Good News Agency – Year VIII, n° 14
Weekly - Year VIII, number 14
– 16th November 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
International legislation – Human rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health
– Energy and Safety – Environment and wildlife
Religion and
spirituality
– Culture and education
Civil society on the move -
Rotary, UN celebrate common goals
General Assembly committee
backs global moratorium against death penalty
15
November – A committee of the United Nations General Assembly voted today to
back a calling resolution for a global moratorium on executions with a view to eventually
abolishing the death penalty entirely. The Assembly’s third committee, which
deals with human rights issues, voted 99 to 52, with 33 abstentions, in favour
of the resolution, which states “that there is no conclusive evidence of the
death penalty’s deterrent value and that any miscarriage or failure of justice
in the death penalty’s implementation is irreversible and irreparable.” The
resolution will now go before the full 192-member Assembly for a vote next
month. All Assembly resolutions are non-binding.
The
resolution welcomes “the decisions taken by an increasing number of States to
apply a moratorium on executions, followed in many cases by the abolition of
the death penalty,” and expresses deep concern that the death penalty continues
to be applied in some countries. It calls on nations that do impose the death
penalty to ensure they meet internationally agreed minimum standards on the
safeguards for those facing execution, and to provide the United Nations
Secretary-General with information about their use of capital punishment and
observation of the safeguards. Further, the resolution asks countries to
progressively restrict the use of the death penalty, such as by reducing the
number of offences for which it may be imposed, and calls on those States that
have abolished the practice to not reintroduce it. (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24679&Cr=general&Cr1=assembly
The
Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines – a model for a
new active peace policy? - Conference
organized by medico international with support of the Foreign Office of Germany
November 29, 2007 Berlin 2.00 – 6.00 pm
The
“Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines” (Mine Ban
Treaty) and the process leading to its signing are “a model for a new active
peace policy”. These were the words the Norwegian Nobel Committee used to
justify its decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the “International
Campaign to Ban Landmines” (ICBL). Both events, the signing of the Mine Ban
Treaty and the award of the Nobel Prize, took place ten years ago this year – a
good opportunity to take a critical look at the Treaty. This should not just be
a retrospective, but also an examination of the prospects for future peace
policy.
It goes without saying that the circumstances surrounding the ban on landmines were and indeed still are unusual. For the first time in history a weapon was banned due to public pressure; for the first time close cooperation arose between "like-minded states" and NGOs; for the first time a weapons ban was extended to include disarmament provisions and the humanitarian obligation to assist the victims; for the first time NGOs were involved in drawing up an international-law agreement, and now they are the main bodies monitoring adherence to it. (…)
Indeed,
today "Ottawa" appears to be setting a trend. Since February 2007 46
“like-minded states” have been negotiating about a ban on cluster munitions,
and even in the context of securing global access to essential medicines there
are now calls for an "Ottawa process".
The
symposium is designed to let representatives of politics and civil society, and
not least those involved in the Ottawa process discuss such issues and
opportunities and their prerequisites.
Full
programme:
http://www.medico-international.de/aktiv/10jahre_ottawa_abkommen.pdf
http://www.landmine.de/en.titel/en.news/en.news.one/index.html?entry=en.news.0f2f4bf951670000
Human rights education:
European conference calls for national and international support
8
November - Committed, vigorous and concerted national action, supported by international
co-operation is essential to foster human rights education, according to
participants at the Regional European Meeting on the World Programme for Human
Rights Education (Strasbourg, France, 5-6 November 2007). “Today, there is a
strong call to build enhanced partnerships where each and every one
participates to bring a unique contribution to the cause of human rights
education,” commented Linda King of UNESCO.
The
conference brought together several hundred people from all over Europe in
order to assist states of the European region in implementing the Plan of
Action of the on the World Programme for Human Rights Education. The event was
organised jointly by the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNESCO, and the OSCE Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR). They have invited
educators to submit good practices for a Compendium of human rights education.
Further
impetus will be given to human rights education at the UNESCO International
Conference on Human Rights Education in October 2008, which is organized to
commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Council of Europe also plans to host an inter-institutional meeting on
teacher training in citizenship and human rights education in 2008. -- Contact:
king@unesco.org
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=54714&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
European Commission
Vice-President Wallström to Chair Council of Women World Leaders Ministerial
Initiative
13
November - European Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström, responsible for
Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, will visit New York this
week to accept a new role as Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders
Ministerial Initiative − a position held by former U.S. Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright since 2002. "I am honoured to be asked to play
such a role in a global network including so many wise and outstanding
women," said Vice-President Wallström.
The
handover will occur on the occasion of the International Women Leaders Global
Security Summit on November 16th, 2007 (http://womenandglobalsecurity.org/index.php),
in New York. The Council of Women World Leaders is a network of 36 current and
former Prime Ministers and Presidents which includes Angela Merkel, Chancellor
of Germany; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia; Helen Clark, Prime
Minister of New Zealand, Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, Mary McAleese,
President of Ireland; Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia and Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, President of The Philippines.
The
Council's Ministerial Initiative is dedicated to advancing democracy, gender
equality and excellence in governance throughout the world by promoting
ministerial level exchanges on global issues. Its overall aims include
providing a vehicle for highly placed women leaders to have a collective voice on
global issues and preparing, informing and shaping the agendas for United
Nations meetings and other multilateral meetings and conferences. (…)
http://www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/en/article_7501_en.htm
Abéché,
1 November – Since the events of 25 October that led to the arrest of members
of the “Children Rescue/Arche de Zoé” organization, the staff and partner
organizations of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have been working to meet the needs of
the 103 children currently living in the Abéché orphanage.
