Rome, 9 November 2018 – At this week’s Paris Peace Forum, Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will ask global leaders to consider the crucial role that increased investment in rural areas of developing countries can play  in addressing the root causes of conflicts . The Forum, 11-12 November, brings together more than 60 heads of state and government, as well as civil society leaders, to discuss global governance and concrete actions to building lasting peace.

“Peace and stability are not possible when people are hungry, poor and left behind,” Houngbo said, prior to the Forum. “With hunger on the rise for the third year in a row, it is urgent to increase financing for long-term development  that result in the economic and social transformation of rural areas.”

Houngbo highlighted that “Hunger and poverty are global plights that can only be solved through collective and coordinated action, involving government, the  private sector, NGOs and multilateral institutions, as well as research centres, academia, and most importantly rural women and men.”

About 80 per cent of the poorest and most food insecure people of the world live in rural areas.

Food security represents a basic requirement for peaceful societies as acknowledged by the UN resolution 2417 adopted last May.

The 2017 and 2018 editions of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) – co-authored by IFAD and other partner UN agencies – underscore how food insecurity and competition for dwindling natural resources can  become one of the triggers for instability, particularly in contexts marked by fragile institutions and climate-related events.

Droughts, for example, can jeopardize food security which, in turn, increases the risk of violence and conflict. Studies cited in the SOFI indicate that as drought intensifies and lingers, the likelihood of conflict rises significantly. One example is the Sahel, a region Houngbo visited in August. Plagued by hunger, poverty and recurring droughts, the region experiences conflicts between farmers and pastoralists as well as armed groups.

The 2018 edition of the SOFI report released in September reports that there are nearly 821 million people facing starvation and malnutrition in the world today.

By investing in rural areas, IFAD helps improve rural livelihoods, food security and youth employment  and in doing so contributes to stability. With a longstanding experience in some of the most remote rural areas in developing and emerging economies, IFAD works closely with governments and local communities and understands the root causes of conflicts. For example, IFAD has significant experience working in fragile situations, implementing projects to help communities manage natural resources peacefully.

At the Fourm, Houngbo will participate in the panel  “Gender equality: is time up?” where he will  underline the importance of gender equality and explain why it is a pre-condition to end poverty, enable sustainable development and ensure lasting peace.

IFAD-supported projects empower rural women by strengthening their access to land, credit and productive resources, as well as by facilitating  behaviour change within households that promote sharing workloads and resources equitably. Half of rural people reached by IFAD’s investments are women.

IFAD has invested in rural people for 40 years, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided US$20.4 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached about 480 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency based in Rome – the UN’s food and agriculture hub.

The post Peace and stability are not possible without rural development, says IFAD President ahead of Paris Peace Forum appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

• Myanmar has made great progress in recent years, but faces political challenges to ensure stability
• Education and investment are keys to unlocking greater prosperity and deepening the nation’s project of development
• Suu Kyi: In hindsight, the situation in Rakhine State could have been handled better; accepts 100% of responsibility and reaffirms commitment to repatriation of displaced Rohingyas, and restoration of peace
• Suu Kyi defends the transparency of the court proceedings in recent sentencing of journalists

Ha Noi, Viet Nam, 13 September 2018 – Myanmar is committed to achieving peace and prosperity in coming years as it continues to develop, affirmed Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar, at the World Economic Forum on ASEAN.

Adaptability and conviction have been key to the country’s achievements so far, stressed Suu Kyi. “Young people have changed, and also our civil servants,” she said. “I’m not just talking about corruption; it’s also about the fact that they feel more confident, and they feel they can take initiative much more.”

Education is a priority to continue this trend, she stressed. “It is through education that you teach the people to understand how to create peace and prosperity.” Education does not end after school,” she added, “but encompasses all efforts “to give the people an opportunity to learn more about what kind of role they can play.”

“Our young people are very creative and innovative,” Suu Kyi said, “in spite of the fact that we have had a very poor education system.” She invited entrepreneurs to invest in Myanmar’s young people and their business endeavours, for example, efforts to produce ethanol from the cocoa fruit.

Myanmar attracted $8 billion in foreign direct investment last year. Welcoming “more and better investments”, Suu Kyi emphasized that “we also accept that we have a responsibility to … attract more of the kind of investments we want,” especially in the fields of education and agriculture.

About 70% of the population of Myanmar still lives in rural areas; Suu Kyi highlighted Myanmar’s potential to play a leading role in global food security. “Food starts from the earth,” she said, and Myanmar – once known as the rice bowl of the world – is diversifying its agriculture.

Yet, there are thorny political challenges to negotiate in order to continue on the road of development to which her party, the National League for Democracy, is committed, acknowledged Suu Kyi.

