Good News Agency – Year VII, n° 14
Weekly - Year VII, number 14 –
24th November 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 – Culture and education
More
than 15 States ratify the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the
Diversity of Cultural Expressions
9 November - As of 8 November,
16 States* have ratified the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the
Diversity of Cultural Expressions, adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference in
October 2005. It will enter into force three months after the deposit of the
30th instrument of ratification. The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro
Matsuura, welcomed the “particularly rapid” rate of the Convention’s
ratification: “No other UNESCO Convention concerning culture has been ratified
by so many States in such a short time,” he said upon receiving the 16th
instrument of ratification, deposited by Senegal.
The result of a long process
of maturation and two years of intense negotiations, marked by numerous
meetings of independent and then governmental experts, the text seeks to
reaffirm the links between culture, development and dialogue and to create an
innovative platform for international cultural cooperation. To this end, it
reaffirms the sovereign right of States to elaborate cultural policies with a
view both “to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions” and
“to create the conditions for cultures to flourish and to freely interact in a
mutually beneficial manner” (Article 1). It also highlights “the importance of
intellectual property rights in sustaining those involved in cultural
creativity” and reaffirms that “freedom of thought, expression and information,
as well as diversity of the media, enable cultural expressions to flourish
within societies.” (…)
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35622&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
CCW Protocol V on explosive
remnants of war enters into force
Author(s):
Site Admin
Wednesday 15 November - Protocol V on Explosive
Remnants of War (ERW) of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons came
into force on 12 November 2006.
Another instrument of
international humanitarian law has just come into force, adding to the body of
international instruments designed to protect civilians from indiscriminate
weapons. Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) of the Convention on
Certain Conventional Weapons came into force on 12 November 2006, almost three
years after it was adopted. Entry into force occurred six months after the 20th
state notified the UN of its consent to be bound by it. There are now 26 States
Parties that have ratified the Protocol.
Protocol V treats explosive
ordnance (like bombs, rockets, mortars, grenades and ammunition) that failed to
explode or were left behind after a conflict. Like the Mine Ban Treaty,
Protocol V makes States Parties responsible for clearing weapons left behind
after conflicts have ended and warning populations of the presence of the
contamination pending clearance. But it is much weaker than the Mine Ban Treaty
because the text is full of qualifying statements such as “where feasible” and
“as far as practicable” and it has no clear implementation mechanisms. Also in
contrast to the Mine Ban Treaty, the Protocol is not retroactive so there are
no obligations to clean up previously left-behind ERW, and there is no deadline
on clearance after any future conflicts.
http://www.icbl.org/layout/set/print/news/ccw_protocl_v
16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign –
25 November-10 December
The 16 Days of
Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from
the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for
Women’s Global Leadership in 1991.
Participants chose the dates, November 25, International Day Against
Violence Against Women and December 10, International Human Rights Day, in
order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to
emphasize that such violence is a human rights violation. This 16-day period also highlights other
significant dates, including November 29, International Women Human Rights
Defenders Day, December 1, World AIDS Day, and December 6, the Anniversary of
the Montreal Massacre. (See enclosed
“Description of Dates” for more information.)
The 16 Days
campaign has been commemorated by individuals and groups around the world who
use a human rights framework to call for the elimination of all forms of
violence against women by: raising awareness at the local, national, regional
and international levels; strengthening local work; linking local and global
work; providing a forum for dialogue and strategy-sharing; pressuring
governments to implement commitments made in national and international legal
instruments; demonstrating the solidarity of activists around the world.
Center for Women’s Global
Leadership: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu
Uganda: ICRC trains army
personnel in Karamoja
16 November - Twenty-five
battalion commanders, political commissars and intelligence officers from the
Third Division of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) will take part in a
course on international humanitarian law from 16 to 18 November in Mbale.
Twenty-five battalion
commanders, political commissars and intelligence officers from the Third
Division of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) will take part in a
course on international humanitarian law from 16 to 18 November in Mbale. The
Third Division operates in the Karamoja region in north-eastern Uganda, an area
that has witnessed increasing violence in the recent past.
This course is part of a
training programme being organized by the ICRC together with the UPDF. A
similar event took place in Lira in July for UPDF personnel belonging to the
Fourth and Fifth Divisions. An ICRC military expert, and a UPDF instructor
trained by the ICRC in international humanitarian law (or the law of armed
conflict), will conduct the course. (…)
The ICRC is responsible for
promoting international humanitarian law throughout the world. It endeavours to
make the basic principles of the law known to all those who bear weapons. In
Uganda as elsewhere, the ICRC carries out its humanitarian activities in an
impartial, independent and neutral manner.
UNESCO
and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announce Global Partnership to Advance Gender
Equality
12 November - UNESCO and the
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, the world’s leading global sport for women, announced
today a landmark global partnership to further gender equality and promote
women’s leadership in all spheres of society. The social responsibility
program, which draws upon the history of the Tour and players in fighting for
equality and the idea for which came about through the Iguales campaign at the
Tour’s season-ending event in Madrid, marks a new level of commitment by the
Tour and players to raise awareness of gender equality issues and advance
opportunities for women.
