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GEO/ICAE
VOICES RISING
YEAR V - Nº239
October, 26, 2007
Content
1.- Farewell message from ICAE President to IALLA III graduates
2.- Sixth International Conference on Adult Education - CONFINTEA VI
3.- International Day for the
Eradication of Poverty
4.- Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa Program
5.- Global Day of Mobilisation and Action
6.-World Campaign for the In-depth Reform of the System of International Institutions
7.- Launch of Alf@net website
8.- Position Available at MADRE
9Overview of Second Fund her Report
10.- Mac Arthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, 2007
1.-
Farewell message from ICAE President to IALLA III graduates
I will not repeat the difficult exercise of repeating by heart each of your
names, but I will remember the way that each and all of you, through this
sharing of experiences, were so active building new analysis, new questions
and new visions for action.
As participants of IALLA III, you have proved more than ever that the real
hope for the future lies in this gradual but solid bottom up movement of
building competent and active networks.
Without informed solidarity for the right to learn and without linking it
with other social movements, dominant forces, benefiting from our passivity
and silence, will go on structuring the world and our life along their
biased interests.
You have explored and discussed what has to be done at the global level and
in particular at CONFINTEA VI to make a difference in the world. Let us make
sure that this coming rendezvous becomes a global space for efficient
advocacy.
The third ICAE Academy for Lifelong Learning Advocacy is coming to an end.
Our interconnected action is just beginning.
Through IALLA, in a small but very real sense, another world becomes more
possible.
Thank you for your creative participation and a big thanks to the fantastic
and alternative Montevideo ICAE team.
Paul Belanger
2.- Sixth
International Conference on Adult Education - CONFINTEA VI
Subject Nº75
Ministry of Education and Culture
Oriental Republic of Uruguay
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Montevideo,
22 October 2007
IN VIEW OF: The fact that the Sixth International Conference on Adult
Education (CONFINTEA VI) called by UNESCO will be held in 2009 at the
Federative Republic of Brazil.
WHEREAS: In the Area of Non Formal Education of the Education Department of
the Ministry of Education and Culture there exists, since 2005, a consultant
working group in the subject matter of the non formal education of adults,
within the framework of a policy on lifelong education for all.
WHEREAS: The participation of different organisations and institutions of
formal and non formal education in the field of youth and adults education,
the Ministry of Education and Culture will organise the participation of
Uruguay in such event, as well as the preparatory activities.
NOW, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the elements abovementioned,
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
DOES HEREBY RESOLVE:
1) IT IS HEREBY CREATED, within the framework of the Sixth International
Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI), the CONFINTEA VI Preparatory
National Committee that will be chaired by the Director of Education of the
Ministry of Education and Culture, and will be composed by seven
representatives, one representing each one of the following Bodies: Ministry
of Education and Culture, National Administration of Public Education,
University of the Republic, Ministry of Social Development, Council for
Adult Education of Latin America – Uruguay, International Council for Adult
Education (ICAE) – Uruguay, and the Network of Popular Education among Women
from Latin America (REPEM) – Uruguay.
2) IT IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED that the CONFINTEA VI Preparatory National
Committee will have the following duties:
a) To spread the actions and the preparatory documents of the International
Conference, the Regional Conferences and the rest of the preparatory
activities that may be organized.
b) To coordinate the participation of Uruguay in the International
Conference and in the preparatory activities of regional character.
c) To promote the reflection and the debate on the importance of youth and
adults education in Uruguay.
d) To receive proposals and to elaborate recommendations on the national
participation in the International Conference and in the preparatory
activities.
e) To elaborate a document to guide the national participation in the
International Conference.
f) To elaborate a final report including conclusions and comments on the
Commission’s performance on the preparation of the Conference, the
performance of the Uruguayan delegation during the event and recommendations
for the subsequent period.
3) IT IS HEREBY SPECIFIED that the Committee will be able to create the
subcommittees it may deem necessary and invite other institutions,
organisations and persons linked to youth and adults education whenever it
may deem necessary for the fulfilment of the duties established.
4) LET THE ABOVE BE KNOWN to the Education Department, the National
Administration of Public Education, the University of the Republic, the
Ministry of Social Development, the Council for Adult Education of Latin
America – Uruguay, the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) –
Uruguay, and the Network of Popular Education among Women from Latin America
(REPEM) – Uruguay.
