Good News Agency – Year VIII, n° 7
Weekly - Year VIII, number 7 –
25th May 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
(top)
Towards
a comprehensive European Migration Policy: Cracking down on employment of
illegal immigrants and fostering circular migration and mobility partnerships
Brussels, 16 May - The
European Commission is determined to tackle the pull factor for illegal
immigrants created by employers providing illegal work. Today it presented a
proposal for a Directive on sanctions against such employers. This is part of a
comprehensive European Migration policy which supports legal migration, fights
illegal migration, builds cooperation with Third Countries and works with the
development agenda. (…)
Precise figures are difficult
to obtain but recent estimates of illegal migrants in the EU range between 4.5
and 8 million, with an estimated increase by 350 000 to 500.000 per year. From
7 to 16% of the EU's GDP is estimated to come from the shadow economy, although
this is not entirely staffed by illegal migrants. Construction, agriculture,
house-work, cleaning, catering and other hospitality services are the sectors
of the economy most prone to such undocumented work in general and attracting
illegal migrants in particular.
Member States already have
sanctions to combat illegal employment, but these vary in severity and
enforcement. Experience has shown that the existing sanctions have failed to
achieve full compliance. Ensuring that all Member States introduce similar
penalties, and enforce them effectively, will avoid distortions on the single
internal market caused by unfair competition from employers of illegal
migrants.
(top)
May 18 - The ICRC in Southern
Sudan has organized the first course on International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
and Human Rights for the Southern Sudan Police Service (SSPS) from 7th to 11th May
2007. The course, facilitated by the ICRC's Police and Security Forces pool
officer, was organized for 13 training officers of the Central Training and
Development Unit of the SSPS and held at the Police Headquarters in Juba.
The five-day training course
addressed basic principles of Human Rights and IHL; use of force and firearms;
prevention and detection of crime; arrest and detention; public order; and
vulnerable groups. During his address at the closing ceremony, Maj. Gen. Angok
Majok, SSPS Assistant Inspector General in charge of Training emphasized the
importance of the application of Human Rights and IHL to police training and
operations.
The ICRC's cooperation with
Southern Sudan Police Service is part of its programmes of training the armed
and security forces in Sudan including the Sudan People's Liberation Movement
(SPLA) and Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) to incorporate provisions of humanitarian
law into their training and operations. (…)
http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/sudan-news-180507
Children’s
Rights for Roma children
UNICEF
study on the situation of Roma Children in South East Europe and Council of
Europe/European Commission’s “Dosta!” campaign
Belgrade, 16 May – UNICEF’s
study Breaking the Cycle of Exclusion: Roma Children in South East Europe,
focuses on the 1.7 million Roma children living in South East Europe. Roma
children suffer from poverty, discrimination and a lack of prospects for their
future in eight states of South East Europe: Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia. “Exclusion deprives children of their
childhood and hinders them from fully developing their capacities to contribute
in a substantial way to the economic and social development of their country,”
said UNICEF Area Representative Ann-Lis Svensson. Breaking the cycle of
exclusion by fighting stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination is the main
purpose of the awareness raising campaign “Dosta! Go beyond prejudice, discover
the Roma.” Initiated by the Council of
Europe and the European Commission. The Dosta! campaign has two main
objectives; the first is the recognition of Roma as fully fledged citizens of
European countries, while the second
focuses on the recognition of the contribution of the Roma culture to
Roma cultural heritage.(…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_39677.html
New NGO action group has been
set up to monitor the EU’s strategy on the rights of the child.
On 17 April, a hearing on the
European Commission’s Communication "towards an EU strategy on the rights
of the child" was held in the European Parliament. The NGO Action Group
prepared a set of key messages to be distributed at the hearing.
The International Federation
Terre Des Hommes, World Vision, the European Foundation for Street Children
Worldwide, Save the Children, EURONET, Eurochild, Plan International and
SOS-Kiderdorf International endorsed the statement of recommendations to the
Parliament.
They call for the European
Parliament to ensure that:
·
children’s rights are mainstreamed;
·
child participation becomes a central element of the EU’s work;
·
the EU devotes sufficient human and financial resources towards the
issue; and
·
the European Parliament plays a monitoring role to ensure the European
Commission relises its commitment.
The Action Group highlight the
following processes as an important means of achieving an EU strategy on the
rights of the child:
·
There will be a Green Paper (consultation) and subsequent strategy on
the rights of the child which is planned for 2008.
·
Two preliminary studies will be conducted by the European Commission in
2007, regarding the impact of existing EU instruments and actions on children’s
rights and data on children’s rights.
·
The creation of a European Forum on the Rights of the Child.
In order to strengthen the
input of the European Parliament on this issue, the group of NGOs has suggested
the Parliament creates a joint or inter-parliamentary group on children’s
rights. (…)
Governance
for equitable development
A
joint EU/UNDP programme to strengthen rule of law and enhance civil society
participation in China
14 May, Beijing - The European
Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed an
agreement today to support a large-scale initiative aimed at strengthening rule
of law and enhancing civil society participation in China. Entitled “Governance
for Equitable Development,” the four-year, US$10.5 million, equivalent to
EUR€8.08 million, programme is the first comprehensive initiative of its type,
simultaneously addressing key issues and concerns in three arenas: law making
through the National People’s Congress (NPC), the judicial process through the
Supreme People’s Court (SPC) and civil participation through the Ministry of
Civil Affairs (MoCA) and civil society organisations (CSOs) in China. “While
China has enjoyed remarkable economic growth and much improved living standards
in past decades, social inequality, corruption, and inadequate law enforcement
have created severe barriers for vulnerable groups,” said Khalid Malik, UN
Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China, at the signing
event. “In an effort to address these issues, this agreement formalizes an
unprecedented large scale initiative bringing together key development partners
to work together on a bold and innovative programme aimed to improve access to
justice and law making systems while broadening the capacities and involvement
of civil society in the public sphere,” said Malik. (…)
Malik stressed that the
programme is part of an ongoing shift in the relations between the government
and CSOs in China. (…) Equally
important, this joint initiative will assist the SPC in various policy and
legal reforms aimed at creating a more transparent and equitable legal system
in China. For example, it will help SPC enhance the legal channels for
plaintiffs seeking compensation for crimes and rights violations.(…)
IFAD-backed
US$27 million project in Haiti will develop small-scale irrigation systems for
poor rural farmers
Rome, 15 May - A new US$27 million development project in Haiti will
rehabilitate collective irrigation systems used by thousands of poor small
farmers in the North-East and North-West provinces, two of the country’s poorest areas. IFAD will provide a loan of US$13 million for the
Small-Scale Irrigation Development Project. [...] The Government of Haiti will
contribute US$3.5 million to the project. The OPEC Fund for International
Development will provide US$8 million and project participants will contribute
US$2.5 million.
