World Alliance for Citizen Participation

A Free Weekly Newsletter Promoting Civic Existence, Expression & Engagement Please send contributions, comments and questions to editor@civicus.org.

05 December 2007 ISSUE No. 368 PUBLISHER CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kumi Naidoo COPY EDITOR Margaret Fish MANAGING EDITOR Eric Muragana OCCASIONAL CONTRIBUTORS Ad de Raad Anthony Carlisle Benjamin J. Lough Benjamin Quinto Bruno Ayres Caitlin Blaser Carol Baloyi Fabiano Morais Julia Sestier Iain Fleming Karena Cronin Sarah Walpole Sophie North Rebecca Magalhaes Vicente García-Delgado ABOUT e-CIVICUS  The CIVICUS weekly electronic publication is keeping tens of thousands of people informed of the developments taking place in civil society, the factors that are affecting them and the impact they are having on creating an informed and knowledgeable civil society.  e-CIVICUS WELCOMES CONTRIBUTIONS OF CIVIL SOCIETY NEWS e-CIVICUS offers a useful channel through which you and your organisation can share your news, publicise your events and articulate the issues you face. Please send us your contributions no later than Tuesday for publication in the coming week to editor@civicus.org. All contributions must focus on civil society issues or have a civil society angle. To read the contribution guidelines, please visit www.civicus.org/new/media/ e-civicuseditorialguidelines-finalDraft.doc REPRODUCTION OF e-CIVICUS Readers are welcome to reproduce, in part or in full, all sections of this newsletter, however please request permission to do so first. When reproducing or retransmitting content, please credit sources and authors. The content of this newsletter can be translated into another language and reproduced in other publications, as long as due acknowledgment is made to CIVICUS.  e-CIVICUS DISCLAIMER Although CIVICUS makes all reasonable efforts to obtain prima-facie reliable content for e-CIVICUS , CIVICUS cannot guarantee the accuracy of the reports, views or opinions of third-party content providers, nor does CIVICUS necessarily endorse the views reflected therein. Similarly, links provided in e-CIVICUS may point to Internet sites that may be of interest to our readers; however CIVICUS does not take responsibility for, nor necessarily endorse their content. Stories are provided for information purposes only, and readers who intend to rely on information provided through such stories are strongly recommended to double-check its accuracy by reference to other sources first. Opinions expressed by contributors to e-CIVICUS are solely those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CIVICUS, its Board of Directors, managers or staff, or any CIVICUS members or partners. Please do send your comments and suggestions to editor@civicus.org.  CONTACT US P.O. Box 933 Southdale, 2135  South Africa  Tel: +27 11 833 5959 Fax:+27 11 833 7997 1112 16th Street NW, Suite 540  Washington D.C.  20036 USA Tel: +202 331-8518 Fax: +202 331-8774 Websites: www.civicus.org www.civilsocietywatch.org www.civicusassembly.org To subscribe or unsubscribe: email subscriptions@civicus.org TELL A FRIEND Do you have a friend who works for a more just world? Would you like to share this newsletter with them? Please forward their e-mail address to subscriptions@civicus.org We value your comments, suggestions and contributions. Speak to us at editor@civicus.org Support CIVICUS You can make an on-line donation at www.civicus.org/new/donatev2.html Join CIVICUS Join or renew your CIVICUS Membership on-line now at www.civicus.org/new/joinv2.html 2008 CIVICUS World Assembly  The World Assembly will take place between 18-21 June 2008, Glasgow , Scotland . Building on and continuing the success of past World Assemblies, the overall theme for this event is Acting Together for a Just World. This overall theme will be explored through the focus theme of People, Participation and Power. Civil Society Watch Monthly Bulletin The CIVICUS e-newsletter Civil Society Watch Monthly Bulletin  is an action-oriented newsletter distributed to over 7,400 people around the world, featuring insightful interviews, updates on threats to civil society, and analyses of current situations. Read more at www.civilsocietywatch.org CIVICUS blog What do you think? Have your say on the CIVICUS Blog! CIVICUS seeks to amplify the voices and opinions of ordinary people and give expression to the enormous creative energy within civil society. Our recently launched blog gives you the opportunity to use your voice and engage with the rest of civil society. Have your say by visiting http://civicus.civiblog.org

FROM THE DESK OF CIVICUS' SECRETARY-GENERAL Send your comments and contributions to editor@civicus.org. Civil society engaging with International Volunteer Day on 5 December By Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary-General Dear e-CIVICUS Subscriber, International Volunteer Day (IVD) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1985 to promote greater awareness of the value of volunteers and volunteering for economic and social development. Through this e-CIVICUS edition, CIVICUS seeks to participate in this important effort to raise the profile of volunteers by recognising the fundamental role of volunteers in our work and that of our broader network. IVD also provides a critical space for reflecting on the varied ways in which volunteers and volunteering contribute to strengthening civil society and to promoting positive social change. A range of perspectives on this theme were submitted by CIVICUS members and supporters. This is a testament to the diversity of volunteers and the multifaceted nature of volunteer engagement throughout the CIVICUS network.  