Good News Agency – Year VII, n° 8
Weekly - Year VII, number 8 –
16th June 2006
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi,
Ph. D.
Rome Law-court registration
no. 265 dated 20 June 2000.
Good News Agency carries
positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary
work, the work of the United Nations, non governmental organizations, and
institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn
out” in the space of a day. Editorial research by Fabio Gatti (in charge) and
Elisa Peduto. Good News Agency is published in English on one Friday and
in Italian the next. It is distributed free of charge
through Internet to the editorial offices of more than 3,700 media in 48 countries and to 2,800 NGOs.
It is an all-volunteer service
of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale,
NGO associated with the United Nations Department
of Public Information. The
Association has been recognized by UNESCO as “an actor of the global movement for a culture of peace” and it has
been included in the web site http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/uk/uk_sum_monde.htm
International legislation – Human rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health – Energy
and Safety – Environment and wildlife
Religion and spirituality – Culture and education
Internet
for all: EU ministers commit to an inclusive and barrier-free information
society
Brussels, 12 June - A pan-European drive to use information and
communication technologies to help people to overcome economic, social,
educational, territorial or disability-related disadvantages was endorsed by
ministers of 34 European countries in Riga (Latvia) today.
"e-Inclusion" targets including halving the gap in internet usage by
groups at risk of exclusion, boosting broadband coverage in Europe to at least
90%, and making all public web sites accessible by 2010. (…)
The Riga Ministerial
Declaration, signed today by ministers from EU Member States, accession and
candidate countries, and EFTA/EEA countries, sets out the following specific
targets:
* halve the gap in internet usage
by 2010 for groups at risk of exclusion (…),
* increase broadband coverage
(…),
* ensure that all public
websites are accessible by 2010,
* by 2008, put in place
actions in the field of digital literacy and skills to reduce gaps for groups
at risk of exclusion by half in 2010,
* by 2007, make
recommendations on accessibility standards and common approaches, which could
become mandatory in public procurement by 2010, and
* assess the necessity for
legislative measures in the field of e-Accessibility, and take account of
accessibility requirements in the review of the electronic communications
regulatory framework beginning in June 2006. (…)
Strong
backing for treaty on plant genetic resources for agriculture
FAO's
Jacques Diouf calls for political will to continue moving ahead
Madrid, 14 June – Ministers of
Agriculture responsible for implementing the International Treaty on Plant Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture have unanimously approved a Ministerial
Declaration in which the Treaty's contracting parties pledge to fully implement
it at the national level via specific rules and programmes. The ministers
expressed their conviction that the Treaty is vital to achieving the UN's
Millennium Development Goals -- particularly eradicating extreme poverty and
hunger and guaranteeing environmental sustainability. They also pledged to
enhance national capacities for the conservation and sustainable use of plant
genetic resources.
The Madrid meeting of the
Ministerial Segment of the Treaty's governing bodies, chaired by Elena
Espinosa, Spain's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, was attended by
over 70 countries, a fact which sent a powerful political message in support of
the Treaty, according to FAO. This was the first ever meeting of the Treaty's
governing body.
In a speech made at the event,
FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf urged countries to muster the political will
needed to guarantee the Treaty's ongoing implementation, describing the
international accord as "a fundamental tool in humanity's efforts to do
away with hunger and malnutrition." (…)
Philippine
Senate approves abolition of death penalty
Manila, Philippines _ The Philippine Senate on Tuesday approved
on final reading a bill repealing a 12-year-old death penalty law, moving the
country a step closer to abolishing capital punishment. A similar bill is
pending in the House of Representatives. For the death penalty to be formally
abolished, both chambers must pass a version to be ratified by Congress and
signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The bill was approved by a
vote of 16 senators in favor, none against and two abstentions. Five other
senators were absent. Sen. Jose «Jinggoy» Estrada, a son of ousted President
Joseph Estrada, said he abstained because he and his father have been indicted
for the capital offense of plunder.
The constitution only permits
execution for «heinous crimes» such as murder, child rape, and kidnapping.
The Senate bill passed Tuesday
says life imprisonment or a 40-year jail term can be imposed instead of death,
depending on the offense. The death penalty law took effect in 1994 at the
height of a crime spree, when victims' families demanded capital punishment.
Arroyo has said she would
support abolishing the death penalty, and has certified as «urgent» the bill
repealing capital punishment. (…)
http://www.santegidio.org/it/pdm/index.htm
Human
Rights Council begins to take shape as First session convenes in Geneva on 19
June
Geneva, 15 June -- The first meeting of the newly established Human Rights Council opens in Geneva on Monday, 19 June, marking a new beginning for United Nations efforts to promote and protect fundamental freedoms worldwide.
This inaugural session, set to
last until 30 June, will bring together high-level representatives from over
100 countries and see delegates begin concrete work to allow the Council to
build on the recognized strengths of its predecessor -- the Commission on Human
Rights -- and flesh out the features that make it a stronger and more effective
human rights body. The meeting will take place just over a month following the
open and competitive election of the Council’s 47 members by the UN General
Assembly in New York .
The Human Rights Council was
established by the General Assembly in its resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006.
The Human Rights Council will replace the Commission on Human Rights, which
will be formally abolished on 16 June 2006.
Following the historic
adoption of the General Assembly resolution establishing the Council on 15
March 2006, [A/RES/60/251], UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that: “Now
the real work begins. The true test of
the Council’s credibility will be the use that Member States make of it. If, in the weeks and months ahead, they act
on the commitments they have given in this resolution, I am confident that the
Council will breathe new life into all our work for human rights, and thereby
help to improve the lives of millions of people throughout the world.”
World
Day Against Child Labour – Trade unions ready and willing to fight the good
fight
Brussels, June 12 – On the
occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour, the ICFTU is today launching a
video portrait of Jonathon, a 12 year old child labourer from Peru who is one
of many children benefiting from a union-sponsored program that has helped him
find his way back to school.
Guy Ryder, the General
Secretary of the ICFTU commented: “Today we mark yet another World Day Against
Child Labour in the shadow of the knowledge that there are some 218 million
children like Jonathon whose lives are profoundly affected by the fact that
instead of going to school they have to go to work.” (…) “We know what works: a
quality education system and decent work for adults above all else is the only
way sustainable and long-term changes can occur that will see child labour
vanquished globally. These require political will and commitment from all
governments and institutions, and today we reiterate the international trade
union movement’s resolve to play our part,” he concluded.
The video-portrait is
accompanied by two spotlight interviews with trade unionists from the Moroccan
and Dutch trade unions who are responsible for an innovative program which
seeks to get children out of work and into school.
