Good News Agency – Year VIII, n° 12
Weekly - Year VIII, number 12
– 5th October 2007
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
Human rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health
– Energy and Safety – Environment and wildlife
Religion and
spirituality
– Culture and education
Education International
applauds adoption of Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples
September 28 - After two
decades of negotiations, the United Nations has finally adopted the Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. On 13 September 2007, the UN General
Assembly voted to adopt the historic declaration with a large majority (143 in
favour, 4 against and 11 abstentions).Vicky Tauli-Corpus is chairperson of the
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Speaking in an emotional tone filled
with joy, she said: "The 13th of September 2007 will be remembered as an
international human rights day for the indigenous peoples of the world."
Education International's
General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen applauded the move and urged EI member
organizations "to renew efforts to achieve quality public education for
all and particularly for indigenous children, who are among those most likely
to be deprived of education or to be exploited through child labour."
The 12-page Declaration
addresses both individual and collective rights including cultural rights and
identity, rights to education, health, employment, language, and others. It
also outlaws discrimination against the world's 370 million indigenous and
promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern
them. The Declaration also emphasizes the rights of indigenous peoples to
maintain and strengthen their own institutions, cultures and traditions, and to
pursue their development in keeping with their own needs and aspirations. Its
adoption will strengthen the rights of indigenous peoples worldwide and serve
as a comprehensive framework for cooperation in implementing new minimal
international standards for indigenous people’s rights.
The four countries voting
against the declaration -- Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States
-- said they could not support it because of concerns over provisions on
self-determination, land and resources rights and provisions giving indigenous
peoples a right of veto over national legislation and state management of
resources. Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria,
Russian Federation, Samoa and Ukraine abstained.
The UN Human Rights Council
adopted the declaration in June 2006 and recommended its adoption by the
General Assembly, over the objections of some member states with sizeable
indigenous populations.
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=612&theme=indigenous&country=global
Save the Children joins
actress Angelina Jolie and UNHCR to improve education for refugee children in
war zones
Washington, DC, September 27 -
One year after launching a global campaign to bring quality education to
children in war zones, Save the Children yesterday joined former President Bill
Clinton and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador
Angelina Jolie in calling for more support to assist the educational needs of
millions of displaced children living in refugee camps. The announcement came
at a press conference during the first day of a three-day conference hosted by
the Clinton Global Initiative (GGI), which brings together global leaders to
devise and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges.
Representing the Alliance of
twenty-eight Save the Children agencies worldwide, Save the Children USA
President and CEO Charles MacCormack reconfirmed the Alliance's commitment to
help secure a quality education to an estimated 39 million children who live in
countries affected by conflict and cannot go to school.
A year after the launch of the
agency's Rewrite the Future campaign, Save the Children has assisted 3.4
million children in more than 20 countries and put the issue of education for
children in communities affected by war on the world's agenda. (…) At the press
conference, UNHCR issued an appeal to raise $220 million for refugee education.
Save the Children fully supports the UNHCR initiative and its work to raise
awareness of the immense need for education for children in conflict-affected
areas. (…)
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2007/save-the-children-strengthens.html
Partnerships for children in
conflict in the spirit of the Holy Ramadan
Amman, 23 September - As
millions of Muslims around the world observe the current month of the Holy
Ramadan, a partnership has emerged between UNICEF and Showtime Arabia, a
leading regional subscription cable TV operator. The aim of the partnership is
to support the cause of children affected by armed conflict in Darfur, Iraq and
the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
UNICEF’s first ever Eminent
Advocate for Children,, Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, recorded a 45 second
public service announcement which is being aired via all Showtime Arabia Pay TV
network channels, throughout the Gulf as well as numerous countries in
the Middle East. The TV spot reminds viewers that children are the most
vulnerable to violence and exploitation in conflict situations. UNICEF-Showtime
alliance highlights Queen Rania continued commitment and dedication towards
supporting children’s issues worldwide. All monetary proceeds of the month-long
campaign will help assist UNICEF interventions in Darfur, Iraq and the occupied
Palestinian territory. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40987.html
Seville, Spain: ECLAC and
SEGIB sign agreements for research into topics involving social security and
youth
The agreements were signed by
José Luis Machinea, ECLAC Executive Secretary, and Enrique Iglesias, SEGIB
Secretary General.
September
14 - The Economic Commission for
Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
and the Ibero-American Secretariat General (Secretaría General
Iberoamericana, SEGIB), meeting in Seville, Spain, today announced an
agreement to develop a programme of joint studies and research in the areas of
social security and youth. Representing the two institutions were José Luis Machinea, ECLAC Executive Secretary, and Enrique Iglesias, SEGIB Secretary
General, who signed two Memoranda of Understanding outlining the activities
included in the cooperation accord. In the first agreement, ECLAC and SEGIB agree to conduct a
project on the "Impact of the
Ibero-American Multilateral Convention for Social Security" to
bring about improvements to the economic and social situation of migrant
workers from Ibero-American countries through research on the foreign workers
from the region eligible to maintain pension rights in their country of
employment, as outlined in the Ibero-American Community Multilateral Convention
for Social Security. This Convention received the backing of authorities
attending the VI Ibero-American Conference of Ministers Responsible for Social
Security, held recently under the auspices of the Ibero-American Organization
for Social Security (OISS) and SEGIB. The initiative was also taken up and
approved by the XV Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, held
in Salamanca in 2005 and ratified in the Montevideo Agreement adopted at the XVI
Ibero-American Summit of 2006 in Uruguay.(…)
Converting wood waste into
pellets to reduce greenhouse gases
Costa Rica pioneers “green” project for poor
countries
Rome,
1 October – Costa Rica’s pilot project to convert polluting wood residues into a
profitable “green” energy source, presents new prospects for timber industries
in developing countries, FAO said today. The project converts large stockpiles
of sawdust and other residues from wood industries into wood pellets which can
be used as a renewable source of energy, and as a substitute for fossil fuels.
“Costa Rica’s pioneer project
will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to sustainable
development,” says Jan Heino, FAO Assistant Director-General for Forestry,
working with the government of Costa Rica to provide technical assistance. In
many countries, surplus wood residues from sawmills occupy large amounts of
space and often pollute local rivers. The decay of these residues leads to
emissions of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate
change. Moreover, the residues can ignite spontaneously and thus present a fire
risk for the sawmill owner. The project in Costa Rica is based on the Kyoto
Protocol’s so called Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Public or private
entities may fulfil their obligations under the Protocol through investing in
"Clean Development" projects in developing countries. While reducing
emissions, CDM projects aim to promote sustainable development in the host
country. Emission reductions achieved through a CDM project can be traded as
tons of carbon dioxide equivalent for a value of approximately US$ 10 for one
ton.(…)
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000669/index.html
New project won – East Timor:
strengthening property rights
September 28 - ACDI/VOCA,
under a subcontract with Associates in Rural Development (ARD), has been
awarded a five-year program to strengthen property rights in East Timor.
Conflicts over property rights and land tenure have been a major cause of civil
unrest in East Timor in recent years, and this project will work to support the
government in resolving the problem. ACDI/VOCA will implement public awareness
and conflict mitigation activities.
ACDI/VOCA has been working in
East Timor for the past three years on the USAID-funded NGO Sector
Strengthening project. Its local partner, Belun, a Timorese intermediary
service organization, will have a key role, building on its related initiatives
over the last few years.
This project was awarded under
the Prosperity, Livelihoods and Conserving Ecosystems (PLACE) IQC contracting
mechanism, under which ACDI/VOCA is a member of the ARD consortium.
http://www.acdivoca.org/acdivoca/PortalHub.nsf/ID/news_newbizEastTimor
A goat means hope for tomorrow
September 28 - A group of 100
marginalized women have this summer been selected to participate in a goat
husbandry project in order to ensure sustainable livelihoods. They are all from
an area of Ethiopia that has struggled with drought for the last six years.
