VOICES RISING
YEAR III - VOL 3. Nº144
CONTENT
ICAE ACADEMY OF LIFELONG LEARNING ADVOCACY (IALLA)
1.- THE UN INFORMAL HEARINGS WITH THE CIVIL SOCIETY, THE NGOS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
2.- LAUNCH OF ASIA PACIFIC SCHOOL REPORT ON EDUCATION FOR ALL
3.- A FUTURE FOR AFRICAN CHILDREN IN THE MILLENNIUM?
4.- MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO ADULTS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES CONFERENCE FROM NIACE
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ICAE ACADEMY OF LIFELONG LEARNING ADVOCACY (IALLA)
From July 26 to August 11, 2005.
Buskerud Folk Highschool, Norway
www.icae.org.uy
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1.- THE UN INFORMAL HEARINGS WITH THE CIVIL SOCIETY, THE NGOS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR
by Alejandra Scampini
REPEM/DAWN
Dear friends,
Ive just arrived from New York, after attending the UN Informal Hearings with the civil society, the NGOs and the private sector.
I believe that in terms of process and substance, we can feel satisfied because, in spite of time and funding limitations, which clouded the process and prevented larger transparency and participation, THE HEARINGS WERE A SUCCESS.
Shortly, after catching my breath back, I will send a detailed report, and I hope that the rest of our colleagues who were also present at the Hearings will send us their views on this process.
The exchange experience in the hearings was very good, and the governments, with a larger attendance than it was expected, also expressed their agreement in the plenary sessions, stating that they expected the process of the hearings to be institutionalized.
From the civil society, we also celebrated this opportunity, but we highlighted once and again that this process must not substitute others already functioning within the UN, and that we will send to whom it may concern a letter stating our positive notes and the challenges of this process.
The womens movement was the most organized, and womens empowerment and gender equity was mentioned in every session. And women were not solely responsible for this, but also our men colleagues from the social movements and the governments.
All sectors stressed the importance of civil participation and the quality of the presentations and recommendations.
In general, and briefly, let me say that issues such as incoherence among trade and aid policies were always on the table, the development focus must be on the people and from a human rights approach. The issue of debt and its cancellation was well received, but in the understanding that it is out of the ODA.
The issue of violence against women, sexual and reproductive rights and issues of decent work, promoted repeatedly by women, appeared in the draft reports of each session!!!
GCAP was present in every session, the message was loud and clear, even Kofi Annan said in the final plenary session: MAKE POVERTY HISTORY!!!!
The atmosphere of the debate was intense, interesting and of high quality. On the part of the governments, the quality was not as good as we wished, as their discourses were more in the style of such a good process!, luckily we are herebut nothing too committed, although Brazil said clearly that they were to work towards achieving a larger NGO participation in the September World Summit; but we know this is a closed process, and we will see which forces we can set in motion from our national contacts.
After the Hearings, which ended on the 25th, we had strategic sessions of post-evaluation among feminists, and there was a task force meeting of the President of the General Assembly, where Wahu Kara, Rosa Lizarde and myself represented GCAP and the GCAP Feminist Task Force. I will send you my report this week, because I will also participate of the Financing for Development process. The latter was a completely different scenario, more countries, less civil society, more comments such as the private sector is the engine of development, and nothing, or next to nothing on a sustainable equitable development, based on human rights.
I regret the brief character of this report, but I wanted to start communicating my impressions, although brief, so that we can start thinking on the MDGs in September, so to start moving ourselves at national level, so that it will reflect on the global level.
Best regards,
Alejandra Scampini
REPEM-DAWN
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by Alejandra Scampini
REPEM/DAWN
Dear all
The Hearings are over, we had yesterday the Post hearing feminist strategy session co organized by WEDO, DAWN and CWGL.
You are going to receive shortly the minutes of the analysis we made of the Hearings in terms of substance and content. Today there is another strategy session in which we expect to come with a more detailed analysis of what has actually happened at the Hearings and start developing the road to the Summit.
We are paying special attention not only to the events related to UN and NY issues but also we are looking at a much broader scenario that we expect is going to be enriched by the networks, groups at regional and national level too.
There is also a space devoted to GCAP and the level of engagement in GCAP overall framework and analysis for the MDG summit .
