Good News Agency – Year IX, n° 14
Weekly - Year IX, number 14 – 14th
November 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. It is
distributed free of charge through Internet to the editorial offices of 4,000 media in 49 countries and to 2,800 NGOs and 500 high
schools, colleges and universities. 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
A new
directive to improve the safety of toys
7 November - The EP Internal Market Committee has adopted a report aimed at making toys safer. The new legislation will beef up safety regulations and ban the use of certain chemicals and heavy metals. Parliament’s plenary will vote in December, just before the festive season. The report on the safety of toys, drafted by Marianne Thyssen (EPP-ED, BE), was adopted on Thursday 6 November by the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. The aim of the new draft directive is to strengthen and update the rules on toy safety. The existing directive has given good service but needs replacing. (...)
MEPs gave their backing to the
Commission’s draft legislation but adopted amendments tightening restrictions
on the use of chemicals and perfumes, clarifying the rules on warnings and
totally banning the use of heavy metals in toy manufacture. (…)
The committee’s draft report
will be put to the vote at Parliament’s plenary in Strasbourg in December.
According to the rapporteur, negotiations with the Council and Commission will
start soon with the aim of reaching a first-reading agreement, so that “toys
can be made safe as quickly as possible”.
Intercountry
adoption: International standards and Ukrainian practice
Organized
by Ukrainian Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports, OSCE Project Co-ordinator
in Ukraine
Kyiv, 6-7 November - The event
will focus on international legal instruments on the protection of children’s
rights in intercountry adoption.
Ukrainian authorities will
discuss challenges and best practices with their counterparts from key
countries of origin and destination for adoption in the region. Discussions are
expected to lead to the modification of national legislation on intercountry
adoption to ensure the protection of the best interests of the child and
prevent possible violations, including trafficking in children.
http://www.osce.org/item/34369.html
Landslide
UN vote in favour of Arms Trade Treaty
31 October - Today 147 states
at the United Nations voted overwhelmingly to move forward with work on an Arms
Trade Treaty (ATT). The Control Arms campaign, which represents millions of
campaigners around the world welcomed the vote but called for more urgency from
states to advance the process quickly and ensure a strong Treaty with human
rights and development at its heart. 145 states supported for the Treaty and
two others subsequently added their names, an increase on the 139 states who
voted to start the UN process in October 2006, showing increasing global
consensus in favour of the Treaty. 116 of the yes voters also co-sponsored the
resolution. The vote was particularly strong in Africa, South and Central
America and Europe indicating strong demand for arms control both from
countries severely affected by armed violence and from major exporters. Only
the US and Zimbabwe voted against, ignoring increasing global consensus for an
ATT. (…)
The Control Arms campaign is
made up of Amnesty International, the International Action Network on Small
Arms and Oxfam International. You can find out more on the Control Arms
campaign and the Arms Trade Treaty at www.controlarms.org (…)
Help
ban cluster bombs now! Sign the People’s Treaty
31 October - The Cluster
Munitions Convention’s signing ceremony will take place in Oslo, Norway, from
2-3 December 2008. That is only one month to ensure that countries - your
country - will be ready to sign the treaty! To keep pressure on governments,
sign the People’s
Treaty now.
Ten years ago on 3 December
1997 in Ottawa, Mines Action Canada, in collaboration with campaigners from
around the world, launched the first “People’s Treaty”. While inside the
conference hall 122 governments signed the historic Mine Ban Treaty banning
antipersonnel mines, outside ordinary citizens demonstrated their personal
commitment by signing the People’s Treaty. (...) Anyone can sign the People’s
Treaty and everyone should. All signatures count!
http://www.icbl.org/news/cm_peoplestreaty
Human
Rights in culturally diverse societies: challenges and perspectives
The Hague (Netherlands), 12-13
November - European societies are becoming increasingly culturally diverse.
More than ever, respect for human rights can enable societies to remain
cohesive. This objective is the driving force behind the conference entitled
‘Human Rights in Culturally Diverse Societies: Challenges and Perspectives.’
Guusje ter Horst, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the
Netherlands, Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer- Buquicchio and Eva
Smith-Asmussen, Chairperson of the European Commission against Racism and
Intolerance (ECRI), will attend the conference, which builds on the
Organisation’s White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue, published in May 2008.
Participating experts will
address topical issues: Is freedom of speech unlimited? What should be the
relation between the state and religion? How can we ensure the full enjoyment
of freedom of assembly by all? The aim of the discussions is to contribute to
the development of human rights policy approaches to better manage Europe ‘s
cultural diversity.
http://www.coe.int/t/dc/files/events/2008_cultural_diversity/default_EN.asp?
Young
Europeans presents strategies to combat racism in sports to European Parliament
7 November - Representatives
of the project “Youth Voices against Racism”, an initiative of UNESCO, FC
Barcelona and the European Coalition of Cities against Racism (ECCAR), in
partnership with the European Parliament, visited the Parliament in Brussels on
6 November and presented a document containing 10 recommendations to counteract
racism in and through sports. These recommendations emerged from a consultation
organized with young people between the ages of 15 and 18, implemented by
ECCAR, whose network comprises 82 cities in 17 countries. (...)
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=43925&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Human
rights conference in Stockholm
5 November - The Council of
Europe’s Committee of Ministers Chair Sweden hosted a conference on ‘Systematic
Work for Human Rights Implementation,’ on 6-7 November in Stockholm, to ensure
that the reality within countries corresponds with regional and international
human rights standards. Entitled ‘Rights work!’ the conference was organised in
close cooperation with the Council of Europe. Conference speakers included: Ms
Nyamko Sabuni, Swedish Minister of Integration and Gender Equality, Gunilla
Carlsson, Swedish Minister of International Development Cooperation, Thomas
Hammarberg, Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights and Yavuz Mildon,
President of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
(more ...)
Cassava’s
comeback - On the plate of over 1. 5 million people in Africa
Rome/Brussels, 13 November - After years of massive crop losses caused by a devastating virus, farmers are harvesting healthy cassava - one of Africa's principal foodstuffs - throughout the Great Lakes region, FAO announced today, hailing the achievement as a milestone in its ever stronger partnership with the European Union.
