Good News Agency – Year X, n° 164
Weekly – Year X, number 164 – 4th
December 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
After
a long hiatus, the
By Matthew Heaphy
December 2 – For the first
time in eight years, the
The meeting at The Hague
mostly revolved around preparations for the court’s review conference, taking
place in May-June 2010 in Kampala, Uganda. This conference will cover a range
of issues about the court and international justice for atrocity crimes in
general. The
Matthew
Heaphy is the deputy convener for the American
Coalition for the International Criminal Court.
http://www.unausa.org/worldbulletin/120209/heaphy
Groundbreaking
treaty on illegal fishing approved
Port
state measures broaden the fight against IUU fishing
Rome, 25 November - A new
treaty that aims to close fishing ports to ships involved in illegal,
unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been approved by FAO’s governing Conference. Once it enters into force, it
will be the first ever legally binding international treaty focused
specifically on this problem. It will also be the only one to enlist so-called
“non-flag states” in the fight against IUU fishing, alongside flag states that
are primarily responsible for the conduct of vessels flying their flags on the
high seas.
The “Agreement on Port State
Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated
Fishing” is set to enter into force once 25 countries have ratified it.
The first eleven FAO members -
By signing the treaty,
governments commit themselves to prevent, deter and eventually eliminate IUU
fishing including by taking steps to guard their ports against vessels engaged
in IUU fishing, thereby preventing fish from such vessels from entering
international markets. (...)
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/37627/icode/
Top
UN official lauds new tool to monitor, combat corruption
16 November - The head of the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has welcomed a new mechanism
to monitor and implement a global treaty to fight corruption, the result of
week-long negotiations in
The country reports, based on
self-assessments and peer reviews by experts, will, among other things,
identify gaps in national anti-corruption laws and practices.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32961&Cr=corruption&Cr1=
EU:
30 November - A meeting on the
impact of fundamental social rights in Europe: it will be promoted in Brussels today,
to mark the 20th anniversary of the EU Charter of Fundamental Social Rights in
the presence of Jacques Delors, by the European
Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the association Notre Europe (Ne), a think-tank founded in 1996 by Delors
himself. While “the 20th anniversary of the Charter of Rights” offers an
“occasion to take stock of the contribution it has given to social progress in
the European Union”, in the current crisis “which proves how important it is to
have a framework of inalienable social rights” the EESC and Notre Europe
explain that “together they want to revive the debate on the social dimension
of the EU and the idea of a new action plan”. In this scenario, a final
statement will be adopted, with an appeal for a new social action plan that
will be submitted for approval to the civil organisations
in
Progress as
Addis Ababa, 26
November - “Significant strides have been made in the promotion of child
survival, development, protection and participation in Africa,” said Mr. Saad Houry, UNICEF’s Deputy
Executive Director, as Africa marks ten years since the African Charter on the
Rights and Welfare of the Child (Charter) came into force on 29 November 1999.
Today, 48 out of 53 African Union (AU) Member States have ratified the Charter.
“However, the ratification of the Charter should not be seen as the end result,
but rather the domestication into national laws and policies, as well as
implementation of programmes to achieve positive and sustainable improvement on
the lives of children,” Mr. Houry asserted. The
Charter, which is the first and only regional treaty in existence on the rights
of the child, lays out responsibilities of government, family, community,
children and individuals in the protection and promotion of the rights of the
child. It also reflects on the realities of the lives of African children
living within the African context, and is therefore very relevant. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_51939.html
European unions mark International Day for the
Elimination of Violence Against Women
25 November -
Delegates at the European regional conference in
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1138&theme=gender&country=global
ADRA
advocates for albinos in
Silver Spring, Md., USA, 24 November - The Adventist Development and
Relief Agency (ADRA) is fighting the stigmatization and discrimination that
many young people with albinism face in Tanzania by helping to meet their
health needs, providing them with better educational materials, and raising
awareness about their condition. In August of 2009, ADRA began working with a
group of albino students at the
http://www.adra.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10667&news_iv_ctrl=1141
24 November -
Today, ministers of 13 Eastern African countries signed, in
Launch
of the Arabic version of the book Human Rights: Questions and Answers by Leah
Levin (illustrated by Plantu)
24 November - The Arabic version
of the book Human Rights: Questions and Answers by Leah Levin (illustrated by Plantu), translated and printed with the support of the
Italian Development Cooperation - Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was
presented in Rabat (Morocco), on Wednesday 25 November 2009. The event, chaired
by His Excellency the Ambassador of Italy in
The Arabic translation of the
updated version (May 2009), aims to make it, on the one hand, more accessible
to a misinformed public and, on the other, to give also a response to the
obvious lack of support in this area. The book, which will be distributed in 22
Arab countries, constitutes a tool to raise awareness on the culture of human
rights among NGOs, human rights institutions and civil society in the Arab
region. (...)
