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Good News Agency

In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour

monthly, year 21st, no. 305 – 19th November 2021

 

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 media and editorial journalists, NGOs, service associations and high schools and colleges around the world.

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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The news are be divided into seven areas of reference:

 

1.         Government and politics

2.         Education and teaching

3.         Economy, finance and planning

4.         Arts of living and relationships

5.         Work, science and industry

6.         Society and communication

7.         Rules, regulations and environment

 

In this way we intend to cover seven main fields of human life and activities, in which to record and promote, as always, the presence of goodwill in action and the culture of peace and cooperation that are for us the guiding values in these complex times. Each news item you will find in the seven fields will in turn be linked to one in particular of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

 

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 United Nations

 

SDGs number 1-No Poverty-

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere

 

SDGs number 2-Zero Hunger

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

 

SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

 

SDGs number 4-Quality Education

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

 

SDGs number 5-Gender Equality

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

 

SDGs number 6-Clean Water and Sanitation

Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

 

SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

 

SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth

Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

 

SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

 

SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities

Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries

 

SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

 

SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

 

SDGs number 13-Climate Action

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

 

SDGs number 14- Life below Water

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

 

SDGs number 15-Life on Land

Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

 

SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

 

News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships to achieve the Goals

Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

 

 

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Contents

Government and politicsEducation and teachingEconomy, finance and planning

Arts of living and relationshipsWork, science and industry

Society and communicationRules, regulations and environment

 

Government and politics
(top)

 

Youth Mural Art project to visualize People’s Agenda and Good Governance

7 November 2021 - VISUAL ART - Bikol Youth Groups and a broad alliance of artists and cultural workers to launch a mural project visualizing people’s agenda and good governance; calls on Sorsoganon youth to discern the signs of times. The first Sambayan-Sorsogon Youth, in partnership with Kurit-Lagting Art Collective, will hold a mural painting in the city of Sorsogon this November. The activity is co-presented by Concerned Artists of the Philippines-Bicol, 1Sambayan-Sorsogon, and 1Sambayan Youth National.

https://www.pressenza.com/2021/11/youth-mural-art-project-to-visualize-peoples-agenda-and-good-governance//

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

Mitigating the environmental impacts of explosive ordnance and land release

New Policy Brief on the Environment by Mine Action Review

(by Ingebjørg Sørenes)

5November 2021 – As demonstrated by the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, currently taking place in Glasgow, environmental considerations are rightly gaining increased prominence and awareness globally, with stakeholders across a myriad of sectors increasingly identifying and assessing how their operations impact the environment. The mine action sector is no exception. Mine Action Review has launched Mitigating the Environmental Impacts of Explosive Ordnance and Land Release, its new Policy Brief which serves as an important resource for national authorities and their implementing partners in affected countries as they seek to identify and minimise their environmental footprint.

This Policy Brief builds on existing knowledge and research and outlines the key environmental impacts of explosive ordnance contamination and land release operations and the potential impact of climate change on land release. It also offers an overview of the environmental impacts of post-clearance land use; outlines some of the relevant regulatory frameworks and treaty commitments; and emphasises the importance of environmental management. (…)

https://www.npaid.org/mine-action-and-disarmament/news/mitigating-the-environmental-impacts-of-explosive-ordnance-and-land-release

News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action

 

Introducing Biogen's 2021 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report

4 November 2021 - Diversity makes us stronger and helps drive innovation. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in advancing our diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments. We also know that we have much more to do, and we are in it for the long haul.

https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/730876-introducing-biogens-2021-diversity-equity-inclusion-report//

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

Sierra Leone: how Sierra Leone abolished the death penalty and what others could learn

(by Makmid Kamara And Sabrina Mahtani)

2 November 2021 - How decades of tenacious advocacy, political will and a smart legal strategy finally ended capital punishment. On 23 July 2021, Sierra Leone made history as it joined a growing number of countries to reject the death penalty. Following decades of tenacious advocacy, the government under President Julius Maada Bio finally showed the political will to abolish the cruel punishment and become the 23rd African country to do so.The road to this was far from smooth. For nearly two decades, subsequent governments had failed to act on recommendations to end the death penalty. And just five years ago, the then Minister of Internal Affairs declared his support for capital punishment by symbolically ordering the gallows at a maximum security prison to be cleaned.

