15 May 2009: International Day of Families

From the Secretary-General's message: "This year's International Day of Families, being commemorated under the theme, “Mothers and Families: Challenges in a Changing World,” focuses on the important role of mothers for families and communities around the world. Mothers play a critical role in the family, which is a powerful force for social cohesion and integration. The mother-child relationship is vital for the healthy development of children. And mothers are not only caregivers; they are also breadwinners for their families. Yet women continue to face major – and even life-threatening – challenges in motherhood." This theme follows last year's focus on "Fathers and Families: Responsibilities and Challenges" For more information GO TO: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/IDF.html

22 May 2009: The International Day for Biological Diversity
The theme for the International Day on Biological Diversity (IDB) in 2009 is invasive alien species (IAS) - one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, and to the ecological and economic well-being of society and the planet. Designation of IDB 2009 on the theme of invasive alien species provides Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and those dealing with IAS, opportunity to raise awareness of the issue and increase practical action to tackle the problem. For more information GO TO: http://www.cbd.int/idb/2009/

13 May 2009: Interactive Thematic Dialogue of the UN General Assembly on the "Taking Collective Action to End Human Trafficking"
The day’s dialogue examined the progress achieved over the last two years, and draws upon last year’s thematic dialogue which focused on prevention of trafficking and protection of victims. The dialogue used, as a point of departure, the Background paper of the Secretary-General on “Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons,” and was organized into three separate, but interrelated, panels comprised of leading officials from United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT), civil society experts and prominent officials from various Member States.

 Between two and four million men, women and children are trafficked worldwide every year, and the number is growing, according to Stop the Traffik: People Shouldn’t be Bought or Sold, a global coalition dedicated to eradicating human trafficking. Stop the Traffik operates in over 50 countries with some 1000 affiliated organizations. Their work includes spreading awareness of the growing threat posed by human trafficking, lobbying leaders with the power to effect change and fundraising to help victims of human trafficking and protect those vulnerable to the scourge.To see video of the webcasts from the sessions, download the SG's background paper, or read meeting summary GO TO: http://www.un.org/ga/president/63/interactive/humantrafficking.shtml

General Assembly Summit on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development
The United Nations is convening a three-day summit of world leaders from 1 to 3 June 2009 at its New York Headquarters to assess the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression. The aim is to identify emergency and long-term responses to mitigate the impact of the crisis, especially on vulnerable populations, and initiate a needed dialogue on the transformation of the international financial architecture, taking into account the needs and concerns of all Member States. The United Nations summit of world leaders in June was mandated at the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development, held in December 2008 in Doha, Qatar. Member States requested the General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann to organize the meeting “at the highest level”. The conference will consist of plenary sessions and four interactive roundtable exchanges among world leaders and representatives of the United Nations system, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as civil society organizations and the private sector. The summit will produce an outcome document, a draft of which is expected to be available in the first weeks of May. For more information GO TO: http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/

United Nations Economic Crisis Summit - Draft Outcome Document
The President of the General Assembly (PGA) Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann has presented this draft outcome document for the UN Conference which will take place June 1-3, 2009. The EU, the US and Canada objected to the process of producing the draft, arguing that the PGA has excluded member states from it. The PGA explained that he has incorporated inputs from the Co-Facilitators of the preparatory process as well as from his visits to member states. The draft contains bold proposals to transform the global economy in order to put a focus on people instead of profit, including a new Global Economic Coordination Council. To download Draft Outcome Document GO TO: http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/docs.shtml

May 14, 2009: US Elected to Human Rights Council; Administration Vows to Strengthen Council’s Performance

On May 12^th, the United States was one of 18 countries elected to serve on the UN Human Rights Council, marking a dramatic shift in American policy toward the Council and US participation in the United Nations. In securing a three-year term on the 47-member Council, which replaced the historic Human Rights Commission in 2006, the United States won 167 votes in the General Assembly, far exceeding the absolute majority of 97 required for election (though seven countries received more votes). The United States was one of five countries elected to the Council for the first time, along with Belgium, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, and Norway. In remarks to the press following the election, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan E. Rice said the administration was “gratified by the strong showing of encouragement for the United States to again play a meaningful leadership role in multilateral organizations, including the UN, on the very vitally important set of issues relating to human rights and democracy.” Noting that the administration recognizes the Council “has been a flawed body that has not lived up to its potential,” Rice said she was “looking forward to working from within with a broad cross section of member states” to strengthen the Council. She said the administration would not have run for election if it thought the Council could not be effective, and pointed to the upcoming 2011 General Assembly review of the body “as an important opportunity to strengthen and reform the Council,” including assessing its procedures and the substance of its actions. For more information GO TO: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1281

