active Non Violent Movement in Kenya

Kenya

Owen Murozvi

Zimbabwe Council of Churches

Harare, Zimbabwe

Paulo Baleinakodawa

Pacific Center for Peacebuilding

Fiji Islands

Rob Fairmichael

INNATE

Ireland

Ruben Reyes Jiron

The Masculinity and Gender Equality Network

Nicaragua

Samuel D. Darpolor

West Africa Network for Peace Building/

WANEP-Liberia

Liberia

Sivarajah Bagerathan

Sri Lanka

Sothea Sak

SILAKA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia

Siad Darwish

Permanent Peace Movement

Beirut - Lebanon

Valtimore B. Fenis

Mindanao Peoples Peace Movement (MPPM)

Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan (AKMK)

Mindanao, Philippines

(please refer for more details to www.ifor.org/WPP)