VOICES RISING
YEAR III - VOL 3. Nº151
September 2 , 2005
content
1.- INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY: 8 September 2005
2.- WHITE BAND DAY II: WAKE UP TO POVERTY!
3.- WORLD SUMMIT 2005: WHATS AT STAKE FOR WOMEN
4.-
5.- CHANGING COURSE: HIV/AIDS AND EDUCATION POLICY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
6.- OPEN UN SEPT 13 EVENT AT RIVERSIDE CHURCH
7.- WORLD SUMMIT YOUTH AWARD LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE SALZBURG, JULY 21, 2005
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1.- INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY: 8 September 2005
www.intuition-in-service.org/ main/unitednations/specialdays/september.html
Observed on September 8th every year, International Literacy Day seeks to focus public opinion on the major global problem of illiteracy.
"Despite the efforts and achievements made during the 1990's in the service of literacy, there are still one billion adult illiterates in the world, two-thirds of whom are women. Moreover, in the present age, literacy is becoming, more than ever, of critical importance to sustainable development, peace and democracy. Renewed efforts worldwide to identify and implement alternative approaches to the creation of literate societies therefore need further support and encouragement."
On this day every year UNESCO awards international literacy prizes to the most innovative and inspiring literacy programmes. In the year 2002 four main prizes were awarded. The prizes reward exceptional work in the fight against illiteracy, and the innumerable women and men around the world who work hard every day, often anonymously under difficult conditions, to teach people to read and write.
Key thought for reflection:
Literacy, in its simplest definition, of being able to read, write and count, has become an indispensable tool for every human being in present day society, even for his or her mere survival. But even this basic skill is denied to a quarter of the world's population over fifteen years of age.
Illiteracy does not exist in a vacuum. It is an integral part of a vicious cycle of under-development including mass poverty, disease, ignorance, lack of basic human rights and non-satisfaction of basic human needs. The cumulative effect of these factors is social conflict and war.
We should not overlook the fact that illiteracy and its related factors have a global dimension. While the appalling conditions of under-development are found in non-industrialised and poor countries the causes or roots of such conditions may be traced to industrialised and rich countries. Therefore, we have to look at the problem globally, while we formulate strategies and implement our programmes both locally and globally.
A.T. Ariyaratne
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2.- WHITE BAND DAY II: WAKE UP TO POVERTY!
globalactionforum@whiteband.org
On 10 September, ahead of the UN Summit, people across the world will unite in the second GCAP mobilisation to demand that world leaders Wake-Up to Poverty. Thousands of people will be holding breakfast meetings with politicians, all night vigils, rallies outside state buildings, jamborees, petitions and early morning press calls. World leaders will literally be waking-up to the voices of people demanding action to end poverty before they depart for the UN Summit. These actions will be mirrored in New York on 14 September, the opening day of the Summit, with a stunt including alarm clocks to Wake-up the delegates. Millions of people will also be wearing white bands the symbol of the campaign to show their solidarity for an end to poverty.
A number of countries have already arranged meetings with their leaders, and others are doing Shadow Reports on their government progress toward to the MDGs. Tell us your plans. Email: info@whiteband.org. Also visit www.whiteband.org to download materials.
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GCAP ASIA – White Band Day 2: Wake-Up to Poverty!
GCAP Asia Updates
gcapasia@gmail.com
i. GCAP Asia Campaign Material Toolkit: On behalf of GCAP Asia, chic and trendy campaign material toolkits were distributed to GCAP national coalitions in the region. The toolkit is aimed to provide support in campaign material production for national coalitions, strengthen mobilization activities for the White Band Days, enhance the visibility and awareness of GCAP regionally, and share the wonderful experiences of national campaigns in the region during White Band Day 1. The toolkit consists of protocol designs that are adaptable to fit national campaigning environments and to help strengthen and solidify on-going campaign plans and activities. It specifically includes images of GCAP Asia's National Campaign Action from White Band Day 1, and designs of a variety of campaign materials – stickers (big and small), bookmark, GCAP information mini card, luggage tags, GCAP logos, posters and protocol poster layouts. As a region, this support can help spice up preparations for the upcoming white band days!
For more information, please contact Reshma Kishnani or Sumie Arima at gcapasia@gmail.com.