5) ONCE FULFILED, let it be filed.
2007/004437
/Signed by: / Dr. Tabaré Vázquez. President of the Republic.
/There are two other illegible signatures. /
3.- "International
Day for the Eradication of Poverty"
The commemoration of the 20 years of the "International Day for the
Eradication of Poverty"
Report from New York by Ana Agostino ICAE - Feminist Task Force of GCAP
17 of October 2007
The commemoration of the 20 years of the "International Day for the
Eradication of Poverty" took place at the UN Garden. The activity was
organised by the ATD Fourth World in coordination with the UN as the General
Secretary Ban Ki Moon opened the event and the first part of it was the
Stand Up and Speak Out. So we were all counted!
The General Secretary gave the first speech and Mr. Tommy Paige gave a
testimony in the name of families living in extreme poverty. This was
followed by message from the permanent representatives of France and Burkina
Faso to the United Nations.
The programme continued with several testimonies, a music performance, the
handing in of prices to the children who had received prices at the
"International Children's Art Competition" that this year had as a theme the
overcoming of poverty.
Ana Agostino, one of the co-chairs of GCAP and facilitator of the FTF, was
one of the speakers. Below are the words she said:
"I am very happy to be here as co-chair of GCAP and representative of the
Feminist Task Force to join you incommemorating 20 years since this date was
instituted. It is a date though, that we rather be not celebrating, above
all because there is no reason whatsoever why we, in the 21st Century, still
face poverty when we live in a world of abundance and full of resources. In
fact, one of the major problems of our time is that we do not know any more
what to do with the waste that is being constantly produced as a result of a
model based exclusively on the idea of constant production and consumption.
For mainstream society it seems that to be is to consume, citizenship has
almost become a synonym of consumption. So those out of consumption are also
denied their rights as citizens. This is an affront to our condition of
human beings and to the dignity of every person that can only be realized in
cooperation with others, as part of a community.
Growing numbers of people around the world feel indignation as a result of
this situation and are calling on governments and international financial
institutions to put an end to poverty. As FTF of GCAP we are saying that
gender equality is a condition to achieve this goal. Why? I can mention just
some few statistics that show how women are the ones mostly affected by
poverty:
- 70% of the 1.3 billion living on less than 1USD a day are women
- 65% of the world's illiterate are women
- 60% of those out of primary school are girls
- Women earn three quarters of the make wage for the same work
- Women's unemployment is 50 to 100% greater than men's unemployment
But this is not a day to put an emphasis on statistics. It's a day of hope
and celebration in the understanding that mobilization of women and men, of
girls and boys around the world is going to put an end to this situation.
And those mobilized are putting clear demands to those in positions where
decisions can be taken. Those demands have to do with the proper
implementation of social services. We heard testimonies of sisters from
different parts of the world who cannot send their children to school
because they have to choose between paying the rent or the school fees. This
cannot happen. Education is a right to all and it must be guaranteed by
States all over the world, in poor and in rich countries alike. As
Education, so many other areas that have to do with the wellbeing of a
society have been privatized following conditionalities imposed by
International Financial institutions resulting in an impoverishment of the
life conditions of so many people.
We call on governments to fulfill their duties and guarantee full
citizenship to all those living in their countries, to relate to other
governments on an equal basis, without imposing conditions, we call on IFIs
to serve the interest of the majority of human beings around the world and
not corporate interests. We call on the diversity of human beings to be
recognized, promoted and protected. We call for gender equality in the
understanding that a society that respects and gives women opportunities for
empowerment is a society that will be in a better position to overcome
poverty.
Congratulation to the ATD Fourth World for organizing this event and we hope
that the struggle we are embarked upon together will yield fruits and we
will celebrate next year only the memory of poverty, as we are in a position
to eradicate it!"
STAND UP… SPEAK UP
Make Poverty History
Campaign of the Global Call for Action Against Poverty
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada - October 17, 2007
(Peggy Antrobus’ 5-minute presentation)
I want to thank the organisers for arranging this rally, and for inviting me
to participate. Today, in many countries women’s rights advocates of the
Feminist Task Force of the Global Call for Action Against Poverty (G-CAP)
have organised Women’s Tribunals, and this gives me an opportunity to be
part of this campaign.