The program also represents
the first time that UNESCO, the only organization of the UN system with a
mandate for education, science and culture which are most critical for laying
the grounds for gender equality, is partnering with a professional sports
league for this objective. UNESCO is committed to mainstreaming gender equality
considerations in all its programs, globally and at the country level. (…)
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35640&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Community
response to domestic violence wins first prize in social innovation competition
Projects
from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru take top awards
10 November - They suffered
from domestic violence in silence, for fear, shame and the impossibility of
defending themselves. Slowly, they were able to raise their voices, in Quechua,
through Defenders: A community response to domestic violence, from Peru, and
face together the difficult situation in which they live. Today these women are
the first prize recipients of the Experiences in Social Innovation Competition,
held by ECLAC, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The Defenders
project highlights the value of rights achieved by organized women. It is an
experience with great potential for creative replication in other projects and
countries -- given the sad reality of widespread domestic violence -- that
connects children, spouses, police, judges and teachers and involves the entire
community in the process of change for a better life. Sixteen competition
finalists chose from among 1,000 applications around Latin America and the
Caribbean presented their projects over three days before Selection Committee
members Marta Maurás, Nohra Rey de Marulanda and Eduardo Amadeo. Their verdict
was announced at the Awards Ceremony on 10 November in Mexico City.(…)
Ombudsman’s
office establishes new Ombudsman for children
Lima, 6 November - The
government of Peru today announced the creation of the Children’s Ombudsman to
oversee the defense and promotion of the rights of children and adolescents in
the country. (…) The Ombudsman’s Office will ensure that the rights of children
in matters of health, education, protection and other areas are being
implemented by the state administration’s in compliance with the countries laws
as well as the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. The ceremony took place at the Puericultorio
Augusto Pérez Arníbar and was attended by UNICEF Representative in Peru, Guido
Cornale, Ombudsman for Children, Mayda Ramos, and two children – José Javier
Llontop Gonzales and Jenny Padilla Campos (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_36571.html
IFAD,
EC and CGAP launch new initiative to promote remittance services for poor rural
people
London, November 13 – A new
initiative to improve financial services that allow foreign workers to send
money back to their families – most often in poor countries – was jointly
launched today by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),
the European Commission AENEAS Programme and the Consultative Group to Assist
the Poor (CGAP). The €4.2 million Financing Facility on Remittances will award
individual grants of up to €200,000 to support innovative money transfer, or
“remittance” services in rural areas that are cost-effective, easily accessible
and, when possible, linked to other financial services such as savings,
insurance and lending. (…)
The World Bank estimates that
remittances to developing countries from overseas workers totalled $167 billion
last year. Including unrecorded informal transactions, the bank estimates that
total remittance flows may be as much as US$ 250 billion a year. (…)
The fund plans to select its
first round of grant recipients in early 2007 after a call for proposals and a
competitive review process.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2006/41.htm
Lesotho: Mohalinyane Youth
Nursery project transforms lives of youths
Makopano Letsatsi - World
Vision Lesotho Communications
10 November - The Mohalinyane
Youth Nursery project has generated R15,996 (US$2,200) from selling tree
seedlings. The Tree Nursery Project was established by World Vision in the
Tuans Area Development Programme (ADP). Trees were sold to government
departments as well as the World Vision relief unit and will be used in
environmental rehabilitation activities.
The youth group has six
members, who each received R1,000 (US$140) for their participation in tree
production.
The income generated through
the nursery has enabled the participating youths to support their own
education, or the education of their siblings. “Through this nursery, we have
also contributed some trees to prevent soil erosion in our village by donating
500 trees to be planted in eroded areas,” said 19-year-old member Tebello Ramoholi.
The group promised to expand
their project to vegetable production such as cabbage and potatoes in order to
generate income.
World Vision assisted the
youth with seeds, garden tools, fertiliser, nursery net, seedling trays,
construction of a storeroom for tools, fencing the plot, as well as regular
training on improved agricultural skills.
http://www.wvi.org/wvi/news/latest_news.htm#Lesotho
OPEC
Fund to support development of Myanmar's edible oil sector
US$12.3
million project to be implemented with the technical assistance of FAO
Rome, 9 November - Myanmar’s
edible oil crop sector will be developed over the next three years with
technical assistance from FAO, supported by a loan of US$12.3 million from the
OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID). The total budget of the project
amounts to US$14 million; the remaining balance will be borne by the government
of Myanmar, FAO said today. The project will increase oilseed production and
improve oil processing technologies. It is expected to enhance rural incomes
and food security in the country, where some 75 % of the population lives in
rural areas and depends primarily on agriculture for its livelihood. It is
described by FAO as one of the largest projects of its kind.(…) The project
will focus largely on four oil seeds: sesame, groundnut, sunflower and soybean,
and on oil palm, and will boost oil crop production by expanding the
availability of improved seeds and genetic material to oil crop farmers. (…)
The project will also cover the construction of two new oil solvent extraction
plants and the upgrading of existing oil processing facilities.(…)
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000437/index.html
FAO
partnership nets award for work on shrimp farming
Collaborative
effort aims to improve sustainability of shrimp aquaculture
Rome/Washington, 9 November,
-- A collaborative effort by FAO and a group of partner organizations to make
shrimp farming more environmentally friendly has received the World Bank's 2006
"Green Award." The award is presented each year by the bank to
projects which help developing countries green up their economic development programs
and guide the bank's efforts to fund development that is environmentally
sustainable.
The group, the Consortium on
Shrimp Farming and the Environment, is composed of FAO, the Network for
Aquaculture Centres for the Asia Pacific, WWF, the UN Environmental Programme
and the bank itself. It was established in 1999 to investigate key issues
related to shrimp aquaculture, encourage policy debates in order to forge
consensus among stakeholders regarding how to best deal with those issues, and
make recommendations regarding better management practices for shrimp farms.
The consortium also pays special attention to poverty, labor and equity issues
as well as environmental considerations.(…)
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000439/index.html
New
campaign led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Yunus pledges to provide micro loans
to millions of poor rural people
Rome, 9 November – More than 2000 delegates from over 100
countries are due to gather in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Sunday, to
launch the second phase of the Microcredit Summit Campaign, pledging to ensure
that 175 million of the world’s poorest families are able to receive credit and
other financial services by the end of 2015. (…) Nobel Peace Prize winner
Mohammed Yunus is a key player in the campaign and also expected to attend the
four-day global summit. As founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Yunus has
worked to provide small loans to millions of poor people since 1976.
Microfinance has proved especially effective in empowering poor women, who
often make up the majority of microfinance clients and have the best credit
ratings. Research shows that women invest additional earnings in their
children’s education and the family’s health and nutrition.(…)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2006/40.htm
Caritas responds to
monsoon-induced flooding throughout South Asia
Sri Lanka, 17 November - Heavy
monsoon rains provoked flooding and triggered landslides in southern, western,
and central Sri Lanka this past weekend, killing at least 19 people and leaving
tens of thousands of families homeless. The latest reports put the number of
displaced at around 330,000. The districts of Katunayake and Gampaha were the
hardest hit, while serious flooding was also reported in several low-lying
areas in the districts of Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Kalutara, Matara,
Badulla, Ratnapura, Galle, and Puttalam.