Given
the circumstances of the children’s arrival in Abéché, it was necessary to take
swift action and ensure that suitable accommodation and care were provided.
With this aim, and taking the children’s ages into account, the ICRC, UNHCR and
UNICEF suggested to the Chadian authorities that they provide food, bedding,
clothing and hygiene items, as well as assistance in the areas of health care
and sanitation, with support from partner organizations (such as the Red Cross
of Chad). (…)
Staff
from the ICRC, UNHCR and UNICEF, their partner organizations and
representatives of the Chadian authorities are continuing their efforts to
piece together the background, status and identity of the children in order to
adapt their work case by case and according to the specific needs and situation
of each of them. This work is in support of the authorities and based on the
principles of impartiality and non-discrimination. (…)
http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/chad-news-011107
IFAD agrees with the WDR on
the importance of agriculture to overcome rural poverty
Agriculture drives economic growth, acting like an
enzyme that catalyzes other forms of human development and poverty reduction,
says IFAD President at Sida presentation of World Development Report on
agriculture
Stockholm,
14 November – IFAD agrees with the World Development Report’s assessment of the
“special power” of agriculture to overcome rural poverty, said IFAD President
Lennart Båge, who is in Stockholm to present the 2008 World Development Report
of the World Bank, Agriculture for Development. (…) The World Development
Report provides a compelling case for higher investment in agriculture, which
IFAD has been calling for many years,” Båge said. “The report puts agriculture
back where it belongs – right at the centre of the fight against poverty.”
The
regional launch has been organized by the World Bank and Sida, in collaboration
with the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Agricultural
development is essential for reducing world poverty, yet agriculture has
suffered greatly from underinvestment in recent decades by developing country
governments and by donors. Agriculture received 18 per cent of total overseas
development assistance (ODA) in 1979; in 2004 it was just 3.5 per cent.
However, Sweden continues to be a firm supporter of agricultural development,
and increased its level of ODA between 2005 and 2006. (…)
For
more information contact: Farhana Haque-Rahman, ief, Media Relations, Special
Events and Programmes, f.aquerahman@ifad.org
Working together to improve rural
lives and livelihoods
FAO and US Peace Corps to continue collaboration
Rome,
12 November - The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United
States Peace Corps today signed an agreement to continue their collaboration to
help improve the conditions of the rural poor around the world. The new
agreement, a three-year extension of a 2004 Memorandum of Understanding between
the two organizations, was signed at FAO headquarters in Rome by FAO
Director-General Jacques Diouf and Peace Corps Director Ronald Tschetter. “This
agreement reflects the positive outcome of our cooperation activities to date,”
said Dr Diouf. "Peace Corps volunteers benefit from FAO’s technical
expertise in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and nutrition, and FAO benefits
from the volunteers’ presence at the village level and their ability to help
share skills and know-how with the local farmer community."
Today,
more than 8 000 Peace Corps volunteers are serving in 74 countries around the
world. Peace Corps projects are developed locally in each country in
collaboration with host country agencies and focus on pressing needs at the
community level. (…)
FAO
and the Peace Corps have been working together since the early 1960s. From
developing school gardens to helping create business plans for young farmers,
Peace Corps volunteers work with FAO in a wide variety of areas. (…)
Helen
Keller International (HKI) announces the Fortify West Africa initiative which
aims to contribute to the survival and development of women and children in the
8-nation Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa (known by the French
acronym UEMOA).
Deficiencies
in essential vitamins and minerals (vitamin and mineral deficiencies - VMDs),
such as vitamin A, iron and folic acid, are major causes of premature death,
disability and reduced work capacity throughout the world. VMDs account for 10%
of the global disease burden. One of the most cost-effective and sustainable
strategies to control VMDs is to engage private sector food companies in food fortification, and to promote wide
consumption of these foods by those at risk. Food fortification is a common
practice in North America and Europe, and HKI has led efforts to bring this
technology to sub-Saharan Africa. Cooking oil and wheat flour are excellent
vehicles for fortification with vitamin A (cooking oil) and iron and folic acid
(wheat flour). (…)
At
the third annual third annual meeting for the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
in New York in September 2007, the Presidents of AIFO-UEMOA and HKI made a
commitment, entitled Fortify West Africa,
to reach at least 70% of the UEMOA population with fortified foods by
the year 2010. At the closing plenary,
Tom Kalil, head of CGI’s Global Health track, cited the Fortify West Africa
commitment as one that typified the spirit of CGI – an innovative partnership
that is implementing a practical solution to a pressing global health problem.
http://www.hkworld.org/about/press_releases/WA%20Oil%20to%20Flour.html
International farmers’
dialogue
“Facing the challenges of
sustainable development, globalisation and the needs of society”
La Pommeraye (near Angers - Western France), 23-30 November 2007 - This
meeting was requested by African and Indian farmers keen to discover the facts
about European agriculture with special emphasis on France. It is aimed at
gathering farmers from countries in all agriculture parts of the world and all
backgrounds, as well as those from the local area. You are invited to come and
share your experiences, difficulties and hope, and discuss the role of farmers,
today and into the future.
http://www.iofc.org/en/conferences/events-worldwide/309.html
Grand
Rapids, Mich., USA, November 7 - The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
(www.crwrc.org) plans to provide food aid to 500 families affected by heavy
flooding in Southeast Mexico, the agency confirmed today. Families in the
Villahermosa district in Mexico's Tabasco State will receive staple foods such
as beans, rice, milk, eggs, oil, salt and sugar to be distributed through
CRWRC's partner agency, the Iglesia Nacional Presbiteriana de Mexico.
