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VOICES RISING

VOICES RISING
YEAR III - VOL 3. Nº109
October 22, 2004

CONTENT
1.- ASPBAEs Festival of Learning
2.- EAEA GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2004
3.- COMPTE-RENDU DE MISSIONS EN AFRIQUE ET EN EUROPE DANS LE CADRE DES MOUVEMENTS SOCIAUX
4.- Norway: 750.000 PARTICIPANTS IN ADULT LEARNING MAY LOSE ACCESS TO DECENTRALISED LEARNING
5.- VIRTUAL DISCUSSIONS ON: "RESOURCING FOR QUALITY ADULT LITERACY"
AND "CSO CAPACITY BUILDING FOR POLICY ENGAGEMENT ON EFA"
6.- ACHIEVING THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
7.- UNESCO / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Small grants for rights-based research on poverty
8.- LINKING & LEARNING PROGRAMME ON BUDGET ANALYSIS AND ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS -

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1.- ASPBAEs Festival of Learning

We invite you to participate in ASPBAEs Festival of Learning in commemoration of our 40^th anniversary. This event will be organized in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from December 13 to 18, 2004.

We invite you -
to share this learning space,
to showcase innovative adult education practice in the Asia Pacific region,
to demonstrate our commitment to advance the right of all to learn,
to debate adult education issues and alternative frameworks as applied in the diverse contexts of peoples life and learning in the Asia-Pacific region,
to celebrate the efforts and achievements of the movement for change that ASPBAE has become.

The Festival theme, Learning is Freedom underscores the realities and challenges faced by millions of citizens in the current global and regional context.
In spite unprecedented and dramatic progress in human development in the 20^th century, massive human deprivation and want persist. More than a billion people survive on less than $1 a day. Close to 1 billion people are undernourished. Close to a billion adults remain illiterate, more than 50% of these are women. Some 100 million children are out of school. About 900 million people belong to ethnic, racial, linguistic or religious groups that face discrimination. Around 1.8 billion people live in countries where political regimes do not fully accommodate democratic, political and civil freedoms.[1]
Access to meaningful and empowering learning opportunities have the immense potential to liberate men and women - from the limitations imposed by historical economic, social and political disadvantage; from the oppressive impacts of globalisation and the hegemony of a few; from the violence of hunger, poverty, ill-health; from silence, apathy and indifference. Learning can free the limitless potential of people and their communities, citizens in this global community to act, make their own informed choices, take charge of their own development and define an alternative path to a sustainable future and a just peace.
The history of the popular movement in the region of which the adult education movement is part of is a story of learning and freedom. It is an account of people organising for joint action, of groups working to enhance their strengths and competencies, of sectoral movements expanding their alliances and reach, of citizens claiming their legitimate spaces in governance and social responsibility, of women collectively and in their own private spaces - daring to say no; of the oppressed and discriminated resoundingly proclaiming, enough. In the concrete experience of peoples struggles in the Asia Pacific, learning has been a means to liberation AND an act of liberation.
Let us remember these struggles amidst adversity, these initiatives and accomplishments. Let us remind ourselves of the challenges ahead. Let us learn from these lessons. Let us celebrate the spaces and freedoms weve won.

PROGRAMME

The Festival Programme will consist of:
(1)     Two sets of concurrent Regional Workshops
Workshop I events (December 13-14, 2004): Regional Workshops which are a culmination of the several in-country, sub-regional and regional events that have been organized around ASPBAEs core thematic areas in the last 4 years. These are:
Education for Indigenous Peoples Workshop: ASPBAE has been piloting a community audit tool (CAT) for indigenous communities   using participatory approaches to promote awareness of the major poverty-related issues facing indigenous communities and to develop poverty alleviation strategies or review existing strategies in their communities. This Workshop will discuss lessons from this experience including implications from a gender perspective and the possibilities of further developing awareness-raising education modules on globalisation, land and culture and their impacts on poverty among indigenous communities. This workshop will also consider current regional and international mechanisms and platforms for the promotion of indigenous concerns especially in relation to education.
Regional Workshop on Education for Peace and Conflict Prevention: A Regional Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop where participants will build from earlier work by ASPBAE members on education for peace and conflict prevention, bringing tools used and describe lessons from the different education approaches they have pursued on peace education, is envisaged. Discussions will focus on how tools are used in different contexts and what are broadly applicable principles and approaches in peace education work. Capacity building and training gaps including gender implications for peace education will be identified. This workshop will also consider current regional and international mechanisms and platforms for the promotion of education for peace and conflict prevention.
HIV/AIDS Education Workshop: HIV/AIDS Education Workshop: This Workshop intends to bring together trainers already doing community-based education responses to HIV/AIDS and CSO/NGO groups wanting to expand their health and/or other education activities to this new area. The Workshop will be jointly organised by ASPBAE with the AIDS Education Programme (AEP) of the Dept. of Education Extension, Chiangmai University (DEE-CMU) and the UNESCO Institute for Education in Hamburg.   With the theme of Learning from action and local experiences, the objectives of the workshop are to: 1) Assess the current status and achievements of community-based HIV/AIDS education in the region, focusing on awareness-raising, promoting acceptance of and care/support for people infected by or living with HIV/AIDS in the community, and integrating gender awareness into HIV/AIDS interventions; 2) Capture the lessons learned from using participatory approaches to conducting community-based HIV/AIDS education; 3) Develop an integrated strategy and plan with features of sub-regional/regional exchange, methodology training along identified priority areas, support for follow-up in-country work, and strategies for policy engagement in the expanding policy spaces on HIV/AIDS education and interventions in the region and in the world.
Regional Workshop on Citizens Education: This Workshop intends to bring together trainers on citizens education to review and validate a Citizens Education Action Learning (CEAL) Guide developed in collaboration with the Commonwealth Foundation. ASPBAE trainers in Malaysia, Australia and the Philippines have been mobilized in developing and enhancing this guide, informed by ASPBAEs own experience in running programmes on citizenship education. This will be undertaken within a broader exchange of innovative learning approaches in citizens education. Gender issues in citizens education will be addressed. The Workshop will also consider best practice in civil society engagement with local level government, especially in relation to education issues.
A Gender session will be integrated in all Workshop I events.
Workshop II events (December 15, 2004): Regional workshops ASPBAE is coordinating with its regional and national network and coalition partners:
Engendering EFA Advocacy Platforms: This workshop will provide a space to disseminate information on the different policy platforms and lobbying opportunities for education advocacy work in 2005. The year 2005 is a significant one for gender and education as it is the year one of the gender targets in Education For All (EFA) falls due: gender parities in primary and secondary education. It is also the year of the UN Millennium Summit, where the international community will assess its progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) one of which highlights gender parities in primary education. By bringing together representatives of different CSO coalitions working on education advocacy, this Workshop will seek to reflect on how to engender existing education advocacy platforms at international, regional and national levels. The workshop will also aim to cull out regional CSO advocacy priorities and action plans incorporating neglected areas in EFA work e.g. HIV/AIDS education, education for indigenous people, conflict etc within a gender perspective.

