Good News Agency – Year IV, n° 7
Weekly - Year IV, number 7 – 23
April 2003
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi,
Ph. D.
Rome Law-court registration
no. 265 dated 20 June 2000.
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
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UN, Nigeria to create Regional Drug Law Enforcement
Training Centre
Vienna, 16 April (UN
Information Service) -- The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
the United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime are working on a
project aimed at upgrading the Jos Academy, located in the Plateau State, into
a training centre for the entire West African region.
This new initiative will
help create a sustainable drug control effort in the region through the
training and enhancement of human capacities in drug law enforcement and
related organised criminality, including money laundering and asset forfeiture.
To that end, the Jos
Academy is to be fully equipped, staffed and managed to meet modern
training standards and deliver high-quality training curricula to both
Nigerian and other English- and French-speaking West African drug law enforcement
officers. It is also expected that the centre will substantially contribute to
removing the remaining obstacles to a full co-operation among West Africa drug
law enforcement agencies. The Federal Government of Nigeria has already
allocated about US$ 2 million (out of an overall project budget of US$ 5
million) as its cost-sharing contribution to this project. (...)
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press_release_2003-04-17_3.html
UNODC and Morocco announce major cannabis survey in
2003
Vienna. 16 April (UN
Information Service) -- The Government of Morocco and the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime have signed a technical cooperation agreement in support
of the Moroccan authorities' fight against organized cannabis cultivation,
illicit trafficking and related organized crime.
The first joint action
will be the conduct of a comprehensive cannabis survey in the summer of 2003
that will map the extent, locations and patterns of cannabis cultivation in
Morocco, predominantly in the Northern Rif region. Based on the survey's
results, the Government can implement and redirect action under the National
Development Programme for the Northern Rif Region, so as to achieve lasting
reductions of illicit cannabis cultivation. The Government has allocated a
substantial amount of money to this National Development Programme, which is to
ensure lasting and sustainable development for the Rif region, the poorest and
most underdeveloped area in Morocco.
Other project activities
include the provision of expertise, advisors and support to the Moroccan
Government for the development of appropriate national legislation and action
plans against international organized crime, including illicit drug
trafficking, money laundering, and trafficking in human beings. (...)
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press_release_2003-04-17_1.html
UN intensifies support for African Union's drug
control effort
Vienna, 16 April (UN
Information Service) -- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has
just opened an Office in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), which will be operational from
next July. This new office will operate in the framework of a regional project
(worth US$ 1,000,000), aimed at assisting the African Union in the
implementation of its new Drug Control Action Plan for Africa for the years
2002-2006, adopted at the ministerial meeting on Drug Control in Africa in Cote
d'Ivoire in May 2002. This plan commits African Union Member States and African
regional organizations to take concrete actions in identified drug control
priority sectors and to integrate these measures into development, as well as
social and health programmes.
The current project is an
expansion of the previous cooperation between UNDCP and the Organization of
African Unity (OAU), which started a few years ago and resulted in the creation
of a Drug Control and Crime Prevention Unit within the African Union Secretariat.
Under this project, this unit will receive expertise, advisory services and
financial support for the launch of Africa-wide drug control information and
publicity campaigns.
A UNODC liaison and
advocacy capacity with Governments, UN Agencies and development partners will
be established in Africa that aims at the integration of drug control elements
into main broad regional development initiatives, such as the New Partnership
for African Development (NEPAD), the International Partnership against AIDS in
Africa (IPAA) and other UN System programmes in Africa.
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press_release_2003-04-17_2.html
Global Unions (*) ask for
strong UN involvement in Iraq's reconstruction
Brussels, April 17 (ICFTU on line) – (...) As Iraq emerges from the horrors of war, the possibility now exists to realise the fundamental goal of developing a democratic society, based on the rule of law. Global Unions have consistently upheld the role of the United Nations and multilateral system based on the application of international law concerning human rights, disarmament, sanctions, the use of military force and all other aspects of international action on Iraq. These same principles apply now and in the future, and UN leadership is vital in the process of reconstruction. (...)
Democracy in Iraq, as in any
country, must be supported and sustained by the guarantee of human rights in
full, based on international standards. In particular, the fundamental rights
of Iraq's working people must be fully respected throughout the reconstruction
process and beyond. The development of a free and democratic trade union
movement is essential for this and for the future of democracy, and Global
Unions are ready and willing to play their part to support the efforts of the
working people of Iraq to achieve this. The UN's International Labour
Organisation has a central role to play in the reconstruction process. The
ILO can help to ensure that international labour standards are respected and
provide much needed technical assistance (...)
