PHM-Exch> Dignity International Newsbulletin on human righs

Sat Jun 6 13:09:38 PDT 2009

From: Dignity International <news at dignityinternational.org>
Date: Sat, Jun 6, 2009 at 3:46 AM

*DIGNITY INTERNATIONAL*

*MONTHLY NEWSBULLETIN - June 2009*
------------------------------
   *Dignity News | Other News | Action Appeals| Announcements | Forthcoming
Events| Publications *

*Dignity News *

* Get Organised for Human Rights – Learning Programme for Community
Organisers and Social Movement Leaders!

*Other News*

*The Global Financial Crisis: Human Rights Repsonse & Implications for the
South *

* Human Rights Response to the Financial Crisis – ESCR-Net

* Human Rights at the UNCTAD Public Symposium on the Financial Crisis

* Call for "Global Jobs Pact"

* NGOs Oppose Nearly 100-Billion-Dollar Pledge to IMF

* New Rules for Global Finance: CSO input on IMF Reform

* 42nd Session of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

* 45th Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights

* The World Health Assembly

* Pakistan: Humanitarian Crisis and Response

* Positive Change on UN View of Food Sovereignty

* Shell Oil Taken to Court for Involvement in Human Rights Violations

* Agenda for Human Rights Launched by Switzerland

*Action Appeals *

* Urge Your Leaders to Participate in the UN Financial Crisis Conference

* Urgent Action launched on sprayings in the Philippines

*Announcements*

* Celebrating Global Youth Work

*Forthcoming Events*

* World Refugee Day

* World Population Day

*Publications*

* ILO: The Cost of Coercion

* Amnesty Report 2009: The State of the World’s Human Rights

* NGLS Launches Bulletin on World Economic Crisis

* Risk and Poverty in a Changing Climate

   *DIGNITY NEWS *

**** Get Organised for Human Rights (1-8 July 2009), Bangkok, Thailand* – In
partnership with the Four Regions Slum Network of the Assembly of the Poor,
Thailand, Dignity International will organise the second “Get Organised for
Human Rights” Learning programme aimed at community organisers and social
movement leaders from different parts of the world. The programme will build
on: the achievements and partnerships forged at the 1 st Get Organised for
Human Rights Learning Programme organised in partnership with the Nairobi
People’s Settlement Network and Hakijamii Trust in June 2008 in Nairobi,
Kenya. The programme will aim to sharpen knowledge and understanding of
human rights and how the daily struggles of the communities are intricately
linked with human rights and how human rights framework can provide a solid
moral and legal ground for social and economic struggles. The programme will
also aim to sharpen community organising skills with a special focus on
human rights; as well as strategise together to fight poverty locally and
globally. For the report of the first GET ORGANISED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
PROGRAMME IN 2008 CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.dignityinternational.org/dg/RC/Dignitydocs/2008/GetOrganised_Finalreport.pdf>For
more information on the second GET ORGANISED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
PROGRAMME
in July 2009 contact getorganised at dignityinternational.org

  *OTHER NEWS *

*The Global Financial Crisis: Human Rights Repsonse & Implications for the
South*

**** Human Rights Response to the Financial Crisis* - T he International
Network on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) has
elaborated its Human Rights Response to the Financial Crisis statement. The
statement calls for a response to the financial crisis and economic
recession that places human rights norms at the centre, in which people and
the environment, not banks or business, are at the foundation of economic
policy-making. This Statement will be presented to the delegates of the UN
Summit Conference on the Economic and Financial
Crisis<http://www.un.org/ga/president/63/interactive/uneconference.shtml>which
has now been rescheduled for 24-26 June 2009. ESCR-Net, Social Watch
and other NGOS will organise a People's Hearing on the
Crisis<http://www.escr-net.org/events/events_show.htm?doc_id=911650>to
take place on the eve of the UN Summit. More on this and on the
statement
CLICK HERE>>><http://www.escr-net.org/actions/actions_show.htm?doc_id=921729>

* *

**** Human Rights at the UNCTAD First Public Symposium* – The United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) concluded its first public
symposium on 19 th May 2009 with a call for an inclusive response to the
global economic downturn that will reform the international financial
system, protect developing countries and the poor, as well as supply funding
efforts to maintain and create new jobs. The symposium was organised in
corporation with the United Nations Non Governmental Liaison Service
(UN-NGLS). The Centre for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) presented a
statement that focused on the human rights impact of the global economic
crisis and urged the delegates to use a human rights framework to respond to
the crisis. To read the full CESR statement CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.cesr.org/article.php?id=355>To know more about the
overall UNCTAD Public Symposium CLICK
HERE>>> <http://www.unctad.info/en/Public-Symposium-Website>

