Good News Agency
Weekly - year 12th, number 201 – 27 April 2012
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
International legislation
(top)
Swallowing the bullet - An ethical pproach to an Arms Trade
Treaty
As we approach the
final negotiations in July 2012, campaigners worldwide are calling for a strong
Arms Trade Treaty. Pax Christi International is joining the global campaign
with a new Package Paper on the Arms Trade Treaty.
The main focus of the
paper is a faith and ethics based analysis of arms trade. The paper gives an overview of civil society
recommendations for a strong and robust Arms Trade Treaty.
It also offers a
campaign guide with an overview of prominent campaigns and resources, which
facilitate spreading the message that a strong Arms Trade Treaty is crucial. A
letter concern, which is tailored to government representatives and
decision-makers, is included in the paper.
Pax Christi
International has prepared this resource packet on the Arms Trade Treaty to
encourage the active participation of Member Organizations in efforts to ensure
that a strong and effective Arm Trade Treaty will be negotiated in July 2012 at
the United Nations headquarters in New York. Pax Christi International is a
non-profit, non-governmental Catholic peace movement working on a global scale
on a wide variety of issues in the fields of human rights, human security,
disarmament and demilitarisation, just world order and religion and violent
conflict.
http://archive.paxchristi.net/NEWSLETTER/2012-0127-en-gl-GE.pdf
130 World Leaders confirmed: last sprint towards
Rio+20
Over 130 Heads of
State, Vice Presidents, Heads of Government, and deputy Prime Ministers are
currently inscribed on the speakers list for the Rio+20 Conference, from 20-22
June. Rio+20 is expected to be a tremendous example of wide-ranging popular
participation: over 50,000 people are expected to attend the Conference and
numerous side events in Rio de Janeiro, including thousands of business CEOs,
parliamentarians, mayors, NGO leaders, academics, senior UN officials,
representatives from miscellaneous groups and journalists.
As the world engages in the last sprint
towards the Rio+20, time is ticking for the negotiations of the Conference’s
Outcome document that will resume from 23 April to 4 May in UN Headquarters in
New York. The 19-page “zero draft” issued in January was condensed from 6,000
pages of submissions from member states and other stakeholders. A large number
of proposals were made by governments during intense negotiations in March. The
draft was then significantly expanded. The revised draft identified 26 critical
areas for action, including: water, energy, food, jobs, cities, oceans,
disaster preparedness, poverty eradication, tourism, transport, climate change,
sustainable consumption and production, lands, chemicals and forests, among
others.
http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?page=view&nr=1091&type=230&menu=38
Human rights
(top)
Indonesia: helping young people in 12 Asian countries
explore humanitarian law
Jakarta,
13 April – From 11 to 14 April, the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) is holding a regional seminar in Jakarta on teaching young people
the basics of international humanitarian law. A total of 43 people from 12
Asian countries, working for education ministries, other government ministries,
National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies, and the ICRC are taking part.
"Exploring Humanitarian Law is an educational programme that introduces
young people aged 13 to 18 to the basic rules and principles of international
humanitarian law," said Frédéric Fournier, the head of the ICRC regional
delegation in Jakarta. "It helps them to understand the need to respect
human life and human dignity, not only in times of armed conflict but also in
their daily lives."
Participants
in the four-day seminar have the opportunity to share their own experiences and
learn from the experiences of others using the programme in Brunei, Cambodia,
China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea,
Thailand and Timor Leste. In addition, they will visit the Darunnajah Islamic
Boarding School in Jakarta to attend a classroom teaching session and be
updated on current developments in Exploring Humanitarian Law. The programme is
currently used in more than 60 countries around the world.
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2012/indonesia-news-2012-04-13.htm
2 Million Friends to end the Afghan War
The ‘2 Million Friends
to end the Afghan War’ is one of the action plans for 2012 which the Afghan
Youth Peace Volunteers (AYPV) is preparing for this year. The group calls on
people throughout the world community to light ‘2 million candles’ on the 10
December 2012, the International Day of Human Rights, in memory of the victims
of war and in a collective resolve to work together for peace in Afghanistan
and a life without war.
“We are human beings
who are tired of the past and present situations in Afghanistan”, says Khamad
Jan (AYPV), and “we organised ourselves as the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers in
order to share the suffering of fellow
human beings in our land and to express our longing for friendship, peace and
non-violence to the world”.
The 2 million candles
project has the support of Dr. Sima Simar, Chairperson of the Afghan
Independent Human Rights Commission and the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mairead
Maguire who is planning to attend the 10 December event. For more information
on how to participate: http://vcnv.org/2-million-candles-to-end-the-afghan-war
Source:
http://www.peacethroughunity.info/downloads/many_to_many_mar2012.doc
Economy and development
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IFAD will enhance food
security in Egypt with a $71 million loan and grant
April 23, Rome - The
President of the IFAD, Kanayo F. Nwanze, will meet in Cairo the Minister of
Agriculture and Land Reclamation of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mohammed Reda
Ismail, to discuss the country’s
agriculture development, which is critical for employment generation, food security
and reduction of poverty. Earlier this month, the government of Egypt and IFAD
signed an agreement for a $70 million loan and a 1 million grant for the
Promotion of Rural Incomes through the Market Enhancement Project to help
reduce rural poverty and enhance food security. The new project will build the
capacity of smallholder farmers to access markets and create opportunities to
improve their livelihoods as rural producers. The project will integrate about
50,000 rural households into the agriculture value chain to increase their
incomes and it will cover the seven Governorates of Assiut, Beni Suef, Menia,
Qena, Sohag, Beheira and Kafr-el-Sheikh. With this new programme, IFAD will
have financed 11 projects with loans totalling $337 million and grants worth $3
million, benefitting some 1.3 million households.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2012/29.html
UN Conference on Trade and Development, Doha, Qatar - April
21 - 26
The
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is the principal agency of the
General Assembly of the UN where Ministers meet every four years to consider
issues of trade, aid, transport, finance and technology and their impact on
development. The aim is to "maximize the trade, investment and development
opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to
integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis." The Conference
meets every four years
In
this thirteenth session of the Conference the theme will be Development-centred
globalization: Towards inclusive and sustainable growth and development. On
April 23 a special high level session will be devoted to Women in Development
In addition to the government deliberations there will be a World Investment
Forum : Investing in Sustainable Development and a Civil Society Forum.
