Geneva Call comes to the Border; Sexual Violence Workshop introduced Community-based Organizations to the “Deed of Commitment”

February 24, 2014

The Mon Women’s Organization (MWO) recently facilitated a two-day workshop on the Thai-Burmese border, conducted by the non-government organization Geneva Call. The February 19-20th workshop focused on the importance for Armed Non-State Actors (ANSA) in conflict zones to agree to a “Deed of Commitment” in order to prohibit sexual violence and gender discrimination. The workshop was attended by community-based organizations from the boarder, as well as from inside Burma.

The Deed of Commitment is, according to Geneva Call’s website, “an innovative mechanism that allows ANSAs to pledge to respect humanitarian norms and be held publically accountable for their commitments…. The Deed of Commitment process gives ANSAs the opportunity to formally express their agreement to abide by humanitarian norms and take ownership of these rules”.

Twenty-eight community workers from MWO, Border Health Initiative (BHI), Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), Mon Youth Progressive Organization (MYPO), Mon Relief and Development Council (MRDC), Mon Zay Tanar Foundation, Mon National Health Committee (MNHC), Mon Youth Educator Organization (MYEO), and other local organizations attended the workshop.

The workshop administrator explained the issues surrounding sexual violence, gender discrimination, and the participation of women, and participants were asked to discuss each issue with the rest of the group. Attendees produced recommendations to the Geneva Call as to what the NMSP and Mon civil society groups should do in order to implement the Deed of Commitment.

This workshop was Geneva Call’s first step in engaging the NMSP with the Deed of Commitment prohibiting sexual violence and gender discrimination. The workshop administrator explains, “We have recorded what the attendees discussed and suggested in the workshop, [and] we will urge and give our encouragement to the NMSP in order to have the most effective way to implement [the] Deed of Commitment”.

This workshop also worked to highlight the issues surrounding gender rights. Mi Kao Son, from Mon Zay Tanar Foundation, explains that, “[Mon Zay Tanar Foundation] does not focus on gender issues, but after we joined this workshop conducted by the Geneva Call, we would like to participate [to] encourage and support [the] New Mon State Party and Mon civil society groups in the future, in order to match with this Deed of Commitment. We are really [thankful] to the Geneva Call for offering this kind of opportunity to us”.

A young man who attended the workshop recalls, “Although we are men, we would like to be [a] part of who support the women to have their rights”. This young man, too, thanks the Geneva Call for holding this workshop for the Mon civil society.

Geneva Call is a humanitarian organization, established in 2000 and based in Geneva, Switzerland. Geneva Call engages with Armed Non-State Actors (ANSAs) to encourage them to comply with international humanitarian norms, which are enshrined in the Geneva Convention among other international treaties, improving the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

Notably, five Iranian Kurdish ANSAs were the first to sign Geneva Call’s Deed of Commitment prohibiting sexual violence and gender discrimination, while in 2012 the Karenni National Progressive Party/Karenni Army (KNPP/NA) and the New Mon State Party/Mon National Liberation Army (NMSP/MNLA) from Burma/Myanmar were the first two groups to sign the Deed of Commitment protecting children in armed conflict.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News