(*) Global Unions is the
grouping of international trade union organisations comprising the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, the Global Union Federations,
and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD. http://www.global-unions.org
2003 Nansen Refugee Award to Italian Humanitarian
Nairobi / Geneva, 15 April -- Annalena Tonelli, an Italian woman who has
devoted more than three decades to helping Somalis in remote corners of the
Horn of Africa, has been named this year’s Nansen Refugee Award
winner. Announcing the
award, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers said Tuesday that the
Nansen Award Committee had picked the 60-year-old Italian humanitarian in
recognition of her selfless dedication in the service of the Somali community,
the majority of them returned refugees and displaced people. A lawyer by
profession, Dr. Tonelli also has diplomas in tropical medicine, community
medicine and control of tuberculosis. The Nansen Refugee Award is given
annually to individuals or organizations that have distinguished themselves
through work on behalf of refugees.
Dr. Tonelli has spent the last 33 years working with
the Somali people in Kenya and Somalia – the last six years with returnees in Borama, a remote
corner of north-west Somalia also known as “Somaliland.” She currently runs a 200-bed hospital in Borama.
Single-handedly, Dr. Tonelli has set up outreach
clinics to support her 30-year-old fight against tuberculosis among the nomadic
Somali communities. She has raised funds, on her own, to run the clinics, care
for the patients, and raise awareness on HIV/AIDS and the harmful effects of
female genital mutilation (FGM) practiced by Somali communities. Fluent in
Somali, she has also established a school for the deaf in Borama and organizes
visits by surgeons from a German charity who have so far restored sight to more
than 3,700 people.
High Commissioner Lubbers noted that the Italian
doctor had chosen to live simply and humbly, taking no payment for her tireless
work. (...)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=1507
Government and LTTE agree on action plan to address
the needs of children affected by war in the Northeast
Colombo, 11 April - The Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE), the Government of Sri Lanka, local and international organisations
met in Kilinochchi on the 10th and 11th April 2003, to agree on an Action Plan
to address the needs and care of children affected by war in the North East.
The workshop was jointly inaugurated by Mr. Sutha Thangan, Deputy Head of the
LTTE Political Wing and Dr. John Gooneratne, the Deputy Director General of the
Secretariat for co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) and was facilitated by
UNICEF.
The workshop participants developed the operational
aspects of the Action Plan to ensure and restore normalcy to children affected
by war, including those children engaged in hazardous labour, street children,
underage recruits and children seeking recruitment.
The Action Plan is based on the Guiding Principles of
the best interest of the child, of children being with their families and of
adopting an integrated approach to programming for the welfare of children. It
further spells out the role of civil society in enhancing programme
effectiveness and sustainability. The need to recognise cultural diversity and
to ensure that all programmes are culturally appropriate was acknowledged. The
assurance that all agencies involved in the Action Plan will maintain their
neutrality in political, religious or ideological issues was reinforced. (...)
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/2003/03nn25tamiltigers.htm
UNECE promotes policies conducive to industrial
restructuring – April 23
The daunting task of industrial restructuring has come
to the forefront of market reforms in transition economies, especially in the
countries of South East Europe and the former Soviet Union. Hundreds of
uncompetitive enterprises providing employment and incomes to thousands of
people need to be either dismantled or modernized.
To assist Governments in handling the process of
industrial restructuring, on 23 April 2003 the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE) will hold a Workshop on “Policy and Regulatory Options for Promoting Industrial
Restructuring in the ECE Region”. The Workshop will assemble experts from western and eastern European
countries representing Governments, international organizations, trade unions
and academia. They will exchange views and experiences on Government policies
to create favourable conditions for restructuring non-competitive industries
and sectors. (...)
The Workshop is organized by the Team of Specialists
on Industrial Restructuring, which was created by UNECE to assist member
Governments to elaborate policies in this topical area. The exchange of views
at the Workshop will enhance the capacity of the Team to advise the relevant
Government agencies in transition economies.
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2003/03ireedd_p08e.htm
IFAD to support agricultural development in Senegal to
enable rural people to overcome poverty
Rome, 17 April - A loan agreement was signed today at
the headquarters of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
by H.E. Momar Gueye, Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal to Italy, and Mr.
Cyril Enweze, Vice-President of IFAD. The loan, for USD 12.5 million will help
fund phase two of the Agricultural Development Project in
Matam, which has a
total cost of USD 24.3 million.
The project will help the rural inhabitants of about
26 village communities in the Walo area and about 50 herder communities in the
Ferlo area to take steps to overcome poverty. About 150 000 people in about 20
000 rural households are expected to benefit.
In this area of Senegal, households headed by women
are particularly vulnerable to poverty. The weak resource base in these areas
limits opportunities to improve productivity and incomes. Illiteracy also
limits the capacity of the poor to obtain and use technical and managerial
know-how and to access markets and financial services. (...)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2003/22.htm
IFAD Board approves USD 66.4 million for microfinance,
development and technical support projects
Rome, 10 April 2003 – The Executive Board of the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD) today approved loans for five microfinance,
development and technical support projects and programmes totaling USD 66.4
million in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Chad, Nicaragua, and Senegal. In addition, the Board approved four new technical
assistance grants.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2003/21.htm
WFP opens first humanitarian lifeline to Baghdad
Rome/Amman, 17 April – The United Nations World Food Programme today opened its first
humanitarian lifeline into Baghdad since the start of the Iraq crisis, when a
food aid convoy rolled out of Jordan headed for the Iraqi capital. Some 50
trucks loaded with 1,400 metric tons of urgently needed wheat flour crossed the
Jordanian-Iraqi border at Al-Karama early this morning and are expected to
reach Baghdad later on Thursday.
