Good News Agency – Year VII, n° 13
Weekly - Year VII, number 13 –
27th 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
Rome, 16 October – The
most important gene bank collections of the world’s key food and forage crops
today came under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food
and Agriculture, ensuring that plant breeders, farmers and researchers will be
able to access these plant genetic resources under standard conditions and
share in the benefits arising from their use.
(…)
The international
treaty, which was approved by the FAO Conference in November 2001, entered into
force on 29 June 2004. There are now 105 member countries and the European
Community. The treaty's main objectives are ensuring that plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture, which are vital for human survival, are
conserved and sustainably used and that resulting benefits are equitably and
fairly distributed. (…)
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000425/index.html
Rome, 16 October –
A new global education project was launched today to raise awareness about
hunger and the right to food among children and young people around the world.
As part of the
ongoing “Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger” initiative, the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
(WAGGGS) produced a cartoon-style story book entitled “The Right to Food: A
Window on the World,” and a companion “Resource and Activity Guide” educating
young people and motivating them to join in the fight against hunger and
malnutrition. (…)
According to FAO,
the materials present right to food issues in a simple, understandable and
attractive style that captures the attention of young people. The materials
will help young people understand that each individual has the right to
adequate food and that governments, consumer organizations, the private sector,
communities and families have an obligation to help protect, promote and
support that right. (…)
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000423/index.html
Dakar, Senegal, 13
October - Filmmakers from around the continent are being invited to submit
their films and documentaries for a film festival devoted to ending violence
against women in Africa. UNFPA, the
United Nations Population Fund, the Senegalese Government, donors, NGOs, civil
society and other partners are joining forces to sponsor the four-day festival
beginning 23 November.
The festival
coincides with 25 November, the “International Day for the Elimination of
Violence Against Women,” which focuses attention on the alarming rise in
gender-based violence (GBV) around the globe and recognizes efforts to rid
societies of this scourge. (…)
A study released in
New York earlier this week by the United Nations Secretary-General found that
“In all countries of the world, violence against women persists as a pervasive
scourge, endangering women’s lives and violating their rights. Such violence
also impoverishes families and communities, drains government resources and
restricts economic development.”
The Dakar festival
is being used to educate the public about GBV to raise awareness of the problem
and help to eradicate it. Themes include GBV in conflict and post-conflict
countries, domestic violence, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/FGC) and
vulnerability due to extreme poverty, which can force women into sex work. All
these types of violence increase the risk that a woman may contract HIV.
Monetary prizes
will be awarded to the top films, which will be judged on their potential to play
a positive role in eliminating violence and reducing the stigmatization of its
victims. (…)
http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=884
Gender Budgeting in three countries: Poland, Germany,
& Austria
"Gender
Budgeting as an Instrument for Managing Scientific Organisations to Promote
Equal Opportunities for Women and Men – With the Example of Universities"
is the new project realized by four partners: Frauenakademie München e.V.,
Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut München, Department of Economics / Institute
for Institutional and Heterodox Economics and Network East-West Women (NEWW)
-Poland.
Our SSA (SPECIFIC
SUPPORT ACTION) aims at the development of tools/instruments to implement
gender budgeting as an important part of budget planning in science. With the
example of universities we want to extrapolate the findings to contribute to a
gender watch system. In the SSA, three
countries Austria, Germany and Poland, work closely together. This allows a
transnational as well as an interdisciplinary approach referring to the methods
used in the SSA as well as referring to the participants of the team. As all
countries are at a different level of or-ganisational development and at a
different level of implementing gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting in
science the comparison will enable us to develop valid results. (…)
We will start our
SSA with an analysis of the national frameworks at universities, an analysis of
the process of budget planning and an analysis of the actual situation at one
university in each country. On the basis of the findings we will develop
tools/instruments to adapt gender to the budgeting of scientific organisations
and formulate recommendations for gender budgeting in science on national and
EU level. For futher infotmation please contact Zofia Lapniewska: zofia@neww.org.pl - http://www.wunrn.com
World Communication Congress opens in Rome
Speeding development through communication
Rome, 25
October – The vital role played by
communication in development will be highlighted at a three-day conference
which opened at FAO headquarters today. Attended by 500 delegates including
policy-makers, academics and media professionals, the meeting is jointly
organized by FAO, the World Bank and The Communication Initiative partnership,
and is hosted by the Government of Italy. In an opening speech to the First
World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD), FAO Director-General
Jacques Diouf told delegates that communication and sustainable development are
closely bound. “They are different facets of the same endeavour ... reaching
across and bringing people closer together,” he said. (…)
The conference will
examine the role of communication in speeding progress in the specific fields
of poverty reduction, food security, health, governance and sustainable
development. It will illustrate the wealth of innovative and creative
communications work now taking place and urge that a communications component
be included in all new development projects. (…)
17 October -
Beijing, China - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China was
honoured today with the International Award in the China Poverty Eradication
Awards established by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) and
supported by the State Council Leading Group on Poverty Alleviation (LGOP).
To commemorate and
highlight the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the Poverty
Eradication Award Presentation Conference was held today in Beijing. The event
was presided over by Vice Premier Hui Liangyu and aimed to honour individuals
and organizations that make significant contributions to China’s ongoing
struggle against poverty. (…)
In his
congratulatory message to this particular event, the UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan spoke highly of the significant role China played in the global combat
against poverty. “China’s remarkable economic growth has helped to reduce
poverty on a scale that is unprecedented in human history, “he said: “Because
of China’s size, the way it performs on achieving the Millennium Development
Goals is crucial to how the world as a whole does in reaching them.”
He went on
underscoring the challenges facing China as “prosperity has bypassed many rural
poor, and the gap between different segments of society has grown wider. “
“Correcting this
imbalance requires a strong commitment by each and every Chinese to the
‘putting people first’ philosophy underlying both the MDGs and China’s own
Xiaokang principles for balanced development,” he said.
Active in China
since 1979, UNDP has supported over 600 projects with a total US$ 873 million
and pilot sites on the ground in almost every province of China. (…)
Rome, 13 October
– A US$47 million project in Senegal to
improve small farmers’ ability to produce food and get better access to
sustainable, diverse and demand-driven agricultural services is to be funded by
the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in partnership with
producer organizations and the World Bank.
IFAD will provide a
loan of US$6 million and a grant of US$300,000 to support the Agricultural
Services and Producer Organizations Project – Phase 2. The Government of
Senegal and producers’ organizations will contribute US$20.7 million, and the
World Bank will provide US$20 million in cofinancing.
