Day 4 – Final Day of the GA
The final day of the General Assembly (Agenda items | IPPF General Assembly) focused on the final pillar of the new strategy for IPPF – Chart Our Identity, Build Our Culture.
Opening the day – DG Alvaro and BoT Chairperson of the Anti-Racism Sub-Committee, Bience Gawanas had a fireside chat, discussing the how IPPF will work with MAs as the secretariat on diversity, equity and inclusion under the Anti-Racism agenda. This included a discussion focusing on the history of IPPF and its colonial roots.
Following this was a panel discussion with RFSU and Tunisian MA President – Ingela and Fathi Ghedera as well as Board Trustee, Donya Nasser and Alvaro and Bience. The session was extended after many MAs expressed interest in supporting the agenda and wanted to contribute to the federation wide discussion.
Starting this session was Kate Gilmore, Chairperson of the board, conveying the IPPF Declaration of Intent on Anti-Racism to support the extension of the Programme of Action for Anti-Racism to member associations.
The image of the Anti-Racism Programme used at the GA was designed by Nana Agyeman, a mix media painting artist changing the narrative of how women are viewed in our society today by reflecting true stories of how great women are through art. He sees his work as an artistic revolution to change the narrative.
After the approval of the Anti-Racism declaration of intent, discussion centred on the New IPPF Charter as well as rebrand.
The Charter is being launched at the GA – interrogating ourselves – asking questions like “Who is IPPF?” and “Who do we want to be?” It is an opportunity to reconnect on our common values and ethos that drives us forward. The discussion was the beginning of a process for the development of the IPPF Charter to be delivered in the next strategic period.
Moderator:
- Kate Gilmore, IPPF Chair of the Board of Trustees
- Gogontlejang Phaladi, MC
Panel:
- Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Member of the Board of Trustees and Member of the Anti-Racism Board of Trustees
- Lucy Esquivel, Secretary General, RedTraSex
- Tara Meister, Youth Representative, Austrian Family Planning Association
- Donavine Uwimana, Executive Director Association Burundaise pour le Bien-Etre Familial (ABUBEF)
A key session at the GA was one focusing on a rebranding of IPPF. While there is huge respect for the brand that is IPPF and the organisation there is a recognition that a refresh is needed after so much time. Building trust in a new world with new challenges was realised as one key reason for a rebrand as well.
The interactive session was led by PPFA Global Director, Dawn Laguens
The Winner of the Grab the Mic Competition, Laurinda Juma read out her poem – Menarche in Portuguese to wide applause.
And the highlight of the day was the vote for the final strategy. It was a unanimous vote from all Member Associations to approve the new strategy.
This heralded the adoption by IPPF of the new strategy (IPPF General Assembly Papers | IPPF General Assembly) which will drive the agenda for the next 6 years (2023 – 2028) 031022.indd (ippfgeneralassembly.org)
Congratulations IPPF on the adoption at the GA of the new strategy.
Hyatt Ballroom IPPF Youth Forum – Google Drive
Day 3
It was an eventful Day 3 at the GA with much dialogue and discussion.
It started with a dialogue between young and old speaking to intergenerational partnerships, trying to find collaboration for smoother working relationships.
Some of the panelists included Tashaya Anuki Premachandra, Youth Representative, Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka, Fiona Johanna Lillemor Franz, Youth Representative, PRO FAMILIA Bundesverband, Gerard Tuii Anapu, President, Samoa Family Health Association– Judith Laurence Maffon Gbehinto, Chair, Association Béninoise pour la Promotion de la Famille (ABPF) and Lina Mahmoud Sabra, Executive Director, SALAMA- Lebanese Association for Family.