The beneficiaries are all
living in the rural area near Bulbula town, 200 kilometers south of the capital
Addis Ababa. Many of them are alone with the responsibility of the household
either because their husband is dead or because he is living with a younger
wife.
Yet, becoming an owner of a
female goat can be the first step out of poverty. It is cheap to feed as it
mostly eats grass, it provides the family with milk and most importantly, it
gives birth to two sometimes three kids. The idea behind the goat husbandry
project is that a newborn goat will after staying with its mother for some
months, be transferred to another beneficiary. If the newborn is a female, it
will stay in the project. If it is a male, it will be sold on the local marked
in order to buy a female instead. The goat project is implemented by a new
local NGO partner called VoCDA, which is already working with other projects
aiming to improve the living standards of the most vulnerable women in this
region. (…)
Launch
of an interactive web-based platform in support of agriculture and rural
development
“e-agriculture
is a truly demand-driven platform,” according to FAO’s Anton Mangstl
Rome,
28 September – The UN Food and Agriculture Organization today announced the launch of
a unique interactive web-based platform focusing on the role that Information
and Communication Technologies (ICT) can have in supporting agriculture and
rural development. The online platform, www.e-agriculture.org, will enable
users to exchange opinions, experiences, good practices and resources related
to e-agriculture, and to ensure that the knowledge created is effectively
shared and used worldwide. Developed by
global stakeholders in collaboration with FAO and partners, the platform is
part of an e-agriculture Community of Expertise, a global initiative to enhance
sustainable agricultural development and food security by improving the use of
ICT in the sector. The Community
includes policy makers, rural service providers, development practitioners,
farmers, researchers and information and communication specialists involved in
agriculture and rural development.
Over 3400 stakeholders from
135 countries were involved in the development of the www.e-agriculture.org
platform. They participated in an online survey, providing relevant content,
and joining in virtual forums held during July and August 2007. Over the past decade, the digital divide -
the divide between those with regular, effective access to digital and ICT and
those without - has been shrinking in terms of numbers of fixed phone lines,
mobile subscribers, and Internet users. Nonetheless, only 18 percent of the
world's population have currently access to the internet. The International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates that one billion people worldwide still
lack connection to any kind of information and communication technology. Of
these people, most depend in some way on agriculture for their livelihoods. (…)
To join the e-agriculture Community of Expertise, please visit www.e-agriculture.org
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000668/index.html
Wanted: greener fish
Market trends require stronger environmental performance
by seafood industry
Rome,
25 September - The US$400 billion seafood industry has no choice but to adapt to
intensifying demand from retailers and consumers for "environmentally
friendly" fish, FAO said today. During opening remarks made to industry
representatives attending the 2007 Seafood Industry Congress (25-27 September,
Dublin), Grimur Valdimarsson, Director of FAO's Fishing Industries Division,
said that the need for seafood producers to guarantee environmental performance
is unavoidable. (…)
In broad terms, this means
that producers will need to be able to assure retailers and consumers that
their fish were not taken from overexploited stocks, farmed in ponds where
mangroves once stood, or caught in nets without turtle-saving excluder devices
installed. Doing so requires monitoring fishing activities via tracking
systems, labels and similar mechanisms. There are already a number of
initiatives under way that seek to do this, established either by seafood
retailers or public interest organizations. While expressing concern over the
proliferation of diverse and competing efforts, Valdimarsson stressed that,
overall, the trend is a positive one. (…)
Dominican Republic and St.
Lucia are considering a pan-Caribbean tourism strategy to use the region's
multi-billion dollar tourism revenues to combat poverty.
New York, September 25 –
Caribbean countries Dominican Republic and St. Lucia have plans to address the
sustainability of the Caribbean's tourism industry following the 2007 World
Leadership Awards, produced by Counterpart International in New York City last
week.
Lelei LeLaulu, president of
the nongovernmental organisation, confirmed that two of the five honorees
President of the Dominican Republic Leonel Fernández, and Senator Allen
Chastanet of St. Lucia, the current Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism
Organisation, are considering a pan-Caribbean tourism strategy to use the
region's multi-billion dollar tourism revenues to combat poverty. LeLaulu said
Counterpart was delighted that its laureates were "not sitting on their
laurels but were actively assembling action plans to increase the value of
tourism to all stakeholders, including local communities." Regional
marketing, Caribbean competitiveness, carbon footprints and tourism linkages,
agreed LeLaulu were some of the key issues the two leaders are expected to
explore in the months ahead. Counterpart International and the Dominican
Republic's Global Foundation for Democracy and Development would be involved.
(…)
http://www.counterpart.org/Default.aspx?tabid=340&metaid=HAQR5139-f53
IFAD’s
Executive Board approves more than US$197 million in loans and grants to combat
rural poverty in 14 countries
Rome, 13 September – The
Executive Board of IFAD approved almost US$164 million in loans and close to
US$25 million in grants to support development programmes and projects that
will improve the lives of poor rural people in 14 countries in Africa, Asia,
Latin America and the Near East. The Board also approved close to US$9
million in grants to six international centres that conduct agricultural
research and development activities in rural regions of poor countries.
The 91st session of the Board took place at IFAD headquarters in Rome from 11
to 12 September. A loan of US$5.7 million and a grant of US$0.3 million will
allow small-scale farmers in the Woleu-Ntem province of Gabon to diversify their incomes by developing and marketing new
products from staple crops such as banana, cassava and peanut. Through training
courses, farmer exchange visits and a new market information system, the
project will also help farmers’ organizations better defend the economic
interests of their members and market their goods more efficiently. The project
will directly benefit 28,000 small farmers, half of whom are women and a third
young people.(…)
Regional meeting in Macao to
review progress in dealing with population ageing–Oct.9 to 11
Bangkok 1 October
- As the regional focal point on population ageing, the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) will
bring together representatives from 25 countries in Asia-Pacific to a
High-level Meeting in Macao, China to review progress made in response to the
challenges of population ageing. The Meeting will be held from 9 to 11 October
2007.