I want to say four things in 5 minutes:
1. My perspective on this is that of a Third World feminist, who grew up in
the Caribbean on the eve of Independence. This means that I understand that
poverty affects women differently from the way it affects men, because of
women’s primary role in the care and nurture of people children and the
elderly, the sick and disabled. I also understand that the way poverty
impacts on a society is different when the society is one in which the
majority of people are poor.
2. My second point is that for women, poverty reduction is not just about
income, but also about basic needs and services as well as about respect for
their rights, including sexual and reproductive rights and about end in
gender-based violence.
A group of poor women in one of the Caribbean countries said that housing
was their #1 priority over getting a job. They knew that their wages would
not enable them to get a house, or health care and education for their
children, nor would it end domestic violence.
3. My third point is that poverty reduction needs to be a central part of
the policy framework; not a ‘project’ to be funded by external sources.
Fifty years ago I won a scholarship and chose to read for a degree in
economics, believing that knowledge of the subject would allow me to
contribute to Caribbean development. I saw that the whole development plan
of our post-independence governments was aimed at raising the standard of
living of the majority of people, who were over helmingly poor. Priority was
given to providing primary health care and education, water and sanitation
services for everyone, low-income housing and rural development, providing
training and technical support to small farmers and helping them get
low-interest loans and find markets for their produce; encouraging and
protecting small businesses get started. Although it wasn’t called ‘poverty
reduction’ that’s what it was, and a very effective strategy that raised the
standard of living of thousands of people.
That policy framework changed in the 1980s. Our governments stopped putting
the interests of the majority of people before those oftrans-national
corporations that owe no allegiance to a particular country.
When this happened, governments gave priority to economic growth over human
development as if these two things could be separated, which they cannot
especially if you look at things from the perspective of women.
In order to help corporations to make more money, governments started
handing over branches of government (health care, water, public transport,
postal services, prisons even parts of the army) to private corporations.
The establishment of the WTO in 1994 took this trend further by integrating
the economies of the whole world.
The result of these policies is that poverty and inequality between rich and
poor has increased, within countries as well as between countries.
What about the Millennium Development Goals? No one can be against 7 of
these goals the reduction in poverty and extreme hunger, increasing
education, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, reducing
maternal and infant mortality, stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS, protecting
the environment.
The problem is with goal #8, the policy Framework of Public-Private
Partnership and Trade Liberalisation within which the goals are to be
achieved. This framework is one of the main reasons for the increase in
poverty and inequality over the past 30 years.
When governments are required to cut tariffs, within the framework of trade
liberalization, they lose revenues need for the financing public services.
To compensate for this loss of revenue, the policy framework of
neo-liberalism emphasizes the privatization of services. However, the
private sector cannot replace the state in relation to the needs of the
poor. The legitimate aim of the Private sector is to maximize profits. You
can’t do this by providing good sand services for people who have no money
to purchase them.
In addition, the current push, within trade negotiations, to liberalise
trade in services further jeopardizes the access of the poor to public
services especially those that are essential to social well-being health,
education, water and sanitation, social housing and welfare. These cannot be
placed in the same category as services such as telecommunications,
financial services, freight, and insurance. Ultimately, this policy
framework compromises all the MDGs.
4. So, my fourth point is that if you want to make poverty history you have
to do three things:
• First, you can collect money to help relieve the suffering of poor people
but this won’t make poverty history.
• Second, you can try to learn more about what causes poverty particularly,
the link between the policy frameworks that lead to increasing inequality
between people, and countries; and you can try to understand the link
between gender equality and women’s empowerments and poverty. But this alone
won’t make poverty history.
• Third, you can vote for representatives that place the interests of people
before those of multinational corporations. We need this in every country,
and at every level.
I can change the government in my country, but if powerful countries like
the USA, Canada, Britain don’t change the policy framework, then poor
countries are pressured into accepting a framework that is not in the
interest of the majority of their people.
In the end, voting for political leadership that gives priority to the
interests of the poor is the single most important thing we can all do
together to make poverty history.