By the last planting season, virus-free cassava planting material had been distributed to some 330 000 smallholders in countries struck by the virus - Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. The improved crop now benefits a total of some 1.65 million people.
(...) In the Great Lakes region though, high prices of food and fertilizer are just part of the problem. As the recent violence in eastern DR Congo tragically demonstrates, the region is still grappling with peace. But, especially under circumstances of extreme instability, cassava can make a crucial difference. Cassava roots can be harvested whenever there is a need, or left in the ground when farmers are driven from their land. Also, cassava is not an easy prey, when land is unattended: thieves will find it very difficult to dig it from the ground.
Experts
to address problem of lack of access to water and sanitation for millions in
Asia-Pacific Region
Event
is part of UN project to help region extend water and sanitation services to
urban poor.
Bangkok, 10 November - Despite
important progress in recent years, half of the people in Asia still have no
access to adequate sanitation and almost 20 per cent lack improved water
sources - despite the fact that numerous technically feasible and financially
sustainable solutions exist. This is one of the broad topics that will be
addressed at the 2nd International WASH Practitioners’ Marketplace and Fair, in
the town of Cox’s Bazaar, in Bangladesh, between 11-13 November. Organized by STREAMS of Knowledge - a global
coalition of resource centres engaged in capacity development in the area of
water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) - and the United Nations Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Fair will also address
specific topics such as integrated water resource management, community
participation and sanitation entrepreneurship. (...)
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2008/nov/n39.asp
US
fund helps landmine victims in Quang Tri (Vietnam)
5 November - The Vietnam
Victims Memorial Fund (VVMF) of the US has provided US$2.5 million and developed
a mushroom growing project to help victims of landmines in the central province
of Quang Tri. According to VVMF Chief Representative in Vietnam, Chuck Searcy,
the project will provide technical assistance in growing, processing and
exporting mushrooms and credit for landmine victims in the province in order to
help them increase their incomes and improve their living conditions. VVMF also
plans to call for investment into a company in the Lao Bao special economic
zone in Huong Hoa, Quang Tri province, which will help families of landmines
victims with mushroom farming technique and create a trademark for their
products. Profit from the company’s operations will be used to support
mine-sweeping operation in Quang Tri.
http://www.landmine.de/en.titel/en.news/en.news.one/index.html?entry=en.news.1119e4dd6e6e0000
UN-HABITAT
launches Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development
Nanjing, 5 November -
UN-HABITAT on Tuesday unveiled a groundbreaking US$2 million fund to finance
inspiring youth-led development projects around the world.
The Opportunities Fund for
Urban Youth-Led Development, announced at the Fourth Session of the World Urban
Forum in Nanjing, China, was created to engage the partnership and leadership
of young women and men in achieving sustainable urbanization. The Fund is
initially being financed through a US$2,000,000 grant over two years, provided
by the Government of Norway. Other governments and donors are being invited to
contribute to the fund. (...)
The exciting event, featuring
a series of illuminating speeches from international leaders in the field of
youth-led development and performances from prolific young artists from across
the globe, drew in a crowd which demonstrated the recognition which youth have
achieved at this year’s World Urban Forum. (...) Today marked a turning point
in the history of international development: Youth integration must be
considered crucial to the success of any future programme. (...)
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6031&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
Fund
unveiled to support UN youth-led projects for development
5 November - A $2 million fund
to finance youth-led development projects was announced yesterday by the United
Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT) at the Fourth Session of the
World Urban Forum in Nanjing, China. Known as the Opportunities Fund for Urban
Youth-Led Development, the fund is initially being financed by Norway and will
work to engage young women and men in achieving sustainable urbanization and
tackle issues including rampant youth unemployment, barriers to entrepreneurship
and lack of appropriate training and education. (...)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=28829&Cr=un-habitat&Cr1=
Migration
for development: a global joint initiative
Manila, 28 October - The
United Nations and the European Commission have started a Joint Initiative on
Migration and Development. This 15 million Euro (Php 950 million) programme,
funded by the European Commission and implemented by UNDP in partnership with
IOM, UNFPA, UNHCR and ILO, introduces a new way of making migration work for
development. The initiative aims to promote the positive impact of migration
using an innovative, bottom-up approach that will support small-scale actors to
undertake concrete actions.
Taking on board the
recommendations of the first Global Forum on Migration and Development, held in
Brussels in 2007, the Joint Initiative will reinforce the role of civil society
organizations and local authorities, by ensuring that the capacity of these key
stakeholders is strengthened to become efficient actors for development.
Through the codification of good practices in Migration & Development, the
EC-UN Joint Initiative aims to ensure that decision makers are better informed
of good practice in this area, with a view to informing policy making. (...)
Harnessing
carbon financing to boost sustainable farming
Win-win-win
for development, climate efforts
Rome, 28 October - Some 100
experts from five continents meet today to chart the way to harnessing a large
new flow of funding - carbon finance - to agricultural development and to
improving the lives of poor farmers the world over.
Billions of dollars are
available every year under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism to
finance initiatives helping reduce the amount of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions
into the atmosphere. But so far little of this money has been going to
agriculture, although it offers very real potential to reduce GHG pollution since
it is a leading source of emissions -contributing some 30 percent at global
level when land-use changes and the intensive livestock sector are included.
(...)
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/8180/icode/
Volunteers
and activists get it together
A new
joint publication from IAVE, CIVICUS and UNV on Volunteering and Social
Activism finds both are important strategies for fostering people’s
participation in social change and human development.
24 October - Today on United
Nations Day and World Development Information Day, IAVE, CIVICUS, and the
United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme are pleased to launch a joint
publication, “Volunteering and Social Activism: Pathways for participation in
human development”. The paper is based on a study undertaken by the three
organisations in 2007-2008. The background study finds that both volunteering
and social activism are important strategies for fostering people’s
participation in social change and human development. (…)
The paper argues that
volunteering, like social activism, can be purposeful and change-orientated.
Volunteering can be directed at influencing agenda-setting, policy-making,
decision-making and representation, and is also an important mechanism for
promoting empowerment, personal transformation and social inclusion. (...)