http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12949&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
22 November - A top United
Nations human rights official today welcomed a deal agreed by a former rebel
group in southern
The Sudanese People’s
Liberation Army (SPLA), which fought in the nation’s long-running north-south
civil war, signed the action plan to discharge the children on Friday in the
southern capital,
She also stressed that her
office will collaborate with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to help find much
needed resources and funds to support rehabilitation and reintegration efforts
of former child soldiers in the whole of
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33035&Cr=Sudan&Cr1=
20 November - Amnesty
International has welcomed a decision by
A moratorium has been in place
since 1999 and was due to expire when all regions of the
The twentieth century
witnessed the development of most of all tutelary, protectionist and
paternalistic juvenile justice model in all legal systems. Once it was
compulsory to guarantee the Rights of the Child, such arbitrary models devoid
of legal principles were jeopardized. The nearly universal implementation of
the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) gave an extraordinary boost to
the process of renovating legislation and organizing juvenile justice courts.
However, alongside this
healthy renovation movement, repressive tendencies emerged, finding in the
subordination of both children and adults to the adult penal system a solution
to the actual or alleged increase in juvenile violence. The attractive
neo-retributive system, which seeks to excel paternalism through the universal
enforcement of Criminal Law, requires a thorough redefinition of principles,
models, institutions and procedures respecting adolescents as juridical persons
with constitutionally protected rights.
http://www.congresomundialjjrperu2009.org/
World
Congress of NGOs: Enhancing Human Dignity: The Role of NGOs
Leaders of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) from throughout the world join together at the World
Congress of NGOs to discuss issues of pressing importance for the Third Sector.
Known often as charities, nonprofits, and civil society organizations, NGOs
assume a key role in tackling serious challenges confronting humanity and the
world. Prominent international and national leaders from the intergovernmental,
governmental, and for-profit sectors, who share an interest in helping NGOs
accomplish their vital tasks, will also be participating in the Congress.
Professional and practical training experts will provide invaluable information
and useful tools to help the NGOs become more effective in carrying out their
missions.
The 2009 World Congress is
being held in
http://www.wango.org/congress/overview.aspx
30 November - “The time has
come to leave the free-trade ideology behind and start again from people and
from the environment to build a system of economic relations that is capable of
catering to everyone’s needs, not just to the greed of the few”. This was
stated by the over two hundred civil organisations
and social movements, including Mani Tese and the NGO Mais (Movimento per l’autosviluppo, l’interscambio e la solidarietà),
which will be meeting in Geneva for the ministerial conference of the World
Trade Organisation (Wto),
which is opening today (until December 2nd). In a press kit named “Do not sell
off our future: let’s change the trend to stop the crisis”, the organisations ask first and foremost that “the countries’
food sovereignty be guaranteed, by changing the distorting market agricultural
policies, the concentrations of power, the financial speculation and by
managing the agricultural and food supplies in a way that will protect the
right to food for everyone, not for the corporations’ profit”. “Reducing the
impact of trade on climate change”, ensuring “the universal right to access to
basic services”, relinquishing the “market deregulation model” and “providing a
political forum to promote ecologically- and socially-sustainable development
policies” are other things that social movements are asking for.
New
NGLS publication: "Strengthening Dialogue: UN Experience with Small Farmer
Organizations and Indigenous Peoples"
UN-NGLS (United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service)
recently released Strengthening Dialogue: UN Experience with Small Farmer
Organizations and Indigenous Peoples, a publication which demonstrates that
there is room within the United Nations to explore better interaction with
those sectors of civil society that still have limited access to global decision-making
forums, such as small-scale farmers, rural women, indigenous peoples and slum
dwellers.
