Good News Agency – Year XII, n° 199
Weekly – Year XII, number 199
– 16th March 2012
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. In the final
report of the Decade for a Culture of
Peace project (2001-2010) 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 Internet*.
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 S-G on International Women's Day, 8 March
The
As guardian of international
humanitarian law, the ICRC reminds parties to the conflict of their obligations
under this branch of law, and participates in the development of the law. The
ICRC has been visiting detainees and assisting people in need, many of them
displaced throughout the decades of internal armed conflicts in the
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2012/philippines-news-2012-03-06.htm
Landmine
ban campaign revs up
Tess O’Brien
6 March - On March 1st a
global campaign was launched to put an end within our lifetime to the
relentless destruction caused by landmines. Around the world, people are
joining together in solidarity to take a stand, to step forward and to ‘Lend a
Leg for a mine free world’, all through the simple gesture of rolling up their
pants leg.
Launched on the 13th
anniversary of the adoption of the International Mine Ban Treaty and running
until International Mines Awareness Day on April 4th, ‘Lend Your Leg’ is a
month long call to action – for civil society, governments and partners – to
work diligently together to a make a mine free world a reality.
Since the Mine Ban Treaty
became law 13 years ago, 80 per cent of the world’s countries have banned
landmines, millions of mines have been removed from the ground and billions of
dollars have been invested into land release, survivor assistance and mine risk
education.
Ban
welcomes political deal reached at Somali constitutional conference
19 February –
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the
political agreement reached by Somalis at a national constitutional conference,
saying the accord “sets out clear steps for ending the transition and putting
in place a constitutional order” in the war-scarred, impoverished country.
The TFIs
are in the process of implementing a roadmap devised in September last year.
That roadmap spells out priority measures to be carried out before the current
transitional governing arrangements end in August. Mr. Ban said in today's
statement that he particularly welcomed the commitment to include a minimum of
30 per cent women in the Independent Electoral Commission, the Constituent
Assembly and the new Federal Parliament.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41295&Cr=Somalia&Cr1=
Millennium
Development Goal drinking water target met
Sanitation
target still lagging far behind
New York/Geneva, 6 March – The world has met
the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of halving the proportion of
people without access to safe drinking water, well in advance of the MDG 2015
deadline, according to a report issued today by UNICEF and the World Health
Organization (WHO). Between 1990 and 2010, over two billion people gained
access to improved drinking water sources, such as piped supplies and protected
wells.
The report, http://www.unicef.org/media/media_61922.html,
by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation,
says at the end of 2010 89 per cent of the world’s population, or 6.1 billion
people, used improved drinking water sources. This is one per cent more than
the 88 per cent MDG target. The report estimates that by 2015 92 per cent of
the global population will have access to improved drinking water.
The report highlights,
however, that the world is still far from meeting the MDG target for sanitation,
and is unlikely to do so by 2015. Only 63 per cent of the world now have
improved sanitation access, a figure projected to increase only to 67 per cent
by 2015, well below the 75 per cent aim in the MDGs.
Currently 2.5 billion people still lack improved sanitation.
UNICEF and WHO also cautioned that since the
measurement of water quality is not possible globally, progress towards the MDG
target of safe drinking water is measured through gathering data on the use of
improved drinking water sources. Significant work must be done to ensure that
improved sources of water are and remain safe.
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_61922.html
During the past months,
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has consistently
highlighted sustainable development as a priority issue for the UN, arguing
that the upcoming conference, known as
<http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.html> Rio+20, will help pave the
way for a new social contract for the 21st century and chart a development path
that leads to greater social justice.
In celebrating the 100-day
mark, expected participants of the Rio+20 forum, including global stakeholders
and UN system partners, will take to social media and share messages of support
and highlight the more important issues and objectives of the summit, slated to
take place in Rio de Janeiro from 20 to 22 June.
More than 100 heads of State,
along with thousands of parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, CEOs, and civil society leaders will come together at
Rio+20 to shape and adopt new policies and measures to promote prosperity,
reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.
