Good News Agency
Weekly – year 12th, number 203 – 8th
June 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
Rio+20 must result in
‘concrete’ decisions to advance sustainable development – Ban
International legislation
(top)
EU wide civil law
protection from stalkers
30 May - Victims of stalking,
harassment or abduction who are granted protection in one EU Member State could
get fully equivalent protection if they move to another under new rules
approved by the Legal Affairs and Women's Rights committees on Wednesday. The
draft legislation would add civil law protection to the criminal law rules
already enforced under the European Protection Order (EPO) Directive. (…) Under
the new rules, any victim of gender violence, abduction or aggression, who has
been granted protection in one EU Member State, would just need to fill in a
standard and multilingual certificate to have his or her right to protection
fully enforced throughout the EU.
Somalia bans antipersonnel landmines, despite ongoing
conflict
All sub-Saharan African nations now on board the Mine
Ban Treaty
Geneva, 22
May - Somalia has become the 160th State
Party to the Mine Ban Treaty, the United Nations confirmed today. This morning
the news was announced to delegates from more than 95 countries, assembled in
Geneva for a global conference to discuss progress on the landmine ban.
Somalia’s
accession to the 15-year-old treaty means all countries in sub-Saharan Africa,
one of the world’s most heavily mined regions and home to thousands of landmine
survivors, have now banned antipersonnel mines.
Somalia has
never been known to produce antipersonnel landmines but the weapon has been
widely available in the country during the years of conflict, and a survey
conducted in 2008 before escalation of the conflict showed that nearly 200
communities in 300 different areas are living under the deadly shadow of
landmines.
http://www.icbl.org/index.php/icbl/Library/News-Articles/Somalia_joins_MBT
Human rights
(top)
More States ratify optional
protocols to UN convention on children's right
25 May - Twenty additional countries have ratified the optional protocol
on the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography, while 15 States
have became parties to the optional protocol on children in armed conflict
since the launch of the campaign two years to encourage universal
ratification.)
The Protocol on the Sale Children, Child Prostitution and Child
Pornography provides guidance for States in their efforts to prohibit and
prevent sexual violence and exploitation of children and the prosecution of
perpetrators. It also protects children from sale or trafficking for purposes
such as forced labour, illegal adoption or organ donation.
The Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict prohibits
the use of children in hostilities and urges all States to set their minimum
age of conscription at I8 years. It also prohibits the recruitment by armed
groups of children under the age of 18.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=42092&Cr=Children&Cr1
Economy and development
(top)
Egypt’s export opportunities benefit from value chain
mapping and market intelligence successes
ACDI/VOCA’s Anderson addresses American Chamber of
Commerce in Egypt
June
1 – ACDI/VOCA and Agribusiness Systems International Regional
Representative Doug Anderson and Senior Business Intelligence Advisor Dr. Ali
El-Saied presented ACDI/VOCA's history of successful programs in Egypt and
suggested that market intelligence and value chain mapping have helped the
organization identify and grow Egypt's export opportunities in a competitive
global market.
Anderson
spoke about the tomato farmers doing a “remarkable job” in Upper Egypt under
the Agribusiness Linkages Global Development Alliance project. He said the
average yield has been raised from 15 to 35 tons per feddan (approximately an
acre). He pointed out that Egypt now has the longest tomato growing and supply
capability of any country in the world due to its climate, global export reach
and improved processing. According to Anderson, the future of agriculture is in
Upper Egypt and links need to be made in the supply chain to ensure the area
reaches its full market potential.
FAO and Sweden sign Contribution Agreement
June 1, Rome - FAO and
Sweden’s International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) have signed a 10.8
million dollars Contribution Agreement aimed at improving the quality of FAO’s
assistance to distressed populations in several high-priority countries and
regions. The two-year agreement will help FAO carry out projects in Chad, Niger,
Somalia, Ethiopia, Syria and North Korea as well contribute to two regional
projects in the Sahel and Central and Eastern Africa. Key aspects of the
agreement include support to FAO’s ongoing decentralization of emergency
operations. The Organization will strengthen its capacities in areas such as
needs assessment, gender, accountability to affected populations and risk
management.
Laurent Thomas, FAO Assistant Director-General
for Technical Cooperation, explains: “This will allow us to accelerate our
efforts to target people at the key points of need and deliver assistance to
them more effectively. We will encourage other donors to support the same
vision”.
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/146185/icode/
IFAD signs loan
agreement for 62.9 million dollars ‘Buen Vivir in Rural Territories’ programme
in Ecuador
May 31, Rome -
Representatives from IFAD signed a loan agreement this week with the Government
of the Republic of Ecuador for the new 62.9 million dollars “Buen Vivir [Good Living] in Rural
Territories” programme. The programme will benefit some 25,000 rural families,
and includes 33 million dollars in financing from IFAD and the Spanish Food
Security Co-financing Facility Trust Fund. The remaining project funds will
come from the Ecuadorian government and regional financial institutions.