CRWRC
can put plans for aid together quickly because it has an existing relationship
with the Presbyterian Church in Mexico," explains Grace Wiebe, CRWRC
international relief program manager. "Those in need of food shouldn't
have to wait." Though food is
expected to be distributed as soon as possible, CRWRC will have a firm release
date once funds have been secured. The agency is currently seeking $90,000 to
implement the response. (…)
CRWRC
is a Christian, non-profit organization that provides a ministry of
development, relief, and justice education to people in need around the world.
CRWRC is currently active in 30 countries around the globe, and has an
international reputation for "helping people help themselves."
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=6043
Watford,
England, 7 November - The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) office
in the United Kingdom has launched an environmentally friendly development
project in Somalia that will strengthen livelihood strategies of the Somali
people by promoting the use of alternative energy options to meet growing
energy needs.
ADRA
United Kingdom is funding the Somalia Energy and Livelihood project in
partnership with the European Commission, which is furnishing 75 percent of the
project’s US$2.8 million value. The three-year project, to date the largest
ADRA UK project co-funded with the European Commission, launched November 1,
2007, in Puntland and Somaliland.
The
Somalia Energy and Livelihood project is implemented by ADRA Somalia, and will
install windmills and solar powered water systems. In addition, the project
will facilitate the production and marketing of 10,000 cook stoves. The
installation of energy equipment will increase access to clean water and
provide health and education services for local residents. (…) Through this
project, ADRA will reduce poverty in Puntland and Somaliland, which combined
have a population of nearly 5.3 million. (…) ADRA is present in 125 countries,
providing community development and emergency management without regard to
political or religious association, age, gender, or ethnicity. http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=6042
Vatican
City, 6 November – Caritas continues to help thousands of people affected by
flooding in the Mexican state of Tabasco. The rain-swollen Grijalva River and
others burst their banks last week, flooding nearly two-thirds of the low-lying
state and leaving more than 800,000 people homeless. Much of Villahermosa, the
state’s capital, is underwater, while many rural areas remain largely
inaccessible. Caritas Mexico’s diocesan office in Tabasco began responding to
the emergency at the outset, distributing food and water and sheltering 8,650
people in schools, churches, and parish buildings.
Caritas
Mexico has set up 14 centres in Mexico City to start collecting aid to help the
people of Tabasco, and has received an outpouring of support within the
country. After an initial evaluation, Caritas Mexico said that it will probably
be months before people can return to their homes. (…) Tabasco is one of the
poorest areas of Mexico, and the long-term rebuilding effort is expected to be
a major operation.
http://www.caritas.org/jumpNews.asp?idLang=ENG&idChannel=35&idUser=0&idNews=5340
Gaza
at this time is almost completely cut off from critical supplies coming through
its borders. Reports are that conditions are worsening everyday. As the situation
grows more challenging, ANERA's long-time support in the region continues.
As
of 29 October, ANERA's Gaza Strip Director, Salah Sakka, reported that 1.7
million fortified wafers, enough to distribute to our beneficiary preschool
children until the end of January 2008, are in Gaza. We also have delivered, at
the end of October, 76,000 cartons of fortified milk - a five-day supply.
Additionally, ANERA has delivered over $2 million worth of donated medical
supplies into Gaza in October.
Though
it is excellent news that we have succeeded in making these deliveries, we
still face obstacles. Our partner in providing milk shipments has indicated
that although they have met all the conditions for bringing the next shipment
into Gaza, it has been delayed at the border.
With
the situation getting worse, the cost of these political obstacles in
humanitarian as well as financial terms is impossible to calculate. It is all
the more imperative that we, in solidarity with Salah and all Gazan families,
continue to chip away at this border bureaucracy. (…)
Washington,
DC, 29 October - Thanks to a unique partnership between Save the Children and
the American Red Cross, many of California's wildfire evacuation shelters were
equipped with safe play areas that have allowed children to play, participate
in structured activities and interact with other children in a secure
environment.
The
Save the Children / American Red Cross agreement, signed earlier this year, has
allowed "Safe Space" kits to be mobilized to disaster-prone regions
nationwide, ensuring that emergency shelters will have access to Safe Space
materials as soon as a disaster strikes.
Safe
Space kits contain materials that can be used to set-up and establish a safe
space within a shelter. These pre-packaged kits contain equipment to mark off a
special area for children, activity supplies (such as art materials, books,
games and toys), and other materials to assist children and families in a
shelter environment. The structured, supervised activities offered in Safe
Spaces are designed to strengthen children's resilience and help them begin to
work through their emotions following a disaster.
"Emergency
shelters place children and their families in cramped quarters, in the midst of
strangers, and lack toys, safe places to play and structured activities for
children," said Mark Shriver, Vice President and Managing Director of Save
the Children's U.S. Programs. "Through this partnership, children in
evacuation shelters will be allowed to play, learn, socialize and express
themselves under the supervision of a caring adult, giving them a sense of
normalcy which can help them recover from the experience of weathering a
disaster."
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2007/save-the-children-partners-1.html
Angola:
Kwanza Sul - zones with landmines cleared
allafrica.com,
7 November - At least 12.857,800 square metres of previously mined areas were
cleared in the coastal Kwanza Sul province, from January to October 2007, by
landmines clearance experts, said the provincial co-ordinator of intersectoral
demining commission, António Tonga.
