Good News Agency – Year VI, n° 14
Weekly - Year VI, number 14 – 18
November 2005
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
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International legislation – Human rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health
– Energy and Safety – Environment and wildlife
Religion and
spirituality
– Culture and education
African
Protocol on Rights of Women enters into force on 25 November 2005
which is also the International Day for the
Elimination of Violence Against Women
31
October - The Protocol to the
African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa,
adopted in 2003, was ratified by the 15th African country (Togo) on 26 October
2005. This now allows the Protocol to come into force within 30 days, marking a
milestone in the protection and promotion of women's rights in Africa. The
other countries that have ratified the Protocol are Cape Verde, The Comoros,
Djibouti, The Gambia, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda,
Senegal, South Africa and Benin. The
Protocol, which builds on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Beijing Platform for Action, has
been in the making since 1994 when women’s rights groups called for such an
instrument that would make explicit the fundamental human rights in the African
Charter on Human and People's Rights as applied to women. The groundbreaking
Protocol charges ratifying states to combat all forms of discrimination against
women, including all forms of violence against women.The Protocol will come
into force on 25 November 2005, which is also the International Day for the
Elimination of Violence Against Women.
http://www.unifem.org/news_events/story_detail.php?StoryID=353
AEGEE Election Observation
Mission to Azerbaijan
November 11 - For the
Parliamentary elections of the Republic of Azerbaijan, November 6th 2005, a
group from AEGEE (European Students' Forum, aegee.org) took part in a mission
organized by Lymec (European Liberal Youth, lymec.org), to contribute to free
and fair elections.
Our accredited international
mission was able to monitor polling stations thoroughly. They developed a
specific understanding of the electoral process at a district level. Supported
by 10 local assistants, the team of 33 observers from AEGEE, Lymec and Silba (a
Danish cross-political NGO) exclusively focused on three districts in the
northern border region of Azerbaijan. The observers operated in the districts
Qusar (51), Khachmaz City (55) and Khachmaz rural area (56) (…) The team of 33
observers were accredited as the only youth organization conducting election
observation in Azerbaijan. (…)
AEGEE is one of Europe's
largest interdisciplinary and voluntary student associations, operating without
being linked to any political party, promoting a unified Europe, cross-border
co-operation, communication and integration in academic environment, and at the
same time striving to create an open and tolerant society by involving students
and young graduates in valuable projects and discussions over the topics of
importance for the communities they live in. It is represented in 250
university cities, in 40 countries all around Europe and has about 15000
members.
http://www.karl.aegee.org/aeg-info.nsf
Global Code of Ethics keeps
growing in importance
Madrid, 7 November – The WTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
has been translated into 35 different languages and has already been adopted by
several countries as part of its tourism legislation or regulations, WTO Deputy
Secretary-General Dawid de Villiers told the Second Committee of the General
Assembly of the United Nations in New York on 2 November. “In the five years
since its adoption the Code has been recognised and welcomed by more and more
stakeholders in the tourism industry as a valuable tool to guide the
development of sustainable tourism,” he said. “The strength of the Code lies in
its simplicity. Together the ten articles constitute a powerful set of
guidelines that provides clear direction for the development of a tourism industry
that is socially responsible, culturally sensitive, environmentally sound and
economically fair.”
The introduction of the
voluntary Code, after being approved by the WTO General Assembly held in
Santiago, Chile, in 1999, demonstrates that not all kinds of tourism are
acceptable, he said. “(…) In the absence of sound development policies tourism
can contribute to pollution and environmental degradation; lead to the
exploitation of people and local communities – particularly women and children
– offend traditional cultural values and customs and provide a cover for
criminal activities.” The challenge is to “maximise the positive impacts of
tourism”, and to achieve this the World Committee on Tourism Ethics was set up
in 2003 to promote, evaluate and monitor the implementation of the Code as well
as acting as conciliators in settling any disputes involving the application or
interpretation of the Code. (…)
http://www.world-tourism.org/newsroom/Releases/2005/november/ethics.htm
Representatives
from Eleven Countries Launch People’s International Initiative for Departments
of Peace
London, United Kingdom – From
the 16th to the 19th of October, civil society and political
representatives from eleven countries met in London to lay out their vision for
the establishment of Departments of Peace in their governments. (…) The
countries represented at the conference were Australia, Canada, Israel, the
occupied Palestinian territories, Italy, Japan, Spain, the Netherlands, the
United Kingdom, the United States and Jordan. Prominent supporters of the
conference include US Representative Dennis Kucinich, Marianne Williamson, John
McDonnell MP of the UK, and Dr. Arthur Chesterfield-Evans MP and Senator
Natasha Stott Despoya of Australia. (…)
The desire to establish
Departments of Peace emerged from the belief that global peace is today both
urgent and possible. U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich said on September 14,
2005, upon introducing the Department of Peace legislation in Congress: “We
desire peace so intensely that we are willing to do almost anything to achieve
it, including spending half our resources for arms . . . to feel secure. We
know we cannot continue on this perilous path seeking peace through violence.
We know this path offers our children no future at all. . . . We announce our
desire for a new America. And a new world.”
The conference concluded with
the launch of an international initiative that will support country-level
working groups to establish Departments of Peace. The Romanian Peace Institute
(PATRIR) was given the task to establish the International Secretariat for the
coordination of the groups throughout the world. The second People’s Summit for
Departments of Peace will be held June 21-22, 2006, in Victoria, British
Columbia, Canada. For more information, please contact Mr. Eddy Canfor-Dumas, ministry for peace (www.ministryforpeace.org ), eacd@bigfoot.com
Romanian Peace Institute
(PATRIR) www.patrir.ro
Fairness
is the challenge APEC must meet
Brussels, November 14 (ICFTU OnLine) - Guy Ryder, the General Secretary of the International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions will today meet the Korean Prime Minister,
Lee Hai-chan in a bid to place social justice and workers' rights on APEC's
agenda. Ryder will lead a delegation of Asian and Latin American trade
unionists that will be holding a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Labour Network at
the same time. They will urge the Prime Minister to work for setting up an APEC
Labour Forum and adopt concrete measures to promote labour participation in
APEC. (…)
The ILO estimates that 2
billion people in Asia live on 2 US Dollars or less per day.
"In this context, APEC must change its imbalanced, business-oriented
approach to globalization and give the highest priority to achieving social
justice based on decent work and full respect of fundamental workers' rights,
with a concrete and detailed work programme to give
effect to that" Ryder added. The ICFTU/APLN has been calling on APEC
leaders to endorse the establishment of an APEC Labour Forum, in the form of an
APEC formal consultative mechanism with trade unions comparable with the
current arrangements for access by the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC).
(…)
ICFTU Press Department: press@icftu.org
Women scoop awards at film
festival
Sydney, Australia, 9
November (BWNS) -- A movie from a
child's perspective about the equality of the sexes won the "best
film" award at the Baha'i-inspired "Harmony Film Festival" held
in Australia's biggest city on 22 October 2005. The Australian-made movie by
Bita Haidarian, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, tells the story of an
eight-year-old girl whose father refuses to let her to swap her household chore
(dishwashing) with her brother's (lawn mowing) because mowing is "for boys."
The girl takes matters into her own hands and ends up with a humorous and
telling result.