The Buen Vivir
Programme will work for at least 6 years in eight territories with high
incidences of rural poverty that spread through the provinces of Bolívar,
Carchi, Chimborazo, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Imbabura, Manabí, Santa Elena and
Tungurahua. Ecuador is considered a middle-income country and has a growing
national economy. Nevertheless, in the programme area, over 67 % of people live
in extreme poverty, there is a 42.3% rate of infant malnutrition, and around
one in three people do not make enough money to cover their basic needs.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2012/38.htm
WFP welcomes new support from Australia, key ally in
fighting global hunger
May 31, Sydney
– The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a new AU$ 25
million contribution to fighting hunger, announced during the first official
visit to Australia by the agency’s Executive Director Ertharin Cousin. Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Senator Bob Carr, explains: “I am pleased we are able to announce an extra
AUS$10 million for the escalating food crisis in the Sahel and AUS$5 million
for WFP operations in South Sudan. The situation in the Sahel is an extremely
serious food security emergency, with an estimated 18 million people affected
by drought and severe impending food shortages”. During her visit, Ms Cousin
met Minister Carr and the Director of AusAid, Peter Baxter, and said
““Australia’s generous and flexible support allows WFP to meet the needs of the
most hungry and vulnerable people in the most efficient way possible, making a
real difference in the lives of many around the world”. The new funding –
which will address pressing needs in the Sahel, South Sudan and Pakistan-
builds on close to AUS$128 million in Australian support in 2011 for WFP
operations and $12 million previously provided for the Sahel and South Sudan.
Australia was the first country to agree to an unrestricted flexible multi-year
partnership and funding arrangement with WFP.
Kenya to receive 33 million dollars loan from IFAD and
EUR 12.8 million loan from Spanish Trust Fund
May 23, Rome - The
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will provide a loan of
33 million dollars to the Republic of Kenya to finance the Upper Tana Catchment
Natural Resource Management Project. An additional loan amount of EUR 12.8
million from the Spanish Food Security Cofinancing Facility Trust Fund will
also be provided to fund the same project.
This new project will help
smallholder farmers in the area to reduce rural poverty through sustainable
management of their natural resource base.
In Kenya the droughts
in 2009 and 2011 generated food emergencies, while flooding in 2010 and
recently in 2012 severely affected some parts of the country: the new project
will be a scaling up of the Mount Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resource
Management supported by IFAD and the Global Environment Facility and will help
to promote the environmental conservation to ensure sustainable livelihoods for
poor rural people in five selected river basins of the Upper Tana river. The
project will cover about 17,420 square kilometres and include 24 river basins
that drain into the Tana river: approximately 205,000 poor rural households will
benefit from the project, which will have a particular focus on women.
Since 1979, with this
new project, IFAD will have financed 16 programmes and projects in Kenya for a
total investment of $247.5 million benefitting 4,200,097 rural
households
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2012/35.htm
Libya and FAO renew
commitment to develop the country’s agriculture and food security
May 18, Rome - FAO
Director-General José Graziano da Silva and Sulaiman Abdelhamed Boukharruba,
Libya's Minister for Agriculture, Animal Wealth and Marine Resources, signed an
agreement that commits Libya and FAO to work together to develop the country’s
agricultural sector and improve food security, signing a cooperation agreement.
Libya will provide 71 million dollars in funding needed to develop different
areas, such as plant and animal health and production, pesticide management,
seed development, natural resource management, capacity building and
institutional strengthening. Graziano da Silva explains “This agreement
includes a number of strategic projects aimed at supporting the new Libya in
responding to its development goals and priorities". Projects under the
agreement will aim to increase food production and improve productivity while
preserving natural resources such as water, all with the goal of improving food
security in the country. Beneficiaries will include farmers, herders and
fishers as well as their organizations and cooperatives and traders.
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/143247/icode/
Solidarity
(top)
United Arab Emirates and IFRC strengthen ties,
humanitarian aspirations
June
1 – Networks that include the IFRC and National Societies together will
result in more effective humanitarian interventions. This was the message that
President Konoé promoted on a recent mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
in April where he met with leaders from the UAE Red Crescent Society and was informed of its activities,
both domestic and international. He invited the UAE Red Crescent to play a
leadership role in helping to build stronger ties between Red Cross and Red
Crescent and the IFRC, locally and globally.
“The
UAE Red Crescent plays a leadership role in the region and globally as an
active member of the Governing Board. I encouraged the UAE Red Crescent to
share their inspiring success stories more widely,” said Konoé. “The UAE is the
first non-western nation to be included in the global list of top 10 aid donors
as measured by population, where official development assistance exceeds the UN
target of 0.7% of GNP. Against this backdrop, the UAE Red Crescent has become
one of the leading humanitarian actors in the world, supporting both domestic
and global programmes.”
