In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour
monthly, year 16th, no. 247 – 17 June 2016
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 10,000 media and editorial journalists in 54 countries and to 3,000 NGOs and 1,500 high schools, colleges and universities.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, an educational charity associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information It is a supporter of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace. In the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) provided to the UN Secretary-General for presentation to the UN General Assembly, Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing an active role in the field of Information through Internet.*
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UNDPI/NGO Conference Focuses on Education for Global Citizenship in Pursuit of the SDGs
Ban welcomes Central African Republic President's resolve to seek all-inclusive resolution to crisis
10 June – Meeting today with Faustin Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic (CAR), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that the country had turned a corner following the holding of democratic elections, and welcomed the leader's resolve to fully address the root causes of the country's crisis in an inclusive spirit.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=54200#.V18DNPmLTIU
UN agency announces world's first illegal fishing treaty now in force
5 June – FAO has announced that a groundbreaking international accord aimed at stamping out illegal fishing went into effect today and is now legally binding for the 29 countries and a regional organization that have adhered to it. The threshold to activation of the treaty - which called for at least 25 countries to adhere to it - was surpassed last month, triggering a 30-day countdown to today's entry-into-force. Currently, the parties to the PSMA are: Australia, Barbados, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, the European Union (as a member organization), Gabon, Guinea, Guyana, Iceland, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Palau, Republic of Korea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, Tonga, the United States of America, Uruguay, and Vanuatu.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=54140#.V1hMVdSLQUQ
ILO conference takes a strong stand on the future of work around global supply chains
Brussels, 10 June - An agreement following the ILO ‘’general discussion’’ on decent work in global supply chains was approved today which sets in motion a process that could lead to a legal standard improving the lives of millions of workers in global supply chains.
The ILO estimates the number of jobs in global supply chains in 40 countries increased from 295 million in 1995 to 453 million in 2013. More than one fifth of the global workforce have a job in a global supply chain. Millions more are hidden workers. The ITUC found a hidden workforce of 116 million workers in the global supply chains of just 50 multinational companies, or 94 percent of their total supplier workforce, with most companies failing to accept responsibility for a minimum living wage, job security or decent working conditions.
A joint statement from employers, workers and governments was agreed following the ILO discussion on how to promote decent work through the many layers of global supply chains. A formal examination of governance gaps and standards could now lead to reinforcing existing standards and look at new international standards designed to protect workers in supply chains.
http://www.ituc-csi.org/?lang=en
Argentina - Solidarity programme to eradicate child labour in the province of Mendoza
3 June, Mendoza –The phenomenon of widespread child labour in Argentina is aggravated by the fact that very few working parents have someone to care for their children. What is more, very often children help their parents with risky work in the fields. To prevent this from happening and especially to limit child labour, Bodegas Chandón runs a social-educational programme to protect farm workers and their children from the risks associated with the presence of children in agricultural cultivations in the province Mendoza. The programme, known as Educar en Vendimia, (Educating and Harvesting) is based on co-responsibility of all the parties involved.
The programme, according to a report sent to Fides, consists in providing funds for sports and arts activities for children who accompany their parents to the harvest. In the province during the year at harvest time, some 50 children aged between 1 and 14 are involved in this activity. At the same time the programme also offers the children involved a service of medical care and meals.
Refugee women and children's rights: a meeting of the Conference of European Churches
1 June, Thessaloniki - Women and children figure prominently as refugees in mass movements of people in recent months and their rights will be at the forefront of a meeting organized in Greece by the Conference of European Churches (CEC) in Thessaloniki, from 31 May to 4 June. The theme of this third summer event on human rights, according to information sent to Fides, is: "Stand Up For Women’s And Children’s Rights ". Greece is an ideal location to discuss those rights as it has borne the recent brunt of the hundreds of thousands of refugees crossing into Europe over the past year.
Leaders of the Pan Amazon at the School of Human Rights
1 June, Quito - The creation of a school for the promotion, protection and enforceability of human rights in Amazonia, including the rights of Amazon populations to life, health, enjoyment of their own land and self-determination are increasingly being violated, were at the center of the "School of Human Rights" promoted by REPAM (Pan-Amazon Ecclesial Network), with the aim to create a training programme for community leaders and pastoral workers in the Amazon region. According to information sent to Fides, 25 participants were chosen from five Amazon countries – Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – who made a great effort to dedicate five weeks to this capacity building process.
Kenya REGAL-AG project encourages entrepreneurship and business development
8June – The Feed the Future Resilience and Economic Growth in the Arid Lands—Accelerated Growth (REGAL-AG) project has been busy of late opening livestock markets in Kenya’s arid lands and issuing business development grants (BDG) to private-sector agribusinesses. REGAL-AG has issued 25 business development grants, with 12 more awaiting approval. The project awards in-kind capital investment grants in the form of construction materials and/or the procurement of equipment. A variety of small businesses benefit from these grants, including those that produce animal feeds, process milk, retail meat, produce fish and chicken, and offer animal health services. In addition to the BDG grants, REGAL-AG’s livestock markets alleviate market access constraints and boost economic growth.
Solar Cookers & Greenhouses ease hardship of poor farmers in Gaza
8 June, Gaza - Nearly 60 percent of Gaza’s 1.8 million residents are food insecure. ANERA’s most recent food security project in Gaza aims to help reduce poverty and restore access to healthy food. The pilot program is reaching 14 farming families in Deir el Balah, in central Gaza. ANERA supplies a 90-square-meter greenhouse, vegetable seeds, a drip irrigation system and an impressive solar cooker made in Gaza using materials that can be sourced there. The locally-made solar cookers are the innovative design of a Palestinian agronomist who built one for himself to avoid having to buy gas canisters or deal with the never-ending power outages. ANERA added the solar cookers to its Gaza household gardens initiative to enhance the availability of nutritious meals and reduce the dependency on fuel.
http://www.anera.org/stories/solar-cookers-greenhouses-help-gaza-farmers/
Canada supports WFP’s work towards zero hunger in Ghana
June 1, Accra - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of US$ 15 million from the Government of Canada to implement a programme linking nutrition, agriculture and food processing which will assist almost 1 million people over the next five years.
