Annual Reports

May PEACE Prevail in Sierra Leone!
May PEACE Prevail on Earth!

Welcome to Edition 169 of e-Civicus - Connecting civil society worldwide!

July 5 - 11, 2002

All editions of e-Civicus are available in a vibrant, easy to
read and condensed PDF format. To read the PDF version
you will need Acrobat Reader
on your system. A free and quick download of Acrobat
Reader is available
from http://www.adobe.com
______________________________________
MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL

How can we reinvent globalisation to further gender justice?

I recently attended a board meeting of the Association of Women's
Rights in Development (AWID), where planning for their
International Forum is gaining creative and organisational
momentum.

The AWID International Forum is now the largest recurring event on
gender equality outside of the United Nations system. It provides a
unique opportunity to develop strategies, share ideas and build
skills - all to advance gender equality and social justice.

AWID is a professional association based in Washington, DC.
Founded in 1982, AWID provides a forum for people around the
world to engage in dialogue about the role of women in
development, gender equality and women's human rights. The
organisation currently boasts 1 000 members, both women and
men, and the past eight AWID Forums have attracted as many as
1 300 participants from over 100 countries.

From the 3-6 October 2002, hundreds of policy makers,
practitioners, researchers, grass roots activists and students will
gather in Mexico. They will look at globalisation through women's
eyes and will consider the economic, political, social,
technological, ecological and cultural implications of a globalised
world on women's lives.

Through more than 100 workshops, skills-building sessions and
debates, women and men from all over the world - and particularly
young, emerging leaders - will analyse current approaches to
economic and political change and strategise around viable
alternatives to the unsustainable, undemocratic and exploitative
forms of globalisation.

As a board member of AWID, I am deeply struck by the need to do
much more to engage men in the struggle for full gender equality.
It is important to note that all those that have been implicated in
the tragic events of September 11, and now those who have the
power to determine what constitutes an appropriate response, are
men. Women were victims in large numbers of the attacks and
have been volunteers offering support and solidarity in the aftermath
of the tragic events.

Truly, it is long overdue for humanity to ask itself how much longer
we can afford to deprive ourselves of the experiential wisdom,
sensitivities and intellectual skills of women.

The promise of democracy, even in countries with long-standing
electoral traditions, remains an hollow one if we are unable to
ensure that women, who constitute more than half of the world's
population, have full representation and equitable share of the
leadership in all our institutions of governance at the local, national
and global levels.

The challenge to men, particularly those working in civil society
organisations, is to ensure that we recognise that we are either
part of the problem or part of the solution.

We have to make our voices heard in favour of gender equality,
irrespective of the field of work in which we are engaged. AWID and
other women's organisations are talking seriously about how to
engage men as partners in the struggle for gender justice.
Hopefully men will embrace this gesture in large numbers.

Kind regards,

Kumi Naidoo

Please consult the AWID website at http://www.awid.org for further
information on the
forthcoming International Forum.

_______________________________________
Contents

IN BRIEF: CIVIL SOCIETY 'ROUND THE GLOBE
World: North/South divides on being a motherThe risks of
motherhood differ between the North and South; Least developed
countries the focus of another UN report Latin America:
Disappearances continue to haunt Mexico Eastern Europe:
Independent Russian radio network seeks to promote exchange
North America: US government seeks preferential treatment as
International Criminal Court is launched WSSD Watch: The tap
drips slowly on negotiations for sustainable water and sanitation
HIV/AIDS Watch: UN warns of AIDS devastation in pre-Barcelona
report.

FEATURE OF THE WEEK
Bridging the divide between global and local activism

WHAT'S UP ON THE WORD FRONT
Publications of interest
Calls for papers; calls for comments
New and interesting websites; Internet news

CLASSIFIEDS
Jobs and volunteer opportunities
Scholarships, fellowships and awards
Training courses and programmes
Conferences, workshops and exhibitions

______________________________________
IN BRIEF: CIVIL SOCIETY 'ROUND THE GLOBE

WORLD

Being a Mother in Niger versus Switzerland, a recent report by
Save the Children, indicates that:

In Switzerland:
* Trained personnel attend virtually all births;
* 78% of women use modern contraception; and
* 3 out of 1000 infants die before their first birthday.