President
Konoé visited one such domestic programme called the ‘Ewaa Shelters for Women
and Child Victims of Human Trafficking’. The programme was established by the
Red Crescent to provide care to victims of human trafficking and sexual
exploitation, including housing, health, repatriation, legal and travel support
in cooperation with public authorities, UNHCR and IOM.
More than $427 million provided for humanitarian
relief in 2011, says UN report
29
May – The United Nations humanitarian office provided more than $427
million last year to assist countries that suffered from emergencies such as
drought, floods, and food insecurity, according to a report released today by
the Organization. The report – the 2011 Annual Report of the Central
Emergency Response Fund – highlights the contributions of the UN Central
Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to humanitarian partners in 45 countries in
2011.
Financed
by voluntary contributions from Member States, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), local governments, the private sector and individual donors, the CERF
is a humanitarian fund established by the United Nations to enable more timely
and reliable humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural disasters and
armed conflicts, helping agencies to pre-position funding for humanitarian
action.
Climate-related
emergencies due to drought, floods and storms, received more than $149 million
from CERF last year, according to a news release issued by the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which helps administer the Fund.
CERF also gave more than $128 million to the Horn of Africa for people affected
by drought and food insecurity, and provided needed money to help humanitarian
partners intervene early in the Africa's Sahel region to help people affected
by drought-related hunger in Niger, Chad and Mauritania.
As
in previous years, the World Food Programme (WFP) remained CERF's top-funded
agency, and was given $127 million – almost 30 per cent of all CERF funds
– due to its role providing emergency food aid. The UN Children's Fund
(UNICEF) was the second-highest funded agency in 2011, receiving $109 million
in support of 130 projects in 38 countries.
The
report also highlights stories and programmes from Cambodia, Colombia, Côte
d'Ivoire, Guatemala, Kenya, Niger, the Philippines, the Republic of the Congo,
Somalia, South Sudan and Turkey, which have received resources from the Fund.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=42108&Cr=Humanitarian&Cr1=
U.S. Government donates 30 million dollars to WFP's
emergency operation in South Sudan
May 21, Juba - The United States Government has announced a
cash donation of 30 million dollars toward the emergency relief operation of
the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
to assist conflict-affected and food-insecure people in South Sudan. The donation is in response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in
South Sudan, where an estimated one million people are severely food-insecure
due to a cereal deficit, high food prices and intercommunal conflict.
Due to South
Sudan’s poor road network, about 60 percent of the country will become
inaccessible during the rainy season. This contribution helps WFP complete
prepositioning of much-needed commodities across South Sudan, where roads will
soon become impassable. The U.S. Government is the largest supporter of WFP’s
operation in South Sudan, and including this donation has contributed more than
US$110 million in 2012 to WFP’s emergency operation in the country
West Bank - Clean water for Al Auja
May
10 - Residents of the West Bank village of Al Auja joyously celebrated a new
and improved water distribution project that helps resolve water shortages in
one of the hottest areas of the West Bank.
Children
joined the festivities May 10, performing traditional folk dances and
presenting bouquets to officials at the ceremony. The head of Al Auja’s council
was joined by the governor of Jericho, the head of the Palestine Water Authority, and ANERA and
USAID officials.
The
new drinking water network and reservoir will benefit the village’s 4,500
residents who suffered from the 30-year old network that was severely
deteriorated.
ANERA
implemented the project with $1.1 million USAID funding through the Emergency
Water and Sanitation and Other Infrastructure (EWAS II), which aims at
providing rapid emergency relief in the water and sanitation sectors and
addressing basic infrastructure needs.
http://www.anera.org/ourWork/commEcoDev/CleanWaterforAlAuja.php
Peace and security
(top)
Africa unites against cluster bombs
Regional meeting concludes with strong Accra Action
Plan
Accra, May 30
- A meeting to further the global fight
against cluster bombs held in Accra, Ghana this week resulted in 34 African
countries adopting an action plan with the ultimate aim of a cluster
munition-free Africa.
The Accra
Universalisation Action Plan lays out practical steps states should take to
promote and achieve continent-wide membership of the 2008 Convention on Cluster
Munitions, which comprehensively prohibits the use, production, stockpiling,
and transfer of these weapons. The
document reaffirms the partnership between states, the UN, and civil society to
achieve the goals of the treaty and ensure it is fully implemented at the
national level.
Signatories
Cameroon and Togo announced that their governments have approved ratification
of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and will take the final step of depositing
the ratification with the UN within weeks. Uganda, where thousands of people
are living with injuries caused by lethal explosive remnants of war like
cluster bombs, also announced plans to ratify the treaty before states meet
again in Oslo in September for the third annual global meeting of States
Parties. Countries in attendance overwhelmingly voiced clear support for the
universalisation of the treaty.
http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/news/?id=3679
Health
(top)
Africare lauds Mobil over malaria control programme
June
1- Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC/MPN) joint venture, has been commended for its commitment
toward the prevention and control of malaria among host communities in Akwa
Ibom and Rivers States.
