DIGNITY INTERNATIONAL: MONTHLY NEWSBULLETIN - July 2004

Dignity News
* Third Global Linking & Learning Programme on ESC Rights - Call for
Applications
* Mekhong Region Linking & Learning Programme on ESC Rights ­ Call for
Applications
* International Forum on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, 10-15 July
* MDG Campaign Committee established in Tanzania ­ Dignity´s Thomas Nzumbi a
member
* Dignity´s Chairman Ton Waarts endorses strengthening of relations with the
development agencies

Other News
* Progress towards an ASEAN Mechanism on Human Rights
* Brazil: at least 6.5 million people live in favelas
* Joint NGO statement on the Quilombos communities in Alcântara, Brazil
* Invest in Health Not War - NGOs join forces to promote health
* Global Support for the International Criminal Court Reaffirmed
* UN Secretary-General recognises the value of civil society’s work

Publications
* Legal Resources for the Right to Water: International and National
Standards and
* Housing and ESC LAW Rights Quarterly
* Guns or Growth: assessing the impact of arm sales on sustainable
development.

Announcements
* Manual on the Right to Water ­ contributions are welcomed.

Forthcoming Events ­ Highlights
* 2004 Social Forum on ESC Rights, 22-23 July
* Congress on Cultural Rights and Human Development, 23-27 August

DIGNITY NEWS
*** Third Global Linking & Learning Programme on ESC Rights (1-10 December
2004), Alcochete Portugal ­ Applications are now open for the third Global
Linking & Learning Programme on ESC Rights organised by Dignity
International, in partnership with International Human Rights Internship
Program (IHIP), Forum Asia and ESCR-Net and with the support of NOVIB
(Oxfam - Netherlands).
The overall goal of this programme is to strengthen the knowledge and skills
of those working to empower people living in extreme poverty through the
adoption of a human rights framework and thereby contribute to build the
capacity of grassroots movements to better promote and defend basic ESC
rights.
The programme will bring together twenty "catalysts" from the different
world regions. These persons will be in a position to spread knowledge and
skills they have acquired from the programme and to introduce/implement what
they have acquired within their own organisations or community. These
participants will be drawn from development organisations, and groups
fighting for social and economic justice. Priority will be given to women
and those coming directly from the grassroots organisations.
To know more about the programme, check our website at
http://www.dignityinternational.org/2004trainingcourse.html . You can also
download directly the Call for Applications from
http://dignity.3pontos.net/doc/2004callforapplicationfinal.doc and the
Application Form from
http://dignity.3pontos.net/doc/2004applicationform.doc. All applications
must reach Dignity International by 15 August 2004.

*** Linking & Learning Programme on ESC Rights of the Mekhong Region, 14-20
November 2004, Chiang Mai, Thailand ­ Call for applications are also open
for the Mekhong Region Linking and Learning Programme on ESC Rights. The
programme will cover Burma, China, Laos, and Vietnam. This programme is
organised by The Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB), in
partnership with Dignity International, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and
Development (APWLD), Asia Regional Resource Center for Human Rights
Education (ARRC) and with the support of NOVIB. The call for applications is
already open. You can find the Presentation of the course and the
Application Form at
http://dignity.3pontos.net/doc/mekhongcallforapplicationfinal.doc

*** International Forum on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights - This international
forum organized by the Thai Working Group on Human Rights and HIV/AIDS will
be held on the occasion of the 15th International AIDS Conference from 10
and 15 July 2004, Bangkok. The Thai Working Group on Human Rights and
HIV/AIDS strongly felt the importance to bring the issue on Human Rights
Based Approach in relation to the HIV/AIDS for further discussion with the
expectation that the process might lead to a more comprehensive plan of
action, to the eradication of prejudice and to the enhancement of a better
treatment to the affected people.
Dignity will participate and contribute to this International Forum.
Dignity´s Board Member Acharn Banton Ondam will speak on the theme “Rights
Based Approach & HIV/AIDS: An Innovative Way to Promote Human Dignity.
For further information, please contact Boonthan Verawongse at Dignity
International ­ Asia e-mail dignity@inet.co.th

*** Thomas Nzumbi, Dignity´s regional coordinator for East Africa has been
appointed to the Steering Committee to initiate the Millennium Development
Goal Campaign in Tanzania. The Steering Committee was formed following a
visit to Tanzania by Salil Shetty, the MDG Campaign Coordinator.
Congratulations Thomas!

*** Dignity´s Chairman Ton Waarts endorses strengthening of relations with
the development agencies - Dignity International Chairman Ton Waarts visited
the International Secretariat, in Alcochete, Portugal on 15 June. Aye Aye
Win, the Executive Director introduced him to the new recruits to the
Dignity team, Simone Andrade, Learning Associate and Luis Gavinhos,
Information Technology Officer. The team updated the Chairman on the
progress on activities to date as well as on the progress made to implement
activities for the remainder of the year.
A large part of the discussions focussed on further programme development
including the proposal for a Centre for Human Rights Based Approach (RBA)
for Learning to build a longer term relationship with a few key development
agencies intent on integrating human rights in development work. This
proposed Centre would serve as an extension of the existing Capacity
Building Programme for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of Dignity
International. "We are definitely on the right track" said Ton Waarts.