Community Organising and Popular Education: the South East Asian Popular Communications Programme (SEAPCP) will run this Workshop showcasing popular, community based education and organising methodologies they have promoted/used in organising community organisations in South East Asia among indigenous populations, urban poor, women, farmers and others. - for awareness-raising and claim-making.
Social Justice and Adult Learning: Action Aids International Circle for Reflection and Communication (CIRAC) for the Asian region and ASPBAE will organize in early 2005, a Workshop exploring different approaches to social justice and adult learning, and expanding notions of adult literacy. This forum will provide a space for preliminary reflections on the issues to be highlighted in this event.
Other Workshop II events will be announced subsequently
Each of these Workshops will also conclude with suggestions, reflections and insights to inform ASPBAEs future planning and the synthesis discussions on the final day of the Festival.

(2)     Local Interactions and Cultural visits
Exposure Visits (December 14, 2004): Participants will have the opportunity to interact with NGOs, activists, community groups, peoples organizations working in Yogyakarta with/on the following:
- Domestic workers
- Urban poor saving group
- Street vendors groups
- Traditional Medicine
- Street musicians
- Self-help community groups
- Organic Farmers
- Female and Transvestites Sex workers

Booths, Exhibits and a Public Events (December 16, 2004): This day-long activity is envisaged as the main arena for interaction with the people of Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta has been a traditional intellectual and cultural centre of Indonesia. It is home to a thriving student movement, a large CSO community one of the main NGO centres in the country. It has a deep tradition in education, and is a locus of alternative thinking and innovative approaches to empowering education and learning. A day-long public event will have the Festival participants interacting with residents of Yogyakarta and nearby communities through booths and exhibits; cultural events organized by NGOs and theater/cultural groups in the city; mobilizations and dialogues with local government and policy makers.
All international participants will be expected to contribute to the booths and exhibits mounted during the Public Event. Specific advice will be provided individually.

Historical Site Visits (December 18, 2004): A day-tour to important historical sites in the city will be organised for all participants in the final day of the Festival. The tour will include visits to Borubudur, Kraton (the Royal Palace) and shopping at Bering Harjo, the traditional market. Optional visits to Prambanan, an ancient Hindu temple and a Ramayana dance performance may be organized in the evening of December 18.
(3)     Reflections on ASPBAEs Past and its Future Directions

Plenary Discussions (December 13 and December 17, 2004): The Festival participants will collectively reflect on the lessons of the 40-year history of ASPBAE, the outcomes of the Workshop discussions as they relate to the Festival theme and the future course of ASPBAE. The discussions are envisaged to inform the planning of the incoming Executive Council of ASPBAE.

Turn-over ceremonies of the ASPBAE Executive Council (December 17, 2004): The members of the newly-elected ASPBAE Executive Council (2005-2008) will be presented and introduced to the Festival participants.
Book launches, video presentations and a host of other commemorative and celebratory activities will run through the Festival week.

PARTICIPANTS

All ASPBAE member and friends are invited to participate in this Festival of Learning.

Since Workshop I events are a culmination of earlier ASPBAE programme events and activities, core participants to these events would have been selected / identified through earlier processes. They will receive a specific invitation subsequent to this general notice. ASPBAE partners for Workshop II events will also receive specific advice further on this.
All those interested to participate are invited to complete the registration form enclosed and send this to the ASPBAE Secretariat no later than November 5, 2004 by email or fax.

LANGUAGE
English will be the main language for all sessions and discussions although limited translation for Bahasa Indonesia will be available for Indonesian participants. Participants may be called on to assist fellow participants who may face difficulties in spoken English.

VENUE
All Festival activities except the Public Event will be held at:

HOTEL SHAPIR YOGYAKARTA
Jl. Laksda Adisucipto No. 38. P.O. Box 1041
Yogyakarta, 55001, Indonesia.
Phone: 62-274-566222
Fax: 62-274-566220
Email: saphiryk@indosat.net.id
Website: www.saphir-hotels.com

Participants will be booked in this hotel as well.
The Public Event will be organised at the Women's Association grounds, adjacent to above hotel.

REGISTRATION & PARTICIPATION COSTS

1.       Participants can avail of the conference package of US$400 per person to cover meals and accommodations for seven nights, airport transfers, the exposure visit, participation in the historical tour, shared-space in the exhibit area and basic workshop material.
2.       Those who wish to make their own board and lodging arrangements but still want to participate in all events of the Festival need only pay US$100.
Payment towards Conference costs may be made:
-          In Cash to the Local Organising Committee upon registration in Yogyakarta
-          Demand Draft/Cheque made to Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education and mailed in advance to:
The ASPBAE Secretariat
c/o MAAPL, 9^th floor, Eucharistic Congress Building No III
5, Convent Street, Colaba
Mumbai 400 039, India
Tel: 91-22-22021391,22816853
Fax:91-22-22832217
E-mail: aspbae@vsnl.com

3.       All participants are additionally expected to pay Registration fees, as follows:
-          International (non-Indonesian participants)      USD 25
-          Indonesian participants                                 Indonesian Rupiah 100,000

We request participants to pay these Registration Fees IN CASH on registration in Yogyakarta.
TRAVEL TO YOGYAKARTA

Yogyakarta is accessible by air through Jakarta and Bali Denpasar. There are several daily flights through these routes. Direct flights to Yogyakarta may be also be organised through Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Please check with your travel agent on the cheapest and most economical route to and from your respective cities.
We urge all interested participants to book tickets as soon as possible since December is peak travel season in Indonesia and many parts of the region. Do plan a seven (7) day stay (arrival on 12^th December and departure on 19^th December) to be able to attend all the Festival events
All those who register participation will be receiving letters of invitation from the Local Organising Committee in Indonesia which could be presented for visa application purposes.

CONTACT DETAILS
For any further information please write to:
Maria Lourdes Almazan Khan
Secretary General
ASPBAE
c/o MAAPL, 9^th floor, Eucharistic Congress Building No III
5, Convent Street, Colaba
Mumbai 400 039, India
Tel: 91-22-22021391,22816853
Fax: 91-22-22832217
E-mail: aspbae@vsnl.com

For immediate inquiries on local arrangements, please write to:
Nani Zulminarni, ASPBAE Executive Council member for South East Asia, based in Indonesia at naniz@centrin.net.id
Full contact details of the Local Organising Committee will be sent soon.
[1] Human Development Report 2004, UNDP
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2.- EAEA GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2004
source: EAEA

This year the European Association for Education of Adults (EAEA) Assembly will take place in University of Metz Saulcy Island, France from Nov 5 to 7. The President and board of EAEA will be elected. The event will be hosted and organised in close cooperation with the Association des University Populaires de France (AUPF).

Within the framework of this General Assembly, the 2nd. Grundtvig Award will be celebrated and EAEA has organized a European Conference on key competences: Citizens - assets of Europe to join the efforts in promoting adult education in Europe, to discuss the findings of the efforts to collect good practices examples in basic skills, to share the experience and to consider conclusions formulated on the basis of the results of the work.
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3.- COMPTE-RENDU DE MISSIONS EN AFRIQUE ET EN EUROPE DANS LE CADRE DES MOUVEMENTS SOCIAUX

Babacar Diop Buuba - President - Association Nationale pour l'Alphabetisation et la Formation des Adults (ANAFA)

I/ LA RENCONTRE DE JOHANNESBOURG

Cette rencontre est en fait une initiative de la campagne mondiale sur les OMD, de CIVICUS et OXFAM. L’objectif était surtout de préparer un plan d’action vigoureux pour 2005 autour des OMD.