N.Y.
housing charity opens for-profit mortgage arm
March 9 – A prominent nonprofit group that has worked for decades to build
affordable housing for low- and middle-income New Yorkers has opened a
commercial banking office to help some buyers secure
home loans, The Wall Street Journal writes. The Housing Partnership, founded
three decade ago by the wealthy banker David Rockefeller, is branching out to
write loans and expand credit availability, particularly for would-be residents
of subsidized housing.
Dan Martin, the partnership’s
president, said the move is the “next logical step” for the organization as
federal funding declines for building new affordable homes. The group plans to
provide about 200 loans in its first year.
The mortgage operation
occupies space at the partnership’s
FAO
and IFAD’s publication on rural institutions to help small
producers reduce poverty
March 1, Rome – FAO’s Director General and IFAD’s
President agree on the fact that strong rural organizations like producer
groups and cooperatives are crucial to hunger reduction because they allow
small producers to play a greater role in national and international markets:
from this thinking a new publication, “Good Practices in building innovative
rural institutions to increase food security”, that presents 35 cases of
successful institutional innovations. The case studies describe services and
resources that these new models of public-private engagement can offer to small
–scale producers: managing natural resources, providing seeds and equipment,
enabling access to markets and improving communication. The case studies also
demonstrate the importance of including youth in small producer organizations
and show how rural organizations can help women farmers to overcome the social
and economic constraints.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2012/22.htm
February 28,
IFAD,
the Saudi Fund for Development and the Arab Bank for Economic Development of
Africa come together to start a successful collaboration
February 24,
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2012/20.htm
Important
meeting between Bill Gates and FAO’s Director General
to improve information, productivity and market access for small farmers
February 23,
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/123766/icode/
CARE
launches agricultural program to improve food security, empower women farmers
in South Asia and
CARE's Pathways
initiative is supported by a $15 million grant from the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, which joins additional funders such
as AusAID and the Aga Khan
Foundation.
Applying CARE's
integrated approach to food security, market engagement and women's
empowerment, Pathways will reach women who farm fewer than five acres of land
and who are not typically served by other development programs.
Pathways will go well beyond
urgent, yet short-term solutions for women smallholder farmers. The model
ensures that elements such as strengthening sustainable community-based
organizations, empowering women to build agricultural-based businesses,
providing essential skills like financial literacy and improved and sustainable
agricultural practices, and building self-sustaining relationships between
women, their households members, service providers and markets, will ensure the
program benefits these women and their communities beyond the five-year life of
the program. Pathways will also evaluate the model's effectiveness and share
lessons broadly
http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2012/02/CARE-Pathways-Program-Announced-20120223.asp
“Hunger
Games” movie cast launch a video public service announcement and a new website
to raise awareness about world hunger
February 23,
http://www.wfp.org/stories/hunger-games-cast-fans-end-hunger
February 21, Rome – The
Government of Brazil signed a 2.375 million dollar agreement with FAO and WFP
for funding a new food purchase programme that will help vulnerable populations
in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger and Senegal.
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/123551/icode/
CSX
and Dignity U Wear work to deliver self-esteem to thousands of children this
month
Jacksonville, Fla., USA, March 9 - CSX Corporation, in partnership with
Dignity U Wear, today announced that they will provide $110,000 worth of
clothing to thousands of school children of all ages in 11 cities as part of
its company-wide “Delivering Dignity” campaign.
Clothing, funded with money
raised over the holiday season by CSX employees in each of its 10 divisions,
will be delivered through local charities.
Dignity U Wear is a national
organization based in
One
year after the great east
To continue this support, the
NKSJ Group organized NKSJ Volunteer Days from October through December 2011 and
encouraged all Group employees to participate in the activities. Around 60
activities were held across
Sompo
HelpAge wins
US$1.5 million Hilton Prize
Announced
on International Women's Day
The award is the world's largest humanitarian
prize, and is presented each year to an organisation
that has delivered extraordinary work to alleviate human suffering.