OTHER NEWS
*** Progress towards an ASEAN Mechanism on Human Rights ­ Asia is the only
region in the world without a regional mechanism on human rights.
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) organised a working group
meeting on the Future ASEAN Arrangements for Promotion and Protection of
Human Rights from 17-18 June in Jakarta a few days prior to the 37
Ministerial Meeting of ASEAN.
In a recent press release, Forum Asia welcomed the openness of the ASEAN
secretariat in receiving the civil society delegation of the Working Group
for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism. The Working Group has put
forward a recommendation to the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting for the creation
of a joint working group between the ASEAN government and civil society to
consider a possible human rights mechanism for ASEAN within the year.
For the full press release and statement by Forum Asia´s secretary General
Somchai Homlaor, see http://www.forumasia.org/29June04.html
Bertrand Ramcharan ­ Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights sent a
message to the working group stating that “respect for human rights can help
prevent conflicts; can advance development; and can help promote
poverty-reduction strategies that focus on the neediest”. Full message at:
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/119B0A62A17F277BC1256EB600
2B9661?opendocument

*** Brazil: at least 6.5 million people live in favelas - Miloon Kothari,
UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing highlighted that the very
serious situation in Brazil with respect to homelessness, landlessness,
housing deficit and housing inadequacy results from the
historic discrimination against the black community and indigenous people,
and the marginalization of the poor.
The Special Rapporteur carried out a mission to Brazil upon the invitation
of the Brazilian Government from May 30 to June 12. The purpose of the
mission was evaluating the fulfilment of the right to housing in the
country. On the occasion, Social Watch joined the Special Rapporteur's
visits.
Read the complete news, the Preliminary Observations by the Special
Rapporteur; Report on the Mission, by Social Watch and the Joint
Declaration On the respect of the Quilombos communities’ human rights at
http://www.socialwatch.org/

*** Centre for Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), Global Justice ­ Brazil
and Social Watch joined forces to issue a declaration on the humanr rights
situation of Quilombos communities in Alcântara, State of Maranhão, Brazil.
Readers are invited to send supportive emails to the Declaration, to put
pressure on the Brazilian Government to take steps to solve the
deteriorating situation. See the joint declaration at
http://dignity.3pontos.net/doc/jointdeclaration.doc

*** Invest in Health Not War - Organisations from around the world that
campaign for human rights, the alleviation of the HIV epidemic and women's
rights to reproductive choices called for an International Day of Action on
24 June 2004 to say to the Bush Administration: Invest in Health, Not War!
The organisations include the South African based Treatment Action Campaign
working to ensure access to affordable and quality treatment for people with
HIV/AIDS. The demands of the organisations include: reduce Military Spending
and War Actions: spend More Money on AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria,
Malnutrition and Poverty; Help Ensure that the World Health Organization's
Plan to Treat Three Million People with AIDS by 2005 Receives the Resources
it Needs to Succeed; stop Undermining Public Confidence in Safe, Effective
Anti-AIDS Medicines; stop Using AIDS Money to Marginalised Minorities and
Undermine Access to Condoms and Reproductive Choices; stop Pursuing a
Pseudo-Scientific Response to the HIV Epidemic; stop Using Bilateral
Pressure to Undermine the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health; and
give the Promised $15 Billion for AIDS to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB
and Malaria (GFATM) - Not the US President's AIDS fund (known as PEPFAR).
http://www.tac.org.za/HealthNotWar.htm
The Treatment Action Campaign will be organising the people´s health summit
to “Build a People's Health System” from 2 to 4 July 2004. The People's
Health Summit will focus on the following key issues: Assess the
antiretroviral treatment rollout; Identify how to build greater involvement
of communities with the delivery of health services, with emphasis on the
antiretroviral rollout; Ensure that national, provincial and local
governments comply with their constitutional obligations to ensure that all
people in South Africa have access to health care services that respect
their autonomy and dignity; and highlight the health inequities between the
public and private sectors, between rural and urban areas, and between
provinces. For further information, see
http://www.tac.org.za/newsletter/2004/ns27_05_2004.htm

*** Global Support for the International Criminal Court
Reaffirmed -Legitimacy of the Security Council preserved - After weeks of
negotiations and faced with continued opposition, the US government withdrew
its request for renewal of the Security Council resolution exempting its
peacekeepers from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. This
was announced after informal consultations during which it became clear that
a last-minute US proposed compromise text would not get the required
support.
http://www.iccnow.org/pressroom/ciccmediastatements/2004/CICCmediaAdvisory14
87non-renewal23Jun04%20(2).pdf
Currently the ICC treaty has 94 state parties. The most recent ratifications
are from Burkina Faso and Congo Braziville. For further information, check
out the website of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court
http://www.iccnow.org/

*** Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his opening remarks at the Security
Council debate on “The role of civil society in post-conflict peacebuilding”
(NY, 22 June) affirmed that a dialogue between UN and Civil Society is not
an option, but a necessity. It has to be a two-way dialogue, on the basis of
complementary efforts. Civil society constitutes, in his words,
“bridge-builders, truth-finders, watchdogs, human rights defenders, and
agents of social protection and economic revitalization”. Kofi Annan also
declared that civil society organizations should be included in the UN’s
deliberative processes, including those of the Council, since he believes
that “Council members can benefit from the expertise, focus and insight
which civil society groups bring to the table”. He also made a reference to
the Report recently released by the High Level Panel on UN Relations with
Civil Society, complimenting the measures proposed to increase the
participation of civil society in UN’s humanitarian and development work.
Kofi Annan’s speech at: http://www.un.org/apps/sg/printsgstats.asp?nid=989
For the Report: http://www.un.org/reform/a58_817_english.doc
See also Press Release SC/8128 at:
www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/sc8128.doc.html

PUBLICATIONS
*** Centre on Housing Rights AND Evictions (COHRE) launched two new
publications:
- Legal Resources of the Right to Water ­ International and National
Standards - The Right to Water Programme COHRE, an international human
rights NGO, has released a detailed guide to international and national
level provisions and case law that give effect to the right to water. It
surveys international and regional treaties and declarations on human
rights, armed conflict, environment and development as well as national
Constitutions, legislation and court judgments. The guide demonstrates the
solid basis for the right to water in international law and the manner in
which this right has been implemented in several national legal systems. The
Guide provides a user-friendly commentary on the implications of these
standards and on means to implement legal standards on the right to water.
This publication is the eighth volume in COHRE’s Sources series, which set
out the legal basis for key aspects of housing rights. The publication can
be downloaded at www.cohre.org/water. To obtain a hard copy, please contact
cohre@cohre.org.
- Housing and ESC Law Rights Quarterly (Vol.I, June 2004) ­ A publication
produced by the COHRE ESC Rights Litigation Programme, which focuses on
recent cases and housing legislation. It seeks to provide advocates and
other interested persons information on national and international legal
developments related to housing and ESC Rights. This publication can be
found at www.cohre.org/downloads/Quarterly_01.pdf.

*** According to Oxfam Report’s - GUNS OR GROWTH: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF
ARM SALES ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - Governments are sacrificing
development goals for arms exports therefore failing to assess the impact
those exports have on poverty. Needed resources are driven away from health,
education and putting at risk human security and Human Rights protection. An
International Arm treaty is needed to guarantee human rights and sustainable
development.
Oxfam wrote this report for the Control Arms campaign - a joint initiative
of Amnesty International, Oxfam and International Action Network on Small
Arms (IANSA).
For the full report: http://www.oxfam.org/eng/pdfs/Guns_or_Growth.pdf

ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), the World Health
Organisation (WHO) and the Science and Human Rights Programme of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science are preparing a MANUAL
ON THE RIGHT TO WATER to be launched still this year. Interested
organisations and persons are called to contribute with comments and also
with the issues and case studies they would like to see addressed on the
Manual to water@cohre.org. A draft of the manual will soon be released for
public review on the respective websites. Check:
www.who.int/water_sanitation_health or www.cohre.org/water or
http://shr.aaas.org and give your opinion.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS - HIGHLIGHTS
*** 2004 Social Forum on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 22-23 July,
Geneva - Since 2002, the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights has been organising an annual Forum on economic,
social and cultural rights, known as Social Forum. The theme of the 2004
Social Forum is “Poverty, rural poverty and human rights” and will be
composed of four panels: “Poverty and human rights: empowerment of people
living in poverty”; “rural poverty and extreme poverty: special groups”;
“The role of human rights in the development of operational strategies to
address poverty” and “Recommendations on elements for incorporating human
rights into poverty reduction strategies”. The Sub-commission has already
firmly expressed the need of a human rights perspective in the fight against
poverty (Resolution 2003/13).
NGOs are encouraged to participate in the social forum. For further
information on the social forum and registration see:
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/2/sforum04/sfmain.htm

*** Congress on Cultural Rights and Human Development - Barcelona Universal
Forum of Cultures 2004, Spain 23-27 August 2004 The objectives of the
Congress are to suggest new ideas and proposals to develop the contents of
Cultural Rights and include cultural elements in the Human Development Index
of the United Nations. Furthermore, the Congress aims at constructing a
reference point in order to explore the role of culture in the 21st century
in what will be the most significant meeting since the Mondiacult in México
in 1982. http://www.interarts.net

CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES
For the updated Calendar of Activities for 2004, please see:
July ­ September
http://www.dignityinternational.org/2004monthly_planner3.html

THIS NEWSBULLETIN CAN BE ACCESSED DIRECTLY FROM THE WEB AT
http://dignity.3pontos.net/doc/news_2004july.doc or selected items can be
seen at the Dignity International website at
http://www.dignityinternational.org/News_june2004.html