The full publication is
available for download free-of-charge here.
http://www.iave.org/NewsView.asp?newsID=243
UN
agencies agree on how to help Africa respond to global crises and agricultural
subsidies
Addis Ababa, 24 October - UN agencies and organizations (...) have
agreed on broad coordinated actions to respond to the challenges posed to
Africa by rising food and oil prices, the global financial crisis, climate
change and agricultural subsidies in rich countries. The agencies and
organizations met from 21-22 October in the framework of the Regional
Coordination Mechanism (RCM), which was established pursuant to General
Assembly resolution 57/7, to coordinate the work of UN agencies and
organizations in support of the African Union and its NEPAD programme. (...)
The Organizations agreed that one of the critical reasons for the food
insecurity in Africa was the displacement of the population due to conflicts
and the reliance of refugees on food aid. (...) The organizations resolved to
improve their cooperation, harmonization and synergy and coherence, stating
that these were central to the effectiveness of the operations of the cluster
system of the RCM. (...)
Emergency
assistance in DR Congo
4 November - Despite the lack
of humanitarian access, several ACT members have been able to deliver some
initial assistance to communities displaced by the conflict in the eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo. ACT members distributed a 14-day food ration and
non-food items to 150 households in the Sasha IDP camp last week, and a stock
of medicines were delivered to a health centre in the Minova area.
Additionally, a therapeutic feeding centre has continued to assist 90 children
throughout the fighting. (…)
The ACT members in eastern DRC
met on 3 November as soon as the town of Goma was declared safe, and
negotiations by the UN for humanitarian access to the affected areas were
underway.
ACT members are departing
tomorrow on four simultaneous two-day assessment missions. In addition to the
immediate need for food, water and shelter, particular attention will be paid
to needs for psychosocial and protection support within affected populations.
Based on the findings of the assessment missions, a preliminary ACT appeal will
be drafted by 10 November.
Conflict
in DR Congo: CARE provides emergency supplies, cholera treatment for desperate
families
Goma, 3 November - While a
fragile ceasefire holds in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), CARE is
distributing emergency supplies and providing cholera treatment for some of the
thousands of people who are still taking refuge in the capital city of Goma.
The leader of the rebel group has said he will guarantee safe passage for aid
agencies trying to reach the more than 250,000 people who fled their homes
after heavy fighting between rebels and the army last week.
CARE is initially targeting
1,700 people still taking refuge in churches, open spaces and schools in Goma,
who have no access to drinking water, shelter, food or medical support. The
emergency supplies include hygiene items, blankets, kitchen supplies and
plastic sheeting. (…) CARE is also coordinating with the medical aid agency
Merlin to establish a temporary cholera treatment center, after cases were
reported among the displaced people in Goma. (…)
http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2008/11/20081103_drc_update.asp
IKEA
provides soft toys to children in cyclone-affected Myanmar
Yangon, Myanmar, 6 November -
Save the Children is distributing 200,000 IKEA soft toys to children in Myanmar
as part of its relief effort to assist children and families affected by
Cyclone Nargis, which struck the country six months ago. Children in the most
affected areas of the country will be able to enjoy the comfort of soft toys,
helping them to recover after their difficult experiences. (…) Save the
Children has reached almost 500,000 people - including about 200,000 children -
with lifesaving relief, education and protection programs since the cyclone
hit. The agency moved quickly to assist families through the aftermath of the
storm and continues to assist children and their families as they rebuild their
lives. The IKEA soft toys are being distributed through Save the Children’s
child-friendly spaces in more than 120 villages and through community child
protection groups in selected villages. (...)
IKEA Social Initiative
supports sustainable long-term projects with the aim to improve children’s
rights to a healthy and secure childhood with access to quality education. Save
the Children and UNICEF are its main partners. (...)
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2008/ikea-toys-myanmar.html
BVLGARI
announces initiative to support ‘Rewrite the Future’
BVLGARI
launches major fundraising project to defend Children’s Rights, coincides with
125th anniversary.
Rome, 4 November - 2009 marks
the 125th anniversary of Italian luxury goods company Bulgari. In honor of the
year, Bulgari has chosen to support Save the Children’s Rewrite the Future
campaign. Save the Children is one of the largest independent international
organizations for the defence and championing of children’s rights; they are
present in over 100 countries around the world. The Rewrite the Future campaign
is committed to providing quality education to 8 million children living in
conflict-affected areas by the end of 2010.
Considerable progress has
already been made by rebuilding schools, supplying much needed school supplies,
and protecting children from abuse and exploitation - thus paving the way for a
durable change in almost 6 million children’s lives. Bulgari’s ultimate goal is
to raise €10 million for Save the Children by the end of 2009, of which €1
million will be donated in advance to kick off the initiative. (...)
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2008/bvlgari-partnership.html
Cyclone
Nargis: Major milestones reached, but more humanitarian work still to be done
31 October - Six months ago on
2 May 2008 the destructive power of Cyclone Nargis made landfall on Myanmar.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
today announced that while the Red Cross has reached major milestones,
important and difficult work remains ahead if people and communities are to
reach the living standards they knew before the Cyclone Nargis tragedy. (…) An
estimated 260,000 families in the Ayeyarwady Delta region have received
lifesaving support through the MRCS and the IFRC. (...)
The International Federation’s
cyclone recovery programmes in Myanmar are projected to continue through April
of 2011, three years after Nargis made landfall. Through 30 September 2008,
contributions and pledges received by the IFRC total 57.8 million Swiss Francs
(USD 50.8 million or EUR 37.8 million). Expenditures during the same period total
28 million Swiss Francs (USD 24.6 million or EUR 18.3 million), with the
balance of available funds targeted at a range of vital ongoing recovery,
capacity building and disaster preparedness programmes. (...)
http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/pr08/6708.asp
Caritas
Vietnam opens its doors after 32 years
28 October - Caritas Vietnam
re-launched on 22 October, ending a 32-year hiatus in its operations in the
Communist country. Caritas Vietnam will start work with the approval of the
government, providing emergency relief and integral human development. Caritas
Vietnam has applied for but not yet received membership of Caritas
Internationalis.
