In
the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project presented to the UN General
Assembly, Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been
playing a major role in the field of Information via the Internet.*
http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/2010_civil_society_report.pdf
Good News Agency – Year XII, n° 193
Weekly – Year XII, number 193
– 21st October 2011
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi, Ph. D.
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 1,600
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 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
13 October -
Established in 1998, the ICC
can try cases involving individuals charged with war crimes committed since
July 2002. The United Nations Security Council, the ICC Prosecutor or a State Party
to the Court can initiate any proceedings, and the ICC only acts when countries
themselves are unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40043&Cr=criminal+court&Cr1=
UN expert welcomes
13 October - A United Nations
expert today welcomed
“This is a great step forward
for
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40039&Cr=mexico&Cr1=
27 September - The world’s
newest country,
The step from South Sudan was
one of eight treaty actions taken today at UN Headquarters in
The treaty event is the UN’s
annual attempt to encourage States to ratify, accede or sign up to global
conventions and therefore promote the application of international law.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39853&Cr=treaty&Cr1=
Another three countries sign
up to key UN protocol on biodiversity
26 September - Three African
countries have signed a key protocol to a United Nations treaty aimed at
encouraging more equitable sharing of the world’s genetic resources and their
benefits, as the annual UN event to promote support for global pacts and
conventions resumed today.
The protocol now has 61
signatories, but will only enter into force some 90 days after 50 countries
have consented to be bound by it, which means they must ratify the text. So far
no countries have done that.
The protocol envisages the
setting up of an international regime on access and benefit sharing of genetic
resources, which will lay down the basic ground rules on how nations cooperate
in obtaining genetic resources, according to the administrative offices of the
193-member Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which drafted the
protocol.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39817&Cr=treaty&Cr1=
UN completes first
review of human rights records of all Member States
13 October - The Human Rights
Council completed its first review of the records of every
“The UPR has proved to be an
innovative, transparent, collaborative instrument for change and has made it
possible – for the first time ever – for all UN Member States to be reviewed on
an equal basis,” said Navi
Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “It has been truly universal, with government
officials representing every single one of the 193
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40038&Cr=human+rights&Cr1=
New
Project Won:
October 7 – ACDI/VOCA has won
a 22-month, $5 million grant from the World Bank to implement the Consultative
Service Delivery Program II.
Development
Program Aims to Strengthen Local Capacity - CDSP II aims to strengthen the
capacity of the local government and communities in
CDSP II builds on the
successful Consultative Service Delivery Program, which strengthened the
capacities of local community action groups and built sustainable linkages to
local government using a community-driven grants process within Kurdistan and
the
The area is rife with ethnic,
religious, security and linguistic challenges. Strong civil and public sector
institutions that are driven by the community are key
to
EWL
delighted at award of Nobel Peace Prize to 3 women’s rights and peace activists
October 7 - The European
Women’s Lobby (EWL) is delighted at the announcement that this year’s Nobel
Peace Prize will, for the first time ever, be awarded to three women for ‘their
non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full
participation in peace-building work’. The winners are Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee of
So far, only 15 women have
ever won the Nobel Prize for Peace since its establishment in 1901, as compared
to 85 men and 23 institutions. Ms Sirleaf is Africa’s
first female elected head of state, Ms Gbowee a
Liberian peace activist and Ms Karman is a leading
figure in
Part of the work of the EWL is
dedicated to the promotion of women in peace processes and the implementation
of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. [More
information is available on the EWL website under International Action for
Women’s Rights.]
For more information,
interviews, background or visual materials, please contact Leanda
Barrington-Leach, EWL Communications and Media Officer, barrington@womenlobby.org
World
Food Day ceremony at FAO to kick off meeting of Committee on World Food
Security, mark 60th anniversary of FAO in
World
Food Day, 16 October 2011
Rome, October 14 - The UN Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) and the World Food Program (WFP) will celebrate World Food
Day 2011 on Monday October 17 at FAO's Rome
headquarters with a series of speeches by visiting guests and performances by
celebrity goodwill ambassadors.
The theme for World Food Day
2011 is Food prices – from crisis to stability.
