Good News Agency – Year IV, n° 9
Weekly - Year IV, number 9 – 23
May 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
institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn
out” in the space of a day. Editorial research by Fabio Gatti. Good News Agency
is published in English on one Friday and in Italian the next. It is distributed free of charge through
Internet to the editorial offices of more than 2,400
media in 46 countries, as
well as to 1,000 NGO.
It is a service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della
Buona Volontà Mondiale, NGO associated with the United Nations Department of Public
Information.
International legislation – Human rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health – Environment
and wildlife – Culture
and education
Human
trafficking, especially in women and children, to be the focus of UN Crime
Commissio n Meeting -- 40-member
body to hold 12th session in Vienna from 13 -22 May
Vienna, 13 May - Human
trafficking, especially in women and children, will be the focus of discussion
at the twelfth session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice beginning today.
While there is a dearth of
reliable statistics worldwide on human trafficking, UNODC's newly-established
global database, which focuses on such trends, allows for some general
conclusions. The findings confirm that the majority of victims of human
trafficking are women and children, and sexual exploitation is the most common
form of such abuse. Persons are typically recruited from moderately poor
countries, transported through countries which provide safe routes, and end up
in more affluent parts of the world. Asia, the Former Soviet Republics and
Africa are the major regions of origin. (…) The main destination regions can be
found in the industrialized world and in Asia. (…)
The main topics to be
discussed at the twelfth session are: (a) Trends in trafficking in human
beings; (b) Investigating and prosecuting cases on trafficking in human beings:
national and international law enforcement cooperation and assistance; and (c)
Awareness raising and social intervention: victim support and the role of civil
society.
In addition, a Workshop on
"Trafficking in Human Beings, Especially in Women and Children: Lessons
Learned and Policy Implications" will be held on 15 May. (…)
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press_release_2003-05-13_1.html
ILO,
Myanmar agree on facilitator to help end forced labour
Geneva, 14 May - The
Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Juan Somavia,
today welcomed a formal understanding negotiated between the ILO and the Union
of Myanmar for the establishment of a facilitator to assist possible victims of
forced labour in Myanmar.
In a letter to Mr. U Tin Winn,
Minister of Labour of Myanmar, Mr. Somavia said:
"I welcome both the
Formal Understanding on the Facilitator to assist possible victims in Myanmar
to seek remedies available under the relevant legislation and as provided under
the Forced Labour Convention No. 29
(1930) and the reaffirmation of your government's commitment to eradicating
forced labour, expressed in this Formal Understanding.” (…)
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2003/21.htm
ILO
launches first global report on discrimination at work
Says
workplace discrimination remains a persistent global problem,with new, more
subtle forms emerging
Geneva, 12 May - While the
most blatant forms of discrimination at work may have faded, many remain a
persistent and daily part of the workplace or are taking on new, more subtle
forms that are cause for growing concern, according to a new study by the
International Labour Office (ILO). What's more, the ILO's most comprehensive
study to date on discrimination, entitled "Time for Equality
at Work" 1,
warns that neglecting to tackle "widening socio-economic
inequalities" in the world of work not only amounts to accepting a
"waste of human talent and resources" but could have "disastrous
effects on national social cohesion, political stability, and hence
growth" in the years to come. (…)
The report shows that many of
those who suffer from discrimination - especially on the basis of their sex or
colour - face a persistent "equality gap" that divides them from
dominant groups who enjoy a better life, or even from their own peers who have
benefitted from anti-discrimination laws and policies. (…) The ILO report lays
the blame for continuing discrimination on prejudices, stereotypes and biased
institutions that have resisted decades of legal efforts and policy measures
undertaken by governments, workers and employers against unequal treatment at
work. (…)
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2003/19.htm
Ethiopia: First course on law of war for instructors
of the Ethiopian Ground Forces
12 May - The first
corps-level course in Ethiopia for law of armed conflict (LOAC) instructors has
just come to an end in Awassa. Organized and taught by the ICRC in
coordination with the Ethiopian Army's Department of Operations, the 10-day
course provided training for 38 commanding officers of the Awassa Military
Corps and officers from the Legal and Training Departments. (…)
LOAC regulates the means and
methods of warfare, and consists of the Geneva Conventions, their Additional
Protocols, and other international treaties. Better known outside military
circles as "international humanitarian law", it does not prohibit
war, but rather strikes a balance between military necessity and the demands of
humanity. It requires belligerents to maintain a degree of humanity on the
battlefield – to avoid harming non-combatants, for instance – and imposes
limitations on means and methods of warfare. (…)
Rural
poor people in Chad to benefit from IFAD-backed development project
Rome, 15 May - Water for
farming in the ouadis of Chad will soon become a reality, with approval of a
USD14.3 million rural development project for the Kanem region. An ouadis is a
type of populated oasis where farmers plant their crops.
