Good News Agency – Year X, n° 163
Weekly – Year X, number 163 – 13th
November 2009
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi, Ph. D.
“…In conveying the appreciation of the Head of
State for the passion and the professionalism with which you spread, above all among the young, the culture of
"good news", I would like to take this opportunity of
adding my personal greeting”. (From the letter of
the Adviser for the Press and Information of the President of Italy, Giorgio
Napolitano, to the Editor of Good News Agency, 12 October 2007.)
Good News Agency carries
positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary
work, the work of the United Nations, non governmental organizations and
institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn
out” in the space of a day. It is
distributed free of charge through Internet to 10,000 media and
editorial journalists in 54 countries and to 2,800 NGOs and 1,700
high schools, colleges and universities. It is an
all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli
e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, an
educational charity associated with the United
Nations Department of Public Information. The Association has been recognized by UNESCO as “an actor of the global movement for a culture of peace” and it is a
member of the World Association of Non Governmental Organizations.
International legislation – Human rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health
– Energy and Safety – Environment and wildlife
Religion and
spirituality
– Culture and education
Near universal support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty at First Committee
CTBT resolution receives strong support at the UN General
Assembly First Committee, with 175 States voting in favour
4
November - An overwhelming number of countries have expressed their support for
the Treaty by voting in favour of the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT) resolution at this year’s United Nations General Assembly First Committee. The
resolution was put up for a vote and adopted on 30 October 2009, with 175
countries voting in favour of the resolution. Only
one country voted against the resolution (
Treaty of
The Treaty enters into force on 1 December
3
November - Czech President Vaclav Klaus has signed the Treaty. Thus the final hurdle
in the way of the Treaty of Lisbon has been cleared. After a long journey, the
Treaty of Lisbon has reached the goal. With the signature of the Czech
President, all EU Member States have now ratified the text. The Treaty enters
into force on 1 December and all the details must now be put into place. (...)
When
all the treaties are signed, the instruments of ratification, as they are
known, will be transported to premises of the Italian Ministry for Foreign
Affairs. All international agreements or treaties have a body/organisation or country administering the instruments of
ratification. As of 1957,
http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/11/3/final_piece_of_the_puzzle_in_place
Telecoms package conciliation: MEPs
and Council representatives agree on internet access safeguards
5
November - A user’s internet access may be restricted, if necessary and
proportionate, only after a fair and impartial procedure including the user’s
right to be heard. MEPs and Council representatives agreed in negotiations on Wednesday night
on this, the last open issue in the telecoms package. (...)
Restrictions on a user’s internet access may “only be imposed if they are
appropriate, proportionate and necessary within a democratic society”, agreed MEPs and Council representatives. Such measures may be
taken only “with due respect for the principle of presumption of innocence and
the right to privacy” and as a result of “a prior, fair and impartial
procedure” guaranteeing “the right to be heard (...) and the right to an
effective and timely judicial review”, says the compromise text on the
electronic communications framework directive. “In duly substantiated cases of
urgency” appropriate procedural arrangements may be made provided they are in
line with the European Human Rights Convention.
In
future, internet users may refer to these provisions in court proceedings
against a decision of a
Parliament’s
delegation approved the joint text unanimously. The
compromise still has to be approved by the full Parliament and Council.
Arms experts welcome
Washington,
D.C., 15 October - Arms control experts welcomed yesterday’s statement by the
“The
“An
Arms Trade Treaty will provide the foundation for a much needed international
regulatory framework for the arms trade. Many countries have effective export control
measures in place, but many others lack even the basic legislation. These
loopholes need to be closed as they pose a risk for not only people, but
governments and legitimate companies. Active
“A
robust arms trade treaty has the potential to curb some of the world’s worse
suffering by creating a sorely missed global norm for conventional arms
transfers,” Abramson added.
http://www.armscontrol.org/node/3909
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/gadis3396.doc.htm
30 Years United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women
11
October - The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW), the international human rights treaty for women, was adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly 30 years ago, on 18 December
The
Convention’s 30th Anniversary provides an occasion to celebrate its
near-universal ratification, as well as the recent progress that has been made
at the national level to implement CEDAW and make true gains for women’s and
girls’ rights on a practical, everyday level. Through the passage of new
constitutions as well as national laws and policies based on the principle of
gender equality, women’s human rights are now becoming national standards. (…)
This
website highlights a number of successful stories of the Convention’s
implementation from around the world, which serve to illustrate how national
partners and the global community can work together to ensure gender equality
is a reality for all women and girls.
http://www.unifem.org/cedaw30/
Symposium on Future Challenges of International Law:
the Way Forward in Patenting Biotechnology
25
November (afternoon) - WIPO, 34, chemin des Colombettes,
The
World Intellectual Property (WIPO), in cooperation with the
The
Symposium will address the challenging interface between biotechnology,
intellectual property rights (IPRs) and international
trade, and will explore options for the international patent system after the
WTO Doha Round. The team of the NCCR International Trade’s Project on
Biotechnology (www.nccr-trade.org) will present
the outcome resulting from its research conducted during the past four years.
