21 January 2010*

*Unfortunately, I had completed this report and sent it out to our translators before the Haitian earthquake. I’m sure you have seen many reports of the tragedy there; including reports from our own General Administration: http://www.marianist.org/PDFs/eng/via_latina/via_latina/VL187%20(1-2010%20EXTRA2)-Eng.pdf

Review of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Shortly after agreement was reached, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the press that the talks had been exhausting.  “The Copenhagen Accord may not be everything that everyone hoped for. But it is a beginning--an essential beginning.”  He said countries have agreed to work toward a common, long-term goal to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius and many governments have made important commitments to reduce or limit emissions.  Significant progress was made to preserve forests and there was agreement to provide comprehensive support to the most vulnerable to cope with climate change.  And he said, “the deal is backed by money,” about $30 billion for short term use.  .  “We have the foundation for the first truly global agreement that will limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support adaptation for the most vulnerable, and launch a new era of green growth.” GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE FOR MORE ANALYSIS, PICTURES AND VIDEO OF THE CONFERENCE: http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/climatechange/pages/gateway/copenhagenfieldnotes 

Critique of Copenhagen by Oxfam International
"The UN climate talks must be rescued from the shambles of Copenhagen by revolutionizing the way the negotiations are carried out so that a deal can be delivered in 2010 and the chaos witnessed in Copenhagen is never repeated." In its new report: Climate shame: get back to the table (http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/climate-shame-get-back-table) launching today, the international aid agency reviews the outcomes of the recent climate conference, the shortcomings and the missed opportunities which will send repercussions among the world’s poorest people already suffering the effects of climate change. Too much was left to be resolved in Copenhagen but, at the moment, only two intersessional meetings are planned before reconvening at the next UN climate talks in Mexico in December. By then, an estimated 150,000 people will have died and a further 1 million displaced as a result of climate change. TO READ MORE GO TO: http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressrelease/2009-12-21/un-climate-negotiations-overhaul-avoid-4-degrees 

UNICEF’s five-year tsunami report highlights goals reached in relief and recovery efforts
The tragic events of December 26, 2004 caused destruction on an unprecedented scale. Nearly 230,000 people were killed – the majority of them women and children.  Communities were devastated, livelihoods destroyed, homes, schools and heath facilities washed away.  Yet the sheer scale of the Tsunami’s destruction – as well as the massive mobilization of resources received from international relief – provided many opportunities to restore basic services and build back better than before. The international community pledged over USD 14 billion for the relief and recovery of tsunami-affected countries, and UNICEF funds received for the Tsunami stand at USD 694.7 million, of which three quarters was raised from UNICEF’s National Committees. GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBPAGE TO ACCESS THE ENTIRE REPORT: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_52206.html 

Preparations for the 2010 Commission on Social Development
Marianists International, as members of the NGO Committee on Social Development has been working hard to prepare of this year's Commission on Social Development, 3-12 February 2010. This will be the "policy year" to conclude the two-year cycle on the theme of "social integration/inclusion." We were a member of the NGO team participating in the Expert Group Meeting on this priorty theme in November. The final report for that meeting and its recommendations can be found on the NGO Committee's website, http://ngosocdev.wordpress.com/ along with the recommendations from the other expert group meeting in Accra, Ghana. Also available on the website is a report the Committee did on a two year survey of NGO 'best practices' in social integration that included 190 responses from 62 countries. The Secretary-General's background report for the Commission plus all the written interventions by NGOs are available at the UN site for the Commission: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/csd/2010.html. 

Marianists International Intern Reports
Vilma Ilic, the Columbia University student working at Marianist International this semester has written three important reports that are now available on the website, http://www.MarianistNGO.org/documents.htm. One deals with the issue of "Migration through the Eyes of Young People." It was a panel held at the UN on the International Migrants Day, 18 December. Another paper covers a discussion at the UN on the 30th Anniversary of CEDAW, the Convention to End Discrimination Against Women, held on the 3rd of December. Finally, there is a report on the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UN Year in Review Video Available on "You Tube" (http://www.youtube.com/user/unitednations)
2009 - a year when arctic ice was melting faster than ever before and multiple crises -food, energy, recession or pandemic flu - called for global cooperation on an unprecedented level. At the same time, peacekeepers served in missions around the world and the fight against hunger and poverty continued. It was a year when UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon travelled to Gaza to witness firsthand the damage to the UN compound after it was bombed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He also travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and reminded the world that sexual violence against women there, and everywhere, was an abomination and had to be stopped.

