Good News Agency – Year X, n° 173
Weekly – Year X, number 173 –
18th June 2010
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi,
Ph. D.
Happy
birthday Good News Agency! - Good News Agency celebrates its tenth
anniversary. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking our readers for
their continued appreciation and our team of volunteers for their dedication
and professionalism.
Good News Agency carries positive
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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
UN Secretary-General:
Message on World Refugee Day
Pan-European
Committee adopts draft By-Laws and calls extraordinary Regional Conference
The Committee/Board decided
that the proposed By-Laws formed an acceptable basis to call an extra-ordinary
European Conference/General Assembly to consider their adoption for the
European regional structure. The decision to call the Conference required a
decision by a two-thirds majority. The PES Committee/ETUCE Executive Board also
decided, without any objections, to recommend the adoption of the revised
By-Laws to the extra-ordinary Conference/Assembly. The extra-ordinary
Conference will take place around 22nd November at the time scheduled for the
next Committee meeting. Formal notice will be issued to the European member
organisations in the near future. (...)
The working group will discuss
and make recommendations on possible ways of making the new European governing
structures more balanced and representative of the whole membership of EI’s
European region in the longer term.
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1281&theme=ei&country=global
At
ICC review conference, nations reaffirm commitment to
2 June - More than 80 nations
have reaffirmed their commitment to the Rome Statue, which led to the founding
of the International Criminal Court (ICC), emphasizing the crucial role of
justice in achieving sustainable peace. The so-called Kampala Declaration was
adopted yesterday at the end of the general debate segment of the two-week-long
ICC review conference under way in the Ugandan capital. During the debate, 84
States, along with
So far 111 countries have
become parties to the Rome Statute that established the ICC, while 37 others
have signed but not yet ratified it. But some of the world’s largest and most
powerful countries, including
European
trio agree to enforce jail terms imposed by International Criminal Court
1 June - Three European
countries today signed an agreement with the International Criminal Court (ICC)
to enforce the tribunal judges’ sentences of imprisonment, taking the number of
countries that are willing to detain people convicted by the ICC to five.
Representatives of
A permanent court, the ICC is
based in
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34880&Cr=international+criminal&Cr1=
Teachers
call for improvements in teacher training in
Brussels, June 16 - Meeting on
14 and 15 June in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the EI Regional Committee
for Latin America called on governments in the region to prevent a heavy
setback in education quality because of a lack of necessary investments.This
assessment was shared by Education Minister Melanio A. Parades of the Dominican
Republic. (...)
The Regional Committee also
considered the human rights’ situation in
On 16 June members of the
Regional Committee travelled from
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1283&theme=ei&country=dominicanrepublic
AFT hosts global webcast to end child labour
Collectively, the delegates
will review progress and activities to evaluate what is working and determine
what more needs to be done to eliminate child labour. It is hoped that the
event will encourage the advocacy of a ‘holistic government’ approach to ending
child labour around the world through
Innovatively, the conference
will feature a live webcast in order for people from around the world to
participate in real time, and there will be an interactive connection with 6-8
embassies in different regions, which will be hosting their own simultaneous
policy discussions. (...)
To access the full information
about the AFT event, please visit: www.aft.org/endchildlabor
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1265&theme=childlabour&country=usa
Integrating
gender into humanitarian response: highlights from an InterAction 2010 Forum
Workshop
Jun 4 - One of yesterday's Forum
workshops, Different Needs, Equal Opportunities: Integrating Gender into
Humanitarian Response, included a discussion about the Inter-Agency Standing
Committee's (IASC) new gender e-learning course and how best to address the
needs of all in humanitarian efforts. The course, Different Needs-Equal Opportunities, is a
free self-paced course and participants receive a certificate upon completion.
More information about the course is available on this website.
