DIGNITY INTERNATIONAL
MONTHLY NEWSBULLETIN - September 2006

Dignity News

* Development Hinges on Human Rights
* Global Programme on Human Rights in Development – Call for Applications
* Latin America Programme on ESC Rights – well on the way!

Other News

* The Uganda Social Forum: Building Uganda, Our Responsibility!
* Third Social Watch General Assembly
* IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings
* Human Rights Council – 2nd Session
* General Assembly review: Extreme Poverty has Deepened
* Global Fund for Lifesaving Drugs

Publications

* 3D New Report - Niger: Agricultural Trade Liberalisation and Women's Rights (August 2006)

Announcements

* From COHRE: new website, new report & recent updates from Kenya

Forthcoming Events – Highlights

* International Civil Society Forum: an Optional Protocol to the ICESCR
* 17 October 2006 - World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty – the 4th Global White Band Day

DIGNITY NEWS

*** Development Hinges on Human Rights

Although the human rights reform movement has recorded remarkable successes it has failed to embrace, social and economic rights. Speaking during a human rights forum at Landmark Hotel in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, the Executive Director of the Foundation for Civil Society John Ulanga, said the human rights movement previously focused on civil and political rights and neglected economic, social and cultural rights, adding that human rights are more than just civil liberties.
While the human rights movement was calling for international protection and promotion of human rights, the development movement was in support of global development and the elimination of poverty in the word. Although the two shared a lot in common, they never reconciled conceptually.
He said that it had become increasingly necessary to bring the two movements closer together to ensure that policy frameworks are consistent and complementary rather than contradictory and competitive.
John Ulanga said that the programme theme “Human Rights in Development” was the defining theme for a future of human dignity for all. He quoted the Father of the Nation of the United Republic of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere who in 1986 said “Whenever there is no equality there is no peace, and whenever there is no peace there is no development”. Equality is the basis of human rights, and that human rights and development are inseparable.
The Human Rights in Development Learning Programme for East Africa (5-13 September 2006), opened by John Ulanga was organised by Dignity International in partnership with Hakijamii Trust of Kenya and Tanzania Council on Social Development with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

*** Global Programme on Human Rights in Development – Call for Applications

Are you:
- a development activist from a grassroots, national and international development NGO?
- holding a key position within your organisation with experience and responsibility in a range of areas, including programming, advocacy and campaigning?
- interested to explore together with other participants the meaning of human rights in development work and how integration of human rights into development work translates into concrete strategies and development programming at the grassroots and international levels?
THEN apply for the Annual Learning Programme on human Rights in Development. The programme will take place in Malaysia from 1-11 December 2006 and further details can be found at http://www.dignityinternational.org/dg/page.php?28

*** Latin America Programme on ESC Rights – well under way!

The Learning Programme on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for the Latin America Region is presently dealing with the ‘painful’ selection process. From the more than 150 all good-quality applications received only 20 to 25 persons will be selected. All applicants will be notified in the coming week. Sorry for taking some time. Thank you for understanding!
This programme is organized by CDES, COHRE–Americas Programme, Dignity International, DECA Equipo Pueblo and Social Watch and counts withthe support of Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund of the Anglican Church of Canada (PWRDF). The programme willtake place in Quito, Ecuador, from 2 to 10 November 2006.

OTHER NEWS

*** The Uganda Social Forum: Building Uganda, Our Responsibility!

World leaders meet annually at the World Economic Forum to conspire on how to exploit the poor, rape the earth in order to enrich a few. To extend the grip of multilateral corporations, the agents of this process of impoverishment, globalisation was invented in the last decade. Since 2001, Civil Society has been engaged in the creation of an alternative World through the World Social Forum whose theme is: Another World is possible - a world of justice, equity and peace.
Since its inauguration in Brazil, World Social Forums have fast become a popular way to organise worldwide as evidenced by the increasing number of people who participate in them. From a paltry 15,000 in Porto Alegre in 2001 to about 120,000 in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2004, the Social Forum has become a popular mechanism which is that is being replicated in different countries of the developing world, because it gives real hope that an alternative and better world, situation, etc is possible. As a matter of fact, the 2007 World Social Forum will be hosted by East Africa.
In that same spirit, we civil society representatives hereby today announce our resolve to launch the Uganda Social Forum on November 10th 2005 at Nambole National Stadium, under the theme, "building Uganda - our responsibility". For we too strongly believe that another Uganda is possible.

