http://tinyurl.com/42rk5wv
Dear Friends,
Historic events continue to develop throughout the Middle East and North Africa, with the evolving conflict in Libya, popular unrest in Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain, and the transition of power in Egypt and Tunisia, among others. The “Arab Spring” movement, which began to unfold only a few short months ago, is already having an impact on a number of global issues. Yet, the success of movements in Tunisia, Egypt, and elsewhere is hardly secure, and it will take a combined effort—governments, international organizations, and citizens working together—to secure the future of peace and justice in the region.
The World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP) has been working in the Middle East/North Africa region for a number of years and is continuing to expand efforts in response to the evolving context in the region. We are working with civil society and other partners on the ground to respond to the latest, urgent issues and to ensure greater future security and justice for citizens in the region.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
In March, I travelled to Tunisia with our Coalition for the International Criminal Court program to meet with government and civil society leaders, including Interim President Mebazaa. During our meetings, the interim government expressed support for ratification of the Rome Statute, as well as other international human rights treaties. I am now very pleased to report that Tunisia subsequently acceded to the Rome Statute on June 24th, becoming the 116th State Party and the fourth Arab country to join the ICC (along with Jordan, Djibouti, and the Comoros Islands). This historic step represents important progress toward securing justice for people in Tunisia and throughout the Middle East/North Africa region.
Our International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP) program also continues to advance efforts in the context of evolving developments in the region. The Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) was repeatedly invoked with respect to Libya, raising awareness of this new tool for peace and demonstrating the importance of protection of civilians from mass crimes. History—including the most recent events in Libya—has demonstrated that engagement by the international community is needed if we are to ensure peace and security for all. Hope in the power of RtoP is therefore growing, and the rapidly changing climate in the Middle East/North Africa region provides strategic opportunities to build support for human rights and accountability. Civil society involvement in the process will be crucial, and ICRtoP is therefore committed to advancing understanding of the norm, strengthening consensus, and ultimately impacting how the norm is used to protect populations at risk or in need around the globe.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Our collective global response at this time will help determine the future course of events in the Middle East/North Africa and around the world. WFM-IGP works in partnership with individuals and institutions across the globe to make long-term, measurable advances in peace and justice. Our programs seek to impact peace in the most comprehensive way: by dealing with the prevention of conflict, our response to the most urgent developments, and the resulting need for justice in the aftermath of atrocities.
Support from individuals is critical to our efforts:
•A gift of $100 can contribute toward French and Arabic translation so that the latest information is accessible to civil society organizations and human rights defenders in the region
•A gift of $1,000 can help advance justice campaigns at the national level and provide action alerts on urgent Responsibility to Protect situations
•A gift of $10,000 helps provide support for our regional offices in Jordan and Egypt, allowing us to respond more quickly to the latest on-the-ground developments
•A gift at any level helps WFM-IGP to advance important peace and justice issues and impacts our efforts around the world
SUPPORT OUR WORK
I hope you will join me in supporting WFM-IGP’s programs and efforts at this important time. Together, I know we can help secure greater peace, security, and justice for people in the Middle East/North Africa and throughout the globe.
Kind regards,
William R. Pace
Executive Director