Africare,
a non governmental organisation involved in health campaigns, gave the
commendation during the demonstration on the proper method of hanging Long
Lasting Insecticide Nets as parts of activities marking this year’s World
Malaria Day celebration at Odio in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom
State.
Africare,
which is supported by Mobil, noted that the oil company had through the Malaria
Prevention Supplier Communities (MAPS-C) project taken concrete steps to the
fight against the menace of malaria in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States. The Red
Cross Volunteers demonstrated net hanging and folding every morning to the
community members while the Africare team explained that the Nets and the drugs
for malaria would be given free in Health post at Odio as well as other health
facilities supported by Africare in Eket and Ibeno LGAs.
Polio eradication shifts into emergency mode
Rotary
International News, 25 May – Despite the dramatic drop in polio cases in
the last year, the threat of continued transmission due to funding and
immunization gaps has driven the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to
launch the Global Polio Emergency Action Plan 2012-13. The plan aims to boost
vaccination coverage in the three remaining polio-endemic countries -- Nigeria,
Pakistan, and Afghanistan -- to levels needed to stop polio transmission.
Health ministers meeting at the World Health Assembly in Geneva adopted a
resolution on 25 May that declared “the completion of polio eradication to be a
programmatic emergency for global public health.”
Polio
eradication activities have resulted in several landmark successes since 2010.
India, long regarded as the nation facing the greatest challenges to
eradication, was removed from the list of polio-endemic countries by the World
Health Organization (WHO) in February. Outbreaks in previously polio-free
countries were nearly all stopped.
The
GPEI’s emergency action plan was developed in coordination with new national
emergency plans. The plan builds on India’s success and outlines a range of new
strategies and initiatives to better support polio eradication efforts,
including:
- Intensified focus
on the worst-performing areas of Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to
increase vaccination coverage by the end of 2012 to levels needed to stop
transmission
- New approaches
tailored to each country to tackle persistent challenges and improve polio
vaccination campaign performance
- Heightened
accountability, coordination, and oversight to ensure success at every
level of government and within every partner agency and organization
- A surge of
technical assistance and social mobilization capacity
Full
funding of new plan critical - Already, funding shortages have forced the GPEI
to cancel or scale back critical immunization activities in 24 high-risk
countries, leaving more children vulnerable to the disease and polio-free
countries exposed to the risk of reintroduced transmission.Since the start of
2012, the GPEI has moved its operations into emergency mode. The U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has activated its Emergency Operations
Center, UNICEF has officially activated an Interdivisional Emergency Coordinating
Committee operating directly under the deputy executive director, and WHO has
moved its polio operations to its Strategic Health Operations Centre.
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/120524_news_polio.aspx
Philippines: newly renovated infirmary for TB-affected
detainees
Manila,
May 25 – Tuberculosis patients at Quezon City Jail will now have access
to proper treatment and monitoring of their condition at a newly renovated and
expanded facility.
The
formal opening of the infirmary, which is 211 square metres in area and can
accommodate up to 60 patients, will take place today. Support for its
renovation was provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
which also facilitates the implementation of the National TB Control programme
in the jail, second largest of those administered by the Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology (BJMP), with a population of about 3,000 inmates.
The
ICRC has been visiting Philippine jails for more than 50 years. Among the
people it visits are those detained in connection with internal armed conflicts
and other situations of violence. The objective of these visits is to monitor
the conditions of detention and the treatment of detainees.
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2012/philippines-news-2012-05-25.htm
Haiti: new centre for disabled rekindles hope
Port-au-Prince/Geneva,
May 22 – The Special Fund for the Disabled of the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) officially inaugurated a new physical rehabilitation
centre in Port-au-Prince today. The facility opened its doors following a year
of rebuilding and repair work on the previous structure, which was destroyed by
the earthquake of 12 January 2010.
According
to government figures, one of every 10 Haitians lives with a physical
disability. The new centre, which will be run by Healing Hands for Haiti, a
non-governmental organization, will be able to treat approximately 1,000
patients a year, for whom it will provide prosthetic and lightweight orthotic
devices, walking aids and physical therapy services. Over the next five years,
the ICRC's Special Fund for the Disabled will maintain its support for the
centre's production of artificial limbs and other devices suited to patients'
needs, and for its training of staff.
The
centre was rebuilt and equipped thanks to financial support from the American
Red Cross, the Australian Red Cross and the Norwegian Red Cross. Healing Hands
for Haiti, founded in 1999, endeavours to provide physical rehabilitation and
medical services with the aim of eventually turning them over to Haitian
management. The Special Fund for the Disabled was set up by the ICRC in 1983.
It supports physical rehabilitation services in more than 30 countries by
providing supplies and training that enable local professionals to produce
prostheses and other mobility devices using low-cost technology.
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2012/haiti-news-2012-05-22.htm
Rwanda: ADRA improves condition of hygiene in transit
camp
May
22 – Silver Spring, Md., USA - The political climate in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) has been volatile since the highly disputed
presidential elections of November 2011. Since then, Congolese refugees have
been seeking shelter in Rwanda, escaping clashes between DRC government forces
and armed militia. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is
working in Rwanda's Nkamira transit camp, improving the condition of the camp's
sanitation in efforts to reduce the spread of disease.