unctadxiii.org/en/Pages/Home.aspx
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_Trade_and_Development
Preparing local farmer-based organizations to better
address food security
Food Security Collaborative releases new research
April
19 – With the world reeling from the food crisis of 2007-2008 and ongoing
drought in the Horn of Africa, growing numbers of hungry and malnourished
people need sustainable food security programs that build local capacity,
turning crisis relief into long-term development.
Farmer
organizations that function effectively are key to success.
In
a new paper, Building Institutional Capacity to Increase Food Security in
Africa, the Food Security Collaborative examines the organizational dimensions
of food security, with an emphasis on the oft-overlooked needs of internal
management and organizational capacity building.
Comprised
of ACDI/VOCA, Management Systems International (MSI), the University of
California at Davis and Crown Agents, the collaborative is committed to improve
the analysis and implementation of global efforts to enhance the food security
of the world’s most vulnerable people.
CARE and Cornell University launch partnership to
advance sustainable food systems
Initiative will empower women and families around the
world to improve food security, create markets and adapt to climate change
Washington,
D.C., April 17 - Today, Cornell University and the global humanitarian
organization CARE launched a partnership to advance sustainable food systems to
improve food security, stimulate economic growth and adapt to climate change by
merging Cornell's cutting-edge research in economic development and
sustainability with CARE's experience fighting poverty around the world.
Spearheaded
by Cornell's Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, the partnership's Impact
through Innovation Fund matches Cornell researchers with CARE development
professionals on specific projects, creating a delivery system for
research-based solutions to challenges facing chronically food insecure women
and families.
In the first
round of funded projects, a CARE-Cornell team is fostering business
opportunities and increasing crop yields in Ethiopia by providing alternatives
to costly imported chemical fertilizers by creating value chains for less
expensive, indigenous biofertilizers made from local waste products. The project helps farmers – especially
women – grow produce more sustainably. http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2012/04/CARE-Cornell-Initiative-Food-Security-Sustainability-20120417.asp
Estonia funds FAO for devolopment assistance in
Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus
April 19 -. Baku,
Azerbaijan - FAO Director-General José
Graziano da Silva and the Estonian Minister of Agriculture, Helir-Valdor Seeder,
signed an agreement that provides voluntary funding from Estonia to the Food
and Agricultural Organization’s Development Programme. The new cooperation commits
Estonia to long-term support for FAO's core work on food security and rural
poverty reduction, economic development and environmentally sustainable
agriculture: Estonia will provide an initial 23.000 euro donation to finance
the use of its agricultural experts in FAO development projects. The agreement
specifies that Estonia would like to assist countries from Eastern Europe,
Central Asia and the Caucasus and it runs at least until 2017.
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/135173/icode/
New website promotes community tourism in Ethiopia
By
Jennifer O'Riordan
13
April – A new website is giving tourists from around the world a direct
route to the many community tourism destinations, products and excursions that
Ethiopia has to offer.
RootsOfEthiopia.com
gives visitors an interactive experience, showing them nature hikes, horse riding
tours, historic sites and craft shops, and linking them with tour operators so
they can book travel there and then. Useful tips and information also introduce
them to the country’s food, history and culture. The website was launched in
Addis Ababa at an event attended by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, tour
operators, lodge owners and many key stakeholders in tourism development.
“We
have nine World Heritage sites registered by UNESCO, making Ethiopia the
leading nation on the continent in this regard,” said Tadelech Dalacho,
Ethiopia’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, who attended the April 5 event. (…)
RootsOfEthiopia.com
positions the country as a top community tourism destination, informing and
attracting potential tourists. Community-led tourism not only provides more
meaningful and authentic experiences for tourists but also provides alternative
livelihoods for people who might otherwise struggle to earn an income and
provide for their families. (…)
http://www.counterpart.org/blog/new-website-promotes-community-tourism-in-ethiopia
East African Coffee Association grows to be
pan-African
East African Fine Coffees Association becomes African
Fine Coffees Association
April
5 – The East African Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA), which ACDI/VOCA
helped to found, has become the African Fine Coffees Association. According to
Coffee and Cocoa International, Cameroon, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have
requested membership in AFCA, among others.
EAFCA
was a legacy of ACDI/VOCA’s 2002-2006 ACDI/VOCA Specialty Coffee Promotion in
Eastern Africa (SCOPE) project in Uganda in which we partnered with the
Specialty Coffee Association of America/Specialty Coffee Institute to
accelerate the development of a fine coffee sector in eastern Africa and
increase exports. SCOPE helped the EAFCA Secretariat to plan, manage and
promote activities, recruit new members, develop relationships with partners,
donors and members, and eventually become financially self-sustainable.