Convened at a time when
population ageing – resulting from declining fertility and increasing longevity
-- has emerged as an important issue in the Asian and Pacific region, the
High-level Meeting on the Regional Review of the Madrid International Plan of
Action on Ageing (MIPAA) will appraise progress made in the implementation of
the landmark agreement. Adopted by the Second World Assembly on Ageing convened
in Madrid in 2002, MIPAA calls for changes in attitudes, policies and practices
at all levels and in all sectors, so that the enormous potential of “a society
for all ages” may be fulfilled in the twenty-first century. In Asia and the
Pacific, the number of older persons is growing rapidly, from 410 million in
2007 to about 733 million in 2025 and to an expected 1.3 billion in 2050. In
terms of percentages, older persons will constitute about 15 per cent of the
total population in 2025 and up to nearly 25 per cent by 2050, from over 10 per
cent now.(…)
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2007/oct/n47.asp
Myanmar:
UN to resume delivering food in Mandalay District
30 September – The United Nations World Food Programme
(WFP) today announced that it has been assured by Myanmar that authorities will
lift restrictions on the movement of the agency's food aid. WFP Country
Director and Representative Chris Kaye confirmed that the Mandalay Area
Military Commander on Saturday issued the transport permit to allow for the delivery
of nearly 200 metric tons of food to Lashio in northern Myanmar. WFP has
therefore scheduled food deliveries to WFP operational areas to resume next
week. Mandalay's local authorities halted all movements of food supplies out of
the Division earlier this week, obstructing WFP's operations in northern Shan
and the Central Dry Zone, both of which depend on food deliveries from
Mandalay. (…) Operating in Myanmar in collaboration with 22 UN agencies and
non-governmental organizations, WFP provides much-needed food for vulnerable
persons in the country, including HIV/AIDS and TB patients under treatment,
primary school children in marginalized areas of the country and communities in
former poppy-farming areas. A program supporting the nutrition status of mothers
and children addresses acute malnutrition rates that prevail in several
operational areas.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24086&Cr=Myanmar&Cr1=
Maria
Sharapova and LeBron James team up against poverty
World-renowned
photographer Patrick Demarchelier photographed both stars for a new series of
UNDP pro bono advertisements for the promotion of the Millennium Development
Goals
26 September - Maria Sharapova,
United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, has invited NBA star
LeBron James to "Team Up Against Poverty" on a new UNDP advertisement
to garner support for achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals. LeBron
James, Patrick Demarchelier and Maria Sharapova. Sharapova’s work with
UNDP includes promoting international
efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Adopted by 189 countries
in 2000, the Goals are clear, time-bound targets for achieving measurable
improvements in the lives of the world’s poorest people. They aim at
eradicating poverty, putting children in schools, promoting women’s rights,
fighting killer diseases, and providing access to safe drinking water. UNDP
coordinates global and national efforts to reach these Goals. This ad campaign
revolves around the concept of "Teaming Up Against Poverty" to
achieve the MDG’s. The
advertisements features celebrities
from the world of sports, arts, fashion or business portrayed in teams of two
by the world’s greatest professional photographers.(…)
http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2007/september/sharapova-lebron-20070926.en
UNICEF and FC Barcelona unite
for children in Geneva
Geneva, 26 September – UNICEF and Futbol Club Barcelona
renewed the second year of their five year partnership with the handing over of
this season’s team jersey bearing the UNICEF name and a pledge to give a
further 1.5 million Euros for children. In 2006 FC Barcelona donated 1.5
million Euros to UNICEF. These funds were used to help children affected by
AIDS in Swaziland, the country with the highest estimated HIV rate in the
world. “At FC Barcelona, we are aware of the global dimension of soccer. The
increasing number of FC Barcelona supporters and fans around the world in the
last few years has been spectacular. The club has an obligation to respond to
this enormous positive wave. The best way to do so is by using soccer as a tool
to bring hope to millions of vulnerable children in need around the world”,
said Mr. Joan Laporta, President of Futbol Club Barcelona. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_41012.html
As Uganda deals with unabated
flooding, Save the Children works to assist affected families
Westport, Conn., USA,
September 25 - Save the Children is providing a rapid response to extreme
flooding in north and northeastern Uganda, where unusually heavy rainfall since
August has affected an estimated 500,000 people. The rains and associated flooding have uprooted tens of thousands
of families and have destroyed wells, food crops, schools, hospitals, roads and
bridges.
(…) In addition to
distributing blankets and clothing for children, Save the Children will focus
on ensuring that children do not miss out on their education while their
country recovers. The agency will construct 50 temporary classrooms; distribute
school materials to 10,000 children; build 300 latrines; and provide 5,000
desks and 100 mobile blackboards to replace damaged furniture. Save the
Children also will establish 100 child-protection committees in affected areas.
Uganda is one of the worst hit
of 17 African countries enduring severe flooding. Across the continent, more
than 1.5 million people have been affected by the disaster. Save the Children
has been working in Uganda for more than 20 years. The agency also has ongoing
relief efforts in the flood-affected South Asian countries of Bangladesh,
India, Nepal and Pakistan.
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2007/uganda-flooding.html
Niger
- Innovative food bank keeps families together by helping them through the
‘hunger season’
In Niger, a combination of
recurrent drought and widespread poverty leaves the most vulnerable people
unable to cope when environmental shocks occur. Now, a new type of bank
provides poor farmers with access to cereal grains when there are seasonal or
unexpected food shortages. The banks, managed exclusively by women, are
improving nutrition, keeping families together and gathering interest in the
form of grain in the warehouses.(…)
IFAD-funded cereal banks in Niger were traditionally used to store
crops immediately after harvest so farmers could sell them during the dry
season when market prices tend to rise. But in response to the 2005 food
crisis, IFAD’s Project for the Promotion of Local Initiatives for Development
in Aguié created a new type of food bank in Maradi. Known locally as a soudure
bank, it lends food to farmers during the planting period to help them get
through the ‘hunger season’ that precedes the harvest. (…)
After the drought and locust
infestations of 2005, Niger ranked at the very bottom of the UNDP’s Human
Development Index, which measures human development in every country of the
world through longevity, knowledge and standard of living. (…)
http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/french/regions/africa/ner/voices/banks.htm
Rotary
Clubs respond to Peru earthquake
by
Joseph Derr, Rotary International News
13 September - Rotarians are
moving into action following a powerful earthquake that rocked Peru on 15
August, killing more than 500 and destroying some 35,000 homes. The Coastal
provinces of Chincha, Pisco, and Ica were the worst hit. The destruction of
highways and medical facilities in the earthquake has complicated rescue
operations.
Bruce Dearnley is one of the Rotarians gearing up help. In Peru,
he will work closely with local Rotarians to distribute ShelterBoxes. A member
of the Rotary Club of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, USA, Dearnley graduated in April
from the ShelterBox Response Team training program. He is among the first new
U.S. recruits to go on a ShelterBox mission. The Rotary Club of Chincha has
mobilized to meet the immediate needs of victims, providing blankets, clothing,
food, medicine, vaccines, and water. The club is now collecting money to
provide community education on the proper water and sanitation techniques,
public latrines, tents and tarpaulins, and other essential items. In addition,
the Rotary Club of Shoreline Breakfast in Seattle, Washington, USA, has joined
forces with the Consulate General of Peru, and the Peruvian community in
Seattle to send a 40-foot container of emergency supplies to Lima. The club
also plans to hold a fundraiser to assist the Rotary Club of Pisco with their
rebuilding efforts.
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/programs/070913_peruearthquake.html
4-5 October - The General Assembly, in its
resolution 61/221 of 20 December 2006, (OP. 14) decided “to convene in 2007 a
high-level dialogue on interreligious and intercultural cooperation for the
promotion of tolerance, understanding and universal respect on matters of
freedom of religion or belief and cultural diversity, in coordination with
other similar initiatives in this area”. In its resolution 61/269 of 25 May
2007, the General Assembly further decided that the High-level Dialogue would
be held on Thursday and Friday, 4 and 5 October 2007 at the ministerial or
highest possible level, and that it shall consist of three plenary meetings:
one in the morning of Thursday, 4 October and two on Friday, 5 October.
The General Assembly also decided to hold in the
afternoon of 4 October 2007 an informal interactive hearing with
representatives of civil society, including representatives of non-governmental
organizations and the private sector, to be chaired by the President of the
General Assembly. The informal
interactive hearing will be held in the Trusteeship Council Chamber and will be
opened and presided over by the President of the General Assembly.