So how did Sierra Leone finally manage to abolish the death penalty? And what could other countries learn from its experience?

https://allafrica.com/stories/202111040403.html//

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

Cop26: Women must be heard on climate, say rights groups

25 September 2021 – Women must be enabled to play a greater role at the Cop26 summit, as the needs of women and girls are being overlooked amid the global climate crisis, a coalition of feminist groups has said. The Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice has laid out a call for action at the UN general assembly, including demands that world leaders meeting at Cop26, in Glasgow this November, must end fossil fuel expansion and move to 100% renewable energy. (…)

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/sep/25/cop26-women-must-be-heard-on-climate-say-rights-groups

News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action

 

United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy–fifth session – Agenda item 66 (b) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 13 September 2021: Implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa

17 September 2021 - The General Assembly, (…)

3. Recalls the adoption of the African Union Agenda 2063 and its first 10-year implementation plan (2014–2023), which outlines key African flagship projects, fast-track programmes, priority areas, specific targets and African strategies and policy measures at all levels, and urges further efforts to support the implementation of the plan; (…)

7. Urges continued support for measures to address the challenges of poverty eradication and hunger, decent job creation and sustainable development in Africa, (…)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N21/250/82/pdf/N2125082.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy–fifth session – Agenda item 126

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 10 September 2021: Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly

15 September 2021 - The General Assembly, (…)

4. Decides to establish, at its seventy-sixth and seventy-seventh sessions, an ad hoc working group on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, open to all Member States: (…)

9. Reaffirms the role and authority of the General Assembly and the strict respect of the Charter-based prerogatives and division of work among the principal organs of the United Nations; (…)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N21/250/62/pdf/N2125062.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals

 

 

Education and teaching
(top)

 

Construction Work Offers Livelihoods for Youth in Lebanon

Job skills training for youth open doors amid high unemployment

4November 2021 – A nation’s youth are the architects of its future. That is why UNICEF and Anera have been investing in the development of skill-based competencies while creating income generation opportunities for thousands of youths across Lebanon. Given the need for skilled labor in water and sanitation construction, UNICEF has created an initiative to train youth on the basics of construction while also addressing infrastructure issues within vulnerable and neglected areas of the country. As one of UNICEF’s partners in Lebanon, Anera has organized a two-week long accelerated and extensive training at multiple local educational centers across Lebanon. Anera selected three local partners. Pathways trained 116 youths in Moghairiyeh area to be referred to public works in Ketermaeya and Mazboud towns. Azhar, located in Baissour, trained 174 youths who will be referred to Bsaba and Kafra towns. The third Mount Lebanon partner is Dreams of a Refugee in Shatila Camp, where we trained 84 youths. (…)

https://www.anera.org/stories/construction-work-offers-livelihoods-for-youth-in-lebanon/  

News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being

 

Twenty countries pledge end to finance for overseas fossil fuel projects

(by Fiona Harvey and Patrick Greenfield)

3 November 2021 - More than 20 countries and financial institutions will halt all financing for fossil fuel development overseas and divert the spending to green energy instead from next year. The move marks a significant boost for the transition to clean fuels. The Guardian understands the countries involved include the US, UK, Denmark and some developing countries that would receive such finance, including Costa Rica. The European Investment Bank is one of the financial institutions involved.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/03/twenty-countries-pledge-end-to-finance-for-overseas-fossil-fuel-projects//

News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being

 

Truly digital entrepreneurs: six solutions win Global Media and Information Literacy Youth Hackathon

2 November 2021 - Youth creators from around the world participated in the 2021 Global Youth Hackathon led by UNESCO and South Africa, in cooperation with the European Commission and IBM-Z. Six submissions have been crystalized as the winning solutions and were presented during the Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2021, which took place from 24 October to 31 October.

https://en.unesco.org/news/truly-digital-entrepreneurs-six-solutions-win-global-media-and-information-literacy-youth//

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

WFP and Russia hand over fortified wheat flour and vegetable oil to Tajikistan for national school feeding programme

28 October 2021, Dushanbe – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tajikistan handed over 1,485 tons of fortified wheat flour and around 61 tons of vegetable oil to the Ministry of Education and Science of Tajikistan during a ceremony this week. The food will cover the needs of the national School Feeding Programme in the Districts of the Republican Subordination (DRS), Khatlon Region, and the Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO). The food assistance was purchased with funds from the Russian Federation, which allocated US$5 million to improve food security in Tajikistan in 2021 as part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between WFP and EMERCOM of Russia.  The School Feeding Programme is WFP’s largest operation in Tajikistan, supporting 450,000 students with regular nutritious meals in grades 1-4 across 2,000 schools in 52 districts and towns. Along with food supplies to educational institutions, the programme also contributes to the modernization of the school feeding system in Tajikistan, including the renovation and construction of school canteens, bakeries and greenhouses, with expert support from the Russian Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute. (…)

https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-and-russia-hand-over-fortified-wheat-flour-and-vegetable-oil-tajikistan-national-school

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

Clinical trial results offer hope to DR-TB patients with short, effective treatment

