Good News Agency – Year VII, n° 12
Weekly - Year VII, number 12 –
6th October 2006
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 (in charge) and
Elisa Peduto. Good News Agency is published in English on one Friday and
in Italian the next. It is distributed free of charge
through Internet to the editorial offices of more than 3,700 media in 48 countries and to 2,800 NGOs.
It is an all-volunteer service
of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale,
NGO associated with the United Nations Department
of Public Information. The
Association has been recognized by UNESCO as “an actor of the global movement for a culture of peace” and it has
been included in the web site http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/uk/uk_sum_monde.htm
International legislation – Human
rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health
– Energy and Safety – Environment and wildlife
Religion and spirituality – Culture and education
Kyrgystan joins Convention on Road Traffic
Geneva, 29
September - Kyrgyzstan has become the sixty-fourth Contracting Party to the
Convention on Road Traffic. The Convention on Road Traffic, which was done in
Vienna in 1968, regulates all facets of driving behaviour, such as speed and
distance between vehicles, intersections and obligation to give way. Moreover,
it details the technical conditions for the admission of vehicles to
international traffic and provides models of domestic and international driving
permits. Recent amendments to the Convention, which entered into force earlier
this year, include the prohibition of the use of handheld mobile phones while
driving, the obligation for national legislation to define the content and
conditions for theoretical and practical driving tests and the medical
requirements for receiving a driving permit, and the recognition of the
validity of an international driving permit only if presented with a valid
national driving permit. The object of the latter proposal is to combat the
fraudulent and dangerous sale of international permits over the Internet. (…)
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2006/06trans_n08e.htm
Azerbaijan adheres to the CMR Convention
Geneva, 20
September - On 18 September 2006, Azerbaijan deposited with the UN
Secretary-General an instrument of accession to the UNECE Convention on the
Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR). This brings the
total number of States Parties to the CMR to 50. The CMR will enter into force
for Azerbaijan on 17 December 2006. The CMR Convention fixes the conditions for
the contract for the carriage of goods by road between the forwarder and the
carrier. In particular, it provides for the use of the consignment note and establishes
the conditions for liability, for example in the case of loss of the goods or
delays. (…)
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2006/06trans_n06e.htm
India - Child
brides can declare their marriage void
27 September -
Girls under the age of 18 who are married without their consent will now be
able to declare the marriage void, after the Indian Cabinet amended child
marriage laws. The amendments will give girls the option of leaving a marriage
without being treated as a divorcee in the eyes of the law. According to the
amendments, husbands will still be bound to pay maintenance.
A meeting of the
Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to bring in
Parliamentary legislation to repeal the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929,
popularly known as the Sharda Act, and introduce the Prohibition of Child
Marriage Bill 2006. Sources said penal provisions have also been made stronger
and the reworked legislation is likely to invite stricter punishment for those
found participating in child marriage.
The practice of
child marriage, linked to poverty and societal attitudes, has been prevalent in
the country for decades. According to the 2001 Census, nearly 35 per cent of
women in India are married between 15–18 years of age. Mr Reni Jacob, Advocacy
Director, World Vision, said, “it is a good step towards abolition of child
marriage. But we need to keep in mind the Indian culture and tradition, which
does not allow girls to step out of marriage even in cases of child marriage.
Society does not support these girls. Therefore tradition and culture also
needs to change along with the law.” He added, “we need to build the capacity
of the girls and equip them with knowledge about their rights and laws that
will help them.”
Conference highlights human rights challenges in OSCE
region
Warsaw, 2 October -
The OSCE's annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting opened today in the
Polish capital with a call for states to take up the challenge of fulfilling
their commitments to uphold human rights. "Many could argue that we are
witnessing an implementation crisis indicative of corroding political will in
the face of new challenges," said Ambassador Christian Strohal, Director
of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in
his opening remarks. "This meeting provides us with a reality check."
Among the
challenges highlighted by the ODIHR Director were torture, inequality and
discrimination, stifling of the media by authorities, trafficking in human
beings and inadequate protection of victims, widespread suppression of human
rights and harassment of human rights defenders, and election fraud. The
conference, which will run from 2 through 13 October, will host around 1,000
participants, including representatives from more than 300 non-governmental
organizations.
In addition to
reviewing the progress made by the OSCE's 56 participating States in
implementing their commitments in the broad fields of human rights and
democratization, there will also be three days dedicated to the special topics
of trafficking in human beings; access to justice; and promotion of tolerance,
non-discrimination, and mutual respect and understanding.
http://www.osce.org/item/20860.html
Securing Equality, Engendering Peace: A Guide to
Policy and Planning on Women, Peace and Security
What must be done
in order to transform written words into reality? One of today’s greatest
development challenges is turning policy into practice. This is especially the
case in the realm of women’s rights and gender equality, where the commitments
made at the international and national levels remain far from the day-to-day
realities of women’s lives.
This guide examines
one of the crucial steps on the path towards the full implementation of
existing laws, namely the formulation and implementation of concrete policies
and plans. More specifically, this guide concentrates on the creation of action
plans on the issue of women, peace and security (WPS).
The purpose of this
guide is to help facilitate the development of realistic action plans on women,
peace and security through the provision of good practices, specific
recommendations and a six-step model process. The guide is designed as a
resource for governments, United Nations and regional organisations as well as
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who are interested in developing plans
and policies on women, peace and security issues..
http://www.wunrn.com Guide can be Downloaded from website link.
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1050&Itemid=
Afghanistan: Conference on Islam and humanitarian law
21 September -
Forty-two religious leaders from 32 Afghan provinces took part in a conference
on Islam and international humanitarian law held at the headquarters of the
Afghan Red Crescent Society in Kabul from 18 to 20 September. During this
event, organized jointly by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
and the Afghan Red Crescent, similarities and differences between Islamic
values and humanitarian law were discussed with a view to ensuring that the
victims of the intensified conflict in Afghanistan were better protected and
assisted. (…)
Basic rules of
humanitarian law, like the obligation to protect wounded people, detainees and
civilians and to come to the aid of war victims, were discussed with the
religious leaders in the light of Islamic values. "Islam has rules similar
to those of international humanitarian law. However, it has different sets of
rules for different situations. The work the ICRC does to treat the wounded and
sick, protect detainees and transport mortal remains is in accordance with the
Islamic tradition," said Mufti Habib-ur-Rahman, lecturer at the Faculty of
Theology in Khost, south-eastern Afghanistan.
