Nadia Murad, UN SDG Advocate

One of 17 SDG Advocates

Is gender equality and women empowerment important for you? Do you feel it is unfair that some people live in war with a constant fear of bombs, mines and weapons? Do you want to make the world a better place? Do you want to collaborate with others to make change happen? Great! The SDGs – the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – do emphasize these issues, among many others.

The SDG 5 is all about Gender Equality. The SDG 16 promotes Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. The SDG 17 emphasizes the fact that the SDGs can be realized only with strong global partnerships and cooperation.

In an article recently published in this blog, we presented the UN SDG advocate Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim, who is a strong advocate for indigenous peoples, the environment and climate action representing the Mbororo people in the Sahel region.

In this article, we chose to focus on Nadia Murad. In 2016, she was appointed the first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking of United Nations. In 2018, Nadia Murad (born in Iraq) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together with Denis Mukwege (born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo). They received the prize "for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict".

Nadia Murad, a Yazidi human rights activist and survivor of ISIS gender-based violence, delivers remarks at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on July 25, 2018. (State Department photo/Public Domain.)

Nadia Murad

Nadia Murad was born in Kojo, Iraq, in 1993. Nadia belongs to the Yazidi ethnic and religious minority in northern Iraq. On 3rd August 2014, the Islamic State (IS) launched a brutal attack on Nadia Murad’s home village. Over the following days, the terrorist group executed hundreds of men and took captive thousands of women and children, publicly reviling them as 'infidels', according to a report from United Nations Human Rights.

“The Commission of Inquiry calls on the international community to recognize the crime of genocide being committed by ISIL against the Yazidis and to undertake steps to refer the situation to justice,” was the message from the Commission of Inquiry on Syria three years after the massacre, on 3rd August 2017.

“We need justice. Justice for women. We want people to accept women’s messages, so women won’t be afraid to talk about what they went through.”

- Nadia Murad

Iraqi Yazidi Islamic State survivor and activist Nadia Murad received the European Parliament’s 2016 Sakharov Prize during a ceremony in Strasbourg. Photo: ©European Union 2016 - European Parliament.

Nadia’s Initiative

In 2018, Nadia Murad founded the nonprofit organization Nadia’s Initiative. The aim of the organization is to “help women and children victimized by genocide, mass atrocities and human trafficking to heal and rebuild their communities”. 

Education, healthcare and women’s empowerment

Nadia’s Initiative works in the region of Sinjar in Iraq to help rebuild the local community by providing education and healthcare. Women’s empowerment is an important part of the work and the organization gives support to survivors of sexual violence worldwide. This means that Nadia’s Initiative and Nadia Murad is a strong advocate for SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being, SDG 4 – Quality Education, and SDG 5 – Gender Equality, among others.

SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being

The Sustainable Development Goal 3 is “to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. The Covid-19 pandemic has unfortunately interrupted childhood immunization programmes in around 70 countries and made the health situation very difficult.

According to UNSD, United Nations Statistics Division, less than half of the global population is covered by essential health services. Service cancellations due to covid-19 will lead to 100 percent increase in malaria deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa, says UNSD.

Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health & Well-being

UN Digital Dialogue on 6th Anniversary of Yazidi Genocide

On the sixth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, on 3rd August 2020, Nadia’s Initiative co-hosts a UN digital dialogue about the genocidal campaign against the Yazidi minority. Co-hosts are also the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations in New York and the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations in New York.

Message from Ato Dakheel to the world on the 6th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, August 3rd 2020. Experience advocate of Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions. 

Ato Dakheel, Goodwill Ambassador in Sweden representing the Yazidi people of Iran, Iraq and Syria. 

Interview with Ato Dakheel

On the 6th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide on August 3rd 2020, Globcal International Ambassador Maria Veneke Ylikomi had a conversation with Ato Dakheel, an indigenous Yazidi who currently lives in Sweden.

Today I am very sad, says Ato. There should be no difference between different groups of people in Iraq or other countries, says Ato Dakheel, who today lives in Sweden.

Ato Dakheel hopes that in the future, Yazidi children and young people will be able to live like everyone else and have the same rights as everyone else.

There should be no difference between different groups of people in Iraq, says Ato.

It was the city of Sinjar/Shingal that IS attacked on Sunday, August 3rd, 2014. Ato remembers the city of Sinjar very well. He says that he was 15 years old when IS came to the village with their big, new cars. Before the terrible event, Ato and his family enjoyed life very much in the village.

We lived in a small village that belonged to the town of Sinjar. It was very simple, but it was like a paradise for us. We were very grateful.

The Sinjar Mountains have always been and are still an important symbol for Yazidis, says Ato.

The Sinjar Mountains are like a mother who has taken care of me. IS could not get up there. It is very difficult to get up there by car. We were there for eight days before we went by foot to Syria. There were thousands of children, young people, women and men.

We ask Ato about his message to the world on the 6th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide. Ato replies that he hopes that there will be no war again.

I hope there will be peace. I hope that all people will be equal.

Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions

UN SDG Advocates for 2019–2020

The United Nations has appointed the following 17 SDG advocates for 2019–2020.

