Good News Agency – Year VIII, n° 1
Weekly - Year VIII, number 1 –
12th January 2007
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 (in charge) and
Elisa Peduto. Good News Agency is published in English on one Friday and
in Italian the next. It is distributed free of charge
through Internet to the editorial offices of more than 3,700 media in 48 countries and to 2,800 NGOs.
It is an all-volunteer service
of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale,
NGO associated with the United Nations Department
of Public Information. The
Association has been recognized by UNESCO as “an actor of the global movement for a culture of peace” and it has
been included in the web site http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/uk/uk_sum_monde.htm
International legislation – Human rights – Economy and development
Solidarity – Peace and security – Health
– Environment and wildlife
Religion and spirituality – Culture and education
Convention
on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions will
enter into force on 18 March 2007
19 December 2006 - The
Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions, adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference in October 2005, will enter
into force on 18 March 2007, three months after the deposit of the 30th
instrument of ratification on 18 December at UNESCO. As of 15 December, 22
instruments of ratification had been registered*. On the 18th, another 13
countries**, as well as the European Community, deposited their instrument at
the Organization’s Headquarters, bringing the total number of ratifications
received to 35. The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, welcomed the
high-level of interest shown by Member States for this new legal instrument.
“The rapidity of the ratification process is unprecedented. None of UNESCO’s
other cultural conventions has been adopted by so many States in so little
time,” Mr Matsuura said. (…)
The result of a long process
of maturation and two years of intense negotiations, marked by numerous
meetings of independent and then governmental experts, the text seeks to
reaffirm the links between culture, development and dialogue, and to create an
innovative platform for international cultural cooperation. To this end, it
reaffirms the sovereign rights of States to elaborate cultural policies with a
view both “to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions” and
“to create the conditions for cultures to flourish and to freely interact in a
mutually beneficial manner” (Article 1). (…)
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=36209&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
The
European Year of Equal Opportunities for All:
launch on January 30-31 in Berlin
January 8, 2007 - The European
Year of Equal Opportunities for All will be celebrated across the European
Union in 2007 to draw the attention of European countries to the problems
created by discrimination and the opportunities offered by diversity.
The Year will promote equal
opportunities and raise awareness about the rights of everyone to equal
treatment, and about the benefits of diversity. The celebration will be marked
by hundreds of different activities staged throughout the European Union with
all 27 EU Member States taking part. The main aim is to reach out to the
general public and therefore most of the Year's activities will be held on a
local, regional, or national level. This will be supported and complemented by
several pan-European activities such as a campaign on European
antidiscrimination policies and legislation or the presentation of the results
of a Eurobarometer survey about European citizens' attitudes towards and knowledge
discrimination and inequality issues.
The European Year of Equal
Opportunities for All will be formally launched with a big opening conference
in Berlin from January 30th-31st, chaired by the German Presidency.
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/equality2007/index_en.htm
December 13, 2006 – The
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly. After nearly five years of negotiations,
Landmine Survivors Network (LSN), and governments and disability organizations
from around the world, applaud the adoption of this Convention, the first major
U.N. human rights treaty of this century. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan
hailed the agreement on the Convention “as a historic achievement for the 650
million people with disabilities around the world.”
Together with the Convention,
the General Assembly has adopted an optional protocol which will allow
individuals to complain to the international monitoring body, as well as
allowing the monitoring body to undertake in-country inquiries.
LSN along with other members
of the International Disability Caucus (IDC) has been instrumental in lobbying
for the inclusion of this article to ensure that the Convention is held in the
same esteem as other human rights treaties. “This is possibly the most
comprehensive human rights treaty ever negotiated, and in record time,” said
Jerry White, LSN co-founder and executive director. (…)
Created by and
for survivors, LSN empowers individuals, families and communities affected by
landmines to recover from trauma, reclaim their lives, and fulfill their
rights.
http://www.landminesurvivors.org/news_feature.php?id=112
Location: UPEACE Hedquarters,
San José, Costa Rica.
10 December 2006 - The
UN-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) officially launched the UPEACE Human
Rights Centre today on the occasion of International Human Rights Day (10
December 2007).
The launch took place at a
ceremony at the UPEACE campus in San Jose, Costa Rica. The ceremony was opened
by the Rector of UPEACE, Julia Marton-Lefèvre. The Rector welcomed the launch
of the UPEACE Human Rights Centre as a very important and positive addition to
the expanding work of UPEACE.
The Director of the UPEACE
Human Rights Centre, Prof. Elizabeth Griffin, outlined the mandate of the
Centre. She stated: Our vision is that the UPEACE Human Rights Centre will
provide a space which fosters education, training, research and advocacy on key
and emerging human rights issues. We take a multi-disciplinary approach to
human rights and our activities will focus on promoting the integration of the
theory and practice of human rights.
During the ceremony a photo
exhibition entitled Imagining Human Rights was opened. The exhibition is
comprised of photos taken by UPEACE faculty and students that speak to human
rights.
http://www.upeace.org/news/index.cfm?id_activity=453&actual=2007
3 January 2007 - The ICRC in
Lebanon has recently completed seven major water repair and rehabilitation
projects in the south of the country and the Bekaa valley. (…)
In southern Lebanon, where
infrastructure was heavily damaged by the armed conflict last summer, the ICRC
provided a standby electric generator for the Taybeh water treatment plant, to
be installed in early January 2007. This generator, with a 1100 kVA capacity,
will allow the South Lebanon Water Establishment (SLWE) to pump water from the
Litani river to an upper water treatment plant which was also repaired in
recent months by the ICRC. This will benefit all inhabitants of the villages in
Bint Jbail Caza.
At the Marj al Khoukh well,
which has a daily output of 3,500 m3 of water serving approximately 15,000
residents of Marjayoun Caza, a standby electric generator with a 550 kVA
capacity was installed in the past few weeks. In Yohmor and Arnoun, the ICRC
completed the rehabilitation of the water pumping station. "Out of 66
villages in Nabatieh Caza, Yohmor and Arnoun are the most deprived ones, due to
lack of water resources, wells or springs, and due to their complex water
supply system," said Mr. Corban.
In the Bekaa valley, the
Shamsine water station, which will service 10 villages in the Al-Sharki area,
was repaired by ICRC water engineers and the Bekaa Water Establishment (BWE) in
recent weeks. In addition, the ICRC donated a new pump set to the BWE,
providing 4,000 m3 of water per day, and a new electric control panel for the
Lakkis well in Baalbeck was installed. This well can provide 2,500 m3 of water
per day to the city of Baalbeck.
