Good News Agency – Year X, n° 172
Weekly – Year X, number 172 – 21st
May 2010
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi, Ph. D.
Rome Law-court
registration no. 265 dated 20 June 2000.
“…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 3,000 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.
Contents
International
legislation – Human rights – Economy
and development
– Solidarity
Peace and security – Health – Energy and Safety – Environment and wildlife
Religion and spirituality – Culture and education
UN Member
States debate ways to fight piracy off Somalia
14 May – The United Nations
General Assembly today held a day-long informal meeting on piracy, with
Assembly President Ali Treki calling for broader
international efforts and resources to combat the ever-expanding scourge,
particularly off the coast of war-torn Somalia.
“The international community
must step forward to help Somalia,”
he said, stressing the need for “a truly holistic approach” covering political,
security, governance and humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa country,
which has had no functioning central government and has been torn apart by
factional fighting for nearly two decades. (...)
“I call on the Security
Council, in particular, to shoulder its responsibility with regard to Somalia by undertaking strong and resolute
measures in support of a wider political, peacekeeping and peace-building
strategy in Somalia,
to bring peace to the country and to ensure its sovereignty, unity and
territorial integrity,” he said. (...)
East African officials
attending the debate included Somali Deputy Prime Minister Abdurahman
A. Ibrahim, and Kenyan Trade Minister Amos Kimunya.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34703&Cr=piracy&Cr1=
Niger: training
the trainers in international humanitarian law
Niamey (ICRC), May 11 - Twenty-five officers of the army, the gendarmerie and
the national intervention and security forces began a train-the-trainers course
in international humanitarian law in Niamey today. The course, which is being
given for the fourth time, is organized jointly by Niger's armed forces and the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). For 10 days, officers in
charge of instruction in military training centres and schools, and those whose
duties include military planning and operations, will be given training so that
they in turn will be able to teach international humanitarian law and to
include it in the training, strategy and planning of military operations. (...)
International humanitarian law aims to limit the
effects of armed conflict by protecting people not, or no longer, taking part
in hostilities, and by restricting the choice of methods and means of warfare.
Its main rules are set out in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their
Additional Protocols of 1977. (...)
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/niger-news-110510
UK ratifies
international treaty banning cluster bombs
May 5 - The United Kingdom, a major
former producer and user of cluster munitions, ratified the Convention on
Cluster Munitions at the United Nations on 4 May 2010, becoming the 32nd
country to do so. (...) The
Convention comprehensively bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer
of cluster munitions, requires clearance of contaminated land within 10 years,
destruction of stockpiled cluster munitions within eight years, and includes
groundbreaking provisions for victim assistance. To date, 106 countries have
signed the treaty, of which 32 have ratified, and it becomes binding
international law on 1 August. (...)
More than a third of the UK’s cluster bombs have
reportedly been destroyed, and the government has committed to eradicating its
remaining stockpile by 2013, well ahead of the allotted eight years under the
Convention. (...)
Many of the UK’s
allies have signed or ratified the treaty, including 20 out of 28 NATO members.
The UK has engaged in outreach to a number of Commonwealth countries that have
not yet signed.
The treaty will enter into force for the UK on 1
November, meaning the UK government will be eligible to participate fully in
the First Meeting of States Parties from 8-12 November in Lao PDR, the most
cluster bomb-contaminated country in the world. The CMC urges all states to
attend this meeting, regardless of whether or not they have signed or ratified
the treaty.
http://www.minesactioncanada.org/index.cfm?fuse=learn.news-details&ID=401
CARE celebrates
the introduction of the GROWTH Act in the U.S. House of Representatives
The Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to
Thrive Act would provide a range of economic tools to help women lift
themselves, their families and communities out of poverty
Washington, D.C., April 29 - CARE celebrates the
introduction today of the GROWTH Act, which would help women in poor
communities around the world start and grow businesses, reach markets with
their goods, protect their property rights and save money for future needs
through increased access to microfinance and microenterprise.
The bill, introduced by Reps. Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) and
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), would ensure that U.S. international assistance and
trade policies promote the economic security of women and their families. Rep.
Lowey headlined an event introducing the GROWTH Act today at the U.S. Capitol.
"The introduction of the GROWTH Act is a step
forward for poor women around the globe. It would help provide them with a
range of economic tools they need to lift themselves and their families out of
poverty," said Dr. Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE. "The bill
directly addresses property rights, access to markets and increased access to
microfinance which are key factors in ending poverty." Specifically, the bill would:
* Help women
start and grow businesses, and create jobs in their community;
* Enhance
women's land and property rights;
* Support
training and education programs to prepare women for better-quality jobs; and
* Tackle the
legal and structural barriers to women's economic empowerment, including
obstacles to their participation in trade.
The GROWTH Act was developed after ten years of research
and outreach by Women Thrive Worldwide. The research included input from many
local women's organizations in developing countries and policy experts. (...)
http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2010/04/GROWTH-Act-House-Intro-VSLA-20100429.asp
Seychelles to
launch UN-backed courts to combat piracy
5 May - The remoteness of the Indian Ocean nation of Seychelles has made it a
prime target for pirates, and the country is fighting back by setting up a
United Nations-supported centre to prosecute piracy. (…) The Seychelles’
regional centre will be the second of its kind, the first having been
established in Kenya, and it will try piracy suspects apprehended by the
European Union Naval Force Somalia – Operation (EU NAVFOR). The country’s
Government has been working with the new joint Counter-Piracy Programme of the
EU and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to ensure that its criminal
justice system is ready for such trials. The scheme aims to assist the police,
coastguard, prosecutors, courts and prisons in dealing with the challenges
posed by piracy cases. (…)
Last week, the Security Council put forward the
possibility of setting up international tribunals to try pirates, as its
members called for tougher legislation aimed at prosecuting and jailing
suspects caught off the coast of Somalia. (...) The Council noted efforts by
UNODC and other international organization and donors, including the Contact Group
on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), “to enhance the capacity of the
judicial and the corrections systems in Somalia, Kenya, Seychelles and other
States in the region.”
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34601&Cr=piracy&Cr1=
Defending human
rights
May - The latest Human Rights Report was presented to foreign affairs
ministers on 10 May by Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy and chair of the Foreign Affairs Council. The
report gives an overview of the wide range of EU activities to promote human
rights worldwide, covering the period from July 2008 to December 2009.
Human rights, democracy and the rule of law are core
values of the European Union. Not only are they part of the EU's identity, but
the Union also has a vocation to bring them to its external relations. The report covers thematic
issues, such as freedom of thought and human rights of women, as well as the
Union's action on human rights in various countries. For example, during the
report period, the EU provided over € 235 million in funding for 900 projects
of non-governmental organisations in some 100 countries. It also spoke out for
the protection of human rights at the United Nations and other international
fora, and increased the number of human rights dialogues it conducts with
non-EU countries. At present, the EU's agreements with more than 120 countries
include a human rights clause, which gives the possibility of re-examining the
agreement in the event of serious breaches of human rights.