The project will be financed
largely by a USD 13.0 million loan from the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) to the Republic of Chad. Signing the loan agreement today at
IFAD headquarters is H.E. Mr. Djimrangar Dadnadji, Minister of Planning,
Development and Cooperation for the Republic of Chad and the IFAD President,
Mr. Lennart Båge.
Almost the entire rural
population of this poorest region of Chad will benefit from the eight-year
project, which will address the needs of poor farmers and especially women, by
providing access to credit. (…)
With this project, IFAD will have financed four projects in Chad, totaling USD 41.3 million.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2003/25.htm
UNDP
supports Azerbaijan's $3 billion poverty reduction initiative
13 May - Azerbaijan is
embarking on a US$3 billion poverty reduction and economic development
programme, as part of which UNDP will help mobilize resources to expand job
opportunities and develop a framework to use oil revenues for social
development.
President Heydar Aliyev
approved the initiative, which runs until 2005, earlier this year. UNDP is
helping to set up a poverty monitoring unit in the Ministry of Economic
Development to track progress, with resources from the global UNDP Poverty Reduction Trust
Fund. (…)
The latest household surveys
show that one in two people lives below poverty line on less than US$25 a
month, a benchmark for poverty reduction included in the strategy.
If the economic growth rate,
buoyed by oil revenues, continues within the range of nine per cent a year,
Azerbaijan will be able to halve poverty rate by the year 2015, reaching the
Millennium Development Goal target, provided that the benefits of growth are
shared amongst the general population, said UNDP Resident Representative Marco
Borsotti. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2003/may/13may03/index.html
UNECE and SITPRO to develop
toolkit of electronic trade documents for world trade community
Geneva, 13 May - The United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), together with Britain´s trade
facilitation agency, SITPRO Ltd., will jointly develop a Toolkit containing a
set of United Nations electronic Trade Documents (UNeDocs). The Toolkit, which
is expected to be released towards the end of 2003, is intended to support and
complement national and sub-regional initiatives in trade facilitation, to
increase trade, attract investment and help countries become more integrated in
regional and world trade.
In technical assistance
projects the Toolkit can serve as a national blueprint, transferring
experiences and lessons learnt. Its flexible design will allow countries to
enter the project at whatever level they choose, according to their readiness
to implement trade facilitation standards and electronic business. (…)
The UNeDocs project is a technical cooperation activity of UNECE
to promote the knowledge-based economy and to help countries integrate into
global trade. The UNeDocs project management is supported by an Advisory Board
of stakeholders, which directly represents the interests of donors,
implementing agencies, recipient countries, UN regional commissions and other
UN agencies.
For further information: UNeDocs@unece.org
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2003/03trade_p04e.htm
Emergency
programme creates more than 125,000 jobs in Peru
12 May - A government
emergency job creation programme in Peru has provided temporary four-month
employment for more than 125,000 unemployed poor in 22 of 24 regions of the
country, according to a UNDP study. The programme, called Let's Work - Urban,
has helped 1.8 million people, including families of those getting work and
people in communities that have benefited from the renovation of urban
infrastructure that it carried out.
President Alejandro Toledo (…)
said that Let's Work - Urban had enhanced the self-esteem of people who need to
regain their confidence. (…) Women's participation in the jobs programme has
been outstanding, accounting for 90 per cent of participants in the Lima area
and 60 per cent in the provincial urban areas. The initiative is part of the
Government plan against poverty, which affects more than 13 million Peruvians.