Following the opening, the hearing will be divided
into two consecutive segments on the following tentative topics: (a) "Challenges
of Interreligious & Intercultural Cooperation Today"; (b) "Best Practices & Strategies for Interreligious
& Intercultural Cooperation Going Forward".
http://www.un.org/ga/president/61/follow-up/hld-interreligious.shtml
Kosovo's status process can be
concluded soon, top UN envoy says
30
September – Following direct talks between Belgrade and Pristina, the
Secretary-General's top envoy to Kosovo expressed optimism that the status
process of the Serbian province - which the world body has run since western
forces drove out Yugoslav troops in 1999 amid ethnic fighting - can be concluded
soon. Direct negotiations between both sides, the first to be led by the Troika
comprising the European Union, Russia and the United States, were held on
Friday in New York. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative
Joachim Rucker yesterday said he welcomed the "New York Declaration"
of the two parties reaffirming their commitment to engage seriously until the
end of the process on 10 December. "In this context, it is very important
that the parties also reaffirmed their commitment to avoid provocations and
refrain from any activities or statements that might jeopardize the security
situation," Mr. Rucker said. "It is too early to say what the final
outcome of negotiations will be. However, it is significant that the Contact Group
reaffirmed its Guiding Principles: that there be no partition of Kosovo, no
union with another state, no return to the pre-1999 status, and that any
settlement needs to be acceptable to the people of Kosovo." (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24085&Cr=Kosovo&Cr1=
10th Anniversary of the Mine
Ban treaty negotiations celebrated in Oslo, 17-18 September
Author(s): Tamar Gabelnick
Oslo, Norway, 26
September - On 17 and 18 September,
celebrations were held in Norway to mark the 10th anniversary of the
negotiation of the Mine Ban Treaty, which was agreed on 18 September 1997 in
Oslo. An all-day civil society event was held on 17 September, and a morning
panel discussion was hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18
September, followed by an evening ceremony. All events involved the active
participation of ICBL ambassadors, staff, and member organizations.
On 17 September, the Norwegian
Forum for Environment and Development hosted the “Civil Society Conference at
the 10th Anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty - Towards Human Security.” The
series of panel discussions commemorated civil society’s critical contribution
to the creation of the mine ban treaty and examined how the close civil
society-government partnership the worked so well on landmines has been or
could be repeated in other areas, including the International Criminal Court,
small arms, child soldiers, nuclear weapons and conflict diamonds.
( ) The Norwegian government’s event on 18 September was called
“Clearing the path for a better future.” It focused not just on the
accomplishments and challenges of the Mine Ban Treaty, but also on the urgent
need to take action on cluster munitions and other threats to human security.
Speakers included Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen, Special
Advisor to the UN Secretary General Jan Egeland, and Nobel Laureates Jody
Williams and Shirin Ebadi. (…)
http://www.icbl.org/news/oslo07
Peace churches host dialogue
with Iranian President and 100 religious leaders
Meeting is third in a series
seeking to the use the common ground of faith to address political tensions
New York, September 26 - More
than 100 religious leaders today participated in an hour-long, interfaith
encounter with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the Church Center for
the United Nations. The gathering was organized by the Mennonite Central
Committee and endorsed by the American Friends Service Committee, the Friends
Committee on National Legislation, the Mennonite Church USA, the Mennonite
Church Canada and the Church of the Brethren General Board. Other endorsers
included Sojourners/Call to Renewal, Pax Christi USA, the World Council of
Churches Commission of Churches on International Affairs, and the World
Conference of Religions for Peace. The meeting also included Catholics,
Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians and others.
This is the third in a series
of conversations focused on establishing a dialogue between people of faith in
the United States and the people and government of Iran. (…) This ongoing
dialogue emerges out of the concerns of religious leaders in the United States
that the escalating political and economic confrontation between the U.S. and
Iran could lead to war. They have called on the governments of Iran and the
United States to establish direct, face-to-face diplomatic negotiations as one
part of an effort to create a path to peace. Known as “peace churches” for
their historic witness to nonviolence, Mennonites and Quakers have long been at
the forefront of international movements for peace and reconciliation. (…)
http://www.afsc.org/news/2007/Peace-churches-host-dialoguewith-Iranian-President.htm
German second contribution to
ITF in 2007
September 13 - The
International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance received a
donation from the Federal Republic of Germany in the amount of 500.000,00 EUR
for the second time this year. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed today
by H.E. Dr. Hans – Joachim Goetz, German Ambassador to Slovenia and Mr.Goran
Gačnik, ITF Director. This is already 11th German donation to ITF, this
time earmarked for demining activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
Demining is still the key
element for a successful reconstruction and socio-economic development of the
mine affected areas. One of the most mine-contaminated countries in Europe and
the world is still Bosnia and Herzegovina which will receive 300.000,00 EUR
from the latest donation provided by Germany. Additional 200.000,00 EUR shall
be earmarked for the implementation of demining programme in Serbia, which
Germany supports since 2003.
Germany remains one of the
most important donors to the ITF in the field of demining operations in SE
Europe. One of the crucial issues in the normalization of the situation in the
region of SE Europe is the demining of mine and UXO contaminated areas.
http://www.itf-fund.si/news/news.asp#m222
Third
group graduates from Rotary peace program
by
Tiffany Woods, Rotary International News
The Rotary Foundation’s third
group of students studying peace and conflict resolution at a university in
Bangkok, Thailand, will graduate from their intensive, three-month program on
14 September. The 20 students, who hail from 13 countries and received
financial aid from the Foundation, will earn certificates in peace and
conflicts studies from Chulalongkorn University for completing the Rotary Peace
and Conflict Studies program.
The program is aimed at
professionals working for governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
Graduates are expected to return to their jobs and apply the skills they’ve
learned. The first class of students graduated in September 2006. The next
group will begin studying in January. This week's graduates include a staff
correspondent for a newspaper in India, a deputy police superintendent from
Nigeria, a teacher from the United States, and a program coordinator for a
nongovernmental organization in Tajikistan. (…)
The Rotary Peace and Conflict
Studies Program was established to provide professionals from around the world
the opportunity to be trained in conflict resolution and mediation strategies
and to become better equipped to help prevent and resolve conflict, as well as
foster policies and create settings that ensure peace, worldwide. Offered in
English, the program is aimed at mid- to upper-level professionals in
governments, nongovernmental organizations, and private corporations. (…)
http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/rpcsp/index.html
UNMAS and ITF enter into
partnership agreement
September 12 - International
Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) and United Nations
Mine Action Service (UNMAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which outlines
the scope of activities to be jointly carried out in the field of mine action
assistance. The Memorandum defines the areas of mine action activities in which
UNMAS and ITF will be cooperating in the future.
The Memorandum between ITF and
UNMAS allows efficient coordination and implementation of activities in the
field of mine action. ITF director Mr.Goran Gačnik pointed out the
importance of the signed MoU in what regards the unification of knowledge,
experience and resources in solving the mine problem in the world. At the same
time bilateral discussions on future cooperation between ITF and UNMAS in
Afghanistan, Lebanon and Sudan have started.
The United Nations Mine Action
Service (UNMAS) was formed in October 1997 to serve as the UN focal point for
mine action. At the global level, UNMAS is responsible for coordinating all
aspects of mine action within the UN system. At the field level, UNMAS is
responsible for providing mine action assistance in the context of humanitarian
emergencies and peacekeeping operations. UNMAS and its UN partners operate
within the framework of an inter-agency policy formulated in 1998, which
clarifies the principles upon which UN mine action is based, and defines roles
and responsibilities within the UN system (more http://www.mineaction.org/)
http://www.itf-fund.si/news/news.asp#m220
China: civil society key to
defeating AIDS
International groups, global
leaders press UNAIDS to convene NGO meeting
New York/Toronto, September 27
– The United Nations AIDS Program should support Chinese AIDS activists, who
face increased government surveillance and intimidation, in their efforts to
openly meet and discuss AIDS, human rights and access to legal services, 27
human rights organizations, foundations and AIDS organizations from around the
globe said today.
In an open letter to the Joint
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), leading HIV/AIDS experts and
advocates are calling attention to the ongoing crackdown on AIDS activists in
China and asking the Chinese government to respect human rights and encourage
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to participate fully in the fight against
AIDS. In particular, the letter calls for a special UN conference to address
China’s HIV/AIDS challenges.