For other NGO responses to the economic crisis:

Asia Pacific Research Network & RESIST! People’s Statement on the Global
Crisis<http://politicaleconomy.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=1>

European Cross-Sectoral Network on the Combined
Crises<http://www.oid-ido.org/article.php3?id_article=938>demand a
strong political change of direction

**** **Call for "Global Jobs Pact" Amidst Rising Job Losses*- In its latest
Global Employment Trends update of May the International Labour Organisation
(ILO) has revised upwards its unemployment projections to levels ranging
from 210 million to 239 million unemployed worldwide in 2009. The report
notes that the economic crisis is detrimental for both women and men,
whether they are at work, looking for work or outside the labour force.
Women are often in a disadvantaged position in comparison to men in labour
markets around the world. To know more CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.choike.org/2009/eng/informes/7121.html>

Source : Choike

**** U.S.: NGOs Oppose Nearly 100-Billion-Dollar Pledge to IMF* - A broad
coalition of civil society groups, as well as some US lawmakers, is fighting
what they call a "blank cheque" from the US to expand funding for the
International Monetary Fund (IMF). On May 22, the Senate passed a 91.3
billion-dollar-wartime spending bill that included 108 billion dollars for
the Washington-based Fund. The bill will now have to be reconciled in a
conference committee between the Senate and the House of Representatives
whose own version omitted any IMF funding. The funding was the U.S. part of
a larger package agreed by the G20 leaders at their April meeting in London,
where they pledged to provide 1.1 trillion dollars in additional funding to
the IMF. READ MORE>>> <http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47033>

Source: Inter Press Service

**** New Rules for Global Finance: CSO Input on IMF Reform *- All members of
global Civil Society are invited to contribute to a discussion that will
feed directly in to the IMF itself. The IMF Managing Director, Mr Dominique
Strauss Khan, called for a “Fourth Pillar” on IMF Governance Reform. The IMF
Managing Director, during a consultation with Washington-based CSOs, with
groups from London and Malawi linked by phone and video, asked New Rules to
facilitate the outreach to CSOs, and to coordinate feedback. There are two
main target dates for submitting ideas and materials: Mid-July: a paper on
IMF Governance is being written for Board consideration, beginning in
mid-July, for discussion in mid-August. 1 September: New Rules will contract
an independent author to write a “CSO report on IMF Governance” for
consideration by all IMF Governors and Executive Directors (EDs) in the
lead-up to the October 6-7, 2009 Annual Meetings in Istanbul, Turkey. This
paper will identify points of consensus; as well as catalogue the diverse
range of views submitted. For more information CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.new-rules.org/docs/imfreform/fourth_pillar_051909.htm>

Source: New Rules for Global Finance

**** 42 nd Session of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights *– The Committee met for its 42 nd session from 4 th to 22 nd May
2009 in Geneva, Switzerland. Committee members reviewed the state party
reports submitted by Australia, Brazil, Cyprus, Cambodia and the United
Kingdom. For all the state party reports submitted by states and shadow
reports submitted by NGOs and concluding observations of thecommittee CLICK
HERE>>> <http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cescr/cescrs42.htm> The same
NGO shadow reports can also und on the ESCR-Net website. CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.escr-net.org/news/news_show.htm?doc_id=918932>

Source: UNESCR / ESCR-Net

**** African Commission on Human and People’s Rights* – The 45 th Ordinary
Session of the ACHPR was held in Banjul, the Gambia from 13-27 May 2009.
Resolutions adopted at the 45 th ordinary session included: resolution on
the Change of Focal Person on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa into a
Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities
in Africa; resolution on the Cooperation between the African Commission and
the Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and a resolution on the
Establishment of a Committee on Budgetary and Staff Matters. The Commission
meeting was preceded by a meeting of NGOs between 9 to 11 May 2009 organised
by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies. For more on
the African Commission and its 45 th Session CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.achpr.org/english/communiques/Final%20Communique_45.pdf>

Source: ACHPR

**** The 62nd session of the World Health Assembly took place in Geneva
during 18-22 May 2009* - At this session, the Health Assembly discussed a
number of public health issues, including: pandemic influenza preparedness:
sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits;
implementation of the International Health Regulations; primary health care,
including health system strengthening; social determinants of health; and
monitoring the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development
Goals. The Health Assembly also discussed the programme budget,
administration and management matters of WHO. For more info CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2009/wha62/en/index.html>