Global ICRC assistance
provided to water production centres since 30 July 2006 benefited an estimated
419,700 inhabitants in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa region, and Beirut's
southern suburbs, ensuring the provision of 47,500 m3 of water daily.
Thalif
Deen
United Nations, 21 December
2006 (IPS) - The world's new economic powerhouses, including India, Brazil,
South Africa and China, are largely responsible for a dramatic surge in trade
and investments among the 132 developing nations in the global South.
"The South as a whole is
not only richer in absolute terms but their combined economic weight relative
to the global economy has also substantially increased," says Yiping Zhou,
director of the U.N.'s Special Unit for South-South Cooperation. According to
the latest figures, South-South trade has grown rapidly over the last decade:
from 222 billion dollars in 1995 to 562 billion dollars in 2004. The figures
for 2005 and 2006 are expected to be significantly higher. (…) South-South
foreign direct investments (FDI) have also increased, from about 14 billion
dollars in 1995 to 47 billion dollars in 2003, with figures for 2006 expected
to reach beyond 55 billion dollars.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi
Annan points out that trade within the South has risen rapidly. Southern
multinational corporations have become providers of capital and technology, and
have created jobs and generated wealth. "Faster-growing developing
countries have also emerged as an important source of investments, (migrant)
remittances and development aid," he said Tuesday, addressing a meeting on
the U.N. Day for South-South Cooperation.
Annan said that recent
meetings and initiatives, including last year's South America-Arab Summit and
this year's China-Africa Summit, "signal a strong commitment among
developing countries to maintain and increase this momentum." (…)
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35931
Latin
American and Caribbean countries consolidate improvements in fiscal accounts
The
region is taking advantage of favourable macroeconomic conditions to increase
its fiscal revenues and lower its public debt.
21 December 2006 - Following
the tendency of recent years, Latin American and Caribbean countries continued
to consolidate their fiscal position in 2006. This positive trend in fiscal
accounts and public debt management allows for the ongoing reduction of
regional vulnerability, in a process that can be observed since 2002, states
ECLAC's recently-released Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin
America and the Caribbean 2006. The region's fiscal performance will allow
central governments to generate primary surpluses (that is, minus public debt
interest payments) of 2.1% of GDP for the end of 2006, a positive achievement
compared to last year's figure of 1.7%. Taking overall deficits into account
(that is, including debt interest payments), the deficit narrowed from 1.1% to
0.3% of GDP. In its new report, the United Nations regional commission notes
how 2003-2006 fiscal performance exhibits traits that are noteworthy in
comparison to other periods of growth. Fiscal improvements in 2003 and 2004 are
based on both increased revenues and average increases in expenditure beneath
regional GDP. In 2005 and 2006, the primary surplus growth reflects the strong
expansion of resources, which more than compensated for increased public
expenditure over the two-year period. (See chart 1).(…) Given that output increased greatly in some
countries during this period and fiscal revenues have been boosted by surging
commodity prices, ECLAC recommends that governments seek equilibrium in regards
to legitimate demands to increase public spending while being careful not to
undermine efforts to achieve sustainable balance of public accounts. This is
especially important in cases where public debt levels are still high, as half
the countries in the region have a debt level in excess of 40% of GDP.
FAO
welcomes UN Resolution on International Year of Natural Fibres 2009
Another
contribution towards Millennium Development Goals
Rome, 21 December 2006 -
Yesterday’s UN General Assembly decision declaring 2009 the International Year
of Natural Fibres will contribute to the Millennium Development Goals by
further developing the efficiency and sustainability of these agricultural
industries that employ millions of people in some of the world’s poorest
countries, according to FAO.
The UN decision follows a
request by the biennial Conference of FAO in November 2005.
Millions of people around the
world, among them some of the poorest people in some of the poorest countries,
depend on the production and processing of natural fibres for their livelihood.
Natural fibres contribute to food security and economic development for these
farmers.
The International Year of
Natural Fibres will raise consumer awareness of natural fibres and strengthen
demand for natural fibre products, improving the livelihoods of the farmers who
produce them and revenues for countries that export them, says FAO. At the same
time, promoting the use of natural fibres will enhance the environment. (…)
Under the general guidance of
an International Steering Committee, FAO would be the coordinator of activities
in the Year of Natural Fibres, with many activities being undertaken by partner
organizations. FAO is now seeking funding from donor countries and
organizations to finance activities in support of the International Year of
Natural Fibres 2009.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000472/index.html
New
US$37.3 million programme to create rural jobs and enhance market access in
Viet Nam
Rome, 21 December 2006 –
Approximately 50,000 poor rural households in Viet Nam’s Ha Tinh and Tra Vinh
provinces will participate in a new development programme designed to help
smallholder farmers add value to their products and become more involved in
regional and national markets, and to create new jobs in poor rural areas. The
US$37.3 million Programme for Improving Market Participation of the Poor in Ha
Tinh and Tra Vinh Provinces will be partly financed by a US$26.0 million loan and
a US$400,000 grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
The financing agreement was signed today at IFAD headquarters by Van Nam
Nguyen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Socialist Republic of
Viet Nam to IFAD, and IFAD President Lennart Båge. The Government of Viet Nam
will contribute US$4.1 million to the programme. The remaining funds will be
provided by the German development agency, GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Technische Zusammenarbeit), the United Kingdom’s Department for International
Development (DFID), the Viet Nam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(VBARD) and the local governments in the programme area.(…)
With this loan and grant, IFAD
will have provided funds for seven programmes in the Socialist Republic of Viet
Nam since 1993, totalling US$132.79 million.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2006/50.htm
Despite
slow progress on world development goals, still reason for optimism: UN adviser
20 December 2006 – Progress on
attaining the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which seek to
tackle poverty, hunger and other social ills by 2015, remains slow but
countries are realizing the importance of the life-and-death targets and
increasingly know what needs to be done to attain them, the UN adviser on the
project said today, sounding a note of optimism.
However Jeffrey Sachs, the
Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the MDGs, said he was under no illusion
that while talk about the goals by donor countries or organizations was
welcome, it means little unless concrete action is taken to back up their
words.
