Good News Agency – Year V, n° 4
Weekly - Year V, number 4 – 19
March 2004
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi,
Ph. D.
Rome Law-court registration
no. 265 dated 20 June 2000.
Good News Agency carries
positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary
work, the work of the United Nations, non governmental organizations, and
institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn
out” in the space of a day. Editorial research by Fabio Gatti. Good News Agency
is published in English on one Friday and in Italian the next. It is distributed free of charge through
Internet to the editorial offices of more than 2,400
media in 48 countries, as well as to 2,500 NGO and service associations.
It is a service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della
Buona Volontà Mondiale, NGO associated with the United Nations Department of Public
Information. The Association has been recognized by UNESCO as “an actor
of the global movement for a culture of peace” and it has been included as an
international organization in the web site http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/
International legislation – Human rights – Economy and development
Solidarity – Peace and security – Health
– Energy and Safety
Environment and wildlife – Religion and Spirituality - Culture and education
21 March, Day to Eliminate Racial Discrimination: Message by UN Secretary-General
Online
forum on internet governance launched
Geneva, 8 March (UN Department
of Economic and Social Affairs) -- In the context of consultations leading to
the establishment of the working group on Internet governance to be set up by
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, wsis-online.net, the community platform of the
World Summit on the Information Society, has opened an online forum on Internet
governance to host contributions from all concerned stakeholders. The forum is accessible at www.wsis-online.net/igov-forum.
Secretary-General
Kofi Annan was asked by the first phase of the World Summit on the Information
Society (Geneva, 10-12 December 2003), to set up a working group on Internet
governance. (…) Preparatory meetings
and workshops organized by various convenors will allow a large diversity of
actors to engage in open consultations before the formation of this group. (…)
In particular, with the encouragement of Mr. Annan, a two-day Global Forum on
Internet Governance will be held in New York on March 25-26, organized by the
United Nations Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Task Force on
the occasion of one of its biannual meetings (see www.unicttaskforce.org/sixthmeeting). (…)
Wsis-online.net is the online
community platform for all actors willing to implement the Action Plan adopted
at the World Summit on the Information Society. It offers a calendar of events, and provides information on
people, organizations and projects involved in building the information
society, indexed through a list of summit themes. To know more about this multi-stakeholder effort, visit: www.wsis-online.net.
(…)
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/pi1560.doc.htm
5 March - The Palestinian
Authority has open a new court building in Nablus in the West Bank, the first
of its kind in the occupied Palestinian territory. It houses two courts: the
magistrate court of the Nablus area and the primary court for the northern
governorates of the West Bank. Japan contributed US$ 2.5 million for the
construction through the UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian
People.
Izuru Shimmura, head of the
Office of the Japanese Representative to the Palestinian Authority, speaking at
the recent inauguration of the building, said that Japan aims to support a
unified authority with the responsibility for upholding the rule of law, under
the scrutiny of the judiciary and civil society, operating through institutions
based on political pluralism.
Nablus' mayor, Ghassam
Al-Shakaa', who spoke on behalf of Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian
National Authority, expressed deep gratitude to UNDP and Japan for assistance
to the Authority in its efforts to uphold the rule of law and build competent
judicial institutions, despite the difficulties that Palestinians face. (…)
Since the Authority introduced
its reform plan in July 2002, UNDP has played a central role in several reform
efforts, mobilizing about $13 million to support new and ongoing activities.
The biggest share of these resources has come from the Government of Japan,
which has contributed $11 million, while UNDP has contributed approximately $2
million. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2004/march/5mar04/index.html
Kuala
Lumpur/Nairobi, 27 February (UNEP) -- The 87 member States of the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety, which entered into force in September 2003, have adopted
documentation requirements and other procedures for promoting the safety of
international trade in living (or genetically) modified organisms (known as
LMOs, or GMOs), during their one-week meeting in Malaysia. Under the new
system, all bulk shipments of genetically engineered crops intended for food,
feed or processing (such as soybeans and maize) are to be identified as “may
contain LMOs”. The accompanying
documentation should also indicate the contact details of the importer,
exporter or other appropriate authority.