Today,
as a membership organization, AFCA promotes partnerships among those interested
in high-quality coffee. AFCA represents farmers, exporters, importers,
retailers, roasters and coffee professionals from Europe, the Americas, Asia
and, now, pan-African countries, and coordinates market initiatives.
http://www.acdivoca.org/site/ID/news-East-African-Coffee-Association-Grows-Pan-African
UK donates 25 million dollars to help FAO improve
agricultural statistics
April 4, Rome - The UK's Department for International
Development (DFID) has signed an agreement with FAO to donate 25 million $ to
support an innovative new global partnership that will improve the agricultural
statistics available to governments and farmers around the world: The Global
Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics.
The Global Strategy builds capacity of
developing countries to produce and use agricultural and rural statistics for
more effective food security, sustainable agricultural and rural development
policies and helps makes the information available to farmers when and where
they need it: the contribution covers the programme's first phase, from 2012 to
2016, and will support mainly African and Asian countries.
Improved information and statistics enables governments to develop better
agricultural policies for eradicating hunger and poverty, however many
developing countries lack good statistical systems and collect data using
costly, labour-intensive and time-consuming methods.
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/132897/icode/
AlertNet News Blog - 15 agricultural innovations
protecting the environment on Earth Day
For the last 40 years,
Earth Day has been celebrated around the world to call attention to some of our
most pressing environmental and social problems, including climate change,
biodiversity loss, and dwindling natural resources. This year, the Worldwatch
Institute's Nourishing the Planet (www.NourishingthePlanet.org)
highlights 15 agricultural innovations that are already working on the ground
to address some of those problems. The 15 innovations are used by farmers,
scientists, activists, politicians, and businesses and promote a healthier
environment and a more food-secure future.
Worldwatch is an
independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. that works on
energy, resource, and environmental issues. The Institute's State of the World
report is published annually in more than 18 languages. For more information,
visit www.worldwatch.org
European Union calls on packaging industry to help
limit food waste
By Arielle Golden
Ninety million tons of food is wasted each year in the
European Union, and food waste is expected to grow by 40 percent by 2020
The European Union has
declared 2014 the European year against food waste and in the lead up, is
examining the effects on food waste from food packaging. Within the industry,
using fewer and more efficient materials for packaging has a positive impact on
the costs of getting food packaged and into the grocery store. In the EU, new
innovations in packaging are being developed to ensure that foods reach the
store shelf long before the expiration date, which will prevent food being
thrown away before consumers have a chance to purchase it. (...)
But 42 percent of food
waste occurs in households, according to a 2011 study by the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization. Consumers typically consider food waste as a supply
chain problem – they tend to think that the majority of food waste occurs
between the time it is grown until it reaches the shelves of the grocery store.
But packaging can be part of the solution for minimizing household food waste.
(...)
http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/
World Congress of NGOs 2012: July 5-8, Nairobi
Registration is now open for the World Congress of
NGOs
Join
NGO representatives from around the world, as well as prominent international
and national leaders from the governmental, intergovernmental and for-profit
sectors, in Nairobi, Kenya from July 5-8, 2012. WANGO’s flagship event, this
4-day event will be convened on the theme of "The Role of NGOs in Times of
Global Crises." A unique networking opportunity, the Congress will offer a
variety of formats: plenary sessions, special symposium, practical workshops,
panel sessions, and the 2012 NGO Awards Banquet.
Solidarity
(top)
USAID makes a $ 22.6 million
donation in food and cash to WFP’s Assistance Projects for Palestinians
April 21, Qalandia, Jerusalem - The United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) announced, during a visit of the USAID Assistant
Administrator for the Middle East, Mara Rudman, a new contribution of $22.6
million in food and cash to WFP’s
food assistance projects to vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Pablo
Recalde, WFP’s Country Director, explains that thanks to this timely
contribution from USAID, WFP will be able to respond at this critical time,
when resources are scarce and people need most.
Food insecurity still affects 45% of the population
in the Gaza Strip and 17% of the West Bank population; it is estimated that in
2012, more than 1 in 5 households remain food insecure even with the food
assistance provided through WFP.
USA - Bayer
donates $25,000 for tornado disaster relief in Indiana
Pittsburgh,
April 20 - Bayer Corporation today announced that it is providing monetary
support for disaster relief efforts through a $25,000 donation from the Bayer
USA Foundation to the American Red Cross of Southwestern Indiana. The state of
Indiana was among several states affected by tornadoes on March 2, 2012, which
caused extensive damage to rural communities such as Henryville, Clarksville
and Newburgh, leaving thousands homeless.
Bayer
has nearly 600 employees at three site locations in Indiana, representing
Bayer’s three subgroups and service group. The American Red Cross of
Southwestern Indiana has been supporting those affected by the tornado and
ensuring their emergency needs of food, clothing, shelter, recovery supplies
and other financial means are met.
The
Bayer USA Foundation is an endowed 501(c)(3) entity and is the primary source
of Bayer Corporation’s philanthropy in the United States. With a programmatic focus on the environment
and sustainability; education and workforce development; arts and culture; and
health and human services, the foundation creates and supports organizations
that improve communities in which Bayer employees live and work, as well as
society at large. The Bayer USA Foundation
is one of three Bayer foundations worldwide, including the Bayer Science &
Education Foundation and the Bayer Cares Foundation.
Syria: providing aid to people still in need
April
20 – Unrest in Syria continues to cause suffering in several parts of the
country. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Syrian
Arab Red Crescent are doing their utmost to help the people affected.
"There is a continuous flow of people leaving their homes in search of a
safe haven," said Alexandre Equey, the ICRC's deputy head of delegation in
Syria. "While some have managed to move in with relatives, friends, or
even strangers willing to lend a helping hand, others have had no choice but to
take refuge in schools, mosques and churches."