The article below, written by my colleague Karena Cronin (CIVICUS Volunteer Outreach Associate) along with the other submitted articles featured in this edition, each offer a somewhat different image of volunteers and volunteering. However all are joined by their acknowledgement that volunteers and volunteering are valuable for society and by their common interest in deepening the positive impact of volunteerism. Having volunteered from a young age myself, I feel strongly that today, creating an enabling environment for volunteerism is not only about allowing space for people to exhibit their compassion, care for fellow citizens and concern for supporting those that are most vulnerable amongst us. Volunteering today has the potential to be a force for a new type of citizenship, a force for justice and a pillar for ensuring that human security is realised. Please pass on CIVICUS’ solidarity and gratitude to all the volunteers that support your work for a just world. Kumi Naidoo. International Volunteer Day: A Day for recognition and reflection By Karena Cronin, CIVICUS Volunteer Outreach Associate At the end of a musical, the cast comes together to recognise the musicians, the conductor and the light and sound engineers. In doing this, the cast is essentially saying: Thank you, this would not have been possible if it weren’t for your skills, ideas, creativity, energy and, not least, your commitment. International Volunteer Day (IVD), in some sense, is like that moment at the end of a musical. It is an opportunity for those at the centre stage of civil society to jointly raise their hands in recognition of the innumerable contributions of volunteers and volunteering - to make visible the often-times under-recognised yet indispensable role that volunteers play day in and day out to reduce poverty, advance equality, respond to disaster and to promote empowerment and human development. To read more on this week’s column, click here. IAVE members celebrate International Volunteer Day By Anthony Carlisle, IAVE International Resources Center In its role of promoting, supporting and strengthening the development of volunteering worldwide, the International Association of Volunteer Effort (IAVE) - and its diverse membership around the globe - has celebrated International Volunteer Day (IVD) in a variety of ways. IVD is a chance for volunteer organisations and individual volunteers to stand up and be recognised. On this day, marches, community parties, campaigns and other activities feature prominently. Although IVD officially falls on 5 December, many nations celebrate the event on the preceding weekend. For more information, click here. United Nations Volunteers celebrate International Volunteer Day By Ad de Raad, United Nations Volunteers (UNV), Executive Coordinator The UN General Assembly established International Volunteer Day (IVD) in 1985 to make visible the vast contributions of volunteers to economic and social development globally. IVD is celebrated worldwide on 5 December and offers an opportunity to recognise the contributions of volunteers worldwide. Everywhere we look we see those extraordinary contributions, from responding to disasters to efforts to tackle major development challenges such as climate change, peace, human health, as well as the encouragement and engagement in society of youth and marginalised groups. Over the years, IVD celebrations have been characterised by increasing diversity and creativity. For more information, click here. CIVICUS Poll Question This week’s question: Do volunteers make a difference at your organisation? To answer the question, click here. Previous question: Will global civil society effectively influence developed country delegations to help developing countries adapt to the adverse effects of climate change? Results: Yes - 66%, No - 26%, Don’t Know - 8% COUNTDOWN TO THE CIVICUS WORLD ASSEMBLY Promote Global Unity: Changing the World, One Gift at a Time This week we would like to draw your attention to another donation to CIVICUS available on ChangingThePresent.org: Promote Global Unity: CIVICUS World Assembly attendance. Around the world, individuals and organisations, large and small, face similar problems in their efforts to create a more just world. The impact of everyone's actions can be magnified if, instead of acting alone, people work together. Opportunities for coordination, sharing information and partnership are particularly valuable for organisations and individuals from developing countries. However, the costs of attending a global event can be beyond them. The CIVICUS World Assembly takes place once a year, bringing together civil society activists and their partners from around the world to share ideas and experiences. Your gift will sponsor a civil society delegate from a developing country to attend the 2008 World Assembly in Scotland. As a result of this gift, the delegate you sponsor will have the exciting opportunity to meet with other members of civil society from around the world, learn from them and develop joint projects. The World Assembly celebrates the energy and creativity of civil society working collectively in spite of all its diversity to address issues of justice and equality. It is an opportunity to promote unity and reaffirm CIVICUS commitment to acting together for a just world. To Promote Global Unity, click here. Register now for the 8th CIVICUS World Assembly Deadline for Early Bird Registration: 1 February 2008 CIVICUS is inviting all members of civil society, donors, government, business and media to register to attend the 8th CIVICUS World Assembly, to be held from 18-21 June 2008 in Glasgow, Scotland. The programme promises to be dynamic and