Good News Agency – Year IX, n° 6
Weekly - Year IX, number 6 – 25th
April 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
Contents
International legislation – Human rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health
– Energy and Safety – Environment and wildlife
Religion and
spirituality
– Culture and education
Final
countdown - Just weeks until the Disability Rights Convention becomes law
3 April -
The Disability Rights
Convention is hailed as one of the most progressive human rights documents ever
created. It defines the equality, inclusion and full participation of people
with disabilities in society, and respect for their dignity and autonomy, as
universal human rights. The treaty was negotiated with an unprecedented level
of involvement and influence from non-governmental organizations, including
people with disabilities. It will serve as a beacon for people with
disabilities everywhere, giving them the tools they need to successfully
advocate for their rights.
Survivor Corps had a major
role from the start. As Landmine Survivors Network (LSN), we co-founded and
helped lead the International Disability Caucus of more than 90 organizations,
ensuring that the voices of people with disabilities were represented
throughout the negotiation process. Government delegations and organizations
alike relied heavily on the expertise we gained through our participation in
the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and our ten years of work with
survivors with disabilities. (…)
http://www.landminesurvivors.org/news_feature.php?id=152
Law
to strengthen mine ban enters into force in
The
by Lois Carter Fay,
Geary Cox and
Following a royal decree on
April 1, 2008, the 2008 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban became law in the
States Parties to the Ottawa
Convention are obliged to make consistent progress toward eliminating the
threat posed by landmines, and
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/32405/
Human
Rights Commissioner to visit the
Strasbourg, 18 April - The
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg,
will carry out a high-level assessment visit to the Russian Federation starting
on Saturday 19 April.
Mr Hammarberg
will travel to the North Caucasus region, including the
The visit is part of the
activities carried out in accordance with the Commissioner’s mandate to assess the
implementation of human rights commitments by all Council of Europe member
states.
OSCE
media freedom representative launches guidebook on media self-regulation at
Organized by Internews Europe in
"I hope that our
guidebook will encourage the further development of media self-regulation,
boost the quality segment of journalism and, thus, help improve social support
for media freedom in the OSCE area," Haraszti
said in his address to forum participants.
"Media quality should
never be a prerequisite to media freedom. On the contrary, ethical journalism
can only develop in an atmosphere of guaranteed freedom. Journalists'
self-restraint must be preceded and accompanied by governmental self-restraint
in handling of media," added Haraszti.
The guidebook is a compilation
of questions and answers on the topic of media self-regulation, with renowned
international experts and practitioners contributing. The publication has been
financed by the Governments of France,
The Media Self-Regulation
Guidebook is available in English, French and Russian from the Office of the
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and is online at:
www.osce.org/fom/publications.html.
Cambodian
campaigner wins World Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child
by Jim McDonnell
The prize is given by the World’s Children’s Prize for the
Rights of the Child (WCPRC), which is supported by 17 million children in
37,000 schools in 92 countries.
Somaly Mam also won the Global Friends’ Award which is the result
of 6.6 million children across the world. Somaly Mam was subjected to abuse as a child and sold as a sex
slave. She now fights to liberate girls in
The World’s Children’s
Honorary Awards went to Josefina Condori,
Over 450 organisations,
departments of education and media projects for young people all over the world
support and co-operate with the WCPRC. More than 35,000 teachers contribute to
the work of the WCPRC. The prize magazine The Globe and the prize website, www.childrensworld.org are produced in 10 languages and read by
over 10 million young people.
http://www.signis.net/article.php3?id_article=2173
Council
of Europe film prize to be awarded at the end of the
Strasbourg, 14 April - The second
Film Award of the Council of Europe (FACE) will be awarded during the closing
ceremony of the 27th international film festival (5-20 April) in Istanbul (…)
The jury of the festival’s human rights section will reward the director whose
film best raises public awareness and interest in human rights issues.
This year, ten films are
competing in the human rights section (for further details see www.coe.int/t/dc/files/events/2007_prix_film_istanbul/default_en.asp). Both
documentaries and feature films are eligible for the prize. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of
Europe, will present the prize - which consists of a bronze sculpture and a
cash prize of 10 000 euros - on behalf of Secretary General Terry Davis.
(…)
The Council of Europe, which
is a separate body from the European Union and includes 47 European
countries, is well known as the organisation which runs Eurimages,
the body which supports and funds co-production, distribution and exhibition of
European cinematographic works. (…) The decision to set up the FACE award is a
reflection of the Council of Europe’s commitment to both cinema and cultural
diversity, and a recognition of the contribution the
world of cinema can play in developing human rights worldwide.
The FACE award is an annual
collaboration between the International Istanbul Film Festival and the Council
of Europe. Further information is available at www.coe.int or www.iksv.org/film
Geneva/Baku, 14 April - The
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the government of the
Republic of Azerbaijan have signed an important new agreement to help clarify
the fate of thousands of people who went missing during the Nagorny
Karabakh conflict.
“Fourteen years have gone by
since the ceasefire was announced between
The Framework Agreement on
Missing Persons in Relation to the Nagorny Karabakh Conflict will enable detailed data to be collected
from the families of missing persons. The aim is to help identify their missing
relatives. The data will be collected by trained volunteers from the Red
Crescent Society of Azerbaijan and will then be handed over to the authorities
to assist with future identifications.
