Environmental Peacebuilding Association

International

DRC: Poor Governance Fuels ‘Horrible Dynamic’ of Deforestation in DRC

Dec 21, 2020 | Victoria Schneider, Mongabay

Considered by the World Bank one of the poorest countries in the world based on GDP per capita, as well as being home to 60%…

Myanmar: Officials Meet with KNU over Dam Project

Dec 21, 2020 | Mizzima

Officials from the Peace Commission and two ministries have discussed holding a coordination meeting with Karen National Union (KNU) representatives for the implementation of Bawkahta…

Peru: In an Oil Spill’s Aftermath in Peru, New Voices Lead an Indigenous Fight for Justice

Dec 18, 2020 | Francesca Garcia Delgado and Vanessa Romo (Adapted by Genevieve Belmaker), Mongabay

When more than 2,300 barrels of oil spilled into Peru’s Marañón River near the community of Cuninico in 2014, it spurred women of the community…

Kenya: In Kenya’s Changing Climate, Women are Claiming Land Rights to Feed their Families

Dec 18, 2020 | Sophie Mgubua, Climate Home News

14 years ago, Alice Lasoi’s marriage ended after eight years. With four children in tow and seven months pregnant, she returned to her father’s home, Namelok…

Nepal: Nepali Women Doubly Burdened by Climate Change

Dec 18, 2020 | Sewa Bhattarai, Nepali Times

Agriculture expert Yamuna Ghale was on a research visit to Dolakha district when she heard the women livestock farmers complain that their goats had weak…

South Sudan: Conflict, Floods and COVID-19 Push South Sudanese into Extreme Hunger

Dec 18, 2020 | UN

Driven by insecurity, the effects of COVID-19, an on-going economic crisis, and the impact of flooding on livelihoods, three UN agencies called on Friday for…

Colombia: Environmental Defenders in Colombia Are Being Killed in Alarming Numbers

Dec 18, 2020 | Jariel Arvin, Vox

In Colombia, working to protect the environment can put a target on your back — and even cost you your life.

Colombia: The Cocoa, Forests & Peace Initiative in Colombia Forms New Partnerships and Consolidates Action Plans for the Future

Dec 16, 2020 | IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative

Although the global pandemic caused difficulties and required flexibility, the Cocoa, Forests & Peace Initiative in Colombia has achieved significant progress over the past year.…

Afghanistan: Three New Drought-Adapted ICARDA/ARIA Wheat Varieties Released in Afghanistan

Dec 16, 2020 | International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

ICARDA and the Agricultural Research Institute of Afghanistan (ARIA) have released three new Drought-Resistant Wheat Varieties in Afghanistan to help overcome the increasing menace of…

Gaza/West Bank: In the West Bank, Cleaner Streets Mean Better Environmental and Living Conditions for Communities

Dec 16, 2020 | World Bank

In West Bank and Gaza, decades of conflict and political instability had left gaps in public services and proper waste collection. The Hebron and Bethlehem…

Climate Change: How Climate Services Can Help Mitigate Crises and Conflict

Dec 16, 2020 | Planetary Security Initiative

Extreme weather events such as droughts and floods are expected to become more severe under future climate conditions. This implies a concern for policymakers in…

Forests: REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation

Dec 15, 2020 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN

On the 10th December, to mark the International Human Rights Day, FAO and the Environmental Peacebuilding Association’s Forest Interest Group in collaboration with the governments of Myanmar…

Kenya: Empowering Women in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding

Dec 14, 2020 | Joyce Wamae Kamau, Independent Catholics News

Over the last ten years, the Shalom Center for Conflict Resolution & Reconciliation (Shalom - SCCRR) has empowered 6,706 women with knowledge, skills and techniques…

Libya: Libyan Women Seek Greater Participation in Peace Talks

Dec 11, 2020 | Nisan Ahmado

Libyan women played an influential role in the country's popular protests that led to the downfall of Moammar Gadhafi's regime in October 2011. Nine years…

South Sudan: South Sudan Taps into Gum Arabic Exports to Diversify Economy

Dec 11, 2020 | Xinhua

South Sudan on Thursday announced the country's first export of gum arabic into the European market. A local South Sudanese company is set to export…

Colombia: Female Colombian Coffee Farmers Demonstrate Resiliency Against Climate Change in 'Unseen Guardians' Photo Exhibit

Dec 10, 2020 | Purdue University

A photo exhibit featuring female Colombian coffee farmers will premiere online and in-person in Santa Rosa, Colombia, on Dec. 9. “Unseen Guardians: Rural Colombian Women and the Earth”…

The Arctic: New Project on Gender and Security in the Arctic

Dec 10, 2020 | PRIO

PRIO is part of a new MFA funded project on Gender and Security in the Arctic (GSA). The project will be led by Gunhild Hoogensen…

Iraq: Two Small Iraqi Oil Wells Set Ablaze in 'Terrorist Attack', Ministry Says

Dec 8, 2020 | Reuters

Two wells in a small oilfield in northern Iraq were set ablaze by explosives on Wednesday in a “terrorist attack” but overall production from the…

Afghanistan: US Leaves behind Afghan Bases — and a Legacy of Land Disputes

Dec 8, 2020 | Mujib Mashal and Zabihullah Ghazi, New York Times

Jamal Khan is one of countless Afghans whose land became a casualty of the U.S.-led war and the sprawling military infrastructure born from it. They…

Brazil: Women Are Still Not Heard in the Climate Policy Conversation

Dec 7, 2020 | Meghie Rodrigues

Climate change effects don’t have the same impact on everyone: Vulnerable groups always have it worse. This discrepancy is apparent even when these groups are…

Vietnam: Viet Nam and United Nations Convenes Global Conference to Accelerate Action on Global Commitments on Women, Peace and Security

Dec 7, 2020 | UN Women

As part of the continuing commemoration of 25 years of the Beijing Platform for Action on Women’s Empowerment and the 20th anniversary of landmark UN Security…

Colombia: Colombian Environmental Official Assassinated in Southern Meta Department

Dec 7, 2020 | Antonio José Paz Cardona, Mongabay

December 3, 2020 was a fateful day for the defense of the environment in Colombia. Javier Francisco Parra Cubillos, an official from regional environmental authority Cormacarena…

Afghanistan: Solar Power Provides a Lifeline to Afghanistan's Hospitals

Dec 6, 2020 | World Bank

Since it recorded its first COVID-19 case in February 2020—and incidentally, the first case in Afghanistan—the Herat province has logged the country's second-highest number of…

Afghanistan: 67 Mining Projects to be Offered for Bidding

Dec 6, 2020 | Wadsam

The High Economic Council (HEC) has approved 67 mining projects out of 108 proposed sites. The approved mining sites include construction materials, marble and garnet…

Iraq: Establishing a Sovereign Wealth Fund in Iraq

Dec 6, 2020 | Iraq Business News

Throughout history, financial crises have been met with innovative reform plans that help develop the resilience of a country's economic system, except when it comes…

Climate Change: Climate Change as a National Security and Foreign Policy Priority: Opportunities and Challenges for the Next Administration

Dec 4, 2020 | Mayesha Alam, Just Security

Addressing climate change is a central pillar of President-Elect Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda. Signaling his commitment to the issue, Biden named former Secretary…