exciting and will analyse major issues confronting civil society and jointly seek solutions through cross sectoral collaboration to promote sustainable change. Registration for the World Assembly has officially opened and participants who register early to attend the World Assembly will receive reduced rates. For more information, click here. Call for background papers: CIVICUS World Assembly Deadline for expressions of interest: 21 December 2008 The CIVICUS Youth Assembly will be held from 16-21 June 2008, Glasgow, Scotland and will build on the fantastic success of the 2007 Youth Assembly, with a more extensive participation themed programme and even more delegate places. Delegates will again be fully supported to attend, and places are free of charge. We will cover all your accommodation, food, programme events and CIVICUS World Assembly delegate fees for the week. This year we are also delighted to be able to offer some delegates travel bursaries (please see the website for terms). Spaces are limited however! Delegate places will be awarded to the strongest applicants from around the world. For more information, click here.   2008 CIVICUS Youth Assembly Deadline for applications: 31 March 2008 The CIVICUS Youth Assembly will be held on 16-21 June 2008, Glasgow, Scotland and will build on the fantastic success of the 2007 Youth Assembly, with a more extensive participation themed program and even more delegate places. Delegates will again be fully supported to attend and places are free of charge, we will cover all your accommodation, food, programme events and CIVICUS delegate fees for the week. This year we are also delighted to be able to offer some delegates travel bursaries (please see the website for terms). Spaces are limited however! Delegate places will be awarded to the strongest applicants from around the World. For more information, click here. CIVICUS World Assembly: Young people as the leaders of today Sophie North and Sarah Walpole spoke to Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary-General This year, the annual CIVICUS World Assembly, a gathering of civil society organisations from around the world, made significant efforts to include young people in their discussions. For the first time, a quota of 150 places was set for people under the age of 25, and at this meeting the youngest ever board member of CIVICUS, aged 23, was elected. In recognising the importance of young people in civil society, CIVICUS is taking an important step forward and setting a valuable precedent. "We were among the young delegates, and our experience at the Assembly led us to question what, as young people, we have to offer to such bodies?" To help us answer this question we spoke to Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS’ Secretary-General, who has been a prominent youth activist as well. For more information, click here. TELL A FRIEND ABOUT e-CIVICUS The e-CIVICUS newsletter keeps tens of thousands of people and organisations informed of the many developments taking place in civil society around the world. As a subscriber you know the value e-CIVICUS can bring to your work. So why keep it to yourself? Do you have a friend who works for a more just world? Would you like to share this newsletter with them? Why don’t you tell them to register for a free subscription? They can send us an e-mail to subscriptions@civicus.org or fill out the subscription form at www.civicus.org/new/content/ecivicussubscription.htm. Alternatively, you can forward their e-mail address to KumiNaidoo.e-civicus@civicus.org and we’ll contact them on your behalf. e-CIVICUS DIALOGUES Volunteerism vs. Activism: Different paths to social change By Benjamin Quinto, founder and executive director of the Global Youth Action Network Volunteers are critical actors in civil society. They step up to fill needs unmet by local or national governments, and extend helping hands to children in peril, to the elderly, and to protect the environment. The value of their time represents hundreds of billions of dollars in the global economy. Volunteers always have inspiring and horrifying stories to tell, because their service is directed at those most at risk and underserved by society. In the United States, the government failed to adequately respond with the resources and personnel needed after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the gulf coast. For more information, click here. Innovations in International Youth Volunteering By Charmagne Campbell-Patton and Katherine Hutter, with Tracey Herald, Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) recently completed a project on Innovations in International Youth Volunteering to identify and reward innovation in this field, particularly youth-led volunteering from around the world. This project was commissioned by V, a new charity based in England dedicated to inspiring a million more young people to volunteer in their communities. V was keen to learn more about global good practice in youth volunteering, and to consider how international approaches to youth action could be used to foster innovation, and to enable more organisations to involve young people meaningfully in their work. For more information, click here. Promoting inclusion in international volunteer programmes By Benjamin J. Lough, Research Associate, Center for Social Development, Washington University Although the scale of international volunteering and service has increased dramatically in recent years, research has not kept pace. Fortunately, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2005 gathered data providing the first nationally representative glimpse into the prevalence and nature of international volunteering