Good News Agency – Year VI, n° 8
Weekly - Year VI, number 8 – 6
June 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
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education
USA: Senators Clinton and
Snowe introduce "Kinship Care" Bill
Washington, DC, May 13 -
Legislation aimed at providing federal resources to help the growing number of
children in the U. S. now being cared for by relatives was introduced this week
by Senators Clinton and Snowe.
Shay Bilchik, President and
CEO of the Child Welfare League of America, praised Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) for their introduction of the Kinship
Caregiver Support Act and called them compassionate champions of children. (…)
The legislation, S.985, is a reintroduction of legislation sponsored by the
senators late last year. It attempts to help kin families by both providing
greater information and support to families experiencing the challenges of
becoming parents again to their relative children. It would also expand current
federal funding now limited to foster care and adoption assistance to some
kinship families now involved with the child welfare system.
CWLA, as well as other
organizations, have been working closely with Senator Clinton and Senator Snowe
to develop this legislation to assist kinship families. Senator Thad Cochrane
(R-MS) and Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) joined the two senators in being original
sponsors. At the time of its introduction the legislation had already garnered
the endorsements of the AARP, Generations United, the Children's Defense Fund,
the Evan P. Donaldson Adoption Institute, Grandparents for Children's Rights,
the National Caucus of Black State Legislators, and Voices for Adoption. (…)
http://www.cwla.org/newsevents/news050513kinship.htm
Belgium
government recognises water as a human right - more development aid for water
(European Water Management
News, 27 April) - On 19 April 2005,
the Belgian federal government has adopted a "water resolution" in
which it recognises access to safe water as a human right that should be
included in the Belgian constitution. The resolution also calls for a
significant increase in development aid for drinking water and sanitation, taking
into account that access and distribution of water remains in public hands and
that developing countries should not be pressurised by international financial
or trade institutions to liberalise or privatise their water markets. Other
elements of the resolution stress user involvement (especially of women),
integrated water resources management, strengthening the capacities of central
and local government, progressive water tariffs to protect the poor, and the
establishment of an international "water court" under the auspices of
the UN.
Contact: info@11.be, http://www.11.be
EU sets new ambitious targets
for development aid
Brussels, May 25 - Underscoring the European Union’s commitment to the
Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), EU Development Ministers endorsed yesterday at the General Affairs Council in Brussels far-reaching
proposals to boost Official Development Aid (ODA) and to accelerate progress
towards achieving the MDGs. (…)
“Just before the United Nation’s Summit (in September) on the Millennium Development Goals, this ambitious undertaking puts
the European Union in the leadership role of development on a worldwide scale,”
declared EU Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel.
Based on a proposal from the European
Commission, the EU Council has established a new intermediate collective target
for ODA, 0.56% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2010, in order to reach the
MDG goal of 0.7% by 2015. In its Conclusions, the Council has also registered
the individual thresholds that Member States will have to achieve by 2010. The
ten new Member States “will endeavor to
increase their ODA to reach 0.17% on GNI by 2010”, while the remaining
Member States “commit themselves to
reaching” the threshold of 0.51% of GNI. For those countries already over
these percentages, they undertake to sustain those efforts. (…)
By fixing the collective ODA target at a level
of 0.56% of GNI by 2010, the EU is ensuring that additional funding of €20
billion (€1=$1.26) will be available as from that date.
The General Affairs Council also confirmed the
main elements contained in the three Communications approved by the European
Commission in April – “Accelerating Progress towards Attaining the Millennium
Development Goals” – especially as regards the overall coherence of development
policies and the primary focus on Africa.
Translating the millennium
pledges into local action across Asia and the Pacific
Suwon City, Korea, 25 May – Afghanistan, Indonesia, and economically
vibrant China joined 10 other Asia and Pacific countries at a Local Government
Development Institute (LOGODI) meeting in Suwon City this week to devise ways
of localizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In a statement read on her
behalf, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, urged
participants to make a personal commitment to ensure realisation of the MDGs at
the local level. The president of LOGODI, Mr. Lee Kweon-Sang, said
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) were playing a more important role in
Korea, especially on the environment – an area where local governments are
increasingly recognizing the need to develop stronger partnerships with civil
society for long-term environmental strategies through participatory planning.
(…)
Participants included members
of Logotri, a network of Asian local government training organizations
established by UNESCAP
The workshop 20-23 May
arranged by UN-HABITAT’s Training and Capacity Building Branch, received
financial support from The Netherlands, Korea and LOGODI.
http://www.unhabitat.org/millennium_pledges_2005.asp
ICCR members launch
sustainability campaign at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
New York City, NY///May 25,
2005///ICCR [Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility] Member the General Board of Pension and
Health Benefits of the United Methodist Church today launched a campaign urging
Wal-Mart shareholders to vote for proposal number 5 on the company's annual
proxy statement, which asks that Wal-Mart's Board of Directors prepare a
sustainability report. Sustainability is a business model that instructs
companies to take into consideration the needs and interests of various stakeholders
while concurrently sustaining their business, communities, and the environment
for future generations. Sustainability also entails measuring and reporting
corporate performance against economic, social and environmental criteria. The
General Board and the 30 other ICCR filers are concerned about Wal-Mart's lack
of coherent transparency and openness in public reporting on social, economic
and environmental issues. (…)
http://www.iccr.org/news/press_releases/pr_walmart_umc052505.htm
President of Mali visits IFAD
headquarters while new loan agreement for development programme is signed
Rome, 24 May - The President
of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, visited the headquarters of the International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) where he was received by the President
of IFAD, Lennart Båge. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss development
issues and the problems facing Mali in reducing poverty.
A new loan agreement was signed
for a development programme in the northern regions of the country where
extreme poverty had contributed to an armed conflict during the 1990s. As part
of a peace settlement, the Government pledged to promote economic development
in the area. The Northern Regions Investment and Rural Development Programme
will help to reduce poverty among farmers, nomadic herders and other vulnerable
groups in the northern regions of Tombouctou and Gao. (…) IFAD is supporting
the US$33.6 million programme with a US$14.6 million loan and a US$803,000
grant. The programme is also receiving cofinancing from the West African
Development Bank and the Belgian Survival Fund.