Volunteers
from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are working round the clock in areas affected
by the unrest, such as the governorate of Homs, north of Damascus. With ICRC
support, they have distributed food and other essentials to 60,000 people in
several governorates over the last two weeks. Activities included:
°
Eight trucks delivered food parcels for 60,000 people affected by the unrest in
the governorates of Homs, Lattakia, Dar'a and Rural Damascus. In Homs, the two
organizations also distributed hygiene materials, towels, blankets, mattresses
and candles.
°
Work started on upgrading water storage, toilets and showers at 10 public
buildings in Homs, including schools, to improve sanitary conditions for 2,000
displaced persons.
°
The ICRC provided the Syrian Arab Red Crescent branches in Damascus, Rural
Damascus, Idlib and Homs with enough medical supplies to treat 200 casualties.
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/update/2012/syria-update-2012-04-20.htm
Rotary announces partnerships with food bank network
and youth service group
By
Ryan Hyland
19
April – Two new service partnerships announced this month by Rotary
International will support humanitarian efforts by clubs and districts. RI will
combine resources with the Global FoodBanking Network to alleviate hunger
worldwide. And Rotary and YSA (Youth Service America) will work together to
encourage young people to participate in service projects in their communities.
Working
with the Global FoodBanking Network, Rotary clubs and districts will be able to
volunteer at food banks and help create new ones, organize food collection
drives, sponsor trucks for food delivery and distribution, raise awareness of
hunger, and distribute food to hungry children through the BackPack and other
school food programs. (...)
Founded
in 1986, YSA has partnered with hundreds of organizations in more than 65
countries to increase the number and diversity of young people ages 5 to 25
serving in their communities. The organization works to educate youth,
teachers, community organizations, and public officials in the power of young
people to solve problems, and to engage the children and youth as volunteers,
academic achievers, and community leaders.
YSA’s
annual Global Youth Service Day campaign, this year 20-22 April, mobilizes
millions of young people in service activities. (...)
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/120419_news_servicepartners.aspx
The Government of Brazil makes
a $ 2.2 million donation of white rice and beans to WFP
April 19, Colombo – The first operation of
Brazil to help Sri Lanka’s food needs of resettled households in the north of
the country is a contribution of 3,000 metric tons of rice and 800 tons of
beans. WFP’s Country Representative in Sri Lanka, Adnan Khan, said the donation
came at an opportune time because, despite significant gains already made, many
resettled groups in the north - such as the elderly, disabled, widows and
households headed by women - still require assistance. Brazil is one of WFP’s
most important emerging donors, contributing over US$118 million to the WFP
since 2007.
http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/world-food-programme-welcomes-donation-government-brazil
Corporations and city leaders partner to help poor
children in Mexico
Private and public entities contributed to the
construction of a new community center.
April 18,
Kansas City, Mo., USA - Poor children in Mexico supported by Children
International, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization, will have a brighter
future thanks to generous corporate, foundation and civic supporters.
Hewlett-Packard Guadalajara, the MetLife Foundation Mexico and the City of
Tlajomulco, Mexico, have funded the construction of a new community center,
which will serve 5,000 poverty-stricken children in Guadalajara . In a city
surrounded by slums and increased drug activity, the center is the newest and
fifth center opened by Children International, and promises to renew community
and social development in areas plagued by gang activity, drug abuse and teen
pregnancy.
The
contributors helping to solve child poverty in Guadalajara have donated a
wonderful new facility which features a much-needed medical clinic for children
to receive checkups, treatment and support. Children will be able to visit a
dentist at the new dental clinic – a service that most impoverished
children never have the opportunity to receive. The new center also boasts a
pharmacy, library, computer lab and meeting rooms. A state-of-the-art sports complex will serve
as an oasis in a desert of poverty for neighborhood children and youth. The
complex includes a swimming pool, soccer field and basketball court on land
donated by the City of Tlajomulco.
USA - New Groupon site allows charities to update
donors
By Raymund
Flandez
April 17
– With the unveiling of a new Web site, charities now have a better way
to tell subscribers of Groupon, the popular discount and deals site, how their
money has made a difference. Groupon Grassroots has replaced the G-Team name
and online portal that simply allowed charities to learn how to get their cause
in front of Groupon subscribers. Such online “daily deals” have become an
increasingly popular fundraising method among nonprofit causes.
The new site
has the same features, but charity officials can now also write updates on the
projects that people have financed by buying Groupon “deals.” The updates will
also allow potential donors to find charities or projects to support in their
community. (...)
Groupon
officials saw the popularity of its charity deals increase since starting
G-Team in July 2010: In total, 674 campaigns have raised more than $3-million
from some 100,000 supporters. Donations through Groupon’s offers typically
averaged $2,000 per charity. (All of the past campaigns, from around the
country, are now archived on the Grassroots site.) (...)
http://philanthropy.com/blogs/prospecting/new-groupon-site-allows-charities-to-update-donors/33024
HelpAge International receives $1.5 million Hilton
Humanitarian Prize
Washington,
D.C., April 16 – The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation tonight presented the
2012 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize of $1.5 million to HelpAge
International, the only global organization with a singular focus on providing
assistance to and advocating for disadvantaged older people. The Hilton
Foundation gives the annual award, the world's largest humanitarian prize, to
an organization that is doing extraordinary work to alleviate human suffering.
The
2012 Hilton Prize was formally presented at a special ceremony at the Global
Philanthropy Forum's 11th annual conference at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington,
D.C. Robert Zoellick, outgoing president of The World Bank, delivered the
keynote for the prize dinner.
