Monthly News Bulletin of Dignity International: September 2004
DIGNITY INTERNATIONAL: MONTHLY NEWSBULLETIN - September 2004
Dignity News
* Third Global Linking and Learning Programme on ESC Rights: Selection in Process
* Dignity in the field with European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN)-Portugal
* Website Migration
* Tanzania completes a draft of its PRS II
Other News
* The World Urban Forum, 13-17 September, Spain
* Join the People´s Caravan for Food Sovereignty!
* The Hunger Map
* Struggle of Landless Tribals continues
* HIV/AIDS impeding the farming know-how
* Paul Hunt, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health in Romania
* The UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights: 21
resolutions and decisions on human rights and fundamental freedoms
* The World Bank ignores the Extractive Industries Review (EIR)
Publications
* COHRE’s Housing and ESC Rights Law Quarterly second edition
Announcements
* ESCR-Net’s new contacts
* A New Internet Portal on the MDGs
* Job announcement: Senior Rights Based Approach Coordinator (Malawi)
Forthcoming Events Highlights
* Fifth University on Youth & Development, Spain, 8-15 October 2004
* Conference on Lessons Learned from Rights Based Approaches to Health,
Emory University Conference Center, Atlanta, USA, 14-16 April 2005.
* Seminar on Good governance practices for the promotion of human rights,
Seoul, Republic of Korea, 15 16 September 2004.
* Conference on Membership based organizations of the poor, Ahmedabad,
India, 17-21 January 2005 - call for papers
DIGNITY NEWS
*** Third Global Linking & Learning Programme on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights 1-10 December 2004 The application procedure for the
programme is now closed. Three hundred applications were received and the
selection of approximately twenty participants is currently in process. All
applicants will be notified of the outcome by the end of September.
*** On the 31st of August, Susana Godinho (EAPN-Portugal) took Dignity’s Aye
Aye Win and Simone Andrade to visit anti-poverty projects carried out by
member organisations of the European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN). Many
thanks Susana for arranging the visits!
The aim of the project visit was to find ways of bringing in local realities
and challenges for poverty eradication and social integration in Portugal
into the Global Linking & Learning Programme on ESC Rights.
Organisations and projects visited include the Social Centre of Palmela that
amongst other projects provide nursery, pre-school, and after school support
to low-income families in the area, a shelter and food distribution project
of CARITAS Portugal, as well as some rural projects to support young people
in their free time. The team also visited integration projects for children
with disabilities run by CERCI, a rehabilitation centre for drug dependents
as well as shelter for immigrant families in the suburbs of Lisbon.
Poverty is a global phenomenon existing in developing and the developed
countries. In the enlarged European Union of 25 countries there are 68
million people who face poverty and social exclusion. A project visit by the
Learning Programme participants could expose them to the situation of
poverty in one of the European Union member states.
*** Website Migration At the end of September Dignity International
website will be migrating to a new host. This may cause some interruptions
on our website and we apologise for the inconvenience caused. We will also
be redesigning our website and an announcement will be made when this is
completed.
*** Tanzania completes a draft of its PRS II The government of Tanzania
published its draft of the second Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS II) on 16
August 2004. In an attempt to make the PRS process participatory, it invited
NGOs and other stakeholders to submit revisions to the draft.
The NGO Policy Forum of Tanzania (NPF), of which Dignity International´s
Regional Coordinator Thomas Nzumbi is a member, is coordinating the feed
back from the NGO sector. The popularized version of the Draft PRS in both
English and Kiswahili have been prepared. The simplified version also
appeared as supplements (pull-outs) in some newspapers for general public
consumption and input. Dignity International also made a modest attempt to
help introduce the Draft Human Rights Guidelines to the PRS process. These
Guidelines drafted by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights can be found at http://www.unhchr.ch/development/povertyfinal.html
Further information on the NGO input in the PRS review process in Tanzania
can be Joseph Kisanji
PRS Review Coordinator for the NGO Policy Forum at [npf@cats-net.com]
OTHER NEWS
The World Urban Forum opens in Barcelona (13-17 September) - Some 3,000
delegates attended the opening ceremony of the World Urban Forum in the
Spanish Mediterranean port city of Barcelona.
Held every two years, the forum is a key event on the international
calendar, a new groundbreaking global initiative to address and keep abreast
of the main challenge of the new Millennium. The theme of this year's forum
is: Cities: Crossroads of cultures, inclusiveness and integration?
Human rights activists including Minar Pimple, Executive Director of the
People’s Decade for Human Rights Education (PDHRE) are present there. For
further information see http://www.unchs.org/wuf/2004/ For the message of
the UN Secretary General to the World Urban Forum calling for world cities
to become genuine examples of inclusiveness, equity see
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/sgsm9479.doc.htm
*** Join the People´s Caravan for Food Sovereignty The People´s Caravan,
organised by a coalition of people´s organisations asserting the rights to
land and food that started on August 31, will pass by 13 countries in Asia
and 3 in Europe before culminating in Nepal at the end of this month.
