VOICES RISING
YEAR IV - NΊ168
February 10, 2006
CONTENT
1.- GCAP IFG MEETING MARCH 2006
2.- DOOSRA DASHAK - SECOND DECADE. A BASIC EDUCATION PROJECT FOR ADOLESCENTS IN RAJASTHAN, INDIA.
3.- EFA GLOBAL MONITORING REPORT NEWS
4.- FIVE YEAR REVIEW OF THE 2001 UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION ON HIV/AIDS
5.- GENDER SPECIALIST / THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO) / LIMA, PERU
..
1.- GCAP IFG MEETING MARCH 2006
globalactionforum@whiteband.org
Civil Society representatives and anti-poverty campaigners from all over the
world will be meeting over three days to determine the future shape and
direction of the Global Call to Action against Poverty in Beirut on 13th/14th/15th
March. Each national platform is entitled to send one delegate (two if their
country has a population of over 100 million) to the meeting. There are also
other ways of attending for example as one of the three regional
representatives or one of the international organisations. See the attached
criteria document.
2005 has seen some significant breakthroughs in the fight against poverty
and a huge demonstration of public support worldwide with over 30 million
people taking action. Your work has been a vital part of that campaign and
we want to make sure that the ideas and suggestions of all help shape the
future of the GCAP. The meeting will update the Johannesburg declaration
where the Global Call to Action was developed and it will determine the
policy demands and mobilisation moments for 2006 and beyond.
To register your interest and for more information on the meeting please
e-mail
info@whiteband.org
with your name, organisation and the constituency you want to represent.
2.-
DOOSRA DASHAK - SECOND DECADE. A BASIC EDUCATION PROJECT FOR ADOLESCENTS IN
RAJASTHAN, INDIA.
By
Sigrid Halvarsson
Senior Education Specialist,
Sida, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
sigrid.halvarsson@sida.se
EFA Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2006 focuses on the adult literacy goal
of EFA. Very little has been done to support sustainable development of
adult education systems in developing countries. Adult Basic Learning and
Education, ABLE, has on the whole been neglected during the last 10-15
years. The Millennium Development Goal and the Fast Track Initiative do not
embrace ABLE and new donor cooperation modalities of sector programme and
general budget support have unfortunately had negative effects on ABLE.
Still we know that ABLE has the potential of enabling creative and
democratic citizenship, giving a voice to women and men living in poverty,
as well as tools for improving their lives. This was very clearly
demonstrated to me when I recently visited the Doosra Dashak project in
Rajasthan, India.
In December
2005 I had the opportunity to visit Doosra Dashak project in Abu Road in
Rajasthan, India. Doosra Dashak means second decade and is a project for
adolescents girls and boys 11 20 years old who due to different reasons
have dropped out from or missed primary education. Abu Road is situated on
the border to Gujarat, a very poor area with many tribes. I was guided by
the project director, Dr Shubhangi Sharma and the chairperson Mr Anil Bordia.
We visited a tribal village, the block project office and two residential
training camps.
People in
the village were quite desperate as they did not have enough food supply due
to the drought and did not have job opportunities. I learnt that when people
are struggling to survive you cannot start talking about education without
addressing their concerns firstly. Anil Bordia initiated a dialogue where
the villagers raised their concerns and he informed them about existing
regulations and their rights like the new law on right to information and
the employment guarantee. He encouraged them to organise themselves and then
approach the authorities. They should also register for job opportunities.
If then there were no jobs for them they have the right to get financial
support from the local government authorities. Mr Bordia promised the
villagers to raise their concerns when he got the opportunity.
I visited
two residential camps, one for girls and one for boys. The education is for
four month. The curriculum covers language, maths and life skills. They
learn understanding of personal hygiene, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.
They learn to reflect and analyse, to question long-held beliefs on casts
and religious diversity. Gender sensitivity and empowerment of girls are at
the heart of DD like democracy, secularism and human rights.
The
residential course seem to change the lives and vision of the participants.
This age group 11 20 is a very vital group with lot of energy. If provided
with relevant education and skills they can become a vehicle of social
change and economic advancement. Organizations of women and youth are
emerging at village and block levels they help people to understand and
secure their entitlements and rights.
Womens
groups and Adolescents Forums have started taking up activities like village
sanitation, running of libraries and also to participate in local democratic
fora. Initiatives have been taken to minimize malaria deaths and ensuring
proper facilities for prospective mothers. As soon as possible, micro-credit
and entrepreneurship training are to be taken up, along with integrated
programmes of land development, water conservation and regeneration of
forests and grasslands. It is hoped that these holistic investments will
generate possibility of livelihood and food security.
Education
for All is a human right. We use to talking about the right to
education, in education and through education. The Doosra
Dashak project demonstrated to me all the three at the same time.