The agreement was signed on 14
April by Mr Amacher and
http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/azerbaijan-news-140408
Welcoming the announcement,
IFAD President, Lennart Båge,
expressed his “gratitude to His Majesty King Abdullah Bin AbdulAziz
Al-Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for this
gesture of strong support to IFAD’s mission to
increase food production through higher investment in agriculture in developing
countries, particularly in the context of meeting the challenge of the present
global food crisis.”
In light of these new
challenges and the need to meet the Millennium Development Goals, IFAD is
reviewing its programme of work for the period 2010-12 and assessing its
financial requirements in consultation with Member States. The Fund is
proposing to increase its programme of work up to USD 3 billion to help meet
new demands and increase its impact on food availability and the livelihoods of
poor rural people.
Båge expressed the
“hope that
With its new contribution
pledge,
At the same Replenishment
session,
Hot links: The replenishment process Contact information: Farhana Haque-Rahman, Chief, Media Relations, Special Events and
Programmes f.haquerahman@ifad.org
Warning
system roots out hazardous consumer products
No
hiding place in EU for dangerous goods on EU shelves. Annual report on Rapex early warning system reveals big increase in hazards
detected.
17 April - European consumers
are better protected from dangerous products than ever before: the number of
unsafe products reported and withdrawn from the market in 2007 was 53% up on
2006. The annual Rapex report (out on 17 April) shows
Commission efforts since last summer’s toy recalls are paying off.
Among several improvements,
the Commission is now working more closely with
The EU is also tightening the
rules on product safety. After a review in September 2007, it put forward a
number of proposals on:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/focus/rapex/index_en.htm
Caritas
signs up to women and development pledge
16 April - Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Lesley-Anne Knight has
signed up to a pledge with other dignitaries from around the world aimed at
ending poverty among women. The Caritas Secretary General was attending a
meeting of the Women, Faith, and Development Alliance in Washington, 13 April
and signed up to the pledge on behalf of the 162 national Catholic charities
she represents.
United Nations statistics show
that women account for 70 percent of the world’s poor; that women are owners of
just one percent of the world’s titled land; and that two-thirds of the world’s
illiterate people are women.
The Women, Faith and
Development Alliance received more than $1 billion in financial commitments.
The alliance aims to boost the economic status of women and fight for the
changes that will make such improvements possible. Among those taking part in
the initiative are Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf,
former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Queen Noor of
Jordan, former Irish President Mary Robinson, and former Canadian Prime
Minister Kim Campbell. (…)
Caritas Secretary General
Lesley-Anne Knight said, “Women and girls are at the centre of efforts to end
poverty. They are the majority of the world’s poor. Caritas is fully behind
efforts seeking to increase resources for the advancement of women. (…)
http://www.caritas.org/jumpNews.asp?idLang=ENG&idChannel=35&idUser=0&idNews=5527
Its economic-security
activities for war-affected people in Acholi
districts are being adapted to fit evolving needs. Also, the ICRC’s new cash-for-work and income-generating schemes will
complement its large-scale seed distribution programmes, which came to an end
in March 2008.
Households participating in
the cash-for-work scheme will carry out projects chosen by their own
communities, such as opening up land for cultivation and restoring
infrastructure.
On the completion of a
project, participants will be paid in cash, at local rates. When people return
home, they face a number of important challenges: for instance, limited
income-earning opportunities and having to prepare land that has lain fallow
for many years (as well as the competing claims of other essential tasks).
(...) The sustainable-livelihood projects will also benefit the most vulnerable
households - such as those headed by children, the elderly and the physically
disabled - since the participants will be opening up land for them.
The cash-for-work projects
will complement an income-generating scheme for vulnerable families. Groups of
households will be provided with, for instance, irrigation pumps, brick presses
and oil presses to enable them to increase their income. (...) The ICRC,
through its various water, sanitation and health programmes, is striving to
improve living conditions for over 500,000 people - the internally displaced in
their camps and returnees in their home areas in Acholi
districts.
http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/uganda-news-110408
International
Federation launches new five-year food security strategy in
10 April - Investing in
long-term food security projects in
More than 80 per cent of this
budget will go directly to country level programming. It includes improving the
capacities of National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to further develop
food security programmes such as sustainable farming (including activities such
as the use of appropriate technologies, seed banks and soil nutrient management),
microfinance projects, small-scale irrigation schemes and the establishment of
community-based food security monitoring systems. (…) To increase their
efficiency, long-term food security programmes will be integrated with existing
community-based healthcare projects – especially HIV - and water and sanitation
programmes. (…)
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies in Burkina-Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo,
http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/pr08/1508.asp
ACDI/VOCA
conducts value chain workshop in
April 10 - ACDI/VOCA’s Local Business Development Program - Programa de Desarrollo de Empresas Locales (PRODEL), as it is known locally - in
collaboration with the Academy for Education Development (AED), organized and
conducted a value chain workshop in Quito, Ecuador, March 26-28. This workshop,
facilitated by Dr. Elizabeth Dunn of Impact LLC, brought together 35
participants made up of PRODEL program staff, USAID/Ecuador, Plan
The workshop was based on
value chain training curriculum developed by ACDI/VOCA for USAID under the
Accelerated Microenterprise Advancement
Project-Business Development Services (AMAP BDS) project. Participants
discussed key concepts, tools and guidelines for value chain development,
including strategies for addressing bottlenecks, promoting private-sector
ownership of the competitiveness process and catalyzing improved performance.