HelpAge
International, headquartered in London, was formed in 1983 by organizations in
Canada, Colombia, Kenya, India and the United Kingdom that had similar missions
to support older people. Today it encompasses 94 HelpAge Affiliates in 70
countries and more than 3,000 independent partner groups and older people's
organizations. HelpAge has trained 25,000 professionals and 16,000 community
members—including older people themselves—to provide health care,
legal advice and financial support for older people.
The
Hilton Prize receives nominations from throughout the world each year, and a
distinguished independent international jury makes the final selection.
Rotarians help orphans of HIV/AIDS in Uganda
6
April – More than 1.2 million of
Uganda’s children have lost both parents to HIV/AIDS.
The
Rotary Foundation and its partners are providing health care, and hope for the
future, to over 500 orphans in the country.
“Despite
the fact that their parents died, they wish to have the best life that we all
have. So we give them assistance,” says Joseph Matovu, a senior clinic officer
and member of the Rotary Club of Kalisizo, Uganda.
The
efforts of Rotarians in Matovu's community is just one example of Rotary's work
in the disease prevention and treatment area of focus.
South Sudan: aid reaches thousands displaced in Abyei
area
April
5. Juba/Geneva – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has
just completed a distribution of seed and agricultural tools around Agok, a
town in the southern part of the disputed Abyei area, to approximately 15,000
people who were displaced by fighting in May 2011.
The
host communities are also being provided with the aid, which should ensure
adequate harvests in August this year.
Since
clashes broke out last year in Abyei, a border area claimed by both Sudan and
South Sudan, thousands of families have been forced to flee, abandoning their
homes and belongings. Many ended up in remote villages around Agok town, where
they were taken in by the local communities. Most have yet to return home.
The
distribution of aid to families with some access to land took place from 12
March to 4 April.
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2012/south-sudan-news-2012-05-04.htm
Peace and security
(top)
South Sudan: Partnering with Save the Children to
protect young refugees
20 April - MAG has
provided life and limb-saving Risk Education to more than 8,000 children at the
remote Doro refugee camp in South Sudan. MAG is working closely with Save the
Children to protect the refugee children and has provided Risk Education to
more than 8,000 children in the camp, most of them below the age of ten. The
team pulls dolls, posters and bags out of their vehicle and approaches the
children with smiling faces and friendly waves.
The Community Liaison team use song, dance, theatre, games and role-play
to educate children, providing them with safety knowledge in a fun and
entertaining way.
The children, who as
young as three walk around unaccompanied, need to know what is dangerous and
what is safe, what not to touch and the areas from which to stay away. It is a
matter of life and death. Older children discuss the effects of mine and
unexploded ordnance accidents, and the team encourages them to think of ways
they can best help someone in their community who has a related disability. When
the children are asked if they will touch any strange objects they may find in
the refugee camp or anywhere else, they all loudly shout “No!” The team smiles:
it’s been a job well done.
World works together to destroy millions of cluster
submunitions
Members of ground-breaking ban treaty have already
eliminated half their stocks of weapon
Geneva,
19 April - A conference on the global ban on cluster bombs has concluded with
news that 650,000 cluster munitions stockpiled by States Parties’, containing
68.2million explosive submunitions, have been destroyed. Laura Cheeseman,
Director of the Cluster Munition Coalition CMC, said: “The progress made by
States on stockpile destruction is a huge achievement and a ground-breaking
success, even though this treaty is only two years old. Destroying stocks
before they’re used is at the heart of the Convention, as in large part this
treaty is about preventing future tragedies from cluster bombs.”
The
second Intersessional Meeting of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, held
in Geneva this week, also saw Bosnia in Herzegovina announce it has destroyed
all of its stockpiled cluster bombs, becoming the ninth State Party to do so.
http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/news/?id=3634
Japan supporting sustainable development with funding
for global fight against landmines
Multi-million dollar contribution will aid mine action
in Afghanistan, the Republic of the Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic
of the Congo
New
York, New York, April 16 - The Government of Japan has contributed US$8,300,000
to the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action for programmes in
Africa and in Afghanistan.
The
contribution includes US$4,000,000 in aid to Afghanistan, US$2,500,000 for
humanitarian mine clearance and mine risk education (MRE) in the Republic of
the Sudan, US$1,300,000 for managing the threat of explosives in Somalia and
US$500,000 for the clearance of landmines, submunitions and other explosive
remnants of war in Orientale and Maniema Provinces in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo.
In
Afghanistan, the funds will support a range of mine clearance operations and
coordination in line with the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan’s strategic
goals. The bulk will be directed to the clearance of Bamiyan Province. “This
contribution will free up valuable agricultural and grazing land for the
affected communities and it will help to bring Bamiyan province to a close in
terms of removal of known hazard,” said Alan Macdonald, MACCA Programme
Director.
In
Sudan, the new funding of 2.5 million will fund MRE and mine clearance in the
Eastern States.
http://www.mineaction.org/downloads/1/Japan%20donates%20to%20VTF%202012%20UPDATED.pdf
Health
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Cholera response steps up as Haiti’s rainy season
begins
by
Dennis Sadowski
April
19 – An upswing in cholera in Haiti has prompted health care workers and
aid agencies to step up efforts to prevent the water-borne disease from
spreading rapidly as the rainy season begins. Catholic Relief Services was
among the aid agencies that boosted the distribution of soap, water
purification tablets and hygiene information within 24 hours of the initial
spike in early April following a period of heavy rain. CRS reported reaching
22,000 families within days; in Port-au-Prince, agency workers installed or
repaired sanitation stations and increased disinfection and maintenance of
facilities in 12 settlements where people left homeless by the January 2010 earthquake
remain in crude shelters.