The convoy’s departure establishes WFP’s second and, potentially, most important humanitarian
corridor into Iraq in less than two weeks. Food aid is already flowing into the
Northern Governorates through Turkey, but Aqaba in Jordan is expected to become
a key port of entry for food being shipped to central and southern Iraq. (...)
http://www.wfp.org/index.asp?section=2
UNICEF Iran prepares first trans-border aid shipment
to Iraq
Tehran, 14 April - A convoy of trucks carrying 120,000
litres of potable water is due to cross from Iran into southern Iraq tomorrow
(Tuesday 15 April), marking UNICEF's first cross-border shipment of aid from
Iran. Seventeen lorries carrying 5,500 jerrycans full of clean water are
scheduled to leave Ahwaz in Iran Tuesday morning, heading for the Shalamcheh
border crossing point. The water is intended for distribution to hospitals and
health centers in Al-Fao peninsula.
The UNICEF Representative in Iran, Kari Egge, said the
peninsula had been chosen because no UN relief aid had so far reached the area,
and conditions on the ground were largely unknown.
(...) Over the
past six months, UNICEF Iran pre-positioned medical kits, nutritional food for
malnourished children, water bladders and other relief material along the
border with Iraq in order to respond rapidly to the humanitarian needs of
children inside Iraq or in refugee camps in Iran.
This latest aid shipment opens up a new front in
UNICEF's efforts to reach the children of Iraq with vital aid supplies. Iran's
long border with Iraq means that aid can reach all major regions in the
country. This makes it a strategic centre for UNICEF's emergency response.
Iran is the host country to more than 200,000 refugees
from previous wars in Iraq, and has played a critical role in the provision of
humanitarian assistance over recent years.
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/2003/03nn26iraq.htm
ADRA to Operate Camps in Iraq
Silver Spring, Md, USA, April 14 - The Adventist
Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) office in Spain has received a grant of
$538,442 (500,000 Euros) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the government
of Spain for humanitarian relief operations in northern Iraq. The funded
project will enable ADRA to organize and operate camps for 2,700 Internally
Displaced Persons (IDP's) in the districts of Atrush 1 and Sarsink. (...)
ADRA Spain began its work in northern Iraq in
1993 with an aid shipment. In 1995 it constructed a school in Shindokha and
continued aid with the provision of medicines in 1996. Since then ADRA Spain,
through funding from the government of Spain, has reconstructed the villages of
Qassara, Garrade, Sartang, and Bastava. Due to conflict, these villages were
destroyed, but ADRA constructed 50 houses, a health center, school, water
system, and roads for each village.
http://www.adra.org/ADRANews/041403.html
Prince Charles praises
Rotarian efforts at RIBI conference
April 16 - Rotarians welcomed
a royal guest at this year's annual conference of Rotary International in Great
Britain and Ireland (RIBI). Prince Charles of Wales, who is president of the
British nonprofit organization WaterAid, attended the 11-13 April event in
Blackpool, England, at the special invitation of RIBI President Tony de St.
Dalmas. This year, WaterAid is the preferred international charity of the RIBI
president.
In a keynote address, Prince
Charles, who is an honorary Rotarian, noted that while nobody needs reminding
that water is essential for life, affluent societies easily forget that in much
of the world many people do not have access to a safe, clean, and reliable
water supply. (...)
WaterAid has enjoyed a
successful relationship with RIBI since 1984. Rotary clubs have donated more
than GB£2 million (US$3.1 million) in that time. This year, Rotarians have set
a target of providing 21,000 people with safe water, sanitation, and hygiene
education in the Dodoma and Kiteto regions of Tanzania.
http://www.rotary.org/newsandinfo/newsbasket/images/030416.jpg
Ethiopia: Rain,
at last!
April 11 - "Let it
rain!" exclaimed Steve Williams, poking his head around the door to his
small room, "let it pour!". The ICRC delegate in charge of assistance
programmes in western Hararghe province had been waiting for this moment for a
long time. Like his four colleagues, all based in the small town
of Mechara, Steve had awakened early that morning to the deafening sound of
rain beating down on corrugated iron roofs.
A distribution of 400 tonnes of maize, bean and
sorghum seed has just been completed in this part of Ethiopia, home to over
100,000 people particularly hard hit by the persistent drought of the past few
years. The short rainy season, expected to last three to four weeks, should
enable farmers to grow just enough seedlings for the planting season in July,
which, in ordinary times, suffices to feed the population.
Two of five distributions of food rations have also
been completed, providing the population with some 7,000 tonnes of maize flour,
beans and cooking oil. This means that people will not have to dip into their
seed reserves to survive, a serious risk during lean periods.