The project will help about
18,000 families in remote rural areas [...]. Small farmers will be able to grow
a bigger range of irrigated crops and increase their agricultural production
through more efficient water management. [...] The project will also help to
establish a national water management programme for agriculture, and will
continue to support private service providers. [...] In addition to improving
traditional crop production and introducing new crops, the project will develop
income-generating activities that are not farm related for people who have
little or no access to land or irrigation. Women and young people in particular
will get access to training in literacy and nutrition and assistance with small
business development. With this project, IFAD has financed seven projects in
Haiti with approved loans totalling US$84.3 million. To read more: http://www.ifad.org/media
Albania launches One UN Initiative
May 14 - The Government of
Albania and United Nations Agencies launched today the One UN Pilot Initiative.
Albania has been selected, along with seven other countries – the only one in
Europe – to test a worldwide programme of UN reform. Part of ongoing United
Nations efforts to enhance efficiency and responsiveness, the One UN Pilot
Initiative aims to bring UN Agencies together – with one programme, one budget
and one leader. Albania’s selection followed the request of the Albanian
Government to the United Nations System.
The One UN pilot initiative
aims to avoid fragmentation and duplication of development efforts. It will
strengthen unity of purpose, coherence in management, while maintaining the
distinct mandates and missions of the different UN agencies. “By volunteering
to be a One UN pilot, Albania has taken a leadership role in helping the UN to
deliver as one,” said Kemal Dervis, Chair of the UN Development Group and UNDP
Administrator. “By coming together, we
at the UN can realize our tremendous potential as partners in development.”
Through a nationally led
process, UN Agencies are developing the One UN Programme, which will enhance
their collaboration, while ensuring that support is closely aligned with
Government priorities. The One UN Programme in Albania will focus on responding
to the following national priorities: more transparent and accountable
government; greater participation in policy and decision-making; increased
access to quality basic services, and regional development. The programme will
also focus on capacity development, gender equality and the environment.(…)
http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2007/may/albania-one-un-20070514.en
64
community projects from 14 countries in the running for social innovation prize
Local
initiatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay and Venezuela
move on to the next stage of the competition
8 May - A total of 64 projects from 14 Latin
American countries have been selected from among 805 applicants to move on to the next stage of the
"Experiences in Social Innovation," 2006-2007 competition, organized
by ECLAC and the W.K.Kellogg Foundation. The competition, launched in 2004 and
now in its third cycle, identifies and publicizes projects that take new
approaches to social development and foster best practice for the benefit of
the region's poorest. The 64
initiatives under consideration for 2006-2007 awards come from: Brazil (19),
Argentina (7 ), Mexico (7), Colombia (6), Peru (4), Chile (4), Costa Rica (3),
Ecuador (3), Paraguay (3), Bolivia (2), Honduras (2), El Salvador (2),
Guatemala (1) and Venezuela (1). Sixty percent correspond to local and
nationwide non-governmental organizations (NGOs); 10% to community-based
organizations; and 10% to municipalities and other governmental offices. Twenty
percent focus on income generation; 17% on education; 15% on rural development;
14 % on health; 11% on volunteer work; 9% on youth programmes; and 3 % on
corporate social responsibility. (…)
http://www.eclac.org/cgibin/getProd.asp?xml=/prensa/noticias/comunicados/7/28527/P28527
US$39.9
million IFAD-supported development programme will boost productivity of old tea
plantations
Rome, 8 May - A new US$39.9
million development programme in Sri Lanka will improve economic and social
conditions for almost 40,000 people in the mid-country region of Kandy,
Kegalle and Matale districts, and in the Moneragala district.
The Smallholder Plantations Entrepreneurship
Development Programme will be financed partly by a loan of US$22.5 million
from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). (...) The
Government of Sri Lanka will contribute US$3.8 million (...). Additional
financing of US$5.5 million will be provided by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID). The Wellassa Rubber Company, a consortium of
private rubber companies operating in Sri Lanka, will contribute US$5.2
million. (...)
The initiative has a number of
important goals. It will improve access rights to land by poor people, using
longer-term leases under outgrower schemes, whereby small farmers are directly
linked to specialized factories for plantation crops that will process and market
products so that both the farmer and the processor benefit. This will be
combined with crop diversification and better access to markets and services
for plantation crops, including tea, rubber and spices. (...)
To read more: http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/english/regions/asia/lka/index.htm
http://www.ifad.org/english/operations/pi/lka/index.htm
UN
launches ninth Cluster on Industry, Trade and Market Access in support of AU
and NEPAD
Addis Ababa, 7 May (ECA) -UN
agencies on 3 May in Vienna launched a ninth Cluster on Industry, Trade and
Market Access (ITMA) in support of the African Union and its New Partnership
for African Development (NEPAD) vision. The launch and inaugural meeting of the
Cluster were co-organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and presided over by
the Executive Secretary of ECA, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, the Director General of
UNIDO, Mr. Kandeh Yumkella and the head of NEPAD, Prof. Firmino Mucavele The
Cluster, which was first mooted at the UN Regional Consultation Meeting in
2006, will build greater synergy in the industrial, trade and market access
programmes and activities of the UN system and key stakeholders in Africa in
support of the African Union and its NEPAD initiative. It will also undertake
joint programmes and activities; joint studies and publications; joint seminars
and workshops among other activities. The Cluster Convener will be UNIDO, while
the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will serve as Vice
Convener. (…)During the two-day meeting, participants adopted the Cluster's terms
of reference and discussed its structure, processes and areas of focus. They
also deliberated on a wide range of issues, including industrial development,
supply-side constraints, assisting African countries in building trade
capacity, securing access to markets and mainstreaming industrial policy and
trade into national development strategies. (…)
http://www.uneca.org/nepad/Story070407.htm
Latin
American and Caribbean firms increase the pace of their investments abroad
4 May - The year 2006 saw a
significant increase in investments made abroad by Latin America and
Caribbean-based companies, suggesting that regional firms are expanding
internationally at a faster pace than in previous years. This is a key finding
of the new report Foreign Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2006,
released this week by ECLAC. This increase in outward foreign direct investment
(OFDI) is largely attributable to the growth of the "trans-Latins,"
as this emerging group of outward-looking Latin America/Caribbean-based
transnational corporations has been dubbed. A notable example comes from
Brazil, whose investments outside its borders (US$ 28.202 billion in 2006)
surpassed the total entering the country from foreign investment (US$ 18.782
billion).