The President of Caritas
Vietnam, Bishop Dominic Chu Trinh of Xuan Loc said the Church in Vietnam was
committed to accompanying the poor and to extending its services to all persons
in need, regardless of their faith. (…) Caritas Vietnam’s operations will
include the needs of disabled, orphaned, ethnic minority and poor children;
women, especially those living in poverty and victims of violence and of human
trafficking; drug users; people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. (...)
http://www.caritas.org/newsroom/press_releases/PressRelease28_10_08.html
Rwanda:
Safe drinking water for 22,000 people
Kigali, 23 October - Around
22,000 people now have better access to safe drinking water thanks to a
water-supply project which has just been completed by the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Kabarondo, Ruramira and Kigarama, in
Rwanda’s Eastern Province.
The project, which was
launched in January 2005 and cost 245 million Rwandan francs (around 450,000 US
dollars), involved upgrading and expanding the water-supply network in the
three localities. The work was carried out in cooperation with Electrogaz (the
national water board) and the local population. (...) To ensure that the
systems last, the ICRC lent its support to the introduction of a water
management scheme in rural areas around Kabarondo and Ruramira. In addition, it
offered support and encouragement for the process by which Electrogaz took over
responsibility for the technical management of a pumping station in nearby
Bunono.
The ICRC is planning to
complete another water-supply project this year in Mbazi, in the Huye district
of the Southern Province. The total number of beneficiaries of the project is
estimated to be over 10,000 people.
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/Rwanda-news-231008
Cambodia:
Japanese-funded clearance enables grassroots development
Funding
from the Japanese Government’s Kusanone Assistance programme will support MAG
Cambodia’s operations for the coming year.
7 November - A funding
agreement for US$584,764 was signed on October 27th in Phnom Penh. The grant
will support six mine clearance teams, one Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team and
two Community Liaison Teams. The teams will operate in Battambang, Preah
Vihear, Banteay Meanchey and Pailin provinces, where there are still a large
number of casualties from landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) every year.
The high level of contamination in these provinces also contributes to poverty
by denying access to land. (…)
Six other non-governmental
organisations were also successful in their funding applications and were also
present at the signing ceremony, which was presided over by the Japanese
Ambassador, H.E. Mr Shinohara Katsuhiro. Over US$1million of grant aid was
awarded.
The Kusanone Assistance scheme
was introduced to Cambodia in 1991, and aims to protect vulnerable individuals
from factors which directly threaten their lives, livelihoods and dignity.
(...) Since 2002, the Government of Japan has given almost US$4million to fund
MAG’s work in Cambodia.
Briefing
for Arabic diplomatic missions in Geneva on the Convention on Cluster
Munitions
Author(s): Site Admin <webmaster2SPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERicbl.org>
Geneva, 4 November - In the
lead up to the Oslo Signing Conference which will be held in Oslo, Norway on 3
December 2008, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, member of the
Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC), held on 30 October a lunchtime briefing for
Arabic Missions in Geneva on the historic new Convention on Cluster Munitions
(CCM). The CCM was negotiated in May and adopted in Dublin by 107 countries on
30 May 2008 and will be signed Oslo as a successful culmination of the “Oslo
Process on Cluster Munitions”.
The purpose of the briefing
was to update the Arabic diplomatic missions on the Convention on Cluster
Munitions and the Oslo Signing Conference, as well as on the Beirut Regional
Conference on Cluster Munitions that will take place in Lebanon 11-12 November.
Speakers included representatives from the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the
UN in Geneva, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP). The presentations were inspirational, informative
and concise - all stressing the humanitarian imperative for the CCM to enter
into force and be fully implemented as rapidly as possible. (...)
http://www.icbl.org/news/briefing__2 http://www.osloccm.no/
Geneva:
Military officers learn to turn rules of war into concrete actions
Geneva, 30 October - Seeking
to turn theory into practice, senior military officers from around the world
will gather in Geneva on 3 November to consider concrete steps that can be
taken to integrate the rules of armed conflict into training and procedures,
thereby limiting the effects of war on civilians and their property. The
officers will be participants in this year’s Senior Workshop on International
Rules Governing Military Operations, organized by the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Swiss Armed Forces. (…) Senior officers from 51
countries will take part in the two-week workshop in Geneva and Stans (near
Lucerne). They come from countries that have been experiencing armed conflict
such Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Burundi, or from NATO member States such as the United
Kingdom and the United States. (…)
The ICRC maintains relations
with the armed forces of some 160 countries, about 60 armed groups, and several
private military and security companies in an effort to ensure that they comply
with international humanitarian law (IHL) in their operations. (…)
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/armed-forces-and-police-news-301008
ITF
signed Memorandum of Understanding with Georgia on Humanitarian Mine Action
Assistance
23 October - Mr Goran Gacnik,
ITF Director, and Mr Kartlos Koranashvili, Deputy Head of International
Relations and Euro-Atlantic Integration Department at Ministry of Defence,
signed a framework agreement on cooperation on Humanitarian Mine Action
Assistance encompassing the capacity development of national mine action
structures and mine victim assistance.
ITF national mine action
capacity development assistance will among other include the stipulation of the
assistance in setting up the national mine action centre and the provision of
trainings and technical assistance; mine victim assistance will focus on
programme development and coordination as well as implementation of adequate
projects covering the whole spectre of the assistance, ranging from
rehabilitation to socio-economic inclusion of mine survivors.
International Trust Fund For
Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) is a humanitarian, non-profit
organization devoted to eradication of the landmines from the ground in the
region of South-Eastern Europe and the world.
http://www.itf-fund.si/news/news.asp#m260
Germany
allots €200,000 for mine clearing in Georgia
by N. Kirtskhalia
Georgia, Tbilisi, 22 October -
The Government of Germany allocated €200,000 for demining of the territory of
Georgia. Assistance will be provided to Halo Trust non-governmental
organization, which is already ascertaining the types of mines used during the Georgia-South
Ossetia conflict. Gori has been already demined. Presentation of the demining
project was held on 22 October at the bridge on the road to the village
Pkhvenisi.
The correspondent can be
contacted at trend@trend.az
http://news.trendaz.com/index.shtml?show=news&newsid=1326926&lang=EN
Rats
and robots sniff out landmines
by Sheila Oviedo
22 October - A
small-but-growing number of private humanitarian efforts are helping to address
the global problem of landmines, which inflict 15,000 to 20,000 casualties per
year. In Sri Lanka, a group of scientists and engineers has developed a
low-cost robot to detect unexploded landmines in areas covered with vegetation.