The program covers case studies on animal genetic resources and human genetic
resources as well as future challenges regarding the international regulation
of IPRs and biotechnology from the WIPO and WTO
perspectives.
http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/2009/wipo_ls_biot_ge_09/
Children
rights over the world
November
20th 2009 is the commemoration date of the signature of the International
Convention on the Rights of the Child signed in 1989. Next November will be the
20th anniversary.
Members
of Associations including Amnesty
International, UNICEF, Handicap International, Global March Against Child Labour have teamed up with local French
Associations: Au Fil
de l’Enfance, Groupement
pour l’Intégration Scolaire
des Enfants Handicapés, Infosectes Midi-Pyrénées,
One
or two weeks events have been organised every year
since
http://www.globalmarch.org/events/20th-events.php
Council of Europe, ECRI workshop,
10
November - The European Commission against racism and intolerance (ECRI),
established by the Council of Europe, will hold its next national workshop in
Composed
of independent members, ECRI takes inspiration for its work from Protocol no 12
of the European Convention for Human Rights, which views racial discrimination
as “a violation of human rights”; it regularly publishes reports on episodes of
racism and intolerance in the member states of the CoE;
it organises workshops with social members and
develops recommendations for the governments. (…) The meeting will be attended
by delegates from the government, Parliament, legal bodies, local communities,
NGOs.
UN launches campaign harnessing support to end
violence against women
6 November - The United Nations kicked off a campaign
today mobilizing people around the world to take part in a drive to stop the
pandemic of violence suffered by women at the hands of men. The UN Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
launched a website to inspire individual efforts aimed at eradicating violence against
women, such as reaching out to school students, volunteering at local shelters,
advocating for legislation or donating funds for programmes that protect women
and girls. (…) The Say NO – Unite to End Violence against Women initiative’s
website also aims to showcase the widespread problem - estimates say around 70
per cent of all women have been victim to some kind of violence - and
demonstrate the groundswell of support by counting the number of deeds
performed to combat the scourge. (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32871&Cr=unifem&Cr1
UN lauds first ever rescue of abducted children in
southern
5 November - The United Nations today hailed the
rescue of 28 children who had been abducted in southern
UNICEF
has been working on child registration to facilitate the tracing of families
and reunification, as well as follow-up monitoring.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32847&Cr=southern+sudan&Cr1
Obama announces end to HIV
travel ban
Restrictions Encourage Bias, Impede Effective Responses
to HIV
30
October - President Barack Obama’s
announcement today that national travel and immigration restrictions on people
living with HIV will be removed should have positive consequences for public
health and other countries with similar restrictions should follow suit, Human
Rights Watch said.
The
rule change, to be published in the Federal Register on November 2, 2009, would
be followed by a two-month waiting period before going into effect in early
2010.
“Lifting
a policy that so clearly violates both human rights and public health needs is
long past due,” said Joe Amon, director of the Health
and Human Rights division at Human Rights Watch. “Countries around the world
that still have bans should follow this example.” (...)
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/10/30/us-obama-announces-end-hiv-travel-ban
The
training process for the Indigenous women leaders was organized to articulate
themes and methodology, and elaborated by IIWF/FIMI representative Antonia Agreda. This organization style allowed the mainstreaming
of each individual’s respective organizational processes in such way that will
enable the women leaders to use this training as a frame of reference and a
critical reflection of the new political situation in the country.
The
workshops were greatly enriched by the participation of global leaders
including: Mateo Martínez, International Relations
Representative from Fondo Indigena;
the Director of CNMCIOB ‘Bartolina Sisas’: Leonida Zurita; Rebeca Delgado, a former
Constituent of Bolivia; and Evelyn Agreda a former
General Minister of Bolivia.
http://www.madre.org/index.php?s=4&news=231
World
The global food insecurity situation
has worsened and continues to represent a serious threat for humanity. With
food prices remaining stubbornly high in developing countries, the number of
people suffering from hunger has been growing relentlessly in recent years. The
global economic crisis is aggravating the situation by affecting jobs and
deepening poverty.
FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf has proposed a World Summit on Food Security to agree
key actions to tackle this crisis. He comments: “The silent hunger crisis —
affecting one sixth of all of humanity — poses a serious risk for world peace
and security. We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and
rapid eradication of hunger in the world.”