On the role of the military, which holds 25% of Parliamentary seats by law, she reaffirmed that to have “25% unelected Parliamentarians is not in line with democratic values, and this has to change. All legislators should be elected freely by the people.”

Such a process would be negotiated and step-by-step, Suu Kyi said, in the interests of national reconciliation, and she reiterated that the National League for Democracy has never supported public demonstrations. “We have tried to do everything within the framework of the law, because we believe that rule of law is absolutely essential for the stability of our country and the security of our people.”

“Politics is politics,” Suu Kyi commented. “People seem to think that politics in opposition are different to politics in office. Unless you work with people, you cannot help a country to achieve sustainable development.”

On the topic of dislocation and violence in Rakhine State, Suu Kyi reaffirmed Myanmar’s commitment to the repatriation of displaced Rohingyas, and a restoration of peace. “Although we only have 75% of the Parliament,” she said, “we have to accept 100% of the responsibility.”

She emphasized that the rule of law must apply to all. “There are of course ways in which we, with hindsight, might think that the situation could have been handled better, but we believe that for the sake of long-term stability and security, we have to be fair to all sides.”

Suu Kyi also commented on the recent sentencing of two Reuters journalists in Myanmar to seven years in jail. She defended the transparency of the court proceedings, and invited observers to read the sentencing summary to point out any miscarriage of justice. “Due process allows them to appeal the sentence.”

“They were not jailed because they were journalists,” she said. “They were jailed because … the court has decided that they have broken the Official Secrets Act.”

Suu Kyi expressed her hope and conviction that her party will win the next elections, in 2020, in order to continue their programme of development in line with the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan released earlier this year. “We want to be part of the process of bringing the country out of poverty.”

“Peace and prosperity cannot be divided,” Suu Kyi closed. “These two go together.”

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. (www.weforum.org).

The post Peace and Prosperity are Priorities for Myanmar, Says Suu Kyi appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

NEW YORK/VIENNA, 23 May 2018 (UN Information Service) — Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) called for renewed anti-corruption action at an event to mark the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

The high-level debate was opened by the President of the General Assembly, Miroslav Lajèák and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

The UNODC Executive Director noted the achievements of the Convention, which has become “an integral part of the modern system of international law” with 184 States Parties.

“It is hard to believe that just fifteen years ago, there was no global instrument to criminalize corruption, to recover and return stolen proceeds. Now nearly every country in the world has corruption offences on their books,” he said.

Mr. Fedotov further highlighted the importance of the Convention for achieving targets under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Tackling corruption, bribery and money laundering, as well as recovering stolen assets, are specific targets under SDG 16. Moreover, such action is clearly a prerequisite to sustaining foreign investment, innovation and economic growth, “he said. “But anti-corruption responses are also crucial to ensuring access to healthcare, water, education and other vital services; protecting forests, oceans and wildlife; and reducing inequalities.”

Going forward, he urged governments to provide resources for effective implementation of the Convention, particularly to support developing countries, and underscored the need for reliable anti-corruption data to measure SDG progress.

“I very much hope this fifteenth anniversary will renew commitment to take the next needed steps in our collective fight against corruption. Let us take this opportunity to ensure that justice can be served,” said the Executive Director.

The post Event to mark 15th anniversary of the UN Convention against Corruption highlights links to peace and security, sustainable development appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

• EU’s Mogherini expressed hope that US administration would forego protectionist policies, support free trade
• Germany’s von der Leyen stressed that the use of military means alone cannot lead to success
• International community must work together against the “plague” on Jordan’s borders
• The panel called for Russia to put more pressure on Syrian government
• More information about the meeting: http://wef.ch/mena17

Dead Sea, Jordan, 20 May 2017 – Syria is at a critical crossroads as the battle continues against the so-called Islamic State. What will happen next in a country suffering through brutal conflict for six years? Hopes are high that the US presidential visit can recast the American-Middle East relationship as a fight against radicalism. At the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, panellists agreed that it’s important to create a culture of hope rather than one of despair, and young people are critical to the process.

Ursula von der Leyen, Federal Minister of Defence of Germany, and a Co-Chair of the meeting, said: “The US has said it is accelerating the campaign against Daesh. If we want to be successful, we must defeat Daesh.” Using military means in Syria and the region will “never be sustainable”. The path to sustainability lies in reconstruction, reconciliation and good governance. Von der Leyen added that the US Secretary of State is pursuing this path.