and service (IVS) in the United States. Analysis by researchers at the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St Louis reveals that nearly one million US citizens volunteered overseas in 2005, nearly half of whom served one to two weeks. Many of these volunteers share a similar demographic profile. For more information, click here. Volunteers help mothers to breastfeed: The work of La Leche League International Rebecca Magalhaes, Director of External Relations and Advocacy and Jane Crouse, Public Relations Associate of La Leche League International The work of La Leche League International (LLLI) is to promote and support breastfeeding. This work is accomplished through a vast corps of volunteers. These volunteers, called La Leche League Leaders (LLL Leaders), are women who support other women in the communities in which they live. Over 6000 women are currently implementing volunteer activities in 68 countries. Since its inception in 1956, La Leche League has accredited over 43,000 Leaders worldwide. Many of these Leaders spend their life promoting and protecting breastfeeding in their families and communities. For more information, click here. From ‘Fordist’ volunteering to a volunteer network Bruno Ayres and Fabiano Morais, Portal do Voluntário / Comunitas Volunteer management may be analysed from at least two different angles. The first one, which we have labeled as “Fordist”, sees volunteering as an instrument of aid, to be applied using much the same moulds of a job or formal employment. Based on orders and standards, this kind of volunteering is encouraged for ready-made activities created and planned by a bigger entity, whether a company or social organisation. Its work tends to be institutionalised and, not surprisingly, is often measured in hours worked and analysed using quantitative criteria. For more information, click here. CIVIL SOCIETY NEWS NGOs, Unions outraged at attempt to imprison Dutch human rights defenders in India Report by Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC)  An Indian magistrate’s court ruled on 3 December that international warrants will be issued for the arrest of Dutch human rights activists, report the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and the India Committee of the Netherlands, two of the organisations whose staff are being charged in connection with their efforts to raise awareness of rights violations at an Indian factory supplying Dutch jeans company G-Star. On 4th December, the court sent the case to the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, asking it to execute the arrest warrants and request extradition of the 8 Dutch nationals. For more information, click here.  Time to stop the climate blame game British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News view point: Malini Mehra Representatives from more than 180 nations have gathered in Bali to begin discussions towards a new global deal on climate change. The odds could not be higher - climate change is a challenge of civilisational dimensions. Scientists have coined a term for our new age - they call it the "anthropocene" because human interference with planetary systems is affecting the very life-support systems society depends upon. For more information, click here.  The Elders Urge Immediate Action on Darfur Issued by The Elders, www.theelders.org In an effort to help bring an end to the crisis in Darfur, The Elders, a group of leaders dedicated to helping resolve major global conflicts, released an action plan aimed to galvanise key players -- the Sudanese government, rebel groups, global leaders and civil society -- to redouble their efforts to end suffering in the region. The action plan -- Bringing Hope, Forging Peace -- is based on a trip to Sudan by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former US President Jimmy Carter, former Mozambique Minister of Education Graca Machel and former UN Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. For more information, click here.  Civil society backs reforms to protect rights By Rasha Al Qahtani, Gulf Daily News, Bahrain  Amendments to a new law regulating civil society organisations were presented to the Social Development Ministry by 26 non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The alternative law, replacing the 1989 civil society law, proposed by five Shura Council members in 2004, is scheduled to be implemented by the end of this year. It establishes different types of organisations - public interest, vocational, philanthropic, Islam ic, women and social as well as expatriate communities. The amendments were presented by representatives from the NGOs to Social Development Minister Dr Fatima Al Balooshi. For more information, click here.  Peace group barred from Florida schools By Mark Weisenmiller (Inter Press Agency) Public school districts in two Florida counties are refusing to allow members of a peace organisation to counter the presence of military recruiters by talking with high school students about options other than joining the service, according to a spokesperson for the group. "They (the Manatee and Sarasota County School Districts) are saying that we can't go on their campuses because we aren't offering any sort of information on post-secondary opportunities," said Don Thompson, co-chairman of the Coalition of Concerned Patriots (CCP), a Florida-based peace group. "But that's an excuse because we tell the students that the Job Corps and the Peace Corps are possible opportunities for jobs." For more information, click here. Civil society organisations asked to hold government accountable in Ghana Patricia Ofori Atta, Public Agenda (Accra) Civil society groups in the country have been challenged to hold both governments and donor agencies accountable for promoting human rights and the self-determination of women. This can be done by allocating adequate resources within the government budget and mobilising local government resources for activities related to the elimination of violence against women. The Public Relations Officer of the International Federation of Female Lawyers-Ghana (FIDA), Mrs. Efua Adottey, was speaking at the launch of the "Violence against Women & HIV/AIDs Information Manual" compiled and written by Vanessa Brocato and Angela Dwamena-Aboagye of the Ark Foundation, Ghana, with support from the Africa Women's Development Fund (AWDF). For more information, click here.  