The year's largest transaction
was the acquisition of the Canadian firm Inco by Brazil's CRVD, for US$ 16.730
billion. This trend appears to have continued over the first months of 2007,
with the announcement of new large-scale acquisitions, including confirmation
of the purchase of the Australian firm Rinker by Mexico's CEMEX for US$ 14.630
billion, the purchase of the US-based Hydril by Argentina's Techint group for
approximately US$ 2 billion, and the announcement that Techint will take
control of the Mexican group IMSA.
Major
progress towards paperless trade at United Nations Forum in Dublin
Geneva, 1 May - Cutting red
tape, simplifying trade procedures, reducing costs. These topics, which are
close to the heart of any international business, were the focus of a recent
United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business
(UN/CEFACT) Forum held in Dublin, Ireland. Summarizing the Forum’s results,
Mike Doran, Chair of the UN/CEFACT Forum Management Group, detailed an
impressive range of new developments and standards delivered during the event.
He noted, in particular, the publication of the electronic Cross Industry
Invoice and the Business Requirements Specification of the UN electronic trade
documents project, UNeDocs. These products will greatly enhance the exchange of
paperless trade information, both nationally and internationally.
UN/CEFACT’s mission is to
improve the ability of business, trade and administrative organizations from
developed, developing and transitional economies to exchange products and
relevant services effectively. A principal focus is facilitating national and
international transactions by simplifying and harmonizing processes, procedures
and information flows so as to contribute to the growth of global commerce
(http://www.unece.org/cefact/). (…)
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2007/07trade_p03e.htm
How much does the forestry sector of
Uzbekistan contribute to the sustainable development of the economy?
You can find the answer to
this question by reading the recently published UNECE/FAO discussion paper
“Forest and Forest Products Country Profile: Uzbekistan” (ECE/TIM/DP/45).
The primary role of forests in
Uzbekistan is to protect agricultural lands, populated areas and soil of
surrounding territories from water and wind erosion, to prevent mudflows, and
to stabilize sands of deserted areas. At the same time, the country’s forests
are the source of some low-quality timber (also used for energy purposes), as
well as of non-wood products such as nuts, fruits, medical plants and
fodder. Forest areas constitute some 8
percent of the land and are unevenly distributed over the territory of the
country. The forest ecosystems of Uzbekistan are extremely fragile and
sensitive to human intervention. The area under forests has considerably
declined during the last century, but the process is currently being stabilized. The forest and forest products sector of
Uzbekistan like that of most of the countries of Central Asia has undergone
considerable transformations during recent years. The transition to a market
economy demands deep reform of forest management, so that it would be sound not
only economically, but also socially and ecologically. (…)
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2007/07tim_p02e.htm
Six coalitions led by non-government organizations announce
plans to engage citizens and government
Media
Advisory from the Embassy of the United States of America, Office of Public
Affairs, Baku, Azerbaijan
USAID’s Civil Society Project
is hosting a Dialogue and Advocacy Reception on May 7th, where six coalitions
of NGOs and businesses will announce their plans to engage citizens and
government through campaigns aimed at improving socio-economic conditions in
Azerbaijan. (…) Participants will learn about the coalitions’ efforts to make
improvements in traffic safety; job creation through historical preservation;
public access to information; community services; and understanding of the
rights of disabled women.
These collations are building
on public dialogue involving 250 representatives of Azerbaijan’s civil society
organizations, businesses, municipalities, local executive authorities, and the
national government. These representatives, from across Azerbaijan, recently
met for the purpose of building consensus on priority development issues and
initiatives that can best be resolved by citizens constructively engaging with
government.
The Civil Society Project aims
to assist the citizens and government of Azerbaijan to further develop a
dialogue while working towards the creation of a more representative and better
functioning democracy. The project is
implemented by the US NGO Counterpart International, in partnership with the
Urban Institute and the International Center for Non-profit Law.
For more information about Counterpart (www.counterpart.org/),
Urban Institute (www.urban.org), ICNL (www.icnl.org/) and USAID (www.usaid.gov)
please visit their websites.
http://www.counterpart.org/Default.aspx?tabid=340&metaid=H68S5027-7dd
Rotarians
help tornado victims rebuild
Rotary International News
22 May - Rotary District 5690,
which covers Kansas and parts of Oklahoma, USA, and the local Rotary club are
helping the victims of a 4 May tornado that killed nine people and damaged
rural towns. The tornado demolished the town of Greensburg, Kansas. Nearby
towns also suffered damage. It's estimated that more than 1,700 people were
affected by this disaster, which caused numerous injuries, and destroyed homes,
schools, and the local hospital.
Local Rotarians already have
been busy helping the community. They made the local high school graduation
possible by organizing the event, providing security, and hosting the
reception.
District 5690 is collecting
funds to help the people of Greensburg and the surrounding communities. It
hopes to provide help with immediate needs, including temporary housing,
equipment for cleaning up, donations of books and clothing, as well as
long-term recovery.
Learn how to make a contribution or
donate items through District 5690. The Rotary Club of Greensburg will determine how
contributions should be used to best meet the area's most essential needs.
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/programs/070522_kansas.html
ECHO
and UNICEF promote Plumpy’nut production to improve child nutrition in Niger
By Sabine Dolan
Niamey, Niger, 18 May – Two
years after Niger’s severe nutrition crisis, the sight of undernourished
children is less common than it was, but chronic malnutrition still affects
more than 50 percent of the country's young children. And 10 per cent of
Niger’s children suffer from acute malnutrition, even when the harvests are
good. To deal with this worrying situation, a large-scale effort is under way
to address malnutrition at various stages in the lives of children under the
age of five. One of the key tools being
used in that effort is the therapeutic food known as Plumpy’nut, which helped
save thousands of lives during the crisis in 2005.
Like many therapeutic health
centres across Niger, the UNICEF-supported clinic in Tillabery – an hour away
from the capital, Niamey – gives Plumpy'nut to severely malnourished children.