Le programme sur deux jours (le 20 et 21 septembre) a permis :

1. Aux différent participants de se présenter et de constater que les différentes parties du monde étaient déjà représentées (séance de la soirée du 19 Septembre) ;

2. de faire le point sur les initiatives autour des OMD aux niveaux international et régional (Afrique, Proche-Orient, Asie, Amérique Latine, Amérique du Nord, Europe) ;

3. de noter des considérations particulières, liées aux luttes contre les discriminations (les Dalits de l’Inde) et à la bonne gouvernance politique (Zimbabwe) ; d’autres sensibilités bien expérimentées ont influé sur les travaux (groupe sur l’éducation, sur le commerce équitable) ;

4. de proposer des initiatives d’action communes déjà en Décembre 2004 (la période du 1^er au 10 Décembre, journée des Droits Humains) ;

5. de cerner les enjeux de 2005 (la rencontre du G8 en GB (Grande Bretagne), le sommet des NU (Nations-Unies), la rencontre de l’OMC (Organisation Modiale du Commerce) etc ;

6. de proposer un plan d’action qui intègre les préoccupations nationales, sous-régioanles, régionales et internationales ;

7. d’avancer dans la structuration du comité de facilitation. Il faut noter que les différentes parties du monde sont représentées et l’Afrique a pu faire passer ses préoccupations en termes de contenu et de représentation afin que les différentes sous-régions soient représentées et que les équilibres linguistiques et de genre soient tenus en compte.

QUE FAIRE APRES CETTE RENCONTRE ?

Améliorer, afficher, valider en interne (niveau CONGAD) et en externe (avec nos partenaires de la société civile sénégalaise et ouest-africaine) notre plan d’action pour 2005 et de présenter à nos bailleurs (dont nos membres OXFAM, Plan International, World Vision et cela avant la fin de Novembre 2004.
accepter la proposition que le CONGAD soit dans le Comité International si l’offre nous est faite officiellement et essayer de participer à la rencontre de New York en Octobre, initié par l’UNIFEM ;
recentrer nos actions sur les OMD, ce qui permet de relancer d’anciens partenaires (NOVIB) et de mieux pousser à la cohérence le système des NU (PNUD, UNICEF, UNESCO, et le Gouvernement Sénégalais).

Sigles :

CONGAD : Conseil des ONG d’Appui au Développement Sénégal

OMD : Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Développement

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4.- Norway: 750.000 PARTICIPANTS IN ADULT LEARNING MAY LOSE ACCESS TO DECENTRALISED LEARNING

Source: Norwegian Association for Adult Education

Kjell Magns Bondevik's government has cut the state grants for the adult learning associations by 60 million NKr.over the last four years, this equals 30% of the level of grants of the year 2000.
A couple of decades ago, the government subsidised 75% of the participants' course fees, according to the Norwegian Adult Education Act. Today the figure is down to only 15-20%. Participants with a strong economy can cope with this, but many participants with low education and low income cannot afford increasing course fees. The network of local providers is weakened, and many learning possibilities slowly dissappear. This trend creates a focus away from demanding courses, to what can easily be sold. Important learning possibilities to groups with more special needs may dissapear. Activities are centralised to cities and towns, and the local providers have to close. How will the government reach the objective of equal access to learning for all, when the local network of providers precisely organised for this are given very hard conditions of surviving.

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5.- VIRTUAL DISCUSSIONS ON: "RESOURCING FOR QUALITY ADULT LITERACY"
AND "CSO CAPACITY BUILDING FOR POLICY ENGAGEMENT ON EFA"

Source: ASPBAE website

ASPBAE is currently collaborating with UNESCO on a programme linking NFE with ICT. UNESCO, with the support of the Italian government, is developing a website titled 'Exchange platform on non formal education' which intends to enable those involved in literacy, non-formal and community education in developing countries to harness the potential power of ICT, through electronic networks where various community learning spaces seek out, develop, present and exchange information and experiences. This site has three main components: a virtual library, an on-line NFE directory and an Exchange Forum. ASPBAE will be UNESCO's Asia-Pacific partner in this initiative. Apart from contributing several of our case studies on innovative practice in adult education to the virtual library, we will be conducting a series of virtual discussions, the first of which is on 'Financing for Adult Education', which will run from 17 September to 22 October - in 2 phases, addressing the aspects (1) September 17 to October 5 : How can we persuade funders (government and donors) and providers (policy-makers, administrators, politicians) that adult literacy learning programmes (ALLPs) are important? (2) October 8 to 22, 2004: How can we persuade them to resource it adequately enough? ASPBAE will be moderating the Financing discussions on a day-to-day basis with Prof. Alan Rogers (School of Education and Lifelong Learning, University of East Anglia) providing the following technical inputs: 2 brief discussion papers to start the discussions off, and a note integrating and synthesizing the discussions at the completion of both phases.

The second web discussion is on 'CSO Capacity Building for Policy Engagement on EFA'. It will run from October 15 to Nov. 19. The discussion paper is being produced by Vera Razon. Vera will also be moderating the discussions and produce the synthesis paper integrating the issues raised through the discussion.

The participants will be: Asia Pacific members of the UNESCO NGO Collective Consultation on EFA (NGO CC/EFA); members and partners of ASPBAE; and, any other groups and individuals working in adult education in the Asia-Pacific who are interested to join.
We are running this electronic discussions in collaboration with UNESCO Paris and in support of its recently launched Non-formal Education website at www.unesco.org/education/nfe Hence, apart from this ASPBAE e-group, will be running and posting these discussions at the UNESCO NFE website as well.
If you are interested to view the ASPBAE discussions and contribute as well, we urge you to register at and visit the NFE website at the given dates. We encourage in particular, CSOs from the Asia Pacific to participate, if interested. Please contact us or Florence Carrique of UNESCO at f.carrique@unesco.org if you are finding it difficult to register at the NFE site.

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6.- ACHIEVING THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality & the MDGs
Developed by the Women's Environment & Development Organization, WEDO
October 20, 2004 -Millennium UN Plaza Hotel - New York City
Website: http://www.ippfwhr.org/global/news/infocus/symposia_e.html

PROGRAM - Speakers

Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, UN Millennium Project
Thoraya A. Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA
Paulo Teixeira, former Director of STD/AIDS Program, Brazil
Steven W. Sinding, Director General, IPPF
Carmen Barroso, Regional Director, IPPF/WHR
Elsa Gomez, Regional Adviser, Gender and Health, PAHO/WHO
Sonia Montaño, Chief, Gender Unit, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Mar
Isabel Plata, Executive Director, PROFAMILIA, Colombia
Cecilia Lopez, former Director of the National Department for Planning of the government of Colombia
Mayra Buvinic, Chief of Sustainable Development Department, Inter-American Development Bank

Panel Discussions
- How will sexual and reproductive health interventions help achieve the MDGs?
- What policies ensure equitable access to sexual and reproductive health?
- How much does it cost to achieve universal access to SRH? What are the benefits?