But now some of us, are in a quite different scenario. Nadia Johnson (WEDO), Rosa Lizarde
(GCAP) and me feel like how can we say it we do not exist??? We were so happy in the wonderland of the hearings It is not that we are naive and innocent. We actually have been very critical of the process of the hearings, but we had also evaluated very positively that human rights especially womens rights were all over the sessions and there was an overwhelming reference to gender as a cross cutting issue in the achievement of MDGs. Even the very first words of Kofi Annan at the closing ceremony were devoted to raise gender issues.
But the High Level panel of the Financing for Development is a complete different scenario. The honeymoon is over. There is no consistency moving process to process, we have gains in terms of women and gender only two days before, we are now here listening the opening remarks of the countries at the FfD, the very same issues are being discussed but we are not being mentioned at all.
Most of the discourses go around open access to trade as an engine of development, the better was fairer trade ( UK), The issue of ODA having time tables to achieve 0.7 target was emphasized by most of speakers. Coherence framework is all over. FFD and MDGs have to go hand in hand. There has been also a lot of on the need for a new global financial arquitecture but to tied to more participation of private sector.
Yet, there were some sparks that made us feel a bit better. The Sweden representative, also a woman, in a dressing the ffd issues she said we needed to pay attention to cross cutting issues such as gender, environmental sustainability, and sexual and reproductive and reproductive health and rights. She also mentioned the need to ensure the respect and implementation of human rights
The German representative, a woman, said that poverty is a weapon of mass destruction and referred to the interventions made at the hearings, stated that last year world military expenditures exceeded one trillion dollars, while ODA was 78 billion dollars
This is not how to make the world a better place.
All for the moment, we will keep you posted
Alejandra Scampini
REPEM/DAWN
GCAP feminist task force
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GENERAL ASSEMBLY HEARINGS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY
New York 23-
Prepared by
Ana Agostino, ICAE- GEO- Gender and GCAP in
Cecilia Fernandez, ICAE-GEO
Alejandra Scampini , REPEM-DAWN- Feminist Task Force GCAP
STOP TALKING START IMPLEMENTING!
After a quick update of where we were at Viena Café, sharing what we heard and not heard at Dignity cluster, we got ready for the next cluster: Freedom from want. Several of our friends were appointed speakers and active participants in this session. Governments were also there. There were two parallel sessions one on MDGs 1 to 7 and the other was on Goal 8 and Financing for Development.
The main point addressed in the sessions was the interrelation of MDGs, the linkage of development, security and rights and how human rights must be the framework for development. The cross cutting nature of gender equality as well as of the environment. Questioning of the development paradigm, and the call not to tie aid to a particular approach to development. The needs of people to take control of their own development and the major role of civil society and grassroots in this process. There was a strong call to stop talking and start implementing.
NGO involvement in the definition of target and indicators for monitoring the achievement of MDGs. There was a distinction of participation in development and ownership of development.
Our dear friend Peggy Antrobus from DAWN, IGTN, and the Feminist Task Force of GCAP, in a display of her well known wisdom, took the opportunity to emphasize the indivisibility of the 8 MDG and the other Freedoms in the Secretary General’s Report, and that women’s equality, empowerment and agency are cross cutting issues and essential to their achievement. She asserted that none of the human rights and especially the human rights of women including sexual and reproductive rights and violence against women. Peggy also reaffirmed that the policy t framework reflected a market oriented approach to development which opened up countries of the south to increased exploitation from powerful corporate interests from the North and further marginalizes people who suffered most from a development model based on the exploitation of people and resources.
Next to Peggy Roberto Bissio from Social Watch and GCAP followed Peggy’s contribution by pointing out that women are a disproportionate part of the world poor. All these goals and targets were already discussed in previous conferences but they were not implemented. Many participants expressed that these unkept promises were promises betrayed.
There were many interesting issues to be recalled but the most repeated and stressed were the elimination of agriculture subsidies and anti dumping practices, Summit outcomes must ensure that trade rules are dedicated to poverty eradication and bound by existing international agreements that promote and protect human rights and the environment. There was also a call to urge governments to conduct gender reviews and impact assessments of bilateral, regional and international trade agreements.
In terms of external debt, participants said that the call for cancellation is already 10 years old. In spite of this debt continues to growth and is one of the major obstacles to eradicate poverty. The eliminate conditionality of AID and follow up to see that this is fulfilled.
The 0.7 ODA target was mentioned again and again. And there was a reminder that it is already 35 years old. In spite of this, most countries are far from reaching it.