Poor countries need the development,
economic and policy tools required to boost their agricultural production and
productivity. Investment in agriculture must be increased because for the
majority of poor countries a healthy agricultural sector is essential to
overcome hunger and poverty and is a pre-requisite for overall economic growth.
The gravity of the current food crisis is the result of 20 years of
under-investment in agriculture and neglect of the sector. Directly or
indirectly, agriculture provides the livelihood for 70 percent of the world's
poor.
http://www.fao.org/wsfs/world-summit/en/
EBRD launches new strategy for
9
November - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Board of
Directors has adopted a new strategy for
In
order to promote the diversification of the Mongolian economy the EBRD will
continue to support the development of the private enterprises in
Since
the beginning of the EBRD’s operations in
http://www.ebrd.com/new/pressrel/2009/091109j.htm
Rice revival gives Kenyan community hope
First bumper crop in years
This
September, the rice fields in Ahero - a rural
community in south-western
http://www.fao.org/news/story/it/item/36909/icode/
Renewed FAO, IFAD and WFP effort to fight hunger
Senior managers agree to intensify cooperation
Rome, 5 November - The
following joint statement was issued today after a meeting of senior managers
of the Rome-based UN agencies: “We, the Senior Management of FAO, IFAD and WFP,
the Rome-based United Nations agencies, met today ahead of the World Summit on
Food Security (16-18 November 2009), to determine how to maximize each agency’s
expertise and comparative advantage so their combined efforts better serve
the world’s 1.02 billion hungry people.”
Led
by FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf, IFAD President
Kanayo Nwanze and WFP
Executive Director Josette Sheeran,
the meeting brought together top management teams to advance initiatives
ranging from joint administrative efficiencies to strategic country-led food
security programs. The meeting built on the progress made over the past two
years towards improving cost-efficiency and impact through better cooperation.
This effort taps into FAO’s strength in agriculture,
food security and natural resource management, IFAD’s
ability to provide critical financing for developing countries, and WFP’s ability to provide hunger and nutrition solutions for
the world’s most vulnerable. (...)
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/36959/icode/
FAO: Promoting climate-smart agriculture
Report explores mutual benefits, trade-offs in
tackling hunger and climate change
The
report, Food Security and Agricultural Mitigation in Developing Countries:
Options for Capturing Synergies
was launched during the Barcelona Climate Change Talks.
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/36894/icode/
South-South
unity to get boost at UN meet
Organizing an international
conference at UN level usually requires at least one year preparation. But,
this time the UN has acted quickly to strengthen South-South economic
cooperation and decided only last month to host an international conference in
Nairobi in December 2009. The conference aims to intensify trade, finance and
investment flows among developing countries.
by Thalif Deen
4 November - As the global
financial crisis continues to ravage the fragile economies of the world’s
poorer countries, the United Nations is hosting a high-level international
conference next month to boost South-South cooperation. Scheduled to take place
Dec. 1-
In a new report on ‘The State
of South-South Cooperation’ released last month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon points out that the overall trend, prior to the
current economic crisis, had been “a remarkable rise in South-South trade,
finance and investment flows”. (...)
Yes
We Can! Major victory for shareowners in House Committee vote
Posted by Maureen Thompson on
November 5, 2009 at 11:16am
shareowners.org:
“Major victory for shareowners” in House Committee vote underscoring sec’s
right to allow shareholders to nominate directors
“In a victory for shareowners,
the House Financial Services Committee today approved an amendment to the
Investor Protection Act (IPA) offered by Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA)
and Gary Peters (D-MI) that clarifies the authority of the Securities and
Exchange Commission to allow shareholders to nominate directors. The Committee
later approved the IPA, which will be packaged with other pieces of legislation
reforming oversight of the financial markets and considered on the House floor,
most likely in December.
The amendment confirms the
authority of the SEC to issue rules on proxy access - the authority for
shareholders to nominate directors to corporate boards. Proxy access is vital
for shareowners like me who want a meaningful choice in exercising their right
to vote for board members. (...)