Call to Stand Up and Raise the Voice Against Poverty by María del Mar Mella
magalypt@gmail.com
In the editorial of HOY, the morning newspaper with the largest circulation
in Dominican Republic and one of the most respected in the country, the
following article was published, which collects the impact that the Call to
Stand Up and Raise the Voice Against Poverty made by María del Mar Mella,
campaign coordinator, had on Lic. Juan Bolivar Díaz, the outstanding
communicator and director of the TV show UNO MAS UNO last Monday 15 October
in this TVshow.
Yes, let’s stand up against that world!
JUAN BOLÍVAR DÍAZ
Last Wednesday I couldn’t help having a feeling of pride when a teenager
rather unruly, whom I have seen grow up under the sweet charm of our middle
class, closer to high than to middle class, showed up at Teleantillas to
invite us to stand up against this world in which only a little fraction of
the guests monopolize the biggest proportion of the banquet.
Tiny and with angel face she faced on her own the challenge for which, at
first, she had been promised company. And even though at the end she
regretted having forgotten some details, she didn’t get intimidated or
gloomy by the lights and the cameras. Full of tenderness she invited us to
join the millions of people that last 17 and all over the week participated
in an international campaign for the eradication of poverty.
We stand up because we refuse to accept more excuses in a world where
50thousand people die every day as a consequence of extreme poverty, and the
gap between rich and poor continue to increase.
We stand up because we want our leaders to respect their promise of
reaching, at least, the Millennium Development Goals, and we ask them to go
beyond those goals.
We raise our voice together with people from more than a hundred countries
to tell the leaders of rich nations to keep their promise of fighting for
the eradication of poverty, to make the cancellation of the debt effective,
for a fair commerce and a considerable increase of help quantity and quality
and of financing for development.
We raise our voice again to remind the leaders of our country that their
first responsibility is to serve and save their poorest citizen’s lives. We
ask them to face inequality, to govern justly, to report to their peoples,
to fight against corruption and to respect human rights.
All this is about an invitation to be part, together with others, of a huge
revolt against that abominable world in which 800 million people have no
access to enough food to feed themselves, in which 1.100 million survive
with the equivalent of less than one dollar per day, in which1.200 million
human beings have no access to drinking water.
All this is about not becoming deaf or blind when 50 million human beings
are infected with human immunodeficiency virus and do not receive the
adequate treatment, and 10 million children die before the age of 5 for
causes we could avoid.
Yes, all this is about rejecting this world in which 10 per cent of the
population enjoy 70 per cent of the world banquet, in which 75 per cent of
the poor are peasants, ostracized and sad people, in which 70 per cent of
the excluded are women, many of them lonely and carrying the burden of their
children.
The invitation is to shake off the insensitivity and to stop being
indifferent to the fact that more than 4 out of ten Dominicans lack the
basic elements to live and develop themselves, that two out of ten live in
extreme poverty, that 20 per cent of the most poor people scarcely receive 5
per cent of the national cake, while 20 per cent of the most lucky ones
swallow 55 per cent.
I confess I was shocked when I saw how María del Mar grew facing on her own
the responsibility of reminding us that we are killing the earth and
spreading the future of next generations with panic. That’s why I decided to
join my voice to hers and to that of the coalition leaded by CitizenForum,
Juan Montalvo Center, Popular Urban Network, Cipaf, ADP and other entities
that supported this call to revolt.
While I saw her and I listened to her lots of memories came to my mind and
Raimon’s voice invaded me singing in Catalan inviting us to say no, that we
don't belong to that world. It is necessary that every now and then a great
María del Mar arrives and reproaches us for this. Thank you for reminding us
the sacred duty of revolt.
4.- Leadership and
Advocacy for Women in Africa Program
July 2008 - August 2009
jle24@law.georgetown.edu
Application
The Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Fellowship Program
was founded in 1993 at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington,
D.C., in order to train women's human rights lawyers from Africa who are
committed to returning home to their countries in order to advance the
status of women and girls throughout their careers (see LAWA Goals). Over 50
women's human rights advocates from Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya,
Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania,
Uganda and Zimbabwe have participated in the LAWA Program, and we hope to
include Fellows from additional countries in the future. The application
deadline for the 2008-2009 LAWA Fellowship Program is November 30, 2007.