 16 November 2009

Stand Up Against Poverty Campaign Reaches New Record of 173,045,325
Now in its fourth year, we have seen the impact that Stand Up is making in people's lives and improving the MDG policies and practices of governments. Providing the space and platforms for ordinary citizens to have their voices heard on issues that matter to them at the national and local level. In both rich and poor countries, citizens have come together, to put the priorities of the poor and excluded groups, firmly on the political agenda and get their own governments to address them.  Once again an overwhelming majority of the people who stood up were from poor countries.  And as their voices grow louder, they can no longer be ignored. FOR MORE PICTURES AND INFO GO TO: http://standagainstpoverty.org/

Marianists International Welcomes New Intern: Vilma Ilic
Vilma is a graduate student of the Columbia University School of Social Work here in New York. One of the other NGOs we work with on the Sub-committee for Poverty Eradication, International Movement ATD 4th World, has had interns from Columbia University for a number of years. They recommended the Marianists as another NGO who might be willing to accept an intern placement. Since the Marianist Volunteer Program has been put on hiatus this year we were able to welcome Vilma to our office. She will be working with the NGO Committees on the "Status of Women," "the UNICEF Working Group on Girls" and Migration. She has had experience working in programs to address domestic violence against women and children. She will prepare a curriculum package to present to our schools on these international topics. 

Victims of Human Trafficking Break Their Silence
By Sue Gloor
Trafficking in people is a $4 billion business worldwide driven by poverty and high youth unemployment. It is also the fastest growing source of profit for organized crime. And as the number of people who are trafficked grows, the ages of victims drops. On Oct. 22, a conference “Giving Voice to Victims and Survivors of Human Trafficking,” was presented by the New York office of the high commissioner for human rights. Panelists presented troubling new facts and also discussed new approaches to reducing the numbers, an effort that the UN has not been terribly effective in doing. “A human rights approach demands that we listen to survivors of human trafficking to craft better responses,” Navanethem Pillay, the high commissioner, told the conference. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave the opening address and stayed on to listen to the moving testimony of victims. TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE OR SEE VIDEO GO TO: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1674&srctid=1&erid=903936

Citizens Stage 5,200 Events in 181 Countries for International Day of Climate Action; Call for 350ppm Target in International Negotiations
On Saturday, 24 October, people around the world celebrated the International Day of Climate Action with more than 5,200 events in 181 countries, in what was the largest day of environmental action in history. From the Himalayas to the Great Barrier Reef, from schoolchildren to politicians, participants rang bells, planted trees, scuba dived, climbed mountains, crossed bridges and danced in the streets, in the name of combating climate change.

Actions ranged from the directly environmental to the artistic, from the religious to the revelrous – as people planted trees artists created 3 minute 50 second sound art, believers gathered on cathedral steps to have their climate pledges blessed and even club-goers found a way to show their support as they “danced to save the world.” A choreographed flash mob stopped traffic in Hong Kong, 20,000 students rallied in Addis Ababa, participants in Sydney spelled out the number 350 in umbrellas on the steps of the opera house, and deep sea divers in the Maldives brought the number underwater. “Together, we’ve shown the world that a global climate movement is possible and set a bold new agenda for the upcoming United Nations climate meetings in Copenhagen this December,” stated Bill McKibben, environmental activist and founder of 350.org. FOR MORE INFO GO TO: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article1662

UNICEF to launch special edition of State of the World’s Children to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
With a press conference at its headquarters, UNICEF will release its flagship report focusing on the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly the day before the anniversary itself. The Convention is the first legally binding international convention to affirm human rights for all children.  Since 1989, the CRC has achieved near-universal acceptance, having now been ratified by 193 parties – more than belong to the United Nations or have acceded to the Geneva Conventions. Thursday, 19 November at 10:30 a.m. at UNICEF Headquarters on 44th Street in Manhattan, a press conference with UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, Lucy Liu, UNICEF Ambassador and actor and Grace Akallo, former child soldier to discuss the special edition of the agency’s widely-quoted annual publication, State of the World’s Children which this year will focus on the impact the CRC has had on the lives of millions of children and challenges moving forward. FOR MORE INFO GO TO: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_51630.html