Sustainable Development Goals Advocates - Photo: United Nations

1. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana
2. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway
3. HM Queen Mathilde, Belgium
4. HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Qatar
5. HH Muhammadu Sanusi II Emir of Kano, Nigeria
6. Richard Curtis, United States
7. Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim, Chad
8. Jack Ma, China
9. Graça Machel, Mozambique
10. Dia Mirza, India
11. Dr. Alaa Murabit, Canada
12. Nadia Murad, Iraq
13. Edward (Eddie) Ndopu, Namibia
14. Paul Poman, the Netherlands
15. Jeffrey Sachs, United States
16. Marta Vieira da Silva, Brazil
17. Forest Whitaker, United States

Agenda 2030

The Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs – were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015.

Agenda 2030. 17 Sustainable Development Goals - Illustration: United Nations

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health & Well-being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water & Sanitation
7. Affordable & Clean Energy
8. Decent Work & Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
10. Reduced Inequalities
11. Sustainable Cities & Communities
12. Responsible Consumption & Production
13. Climate Action
14. Life below Water
15. Life on Land
16. Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships for the Goals

Learn more about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at Act4SDGs, UN SDG Action Campaign or on the United Nations Sustainable Development Platform. 

Join us as a member of Globcal International if you have a project that you want to develop or you can also join us to become a goodwill ambassador for one of our programs under development.

Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim, UN SDG Advocate

One of 17 SDG Advocates

Are you passionate about animals in your country? Do you feel peace of mind is important for a peaceful world? Do you think clean water for all is one of the world’s most important issues? Do you believe climate action is urgently needed? Great! The SDGs – the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – surely is something for you.

To raise ambition for the implementation of the SDGs worldwide, the United Nations has appointed 17 SDG advocates. They are all united in their dedication to a peaceful world, a healthy planet and prosperity for all. It is easy to think that the SDGs is someone else’s responsibility, but the fact is: the SDGs are responsibilities for each and everyone of us. As global citizens, it is our duty to care for our planet and our one and only human family. To really leave no one behind, we all need to get involved and start to take action.

In this article, we chose to focus on Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim, who is a strong advocate for indigenous peoples, the environment and climate action representing the Mbororo people in the Sahel region.

Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim is Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change. Photo: World Economic Forum

“For centuries, indigenous peoples have protected the environment, which provides them food, medicine and so much more. Now it’s time to protect and benefit from their unique traditional knowledge to bring concrete and natural solutions to implement sustainable development goals and fight climate change.”

Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim

Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim was born in Chad in north-central Africa in 1984. Today Chad is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the south-west, and Niger to the west.

The Mbororo people, who Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim represents, are a small subgroup of the Fulani ethnic group. The Mbororo people, also called the Wodabee or Bororo, are traditionally nomadic cattle-herders and traders in the Sahel region, a region situated to the immediate south of the Sahara Desert stretching east-west across the African continent.

The Association of Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad

When Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim realized the discrimination against indigenous peoples, and especially indigenous women, for example the exclusion from educational opportunities, she founded the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT), promoting the rights of girls and women in the Mbororo community. By doing so, she also promoted the girls and women in the Mbororo community as strong leaders in environmental protection. 

International Negotiations

The organization Association of Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad has since 2005 participated in international negotiations on climate, sustainable development, biodiversity, and environmental protection. This means that Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim is a strong advocate for the SDG 4 – Quality Education, SDG 6 – Clean Water & Sanitation, SDG 13 – Climate Action, SDG 15 – Life on Land, and SDG 16 – Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions.

SDG 13 – Climate Action

The Sustainable Development Goal 13 is “to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”. According to UNDESA, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2019 was the second warmest year on record and global temperatures are projected to rise by up to 3,2 degrees Celsius by 2100.

Only 85 countries have national disaster risk reduction strategies aligned to the Sendai Framework, which is the roadmap for how we make our communities safer and more resilient to disasters developed by UNDRR, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The climate of the Sahel region, the home of the Mbororo people, is arid and hot with strong seasonal variations in rainfall and temperature. The region is vulnerable to climate change. The Sahel region will be at risk of drought which can reduce water supply for both animals and people. This is one example of how global warming may affect the people living in the Sahel region, especially the vulnerable Mbororo people. 

Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action

UN SDG Advocates for 2019–2020

The United Nations has appointed the following 17 SDG advocates for 2019–2020: 

Sustainable Development Goals Advocates - Photo: United Nations

1. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana
2. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway
3. HM Queen Mathilde, Belgium
4. HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Qatar
5. HH Muhammadu Sanusi II Emir of Kano, Nigeria
6. Richard Curtis, United States
7. Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim, Chad
8. Jack Ma, China
9. Graça Machel, Mozambique
10. Dia Mirza, India
11. Dr. Alaa Murabit, Canada
12. Nadia Murad, Iraq
13. Edward (Eddie) Ndopu, Namibia
14. Paul Poman, the Netherlands
15. Jeffrey Sachs, United States
16. Marta Vieira da Silva, Brazil
17. Forest Whitaker, United States

Agenda 2030

The Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs – were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015.