In
addition, Boston-based Partners in Health has embarked on a vaccination program
with the goal of reaching 100,000 people. While the vaccine typically is
effective 70 percent of the time, PIH has set out to show that a concentrated
vaccination campaign can significantly reduce the threat of the disease as long
as vaccine supplies are available, Donna Barry, the agency’s director of policy
and advocacy, told a congressional briefing April 18.
http://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/cholera-response-steps-up-as-haitis-rainy-season-begins/
HIV360° Media Challenge
On
the 16th of April, HIV360° will be launching the HIV360° Media Challenge. The aim of the challenge is to get students
across the world to submit work to the HIV360° newspaper. The work can be anything from a news piece, to
an editorial, opinion piece, letter to the editor, photograph or art piece to
go with a news story. Part of this
process will be the collaborative work between young people around the world to
create a student newspaper. The best
submissions will be published into the first ever HIV360° newspaper! The published paper will be presented to
policy makers in London, Brussels, South Africa and across the world.
All
entrants will have a chance to WIN a trip to Brussels on World AIDS Day 2012 to
meet with European Parliamentarians to discuss the best way to reach the 3
Zeros (0 Infections, 0 AIDS-related deaths, 0 Discrimination). All submissions will be judged by a specially
selected panel of experts. The HIV360° Media Challenge Brussels Trip is open to
students aged 11-16 from schools in the EU, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, or
Lesotho. Winners must be available to
travel during the week of 28/11/2012 - 02/12/2012. Flights, food, accommodation, visas and
internal travel to airports will be
covered. Country restrictions are due to
the project's funding.
Save the Children joins with JOHNSON’S® Baby to launch
new charitable platform “JOHNSON’S® BABY CARES” to support maternal and baby
health
Actress, singer and new mom Hilary Duff joins campaign
to support JOHNSON’S® Baby’s first initiative with Save the Children
Westport,
Conn. USA, April 12 – Save the Children has joined with JOHNSON’S® Baby
to launch a new charitable partnership to ensure every baby has a healthy and
happy start in life. The new initiative,
called JOHNSON’S® BABY CARES, will support the healthy development of moms and
babies while also addressing the basic care needs of families during crisis
situations in the form of educational initiatives, product donations and
financial assistance.
The
JOHNSON’S® BABY CARES campaign kicks off by leveraging the support of actress
and new mom Hilary Duff to assemble “Care Kits” that will be distributed to
families in times of natural disasters. Consumers are encouraged to support the
charitable platform by visiting the JOHNSON’S® BABY CARES tab on the JOHNSON’S®
Baby Facebook page.
To
assist families, the makers of JOHNSON’S® Baby products, alongside parent
company Johnson & Johnson, are making a multi-year, multi-million dollar
contribution to Save the Children that will help create and sustain key
initiatives.
South Sudan: MSF assists patients wounded in aerial
bombardment in Unity state
Agok/Geneva,
12 April – The international medical organisation Médecins Sans
Frontières (MSF) is treating patients wounded during aerial bombardments of
Abiemnom, Unity state, South Sudan. MSF’s hospital in Agok, 36 km east of
Abiemnom, received four wounded patients,
a woman and three children, who had severe open wounds that required
surgery. All of them are now in a stable condition. The MSF team in Agok has
also donated drugs and equipment to the Ministry of Health’s medical centre in
Abiemnom to help treat 40 wounded patients there.
Violence
on the border between Sudan and South Sudan, in the contested Abyei region, has
increased over the past couple of weeks and the situation remains extremely
volatile. Since clashes broke out in May 2011, MSF has been operating mobile
clinics throughout the Abyei region, including in Machbong, Abathok, Mading
Achueng, Akack Nyel, Leu, Marial Achak, Mabok, Rumamer and Abiemnom, reaching
approximately 100,000 people. All severely sick or wounded patients are
referred to MSF’s hospital in Agok.
From frontline to executive office
Everyone’s effort is required to eradicate polio from
Nigeria
6
April - “I really want to improve the health situation of all the children in
my communities, by immunizing them against child killer diseases like polio,”
says Saudutu, a 37-year-old vaccinator and mother of three children from
Zamfara State, northern Nigeria. During the multi-country polio vaccination
campaigns that were held simultaneously across west and central Africa in early
April, Saudutu started each day at 7am, travelling from house to house with the
aim of reaching a total of 2,980 children with oral polio vaccine (OPV) over
four days. Meanwhile, community mobilizer Yusha’u travelled through the
villages as part of Saudutu’s team. Carrying a megaphone, Yusha’u’s called out
to the residents, telling them to bring out their children to be vaccinated.
Yusha’u’s job is to is to reduce the number of missed children during the
campaign and to increase the demand for and acceptance of OPV in the villages
to which he’s assigned.
At
the other end of the spectrum is the highly technical deliberation that goes
into ensuring that the efforts of the thousands of health workers and
volunteers like Saudutu and Yusha’u are used to the greatest effect. The Expert
Review Committee (ERC) for Nigeria most recently met on the 28-29 March, in the
lead-up to the multi-country campaigns. The committee of polio eradication
experts met to discuss the current epidemiology and to analyse the
effectiveness of the country’s National Polio Emergency Action Plan (NPEP).
http://www.polioeradication.org/tabid/461/iid/210/Default.aspx
World TB Day: WFP helps
Afghanistan win tuberculosis one meal at a time
March 25, Herat - Afghanistan has one of
the highest rates of tuberculosis infection in the world: nutritional support
is essential in enabling patients to take-up treatment and improving treatment
success. For this reason WFP, through the generous support of donors, provides monthly food assistance to
TB patients who are undergoing the Directly Observed Treatment Short course
(DOTS), as an incentive to continue and finish the 8-month-long treatment.