This was one of the issues flagged by GCAP men and women at the Hearings and Flavio Lotti, in a very energetic and articulate way expressed that thousands of men and women all over the world were ready to go to the streets to demand their rights and make the strong call against poverty with their white bands.
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SIDE EVENTS
GCAP PANEL: Action towards making poverty history
Co sponsored by UN Millennium Campaign in collaboration with ICFT, PDHRE, WEDO,CIVICUS, MADRE, GYAN, UBUNTU, IIED, 2005 plus d’excuses, REPEM, Dominican Leadership Conference, ESCR-Net, Caritas International, IATP, DAWN, ICAE.
The aim of the panel was to introduce GCAP to the people in the hearings, sharing the objective policies of GCAP and its overall framework. It was a good opportunity to share the message of GCAP and GCAP feminist task force for the hearings. There was a presentation on the launch of the first white band day that took place on Accra, Nairobi and Johannesburg on the occasion of the African Child
LAUNCH OF ADVNCE Social Watch Report 2005: UNKEPT PROMISES:
What the numbers say about poverty and gender?
The findings of the national social watch coalition in over 60 countries and the analysis of the available indicators coincide: the promises have remained largely unmet. Unless substantial changes are put in place soon, the targets set for the year 2015, will not be achieved.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DEMAND FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS PREVAILS AT NGO HEARINGS
For more information:
June Zeitlin, Women’s Environment and Development Organization, 917-921-1932
Charlotte Bunch, Center for Women’s Global Leadership, 732-407-8497
NEW YORK, 24 June, 2005 – “Gender equality and women's empowerment are essential for development, human rights and security”, was the key message delivered at the UN General Assembly’s Informal Interactive Hearings. An overwhelming number of participants, including men and women from every region of the world, highlighted the advancement of women’s human rights as the key to attaining the objectives highlighted in the Secretary General’s plan to be discussed at the September 2005 World Summit.
On the first day of the Hearings, speakers emphasized that gender equality and women’s empowerment must include ensuring sexual and reproductive rights of women; secure tenure of property, land and inheritance rights; political representation of women at all levels; prevention and punishment of acts of violence against women; and the implementation of international agreements addressing these issues, particularly those of the Vienna, Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing, and Durban UN world conferences.
“Governments repeatedly have made commitments to women’s empowerment, equality and human rights. But they have often failed to translate these commitments into action,” said June Zeitlin, Executive Director, Women’s Environmental and Development Organization.
Governments pledged full and unequivocal reaffirmation of the Beijing Platform for Action during the Commission on the Status of Women meeting in March. This momentum, carried forward to the General Assembly in the Hearings during these two days, must be translated into a loud and clear message when the heads of state gather for the September Summit.
Yet, we need to protect and advance beyond previous gains. As Charlotte Bunch, Executive Director of the Center for Women’s Global Leadership, notes, “What women need now is concrete, specific and time-bound plans and resources for implementation of promises made. The question for governments is when will they get serious about committing resources and political will to the advancement of the human rights of women?”
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The Informal Interactive Hearings of the General Assembly with non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector are based on the Secretary General’s report “In Larger Freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all.” The Secretary General, Kofi Annan, is expected to attend the closing plenary on Friday, 24 June. A summary of the Hearings will be issued as an Assembly document prior to the High-level Plenary Meeting in September 2005.
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2.- LAUNCH OF ASIA PACIFIC SCHOOL REPORT ON EDUCATION FOR ALL
To all ASPBAE Members and Friends
We are pleased to announce the release of "'Must do Better", a 'School Report' of 14 Developing countries in Asia Pacific to investigate their commitment to basic education.
"Must do Better" is published by ASPBAE and the Global Campaign for Education (GCE). This will be released in regionally coordinated campaign activities from June 29 through the first week of July in countries all over the Asia South Pacific as part of the July 1 White Arm band day campaign of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (G CAP). In Nepal, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, National Coalitions for Education would launch the Report inviting ministers; ambassadors of G8 countries; government officials; media and civil society.
If you haven't as yet been contacted, ASPBAE and GCE members and friends in these countries, please get in touch with the national coalitions (details outlined below) to participate in the launch activities. Bulk copies of the Report Card have been sent to the national coalitions for the campaign; you will each be receiving your individual copies by mail. In the meantime, you can view the report or downloand a pdf version from the ASPBAE website www.aspbae.org starting June 29.