The programme will help
community members to gain skills in organizing themselves into groups, ensuring
their voices are heard during local planning of poverty reduction activities.
Local administrations will strengthen their ability to identify, plan and
implement activities that truly meet the needs of rural poor people. IFAD funds
will contribute to financing these activities. (…)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2005/26.htm
UN-ESCWA holds training
program for Senior Iraqi Planning and Development Ministry Staff
Beirut, 20 May (United Nations
Information Service) - The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) will hold management training programs for senior staff
of the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation from 23 May to 3
June 2005 at the United Nations House, Beirut. (…) Beginning at 10am Monday
morning, the training will brief participants on UN-ESCWA activities and
efforts to support sustainable development and regional integration,
highlighting its work to support the reconstruction of Iraq. The training will
also address the challenges Iraq faces to join the World Trade Organization and
the experiences of UN-ESCWA member countries on this issue. (…)
The training will also
introduce United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiatives on good
governance and present the UNDP Program on Governance in the Arab Region
(POGAR). The Iraqi participants will also be visiting several Lebanese
institutions to gain exposure to their experiences in public sector reform and
the introduction of modern public sector management practices.
UN-ESCWA, with the support of
UNDP, organized similar training programs upon the request of the Iraqi
Ministry of Planning as part of its capacity-building program to introduce its
staff to best practices in modern public management. (…)
Norway, UNDP sign aid
agreement for Caucasus
New York, 10 May - Zephirin Diabre, Associate
Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Jan Petersen,
Foreign Minister of Norway, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding
committing Norway to providing $10 million for UNDP projects in Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia over the next three years. (…)
Norway will provide the
funding for programmes in democratic governance, energy and sustainable
development. The projects to be funded have yet to be specified, and funding is
contingent upon approval by the Norwegian parliament.
UNDP country offices in
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia already collaborate closely with Norway. In
Armenia, for example, Norway support efforts aimed at fighting human
trafficking, raising public awareness and assisting trafficking victims. In
Azerbaijan, Norway is contributing to a UNDP Blood Bank project. And in
Georgia, Norway has supported work on a child labour survey, which UNDP has
conducted together with the Georgian Department of Statistics. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/pressrelease/releases/2005/may/pr10may05Norway.html
Investment
in water and sanitation pays off in economic growth
Source Weekly, No. 17-18, 2
May - Investments in a nation's water and sanitation infrastructure speed up economic
growth, reduce poverty and improve public health, the Stockholm International
Water Institute (SIWI) told the United Nations Commission on Sustainable
Development (CSD) meeting in New York.
A study by the Swedish group
found that the GDP of poor countries with improved water access and sanitation
grew, on average, by 3.7% per year, compared to 0.1% per year without that
investment. Moreover, cost of investing in water and sanitation can be as low
as US$ 4 - US$ 7 (EUR 3 - EUR 5.40) per person, per year.
The economic benefits to
health, agriculture and industry of meeting the water and sanitation Millennium
Development Goals range from US$ 3 to US$ 34 (EUR 2.30 EUR 26) per dollar
invested, says the report.
Contact: David Trouba, SIWI, mailto:dave.trouba@siwi.org ; Maria Stenström,
SIWI, mailto:maria.stenstrom@siwi.org
Social Development Network
launched on internet
An electronic network was
established by UN-ESCWA called the Social Development Network (SDNet) to boost
efforts to become a regional centre of excellence in knowledge management using
the widest participatory approach possible, while enhancing the dialogue,
information exchange, and cooperation among member countries, within the
countries themselves, and with interested parties elsewhere. Using a knowledge
management approach, SDNet will initially serve as a pilot modality to host and
moderate online discussions of the International Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD 1994), the Beirut Declaration resulting from the Arab
Population Forum (APF 2004) and the vital links between population and
development.
Eventually, UN-ESCWA will use
SDNet to debate the likelihood of implementing the MDGs and to exchange views
and best practices among member countries and other regional organizations both
within and outside the UN system on social development in the Arab region. (…)
Russian Federation / Chechnya:
Help for flood victims
19 May - Yesterday the ICRC
began providing aid for 312 families living in rural areas affected by the
recent flooding in Chechnya.
On May 14 relief supplies had already
been distributed to 138 households in Grozny and rural areas situated along the
banks of the Sunzha, one of the three main rivers in the republic.
The aid consists of basic
household items including bed linen, blankets, mattresses, kitchen sets, buckets
and hygiene kits containing soap, detergent, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
As a result of the flooding in
Chechnya, several hundred families have had their houses damaged or destroyed.
According to official sources, water levels may continue to rise.
The ICRC will maintain contact
with the local branch of the Russian Red Cross, district administrations and
other national and local authorities with a view to coordinating relief
efforts.
Ethiopia: ICRC delivers aid to
displaced people in Gambella
18 May - On 11 May the ICRC
completed a two-week distribution of maize, beans, oil and agricultural tools
to nearly 46,000 displaced people from the Nuer and Anuak communities who had
to leave their homes in Ethiopia’s south-western Gambella region earlier this
year following renewed clashes among different Nuer communities. They had been
forced to sell most of their cattle and tools to cope with the hardships of
displacement.
This aid came at a critical
moment: right before the onset of the rainy season, and at a time when the
displaced people were running out of even the most basic items needed for
survival. The ICRC expects the beneficiaries to be able to grow their own food
again after the next harvest.
India helps WFP feed Afghan
schoolchildren
Kabul, 17 May – The United
Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed another major food shipment
from India as part of its pledge to donate one million metric tons of wheat to
help feed schoolchildren in Afghanistan. The Indian wheat is converted into
fortified biscuits with micronutrients that boost children’s nutrition and
enhance their ability to learn. The biscuits – totaling 18,000 metric tons and
worth an estimated US$19,390,000 – constitute the third shipment as part of
India’s million-ton pledge to WFP.