Over the next year an expert
group will further elaborate the documentation and handling requirements for
these bulk agricultural shipments. Key
issues still to be resolved include the percentage of modified material that
these shipments may contain and still be considered GMO-free and the inclusion
of any additional detailed information.
A decision on these matters will be considered at the next meeting of
the treaty’s parties, to be held in 2005.
Agreement has also been
reached on more detailed documentation requirements for those GMOs (such as
genetically engineered seeds and fish) that are meant to be introduced directly
into the environment. The documentation
accompanying such GMOs should specify the common, scientific and commercial
names of the modified organism, the transformation event code or unique
identifier code, any handling and storage requirements, contact details in the
case of emergency, and how the GMO is to be used. (…)
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/envdev753.doc.htm
Hungary
works with UNODC on national crime prevention strategy
Vienna, 26
February (UN Information Service) -- Hungary’s new National Strategy for Social
Crime Prevention was the focus of a half-day workshop organized here yesterday
by the Hungarian Ministry of Justice and the Vienna-based United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Hungary, as other countries
with a similar transition background has seen a rise in the number of crimes
committed, especially as regards violent crimes and crimes against
property. Despite continuous efforts by
national law enforcement agencies and criminal justice institutions, the public
safety perception has been showing a deteriorating trend. The need for a crime-prevention strategy was
acknowledged last October when Parliament adopted a resolution to approve such
a strategy document. The Vienna
workshop reviewed the text of the new strategy, as well as the intended
institutional foundations for its implementation. The strategy was drafted on the basis of the United Nations
Guidelines on Prevention of Crime. (…)
The Hungarian strategy
document applies international best practices in crime prevention, as codified
in the UN Guidelines, in the field of early prevention, as well as in
situational crime prevention, victim support and social reintegration of
offenders. (…)
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/soccp283.doc.htm
On 9 March the Ministry of
Education of the Kyrgyz Republic, the ICRC regional delegation for Central Asia
and the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan signed a cooperation agreement aimed
at ensuring a sustainable professional basis for teaching international
humanitarian law in the country’s secondary schools and institutions of higher
education.
Starting this year, the
parties to the agreement will begin to train trainers, instructing qualified
teachers in the methods and principles of teaching humanitarian law. From 2007
on, the Ministry of Education will run the programme independently. The ICRC
will provide the expertise, equipment and materials needed to implement the
agreement.
Geneva / Dakar, 9 March
(ICRC,) – The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
Jakob Kellenberger, signed a cooperation agreement today at the third session
of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organisation of the Islamic
Conference member States, which is being held in Dakar until tomorrow. The
agreement’s main purpose is to strengthen ties between the two organizations
through consultation and exchange of information.
In a speech delivered at the
opening session, Mr Kellenberger emphasized the ICRC’s involvement in Africa –
the site of five of its 10 biggest operations and to which it is allocating
over 40% of its operational budget for 2004 – and in the broader Muslim world.
He also stressed the responsibility of lawmakers to incorporate international
humanitarian law in national legislation, and the need for that body of law to
be included in armed forces guidelines and implemented by all parties to
conflict.
During his visit to Senegal,
Mr Kellenberger also met the head of State, Abdoulaye Wade. Their discussions
focused on issues of humanitarian concern in West Africa and Senegal’s
important role in the region.
On 2 March, the ICRC reunited
six children with their families scattered around the Great Lakes region. The
children, aged between 11 and 18, were among the many civilians who have fled
into neighbouring countries – including Congo Brazzaville and Zambia – from
conflicts in Rwanda, Burundi, eastern Congo and Angola. War has subjected
thousands of children to the trauma of fleeing for their lives and becoming
separated from their loved ones in the process. It has forced them to dwell
among strangers in foreign countries, out of touch with their families for
years on end.
It became possible to reunite
these families only after months of intensive work by ICRC delegates in Zambia
and both Congos involving registration of tracing requests, the actual tracing
of the missing relatives and the forwarding of Red Cross messages (short
personal messages between members of families separated by conflict) to restore
contact. Carried out by the organization’s Harare delegation (which covers
Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe), this was the
second such reunification in two months.
The ICRC took care of the
children throughout the long trip until the moment when they were reunited with
their parents. "I will change his name to Miracle,” said a mother through
her tears, seeing her child for the first time in eight years. “It’s a miracle
that my child was found alive."