The Moratuwa University Robot for Anti-Landmine Intelligence (MURALI) is an
eight-legged, single-motor robot that moves like an iguana over rough terrain.
(…) A MURALI robot can “coordinate and lead” a group of robots in a given area.
When the leader detects a landmine, it signals the others on how to support the
removal effort. (...)
Meanwhile, the Antwerp-based
organization Apopo has been training rats to detect unexploded landmines and
the technique has gradually gained a following in post-conflict African
countries. At least 30 HeroRats are now working to detect landmines in
Mozambique, and teams will be deployed in Sudan, Uganda, and other countries.
HeroRats was conceived by Bart Weetjens, a Belgian engineer. (...)
http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/briefings/data/000081
UNAMID
and Mine Action Team detonate unexploded ordnance
Source: United Nations-African
Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
21 October - joint patrol
consisting of UNAMID protection force and police and accompanied by the Mine
Action Team, carried out the demolition of Unexploded Ordinance (UXOs) on 18
and 19 October 2008 in Kutum, Sector North. This took place around Al Zeeba
village, in Kutum, where two 107mm High Explosive Squash Head (HESH- Anti-armor
ammunition) projectiles and a partially detonated Improvised Explosive Device
(IED) were discovered. Government of Sudan Military representatives in the area
accompanied the team and observed the demolition operation.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/EGUA-7KMMLQ?OpenDocument
F3 -
Freedom from Fear - Max Planck Institute Magazine
“With
the right information and progressive thinking, we can work together towards a
stronger Freedom from Fear”.
Turin, Italy, 20 October -
UNICRI, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute, has released the
inaugural edition of “F3 - Freedom from Fear”. The magazine aims to bring
information and in-depth analysis of complex issues to the fingertips of
international decision-makers and crime prevention scholars. The international
community today faces increasingly complex crises. We are confronted by
problems which did not exist in the past. As such, global policy-makers must
also act in a diverse way, and must be at the forefront of knowledge in order
to develop effective, durable solutions. The magazine serves as a central focal
point for members of the international community to exchange ideas and promote
positive discussion on issues with which they are faced. It offers a platform
for internationally renowned thinkers, policy-makers, international entities
and national organizations to thoroughly examine the issues which effect each
and every one of us. (…)
http://www.unicri.it/topics/freedomfromfear.php
Lebanon
program celebrates one million square meters of released land - Yallah Shabeb
Campaign
19 October - On October the
19th the Lebanon programme launched the celebration of the great achievement of
1,000,000 square meters of released land after cluster bombs clearance in the
South of Lebanon. The programme has been running since September 2006; the
initial capacity of 4 teams working for 18 months under an ECHO grant have then
been reduced to 2 since February this year. Despite the reduction of capacity,
the teams increased the productivity and reached the 1,000,000 sqm as for the
beginning of October. The activities are currently funded by the EC until the
end of 2008 - although the contamination in the South of Lebanon is still high,
the programme is at a stake for 2009 due to lack of funding so far.
http://www.fsd.ch/content/view/101/99/
Record-level
US support for bird flu programme
Indonesia,
Viet Nam and Egypt among major beneficiary countries
Rome, 11 November - The United States will provide an additional $44.4 million in support of FAO's avian influenza control and prevention campaign, FAO announced today. With the new funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), US support to the FAO avian influenza programme has reached a total of $112.8 million. The United States remains the largest donor to FAO's bird flu control activities implemented in more than 96 countries.
The funds are mainly earmarked for avian influenza control in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, South Asia, West and Central Africa and Viet Nam, as well as global efforts. Indonesia, Viet Nam and Egypt will be the top beneficiaries. (...)
The main donors to FAO's avian influenza programme, which currently amounts to around $282.7 million, are: the United States, Sweden, Australia, Japan, the European Commission, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, the World Bank, UN Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank and France. The programme is also supported by funds from FAO's Technical Cooperation Programme.
Rotarians meet Taliban
supporter of Afghan polio immunization drive
by Dan
Nixon
Rotary International News, 7
November - On the eve of Afghanistan's
19-21 October National Immunization Days, Stephen Brown, past governor of
District 5340 (California, USA), had an extraordinary opportunity to witness
the country’s drive to end polio in action.
Brown and Fary Moini, a fellow
member of the Rotary Club of La Jolla Golden Triangle, were in Afghanistan to
help develop Rotary humanitarian and educational projects. They were invited by
Dr. Ajmal Pardis, chair of the country’s National PolioPlus Committee and a
member of the Rotary Club of Jalalabad, to attend a 15 October meeting of
Islamic leaders, or mullahs, in Jalalabad.
The meeting emphasized the
importance of the polio eradication initiative and linked immunization against
the disease to the duties of parents to protect their children, as explained in
the Quran. "The most interesting speech, to us, was from a powerful
Taliban mullah, Imam Abdul Wakil, who talked very passionately about the
importance of this effort," Brown reported in his online journal. "He
was clearly very well spoken, and everyone was on the edge of their seats
listening to him. There were about 40 mullahs present, about 30 elders, about
10 students from the Taliban madras [Islamic] school, and local and national
media." (…)
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/081107_news_talibanpolio.aspx
ANERA
receives $1 million from Qatar
7 November - We are pleased to
announce that ANERA just received a donation of $1 million from the Emir of
Qatar to fund our deliveries of vitamin-fortified milk and biscuits to
preschool children in Gaza. ANERA started the Milk for Preschoolers Program in
2003 after co-sponsoring a study that showed young children in Gaza were
suffering from anemia, vitamin A deficiency, and chronic malnutrition. Many
were at risk of irreversible physical and neurological damage. The program has
provided approximately 20,000 children in over 160 preschools with a box of
fortified milk and a packet of fortified wafers. This small snack ensures that
preschoolers, during crucial growing and development years, have at least one
source of nutritious food each day. (...)
ANERA is a leading provider of
development, health, education and employment programs to Palestinian
communities and impoverished families throughout the Middle East. (...)
http://www.anera.org/newsResources/ANERAReceives1MillionFromQatar.php
Mental
health added to MSF medical intervention at the Balochistan earthquake,
southwestern Pakistan
7 November - Our
teams are distributing non-food items and treating people through fixed and
mobile clinics. The psychological consequences of the earthquake are taking
their toll on the population and there is an obvious need for mental
healthcare. MSF is preparing to start a programme within the coming days. Many
people have lost family members, and some have no one left. Their houses have
collapsed and winter is coming fast, bringing very cold nighttime temperatures.