Prem Prasad Dangal, secretary-general of ‘All Nepal Peasants Association’,
expressed solidarity with the participants emphasising the importance of the
theme of Food Sovereignty. “Peasants and farmers grow food for the world to
eat, yet still most of them are poor and hungry” - he said. The caravan has
already made its way to the Philippines and to China where it is
contributing to the process of strengthening social movements there. Be part
of the journey! Join and support the People's Caravan! www.panap.net/caravan
*** The Hunger Map - To highlight the major global hunger emergencies in
real-time, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) created a "Hunger
Map" - an interactive colour-coded map, which presents the geography of
hunger hotspots around the world. "There are more than 800 million
undernourished women, men and children in the world, but how many people
know where they live?" WFP Executive Director James T. Morris said. "The WFP
Hunger Map puts them on the map." This map was also designed for use as an
education tool in schools.
Map: http://www.wfp.org/index.asp?section=2
*** Struggle of Landless Tribals Goes On ~ On the evening of 21 August
2004, 30 huts built by tribals in Maharashtra, India, were destroyed by the
government officials. Earlier, in July 2003, the Maharashtra State Farming
Cooperation (MSFC) had already destroyed about fifty homes without
demolition notice. This rendered 200 tribals households homeless. As the
tribes try to build up their homes, they are repeatedly demolished. Local
groups ask for solidarity with the tribals in their struggle for their land
rights. These tribals live in fear of eviction every day. Since the right to
land is not regulated, the government's action/demolition is considered
inappropriate. See http://www.acpp.org/
*** HIV/AIDS impeding the farming know-how - According to a FAO’s new study
on subsistence agriculture, Mozambique, together with other African
countries, is loosing many varieties of grains, tuber, legumes and
vegetables due to HIV/AIDS, flood and drought. “Most of the farmers use
seeds that they produce themselves to grown their own crops; the way they
pass on knowledge about how to identify, improve and conserve the seed is
from parent to children” says Anne Waterhouse, author of the study.
HIV/AIDS is impeding the farming know-how from passing from one generation
to another, since infected adults are becoming incapacitated and stop
planting several crops. The local knowledge around seeds and the traditional
crops varieties is very important - as they are adapted to local conditions,
they are an important weapon against hunger.
www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2004/49917
*** Paul Hunt in Romania - Paul Hunt, Special Rapporteur of the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights on the right of everyone to the enjoyment
of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, visited
Romania at the invitation of the Government from 23 to 27 August 2004. The
report of the visit will be presented at the 61st session of the Commission
on Human Rights, in March-April 2005.
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/C14BB7B8D058227BC1256EF9003444B2?opendocument
Professor Paul Hunt, also agreed to be interviewed for the upcoming issue of
the Essex Human Rights Review. You are invited to submit questions for
Professor Hunt, and the most interesting proposals will be used for the
interview. Please send your questions to Eunna Lee, e-mail: eleek (add
@essex.ac.uk) by Friday 24 September 2004. The interview will be published
in the December issue of the Essex Human Rights Review, available at
http://projects.essex.ac.uk/ehrr/ and http://www.ehrr.org.uk.
*** The United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of
Human Rights (news release 9 August 2004) adopted 21 resolutions and
decisions on the question of the violation of human rights and fundamental
freedoms. On the specific subject of Economic, Social and Cultural rights
several decisions were taken:
Indigenous peoples - Final report on the study of their permanent
sovereignty over natural resources. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/L.14
Social Forum The Sub-commission also reiterates the decision that the
Social Forum shall meet every year, and decides that the theme for the
Social Forum in 2005 will be “poverty and economic growth: challenges to
human rights” and that it will be addressed within the context of the
five-year assessment of the goals set in the United Nations Millennium
Declaration. The sub-commission also invites the Social Forum to submit to
the Sub-Commission at its fifty-seventh session a separate report containing
a comprehensive and detailed summary of the discussions, including
recommendations and draft resolutions. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/L.22
Corruption - on the theme of corruption and its impact on the full enjoyment
of human rights, in particular economic, social and cultural rights. The
decision urges States that have not done so to introduce national mechanisms
to prevent and combat corruption through the adoption and implementation of
specific anti-corruption legislation.
E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/L.17 In this respect there was an appointment of Mr.
Marc Bossuyt, as Special Rapporteur on corruption and its impact on the full
enjoyment of human rights, in particular economic, social and cultural
rights, to undertake a study on non-discrimination as enshrined in article
2, paragraph 2, of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights.
Right to drinking Water and Sanitation - The decision affirms that the
access of everyone to drinking water supply must not be subject to any
restriction but must be subject to regulation and control by the public
authorities; affirms also that the right to water is an individual and
collective human right and is closely linked to other rights.