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/showFocus.aspx?id=1&focusId=476&lang=EN
On International Day Against
Homophobia EI reaffirms LGBT people’s rights
May 10
- Despite
significant improvements in recent decades, homophobic harassment and
prejudicial treatment continues to span all occupations, including education.
The presence of homophobic behavior and attitudes, in all regions, affects the
workplace culture which in turn creates hostile and unsafe environments for
lesbian and gay teachers.
Education unions have a proud record of taking an active stand for
positive legal changes and the effective implementation of policies to end
violence, discrimination or any criminal act against education workers, as well
as students, because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
This work must go on. Education International congratulates all members that
fight for equal rights in the workplace and raise awareness of issues related
to discrimination in education, particularly homophobia. These efforts help to
make the trade union movement more pluralistic and inclusive of all workers.
(…)
Welcoming the first Conference on LGBT equality in Central and Eastern Europe, organized by the Polish Confederation of
Trade Unions (OPZZ), which includes EI member teachers’ union, ZNP, EI Deputy
General, Jan Eastman, said: “Nothing is impossible!”
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1256&theme=sexual&country=global
New
“Roadmap” to Boost Action on Child Labour
Brussels, 14 May (ITUC OnLine) - The ITUC has welcomed the adoption of a new child
labour “Roadmap”
at an international conference in the Dutch capital The Hague this week,
which will give a new push to reach a target set by the International Labour Organisation to eliminate
the worst forms of child labour by 2016.
Thirty trade union
representatives from the ITUC, national affiliates and Global Union Federations
took part in the Conference alongside representatives of employer organisations, governments from 80 countries and
non-government organisations including the Global
March Against Child Labour. The union delegation was hosted by the
ITUC-affiliated FNV-Netherlands and the Dutch Government, which organised the event in cooperation with the ILO.
The Roadmap recognises that tackling the worst forms of child labour works best when it is integrated into action to
abolish all child labour and provide free, quality
education to all children without exception.
It puts the agriculture sector, which accounts for 60% of child labour, and domestic work, in which mainly girls face
appalling exploitation, into the international spotlight, and recognises that providing decent jobs to adults is crucial
in ensuring that children are able to go to school and complete their
education.
The results of the Conference
will be submitted to the June ILO Conference, which will debate progress
towards ending child labour, based on a key ILO
report “Accelerating action against child labour”http://www.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Publications/lang--en/docName--WCMS_126752/index.htm
The ITUC represents 176 million workers in
155 countries and territories and has 312 national affiliates.
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_127018.pdf
General
Assembly elects 14 countries to serve on UN Human Rights Council
13 May - Fourteen countries were elected to
serve on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) for three-year terms
starting next month after one round of balloting today among Member States at UN
Headquarters in New York.
Angola, Libya, Mauritania
and Uganda
were chosen to fill the four vacant African seats on the 47-member panel,
according to a formula that allots seats among regions. The two seats up for
grabs in the Latin American and Caribbean region – successful candidates in
each category must obtain an absolute majority of valid votes cast by the 192
General Assembly members – went to Ecuador and Guatemala. In the Eastern
European category, the two available seats went to Poland
and the Republic of Moldova; in Western Europe, to Spain and Switzerland.
Four countries contested the positions distributed to Asian States, with Malaysia, Maldives,
Qatar and Thailand
winning the most votes to join the panel.
Under the Geneva-based Council’s rules, members serve for three-year periods
and cannot run for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.
http://www.unric.org/en/latest-news/26186-general-assembly-elects-14-countries-to-serve-on-un-human-rights-council
Mongolia joins
other countries in abolishing capital punishment
In a country
where death sentences remain state secrets, the president steps boldly into democracy
by Indra Baatarkhuu
May 14 - Mongolia,
a country that was governed by Communist rule for 70 years until 1990, dropped
the death penalty earlier this year in a move that not only advances its
human-rights standards but also reflects its efforts to join two-thirds of the
world’s countries in moving away from capital punishment. While many Asian
countries continue to execute their citizens, and the United States was the only country in the Americas to
carry out executions in 2009, the number of countries refusing to use capital
punishment continues to rise. Last year, Burundi
and Togo, in sub-Saharan Africa, did away with capital punishment, making the
total number of countries worldwide that have removed the practice from their
laws to 95. No executions were carried out in Europe and Russia as well
last year, for the first time since Amnesty International has been keeping
records on the procedure.
The successes
follow decisions by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 and 2008
calling for a global moratorium on executions as a first step to total
abolition, even though Mongolia
voted against these resolutions. A similar resolution will be considered by the
General Assembly in late 2010. International human rights groups also
campaigned in Mongolia
against capital punishment.
Despite
progress in Mongolia and
elsewhere, more than 700 people were executed in 18 countries in 2009,
excluding an estimate of thousands in China. (...)
http://www.unausa.org/worldbulletin/100512/baatarkhuu
UN Commission on Sustainable Development - New York, May 3 - 14
The CSD meets
annually at UN Headquarters in New York to
review progress in the implementation of agreements reached at the Rio and Johannesburg Earth Summits, as well as the Agenda
21 program of action developed at the Rio Summit. 53 member states are elected
to the CSD every year. Important though this annual gathering of government representatives
is - the CSD is much more because it includes representatives of all
stakeholders in the movement towards a sustainable development path. UN
Headquarters are filled with representatives of citizens groups from around the
world as well as business groups, local government and others.
http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/csd/csd_csd18.shtml
May 15, Inernational
Day of Families
2010 Theme: The Impact of Migration
on Families Around the World
A day to
highlight families in a time of transition - with the special focus this year
on migration.
All in all it is the worst of times
and the best of times. In spite of all the dreary statistics about the family,
never before in the history of humankind has there been a greater opportunity
for family love based on true intimacy. I honestly believe that we are standing
on the foundations which will open up an area of self-actualisation
and interpersonal co-creation - the likes of which we've never known. All
transitions are difficult. We are in the open air between trapeze bars. The
transition offers us an evolution of consciousness. Like all previous
evolutions, growth and expansion are fraught with pain. But without pain there
is no gain. We must all 'take the current where it serves, else lose our
venture'. John Bradshaw
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/IDF.htm
Five years of European Neighbourhood
Policy: more trade, more aid, more people-to-people contacts
Brussels, 12
May - The annual European Neighbourhood
Policy reports once again demonstrate the clear benefits that the European
Union brings to its neighbours. For five years, the European Union has been
delivering more trade, more aid, more people-to-people contacts and far deeper
co-operation between the EU and its neighbours on the whole range of their
economic, political and sectoral reforms. Our partnership has significantly
developed in areas like transport, energy, environment and climate change,
research, health and education. This has been backed up with an increase in the
current Financial Framework by 32% and will reach over EUR 2 billion annually
in 2013. (...)
On the basis
of a joint Action Plan, the EU supports partner countries in implementing their
reforms to improve their standards of democracy and human rights, to increase
their access to the EU's single market, to improve the environment and to step
up their co-operation with the EU on issues like climate change, energy, transport
or migration.
