The webinar on the Global Campaign to End Statelessness will take place on 4 November 2016 at 1-3 pm CET.

What?

It has been two years since the United High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) launched its Global Action Plan to End Statelessness a few days following the first ever Global Forum on Statelessness in The Hague, The Netherlands, where an ecumenical delegation was present and shared their Recommendations. The purpose of this webinar is therefore to mark this anniversary and also assess the work achieved during the launch of this global campaign.

Why?

Statelessness is an often overlooked or misunderstood issue. Yet, the UNHCR estimates that there are at least 10 million of stateless people in the world. Most of them have not left their birth country, i.e. they are not refugees. There is an additional estimated more than 1.5 million who are both refugee and stateless.

Resulting from their lack of nationality, stateless people in most cases are not able to enjoy their basic human rights, and are denied many of the rights we – who have citizenship – generally take for granted: right to health, to education, to own property, to open a bank account, to travel abroad, etc. Their lack of legal documents is an obstacle to the wide spectrum of rights, but also services individuals are naturally entitled to.

The WCC has embarked in 2013 in a Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace that is encouraging churches and ecumenical partners to work collaboratively for peace, justice and reconciliation. The Pilgrimage is an invitation to bring to the centre those who have been marginalized, discriminated against. Stateless people are amongst those discriminated against and marginalized communities that the Pilgrimage would like to shed light on their plight.

When?

The webinar will take place on 4 November 2016 at 1-3 pm CET. You are invited to attend the webinar and ask question (via the chat room) by clicking on this link: https://webinar.oikoumene.org/

Who?

Panellists of the webinar include (alphabetical order):

• Ms Zahra ALBARAZI, co-founder and senior researcher, Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion, The Netherlands
• Ms Radha GOVIL, Legal Office, Statelessness Section, UNHCR, Switzerland
• Mr Nathan HOSLER, director, Church of the Brethren’s Office of Public Witness, USA
• Ms Maha MAMO, international relations manager at Agro Betel Live Export, stateless, Brazil
• Rev. Suzanne MATALE, general secretary, Council of Churches of Zambia, Zambia
• Peter PROVE,  director of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, World Council of Churches – moderator.