To watch the video portrait on
Jonathan (Peru – Warma Tarinakuy)
International
Trade Unions Welcome ILO Child Labour Debate
Brussels, 9 June - The
international trade union movement today welcomed the holding of a key debate
at the International Labour Organisation's Annual Conference, as a key moment
for the international community to examine progress in eliminating child labour
and ensuring that every child goes to school. Governments, employers and trade
unions are discussing the ILO report "The end of child labour: Within
Reach" at the Conference. The
report sets out results in implementing ILO Child Labour Conventions, and
identifies a number of key challenges for the coming years. (..)
The report sets a target for
the elimination of the "Worst Forms" of child labour, under ILO
Convention 182, by the year 2016, and includes figures indicating a major
reduction of children suffering the worst forms of exploitation. It also sets out some future reference
points for international action, including strengthening the "Worldwide
Movement" against child labour and building further cooperation with trade
unions and employers.
Trade unions are concerned
nevertheless that some may seek to use the ILO report as a justification for
focusing on the most egregious forms of child labour, while not tackling the
broader problems of insufficient provision of quality education, and poor
regulation of labour markets. Such an approach risks merely moving children
from very hazardous to less hazardous work, while avoiding tackling the
fundamental reasons that children end up in work instead of school. Therefore, the ILO Convention 138 on Minimum
Age for Employment must always remain the benchmark for policy and for action.
Football
Against Racism at the 2006 Fifa World Cup™ – alliance between FIFA, LOC and
FARE
New
system of “fan embassies” in all host cities
June 9 - When the 2006 FIFA
World Cup™ kicks off today in Munich, the slogan of the event, "A time to
make friends", will dominate the game on the pitch as well as off it.
At each of the 64 games, a
banner covering the entire centre circle will be displayed from the stadium's
opening until the end of the official pre-match protocol, bearing the
tournament slogan "Say no to racism". In addition, anti-racism video
spots will be aired at all FIFA World Cup™ stadiums. All TV rights holders have
received five-second mini-spots at no cost for integration in their programmes
related to the event. FIFA will also dedicate all quarter-finals on 30 June and
1 July to a special activity on the pitch to give the participating teams the
chance to raise their voices against this blight on society in a message to be
aired around the globe. (…)
This year, the Football
Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network, FIFA and the Local Organising
Committee (LOC) have joined forces in a unique initiative called "Football
unites" to contribute to a positive atmosphere during the 2006 FIFA World
Cup™, aimed at people of all origins, religions, nationalities and skin colour.
This alliance was presented today at the FIFA/LOC daily media briefing at the
Olympiastadion in Berlin. (…)
Chad:
Internally displaced receive seed and tools
June 9 - The ICRC has started
distributing seed and tools this week to 25,000 displaced people in eastern
Chad. The operation will be completed by the end of next week, just in time for
the planting season and before the rains make it difficult to reach the area.
It will benefit people who either still have access to their own fields or can
plant on the land of their host villages.
The distribution is part of an
integrated response to the needs of displaced people and host communities. As
part of its activities, the ICRC is also providing shelter materials and
household items, supporting health services and improving access to safe water.
(…)
In addition to the aid it is
providing, the ICRC is maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the various parties
involved with a view to improving the safety of civilians in an area where the
security situation is so poor that few other organizations are working there on
a consistent basis. The ICRC, which will continue to do its best to assist
those in need, hopes that vulnerable communities will remain accessible despite
the current tensions and that the aid supplied will not in itself become a
source of further tension and violence.
The ICRC has been present in
Chad since 1977 and has over 100 staff working in the country. http://www.icrc.org/
Responding
to racism - information and the role of Civil Society
ENAR
launches leaflets on the state of racism in EU member states
Brussels, 6 June - The European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
has today published national information leaflets on racism in 24 European
Union (EU) countries. (…) The leaflets are the result of a collaborative effort
between the ENAR Secretariat, based in Brussels, and the National Coordinations
of ENAR in each EU Member State. Each of the leaflets has been produced in the
national language of the country involved and in English. (…)
The leaflets provide an
overview of the concerns and issues in the country concerned, as well as a
brief outline of the national legislation available to counter racism. They
highlight the importance of the role of civil society in this fight, as well as
the key activities of ENAR and its national coordination in the country. The
leaflets provide information on the importance of strategic litigation,
together with a rationale for NGOs to engage in this activity. They also
provide information on the existing services available for the victims of
racial discrimination, including racist crime and racist violence. A section on
the ‘EU and anti-racism’ highlights the emergence of an anti-racism
infrastructure at EU level as well as key developments in this area. Finally,
the leaflets include links and sources of information at national and European
levels. (…)
http://www.enar-eu.org/en/press/2006-06-06.pdf
International
Symposium on a Culture of Peace 2006 – Seoul, 25-27 October
The APCEIU (Asia Pacific
Centre of Education for International Understanding) will hold the
International Symposium on a Culture of Peace 2006 under the theme
"Intercultural Understanding and Human Rights Education" from 25 to
27 October 2006 at Hoam Faculty House, Seoul National University, Seoul,
Republic of Korea. This will serve as an ideal arena to facilitate the exchange
of information related to intercultural understanding and human rights
education and at the same time present an opportunity to learn from each others
experiences and identify new ways of addressing the issues involved.
The plenary sessions will
address the following topics: intercultural education towards a culture of
peace, human rights sensitive intercultural education, intercultural sensitive
human rights education, human rights education through art, and the pushing
effects of globalization on migration.
http://www.en.unescoapceiu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=216&Itemid=113
“Sparks
of Humanity”: International Documentary Film Festival – October 25-29
9th
United Nations Association Film Festival, Stamford University, Palo Alto,
California, USA
The United Nations Association
Midpeninsula Chapter is delighted to announce the ninth annual United Nations
Association Film Festival (UNAFF). The festival was established in 1998 to
celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. It was created with the help of members of the Stanford Film
Society as an independent project of the United Nations Association (UNA), a
grassroots, community based, nonprofit organization. UNAFF, whose theme for
this year is “Sparks of Humanity.”, is an international documentary film
festival held from October 25-29, 2006 in Palo Alto, California, with a few
pre-screenings in East Palo Alto and San Francisco to kick off the event.
Conceived nine years ago,
UNAFF celebrates the power of international films and videos dealing with human
rights, environmental survival, women's issues, protection of refugees, homelessness,
racism, disease control, universal education, war and peace. UNAFF offers a
unique opportunity to view documentaries that are rarely screened, to become
familiar with global problems, and to acquire a better understanding of the
means to address these problems. (…)
Last year we introduced for
the first time three awards - The Stanford Video Award for Cinematography and
The Stanford Video Award for Editing (sponsored by Stanford Video), as well as
the UNAFF Grand Jury Award. Our relentless efforts in promoting awareness of
global issues have been rewarded at the annual UNA Convention in New York,
where UNAFF received the prestigious Earl W. Eames Award for innovatively
combining new technologies with traditional media. We are also proud that UNAFF
has twice won WAVE Awards for the best trailer. (…)
New
US$26.4 million IFAD loan to reconstruct families’ livelihoods
after Pakistan earthquake
Rome, 14 June - Eight thousand families left destitute by last
October’s earthquake will receive financial and technical support to rebuild
their houses and buy livestock through a new project in northern Pakistan. The US$29.6 million
Project for the Restoration of Earthquake-Affected Communities and Households
(REACH) will be financed almost entirely by a US$26.4 million loan from the
International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD). The loan agreement will
be signed today at IFAD headquarters in Rome by the President of IFAD, Lennart
Båge, and the Ambassador of Pakistan to Italy, Mirza Quamar Beg.