Today, the
Commission has published its annual “ENP Package”, consisting of: a
Communication taking stock of the policy achievements since its launch in 2004,
12 reports on progress achieved in 2009 by the 12 countries who have agreed ENP
Action Plans with the EU, as well as a sectoral progress report.
IRAQ:
supporting agricultural development, reducing poverty
As a way of
reducing poverty across northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government is
encouraging people displaced by conflict to return to their villages and resume
farming. Crucial to this process is MAG’s role in ensuring valuable farming
land is free from remnants of conflict. (...)
With former
residents now returning to the area, the clearance of agricultural land in such
villages is a key priority of MAG’s operations in Iraq.
From January
to April, a Mine Action Team cleared 278,142 square metres of contaminated
farmland, safely removing and destroying several hazardous 'BLU-97' cluster
submunitions. The land was then handed back to the
local community, at a ceremony at the Batel sub-district mayor's office. It can now be used for growing wheat, barely and
other types of vegetables, and for grazing animals. This will increase the
availability of, and access to, food, and opportunities for employment, while
also contributing to the local economy through improved trade with nearby
villages and larger towns.
http://www.maginternational.org/news/iraq-fighting-poverty-through-supporting-agricultural-development/
European
Union summit with Latin America and the Caribbean: 18 May in Madrid
Spanish
Presidency sees summit as a golden opportunity to establish deeper, more
concrete and more useful cooperation
18 May - The
Spanish Presidency of the EU sees the summit with Latin America and the
Caribbean, to be held in Madrid
this Tuesday, as a “golden opportunity” to establish deeper and more concrete
relations between two regions that can also cooperate productively at a global
level.
The summit is
"one of the central points on the Spanish Presidency's agenda",
Spanish government sources said this week in a briefing, stressing that Madrid has actively promoted the relationship with Latin
America ever since it joined the EU, and that Spain is the "natural
bridge" between the two regions. (...) The Spanish Presidency has “worked
hard” for this meeting to be a success and hopes it will end with an ambitious
final declaration, with the creation of a foundation to enable civil society to
participate in the construction of the bi-regional relations, and with the
approval of an action plan, which will be the first to be adopted at a EU-LAC
summit. This action plan includes cooperation programmes
in five areas: science, technology and innovation; the environment, climate
change and energy; regional integration and cohesion; education and employment
and the battle against drugs. (…)
http://www.eu2010.es/en/cumbre_ue-alc/noticias/may14previocumbre.html
Designers
from around Africa work with local communities
to build Football for Hope Centres
Construction
starts on next three Football for Hope Centres
May 19 - As
the FIFA World Cup™ kicks off, Architecture for Humanity in partnership with streetfootballworld, honors the architects, designers and
building professionals across Africa who have
helped design sustainable Football for Hope Centres
as part of the Football for Hope movement. The first centre, located outside of
Cape Town, South Africa, was completed in
December 2009. Centres in Nairobi,
Namibia and Mali are
currently under construction and aim to be completed around the time of the
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.
The Football
for Hope Centres are part of a movement created by
FIFA and streetfootballworld to strengthen local
community-based organizations in promoting social development within their
community. The buildings house facilities to promote public health, education
and football initiatives. (...)
The
integration of renewable energy, passive solar and local materials ensure each
design is a case study in sustainable building. To learn more about the design
of each center, visit: www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/footballforhope.
Future centres are being planned in Rwanda, Ghana
and Lesotho,
with an additional three centres to be identified
before 2011.
http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/footballforhope
A boost to
half of Lesotho’s rural farmers
European
Union Food Facility brings substantial increase in food production
Maseru/Rome, 19 May - The European
Union and FAO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Security (MAFS), are assisting over 36 000 farmers in Lesotho, more than half
of its vulnerable farmers.
Soaring food prices and the recent
global economic downturn struck Lesotho hard, especially the majority of its
1.9 million people that rely on agriculture. In just one year, the cost of
planting crops rose more than four times. Assessments found that over half of
the country's arable farm land was lying idle. (...)
The European Union responded by
allocating EUR 6 million toward agriculture, as part of the EUR 1 billion
European Union Food Facility (EUFF), the European Union's massive response to
increased food insecurity around the world. Four million
Euros are channelled through FAO to swiftly stave off the food crisis and at
the same time make a long-term impact on Lesotho's food situation. FAO is
working closely with MAFS, while keeping its efforts in line with ongoing
government programmes. (...)
www.fao.org
Kyrgyzstan: ICRC provides medical supplies for wounded
people in Jalalabat
Bishkek/Geneva (ICRC), May 14 - In response to the violent clashes between two rival
factions in Jalalabat, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in
collaboration with the Kyrgyz Red Crescent Society, has delivered medical
supplies to the main hospital in the town, where 60 wounded people have been
admitted. The supplies include dressing materials, infusions, suture and
sterilisation items.
Since the beginning of last month,
when the violence broke out in the country, the ICRC, together with the Kyrgyz
Red Crescent, has provided support for a total of 16 health-care facilities
throughout the country, including Bishkek's three main referral hospitals and
the blood collection centre. Following the assistance,
over 750 people have received treatment in ICRC-supported facilities. ICRC
staff in Bishkek and Osh continue to monitor the developments in Kyrgyzstan and
stand ready to provide assistance.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/kyrgyzstan-news-140510
Gates
Foundation signs agreement with Indian State to provide aid
May 14 - Bill Gates worked out an agreement with the state
government of India's eastern Bihar state on Wednesday to accelerate
improvements in maternal, newborn, and child health there, says WFMY News 2, a
television station in Greensboro, N.C.
Aid provided
by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be used to reduce the mortality
rate among women during childbirth and the infant mortality rate. In addition,
the foundation will support other health-related programs such as the
eradication of diarrhea, pneumonia, and tuberculosis.
http://philanthropy.com/blogPost/Gates-Foundation-Signs/23995/
CDF gives
$15K to ACDI/VOCA’s Haiti recovery efforts
May 13 - The Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) this
week presented ACDI/VOCA with a check for $15,000 to support our cooperative
development efforts in rural southeast Haiti, bringing our total Haiti recovery
fundraising effort to $88,055. (...)
Because our
established Haiti project operations are in the Southeast Department, ACDI/VOCA
has focused its relief and recovery efforts in Jacmel and surrounding areas.
All donated funds—large and small—will be administered and monitored by our
50-person team in Haiti, with 100 percent of the donations going toward the
Rural Economy Acceleration in Haiti (REACH) project.
Our Haiti
REACH project will award small grants to local nongovernmental organizations,
with a preference for cooperatives, that offer economic opportunities through
jobs training and creation in the areas of construction, coffee production,
manufacturing, water and sanitation systems, and artisan business development. The anticipated start date is June 15.
http://www.acdivoca.org/acdivoca/portalhub.nsf/ID/news-Haiti-Cooperative-Development-Foundation-Award
Rotary International board lowers interact age
by Ryan
Hyland
Rotary
International News, 11 May - To help promote the growth of Interact, the RI Board
has agreed to lower the age of eligibility for Interactors from 14 to 12.