12 March - Donors have pledged
US$2 billion in grants and loans to Burkina Faso for 2004–2006 to support the
drive to reduce poverty in one of the world's poorest countries. (…) About 70
per cent of the pledges are for grants and the remainder will be loans. The new
assistance does not include steps to reduce the country's external debt burden
through the World Bank's heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative.
The pledges from donor
countries and international financial organizations could potentially increase
by about two-thirds the level of development assistance for Burkina Faso, which
is currently about $400 million per year, noted UNDP Resident Representative
Christian Lemaire.
The resources will fund
priorities such as education, health care, the campaign against HIV/AIDS and
economic development to support efforts to achieve the overarching Millennium
Development Goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015.
Landlocked Burkina Faso, with
a population of 12.3 million, ranks 173rd of 175 countries on the UNDP Human
Development Index 2003. Only one in four adults are literate, and just 36 per
cent of children are enrolled in primary school. Despite improved economic
growth, proportion of people living in poverty increased slightly from 44 per
cent in 1995 to 46 percent last year. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
3 March - Nineteen countries
meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on 28-29 February contributed US$1
billion to rebuild schools and health facilities, restore water supplies and
electricity, and to meet other priority needs in Iraq. It was the first meeting
of the Donors' Committee of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for
Iraq. The Madrid conference established the facility in October 2003. The UN
Development Group, chaired by UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown, and the
World Bank jointly administer the facility.
Japan, the leading donor,
contributed $450 million, and was elected chair of the Donors' Committee for
the first year. This includes $360 million for the trust fund administered by
the UN Development Group and managed by UNDP. Another $90 million goes to the
trust fund administered by the World Bank. After this year's budget is
approved, Japan plans to contribute another $40 million to World Bank trust
fund.
The facility will coordinate
and channel contributions for rebuilding work in close cooperation with the
Iraqi authorities and donors. The funds represent part of the follow-up by
donors towards meeting the $33 billion pledged in Madrid.
http://www.undp.org/dpa/journalists/index.html
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA,
9 March - A DC-10 aircraft landed in Port-au-Prince Sunday morning, March 7,
loaded with 125,000 pounds of food and medical supplies provided by the
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in cooperation with The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (…)
The shipment, valued at
$160,470, included food items such as sugar, rice, milk, vegetable oil, pinto
beans, flour, and rice that will be distributed to Haiti's residents affected
by recent political turmoil. Additionally, the shipment included medical
materials that will be delivered to hospitals with dwindling supplies. Shelter
materials for approximately 120 internally displaced families were also
delivered.
Donations for ADRA's work can
be made online to Haiti's Crisis Fund, by calling 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or by
mailing your donation to ADRA International, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver
Spring, MD 20904.
http://www.adra.org/ADRANews/030904.html
1 March, Fuerteventura - Today
the international aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has started
an emergency intervention in Fuerteventura Island - a part of the Canary
Islands - to provide humanitarian assistance to the immigrants arriving on
'pateras' (boats) to the island's shore. Although 7,858 illegal immigrants
arrived in Fuerteventura on pateras during 2003, so far no assistance
whatsoever has been organized. For this reason, MSF has decided to carry out an
intervention intended to provide aid to the immigrants arriving on the coast as
well as to those intercepted on high seas and later taken ashore.
MSF has set up a field
hospital and a mobile team made up of a coordinator, doctor, nurse and
logistician to operate from the Gran Tarajal harbour as this is the site where
most immigrants are brought after being intercepted on high seas by the Civil
Guard. (…)
Fuerteventura has become the
main destination for African immigrants, especially those coming from
Sub-Saharan Africa. Whether having landed on the coast or intercepted on high
seas and taken to the port, the condition of these people often show the same
symptoms: hypothermia, hypoglycaemia, exhaustion, dehydration, hunger and
thirst. (…)
$11.8
million project to help Bosnia and Herzegovina end landmine threat
10 March - Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Europe's most heavily landmine-affected country, is taking another
step towards eliminating the deadly threat with a five-year project worth
US$11.8 million, developed with help from UNDP. Surveys have so far identified
an estimated 670,000 mines and 650,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXOs) at
10,000 locations, blighting more than 4 per cent of the total territory. Only
10 per cent of the areas have been cleared.