The Catholic Church in Sri
Lanka was quick to respond to the emergency, sheltering displaced families in
churches, schools, and temples throughout various dioceses, while Caritas Sri
Lanka-SEDEC has been gathering information and conducting needs assessments in
the affected areas. An appeal for US$ 355,000 was just launched to help Caritas
Sri Lanka meet the basic needs of the displaced, including provisions of cooked
food, dry rations, and tin sheets and tarpaulins to be used for temporary
shelter. (…)
http://www.caritas.org/jumpNews.asp?idLang=ENG&idChannel=35&idUser=0&idNews=4503
Tsunami recovery offers unique
window of opportunity in Indonesia
By Teresita Usapdin,
Information Delegate in Aceh
8 November - Improving the
capability of communities to respond and cope with disasters forms the
cornerstone of the Red Cross and Red Crescent’s recovery philosophy around the
world. The International Federation’s post-tsunami operation in the devastated
Indonesian province of Aceh is a prime example of how capacity building is
helping people become even more resilient and better prepared for the next time
disaster strikes. (…)
At the government water
utility compound in Banda Aceh, six young men work around the clock, ensuring
that enough safe drinking water is available for the city and its surrounding
area. (…) In villages around Aceh, 75 local Red Cross staff and volunteers
trained in providing psychosocial support conduct a variety of recreational,
sports and income-generating activities for tsunami-survivors to help them
rebuild their self confidence and return to their normal lives. (…)
The International Federation
also conducts capacity building sessions with all branches in Aceh and on Nias
Island as part of the PMI’s branch development programme. (…)
http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/06/06110801/index.asp
Massive
aid effort contains malnutrition growth in Darfur
Khartoum, 19
October - Despite the deteriorating
security situation in Darfur, a new United Nations assessment has found that
overall malnutrition levels have mostly stabilised 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 percent last year to
13.1 percent this year, hovering just beneath the emergency threshold of 15
percent, it remained significantly below the 2004 malnutrition rates in Darfur
which stood at 21.8 percent.
UN humanitarian agencies and
non-governmental organisations 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 WFP found that 70 percent of
war-affected Darfurians were food insecure, slightly down from 74 percent last
year. While the remaining 30 percent of this year’s war-affected people
required some form of assistance, they had more diverse diets, spent less than
50 percent of their income on food and relied less on food aid. But the UN
agencies cautioned that the continued flow of aid is under threat because of
escalating violence, which is restricting access to war and drought-affected
people, exacerbating the already fragile situation. (…)
http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2271
Azerbaijan: working with
journalists to reduce impact of mines and explosive remnants of war
16 November - The ICRC, in
close cooperation with the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA)
and the Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines (AzCBL), held a workshop for local
journalists to raise awareness about the important role of the media in
reducing the problems caused by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW).
Nine journalists from affected
regions of Azerbaijan attended the workshop on mine action, which was held from
14 to 16 November 2006 in Khanlar, a city in the Western part of the country.
During the workshop,
presentations on preventive mine action and mine victim assistance took place,
as well as on the international norms related to mines and ERW. Journalists
also had an opportunity to witness a mine-clearance conducted by the ANAMA, as
well as visit a project of reintegration of mine victims through vocational
rehabilitation and establishment of a mine survivors' association. The ICRC
mine action responsible from the northern Caucasus and a journalist from
Chechnya shared their experience of working with media on mine related issues
in Chechnya. Both of them had a chance to learn about the mine action
activities in Azerbaijan and in particular the important role of the national
mine action centre there. (…)
The ICRC is working globally,
often together with national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to reduce
the suffering caused by mines and ERW. Although the focus is increasingly on
reducing the risk by ensuring concrete solutions to the problem in affected
communities, work with the media can be an important element of these
activities.
NPA and the Government of
Jordan break mine clearance records
14 November - The Government
of Jordan has made a strong committment to destroy all landmines in the country
by 2009 in accordance with its signatory to the International Mine Ban Treaty.
As the task is significant in scale and impact, the Government of Jordan has
asked for assistance by Norwegian People’s Aid to clear all anti-personnel and
anti-tank mines along the border to Israel from the Red sea to the Dead Sea
within this time. Funding has kindly been made available by the Government of
Norway and also by the Governments of Germany, Finland and Japan.
NPA established its programme
in Jordan in January 2006 and went operational on the 10th of June. After 100
days of operations with in total 81 staff members in the programme, NPA has
cleared 69,026 square meters and removed 18957 Anti-Personnel mines and 6126
Anti-Tank mines. In addition NPA has already released of more than 6 million
square meters previously considered as dangerous areas through general and
technical survey techniques. These figures are unprecedented in the history of
humanitarian mine clearance by NPA.
As a consequence, NPA in close cooperation with the National
Committee for Demining& rehabilitation (NCDR), expects to be able to release all dangerous areas along the
border to Israel between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea by mid 2007 – one year
ahead of schedule. (…)
The Government of Jordan has
recently invited NPA to join the
efforts by the Royal Engineers to clear
the border between Jordan and Syria by 2009 and NPA are currently planning to
adjust the program to meet the new challenge ahead. (…)
http://otto.idium.no/folkehjelp.no/?module=Articles;action=Article.publicShow;ID=4393;lang=eng
Papua New Guinea: 10,000
internally displaced people benefit from peace building training
Gary Fagan - World Vision
Pacific Development Group Communications
10 November - Over 10,000
internally displaced people (IDP) living in four separate care centres in
Madang province, Papua New Guinea are benefiting from peace building training
conducted by World Vision Pacific Development Group (PDG). The training is also
benefiting another 5, 000 people living in the surrounding villages.
The IDPs were evacuated by the
Papua New Guinea Government between October 2004 and January 2005 to the
northern coast of the mainland of Papua New Guinea after the Manam Island
volcano erupted and severely devastated food crops, gardens and homes.
The training, which comes
under the World Vision PDG’s Peace Building and Conflict Resolution Project, is
a one year programme funded by World Vision Australia.
The project equips community
members with knowledge and skills to resolve their community related conflicts
peacefully. The training also focuses on increasing local capacity to resolve
conflicts peacefully, reduce levels of conflicts within and resolve conflicts
more rapidly. (…) A total of 348 people, including 83 women leaders, have
directly benefited from the peace building programme.
http://www.wvi.org/wvi/news/latest_news.htm#Papua_new_guinea
UNICEF
and LBCI launch first television series produced by youth in Lebanon
SAWTNA
("Our Voice") to air twice a week
Beirut, 9 November - This
week, UNICEF and the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI)
launch a television series that is the first of its kind in the Middle East
region. Airing twice a week from November 8, SAWTNA (“Our Voice”), is created
and produced by young people aged 15 to 21. Youth
account for almost one-third of Lebanon’s population, and the country’s complex
social, political and economic circumstances affect them in specific ways.