Steven M. Hilton, CEO and
president of the Hilton Foundation said: : "The
world is ageing. By 2015, over 890 million people will be over 60. HelpAge is showing us that it is important to recognise and
support older people so they can continue contributing to society." The
Prize was announced on 8 March to recognise the crucial role rural older women
play in their communities and it will be presented at the Global Philanthropy Forum on 16
April in
Five organizations in
by Karen Bliss,
www.samaritanmag.com
8 March – TOMS Shoes, the One
for One company that for the past eight years has been donating one pair of
shoes to a child in need for every pair it sells, is now doing a similar thing
with its brand new Italian-made eyewear collection. Available beginning March
15 at TOMS.ca and select retailers across
Started in 1978 by World
Health Organization's Dr. Larry Brilliant (now the president of Skoll Global Threats Fund), Seva
is an international non-profit that fights blindness and poverty.
Working in Asia, Africa, and
http://samaritanmag.com/1093/one-one-company-toms-launches-italian-made-eyewear-collection
UN
support for volunteerism
February 24 – The United
Nations released its resolution on the 10th anniversary of the International
Year of Volunteers 2011 this month. The resolution emphasizes the contribution
of volunteering to sustainable development, human development, and peace. It
also acknowledges the importance of NGOs to the promotion of volunteerism - and
in that respect recognizes that strengthening the dialogue and interaction
among governments, the UN and civil society contributes to the expansion of
volunteerism.
The resolution also invites
governments to integrate volunteering more fully into policy programs and
initiatives; and calls on governments and relevant UN bodies and organizations
to continue to support and promote volunteerism. Volunteers are also encouraged
to take part in UN and other relevant international conferences. - - Go here to read the full
resolution.
http://www.iave.org/content/un-support-volunteerism
February 21 –
The seven-day intervention
assisted 720 families with approximately
"Access to the affected
areas was a huge challenge because the bridges were impassable", shared
one officer from ADRA Philippines in the affected area. "ADRA workers and
volunteers were able to reach the affected areas and distributed the goods
until the middle of the night. It was so dark because electrical posts were
down and ADRA's emergency response officers had to
use flashlights".
http://www.adra.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=11701&news_iv_ctrl=1141
DR
Congo: UN peacekeeping mission receives tactical helicopters from
7 March – The United Nations
peacekeeping chief today expressed his gratitude to
“
Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping
Operations, was referring to
He noted that MONUSCO is one
of the UN’s most challenging peacekeeping missions, and that the recent
shortage of military helicopters had made its work more difficult.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41480&&Cr=democratic&&Cr1=congo
UEFA began its partnership
with the ICRC in 1997 with support for its anti-landmine campaign. All monies
donated go to the Score for the Red Cross campaign supporting the ICRC
rehabilitation project providing landmine victims in
The ICRC's
limb-fitting and rehabilitation programme has helped more than 106,000 mine
victims and other disabled people since it was established in 1988. Apart from
supporting their physical rehabilitation, the ICRC also helps disabled people
play an active role in society by financing education, vocational training,
employment and small-business activities.
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2012/afghanistan-uefa-news-2012-03-07.htm
CISR
conducts peer-support workshop in
On 6, 7 and 8 March, CISR’s Director Ken Rutherford and CISR’s
Trauma Rehabilitation Specialist Cameron Macauley
conducted a workshop in Dong Hoi,
The workshop was conducted in
partnership with the Association for the Empowerment of People with
Disabilities (AEPD), a Vietnamese NGO established by Survivor Corps more than
10 years ago. Founded principally to help survivors of injuries caused by
landmines and unexploded ordnance, AEPD now assists people with a variety of
disabilities, particularly those affected by Agent Orange, which causes birth
defects and tumors and has left more than 100,000
Vietnamese severely disabled.