According
to Antonio Tonga, who is also the provincial vice governor, the demining
process covered farming fields, electrical power lines, roads and residential
areas. Some 2,769 antipersonnel landmines, 61 antitank and 5,954 devices of
various calibres were also removed during the process that has been enabling
the execution of the government's economic and social programmes and the free
circulation of people and goods across the province. The de-mining programme,
in the province, counts on the participation of the NGOs such as the Norwegian
People's Aid (NPA), MGM, Santa Barbara, Apacominas, Sedita, Cogote and Inad, as
well as the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) take part in landmines clearance
operations in the region.
http://www.landmine.de/en.titel/en.news/en.news.one/index.html?entry=en.news.0f39c3b37cd90000
Author(s): Site Admin
<webmaster2SPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERicbl.org> .
1
November - A strong call for the government of Bahrain to submit to parliament
draft legislation for accession to the Mine Ban Treaty was the main
recommendation formulated at the end of a workshop organized today by the
International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) for members of the Bahraini
House of Representatives. (…)
Attending
MPs confirmed their support to the humanitarian goals of the treaty and assured
that a bill for accession to the treaty would encounter no opposition in
Parliament. They also recommended that a trust fund should be created within
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide international assistance and
cooperation on humanitarian issues including mine action. (…)
The
ICBL also welcomed the news that Bahrain is planning to attend the 8th Meeting
of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty which will be held in Jordan from 18
to 22 November. (…)
Bahrain
never produced, exported or used antipersonnel mines and is not mine-affected.
http://www.icbl.org/news/bahrain_parliament
Rotary
International News - 30 October - Rotarians taking part in a polio immunization
campaign in Ethiopia recently enjoyed a boost of star power for the eradication
effort. Singer Beyoncé Knowles, scheduled to perform in Addis Ababa, met the
group and helped administer the oral polio vaccine before taking the stage on
20 October.
The
26-year-old, who immunized 10 youth said, "I want to encourage all …
parents to give this vaccination to their children. It really benefits their
health."
"Beyoncé
was so impressed [with] our commitment to not only provide funding but to make
the trip to administer the vaccine," said Ezra Teshome, of the Rotary Club
of University District of Seattle, Washington, USA, who led the effort. Teshome
immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia in 1971 and has headed up seven
other immunization drives in his homeland.
The
fight to end polio has made significant progress in Ethiopia, which has not
reported a single case of the disease this year. The country recorded 22 cases
in 2005 and 17 in 2006 after an outbreak in the Horn of Africa.
In
addition to raising and contributing funds, over one million Rotarians have
volunteered their time and personal resources to help vaccinate more than two
billion children in 122 countries during national immunization campaigns.
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/071030_news_Beyonce.aspx
1.6% of the population of Cambodia is living with
HIV/AIDS. DanChurchAid works with HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, care and
support in the rural communities.
Phnom
Penh, Cambodia, 26 October – 1.6% of Cambodia’s population, approximately
130.000 people, are living with HIV/AIDS. The epidemic is affecting many
different groups in the population. Migrant and mobile workers such as
sexworkers, drivers, police and military are the largest risk groups. Poor
people living in border areas are at risk, and in recent years there has been
an increase of infection among married women. These women are infected by their
husbands, and will in most cases transmit the disease to their children during
pregnancy or breastfeeding. (…)
DanChurchAid's
HIV/AIDS program in Cambodia focuses on awareness, prevention, care and support
through empowerment of the local communities.
DanChurchAid
works with the local partner LWF Cambodia in three of Cambodia’s poorest
provinces, Kampong Chhnang, Battambang og Kampong Speu. The local communities
are educated about HIV/AIDS, in order to reduce prejudice and raise awareness
about prevention of infection. HIV/AIDS patients are educated to be
self-sufficient and to know their rights. They’re educated about
risk-behaviour, hygiene and provided with medication in order to increase their
chances of a better and longer life with HIV/AIDS.
(top)
The 20th World Energy
Congress - Rome 2007, November
11-15
The Energy Future in
an Interdependent World
The 20th World Energy
Congress & Exhibition is the
most authoritative international energy meeting. (...) It is promoted by the
World Energy Council (WEC), which is the most important international energy
organisation. It is a UN-accredited, non profit NGO, which aims to foster the
economic development and the pacific and sustainable use of energy supplies.
With several Member Committees in over 90 countries,
the goal of the World Energy Council is to monitor the status of the energy
sector and to find solutions that could promote the economic development of the
most industrialised and developing countries. Furthermore, contributing to the
dynamic international debates that periodically take place all over our planet,
WEC indicates time-frames and ways for a sustainable use of energy resources to
the benefit of people worldwide.
The Congress is held every three years and it is
considered the most important energy forum. Excellent speakers and thousands of
participants from all over the world will be present.
The Congress will host, in addition to the World
Energy Council Members, exhibitors from both energy producing and consuming
countries, institutions, international organisations and representatives from
the energy industry, researchers and experts from all over the world and all of
those who are interested in energy and development issues.
http://www.rome2007.it/Congress/Congress.asp
By
Mario Osava
Rio
de Janeiro, November 10 (Tierramérica) - Biokerosene has the potential to take
off on the international market faster than other alternative fuels, even
though it is among the newest and faces stricter quality standards because it
is to be used in aviation.
