|
|
|
|
Recent Email Reports
|
|
18 September 2008: Feast of the Marianist Spanish Martyrs
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
Asia/Pacific young leaders unite to support the Millennium Development
Goals State
of the Future 2008
UNESCO conference to review literacy and adult education challenges in
Latin America and the Caribbean
Download the following materials:
[1]
|
|
12 August:
International Youth Day
Theme for International Youth Day 2008: YOUTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE: TIME FOR ACTION The selection of this theme for IYD 2008 is in recognition of the fact that climate change has already begun to devastate communities and deepen the effects of poverty and hunger. This situation complicates the challenges that youth face. However, young people are increasingly adding their voices to the call for action on climate change. It is important to actively engage youth in areas of preparedness, risk reduction, adaptation and mitigation:
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 Bro. Steve @ the NGO Forum on FFD
ECOSOC Development Cooperation
Forum
The first biennial Development Cooperation Forum took place at UN Headquarters, New York, on 30 June - 1 July 2008. The goal of the Forum was to position the United Nations Economic and Social Council as a principal forum for global dialogue and policy review on the effectiveness and coherence of international development cooperation. Offical summary of the ECOSOC President and of some of the rountables can be downloaded at http://www.un.org/ecosoc/newfunct/2008dcf.shtml Summaries of roundtables
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.
© UNICEF/HQ08-0616/Thame
We the Peoples 2008 Report Now Available We the Peoples is a survey-based joint project of The North-South Institute and the WFUNA. Its goal is to encourage and support the engagement of civil society organizations with the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals, document and report on civil society’s involvement in promoting and implementing them, and provide a platform and channel for civil society to voice their assessment of progress locally and internationally. The report is available at: www.nsi-ins.ca/english/pdf/wtp_2008.pdf
G8 Fails to Set
Climate World Alright (July 8, 2008)
G8 leaders agreed to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2050 at their July 2008 meeting in Japan. But, over 200 countries already agreed to this target when they signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change at the Earth Summit in 1992. The BBC says, G8 leaders should take concrete steps to reduce emissions rather than restate targets and quarrel over setting a baseline year to calculate emissions. G8 countries are responsible for 62% of global carbon emissions but its leaders are "crawling forward on emissions cuts at a time when giant leaps and bounds are needed." http:// www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/bwi-wto/g7-8/2008/0708japan.htm  DPI
Annual NGO Conference: 3-5 September, Paris FranceThe 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/ |
|
12
June 2008: World Day Against Child Labor
 Reaching
the unreached: the child labour challenge in India“Every child counts…Over the last year, we have rescued more than 5,000 children from the streets of Hyderabad to enable them to regain their lost childhood”, says Leyla Tegmo-Reddy, ILO Director in New Delhi, India. The ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) has been striving to rescue and rehabilitate migrant working children in the age group of 5 to 14 years, saving them from being trafficked or from getting involved in drugs and crime. ILO Online spoke with the ILO Director in New Delhi and Rani Kumudini who is the Project Manager in Hyderabad. http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Feature_stories/lang--en/WCMS_093925/index.htm
"Words must
be put into action to fight human trafficking."
– General Assembly President
3 June 2008 - Global and regional pacts must be put into action if the world is to tackle the scourge of human trafficking, a $32 billion annual industry, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said today in New York. Despite United Nations-backed agreements and initiatives, “there remains a vast gulf between the letter of the law and the situation on the ground,” he told a thematic debate convened by the Assembly on the issue. For more Information see: http://www.un.org/ga/news/news.asp?NewsID=26900
Brother
Ed Violett, Assistant General for Temporalities, visted the UN and
attended a special workshop on trafficking designed by UNITAR.