“We are very grateful to the
government of India for this contribution. It has made a dramatic difference in
our efforts to spread school feeding in Afghanistan and improve both the health
and educational condition of many poor Afghan children,” said WFP Country
Director and Representative Charles Vincent.
Under school feeding projects,
almost one million Afghan boys and girls received highly nutritious biscuits at
school in 2004. WFP plans to cover 1.1 million students in 2005 and India’s
latest contribution will be pivotal in reaching this objective. (…)
Helen Keller International receives
$1.5 million USAID grant for Child Survival
New York, May 10 – Helen
Keller International (HKI) has received a $1.5 million grant from the Child
Survival and Health Grants Program, which is administered by the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID).
The grant supports a four-year integrated program to improve nutrition,
called Nutrition+, to be implemented in the Koulikoro Region of Mali, a densely
populated area with few resources to benefit the population. With Nutrition+, HKI will introduce a
state-of-the-art package of nutrition interventions focusing on the most
critical period for mother and child survival and development: pregnancy
through the first two years of life.
Despite recent gains in
democratization, governance, and economic growth, Mali has the 7th highest
under-five child mortality rate in the world, and nearly 70% of these deaths
occur in children younger than two years of age. As in other West African countries, malaria, acute respiratory
infection, diarrhea, and vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and tetanus
are the leading direct causes of child mortality in Mali. However, 51% of mortality is attributable to
malnutrition, meaning that if these children had been adequately nourished,
they would have survived. Micronutrient
deficiencies are rampant, and health statistics in the Koulikoro Region are
even more alarming than the national statistics. (…)
HKI has previously worked in
four of the nine health districts in the Koulikoro Region. This most recent grant will enable HKI to
expand to the entire region, reaching 85% of the population, or 452,000 people,
each year.
http://www.hkworld.org/about/press_releases/USAIDChildSurvival.htm
Venezuela flood relief
May 9 - More than 200 families
in Venezuela's Vargas, Miranda and Mérida States received food in the wake of
massive flooding, via a grant from FHI.
Partner organization RENACSENIV (Red Nacional Cristiana de Servicio al
Niño Venezolano) provided food and personal hygiene items to families who had
lost homes and personal belongings due to floods that came in January and
February. RENACSENIV utilised a network of its own regional offices, churches
and non-governmental organisation to reach flood-affected households in the
three states.
While RENACSENIV's name does
indicate its primary mission is working with children, the flood relief efforts
aimed to help entire families live through the difficult initial days after the
floods. One of the aims is to help parents take care of their children
adequately. "We're seeing more interest in their personal hygiene and in
keeping the house clean," commented RENACSENIV's Miranda State coordinator
in their report.
The churches involved not only
helped with material distributions but also counselled families through
emotional hard times, and returned for follow-up visits. Because RENACSENIV has
longstanding programs in the affected areas, the organisation will be able to
stay engaged with affected families long term.
In total, 13 churches and one
local non-governmental organisation provided donations or volunteers to
RENACSENIV's relief efforts.
http://relief.fhi.net/where_we_work/venezuela/index.htm
ADRA launches tsunami recovery
in Somalia
Nairobi, Kenya, 9 May - The
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is launching a recovery project in
Somalia to aid survivors of last December’s tsunami. ADRA is supplying
livelihood support items, improving access to safe water and sanitation
facilities, and training and conducting seminars on hygiene and health topics.
The project will provide livelihood
support items including boats, fishing equipment, tents, and household items.
The water and sanitation infrastructure component includes construction of
solar-powered spring systems, shallow wells, water storage tanks, a borehole,
and latrines. Through establishing and training village-based health
committees, ADRA will empower target communities to manage the water and
sanitation resources provided by the project. (…)
The project is funded
primarily by Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH), through ADRA Germany, with a
contribution of more than $2.1 million. The Swiss Solidarity Chain is providing
funding of nearly $500,000, through ADRA Switzerland, to restore livelihoods in
five villages. ADRA Belgium/Luxembourg and ADRA Italy are also assisting ADRA
Switzerland in co-financing the Swiss Solidarity Chain project. (…)
http://www.adra.org/ADRANews/050905.html
Adopt-A-Minefield launches
Farah Appeal in honor of new AAM Youth Ambassador Farah Ahmedi
Adopt-A-Minefield has launched
The Farah Appeal, a campaign to raise mine action funds in honor of newly-named
AAM Youth Ambassador Farah Ahmedi. Farah, who lost her leg to a landmine ten
years ago, recently won ‘The Story of My Life’ competition, sponsored by ABC’s
Good Morning America and Simon & Schuster.
After winning the competition,
Farah met with First Lady Laura Bush at the White House on May 5th, to discuss
her experiences as a landmine survivor.
At the White House, Farah was accompanied by AAM Board Chair Ambassador
Nancy Rubin and AAM Executive Director Nahela Hadi as well as representatives
from Simon and Shuster and “The Story of My Life.” (…)
In her role as AAM Youth
Ambassador, Farah will act as a spokesperson for That Landmine Thing—AAM’s and
Landmine Survivors Network (LSN)’s joint student fundraising campaign. A
17-year-old high school student herself, Farah brings home to students living
in the United States the reality of landmines for youth around the world. We
are very excited that Farah has joined the team as our Youth Ambassador and
we’ll be sending you more info about her in the autumn editions of the Deminer
and the That Landmine Thing 2005/2006 newsletter.
For more information on Farah’s
autobiography, please visit www.simonsays.com.
http://www.landmines.org/news/
Japanese assistance for
displaced people and returning refugees in Somalia gets underway
Hargeisa, Somalia, 26 May – A Japanese funded programme to help
resettle displaced people and refugees returning home in northern Somalia this
week made major advances as the authorities agreed to set aside land for
thousands of destitute people. The municipalities of Hargeisa in Somaliland,
and Gorowe in Puntland, have agreed to UN-HABITAT proposals on resettlement
sites. A beneficiaries committee has been established in Hargeisa to help
coordinate the development of infrastructure ranging from new homes, to
schools, markets and water supplies with UN-HABITAT, UNHCR, UNDP and other
international agencies. In Puntland progress has also reached advanced stage.