The training prepared PRODEL staff to better implement key components of the
project, including firm selection, identification of constraints and
opportunities for sustainable growth, and development of strategic and
individual assistance packages for firms.
ACDI/VOCA is a leader in value
chain approaches to development and helps to increase incomes in poor
communities and promote economic growth by enhancing performance and thereby
competitiveness of micro and small enterprises. To learn more about value chain
training, click here.
http://www.acdivoca.org/acdivoca/PortalHub.nsf/ID/news_VCtrainingEcuador
Africa
recorded a high growth rate in 2007 and growth is projected to remain high in
2008, according to ECA
Indigenous
peoples assistance facility
2008
Call for grant applications from indigenous peoples’ organizations and their
communities
The Indigenous Peoples
Assistance Facility invites applications from indigenous peoples’ organizations
and communities, as well as organizations that work with them, for grants to
fund projects, innovative approaches and partnerships that promote the
development of indigenous peoples and help them fulfil their aspirations. Grants range from US$10,000 to US$30,000.
Applicants must meet specific requirements and their proposals should respond
to the needs of indigenous peoples in any of IFAD’s Member States.
A panel made up primarily of
indigenous members will work closely with IFAD staff to review proposals and
make final recommendations on grant awards. The panel will review grant
proposals on the basis of project relevance, feasibility and institutional
capacity and make final recommendations on awards. Activities likely to be considered for funding
will build on indigenous culture, identity, knowledge, natural resources,
intellectual property and human rights. Projects should improve indigenous
peoples’ access to decision-making processes, empower indigenous peoples to
find solutions to the challenges they face and promote collaboration in the
public and private sectors. Over the years IFAD has learned that entrusting
direct management of resources and funds to indigenous communities and their
institutions is an effective way to build capacity, self-determined development
and ownership of programmes and projects. (…)
http://www.ifad.org/english/indigenous/grants/index.htm
A
billion dollars raised for gender equality and poverty
reduction
70%
of the world’s poorest are women.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
criticized organized religion for “failing to champion the cause of women and
girls,” adding that religion has “too often been used to oppress women.”
Speaking by video to a packed congregation at the huge National Cathedral in
Washington DC, the Nobel Peace Laureate said religious leaders had “too often
not named or failed to condemn” such discriminatory practices as child
marriage, female genital mutilation and violence against women.
The former President of
Ireland, Mary Robinson, said the Breakthrough Summit: Women, Faith and
Development
Some 70 organizations have
committed to providing a billion dollars worth of funded programs in support of
gender equality and poverty reduction. InterAction –
which comprises more than 160 of the leading
With more than 150 members,
the Leadership Council includes former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, Africare,
CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Children’s Defense
Fund, Christian Children’s Fund, Counterpart International, Grameen
Bank, Islamic Call Society, NOW, Rockefeller Foundation, Save the Children,
UNFPA, The Union for Reform Judaism, United Way, World Bank, World Council of
Churches, World Vision, and other key players in the international community. www.counterpart.org
Costa
Rican children score a goal against adversity
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/costarica_43597.html
Professional
football against hunger
The
power of football, a key tool for advocacy
Lisbon/Rome, 14 April - The UN
Food and Agriculture Organization and the Association of the European
Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) today signed in
The EPFL CEO, Emmanuel Macedo de Medeiros, assured that the European professional
soccer leagues are proud to cooperate with FAO: "We have 862 million
reasons to correspond to FAO’s invitation for
partnership." (…) These initiatives, in the framework of World Food Day
and TeleFood activities, will draw attention to the
plight of 860 million people suffering from hunger in the world and will raise
funds to support FAO micro-projects designed to help families and poor
communities to produce their own food. With this strategy, the two
organisations hope that football will become a tool for advocacy with the
ultimate goal of improving living conditions for the world’s poorest people and
a means to mobilize resources in the fight against global hunger.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000827/index.html
Empress
Shôken Fund supporting projects all over the world
11 April - In 2008, the
Empress Shôken Fund will grant nearly 470,000 Swiss
francs ($463,000 USD/€295,600) to 11 projects carried out by Red Cross and Red
Crescent National Societies around the globe. A special emphasis is being
placed on African initiatives, which will receive around a third of this year’s
grants. The awarded projects focus on a range of themes including humanitarian
values in Mozambique, youth development in Argentina, human trafficking in
Lithuania, disaster preparedness in Benin and India and first aid in Syria and
South Africa. Others include social services in
The Empress Shôken Fund was established in 1912 by Her Majesty the
Empress of Japan to support Red Cross Red Crescent activities worldwide. Since
then, it has grown thanks to contributions from the Japanese government, the
Japanese Red Cross Society and the Imperial Family. (…)
http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/empress-shoken-fund-news-110408
Toys
bring hope to children, troops overseas
by Aretha Fouch Price
Rotary International News, 9
April - Rotarian Jack Ham has collected close to 75 Beanie Babies over the
years, and was ready to part with his furry little friends, including his favorite, Wilbur, a plush, pink pig he was attached to
because of Ham’s last name. He wanted to give the stuffed animals to children
who had limited or no access to toys. Ham, a member of the Rotary Club of
Houghton, Michigan, USA, shared his desire to donate his collection with fellow
club member Lieutenant Colonel Dallas L. Eubanks. Together, they came up with
an idea of sending small stuffed toys to
Eubanks says giving gifts to
the youth overseas has a positive impact on the children as well as the
soldiers, which he experienced during his tour of duty in
Ham and Eubanks presented the
idea to their club and District 6220 (
The project grew well above
what the club anticipated. “We thought we would receive about 500 to 600
stuffed animals,” Eubanks says.