Moderators
Adrienne Germain, President, International Women's Health Coalition
Lynn Freedman, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Caren Grown, Director, Poverty Reduction and Economic Governance, International Center for Research on Women
Co-convenor organizations:
IPPF/WHR, International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region
LACWHN, Latin American and Caribbean Womens Health Network
Catolicas por el Derecho a Decidir
CAFRA, Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action
REDLAC, Red Latinoamericana y Caribe񡠤e J󶥮es por los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos

Funders include:
European Comission; UNFPA; UN Foundation

Two symposia will be held in New York on October 20, 2004, and in Rio de Janeiro, on November 30, 2004.
Both symposia will bring together policy-makers such as representatives of Latin American and Caribbean governments and UN agencies, as well as civil society, academia and the press. Discussions in New York will center on the contribution of sexual and reproductive health interventions to the realization of the MDGs, with a close examination of what policies can ensure equitable access, how much these measures cost and what are their benefits. The Rio discussion will build on the results of New York; it will address in greater depth the interaction between the MDGs, sexual and reproductive health and human rights, health sector reform and macroeconomic policy in Latin America and the Caribbean. Civil society strategies to address challenges to the implementation of the MDGs in the region will also be discussed.
We hope that, together, these Symposia can advance knowledge and foster greater mobilization by civil society and decision-makers around the opportunities offered by the MDGs. We also hope that they can generate critical engagement of policy-makers with the MDGs to ensure that sexual and reproductive health and rights are an integral part of this development framework.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO REINSERT SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS INTO THE MDGs?
At the global level, several opportunities have already presented themselves for integrating sexual and reproductive rights more fully into the MDGs. The Millennium Project, headed by Jeffrey Sachs, has been tasked to advise the UN and individual countries on strategies for achieving the MDGs. Ten Task Forces are currently conducting research and preparing recommendations on approaches to achieving the MDGs. The four Task Forces most directly relevant to achieving sexual and reproductive rights are those on Gender Equality; Maternal Health; HIV/AIDS; and Poverty Eradication. The Task Forces will put out their final strategy papers later in 2004.
Each of these four Task Forces includes well-known experts, advocates and researchers on sexual and reproductive health and rights who were very preoccupied with ensuring that the ICPD agenda would be fully reflected in the final recommendations of each relevant Task Force. Early on, they agreed to meet across Task Forces to coordinate their efforts. In 2003, at the behest of some of these experts, some U.S.-based foundations granted a substantial sum of money to the Millennium Project to create the position of Sexual and Reproductive Health coordinator to make this process official. The coordinator, Stan Bernstein, on secondment from UNFPA, was appointed early in 2004 and is already at work.
Sexual and reproductive health is one of six strategic approaches recommended by the Gender Equality Task Force, and ICPD indicators additional to those already contained in the MDGs are now included in an Annex to the paper. More work remains to be done with the Gender Equality Task Force, but the results are already very promising.
Another opportunity to integrate sexual and reproductive rights resides in work already going on at the national level. Some countries have already done substantial work on possible approaches. A number of these countries already agree with the view that the MDGs are a minimum; they are, of their own accord, going beyond the MDGs in setting national goals and targets. Brazil, for example, proposes to include much more on sexual and reproductive health than what is contained in the MDGs. Sustained advocacy at the national level can help prod governments to integrate the full ICPD paradigm in their poverty eradication strategies, thereby reinvigorating their commitment to sexual and reproductive rights.

FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR SRH AND DEVELOPMENT
The MDGs could be an opportunity to address inherent contradictions in the current practice of financing for development. If indeed the goal is to eradicate poverty by investing, notably, in education and health, then how do we square that with requirements of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) for structural adjustments and substantial reductions in government investment in precisely those sectors? Activists and policy-makers can use the MDGs to ask proponents of neo-liberal policies and of privatization to demonstrate that market mechanisms will contribute to eradicate poverty and enhance sexual and reproductive health as mandated by Goals 1 (Eradicate Poverty), 5 (Reduce Maternal Mortality) and 6 (Combat HIV/AIDS). Trade arrangements that penalize the production and importation of generic drugs can be similarly questioned by using the MDGs, notably Goal 8 on Developing a Global Partnership for Development. Goal 8 includes targets to "develop an open, non-discriminatory trading system" and for "access to affordable, essential drugs in developing countries"
The MDGs give us an occasion to link up sexual and reproductive health once again with the broader development agenda. Indeed, they make clear that no single interventionwhether primary education or family planningcan be the panacea. Development is a complex process that depends on advancing a range of measures at the same time. Without passable roads, for example, new maternal clinics will not be reached by women in labor. Conversely, without comprehensive sexuality education, those young men or women who have a job will still have no idea how to protect their sexual health.
An important advantage of the MDGs is that they provide quantifiable targets that can be used to hold governments accountable. Obviously, as discussed above, excessive focus on a few targets can be detrimental to more complex approaches to problems. Additional indicators are therefore needed to capture access to a functioning health system. But the principle of measuring progress and being held accountable has been recognized by all governments, as well as UN agencies and IFIs.
Finally, because of their intersectoral nature, the MDGs can offer womens health advocates opportunities to build alliances with other constituencies, such as the HIV, human rights, or "traditional" development communities.

CONTACT
For more information on the symposia, please contact Jennifer Martinez at (212) 214-0286 or at jmartinez@ippfwhr.org

* * * *
This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics; Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues. [DD/ IKM Area] Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members.

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7.- UNESCO / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Small grants for rights-based research on poverty

- Deadline October 31st, 2004

UNESCO is offering up to $10,000 grants to strengthen national capacities for research and policy analysis on rights-based approaches to poverty eradication. Awardees will be institutionally-based mid-career professionals at universities, specialised research centres, relevant Government departments, NGOs, etc., particularly in regions of the world least likely to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

UNESCO specifically wishes to encourage research and policy analysis focusing on the relationship between poverty and human rights. The Organization wishes to promote analysis on the impact of public policies on the rights of the poor, especially on the extent to which pro-poor policies and related national actions in development programming are actually contributing to improved livelihoods and participation of the poor.

For further information, contact the following UNESCO website:
http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.php-URL_ID=5280&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

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8.- LINKING & LEARNING PROGRAMME ON BUDGET ANALYSIS AND ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS -

The Programme will take place from 11 to 19 March 2005 in Portugal.
This programme is organised by International Human Rights Internship
Programme (IHRIP); the International Budget Programme (IBP); the
International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-
Net); Fundar - the Centre for Research and Analysis; and Dignity
International.

The programme aims to equip activists coming from human rights,
development, social and economic justice movements and NGO's, with
the initial knowledge and skills to begin to apply budget analysis
techniques to their ESC rights work, with the expectation that they
will apply these to a specific project and/or initiate a programme
within their organization upon completion of the course. The
programme will be conducted in English.

The Call for Applications is now open.

For further programme details contact dignity@netvisao.pt or visit
http://dignity.3pontos.net/doc/callforapplications_final.doc
http://www.escr-net.org/GeneralDocs/Budget_Call_4_apps.pdf

To download the application form see:
http://www.escr-net.org/GeneralDocs/Budget_App_Form.doc

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< Arq. G r a c i e l a D e d e >
Social Watch / Control Ciudadano
http://www.socialwatch.org
Montevideo - URUGUAY

VOICES RISING
YEAR II - VOL 2. Nº80
December 19th, 2003

CONTENT
1.- FOLLOW UP TO THE WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM
2.- Lack of Education for Girls: A Global Emergency
3.- Accommodation in Mumbai, India
4.- WEDO Announcement: Global Advocacy Internship available for Young Women activists from Africa and Asia
5.-Training on Making Governance Gender Responsive
6.- Position Available: Director Project on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights
7.- !!!AMENDMENT!!! NEW DATES OF SYMPOSIUM: March 3 & 4, 2004
8.- CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: INTERNATIONAL LEGAL STUDIES LL.M. WITH A SPECIALIZATION IN GENDER AND THE LAW
9.- CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2004-2005 KING BAUDOUIN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIZE
10.- PhD fellowship

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1.- FOLLOW UP TO THE WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM

We are very happy to inform you that some countries are following the recommendations emerged from the World Conference Against Racism, most surely because civil society is following up very closely the resulting agreements and because, obviously, there is a political will to do it.