“I think we can end this year
on a note of optimism that many important things are being done. Many different
governments are joining the effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
The biggest reason for optimism is that we are a world that is rich in
knowledge, science and technology and proven approaches to fighting poverty,
hunger and disease and I think the world’s going to get the job done,” he told
reporters. (…)
The MDGs were agreed by world
leaders at the UN’s Millennium Summit in 2000. They cover eradicating extreme
poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender
equality, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating
HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and
fostering a global partnership for development.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=21066&Cr=millennium&Cr1=development
New
IFAD-financed programme to support post-conflict recovery in Eritrea
Rome, 15 December 2006 – Over
200,000 Eritrean families affected by recent border wars and long periods of
drought will participate in a new agricultural and livestock development
programme designed to raise productivity and boost rural incomes. The US$23.12
million Post-crisis Rural Recovery and Development Programme will be partly
financed by a US$12.24 million loan and a US$343,000 grant from the
International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD). The financing agreement
for the loan and grant was signed today by Zemede Tekle Woldetatios, Ambassador
of Eritrea to Italy, and IFAD President Lennart Båge at IFAD’s headquarters.
The Government of Eritrea will contribute US$1.04 million to finance the
programme. The Global Environment Facility will provide US$7.28 million to
finance the natural resource management component of the programme while the
rest of the funding will be made available by programme participants.(…)
Programme activities will take
place in Dedub and Gash Barka — the country’s hardest hit regions during armed
conflicts with Ethiopia in the late 1990s. Over 80 per cent of the population
in these regions is poor and food insecure. Thousands of households cultivate
plots of no more than one hectare and have no livestock. The programme will
reach out to the communities’ most vulnerable families, including those headed
by women, returnees and internally displaced people. (…)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2006/48.htm
A
second Smart Community in Yemen
UN-ESCWA signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with the Yemeni Ministry of Planning and International
Cooperation and the National Program for Capacity Building (NPCB) affiliated
with the Al-Saleh Social Foundation for Development. It comes as a
follow-through to implementation of the Smart Community Project (SCP) Yemen by
establishing a SCP village in Hadran village in the Bani Matar Valley about
40km west of the capital, San’a. This village will be the second such SCP to be
established in Yemen, with activities that focus mainly on coffee plantation, a
major agro-food activity for which this region is well known.
The MOU signing was followed
by a Letter of Agreement signed between UN-ESCWA and NPCB in order to start
implementation of the project. This
will be in the form of a training programme for Multi-purpose Technology
Community Centre (MTCC) managers and Agro-Food Processing Unit (AFPU)
operators, in addition to the rehabilitation of two premises that will house
the MTCC and the AFPU in the village. During the mission of Mr. Hratch
Kouyoumjian, UN-ESCWAs consultant on information and communication technology
(ICT), to Yemen, an awareness workshop was organized for all those concerned
with SCP implementation in Hadran, Bani Matar.
The workshop included key presentations about the project and about the
importance of coffee for the region.
(…)
Burundi:
Government sets up fund for flood victims
Bujumbura, 5 January 2007
(IRIN) - The Burundian government has set up a national solidarity fund to
support people affected by rain-induced floods in seven of the country's
provinces.
At the same time, President
Pierre Nkurunziza issued a decree on Thursday declaring the provinces of
Kayanza in the north, Muramvya and Karuzi in the central part of the country,
Ruyigi in the east, and Bubanza and Cibitoke in the northwest, as
"hunger-stricken following floods". He also announced the setting up
of the solidarity fund, to which every Burundian must contribute money for four
months from the end of January. (…)
In February 2006, the
government set up another solidarity fund for five drought-affected provinces
in the north and east of the country. However, in June 2006, the government
announced it had decided to use $10 million - initially intended to feed
drought-affected people in the northern and eastern provinces - for the
education and health sectors, saying the situation had improved as farmers
there had had a good harvest season.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56927&SelectRegion=Great_Lakes&SelectCountry=BURUNDI
January 4, 2007 - At the
second year anniversary, Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) has completed the
second phase of a three-year program of recovery and reconstruction. CCF has
collected $19,080,054.68 for tsunami relief, recovery and reconstruction
efforts in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. This includes $11,221,699 million in
public contributions and $7,858,355.68 million in grant awards.
CCF responded within hours
after the tsunami ravaged the coastal areas of South Asia in December of 2004,
when more than 200,000 lives were lost and 1.5 million children and families
were displaced. CCF emergency response teams, working with local CCF staff and
volunteers, immediately distributed food, bedding, clothing, medicine and other
basic relief supplies to displaced families. CCF moved quickly to establish a
three-year plan of reconstruction and development initiatives that would
provide a long-term impact to tsunami-affected families through livelihood
restoration and child protection programs. Recovery efforts continued in
year-one and moved into reconstruction efforts which continued throughout
year-two.
During the first two years CCF
has spent for tsunami relief and recovery in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, a
total of $12,636,751.62. This expenditure includes: $6,412,365.48 in public
contributions and $6,224,386.14 expenditures in grant funding. (…)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=5580
Poor farmers
who cooperate and share their knowledge harvest more. That is the philosophy of
the Farmer Field School.
29 December 2006 - In
Cambodian society, the poorest usually struggle individually for survival. They
are isolated from the decision-makers, and that impedes improvement of their
livelihood. But the farmers in the small communities often have both knowledge
and energy to carry on, especially if they believe in themselves and share
their knowledge. And that is precisely the most important principle of the
Farmer Field School.
Together with the village
leaders, the hired project advisor selects the families suitable for
participation in the Farmer Field School. Besides being poor, they must be
energetic and determined to participate. When the group has been formed, the
members arrive at a common decision about where to meet, what to discuss and
their individual goals.
The first task is to find a
piece of land that can be use as demonstration plot, where the group can do
crop experiments. People living on the verge of hunger take no chances on their
own land. Therefore, the members make a small piece of their land at disposal
of the group, an in return they will get a share of the harvest. Alternatively,
the village chief will be asked if the group may borrow a small plot.
The group decides with which
crops they will experiment and the kind of instruction or training they need.
The activities have point of departure in real problems. These may be from pest
control to acute floods or the use of new crops. (…)
http://www.dca.dk/sider_paa_hjemmesiden/where_we_work/asia/cambodia/read_more/farmer_field_school
December 28, 2006 - Two years
ago, one of the worst tsunamis in history devastated the lives of millions of
people in Southeast Asia. Immediately after this terrible disaster, Northwest
Medical Teams sent volunteers and staff, and medical supplies to five countries
in the disaster area.