By organizing this
conference, the ICRC hoped to mobilize religious leaders in an effort to
improve the protection of the Afghan population against the effects of
conflict. From the three days of discussion it emerged that nothing in the
essence of humanitarian law contradicted the basic rules of Sharia law. The
ICRC stressed that everyone able to influence the plight of the population
should constantly remind the warring parties of their obligation to respect the
rules applicable to armed conflict. So far, as part of its ongoing dialogue
with scholars and other intellectuals from the Muslim world, the ICRC has held
three similar events. (…) The ICRC is planning to hold more events of the same
kind in other parts of the Muslim world in the near future.
21 September - On
20 and 21 September, the ICRC provided humanitarian aid for 1,200 families
living between Isiro and Mungbere, in the district of Haut-Uélé (Orientale
province).
In 2003, with an
armed conflict raging in the d'Isiro region, these families had fled their
villages (Beli, Matoko, Kputu, Penge, Alegu, Koli, Dila and Nekalagba), all of
which were situated on the front line, and sought refuge dozens of kilometres
from their homes in makeshift cabins deep in the forest. Security conditions in
this part of the country have been steadily improving since January 2006 and
the villagers have started to return home.
After assessing the
situation with a view to resuming its activities in the northern part of
Orientale Province, the ICRC decided to help the displaced people meet their
vital needs by providing them with kits containing essential items (blankets,
clothing for children and adults, hoes, buckets, kitchen utensils and soap). By
maintaining regular contact with the authorities, civil society and all those
bearing arms, the ICRC will continue to closely monitor the situation of these
families, as well as the security situation throughout the region. The ICRC
reminds all the military forces and armed groups involved of the obligation
they have under international humanitarian law to respect the civilian
population. (…) http://www.icrc.org/
UN global study on violence against children will be
launched in New York on October 11
In preparation for
the media and public interest in this study, this series of newsletters aims to
give a regional and national perspective to global findings, plus strategies
and solutions for reducing violence against children in East Asia and the
Pacific. In this issue, explore the repercussions of violence in cyberspace,
where interventions to protect children are struggling to keep up with changes
in technology.
Issue four: Violence against children in cyberspace
Children speak out:
in Thailand, Paroon is concerned about the increasing number of children with
access to new technologies
ECPAT is leading
the push to recognise and act against this form of violence. Find out why cyberspace violence is just as
real and damaging as violence in the physical world
Crossing borders to
prosecute offenders: how new laws and priorities are helping to track down
online child abusers Plus essential media tips and story ideas, opinions and
interview opportunities, and recommended reading for journalists and
researchers alike.
Link to online
version: http://www.vaceastasiapacific.org/images/unvac_issue4cyber.pdf
Information on the
global launch, October 11: http://www.violencestudy.org/r25
Courageous Jamaican
and Montréal AIDS activists recognized
2006 Awards for Action on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights
(New York,
September 28, 2006) — Gareth Williams, a leading AIDS activist and voice for
the rights of sexual minorities in Jamaica and the English-speaking Caribbean,
is the recipient of the 2006 International Award for Action on HIV/AIDS and
Human Rights, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and Human Rights Watch
announced today. Stella, a Montréal-based support and information group
organized by and for sex workers, is the recipient of the Canadian award.
The awards
highlight outstanding individuals and organizations that protect the rights and
dignity of those infected with HIV and affected by HIV and AIDS.
“Violent homophobia
combined with misconceptions about HIV have created a poisonous environment for
lesbians and gay men in Jamaica,” said Rebecca Schleifer, a researcher with
Human Rights Watch’s HIV/AIDS Program. “Against enormous odds and at great risk
to his own physical safety, Gareth Williams has been a courageous campaigner
against human rights violations targeting lesbians, gay men and HIV-positive
Jamaicans.” (…) http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/09/27/jamaic14270.htm
ECLAC Launches Project to Improve Social Statistics in
the Caribbean
September 28 - All
countries collect Census data and population statistics, but many use different
methods and measurements, which makes it nearly impossible to accurately
compare their information or social indicators. For years, regional experts
have called on Caribbean nations to standardize and compile reliable
statistics, and representatives from these countries have long asked for
technical assistance in strengthening their capabilities. Such assistance will
now be available, thanks to a new project by the Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), entitled "Improving Caribbean Household
Surveys," a project which recently received a grant from the United States
of America Department of State. The project aims to improve the comparison of
social statistics produced in the Caribbean region through household surveys.
It also seeks to ensure that the region's statistics can be compared according
to international standards. (…) ECLAC's Caribbean Subregional Headquarters will
be responsible for the management of the project, including monitoring,
procurement of professional services and accounting. (…)
Faith-based investors act to catalyze Katrina/Rita
reconstruction lending
No longer on the front pages, hard work of rebuilding
continues
New York City,
September 27 - In an effort to increase investments in the struggling Gulf
Coast region, Jewish, Mennonite, and Catholic investors today called on the
investment community to play a larger role in rebuilding homes and businesses
after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The group, members
of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, released a set of
opportunities for investors, clients, and customers of Gulf Region community
development financial institutions. (…) The report, available here, lists eight
community development financial institutions in New Orleans, rural Louisiana,
and Mississippi. It is not a comprehensive list of investing opportunities, but
Dekro and his colleagues hope it will spur investors to do their own
investigations and place funds to build desperately needed housing in the area.
(…)
ICCR is a
thirty-five-year-old international coalition of 275 faith-based institutional
investors including denominations, religious communities, pension funds,
healthcare corporations, foundations and dioceses with combined portfolios
worth an estimated $110 billion. ICCR members utilize religious investments and
other resources to change unjust or harmful corporate policies, working for
peace, economic justice and stewardship of the Earth.