Airplanes
have a useful lifespan of 30 to 40 years, and their manufacturers want to
ensure they have fuel until the end, chemical engineer Expedito Parente
explains to Tierramérica. Three decades ago, he invented biodiesel and
biokerosene, both refined from oleaginous crops. Before today's fuel-hungry
airplanes are ready to be scrapped decades from now, petroleum-based fuel could
disappear or cost too much to make flying economically feasible, Parente says.
Investment therefore is needed to develop, perfect and produce plant-based
kerosene, fomented also by pressure to mitigate climate change.
The
boom in fuels made from maize, sugarcane, palms and soybeans, among other
plants, is in part due to the fact that they emit less greenhouse-effect gas
than petroleum derivatives, and to the fact that the latter are in increasingly
shorter supply.
Bio-jet
fuel is being tested "throughout the air transport chain, including in the
manufacturing of planes, turbines and accessories, and the network of
aeronautical fuel distribution," says Parente. In two years it should be
confirmed as a valid alternative to kerosene from petroleum, he predicts.
The
process involves "the entire interested universe," Parente stresses,
although he avoids naming the U.S.-based Boeing, the world's largest aircraft
manufacturer, which signed a cooperation agreement with Tecbio, the company
that Parente founded in 2001 to promote his projects. "The initial
agreement was expanded to the rest of the actors," he says.
It
is a vision that the scientist and entrepreneur explains with the didactic
approach of a university professor faced with the question about the commercial
future of biokerosene and the possibility that it might run into protectionist
barriers, like those that affect Brazilian ethanol in industrialised countries.
(…)
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40005
Bioenergy growth must be
carefully managed
Global Bioenergy Partnership publishes report on
bioenergy in G8 plus five countries
Rome,
13 November - Capturing the full potential of biofuels means overcoming
environmental and social constraints and removing trade barriers, which are
hindering the development of a worldwide market, according to a new report
released by the Global Bioenergy Parnership (GBEP).
Potential
conflicts between bioenergy production and the protection of the environment,
sustainable development, food security of the rural poor and the economic
development of countries supplying feedstock should be urgently addressed,
according to the report “A Review of the Current State of Bioenergy Development
in G8 +5 Countries”, issued today at the 20th World Energy Congress (WEC – Rome
2007). (…)
Bioenergy
is forecast to satisfy 20 percent of global energy demand by 2030, rising to
between 30 and 40 percent by 2060. According to the alternative scenario of the
International Energy Agency (IEA), biodiesel and ethanol may make up 7 percent
of world demand for liquid fuels in 2030, with consumption rising fourfold to
36 million metric tonnes a year from today’s level of about 8 million tonnes.
World Hydrogen
Technologies Convention 2007
Montecatini
Terme (Italy), 4-7 November - Forum Italiano per l’Idrogeno (FII)
is proud to announce that the second World Hydrogen Technologies Convention
will take place from 4 to 7 November 2007 in Italy at Montecatini Terme.
WHTC2007 is a biannual hydrogen related conference of International Association
for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE) mainly focused on industrial aspects to create a
bridge between research and application. (...)
The
aim of WHTC 2007 is to encourage the efforts of industries
to develop present and new technologies in the Hydrogen energy sector and to
convince the policy makers to help feasibility of the Hydrogen technologies in
the energy sector. (...) Coupled with electric power, hydrogen can allow a
clean, safe and reliable energy system suitable for transportation, heat and
power. We have to introduce Hydrogen favouring the production from renewable
energy sources. But we have to start as soon as possible, using also
conventional sources far from our cities to produce Hydrogen for our cities. WHTC
2007 invites all industries and research centres to contribute to accelerate
the clean use of Hydrogen energy (...).
Renewable Heating & Cooling Congress 2007
Brussels, November 20-21 - The European Commission has presented one of
the most ambitious energy packages in history with enormous challenges for the
renewable energy sector. The heating sector which accounts for almost 50% of
energy supplied has the greatest potential to help achieve these targets - yet,
to date, the sector has received little legislative support resulting in slow
growth over the last decade.
There is growing interest from property owners, architects and
construction companies for the inclusion of RESHC into the building envelope.
This combined with the rapid developments in technologies, and heightened
public awareness on climate change provides the heating & cooling sector
with a perfect opportunity to reach its potential.
The Inaugural Renewable Heating & Cooling Congress (RESHC 2007) will
bring together leading experts, decision and policy makers from around the
world to address key trends from policy decisions to the built environment
adoption and will provide a solid base for informed decisions and developing
future strategies.
http://www.greenpowerconferences.com/renewablesmarkets/index.html
Beijing,
China, 9 November – A new wetland conservation network has been established
along the central and lower Yangtze River, providing a platform for management
organizations, research institutions, social groups and the public to protect
wetlands and battle climate change.
Wetlands
are critical to mitigating climate change — they have an important and
underestimated role in carbon storage and greenhouse gas regulation.
Supported
by the WWF-HSBC Partnership Programme, the network of 20 wetland conservation
areas is the first of its kind in China
“With
this new initiative, the overall protected area will see a remarkable increase
if the separated wetlands are networked together,” said Li Lin, Head of
Conservation Strategies at WWF China.
“This will significantly boost conservation effectiveness.”
The
20 wetland sites, covering an area of some 1 million hectares, represent a diverse
range of habitats and are home to numerous species. The wetlands, however, are
threatened by ecological degradation and water pollution as a result of
economic development and urbanization.
WWF
has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Wetlands Conservation
Network, offering training to monitor waterfowl and climate data, as well as to
work together on policy advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns.