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3.- WORLD SUMMIT 2005: WHATS AT STAKE FOR WOMEN
NEW YORK, Aug. 30--Gender Monitoring Group sets out the critical issues
This September 14-16 world leaders from almost every nation--the overwhelming majority of whom are men--will meet at the United Nations headquarters in New York for the 2005 World Summit. They will be seeking consensus on a package of proposals linking peace and security, human rights and development with UN reform. These critical meetings will map a vision for the future of the planet at a time when the world faces enormous political and social problems and the United Nations itself is under attack from powerful forces. There is one voice in this midst, which is proposing a comprehensive agenda for each of the issues the leaders will address, that is the voice of women.
Three leading womens non-governmental organizations--Development Alternatives for Women in a New Era (DAWN), the Center for Womens Global Leadership (CWGL) and the Womens Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)--have established the Gender Monitoring Group of the World Summit to monitor the Summit.
These international experts explain What’s At Stake at the Summit and give examples of how womens activism worldwide is making a difference.
Click here for the entire Press Kit or read more information at:
www.wedo.org
www.beijingandbeyond.org
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The 2005 World Summit
What s At Stake for Women
Prepared by:
Center for Women s Global Leadership (CWGL),
Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN),
United Methodist United Nations Office and
Women s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
The United Nations has been a galvanizing force for women in the past two decades, facilitating their efforts to define a comprehensive global agenda for peace and human rights, gender equality and women s empowerment, and poverty eradication and sustainable development. More than 190 governments have made commitments to this global agenda yet there continues to be a large gap between these promises and implementation at the international and national level.
From September 14th-16th, heads of governments from around the world the overwhelming majority of whom are men - will meet at the United Nations headquarters in New York for the 2005 World Summit. They will be seeking consensus on a package of proposals linking peace and security, human rights and development with UN reform. Yet the United States threatens this process by seeking last minute, far-reaching amendments that would gut the proposals on sustainable development, debt relief and financial assistance to poor countries, and the environment, and weaken support for agreements on social and economic issues reached at past conferences.
Women have paid considerable attention to this process. What s at stake for women are the promises of equality, empowerment and women s human rights contained in the Women s Treaty (or CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women), in the Beijing Platform for Action, Cairo Programme of Action and other widely-endorsed government agreements of the 1990s. The following overview details the critical issues that will be on the table at the World Summit and their importance to women around the world.
A. Development
Gender equality and women s empowerment are essential for meeting goals
Most governments and international institutions, including the United Nations and the World Bank, agree in principle that gender equality and women s empowerment are essential components for achievement of goals in all areas of development, including those contained in the Millennium Development Goals articulated by the UN at the 2000 Millennium Summit. In an effort to create sustainable development, governments must now go beyond words to take action under this framework. At the 2005 World Summit, women want governments to:
· Expand efforts to combat violence against women and girls;
· Guarantee sexual and reproductive health and rights;
· Assure women s and girls property, housing, land and inheritance rights;
· Eliminate gender inequality in employment, including the earnings gap;
· Ensure equal representation and participation of women in national and local governments;
· Invest in infrastructure that reduces women s and girls time burdens, like the amount of time women and girls spend on gathering fuel, water and other basic domestic necessities;
· Expand girls access to primary as well as secondary education.
These strategic priorities are a subset of priorities governments have already signed on to in previous international agreements. They are the minimum necessary to achieve the crucial goals of gender equality and women s empowerment.
Human rights-based policies are a critical priority in a global community
The World Summit must address the systemic imbalances in the global economy that leave poor countries more susceptible to increased exploitation by powerful multinational corporations backed by rich countries. These imbalances contribute to the loss of local businesses and jobs, increasing the gap between rich and poor. Governments and international trade and financial institutions must be held responsible for their embrace of current neo-liberal growth-based policies that pay scant regard to social needs. These policies have been particularly disastrous for women as paid employment and social protections have become increasingly insecure, pushing women into informal and often dangerous work, and increasing their unpaid care-giving responsibilities. At the World Summit, women want governments to:
· Acknowledge that neo-liberal economic policies exacerbate poverty and inequity, contributing to human rights abuses that jeopardize human security;
· Adopt a human rights-based approach to policy and planning to achieve the interdependent goals of development, security and human rights.