More than 600 people attended
the festival, which had "woman" as its theme. Entries came from 25
filmmakers of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds and from countries
including Australia, Japan, Spain, Russia, and the United States. (…)
The judges were from the film
industry. (…) Eight of the 14 finalists were female directors, a gratifying
result according to festival director Mehrzad Mumtahan. (...)
http://news.bahai.org/story.cfm?storyid=401
UNICEF applauds U.S.
ratification of trafficking protocol
New York, 7 November – UNICEF hailed the United States government
today for ratifying a United Nations
Protocol aimed at stopping the trafficking of women and children. The formal
instruments of ratification were deposited at the UN last week. UNICEF
Executive Director Ann M. Veneman noted that the ratification follows years of
efforts by the US government to combat trafficking around the world, notably
through its contributions to anti-trafficking programmes abroad. The United
States becomes the ninety-fifth country to ratify the United Nations Protocol
to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and
Children, which supplements the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized
Crime, and entered into force in 2003. The Protocol calls for specific measures
to prevent human trafficking, prosecute traffickers and protect victims.(…) UNICEF’s
efforts to protect children who are victims of trafficking include tackling the
root causes of trafficking such as poverty, lack of education and life skills,
discrimination and violence. UNICEF works to safeguard young victims of trafficking
by identifying durable solutions for their protection based on their best
interests. These and other efforts are part of UNICEF’s commitment to build a
protective environment for children, one which safeguards children from
violence, exploitation and abuse before it happens.
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_29698.html
Ministers from Islamic
countries convene for landmark meeting on children
The
First Islamic Ministerial Conference on the Child will focus on urgent actions
to address poverty, disease and lack of access to education and protection
Rabat, Morocco, 7 November – Senior representatives of almost 50
Islamic countries and nearly 20 international organizations have convened for a
landmark meeting intended to make a real and lasting difference for more than a
quarter of the world’s children, who are disproportionately burdened by
poverty, malnutrition and disease. The First Islamic Ministerial Conference on
the Child, which opened today in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, reflects the
recognition by leaders of Islamic governments that the challenges facing the
children in their countries demand their urgent attention and a special focus.
It also signals the renewed commitment on the part of these leaders to
strengthen their co-operation on behalf of children. The three-day meeting has
been co-organized by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (ISESCO), UNICEF and the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC),
in response to a special resolution on "Child Care and Protection in the
Islamic World" passed unanimously by OIC Member States at the 2003 OIC
Summit in Malaysia. (…)
The more than 200 participants
at the conference will focus on issues specific to OIC member countries under
four major themes: health and HIV/AIDS; quality education and culture;
protection against abuse, exploitation and violence; and mobilising resources.
Participants will reflect on how Islamic countries have been striving to
achieve the Millennium Development Goals, as well as on challenges, best
practices and strengthening cooperation to accelerate progress for children.
Recommendations from the conference will be submitted to the next sessions of
the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers and the next Islamic Summit for
their adoption and support. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_29695.html
Human Rights Watch Honors
Global Rights Defenders
Efforts of Iran, Sudan and
Uganda Activists Recognized
New York, October 27 - Human
Rights Watch’s highest honor in 2005, the Human Rights Defender Award, will go
to three courageous human rights activists from around the globe whose efforts
illustrate major human rights challenges in the world today.
The three honorees for this
year illustrate the limits of freedom of expression in the Middle East, the
massive “ethnic cleansing” and injustice in Darfur, Sudan, and the plight of
HIV/AIDS affected women in Africa. Human Rights Watch’s global rights defender
awardees for 2005 are: Omid Memarian, a
journalist and web-blogger from Iran,
Salih Mahmoud Osman, a lawyer and human rights activist from Darfur, and Beatrice Were, an advocate for the rights of
women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Uganda. (…)
Human Rights Watch staff work
closely with the Human Rights Defenders as part of our human rights
investigations in more than 70 countries around the world. The 2005 Human
Rights Watch Annual Dinners where the defenders will be honored will take place
in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Chicago and Toronto.
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/10/25/global11921.htm
New
US$18.6 million loan to support microentrepreneurs and small rural businesses
in the Philippines
Rome, November 11 - Rural poor
people, including women, youth and indigenous peoples involved in
microenterprises development, will benefit from a new development programme in
the Philippines. The US$23.4 million programme will be financed in part by a
US$18.6 million loan and a grant of US$500,000 from the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD). The Government of
the Philippines and local participating microfinance institutions will
contribute US$4.2 million. Today’s loan agreement was signed at IFAD
headquarters by the President of IFAD, Lennart Båge, and the Ambassador of the
Philippines, Philippe J. Lhuillier.
The programme will support
rural poverty reduction through increased economic development and job
creation, and will raise the incomes of 200,000 poor rural households. Its
enterprise capacity development activities will focus primarily on 19 of the
poorest provinces in five of the poorest regions of the country, the Cordillera
Administrative Region, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, SOCCSKARGEN and Caraga.
Microcredit and financing operations will be made available to all needy poor
rural entrepreneurs. As a result, the programme expects to see increasing
numbers of new and existing rural microenterprises expanding and operating
profitably and sustainably. It will make a major contribution towards meeting
the Philippine Government’s target of creating between six and ten million jobs
by 2010. (…) For more information: Farhana
Haque-Rahman, Chief, Media Relations, Special Events and Programmes f.haquerahman@ifad.org
New US$15 million loan to help
the coastal communities of Tamil Nadu recover from the tsunami
Rome, 11 November - Women,
members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and fishermen in the coastal
communities of Tamil Nadu will benefit from a new programme to help the
communities become more resilient to natural disasters. The programme will be financed by an initial US$15 million loan from the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Today’s loan agreement
was signed by the President of IFAD President, Lennart Båge, and the Ambassador of India, Rajiv Dogra, at IFAD headquarters in Rome.
When the
tsunami washed across the shores of the coastal communites of Tamil Nadu on
December 26, 2004, the livelihoods of at least 174,590 fishers were destroyed.
The programme will enable a large number of the
people whose livelihoods were effected by the tsunami to re-establish stable
and productive lives in the coastal communities of India’s Tamil Nadu. It will
reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities to future natural disasters by
providing access to new technology for fishing, packing, processing and selling
fish. Additional employment opportunities in areas other than fisheries will be
generated through skills training, especially for young people, in areas such
as boat and housing construction.(…) For more information: Farhana Haque-Rahman, Chief,
Media Relations, Special Events and Programmes f.haquerahman@ifad.org
Finnish recommendations to
protect children from food marketing
November 4 - The Finnish
Consumer Agency and the Consumer Ombudsman, together with the Finnish National
Public Health Institute have published principles for advertisers on food
marketing aimed at children. The report first acknowledges that quantity and
content of advertisement affect consumption and thus the healthy development of
children. Hence formulates recommendations that take into account the health
perspective and the vulnerability of children.
One of the first
recommendations sets out that parents’ role is crucial in deciding on
purchases. Consequently, advertising should not put parents’ power of decision
into question. Nor should it appeal to children’s emotions or making them
believe that social relations can be obtained by or compensated with food. The
other recommendations focus on misleading advertisements: Advertisements should
not be misled on product’s composition. Only relevant information about the
nutritional contents of the products should be claimed.
Behavioural models are also
addressed in the report: violence, alcohol and tobacco are not acceptable
according to the authors. On the same topic, free gifts and lotteries should
also be carefully restricted.