To solve the problems across the region it is important to look at the broader picture rather than focus on “silos,” warned Ayman Al Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. “We need to fight Daesh together. It is a threat to all of us. The key is to take a holistic approach to the problem.” It’s important to “deconstruct the environment of anger and bitterness” that contributed to the rise of Daesh, he added, enabling it to recruit disillusioned young people. “Youth needs to see opportunity moving forward, Al Safadi added. “The challenge is to construct plans that deliver. I hope we have learned from the mistakes of the past.” He called for the international community to work together against the “plague” on Jordan’s borders and for a Marshall plan to create hope. It’s time to address the disparities across the region.

Børge Brende, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway pointed out that the US has put together “a really competent security team. The US president acted in a proportional way to let the Syrian president know that the use of chemical weapons against his people is unacceptable.”

“The Syrian war is a complete humanitarian disaster,” Brende said. “We have to break the impasse.” He said it is important for President Trump to have “constructive discussions” with Russia and to strengthen the momentum for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The US has trust in Israel and “can build bridges.”

Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission, Brussels, said the EU has “opened channels” with the Trump administration. Europe has “built an amazing world order since the Second World War based on win-win,” she said. “This paradigm is needed to eradicate poverty. I hope the Trump administration does not go into a protectionist mode … and will support the World Trade Organization.” Europe stands for free trade. Mogherini added that there are regional issues where the EU and the US can work together – especially on Syria.

There must be a “big plan for the reconstruction of Syria,” economically, socially and physically. The amount of money needed will be huge, Mogherini said. But reconstruction must also extend to building trust, respecting diversity and creating the ability to work together.

Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said, “We cannot put small Band-Aids on big wounds.” To fix the problems of the region, there has to be political engagement by the major powers, he added. “Otherwise we will go into a downward spiral. There has to be willingness across the region to work with others,” he said. The region possesses the “necessary rules and principles, but there needs to be concrete political willingness to stop the bloodshed.” The fear is that “we have waited too long to find political solutions.”

The panel discussed the role of Russia in Syria, which should include putting pressure on Syrian President Bashar Hafez al-Assad. Brende pointed out that there is a “new normal” and new players. He said the six years of civil war has killed 400,000 people and 33 million children have been out of school since the outbreak of the war. “We are losing a generation if this continues. There is a way to break this impasse,” he said.

The World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa is taking place at the Dead Sea in Jordan on 19-21 May. With the full support and presence of Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah, this year marks the Forum’s ninth meeting in Jordan and the 16th meeting in the region. More than 1,000 business and political leaders and representatives from civil society, international organizations, youth and the media from over 50 countries will participate under the theme, Enabling a Generational Transformation.

The post No Peace in the Middle East without Defeating Daesh – Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Good Governance Need to Follow appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

The World Union of Jesuit Alumni (WUJA) will hold its quadrennial international Congress at John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio, from June 27–July 2. It will be the first-ever WUJA conference in North America. Past congresses have been in Rome, Versailles, Sydney, Kolkata, Bujumbura and Medellin.

WUJA is an international organization founded in 1956 to support the mission and ideals of the Society of Jesus. Every four years, WUJA convenes alumni of Jesuit schools—elementary, high schools, colleges and universities—from throughout the world to celebrate Jesuit education and Ignatian spirituality.

“We are delighted to bring the WUJA Congress to North America for the first time in the organization’s 60-year history,” said Alain Deneef, a Belgium-based entrepreneur and president of WUJA. “Jesuit alumni and friends from all over the world will gather for what promises to be a great Congress, and a moment of true friendship between men and women for and with others.”

“John Carroll University is proud to serve as the 2017 host for this amazing event,” said Rev. Robert L. Niehoff, SJ, president of John Carroll. “The Cleveland area’s strong network of Jesuit alumni and institutions—John Carroll, St. Ignatius High School, Walsh Jesuit High School, St. Martin de Porres High School, Gesu Parish and the Jesuit Retreat House in Parma—contributed to the city’s selection four years ago at the 2013 Congress in Medellin.”

The 2017 event will feature a diverse three-day program of renowned speakers in the arts, business, science, law, spirituality, theology, faith and leadership, service, and justice. The program will offer 28 individual sessions in a concurrent track format so that attendees can select sessions of interest to them.

Keynote speakers include: the Very Rev. Timothy P. Kesicki, S.J., president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States; Rev. Gregory J. Boyle, S.J., founder and executive director of the social enterprise Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles; Chris Lowney, best-selling author and current board chair of Catholic Health Initiatives; Katherine Marshall, a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs; and Rev. Peter Balleis, SJ, director of Jesuit Worldwide Learning–Higher Education at the Margins (JWL), a collaborative global initiative that provides certificate and diploma programs to those who live in refugee camps and in other places where higher learning is out of reach.

Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J., the new Superior General of the Jesuits, will participate via live video feed from Rome.

“In addition to an incredible speaker program, the event will also provide unique opportunities for attendees to connect, learn and celebrate,” said WUJA Congress 2017 Chair Frank Brady, a retired Detroit business executive and John Carroll alumnus. “I expect each attendee will walk away with new friends and wonderful memories.”

Evening activities include a reception at Cleveland’s famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; a professional baseball game with the Cleveland Indians’ minor-league affiliate Lake County Captains; a choral and chamber orchestra performance of a classical piece dedicated to the Congress at the new Maltz Performing Arts Center; and a Saturday liturgy service.

For more information about WUJA Congress 2017, including registration, keynote speakers and participants, travel and accommodations, and program updates, please visit –

https://www.wujacongress2017.org

The post Wuja Congress 2017 at Cleaveland, Ohio, USA from 27 June – 2 July2017 appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

(Stockholm, Utrecht, 19 January 2016) On 22 January, just over 25 months after the start of the civil war in South Sudan, the scheduled formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity will be one of the first major milestones in the peace process. The swearing in of the transitional government would be enormous progress, but nothing in South Sudan is certain and the event may just as easily be postponed. According to the report “Scenarios for South Sudan in 2020” released today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and Dutch peace organisation PAX, there is hope for a peaceful future if the 2015 peace agreement is implemented and the peace process opened up beyond the current parties. Otherwise, the human cost will likely be tremendous and the country might even risk complete fragmentation.

The post SIPRI and PAX: Hope for peace in South Sudan, but fragmentation still a risk appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

Bhopal, 5th Oct 2015:

 Bhopal Christian Prayer for peace, progress and unity of India. The prayer service began with praise and worship followed by the lightning of the lamp and national anthem there were many MLA’s and MP were present along with police officers.

 Father Maria Stephen, the PRO welcomed everyone present and Fr. Jose Prakash the coordinator spoke of the purpose and the meaning of the gathering and invited everyone to be present in true spirit throughout the prayer service.

Dr. Leo Cornelio ,  Archbishop of Bhopal extended his greetings and best wishes for a guest gathering and asked everyone to come forward to build better India. During the prayer service different priests, pastors and laity prayed for the constitution and President, judiciary, prime minister and ministers of central government, chief minister and his cabinet, warriors, youth and children, election commission and media etc.

The choir created prayerful atmosphere through melodious singing. Pastor Shibu Thomas thanked everyone for their graceful presence. Later all the people held their hands together to sing ‘Bind us together o Lord’ to express unity and solidarity with millions of people who die of hunger and lack of love. The entire prayer service was organized by the UCPI, PR Office and commission for Dialogue and Ecumenism.

The post Bhopal Christian Prayer for peace, progress and unity of India appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

India, Bhopal, 14 August 2015:

Catholic conference of Madhya Pradesh (C.C.M.P) organized two days meeting at Pastoral Centre, Bhopal.  All the Catholic Bishops of Madhya Pradesh and the various representatives from the various parts of Madhya Pradesh namely Bhopal, Indore, Satna, Sagar, Khandwa, Jhabua, Ujjain, Gwalior and Jabalpur participated.  The Focus of the meeting was “In growing environment of violence and unrest, a challenge to become a messenger of peace.”

Reflecting upon the theme, all the participants emphasized to live their life more effectively inspired by the teachings of Jesus Christ, so that by their lives and services they could make a better and peaceful society. They also committed to bring more dedication in their services through education, health and other social services.

Jesus Christ offered entire life for the service of poor, weak and marginalized to raise them to respectable life. He worked to bring unity and equality of all and the same he taught to his followers.  His greatest commandment is to ‘love one another as yourself.’

Dr Leo Cornelio, Archbishop of Bhopal said” Today in society, communal forces and antisocial elements for their vested interests are trying to divide the society on the basis of religion, cast, colour and language.  We need to come together and face these challenges. We need to protect the society from these divisive and unconstitutional elements to keep up the unity and sovereignty of our country.  Such an environment challenges us to become real messengers of peace”.

In this context Pope Francis in his recently published encyclical, “Laudato si” says that we all are children of God.  God as our father we are all brothers and sisters. ‘Vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ is our family.  We all need to live in fraternity and peace.  Stressing on environment Pope Francis makes us aware of our responsibility towards the mother earth.  God has created the earth for our benefit and she takes care for our life and its sustenance. We need to protect her and not destroy.  Till now man has exploited the earth for his selfish interest and its dangerous implications are before us.  Therefore it is wake up call for all of us.

Mahatma Gandhi says, “The world has enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed”.

