Pathfinders Summer 2022 Newsletter
Welcome to your monthly roundup of 16+ news and views from the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies. If you find this newsletter useful, please pass it on to others working on the SDG16+ targets for peace, justice and inclusion. Subscribe or unsubscribe here. Visit our website: sdg16.plus and follow us on Twitter at: @SDG16Plus.
1. The latest on… Justice for All
World Justice Forum
The World Justice Forum — which took place from 30 May-3 June in The Hague — was the highlight of 2022 and THE place to be for everyone working for justice.
Organized by the World Justice Project in close collaboration with its co-producing partner, CIVICUS, HiiL, IDLO, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Pathfinders, the Forum brought together justice leaders, civil servants, activists, lawyers, innovators, judges, community justice providers, academics and others who are committed to the rule of law and access to justice for all.
The Justice Action Coalition was very well-received at the Forum.
- It convened its second Ministerial Meeting, hosted by Minister Schreinemacher of the Netherlands, together with The Elders, the g7+, and Pathfinders, which adopted the Justice Appeal 2023, calling on all countries to make the pivot to people-centered justice.
- The Justice Action Coalition also met at the senior level to take forward the decisions of the Ministerial meeting and to discuss opportunities, national priorities, and joint deliverables.
- On the final day, partners working to support the coalition compared notes on key insights from the forum, new partnerships and opportunities, and the next steps for the Joint Deliverables.
Launch of the Justice Action Coalition
At the Forum, Pathfinders also launched the Young Justice Leaders in an event co-hosted with The Elders, launched the Ibero-American Justice Alliance, and presented the Inequality and Exclusion report. Pathfinders’ Maaike de Langen delivered the keynote speech at an event for judges of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, ministers, and other dignitaries, and presented on a panel with the Ombudsmen of Costa Rica, Kenya, and the Netherlands, organized by DCAF.
Recent Events & Publications
Other recent events and publications include: a meeting on the role of the private sector in delivering access to justice between German insurance company ARAG and the Justice Leaders, a strategy brainstorm on Justice for Refugees, a Justice Imperative white paper co-produced with Global Citizen, a blog exploring Community-Based Solutions to Global Access to Justice Problems, a Champions of Justice interview at the occasion of Pride Month, a policy paper and blog on the Links between Justice and mental health, and, a literature review on the Benefits of Access to Justice for Economies, Societies, and the Social Contract.
2. The latest on… Halving Global Violence
Recent Updates
In its latest issue, the Economist warns that a “wave of unrest is coming.” They point to soaring fuel, fertilizer and food prices as causes, and urban areas are the sites for potential unrest.
The risks for violence and unrest are further compounded in the world’s cities. In them, a mix of climate change threats and fragility are bound to have profound impact on human security. This was one of the take-aways from a discussion at the 2022 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development hosted by the Halving Global Violence (HGV) team, in partnership with Peace in Our Cities co-facilitators, USIP, and EUISS. Despite the huge challenges, halving urban violence by 2030 is feasible, as illustrated by the Peace in Our Cities representative at the annual Global Parliament of Mayors Summit and World Urban Forum (WUF11) in Katowice, Poland. Examples of ways in which ambitious urban violence reduction can be achieved will be featured in a forthcoming publication due in September. Far less equivocal were the outcomes of the recently held conversation, hosted in partnership with CIC’s Data4Peace initiative, on whether Smart Cities technologies are risks or opportunities in terms of being effective tools for violence reduction (see recording).
In addition, in June, the HGV Task Force members and experts will come together for the second in a series virtual consultations to inform the design and parameters of the HGV Task Force flagship report, anticipated for release in September 2023.
While in the U.S., guns and mass shootings dominated the headlines past month, a group of members of the Gender Equality Network for Small Arms Control (GENSAC) from Africa, the Balkans, Latin America, and the Caribbean, met in Berlin, Germany, to discuss ways to boost advocacy and action on gender responsive small arms control. Shortly after, GENSAC members took part in the annual meeting reviewing the Program of Action Small Arms (BMS8) and GENSAC-sponsored discussions on the role masculinities play in gun violence (see recording), and the ways to leverage regional political instruments to advance gun control policies with gendered lens (see recording). Read briefs which served as the basis for discussion here.
Rampant gun violence in many countries has prompted some to argue that “a culture that kills its children has no future.” At the Stockholm+50 conference held in early July, HGV Program Officer Bojan Francuz took part in the high-level intergenerational roundtable reminding all that taking action on climate and violence reduction is a prerequisite for children, and people in future generations, to have a future.