On 11 March 2005, the
Government of Japan pledged US$ 1,895,200 for Internally Displaced People
(IDPs) and Returnees in Somalia under a UN-HABITAT programme designed to
improve the living conditions, security of tenure and economic opportunities of
IDPs and returnees urgently requiring assistance in both districts. A total of 680 families are the direct
beneficiaries of low-cost housing units. They include an estimated 2,720
children and 680 women. These households will also benefit from awareness
raising and training in hygiene, sanitation, rainwater harvesting, etc. Approximately 400 people will receive
practical training in construction, quarrying and brick-making techniques, and
80 community leaders will be trained in Community Action Planning. (…)
http://www.unhabitat.org/somalia_2005.asp
Supporting the peace process
in Sudan
Agricultural projects countrywide total $16 million
- more funds urgently needed
Rome,
25 May - Agricultural relief and rehabilitation operations are crucial to
support the smooth transition to a sustainable peace in southern Sudan, FAO said
today. Countrywide, the agency is carrying out emergency relief and
rehabilitation projects totalling $16 million.
FAO has appealed for nearly
$62 million for emergency assistance to the country's agriculture sector for
2005. So far it has received about $10.5 million - just 17 percent of the funds
requested. (…) FAO expects to reach over 450 000 vulnerable farming families
with its ongoing projects. Planned beneficiaries include internally displaced
households and returnees, whom FAO is helping to resettle and restart farming
activities. (…)
"An estimated 580 000
returnees are expected after the rainy season," said Erminio Sacco, FAO's
Emergency Coordinator for southern Sudan. "Most will be returning with
nothing to communities that are already extremely poor. If we overburden these
communities, we risk creating further conflict. So we are very carefully
targeting the most vulnerable people, whether residents or returnees.
Increasing the capacity of communities to absorb new returnees will also be a key
activity of the FAO interventions."
Austrian Aid for Mine Victim
Poster won the Golden Award
Author:
Anne Capelle
The new Austrian Aid for Mine
Victims-ICBL poster received The Golden Award in Montreux, which is the highest
award in the advertising world.
Austrian Aid for Mine Victims
(AAVM) worked on this project with the advertising agency WIEN NORD PILZ
Werbeagentur GmbH (WNP) from Vienna. AAMV is grateful for the work of WNP, a
young, dynamic agency, winning the second Gold Award for ICBL-AAMV jointly
designed posters!!
It is another success for the
advertising campaign of ICBL Austria: last year the campaign had won the price
of Europe’s best newspaper advertising at the Art Directors Club of Europe for
"Zerfetzte Hoffnungen" the poster presented at the Nairobi Review
Conference by Austrian Aid for Mine Victims.
The print ad “Father, Mother,
Child”, created by the advertising agency Wien Nord Pilz, won a gold medal in
the category public interest. This price means again attention of an
international audience for the landmine topic.
The Golden Award Montreux is
one of the leading international multimedia festivals in Europe. The juries
judged more than 2,512 entries from 32 countries.
http://www.icbl.org/layout/set/print/news/austrian_poster
African
tradition meets the global future
International
Youth Leadership Conference 2005, 1st through 7th August,
Ghana
Chief Nana Apeadu renowned
human rights activist from Ghana, Dr. Nina Meyerhof, President of Children of
the Earth (NGO), and Audrey Kitagawa, Advisor to the Office of the Special
Representative of the United Nation’s Secretary-General for Children and Armed
Conflict invite youth from around the world to participate in the Apeadu Peace
Center’s fourth international youth leadership program in Aburi, Ghana. The
conference will be held from the 1st August to the 7th
August 2005.
Imagine coming to Africa
attending an international conference to become a certified Peace Builder. Our
conference will empower young peacemakers with the practical skills, knowledge,
and inspiration that are required to become active peace builders in their own
community. (…)
In 2005 we will also explore
the theme When The African Past Meets The
Global Future. Considering the context in which our conference will take
place, Africa, this theme is especially relevant. A most exciting feature of
the conference will be how council sessions were/are used in traditional
African tribes and how we can learn from the process. Most importantly this
theme will teach us how to realise spirituality in our daily lives and how
spirituality cannot be disconnected from Peace.
New salt iodisation plant
opens in Afghanistan
Kabul, 26 May – An eleventh salt iodisation plant in
Afghanistan began production on Monday in the Bagrami district of Kabul, with
the capacity to generate up to 40 metric tonnes of iodised salt per day for the
capital’s population and surrounding provinces.
The new “Namak-e-Zendagi” – or
“Salt of Life” – plant, which has been supported by the Afghan Ministry of
Public Health and UNICEF and is managed by a private company, will supplement
the existing supply of iodised salt within the area. Lack of iodine is a major
cause of medical conditions such as goitre and physical stunting, brain damage
in newborn babies, as well as impairing intellectual development and
educational potential amongst children.
Afghanistan has seen the
creation of new iodised salt plants throughout the country since 2003;
nationwide, these plants now have the capacity to produce enough salt to meet
the population’s requirements. Adding iodine to salt is one of the simplest,
cheapest and most effective methods of introducing iodine into the diet, while
the costs of iodised salt to the consumer are comparable to the non-iodised
product. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_27156.html
Afghanistan polio immunization
targets "missed" children
Kabul, 26 May – More than 2
million children in 64 districts of Afghanistan cut off by heavy snowfalls
earlier in the year, along with districts in Helmand and Kandahar provinces,
will be targeted in a special round of polio immunization starting Sunday 29
May. The campaign is a vital step in ensuring that no children are missed in
the nationwide effort by the Afghan Ministry of Public Health, UNICEF, WHO and partners
to eradicate polio in the country.
The three day campaign is
being staged in addition to the planned four main rounds of polio immunization
in 2005. An especially harsh winter in Afghanistan left many areas impossible
to reach by vaccinators in the year’s first round held in March.