In the past two years,
Northwest Medical Teams’ volunteers and staff have treated thousands of people
living in temporary shelters, helped to rebuild hospitals and clinics, trained
new healthcare workers to replace those killed by the tsunami, and established
trauma counseling programs staffed by local counselors.
Now with help from Northwest
Teams volunteers, the survivors of the disaster are learning to save the lives
of others. Donnie Woodyard, an Indiana paramedic serving with Northwest Medical
Teams, oversees the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) initiative in Hikkaduwa,
Sri Lanka. Tsunami funds are being used to not only provide jobs, but to train
people in life-saving skills.
Recently, a group of newly
certified emergency medical technicians (EMTs) saved the life of a
seven-day-old infant. Using their CPR skills, the Sri Lankan EMTs suctioned the
child’s airway and breathed life back into her lungs.
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=5577
Netherlands
give UNICEF largest single donation ever
Over
$ 200 million for education in emergency and post crisis countries
Geneva/The Hague, 22 December
2006 - Millions of children in the developing world have a new ray of hope as
the Dutch government today announced it has pledged $201 million to UNICEF to
radically expand the agency's ongoing efforts to ensure that children in
conflict, natural disasters and emerging from crisis can go to school. It is
the single largest earmarked donation UNICEF has received in its 60-year
history. While schooling children stuck in emergencies, whether conflict or
natural disasters, is a core part of UNICEF's mandate, this donation will allow
for a dramatic scaling up of programmes. Children recover more quickly if they
are in school, a safe haven both physically and psychologically. "UNICEF
has a proven track record in innovation and working with local community organizations.
We know our investment will bring us much closer to achieving the Millennium
Development Goals, especially those on Education FOR ALL BOYS AND GIRLS ,"
said Dutch minister for Development
Cooperation Agnes van Ardenne. Presently half of the children in the world who
currently receive no education live in the 70 countries in which a conflict is
raging or has raged.(…)
UNICEF will also receive an
additional US$ 56 million for water and sanitation programmes, US$ 24 million
for child protection programmes and US$ 24 million for HIV/AIDS prevention and
treatment from the Dutch government. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_37867.html
Save the Children receives $1
million Gates Foundation Grant to assist displaced families in West Darfur
Westport, Conn., USA, December
20, 2006 - Save the Children announced today that it has received a $1 million
grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a water and sanitation
project in West Darfur, Sudan. The
grant will help the agency provide sanitation facilities and clean drinking
water to more than 55,000 displaced children and family members forced to flee
their homes and live in temporary shelters due to continued violence. (…)
The grant is the third that
Save the Children has received from the Gates Foundation for ongoing emergency
relief in Darfur. The previous two grants were instrumental in helping Save the
Children conduct a rapid assessment of conditions affecting children and launch
humanitarian relief efforts in West Darfur.
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2006/save-the-children-receives-1.html?print=t
December 14, 2006— Africare
hosted the launch of new nonprofit--The Sierra Leone Fund- Thursday, and opened
the doors for discussion of past and present efforts to deliver aid to Sierra
Leone. The event took place one week
after the Hollywood release of the film, “Blood Diamond,” and served as an
opportunity to garner support and international awareness about the country’s
development needs. The Sierra Leone Fund was founded as part of a grassroots effort
to alleviate the aftermath of a ten year civil war in Sierra Leone that began
in 1991.
In remarks at Thursday’s
reception, Africare President Julius E. Coles commented on the drive and
youthful spirit of the new organization’s founders. He reminded all in attendance that Africare was also once a small
basement operation between two men with a vision. A vision that later extended into 35 nations across the African
continent, and some $580 million in development assistance to improve the
quality of life for African people.
In Sierra Leone, Africare’s
work began in 1984 when the Ministry of health requested Africare staff
replicate a similar program they had developed in Gambia. Their goal, in partnership with UNICEF and
the World Bank, was to improve management distribution of essential drugs to
rural areas. Alan Alemian was a member
of that team, and a key player in the emergency relief programs developed to
aid refugees when civil war erupted in 1991. (…)
The emergency camps, in
addition to food distribution and medical assistance, developed agricultural
relief programs that provided land for displaced refugees to produce their own
subsistence crops and reduce dependence on food aid. These programs continued throughout the duration of the war before
transitioning into post-conflict programs like CORAD. (…)
http://www.africare.org/news/news_release/sierraleone.html
Nairobi, Kenya, December 14,
2006 - In partnership with the government of Kenya, CARE is launching a new
program that will improve access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for
school children. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the
Global Water Challenge, the program, known as SWASH+ (Sustaining and Scaling
School Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Plus Community Impact), will identify,
develop and test innovative school-based water, sanitation and hygiene projects
in Kenya's Nyanza Province. Over five years, SWASH+ will reach at least 300
schools (including 90,000 students in the first three years) and will provide
valuable information on the costs and benefits of school water, sanitation and
hygiene.
The global problem of access
to safe water and sanitation is staggering. More than 1 billion people lack
access to improved water sources, and more than 2.6 billion people lack
adequate sanitation. In Kenya's Nyanza Province, even under the most optimistic
scenario, more than 3,700 primary schools require improvements in safe water
and hygiene facilities, and more than 35,000 school latrines are required
throughout the province to meet government recommended standards. (…)
A consortium made up of CARE,
Water Partners International and their local partner SANA, the Millennium Water
Alliance, the Center for Global Safe Water at Emory University, and the Global
Water Challenge will implement an applied research study and government-led
scale-up over the next five years. (…)
http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2006/12/20061214_kenya_water.asp
Fairfield, CT, USA, December
12, 2006 - The GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of General
Electric Company, today announced that it will provide emergency grants
totaling $2 million for humanitarian efforts in the Darfur region of Sudan.
CARE and UNICEF will each receive $750,000, and International Medical Corps
will receive $500,000.
The funding will enable these
organizations to help meet the health, nutrition, water, sanitation, emergency
and other needs of the displaced residents. The grants will allow the three
recipients to continue their existing activities in response to the escalating
humanitarian crisis in the region. Current activities include the furnishing of
temporary shelter, sanitary facilities, potable water, health services and food
aid, with the goal to reduce child and maternal mortality and malnutrition
rates. (…)
http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2006/12/20061212_ge_grant.asp
Rotary
International President William B. Boyd receives royal award
by
Lisa Baker, Rotary International News
11 January 2007 - Great
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II recently bestowed Rotary International President
William B. Boyd with the Companion of the Queen’s Service Order Award.