WFP opens global crisis supply centre in Asia
Phnom Penh, 11 April – The United Nations World Food Programme announced today the creation of
a ground-breaking supply base for emergency response, located in Cambodia,
which will serve WFP and other aid agencies working in humanitarian crises
anywhere in Asia.
The WFP Asia Regional Response Facility will receive
store and dispatch stocks that can be rushed to a humanitarian crisis within
hours of its outbreak. The equipment will include items such as pre-fabricated
offices, telecommunications and computer equipment, forklifts, generators,
light vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, tools, spare parts, and fuel pumps.
The warehouse, launched at a signing ceremony between
WFP and the Government of Cambodia, is the first in a “four corners network” of shared facilities near the epicenters of likely
humanitarian crises. The centers, linked electronically, will cover the four
corners of the compass: north (Europe and the Middle East), south (southern
Africa), east (Asia) and west (Latin America).
http://www.wfp.org/index.asp?section=2
WFP praises timely japanese donation for Africa, Asia
and Latin America
Rome, 11 April – The United Nations World Food Programme today expressed its gratitude
to the Japanese Government for a donation of US$84.5 million for refugees,
internally displaced people and victims of natural disasters in Africa, Asia,
the Near East and Latin America.
“We are particularly encouraged by the timeliness and
magnitude of this donation”, WFP Executive Director James T. Morris said. “At a time when the world’s attention is focused on Iraq, it is vital that the
needy in other parts of the world are not forgotten.”
The funds will be used to buy wheat, wheat flour,
maize, maize meal, pulses, corn soya blend and sorghum, as well as
Japanese-procured rice and canned tuna. The donation comes at a time when WFP
is especially concerned about the danger of the Iraq conflict diverting
attention and funds from other regions of crisis – particularly in Africa. (...)
Total Japanese Government donations to WFP already
amount to US$104.3 million this year, following US$92.6 million of assistance
in 2002. (...)
http://www.wfp.org/index.asp?section=2
UNICEF convoy brings relief to forgotten children in
Côte d'Ivoire's stricken Northeast district
Abijian, April 10 - After seven months of isolation
due to fighting, a UNICEF convoy delivered a consignment of medical supplies
and relief food for children in the severely-stricken north-eastern district of
Bouna, 600 km north-east of Abidjan.The supplies consisted of basic health
kits, water purification tablets, mosquito nets, soap, disinfectants and
plastic buckets, as well as four tons of rice, soya beans and cooking oil. The
food is destined for a school children's cantine run by Roman Catholic
missionaries and were sourced from World Food Programme stocks in
government-controlled Bondoukou, 160 km south of Bouna.
UNICEF also provided a refridgerator and three gas
cylinders to revive the "cold chain" system and restart vaccination
for children at Bouna Hospital. Also, two water pumps and spare parts to
rehabilitate the town's broken down water supply system were delivered, as well
as education and recreation kits for 1,300 school children receiving
recreational care at the Catholic mission compound and at two other locations.
The normal schools closed when most of the teachers fled in the heat of the
fighting. (...)
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/2003/03nn23ivorycoast.htm
Safeguarding food security in the Caribbean
FAO Trust Fund for Food Security launches first
project - Italy donates 50 million euros
7 April, Rome - A $5 million project to
promote food security in the Caribbean has been jointly launched by the
Caribbean Community, the CARIFORUM, the Government of Italy and FAO.
The project is the first technical
cooperation project to be launched from the FAO Trust Fund for Food Security,
created during the 2002 World Food Summit: five years later, to increase
the flow of resources to fight hunger.
The project was signed by FAO Deputy
Director-General David Harcharik, the Italian Under-Secretary for Foreign
Affairs, Mario Bacinni and the Assistant Secretary-General of CARICOM Byron
Blake, during a March meeting held at the Milan offices of the Inter American
Development Bank.
Funded by the Italian government, the
project is the first of its kind to focus on regional food security with
support from the Trust Fund. Further projects for developing countries are in
the final stages of preparation. (...)
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2003/15823-en.html
Iraq: Restoring
family links - Press kit
April 17 - The ICRC has
set up a special tracing unit for Iraq at its training centre near Geneva to
centralize data on prisoners of war and information needed to restore family
links.
Photos in high
resolution for media use
On 26 March the ICRC set up a special tracing unit for
Iraq at its training centre in Ecogia (20 km from Geneva) to centralize data on
prisoners of war and information needed to restore family links. The unit
comprises more than 50 people, mainly English/Arabic translators, data entry
operators, IT technicians and specialists in detention-related and tracing
activities. "Our two priorities - to collect data on prisoners and missing
persons and to restore contact between relatives separated by the conflict -
are closely linked," said Pierre Barras, who heads the unit. (...)
CARE restores generator power in Baghdad
hospitals
Disorder and chaos continue to hamper relief efforts
April 15 - CARE staff in Iraq are addressing key needs
in Baghdad’s hospitals, and distributing clean water and other
supplies to communities despite disorder and chaos. But large-scale relief
efforts cannot take place to meet escalating needs until a minimum of security
is guaranteed.