Tremors are still felt routinely, adding to the population’s fears.
Rome, October - The objective of this Project Committee is to offer the Rotary Clubs the possibility of concentrating on joint projects with the aim of making the best use of human and economic resources. From this viewpoint, the Subcommittee for Health and Hunger has proposed participation in the Malaria Project to the Clubs of the District, a project which constitutes a substantial commitment for the prevention of infant mortality. This project was started in the last Rotarian year by the Roma Nord-Ovest Rotary Club, in collaboration with the Clubs of the 9210 District, and recorded the provision of 10,000 therapeutic doses to Malawi; these medicines reached the hospital structures directly and without charge.
This year the Roma Nord-Ovest Rotary Club has decided to raise the number of therapeutic doses from 10,000 to 14,000, with the aim of starting a new opportunity for health service in The Gambia. This opportunity was made possible after the Government of The Gambia confirmed its readiness to control the distribution of the medicine and the correct execution of the medical operations connected with it.
commissioneprogetti-0809@genemultimedia.it
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7th
EU-China Energy Conference: Strengthening energy cooperation
Brussels, 6
November - An EU-China conference on energy sources is taking place today in
Brussels. The conference was opened by Matthias Ruete, Director general for
Energy and Transport at the European Commission and Jianlin Cao Chinese Vice
Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). The conference is aimed
at enhancing cooperation by bringing together high-level European and Chinese
representatives from industry and administration. (...) The conference
concentrates on energy technologies providing solutions to the numerous
challenges that China and the European Union are facing today in the global
energy market. Issues such as energy efficiency, renewable energies, hydrogen
energy and fuel cells, gas hydrates, carbon capture and storage and nuclear
energy are addressed this year. (…)
Since the last conference in
Shanghai in 2006, several initiatives are under negotiation to strengthen
EU-China Energy cooperation (among others the EU-China Clean Energy Centre and
the Euro-Chinese Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy). (...)
European
Commission launches new Citizens’ Energy Forum to work for more choice and
better deals for EU energy consumers
Brussels, 28 October - EU
Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva and the Energy Commissioner Andris
Piebalgs opened, today in London, the first ever meeting of a new Citizens’
Energy Forum, a platform designed to implement and enforce consumer rights on
the energy market across the EU. The aim of the forum is to tackle consumer
problems and propose practical solutions so that current EU-wide consumer
rights exist in practice and not only on paper and improve regulatory
conditions in the retail markets. The Forum brings together national consumer
organisations, industry, national regulators, and government authorities to
work on key issues such as switching energy suppliers, user-friendly billing,
smart metering or protecting vulnerable groups. (…)
Video
message by Desmond Tutu: “act as global citizens” on climate change
5 November - Archbishop
Desmond Tutu has urged the citizens of the world’s more privileged nations to
insist on emission cuts, in a video message that was recently posted on the
online platform youtube. “As an African I urgently call on ordinary people in
rich countries to act as global citizens, not as isolated consumers. We must
listen to our consciences, and not to governments who speak only about economic
markets,” the Nobel peace prize laureate has said in the message that was
uploaded by the anti-poverty advocacy organization World Development Movement
based in the United Kingdom.
The message is part of a
campaign that advocates against measures such as the construction of new
coal-fired power stations in the UK, which undermine the country’s ambitious
goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% until 2050. “Do not fly in the
face of the poor, allowing the emissions produced by endless and unnecessary
business flights to keep growing. Insist on an 80% cut in your national
emissions and hold your governments accountable,” Tutu asks the viewers. View the message from Archbishop Desmond Tutu
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1722/video-message-by-desmond.html
First
stage of one million native trees in the Peruvian Andes
December
2008 in Andean village of Acopia, Department of Cuzco, Peru
Yachay Wasi has started its Campaign of planting one million native trees in the Circuit of Four Lakes in the Peruvian Andes. The Native Trees, which have been selected by local biologists, are:
100,000 units each of Chachacomo, Qeuña, Qolle, Kiswar, Molle, 50,000 units each of Sauco, Sauce and 400, 000 units of other species.
In December 2008, during the beginning of the rainy season, the first stage of the Campaign will be implemented: planting 2000 native trees around the village and lake of Acopia. Currently, training on how to plant the trees, organized by Yachay Wasi with the participation of local biologists, is being given to residents of Acopia and nearby villages. Each school child will be invited to select a tree and to care for and watch it grow. Visitors in the Cusco region are also invited to participate and will be lodged in Acopia free of charge during the planting period.
Yachay Wasi has reached out to world citizens to contribute $1.00 per tree. A partial amount of the $2,000.00 needed was raised from donations from the public. Contributions are still needed.
Yachay Wasi is a Planting Partner in UNEP Billion Trees Campaign
http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/CampaignNews/Yachay_Wasi.asp
This Campaign of planting a Million Native Trees is a necessary outgrowth of a Sustainable Development project in the same area begun in August 2004 by an Environmental study funded by Yachay Wasi. Yachay Wasi completed in February 2008 the First Phase of this Environmental project Recovery of the Circuit of Four Lakes with the financial assistance of Rotary International (Australia, USA and Cusco, Peru). (…)
http://www.yachaywasi-ngo.org/lakesproject.htm
Earthjustice
wins flooding appeal against Water Management District
Case
aimed at stopping damaging flooding in Southwest Florida
Sarasota, FL, USA, 31 October
- Earthjustice, on behalf of the Crowley Museum and Nature Center, today won on
appeal in a major case aimed at stopping damaging flooding which killed
thousands of trees on the nature center’s property and in Flatford Swamp in the
upper Myakka River.