 Global Classrooms Continues Model UN Conference Season
On Monday, May 11, the Global Classrooms: Washington, DC, program hosted its sixth annual Model UN conference at the US State Department. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed more than 600 middle and high school students from Washington, DC, public schools, talking to them about the benefits of Model UN and noting that her daughter Chelsea participated in that same conference while in high school in the DC area. Ambassador Tom Miller also made his first official appearance as UNA-USA president.  To view a video of Secretary Clinton's remarks or read the full text, GO TO: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1276.
 

Happy Easter!!!

53rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission on the Status of Women considered the theme: “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS” at its 53rd session, 2-13 March 2009. The work in the Commission will be guided by two reports of the Secretary-General on the theme: one will identify and discuss key issues in sharing of responsibilities between women and men and suggest policy recommendations; and a second will provide an overview of mainstreaming efforts related to sharing of responsibilities at national level. To learn more about the Commission this year or previous sessions as well as see the draft document on agreed conclusions GO TO: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/53sess.htm#themes 

Students from St. Mary's University Attend Session of CSW as part of "Alternative" Spring Break
Eleven college students (and two moderators) from the Marianist University, St. Mary's in San Antonio, Texas, attended part of the session of the 2009 Commission on the Status of Women. They also got a tour of the UN and learned how NGOs participate in the work at the United Nations. 

Call for Marianists to Please Participate in the Survey on Social Integration, Inclusion
The NGO Committee for Social Development invites you to respond to a survey on social integration, in connection with the United Nations Commission for Social Development. The survey aims to collect experiences, good practices and policy recommendations to be presented to governments and the international community in February 2010 at the policy session of the Commission. Social integration is the priority theme for the 2009-2010 review and policy cycle of the Commission, taking into account the relationship with poverty eradication and full employment and decent work for all. Social integration policies should seek to reduce inequalities, promote access to basic social services, education for all and health care, and increase the participation and integration of social groups. We would like to hear about your experiences, especially any examples or good practices your organization has on successful initiatives that promote social integration. Your responses to the survey will be compiled into a document which will showcase good practices and policy recommendations for promoting social integration. The document will be presented to governments at the Commission in February 2010, and also widely distributed to civil society. To complete the survey on-line GO TO: http://www.un-ngls.org/socialintegration/. The survey is now available in English and soon to be in Spanish and French. You can also GO TO http://www.marianistngo.org/documents to download the survey as a Word document and send back via email. 

On 'Red Hand Day', children call for an end to their forced use in conflict
Children from 101 countries have appealed to international leaders to take stronger action to end the use of child soldiers. Red Hand Day, 12 February, marks the anniversary of the signing of a protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that forbids the use of children in conflict. But despite the existence of this protocol, more than 250,000 children are still being forced into conflict in at least 17 countries – including some that have ratified the treaty. For more information and to see a video of the event GO TO: http://www.unicef.org/protection/index_48040.html and http://www.redhandday.org/ 

Obama Meets With Ban Ki-moon 
By Alan Averyt, Washington -- Seven weeks after his inauguration, President Obama met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the White House on March 11 to discuss issues that included climate change, the Millennium Development Goals, Darfur and the global economic crisis. To Read More GO TO: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1196 

Action Alert: Help Renew America's Human Rights Leadership
Late in the evening on Friday, Feb. 27, the State Department announced that the United States will participate as an observer during the March 2009 session of the UN Human Rights Council, the world's only global intergovernmental human rights body. This is a positive change, but it does not go far enough. FOR USA MARIANISTS - TAKE ACTION NOW: GO TO: http://capwiz.com/unausa/issues/alert/?alertid=12833166

Marianists International Intern, Nhan Nyugen, Gives Presentation at the International Catholic Center
Nhan has recently given two presentations at the ICO Center here in New York. With other new interns this year he shared his experience as a Vietnam refugee. Then later he related those experiences to his spirituality of forgiveness and reconciliation. GO TO the Marianist NGO website http://www.marianistngo.org/documents to see his report on a recent UN briefing about "Volunteerism."

