Good News Agency – Year IX, n° 10
Weekly - Year IX, number 10 – 18th
July 2008
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi, Ph. D.
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 4,000 media in 49 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
UN
agency applauds Security Council resolution on sexual violence during wars
25 June - The
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has welcomed the
Security Council’s call for an immediate end to all acts of sexual violence
against women and girls in conflict situations.
Calling the
resolution, adopted unanimously last week, “a historical achievement,” the
Fund’s Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said it would go a long way to protect the dignity of
women and girls. “While sexual violence against women in conflict has often
been ignored and considered a marginal concern, it in fact cuts to the very
core of the existence of the women who are victims of this crime.” The
resolution, which says sexual violence against civilians
is often a tactic in war, demands all parties to conflicts take concrete
measures to prevent and respond to violence, such as by training troops and
upholding military discipline procedures. It also says sexual violence crimes
should be excluded from any amnesties reached at the end of conflicts, and
calls on States to strengthen their judicial and health-care systems to better
assist victims. (...)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27155&Cr=sexual&Cr1=violence
International conference on marine affairs and the Law of the Sea
by eitand
3 July - In connection with
its 50th anniversary, the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) will on 21-23 August 2008 organize
an international conference on marine affairs and the Law of the Sea in
This is the third
international conference organized by the FNI to discuss challenges for
international cooperation on oceans in general, and the UN Convention on the
Law of the Sea in particular. Further information is available at http://www.fni.no/conference
International Law
Observer among top 100 Law and Lawyer Blogs
by Dominik
Zimmermann
3 July - After one year of blogging on international law related subjects we (the
authors) were glad to see that International Law Observer has now been chosen
to be one of the top 100 Law and Lawyer Blogs by the Criminal Justice Degrees Guide. This recognition
is all the more enjoyable when considering that International Law Observer was
one of only ten law blogs focusing specifically on
international law and foreign law (from the perspective of the US). Other blogs that were listed in this category were
long-running classics such as Opinio Juris, International Law Reporter and EU Law Blog.
We will of course use this
recognition as an incentive to keep providing our readers with news, commentary
and reports on international law related subjects.
Signed the Draft Agreement between
The European Social Fund in Support of Victims of
trafficking
July 9 - The new transnational cooperation between
The fundamental objective of the Protocol is
to guarantee the social and occupational
inclusion to the victims of trafficking through actions funded mainly with ESF.
The signatories of
Protocol are: Ministry of Labour, Family and Equal Opportunities in Romania,
the Ministry of Labour Health and Social Policies in Italy, Department for Equal Opportunities
- Prime’s Minister Office in Italy and
ten Italian Regions (Calabria, Campania,
Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Marche, Sicily, Tuscany, Autonomous Province of Trento,
Autonomous Province of Bolzano and Piedmont leader)
with the Technical support of Tecnostruttura. (…)
The Protocol originated from
the “Ways Out” project, that focused on phenomenon of human trafficking and
realized by the Italian Department for Equal Opportunities - Prime’s Minister Office, ten Italian Regions
(Calabria, Campania, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Marche, Sicily, Tuscany, Autonomous Province of Trento, Autonomous Province of Bolzano
and Piedmont leader Region). They proposed to European Commission to activate
actions to support
victims of trafficking also in other Countries of the European
Union. For information: Tecnostruttura of the Regions
for the ESF – Comunication Department, Roberta Giangiorgi: r.giangiorgi@tecnostruttura.it
The Draft Agreement can be downloaded at http://www.tecnostruttura.it/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabID=4605
7 July - At a high-level
meeting in
The participating organisations discussed different aspects of
intercultural dialogue and their collaboration in this area, particularly the
role of human rights, the promotion of intercultural competences through
education as well as the link between intercultural dialogue and conflict
prevention. Participants declared
their determination to strengthen co-ordination and co-operation between them
in the area of intercultural dialogue, and discussed additional opportunities
for joint action in the field of human rights protection, education and
conflict prevention.