Since the end of war in 1995,
mines have killed almost 1,500 people and injured about 5,000, according to the
International Committee of the Red Cross. Landmines and UXOs also hinder
economic recovery projects and development efforts.
The project includes efforts
to enable the Government to manage its programme to eliminate landmines more
effectively. (…) It will also clear mines and UXOs from 4,000,000 square meters
of land needed for economic development, promoting economic activity and
increasing job opportunities. The Bosnian Armed Forces will also get support
for their landmine surveys, de-mining operations and related work. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2004/march/10mar04/index.html
Singapore, 5 March - On 28
February Think Centre (TC) in Singapore launched its Cambodian Landmine
Survivors Support Campaign Photo Exhibition with a social dialogue on disabled
citizens.
Socially concerned citizens
from all walks of life attended the Forum on disabled citizens which was the
prelude to the opening of the photo exhibition on landmine-disabled by Think
Centre.
Sinapan Samydorai, President
of Think Centre announced that Think Centre's 2004 anti-landmine awareness
campaign in the form of a photo exhibition depicting the lives of landmine
victims. The initiative is in collaboration with the M&C Saatchi Singapore,
who designed the black-and-white photo-editorials that were publicly exhibited
for the first time.
Singapore has not joined the
Mine Ban Treaty and is one of only a dozen landmine producers which has not
renounced production. Joint efforts such as these, by NGOs and in this case a
large advertising agency, will certainly help raise awareness regarding the
plight of landmine survivors in neighboring countries like Cambodia as well as
the need for Singapore to join the international community in banning this
weapon.
Link(s) to more information: Think Centre Landmine Monitor Country Report Singapore
World Peace Congress 2004 – Verbania, Italy, 28-30 May
This year, from
the 28th to the >30th of May, the Lama
Gangchen World Peace Foundation is organising a World Congress on Traditional Integrated Medicines -
Peace Education for
better Health in Verbania, Italy, on the occasion of the World Congress of
the Peace Educators.
The objective
of this event is to bring a contribution towards the creation of a new world health system, which
integrates the knowledge of ancient
traditional healing methods and modern medicine; an education that leads to well-being and the rebalance
of the inner and outer world,
creating the conditions for better health, on the physical, emotional and spiritual levels, and thus contribute to
a more peaceful world.
www.worldpeacecongress.net
From Gandhi to Modern Social and
Political Movements: Preparing for Nonviolent Actions in Practice - A five-days international training programme
organised by the Romanian Peace Institute (PATRIR) in cooperation with
TRANSCEND May 5 - 9, 2004, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Aimed at creating a space for sharing
of experiences and developing skills and methods for practice, at learning from
the legacy of non-violent political and social movements from all continents,
and at weaving together a European-wide network of committed social activists
and non-violent practitioners, the programme will be an important step in the
work to create a global Nonviolent Peaceforce and to prepare for the third
European Social Forum in London in 2004. (…) To apply or to receive further
information please visit www.transcend.org or write to
Programme Coordinator Alex Moldovan at alex@patir.ro
The
Americas reaffirm reproductive health consensus
United
States in lone dissent
Santiago (Chile), 11 March
(UNFPA) -- By a nearly unanimous decision, countries in Latin America and the
Caribbean today reaffirmed support for the population and reproductive health
action plan adopted at Cairo 10 years ago.
The United States was the only
country to disagree with a declaration linking poverty eradication to greater
access to services for family planning, safe motherhood and HIV/AIDS
prevention.
More than 300 delegates from
40 countries in the region and their development partners gathered in Santiago
for a two-day review of progress in carrying out the 20-year Programme of
Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development
(ICPD). The meeting of presiding
officers of the region’s Ad Hoc Committee on Population and Development was
held at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC).
The declaration urges
countries to intensify efforts to ensure that their plans to eradicate poverty
include reproductive health services.
It affirms that implementing the Cairo Programme is essential for the
achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including those
contained in the Millennium Declaration of September 2000.