The high-protein, high-energy, peanut-based paste typically comes in foil
wrappers or small plastic tubs, which are practical for children who can easily
eat them. (…) Since 2005, the Société de Transformation Alimentaire (STA)
factory in Niamey has been producing the lifesaving food. It is the only
Plumpy’nut factory in West Africa, and production has grown to about 40 tonnes
a month, attracting the interest of neighbouring countries. With ECHO’s
financial support, last year UNICEF was able to purchase about 130 tonnes of
the Plumpy’nut produced at the STA factory. This year, UNICEF continues to
strongly support local production of the user-friendly food. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/niger_39675.html
Accra, 18 May - WFP announced today that it was airlifting
31 metric tons of equipment from its Humanitarian Response Depot (HRD) in Ghana
to support the agency's recently upgraded life-saving operation in the
strife-torn Central African Republic. The equipment, including temporary storage
facilities, living accommodations and accompanying tool kits, is scheduled to
depart the Ghanaian capital today onboard a WFP-chartered Illyushin 76 cargo
jet for the three-hour flight to Bangui in CAR. "In a matter of hours, we are going to move our gear from
Accra into CAR, where it will be immediately deployed to support our complex
logistics operation there,” said Amer Daoudi, Associate Director of WFP's
transport division. (…) In order to reach at least 230,000 people affected by
the current crisis in CAR, WFP is urgently scaling up its logistics capacity at
an additional operational cost of US$3.5 million over the next nine months.
As part of the same effort,
WFP earlier this week moved a fleet of 25 6X6 all-terrain trucks overland into
CAR along with storage and living accommodation equipment. Funds are also
required to repair crumbling roads and bridges. "This airlift from our
Accra Humanitarian Response Depot confirms the importance for WFP of the global
network of HRDs we are operating,” said Daoudi. "Airlifting equipment we
had pre-positioned in Accra is resulting in huge savings of time and
money.” (…) HRD Accra is part of the
Global Network established by WFP to build on the success of the agency's
original UNHRD in Brindisi, Italy.
In addition to Accra and
Brindisi, other hubs have been established in Panama City and Dubai in order to
support the emergency response effort of the UN, governments and international
humanitarian organisations and NGOs. A fifth depot is planned for South East Asia.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-73BHG4?OpenDocument
Argentina:
The Long (Children's) March Against Hunger
Marcela Valente
Buenos Aires, May 18 (IPS) – (…) "Hunger is a Crime" and "No Kid
Lost to Hunger" were the slogans chanted by some 400 children, teenagers
and teachers belonging to the Movimiento Nacional de Chicos del Pueblo (roughly
- the popular national children's movement), who covered 4,500 kilometres in 11
days, from the northeast of the country to the capital, by way of towns and
cities in the provinces of Misiones, Formosa, Chaco, Corrientes, Santa Fe and
Buenos Aires. (…)
Although social indicators
show that conditions have been improving steadily and substantially over the
last five years, since the late 2001 economic and political collapse, 26.7
percent of Argentina's 38 million people are still living below the poverty
line and 8.7 percent are extremely poor, according to official statistics. But
the movement's children point out that these averages hide major differences in
living standards. On the basis of official Argentine statistics, the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) indicates that 49.5 percent of children under
15 are poor, a proportion that rises to nearly 70 percent in the northern
provinces.
The movement, coordinated by
sociologist Alberto Morlachetti, is made up of some 400 children's and young
people's grassroots organisations. Its main activity is the annual march from
the provinces to the city of Buenos Aires. En route, the children are welcomed
by other youngsters from a variety of institutions and organisations. "The
miracle of our march is that just for a moment, organisations put aside their
concerns and conflicts and come together to hear about the paradox of this
country, which is the fifth exporter of cereal grains in the world, but where
children are dying of hunger," Morlachetti told IPS. (…)
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=37802
Episcopal Relief and
Development - Chantal Valencia Lawrence
May 18 - Episcopal Relief and
Development (ERD) will provide emergency assistance to the people of Dajabón in
the Dominican Republic after a tornado swept through the city.
On May 8, Dajabón was struck
by a violent tornado that partially damaged or destroyed 255 homes. The tornado
also tore down trees, electrical poles and agricultural crops. No lives were
lost, but 36 people were injured, according to reports.
“It is absolutely amazing that
no one was killed, because many homes have no basements and there is little
protection from this type of storm,” said the Rt. Rev. Julio C. Holguín, Bishop
of the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic. “The storm struck when many
people were working or out-of-doors” said Bishop Holguín. ERD is working in partnership with the
Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic to supply emergency assistance such
as food, medication and construction material. Beds, mattresses and kitchen
supplies will also be provided. (…)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=5799
Hilton Foundation brings new
hope on Mother's Day with national initiative to help at-risk and homeless
young mothers and children
Three projects in Los Angeles
and Minneapolis/St. Paul selected to pilot model programs aimed at identifying
long-term solutions
Los Angeles, May 15 – The
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation today announced selection of three projects for its
national initiative to improve housing, health, and development of young
homeless and at-risk children and their mothers. Two are in Los Angeles and one
in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Each will
pilot and evaluate innovative programs for homeless children and their
families, then share the strategies and services proven to be effective to
provide a roadmap to enhance services nationally.
The five-year initiative,
Strengthening At Risk and Homeless Young Mothers and Children, was launched in
2006 by the Hilton Foundation to mitigate the effects of homelessness on
childhood development. Funding for the five-year project will total $11.2
million, with $3.6 million generated as funding matches by local partners. United Way will be matching funds for this
important initiative for the first three years.
The three selected projects
are: the Antelope Valley Homeless Coalition of Los Angeles, CA; PROTOTYPES,
Centers for Innovation in Health, Mental Health and Social Services of Los
Angeles, CA; and Reuben Lindh Family Services of Minneapolis, MN. A fourth site may be added to the
initiative. Programs at each location will be supported by partnerships of
local organizations and agencies. Matching funds will be provided locally in
each year of the initiative. (…)
National partners in the
initiative are The National Center on Family Homelessness, the National
Alliance to End Homelessness, and the Child Welfare League of America. The three
partner organizations act as the initiative’s Coordinating Center, bringing
expertise to project selection, provision of training and technical assistance
to project sites, and evaluation of pilot programs and services. (…)
http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/press_release_details.asp?id=57
African Well Fund “Building Hope, One Well at a Time”
with Africare annual “Build a Well for Bono’s Birthday” campaign among efforts
Nicole
Eley, (202) 328-5362, neley@africare.org
Washington, DC, May 10, 2007 —
When the founders of the African Well Fund, inspired by the rock musician and
activist, Bono, began their search for a charity to carry out their vision to
bring clean water to Africa, they looked no farther than Africare. (…) Since
2003, the African Well Fund has partnered with Africare to bring clean water to
remote communities in Africa. The combined efforts have brought wells and
sanitation systems to villages every region of Sub-Saharan Africa — stretching
as far southeast as Zimbabwe and as far
northwest as Sierra Leone. To date, including 2007 gifts, the African Well Fund
has donated close to $302,000 to Africare to fulfill its aims. (…)
Among those efforts is the
Fund’s annual drive to “Build a Well for Bono's Birthday.” From March 22
through May 6, the African Well Fund invites U2 fans and others who are
inspired by Bono's tireless activism on behalf of Africa to make a donation in
honor of his May 10 birthday. Donations from the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006
birthday campaigns totaled over $80,000. Donations honoring Bono’s 2007
birthday are still coming in (for more information or to donate, visit
http://www.africanwellfund.org/Bono-Well-2007.html). This past September, two
African Well Fund members traveled to Africa to see wells built by those
previous birthday fundraisers: there is video from the trip at youtube.com or
the trip blog from AWF's visit to Africa for more information.