Peer-support techniques
discussed in the workshop included basic counseling
skills, how to deal with depression and isolation, and practical considerations
such as how to deal with barriers to mobility and lack of employment
opportunities. Time was devoted to the formation and management of
community-support groups for people with disabilities and to the international
rights of people with disabilities, which are protected by
http://networkedblogs.com/uWsoD
DPR
29 February – The United
Nations atomic watchdog has called today’s announcement by the
DPRK has agreed to suspend
uranium enrichment activities and nuclear weapons tests and allow inspectors
from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify compliance with
these measures, while the
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41414&Cr=democratic&Cr1=korea
Third
phase of underwater UXO clearance of
24 February - The 3rd Phase of Underwater UXO Clearance of
Lake Ohrid (locations: Ohrid
Harbor and Peshtani) has started on 22
February 2012 and is financed by United States Department of State, Bureau of
Political-Military Affairs, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA),
through ITF. The 3rd phase will last for 28 operational days and is implemented
by specialized diving teams for underwater demining
and EOD specialists from
The absence of fear of UXO at
the shores of
http://www.itf-fund.si/News/Third_Phase_of_Underwater_UXO_Clearance_of_Lake_Ohrid_408.aspx
MAG
is clearing a key trade route in northern
22 February - The Wadi Chirke area, between the
towns of Fada and Kiké, is
littered with anti-personnel and anti-tank mines laid by occupation forces
during the war with
Seven people have been
reported killed and six injured by mines in the Fada
area alone within the last decade. The contamination has blocked usage of the
road, and this has stifled trade and development in the region as vehicles have
been forced to take detours of hundreds of kilometres.
Several different mine action
organisations have worked in the area over the last 10 years, beginning
clearance and marking the dangerous areas, but the vastness of Wadi Chirke means that large
amounts of contamination still remain.
MAG began work here in
November and, following careful assessment of the whole site, now has three
teams carrying out manual clearance on different sections of the minefield.
Deep sand in many parts means
that deminers have to go over each square metre of
land multiple times, with scorpions, snakes, sandstorms and temperatures of
over 40ºc in peak season to contend. It is difficult, but hugely valuable,
work.
http://www.maginternational.org/news/chad-clearing-landmines-from-an-important-trade-route/
International
Women’s Day - Celebrating the female vaccinator
On 8
March, as the world celebrates International Women’s Day, let us take some time
to think of these remarkable women and the work they are doing to ensure that
children everywhere are safe from the threat of polio.
Out there in two continents
right now, there is a dedicated, yet largely unacknowledged army of women
devoted to ensuring that polio is eradicated. Dressed in uniforms of fluttering
burkhas in vivid sky blue or sober black, jewel tone
saris or vibrant African prints, these women walk from door to door, talking to
families, giving vaccine – all to protect children against polio.
In many countries, a
vaccination team cannot function without a female vaccinator. In conservative
areas, where male vaccinators can not enter the house, having a woman on the
team can mean the difference between a closed door or
a welcoming invitation into the home. In northern
Able to speak woman to woman,
mother to mother or grandmother to mother, female vaccinators can hold a great
degree of sway. By showing that they are willing to have their own children
vaccinated against polio, vaccinators who are mothers demonstrate to wary
parents that they have the children’s best interests at heart. And in parts of
The role that women
vaccinators and social mobilizers play in polio
eradication is not only of benefit for parents and caregivers. For the women
themselves, the programme has offered a unique opportunity to have a respected
voice as health providers in their community, and to find professional fulfillment through something beyond their role as wife and
mother.
In India alone, it is
estimated that a staggering 80-85% of the 2.3 million vaccinators involved
during each round of National Immunization Days are female workers - this
includes Auxiliary Nurse Midwives, Accredited Social Health Activists (known as
ASHAs), front-line workers of the social welfare
department (Anganwadi workers) and volunteers. In
addition, nearly 70% of the 155,000 supervisors that oversee the work of these
vaccinators are female. In the once traditional polio reservoirs of Bihar and
Uttar Pradesh, more than 92% of the 128,000 vaccination teams have at least one
female vaccinator as a team-member, while UNICEF's 8000-strong Social
Mobilization Network, which goes door to door spreading messages about polio
and routine immunization, exclusive breast-feeding, nutrition, handwashing and diarrhea
treatment, is almost exclusively made up of women.
http://www.polioeradication.org/tabid/461/iid/203/Default.aspx
By Dan Nixon
8 March, Rotary International
News - The
World Health Organization has officially removed
"It is a matter of
satisfaction that we have completed one year without any single new case of
polio being reported from anywhere in the country," said Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh at the summit, which was
organized by the government of India and Rotary International. "This gives
us hope that we can finally eradicate polio not only from
Robert S. Scott, chair of
Rotary's International PolioPlus Committee, calls
Deepak Kapur,
chair of the India PolioPlus Committee, also credits
the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for its commitment to ending
polio. To date, the Indian government has spent more than US$1.2 billion on
domestic polio eradication activities. "We are fortunate that our
government is our biggest advocate in this effort," Kapur
says.