Hundreds of toys too large to
ship overseas were sent to orphanages in
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/080408_news_stuffedanimals.aspx
Caritas
Caritas
Internationalis is sending its tributes to member
organization Caritas
7 April - Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella organisation of 162 Catholic
national charities, says that Caritas Bolivia has played an important role in
combating poverty in its own country and in contributing to the work of the
global network.
Caritas Internationalis
Secretary General Lesley Anne Knight said, “Congratulations to Caritas
Caritas
http://www.caritas.org/jumpNews.asp?idLang=ENG&idChannel=35&idUser=0&idNews=5517
ACT
development in
6 April - The ACT Development
meeting took place on a small conference centre in
Around the table, a variety of
organisations were present: CHAM, who provides half of all health services in
Malawi and helps thousands of sick and poor people every day; There were
organisations like CARD, CCAP and ELDS who provide assistance to hundreds of
villages - helping poor farmers to food security. There were organisations, who provide relief and assistance, when the more and more
frequent floods and droughts hits in various places of the country with
negative impacts on millions of people. And then there were church-based
agencies from Europe and
Together they decided to form
ACT Development in
http://www.danchurchaid.org/sider_paa_hjemmesiden/news_publications/news/act_development_in_malawi
Author(s): Alessandro Palmoso
1 April - On 31 March, the
Republic of Sudan finished destroying its antipersonnel mine stockpile, just
ahead of its 1 April 2008 deadline under Article 4 of the Mine Ban Treaty. A
final destruction ceremony took place in Juba,
http://www.icbl.org/news/sudansd
UN
mine service considers new ways to clear land more effectively
17 April - The United Nations
Mine Action Service (UNMAS) says it is considering the introduction of new and
more efficient methods of checking land for mines that could drastically speed
up the clearance of land in mine-affected regions for use by local communities.
Deminers currently use
detectors to comb all land suspected of being hazardous, even when there is no
credible evidence of landmines in the area. This process can be so slow that
many countries affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war struggle to
reach their targets of clearing land. But John Flanagan, the officer-in-charge
of UNMAS in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), yesterday told a
conference on demining in
A recent report by the Geneva
International Centre for Humanitarian Demining found
that “general assessments and landmine impact surveys often overestimate the
extent of land actually affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war.”
Under the new procedures,
landmine experts would consider a range of indicators before determining
whether to send deminers into a suspected hazardous
area. (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26371&Cr=landmine&Cr1=
German
donation for AMCO/DCA activities in
1 April - Federal Republic of
Germany has again supported the activities of the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victim Assistance (ITF). The donation
agreement was signed today at the Embassy of FR Germany in
Ongoing implementation of demining strategy in
http://www.itf-fund.si/news/news.asp#m240
Strong
landmark African declaration to ban cluster bombs - only
by Site Admin
Livingstone (
Governments from 39 countries
in Africa discussed the most controversial topics to be resolved during the
forthcoming two week diplomatic negotiation in
http://www.icbl.org/news/zambia_pr
MSF
welcomes new fixed-dose combination against malaria
Developed
through a partnership between DNDi and Farmanguinhos, ASMQ combines artesunate
(AS) and mefloquine (MQ) in one fixed dose.
In 2006, MSF treated 1.8
million people for malaria in its projects in Africa, Asia and
By combining two active
pharmaceutical ingredients in one single pill, ASMQ greatly improves the
treatment against malaria, both for adults and children. Advantages include
multiple paediatric formulations, a reduced pill count, only three days of
treatment, an at-cost price, and durability in hot climates, with no need for
refrigeration. (…)
Governments meeting in ten
days for important negotiations at the World Health Organization will consider
further alternative R&D models addressing this link, and that can encourage
the development of medicines that respond to the needs, and are priced within
the reach, of patients and governments in developing countries.
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/pr/release.cfm?id=2619
Key
Indian state turns the tide against polio
by Dan Nixon
Rotary International News, 11 April - (…) Eighty
percent of Uttar Pradesh’s 339 polio cases occurred
in the Muslim community in 2007. But a Rotary-led initiative helped drop that
rate to 30 percent of 20 cases during the first three months of 2008.
Overseeing the state’s effort
to end polio is the Ulema Committee for Polio
Eradication, established by Rotary International in July 2007. (Ulemas are leading Muslim legal experts in Islamic law.)
(…) “The ulemas have done a remarkable job in making
the polio program acceptable to hitherto ignorant Muslim parents,” said RI
Director Ashok Mahajan,
chair of the committee, at a meeting of the executive committee in January. “We
want to spread the message of good health through the Ulemas,
who are so much revered in the Muslim community.”