9
November – Ban Ki-moon today became the first United Nations Secretary-General
to make an official visit to Antarctica as he travelled to the frozen continent
to see first-hand the effects of climate change on its melting glaciers. Mr. Ban, who has made a climate change a
priority issue during his term as Secretary-General, received a briefing from scientists
at a Chilean Air Force base in Antarctica before visiting the Collins Glaciers
and then the Sejong Research Centre, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told
journalists in New York. (…)
Last
night, Mr. Ban addressed the Ibero-American Summit in Santiago, the Chilean
capital, where he told the audience that the UN’s work is “intimately linked”
with the need to promote social cohesion worldwide. “Our very mission for
peace, development and human rights depends on fostering inclusive societies
that are stable, safe, just and tolerant – societies that respect diversity,
equality of opportunity and participation of all,” Mr. Ban said.
He
stressed the importance of building and strengthening social cohesion to
tackling several key challenges and issues faced by the UN, from climate change
to migration to upholding indigenous rights and those of peoples with
disabilities. (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/ticker/tickerstory.asp?NewsID=24611
KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa, 7 November – A group of black rhinos has been successfully
released into a community-owned game reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal, a move
seen by environmentalists as a boost to conserving the endangered species.
The
release of 11 rhinos into the Somkhanda Game Reserve is part of the Black Rhino
Range Expansion Project — a partnership between WWF and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife —
to increase suitable land available for a viable black rhino population. Once
the most numerous rhino species in the world, today, there are only an
estimated 3,700 left in the wild. (…)
Somkhanda
Game Reserve is the first community land to be involved with the WWF-supported
project. The first three were privately held partner sites in KwaZulu-Natal
Province: Mun-ya-wana Game Reserve, Zululand Rhino Reserve and Pongola Game
Reserve. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=116560
“Historic
breakthrough” - Global Christian Forum to go forward
Limuro (near Nairobi - Kenia), 6-9 November -
After four days of meetings, some 240 leaders of a broad range of churches,
confessions and interchurch organizations from over 70 countries agreed to
carry forward what they call “the Global Christian Forum process”, an open
platform for encounter and dialogue whose goal is to “foster mutual respect,
explore and address common challenges”.
Participants broke into
a spontaneous doxology when the final draft of a “Message from the Global
Christian Forum to Brothers and Sisters in Christ Throughout the World” was
approved at the last session of the meeting, which took place 6-9 November in
Limuru, near Nairobi, Kenya.
The message, one of the
few tangible results of the forum, says the event was a “historic breakthrough”
as participants were able to gather “globally as never before”. Representatives
of the historic Protestant Churches, the Catholic Church, the Orthodox
Churches, the Pentecostal Churches, the broader Evangelical movement and other
Christian churches, communities and interchurch organizations, attended the
meeting.
“We are extremely
pleased by the development and outcome of this meeting,” said the Rev. Dr
Walter Altmann, moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central
committee. “What one decade ago was born within the WCC as an idea that seemed
fragile and almost impossible to achieve has led to a milestone in the
ecumenical journey.”
Linking
poverty, wealth and ecology: African ecumenical perspectives
Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), 5-9
November - When
does the pursuit of economical wellbeing turn into greed? This is one of the
questions to be discussed at a 5-9 November ecumenical consultation in Dar es
Salaam. Joint church strategies and actions for addressing the interlinked
problems of poverty, excessive wealth, and ecological degradation in Africa are
intended results.
The consultation is part
of a WCC (World Council of Churches) study project on Poverty, wealth and ecological debt. It continues a process
which was started at the WCC 8th Assembly in Harare in 1998 and became known as
Alternative Globalization Addressing People and Earth (AGAPE) since the 9th
Assembly in Porto Alegre. Today, the issue of socio-economic justice is no less
pressing. Especially in Africa, the gap between the rich and the poor has
widened, with destructive consequences for peace and for the environment.
Discussions in Dar es
Salaam will help to draw a “greed line” as practical guidance to Christians
regarding sources of growth - such as speculation or expropriation - and the
level or ratio of wealth accumulation that are unethical. The theological
methodology will emphasize African concepts like “Ubuntu” as well as the theology
of peace in the market.
Similar church
encounters are to take place on four other continents before the next WCC
assembly. Recognizing that there can be no peace without justice, these
encounters also inform the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation which
will conclude the Decade to Overcome Violence in 2011.
Christians
and Hindus - Walking the path of peace: Vatican’s Diwali message
Vatican City, 5 November - Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the
Pontifical Council on Interreligious Dialogue has written a message to Hindus
on the celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights, which falls on 9 November
this year. The message is entitled, “Christians and Hindus: determined to walk
the path of dialogue”.
“Sensitive
to your religious feelings and respectful of your ancient religious tradition,”
the cardinal writes, “I sincerely hope that your search for the Divine,
symbolized through the celebration of Diwali, will help you to overcome
darkness with light, untruth with truth, and evil with goodness.” (...) “In
situations of misunderstanding, people need to come together and communicate
with one another, in order to clarify, in a fraternal and friendly spirit,
their respective beliefs, aspirations and convictions. Only through dialogue,
avoiding all forms of prejudice and stereo-typed ideas about others and by
faithful witness to our religious precepts and teaching, can we truly overcome
conflicts. Dialogue between followers of different religions is the necessary path
today, indeed it is the only appropriate path for us as believers.”
http://www.cbcisite.com/cbcinews1968.htm
Church
in India to celebrate Communications Day to focus on media education for children
New
Delhi, 18 November - The Catholic Church in India will celebrate India
Communications Day on Sunday, November 18, on the theme: “Children and the
Media: a Challenge for Education”
The
CBCI (Catholic Bishops Conference of India) General Body Meeting held in 2004
at Trichur, Kerala, had declared: “Communications Day is a valuable opportunity
to sensitize the community, the Sunday before the feast of Christ the King
should be celebrated as ‘India Communications Day’ with a meaningful liturgy
and relevant programmes.” (...)