Afghanistan remains on the
threshold of being declared polio-free. From a total of 27 polio cases reported
in 2000, only one case has been reported in Afghanistan in 2005. Last year,
there was a total of four cases. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_27160.html
Governments welcome new
WHO/UNICEF global immunization strategy that aims to avert millions of deaths
Geneva, 25 May - Governments
meeting at the World Health Assembly officially committed to adopting an
ambitious new global strategy to fight vaccine-preventable diseases, which kill
more than two million people every year, two-thirds of whom are young children
. The Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS) was designed by WHO and
the UNICEF. (…)
GIVS has three main aims: to
immunize more people against more diseases; to introduce a range of newly
available vaccines and technologies; and to provide a number of critical health
interventions with immunization. GIVS covers the period 2006-2015 and offers a
set of strategies from which countries can select and implement those most
suited to their specific needs.
Vaccination has been one of
the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions in history.
It has eradicated smallpox, lowered the global incidence of polio by 99% since
1988, and achieved dramatic reductions in illness and death from diphtheria,
tetanus, whooping cough and measles. In 2003 alone, immunization averted more
than two million deaths. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_27163.html
War-surgery seminar for
surgeons from Caucasus
25 May - A seminar on war surgery
organized by the ICRC is currently taking place (May 23-29) in Sochi, in
south-west Russia. Thirty-one surgeons from the Russian Federation (Chechnya,
Ingushetia, Dagestan, North Ossetia), Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are
attending.
The event gives them an
opportunity to share their experience and practical recommendations on the best
way to treat different kinds of wounds and on other issues of interest to
surgeons.
ICRC chief surgeons François
Irmay and Kenneth Barrand, who have worldwide experience helping victims of
armed conflict, are attending. Russian experts, among them staff from St
Petersburg Medical Technical College and the Burdenko Main Military Clinical
Hospital, have been invited to give lectures and present reports on the subject.
War-surgery seminars for
practitioners from the Caucasus have been held regularly in the Russian
Federation since 2002. Working in war zones across the globe has given the ICRC
extensive knowledge of medical care for the victims. It organizes professional training
worldwide and arranges for the publication of books and other study material on
the subject as well as articles in specialized journals.
World Blood Donor Day 2005
Geneva, 24 May - The countdown
to World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) has started. As last year, the day will be
celebrated on 14 June, the birth date of Karl Landsteiner, who discovered the
ABO blood group system. This week the World Health Assembly, which includes the
192 Member States of the World Health Organization, agreed WBDD will be
celebrated internationally on 14 June each year to promote voluntary blood
donation globally.
This year, World Blood Donor
Day 2005 will have the theme “Celebrating your gift of blood” and will highlight
true stories of people whose lives have been changed — in many cases saved — by
blood. Again, the day will be celebrated across the globe with one city
representing the fulcrum of activities. This year that city is London, United
Kingdom, a major international hub and capital of a country which has a solid
tradition of collection of safe blood supplies by relying on voluntary, unpaid
donation.
WBDD provides the opportunity
to raise awareness of the need for blood and blood donors. Over 80 million
units of blood are donated every year around the world, but only 39% is
collected in developing countries where 82% of the global population live. (…)
WBDD is also an important part
of the strategy to reduce transmission of serious illnesses like HIV/AIDS, malaria,
hepatitis B and C. The latest figures collected by WHO, based on a global
survey, show that at least 65 countries did not test all donated blood for HIV,
hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis, as recommended by WHO. (…)
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2005/np_wha03/en/index.html
WHO establishing smallpox
vaccine reserve
20 MAY 2005 | Geneva -- Today,
countries at the World Health Assembly discussed two reports regarding
smallpox.
Smallpox, a highly infectious
disease which kills about a quarter of the people it infects, was declared
eradicated in 1980. The only known samples of the virus are stored in two
secure laboratories approved by WHO (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Atlanta, USA and Vector, Kostsovo, Russian Federation). However,
the World Health Assembly has recognized the possibility that smallpox could be
reintroduced, and since 1996 has had ongoing discussions about measures to
prepare for a smallpox emergency.
Today, countries welcomed
progress on WHO's work to establish a global smallpox vaccine reserve. This
reserve would be used in the event of a smallpox emergency, particularly for
those countries that don't have the resources to create their own
stockpile.(…)
The World Health Assembly also
noted a report which detailed several recommendations for research on the
smallpox virus. This research was recommended by the WHO Advisory Committee on
Variola Virus Research in November 2004, and is intended to develop better
medicines, vaccines and diagnostics for smallpox. (…)
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2005/np_wha02/en/index.html
Pittsburgh architect wins
international competition to design the perfect pitch for Somkhele, South
Africa's first girls' football league
20 May - Somkhele, KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa Siyathemba Consultants, the Africa Centre for Health and
Population Studies and Architecture for Humanity are pleased to announce that
Swee Hong Ng is the winner of the "Siyathemba," design competition.
Mr. Ng will be collaborating with the community and local architects to design
and build a sports and HIV/AIDS outreach center in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa,
an area with one of the one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the world. Mr.
Ng's design was selected by an international jury and the youth of Somkhele
from more than 300 entries received from around the world
Launched in 2004, the
"Siyathemba" competition challenged the world's designers to create
the "perfect pitch," for the youth of Somkhele, South Africa, who are
three times more likely to become HIV positive than youth in other parts of the
world. Siyathemba is the Zulu word for "hope." In addition to serving
as a gathering place for youth between the ages of 9-14 and health
education/training centre, the pitch will also be home to the area's first
girls' football league. (…)
Swee Hong Ng, 29, is an
emerging architect completing his licensing with EDGE studio in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, USA. "The design utilizes the natural asset of earth to
create terraces that emulate the gentle flow of the area's landscape,"
explained the Singapore-born designer. "The pair of "V" shaped
terraces create a focal point similar to an outdoor amphitheatre, where
performances, talks and other events may be hosted." The terraces are
constructed from earth and adobe brick and paved with concrete for seats.
www.architectureforhumanity.org
Rotary International honors
Australia, Sweden for polio support
19 May - In recognition of Australia's US$10.5 million
in accumulated contributions to the global effort to eradicate polio, Rotary
International presented Prime Minister John Howard with its Polio Eradication
Champion Award on 16 May. "On behalf of Rotary's 1.2 million members
worldwide, I am honored to present this award to Prime Minister Howard,"
said RI President-nominee William Boyd. "On the eve of polio eradication
and Rotary's 100th anniversary, it brings me great pleasure to celebrate the
tremendous achievements of our public-private partnership."