“This is
another opportunity to expand the family of Rotary,” says J.R. Thompson, a
member of the RI Interact Committee and the Rotary Club of Rocky Ford,
Colorado, USA. “In my personal experience working with young people, they will
put out the effort to reach a reasonable level of expectations. I found this is
just as true of a 12-year-old as it is of a 14-year-old.” (...)
Each year,
Interact clubs are asked to complete at least two community service projects,
one of which should further international understanding and goodwill. Through
these efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and
overseas clubs. (...)
The Board
also agreed to set these priorities for the program: promoting Interact using publications, video, the
Internet, club presentations, and other methods; sharing information about Rotary with Interactors (...); assigning Rotarians as mentors for Interactors, inviting
Interactors to attend Rotary club meetings, and consulting with Interact clubs
to develop a districtwide service project for all Interactors
“Strong clubs
-- whether they are Interact, Rotaract, or Rotary -- are always looking for
more good people willing to put their minds, backs, and hearts into Service
Above Self,” says Thompson.
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/100511_news_interact.aspx
Toys"R"Us,
Inc. supports Save the Children's work in the U.S. through 'Bundled in Hope'
campaign
Baby blankets
designed by Blythe Danner, Faith Hill, Regina King, Kelly Rutherford and other
celebrity moms to be auctioned online
Westport,
Conn., USA, May 6 - Save the Children in partnership with
Toys"R"Us today launched the 2010 Bundled in Hope campaign to benefit
Save the Children's U.S. Programs.
From now
until Sunday, July 11, all donations made at Toys"R"Us and
Babies"R"Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com/BundledinHope
will be directed to Save the Children's U.S. Programs to help purchase blankets
and provide support for babies living in poverty in communities across the
country. To kick off this year's campaign, a $250,000 grant was made to Save
the Children from the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund.
Blankets for Babies:
Making a Difference in the Lives of Little Ones
Providing
hope for babies living in poverty is the focus of this campaign. Impoverished
young ones often face higher levels of stress and more anxiety-producing
situations than those from more affluent families. In fact, research shows that
something as simple as a blanket can comfort a small child during difficult
periods of transition and provide a sense of security. (...)
In 2009, the
Bundled in Hope campaign raised more than $1 million, allowing Save the
Children to purchase thousands of blankets for distribution to children living
in poverty in homes and hospitals across the country, and provide basic
services to support their growth and long-term success. (...) http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2010/toysrus-bundled-hope.html
Haiti
receives more relief from Counterpart International
Counterpart
International’s humanitarian aid shipments to Haiti near $1 million
Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, April 23 - Three months after the devastating earthquake in
Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, Counterpart International (Counterpart)
continues to provide aid to displaced Haitians. In response to the disaster,
Counterpart has shipped 15 forty-foot containers valued at nearly $1 million.
These containers include commodities such as rice, beans, dehydrated soup mix,
tarps, hygiene kits, kitchen supplies and compact, pre-packed family buckets
(including first aid and hygiene supplies). (...) The
containers have been distributed in Gonaives, a port city located to the
Northwest of Port-au-Prince, as well as the surrounding areas of Port-au-Prince
including Croix-des-Bouquets and Titanyen.
In these
relief efforts, Counterpart has teamed with several partner organizations in
the U.S. including the Judsonia Church of
Christ in Arkansas, Columbus Church of Christ in Mississippi and Global Aid
Network in Dallas, Texas. Counterpart has also teamed with several
organizations in Haiti, to ensure these shipments are properly and effectively
distributed: Hope for Haiti’s Children, Mission of Hope and Haitian Christian
Development Project. (...)
Contact: Rang
Hee Kim, Senior Director, Humanitarian Assistance:: rhkim@counterpart.org
http://online.counterpart.org/Default.aspx?tabid=340&metaid=K5OO2737-c6d
International
Charity gets surprise gift from women's prison group
by Caroline
Preston
April 16 - A few weeks ago, Cary Kimble stumbled upon an
unusual envelope while opening mail at the international-medical charity where
he works as director of development. The envelope
contained no letter -- just a check for $15,000 made out to the Haiti relief
efforts of Mr. Kimble's charity, Project Hope. After a
little research, staff members at Project Hope, in Millwood, Va., learned that
the donation had been given by a group of women at an Ohio prison, known as the
"Life group," who are serving terms of 15 years to life. The group of roughly 130 women earns money by selling
photographs of inmates with their family members when they come for visits. The
photographs, which they sell for $3 to $5, earn them about $6,000 each month.
Ginine Trim,
warden at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, says the inmates saw and read news
reports about the earthquake in Haiti and wanted to help. Staff members at the
prison used the prison library to do research on which charities were providing
aid, and the women then voted to make the gift to Project Hope. (...)
http://philanthropy.com/blogPost/International-Charity-Gets/23142/
Bridging Cultures, Building Peace - UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum
Rio de Janeiro, May 27 - 29
A powerful
network of over 2,000 political and corporate leaders, mayors, civil society
activists, youth, journalists, foundations, international organizations, and
religious leaders will come together in Rio
and agree on joint actions to improve relations across cultures, combat
prejudice and build the conditions for long-term peace.
This Forum is
a project of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Established in 2005,
the Alliance
seeks to address widening rifts between communities and societies by
reaffirming a paradigm of mutual respect among peoples of different cultural
and religious backgrounds and by helping to mobilize concerted action towards
this end. It aims to bridge the world's divides and to build trust and
understanding across cultures and communities worldwide.
http://www.unaoc.org/rioforum/
68 Senators have signed a letter to President Obama
calling on the U.S. to join the Mine Ban Treaty
Washington,
DC May 8 - This week a letter asking the
administration to accede to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty will be delivered to
President Obama by 68 Senators including ten Republicans and two Independents —
signifying a key two-thirds Senate majority.
“The fact
that there are 68 signatories on the Senate letter is especially important
given that accession to the treaty must be ratified by a two-thirds majority in
the Senate,” said Zach Hudson, the coordinator of the U.S. Campaign to Ban
Landmines (USCBL). "The strong support these letters received demonstrates
that Congress stands with our NATO allies, and with Americans around the
country, in calling for the U.S. to join the Mine Ban Treaty.”
Sen. Patrick
Leahy (VT-D) and Sen. George Voinovich (OH-R) circulated the Senate letter, and
a similar letter, circulated by Rep. James McGovern (MA-D) and Rep. Darrell
Issa (CA- R) in the House will also be delivered to President Obama this week.
In the letters,
legislators note the effectiveness of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, saying, “In the
ten years since the Convention came into force, 158 nations have signed
including the United Kingdom and other ISAF partners, as well as Iraq and
Afghanistan which, like Colombia, are parties to the Convention and have
suffered thousands of mine casualties. The Convention has led to a dramatic
decline in the use, production, and export of anti-personnel mines.” (...)
http://www.icbl.org/index.php/icbl/Library/News-Articles/Universal/pr-8may2010
Nigeria:
forum to rally support for comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty
Abuja (ICRC) May 12 - The International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC), with the support of Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
the participation of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS), is holding a forum in Abuja today to mobilize ECOWAS member
States for a strong and comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty in the run-up to the
United Nations negotiating conference in 2012. (...)