It aims to heighten awareness
and increase debate, both within UN circles and, between the UN system and
people’s movements, about the principles and practices of meaningful
engagement. It suggests a core set of principles and practices, and some
specific initiatives that could be undertaken in order to enhance this
engagement. It highlights some of the potential benefits of closer engagement,
examines the obstacles that need to be addressed, and notes the distinct
challenges of cooperation at the country level.
The study focuses on two
specific cases: small farmer organizations and indigenous peoples. It looks at
concrete examples of interaction at both the global and country levels that can
provide valuable lessons for strengthening future engagement.
http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?page=article_s&id_article=1702
The
European Communities awards EUR 2 million to WTO training programmes for
developing countries
27 November - The European
Communities has donated EUR 2 million (about CHF 3 million) to the Doha
Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF) for the years 2010 and 2011.
This last donation brings the
EC’s total contribution to the DDAGTF to CHF9.2 million. This donation will
finance technical assistance programmes and training activities for developing
and least developed countries as well as economies in transition. The aim is to
better adapt their practices and laws to WTO rules and disciplines, improve the
implementation of their obligations and enhance the exercise of their
membership rights. “I welcome this new donation that demonstrates the EC’s
constant commitments to help developing countries benefit fully from the
multilateral trading system and better integrate in the global economy”
declared WTO Director General Pascal Lamy. (...)
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres09_e/pr585_e.htm
Sweden
donates CHF 5.2 million for food, animal and plant health standards
27 November - Sweden donated
SEK 35 million (approximately CHF 5.2 million) to the Standards and Trade
Development Facility (STDF), a programme set up to help developing countries
improve their expertise and their capacity to analyze and implement
international standards on food safety and animal and plant health. The funds
are provided as a multi-year contribution running for five years from 2009 to
2013.
The STDF is a joint initiative
of the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Bank,
the World Organization for Animal Health, and the Food and Agriculture
Organization.
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres09_e/pr584_e.htm
IFAD
provides US$39 million to
Rome, 26 November - A US$19.5
million loan and a US$19.5 million grant from IFAD to the Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia will support the delivery of basic social services to some
of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country - pastoralists and
their families. After the success of its first phase, the Pastoral Community
Development Project will extend its reach to three times as many households.
Operations will be extended to 57 districts of the Afar, Oromia,
Somali and Southern regions, which account for about 45 per cent of
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2009/59.htm
Stronger
world food security governance agreed
FAO
Conference also approves 2010-2011 budget
The Conference of FAO’s 192 Members, which meets every two years, agreed on
Sunday to strengthen the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) so it can
become the foremost inclusive international platform for discussion,
coordination and policy convergence in order to eliminate world hunger.
The World Summit on Food
security held here last week agreed that the CFS should be a central component
of the Global Partnership for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition. The
approval by the FAO Conference paves the way for the CFS reform to become
operational. (...)
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/37643/icode/
Goldman
Sachs pledges $500-million to help small-business owners
By Ian Wilhelm
17 November - The investment
bank Goldman Sachs has pledged $500-million to help develop small businesses
and train entrepreneurs across the country. In addition, the
As part of the new effort,
Goldman will provide $300-million in grants and loans to nonprofit
groups, known as community-development financial institutions,
that provide capital and noncash-assistance to
businesses in neighborhoods often not served by
banks. (...)
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=10199
ACDI/VOCA reaches financial services milestone: $1
billion in loans disbursed
http://www.acdivoca.org/acdivoca/PortalHub.nsf/ID/news_pressrelease1billion11_16_09
IFAD
and the Islamic Development Bank reach landmark cofinancing agreement of US$1.5 billion in aid of the
poorest people living in Africa, Asia and the
Rome, 15 November - On the eve
of the World Summit on Food Security, the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), and the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB)
have reached a groundbreaking US$1.5 billion framework cofinancing
agreement that will strengthen their 30-year collaboration in supporting the
world’s poorest people in common member countries. The agreement - the result
of talks held in Rome today between Ahmad Mohamed Ali, President of IsDB, and Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of IFAD - comes at a critical moment,
when the international community has recognized that agricultural development
is fundamental to feeding the world’s population. Today, sustained investment
in agriculture - especially smallholder agriculture - is acknowledged as the
key to food security.