http://www.iccr.org/news/press_releases/2006/pr_katrina092606.htm
World summit at United Nations headquarters:
ECLAC Supports First-Ever High-Level Dialogue to
Coordinate and Govern International Migration
15 September - In a
globalized world, migration offers benefits and challenges for national
economies, and various countries have found the need to make their policies
compatible at an international level, so as to try to manage their
international migration. To achieve such coordination, the United Nations has
spent more than two years planning a General Assembly High-level Dialogue on
International Migration and Development, being held September 14-15th, at
United Nations Headquarters in New York. Long awaited by many countries and
regional commissions, this is an unprecedented opportunity for the exchange of
ideas and experiences, which constitutes the equivalent of a world summit on
migration. Representing the Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC) is Dirk Jaspers-Faijer, Director of the Latin American and
Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE) - of ECLAC's Population Division. He will
participate in meetings and present the commission's report, entitled
International Migration, Human Rights and Development, available in Spanish,
online. This document seeks to provide a framework for the elaboration of
coherent policies, and for the monitoring and evaluation of its effects on
migratory trends. It analyses the human rights situation of migrants, noting
the need to ratify international instruments and train personnel for their
implementation. It also analyses the impact of remittances on the economies of
small states, their use and measurement, and the impact of such transfers on
welfare and productivity.(…)
Africa harbors 17 million international migrants; but
only five million Africans live outside
Addis Ababa,
September 13 - About 17.1 million international migrants live in Africa, but
only five million Africans live outside the continent, according to a new
report by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) launched today as
preliminary activities for the high level dialogue on migration and development
kicked off in New York. The report, International Migration and Development:
Implications for Africa says contemporary African immigrants with a divergent
range of skills ---medicines, engineering, education, research and nursing ---
are increasingly establishing themselves in North America, Europe and the Gulf
states, remitting billions of dollars to their home countries. An increasing
number of skilled and professional African women are joining the migration
streams previously dominated by men. “For instance,” says the report,
“approximately 33.7 percent of sub-Saharan African physicians currently
practicing in the United States are women.” “The growing feminization of
migration is a key pathway to reducing gender inequality, reducing poverty and
enhancing women’s economic security,” it says. International migration directly
impacts level of poverty and promotes development. Citing studies, the report
says that a 10 per cent increase in the share of international migrants in a
country’s population could lead to a 1.9 percent decline in the number of
people living in poverty. It also says that a 10 percent increase in the share
of international remittances in a country’s GDP will lead to a 1.6 percent
decline in the share of people living in poverty. The report adds that up to 40
percent of Somalis benefit from remittances and that poverty would increase by
about 15 percent in Lesotho if migrant workers in South African mines were to
stop sending money home.
Global festivities to celebrate World Food Day
Rome to host new Run-for-Food event
Rome, 19 September
- Among the events taking place in over 150 countries to mark this year’s World
Food Day on 16 October 2006, will be a five kilometre Run-for-Food race through
Rome’s historical centre. Heading off from the stadium next to FAO
headquarters, the event will take place on Sunday 15 October, and cover the
area around the Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia and the Roman Colosseum, with
between 2000 and 5000 participants expected to join the race. Participants will
also be able to take part in an international food fair and a cultural
presentation involving folkloric groups.
Every year, World
Food Day is celebrated on October 16 to mark the anniversary of the founding of
FAO in 1945. This year, the World Food Day observance at FAO headquarters will
include a musical presentation by an FAO Goodwill Ambassador; a keynote address
by a high-level guest speaker, a papal message and a presentation of the World
Food Day and FAO Goodwill Ambassadors video messages. The theme of World Food
Day this year is “Investing in agriculture for food security”, recalling that
in spite of the importance of agriculture as the driving force in the economies
of many developing countries, this vital sector is frequently starved of investment.
In particular, foreign aid to agriculture has shown marked declines over the
past 20 years. (…)
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000397/index.html
Spain contributes to UNDP's development work
New York – Spain’s
Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Leire Pajίn, joined United Nations Development Programme
Administrator Kemal Dervis today in signing into effect a new series of
agreements for cooperative work on development. The accords secure
contributions by Spain to trust funds to support democratic governance; poverty
reduction; adoption of cutting-edge information technologies in service of
development; and the incorporation of women’s empowerment into national and
regional development policy. In addition, a new regional trust fund to support
development in Latin America comes in effect with today’s signing. Pajίn and Dervis also signed an agreement to strengthen a
strategic alliance with national and regional governments and the UN to promote
initiatives based on the Millennium Development Goals. Additional accords
signed earlier this summer support electoral processes in Cote d’Ivoire,
Democratic Republic of Congo and Mauritania. (…)
http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/september-2006/spain-undp-20060919.en
MDG Media Awards to be launched in Kathmandu, Nepal
UNESCAP- UNDP-ADB initiative recognizes distinguished
reporting
AIBD to act as project secretariat
United Nations
Information Services Bangkok, 22 September – The first media awards of its kind
in the region designed to recognize distinguished reporting on the UN
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), will be launched by UNESCAP, UNDP and ADB
on 11 October in Kathmandu, Nepal. The Awards will be open to broadcast
producers and journalists in print, radio and television media covering the
Asia-Pacific region. The Awards carry a prize of US$7,000 for first prize
winners, and a US$2,000 prize for runners up. They are being announced as part
of a South Asian MDG Forum to be held in Kathmandu from 11-12 October. The
prizes will be awarded during UNESCAP’s 63rd Commission Session scheduled for
April 2007. “The media has an important role in promoting and communicating the
MDGs to the general public,” notes UN Under-Secretary-General and UNESCAP
Executive Secretary Kim Hak-Su. “UNESCAP hopes that the MDG Media Awards will
encourage increased MDG reporting in the Asia Pacific region and show the human
face behind the efforts being made to meet the 2015 deadline.” The MDG Media
Awards aim to generate better awareness and understanding of the MDGs among
journalists and to recognize their contribution in advocating for the MDGs.
They are part of a tripartite initiative between the UN Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), UN Development Programme (UNDP)
and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). (…)
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2006/sep/g40.asp
The power of information - closing the knowledge gap
FAO’s AGORA initiative widens access to agricultural
research by more countries
Rome, 27 September
– Over 100 of the world’s poorest countries will now be able to access leading
food and agriculture journals for little or no cost with the launch of the
second phase of the Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) initiative,
FAO announced today.
AGORA is a
successful public-private partnership between FAO, 37 of the world’s leading
science publishers and other key partners including the World Health
Organization and Cornell University. Introduced in 2003 and providing access to
69 low-income countries, AGORA today expands to include universities, colleges,
research institutes and government ministries as well as non-governmental
organizations in an additional 37 lower-middle-income countries.
AGORA responds to
the needs of thousands of students, researchers and academics in poorer
countries, who continue to face challenges accessing up-to-date information
which is vital to their work. “We have seen from the first phase of this
initiative that there is increasing demand for access to vital information by
poorer countries. In less than three years, AGORA has already helped bridge the
knowledge gap by providing 850 institutions access to over 900 journals in the
areas of agriculture and related subjects,” notes Anton Mangstl, Director of
FAO’s Library and Documentation Systems Division.(…) AGORA is making an
important contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals by providing essential information to improve the livelihoods
of those who need it most.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000406/index.html
World Social Forum: what they'll talk about in 2007
By Joyce Mulama
September 6 - With
dozens, if not hundreds of organisations likely to attend next year's World
Social Forum (WSF) -- and almost as many issues clamouring to be addressed
there -- nailing down a programme for the Jan. 20-25 event promises to be a
daunting task. Nonetheless, organisers of the event are starting to do just
that this week according to the website of the WSF, which is to be held in the
Kenyan capital of Nairobi. The programme will be shaped around information that
participating groups were asked to provide by Aug. 30 about their aims and
work, which can be viewed on the forum's site.
