Good News Agency – Year VII, n° 3
Weekly - Year VII, number 3 – 3rd
March 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
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International legislation – Human rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health – Energy
and Safety – Environment and wildlife
Religion and spirituality – Culture and education
International
legislation
(top)
ILO
adopts sweeping new charter for maritime sector
New
Convention will guarantee "quality shipping" worldwide
Geneva, 23 February (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization today
overwhelmingly adopted a comprehensive new labour standard for the world's
maritime sector, in what ILO Director-General Juan Somavia called a landmark
development in the world of work.
The new Maritime Labour
Convention, 2006 was adopted by a vote of 314 for, with no votes against and
four abstentions at the 94th International Labour Conference
(Maritime), held here on 7-23 February. The vote marked
overwhelming support by delegates from more than 100 countries representing
seafarers, shipowners and governments. "We have made maritime labour
history today", Mr. Somavia said. "We have adopted a Convention that
spans continents and oceans, providing a comprehensive labour charter for the
world's 1.2 million or more seafarers and addressing the evolving realities and
needs of a sector that handles 90 per cent of the world's trade. What's more,
we have established a socio-economic floor to global competition in the
maritime sector", Mr. Somavia said. (…)
The new Convention clearly
sets out, in plain language, a seafarers' "bill of rights" while
allowing a sufficient degree of national discretion to deliver those rights
with transparency and accountability. (…) The Convention will apply to all
ships engaged in commercial activities with the exception of fishing vessels
and traditional ships (such as dhows and junks). (…)
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2006/7.htm
Making
Universal Birth Registration a Reality in Asia and the Pacific
4th
Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference, 14 to 17 March, Bangkok, Thailand
Despite booming economies and
rapid development in many countries in Asia and the Pacific, millions of
children are still being denied their first and most fundamental right - the
right to an identity.
From 14 to 17 March, civil
registrars from 26 countries in Asia and the Pacific, along with civil society
groups, development organizations and child and human rights advocates, will
meet in Bangkok to agree on ways to tackle the issue of Universal Birth
Registration. They will seek to:
• Ensure current policies and laws are implemented
• Tackle the legal and political complexities of reaching
marginalized communities
• Explore affordable and effective systems to ensure every
child is registered at birth
• Highlight the importance of birth registration and educate
people on where they can access these services
• Share experiences on civil registration during disasters
and complex emergencies and identify preparedness measures.
The conference is being
jointly organized by Plan International and UNICEF and the fourth of its kind
to put birth registration on the agenda in Asia and the Pacific. Media are
welcome to attend the conference and are encouraged to register in advance. For
further information:
Arunee Achakulwisut, Plan Asia
Regional Office, arunee.achakulwisut@plan-international.org
Shantha Bloemen, UNICEF EAPRO,
sbloemen@unicef.org
Human rights
(top)
Amnesty
welcomes UN call to close Guantánamo Bay
27 February (e-CIVICUS) -
Amnesty International has welcomed a United Nations report calling for the
closure of the US military detention centre at Guantánamo Bay and urges
governments, human rights defenders and its members around the world to send a
clear message to the US government that it is time for Guantánamo to go. Susan
Lee, Director of Amnesty International’s Americas Programme said: ‘The report
confirms concerns which AI has repeatedly raised with the US government. We
have consistently called for the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay to be
closed. The US can no longer make the case, morally or legally, for keeping it
open.’ For further details, see www.civicus.org/new/content/GuantanamoBay.htm
More
than 300,000 internally displaced Liberians return home
24 February - More than
300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Liberia will have returned to
their home villages by the end of this week, the United Nations mission in the
country said today, highlighting increasing stability in the West African nation
as it emerges from almost 15 years of brutal civil war.
The UN Mission in Liberia’s
(UNMIL) Humanitarian Coordination Section said that these IDPs were being given
supplies, a cash grant and protection by the various UN agencies working in the
country, and the Mission’s spokesman said that the remaining 14,000 IDPs were
expected to return to their homes in the next few months as well. (…) UNMIL
said that the disarmament of more than 100,000 ex-combatants had provided the
IDPs with the sense of security needed for them to return, and had also opened
the way for refugees to come back too.
Last week the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it is now actively encouraging the
return of about 160,000 Liberian refugees spread through Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana,
Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and elsewhere.
Liberia’s progress in
disarmament, security, human rights and other areas since the end of a brutal
war prompted Antonio Guterres, the head of the UNHCR, to shift a voluntary
repatriation programme that began in October 2004 from “facilitation” to
“promotion.” (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/ticker/tickerstory.asp?NewsID=17617
East and Horn of Africa states
agree to tackle displacement regionally
Nairobi, February 24 (UNHCR)
– Seven countries from the East and Horn of Africa worst affected by
displacement, said at a Nairobi conference they were committed to increasing
cooperation and adopting regional strategies to deal with forced displacement
in the region. "Not only do the conflicts themselves often run across
borders, but displacement is in essence a cross-border challenge," UNHCR's
Africa Bureau deputy director Oluseyi Bajulaiye told the week-long ministerial conference.
A staggering figure of 11
million displaced, or close to eight percent of the 150 million-strong
population of the seven countries from the IGAD sub-region of Africa (Djibouti,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda) are affected by
displacement. This represents 66 percent of Africa's internally displaced, and
30 percent of global internally displaced.
The conference on Refugees,
Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) organised jointly by IGAD –
the Intergovernmental Authority on Development sub-regional organisation – and
UNHCR, was the first of its kind in the region. (…)
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6MBT7J?OpenDocument
Georgia:
Working to improve living conditions for the displaced
On 23 February the ICRC and
the Georgian authorities signed a memorandum of understanding on a project to
improve living conditions for some 3,000 displaced people. The beneficiaries were
displaced around 15 years ago as a result of the conflicts, still unresolved,
with the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They are now in 33
collective centres situated in western Georgia and in the Shida Kartli region.
The ICRC has undertaken to
upgrade the centres’ water supply and sanitation systems, and to reconstruct
roofs where necessary. According to Michel Vouilloz, ICRC water and habitat
programme coordinator, “one of the main purposes of the project is to provide
access to safe water. In almost all the collective centres people have to carry
water over long distances, and they cannot be sure it is safe to drink. We are
going to change this. Having water means having a better life, and improved
hygiene and sanitation as well.”