http://www.shareowners.org/profiles/blogs/yes-we-can-major-victory-for
The God Action
Programme on Women: filling the gender gap
This programme is aimed at enabling
the women through multipronged interventions towards
enhancing women’s educational status, as well as their capacity and opportunity
for effective participation in economic activities and political
decision-making. It includes: Education & Awareness for Women -
Capacity Building & Empowerment
- Women’s
The programme is being implemented
in the states of Utter Pradesh (Varansi & Mau), Chhattisgarh (Rajnandgaon & Baster) and
Based in
Wide consensus at IFAD Forum on measures to make
migrants’ home-bound cash go further
Financial
institutions, development agencies, private banks, money transfer companies,
telecoms operators, migrant diaspora groups and NGOs
gathered in
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2009/48.htm
Food and shelter needed in
10
November - Caritas says people are in urgent need of food, clean water,
shelter, medicine and clothes following flooding caused by Typhoon Mirinae. The storm hit
Caritas
Caritas
http://www.caritas.org/newsroom/press_releases/PressRelease10_11_09.html
Rotarian
up for CNN Hero of the Year
by Ryan Hyland
Rotary International News, 5
November - Rotarian Budi Soehardi’s
devotion to bettering the lives of disadvantaged children in
Soehardi grew up in Central
Java, Indonesia, where food and education were often scarce. At 53, it’s his
goal to help children avoid the hardships he had to endure. With his wife,
Peggy, Soehardi opened an orphanage in West Timor,
Indonesia, in 2002 after learning about the horrible conditions faced by
refugee children fleeing the violence on the eastern portion of the island. The
Roslin Orphanage has provided food, shelter, and
education to more than 45 children, from newborns to teenagers. “These children
were suffering much the way I did, but worse,” says Soehardi,
a pilot and member of the Rotary E-Club of (District) 3310,
Soehardi’s first brush with
Rotary came as he coordinated relief efforts for victims of the 2004
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/091105_news_soehardi.aspx
WFP airdrops food into
Juba,
5 November - The United Nations World Food Programme
(WFP) has commenced air drops of food assistance into
The
airdrops, which began last Thursday, will continue for two-and-a-half months
and will provide 4,000 metric tons of food to three of Southern Sudan’s 10
states - Jonglei,
WFP
has so far received US$14.5 million - US$6 million from the UN Common
Humanitarian Fund, US$6 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and
US$2.5 million from the United States Agency for International Development.
http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/wfp-airdrops-food-southern-sudan-feed-thousands-people
Islamabad/Peshawar,
5 November (ICRC) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the
Pakistan Red Crescent Society have launched the first stage of an extensive
economic assistance programme for families affected
by violence in Malakand Division.
The
programme is the largest recovery effort undertaken
by the organizations in this part of the country in relation to the current
crisis. Over 315,000 people will receive wheat seed and fertilizer in Dir and Buner as part of the programme.
ICRC specialists will work closely with local experts to monitor the progress
of the crop until its harvest next May, when most families are expected to be
self-reliant again. Until then, the ICRC and the Pakistan Red Crescent will
continue to provide those most in need with food. (...)
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/pakistan-news-051109!OpenDocument
Lionel Messi and other
celebrities back Our world. Your move. campaign
Launched
on 8 May - World Red Cross Red Crescent Day 2009 - the campaign has so far generated
more than 460 events in over 130 countries across the globe, from
The Our world. Your move. campaign marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Solferino,
which led to the creation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, as well as the
90th anniversary of the IFRC and the 60th anniversary of the Geneva
Conventions, all of which were celebrated in 2009.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/owym-news-291009!OpenDocument
ADRA
expands response for Ketsana survivors in the
http://www.adra.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10623&news_iv_ctrl=1141
Project
HOPE and Uplift International send humanitarian aid in support of West Sumatra,
Project HOPE and Uplift
International are working with the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) in
support of its emergency medical response, which includes mobile medical units
and clinics that are providing direct health services to the survivors. The
three organizations also will ensure that the medicines and medical supplies
are distributed equitably and utilized by hospitals and health clinics in the
areas impacted by the earthquakes. (...)
http://www.projecthope.org/newsupdate/currentnews/view.asp?id=100345
EU commemorates the fall of the Berlin Wall, reproduces the domino effect
Brussels,
9 November - Today the Presidents of the European Commission and the European
Parliament, Heads of State and Government as well as hundreds of thousands of
citizens join together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the
Berlin Wall, a unique event in contemporary history and a landmark for European
integration.
President
Barroso, who participates in the official “Festival
of Freedom” in front of the Brandenburg Gate in
Ban
welcomes power-sharing deal in
7
November - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today
welcomed the power-sharing agreement reached by Madagascar’s current and former
leaders and urged them to implement the deal to resolve months of political
wrangling in the Indian Ocean country.
Madagascar’’s four past and present
leaders - Andry Rajoelina,
Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka
and Albert Zafy - struck the power-sharing deal today
following talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (...) Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said the
UN would continue to support
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32877&Cr=Madagascar&Cr1=
6 November - The deminers who risk their lives daily to rid
After the conflict with
Chief Executive Lou McGrath
OBE joined ambassadors from the
http://www.maginternational.org/news/lebanon-mag-celebrates-lifesaving-clearance-milestone/
UN initiative aims to create jobs, spur lasting peace
in post-conflict nations
4
November - The United Nations today launched a new policy aimed at creating
employment and income generation in post-conflict situations, where they are
vital for future stability, socio-economic growth and sustainable peace. Led by
the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the International
Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Policy for
Post-Conflict Employment Creation, Income Generation and Reintegration will be
carried out in five initial countries emerging from conflict:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32842&Cr=jobs&Cr1=
John Lennon’s sons and Yoko Ono revive ‘Give Peace a
Chance’ to help UN
3
November - Celebrating the 40th anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono
recording the anti-war anthem Give Peace a Chance with the Plastic Ono Band,
the United Nations announced today that the proceeds from the release of a
commemorative single will garner funds for its peacebuilding
efforts in countries emerging from conflict.