Giving them a public platform to identify issues that matter to them and
examine how they affect their lives and futures is vital to creating awareness,
opening discussion and finding solutions to problems ranging from smoking and
depression to discrimination and poverty.
Filming for SAWTNA began more
than two years ago, but was suspended during times of political turmoil.
Although this summer’s armed conflict meant a further delay, the launch of the
series is now a timely opportunity for episodes dealing with major
post-conflict issues, including the dangers of unexploded ordnance, the plight
of displaced families and the impact of the conflict on young people. SAWTNA
will also air an episode featuring the reflections of older generations on
previous conflicts. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_36510.html
Muppets Teach Children about
Landmines in Afghanistan
November 2006 – (…) Muppets,
which have taught countless children basic lessons such as counting and the
alphabet, are now teaching children in Afghanistan a vital lesson about
landmines that could be the difference between life and death. To teach
children about the dangers of minefields, Johnie McGlade of No Strings
International, worked with two members of Muppet-creator Jim Henson’s original
team to create “The Story of the Little Carpet Boy.” In the video, children learn
what mines look like, where they are, and how to avoid them. They follow the
story of Muppet Chuche Qhalini, who loses an arm and both legs before learning
his lesson. (…)
LSN is paving the way to a
brighter future for young landmine survivors. LSN has provided both child and
adult survivors with one-on-one peer support, referrals to medical care and
rehabilitative services, including the purchase of prosthetics. In addition,
LSN has established a network of community survivor groups — including those exclusively
for child survivors — to facilitate their physical and psychological recovery,
and help them reintegrate into their communities. (…) Created by and for
survivors, LSN (Landmine Survivors Network) empowers individuals, families and
communities affected by landmines to recover from trauma, reclaim their lives,
and fulfill their rights.
http://www.landminesurvivors.org/news_feature.php?id=110
Swiss Federation remains one
of the most supportive ITF donors with yet another donation earmarked for
demining operations in Bosnia & Herzegovina
26 October - International
Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victim Assistance (ITF) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Swiss Federation for donation in the amount of 500.000
Swiss francs. On October 26, 2006 Swiss Federation Ambassador, H.E. Stefan
Speck and ITF director Mr. Goran Gačnik signed the Memorandum of
Understanding at ITF premises in Ig.
The latest Swiss contribution
is earmarked for »Norwegian People's Aid« (NPA) NGO, which has been active in
the field of mine action in Bosnia & Herzegovina since 1996. The donation
will be used for support of two demining teams (18 deminers in total) covering
the period from April 2006 to September 2007. Swiss Federation has already
contributed more than 3.2 million USD for demining operations in SE Europe
since 1999.
Bosnia & Herzegovina still
remains the country with largest mine problem in the region, where mines
represent serious destabilizing factor as they impede sustainable return of
refugees to their homes and prevent open access to farms and other
infrastructure. Recurrent support for demining activities in Bosnia &
Herzegovina from Swiss Federation represents a step ahead towards the
implementation of common goal – confidence building and further economic
development of the country. With help of international donor community ITF has
already cleared more than twenty nine million square meters of mine suspected
area in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
http://www.itf-fund.si/news/news.asp#m193
Mine risk education
MAG have supported fellow NGO
White Pigeon in their mine risk education (MRE) activities, providing resident
and returning populations with information enabling them to live as safely as
possible in a contaminated environment. MRE has been ongoing in the Vanni
region for more than two years and teams are keen to ensure that the messages
they deliver continue to be interesting and informative to all age groups. The
presentations MAG undertakes attract large audiences and include both day and
night-time sessions, portable exhibitions, delivering public information
through house to house visits and carrying out NGO briefings.
Throughout the past few months
MAG's MRE teams have delivered 228 presentations, providing life-saving
information to almost 21,000 people. MAG has been able to reach such a large
audience as a result of the unique range of activities it implements.
MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is
one of the world's leading humanitarian organisations providing
conflict-affected countries with a real chance for a better future.
http://www.mag.org.uk/news.php?p=5895&a=0
2006 Prize for Survivorship:
Success for MAG's all-female demining team
In recognition of their
outstanding efforts to save lives, MAG's Cambodian all-female demining team was
awarded the Niarchos Prize for Survivorship at a special award luncheon held on
1st November in New York City. MAG Executive Director, Lou McGrath and two
representatives from the team, Supervisor Pin Srey On and Project Officer Yean
Maly, accepted the $25,000 prize "for [the team's] excellence in service
to save lives under the most difficult circumstances."
The team began operations in
2003 as the first ever demining team to be comprised entirely of women. Over
the past three years the team's 15 members have worked to make land safe by
clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) and edicating local
communities about the dangers posed by these explosive devices.
For MAG, the work done to
reduce the suffering caused by the remnants of conflict has never been a gender
issue. After receiving the award, Lou McGrath said, "Landmines impact all
members of the community - male and female alike. It only makes sense that both
should have the opportunity to be a part of the solution." (…)
http://www.mag.org.uk/page.php?s=2&p=5994
First aid – ‘learning by
doing’ in Asia and Africa
by Chris Hagarty in Delhi and
Grace Lo in Geneva
16 November - To the casual
passer-by, the first-ever consultative workshop on community-based first aid
(CBFA) in Asia-Pacific, held in Nepal in September 2006, may have looked more
like the aftermath of an explosion in a paper factory than a gathering of
community based first aid and health practitioners from across Asia and the
Pacific.
In an innovative consultative
process, 25 participants from Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as well as
Federation delegations, were asked to draw and write on paper and charts of
various sizes and colours, before placing them on the floor, the walls and even
on the ceiling! Individual and group comments and ideas were brought together
after each discussion and activity in order to build a life-sized,
three-dimensional model for future CBFA practice, based on real Red Cross and
Red Crescent experiences.
A similar consultative process
took place a few weeks later in Nairobi, where African Red Cross and Red
Crescent societies developed their version of a first aid model, based on their
own experiences. This new, flexible model is a major contribution to the
development of common content and standards in community-based first aid,
adapted to local contexts.
CBFA is an approach used by
many Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to work more closely with communities
and enable them to identify their own health and social needs, and to develop community-driven
solutions addressing these priorities.