In carrying out this work the
ICRC is cooperating closely with the Georgian Ministry of Refugees and
Accommodation, since it is the national authorities that bear primary
responsibility for dealing with problems resulting from internal displacement
and for ensuring that those displaced receive aid. (…) Between 2002 and 2005
the ICRC improved living conditions for some 10,500 displaced people in 77
collective centres.
Action
by World Bank’s IFC on workers’ rights a major step forward
Brussels, 22 February (ICFTU
online) - The ICFTU has applauded yesterday’s adoption by the International
Finance Corporation (the private sector lending arm of the World Bank) of a new
loan performance standard on labour rights and working conditions. After the
new standard is implemented in the coming weeks, all companies that borrow from
the IFC will be required to abide by the core labour standards (CLS) as defined
by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The CLS prohibit the use of
forced labour, child labour and discriminatory practices, and require
recognition of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
The new standard also obliges IFC clients to observe some other basic
conditions, including health and safety standards, protection for contract
workers, and a policy for managing reductions in employment. (…)
At the ICFTU’s suggestion the
IFC accepted two years ago, on a pilot basis, to include a CLS condition in a
loan to a clothing manufacturer, Grupo M, which opened new production
facilities in Haiti. The firm initially dismissed hundreds of workers when they
attempted to create a union, and it took several months of pressure by the
Haitian union, along with international support from trade unions and other
organizations, before the workers were rehired and the company recognized the
union. In December 2005 Grupo M and the Haitian union signed the first
collective agreement aimed at improving wages and working conditions.
The Haitian example
demonstrates both the challenges and opportunities created by the new IFC
standard, especially the need for an effective implementation mechanism. (…)
http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991223448&Language=EN&Printout=Yes
Economy and
development
(top)
Agrarian
Reform: a way out of hunger and poverty for millions of impoverished small
farmers
President
Lula to inaugurate international rural development conference in Porto Alegre –
7-10 March
Rome, 1 March - At the dawn of
the third millennium, three-quarters of the world's 852 million men and women
suffering from hunger are found in rural areas and depend on agriculture for
their survival. Most of them are landless farmers or have such tiny or
unproductive plots of land that they cannot feed their families. For many of
these poor farmers, new development opportunities in rural areas would allow
more equitable access to basic land and water resources while offering an
escape from hunger and poverty, noted FAO today.
In order to put these issues
at the heart of the debate, FAO is organizing next week's International
Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD) at Porto Alegre,
Brazil (7-10 March 2006) with the financial and logistical support of the
Brazilian government. The conference will take place on the campus of the
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul.
"We have just 10 years to
reach 2015, the target date set by the international community to reduce by
half the number of hungry people in the world. Since the very poorest are
landless farmers everywhere it will not be possible to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals unless we find sustainable solutions to the challenge
existing in the world's rural areas. It is an appointment we cannot afford to
miss," said Parviz Koohafkan, Executive Secretary of ICARRD.
Convinced that agrarian reform
must be tailored to meet the needs of individual countries and that there is no
magic formula for resolving global land problems, the Conference aims to foster
alliances between governments, small farmers' organizations, international
institutions, donors and civil society as a means of assisting the world’s
poorest people to gain better access to basic productive resources.
The conference opens on
Monday, 6 March with the participation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula
da Silva, who has made combating hunger and rural poverty one of his chief
priorities.
FAO Director-General Dr.
Jacques Diouf will also be present at the inauguration, to which heads of state
of all Latin American countries have been invited. (…) For more information on
ICARRD, its agenda and documentation: http://www.icarrd.org/index.html
ACDI/VOCA volunteers help
Colombian coffee growers move beyond juan
and enter specialty coffees
markets
February 23 – (…) On the world
stage, the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation’s “Juan Valdez” has been a huge
success over the last several decades, creating a clear, global brand identity
for Colombian coffee. But now, with expertise from ACDI/VOCA and funding from
USAID/Colombia, some small-volume producers of top-grade specialty coffees are
moving beyond Juan. They want to win a share of the premium coffee market, gain
higher prices for their best products and become players in the future of
direct-relationship specialty coffee, where local growers are connected
directly to the global market.
To make this possible, the
participants have received much-needed equipment, including de-pulping
machines, fermentation tanks and drying patios. The ACDI/VOCA Specialty Coffee
Program has also provided instruction on use and maintenance of new equipment
to maximize the quality and consistency of the coffee. Volunteers like Peltier
and Holt, whose market insight helped commercial growers in Montserrate, play a
vital role in empowering change. (…)
http://www.acdivoca.org/acdivoca/Acdiweb2.nsf/news/release2.23.06?opendocument
UN agency heads on
unprecedented trip to the Great Lakes region
Geneva, 24 February – The heads of three of the
United Nations largest humanitarian agencies are embarking on their first joint
mission to visit their common operations. On Saturday, they travel to the
neglected Great Lakes region at Africa’s heart to highlight the suffering of
millions of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees. Their
unprecedented trip to Africa symbolizes the closer cooperation and coordination
between the three agencies because of mutual, integrated issues in their
mandates. James Morris, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme, Ann
M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF and UN High Commissioner for Refugees
António Guterres will visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda
and Burundi from 25 February to 2 March. (…)
On the trip, the heads of UN
agencies seek to highlight the needs of vulnerable groups, particularly
displaced people, raise donor involvement in emergency and post-conflict
reconstruction and explore how to bridge the gap between emergency relief and
development in the countries. They will promote education as a way forward for
the three countries to break out of the cycle of conflict and poverty, to
enhance understanding of the challenges for the most vulnerable and to promote
their agencies’ commitment to end child hunger. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_31271.html
African
trade negotiators define post-Hong Kong strategy
By
Andrew Allimadi
22 February - The Economic Commission for Africa and
the African Union jointly organized a retreat for African Ambassadors and Trade
Negotiators from the 17 – 18 February in Montreux, Switzerland. The meeting
assessed the outcomes of last year’s Hong Kong World Trade Organization
ministerial meeting; identified key issues for Africa in the negotiations; and devised
a strategy for approaching future negotiations. The strategy is particularly
important since the deadline for presenting draft schedules on modalities for
future WTO negotiations is April 30.