The award is given to New
Zealand residents who have served as a valuable volunteer to the community,
whether in elected or public office. The queen appoints 30 people each year.
“While Lorna [Boyd’s wife] and
I are honored for me to receive the QSO, we recognize that this is recognition
of the standing of Rotary in our community,” says Boyd.
The queen honored Boyd for his
work in the New Zealand community, which he’s served as a Rotarian since 1971.
He’s also served in his community as an elder and youth leader in the
Presbyterian church, scout master, secretary of several school committees, and
30 years as a rugby referee with the rugby union. (…)
An awards ceremony will take
place later in the year, after Boyd completes his term as RI president. He will
receive a citation for service to the community as well as a badge and a medal.
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/announcements/070111_boyd.html
Author(s):
Tamar Gabelnick
4 January 2007 - On 28
December 2006, Angola marked in a public ceremony the destruction and
demilitarization of its known stock of antipersonnel landmines, thus meeting
its 1 January 2007 deadline under Article 4 of the Mine Ban Treaty. During the
2005-2006 phase of the stockpile destruction program, 83,557 antipersonnel
mines were located. Of this total, 10,866 were demolished; 70,179 were
demilitarized and the plastic and metal parts recycled; and 2,512 will be kept
for training purposes under Article 3 of the Mine Ban Treaty. The Angolan Armed
Forces (FAA) had destroyed 1,320 OZM 4 mines in 2003-2004.
The achievement is especially
notable considering that Angola had previously stated that it did not believe
it could meet its deadline. Angola had twice asked other States Parties for an
“extension,” though the treaty does not allow for extensions for stockpile
destruction.
Additionally, over 30,000
antipersonnel mines were discovered since the spring of 2006 when Angola
submitted its most recent Article 7 transparency report. That report, which
covered the period through March 2006, listed a total of 50,659 antipersonnel
mines in stocks. By working diligently through the end of December, Angola
ensured that it would be in compliance with the Mine Ban Treaty by destroying
all known stockpiles, not just those listed in the Article 7 report. The ICBL
congratulates Angola and its implementing partners on this accomplishment.
The Stockpile Destruction
program cost 1,765,000 Euros, and was funded by the European Commission
(1,500,000 Euros), the government of Angola (170,000 Euros), and the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (95,000 Euros). It was managed by the
NationalIntersectoral Commission for Demining and Humanitarian Assistance for
Mine Victims (CNIDAH) in cooperation with the FAA, the National Demining
Institute (INAD), and the UNDP. (…)
http://www.icbl.org/layout/set/print/news/angolasd
13 years of demining in
Mozambique is history
20 December 2006 - Under a
formal ceremony in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, the country’s government
received comprehensive documentation from 13 years of NPA demining. It is
considered by NPA that the mine problem in Mozambique are now at a level that
can be organized and handled nationally.
Representatives form
Mozambique’s government, the Norwegian and the Dutch embassy, UN’s mine
programme, UNDP, EU and international NGOs in Mozambique were present at the
ceremony which officially ended NPA’s 13 years of effort to clear mines.
When the civil war ended in
1992, mines became a major obstacle to refugees returning home from
neighbouring countries like Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. NPA began clearing
mines in the following year to help the refugees return home safely. Later,
when people started to rebuild their lives, NPA accordingly focused on
clearance of areas for agricultural and infrastructural purposes to help them
rebuild. NPA were counted among the most central international NGOs in the
country. Mr Gamiliel Munguambe, director of the Ministry of education, planning
and information in Mozambique thanked NPA on behalf of the government. (…)
http://otto.idium.no/folkehjelp.no/?module=Articles;action=Article.publicShow;ID=4504;lang=eng
Franz Chávez and Diana Cariboni
Coroico, Bolivia, January 5
(IPS) - Bolivia's anti-narcotics police have changed tactics under President
Evo Morales. Instead of forcibly eradicating coca crops, they now bring
vaccines and primary health care to the people of the Yungas region, in
exchange for information and assistance that leads to the detection of drug
labs and trafficking activity. (…)
The policy of negotiated
eradication has been adopted by the commanders of the mobile rural patrol unit
(UMOPAR). The assistant to UMOPAR chief Lieutenant-Colonel Julio Cruz Vera is a
doctor. This forms part of the strategy of forging a relationship of trust with
the residents of the subtropical valleys in the Andean highlands near La Paz,
where coca is grown and where coca processing facilities (coca base and cocaine
hydrochloride laboratories) are occasionally found.
In his camouflage fatigues,
Cruz Vera patrols the thickly forested mountains of the Yungas region not far
from the city of La Paz, explaining to the local residents -- most of whom are
small farmers -- that the trafficking of precursor chemicals and their use in
the production of coca paste and cocaine could land them in prison.
"People were mistakenly informed that we were going to eradicate coca
crops and seize people's harvests," Major Alfredo Villca, UMOPAR commander
in Yungas, told IPS. "But now we are conducting outreach efforts to work
with community leaders and explain how our fight against drug trafficking will
work." (…)
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36076
Flare-up
of Rift Valley Fever in the Horn of Africa
FAO
experts at work
Rome, 4 January 2007 – A
Nairobi-based FAO team drawn from animal health experts in a number of
countries of the Horn of Africa is working with veterinary in Kenya, Somalia
and Ethiopia to address the latest outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in the
region. Together with officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and
various international aid agencies present in the area, the FAO team is helping
draw up preparedness, communication, surveillance and response activities.
Since 1998, when flood-related
RVF flared up in the Horn of Africa and encroached into the Arabian Peninsula,
FAO has been working to demarcate the areas in sub-Saharan Africa at greatest
risk and pinpoint hot spots across East and West Africa to be able to forecast
where the next outbreaks will occur and put adequate response strategies in
place.
RVF, a mosquito-borne viral
disease affecting ruminants and humans has historically occurred in 5-15 year
cycles, but with climatic changes -- including succession of droughts and
floods or human modifications of the ecosystems -- these intervals could change
in the future.(…)
Current activities are
receiving technical support from the Crisis Management Centre (CMC), set up in
October 2006 to facilitate rapid responses to fast-moving transboundary animal
diseases that are highly contagious among animals and may be transmissible to
humans.