Those signing the letter
include an unprecedented number of Asian AIDS organizations and such notable
global figures as former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis
and the chair of UNAIDS’ Reference Group on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, Mark
Heywood. (…)
Many Chinese AIDS activists
fear an increasing crackdown on AIDS groups in the months leading up to the
2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Previous high-profile events in China have led
to tight constraints on public dissent and the detention of groups considered
“undesirable.”
“The spirit of the Olympic
Games is inconsistent with the intimidation of AIDS activists, the shuttering of
AIDS NGOs and the harassment of those most at risk,” said Richard Elliott, the
executive director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. “UNAIDS must make it
clear to the Chinese government that a successful fight against AIDS cannot be
sacrificed on the altar of the Olympic Games.”
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/09/27/china16963_txt.htm
UN mission reiterates call for
total cessation of violence in Afghanistan
Kabul, Afghanistan, 19
September – With days to go before the end of a nine-week peace campaign in
Afghanistan, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reiterated its
call for a total cessation of violence countrywide on and around 21 September,
Peace Day.
The appeal came as teams of UN
and government health workers began a three day polio immunization effort in
insurgency affected areas of Afghanistan’s south and east. The immunization
drive aims to take advantage of the window of opportunity for accessing children
in need created by the Peace Day campaign. “We call again upon the entire
community, every woman, man, and child, to support genuinely and in whatever
way they can this effort for a real Peace Day in Afghanistan,” said Bo Asplund,
UNAMA Deputy Special Representative. “To save even a single life is a success.”
Peace Day is marked each year
by UN member states on 21 September. But this year in Afghanistan the day has
been the focus of a campaign that began on 19 July when UNAMA teamed up with
Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day, actor Jude Law, and the UN Children’s
Fund (Unicef) to promote Peace Day. Multiple partners have since joined in,
including businesses, civil society, government, international donors, UN
agencies, politicians, Afghan celebrities and performers as well as individual
citizens. The effort has become the biggest peace campaign in Afghanistan ever.
On 11 September Special Representative Tom Koenigs, accompanied by the heads of
nearly every UN agency in Afghanistan, appealed for a complete cessation of
violence countrywide.
Afghanistan is one of four
countries that still suffers endemic polio, the others being India, Nigeria,
and Pakistan. Insecurity has meant that many districts in the southern region
have been missed in recent polio immunization drives. According to Unicef and
the World Health Organization five children have been paralyzed from this
preventable disease in recent weeks.
http://www.unama-afg.org/_latestnews/07sep19-un-mission-reiterates.html
New guidelines to improve
psychological and social assistance in emergencies
Geneva, 14 September -
International humanitarian agencies have agreed on a new set of guidelines to
address the mental health and psychosocial needs of survivors as part of the
response to conflict or disaster. The
Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Mental Health and
Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings clearly state that protecting and
promoting mental health and psychosocial well-being is the responsibility of
all humanitarian agencies and workers. Until now, many people involved in
emergency response have viewed mental health and psychosocial well-being as the
sole responsibility of psychiatrists and psychologists. (…)
The guidelines have been
published by the IASC, a committee that is responsible for world-wide
humanitarian policy and consists of heads of relevant UN and other
intergovernmental agencies, Red Cross and Red Crescent agencies, and NGO
consortia. The guidelines have been developed by staff from 27 agencies through
a highly participatory process. (…)
http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/pr07/5507.asp
New water partnership “breaks
ground” in northern Uganda
Africare partners with
Invisible Children, African Well Fund to bring clean water to northern Ugandan
schools ... and students around the world can help!
Washington, D.C., September 13
- The Awere Senior Secondary School was established in northern Uganda in 1982,
that is, 25 years ago. Yet for the past 16 years, the school has been
essentially homeless. Civil conflict during that time forced the school — its
teachers, its students, and whatever books and supplies they could transport —
to move in search of safety from building to building across the region. They
lacked, not only a building to call their own, but an overall environment that
was safe.
In the coming months, Awere’s
720 students will make their way back to the original school site in the rural
Gulu district. And there, they will find — not only peace, not only the
re-opening of a permanent school — but also brand new water-and-sanitation
facilities, which are essential to the students’ basic health and nutrition.
The water-and-sanitation facilities will be delivered collaboratively by three
nonprofit organizations: Africare, Invisible Children and the African Well
Fund. Beneficiaries will be the Awere Senior Secondary School and six other
schools in the northern Ugandan districts of Amuru, Gulu and Pader. (…)
http://www.africare.org/news/news_release/2007.09.13.UgandaWaterPartnership.html
Project HOPE delivers medicines
and supplies to the people of Georgia
Humanitarian Airlift is
largest in HOPE’s 15-Year History in Georgia
As part of the U.S. Department
of State’s Humanitarian Airlift, Project HOPE and four other health-related
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provided nearly $11 million of medicines and medical supplies that will be
distributed to five hospitals in the Tbilisi area of Georgia to help serve the
health care needs of the country. A United States Air Force transport plane
carrying the cargo was met by Georgian and United States government officials
at Tbilisi International Airport on September 14. (…) Working with the Georgia
Ministry of Health, the U.S. Department of State provided a “wish list” of
medicines and medical supplies to Project HOPE and the other participating
NGOs. The plane’s cargo includes much need medicines such as antibiotics,
cholesterol-lowering medications and cardiovascular drugs.
Partnering with Project HOPE,
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), ACTS International, International
Relief and Development (IRD) and SAE-Hellinicare worked together to collect
medicines and medical supplies from some of the world’s largest health care
companies.
Of the nearly $11 million of
supplies on the plane, Project HOPE sought donations valued at almost $8
million from companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Merck,
Schering-Plough, 3M and others. (…)
http://www.projecthope.org/headlines/view.asp?id=12388066
(top)
Kick
the Habit - World Environment Day 2008 to be hosted by New Zealand with focus
on fostering low-carbon economies
Nairobi/Wellington,
1 October - New Zealand, one of the first countries to pledge a carbon-neutral
future, will be the main host of World Environment Day 2008, the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP) announced today. The challenge of climate change and threats
to polar regions and beyond were spotlighted in Norway as part of World
Environment Day (WED) 2007. The focus of the global 2008 celebrations hosted in
New Zealand will be on the solutions and the opportunities for countries,
companies and communities to "Kick the habit" and de-carbonize their
economies and life-styles. Measures include greater energy efficiency in
buildings and appliances, including light bulbs, up to a switch towards cleaner
and renewable forms of electricity generation and transport systems. The focus
will also be put on the role of forests in countering rises in greenhouse
gases. An estimated 20 per cent of emissions contributing to climate change
globally are a result of deforestation. New Zealand, where forestry is an
important industry and conservation of forests is a high priority, plans to use
WED to highlight the role technologies and forestry management can play in
achieving domestic and international climate goals.(…)
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=519&ArticleID=5677&l=en
More European companies switch
to green power
Lausanne, Switzerland,
September 14 - The Green Power Market Development Group - Europe (GPMDG-EU)
today announced the completion of its first 100 megawatts (MW) of green power
projects at 50 corporate facilities across 16 European countries. GPMDG-EU, a
coalition of leading European companies, made the announcement at the 5th
European Conference on Green Power Marketing in Lausanne. GPMDG-EU is convened
by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and The Climate Group, two leading
international organizations dedicated to finding solutions to climate change.
(…)
The projects draw upon a
variety of renewable energy technologies, including 46 MW of utility-supplied
green power purchases, 40 MW of on-site biomass thermal energy, 9 MW of on-site
wind power, 2 MW of on-site solar thermal, 2 MW of biomass power, and 1 MW of
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and geothermal heat pumps. They total 100
MW in generation capacity and produce the equivalent of approximately 500
million kilowatt-hours per year-enough to power more than 110,000 European
households.