In Niger:
* Trained health personnel attend 18% of births;
* 5% of women use modern contraception; and
* 159 infants out of 1000 die before their 1st first birthday.
Findings also show that the lifetime risk of a woman dying in
childbirth is nearly 1000 times greater in Niger than in Switzerland.
The full report is available from Save the Children US.

Reference:
http://www.savethechildren.org/mothers/exec/exec1.shtml

The Least Developed Countries Report 2002 is available from the
United Nations free of charge until the 18 July 2002. The least
developed countries (LDCs) are a group of 49 countries that have
been identified by the UN as "least developed" in terms of their low
GDP per capita, their weak human assets and their high degree of
economic vulnerability. This report is the first international
comparative analysis of poverty in the LDCs and is based on a new
set of poverty estimates constructed specifically for the Report.
The new estimates enable empirically based analysis of the
relationship between poverty, development and globalisation, and
thereby the elaboration of more effective national and international
policies to reduce poverty in the LDCs.

For more information go to: http://www.un.org

Reference adapted from: http://www.id21.org

LATIN AMERICA

Amnesty International (AI) recently released a report entitled -
Mexico: "Disappearances": an ongoing crime. The report maintains
that it is "crunch time for President Fox's commitment to combat
"disappearances" and that Mexican authorities are facing a crucial
challenge to show that steps have been taken to tackle the
country's outstanding human rights concerns. According to AI,
hundreds of cases of 'disappearance', mainly dating back to the
'dirty war' on opposition activists in the 70's and 80's, remain
unresolved, despite the unfaltering determination of relatives,
friends and civil society campaigners to uncover the truth and
obtain justice. The AI report also highlights four disappearances
that have taken place since Fox came to office in December 2002,
in the states of Chiapas, Colima and Guerrero.

The full report is available at: http://www.web.amnesty.org

EASTERN EUROPE

Russia
The Russian Audio Exchange Network (RAEN) was recently
implemented to allow independent radio stations in various regions
of Russia to exchange programmes on a regular basis. The project
signifies an attempt on the part of Russian regional radio
broadcasting to create a syndication network based on local
programming. Aims of RAEN include helping to overcome
informational isolation of the regions of Russia, encouraging local
journalists to work at the highest professional level, and giving
impetus to the development of local information radio broadcasting.

The project involves a scheme of programme exchanges via the
Internet between member radio stations. The network will
eventually be open to any independent radio station, i.e. local
broadcasters that are not owned by federal or local authorities and
are not parts of big commercial franchising networks.

For more information, email: raen@fnr.ru

NORTH AMERICA

United States
The Rome Statute, a treaty creating the International Criminal
Court (ICC), came into force this week, beginning the jurisdiction of
the world's first permanent tribunal capable of trying individuals
accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Women's groups have applauded this historic development as it
dramatically raises the standard for recognising crimes of sexual
and gender violence as among the gravest, which have in the past
not been treated as such in humanitarian law. Events are being
held at UN headquarters and worldwide to celebrate this
momentous occasion.

However, as the ICC comes into existence, there have already
been threats to its independence, impartiality and effectiveness. On
the 6 May, the Bush administration 'unsigned' the Rome treaty –
something that has never been done before. Another piece of
legislation hostile to the Court may soon become law in the US
and has received sharp criticism from European allies because it
authorises the use of force to free nationals or allies held by or on
behalf of the ICC. Women’s groups monitoring the events have
denounced the US efforts to garner special treatment in the new
era of international justice.

The first meeting of the Assembly of States Parties of the Rome
Statute will convene in the first week of September 2002 at UN
Headquarters in New York, and a second meeting in January 2003
will see the first election of judges. Experts and observers predict
that the Court will be set up and functioning sometime in late 2003.