UN Water- Water in a Changing World
The 3rd edition of the report (WWDR-3), entitled “Water in a Changing World,”  builds on the work of previous studies, including the two previous WWDRs, “Water for People, Water for Life”  (WWDR-1), presented at the 3rd World Water Forum in Japan in 2003, and “Water: A Shared Responsibility”  (WWDR-2), presented in 2006 at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico. However, the Third Edition of the Report presents several changes from the previous two editions. Unlike the earlier Reports which were structured along UN agency lines, the third Report has a new, holistic format. For more information about the WWDR-3, CLICK HERE: http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/

Civil Society presents its Declaration at the 2nd Plenary Session of the International Follow-Up Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, in Doha, Qatar.
"We, the members of more than 250 civil society organizations and networks  from around the world gathered before the official Review Conference on Financing for Development in Doha, Qatar, 25 – 27 November 2008 under the theme “Investing in people centered development”.  To download and read the entire text click: http://www.ffdngo.org/. At that site you may also read the text presented to the assembled delegates during the plenary session or you may access the video of the presentation at: http://www.un.org/webcast/ffd/2008/index.asp?go=100081129. The official Conference website contains excellent summaries of all the plenaries and roundtables.

IMF, World Bank chiefs to miss UN conference on Financing for Development in Doha
World Bank President Robert Zoellick and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn will not be in attendance next week at a major United Nations development conference due to schedule conflicts, UN officials said Monday [even though this conference has been scheduled for over a year]. The conference is intended to shore up donor commitments made in [Monterrey] Mexico in 2002 to aid developing countries through investment, aid and debt relief. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N24538361.htm

Interactive Panel of the United Nations General Assembly on the Global Financial Crisis, 30 October 2008
The President of the General Assembly, Fr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, MM, convened a panel, composed of Prof. Joseph Stiglitz (USA), Prof. Prabhat Patnaik (India) and Prof. Sakiko Fukuda-Parr (Japan) to open up a dialogue at the UN on the global financial crisis.  Member states discussed the issues - FOR MORE DETAILS SEE: Please see the report on the meeting at: http://www.un.org/ga/president/63/interactive/gfc.shtml  

 

World AIDS Day 2008

1 December 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. This year’s theme is “Lead – Empower – Deliver.” Designating leadership as the theme provides an opportunity to highlight both political leadership and celebrate leadership that has been witnessed at all levels of society. To mark the day, the UN Secretary General as well as UNAIDS Cosponsors and partners speak out in special World AIDS Day statements. The report, titled Children and AIDS: Third stocktaking report, was jointly prepared by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). This 2008 Stocktaking Report examines data on progress, emerging evidence, and current knowledge and practice for children as they relate to the four programme areas. The report also calls for actions in the next one to three years that can significantly improve prospects for children and women affected by AIDS. These initiatives involve changes in thinking, as well as concrete actions. For More Details (video, reports, pictures): http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp

Paris, 25 November - The failure of governments across the world to tackle deep and persistent inequalities in education is consigning millions of children to lives of poverty and diminished opportunity, according to a report published by UNESCO today. Blaming a combination of political indifference, weak domestic policies, and the failure of aid donors to act on commitments, the 2009 Education for All Global Monitoring Report – Overcoming inequality: why governance matters - warns that ‘unacceptable’ national and global education disparities are undermining efforts to achieve international development goals. “When financial systems fail, the consequences are highly visible and governments act,” commented UNESCO’s Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, adding: “When education systems fail the consequences are less visible, but no less real. Unequal opportunities for education fuel poverty, hunger, and child mortality, and reduce prospects for economic growth. That is why governments must act with a greater sense of urgency.” FOR MORE DETAILS SEE: http://www.unesco.org/education/gmr2009/press/ including press release, executive summary or full report.
 

Milennium Development Goals: 2008 Stand Up and Take Action has finished!
After some frantic counting, recounting and verifying, we finally have the figures for how many people took part in Stand Up and Take Action 2008. The worldwide number is… 116,993,629. That’s almost 2% of the total world population! Here’s how the figures break down:

• Africa: 24,496,151
• Arab region: 17,847,870
• Asia: 73,151,847
• Europe: 951,788
• Latin America: 211,250
• North America: 123,920
• Oceania: 210,803