Synergies between cluster development
and microfinance
The UN has declared 2005 as
the International Year of Microcredit to increase awareness of the fact that,
when effectively delivered, microfinance can contribute to the Millennium
Development Goals of economic and human development. (…) As a contribution to
the objectives of the International Year of Microcredit, UNIDO has prepared a
paper entitled Combining Strengths: Synergies between cluster development and
microfinance, drawing attention to the importance of microfinance for human and
private sector development and exploring innovative uses of microfinance.(…)
It is now well over a decade
that UNIDO has been implementing an innovative approach to assist micro-,
small- and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) in the areas of network
development. Its Cluster Development Programme assists MSME clusters, i.e.
geographical concentrations of enterprises operating in the same or highly
correlated activities, become more competitive by fostering inter-firm linkages
and collaboration with local support institutions. The Programme helps MSMEs
combine their strengths to jointly take advantage of market opportunities and
to solve common problems. (…)
http://www.unido.org/en/doc/45279
Millennium Campaign – Voices against poverty
News
on Trade and Mobilisations ahead of WTO meeting in December
International trade carries
enormous potential for reducing poverty worldwide. A 1% increase in the
developing countries' share of world exports would lift 128 million people out
of poverty. But the current global trading system discriminates against
developing countries and hinders poor country participation in the global
economy. The two biggest problems are agricultural policies in rich countries
and poor countries access to international markets. What can you do?
With less than 40 days to go
before World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong, Oxfam
warned that rich countries must make better offers to help poor countries take
advantage of opportunities to trade or the talks would be a failure.
The Millennium Campaign and
the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) have launched an ad in
Monday's New York Times to urge readers to demand that their Governments
deliver a fairer deal on trade and agriculture at the WTO meeting in December.
On October 26, South African
Civil Society Organisations united to make their policy demands and to support
their government's position that trade policy should be driven by development
goals and not the other way around.
The European Union has made
another move to end the deadlock in the world trade talks. It has offered to
reduce its agricultural tariffs by 46%. Europe’s farming subsidies are often
blamed for the current stalemate in the trade talks.
http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/site/pp.asp?c=grKVL2NLE&b=1184423
United Nations calls on young
people to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
New York City, November – The United Nations Millennium Campaign is calling on the young people of the world to play their part to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). “… tomorrow’s world is defined today and we need young people’s voice now… Youth are not just the future, youth are the present, and we need them to get the Millennium Development Goals back on track.” noted Eveline Herfkens, Executive Coordinator of the UN Millennium Campaign. (…)
In
collaboration with the Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) and TakingITGlobal
(TIG), the Campaign developed a MDG Youth Campaign Kit, which was distributed
worldwide in October 2005. The Campaign Kit provides a basic framework for
young people to create their own advocacy campaigns around MDG issues that are
important to their lives. (…) Thousands of MDG Youth Campaign Kits have been
distributed in over 180 countries, which the partnering agencies hope will
provide young people with information on engaging in advocacy efforts under way
in their country, or to create projects that will contribute to achieving the
Goals. (…)
The Global Youth Action
Network (GYAN) acts an incubator of global partnerships, connecting thousands
of organizations in more than 190 countries and territories. GYAN works to
facilitate youth participation in global decision-making and at the United
Nations, to foster collaboration and provide recognition for positive youth
action. GYAN is a strategic partner of TakingITGlobal in offering an
information clearinghouse for today’s youth movement, with Youth Service
America on coordinating Global Youth Service Day and with Chat the Planet TV.
Haitian Milk Production
Project Won First Place in Social Innovation Competition
Four other winning initiatives
are from Argentina, Brazil and Guatemala
11 November - The first round
(2004-2005) of the Experiences in Social Innovation competition, organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and
the Caribbean (ECLAC), with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, has been
completed today. After two days of presentations of the 20 finalist projects,
at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago, Chile, the jury evaluating these initiatives
selected the experience "Milk Agogo", belonging to Veterimed, from Haiti,
for the first place award. Under very difficult conditions this project has
managed to achieve extraordinary changes in the production and sale of milk, by
associating technical know-how and peasant wisdom, thereby generating benefits
for the community itself, and the country as a whole. Second prize went to the
Argentine project "Andean Crops Integrated Programme, C.A.U.Que.Va",
while third prize went to the project "Prevention of the drug and street
gang phenomenon in marginalized urban and rural areas", from Guatemala.
(…)
'Quake
Jumpers' reach people other aid workers can't
Teams of mountain experts known as 'Quake Jumpers'
are being assembled to reach remote, earthquake-affected communities in
Pakistan that aid workers have yet to access. Their mission: to prepare these
communities for the harsh Himalayan winter that's just around the corner. WFP
spokesperson David Orr reports.
Abbotobad, 14 November - The
peaks and high ridges in the Kaghan valley in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province are covered with snow. As the ‘Quake
Jumpers’ emerge from the helicopter and move to secure the landing zone, they
are blasted by an icy wind. But if nature’s greeting is cold, the waving arms
and smiles of the inhabitants, desperate for help after the 8 October
earthquake that devastated the region, provide a warm welcome. (…)
The
Quake Jumpers are teams of mountain experts assembled to reach communities in
the Himalayas that other aid workers have yet to access; small, mobile units
that are the brainchild of independent Pakistani film-maker, Nisar Malik.
(…) The Quake Jumpers will be targeting
settlements of about 2,000 people that are being visited rarely or not at all.
The plan is to open up 25 new helipads in mountain locations in the coming
weeks, but to do this the operation will need more manpower. Malik’s goal is to
have 14 four-man teams working through the winter. He sees the coming weeks as
an advisory phase, during which the Quake Jumpers will help people to organise
themselves and make decisions for the impending winter. Their longer-term job
will be to assist and, if necessary, rescue people who have become snow-bound.
(…)
http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=1921
Eritrea/Ethiopia: 298
Ethiopian civilians and 15 Eritrean civilians repatriated
On 11 November 2005, 298
Ethiopian civilians were repatriated from Eritrea to Ethiopia under ICRC
auspices. The group included 8 unaccompanied minors, 2 elderly persons and 2
sick persons who were returning home to their families. As part of the same
operation, 15 Eritrean civilians were repatriated from Ethiopia to Eritrea.
This group included 4 unaccompanied minors who were also returning home to
their families.
Acting in its capacity as a
neutral and independent intermediary, the ICRC repatriated both groups with the
cooperation of the authorities. (…)
The ICRC has been helping
people affected by the 1998-2000 armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea to
return to their respective countries since June 2000. At the same time it works
to ensure compliance with the rules and principles of international
humanitarian law, in particular the Geneva Conventions.
SoCal Doctors help raise over
$175K to help rebuild a devastated village in Northern Pakistan.
Los Angeles, CA, November 8 –
In conjunction with Relief International, three Southern California doctors who
recently returned from Pakistan, were able to help raise over $175,000 for
Relief International’s “Adopt a Village”program. The Adopt a Village program
will rebuild an entire earthquake-devastated
community near Manserha where Relief International’s team of medical doctors
were deployed. (…)
In reconstructing an entire
village, Relief International will draw from its extensive experience of
rebuilding devastated villages in Iran, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, and other
countries. RI‘s holistic implementation methods will also work towards
rebuilding the livelihoods of the local residents through the cash-for-work
aspects of the Adopt a Village Program. In addition to permanent shelter, RI
will seek to rebuild hospitals and schools so that life in earthquake-affected
regions can one day return to normal. (…)
With over 15 years of
experience, Relief International (RI) is a humanitarian non-profit agency that
provides emergency rehabilitation, relief, and development assistance and
program services to vulnerable communities worldwide. Headquartered in Los
Angeles with additional offices worldwide, RI is solely dedicated to reducing
human suffering and is non-political and non-sectarian in its mission.
http://www.ri.org/press_release/South_Asia/PR_SoCal_Drs_Help_Raise_$175K_11_8_05.pdf
Escaping the past: the widows
of Herat
Known as the "City of Cherished Martyrs",
Herat bears the scars of 25 years of conflict. But thanks to new projects to
improve literacy and self-reliance, some of the city's widows are finding ways
to escape the past, as WFP spokesperson Jackie Dent discovered.
