Women working for peace and prevention of war.
Joan Macdonald
On United Nations Day of all days it is useful to reflect on why the UN was
established- to end the scourge of war.
Nuclear weapons and weapons disarmament in general are one aspect of this, in the
context of being a symptom of the disease of militarism and war.
The other reasons the UN was established were the establishment of a just economic
and social order, regard for international law and the observance of human rights.
International WILPF, was established in 1915, during the 1st World War, and the first
members tried to pursued the politicians to change their minds and stop the war.
The Aotearoa Section was started in 1916 and since that time has worked on many
campaigns together with other peace and justice organisations.
WILPF works on issues of peace, human rights and disarmament at the local, national
and international levels, participating in the ongoing international debates on peace
and security issues, conflict prevention and resolution, on the elimination of all forms
of discrimination and the promotion and protection of human rights It contributes to
analysis of these issues and through its many activities, educates, informs and
mobilises women for action everywhere.
For example the organisation produces a peacewomen e-mail newsletter about
activities at the UN, particularly those which affect women, and which is circulated
widely.
WILPF organises seminars and meetings at UN HQ’s in New York and Geneva
related to Women, Peace and Security.
During this Disarmament week they are holding seminars together with UNIFEM and
Global Action to Prevent War on topics such as Women Peacemakers,
Gender and Disarmament, Justice on the Ground and Progress on Implementation of
Security Council Resolution 1325 which is about ensuring women’s participation in
decision-making at all stages of armed conflict, including pre-conflict discussions
WILPF also holds consultative status at the UN with various UN agencies such as
ECOSOC, UNESCO and UNCTAD.
WILPF has supported the creation of an International Sustainable Energy Agency,
something that could serve to replace the International Atomic Energy Agency’s
energy promotion role (and promote instead, truly sustainable energy)
and that could then free the IAEA to focus instead on creating an international
independent verification agency that concentrates on verifying disarmament and
preventing new weapons states from emerging.
At a local level in 2000 we made a submission to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and
Trade Select Committee inquiry into the role of human rights in foreign policy
In which we stated:Foreign policy should be based on a set of values which include respect for human
right;the promotion of peace and human security; the meeting of human needs such as
access to food, safe water supplies, shelter, healthcare, education and a clean safe
environment; freedom from the threat of armed conflict and war; economies (global,
regional and domestic) which empower everyone to provide adequately for
themselves and which distribute wealth in an equitable manner; and systems of
government which enable informed participation and genuine representation of the
people.
The right to peace and security is the fundamental principle underlying all human
rights agreements and is implicit in the majority of UN documents, beginning with the
UN Charter.
We expressed concern about the cost of world military expenditure as being a gross
abuse of human rights when people around the world are living in poverty.
Security continues to be perceived in its narrowest sense, as military security, rather
than human security, which comes from social justice, peace, human rights, a clean
safe environment and an economy which works for everyone.
The 1999 UN Human Development Report states “Threats to human security are
being exacerbated by globalisation.” In part this is due to the intimate linkage between
the arms manufacturers and other transnational corporations.
The imposition of the IMF’s Structural Adjustment Programmes has required in
many countries the use of physical force by agents of the state and the purchase of
small arms and riot control hardware while requiring reduction in basic social
services.
The promotion of human rights in the Asia/Pacific region should start with the NZ
Government demonstrating its commitment to human rights in this country and in its
relationship with overseas governments and peoples; and make peaceful resolution of
conflict a primary goal.
With regard to human rights in this country WILPF has been very concerned about
some recent legislation such as the Foreshore and Seabed Act which is not consistent
with some UN Conventions such as the Elimination of all Forms of Racial
Discrimination.
At the recent NCWNZ Conference a resolution, introduced by WILPF, was passed
calling for the repeal of this Act.
WILPF has also supported other Pacific peoples in their endeavours for peace in the
region, particularly the women in Bougainville, working with Bougainville Women
for Peace and Freedom; with West Papua campaigning for independent monitoring of
human rights violations and the impact of HIV/Aids; with the women of Timor Leste;
And with the women of French Polynesia in their struggle for recognition and
compensation for the nuclear tests.
We support the issues of the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Movement and the
belief of the peoples of the Pacific that their freedom from militarisation of the Pacific
is by having the opportunity to be independent from colonisation and freedom from
foreign military and intelligence bases.
I will close with words of Mohamed Elbaradei-International Atomic Energy Agency.
Imagine what would happen if the nations of the world spent as much on development
as on building the machines of war.
Imagine a world where every human being would live in freedom and dignity
Imagine a world in which we would shed the same tears when a child dies in Darfur
or Vancouver.
Imagine a world where we would settle our differences through diplomacy and
dialogue and not through bombs and bullets
Imagine if the only nuclear weapons remaining were the relics in our museums
Imagine the legacy we could leave to our children
Imagine that such a world is in our grasp.