The agreement for
IFAD’s loan and grant was signed in Rome today by the Republic of Senegal’s
Ambassador in Italy, Papa Cheikh Saadibou Fall, and the President of IFAD,
Lennart Båge.
Agriculture
provides cash income for more than 60 per cent of Senegalese households. People
depend almost exclusively on groundnuts and cotton but demand and prices for
them are falling. Poor quality seeds, lack of credit, limited markets and low
and erratic rainfall hamper all agricultural production. Natural resources are
under pressure from population growth and extensive animal grazing.
Three-quarters of Senegal’s rural people live in poverty. (…)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2006/39.htm
An early supporter of the Grameen bank, IFAD welcomes
Yunus’ Nobel prize
Rome, 13 October -
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has welcomed the
news of the awarding of a Nobel Peace Prize to Professor Mohammed Yunus and the
Grameen Bank. Professor Yunus has
been a pioneer of micro-credit lending schemes for the poor in Bangladesh.
After 30 years, his bank has 6.6 million borrowers, of which 97% are women.
IFAD president
Lennart Båge, reacting to the announcement, said “Professor Yunus’ leadership
has brought opportunities to millions of poor rural families worldwide.”
“Professor Yunus challenged IFAD and other international financial and
humanitarian institutions to question their approaches and to find better ways
to serve poor people” said Båge.
Yunus and Båge are
champions of the nine year Microcredit Summit Campaign launched in 1997 to
reach 100 million of the world’s poorest families, especially the women of
those families, with credit for self employment and other financial and
business services.
Further
information: Farhana Haque-Rahman, Chief, Media Relations, Special Events and
Programmes f.haquerahman@ifad.org
EU Gender Watch: Project implemented by the Network of
East-West Women - funded by the Presidency Fund
Network of East-West
Women’s (NEWW) concern recently has been centered on a growing divide between
the New Member States and the rest of the countries of the region. The Network
wants to support the countries in the CEE/CIS region which are eligible for
development assistance by using monitoring, lobbying and advocacy to ensure
that gender concerns are present in the EU development policy towards this part
of the region. Hence, the Network
recognizes a strong need for an EU development policy monitoring and advocacy
project which would enable NGOs from the region to engage more effectively with
the EU Development Policy Debate and in consequence improve the situation of
women in CEE/CIS. It is also building
the capacity of women organizations in the region concerning the EU financial
instruments and development policy.
The main objective
of the "EU Gender Watch" project consists in enabling women
NGOs/networks in NMS, Accession Countries and EU Neighboring Countries to
cooperate in monitoring and lobbying the EU on its development policies in
order to make the EU commitment to advance gender equality and its translation
into policy, action, and allocation of resources reflected in EU assistance to
countries of the region.
Founded in 1991
NEWW is and international communication and resource network supporting
dialogue, informational exchange, and activism among those concerned about the
status of women in Central and Eastern Europe, the Newly Independent States,
and the Russian Federation. NEWW coordinates research and advocacy that
supports women's equality and full participation in all aspects of public and
private life.
http://www.neww.org.pl/en.php/conference/index/0.html
IFAD loans US$39.5 million for programme to empower women in India’s Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh States
Rome, 12 October –
More than one million rural women in India will have better economic, social
and political opportunities to improve their lives through a US$207.8 million
empowerment programme partly funded by the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD).
Poor women in the
Indian states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh will participate in the
Tejaswini Rural Women’s Empowerment Programme. The programme will support
strong and sustainable self-help groups, develop access to microfinance
services, promote improved livelihood opportunities and strengthen
participation in local governance. The name Tejaswini means ‘a woman who is
radiant’, an empowered woman, and was chosen by local participants.
IFAD will provide a
US$39.5 million loan for the eight-year programme. The loan agreement was
signed in Rome today by the Ambassador of India and Permanent Representative to
United Nations agencies in Rome, Rajiv Dogra, and the President of IFAD,
Lennart Båge. (…)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2006/38.htm
Khartoum, 19
October – Despite the deteriorating security situation in Darfur, a new United
Nations assessment has found that overall malnutrition levels have mostly
stabilized in 2006 and food insecurity has improved slightly thanks to a
stronger international response to the suffering in Sudan’s war-torn west.
Crude mortality dropped for the third year running, but insecurity and lack of
access to many Darfurians continued to cloud the aid picture.
The assessment also
found that while the malnutrition rate among children under five rose slightly,
from 11.9 per cent last year to 13.1 per cent this year, hovering just beneath
the emergency threshold of 15 per cent, they remained significantly below the 2004
malnutrition rates in Darfur which stood at 21.8 per cent.
UN humanitarian
agencies and non-governmental organizations have been able to deliver
life-saving services including food aid, clean water, health services and
agricultural assistance. However, the condition of those in greatest need
remains very precarious.
Preliminary results
of the joint assessment by the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization, UNICEF and the World Food Programme found that 70 per cent of
war-affected Darfurians were food insecure, slightly down from 74 per cent last
year. While the remaining 30 per cent of this year’s war-affected people
required some form of assistance, they had more diverse diets, spent less than
50 per cent of their income on food and relied less on food aid. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_36222.html
by Jessy Chahine -
World Vision Lebanon Communications
18 October - Over
1,000 children throughout Lebanon were able to enjoy the healing tonic of
laughter, and learn more about the dangers of landmines when Elvo the clown
embarked on a two week tour of the war-ravaged country recently.
Thirty-year-old
Aaron Ward, otherwise known as Elvo the Clown from New Zealand, has been
volunteering with World Vision for several years. “Helping children who have
suffered the horror of war find some joy in life is the most satisfying work I
have ever done,” Ward said during his two-week stay in Lebanon. “My role is not
only to help children laugh again, but to help them through their grieving and
shock.” “Elvo came in at the perfect time,” said Hanna Swidan, Area Development
Programme manager in Marjeyoun, south Lebanon. “The children, who were barely
recovering from the July crisis needed him at this point. We all did actually!”
Using mime instead
of language, Elvo reminded Lebanese children that there are still things in
this world they can be happy about. (…)
by Zanele Dlamini -
Communications Officer
18 October - World
Vision Swaziland has donated clothes to 25 orphans of Emmanuel Khayalethu
(EMK), which is a crisis home for children in difficult circumstances. The home
offers a residential intervention that ensures that children have appropriate
physical, emotional and behavioural attention, while providing an environment
that is conducive to their care, health and wholesome development. They were
also given shoes, bags and books, which were donated by World Vision Australia,
USA and Canada. Among the children cared for are the abused, abandoned and
neglected and sometimes it offers refuge for abused mothers and their children.