20 October 2021, London – TB-PRACTECAL, a clinical trial led by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has found that a new, all-oral, six-month treatment regimen is safer and more effective at treating rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) than the current accepted standard of care. These results signal the start of a new chapter for people with drug-resistant (DR)-TB, who currently face lengthy treatment regimens.
The phase II/III clinical trial found that the new, shorter treatment regimen was very effective against RR-TB. Eighty-nine per cent of patients in the new regimen group were cured, compared to 52 per cent in the standard care (control) group. (…)

https://www.msf.org/clinical-trial-finds-short-effective-safe-DR-TB-treatment  

News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being

 

WFP and Chellaram Foundation partner to support school-aged children in Sao Tome and Principe

20 October 2021, Sao Tome – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is increasing support to 25,000 school-aged children enrolled in the National School Feeding and Health Programme (PNASE) in Sao Tome and Principe thanks to a USD700,000 contribution from the Chellaram Foundation. To curb the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Sao Tome and Principe imposed a new month-long State of Calamity on 18 September. Classes were suspended in public and private schools, for all levels of education, except for kindergartens. Families had to find ways to feed at home, children normally benefiting from school meals. With the reopening of schools on 6 October 2021, WFP will continue providing on-site meals to the school children registered under the National School Feeding Programme. Thanks to the donation from the Chellaram Foundation, WFP will ensure 25,000 children receive at least one nutritious meal a day in São Tomé and Príncipe, until February 2022 (…)

https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-and-chellaram-foundation-partner-support-school-aged-children-sao-tome-and-principe

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE – USDA Announces $3 Billion Investment in Agriculture, Animal Health, and Nutrition; Unveils New Climate Partnership Initiative, Requests Public Input

30 September 2021 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (Sept 29) announced a comprehensive set of investments to address challenges facing America's agricultural producers. These include assistance to address challenges and costs associated with drought, animal health, market disruptions for agricultural commodities, and school food supply chain issues. Secretary Vilsack also outlined and requested public comments on a new climate partnership initiative designed to create new revenue streams for producers via market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart practices. (…)

https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/climate-change/82/921698/usda-announces-3-billion-investment-in-agriculture-animal-health-and-nutrition-unveils-new-climate-partnership-initiative-requests-public-input.html

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

 

Economy, finance and planning
(top)

 

Rebuilding a future for the displaced people of Burkina Faso: a Resident Coordinator Blog

6 November 2021 - More than a million people in Burkina Faso have been displaced from their homes, victims of ongoing conflict and poverty. Nevertheless, following a recent visit to the central and northern regions of the country, Barbara Manzi, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Burkina Faso, says she met a resilient people keen to find their own solutions, to a better future.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1104942//

News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth

 

The circular economy is now part of daily life – even if you don’t realise it

4 November 2021 - The term itself has not yet made its way into the mainstream. But the principles that underpin a circular economy are slowly but surely being integrated into the everyday.  When you’re deciding what to wear to a fancy event, these days it’s increasingly normal to borrow an outfit – not from a friend, but from a business.

https://www.positive.news/society/the-circular-economy-is-now-part-of-daily-life-even-if-you-dont-realise-it//

News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth

 

Estonian Recovery and Resilience Plan - Corporate Green Turnaround

27 October 2021 - As part of its Recovery and Resilience Facility Plan submitted to the European Union, Estonia aims to secure 220 million EUR to enhance the "corporate green turnaround", with a dedicated green fund, the deployment and improvement of resource efficiency of innovative and resource-efficient green technologies, the integration of hydrogen technologies and the development of skills supporting the green transition. 

https://www.iea.org/policies/13866-estonian-recovery-and-resilience-plan-corporate-green-turnaround//

News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production

 

Scientists use specialized microbes to convert pine needles into ethanol

(by Helena Tavares Kennedy)

26 September 2021 – In India, Tribune India reports that scientists at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry devised a method employing micro-organisms to break down pine needles into ethanol. Pine needles are often a source of forest fires in India causing huge losses every year. (…)

https://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2021/09/26/scientists-use-specialized-microbes-to-convert-pine-needles-into-ethanol/

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

“Living” coffins prove popular in Netherlands

(by Rebecca Coons)

13 September 13, 2021 – In the Netherlands, living coffins made of mycelium and moss have been so popular that the manufacturer has had to expand production. According to Living Cocoon, almost 100 people have chosen the natural coffins, which were developed by company founder Bob Hendrikx, researchers from Delft University of Technology, and the Naturalis natural history museum. The coffins take 45 days to biodegrade” (…)

https://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2021/09/13/living-coffins-prove-popular-in-netherlands/

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

Clean teeth, clean earth: Company claims first carbon-neutral toothbrush

(by Rebecca Coons)

September 6, 2021 – In India, GSK Consumer Healthcare says it has launched the world’s first carbon-neutral toothbrush. Made in the classic “Dr.Best” style, the toothbrush is made of cellulose; a bioplastic produced using paper production byproducts; and castor oil material for the bristles. The materials cut the carbon footprint of the toothbrush in half compared to a standard model (…)

https://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2021/09/06/clean-teeth-clean-earth-company-claims-first-carbon-neutral-toothbrush/

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

College Students & Plant-Based Proteins – Exposure in college student populations to climate change science leads to stronger beliefs and support for climate-protective actions — like choosing more alternative meats.