Political will needed to stop climate change Source: IRIN News Officials stressed the need for "political will" to stem the impact of global warming as the United Nations Climate Change Conference got underway on the Indonesian island of Bali on 3 December. The joint meeting of the 192 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 177 parties to the Kyoto Protocol are expected to prepare the ground for a new deal on climate change to be put in place after 2012. This is when the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol, a commitment made in 1997 by 36 industrialised countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least five percent against a 1990 baseline, expires. For more information, click here. Human rights groups urge legal protection for indigenous communities in Congo A new law fighting discrimination is awaiting government approval NGOs in the Republic of Congo have urged the country's president to adopt a draft law aimed at protecting indigenous people, who, they say, are often discriminated against and whose rights are violated. The appeal was made at a news conference on 27 November by the Congolese human rights watchdog Observatoire Congolais des Droits de l’Homme (OCDH) and its partners, a few days after the launch of an international petition to the president to initiate a process of adopting legislation on the rights of indigenous people. For more information, click here. ACCOUNTABILITY Retreat on the future of civil society sector and the role of civil society leaders in the US 14-15 December 2007, Boca Raton, Florida AccountAbility North America, together with the Office Depot Foundation and the Business and Civic Leadership Center of the US Chamber of Commerce, will convene an invitation-only retreat on The Future of Civil Society and the Role of Civil Society Leaders on December 14th and 15th in Boca Raton, Florida. Over 20 senior executives of leading service providers, policy innovators, corporate executives, thought leaders and public officials will attend the retreat. The Head of AccountAbility North America, Steve Rochlin, will moderate the Civil Society Symposium. Civil Society Organisations are coming under increased scrutiny with initiatives from across the political spectrum questioning their governance, accountability and responsiveness. For more information, click here. Book: Against Corruption Arab Archives Institute publishes book on role of Arab civil society in fighting corruption Arab civil society has succeeded in promoting the transparency agenda despite legal impediments and smear attacks, according to a book recently published by the Arab Archives Institute (AAI) in Jordan. The book, entitled “Against Corruption - The role of Arab Civil Society in Fighting Corruption”, ana lyses the activities carried out by civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Arab world with a focus on Jordan, Bahrain and Morocco as representative countries of the Mashreq, Gulf and Maghreb regions. For more information, click here. Governance Matters 2007: Debunking the Afro-pessimism Myth Center for Global Development - Quoted in the International Herald Tribune and New York Times, 11 July 2007 Governance Matters: Debunking the Afro-pessimism Myth will use the recent update of the World Bank Institute's (WBI) well-known global governance indicators to spark a policy discussion about measuring governance, policy actions to improve governance, and whether "afro-pessimism" is now challenged by the evidence. Based on WBI evidence spanning over a decade, it is becoming clear that many countries around the world in general, and in Africa in particular, have been improving on various dimensions of governance. At the same time, many African countries are experiencing accelerated economic growth and improvements in other development indicators. For more information, click here. GET INVOLVED! Take action: Eyes on Zimbabwe campaign Open Society Institute and Soros Foundations Network The Open Society Institute has launched Eyes on Zimbabwe, a new campaign designed to raise awareness of the humanitarian, democratic and economic crisis in Zimbabwe. As the human rights situation deteriorates and election season draws near, this project combining video, blog and social networking features is intended to inform and to encourage the international community to turn its attention to the crisis in Zimbabwe and act. You can help fight for human rights. Tell the United Nations to investigate the allegations of killing and torture by the police and military in Zimbabwe. Sign the petition and send a letter to the United Nations, click here. International campaign to ban landmines Source: International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) Ten years ago, the treaty banning the use, production, trade and stockpiling of antipersonnel mines was signed in Ottawa, Canada, by 122 states. "Banning a conventional weapon which was used by fighting forces worldwide was a