Source: WHO

**** Pakistan: Humanitarian Crisis and Response* - According to the UNHCR,
Pakistan is facing the worst kind of human crises of its 62 years history
due to growing extremism and military operation in the northern region -
Malakand Division. This is the biggest displacement of a population in last
15 years (after Rwanda) in the world. In response to this crisis, Global
Call to Action Against Poverty in Pakistan has called on the Government to
take swift measures to alleviate the suffering and lack of shelter now being
experienced by over 2.5 million people – mostly womenand children. To read
more CLICK HERE>>><http://whiteband.org/regions/asia/pak/gcap-pakistan-statement-on-internally-displaced-people-idps>

Source: GCAP Pakistan

**** Positive Change on UN View of Food Sovereignty* - NEW YORK, 14 May 2009
- Social and environmental organisations reacted positively to proposals by
the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier De Schutter, during
the 17th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development of the United
Nations in New York. Schutter's proposals strongly echo the new production
model that La Vía Campesina and Friends of the Earth International have been
promoting for years.

The surprising proposals of the UN Special Rapporteur include the right of
peoples to access land and to define their own food policies, as well as the
principles that the government should support the least protected (including
rural) people and implement production models that do not contribute to
climate change. In a statement released by La Vía Campesina, a network of
peasant organisations from around the world, and environmental federation
Friends of the Earth International called for a sustainable and egalitarian
production and consumption model; the dismantling of corporate power and
international financial institutions, and the rejection of false solutions
to combat global hunger and poverty. Moreover, they called for a collective
defence of the right of peoples to access land, seeds and water, and a push
for agrarian reform. To read the full statement(pdf), CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.foei.org/en/publications/pdfs/food-sovereignty-a-new-model-for-a-human-right>

Source: Friends of the Earth

**** Shell Oil Taken to Court for Involvement in Human Rights Violations* –
NEW YORK - Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr. has been fighting for more than 13 years to
make his late father's prediction come true. It will happen this month when
relatives of victims of the Nigerian government's violent crackdown on
residents of the oil-rich region, where Royal Dutch Shell had drilling
operations, will get to challenge the deaths and injuries in a U.S. court.
The trial that starts 26 May in US District Court in New York stems from two
lawsuits accusing Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. and the former managing director
of its Nigerian subsidiary, Shell Transport and Trading PLC, of being
complicit in decisions by Nigeria's then-military government to hang oil
industry opponents, including playwright and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. "In a
sense we already have a victory, because one of the things my father said
was that Shell would one day have its day in court," Saro-Wiwa said in an
interview with The Associated Press on Monday. "We felt they had ducked
their responsibility for what happened in Nigeria, so we wanted to fulfill
that prediction." To read more CLICK HERE>>><http://www.truthout.org/050709EA>

Source: Truthout.org

**** Agenda for Human Rights Launched by Switzerland *- The Swiss Government
decided to mark the 60 th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights by initiating a process leading to the launching of an Agenda for
Human Rights authored by a Panel of Eminent Persons. The Initiative is
designed to achieve two objectives: first, to set out some contemporary
challenges to the enjoyment of human rights as perceived by the Panel, and
second, to propose and support a research agenda with separate topics for
selected research teams around the world. To read the full text (French and
English) of the Agenda launch which took place on 12 May, 2009, CLICK
HERE>>> <http://www.udhr60.ch/docs/discours_MCR.pdf>

Source: UNDHR

   *ACTION APPEALS *

**** Urge Your Leaders to Participate in the UN Financial Crisis
Conference*- The mandate for the United Nations Conference on the
World Financial and
Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development was decided at the
International Conference on Financing for Development in Doha in December
2008 The conference was to take place from 1 – 3 June 2009 at the UN
Headquarters in New York, *but it has been postponed*. Governments agreed to
hold the Conference at the ‘highest level’ (i.e. Heads of States and Heads
of Governments), which will comprise four consecutive thematic roundtables
involving participation of other stakeholders, including civil society, and
will result in an inter-governmentally agreed outcome document. To send a
letter to your head of state urging him/her to attend the Summit so that the
meeting has the political weight it needs to challenge the status quo, CLICK
HERE>>> <http://www.choike.org/campaigns/camp.php?6>