E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/L.20 The sub-commission also requested Mr. El-Hadji
Guissé, Special Rapporteur, to prepare a set of draft guidelines for the
realization of the right to drinking water supply and sanitation.
E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/L.51
Extreme poverty - on the implementation of existing human rights norms and
standards in the context of the fight against extreme poverty.
E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/L.21
Right to development - E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/L.24
Right to food - decision regarding the right to food and the progress in
developing international voluntary guidelines for its implementation,
calling upon all Governments and interested and affected parties to continue
the drafting process and renew their efforts to reach consensus on the
remaining issues so as to make possible the completion and adoption of that
set of guidelines. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/ö-25
Debt and human rights - E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/L.31
For the full press release and further information, see
http://www.unog.ch/news2/documents/newsen/sc04018e.htm
*** The World Bank ignores the Extractive Industries Review (EIR)
conclusions The World Bank was said to ignore a report presented by the
Extractive Industries Review (EIR) after a 3-year investigation, which was
requested and instigated by the World Bank itself. The report concluded that
the financial support given to projects in oil, mining and gas sectors have
not led to direct poverty alleviation. The report included many other
recommendations, as to establish a consent mechanism for affected
communities, to protect areas of biodiversity, to end financing for oil and
coal projects and to respect human rights.
“The World Bank’s response is a deep insult for those affected by its
projects” said Samuel Nguiffo of Friends of the Earth Cameroon, who also
recalled the on-going Bank’s project Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline. For the
Bank this project is a model of poverty alleviation, on the contrary, to
Nguiffo it is becoming a model for misery.
See: www.foei.org/media/2004/0803.html
PUBLICATIONS
*** The second edition of COHRE’s Housing and ESC Rights Law Quarterly is
now available. This a publication of COHRE ESC Rights Litigation Programme
that focuses on recent cases and housing legislation, seeking to provide
advocates and other interested persons with information about national and
international developments related to housing and ESC rights. It can be
found at http://www.cohre.org/esc-law-quarterly.htm
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** ESCR-Net’s new contacts Please note the following new e-mail addresses
for the secretariat of the ESCR-Net. Daria Caliguire, Director
dcaliguire@escr-net.org Chris Grove, Associate cgrove@escr-net.org Suad
Elías Atala, Associate selias@escr-net.org Heidi Dorow, Office
Administrator hdorow@escr-net.org, General information info@escr-net.org
*** A New Internet Portal on the MDGs The United Nations NGO Liaison
Service NGLS presents its new Millennium Development Goals Internet Portal,
Check this out at www.un-ngls.org/mdg
*** Job Announcement - Concern Universal, an international development and
emergency relief organisation is looking for a Senior Rights Based Approach
Coordinator for Blantyre, Malawi. See: http://www.concern-universal.org/
FORTHCOMING EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS
*** 5th University on Youth & Development 8-15 October, Mollina Spain - As
part of the annual university on Youth & Development, the North-South Centre
of the Council of Europe will organise the 2nd Africa-Europe Training Course
for Youth Organisations: on the theme of "Youth participation for Poverty
Reduction". For further information see
http://www.coe.int/T/E/North-South_Centre/#TopOfPage
*** Conference on Lessons Learned from Rights Based Approaches to Health -
Emory University Conference Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA - April 14-16,
2005, organised by The Institute of Human Rights of Emory University, in
collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), CARE USA, the Carter
Center human rights office, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and Doctors for Global Health. The conference aims at
exploring evidence-based relationships between health and human rights.
The call for abstracts and for collaborating partners is already open at:
http://humanrights.emory.edu
*** Seminar on Good governance practices for the promotion of human rights,
Seoul, Republic of Korea, 15 and 16 September 2004. The Commission on Human Rights has been requesting the High Commissioner and the UNDP to convene this seminar since 2002. The purpose of the seminar is to discuss effective examples of governance practices that have had an impact on the promotion of human rights and to draw lessons from them and to report to the Commission on the outcome of the seminar. To attend the seminar relevant national and international non-governmental organizations, together with states, national human rights institutions, relevant organs and bodies of the United Nations are invited.
http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/development/governance/seminar.htm
*** Cornell University (www.cornell.edu), SEWA (www.sewa.org) and WIEGO
(www.wiego.org) are co-organising an international conference on “Membership
based organizations of the poor: theory, experience and policy” and are
asking for the submission of papers on Membership based organizations of the
poor organizations with governance structures responding to the needs and
aspirations of the poor and accountable to their members. Submissions should
be sent electronically, by September 30, to Ravi Kanbur at
sk145@cornell.edu.
For more information see:
http://www.arts.cornell.edu/poverty/kanbur/MBOPCall.pdf.
CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES
For the updated Calendar of Activities for 2004, please see:
July September and October - December
http://www.dignityinternational.org/2004monthly_planner3.html
http://www.dignityinternational.org/2004monthly_planner4.html
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