About 80 per cent of families
lost their houses in the project area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and in the
North-West Frontier Province. Most of the REACH funds, more than US$20 million,
will be invested in restoring houses or rebuilding new ones. (…)
With this project, IFAD will
have participated in financing 21 loans to Pakistan for a total investment of
US$387 million. For more information contact: Farhana Haque-Rahman, Chief,
Media Relations, Special Events and Programmes f.haquerahman@ifad.org
UN
officials stress the positive aspects of international migration
8 June – Senior United Nations
officials today stressed the mutual benefits to countries of international
migration, emphasized the importance of the high-level dialogue to take place
in September examining the links between migration and development, and
strongly backed the findings of the Secretary-General’s report issued earlier
this week focusing on the global phenomenon. (…) The dialogue will be held by
the General Assembly from 14 to 15 September, and today’s press briefing along
with this week’s report are intended to spur the discussion on international
migration (…)
One of the findings of the
report, which ran to 90 pages, was how migration has become a major feature of
international life, such that the number of people living outside their home
countries reached 191 million in 2005 – 115 million in developed countries, 75
million in the developing world.
Another finding from the
report highlighted that migration was not a zero-sum game but rather can
benefit both sending and receiving countries (…) The report highlighted that
migrants not only take on necessary jobs seen as less desirable by the
established residents of host countries but also stimulate demand and improve
economic performance overall. They also help to shore up pension systems in
countries with ageing populations.
And for their part, developing
countries benefit from an estimated $167 billion a year sent home by migrant
workers. The exodus of talent from poor countries to more prosperous one often
poses a severe development loss but in many countries this is at least
partially compensated by migrants’ later return to, and/or investment in, their
home countries, where profitable new businesses are established.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=18801&Cr=migration&Cr1=
Project
to improve roads in Yemen will help 300,000 highland people
Rome, 7 June – A new
development project in Yemen will focus on upgrading 215 kilometres of dirt
roads in isolated highland areas of the country. The roads reach the most
disadvantaged villages in the highlands and their upgrading will lead to better
links to markets, health facilities and schools for over 300,000 people. A
further 100,000 people will have improved access to drinking water.
The Pilot Community-Based
Rural Infrastructure Project for Highland Areas will cost US$10.4 million and
is partly financed by a loan of US$9 million and a grant of US$400,000, both
from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The Financing
Agreement was signed at IFAD’s headquarters in Rome on 1 June by the Assistant
President of IFAD, James Carruthers, and the Ambassador to Italy for the
Republic of Yemen, Shaya Mohsin Zindani. For more information contact: Farhana
Haque-Rahman, Chief, Media Relations, Special Events and Programmes f.haquerahman@ifad.org
UN
training project produces scores of Liberian vocational graduates
8 June – Dozens of young
Liberians have graduated from an intensive six-week project organized by the
United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to train them in such skills as
tailoring, generator mechanics, first aid and computer operations.
Speaking to hundreds of
residents, the 144 graduates and local authorities who attended the graduation
ceremony in Nimba County in the north of the country, UN Deputy Special
Representative Luiz Carlos da Costa said, “This core trained group can multiply
skills and capacities by serving as trainers themselves within their communities.”
He thanked the Bangladeshi
contingent of UNMIL for organizing the courses and for the role they continue
to play towards consolidating the peace process. “I commend the contingent for
going beyond their mandate of peacekeeping by engaging themselves in
humanitarian activities,” he said.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=18789&Cr=liberia&Cr1=
Farm
investment helps slow migration
Major
FAO study on roles of agriculture
Rome, 2 June - A major study
conducted by FAO in 11 countries shows that agriculture does much more than
produce food, feed and fibre for people. The farm sector impacts deeply on
economies and societies at a number of unsuspected levels, according to FAO’s
Agricultural and Development Economics Division.
The right farm policies can,
for instance, help regulate rural-to-urban migration, which has seen 800
million people move from the countryside to towns in the past 50 years. By
extension, such policies, coupled with the right level of investment, could help reduce illegal migrant pressure
on Europe and North America.
Read: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000313/index.html
International
Delegates to learn the importance of city-to-city partnerships
Sister
Cities International hosts workshops on
Millennium Development Goals at 50th Anniversary conference in July, 13 to 15
Washington, D.C. May 31 -
Sister city delegates from around the world will soon learn that they can
achieve the Millennium Development Goals through City-to-City
Partnerships. Workshops on this important initiative will be held during
the Sister Cities International 50th Anniversary Conference being held July
13-15, 2006 in Washington, D.C. (…) The conference will feature several events
highlighting the importance of City-to-City partnerships in achieving the
Millennium Development Goals.
City-to-City Partnerships is
the development of strategic partnerships between two or more communities to
exchange information, technical assistance, or training. Representing
more than 2,500 communities in 134 countries, Sister Cities International is a
citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships between the
U.S. and communities abroad.
UN
aids flood relief efforts in northern Thailand
9 June – Following severe
flash floods and landslides in Thailand that have affected more than 340,000
people, completely destroyed 700 houses and damaged more than 1,000 roads and
bridges, the United Nations Office has released emergency cash grants of over
$100,000 for the purchase of relief supplies and materials for temporary
shelter.
The UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today it had given $51,000 for
immediate relief efforts in the five affected northern provinces, where
agricultural lands in more than 100 villages remain under water, although the
situation has improved.
The UN Development Programme
(UNDP) has released a further $50,000 to support the Government’s relief
efforts.
Initial Government surveys
estimated damage of more than $8 million, which does not include that to the
affected population’s properties and personal belongings. The Government has
allocated some $63 million to the Flood Relief Fund for the five affected
provinces.
In addition to its cash grant,
the UNDP will work with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security
to facilitate construction of permanent housing for those affected by the
flooding.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=18804&Cr=Thailand&Cr1=
Timor
Leste: Red Cross aids 16,000 displaced
June 9 - A team of water and
habitat specialists from the ICRC and staff from the Timor Leste Red Cross
today visited the town of Baucau, 160 km east of Dili, to assess the needs of
some 16,000 people who have fled there from the violence in the capital. (…)
Access to water, sanitation
and cooking facilities is limited in the temporary camps and conditions are
difficult in the severely overcrowded households that have taken in relatives.
"One house we visited has gone from six occupants to several dozen,"
said Alain Oppliger, an ICRC delegate. He added that there was an acute need
for greater access to water, with many people having to walk more than three
kilometres to wash their clothes or bathe.