Committee
on World Food Security (CFS) - October 17 also is the
first day of the 37th session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) at
FAO headquarters. The CFS is an intergovernmental body that acts as the lead UN
forum for review and follow-up of policies concerning world food security. In
addition to UN agencies, it includes civil society organizations and NGOs,
international research institutions and financial and trade institutions, as well
as private sector and philanthropic foundations engaged in rural development
and food security work. For more information, contact: FAO: Liliane
liliane.kambirigi@fao.org - IFAD: Katie Taft
k.taft@ifad.org - WFP: Molly Slotznick
molly.slotznick@wfp.org
New
Manuals
promote food security
October 13 – Two new handbooks
developed by ACDI/VOCA under the USAID-funded Market Linkages Initiative are
available for download and dissemination. The handbooks represent the
intent of the project, implemented by Carana and
partners including ACDI/VOCA, to share lessons and best practices from its
extensive market linkage endeavors throughout the
region. MLI is designed to promote growth in staple crops and strengthen food
security in
Post-harvest losses happen in
http://www.acdivoca.org/site/ID/news-East-Africa-Crop-Conditioning-Staple-Crops-Handbook
FAO project
helps Kenyan farmers withstand drought
Farm
investments today can prevent food security crises tomorrow
13 October,
When the rains do come to this
hilly area they often come in intense bursts, stripping away fertile topsoil.
Rainwater is lost through run-off, leaving seasonal river beds bone dry the rest
of the year. Terracing and dam construction can break this cycle.
With nearly $3.6 million in
support from
Likewise, FAO and its partners
are helping farmers construct simple sand dams in nearby riverbeds to capture
and retain water for crop and household use. This will slash the hours they
usually spend collecting water.
Pan
American Games teams up with Children International, a U.S. charity, to help
poor children in
Children International was
selected as the charity partner since both organizations share similar
missions. Children International helps impoverished children become healthy,
confident, self-reliant adults through access to health care, education, and
skills formation through programs like sports. The mission of the Organizing
Committee of the Pan American Games Guadalajara 2011 is to strengthen sports
infrastructure in
Children International
provides support to over 14,000 poor children in
Oxfam
October 12 – InterAction member Oxfam
ViewChange:
http://www.interaction.org/article/member-news-oxfam-america-and-link-tv-partner-world-food-day
Flooding
in
The ICRC has been working in
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2011/thailand-news-2011-10-10.htm
Caritas
aids one million people in
5 October – Pope Benedict XVI
on Wednesday 5 October highlighted the plight of 13 million people at risk in
Pope Benedict urged the
international community to tackle the humanitarian emergency. He invited
everyone “to offer prayers and practical help for so many brothers and sisters
so harshly tested, particularly the children in the region.”
The Caritas network of
Catholic aid agencies is helping over one million people in
http://www.caritas.org/newsroom/press_releases/PressRelease05_10_11.html
ADRA's initial response
is targeting the Badin District of the
http://www.adra.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=11522&news_iv_ctrl=1141
In addition, Jaakko Laajava, Under-Secretary
of State in
The announcement was made in a
joint press statement issued by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
and
The May 2010 review meeting of
the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) – which takes place every five years
– called for a UN-sponsored conference in 2012 to
establish a nuclear-free
For more details go to UN News
Centre at http://www.un.org/news
In
14 October – The United
Nations envoy to
Hilde F. Johnson, the
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
“I am encouraged by the local
communities and their participation in the civilian-led disarmament process
taking place across Lakes state. There has been such as positive response to
this initiative with excellent cooperation between local communities and the
state authorities,” she said. According to a news release issued by the UN
peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), thousands of weapons are expected
to be collected from local communities across Lakes, Unity and Warrap states and the process is expected to be completed
within three months.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40050&Cr=South+Sudan&Cr1=
UN helps train Timorese police
on internal discipline in further step towards stability
13 October - Police officers
in Timor-Leste are undergoing a three-month training
course on tackling internal misconduct in a United Nations-backed initiative to
enhance their credibility in the streets as the country cements its recovery
from an outbreak of deadly violence five years ago.
The 160 officers from the
justice section of the Policia Nacional
de Timor-Leste will serve as discipline leaders once
they complete the courses.The 160 officers from the
justice section of the Policia Nacional
de Timor-Leste will serve as discipline leaders once
they complete the courses.