Herat,
Afghanistan, 8 November - Jalil Ahmed, head of the Department of Martyrs in
Herat, is in the middle of a conversation when a group of about 25 women, all
widows, silently file into his office. Draped in black chadors or with burkas
pulled up over their heads, the women choose different places to sit – the
couch, on chairs, the floor – but all come with exactly the same request:
please, please, help us. Some women sit quietly with their hands on their laps,
gazing as if lost. Others are more impassioned and forthright in their
pleading.(…)
Widows
in Afghanistan, whether young or old, face many economic and social problems,
particularly if they have no male relatives to support them. They eke out a
meagre living by begging, washing clothes or working on construction sites
carrying bricks. But through the assistance of the local government and WFP,
some of the widows of Herat are finding there are opportunities to escape the
daily grind; and the past. (…)
http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=1845
Rotary clubs continue efforts
to assist earthquake victims in South Asia
Evanston, Ill., USA, November
- Rotary clubs around the world have raised over US$500,000, organized medical
teams, set up mobile relief camps, and collected blood and donated goods for
the earthquake victims in South Asia.
“As winter arrives, the need for shelter and other supplies for families
victimized by 8 October earthquake is acute,” says Abdul Khan, an officer with
a Rotary club in Pakistani Kashmir. According to Khan, there are nearly 100
Rotary clubs in the affected areas. Many of the clubs are working around the
clock to meet the urgent demands for aid. Examples of Rotary relief efforts:
Rotary clubs in Indian Kashmir
and Punjab have sent 3,800 blankets, 1,400 sets of woolen garments, 10 tons of
food and 50 large tents to Srinagar, Pakistan, to assist earthquake victims.
The Rotary Club of Karachi
Midcity in Pakistan and Afghanistan has sent volunteers to most of the relief
camps set up by Rotaract clubs throughout Karachi. The club is collecting funds
to address the immediate need for 500,000 tents, dry milk and medicine.
Rotary clubs in Delhi have
sent 10,000 blankets and 500 four-person tents to Jammu and Indian Kashmir. The
Rotary clubs estimate that one million blankets and 2,000 tents will reach the
affected area within days.
The Rotary Club of Rawalpindi
Rohtas in Pakistan has collected medical supplies (bandages, ointment,
analgesics and medicine), dry food items, warm clothing, blankets, tents and
drinking water for victims in the most affected region of Bagh-Azad Kashmir.
Rotarians with medical
background from Chandigarh and Punjab in India are working as volunteers in the
affected areas. (…)
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/presscenter/releases/2005/248.html
Switzerland: Decision on an additional emblem
alongside the red cross and red crescent to be made in December
November 7 - The International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement today welcomed the decision of the Swiss
government to convene a diplomatic conference on 5-6 December that the Movement
hopes will create an additional emblem alongside the red cross and red crescent
emblems already in use. The proposal for an additional emblem is the result of
a resolution passed in 1999 by the International Conference of the Red Cross
and Red Crescent calling for a comprehensive and lasting solution to the
question of the emblem. The diplomatic conference will bring together representatives
of the 192 States that are party to the Geneva Conventions to decide on an
additional protocol to those conventions. This is necessary because the
additional emblem will need to have the same basis in international law as the
red cross and the red crescent. (…)
The additional emblem would provide an additional protective
device for the medical services of armed forces and Red Cross and Red Crescent
humanitarian workers in conflicts where the existing emblems cannot always
provide protection because of perceptions of political, religious or other
connotations. (…)
A milestone reached, World
Vision hands over new homes after the tsunami
by
Anish Premson – India Tsunami Response Communications
World Vision’s response to the
tsunami in India achieved a major milestone on 7 November with the handing over
of 100 permanent houses to the government in the tsunami-affected districts of
Kerala. In a ceremony to mark the occasion, Asia Pacific Regional Vice
President Lynn Arnold along with World Vision India National Director Jayakumar
Christian and Operations Director of the India Tsunami Response Team Alex
Snary, handed over a symbolic key to K.M. Mani, Kerala State Minister for
Revenue and Disaster Mitigation. During the ceremony, keys were also handed out
to beneficiaries of the houses.
World Vision is constructing
656 permanent shelters in Kerala, one of the ten areas affected by the tsunami
in India. The first phase of 100 houses were handed over yesterday. (…)
World Vision is also assisting
the communities with boats, nets, alternate livelihood and cash for work
programs, and also special programs for children and youth. (…)
http://www.wvi.org/wvi/news/latest_news.htm#India
ERD assists people after
prolonged drought in Malawi
November 3 - Episcopal Relief
and Development is providing emergency food assistance to people in Malawi
after an ongoing drought. The country has been at the epicenter of Africa's
food crisis over the past five months. Nearly four million people in Malawi are
at risk of starvation. An ongoing food crisis is affecting almost 12 million
people in southern Africa. Most Malawians rely on farming for their food and
income and sporadic rains have resulted in little to no harvests. (…)
In the Diocese of Northern
Malawi, the worst affected area is in a remote part of southern Mzimba District
in the villages of Mfula, Mgoza, and Kanjuchi where over 800 families have been
affected by the crisis. Other affected areas include: Lupembe, South Karonga;
Rumphi and Bolero; Usisya; Chitipa; and Likoma and Chizumulu.
ERD is supplying emergency
assistance to the Diocese of Northern Malawi for food such as maize and seeds
for the next planting season. The diocese expects to reach at least 1,600 of
the 3,000 families in affected areas. ERD's partnership with the diocese will
also train 25 farmers in eight communities on soil and water conservation and
improving soil fertility. (…)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=4530
New
website aims to connect donors to local community projects
Giving at the local level can
provide a huge impact. That’s the message of a new website,
SupportSisterCities.org, designed by Sister Cities International to connect
donors with local sister city projects around the world. Donors can choose from
helping a 250 bed hospital in Cap-Haiten establish a sanitary water supply,
supporting the creation of an organic honey cooperative that helps farmers in
Ghana and at-risk youth in the United States, or reconstructing Afghanistan’s
war-torn classrooms.
Typically, the organization’s
grassroots-based nonprofits are seeking to raise between $10,000 and $30,000
dollars. In the world of international development, that’s not a lot of money -
but the impact on a community can be huge. “It empowers grassroots
organizations to raise funds efficiently and communicate with donors directly
about their projects and really build a relationship with them,” said Danielle
Segall, sustainable development program manager and coordinator for the site.
“So often people give money to worthy causes – and they don’t know the impact.
This website lets donors talk to the real people conducting the project and get
updates about it. It engages people from all over the world in making a
difference.”
Segall said that the
interactive website allows donors to ask questions directly to project contacts
in the U.S. and abroad. It also lets them read progress reports as the project
gets underway. They can easily tell friends about the project or make a
donation with a few clicks of their mouse.
