PEACE, WOMEN, SECURITY & SECULARISM
Towards the 19th Anniversary of the United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women and Peace and Security; and
In support of the SDGs#5, #16 and #17
Concept Note by Bircan ÜNVER
Date: On Thursday, April 11, 2019
Venue: The Salvation Army Intl. Social Justice Commission, NYC, NY
INTRODUCTION:
This event aims to support and create awareness on the United Nations Security Council Resolution #1325 on “Peace, Women and Security” (2000) in correlation with the concept of “Secularism”, which is the missing key component of the #1325 framework. It also aims to introduce the SDGS#5, 16 and 17 to the general public in conjunction with the #1325 towards the attainment of the 2030 Development Agenda.
BACKGROUND:
Although rapidly approaching to the 19th Anniversary of the historical achievement and unanimous approval of the UN Security Council Resolution #1325 “Peace, Women & Security” on October 31, 2000, the last 19 years did not present a much safer world, despite of the appreciation and expanded recognition and knowledge of the #1325 in the world since then. In contrary, the last 19 years has brought in more domestic, regional and international long-lasting and sustained conflicts versus sustained “peace and security” which has produced about 68.5 million forced refugees on the global level, which is the highest figure of the Human History.
As taking on the year 2000 as the marking point both for the #1325 along with the Millennium Declaration (MD) in 2000 together, in many parts of the world both on the local-national-regional and global levels, the risks and threats were more present during the first 15 years’ time-period, versus security in terms of Global Peace and Security on Women/Girls’ daily safe livelihood at large.
The second stage of the Millennium Declaration–2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals from 2015 to 2030, unfortunately has left out the backbone of ‘human development and sustainability’ such as #Article 1, 3 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which stated:
Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
(Source: http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/)
Without these critical articles as the backbone of the 17 Goals of the SDGs, which means that the UN has not been able to place “human development” along with UNSCR#1325 at the heart of the SDGs on “PEACE, WOMEN & SECURITY”!
In this context, while celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular, Article 1, Article 3 and Article #19, these articles are somewhat undermined by the Member States of the UN versus “Freedom of Religion”.
There has been too much emphasis on, in particular, through well established powerful religious institutions “on Freedom of Religion” versus “Freedom of Expression”. This has been an escalating trend and juxtaposition that also somewhat triggered, encouraged and set out a global tone on the global level towards rapid rising of the extremism and fundamentalism since 2000. As its effect and overall outcome, secularism has been pushed away and ignored, treated as if “it is NOT worth to mention”, or NOT to be included to the ongoing key discussions both on the ground of the United Nations as well as on the national and the global levels.
Within this abstract context, the leading organization of this event, The Light Millennium, and the co-organizer/co-sponsors aim to bring back the “Secularism” concept into the discussion at the UN Ground as both in “subtle –and–underlining” concept and a proposal in reference to “Peace & Security” for “Women/Girls” and “Human Security for all”.
In fact, the United Nations is a purely secular-multilateral, multi-ethnic, multi-religion and utmost important Organization of the World to provide “PEACE & SECURITY” for all human beings that “No One Should Be Left Behind”. On the other-hand, there is no mention of this particular issue, almost to the point of “removal” of secularism that is one of the key umbrella mechanism and solutions towards embracing all religions, race, ethnic, creed, etc., which only not has been emptied out its whole concept to as if it is a marginalized movement. But also that “removal’ has led and presented to the global community at large a much higher risk in their daily lives. With that, leaving out the Articles 1, 3 and 19 as the backbone of the SDGs along with the absent of “human development” as first approach, putting these together, which clearly hindered both the progress in the UNSCR#1325 and closing the “Gender Parity” gap along with making progress towards the achieving of the 2030 Agenda.
As the consequences of this ongoing global trend, it also means that “development of healthy and intelligent minds” of the global population at large that has been undermined, too, in comparison with “being a follower” of any given religion. A combination all of all these has been providing several back-doors and many gray areas to, in particular “dark” international politics, business, war-lords and conflict creators-and-sustainers. In our times, unfortunately, we’ve been witnessing long-term sustained conflicts, regional wars versus decent sustained lives, versus “human development as first” and “versus equal opportunities to all”.
In conclusion, this event aims to bring back the “Secularism” concept into the discussion in correlation with the #1325 and SDGs, as a proposal to be; and sustain “Peace, Woman and Human Security” at large in the world, which may be the only way to speed up achievements of the SDGS by 2030.
- Concept Note by: Bircan Ünver, The Light Millennium | Date: Feb. 22, 2019 (Updated on April 9, 2019 by B.Ü.)
- Thanks to Ilknur Boray, Ataturk Society of America, for her inputs.
The Light Millennium aims to post all the presented statements/ideas through the www.unngoga.org website follow by April 11, 2019 Program,and submissions to be emailed toEVENT@lightmillennium.Org . Thank You.
Run-Down of the PEACE, WOMEN, SECURITY AND SECULARISM Event (Final)
PROGRAMME-Booklet with Bios of the SPEAKERS
(version#9 as of April 10, 2019)
Photo Album – Opening Session
UNSCR 1325: On Peace and Women and Security, and Secularism-1
http://www.lightmillennium.org/gallery1/index.php/1325-On-Peace-and-Women-and-Security-and-Secularism
Photo Album – II – Multi-Participatory Session
Peace and Women and Security, and Secularism – 2
http://www.lightmillennium.org/gallery1/index.php/Peace-and-Women-and-Security-and-Secularism-2
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