The entire LAWA Fellowship Program is approximately 14 months long (from
July of the first year through August of the following year), after which
the LAWA Fellows return home to continue advocating for women's rights in
their own countries. The LAWA Program starts in July, when the Fellows
attend the Georgetown Law Center's Foundations of American Law and Legal
Education course (see http://www.law.georgetown.edu/foundations/). From
August through May, the LAWA Fellows earn a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at
Georgetown with an emphasis on international women's human rights (see
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/graduate/) and complete a major graduate paper
on a significant women's rights issue in their home countries. After
graduation, the LAWA Fellows then engage in challenging work assignments for
several months at various public interest or government organizations to
learn about different advocacy strategies to advance women’s human rights,
before returning home to continue advancing women's human rights in their
own countries.
Throughout their time in Washington, D.C., the LAWA Fellows also participate
in bi-weekly seminars with their American counterparts in the Women’s Law
and Public Policy Fellowship Program, where they discuss key women's rights
issues with prominent government and public interest leaders. They attend
related events, such as Supreme Court and Congressional hearings on pressing
women's rights issues. The relationships that the LAWA attorneys build with
their American contacts and government leaders, together with their legal
training and enhanced computer research and technology skills, provide the
ability to draw upon vastly expanded legal networks and resources upon their
return to Africa.
The results of the LAWA Program have been extremely compelling and
rewarding. Upon completion of their Program, our LAWA Alumnae have returned
home to assume prominent leadership positions enabling them to focus on
women's rights issues in non-governmental organizations, government
agencies, law schools, courts, legislatures, and private firms. They have
formed their own non-governmental organizations, such as the Women's Legal
Assistance Center in Tanzania and Legal Advocacy for Women in Uganda
(LAW-Uganda) to promote women's human rights in their countries (e.g., by
bringing impact litigation under their countries' statutes, constitutions,
and the human rights treaties that their countries have ratified). The LAWA
alums also retain and build upon the relationships they have developed
during their time in Washington, D.C. For example, many subsequently work in
partnership with the International Women's Human Rights Clinic at the
Georgetown University Law Center to draft new legislation and to bring test
cases before their courts.
The LAWA Program helps defray the costs for women's rights attorneys from
Africa who would not otherwise be able to afford a Master of Laws degree
focusing on international women's human rights and the additional leadership
training. The LAWA Fellowship provides the tuition for the Foundations of
American Law and Legal Education Course (a U.S. $2,200 benefit) and for the
LL.M. degree (a U.S. $39,390 benefit) at the Georgetown University Law
Center, as well as professional development training. Candidates who are
admitted to the LAWA Program must be prepared to cover the costs of all
additional expenses (such as their visas, travel, housing, utilities, food,
clothing, health insurance, books, etc.), and must be able to demonstrate to
the U.S. Embassy for visa purposes that they have the funds available to
cover those expenses (approximately $25,000). They must also affirm that
they will return home after the LAWA Fellowship and continue to promote
women's human rights in their countries throughout their careers.
We would sincerely appreciate it if you could help distribute this
invitation as widely as possible (see www.wlppfp.org for more information).
Julia L. Ernst
Executive Director
Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program
Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa Program
Georgetown University Law Center
600 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Suite 336
Washington, DC 20001
5.- Global
Day of Mobilisation and Action
BOLETIM FSM
gerente@forumsocialmundial.org.br
1. The preparation for the Global Day of Mobilisation and Action advances
More than 1.600 organisations and individuals in the world have already
signed the call committing to organise activities during the mobilisation
week and the Global Day of Action – January 26th 2008 (see:
www.wsf2008.net).
This edition of the WSF bulletin brings brief news about the mobilisation in
the world (in countries as well as regionally), from information sent by
participants of the 2008 Mobilisation working group (WG). It brings as well
some support material to disseminate the journey.
a) Mobilisation in the world
AFRICA
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Discussions about the global day of mobilisation and action began recently.
The journey will coincide with several local social forums, one of them in
Kinshasa. Three other provinces have also expressed that they will carry
through some activities.
EUROPE
The mobilisation for January 26th 2008 was an important point on the agenda
for the Preparatory Assembly of the European Social Forum, held between
September 14th and 16th, in Stockholm, Sweden. A letter to reinforce it was
prepared to be widely disseminated.
It is available in English at http://groups.google.com/group/2008actionday,
file EPA letter call for January 26th or in the WSF website:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/EPA%20letter%20call%20for%20January%2026th.pdf).