Canada’s contribution will enable WFP to improve the nutritional status of 14,000 pregnant and nursing women, and 35,000 children, as well as boosting the income of smallholder farmers in the Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. There is an inter-connected approach in the new programme, “Enhanced Nutrition and Value Chain” (ENVAC). It aims to promote sustainable agricultural production among smallholder farmers, who will supply industrial and community-level food processors with good quality staple crops to be processed into fortified nutritious foods. Efforts will be made to encourage the wider population, in particular women and children, to eat these foods in order to prevent malnutrition.
WFP’s work in Ghana is funded mainly by the Governments of Canada and Japan.
http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/canada-supports-wfp%E2%80%99s-work-towards-zero-hunger-ghana
UN agency to expand its projects promoting family farming in North-eastern Brazil
May 24, Brasilia – The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) presented today in Brasilia its new strategy for Brazil aimed at expanding IFAD-supported projects promoting family farming in north-eastern parts of the country.
IFAD plans to expand its operations through two new rural development projects, one in Maranhão’s pre-Amazonia and the other in Pernambuco’s coastal rainforest known as mata atlantica. The new IFAD-funded projects are currently under design, with the Maranhão project due for approval before the end of 2016, and approval of the project in Pernambuco expected in 2017. IFAD already funds six projects in the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Paraiba, Piaui and Rio Grande do Norte.
All IFAD-funded projects in the country focus on supporting and promoting family farming. The goal is to increase productive and income-generating capacities of small farmers by facilitating their access to essential services (capacity building, investment planning, rural finance and technical support, with special attention to climate-smart technologies), strengthening their organizations and connecting them to markets.
https://www.ifad.org/en/newsroom/press_release/tags/p32/y2016/22617927
South Sudanese women crafting a future together
By Julie Offerdal
20 May, South Sudan – “The money I am earning here makes it possible for me to support my family. It takes away the feeling of death, or starving to death”, says Mary Padar, one of the women earning a living through traditional South Sudanese arts and crafts, as part of the Roots Project.(…)
The women employed through the Roots Project (…) are creating jewelry and textile, based on traditional designs from different parts of South Sudan. Their products are sold in a store at the Centre, online and through agents in the US.(… ). More than 60 women from 19 different tribes are members of the Centre : (…) they carry stories of war, violence, loss and replacement. Many of them are the sole providers of their family, their husband killed in the war or living on the other side of the country. Some of the women are orphans, others are young mothers.
The Roots Project was started in 2009, aiming to provide vulnerable women with a safe space and the opportunity to make a living while they are processing trauma(…).Equally important are the conversations and the strong bond formed between the women while working together (…).
http://www.npaid.org/News/News-archive/2016/South-Sudanese-women-crafting-a-future-together
Central America strengthens partnerships for policy dialogue on family farming
May 18, San Salvador – Promoting pro-family farming policies in support of inclusive, democratic governance and poverty reduction are the objectives of the "Regional Rural Dialogue Programme - Central America and the Dominican Republic," launched today in San Salvador. This project, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the PRISMA-OXFAM-RIMISP Consortium, will benefit about 600,000 farming families. The Regional Rural Dialogue Programme (PDRR), a network of family farmers’ organizations, will manage the implementation of the project.
The project will focus on strengthening PDDR’s leadership and advocacy skills, as well as its strategic vision, so that it can play a leading role in the construction and implementation of a regional pro-family farming policy agenda. The PDRR, which is composed of 21 family farmer and indigenous organizations in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, will act as interlocutor of the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC), strengthening rural population’s participation in decision making, which it is vital to achieve better effectiveness of rural development public policies. The total amount of the project is US$1.75 million. IFAD contributes with $1.5 million and the PRISMA-OXFAM-RIMISP Consortium contributes with $250,000. The project has an implementation period of three years.
https://www.ifad.org/en/newsroom/press_release/tags/p30/y2016/22219915
South Sudan: 32,000 families receive seed for growing food
13 May, Juba – The International Committee of the Red Cross has distributed more than 370 tonnes of seed right across South Sudan, with nearly 32,000 South Sudanese families receiving seed in areas most affected by drought or violence. Each family received 5 kilogrammes of sorghum seed, 5 kilogrammes of maize seed and various types of vegetable seed including pumpkin and okra. Some areas also received 16 kilogrammes of groundnut seed. Families also received food during the seed distribution operation, so they could spend time planting knowing that they had a ready supply of food. The ICRC will continue to support people who have suffered two years of conflict, by delivering emergency aid and helping communities become more resilient.
https://www.icrc.org/en/document/south-sudan-32000-families-receive-seeds-planting-across-country
New Contribution from USAID to boost WFP food assistance and humanitarian air transport
June 13, Kabul - In the first half of 2016, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has contributed US$19 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan to support both the WFP-led United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), and WFP food assistance to vulnerable people.
US$ 14 million goes to supporting WFP’s food assistance activities to people affected by conflict and natural disaster in Afghanistan. The remaining US$ 5 million goes to enhancing UNHAS aviation support to some 160 humanitarian organizations, serving over 25 destinations.
In 2016, WFP plans to assist up to 3.9 million food insecure people in Afghanistan by providing food or cash to people affected by conflict and natural disasters, as well as additional nutrition support, disaster risk reduction activities and school meal take-home rations for girls and boys in food insecure areas. This year, WFP will be providing food assistance to more than 400,000 internally displaced people.
In addition, with a fleet of four aircraft, UNHAS provides a crucial means of transportation to allow humanitarians to get to areas which may not be accessible by road.
Syria - WFP food reaches families in the besieged town of Darayya
June 10, Damascus - WFP has delivered food for the first time since 2012 to the besieged town of Darayya, a suburb of Damascus, as part of a joint UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) convoy.