AusAID, Australia's overseas
aid program, matched contributions made by private-sector donors, including
Rotarians, to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative from 2001 through 2005.
Provided through a matching agreement with the Australian Rotary Foundation
Trust, the funds have been applied to strategic polio eradication needs. For
example, the contributions helped fund technical support for the Eastern
Mediterranean region and operational costs of immunization activities in
Pakistan and Nigeria.
Carin Jämtin, Sweden's
minister for international development cooperation, was similarly honored on 17
May for Sweden's recent $30 million contribution to the global anti-polio
effort. (…)
Sweden's contribution has
helped reduce a funding shortfall for 2005 polio eradication activities.
Overall, the initiative has a global funding gap of $50 million to be filled by
July, for activities in the latter half of the year. An additional $200 million
is required for 2006.
The Polio Eradication Champion
Award was established in 1995 to recognize governments and world leaders who
have made outstanding contributions toward the goal of eradicating polio. (…)
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/polio/050519.html
New joint guidelines on health
services and HIV/AIDS
Experts brought together by
the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization
(WHO) have agreed to joint guidelines on health services and HIV/AIDS. The new
guidelines are a move to help protect the safety and health of workers that
deal with HIV/AIDS and they are designed to ‘ensure a functioning and healthy
medical work force’.
The background for the
guidlines is that while access to healthcare is a basic human right, provision
of healthcare remains problematic. (…) The key issues treated in the joint
guidelines are:
§
Preventing and containing transmission risks
§
Social dialogue, including all types of negotiation, consultation and information
sharing among governments, employers and workers
§
Information, education and training in order to sensitize healthcare
workplaces to HIV/AIDS related issues and the rights and needs of patients and
workers
§
Focusing on gender, as the majority of healtcare workers are women
The joint guidelines will be
presented to the 293rd session of the ILO Governing Body in June 2005 for
approval. Once adopted they will be translated into several languages and
disseminated by the ILO and WHO. This will be complemented by social dialogue
activities and training to encourage implementation.
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Nuclear weapons grade material
removed from Latvia
26 May - The IAEA has helped
Latvian authorities remove weapons grade material from a shutdown research
reactor in Salaspils, close to the capital Riga.
On 25 May 2005, about three
kilograms of fresh highly enriched uranium (HEU) was safely airlifted back to
Russia, which had originally supplied the fissile material to fuel the Latvian
research reactor. Although this amount is less than what is needed to build a
nuclear bomb it still requires stringent security arrangements to ensure its
safety, and guard against terrorist acts. (…)
The nuclear fuel was airlifted
under guard from an airport near Riga to a secure facility, NPO Luch, in
Podol´sk, Russia. There, the HEU will be blended down to make it unsuitable for
use in a nuclear weapon.
The mission was a joint effort
between Latvia, the Russian Federation, the United States, and the IAEA. It was
carried out under the Global Threat Reduction Initiative, funded by the US. The
IAEA facilitated the contracts for the shipment to take place. (…)
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2005/latvia_uranium.html
Cloud
seeding success in Thailand
Source Weekly, No. 17-18, 2 May
(Source: Independent on Line) - More than 30 flights a day have been heading
for the clouds in Thailand to persuade them to part with their water. The
planes spray silver iodine, salt and dry ice causing vapour droplets to freeze
and fall to the ground. Cloud seeding (as this technique is known), 1,000 times
in less than a month, has eased the toughest drought for seven years by 80 per
cent.
The planes use a technique
patented by the King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, spraying chemicals into
warm and cold clouds at different altitudes to make rain fall over a wide area.
Thailand's success has led
countries including Cambodia and Oman to ask for technical assistance. However,
Thailand says that cloud seeding only works if you have the right type of clouds
and where humidity is higher than 60 per cent.
Cloud seeding experiments have
been taking place for more than 60 years and the technique has also been
applied successfully in Australia, China, Malaysia and the Philippines. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=qw1113583861177B213
“Promoting
an Enabling Environment: Music, Technology, Culture, and Healthcare”
International
Conference, 9 June 2005, 1 – 6pm, UN Headquarters, ECOSOC Chamber
This unique interrelated event
is part of a series organized by the International Council for Caring Communities
(ICCC) in collaboration with the United Nations ICT-Task Force, Programme on
Ageing, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA); the Rusk Institute of
Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center, Global Music Healing Institute; NGOs and the private sector. The
Conference will address applications related to the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals in terms of creating partnerships and improving health of
citizens worldwide.
How
can ICT (information, communication technology) enhance healthcare delivery,
staff-efficiency and effectiveness? How to utilize the power of musical rhythm in
healthcare delivery?
Topics
include: ICT as an enabling tool for rural and urban delivery of health care
services - Emerging technologies in
music and medicine - Power of music in creating a dialogue among children - New
understanding of the impact of musical rhythms and its utilization as a “Medical Tool” -
Mekong countries commit to
environmentally sound economic development
Shanghai, China, 27 May – WWF
commends environment ministers from the six countries in the Greater Mekong
Subregion (GMS) – Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – for committing
to ensure that economic development in the area is environmentally sound and
sustainable. The ministers made their commitment in a joint statement issued at
the end of an inaugural meeting held here, with support from the Asian
Development Bank (ADB). WWF was one of several representatives of civil society
organizations invited to the meeting to share their perspectives. (…)
The meeting on 25 May provided
the environment ministers with the opportunity to underline the vital
importance of conserving and maintaining high-quality ecosystems, such as
forests and rivers, in the light of increasing and intensified economic
development in the Mekong.