Developed over two and a half
years, and based on IASC’s Gender Guide book, the course aims to address gender
equality and integration in humanitarian response. It is a
collaboration across multiple sectors, including: camp coordination and
management, education, food distribution and security, health, livelihoods,
non-food items, nutrition, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene. The UN's
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has made the course
mandatory for all field staff and continues to urge other organizations to
follow suit. (...)
European
Network of Migrant Women - Launch and high-level seminar
The theme of the inaugural
high-level seminar will be ‘Migrant Women in
The seminar will be followed
by a reception to which members of the press are cordially invited.
OECD
and FAO to release new ten year agriculture projections
FAO and the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will release a new edition of
their annual "Agricultural Outlook" report during a press conference
on 15 June 2010 at FAO's
The annual Agricultural
Outlook is prepared jointly by the OECD and FAO. It provides market projections
for biofuels, cereals, oilseeds, sugar, meats, and dairy products over the
2010-19 period.
The macroeconomic conditions
are more positive this year and the anticipated return to global economic
growth, a rising population, emerging biofuel markets, and a higher cost
structure are expected to underpin international commodity markets and prices
over the next ten years. Developing countries are expected to be the driving
force behind the expected growth in agricultural production, consumption and
trade.
This year’s report also
includes a special section on commodity price volatility.
Soy
industry members agree to environmental safeguards for responsible production
Most importantly, the
standards require producers to take certain measures to protect the
environment. Those include prohibitions on the conversion of forests and areas
with high conservation value – such as rich savannahs –reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, and eliminating the most hazardous pesticides in soy farming. (...)
The RTRS also agreed to
develop a voluntary annex for RTRS members that wish to produce or trade in soy
that is labelled as GM free.
The agreement is the result of
years of dialogue between WWF, other NGOs, farmers, and the soy industry and
finalized at the group’s fifth annual meeting this week in
ACDI/VOCA
wins new USAID award to fight hunger in Eastern,
‘Support
for food security activities’ IQC to harmonize regional food security efforts
It also represents a USAID new
approach to harmonize regional hunger- and poverty-fighting efforts in these
countries, where significant portions of populations face chronic food
insecurity and the production of staple crops fails to meet local and regional
demand. (...)
In implementing this contract,
ACDI/VOCA will draw on its 46 years of agricultural value chain and food
security experience in
http://www.acdivoca.org/acdivoca/portalhub.nsf/ID/news-food-security-africa-SFSA-award
FAO gets additional €13.2
million in EU-funding
In
€3 million will double the
size of FAO's EU-funded efforts in
In addition, €2.7 million will
go to FAO's Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme as an extension of the EU's
longstanding help to kill off one of the most devastating animal diseases known
to man, rinderpest, responsible for famines over the course of hundreds of
years in Asia, Africa and
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/42872/icode/
Strong
coffee value chain yields commercial success for Colombian growers
Connecting
smallholder coffee farmers to global markets puts more money right where it’s
needed: the growers’ pockets.
June 3 - ACDI/VOCA’s USAID Specialty
Coffee Program in
ACDI/VOCA
helps farmers make commercial connections
ACDI/VOCA-Colombia staff
traveled to the SCAA expo with beneficiary coffee farmers and program partners.
During the event, ACDI/VOCA-supported farmers, who won the first and second
prizes in the USAID Best Alternative Coffee competition, received the official
checks reflecting the premium prices given by the National Coffee Growers.
The SCAA event drew more than
8,000 international coffee professionals from 40 countries. The expo was a key
event for ACDI/VOCA staff for promoting the Colombian Specialty Association and
pursuing new commercial opportunities for our beneficiaries. SCAA is the
world's coffee authority and largest coffee trade association with nearly 3,000
member companies. (...)
http://www.acdivoca.org/acdivoca/portalhub.nsf/ID/news-coffee-value-chain-Colombia-farmers-SCAA
ADRA
responds after deadly tropical storm strikes
Answering the call for
assistance by the Honduran government, ADRA worked in coordination with the
nation’s Permanent Commission on Contingencies (COPECO) to transport and
distribute basic hygiene kits to 750 families, or 3,750 beneficiaries. ADRA
also consulted with other aid organizations working in the region to determine
delivery sites based on needs.