WFP delivered a family ration -- enough to feed 2,400 people for one month -- and enough wheat flour in bags to feed the entire population of 4,000 people for a month. The nine-truck convoy also carried medical supplies and health items late. More convoys are planned to all of the 19 besieged locations in Syria as part of the plan for June, following the Government of Syria’s approval to reach all these locations. Elsewhere, a series of airdrops over the besieged town of Deir Ezzor have delivered a month’s supply of food for the 100,000 people trapped inside the city. WFP plans to continue the flights in the next few weeks to deliver another monthly ration.
In total, during the first few days of June, WFP has already provided life-saving food assistance to more than 1.4 million people across Syria as part of the organization’s monthly plan to reach 4 million displaced and vulnerable people. In addition, WFP provides assistance -- mostly cash-based transfers through “e-cards” -- to around 1.5 million Syrian refugees living in the neighbouring countries of Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon Iraq and Egypt.
http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/wfp-food-reaches-families-besieged-town-darayyabn
TOD’S and Gabriela Hearst collaborate on limited edition ‘Love’ shoes to support Save the Children
7 June, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA - TOD’S and Gabriela Hearst are launching a limited edition “Love” shoe in June 2016, with 20 percent of all proceeds going to Save the Children. The “Love” slip-on shoes feature a Morse code trim that reads love, initially developed for the Gabriela Hearst Fall 2016 collection.
Inspired and motivated by Save the Children’s groundbreaking work to create a better future for children, Gabriela turned to TOD’S to create a special product to help achieve this goal. Twenty percent of all proceeds from the sale of the TOD’S and Gabriela Hearst shoes will support Save the Children, which works in communities in 120 countries, including the United States. The funds raised will go to helping children in need learn, stay healthy and be protected from harm.
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=8rKLIXMGIpI4E&b=9357111&ct=14852421
WFP begins food deliveries to communities suffering El Nino drought and frost in Papua New Guinea
June 6, Port Moresby - WFP, in partnership with CARE International and provincial authorities, begins food distributions today in the Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea, which has experienced drought and periodic frost conditions since 2015. In two of the most affected provinces —Enga and Hela — 25,400 households will receive the first 70 kg ration of fortified rice lasting six weeks. WFP plans to reach 180,000 people in urgent need of food assistance in the country.Funding to extend the operation remains limited. The distributions beginning today are planned to continue for three months, but funding is still needed to complete the next cycle of distributions.
WFP relies entirely on voluntary funding from governments, companies and private individuals. The cost of the three month operation designed to support the government response to the drought is US$13 million. WFP thanks the governments of Japan, the European Union, and the U.S. as well as OCHA, the UN agency which coordinates all UN humanitarian operations, for their generous funding support. WFP also thanks private partner Digicel for their contribution.
WFP delivers food to 56,000 Bangladesh flood victims after Cyclone Roanu
June 2, Dhaka -WFP is mobilising emergency food assistance for nearly 56,000 people in southern Bangladesh, about a week after the area was hit by Cyclone Roanu.
WFP, in partnership with the Mukti Foundation, Muslim Aid and Shushilan, has started providing almost 280 metric tons of emergency food to the worst-affected areas of Kutubdia, Maheshkali and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, Tazumuddin in Bhola, Kolapara and Dashmina in Patuakhali as well as Patharghata and Taltoli in Barguna. Families will receive a 25kg ration of rice as immediate assistance. More than a million people were affected as large areas became inundated, and many still cannot return to their homes.
Germany supports WFP in tackling undernutrition & building resilience in Burkina Faso
June 1, Ouagadougou - WFP welcomes the Federal Republic of Germany's contribution of US$ 8.9 million for the period 2016-2021 to support the resilience of rural communities through prevention and treatment of undernutrition, including behaviour change communication activities.
The contribution will sustain a package of multi-sectoral initiatives including nutritional education activities for both men and women; the creation of assets and livelihood opportunities, as well as the capacity reinforcement of local partners. The money will also fund a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) survey on nutrition, to enhance WFP’s understanding and thereby hone its response.
Despite attempts by the Government and its partners to mitigate food insecurity, according to latest food assessment results, more than 2.5 million people will be at risk of not having enough food to eat in 2016. Nationally, 10.4 percent of children under five suffer from acute malnutrition. To address this, the Government and WFP put in place a Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) from July 2015 to June 2017. The response aims to strengthen livelihoods, tackle undernutrition and develop community resilience to shocks. More than 20,000 people will benefit from this assistance in 2016.
IFRC doubles support for migrants stranded in Greece
1 June , Athens/Budapest - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has doubled its Emergency Appeal to 28.7 million Swiss francs to help ensure adequate care and better living conditions for tens of thousands of vulnerable migrants stranded in camps across Greece.
More than 50,000 people - primarily families - are still stranded pending decisions on asylum and EU relocation, and the increased appeal will allow the IFRC to scale up its support to them. The Hellenic Red Cross remains committed to supporting the well-being of the Greek population throughout the country. In addition to providing medical care, food, and emergency supplies in 12 camps across Greece, the priorities will include addressing the growing psychosocial support needs, reconnecting family members, and improving hygiene and sanitation. The Hellenic Red Cross, supported by the IFRC and National Societies from across Europe, has helped more than 300,000 migrants since the onset of the crisis.
More school children to receive WFP take-home food rations in Sierra Leone
May 30, Freewtown - More than 326,000 school children will receive take-home food rations this academic year as the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) expands its assistance from 1,000 to 1,415 primary schools across the country to support efforts to get and keep children in school post-Ebola.
WFP, in support of the national school feeding programme of the Ministry of Education Science and Technology is providing take-home food rations consisting of rice, oil and beans.
Due to the Ebola outbreak, public schools in Sierra Leone remained closed after the 2014 summer holidays to help limit the spread of the virus. In April 2015, WFP played an important role in the reopening of schools. Through its food-for-work programme (FFW), WFP helped to ensure that schools previously used as centres for Ebola patients were cleaned and decontaminated, ready and safe for children. In partnership with the government, WFP supported the cleaning of 8,000 schools across the country. Participants in the FFW programme received food rations in exchange for their work.
WFP is able to expand its take-home ration programme to keep more children in school thanks to support from Japan and the European Union.