http://www.coe.int/t/dc/files/themes/dialogue_interculturel/default_EN.asp
The aim of the course, which
is the first of its kind to be organized by the ICRC in
The training course is being
taught by ICRC and RDF experts and is part of a long-term ICRC commitment to
provide support for the Rwandan authorities in the process of adhering to the
treaties of international humanitarian law. It is intended to strengthen their
capacities to implement those instruments.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/rwanda-news-070708
Italian
Government strengthens commitment on hunger
At the FAO Summit in June, and
at the last G8 meeting held in
Italian contributions to the
FAO Trust Fund for Food Security have so far helped fund 29 rural development
projects, almost half of them in Africa (14) with others in the Middle East,
Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the
Energy
for sustainable development
15 July - With nine of its
member countries accounting for some 56 and 30 per cent of oil and natural gas
world supplies, the UN-ESCWA region is especially rich in these resources, said
Executive Secretary Bader Omar AlDafa. At the same
time, other member countries have little or no gas or oil reserves. Such disparities among and between countries
of the region had kept average growth over the past two years at about 5.6 per
cent. AlDafa was tackling the subject of energy for
sustainable development for
Since Agenda 21 (1992) and the
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (2002), UN-ESCWA Executive Secretary said, member
countries have made concerted efforts for achieving energy sector
sustainability. The region is indeed continuously working to improve its energy
efficiency, by promoting, among others, relevant policies, codes of practice,
enabling regulations, performing energy audits and implementing energy
efficiency field projects. Despite limited progress in the areas of renewable
energy, member countries took steps in promoting the use of solar water
heaters, and in making use of wind and solar energy. (…)
http://www.escwa.un.org/index.asp
Planting underway in
FAO initiative focuses on local production to
offset high prices
Rome, 11 July - FAO is moving
into the final stages of an intensive month-long distribution of millet,
sorghum, maize, cowpea and peanut seeds to 33 000 farmers in the regions of
Burkina Faso that have been hardest-hit by a devastating combination of soaring
food prices and severe weather that has vastly reduced the local food supply.
(...)
FAO has just finished one of
the last distributions, of nearly 20 tonnes of improved seed varieties and just
under 30 tonnes of fertilizers, in the villages surrounding Gourcy,
the provincial capital of the arid Centre North region. Recent distributions
covered much of the country’s eastern and central zones. In all for the current
planting season, about 600 tonnes of improved seed varieties and 432 tonnes of
fertilizers have been made available to impoverished farmers in Burkina. (...)
In addition to seeds being provided of the main staple grains, quality
vegetable seeds are also being distributed to be planted in the dry season,
September-October, to take advantage of planting areas that with irrigation can
still produce. (...) FAO is also training local producers in quality seed
multiplication, to continuously augment the amount and quality of seed
available, as well as to raise crop yields. (...)
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000881/index.html
Initiative
on soaring food prices now covers 54 countries
Vulnerable
populations are the main target
With six countries already
benefiting for a total amount of nearly US$ 2.8 million (
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000877/index.html
Young people meet with G8
Leaders
Recommendations
on pressing global issues presented
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_44727.html
ECLAC
creates network to disseminate successful experiences for achieving millenium development goals
The
network website contains information on projects in 17 Latin American countries
to combat poverty, hunger, gender inequality.
30 June - With the aim of encouraging
information exchange on programmes that contribute to achieving the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG), the Economic Commission for
Each file provides information
related to the initiative: its objectives, indicators, success factors,
activities, obstacles in its implementation and costs. (...) In order to
present the most significant initiatives, seminars will be held in South
America, Central America and the
ECLAC
Develops Project to Improve Trade Relations Between
Asia-Pacific and
Project
will analyze the effects of transportation infrastructure and logistic business
services between countries of both regions.
27 June - The Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the government of
the
The Korean government will
provide funds to finance the initiative. The project includes an analysis of
the physical, economic and operational conditions of transportation corridors
in order to determine the influence of infrastructure and logistics costs on
Latin American development. Complementary investment in infrastructure and
possible measures to improve the business environment will also be studied.