RVF can cause serious economic
losses in livestock, particularly sheep and cattle, although goats, camels,
Asian water buffaloes and possibly some wild antelopes are also susceptible.(…)
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000473/index.html
2 January 2007 - Targeted
strategies to overcome unique challenges to immunizing every child have been
launched by each of the remaining four polio-endemic countries: Nigeria, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
With indigenous transmission
of polio now geographically restricted to key, identified populations, all four
countries convened technical oversight body meetings in early December 2006 to
review the epidemiological data and agree local strategies to overcome uniquely
local challenges. The strategies aim to
accelerate eradication efforts in the most targeted manner possible, zeroing in
on those areas and populations where the poliovirus continues to circulate. (…)
With outbreaks in previously
polio-free countries stopped or on the verge of being stopped, the world has a
unique opportunity in 2007 to focus all efforts on stopping the disease in the
remaining four endemic countries. Key
to success will be the ongoing financial support of the international donor
community, as the intensification of targeted eradication activities in
Nigeria, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2007 will have a substantial impact
on budgets. A full update of the
External Financial Resource Requirements (FRR) reflecting new budgetary needs
will be published by the spearheading partners of the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative by the end of January 2007.
http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/LatestNews200701.asp#TAGs
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA,
December 28, 2006—To raise awareness about the HIV and AIDS pandemic around the
world, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International has
launched a new resource section on its Web site about the HIV and AIDS crisis.
This new resource is divided
into four topic areas. “What Everyone Should Know” details the myths, facts,
and important information regarding the viruses, and offers Web visitors
accurate and up-to-date information. “Our HIV and AIDS Response” includes
information on ADRA’s global efforts to fight against the disease. Here,
visitors can read about ADRA’s HIV and AIDS initiatives around the world in
education, prevention, testing, and treatment, as well as working with children
living with or affected by the disease.
“Help Today” encourages
visitors to get involved by telling others about HIV and AIDS, participating in
an awareness or fundraising activity, or donating to one or more of ADRA’s
initiatives. To facilitate Web visitors’ involvement, the “World AIDS Day
Resources” section provides access to awareness kits, ribbons, and other
materials to commemorate World AIDS Day and involve communities, churches,
small groups, and schools in the challenge to stop HIV and AIDS. (…)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=5573
Unprecedented collaboration
accelerates work to reduce, refine and replace animal testing for safety
assessment - Significant progress made.
27 companies join forces with
the European Commission services. We anticipate that even more companies will
engage in the Partnership, says European Commission and European industry
Brussels, 18 December 2006 -
The European Partnership on Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA)
today presented its progress report one year on from its launch. On the
occasion of this second “Europe Goes Alternative” conference in Brussels,
representatives from the European Commission and European industry welcomed the
significant achievements that have been made during the last 12 months, but
stressed the importance of even more partners joining the collaboration.
“In the past 12 months, 19
companies have joined the European Commission and the eight founding industry
members of the EPAA, and this increase in expertise and resource has allowed us
to accelerate progress” said EPAA Steering Group co-chairs Georgette Lalis (for
the European Commission) and Charles Laroche (for European industry).
“Nevertheless, if we are to achieve our ambitious aims of rapidly developing
new safety assessment models that reduce, refine and replace animal testing, we
need the broadest group of partners possible. We strongly encourage other
companies to join the EPAA” they added.
The unprecedented character of
the partnership, bringing together seven industry sectors and numerous
Commission services, was able in its first year to identify common grounds for
collaboration, to put in place a five-year action programme based on a
preliminary and realistic assessment of needs, and to establish a structure for
implementation of the programme drawing on the expertise of all member
companies and Commission services. (…)
http://www.cefic.org/Files/Downloads/Press%20release%20AT.pdf
December 14, 2006—Africare
President Julius E. Coles joined key government Heads of State and partner NGOs
Thursday for the first White House Summit on Malaria. The summit opened discussion for global partners to highlight
their past and future measures to eliminate the mosquito-borne disease that
according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention kills one child
every 30 seconds on the African continent.
In conjunction with President
Bush’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) to reduce the number of Malaria-related deaths
in Africa by 50%, Africare deployed several projects to four different
countries in West and South Africa (Angola, Senegal, Nigeria, and Benin)
between 2003 and 2006 in an effort to reduce childhood and maternal morbidity
and mortality linked to the malaria infection.
Over $6.5 million in funds were dedicated to the projects through
partnerships with USAID, Exxon Mobil, Shell and the Global fund to fight AIDS,
TB and Malaria. The monies have been
used in large part to train staff/local health providers, vaccinate infected
persons, and purchase bed nets to reduce the spread of the disease. (…)
http://www.africare.org/news/news_release/whitehousemalaria.html
Jordanian,
Israeli Mayors sign on MOU to advance cross border park at the Rotenburg/
Naharayim/Gesher site
January 11, 2007 - Yesterday,
at the initiation of Friends of the Earth Middle East, an historic Memorandum
of Understanding was signed between Mayors from Israel and Jordan, recognizing
the value and importance of rehabilitating the Jordan River and identifying the
potential of advancing peace through creating a cross border park, based on
ecological values and cultural heritage. Signing on the agreement were Eng.
Abdullah Salman, Mayor of Mu’az Bin Jabal municipality in Jordan, and Israeli
Mayors of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, Mr. Yossi Vardi and Beit She’an
Valley Regional Council, Mr. Dani Tamari.
According to Gidon Bromberg,
Israeli Director of Friends of the Earth Middle East, signing of the agreement
- despite ongoing political tensions – “is a result of recognition from both
sides that it is not possible today to live on agriculture alone; new
possibilities need to be developed.”
(…)
The mayors declared that their
intention is to create a cross border park bird sanctuary, eco-lodges and a
visitor’s center, in the area of Bakoora/Naharayim/Gesher, using the
infrastructure still intact at the old Rotenberg site. Other developments
include cultural heritage sites at the Roman and Ottoman bridges at Gesher, the
Mamluk Khan and the old customs house at the Gesher site. (…)
To date, the Lower Jordan
River is severely polluted and has literally been turned into a sewage canal,
creating a serious hazard for the ecosystem. Mayors and citizens of the area
are determined to reverse this situation and return the area to its once
thriving state.
This
activity is part of the “Good Water Neighbors” project, supported by the
European Union, the British Government and the Richard and Rhoda Goldman
Foundation.
