Nobel Women's Initiative

The Nobel Women’s Initiative is calling upon Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to ensure that Canadian companies uphold the rights of the indigenous communities in which they operate.

The letter, sent last week, draws attention to the human rights violations and environmental contamination that are occurring in relation to the Canadian-owned Marlin gold mine in Guatemala. 

This week, a group of diverse Sudanese women leaders is meeting at a conference in Juba, Sudan organized by My Sister's Keeper and supported by the Nobel Women's Initiative.  

In addition to providing support for women's participation in the event, Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai alsopersonally reached out to the women of Sudan with a special message on the need to work together and to take their place in Sudan's peace processes.

The United Nations General Assembly recently approved a resolution establishing the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

UN Women/ONU Femmes is a positive response to the demands of the global women's movement. The Nobel Women's Initiative and groups around the world have long advocated for the creation of an agency to faciliate engagement with women's civil society organizations. 

The six women Nobel Peace Laureates of the Nobel Women's Initiative have sent a letter of congratulations and good wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 75th birthday.

You inspire us all with your unwavering commitment to peace, equality and respect for the dignity of every person.... We continue to stand in solidarity with you and the Tibetan people, so that Tibet may be as you envision: a zone of peace, where fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms are honoured and the natural environment is restored and protected. -- Excerpt

The Mexican Supreme Court handed down a verdict in favour of the activists of Atenco today, calling for the immediate release of 12 political prisoners, who have been detained since the state's violent crackdown on protests in Atenco in 2006.  

The Court concluded that false or insufficient evidence was utilized in the case against the the protesters. Judge Juan Silva Mesa said that the charges appeared to be a backhanded way of criminalizing social protest. 

Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi has written an open letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, decrying illegal detentions in Iran.  The letter outlines the cases of a number of imprisoned human rights defenders, including women's activist Narges Mohammadi, all detained for their participation in human rights activities.  Ebadi warned that "the continuation of such circumstances will lead to a growing violation of human rights, escalation of the current tension in Iranian society and intensification of the social crises in the country".

Read the letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human rights (English  / Farsi ).  

With the G8/G20 summits just around the corner, Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai is calling upon world leaders to recognize the risks posed by climate change to global economic stability.

Climate changes 'threatens to bring more disasters, famine, disease, resource scarcity, human displacement and migrations and economic instability than ever before’ wrote Maathai in an editorial to the Toronto Star, adding that world leaders should use the summits as an opportunity to commit to funding climate action and pledging to reduce their own emissions.

Read the full editorial.

Visit our G8/G20 blog - we're on the ground at the G8/G20!

June 19 marks the 65th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent more than 14 of the past 20 years in detention in Burma.  She is the democratically elected leader of Burma, and the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner.  

The Nobel Women's Initiative has released a statement to mark the occasion, honouring their sister Laureate and calling for international action to promote peace and democracy in Burma.  Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi also recorded a special video message in solidarity with the people of Burma.

Read the Nobel Women's Initiative statement and watch the video message from Shirin Ebadi below.

Update: IWC conference releases statement condemning Gaza flotilla attack, more below

Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams is in Madrid, Spain, to attend the international colloquium "Advancing Women's Leadership for Sustainable Peace in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict and Worldwide".  The conference is being hosted by the International Women's Commission (IWC) and UNIFEM to highlight women's leadership in the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  

Update: Mairead Maguire en route to Gaza aboard the MV Rachel Corrie

The Nobel Women's Initiative on Monday issued a statement, denouncing the Israeli military attacks on the Free Gaza flotilla in international waters in the morning hours of May 31.  The Nobel Women's Initiative condemns Israel's violence and stand in solidarity with the Free Gaza activists, including sister Laureate Mairead Maguire.

Maguire is aboard one of two ships that left later than the rest of the convoy, and was not present when the attacks occurred.  The two remaining Free Gaza ships will continue on towards Gaza.

Read the Nobel Women's Initiative statement  and find out how you can take action below.