ECLAC data shows that economic and political ties between
IFAD
to provide additional US$4.2 million to
Supplementary
loan will bring total IFAD funding to US$13.5 million for
Rome, 26 June - A US$4.2 million supplementary loan to
Cape Verde from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will
assist poor rural people to further integrate into the country’s fast-growing
economy. The agreement was signed today in
The new IFAD financing will
allow the existing Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme - costing a total of
US$36.1 million - to be expanded to cover all rural areas of the West African
islands. It will make use of legal, institutional and financial mechanisms that
have already proved effective in reducing rural poverty during the first two
stages of the programme. Food security and nutrition will be improved, incomes
and market access will be improved and productivity in agriculture, fisheries
and livestock will be increased. About 60,000 poor rural people, particularly
women, will benefit. “This model programme is becoming a major national policy
instrument to fight poverty in rural areas” said Mohamed Béavogui,
Director, West and Central Africa Division, IFAD. (…)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2008/34.htm
“We are trying to help the
most vulnerable people here in the area to cope with food shortages in the
coming months,” said Christophe Driesse,
an ICRC economic security expert who is overseeing the distribution. “Poor
security conditions have prevented local people from tilling their fields and
the Red Cross is currently the only organization addressing this situation.”
Altogether the Red Cross will
provide 120 tonnes of maize, 40 tonnes of beans, two tonnes of salt and
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/ghana-news-100708
The ICRC has started an
emergency distribution of water for 1000 people and their 50,000 sheep in the
southern district of Massafar Yatta,
which is one of the worst-affected areas. (…) Many have had to reduce the size
of their herds since they could not find enough food and water for them. Animal
health problems and a fourfold increase in fodder prices have made life even
more difficult. (…)
The ICRC will continue
distributing water until other organizations take over. In the longer term, it
plans to help the herders to cope with veterinary problems and provide
assistance to better overcome the deteriorating situation.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/israel-palestine-news-100708
by Marie Louise
Belanger, regional communications officer for
3 July - Nicaraguan
communities devastated by 2007’s Hurricane Felix have taken another step
towards recovery, thanks to a food security and water and sanitation project
set up by the Nicaraguan Red Cross.
The Red Cross Red Crescent
provided seeds and technical guidance on how best to plant and nurture crops, improve production levels of plants such as tomatoes and chiltoma, and work the land efficiently. The project
benefited a total of 1,910 families in 14 communities in the municipalities of
Puerto Cabezas and Waspam,
and was supported by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO)
and a number of other partners. (…)
The Red Cross Red Crescent
food security project was supported by local authorities and government
institutions, the World Food Programme, SINAPRED and the Catholic Church.
http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/08/08071001/index.asp
Agreement
reached as first
The new agreement with the
DPRK Government will allow WFP to send nearly 50 more international aid workers
to the country, who will oversee and monitor the delivery of food to make sure
it reaches hungry people most in need. It allows the organization to expand
into 128 counties, up from just 50, including the remote and traditionally
food-insecure Northeast and some counties never before accessible to
humanitarian agencies. In the two northwestern
provinces of Chagang and North Pyongan,
US NGOs will distribute up to 100,000 metric tons of the US-contributed food
aid to schools and hospitals in rural areas hardest hit by food shortages. (…) http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2877
United
Way of
Grant
brings foundation support to the public-private partnership that will provide housing
for the county’s most vulnerable.