Unemployment and underemployment rates stand at 9 per cent and 50 per cent,
respectively. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2003/may/12may03/index.html
IFAD
to support local initiative promotion project in the Republic of Niger
Rome, 9 May - A loan agreement
was signed today at IFAD headquarters by Mr. Adam Maiga Zakariaou, Councellor
at the Embassy of Niger, and by the IFAD President, Mr. Lennart Båge. The USD
10 million loan will help finance the Aguié Local Innovation
Promotion Project in the Republic of Niger, which will have a total cost of
about USD 17.6 million. Cofinancing will be provided by the Belgian Survival
Fund for about USD 3.8 million.
The goal of the eight-year
project is to improve the incomes and living standards of the rural poor in the
department of Aguié, with a high emphasis on the needs of the poorest and most
vulnerable groups, particularly women and youth. (…) Sustainability of the
natural resource base will be an overriding factor in the selection of
activities and technologies to be supported by the project. (…) With this
project, IFAD will have financed six projects in the Republic of Niger for a
total loan amount of USD 75 million.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2003/24.htm
Landless
women to benefit from IFAD-backed microfinance project in Bangladesh
Rome, 8 May - Landless women
will be the main beneficiaries of a USD 20.2 million microfinance project in
Bangladesh. The project will be financed
largely by a USD 16.3 million loan from the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. (…)
Microfinance programmes extend
small loans at reasonable interest rates to poor people who, with limited
assets and little savings would be unlikely to access credit directly from
banks. In Bangladesh, microfinance programmes have had a significant impact on
improving quality of life, particularly when credit is extended to women. (…)
The project area will cover 13
districts, with a rural population of 20.85 million. (…) It will benefit
276,000 households. Women, especially women without access to land, will be the
main target group. (…)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2003/23.htm
Africa
Business Forum 2003: Building Partnerships & Foundations for African
Business - Durban, South Africa, 24 - 25 July
A partnership between
Financial Times Business and Deloitte & Touché, the Forum will focus on the
promotion of intra-Africa trade and investment. The idea for the forum came
from delegates to the Second Africa-Asia Business Forum held in Durban, South
Africa in July, 2001, who saw an untapped potential for intra-Africa trade and
investment. The Second Africa-Asia Business Forum realised approximately US$80
million of signed business, and organizers of July's Africa Business Forum are
confident of repeating that success. The Forum will be a concrete step in
supporting the economic and business mandates of the African Union, which seeks
to create a political and economic union of African States. The event has been
endorsed by the NEPAD and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of South
Africa.
http://www.unido.org/it/doc/11231
Rotary recognizes members of Congress as "Champions"
in the worldwide effort to eradicate polio
Washington DC, 14 May - Rotary
International today recognized select members of Congress with the Polio Eradication Champion Award for
their ongoing support in securing critically needed funds to achieve a polio-free
world. In fiscal year 2003, Congress appropriated $133 million to the global
polio eradication effort. (…) First time recipients of the award include: Rep.
Donna M. Christensen (D-VI), Rep. Donald M. Payne (D-NJ), and Rep. Joe Wilson
(R-SC). (…)
To date, Rotary has
contributed more than $500 million toward polio eradication, and over one
million Rotary members have volunteered their time and personal resources to
help immunize more than 2 billion children in 122 countries.
The Global Polio Eradication
Initiative is spearheaded by Rotary International, the World Health
Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Additional support for the global polio
eradication effort is provided by the U.S. Coalition for the Eradication of
Polio, a group of committed child health advocates lead by Rotary that
includes, the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, the Task Force for Child
Survival and Development, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the American Academy of
Pediatrics, and the United Nations Foundation.
http://www.rotary.org/newsandinfo/presscenter/releases/155.html
Morocco
helps WFP feed Iraq
Rome, 12 May - The UN World
Food Program today thanked the government of Morocco for donating about 200
tons of food for emergency operations in Iraq. The in-kind donation of 139
metric tons of rice and 58.5 metric tons of plain dried skimmed milk is worth
more than US$ 216,000. (…) Over the
coming five months, WFP is gearing up to deliver 1.6 million tons of food to
Iraq – enough to feed the entire population, some 27 million people, 60 percent
of whom are estimated to be entirely dependent on monthly food handouts.