In Porto Alegre, province of Rio Grande do Sur, Brazil, ACMUN, a NGO of African descendant women, organized a Writing Award about the local government’s decision of establishing a 12% quota for African descendant people in the municipality’s public competitions for employment.

This competition received 14 top-level presentations. We translated only the presentations that won the first and second prizes.

It is important to say that these writings were done by persons who know the real meaning of the term discrimination, and who struggle for a life with true social inclusion.

First Prize

Quotas: the Path to Equality

By Jocelaine Machado*

On September 2003 the Municipality of Porto Alegre approved the bill that establishes a 12% quota for black people in all its public competitions, at all levels. The approval was unanimous.

This victory brought the people from the province of Rio Grande do Sul (and particularly from the city of Porto Alegre) closer to the beginning of the materialization of an issue that, until that moment, was only, in the practice, at media level. The quotas in the University of Rio de Janeiro are a good example.
When facing this new reality, many people ask themselves: why this “privilege” for black people? Aren’t we all equal and have the same rights?”
While affirmative action policies for black population continue to be considered as a privilege, not even black people will accept them easily (as it usually happens, many black persons do not agree with the quotas system, in relation both to public service and education)
What one has to understand is that those measures were taken as a way to promote equality of opportunities. In this case in particular, opportunity means “to have the right to”. Statistics show (although it is enough to observe public or university spaces) that black population is at disadvantage in several sectors of society, mainly in the labor market. This phenomenon has nothing to do with lack of capacity. In order to understand this, it is necessary to evaluate Brazil’s history and to understand the exclusion mechanism experienced by this population that goes as far as the times of slavery, and which is responsible for the current situation.

Affirmative action policies should be promoted by the State as a way to enforce equality, because, contrary to the thought of those who believe in a Brazilian racial democracy, it is necessary to bring them about. The lack of opportunities and the subsequent economic difficulties (related to racial issues) offer black people no access possibilities. What we see in most cases is the following vicious circle: “I was born black, poor, I don’t get a satisfactory life standard, I have black, poor children that do not get a satisfactory life standard, who in turn have black poor children that do not get a satisfactory life standard…” And this has been so for long. There are few who manage to break with this almost “natural” circle. Quotas are a way to facilitate the following circle: “I was born black, poor, I have hindrances to overcome, but I apply for a public competition, I go to university, I have black children to whom I manage to give a better education, who in turn also apply for public competition, and who have black children WHO DO NOT NEED QUOTAS”.

Quotas are not favors, they are part of the payment of a debt that Brazilian society owes to black persons, and these persons need to feel worthy of them.
For those who ask: “…but, which debt?, I am going to quote a friend of mine’s interesting and forward reply: “To begin with, 300 years of whip lashes”

*Author’s Profile: Jocelaine Machado is African descendant, she is 29 years old and works as an analyst of Human Resources. She studies Psychology and she is a black people activist in cultural actions and in the movement of persons with disabilities.

Second Prize

Quotas: in search of lost dignity

By Paulo Luiz Rodrigues*

In Brazil, the starting point was slavery, where through slaves' strength and sweat, the Colony and the Empire became wealthy, but that wealth was not used for the benefit of slaves, who remained illiterate, undermined in cultural and religious values, and suffering violent loss of mental and physical liberty. And things turned even worse when the Empire decided to promote a false abolition, on the grounds that by throwing them out of farms they would become full citizens: the Empire was not concerned about how to provide them with work, housing, food and education.
Slaves became homeless, poor, victims of the police, discriminated in justice spheres and labor market, unseen by the media. ¿How can we understand and accept that those hands that built, with no other help, the wealth of the country were unable to get jobs when abolition arrived? ¿What kind of country is this? Black people were violently excluded from labor market so as to benefit European immigrants that came to work on land that was given to them, together with money and crops for the first harvest. They were not concerned on giving equal treatment to those that until then had carried the burden of their country. In order to facilitate the incorporation of European work force, a fake argument was used: former slaves were not able to adapt to the new rules of free work.
Quota policies are special and temporary measures established by the State with the purpose of eradicating inequalities suffered from long time ago, guaranteeing equal opportunities and treatment, so as to compensate the losses caused by discrimination and marginalization due to racial, ethnic, religious, gender and other reasons. Black people enter labor market earlier and remain for longer periods. Most of the times, this early incorporation makes them drop-out from primary school and implies higher rates of insertion in jobs that require low educational and technical levels. As parents are not prepared, they cannot prepare their children and such early incorporation into labor market, together with low qualified functions, will remain throughout time.
The gap between black and white people is huge. We do not find black people occupying high-rank positions in public or private companies. Poverty in Brazil is concentrated on black population. In quota debates that take place within university spheres, old arguments reappear: there is no racism, there is social discrimination; implementation of quotas implies discriminating other people; and, above all, it is difficult to know who are the black people in this country.
The implementation of quotas will pay off the historical debt with black people allowing talented people to incorporate technical and administrative teams of companies. Diversity is a term that will spread throughout the country.
Racial differences are not natural, they were created and they have to be eradicated through the implementation of quotas.

Author’s Profile: Paulo Luiz Rodrigues is African descendant, he is 47 years old, and a Mechanical Engineering graduate. He is a black people activist and vice-president of “GT Black People: History, Culture and Society” and member of the Ecumenical Center of Black Culture.

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2.- Lack of Education for Girls: A Global Emergency

AVIVA
Women's World-Wide Web
FREE Monthly Webzine
http://www.aviva.org

UNICEF's new report 'The State of the World's Children, says: 65 million girls receive no schooling is a serious global emergency holding up economic development and leaving the girls themselves open to exploitation and a life of poverty. While countries that signed the UN Millennium Declaration pledged to achieve universal primary education by 2015, a target that already is slipping out of sight in some regions, the UNICEF report stresses the need for "gender parity." It says that regions that have invested in girls' education, such as South-East Asia, experience faster rates of development. Educating girls has a multiplier effect because they in turn send their children to school, because the girls learn to defend themselves against HIV/AIDS and because they are less likely to be forced into prostitution. Girls' education also paid off in better family health. "To educate a girl is to educate a whole family," UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in a foreword to the report. "And what is true of families is also true of communities and, ultimately, whole countries. Study after study has taught us that there is no tool for development more effective than the education of girls." UNICEF urged government leaders to include girls' education as an essential component of development efforts, and create a national ethos "so that communities are as scandalized and concerned about girls kept out of school as they are about boys and girls more visibly exploited at work." No matter how poor a country, it said, "all primary school fees and charges must be immediately abolished." UNICEF added that industrialized countries should direct 10% of official aid to basic education, with programs that benefit girls as their special priority. It is also important, it said, to train teachers to be aware of the importance of gender parity, rather than favoring boys and leaving girls "to sweep the floors or clean the toilets." It urged the adoption of "child-friendly" schools where children feel safe, where their self-esteem is respected and which are healthy with adequate sanitation and separate toilets for girls. The fact that an estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked into forced labor, slavery and prostitution every year was "proof of the world's systematic failure to protect its youngest citizens," UNICEF said. "Human rights principles have not been integrated into economic development programs, and the ultimate objective of development -- human well-being instead of economic performance has thus been lost," UNICEF said. Source: PlanetWire, 11/12/03