27 June - United Way of King
County today announced the receipt of a $1 million grant from the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation to support its Campaign to End Chronic Homelessness in
The
To read the full press
release, visit the
GE
and GE Foundation to provide additional $1.2 million to address
Money
and products to support work of International Medical Corps
Total
GE assistance in the region surpasses $5 million
Fairfield, CT, 24 June - Today
the GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of General Electric Company,
has awarded International Medical Corps (IMC) $700,000 in an emergency grant
directed toward humanitarian efforts for the impacted population in the Darfur region of Sudan. In addition, the GE Corporation
will be donating nearly $500,000 in health care equipment, training and
supplies to support the organization’s efforts in the region. (…)
The grant will allow
International Medical Corps to continue its existing activities in response to
the escalating humanitarian crisis in the region, including assisting the displaced
population in the areas of health and nutrition, emergency supplies and other
critical needs. Health care equipment included in the donation to International
Medical Corps includes mobile x-rays, ultrasounds, baby warmers, patient
monitors, electrocardiogram (ECG) and related supplies and training. (…)
http://www.imcworldwide.org/content/article/detail/1824
Washington, DC,
July 16 – HR 808, the proposed legislation to create a U.S. Department of Peace
and Nonviolence, now has bipartisan support in the
U.S. House of Representatives. Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest of
If created, the
Department will be headed by a Cabinet-level Secretary of Peace appointed by
the President (with the advice and consent of the Senate), and will focus on
expanding the nation’s capacity to resolve conflict nonviolently,
prevent violence by addressing its root causes, and promote justice and
democratic principles to expand human rights. (…)
The Peace Alliance
is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
organization leading a growing grassroots movement active in all 50 states to
pass legislation to create a U.S. Department of Peace. The bill, HR 808, is
currently co-sponsored by 70 members of the U.S. House of Representatives,
including the original sponsor.
Contact: Patty Kuderer, National Director of Communications, press@thepeacealliance.org
http://www.thepeacealliance.org
DynCorp
International builds mine awareness in
8 July - In a corporate
goodwill initiative, DynCorp International is helping a non-profit organization
teach Afghan children to avoid mines and unexploded ordnance. DynCorp
International is working with the Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan
Rehabilitation (OMAR) to reduce casualties from mines - a dangerous legacy of
years of conflict in
http://www.landmine.de/en.titel/en.news/en.news.one/index.html?entry=en.news.1078d6c81e320000
The
latest phase of MAG’s work at the barrier minefield
surrounding the southern town of
8 July -
The town of
2 July - Since beginning the
clearance of landmine-contaminated land in the Malai
district of Banteay Meanchey
province in July 2006, MAG has located and destroyed 507 anti-personnel mines,
two anti-tank mines and 30 other items of unexploded ordnance (UXO).
This
http://www.maginternational.org/news/cambodia-clearance-helps-hundreds-in-malai/
International
AIDS Conference 2008 –
The world's attention is
shifting to
Held every 2 years, the
conference provides many opportunities for the presentation of important new
scientific research and productive, structured dialogue on the major challenges
facing the global response to HIV and AIDS. Conference organisers are
developing a wide variety of session to meet the needs of various participants,
and to support collective efforts to expand delivery of HIV prevention and
treatment to communities worldwide. The transfer of knowledge and the sharing
of best practices will be central to many of these sessions. In addition to the
conference sessions, there are a number of activities, including satellite meetings and exhibitions, Global Village, a cultural programme, that are integral
too delegates' experiences at the conference. (…)
http://www.worldywca.info/index.php/ywca/world_ywca/events/iac_mexico_2008
http://www.aids2008.org/mainpage.aspx?pageId=3
MSF
responds to the cyclone in
Calls
for immediate and unobstructed escalation of assistance
9 July - Cyclone Nargis hit
MSF is now working in the
areas of the Delta that need the most assistance. Teams are running mobile and
fixed clinics, trying to reach an additional 350,000 people. Thousands of
cyclone survivors in the worst-affected areas continue to struggle with
day-to-day survival, and there is a significant shortage of aid and assistance
in many areas. MSF medical teams are treating patients for diarrhea,
respiratory tract infections, malaria, dengue fever, and malnutrition. (...) MSF
is also integrating a mental health and psycho-social program into its
emergency response. (...)
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/report.cfm?id=2689
Engagement
of Chief Ministers of Sindh and Balochistan,
following technical consultation on polio eradication in
1 July - A targeted
supplementary immunization activity targeting 17.8 million children is being
held in 67 selected districts of the country from 1-3 July. Staff
have been moved from non-participating districts to campaign districts
to ensure the intensified supervision required for a high quality vaccination
activity.