A
rapid assessment conducted by ADRA revealed some of the most urgent needs were
food, shelter, and water, in addition to improving sanitation issues concerning
latrines and waste bins. ADRA, in coordination with CARE and Oxfam, are
responding to the deteriorating hygiene infrastructure within the camp, with
each organization addressing specific needs.
http://www.adra.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=11803&news_iv_ctrl=1141
To help
world's children reach fifth birthday, look to this Bangladesh program
An
innovative development program in Bangladesh is defying child mortality rates,
ensuring children grow healthier and taller, by empowering women and educating
families about nutrition.
By
Faheem Khan /
Dhaka,
Bangladesh, May 9 – (...) Each
year, 7.6 million children die before their fifth birthdays from preventable
causes and diseases. These conditions are often worsened by the chronic
malnutrition and food shortages. That is why last month USAID launched a public
campaign called “Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday” to help raise awareness
and end these avoidable child deaths. (...) Called SHOUHARDO, a Bangla word for
“friendship,” the program is run by the poverty-fighting organization CARE,
USAID, and the government of Bangladesh. The first phase, implemented from 2004
to 2010, represented the largest non-emergency USAID food security program in
the world.
But
SHOUHARDO is about much more than food. It employs an integrated approach that
addresses how people support their families and access nutritious meals. And it
strikes at the underlying causes of malnutrition, including the deep inequities
between women and men.
The
results of SHOUHARDO have been phenomenal: Over the last four years, child
stunting, the measure of the shortfall in growth due to malnutrition, has
plummeted 28 percent despite natural disasters and spikes in food prices. The
reduction came at twice the rate of the average US government funded project of
its kind in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has the one of the world’s highest child
malnutrition rates, but the country’s active and supportive government has
helped contribute to the program’s success. Bangladesh is also a country with
many policies and laws that protect women, which gives many of the participants
in the SHOUHARDO additional support.
SHOUHARDO
is one of the most comprehensive and integrated food aid programs in the world.
There are very few programs that combine economic capacity building, health,
and nutrition education with women’s empowerment. While women’s empowerment initiatives aren’t
new, the idea of combining direct interventions (such as giving pregnant women
rations of food) with indirect interventions (such as addressing the disparity
between women and men) is one of the program’s signature aspects. SHOUHARDO
used a 360-degree approach, which resulted in a bigger impact on the lives of
women and their families. (...)
Energy and safety
(top)
Italian wins UN European ad competition on water
Brussels/Copenhagen
5 June - Italian designer Mr. Daniele Gaspari has been declared the winner of
the UN European Ad Competition on Water; Drop by Drop - the Future We Want.
The
competition called on professionals and non-professionals to create a newspaper
ad that inspires others to preserve water, now and for future generations. Mr.
Gaspari won the competition for his ad "Wasting water will kill the
future" which shows a water gun held to the head of an infant. A jury of
experts led by France's advertising guru, Mr. Jacques Séguéla chose the ad from
more than 3,500 ads submitted to the competition from 45 European countries.
The
first prize, the Nordic Council of Ministers Award and a 5,000 euro cash prize,
was handed over to Mr. Gaspari at a ceremony in Copenhagen on 5 June, World
Environment Day, by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Denmark.
The
Drop by Drop competition was organized by UNRIC, the United Nations Regional
Information Centre in Brussels in cooperation with UNEP, the UN Environment
Programme and the Nordic Council of Ministers.
It is part of the UN Secretary-General's campaign, The Future We Want in
the run-up to Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Brazil,
20-22 June, where increasing scarcity of water is among the main themes under
discussion.
http://www.unric.org/en/latest-un-buzz/27578-italian-wins-un-european-ad-competition-on-water
USA: Energy Department announces interagency committee
to increase use of clean energy technologies in federal facilities
June
1 - The Energy Department today announced a new interagency advisory committee
to accelerate deployment of innovative products and technologies in the federal
sector. The Senior Executive Committee for Technology Deployment, a
subcommittee of the Interagency Technology Deployment Working Group, brings
together leaders of technology deployment programs from across the federal
government to implement the Obama Administration's comprehensive strategy to
reduce energy costs in agency facilities, while boosting American
competitiveness in the global clean energy race.
The
new committee will review and share results from energy-related technology
demonstrations with other agencies in the federal government. Agencies will
also develop new policies, modify procurement specifications, and increase
communications and outreach about these technologies to support this effort. In
addition, FEMP will facilitate agency projects by engaging energy service
companies and utilities that routinely provide support to federal agencies.