(by Carolyn Fortuna)

September 2021 – College students are some of the strongest and most vocal consumers of alternative proteins. (…) By 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health had highlighted the links between healthy diets, sustainable agriculture, and environmental degradation. The Commission has been setting universal scientific targets for the food system that apply to all people and the planet. Why is this necessary? Because humanity’s dominant diets are not good for us, and they are not good for the planet. The EAT report explicitly calls for increased plant protein sources and lower red meat consumption to manifest transformation in the global food system. (…)

https://cleantechnica.com/2021/09/20/college-students-plant-based-proteins/

News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action

 

 

Arts of living and relationships
(top)

 

WFP and European Union support building health systems resilience in Sindh

10 November 2021 Islamabad – With the generous support from the European Union (EU), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has completed the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Surge pilot project in district Umerkot in Sindh province. Pakistan is the first country in Asia to pilot the CMAM Surge approach. The pilot project was initiated in 2017, in collaboration with the Sindh Department of Health and Concern Worldwide, a WFP implementing partner. It aimed to increase the national/sub-national health systems’ resilience to sudden health emergencies and strengthen the capacity of government health systems to better predict, plan for and respond to periodic surges in caseloads of acute malnutrition. The ECHO-funded CMAM surge project was piloted in 30 centres in 27 union councils of the district Umerkot. Under the project, WFP conducted the Standardized Monitoring & Assessment for Relief and Transition survey (SMART) to measure the extent of acute malnutrition in children aged 6-59 months and PLWs in the district. WFP also conducted a Semi-Quantitative Evaluation of Access and Coverage (SQUEAC) to understand the barriers and boosters to increased access to care and treatment for wasted children. Capacity building trainings on CMAM Surge approach were provided to the provincial government healthcare workers and other stakeholders. (…)

https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-and-european-union-support-building-health-systems-resilience-sindh

News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being

 

ASIA/HOLY LAND - Catholic Churches of the Holy Land confirm their "Eucharistic hospitality" to the baptized of the non-Catholic Eastern Churches

6 November 2021 Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) - A priest belonging to one of the Catholic communities present in the Holy Land can administer the sacraments of Penance, the Eucharist and the Anointing of the sick even to Christians belonging to Orthodox and Eastern Non-Catholic Churches, if they request it spontaneously, on their own initiative, "and are adequately prepared". This is the most exemplary provision contained in the text of the "Ecumenical Pastoral Directives" for the Catholic Churches, just issued in Arabic by the Assembly of Catholic Ordinary Bishops of the Holy Land. The document provides guidelines and also binding provisions on crucial issues for the spiritual life of Christians belonging to the many ecclesial communities present in the region. The pastoral directives aim to "illuminate, stimulate and guide the ecumenical relations of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land" by applying the teaching and guidelines followed in sacramental matters by the Catholic Church to the current local ecclesial context. The directives apply to all Catholic Churches in the Holy Land (Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus), involve Latin, Maronite, Melkite, Chaldean, Sire, Armenian and Coptic Catholic communities (…) In the first part of the directives, the particular significance assumed by the "ecumenical issue" in the context of the Holy Land, where multiple ecclesial rites and traditions have always coexisted, is outlined in summary. (…)

http://www.fides.org/en/news/71079-ASIA_HOLY_LAND_Catholic_Churches_of_the_Holy_Land_confirm_their_Eucharistic_hospitality_to_the_baptized_of_the_non_Catholic_Eastern_Churches

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

US Peace Prize Awarded to World beyond War

5 November 2021 - The 2021 US Peace Prize has been awarded to World BEYOND War “for exceptional global advocacy and creative peace education to end war and dismantle the war machine.”

https://www.pressenza.com/2021/11/us-peace-prize-awarded-to-world-beyond-war//

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

EUROPE/ITALY - An Atlas on wars, to understand the roots of peace

5 November 2021 - Rome (Agenzia Fides) - There are still over thirty wars in the world. But this reality is even greater if we take into account low-intensity conflicts, political violence, street clashes or the repression of those who protest. This is the image that emerges from the "Atlas of World Wars and Conflicts", a real atlas to understand how much we are still behind on the road to peace and how the search for a truce was in vain even during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.