B. Peace and Security
Women are central to conflict prevention, peacemaking and Peace-building initiatives
Women s groups strongly support the Secretary General s proposal for a new security consensus based on the recognition that all threats are interconnected and require a collective response. Women s groups call for greater focus on human security, conflict prevention and equal participation of women in all decision-making on peace and security issues. At the World Summit, women want governments to:
· Commit to rapid and full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security;
· Take action to ensure greater protection of women in conflict and post-conflict situations, and develop accountability and reporting mechanisms for gender-based violence;
· Ensure participation of women at all levels of peace and security decision-making and specifically in the proposed Peace building Commission.
Peacebuilding Commission
The proposal to establish a UN Peace building Commission to support countries in transition from armed conflict to lasting peace has received considerable support from governments and civil society, including women s groups. The Commission could provide the UN system with much needed policy coherence and coordination for peace building. However, to be successful and effective, the Commission would need to draw on the knowledge, networks, and commitment of civil society to peace building and conflict prevention. The mandate of the commission should explicitly commit to partnering with civil society through formal mechanisms at headquarters and at the country level. The details for the Commission s mandate, composition and reporting lines should to be developed in consultation with member states and civil society, particularly national and grass roots women s groups.
At the World Summit, women want governments to:
· Mandate the Commission to examine the entire spectrum of conflict rather than limit its work to post-conflict situations;
· Mandate the Commission to work with civil society organizations at the country-level and at the headquarters;
· Allocate predictable and adequate funding for the Commission s work.
A more democratic and transparent Security Council
For the first time in 40 years, governments are considering Security Council expansion to increase its regional diversity and representation. The main sticking points center on which states should be included and the status of their membership whether they should have permanent or rotating seats and whether they would be given veto power. There are even questions about the ethics of the veto power itself. Several conflicting proposals on Security Council expansion have been put forward; decision on these proposals will most likely be postponed until after the Summit.
At the World Summit, women want governments to:
· Restrict the veto powers of the permanent five members particularly in relation to genocide and crimes against humanity;
· Implement more democratic working methods for the Security Council based on transparency, accountability and greater collaboration with member states, UN organs and civil society organizations at national and international levels.
C. Human Rights
A Human Rights Council that commands greater authority
Throughout the Summit processes, the framework of human rights has been named as integral to the elimination of poverty and to attaining peace and security. Yet, in many circumstances, this framework is under attack. In order to raise the stature of the human rights system, the Secretary General has recommended that the UN Commission on Human Rights be replaced with a Human Rights Council with higher status and members elected by the General Assembly. If this reform proceeds, women want governments to:
· Protect the considerable advances made by the Commission on Human Rights in expanding the parameters of human rights discussion, especially through the Sub-commission and its special procedures (a system of UN experts and working groups on specific human rights topics);
· Honor developments made by the Commission in areas of particular importance to women such as violence against women, sexual rights, indigenous peoples and minority rights, the rights to education and health, access to medicine and other areas of economic, social and cultural rights;
· Maintain special procedures and resist efforts by some states to narrow the focus of the Council to civil and political rights and the most egregious abuses as a means of shifting attention from economic, social and cultural rights or areas of critical importance to women s human rights;
· Ensure continued, broad civil society participation in the proceedings of the proposed Council.
More resources for human rights reforms and protection of reporting on existing treaties
Women urge governments to increase resources for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and in proposed treaty body reform. Additional resources to the OHCHR would enhance reporting and maintain focus on a range of human rights areas important to women, including social, economic and cultural rights. And although streamlining treaty body reporting could eliminate unnecessary duplication by governments, there is also a risk that states would no longer be held accountable to report on abuses affecting specific groups. In particular women want governments to:
· Ensure that treaty body reform does not jeopardize in-depth reporting to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination.
Introduce gender to the Responsibility to Protect concept
The World Summit presents the first real opportunity for world leaders to endorse the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), a concept, introduced in 2001 as a response to the UN s failure to effectively counter mass atrocities in the Balkans and Rwanda. R2P would be brought into play in cases where a state is unwilling or unable to halt or avert genocide or ethnic cleansing, thus over-riding the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of a state. NGOs are reluctant to push for any norm that includes provisions, however regulated, for allowing states to use force in the affairs of other states, as they fear this could be used by more powerful nations as an excuse for invading other countries. Women s groups have expressed concern about the lack of attention to women s situation in times of conflict, in the current articulations of R2P. If the concept is embraced at the Summit, women want governments to:
· Ensure adoption and implementation includes the provisions of Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security which calls for women to have a prominent role in peace building;
· Ensure the principle of R2P is used in appropriate contexts to protect against genocide and crimes against humanity, and not as a pretense for inappropriate involvement in internal affairs of smaller states.