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=738
IEA "Golden Rules" for Fracking track
closely
Boston, May
29 - On May 16, Boston Common Asset Management (Boston Common), the Investor
Environmental Health Network (IEHN) and the Interfaith Center on Corporate
Responsibility (ICCR) announced that 55 major investment organizations and
institutional investors with nearly $1 trillion in assets under management had
united in support of “best practices” for the fracking of shale gas. The guidelines, “Extracting the Facts: An
Investor Guide to Disclosing Risks from Hydraulic Fracturing Operations,” are
available online here.
With the
publication today of its “Golden Rules for a Golden Age of Gas” report –
part of the World Energy Outlook series – the International Energy Agency
outlines a number of recommendations in the same spirit as the IEHN/ICCR
guidelines.
http://www.iccr.org/news/press_releases/2012/pr_frack053012.php
Germany's day in the sun: solar hits 22 GW mark
By Steve Leone,
Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com
New Hampshire, USA,
May 29 - With the sun beaming overhead and the nation hard at work, Germany
turned to solar like never before last Friday and Saturday as the nation's PV
installations fed 22 gigawatts of electricity into the grid at one point,
providing nearly half of the country's energy needs. In doing so, Germany
answered some critical questions as it reshapes its policy away from nuclear
power and toward renewable sources like solar, wind and biomass. Chief among
the concerns is how much intermittent solar Germany can seamlessly integrate
into its grid without causing major disruptions.
During one 24-hour
period, Germany’s PV accounted for nearly a third of the nation’s energy needs
on midday Friday when the nation’s factories and offices were humming along,
and then it approached 50 percent midday Saturday as residents enjoyed a
sun-filled weekend.
The milestone comes
at a critical crossroads for a country that is eager to move on from its
dependence on nuclear power, but has been increasingly at odds over which path
to take. If nothing else, the achievement is certain to add to the growing
confidence that solar can fill much of the nuclear void. Germany currently gets
about 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources, with solar contributing
about 4 percent annually. According to the International Economic Platform for
Renewable Energies in Muenster, the power produced at its weekend peak was
greater than the capacity of 20 nuclear power plants. The timing of the peak is
particularly important since it comes during times when energy use is at its
highest.
Environment and wildlife
(top)
Scotland launches climate justice fund
Edinburgh,
June 1 - The Government of Scotland took a major step forward in facing up to
its historic responsibility for climate change by launching an international
Climate Justice Fund. The new fund, which has been welcomed by WWF and others
in civic society, will help people living in some of the world's poorest
countries affected by the changing climate - such as more frequent and severe
droughts and floods . The fund was a key demand of WWF Scotland's campaign for
national climate legislation in 2007-2009 and of its election campaign
activities in 2011. One of a series of initiatives ahead of the Rio+20 summit
in June, the Scottish Government is providing £3 million (UK pounds) for the
fund - one million per year for the next three years - which will support water
projects in Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia - increasing communities'
resilience to the impacts of climate change. At the launch, a short film was
released highlighting support for climate justice from across Scottish society.
It includes endorsements from many organisations, including WWF, development
and faith groups.
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?205057
WWF receives award for contribution to the
conservation of Vietnam’s Tram Chim National Park
May
22, Dong Thap province, Vietnam – The People’s Committee of Dong Thap
province has honoured WWF with a medal and certificate of merit in recognition
of the organisation’s contribution to the conservation of the wetland habitat
in Tram Chim National Park.
Tram
Chim National Park, located in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, is one
of the last remnants of the original wetland landscape of the Plain of Reeds, a
vast wetland area of about 13,000 km2 in the provinces of Dong Thap, Tien
Giang, and Long An (Lang Sen) in Vietnam, and part of Svay Reang in
Cambodia. The Park has tremendous
biodiversity, including over 230 bird species and 130 fish species. Its most
striking visitor, the Sarus Crane, is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List
and visits annually from the end of January through to mid-May.
Under
earlier management efforts, water was permanently stocked in the park in order
to suppress fire. However, the wildlife in Tram Chim is adapted to a six-month
dry season and a six-month flood season, and year-round water stocking was
interrupting the natural rhythm. As a result, habitats dwindled and species
disappeared.
The world situation and the consciousness of people
The
WWF report details "the cumulative pressure we’re putting on the planet,
and the consequent decline in the health of the forests, rivers and oceans that
make our lives possible." At the same time, however, it documents an
increasing consciousness around the world that this dangerous trend must be
reversed.
What
we see is an increasing gulf between the world situation, on the one hand, and
the consciousness of people on the other. If we believe that history is
ultimately determined by human consciousness, then we must expect that we are
arriving at a major turning point in history.
http://cpnn-world.org/bulletin/bulletin-12-6.html
(top)
Interfaith seminar on the Jordan river
This
month FoEME's Tel Aviv office partnered with the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development and Rabbis
for Human Rights to undertake a pilot
interfaith seminar on the Jordan River. The seminar brought together
congregational leaders and seminary students who are studying to be Sheikhs,
Rabbis and Priests to learn about the current state of the Jordan River and
exchange perspectives on the importance of the river from the three faith's
perspectives.