3. The latest on… Inequality & Exclusion
Arab Forum for Equality
The first Arab Forum for Equality, co-hosted by the Pathfinders and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA), was held in Jordan on May 30–31, 2022. The Forum aimed to generate momentum for progress in the region by launching a multi-year and multi-stakeholder dialogue focused on practical solutions to tackle inequality. The Forum’s theme was “Towards inclusive youth employment in the Arab region,” and it culminated in the launch of several initiatives to combat inequality in the region.
Read the Regional Report, “Inequality in the Arab region: A ticking time bomb.”
Inequality & Justice at the World Justice Forum
The working session “The Role of People-Centered Justice in Delivering Equality and Inclusion” explored how justice, fairness, and equality always go hand in hand to build trust between people, communities, and nation — they lie at the heart of social contract. It included participation of the Pathfinders team, the Government of Spain, and Namati.
Pathfinders in Canada
The Pathfinders Inequality and Exclusion team visited Canada in June. During their visit, they participated in the event “Overcoming Divisions to Build Pluralist Societies: Global Experiences and Lessons Learned” co-hosted by the Pathfinders and the Global Centre of Pluralism. Participants studied approaches to addressing exclusion and promoting respect for diversity in different countries, drawing from the findings of the Global Pluralism Monitor in Canada, Ghana, Colombia, and Sri Lanka, and the Pathfinders Flagship Report on inequality and exclusion. The team also met with partners in the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH), Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to learn about Canada’s policies to promote inclusion and deliver people-centered justice.
Recent Publications
- The Relationship Between Justice and Equality — How does a focus on people-centered justice turn existing assumptions about justice reform on their head? This brief explores the movement to make justice systems more inclusive and to combat systemic inequalities.
- Addressing Inequality and Exclusion in the Pandemic’s Aftermath: Insights From Cross-Country Opinion Research — This paper offers a potent combination of quantitative insights and individual testimonials on social sentiment eighteen months after the COVID-19 pandemic’s global spread and ideas for leaders and decision makers on how this sentiment can be best mapped onto policy action.
In Case You Missed It
- Listen to Inequality & Exclusion Program Director Faiza Shaheen’s interview with Pitchfork Economics on which countries have successfully lowered inequality and whether the United States has a shot at joining them.
- Read Business Insider’s article on the three ways to tackle inequality and exclusion.
4. Welcome, New Pathfinders State!
Introducing our forty-third — and newest — Pathfinder country: Saint Vincent & The Grenadines! We look forward to welcoming you to our community and partnering with you on efforts to drive peace, justice, and inclusion for all.
5. Arrivals & Departures
Pathfinders is excited to announce several new additions to the team, and sends very best wishes to a departing colleague.
Pathfinders is delighted to formally welcome:
- Margaret Williams as the new Program Lead, SDG16+.
- Léah Guyot as Program Associate, Justice for All.
- Nate Edwards as Program Associate, Justice for All.
- Raquel Jesse as Program Associate, Inequality and Exclusion.
We also would like to express our sincere appreciation to Maaike de Langen for her outstanding tenure as Program Lead, Justice for All as she transitions to an advisory role to Pathfinders. We wish Maaike the very best in her future endeavors! We are pleased that Pathfinders’ Swati Mehta will serve as interim Program Lead for the Justice for All program as we move forward.
Plus 16 things we’re reading
- Report: Sustainable Development Report 2022 (UNSDSN)
- Podcast: Think & Resist: Conversations about Feminism & Peace (Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom)
- Opinion: It’s Been 50 Years. I Am Not ‘Napalm Girl’ Anymore (New York Times)
- Article: How Did Guns Get So Powerful? (New Yorker)
- Article: China’s Global Development Initiative is Not As Innocent as it Sounds (The Economist)
- Commentary: The West is Fully Behind Ukraine. Developing Countries See a Double Standard (Barron’s)
- Report: DESA Identifies 21 SDG Good Practices to Scale and Replicate Worldwide (IISD)
- Report: Global Peace Index 2022 (Institute for Economics & Peace)
- Report: Flagship Report: COVID-19 Crisis and Informal Work in 11 Cities: Recovery Pathways Amidst Continued Crisis (WIEGO)
- Report: Global Impact of the War in Ukraine: Billions of People Face the Greatest Cost-of-Living Crisis in a generation (UN Global Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance)
- Report: The Levers of Change: Gender Equality Attitudes Study 2022 (UN Women)
- Article: Bracing for Global Impact as Roe v. Wade Abortion Decision Overturned (Devex)
- Article: Inflation Pushed 71 Million People into Poverty since War in Ukraine Began (PBS)
- Opinion: Technical Standards Have a Key Role in Achieving the SDGs (Devex)
- Data: 2022 Update of the Small Arms Survey’s Global Violent Deaths (GVD) Database (Small Arms Survey)
- Article: Strengthening Multilateralism ‘Only Way’ to Peaceful World for All: Guterres (UN News)