D. UN Reform
Strengthening the UN requires drastic changes in global governance
A primary goal of the World Summit is to reform the UN system, which in large part remains as it was created in the era immediately following World War II. Women and other civil society groups are greatly disappointed that certain critical components to address the democracy deficit in international decision-making are not included. Women also say that, in 2005, it is high time that qualified women be appointed in equal numbers to high-level positions at the UN. At the Summit, women want governments to:
· Take steps to bring the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization under the oversight of the United Nations. As they stand now, these financial and trade institution s power remains unchecked and largely in the hands of the US and Europe, causing a lack accountability, transparency and democracy.
· Address the need for transnational corporations to be held accountable for their operations, since they currently function without adequate systems of regulation or oversight or accountability and are able to disregard global development and human rights norms.
· Address the gender imbalance in the UN Secretariat through a substantial increase in the percentage of women in high-level posts. Make sure women s needs and perspectives inform all policy and programs at the UN, and upgrade the status and resources of women-specific UN entities and offices, such as UNIFEM and the Division for the Advancement of Women.
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4.- ANNOUNCING…
THE 2ND EDITION OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN SOCIAL FORUM
Zimbabwe will be hosting the 2nd edition of the Southern Africa Social Forum 2005 in Harare, from 13-15 October 2005.
This year’s SASF is expected to bring together thousands of participants from community-based groups, social movements and civil society organizations from SADC under the theme, ‘Popular and Democratic Alternatives to Neo-Liberalism’.
The Southern Africa Social Forum is a prelude to the African Social Forum (ASF) and World Social Forum (WSF) that take place annually. The first Southern African Social Forum was successfully held in November 2003 in Lusaka, Zambia.
The Social Forum is not an organisation, not a united front platform, but "…an open meeting place for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and inter-linking for effective action, by groups and movements of civil society that are opposed to neo-liberalism and to domination of the world by capital and any form of imperialism, and are committed to building a society centred on the human person". (From the WSF Charter of Principles).
Forward all enquiries to Tafadzwa R. Muropa on E-mails: zimsocialforum@zimcodd.co.zw and zimcodd@zimcodd.co.zw
Or phone the Zimbabwe Social Forum Secretariat at ZIMCODD on telephone numbers t263-04-776830/31
THIS IS OUR TIME!!!
OUR WORLD IS NOT FOR SALE!!!
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5.-
Before the Perugia-Assisi March of September 11 2005
Tavola della Pace
elena@perlapace.it
On the eve of the summit of the Heads of State of the United Nations
the world Civil Society meets in Perugia
6th Assembly
of the Peoples' UN
against poverty, war and unilateralism
let's democratise and strengthen the United Nations
Let's save the UN
Human Rights, Democracy, Legality, Justice and Freedom
Perugia, 8-11 September 2005
Opening session of the sixth People s UN Assembly
Thursday 8 September 2005
15.30-19.00 Perugia, Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori
Italy, Europe and the world
Let s give Italy a peaceful government.
Meeting with
Romano Prodi
Second session of the People s UN Assembly
Friday 9 September 2005
9.30-13.00 Perugia, Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori
Let s save the UN
The world civil society s commitment to the democratisation and reform of the UN.
A new UN for a new peaceful and democratic international order.
Third session of the People s UN Assembly
15.30-19.00 Perugia, Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori
Against the scourge of war and terrorism: What should we do now?
The role of the UN, of the governments, of the world civil society and of the cities
15.30-19.00 - Perugia, Sala del dottorato
1° meeting of civilization: the future of trade between Justice and Human Rights.
Fourth session of the People s UN Assembly
Saturday 10 September 2005
15.30-19.00 Perugia, Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori
Against poverty: What should we do now?
The role of the UN, of the governments, of the world civil society and of the cities
9.30-13.00 - Perugia, Sala del dottorato
2° meeting of civilizations: intercultural dialogue will save the world.
Final session of the People s UN Assembly and the Young People s UN Assembly words and music
15.30-19.00 Perugia, Piazza IV Novembre
I want. You want. We can.
Our questions for the world s governments
Sunday 11 September 2005
Perugia Assisi March for Justice and Peace
Let s ban poverty and war. Reclaim our UN
I want. You want. We can
9.00 Perugia, Giardini del Frontone
15.00 Assisi, Rocca Maggiore
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* During the People s UN Assembly working groups will also expand on various themes, projects and proposals.