Montreux RetreatKey strategies
were devised in the following areas under negotiations: development; services;
agriculture; and non-agricultural market access (NAMA). ECA was represented by
Stephen Karingi and Mustapha Sadni Jallab, who acted as discussants in the
sessions on agriculture and NAMA respectively. Regarding development issues,
the retreat reaffirmed the importance of combining the different components
into one package. Therefore enhanced market access, issue of policy space,
concerns regarding preference erosion, and other elements capturing the multidimensional
character of development, should be viewed as a package and reflected in the
final modalities.(…)
Innovation is key to rural poverty reduction:
panellists at UN IFAD’s Governing Council discuss how to support creativity and
risk-taking
Rome, 16 February - “Poor
people are innovators for life,” stated Olaseinde Arigbede of the Union of
Small and Medium Scale Farmers of Nigeria. Arigbede was speaking at a
high-level panel discussion at the annual Governing Council meeting of the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) yesterday in Rome. The
key question, he continued, is: “How can the developed world better support the
everyday creativity that farmers are showing?”
“Innovation challenges for the
rural poor” was the topic of the panel discussion. Other panel members included
Julio Berdegue, President of the Latin American Centre for Rural Development,
Ravi Kanbur, world expert on development economics, Reema Nanavaty, Director of
Economic and Rural Development for the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
in India, and Matthew Wyatt, United Kingdom Ambassador and Permanent
Representative to the UN organizations in Rome and Chair of the IFAD Governing
Council.
“Innovation is driven by the
private sector,” said Wyatt. “The rural poor are less likely to benefit and
most likely to suffer the negative consequences of innovation,” he warned,
“IFAD’s role is in helping poor people rise to the innovation challenges that
they face.”
With funding from the United
Kingdom, IFAD is currently managing a three-year initiative to expand its
capacities for innovation – the Initiative for Mainstreaming Innovation (IMI).
(…)
The first Farmers’ Forum held
in conjunction with this session of IFAD’s Governing Council was cited as an
important innovation. The Forum brought together leaders from more than 50
farmers’ organizations representing small farmers and rural producers worldwide
for a global consultation on rural development and poverty reduction.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2006/08.htm
Solidarity
(top)
United
Nations continues assistance in Philippines
New York, 24 February - Latest reports from the Philippines
National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) indicate that there are now a
total of some 980 missing, 122 dead, 17 injured and 560 survivors of the
landslide that hit the village of Guinsaugon in Southern Leyte Province on 17
February 2006. 3268 families, or about 16,342 individuals, have been
affected. Some 601 families (2,926
individuals) have been evacuated to designated evacuation centers. (…)
There are currently eight
evacuation centres in the vicinity of St. Bernard, which are housing
approximately 2,975 people (…) Two of these centres have been opened in recent
days in efforts to address concerns of overcrowding in the six original
centres. Pre-emptive evacuations have
taken place in three other municipalities of Southern Keyte - Sogod, Liluan and
San Francisco - where geo-hazard assessments indicated that there were high
levels of risk of additional landslides. Work is currently underway to confirm
the number of families that have been evacuated in these municipalities. (…)
The United Nations Country
Team has developed a 10-point action plan for supporting the Government in the
areas of response, contingency planning, recovery and long-term preparedness
and disaster risk reduction. Work is ongoing to mobilize resources to support the
utilization of in-country technical expertise in these areas. (…)
http://ochaonline.un.org/DocView.asp?DocID=4242
United
Nations assisting in coordinating Bolivian relief
New York, 23 February - The
United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team in Bolivia has
established an On-site Operations Coordination Center (OSOCC) within the local
Emergency Operations Center. Six working groups in health, food, shelter,
education, rehabilitation and infrastructure/re-channelling of the river have
been established in order to determine the needs and coordinate the response.
In January, intensive rainfall
caused severe floods and flash floods in several parts of the country. January
rainfall over most of northern Bolivia regions by far exceeded the historical
average. As a result, the highlands and most of the rivers of the Amazon basin
have overflowed. The most affected areas of the country are the departments of
Santa Cruz, La Paz, Beni and Pando, while Cochabamba, Potosi, Tarija, and Chuquisaca are also
affected. (…)
The National Directorate of Civil Defence has
been distributing food and non-food items such as clothes, kitchen sets and tents
to the affected population. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organisation
(WHO) have been providing aid. Donor
countries including Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Cuba, Japan, Peru, the United
States, and Venezuela have reported contributions to the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.(…)
http://ochaonline.un.org/DocView.asp?DocID=4242
Drought
in Ethiopia prompts response by Red Cross Red Crescent
23 February - The
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is launching
an appeal to raise 1.45 million Swiss francs (US$ 1.1 million / € 934 000) to
help 36 000 people and their livestock in the critically-affected districts of
Oromiya and Somali regions for a period of twelve months. These two areas,
located about 800 km south of Addis Ababa, are among the worst hit by food
insecurity, water shortage and health-related problems. (…)
The Ethiopian Red Cross
Society, through the International Federation emergency short term assistance,
will cover the provision of water and water storage materials both for the
local population and livestock. Planned longer-term activities will focus on
the maintenance of existing water points, rehabilitation of deep wells and the
construction of surface water harvesting cisterns to improve availability of
water to communities. (…)
The Ethiopian government is
leading the overall emergency response through its Disaster Prevention and
Preparedness Agency of which the Ethiopian Red Cross Society is an active
member. Food insecurity in Ethiopia has left 2.6 million people in need of
emergency assistance.
The International Federation
has already released 200,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Response Emergency
Fund to help start the relief operations.
http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/pr06/1306.asp
ADRA
provides food for mudslide and flood survivors in the Philippines
Silver Spring, Maryland, 22
February - The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is providing
emergency food aid for families in the province of Agusan del Norte,
Philippines that have been forced from their homes by the torrential rain that
has swept through the region, flooding homes, and causing severe landslides.
ADRA is providing 770 families
with a one-week packet of food worth $10 each. Each packet consists of 11
pounds of rice, seven packs of noodles, seven cans of canned meat, more than
six cups of nuts, as well as essentials, such as oil, salt, sugar, beans, milk,
and one packet of nutritional biscuits. “These foods contain nutrients to
sustain a family of five during this emergency for one week until they are able
to return to their homes to rebuild their lives,” said Goran Hansen, country
director for the ADRA office in the Philippines. (…)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=4807
Caritas
Confederation responds to Philippines tragedy
Vatican City, 17 February – The Caritas network is monitoring the
disaster that overwhelmed a rural area in the Philippines this morning, as a
massive landslide buried at least one village and left hundreds dead and thousands
missing.
An estimated 200 people were
killed, but that toll will probably rise as many of the 1500 missing could have
suffered the same fate, based on estimates by the Red Cross. Some local media
were reporting that as many as 3000 people may have lost their lives.