Boeing
and
The 6,950-pound (approximately
3,150-kilogram) shipment is made up of 162 boxes of medicines and medical
supplies and comes as part of Boeing's Humanitarian Delivery Flights program.
On a previous delivery flight
in February, Boeing and Uzbekistan Airways partnered with the Seattle-Tashkent
Sister City Association and the
"Uzbekistan Airways is
constantly looking at ways to contribute to the development and benefit of the
community and we are happy to be working with Boeing and Project Hope to
transport medical supplies to
Khost is one of
The 56-bed maternity will be
the first specialised center of its kind in the
region. The maternity has a delivery room that offers obstetric care for normal
and complicated deliveries and an operating theatre for emergency obstetric
surgery. Ill pregnant women will be hospitalised in the wards, to which women
will also be admitted after giving birth or undergoing surgery. There is a
neo-natal ward for newborns requiring specialised care.
MSF’s international and
Afghan staff will work together in the hospital. Only female doctors will tend
to the patients. All healthcare services and medicines will be free of charge.
As in all MSF hospitals in
http://www.msf.org/msf/articles/2012/03/afghanistan-msf-opens-maternity-hospital-in-khost.cfm
Volunteer
surgeons provide care and education in
Posted By Dr. Akpofure Peter Ekeh
March 2 – An 11-person Project
HOPE volunteer surgical team is in
There are only two active
surgeons in the entire nation of
In addition to the surgeries,
we were also able to supply the hospital with needed equipment and supplies
specifically requested by hospital staff, including soda lime for anesthesia machines. By hospital staff accounts, this was
one of the best gifts they had received in a long time.
We also provided teaching for
the doctors on site. There is great interest from the local health
professionals for more educational missions like this one, which provide care
for patients and education for local health professionals at the same
time.
The only downside is that we
wished we had more time.
http://www.projecthope.org/news-blogs/In-the-Field-blog/volunteer-surgeons-provide.html
Global
grant project educates, supports new mothers with HIV
By Dan Nixon
1 March, Rotary International
News – Fifty doctors, nurses, and home-based health care workers in
With funding from a Rotary
Foundation global grant, a vocational training team of two Rotarians and six
other health care professionals from District 5170 (California, USA) conducted
the weeklong workshop in Monrovia, which ended on 3 February. Workshop
participants received resource books, information on diagnosing and treating
HIV, and other materials as well.
Members of the local Rotary
Club of Sinkor,
Physicians
for Peace improves burn care in the
27 February - Burn care
experts from a medical school and hospital in
The World Health Organization
estimates that between 4,000 and 5,000 people die from burn-related injuries in
the
The training mission
represents a significant step forward in the collaboration among Physicians for
Peace, PGH, Sentara Norfolk General and EVMS.
by Tommy Ramm
February 3 – As a long and trying 2011 came to a
close – a year in which floods that had ravaged
In an intense day that ran
well into the night, the small group of ACT health workers in Los Nidos treated more than 300 patients. (...)ACT health brigade
coordinator Stella Flórez said they saw more than
twice the number of patients expected that day alone. This high demand for
medical care was seen time and again throughout their visits to 50 villages in
the area. ACT’s goal was to treat 1,600 children ages
seven and under, as well as pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.(...)
http://www.actalliance.org/stories/act-dispatches-doctors-to-vulnerable-villages-in-colombia
(top)
Water
access must reach rural and marginalized areas in
New York, March 13 - A UN
report <http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=29255>
launched today spotlights the need to address unequal water access in Europe,
stressing that certain populations such as rural communities and marginalized
groups are still not getting this vital resource.
The <http://www.unece.org/env/water/publications/pub.html>report,
which was produced by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), provides
guidance on how to address water access disparities, and showcases successful
policies that have been implemented by governments, water operators and civil
society.