“The health situation is absolutely critical,” said Margaret Hassan, CARE country director from
Baghdad. “The most urgent need in hospitals is for electricity
to be restored. Without electricity, operations cannot be performed and
refrigerated vaccines will spoil.”
Hassan confirmed that CARE staff have resumed work in
Baghdad after a week of lying low, distributing relief supplies there and in
three nearby towns some 30 miles outside of the capital.
Today, CARE staff restored power to one of Baghdad’s largest hospitals, Al Yarmuk General (1,200 beds).
Last week, the hospital was hit directly by shells, which destroyed the third
floor. Of the four hospitals visited today, CARE reports all had been looted to
some degree. While Al Yarmuk General still has some supplies, Al Kindi hospital
doesn’t even have beds. Tomorrow, two teams of CARE
engineers will do their utmost to help restore power and distribute
disinfectants to hospitals throughout Baghdad. (...)
http://www.careusa.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2003/apr/04152003_iraq.asp
Sierra Leoneans exchange small arms for development
support
9 April - The disarmament and peace process in Sierra
Leone is getting new impetus from a pilot programme in four chiefdoms that
encourages communities to turn in small arms in return for support for local
development projects. The initiative will also strengthen national weapons
control measures. (...)
When the participating chiefdoms are certified by the
police as having turned in all weapons, they are entitled to receive US$20,000
for a development project. The communities select and carry out the projects,
such as building a school or health clinic or setting up a job training
programme.
The weapons-free certification will pave the way for
further development activities by donor agencies and civil society groups. UNDP Sierra Leone and the UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and
Recovery are providing
funding for the programme.
If the six months pilot phase is successful, UNDP and
its partners will consider expanding it into a national programme. The
initiative will also support steps to strengthen weapons control legislation,
establish a firearms licensing process, and conduct a survey on the extent and
sources of small arms proliferation. (...)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2003/april/9apr03/index.html
Rotary presents Polio Eradication Champion Award
to Former Prime Minister of Japan
Tokyo, 17 April - In recognition of significant and
ongoing support from the government of Japan in the fight against polio, Rotary
International today presented Former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto with the Polio
Eradication Champion Award.
Over the course of the initiative, which began in the
mid 1980s, the Government of Japan has contributed nearly US$200 million toward
polio eradication efforts worldwide. Much of these funds have gone toward the
purchase of oral polio vaccine and other assistance.
The award, presented by Bhichai Rattakul, President of
Rotary International, was established in 1995 to recognize world leaders who
have made outstanding contributions toward the goal of eradicating polio by
2005. "On behalf of our 1.2 million Rotary volunteers worldwide, I am
honored to give this award in recognition of the significant support by the
Government of the Japan," said Rattakul. "As we stand on the brink of
victory over polio, financial assistance from governments are urgently
needed." (...)
Great strides have been made in polio eradication.
When Rotary began its polio immunization program in the mid 1980s,
approximately 1,000 children were infected by this crippling disease every day.
At the end of 2002, less than 2000 children contracted polio in seven countries
(India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Niger, Somalia and Egypt), down from
the 350,000 cases estimated in 125 countries in 1988. The Americas were
declared free from polio in 1994, as well as the Western Pacific region in
2000, and Europe in 2002.
Despite this success, the greatest challenges to
reaching every child are high density populations, civil unrest, and most
critically, a US$275 million funding gap. (...)
http://www.rotary.org/newsandinfo/presscenter/releases/152.html
Hospital Maternity Ward Reopens
8 April - A baby boy weighing 2.85 kilograms was the
first infant delivered at the newly rebuilt maternity ward of Kabul’s Khair Khana hospital, which reopened at the end of
March. The mother, 40, was in good shape and proud to be the first woman to
give birth in the new facility. It was her sixth pregnancy and second child,
following four miscarriages. The small maternity and children’s hospital, serving a large, impoverished area of
Kabul, was renovated and refurbished by UNFPA, the United Nations Population
Fund. Work was carried out by the Italian NGO Intersos.
During the eight months that the maternity ward was
closed for badly needed improvement, UNFPA supported the operations of a Danish
Emergency Mobile Hospital near Khair Khana. The hospital treated 200-300
patients a day with trauma care, selective surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology;
and trained over 100 local staff members. Between July and December, almost
1,500 babies were delivered at the facility. (...)
UNFPA is participating in Afghanistan's reconstruction
as part of the integrated United Nations assistance mission. Priorities
identified together with the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of
Women's Affairs include strengthening maternal health services and girls’ education, with an initial focus on rebuilding health
and education infrastructure. (...)
http://www.unfpa.org/emergencies/afghanistan/update.htm
Luxembourg increases contributions to UNFPA by 33 per
cent
United Nations, New York, 3 April – UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, today
welcomed Luxembourg’s decision to increase by nearly 33 per cent its allocation to the Fund’s regular resources. This would take Luxembourg’s contribution to about 727,000 euros for 2003.