Companies that have switched
to renewable energy are reporting a number of bottom line advantages, including
reduced corporate greenhouse gas emissions, diversification of energy sources
to hedge against fluctuating fossil fuel prices, as well as strengthening
customer relationships and brand differentiation. (…) Members of GPMDG-EU
include BT, Dow, DuPont, General Motors, Holcim, IBM Europe, IKEA,
InterfaceFLOR, Johnson & Johnson, Michelin, Nike (Customer Service Centre),
Staples, Tetra Pak and Unilever.
http://www.wri.org/newsroom/newsrelease_text.cfm?nid=395
Local communities celebrate
new protected areas in Papua New Guinea
Bensbach, Papua New Guinea, 28
September – The creation of three new wildlife management areas in Papua New
Guinea will protect some of Asia-Pacific’s most threatened and unique wildlife
habitats. The new Aramba, Tonda extension and Weriaver areas cover about
710,000 hectares in Papua New Guinea’s Western Province, and join up with the
existing Tonda wildlife management area of 610,000 hectares. These areas,
together with the adjoining Wasur National Park in Papua, mean that almost 2
million hectares of the TransFly Ecoregion will be protected.
“The creation of these new
protected areas means that the TransFly region will now contain the largest
continuous protected area in the country,” said Dr David Melick, WWF’s TransFly
Ecoregion Coordinator. The TransFly is a vast, low-lying coastal region of
grasslands, savannas wetlands and monsoon forest in south-central New Guinea.
Home to such unique wildlife as marsupial cats, endemic flying possums and
birds of paradise, the region covers more than 10 million hectares, straddling
the borders of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. (…)
Hundreds of local tribal
groups from surrounding villages celebrated the announcement of the protected
areas in a traditional ceremony. Local community leaders, politicians and
wildlife officials took part in the ceremony, as well as world-renowned
conservationist and author Professor Jared Diamond, and WWF representatives,
including WWF International’s Executive Director of Conservation, Guillermo
Castilleja. (…)
http://www.panda.org/index.cfm?uNewsID=114340
New reserves in Vietnam
provide lifeline for endangered wild ox
Hoi An, Vietnam, 28 September
– Twenty years after its discovery in the forested mountains of Vietnam, local
authorities here have agreed to establish new nature reserves to protect a
critically endangered wild ox. As part of a plan to protect the saola
(Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), the central Vietnamese provinces of Thua Thien Hue
and Quang Nam will create two 121km2 reserves. The reserves will link up with
the Bach Ma National Park to cover a continuous protected landscape covering
approximately 2,920km2 — stretching from the Vietnamese coast to the Xe Sap
National Biodiversity Conservation Area in neighbouring Laos. (…)
Found only in the Annamite
Mountains of Vietnam and Laos, the saola was discovered in 1992 by a team of scientists
from the Vietnamese Ministry of Forestry and WWF; the first large mammal to be
discovered anywhere in the world since 1936.
The saola is a primitive member of the Bovidae family, which includes
antelopes, buffalo, bison, cattle, goats and sheep. Although very little is
known about the species, its global population is thought to be no more than
250 individuals, and its distribution highly restricted to only six provinces
in Vietnam and four in Laos. The largest population is found in the far south
of the saola's distribution range in Vietnam on the border between Thua Thien
Hue and Quang Nam provinces where the nature reserves will be established.
Other species that will be protected by this enhanced green corridor include
the Truongson muntjac, red-shanked douc and white-cheeked crested gibbon, as
well as many other newly and yet to be described species.
Earlier this week, WWF
announced the discovery of 11 new species of animals and plants in this remote
area of Vietnam, including butterflies, orchids and a snake. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=114200
Fight
against climate change: projects from South Africa and Bangladesh share prestigiouse
environment award - Winners of the United Nations Environment Programme Sasakawa Prize 2007
Announced
Nairobi, 27 September - Ms. Jeunesse Park of South Africa and Bangladeshi NGO Shidhulai
Swanirvar Sangstha are the co-winners of the UNEP Sasakawa Prize 2007, a
$200,000 prize awarded yearly to individuals or institutions who have made a
substantial contribution to the protection and management of the environment.
Commenting on this
announcement, Ms. Park, who has been working on climate change since 1990, said
that "it has been rewarding to recently see the growing interest in this
crucial global crisis and to know that we have played a small part in
facilitating action in South Africa". For his part, Abul Hasanat Mohammed
Rezwan, Shidhulai Executive Director, noted that the prize will help his
organization "provide clean solar-powered lighting and educate thousands
of people on literacy, sustainable farming and climate change", as well as
promote "self-reliance for hundreds of villages in Bangladesh".
The four-member jury chose the
co-winners, at a meeting at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, and the award
ceremony will be held on 27 October 2007 at the Museum of Natural History, Rose
Center for Earth and Space, in New York, USA. (…)
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=517&ArticleID=5675&l=en
Greening
The Olympics: The Walk From Hong Kong To China
On the 22nd of September,
British born Paul Coleman (52) and his Japanese wife Konomi Kikuchi will begin
walking from Hong Kong To Beijing, joining China’s efforts to ‘Green The
Olympics.’ This walk will finish in August 2008 when the Olympics begin and is
expected to draw considerable attention throughout China and the region.
This 3000 kilometer walk comes
on the heels of last years Earthday Friendship Walk that received great
popular, and governmental support as the couple made their way through China,
Korea and Japan in an effort to unite the environmental movements of the three
nations. In Beijing they were warmly welcomed by Mr. Li Yucai, China’s Vice
Minister of Forestry, whose department arranged tree planting events, and by
members of the Dongsi Olympic Community and Olympic Committee, who received
them into the city with a press conference that propelled the couple into the
Chinese limelight. (…)
Coleman, is no stranger to
trotting around the planet. Since 1990, when he walked from Canada to South
America to draw attention the destruction of the worlds forests and the first
United Nations Earth Summit he’s walked over 44,000 kilometers through 39
nations. He began that first two year
continent spanning walk with just enough money for a month, and for his efforts
received the support of tens of thousands of people. In Mexico his support
extended all the way to the President who provided him with a Federal Police
Escort and a profile that led to the planting of over 1,000,000 trees. (…)
Paul Coleman’s Website: www.earthwalker.com
Peace Messenger Site: www.cultureofpeace.org
“Environment for Europe” -
Counting down to the sixth ministerial conference, Belgrade, Serbia, 10-12 October
Geneva,
21 September - Environment ministers throughout the UNECE region are gearing up for the
Sixth “Environment for Europe” Conference, scheduled to take place at the SAVA
Centre in the Serbian capital of Belgrade from 10 to 12 October . In Belgrade,
they will take stock of progress made in improving the region’s environment
since their previous meeting in Kiev four years ago, and decide on priorities
for future cooperation. The Belgrade Conference will gather more than 1,200
delegates representing the 56 countries of the UNECE region. More than
20 intergovernmental organizations will also be attending the Conference.
At least 50 ministers and high-level officials are expected to participate, as
will more than 200 representatives of national and international
non-governmental organizations, including environmental NGOs, business, trade
unions and local authorities. The Environment ministers are expected to hold
policy debates on a number of topical environment-related issues. (…)
The Belgrade Conference will
be the sixth in a series of regional conferences at which environment ministers
and other policymakers have convened to discuss ways of strengthening
cooperation to protect and improve our environment. The “Environment for
Europe” process is aimed at harmonizing environmental conditions and policies
in all UNECE member States. The ultimate goal is to raise standards globally.
(…)
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2007/07env_p05e.htm
"Sciences Po", Paris
- President Gorbachev speaks on new geopolitical challenges related to
sustainable development imperatives – 26 October
Green Cross France and the
Agence française de Développement (AfD) are co-organising a conference on the
new global challenges related to sustainable development imperatives.