“Some of these children
we have helped have been relocated to healthy foster homes, others are
integrated with relatives and others remain within EMK premises,” Hixonia
Nxumalo executive director said. Nxumalo decided to make a request to World
Vision in a effort to meet some of the needs for the children. The orphanage
survives on donations from willing people and organisations. World Vision
representative Ernest Vilakati delivered goods worth E5,000 (US$833). The
orphanage is in the capital city of the country, Mbabane.
National Center on Family Homelessness will oversee multi-million dollar investment in housing, health, and child development --Pilot programs set for Los Angeles and Minneapolis/St. Paul
Los Angeles, 17
October – The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is undertaking a five-year initiative
to improve housing, health, and development of young homeless and at-risk
children by enhancing services and integrating service systems in Los Angeles,
CA and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. With
matching funds from participating programs, the total investment will be $11.2
million. Strategies and measures proven
to be effective through this pilot program will be shared nationally as a
roadmap to improve services for homeless children and their families.
The National Center
on Family Homelessness, in collaboration with the Child Welfare League of America
and the National Alliance to End Homelessness, will act as the Coordinating
Center for the initiative, bringing its expertise to the task of selecting
program participants, providing training and technical assistance, evaluating
what programs work best for whom, and offering other supports to project
partners throughout the program period. (…)
The “Strengthening
At-Risk and Homeless Young Mothers and Children Initiative” has two main
components: providing direct services for homeless children and mothers, and
supporting capacity building and training for local agencies that serve
homeless families. By supporting
innovative collaborations, the initiative seeks to improve integration of
housing/homelessness systems and child development/welfare systems locally, and
to develop effective models that can be implemented to improve services
nationally. (…)
Seoul, 15 October -
Two children from rural Seoul will travel to Kyung-Gi Do for life-saving heart
surgeries on 28 October at 11:30am at Buchun Seojong Hospital, thanks to the
generosity of Rotary clubs in Korea and Japan and the Korea Heart Foundation.
Doctors say Woojin
Park, 14, and Geonyoung Park, 7, each have a congenital heart defect in which
the heart’s main artery and the main veins essentially switch functions,
causing oxygenated blood to travel back to the
lungs. Heart Institute surgeons
say each child will undergo a three-step operation to correct this potentially
fatal condition.
The Rotary clubs in
Korea are coordinating the project through the Rotary-sponsored program, called
Gift of Life, which was launched in 1975 by Rotary members in New York, USA.
Since then it has helped save more than 2,000 children from 55 countries.
Gift of Life started
in Korea in 2002. Since then, more than 180 children in the region have
received surgeries. Funding support
comes from The Rotary Foundation and Rotary clubs in Korea and Japan. The
Rotary Foundation has provided $80,000 in grants since 2004, while contributions
from the clubs in Korea and Japan total more than $300,000. “Gift of Life
project give us the opportunity to do good for children in our communities who
are less fortunate," says Byung Seol Choi, a Rotarian from Seoul, who
spearheads the Gift of Life project.
The project has not
only improved the health of the children, it strengthens the relationship
between the Korean and Japanese Rotary clubs. (…) Rotary clubs in Seoul plan to
arrange free surgeries for 100 more needy children. They will continue to work
closely with the Korea Heart Foundation, Save the Children Korea, and the
Korean medical community to achieve the goal. (…)
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/presscenter/releases/2006/289.html
Ann M. Veneman
20 October – The
head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today accepted a
prestigious Spanish award on behalf of the UN agency for its work in Africa and
its efforts to improve the health and living conditions of millions of children
around the world.
Accepting the
2006 Prince of Asturias Award for Concord during a ceremony in the Spanish city
of Oviedo, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman described the prize as “a
great honour.”
“UNICEF is grateful
to the Prince of Asturias Foundation for this global recognition and hopes that
it will inspire others to work to make the world a better place for children,”
she said. (…)
The awards, which
have been presented since 1981, are handed out in eight categories: arts,
communications and humanities, international cooperation, literature, social
sciences, sports, technical and scientific research, and concord. A jury in
each category selects the winners.
Previous winners of
the concord category include the violinist Yehudi Menuhin, the scientist
Stephen Hawking and the non-governmental organization (NGO) Save The Children.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20332&Cr=unicef&Cr1=
Islamabad – 10
October - A year has passed since the horrific earthquake in Pakistan that left
over 3 million people displaced and nearly a half a million houses damaged and
destroyed.
Since then,
UN-HABITAT has supported the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
Authority (ERRA) to establish 12 Housing Reconstruction Centers (HRCs) in Pakistan
Administered Kashmir (PAK) and North Western Frontier Province (NWFP). Over 12,000 people have been trained through
362 training sessions by these HRCs.
UN-HABITAT is responsible for the six HRCs in Kashmir. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
(SDC) and German Technical Assistance (GTZ) are responsible for the six Centers
in NWFP.
HRCs provide
training on seismic resistant building techniques, capacity building of local
authorities, technical advice and public awareness, coordination of training
implementation and training quality control of training delivered by master
trainers. The National Society for
Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET) and Emergency Architects (EA) are providing
technical expertise to support the program.
The UN-HABITAT program has been funded by the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA), with additional support from the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID).
Despite the success
of the program, a huge gap exists in funding.
According to a UN-HABITAT official, a recent evaluation of the
reconstruction efforts revealed two important points. One is that where partner organizations are located, homes are
being built back better by implementing seismic resistant techniques. The second point is that there are not
enough partner organizations in the affected areas to reach the entire affected
community therefore leaving two-thirds of the area uncovered. He said an
estimated $12 million out of a total budget of $2 billion is needed for the project
to cover all the affected areas.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=3831&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
Brussels, 20
October - The European Commission has granted a further €30 million in
humanitarian aid for victims of the fighting in Lebanon. The aid will help people
returning to their home regions to rebuild their lives. The latest grant means
that the European Commission has now granted €50 million in humanitarian aid to
deal with the aftermath of the fighting in Lebanon. The funds are being
channelled through the Commission’s Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid
(ECHO), which reports to Commissioner Louis Michel. This €30 million grant will
smooth the transition to the country’s rebuilding stage by helping relaunch
economic activity for people hit by the conflict and giving them the means to
improve their living conditions. (…)
Relief activities
will be implemented by ECHO’s operational partners on the ground, including
NGOs, UN agencies and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement. The ECHO office,
which was set up at the premises of the Beirut delegation when the fighting
broke out, will be responsible for assessing needs, coordinating projects and
monitoring relief operations. This emergency rehabilitation stage is expected
to last until the summer. It will gradually give way to a rebuilding stage,
which will be the responsibility of other departments of the European
Commission. (…)
October 19 - Today
the Red Crescent Society of Azerbaijan is opening newly constructed safe-play
areas for children in two villages of the front-line district of Fizuli, in the
south-western part of the country, where large numbers of mines and explosive
remnants of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict continue to prevent a return to
normal life. The playgrounds are part of a project being carried out with
operational support from the ICRC and financial support from the Norwegian Red
Cross.