This
activity, part of the Jordan River Rehabilitation Project, aims to further open channels of communication and partnership between
environmentalists and faith based communities in the region. To learn more
about this unique tour please read our blog.
http://www.foeme.org/peace.php
Unexpected diversity: interfaith organizing from the
bottom up
Webinar, with Matthew Weiner - June 20, 12:00pm U.S.
central time
The interreligious movement has no road map: we are creating it as we
go. Effective interfaith work today requires new methods and a new kind of
grassroots organizing. The movement is not static. It is an experiment.
This
webinar will seek to address the following questions: How do we creatively
organize religious and spiritual communities when the desired outcome is not a
fixed idea and can change? How can our work be genuinely inclusive of
traditions that are more conservative? How can religious communities better
engage with the secular public?
Matthew Weiner has worked as an interfaith
organizer for 20 years, and he now serves as Associate Dean of Religious Life
at Princeton University.
Culture and education
(top)
Special Workshops: Introduction to Peace Education x
3!
The
Teachers Without Borders Introduction to Peace Education online course series
supports educators in their professional development as peace educators and
connects them with like-minded colleagues around the world through a supportive
virtual learning environment. The 3-part online course invites participants to
learn about peace education theory and practice, and how to apply it to their
personal and professional lives. Each course is offered online.
Module
1: Core Concepts of Peace Education. Dates: June 19-July 17
Module
2: the Scope of Peace Education. Dates: July 24-August 19
Module
3: Pedagogy and Practice. Dates:
September 3-30, 2012
Teachers
Without Borders offers courses through several core programs, including the
Certificate of Teaching Mastery, Emergency Education, and Peace Education.
Through the peace education program, TWB promotes peace education as a key part
of teacher professional development with the intention of supporting teachers
in their roles as agents of peaceful change in their communities. This course
is part of the National Peace Academy's National Peacebuilding Peacelearning
Certificate Program, a program designed to make learning for peace accessible,
available and affordable for all.
http://nationalpeaceacademy.us/
Is the culture of peace advancing?
If
we consider just the headlines of the mass media and the actions of governments
and the state of the environment, the answer is negative. We can see this in
the annual reports cited on CPNN this month from Amnesty International and the
World Wildlife Federation. The Amnesty report "highlights the endemic
failure of leadership at a local and international level to protect human
rights. It shows that the response of the international community to human
rights crises was often marked by fear, prevarication, opportunism and
hypocrisy."
At
the same time, however, it shows how "Millions of people took to the
streets to demand freedom, justice and dignity – some of them securing
memorable victories. Successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt early in the
year ignited protests across the region and then the world, stretching from
Moscow, London and Athens in Europe, to Dakar and Kampala in Africa, to New
York, La Paz and Cuernavaca in the Americas, to Phnom Penh and Tokyo in
Asia."
http://cpnn-world.org/bulletin/bulletin-12-6.html
Rio will gather free media for another communication
an
article by World Forum of Free Media
Hundreds
of representatives of free media are getting ready to go to Rio de Janeiro, in
June 2012, to help to prepare the Peoples’ Summit at Rio+20, a parallel event
to the UN Conference on sustainable development. They will work to spread the
voice of the people gathered at the Summit, who instead of talking about the
management of the environment by economic power, will speak about the ways for
the environmental and social justice. These media have their own agenda within
the Summit, where they will meet to hold the II World Free Media Forum, besides
covering the activities and the themes of Rio +20. (...)
The
II World Forum of Free Media: After three forums in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro
2008, Vitória 2009 and Porto Alegre 2012), two preparatory meetings in North
Africa (Marrakesh 2011 and Tunis 2012), a world edition (Belém 2009) and a
Convergence Assembly at the World Social Forum (Dakar, 2011), the free media
are slowly building their agendas, regional and global, which will make
important progress in Rio de Janeiro, with the second world edition.
The
II World Forum of Free Media will be organized in panels, free debates,
workshops and plenary sessions planned for Rio de Janeiro.
http://cpnn-world.org/bulletin/bulletin-12-6.html
US higher education delegation travels to North Africa
Washington,
June 1 - A delegation of US universities, colleges, NGOs, and foundations will
travel to North Africa to meet with representatives of higher education
institutions June 2-9. The Aspen Institute led delegation will discuss new
education partnerships between the US and countries in North Africa. The
delegation will meet with local universities, technical institutes, NGOs,
private sector companies and government officials in order to discuss how
partnerships can be facilitated to support entrepreneurship and private sector
skills development among youth. Such partnerships are key to addressing high
unemployment levels in the region, which has been a key focus of US and local
government, business leaders and civil society particularly in the aftermath of
the Arab Spring.