18 September 2008: Feast of the Marianist Spanish Martyrs

Marianists Attend the Annual DPI/NGO Conference in Paris
Brothers Charles-Henri Moulin and Olivier Glaizer of the French Province and Brother Sandah Remy of Togo attended this year's UN NGO Conference in Paris, 3-5 September. The theme of this year's conference was celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed in Paris in 1948. Approximately 1,300 NGO representatives from around the world attended various thematic workshops. The conference was held at the headquarters of UNESCO. To view selected portions of the conference via WebCast go to the UN website: http://www.un.org/webcast/dpingo/. To get more details about the conference see the website: http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/conference/home.shtml

Bro. John Samaha, SM has written an article on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. TO DOWNLOAD ARTICLE GO TO: http://www.marianistngo.org/documents.htm

63rd General Assembly to Open with High-Level Segments on the MDGs and Africa

The High-level Event on the MDGs will take place on 25 September and, "will be a forum for world leaders to review progress, identify gaps, and commit to concrete efforts, resources and mechanisms to bridge the gaps. By asking world leaders to announce their specific plans and proposals, the High-level Event will help accelerate implementation and follow-through." TO LEARN MORE GO TO: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2008highlevel/

The high-level meeting on Africa’s development needs will take place at United Nations headquarters in New York on 22 September 2008. The theme of the meeting is: “Africa’s development needs: state of implementation of various commitments, challenges and the way forward.” The meeting takes place at a time of both promise and challenge for the continent. While on the one hand many African countries have shown strong GDP growth and progress on the MDGs over the last few years, rising world prices for food and oil, climate change and intractable conflict threaten to reverse these gains. The high-level meeting provides an opportunity for world leaders to come together to renew their commitments to Africa’s development and focus attention on how to address the challenges. TO LEARN MORE GO TO: http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/ThematicDebates/adnhlm.shtml

Caribbean storms displace hundreds of thousands of children and their families
Hurricane Ike has made its unwelcome presence felt in the Caribbean this week, leaving a path of destruction across many smaller islands before slamming into eastern Cuba, which had already borne the brunt of Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna. Meanwhile in Haiti, an estimated 800,000 people, including 300,000 children, are struggling to recover from massive flooding caused by the back-to-back storm systems. The government has officially requested international assistance. Large quantities of humanitarian supplies were pre-positioned prior to hurricane season in the Caribbean, but the number of storms that have developed this year was unexpected.                                                                       © UNICEF/2008
See the UNICEF Press Release: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_45527.html

New MSJC Global Economics Team - Making Sense of It 
Interested in getting a better understanding of economics as it interconnects with our basic Christian principles?  Looking for ways to effectively promote human rights, development and sustainability?  The Global Economic Justice Team of the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative (formerly Sweatshop Labor) invites you to consider attending a Global Economics Workshop at the UN on Oct. 15-17.  Financial assistance is available.  For more information, contact the MSJC office - 859-291-6197 or jimvogt2@yahoo.com.

Asia/Pacific young leaders unite to support the Millennium Development Goals
Nearly 300 university students from 20 member countries of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) met from 21-25 July in Incheon, Republic of Korea in the context of the WFUNA Asia and Pacific Regional Model UN Conference. In considering how to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, they discussed in a Plenary and three Committees, the need for pursuing alternative energy sources to ensure the future against threats of climate change, diminishing the risk of natural disasters especially in impoverished areas, advancing towards a knowledge-based economy, and regional collaboration to stop human trafficking. The delegates adopted by acclamation several resolutions and the Incheon Declaration, which advocates drawing on support from international organizations, civil society and the private sector to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Mr. Kiyo Akasaka, UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information participated in the conference on the final day, and announced that the UN will, for the first time next year, convene a global Model UN conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.  FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: www.apmun2008.org  FOR THE PRESS RELEASE: http://www.wfuna.org/atf/cf/%7B84F00800-D85E-4952-9E61-D991E657A458%7D/MDGs%20-%20English.pdf

State of the Future 2008
The 2008 State of the Future Report of the Millennium Project will be launched in collaboration with WFUNA and the UN Department of Public Information at the UN Bookstore this September in New York. The English, Spanish, and Russian versions of the Executive Summary available at: www.millennium-project.org/millennium/sof2008.html Initial pre-publication press coverage is available at the Millennium Projects newsroom: www.millennium-project.org/millennium/press.html .The Millennium Project Planning Committee has held its twelfth conference from 24-26 July in Washington, D.C.