*** Third Social Watch General Assembly

Eleven years after its creation, the Social Watch initiative needs to assess its achievements and decide on its strategy for the coming years. For that purpose, the third Social Watch General Assembly is now taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria (September 23 to 26 2006).
The meeting is expected to be an expression of the diverse Social Watch “membership” by bringing together representatives from 60 countries of as many national coalitions as possible, as well as keynote speakers, special invitees from key NGO networks with closely related areas of concern and observers from national Social Watch groups in formation.

*** IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings

The IMF/World Bank Annual meetings took place in Singapore from September 14-20, 2006. Parallel to this, and in the spirit of resistance to neo-liberal policies and in keeping with the history of people’s struggles worldwide against economic domination, Asian movements together with an international group of networks, movements, campaigns and NGOs convened an International Peoples Forum versus the IMF & World Bank, on September 15 to 17 in Batam, Indonesia.
See IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings WEBLOG, on IFIwatchnet website
http://www.ifiwatchnet.org/wb_annual06/
Source - Choike

Transparency Begins at Home, WB-IMF Told : Civil society organisations gathered on this island, ahead of the annual meeting of the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in neighbouring Singapore, have launched a ‘global charter' demanding transparency from the finance institutions.
The charter has set out nine principles to compel the financial powerhouses to fall in line with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to ‘'seek, receive and impart information and ideas'. Among them are the public's right to access information held by the IFIs, ‘'regardless of who produced the document and whether the information relates to a public or private actor'.
Source – Inter Press Service (IPS) (http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=34752)

*** Human Rights Council – 2nd session

The 2nd Session of the new Human Rights Council (HRC) is being held from 18 September to 6 October 2006 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. During this session, the HRC will discuss a joint report on detainees in Guantanamo Bay as well as the issue of Freedom of Religion or Belief and Freedom of Opinion and Expression.
For further details, see http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/

*** General Assembly review: Extreme Poverty has Deepened

According with the United Nations General Assembly midterm review, while slight increases in development aid since 2002 had raised health and education standards among the world’s poorest countries, extreme poverty had actually deepened, senior United Nations officials warned today as they called for a reinvigorated global partnership of donor nations, civil society, and the private sector, working alongside the least developed countries, to improve the prospects of some 370 million people now forced to live on less than $1 a day.
“Together, we have an urgent moral imperative to eradicate abject poverty”, declared General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain, as she opened that organ’s High-Level Meeting on the midterm review of the Brussels Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for the Decade 2001-2010. The bulk of the 50 United Nations-identified LDCs, which include small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, are located in Africa, with the rest scattered throughout Southern Asia, and one - Haiti - in the Northern hemisphere.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/ga10497.doc.htm

*** Global Fund for Lifesaving Drugs

A global fund to purchase massive amounts of medicines for developing countries with money coming from "solidarity" flight taxes and other innovative financing systems was recently launched. The initiative was presented by the Presidents of Brazil, France, together with the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
"There will be no peace and prosperity in a world where millions of people are still extremely poor. The war we must wage is a war on hunger, poverty and other forms of exclusion, including lack of access to essential drugs," Brazil's Lula said Tuesday.
In its first stage, the fund, called Unitaid, will focus on combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis - three diseases that occur most frequently in the world's less developed countries.
"Unitaid's regular and predictable sources of financing will ensure its value added and effectiveness. As of now, 18 countries have announced plans to introduce a solidarity levy on airline tickets. Other similar instruments, including additional long-term budgetary resources will also be welcome," the agency said in a statement.
Source: International Press Service (IPS) (http://www.ipsterraviva.net/TV/ldcs/en/viewstory.asp?idnews=755)