The United
States disassociated itself from the declaration, citing differences related to
HIV/AIDS, adolescents and abortion. Its
delegate specifically expressed regret that the declaration did not refer to
abstinence. She added that the text
ignores Cairo language linking adolescents’ rights to the role and
responsibilities of parents. (…)
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/pop891.doc.htm
5 March - The University
Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, the largest medical facility in Zambia, has a
fully operational limb-fitting centre that the ICRC has been supporting since
1997, providing it with material and helping it to build up its capacity.The
centre is meant to assist the thousands of refugees who have lost limbs in mine
accidents while fleeing conflicts in neighbouring countries. However, the
enormous distances that must be covered and the great number of disabled
refugees have made it impossible to treat everyone and ensure proper follow-up
in the camps.
To better serve the needs of
mine victims, the ICRC has decided to renovate the limb-fitting centre and
build a 12-bed hostel where patients can stay while they are being treated.
Around 155,000 Swiss francs have been allocated to the project, which will
enable many more disabled refugees to be cared for and thus improve the quality
of their lives. The ICRC will also provide patients with transport and meals.
Colombo, 1 March - The
International medical relief organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has
handed over its activities after having worked in Sri Lanka for 18 years.
Upon its departure, on March
1, MSF will launch a new Sri Lankan NGO 'SHADE' which will continue the
psychosocial programme in Vavuniya town and district. The activities in the
North, in Mullaitivu district have been handed over to the local medical staff
of the Ministry of Health. (…) The new
NGO, 'SHADE' will continue the psychosocial care programme in Vavuniya. A lot
of people remain traumatized by their war experiences and for them a
continuation of psychosocial services is essential. Many former MSF national
staff will work for SHADE. The new organisation will work in collaboration with
the District Ministry of Health.
MSF has been working in
northern Sri Lanka since 1994 and operated a maternity assistance programme at
Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital in Mullaitivu district and a psychosocial support
programme in Vavuniya town and district. An extensive medical assistance
programme in Mallavi, including surgical support, closed in April 2002. (…)
(top)
Concepción, Chile), 5 March
(UNIDO) -- Internationally recognized experts, leading scientists and
high-level delegations from more than 80 countries, as well as representatives from
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, industry and the media
attended the four-day Global Biotechnology Forum, which concluded today. The over 1,400 participants assessed the
challenges lying ahead in the field of biotechnology in developing countries
and countries with economies in transition.
The forum examined the role of
biotechnology in these countries and especially in meeting the needs of the
poor and improving their quality of life, as well as its impacts on
environment, trade, and public perception.
A number of key issues affecting the development of biotechnology in the
developing world were identified:
inadequate scientific, technical and research capabilities, the absence
of entrepreneurial skills and of public investment in this field, the presence
of intellectual property barriers, different biosafety regulations and
difficult market access.
The meeting opened a dialogue
meant to develop proposals, initiatives and solutions for action, such as: the establishment of a multi-stakeholder
forum for informed dialogue on biotechnology and its benefits for the
developing world, the creation of a network and database on biotechnology
activities in developing countries and those with economies in transition,
including global market and technology information for partnership
facilitation, enhancement of capacity-building activities, and the assessment
of intellectual property legislation on biotechnology.
In his closing address, the
United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s (UNIDO) Director-General,
Carlos Magariños, also stressed the need to utilize the expertise, skills and
activities that the United Nations and other international organizations have
in the field of biotechnology, through greater interagency collaboration.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/dev2465.doc.htm
Under the patronage of His
Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and with the collaboration of the United
State Agency for International Development an international Water Demand
Management Conference will be held at the Dead Sea, Jordan from May 30 to June
3. The event is supported by IWA [International Water Association]. The
conference will provide a forum for regional and international practitioners
and experts in water issues to share concepts, research, technologies, and
experiences on the most efficient use of water in the domestic, industrial, and
agricultural sector. An associated exhibition will showcase state-of-the-art
conservation technologies. Register through www.wdm2004.com
(…)
International Water
Association is in a better position than any other organization in the world to
help water professionals create innovative, pragmatic and sustainable solutions
to challenging global water needs. IWA is at the forefront in connecting the
broad community of water professionals around the globe - integrating the
leading edge of professional thought on research and practice, regulators and
the regulated, across national boundaries and across the drinking water,
wastewater and stormwater disciplines.