Yoko
Ono - the former Beatle’s wife and artistic collaborator - along with his sons,
Sean and Julian Lennon have partnered with music industry giants, EMI and Sony,
to give the net profits from the sale of the song to the UN Peacebuilding
Fund (PBF). (...)
Profits
from the song - sung by over 500,000 people at the anti-Viet Nam War
demonstration later that year in Washington, DC - will benefit the PBC, which
was established in 2005 to bolster countries in their bid to rebuild after
conflict, reconcile divisions and prevent them from relapsing into bloodshed.
(...)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32830&Cr=peacebuilding&Cr1=
The Global March for Peace and Nonviolence, 2 October
2009 – 2 January 2010
The
Global March for Peace and Nonviolence is an exciting initiative which will
start in
The
Global March for Peace and Nonviolence has been endorsed internationally by
three Heads of State - Chilean President Michelle Bachelet,
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic
and East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta - as well
as a number of Nobel Laureates including Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama and Jose Saramago. (...)
For
more information visit www.worldmarch.info or contact alyn@lcnp.org
http://www.peace.net.nz/index.php?pageID=3
The
The Cartagena
Summit on a Mine-Free World is a milestone event where states and the mine ban
community will review the status of the Mine Ban Treaty and set out steps that
need to be taken to create a mine-free world. It will bring together more than
1,000 participants from across the world, including ministers and heads of
states. A rich program of side events will shed light on the mine problem. ICBL
campaigners, mine action experts and mine survivors from some 50 countries will
participate and can provide interviews on landmines in all geographical
regions, on mine clearance, victim assistance, mine risk education, and stories
of survival. Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Co-Laureate, will also be
present. (...)
Widening
the gateway to health care in
by Peter Schmidtke
Rotary International News, 6
November -
Since 2007, Poer has worked in
When Poer,
a native or
Additionally, Poer has overseen mobile teams of local caregivers who
operate out of tents and cooperate with community clinics and health bureaus to
provide HIV testing and counseling services. From June 2007 to June 2009, the
teams helped test over 100,000 people. (...)
Before moving to
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/091106_news_ethiopia.aspx
4 November - (...) A total of 23 ICRC and MARF vaccinators and technicians
travel every day to 12 nomadic villages in the Kutum
area and 25 other sites close to water points around Dar Zaghawa
to vaccinate camels, sheep, goats and cows. The campaign is expected to go on
for the next three months. The objective is to vaccinate 500,000 animals in
After extensive preparations
and several postponements due to inadequate security, the ICRC launched this
major animal vaccination campaign in coordination with the Ministry of Animal
Health and Fisheries (MARF) at the end of September, targeting nomadic
settlements around the Kutum area and the villages of
the Dar Zaghawa region in
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/sudan-update-041109?opendocument
MSF assists newly displaced people in
Khartoum,
3 November - Clashes near Shangil Tobaya,
a town in northern Darfur, Sudan, have led to a
number of casualties and the displacement of hundreds of families. The medical
humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has treated 12 wounded people since
October
MSF
is liaising with other actors in
Leading
organizations join forces to launch first annual World Pneumonia Day, fight
world’s leading child killer
The GAPP estimates the cost of
scaling up exclusive breastfeeding, vaccinations and case management in the
world’s 68 high child mortality countries. Together, these countries account
for 98% pneumonia deaths worldwide. With this investment, the GAPP projects
that by 2015, the scale-up of existing interventions can decrease child
pneumonia mortality substantially. (...)
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2009/world-pnuemonia-day.html?print=t
New
IFRC community-based health and first aid tools: using the “learning by doing”
approach
by Melanie Caruso and
Jean-Luc Martinage, IFRC,
26 October - The International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has a long history of
first aid and health promotion activities within communities. In the 1990s,
community-based first aid (CBFA) was the principal method of teaching first aid
and health to communities.
Since July 2005, there has
been an ongoing revitalisation process to update CBFA
into a more action-oriented and comprehensive approach. This process has
included feedback provided by more than 35 Red Cross and Red Crescent
societies, health professionals and other sector partners, the development of a
new curricula, and workshops that have included participants from more than 70
National Societies to date. The revitalisation
process has been generously supported by the Finnish and Swedish Red Cross
societies.