With displaced families
continuing to arrive in Baucau, the need for water and other basic necessities
looks set to grow. To help alleviate immediate shortages, the ICRC handed over
two 10,000-litre bladder tanks, pipes and other equipment to the local branch
of the Red Cross. Having surveyed the situation in Baucau, the ICRC plans
further aid in the near future.
In Dili, meanwhile, the ICRC
is continuing to work closely with the Timor Leste Red Cross to distribute
water to displaced families living in camps. It is also endeavouring to restore
contact between people and loved ones from whom they have become separated.
German-Egyptian
Rotaract project is named “European Best Service Project” 2005-2006
Living
situation for 1400 people improved, and the work goes on
The project „Responsible
Parenthood, Skill Development and Micro-Loans in Slum Areas of Alexandria,
Egypt” has been elected as “Best Service Project” 2005-2006 by Rotaract Europe.
The project is a joint project between the Rotaract District 1860 in Germany
and the Rotaract Club Alexandria Cosmopolitan (D 2450, Egypt) and the first
Rotaract Project within RFPD.
This development project is
one way to face the population explosion, the impoverty and the lacking
(health) education in countries like Egypt, Nigeria, India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Indonesia. Starting in 2001, nobody could anticipate the huge
success it has become in the past years. Until today up to 1400 people were
able to greatly improve their living situation.
The goal of this project is to
support the poorest women living in the slums of Alexandria (Egypt) by
providing financial and educational support. The women are not only provided
with micro-loans in order to establish a business of their own, but they are
also given the chance to attend different kind of lessons: Illiteracy classes,
vocational assessment and Population and development classes.
The members of the Rotaract Club
Alexandria Cosmopolitan take care of the project’s process on the spot. Their
job is to select and to support the women. They have to organize the lessons
together with the NGO PLAN International. The Rotaractors in Alexandria are
supervising the repayments as well as documenting the money flows. The members
of the Rotaract District 1860, Germany participated in the development of the
project which included the financing aspect. (…)
People interested in running a
similar project, should feel free to contact the team: alexandria1860@web.de
Liberia:
ICRC delivers aid to rural needy
June 8 - ICRC staff have
completed the latest round of aid distributions to people still suffering the
effects of years of armed conflict in Liberia. The distributions, which began
in February, ended last week, having helped some 37,500 households (225,000
people) regain the ability to feed themselves. The households received more
than 1,000 tonnes of rice, bean and vegetable seed and about 1,000 tonnes of
rice to be used as food while the seed is planted.
Last November the same
families received farming and building tools (…) Essential household items,
including sleeping mats, blankets, kitchen sets, buckets, clothing and
tarpaulins, were also distributed to the families.
The beneficiaries of these
distributions are people who have returned to their homes after earlier fleeing
fighting and other particularly vulnerable families in the counties of Lofa,
Gbarpolu, Nimba, Bong, Bomi, Cape Mount, and Rivercess. Difficult challenges
were faced in completing the most recent distribution before the onset of the
rainy season since many rural roads were near-impassable. In some counties, the
ICRC had to start by rebuilding a large number of bridges that were unsafe or
had been completely destroyed.
This latest distribution of
seed and food by the ICRC will enable returnees and other particularly
vulnerable residents in the most severely war-affected areas to resume farming
and make progress toward self-sufficiency.
Caritas
aiding victims of Lorestan Earthquake in Iran
Vatican City, 8 June – Caritas
Italy will move forward with plans to build 400 temporary showers for the
victims of the earthquake in Iran’s Lorestan province on March 31st, which
levelled about 70 villages and severely damaged about 260 others, making some
15,000 people homeless.
Caritas Internationalis has
opened an appeal for just over $US 460,000 to help fund the project.
The quake, which was preceded
by a series of tremors that served as a warning, measured 6.0 on the Richter
scale. Because authorities had issued warnings to residents to move outside
after the first smaller shudders, only 70 people were killed and over 1200 were
injured.
The epicentre of the quake was
in Dasht Silakhor, about 400 kilometres southwest of Tehran.
Several United Nations
agencies responded to the immediate needs of the victims, providing them with
food, water, tents, blankets and medical assistance. The Iranian state also
provided relief, and said that an international response in the immediate
aftermath would not be necessary.
Caritas Italy, after
consulting with the Iranian Ministry of the Interior to establish how Caritas
could be of help, has been given permission to construct showers in the
earthquake-damaged areas. The design is based on a similar project that Caritas
Italy carried out following a previous quake in Zarand in early 2005. The
showers will be equipped with water heaters and will include a separate
dressing room to provide privacy, especially for the women using them.
Caritas Internationalis is a
confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service
organisations present in over 200 countries and territories.
http://www.caritas.org/jumpNews.asp?idLang=ENG&idChannel=35&idUser=0&idNews=4199
Adopt
a group of elderly
June 1 - GrannyAid is a new,
joint initiative between DaneAge Association and DanChurchAid with the aim of
assisting elderly people in need in the former Soviet Republic, Kyrgyzstan
through adoptions. By adopting a group of elderly provisions of i.e. food and
medicine are distributed and thereby improving their livelihoods. The
co-operation combines DanChurchAid's longstanding experience with development
projects in the region and DaneAge Association supporters' great interest in
assisting these needy, fellow elderly. (…)
GrannyAid engages with three
Kyrgyz senior citizen organisations, Ymyt, ADRA and PASPP who are the Kyrgyz
version of DaneAge Association and a longstanding collaborator of DCA. These
organisations attempt to build a dialogue with the authorities regarding the
rights of the senior citizens in order to improve livelihoods for elderly in
Kyrgyzstan in general. (…)
EU
response to Indonesia earthquake
Brussels, 31 May - Following
the earthquake that struck Indonesia near the Javanese city of Yogyakarta on
Saturday, 27 May, the EU immediately mobilised to assess needs and offer help.
In Brussels, the coordination machinery has been active drawing together the
Austrian Presidency of the EU, the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid
Department (ECHO) and the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), and the EU
Situation Centre and Civil-Military Cell of the EU Military Staff.
The EU through the European
Commission was the first donor to offer relief funding on the day of the
disaster. €3 million was announced on the 27th and formally committed on the
28th by the Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department. Agencies to which funds
are being allocated include the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies (IFRC), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Télécoms
Sans Frontières (TSF) and Médecins du Monde France (MDM-F). (…)
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/whatsnew/indonesia/earthquake_en.htm
Rotary International selects Indian school project as
“South Asia Regional Winner”
May 30, Evanston, ILL, USA:
The President of Rotary International Carl-Wilehlm
Stenhammar writes: “It is with great
pleasure that I congratulate the Rotaract Club of Delhi Qutab of District 3010
on its Outstanding Project, Saksham School (Self-Reliance). The members of the
2005-06 Rotary International Rotaract Committee have selected your project as
the South Asia Regional Winner to be recognized at the 2006 Rotaract
Preconvention Meeting on 9-10 June in Malmö, Sweden.”