Reference: http://www.derechos.org

WSSD WATCH
Negotiations on water and sanitation section of the implementation
programme of the WSSD have been substantially completed, with
the exception of what many consider the most essential – a target
for reducing by half the number of people who lack access to
sanitation by 2015. Negotiations are ongoing.

According to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), some 6,000
children die every day from diseases caused by lack of access to
safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. In
past years, it says, more children have died due to diarrhoea than
all the people locked in armed conflict since World War II.

United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has said that water
and sanitation is one of five areas where the Summit could achieve
tangible and measurable results using existing technologies and
resources.
Reference adapted from: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org

HIV/AIDS WATCH
The global AIDS epidemic has only just begun, reaching
proportions once considered impossible in the world's most
affected countries, the United Nations says in a report released
this week. The report predicts a staggering toll in generations to
come. Without an infusion of funding into prevention and treatment
programmes, 68 million people will die of AIDS between 2000 and
2020 in the 45 countries most affected by the disease. The report
was released in advance of the upcoming biennial international
AIDS conference in Barcelona.

Reference adapted from: http://www.wired.com

________________________________________________________
FEATURE OF THE WEEK

Bridging the divide between global and local activism

The global movement for economic and social justice has captured
the public imagination since the first militant actions against the
World Trade Organization’s neo-liberal policies in Seattle in 1999.
Together with the global campaign against third world debt, this
social movement has created widespread awareness of rising
poverty and the increasing gaps between rich and poor countries.

One of the criticisms of the movement, however, is that it has
focused too much on the global stage, ignoring opportunities to
campaign at local and national level. Protestors are accused of
“summit-hopping”, creating the impression that many anti-
globalisation protestors simply travel from conference to conference
in some kind of traveling show. It is only the most well-resourced
(that is, middle class, inevitably North American and European)
activists who can afford the plane tickets.

Another critique argues that, while demonstrations at high-profile
international meetings provide an important platform and
opportunities for advocacy, the movement has not created the
organisational and institutional capacity necessary for sustained
struggle. Perhaps this point refers to a new phase of the struggle
for justice and equity: as the initial radical activities draw support,
there is a need to set up more formal structures to ensure
continuity and channel resources.

The global movement needs to ground itself in local struggles.
Even though economic and social disparities play themselves out
on the world stage, they are even more apparent within
communities. Privatisation of services, unfettered free trade,
spiraling poverty and inequality, and unsustainable use of natural
resources have a direct impact on people locally. So, while it is
important to agitate for change in the policies of multilateral
institutions like the WTO, it is equally important to ensure that the
impact of such policies is challenged at country and local level.

According to the New Socialist, divisions are emerging in the
movement between some NGOs, labour leadership and “self-styled
radicals” who have emphasised sending people to international
meetings, while the “militant anti-capitalist wing” has preferred to
focus on local and regional activities.

It would be unfair to state that the anti-globalisation movement
ignores the relationship between global and local. At the recent G8
Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, activists emphasised the
connection between global and local, with a specific focus on
immigration and refugee issues. There was also a call for a
"Kananaskis tax" that asked that every dollar spent on traveling to
the G8 be matched by another dollar to be spent on local
organising.

In South Africa, the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee has been
active in challenging services cut-offs to poor households in local
communities. Yet its members also play a visible role in local anti-
globalisation activities and even traveled to a meeting of the World
Bank in a public show-down with the South African finance minister
two years ago.

The incredible creativity of activists demonstrating at international
gatherings should also be acknowledged. It is not just the
militancy, but the witty placards, huge puppets and innovative
slogans that have resulted in enormous media coverage. The
amount of organisational support provided by volunteers and groups
create the space for such sustained and inventive protest. A quick
visit to the website for activists going to the recent G8 gives
information on buses, disability access to venues and vegetarian
restaurants, as well as revolutionary knitting circles and snake
marches. The University of Berkshire offers on-line tutorials on how
to become an activist. And the Yes-Men, a shadowy group of
activists used the Internet and their acting skills to almost
successfully restructure the WTO in June this year.

