Multimedia – IPB – International Peace Bureau

Unyielding Grace: Shirine Jurdi and the Feminine Force for Justice

This episode brings you a powerful and unflinching conversation with Shirine Jurdi, a global advocate for women, peace, and security from Lebanon. Prepare to challenge your perspectives as Shirine dismantles the narratives often imposed on women in conflict zones, offering a raw and honest look at the realities of war, justice, and the fight for a life of dignity, not just survival.

The Heartbeat of Humanity: A Global Treaty for Mother Earth with Auntie Ivy Smith

Dive into a sacred conversation with Auntie Ivy Smith, a wisdom keeper and indigenous advocate from Aotearoa. This episode is a bridge between ancient truths and future possibilities—a global message of healing, responsibility, and profound change.

Episode Overview

In this deeply moving episode of the Women as Agents of Change podcast, Liza Florida sits down with her dear friend, Auntie Ivy Smith, a powerful voice for indigenous peoples worldwide. Auntie Ivy shares the sacred story behind her facial tattoo (tā moko), a global message for humanity. She recounts her decade-long, self-funded journey to over 30 countries to connect with frontline communities, find truth, and build alliances.

This conversation goes beyond talk and into the heart of action. Auntie Ivy introduces her vision for a global treaty—one not owned by governments, but held in reverence for Mother Earth and stewarded by the next generation. She speaks on the power of ancestral technology, the urgent need for collective healing, and the critical solutions indigenous communities have always held. This is not just a podcast episode; it is a call to remember who we are, heal the past, and unite to protect our planet for a better tomorrow.

Key Topics Covered

The Sacred Story: Auntie Ivy explains the profound meaning of her facial tattoo—a message of responsibility, accountability, and the interconnectedness of all life.

A Global Walk for Truth: Her experience traveling self-funded to over 30 countries to listen, learn, and build a network of over 200 frontline ambassadors for change.

A Vision for a Global Treaty: The powerful concept of a treaty where ownership belongs to Mother Earth, designed to move beyond colonial frameworks and be led by the youth.

The Old Ways are the New Way: Contrasting the destructive behaviors of greed and control with the true wealth of indigenous cultures: sharing, mutual care, and living in balance with nature.

The Rise of Youth Leadership: Why the younger generation is crucial for the future and how we must support, guide, and protect them as they lead the charge.

Ancestral Technology & Real Solutions: A call to invest in proven indigenous solutions for clean water, clean energy, and healing medicine, rather than wasting resources on less effective modern technologies.

The Urgency of Healing: Why collective healing from past traumas is essential to move forward and how supporting indigenous healers is key to healing humanity.

A Call to Action for Humanity: A direct appeal for allies, resources, and good-hearted investors to help record sacred wisdom, establish healing centers, and buy back land to implement lasting solutions.

Powerful Quotes from Auntie Ivy Smith

“This sacred story is a global message for humanity, and it comes with a responsibility, a dedication and accountability to how you conduct yourself.”

“We’ve always had the solutions. Our wealth is looking after each other, our wealth of sharing.”

“The ownership belongs to Mother Earth, this planet and everything that gives us life. We humanity… just need to educate and bring awareness.”

“If we don’t heal the past, we are gonna continue to take this energy forward.”

“We are in 2025. We have the solutions and we want to share, train, upskill people that want to be a part of this movement. And we are ready now to start today, to save tomorrow.”

“Please come and sit with us so we can share our truth and wisdom, our knowledge.”

Watch Now on Youtube:

Listen on your favorite podcast platform:

Spotify | Apple POdcasts | Google Podcasts

Innovative Projects & Global Initiatives

A Global Treaty for Mother Earth: A visionary framework for planetary stewardship that removes government and corporate ownership, placing reverence for the Earth at its center. The goal is to gather allies and hold a summit to formalize and launch this movement.

Sacred Wisdom Film Archive: An urgent project to fund a film crew to travel to remote locations and record the knowledge of the last sacred wisdom holders before it is lost forever.

Global Indigenous Healing Centers: A call to establish and support healing centers led by true indigenous healers to address trauma, addiction, and homelessness, and to train others in ancient healing practices.

Ancestral Technology Fund: A plea for investment in implementing proven, ancient indigenous technologies for free energy, water purification, and sustainable agriculture to create fast, effective change.

Connect with Auntie Ivy Smith

Auntie Ivy is building a global movement and is calling in allies, investors, and good-hearted people. To learn more about the treaty, her projects, or how you can contribute, please reach out via the contact information in the episode’s description box or connect with Liza Florida, who can facilitate an introduction.

