CCPCJ 30 Side Event: New Village Development To Counter Involuntary Migration and the Smuggling of Migrants (UN Vienna)
On May 17, 2021, WFWPI in cooperation with the “Earth Foundation” and government representatives from Kenya and the Philippines, hosted a side event for the 30th Commission of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ). CCPCJ is organized annually by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with the topic for this year being: "Effective measures to prevent and counter the smuggling of migrants, while protecting the rights of smuggled migrants, particularly women and children, and those of unaccompanied migrant children.” The theme WFWP chose for this year’s side event was “New Village Development-To Counter Involuntary Migration and the Smuggling of Migrants.”
The welcoming remarks were given by Dr. Maria Riehl, PhD Director of WFWP UN Office for UN Relations Vienna and Vice Chair of the NGO Committee on Peace. Referring to the problem of involuntary migration and related crime caused by poverty, poor education and unemployment for women and youth in particular, Dr. Riehl emphasized the need to find solutions through technical advancements and cooperation within and between communities. She introduced the three panelists, who demonstrated their projects as best practices for the enhancement of rural living standards, thus minimizing the need for migration.
The Opening Remarks by H.E. Stella Mokaya Orina, Deputy Permanent Representative, Embassy of the Republic of Kenya, began with a fact in which African people usually settle in areas with access to electricity, a factor that can greatly influence immigration. H.E. Orina shared that due to Kenya’s privileged location in the world, it is not difficult to produce solar energy. Therefore, the government is currently making great strides towards providing adequate lighting to homes, businesses, institutions and irrigations. This project is being implemented in 12 counties, the majority of which are in rural areas. Solar powered street lighting systems are already in place in many towns and cities. H.E. Orina is convinced that green energy is the future and that through partnerships with WFWP and other institutions it will be made widely available.
H.E. Deena Joy D. Amatong, Chargé d'Affairs of the Philippine Embassy, emphasized the importance of this topic for the Philippines and their willingness to engage with partners active in the field. Government data for 2019 revealed that 2.2 million Filipinos were working overseas, over half of whom were women working primarily in elementary occupations and in sales and service industries. Those who went overseas through smuggling or human trafficking were not included in the data. The Philippine government is aware that domestic economic development dimensions need to be considered to ensure that migration becomes a choice rather than a need, and that involuntary migration fuels human trafficking. Thus, wide-ranging efforts from the government to private sectors are needed. H.E. Amatong shared plans of the Philippino government leading up to 2040, which are designed to ensure a stable and secure life for Filipinos as well as counteract the need for involuntary migration.
Next, Ms. Merly Barlaan, Chief Administrative Officer and Deputy Director for WFWPI Offices for UN Relations, shared a project very dear to her heart. The “Permaculture Peace Garden'' was initiated seven years ago to counter forced migration and create holistic communities for a healthy planet. Sustainability will be realized through practicing the universal value of stewardship leading to peaceful coexistence between people and the planet. Quoting Bill Mollison, she defined permaculture as a method of land management with the principles of regenerating agriculture, rewilding and community resilience and working in tune with nature. It can counter the cost of migration, but the project’s success depends on investment by partners to generate local employment and reduce the need for a working parent abroad.
Ms. Susan Kone, President of WFWP Kenya, shared how electricity does not only light up villages and homes but empowers women as well. Growing up in a home with just one kerosene lamp, Ms. Kone advocated for installing more lights in the African villages through the “Green Solar Energy for African Villages” project, which is sponsored by WFWPI. With this project, the type of home is not important because the panels can be installed anywhere. A few of the advantages include: its renewability, its low-cost and unlike other systems, it does not require a lot of maintenance. This helps many families that live in 2-4 room houses with just a single lamp. Moreover, the solar lamps allow children to study after sunset and allow parents to complete household chores at home, increasing productivity.
Mag. Franz Nahrada, founder of the Earth Society Foundation, is an advocate for a reversal of the current trend towards “urbanization” and in the direction of “ruralization.” Both developing countries and the Western world are experiencing an exodus of young people and families from villages to cities, leaving villages with a proportionally high elderly population. The cause of village depopulation frequently lies in the lack of educational opportunities. Mr. Nahrada highlights the need for a “Village University” through partnership with universities in the cities. He referred to an unforeseen benefit of the COVID-19 crisis, which is the growth and development of distance learning, already widespread in Austria.
The closing remarks were given by Mrs. Carolyn Handschin, Director of the WFWPI Office for UN Relations, who shared how important partnerships are and how creating opportunities on the ground can appeal to local and national governments and decision-making leaders. Alongside that, the civil society can be taught how important these projects are, and through events learn the type of responsibility they have as well. If leading organizations and civil society members come together, with the resources, the ideas and the creativity, these types of projects can be even more fruitful and expansive.
In March of this year, WFWPI was able to participate in the 14th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Kyoto, Japan. Ms. Moriko Hori, President of WFWP Japan, represented WFWPI, making two verbal statements. Ms. Hori read a statement that represented the values of WFWPI stating: “WFWPI is convinced that quality education on all levels is one of the most fundamental elements for the healthy development of a society, and its resilience against crime...Youth and families less isolated, better educated and more engaged make societies more resilient to crime.”
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