(…)
http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/06/06111601/index.asp
Mass measles vaccinations are
effective at early signs of outbreak
Atlanta, GA, USA, November 15
— In research presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), the international emergency medical aid
organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and its research
affiliate, Epicentre, showed how rapid, mass vaccinations can reduce the toll
inflicted by measles epidemics in Africa. In light of these and other findings,
MSF feels there is enough evidence for the WHO to revise its current policy
recommendations, which doubts the effectiveness of mass immunization once an
epidemic has started, stating that such campaigns would be undertaken too late
to have any meaningful impact.
Following MSF emergency
interventions in Niger, Chad, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC), Epicentre found that early intervention can lead to a high proportion of
averted cases. Retrospective mortality surveys also showed that measles
epidemics last longer than previously thought, allowing enough time to
intervene and carry out emergency immunization programs. One outbreak in
Kinshasa, DRC, lasted more than 40 weeks during 2002 and 2003. (…) In recent
years, measles deaths have declined substantially in Africa but recurrent,
cyclical outbreaks occur in many countries — often after 1-3 years of low
incidence — and measles remains a major cause of death for children in Africa.
(…)
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/pr/2006/11-15-2006_1.htm
Government
of Japan provides US$1.604 million to Liberia’s children
Funding
will contribute to reducing Liberia’s high under-five mortality rate
Monrovia/Liberia, 13 November
- The Government of Japan has contributed US$1.604 million to UNICEF to support
life-saving child immunization coverage and provide almost 150,000 insecticide
treated bed nets to protect infants and pregnant women from malaria. The grant
will also be used to provide 780,000 doses of Artesunate and Amodiaquine (ACT)
to care for children who contract malaria, Africa’s leading cause of under-five
mortality. “We are profoundly grateful
to the Government of Japan for their continued commitment to assist Liberia’s
vulnerable children,” said UNICEF Liberia Representative Rozanne Chorlton, at a
press conference with Mr. Yutaka Nakamura, Charge d'Affaires in the Government
of Japan’s Embassy in Ghana. (…)
Since 2002, the Government of
Japan has provided UNICEF Liberia with more than US$14.2 million to support the
prevention of infectious diseases and the reintegration of demobilized Liberian
children formerly associated with the fighting forces.(…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_36566.html
Hong Kong business leaders
fund Hepatitis B health campaign in China with huge success
Delegation visits An Qing to
kick-off vaccination drive
Hong Kong, 12 November - A
20-member delegation of Hong Kong & Macau business and professional leaders
will visit rural counties of An Qing City in the Anhui Province on November
12-14 to kick-off a two-year-long effort to significantly improve the
province’s low vaccination rate and protect children against Hepatitis B. The project is part of a major Hepatitis B
vaccination program organized by Hong Kong Rotary clubs that aims to immunize
one million babies and children in rural areas of the Mainland.
In cooperation with An Qing
health authorities, project organizers have set a target of vaccinating all
children between the ages of 11 to 13, an estimated 200,000 children, by
2007. According to the An Qing Health
Administration, fewer than 20 percent of these children have received Hep-B
immunizations. Prior to these efforts in An Qing, Hong Kong Rotary club members
successfully conducted a successful two year campaign to immunize all newborn
babies in Handan, in Heibei Province.
From 2003 to 2005, more than 200,000 babies received the required three
injections of Hep B vaccines to protect them for life against the disease.(…)
In addition to the Hong Kong and Macau Rotarians, the project in An Qing also
received financial support from Rotary clubs in Malaysia, Taiwan and South
Korea, and from the Rotary Foundation.
Since the Hepatitas B health
campaign began in 2003, more than HK$6 million has been raised by Hong Kong and
Macau Rotary clubs. Rotary club
officials estimate that around HK$20 million will be needed to reach the goal
of one million immunizations by 2013.
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/presscenter/releases/2006/293.html
Horn of Africa: polio
campaigns begin today to stop outbreak
4 November - Over the next week, more than 55,000
volunteers and health workers will deliver oral polio vaccine (OPV)
house-to-house to nearly 4 million children under the age of five, across
Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti. This fourth in a series of vaccination
campaigns in the region comes after detection of wild poliovirus in Kenya for
the first time in 22 years. Outbreak control measures have slowed the epidemic,
but it is imperative to reach all children with vaccine this week and in
subsequent campaigns if the Horn of Africa is to be polio-free again.
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/LatestNews200611.asp#HOA
Afghanistan: polio vaccination
activities still running
1 November - Some 6,000 health
workers are conducting polio vaccination campaigns this week in the conflict-ridden
Southern Region of Afghanistan. Nearly half a million children will be
vaccinated against polio, together with tetanus and measles. The polio
eradication campaign is one of the few public health initiatives still
maintaining some degree of operations in the southern region of the country.
Health workers on the ground are operating under extremely difficult and
dangerous conditions, risking their lives in efforts to reach every child with
polio vaccine. The outbreak in the Southern Region appears to be waning, with
the most recent case dating from 7 September 2006.
Recent contributions from
Canada (Canadian$ 5 million) enable campaigns in Afghanistan to proceed.
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.
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/LatestNews200611.asp#HOA
Rotary gives additional US$ 19
million to conquer polio in the remaining strongholds
Vivian
Fiore
Evanston, IL, USA, 1 November
- Since world health experts recently announced that a polio-free world hinges
on just four countries (Nigeria, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan — see press
release at polioeradication.org), Rotary has contributed more than US$ 19
million toward polio eradication in 2006. (…) Funded activities include polio
eradication operations, disease surveillance and social mobilization. This allocation raises Rotary's total
contribution to polio eradication to nearly US$ 616 million since 1985,
representing the largest private-sector support of a global health initiative
ever.
In addition, this fall and
winter teams of Rotary volunteers will travel to administer the drops of oral
polio vaccine to children, deliver the vaccine to remote villages and educate
families on the importance of protecting children against polio. Teams will depart for the following
countries: Ethiopia Team from the US and Canada 15-31 October 2006; Ghana Teams
from The Netherlands and US 29 Oct-10 November 2006; India Team from the US 1-14 November 2006-February 2007
A highly infectious disease
that can cause paralysis and sometimes death, polio still strikes children in
parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
To date, the number of polio cases has been reduced from 350,000
children annually in the mid 1980s to approximately 2,000 cases all last year.
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).