The Regional Hospital in Herat, one of nearly 700
TB centers that WFP supports in Afghanistan in partnership with the Ministry of
Public Health and World Health Organization (WHO), treats over 100 patients
with tuberculosis through DOTS and in 2011 WFP reached approximately 22,000 TB
patients with food assistance throughout Afghanistan: the family rations
benefited over 140,000 people in the country.
http://www.wfp.org/stories/world-tb-day-treating-tuberculosis-one-meal-time
Energy and safety
(top)
Coalition of World Energy Ministers commit to
improvements in energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy access
London, 26 April – Leaders from the 23-government Clean
Energy Ministerial (CEM) and the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for
All initiative (SE4All) today outlined specific commitments by participating
countries and private sector leaders which will promote improved energy
efficiency, renewable energy technologies, and increased energy access around
the world. The commitments build on two
years of work by the Clean Energy Ministerial and support the goal of
sustainable energy for all by 2030, the primary objective of the
Secretary-General’s initiative. Both the CEM and the Sustainable Energy for All
initiative seek to improve energy efficiency, increase the share of renewable
energy in the global energy mix, and ensure access to energy.
www.cleanenergyministerial.org www.sustainableenergyforall.org
Mayors for a Nuclear Power Free Japan
25
April - The “Mayors for a Nuclear Power Free Japan” network will be officially
launched in Tokyo on April 28, 2012. This network was initiated by mayors and
local municipal leaders attending the Global Conference for a Nuclear Power
Free World held in Yokohama in January 2012. 66 mayors from 34 prefectures
throughout Japan have declared their participation in this network.
USA: Energy Department announces $9 million to improve
solar forecasting
23 April - As part of
the SunShot Initiative, the Energy Department today announced $9 million
available this year to help utilities and grid operators better forecast when,
where, and how much solar power will be produced at U.S. solar energy plants.
Enhanced solar forecasting will allow power system operators to integrate more
solar energy into the electricity grid, and ensure the economic and reliable
delivery of renewable energy to American families and businesses.
The Energy Department
will competitively select one or two projects for this funding, potentially
partnering with national laboratories, universities and industry, to improve
the accuracy of solar forecasting in the sub-hourly, short-term (1–6
hours), and day-ahead timeframes. The Department plans to fund projects that
could improve advanced weather modeling, find breakthrough methods for
accurately predicting solar energy output, work to incorporate solar energy
forecasts into power system operations, and demonstrate the economic benefits
and improved system reliability from more accurate forecasts.
This initiative will
provide up to $9 million this year for projects up to three years in duration,
with over 20% of the total funding to be provided by private and other sources.
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=715
USA - CleanEdison offers free webinar series
New
York, April 20 - “Building America's Workforce and A Better World,” CleanEdison
is our nation's premier green-collar job training company, and announced its
new, job creation initiative today. In honor of Earth Day, the company will
offer free online live and recorded webinars.
CleanEdison has the largest open enrollment
training program in the nation. Having trained 10,000 students in 49 states,
the company is eager to make an even larger impact. With more than 1,000 hours
of curriculum available, CleanEdison wants to make learning about its training
accessible to all to further jumpstart our clean economy.
Starting
April 23rd, the day after Earth Day, CleanEdison will offer free online live
and recorded webinars where people interested in getting started in solar,
USGBC LEED, BPI, commercial energy auditing, geothermal and auto-hybrid
training technologies. To sign up or learn more about the offer, email robert.dodd@cleanedison.com.
Ban welcomes European Union’s energy access initiative
for developing countries
16
April – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed a new European Union
(EU) initiative designed to assist developing countries in providing access to
sustainable energy to their populations. Under its Energizing for Development
Initiative, the European Commission – the EU’s executive body –
aims to support the provision of sustainable energy services to 500 million
people in poorer countries by 2030.
José
Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, announced that the
initiative will also create a Technical Assistance Facility worth €50 million,
drawing on EU experts, to develop technical expertise in developing countries.
The initiative will also focus on refining, expanding and improving
energy-related innovative financial instruments and risk guarantee schemes in
developing countries to unlock greater private investment.
In
the lead up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development ((Rio+20)) in June,
the EU and its Member States will seek to mobilize additional resources to
support new investments in sustainable energy in developing countries, with the
goal of leveraging even greater flows of investment from the private sector.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41789&&Cr=sustainable+energy&&Cr1=
Environment and wildlife
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Javan rhinos now safer under closer scrutiny
Jakarta,
20 April – The only remaining population of Javan rhinos will be better
safeguarded following the quadrupling of video camera traps to monitor the
critically endangered animals in Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia. WWF and
the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) recently donated 120 cameras to the
park, bringing the total number of camera traps to 160.
The
need to have additional video cameras for rhino observation was first
recognized during an IUCN Asian Rhino Specialist Group meeting at Cisarua, West
Java in March when the head of Ujung Kulon National Park presented the positive
results of Javan rhino identification in 2011, when the park officially began
using video camera traps. That year 35 individuals comprising of 22 males and
13 females were identified.
Experts
believe there are fewer than 50 Javan rhinos remaining.
Since
the 1990s, WWF has been working with Ujung Kulon National Park to observe the
Javan rhino population using camera traps. At that time the park was the first
ever in Indonesia to identify wildlife using still photo camera traps. In 2008
video camera traps replaced the photo camera traps.
