African Renaissance and Diaspora Network
EN: Follow Up to the Global Launch of the ARDN Red Card Campaign: Download
SP: Nota Sobre el Lanzamiento Mundial de la Campaña de la Tarjeta Roja ARDN: Descargar
FR: Note Concernant le Lancement Mondial de la Campagne Carton Rouge de l’ARDN: Télécharger
Online Video | Video en Línea | Vidéo en Ligne
Dear friends,
The corona virus pandemic (COVID-19) continues to cause global disruption. In this context we will follow the guidelines of our States for the eradication of this pandemic.
I would like to hereby thank all those who joined us on March 6 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the Global Launch of the African Renaissance Network and Diaspora (ARDN) Campaign to Give a Red Card to all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, under the oversight and support of Ms. Constance Newman Chair of the Board Directors and Former US Assistant- Secretary of State for Africa.
This launch, in partnership with several United Nations agencies, FIFA and as well as Member States, was enhanced by a Keynote address by Her Excellency Epsy Campbell-Barr,First Vice-President of the Republic of Costa Rica.
We also had Statements from :
– Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN WOMEN;
– Mr. Dereje Wordofa, Assistant-Secretary General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA;
– Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Habitat, whose video message was introduced by Mr. Chris Williams, Director of the New York Office of UN Habitat;
– Ms. Marie Paule Roudil, Director of the New York Office of UNESCO.
During the Global Launch of the Campaign, I signed, on behalf of ARDN, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Council of Negro Women, an organization with more than three million members across the United States. The MOU was signed by Dr. Johnnetta Cole, President of the Organisation.
I also signed another MOU with Ms. Marie-Evelyne-Petrus-Barry, Regional Director for Africa for International Planned Parenthood Federation.
As a reminder, the United Nations statistics concerning violence and discrimination against women and girls are alarming:
– In today’s world, one in three women has experienced physical and / or sexual violence in her lifetime.
– Over 200 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation and more than 750 million young women are getting married before their 18th birthday.
To reiterate your commitment, please sign the Red Card pledge at the following link https://www.redcardpledge.com
The ARDN Red Card Campaign is seeking a minimum of one million signatures worldwide by the time of the FIFA World Cup in November 2022 in Qatar.
Subject to the evolution of the COVID-19, we plan to hold the third Annual Summit: “Africa is Open for Business”, next September, on the occasion of the High-Level week at the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. The Summit will continue the conversations, which started last year on two points of the Sustainable Development Goals : Gender equality and Climate change. It will also be an opportunity to assess the provisional results of the Red Card Campaign.
We hope you can join us.
The Red Card Campaign is part of the ” Pathway to Solutions“ Initiative, an ARDN special project for the United Nations. To learn more about the ‘Path to Solutions’, please visit https://www.ardn.ngo/pathway/.
The African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN) is an international organization headquartered in New York. It has been recognized by the United States government as a public charity, has partnered with multiple United Nations system entities, and is formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications.