UN General Assembly High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development
The General Assembly will hold on 23-24 November 2009 its fourth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development. Under the overall theme “The Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: status of implementation and tasks ahead”, the Dialogue will include a series of plenary and informal meetings. Plenary meetings will take place on Monday, 23 November. On Tuesday, 24 November there will be 3 round tables (morning) and an interactive dialogue (afternoon), as follows:

• Round table 1: “The reform of the international monetary and financial system and its implications for development”;
• Round table 2: “The impact of the current financial and economic crisis on foreign direct investment and other private flows, external debt and international trade”;
• Round table 3: “The role of financial and technical development cooperation, including innovative sources of development finance, in leveraging the mobilization of domestic and international financial resources for development”;
• Informal interactive dialogue: “The link between financing for development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals: the road to the 2010 high-level event”.

Eastern DR Congo: Surge in Army Atrocities (November 2, 2009)
The UN has declared it will stop providing support to one of the units of the Congolese army which has been accused of gross human rights violations. But Human Rights Watch says it's too little, too late. The UN peacekeeping mission, MONUC, has been giving logistics and operational support to the Congolese Army since March 2009 - the beginning of the operation aimed at disarming the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). During the past 8 months, more than 500 civilians were deliberately killed and thousands of women were raped by government soldiers. MONUC should cease its participation in the Congolese army's operations and find ways to disarm the FDLR that won't put the civilian population in the cross-fire. (Human Rights Watch) TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE GO TO: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/11/02/eastern-dr-congo-surge-army-atrocities

October 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2009:
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SPEAK OUT AGAINST POVERTY
“Investments in children and the realization of their rights are among the most effective ways to eradicate poverty.” [A/RES/S-27/2, 11 October 2002 (A World Fit for Children Resolution)] In recognition of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child the 2009 observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty focuses on the plight of children and families living in poverty and the need to fulfill children's rights in partnership with them and in keeping with the Convention. This year’s observance highlights the role of the convention in securing children’s rights, in particular the right to survival and full development, the right to protection from abuse and exploitation and the right to participation in family, cultural and social life. Participation also means that children have the right to express their opinions and have those opinions heard and acted upon when appropriate. The observance will present an opportunity for children to speak out against poverty and dialogue with others. We will hear from children, young people, parents, and people working with them on their actions to implement policies which strengthen both children and their families in tackling poverty and exclusion. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/social/intldays/IntlDay/2009intlday.html. TO TAKE ACTION SEE: http://www.oct17.org/en & http://standagainstpoverty.org/?gclid=CO-vkvK1j50CFeEN5QodXCP68Q

UN Expert on Extreme Poverty: New ReportThe report of the Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty, Ms. Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, to the 64th UN General Assembly has recently been released. The report looks at the consequences of the global financial crisis on the rights of people living in extreme poverty, and underlines that the crisis provides an opportunity to move beyond the re-structuring of the global financial and monetary systems. People should be placed at the centre of policy measures by enhancing social protection systems and human rights based approach. THE REPORT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE: http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N09/452/76/PDF/N0945276.pdf?OpenElement

October 16: World Food Day
Action Against Hunger is an international network committed to saving the lives of malnourished children and their families while ensuring access to safe water and sustainable solutions to hunger. Action Against Hunger has pursued its vision of a world without hunger for nearly three decades, combating hunger in emergency situations of conflict, natural disaster, and chronic food insecurity. As part of its international network, Action Against Hunger’s 6,000 staff work in over 40 countries carrying out innovative, life-saving programs in nutrition, food security, water and sanitation, public health, and advocacy. Their programs reach some 5 million people each year, restoring dignity, self-sufficiency, and independence to vulnerable populations throughout the world. FOR MORE INFORMATIONGO TO: http://www.actionagainsthunger.org  

Marianists International Present at DPI/NGO Conference, Mexico City, 9-11 September
Bros. Ed Longbottom (district superior), Esteban Reyes Durán and Rigoberto Martínez Hernández of the District of Mexico attended a three-day NGO conference in Mexico City called “Disarmament Now, Working for Peace and Development.” Bro. Steve O’Neil of the Marianist NGO at the United Nations arranged for the brothers to attend. Highlights of the conference included inaugural addresses by Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the UN, and Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and founder of the international campaign for the prohibition of land mines. Sessions covered issues relating to nuclear arms and weapons, violence, political unrest, poverty and security issues in Latin America. TO READ MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE GO TO: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article1595