The Nairobi
gathering will mark the first instance in which Africa is the sole host of the
WSF. While the first-ever forum to be held on the continent took place earlier
this year in the Malian capital, Bamako, it formed part of what was dubbed a
"polycentric" WSF, which also saw meetings being staged in Caracas,
Venezuela -- and the Pakistani financial centre of Karachi. (…)
A quick glance at
the organisations that have submitted profiles to the WSF reveals a wide array
of interests and activities, from ensuring that the African Union provides real
solutions to the problems affecting the continent (Global Unification Africa,
based in Addis Ababa) to including human rights and environmental issues in
South Africa's education system (Rhodes University Environmental Education and
Sustainability Unit). (…)
http://www.globalpolicy.org/ngos/advocacy/conf/2006/0906talk.htm
Clinton Global Initiative Results In Over $7 Billion
in Pledges for Global Problems
by Kathryn Antony
Last week, former
president Bill Clinton hosted the second annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
in Manhattan, an event that brought together over one thousand global leaders
from business, politics, academia, science, religion, and non-governmental
organizations, including numerous Heads of State and CEOs from major
international corporations. The attendees had in common a desire to identify
concrete and practical solutions to the many challenges facing today's global
community, and the willingness to commit to begin effecting change in one of
this year's focus areas: energy and climate change, global health, poverty
alleviation, and religious and ethnic conflict. The conference was structured around a three-day series of
lectures and panel discussions, designed to promote critical examination of
these issues and deliberation of applied and immediate steps towards long-term
solutions. Throughout the conference attendees pledged to make a specific
commitment to working in one of the focus areas. By the third day 215
commitments had been made totaling more than $7.3 billion. Read more...
Blankets: a little something
more for the vulnerable in Chad
By Thibault Mayaud, Secadev (Caritas Chad)
Vatican City, 29
September – The “Vulnerable”: in humanitarian lingo, this refers to the
elderly, children who have been orphaned or separated from their parents, and
people who are mentally or physically handicapped. In the midst of a population
whose fate is anything but enviable, these are the people who have an even
greater need for special care and attention.
“When we do the
food distributions, we help them to gain access to the distribution corridors,
or we just go to get their rations for them,” said Marie Funda, head of the
socio-community sector at the Kounoungou camp for displaced people, managed by
Secadev, the national Caritas in Chad. In this way, the most vulnerable do not
have to be subjected to this trying but necessary monthly exercise. (…)
This time, the
vulnerable are receiving blankets, which are supplied by the UN refugee agency,
UNHCR, and are distributed in different areas of the camp over five or six
days, since often the vulnerable groups have limited mobility. Other times, the
gift is a distribution of pieces of soap, or the colorful veils which Sudanese
women drape themselves in invariably, depending on what is coming in from
Secadev’s partner agencies. But during the present rainy season, when the
nights are cool and even during the day the temperature can suddenly fall,
there’s nothing more needed than a warm blanket.
Caritas
Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and
social service organisations present in over 200 countries and territories.
http://www.caritas.org/jumpNews.asp?idLang=ENG&idChannel=35&idUser=0&idNews=4467
Iraq: Relief for needy families
28 September -
During the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the ICRC is distributing food
parcels for destitute families in Iraq.
It has already
delivered 3,660 parcels – each sufficient to cover the needs of a family of
five for a month – to various charitable institutions in the country. Almost
half the parcels went to Sunni and Shiite Waqfs (religious endowments) in
Baghdad.
The ICRC is also
delivering relief goods to displaced people and others in need. Since June, in
cooperation with the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, it has been distributing such
items as food parcels, hygiene kits, kitchen sets, jerrycans and blankets to
5,000 families every month, and it will continue to do so until November. In
all, 30,000 families will benefit.
Counterpart ships essentials in wake of Ecuador quake
Washington,
September 24 – Erupting several times this summer and pouring almost eight
million tons of ash across farmlands and small towns dotting its mountainside,
Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano reminded residents why its name in native Quechua
means "throat of fire".
Responding to
survivors' most urgent needs for breathing masks, goggles, eye drops,
bronchodilators and other medications, Counterpart International is mobilizing
its extensive donor network and strong humanitarian response team to provide
the urgently needed items in collaboration with Ecuador Mi Pais (EMP), the
Ecuadorian Embassy in Washington DC, and the Ecuadorian Mission to the United
Nations. (…)
More than 5,000
homes were destroyed in 10 villages, killing at least five. Many in the
highland region are impoverished indigenous families, many of whom fled with
their belongings strapped to their backs and their livestock trailing behind,
according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA). While the volcano's activity is reported to have decreased in
intensity, it remains highly active with the possibility of further eruptions.
(…)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=5440
Toys, love and a future for vulnerable children in
Panama
by Cristina Estrada in Panama
28 September 2006 -
Coquito left for Spain nearly two years ago when he was adopted by a Spanish
family. He was four years old and had been in the Red Cross for three years.
Since then, his brothers and sisters shout ‘bye, bye Coquito’ and wave
enthusiastically whenever a plane passes overhead.
The Panamanian Red
Cross has been managing this home for abandoned or under protection children
aged up to four years since 1964. It was given the premises by the government,
although the programme itself started nearly 80 years ago. (…) Twenty children
currently live in the home. Here, they get food, clothes, health care and
education. Most important of all, they get affection. Twenty-three staff,
including nurses, teachers and cooks, work with the children.
Some of the
children arrive with nutritional problems and respiratory illnesses; most are
longing for affection. “Some of them take time to let you get closer,” says
Rosemarie Villareal, one of the daytime nurses. “Yet they are all craving
affection and a sense of belonging.”
Each child is
different. Their character and needs are different and each of them comes with
a past, despite their young years. All have a thorough medical check up when
they arrive and are reviewed regularly. Every new-comer changes the dynamic of
the group so there is continuous readjustment. The best outcome for these
children is to be adopted and the Panamanian Red Cross works hard to find them
a family. (…)
http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/06/06092801/index.asp
Intelsat announces seventh consecutive year of
charitable involvement with TeleFood campaign
Live broadcast of the "Música vs. Hambre"
concert
Rome/Washington
D.C., 20 September - For the seventh consecutive year, Intelsat is supporting
the fight against hunger by providing satellite capacity for the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization’s global solidarity concerts. The September concert,
called “Música vs. Hambre”, is part of FAO’s annual worldwide TeleFood campaign
dedicated to helping to reduce the number of hungry people in the world. FAO is
one of the largest specialized agencies in the United Nations system and is the
lead agency for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development.