Using their own resources,
IFAD and IsDB will jointly finance priority projects
in most of the 52 common member countries under their respective three-year
lending programmes for 2010-2012. The two institutions hope that this cofinancing arrangement will attract additional funding
from other development partners for joint interventions. (...)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2009/54.htm
Girls
at the center of a global movement to create lasting
change
CARE,
Girl Scouts, Seventeen Magazine and The Documentary Group launch
The Power of Girls to mobilize girls worldwide to fight poverty
11 November - Today CARE, Girl
Scouts of the
http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/index.asp?articletype=pressrelease
Walmart and
CARE launch new initiative to empower marginalized women in
750
families will be positively impacted by the partnership
Chennai, Tamil Nadu,
Through the partnership, Walmart and CARE aim to improve overall livelihoods for
women involved in the cashew processing sector: enhancing income earning
opportunities by 20 percent, improving participants’ literacy and business
skills, and ensuring greater awareness about health and nutrition. The benefits
of this initiative will reach beyond the women themselves, affecting the lives
of nearly 4,000 people. (...)
http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2009/11/india-walmart-care-project-20091111.asp
Marking
Day of Solidarity, Ban stresses importance of creating a
29 November - Voicing deep
concern that talks between
Mr. Ban welcomed the
“significant progress” made by the Palestinian Authority in meeting its
obligations under the Roadmap, the internationally-backed plan for achieving
Middle East peace, in the
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33087&Cr=Palestin&Cr1=
26 November - As the conflict in
northern
People living in Sa’ada governorate along the border with
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/yemen-update-261109
WFP
boosts assistance to displaced people in ROC and DRC
United Nations assessment
missions on both sides of the river underline the need for food assistance for
people, mainly women and children, who have been on the run for several weeks
now. WFP DR Congo is currently assessing exact needs in localities around Dongo and is planning to start food distributions in the
second week of December with stocks already in country. A total of 23 trucks
carrying 455 metric tons of WFP food have also arrived in Betou
in northern
http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/wfp-boosts-assistance-displaced-people-roc-and-drc
UNHCR
chief thanks
Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates, 25November (UNHCR) - UN High Commissioner António
Guterres has paid a brief visit to the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), where he thanked the authorities for supporting UNHCR
operations to assist forcibly displaced people around the world. (...) The
During his time in
Cold
front triggers flooding in
ADRA is targeting families
that have been directly affected by the floods, and those who have been unable
to work as a result of the disaster. Each basket contains corn flour, rice,
beans, tuna, oil, sugar, and salt, all of which are part of the local diet,
added Garcia.
The intervention is being
funded by ADRA International, the ADRA office in the Inter-American region
located in
http://www.adra.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10665&news_iv_ctrl=1141
Sleepy’s and
the Child Welfare League of
Mattress
company’s 700 stores collecting sleepwear for underprivileged children
Hicksville, NY, 18 November -
To provide warmth and comfort to some of our nation’s underprivileged youth
this holiday, Sleepy’s the Mattress Professionals,
family-owned east coast mattress company, is partnering with the Child Welfare
League of America (CWLA) in an extensive community outreach program titled
“Warm A Child’s Night.” Beginning the week of November 23rd, all 700 Sleepy’s showrooms will serve as convenient drop-off
locations for new pajamas, socks, slippers, robes,
nightgowns and other sleepwear for school aged children ages 6 to 18. Donation
bags will be set up in Sleepy’s showrooms to accept
sleepwear donations through the holiday season. In addition to showroom
participation, Sleepy’s also plans to open the drive
to employees in their main headquarters in
http://www.cwla.org/newsevents/news091118sleepy.htm
By Nina Severn
18 November - Keen to show
that everyone can play a role in the fight against hunger, an enterprising
group of London School of Economics (LSE) students kicked off their new
academic year by grabbing red cups and staging a week-long campus campaign to
raise awareness and funds for WFP. “Food is such a basic human right; it’s
incredible that there are now a billion hungry people. Ending hunger is within
reach for my generation and we are determined to make it happen,” said LSE
student Isabella Hayward, organiser of the initiative. (...) They set up a
stall on Houghton Street, in the middle of the LSE campus, and for five days,
come rain or shine, at least four volunteers engaged passing students and
lecturers in heated discussions about hunger relief. Some of them were
persuaded to part with their lunch money, some even more. The total figure
raised was £800 - enough to provide a hot school meal for 5,000 children!
The initiative highlights how
individuals, as well as governments, have a crucial role to play in fighting
hunger, not only by providing funds but also by helping spread the word.