PUBLICATIONS

*** 3D new report - Niger: Agricultural Trade Liberalisation and Women's Rights (August 2006)

3D (3D: Trade, Human Rights & Equitable Economy) has just published a report about the impact of trade liberalisation on women’s rights in Niger, describing how women suffer disproportionately from liberalisation of agricultural trade. The report has been submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which will assess the enjoyment of women’s rights in Niger, in 2007.
You can read the report’s briefing at
http://www.3dthree.org/pdf_3D/3DCEDAWNigerAg.pdf

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*** From COHRE: new website, new report & recent updates from Kenya

New website – COHRE’s website has been fully redesigned and updated. The new site retains all of the reference material on housing rights and related issues found on the old one, while adding many features in a new design intended to be easy to use. The site will be further developed in the next months. COHRE appreciates any comments or suggestions for new content – you can write to webmaster@cohre.org.
Defending the Housing Rights of Children - new report on children's housing rights, developed by COHRE in collaboration with Cordaid and 16 children's and human rights agencies around the world. The report examines the many ways in which children suffer violations of their housing rights and highlights the international human rights standards intended to protect the housing rights of children worldwide.
Update on housing rights in Kenya – COHRE and Hakijamii Trust have recently released the last update on housing rights issues in Kenya. This issue is focused on forced evictions in Kenyan forests.
Both the Report and the Kenya Update are available at www.cohre.org (http://www.cohre.org/)

FORTHCOMING EVENTS – HIGHLIGHTS

*** International Civil Society Forum: an Optional Protocol to the ICESCR

The Forum is promoted and organised by CIDESC and the NGO Coalition to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and will take place in Lisbon, Portugal on 12&13 October 2006. This forum aims to guarantee the involvement of civil society in the drafting process of the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR. The intention is to have a draft Optional Protocol agreed upon during the Forum. The document is being prepared by the NGO Coalition for an Optional Protocol to the ICESCR. It will be issued before the Forum takes place so that all interested parts can give their contribution.
During the Forum, Ms. Catarina Albuquerque, Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group to consider options regarding the elaboration of an Optional Protocol to the ICESCR will present the Human Rights Standards: Learning from Experience Report - a co-publication of International Council on Human Rights Policy (ICHRP), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the International Service for Human Rights. This reports examines the unpredictable history of past standard-setting and the options available to those who advocate new standards in the future. The ICHRP Research Director, Magdalena Sepulveda, will be present at the meeting.
For more information on the program see http://www.esc-rights.org/

*** 17 October 2006 - World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty – the 4th Global White Band Day

Next 17th of October - World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty – all across the world millions of people will show their support for the fight against poverty by wearing a white band, and will call on world leaders to do more to eradicate poverty.
The theme of the month is Stand Up Against Poverty and there will be actions on trade justice, debt and aid as well as a global world record attempt on 15-16 October. All these actions will be calling on world leaders to keep the promises they made in 2005 to make poverty history and to do much more.
Do get involved wherever you are – wear a white band, contact a politician, go along to an event or take part in the world record attempt.
Over the next few weeks there will be more information on this in various websites. You can download a preview toolkit below to get your plans started right now.
You can take action to make poverty history at any time but do please join the world in doing so this autumn as together
http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/docs/toolkit.pdf

This is a monthly electronic news bulletin of 'Dignity International: All Human Rights for All'. Dignity International does not accredit, validate or substantiate any information posted by members to this news bulletin. The validity and accuracy of any information is the responsibility of the originator.

If you are working in the area of human rights with a special attention to different aspects of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, we would love to hear from you. To contribute, email us at info@dignityinternational.org [info@dignityinternational.org?subject=information]

Posted by Evelin at September 25, 2006 09:05 PM