The global movement for economic and social justice is successful
because it manages to mobilise so many people from diverse
interest groups and with different styles of organising. The
innovative use of technologies such as the Internet and cellular
phones, combined with more traditional forms of struggle, draw
activists of all ages and backgrounds. If the movement is able to
bridge these divides, and bring people together for a common goal,
then it should be able to also bridge the divide between global and
local activism.

http://newssocialist.org
http://g8.activist.ca/
http://www.theyesmen.org
http://gemini.berkshire.net/~ifas/activist/how-to/

________________________________________________________
WHAT'S UP ON THE WORD FRONT

PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST

A Handbook for Advocacy in the African Human Rights System -
Advancing Reproductive And Sexual Health. Prepared by legal
scholars under the auspices of the International Programme on
Reproductive and Sexual Health Law at the University of Toronto,
this 193-page manual aims to facilitate use of Africa's human rights
system to promote and protect reproductive and sexual health.

For more information: http://www.ipas.org/arch/index.html#hr

The Next Steps
A new publication on child labour.
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has
commissioned an anthology of research findings and experiences
of those working directly to end the exploitation of children at work.
Edited by Bjoerne Grimsrud, a specialist from the Norwegian
research institute Fafo, it includes contributions from trade
unionists, scholars and ILO and UNICEF specialists, from Africa,
the Americas, Asia and Europe.

The book examines the linkages between child labour and
education, drawing lessons from education systems in Latin
America, child labour and the labour market, and includes detailed
analysis of the relationship between poverty and child labour. The
publication of this book is intended to set out a clear framework for
international and national action against child labour. The full text of
"The Next Steps" will soon be available on the ICFTU web site:
http://www.icftu.org

________________________________________________________
CALLS FOR PAPERS; CALL FOR COMMENTS

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria - Call for funding
proposals

Closing date for proposal submission: 27 September 2002

The Global Fund recently issued a second call for funding
proposals from partnerships in countries hardest hit by the three
diseases. The Board will award grants in January 2003. The Fund
also released a revised set of guidelines to better conduct potential
recipients through the application procedure. The new guidelines
and the revised proposal form are immediately available at:
http://www.globalfundatm.org

UNESCO - Call for project input
Developing open learning communities for gender equity with the
support of ICTs

UNESCO has launched the above project and is conducting a
review of existing ICT applications used in telecentres for
community development. It will assess the merits of various
methods of electronic information and training modalities such as
web-based, interactive, 3D, graphical/audio/text-based applications
including the use of local languages, images and traditions, in
order to guide UNESCO to select appropriate technology and
methods for applications to be developed in the current project.
For more information:
email: m.meskus@unesco.org (attention:Mianna Meskus)

The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) -
call for civil society participation in on-line survey

WFUNA is conducting an on-line survey in preparation for its first
annual report on the role of civil society in the implementation of
the United Nations Millennium Declaration (2000). WFUNA is
particularly interested in receiving feed-back from civil society
groups who are actively involved in the promotion and
implementation of Millennium Declaration Goals (MDGs). The
WFUNA annual report will be submitted to the United Nations
Secretary-General in September 2002, and presented at the annual
DPI/NGO Conference, 9-11 September 2002. By participating in
this survey you will provide essential information on civil society's
efforts toward the implementation of the commitments made in the
Millennium Declaration. The on-line survey is posted English,
Spanish and French at: http://infopoll.net/live/surveys/nsi.htm