* The People s UN Assembly is organised in collaboration with Rainews 24
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6.- CHANGING COURSE: HIV/AIDS AND EDUCATION POLICY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
The Network Women's Program of the Open Society Institute & ActionAid International
invite you to:
Changing Course: HIV/AIDS and Education Policy in Developing Countries
A panel discussion on alternative macroeconomic policies for achieving the Millennium Development Goals
Friday, September 16, 2005
3:00 pm 6:00 pm
Open Society Institute – NY
400 West 59th Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues)
3rd Floor (Rm 3AB)
A panel of experts will discuss issues raised in two new ActionAid International reports which suggest there is a need for alternative macroeconomic policies to better enable countries to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (including gender equality, education and HIV/AIDS). Discussion will include:
· The degree to which current economic policy choices may be hindering development;
· Current models of alternative macroeconomic policies being developed by UNDP and various NGO and research institutes around the world;
· The policy space available in countries for consideration of more expansionary policy choices;
· What is needed for achieving the MDGs, and the fight against HIV/AIDS, women s rights and education in particular.
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7.- OPEN UN SEPT 13 EVENT AT RIVERSIDE CHURCH
robineagle@worldcitizen.org
** HEAR YE, HEAR YE NEW YORKERS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO CAN GO TO NEW YORK ON SEPTEMBER 13!! **
On the eve of the official UN Summit in New York (September 14-16 2005), a number of civil-society organizations from around the world are proposing a full day, open to the press and to the broadcast media, of debates, events, dialog, video links, and films.
The issues scheduled to be covered are: MDGs+5 (Millennium Development Goals + 5) Assessment, Reform of the United Nations and of the Multilateral System, Peace and Security (please see Agenda for further details).
The event will be hosted at The Riverside Church, a historical site. This was where in 1967, Martin Luther King gave his revolutionary speech against the Vietnam War.
If you would like to attend this unique event, you can register now (and find out more) at <www.openun.org> !
Attendance is FREE and OPEN to everyone.
Open UN 2005 Agenda for Tuesday, September 13:
9:30 a.m. to 12 noon: CITIZENS' REPORT ON GLOBAL DEMOCRACY
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.: CIVIL-SOCIETY FORUM
4:15 to 7:15 p.m.: DIALOG WITH OFFICIALS FROM THE UN SUMMIT
8:00 to 11:00 p.m.: POLITICAL AND CULTURAL EVENT
PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ON THROUGH YOUR NETWORKS!
Open UN 2005 Agenda
On the eve of the official UN Summit in New York (September 14-16, 2005), Bridge Initiative and other NGOs have scheduled a full day of events, dialog, video links, and films focusing on the issues discussed at the UN Summit - Millennium Development Goals and the UN Reform. The event is open to the press and to the broadcast media.
This year, the gap between the rich and the poor, between religions and cultures, and between international institutions/governments and the people they are supposed to represent seems to be widening. It is this latter gap that OPEN UN is trying to bridge by organizing a public dialog between governments and international agencies, and a large number of different civil-society voices from around the world.
OPEN UN is taking place between the G-8 Summit that was derailed by terrorism in the UK
and the WTO summit in Hong Kong planned in December. It corresponds with the 60th
anniversary of the United Nations and the official UN Summit. This moment appears as
most appropriate for an international gathering. And yet its relevance may be missed by
many citizens around the world.
With the recognition that the official Millennium Development Goals (MDGs - of which
many people are unaware) are not being met and a discussion on the reform of the UN,
which is perceived as being limited to horse trading among governments on the composition of the Security Council, it is vital to show that a deeper reflection does exist between official circles and civil-society forces on the future of the world.
Citizens' Report on Global Democracy (9:30 a.m.- 12 noon)
9:30 a.m. to 12 noon: CIVIL-SOCIETY WORKSHOP FOR A CITIZENS' REPORT ON GLOBAL
DEMOCRACY
An occasion for a focused discussion among civil-society organizations to generate a
citizens’ process/report on global democracy.
Location: The Riverside Church
Moderators: Christophe Aguiton, Global Justice Movement activist, France Nicola Bullard, Focus on the Global South, Thailand
The year 2005 will be marked by a number of important official events in the global political agenda: The UN, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, review of the Millennium Development Goals, and the agenda to reform the UN.