As a result of these
consultative opportunities, a new concept has emerged: the community-based
health and first aid in action (CBHFA) approach. These global materials were
developed and field tested in
http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/09/09102601/index.asp
by Karina
Coates, communication delegate,
23 October - School pupil
Nelson John vigorously soaps and scrubs his hands, rinsing and drying them only
when a second enthusiastic rendition of “Happy birthday” ends. His classmates
applaud his demonstration of the effective hand-washing technique, where just
20 seconds - twice through the well-known song - is all it takes to ensure clean
hands. It’s a simple message, but one that can save lives.
On Global Handwashing
Day, 15 October, Red Cross volunteers partnered with health educators from soap
manufacturer Colgate Palmolive to demonstrate the importance of good hygiene
practices to school children in
Meanwhile, Red Cross
volunteers in two provinces hard hit by recent cholera, dysentery and influenza
outbreaks began their first day of intensive training as part of a national
hygiene education campaign. The training will be rolled out in 13 provinces,
equipping more than 700 volunteers to communicate the importance of good
hygiene practices to 300,000 people in all national languages. These messages
will also reach 2.4 million people through nationwide television and radio
broadcasts over the coming weeks. (...)
http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/09/09102301/index.asp
(top)
Innovative Climate Funds support transformational
investments in clean energy and building climate resilience
EU-US
4
November - Commenting on the setting up of an EU-US Energy Council, Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive of the European Wind Energy
Association said:
“That
an EU-US Summit decides to establish a trans-Atlantic Energy Council shows the
growing importance of energy in international relations. Energy security and
climate change will have an ever greater role in global politics.”
“It
is clearly important to improve dialogue between the EU and US on energy issues
and to boost scientific cooperation. If they are serious about tackling climate
change, they need to act fast in reducing global CO2 emissions and radically
change the way energy is produced.”
“The
focus of this new cooperation has to be on the technology that is ready to be
deployed and deliver CO2 reductions targets in the short term - by 2015
according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This means
that wind energy has to be a key element of the new cooperation and top of the
new Council’s agenda.”
For
more information see the European Commission press release.
Obama putting 3.4 billion
US dollars toward a ‘smart’ power grid
President Barack Obama made a pitch for renewable energy Tuesday, announcing
3.4 billion US dollars in government support for 100 projects aimed at
modernizing the
AP/Nanet Poulsen
28
October - The president urged greater use of several technologies to make
The
3.4 billion dollars in grants from the government’s January economic stimulus
program will be matched by 4.7 billion dollars in private investments. (...)
http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=2443
19
October - On 1 October 2009 the Municipality of Örebro
(Sweden) put into action, in conjunction with other public sector organisations, local trade and industry, and local farmers,
several parts of a widespread scheme to increase the production and use of
biogas (methane). On the same day, new buses using biogas began to appear on
the streets of the town. A new and expanded bus route network will be
introduced six months later.
These
changes to the municipality’s transport system will result in the emissions of
carbon dioxide are being reduced by approximately 20,000 tons per year. Just
changing from diesel to biogas in the city’s bus traffic will reduce emissions
by 3,000 tons per year.
http://www.iclei-europe.org/index.php?id=4022
ISES Statement for COP15
Rapid transition to a renewable energy world
Johannesburg,
South Africa, 19 October - Hundreds of internationally-renowned renewable
energy scientists, technical experts, industry leaders, and related
professionals recently convened at the International Solar Energy Society’s
Solar World Congress
ISES
is a UN accredited non-governmental and non-profit organization in operation
since 1954, and now has several thousand scientists, tecnica experts, industry delegates, and related
professionals from over 100 countries, all committed to advancing renewable
energy solutions to global climate change and world poverty. (...)
http://www.ises.org/ises.nsf!Open
Nobel Laureates
to discuss barriers to sustainable future at Berlin Summit, 10-11 November
6 November - Green Cross International will
organize a special session on breaking down barriers to a sustainable future at
the two-day Nobel Peace Laureates Summit (10-11 November, 2009) to be held in
10 November
2009 from 16.45 to 18.45,
With barely a month to go before the
COP 15 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in
Copenhagen (7-18 December 2009), members of the Climate Change Task Force are
seeking the moral authority and engagement of the Nobel Laureates for a strong
deal at Copenhagen. The panel of this special session expects to produce a
statement that could be adopted by the Nobel Peace Laureates Summit calling for
a strong and balanced agreement at
www.gci.ch
news section dated 6 and 27 October, 2009.