The aim of the
project is to provide children with places where they can play without fear of
mines and explosive remnants of war. Children have been closely involved in
designing the play areas and in devising safety tips for young people living in
conflict-affected areas.
“Parents have
expressed their gratitude to Red Crescent members for building safe-play areas
in their villages,” said Bayram Veliyev, Azerbaijani Red Crescent coordinator
for the project. “The parents said that now they do not worry about where their
children spend their free time.”
Fifteen safe-play
areas were created by the Azerbaijani Red Crescent with ICRC support in 2005,
and 10 more will be opened by the end of 2006. This project is one of many
carried out by the ICRC and National Societies in contaminated areas worldwide
aiming, by means of practical measures, to reduce the impact of mines and
explosive remnants of war.
Ankara, 18 October
(Turkish Daily News) – A Turkish land mine clearance team arrived
in Beirut on Tuesday to search the area where Turkish peacekeepers will be
deployed as part of the international peace force in Lebanon in the coming
days, the Anatolia news agency reported.
The seven-member
team also brought a jeep specially designed for land mine detection and a
passenger vehicle on board a CASA-type Turkish Air Forces military transport..
The team will
search for cluster bombs and land mines near the village of Ech Chaatiye,
located at the entrance to the city of Sur in southern Lebanon, where the
Turkish troops are expected to arrive on Friday, Anatolia said. Preparations
are under way in the southern Lebanese village under the supervision of the
Turkish delegation from the General Staff.
Last week, Turkey
held a sending-off ceremony for around 260 soldiers and engineering company
employees who will serve under the international peace force in Lebanon. The
237 soldiers and 24 civilians will depart soon for Lebanon from the Turkish
Mediterranean port of Mersin, making Turkey the first Muslim nation to deploy
peacekeepers in Lebanon as part of the expanded U.N. operation.
18 October -
Beginning November 2, John Risseeuw’s The Paper Landmine Print Project will be
on display until November 25 at the Open Gallery Studio in downtown Toronto.
His collection will showcase works of handmade paper made from fibrous plants
in mined locations and the currency of nations that make or have made
landmines. Both the artist and a representative from Mines Action Canada will
be in attendance on opening night to answer questions about the global landmine
problem.
The artist acquires
these materials from working trips to place such as Bosnia- Herzegovina,
Cambodia and Mozambique, and his contacts from Afghanistan, Angola, Ethiopia,
India and Iraq send him victim photographs of victims and local data. Inspired
by the work of non-governmental organizations working on the issue of
landmines, Mr. Risseeuw’s art aims to increase awareness of the problem and to
raise funds for the organizations that assist landmine survivors and their
families. (…)
For more
information on the event and/or the artwork, please contact office@openstudio.on.ca or visit the
artist’s website www.cabbageheadpress.com
http://www.minesactioncanada.org/home/index.cfm?fuse=Home.News&ID=231
13 October - Starting
today, Mines Action Canada begins a new community mobilization campaign to
connect Canadians in a joint effort towards a mine-free world.
Canada is a
superpower on landmines! We got there because regular Canadians care! Ordinary
people can do extraordinary things! Starting today, Mines Action Canada begins
a new community mobilization campaign to connect Canadians in a joint effort
towards a mine-free world. Landmines, cluster bomblets and explosive remnants
of war still threaten millions of people worldwide. The Canadian Leadership,
Education and Action Program (CAN LEAP) IS the “made in Canada” solution to
solve this worldwide humanitarian problem.
Together, in our
lifetime, we can make a mine-free world. By organizing fundraising and action
events, supporting Canadian Landmine Awareness Week, and participating in
regional training opportunities, you will make an impact. Your effort matters
to people around the world!
http://www.minesactioncanada.org/home/index.cfm?fuse=Home.News&ID=230
8th Russian National Dialogue on Status and
Perspectives of Russian Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and
Global Chemical Weapons Demilitarization
Renaissance Hotel, Moscow, Russia, 1-2 November 2006
Co-organized by Green Cross Russia, Green Cross
Switzerland, and Global Green USA
A key international
agreement for the control and demilitarization of weapons of mass destruction,
the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) today includes 179 member states,
six of which have declared stocks of chemical weapons. Russia, which holds the
world’s largest stockpile, has been a State Party to the Convention since 5
November 1997; this conference will mark the ninth anniversary of Russia’s CWC
ratification.
Russia has put
great efforts in recent years into chemical weapons demilitarization. Spending
has jumped from $20 million in 2000 to a projected $644 million in 2006. In
March and September 2006, the second and third chemical weapons destruction
facilities have started operations and by autumn 2006 Russia will have
destroyed 7% of its initially-declared stockpile. At the same time,
construction activities have started at most of the remaining four stockpile
sites. Russia is assisted currently by 14 countries within the framework of the
G-8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass
Destruction.
The annual Green
Cross/Global Green National Dialogue has been and continues to be a unique
meeting place for all stakeholders in the ongoing chemical weapons destruction
process. The two-day conference brings together representatives from Russian
chemical weapons stockpile regions; federal ministries and agencies responsible
for the implementation of the Russian chemical weapons destruction program;
countries providing assistance to the Russian Chemical Weapons Destruction
Program; the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW); and
Russian and foreign non-governmental organizations, academia, and the mass
media. (…)
Opium cultivation in Golden Triangle falls 29% in 2006, down 85 per cent since 1998
Vienna, 16 October
(UNODC) - Opium poppy cultivation in the Golden Triangle - Laos, Myanmar and
Thailand - fell 29 percent in 2006, bringing the total decline in the region
since 1998 to 85 percent, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said on
Monday.
"This is a
remarkable success in the reduction of illicit crops which is so far unmatched
anywhere in the world," UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said.
"It represents an important step towards the goal of eliminating the
cultivation of illicit crops worldwide."
"The Golden
Triangle's share of world opium poppy cultivation has fallen from 66% in 1998
to only 12% in 2006. Laos and Thailand are almost opium-free. If the current
trend continues, there will soon be only one opium-producing country left in
the world - Afghanistan," he added.
UNODC's 2006 Opium Poppy
Cultivation in the Golden Triangle survey showed cultivation in the three
countries fell to 24,160 hectares this year from 34,720 in 2005.