Even though some civil-society organizations are gaining influence and some space in international institutions, strategic choices must be made regarding their interaction with other players in the globalization conflict.
Considering the lack of dialog and of opportunities to transform the political order, the need for all civil-society actors and movements, the need for citizens themselves to generate a moment of convergence to join forces, reflecting their diversity in a common continuing goal, has become crucial for the future of democracy.
Both politically and structurally, alternative policies and other tools are needed to draw up a new global political playing field based on the principles of participation, accountability, and social justice.
To achieve this, different approaches are possible. A number of NGOs have joined to explore possibilities of starting up a process among civil-society networks. This would lead them to launch, as a first step, a large debate on Global Democracy and to formulate collectively a "Citizens’ Report on Global Democracy."
The aim is not to produce a definitive proposal for reforming the United Nations or the multilateral system. Rather, it is to gather views and proposals as a way to stimulate debate, to deepen civil society's collective thinking on international governance and on the role of the United Nations, and to share proposals on the role of the international system in resolving global problems.
This is an open process, with no fixed end or target. It would rely today on current, creative global communication tools developed by civil-society actors to take up the vital challenge of having their different voices heard in a Citizens’ Report on Global Democracy.
Civil-society Forum (1:00 - 4:00 p.m.)
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.: CIVIL-SOCIETY FORUM
Civil-society organizations will present and discuss their own views and campaigns.
Location: South Hall, The Riverside Church
Moderators:
Hans Abrahamsson, ATTAC Sweden, University of Goteborg
Gemma Adaba, ICFTU, USA
These workshops are a critical part of the day-long campaign at The Riverside Church to link up the fights against war and poverty, and to shape an agenda for justice, peace, and sustainable livelihood for all. The overall goal for the workshops is to provide a space and framework for discussions among activists from major components of the global progressive social movements: the peace movement, the global justice/anti-globalization movement, and the movement to reclaim the UN. There will also be significant participation from other constituency-based parts of the movement, particularly the trade-union movement, the women's movement, and young activists. The purpose is not to set up specific new campaigns or new mega-coalitions, but rather to share organizational perspectives with an eye toward learning from other movements, maximizing cross-sectional work in the future, and bringing broader vantage points to bear on all of our work.
Structure
The structure of the three-hour session will be as follows:
1:30 2:00 p.m. Introduction of goals
Moderators:
Gemma Adaba, ICFTU
Bill Fletcher, TransAfrica Forum
Salih Booker, Africa Action (or Southern CSO leader)
2:00 3:30 p.m. Workshops
1. How do World Bank/IMF/WTO and their corporate-driven agendas help strengthen institutions of militarism and encourage war? How are local and global progressive movements addressing these linkages in their struggles for justice and peace?
2. Exploring poverty as a cause and consequence of economic injustice, social exclusion,
conflicts, and wars. How can we better link existing anti-war movements with global anti-poverty efforts?
3. Reclaiming and reshaping the United Nations and its agencies based on a peoples’ agenda for fundamental Human Rights, gender equality, human security, justice, and peace.
3:30 4:00 p.m. Report from each workshop to plenary
Focus on key messages that the Civil-society Forum may wish to see taken forward by the
civil-society representatives who will debate with UN officials and Heads of State
(4:45 - 7:00 p.m. session).
Dialog with Officials (4:15 - 7:15pm)
4:15 7:15 p.m.: DIALOG WITH OFFICIALS FROM THE UN SUMMIT
Whether from a civil-society or an official perspective, the focus of the dialogs will be on
transforming the multilateral system in order to prevent wars and to win the fight against
poverty.
In our attempt to answer the question “How should the world be governed?”, we will not
just have global governance in mind, but also global democracy.
Both sessions should address the following points.
- Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
This part of the discussion aims at assessing how governments and institutions, which
committed to the MDGs in 2000, are achieving them. It should acknowledge that the
international community works not just with elected governments and multilateral
organizations but also with a number of new players: an increasingly active civil society,
including parliamentarians, local authorities, and the private sector, among others.
- Human Rights for All
A symbolic meeting point between Kofi Annan’s report, In Larger Freedom, and proposals
by civil-society organizations and certain governments is the concept of "Human Rights
for All." Symbolic, because it corresponds with the 60th anniversary of the United Nations
and reflects the evolution of protest movements toward proposals based on the concept
of economic and social rights. Certain governments have also expressed that they would
like the UN Economic and Social Security Council to play a prevailing role. Will the concept of Human Rights for All also be a way of looking at Security and Development issues?