9
November -
This
contract helps
6
November - Addressing the media on the final day of the Barcelona talks, Yvo de Boer, [Executive Secretary of
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)], said that progress
had been made during the week and that he was confident that Copenhagen would
deliver a strong deal, which must include the immediate implementation of key
actions in developing countries. Mr. de Boer spoke about the strong sense that
the Kyoto Protocol needs to continue. He also said that the
http://unfccc.int/meetings/intersessional/barcelona_09/items/5024.php
WWF: Climate friendly policies pay off, report shows
5
November - Climate-friendly policies not only reduce greenhouse emissions and
bring environmental benefits; they also boost and diversify the economy, a
recent report scoring some 100 climate policies from G20 countries reveals.
The
report carried out by Ecofys and Germanwatch
for WWF and E3G evaluates climate policies of countries accounting for around
three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, identifying best and worst
examples and lessons learned. (...) The top places in the report were given to
an “Efficiency in buildings” programme implemented by
the German government and a “Feed-in tariff for renewable electricity”
initiative, also in
http://www.panda.org/wwf_news/news/?179223/Climate-friendly-policies-pay-off-report-shows
UNFPA
Report linking climate change, women to be released on 18 November
United Nations, New York,
4 November - In a new report to
be issued on Wednesday, 18 November, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund,
will show how people, especially empowered women, could make a difference in
the fight against climate change. The State of World Population 2009, entitled Facing
a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate, will be launched in
London, Washington, D.C., Paris, Bangkok, Johannesburg, Mexico City and more
than 120 other capitals worldwide. (…)
http://www.unfpa.org/public/News/pid/4187
EEA draws the first map of
26
October - The European Environment Agency (EEA) has launched the most
comprehensive map of noise exposure to date, revealing the extent to which
European citizens are exposed to excessive acoustic pollution. The NOISE (Noise Observation and Information
Service for Europe) database provides, at the click of a mouse, a picture of the numbers of people
exposed to noise generated by air, rail and road traffic across
Noise
is ubiquitous but its role as a key form of pollution with serious human health
consequences is still underestimated. Prolonged exposure to even low levels of
noise can trigger hypertension and disrupt sleep. (...) Just over 41 million
Europeans are exposed to excessive noise from road traffic alone in the largest
cities.
Compiling
information from 19 of the 32 EEA member countries, the NOISE database
represents a major step towards a comprehensive pan-European service. (...)
Adopted in 2002, the Environmental Noise Directive aims to moderate noise
exposure in built-up areas. (...)
Inter Faith Week, 15-21 November
Inter
Faith Week will take place from 15 to 21 November across
The
Week is being facilitated by the Inter Faith Network for the UK and the
Department for Communities and Local Government but will be community-led, with
local people and groups of different backgrounds holding their own events and
to highlight work going on to promote understanding between people of different
faiths and beliefs.
http://www.interfaithweek.org/ http://www.interfaithweek.org/about.htm
Inter-faith initiative pushes to mobilize billions in
fight against climate change
Windsor
(UK), 2 November 2009 - Nearly one month before the climate talks in Copenhagen
begin, a crucial event to reach out to the eighty-five per cent of humanity who
follow a religion has kicked off in London’s Windsor Castle. From 2-4 November,
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is co-hosting the
global gathering of inter-faith leaders: Faith Commitments for a Living Planet.
At
the event organized by Prince Philip’s Alliance of Religions and Conservation
(ARC), religious leaders from all the major faith traditions will highlight the
earth’s fragility, and discuss initiatives to protect it against the ravages of
climate change. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Mr. Ban stressed that, “without
full support and cooperation of religious leaders it will be very difficult to
obtain... a binding agreement in
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=602&ArticleID=6358&l=en
EYCE Interreligious campaign
against fundamentalism
Leadership Team visits Interreligious
Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina
by A. Osborne
20
October - During a planning and dissemination visit to
During
this encounter the team had an opportunity to explain the campaign to the
council’s staff and to invite the council’s young contacts to become more
involved in the campaign as it prepares to enter its third year. (...) In
return, the Leadership Team heard from the council’s youth programme
leader, Mrs Bozana Katava, about the work of the council and in particular its
activities with groups of young people from a wide variety of religions and
denominations, theologians and non-theologians alike. The team was very
encouraged to hear about the great energy and enthusiasm that these young
people are pouring into their interreligious
encounters and initiatives, and looks forward to further collaboration with the
council and its youth network over the next years. (...)
http://www.eyce.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&topic_id=15&page_id=878
Earth Charter congress - Madrid, Spain, 14-15 November
The
Fundacion Valores, Instituto de Formacion Avanzada (Infova) and Instituto de Potencial Humano (IPH) are organizing and convening the 5th Earth
Charter Congress: “Values for Life and Business” which will take place 14 and
15 November
This
event is focused on the essential and protagonist role the business sector
needs to take in order to generate a positive transformation of society. The
understanding is that this change towards a new model can only happen with the
responsible, engaged and committed participation of businesses. The event will
be an opportunity to look at solutions and alternatives for global and
individual changes through values and motivations that inspire individuals to
take the challenge of promoting a new economic model.