Open Source for NGOs Survey - call for participation

Members of the international NGO and Non-profit community with
an interest in web-communication are invited to complete the
following short survey, organised by a group of Open Source
developers of Free Software License Website Content Management
Systems (CMS). Its purpose is to investigate the demand for Free
Software License CMS within the NGO and Non-profit community,
and to strengthen funding proposals for the development of
appropriate software for NGOs. Respondents will be entered into a
prize draw with the chance to win a CMS-generated website for
your organisation. The survey will run from now until 23 August,
2002 and is posted at:
http://www.appropriatesoftwarefoundation.org/NGOCMS/Survey.html

_____________________________________________________
NEW AND INTERESTING WEBSITES; INTERNET NEWS

AIDS 2002 Barcelona - email and Internet news service
email: join-intaids@healthdev.net

For every person at the AIDS 2002 Barcelona Conference, there
are hundreds of leading health workers, biomedical and community
AIDS experts around the world who will not be there to share their
own first-hand expertise.

The Health Development Network has established an innovative low-
tech approach, using the power of electronic mail and the internet
to provide a front row seat at the Conference to those who cannot
attend in person. On each day of the meeting, reports and
summaries of presentations, debates, interviews and
commentaries on new developments will be provided free of charge
through a dedicated email, internet and Worldspace satellite
reporting service. The services have been specially designed to use
e-mail and low-bandwidth connections, making the information
content of the conference accessible to as many people and
communities as possible - including in countries with only poor
internet connectivity.

Online Ugandan Art Exhibition - Women Emerging: A Tribute to
Uganda

East African fine artists present works having significance to
women's empowerment, specifically, the Uganda Women's
Movement. Accompanying each image, participating artists explain
and interpret visual elements within their work relating to impacts,
changes, and developments for women, both personal and societal,
in East Africa and beyond. Over a dozen new original artworks
were created specifically for this event by such artists as Lilian
Nabulime (Uganda), Yvonne Muinde (Kenya), David Kibuuka
(Uganda), and Stella Atai (Uganda).

Reference: http://www.theartroom-sf.com/WomenEmerging.htm

African Societies - E-magazine now online

African Societies is a monthly e-magazine that attempts to counter
the negative or incomplete image of Africa that is spread by most
media. It instead focuses on the existence and vibrancy of modern
Africa, in which enterprise, academe, research and trade unionism,
for example, thrive.

Reference: http://www.africansocieties.org

________________________________________________________
CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Mercy Corps - Community Development Project Manager
Kandahar, Afghanistan

The experienced community mobilisation expert will work in rural
areas of Afghanistan gathering information on community needs
and implementing suitable programmes to meet these needs. This
position will be performed at the community level, and will require
strong relationships with local populations; specifically: elders,
IDPs, labourers, farmers, women and their families, nomads, tribal
and religious leaders, and local government officials. Regional
experience, experience working with displaced populations and
Pushto language skills are preferred.

For more information: http://www.mercycorps.org (click on Jobs)

Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development
(FIELD) - Three Lawyers
Closing date for applications: 29 July 2002

FIELD is an independent, non-profit organisation which aims to
contribute to the progressive development of international law for
the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable
development. FIELD is interested in applications for the following
three positions:

*&Senior Lawyer: Trade, Investment And Sustainable Development
*Staff Lawyer/Senior Lawyer: Climate Change And Energy
*Staff Lawyer: International Environmental Law

Successful candidates will undertake a variety of work, including
research, teaching and the provision of legal advice, and must be
able to work independently and as part of a team.

For more information and an application form:
http://www.field.org.uk

or contact:
Staff Recruitment
FIELD
52-53 Russell Square
London
WC1B 4HP
email: field@field.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7637 7951).

Candidates should note that only completed application forms will
be considered. CVs should not be sent.
________________________________________________________
SCHOLARSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS

2002 Astor Award
Deadline for nominations: 31 August 2002

Awarded biannually to an individual considered to have made an
outstanding contribution to press freedom or for his/her
distinguished service to the Commonwealth newspaper industry.

The Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) is now calling for
nominations for the 2002 Astor Award. The award will be presented
at the official Opening Ceremony of the

Commonwealth Editors' Forum and CPU Biennial Conference in Sri
Lanka on 6 October 2002.