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3.- Accommodation in Mumbai, India

Boletim FSM
gerente@forumsocialmundial.org.br

- Book hotel accommodation through our website till 20 December 2003

You can make a reservation at Mumbai hotels through our online booking service. To do so, select the link: http://www.wsfindia.org/sitamice/, choose the hotel region and category, and then, fill in the form. The service provider will answer your request within six days. In order to confirm the reservation, you must arrange an online deposit (corresponding to a daily rate), by credit card or bank transfer. In the latter case, you have to indicate the organization’s name and the aim of the payment (in this case it is “accommodation”). We do not accept checks. See here the payment modes:

Bank Transfer with Swift code (foreign currencies)
Details needed:
SWIFT CODE for USD payment: CHASUS33XXX
SWIFT CODE for EURO payment: CHASDEFXXX
Account Title: WSF INDIA TRUST
Name of the Bank: ICICI Bank Ltd
Branch: Dadar Branch
Branch Code: 0032
Account Number: 003201029472
Address of the Bank:
ICICI Bank Ltd,
Poonawadi,
167 C, Dr. Ambedkar Road,
Dadar, Mumbai -400 014

To pay by credit card, click in “Credit Card Payment”, click then on the ¨Credit Card Payment¨ link and select the prefix ¨ACCO¨, entering your booking ID to obtain a credit card payment form.

The closing date for reservation is December 20. You can also make reservation for single rooms now. For more information, write to accommodation@wsfindia.org.
- Intercontinental Youth Camp
Registration is open for the Intercontinental Youth Camp at WSF 2004, in India. There are three different fees, according to the participant’s country of origin:

Group I – US$ 50.00 – OECD countries: Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Korea, Denmark, Spain, United States, Finland, France, Greece, Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland.
Group II – US$ 20.00 – Africa, Latin America, Asia (except SAARC member-countries), other European countries.
Group III – US$ 4.00 – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

Payment can be made by credit card or bank transfer. Access the registration form by clicking on the link: http://www.wsfindia.org/youthforum/procedure_ind.php. See more details about the Intercontinental Youth Camp at http://www.wsfindia.org/youthforum/.
People who have registered for the IYC are automatically registered for the WSF. For further information, write to youth.registration@wsfindia.org

……………………………………………………….

Registration deadline for organisations and individuals has been extended to December 25, 2003
The closing date for organisations and individuals to register on-line has been extended to 25 December 2003. To register, click on the ¨Register Here for WSF2004¨ link on the home page (www.wsfindia.org) and submit the appropriate registration forms. The closing date for registration payments is 20 December 2003.

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4.- WEDO Announcement: Global Advocacy Internship available for Young Women activists from Africa and Asia

WEDO is an international advocacy organization that seeks to increase the power of women worldwide as decision-makers at all levels to achieve economic and social justice, a healthy and peaceful planet, and human rights for all. Following the decade of UN development conferences
culminating at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, WEDO is holding a series of regional meetings in Latin America (November 2003), Africa and Asia (Spring 2004) to assess achievements and challenges in both the global and national/regional women's advocacy and strengthen alliances and strategies among women's organizations.
In preparation for the Africa and Asia regional meetings, WEDO will offer an internship in New York City for young women from and based in Africa and Asia. Both internships will be for 3-4 month duration and begin in February 2004.
Global Advocacy Intern Announcement:
Opportunity for young woman activist from Asia WEDO is an international advocacy organization that seeks to increase the power of women worldwide as decision-makers at all levels to achieve
economic and social justice, a healthy and peaceful planet, and human rights for all. Since its inception WEDO has worked to strengthen the global advocacy skills of its partners-by bringing women from around the world to United Nations meetings and providing information and materials
to women working at the regional and national levels.
Following the decade of UN development conferences culminating at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, WEDO is holding a series of regional meetings in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in order to strengthen alliances and strategies among women's organizations. In
preparation for the Asia regional meeting in Malaysia in Spring 2004, WEDO will offer an internship in New York City for a young woman from and based in Asia.
The Global Advocacy Intern will be a feminist activist from an Asian country who is already active with one of WEDO's partner organizations in the region. The Intern will be fluent in English, have a Bachelor's or Master's degree, and have a background in gender and in one or more of the following: economic justice, environment, governance, human rights, indigenous communities, and/or sustainable development.
The skills the Global Advocacy Intern develops will directly strengthen the capacity of her organization to advocate effectively at the national and international levels. She will become familiar with UN advocacy processes, be involved with the research and production of advocacy
materials, and make linkages with networks in her region. The Global Advocacy Intern will be mentored in international advocacy by the full WEDO program team, with direct supervision from the Economic & Social Justice Program Coordinator.
This is a 3-4 month internship beginning in February 2004 at WEDO's office in New York City. WEDO will cover a roundtrip ticket to New York, housing in New York, and a stipend for meals and incidentals. As part of the internship, the Intern will assist in organizing and facilitating WEDO's Asia regional meeting in Malaysia.
To recommend a candidate for the Global Advocacy Internship, please send a recommendation letter and the applicant's curriculum vitae to econjust@wedo.org. The application must come from an organization based in Asia. ABSOLUTE DEADLINE IS JANUARY 05, 2004. For more information about WEDO, please see www.wedo.org
Global Advocacy Intern Announcement:
Opportunity for young woman activist from Africa WEDO is an international advocacy organization that seeks to increase the power of women worldwide as decision-makers at all levels to achieve economic and social justice, a healthy and peaceful planet, and human rights for all. Since its inception WEDO has worked to strengthen the global advocacy skills of its partners-by bringing women from around the world to United Nations meetings and providing information and materials
to women working at the regional and national levels.
Following the decade of UN development conferences culminating at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, WEDO is holding a series of regional meetings in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in order to strengthen alliances and strategies among women's organizations. In
preparation for the Africa regional meeting in Senegal in Spring 2004, WEDO will offer an internship in New York City for a young woman from and based in Africa.
The Global Advocacy Intern will be a feminist activist from an African country who is already active with one of WEDO's partner organizations in the region. The Intern will be fluent in English and French, have a Bachelor's or Master's degree, and have a background in gender and in one or more of the following: economic justice, environment, governance, human rights, indigenous communities, and/or sustainable development. The skills the Global Advocacy Intern develops will directly strengthen the capacity of her organization to advocate effectively at the national and international levels. She will become familiar with UN advocacy processes, be involved with the research and production of advocacy materials, and make linkages with networks in her region. The Global Advocacy Intern will be mentored in international advocacy by the full WEDO program team, with direct supervision from the Gender & Governance Program Coordinator.
This is a 3-4 month internship beginning in February 2004 at WEDO's office in New York City. WEDO will cover a roundtrip ticket to New York, housing in New York, and a stipend for meals and incidentals. As part of the internship, the Intern will assist in organizing and facilitating WEDO's Africa regional meeting in Senegal.
To recommend a candidate for the Global Advocacy Internship, please send a recommendation letter and the applicant's curriculum vitae to governance@wedo.org. The application must come from an organization based in Africa. ABSOLUTE DEADLINE IS JANUARY 05, 2004. For more

information about WEDO, please see www.wedo.org

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5.-Training on Making Governance Gender Responsive

CAPWIP Institute for Gender, Governance & Leadership (CIGGL)