Intelsat is donating satellite capacity to enable a live broadcast of the
concert throughout targeted countries in Latin America. The concert will take
place in Asunción, Paraguay on Thursday September 21, 2006. Information on the
event and artists featured can be found at:
www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000396/index.html
Humanitarian operations phasing down as Lebanon
recovery moves ahead
New York, 28
September - Lebanon is making speedy progress towards recovery following the
destructive conflict between Israel and Hizbollah this summer, as signalled by
tomorrow’s planned handover of the role of coordinator of international
activities in southern Lebanon from the United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP). Ahead of the official end of humanitarian operations on 24
October 2006, United Nations agencies are preparing to close down or transition
their activities to relevant Government authorities or development
agencies. The World Food Programme
(WFP), which as the logistics cluster lead has been arranging cargo movements
within Lebanon, will wind up those operations by 15 October. (…) On the water
and sanitation front, the focus of activities has shifted to providing support
for the Government and municipal water authorities rebuilding storage tanks,
water lines and pumping stations. (…) Coordination of demining activities will
continue through the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre (UNMACC) in
southern Lebanon. To date, some 592
cluster bomb strike locations have been identified, and 40,000 cluster
sub-munitions and other pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO) have been
cleared. (…) A team of ten United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) experts is due to arrive on 30 September
to conduct a post-conflict environmental mission, which will look at key
environmental hazards including waste rubble, medical and industrial waste,
coastal marine pollution, asbestos, and ground water contamination.(…)
http://ochaonline.un.org/DocView.asp?DocID=5090
Milestone
reached in arms-destruction project in Ukraine
Project
represents collaboration between NATO and Partnership for Peace program
Washington, 22
September - The controlled destruction of 1,000 Ukrainian shoulder-fired
missiles was completed on September 20, the State Department says. The
destruction of these arms, formally known as man-portable air defense systems
(MANPADS), took place outside the city of Shostka, Ukraine, according to a
September 21 State Department announcement. This is only the first installment
in a project to destroy weapons and munitions that will take 12 years to
complete.
Ukraine is
collaborating with NATO as part of a Partnership for Peace Trust Fund
initiative. It is the largest
multilateral project of its kind, according to the announcement. The
Partnership for Peace program (PfP) involves practical bilateral cooperation
between individual countries and NATO. It allows PfP countries to establish an
individualized relationship with the alliance, choosing their own priorities
for joint cooperation ventures. (…) http://usinfo.state.gov/
ACT members working together
By Jenny Williams,
ACT International
Kitgum District,
Northern Uganda, 25 September - In the district of Kitgum in Northern Uganda, a
region of the country ravaged by 20 years of rebel warfare, the scale of
operations required to assist the 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs)
means that coordination between non-governmental organizations is an important
part of providing effective aid.
“Two heads are
better than one” - In Kitgum, the
relationship between the Church of Uganda (CoU) and the Uganda country program
of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is an example of this "meeting of
minds." Both the Kitgum diocese of CoU (working through CoU’s Plan for
Development and Rehabilitation) and the LWF Uganda’s Kitgum project receive
support from members of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International
through ACT Appeal AFUG61 - Assistance to IDPs in Northern Uganda.
Coordination and
cooperation among ACT members - In Uganda and other countries around the world
where ACT is providing for the needs of people caught in emergencies, these
principles of cooperation are emphasized over and over. Where there is more
than one ACT member in a country, the members are urged to coordinate their
efforts in responding to emergencies. (…)
Hilton Humanitarian Prize goes to Women For Women
International that aids women survivors in conflict areas with emotional,
economic, leadership training support
$1.5 million prize
to be used for safe permanent women’s centers
Operates in The
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Sudan, Rwanda,
Nigeria, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Los
Angeles,September 12 – Women for Women International, a leading force in
helping women in war and conflict areas move from crisis and poverty to
stability and self sufficiency, has been selected to receive the 2006 Conrad N.
Hilton Humanitarian Prize of $1.5 million.
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation presents the annual award, the world’s
largest humanitarian prize, to an organization that significantly alleviates
human suffering. (…)
Founded in 1993 by
Zainab Salbi, herself a survivor of war and conflict in Iraq, Women for Women
International today works with women survivors of wars and conflicts in nine
countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, The
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Kosovo, Colombia, Nigeria, Rwanda and
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Picking up
where humanitarian aid leaves off, Women for Women International has served
more than 70,000 women and distributed approximately $28 million in direct aid
and micro-credit loans, assisting 380,000 family members. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., field
offices are staffed almost entirely by country nationals. (…)
http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/press_release_details.asp?id=48
Stepping into new life with the Jaipur Foot
New Delhi, 1
October - A prosthetic limb costing no more than $30 made and developed in
India is transforming lives in battle-torn Lebanon, giving those crippled in
the devastating war another chance. And that’s just what the Jaipur Foot has
been doing for years, not only in India but also in trouble spots like
Afghanistan and as far away as the Honduras.
The eponymous
Jaipur Foot, named after the capital of India’s desert state of Rajasthan, was
developed in 1968 and has since helped many hundreds of thousands of people the
world over. Its main features are its lightness and mobility. Apart from
helping in walking, those who wear it are able to climb trees, ride bicycles
and drive cars. It is ridiculously cheap compared to the thousands of dollars a
prosthetic would cost in the United States, for instance. Sublimely low tech,
it is made mostly of rubber, wood and aluminium and can be can be fitted in
just over an hour. (…) The Jaipur Foot is attached free of cost at the premises
of the NGO, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayta Samiti (BMVSS) in Jaipur, which
was established in 1975. The rehabilitation centre has so far benefited over a
million people. In June this year, a two-member team from the BMVSS conducted a
preliminary camp in Beirut where they fitted the Jaipur Foot on 22 Lebanese who
had lost their legs in landmine explosions. (…)
Children pay the price for lack of safe water and
sanitation
UNICEF report says progress made, but more needed to
prevent the deaths of more than 1.5 million children under five each year
New York, 28
September – More than 1.2 billion people have gained access to safe water since
1990, according to Progress for Children:
A Report Card on Water and Sanitation, launched today by UNICEF. The report charts progress towards
Millennium Development Goal seven which includes the target of halving the
proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and
basic sanitation by 2015. Between 1990
and 2004, global coverage of safe drinking water rose from 78 per cent to 83
per cent. Latin America and the Caribbean and the South Asia regions will meet
the drinking water target almost ten years early. (…)
Examining
sanitation, the report finds that an estimated 1.2 billion people have gained
access to basic sanitation since 1990, with global coverage rising from 49 per
cent to 59 per cent. In South Asia,
access to improved sanitation more than doubled between 1990 and 2004. In East Asia and the Pacific, the proportion
of people with basic sanitation rose from 30 per cent to more than 50 per
cent. (…) While the world is on track
to meet the water target, progress could be impaired if the provision of safe
water to the world’s poorest communities is not made a priority. Sanitation is
a much greater challenge. Despite
significant gains, the world is not on track to meet the MDG target for
sanitation. In South Asia, for example,
two out of three people still lack basic sanitation. The report says that the
benefits of improved drinking water and sanitation are evident and could be extended
to many more of the world’s people, if only sufficient resources and resolve
were dedicated to the task.