Spurred by the increase of
polio cases in
In Balochistan,
the campaign was launched in
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/LatestNews200807.asp#PAK
30 June - From large-scale
community development projects to polio eradication, Indian Rotarians are
improving people’s lives on a broad front through their support for The Rotary
Foundation. In the past three years,
An aggressive campaign against
type 1 poliovirus has led to historic low levels of type 1 polio in
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/LatestNews200806.asp#IND
Project
HOPE receives donation for Basrah children’s hospital
from Triple Canopy, Inc.
Millwood,
The Basrah
Children’s Hospital represents the first new hospital constructed in Iraq since
the 1980s and will provide Basrah and the southern
governorates with high-impact children’s health services with an oncology focus
including cancer prevention, early diagnosis and cures using standard therapies
otherwise unavailable in the country. Childhood cancers are 8 to 10 times more
common in
http://www.projecthope.org/newsupdate/currentnews/view.asp?id=100255
The World Health Organization
(WHO) welcomes the agreement announced today in
·
to greatly increase progress on maternal, newborn and
child health;
·
to reaffirm, sustain and extend previous commitments
on HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as on polio and neglected tropical
diseases; and
·
to strengthen health
systems, including social health protection and building an adequate health
workforce with a voluntary code of practice regarding ethical recruitment of
health workers.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2008/s06/en/index.html
(top)
EU to
limit energy use of electronics on stand-by
8 July - A range of
electric devices in the EU will in future be required to use significantly
less energy when idle or in stand-by mode. The rules are expected to be
endorsed by Parliament later this year and would take effect as of 2010.
Computers, televisions,
printers and similar devices should, by 2010, consume no more than one or
two watts when on stand-by. From 2013, that level should then be lowered even
further to 0.5 or maximum one watt. The rules, proposed by the
Commission in its Regulation to reduce the energy consumption of
electrical appliances used in homes and offices, were approved yesterday (7
July) during a vote in a special regulatory committee composed of member-state
representatives. The committee was formed as part of the implementation of the EU's 2005 eco-design of energy-using products (EuP) directive.
The electricity savings
produced by the lower watt levels would be equivalent to the yearly electricity
consumption of
http://www.euractiv.com/en/energy-efficiency/eu-limit-energy-use-electronics-stand/article-174055
Clean
energy investments charge forward despite financial market turmoil
With
end of cheap oil, renewables and energy efficiency attracts
fast-growing interest. New investment surpasses $148 billion in
Climate change worries,
growing support from world governments, rising oil prices and ongoing energy
security concerns combined to fuel another record-setting year of investment in
the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries in 2007, according to an
analysis issued Tuesday July 1 by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). “The
clean energy industry is maturing and its backers remain bullish. These
findings should empower governments - both North and South - to reach a deep
and meaningful new agreement by the crucial climate convention meeting in
Copenhagen in late
Over $148 billion in new
funding entered the sustainable energy sector globally last year, up 60% from
2006, even as a credit crunch began to roil financial markets, according to the
report, “Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=538&ArticleID=5849&l=en
EWEA
welcomes European Parliament support of full ownership unbundling for EU
electricity grids
19 June - The European Wind Energy
Association (EWEA) welcomes yesterday’s European Parliament vote in favour of
full ownership unbundling of vertically-integrated power companies, and its
rejection of the Independent Systems Operator and Independent Transmissions
Operator options. The votes demonstrate the Parliament’s support for a properly
liberalised energy market and a level playing field for renewables.
“Allowing power generation
companies to own the transmission grid makes no more sense than allowing an
airline company to own the sky,” commented Christian Kjaer,
EWEA Chief Executive. “The European Parliament has shown its commitment to fair
access to the electricity grids, which is essential if the EU is ever to attain
effective competition in the power market while meeting its objective of 20%
renewable energy by
RES -
the School for Renewable Energy Science
RES is headquartered in
RES offers an intensive
one-year MSc Programme in Renewable Energy Science. The Programme is offered in
cooperation with The University of Iceland and The University of Akureyri, as well as in partnership
with a number of leading technical universities in
5th Annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations
includes celebrities, special events, and opening ceremony on International
Youth Day
5th anniversary Youth Assembly
at the United Nations to host 800 national and international youth leaders in
The ceremonies and
launch will kick off a three-day conference including a select group of youth
leaders from more than 50 countries to discuss successful, youth led development
approaches to the fulfillment of the Millennium
Development Goals, the corner stone of the United Nation's better world effort.