At least one village,
including its full schoolhouse, was buried after nearly two weeks of heavy
rains finally made the mountainside above give way. Emergency personnel were
digging in the search for survivors. Just a few houses were left standing,
according to initial reports. (…)
Caritas Philippines is on the
ground to help in the relief effort and to funnel international aid to the
local people.
Caritas Internationalis is a
confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service
organisations present in 200 countries and territories.
http://www.caritas.org/jumpNews.asp?idLang=ENG&idChannel=35&idUser=0&idNews=3989
33
tons of warm clothing collected by ILO personnel for Pakistan quake victims
Geneva, 9 February
(ILO News) - Thirty-three tons of warm clothes collected locally
under an initiative launched by a group of staff of the International Labour
Office left the ILO building today bound for Pakistan quake victims. The
clothing will be delivered to the quake areas by army helicopters in Pakistan,
while colleagues at the ILO office in Islamabad and the Pakistani Office for
Humanitarian Assistance will ensure distribution to those most in need.
The ILO staff launched the
initiative after seeing images of bare-footed children wandering in the snow
four months after the earthquake. Other international agencies, the local
population, schools and department stores joined in the initiative. Hundreds of
cartons with shoes, anoraks and blankets were packed by volunteers within less
than 48 hours last week.
"The success of this collection which was meant to be a modest
contribution to help Pakistanis suffering from the extreme winter in the
Himalayas went far beyond our expectations", said Zohreh Tabatabai,
Director of the ILO Department of Communication which initiated the collection.
Because of the large volume of
clothes collected, they could not be transported on a commercial flight as
originally foreseen. Mr. Walter Fust, Director-General of the Swiss Development
and Technical Cooperation Agency (CDRI) immediately arranged for the clothes to
be transported to Islamabad via Karachi. The clothes will arrive this Sunday.
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2006/e_pakistan.htm
Peace and security
(top)
UE
aid package worth more than €120 million to meet basic needs of Palestinian
population
February 27 (European Union @
United Nations) - The European Commission has unveiled an aid package worth
more than €120 million (€1:$1.19) to
meet the basic needs of the Palestinian population, and to help stabilise the
finances of the current caretaker government (http://www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/en/article_5735_en.htm). This package is independent of any future
decisions on support for the incoming Palestinian Authority, which will be
reviewed once the new government is in place, in the light of the principles
set out in the Quartet (EU, US, UN and Russia) statement of January 30, 2006.
(…)
Commented EU External
Relations and Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner: “No
other donor is doing as much as we are to support the interim government during
the transition period. The €120 million package we present today is a very
substantial contribution, which will help both to alleviate hardship, and
relieve the pressure on the caretaker government’s finances.” She also added
that “we are watching political developments in the Palestinian Territories
very closely. How we are able to help the Palestinians in the future will
depend to a large extent on the decisions taken by their newly elected
government; whether its members support non violence, recognise Israel and
stand by existing agreements.”
The Palestinian Authority is
not currently able to balance its revenues and expenditures, without outside
help. It has a substantial monthly deficit, which is set to rise with the
Israeli decision to withhold transfers of taxes and customs duties due to the
Palestinians.
The World Bank estimates that
nearly half (43%) of the Palestinian population lives below the poverty line,
with 15% of the population classified as living in deep poverty.
For more information: http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/gaza/intro/index.htm
MAT
Dog Centre formally opened
21 February- The MAT dogs are
making their new home in Kenya after travelling 3,000 miles across the World
from Sri Lanka to Kenya. The new dog
centre is within the International Mine Action Training Centre (IMATC) in
Nairobi, Kenya. The IMATC was
established on 17th February 2005 as a joint venture between the British and
Kenyan governments and has a mandate to train African forces to clear their own
minefields to international mine action standards.
The new dog centre was
formally opened by Mr Adam Wood, British High Commissioner to Kenya, as part of
an official ceremony to celebrate the first anniversary of the IMATC. The MAT dog centre is East Africa’s first
dedicated mine detection dog training facility and will be an important
addition to the Centre which provides high quality training, advice and
expertise on all aspects of humanitarian demining. (…)
http://www.minesawareness.org/content.asp?pageID=11#news65
Red
Cross increases awareness activities on landmines risks
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
Luanda, 21 February - Angola
Red Cross (CVA) has extended to other four provinces of the country its
activities on landmines danger sensitisation programmes, aimed at educating the
population on the risks involving these explosive devices, as well as teaching
them to inform any suspected cases in their localities.
According to CVA's disasters
prevention coordinator, Kiala Simão, the provinces included in this programme
are Moxico, Kwanza Norte, Kuando Kubango and Zaire, thus adding to six the
zones covered by this project. Until the end of 2005, landmines awareness
campaigns were only carried out in Bié and Benguela provinces.
The CVA is organising a
seminar in its headquarters, which started on Monday and is being attended by
the local co-ordinators who will then orientate the works in the respective
provinces.
The training, based on themes
such as reduction of risks, sharing information and assistance to the victims,
is being guided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)'s
landmine action chief, Becky Tompson.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200602220213.html
Haiti
ratifies the Mine Ban Treaty and brings the Number of States Parties to 149!
By Virginie Andre
Haiti, 21 February - On 15
February 2006, Haiti deposited its instrument of ratification of the Mine Ban
Treaty with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The treaty will enter
into force for Haiti on 1 August 2006. Haiti’s first transparency report
required under Article 7 of the treaty is due on 28 January 2007. Haiti will become the 149th State Party to
the treaty. Another five countries have signed but not yet ratified. The United
States and Cuba are now the only countries in the Americas outside of the
treaty.
Haiti signed the Mine Ban
Treaty on 3 December 1997. Over the years, the ICBL and others involved in the
promotion of the treaty have maintained contact with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Haiti in order to provide support for the ratification process, and
encourage progress whenever the political situation in the country permitted.
Haiti has regularly
demonstrated its support for a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel mines. It has
voted in favor of every pro-ban United Nations General Assembly resolution
since 1996, including UNGA Resolution 60/80 on 8 December 2005, calling for
universalization and implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. (…)
http://www.icbl.org/layout/set/print/news/haiti_ratification
Polish troops lead the way in
demining Bagram base (Afghanistan)
By Anita Powell
Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, 19
February — Before officials expand this
base to roughly twice its current size, they’ll have to manually evict
countless longtime tenants.