Release of the Eighth Annual Trafficking in Persons Report by US Department of State  4 June 2008, Washington, DC: "In virtually every country around the world, including the United States, men, women and children are held in domestic servitude, exploited for commercial sex, coerced into work in factories and sweatshops. In some, children are forcibly recruited as soldiers. These are forms of human trafficking. They are, in fact, forms of modern-day slavery. Estimates of the number of victims vary widely. According to the U.S. intelligence community, approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year. About 80 percent of them are female. Up to half are minors. These figures do not include millions who are trafficked for purposes of labor and sexual exploitation within national borders as well." -Ambassador Mark P. Lagon, Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. To read Ambassador Logon's entire remarks see: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/rm/2008/105572.htm, To download the new 2008 Report go to: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/  UNESCO
survey finds under-privileged children also disadvantaged in the
classroom
Paris/Montreal, 28 May
- 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 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. “This survey offers a wealth of data. On the one hand, we
see the extent to which schools lack the most basic elements -
running water or electricity – that are taken for granted in the
developed countries,” says Hendrik van der Pol, director of the
Institute. “But the data also reveal how social inequality affects a
child’s opportunity to learn. And clearly, no country – rich or poor
– is immune to these disparities.”
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=42590&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Secretary General's Address at High-level Conference on World Food Security (June 3, 2008) At the UN Food Summit in Rome, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made several short- and long-term recommendations to address the food crisis. Although he recommended implementing social protection programs and supporting smallholder farming, Ban also endorsed more controversial measures such as a Green Revolution in Africa and minimizing trade restrictions. Despite widespread criticism of biofuels, the Secretary General neglected to acknowledge how biofuel production leads to food shortages. (UN News) http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/hunger/general/2008/0603address.htm
Civil Society Statement on World Food
Emergency - No More "Failures-as-Usual!" (June 2, 2008)
This civil society statement argues that governments and intergovernmental organizations are responsible for the global food crisis because their policies have undermined agricultural productivity, destroyed national food security and created a dysfunctional global food system. The NGOs present a global plan of action for food and agriculture, rejecting "technological quick-fixes" and "green revolution models." Instead, they propose a global, comprehensive social policy based on the wishes and needs of people. (IPC Food Sovereignty) http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/hunger/general/index.htm#failure
15 May 2008 - Secretary-General's
message on the International Day of Families
The theme for this year's International Day of Families, “Fathers and Families: Responsibilities and Challenges”, focuses on the important role fathers play in the lives of families and children around the world. Traditionally in many societies, fathers have been moral teachers, disciplinarians and breadwinners. In many countries, there is now an increased emphasis on the father's role as a co-parent, fully engaged in the emotional and practical day-to-day aspects of raising children. Recent research has affirmed the positive impact of active involvement by fathers in the development of their children. Yet challenges persist for fathers – and for society and social policy. Too many men have difficulty assuming the responsibilities of fatherhood, often with damaging consequences to families and inevitably society at large. Some fathers inflict domestic violence or even sexual abuse, devastating families and creating profound physical and emotional scars in children. Others abandon their families outright and fail to provide support. Researchers continue to explore how the presence or absence of fathers can affect children, in areas such as school achievement and crime. http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3157
|
 Pope
Stresses UN Role in Promoting Human RightsBy Farah Ameen, UNA-USA “The promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and for increasing security,” said Pope Benedict XVI to the 192-member body at the United Nations on Friday. He stressed the UN’s role in the need to protect human rights, ensure development and security, and reduce local and global inequalities, saying “…the victims of hardship and despair, whose human dignity is violated with impunity, become easy prey to the call to violence, and they can then become violators of peace.”
For more information go to:
http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=4051181&auid=3598249&kntaw5367=2C95FD33F22D40A7B1954F02A91BBB67
As General Assembly calls for action on
Millennium Development Goals,
 The United Nations General Assembly concluded a three-day debate to accelerate lagging progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 with a call for decisive action and a proposal by the Assembly President for annual meetings to take stock of global implementation to hold all partners to account for their commitments. “Failure is not an option,” General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said. “It is clear from our debate yesterday that we have the solutions. The key issue is that we all have to deliver on our commitments, scale up our efforts and accelerate progress.” The debate was extended by a full day to accommodate the 117 speakers, including 10 ministers and 9 vice-ministers, representing 110 countries. The debate also drew a wide range of participants from the United Nations system, academia, business, and non-governmental organizations. For more information go to: http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/ThematicDebates/mdgthematicdebate.shtml
Catholic NGOs Send Message to the Human Rights Council on
the Rights of the Child
Helene Durand Ballivet of the
International Catholic
Organizations Center
in Geneva and a number other
Catholic NGOs, have
sent a statement on the "promotion
and protection of the dignity and rights of children"
to the Human Rights Council. There
is a special reference to the
General
Assembly’s resolution A/C.3/62/L.24/Rev.1, in which a majority of
countries agreed to the appointment of a Special Representative of
the Secretary General of the UN on the violence against children,
"who will present, amongst others things, an annual report to the
Human Rights Council. Together with the International Convention on
the Rights of the Child and its two Protocols, this new mechanism
will complement those established by the Council such as the Special
Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child
Pornography, the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons,
especially in Women and Children, the Special Rapporteur on Violence
against Women, and the recently created Special Rapporteur on
Contemporary Forms of Slavery; each one of them examining the
situation of children's rights from the perspective of their own
expertise."