For more information visit www.SupportSisterCities.org.
Representing nearly 2,400 communities in 132 countries, Sister Cities
International (www.sister-cities.org)
is a citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships between
the U.S. and communities abroad.
6th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates:
“Africa Emergency - from attention to action”
More
than 20 Nobel Peace Laureates, women and men who with their actions have changed
the world, meet in Rome for three days - Rome, Campidoglio – Teatro Eliseo November 24th-26th
2005
Africa by
itself seems to sum up all the problems of the world. For this reason the whole
world would benefit from development, prosperity and stability on the African
continent. For this reason, too, we have decided to dedicate our Summit this
year to the “Africa Emergency”.
It is high time
that international attention for this tormented land became international
action.
Some highlights
of the programme:
November 24 - Presentation of the “Manforpeace Award 2005”
to Bob Geldof and of the “Special Man for Peace Award – Joseph Rotblat 2005” to
Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff, founders of PeaceJam. Homage to a great man - In memory of Sir Joseph Rotblat, Nobel Peace Laureate. Introductory
speeches by the Summit co-presidents Mikhail Gorbachev and Walter Veltroni. “Live
8: the long walk to justice”: Bob Geldof reports on the results and prospects
of his project to fight poverty in Africa. “From attention to action”: various
meaningful speeches and discussions by eminent speakers.
November 25 - Teatro Eliseo
9.30 am – 11.30 am “Equal rights for a non-violent world” - Discussion
with students of Università degli Studi Roma Tre and of other universities. 3.30
pm – 6.30 pm Teatro Eliseo “Africa
Emergency” - third session, “Italy for Rwanda. Memory, responsibility, justice,
future: a discussion of the genocide of 1994”. chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev and
Walter Veltroni.
November 26 - 11.00 am “Africa Emergency” - Concluding plenary
session
Municipality
of Rome: International Relations Office: ufrint01@comune.roma.it
The
Gorbachev Foundation Italian Branch: gorbyfond@yahoo.it
Press Office: Kpr Comunicazione: summitnobel@kpr.it
Peace is possible: Caritas
supports International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People
Vatican City, 11 November – In
partnership with the global community in its annual expression of solidarity
with the Palestinian people, the Caritas network of 162 member organisations
working in 200 countries and territories worldwide supports the UN-hosted
international day of observance on 29 November.
Based on our own Caritas
campaign that “Peace is Possible” in the Holy Land, we stand in solidarity with
all peace-seeking people of good will who recognise and publicly support the
basic and inalienable rights of the Palestinian community. We stand in solidarity
with all Moslems, Jews, and Christians who sacrifice and work together to build
up, restore, and heal the deep wounds that still scar this Middle East society.
We call on our respective
governments to pursue every path leading to peace, supporting the "Road
Map for Peace in the Middle East", which was initiated and sustained by
the members of the Quartet (the United Nations, the European Union, the United
States, and Russia). We acknowledge the efforts made by the Quartet, but offer
our global solidarity to press for greater practical realisations of a just and
lasting peace for all. (…)
http://www.caritas.org/jumpNews.asp?idLang=ENG&idChannel=35&idUser=0&idNews=3679
Western Sahara: The Polisario
Front commits to ban antipersonnel mines
Author(s): Pascal Bongard
<pbongardSPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERgenevacall.org>
Geneva, Switzerland, November
9 - On 3 November 2005, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra
and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front) signed the Geneva Call’s “Deed of Commitment
for Adherence to a Total Ban on Antipersonnel Mines and for Cooperation in Mine
Action” (Deed of Commitment) at a ceremony in Geneva. (…)
The Polisario Front has been
struggling for the independence of Western Sahara since 1973. A United Nations
brokered ceasefire ended the armed conflict in 1991; however, the question of
its sovereignty is still a subject of dispute between Morocco and the Polisario
Front. As a result of the war, Western Sahara is contaminated by mines and
unexploded ordnances. Both parties used mines during the conflict and the
disputed territory is divided by walls built and fortified with millions of
landmines by the Moroccan army. Casualties are regularly reported, on both
sides of the walls, particularly among civilians and their livestock.
http://www.icbl.org/layout/set/print/news/polisario_signs_commitment
UNA-USA's
Adopt-A-Minefield has partnered with the Landmine Survivors Network to launch
the 2005-2006 "That Landmine Thing" campaign
New York, November 3 - Thanks
to That Landmine Thing, a campaign initiated by the United Nations Association
of the USA (UNA-USA), Adopt-A-Minefield® (AAM) and the Landmine Survivors
Network (LSN), young people across North America are raising funds to clear
minefields, assist survivors and raise awareness about the global landmine
problem. Students drive the campaign, generating their own innovative
fundraising ideas and hosting events such as potluck dinners, coin drives,
carwashes and benefit concerts to support AAM and LSN. That Landmine Thing has
already been incredibly successful, involving close to 1,000 schools, and
raising more than $180,000—clearing four minefields—120,000 square meters of
land—in Cambodia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and providing survivors with
appropriate medical care and the means for establishing an ongoing livelihood.
(…)
To kick off the 2005-2006
campaign, students, teachers and parents are coming together at Loyola Academy
in Chicago to participate in a unique event commemorating the difference
American students are making in the world. (…)
Adopt-A-Minefield® is a
campaign of the United Nations Association of the USA in partnership with the
Better World Fund, the United Nations and other leading mine action
organizations around the world. For more information on Adopt-A-Minefield, log
on to www.landmines.org and for more
information on UNA-USA and how you can become a member, log on to www.unausa.org
http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=1158293
MAIC hosts senior managers
course
19 People from Around the
World Participate
Harrisonburg, Va., USA,
November 9 - The Mine Action Information Center (MAIC) at James Madison
University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Va., again hosted the Mine Action Senior Managers
Course (SMC) sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This
event took place from September 24 through October 28, 2005, and was designed
for high-level officials who are involved in the management of humanitarian
landmine action in nations at risk. This was the third SMC that the MAIC has
conducted. (…)
Student participants for the
SMC are chosen by UNDP in coordination with national mine action program staff
and other responsible national government officials. (…) As a result of their
participation in the SMC, attendees are better prepared to work effectively as
leaders of their national mine action organizations. (…)
http://maic.jmu.edu/managers/pressRelease.htm
Guinea-Bissau destroys last of
its landmine stockpile
Author(s): Olivier Shu
<cdphandicapbissauSPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERmail.gtelecom.gw> .
On 17 October 2005, Guinea-Bissau completed the destruction of antipersonnel mine stockpile, in compliance with its obligations under Article 4 of the Mine Ban Treaty.
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, 27
October - On 17 October 2005, outside the city of Gabú, Handicap International
was invited to a ceremony that marked the destruction of Guinea-Bissau’s last
remaining landmine stockpile. (…) During the ceremony, specialists from the
Engineering Branch of Guinea-Bissau's Armed Forces proceeded to destroy 4,943
mines, including 3,460 PMD 6, 587 PMD 6M and 896 POMZ2, with the support of
technicians from two national demining NGOs. Speeches to commemorate this event
were given by UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative, the Minister of Defense,
the Minister of Interior as well as by a representative of the Commander in
Chief of Guinea-Bissau’s Armed Forces.
The ceremony was organized
with the support of the Canadian Government, UNDP and UNICEF.