IWA was founded in September 1999 by the merger of the International
Association of Water Quality (IAWQ) and the International Water Supply
Association (IWSA).
Solar
safe drinking water units for the
hospitals of Samoa
Rotary International is
facilitating the Matching Grant that is making possible to equip all the
hospitals of the tropical polynesian islands of Samoa with state-of-the-art
solar water pasteurisation units that will protect patients, staff and visitors
from water-related health problems caused by the contaminated water available
through the poor water pipes' system.
This international effort is supported by Rotary Clubs in Tokyo and on the
Hawaiian islands, in cooperation with Samoa's only Rotary Club in Apia, the
capital, and, with the help of future Rotarians of the future Rotary Club of
Savaii which is having its first information meetings, and, once it will have
applied and been Chartered by Rotary International, will be the world's
most western Rotary Club.
Because of the great need for
it, and because a first Solar Safe Drinking Water Unit was made possible
through the Honolulu Sunrise Rotary Club 4 years ago, the Department of Health
of the Govenment of Samoa has asked the Rotary Club of Apia to see if it would
become possible to install the same solar equipment for the other hopitals of
the country, which is now becoming
possible and will be installed in the coming months.
The use of solar energy in the
South Pacific islands does make sense. It is a region with some of the
world's highest electricity prices and the greatest abundance of sunlight as
well as wind, and thus also the home of the Rotary Club President Marco
Kappenberger is built to function fully on
solar and eolic energy, so to give back to the grid excessive power and reduce
to the maximum the use of polluting batteries. Any questions are welcome at k@samoa.ws
Sydney, 13 March - Australia’s
greenhouse gas pollution can be halved by 2040, using existing technology and
without affecting economic growth, according to a groundbreaking study released
today by the Clean Energy Future Group.
The Clean Energy Future for
Australia study, commissioned by an unprecedented alliance of industry
associations, energy organisations and WWF-Australia, found that a 50 per cent
reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from stationary energy is now
achievable within 36 years. There are sufficient resources of clean energy like
natural gas, solar, wind and bioenergy to make up the bulk of energy supply in
2040, the study found. Without a switch to clean energy technologies and energy
efficiency measures, Australia cannot make urgently needed reductions in CO2 pollution
contributing to global warming.
The energy sector is by far
Australia’s biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, with pollution levels
increasing by more than 30 per cent since 1990. Currently 84 per cent of
Australia’s electricity comes from coal-fired power stations, which emit more
than 170 million tonnes of CO2 every year. (…)
European
Commission and EEA make public extensive information about industrial pollution
in your neighbourhood
Brussels/Copenhagen, 23
February - Today the European Commission and the European Environment Agency
(EEA) launched the European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER), the first
Europe-wide register of industrial emissions into air and water. For the first
time, detailed information on pollution from around 10,000 large industrial
facilities in the EU and Norway is publicly accessible on the internet
(www.eper.cec.eu.int). EPER enables European citizens to exercise their ‘right
to know’, allowing them, for example, to see how much pollution large
industries in their neighbourhoods generate and to compare this with the
situation in other parts of Europe. Companies can measure themselves against
their competitors, and for their part, scientists, insurance companies, local
authorities and policy makers now have a solid database to help them choose the
most effective solutions for reducing industrial pollution. (…)
http://org.eea.eu.int/documents/newsreleases/eper_launch-en
(top)
Some 75 carefully selected
participants attended the Jerusalem Pre-Parliament International Conference,
jointly organized by the Interfaith Encounter Association (IEA) and the Council
for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR) on the two topics of
Overcoming Religious
Violence and Creating Access to Clean Water, at the Ramat Rachel Hotel in
Jerusalem. They were 44 Israelis and 31 Internationals (including the wonderful
facilitation team) - people of the Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, Hindu,
Buddhists and Sikh religions as well as people of no religion - representing a
wide variety of perspectives on the respective topics. (…)
The purpose of the conference
was to study each of the topics from the variety of perspectives in as much
depth as possible, draw information from the people in the field and
inspiration from the religious resources and arrive at a personal commitment to
a simple and profound act that will
make a real - even if small – difference. (…) Participants gradually moved to
deeper understanding of the issues as they shared personal experiences regarding
the issues, identified contributions offered by their religious and spiritual
traditions and created maps that presented the dynamics and complexity of the
issues. In the next phase they shifted their focus from the current reality to
the desired reality: they learned from each other what works to make a positive
change, shared their visions for a better future, developed strategies for
taking these ideas home and
engaging the networks and resources they already have in their communities in
making a difference and finally took specific commitments for "simple and
profound acts" on the issues when they go home.