CLICK here to
download the complete text.
 Special
High-level Meeting of the Economic and Social Council with the
Bretton Woods Institutions, the World Trade Organization and the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development,
14 April 2008The Special high-level meeting of the Economic and Social Council with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development took place on Monday, 14 April 2008, at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The overall theme of the meeting was "Coherence, coordination and cooperation in the context of the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, including new challenges and emerging issues". The meeting substantively covered the following sub-themes:
Three members of the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS)
attended the meetings as well as the NGO forum which occured the
Sunday before the high-level meeting.
For more information go to:
http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/ecosoc/springmeetings/2008/index.htm
Second Global
Forum on Migration and Development
to be held in
The theme will be Protecting and Empowering Migrants for
Development. It will be led by governments, not by the UN. Civil
Society’s participation will be organized by the AYALA Foundation, a
Philippine organization headed by Vicki Garchitorena. Members of
the NGO Committee on
Migration in New York had
met previously with Ms. Garchitorena on January 18 to discuss plans
for the 2nd GFMD. This conference will be similar to
the 1st GFMD but with the following positive changes, 1.
Two days instead of one for civil society participation. 2.
Interaction with government on the second day and more focus on
human rights.
|
|
8
March 2008 :
International Women's Day
 46th
Session Commission on Social Development,
6 to 15 February 2008, New York -
Priority Theme:
"Promoting Full Employment And Decent Work For All"
This was the first "policy year" of the
Commission's two year thematic cycle. Debate over the type of
outcome document and how the Commission could hold governments
accountable to agreed provisions of the theme of employment went
past the normal time allotted for the Commission. Final agreement
was reached on 22 February and the final text (E/CN.5/2008/L.8)
can be downloaded at the
Commission website,
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/csd/csocd2008/resolutions.htm as
well as resolutions on African development,
follow-up to the Madrid Plan of Action on Aging, and mainstreaming
disability into the development
agenda. Marianist intern, Cynthia Sias, helped provide simultaneous
translation from Spanish/English and English/Spanish in a number of
the sessions with NGOs.
Marianists International Participates
in Consultation on the UN's 2nd Decade on Poverty Eradication
As part of the Marianists participation in the
NGO Sub-Committee we would like to ask all members of the Marianist
Family to reflect on these three questions:
Questions for Consultation with People Living in Poverty
November 2008
Marianists International Included in Youth Retreat on
Marianist Social Justice
Bro. Steve was recently asked to provide some background on the work of the Marianist NGO at the UN for a group of young people on retreat at Cape May Point, New Jersey. The retreat was entitled: "Heart of Winter" and gave an overview of how Marianists understand social justice to include both direct service and actions toward systemic change. After hearing about the work of the NGO, the young people put on a puppet show for younger kids at a nearby church/community center. 
UNICEF's 2008 State of the World's Children: Child Survival
UNICEF’s flagship
report The State of the World’s Children 2008, which was released 22
January in Geneva, says the health needs of women, mothers and
newborn children must be a priority if the MDGs are to be met. The
new information in The State of the World’s Children 2008 is drawn
from household survey data as well as material from key partners,
including the World Health Organization and the World Bank. UNICEF
believes that the political leaders of the G8 industrialized nations
must address child health as not just a moral imperative but also a
development priority. And experience has shown that the benefits of
community health spread far beyond just children. GO TO
http://www.unicef.org/childsurvival/index_42503.html to see the
UNICEF website on the new report and view videos
or access whole document in PDF.
Three Items from
the UN Millennium Campaign:
1. Jubilee,
Micah Challenge and others deliver letter to President Bush.