UN Agencies provide seeds, tools and food to break hunger cycle in the C.A.R.
May 25, Bangui/Rome - FAO and WFP have begun providing seeds, hand tools and food to nearly 50,000 hungry farming families for this planting season in the most food-insecure areas of the Central African Republic (C.A.R.). It coincides with the height of the lean season when household food stocks are typically lowest.
Under the ‘seeds protection’ initiative, FAO provides crop and vegetable seeds, while WFP provides groundnuts, maize, rice, sorghum, and beans to the same families.Another 50,000 families will be supported during the second planting season in August/September, meaning 100,000 families in total (500,000 people) will be supported under the initiative this year.
However, the two UN agencies warn that with only half of both agencies’ funding needs secured, people in C.A.R. face receiving only half of the support they need.
http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/un-agencies-provide-seeds-tools-and-food-break-hunger-cycle-car
New Global Partnership for Preparedness launched
24 May, Istanbul - The new global partnership for preparedness (GPP) is led by the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Group of Ministers of Finance of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, which represents 43 high-risk developing nations, in collaboration with a number of UN agencies. These include the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) as well as the World Bank's Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR).
The partnership will strengthen preparedness capacities initially in 20 countries, so they attain a minimum level of readiness by 2020 for future disaster risks mainly caused by climate change. The partnership will become operational later this year and seeks to provide the initial 20 countries with support to achieve:
- Better access to risk analysis and early warning;
- Contingency plans with clear lines of responsibility, triggers for action, and pre-committed finance;
- Developing social protection, basic services and delivery systems capable of responding to shocks.
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/416017/icode/
WHS: Humanitarian summit has ‘set new course,’ says Ban, calling for action on commitments
24 May – Hailing the global community’s achievements at the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for commitments made to be taken forward for transformative change from the top down and from the ground up. .
In total, the Summit brought together 173 Member States, 55 Heads of State and Governments, some 350 private sector representatives, and over 2000 people from civil society and non-governmental organizations. Together, some 1,500 commitments were made, including:
•The Education Cannot Wait fund to help provide quality education to children and youth in crises.
•A Grand Bargain that will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of investment in emergency response.
•The Global Preparedness Partnership to better prepare 20 of the countries that are most at risk of crisis.
•The One Billion Coalition for Resilience which aims to mobilize a billion people to build safer and more stable communities worldwide.
Yet, the Secretary-General also expressed disappointment that some world leaders could not be in Istanbul, especially from the G7 countries, except Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=54030#.V1G6buZf05t
Donor support allows WFP to extend Africa Disaster Insurance so risks are managed
May 24, Istanbul - At the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, WFP announced that an innovation commitment of US$1.6 million from the Government of Denmark will be used to support the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Replica insurance policies. In order to provide Replica coverage to more countries, WFP will also receive the support of the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development.
WFP helped the African Union to create a sovereign disaster insurance pool, ARC, in 2012. A total of 32 African states have signed the ARC treaty and ARC has insured seven countries over the last two years with coverage of over US$300 million.
For countries that have demonstrated their long-term commitment to this mutual insurance system by renewing their policies for the third year running, WFP will help scale up these efforts by taking out matching policies, replicating the countries’ own efforts. In so doing, WFP aligns its financing and operational response with government-led efforts, doubling the coverage available to vulnerable people.
A new paradigm to boost impact – The Global Network For Food Insecurity Risk Reduction
May 23, Istanbul/Brussels/Rome - A new network to achieve joint global food-security assessments and joint responses to food crises, including those related to phenomena such as El Niño, was launched in Istanbul today by FAO, WFP and the European Union.
The Global Network for Food Insecurity, Risk Reduction and Food Crises Response will pave the way for enhancing the impact of future responses to food crises at the global level by regularly producing, in real time, joint reports based on key analyses and containing timely response options. This will prompt coordination among stakeholders and promote joint planning and joint responses to food crises. In addition, it will improve learning from past crises and increase the level of transparency and availability of crucial analysis of global needs.
It covers 70 countries affected by a food crisis in 2015, including chronically vulnerable countries at or above Phase 2 of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
According to the report, currently some 240 million people across 70 countries are in a food stress situation, including 80 million people in food crisis (figures as of January 2016). Nearly half of those people are located in countries affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
Security Council authorizes high seas inspections off Libya's coast, aiming to stem illegal arms flow
14 June – The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution today authorizing Member States, acting nationally or through regional organizations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya they believe are carrying illicit weapons.
Condemning the flow of arms and related materiel into the North African country, including to terrorist groups, the 15-member body said it made the decision to authorize such inspections “in these exceptional and specific circumstances” for a period of 12 months from today, and with Member States engaging in “appropriate consultations” with Libya's Government of National Accord.
Expressing deep concern at the threat posed by unsecured arms and ammunition in Libya and their proliferation, including through their transfer to armed groups in violation of the arms embargo, the Council also underlined the importance of coordinated international support to Libya and the region to address such issues.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsId=54229#.V2DzyOZf05s
US suspends cluster munitions sales to Saudi Arabia
1 June - The United States is suspending transfers of cluster munitions to Saudi Arabia in the wake of civilian harm caused by the weapon in Yemen. The news was revealed on 27 May 2016 by Foreign Policy magazine, and further confirmed by the White House on 31 May 2016.
UN envoy welcomes Israeli officials’ comments on Arab Peace Initiative
31 May – The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, today welcomed statements by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on the Arab Peace Initiative. “This can help advance negotiations on achieving a two-state solution,” said Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. “It follows the call by the President of Egypt to Israelis and Palestinians to continue the historic step toward peace taken by Israel and Egypt 37 years ago,” he added.
On Monday, media outlets reported that Mr. Netanyahu, in response to a speech this past week by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, had said that the Arab Peace Initiative includes “positive elements that can help revive constructive negotiations with the Palestinians.”
Mr. Mladenov noted that the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East peace process has repeatedly emphasized the significance and importance of the Arab Peace Initiative “with its vision for a comprehensive settlement of the conflict and as an opportunity for building a regional security framework.”