The programme
supports five priority areas – legislation, training, administration,
discipline and operations – as the UN continues to help the small country on
the path to complete stability after tensions within the security sector led to
deadly riots in April and May 2006, claiming dozens of lives and driving some
150,000 people, or 15 per cent of the population, from their homes.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40034&Cr=Timor&Cr1=
Caritas
to help 48,000 Somali refugees in
30 September – In Somalia,
drought and ongoing conflict have reached crisis levels and affect over half of
the population. More than 250,000 Somalis have fled their country in 2011
alone. The mass movement of rural Somalis across the border to
Caritas Internationalis
is appealing for €3,684,050 ($5 million US) to build water and sanitation
facilities in a new refugee camp outside of
“Without proper sanitation,
refugees already weakened by their long journey from
CRS Kenya will provide
latrines, showers, and handwashing stations for
48,000 refugees currently relocating to Kambios, the
newest of several refugee camps in Dadaab. CRS will
also promote hygiene education and distribute supplies like soap and detergent
to 12,000 families. Finally, CRS will support solid waste disposal management
and water drainage in Kambios.
“Many Somali refugees have
already endured starvation and atrocities as they made their way to the camps
in
http://www.caritas.org/newsroom/press_releases/PressRelease30_09_11.html
New
Earth Charter-based program at the University of
The Faculty of Education
Sciences of the
After the EC-based teaching
innovation project that was implemented two semesters previously, and along
with the Earth Charter Congress held during the last year at this university,
this amounts to a new achievement for the Earth Charter and Education Group led
by professors Alfonso Fernández Herrería and
Francisco Miguel Martínez Rodríguez.
Project
HOPE and AmeriCares deliver lifesaving vaccines to
benefit thousands in the
Vaccines
and supplies donated by Sanofi Pasteur, Merck and BD
to build healthier communities
October 10 – Global NGOs
Project HOPE and AmeriCares are delivering lifesaving
vaccines to the
Nearly 200,000 adults and
children will receive vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, meningococcal
disease, and typhoid fever. The Ministry of Health is leading this effort to
increase access to immunizations against these diseases among health care
workers, food handlers, farm workers, low-income urban residents and other
at-risk populations. In addition, more than 100,000 children under the age of
two will be able to complete their childhood vaccination schedule with a
vaccine that will protect them from hepatitis B, as well as meningitis and
pneumonia caused by the Haemophilus influenzae type b bacteria.
http://www.projecthope.org/news-blogs/press-releases/project-hope-and-americares.html
Save
the Children receives funding to help save more newborn lives
The additional funding will
enable the agency to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the progress to
date, identify critical remaining gaps, and continue to mobilize governments,
donors and local partners to make reducing newborn deaths a priority. Save the Children will continue to provide
technical assistance to better integrate newborn health into existing health
systems in countries in Africa and
In the decade since Save the
Children established its Saving Newborn Lives program with support from the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, annual newborn deaths have dropped
globally from 4 to 3.1 million. But progress is mixed across countries and
regions, with sub-Saharan Africa and
Rotarians gearing up for World Polio Day, 24 October
By Dan Nixon and
Rotary International News, 10
October - Rotarians around the globe are planning events to raise polio
eradication awareness and funding for World Polio Day on 24 October.
Australian club members are working with the Global Poverty Project on a
petition drive aimed at persuading world leaders to fully fund the critical
work of the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative. Supporters can sign the petition online.
The Global Poverty Project has
scheduled an End of Polio Concert on 28 October to coincide with the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in
Among other events planned
around World Polio Day are (...article
includes events in
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/111010_news_WPD_preview.aspx
World’s
First online procurement platform for eye care NGOs to launch on World Sight
Day
October 7 - Under the auspices
of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), six major
eye health NGOs have formed an alliance to improve quality control and maximise value for money in procurement, with the creation
of an interactive, online version of the IAPB Standard List. This List provides
information for eye health providers on a carefully evaluated range of eye care
technologies, supplies and training resources suitable for use in settings with
limited resources.
The new IAPB Standard List
addresses problems for eye care services in developing countries, which have
struggled to identify and source reliable supplies. Top quality products are
often beyond the reach of low income providers, while price driven purchasing
decisions entail risks of substandard materials, lack of after sales support,
and even equipment failure. For more information and to get access, please
register and log on at http://IAPB.standardlist.org.