The Peace Bell Rings on Earth Day 2004
Founder John McConnell will
attend the Peace Bell ceremony at the United Nations in New York City on March
20 and will deliver his annual Earth Day message.
Friday, March
19/ Saturday, March 20 Earth Day is on the March Equinox, Nature's day all over
the world. The Peace Bell at the United Nations in New York will ring on
Saturday, March 20 at 1:49 a.m. EST -- the beginning of Spring in the Northern
Hemisphere and Fall in the Southern Hemisphere. At the same moment (7:49
a.m., March 20, in Austria) the Peace Bell at the United Nations in Vienna will
ring. One global common moment celebrating life with dedication of heart and
mind to think and act as responsible Earth Trustees. We are one human
family and have only one Earth.
Peace and the care of Earth
begins in the mind. On Earth Day we can think, pray and plan what we will
do to restore and renew the wonder of life on our planet. A "New
Day" when differences are forgotten as we share the wonder of nature's new
life and new beginning.
“Earth Day reminds the people of the world of the
need for continuing care which is vital to Earth’s safety. …Earth Day
draws on astronomical phenomena in a new way; using the vernal equinox, the
time when the Sun crosses the equator making night and day of equal length in
all parts of the Earth. To this point in the annual calendar, Earth Day
attaches no local or divisive set of symbols, no statement of the truth or
superiority of one way of life over another. But the selection of the
March equinox makes planetary observance of a shared event possible.
The vernal equinox calls on all
mankind to recognize and respect Earth’s beautiful systems of balance, between
the presence of animals on land, the fish in the sea, birds in the air,
mankind, water, air, and land. Most importantly there must always be
awareness of the actions by people that can disturb this precious
balance." From
Margaret Mead's 1977 Earth Day
Statement
Exhibition
of top international news photographs at United Nations HQ – 5 March to 4 April
4 March - Dozens of news
photographs that chronicle crises, conflicts, and the human condition around
the globe will be on display in the Visitors’ Lobby at United Nations
Headquarters from 5 March until 4 April in an exhibition sponsored by the
Permanent Mission of the Netherlands and the Department of Public Information.
(…)
In 2003, the forty-sixth
annual World Press Photo Contest, the premier international competition in
press photography, received a record number of entries –- 53,597 images by
3,913 professional photographers from 118 countries. An international jury gave prizes in 9 theme categories to 55
photographers representing 21 nations:
Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, CzechRepublic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Peru,
Poland, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. (…)
World Press Photo is an
independent, non-profit organization, founded in the Netherlands in 1955. Its main aim is to support and promote
internationally the work of professional press photographers. Over the years, World Press Photo has
evolved into an independent platform for photojournalism and the free exchange
of information. The organization
operates under the patronage of H.R.H. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. (…)
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/note5852.doc.htm
Of particular
importance to these question is the Earth Charter – a declaration of
fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global
society in the 21st century. (…) It is of special importance that the Earth
Charter’s value for environment and development issues and as a general global
ethics framework be assessed at this time for the IUCN community. (…)
IUCN, the World Conservation
Union, is a unique Union. Its members
from some 140 countries include over 70 States, 100 government agencies, and
750-plus NGOs. More than 10,000 internationally-recognised scientists and
experts from more than 180 countries volunteer their services to its six global
commissions. Its 1000 staff members in offices around the world are working on
some 500 projects. Its mission is
“to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to
conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of
natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.”
http://www.earthcharter.org/ http://www.iucn.org
You
Can Change the World: The Consciousness Revolution and Global Sustainability
San
Francisco, 23 March
The Club of
Budapest USA in partnership with the Saybrook Graduate School and Research
Center invite you to a very special event: a unique panel exploring the human
potential, science and psychology as a pathway to our common future.
