<div class="gmail_quote">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Dignity International</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:news@dignityinternational.org">news@dignityinternational.org</a>></span><br>Date: Sat, Jun 6, 2009 at 3:46 AM<br>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong><font color="#990000">DIGNITY INTERNATIONAL</font></strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000" size="2"><strong>MONTHLY NEWSBULLETIN - June 2009</strong></font></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
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<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#666666" size="2"><strong>Dignity News | Other News | Action Appeals| Announcements | Forthcoming Events| Publications </strong></font></div></td>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>Dignity News </strong></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Get Organised for Human Rights – Learning Programme for Community Organisers and Social Movement Leaders! </font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>Other News</strong></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong><em>The Global Financial Crisis: Human Rights Repsonse & Implications for the South </em></strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Human Rights Response to the Financial Crisis – ESCR-Net</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Human Rights at the UNCTAD Public Symposium on the Financial Crisis</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Call for "Global Jobs Pact"</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* NGOs Oppose Nearly 100-Billion-Dollar Pledge to IMF</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* New Rules for Global Finance: CSO input on IMF Reform</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* 42nd Session of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* 45th Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* The World Health Assembly</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Pakistan: Humanitarian Crisis and Response</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Positive Change on UN View of Food Sovereignty</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Shell Oil Taken to Court for Involvement in Human Rights Violations</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Agenda for Human Rights Launched by Switzerland </font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>Action Appeals </strong></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Urge Your Leaders to Participate in the UN Financial Crisis Conference</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Urgent Action launched on sprayings in the Philippines </font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>Announcements</strong></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Celebrating Global Youth Work </font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>Forthcoming Events</strong> </font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* World Refugee Day</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* World Population Day </font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>Publications</strong></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* ILO: The Cost of Coercion</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Amnesty Report 2009: The State of the World’s Human Rights</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* NGLS Launches Bulletin on World Economic Crisis</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">* Risk and Poverty in a Changing Climate </font></p>
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<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000" size="2"><strong>DIGNITY NEWS </strong></font></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="2">*** Get Organised for Human Rights (1-8 July 2009), Bangkok, Thailand</font></strong> <font size="2">– 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 <a href="http://www.dignityinternational.org/dg/RC/Dignitydocs/2008/GetOrganised_Finalreport.pdf" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a> For more information on the second GET ORGANISED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAMME in July 2009 contact <a href="mailto:getorganised@dignityinternational.org" target="_blank">getorganised@dignityinternational.org</a></font></font></p>
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<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000" size="2"><strong>OTHER NEWS </strong></font></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong><em>The Global Financial Crisis: Human Rights Repsonse & Implications for the South</em></strong> </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** Human Rights Response to the Financial Crisis</strong> - 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 <a href="http://www.un.org/ga/president/63/interactive/uneconference.shtml" target="_blank">UN Summit Conference on the Economic and Financial Crisis</a> which has now been rescheduled for 24-26 June 2009. ESCR-Net, Social Watch and other NGOS will organise a <a href="http://www.escr-net.org/events/events_show.htm?doc_id=911650" target="_blank">People's Hearing on the Crisis</a> to take place on the eve of the UN Summit. More on this and on the statement <a href="http://www.escr-net.org/actions/actions_show.htm?doc_id=921729" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** Human Rights at the UNCTAD First Public Symposium</strong> – 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 <a href="http://www.cesr.org/article.php?id=355" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a> To know more about the overall UNCTAD Public Symposium <a href="http://www.unctad.info/en/Public-Symposium-Website" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">For other NGO responses to the economic crisis:</font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Asia Pacific Research Network & RESIST! <a href="http://politicaleconomy.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=1" target="_blank">People’s Statement on the Global Crisis</a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="http://www.oid-ido.org/article.php3?id_article=938" target="_blank">European Cross-Sectoral Network on the Combined Crises</a> demand a strong political change of direction </font></p>