Tropical Strom Agatha, the
first storm of the 2010 Pacific hurricane season and the deadliest tropical
cyclone in the eastern Pacific since 1997, killed nearly 200 people and damaged
bridges, homes, potable water supplies and electrical lines, according to
authorities. (...)
http://www.adra.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10969&news_iv_ctrl=1141
Shelter
for the many homeless
June 9 - Five months after
the earthquake in Haiti the ACT Alliance is evaluating the work so far in order
to be able to streamline and coordinate the continued effort even better.
Secretary General, Henrik Stubkjær, writes from
The earthquake in January
struck right in the middle of
The 500.000 people who fled
Port au Prince have now taken refuge with family and friends in the rural areas
outside the capital. The rest live in more or less organized tent camps in the
capital.
1.300 camps have been
established and in May the NGOs announced that now shelter has been provided
for everyone. Since then an effort has been made to organize the camps better.
Sheets have been replaced with
real tents or tarpaulins and an effort has been made to provide water supply to
the camps.
Via the ACT Alliance we have
provided over 50.000 people with water since then. We have now reached a delivery
rate of
http://www.danchurchaid.org/news_publications/news/shelter_for_the_many_homeless
ICRC
assists record numbers of IDPs in 2009
Geneva (ICRC), June 9 - In 2009, some 4.6
million internally displaced people (IDPs) – 20% more than in 2008 – benefited
from humanitarian assistance provided by the ICRC, in association with National
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, in 33 countries all over the world. The
ICRC devoted approximately 15% of its operational budget, or 150 million Swiss
francs, to its efforts to alleviate the suffering and address the needs of
people driven from their homes as a result of armed conflict and other
violence. (...)
The ICRC increased its
assistance to displaced people in response to greater needs in the
In total, the ICRC assisted
14.25 million civilians in 2009, 30% of whom were people displaced within their
own countries. Its largest operations in terms of the budget devoted to the
displaced were conducted in
The ICRC worked with the
authorities in many countries to help them better fulfil
their obligation to protect civilians, including internally displaced people.
In addition, the ICRC helped those displaced to restore and maintain contact
with their families.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/war-and-displacement-news-090610
Small
Rotary club scores big with end polio effort
By Dan Nixon
Rotary International News, June 8 - In the past nine months,
the residents of Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia, have learned a lot about
polio and the global effort to eradicate the disease. Led by the town’s Rotarians,
they’ve also given a lot back.
In September, the Rotary Club
of Bribie Island embarked on Project Eradication, aimed at raising A$1 (about US$0.80) for each one of the community’s 19,490
residents. (...) Over the next several months, the 25-member club organized a raffle, a
children’s coloring competition, wine sales, monthly food markets, a movie
night, an Australia Day Ball, a golf day, and a 10-kilometer fun run/walk.
Local newspapers were briefed about the effort in advance and agreed to publish
monthly feature articles about the events.
The club also obtained support
from the town’s polio survivors. One drew the winning tickets for the raffle
and took part in the run/walk, pushed in a wheelchair by a Rotarian. Another
gave an interview to area newspapers and reinforced the message that some
parents in
As the fundraisers unfolded,
the project gained increasing visibility in the community and media. The club
also sent out news releases about the work of Jenny Horton -- a nurse and
member of the Rotary Club of Kenmore, Queensland -- in the polio immunization
effort in
The publicity helped generate
significant donations from residents and groups such as the Lions club, Bowls
club, and community orchestra. The
On 13 May, Bribie Island
Rotarians presented a check for A$20,000 (about US$16,600) for Rotary’s US$200
Million Challenge to
Past RI President Clem Renouf at a celebration in Nambour. (...)