This year's theme
for the YA, "STEP UP: Taking Plans into Action," will train the 18-26
year old delegates to develop successful MDG campaigns, NGOs, or otherwise
participate in projects that will benefit the Millennium Development Goals. (…)
This year's lead sponsor is the Permanent Mission of Hungary to the United
Nations. Fourteen other missions to the United Nations are also endorsing or
sponsoring the program as well as international NGOs affiliated with the United
Nations.
Friendship
Ambassadors Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax exempt
organization, affiliated with the United Nations Department of Public
Information www.faf.org
Spotlight on forest monitoring
Remote sensing and field inventories to monitor
forests worldwide
Earlier this year,
countries and FAO reconfirmed their commitment to jointly prepare the next Global
Forest Resources Assessment (FRA), a comprehensive data collection on the state
of the world’s forests which is scheduled for release in 2010.
As part of the FRA
2010, FAO, its member countries and partner organizations will undertake a
global remote sensing survey of forests. The survey will substantially improve
knowledge on land use change including deforestation, reforestation and natural
expansion of forests. The assessment will cover the whole land surface of the
Earth with about 9000 samples. (…)
Important
research expedition flies Explorers Club flag
11 July - Launched by Green
Cross France on June 4th, 2008 the Pax Arctica expedition has been approved as a flag research
expedition under the Explorers Club of New York. On a mission to engage in
scientific and cross cutting research on environmental issues affecting the
The Explorers Club flag has
been flown in countless research expeditions around the globe in extraordinary
places such as deep seawater and moon exploration. Today, the flag represents a
history of accomplishments and courage, and an international community of
explorers and field scientists worldwide.
Led by Luc Hardy, the Pax Arctica expedition will serve
to uncover the true environmental situation of the Arctic habitat and the
extent of the impact of climate change on this fragile environment. (...)
http://gci.ch/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=285&Itemid=1
Three
UNEP projects win UN-wide awards
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=540&ArticleID=5870&l=en
UNEP
partner Green.tv to host new WWF Channel
8 July - WWF has launched its
own dedicated television channel to bring high quality campaign and
conservation videos to a worldwide audience. The new WWF channel is hosted by
the online environment channel green.tv, a partner
project of the United Nations Environment Programme. It can be accessed at http://www.green.tv/WWF and through the
WWF website www.panda.org Ade Thomas, Founder of green.tv,
said: “green.tv is extremely proud to be
working with WWF, the world’s leading conservation organisation, to show WWF’s great films on both our broadband TV channel and via
our video podcasts. We hope to bring a large
international audience to WWF’s content.” WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s
natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with
nature. The organisation has a long track record of using film and video to
raise awareness of environmental challenges and using the web to inspire
audiences and create change. (...)