- Reclaiming, Reforming, or Transforming the UN and the Multilateral System
What are the different ways to reform the UN and the multilateral system as a whole? From
the current official scheme of simply extending the Security Council to new members to
the institution of a Global Parliament or designing a Global Constitution, there are different approaches on how to improve Global Governance and to move in the direction of Global Democracy. Some might even ask: “What needs to be governed?”
Schedule
4:15 4:45 p.m.: Introduction
Opening Speech by the Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr., The Riverside Church
Opening Speeches by a civil-society representative and Bridge Initiative
4:45 6:00 p.m.: First Session
>From Global Democracy to Wealth Sharing: A focus on the issues covered in the Civil-society Forum
Panelists
Shashi Tharoor (UN Under Secretary General for Public Information)
William Pace (World Federalist Movement)
Njoki Njoroge Njehu (Solidarity Africa)
Moderators: Amy Goodman (Democracy Now) and Susan Shira (NY Times, to be confirmed)
6:00 7:15 p.m.: Second Session
>From the MDGs to the Reform of the UN: A focus on the official agenda and the UN Summit
process
Panelists
Jose Antonio Ocampo, UN Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs
Representative of the Government of France (to be added)
John Cavanagh, Institute for Policy Studies
Nicola Bullard, Focus on the Global South
Cultural Event (8:00 - 11:00 p.m.)
For further information on the Open UN 2005 event, here is a list of contacts:
Civil-society Forum:
Sonu Chhina - Bridge Initiative NY
sonu.chhina@bridge-initiative.org
Dialog with Officials:
Patrice Barrat - BI Executive Director
patrice.barrat@bridge-initiative.org
Karina Brun - BI Project Officer
karina.brun@bridge-initiative.org
Political/Cultural Evening event:
Emira Woods- Institute for Policy Studies
emira@ips-dc.org
John Cavanagh - Institute for Policy Studies
jcavanagh@igc.org
8:00 11:00 p.m.: POLITICAL AND CULTURAL EVENT
The Institute for Policy Studies, TransAfrica, Africa Action, 50 Years Is Enough, September
11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, and United for Peace and Justice will host a political and cultural event on issues of peace and economic justice.
Invited artists, musicians, analysts, and educators include Harry Belafonte, Phyllis Bennis,
Adrian Marie Brown, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Wyclef Jean, Mary Robinson, and Kumi
Naidoo.
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8.- WORLD SUMMIT YOUTH AWARD LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE SALZBURG, JULY 21, 2005
The World Summit Award and the Youth Caucus of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) are organizing the World Summit Youth Award to celebrate best-practice youth projects in e-content andcreativity. YouthAward.org just got a whole new look. In the lead-up to the UN World Summit onthe Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis (November 14-18, 2005), the new World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) website will be more accessible, dynamic and current. With new sections like About Us, New sBlog and Jury, you will be able to navigate up-todate information on the World Summit Youth Award, celebrating the best in youth-for-youth e-content and creativity. Stay tuned to www.youthaward.org as new information and content will be constantly updated.
An online application form is now available at www.youthaward.org/apply for all online platforms that are led by youth under the age of 27 (note that the online platform need not be youth-led so long as the specific project is). The application deadline is midnight,GMT on September 18, 2005.
Projects may be submitted in three categories:
• Development: Rewards the best online platform for youth centred around issuesof poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, social justice, healthcare or peace
• Creativity and Culture: Celebrates the most innovative online platform highlighting young people’s potential for producing creative content, promoting multilingualism, creating new contemporary forms of culture and preserving indigenous knowledge and/or traditional culture
• Community Engagement: Showcases the most influential and engaging online platform facilitating young people’s participation in global, national or localdecision-making processes and sharing news/ideas to empower youth and build community
The World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) is an international competition for youth-ledprojects that bridge the content gap in the emerging Information Society.
Get involved today at www.youthaward.org and showcase your project to the world!
Contact Information:
Thomas Biebl,
WSYA Project Manager
ICNM International Centre for New Media
Moosstrasse 43aA-5020
Salzburg, Austria
Email: biebl@icnm.net
Phone: +43.662.630408
Web: http://www.youthaward.org