“This substantial increase is a profoundly appreciated
response to rising demands for resources to keep the world’s promise to prevent maternal deaths, unwanted
pregnancies and HIV/AIDS infections,” said UNFPA’s Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. (...) “This is another example of the generosity of the
Government and people of Luxembourg, who provided the entire $4.5 million UNFPA
sought in 2001 to assist women and men in Afghanistan,” Ms. Obaid added.
In a recent address to the United Nations Commission
on Population and Development, Ms. Obaid said that resources for the Cairo
Programme of Action from developing countries and donors have dropped from
$11.2 billion in 2000 to $9.4 billion in 2001. She urged greater efforts to
fulfil the commitment to invest $17 billion a year for reproductive health and
other population needs.
UNFPA is the world’s largest multilateral source of population
assistance. Since it became operational in 1969, the Fund has provided
sustained assistance to developing countries to address their population and
development needs.
MSF expands SARS intervention in Vietnam
Brussels - MSF is re-enforcing its team in the Bach Mai hospital in
Hanoi, Vietnam. The team, in place since March 19, is helping to contain the
illness known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which has already
killed 75 people and infected over 1,800 worldwide.
The 6-strong MSF team has set up an isolation wing in the hospital with
a capacity for 100 patients. They are also providing training in isolation and
protection techniques for the local medical staff and will give psychological
support to staff and patients. "MSF has a great deal of experience in the
isolation of diseases, and our presence has been important for the local staff,
many of whom are understandably apprehensive about treating this mysterious
illness," explains William Claus, who set up the emergency intervention in
Hanoi for MSF. (...)
(top)
Geothermal Power Boost for Kenya and
Eastern Africa
Experts Draw Up Action Plan for
Environmentally-Friendly Energy from the Earth's Hot Rocks
Nairobi, 11 April - A plan to dramatically
increase the levels of electricity generated from "hot rocks" in
Eastern Africa has been drawn up at a key conference held at the headquarters
of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Geothermal, which harnesses steam produced
by hot rocks deep in the Earth to generate electricity, is a highly promising
form of renewable energy. But until now its potential in the Eastern African
Rift Valley region has remained largely untapped.
Government energy experts, scientists,
engineers and members of the private sector, today set a "challenging yet
achievable target" to develop 1,000 MW of geothermal across Eastern Africa
by 2020, equivalent to the electricity needs of several million people in the
region. In total, Africa has a potential of up to 7,000MW of untapped
geothermal energy resources.
Currently Kenya, which has pioneered
geothermal energy in the region, generates 45 MW of electricity from "hot
rocks". The delegates, in a final declaration, said: "Geothermal
power has proven very reliable. Kenya has used geothermal energy for power
generation for 22 years at greater than 97 per cent availability". The
experts emphasized that geothermal energy was clean and, unlike
hydro-electricity, was not vulnerable to droughts. It also is not prone to
unpredictable price fluctuations as can be the case with oil-fired power
generation.
The meeting, called the Eastern African
Geothermal Energy Week, has been aimed at overcoming some of the technological
and financial hurdles that have held back geothermal development. (...)
http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID=309&ArticleID=3963
U. N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) participates in Workshop on Renewable Energy
Resources and Potential
The Energy Team of the Sustainable Development and
Productivity Division participated in a joint Lebanese-Syrian Workshop on
Renewable Energy Resources and Potential that was organized by the National
Council for Scientific Research in Lebanon and the Supreme Council of Sciences
in Syria in collaboration with the Lebanese - Syrian Supreme Council.
The workshop was held at the National Council for
Scientific Research, Beirut on 27 - 28 March 2003 (...) The workshop aimed to
overview the renewable energy research status in the two countries, the
state-of-the-art renewable energy technologies and applications, and the joint
Lebanese –Syrian research projects. ESCWA staff presented two research papers on:
Large-scale Renewable Energy Electricity Generation
and Potential for Export, by Ms. Anhar Hegazi; The Role of Architecture Design,
Thermal Insulation and Solar Heating Systems in Achieving Energy Efficiency in
Buildings, by Mr. Mohamad Kordab.
This workshop is a part of a series of seminars
"Syrian - Lebanese Research Days" organized for scientific
interaction between Lebanese and Syrian universities, research centers and
concerned authorities.
WWF honours Deh Cho First
Nations and government of Canada for major conservation move Yellowknife,
Canada
17 Apr – The Deh Cho First Nations and the government of
Canada received an international conservation honour today for withdrawing over
10 million hectares of land from industrial development in the Northwest
Territories’ Mackenzie Valley. WWF
officially recognized this as a Gift to the Earth, as representatives of the
government of Canada and the Deh Cho First Nations met in Fort Providence, NWT,
to sign the Land Withdrawal and an Interim Resource Management Agreement. This
major habitat and cultural conservation step is especially important because it
comes in advance of finalizing plans for a natural gas pipeline along the
Mackenzie Valley.