Local officials estimate it
will take between three and five years to clear all of Bagram Air Base, a
former Soviet base, of Soviet-sown anti-personnel mines, Afghan-laid anti-tank
mines and anti-personnel mines and countless ammunition rounds, small bombs,
grenades and shrapnel.
The task illustrates one of
the many obstacles facing Afghanistan: The nation is the second-most mined
country in the world, with anywhere from 5 million to as many as 20 million
mines scattered in its rugged terrain. Much of the ordnance is found in and
around former Soviet bases — like Bagram — and at former Northern Alliance and
Taliban strongholds. (…)
At Bagram, some of the most
detailed and difficult demining work is handled by the Polish army, which has a
company-sized presence on base. The sappers of the 1st Engineering Brigade of
Brzeg, Poland, take to the base’s fields daily, spending hours kneeling in the
earth, tentatively poking around with metal detectors and spades. (…)
http://www.landmine.de/en.titel/en.news/en.news.one/index.html?entry=en.news.0bff60d211bf0000
Pakistan
and India resume train link through Rotarians’ peace efforts
19 February - It is joyous
occasion for Rotarians because our persuasion to both Governments of Pakistan and India to open rail link between
Munabao and Khokhropar did succeed. Yesterday Pakistan and India resumed
a train service across the Thar desert, 41 years after it was suspended
following the 1964 war.
Many passengers burst into
tears and shouted "Long Live Pak-India friendship" as the Thar
Express halted at Zero Point (border), the last stop on the Pakistani side of
the border. Dancers wearing traditional dresses danced to the beat of drums to
greet the train, decorated with colorful buntings. At the station, Railway
Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav received the passengers, some of whom had gifts in
their hands and tears in their eyes.
The following were the
reactions of the passengers: "I was 13 years old when I came here. Now I
am going to my home for the first time after
58 years," said Mohammad Ali Azhar, whose parents migrated to
Pakistan to escape bloodshed that killed hundreds of thousands of people
following partition of the sub-continent in 1947. "History has been
repeated. I am very glad to be in India," Jan Zahad, the train driver,
told Reuters. Zahad said he drove the last Pakistani train out of India in 1965
when the two countries went to war and the service halted. (…)
The service will be operated
using a Pakistani train for the first six months and an Indian train for the
subsequent six months. It will be the second rail link established between
India and Pakistan since they launched a peace process two years ago after they went to the brink of a fourth war
at Kargil. For more information: A C Peter, District Chair : Relations with
Pakistan & Afghanistan Rotary
International, District 3010, New Delhi, India. E-mail: a.c.peter@vsnl.com
2006
Pathways To Peace: Middle East
Festival, Edinburgh, 8 February to 12 March
From Wednesday 8 February –
Sunday 12 March 2006 the 3rd Annual Edinburgh International Festival of Middle
Eastern Spirituality and Peace brings together artists, scholars, grassroots
spiritual activists and an outstanding line-up of internationally distinguished
Middle Eastern musicians.
From Wednesday 1 March to
Saturday 4 March we have a four-day series of events called Pathways to Peace,
including Pathways to Peace Through Spiritual Dance (1 March), Pathways to
Peace Through Musical and Spiritual Practice (2 March), and a two-day
conference, Pathways of the Heart (3-4 March). Pathways to Peace Through
Spiritual Dance will celebrate four specific dance and movement forms, namely,
Traditional Sufi Movement, Sacred Circle Dance, Dances of Universal Peace and 5
Rhythms Dance. (…) Pathways to Peace Through Musical and Spiritual Practice
will celebrate diverse forms of musical and spiritual practice for peace. (…)
The four-day Pathways to Peace series then continues with a two day conference,
Pathways of the Heart. Speakers, musicians, composers and medics contributing
to the conference include Murshid Saadi Shakur Chishti, Bishop Kallistos Ware,
Prof James Morris, Prof Nigel Osborne, Prof Aziz Sheikh, Dr John Parris, Rohana
Laing, Sheelah Trefle Hidden, Elizabeth Carmack, Davod Azad and Latif Bolat. A
wide range of themes will be explored, including those of Dimensions of the
Heart, and Understandings of the Spiritual Nature of the Heart. (…)
'Warfare
or Welfare? Disarmament for Development in the 21st Century - A Human Security
Approach' - New book by Colin Archer,
Secretary-General, International Peace Bureau
February - This publication
sets out information and arguments that form the basis of IPB's new programme -
see www.ipb.org - Main Programme - Disarmament for
Development.
The two principal themes are
military spending and the effects of weapons systems (landmines, small arms,
depleted uranium and others) on development.
Also chapters on human security, military bases and gender perspectives.
Contains a wealth of useful references and websites.
Cost: £5 per single copy plus
£1 postage. For orders of 5 or over: £3 per copy plus 20% added for postage.
The Book can be previewed at http://www.ipb.org/web/seccion.php?tipus=Programmes-Disarmament-Development
The International Peace Bureau
is dedicated to the vision of a World Without War. We are a Nobel Peace
Laureate (1910) and over the years 13 of our officers have been recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Our 276 member organisations in 70 countries, and individual members, form a
global network bringing together expertise and campaigning experience in a
common cause.
Our current main programme
centres on Sustainable Disarmament for Sustainable Development.
Health
(top)
Sudan:
ICRC responds to cholera outbreak in Juba,
Khartoum, 21 February - In
response to the recent cholera outbreak in Southern Sudan, the ICRC is
currently airlifting some thirty metric tonnes of emergency medical supplies to
Juba, the regional capital. The medicines include infusions and oral re-hydration
salts which are urgently needed to treat the sick and to boost fast depleting
medical stocks.
Two rotations by air from
Nairobi are being made to deliver the medicine for patients hospitalized at the
Juba Teaching Hospital (JTH). Over the next few days, additional assistance is
scheduled to reach Juba by air from the ICRC's logistics base at Lokichokio, in
northern Kenya. (…)
The first cases of cholera
were reported at the end of January in Yei town, southwest of Juba and the
first occurrence of cholera was reported in Juba on February 6. (…)
Sudan:
MSF responding to severe cholera outbreak in Juba
22 February - After mounting
an emergency response in Yei, MSF's new emergency intervention will focus on
Juba, a town of more than 250,000 inhabitants, designated as the capital city
of southern Sudan after the 2005 North-South peace agreement. The objective of
this intervention is to reduce mortality in infected cases and try to cut the spread
of the disease.