A first roundtable will
address the links between environmental degradation, poverty and international
security, with Michel Rocard, former French Prime Minister, Jean-Michel
Severino, Director of the Agence Française de Développement, Anna Tibaijuka,
Executive Director of UN Habitat and a multinational Corporation's CEO.
The second one will elaborate
on the strategic issues that derive from climate change and other ecological
disruptions, and on the need of a new form of global environmental governance.
Mikhail Gorbachev, Jean-Marie Bockel, Secretary of State in charge of
International Cooperation, Okonjo Iweala, former Minister or finance of Nigeria
will give their respective views. Michel Camdessus' (former IMF Secretary
General) participation is pending. More info soon on : www.greencross.fr
http://www.greencrossinternational.net/index.htm#
Mayor, Nonprofits announce
partnership to green Mexico city transport
Mexico City, September 19 -
Mayor Marcelo Ebrard this morning announced a five-year partnership to green
Mexico City's transportation system, following through on his campaign promise
to fix the city's notoriously gridlocked and polluting traffic.
Ebrard signed a commitment
here today to partner with Centro de Transporte Sustentable de Mexico
(CTS-Mexico), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and EMBARQ - the WRI Center
for Sustainable Transport to reduce transport-related air pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions; improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of urban
transport; improve accessibility, traffic safety and public security; and
improve the quality of public spaces in Mexico City.
Combined with a host of other
green initiatives that Ebrard has recently launched, this new partnership
places the mayor in an elite group of megacity mayors such as Michael Bloomberg
of New York City, Bertrand Delanoë of Paris, and Ken Livingstone of London who
are leading a growing global movement to create cleaner, healthier, and more
livable urban areas. (…)
http://www.wri.org/newsroom/newsrelease_text.cfm?nid=396
Healing of Memories - Reconciling
Communities - Dublin, Ireland, October 1-4
This international ecumenical
consultation will assess best practices in dealing with large-scale crimes
affecting entire nations or ethnic communities.
During
the first days of October, some thirty international academics and
reconciliation practitioners meeting at the Dominican retreat centre Tallaght,
Dublin, will study the exemplary cases of Guatemala, Germany, South Africa,
Cambodia, Northern Ireland. The aim of their work is a summary or manual that
would help churches, civil society groups and policy makers to understand the
needs and options of community healing.
The
consultation "Healing of Memories - Reconciling Communities" is
co-organized by the Irish School of Ecumenics and the World Council of
Churches. It is part of the preparatory process leading to the International
Ecumenical Peace Convocation in 2011.
“Towards an ecumenical agenda for advocacy on human rights and human
dignity”
Workshop on
Human Rights in Asia - Bangkok
(Thailand), 4-6 October
Thirty human rights activists, scholars and
other members of Asian WCC member churches and related organizations will be
gathering in Bangkok (...) to work “Towards an Ecumenical Agenda for Advocacy
on Human Rights and Human Dignity”. Participants
from Aotearoa-New Zealand, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India,
Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri
Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam will share an overview of
their respective national human rights context (...).
After an overlook of the theological, scientific and judicial
background of human rights and human dignity, the group will focus on
strategies for the promotion of the issue, including ideas on how to engage
ecumenical networks and interfaith groups in human rights advocacy.
The workshop aims to foster cooperation on human rights activities
among churches and ecumenical partners of the region - and beyond, as the
outcomes will be shared at following gatherings. This is the first in a series
of WCC regional human rights workshops to be held until 2012, eventually
covering all the continents. The event is organized by the WCC together with
the Church of Christ in Thailand and the Christian Conference of Asia.
Religious leaders call
for interfaith fast to end the war in Iraq
From conquest to
community. From violence to reverence.
October 7-8 - Religious leaders from several traditions
invite you to join with millions of other Americans participating in interfaith
events in your local community on October 7 and 8th, for the breaking of bread,
fasting, and breaking our fast together as we covenant together to live out the
deepest calling in each of our traditions - the desire for justice and for
peace for all people. (...)
On
this day, people of faith in local communities across our nation will act as
catalysts to transform the meaning of the day from one of conquest to community
and from violence to reverence. Just as Isaiah called the People Israel to hear
the Yom Kippur fast as God’s call to feed the hungry, just as Jesus fasted in
the wilderness, just as Christians through Lenten fasting and Muslims through
Ramadan fasting have focused on spiritual transformation, just as Mohandas
Gandhi, Cesar Chavez and others drew on fasting to change the course of
history, so we call on all our communities of faith to draw now on fasting as a
path toward inner spiritual transformation and outward social transformation.
Ending this war can become the first step toward a
policy that embodies a deeper, broader sense of generosity and community at
home and in the world.
See www.interfaithfast.org for local actions
and more information.
Pathways to Peace: religious perspectives on
solving global problems
New York, October 11, Church Center for the UN, 777 UN
Plaza, 1:15-2:45 PM
On October 4-5 the UN General
Assembly President has organized a High Level Dialogue on Inter-Religious and
Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace. This two day dialogue has been organized to
foster "tolerance, understanding, and universal respect on matters of
freedom of religion or belief and cultural diversity" (UN Website), and
provide ideas on how civil society can help. Building on this high-level
dialogue, this briefing hosted by UNA-USA's Council of Organizations will be an
opportunity for an informal dialogue with the NGO community about ways in which
various faith traditions address peace and conflict resolution (i.e. the
context or framework); kinds of activities/practices these traditions are
undertaking to implement this framework; and examples of inter-religious
initiatives intended to promote peace and conflict resolution.
Featured speakers: Nurah Jeter
Ammat'ullah, Executive Director, Muslim Women's Institute for Research and
Development; Aaron Etra, Vice Chair for UN Affairs, B'nai B'rith International;
Reverend Christopher Ferguson, Main UN Representative, World Council of
Churches. Moderated by Rev. Liberato C. Bautista, Assistant General Secretary,
United Nations, United Methodist Church-General Board of Church and Society.
Full contact information to:
Jessica Hartl, UNA-USA, jhartl@unausa.org
Global
Link Teleconference - May Peace Prevail
On Earth heard around the world!
October
13th, Prayers for the Native American Tribes and 50 States of USA
Participants from around the
world connect on a telephone conference line to offer blessings and prayers for
peace to prevail in each of the Native American Tribes and the 50 States of
USA. Native Prayers led by Grandmother
Silver Star of the Cherokee /Lakota Nation from the Heart of the Dove.To view
participation map, testimonials, and teleconference information please visit www.http://worldpeace.org/teleconference.php Hosted by The
World Peace Prayer Society www.worldpeace.org
2007 Meeting of prayer for
peace of world religions in the “Spirit of Assisi "
Naples (Italy), October 21-23 - The next Encounter (...) will happen in Naples, a
city marked out by its history, and by its location at the heart of the
Mediterranean: at the crossroads of different cultural and religious
traditions. The chosen theme, “For a world without violence: religions and
cultures in dialogue”. Faced with violence which is both widespread and
permeating many levels of our society: in the confrontational nature of the
current international situation, but also in the alienation felt by
contemporary humanity - in the rich North, as in the poor South of our world -
the sense urgency is tangible. We have to reaffirm, with courage, the way of
dialogue and cooperation between religions and between cultures.
In Naples, using different languages, addressing differing cultures, one
message will be enounced: Only through dialogue and open exchange of ideas with
the other is it possible to construct that authentic civilization, based on
living together, which is so necessary for every contemporary society. Naples,
at the heart of the Mediterranean, will host representatives from religions and
cultures of the world from October 21 to 23, becoming a capital city of peace,
facing up to the challenges, the questions, and above all the expectations of
men and women, of entire peoples.