The
Congress will have the participation of Federico Mayor Zaragoza,
President of Fundación Cultura
de Paz (Culture of Peace Foundation), Earth Charter Commissioner for
5th International Forum on Creativity and Inventions,
A Better Future for Humanity in the 21st Century -
Intellectual Property (IP) in a Changing World: New Challenges and
Opportunities
The
5th International Forum on Creativity and Inventions - A Better Future for
Humanity in the 21st Century, will take place in
http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/2009/inv_del/
Africa unites for early childhood, Dakar, 10-13
November
“From policy to action: expanding investment in ECD
for sustainable development”
African
ministers of planning and finance are joining ministers of education, health
and social protection to promote greatly expanded investment in services for
young children at the Fourth African International Conference on Early
Childhood Development (ECD).
Entitled
“From Policy to Action: Expanding Investment in ECD for Sustainable
Development”, the conference in Dakar, Senegal from 10-13 November, will
address implementing and strengthening ECD policies and plans, increasing
access to quality ECD and going to scale and expanding services for vulnerable
children affected by HIV/AIDS, war and severe poverty. The overarching theme of
the Conference is investment in ECD in a world of economic, food, fuel and
ecological crises. Participants will also engage in dialogue on rationale,
knowledge and skills; experiences in planning and implementing ECD and planning
the next steps to expand and improve ECD.
African
decision-makers are becoming increasingly aware that investing in ECD is
essential for attaining sustainable development and achieving Education for All
and the Millennium Development Goals. They understand that ECD yields one
of the highest rates of return of any social or economic investment. (...)
The role of vocational education and training (VET) in meeting the
challenges of today and tomorrow
11 November - During the Swedish Presidency, a
conference on vocational education and training will be arranged in
The
conference is expected to bring together around 200 participants, representing
decision-makers from the countries’ ministries and government agencies, the
social partners, the European Commission and EU institutions working with VET,
as well as representatives of research institutions in VET and adult education.
(...)
World Philosophy Day 2009,
World
Philosophy Day, an annual date UNESCO put on the calendar in 2005, is
increasing its scope. This year the international celebration will be held in
International
celebration, Moscow (16 to 18 November) and St Petersburg (19 November):
Renowned philosophers, students, academics and other lovers of philosophy will
get together in Moscow and St Petersburg around the topic “Philosophy and the
Dialogue of Cultures”. The event is organized by the
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=46842&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
The European Union granted € 270,000 to the
In
the beginning of October 2009 the
Activities
of the Centre will include: developing and implementing MA programme
in Contemporary India’s Politics and Business, conducting research projects on
contemporary
The
CCIRS consortium consists of the 15 European and 7 Indian universities and
specialized institutes and it was supported by Polish authorities. The main
partners of the
Ministry
of education and ANERA help develop national framework for early childhood
education
Jerusalem, 28 October - The
Ministry of Education and Higher Education and American Near East Refugee Aid
(ANERA) are pleased to announce an initiative to help design a national
framework for educating Palestinian preschoolers.
The Ministry of Education
officially launched the project on October 28 at a one-day conference, “Towards
the Development of a National Framework in Early Childhood
Education/Palestine,” which brought together universities, non-profits,
educators, funders, government officials and
preschool administrators. (…) The conference focused on the role of each
partner in developing curriculum and infrastructure, education policies for
preschools, training and funding. (...)
The multi-year project, which
will include many partners, will create the common guidelines and training for
preschool educators. In the first phase, ANERA will partner with
http://www.anera.org/newsResources/EarlyChildhoodEdFrameworkWestBank.php
EI calls on teachers unions to work together to stop
the devastating impact of the economic crisis in
26 October - “Teacher lay-offs, education budget cuts and
salary cuts, and school closures are unacceptable as policy choices, and in
those countries where such measures have been applied, they must be stopped.” In their declaration following the
EI Central and Eastern Europe annual round table held in Budapest from 22nd to
23rd October, delegates from 15 European countries reasserted that governments
must invest in education as a strategic response to the crisis instead of
cutting funding, and that teachers are part of the solution. They further
stated that “ strong well-organised and democratic
education unions have an essential role to play in society in advocating for
education and for the welfare of their members. Their role is critical at times
of crisis when education staff and services are under attack”. EI will monitor
the situation closely and provide support and information on how countries are
handling the crisis to member organisations. It will also engage in advocacy
towards international organisations to promote education and research as
investments in the future.
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1122&theme=policy&country=global
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