India Rotaract Club Adopts a
School for Impoverished Children
by Vukoni Lupa-Lasaga
The 25 members of the Rotaract
Club of Delhi Qutab, Delhi, India, have found their calling in supporting
projects that improve the lives of young and impoverished area residents. From
sponsoring dental checkups to making in-kind donations of personal, household,
and domestic
items, they have sought
hands-on service opportunities in their neighborhood. But their most meaningful
initiative so far, according to club president Divya Vatsa Tyagi, is a school
project that addresses the plight of 6-to-10-year-old students from poor
families.
It all started early this year
when A.C. Peter, assistant governor of RI District 3010, informed the
Rotaract club of the dire
needs at Saksham, a makeshift school that teaches reading and writing to
children from the slums. Nadira Razak, a civil servant, established Saksham two
years ago after learning that some parents were too poor to afford to send
their children to government or private schools. These mostly migrant laborer
families earned only 1,000 rupees (US$22) a month on average and had barely enough
money to feed themselves. In addition to volunteering her time to teach the
children from such homes, Razak raised funds or solicited donations of goods
from her workmates to take care of students' material needs and cover the costs
of running the school. "We started with eight children," says Razak.
"Now we have more than 200. [But our] resources are limited, and we are
unable to meet expenses of rent for the premises, meager allowance to volunteer
teachers, light refreshments [and so forth]."
After paying a visit to the
school, members of the Rotaract club decided to adopt Saksham. (…)
http://www.district7280.org/newspage.htm
Helen
Keller International supports World Food Programme's Fight Hunger: Walk the
World Rally
May 30 – More than forty staff
members from Helen Keller International’s offices in Bangladesh and a smaller
contingent from Cameroon joined hundreds of other supporters in the World Food
Programme’s (WFP) rally Fight Hunger: Walk the World on May 21, 2006.
In Bangladesh, Mr. Choudhury
Kamal Ibne Yousuf, Honourable Minister for Food and Disaster Management
inaugurated the Rally as the Chief Guest. During their speeches Dr. John M.
Powell, Deputy Executive Director of WFP, and Douglas Broderick, Country
Representative of WFP, Bangladesh, expressed special thanks to HKI for the
large numbers of walkers who participated. In Cameroon, the Ceremony was
launched by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Walk the World is an annual
demonstration led by WFP and held across the globe. Hundreds of thousands of
people participate in order to raise awareness about the plight of 300 million
hungry children in this world, and to help reach the Millennium Development of
ending child hunger by 2015. This year, more than 760,000 marchers from 118
countries at 420 locations participated in Walk the World. (…)
http://www.hkworld.org/about/press_releases/WFP%20Walk%202006.htm
Under
intensive UN mediation, Nigeria and Cameroon sign accord ending border dispute
12 June – The presidents of
Nigeria and Cameroon today signed an agreement settling a decades-old,
sometimes violent, border dispute over the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula following
intensive mediation over the weekend by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, seeking to avert a potential crisis flashpoint in already troubled West
Africa.
“The signing ceremony which
has brought us together crowns a remarkable experiment in conflict prevention
by Cameroon and Nigeria,” Mr. Annan said of the agreement which provides for
the withdrawal of Nigerian troops within 60 days, with a possible 30 day
extension, from Bakassi, which the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the
UN’s Supreme judicial body, awarded to Cameroon in 2002.
“With today’s agreement on the
Bakassi Peninsula, a comprehensive resolution of the dispute is within our
grasp,” he added at the ceremony at the Greentree Estate in Manhasset outside
New York City. “The momentum achieved must be sustained.”
Under the agreement
transitional arrangements will be completed in two years for the Peninsula,
which was the last of four areas to be demarcated in accordance with the ICJ decision.
(…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=18825&Cr=cameroon&Cr1=nigeria
UN
agency leads project to control trafficking of small arms in West Africa
9 June – The United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) will lead a $30 million, five-year programme aimed
at controlling the sales and trafficking of small arms in West Africa, where
more than 8 million illicit weapons are in private hands, representing about
half of all the small arms held illegally in the continent, the agency said.
The Small Arms Control Project
will focus on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and will
also help build the capacity of the region’s national Small Arms Commissions,
while providing technical support to the ECOWAS secretariat’s Small Arms Unit.
(…)
The project has been strongly
supported by the Government of the Netherlands and other partners include the
European Union (EU), Finland, France, Japan and Sweden.
Joseph Byll-Cataria, the UNDP
Resident Representative in Mali, stressed that the agency and its partners are
working to try to reduce armed violence in the region and combat its impact on
stability, security, and human development.
Easy access to illicit weapons
for organized crime, terrorism and civil conflict creates a cycle of violence
disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable members of society – the
children, women and elderly who account for more than 80 per cent of the
victims of killings by firearms in West Africa, UNDP said. (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=18817&Cr=small&Cr1=arms
Russia
- The First Nuclear National Dialogue Forum to take place in Moscow, 3-4 July
“Towards
a Russian National Dialogue on Energy Security, Nuclear Non-Proliferation, and a Safe and
Sustainable Future”
Geneva, 6 June - At this
crucial threshold for the future development of Russia, but also for the global
economy, the Public Council of Rosatom, the Public Chamber of the Russian
Federation, and Green Cross International will hold a broad discussion of
energy security and the safe and sustainable development of the energy sector.
For the first time this conference will bring together a large number of
international, national, regional, and local stakeholders to address issues
covering energy security for sustainable development, nuclear power and
non-nuclear alternatives, the future of the Russian nuclear industry,
non-proliferation and threat reduction, and the G8 “Global Partnership for
Securing Weapons of Mass Destruction.”
On its first day, the
conference aims at providing a better public understanding of the current
challenges to energy safety and to initiate a balanced public discussion on the
role the nuclear sector might have for future Russian and international energy
policy. On its second day, the conference analyzes progress made in the Global
Partnership, reviews lessons learned and discusses the most efficient concepts
and approaches for implementation. Speakers will include the leadership of
Rosatom; representatives of the international community including the G8 Global
Partnership involved in energy, security, and non-proliferation policy; and regional
and local speakers from some of Russia’s main nuclear sites.
Green Cross International is
an NGO with an HQ in Geneva and affiliates in 27 countries, which works in the
field of sustainable development. For more information please visit us at: www.greencrossinternational.net
Rotary
- Indian and Pakistani business and professional leaders gather to discuss
peace
Islamabad, 2 June - More than
500 Rotary club members from India and Pakistan, who represent a cross-section
of business and professional leaders from both countries, will meet in
Islamabad to explore further efforts to help children in their communities and
promote cultural understanding and peace between the two countries. The Indo-Pakistan
Conference on Conflict Resolution and Peace will take place 2-4 June at the
Islamabad Marriott Hotel, Convention Center and Bhourban Pearl Continental
Hotel. The conference will be attended by government officials from both
countries including Mianmohammed Soomro, Chairman, The Senate of Pakistan,
Khurseed Raza Kasuri, Foreign Minister of Pakistan and Shivshankar Menon,
Indian High Commissioner. The three-day conference will focus on measures to
build support for a lasting peace and establish further links between the two
countries’ economies. Organizers of the conference see it as another step in
Rotary’s efforts to bring people of these two countries even closer.