Three days of encounter, of prayer, and of comparison, building together,
through dialogue, “a world without violence”.
http://www.santegidio.org/en/ecumenismo/uer/2007/intro.htm
First lay conference on Catholic-Jewish relations at the Vatican
Bridging the religious gap - Interreligious Information Center (IIC), October 21-25
Catholic
and Jewish lay persons from twenty-five U.S. cities, representing their local
Churches and Synagogues, will meet with high-ranking Church Officials at the
Vatican to create a greater understanding of issues between the two
faiths. It is hoped that the meeting will generate increased local
activities. Although a lay conference, clergy are welcome as special
consultants. (...) The conference is being organized by the Interreligious Information
Center in cooperation with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and
the Pontifical Council for Religious Relations with the Jews, Cardinal Walter
Kasper and Father Norbert Hoffman. William Cardinal Keeler is actively serving
as Honorary Chairman and a Consultant. The National Council of Synagogues
and The Religious Action Center of the Union for Reform Judaism are also
participating.
http://www.iicreligion.com/more/index.cfm?Fuseaction=more_27668
International refresher programme
on Religions, Conventions and Minorities
14 - 21 November, Kathmandu,
Nepal
Safeguarding traditional
wisdoms, embracing fruits of evolutions, recognizing differences as unique
qualities; defining journalistic responsibilities for stability, peace, harmony
and progress
The Refresher Programme in Nepal will analyse the role of religions in
ensuring peace and stability in the nation and in the region. And all religions
especially those who have played an important role in the field of education
and health might have to exert greater influence in making Nepal more stable
and all-people friendly.
The event will analyse and suggest the role of its superpower neighbours
such as India and China so that tragedies like Tibet does not repeat and those
tragedies are redressed by independence and sovereignty of peoples. Other major issues planned to be explored
during the event are traditions, conventions, role of professionals such as
journalists, press freedom, international efforts, poverty, Maoists revolts,
democratic reforms, and so on. The programme will focus on all major issues
related to the theme and regional affairs. Participants will be invited to
enter into a permanent network of action starting on regional level, later on
international level. (…)
Liberia: UN mission hands
rehabilitated school for Christian and Muslim over to community
29
September – The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia (UNMIL) handed over a school
it rehabilitated for some 1,500 Christian and Muslin children to a community on
the outskirts of the capital Monrovia. "This school is a symbol of the
progress that Liberia is making and of UNMIL's engagement to support the
Government in meeting the needs of its citizens," the Secretary-General's
Deputy Special Representative for Recovery and Governance Jordan Ryan said at
the hand-over ceremony in Sawebeh. Stressing the significance of education for
the development of Liberia, he said that "it is now time for the Ministry
of Education takes the responsibility to make sure the school works well."
(…) He underscored the uniqueness of the Sawegbeh English and Arabic Grammar
School project because it is the first with additional amenities to meet the
Islamic community's needs. "The Muslim community is an integral part of
Liberia and deserves to be educated like any other," he stated. Thanking
the Mission for its efforts, Elder John Mills of Sawegbeh, where former
internally displaced persons (IDPs) have resettled, said that his people
"will always remember the good work UNMIL has done in our community."
(…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24084&Cr=Liberia&Cr1=
26 September: European Day of
Languages 2007
Languages and their use lie at
the very heart of the European Union. The languages we speak define who we are.
The European Union respects the cultural and linguistic diversity of its
citizens.
At the end of the hugely
successful 2001 European Year of Languages, jointly organised by the Council of
Europe and the European Commission, it was decided that 26 September each year
should be the European Day of Languages, to celebrate the rich heritage of
cultures and traditions embodied in all the languages of Europe – and not only
the 23 official languages of the EU.
Language diversity offers you
an opportunity to step into someone else's shoes and experience life from a
different perspective.
It is important that all
European citizens are able to understand European policies and legislation and
participate in defining them. Just as importantly, the European Commission
wants to encourage them to learn new languages so as to better exploit the
cultural, social and professional opportunities offered by European
integration. It is in this spirit that Commissioner Leonard Orban has been
given multilingualism as a portfolio in its own right. (…)
http://europa.eu/languages/en/home
Santiago, Chile: ECLAC and
Kobe University sign cooperation agreement
The two institutions will
carry out important joint initiatives over the coming years.
26
September 2007 - The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Research Institute for
Economics and Business Administration (RIEB) of Kobe University, Japan, have
signed a cooperation agreement to develop and implement academic initiatives
over the next several years.
The agreement -- signed today
at ECLAC's Santiago (Chile)
headquarters by Junichi Goto,
RIEB Director, and José Luis Machinea,
ECLAC Executive Secretary --
establishes the following activities: Opportunities for RIEB graduate students
to work on doctoral research in ECLAC
and participate in internship programmes and courses; Research exchange;
Mutual access to libraries of both institutions; Exchange of institutional
publications; Development of joint research projects and publications; Planning
and execution of joint conferences and seminars.
The
Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration of Kobe University
has more than half a century of excellence in international research to its
credit.(…)
Millennium
Development Goals - Press Award results
Mexico City - UNDP awarded
journalists from Brazil, Honduras, Mexico and Uruguay for producing the best
news articles on the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). The winners of the
first edition of the Latin America and MDG 2007 Journalism Award were selected
by a five member international jury, whose decision was released today. The
series “Working Children” written by a team led by Marcela Turati, reporter of
the Mexican newspaper Excelsior, won the first prize of the contest. Organized by UNDP and the news agency Inter
Press Service (IPS), the first prize is worth US$5,000. The series describing
how hundreds of children risk their life in Mexico´s farming fields was
selected among 466 works that were submitted in the contest, which seeks to
encourage regional media to spread the word about the challenges associated
with accomplishing the MDGs, which include halving poverty by 2015.(…) The
second prize, worth US$2,500, was awarded to Bruna Cabral de Vasconcelos and
her team for the series of articles about health and gender entitled “Faces of
Maternity”, published by the newspaper Jornal do Commercio from Brasil.
The third prize was shared by
Zósimo Camacho and his team, of the Mexican magazine “Contralínea”, for the
series “Dying in Poverty”, and Paulo Aurelio Martinelli and his team, of the
Brazilian newspaper Correio Popular, for the series “Mata Atlantica, the
forgotten forest”. Each team will receive US$1,000.(…)
http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2007/september/resultados-odm-20070928.en
Eco-Ar-Te para o
reencantamento do mundo / Eco-Art for the re-enchantment of the world
Earth Charter
International/Carta de la Tierra
September 24 - We're pleased
to announce the development of a collective work titled "Eco-Ar-Te para o
reencantamento do mundo" (Eco-Art for the re-enchantment of the world),
under the coordination of Michèle Sato, Affiliate of Earth Charter
International, which will be published soon by the publishing house of the
Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar).
This 36-chapter book is an
alliance between art and the environment. Text, image, landscape, poetry, sound
and body are used via theater, cinema, photography, painting and many other
forms of artistic expression -- all allied with environmental dimension for a
wonderful result.
The opening chapters feature
"Committed to the Earth Charter" by Leonardo Boff, and "Science
and the Culture of the Earth Charter" by Marcos Terena. These texts are
transcriptions of unpublished lectures that were originally presented in Mato
Grosso in 1998 during the International Earth Charter Conference.
Along with this book, the Mato
Grosso Network for Environmental Education (REMTEA) is promoting it's fifth
annual gathering, which has always worked in association with the Earth Charter
movement of the state of Mato Grosso. The Earth Charter and the Environmental
Education Treaty for Sustainable Societies and Global Responsibilities will
also be highlighted during the event, which will be held in October 10-13, 2007
at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá.
For more information please
see www.ufmt.br/remtea
http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/
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