Recognizing
the growing importance of the modern communications media and their profound
influence on children and youth, for the 41st World Communications Day Pope
Benedict XVI gave the theme: “Children and the Media: a Challenge for
Education”.
In
His message He focuses on how proper formation can help children learn to be
truly free. He looks at how the knowledge of how to exercise their own freedom
in the social context in which they find themselves can help them develop a
profound joy of life. For this reason, the Holy Father appeals to Church
members, families and schools to provide an effective education in the use of
the media.
http://www.cbcisite.com/cbcinews1978.htm
Insight
Film Festival: Films of Faith – Manchester, 21st November
Manchester,
November - Insight Festival to be held in Manchester will be a spectacular
chance to see a range of films which explore faith and faith values and to
network with others who see the importance of faith issues in community
cohesion. Films from young film makers throughout the UK have been submitted to
the Festival. (...)
There
will be a chance to debate, question and challenge issues concerning faith,
media, portrayal and diversity in the special JUDGES SEMINAR during the
afternoon. This will feature BBC senior producer Anna Cox, writer and
broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor, Head of Drama and film at Manchester University
Rajinder Dudrah and a contribution from David N. Weiss, co-writer of Shrek 2.
The seminar will be chaired by Talat Awan of BBC Radio Manchester and
Lancashire.
http://www.insightfestival.co.uk/
A joint retreat of Palestinian Peace Society and
Interfaith Encounter Association
The Binding of Isaac/Ishmael:
Israeli-Palestinian Interfaith Retreat
Jerusalem,
29-30 November - The Interfaith
Encounter Association (IEA) is pleased to invite you to the coming retreat of
interfaith encounter and conversations for Israelis and Palestinians,
co-organized by IEA with the Palestinian Peace Society. We are very excited to
continue the process of building true and sustainable peaceful relations in the
Holy Land through deep and sincere interfaith dialogue.
This retreat will be held in the charming Guest
House of the Austrian Hospice, at the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, on
29-30 November 2007.
During the conference we will engage in
non-political interfaith conversations designed to help participants better
know "the other" in his/her humanity, which we believe can make a
substantial contribution to human peace among the two peoples and three faiths
that share this Holy Land. We will also sing together religious and cultural
songs and have time for spontaneous conversations.
http://www.interfaith-encounter.org/upevents.htm
Rotary
International News - 9 November - The Rotary Foundation has selected its fourth
group of professionals to study peace-building and conflict resolution in its
three-month program in Thailand. Participants are chosen twice a year in a
global competition based on their professional and academic achievements.
Started
in 2006, the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program at Chulalongkorn
University in Bangkok is aimed at mid- and upper-level professionals who work
in academic institutions, governments, nongovernmental organizations, media outlets,
private corporations, and other settings that require a working knowledge of
conflict resolution and mediation.
The
23 newly selected participants hail from 14 countries and will begin the
program in January. They include a logistics operations assistant for the
United Nations peace-keeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a
manager of a nongovernmental organization in Australia, and a journalist
working in Kashmir. Upon graduation, they’ll earn certificates in peace and
conflict studies from the university. Participants, who receive financial aid
from the Foundation, often find that their new skills help them advance in
their careers.
Individuals
interested in future sessions should contact their local Rotary clubs or e-mail
bangkok.peacestudies@rotary.org for more information. Applications are being
accepted for the July 2008 session and beyond.
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/071109_news_fourthpeace.aspx
Bunisi,
Papua New Guinea, 31 October (BWNS) - In the remote village of Bunisi in Milne
Bay Province in Papua New Guinea, the age you start school doesn't depend on
how old you are - it depends on whether you can handle the hike to and from
class. Each morning, children trek for two hours, walking 2,000 feet down the
mountain to the Ikara Primary School. And each afternoon, they hike back up.
Not easy for a 7-year-old.
"By
the time the children get to school they are exhausted," said Jalal Mills,
a Baha'i familiar with the educational system in Bunisi. "Then they are
expected to concentrate in class and learn."
But
now the situation is changing, at least for the first and second graders. Last
month, the Bunisi Elementary School, which until recently only served
preschoolers, added new classrooms.
Operated
by the Baha'i community of Bunisi, the school serves students in preschool and
now grades one and two from nearly a dozen nearby villages, covering an area
with a population of perhaps 1,000 people. The pupils come from different
religious backgrounds. (…)
The
school has three teachers, offering class for some 75 children in all. Two of
the teachers are Baha'is, but most of the students are not. Religious
instruction is limited to specified periods, and several religions are taught.
(…)
Campus Peace Centers:
“Building a Culture of Peace, One Campus at a Time”
Students
from Vassar College handed out programs at the launch of the Campus Peace
Centers project at UN headquarters in New York on 25 October 2007 during the
Week of Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns celebrating the United Nations
62nd anniversary.
Campus
Peace Centers is an innovative project to encourage university students working
for the various aspects of a culture of peace to form local meeting centers, as
well as an international on-line network highlighting UN campaigns and youth initiatives.