Opening:
Maureen O'Hara Ph.D., President, Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center.
Panelists: Stanley Krippner: Professor of psychology at Saybrook Graduate
School, San Francisco;
Ervin Laszlo: Founder and President of the international Club of Budapest and
prolific author;
Peter Russell: One of the first people to introduce human potential seminars
into the corporate field. Moderators: Muriel Adcock, President, Club of
Budapest USA and Maureen O'Hara, President, Saybrook Graduate School and
Research Center
Collaborating
Organizations include: AHIMSA, California Institute for Integral Studies,
EarthLight: Journal for Ecological and Spiritual Living, Interreligious
Engagement Project: A Network for the 21st Century, Pathways to Peace, Saybrook
Graduate School and Research Center, SGI-USA Northern California Earth Charter
Committee, Unity Foundation.
To register
online: www.cobusa.org
Work
in progress for the Earth Charter:
The Earth Charter was endorsed
by hundreds of schools in Spain
Fundación Deyna has been
leading a process to promote the Earth Charter throughout schools in Spain.
Consequently, hundreds of Spanish schools have recently endorsed the Charter
and many others are in the process of also doing so. The Secretariat has been
following up with each school with suggestions on how to implement the Earth
Charter within their institutions.
Please see list of endorsers at www.cartadelatierra.org
In October 2003, Nature &
Progrès, an organization devoted to sustainable agriculture, decided to
adopt the Earth Charter as a tool and thereby connect their local efforts to a
global movement. In March and April 2004, the members in their respective
provinces will give a series of introductory sessions on the Earth
Charter. Visibility of these activities is ensured by articles in the
bi-monthly edition of Valérianne, the magazine of Nature & Progrès (15,000
copies printed). The Charter has also been included in their website.
Find more information in French at
http://www.natpro.be/regionale.htm
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Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue, respect for diversity more
essential than ever, Secretary-General
says in message for Day to Eliminate Racial Discrimination
On 21 March 1960, a
non-violent protest took place in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the “pass
laws” -– one of the most hated institutions of apartheid; it ended with the
death of 69 demonstrators. The
Sharpeville massacre was a landmark in the history of the anti-apartheid
movement. It also led the United
Nations General Assembly to establish this annual observance, which is meant to
draw attention to the fight against racism wherever and whenever it occurs.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide,
reminding us of the horrors that ethnic and racial hatred can cause. This year is also the bicentenary of the
revolution in Haiti, which led to the liberation from slavery of the peoples of
the Caribbean and Latin America. And
the General Assembly has proclaimed 2004 the International Year to Commemorate
the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition. What must link these observances is not only our honouring the
memory of the victims of past tragedies, but also our determination to save others
from becoming the victims of similar tragedies in the future.
That means reversing the lasting consequences of slavery and the
slave trade. The historical injustices
of slavery and the slave trade have contributed to the poverty, underdevelopment,
marginalization, social exclusion, economic disparities, instability and
insecurity that affect many people in different parts of the world, in
particular in developing countries. At
the United Nations World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination,
Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in 2001, States acknowledged that slavery
and the slave trade were appalling tragedies in the history of humanity, and
among the major sources of racism. The
United Nations remains strongly committed to helping people and countries to
overcome this legacy, while at the same time combating contemporary forms of
slavery -- such as forced labour, including for the purpose of sexual
exploitation -- that remain a blight on our collective conscience.
Racism is also among the roots of
genocide. Racist practices, racist
ideologies and dehumanizing public discourse that denies whole groups of people
their dignity and rights must be condemned.
More than that, we must strengthen our capacity for early warning and
prevention of genocide, mass murder, ethnic cleansing and comparable crimes,
and truly support efforts at bringing perpetrators to justice, for example
through the International Criminal Court.
I expect soon to appoint a United Nations special adviser on the prevention
of genocide, and to make other proposals for strengthening our action in this
area.
Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are
more essential than ever in a world where peoples are becoming more and more
closely interconnected. We look to
governments, in particular, for political will and resolute action. On this international day for the
elimination of racial discrimination, let us all be inspired anew by the
fundamental principle, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and in
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of the equality of all human beings.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/sgsm9195.doc.htm
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Next issue: 9 April.
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