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_36034.html
Ethiopia can beat its biggest killer with historic
push
Addis Ababa, 28
September - For the first time in history, Ethiopia has a chance of beating its
biggest killer - malaria, UNICEF Ethiopia country representative, Bjorn
Ljungqvist, said today. “We now have an historic opportunity to get on top of
malaria. We can make this killer
disease as manageable as measles and other childhood conditions in the West,”
said Ljungqvist. “This is an opportunity that we must not miss.” He spoke as
the Ethiopian government launched Africa’s biggest ever push against the
disease which infects nine million Ethiopians a year and can kill more than
100,000 Ethiopians – many of them young children - in a matter of months during
an epidemic. It is the unprecedented scale of the multi-million-dollar operation
that is giving Ethiopia its once-in-a-lifetime chance, said Ljungqvist. The
Ethiopian government, supported by several development organizations, is
launching an overwhelming three-pronged attack on malaria.(…) “Ethiopia is
managing to mount this level of response due to two main factors,” said
Ljungqvist. “There is the strong
commitment of the government’s Ministry of Health. And there is the commitment
of key funders like the Canadian International Development Agency, the World
Bank, USAID, the Government of Japan, and the Global Fund to fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria. At UNICEF we are proud to be a key player in this
effort.” But he warned key challenges lay ahead. “We need to make sure that funders keep up their focus on
malaria. “We need continued support for the hard-to-fund parts of any malaria
campaign – the monitoring & evaluation and the general management costs to
run such a large operation.” Contrary to one incorrect media report earlier
this week, malaria control is rolling out across Ethiopia as planned, and
efforts are in place to ensure that all supplies, including anti-malaria drugs,
are utilized efficiently and correctly.
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_36039.html
Uganda: New pharmacy for Kitgum Government Hospital
28 September - The
ICRC has just finished building a new pharmacy and storeroom for the 185-bed
Kitgum Government Hospital in conjunction with the Ministry of Health. The construction work, which cost 25,000 US
dollars, lasted three months and was funded by the ICRC. After today's
inauguration, hospital staff will be trained in pharmacy and stock management
to improve the delivery of health services in this medical facility. (…) Kitgum
Government Hospital and St. Joseph Missionary Hospital are the only two
referral hospitals for the 300,000 inhabitants of Kitgum district, 80 per cent
of whom live in camps for the internally displaced.
The ICRC will
continue to provide support for seven hospitals in Pader, Gulu and Kitgum
districts. It is currently assisting a total of 700,000 displaced persons in 65
camps in the conflict-affected districts of northern Uganda. http://www.icrc.org/
ADRA’s HIV and AIDS Street Theater educates migrant
workers in China
Silver Spring,
Maryland—The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is raising HIV and
AIDS awareness among migrant workers and other vulnerable groups with a
successful street theater project in Chifeng City, in eastern Inner Mongolia.
The first AIDS
cases were reported in Beijing, China, in 1985. According to a 2006 report
published by the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China, there
are 650,000 people living with HIV in China, including 75,000 living with AIDS.
(…)
Through drama and
music, the street theater performances educate migrant workers and other
at-risk groups about the dangers of HIV and AIDS and other infectious diseases.
Audience members also receive informational materials on HIV and AIDS.
Performances are
held in several locations around Chifeng City. The theater project, which runs
through December 2006, held the first performance this past March. A group of
trained volunteers interviewed 275 audience members before and after the show.
The volunteers reported a substantial increase among the attendees—56
percent—in awareness and knowledge of HIV and AIDS and how to protect
themselves and others from the disease.
(…) http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=5441
(top)
Global Bioenergy Partnership Secretariat up, running
Will promote move to bioenergy
Rome, 25 September
- The Secretariat of the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP), launched at the
14th Session of the UN Commission for Sustainable Development in May 2006 in
New York to promote the use of bioenergy, opened for business here this
week. Located at FAO headquarters and
supported by the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea, the
Secretariat’s mandate is to facilitate a global political forum to promote
bioenergy and to encourage the production, marketing and use of “green” fuels,
with particular focus on developing countries. The Secretariat will be the
principal coordinator of Partnership communications and activities and will
assist international exchanges of know-how and technology, promote supportive
policy frameworks and identify ways of fostering investments and removing
barriers to the development and implementation of joint projects.(…)
The Partnership’s
overall aim is to respond to the growing need to develop renewable energy
sources in the light of high oil prices, global warming and concerns about
diminishing fossil fuel reserves. FAO has always actively promoted biofuels as
a means of reducing poverty while producing clean, low-cost energy. Given the
right technologies, an abundant energy supply could be tapped by converting
biomass such as crop residues, grass, straw and brushwood into fuel, while
crops like sugar cane, corn and soybeans are already being used to produce
ethanol or bio-diesel.(…) Italy and Mexico were respectively appointed as Chair
and Vice-Chair of GBEP’s Steering Committee for the next two years.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000405/index.html
Solar cooking spreads in Somalia
The organization
Sun Fire Cooking is promoting Chinese solar concentrating cookers in
northeastern Somalia. In 2003, 14 of these high-temperature
"butterfly" style cookers were purchased and tested by households in
the town of Bosaso, and user feedback was positive. The families, each with
eight or more members, use the solar cookers to cook lunch and evening meals.
One user said that her monthly charcoal usage dropped from 100 kg of charcoal
each month to about 25 kg. Several others in the community expressed interest
in purchasing solar cookers.
With funding from
the United Nations, and in partnership with the NGO Horn Relief, Sun Fire
Cooking recently distributed solar cookers to all 550 households in the small
fishing village of Bander Beyla on the Indian Ocean coast of Somalia. (Bander
Beyla was damaged by the 2004 tsunami.) A team of 12 individuals, led by
Shukria Dini, assembled and distributed the cookers, and trained the new solar
cooks. Several families have shared stories of improved quality of life with
solar cooking. One young woman commented that her fuel savings allow her to
send her 10-year-old daughter to school. Another solar cook reported improved
health due to reduced smoke exposure. In some parts of town the cookers are in
constant use, while in other areas they mostly sit idle. Project leaders expect
usage rates to increase as the solar squad makes additional follow-up visits to
households. Sun Fire Cooking is planning for expansion to three additional
coastal villages, including Dhuur and El-Didhir.
http://solarcooking.org/newsletters/scraug06.htm#News
Liberian forestry sector emerges after 14 years of
conflict and mismanagement
First-ever forestry policy for Liberia
Rome, 5 October -
Liberia passed a new forestry law last night, opening a new era for the
Liberian forestry sector after a long period of mismanagement and exploitation
of forest resources to fuel conflict. The new legislation will allow the
implementation of Liberia’s first-ever forestry policy, which FAO helped
develop with numerous international partners through the Liberia Forest
Initiative. (…) Forest resources in Liberia are important to its economy and
amount to 47 percent of its land. In the late 1990s, their contribution to the
gross domestic product amounted to about 20 percent and accounted for over 50
percent of the country's export earnings. (…)
The policy balances
the community, conservation and commercial uses of Liberia’s forests to produce
a range of goods and services for the benefit of all Liberians. It recognizes
the importance of community involvement in forestry, which did not exist
before. It emphasizes the importance of good governance. Its objective is to
give more equitable access to forest resources to reduce the potential for future
conflict. The policy is expected to maximize forestry’s contribution to income,
employment, trade and the national development of Liberia.