Some countries at the assembly already reported what they are preparing for
the mobilisation journey (like Belgium, see below). Other countries
delegations – like the ones from Italy and Germany – informed they will hold
national meetings still in October to define actions to be made. The next
ESF Preparatory Assembly will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, from November
30th to December 2nd.
Further information: www.fse-esf.org
Belgium
The Belgian Social Forum committee coordinates the actions that will take
place in the country, where a common activities subject was chosen: human
rights. Between January 21st and 25th 2008, local activities will be held in
some cities, like debates, public events and workshops.
On Saturday, January 26th, a common action day will be organised in
Brussels. On this date, a big “alternative visit to Brussels” will begin at
12 p.m. (GMT +1), with stops at 15 typical places in the city. In each place
several groups (NGOs, associations, trade unions) will organise events for
public information around a specific topic (one topic by place). The target
audience are Belgian families that go for shopping (it’s rebate period on
January) and foreign tourists. Several guides will accompany the visitors
during the walking.
After this visit, around 4-5 p.m., there will be a gathering at the Place de
Monnaie: “a public warming” activity (with hot drinks), not too long, and
some common actions taking place (still to be detailed). Among the proposals
being discussed are, for instance, building something together, like
rewriting the letter of human rights on a giant patchwork or creating a work
of art made by the 15 groups.
Between 5 and 6 p.m. (GMT +1), the idea is to have an interactive action,
with direct contact with people that organise actions in other countries of
the world, like, for instance, a giant video conference. Those who are
interested in building this articulation can write to info@wsf.be (in
English, Spanish, French or Dutch).
More information about the preparations in Belgium can be found at
www.wsf.be (in French and Dutch).
Address: 9 Quai du Commerce 1000 Bruxelles Tél: +32.(0)2.250.12.68 Fax:
+32.(0)2.250.12.63
Catalonia
Barcelona will host a Catalan Social Forum from January 26 to 27, 2008. It
is being organized by more than hundred Catalan organisations, covering a
broad diversity of sectors and issues. Concretely, it will be carried out
activities like seminars and workshops about the impacts of capitalist
globalisation in various aspects of life and the alternatives proposed by
the social movements. An assembly of social movements and a demonstration
will also be organised.
Further information: http://www.forumsocialcatala.cat
France
Since the first WSF in Porto Alegre, the main French Unions, Movements and
NGOs have been organising different meetings to prepare the World and
European Social Foruns. In 2003, these informal encounters became more
regular with the creation of the French Initiative Committee (CIF, in
French) to prepare the II European Social Forum, in Paris. Since this
period, the CIF, which is an open frame, became the main place in which the
Social Forum initiatives are discussed.
During a meeting held on September 4th, the CIF decided to write a French
call (see in http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic.php?pagina=appel_cif)
to encourage the mobilisations for January 26 and start a discussion about
the best way to assure the best visibility, particularly in Paris. The
discussion is going on; new meeting will take place in October.
AMERICAS
An Americas Social Forum (ASF) preparation meeting was held in Guatemala on
September 11th and 12th. In which regards January 26th, some initiatives at
continental level were reported, like those of Hemispheric Social Alliance
and Via Campesina/CLOC. Launching of ASF is scheduled for October, when the
call for the global day of mobilisation and action will also be reinforced.
Besides this, meetings to organise and coordinate several initiatives being
prepared will be held in the next two months at Chile and Ecuador.
Download further information on the 2008 Americas Social Forum here:
English:http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/III%20FSA%20-%20GT08en.pdf
Spanish:http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/III%20FSA%20-%20GT08es.pdf
Further information on ASF process: www.forosocialamericas.org
Brazil
On August 2nd the launch of the global day of mobilisation and action took
place during the 2nd North-eastern Social Forum, in Salvador, Bahia, when a
wide dissemination of this initiative was done as well as a large
distribution of printed folders about the journey.
The 2008 mobilisation was also a main subject during the first preparatory
meeting towards WSF 2009, in Amazon. The meeting, held in Belem, in August 9
and 10, was attended by more than 100 people from many organisations,
movements and networks of the Pan Amazon region. A workgroup integrating
entities from the Pan-Amazon region was formed to prepare an action plan for
January 26th and also mobilisation for WSF 2009. Among the proposals that
were made for 2008, there is the preparation of water caravans in several
states of the Amazon region, besides demonstrations and other actions.