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=540&ArticleID=5858&l=en
UN-HABITAT partners
with private firms for solid waste collection
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=5794&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
Continental
plan to protect the monarch’s migratory journey
Trinational plan
focuses on protecting habitat in overwintering sites
in
27 June -
Although the monarch butterfly
(Danaus plexippus) is not
in danger of extinction, its unique multigenerational migration spanning the
continent is considered an endangered biological phenomenon due to threats to
the monarch’s habitats throughout the flyway. Because monarchs depend upon a
wide range of habitats in
The North American Monarch
Conservation Plan, announced this week by the environment ministers of the
three countries, outlines concerted actions to be taken in each country. (…)
http://www.cec.org/news/details/index.cfm?varlan=english&ID=2804
According to Earth Day Network’s
Green Schools program, close to 60 million students spend up to 40 hours a week
in facilities that are often unhealthy and a hindrance to their ability to
learn. Green schools reduce sick days, significantly
improve the health of students with asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and
increase student morale and confidence. (...) Earth Day Network works to green
schools across the country and has an agreement with the William J. Clinton
foundation to green all
http://earthday.net/houseapprovesgreenschools
Building an interfaith community
At a time when the monolithic society created on the old pattern “one
nation, one culture and one religion” is rapidly becoming a relic of the past,
the one-month programme “Building an Interfaith
Community” prepares the future generation of leaders in churches, other faith
communities and society at large for the challenges of living peacefully in a
world of religious plurality. (...) http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/upcoming-events/ev/se/article/1722/building-an-interfaith-co.html?tx_ttnews%5Bcat%5D=78&cHash=eea42103dd
A
multimedia platform for World Youth Days 2008: www.wydcrossmedia.org
Sydney, 30 June (wydcrossmedia) - “All for one,
and one for All” is the slogan that has already brought together Afriradio (Comboniani), Centro televisivo Vaticano, Donboscoland (Youth Movement Salesiano
Triveneto), H2onews, Korazym,Lamorfalab,
Lemiedomande (question and answer site about
religion), MISNA, Movimento dei
Focolari, One o five live, Pj
Online (St. Paul Pastoral Vocation), Radio Vaticana, Telepace and ZENIT in a single resource sharing project to
offer, through the internet, a united communication service about Sidney’s
World Youth Day (15 July 2008) available on www.wydcrossmedia.org
http://www.signis.net/article.php3?id_article=2451
13 June (SIR) -
“A sort of road map with concrete proposals to be submitted to priests, bishops
and all the other brothers and sisters”: Card. Jean-Louis Tauran
spoke those words during the annual plenary assembly of the Papal Council for interreligious dialogue, presided over by him, which lasted
until 9th June. During the assembly, they also talked about the new guidelines
for interreligious dialogue. With respect to the
previous ones issued at the beginning of the nineties, said the Cardinal to
Terrasanta.net, these ones (which are not ready, yet) “should be more concrete,
and we intend to adapt them to any situations”. (...) There are no first class
and second class religions. Interreligious dialogue -
he added - is neither a sociologic analysis, nor a political strategy. It is a
religious activity, and the language of religion is prayer”. Among the words
heard at the assembly, there was also “reciprocity”. Tauran
said: “What is good for me is also good for the neighbour. (...)
Interfaith
study with the Dalai Lama
Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 20-24
July - His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism, will visit
Madison, Wisconsin July 20-24 to offer teachings from the Tibetan tradition.
The four days of teaching by His Holiness are about Shantideva’s
Guide to a Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Cho-jug) and Kamalashila’s Middle Stages of Meditation (Gomrim Barpa). These two texts,
important in Buddhist practice, will be made available in multiple languages
free to those in attendance.
The Dalai Lama’s visit is
being coordinated by representatives from the North American Tibetan
Association and The Deer Park Buddhist Center in
In conjunction, an interfaith
group is being organized to participate in this event. Up to 19 people from different
traditions will stay together at Holy Wisdom Benedictine Monastery in
http://monasticdialog.com/events.php#39
Latin
America and the
13 July - Reducing stark inequalities in
higher education, along with improving access and quality emerged as clear
priorities at the Regional Conference on Higher Education of Latin America and
the Caribbean (Cartagena de Indias,
Colombia, 4- 6 June). This massive stocktaking exercise involved 3,500 members
of the regional academic community, who concluded in the conference
declaration, that “higher education is a social public good and a universal
human right”.
The first Higher
Education Map in
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=56742&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
European
Youth Event in
“Youth
- actors and intermediaries in the intercultural dialogue”
Marseille, 9 July -
Intercultural dialogue is the main theme of the European youth event organised by
the French EU presidency in Marseille from 6 to 9 July 2008. The event,
entitled “Youth - actors and intermediaries in the intercultural dialogue” will
have a Euro-Mediterranean character: Around 120 young people from some 50
countries in Europe, North Africa and the
http://ec.europa.eu/youth/news/news1106_en.htm
Intercultural
dialogue for the greater
7 July - Academics, religious
leaders, policy-makers and NGO representatives came together at a conference in
http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/news497_en.htm
What
should our schools be like in the 21st Century?