“No one left behind: Good
practices to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation” notes that access
to improved water and sanitation solutions in rural areas in the pan-European
region is 10 per cent lower than for urban areas, and suggests putting
investment programmes in place to help reduce this gap.
In addition, the report
underscores that social inclusion policies are needed to be able to provide water
access to marginalized and vulnerable groups such as the homeless, disabled,
sick, or those living in unsanitary housing, who are often unable to get access
to safe drinking water.
New
approach aims to slash cost of solar cells
By Bill Scanlon, NREL
7 March, Washington, D.C. -
Solar-powered electricity prices could soon approach those of power from coal
or natural gas thanks to collaborative research with solar start-up Ampulse Corporation at the U.S. Department of Energy's
(DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Silicon wafers account for
almost half the cost of today's solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, so reducing or
eliminating wafer costs is essential to bringing prices down.
Current crystalline silicon
technology, while high in energy conversion efficiency, involves processes that
are complex, wasteful, and energy intensive. First, half the refined silicon is
lost as dust in the wafer-sawing process, driving module costs higher. A
typical 2-meter boule of silicon loses as many as
6,000 potential wafers during sawing. Second, the wafers produced are much
thicker than necessary. To efficiently convert sunlight into electricity, they
need only one-tenth the typical thickness.
NREL, DOE's
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and Ampulse
have teamed on an approach to eliminate this waste and dramatically lower the
cost of the finished solar panels. The aim is to create a less expensive
alternative to wafer-based crystalline silicon solar cells.
By using a chemical vapor deposition process to grow the silicon on inexpensive
foil, Ampulse is able to make the solar cells just
thick enough to convert most of the solar energy into electricity.
March 2,
The action was taken in
response to the killing of hundreds of elephants in the
The
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?203763
Kirsty Bertarelli’s Green anthem now supporting WWF through iTunes release
February 29, Gland,
Switzerland – Global conservation organization WWF has welcomed the release of
an acoustic version of Kirsty Bertarelli's
song “Green”, the proceeds of which are destined to support WWF conservation
projects around the world.
Kirsty Bertarelli was inspired to produce an acoustic version of
Green after she performed live at WWF's 50th
anniversary Panda Ball last year. The lyrics of “Green” talk about the
destruction of the environment and were influenced by Kirsty's
experience of the issue, as well as of how much the next generation care about
being the custodians of our planet.
Net proceeds from iTunes downloads of the acoustic version of Green will be
donated to WWF.
Eighteen projects were chosen
from 500 proposals received as part of a new initiative announced 22 June 2011,
at the CEC Council’s meeting held in
http://www.cec.org/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=25167
Dialogue
in
A new
2012 film about African courage and communication excellence is available
cost-free
Since
January, the DVDs have been requested from 36 nations, including
"
This hopeful documentary gives
voices and faces to 200 courageous Muslims and Christians – diverse young women
and men – who unite successfully in Jos, central
Face to face and in small
circles, they begin with ice-breakers and continue in depth to discover one
another's equal humanity – fear, grief, needs, hopes, and concrete plans for a
shared future. These determined young Nigerians illustrate how others worldwide
can successfully connect and communicate to create authentic community. Order Your
DVD provided and air-mailed without charge as a project of the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room
Dialogue Group of San Mateo County
To request the cost-free DVD,
send your: (1) intended use and (2) full contact information: Name -
Organization - Address - Phone - E-mail to LTraubman@igc.org
http://traubman.igc.org/vidnigeria.htm
Syrian
religious leaders unite to reject violence and call for national reconciliation
Larnaca, Cyprus, February
23 – More than 20 senior Muslim and Christian leaders from various
denominations in Syria were joined by other leaders and concerned persons at
this meeting convened by the Religions for Peace (RfP)
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Council. The meeting built upon the RfP MENA Council Marrakesh
Declaration (16-17 November 2011), in which more than 70 religious leaders from
the region committed to stand in solidarity with all vulnerable communities in
MENA, to advocate for full religious freedoms across the region and to call on
all religious believers to become a united force to help ensure that
governments honor the full rights, protect and serve
all of their citizens without exception.