This idea is central to WFP’s Billion For A
Billion campaign, which aims to get the billion people on internet helping the
billion people in the world who are hungry.
http://www.wfp.org/stories/london-students-take-action-fight-hunger
WFP
launches school meals pilot programme in
Sulaymaniyah, 17 November - The
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today launched a pilot programme to provide
172,000 Iraqi primary school children with a free daily snack at school to help
boost school attendance and learning and improve food security in eight of the
country’s poorest districts. “This initiative, which we are taking to support
the Ministry of Education, is one of a number of projects WFP is undertaking to
assist the most vulnerable people in
Under the school meals
programme, the children will each receive an 80-gramme nutritious date bar,
fortified with a range of micronutrients. As well as providing vital
nourishment, the snacks will provide extra nutritional support for poor
families and help keep children in school. (...)
http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/wfp-launches-school-meals-pilot-programme-iraq
23 November - Two years after
MAG finished clearing land in Ou Chamlong
village, Battambang province, business is booming.
Two former minefields have been transformed into plots thick with sweetcorn, tapioca and beans. Large trucks from
Duk Nan, 60, describes
the village before it was cleared. “Most of the land was left unused, as it was
heavily mined. It became thickly forested,” he recalls. “At that time, if we
had food, that was enough.” Today, his money stretches beyond what is necessary
for supporting his five daughters. “I have a motorbike, cows and a television,”
he says. Ou Chamlong’s
village chief, Kim Chin, says that development in the village occurred soon
after the clearance work, and that no safe land is left unused. (...)
http://www.maginternational.org/news/cambodia-development-doubles-after-mag-clears-land/
Security
Council extends mandate of European peacekeepers in
18 November - The United
Nations Security Council today extended for another year the European Union
stabilization force (EUFOR) entrusted with ensuring continued compliance by all
sides in
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32992&Cr=Bosnia&Cr1=
Cambodian
troops arrive to bolster UN force in Chad,
19 November - The United
Nations mission set up to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid in
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33011&Cr=minurcat&Cr1=
Latest
round of UN-backed Darfur peace talks resumes
tomorrow in
17 November - United
Nations-backed mediation talks aimed at bringing peace to the strife-torn
Sudanese region of Darfur will resume tomorrow in
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32988&Cr=darfur&Cr1=
Anti-LandmineTreaty working, lives and limbs saved
Chayer Amelie
<amelie@icbl.org>
Global use, production, and
trade of antipersonnel mines have dramatically reduced. Some 3,200km2 of land
has been cleared of mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), and new
casualties each year declined significantly to 5,197 recorded casualties in
2008. Yet serious challenges remain, with more than 70 states still
mine-affected today, and assistance to mine survivors falling short of what is
needed. (...) Production has decreased, with 38 countries formally halting mine
production, leaving only 13 countries as potential producers. (...) Over the
past decade, States Parties have destroyed 44 million stockpiled antipersonnel
mines. (…)
http://www.icbl.org/index.php/icbl/Library/News-Articles/Work/pr-lm2009
DR
Congo and UN launch stabilization and recovery fund
9 November - The United
Nations and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have launched a fund to
help the vast country recover from years of devastating civil war that ended
earlier this decade, and continuing strife in its eastern provinces that has
displaced more than a million people. (...) The
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32890&Cr=democratic&Cr1=congo
Global
Peace Convention: “Peacebuilding for the 21st
Century: Interfaith, Service and Family”,
The Global Peace Convention
(GPC) is an annual gathering of peace builders from around the world. It began
as a result of the excitement and positive impact of the Global Peace Festivals
(GPF) held throughout since 2007. The Convention is an opportunity to exchange
information and learn from best practices to improve the quality of all
peace-building projects. The Convention brings together key leaders in the
realms of politics, civil society, and religion to discuss creative approaches
to pressing global issues. Woven into the Convention schedule are a variety of
educational seminars and workshops, cultural events, optional recreational
activities and a fact-finding tour to
http://www.globalpeacefestival.org/convention/
http://www.globalpeacefestival.org/convention/about/global-peace-convention.html
IAEA
and African Union Commission join forces in fight against deadly tsetse fly
Staff Report
26 November - African
countries joined forces with the IAEA to take a decisive step in the fight
against the tsetse fly, the main carrier of parasites that cause sleeping
sickness in humans and trypanosomosis in animals. The
pest has long been a serious health hazard, significantly hindering development
across much of the African continent. Thanks to the increased use of Sterile
Insect Technique (SIT), a nuclear-based pest control technology that is often
described as “biological birth control for insects”, African countries are
expected in future to clear more of their territories of this deadly insect. In
SIT-supported pest suppression and prevention campaigns, millions of sterilized
male insects are released into targeted areas. They mate with wild females in
the field, but no offspring are produced. Eventually, the pest population is
suppressed and steadily reduced over time. (...)