October 7 – Severe flooding in
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been providing basic healthcare to
displaced families living in camps or in tents on the roadside. Although the
rains have finally stopped and the water is starting to recede, thousands of
people are still unable to return home. MSF continues to work in the area,
providing basic healthcare and monitoring the health of affected communities.
Badin district, in southern Sindh, was one of the worst affected areas. In Tando Bago, an eastern
While food distributions are
needed to relieve immediate suffering, the ICRC also aims over the medium term
to give the population the means to sustain their own livelihoods. It is
therefore providing seed and fertilizer for 240,000 farmers ahead of the
planting season. Maize, sorghum, cowpea and sesame should be ready to be
harvested by the beginning of 2012. This ongoing operation is being conducted
by the ICRC with the support of volunteers from the Somali Red Crescent
Society.
A severe drought that began in
October 2010 has aggravated the already dire humanitarian situation in
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2011/somalia-news-2011-10-05.htm
Transforming
lives: ADRA focused on maternal and child health in
In the slum area of Mirpur, a suburb of the
http://www.adra.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=11523&news_iv_ctrl=1141
For
seven countries in west Africa and Horn of
Washington, D.C. September 29
- The United Nations Foundation today announced that the
The GPEI is supported by its
spearheading partners, namely WHO, UNICEF, US Centers for Disease Control &
Prevention and Rotary International as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation and the UN Foundation.
http://www.polioeradication.org/Mediaroom/Newsstories/Newsstories2011/tabid/408/iid/159/Default.aspx
(top)
EcoMedia
teams up with Energizer to launch "The Energizer Positivity
Project" on CBS.com
Sponsored
by Energizer, multimedia site provides green tips, highlights Energizer energy
programs and invites users to vote on an environmental project to receive an
Energizer EcoAd grant
Together, EcoMedia
and Energizer have identified three environmental projects that are underfunded, yet critical to the communities they serve.
Starting today, users can vote for the program they believe should win a
$60,000 EcoAd grant from Energizer. In addition to
being the recipient of the EcoAd dollars, Energizer
will also contribute supplies to the winning project. (...)
EcoMedia’s EcoAd program provides advertisers with the option of
purchasing advertising that will deliver added value beyond a traditional
marketing campaign. With the purchase of every EcoAd
package, a portion of dollars spent goes directly toward funding environmental
and clean energy projects, all of which have been identified by local
municipalities and public entities as being critical.
Certification
criteria revealed for companies to buy clean power
Posted on 13 October - The
technical standard for the first global consumer label for companies to buy
wind power and other clean renewable energy has been launched today. The label
is backed by companies including WWF and effective immediately, the WindMade standard allows interested entities to apply for
use of the label to communicate the share of wind power and other renewable
sources in their overall power consumption demand.
“WindMade
is the first eco-label supported by the UN Global Compact,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of
UN Global Compact. ”It is fully aligned with our mission to promote greater
corporate sustainability as the critical business contribution to sustainable
development. As a tangible and meaningful consumer label, WindMade
can go a long way in advancing the use of renewable energy around the globe.”
The WindMade standard specifies the requirements for
the use of the WindMade label, requiring
participating companies to source a minimum of 25 per cent of their electricity
consumption from wind power.
The UN Global Compact will
host a global launch event in
DOE
announces Guide for 50 percent more energy efficient K-12 school buildings
October 12 - The U.S.
Department of Energy today announced the release of the second installment in a
series of four 50% Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs).
This latest guide will help architects, engineers, and contractors design and
build highly efficient K-12 school buildings, saving taxpayer dollars. The 50%
AEDG series provides a practical approach to designing schools and other major
commercial building types that achieve 50% energy savings compared to the
commercial building energy code used in many parts of the nation. These
commercial building guides support President Obama’s
goal to reduce energy use in commercial buildings 20% by 2020 and will help
drive demand for energy-saving products made in the United States. The Advanced Energy Design Guide is available for
download.
Greening
On October 12, the Labasa Cane Producers Association (LCPA) and WWF-South
Pacific (WWF-SPPO) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in order to work together to implement better
management practices for sugarcane cultivation and production. The LCPA
represents 4,005 farmers supplying the Labasa mill,
actively supporting the adoption of sustainable land-use and cane cultivation
practices.