“Misconceptions and rumors
that were widespread in the community against polio have almost been removed,
due to the efforts of the Ulema committee, and we
will continue with our efforts until polio is eradicated,” said committee
member Maulana Khalid
Rashid Firangi Mahali,
president of the Ulema Council of India. “Our
religion is not against immunization. Even the Saudi Arabian government has
issued a directive that pilgrims visiting
In February, The Rotary
Foundation awarded US$5.65 million to the World Health Organization and UNICEF
for social mobilization activities and operational support focused on more than
4,300 high-risk communities in Uttar Pradesh and
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/080411_news_india_polio.aspx
World
Health Day 2008 - Infant mortality drops almost 50% in Brazilian city
The community
and State of
7 April - Within the framework
of World Health Day, the Brazilian programme "Four-leaf Clover" won
first place in the third cycle of the "Experiences in Social
Innovation" contest 2006-2007, organized by the Economic
Commission for
The goal of the "Four-leaf Clover" strategy devised
by the Sobral city Health and Social Action
Department, in the State of
According to World Health
Organization (WHO) data, every year almost 530,000 women die during pregnancy
or delivery, over three million children are stillborn, more than four million
newborns die within the first few days or weeks of life, and a total of 10.6
million children die before age 5. Within this scenario, "Four-leaf
Clover" is an example of how to effectively resolve a problem affecting
low and medium-income countries, and particularly the poorest, and coincides
with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, two of which are to
drastically improve the health of mothers and children before 2015. (…)
Polio
eradication in
4 April - With less than 100
days to go before the onset of rains, detailed plans are being laid out by
polio eradication partners in India for accessing families not regularly
reached because of geographic isolation, flooding and mobile settlements along
Bihar’s many riverbanks. One of the fundamentals of the strategy is getting microplans updated, especially where districts intersect –
such as riverine areas. It is not uncommon for
certain areas to get cut off from the rest of the district during monsoon
months and have to be approached from a neighbouring district. When flood water
recedes, leaving a rich topsoil, communities also
spring up overnight. Therefore, a grid approach is now being used to plan,
implement and monitor the programme in this sensitive area. This premise will
also guide the communication and social mobilization component of the programme
within this area.
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/LatestNews200804.asp#INDIA
HKI
and partners to eliminate neglected tropical diseases in
Freetown, Sierra Leone, 28
March - Over 2 million people in 60% of the communities in Sierra Leone suffer
from debilitating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)
(…) Helen Keller International (HKI) in collaboration with the Neglected
Tropical Disease Task Force and the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) recently
received a 3.5 million USD three-year grant from the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) to implement an integrated program for NTD
control in Sierra Leone. HKI, along with partners PLAN, Sightsavers
International, the
Using the community directed
approach that has already been proven successful in controlling onchocerciasis, HKI will identify and train community
volunteers to integrate NTD control into existing health structures and
delivery systems; the objective is to make distribution of the drugs and
treatment both cost-effective and self-sustainable. HKI will also provide
training and education to communities about NTD control, develop communication
tools and strategies, and enable free drug distribution (albendazole
for lymphatic filariasis and soil transmitted helminthes, and praziquantel for schistosomiasis) to the affected communities. (…)
http://www.hkworld.org/about/press_releases/SierraLeoneNTD.htm
WHO
welcomes Noguchi awards for service to public health
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr10/en/index.html
(top)
Renewable
energy holds promising future in
by Anupam
Tyagi, Indian Correspondent
Ghaziabad, India, 18 April -
According to the 11th New and Renewable Energy five-year plan recently proposed
by the government of India, from 2008-2012 the renewable energy market in India
will reach an estimated US $19 billion. Investments of US $15 billion will be
required in order to add the approximately 15,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable
energy to the present installed capacity. The government of
The Indian government has also
set specific targets for renewable energy: by 2012 it expects renewable energy
to contribute 10% of total power generation capacity and have a 4-5% share in
the electricity mix. This implies that growth in renewable energy will occur at
a much faster pace than traditional power generation, with renewables
making up 20% of the 70,000 MW of total additional energy planned from
2008-2012. (...)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52214
Urban
sustainability: a force for change
by Stephen Lacey, Staff Writer
New Hampshire, USAs), 16 April - Over the last 50 years urban populations
have exploded, causing a slew of environmental and social problems. However,
many community planners see the world's urbanization not as a threat, but as a
powerful force for addressing climate change and building a sustainable future.
The United Nations projects
that sometime this year over 50% of the world's population will be living in
cities. That's an increase of roughly 2.5 billion people since 1950. By 2020,
the UN projects that 5 billion people will be living in cities. As this rapid
urbanization continues, especially in developing countries such as China, India
and Brazil, urban planners are trying to help cities become more environmentally
and economically sustainable. (...)
"Certainly the city, if
it is reconfigured in the right way, could become a very sustainable habitat
for humanity," says Herbert Girardet, director
of programs at the World Future Council and an expert on sustainable cities.