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?204328
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Faith on the Move - The religious affiliation of Iiternational
migrants
About 3% of the
world’s population has migrated across international borders. While that may
seem like a small percentage, it represents a lot of people. If the world’s 214
million international migrants were counted as one nation, they would
constitute the fifth most populous country on the globe, just behind Indonesia
and ahead of Brazil.
Faith on the Move, a
new study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life,
focuses on the religious affiliation of international migrants, examining
patterns of migration among seven major groups: Christians, Muslims, Hindus,
Buddhists, Jews, adherents of other religions and the religiously unaffiliated.
World Shift Day - May 20th - The Global Peace
Meditation and Prayer Day
The kick off event for
World Shift Day will be the annual Symphony
of Peace Prayers event to be held at the Mt. Fuji Sanctuary in Japan where over
ten thousand people will gather in a ceremony for the peace and awakening of
humanity.
This event will take
place on May 20, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM (local Japan Time).
The World Peace Prayer
Ceremony is a global celebration of the oneness of life and the human family.
With united hearts and minds, participants of the Ceremony are invited to
invoke prayers for peace to prevail in the countries and regions of the world.
It is a moving ceremonial ritual rising above national boundaries, religion and
ideologies giving expression to the universal wish for peace and harmony which
lies at the core of every human heart.
http://www.worldpeace.org/activities_wppcflag.html
Culture and education
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Millions of educators, students and activists to
support quality early childhood education
20
April - Next week, millions of teachers, students and education advocates
around the world will join forces in calling on public authorities and
development partners to ensure that all young children have access to quality
early childhood education (ECE). This call will be made during and after the
Global Action Week (GAW) for Education, to be held from 22-28 April. This
year’s theme is: “Early Childhood Care and Education” with the slogan: “Rights
from the start: Early Childhood Care and Education Now!”
The
Global Campaign for Education (GCE), of which Education International (EI) is a
founding member, has chosen this year’s theme, Early Childhood Care and
Education, because of its enormous individual and societal benefits.
Unfortunately, early childhood education (ECE) remains one of the most
neglected Education for All (EFA) goals.
This
year, the GCE, EI and its affiliates and other education advocates are calling
upon governments to ensure that at least one per cent of gross domestic product
is dedicated to early childhood services. Donors must also honour their
commitments to support all countries to achieve EFA, especially Goal One on
ECE. (…)
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/news_details/2144
Mongolia: ADRA improves access to education and
health services for children with disabilities
April 17
– Silver Spring, Md., USA - In Mongolia the Adventist Development and
Relief Agency (ADRA) is helping society transform the way they view children
with disabilities, and give them access to education and health services. This
is being achieved through a project called, Ensuring Access to Education and
Health for Children with Cognitive Disabilities (EACH).
The birth of
a disabled child can be stressful for most parents. In Mongolia social welfare
provided by the government assists parents of disabled children by giving them
a home care allowance among other types of support. Unfortunately this vital
care was not available to parents of children with cognitive disabilities. This
was due to limited knowledge and understanding of the condition, and the
professional assumption that children with cognitive disabilities do not need
permanent and special care, and do not carry a burden in terms of that care.
These issues
were discussed during a parents' meeting group organized by the EACH project
staff in partnership with the Association of Parents with Disabled Children
(APDC) and the Ministry of Social Welfare and Labor. The project, with its
partners, has been conducting a series of policy forums, discussions and
lobbying meetings with decision-makers and key stakeholders to resolve these
issues. As a result of these collaborative efforts parents' now have
assistance.
http://www.adra.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=11765&news_iv_ctrl=1141
Greece: Al Taybeh revitalized
April
- Al Taybeh community has celebrated the completed renovations at Al Taybeh
Greek Orthodox School, which have breathed new life into the facility. The
school now can accommodate 430 students from Taybeh and the surrounding
villages in a spacious and safe environment.
The
school had suffered from overcrowding and disrepair. The main boundary wall was
old and in danger of collapsing. The old kindergarten had been built into the
slope of a hill and was structurally unstable. Water leaks in winter resulted
in moldy, unhygienic surroundings for the children.
With
USAID funding of $750,000, ANERA built a two-story building to replace the old
kindergarten. The school administration and parents no longer have to worry
about the safety of their children and the school can now accommodate more
students.
http://www.anera.org/ourWork/commEcoDev/AlTaybehRevitalized.php
International essay contest for young people:
‘Creating the Future We Want’
This International
Essay Contest for Young People is organised by the Goi Peace Foundation and
UNESCO and among the endorsers are the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology of Japan. This contest seeks to ‘harness the energy,
imagination and initiative of the world’s youth in promoting a culture of peace
and sustainable development.’ It also aims ‘to inspire society to learn from
the young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the
world’.
The 2012 theme is:
“Creating the Future We Want”: the future begins in the vision we hold. Share
your vision of the future world and how we can make it come true.
The essays entries are
divided into two age groups: children up to 14 years of age and youth between
15 and 25. The essays, which can be written in English, French, Spanish, German
(with up to 800 words) and Japanese (1600 characters or less), must be received
by the Goi Peace Foundation any time before 30 June.
1st prize: Certificate
and100.000 Yen (approx. US$1,300) 2nd prize: Certificate and 50,000 Yen
($US650), and 3rd prize: Certificate and gift. 1st prize winner will also be
invited to the award ceremony in Tokyo. For more information: www.goipeace.or.jp
Source:
http://www.peacethroughunity.info/downloads/many_to_many_mar2012.doc
*
* * * * * *
(top)
Next issue:
May18, 2012.
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Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing a
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In section A - International Organizations, the Report says:
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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
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