Combatants of global desertification win key
environment prize
Winners of 2006 United Nations Environment Programme
Sasakawa Prize Announced
Nairobi, 28
September – The daily struggle of billions of people living in the world’s
drylands is being recognized through the awarding of a key environment prize to
two grassroots initiatives. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
announced today that Rodrigo Vivas Rosas of Colombia and the Tenadi Cooperative
Group of Mauritania will be the recipients of the 2006 UNEP Sasakawa Prize. The
co-winners, who will receive their awards next month, are being honored for
their achievements in combating desertification and land degradation—a major
local and global problem that threatens the lives and livelihoods of two
billion people inhabiting the planet’s dry and arid areas. The award underlines
that many of the solutions to overcoming the global threat of desertification
reside in the hands of local grassroots communities and indigenous peoples,
including women and small-scale farmers. (…)
The new UNEP
Sasakawa Prize, worth US$200,000 is awarded annually. The Prize, considered one
of the most prestigious environmental awards in the world, recognizes
innovative research and ideas and extraordinary grassroots initiatives from
around the world. Each laureate’s scope of activities is associated with an
environmental theme selected for the year. In 2006, the theme was ‘Deserts and
Desertification’. The winners will receive the Prize from the Executive
Director of UNEP, Achim Steiner, on 30 October 2006 at a special ceremony at
the American Museum of Natural History, Rose Center for Earth and Space, in New
York, USA.
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=487&ArticleID=5361&l=en
Religion and spirituality
Universal Peace Meditation – One million people in Sri
Lanka and worldwide
One million people
are expected to gather in the sacred city of Anuradhapura on the anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday to help create a critical mass of spiritual
consciousness for world peace and loving kindness to all. Organised by the
Sarvodaya Shramadana movement, friends of peace around the world are invited to
link in during the actual time of the meditation which is from 7.30 – 10.30 pm
GMT. Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne, Founder-President of the Sarvodaya Shramadana
Movement, asserts that the underlying principles of this effort are:
1. A critical mass
of spiritual consciousness can be created when over one million people join
together in a spiritual process. 2. This critical mass can influence the
consciousness of people throughout the world towards inner peace. 3. Along with
inner peace, outer peace can also be created in the world by transforming the
consciousness of people in more than 35 war-torn nations. 4. The objective of
this event is not only to bring peace in the minds of people and in society,
but also to bring about a dynamic equilibrium in our own planet and in the
planetary system as a whole.
The 15,000
Sarvodaya villages are already being mobilised for this event. Each of these
villages across the country will form a team of ten people. The groups will
coordinate their daily individual meditation, their weekly collective
meditation and monthly mass meditation programmes where over 10,000
participate.
Week of Prayer for World Peace – October 22-29
Since its founding
in 1974 the Week of Prayer for World Peace has become a global inter-faith
initiative, guided by the principle: The peace of the world must be prayed for
by the faiths of the world. We are convinced that there is only one humanity
that prays, and only one Divinity that we pray to, whatever different opinions
we may have about that one Divinity.
The Millennium Resolution
Let there be
respect for the Earth,
Peace for its
people, Love in our lives,
Delight in the
good, Forgiveness of past wrongs,
And from now on, A
new start.
The International Prayer For Peace
Lead me from death
to life, from falsehood to truth.
Lead me from
despair to hope, from fear to trust.
Lead me from hate
to love, from war to peace.
Let peace fill our
heart, our world, our universe.
http://nfpb.gn.apc.org/Prayer/
25th Anniversary Commemoration of 1981 UN Declaration
on Religion or Belief
Saturday, November 25, 2006 - Prague, Czech Republic
The 1981 UN
Declaration on the Elimination of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on
Religion or Belief reaches the 25th anniversary of its adoption on 25 November
2006. The Declaration remains pivotal to taking forward freedom of religion or
belief internationally. 25 years on, it remains the only international human
rights instrument exclusively focused on the matter of religion or belief.
The United Nations
Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Religion or Belief is the
only UN mechanism (instead of international mechanism) exclusively focused on
the matter of religion or belief. The 1981 Declaration is central to the legal
framework in which she operates. The event to be held In Prague, on 25th
November 2006, represents the official, international commemoration of the
adoption of the United Nations 1981 Declaration on the Elimination of
Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. The event has been
endorsed by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (…) The day's program will include
workshops on key thematic areas that continue to challenge the realisation of
the Declaration's norms the world over: Protection of Religion or Belief
vis-à-vis Freedom of Expression, Change of Religion or Belief - Enabling the
Environment, Protection of Religion or Belief - Who benefits?, and Propagation
of Religion or Belief.
http://www.wunrn.com http://www.1981declaration.org/
Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program to hold
first graduation event
Bangkok, Thailand,
September 28 – The inaugural class of the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies
Program at Chulalongkorn University will graduate in a special ceremony at 3
p.m., Sept. 29. Among the government officials and dignitaries expected to
attend is former Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Bhichai Rattakul, a past
president of Rotary International.
Prior to the
graduation ceremony, there will be a public seminar at Chulalongkorn Main
Auditorium at 8:30 a.m., Sep.28 in which the graduates will present the
conflict analysis projects they completed during the course of their studies.
The seminar is open to the public and the press and will provide a revealing
look at the core purpose of the program.
The
Rotary-sponsored peace program conducted at Chulalongkorn University is
designed to build conflict resolution skills for promising leaders and
professionals who have extensive experiences in various fields relating to
peace and conflict. The program offers an intensive, three-month curriculum
developed by international and regional experts on peace and conflict studies.