"But we need radical new departures in urban planning and priorities for
urban authorities for the city to ultimately become the solution." (…)
The eco-city of Dongtan may be the place where this change begins. Girardet is senior advisor to the project, which will be
located on
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52180
Pure
Power on the horizon - More than one third of the EU's
new electricity generating capacity will be wind power
16 April - In its latest
report entitled "Pure Power - Wind Energy Scenarios up to 2030", the
European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) outlines the road towards large-scale
wind energy. Presenting three development scenarios for 2010, 2020 and 2030,
the report examines in detail the probable impact on electricity, greenhouse gas
emissions and the EU economy. It confirms the positive prospects of a
technology that last year became the leader in terms of net power capacity
additions in the EU. Wind power's share of new generating capacity is
forecasted to be 34% in the period 2005-2020 and 46% in the decade leading up
to 2030. Wind power's share of new capacity in
Wind power has experienced
dramatic growth over the past years. It currently meets 3.7% of the EU
electricity demand and has ranked second in terms of net power capacity
additions over the last eight years. This strong development can be maintained,
and further reinforced in the coming years, as long as the clear commitment
from the European Union and its
Pure Power shows that the
European Commission’s goal of increasing wind power's share up to 12-14% by
2020 is within reach. "On average, wind power capacity needs to increase
by 9.5 GW per year over the next 13 years to reach 180 GW and meet 12-14% of EU
power demand in 2020. This is certainly achievable considering that the EU wind
energy capacity increased by 8.5 GW last year" commented Christian Kjaer, EWEA's Chief Executive. (...)
Turtles
to be climate change canaries
17 April - Just as canaries
help miners monitor underground gases, marine turtles are emerging as excellent
indicators of the effects of climate change. “Turtles are a really good way to
study climate change because they depend on healthy beaches as well as
mangroves, sea grass beds, coral reefs and deep ocean ecosystems to live”, said
Dr. Lucy Hawkes, coordinator of an initiative to
develop adaptation strategies for climate change impacts to turtles.
As part of the initiative, WWF
launched a new website today, Adaptation to Climate Change in Marine Turtles
(ACT).
“Understanding of how climate
change may affect the beaches, the reef and the open ocean will not only
benefit endangered sea turtle populations, but also the millions of people who
live along the coastlines of the world and depend upon marine resources and
environmental services.”
The public, educators,
conservationists and scientists will be able to share information and projects
to try to gain a better picture of how climate change will affect turtles and
what might be done to combat the impacts. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=131301
Indian
rhinos on the move to a better future
Manas National Park,
Assam, India, 16 April - After centuries of having their range contracted to
the point of extinction, India’s rhinos are on the move outwards again. In a
difficult operation, two male rhinos were taken back to a national park in
The return was an emotional
moment for local residents, who lost their last rhinos a decade ago during a 20
year period of civil disturbance that wrecked infrastructure in the famed
It was an emotional moment
too, for translocation organizers from WWF India and the government of the
State of Assam, who saw the successful translocation as a successful launch to
Indian Rhino Vision 2020, an ambitious plan to give
http://www.panda.org/index.cfm?uNewsID=131121
GCI
welcomes new family member: GC Uzbekistan
Green Cross International is
pleased to announce the establishment of a national branch in
http://dev.gci.creativ-conseil.ch/joomy/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=166&Itemid=1
Addressing
General Assembly, Pope stresses major UN role on raft of issue
Pope
Benedict XVI arrives to speak at UN General Assembly Hall
18 April - Pope Benedict XVI
today stressed the United Nations’ major role in seeking a better world as he
highlighted, during an address to the General Assembly, the need to protect
human rights, ensure development, security and reduce local and global
inequalities.
“The promotion of human rights
remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between
countries and social groups, and for increasing security,” he told the
192-member body in a half-hour speech that was greeted with a
standing ovation. “Indeed, the victims of hardship and despair, whose human
dignity is violated with impunity, become easy prey to the call to violence,
and they can then become violators of peaces,” he added speaking in French and
English.
Pope Benedict called the UN
the embodiment of aspirations for a “greater degree of international ordering”
in response to the needs of the human family. “This is all the more necessary
at a time when we experience the obvious paradox of a multilateral consensus
that continues to be in crisis because it is still subordinated to the decisions
of a few, whereas the world’s problems call for interventions in the form of
collective action by the international community,” he said.
Introducing the Pope, General
Assembly President Srgjan Kerim
said the visit provided “a unique occasion to remind ourselves of our noble
mission” to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and
worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations
large and small, and to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one
another as good neighbours. (…)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26377&Cr=pope&Cr1
Religious
leaders fight global poverty by focusing on women and girls
$1.5
billion investments pledged by faith, women, and development communities at
landmark global summit; Religions for Peace to help lead way forward
Washington, DC, 15 April -
Leaders of different faiths in Religions for Peace, the world’s largest and
most representative multi-religious coalition, joined together with members of
the international women’s and development communities to launch a new
initiative that places women and girls at the center
of the fight against global poverty.
An unprecedented US$1.5
billion in commitments to women’s and girls' issues was announced Sunday at the
launch of the Woman, Faith, and Development Alliance (WFDA) at the Washington
National Cathedral. At the “Breakthrough Summit,” visionaries and executives
offered a historic look at the global needs of women and pledged support for
the WFDA. Religions for Peace is a co-founder of the
http://www.wcrp.org/news/press/fight-global-poverty-04-15-08
Secretary
General thanks Alexy II for promotion of religions'
dialog at UN
Alexy II voiced hope for
further cooperation with the UN and said he was ready "to make a
contribution to the UN's successful activity for the benefit of world peace."