Leaders from several US faith-based organizations including Micah Challenge, Bread for the World, and World Relief urged President Bush to show leadership with the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation. 2. Education for All Act. Worldwide, 77 million children lack access to even basic education. The Education for All Act is a bipartisan bicameral bill that will pledge the US government to scale up its investment in basic education to ensure every child goes to school worldwide. To take action GO TO, http://one.org/takeaction/education_for_all_act.html
3. Student
Writing Competition. Concern is holding their annual
writing competition invites students to write about global issues.
This year's theme is: "A World Without Hunger". GO TO
http://concernusa.org/Public/GCP/News.aspx?Id=655 to learn more.
 Spanish
Marianists on Journey of Lenten Discovery: 40 Days - 40 Poorest
Countries (Cuaresma 40 Dias con los 40 Últimos) In Spanish Only
Bro. José
Eizaguirre, SM is the current Assistant for Temporalities in the
Madrid Province. For the past 4 years he has helped the
Marianists in Spain join in solidarity with the people of the 40
poorest countries during Lent. The program contains elements of
learning, prayer, and action. There is also the opportunity to
explore issues significant to those counties, e.g., domestic
violence, access of women in the political process, Family, Marriage
and Motherhood. To learn more visit the website,
http://www.marianistas.org/~justiciaypaz/cuaresma/
|
|
Marianists International Annual Report for 2007
The annual report for 2007 covering
much of the monthly activities at the Marianist NGO is available on
our website documents page,
http://www.MarianistNGO.org/documents.htm
BaliBuzz: Youth Statement to High-Level Plenary in Bali: “This is
our last chance”
from http://wwww.  The
International Youth delegations read a powerful statement to the
high-level plenary in at the climate conference in Bali. Giving the
UN climate conference’s closing statement, it was a defining moment.
The incredble speakers were Anna Keenan from Australia,
Karmila Parakkasi from Indonesia, Whit
Jones from SustainUS in the United States, and Bambou Chieppa
(a 13-year old girl). At 4 minutes, the statement was powerful and
concise — and called for bold action.
Progress for Children: A
World Fit for Children Statistical Review reports on
how well the world is doing in meeting its commitments for the
world’s children. This UNICEF special edition analyses progress
towards the Millennium Development Goals in four priority areas for
children: promoting healthy lives, providing a quality education,
combating HIV and AIDS, and protecting against abuse, exploitation
and violence. CLICK on the link
http://www.unicef.org/progressforchildren/2007n6/index_41401.htm to
view a video, see a photo essay or download the PDF report.
 General
Assembly Urges
Stepped Up
Effort To
Meet ‘WORLD FIT FOR
CHILDREN’ Pledgeshttp://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/ga10675.doc.htm With the adoption of a consensus Declaration, the Assembly marked the end of its high-level plenary on the follow-up to its 2002 special session on children, a seminal event which laid out time-bound goals for achieving children’s well-being in the areas of health, education, protection from abuse and violence, and combating HIV/AIDS. The commemorative meeting heard from more than 140 Heads of State, senior Government officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations and youth delegates, who spoke on varied economic and social issues, ranging from equitable trade to the importance of family. CLICK here to view final declaration fo the special session. http://www.unicef.org/media/media_42201.html  
CLICK
on the picture to the left to
download the Secretary General's report of the WFFC+5 review on
"Children and the MDGs."
http://www.unicef.org/worldfitforchildren/files/Children_and_the_MDGs_Final_EN.pdf
CLICK
on the image to the right to download the statement by children
themselves on the five year review of a "World Fit for Children."