Nominations should include the name of the nominee(s), details of
their paper and a brief paragraph stating why they are nominated.

For more information or to forward nominations:
email: lindsay@cpu.org.uk (attention: Lindsay Ross, Press
Freedom Director)
Fax: +44 207 583 6868
_______________________________________
TRAINING COURSES AND PROGRAMMES

International Course on Farmer-led Extension
International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)
7-25 October 2002
Cavite, Philippines

A 3-week course designed to advance rural development through
improved agricultural extension practices. Participants will develop
new capacities for planning, managing and evaluating farmer-led
extension programmes. Among the topics are: Agricultural
Extension Approaches; Principles, Issues and Methods in Farmer-
Led Extension; Field Applications of Farmer-Led Extension.
For more information:
http://www.comminit.com/events_cal/2002/622-event.html or email:
Education&Training@iirr.org

_________________________________________
CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXHIBITIONS

3rd World Congress of Rural Women
2-4 October 2002
Madrid, Spain

The congress aims to discuss issues related to the situation of
rural women in a global context, sustainable development, gender
and food safety, the impact of the new technologies,
empowerment, and public policies supporting rural women.

For more information:
http://www.comminit.com/events_cal/2002/980-event.html or
email: cmmujer@presencia-inter.com

55th Department of Public Information/NGO Annual Conference -
Rebuilding Societies Emerging from Conflict: A Shared
Responsibility
9-11 September 2002
United Nations Headquarters
New York City

This year's Conference will explore the role of the international
community in supporting societies emerging from conflicts,
focusing on those contemporary examples that have been the
subject of concerted United Nations involvement. It will examine the
common experiences of these efforts, their shortcomings and
successes, highlighting best practices that people have developed
to live together peacefully. The Conference will feature speakers
including United Nations and Government officials and NGO
representatives who have first-hand field experience, and citizens
who have lived through the violence or are in the forefront of civil
society efforts of recovery and re-establishment of the rule of law.

Please note that the Conference is intended for NGOs that are
associated with the Department of Public Information (DPI) or in
consultative status with ECOSOC. Non-affiliated NGOs may be
invited to attend the conference, at the discretion of DPI. Interested
NGOs with relevant experience in the thematic area of the
Conference may contact the United Nations Information
Centres/Services in their country/region and inform them of their
interest in attending the Conference

All registration forms must be received by 20 July 2002.
Registration forms should be returned to the NGO Section of the
Department of Public Information at:

DPI/NGO Resource Centre,
Room L-1B-31
United Nations
New York, NY
10017 USA
Fax: 212 963 2819

For more information:
e-mail: dpingo@un.org
________________________________________
END

The editors value your comments, suggestions and contributions.
Speak to us at civpubs@civicus.org

e-CIVICUS mailing list:
e-CIVICUS@lists.civicus.org
http://lists.civicus.org/mailman/listinfo/e-civicus

Disclaimer: e-CIVICUS attempts to give readers a weekly round-up
of civil society news and views from around the globe. Readers are
welcome to reproduce all sections of the newsletter, except the
contents of the Secretary General's Message, which is the explicit
copyright of CIVICUS. We strongly urge people to credit sources
and authors when reproducing or retransmitting content.

CIVICUS can be contacted at:

5th floor, Braamfontein Centre,
23 Jorrisen Street,
Braamfontein, 2017,
South Africa

PO Box 933
Southdale, 2135,
South Africa
Tel: +27 11 339 5200
Fax: +27 11 403 1217
Website: http://www.civicus.org

ARCHIVES

Edition 164 of e-Civicus - Connecting civil society worldwide!

Edition 165 of e-Civicus - Connecting civil society worldwide!

Edition 166 of e-Civicus - Connecting civil society worldwide!

Edition 167 of e-Civicus - Connecting civil society worldwide!

Welcome to Edition 168 of e-Civicus - Connecting civil society worldwide!