Africare has launched water
projects in Angola, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zimbabwe with
support from the African Well Fund since 2003. The most recent was a $22,000
project, which launched in February 2007 in Ntungamo, Uganda. That project will
construct or re-install 15 water wells, serving 6,000 community members. (…)
http://www.africare.org/news/news_release/AWFwellsMay2007.html
May 10 - The Adventist
Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is continuing its assistance to the
tsunami-affected Solomon Islands with a rehabilitation project to help 440
households on Choiseul Island rebuild their homes. The 14-week project began
the first week of May and will benefit approximately 2,640 tsunami survivors.
In early April, a massive
underwater earthquake triggered a 33-foot tsunami that swept through the
western region of the Solomon Islands, leaving devastation in its wake. ADRA
responded immediately to the disaster, providing emergency supplies for
survivors in the coastal areas of the Choiseul, Ranongga, and Vella Lavella
islands, including construction tools, cooking supplies, and basic agricultural
tools to help affected families begin to rebuild their lives.
While coordinating its needs
assessments and initial emergency relief efforts with the United Nations
Disaster and Assessment Coordination (UNDAC) and other humanitarian agencies,
ADRA teams discovered that many villages on Choiseul Island lacked suitable
housing, with one village alone reporting an estimated 300 homes destroyed or
uninhabitable.
Although most villages are not
this densely populated, ADRA will work with Choiseul Island residents in nearly
40 villages to rehabilitate, rebuild, and assist in redesigning their homes to
be more resilient. ADRA will purchase and operate a portable sawmill and
chainsaw to process local trees into lumber for the new homes and will provide
tsunami-affected households with construction tools and supplies. (…)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=5775
G8 -
Keep Your Word to the Poor!
This Friday, the finance
ministers of the world's richest countries meet to plan the G8 summit in
Germany. Two years ago, they pledged to double aid to Africa--but despite their
promises, aid from the G8 has actually gone down, and 20,000 children every day
are still dying preventable deaths.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has
signed on to a letter organised by Avaaz and our friends at the Global Call to
Action Against Poverty. The letter will be featured in big ads in the Financial
Times and German press on Friday morning, so that the finance ministers are
reminded of their promises before they meet. Let's show how many of us want the
rich world to keep its promises to the global poor! Sign the letter now!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/g8_poverty_letter/tf.php
Norwegian people's aid helps
clear landmines in Cambodia
by Kittisak Siripornpitak, www.scandasia.com
16 May - With around 840
landmine victims annually, Cambodia has the third highest number of casualties
worldwide and projects have been carried out by the Cambodian Mine Action
Center (CMAC) which are supported by the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) to reduce
this problem.
NPA has been supporting CMAC's
development projects since 1993 to help with the development and implementation
of technical survey project and is currently providing two technical advisors
to the CMAC Mine Detection Dog Program.
With aims to clear mines and
ensuring fair distribution of land, the NPA gives funding and is monitoring the
CMAC Demining Unit 1 in the Beantey Meanchey province.
Landmine Monitor Report for
Cambodia: www.icbl.org/lm/country/cambodia
http://www.landmine.de/en.titel/en.news/en.news.one/index.html?entry=en.news.0e50a3cf05c60000
Serbia/Montenegro:
last Balkan mine stockpiles destroyed under NATO-supported project
May 16 - A milestone in the
Balkans was reached with the completion of a NATO/ Partnership for Peace (PfP)
Trust Fund project to destroy the complete stockpiles of anti-personnel
landmines of both Serbia and Montenegro. With the destruction of the stockpiles
in both Serbia and in Montenegro completed, there are now no more landmine
stockpiles in the entire Balkans.
A ceremony to mark this
important event was held on 16 May at the Ministry of Defence in Belgrade.
Officials of the Serbian Ministry of Defence, of Montenegro and from NATO and
donor nations attended the event.
Serbia and Montenegro acceded
to the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty in September 2003. The Trust Fund project was
established in October 2004 to support implementation of the Ottawa Treaty
obligations to destroy the declared stockpile of 1.3 million landmines.
Approximately 40,000 of these mines were stored in Montenegro. Now completed,
this project has resulted in the elimination of the last stockpiles of anti-personnel
landmines in the Balkan region. (…)
www.landmine.de/en.titel/en.news/en.news.one/index.html?entry=en.news.0e5317e533270000
May 16 - In collaboration with
the ICRC, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of
Rwanda organized a one-day round table on the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional
Weapons (CCW) and its five Protocols. The round table was held in the framework
of the implementation of the mechanism for the ratification and adhesion to
conventions and international treaties on international humanitarian law (IHL).
The meeting brought together
legal advisers from various ministries and institutions concerned with the
ratification and implementation of this Convention. Its objective was to
examine in depth certain legal issues and to encourage Rwanda, a country that
attaches great importance to international conventions, to become a party to
the CCW.
The 1980 Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons applies to specific weapons. Its five Protocols relate to:
non-detectable fragments; the prohibition or the restriction of the use of
mines, booby-traps and other devices; the prohibition or the restriction of the
use of incendiary weapons, blinding laser weapons and explosive remnants of
war. The Convention's is aim to protect civilians against the effects of
weapons used in a war, as well as combatants against the suffering that could
be inflicted upon them in an unnecessary manner in the achievement of a
legitimate military goal.