This compares with
total cultivation of 157,900 hectares in 1998, the year the United Nations
General Assembly Special Session on Drugs called for a significant reduction in
global illicit drug cultivation within 10 years. The Golden Triangle now
produces only about five per cent of the world's opium, down from 33 per
cent in 1998. (…)
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/press_release_2006_10_16.html
Geneva, 12 October
- The world's success in eradicating polio now depends on four countries –
Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan – according to the Advisory Committee
on Polio Eradication (ACPE), the independent oversight body of the eradication
effort.
With a targeted
vaccine and faster ways of tracking the virus, most countries that recently
suffered outbreaks are again polio-free. In parts of the four endemic
countries, however, there is a persistent failure to vaccinate all children,
and polio-free countries are considering new measures to help protect
themselves from future outbreaks. (…)
Given that all
children paralysed by polio in the world this year were infected by virus
originating in one of the four endemic countries, polio-free countries are now
taking new measures to protect themselves. The Ministry of Health of Saudi
Arabia, for example, will be enforcing stringent polio immunization
requirements for the upcoming pilgrimage to Mecca.
"Polio
eradication hinges on vaccine supply, community acceptance, funding and
political will. The first three are in place. The last will make the
difference," said Dr Robert Scott, Chair of Rotary International's
PolioPlus Committee, speaking on behalf of the spearheading partners of the
Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Rotary is the top private-sector contributor
and volunteer arm of the Initiative, having contributed US$600 million and
countless volunteer hours in the field since 1985.
The ACPE advised
the four polio-endemic countries to set realistic target dates for stopping
transmission, noting that improvements in reaching all children in these areas
have been only incremental, and that these countries will take more than 12
months to end polio.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/pr56/en/index.html
HIV/AIDS partnership celebration in the Eastern Cape,
South Africa
Lusikisiki, 12
October - Four years after Mr Nelson Mandela launched a pioneering HIV/AIDS
treatment programme in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, over 2,200 people are now
healthy on ARVs. Today the Eastern Cape Department of Health (DoH) announced
that it has taken over full responsibility for the programme.
Initiated four years
ago by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) in
collaboration with the DoH, this programme made possible the implementation of
comprehensive HIV services in one of the most resource constrained rural areas
in South Africa.
Through the
implementation of an innovative community-based model of care focused on all 12
of Lusikisiki's clinics and St Elisabeth's Hospital, the programme has achieved
universal coverage of ART within the last two years, making it one of the
largest rural treatment sites nationally. (…)
To implement this model in the
face of a chronic shortage of health staff, a decentralized model was developed
based on these pillars: a mobile team to support nurses at clinics; the
recruitment of adherence counsellors; and strong community engagement to
support the health system. (…)
Working in partnership has
been crucial to the development of the Lusikisiki model. The partnership was
designed to respond to a huge unmet need for access to HIV/AIDS services and to
strengthen the primary health care response. From its inception the programme
was designed to be integrated into the health care system. (…) The partners are
now confident that the programme is well established under the leadership of
the Qaukeni district and the provincial teams. (…) http://www.msf.org
New Crisis Management Centre launched by FAO
Will speed response to AI and other threats
Rome, 12 October –
Dr Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization, today inaugurated a new FAO Crisis Management Centre (CMC) to
fight Avian Influenza outbreaks and other major animal health or food
health-related emergencies.
“The CMC represents
a significant leap forward in FAO’s ability to help Member Nations prevent and
cope with disease outbreaks,” Dr Diouf said. Set up in collaboration with the
Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health and located at FAO’s Rome
headquarters, the Centre brings rapid-response capacity to transboundary animal
and plant diseases, and can also react quickly to emergencies involving plant
pests or food safety.
Supported by
advanced communications technology, the Centre operates around the clock, seven
days a week with a staff of up to 15 specialists and veterinarians. Disease
information is monitored and updated from around the globe continuously. When a
suspected outbreak is reported, CMC can dispatch its experts to any hot-spot in
the world in under 48 hours. (…)
The United States has
provided 5.1 million dollars and three veterinarians for the Centre. Other
contributors include the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Sweden,
Switzerland, Norway, Saudi Arabia, China, Greece and Jordan.
Red Cross Red Crescent forms alliance with leading health agencies against growing threat of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Europe
10 October - The
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is establishing
a new alliance with the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins du Monde and
20 other leading European agencies and NGOs to forge a more effective response
to the tuberculosis epidemic in the European region.
The Stop TB
Partnership for Europe is being launched amid growing alarm about high levels
of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB2) in the Baltic States, Eastern
Europe and Central Asia, and the more recent emergence of extreme
drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB3) that is virtually untreatable. Senior
officials warn that the continued spread of such virulent strains poses a
serious threat to TB treatment and control in the region, and challenge the
European Union to assume a larger role in tackling the problem. (…)
The new partnership
will have several main objectives. The immediate priority is generating
political commitment in Europe to ensure the financial, technical and human
resources that are needed to curb the tuberculosis epidemic. At present, the
bulk of technical support that affected countries need to fight TB effectively
is being provided by the United States. (…)
Another aim of the
partnership is to engage a much broader range of stakeholders beyond ministries
of health in this effort – corporations, foundations, academic and research
institutions, media, NGOs and civil society – and harmonize their collective
efforts for greater strategic impact.
http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/pr06/7106.asp
5 October - Canada
announced today a contribution of Canadian $5 million (US$ 4.5 million) for
polio eradication in Afghanistan. This announcement comes at a time when
regular and costly polio vaccination campaigns must be carried out nationwide,
covering seven million children, in response to an outbreak in the southern
region. Conflict in this part of the country has made it difficult to reach all
children, resulting in a resurgence of the disease, especially in Kandahar and
Helmand provinces. If left unchecked, polio could spread among millions of
Afghan children and threaten to reverse progress in neighbouring countries that
are polio-free. (…)
Canada's
contribution is a welcome influx into the US$ 6.3 million needed for
Afghanistan's polio vaccination campaigns for the next six months as well as
for ongoing surveillance for the disease. The sum raises Canada's part in the
Global Polio Eradication Initiative to over US$ 180 million and follows
commitments made at the G8 Summits in Gleneagles in 2005 and St. Petersburg
this year.
In 2006, Afghan
authorities have carried out eight polio vaccination campaigns, four of which
were nation-wide – targeting over 7 million children under the age of five each
time – and the rest in the highest-risk areas. So far, the outbreak has not
spread out of the southern provinces of Hilmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul to
the polio-free areas of Afghanistan. To ensure that children continue to be
protected, even in zones of insecurity, a further campaign will be held 14-16
November and several are planned for the first quarter of 2007.