The ministers' commitment is
timely as their leaders prepare to advance discussions on regional economic cooperation.
The GMS leaders will be holding their second summit meeting in July in Kunming,
China, which will focus on infrastructure development and associated trade,
investment and production opportunities.
Infrastructure is being planned along "economic
corridors", which will link major ports and cities with each other as well
as with other less developed areas. The opening up of some of these areas,
through building of roads and dams and accompanying infrastructure, will
threaten the Mekong's rich natural heritage and rural livelihoods, if adequate
measures are not taken to prevent or mitigate associated negative and
cumulative impacts. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/news.cfm?uNewsID=20870
ASEAN combats illegal wildlife
trade in Southeast Asia
Jakarta, Indonesia, 26 May –
In an unprecedented move against Southeast Asia’s illegal and unsustainable trade
in wildlife, delegates from the ten members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed upon a five-year action plan to combat
threats to the region’s rich biological diversity. (…)
The illegal and unsustainable
trade in wild animals and plants in the region continues to drive critical
threats to the survival of a large number of threatened species. Birds and
reptiles for the pet trade, luxury items made of ivory and hawksbill turtle
shell products, as well as highly-valued medicines such as musk, tiger bone and
ginseng are all in high demand as the economic growth in the wider Asian region
has continued to increase. (…)
The newly endorsed ASEAN
Regional Action Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora provides a solid
framework agreement for collaboration between the ten member countries.
Specifically, it addresses common issues of enhanced law enforcement
networking, inter-agency co-operation, strengthened national legislation, and
increasing the availability of scientific information to guide wildlife trade
management by CITES authorities. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/news.cfm?uNewsID=20850
WWF and World Bank join forces
to reduce global deforestation
United Nations headquarters,
New York, 25 May – WWF and the World Bank announced at the fifth meeting of the
United Nations Forum on Forests the renewal of a partnership that aims to
reduce global deforestation rates by 10 per cent by 2010.
Known as the World Bank/WWF
Alliance for Forest Conservation & Sustainable Use, the programme will
support the establishment of new forest protected areas such as national parks,
more effective management of forest protected areas, and improved management of
forests outside of protected areas.
The Alliance also will help to
facilitate regional cooperation and the adoption of policies in support of more
effective forest management. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/news.cfm?uNewsID=20808
IAEA & environmental
partners help protect shared water resources
20 May - The IAEA is working
more closely with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and other
partners to help countries assess and manage limited water resources. The
results of the shared expertise are proving especially valuable for
transboundary water problems facing countries in Africa, Asia and other
regions.
Among other areas, the IAEA
supports UNEP´s Global Environmental Monitoring System/Water (GEMS/Water)
programme on water quality assessment including conducting laboratory
inter-comparison testing to ensure accurate and precise measurement of water
quality. This collaboration has helped in expanding the networks of
laboratories in the developing member states globally. The Agency also provides
expertise for shared aquifer management projects in Africa funded by the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by UNEP. (…) An aquifer in the
North-Western Sahara, for example, is an important freshwater source for the
people of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya. With increasing scarcity of clean surface
waters it is vital the aquifer is preserved for peoples´ use both today and in
the future.
The joint project involving
the IAEA and UNEP as well as other partners such as UNESCO, FAO and OSS, is
helping these three countries to use isotopic and nuclear techniques to protect
their shared water source. (…)
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2005/protectwater.html
Mine plan agreed to tackle
pollution time-bombs
Clean ups of
old sites and coherent policy on new mines on the cards under landmark European
agreement to boost regional environment and security
Cluj-Napoca/Nairobi, 13 May –
An historic strategy to reduce the environmental risks of mining in Eastern
Europe is to be adopted today by governments attending an international
conference in Romania.
The plan, agreed at the end of
the conference by ministers and officials from around a dozen countries in the
region, is likely to lead to detailed assessments of sites whose continued
operation has become a source of pollution and tension in an already volatile
part of the world.
It is hoped that the strategy
will also trigger the financial, technical and administrative support needed to
clean up old mines, smelters and processing facilities in the region.
Higher health and
environmental standards for the operation of new mines, alongside sound
planning for their eventual closure and decommissioning are also part of the
plan.
The strategy will also
accelerate the establishment and extension of early warning systems on key
rivers and tributaries in order to warn countries in the region of chronic
pollution incidents.
Studies, carried out on behalf
of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), have concluded that
numerous old and abandoned sites are now cause for environmental, social and
political concern. (…)
Global finance community joins
UN to tackle climate change
Institutional
investors managing USD 3.22 trillion back new call for action at 2005 Investor
Summit on Climate Risk
New York, 10 May – An
unprecedented grouping of pension funds, foundations, European investors and US
state treasurers have joined today with the United Nations to back a new call
for urgent action by the global investment community to tackle the threat of
climate change.
Faced with growing evidence of
the negative economic consequences of climate change this powerful alliance of
institutional investors managing USD 3.22 trillion are pressing for capital
market regulators to demand more rigorous corporate disclosure of climate
risks.
Amongst other commitments,
they are also seeking to unlock USD 1 billion in capital in the next year for
investment in clean technology. The 2005 Call for Action was made at a summit
at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Klaus Toepfer, Executive
Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), told participants
at the summit, "The local and global challenges created by climate change
- environmental, economic and social - are manifold and will both multiply and
accelerate in our lifetimes. For the world's financiers, investors and capital
markets the time to act is now.” (…)
Europeans
want policy makers to consider the environment as important as economic and
social policies
(European Water Management
News, 4 May) - For Europeans, a healthy
environment is as important to their quality of life as the state of the
economy and social factors, according to a new Eurobarometer survey. The
environmental issues that citizens worry most about are water pollution,
man-made disasters, climate change, air pollution and chemicals. The survey is
also the first to examine attitudes towards the environment across the enlarged
EU-25.
Environment Commissioner
Stavros Dimas said: "This survey is proof that European citizens care
greatly about their environment, and believe that it is intrinsically linked to
their quality of life. The results give a clear mandate to the Commission to
continue working to deliver a high level of environmental protection.