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsId=54095#.V1ACTOZf05s
Jordan river faith-based regional tour guides training
EcoPeace's Jordan River Rehabilitation team led a 3-day "Regional Jordan River Tour Guide Training" for 20 Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian tour guides this past month. We had a full 3-day schedule, visiting religious, historical and cultural sites along the river to understand the shared value of this iconic river for the three Abrahamic traditions and learn about the sacred religious sites associated with it.
"Come Together at the River" was distributed at the training mentioned above, and provides tour guides with take-home useful information so that they can educate tourists in the region to better understand and appreciate the majesty of the River and its surrounding areas… but also the challenges faced. It specifically covers sites of religious interest - Christian, Muslim and Jewish - in an effort to teach about the importance of the river to all the faiths that care deeply about the river. It also explains the impacts that human actions have had on the shared water resources of the region, and how, in sharing the stories of the Jordan River Valley, ancient and modern, tour guides are able to inspire others to care for its protection.
EcoPeace's Jordan River Rehabilitation Project, including faith-based activities, are supported by the Swedish International Development Agency and the Osprey Foundation.
Charity highlighted by John Oliver plans to forgive $1 billion in debt
9June – The nonprofit that teamed with comedian John Oliver to retire nearly $15 million in Texas patients’ hospital debt aims to erase at least $1 billion owed by low-income people for medical care, health-news site Stat writes. RIP Medical Debt was started by two former debt-collection workers who changed their ways after talking to Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York. Mr. Oliver skewered the debt-acquisition industry and its aggressive collection tactics in a segment Sunday on his HBO show Last Week Tonight that ended with his forgiveness of $14.9 million in debt he had purchased for less than half a cent on the dollar. The host noted on the air that he was turning the debt over to RIP Medical Debt for disposition. The organization, which just attained 501(c)(3) status last month, raises money to buy and retire debt for people with annual incomes of less than twice the federal poverty level.
https://philanthropy.com/article/Charity-Highlighted-by-John/236753?cid=cpfd_home
Maldives and Sri Lanka eliminate lymphatic filariasis
3 June, New Delhi - In a significant progress against neglected tropical diseases in WHO South-East Asia Region, Maldives and Sri Lanka have eliminated lymphatic filariasis, a disease that was crippling people for decades, forcing them to lead a life of stigma, discrimination and poverty. The success in Maldives and Sri Lanka follows intensified mosquito control efforts; treatment of the infected population, disability prevention and control; strengthening of surveillance; and closely monitoring and evaluating these efforts which together helped eliminate lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem.
http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/maldives-and-sri-lanka-eliminate-lymphatic-filariasis
Rotary announces us$35 million in additional funds to end polio worldwide
31 May, Goyang City, Korea - Rotary today committed an additional $35 million in grants to support the global effort to end polio – donating a total of $70 million in 2016 alone.The announcement comes on the heels of significant strides made against the paralyzing disease, leaving just two polio-endemic countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan. If current progress continues, 2016 may mark the last case of wild poliovirus."While we are experiencing unprecedented success against polio, it is imperative to maintain high immunity and quality surveillance in all countries of the world until polio is fully eradicated," said Michael K. McGovern, chair of Rotary's International PolioPlus Committee. "We must protect the progress in polio-free parts of the world, as well as stopping transmission in Pakistan and Afghanistan."
To sustain this progress, and protect all children from polio, experts say $1.5 billion is urgently needed. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to previously polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk. Rotary has contributed more than $1.5 billion and countless volunteer hours to fight polio, with Korean Rotary clubs donating more than $14.6 million to the effort. In addition to contributing funds, Korean Rotary members have traveled at their own expense to immunize children against polio in India. Through 2018, every dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication will be matched two-to-one by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation up to $35 million a year.
Haiti: UN agencies support Government in vaccination campaign against cholera
25 May – Two United Nations agencies said today they are supporting the Government of Haiti in a vaccination campaign against cholera that aims to reach 400,000 people in 2016. The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) is being supported by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), as well as by the UNICEF. The first phase of the campaign was launched on 11 May in the town of Arcahaie, about 30 minutes north of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. That phase aims to provide two doses of oral vaccine to some 118,000 people during May and June.The vaccine provides warranty protection ranging from three to five years, according to PAHO/WHO.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=54044#.V1hfaNSLQUR
Canada helping women deliver for eradication
19 May, Canada – The Government of Canada announced a Can$19.9 million contribution to Nigeria’s polio program yesterday to help keep the country free from the debilitating virus, as part of its Can$ 250 million commitment to polio eradication for 2013-18. The announcement was made by Canada’s Minister for International Development, Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau at the global Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen. This high-level event focused on the Sustainable Development Goals and developing solutions to the health, economic and social challenges facing girls and women around the world today. Through WHO’s 'Sustaining Polio Eradication Through Strengthened Routine Immunization project', the additional funding will help to immunize more than 13 million children against polio in 11 high-risk Nigerian states, and train upwards of 150,000 vaccinators.
Nigeria successfully removed itself from the list of polio endemic countries in 2015 with its last case in July 2014, a remarkable achievement for a country that for decades struggled to stamp out the virus. Although now polio-free, like many other countries, it remains at significant risk of poliovirus importation.
One step close to eradication: the withdrawal of type two oral polio vaccine complete
In April 2016, countries around the world came together to withdraw the type two component of the oral polio vaccine and bring the world closer towards eradicating polio once and for all.
The past year has been marked by defining events that show us to be closer than we have ever been to achieving the goal of polio eradication. One such milestones was one of the biggest globally coordinated projects in the history of vaccines: the withdrawal of the type two component of the oral polio vaccine through the switch from trivalent to bivalent oral polio vaccine (OPV) in 155 countries and territories.
The goal of eradicating polio is one that has pulled together countries, donors, politicians, traditional leaders and families for nearly three decades, since the origins of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988. Taking the world one huge step forwards towards the eventual removal of all oral polio vaccine, the switch will help to reinforce immunity against the remaining types of polioviruses and greatly reduce the risk of vaccine-derived cases.