The flooding is due to the
practice of flooding vegetable fields with groundwater for irrigation. So much
water is wasted in this practice that a river of irrigation water floods and
kills thousands of trees downstream of the farms. The Southwest Florida Water
Management District issues permits for the flood irrigation, despite the fact
that the farms sit in an area that’s been severely impacted by excess water
withdrawals from the underground aquifer. (…)
EPA
partners with WRI to heighten awareness of ecosystem services
Washington, D.C., 29 October -
The World
Resources Institute (WRI) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a
collaboration to deliver improved science and practical tools to help companies
and governments protect ecosystems and address climate change. “This is an
important collaboration in bringing research on ecosystem services into the
mainstream of science, business and public policy,” said Rick Linthurst,
national program director of the EPA’s Ecological Research Program.
WRI’s ecosystem services
brochureEcosystem services are the benefits people obtain from forests,
wetlands, and other ecosystems. A forest, for example, not only provides wood
for timber and paper but also controls erosion, purifies water, stores carbon
dioxide, and offers recreation.
The partnership will bring a
greater recognition and understanding of the importance of ecosystems to
economic development and human well-being. (...)
http://www.wri.org/press/2008/10/epa-partners-with-wri-heighten-awareness-ecosystem-services
European
Forest Week, 20-24 October 2008
Forests
combat climate change, provide renewable energy and supply fresh water:
policymakers must integrate all these elements in a sustainable way
Geneva, 29 October - The first
ever European Forest Week took place last week, 20-24 October 2008 in Rome,
Brussels and all over Europe, to discuss the role of forests and the forest
sector in combating climate change, providing renewable energy and supplying
water. The Week highlighted measures necessary to fully utilize the sector’s
potential.
The Rome-based events brought
together some 450 participants from the forest, water, energy, and housing
sectors. The week marked the first ever policy-level meeting between the forest
and water sectors. In Brussels, a Conference by the European Economic and
Social Committee addressed the “role of forests in meeting EU’s climate change
commitments.” All over Europe, about 150 affiliated events took place in 30
countries, to highlight the potential of Europe’s forests and what it takes to
fully utilize it. (...)
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2008/08tim_p07e.htm
CEC
launches trinational vaquita conservation plan
Trinational
cooperation key to rescuing the vaquita, a small porpoise exclusively found in
the Upper Gulf of California, currently the planet’s most-endangered marine
mammal.
Mexicali, Mexico, 28 October -
In response to the urgent need to save the vaquita porpoise, the governments of
Canada, Mexico and the United States asked the Commission for Environmental
Cooperation (CEC) to formulate a strategy to support Mexico’s efforts to
recover the world’s most-endangered marine mammal. Today, the CEC launched the
North American Conservation Action Plan (NACAP) for the Vaquita (Phocoena
sinus), a vital cooperative initiative that is the result of contributions from
scientists, academics, environmental groups and officials in the three
countries. The vaquita is critically endangered and its population is estimated
at only about 150 individuals. (...)
http://www.cec.org/news/details/index.cfm?varlan=english&ID=2815
Amur
leopards benefit from Russian conservation concession
Vladivostok, Russia, 22
October - For the first time ever, a partnership between WWF and a for-profit
timber company has been awarded a “conservation concession” to restore
approximately 10% of the critically endangered Amur leopard’s habitat.
The Forest Department of
Primorskii Province in the Russian Far East has leased out a forest area of
45,000ha in the south-west of Primorye, which straddles Vladivostok and the
Chinese boarder, to the Nerpinskoye Cooperative Society (also known as
Nerpinskii rybcoop) for the next 25 years.
The last remaining viable wild
population of Amur leopard, estimated at less than 40 individuals, is found in
this area and WWF and Nerpinskii rybkoop plan to implement a project that will
increase biodiversity by selectively removing oak trees, which will open the
forest canopy and make way for the more valuable and native spruce, Korean pine
and Manchurian fir trees. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/news/index.cfm?uNewsID=148521
Seminar on
Interreligious Dialogue
“Intercultural
dialogue: a challenge for faiths and convictions?”
Brussels, 11 November -
Organised by the European Commission as part of the 2008 European Year of
Intercultural Dialogue and as a follow-up to the 2007 European Year of Equal
Opportunities for All, a seminar on “Intercultural dialogue: a challenge for
faiths and convictions?” will take place in Brussels on 11 November.
Bringing together project
coordinators, policy makers, experts in the fields of education and the media,
as well as representatives of religious and secular groups active in the field
of intercultural dialogue, this one-day event aims to explore initiatives which
promote dialogue within and between communities of faith and conviction.
Through three panel discussions, which will focus on the challenges for
education, for the media and for the dialogue between faiths and convictions,
speakers will present practical examples and experiences to participants. To
encourage debate each session will end with an open discussion. (...)
http://www.stop-discrimination.info/7968.0.html#47201
Religious
Pluralism, Globalization, and World Politics by Thomas Banchoff (Oxford University
Press)
18 November - This book
explores the ways globalization, especially modern communication and migration,
has helped religious communities develop and express stronger transnational
identities. While the three Abrahamic faiths have worked from existing claims
of universal truth, religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism are also beginning
to redefine their roles on the world stage. The chapters of this book explore
this oft-ignored phenomenon from a multi-disciplanary perspective, drawing on
the insights of such notable scholars (...). Topics under discussion range from
international development and conflict resolution to transitional justice and
bioethics, as well as the controversial subject of religious freedom.
Thomas Banchoff is Director of
the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and Associate
Professor in the Government Department and the School of Foreign Service,
Georgetown University. His research and teaching center on the politics of
religious pluralism, both nationally and internationally.
http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/publications/680
9th
Meeting of the Working Group on Education for All, 12-14 November
The Ninth Working Group
meeting on Education for All will meet at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France,
from 12 to 14 November, 2008, focusing on four key topics: the role of
education in meeting global challenges and the Millennium Development Goals;
teachers; equity and governance; and education financing. These issues were
chosen for their predominant influence on whether or not children, youth and
adults can benefit from quality learning opportunities. (…)
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=58094&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
The
training activity “Measures for paediatric unblocking” in the schools is ready
to start
The
Rotary project, District 2080, is broadening to other Rotarian districts
Every year fifty children lose their lives in Italy through suffocation from a foreign body (27% of accidental deaths – data for 2007 of the Italian Society of Paediatrics) at home, at school and on holiday, not only through the “foreign body” which they have swallowed accidentally, but above all because the person who helps them in the first dramatic moments does not intervene in an appropriate way, thus causing disastrous consequences. “Not knowing” causes errors: picking up a child who has a blockage by the feet or, worse still, putting their fingers into the child’s mouth are the first two things which are done by those who are not prepared … and which can be fatal.