The Mackenzie is one of the
world’s last remaining great rivers still in its
natural state. Its vast watershed covers 180 million hectares, one-sixth of
Canada. This pristine sub-arctic region is home to several aboriginal peoples,
including the Deh Cho First Nation, as well as to huge populations of wildlife
including caribou, grizzly bears, and migratory birds. These intact wildlife
habitats are important watersheds and hunting, trapping and fishing areas for
the Deh Cho — resources that have
sustained them for thousands of years. The entire Deh Cho region occurs within
two of WWF's Global
200 ecoregions, Canadian Low Arctic Tundra and Canadian Boreal
Forests. (...)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/other_news/news.cfm?uNewsID=6951
Cuban city of Bayamo gets new urban revival plan
April 16 - Cuba’s second oldest city, Bayamo, has signed up to a new
Urban Pact supported by UN-HABITAT and the government of Belgium designed to
tackle a range of environmental problems that have been slowing its
development.
An estimated 200 local officials joined Mayor Adrian
Gorgoso Suárez and other national and international dignitaries in the usually
placid Plaza de la Revolución in the historic centre of Bayamo on Friday, 11
April to sign the pact and publicly commit themselves to take concrete measures
to curb the city’s urban degradation and build the foundations of a more sustainable
future for the city first established nearly 500 years ago.
The pact formally endorses the work of a four-day
Consulta Urbana, a city consultation which focused on issues of the pollution
of the Río Bayamo, solid waste management, public transport, and the quality of
public spaces. (...)
http://www.unhabitat.org/cuban.asp
Husband and wife team win
WWF Arctic tourism prize
Oslo, Norway, 5 April - WWF
has awarded its prestigious WWF Arctic Award for Linking Tourism and
Conservation 2002, and 10,000 Swiss francs, to Svalbard Villmarkssenter,
Svalbard, Norway.
Svalbard Villmarkssenter,
based in Longyearbyen, Svalbard is a small, family-run business based around
dogsledding and hiking trips. The company, run by husband and wife team Karl
and Berit Hole Vatvik, are active campaigners for conservation: for the last
ten years they have campaigned for non-motorised tourism in Svalbard in
response to the increased use of snow-mobiles by other tour operators. They
have also opposed plans to build a road to link two mining communities on
Svalbard. The road, which would have ruined Reindalen, a beautiful and
biologically-rich valley, is now set to become a protected area within the next
year.
Samantha Smith, director of
WWF’s Arctic Programme, said: “We are delighted to award our 2002 Arctic Award
to Svalbard Villmarkssenter. They are an excellent example of how tourism can
work in harmony with conservation. They serve locally produced food, use hand
made sleds, tents and clothes, are committed to recycling, and work hard to
share the local culture as much as local nature with their guests. They show
that with commitment and hard work, small businesses can survive in a larger
commercial setting and stake out the path for future sustainable tourism.” (...)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/other_news/news.cfm?uNewsID=6907
The Earth Charter is the backbone for an
environmental ethics course
April 4 - The Environmental Ethics Course is one
of the regular courses taught within the Dual Masters Program in Natural
Resources and Sustainable Development, implemented between University for Peace
and the American University in Washington D.C. The Earth Charter provides the
backbone of this course. The introductory lecture to the course is actually
given by Earth Charter staff who explain the origins and scope of the Charter
and discuss with the students its applications. An important element of
students’ research is finding out and analyzing the contribution of the Earth
Charter to particular topics of the course. In this way, the Charter provides a
unifying concept for the content of the course. More information on the overall
Master’s program can be seen at : http://www.upeace.org/academic/masters/natural_resources.htm
http://www.earthcharter.org/events/event.cfm?id_activity=494&id_language=1
Thirty-fifth anniversary of the founding of Auroville
April 11 - Yesterday, the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura,
participated in celebrations at UNESCO Headquarters marking the thirty-fifth
anniversary of the founding of Auroville, a unique ‘model
city’ near Pondicherry, India. Opening an exhibition on Auroville, Mr
Matsuura said that “as an intellectual and ethical organization, UNESCO
cannot fail to be fascinated by this experience”. Inspired by the
great Indian spiritual master Sri Aurobindo, Auroville has developed into a
full-fledged city of over 1500 inhabitants and enjoys close links with
surrounding communities.
Noting that UNESCO had supported the foundation of Auroville and, over
the years, has continued to show interest in its unfolding development, the
Director-General stressed the similarities between UNESCO’s
ideals, values and principles and those underpinning this unusual community. He
pointed to the way in which key aspects of the Auroville experiment resonate
strongly with some of UNESCO’s major priorities and concerns such as dialogue among
civilizations, cultures and religions; cultural diversity and culture as a
factor for development; poverty eradication; quality education and lifelong
learning; and renewable energies.
The Director-General expressed his appreciation of the cooperation with
the Indian Permanent Delegation in organizing the Auroville celebration at
Headquarters.