This exciting joint venture
aims to improve livelihoods, increase sugarcane productivity while reducing the
industry’s environmental footprint and protect the Great Sea Reef, which lies
off Vanua Levu and is the
3rd longest barrier reef system in the southern hemisphere.
WWF-SPPO and LCPA have
identified potential farms for demonstrating better management practices for
farming. These plots will be used to communicate the benefits of improving
farming practices around the Northern Division, and ultimately the rest of
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?202032/Greening-Fijis-sugar-through-stronger-partnerships
CITES
extends trade controls to 111 precious hardwood species from
Geneva, 28 September – The
Governments of Madagascar and Panama have requested the Secretariat of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) to list 111 hardwood species in CITES Appendix III, in an effort to
curb the increase in illegal timber trade by enabling verification of legal
origin under CITES standards.
The listing of ebony wood and
rosewood species in CITES Appendix III will help facilitate detection of fraud
and make critical trade information available to exporting and importing
countries. CITES Appendix III regulations mean that all cross-border shipments
now have to be authorized by the issuance of a document certifying the origin
of the products covered by the listing.
In welcoming the new listings,
which will enter into force on 22 December 2011, CITES Secretary-General John
Scanlon said: “CITES will support
http://cites.org/eng/news/press_release.php
13 October - The Jerusalem Society-Berlin,
which has maintained active working links with Christians in the
The
Religious
leaders engage for polio-free DR Congo
September 30 – Ahead of the
next National Immunization Days (NIDs) on 20 October,
religious leaders from across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)
have come together to pledge their support for polio eradication.
At a meeting on 8 October 2011
in the country's capital, Kinshasa, Dr Victor Makwenge
Kaput, Minister of Public Health, convened the heads of the major religious
affiliations to solicit their - and by extension their constituents' - support
for polio eradication. "The persistence of polio in three areas of our
countries is linked to a high number of people who refuse vaccination and
therefore the risk increases of increased circulation of this outbreak in our
country," he said. "The role of religious institutions is critical to
help overcome any community resistance. It is the leaders of these institutions
who are trusted and respected by communities across the country."
Religious leaders across the
countries will now actively engage their communities in the polio eradication
effort, and underscore the risk polio and non-vaccination poses to children
everywhere.
http://www.polioeradication.org/Mediaroom/Newsstories/Newsstories2011/tabid/408/iid/164/Default.aspx
13 October -
More than 550,000 children in some of the most vulnerable districts of
While
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40035&Cr=iraq&Cr1=
Historic
conference assembles Afghan civil society leaders to begin government policy
reform effort
Kabul, October 4 – Two hundred
of Afghanistan’s civil society leaders and government officials converged for a
historic meeting last week to begin working together on ways to reform national
policies so they are more responsive to community needs.
The two-day National Policy
Reform Conference, organized by the nonprofit Counterpart International and
funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), explored how
Afghanistan’s government and civil society organizations can partner effectively
to represent and advocate for community interests, influence policy and
legislation and promote improved civic education and accountability. This
national gathering was an important step in helping
http://www.counterpart.org/news/historic-conference-assembles-afghan-civil-society-leaders
Rotary:
vocational training and service
By Ryan Hyland
Rotary International News, 3
October - Through the Avenue of Vocational Service, Rotarians contribute their professional
expertise and skills to address societal problems and needs, promote high
ethical standards in the workplace, support career planning and other
vocational activities, and represent the dignity and value of their profession.
Carlos Früm,
governor of District 6440 (Illinois, USA) and a member of the Rotary Club of
Northbrook, teaches business principles and entrepreneurship to Maya high
school students as part of his district’s ongoing service project in Guatemala.
"Vocational service gives Rotarians the opportunity to help others escape
poverty and gain a measure of self-respect," Früm
says. "As business and professional leaders, we have a duty to lead and
encourage good ethics through vocation." (...)
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/111003_news_vocservice_gallery.aspx
IFLAC
celebrates Thousand Poets for Change and Peace, in Haifa,
October 1 - IFLAC Israeli commemorated 100 Thousand Poets for Change and Peace, on
September 24. This was a global
happening of seven hundred events in 99 countries comprised of "Poets
around and across the planet, gathered in a demonstration/celebration of poetry
to promote serious social, environmental, and political change."