The Programme has already
transported more than 100,000 tons of food aid into Iraq during the past four
weeks, using corridors through Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait and Iran.
Deliveries are to be increased massively over the coming weeks, to reach a
target of 500,000 tons a month to all 18 governorates, including the milling of
bulk grain through three hubs – Baghdad in the centre of the country, Mosul in
the north and Basra in the south.
With nearly 200 aid trucks
rolling into northern Iraq every day, WFP announced last week that it has
achieved pre-war food security levels in northern Iraq and is now reaching out
to cover the food needs of the central and southern regions of the country. (…)
War-affected
women in Freetown get help
6 May - On the outskirts of
Freetown, up a red clay road gashed by hard rain, sits a makeshift shelter some
women call home. One of these women is 19-year-old Khadija Bah. “I found this
place a long time ago,” she said. “I was living a bad life and met Auntie
Juliana.”
“Auntie Juliana” is Juliana
Konteh, a 42-year-old Evangelist missionary who started the Women in Crisis
project in 1997. “I met some ladies in a brothel and decided to help them,” she
explained. “They needed food, clothing, care and attention.”
Today, some 400 women and
girls, many who suffered terribly during Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war,
receive care and attention at this hilltop site. (…) The Women in Crisis
project offers a lifeline to women like Khadija, who have nowhere else to turn.
Since 2001, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, has been providing
support to bolster services. Drop-in centers offer counseling and training, and
clinics offer services to prevent and treat sexually transmitted infections.
(…)
http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=314
Secretary-General
condemns suicide attacks against Israelis, urges protection of civilians
The
following statement was issued by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi
Annan on 18 May:
The Secretary-General strongly
condemns the suicide bombings and attacks against Israelis that have occurred
in the past 24 hours. These murderous
attacks fuel the cycle of violence, revenge, fear and distrust and are the
greatest impediment to peace. The
Secretary-General passes on his condolences to the families of those who lost
loved ones in these attacks.
The Secretary-General urges
the Palestinian leadership to do everything in its power to de-legitimize and
stop terrorism. He calls on the
Government of Israel to show restraint, to act in conformity with its
obligations under international humanitarian law and to ensure that its
security forces take measures to protect the safety of civilians in the
occupied Palestinian territories. The
Secretary-General calls on both sides not to allow those who carry out such
repugnant attacks to hijack the peace process and set the agenda. The Secretary-General believes that the
safety and security of the people of the Middle East is best insured by fully
implementing the Quartet's Road Map.
UNIC Rome
Japan
gives another $1.2 million for Palestinian 'Road Map' reforms
16 May - Japan is adding
US$1.2 million to the $10 million it has already provided to UNDP to help
reforms in the Palestinian Authority in support of the Road Map for peace.
During her recent visit to the region, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko
Kawguchi said the assistance will facilitate efforts by newly-appointed
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to carry out the reform agenda.
Welcoming the support, Timothy
Rothermel, Special Representative of UNDP in Jerusalem, said the Japanese
Government has shown an unwavering commitment to the development of the
Palestinian people whether in emergencies or peace, in a humanitarian crisis or
in reforms. "UNDP very much values this close partnership with
Japan," he said. (…)
Drafted by the European Union,
Russia, the United Nations and the United States, the Road Map is a
plan for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the establishment of a
Palestinian state in three years. (…)
The UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People
has played a central role in supporting reforms. Japan has contributed most of
the funding, with UNDP allocating about $2 million from its own resources. UNDP
is participating in support groups in reforming ministries and the civil
service, elections, the judiciary, financial institutions and local government.
(…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
On 13 May, the Security Council decided to establish a United Nations Mission in Côte d'Ivoire after determining that the situation in that country is a threat to international peace and security in West Africa. The Council unanimously adopted a resolution authorizing the new Mission, to be known as MINUCI, to help guide efforts to implement a French-brokered peace accord reached in January. The accord calls on the government, rebels and political opposition to share power in a transitional government until elections in 2005. The Council also tentatively agreed to postpone a planned eight-day mission to explore opportunities for progress towards peace and stability in West Africa.
On 12 May, Afghanistan
destroyed the first pile of more than 500 land mines to demonstrate its
commitment to the global mine ban treaty, a Defence Ministry statement said.