 UN Survey on the Impact of the Global Crises on Civil Society Organizations and their Constituencies
The Civil Society and Outreach Unit of the United Nations Secretariat's Division for Social Policy and Development invites your organization to take part in a survey on the current situation that local, national and international civil society organizations (CSOs) are facing as a result of the global economic and environmental crises. The results of the study will be published for advocacy use of CSOs and also made available at the Forty Eighth Session of the UN Commission for Social Development. Answers to all questions will be kept totally confidential, in particular as questions are included on how the crises have impacted the resources available for programmes. The link to the survey, which may be forwarded to members or partners, is (if the link does not work for any reasons, please copy the whole link and paste it into your web browser):

English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=fU2GqJbXEyUt7ZNseEwiww_3d_3d
French: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=yQy9TagHRqugiCSwkgvPlg_3d_3d
Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ukZJH8y0qPD9UYIyh_2fpUew_3d_3d

Outcome of September UN Climate Summit
On 22 September 2009, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened the largest-ever high-level summit on climate change at UN Headquarters in New York. The meeting demonstrated how climate change—the ‘defining challenge of our time’—has come to the fore of political attention.

The sentiment was one of optimism and determination for sealing an ambitious, comprehensive, fair, and scientifically robust agreement in Copenhagen (COP-15) this December. Leaders have expressed commitments to develop:
1. enhanced action to assist the most vulnerable and the poorest to adapt;
2. ambitious emission reduction targets for industrialized countries;
3. nationally-appropriate mitigation actions by developing countries;
4. significantly scaled-up financial, technological, and capacity-building resources; and
5. an equitable governance structure.

This was the first time that financing had been recognized as a central issue, stressing that funds from both public and private spheres should be made readily available and in addition to ODA. The Secretary-General expressed his intent to set up a High Level Panel after the Copenhagen Conference that will advise on integrating adaptation and mitigation into development. Read the analysis by NGLS: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article1609

UNCTAD Hearings with Civil Society Addresses Global Economic and Climate Crises
As part of the annual Board meeting, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) held its hearing between Member States and civil society on 16 September 2009 in Geneva to address confluence of crises, in particular the global economic and climate crises. Participants noted that responses to the crisis had not only been generally insufficient, but could in fact exacerbate the polarization of income and power between developed and developing countries. In particular the loss of export-linked revenue would hamper the budget of those countries and their only solution would be to launch a new cycle of indebtedness. Several participants repeated the call for a debt moratorium for developing countries and expressed support to UNCTAD’s proposal to set a debt moratorium that goes beyond the IMF’s current initiative to reduce interest rates on concessional loans to zero. It was further proposed that all loans promised to developing countries in response to the crisis should be transformed into grants. In addition, the additional US$250 billion in Special Drawin! g Rights decided at the April 2009 G20 Summit should be allocated on the basis of real financial need, rather than IMF based quotas. FOR FULL STORY: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article1619

Be it G8 or G20, Activists Say Protests to Continue (September 25, 2009)
Changing the G8 to the G20 did not ease the many protests at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh. Despite the increase from eight to twenty states, activists still criticize the summit for not representing the voices of the poor and developing countries. The activists do not believe that twenty countries are capable of making the reform that the global economy needs and making it favorable to all. About 10,000 protesters marched against capitalism and the G20's summit agenda on Friday, in what organizers called the biggest protest in this western Pennsylvania city since Vietnam war demonstrations. Protests -- usually against some aspect of capitalism -- have often marked summits since trade talks in Seattle in 1999, when demonstrators ransacked the center of the city, targeting businesses seen as symbols of U.S. corporate power. Such summits are often held within a ring of security. (Reuters)
TO READ MORE GO TO: http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/174-advocacy/48235-be-it-g20-or-g8-activists-say-protests-to-continue.html

 
June - July 2009 

General Assembly Conference on the World Economic Crisis and Development
24-26 June  2009 - The high-level United Nations meeting on the global economic crisis has culminated in the approval of an outcome document that represents the first step in a long process of putting the world on a new path towards solidarity, stability and sustainability, the President of the General Assembly, Miguel D’Escoto, said today. The Assembly – the “G-192” – has now been established as the central forum for the discussion of world financial and economic issues, D’Escoto said, as the UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development wrapped up in New York. “We must all join forces to confront these crises. The proposals we have adopted today point in this direction. But much remains to be done,” he said. To download the outcome document and statements of specific country representatives as well as view webcasts of the plenary sessions go to http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/. 