The polio
eradication campaign is one of the few public health initiatives still
maintaining some degree of operations in the southern region of the country.
Health workers on the ground are operating under extremely difficult and
dangerous conditions, risking their lives in efforts to reach every child with
polio vaccine.
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/LatestNews200610.asp#Canada
Luxembourg – 3
October - In recognition of his country’s outstanding financial contribution to
polio eradication, Rotary International today honored Grand-Duc Henri of
Luxembourg for his personal commitment to the cause. During a special event at
the Grand Ducal Palace, Rotary Foundation Trustee Rudolf Hörndler presented
Grand-Duc Henri with a framed bas relief depicting a child receiving the polio
vaccine. Hörndler said, “On behalf of
the 1.2 million members of Rotary around the world, and equally important, on
behalf of the millions of children you will never meet, I wish to acknowledge
your personal contribution to protecting children from polio.”
Luxembourg remains
the highest per capita donor to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. This
year, the government committed US$3.70 million for the next three years. The country’s total contribution stands at
US$9.08 million. (…)
Rotary’s commitment
to end polio represents the largest private-sector support of a global health
initiative ever. In 1985, Rotarians
worldwide vowed to immunize all the world’s children against polio. Since then, Rotary has contributed more than
US$600 million to the effort. Besides raising and contributing funds, over one
million men and women of Rotary have volunteered their time and personal
resources to help immunize more than 2 billion children in 122 countries during
national immunization campaigns.
Public sector
contributions represent two-thirds of the USD 4 billion funds going toward
polio eradication.(…) The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is spearheaded by
the World Health Organization, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
(…)
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/presscenter/releases/2006/287.html
(top)
Washington, D.C.,
October 18 - What is renewable energy? Should my office switch? Does my office need
to be located near a wind farm? Is it simple to buy? What are my options?
Many office- and
retail-based companies are switching to renewable energy and
"greening" their energy supply. While this is often not difficult to
do, the overwhelming amount of information available can make it a confusing
process, especially for newcomers.
The World Resources
Institute (WRI) today cuts through the clutter with essential information – in
just 26 pages – for financial institutions; real estate, retail, law, and publishing
firms; universities; non-profit organizations; and many others to understand
the basics of how they can go green. (…)
Renewable energy
can be used to generate heat and electricity, from sources such as solar, wind,
biomass, landfill gas, geothermal, and some types of certified hydropower.
Unlike fossil fuels, these resources do not contribute to emissions of carbon
dioxide (CO2), which causes global warming.
Many office- and retail-based companies and organizations -- including
Whole Foods Market, Starbucks, FedEx Kinko's, Staples, and the World Bank Group
-- have made the switch to renewable energy. These companies have purchased
green power to help meet their climate or energy goals. For others that want to
do the same, Switching to Green can help. (…)
Zagreb, Croatia, 19
October – A new marine protected area has been created in Croatia, following
years of advocacy work by WWF and a local environmental group.
The establishment
of the Lastovo Nature Park, situated in the central Dalmatian archipelago in south-east
Croatia off the coast of Dubrovnik, covers an area of some 200km2,
of which around 60km2 is land surface consisting of 44 islands. It boasts a
diverse landscape, including rich marine biodiversity, rare and endemic plant
and animal species, holm oak forests, as well as valuable archeological sites
and a rich socio-cultural heritage. Originally settled by the Romans, Lastovo
is noted for its 15th and 16th century architecture. The park becomes the
eighth marine protected area in Croatia, and the second largest in the country.
In 2003, WWF and
the Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development of Croatia
(SUNCE) identified the Lastovo archipelago as a priority area for the
conservation of Mediterranean biodiversity. Intensive advocacy and
collaboration over the past few years garnered local support, which was vital
for the initiation of the political process of declaring this a protected area.
(…) The next challenge is to develop a management plan for the park that will
focus on conservation as well as the economic development of the local
community.
Since the end of
the Second World War, nearly 50 per cent of the Mediterranean's 46,000km-long
shoreline has been lost to urbanisation, mostly tourism related. The
Mediterranean is the world’s leading tourist destination, with an estimated 350
million holidaymakers expected to flock to the region anually by 2020. (…) WWF
believes that the newly created marine protected area will pave the way in the
Mediterranean for encouraging alternatives to mass tourism, and avoiding major
industrial development and illegal building projects. It is also an opportunity
for local economic development through sustainable tourism.
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=83700
United Nations, 8
October (BWNS) -- Last month some 33 governments sent delegations to a special
conference here on how religions and governments can work together for peace.
"The High-Level Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace" was
sponsored by a unique coalition of governments, United Nations agencies and
religious non-governmental organizations, including Baha'i representatives.
Participants said
the 21 September event drew a wide range of participation at the UN, reflecting
rising concern about the spread of religious intolerance and the need to
promote religious dialogue and tolerance as a remedy. "What was most
significant was that perhaps the best represented sector was governments,
particularly from the developing world," said Jeffery Huffines, a member
of the Committee of Religious Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) at the UN
who served on the planning committee for the Conference.
"Many of these
countries are suffering from the consequences of religious conflict. They were
the ones at the table, wanting to learn, wanting to share their perspective on
the importance of promoting religious dialogue and cooperation," said Mr.
Huffines, who is also a representative of the Baha'i community of the United
States to the UN.
In addition to some
33 government representatives, participants included a number of UN agency
officials and leaders from various religious groups and civil society
organizations.
The event was
organized by the Tripartite Forum on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace, formed
in 2005. (…)
http://news.bahai.org/story/484
Israeli-Palestinian Ramadan interfaith encounters -
"Forgiveness" – October 5th 2006
“On Thursday,
October 5th, the first of two Ramadan interfaith encounters, jointly organized
by the Interfaith Encounter Association and the Hope Flowers School, took place
at the Hope Flowers School's campus in El-Khader. We started a bit more than an
hour before sunset with brief introduction that included an opening by Mr.
Ibrahim Issa, Director of the Hope Flowers School, who welcomed participants to
the school and gave a summary of the school's activities. Then Dr. Yehuda
Stolov, Executive Director of the Interfaith Encounter Association, presented
the activities and thanked the school for hosting this study day and for the
long and fruitful cooperation.