In Rwanda, a country that
experienced war in the 1990s, mines still exist, as do explosives and other remnants
of weapons which can cause injury to the civilian population, despite the fact
that the country has been stable for more than a decade. There is, therefore,
an imperative need to put in place mechanisms to protect the population. For
some years, ICRC has been supporting the efforts of the Government of Rwanda to
ratify conventions and treaties related to IHL.
http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/rwanda-news-160507
UNICEF
and Chad sign agreement to demobilize child soldiers
N’Djamena, Chad, 9 May – UNICEF and the Government of Chad signed
an agreement today for the demobilization of child soldiers throughout the
country. The accord, signed by UNICEF Representative Stephen Adkisson and
Chad’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Djidda Moussa Outman, follows on
Chad’s commitment at the Paris Protocols, agreed on 6 February 2006, to
demobilize children enrolled in armed forces and groups. Today’s agreement is a
significant step in the implementation of the Paris Protocols. “UNICEF places
the utmost importance on the protection of children, especially those affected
by conflict,” Adkisson said. He said that UNICEF’s support in the
demobilization and reintegration of children will be carried out on two levels.
UNICEF will help the government prevent the recruitment of children into armed
forces and ensure their liberation and reintegration. It will assist the
government with a national programme to release children from armed groups,
offer them support and then, reintegrate them into their communities. The
programme will also benefit Sudanese children who can be returned to their
country of origin.(…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_39603.html
Closing ceremony of the Croatia-Serbia cross border
project supported by Spain, Canada and USA
8 May - The demined project
area of the size 138.415 sq.meters is located in the border area of Croatia and
Serbia, in Croatian municipality Vrbanja, village of Strošinci and in Serbian
municipality Šid, village of Jamena. The area includes arable land and area of
the future interstate border crossing which both countries have decided to
establish upon removal of the mines. The clearance of this land, will benefit
the local population from both countries as they will be able to cultivate the
land again. Demining will increase safety of the local residents as well and
enable the efficient border control.
http://www.itf-fund.si/news/news.asp
LAOS: All female clearance
team
Across all the regions where
MAG works, women play a focal (although often unrecognised) role in the
survival strategies and economy of the most vulnerable households within a
community. In acknowledgment of this, MAG trains and employs women as deminers
and UXO technicians, enabling them to more fully realise their potential and
improve the quality of their lives and those of their families.
Demining is an
income-generating opportunity which helps women not only to provide for their
family but to build household assets, reduce vulnerability to disasters and
improve household food security. In addition, due to the high regard people
place on this type of work and the regular income it affords, the status of a
female deminer increases within her community, enabling her to access services
such as rural credit, which she could not before and broadening her role in
decision making on a household and community level. All of which will lead to a
significant increase in self-esteem and confidence. (…)
MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is
one of the world's leading humanitarian organisations providing
conflict-affected countries with a real chance for a better future.
http://www.mag.org.uk/news.php?s=2&p=7441
Rotarians
help beat back polio outbreak in India
By Vukoni Lupa-Lasaga, Rotary
International News
23 May - Confident that India
would soon eradicate polio, Past District 6900 Governor Robert Hall led several
U.S. Rotarians to Subnational Immunization Days in Uttar Pradesh in November.
The poverty stricken state in northern India was the epicenter of a 2006 polio
outbreak. Rotary Foundation Major Donors Jim and Donna Philips, whose
contribution to the PolioPlus Partners program helped fund the SNIDs, also
traveled with the group. The team was encouraged by the collaboration among
government officials, religious leaders, Indian Rotarians, UNICEF, and the
World Health Organization. "This trip was the experience of a lifetime for
all 20 Rotarians who visited Uttar Pradesh," says Hall, who pledged the
continued support of District 6900 (Georgia, USA) and Zone 34 Rotarians. (…)
India is countering the
challenges of polio eradication through intensified immunizations with the
monovalent oral polio vaccine. Because most of the reported cases in 2006 were
from poor Muslim communities, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is
working with religious leaders to persuade more families to have their children
immunized.
Partly because of the Muslim
clerics' support, India reported an overall increase in turnout of children
during SNIDs in July, September, and November.
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/polio/070523_india.html
Global
health partners mobilize to counter yellow fever
US$
58 million GAVI contribution to prevent highly contagious disease in 12 West
African nations
Geneva, 16 May - The effort to
contain deadly yellow fever disease received a boost today with the launch of a
Yellow Fever Initiative backed by a US$ 58 million contribution from the GAVI
Alliance. Launched during the World Health Assembly currently meeting in
Geneva, the new initiative will support special immunization campaigns in a
dozen West African countries at high risk of yellow fever epidemics. (…) Until
now, vaccine has often been too expensive for countries to afford when faced with
a host of competing health problems and coverage rates in some West African
countries are critically low. In Nigeria, for example, the coverage rate in
2005 was an estimated 36%. However, it is recommended that, to stop yellow
fever infections from spreading into an epidemic, immunization coverage must be
at least 60–80%. (…)
GAVI's grant to the Yellow
Fever Initiative will cover the 12 countries which are at the highest risk from
the disease – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea,
Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo – and will help create a
stockpile of 11 million doses of vaccine. Within the framework of the
Initiative, the 12 Member States and WHO will identify specific target
populations to vaccinate, with the aim of both preventing outbreaks and
managing epidemics, and consequently increasing immunization coverage.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr23/en/index.html
May 2 - Days after Afghanistan
vaccinated more than 7 million children against polio, the world's top health
official and Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged to capitalize swiftly on the
country's remarkable progress towards eradicating the disease. Of the four
remaining countries which have never stopped polio, Afghanistan is the only one
which has not reported any case so far this year. Click here for a story on the
vaccination campaign.
WHO Director-General Dr
Margaret Chan was in Afghanistan on the first leg of a two-part journey to
Afghanistan and Pakistan to encourage high-level and combined efforts on the
part of both countries to stop the final chains of polio transmission, which straddle
their common border.
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/LatestNews200705.asp#AFG
(top)
Record
cereal production forecast in 2007 but supply/demand situation to remain tight
Biofuels
industry drives up demand, prices
Rome, 16 May - World cereal
production in 2007 is on track to reach a record level of 2 095 million tonnes,
a rise of 4.8 percent over 2006 levels, FAO said in a tentative forecast issued
today. But with stocks at their lowest level in over two decades, total
supplies would still be barely adequate to meet increased demand, boosted by
the fast-growing biofuels industry.