In the past decade, Rotary
clubs from India and Pakistan have overcome their countries’ political
differences and worked to promote peace through joint humanitarian
programs. Rotary has organized exchange
programs, provided life-saving heart surgeries for needy children and organized
conferences to further dialogue at the grassroots level. (…)
Media Contact: Howard Chang at
howard.chang@rotary.org
Nepal:
No new use of landmines under new code of conduct offers a glimmer of hope
by Simona Beltrami
30 May - In the code of conduct
agreed at the end of the first round of peace talks on 26 May 2006, the
Nepalese government and Maoist groups committed to refrain from new use of
landmines: a welcome development in a country where both sides of the internal
conflict have been resorting to these indiscriminate weapons.
The announced commitment by
both government forces and Maoist groups not to make further use of landmines
as they seek a solution to their conflict, if implemented, would be a positive
indication of the political will to put an end to the deaths and suffering
these weapons indiscriminately cause to civilians across Nepal, said the
International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).
The ICBL’s statement came in
response to the inclusion of a provision which committed both sides to refrain
from laying new mines as part of a 25-point code of conduct concluded by the
government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) during the first
round of negotiations in Kathmandu on 26 May. (…)
http://www.icbl.org/layout/set/print/news/nepal_code_of_conduct
Help the world, bit by byte
Yakima
Herald-Republic
A click saves the
world. It's a start, at least.
Mikelle Charlebois, a student at Central Washington University in
Ellensburg, has spent her last year at college helping end poverty, little by
little, around the globe. She's one of three founders of the World Neighborhood
Fund, a nonprofit that aids inhabitants of the world's poorest regions.
Entirely Internet-based, the fund raises money by serving as a Web site
for searches and online shopping. Using the site,
www.worldneighborhoodfund.org, is free and requires no registration.
The fund raises money in three ways. First, when anyone uses the Google
box on the fund's Web site for Internet searches, Google gives a small amount
of money to the fund. There's no cost to the user. "It generates pennies
per search," says Charlebois. "But it does add up."
Second, shopping online through the fund's Web site creates revenue.
Some 50 vendors, ranging from Amazon and Petco to Macy's and Sears, have links
on the Web site. Again, there's no extra cost to the user, but the online store
donates a percentage of the purchase to the fund. (…)
The fund then gives 100 percent of the money to a chosen charity.
The third way the fund raises money for causes is through direct
donations, either given through the Web site or by mail at 3133 N.E. Rodney
Ave., Portland, OR 97212.
Every three months, the founders pick a different nonprofit,
humanitarian project in a struggling area of the world to receive funds. The
current project is Bahia Street, a nonprofit girls school in Salvador, Brazil.
The school seeks to break the cycle of poverty in urban slums by educating
girls ages 8-18. (…)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/page/dis/286272687701990
International
Day of Peace 2006 – September 21
The Peace Alliance Foundation
is partnering with Pathways to Peace in a global call to people, organizations,
and communities all over the world to come together for a worldwide observance
of the International Day of Peace (also called Peace Day), which includes a
call for a global ceasefire and day of nonviolence. The response to this call
has been overwhelming, with thousands pledging to a moment of silence and some
type of observance action.
Take your own personal pledge
to observe the International Day of Peace! 2006 is the 24th annual observance
of Peace Day, established 25 years ago by resolution of the United Nations
General Assembly. To find out more about the background of Peace Day, what
people around the world are pledging to do this year, and the actions you
yourself or your community or organization can take: http://www.peacealliancefound.org/files/ProgramReport_WA.pdf
Polio
outbreak update: response in Namibia
9 June - National health authorities are preparing a response to
an outbreak of wild poliovirus in Namibia, polio-free since 1996. The outbreak
is affecting mostly adults. Genetic sequencing confirms that the virus is
consistent with an importation from Angola, of Indian origin. Angola,
polio-free since 2001, was re-infected last year by a virus from India. (…)
The Government is planning an
immunization response consisting of three National Immunization Days (NIDs),
using monovalent oral polio vaccine type 1 (mOPV1). The first NID is scheduled
to start 21 June, and both the first and second NIDs will aim to reach the
entire population of the country (two million), rather than the usual
under-five year population. The age of any further cases will dictate the
target age groups for subsequent NIDs. An international team is in the country
to assist the national authorities.
Namibia began routine
immunization for polio in 1990. While the cause of the largely adult outbreak
is yet to be determined, it is likely that those who fell ill did not receive
immunization as children. Routine immunization coverage within Namibia today
varies by region from 60% to 80%.
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/Outbreak_UpdatesNMB20060606.asp
ICRC
works on improving access to potable water and to medical care in Iraq
June 7 - Yesterday, the ICRC
completed a partial rehabilitation of the R-Zero water station in Basrah and
handed it over to the Directorate of Water. 25% of the lost capacity was thus
restored, enabling the plant to reach a production of 4'300 m3 of water per
hour.
It is worth mentioning that last
month, the ICRC completed the rehabilitation of Bradiyah and Al-Mouhad
treatment plants. ICRC engineers indicate that the three projects aim at
improving the access of Basrah residents to potable water. Furthermore, the
ICRC completed the building of the extension (170 m2) of the primary health
care centre of Al-Sangar area in Basrah. This extension will help provide
better conditions for the 13'000 residents in this area; the centre deals
primarily with mother and childcare as well as with dentistry care.
World
Health Assembly - 22-26 May
26 May – Noting that the
number of countries with indigenous poliovirus transmission is at a historic
low of four, and that outbreaks in re-infected countries have been
systematically stopped or slowed, the World Health Assembly (WHA) this week
recognized that significant progress has been made during the past year
towards polio eradication and resolved
to support the final stages. The
policy-setting body of the World Health Organization, the WHA studied the
Report on poliomyelitis eradication and adopted a resolution calling for
increased focus on interrupting transmission in endemic areas (those which have
never interrupted polio transmission), adherence to rapid response standards in
case of importation of poliovirus and technical advice on planning for a
post-eradication world.
