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Programme Leaflet [PDF version Oct. 2004] Programme Leaflet [WORD version] Oct 2004

Peace is a vital requirement for the promotion and protection of human rights for all. One of IFUW's founding principles was the need to work toward world peace. The preservation and promotion of peace demand that the policies of States be directed towards the elimination of the threat of war, particularly nuclear war, the renunciation of the use or threat of use of force in international relations and the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means.

The United Nations Security Council passed an historic resolution on Women, Peace and Security in October 2002, recognizing the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building, and stressing the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, and the need to increase their role in decision- making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution.

However, human security is not limited to traditional issues of national military security, arms control, police, counterterrorism, transnational crime and peacekeeping operations. It is a broad concept that also addresses questions related to poverty, health and medical care, refugees, natural resources, disaster prevention and relief. It extends to many forms of protection for all individuals - freedom from fear and violence, the right to human dignity, the satisfaction of basic needs and freedom to take action on one's own behalf.

Change requires that a new equilibrium be found. Our world is undergoing dramatic change at an unprecedented speed. Globalization is creating new opportunities, but with them come new challenges and problems that are endangering human security:

• New pockets of poverty, unemployment and economic migration
• Local armed conflicts, expanded terrorism and organized crime
• Threats to the global environment, including sea and air pollution
• Fast spreading epidemics
• Cybercrime
• Growing commercialization, even of higher education

While our world is being enriched by the increasing diversity of cross cultural exchanges, it is also at risk of fragmentation. As challenges become more complex and new actors play a role, the focus must broaden from security of the state to the security of people.

The attainment of human security requires both protection and empowerment. Protection shields people from danger through efforts to develop norms, processes and institutions tht systematically address insecurity. Empowerment enables people to develop their potential and become full participants in decision-making. Protection and empowerment are mutually reinforcing.

Our common future calls for solutions in many areas that will ensure inclusion, democracy and human security. IFUW, as well as other organizations, must be forward looking and must understand emerging trends that will affect the lives of women and the societies in which they live.

Human Security is being addressed globally not only by the United Nations, but also by the academic world. Educational institutions around the world are developing interdisciplinary research programmes that address all facets of human security, from the human cost of military conflcts to conflict prevention and resolution, health, development and human rights.

IFUW members, as agents for change, should take part both in research and in action projects for decent standards of living, environmental protection, freedom from all forms of violence, and an end to discrimination, especially against women.

Click on the links below to access further information on specific issues,
ideas for action, project examples and links to additional resources

• Empowerment of women and girls for participation, leadership and decision-making roles in economic, political and social arenas
• Human rights and women’s rights
• Gender balance in peace-keeping missions, negotiations and reconstruction
• Culture of tolerance in families and communities
• Prevention of all forms of violence, including domestic violence
• Human security for vulnerable populations
• Network building for peace and security