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/100608_news_bribie.aspx
Save
the Children supports children and families affected by tropical storm Agatha
in
Governments in the three
countries have declared states of emergency. The storm forced tens of thousands
of children and adults into shelters and washed away homes, roads and bridges.
It also affected agriculture, exacerbating a simmering food crisis in
In Guatemala, the
international humanitarian agency — which works in six Guatemalan departments
and 322 communities providing education, nutrition, health, protection and
other programs — will provide more than 46 metric tons of rice, beans and
vegetable oil to families in Chichicastenango and Sacapulas. Save the Children
also is assessing needs related to damage to crops and loss of livestock. (...)
In
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2010/tropical-storm-agatha.html?print=t
Save
the Children prepares to assist children and families in
Save the Children is
conducting rapid assessments in Thatta and Badin districts and has three
emergency medical teams (comprising a medical doctor, lady health visitor, and
medicine dispenser) now in
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2010/storm-phet-pakistan.html
June 11 - Women in countries affected by past or ongoing conflict today
concluded a week of events organized by the United Nations to explore ways of
strengthening women’s participation in conflict resolution and
peacebuilding. The “Global Open
Days for Women and Peace,” organized by several UN agencies and departments,
were intended to raise awareness and take stock of progress made since the
Security Council passed a landmark resolution 10 years ago that put women’s
experiences of conflict on the international peace and security agenda. (…)
“This anniversary is an
opportunity to reaffirm the core message of the landmark text: sustainable peace
is possible only with women’s full participation – their perspectives, their
leadership, their daily, equal presence wherever we seek to make and keep the
peace,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message to mark the Open
Days. (…) The UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), one of the co-organizers of the Open Days
noted that while some progress has been made in the past decade, gaps in
implementation of the resolution remain. Highlighting the progress that had
been Mr. Ban said that in many post-conflict
countries, the number of women in government has increased. (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35004&Cr=unifem&Cr1=
[MercoPress] As mentioned in 3
June edition of Today's Mine Action News, four task sites on The Falkland
Islands have been declared mine-free. This concludes phase 1 of the demining
project. Merco Press elaborates on the challenges and successes of the project
and how they will influence the
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/06/03/falkland-islands-de-mining-pilot-project-completion-of-phase-1
Eight
Annual International Day of the UN Peacekeepers
The eight annual commemoration
of the International
Day of the United Nations Peacekeepers took place at Palais des Nations on
Monday, 31 May 2010. The ceremony, organized in collaboration with the
International Association of Soldiers for Peace, started at the United Nations
Memorial in the
UN
pays tribute to peacekeepers’ work and sacrifices in world’s hot spots
28 May - The United Nations
celebrated on 28 May the dedication and courage of the men and women who play
an indispensable role in the cause of peace around the world, while honouring
the sacrifices of those who paid the ultimate price in that service. The eighth
annual International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers pays tribute to the
more than 124,000 personnel who are serving in 16 operations on four
continents, doing everything from clearing landmines and delivering aid to
helping refugees and supporting free and fair elections. (…)
As part of the commemorative
events, 218 peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving under the blue flag
over the past 14 months were posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld medal at
a ceremony presided over by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations
Alain Le Roy. This year’s theme is “
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34842&Cr=peacekeeper&Cr1=
The civil war ended in May
2009, but before people could go home the area needed to be surveyed for mines
and other remnants of conflict, which had been used extensively during the
conflict and contaminated the north of the country. MAG identified one minefield
and several items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Mulliyavalai West GN Division
in March this year. These were cleared by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA), enabling
people to return – and the school to be reopened – on 26 April. So far, 400
students and 16 teachers have gone back to the school, with a further 300
pupils expected. (...)