At this historic meeting
focusing on
http://religionsforpeace.org/news/press/press-release-syrian.html
EDC
selected to improve school effectiveness in
Run by local organizations,
Zambian community schools have overcrowded classrooms and few resources.
Community school students have low levels of achievement when compared to
students from government schools. Teachers are often unpaid volunteers who lack
teaching credentials or formal training. The new initiative will train
teachers, assist head teachers to better support colleagues and plan for school
improvement, increase student access to textbooks and other learning resources,
and help communities advocate more effectively for children in the greatest
need.
http://www.edc.org/newsroom/press_releases/edc_selected_improve_school_effectiveness_zambia
Thunderbird
and IFRC launch online program for social sector leaders
2 March,
The new online Certificate in
Social and Voluntary Sector Leadership will examine how leaders can develop a
framework for ethical decision-making, build a goal-orientated personal action
plan, enhance their global mindset and explore international trends in the
social and voluntary sector. Participants in the program should be individuals
currently working in the social and voluntary sector hoping to build their
leadership skills as well as those who are seeking to move into the
humanitarian sector. (…)
Somali
teens offered chance to complete education
February 27 – As the young
refugee children of Somalia's famine begin to regain their strength under the
watchful care of international relief organisations, many are heading back to
class in one of the several elementary schools existing in the refugee camp of Bokolomanyo and other nearby camps in Dolo
Ado, Ethiopia.
For their older brothers and
sisters, the nearest high school is more than
Access to a school and regular
class attendance will be the first step in restoring some normalcy to the
turbulent lives of these children. The first phase of construction will include
four classrooms, an administrative office, storage rooms and living quarters
for the school staff. Classrooms will be equipped with desks, blackboards, and
teaching materials, and a new water and sanitation facility will provide the
children and faculty with clean, running water.
http://www.actalliance.org/stories/somali-teen-refugees-get-chance-to-complete-education
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UN Secretary-General's Message:
International
Women's Day, 8 March
Gender equality and the
empowerment of women are gaining ground worldwide. There are more women Heads of State or
Government than ever, and the highest proportion of women serving as Government
ministers. Women are exercising ever
greater influence in business. More
girls are going to school, and are growing up healthier and better equipped to
realize their potential.
Despite this momentum, there
is a long way to go before women and girls can be said to enjoy the fundamental
rights, freedom and dignity that are their birthright and that will guarantee
their well-being. Nowhere is this more
apparent than in the world’s rural areas. Rural women and girls — to whom this
year’s International Women’s Day is devoted — make up one quarter of the global
population, yet routinely figure at the bottom of every economic, social and
political indicator, from income and education to health to participation in
decision-making.
Numbering almost half a
billion smallholder farmers and landless workers, rural women are a major part
of the agricultural labour force. They perform most
of the unpaid care work in rural areas.
Yet rural women continue to be held back in fulfilling their
potential. If rural women had equal
access to productive resources, agricultural yields would rise by 4 per cent,
strengthening food and nutrition security and relieving as many as 150 million
people from hunger. Rural women, if
given the chance, could also help end the hidden development tragedy of
stunting, which affects almost 200 million children worldwide.
Discriminatory laws and
practices affect not just women but entire communities and nations. Countries where women lack land ownership
rights or access to credit have significantly more malnourished children. It makes no sense that women farmers receive
only 5 per cent of agricultural extension services. Investing in rural women is a smart
investment in a nation’s development.
The plight of the world’s
rural women and girls mirrors that of women and girls throughout society — from
the persistence of the glass ceiling to pervasive violence at home, at work and
in conflict; from the prioritization of sons for education to the hundreds of
thousands of women who die each year in the act of giving life for want of
basic obstetric care. Even those
countries with the best records still maintain disparity in what women and men
are paid for the same work, and see continuing under-representation of women in
political and business decision-making.
On this International Women’s
Day, I urge Governments, civil society and the private sector to commit to
gender equality and the empowerment of women — as a fundamental human right and
a force for the benefit of all. The
energy, talent and strength of women and girls represent humankind’s most
valuable untapped natural resource.
UNRIC
- United Nations Regional Information Centre for
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2012.
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