http://www.fides.org/en/news/71082-EUROPE_ITALY_An_Atlas_on_wars_to_understand_the_roots_of_peace//

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

AFRICA/KENYA - "The era of conquest, extraction, and exploitation has given way to cooperation and community": the petition of religious leaders

05 November 2021: Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - "We envision a world transformed, in which humanity in all its diversity has developed a shared reverence for life on planet Earth. Together, we are building resilient, caring communities and economies that meet everyone’s needs and protect the planet", said African religious leaders, signatories of the petition on climate change, referring to the COP26 underway in Glasgow. "The era of conquest, extraction, and exploitation has given way to cooperation and community" they added. According to the text sent to Fides, African religious leaders insist on "not perpetuating an outdated economic system that relies on fossil fuels and the destruction of the very forests, waters, oceans and soils that make life possible". They point out that they should accelerate renewable energy development; ensure universal access to clean water and air, affordable clean energy, and food grown with respect for the land; create jobs paying family-sustaining wages to workers in safe conditions. Religious leaders further caution that "financing must end immediately for agribusiness and extractive industries that immorally destroy tropical forests, its matchless biodiversity, and its Indigenous guardians". They appeal to governments to "enact and enforce laws that protect people and planet alike, in keeping with the inherent dignity of every human being and the world’s biodiversity,” and that “wealthiest countries must commit to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and accelerate finance and technology transfers to poorer countries to ensure a global just transition to zero before 2050". (…)

http://www.fides.org/en/news/71086-AFRICA_KENYA_The_era_of_conquest_extraction_and_exploitation_has_given_way_to_cooperation_and_community_the_petition_of_religious_leaders

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

WWF announces landmark series to be produced by BBC StoryWorks

The series will profile case studies of innovative, under-reported solutions across the global business community that address critical challenges, sharing diverse success stories of collaborative solutions.

20 October 2021 – WWF is thrilled to announce a new digital series exploring the role of the business community in mitigating critical challenges facing our planet. The series will be produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions and will launch on BBC.com in spring 2022. We face unprecedented challenges. Stark scientific warnings and the increasingly pronounced impact of climate crises on the lives of people around the world make clear that the window to act is closing fast. These large-scale problems require large-scale solutions, and bold, authentic participation from business will be crucial in unlocking progress, and elevating the vital work being done by the WWF and other science-based organisations - whether tackling climate change, future-proofing food systems or protecting precious ecosystems and wildlife. While no one organisation has the answer, it is through a collective push for action across sectors and systems that necessary, radical transformation can happen. The series will profile case studies of innovative, under-reported solutions across the global business community that address critical challenges, sharing diverse success stories of collaborative solutions. (…)

https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/press_releases/?4037966/WWF-announces-landmark-series-to-be-produced-by-BBC-StoryWorks 

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

Invest in gender equality to reduce climate change impacts on world’s poorest, says IFAD President on the International Day of Rural Women

15 October 2021, Rome – We need a significant boost in investments to close the gender gap otherwise rural communities will never bounce back from the impacts of climate change, warned Gilbert F. Houngbo, the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). A body of research gathered over the last decade shows that rural women are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and more likely to die as a result of natural disasters than men. This, in turn, deepens gender inequalities, creating a vicious circle. While women represent almost half of the global agricultural workforce, they do not get a fair share of the assets, resources and services needed to earn a decent living nor adapt to climate change. They have less access than men to land, finances, agricultural inputs, training and technologies to help them manage climate-related shocks. Very often their decision-making power in their communities and families is very limited, which means that they are not involved in the decisions about responses to climate change. IFAD integrates gender empowerment into its projects and programme to increase the resilience of rural communities and limit the impact of climate-related shocks. (…)

https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/-/international-day-of-rural-women-2021?p_l_back_url=%2Fen%2Fweb%2Flatest%2Fnews%3Fstart%3D1

News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality

 

 

Work, science and industry
(top)

 

These portable factories are solving plastic pollution

(by KC Morgan)

4 November 2021 - To combat plastic pollution, all of that single-use plastic is taken before it reaches the landfills and the oceans and turned into something new instead. How does it happen? Through off-grid, solar-powered microfactories inside portable shipping containers. These microfactories produce no waste, no pollutants and no toxins.

https://inhabitat.com/these-portable-factories-are-solving-plastic-pollution//

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

EU joins pledge to boost 'clean' steel production

3 November 2021 - Britain, the US, India, China, and the EU were among 40 nations who pledged to increase production of so-called near zero-emissions steel around the world by 2030 at the 'COP26' climate summit. "Near-zero emission steel is the preferred choice in global markets, with efficient use and near-zero emission steel production established and growing in every region by 2030," the UK said in a statement announcing the accord.