Referring to the OPV switch in her opening address to the 69th World Health Assembly (WHA) in May, Dr Margaret Chan, the Director General of WHO, offered her thanks to countries for what she described as a ‘marvellous feat’.
http://www.eflashonline.org/?xg_source=msg_mes_network
Harnessing science, technology and innovation for the SDGs
Scientists, innovators and technologists will meet with representatives from governments, civil society, the private sector and other experts at the first Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum), from 6 to 7 June to explore how to realize the potential of science, technology and innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The STI Forum will highlight how technology, science and innovation can help us advance human progress and live up to the promise of leaving no one behind.
Participants will, among other things, discuss activities and policies that can support the development of technology, science and innovation that support the SDGs. They will explore how to deploy or incentivize the uptake of existing knowledge and new, innovative solutions and technologies and make them more readily available to those who need them. Innovators will present transformative, scalable examples that already shape human interaction in a variety of areas. They will look at how to create shared value and at opportunities for networking and matchmaking. Best practices in identifying scientific knowledge, technologies and innovations, and effectively scaling them up, will also be explored.
https://www.un.org/development/desa/undesavoice/feature/2016/06/#27006
Renewables 2016 Global Status Report launched today
June 5 - Today REN21 published the most comprehensive annual overview of the state of renewable energy. The Renewables 2016 Global Status Report reveals that renewables are now firmly established as competitive, mainstream sources of energy in many countries around the world.
2015 was a record year for renewable energy installations. Renewable power generating capacity saw its largest increase ever, with an estimated 147 gigawatts (GW) added. Modern renewable heat capacity also continued to rise, and renewables use expanded in the transport sector. Distributed renewable energy is advancing rapidly to close the gap between the energy haves- and have-nots. These results were driven by several factors. First and foremost, renewables are now cost competitive with fossil fuels in many markets. In addition, government leadership continues to play a key role in driving the growth of renewables, particularly wind and solar, in the power sector. As of early 2016, 173 countries had renewable energy targets in place and 146 countries had support policies. Cities, communities and companies are leading the rapidly expanding “100% renewable” movement, playing a vital role in advancing the global energy transition. ( Renewables 2016 Global Status Report launched today )
http://www.ethicalmarkets.com/2016/06/03/renewables-2016-global-status-report-launched-today
New bioplant will bring UK one step closer to a circular economy
2 June, Fredericia, Denmark - Today, only half of UK’s household waste is recycled. The Danish energy company, DONG Energy, has developed a technology that through enzyme treatment separates and sorts household waste for recycling. It is called REnescience: it separates household waste efficiently without the help from consumers. DONG Energy is now building the first full-scale plant near Manchester in the UK. The plant will treat waste from around 110,000 British households, clearing the way for more recycling in the community.
The REnescience technology separates waste through a process somewhat similar to when you wash your clothes in a washing machine. The unsorted household waste is mixed with water and enzymes. After slow spinning, the waste is separated into two different fractions. Food waste and the like make up a biological fraction, and plastic, foil, etc. form a non-biological fraction. The biological fraction can be turned into biogas used as green energy. The non-biological material can be recycled into new products or used for incineration to generate new energy.
Religion and spirituality
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Mongolia - Missionary cooperation: Korea-Mongolia agreement
7 June - The Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar and the Korean Archdiocese in Seoul have signed an agreement to improve missionary cooperation and promote the development of the Church in Mongolia. As Fides learns, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Ulaanbaatar on June 6 between the Catholic Education Foundation of the Archdiocese, represented by the Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul Benedict Son Hee-Song, and the Apostolic Prefecture, represented by Bishop Wenceslao Padilla, and includes points like the activity of evangelization, priestly formation, financial support.
According to the agreement, the Foundation will provide one million dollars to the Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar, in the next three years, for pastoral activities. In addition, as support for the formation of future priests, future seminarians of Mongolia will study in the Theological Seminary of Seoul.
Another chapter of the pact is the partnership between St. Mary in Seoul and the first central hospital of Mongolia: it is expected to introduce, thanks to their advanced health systems in use in Korea, practices such as stem cell transplantation and robotic surgery.
Belgium: Multi-faith peace vigil
29 May - Pax Christi Flanders supports the 6th peace vigil in Langemark (Belgium) on 29 May, 2016. The vigil which opposes the argument that religion is a source of war and violence, cites the research conducted by Karen Armstrong on how religion has been misused to legitimise violence. The multi-faith speakers, Nadia Fadil, Marijke Deconinck, and Laurien Ntezima talk about Islam, the Gospel, the Bible, Taoism, and Buddhism. Moreover, Bleri Lleshi, a political philosopher and human rights activist highlights the importance of staying united while being confronted with a culture of fear.
www.paxchristi.net/news/belgium-multi-faith-peace-vigil/6040#sthash.Dg44rn9s.LzGgnJUS.dpuf
ANERA leads the charge for preschool education in Palestine
10 June –ANERA has been helping to build an education framework for a preschool curriculum that prepares young children in Palestine for a better future. In the past six years alone, ANERA’s team has reached nearly 30,000 children with innovative learning techniques, helped rehabilitate and rebuild over 150 preschools and trained over 600 teachers to transform preschool education in Palestine.
On May 15th the Ministry of Education in Al-Bireh held a celebration to recognize the culmination of ANERA’s efforts to co-draft the national guidelines for a preschool curriculum. The framework was launched under the auspices and participation of the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Sabri Saidam. The first-ever national framework for preschool education in Palestine evolved through four months of intensive work, meetings, field visits and work sessions. It has been a joint effort between the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, ANERA, Islamic Relief and other well respected organizations such as the Early Childhood Resource Center (ECRC), Right to Play and World Vision.
http://www.anera.org/stories/anera-leads-charge-preschool-education-in-palestine/
Ground-breaking school feeding analysis launched
June 9, Washington/London/Rome - A major contemporary analysis of global school meals practices, designed to help strengthen these vital social investments, was released today by Imperial College London’s Partnership for Child Development (PCD), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Bank (WB). The Global School Feeding Sourcebook: Lessons from 14 countries was produced in response to demand from governments and development partners for guidance on designing and implementing large-scale sustainable national school feeding programmes that can meet globally approved standards. With school meals’ proven ability to improve the health and education of children while supporting local and national economies and food security, school feeding programmes exist in almost every country in the world for which there is data, for a total annual global investment of US$75 billion. This provides an estimated 368 million children – about one in five - with a meal at school daily. However, too often, such programmes are weakest in countries where there is the most need.With high-level collaboration with government teams from 14 countries, the Sourcebook includes a compilation of concise and comprehensive country case-studies. It highlights the trade-offs associated with alternative school feeding models and analyzes the overarching themes, trends and challenges which run across them.