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<div align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** </strong><strong>Call for "Global Jobs Pact" Amidst Rising Job Losses</strong>- 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 <a href="http://www.choike.org/2009/eng/informes/7121.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font> </div>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source : Choike </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** U.S.:<strong> NGOs Oppose Nearly 100-Billion-Dollar Pledge to IMF</strong></strong> - 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. <a href="http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47033" target="_blank">READ MORE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: Inter Press Service </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** New Rules for Global Finance: CSO Input on IMF Reform </strong>- 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 <a href="http://www.new-rules.org/docs/imfreform/fourth_pillar_051909.htm" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: New Rules for Global Finance </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** 42 nd Session of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights </strong>– 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 <a href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cescr/cescrs42.htm" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a> The same NGO shadow reports can also und on the ESCR-Net website. <a href="http://www.escr-net.org/news/news_show.htm?doc_id=918932" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: UNESCR / ESCR-Net </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** African Commission on Human and People’s Rights</strong> – 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 <a href="http://www.achpr.org/english/communiques/Final%20Communique_45.pdf" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: ACHPR </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** The 62nd session of the World Health Assembly took place in Geneva during 18-22 May 2009</strong> - 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 <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2009/wha62/en/index.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: WHO </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** Pakistan: Humanitarian Crisis and Response</strong> - 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 <a href="http://whiteband.org/regions/asia/pak/gcap-pakistan-statement-on-internally-displaced-people-idps" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: GCAP Pakistan </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** Positive Change on UN View of Food Sovereignty</strong> - 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.</font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">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), <a href="http://www.foei.org/en/publications/pdfs/food-sovereignty-a-new-model-for-a-human-right" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: Friends of the Earth </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** Shell Oil Taken to Court for Involvement in Human Rights Violations</strong> – 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 <a href="http://www.truthout.org/050709EA" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: Truthout.org </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** Agenda for Human Rights Launched by Switzerland </strong>- 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, <a href="http://www.udhr60.ch/docs/discours_MCR.pdf" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: UNDHR </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="2">*** Urge Your Leaders to Participate in the UN Financial Crisis Conference</font></strong><font size="2"> - 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, <strong>but it has been postponed</strong>. 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, <a href="http://www.choike.org/campaigns/camp.php?6" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: Choike </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** Urgent Action Launched on Sprayings in the Philippines</strong> - 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, <a href="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" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: FIAN </font></p>
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<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000" size="2"><strong>ANNOUNCEMENTS</strong></font></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="2">*** Celebrating Global Youth Work</font></strong><font size="2"> - 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. </font></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">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.</font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">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 <a href="http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/nscentre/Youth/UYD/UYD2009_presentation_en.pdf" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: North-South Centre of the Council of Europe </font></p>
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<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000" size="2"><strong>FORTHCOMING EVENTS </strong></font></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** World Refugee Day</strong> - 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, <a href="http://www.unrefugees.org/site/c.lfIQKSOwFqG/b.4778881/k.BE35/Home.htm" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: UNHCR </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** World Population Day</strong> - 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 <a href="http://www.unfpa.org/public" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: UNFPA </font></p>
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<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000" size="2"><strong>PUBLICATIONS</strong></font></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="2">*** ILO: The Cost of Coercion</font></strong><font size="2"> - 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 <a href="http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_106219/index.htm" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: ILO </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** Amnesty Report 2009: The State of the World’s Human Rights</strong> - 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 <a href="http://thereport.amnesty.org/en/introduction" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** NGLS Launches Bulletin on World Economic Crisis</strong> – 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.</font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: NGLS </font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><strong>*** Risk and Poverty in a Changing Climate</strong> - 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 <a href="http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article=996" target="_blank">CLICK HERE>>></a></font></p>
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<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Source: UNISDR / NGLS </font></p>
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<div align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><em><font color="#666666" size="1">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.</font></em></font> </div>
<p align="justify"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#666666" size="1"><em>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 <a href="mailto:info@dignityinternational.org?subject=information" target="_blank">info@dignityinternational.org</a></em></font></p>
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