This is the origin of the idea of carrying out the project of “Paediatric first aid - measures for the unblocking of the air passages at the paediatric age”, addressed to the population, but above all to all those people who live close to children: the infant school and elementary school teachers.
For this project, which originated in a Rotary Club of Rome (RC Roma Olgiata) a campaign has been launched, supported by the Italian Journalists’ National Football Team which, in ten matches, will collect the funds to support, with the Italian Red Cross, a specific training activity for the schools.
Almost all the Italian Rotary districts have backed this innovative course of “Measures for paediatric unblocking”, which have supported the project of Governor Cecchini (District 2080) with enthusiasm. For any information or clarification: Dr. Marco Squicciarini, President of the Project: marco.squicciarini@cri.it
Conference
on youth and adult learning in Africa - November 5 to 7
4 November - Adult learning
and education in the African region is the focus of a UNESCO conference taking
place in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 5 to 7. The conference is part of a
regional series leading up to the Sixth International Conference on Adult
Education (…)Entitled “The Power of Youth and Adult Learning for Africa’s
Development”, the conference will bring together representatives from 49
African countries to look at trends and challenges in the field of youth and
adult education, and highlight relevant practices and innovations. (...)
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=58131&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
2008
European Year of Intercultural Dialogue: Brussels debate on the role of the
media
3 November - The last of the
seven “Brussels Debates” organised in the framework of the 2008 European Year
of Intercultural Dialogue takes place on Wednesday, 5 November 2008. The debate
entitled “Talking Our Way out of Trouble: How Media Debate Can Combat
Intolerance” is organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). It will take place at 18:30h in
the Residence Palace and will be opened by EU Commissioner for Information
Society and Media, Viviane Reding. The debate will focus on the role of the
media in intercultural dialogue and in particular the ways in which the media
can contribute to the fight against the stereotypes and prejudices which feed
conflict and intolerance. The series of Brussels Debates is one of the core
activities of the European Year. Six Debates have already been held this year,
covering migration and immigration, the role of arts and culture in
intercultural dialogue, inter-religious dialogue, active citizenship and
intercultural dialogue in the workplace, multilingualism and the role of
education. (…)
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/news1753_en.htm
Culture
Programme conference, 12 December - Culture in motion
5 November - On 12 December
the first Culture Programme conference to focus on presenting past and on-going
project results (Culture 2000 and Culture Programmes) will take place in
Brussels. The aim of the event is to enable exchange of experience and good
practice between cultural operators. The aim of the event is to enable exchange
of experience and good practice between cultural operators. It will help show
the synergies between the Culture Programme and the European Agenda for Culture
adopted by the Commission and Member States last year. (…)
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/news1702_en.htm
Universal
Children’s Day - 20 November
By resolution
836(IX) of 14 December 1954, the General Assembly recommended that all
countries institute a Universal Children’s Day, to be observed as a day of
worldwide fraternity and understanding between children. It recommended that
the Day was to be observed also as a day of activity devoted to promoting the
ideals and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the
world. The Assembly suggested to governments that the Day be observed on the
date and in the way which each considers appropriate. The date 20 November,
marks the day on which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of
the Rights of the Child, in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, in 1989.
In 2000 world leaders outlined
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - which range from
halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing
universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015. Though the Goals
are for all humankind, they are primarily about children. UNICEF notes that six
of the eight goals relate directly to children and meeting the last two will
also make critical improvements in their lives. (MDGs, UNICEF.)
http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/children_day/index.html
International
Day for Tolerance - 16 November
In 1996, the General Assembly
invited Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16
November, with activities directed towards both educational establishments and
the wider public (resolution
51/95 of 12 December). (…)
http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/tolerance/
On the day of its fiftieth
anniversary, 16 November 1995, UNESCO’s Member States adopted a Declaration of
Principles on Tolerance. Among other things, the Declaration affirms that
tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference. It is respect and
appreciation of the rich variety of our world’s cultures, our forms of
expression and ways of being human. Tolerance recognizes the universal human
rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally diverse; only tolerance
can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe.
(...) Fighting
intolerance requires law, education, access to information, individual
awareness, local solutions.
http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.php-URL_ID=6551&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
UNICRI
and Terra Madre: Promoting the UN Millennium Developments Goals and the rule of
law
“We
are [also] called upon to show greater understanding - that the world we live
in is highly interdependent and that our interests are deeply interconnected
with all others. We cannot stand alone”. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General
of the United Nations
Turin, Italy, 23-27 October -
One of the most important international events organized in Turin is Terra
Madre, a world meeting of communities, which takes place every two years. The
network of communities created around the world is guided by crucial principles
such as the safeguard of the environment, of food and agricultural
biodiversity, the protection of the dignity of workers and of the health of
consumers. Respect for local cultures and for traditional products are other
essential principles of this worldwide network.
This worldwide movement
embodies best practices in the field of development and international
cooperation by adopting a subsidiarity approach. It has created an in-depth
dialogue with developing countries, provides market access and is a source of
pride for thousands of farmers. This experience contributes to reducing the
vulnerability of people to crime by enhancing local cultures and productions
and the principles of social justice and development. (...)
http://www.unicri.it/wwd/terra_madre/index.php
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Good News Agency is published in
English on one Friday and in Italian the next. Past issues are available at www.goodnewsagency.org . Rome Law-court
registration no. 265 dated 20 June 2000.
Managing
Editor: Sergio Tripi, Ph.D. Editorial research by Fabio Gatti, Maria Grazia Da
Damos, Elisa Peduto, Azzurra Cianchetta. Editorial Secretary: Maria Grazia Da
Damos.
Good News Agency is distributed free of charge through Internet to 4,000 editorial offices of the daily newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations with an e-mail address in 49 countries: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, 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 2,800 NGOs and 500 high schools, colleges and universities.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered educational charity chartered in Italy in 1979 and associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations. The Association has been recognized by UNESCO as “an actor of the global movement for a culture of peace”. 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. It is based in Via Antagora 10, 00124 Rome, Italy.
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