Ban affirmed the important role of religious leaders in the spiritual guidance
of people. Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church
Relations Metropolitan Kirill said the meeting also
focused on ways to form an advisory council of world religions at the UN.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=4525
World
Shift Day - May 18, 2008
The
3rd Timely Transformation Event of The Global Peace Meditation and Prayer Day , leading up to 2012: a call to unite our hearts as one
in prayer and meditation for timely transformations
April 14 - World Shift Day
will launch a 24 hour meditation and prayer marathon to encircle the globe
starting with the
Link simultaneously with
http://www.globalpeacemeditationprayerday.org
Intellectuals
and Artists for Multilingualism and Cultural Diversity
This
event, organised by the Observatoire Européen du Plurilinguisme
in the framework of the UN International Year of Languages 2008, will be held
at UNESCO headquarters.
Intellectuals and artists will
be invited to express their views on the question of languages, multilingualism
and linguistic and cultural diversity in the context of globalisation.
"The prime expression of
a people's genius is its language," said Stendhal. Mr. Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General,
speaking on the occasion of International Mother Language Day February 21 2008,
said that "far from being a field reserved for analysis by specialists,
languages lie at the heart of all social, economic and cultural life. That is the meaning of the slogan launched by
UNESCO for the International Year of Languages: “Languages matter!” Each individual has a unique way of viewing
the world, which, by its very singularity, contains a share of
universality. The same applies to
languages and cultures, "[as] the challenge we must meet is, in reality,
that of the irreplaceable nature of languages of culture, since each one effects a specific opening onto the human universal."
(Heinz Wismann).
The event will include an
on-line Visitors' Book, which can be consulted here. Intellectuals,
writers, poets, philosophers, scientists, actors, film-makers, authors,
composers, performers, painters, sculptors and artists the world over are
invited to express themselves, in their own words, on the question of
linguistic and cultural diversity through the Visitors' Book.
Further details regarding this
event can be found on the websites of the OEP and Unesco.
World
Book and Copyright Day
18 April - More than 100
countries will take part on 23 April in the 13th celebration of World Book and
Copyright Day, proclaimed by UNESCO in 1996. Publishers, book shops, libraries,
schools, cultural institutions and authors’ societies from all over the world
have undertaken to celebrate the Day and promote the enduring importance of
books.
In 2008, proclaimed
International Year of Languages by the General Assembly of the United Nations,
UNESCO wishes to emphasize the linguistic aspect of publishing: “When a
language has no access to the world of publishing, it is excluded - together
with those who speak it - from a significant part of the intellectual life and
economic activity of society” declared the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura in a message on the occasion of this
celebration. (…)
On 23 April,
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=42278&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Indonesian
cultural heritage takes center stage at WIPO
supported event
Geneva, 17 April - As part of
its efforts related to the protection of intangible cultural heritage, the
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has partnered with the Permanent Mission of Indonesia in
Geneva, the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Office in Geneva
(UNOG) to support a performance of the Wayang Shadow
Puppet Theatre, an exquisite portrayal of Indonesia’s living heritage.
Over 400 people attended the
performance, rich in skill, symbolism and legend, which took place at the Palais des Nations, UNOG on April 15, 2008. The
performance was provided by the Yayasan Redi Waluyo Foundation of
Speaking at the opening of the
exhibition, Mr. Francis Gurry, Deputy Director
General of WIPO, noted that traditional cultural expressions are part of
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2008/article_0021.html
CARE
and Nike sponsor Kenyan girls soccer team visit to
Kicking
off their nationwide tour, the Kenyan team hosts a crash course clinic
17 April - CARE, the
Atlanta-based humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, is partnering
with Nike and the Mathare Youth Sports Association
(MYSA), a self-help youth organization linking sports with environmental
cleanups, AIDS prevention, leadership training and other community service
activities involving approximately twenty thousand young people (Mathare is a collection of slums in Nairobi, Kenya with a
population of approximately 500,000 people) to bring a soccer team of Kenyan
girls to Atlanta and other US cities to meet and play against local girls
soccer club. (…)
MYSA, which is located in the Mathare area of
http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2008/04/20080417_kenya_girlssoccer.asp
Global
Action Week 2008
17 April - Global Action Week
this year (21-27 April) will focus on quality education to end exclusion. A
series of events will be organized to emphasize the importance of inclusive
education as the only way to achieve Education for All, UNESCO’s absolute
priority. On 23 April, UNESCO will hold a round table on “Quality Education to
End Exclusion” bringing together young people with disabilities, teachers and
youth from the suburbs of Paris (2 p.m., Room XII). (…) UNESCO will also take
part in the “World's Biggest Lesson”, organised by the Global Campaign for
Education. along with millions of other learners and
stakeholders in education, all over the world (5 p.m. Room XI).
Moreover, a new website on
quality inclusive education will be launched for Global Action Week* on
UNESCO’s web portal, which is also hosting an online discussion forum on
“Quality Education to End Exclusion.” The forum was opened on 1 April and will
continue until 30 April.
Despite real progress since
2000 towards universal primary education, 72 million children are still not
enrolled in school. (…) “Global Action Week offers us an opportunity to
highlight an unacceptable situation that is slowing progress towards the
provision of education for all,” the Director-General, Mr Matsuura, said in the
run up to the event.