International prices for most
cereals have risen significantly in 2006/07 so far and are likely to remain
high in 2007/08, according to FAO’s latest Crop Prospects and Food Situation
report. As a result, the cereal import bill of the low-income food deficit
countries (LIFDCs) is forecast to increase by about one-quarter in the current
season.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000560/index.html
Technology meets Ecology -
Green Cross Bolivia takes the lead
May 7 - Green Cross Bolivia's
(GC Bolivia) Rainwater Harvesting and Ecological Latrines Project deals with
the general water shortage and inadequate sanitary conditions endemic in
families from the municipality of San Antonio de Lomerío, Bolivia.
In 2003, GC Bolivia volunteers
and the Body of Peace first noticed this issue when helping the indigenous
population develop crafts and promote ethno and ecotourism. The programme had
the support of Green Cross Japan, who helped finance 13 ecological latrines and
14 rainwater tanks that were immediately made available to the families.
The International Rainwater
Harvesting Alliance, in Geneva, was approached, and they provided funding for
the construction of 25 new rainwater tanks, training the indigenous
population construction with relevant
technologies, and giving basic sanitation lessons to families.
In carrying out this project,
18 people are now fully trained in the construction of rainwater tanks and
ecological latrines. Furthermore, 37 native families have been educated on
water purification, personal hygiene, and other elements of basic sanitation.
And thanks to the initiative, 1980 people now have access to clean water. These
people are now beginning to share their knowledge with other communities. The
rainwater tanks and the ecological latrines are an important and
environmentally sound alternative because they use simple technology. Not only
can this appropriate technology be applied to poorer communities, or those that
have a water shortage or drought, but also to communities in bigger towns and
cities. (…)
http://www.greencrossinternational.net
Energy
Globe Award 2007 – Joining forces to solve environmental problems
We invite you to participate in the Energy Globe
2007
22 May - The Energy Globe
Award is today’s most important environmental award worldwide. The Award
distinguishes projects that sustainably use our resources such as water, earth,
energy and air or use renewable energy forms. This makes a significant
contribution to climate and environment. Only if such harbinger projects are
followed by many other projects can climate change be slowed. The Energy Globe
is awarded nationally and internationally in the categories earth, fire, water,
air and youth. You will find details about possible projects on the back of the
application form. The first prize in each category of the international Energy
Globe Award wins €10,000. Awards are made in a televised gala that is viewed
worldwide.
Your submission helps to
introduce successful projects worldwide that can also be implemented in other
locations – and the sum of many small contributions amounts to a huge
contribution!
All submitted projects are
documented in the Energy Globe Database at: www.energyglobe.info
We invite you to participate.
Every project, large or small, is welcome. Please send your project documents
by 31 July 2007 to: Energy
Globe, Aubauerstraße 17, 4810 Gmunden, Austria or online to: contact@energyglobe.info. Additional information and the application
form for download are available at: www.energyglobe.infon
Source: UNRIC for Western
Europe
UN
campaign to plant billion trees in 2007 hits target seven months early
22 May - The campaign by the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to plant a billion trees worldwide
this year has met its goal seven months early after Senegal unveiled a pledge
today to plant 20 million trees. The campaign, announced at the recent climate
change convention conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, now switches to turning
those pledges into one billion actual plantings by the end of 2007.
Senegal made its announcement
on the International Day on Biological Diversity, which this year has a special
focus on the relationship between biodiversity and climate change. In his
message to mark the Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described this year’s
theme as timely given that climate change is increasingly identified as one of
the biggest causes of a loss of animal and plant species. (…)
At a press briefing today in
New York, representatives of indigenous peoples said climate change presented a
major threat to their lands, customs and traditions. Lakhan Bibi from the Hindu
Kush region in Pakistan’s high mountains said her people had long depended on
melting from glaciers for water for farming. But the rate of melting had
increased, causing flooding and avalanches, and thus considerable damage to
native lands. Malia Nobrega from Hawaii said Pacific islanders were
experiencing many negative effects of climate change and loss of biodiversity.
Mangroves had been lost, fisheries depleted, and some islands have experienced
droughts. At the same time, the island nation of Tuvalu could completely
disappear due to rising sea levels. www.un.org/news
Combating
international environmental crime spotlighted at China's Customs College
UNEP
and World Customs Organisation Begin Cooperation with Shanghai Centre of
Customs Excellence
Shanghai/Nairobi, 16 May -
Efforts to assist customs officers deal with multi-billion dollar environmental
crime are being stepped up in the Asia Pacific region with help from experts in
China. The initiative, involving UNEP, secretariats of the Multilateral
Environment Agreements, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the World Customs
Organisation (WCO) and Interpol, is aimed at equipping customs officials with
the necessary skills and know-how to address this growing problem. A workshop,
being held this week at the Shanghai Customs College, underlines cooperation
that it is hoped will become a lasting partnership between China customs
officials and the other partners. (…) Environmental crime and illegal trade is,
by some estimates, valued at tens of billion if not well over 100 billion
dollars a year. A wide range of chemicals, including persistent organic
pollutants and ones that deplete the ozone layer, are now controlled, banned or
subject to phase outs under multilateral environmental agreements. (…) The
four-day Shanghai workshop, taking place at the Shanghai Customs College, aims
to 'train the trainers' from regional customs agencies. It is a concrete
example of the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity
Building. (…)
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=506&ArticleID=5584&l=en
Washington, DC, May 14 -
Multinational corporations and financial institutions that seek local community
consent for their operations will have a competitive advantage over those that
fail to do so, concludes a report released today by the World Resources
Institute and endorsed by a $110 billion coalition of faith-based institutional
investors.
Development Without Conflict:
The Business Case for Community Consent is the first report to document the
precise financial and operational opportunities and risks a company faces when
engaging with communities affected by environmentally sensitive development
projects. It provides a roadmap for implementing community consent procedures
into project and investment strategies. The report's four case studies of
industrial projects in the Philippines, Argentina, Thailand and Peru
demonstrate the financial opportunities of achieving community consent
including project cost savings, increased access to international capital and
positive reputational benefits. Companies that fail to achieve consent face a
range of financial implications including project cost-overrun risks,
litigation, increased scrutiny and concern from Wall Street stock analysts, and
significant reputational harm.