The post Catholic Bishops of Madhya Pradesh  committed to improve the lives of the people  for peace and harmony appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

• 70,000 VISIT THE 5-DAY “THE PAKISTAN SHOW”
• VISITORS TAKE HOME MESSAGE OF PEACE
• “INDIA SHOW” EXHIBITION BY PHD CHAMBER IN ISLAMABAD IN FEBRUARY, 2016
• PHD CHAMBER TO HOST “SAARC BUYER-SELLER MEET” IN PITEX, 2015 IN DECEMBER

Amritsar, 25 May, 2015

The Pakistan Show came to its logical culmination with the coming together of people from the two nations exchanging love and affection with each other.

“The aim of forging better people to people relations, culminating into B2B trade relations between the two nations through these expos seems fulfilled satisfactorily”, said Dalip Sharma, Director, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, adding, “You can see the nationals of both the countries mingling together with each other, sharing the common rich cultural heritage, language, besides dressing, with the huge rush of visitors thronging the Pakistani Stalls and buying products.”

Sharing that more than 70,000 visitors visited the show over the 5 days, Sharma expressed satisfaction over the overall response to the show.

Responding to the call of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry to organize such events in Pakistan as well, where the people from India could visit Pakistan, and a people to people connect could be established on their side as well, Sharma informed, “We have decided that PHD Chamber will hold an “India Show” exhibition in Islamabad in February, 2016 to further strengthen the INDO-PAK trade ties. 100-150 exhibitors will be participating in the show.” The program will be supported by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, he added.

This would not only boost trade and commerce but also make the people on Pak side more and more receptive to their Indian counterparts and create an environment conducive for further acceptance of each other.

Sharma further informed, “Concurrent to the annual event of PHD Chamber, Punjab International Trade Expo, PITEX, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in association with Ministry of Commerce, Government of India shall organize“SAARC Buyer and Seller Meet” in December, 2015. 100 foreign exhibitors are expected to participate therein.”

The exhibitors and officials from Pakistan were optimistic that the governments, both in India, and Pakistan would be able to plan and organise things for better bilateral trade environment on both sides.

The exhibitions seemed visibly very happy with the response to their products.  Khurshid Barlas, Chairman, Regional Trade Committee and executive Member, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry shared that next time, there shall be more additions to the products and variety.

Barlas added that credit goes to such exhibitions and expos as these, which go a long way in confidence building. Bilateral trade is perhaps the only such thing which can pave way to peaceful and harmonious co-existence of the allies.

The 5-day event, said the visiting Pakistani traders, is like a bridge between the two Punjabs.  “During our stay here, we failed to realise even once that we are in India.  The culture, food, language, and even accent is so similar that not even once we felt out of place”, said Shahnaaz from Lahore.

Tasleem Ahmed Warsi and Mohammed Khilji from Warsi Food Karachi, putting up the Pak food court in the exhibitions said the love being showered on us is simply amazing.  Inviting the Indian to visit Pakistan, Ahmed said, “It would be wonderful, if people from India also visit Pakistan and see themselves how Pakistanis long to visit India.”

The designer lehangas, anarkali suits, gems, jewellery, and juttis are the other big hit with the visitors, specially the youngsters.  The polka, kundan, and oxidized jewellery sold like hot cakes.

It being the last day, people thronged the Trillium Mall since early morning. Sharma appreciated and thanked the masses at Amritsar for making the 5-day expo so successful.

“The potential gains from the increased bilateral co-operation between Indian and Pakistan are immense.  Relaxed issuing of visas, rupee trade and lesser complications in customs procedures may well enhance the scope for trade”, said Sharma.

The two sides have been making efforts to strengthen the economic relations between the two countries.  Remarking that better relations are a win-win situation for both traders and governments, Sharma said “As it is, informal trade between Indian and Pakistan via third countries like the United Arab Emirates (mainly Dubai), Singapore and Hong Kong is estimated at $10 billion.  Moreover, the legalized trade would reduce costs and increase government revenue.”

India and developed high competitiveness in services sector.  Other areas with potential for cooperation in the near future could be petroleum products, iron and steel, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automobiles, heavy industries, electricity trade, small and medium enterprises, IT and IT enabled services, telecommunications, transportation and financial services, he added.

The post PHD Chamber- Amritsar- The Pakistan Show- 2015- Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry- Bilateral Trade- Economy- Peace appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

 Bangkok, 20 May 2014: The Royal Thai Army has declared martial law that covers the entire Kingdom of Thailand, effective from 03.00 hrs today.

The post Military called in to ensure peace for citizens and tourists in Bangkok appeared first on Core Sector Communique.