In their comments, Member
States unanimously acknowledged the progress in further restricting the
circulation of indigenous polioviruses. At the beginning of this year, Egypt
and Niger marked 12 months without indigenous poliovirus transmission, leaving
Nigeria , India , Afghanistan and Pakistan as the only remaining polio-endemic
countries in the world. In the latter three, poliovirus is restricted to a
handful of high-risk districts. The WHA
also recognized that importations of polio had been dealt with swiftly and
effectively, with a total of 31 cases linked to imported poliovirus reported in
2006 to date, compared to 105 cases at the same time last year.
http://www.polioeradication.org/meeting_detail.asp?day=26&month=5&year=2006
(top)
Mexico
- The solar cooker project keeps
on growing
Kathy Dahl-Bredine, who works
with the Nino a Nino organization, reports that solar cooking is taking hold in
the state of Oaxaca. She gave nine workshops in her first year and helped about
150 people learn to make and use solar cookers. In the workshops, new solar
cooking students are given homework — to teach others how to make and use a
CooKit-style solar panel cooker. Ms. Dahl-Bredine reports that many of her
students have done their homework and taught others. She has also taught solar
cooking skills to Indian development promoters who are spreading the idea to
many other families. (…)
Ms. Dahl-Bredine reports that
the major motivation for using the solar cookers is that people have little
income, and benefit from reduced fuel costs. The CooKit-type solar cooker is
practical because it is inexpensive and can be made by the families themselves.
She emphasizes follow-up visits with new learners, because people don’t always
get everything they need to know from one workshop. When people are learning,
she says, “you want all the conditions to be right to succeed at first.” After
people have some experience, they can try more challenging cooking problems.
She believes that experienced solar cooks can use their solar cookers most days
even during Oaxaca’s rainy season, by starting early in the day and planning
carefully.
Contact: Kathy Dahl-Bredine, kpdbmx@gmail.com
http://solarcooking.org/newsletters/scrmar06.htm#News
World
Water Week in Stockholm, 20-26 August
Building
Capacity – Promoting Partnership – Reviewing Implementation
The World Water Week in
Stockholm is the leading annual global meeting place for capacity-building,
partnership- building and follow-up on the implementation of international
processes and programmes in water and development. It includes topical plenary
sessions and panel debates, scientific workshops, independently organised
seminars and side events, exhibitions and festive prize ceremonies honouring
excellence in the water field.
Stockholm is the meeting place
for experts from businesses, governments, the water management and science
sectors, inter-governmental organisations, NGOs, research and training
institutions and United Nations agencies. The 2006 World Water Week in
Stockholm will continue its important role at the nexus of the water,
environment, development and poverty reduction fields when it takes place
August 20-26 at the Stockholm City Conference Centre in the Swedish capital.
The full programme can now be found in the printed Second Announcement and Call
for Registration, and also at this website.
http://www.worldwaterweek.org/
Maui
County invests $7.2 million to secure its water future
FY 07
Budget includes funding to appraise and acquire plantation watersheds &
assets
June 1 - Honolulu, HI - Today,
in a historic step in water resources management in Hawai`i, Maui County
included in its final budget a bold measure to return to public control water
presently diverted by a former Maui plantation. Effective July 1, 2007, the
County appropriated $7.2 million in direct funding and general obligation bonds
to appraise and acquire portions of watersheds and water-related assets owned
by Wailuku Water Company ("WWC," formerly Wailuku Agribusiness
Company), with the ultimate goal of restoring base flow to three major streams
in Central Maui (Waihe`e, Waiehu, and `Iao), while also helping to satisfy Maui
County's future water needs.
The budget appropriation
follows up on the groundbreaking agreement in December 2005 between
Earthjustice, on behalf of Maui community group Hui o Na Wai `Eha, the Office
of Hawaiian Affairs ("OHA"), and the Maui County administration,
which resolved litigation over ground water from the `Iao aquifer, Maui's
primary source of drinking water. In return for the Hui and OHA withdrawing legal
challenges to the County's permit applications for `Iao, Maui Mayor Alan
Arakawa committed to take the steps necessary to restore flows to streams
overlying that aquifer that are diverted by former Maui plantation interests,
including WWC. One of the promised steps was to introduce the budget requests
finalized today. (…)
Reconnecting
lakes helps restore the Yangtze
Anqing, China – A WWF project
has resulted in the simultaneous opening of several sluice gates that are
reconnecting eight lakes to the Yangtze River. The move is the first step in
restoring natural ecological processes that will help heal the degraded Central
and Lower wetland ecosystem. (…)
The Yangtze River is the
world’s third longest, with its basin covering an area of 1.8 million km2. The
vast area of the Central and Lower Yangtze once acted as a natural sponge to
soak up flood waters during the rainy season. However, dyke and embankment
building along the river has seriously disrupted natural processes across the
basin. (…) WWF believes that a practical solution is to reform the existing
sluice gate (dyke gate) management regime, which currently mainly serves
agricultural needs and addresses flood control issues in reclaimed lake areas.
Previous sluice gate openings
in other parts of China, such as in Lake Zhangdu, have resulted in a total fish
yield increase of 17 per cent in 2005. Fourteen native species have been
successfully introduced into the lake and nine fish species that had previously
died out in the area have returned. (…) To achieve these goals and provide
solutions for China’s decision-makers, the WWF-HSBC Yangtze Programme has been
working to restore the "web of life" along the Yangtze River since 2002.
(…) The project is introducing sustainable alternative livelihoods, such
eco-fisheries, eco-tourism, and growth of aquatic vegetables, for local
communities. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=71260
Giraffe’s
relative rediscovered in eastern Congo
Gland, Switzerland, 9
June – After nearly 50 years, the okapi
– the closest known relative to the giraffe – has been rediscovered in Virunga
National Park in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),
said WWF today. This is the first sign of okapi presence in the park since
August 1959, according to official records.
The discovery happened during
a recent survey led by the global conservation organization and its
governmental Congolese partner ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de
la Nature).
Still rare and threatened, the
okapi lives only in the tall primary forests of eastern DRC, mainly in the
Okapi Wildlife Reserve, centered around the village of Epulu. But the species
was originally discovered further east in the forests along the Semliki Valley,
now in the Virunga National Park – created in 1925 and today a UN World
Heritage site protected by international and national laws. (…) http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=71400
UN Peace
Forum to reveal proposal for Spiritual Empowerment and Disarmament
New York, June 13 - On June
22, in an all day Forum at the United Nations an international non-governmental
organization, A Centre for the World Religions (ACWR), will convene “A Spiritual
Agenda for World Peace - for Disarmament and an Empowered United Nations.” (…)
ACWR is calling on the
religious community to re-commit to a leading role in the struggle for
disarmament because religion has played a crucial part in a great number of the
violent conflicts and wars of the past sixty years. The forum will discuss how
individuals and spiritually based organizations can approach disarmament by
going back to their roots, wherein all the major religions teach non-violence,
tolerance and love. ACWR invites attendance by all member UN states, UN staff,
NGO’s and peace activists concerned with harnessing personal spiritual power to
offset the threat of armed conflict to world peace. (…)
The idea of infusing UN peace-keeping
efforts with spiritual empowerment is not new.