The destruction of landmine
stockpile occurred shortly before Guinea-Bissau’s 1 November 2005 Mine Ban
Treaty deadline. (…) Guinea-Bissau indicated that it retained 108 mines (50
POMZ 2, 50 PMD 6, 6 PMN, 2 M969 et 1 MAPS) for demining training purposes, as
permitted under Article 3 of the Mine Ban Treaty.
http://www.icbl.org/layout/set/print/news/gb_stockpile_destruction
Massive international effort
stops polio epidemic across 10 west and central African Countries
'Maintenance' immunization
programme launched to protect US$4 billion investment
Geneva/New
York/Atlanta/Evanston, 11 November - Public health experts have confirmed that
a polio epidemic in ten countries in west and central Africa - Benin, Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea,
Mali and Togo - has been successfully stopped. The epidemic has paralysed
nearly 200 children for life since mid-2003, but no new cases have been
reported in these countries since early June. At the same time, polio
eradication efforts are intensifying in Nigeria, where extensive disease
transmission continues, as part of a mass polio campaign across 28 African
countries beginning today.
Emergency efforts to stop the
epidemic had been launched under the auspices of the African Union (AU), and
largely underwritten through US$ 135 million in emergency funding from the
European Commission (EC), Canada and Sweden. The 10 countries, which had
previously been polio-free, participated in a series of mass immunization
drives across 23 countries, reaching as many as 100 million children with
multiple doses of polio vaccine over the last ten months. (…)
Experts cautioned, however,
that ongoing disease transmission in remaining endemic areas continues to pose
a risk of more outbreaks across the region. To minimise this risk, 28 African
countries1 – including the 10 countries which have stopped their epidemics -
today launched the first element of a 'maintenance' programme to sustain this
progress, with an additional series of synchronized immunization activities to
reach more than 100 million children with polio vaccine in November and
December.
The 'maintenance' programme is
part of a four-pronged strategy to protect the US$ 4 billion invested globally
since the 1988 launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The other
elements of the strategy include: strengthening routine immunization at country
level in close collaboration with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and
Immunization (GAVI) and through the new Global Immunization Vision and Strategy
(GIVS); increasing surveillance sensitivity and outbreak response capacity, and
increasing both the number and quality of polio campaigns in the remaining
endemic areas, particularly in Nigeria. (…)
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/pressreleases/20051111_pressAfricaSynchroNIDs.pdf
U.S.
Avian flu expert traveling to Armenia to help stem the spread
November 10 - Dr. Elizabeth Krushinskie, DVM, PhD, vice
president for food safety and production programs at the U.S. Poultry & Egg
Association, is traveling to Armenia November 11 -18 to conduct a preparedness
assessment for detecting, diagnosing and containing the avian flu. An eminent
expert on avian influenza, Krushinskie is going to Armenia as a volunteer under
the auspices of the international nonprofit, ACDI/VOCA.
Although there
have been no confirmed bird deaths from the avian flu in Armenia, the country
falls within migratory paths that are thought to have brought the avian flu to
Turkey, Armenia’s neighbor to the west, and it is possible that the lack of
confirmed cases is a result of inadequate surveillance. As a result of the
Armenian Ministry of Agriculture’s request for assistance, ACDI/VOCA identified
Dr. Krushinskie as the most qualified candidate and made arrangements for the
assignment. The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, which has endorsed her
assignment, focuses on research, education, and communication as well as
product promotion. (…)
http://www.acdivoca.org/acdivoca/Acdiweb2.nsf/news/release11.9.05?opendocument
Turkey provides funding for
polio eradication
Turkey made a first-ever
contribution of US$ 500,000 to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in
support of a commitment made by member states of the Organization of the
Islamic Conference (OIC) at the 10th Islamic Summit to eradicate polio from its
Member States. Turkey's contribution could be a catalyst for other OIC members
to financially support polio eradication in OIC countries.
Turkey's leadership role
within the OIC was critical to ensure strong political support for polio
eradication at the Islamic Summit (in Putrajaya, Malaysia in October 2003) and
the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (in Istanbul, Turkey in June 2004
and Sanaa, Yemen, in June 2005).
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/Turkey.asp
ADRA commemorates World AIDS
Day around the world
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
-On December 1, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) will join
the world in celebrating World AIDS Day, a day aimed to increase awareness
about the scourge of HIV and AIDS.
ADRA has also released an
awareness kit addressing the tragedies caused by the HIV and AIDS epidemic,
both in the U.S. and around the globe. The theme for this year’s kit is “Learn.
Care. Act!” The kit includes a World AIDS Day poster, sermon/presentation
outline, activity ideas, facts, stories, and a discussion and activity guide
for youth. The materials aim to foster activism, and provide critical
information to help win the fight against HIV and AIDS around the world. (…)
ADRA has been involved in the
fight against HIV and AIDS for over a decade, educating individuals on
treatment, care and prevention. ADRA also teaches communities how to address
the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS, providing care for children who have
been orphaned by the disease, and promoting better health care for those who
suffer from HIV and AIDS, helping them to lead longer, more productive lives.
ADRA is present in 125
countries, providing community development and emergency management without
regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity.
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=4561
(top)
Private
money for play pumps at 60 schools in Mozambique
Water Institute of Southern
Africa [Wisa], Members' Newsletter, 4 October - Some 40,000 children in 60
rural Mozambican schools will benefit from the joint project of the UN World
Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Dutch logistics
company TNT, using the carousel Play Pump.
In rural southern Africa a common site is that of water carriers
covering large distances in order to meet their daily water requirements.
Traditional sources of water collection are from dams, springs, rivers, streams
and farm reservoirs, with the introduction of boreholes where these traditional
sources of water are unavailable. Until now such boreholes have been operated
by handpumps as the use of alternatives such as diesel, petrol or electric
pumps are costly to install and operate.
A new South African invention
simplifies the whole, exercise - the Play-Pump. Cavorting on a roundabout has
always been fun for children. Now pure, clean borehole water can be pumped into
water storage tanks while the playground roundabout equipment is in use. The
Play-Pump is capable of producing 1400 litres per hour at 16 rpm from a depth
of 40m, and is effective up to a depth of 100m. A typical hand pump
installation cannot compete with this delivery rate, even with substantial
effort. (…) To date over six hundred installations have been completed, a large
percentage of these installations are at primary schools.
http://www.roundabout.co.za/main_the_playpump.htm
Deforestation
continues at an alarming rate, but net forest loss is slowing down
FAO
presents new global forest figures
Rome,
14 November – Each year about 13 million hectares of the world’s forests are lost
due to deforestation, but the rate of net forest loss is slowing down, thanks
to new planting and natural expansion of existing forests, FAO announced today.
The annual net loss of forest area between 2000 and 2005 was 7.3 million
hectares/year -- an area about the size of Sierra Leone or Panama -- down from
an estimated 8.9 million ha/yr between 1990 and 2000. This is equivalent to a
net loss of 0.18 percent of the world’s forests annually. These are some of the
key findings of The Global Forest
Resources Assessment 2005 (FRA 2005), the most comprehensive assessment
to date of forest resources, their uses and value, covering 229 countries and
territories between 1990 and 2005.(…)
Forests now cover nearly 4
billion hectares or 30 percent of the world’s land area, however 10 countries
account for two-thirds of all forest area: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Indonesia, Peru, the Russian
Federation and the United States of America. South America suffered the largest net loss of forests between
2000 and 2005 - around 4.3 million hectares per year - followed by Africa,
which lost 4.0 million hectares annually. (…)
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/1000127/index.html
UNESCAP
launches ‘Green Growth’ Initiative in Seoul
Republic of Korea pledges to
fund and support project
Bangkok, 8 November (United
Nations Information Services) -- UNESCAP and the Ministry of Environment of the
Republic of Korea will launch the Seoul Initiative on Environmentally
Sustainable Economic Growth (Green Growth) at the First Meeting of the Seoul
Initiative Network on Green Growth scheduled for 10-11 November 2005 in Seoul.