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UN NGO Conference in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea
Focuses Worldwide Attention on Education for Global Citizenship in Pursuit of The
Sustainable Development Goals
by Lesley Vann, Good News Agency’s Publisher
Representative to the UNDPI
The 66th United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)/Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Conference was held in the City of Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, from 30 May to 1 June 2016. This historic event focused on education in pursuit of the sustainable development goals.
The conference is the first in its history to be held in Asia, and Secretary-General, Ban-ki Moon attended. Organized by the NGO Relations and Advocacy Section of the United Nations Department of Public Information, in partnership with the Republic of Korea, the NGO/DPI Executive Committee, and the National Organizing Committee of Korea, the theme of the 66th UN DPI/NGO Conference was “Education for Global Citizenship: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Together.”
The Conference took place during the launch year of the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals, and aimed at mobilizing civil society and academic organizations around the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, focusing on education and global citizenship as drivers for change and action.
Through various roundtable discussions and workshops, conference participants explored a range of educational initiatives that can ensure inclusive education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The three pillars of the Conference, Formal Education; Informal Education and Training; and Advocacy and Public Information, were examined as means to eliminate inequalities that create or perpetuate marginalization and disenfranchisement.
Conference participants finalized an education action agenda to mobilize civil society –its local and international NGOs, networks and activists, academics, educators, policy makers, businesses and youth– reflecting the aspirations and ambitions of all global citizens. This agenda was drafted through a global multi-stakeholder consultation process, leading up to, and during the conference. The agenda was offered for adoption at the final plenary session of the conference, and will be shared widely in the immediate future, with civil society as well as the UN Secretary-General, UN System, UN Member States and learning communities.
Each year, the Conference provides a unique opportunity for participating NGOs to engage members of civil society, diplomats, United Nations officials, policy experts, scientists, educators, businesses, trade unions, parliamentarians, local authorities and others from around the world in discussing key issues relevant during that given year. The 2016 Conference focused on creating and strengthening global partnerships in support of the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The support of civil society as a whole and NGOs and academia in particular will be key to our ability to achieve the sustainable development goals,” said Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division of the United Nations Department of Public Information. He continued, “We are very proud of our partnership with NGOs and universities and believe that the Gyeongju Conference offers a great opportunity to mobilize civil society’s creative talent and energy to support Agenda 2030 and beyond.”
This is the fifth time that the DPI/NGO Conference is taking place outside United Nations Headquarters in New York. Taking it “on the road” again in 2016 offered the opportunity to forge new strategic partnerships with NGOs in the Asia region and maximize the participation of regional and local authorities, institutions and other relevant stakeholders.
During the extensive planning of this global event, two Conference chairs were identified through a global online nomination process. Scott Carlin, Associate Professor of Geography at Long Island University and Yukang Choi, CEO of Korean NGO Dream Touch for All, who shared the responsibility of shepherding the Conference planning process and multi-stakeholder consultations on the Conference outcome document.
The programme included opening and closing plenary sessions, interactive roundtables, workshops organized by conference participants, exhibits and side events to engage attendees, as well as a Conference reception.
Conference Overview
NGOs were an integral part in organizing the Conference, and had been invited to propose workshops, exhibits, off-site and side events inspired by the spirit of the concept note, to enrich the Conference programme and inform the action agenda. Their topics coalesced, and a diverse, rich programmed was forged. The Conference included:
Roundtable 1 - The Right to Accessible, Safe and Inclusive Learning Spaces
Education must leave no one behind, and be accessible to all throughout life through quality learning opportunities. Too many of the world’s students and potential learners are explicitly denied, or subtly pushed away from, educational and training opportunities for reasons including their gender, race, ethnicity, language, location, religion, age, ability (or disability), or poverty. A combination of factors including bullying, discrimination, micro aggressions, gender-based violence and lack of facilities such as classrooms, teaching and learning materials, water and sanitation, and lack of financing deny education and learning opportunities to many students, including 775 million adults, a disproportionate number of them women, who lack minimum literacy skills.
This session explored how the education community can ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to learn and grow to their maximum potential as stated in Sustainable Development Goal 4, and why this is crucial to achieving all of the SDGs. The roundtable recommended concrete formal actions, such as through national education plans and international frameworks for policies and cooperation to improve education, and offer informal approaches including training, mentoring, social mobilization, building public awareness, and public and private partnerships to narrow access and quality gaps in education.
Roundtable 2 - STEAM Should Power the SDGs
Expanding opportunities for scientific training is an essential component of economic development for all nations. Science, technology, engineering, art, and math, or “STEAM,” is an interdisciplinary learning model that offers new opportunities for creating sustainable models of production and consumption, public health, urban design and infrastructure, water distribution, and food and energy production. Despite these multiple benefits, STEAM faces critical, interlinked financing and access gaps. Science, technology, engineering and math are stubbornly difficult to access for many in developed countries, and in particular for girls. The technology gap, and financing for it, grows exponentially in developing countries and is particularly acute for marginalized groups. Art and design in their purest form also suffer from a lack of investment, leaving questions about the value governments and communities put on creative thinking as a driver for innovation and problem solving.
This roundtable explored practical investment, policy and advocacy strategies to expand access to science, technology, engineering, art and math education that “leaves no one behind” and proactively reaches out to girls and women. Best-practice examples of STEAM education and information provided to socially and culturally vulnerable people including girls, women and minorities was presented, highlighting how innovation can help confront the most pressing current research challenges facing the SDGs. Examples of how art and design can be deployed to spark innovation in scientific and engineering contexts also was offered.