https://euobserver.com/tickers/153409?utm_source=euobs&utm_medium=rss//

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

Celebrate Native American heritage sustainability practices

(by Dawn Hammon)

3 November 2021 - Looking over the history of the planet and humanity, the vast majority of human environmental damage has been in the past century. As the population continues to grow and we struggle to agree on the most effective actions to take, perhaps we should be looking deep into the practices of one of the land’s first caretakers in order to understand what sustainability truly looks like.

https://inhabitat.com/celebrate-native-american-heritage-sustainability-practices//

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

RES4AFRICA FOUNDATION – PreCOP26: African youth makes recommendations to high-level institutions and policy makers for future decisions on energy and climate change

4 October 2021 – The space for dialogue between young generations and high-level representatives was provided by the two events co-organised by RES4Africa and AVSI with the support of Enel Green Power, in partnership with UNEP and SEforAll. A privileged channel for dialogue and awareness between African young innovators and high-level representatives was created by RES4Africa Foundation and AVSI Foundation, with the organizations of two side events in the framework of the PreCOP26 youth All4Climate Italy 2021- driving Ambition. Focused on renewables, climate change and the continent's energy transition, the gatherings benefitted from the support of Enel Green Power, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll).

https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/climate-change/82/922225/precop26-african-youth-makes-recommendations-to-high-level-institutions-and-policy-makers-for-future-decisions-on-energy-and-climate-change-.html

News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action

 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – Commission publishes recommendation and guidelines on the energy efficiency first principle

29 September 2021 – The European Commission has published today (Sept 28) a new recommendation and guidelines on the energy efficiency first principle with a view to converting the concept from a principle into practice. While energy efficiency has been a key element of EU policy on emissions reduction for some time now, the energy efficiency first principle was officially written into EU law with the adoption of the 2019 Governance Regulation. (…) The recommendation to EU Member States identifies specific actions be taken to ensure proper application of the principle, while the accompanying guidelines support practical implementation of the principle with practical solutions and refer to measures across different sectors, ranging from the energy supply and distribution to the end-use sectors. (…)

https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/climate-change/82/921398/commission-publishes-recommendation-and-guidelines-on-the-energy-efficiency-first-principle.html

News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production

 

The circular economy isn’t just a zero-waste goal

(by Stephanie Cairns and Alice Irene Whittaker)

28 September 2021 – Simply put, the circular economy is a model in which waste and pollution are designed out of the system. The idea takes inspiration from the elegance of nature’s cycles and the wisdom of Indigenous worldviews. Put into action, every object we use is either refurbished, disassembled to be reused, recycled into a new high-value product, or composted. (…) A report released earlier this year by non-profit Circle Economy found that doubling the globe’s circularity could cut global greenhouse gas emissions by 39% from 2019 levels, limiting global warming to below 2°C. And, the benefits would go further: reductions in the consumption of virgin materials would help alleviate pollution, ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss.

https://www.corporateknights.com/waste/the-circular-economy-is-critical/

News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth

 

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE - First internationally-agreed recommendations for a set of core climate change-related indicators will inform urgent action

7 September 2021 – UNECE today (Aug 31) publishes a Set of Core Climate Change-related Indicators and Statistics, along with a set of Implementation Guidelines, both endorsed by the Conference of European Statisticians (CES). Climate change is an existential threat and poses an immense challenge for humanity. A better understanding of all its aspects is crucial to decide on the best course of action. As COP26 approaches, therefore, decision-makers, climate activists and businesses across the world are looking more than ever at figures related to climate change. Reliable information is needed (…)

https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/climate-change/82/916854/first-internationally-agreed-recommendations-for-a-set-of-core-climate-change-related-indicators-will-inform-urgent-action.html

News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action

 

 

Society and communication
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The European Union continues its support to Sahrawi refugees in Algeria

7 November 2021, Algiers – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a €5.4 million grant from the European Union (EU) to cover basic food needs of Sahrawi refugees in Tindouf refugee camps in south-west Algeria. WFP will use these funds to provide vulnerable refugees living in this arid part of the country with a well-balanced and nutritious diet through direct food distribution. Food rations include cereals, pulses, vegetable oil and sugar. WFP will also provide pregnant and nursing mothers as well as children under five with specialized blended foods and supplements to treat and prevent malnutrition. The EU is the largest donor to WFP’s operation supporting Sahrawi refugees in Algeria. The EU has donated nearly US$100 million in humanitarian support since 2003. This year, EU support accounts for almost 30% of WFP’s funding requirements in Algeria. WFP has been supporting the Sahrawi refugees in Algeria since 1986.

https://www.wfp.org/news/european-union-continues-its-support-sahrawi-refugees-algeria-0

News related with SDGs number 1-No Poverty

 

OPINION - The Power of Networks, in so many words

(by Curtis Ogden)