Rotary International is the
world’s first and one of the largest non-profit humanitarian service
organizations. It is comprised of 1.2
million business and professional leaders in nearly 170 countries. Rotary members initiate community projects
that address many of today’s most critical issues such as violence, AIDS,
hunger, the environment and health care.
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/presscenter/releases/2006/291.html
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2006 Marie Curie Excellence
Awards recognise five outstanding researchers
Brussels, 16 November - The 2006 Marie Curie Excellence Award
winners are:
Michal Lavidor for
“Interhemispheric stimulation promotes reading enhancement” ; Frank Keppler for
“Discovery of climate-relevant trace gases from terrestrial ecosystems”; Chris
Ewels for “Computer modelling of doping and defects in graphite and carbon
nano-tubes”; Nicolas Cerf for “Quantum
information and quantum computation”; Paola Borri for “Semiconductor
nanostructures and their ultra-fast response to laser light”
The Marie Curie Excellence
Awards recognise results achieved by researchers in any field of science who
have benefited from European support schemes. These support schemes, grouped
together as “Marie Curie Actions” aim to develop and transfer research
expertise and competence, consolidate and widen researchers’ career prospects
and promote excellence in European research. They are open to research in all
fields of scientific and technological research from EU Member States,
countries associated with the Framework Programme and third countries.
Eligibility for the various schemes is based on research experience and
expertise, not age. All career levels are catered for, from researchers at the
start of their career (i.e. post-graduate students) to world-class researchers
with well-established scientific expertise. Actions are open to businesses,
universities and other institutions active in research. (…)
For more information on Marie
Curie Actions:
http://cordis.europa.eu/mariecurie-actions/
Sri Lanka: Solar power brings
light to the lives of tsunami survivors
Kristy Allen-Shirley and
Marianne Albina - Communications
10 November - Thousands of
families have benefited from the installation 1,234 solar light systems across
Sri Lanka. The project is a joint effort between World Vision and Light Up The
World Foundation (LUTW). Families living in remote areas, fishermen, and people
displaced by the tsunami and civil war have all benefited. (…)
In Jaffna’s east, a 30-40
kilometre long strip of land running between a lagoon and the ocean was hit
hard by the tsunami. The community, mostly fishermen, are not allowed to
rebuild their homes and had to relocate farther from the ocean, affecting the
distance they travel to work and storage of fishing equipment. In response,
World Vision designed Fishermen Rest-rooms, a practical building for the
fisherman to store their gear and rest between fishing trips. Solar lights have
been installed to ensure the rest-rooms can be used safely during working
hours. In this same stretch of land, World Vision installed lights in newly
built permanent homes.
In Palavi, in the northwest
corner of Kilinochchi, families live in relative isolation and had not been able
to access electricity. Through this project, solar light has been installed,
benefiting key community structures such as the Catholic Church and a
schoolhouse.
On the north-east coast of
Kilinochchi in Kallaru, 130 shelters which World Vision assumed responsibility
for are to be completed and handed over to war displaced families from Jaffna.
Solar lights funded by the programme will feature in these homes.
http://www.wvi.org/wvi/news/latest_news.htm#sri_lanka
One small step forward for
Kyoto Protocol
Nairobi, Kenya, 17 November –
The twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change
Convention and second meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol ended here
with an agreement to take a small step forward to keep the world on track to
start formal negotiations on the next round of cuts in CO2 emissions starting
in 2007, says WWF.
Ministers attending the UN
climate talks edged the planet towards a safer, low carbon future. But they did
not seize the opportunity to make the further decisions needed for deeper
emission cuts beyond 2012. Governments recognized that global emissions need to
be reduced 50 per cent by 2050, but at this pace the negotiations will not get
us there.
“While progress was made in
Nairobi, our leaders must recognise that scientific evidence and public opinion
demands much stronger action than what was agreed,” stressed Hans Verolme, Director
of WWF’s Global Climate Change Programme.
The meeting in Nairobi
provided a sufficient platform for further talks, but WWF will continue to
press hard for these talks to meet the challenges of climate change to people
and the planet. In particular, WWF welcomed an agreement on the adaptation
fund, but the level of funding remains far below the amount required to meet
the social and environmental problems faced by developing countries. Also, there is no timetable in place yet for
reducing CO2 emissions beyond 2012, when the current Kyoto commitment period
ends. An agreement is needed to see these talks concluded by 2008 and to ensure
a vibrant carbon market. (…)
http://www.panda.org/index.cfm?uNewsID=87340
Mexico City bus rapid transit
system celebrates 100 millionth passenger: innovative system cuts travel times
and exposure to pollution
Mexico City, November 16 -
Metrobus today celebrates the 100 millionth passenger to enjoy faster travel
and less exposure to pollutants since the system began operations in June 2005.
Since then bus travel times
have been cut in half, with significant reductions in congestion, noise, and
air pollution. Passenger exposure to carbon monoxide, benzene, and particulate
matter (soot) has dropped by 50 percent compared to exposure on the older
buses, many of which are still in use on other routes.
Metrobus uses 97 new,
diesel-powered articulated buses to move 263,000 people daily at an average
speed of 19 kilometers per hour along the famed Avenida Insurgentes. The new
buses have replaced hundreds of smaller buses and alleviated the legendary
traffic jams that afflicted Mexico City's longest avenue. Based on figures from
the non-profit Mexican National Institute of Ecology, increased productivity
due to time saved with the new system could approach $15 million per year.(…)
As cities around the world struggle with exploding populations of people and
cars, Mexico City is demonstrating that Bus Rapid Transit can be a viable
solution, even in politically charged and environmentally challenged cities.
(…)
http://www.wri.org/newsroom/newsrelease_text.cfm?nid=373
WWF stamp collection helps
conservation
Gland, Switzerland, 15
November – With over one billion stamps printed and close to 400 issues by the
end of October 2006, the sale of stamps from the WWF conservation stamp
collection has raised over 20 million Swiss Francs in royalties and has become
an important source of funding for WWF's conservation activities. The WWF stamp
collection is the largest thematic collection in the world. Since 1983, some
1,500 different stamps — all produced by Groth AG of Unteraegeri (Switzerland)
— have been issued in 211 countries. Proceeds from the sale of the stamps have
helped fund a range of activities — from the conservation of endangered species
to helping forest and coastal dwelling communities improve their standards of
living through sustainable use of their natural resources.