18 December 2003

Dear Friends,

The Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP), in cooperation with the Asia Pacific Gender Equality Network (UNDP-APGEN) and the PARAGON Regional Governance Programme for Asia (UNDP-PARAGON), produced a generic training course manual called “MAKING GOVERNANCE GENDER-RESPONSIVE”. The course is designed for middle and senior level government executives, women and men in local governments, political parties, research & training institutes and civil society organziations who are leading or participating in governance reform initiatives in their respective countries. It aims to propel them to formulate specific action agenda towards a gender-responsive governance. Specifically, it intends to help participants to:
· gain theoretical and practical understanding and appreciation of the Gender and Development (GAD) and governance concepts and their inter-relationship;
· acquire skills in identifying and analyzing gender-related issues and biases in governance; and
· formulate a doable action plan to address these gender biases and concerns.
In this regard, we would like to invite you and your organization to send participants to this international three-day training which is slated on the following schedules:
- February 26-28, 2003
- June 24-26, 2003
- October 21-23, 2003
You may pick any of the above schedules. Each training batch is good for only thirty (30) participants to be chosen from across Asia and the Pacific. The venue of the training is the newly-built CAPWIP Institute on Gender, Governance and Leadership (CIGGL) which is located at 4229 Tomas Claudio Street Baclaran, Parañaque City, Philippines.

In general the “MAKING GOVERNANCE GENDER-RESPONSIVE” aims to increase the understanding and appreciation of the process of making governance gender responsive. It also aims to ensure their synergistic and successful implementation of the customized MGGR-ABC in their respective countries. The course is composed of three modules that aim to enhance participants’ understanding of the link between gender and governance as well as increase their awareness of gender biases in governance.

We hope that you will be able send representatives from your organizations, country, regions as participants to "MAKING GOVERNANCE GENDER-RESPONSIVE”. CAPWIP is shouldering the expenses for the trainers; the participants are expected to pay for their own airfares and for the board and lodging. We hope that you will be able to find your own sponsors to cover the above expenses. The deadline for sending in your applications is on January 23, 2004 for the February 2004 training, May 20, 2004 for the June 2004 training and September 21, 2004 for the October 2004 training. We are sending you the information materials and registration forms regarding the MGGR:ABC as an attachment to this invitation.

Let us join hands in promoting a gender responsive governance through transformative leadership and Citizenship in the Asia Pacific region. We look forward to your participation.

Sincerely yours,

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6.- Position Available: Director Project on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights

(New York Office)

Human Rights Watch, the international monitoring and advocacy organization, seeks a director to create a new Human Rights Watch project documenting human rights abuses based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This project will build on several years of reporting and advocacy on these issues in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and the United States. The director will be the organization's chief strategist, advisor and spokesperson in relation to its work on all issues related to persecution of and discrimination against sexual minorities. He or she also will be a key member of the organization's central management.

Description:

The director will be responsible for the planning and execution of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Project's research and advocacy and the setting of program priorities. He or she will be responsible for overseeing the collection of detailed information on human rights practices in different regions, the publication of reliable, comprehensive, insightful and timely reports on those practices, and the use of those reports and other advocacy material to generate international pressure to curb human rights violations. He or she will take part in research and writing, provide final editing of reports and other written interventions, and coordinate campaigns with allied organizations and local NGOs. He or she will represent the organization frequently before the international press and broadcast media and meet with government and other high-level officials both in different regions and elsewhere, including at the United Nations and other international and regional fora. The director also will assist with fundraising by helping to identify and recruit donors and draft funding proposals. There is a strong preference that the director be based in HRW's New York headquarters.

Qualifications:

The successful applicant should have a thorough knowledge of human rights issues and public and international affairs, professional experience working on human rights or humanitarian issues, and substantial experience in and knowledge of the human rights issues surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity. He or she must have the ability to pursue an impartial human rights agenda in complex political contexts, an understanding of the regional challenges to human rights, and a strong commitment to promote human rights. He or she must have the demonstrated ability to work with a team of talented professionals in several offices, to think creatively and strategically,
to keep abreast of developments in the human rights field, to exercise sound political judgment, to ensure the highest quality research, to constantly search for innovative ways to marshal support to reduce or eliminate human rights violations in the region, to assist in raising funds, and to perform in a fast-paced, activist environment meeting multiple, simultaneous demands while paying close attention to detail. Applicants must have a demonstrated ability to articulate human rights issues effectively and to write, edit and speak fluently and forcefully in English.

Salary and Benefits:

Human Rights Watch seeks exceptional candidates and offers competitive compensation and generous employer-paid benefits. HRW will pay reasonable relocation expenses and will assist employees in obtaining necessary U.S. work authorization; non-US citizens are encouraged to
apply.

PLEASE APPLY BY JANUARY 2, 2004 by sending a letter of interest, resume, list of references, and two original writing samples (unedited by others) to:

Search Committee (LGBT Director)
Human Rights Watch
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10118-3299 USA
Fax: 212-736-1300
Email: program@hrw.org

Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer.

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7.- !!!AMENDMENT!!! NEW DATES OF SYMPOSIUM: March 3 & 4, 2004

CALL FOR PAPER

WHITHER GAD? RE-EXAMINING GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT

Since the 1970s, it has been recognized that women's contribution to economic and social processes is central to international development.
Since at least the mid-to-late 1980s, donor agencies and NGOs have, to varying degrees tried to integrate gender concerns and sensitivity into their programming.
There have been thousands of books and articles published on "gender issues" and there are countless "toolboxes" and methodological papers on how to integrate gender into development.

Given this concerted effort over the past 25 years, it is time to analyse and evaluate the extent to which women's concerns really have become part of the international development agenda and to judge whether that agenda has changed as women have been better integrated.

This symposium, which will be held at the University of Ottawa on March 3-4, 2004 will address this question. Invited speakers will include representatives of donor agencies and NGOs and development scholars and researchers.

Faculty members and graduate students are invited to submit abstracts for papers addressing gender and development issues in any one of the following areas: health, education, communications (including information, communications technologies), science and technology policy, natural resource management and law. Papers should be suitable for presentation during a 15 minute time slot and should include some consideration as to the success or failure of the "gender and development" approach.

Abstracts, which must be received by January 15, 2004, should be sent to the Joint Chair in Women's Studies, c/o Helene Boudreault, University of Ottawa, 143 Seraphin-Marion, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, or by fax (613)

562-5994, or by email at hboudre@uottawa.ca

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8.- CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: INTERNATIONAL LEGAL STUDIES LL.M. WITH A SPECIALIZATION IN GENDER AND THE LAW

Women & International Law Program
wilp@wcl.american.edu

American University Washington College of Law proudly invites applications for its International Legal Studies Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree with a specialization on Gender and the Law.

ABOUT THE GENDER AND THE LAW LL.M. SPECIALIZATION:

Founded by two women in 1896 to make legal education available to women, the Washington College of Law has a tradition of promoting women's full and equal participation in society. WCL established the LL.M. Specialization in Gender and the Law as part of its International Legal Studies Program in 1997.

The flexibility of the Gender and the Law specialization enables students to shape a program within our International Legal Studies curriculum that fits their goals and interests. Students can pursue a course of study incorporating international, comparative, and domestic approaches to legal issues related to gender. Courses include comparative family law; sex-based discrimination; gender, cultural difference and international human rights; battered women and the law; and economic, social and cultural rights, among others.

Many of our standard courses also incorporate perspectives based on gender and race.