The report has received the
endorsement of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), a
35-year-old international coalition of 275 faith-based institutional investors,
which include denominations, religious communities, pension funds, healthcare
corporations, foundations and dioceses with combined portfolios worth an
estimated $110 billion. (…) The report comes as recent news events and trends demonstrate
the need for increased attention to community consent issues (…)
The World Resources Institute
(http://www.wri.org/) is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research
to create practical ways to protect the Earth and improve people's lives. For
information on WRI events, publications, research projects and experts,
contact: Nate Kommers, Media Officer, +1(202)729-7736, nkommers@wri.org.
http://www.wri.org/governance/newsrelease_text.cfm?NewsReleaseID=385
The
Belarus Solidarity Cycling Tour –
August 15-September 15
The European Centre for
Ecological Tourism (ECEAT) in Amsterdam, a network of 16 NGOs national members,
has for main purpose to promote ecological holidays. We are now associated with
Country Escape, an ecotourism association in Belarus, with whom we have been
developing our new project.
The Belarus Solidarity Cycling
Tour has been set up for this summer and 2008. For thirty days, we will go through
Belarus with 15 western Europeans and American volunteers, as well as 15
Belarusians. We will meet the local populations, and try to implement the
intention of creating private initiatives for sustainable solutions. We want to
raise awareness about nature, while local agendas 21 are being developed in
several communities of villages.
Belarus has one of the few
centrally-planned economy left, but is more and more opening itself to abroad,
through tourism for example. We thus feel that it is our duty to support them
in this objective. Volunteers for the tour are wanted; please write to Belarus@eceat.nl by end of May.
In observance
of World Invocation Day, Festival of Humanity and the Festival of Goodwill
How
can global consciousness respond to the cry of the Least Developed Countries?
Seminar at the United Nations
HQ, New York - May 31, 2:00-4:30 p.m. -
Guest Speakers and Keynote Talks:
1) Ambassador Anwarul K.
Chowdhury, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least
Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing
States, addressing the plight of the 50 Least Developed Countries through a
multi-media presentation;
2) Janosh, Computer Graphic
Design Artist, presenting sacred art in the form of brilliant holograms,
accompanied by music;
3) Ida Urso, Ph.D., President,
Aquarian Age Community and Spiritual Psychologist, addressing the theme, “How can
global consciousness respond to the cry of the Least Developed Countries?”
Sponsoring organizations:
UN-OHRLLS and the Aquarian Age Community. Co-sponsoring organizations:
Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale; CONGO
Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns (NY); Legion of Good
Will; Operation Peace Through Unity; Pathways to Peace; UN Days & Years
Meditation Initiative & Other Fellow Supporting Organizations.
Everyone is required to
register by May 28. Those without a valid UN Pass may request a One-Day Guest
Pass. The website for registration is accessible from the home page of the
Aquarian Age Community (address below) or you can go directly to the following
address:
http://www.aquaac.org/meetings/wid2007/info/
Talking
to God: Portrait of a World at Prayer
A life-affirming
book edited by John Gattuso
Acclaimed writers of faith
such as Karen Armstrong, C. S. Lewis, The Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Harold
Kushner, and Thomas Merton explore the meaning of prayer in this inspirational
volume, illustrated with more than a hundred photographs representing the
world’s spiritual traditions. Fifteen essays range over a wide array of topics
from the perspective of many faiths. (…) Woven between the essays and pictures
are quotes, insights, and prayers composed by such beloved spiritual guides as
Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Henri Nouwen, and Abraham
Joshua Heschel. Combining insightful text with compelling images and beautiful
design, this life-affirming book is a journey into the mystery of prayer and the
desire of people of all faiths to communicate with a reality greater than their
own.
To learn more about the book,
click on this link: www.talking-to-god.com To see the video, click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daZpm0oinao
Boosting
investment in people to help build peace
By Dan Nixon, Rotary
International News
23 May - Former Rotary World
Peace Fellow Umar Shavurov is fond of quoting a proverb popular in his native
Kyrgyzstan: "The wise invest in people, fools invest in wars."
Shavurov has seen both sides
of that proverb in action many times. In 1990, at age 11, he and his family
were forced to flee ethnic violence between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the city of
Osh. (…) At least 12,000 people died during the one-month violence, he says.
Many others disappeared. His family stayed with relatives in a Kyrgyz village
until peace returned to the region. "I have always asked why once-close
neighbors kill each other and what are the ways to avert such acts," he
says.
A Rotary World Peace
Fellowship helped provide some answers. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Shavurov studied at the Universidad del Salvador in
Argentina, graduating with a master's degree in international studies in 2005.
"This fellowship helped me to acquire the tools for putting problems into
perspective and dissecting them," he says. "Conflicts are everywhere:
at home, at work, in society, in the government. So you become like a doctor,
who is needed in many places to heal problems." (…)
Now with the World Bank's
Doing Business Project in Washington, D.C., Shavurov helps governments around
the world make business regulations simpler and more efficient to encourage
free enterprise and foreign investment. "Last year, the Doing Business
Project created reforms in 50 countries," Shavurov says. "The project
shows governments where to begin sustainable reforms, so millions of people can
access basic economic goods and services, improve their lives, send their
children to school. We're removing bureaucracy, but we're actually doing far
more – we're removing corruption."
Shavurov is thankful for the
opportunity to improve people's lives and help build peace. "The peace fellowship has meaning to
people who really want to change the world," Shavurov says. "One of
the greatest lessons I learned in the program is that peace is about being
patient. Everyone has a different understanding of peace and how to achieve it.
It takes a lot of patience to bring together all of these understandings."
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/programs/070523_shavurov.html
A Wonderful Week for the Earth
Charter
Earth Charter International, 9
May - Beginning with national Earth Day celebrations in Mexico that featured
both a national commitment to the Earth Charter, as well as a commitment from
the President of the country to planting 250 million trees (among other
actions), and closing with a set of high-level meetings in Brazil that included
the signing of a formal agreement between the Minister of Environment for
Brazil, the Council for the Defense of Human Rights (founded by Leonardo Boff),
and Earth Charter International, as well as a formal commitment from the Mayor
of Sao Paulo ... well, the period 22 April to 2 May 2007 must be reckoned as a
major milestone in the history of the Earth Charter Initiative. (…)
* * * * * * *
Next
issue: 15 June 2007
* * * * * * *
Good News Agency is distributed free of charge through Internet to over 3,700 editorial offices of the daily newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations with an e-mail address in 48 countries: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Holland, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, USA. It is also distributed free of charge to over 2,800 NGOs around the world and it is available in its web site: http://www.goodnewsagency.org
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The Association operates for the development of consciousness and promotes a culture of peace in the ‘global village’ perspective based on unity in diversity and on sharing.
Via Antagora 10, 00124
Rome, Italy. E-mail: s.tripi@tiscali.it
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