Join us and thousands of citizens world-wide, in the first of the White Arm Band day coordinated campaigns on July 1, to demand accelerated action from our governments and the international community to End Poverty Now and for Education to End Poverty
In Bangladesh:
As part of the 2 week G-CAP mobilization activities in the country, the Asia Pacific School Report Card will be launched on 3rd July 2005 by the Prime Minister or Education Minister. The launch will be organized by Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) and the national G-CAP coalition as part of a workshop with the Ambassadors and Heads of international organizations in Bangladesh.
Contact details: Tasneem Athar at floraz58@hotmail.com
Phone: +880-2-9130427/8115769/ 8155031/8155032
In India:
The National Coalition for Education (NCE) will focus on the theme Educate Girls to End Poverty. On 30th June 100 out-of-school children from 5 Indian States will attend a workshop in New Delhi. This workshop will also be attended by eminent parliamentarians. On 1st July the children wearing white arm bands will meet Ambassadors of G-8 Countries and the Prime Minster to present their charter of demands and the School Report Card. This will be followed by a Press Conference attended by a noted celebrity wearing a white armband to formally launch the report card.
Contact Details: Suman/Nidhi at sumansaccs@yahoo.com
Phone: +91 11 2622 4899/2647 5481
In Nepal
The GCE-Nepal Education coalition plans to issue a press release about the launch a day earlier and on July 1, would invite all the organizations working for children and education and would launch the report card with child delegates.
Contact Details: Gauri Pradhan / Priti Shreshta at gpradhan@mos.com.np & Priti@globalmarchsouthasia.org
Phone: + 977 1 4278064 / 4282255
In the Solomon Islands
In the first week of July, Coalition of Education in Solomon Islands (COESI) will launch the report inviting government officials, parliamentarians, and members of civil society, dignitaries from national and international NGOs, teachers unions and media.
Contact details: Rose Wale at rwale@solomon.com.sb & aspbae@solomon.com.sb
Phone: + 677 24073 / 28542
In Pakistan
In the first week of July, the Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) is launching the report card in Islamabad along with member organizations of the coalition.
Contact Details: Tracy Rizvi and Nighat Rafaque at sparc@comsats.net.pk & nighat@spopk.org
Phone: + 92 51 2279504 & + 92-51-2272978, 2820426, 2820983
In Sri Lanka
Representatives of the National Coalition for Education Development, Srilanka would gather at the Independence Square in Colombo on July 1st and white clothes and a white band. The groups would then proceed to visit embassies of G8 countries to hand over the report and memorandum letter to all the ambassadors. Press conference would be held later in the day.
Contact Details: Senaka Dambawinne at youthnet@sltnet.lk
Phone: + 94 11 2825473
In Indonesia
E-net for Justice would launch the school report card at national and district levels. At the national level, a public dialogue would be organized on 29th June followed the next day with a meeting with the national parliament and the national human rights commission where the school report card and poverty report would be presented. At the district level, the report card would be launched in three provinces - Bogor (West Java), Manado (North Celebes) and Bengkulu (Bengkulu, Sumatra) along the same lines as the national launch. On 1st July, e-net with other networks under the anti poverty committee will participate in the white arm band campaign.
Contact Details: Yanti Muchtar at d_yanti@indo.net.id
Phone: + 62-21 847-3425/ 62-21 7971629
We look forward to your participation.
the Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education (ASPBAE)
Global Campaign for Education (GCE)
Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education (ASPBAE)
PRESS RELEASE
- June 29, 2005 -
75% of class 2005 HAve RED MARKS: asia Pacific school report card on education for all
The Asia Pacific School Report Card is out. This report investigates the performance of 14 developing country leaders in their commitment to basic education and concludes that governments Must Do Better.
The report uses the format of a School Report Card to rank the leaders of these developing countries as class leaders or poor performers. Of the developing countries covered, only two received an A grade, one a B and another two scraped through with Cs. Class giants Hu Jintao of China (5th rank; 63/100; C grade) and Manmohan Singh of India (10th rank; 43/100; E grade) did not fare impressively.
The Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education a network of more than 200 organisations and individuals promoting adult education in the Asia Pacific region and the Global Campaign for Education a coalition of international and regional development NGOs, national coalitions and teachers unions in over 150 countries published this report. This will be released in regionally coordinated campaign activities through June 29 to the first week of July 1 in countries all over the Asia South Pacific as part of the July 1 White Arm band day campaign of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (G CAP).
Must Do Better marks countries on five basic indicators: Complete Basic Education, State Action on Free Education, Quality Inputs, Gender Equality and Overall Equity.
The report demonstrates that 11 out of 14 countries are doing poorly in ensuring free, basic education of good quality to their citizens. Eight countries get marks of C to F indicating poor performance even in just ensuring access to basic education. Half of the countries in this report fail the gender equality marks. This observation comes at a crucial time. In the year 2005, the first of the Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets ensuring gender parity in classrooms - falls due. It is already admitted that 75 countries all over the world (representing 60% of the countries who pledged to this goal) will miss the 2005 targets.
Inaction NOW would be a scandalous loss of opportunity since achieving the gender targets in education is not impossible as the performance of seven (7) countries in this report demonstrate. Of those who have achieved gender parities, Sri Lanka and Thailand set good examples in working towards sustaining these gains with state action curbing user fees charges. User charges in education had been identified as a major deterrent to poor girls entering and completing their schooling, thus affording them a fair chance to change their future through learning. Bangladeshs commitment to eliminate user fees, along with cash stipends to support poor girls has therefore earned it a high mark in this report- a B for state action recognition of the states hard work to end the historical disadvantage of girls and women in education, worth emulating. Thailand, China and Malaysia matched their high scores in gender equality with equally high marks for quality education demonstrating further that firm commitment by states and adequate investments in education benefiting girls is eminently possible.
This is how the class and its students are placed in July 2005 from the highest to the lowest rank:
Country
Grade
(A-F)
Thailand A
Malaysia A
Sri Lanka B
Philippines C
China C
Vietnam D
Bangladesh E
Cambodia E
India E
Indonesia E
Nepal F
Papua New Guinea F
Solomon Islands F
Pakistan F
Even if all developing countries substantially increased their own education investments, however, many would still need additional support from rich countries in order to achieve the Education for All targets and the MDGs. It is therefore deeply worrying that bilateral and multilateral aid to basic education in low income countries, although it increased to $1.7bn in 2003, is still only about one-fifth of what is needed. For only $5.5 billion more per year, quality, free education can be provided to every child, unlocking the full power of education to beat poverty. This amounts to less than two and a half days' global military spending.
The positive examples in this report, notwithstanding, the poor performance of countries covered in this report represents an over-all failure of political commitment and woefully inadequate investments to education, thus consigning 216 million boys and girls away from primary and secondary schools and 508 million women and men denied literacy skills in the countries covered in this report alone.
Must Do Better seeks to serve as a wake-up call to world leaders and citizens alike to make education for all a reality.
Must Do Better is available at: www.aspbae.org from June 29th. The report will be launched in 8 countries in the first week of July. In Nepal, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea the National Coalitions for Education would launch the report inviting ministers; ambassadors of G8 countries; government officials; media and civil society.
Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education (ASPBAE) is a regional association of over 200 member organisations across 30 countries. ASPBAE is committed to building an Asia Pacific network dedicated to advancing equitable opportunities for all people, especially the most marginalised.
For further information, please contact:
Maria Khan, Secretary General
ASPBAE Secretariat
c/o MAAPL, 9th Floor,
Eucharistic Congress Building No.3
5, Convent Street, Colaba,
Mumbai, India (Pin: 400 039)
91-22-2202 1391 / 2281 6853
Fax: 91-22-2283 2217
* aspbae@vsnl.com
http://www.aspbae.org/
Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is an international coalition of national civil society organisations, international NGOs and teachers; unions active in more than 100 countries. It promotes education as a basic human right, and mobilises public pressure on governments and the international community to fulfil their promises to provide free, compulsory public basic education for all people; in particular for children, women and all disadvantaged, deprived sections of society.
For more information, please contact
Anne Jellema, Global Coordinator
P.O.Box 18, Kalk Bay, South Africa (Pin: 7990)
+27 21 788 6783
Fax: +27 21 788 5901
* anne@campaignforeducation.org
http://www.campaignforeducation.org
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3.- A FUTURE FOR AFRICAN CHILDREN IN THE MILLENNIUM?
In honour of the Day of the African Child widely marked by the white bands as part of the Global Campaign Againts Poverty, receive this reflection from me
Salma Maoulidi
June 16 is the Day of the African Child. It is a day borne of struggle against injustice perpetrated by apartheid policies that not only emphasized racist ideologies and practices, but also reinforced classism, sexism and colonialism. Such policies assured that there was an underclass in South Africa- an underclass of the black majority forever destined to be the subservient class. The apartheid regime ingeniously crafted a policy of racial, social and political exclusion that kept the different groups making up South Africa- the Afrikans, the Coloureds, the Indians, the Africans, the Zulus, the Chiefs, the Left, the Academics, the Freedom fighters, the Church, the Old, the Youth etc.
Therefore, when African male and female youths took to the streets to protest against racist policies pertaining in apartheid South Africa, they were not led by naïve passion. Rather, they were motivated by the promise of hope- a belief of the possibility for a more humane, more egalitarian existence for all South Africans. Their struggle was fought at a time when the word “freedom” still evoked meaning beyond the conceptual. A freedom fighter’s concern went beyond a regime change: it was about reclaiming a lost sense of dignity, one’s humanity. While leaders and writers like Nyerere, Fanon and Lumumba had a concept of freedom beyond national independence, it actual fact the notion of freedom in Africa has been confined to flag independence from colonial domination.
In many of our countries, however, apartheid persists relentlessly and in many fronts. In particular, the institutionalization of exclusionary policies and practices have been inherited from colonial regimes and intensified by neo-liberal policies. Accordingly, the ghettos of western capitals are replicated in many African cities as we witness the sprouting of slums around most major cities. While this was initially a phenomenon of industrializing economies, it is now a reality in most countries even in Tanzania where agriculture remains the backbone of the economy. In fact, 60% of Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania, consists of unplanned areas or slums.
The growth of slums is partly explained by the high influx of people from rural areas to urban areas in search of work and alternative livelihoods, as their traditional means of livelihoods are increasingly coming under threat from imperialist market forces. The decline of market prices on agricultural produce and goods, the increase in agricultural inputs, the removal of subsidies, the decline in investment in basic services and the neglect of the agricultural sector in favour of external investments compromises the livelihood of the majority of the population.
Moreover, the very existence of slums suggests social exclusion that is manifested by geographical boundaries. It reminds one of the situation pertaining in segregated America where status was about which side of the tracks one came from; or again Nazi Germany where the ghettos divided population on the basis of their ethnicity and creed. Presently one can buy their way into a certain class, but their progression to a better class is marked by their physical detachment from a deprived, possibly crime ridden area to an up market, safer area!
While affluent populations live behind armoured gates with 24 hours security, crime and insecurity dominates the lives of the majority. The violence, chaos and culture of impunity depicted in the Brazilian epic film, City of God, is commonplace in many capitals. The film reveals the realities of the life of most people under the age of twenty, not just in South America but in many poor communities. Certainly, gone is the sense of warmth and community which led Senator Hilary Clinton to adopt and popularize the saying and practice in many African cultures that emphasizes the “our” in appreciating the collective roles in communities, especially in the rearing of children. Necklacing and baby dumping are now commonplace in many of our countries.
Participants at a recent seminar jointly facilitated by Sahiba¶Sisters Foundation and the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme attested to the common place nature of Necklacing and Baby Dumping in their communities. One woman, mama Asha, indicated a worrying trend. She revealed, “In the past, when a thief is caught an alarm would be sound. Now you just wake up and see the charred remains of a thief”. Often the victims of necklacing are young men, although there have been instances where young women accused of baby dumping have narrowly escaped being dowsed with kerosene.
I shiver to think that necklacing and baby dumping is now rated common practice. What, indeed, is normal about torching a fellow human being? And why are the people being indicted and sentenced mostly young and poor?
A poster exhibition featuring media coverage reported incidents preceded the seminar session. The cuttings indicated that young men suspected of stealing were either beaten up by angry mobs or doused with kerosene and torched; while young women accused of dumping their babies in plastic bags, in pit latrines, at markets and bus stops were often hounded by the police. Strategic questions accompanied the cuttings to help participants analyze the significance of the stories impacting young Tanzanian men and women.
What became clear was the fact that young people experience unprecedented levels of violence- more are dying in the hands of angry mobs, from unsafe pregnancies, from HIV/AIDS and from malnutrition. The circumstances in which most young people find themselves when they commit social crimes reflect a situation of utter despair and deprivation. “Boy killed for stealing chicken”, “Youth stoned to death for nabbing cell phone” or “House girl held over baby dumped in pit latrine” tell more than a story of crime. It tells a story of the poor who now risk their life for a chicken that costs $2. It also tells a story of a segment of a population devoid of means to negotiate their sexuality but which is forced to “get rid” of additional mouths to feed in the most drastic and primitive manner. All this is done in an atmosphere of physical, sexual and emotional violence. More troubling is that it often afflicts the poorest with another poor person being at the forefront of a mob justice exercise.
It has been easy for different segments of the community to judge and blame young men and women accused of theft or the murder of young souls. But few questions are raised about the system of inequality and apartheid that keeps poor young people in the margins. Is it just to kill someone who steals for a meal to eat or who attempts to grab a symbolic representation of wealth while we entertain an economic and social system that thrives on benefiting a few and impoverishing the majority? Recently, informal traders, mostly young men, engaged in a brick war intifada style in the heart of Dar es Salaam against the Municipal militia and riot police. Their protests were multiple but lingered on issues of poor and unrepresentative leadership; and their continued exclusion from the business sector. They complained that the Municipal government continuously shifted them from one locality to another while failing to provide them with a conducive climate to conduct what they argue is legitimate trade. Certainly, they have reason to believe that their inability to provide huge kickbacks to officials relegates them to secondary (local) investor status!
Inequality of access also contributes to the predicament facing most poor young women and men. Although Tanzania has been implementing universal primary educations for almost three decades, the reality is that system continues to exclude poor children. Indeed, it is their inability to continue with a formal or alternative education that has left these youths in the streets with no skills and scant career prospects. And while some young people may readily engage with vices like petty crime, drugs and prostitution, the origin creating such demand though youth centered is not youth led.
Moreover I imagine an African child who grows in the belly absorbing all emotional burdens and nutritional deficiencies of the mother. In some instances, it experiences the physical and emotional violence meted on the mother. As soon as the child is welcomed into the world it gets a good idea that it is not valued as a national asset. Certainly, maternal facilities are poorly equipped and managed such that it is also commonplace for mothers to give birth on a delivery bed wet with the blood of another woman who was taken off immediately after her delivery to give room to her. It is also common for the baby to be left in old and cold cots crowded with other naked urinating and defecating neo-nates.
Life does not get any better once the child leaves a health center. Whereas, traditionally a birth of a child was marked with a number of ceremonies, gifts and happiness, increasingly it attracts bitterness and stress. Childhood in many African countries is increasingly a lonely and grown up experience for many children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and other accidents. Most of our young people grow up alone, uneducated and without adult guidance.
If this is our reality, what prospects for African children in the new millennium?
www.whiteband.org
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4.- MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO ADULTS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES CONFERENCE FROM NIACE
PRESS RELEASE
28th June 2005
PR41/05
Ed Melia
Ed.Melia@niace.org.uk
A report Mental Health and Social Exclusion - from the Social Exclusion Unit in June 2004 recommended an increase in the number of adults with mental health problems accessing adult, further and higher education. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) is holding a conference in Marble Arch, London on Friday July 8th, to look at progress to date towards meeting these recommendations, and to discuss what needs to be done in the next year to take this work forward.
The Adult Education and Mental Health: Supporting Social Inclusion through Adult Learning Conference will address the fact that adults with mental health problems are among the most excluded groups in society - with fewer than a quarter in employment and many of whom spend much of their time in isolation which is a significant risk factor in deteriorating mental health and suicide.
Kathryn James, NIACE Development Officer for Learning and Health, said, Adult learning plays an important part in combating the exclusion that people experiencing mental health difficulties face. This is not just because it improves employment prospects but because it can also help build confidence, provide meaningful activity and offer a place where people make friends. Consequently participation in adult learning can have beneficial impacts on mental health and general well-being. Adult education providers can also play an important part in challenging the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health difficulties.
She continued, As one learner said, Coming to college saved my life. Two years ago I was on anti-depressants, drinking too much and taking drugs, and I couldn't bear to leave the house. My family didn't think I would make it to my 30th birthday. But here I am, getting a qualification, I've made new friends and I feel great.
Kathryn James ended, This conference will celebrate the work that has been done over the past year and provide an opportunity to find out about some of the positive work that is being done by adult learning providers around the country. It will also look at what still needs to be done in the forthcoming year if we are to really make a difference to the life chances of adults with mental health needs.
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For more information please contact:
Ed Melia, NIACE Press Officer, on 0116 204 4248 or 07795 358 870.
Kathryn James, NIACE Development Officer for Learning and Health, on 0116 204 4281 or 07775 698 186
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