And it was a day of awards! IPPF bestowed awards for Outstanding Courage and the names are below:
Judith Maffon Gbehinto, Outstanding individual contribution by a volunteer to the advance of sexual and reproductive health and rights
Alice Ackermann – Outstanding individual contribution by a young person to the advance of sexual and reproductive health and rights
Afghan Family Guidance Association – Outstanding collective contribution by a member Association to the advance of sexual and reproductive health and rights
Aberram Tata – Outstanding individual contribution by a staff member of a Member Association to the advance of sexual and reproductive health and rightsFPA Sri Lanka – MA Award for Collective Contribution to SRHR
Liai Siitia – Executive Director Samoa Family Health Association – Individual MA Staff contribution to SRHR
Dr Safieh Shahriari Afshar – Indivdiual Volunteer contribution to SRHR (IPPF Volunteer)
Monica Carrilllo – Activist, feminist and journalist – Outstanding Award for Contribution to SRHR (Non-IPPF Volunteer)
Erasmo Mbemba – Family Planning Association of Malawi – Individual Youth contribution to SRHR
Day 2 of the GA was filled with exciting feedback from MAs and Secretariat.
Alvaro delivered the Good Governance report from the IPPF Board of Trustees which you can find here. This outlined the programmatic and financial health of the Federation. He was keen to emphasise that IPPF is changing and that coming together as a Federation was a driving force for the future. This meant establishing different, more equitable relationships with MAs.
Acting together for Reproductive Health
The final panel for the day shared some important insights on reproductive justice. The panel brought together UN, government, civil society, and youth representatives to discuss their commitment to act together to achieve sexual and reproductive justice and fulfil the promises of the Nairobi Summit and 2030 Agenda.
Reine Stéphanie Thiombiano, YAM President, Burkina Faso
Speakers:
Alejandro Gaviria Uribe, Minister of Education
Senator Angélica Lozano Correa, Colombia
Dr Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, UNFPA
Victoria Bejarano, President, Profamilia Colombia
UNFPA Executive Director, Natalia Kanem took some time out to wish IPPF a Happy 70th Anniversary!
Watch the Global Youth Forum
And for those who are interested in watching the IPPF Global Youth Forum we have the recordings below:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JZEi8lfUdqe1AFwSDqO2vsdVxFKwr-TU?usp=sharing You will find a separate folder for each date, named accordingly. The English, French, Spanish, and Arabic recordings from yesterday’s meeting (November 21) have already been uploaded to the 11_21 folder.
IPPF Global Youth Forum
As colleagues from across the globe trickled into a rainy Bogotá, the IPPF Youth Forum infused high levels of energy into every single delegate attending the IPPF General Assembly.
The GA, as the highest decision-making body in IPPF, saw all Member Associations arrive in Colombia with a purpose – that of ownership. Ownership of the process and more importantly ownership of the new strategy and bringing a message of accountability and transparency.
As IPPF celebrates its 70th Anniversary this year as well as its General Assembly, there are many subjects up for discussion. This includes the approval of its new 5-year strategy (2023 – 2028) as well as the launch of a process for a new Charter and a rebrand of IPPF.
IPPF is not launching the Charter here in Colombia at this GA, rather we are launching a collaboration, a partnership with all Member Associations to run for the next 18 months to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. The charter and the renewal of our brand will ensure we work together in a collaborative process to help us establish our identity and chart the way forward, inclusive of all the aspects that make us a modern Federation, fit for purpose.
Day 1 saw young people lifting their voice for their rights and asserting themselves to make sure that the future is taken care of. That the vision they have is taken seriously and understood by all. They brought their leadership, showcasing the many ways in which they work across the countries!
The engagement of the day saw the refrain being echoed ‘Nothing for us, without us’ and included a commitment from them to Walk the talk.
Day 2 of the General Assembly will focus on key governance and accountability aspects. We will keep you updated!
Full of enthusiasm on the first day!
We stand in solidarity to address the high unmet needs of people on SRHR with the aim to leave no one behind. Well done IPPF. It was historic at the General Assembly in Bogota. What a feeling to be one of those Youth Delegates.