At this meeting, a mobilisation schedule towards 2008 was prepared,
containing several events and mobilisations carried out until the end of
December 2007 by the organisations, movements and networks that act in
Amazon. Those events will be moments in which the several social actors and
actresses commit to disseminate the mobilisation day and the WSF process.
See the whole information about this meeting at the following link:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/noticias_01.php?cd_news=2393&cd_language=2
Other activities being organised in Brazil, which are as well prepared under
the framework of the mobilisation week, are:
*Distrito Federal
National Congress of the Central of Popular Movements
Date: January 25th to 27th 2008
Venue: Brasilia
*Paraná
Mercosul Social Forum
Date: from January 26th to 29th 2008
Venue: Curitiba
Site: http://www.forumsocialdomercosul.org/
*Rio de Janeiro
The World Social Forum Rio Committee is organising a big event on January
26th, in the sea edge. The event intends to promote the junction between
culture and politics in the struggle for another possible world. Social
movements members, artists, intellectuals and other individuals are taking
part of the whole mobilisation process. There will be debates, musical
groups and drama presentations, dance, poetry, space for solidarity economy
etc. To mobilise the population and groups, communities and social movements
to participate in the global day, there will be events carried out
beforehand. Cultural and debate meetings will take place at the Circo Voador
on October 16th – focused on social mobilisation - and December 10th –
focused on human rights.
*Sao Paulo
Assembly of the Global Campaign for Education
Date: January 22nd to 24th 2008
Venue: Sao Paulo
ASIA
India
Organisations, groups, movements and networks linked to the WSF in India
held a meeting on the days of August 10th and 11th to, among other points,
discuss the mobilisation for 2008.
The meeting endorsed WSF India’s participation in the call. It was felt by
participants that a mix of activities should be planned that would include:
1) Decentralised activities by organisations linking together at local,
state and regional levels; 2) A few selected events/ activities that are
conceived and co-ordinated by WSF India. WSF India can also act as a
resource centre for the decentralised activities. It was also felt that this
opportunity could be utilised to contact all WSF India partners and also
conduct an evaluation of the WSF process in India, as perceived by
organisations who have been part of the process. Participants also felt that
the nationally co-ordinated call could link with ongoing struggles and
actions against globalisation. It was decided that the main slogans around
which the activities could be conducted would be: 1) against war; 2) against
globalisation and privatisation. At the meeting, two subgroups were formed,
that will work by e-mail to detail the Indian participation in the several
actions. A new meeting to deepen the actions planning is set to be held in
October 5th and 6th.
South Korea
Between August 30th and September 2nd, in the capital Seoul, a forum that
gathered several social movements was held (see information on this event at
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/SMF_EN.doc). Participating
movements made the commitment of prioritizing the global day of mobilisation
and action in their agendas.
Actions organised in world level
Campaign Act Together – Housing for All!
Various international networks that develop and organise campaigns and
events for housing and land rights are taking part of this action. It will
last four months: from October 1st 2007, International Housing and Land
Rights Day and/or the celebration of the Habitat Day, until January 26 2008,
with the global day of mobilisation and action within the WSF process.
Further information can be found on the site: http://campaign.hic-net.org/
and in http://www.hic-net.org/articles.asp?PID=803
The world campaign is the result of a joint initiative from the networks
Habitat International Coallition (HIC), International Alliance of
Inhabitants (IAI) and Forum of Local Authorities, consolidated at the WSF
2007 in Nairobi. Since then, it has been supported by other networks
worldwide.
Inside of this campaign, each network is invited to organize actions around
specific issues linked to land and housing rights. IAI, for instance, is
organizing along this October up to January 26th the World Zero Evictions
Days for secure housing rights. This campaign will have different actions
like demonstrations, press conferences, meetings and occupations.
Click on the links below for further information:
English: http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic.php?pagina=inv_habitants_en
Spanish: http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic.php?pagina=inv_habitants_es
French: http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic.php?pagina=inv_habitants_fr
Italian: http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic.php?pagina=inv_habitants_it
b) How to take part?