Our location in Washington, D.C. affords students the opportunity to intern for prominent non-governmental and advocacy organizations devoted to women's rights. Students can also pursue independent study and writing under faculty supervision. In addition, the program organizes conferences and events where students meet officials, policy-makers and advocates shaping the development of the women's rights agenda in different communities.

Gender and the Law LL.M. students have gone on to work at the World Bank, in national women's ministries in their home countries, and for international women's rights programs around the world. Their work has been recognized and highlighted by scholarly organizations such as the Law and Society Association, as well as by the media.

ABOUT WCL AND THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL STUDIES PROGRAM:

WCL's International Legal Studies Program attracts lawyers from around the world, currently enrolling 180 students from 68 countries.
This diversity enriches students' experiences while at the law school and provides them a lifelong international network to assist them in their subsequent endeavors.

TO APPLY:

For an application and additional information about the International Legal Studies LL.M. and the Gender and the Law specialization, please contact the ILSP Admissions Coordinator at llminfo@wcl.american.edu.

The application is also available online at the ILSP website below.

The application deadline for the 2004 fall semester is May 1, 2004.

Email: llminfo@wcl.american.edu
Phone: (202) 274-4114
Website: http://www.wcl.american.edu/ilsp/

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9.- CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2004-2005 KING BAUDOUIN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIZE

October 27th, 2003

Dear Sir, Madam,

It is our pleasure to invite you to nominate a candidate for the 2004-2005 King Baudouin International Development Prize, which will be presented in early 2005 at the Royal Palace of Brussels.

Since 1980, the King Baudouin International Development Prize has awarded 150,000 euros biennially to an individual or organization for sustainable achievements in improving the lives of people in the developing world. However, the granting of the prize goes beyond the financial support which it represents. The Prize is also and, above all, designed to raise awareness among "decision makers" and the general public of an issue which merits their attention.

The selection, entrusted to an independent jury, emphasizes the multiplier effect of the initiatives, and the opportunities they give to the people they serve to take control of their own development. Previous prize winners cover a broad spectrum of fields, including micro-credit, HIV/AIDS, land reform, human rights, and the certification of fair trade products.

Nominations must be received by February 1st, 2004. For more information on how to submit a candidate's file, please visit ww.kbprize.org. You may also send us an e-mail at info@kbprize.org, or call +32.2.549.0273. Applications submitted by individuals seeking the Prize for themselves or for an organization in which they are active will not be taken into account.

Thank you in advance for your kind assistance. Yours sincerely,

Luc Tayart de Borms                                        Dr. Peter Piot
Managing Director                                            Chairman of the Prize's Selection Committee
King Baudouin Foundation                                 Executive Director of UNAIDS

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10.- PhD fellowship

Ingrid Goedhart
igo@iisg.nl

The Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS) offers a fellowship awarded by SEPHIS to a student from any country in the South to spend one academic year in Bangalore, India, beginning July 2004.

The main purpose of the fellowship programme is to help develop alternative frameworks for research and teaching as well as new theoretical paradigms that take into account the specific experiences of non-Western societies.

The student can either register with CSCS for the Ph.D. in Cultural Studies (validated by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, MAHE, a deemed Indian university, and also by Kuvempu University, a Karnataka State institution) or register in his/her own country and do the CSCS coursework for two semesters.

The Ph.D. programme's uniqueness lies in the following:

- Core research area for the next five years: Culture and Democracy.

- Focus on inter-disciplinarity.

- Emphasis on the formulation of research problems and teaching programmes in relation to democracy and cultural issues that draw on conventional disciplines but cut across their boundaries.

Eligibility: A Master's Degree in any discipline with 55% marks or its grade equivalent if the student is registering with CSCS for the Ph.D., OR proof of Ph.D. registration in any Southern university if the student is coming only for coursework.

Benefits: A substantial stipend, international airfare, furnished housing in Bangalore, travel costs for three weeks within India for visits to different academic institutions, tuition and other fees will be provided for.

Current CSCS faculty are drawn from the fields of literary studies, film and media studies, political theory, history, anthropology and art history, with a strong background in at least ten years of inter-disciplinary cultural studies.

To apply for the CSCS-Sephis Fellowship:

Applications should include a sample of writing such as a term paper, a current CV, two letters of recommendation, transcripts of last two degrees obtained, and proof of eligibility.

Write to Dr.Tejaswini Niranjana, Convenor, Ph.D. Committee, CSCS, 466, 9th Cross, First Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore 560011, India.
Email: teju@cscsban.org; Telephone: 91-80-6562986; Fax: 91-80-6562991.
Website: www.cscsban.org

Deadline:
Complete applications must reach CSCS by February 15, 2004. E-mail and fax applications are acceptable only if followed by a hard copy sent by airmail or courier. Candidates will be informed of the outcome by March 15, 2004. The CSCS academic year begins in the last week of July.

VOICES RISING
YEAR II - VOL 2. Nº78
December 5th, 2003

CONTENT
1.- GEO Workshop at the WSF
2.- Celita Eccher’s message at the Opening Ceremony of CONFINTEA V+6 Review
3.- December issue of the Popular Education News
4. – CSW in March 2004 in New York
5.- World Citizen Legislative Initiative
6. - Call for Nominations: “Women’s Safety Awards 2004”
7.- Funding for projects against racism

………………………………………………………………….

1.- GEO Workshop at the WSF

GEO will hold a workshop at the World Social Forum that will take place in Mumbai, India, January 16-24, 2003.
The workshop is titled “Education for Inclusion: A Gender Perspective”, and it will count with the participation of Sara Longwe, Sofía Valdivielso, Sergio Haddad, and Alejandra Scampini.

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2.- Celita Eccher’s message at the Opening Ceremony of CONFINTEA V+6 Review

We wish to share with you the message of Celita Eccher, ICAE Secretary-General, at the Opening Ceremony of CONFINTEA V+6 Review, Bangkok, on September 8th 2003.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to be here in the opening session of the Review of the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education of UNESCO V.

I was asked to come here today to share with you some of the results and reflections that emerged from the workshop on gender and education, with a special focus on literacy. We, as part of the women’s movements have learnt that personal experiences are also political.

Allow me therefore to start this dialogue with a personal reflection:

I think that equity in gender relationships advances, slowly, but it advances
I think that this is an advance in gender relationships. Today, I am the Secretary General of ICAE. Education is a field in which the majority are women, but high positions are occupied by men. I am a feminist popular educator and my own personal advocacy learning comes from the intense learning space that the Social Women’s movement represents and also from our agency in democratic global spaces such as UN (basically in the decade of the 90´s) and recently in the privileged global space of the civil society that is the World Social Forum of Porto Alegre.

Quoting Freud’s famous question: what do women really want? Well, we want many things. We specially want learning for inclusion. As simple as that, but yet so complex.
This desire implies modifying many things:
It implies working to reduce the multiple discriminations that take place across the globe. It means talking not only about literacy, but also about lifelong education, in the North and in the South.

We want literacy that allows us:
To empower ourselves and become autonomous in our lives.
To promote a gender justice system
Such literacy has to allow free and solidary women and men, to fully exercise the right to exercise their rights: reproductive and sexual rights, right to live in peace, right not to be raped or killed in armed conflicts, right not to be discriminated on basis of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, xenophobia, age, geographical location, right to a decent work, right to live free of any kind of fundamentalisms, whether religious, economic or political
These issues are not only of women’s or excluded groups´ concern. It is a problem that matter