5 November 2021 - Getting ready to host a session for the Connecticut Food System Alliance (CFSA) focused on “rethinking networks,” I am playing with a list of curated quotes from various people, which all have something to do with networks, connection and interrelatedness. I’ve found over the years that diving into theory first is not a way to bring participants in. Instead I begin with associations, stories and a set of quotes. Below are the ones that I plan on offering to the CFSA by way of volunteer readers, with an invitation for everyone to pay attention to what resonates – when are heads nodding, pulses quickening, smiles spreading, goose bumps rising … and asking readers here to do the same and to freely share your own favorites that do not appear on this list.

https://interactioninstitute.org/the-power-of-networks-in-so-many-words//

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

Peru: Mysticism and religiosity in Lima

(by Raúl Allain)

3 November 2021 - In the Lima of “all bloods”, where the most cosmopolitan trends coexist with popular and religious traditions rooted in the heritage of our pre-Hispanic ancestors, there is a transversal component to the lives of the people of Lima: religiosity, always charged with mysticism and spirituality, with that ingredient of syncretism, a mixture of Hispanic and Andean heritage. The icon par excellence is the cult of the Señor de los Milagros, also called Cristo de Pachacamilla, Cristo Moreno and Señor de los Temblores. As is known, the cult originated more than three hundred years ago, from a mural painted by an Angolan slave in the area of Pachacamilla, in what used to be the surroundings of the current convent of the Nazarenas in the centre of Lima.

https://www.pressenza.com/2021/11/peru-mysticism-and-religiosity-in-lima//

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

ASIA/JORDAN - Islamic-Christian international appeal for the protection of prayer communities and Holy Places

3 November 2021 - Amman (Agenzia Fides) - The bloody attacks on places of worship that host communities of faith gathered in prayer or while taking part in ritual acts, represent the "summit" of justified atrocities and violence by bringing up "religious" issues. Faced with the continuing of these phenomena, it is necessary to encourage the creation of an interreligious and inter-cultural "global network", which works to protect the sites of worship and all the believers who frequent them, as a contribution to the development of a "common human civilization" nurtured by the recognition and sharing of "common human values".

http://www.fides.org/en/news/71070-ASIA_JORDAN_Islamic_Christian_international_appeal_for_the_protection_of_prayer_communities_and_Holy_Places//

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

84000 Buddhist translation initiative launches mobile app to study Buddhist scripture

(By Martine Panzica)

2 November 2021 - 84000’s new mobile app, The Words of the Buddha, allows users to deepen their study of 84000 Buddhist translation initiative launches mobile app to study Buddhist scripture. 84000, a non-profit Buddhist translation initiative, has released a new mobile app that houses an interactive collection of translated Buddhist text and teachings for users to view. The app, titled The Words of the Buddha, is designed to help users deepen their dharma practice and Buddhist study while providing contextual information regarding original Buddhist texts. sutras from the Tibetan Buddhist Canon.

https://www.lionsroar.com/84000-buddhist-translation-initiative-launches-mobile-app-to-study-buddhist-scripture//

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

AMERICA/CHILE - Religious denominations demand that the new Constitution guarantee religious freedom without distinction

30 October 2021 - Villarrica (Agenzia Fides) - "The new Constitution must fully guarantee the religious freedom of all persons, without distinction of any kind, and also of religious denominations as such, that is to say the freedom to exercise their mission and their activities, both public and private, having as limits public order, morality and good customs".

http://www.fides.org/en/news/71060-AMERICA_CHILE_Religious_denominations_demand_that_the_new_Constitution_guarantee_religious_freedom_without_distinction// 

News related with SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities

 

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2021/1877 of 22 October 2021 on the framework of inclusion measures of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programmes 2021-2027 (Text with EEA relevance)

26 October 2021 – THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (…) has adopted this Decision: (…)

Article 2

Objectives of the framework of inclusion measures

1.   The general objective of the framework of inclusion measures is to facilitate the access to the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programmes for people with fewer opportunities, to ensure the putting in place of measures to remove the obstacles that may prevent such access, and to serve as a basis for further implementation guidance as set out in the Annex. Based on the principle that the Programmes have to be accessible for all, regardless of the barriers people may face, the aim is to leave no one behind and contribute to more inclusive societies. (…)

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2021.378.01.0015.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2021%3A378%3ATOC

News related with SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities

 

 

Rules, regulations and environment

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Urban leaders, influencers, chart new path for world cities

3 November 2021 - Mayors of Mexico City, Bogotá, New Orleans, Freetown, Gaziantep and Barcelona joined other urban leaders, designers, activists and thinkers from around the world on Wednesday, to chart a new path for cities.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1104752//