The global day of mobilisation and action will take place by all
organisations and movements at international, national, local level
concerned to get involved in it. Each network, movement, organisation will
decide how to organise their own actions and will define their subjects,
formats and how will articulate national and international connections.
To join since now this mobilisations, your organisation should:
- sign the global call (on the website www.wsf2008.net)
- disseminate it as much as possible, using its own ways of communication
(newsletter, websites, newspaper, radio programme, or disseminating the call
for its mailing lists)
- give visibility to the possible actions already planed for the week and
for January 26th 2008
- propose national and international connections among actions
To global day of mobilisation and action be successful, it's needed
everybody disseminate information to all regions of the planet, taking part
actively in the concrete construction process of local mobilisations.
Soon, a website will permit everybody to register an action and to build
alliances and coalitions around it. It will also work to disseminate the
defined actions for the date. Follow WSF website and newsletter for further
information, as well as on www.wsf2008.net.
6.-World
Campaign for the In-depth Reform of the System of International Institutions
World Campaign for the In-depth Reform of the System of
International Institutions is a middle and long term challenge
THE CAMPAIGN WEEK
17-24 October 2007
• 'To implement development agendas for real...
• To eradicate poverty...
• To abolish usurious debt...
• To make another world possible...
• ...Reform international institutions'
A key stage in the Campaign
As you know, the World Campaign for the In-depth Reform of the System of
International Institutions is a middle and long term challenge. This
characteristic makes difficult to keep a permanent high tension around the
Campaign, and therefore, sometimes the efforts can be blurred. For this
reason we think that is important to give a special intensity to the
Campaign on a specific days in which all the organizations involved can work
together to increase the spreading of the Campaign.
A special moment of the Campaign
This boost is aimed at:
• enabling us to feel part of a support network of over 1,500 organisations
and more than 30,000 people all over the world;
• boosting the Campaign, and winning significantly more support for it among
individuals; and
• making the Campaign and its objectives much more widely known all over the
world.
The proposal: each organisation collects 50 signatures for the Campaign
Our proposal is for your organisation to collect 50 signatures from
individuals in support of the Campaign, over the period from 17 to
24October.
Why those dates?
October will see activity across the board, and that will make it easy for
all organisations to get involved in the project, adapting it to their own
way of working. Those dates were chosen on account of their significance in
terms of the Campaign:
• 17October is set as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty,
an objective ( what objective is not more a means than an end?) that has
always been a top priority in the Campaign, since poverty is a cause,
component and consequence of many of the problems we are tackling;
• 24October is United Nations Day, the day of an organisation which, once
strengthened and democratised, is envisaged by the Campaign as being the
centre piece of the future thoroughly reformed System of International
Institutions.
Eradicating poverty in particular and, in general, making another world
possible, surely entails achieving just and democratic global governance,
with people at the centre of its aims and development agendas.
A shared moment
This proposal also brings synergies with other proposals to which the
Campaign is linked.
On the one hand, the chief mobilisation focus for the Global Call to Action
against Poverty (GCAP) falls around 17 October, and we can make a
contribution by making our message heard loud and clear: "To eradicate
poverty, let us reform international institutions". For more information on
the GCAP, see their website:www.whiteband.org.
And on the other hand, the Global Debt Week will also be held in 2007,
on14-21 October; we share many fundamental approaches with that action, and
our project also wishes to help in spreading it. For more information on the
week of action against debt, see the relevant website:www.debtweek.org.
To conclude: for all those reasons, we are inviting you to collect
50signatures as a sign of support, from 17 to 24 October, thus contributing
your irreplaceable collaboration in boosting the Campaign, in synergy with
the other mobilisation drives scheduled, and of course with your own
activities.
We hope you will find this proposal of interest, and that we can count on a
contribution from you as on other occasions.
Collecting the signatures
• You can organise this however you like, though one way is to print out the
form attached (form_ind.xls) as your signature-gathering sheet.
form_ind.xls download
Sending the results to us
• It would be of great help to us if you could use the form
attached(form_ind.xls) for recording the data for the signatures collected,
and then send the completed form to us by e-mail to this address• info@reformcampaign.net.
• Alternatively, you can send us the printed form used to collect the
signatures by fax to+34 93 413 77 77 or by ordinary post to:
• