World Alliance for Citizen Participation

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

9 July 2008 ISSUE No. 397 PUBLISHER CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ingrid Srinath EDITORS Katsuji Imata COPY EDITORS David Kode Nastasya Tay MANAGING EDITOR Eric Muragana OCCASIONAL CONTRIBUTORS Anupama Selvam Fletcher Tembo Helena Suarez Henri Valot Julia Sestier Natalia Kiryttopoulou Merylyn Hedger Irfan Mufti Tanzilya Salimdjanova Vicente García-Delgado, Esq 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. Beyond G8: Civil society challenges By Ingrid Srinath, CIVICUS Secretary General Dear friends and colleagues, This issue of e-CIVICUS goes to press as the G8 meeting winds down in Japan. The inclusion of the O5 countries as guests went some way towards redressing the melanin deficit in the club of the planet’s most powerful, but continued to present a chromosomally-challenged picture. It is no surprise therefore that the outcomes represent not simply lack of progress, but several steps backward on the issues that most affect the majority of civil society. What does it say about the state of our society that such a meeting can conclude without even attempting to address the confluence of crises that face humanity and the planet at this time? That confronted with challenges of such a scale and severity - on food, energy, climate change, aid, debt, trade and injustice - the leaders of the most powerful nations on earth can produce only a few pious and insubstantial platitudes? To read the rest of this week's column, click here. Civil society to intensify the Pan-African Day of Solidarity for Zimbabwe: Saturday, 12 July 2008  CIVICUS has united with Amnesty International and the Global Call for Action against Poverty (GCAP), and will launch a Pan-African Campaign of Solidarity for Zimbabwe on 12 July, which will consist of continent-wide protest events organised by local civil groups, getting people to sign petitions and lobbying the African Union, South African Development Community (SADC) and individual countries to take action. "By flagrantly and consistently violating the values upon which present day Africa is premised, Mr Mugabe has done great disservice to the people of Zimbabwe and the continent. We believe it is the responsibility of all Africans to urgently put a stop to Mr Mugabe’s anti-democratic activities" said Kumi Naidoo, Honorary President of CIVICUS. "The widespread killings, torture and assault of perceived opposition supporters must come to an end in Zimbabwe. Concrete action is long overdue and African leaders must end their silent acquiescence," said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. "We urge African leaders to call for space to be opened up so that civil society can play a role in tackling Zimbabwe’s current crisis - we are needed now more than ever as millions of people face hunger through growing food insecurity brought on by mis-governance," said Adelaide Sosseh, GCAP Co-chair based in The Gambia. For more informatiopn, click here. CIVICUS open letter to French President Mr Sarkozy The success of institutions like the Global Fund demonstrates that aid can generate remarkable progress, even in the poorest countries. But as this year is the halfway point towards the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), more is required. Most of the countries in Africa have clearly set plans for improving education, healthcare and fighting diseases like AIDS but are yet to receive the aid they need to make these plans a reality. CIVICUS is therefore very concerned to see that Mr Sarkozy has delayed to 2015 meeting the 0.7% target and that French ODA dropped to 0,39% in 2007. At a time when France is taking up its position as head of the European Union, this unfortunately sends a clear signal to other rich nations to delay or abandon their own commitments. Stepping back on the 0, 7% would fail the millions of people living in poverty in Africa and elsewhere in the world. For more information, click here. The letter is also available in French, click here. G8 fiddles while the world burns Source: Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP)  GCAP representatives of ten countries present in are deeply concern at how out of touch with reality the G8 seemed to be on the main issues related to ending poverty. The lack of any real discussion on biofuels in relation to the food price crisis is appalling. "This Summit has been another betrayal of the poor and citizens of G8 countries. The outcome shows a lack of understanding of the heart of the issues causing hunger and desperation in many countries already. We hope the citizens of these eight countries will put more pressure on their out-of-touch leaders. The planet is burning while the G8 is fiddling," said Kumi Naidoo, Co-chair of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP). For more information, click here.   CIVICUS Poll Question This week’s question: Do you think that G8 leaders have effectively addressed the growing poverty crises affecting ordinary citizens around the world? To answer the question, click here. Previous question: Do you think that the African Heads of State are doing enough to pressure Mugabe's government in Zimbabwe to reach a peaceful political resolution? Results: Yes - 30%, No - 60%, Don’t Know - 10% 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 suggest they register for a free subscription? They can send us an e-mail to subscriptions@civicus.org or fill out the subscription form click here. Alternatively, please forward their e-mail addresses to us and we’ll contact them on your behalf. Please send us your contributions no later than Monday every week to editor@civicus.org. All contributions must be focused on civil society issues or have a civil society angle. e-CIVICUS DIALOGUES Africa and the G8: what the academics say Institute of Development Studies and the Overseas Development Institute Source: Guardian, www.guardian.co.uk Fellows from the Institute of Development Studies and the Overseas Development Institute write for the Katine website on what positive action for Africa they would like to see emerge from this year's G8 summit. Fletcher Tembo, research fellow, Overseas Development Institute and Merylyn Hedger, research fellow in the climate change and development group, Institute of Development Studies. For more infortmation, click here. The Food Crisis: Hunger for bread, hunger for roses By Eugen Brand, Director General of the International Movement ATD Fourth World How many of us thought that the horrors of widespread hunger were a thing of the past?  In Ireland, the potato famines are a distant memory for a wealthy, modern country.  And yet on other continents, decade after decade famines have continued to strike, sometimes with faint echoes in the international press and corresponding aid campaigns. Other times they are surrounded by complete silence, no one bearing witness to the acts of solidarity amid the suffering. Is what is happening today different? After centuries of forcing small agricultural societies to become part of international import/export cycles, now food crops have become fair game for speculators looking to make a profit, or are used to fuel the dependence on transportation of societies where local sustainability is long gone. For more information, click here. G8 leaders produce more than what NGOs expected By Ramesh Jaura, Inter Press Service ( IPS ) Three key documents on African development, food security, and corruption -- emerging from the G8 summit of major industrial nations' leaders seem to have taken non-governmental organisations (NGOs) by surprise in delivering more than expected, even if they did not please all. In a document titled 'Development and Africa' the G8 countries (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Japan, Canada and the United States) "firmly committed (themselves) to working to fulfill their pledges on official development assistance (ODA) made at Gleneagles (three years ago), and reaffirmed at Heiligendamm, including increasing, compared to 2004, with other donors, ODA to Africa by 25 billion dollars a year by 2010." For more information, click here.    CIVIL SOCIETY NEWS Young Armenian Human Rights Activist assaulted Source: DemocracyNews, World Movement for Democracy According to several Armenian NGOs, on June 25, Narek Hovakimyan, a member of Armenia's pro-democracy youth movement Hima, was attacked and beaten in downtown Yerevan. As he was leaving school, Hovakimyan, a 19-year old freshman at Yerevan State University, was approached by an unknown young man, and asked to have a conversation outside the campus. Hovakimyan tried to walk away, but the man followed him. He was beaten, and suffered head and stomach injuries. As the assailant fled the scene, Hovakimyan received assistance from bystanders, and was taken to the emergency care unit. For more information, click here.  Prospects for partnership - media and civil society in Pakistan By Syed Mohammad Ali, Daily News The media has the immense power to reach out to the ordinary masses, due to which it can also play an important role in positively influencing the lives of people. This power can and should be harnessed by civil society to promote a range of development processes. Civil society comprises a wide range of multilateral, bilateral agencies, international and national non-government organisations, as well as community-based organisations, in addition to a range of other associations of professionals like lawyers, and even trade unions. The media can undoubtedly promote transparency and accountability. To boost its legitimacy in this regard however, media companies must themselves adopt explicit policies concerning basic development concerns.  For more information, click here.  Civil society checks new poll execs' track records in Philippines   Source: ABS.CBN News Online Civil society groups involved in the search for new Commission on Election commissioners have started background investigations on retired appellate court justice Lucenito Tagle and Malabon court Judge Leonardo Leonida following their appointment to the poll body. Henrietta de Villa, head of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), said the “search group” will be looking for what she said were "dark spots" in the new COMELEC commissioners’ career records. For more information, click here.  Civil society lobbying for Kosovo independence Source: B92, http://www.b92.net/eng Representatives of civil society in Kosovo will start lobbying for Kosovo's recognition, write Priština media. Daily Koha Ditore claims that there is financial support from George Soros and the Kosovo Fund for Open Society: “The lobbying group will include Veton Suroi and Blerim Shala, the coordinator of the former Kosovo negotiating team, Luan Shllaku, the director of the Kosovo Fund for Open Society, and Muhamet Mustafa, the dean of the Reinvest University.” For more information, click here.  The emancipation of Turkish women Source: Turkish Daily News Inherent in these words lie Atatürk's (Süleyman DEMİREL former president of Turkey) deep belief in the importance of gender equality and the emancipation of women in all spheres of life. He admired immensely the heroism of Turkish women who have voluntarily taken tasks in the defense of their country, showing the same power and courage as men, during the Independence War. Just like their counterparts in other parts of the world, Turkish women too were treated as second class citizens, before the establishment of the Republic. Yes, maybe there were already some efforts to establish gender equality in the 19th century, but they had very limited impact as far as the social life of Turkish women was concerned. For more information, click here.  Civil society calls for repressive new legislation to be amended or scrapped in Ethiopia Source: Worldpress.org Civil society groups calls for Ethiopian government to abandon plans to impose strict government controls and draconian criminal penalties on non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said. The two groups called on donor governments, whose behind-the-scenes efforts to see the bill reformed appear to have failed, to speak out publicly against the de facto criminalisation of most of the human rights, rule of law and peace-building work currently being carried out in Ethiopia. For more information, click here. Civil society ban starting to bite in Zimbabwe Source: IRIN News The ban on non-governmental organisations (NGO) activities in the lead-up to the second round of voting in the presidential ballot is beginning to bite, according to Zimbabwe's communal farmers, who are weathering the worst food shortages in living memory. Hansen Chipembere, 60, a small-scale farmer in the Zvinyaningwe area of Masvingo Province, about 60km from the provincial capital, Masvingo, told IRIN. "We are an unlucky lot. This year has been the worst ever for us, and that is when authorities decide our benefactors (NGOs) should stop assisting. You can smell the hunger as you move around." For more information, click here. MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS & GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION AGAINST POVERTY   G8: super-heroes... or super-zeroes? Source: Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) They didn't don their super-heroes outfits, and they certainly weren't very heroic. The G8 wrapped up their summit in Japan with feeble words and little action. “The G8 came, talked and failed to conquer the greatest battle we face, the fight to end poverty and inequality”, said Ana Maria Nemezo, GCAP Philippines. The G8 don their superhero outfits, but can they -- will they? -- fight the battle against extreme poverty? This year, the G8 communiqués reflect how completely out of touch with reality this group of leaders are on the main issues related to ending poverty and inequality. The lack of any real discussion on biofuels in relation to the food price crisis is appalling. References to health, education and water are, sadly, not supported by adequate resources and a timeline commitment. While the G8 pays lip service to the MDGs their commitments suggest that even these minimalist goals are seriously at risk of being achieved by 2015. For more information, click here. Civil G8 Dialogue - Sapporo Declaration: Global Voices to End Poverty Source: Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) The leaders of the G8 have made commitments and promises one on top of another on the premises that a world that undermines the very foundation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will no longer exist. Yet, the promises and commitments have only been words and reaffirmation of those words, and no action, betraying the world over and over; compelling us to live an unjust world that the G8 countries are responsible for creating, maintaining, and leading, where wealth is above all the main criteria for determining if one will survive. For more information on the Sapporo Declaration, click here. Civil society concern on the G8 initiative on Clean Technology Fund Source: Down To Earth Civil society groups said there was no clear definition of what "clean technology" meant. There are concerns that the money under the Clean Technology Fund would be directed toward financing large-scale coal plants, said a declaration signed by 121 civil society groups, which included Bretton Woods Project and Friends of the Earth. They pointed out, as an example, the recent approval of a US $450-million loan by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for the 4,000 mw Tata Mundra coal power plant in Gujarat that burns coal more efficiently. IFC is a member of the World Bank Group, the largest multilateral lender for fossil fuel projects. For more information, click here. Renewing commitment to the MDGs: A five point plan for action for the G8 in 2008 Source: YouTube In this video blog, prepared for the G8 meeting in Japan (July 2008), Yasmeen Khwaja of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) argues for an renewed commitment to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and offers a five point plan to deliver faster progress. For more indformation, click here.  GET INVOLVED! Take Action: Help end Human Rights Crisis in Zimbabwe Source: Human Rights First The Human Rights First is calling on the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the government of South Africa to take a strong and unified stance against the repressive measures of President Mugabe. The statement is condemning the violence in forceful and unequivocal terms, enlarging the mediation process, so far entrusted to South Africa's Thabo Mbeki, to include other prominent leaders in the region and conduct an immediate and effective on-the-ground monitoring by sending human rights observers. To take action, click here.  Join the campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly Little more than a year after its launch, an international campaign to bring democracy to the United Nations has achieved a landmark. “Over 500 members of parliament from over 80 countries have now joined the international Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA),” said Andreas Bummel, head of the UNPA Campaign Secretariat, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. “The enthusiastic response of these politicians demonstrates that lawmakers elected at the national level readily appreciate the logic of having elected representatives at the global level and now want to take action,” he added. The UNPA is a global network of parliamentarians and non-governmental organisations advocating citizen's representation at the United Nations. For more information, click here. ACCOUNTABILITY  Comparative Constituency Feedback presentation at the ISTR conference  Source: www. KeystoneAccountability.org This week at the International Society for Third Sector Research conference in Barcelona, Spain on 9-12 July, Keystone will be presenting its work on comparative constituency feedback as a means for improving the effectiveness of civil society organizations and enhancing their accountability to their constituents. Keystone will present a series of pilot projects currently being implemented around the world for collecting feedback on the perceptions of grant-makers by their grantees, CSOs by their primary constituents, international NGOs by their field-based partners and global multi-stakeholder networks by their members. For more information, click here.  Women demand action and accountability now   Source: International Women's Tribune Centre A document entitled "Women Demand Action and Accountability Now!" pushed for governments to ensure access to treatment, prevention, care and support services for women and girls; gender-driven budgeting; improved monitoring and evaluation of action on women and HIV/AIDS; strengthening of the evidence base on the intersection between gender inequality and HIV/AIDS; and greater focus on frequently invisible groups of women. It called for articulation and clear policy framework giving priority to violence against women and girls, HIV/AIDS and their inter-linkages; promotion and protection of the human rights of sex workers and drug users; ensuring the rights of human rights defenders; ensuring the freedom of movement of people living with HIV/AIDS; guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights; women's empowerment; and the greater involvement of women living with HIV/AIDS. For more information, click here. CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISM AND GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS Civil society calling on the G8 summit to provide billions for maternal deaths By Kara Alaimo, WeNews correspondent Governments and advocacy groups are rallying leaders of industrialised countries, known as the Group of Eight (G8), to provide platforms for billions of dollars to help prevent maternal deaths, the leading killer of women of childbearing age in developing nations. At the summit, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health--an international coalition of U.N. agencies, donors, governments and civil society groups--calls on world leaders to commit an additional $10.2 billion a year to maternal and child health. For more information, click here. G8 leaders urged to pinpoint aid bottlenecks By George Katito, AllAfrica guest columnist Three years after committing to significant increases in aid to African countries, the G8 nations are well below their targets, according to a recent report by the Africa Progress Panel. The London-based panel, chaired by former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, is tasked with monitoring Africa ’s economic and other progress and serving as a “mechanism to ensure promises to Africa are kept.” However, the panel’s first report stops short of charting a clear way forward for the G8 and Africa . For more information, click here.  Global forum on migration slammed for being government-centered in Philippines By Veronica Uy Source: INQUIRER.net The Second Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), which the Department of Foreign Affairs will spearhead, has been criticized for being focused on what governments and private enterprises needed and not on the needs of migrant workers. Agnes Matienzo, project assistant for Migrant Forum in Asia ( MFA ), told INQUIRER.net that previous pre-forum gatherings of the GFMD reflected this attitude. "Instead of protecting the safety and security of migrants, the GFMD process is focusing more and more on the needs of governments, enhancing the role of the private sector like banks, corporations, recruitment agencies, money transfer companies, and systematically excluding the migrants themselves and civil society," she said. For more information, click here.  Global NGO forum to enhance the role for civil society on international drug policy "Beyond 2008" International NGO Forum in Vienna The results of a year-long worldwide consultative process aimed at strengthening the voice of civil society in global drug policy have been unveiled at the "Beyond 2008" International NGO Forum in Vienna. Hosted by the Vienna Non-Governmental Committee (VNGOC) on Narcotic Drugs, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the three-day meeting of 300 non-governmental organisations from around the world coincides with a review of 10 years of progress on controlling the production and use of drugs since the 1998 United Nations General Assembly Special Session on illicit drugs (UNGASS). For more information, click here. PROFILES DONOR: Commonwealth Foundation  The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation, resourced by and reporting to Commonwealth governments, and guided by Commonwealth values and priorities. Its mandate is to strengthen civil society in the achievement of Commonwealth priorities - democracy and good governance, respect for human rights and gender equality, poverty eradication and sustainable, people-centred development, and to promote arts and culture. The Vision of the Commonwealth Foundation is: "Commonwealth civil society contributing to national and international goals for democracy, sustainable development and cultural diversity for the benefit of all people." For additional information, click here. MEMBER: FONDACA - Active Citizenship Foundation In November 2001, in view of the recent developments in civic activism and of the broadening of its powers and responsibilities, FONDACA - Active Citizenship Foundation was created. The objectives of FONDACA are to contribute to the growth, sharing and better use of the knowledge and scientific information on the emerging phenomenon of citizenships, using civic activism as a main point of reference and promoting or supporting partnerships with those actors (public, private and social) engaged in these practices at the local, regional and international level. The Foundations' activities revolve around the relationship between citizens and public administrations; democracy and citizenship in Europe and America; corporate citizenship, with particular emphasis on the relations between private actors and stakeholders. For more information, click here. BOOKS, REPORTS & RESOURCES Education for All by 2015: Will we make It?  Global Monitoring Report 2008 A mid-term assessment of where the world stands on its commitment to provide basic education for all children, youth and adults by 2015. What education policies and programmes have been successful? What are the main challenges? How much aid is needed? Is aid being properly targeted? “At this midway point, our assessment leans towards the positive but much more remains to be done if the goals are to be met by their target date of 2015. Countries and regions farthest from education for all have moved ahead much faster than in the 1990s,” says Nicholas Burnett, director of the 2008 report and recently appointed UNESCO Assistant Director General for Education. “Good national policies and higher domestic spending supported by external aid are clearly making a difference to the lives of millions of children, for example in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, India, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen and Zambia.” For more information, click here.  Ownership with Adjectives - Aid Effectiveness and Democratisation Source: FRIDE, www.fride.org This synthesis report carried out by Stefan Meyer and Nils-Sajard Schulz, looks into the impact of donor harmonisation on democratisation processes in recipient countries. It is based on four case studies (Mali, Nicaragua, Peru and Vietnam) and explores the political implications of the aid effectiveness agenda and particularly of the new aid modalities. The focus of the report is on donors’ performance as increasingly active actors in the domestic political economy dimensions of participation, transparency and accountability, rather than as external and neutral aid deliverers. The report conclusions are aimed at sensitising policy-makers and planners, the study stresses the necessity to address country specific political dimensions and the overall quality of compliance with the Paris Declaration commitments. For more information, click here. New report: Climate Change and Human Rights Source: International Council on Human Rights Policy Policies on climate change have so far ignored its likely human rights impacts, according to our new report, Climate Change and Human Rights: A Rough Guide, published on 24 June. The report argues that human rights principles can guide climate change policy by focusing on individual suffering and exposure to risk. To date, little systematic research has examined the human rights dimensions of climate change, yet almost every human right is threatened. Climate change will create new health risks, threaten food and water supplies, destroy land and livelihoods, and lead to forced migration and conflict. Global warming will disproportionately affect countries already lacking the resources to meet basic human rights obligations. The report also examines decision-making processes and accountability, the merits of litigation, and a range of ethical and policy dilemmas that climate change generates. For more information, click here.  Publication: The Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies: Intercultural Dialogue on Violence against Women Source: The Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) The Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies is pleased to make available a publication with the Final Results of the Euro-Mediterranean project "Intercultural Dialogue on Violence against Women". The publication is a result of the project "Intercultural Dialogue on Violence against Women" funded by the Anna Lindh Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures. It includes a synthesis of the state-of-the-art reports on Violence against Women from all five partner countries Cyprus, Morocco, Greece, Egypt, Spain, information from the project, workshop and training sessions conducted in Cyprus as well as the short-listed photographs from the project's widely publicised photo competition and photo exhibition. For more information, click here.  The DATA Report 2008 Source: Global Campaign for Education The DATA Report tracks G8 countries on their progress towards the Millennium Development Goals including Universal Primary Education. Whilst Dramatic gains have been made in primary education in Africa since 2000, with greater prioritisation by African governments, savings from debt relief, and targeted development assistance, there are still 33 million children out of school on the continent, and demographic pressure will remain a challenge for the next decade, as the numbers of primary school-age children grow at a sustained rate. As enrolments increase, the quality of education for those attending school must also be improved. For more information, click here.  