Approximately 60
representatives from 30 countries in the Asian and Pacific region and six
international organizations including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the
UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank,
Institute of Global Environment and Strategies (IGES), and South Asia
Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), are expected to attend.
The Seoul Initiative on Green
Growth was adopted at the UNESCAP Ministerial Conference on Environment and
Development in March 2005. The Initiative is aimed at addressing some of the
major policy issues highlighted in the Ministerial Declaration on Environment
and Development in Asia and the Pacific 2005, and the Regional Implementation
Plan for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific 2006-2010, and
furthering their successful implementation.(…)
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2005/nov/n61.asp
Tri-national commitment in
Pacific raises hope for leatherback conservation
Port Moresby, Papua New
Guinea, 4 November – At a recent Pacific Islands Forum meeting, Indonesia,
Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands committed to developing a tri-national
partnership focused on conserving the critically endangered western Pacific
leatherback turtle within the Bismarck-Solomon Seas Ecoregion. The beaches of
these three countries support the largest remaining leatherback turtle
populations in the Pacific Ocean. (…)
Leatherbacks are found
throughout the Bismarck-Solomon Seas Ecoregion, a biologically diverse area
stretching 2.5 million sq km. from the Bird’s Head (Doberai) Peninsula of
Papua, across the Admiralty and Bismarck archipelagos of Papua New Guinea, to
Makira Island of the Solomon Islands. The ecoregion is also home to
approximately three million people of which 80 per cent rely on coastal
resources for their livelihoods. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/news.cfm?uNewsID=24570
New
species found in Fiji's Great Sea Reef, WWF survey reveals
Suva, Fiji, 3 November – The
first ever comprehensive survey of Fiji’s largely uncharted Great Sea Reef, the
world’s third longest barrier reef, has revealed a staggering array of life,
including a new species of reef fish. The WWF survey, conducted during a 12-day
expedition, not only looked at unique mangrove island habitats, several
threatened species such as green turtles and spinner dolphins, but recorded a
new species of damselfish (Pomacentrus sp.) and 43 new hard coral species.
Covering more than 200,000 sq
km, the Great Sea Reef — locally known as Cakaulevu — is home to thousands of
marine species, many of them endemic and is an important fishing ground for
local communities.
The survey also identified
significant threats to the Great Sea Reef, including overfishing and poaching
by illegal fishers, poison fishing, sand dredging and other development
activities.
In efforts to protect the
fragile ecosystem, local village chiefs in Fiji have launched the first of the
country’s networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on the Great Sea Reef,
which include permanent ‘tabu’ zones, where no fishing or harvesting of other
marine resources can take place. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/news.cfm?uNewsID=24435
Wetlands
satellite mapping scheme yielding first results
European Water Management
News, 12 October - Earth's wetlands are havens for wildlife and vital to the
water cycle, but they are also under threat. An initiative led by the European
Sapce Agency (ESA) aims to develop a global wetland information service based
on Earth Observation for conservation efforts. The Globwetland project has now
entered a new phase, with prototype products being developed based on sites
across four continents.
Globwetland is a
user-oriented, developing and demonstrating a space-based information service
based on the specific requests of local and national users across 50 sites in
21 countries worldwide. The aim of Globwetland is to utilise satellite imagery
to provide detailed wide-area views of individual wetlands and their
surrounding catchment areas, and how they are changing. This will aid
international, national and local conservation efforts.
Source: EurekAlert
“Routes to Peace” - The Council for religions meets the
Nobel Laureates
Rome,24
November
at 6:30 pm, Auditorium Parco della Musica - Sala Santa
Cecilia
For the first
time, a lay institution is promoting a meeting between all religions. In the
presence of three thousand people and the Nobel Peace Laureates,
representatives of every faith will have the opportunity to express themselves
freely through prayer, song, dance, reflection. All of the 17 religious
organizations that make up the Council will take part in the event: The Italian
Islamic Cultural Centre, The Catholic Church, “God’s Assembly in Italy”
Evangelical Christian Churches, The Evangelical Baptist Churches of Rome, The
Methodist Church, The Orthodox Church of Ethiopia, The Orthodox Church of
Rumania, The Valdese Church, The Church of Christ Scientist, The Roman Hebrew
Community, The Lutheran Community, The Salvation Army, Bahà’I Faith, The Soka
Gakkai Italian Buddhist Institute, Sikh, The Italian Buddhist Union, The
Italian Hindu Union.
Welcome by
Mikhail Gorbachev and Walter Veltroni Mayor of Rome. Introduction: Franca Coen,
Councillor for Multiethnicity of the Comune di Roma. Followed by music, song
and dances from the Christian, Islamic, Hebrew, Indian, Tibetan, Bahà’i, Sikh
and Japanese traditions.
Municipality
of Rome: International Relations Office: ufrint01@comune.roma.it
The
Gorbachev Foundation Italian Branch: gorbyfond@yahoo.it
Press Office: Kpr Comunicazione: summitnobel@kpr.it
15th Israeli - Palestinian Retreat – November 24-25
The
Food and food Traditions in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. A joint retreat of
Hope Flower School and Interfaith Encounter Association
The
Interfaith Encounter Association (IEA) is pleased to invite you to the 14th
conference of interfaith dialogue and discussions for Israelis and
Palestinians, co-organized by IEA with the Hope Flower School. After the
significant success of the previous conferences, we are very excited to
continue the process of true peace-building through deep and sincere interfaith
dialogue. (…)
During the
conference we will engage in non-political interfaith discussions designed to
help participants better know "the other" in his/her humanity, which
we believe can make a substantial contribution to human peace among the two
peoples and three faiths that share this Holy Land. We will also sing together
religious and cultural songs and have time for spontaneous conversations.
http://www.interfaith-encounter.org/upevents.htm
In the Tracks of Hercules: A multi-media arts event – UK, December 3rd and 4th
Transforming this Ancient Hero
into a Spiritual Trail-blazer for our time
London,
November - The Hercules myth is the story of a man who is also a soul, facing
the Labours that will awaken the highest within him. The Twelve Labours
symbolise the struggle of humanity both individually and collectively. In her
book The Labours of Hercules Alice Bailey explores the meaning of the myth and how each
labour relates to one of the signs of the Zodiac. Inspired by her ideas, the
composer, Kerry Woodward, created a musical score entitled Sidera
Herculana, that combines the energy of the
constellations and the Labours. This dynamic theatre/dance presentation,
choreographed by Konstantin Pavlidis will be performed by Unstructured
Light.
Other
artists have contributed original works that in some way capture the essence of
the spiritual struggle of Hercules. Their interest and enthusiasm has provided
the spirit and energy to develop the project. We are delighted to present some
of these creations at the event, at the exhibition and on our website.