A team is already working in a
Cholera Treatment Center (CTC) that has been set up in Al Shaaba paediatric
hospital. It will ensure adequate treatment in the CTC, train the local health
staff, establish clear treatment protocols and ensure regular supplies.
The organization is planning
to increase the capacity of the CTC and, if necessary, set up new structures in
order to face the important number of new cases expected. For the time being,
another CTC is running in Juba teaching hospital but it has already reached its
full capacity. (…)
Massive
polio immunization campaign protects Sudan’s children
Khartoum, 20 February -- In a
continuing all-out effort to eradicate polio from Sudan, the Federal Ministry
of Health of the Government of National Unity and Ministry of Health of the
Government of Southern Sudan, in collaboration with the World Health
Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other
partner organizations, today launched this year’s first round of the national
polio immunization campaign in Sudan, 20 to 22 February 2006. The goal of this
first round is to immunize the estimated 8.1 million children under five years
in Sudan, particularly those living in the poorest communities or those
intermittently cut off by conflict. These children are the key to stopping the
spread of the disease.
Sudan has succeeded in
interrupting transmission of wild polio virus. No new cases of polio have been
reported in Sudan since June 2005. The total number of confirmed polio cases in
Sudan in 2004 was 127. During the first half of 2005, only 27 cases were
reported bringing the total number of cases to 154. Continued attention and
vigilance is needed. (…) The immunization drive is crucial if further cases of
infection are to be avoided among children. This year’s campaigns are
synchronized to happen simultaneously throughout the country.
In 2006, UNICEF, WHO, Rotary
International and the Centres for Disease Control, among other partners, are
supporting the cost of vaccines, logistics, vaccination teams and social
mobilization efforts in Sudan.
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/pressreleases/20060220press.asp
MSF
leads a campaign to vaccinate 100,000 people in southern Ethiopia
Meningitis
is endemic in Ethiopia and epidemics tend to break out particularly during the
major dry season, from January to March.
20 February - The first cases
of meningitis were reported during the first week of January in the Welayita
region of the Kendo Kocha and Bolo Sore woredas (administrative units), in
southern Ethiopia, the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region. In
four weeks, the total number of cases have reached 89 (including 13 deaths) in
Kendo Kocha and 52 (three deaths) in Boloro Sore. MSF immediately began working with the Ethiopian Ministry of
Health to respond to this epidemic, providing medications (oily chloramphenicol
and Ceftriaxone) and treatment protocol training to medical personnel at health
centers.
A vaccination campaign has
also been initiated to contain the epidemic. It will target more than 200,000
people (everyone between the ages of 2 and 30* not previously vaccinated). The
campaign was launched on Sunday, February 12, and includes a major information
drive. It will continue for about two weeks. The campaign is a joint project of
MSF and the Ministry of Health. It will be carried out by ten teams, each composed
of two vaccinators and four assistants, working at ten sites in the two areas,
for a total of 20 vaccinators and 40 assistants.
MSF will coordinate the
campaign with a medical coordinator, nurse and logistician, all international
volunteers, with the assistance of a medical coordinator from the capital,
Addis Ababa. The Ministry of Health has supplied the vaccines, while MSF is
providing injection supplies and handling the cold chain and logistical support
(seven vehicles). (…)
WHO, UNESCAP propose new
global health goal
New analysis presented today
shows vast majority of global chronic disease pose heavy can be prevented
Bangkok, 14 February (UN
Information Services) -- A new global goal: to reduce the projected chronic
disease death rates by 2% each year until 2015 would prevent 36 million people
dying of chronic diseases in the next 10 years - significantly, 25 million of
those lives saved would be in the UNESCAP region. That is the recommendation of
a WHO report of the Preventing chronic diseases: a vital investment that was
launched today at the United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok. "This
growing epidemic has substantial macro-economic impact on the economies of the
region. Countries in the region, such as China, India and the Russian
Federation, could forego billions of dollars in national income over the next
10 years as a result of chronic diseases, in addition to losing their human
resources," said Mr Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary, who launched the
Report today at the UN Conference Centre. (…)
Three of the most important
are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and tobacco use. Globally, these risks
are increasing as people's eating change to foods high in fats and sugars, and
people's work and living situations are much less physically active.
One billion people globally
are overweight or obese, and WHO predicts that will rise beyond 1.5 billion by
2015 without immediate action.
Many countries in the UNESCAP
region have already begun to take action to address these risk factors and
reverse the current trend. Indonesia, the Philippines, Tonga and Viet Nam have
applied a WHO-recommended Stepwise Planning Framework, an approach to chronic
disease prevention that is flexible enough to be applied successfully in any
country. (…)
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2006/feb/n06.asp
Energy and safety
(top)
African
NGOs say ‘No’ to terminator technology
27 February (e-CIVICUS) - A
group of African NGOs has appealed to the United Kingdom to oppose any moves to
erode the global moratorium of Terminator technology agreed under the
Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in 2000 and to move towards an outright ban of
this controversial GM technology. Terminator technology is a form of genetic
modification that makes harvested seeds sterile and was designed by the biotech
industry to prevent farmers from saving their seed, forcing them to buy new
seed each season. Next month in Brazil delegates at the Convention of Parties
of the CBD will face a concerted effort by Australia , Canada , New Zealand and
the United States , to weaken the global moratorium on Terminator technology by
allowing a ‘case by case’ assessment. The African NGOs argue that ‘enforced
seed sterility in our seed would dramatically affect farming and rural
livelihoods across Africa’. For more information, visit www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/african_ngos_tell_minister_17022006.html.
Global
wind power industry spins into high gear
Brussels, Belgium, February 23
(ENS) - Worldwide, the wind energy industry installed more than US$14 billion
worth of new generating equipment last year, an increase of 25 percent over
2004, according to new figures released by the Global Wind Energy Council.
In terms of new installed
capacity in 2005, the United States led the world with 2,431 megawatts (MW),
roughly enough to power 680,700 average U.S. households per year. Germany was
next in the world with 1,808 MW of new installed capacity, Spain was third with
1,764 MW, India was fourth with 1,430 MW, Portugal was fifth with 500 MW, and
China was sixth with 498 MW. This pattern of development shows that new players
such as Portugal and China are gaining ground, the Council said.
The total installed wind power
capacity now stands at 59,322 MW worldwide.