The inaugural
graduates of the program are a diverse group of 15 men and women from 11
countries. The class included mid- to
upper-level government workers, officials from non-governmental organizations,
educators, military and law enforcement officers, lawyers, media professionals
and union leaders. (…)
The Peace and
Conflict Studies program courses are taught in English. Participants earn a
Certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies from Chulalongkorn University and The
Rotary Foundation. Individuals interested in future sessions should contact
their local Rotary clubs or email Bangkok.PeaceStudies@rotary.org for more
information. Applications are currently being accepted for the July 2007 and
succeeding sessions. Additional information, including profiles of
participants, is available at www.rotarychula.org
Rotary is an
organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide
humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There
are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians who are members of more than 32,000
Rotary clubs in nearly 170 countries.
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/presscenter/releases/2006/285.html
Senegalese Koranic
school children get learning support from Counterpart International
Dakar, Senegal,
September 27 – Thanks to a US$250,000 grant from the US Agency for
International Development (USAID) and the US Embassy in Senegal, Counterpart
International is expanding its school lunch program to Koranic schools,
allowing more children to attend classes while also improving learning
conditions at the schools. Counterpart, in partnership with Senegal's Ministry
of Education, will expand the traditional curriculum in Koranic schools to
include basic mathematics and trilingual education in Arabic, French and local
languages. (…)
Koranic schools,
with their Islamic heritage, are the primary form of education available to
poor children in Senegal. But these schools are often ill-equipped to provide
their students – called talibes – with an adequate and modern education. To
improve the learning environment, Counterpart and the local communities will
work together to design the children's education, which includes vocational
training. In an effort to promote healthy practices throughout the entire
community, Counterpart will also provide basic education and training in
hygiene, HIV/AIDS prevention and care. (…)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=5442
Pakistan:
'Catch-up' kids saved from permanent school expulsion
by Dana Palade and John Schenk - World Vision Pakistan Communications
27 September - One
hundred and forty teenagers recently resumed school after World Vision-sponsored
“catch up” classes saved them from being permanently expelled from the
education system. The school system recommended their expulsion after they
displayed aggressive behaviour and performed poorly in the year following the
7.6 magnitude earthquake that devastated northern Pakistan on 8 October, 2005.
(…)
Staff became aware
of the intended expulsions last June when they were invited to year-end school
ceremonies. They intervened and asked school officials for the chance to bring
the students up to academic standards as well as work on their disruptive
attitudes. The students studied two hours a day and spent another two hours
daily in psychosocial exercises built around creative and recreational
activities plus one-on-one discussions with child protection officers.
The programme was
built on existing staff, gift-in-kind school supplies and play materials from
the 17 existing child friendly spaces (CFSs). No additional costs were
entailed. Sixty girls and 80 boys attended the classes. (…)
25th Gandhi Week
Gandhi – The Map to Non-Violence
25 years ago we
committed to the example Gandhi offered to all of those who had a true drive
for peace, for understanding human diversity, and for the need to make
coexistence a healthier and more comforting experience.
Many of the
initiatives presently led by the civil society, and several academic programs
and subjects created in universities, which aim at training us for dialogue,
peaceful conflict resolution, and cultural diversity based on multiplicity of
values have Gandhi as their conceptual basis or inspiration. The Bank for the
Poor, the peasant and craft cooperatives, solidary economy, ecovilleges and
other such initiatives have spread around the world inspired by Gandhi’s
experiences in rural and deprived areas of his homeland.
The 25th Gandhi
Week organized by Associação Palas Athena will involve over 5000 children, 1000
teachers of the governmental network of schools, health and educational
governmental institutions, human rights organizations, artists, social actors,
over 30 NGOs, and the public in general - all of them with free entrance.
Various programs will be held during October in various cities.
School kits operation has started in Djibouti for the
third consecutive edition
Djibouti, 21
September – UNICEF, USAID and the Ministry of Education jointly launched the
third consecutive school kits distribution in Djibouti City. This distribution will reach over 32,000
children all over the country. “The kits mean a lot to the children, in part
because school supplies are an essential component of education but also
because these kits provide much joy to school going children,” said UNICEF
Djibouti Representative, Aloys Kamurgiye. (…) The distribution aims at directly
supporting parents by providing school kits for every child thus ensuring
greater child enrollment and reintegration.
The Minister of Education stressed that parents who have financial
difficulties and are often obliged to take their children out of school will
now be able to keep their children in school.
He added that the collaboration between his department, USAID and UNICEF
is a success. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_36042.html
Global Youth Survey explores perspectives on social,
cultural identity
Over 3,000 young
people in 100 countries respond
Newton, Mass, USA,
September 19 - According to a new survey asking young people worldwide about
their social and cultural beliefs, most identified themselves as members of a
“global community,” citizens of a broader multicultural world, concerned about
the problems of the planet.
The World Youth
Identity and Citizenship Survey, developed by the Our World Alliance, was
intended to capture youth thoughts regarding their community and sense of
belonging, their political and economic beliefs, and their social and cultural
experiences. More than 3,300 young people age 24 or younger took the survey in
100 countries, in every major region of the world, with most responses from
Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia/New Zealand, Latin America, and the
Caribbean. The administration of the survey was coordinated by Education
Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in collaboration with the Wagner Graduate School
of Public Service at New York University and translated into eight languages,
with most responses gathered via the Internet. (…)
The survey results
indicated that those who viewed themselves as a member of the global community
tended to be: older, more educated, and able to access the Internet. In fact,
access to the Internet had a substantial impact on global citizenship scores
and classification.
Respondents were
also asked to rank the greatest problems faced by the world today. Most
believed the three biggest problems to be poverty, terrorism, and AIDS and
other diseases. Respondents believed that the strongest obstacles to world
peace are: world leaders cannot agree with one another, too much inequality in
living standards, and lack of opportunities for people to get to understand one
another. (…)
http://main.edc.org/newsroom/press_releases/global.asp
1st African, Caribbean and Pacific Festival – 14 to 21 October, Santo Domingo
For the first time
in its history, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States is
organizing a Cultural Festival, which will showcase the cultural creativity and
productivity of its 79 Member States. The 1st ACP Festival will be held in
Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) from 14 to 21 October 2006 and preceded by
the 2nd meeting of ACP Ministers of Culture, scheduled for 13 October 2006. It
is an opportunity for the ACP Group to invite the world to discover its
cultural diversity.
The 1st ACP
Festival is presented as the ”Festival of ACP Festivals”. During the course of
one week, visitors, cultural operators, artists and culture professionals will
have the opportunity to discover the rich cultural diversity and the artistic
and cultural creativity of the 6 regions of the ACP Group. (…) The
proliferation of cultural Festivals and operators, the increased involvement of
Governments in cultural activities, and the interest of professional networks
and international markets in ACP artists and cultural products, are all
indicative of an evolving sector.
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Next
issue: 27 October 2006.
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