The army has helped the
community clean up the grounds and UNICEF has provided tarpaulin sheets for the
children to sit on, as there are no chairs or desks. The school is also still
lacking stationery and books, while nothing remains of the computer and science
labs or library. However, the Education Department plans to provide stationery
in the next few weeks and the Principal has requested help from a number of
non-governmental organisations that support the country’s schools. MAG has continued
to support Mulliyavalai since the resettlement, providing information to people
on the risks from remnants of conflict in their area and arranging immediate
clearance by the
Polio:
Outbreak response activities
continue in
June 11 -
Neighbouring countries
continue to take precautionary measures:
The size of the outbreak in
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/LatestNews201006.asp#02
Gates
signs soccer ball in
Rotary International News,
June 10 - Bill Gates, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, added
his support to the Kick Polio Out of Africa campaign this week, signing a
soccer ball that is making its way through the continent before the 2010 World
Cup. (...) As he signed the ball in
Since Rotary and its partners
in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative began their fight against polio in
1988, the incidence of the disease has been reduced by 99 percent. In Africa,
only
The Gates Foundation has
awarded Rotary US$355 million in challenge grants in support of its efforts to
eradicate polio. In response, Rotary has committed to raising $200 million by
30 June 2012. As of this month, Rotarians have raised $128.7 million.
“As the volunteer arm and
private-sector partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary has
contributed $388 million for polio eradication efforts in
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/100610_news_gates.aspx
Bishkek/Moscow/Geneva (ICRC), June 11 - Following ethnic
clashes in the city of
Amid concerns about recurring
violence in
(...) http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/kyrgyzstan-news-110610
PACOM
Commander experiences Pacific partnership first-hand during visit
By Pacific Partnership 2010
Public Affairs
Quy Nhon, Vietnam, June 9 - Adm. Robert F.
Willard, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, made a two-day stop in central
Vietnam here June 8-9 during his Southeast Asia visit to personally witness the
diverse team-building of Pacific Partnership 2010. “We think this mission is
wonderful. You need look no further than this courtyard to see the many
thousands of people that this mission continues to service,” said Willard,
addressing reporters at the Hai Cang school’s medical civic action program
(MEDCAP) after receiving a tour of a local school which had been temporarily
transformed into a community health clinic. This MEDCAP site provided
optometry, dental, and primary care services to more than 500 patients each
day.
Pacific Partnership 2010 is
the fifth in a series of annual U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian and civic
assistance endeavors aimed at strengthening regional partnerships among
By providing basic medical
services ashore or more in-depth procedures and surgery onboard USNS Mercy
(T-AH 19), anchored off Quy Nhon’s coast for the visit, Pacific Partnership
provides the opportunity to strengthen the deep relationships and refine the
skills necessary to ensure that its diverse array of participants are capable
of quickly responding to a natural disaster by delivering humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief. (...)
One of those non-governmental
organizations who teamed up with the U.S. Navy in response to the tsunami that
struck
http://www.cpf.navy.mil/media/news/articles/2010/june/jun9_PP10_PACOM_Commander_Visit.shtml
More
than 2.5 million children to be vaccinated and over 8,000 patients in care with
biggest measles outbreak in over a decade in
June 9 - In coordination with the
country’s health authorities, MSF teams are providing care and vaccination
campaigns. The epidemic threshold has been surpassed in 23 of the country's 28
districts. Along with the vaccination efforts by MSF are training and medical
support throughout the country.
Since February,
In collaboration with
Amid vaccination
campaign, MSF treats wounded in
June 8 - Following recent clashes in
At the end of April, MSF
launched a vaccination campaign in Guri-el and its surroundings. So far teams
have vaccinated 3,937 people against measles and 2,552 people against whooping
cough.
(...) MSF has worked in
MSF does not accept funding
from any government for its work in
(top)
EWEA
predicts a strong European market for wind turbines in 2010
June 14 - The European Wind
Energy Association (EWEA) today released its forecast for wind power
installations in 2010. It expects 10 gigawatt (GW) of new
wind power capacity to be installed in the EU during 2010, taking total
installed capacity by the end of 2010 to almost 85 GW - an increase of 13%.