An event
highlighting World Press Freedom Day observed on 3 May 2003
Organized by
UNESCO and the Department of Public Information for the 25th session
of the Committee on Information, Friday, 2 May 2003, 10 a.m. – 12 noon,
Conference Room 2
New York, April 23
- Highlighting World Press Freedom Day, the Committee on Information will
dedicate its morning session of work on 2 May to the Day with a two-part event.
The opening segment will begin at 10:00 a.m. featuring addresses by
Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other UN officials and the President of the
United Nations Correspondents Association. It will be followed at 10:50 a.m.
with a panel entitled “The Media and Armed Conflict” comprised of media representatives and experts. They will speak on the role and
responsibilities of the world media in their coverage of armed conflicts,
including conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation.
Special attention will be given to the emerging policies and best practices
that ensure responsible coverage while encouraging the widest press freedoms.
Women among first computer specialists trained in
Afghanistan
17 April - Afghanistan is now producing
internationally certified information technology specialists, one third of them
women so far. Six women and 11 men graduated this month from the University of
Kabul's new Cisco Networking Academy, earning the first industry-standard certification
for computer networking ever offered in the country. The event was a milestone
for Afghan women, shut out of public life by the former Taliban regime and its
radical interpretation of Islamic law. (...)
The new academy fills a critical void for women and
men alike. A severe shortage of people trained in information and
communications technology cut the country off from much of the high-tech
transformation of the global community over the past two decades. (...)
UNDP and network hardware vendor Cisco Systems
launched the academy last October to create a core of Afghan specialists who
can help move the country onto the digital highway. Cisco Systems trained the
Afghan teachers and provided networking equipment for the academy. UNDP
supported the training, supplied computer hardware and forged the partnership
with the university. (...)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
“Youth and Globalisation”:
European students raise their voice on the effects of globalisation
17 April - “Youth and Globalisation” is the name of the AEGEE Yearplan Project
launched within the framework of “Europe in the World” – the leading topic for AEGEE activities in the
year 2003. (...) The “Youth and Globalisation” project aims at raising awareness among students on current issues
related to globalisation in Europe; surveying and evaluating the opinion of
students on globalisation and its effects on European society; disseminating
the opinion of European students; contributing to the clarification of the role
of the European Union concerning issues connected to globalisation with the
help of a position paper drafted on the basis of the results of the project. We
would like to stress that this project does not
intend to support any of the views on the issue, neither pro- nor
contra-globalisation. The project starts with a survey, which will be
distributed in universities all over Europe, in order to get an overview about
students’ knowledge on and interest in the phenomenon of globalisation. Its
results are intended to form the backbone of all later events and discussions.
(...)
AEGEE (Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de
l'Europe - European Students' Forum) is one of Europe's largest
interdisciplinary student associations, which promotes a unified Europe,
cross-border co-operation, communication, integration among students and
strives to create an open and tolerant society of tomorrow. AEGEE is a
voluntary, non-profit organisation that operates without being linked to any
political party. It is represented in 271 university cities, in 40 countries
all around Europe and has about 17 000 members.
http://www.karl.aegee.org/aeg-info.nsf/PressReleasesEdi?OpenView
4th Global Action Week:
over 1 million took part in World's Largest Simultaneous Lesson!! – 6-13 April 2003
Let this be a lesson the world will never forget" - Kofi Annan
On April 9, over 1.3 million students, educators and
community leaders in 180 countries joined forces for the world’s largest teach-in about girls’ education. The lesson highlighted the promises for
girls within international agreements and the role of governments worldwide in
making these promises a reality. EI (Education International) and the Global Campaign for Education have organised the teach-in on girls’ education to raise international awareness among
every-day people and international leaders. EI thanks all participants for
their support! - 14 April 2003
http://www.ei-ie.org/main/english/index.html
Global
Elementary Model United Nations is what the name implies -- elementary (and
middle school) students role-playing the assemblies of the United Nations! This
enriching, exciting opportunity has been available in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas,
U.S.A. since 1990.
GEMUN
is an excellent hands-on approach to learning in a global context. By
role-playing delegates to the United Nations, young people from varied
backgrounds learn about other countries, cultures and international
relationships, while developing a global perspective on real issues confronting
the world community today, and acquiring many transferable skills.
During the school year, elementary and middle school children and their
sponsors receive help through workshops and printed materials. This preparation
will culminate in a two-day Model United Nations session.
Students
immensely enjoy the collegiate setting while participating in GEMUN. Due to the
authentic nature of the material and assignments, they see direct application
of the information to their daily lives, the problems in the world and their
surrounding environment.
GEMUN
is sponsored by: The Robert Muller School 6005 Royaloak Dr. Arlington,
TX 76016 USA
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It is a free of charge service of Associazione
Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered
non-profit educational organization chartered in Italy in 1979. The Association
operates for the development of consciousness and supports the activities of
the Lucis Trust, the Club of Budapest, the Earth Charter, Radio For Peace
International and other organizations promoting a culture of peace in the
‘global village’ perspective based on unity within diversity and on
sharing. Via Antagora 10, 00124 Rome, Italy. E-mail: s.tripi@tiscalinet.it
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