*Global Action Week is
organized every year by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), a UNESCOpartner.
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.phpURL_ID=42266&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
The five-year program will
provide direct support for 115,000 children in 200 schools and 50 early
childhood development centers. Save the Children UK
and Save the Children Sweden will work with Save the Children USA in
implementing the programs in 200 communities across the country. In addition, with support from Dubai Cares,
Save the Children will train 500 teachers to introduce basic literacy skills to
children at an early age. (…)
The foundation has raised
nearly $1 billion from individuals and businesses in
Dubai Cares today also
announced funding for UNICEF to implement a two-year program in
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2008/dubai-cares-grant.html?print=t
The Fund will provide seed
funding in amounts up to 20,000 USD to a very small number of outstanding
youth-led projects in the following areas: Intercultural and Interreligious Exchanges; Youth Leadership Training: Youth Voices in the Media
The Alliance of Civilizations
places great emphasis on funding projects that have long-term outcomes and that
connect youth from previously unconnected communities with a view to overcoming
perceived or real cultural and religious divides. 2008 constitutes the pilot
phase of this initiative. The AoC will only fund
projects that are entirely managed by youth for the benefit of youth. The age
definition used by the AoC is persons between 18 and
30 years old. (...)
The deadline for submitting
applications is 30 April, 2008. To request an application pack, please contact
the AoC Secretariat.
http://www.signis.net/article.php3?id_article=2174
UN
launches new training course to help developing countries use ICT
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2008/apr/g20.asp
Since 2003, Docteur Souris has equipped 50
children's services in 6 French hospitals. It has now accepted the challenge to
use the same model in a Southern country. The association is elaborating a
methodology for wide dissemination of this now-how, free of charge, in order to
respond to educational needs of persons excluded from the traditional
educational system (refugees, rural population, prisoners etc.).
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=26540&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
WIPO
Signs cooperation agreements with two leading Mexican educational institutions
The Technological Institute of
Monterrey, which has a student population of some 100,000 and specializes in
applied sciences and technical fields, including biotechnology, business
administration and education, is a multi-campus university system with academic
centers in different regions of the country. It
has a long tradition of teaching intellectual property in various disciplines,
including engineering, agriculture and business. The
This is the first time a
formal relationship is established between the
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2008/article_0019.html
UNESCO
brings Internet to island schools in
Lamu town is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
Contact: s.nkinyangi@unesco.org
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=56263&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
International
Forum: Culture of Peace and Peace Education - Public Policies and Action -
April
26, Brazil,
For the first time in history
the younger generations have skills, and knowledge that the former try to
acquire – at times with much effort. Also for the first time the social
dynamics acquire a horizontal quality, and relations do not follow
predetermined roles – each situation requires a new configuration in the power
structure. Everything is being revised, and the world offers, provokes and
exacts new perceptions, new priorities, new choices, and also new
uncertainties.
How can education/learning
find its context in midst of such a shifting reality? Which values should guide
our feelings, thought, and action? How can the growing freedom be matched with
our urgent need for interdependent cooperation? What is the role of the school
and the community in providing a framework of meaning capable of accommodating
the many dimensions of human existence, its aspirations and creative potential?
How can public policies promote values and actions capable of generating
peaceful alternatives?
This Forum will count with the
contribution of prominent world authorities and pioneers of Culture of Peace
and Peace Education. It provides a unique opportunity to get in touch with the
developments of democratic practices for, as Nilson
José Machado has said: “Education will always be moved by that which is
possible to imagine, and not only by that which we imagine to be possible – it
can never be reduced to utopias, but will never live without them.” (…)
Announcing
the 5th Annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations
UN
Headquarters,
The mission of the assembly is
to gather youth leaders from around the world (18-26 years old) and involve
them in the success of the un’s
millennium development goals (mdgs).
The aim of the Youth Assembly
is to empower young people through lectures, workshops, campaign rallies, and
special events to learn ways of identifying successful approaches to MDG
success (the corner stone of the UN’s better world approach to improving the
lives of millions). This year’s event is
titled: “STEP UP: Taking Plans Into Action”:
Practical help is shared on how to start NGOs, administer and manage
campaigns, networking that identifies existing work by governments, the UN, or
civil society at home or abroad, and the implications for social
entrepreneurship on MDG success from the for profit world, outside of civil
society.
The Secretary General for the
events at the UN is Dr. Elaine Valdov, of the
International Institute for the Culture of Peace. Lead Sponsor in 2008
is the Permanent Mission of Hungary to the
United Nations. More than ten other
Permanent Missions to the UN currently endorse the events and that number grows each
year. The events are
also co-sponsored by International
NGOs
Affiliated with the United Nations, and is grateful for the participation of several United
Nations agencies and affiliates. The
project is administered by Friendship Ambassadors Foundation Ildiko
Szcucs, Project Director. Patrick Sciarratta,
the foundation’s Executive Director is cofounder of the events with Dr. Valdov.
Registration is now open for
the free events (after initial application fee and acceptance) at the UN., the related Leadership Seminar, Meet New York, and
other opportunities, too. Go to: www.faf.org
and click on the Youth Assembly at the UN link for more details.
* * * * * * *
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The Association operates for the development of consciousness and promotes a culture of peace in the ‘global village’ perspective based on unity in diversity and on sharing.
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