http://www.unicef.org/worldfitforchildren/files/A_World_Fit_for_Us.pdf
CTAUN,The
Committee on Teaching About the United Nations presents its 10th
Annual Conference
|
|
16
November 2007 - International Day of Tolerance
Message from Mr Koïchiro Matsuura,
Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the International Day
for Tolerance, 16 November 2007
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35286&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
 GA President Receives 5 Million Signatures to End the Death Penalty The call for a moratorium on executions will be presented to the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Mr. Srgian Kerim, on Friday, Nov. 2, at 10.30 am. A delegation of the Community of Sant'Egidio and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty will deliver more than five million signatures collected worldwide on a petition to the General Assembly calling for a global moratorium on executions. CLICK Here to view press release. http://www.marianistngo.org/DeathPenalty press release 2 Nov.doc Social Watch Report 2007, 24 October 2007Social Watch launched its 2007 report at the United Nations in the context of the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development. Social Watch Report 2007: dignity in rights includes a Gender Equity Index which measures gender equality in the world using three indicators: education, empowerment, and economic activity. The report also discusses how social security is being dissolved worldwide in order to maintain capital investments and how this has especially affected the retirement life of women. http://www.socialwatch.org/en/informeImpreso/informe2007.htm The United Nations, Google and Cisco Systems Launch new
Website for the MDGs The MDG Monitor is designed as a tool for policymakers, development practitioners, journalists, students and others to: TRACK progress through interactive maps and country-specific profiles, LEARN about countries' challenges and achievements and get the latest news, SUPPORT organizations working on the MDGs around the world
Over 43 Million Stand Up
and Speak Out Against Poverty Negotiating and Implementing MEAs (Multilateral Environmental Agreements): A Manual for NGOs United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2007 This manual - developed in cooperation with Stakeholder Forum, Earth Media and Centro de Estudios Ambientales – aims at strengthening multi-stakeholder participation and increasing political momentum for effective MEA development, implementation and enforcement. It provides step-by-step background information, hands-on guidance, and expert advice on how stakeholders can effectively engage in developing and implementing MEAs. http://www.unep.org/delc/docs/MEAs%20Final.pdf
The UN Nonprofit Handbook Project
Johns Hopkins University and the United Nations, 26-27 September 2007 The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies in collaboration with the United Nations Volunteers and the United Nations Statistics Division came together in a Global Assembly to review the progress of the civil society sector, volunteerism, and philanthropy through the creation of a United Nations Handbook on Nonprofit Institutions in the System of National Accounts (UN NPI Handbook). The Global Assembly provided a space for civil society members to discuss mechanisms of extending their work and to assess the ability of this Handbook in helping civil society to promote the Millennium Developmental Goals. Global Assembly website: http://www.jhu.edu/ccss/unhandbook/meetings.html UN NPI Handbook: http://www.jhu.edu/ccss/unhandbook/handbookdraft.html
Global
Food Crisis Looms as Climate Change and Fuel Shortages Bite
(November 3, 2007) |
|
17 October 2007 - International Day for the Eradication of
Poverty
International Day for
the Eradication of Poverty
Following last year's record
breaking event, the UN's Millennium Campaign and Global Action
Against Poverty hope to repeat the success with an even larger
witness this year. Stand Up and Speak Out is the growing
movement of people no longer prepared to stay seated or silent
in the face of poverty and inequality. On October 16th and 17th,
Stand Up and Speak Out for the Millennium Development Goals.
Help us break the world record. So we can break the record of
broken promises.
Login to Manage Your Event
 ,
http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/user/login/edit?destination=mystandup/events.
International Movement
ATD Fourth World, a non-governmental organization with
no religious or political affiliation which engages with
individuals and institutions to find solutions to eradicate
extreme poverty and helped initiate the International Day for
the Eradication of Poverty, has more information about
commemorations of the day around the world at their website,
http://www.oct17.org/en. There you can also sign the Call to Action
petition to end global poverty.
World Food Day, 18 October, New York
Established by the
Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), http://www.fao.org/,
to be celebrated every year on 16 October, the World Food Day
will be observed this year on 18 October at the United Nations
in New York . Under the theme “The Right to Food”, the World
Food Event will be held at the United Nations, from 1:15 p.m. to
2:45 p.m., in Conference Room 3. Attendees expected, The
President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General of The
United Nations, the President of ECOSOC, the entire UN
Community, NGOs, Civil Society and school children involved in
school gardening programmes, will address the right of all human
beings to have physical and economic access to nutritionally
adequate, culturally acceptable and safe food. For more
information about the day released by FAO go to the World Food
Day website,
http://www.fao.org/wfd2007/index_wfd2007.