The mines, mostly anti-personnel, were blown up in the outskirts of KABUL,
following the March 2003 signing of the treaty by Mr. Karzai's Government.
Afghanistan's Defence Ministry said it was ready to speed-up the mine
destruction process, if the UN and donor countries provided assistance.
http://www.mineaction.org/countries/_refdocs.cfm?doc_ID=1184
Brazzaville,
9 May (IRIN)The plea came in a statement issued on Friday at the
end of a two-day conference held in the ROC capital, Brazzaville, which
representatives from Angola, Burundi and Chad also attended. (…)
The Canadian ambassador to the DRC, Roland Goulet, said his
country was ready and willing to lend both financial and material support to
mine-clearance activities in an effort to encourage countries in the region to
ratify the Ottawa Landmine Treaty.
Signatories to the treaty
agree to never, under any circumstances, use, produce, acquire or transfer
landmines, nor assist anyone in such activities. Furthermore, signatories must
also destroy all pre-existing landmines, regardless of their location in secure
military depots or in situ in the field. However, it is permissible for
signatories to retain a certain number of landmines for the sole purpose of
training of personnel in mine clearance and destruction. (…)
http://www.mineaction.org/countries/_refdocs.cfm?doc_ID=1187
UN-HABITAT
to establish a special Human Settlements Programme in the occupied Palestinian
Territories
Nairobi, 9 May - In an
unprecedented move, Governments at the 19th Session of the Governing Council
adopted a resolution requesting UN-HABITAT to establish a special Human
Settlements Programme in the occupied Palestinian Territories. The programme
seeks to address the difficult housing situation in the occupied territories by
improving shelter and basic urban services. The resolution urges the
international donor community to support UN-HABITAT in the immediate
mobilisation of financial resources for a Technical Coooperation Trust Fund of
US $ 5 million for an initial period of two years. (…)
This resolution marks an important precedent for UN-HABITAT which until now has never undertaken programmes in the occupied Palestinian Territories. It was the result of successful negotiations among the different parties facilitated by the Secretariat of UN-HABITAT at the request of representatives of the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Unlike previous resolutions
about the occupied territories, this resolution was passed by consensus and did
not need to be put to the vote. (…)
http://www.unhabitat.org/mediacentre/unhsp_gc5_03.asp
Financial
innovation in drive to eradicate polio in Pakistan
Washington, May 15 - In a major push to eradicate polio
globally, the World Bank announced today the approval of a US$20 million
no-interest loan for the purchase of oral polio vaccine for the Government of
Pakistan. The loan is part of an innovative financing partnership between the
World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary International, and
the United Nations Foundation, which together comprise the Investment Partnership for Polio, a worldwide initiative to help
eradicate polio by 2005. (…)
The loan will be funded
through the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's
soft-loan arm for the poorest countries. In a new approach to development aid,
the partnership will buy down a country’s IDA loan upon successful completion
of the project. Because of the generous loan terms, each grant dollar unlocks
US$2.50 to 3.00 for affected countries to fight polio. (…)
Changing epidemiology of polio prompts tactical shift
in the world's largest public health initiative
Supplementary
Polio Immunization To Be Narrowed to Key Countries
Tokyo/Brussels/Geneva/Washington
DC, 13 May - The Polio Eradication Initiative announced today that leading
experts deem an unprecedented tactical shift essential in the campaign to free
the world of polio. (…) The shift comes in response to the changing
epidemiology of the disease, with polio more geographically contained than ever.