For more information, please
contact Mira Edelstein, 054-6392937, or mira@foeme.org
FAO
encourages early withdrawal of highly toxic pesticides
Assurances given by Danish company
Rome,
20 December 2006 - Danish chemicals company Cheminova has submitted plans for phasing
out highly toxic forms of pesticides in developing countries to the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in line with the International Code
of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides. FAO welcomed the move as
“a step in the right direction” in an ongoing process involving the Danish
Government, civil society, the press and Cheminova itself in seeking to reduce
the risks stemming from hazardous pesticides.
Cheminova Managing Director
Bjørn Albinus yesterday submitted what he called a “realistic scenario” for
phasing out the World Health Organization Class I pesticides, including methyl
parathion and monocrotophos, from developing countries between next year and
2010. But Mr Albinus said that the process could be accelerated as
circumstances allowed. FAO’s Director of Plant Production and Protection,
Shivaji Pandey, noted that in line with the provisions of the International
Code of Conduct the phase-out should take place as soon as possible and “the
sooner the better”. (…)
FAO noted that a growing
number of developing countries, including China, Thailand and Vietnam, are
prohibiting the use of methyl parathion, monocrotophos and several other Class
I pesticides. Mr Pandey called upon other companies and governments to follow
these examples and expedite the withdrawal of WHO Class I pesticides – the most
hazardous – from developing country markets in line with recommendations in the
Code of Conduct.
Europe’s
air is getting cleaner, UNECE report shows
Geneva, 15 December 2006 --
The meeting of the Parties (the Executive Body) of the Convention on Long-range
Transboundary Air Pollution this week heard about the continued success of many
Parties in cutting their emissions of air pollutants. The 51 Parties to the
Convention span the entire UNECE region from North America to Europe and
Central Asia, a large area that has had many air pollution problems. A report
using information provided by UNECE countries identifies clear downward trends
in releases of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in Europe. The total release across Europe
was estimated to be less than 15 million tons in 2004 – a decrease of 65% from
the 1990 figure. This means that the SO2 target for the year 2010 set for
Europe by the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol has already been reached. Even so, there
are big differences in the achievements of individual countries. While some
have surpassed their target, about half still need to reduce their emissions.
When this is done, the widespread “acid rain” effects caused by sulphur will be
limited to very sensitive soils and areas where damage has been severe. For emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), the
situation is not so good, though total European emissions fell to less than 18
million tons by 2004 – 30% less than the 1990 levels. A further cut of 15% is
needed to reach the Protocol target. (…) The report presented to the Executive
Body also provides information on how individual countries are working to
control their emissions (both through national strategies and through action
using national legislation). The steps taken by some can provide useful
examples to others. Such results are very important. The Convention has, for
more than 25 years, developed international cooperation across the UNECE region
to address the problems of air pollution. It has based its decision-making on
sound scientific and technical activities and on data reported by Parties. (…)
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2006/06env_p10e.htm
UN-ESCWA
at the first Arab media assembly on environment and development
The League of Arab State and
the Meteorological and Environmental Protection Agency (MEPA) organized the
“First Arab Media Assembly on Environment and Sustainable Development” in
coordination with UN-ESCWA, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and Islamic
Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in Cairo in late
November. A host of media figures from various newspaper, TV channels and radio
stations in the Arab region participated in the event. UN-ESCWA, represented by
Ms. Hanan Atallah, a Research Assistant in the Water and Environment Issues Team,
delivered a presentation on “Accessing Environmental Information and Assessing
its Adequacy and Quality for Dissemination”. The presentation gave an overview
of UN-ESCWA’s Training Manual on Sustainable Environmental Management for Arab
Media, which was distributed to most of the participants. The presentation
tackled major challenges facing Arab journalists dealing with environmental
issues, highlighting the difficulty of obtaining credible information.(…)
UN-ESCWA received an appreciation award from Prince Turki Bin Nasser Bin Abdel
Aziz, General President of Meteorology and Environment Protection and CEO of
the Council for Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE), for its
contribution in the meeting.
Religion and spirituality
Reykjavik, Iceland, 24
December 2006 (BWNS) -- The Baha'i community of Iceland joined with twelve
other faith groups and collaborative partners here to form the country's first
national interfaith forum last month. The Iceland Forum for Interfaith Dialogue
was officially founded on 24 November 2006 in ceremonies at the Reykjavik City
Hall. "The object of the Forum is to promote tolerance and respect between
persons of different religions and religious organizations with differing
outlooks on life as well as to protect religious freedom and other human
rights," said Ingibjorg Danielsdottir, secretary of the Baha'i community
of Iceland.
This initiative was put
together by the Intercultural Center in Reykjavik. The Center is a human rights
advocacy organization based in Iceland. One of this organization's main areas
of focus is in facilitating exchange between different cultures and groups. The
Forum took some 18 months of patient negotiations to create.
The president of Iceland,
Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, was present at the City Hall ceremonies that launched
the Forum, as were representatives of the thirteen founding faith and belief
communities. The founding groups
drafted and signed an "Interfaith Dialogue Policy Statement." The
document calls for the building of understanding and respect, as well as the
upholding of religious freedom between persons and religious organizations. (…)
http://news.bahai.org/story/498
Do we
know where we are headed? The Vision Project contributes to answer the question
A new
and desperately needed vision is emerging
Henry
Guy, editor@thevisionproject.com
Arlington, Texas, USA, January
8, 2007 - We have never needed to see greater possibilities more than in these
troubled times. The world does not seem to work. We need a new vision that
helps us make sense of a new world. We need it now. We need a visionary that
can touch us all and help us to pull together, before we pull each other to
pieces. Yet when we look around, there isn’t one. Why is there no single
visionary who can inspire the whole of humanity? For all the obvious reasons:
there are 6.5 billion humans, no single language, and our cultures, religions,
and viewpoints are so diverse.
Yet this new and desperately
needed vision is emerging. It is not coming through just one visionary; it is
coming through many. People from all walks of life, from all nations, races,
and religions are catching bits of this new vision. When one searches for it
through the works of contemporary visionaries, the dim outline begins to
emerge. It is big and synthetic and powerfully moving. Catching the drift of
this new vision, we instantly know it to be the promise of humanity given
wings.
This is the premise underlying
the freshly launched website, The Vision Project: contact notable visionaries
and ask them to write “A Vision for Humanity.” Many have responded including A.
T. Ariyaratne, Andrew Cohen, Jean Houston, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Yasuhiko Genku
Kimura, Satish Kumar, Hans Küng, Ervin Laszlo, Robert Muller, David
Steindl-Rast, Nancy Roof, Jeffery Sachs, Elisabet Sahtouris, and Sergio Tripi.