Each year, up to 18 different
countries have issued stamps featuring their own threatened animals. Most
recently, Australia has featured different whale species, Democratic Republic
of the Congo the hippo, Croatia the little tern, Gibraltar the devil ray and
Montserrat the mountain chicken frog. Each stamp set includes four postcards
illustrated with photographs of the species, four first-day covers with
sketches by well-known wildlife artists, and an illustrated text about the species
written by scientists. Available in ten languages, the text describes the
species’ habitats, characteristics, behaviour, relationship with humans and
other animals, as well as the main threats and protective measures taken for
their conservation. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=86920
UN to
assist Africa adapt to climate change & better CDM access
Nairobi, 15 November 2 -- A
bold new global initiative to secure a greater share of the international
carbon finance market for the world’s poorest countries was announced today by
two UN agencies at the climate convention talks in Nairobi. The partnership
between the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) is in direct response to the urgent request from leaders in developing
countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, for assistance in coping
with the climate change that is affecting them now and will increasingly affect
them for years to come. The aim is to provide assistance to reduce the
vulnerability of poor countries and communities in the face of climate change,
including those in the sub-Saharan region, and ‘climate proof’ their economies
in areas from infrastructure development to agriculture and health. It is also
in response to the need to build the capacity of countries to participate in
emerging carbon finance funds such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of
the Kyoto Protocol. The partnership constitutes UNDP’s and UNEP’s contribution
to the Nairobi Framework for directing specific assistance to increasing
sub-Saharan Africa’s access to the CDM. (…)
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=485&ArticleID=5423&l=en
Australia
- Community clean up protects fragile
Alps environment
12 November - The first Clean Up the Alps initiative, a
community campaign to protect the fragile Alps environment including some of
Victoria's most important fresh water sources, drew more than 80 volunteers
despite torrential rain and freezing temperatures to remove almost two tones of
waste, including scrap metal and other pollution from areas around Falls Creek
and Mt Buffalo over the weekend.
Volunteers joined Clean Up
Australia's Chairman Ian Kiernan AO to remove dumped rubbish and focus on
protecting fresh water sources. The campaign also raised community awareness of
the environmental issues facing the region.
(…) Clean Up the Alps is part of the ongoing Victorian Government's ‘The
Alps; A fresh start - a healthy future' strategy. Parks Victoria will work with
Clean Up Australia and Conservation Volunteers Australia to collect rubbish,
identify and remove weeds and restore alpine bogs and moss beds. (…)
http://www.cleanup.com.au/au/NewsandMedia/alps121106.html
International
agencies advise OIE animal health and welfare fund
Move
will help developing countries meet international standards
Rome/Paris, 3 November - Five international organizations met for
the first time in Paris on 20 October 2006 to advise the World Organization for
Animal Health (OIE) on funding to help developing countries meet international
standards for dealing with disease outbreaks and related issues. By tackling
these diseases effectively, countries can improve the welfare of their own
citizens and their exports can face fewer trade barriers.
High-level representatives
from the World Bank, which chaired meeting, the World Trade Organization (WTO),
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World
Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)
were joined by counterparts from significant current or potential donors,
Japan, France, the United States, Australia and the European Commission. They
met as the Advisory Committee for the OIE’s World Animal Health and Welfare
Fund at the OIE’s Paris headquarters. The Advisory Committee agreed on its
working procedures and objectives, and also decided to establish a
communication mechanism for consultation between partners during crisis and at
other times.
So far, the Fund has received
US$13 million, which is being used for economic studies, identification of
priority investments, “training of trainers”, and the evaluation of veterinary
services in 15 pilot countries in all continents.
The European Commission has
also announced that it will make a contribution for promoting animal welfare
activities by helping countries implement standards related to the OIE. This
was with the support of the EU Member States.(…)
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000434/index.html
India: First south Asian
nation with Community Radio Policy
Rahul
Kumar - OneWorld South Asia
New Delhi, 17 November - (…)
The Indian Cabinet on Thursday approved a long-standing demand of civil society
organisations to allow non profit organisations and educational institutions to
initiate Community Radio broadcasting. The policy says that the license will be
given only to a 'non-profit' organization with at least three years social
service to local communities and the Community Radio Station should serve
specific local community.
Educational institutions are
already covered under the existing policy, in force since December 2002, in the
Community Radio Guidelines. This had allowed Indian civil society enough leeway
to join hands with university broadcasters and start producing programmes.
A press release by the
government says: "The Community Radio Station (CRS) should be designed to
serve a specific well-defined local community and the programmes for broadcast
should be relevant to the educational, developmental, social and cultural needs
of the community." (…)
Stalin K, spokesperson for the
Community Radio Forum - an association of community radio broadcasters,
activists and academics - has welcomed the policy and said: "India will
become the first country in South Asia to have a separate policy for community
radio. We look forward to a genuine democratization of the country's airwaves
when this policy comes into force." (…)
http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/142618/1/
High school biology students
to tackle ethical questions
National Institutes of Health
funds EDC to develop bioethics curriculum
Newton, MA, USA, 15 November -
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a two-year contract to
Education Development Center (EDC) to develop a curriculum in bioethics to be
used in high school biology courses. The curriculum materials will be created
as a supplement to biology textbooks and, when completed, will be made
available free to schools across the country. The Office of Science Education
and the Department of Clinical Bioethics at NIH awarded the contract. EDC researchers
will work with a team of ethicists, scientists and teachers to develop
instructional materials on topics of social importance in the life sciences.