Agenda 2030. 17 Sustainable Development Goals - Illustration: United Nations

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health & Well-being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water & Sanitation
7. Affordable & Clean Energy
8. Decent Work & Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
10. Reduced Inequalities
11. Sustainable Cities & Communities
12. Responsible Consumption & Production
13. Climate Action
14. Life below Water
15. Life on Land
16. Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships for the Goals

Learn more about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at Act4SDGs, UN SDG Action Campaign or on the United Nations Sustainable Development Platform. 

Join us as a member of Globcal International if you have a project that you want to develop or you can also join us to become a goodwill ambassador for one of our programs under development.

Promoting International Human Rights and the Rule of Law

Living in a Globalized World

It is not a secret that Globcal International believes in and understands the ideals of the United Nations in protecting human rights and upholding an international rule of law. Our world today is more globalized than ever with nations and corporations depending more and more on international trade and commerce. Without globalization countries like the United Kingdom and the United States would have no coffee, tea, chocolate, avocados, or bananas, either would the others

Over 200 countries and thousands of organizations belong to and depend on the United Nations to make the world a better place and be part of the global community. Most have ratified the international declarations and conventions that have been created by all of the nations collectively. These include the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Geneva Convention and many others.

Despite this globalization and globalism has become a great threat to many people politically because their governments feel that it threatens their independence and sovereignty. People that oppose the ideals of the UN staunchly have even created conspiracy theories about them and attack its failures which are propagated politically by the same nation-states. 

Watch people around the world reading articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in more than 80 languages. (Photo: United Nations)

People Have No "Human Rights" Except from the UN

While people like the ideal of having human and civil rights, as citizens of their nations they actually do not have any human rights at all except those specified in their own national constitutions. Either way when their human rights or constitutional rights are violated there are no authorities where they can take their grievances except to courts that are part of the same nation that has violated them. 

It is very clear that police and military forces working for the state frequently violate the human and civil rights of their citizens in protests advocating these rights, we have seen this year in Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Hong Kong, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Ukraine, the United States, Venezuela and many other countries resulting in death and injury of their citizens that will never be addressed or accounted for because the people belong to their nations, much like cattle, chickens and pigs belong to the farmers that raise them.

When people are travelling though, they do implicitly possess international human rights when they are outside of their nation, this is because when they enter a country they do so under these universal rights as unknown civil human beings. As visitors to a country for whatever purpose they simply agree to abide by the general laws and customs of the nation they are visiting, but likewise they do not necessarily possess the constitutional rights afforded to a country's citizens. Likewise they are not obliged by all of the nations laws that are specific to their citizens like paying tax on their income, they do not qualify for the benefits of citizenship, they do not have rights like the ability to vote or to take someone to court, or in many cases even receive police protection.

US citizens and the citizens of the more developed countries are lucky because they are better respected, these countries 'try to take care' of their 'good citizens' when abroad through embassies that help to provide for their needs when travelling. These better developed countries have ambassadors, consulates, or embassies in nearly every country for business, economic development, trade and tourism, how well some of them can take care of their citizens depends on which country we are talking about. Smaller and underdeveloped countries that do not have an embassy often cannot offer any services at all to their citizens, so travellers from these country's depend on the nation they are visiting to respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Some of the countries that depend on tourism like Mexico have special police and services that are there specifically for tourists.

There are also countries like Dominica which have completely useless ambassadors with no experience that exist in countries like Malaysia, but do not offer services to citizens and are there only for the benefit of themselves (not even the state) according to a recent report by Al Jazeera. If you are travelling as one of their citizens don't expect much in the way of services while abroad

The chance for a human being to take their government for a violation of their human rights to the International Court of Justice in the Hague is nil to none.

United Nations Declaration of Human Rights

Only the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and countries agreeing with the declaration provide people with basic human rights, but there are no laws or forums 'inside of a country' that can guarantee your human rights outside of those outlined under constitutional laws. According to Wikipedia the United States is in the highest category with 86 of 100 points on the human and civil liberties it provides, it is tied at number 33 in the world with Slovenia, Norway is number one on the World Freedom Index. 

Human rights are for everyone, today is the 71st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is one of the principle treaties that is supposedly respected by all of its member states. Despite this the greatest violator of these rights remains to be governments and corporations in order to protect their power and wealth. Think about it, we are here at Globcal International.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second World War. (Photo: United Nations)

Our Answer to the Problem

In 2015 with the introduction of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development we introduced a program for individuals based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other treaties that are in force around the world recognized by most nation-states with plans to develop a supplementary identification for global citizens and those who support the ideals of the United Nations. The project we developed was stalled by international politics as the world moved towards nationalism in 2017 and 2018, currently we are reintroducing the program for those who have a valid passport who believe in the ideal of global citizenship, we see it as an answer to nationalized discrimination practices and those who are travelling abroad. The program is available online now and we hope to be able to make our first international complimentary travel documents in 2020 for those who go abroad.

To learn more about our current program please review the Global Citizenship Registration program initiative we have underway.