UNESCO conference to review literacy and adult education challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean
Literacy and adult education in Latin America and the Caribbean are the focus of a UNESCO conference that will take place in Mexico City from 10 to 13 September, 2008. Hosted by the Government of Mexico and organized with the National Institute for Adult Education (INEA), the conference will bring together ministers of education and other representatives of governments and multilateral partners, regional NGOs, experts and stakeholders from the private sector, universities and the media. 
 
UNESCO survey finds under-privileged children also disadvantaged in the classroom
A new study by UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics (UIS) highlights the strong effect of social inequality on primary education systems in many countries and the challenge to provide all children with equal learning opportunities. Entitled A View Inside Primary Schools, the report presents the results of a unique survey undertaken in 11 countries[1] in Latin America, Asia and North Africa. As part of the World Education Indicators (WEI) programme, the countries were involved in developing and conducting the survey to examine the factors shaping the quality and equality of primary education.  In general, village schools are in greater need of repair, according to the survey results. In Peru and the Philippines, for example, principals in rural areas report that about 70% of their pupils are in schools that needed major repairs or complete re-building. In Brazil, half the pupils in villages sat in run-down classrooms compared to less than 30% of pupils in urban establishments.

Download the following materials:
• Full report available in English:http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/Report.pdf
• Executive summary in English (http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/ExecSum.pdf) 
Spanish (http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/ExecSumSP.pdf)
• Press release in English (http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/unescopressEN.doc),
French (http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/unescopressFR.doc) 
Spanish (http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/unescopressSP.doc)

• Preparedness and disaster risk reduction is about building individual and community capacities so that the likelihood of climate change-induced disasters is reduced and that people are able to respond promptly, expeditiously and effectively.
• Adaptation entails actions that moderate harm, or exploit benefits, of climate change.
• Mitigation entails actions that minimizes or cushions the adverse impacts of climate change.

International Youth Day gives the world an opportunity to recognize the potential of youth, to celebrate their achievements, and plan for ways to better engage young people to successfully take action in the development of their societies. It presents a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to rally together to ensure that young people are included in decision-making at all levels. http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/iyd2008.htm

 

Hearings of Civil Society on Financing for Development:
18 June 2008, UN Headquarters
As part of the preparation for the Review Conference on the Monterrey Concensus in November the General Assembly held a session for civil society suggestions for the topics of the conference as well as areas to be included in the outcome document which will be negotiated at the conference. The two sessions were well represented by NGOs from both the North and the South, men and women. The NGO networks which form the Doha Group of NGOs hosted an interactive forum for civil society the day before the formal hearings. The final NGO benchmark document can be downloaded from the FFD website as well as the program and specific panel presentations. http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/doha/hearings/civilsociety/index.htm 

• Allocating more aid: where should it go?
• South-South and triangular development cooperation: what can development actors learn?
• How are civil society and new actors enhancing impact at the country-level?
• Are country-level capacities ready for more aid?
• How can development aid support national development strategies?
• Aid effectiveness agenda: towards consensus at Accra and Doha

UNICEF begins rebuilding schools in cyclone-stricken Myanmar
Cyclone Nargis made landfall in early May, killing more than 77,000 people in the Southeast Asian country, according to a UN estimate. Some 55,000 others are reportedly missing, and as many as 600,000 people, mainly in the Irrawaddy Delta, have had to be relocated. Myanmar's Government has granted access to the United Nations to use helicopters for delivering aid to those hit by last month's cyclone. But making deliveries often means battling strong winds and rain. UNICEF and its partners have been able to reach people who live in the southern Irrawaddy Delta, but more aid is needed. Where villages have lost school buildings, UNICEF is delivering about 80 large tents that will provide safe learning spaces for more than 6,000 children.

 DPI Annual NGO Conference: 3-5 September, Paris France
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 60 this year and to celebrate this anniversary we have chosen the theme "Reaffirming Human Rights: The Universal Declaration at 60." The Declaration is the first universal statement on the basic principles of the human rights to which peoples of all nations are entitled. It has also set the common standard of achievement to which people all over the world should aspire. This 61st annual Conference is organized by the Department of Public Information in cooperation with the NGO community, this year with the assistance of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of France. The capital city of France is also the place where the Declaration was signed some 60 years ago. It is therefore fitting, that it will be the host city for the premier NGO event of the year, at UNESCO's Headquarters, attracting more than 2,000 NGO representatives from some 90 countries. As of this writing, 2 French Marianist Brothers and one from Togo will be representing Marianists International at the conference. http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/conference/
 

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