Moving to the
program itself, Ibrahim explained the division of the 30 days of the month of
Ramdan into three 10-day parts – the first focused on mercy, the second on
forgiveness and the third on reward. This was the inspiration for this program
of two study days (the second one will take place on Wednesday October 18th –
see invitation below), each studying the theme of its days from the different
religious perspectives. Then Yehuda asked participants to go to their small
groups, introduce themselves and share stories of forgiveness – both when they
forgave others and when they were forgiven by others. (…)
Some of the issues
that came up in the conversations were:
"Forgiveness
comes from inner peace, resulting from knowledge and acknowledgement of the
inner self, including peace with the dark side of myself" (…) "In
Islam these ten days are dedicated to asking forgiveness from God and fellow
humans" (…) "This is parallel to the Ten Days of Repentance in
Judaism. In Judaism they are the first ten days of the month of Tishrey that is
now, for a few years, parallel to Ramadan" "Sometimes it is difficult to forgive – in smaller or bigger
issues" "Israelis and Palestinians as nations also need to learn to
forgive each other but forgiveness will come at the end of the long process of
reconciliation" "Before forgiveness healing is needed. For the
healing process Israelis and Palestinians need each other".
yehuda@interfaith-encounter.org www.interfaith-encounter.org
Venezuela: play keeps indigenous cultures alive
by Humberto Márquez
Caracas, October 20
(IPS) - A new study found that play is an essential vehicle of socialisation
and transmission of traditions and customs among indigenous groups in
Venezuela, who often live in an uneasy coexistence with mainstream society
while the survival of their cultures and languages is threatened. A team of researchers found that indigenous
communities in different parts of the country have maintained similar customs,
beliefs and rituals surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care, the
teaching of skills, the transmission of values, and the transition to
adulthood, while they gradually incorporate schools, modern medicine and
television. Under the leadership of Emanuele Amodio, a professor at the Central
University's School of Anthropology, and sponsored by the United Nations
children's fund (UNICEF), the team studied nine areas of childbirth and
childrearing among six of Venezuela's 35 indigenous groups for two years.
According to the
2001 census, indigenous people in Venezuela number 500,000 out of a total
population of 25 million. (…)
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35178
National plan is a
milestone in Zimbabwe’s pursuit of MDGs. The United Nations has invested more
than US$2 million to improve girls education in past two years in Zimbabwe
Harare, 18 October
– The United Nations in collaboration with the government and civil society
launched a ground-breaking National Girls Education Strategic Plan to increase
Zimbabwe’s likelihood of achieving universal primary education and ensuring
girls stay in school.
The National Girls Education
Strategic Plan is Zimbabwe’s first-ever strategic document on girls education.
It spells out how to provide quality basic education while keeping girls,
orphans and vulnerable children in school, in the face of economic hardships
and challenges particularly in the context of HIV/AIDS. Current statistics show
that girls are the first to drop out of school during social and economic
crisis. This is a social and economic mistake. (…)
Zimbabwe has
achieved gender parity in primary enrolment, and has a 2per cent gap in
secondary completion nationally, however Zimbabwe has unacceptably wide gender
disparities within districts. (…) Thus,
the National Girls Education Strategic Plan seeks to ensure that that every child
is able to enroll, complete and realize their full potential in education. The
plan also aims to address emerging HIV/AIDS-related and cultural challenges
(such as forced early marriage, abuse and economic exploitation) which
particularly harm girls. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_36207.html
Lima, October 16 –
This Andean country's first dance studio dedicated to students with
"different abilities" has debuted in the capital city.
Counterpart
International staffer Irina Wunder, a Bolshoi Ballet trained dancer working
with partner organization Centro Ann Sullivan del Peru (CASP), began working on
the project in December 2005. Wunder said the program, now housed at a studio,
engages young girls living with disabilities in ballet classes to instill a
sense of confidence, achievement and generate social acceptance. The weekly
classes have been regularly attended by young girls, aged eight to 13, and
their parents. (…)
Centro Ann Sullivan
del Peru (CASP) is a University of Kansas-affiliated, Peruvian non-governmental
organization which over its 20 year history has provided educational and
economic opportunities to hundreds of children with special needs in Peru through
professional, clinical and parent support programs. (…)
Funding for the
dance studio was provided by J. Kirby Foreign Service Trust Foundation, a US
non-profit organization, established in the memory of a foreign-service officer
who died while serving overseas. Counterpart International provided additional
funding thanks to the private contributions from employees, their friends and
supporters.
http://www.counterpart.org/Default.aspx?tabid=340&metaid=GBHK0208-eff
Port Moresby, 16
October - With national elections coming up early in 2007, an innovative
political awareness programme has been initiated in Papua New Guinea to
encourage voter participation in the electoral process and improve political
representation across the country.
Funded by UNDP and
implemented by Transparency International PNG (TI PNG), the Voter Education and
Democratic Governance Awareness Project (VEDGAP) uses live drama to provide
education and awareness about electoral governance, particularly in remote
locations. It also teaches voters about the limited preferential voting system
or LPV, which Papua New Guinea has adopted for the coming elections in an
effort to reduce electoral malpractices.
The project also
seeks to enhance the participation of women in elections, and is being
implemented on a pilot basis in Papua New Guinea’s highland provinces of
Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Enga and Simbu. (…)
http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/october-2006/voter-education-papua-new-guinea-20061016.en
8 Newly-constructed
schools in tsunami-hit areas and still more to come
13 October - By
the end of September this year, teachers and children in the tsunami-hit areas
of Indonesia in the Aceh province have access to 8 brand new fully-furnished
and well-equipped elementary schools built under the EI-Novib Tsunami
Rehabilitation Programme. And there will be 20 more to come.
After the tsunami
disaster struck the area in December 2004, EI [Education International] formed
a partnership with Novib (Oxfam Netherlands) and initiated the Tsunami
Rehabilitation Programme. The programme sets out to rebuild 28 elementary
schools, provide teacher training and trauma-counselling courses, and give out
scholarships to about 4000 pupils over a 2-year period. So far, the
implementation of the programme has been slow due to various external factors,
but the progress made is definitely significant. For example, the
trauma-counselling courses have been implemented with huge success. Now, the
trained personnel are able to offer counselling at school to both teachers and
pupils, under the guidance of a psychologist.
Hundreds of
children from 16 schools have submitted their application for the scholarship,
which will also be extended to other schools outside the reconstruction plan of
the Rehabilitation Programme.
The speediness of
the school reconstruction progress is due to the diligence and hard work of
local construction workers and material suppliers. It is the policy of the
programme to engage local participation in the reconstruction process as much
as possible to retain the identity of the local communities and sense of
ownership.
However, the
implementation of the Rehabilitation Programme has not been without obstacles.
A major obstacle is that the housing reconstruction process has not been able
to catch up with the school rebuilding, and that accounts for the low number of
applications for the scholarship.