The late Dag Hammarskjold, 2nd Secretary General of the UN and founder
of the United Nations Meditation room, once declared that, "The more
faithfully you listen to the voices within you, the better you will hear what
is sounding outside." Using this
approach, the Forum will take a fresh look at the United Nations year-2000
Millennium pledge to ”spare no effort to free our peoples from the scourge of
war, whether within or between States, which has claimed more than 5 million
lives in the past decade. We will also seek to eliminate the dangers posed by
weapons of mass destruction.” (…) Persons interested in attending can email nyinfo@centreworldreligions.org or steea@t-online.de for further information.
Leadership
Convergence/Festival of Faith
Saturday
& Sunday, June 24 & 25, Los Angeles
The Leadership
Convergence/Festival of Faith on June 24th and 25th this year are held in celebration of the 61st anniversary of the
birth of the United Nations and the 41st anniversary of the birth of
Unity-And-Diversity World Council (UDC).
These anniversaries are at the occasion of United Nations Charter Day,
June 26th. Both days contain events
that are unique to the link between UDC and the U.N. Both days are being held at 1020 S. Flower St., Los Angeles.
The Leadership Convergence on
Saturday the 24th is UDC’s time to bring together individuals, groups, and
networks for the exploring of common ground and the development of ongoing
activities and projects. As the
Unity-and-Diversity name implies, UDC is involved both with interfaith
activities and with all kinds of other intergroup participation. (…) Last
year’s Leadership Convergence developed an outstanding document called
“Guidelines for an Interdependent World Culture”, which will be used as
background for this year’s Convergence.
Sunday the 25th is a unique
event entitled Festival of Faith, which was first held in San Francisco at the
U.N. tenth anniversary and shared by 16,000 people in the Cow Palace. Every ten years the U.N. comes to San
Francisco to celebrate its decade of progress, which usually includes some form
of interfaith event. Our effort is to
preserve and develop this unique event and to make it a worship experience that
can be held in any community throughout the world.
In
wide-ranging interviews, US radio hosts broadcast live from UN
9 June – Counter-terrorism,
the promotion of democracy worldwide, efforts to assist children living in
poverty and the threat of bird flu were among the many and varied subjects
explored live on the air as an unprecedented gathering of radio hosts from
across the United States broadcast from United Nations Headquarters this week
in an initiative that brought a first-hand account of how the world body works
to millions of listeners across the country.
Radio personalities well-known
in various parts of the US, and some national names, set up shop on Thursday in
a basement conference room at the United Nations, where dozens of staffers –
from senior officials to front-line personnel – answered questions and
exchanged views with the hosts.
Blanquita Cullum of the
national programme Radio America underscored the power of her shows to raise
awareness. Ms. Cullum said she had told Ann Veneman, Executive Director of the
UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), that talk radio could help promote the agency’s
activities in Africa, especially in sensitizing US citizens to the challenges
faced by a continent ravaged by AIDS.
Echoing this view, Kathy
Bushkin, Executive Vice-President of the UN Foundation (UNF), called the event
an innovative partnership that focused “not only on the role of the UN in
global stories already receiving attention, but also the lesser-known stories
about the life-saving work the UN performs everyday, bringing this information
directly to American communities.”
“Talk Radio Day at the UN,”
held from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., was the result of a partnership between UNF,
Talkers Magazine and the Talk Radio News Service, with assistance provided by
DPI. (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=18814&Cr=terror&Cr1=
New
blog joins UN video game in battle against hunger
8 June – Fresh from the global
success of the world’s first humanitarian video game designed to arouse
children’s interests in the challenges of fighting hunger, the United Nations
World Food Programme (WFP) today announced the launch of a blog, an interactive
internet chat site, that allows youngsters to talk directly to aid workers on
the battle’s frontlines. (…)
‘Joe’s blog,’ named after one of Food Force’s main characters, is
a place where the millions of youngsters who played the video game and visited
the site can form a global community focusing on hunger and other social
issues. It lets them send questions to WFP aid workers who post stories about
their experiences and the reality of delivering life-saving food to those in
need.
Hunger and malnutrition kill
more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
Food Force conjures up a
virtual world of planes launching food airdrops over crisis zones and emergency
trucks struggling up treacherous roads under rebel threat with emergency
supplies to bring food to the desperately hungry.
Gamers face a number of
realistic challenges to urgently feed thousands of people on the fictitious
island of Sheylan, piloting helicopters on reconnaissance missions, negotiating
with armed rebels on convoy runs and using food to help rebuild villages.
Before each mission, the
player is presented with an educational video segment about the reality of WFP
work in the field, teaching them how WFP responds to actual food emergencies – where
food originates, its nutritional breakdowns and how it is delivered.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=18785&Cr=hunger&Cr1=
International
Peace Education Conference: Educating a Generation to create a Culture of
Peace, 25-27 June, Vancouver
June 2 – Education
International strongly encourages its member organisations to take part in the
coming International Peace Education Conference, which will be held in Vancouver,
British Columbia in Canada, from 25-27 June 2006. The Conference is part of the
World Peace Forum (WPF), which will take place from 23-28 June. (…)
The EI delegation will
participate in the Peace Walk on 24 June, and EI President Thulas Nxesi will open
the International Peace Education Conference the next day. The theme of the
conference will be "Educating a Generation to create a Culture of
Peace".
The conference will bring
together teachers, students, elders and citizens with interests in pre-school
to tertiary education to discuss, produce and disperse curricula of peace,
discuss and model teaching and organisational strategies to sustain peace
efforts, and to transform society by seeking answers to the question "how,
through education, are we going to create a culture of peace in our classrooms
and communities?". (…)
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=204&theme=peace&country=global
Friendship
Ambassadors Foundation Invites applications to the 3rd Annual Youth Assembly at
the UN: “Tomorrow’s Leaders Today”, August 16 -18, UN Headquarters, New York
A Call to Youth Worldwide:
• Become Involved in Renewal
at the United Nations
• Join People with Vision and
Motivation like Your Own
• Make a Difference in Your
Lifetime
The Youth Assembly at the
United Nations is a gathering of hundreds of young people from around the world
(16-28 years old) who seek future involvement with the United Nations and ways
to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The goal
is to show how one person can make a difference and that person can be YOU.
This is an intensive, three-day program providing direct access to the U.N. and
its agencies, such as UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank. Pace University in
New York is a major partner of the Youth Assembly this year.
POST ASSEMBLY TRAINING:
Delegates are encouraged to take part in the Leadership Seminar (August 19-23)
at Pace University in Manhattan following the Assembly: Training young leaders
how to create humanitarian initiatives, start their own NGOs, and become
activists & social entrepreneurs. Apply Today! Download Application Form
at:
www.faf.org/programs/unyouthassembly2006/youthassembly.html
www.faf.org • yaapplications@faf.org
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Next issue: 7 July 2006.
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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, and it is also available in its web site: http://www.goodnewsagency.org
It is a 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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