CONFERENCES AND EVENTS World Congress: Giving Children a Voice The Transforming role of the family in a global society 3-7 January 2009, New Delhi, India All societies face the impact of globalisation, and throughout Asia the additional changes of rapid urbanization and economic development are increasingly impacting on the lives of children, families, and the wider community. This timely Congress will bring together a range of distinguished contributors from across the globe to consider the latest knowledge about these challenges, and to offer suggestions and plan how they can begin to be understood and addressed. The Congress presents a timely, unique opportunity to articulate positive responses to the challenges that face Asian society, its institutions, its families and children, and to consider the transformational role of the family. For more information, click here.   61st Annual DPI/NGO Conference: Reaffirming Human Rights for all  3-5 September 2008, Paris, France Over 2000+ representatives of NGOs, grass-roots organisations, United Nations system, private sector, academia, media, philanthropists, youth and other constituencies will gather in Paris to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (DHR) by examining its application in the context of current realities and emerging issues worldwide. This 61st annual Conference is organised by the Department of Public Information in cooperation with the NGO community. The conference is assisted by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of France. For more information, click here.  FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES 2009 Ginetta Sagan Award for Women's and Children's Rights Application Deadline: 1 September 2008 The purpose of the Ginetta Sagan Fund of Amnesty International USA is to recognize and assist women who are working to protect the liberty and lives of women and children in areas where human rights violations are widespread. The 2009 award will be given to a woman who works on behalf of the human rights of women. The Ginetta Sagan Award recognizes individual accomplishment, but also serves as a beacon of  hope to women everywhere who are fighting for human rights. The $10,000 award is announced and presented each year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Amnesty International USA. The 2009 AGM will be held in Boston as from 22-29 March. For more information, click here.  2009 Contemplative Practice Fellowships Application Deadline: 15 November 2008 This programme is sponsored by the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society and made possible by funding from the Fetzer Institute. These fellowships seek to restore and renew the critical contribution that contemplative practices can make to the life of teaching, learning, and scholarship. At the heart of the program is the belief that pedagogical and intellectual benefits can be discovered by bringing contemplative practice into the academy, and that contemplative awareness can help to create a more just, compassionate, and reflective society. Depending upon the tradition from which they come, contemplative practices are defined in a variety of ways and can help people develop greater balance, calm, empathy, improved focus and concentration, and enhanced creativity. For more information, click here.  CALL FOR PAPERS, SUBMISSIONS, SURVEYS & NOMINATIONS Call for Abstracts for Special Issue of Security Dialogue on Urban Insecurities Application deadline: 14 July 2008 The journal Security Dialogue is calling for abstracts for innovative articles dealing with urban insecurities. Articles should be in line with the journal's general editorial aim of combining theoretical innovation with relevant empirical findings. For further details click here. Call for civil society participation in UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) Application Deadline: 31 August 2008 The UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board NGO Delegation invites interested individuals and NGOs to represent civil society at the UNAIDS PCB. This is a call for applications from qualified and interested individuals for two-year terms beginning 1 January 2009 and ending 31 December 2010. The NGO Delegation is undertaking this recruitment with the support of its new Communications and Consultation Facility (CF). A key goal of the communications facility is to increase engagement and participation from wider civil society in the work of the PCB. For more information, click hrere.  APPOINTMENTS CURRENT JOBS Head of Communications Application Deadline: 28 July 2008 Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)  Location: London, UK For more information, click here. Programme Officer Application Deadline: 27 July 2008 Oxfam Hong Kong   Location: Hong Kong, China    For more information, click here.     CONTACT e-CIVICUS e-CIVICUS is a free weekly online publication keeping tens of thousands of people, organisations and programmes informed of the many developments that are taking place in civil society organisations around the world, the many factors that are affecting the impact of civil society on creating a more just world. We value your comments and suggestions. Please send these to the Editorial Team at editor@civicus.org. Unsubscribe: To unsubscribe from e-CIVICUS , get a password reminder, or change your subscription options by entering your subscription email address: Click here.