EI and Novib will
continue to work on overcoming these issues and contribute through the
implementation of the programme to the achievement of Education For All in the
region.
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=283&theme=solidarityfund&country=indonesia
Rotary-UN Day is 4 November
By Vukoni Lupa-Lasaga, Rotary International News
Rotary
International's representatives to the United Nations in New York have
announced 4 November as the date for the 2006 Rotary-UN Day.
The annual event at
UN headquarters in New York City helps educate Rotarians, their friends, and
their families about the complementary roles the UN and Rotary play in
supporting humanitarian initiatives and promoting international understanding
and peace.
This year,
presentations and panel discussions will address humanitarian issues such as
hunger, water, health, and literacy based on the theme "The Unfinished
Business of Rotary." RI leaders, UN officials, representatives from
UN-affiliated nongovernmental organizations, and other invited guests will be
among featured speakers at the event.
For the third
consecutive year, there will be a separate program for Interact, Youth Exchange
students, and other attendees of high school age. (…)
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/announcements/060821_unday.html
The 38th WFUNA Plenary Assembly – Buenos Aires, 6-10
November
UNANCA will hold a panel on Young Professional for
International Cooperation
The UNA-Argentina
will be hosting WFUNA’s 38th Plenary Assembly and an International Symposium,
from 6 –10 November 2006 in Buenos Aires. A WFUNA Youth Conference will be held
simultaneously with the Plenary.
This year WFUNA
(the World Federation of the United Nations Associations) commemorates its 60th
anniversary. It is a time for us all to come together and to celebrate the
brilliant and dedicated people who created WFUNA and the many more who have
given so much of themselves to fulfill the mission of a peoples’ movement in
support of the United Nations. We are the inheritors of a great responsibility
to help make the United Nations an ever more effective instrument for world
peace and security, development and human rights. Let us show the world that
WFUNA can make a difference.
www.wfuna.org/news/plenary_assembly/index.cfm#program
UNANCA at WFUNA Plenary Assembly
Preparing for the
Assembly, UNANCA say: As active members
of YPIC, we are committed to promoting international cooperation and community
education on international affairs. Currently, each YPIC chapter works locally
in different regions of the United States promoting and implementing various
programs that benefit both the local and international communities at large. Our
goal for the 2006 WFUNA Conference is to expand our network, by training and
educating other young professionals from over 30 nations about how to start a
YPIC group internationally. We believe that by broadening the YPIC network to
the international level, we will increase the amount of young professionals
around the world who are actively working toward international cooperation.
http://ypic.unanca.org/argentina.htm
Nefas Silk Lafto,
Ethiopia, 11 October (BWNS) -- Although this sub-city on the western edge of
Addis Ababa is home to numerous foreign embassies and international development
offices, it nevertheless has its share of poverty and unemployment. (…) So it
is not uncommon most days of the week to find children here working on the
streets, helping to provide the evening meal by polishing shoes, selling fruits
and vegetables, or simply begging.
On Saturdays,
however, the scene is somewhat different. Many of those same children can be
found gathered at the home of a Baha'i family, attentively studying, among
other things, the importance of common virtues like honesty, trustworthiness,
and nobility of self. Although the classes were started in March, just eight
months ago, they now regularly draw more than 100 children each week. Split
into groups by age, the Nefas Silk Lafto Baha'i community manages these classes
with the help of seven local Baha'i volunteers.
Parents say they
are extremely pleased with the Saturday offering. (…) According to the Baha'i International Community, there are
more than 10,000 such local Baha'i children's classes currently taking place
around the world, with more than 90,000 participants. The Baha'i writings
stress the importance of children's education, emphasizing especially the need
for training in virtues and spirituality. Although adapted to local conditions
and needs, Baha'i children's classes around the world focus on moral education,
aiming to provide an ingredient that is often overlooked in secular education.
(…) In Ethiopia, there are about 45 such local children's classes being offered
currently by Baha'i communities here (…)
http://news.bahai.org/story/486
Building a Culture of Peace
On October 14-15
the Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology sponsors a conference of social
scientists dedicated to the promotion of more peaceful cultures. A
distinguished group of anthropologists, economists, political scientists, and
social psychologists from six different countries will discuss the social
structures and dynamics that can promote the eight bases for a culture of peace
articulated by UNESCO and endorsed by the UN General Assembly.
The conference
builds on material stimulated by an earlier Hiatt conference on ways to assess
the peacefulness of cultures, and aims at the production of a handbook devoted
to building more peaceful cultures.
(Joseph de Rivera,
Professor of Psychology, Director Peace Studies Program, Clark University)
* * * * * * *
Following is the message by UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan for United Nations Day, observed 24 October:
For the tenth and
last time as Secretary-General, I offer friends and colleagues around the world
my best wishes on United Nations Day. I
have spent almost my whole professional life working for the United Nations –-
so this day, and the values that it stands for, will always be special for me.
Over the past 10
years, we have made some big steps forward in our common struggle for
development, security and human rights.
-- Aid and debt
relief have increased, making the world economy somewhat fairer.
-- At last, the
world is scaling up its response to HIV/AIDS.
-- There are fewer
wars between States than there used to be; and many civil wars have ended.
-- More Governments
are elected by, and accountable to, the people whom they govern.
-- And all States
have acknowledged, at least in words, their responsibility to protect people
from genocide, war crimes, ethnic
cleansing and crimes against humanity.
But, there is so
much that still needs doing:
-- The gap between
rich and poor continues to grow.
-- Very few
countries are on track to reach all eight of the Millennium Development Goals
by 2015.
-- Many people
still face atrocities, repression and brutal conflicts.
-- The nuclear
non-proliferation regime requires urgent attention.
-- Terrorism, and
the reaction to it, are spreading fear and suspicion
It seems we don’t
even agree which threats are most important.
Those who live in small islands may see global warming as the biggest
danger. Those who live in a city that
has suffered terrorist attacks -– like New York, or Mumbai, or Istanbul –- may
feel that confronting terrorism is more urgent. Others, again, may cite poverty, disease, or genocide.
The truth is, these
are all global threats. All of us
should be concerned about all of them.
Otherwise, we may not succeed in dealing with any of them.
At this time of all
times, we cannot afford to be divided. I
know that you, the peoples of the world, understand this. Thank you for all the support and
encouragement you have given me, throughout these 10 difficult but exciting
years.
Please urge your
leaders to work with my successor, and make the United Nations ever stronger
and more effective.
Long live our
planet, and its peoples. Long live the
United Nations!
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Next
English issue: 24 November 2006.
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