Wind power development is set
to boom in the near future due to the rising price of petroleum products and
the need to limit emissions linked to global warming. (…)
Environment and
wildlife
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Mexican industry takes voluntary
action against climate change; Government gives public recognition
Mexico City, February 22 - Mexico's environment ministry (SEMARNAT)
recognized fifteen major companies today for publicly reporting their
greenhouse gas emissions through a voluntary public-private initiative known as
the Mexico Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Program. "Mexico is committed to fight
global warming," said Secretary of Environment Jose Luis Luege Tamargo.
"Collaborating with industry is a key part of our strategy."
The Mexico GHG Program, the
first of its kind in a developing country, is a voluntary program established
in 2004 through an agreement between the Mexican Secretariat of Environment and
Natural Resources, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business
Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Mexico-based CESPEDES is also
involved as a program administrator. (…)
Twenty-seven companies in
Mexico are currently participating in the program, including those from the
most-energy intensive sectors. The entire cement and petroleum sectors are
engaged, as well as major representatives of the iron and steel sector. Besides
the companies being recognized, twelve more are currently in the process of
developing GHG inventories. (…)
http://newsroom.wri.org/newsrelease_text.cfm?NewsReleaseID=355
UNEP launches Green Building
Initiative
Paris, 21 February – A new
international effort to “green” the multi-billion dollar building and construction
sector was launched here today with some of the biggest names in the business.
Construction giants Lafarge, Skanska and Arcelor are among the founding members
of the Sustainable Building and Construction Initiative (SBCI), which aims to
promote environmental friendly practices across this vast industry.
The sector, which employs over
100 million people worldwide and contributes approximately 10% of global Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), also seriously impacts on many of the world’s most
pressing environmental problems like climate change, waste generation and
depletion of our natural resources. Whether it’s influencing multi-lateral
environmental agreements, encouraging “green architecture” in high profile
buildings or tackling topics like the illegal plundering of sand from pristine
beaches the challenges for the industry are immense. (…)
It is hoped that the work of
the SBCI will help ensure buildings are routinely designed, constructed and
maintained from an environmentally sustainable point of view over their entire
life span, taking into account what is called the “life-cycle approach”.
Other goals are that
increasingly legislation and building standards include sustainability
considerations and requirements. And, that policies and incentives provided by
governments support sustainable building and construction practices.
The SBCI has been set-up as a
neutral and worldwide platform, in partnership with international leading
companies and others working in this area. As such it will be able to provide direct
input to other initiatives, governments and global bodies making
recommendations and decisions affecting sustainable development in this
sector. (…)
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=469&ArticleID=5147&l=en
WWF
discovers new coral reef in Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand, 21 February
– As scientists met in Thailand to discuss coral reef restoration and
management one year on from the Asian Tsunami, WWF announced the discovery of a
previously unknown coral reef off the Thai coast The reef, located off the
coast of Khao Lak, a popular tourist destination on the Andaman Sea coast of
Thailand, was discovered in January by a team of WWF divers after being tipped
off by local fishermen.
Initial surveys reveal that
the 270-hectare reef is home to over 30 genera of hard corals and at least 112
species of fish from 56 families. Also found was a species of parrot fish
(Chlorurus rakaura) — first discovered in Sri Lanka and never seen in Thailand
until now — as well as a rare species of sweet lips (Plectorhincus
macrospilus).
“This is a spectacular reef
and its exciting to think that there may be even more areas like this still awaiting
our discovery,” said Dr Robert Mather, WWF Thailand's Senior Programme Manager.
WWF is working closely with
Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Department of
National Parks, local communities and dive operators to manage the reef, which
may ultimately be included in a new marine national park. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=60700
Carbon emissions reduced by
United Nations project
Geneva,
3 February - Eastern European
countries have taken a small but very significant step in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions according to the final report of their United Nations project
issued today. The energy efficiency investments participating countries have
shown how energy savings in their cities, power stations and factories can help
achieve the global aims of the Kyoto Protocol under the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The inefficient and polluting
energy systems in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) are glaring economic and environmental problems. But they can provide
some of the most promising self-financing opportunities to reduce global
greenhouse gas emissions. With only 6 per cent of the world’s population, these
countries produce some 12 per cent of greenhouse gases. Opportunities to cut CO
2 emissions can come from the vast potential for cost-effective energy
efficiency investments in economies in transition.
With the support of the United
Nations Foundation and co-financing partners, the Energy Efficiency 21 (EE21)
project ‘Energy Efficiency Investments for Climate Change Mitigation’, has
demonstrated that it is possible to identify, develop and finance energy
efficiency and renewable energy investment projects that will reduce greenhouse
gas emissions in Eastern Europe and the CIS. This is an important step for
energy efficiency market formation in economies in transition and essential for
further progress. (…)
The final report describes the
results of the five-year project including some US$ 60 million of energy
efficiency investment project proposals. The World Bank and other investors
have approved financing for eighteen investment projects in Belarus, Bulgaria,
Russian Federation and Ukraine for a total of US$ 14.9 million. (…)
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2006/06ireedd_p01e.htm
Religion and
spirituality
(top)
"Time
for Reflection" in Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh, Scotland, United
Kingdom, 6 February (BWNS) - Representatives of the Baha'i Faith were invited
recently to address Scotland's Parliament as part of the body's weekly
proceeding that allows people from different faiths to share their perspectives
on the challenges facing the country. It was the first time an invitation had
come from a Member of Parliament.
Carrie Varjavandi, a Baha'i
from Dundee, addressed the body on 18 January 2006 during its "Time for
Reflection." Ms. Varjavandi invited Parliament members to consider the
current world situation. "The world today faces apparently intractable
problems, which governments and peoples are striving courageously to solve:
climate change, poverty and religious fanaticism to name but a few," she
said. She then suggested that the spiritual teachings of Baha'u'llah not only
identified disunity as the underlying cause of these problems, but also offered
a solution. 'The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are
unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established'" she said,
quoting Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith. Ms. Varjavandi also said
that Baha'u'llah's story was one of "the great untold stories of our time."
(…)
The invitation to contribute
to the "Time for Reflection" came from a member of the Green Party,
Chris Balance, MSP. (…)
http://news.bahai.org/story.cfm?storyid=429
Culture and
education
(top)
UNESCWA Signs Memorandum with
Arab ICT Associations
Beirut, 21
February (United Nations
Information Service) -- The Officer-in-Charge of the UNESCWA Information and
Communication Technology Division, Mr. Mansour Farah, said that UNESCWA and the
Union of Arab Information and Communication Technology Associations (IJMA3)
have agreed to launch specific activities aimed at facilitating the
dissemination of information and communication technology (ICT) in the region,
with special emphasis on job creation and poverty alleviation.