The
unregulated trade in arms is a scourge on West Africa. In past armed conflicts,
it has wrought enormous destruction and immense suffering affecting hundreds of
thousands of civilians. To tackle this problem, the United Nations General
Assembly adopted a resolution in 2006 to start work on a legally binding
instrument – an "arms trade treaty" – establishing common
international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional
arms.
In Nigeria,
the ICRC and the Nigerian Red Cross Society assist victims of internal violence
and natural disasters, and the ICRC works closely with the ECOWAS Commission
and government ministries to support and promote the ratification of treaties
of international humanitarian law and the incorporation of their provisions
into national legislation.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/nigeria-news-120510
Students win
over militarism in Oakland
Two year
campaign succeeds in protecting students’ privacy from recruiters
May 2010 - A two-year campaign by youths in Oakland,
California, has resulted in a significant victory: the Oakland Unified School
District will now offer every student the chance to “opt out” of the military
recruitment database known as JAMRS. The district becomes the first school
district in the nation to allow students and their parents to withhold their
personal data from JAMRS.
The privately
run database contains personal and educational information on 30 million
people, mainly recruitment-age students. Young
organizers campaigned over two years to give students the opportunity to
decline participation in JAMRS. Their efforts were supported by AFSC staff in
partnership with Better Alternatives for Youth-Peace (BAY-Peace), a community
partner.
The young
organizers collected over 1000 petitions, made a video, and created a
theatrical piece that was performed before the Oakland school board. They also
held a career fair featuring alternatives to the military and drafted--and
redrafted--the resolution the board adopted Wednesday night (May 12, 2010). In
the resolution, the board approved including a form allowing students to “opt
out” of sharing information with JAMRS in student registration packets.
The American
Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who
are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service.
http://afsc.org/story/students-win-over-militarism-oakland
Iraq: top UN
envoy lauds ‘proper conduct’ of election recount process
17 May - The
top United Nations envoy to Iraq
today welcomed the “proper conduct” of the manual recount of votes cast in the
country’s March parliamentary polls.
Following an
appeal by the State of Law coalition, a
political group headed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, regarding the election results, the Electoral
Judicial Panel ordered the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to
recount by hand all ballots cast in the governorate of Baghdad. (…)
According to media reports, the recount has upheld the narrow lead of
the party headed by Iyad Allawi,
a former prime minister, over Mr. al-Maliki’s
coalition in the 325-member Council of Representatives. (…) The results,
announced yesterday, must still be ratified by the Federal Supreme Court. The
Special Representative called on all parties to begin, as soon as possible,
talks towards forming a new Government.
At least 12
million people cast their votes in the 7 March polls, in which more than 6,000
candidates took part. (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34715&Cr=iraq&Cr1=
Security
Council anti-terrorism committees move towards greater cooperation
11 May - The
heads of the three committees set up by the Security Council to support the
efforts of Member States to combat terrorism today reported increased
cooperation within the past six months among their respective bodies and their
expert groups, and voiced the need for the Council’s guidance to better
coordinate future efforts. (...)
Also briefing
the 15-member body was Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting
of Austria, chair of the
so-called 1267 Committee on sanctions against individuals and entities linked
to Al-Qaida and the Taliban, who stated that he
planned to “intensify the dialogue between the Committee and the authorities of
Afghanistan.”
He also noted that the Committee was in the process of reviewing all 488 names
on the sanctions list by 30 June. So far 24 names had been de-listed and five
deceased individuals had been removed, with 35 names still pending, as more
information was necessary. (...)
Mr. Mayr-Harting also said that the Committee is close to
choosing an Ombudsman, an office that the Council authorized last December.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to appoint
a candidate, in close consultation with the Committee, in the coming days.
(...)
The Committee
had placed particular emphasis on increasing its dialogue and cooperation with
other relevant international and regional organizations, such as the African
Union (AU) and the Organization of American States (OAS). In the coming period,
the Committee planned to organize a seminar in New York on the theme of “Bringing
Terrorists to Justice.”
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34670&Cr=terror&Cr1=
EcoPeace / Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME)
calls on the Israeli and Jordanian governments and the Palestinian Authority to
work together to return fresh water to the near dry Jordan
River
Two new reports
identify the amount of water needed to rehabilitate the Jordan River and where
the water must come from if we are to bring back to life one of the most famous
rivers on earth
Amman /
Bethlehem / Tel Aviv, 3 May - At an international conference held in Amman,
Jordan, FoEME today released two new studies
co-written by Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian experts, identifying for the
first time the ecological water needs of the Lower Jordan River and from where
that water can come from. (...) The report entitled, 'An environmental flows
report on the rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River,' calls on the
governments of the region to work together towards the river's rehabilitation
as a concrete project of the Middle East peace process. (...)
The second study
released today has identified over a billion cubic meters of water that could
be saved and made available from the water economies of Israel, Jordan
and even Palestine for other purposes including
fairer share and reviving the Lower Jordan River,
if current poor water practices came to a stop. (...) Undertaken for the first time in the region,
the second report, entitled 'An economic analysis of policy options for water
conservation in Jordan, Israel and Palestine', released today adds up the water
savings lost due to poor water supply and demand management practices in all
our countries.
The two
reports together reveal that rehabilitating the Jordan
River is not only very desirable but economically feasible with
the lion's share of water savings being possible at prices lower than the cost
of desalination. Please find below links to the two reports (economic study and
environmental flows reports) in full.
Environmental
Flows Report: https://download.yousendit.com/THE0T0NTd0k4NVUwTVE9PQ
Economic
Report (TDA): http://www.yousendit.com/download/OHo1VWR1ZDVreEJjR0E9PQ
www.foeme.org
FoEME's Environmental Peacemaking
FoEME participates
in President Obama's Summit on Entrepreneurship
FoEME is proud to report that our Jordanian Director, Mr. Munqeth Mehyar was one of 150
selected delegates from 50 countries around the world to participate in
President Obama's Summit
on Entrepreneurship in Washington
DC on April 26-27th.
The Summit highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship to
fostering economic opportunity and community development and aimed to identify
how to deepen ties between business leaders, foundations, and social
entrepreneurs in the United
States and Muslim-majority countries.
President Obama declared that "real change comes
from the bottom up, and that is why we are here", a vision very much
shared by FoEME.
FoEME receives Green Globe Award for the best Environmental
Education project
Life and
Environment, the umbrella organization of environmental organizations in Israel, awards the "Green Globes" –
the "Environment Oscar" - to activists, groups and companies for
environmental action in Israel.
FoEME is delighted to announce that our Good Water
Neighbors Project was awarded the Green Globe Award for the best Environmental
Education project this year. Read more on our Good Water Neighbors
Press coverage
page, and click on this video about the GWN project that was shown at the
Awards Ceremony.
Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) is a unique
organization that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli
environmentalists. Our primary objective is the promotion of cooperative
efforts to protect our shared environmental heritage. In so doing, we seek to
advance both sustainable regional development and the creation of necessary
conditions for lasting peace in our region. FoEME has
offices in Amman, Bethlehem, and Tel-Aviv.
www.foeme.org
“Earth is Our Common Home” international event
18 - 20 of June 2010, Novosibirsk;
21 June - 21 of July 2010 – Altai Mountains
expedition
Earth is Our
Common Home event will be conducted in Siberia and we invite people from all over
the world to support this initiative and to organize synchronised events with the same symbol
for putting people together in harmony with nature and putting together their creative visions and actions for the future. It will be a collective
tuning fork for safeguading our planet in this
crucial moment of our planetrary life.
“Earth is Our
Common Home” project is devoted to creating a network of international culture
of peace youth villages. The event is
focused at effectively managing the transition process into a new world of
peace and love. The event will put together people with bright visions of the
future to bring to life new ways of thinking and new models of actions for
awakening people as co creators and becoming capable to safeguard the planet
into her new state. As world citizens,
we need to develop our cooperation at the local, national and world levels
which create new equilibrium with each other, nature and the Universe.
For further
information, please
contact us: Nina Goncharova Gong3000@ngs.ru
http://planet3000.site.voila.fr
Tajikistan
conducts nationwide vaccination and prepares for next two response rounds to
end polio outbreak
14 May - As polio cases in Tajikistan climbed to 83 this
week, authorities reported that close to 1.1 million children under the age of
six had been vaccinated with oral polio vaccine. The nationwide vaccination
campaign was launched on 4 May by the Minister of Health and the WHO Regional
Director for Europe. "The only way to eradicate polio is immunization,”
said Minister of Health Dr. Nusratullo Faizulloevich Salimov. The campaign was
the first in a series of three immunization rounds that will sweep Tajikistan
in an effort to stem the outbreak; the second round will take place on 18–22
May and the third is planned for 1–5 June.
WHO is working closely with the
governments of Tajikistan’s neighbours in the WHO European Region (Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) on preparedness and response measures.
With UNICEF and CDC, WHO has deployed expert teams to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan
to help strengthen surveillance and support national and subregional
vaccination activities.
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/LatestNews201005.asp#01
Retired
professor pledges $50-million to UCLA
May 13 - A retired University of California at Los Angeles
professor, Paul I. Terasaki, has pledged $50-million to the university, says
the Los Angeles Times. Mr. Terasaki made his
fortune by starting a company based on his research at the university. He
devised a new way to ensure successful matches between donated organs and
transplant recipients.
Most of Mr.
Terasaki’s donation—$48-million—will support a new life-sciences building, and
the remaining $2-million will endow a professorship in surgery.
Mr.
Terasaki, who is 80, told the newspaper that he owes much of his success to the
university and wants to repay the institution.
He received
bachelor's and master's degrees there, as well as a Ph.D. in zoology.
http://philanthropy.com/blogPost/Retired-Professor-Pledges/23970/
(top)
EU - Energy efficiency: only very low-energy buildings to be built after
2020
18 May - On
Tuesday MEPs approved the EU's
new energy efficiency legislation for buildings, which will help consumers to
cut their energy bills and the EU as a whole to hit its climate change target
of using 20% less energy in ten years' time. Member States will have to alter
their building codes so that all new buildings constructed from the end of 2020
meet high energy-saving standards. Existing buildings will have to be upgraded
where possible. (...)
All buildings
put up from the end of 2020 must have high energy-saving standards and, to a
large extent, use renewable energy. Public authorities' building projects are
to lead the way two years earlier. Part of the funding for these changes will
come from the EU budget. (...)
The directive
approved at second reading on Tuesday is part of a wider energy efficiency
legislative package. The EP's report was drafted by MEP Silvia-Adriana Ţicău (S&D, RO). http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/051-74642-137-05-21-909-20100517IPR74641-17-05-2010-2010-false/default_en.htm
Solar
Cooking: "News you send"
China / United States
One Earth
Designs (OED), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, has developed a novel solar
device to reduce reliance on these fuels in this region. The device, called the
SolSource 3-in-1, not only enables rural communities
to harness the sun’s energy for portable solar cooking, but for space heating
and electricity generation as well. (...)
OED worked
with rural communities in the Himalayan region to design the SolSource 3-in-1 according to these local needs and with
local materials when feasible. The reflective component of the SolSource 3-in-1 is a lightweight, foldable parabolic shell
comprised of several triangular yak-wool canvas panels stretched across a
curved bamboo frame and lined with aluminized polyester film (Mylar®). This
shell sits on detachable legs that can be staked to the ground to prevent the
cooker from blowing over. Multiple functions are performed by attaching one of
three interchangeable modules to the center of the shell at the focal area.
(...)
The SolSource 3-in-1 has been recognized for its innovative
design by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Yunus
Innovation Challenge, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. Contact: One Earth Designs, P.O. Box 382559, Cambridge,
Massachusetts 02238,
USA - http://www.oneearthdesigns.org
Solar Cooking: "News you send"
India
Gadhia Solar Energy
Systems Pvt. Ltd. recently completed installation of an enormous solar steam
cooking system, capable of cooking 40,000-50,000 meals per day. It is located
at Shirdi Saibaba temple in
Shirdi, Maharashtra, India.
With nearly 30,000 visitors each day, the temple’s dining halls are some of the
largest in India.
The solar steam cooking system is comprised of 73
rooftop-mounted reflective dishes of 16 square meters each. The dishes
concentrate sunlight on receivers that contain water, generating steam that is
piped down to the kitchen for cooking purposes. To maintain constant focus with
the sun, the dishes automatically rotate throughout the day after being manually
aligned once each morning. The solar steam cooking system is retrofitted to
existing liquid petroleum gas-powered steam boilers that are still used in the
evening and during prolonged periods of inclement weather.
Though the solar steam cooking system cost nearly
$300,000, government subsidies reduced the temple’s portion to about $170,000.
Liquid petroleum gas use has been cut by roughly 100,000 kilograms each year,
for an annual savings of approximately $45,000. The temple should recoup its
investment in three to four years. Gadhia Solar Energy Systems, India. www.gadhia-solar.com.
News from special “News You Send” issue by Rene
Hamlin, SCI Resource Development Director:
http://solarcooking.org/newsletters/scrapr10.htm
May 17, World
Telecommunication & Information Society Day
2010 Theme: Better City,
Better Life with ICTs
This is a day to reflect
on international communications technology which is linking people the world
over, as Peter Russell says, in much the same way as are the billions of cells
in our own brain. The purpose of World Telecommunication and Information
Society Day (WTISD) is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use
of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can
bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital
divide.