The project coordinators hope that it helps many others form their own view of
this emerging vision for our time.
http://www.thevisionproject.org
New
U.N. Chief to disclose financial assets
Thalif
Deen
United Nations, January 5,
2007 (IPS) - The U.N.'s new Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has moved swiftly to
hold himself up as a model international civil servant by voluntarily declaring
his financial assets to the newly-created Ethics Office.
U.N. spokesperson Michele
Montas told reporters Friday that Ban submitted his financial disclosure
statement on Tuesday, his first day in office in the U.N. Secretariat, where he
is starting a five-year term as the world body's chief administrative officer.
His statement is expected to be reviewed -- like those of all other staff
members required to file such statements -- by the U.S. accounting firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Upon completion of the review, the
secretary-general has also decided to publicly disclose the statement,"
Montas said.
Although his predecessor Kofi
Annan also made a declaration of his assets, he did not go public with the
disclosure statement. Since the secretary-general is technically not a U.N.
staffer because he is elected by the Security Council and the General Assembly,
he is usually exempted from staff rules.
When he took his oath of
office before the 192-member General Assembly last month, Ban said he will seek
to "set the highest ethical standard." (…)
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36079
by
Nazanin Zaghari, Information Officer, Federation Tehran Delegation
19 December 2006 - Three years
ago, on 26 December, a devastating earthquake levelled the city of Bam,
destroying the ancient citadel, and leaving 26,000 people dead, 30,000 injured
and 75,000 homeless. At least 85% of the city’s buildings were razed, including
119 health centres, clinics and hospitals, as well as 131 schools, which left
some 20,000 students without school facilities. Bam is located on a main fault
line in Iran, which is ranked as the fourth most disaster-prone country in the
world.
Today, nine schools, two
health clinics, an orthopaedic centre and a road rescue centre, financed
through the International Federation, have emerged from the rubble. Official
inauguration ceremonies took place in Bam on the eve of the third anniversary
of the tremor. (…) It was a dream shared by all the students who had to study
in temporary classes, housed in containers, while construction was going on.
Now, with the inauguration of the new schools, equipped with modern facilities,
this dream has finally come true, to the joy of teachers and parents as well.
In the recovery phase which
followed the emergency operation, the International Federation gave priority to
the reconstruction of schools, committing itself to building a total of nine
schools in Bam, including five standard schools, three special institutions for
disabled students and a model school complex. The five standard schools were
completed and handed over to the Ministry of Education in September 2006 and
the three special schools for disabled children were completed at the end of
November 2006. The Arg-e-Bam Model School Complex is close to final completion.
(…) http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/06/06121901/index.asp
Journalism
competition on Latin America and the Millennium Development Goals
The United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and the international news agency IPS Inter Press Service invite
entries for a Journalism Competition on Latin America and the Millennium
Development Goals. The articles submitted must be devoted to the main issues
addressed by the Millennium Development Goals -- poverty, hunger, primary
education, gender inequity and equal participation by women, maternal health
and infant mortality, the fight against AIDS and other diseases, environmental
sustainability -- their causes and ways of overcoming them, and promoting a
global partnership for development. The competition will award prizes to the
best five reports, features, stories, interviews or news articles of any kind,
published between October 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007 in a printed medium with a
permanent periodical circulation in Latin America and the Caribbean. The three
articles judged to be the best will be awarded prizes of 5,000 US dollars
(USD), USD 2,500 and USD 1,000, respectively. The top five articles will appear
in a book to be published by the end of 2007, together with a selection of news
articles produced by IPS on the same subject, written within the same time
period as that specified for the competition.(…) http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/december-2006/journalism-competition-on-latin-america-and-the-millennium-development-goals-.en
World
Psychology, Spirituality and Healing
This
book is a process. With new information, download a more edited, up-dated copy
of "Children of The Stars: An Uncommon Wisdom, An Uncommon Sense, Healing
from Ritual Abuse"
“My name is Paul F. Mitchell,
BA, BSW. I am just a person who might have something to offer an audience of
like-minded individuals and groups. You haven't met me before. I am simply
sending a book out to people who might find it useful. Just think of me as a
concerned person living on planet Earth who is trying to do my share to raise
consciousness. I have spent the last 14 years researching and putting this book
together. (…) The process of writing this book has been one of integrating and
putting on paper that which I have been researching, analyzing and realizing
for a long time. While sending this book out in different stages of
development, each successive stage represented a significant development within
me. (…)
“I don't want anything out of
this for myself. Although this work is copyrighted, I have had this done
primarily so that it can not be used by others to make a profit. Feel free to
make as many copies and pass them around as you want. Think of it as the way
the original healers in the days of Hippocrates thought: if they were able to
offer some healing to their fellow human being, having the ability to give
assistance in this manner was all they wanted in return. (…) In addition to the
traditional ways of looking at and dealing with the areas of concern discussed
in this book, it would be great if it gave individuals, groups and
organizations further insight into the subjects covered.” (…)
I have a web site where people
can download as many copies of this book as they wish. The site is http://paulmitchellfoun.tripod.com
Gender,
Images, and Global Contexts
March
8–10, 2007, University of Helsinki, Finland
Gender, Images and Global
Contexts brings together two successful conferences: the Christina Conference
on Women’s Studies, organized in Helsinki in 2003 and 2005 and the European
Gender and ICT Symposium, previously organized in Amsterdam (2003), Brussels
(2004) and Manchester (2005). It explores the challenging phenomena of gender
and ICT that take place in-between the cultural images and societal contexts in
the processes where the local intertwine with the global.
We invite scholars, students, educators,
policy makers and other practitioners to consider the challenges and
possibilities brought forth by global information and communication
technologies for working practices, education and feminist theorization. The
conference aims to be a meeting point for researchers from different
disciplines and research schools. (…)
http://www.helsinki.fi/kristiina-instituutti/conference/index.htm
* * * * * * *
Next issue: 2 February 2007.
* * * * * * *
Good News Agency is distributed free of charge through Internet to over 3,700 editorial offices of the daily newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations with an e-mail address in 48 countries: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Holland, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, USA. It is also distributed free of charge to over 2,800 NGOs around the world and it is available in its web site: http://www.goodnewsagency.org
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered non-profit educational organization chartered in Italy in 1979 and associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations.
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.
Via Antagora 10, 00124
Rome, Italy. E-mail: s.tripi@tiscali.it
* * * * * * *
(TOP)