Farah represented the UNESCWA
Secretariat during the signing of a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with IJMA3,
which was represented by Mr. Waheed AlBalushi of Bahrain, the country currently
chairing the Union. The aim of this, said Farah, is “to provide technical
assistance to member states, including ICT capacity building; promoting the
development of regional knowledge networks; and encouraging the development of
ICT tools and applications to achieve universal and affordable access to
information and knowledge”.
Encouraging hungry children in
Haiti to go to school
Haiti, February - Rice, pulses
and salt are loaded onto WFP trucks at WFP’s warehouse in Haiti’s capital
Port-au-Prince. They are going in convoy to the “Ecole Nationale Trou Caïman”,
where WFP feeds 520 children through its school feeding activity. Each year,
38,000 Haitian children aged five and under die – almost one in three because
of malnutrition. Through its school feeding programme, WFP provides food for
almost 300,000 children in Haiti, including those in the most insecure areas.
http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=139&Key=1375
Earth
Charter Initiative to collaborate with ICLEI World Congress
Capetown, February - The ICLEI
World Congress happens once every three years, and is one of the world's
pre-eminent events in the field of local and regional sustainability. ECI will
be facilitating a session on educating and mobilizing local communities for
sustainability, using the Earth Charter directly as well as other methods that
are in harmony with the Charter. ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
has long been an important partner and Earth Charter Endorser; in fact, the
Earth Charter has been written directly into ICLEI's constitution. Konrad
Otto-Zimmerman (Secretary-General of ICLEI) ran the Local Communities session
at EC+5, and Alan AtKisson (ECI International Transition Director) will lead
the session in Capetown. We expect our working partnership with ICLEI to
continue to grow. For information on the Congress, visit www.iclei.org
Earth
Charter Commissioner Wangari Maathai to visit Tampa, Forida, on 23 March
Dr. Wangari Maathai, Kenya
Earth Charter Commissioner, won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her contribution
to sustainable development, democracy and peace. "Peace on earth depends
on our ability to secure our living environment. Maathai stands at the front of
the fight to promote ecologically viable social, economic and cultural
development in Kenya and in Africa. She has taken a holistic approach to
sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights and women's
rights in particular. She thinks globally and acts locally."
These are the opening
sentences of the Committee's statement of its reasons for the Peace Prize
award. Earth Charter Communities USA (ECCUSA) and the University of South
Florida Patel Center for Global Solutions are sponsoring Dr. Maathai's visit to
Tampa on Thursday, March 23rd, where she will speak at a free event on the
university campus at 7 p.m. Earlier in the day, ECCUSA and USF Women in
Leadership & Philanthropy are hosting a luncheon for Dr. Maathai. ECCUSA
Board member, Lorna Taylor Gregory CEO Premier Eye Care, has been the
organizing force behind this outstanding opportunity to bring Dr. Maathai to
Tampa.
Contacts: Jan Roberts, Earth
Charter Communities USA: roberts@transformworld.org
Global
Action Week 2006 (24-30 April) - Every child needs a teacher
Global Action Week aims at
mobilising public opinion to exert pressure on governments and
intergovernmental agencies to provide free quality public education for all.
(…) This year will see the 7th annual Global Action Week in which EI, together
with its partner organisation the Global Campaign for Education, will demand
the right to education of millions of children currently excluded from
education. (…) To get over 100 million more children to school, countries need
better infrastructure, teachers, and materials. This year, Global Action Week
activities will make the case for teachers. Over 15 million new teachers are
needed to attain universal education. Qualified teachers are the key to quality
education. They need to be fully trained, and to have status, respect, decent
wages and adequate working conditions.
To this end, teachers
worldwide will mobilise with their unions as well as NGOs working on education
issues. Teachers' unions affiliated to EI in 46 countries (Australia, India,
Kenya and United Kingdom to name but a few) will organise a range of local and
national events in support of the Global Action Week. (…) EI's websection
http://www.ei-ie.org/globalactionweek/ is updated regularly to keep you abreast
of developments.
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=101&theme=educationforall&country=global
1st
Baikal international games of indigenous people- Buryat
Republic, Russia
The 1st Baikal international
games of indigenous people “Routs 2006” took place in Tunka Valley from 17 to
19 February 2006. There were more than 400 participants from all over Baikal
regions, Siberia, Mongolia and USA. Tunka Valley accommodated people from
different places to create relationships, based on cooperation and love. The
opening ceremony was a demonstration of wonderful national traditions,
including horse riding, dances and welcome Buryat ritual.
Tunka Valley 3 day event has
become a many leveled life experience full of happy meetings and
enlightenments. We met with Lamas, shamans, took part in national blessing
nature ceremony, scientific conference “Problems of indigenous people”,
presentations of national centers, concerts, and national games. People met according to a great law of
resonance. Further information: Nina
Goncharova – Planet 3000 coordinator, Russia: gong3000@ngs.ru
“Democratizing
The Management Of Educational System: Theory And Practice”
Conference
in Moscow, 24-26 April 2006
Organizers of the conference:
International Association of Promoting School Councils (IAPSC), Russian Chapter
of Association for World Education (Russian AWE Chapter), Russian Academy of
Education, Ministry of Education and Science of RF, Academy of improving
qualification and teachers’ retraining, International Pedagogical Academy.
The goal of the conference: to
determine the common problems, to exchange international experience in
democratizing educational system, to find the ways out. There will be both
plenary and panel sessions. The heads of educational institutions, officials
from institutions of ruling the educational system, teachers, students and
their parents will take part in the conference. In addition there will be the
open jubilee session of the Presidency of IAPSC, devoted to the 15 years of its
activity.
The participation in the
conference is free of charge. The travel expenses, accommodation and food are
at the participants’ expenses. Application for the conference is taken till 1
April 2006.
The abstracts must be sent by E-mail:
rawe-lida@mail.ru no later than 1
March, 2006. They must be no more than 2 pages, and include any of the topics
concerning democratic principles in educational process, structure of
self-management bodies, forms of their work, the means and recourses of
democratizing the educational process, any positive experience of
democratization, etc. Contacts: Lidia Shkorkina rawe-lida@mail.ru
* * * * * * *
Next
issue: 24th March 2006.
* * * * * * *
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