historic achievement which continues to inspire the world," said Jody Williams, who in 1997 was coordinating the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). The ICBL and Jody Williams were jointly awarded the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for their instrumental role in bringing about the treaty. Today, the number of state parties to the treaty has risen to 156, including mine-affected countries as well as former users and producers of the weapon. Only 39 countries have not yet joined, and these include two of the original signatories such as Poland and the Marshall Islands, as well as major players like China, India, Pakistan, Russia and the United States. For more information on this campaign, click here. MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS & GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION AGAINST POVERTY Action Alert: Observers dismayed at further delay in trial of Ethiopian activists CIVICUS and Global Call to Action against Poverty Press Statement Ethiopian anti-poverty activists Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie will remain in prison for at least another 24 days, as Judges in Ethiopia’s High Court delayed their verdict for the third time in two months, postponing it until 24 December. “We are deeply dismayed by the court’s decision to delay the verdict yet again. These numerous postponements are unacceptable and infringe the rights of these innocent civil society leaders to a fair and swift trial. But we will not be deterred - we and others around the world will continue to insist on their immediate and unconditional release,” said Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary-General and Co-Chair of Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP). For more information, click here. GCAP blogs from Bali Arriving in Bali: Ben Margolis, GCAP Support Team Bali is beautiful. This small tropical island, part of the Indonesian archipelago and perched off the East coast of Java is playing host to a major UN climate change conference. I am here for the first week of the conference with colleagues from the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), the world’s largest anti-poverty movement, with national platforms in more than 100 countries. There is no longer any serious doubt that humans are causing significant climatic changes, and that the poorest nations and people in the world are being hit first and hardest by these changes. So can Bali be the moment when negotiations truly begin on a crucial follow up to the Kyoto Protocol as well as on other vital areas including adaptation and deforestation? For more information, click here. Universities discuss MDGs strategy in Indonesia   The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Concerned experts from leading state universities have come together in a think tank because they are concerned about Indonesia 's sluggish performance in achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Depok, West Java. The Board of Professors of Seven National Universities, formed in February, engaged in a discussion of the role of universities in working toward the goals, including by improving national education. For more information, click here.  Wada-Na-Todo-Abhiyan appealing for support, says GCAP India In a violent human rights incident last week, a peaceful rally led by All Adivasi Students in the North Eastern State of Assam was attacked by a mob, killing 25 tribal activists. 20 activists are still missing and over 200 were injured. Women were made the target of humiliation, including a horrific instance of a 16-year old Adivasi girl who was stripped and beaten while being chased by the mob across the city of Guwahati and which has shaken the whole country in India. Members of the local NGO network PAJHRA in Assam were involved and affected by this incident. They have appealed for solidarity and support to ensure that they receive justice. To add your name to the letters of protest being sent to the Indian government, click here. Is India serious about MDGs? By Narendar Pani Setting empirical targets like the UN’s Millennium Development Goals does help attract global attention to the more critical crises facing humanity today, but they come with an in-built weakness: they shift the focus to tracking numbers rather than trying to understand whether the underlying processes will ensure that the goals will be achieved in a sustainable manner. To be certain, the numbers themselves do not suggest an unqualified success for India. The UN itself believes that changes will have to be made if India is to achieve five of the eight MDG s and, half-way to the 2015 target, it does not even have enough information on the other three goals to decide where India stands. For more information, click here. GCAP G8 communiqué The GCAP G8 working group met in October in Tokyo to share lessons from campaigning in 2007, and to plan for 2008. There were participants from Japan and elsewhere in Asia, from Africa and from most G8 countries. The meeting was kindly hosted by the Poverty and Development Unit of 2008 Japan G8 Summit NGO forum and GCAP Japan - Hottokenai Sekai no Mazushisa. The objectives of the meeting were to review & understand progress in G8 countries since 2006; understand the Japanese political and campaigning context and to agree top-line policy asks, public messaging and key activities for the next 9 months. For more information, click here. CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISM ON GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS Volunteerism message on International Volunteer Day UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon The challenges facing our world are vast and complex -- from resolving conflicts and building peace, to alleviating poverty and reaching the other Millennium Development Goals. Tackling these challenges requires all of us to work together -- governments, international organisations, the private sector and civil society in its broadest sense. Volunteers play an indispensable role in these efforts. Yet, the remarkable contribution of voluntary action around the world is not sufficiently recognised. Volunteerism is a feature of all cultures and societies. It is a fundamental source of community strength, resilience, solidarity and social cohesion. For more information, click here. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world tell girls the facts about AIDS By Scott Swinton, Communications and Advocacy Director, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) calls on its volunteers to participate in this year’s call to action made on World AIDS Day: tell 10 girls 10 facts about AIDS. WAGGGS is the voice of 10 million girls and young women worldwide and focuses its global advocacy work on girls’ health issues, like the fight against AIDS. For the call to action, WAGGGS published on its website a fact card listing ten facts about HIV and AIDS to download and distribute, offering a simple but effective tool to spread the message about how to fight AIDS. A youth-friendly AIDS quiz which is also available online has been translated by WAGGGS members into 17 languages thus far. For more information, click here.  Canada Volunteerism Initiative Information, Capacity Building and Awareness Centre Volunteer Canada oversees the Information, Capacity Building and Awareness Centre. The www.volunteer.ca website and Volunteer Resource Centre form the core of this Centre. The Information, Capacity Building and Awareness Centre also support the ongoing development and maintenance of the web site as the national site for volunteering in Canada. The site contains comprehensive information on the latest trends and statistics on volunteering, the newest resources and tools on volunteer management practices, updates on national campaigns as well as helpful links to organisations across the country. For more information, click here. Global: New tool to evaluate aid donors IRIN News: humanitarian news and analysis A unique new benchmarking mechanism that looks at the performance of humanitarian aid donors has put Sweden in the lead. Developed by DARA International, an evaluation agency based in Madrid, Spain, the Humanitarian Response Index (HRI) is the first of its kind to focus on the quality and quantity of humanitarian aid by individual members of the group of 23 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. "Sweden responds predictably and swiftly to complex emergencies," said Augusto López-Claros, Project Director of the HRI. "Its funding tends to be more focused than that of others on forgotten emergencies and on those sectors that receive low-profile media coverage." For more information, click here. Women's rights activists stress need to separate religion from state By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis Human rights activists from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania attending a Tunisian seminar last week stressed the need to separate religion from the state as "an essential approach to realising gender equality." The "Maghreb Women's March towards Realising Equality" seminar on November 24 and 25 addressed the marginalisation of the Maghreb woman and the gender gap in each country. According to a 2007 report issued by the World Economic Forum presented to forum attendees, Maghreb countries rank at the bottom in terms of gender gaps. For more information, click here. CAPACITY BUILDING Volunteering - its place in community capacity building By Diane Morgan, Chief Executive Officer, Volunteering Queensland The volunteer movement historically came from a social infrastructure based on the notion of 'haves and have nots'. Traditionally, the churches provided health, education, and welfare support and services to the 'needy'. Some of the traditional models of volunteering have often been linked to the lady bountiful image and even today often carry the stigma of being seen as work done predominantly by women and often described by some parts of society as exploitation. Other images of volunteer activities are often stereotyped or described as unskilled work provided by unemployed people or carried out by people with altruistic motives to 'help' or provide a service to someone in need. For more information, click here. PROFILES DONOR - Skillshare International Skillshare International is a UK registered charity which works to reduce poverty, injustice and inequality and to further economic and social development in partnership with people and communities throughout the world. Skillshare does this by sharing and developing skills and ideas, facilitating organisational and social change and building awareness of development issues. Skillshare International aims to help organisations achieve their vision through improving their performance and services. One of the ways in which Skillshare assists organisations to develop is the placement of international development volunteers from around the word with partner organisations in Africa and Asia. Requests for development workers come from partner organisations and offices in Botswana, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Uganda. For additional information, click here. MEMBER - Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) is an independent, non-partisan, international non-governmental organisation, mandated to ensure the practical