Source: Choike

**** Urgent Action Launched on Sprayings in the Philippines* - Aerial
spraying is spraying of fungicides from the air on crops such as bananas.
For some years, residents of 7 villages in Davao City have been lobbying
against aerial spraying, as it has affected their health conditions, water
supply, and damaged crops which are their source of livelihood. Although an
ordinance banning aerial spraying was issued by the City Council of Davao
City in March 2007, it was declared unconstitutional by the Court of Appeals
(CA) based at Cagayan de Oro City in January 2009. The right to food of the
villagers is therefore at stake. To take action, CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.fian.org/cases/letter-campaigns/philippines-aerial-spraying-in-banana-plantations-threatens-the-right-to-food-of-residents-from-7-villages-davao-city-mindanao>

Source: FIAN

****

   *ANNOUNCEMENTS*

**** Celebrating Global Youth Work* - CEULAJ, Mollina (Spain) 13 – 20
September 2009 (tentative dates) The University on Youth and Development is
an activity jointly organised by the North-South Centre of the Council of
Europe, the Spanish Government (INJUVE), the European Youth Forum (YFJ), the
Spanish Youth Council (CJE) and other international youth organisations.
More about the University. Dignity International is also a partner in 2009
edition of the University.

In 2009 the University on Youth and Development will be gathering for the
10th time and therefore renewed hopes and aspirations, objectives and
challenges are launched to the partners to reinforce this as the space and
home of Global Youth Work and of the Global Youth Movement.

The University on Youth and Development is composed of various activities
(Seminars, training Courses, Workshops) organised by more than 10 partners
and will gather close to 300 young people from all over the world. For more
information and to apply to participate in the University CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/nscentre/Youth/UYD/UYD2009_presentation_en.pdf>

Source: North-South Centre of the Council of Europe

****

**

   *FORTHCOMING EVENTS *

**** World Refugee Day* - The United Nations General Assembly designated 20
June as World Refugee Day to recognize and celebrate the contribution of
refugees throughout the world. Since then, World Refugee Day has become an
annual commemoration marked by a variety of events in over a hundred
countries. This year’s World Refugee Day theme is “Real People, Real Needs”.
Despite the efforts of many, the needs of refugees worldwide are far from
being met. Behind the unmet needs are not just numbers but real people with
real stories. To find out more and see acalendar of events, CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.unrefugees.org/site/c.lfIQKSOwFqG/b.4778881/k.BE35/Home.htm>

Source: UNHCR

**** World Population Day* - In 1968, world leaders proclaimed that
individuals have a basic human right to determine freely and responsibly the
number and timing of their children. Forty years later, modern contraception
remains out of reach for hundreds of millions of women, men and young
people. On 11 July 2009, people around the world will be observing the 19th
World Population Day in different ways. This year’s theme is chance to build
awareness of the importance of family planning to a wide range of
development issues, including gender equality, poverty, maternal health and
human rights. For more information CLICK HERE>>><http://www.unfpa.org/public>

Source: UNFPA

**

* ** *
   *PUBLICATIONS*

**** ILO: The Cost of Coercion* - In a new study on the patterns of forced
labour worldwide, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) details the
growing number of unethical, fraudulent and criminal practices that can lead
people into situations of forced labour, and calls for increased efforts to
eradicate the practices. May 2009. To read more about this publication CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_106219/index.htm>

Source: ILO

**** Amnesty Report 2009: The State of the World’s Human Rights* - Amnesty
International is calling for a New Global Deal on human rights, because of a
human rights investment gap by world leaders. "It's not just the economy,
it's a human rights crisis – the world is sitting on a social, political and
economic time bomb," said Irene Khan. To read more CLICK
HERE>>><http://thereport.amnesty.org/en/introduction>

**** NGLS Launches Bulletin on World Economic Crisis* – The UN
Non-governmental Liaison Service (NGLS), in an effort to help keep
interested stakeholders informed on the latest developments and events
leading to the UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and
its Impact on Development taking place in New York from 24-26 June 2009, has
launched a dedicated weekly ’Bulletin’ up to the Conference. This fifth
issue reviews the decision to postpone the Conference by the General
Assembly. It also contains several links to various reports and perspectives
from the UN system and civil society.

Source: NGLS

**** Risk and Poverty in a Changing Climate* - The United Nations
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat (UNISDR) released
the first biennial Global assessment report on disaster risk reduction. This
report, entitled Risk and poverty in a changing climate, stresses that
disaster risk reduction can contribute to poverty reduction, development,
and climate change adaptation; and consequently to global stability and
sustainability. To read the full report CLICK
HERE>>><http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article=996>

Source: UNISDR / NGLS

**

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

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

------------------------------
Change email address / Leave mailing
list<http://ymlp117.com/u.php?YMLPID=guuhmmbgsgjueygeuh>
Powered by YourMailingListProvider <http://ymlp117.com/m/>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20090607/b04f925a/attachment-0001.html>