Last year – a record year for wind power installation – saw 10.163 GW of new
wind power capacity installed, constituting 39% of all new power capacity
installed in the EU that year. Total installed wind power capacity by the end
of 2009 was 74.767 GW.
“We predict another strong
year for wind turbine installations in
“It is too early to say
whether, for a third year running, there will be more wind energy capacity
installed than any other electricity generating technology, but it is clear
that wind energy will be competing for the top spot with new gas power plants,”
added Kjaer.
2010 will see more
installations in offshore wind power, with up to 1 GW of new capacity expected
to be installed during the year compared to 577 MW installed in 2009. EWEA
expects
Mark
the date: Global Wind Day – 15 June 2010
June 7 - In 2010 the European
Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) are
organising wind events around the world for both the public and the media to
come and find out more about wind energy. Already some 45 organisations have
signed up to take part, with others sure to join them. “Imagine being able to
harness the power of nature in a sustainable way to create abundant clean
energy, tackle climate change, create
jobs and end our dangerous dependence on polluting fossil fuels”, said Steve
Sawyer, Secretary General of GWEC. “It’s
not a dream, it’s wind energy – and it definitely
deserves a special day.”
Last year over 300 Global Wind
Day events were held in 35 countries from
EWEA has put up a
From wind farm open days and
conferences, to exhibitions, information days, sporting contests and photo
contests, there will be something for everyone in most corners of the
globe. For example, in the spectacular
setting of the Villa Borghese in central
For more information about the
Global Wind Day and events around the world see www.globalwindday.org
http://www.ewea.org/index.php?id=259
European
Wind Initiative:
June 3 - As the Spanish EU
Presidency launched the 'European Wind Initiative' (EWI) - a €6 billion ten
year research and development roadmap for the wind energy sector - the European
Wind Energy Association (EWEA) said that, if properly funded, it would give
European companies a competitive boost.
"The European Wind
Initiative is a big step forward in our efforts to maintain and strengthen
Europe's global leadership in wind energy technology", said Christian
Kjaer, Chief Executive of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), today in
The EWI is the result of
several years of joint effort by the European wind energy sector, the European
Commission and EU Member States working towards three common goals, to:
■ maintain
■ make
onshore wind power the most competitive energy source by 2020, with offshore
wind power following by 2030;
■ enable wind energy to
supply 20% of
■ create 250,000 new
skilled jobs in the EU in the wind energy sector by 2020.
The EWI focuses on four main
technology areas: new turbines and components, offshore technology, grid integration,
resource assessment and spatial planning.
EU
bathing water quality remains high
June 10 – Clean bathing waters
are vital for key economic sectors such as tourism and for plant and animal
life. The annual bathing water report presented by the European Commission and
the European Environment Agency shows that 96 % of coastal bathing areas and 90
% of bathing sites in rivers and lakes complied with minimum standards in 2009.
It also describes where to obtain detailed and up-to-date information on
bathing sites.
Environment Commissioner Janez
Potočnik said, "Over the last thirty years, EU and national legislation has
significantly improved the quality of
Efforts to improve the quality
of bathing waters should be seen in the context of
http://www.eea.europa.eu/pressroom/newsreleases/eu-bathing-water-quality-remains-high
This is a historic moment for
both the countries as their governments have joined hands for the first time to
promote cooperation in the field of biodiversity conservation, management of
forest resources and protection of wildlife. The two countries agreed to
implement the obligations of international multilateral environmental
agreements and conventions to protect the environment and conserve
biodiversity. (...) WWF
China and WWF Nepal, along with TRAFFIC, WWF’s specialized global wildlife
trade programme, played a pivotal role in fostering cooperation between the
governments of the two countries. (...)
The Department of
International Cooperation of the State Forestry Administration of People’s
Republic of China and Department of Forests and Department of National Parks
and Wildlife Conservation of the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, and
the Government of Nepal will be the implementing agencies of the agreement for
the two governments respectively.