realisation of human rights across the Commonwealth. CHRI was founded in 1987 by Commonwealth profession associations as they felt that while member countries had a common set of values and legal principles, there was little focus on human rights issues. CHRI advocates for the protection and promotion of international human rights standards and ensuring greater adherence to Commonwealth Harare principles. CHRI focuses on ensuring greater accountability and transparency of governments and greater participation of people in decision making as a means of redressing some of the power imbalances that perpetuate the violation of human rights. For more information, click here. BOOKS, REPORTS & RESOURCES Volunteering and active citizenship explored in new publication By Helene Perold, Executive Director of VOSESA The Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region is showing how civic service and volunteering can increase civic participation and contribute to social change. This is the focus of the second volume of Service Enquiry launched recently by Volunteer and Service Enquiry Southern Africa (VOSESA) and its partners in Argentina and the US. Entitled Civic Service and Volunteering in Latin America and the Caribbean, the book makes visible a burgeoning, but often unrecognised, component of civil society activity in the region and shows how voluntary service can make an impact on exclusion and poverty in developing countries. For more information, click here.  Universal Declaration on Volunteering International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) The Universal Declaration on Volunteering was adopted by the Board of Directors of the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) in January 2001 in The Netherlands. Volunteering is a fundamental building block of civil society. It brings to life the noblest aspirations of humankind - the pursuit of peace, freedom, opportunity, safety and justice for all people. In this era of globalisation and continuous change, the world is becoming smaller, more interdependent and more complex. This Declaration supports the right of every woman, man and child to associate freely and to volunteer regardless of their cultural and ethnic origin, religion, age, gender or physical, social or economic condition. For more information, click here. Alliance Magazine December 2007 Focus on … Measuring impact - who counts?  The challenges of measuring social change are well known – the complexity of the process, the length of time involved, the difficulties of attribution. One key issue that has been neglected, argues guest editor David Bonbright in his introductory essay to this Alliance special feature, is who does the measuring and whose perspectives are taken into account. Another key issue is how the different systems of evaluation imposed by donors affect grantees; this is one of the main questions posed in a special online survey commissioned by Keystone and Alliance. The December issue will also include Volkhart Finn Heinrich’s reflections on the CIVICUS Civil Society Index project on civil society worldwide, plus Bill White on what’s missing from the climate change discussion and Barry Gaberman asking if there’s still room for charity in philanthropy. See also Alliance's regular ‘What is new at CIVICUS’ column. For more information, click here.  Just launched: the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2008 Published by UNESCO and Oxford University Press "Education for All by 2015: Will we make it?" asks the title of the 2008 edition of the Education for All Global Monitoring Report, launched on 29 November at the United Nations in New York. The sixth edition of the annual Report is a mid-term review of progress towards the six EFA goals established in 2000. On the positive side, there is a rise in the number of children starting primary school, the number of girls in school, and spending on education and aid. However, poor quality, the cost of schooling and high levels of adult illiteracy rates need to be tackled in order to meet the EFA goals by 2015. For more information, click here.  The Global Fund for Community Foundations online survey Global Fund for Community Foundations - Consulting for the Future As part of the consultation process regarding its future direction, the Global Fund for Community Foundations is conducting an online survey through which philanthropy and community foundation funders and practitioners are invited to contribute their views. To complete the survey, click here. New report punctures AIDS prevention image in Thailand PlusNews: Global HIV/AIDS news and analysis Thailand has excluded injecting drug users (IDUs) from HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes, rejecting proven strategies that can cut HIV transmission and save lives, a new study says. The report, compiled jointly by Human Rights Watch and the Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group, said the high HIV prevalence among drug users - unchanged at 50 percent for nearly two decades - "mars Thailand's reputation as a success story in the global fight against AIDS". Many Thai officials are deeply opposed to needle and syringe exchange programmes, labelling them "immoral" and an encouragement to drug use, even though they have been shown to reduce HIV transmission among drug users, the study said. For more information, click here. CONFERENCES & EVENTS Third Global Knowledge Conference: Emerging People, Emerging Markets, Emerging Technologies 11-13 December 2007, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Over 200 international champions of development have confirmed their participation as speakers. They will lead interactive