3 July - In its Communication
“Improving Competences for the 21st Century: An Agenda for European Cooperation
on Schools”, presented on 3 July, the Commission is proposing an agenda for
cooperation among the Member States in three main areas, to make school systems
more relevant to the knowledge-based Europe of the future.
First, there needs to be a
focus on giving all pupils the competences they need for life in our rapidly
changing knowledge society. This includes: increasing levels of reading
literacy and numeracy; reinforcing learning-to-learn
skills; and modernising curricula, learning materials, teacher training, and
assessment accordingly. Second, there needs to be a commitment to provide high
quality learning for every student. This involves generalising pre-school
education; improving equity in school systems; reducing early school leaving;
and improving support within mainstream schooling for students with special
needs. Third, we need to strive to improve the quality of teachers and school
staff. This will require more and higher quality teacher education; more
effective teacher recruitment; and help for school leaders to focus on
improving learning.
http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/news492_en.htm
Migrant
children and education: challenges and opportunities for EU education system
3 July - With its Green Paper
“Migration & Mobility: challenges and opportunities for EU education
systems”, adopted on 3 July 2008, the Commission wants to open the debate on
how education policies may better address the challenges posed by immigration
and internal EU mobility flows. It raises issues such as how to prevent the
creation of segregated school settings, so as to improve equity in education;
how to accommodate the increased diversity of mother tongues and cultural
perspectives and build intercultural skills in the EU; and how to adapt teaching
skills and build bridges with migrant families and communities. The Green Paper
forms part of the Renewed Social Agenda, the Commission’s package of measures,
adopted on 2 July 2008, to reinforce Access, Opportunities and Solidarity among
all EU citizens. (...)
http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/news490_en.htm
New
SIGNIS media (2/2008): media, conflict and reconciliation
Conflict, and violent conflict
is very much part of our human reality. Heroic efforts to reconcile protagonist
of violent conflict, combating stereotypes and hate have also been part of our
history. The role of the media in conflict and reconciliation came to the fore
with the infamous Radio Mille Collines incitement to
genocide in
http://www.signis.net/article.php3?id_article=2468
“Idol
Gives Back” preschools open in
More
than 3,000 children mark their first day of school
Westport, Conn.,
USA, 1 July - As July 4th festivities and summer vacations begin in the United
States, thousands of children, ages 3 to 5, are starting preschool in five
districts of the southern province of Gaza in Mozambique, thanks to American
Idol viewers. The global humanitarian organization Save the Children announced
today that 96 preschools in 42 communities, funded through a grant from the
Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) from donations raised through Idol
Gives Back 2007, opened in May and June. Many of the children attending the
preschools have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. (…) Yet, only 4 percent
of young Mozambican children go to preschool, according to the Mozambique
Ministry of Women and Social Action.
Donations raised through Idol
Gives Back are helping to fund teacher training; the purchase of school
materials like floor mats, blackboards and pencils; and construction materials.
Local community members in each village, including several skilled carpenters,
volunteered their time to build classrooms. Other community members are
donating their time to teach at the schools. (...) http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2008/pr-preschool-mozambique.html?print=t
EDC
to share open source math curricula on Curriki
Collaboration
offers teachers new ways to use educational tools
Starting today, educators will
be able to use EDC’s online mathematics course
Building Algebraic Thinking in the Middle Grades on the Curriki
site (www.curriki.org). The course,
specifically designed to build the expertise of teachers at the middle level,
focuses on the algebraic concepts of patterns and functions. It was designed
and developed by mathematics and curriculum specialists at EDC and funded by
the National Science Foundation as part of a research initiative to explore the
comparative benefits of online professional development. (…)
http://main.edc.org/newsroom/press_releases/curriki.asp
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