The theme of this year's
WTISD draws attention to the role communication technologies can play in
improving life in the city. The primary celebration of the Day will take place
during the Shanghai World Expo 2010 which has the theme: Better City:
Better Life.
http://www.itu.int/wtisd/index.html
Chad becomes 100th nation to give UN
nuclear inspectors greater access
14 May – Chad has become the 100th nation to
agree to give the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) more
information about its nuclear activities, which the agency hailed as a
milestone in efforts to bolster global nuclear verification efforts. The
so-called Additional Protocol furnishes IAEA inspectors with enhanced access to
information and locations of nuclear activity. (...)
Chad’s notification yesterday comes as
more than 100 nations are taking part in the five-yearly review conference of
the NPT, the cornerstone of the world’s nuclear non-proliferation regime, to
discuss how to further full implementation and enhance the universality of
the pact.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34697&Cr=nuclear&Cr1=
“Conserving
fragile agricultural biodiversity is critical to sustaining rural people’s
livelihoods”: IFAD President Closes International Biodiversity
Week in Rome
Rome, 20 May - More investment to protect agricultural
biodiversity is crucial to maintain and improve food security, said Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of
the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) prior to
International Biodiversity Day on 22 May. (...)
Biodiversity
is the sum of all existing species, their interactions and the ecosystems they
form. According to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, human
beings share the planet with as many as 13 million different living species
including plants, animals and bacteria.
Biodiversity
and natural resources play a central role, especially in the lives of many
indigenous peoples, in particular for their subsistence and for their cultural
and spiritual values. (...) Biodiversity is also important for enhancing poor
farmers’ and indigenous peoples’ resilience to climate change, pests, diseases
and other threats. IFAD-sponsored programmes are working with poor farmers and indigenous
peoples to contribute to the sustainable use and conservation of species and
ecosystems. (...) ifadnewsroom@ifad.org
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34758&Cr=biodiversity&Cr1=
Bringing the Jordan River Back to Life: Strategies for Rehabilitation
Conference
Amman, Jordan May 3-4
May 3 - FoEME held a unique gathering of regional and international
experts, local and national government representatives and other stakeholders
from Jordan, Israel and Palestine and the international community to highlight
the results of two new scientific research undertaken by FoEME
over the past year to identify a regional rehabilitation strategy and
opportunities to return fresh water to the Jordan River - released to the
public here for the first time.
The event
also included declarations of support from leading regional and international
"Champions of the Jordan
River" as well as calls to action and descriptions of new local and
international efforts underway to rehabilitate the Jordan
River. The conference brought together international tourism
operators and Jordan Valley Mayors in a joint call to allow new opportunities to
flourish alongside a rehabilitated Jordan River.
http://foeme.org/events.php
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is one of US top green
universities
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh endorsed the Earth
Charter in 2002 and since then has proven its commitment to
sustainability. On April 2010, EPA - US
Environmental Protection Agency - released the names of the top 26 colleges and
universities honored for their individual green power purchase among all
respective schools in their athletic conferences, among them is the University of Wisconsin-Oskhosh.
http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/articles/475/1/University-of-Wisconsin-Oshkosh-is-one-of-US-top-green-universities/Page1.html
Swedish
hunters help save Amur tigers
Vladivostok,
Russia, 29 April - The Swedish
Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management is helping Russian tiger
conservation efforts thousands of miles away by sharing their secrets to
raising prey animals like deer and wild boar.
The managers
of four sustainable hunting estates in Russia recently joined leaders from
WWF-Russia’s Amur branch on a special trip to Sweden to learn how to increase
the number of prey in their areas – a crucial component of efforts to save wild
tigers.
The managers,
who head Tigrovoye, Medved, Orlinoye, and Borisovskoye hunting estates, have
been working with the Amur branch of WWF-Russia since 2000 to better use their
natural resources and conserve rare and endangered plants and animals on their
lands.
The Russian
team visited hunting estates in the north and east of Sweden in collaboration
with the country’s National Veterinary Institute, the Swedish Environmental
Protection Agency, the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management,
and the Kolmården Zoo, the largest in Scandinavia. Their Swedish counterparts shared methods on how they
increased populations of ungulates, including roe deer, wild boar, fallow deer,
reindeer and elk. The Amur tiger’s main
prey in the Russian Far East are roe deer, red deer, sika deer, and wild boar. (...)
Projects such
as this one that are helping tiger populations recover are a part of WWF’s Year
of the Tiger campaign, which seeks to double the number of tigers in the wild
by the next Year of the Tiger in 2022. (...)
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/news/?193064/Swedish-hunters-help-save-Amur-tigers
Religion and spirituality
Pax Christi International welcomed Bishop Kevin Dowling (South Africa) and Marie Dennis (USA) as the new
Presidents of the movement
Pax Christi
International triennial world assembly (TWA), Strasbourg, France,
May 12-16
About 100 delegates from different
member organisations worldwide and more than 40
different countries, attended the TWA. Participants reflected on the vision and
mission of Pax Christi International, on the global
concerns and discussed and agreed on a renewed/revised strategic framework for
2011 - 2013. (...)
This TWA reflected upon the signs of the times and challenged all
participants to explore innovative ways and approaches to peace building
leading towards action models at a global or regional level. Six particular
concerns were identified and explored: Human Migration Resulting from Conflict;
Youth Violence and Civil Unrest; Climate Change, Violence and Climate Refugees;
Nuclear Disarmament; Impunity, Transitional Justice and Truth Commissions;
Religion and Violent Radicalisation.
At the TWA, delegates were invited to reflect upon the articulation of a
common theology and spirituality of peace. (...) Special focus was given to
youth delegates who met in parallel conference in a youth seminar to enter in a
dialogue process with European policy makers on the question of military
spending versus development. 30 youth delegates came from different European
countries to attend.
www.paxchristi.net
Archbishop Desmond Tutu to address finalist bid
cities for 2014 Parliament of Religions
From May 16 – 20, representatives from five
international cities will gather in Chicago
to learn more about hosting the 2014 Parliament. The meeting will take place at
the Palmer House Hilton, site of the centennial 1993 Parliament and steps from
the site of the inaugural Parliament of 1893 which launched the worldwide interreligious movement.
Much to our delight, Archbishop Desmond Tutu will
personally address city representatives via live-stream video from the Cape
Town Interfaith Initiative’s 10th Anniversary Celebration held in honor of the
decade anniversary 1999 Parliament of Religions. Archbishop Tutu will share the
meaningful legacy of the 1999 Cape Town Parliament as well as the critical
importance of the Parliament of World Religions. The Cape Town Interfaith
Initiative will also celebrate the launch of the Charter for Compassion in South Africa.
Karen Armstrong, a featured speaker at the 2009 Parliament, Melbourne,
will deliver a special pre-recorded address to acknowledge the decade
anniversary and to officially launch the Charter in Cape Town, South Africa.
www.PeaceNext.org
May 21, World Day for Cultural Diversity for dialogue and development
An
international Day to mark the important role that dialogue between different
cultures plays in the overall development of society. A new global
consciousness is in process of emerging. While human unity and the oneness of
life are greatly valued; the immense diversity of human cultures is also held
in high esteem. This Year is also being celebrated as International Year for
Rapprochement of Cultures.