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

Building a beautiful climate future starts with imagination

(Mary Annaïse Heglar)

1 November 2021 - It’s been a heavy week for those of us who want to preserve life on earth. Somehow, the latest, greatest hope for a livable future is in the hands of one man—a senator, not even a king! Given how few Americans voted for him, it’s absurd that Joe Manchin has so much national influence. But when you factor in the scale of U.S. power and its historic and current responsibility for the climate crisis, it’s downright grotesque.

https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2021/11/01/climate-build-better-world-imagination//

News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action

 

When it comes to solar farms, sheep are great groundskeepers

(by Doug Johnson)

24 October 2021 – What makes a good spot for livestock and a good spot for solar farms often overlaps. They’re both large, quite flat, and get a good amount of sun, being free from tall vegetation. As such, solar producers are increasingly leasing farmland for their operations. The increase in solar production has environmental benefits, but it can come at the price of diminished agriculture production. That’s why there’s a growing interest in finding ways of combining ag and solar production in one place. For Todd Schmit, an associate professor of agribusiness at Cornell University, this means bringing out the sheep. (…)

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/10/shepherds-can-cash-in-on-their-sheep-grazing-around-solar-panels/

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

GLOBAL WIND ENERGY COUNCIL – GWEC Creates Africa WindPower to accelerate Africa's Energy Transition

5 October 2021 – Ahead of COP26, commitments must go beyond Climate Finance - Public-Private Sector collaboration is the key driver of Africa's Energy Transition

https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/wind/141/922534/gwec-creates-africa-windpower-to-accelerate-africa-s-energy-transition.html

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY – The pandemic continues to slow progress towards universal energy access. Achieving access to modern energy services for all by 2030 slides further out of reach due to the pandemic.

1 October 2021 – This is a pre-release of findings on energy access from the World Energy Outlook 2021, co-inciding with Executive Director Fatih Birol's address at the United Nation's High-Level Dialogue on Energy on 24 September 2021. The World Energy Outlook 2021 will be released on 13 October 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic slowed global progress in reaching universal access to electricity and clean cooking, reversing years of steady progress. Because the pandemic has slowed the rate of both new grid and off-grid connections, the number of people without access has increased by 2% in 2021, according to our estimates. Virtually all of this growth occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. (…)

https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/climate-change/82/921736/the-pandemic-continues-to-slow-progress-towards-universal-energy-access.html

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – Energy Transition: Commission announces three Energy Compacts at UN High-Level Dialogue in New York

27 September 2021 – At the UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy this week (Sept 24) in New York, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans and Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson presented three Energy Compacts, in partnership with the International Energy Agency and the International Renewable Energy Agency. (…) The three UN Compacts which the Commission announced will contribute to mobilising the investments necessary to reach universal energy access and to accelerate the clean energy transition around the world. (…)

https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/climate-change/82/920768/energy-transition-commission-announces-three-energy-compacts-at-un-high-level-dialogue-in-new-york.html

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

EUROPEAN MARINE ENERGY CENTRE – European Commission backs Orbital 26.7m floating tidal energy FORWARD-2030 project

17 September 2021 – The innovative Scottish technology developer, Orbital Marine Power (Orbital) will lead a pan-European consortium to deliver the 26.7m FORWARD-2030 project, set up to accelerate the commercial deployment of floating tidal energy. The FORWARD-2030 project consortium will receive 20.5m of grant support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme to develop a multi-vector energy system for the future. This system will combine predictable floating tidal energy, wind generation, grid export, battery storage and green hydrogen production. (…)

https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/hydro/86/919117/european-commission-backs-orbital-26-7m-floating-tidal-energy-forward-2030-project.html

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

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Good News Agency is published monthly (except August) in English, Italian and Portuguese. Past issues are available at www.goodnewsagency.org . Rome Law-court registration no. 265 dated 20 June 2000. Managing Editor: Fabio Gatti (fabio.gatti@goodnewsagency.org). Editorial research by Fabio Gatti, Isabella Strippoli, Elisa Minelli, Salvatore Caruso Motta, Chiara Damilano, Francesco Viglienghi, Carlo Toraldo, Andrea Landriscina, Nazzarena Franco. Webmaster, media and NGO coverage: Simone Frassanito (simone.frassanito@goodnewsagency.org

 

Good News Agency is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists of the daily newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations, NGOs, service associations, high schools and colleges as well as over 26,000 Rotarians around the world.

 

It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered, not-for-profit educational charity chartered in Italy in 1979 The Association operates for the development of consciousness and promotes a culture of peace in the ‘global village’ perspective based on unity in diversity and on sharing. It is based in Piazzale degli Eroi 8, 00136 Rome, Italy. The Association is a member of the World Association of Non Governmental Organizations.

 

* 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.”


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