Advances in information and communication technology (ICT) that offer major new opportunities for the delivery of innovative STEAM curricula to schools and educational centers around the world, rich and poor, was discussed.
Roundtable 3 - Children and Youth: Tomorrow’s Global Citizens Today
This conference acknowledges the centrality of SDG 4 as a driver for transformational change, and the primacy of educating children as the starting point for achieving all 17 SDGs. Enrollment in primary education in developing countries has reached 91 per cent, but 58 million children of primary school age, and 63 million children of lower secondary age remain out of school, with sub-Saharan Africa and conflict zones representing stubborn pockets of exclusion.
This roundtable aimed to galvanize global commitment to ensure that all girls and boys get twelve years of free, publicly-funded formal quality education, nine of which should be compulsory, and to discuss effective strategies to invest in early childhood care and education (ECCE) programs and services. The session focused on concrete ways to ensure quality education for children in armed conflict and post-conflict situations including effective measures to deal with trauma and other impediments, as well as peace education to help avoid conflict. Formal and informal education together with advocacy for global citizenship, which puts a premium on building a culture of peace and social well-being for all, was explored. The session also offered approaches to avoid breaks in education due to natural disasters and public health emergencies.
The roundtable also examined the disparity in the amounts that governments spend on military and education sectors, respectively, and highlighted the economic and social benefits that higher budget allocations for primary and secondary education in particular promise.
Roundtable 4 - Global Citizens as Stewards of the Planet:
Energy, Environment and Climate Change
In today’s era of climate change, global pollution, natural resource depletion, and threats to biodiversity, societies are reassessing the value placed on the natural environment and exploring how formal and informal education, training and grassroots advocacy can strengthen humankind’s capacities to exist on this planet. This roundtable explored why cultivating empathy and a scientific appreciation for the natural world, environmental justice, and responsibility towards future generations must be at the core of education for global citizenship.
It featured the voices and teachings of indigenous cultures to help identify the values and skill sets necessary for sustainable production and consumption that will protect both life below water and life on land. Indigenous teachings affirm reverence for “all our relations,” the kinship of all life. These and other traditional values and ecological knowledge systems were juxtaposed with environmental science and new approaches to conserving natural wealth and capital to address a range of looming challenges, including climate change and population growth. In addition, this roundtable addressed the pivotal role that increased access to sustainable energy will have in ensuring each person’s right to education, health, and a healthy environment.
Special roundtableorganized by the National organizing committee of Korea:
Local Development and Poverty Eradication for Global Citizenship
Sharing the Saemaul Undong (SMU) Experience from Korea and other developing countries as a case study in eradicating poverty and nation building in support of the Sustainable Development Goals
Korea has a unique experience of rising from the tribulations of colonization and war to build a democratic nation with a thriving economy, and a deep respect for human rights. The Saemaul movement originated from the Canaan Farmers School as an agriculture pioneer movement and the Korean government adopted it as a national poverty eradication campaign focusing on education for citizenship.
The SMU movement emphasized:
1) Poverty eradication; 2) Improvement of health services and child care; 3) Empowerment of local communities; 4) Revitalization of community leadership and intergenerational leadership; 5) Women’s participation in the community; 6) Microfinancing for villages.
KyungSangBukDo was the province hosting this year’s conference and is known as the place where the Saemaul movement originated.
The session shared how this civic movement contributed to economic development and improved human rights and brought awareness for environmental sustainability in the Korean context and how it could be applied around the world today.
Youth at the 66th UN DPI/NGO Conference
The UN DPI/NGO Conference was a dynamic platform that brought together various actors on global issues. This year’s conference, with the theme, Education for Global Citizenship: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Together, reached numerous Civil Society participants from around the globe; and was (and should be) also available on UN TV, in the archives.
Conference organizers had called upon youth representing the different regions around the world to promote and participate in all conference events, including on-line and off-line youth activities. It was and is important to raise the voice of young people from around the world in global conferences tackling pressing issues on the international agenda.
Youth are directly impacted by decisions made regarding education around the globe. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the presence of youth voices is needed now more than ever. This Youth section served as an online hub for youth attending the conference in person and on-line to connect, share information, and continue the conversation beyond the conclusion of our conference.
The United Nations DPI/NGO Conference presents an annual benchmark for Civil Society and has left a legacy.
Surely the 66th United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)/Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Conference, held now, in 2016, has moved the bar higher, for global accountability and inclusion, to galvanize the global impact of Civil Society now, and for the future. The time of the mobilizing of international public opinion has come. Through global Civil Society initiatives, such as this United Nations DPI NGO annual Conference, the collective voice of people of goodwill everywhere now can have lasting reach.
For more information about the (2016) sixty-sixth DPI/NGO Conference, please contact: Department of Public Information — Jeffrey Brez, Co-Chair, Conference Planning Committee, and Chief, NGO Relations and Advocacy, e-mail: brez@un.org, or mobile: +1 917 328 6736; Republic of Korea (NGO Community) — Yukang Choi, Co-Chair, Conference Planning Committee, and CEO, Dream Touch for All, e-mail: info@66undpingoconference.org; and Civil Society - Bruce Knotts, Chair, NGO/DPI Executive Committee, e-mail: bknotts@uua.org.
Links and documents cited:
http://outreach.un.org/ngorelations/conference/
http://outreach.un.org/ngorelations/conference-2016/programme/
http://outreach.un.org/ngorelations/conference-2016/about/
http://outreach.un.org/ngorelations/conference-2016/press-releases/
http://outreach.un.org/ngorelations/conference-2016/workshop-proposals/
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Next issue: 15 July 2016.
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* http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/2010_civil_society_report.pdf - In section A - International Organizations, page 12, the Report says: ”Diffusion and exchange of culture of peace information via the Internet has become the major instrument for several international organizations, notably the Culture of Peace News Network, the Good News Agency and the Education for Peace Globalnet.”