The
delegation is a part of Partners for a New Beginning (PNB), a network of
business, government and civil society, housed at the Aspen Institute in
Washington DC and working in 11 countries to foster economic opportunity and
catalyze exchange.
http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/34216-US-Higher-Education-Delegation-Travels-To-North-Africa
*
* * * * * *
(top)
Rio+20
must result in ‘concrete’ decisions to advance sustainable development –
Ban
6 June With just two weeks until the start of a major United Nations
sustainable development conference, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged
countries to step up efforts to achieve concrete decisions to reduce poverty
while promoting decent jobs, clean energy and more sustainable and fair use of
resources. “Rio+20 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make real progress
towards the sustainable economy of the future,” Mr. Ban told a press conference
at UN Headquarters in New York, referring to the UN Conference on Sustainable
Development (Rio+20) that will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 20 to 22
June.
More than 100 heads of State and
government, along with thousands of parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials,
Chief Executive Officers and civil society leaders are expected to attend
Rio+20 to shape new policies to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social
equity and environmental protection. The gathering follows on from the Earth
Summit in 1992, also held in Rio de Janeiro, during which countries adopted
Agenda 21 – a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity
and ensure environmental protection.
Mr. Ban said that there is still much work ahead, but foundations are in
place for agreement on the remainder of the negotiating text that is expected
to become the outcome of the conference. “I expect the negotiators to
accomplish this in the days before ministers and world leaders arrive in Rio.
Leaders will then act to resolve all outstanding issues,” he stated. “Their job
is to achieve renewed political commitment for sustainable development. We
aspire to nothing less than a global movement for generational change.”
Negotiators concluded the last round of Rio+20 preparatory talks –
focussed on the gathering’s outcome document – in New York last Saturday,
and they have now reached agreement on more than 20 per cent of the document,
with many additional paragraphs close to agreement. The Secretary-General cited several “concrete
outputs” he expected from Rio+20, which he said will improve the lives of
people around the world. The first is to agree to define a path to an inclusive
green economy that will lift people from poverty and protect the global
environment, he said, adding that this requires international collaboration,
investment, and an exchange of experiences and technology among countries.
Second, leaders should agree to define sustainable development goals with clear
and measurable targets and indicators. These so-called “SDGs” will be a central
part of the post-2015 global development framework, he stated.
Also needed are decisions on key
elements of the institutional framework for sustainable development, as well as
strong, action-oriented outcomes on a wide range of cross-cutting areas, such
as food security and sustainable agriculture, oceans, gender equality and
women’s empowerment, education and energy.
Progress is also required in the
area of implementation, including reaffirming past commitments and initiatives
on trade, financing for development, technology transfer and capacity building,
the UN chief said. In addition, more partnerships with civil society and the
private sector – strategic alliances that can galvanize global public
support and drive change – are important. “Ultimately, Rio+20 will be
measured in the transformation it sets in motion – the lives it changes
for the better,” said Mr. Ban.
Following the latest round of negotiations in New York, the next and
final preparatory talks will be held in Rio de Janeiro from 13 to 15 June, just
ahead of the Conference.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=42159&Cr=sustainable+development&Cr1=
*
* * * * * *
(top)
Next
issue: July 6, 2012.
Good News Agency is
published in English on one Friday and in Italian the next. Past issues
are available at www.goodnewsagency.org . Rome Law-court
registration no. 265 dated 20 June 2000.
Managing
Editor: Sergio Tripi (sergio.tripi@goodnewsagency.org).
Editorial research by Fabio Gatti (fabio.gatti@goodnewsagency.org), Azzurra Cianchetta,
Isabella Strippoli. Webmaster and media and NGO coverage: Simone Frassanito (simone.frassanito@goodnewsagency.org)
Good News Agency is distributed free of charge through Internet to 10,000 media and editorial journalists of the daily newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations in 54 countries: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bermuda, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Caribbean Islands, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Holland, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Oceania, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, USA. It is also distributed free of charge to 3,000 NGOs, 1,600 high schools, colleges and universities, as well as 23,000 Rotarians in the world.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered educational charity chartered in Italy in 1979 The Association operates for the development of consciousness and promotes a culture of peace in the ‘global village’ perspective based on unity in diversity and on sharing. It is based in Via Antagora 10, 00124 Rome, Italy.
The Association is a member of the World Association of Non Governmental Organizations.
*In the final report of the Decade for
a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) presented to the UN General Assembly
(http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/2010_civil_society_report.pdf),
Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing a
major role in the field of Information.
In section A - International Organizations, the Report says:
"Participatory Communication and Free Flow
of Information and Knowledge has been advanced largely through use of the
Internet by civil society corresponding to para 6 in the 1999 Programme of
Action calling for the promotion of a culture of peace through sharing of
information among actors in the global movement for a culture of peace (p.7). Diffusion
and exchange of culture of peace information via the Internet has become the
major instrument for several international organizations, notably the Culture
of Peace News Network, the Good News Agency and the Education for Peace
Globalnet (p.12).
* * * * * *
If you received the Good News Agency from a colleague or a friend and wish to receive it directly, just send us a message to the address info@goodnewsagency.org. If you do not wish to receive the next issues, please send us a message with "unsubscribe" in the subject line and in the text the address to be deleted.