Deborah Moldow, of the World Peace Prayer Society, and Dr. Neil Altman, of the
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, are spearheading the
project with a Working Group from the UN NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values
and Global Concerns-New York. (…)
The
United Nations was represented by Ms. Yvonne Acosta, Chief of the Academic
Partnerships Unit in the Outreach Division of the UN Dept. of Public
Information, and Ms. Rochelle Roca Hachem, Programme Specialist for Culture at
the UNESCO Office in New York, who spoke in support of future collaboration for
a culture of peace.
EDC
receives $4M to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
learning for students and teachers
Boston,
MA, USA, 15 October – Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) has been awarded
a $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation to continue and expand
its work as a national resource center for over 100 programs designed to
produce more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) savvy
kids to fill the looming shortage of qualified U.S. workers.
The
resource center supports the national effort known as ITEST (Information
Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers). ITEST reaches more than
120,000 students and over 4,000 teachers in grades 6-12, through projects in
schools, universities, museums, and afterschool programs.
Under
the 4-year grant agreement, EDC will continue to bring students and teachers
from each of the projects together—both in person and virtually—to share
promising practices, address challenges, and offer recommendations that can be
shared with educators and policymakers across the U.S. This information and the
lessons learned are shared through a Web site (www.edc.org/itestlrc),
publications, conference presentations, and public symposia and webcasts. (…)
The ITEST initiative, including the Learning Resource Center, are funded by the
National Science Foundation.
Education
Development Center, Inc. (EDC) is an international nonprofit organization that
conducts and applies research to advance learning and promote health. EDC
creates and manages more than 300 projects in 35 countries. Visit www.edc.org.
Asia’s relevance in a globalised world
Trust and integrity in the new leadership model - a conference jointly
hosted by Indian and Japanese business leaders.
Panchgani (India),
23-27 November - Caux Initiatives for Business (CIB) aims to
engage business-people and decision-influencers in honest conversations on the
broad issues associated with globalization and the human face of economics.
Participants are motivated by a shared
commitment to personal integrity. They aim to address economic problems of
immediate or long-term concern, including environmental imbalance, social
exclusion, job creation and poverty reduction.
http://www.in.iofc.org/ap/programme/207.html
* * * * * * *
Civil society on the move:
by
Barbara E. Walters
Rotary
International News, 6 November - In
Tanzania, villagers buy mosquito nets through a Rotarian-supported program that
aligns with the United Nations' goal to reduce malaria. In Kenya, families
build Rotarian-funded rainwater collection tanks, complementing UN efforts to
prevent deaths, especially among children, linked to poor sanitation. In Romania, farmers receive heifers through
an effort backed by a Rotary Foundation grant that goes hand in hand with the
UN goal to fight hunger.
These
stories were highlighted during Rotary-UN Day at UN headquarters in New York
City as ways Rotarians are helping the United Nations advance its goals to
improve lives around the world. Held annually, the occasion celebrated the
organizations’ 62-year partnership. More than 1,300 Rotarians, UN officials,
Interactors, and Rotaractors from 48 countries attended the day of panel
discussions on water, literacy, health, and hunger on 3 November.
Rotary's
relationship with the UN dates back to 1945, when 49 Rotarians acted as
delegates, advisers, and consultants at the conference that founded the global
association of governments. Today, Rotary holds the highest consultative status
offered to any nongovernmental organization by the Economic and Social Council,
which oversees many specialized UN agencies. "Ever since the United
Nations was founded, you have been a wonderful partner to our
organization," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said to Rotarians in
remarks delivered by Kim Won-soo, deputy chef de cabinet and special adviser.
"You have worked with the UN for health, literacy, and poverty
eradication. You have promoted peace through your exchange programs. You have
helped people understand what the UN is, what it does, and what it can
do." Ban and Kiyotaka Akasaka, UN undersecretary-general for
communications and public information, praised Rotary for working on the UN
Millennium Development Goals, which aim to slash poverty, hunger, disease,
illiteracy, and other social ills by 2015. But more work is needed, Akasaka
said. "It is intolerable that 72 million children are not in primary
school. Maternal health remains a scandal, and HIV is growing faster than
treatments can be made available," he explained, adding that climate
change threatens to undermine work toward all the goals.
Progress
is being made, though, according to speakers featured throughout the day.
Stephen Nicholas, a member of the Rotary Club of Yonkers, New York, and a
professor at Columbia University Medical Center's Department of Pediatrics,
said better, cheaper medication and intervention during pregnancy has almost
completely diminished the number of HIV-infected infants at the clinic he
founded in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. Nicholas has also helped
develop a family AIDS program in the Dominican Republic. Now a World Community
Service project, it aims to reduce the rate of mother-to-child HIV
transmissions and the number of AIDS orphans.
During
a panel discussion on water, John Boot, of the Rotary Club of Summerland,
British Columbia, Canada, described how Kenyan villagers have built 12,000
concrete water tanks and planted hundreds of trees as a natural purifier.
In a
health panel, Brian Stoyel, of the Rotary Club of Saltash, Cornwall, England,
said posters encouraging Tanzanians to buy mosquito netting below cost have
reduced malaria by 64 percent in targeted areas. Two billion additional nets
are still needed in East Africa, however, said Melanie Renshaw, UNICEF senior
health adviser.
The
event also featured a presentation by Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program
graduate Richelieu Allison, of Liberia, who received the day’s only standing
ovation. "Rotary has become a passer of the light," Allison said.
"The Four-Way Test has transformed my life. It can transform the
world."
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/071106_news_UNday.aspx
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