 Reflections
on the Recent DPI/NGO Conference on Climate Change
The new Marianist intern at the
NGO office, Cynthia Sias, has written her reflections about the
recent conference on global climate change. While she did leave
the conference with hope, there were also frustrations. "We
need to realize that everyone around the globe is impacted by
climate change and we should listen to one another’s sufferings
and work to alleviate those sufferings while taking care of our
earth." To view the entire reflection go to the Marianist NGO
website,
http://www.MarianistNGO.org/documents.htm. The
next important UN Conference on Climate Change is scheduled for
Bali, 3-14 December,
http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_13/items/4049.php.
3rd Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC Internship Programme, 10-19 December, Bilbao , Spain Pax Romana–International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs (Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC) with the support from the Government of Basque Country are happy to invite you to participate at the 3rd Pax Romana-ICMICA Interreligious and Intercultural Internship Programme 2007, http://www.paxromana.org/node/923 to take place in Bilbao , Spain from 10 to 19 December 2007. The internship programme brings together people from different faiths, cultures and religions to reflect on how to be able to live together in a peaceful manner in the era with a profound transformation and transmission of cultures and religions. The deadline for submitting your application is October 20, 2007. Read here the Call for Participation, http://www.paxromana.org/node/922.
Marianists International to Participate in
Vatican Forum for "Catholic-inspired" NGOs, 30 November-2
December in Rome
"The Forum will provide an interactive space for the participants to share their experiences, priority areas and challenges in their important commitment to working for the dignity of the human person in the Community of Nations. It will also try to draft new proposals for collaboration and renewed dynamics, making the most of what has been realized until now and creating new modalities, if found useful. The intention is also to foster mutual knowledge and synergy with the HolySee and its Representatives." While there in Europe, Bro. Steve O'Neil, SM will try to meet with other Marianists in France and Spain to explore new ways for broader collaboration with the Marianist Family.
US Senate Passes FY08 State Department Spending Bill Providing
Increased UN Funding
The Senate adopted its fiscal year 2008 spending bill for State Department operations and foreign assistance programs, boosting the President's budget request for US assessed and voluntary contributions to international organizations, including the United Nations, UN agencies and programs, and UN peacekeeping operations. However, several amendments were adopted that may affect US financial contributions to the UN system. To Read more go to http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=evKPK8PTJiIZLoK&s=fkJRJ4OMIfKWIbNTJuF&m=dhLQK2MyHfJ3E. Marianists International Signs Onto Letter to Corporate Sponsors of the Beijing Olympics The Marianists have signed onto a letter to the multinational corporations sponsoring the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The government of China and chinese oil companies are the major international investors in Sudan. Therefore the letter to the Olympic sponsors asks that they "urge Beijing to use every tool at its disposal to convince the government of Sudan to allow a robust civilian protection force to move into Darfur before the Games begin. We urge your company to contact the Chinese government and the International Olympic Committee, to press China to play a constructive role to help those in Darfur."
Globalization: End of the Beginning - or Beginning of
the End? (September 11, 2007)
This Globalist article compares the US and Chinese economies following decades of economic globalization. The two countries are experiencing equally worrisome levels of income inequality and turbulence in their financial markets. This has caused fear, even among pro-globalization advocates. The author suggests that the global economy is headed towards a rough patch. He does not necessarily advocate for an end to globalization but rather a reform of the nature of globalization as we know it. He predicts that the structure of the global economy will have to change to counter the wide global and national disparities. http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/econ/2007/0911end.htm |
|
12 August 2007:
International Youth Day
New Marianist Volunteer to
work at the NGO Office:
Dafur Resolution 1769 (July
31, 2007)
Experts: As Economy
Grows, Income Disparity in Latin America Widens (July 30, 2007) New ActionAid report
looks at effects of IMF policies on education
Read
ActionAid's report Tools for Activists:
An Information and Advocacy Guide to the World Bank Group
|
October
24: United Nations Day
.jpg)
A
number of Lay Marianists from the US attended the events at UN
headquarters that day and participated in an interactive roundtable
on 
Armed
groups and government forces continue to abuse women and children in
North Kivu [DRC]
Marianists
Attend the Annual DPI/NGO Conference in Paris
Caribbean
storms displace hundreds of thousands of children and their families
New
MSJC Global Economics Team - Making Sense of It
UNESCO
survey finds under-privileged children also disadvantaged in the
classroom
Review
Sessions on the Chapters of 
The
Theme for the 2007 Commemoration of International Youth Day is: 
