Peace and Equality as the Basis of a World of Climate and Food Security
Crisis – this word defines many of the phenomena of the twenty-first century. Conflicts, the climate crisis, social injustice and the global hunger crisis are threatening our present and future. The first day of our three-day Human Rights Forum conference will examine the fundamental connections between the climate, justice and peace. The food situation for over 800 million people is already strained, and the effects of the Ukraine crisis are increasingly being felt. To overcome the crises of our time, we need to discuss sustainable solutions and build strong alliances. The role played by the fight against hunger will be the common thread of our discussions. We will be bringing participants together with actors from the fields of culture, activism, politics, humanitarian aid and development. Concentrated international expertise – and you in the midst of it all, in Berlin or online.
Venue: Villa Elisabeth, Invalidenstraße 3, 10115 Berlin
Date: 17 October, 11 a.m. - 5.30 p.m.
Ort: Villa Elisabeth, Invalidenstraße 3, 10115 Berlin
Programme 17 October 2022
Speaker: Yolande Wright (Save the Children)
In the age of the climate crisis, human rights are of enormous significance. Numerous documentarians, journalists, NGOs and activists are telling the stories of environmental degradation and its consequences for human well-being. The United Nations General Assembly’s historic resolution in July this year to recognise the human right to a healthy environment was an important, urgent milestone. To kick off the day, the keynote speaker will outline how this universal right could strengthen the fight against climate collapse and bring about a just and peaceful world without hunger.
Following the keynote speech, Yolande Wright and Thin Lei Win (Climate and Food Correspondent) will be in dialogue about the role of environmental rights, forgotten crises and hunger.
When we talk about the fatal consequences of war and displacement, what narratives shape descriptions of human suffering in conflict areas? How helpful are the frameworks of international humanitarian law when it comes to talking about violations of the human right to food or about the use of hunger as a weapon during war? Can food security lead to peaceful coexistence? We will explore how we can use positive storytelling to raise awareness about children dying of hunger and malnutrition in conflict areas and discuss advocacy approaches in order to bring about changes in the fight for peace and against hunger. Get involved in this thought experiment and share your views and ideas!
Keynote: Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur Right to Food
Panelists:
- Thin Lei Win, Moderation, Climate and Food Correspondent
- Dr. Martin Frick, World Food Programme Global Office Germany
- Guwoly Stella Henry, Action Against Hunger South Sudan
- Dr. Meike Riebau, Save the Children Germany
Enjoy a light lunch and use the opportunity to expand your network.
„Not Just Celsius“ is a multi-format media campaign that aims to sensitise young Northern Europeans to the inseparability of climate change and social justice and inspire them to support action groups and legal interventions for climate justice. To navigate the complexity of climate justice, the campaign divides the topic into five dimensions: the climate injustice between nations, social classes, generations, ethnicities and genders. Each dimension is framed by a representative legal case, highlighting a specific climate impact, an ongoing climate justice litigation and the human story behind it.
Panelists:
- Paul Baule, Interactive Media Foundation (IMF)
- Inga von Staden, Interactive Media Foundation (IMF)
- Clara Hueneke, Interactive Media Foundation (IMF)
- Vivian Schröder, Human Rights Film Festival Berlin
- Volker Schlöndorff, director
- Jan Sebastian Friedrich-Rust, Aktion gegen den Hunger
The climate crisis, the pandemic and the Ukraine crisis have made it clear that the global food system is and remains vulnerable. Globalised and closely intertwined structures are still reproducing injustices and dependencies for small farmers, Indigenous groups and large parts of the population in the Global South. This panel will not only analyse how the colonial, racist and sexist features of food systems lead to hunger but will also discuss strategies and actions that could make these systems more just, sustainable and resilient – nothing short of a real transformation.
Keynote: Claudia J. Ford, State University of New York / Justus Liebig Universität Giessen
Panelists:
- Christine Mhundwa, Moderation, Journalist
- Deepali Bhattacharya, Action against Hunger India
- Savio Carvalho, Greenpeace International
- Paula Gioia, La Vía Campesina
Enjoy some coffee and drinks and use the opportunity to network.
With increasing emissions, our planet is moving closer and closer to catastrophic tipping points that are threatening to throw the climate off balance. But around the world, people are fighting to avert this catastrophe, reaching positive tipping points instead – tipping points that will allow all people to live on a healthy planet without hunger. Using examples of climate action, grassroots activism and the application of Indigenous knowledge, we will discuss what the climate movement and aid organisations in the Global North can learn from climate activism in the Global South – and vice versa. We are looking for fresh, unconventional alliances to jointly pave the way out of climate-related hunger. Join us and become part of the movement!
Keynote: Dr. Kira Vinke, German Council on Foreign Relations
Panellists:
- Dr. Lewis Akenji, Moderation, Hot or Cool Institute
- Lisa Göldner, Greenpeace Germany
- Constance Okollet, Osukuru United Women’s Network
- Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines & Fridays for Future Philippines
Speaker:
- Harjeet Singh, Climate Action Network International
- Rosebell Kagumire, Blogger and Activist
The closing speaker will bring together the major findings of the day and put them in a new light: crises are condensing, injustices are spreading. How do we start the engine of resistance? How do we stop reproducing certain narratives and enact real change? Are we changemakers in the fight against hunger and injustice, and if not, how do we become changemakers? In the spirit of our festival motto – Beyond Red Lines – this speech invites us to go beyond old boundaries to build a better future for all. Take the first step with us!
The Forum day is concluded at this point. You can use this time for a break and to expand your network.
Subsequently, we cordially invite you to participate in our Public Talk on the topic "Development and diplomacy: With feminism against hunger?" (The Public Talk will be held in German and at the same location).
Women and girls are the ones who are suffering most from the crises of our time, and discrimination is to blame. Does that mean that gender justice is the solution to these crises and to securing global food security? In this talk, high-profile representatives from politics and diplomacy explain how they understand the concept of feminist foreign and development policy, and discuss how such policy can create justice for all.
Panelists:
- Christiane Grefe (Moderation, Die ZEIT)
- Aya Chebbi (Panafrican Feminist & Diplomat)
- Dr. Bärbel Kofler (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ))
- Dr. Hannah Neumann (The Greens/European Free Alliance)