Connect with Liza Florida

Instagram: @lizaflorida and @eightbillionproject
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eightbillionpodcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liza-florida-07597119
Website: https://lizaflorida.com/

Special Thanks

To Auntie Ivy Smith for sharing her sacred story, her profound wisdom, and her powerful vision for a healed world. Thank you for your heart and your tireless work.

To the indigenous wisdom keepers and frontline defenders around the world who protect the sacred for all of humanity.

To our listeners, may you hear this call to action, find your role in the change, and remember that we are all in this together.

About the Series

Women as Agents of Change is a special podcast series hosted by Liza Florida, presented in collaboration with the International Peace Bureau and Eight Billion Project. Each episode celebrates the wisdom, vision, and courage of women working to build a more peaceful and just world.

Unbreakable Spirit: Cameroun’s Fight for Justice with Cyrille Rolande Bechon

Journey into the heart of activism in Cameroun with Cyrille Rolande Bechon, a fearless human rights defender who stands resilient against systemic injustice and direct threats to her life’s work.

Episode Overview

In this powerful episode of the Women as Agents of Change podcast, Liza Florida connects with the indomitable Cyrille Rolande Bechon, Executive Director of Nouveaux Droits de l’Homme (New Human Rights) Cameroun. Cyrille shares her incredible journey from growing up in a large polygamous family, where she first learned to fight for her voice, to becoming a leading activist for democracy and human rights in her nation. She provides a raw, firsthand account of the pressing human rights violations in Cameroun, fueled by an authoritarian regime and widespread conflict.

This is a story of profound courage. Cyrille details the devastating physical and cyberattacks on her organization this year, which resulted in the loss of 15 years of work. Yet, through it all, her spirit remains unbroken. This conversation is a testament to the power of community, the crucial role of data-driven advocacy, and the unwavering passion that fuels activism even in the darkest of times.

Key Topics Covered

A Childhood of Defiance: Cyrille’s upbringing in a traditional, polygamous family and the pivotal moment she addressed her own father in a family meeting to assert her rights as a young girl.

Freedom of Speech as Survival: How personal life choices that defied societal norms forced her to develop a fierce commitment to her own voice and autonomy.

The State of Human Rights in Cameroun: An inside look at the country’s most urgent issues, including a decades-long authoritarian regime, the shrinking of civic space, torture in detention, the Anglophone crisis, and rampant violence against women.

Advocacy in Action: Cyrille’s strategy of using individual legal aid cases—like the exoneration of a man after 15 years of wrongful imprisonment—to expose systemic flaws and fuel data-driven advocacy for national reform.

Under Attack: A harrowing account of the recent break-in, vandalism, and theft that destroyed her organization’s office and 15 years of work, followed by a crippling cyberattack.

Unbreakable Resilience: How Cyrille and her team found the strength to return to their mission, motivated by an outpouring of local and international solidarity.

The Power of Solidarity: What solidarity looks and feels like on the ground, from messages from the community saying “Never give up” to support from international organizations.

A Vision for a New Cameroun: Cyrille’s dream for her country—a place where basic needs are met, justice prevails, and women and girls hold power in every sector of life.

Powerful Quotes from Cyrille Bechon

“Freedom of speech… become a matter of survival. You have to fight to have a place, you have to fight to be heard, you have to fight to make people accept my choices.”

“We are not employees, we are activists. We do this because we have a vision.”

“They took everything, but they didn’t take our passion. They didn’t take our heart on what we are doing.”

“While looking for relief for victim, we use those data to fuel the advocacy work.”

“Never give up. We need you.” (Message from the community after the attacks)

“My heart, my hands are open… It is our fight. It’s not others. It is the fight for our life.”

Watch Now on Youtube:

Listen on your favorite podcast platform:

Spotify | Apple POdcasts | Google Podcasts

Innovative Projects & Global Initiatives

Nouveaux Droits de l’Homme (NDH) Cameroun: Cyrille’s organization, which promotes and protects the rule of law and democratic principles. It provides legal aid to victims of violence and advocates for systemic reform.
Case-Based Advocacy: NDH’s core strategy of meticulously documenting individual human rights cases to create an undeniable evidence base, which is then used to pressure the justice system and advocate for legal and policy changes.
Community and Youth Engagement: Proactive work in universities, schools, and local communities to educate citizens on their rights and build grassroots support for democracy and justice, engaging with traditional and religious leaders to foster dialogue.

Connect with Cyrille Rolande Bechon
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrille-rolande-bechon-a4425446/?originalSubdomain=cm
Nouveaux Droits de l’Homme Cameroun: https://ndhcameroun.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRBechon/

Connect with Liza Florida

Instagram: @lizaflorida and @eightbillionproject
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eightbillionpodcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liza-florida-07597119
Website: https://lizaflorida.com/

Special Thanks

To Cyrille Rolande Bechon for her incredible bravery, resilience, and unwavering dedication to building a more just and democratic Cameroun.