The
In addition to the celebration
of this unique event around the world
and in Israel, in parks, public gardens, coffee houses and literary clubs,
gathered in the salon of a private residence on Mount Carmel ("God's
Vineyard" in Hebrew), in Haifa, a city known for coexistence between Jews,
Moslems, Christians and Druze, many participants in the Israeli gathering read
Peace Poems, and poems having to do with issues of identity, inter-ethnic
relations, and about the crucial
necessity to develop a culture of Peace in the Media and in all our global
village. For further information on the
2011
Right Livelihood Awards put the spotlight on solutions to global wrongs
- Huang Ming (
- The Jury awards Jacqueline Moudeina (
- The Jury awards GRAIN
(International) “for their worldwide work to protect the livelihoods and rights
of farming communities and to expose the massive purchases of farmland in
developing countries by foreign financial interests”.
- The Jury recognises
Ina May Gaskin (USA) “for her whole-life’s work teaching and advocating safe,
woman-centred childbirth methods that best promote
the physical and mental health of mother and child”.
Award
Ceremony - The Award will be presented at a ceremony in the Swedish Parliament
on December 5, 2011, at 6 pm, hosted by the Society for the Right Livelihood. A
press conference with the 2011 Laureates will take place the same day at the
Swedish Foreign Office Press Room at 9.30 am. The Right Livelihood Awards are
presented annually in the Swedish Parliament and are often referred to as
‘Alternative Nobel Prizes’. They were introduced in 1980 “to honour and support those offering practical and exemplary
answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today”. www.rightlivelihood.org
UNESCO
and Procter & Gamble launch partnership to promote education for young
girls and young women
September 9 - UNESCO and the
multinational consumer product company Procter & Gamble’s Always brand have
launched a partnership to promote literacy for young girls and young women. The
announcement coincides with International Literacy Day, 8 September.
Overcoming the gender gap is
one of UNESCO’s major priorities. In a world that still numbers 793 million
illiterate adults, women account for two thirds of those who cannot read and
write. And girls account for 53 % of the 67 million primary-age school children
around the world who are not receiving the education to which they have a
right.
The first project launched
under the partnership concerns girls’ literacy in
Givat Haviva has recently signed a partnership agreement with Kulanana – an initiative to increase fairness in Israeli
society and promote a greater sense of belonging for all
The initial stage of the partnership includes cooperation
on Givat Haviva’s Children
Teaching Children (CTC) project as part of the national Kulanana
framework. CTC is a two-year program implemented in Arab and Jewish schools
(8th and 9th grades) that aims to forge common citizenship between divided communities
through civics studies combined with inter-community encounters. In its 25th
year of operation, CTC has reached over 30,000 Jewish and Arab teachers and
students to date.
http://www.givathaviva.org.il/english/info/GivatHavivaandKulananaSignPartnershipAgreement.htm
* * * * * * *
(top)
Next
issue: 11 November 2011.
Good News Agency is published in English
on one Friday and in Italian the next. Past issues are available at www.goodnewsagency.org .
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi, Ph.D.
Editorial research by Fabio Gatti, Arianna Cavallo, Azzurra Cianchetta. Webmaster: Fabio Gatti.
Media and NGOs coverage: Maurizio Palazzoni.
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, 1,600 high schools, colleges and universities, as well as 22,000 Rotarians in the world.
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
The Association is a member of the World Association of Non Governmental Organizations.
*In the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) presented to the
UN General Assembly (http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/2010_civil_society_report.pdf),
Good News Agency is included among the
three NGOs that have been playing a major role in the field of
Information. In section A -
International Organizations, the Report says:
"Participatory
Communication and Free Flow of Information and Knowledge has been advanced
largely through use of the Internet by civil society corresponding to para 6 in the 1999 Programme of Action calling for the
promotion of a culture of peace through sharing of information among actors in
the global movement for a culture of peace (p.7). Diffusion and exchange of
culture of peace information via the Internet has become the major instrument
for several international organizations, notably the Culture of Peace News
Network, the Good News Agency and the Education for Peace Globalnet
(p.12).