Doosra
Dashak started in 2001
Implemented in 5 blocks in Rajasthan
Cover a population of about 700 000
Around 5000 beneficiaries, at least 50 % women
Involvement of additional 5000 adolescents expected
Implemented
by Foundation for Education & Development, a public charitable trust
Funded
byTata Education Trust, Action Aid International, MacArthur Foundation and
UNIFEM. Part of UNESCO programme: Empowering Adolescent Girls to become
agents of Social Transformation in South Asia
E-mail address for further information:
d_dashak@datainfosys.net
3.- EFA GLOBAL MONITORING REPORT NEWS
Jouot-Belhami, Fouzia
f.belhami@unesco.org
New interactive statistical tool
9/02/2006 - Extensive data on Education for All in some 180 countries is now
available in a click (http://gmr.uis.unesco.org/)
with the new search tool on the Global Monitoring Report website.
This tool, developed by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics in partnership
with the EFA Global Monitoring Report team, is based on the data contained
in the 2006 statistical annex tables. It enables you to search by table,
theme, indicator, country and region, and to export results into an Excel
format.
Please send us your comments on this tool to
efareport@unesco.org
4.- FIVE YEAR REVIEW OF THE 2001 UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION ON
HIV/AIDS
May 31- June 2, 2006
Resource Net Announcements: Issue 298
resource@awid.org
The Center for Women's Global Leadership is currently working with the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS as a co-convener of the task force on ''HIV/AIDS and violence against women.'' Our role leading up to and during the UNGASS review primarily will be to work with other groups to promote a focus on violence against women, as well as on sexual rights and human rights generally.
While other organizations are taking leadership roles in generating advocacy for the UNGASS, we would like to keep you informed about important aspects of the UNGASS review process. The official sessions of the UNGASS Review run from May 31 - June 2, and informal civil society hearings will take place on the morning of May 31.
Registration for the review is different depending on whether you are an ECOSOC-accredited NGO or not:
* If your NGO does NOT have ECOSOC status: you must complete and submit an application by this Friday, 3 February 2006 to csp@unaids.org
The completion of the application does not guarantee attendance; there currently is controversy about how many and which civil society organizations can take part. The General Assembly Secretariat will review applications and choose civil society representatives to be invited to the
UNGASS Review by 15 February 2006.
* If your NGO does have ECOSOC status: you must indicate your interest to attend by 30 March 2006 to the Non-Governmental Organizations Section of the United Nations Secretariat at: desangosection@un.org
Please check the International Coalition of AIDS Service
Organizations(ICASO)
website for more information at www.icaso.org
In addition, please check the Center for Women's Global Leadership website
at: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu for updates on the UNGASS process.
From:
Cynthia Rothschild
Sara Nordstrom
Center for Women's Global Leadersh
5.- GENDER SPECIALIST / THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO) / LIMA, PERU
Closing date: February 23, 2006.
Resource Net: Jobs, Issue 298
resource@awid.org
DESCRIPTION:
The specialist will be one of the regional gender specialists in the Americas region and will work under the supervision of the Regional Office, while maintaining direct contact with the offices in the region under his or her responsibility, as well as with the relevant units at headquarters, in particular the Bureau for Gender Equality.
The specialist will be part of the team of regional specialists and will be responsible for technical assistance in the field of gender equality and gender mainstreaming with regard to the ILO Decent Work Agenda in the countries under his or her responsibility.
In view of the multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral nature of this post, close collaboration will be required with other regional specialists, as well as specialists from the offices under his or her
responsibility. The specialist will be responsible for encouraging and supporting the integration of the gender dimension in ILO activities. To ensure a gender balance, the specialist will
encourage, when necessary, the involvement of women as participants in, and beneficiaries of, such activities, and will ensure that ILO projects and programmes take into account the needs of both men and women. The specialist will encourage the involvement of men in gender-specific activities.
The duty station is the Regional Office in Lima, and the countries under the specialist's responsibility are the Andean and Central American countries, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Cuba.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Advanced university degree in social sciences or economics, and experience of and proven expertise in gender and labour issues.
- An excellent command of Spanish and very good knowledge of a second official language of the ILO.
- Between ten and 15 years' experience, at least seven of which at international level.
- Proven experience in another substantive field of the ILO (standards, employment, social protection, etc.).
The following are eligible to apply:
- Internal candidates in accordance with paragraph 15 of Annex I of the Staff Regulations.
- External candidates.
Applicants may be required to sit a written examination and to be Interviewed.
SEE FULL POSITION DESCRIPTION AT:
http://www2.ilo.org/erecruitssl/e-jobs/public/index.cfm?this_org_change=2000&o_c=2000,
or
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/sitemap.htm
= ''Current Vacancies.''
TO APPLY:
Vacancy Notice No.: 2006/02
ONLINE APPLICATIONS are strongly encouraged. Please visit ILO's e-Recruitment website at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/pers. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 23 FEBRUARY 2006. |