Performances:
Saturday Dec. 3rd, 2 – 9 pm, Sunday Dec.4th 1 – 7 pm, at the Wathen Hall at St Paul’s
School, Lonsdale Rd Barnes SW13 9JT
Exhibition
of Art at The Lennox Gallery, 77 Moore Park Road, Fulham SW6 2HH
www.lucistrust.org/hercules www.lennoxgallery.co.uk
Connecting rural communities: ICTs and rural poverty
eradication
II
phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), Tunis, Tunisia –
16-18 November
Tunis,
Tunisia, 17 November 2005: What can ICTs do for the 800 million extremely poor
people who live in rural areas? This question will be the focus of a side event
sponsored by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) during
the World Summit on the Information Society, on Thursday 17 November 2005.
The side
event, Eradicating rural poverty by
connecting rural communities, will draw attention to the real-time experience
and lessons learned emerging from IFAD’s First Mile Project in Tanzania, which
links use of ICTs with issues related to market access. The project is tackling
two challenges: access by rural poor people to information and knowledge, and
ICTs such as mobile phones, the internet and email; and how they can build
relationships, communicate and negotiate with others along the market chain to
improve market relationships.
The side
event will be held from 9 to 11 am in Meeting Room Béja, of the Parc des
expositions du Kram (Kram PalExpo), Tunis, Tunisia. New ideas are expected to
emerge from the discussion on how to increase the positive impact of ICTs in
rural areas of developing countries, and how to ensure they can contribute in
meaningful, substantive and sustainable ways to the eradication of rural
poverty and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. (…) For more
information: Chief, Media Relations and Special Events and Programmes, IFAD, f.haquerahman@ifad.org
EDC signs declaration
supporting women’s access to technology
Document signed by 32
organizations in 15 countries to be submitted at worldwide U.N. summit
Newton, MA, USA, November 10 -
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) has added its name to a declaration
focusing on the importance of women’s access to information and communication
technologies (ICTs), and the link between access and increasing gender equity around
the world. EDC and its co-signers will present the declaration at the United
Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society being held in Tunis, November
16-18.
The 4-page document has now
been signed by 32 organizations from 15 countries, including many organizations
that focus on increasing the active participation of girls and women in ICT.
The goal is to have an impact on both U.N. and individual countries’ policy
regarding issues of equity and economic development both at the summit in Tunis,
and beyond. (…)
Education Development Center,
Inc. (EDC) is one of the world’s leading nonprofit education and health
organizations, with 335 projects in 50 countries. EDC brings researchers and
practitioners together to advance learning and healthy development for
individuals of all ages and institutions of all types. For more information,
visit www.edc.org.
http://main.edc.org/newsroom/press_releases/wsis.asp
ANERA and INTEL announce plans to build "INTEL IT
Center of Excellence" at Islamic University of Gaza
November 9 - American Near
East Refugee Aid (ANERA) and the Intel Corporation today announced an agreement
to build the "Intel Information Technology Center of Excellence" at
the Islamic University of Gaza in the Gaza Strip. This agreement with ANERA
expands Intel's comprehensive, multi-year "Digital Transformation
Initiative for the Middle East" and underscores the company's long-term
commitment to promote technology skills, knowledge transfer and economic
development in the region. The Center is scheduled to begin construction in
February 2006. The Intel IT Center of Excellence, the first of its kind in
Gaza, will expand educational and employment opportunities, provide critical IT
support for local businesses and organizations, and help stimulate the IT
market in Gaza. (…)
For 37 years, American Near
East Refugee Aid (ANERA) has been a leader in creating innovative job, health,
and education opportunities in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, and Lebanon, and
providing emergency relief in times of war. ANERA's mission is to create
opportunity and hope for people in the Middle East by improving health care and
education and stimulating job creation.
http://www.anera.org/news/05_11_PR_IntelCenter.html
World Summit on the
Information Society - From 16 to 18 November, in Tunis
It
will bring together governments, private sector and civil society
2
November - Some 50 heads of
state and government have confirmed their participation in the Tunis stage of
the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), to be held 16 - 18
November. (…) This Summit, the second phase of a process begun in Geneva in
2003, will bring together political, business and civil society leaders working
to reduce the "digital divide", among other initiatives. The Summit
will also monitor implementation of an ambitious calendar adopted by 175
countries in Geneva 2003, as part of the Declaration of Principles and Plan of
Action to improve connectivity and access to information and communications
technologies (ICTs).
The
Tunis gathering will review the first two years of implementation of the Plan
of Action and governments will develop agreements on financial
strategies to promote ICT development in developing countries and Internet
options for government. (…)
The
private sector will also be represented at the WSIS and more presidents and
CEOs have already confirmed their participation than in 2003, during the first
phase of the summit in Geneva. Firms such as Alcatel, Ericsson, Huawei,
Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung and ZTE are among those already confirmed.
(…)
UNA
Mauritius celebrates the 60th anniversary of the United Nations
Mauritius, 20 October - In his address, the General Secretary of
Mauritius United Nations Association, Mr. Nundkeswarsing Bossoondyal, after
mentioning that MUNA is nearly reaching some 50,000 victims of last week
earthquake in Pakistan and in India as well as Afghanistan, gave an overview of
the Association. London College is playing a crucial part with the UNA
Mauritius by assisting it in disseminating the aims and objectives of the
United Nations in Mauritius. MUNA launched the first UN Clubs here in early
90’s. London College had some of its students participate in few UN Models held
abroad. He also mentioned the success and the advancement of education at
London College, which has until now created many professionals in Mauritius,
among them doctors and lawyers, and that has now been able to create even its
first Minister in the person of Hon. Sylvio Tang, the current Minister of Youth
and Sports. (…)
The United Nations Association
of Mauritius (MUNA) was launched in 1976. (…) MUNA main programmes of
activities among others are: Eradication of poverty, Against corruption,
Working for Food Security, Agriculture, Environment, Rural Development, Land
Reforms, Education, Peace-Security and Disarmament, Gender equality,
Health-HIV/AIDS, Population, Human, Women, Child & people’s Rights,
Tourism, Youth, Students, the Elderly, the disabled and other key issues. “We
further mobilized Mauritian opinions through local newspapers on the larger
report presented by Mr. Kofi Annan on the reforms of the United Nations”, Mr.
Bossoondyal said, “and we have expressed our support for the enlargement of the
United Nations Security Council and in
the same wake to allocate two permanent seats to the African Continent.”
http://pages.intnet.mu/unamauritius
One Million Chinese children
to participate in Arts Olympiad
Professor Shen Genlin,
Executive Director of the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation (SHCDF),
ICAF's country partner in China estimates that more than one million children
in China will participate in ICAF's Third Arts Olympiad. Professor Shen gave a
presentation on the Chinese Arts Olympiad to executives of ICAF's Munich office
during a joint-collaboration meeting held on October 10, 2005 at the ICAF eV
art gallery in Munich. (…)
SHCDF is organizing the Arts
Olympiad and a national competition on ICAF's theme, "My Favorite
Sport". The Shanghai Children International Culture Development Company,
China Welfare Institute Children's Palace and Shanghai ToonMax TV work as
co-organizers. (…)
The International Child Art
Foundation is a nonprofit organization that prepares children for a creative
and cooperative future so they can lead us into a safer and better world.
ICAF's headquarters are in Washington, DC and its European office is in Munich.
http://www.icaf.org/news/newsfiles/200511010001.html
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