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2009/tsetsefly.html
The
European Commission approves €275 million for the eradication, monitoring and
control of animal diseases
Each year the Commission
approves programmes for the eradication and monitoring of animal diseases
(...). These approved programmes receive financial contributions from the EU.
(...)
MSF
starts treating people with Chagas disease in
24 November - (…) The international humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
has started to diagnose and treat people affected by Chagas
disease in Arauca department, in northeastern
MSF has integrated Chagas screening and treatment into its primary healthcare
services already carried out in the region. Through mobile clinics, MSF offers
free medical consultations, mental health support, family planning and
antenatal care to people mostly living in isolated villages without access to
healthcare. (...)
UN
peacekeepers’ hospital brings treatment to hundreds of local Congolese
24 November - A hospital set
up in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to care for United
Nations peacekeepers is also bringing hope to hundreds of local people who
might otherwise lack necessary treatment for their illnesses and injuries as
well as screening that can ward off preventable sickness. (...) The hospital,
operational since March, has a staff of 90, covering general medical care and
surgery, anaesthesiology, pathology, gynaecology, radiology, psychiatry,
dermatology, ophthalmology and dentistry.
So far this year, some 950
local civilians have been successfully treated for common complaints including
hypertension, diabetes, malaria, infectious and diarrhoeal disorders, and a
range of skin diseases. Civilians have also been treated for fractures,
appendicitis, wounds and lacerations and have received plastic and
reconstructive surgery. (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33056&Cr=monuc&Cr1=
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/nepal-news-241109
23 November - The ICRC is
supporting mobile health units of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society operating
in Dera Ismail Khan and
Ministry of Health facilities in
The Pakistan Red Crescent
units are addressing the numerous health problems faced by the hundreds of
thousands of people displaced by the fighting in
MSF
emergency team responding to first ever dengue fever outbreak in
16 November - The outbreak is
the first ever in
The Cape Verde Ministry of
Health has reported 13,187 suspected cases of dengue Fever in four islands
within the archipelago between October 1 and November 9. (…) The international
response to the dengue fever outbreak has been positive, with public health
experts and international medical teams now providing medical support, case
management, surveillance and diagnostics.
MSF has sent a team to support
the hospital in Sao Filipe, the main town on the
20
Ugandan children will undergo heart surgery in
(…) With the advice from
doctors, coordination and selection of children for surgery is done by Grace Agwaru, the first Gift of Life recipient from
Each patient would have spent
an estimated US $6,000. for the operation.
"Thanks to the Rotary clubs in South Korea, which contributed more than
US$100,000 along with Rotary District 3010 New Delhi, these children can get a
second chance at life," said A.C. Peter, a member of the Rotary Club of
Delhi East End and the national coordinator of the Gift of Life program in
India.
Currently, there are 52 Gift
of Life programs located worldwide, including
Contact: howard.chang@rotary.org
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IEA launches technology roadmap on wind energy
30 November - “The
IEA Wind Roadmap, the third in a series that focuses on deployment of promising
low-carbon energy technologies, captures the tasks that must be addressed along
the complete wind energy supply chain, from efficient energy extraction on land
and offshore to reliable and cost-effective delivery to consumers. It looks
towards 2050, when 12% of global electricity needs could be met by the wind.
This roadmap will be available at the IEA stand at the UN climate talks in
Mayor
Bloomberg pledges $125-million to reduce auto fatalities
By Maria Di
Mento
18 November - Michael R.
Bloomberg, the mayor of
The six organizations that
will coordinate the program with the countries’ government agencies are the
Association for Safe International Road Travel, Global Road Safety Partnership,
the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, World Bank Global Road
Safety Facility, World Health Organization, and
“Based on our pilot projects,
I believe we can extend our reach to many more people in additional countries,”
said Mr. Bloomberg, in a news release. (...)