Civil Society Declares that the Outcome of the Conference, "in no way measured up to the extreme gravity of the situation facing developing countries."
Representatives of the Global Social Economy Group (GSEG) [comprised of 13 NGO networks working on issues of global finance, including the NGO Committee on FFD to which Marianists International is a member] at a press conference declared that a global economic council was needed to bring together all Member States and stakeholders, but a proposal for such a Council was missing from the outcome document.  The text also lacked time frames for its recommendations, so there was no way to monitor the actions of the Governments of industrialized countries.  For that reason, civil society needed to remain strongly engaged at every step.  Non-governmental organizations would insist on a consultative arrangement for civil society in the open-ended [working group] that had been proposed. To download the recommendations made by civil society to the conference outcome go to: http://www.ffdngo.org/cs-crisis-watch

12 June, World Day Against Child Labor
This year is especially important because 2009 marks the tenth anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention No. 182, which addresses the need for action to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. World Day Against Child Labor is an important opportunity for people around the world to call attention to the plight of child workers and to call for stronger labor protections for workers everywhere. The theme for 2009 as determined by the International Labor Organization is the exploitation of girls in child labor. More information is available on the ILO’s website here. Marianists have been trying to address the issue of the continued use of forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton industry through its work in corporate social responsibility. For ways you can become involved visit the website of the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF): http://www.laborrights.org/stop-child-labor/wdacl

More Hungry People, but Less Food Aid  By Mirva Lempiainen
June 24 -- As more than a billion people in the world now go hungry every day, according to the World Food Program, the need for food aid becomes greater than ever. Yet in a stunning paradox, while the number of people suffering from hunger has reached an all-time high, the amount of available aid is at its lowest amount in two decades. Development assistance is under a strain as developed countries use their resources to solve their own financial problems. Experts say that the reduction of funds could have serious consequences, reversing years of progress made in eradicating hunger. No end is in sight to the soaring numbers: FAO expects the amount of hungry people to rise to 1.02 billion this year, an 11 percent jump from last year. Director-General Jacques Diouf of the Food and Agriculture Organization said in a statement last week that a “dangerous mix of the global economic slowdown combined with stubbornly high food prices” is to blame for the rise in hunger numbers. To read the entire article go to: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1330

Global Classrooms Marks a Decade of Model UN By Jason Williams
There was little doubt over who would be the star of the show – he is the highest ranking official at the world body – but the roar of the crowd when he took the stage reminded anyone who may have forgotten. “You can go far if you have a big dream and you work hard to achieve it,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told more than 2,300 students packed into General Assembly Hall at UN headquarters for the opening ceremonies of UNA-USA’s 10th annual Model United Nations conference. Student delegates represented cities and nations from all corners of the world; from Manhattan to Milazzo, Italy, young men and women gave of their time and energy to be a part of the nation’s largest Model UN conference. Some participants, including conference secretary-general Amy Jenson, passed up their own graduation ceremonies to attend. In a letter to her fellow participants, Jenson, a George Washington University graduate student, wrote “the past ten years, this conference has provided students from around the globe the chance to come together as international delegates and work together to address some of the worlds most pressing issues.” To read the entire article go to: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1284

US Marianists and Fellow Novice Classmates share National Award
Bro. Steve O’Neil, SM of Marianists International and Bro. Bob Donovan, SM have been awarded the National Brotherhood Award for Exemplary Ministry by the Religious Brothers Conference. The award recognizes brothers whose ministries contribute significantly to the meaning of brotherhood in the Church. Bro. Bob, a physician, performs mobile medical treatment for the homeless in Cincinnati. Bro. Steve operates the Marianist NGO at the United Nations in New York. The awards will be given at the National Assembly of the Religious Brothers Conference July 24 to July 27 in St. Louis.

12 August, 2009 International Youth Day -  SUSTAINABILITY: Our Challenge. Our Future.
Sustainability does not only refer to maintaining environmental balance and renewal. Sustainability encapsulates three facets of life: the environment, society and the economy. With these things in mind, as the energizers of today and the holders of tomorrow, it is imperative that youth embrace the challenge of sustainability in its fullness as they help pave the way forward through the 21st century and beyond. Youth action, inclusion, and their full participation are key to developing today’s world for the generations of today and tomorrow and central to a sustainable existence. For information about the Photo Contest for this year's celebration as well as other ideas on ways to participate in the day go to: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/iyouthday.htm

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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