Eurobarometer findings also confirm that the public shares the Commission’s
conviction that a strong environmental policy can be an engine for innovation
and growth.” A summary of the survey and the full report are available at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/barometer/index.htm
Shigar Fort: a new model of
conservation combines economic and cultural objectives
Shigar, Pakistan, 24 May - The
Shigar Fort in Baltistan, Pakistan, presents a new model for restoration of
endangered cultural monuments in Pakistan and elsewhere in the Muslim World.
Featuring guest rooms that
highlight the heritage of the region, the project is meant to bring cultural
and economic objectives together in a way that sustains the operations and
maintenance of the Fort while providing a catalyst for economic improvement in
the area. The project is also part of the infrastructure for a new form of
cultural tourism that combines accommodation at an international standard with
intimate, first-hand experience of the unique natural and cultural heritage of
the area.
The project is one of a series
of social, cultural and economic development initiatives carried out by the Aga
Khan Development Network in the Northern Areas of Pakistan since the early
1980s.
The restoration of the Shigar
Fort/Palace and its conversion into the "Shigar Fort Residence," by
the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, builds on a process that began with the
restoration of Baltit Fort (inaugurated in 1996) and the historic village of
Karimabad, both in the Hunza Valley. While it builds on these earlier efforts,
it also represents a pioneering approach that stresses adaptive re-use. In
addition to restoration efforts, the Trust has also focused on reviving
traditional skills, generating new employment opportunities and providing
training in the jobs needed for a changing economy. (…)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=3985
Varna Declaration on cultural
corridors in South-East Europe
23 May - The Summit of heads
of state of South-East Europe*, which took place in Bulgaria on May 20 and 21,
closed with the adoption of the Varna Declaration pledging to “contribute to
the promotion of cultural heritage and cultural corridors within the region.”
It also pledges to “promote urgent measures for the protection of cultural
heritage at risk within the region, including continuing action to counter the
illicit traffic in cultural property.” The Forum was organized by the President
of Bulgaria, Georgi Parvanov, the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro
Matsuura, and the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis. (…)
Teachers are now official
partners in the Bologna Process on higher education
20 May - The Education
International (EI) Pan-European Structure has today been recognised by the
Bergen Ministerial Conference as a consultative member of the Bologna Process
aimed at developing a European Higher Education Area. This participation is an
official recognition of teachers and their unions as actors of the Bologna
Process.
" We underline the
central role of higher education institutions, their staff and students as
partners in the Bologna Process. Their role in the implementation of the
Process becomes all the more important now that the necessary legislative
reforms are largely in place, and we encourage them to continue and intensify
their efforts to establish the European Higher Education Area," says the
Ministerial Declaration adopted today in Bergen by 45 Ministers of Higher
Education. (…)
The Bologna Process aims to
establish by 2010 a European area of higher education formed by 45 countries,
achieving full student mobility and mutual recognition of credits and degrees.
This will no doubt affect academics, researchers and staff working in the
higher education sector.
Launched in 1999, the Bologna
Process did not immediately involve the organisations representing higher
education staff on both national and European levels, although the European
Student Organisation and the European University Association were already
engaged in the debate. Academics are now officially represented through EI.
Education International
represents over 3 million academic and research staff worldwide, of whom
approximately 650,000 live and work in the geographical area now included in
the ‘ Bologna’ Process.
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/20050520.htm
UNESCO and FAO launch training
CD-Rom on digitisation for librarians and laymen
13-05-2005 4:30 pm UNESCO and
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization are launching the
“Digitization and Digital Libraries” module to teach librarians and laymen how
to digitize documents and put them on line and create virtual libraries. The
kit, available from the FAO and UNESCO free of charge, is compatible with a
wide range of computers, Pentium I and later, as well as older operating
systems, making it particularly well-suited for users in developing countries.
(…) The interactive module includes 15 hours of training which users can
personalize to meet their particular needs at their own pace. The kit, which
features a comprehensive course on how to create virtual libraries, is equally
suited for beginners and more advanced users.
The module contains a
technical glossary and search function, as well as a wide range of resources
such as recommended reading, practical guidelines, software and manual. An
on-line community will be launched in association with the module to allow
learners to exchange views, share information, and request help from each
other. (…)
ICAF e.V. opens the first
children and youth art gallery in Munich!
Opening reception Friday, June
17, 2005
Event starts at 4:00pm for
children/youth and 7:00pm for general public.
Gallery hours are Monday -
Friday, 10am-6pm; Saturday, 11am-2pm. Every Thursday at 6:30pm enjoy a concert
of classical music or jazz. Address: Amalienstraße
41, Rgb. D -80799 Munich, Germany. Telephone: + 49 (0) 89 28 80 65-46. E-mail: germany@icaf.org
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/200505240001.html
The Maximo T. Kalaw Jr. Earth
Charter Award - 7 - 9 November 2005
The Earth Charter Initiative
is pleased to announce a new Earth Charter award, which will be presented for
the first time during Earth Charter+5, a celebration of the first five years
since the official launch of the Earth Charter. This Award has been named to
honor the memory of Juni Kalaw, the former Executive Director of the Earth
Council, and to recognize his vision and legacy in motivating and mobilizing
widespread participation by individuals and organizations in building a more
just, peaceful, and sustainable world.
Projects that have occurred
between 2000 and 2005 will be considered for recognition. Submissions may be
made by individuals or organizations, and projects can be local, regional, or
international in scope. Submissions should demonstrate outstanding work done
with the Earth Charter in accomplishing one of the following goals of the Earth
Charter Initiative:
o To promote the
dissemination, endorsement, and implementation the Earth Charter by civil
society, business, and government.
o To encourage and support the
educational use of the Earth Charter in schools, universities, faith
communities, and other settings.
Earth Charter staff, senior
advisors, Commissioners, and Steering Committee members are not eligible to
apply.
http://www.earthcharter.org/news/index.cfm?id_activity=636&actual=2005
* * * * * * *
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