Only seven countries remain endemic: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Egypt,
Afghanistan, Niger, and Somalia (listed from highest to lowest burden of
disease). Virtually all the world's polio cases (99%) are concentrated in just
three countries: India, Nigeria and Pakistan. Throughout the remainder of 2003
and during 2004, the eradication campaigns will focus only on the seven endemic
countries, along with six other countries considered at high risk of polio
reinfection - Angola, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Ethiopia, Nepal, and the Sudan. (…)
The shift was announced by the
core partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, spearheaded by the
World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and UNICEF. The new tactic will shift 297
million additional doses of oral polio vaccine into the tightened geographic
target zone, along with US$ 35 million in additional resources in 2003. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/2003/03pr33polio.htm
OUTREACH: Design Ideas for a
Mobile HIV/AIDS Health Clinic for Africa - June 5 - July 4, San
Francisco
New York, May 21 - Architecture for Humanity, the International Medical Corp and the AIA San Francisco Gallery proudly present OUTREACH: Design Ideas for a Mobile HIV/AIDS Health Clinic for Africa, the critically-acclaimed exhibition showcasing selected and winning entries from Architecture for Humanity's latest design competition. This will be the last North American show before it leaves for Europe and Africa. Photographs documenting International Medical Corp's (IMC) HIV/AIDS medical relief operation in Kibera, Kenya will also be on view – revealing a rarely seen union between architectural design and humanitarian outreach.
Launched in May 2002, the
Architecture for Humanity competition was an open response to the AIDS
epidemic, which has claimed more than 25 million lives since it was first
diagnosed 20 years ago. It challenged architects, designers, and medical
professionals from around the world to design a mobile HIV/AIDS health clinic
for Sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly three-quarters of the world's AIDS
population resides.
By the project deadline, more
than 530 teams representing 51 nations answered the call. (…) More than sixty schemes will be on display
in the AIA SF Gallery, showcasing a remarkable range of talent and innovation
(…)
Founded in 1999 by designer
Cameron Sinclair, Architecture for Humanity seeks to create and promote
architectural and design solutions to global, social, and humanitarian crises.
www.architectureforhumanity.org
Geneva, 16 May - A new CD-ROM
containing the Environmental Performance Reviews (EPRs) of countries of Central
and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia has just been issued by the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). (…)
The EPRs are undertaken in countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia under a mandate given by Ministers at the second Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” (Lucerne, Switzerland, 1993). The EPRs are intended to assist countries in transition to improve their management of the environment by establishing baseline conditions and making concrete recommendations for better policy implementation and performance; to promote dialogue among UNECE member countries; to integrate environmental policies into sectoral policies and to integrate further health aspects into environmental performance; to harmonize environmental conditions and policies throughout the region and to contribute to sustainable development.
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2003/03env_p08e.htm
Consent decree with EPA will clean up
valley air pollution
Effective particulate pollution plan, over a decade
late, will be developed and enforceable
San Francisco, CA, May 14th, 2003 -- Community,
environmental, and medical groups and the Environmental Protection Agency
lodged a proposed consent decree with the Northern District Court of California
today resolving an October 2002 suit challenging EPA’s failure to address the
San Joaquin Valley’s air pollution crisis. Plaintiffs agreed to settle the
claim in exchange for a commitment by EPA, subject to Court Order, to enact an
aggressive federal plan to control particulate matter pollution in the Valley.
Particulate matter is the most deadly form of air pollution. The San Joaquin
Valley has exceeded public health standards for particulate matter since they
came into effect in 1990.
The settlement will require
EPA to step in and develop a plan to regulate particulate matter pollution in
the San Joaquin Valley by July 31, 2004. Unless the regional air district comes
up with a plan that the EPA can approve before then, the EPA will be required
to take control of the process. (…)
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/display.html?ID=600
Closer
cooperation on climate change to environmental education agreed between UNEP
and Finland
Helsinki/Nairobi, 13 May - A
strengthened relationship between Finland and the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) was announced today with new agreements signed in areas
including pollution prevention, climate change, air quality monitoring and
education
Dr. Klaus Toepfer, UNEP’s Executive
Director, concluded three signings with the Finnish Environment Institute, the
Finnish Meteorological Organization and the University of Joensuu.
The agreements (…) will boost
UNEP’s ability to deliver its work programme on behalf of Governments. They
will also assist in the delivery of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development last year. (…)
http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID=318&ArticleID=3980
Community-managed
schools offer a model for Nepal
15 May - The 120 schools
established in rural communities in Nepal by the Community Owned Primary
Education (COPE) programme supported by UNDP offer a unique model for equal
opportunity for girls, quality education, teacher training and community
commitment.