To the International Peace Bureau for their partnership and support for this podcast series. You can learn more about their work at https://ipb.org/ and see more on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ipb1910/videos.

To human rights defenders everywhere who continue to fight for a more just world, often at great personal risk.

To our listeners, may this story inspire you to use your voice and remember the profound impact of solidarity.

About the Series

Tags: Women as Agents of Change, Eight Billion podcast, Cyrille Bechon, human rights, Cameroun, rule of law, democracy, gender justice, activism, shrinking civic space, authoritarianism, solidarity, resilience, advocacy, community engagement, peace, human rights defenders.

Women as Agents of Change Series

In honor of International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament, we are proud to announce the launch of our brand-new podcast episode trailer — Women As Agents of Change Around the World — brought to you by the Eight Billion Podcast in collaboration with the International Peace Bureau.

NEW PUBLICATION: Human Security and Common Security to Build Peace – A Toolkit for Parliamentarians

A new joint publication by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the International Peace Bureau (IPB) and the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) is designed to provide parliamentarians around the world with a toolkit for prioritizing human security and common security as opposed to militarized state security.

Common Security – Bridging divides and restoring trust

[Original post dated 31st October 2023]

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) are thrilled to announce their collaboration on a special 15-minute video for the 2023 Geneva Peace Week (GPW), unfolding this week. This video, themed “Common Security: Bridging Divides and Restoring Trust,” aspires to unite civil society, institutional members, government officials, MPs, and all peace advocates. The focus is on the applicability of the Common Security approach in decision-making for fostering peaceful societies.

This video marks the second part of a series aimed at fortifying the tools at the disposal of decision-makers, particularly parliamentarians, to effectively address peace, security, and conflict prevention. It follows our GPW 2022 video “Perspectives on global and local applications of Common Security and Human Security”.

About the Video
Offering a thorough exploration of the Common Security concept, the video delves into its historical, philosophical, and political underpinnings, spotlighting its practical applications. Interviews with experts, parliamentarians, and seasoned peace practitioners clarify how Common Security principles tackle today’s global challenges, particularly in regions marred by conflict or tension.

The video is structured into two segments: “What Makes it Successful” and “Potential Stumbling Blocks.” The first section accentuates the positive aspects and success factors of Common Security in rebuilding trust. Conversely, the second section presents a balanced perspective by recognizing potential obstacles in peace processes rooted in Common Security, underscoring the need for humility, compromise, and checks and balances.

Case studies showcasing successful Common Security applications further illustrate its capacity to foster trust among nations and build lasting peace agreements. The video ultimately seeks to encourage an informed dialogue among policymakers, scholars, and the public, emphasizing citizen outreach as key to the approach’s sustainability.

Featured Speakers:

Mr. Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union;
H.E. Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Federal National Council of the UAE, President of the IPU Task Force for the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine;
Mr. Daniel Carden, MP of the United Kingdom, President of the IPU’s Forum of Young Parliamentarians;
Ms. Dr. Anuradha Chenoy, Adjunct Professor at Jindal Global University, Member of the IPB Common Security working group;
Mr. Reiner Braun, historian and peace activist, former Executive Director of IPB;
Ms. Anna Sundström, Secretary General of the Olof Palme International Center;
Ms. A-Young Moon, Founder of PEACEMOMO, Council Member of IPB.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our incredible speakers and our esteemed colleagues from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). We invite you to watch, reflect, and engage with the ideas presented in the video. Good vision!

Colors of Peace – Istgah Orchestra & IPB

Have you ever had a fight or conflict with anyone? Did you reconcile after the fight? What do you think is the color or war? What do you think is the color of peace? Eight children from different international backgrounds give their answers to these simple but profound questions.

In collaboration with the International Peace Bureau, the Istgah Musical Orchestra presents us with this beautiful piece of art, sending to all the world an important and necessary message of peace. May the perspective of children guide our take on conflicts and on how to bring more color to our society.

Istgah Orchestra Manager: Mahdi Norouzi Executive Director: Kimia Bakhtiarian International Affairs: Nazanin Adhami Coordinator: Mahdis Yaghoubnezhad Costume & Set Design: Yasamin Hariri Photographer: Melika Naeiji Question Developer: Golfam Goudarzi (Child Psychologist) Director & Editor: Soroush Q mar C Videographer: Amin Nakhi

More info: https://istgahmusical.com/en/