These are likely to include such subjects as the nature of bioethics, clinical
trials, vaccination, genetic enhancement and genetic screening. The goal of
these materials is to have students begin to develop their thinking about
ethics and to relate their learning in biology to real life issues. (…)
For example, students starting
a unit on human physical enhancement might imagine they are on an Olympic
committee of the future, deciding whether an athlete who has been enhanced to
take in more oxygen, should compete. A unit on the nature of clinical trials
might include a look at the polio vaccine trials in the 1950s, and questions
about the ethics of using placebos when scientists might strongly suspect, but
can’t yet prove, that a vaccine will work. (…)
Education Development Center,
Inc. (EDC) is one of the world’s leading nonprofit education and health
organizations, with 325 projects in 50 countries. EDC brings researchers and
practitioners together to advance learning and healthy development for
individuals of all ages and institutions of all types. For more information,
visit www.edc.org
http://main.edc.org/newsroom/press_releases/bioethics.asp
Rwandan
Cabinet approves Second NICI policy and plan
13 November - Rwanda is one
country on the continent that has made progress in developing an
all-encompassing ICT-led social and economic development framework, based on
the ECA-led African Information Society Initiative (AISI). Rwanda with the
assistance of ECA began formulating its first ICT policy in 1998, championed by
President Paul Kagame. This is part of a series of documents, spanning the 20
years required to realize Rwanda’s Vision 2020. The first 5 year NICI Plan
which concluded in 2005 paved the way for bold steps for the country to recover
from the devastating civil war, build strong ICT infrastructure both in public
and private institutions, create human resources capacity as well as an
enabling regulatory and policy framework. The second NICI policy and plan
started in July 2005 and has recently been approved by Rwanda’s cabinet. The
second NICI aims at transforming Rwanda into an information-rich,
knowledge-based society and economy. (…)
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Editorial - New York, November 4th, 2006:
at
the United Nations
by Lesley Vann
In the global dialogue of
civil society Rotary International brings much to the table. Rotary’s diverse membership spans continents
and age groups, disciplines and cultures.
Each year Rotary holds its “Rotary Day at the UN”, bringing together its
diverse membership to converse with international civil servants, diplomats and
experts at the United Nations.
While Rotary members meet in a
large UN Conference room, nearby hundreds of Rotary’s high school aged
“Interact” members meet in a similar venue.
This year 350 Interact members met on Saturday, November 4th
at the United Nations with other Interact leaders from across the United
States. The purpose of Interact’s meeting included
leadership development and the educating of youth public opinion about the
United Nations and about Rotary International’s broad outreach to developing
countries. The youth were welcomed to
the United Nations by James A. Spencer and by Joan J. Fyfe, the two Alternate
Rotary International Representatives to the UN. They launched the meeting with an inspirational welcome and overview. Inherent in their words was a call to action
to improve the world in whatever ways one feels called. The Youth Program offered a plethora of
options for participation and for “making a difference.”
Attorney Denise
Scotto moderated the Youth Program, introducing its three themes of Literacy,
Health and Education. All three of
these have been focal areas for Rotary in its global outreach as a service
organization. It was therefore fitting
that Interact high schoolers were able to learn more about all three topics and
some opportunities for working within the United Nations Association to address
world need.
The United Nations
Association’s Executive Vice President, Joe Judd, spoke of Literacy projects
available within the United Nations Association to high school students. These include launching a Student Alliance
on students’ campuses, and also participating in the National High School Essay
Contest (www.unausa.org). This provides students with opportunities to
study about the diverse work of the UN, to focus upon each year’s Essay Contest
theme; and to write an essay after having pondered upon the topic. Joe Judd explained how participating
students gain skills in research, analytical thinking, problem solving,
creative writing, and project planning.
The National High School Essay Contest offers students the chance to
consider ways to solve global need.
This expands their horizons, perceptions and worldviews. It helps them become partners in building a
global culture of peace.
Becoming partners in constructing a transformed world community is the opportunity before all of us in civil society. Advising communities about the work of the UN, such as in polio eradication and access to education, is an ongoing project for Rotary’s Interact students. At their meeting several high school students, John Delfino, Colleen Grogan, and Stephanie Wessel, spoke of ways they had mobilized projects in their local communities. Three of these students made presentations dovetailing with Rotary’s work in Literacy, including their Model United Nations experience. The students spoke of Model UN’s impact upon them and how their lives have been changed as a result of serving, learning, and making a commitment to the common good, as they role-played the work of the diplomatic corps. These students reported learning first hand about the fine art of negotiation at the UN, and about how the UN is solving problems locally, regionally, and globally.
The Rotary
Interact youth were followed by Susan Fox, Program Manager of the United
Nations Association of the USA’s HERO Campaign (www.heroaction.org). She gave a rousing presentation on the work
of HERO in Africa, inviting broad participation in HERO’s work. Brian Hoffman, of the Rotaract Club of the
University of Louisville, next provided a presentation on the “Belize Health
project” Rotary is undertaking.
To address
Rotary’s focus on Education, Meghan M. Teich spoke about the United Nations
Association of the USA’s Model United Nations (www.unausa.org
), including a variety of ways the students could participate locally,
nationally and internationally. She was
followed by two student leaders from Middleburgh, New York’s Central School --
Whitney Brown and Mikayla Misenhimer.
These students provided a touching account of their experience with
Model UN and how it has shaped their lives for decades to come.
Joe Judd completed
Rotary’s Youth program by inviting students to consider UN-related projects and
internships offered by the United Nations Association of the USA; and also
internships at the UN, for those later obtaining graduate degrees.
Rotary
International President, Bill Boyd, touched the students with his friendly
approach and full grasp of youth perspectives (quite humorous his reading a
description written by Socrates more than 2,400 years ago and still very
appropriate today), spurring them on with his call to action. He reminded the group that right action is
the result of the service ethic, and that serving will always expand their
horizons.
Good News Agency’s
Publisher and Editor, Sergio Tripi, would concur. He has stated, “Today there appears the need, and at the same
time the initial evidence, of a new and global system of ethics, which can only
spring from that new concept which many people of advanced consciousness have
already begun to make their own: that of unity in diversity. It is a concept of
enormous power: it knocks down the limitations of different doctrines,
overcomes the barriers of different conceptions and behaviour and defeats the
incomprehension, animosity and hatred which such differences, heightened to the
point of fanaticism, have given rise to and consolidated.”
Civil society is
now on the march. Its direction is the
right one. It is the march of
evolution. Civil society is having a new, deep and increasingly determining
role for the future we want to construct.
All of this was evident during the Youth Interact meetings of Rotary
International Day at the United Nations.
* * * * * * *
Next issue: 15 December 2006.
* * * * * * *
Good News Agency is distributed free of charge through Internet to over 3,700 editorial offices of the daily newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations with an e-mail address in 48 countries: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Holland, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, USA. It is also distributed free of charge to over 2,800 NGOs around the world and it is available in its web site: http://www.goodnewsagency.org
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered non-profit educational organization chartered in Italy in 1979 and associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations.
The Association operates for the development of consciousness and promotes a culture of peace in the ‘global village’ perspective based on unity in diversity and on sharing.
Via Antagora 10, 00124
Rome, Italy. E-mail: s.tripi@tiscali.it
* * * * * * *
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