Operating in six districts in
remote areas of the Terai region in southern Nepal, the schools have opened the
doors to education for many children -- especially disadvantaged children and
girls, who would have otherwise been left home to look after younger siblings
or to do household chores. COPE schools have enrolled 6,275 students, half of them
girls and two-thirds from disadvantaged families, reflecting their mission of
ensuring that every child in the community attends primary school.
The communities' enthusiastic
response shows that the approach can help spur national progress towards the second
Millennium Development Goal of achieving
universal primary education by 2015. The country's primary school enrolment
rate rose from 64 per cent in 1990 to 74 per cent in 2000, but only about half
the children reach grade five. Girls still face obstacles, though the enrolment
ratio of girls to boys climbed from 56 per cent in 1990 to 78 per cent in 1999.
(…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2003/may/15may03/index.html
Mucherla, India,
May – In his May newsletter, Dr. Richard Schneider writes: “After two false
starts, we have two borewells and vitally needed water. We had to go 250 feet
for the well at the school. We are in a two year drought and water has become a
serious and even critical problem over much of India. (…) Check with Fay Loomis
if you have major contributions of books, computers, school supplies, good used
clothing (sizes 6-20) as a container is being planned. Her email is floomis@lasercom.net (…)”
Mucherla
Global School provides a dynamic and creative educational experience to prepare
rural children in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India to become responsible
participants in their own community and the larger world. Dr. Richard and Ruth
Schneider co-founded the school in 1994 in response to their dream of upgrading
the education and living standards in rural India. The
school was begun with 30 children; enrollment for the 2002-2003 school year is
160 students, ages four through fifteen.
Mucherla
Global School was designed as a demonstration model of the world core
curriculum articulated by Dr. Robert Mueller, former Assistant to the Secretary
General of the United Nations. www.mucherlaglobalschool.org
Business leaders support
African women’s access to information technologies
UNIFEM
launches Digital Diaspora Initiative in Uganda
United
Nations, New York – To respond to and help bridge the growing digital
divide that particularly affects women, African IT executives from the Diaspora
who are successfully running IT companies abroad, government representatives,
civil society organizations and UN system representatives concluded a
conference in Kampala, Uganda, with the adoption of a Declaration outlining
specific ways to support African women in the use of information technologies.
Participants to the Digital Diaspora Initiative were brought together by the
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), in collaboration with its
UN partners - the UN Development Programme, the UN ICT Task Force, the UN Fund
for International Partnerships, and the UN Special Coordinator for Africa and
the Least Developed Countries.
The meeting, held from 5-7 May
2003, to launch the Digital Diaspora Initiative, was hosted by the Government
of Uganda. Representatives from the New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD), as well as from eight African governments were among the meeting's
participants, signaling a clear commitment to prioritizing ICT on Africa's
development agenda. (…)
Nokia,
International Youth Foundation, Pearson and UNDP launch Bridgeit
Global program to deliver digital education
materials to schools using mobile technology
Manila, Philippines, May 16 -
Nokia, the International Youth Foundation (IYF), Pearson and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) today launch Bridgeit — a new, innovative program
that uses mobile technology to bring interactive, multimedia learning materials
to local classrooms around the world. The program will be tested in the
Philippines in an initial countrywide pilot, beginning in June, with a view to
expanding its geographic reach and range of educational content. A fast and
easy-to-use service, Bridgeit combines existing mobile technologies to deliver
these digital multimedia materials to teachers and students who otherwise would
have no access to them. (…)
Globally, the combined
research and development resources of Nokia, IYF, Pearson and the UNDP in the
areas of technology, content, training and processes make up the Bridgeit
platform. These four organizations have together coordinated and integrated the
efforts and commitment of local Philippines organizations who have similarly
donated their time and services. (…)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=1650
The venue and location of the
XXIII World Congress of Poets, that was originally scheduled for October in
Hangzhou, China, have been changed. The Congress will now take place November
22-30, 2003 in Taipei, Taiwan. All WCP's are based on a pre-registration.
Write for Invitation Letter by
July 1 to: Dr.Wang, Chi-lung, Organizing Chair of XXIII WCP, P.O. Box 13-95,
Taipei Taiwan or Fax 886-2-2365-4988; Tel: 886-2-2363-8884; or e-mail: wangliti@ms4.hinet.net
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