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=10208
European
award for innovative energy saving school project
13 November - Today Toyota
Fund for
The Environment &
Innovation Project, run by Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in the
Eco-Schools network and funded by Toyota Motor Europe through the Toyota Fund
for Europe, held a European competition in 6 countries:
10 November -
Preparing
for the UN Climate Talks in
30 November - (...) The IEA
welcomes the recent announcements made by the
http://www.iea.org/index_info.asp?id=947
Sustainability
standards for Asian catfish farming reach final stage
Solar
Cooker system as “Most Meaningful Carbon Offset” campaign launched
SCI is launching an online campaign, with a
video where people can make a fifty-dollar donation that will allow SCI to
provide one of the neediest families on earth with a Solar Cookit
system and necessary training. Donors of the $50 CooKit
systems will receive certificates showing a woman with a solar cooker next to
the large pile of wood that will not have to be gathered or burned as a result
of the tax deductible carbon offset contribution. (…)
Solar Cookers International is
widely considered the world pioneer in advancing solar cooking, through its
product development and field training experience. SCI has improved the lives
of tens of thousands through the development, distribution and training of
solar cooking devices in
http://www.solarcookers.org/news/2009_11_01_archive.html
Southern Ocean protected area to shield marine region
more diverse than Galapagos
23 November - A
first-time high seas Marine Protected Area (MPA) has been established in the
Southern Ocean, eliminating fishing and giving scientists a special opportunity
to study the effects of climate change in a region that is home to more species
than the
At its recent
meeting, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources (CCAMLR) approved the new high seas marine protected area south of
the
Interactive technology empowers Europeans to manage
environmental change
17 November - As
part of their partnership combining cutting-edge technology and environmental
data, Microsoft Corp and the European Environment Agency (EEA) have expanded
their Eye On Earth portal. A new application, AirWatch provides information on air quality to more than
500 million people across
Falling
Amazon deforestation rates create opportunity for other damaged forests
Brasilia, Brazil, 13 November
- Fewer trees were cut down in the Amazon this year, creating an opportunity to
apply sound government policies to halt deforestation in other damaged forests,
WWF says. Data released Thursday by the Brazilian government shows that the
deforestation rate in the Amazon fell between August 2008 and July 2009.
Overall, the deforested region is a 45 percent smaller than Amazon land cleared
the previous year, or between August 2007 and July 2008. This is the lowest
rate of deforestation in the Amazon since record-keeping began in 2000, and
down from a high of more than 27,000 square kms in
2004. However, the Amazon did lose 7,008 square kms
of forest this year, according to government officials and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who attended a ceremony Thursday to announce this
year’s deforestation figures. (...) According to Denise Hamú,
WWF-Brazil’s CEO, (...) the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, to be held in
Pollution:
new European register gives public access to information on emissions from
European industrial facilities
9 November - The European
Commission and the European Environment Agency today launched a comprehensive
new European pollutant release and transfer register – E-PRTR. The register
contains information about the quantity and location of pollutants released to
air, water and land by industrial facilities throughout
Parliament
of the World’s Religions -
Make
a World of Difference: Hearing each other, Healing the
earth
The 2009 Parliament will offer
more than 500 programs including dialogues, workshops, symposia, performances
and exhibits, featuring programs on religion and the environment, and
Aboriginal and Indigenous leaders from around the world, as well as religious
leaders from all the world’s religions. (...)
http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/index.cfm?n=8
http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/content/program_glance.cfm
Charter for Compassion, a call to bring the world
together…
16 November - The
Charter for Compassion - an initiative of Karen Armstrong and the newly created
Council of Conciounce - was launched on 12 November
2009. Events and gatherings were organised in different cities around the world
to present the Charter. (…) Much of the notion of compassion is embedded in the
Earth Charter and more specifically principle 2 of the Earth Charter states:
“Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion and love.”
Therefore this new Initiative reinforces the work of the Earth Charter Initiative
from this particular perspective. “The Charter for Compassion is not simply a
statement of principle”, Karen Armstrong explained at the presentation in
Roundtable
on media accountability took place in
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29321&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Better
education for migrant children
26 November - Education is a
crucial precondition, and plays an especially important role in the successful
integration of migrant children, enabling them to contribute to our societies.