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/news/?193729/China-Nepal-reach-historic-biodiversity-agreement
Manila (ICRC), June 4 - Starting this week,
more than 7,000 families in two Ifugao municipalities will receive food, seed
and fertilizer from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) after
their lands were severely damaged by El Niño, a phenomenon associated with
dramatic changes in weather patterns. (...) Although the ICRC's task
consists mainly in serving people affected by armed conflict and other
violence, the organization is also prepared to work together with the
Philippine Red Cross to do what it can to help when calamities like El Niño
occur in sensitive areas. (...) Alongside the food distribution, the ICRC also gave
corn seed and fertilizer to each of the 2,400 families whose farms were
destroyed by the recent drought after already being damaged by last year's
typhoons. (...)
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/philippines-news-040610
Tropical
storm Agatha: Red Cross assists population affected by first storm in
31 May - The heavy rain
accompanying tropical
storm Agatha has resulted in severe flooding in
http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/pr10/3810.asp
Religion and spirituality
URI
celebrates its 10th anniversary
Internationally acclaimed interfaith network to meet in
URI is an internationally
recognized global network connecting hundreds of grassroots groups and
organizations around a shared commitment to interfaith peace and cooperation.
When URI’s Charter was signed on June 26, 2000, it launched with 83 member
organizations—called Cooperation Circles (CCs)—in 30 countries. In just ten
years, it has grown to a powerful community of more than 470 CCs in 75
countries. Its nearly half a million members are overcoming distrust and
hostility every day to better the lives of their neighbors—mediating religiously
motivated conflict; building schools, orphanages and health clinics;
campaigning for citizenship rights and more in 75 countries. They touch the
lives of an estimated 2.5 million people each year. The 10th anniversary
celebration will open with an interfaith ceremony by URI leaders from around
the world. (...) For more information please contact Mark Mancao or Barbara
Hartford by e-mail at mmancao@uri.org and bhartford@uri.org.
Building
an interfaith community - Bossey, Switzertland, July 5 to 31
"How can we affirm our
identity as Muslims, Jews and Christians not in separation or against each
other but in relation to one another?" This is the question some 30 young
adults from around the world are to explore during a July summer seminar at the
World Council of Churches' (WCC) Ecumenical Institute in Bossey. Activities
include spiritual and academic exercises as well as sports, recreation and
everyday tasks.
At a time when the monolithic
society created on the old pattern "one nation, one culture and one
religion" is rapidly becoming a relic of the past, the one-month programme
"Building an Interfaith Community" prepares the future generation of
leaders in churches, other faith communities and society at large for the
challenges of living peacefully in a world of religious plurality.
Each day starts with a moment
of prayer and spirituality, prepared alternately by the Christian, the Jewish
and the Muslim participants. The experience of living under the same roof,
eating and worshiping together, is enriched by lectures offered by specialists
from Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities as well as through participation
in the religious activities in
More information on the seminar
on the website of the Ecumenical Institute
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/events/ev/se/article/1734/building-an-interfaith-co-2.html
SIGNIS
promotes media education and children’s creativity in
SIGNIS members are presenting
or animating no less than 9 Workshops, sessions or panels exploring media
education, children’s creativity, culture of peace,
intercultural dialogue or future challenges. (...) Members of the SIGNIS
delegation will also participate in international panels on “Human Rights and
Intercultural Dialogue. How Media Literacy increases
awareness of differences and develop respect for the others” and
"Implementation and evaluation of Media Literacy in the classroom".
Many other international
organisations, including other members or affiliates of SIGNIS, such as MED
(www.medmediaeducation.it) or Media Animation (www.media-animation.be), will
contribute to the content of the
http://www.signis.net/article.php3?id_article=4032
Union of Education
workers in
June
11 -EI General Secretary, Fred van Leeuwen, has paid tribute to the leadership
of its affiliate member, the Independent Trade Union of Education Workers of
the Azerbaijan Republic (AITUCEW), which celebrated its 90th anniversary on 9
June, 2010.