Following the
events of 11 September 2001, the 185 member states of UNESCO unanimously
adopted the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. The Declaration
reflects the conviction that respect for cultural diversity and intercultural
dialogue is one of the surest guarantees of development and peace.
Culture is
defined in the UNESCO Mexico City Declaration of 1982 as: the whole complex of
distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that
characterize a society or social group. It includes not only arts and letters,
but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value
systems, traditions and beliefs.
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35636&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
May 3: World Press Freedom Day
Year 2010 Theme:
Freedom of Information: The Right to Know
It is easy
for those of us who live in liberal democracies to take a relatively free press
for granted. We can forget how fundamentally important freedom of the press is
to the health of a community. Reporters Without Borders document the many areas of the world in which
journalists are far from free.
Free media
fosters dialogue
Perhaps the
best way a media can work towards building mutual understanding is by
strengthening the media culture itself. A media that is vibrant, independent,
pluralistic, inclusive and fair, editorial free and beyond censor and influence
from interests, political, commercial, or otherwise – only a free media will
innately contribute to the dialogue and understanding across divides. Moreover,
a media that is free is essential for the provision of information and
knowledge upon which informed democratic participation and good governance
depend.
Journalists
must be able to practice their profession without fear. They must move freely
to collect facts and views, to disseminate news, to demand accountability from
those in office, and to protect their sources. In turn, journalists must
exercise the highest ethical and professional standards and conduct themselves
in accord with general ethical principles.
It is vital
that media outlets and professional associations encourage accurate,
professional and ethical reporting. This can be done by establishing voluntary
codes of conduct, providing training for journalists and setting up mechanisms
of self-regulation. Such media accountability should be organized through
self-regulation systems that facilitate the direct dialogue between readers,
listeners, viewers or internet surfers and the media professionals. Only the
application of high professional standards will give media the credibility with
their public.
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=28412&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/cultural_diversity/index.html
Europeana
moves on
Europeana –
Europe's online library, museum and archive – aims to make Europe's cultural
and scientific heritage accessible to all. On 10 May, the Council adopted
conclusions outlining the further development of the web site
May - The tool currently gives access to more than 7 million
digitised works, including books, paintings, films, newspapers, photographs and
maps. The target is to make 10 million objects available by the end of 2010.
Europeana is a single multilingual online portal, hosted by the Dutch National
Library. (...) The content is provided by more than
1,000 cultural institutions from across the EU, but contributions remain
unbalanced. The conclusions argue that it is necessary to increase the number
of objects accessible through Europeana, in full compliance with copyright law.
At the same time, a broader geographical spread and a better balance between
the types of works is needed. Until mid-2011, Europeana will
be co-funded by the Commission, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy,
Finland, Ireland, Lithuania and Hungary. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/showFocus.aspx?id=1&focusId=477&lang=EN
Conference to
tackle gender gap and give impetus to girls’ education
17 - 20 May, Dakar, Senegal
May 9 - The
education of women and girls is a top priority for UNESCO. The Organization
will thus be a key partner at the forthcoming “E4 Engendering Empowerment:
Education and Equality” conference. A related
e-conference was launched on 20 April. To mark the occasion, UNESCO is also
launching a new Gender Equality and Education website.
The conference
is organized by The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), a
partnership of organizations dedicated to promoting girls’ education and to
reducing the gender gap in education. It was launched in 2000 at the World
Education Forum by the U.N. Secretary-General. (…) The current E4 conferences aim to strengthen and expand partnerships for
girls’ education around the most pressing obstacles many girls face in
pursuit of education, and will address issues of violence, poverty and
educational quality and their intersections with participation, climate change
and health.
http://www.unesco.org/en/education/dynamic-content-single-view/news/conference_to_tackle_gender_gap_and_give_impetus_to_girls_education/back/9195/cHash/26fd50062d/
Rotary
Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution
Rotary Peace
Fellows are leaders promoting national and international cooperation, peace,
and the successful resolution of conflict throughout their lives, in their
careers, and through service activities. Fellows can earn either a master’s
degree in international relations, public administration, sustainable
development, peace studies, conflict resolution, or a related field, or a
professional development certificate in peace and conflict resolution.
The Rotary
Peace Centers are at: Chulalongkorn University,
Bangkok, Thailand (professional development center) - Duke University and
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA - International Christian
University, Tokyo, Japan - Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina -
University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England - University of California,
Berkeley, USA (NOTE: The Rotary Foundation Trustees will no longer be accepting
applications for this program after the 2009-11 class.) - University
of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Fellows are
chosen from countries and cultures around the globe based on their ability to
have a significant, positive impact on world peace and conflict resolution
during their careers. Learn more about program eligibility and deadlines. To
find out more about the Rotary Peace Centers program, contact your local Rotary
club or the Rotary Peace Centers Department at The Rotary Foundation.
http://www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/EducationalPrograms/RotaryCentersForInternationalStudies/Pages/ridefault.aspx
USA - EDC education research contract is extended
U.S. Dept. of
Education extends REL contracts to six years
Newton, MA, USA, May 11 - The U.S. Department of Education will extend to 2012
its contract with Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), to operate the
Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI), one of 10 such
labs across the country. Funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, REL-NEI
is administered by EDC in partnership
with Learning Innovations at WestEd and American Institutes for Research.
Now in its
fifth year, REL-NEI brings rigorous education research to educators and
policymakers in the region, the largest and most diverse in the country, which
includes more than 5 million students, nearly 10,000 schools, and 2,000
districts in the six New England states, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands. (...)
REL-NEI
provides pre-K–16 educators at the state, district, and school levels with the
best available evidence to make decisions leading to improved student
achievement and reduced performance gaps. The REL network also provides
research to assist policymakers with their decision-making to make the best use
of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In the past four
years, REL-NEI has produced 18 original research reports requested by regional
educators and policymakers, with four more slated for publication this year. (...)
The nation’s
RELs serve as partners with state and local educators and policymakers to use
research to tackle issues of education reform and improvement.
http://www.edc.org/newsroom/press_releases/edc_education_research_contract_extended
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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 . Rome
Law-court registration no. 265 dated 20 June 2000.
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi, Ph.D.
Editorial research by Fabio Gatti, Maria Grazia Da Damos,
Arianna Cavallo, Azzurra Cianchetta. Editorial Secretary: Maria Grazia
Da Damos. Webmaster: Fabio Gatti.
Good News Agency is distributed
free of charge through Internet to 10,000 media and
editorial journalists of the daily newspapers and
periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations in 54 countries: Albania,
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bermuda, Bosnia,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Caribbean Islands, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia,
Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Holland,
Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Oceania,
Philippines, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, USA. It is also
distributed free of charge to 3,000 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, a
registered educational charity chartered in Italy in 1979 The Association
operates for the development of consciousness and promotes a culture of peace
in the ‘global village’ perspective based on unity in diversity and on sharing.
It is based in Via Antagora 10, 00124 Rome, Italy.
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