This was the subject of conclusions adopted by the EU’s
education ministers on 26 November. Certain difficulties may disadvantage migrant
children in achieving social success (...). In addition, other problems as low
socio-economic status, language barriers, insufficient family and community
support and discrimination may lead to marginalisation
and exclusion. (…)
Education and migration are
some of the elements underpinning the European Union’s socio-economic
development and competitiveness. The conclusions of the Education Council
invite EU member states to ensure that all children are offered fair and equal
chances and are given the necessary support to develop their full potential.
The ways in which this goal can be achieved include removing barriers within
the school systems, improving the quality of teaching in schools and reducing
the differences between them.
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/showFocus.aspx?id=1&focusId=420&lang=en
25 November - A Memorandum of
Understanding was signed this week by the Director General for DG Education and
Culture, Mrs Odile Quintin and Montenegro’s Ambassador to the EU, Ms Slavica Milačić,
clearing the way for Montenegro to join European cultural cooperation in the
framework of the Culture Programme 2007-2013. From
2010 onwards European operators can look forward to cooperating with
Montenegrin partners, whose rich cultural heritage ensures ample opportunities
for fruitful projects. The Culture Programme is the
first of the Community programmes that
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/news2435_en.htm
New
studies show how partnering with men can stop violence against women
Featured in a new UNFPA
publication Partnering with Men to End Gender-based
Violence: Practices that work from Eastern Europe and Central Asia
25 November - This report
documents good practices in preventing and responding to gender-based violence.
The five case studies featured within document initiatives in
The training
session was part of an ambitious effort to educate every young man (...) on the
importance of sexual and reproductive health, gender equality and the
prevention of gender-based violence. It was organized by UNFPA, the United
Nations Population Fund, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the
Turkish Armed Forces. With no formal curriculum in schools on sexual health,
the training was the first time many soldiers learned how to use a condom or
gave thought to gender-based violence. To date, three million men have been
trained, and the project has been made permanent by a decree from the Turkish
Armed Forces. Many of the soldiers say the training changed their beliefs about
a woman’s right to make her own choices and to live free from violence. Download PDF English
http://www.unfpa.org/public/News/pid/4399
School meals key to feeding and educating most
vulnerable children – UN report
24 November - The introduction
of free meal programmes not only ensures children are fed, but are crucial to
keeping the poorest and most vulnerable in school while providing a boost to
learning and health, according to a United Nations report released today.
The new report from the World
Bank and the World Food Programme (WFP) noted (…) that school meal programmes
are most effective when twinned with other measures such as de-worming and
provision of micronutrient-fortified snacks and biscuits, or vitamin
supplements. In many countries, such programmes - along with abolition of
school fees - are key incentives for children to attend school, especially
girls and the poorest. A recent study of WFP data from 32 countries in
sub-Saharan
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33060&Cr=school+feeding&Cr1=
Save the Children joins with Scholastic to “Knock
Pneumonia Off the Map”
New website and Google Map to help reach more than
200,000 teachers nationwide in fight against childhood pneumonia
Westport, Conn., USA, 16 November - Save the Children, the global
humanitarian organization, today announced “Knock Pneumonia Off the Map,” a new
educational program with Scholastic, the international children’s publishing,
education and media company. The joint effort will educate children, teachers
and parents nationwide about childhood pneumonia. A preventable and easily
treatable illness, pneumonia is the number one killer of children under 5, claiming
more lives each year than measles, malaria and AIDS combined. The new “Knock
Pneumonia Off the Map” website that launched today at www.scholastic.com/savethechildren, provides lesson plans
and printables that engage students on the issue of
childhood pneumonia, while helping to teach essential standard-based skills in
math, science, reading comprehension and geography. (...) This program aims to
reach more than 200,000 teachers, 6 million children and 9 million parents.
(...)
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2009/scholastic-pneumonia.html
The
Media has a crucial role to play in combating poverty
Inspired
by its founding principle of solidarity, the European Union has joined forces
with its Member States to make 2010 the European Year For
Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion
http://www.2010againstpoverty.eu/
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Next issue: 18th
December 2009.
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Good News Agency is
published in English on one Friday and in Italian the next. Past issues
are available at www.goodnewsagency.org
.
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi, Ph.D. Editorial
research by Fabio Gatti,
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