Speaking at an event to mark
the celebratory occasion, van Leeuwen paid tribute to the
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1278&theme=ei&country=azerbaijan
Teacher activists
review the EFAIDS Programme in
June
9 - Thirty leaders and master trainers converged at the Volta GNAT Conference
Centre in Ho,
Participants were drawn from
across the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and included
provincial, deputy and assistant secretaries, district officials and school
representatives, as well as head teachers who together make up the master
trainers and administrators of the EFAIDS programme in
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1274&theme=hivaids&country=ghana
NYC
reception for the global launch of WE - June 21st, 7pm at
A new
global campaign to unite and amplify the efforts of people, organizations and
movements working for the common good
The WE Campaign, in
association with Fordham University, GreenWorks NYC, the US Partnership for the
Decade of Education and We, The World, invites you to a reception celebrating
the global launch of WE - Monday June 21st 7pm to 10pm, Fordham University Atrium, 113 West 60th
Street at Columbus Avenue in Manhattan, New York, featuring Jonathan Granoff
(Global Security Institute), Deborah Moldow (World Peace Prayer Society), Shawn
Sweeney (Youth Council Director, Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots), Letty
Chiwara (U.N. Development Fund for Women) and Rick Ulfik (Founder, We, The World),
and special video messages from Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
U.N. Messenger of Peace Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, 350.org founder Bill McKibben
and Rwandan bestselling author of "Left To Tell" Immaculee Ilibagiza,
plus musical performances and other special guests.
Tickets: $25 at the door, $20
until June 20th, $15 Students, Seniors, Low Income.
All proceeds benefit the WE Campaign, a program of the non-profit organization
We, The World. For advanced tickets and more information, go to www.WE.net/events/june21, email: Tickets@WeTheWorld.org
Major
EC+10 event in
As per the 10 years
celebrations of the Earth Charter, a major event will take place on 29 June in
The Peace Palace,
1.
To celebrate 10 years Earth Charter and create a vision for its future.
2. To
encourage business and youth actors to be inspired by the Earth Charter
when taking
on the challenges of today and the future.
3.
To enhance public and media outreach on the relevance of the Earth
Charter for
topical
issues and challenges.
The Central theme for all
activities in the light of 10 years Earth Charter worldwide is
:
Dialogue,
Collaboration and Action for a Sustainable Future. This theme is
reflected in the programme by providing room for dialogue and interaction among
participants coming from different generations, sectors and parts of the world.
The venue of this event is
limited to 200 people and it is by invitation only. However, anyone will be
able to follow this from anywhere in the world through Internet.
* * * * * * *
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The
Secretary-General of the Uuited Nations:
Message
on World Refugee Day
20 June 2010
On this observance of World Refugee
Day, we must note a troubling trend: the decline in the number of refugees who
are able to go home.
In 2005, more than a million
people returned to their own country on a voluntary basis. Last year, only 250,000 did so - the lowest
number in two decades. The reasons for
this include prolonged instability in
The theme of this year’s
observance -- “Home” -- highlights the plight of the world’s 15 million
refugees, more than three-quarters of them in the developing world, who have
been uprooted from their homes by conflict or persecution.
For many refugees today, rapid
urbanization means that home is not a crowded camp run by an international
humanitarian organization, but a makeshift shelter in a shantytown, outside a
city in the developing world.
As these cities continue to
experience spectacular growth, refugees are among their most vulnerable
residents. They must struggle for the
most basic services: sanitation, health and education. The impact of the global financial and
economic crisis only increases the threat of marginalization and destitution.
We in the humanitarian
community must adapt our policies to this changing profile of need. This means working closely with host
Governments to deliver services, and intensifying our efforts to resolve
conflicts so that refugees can return home.
On World Refugee Day, let us
reaffirm the importance of solidarity and burden-sharing by the international
community. Refugees have been deprived of their homes, but they must not be
deprived of their futures.
* * * * * * *
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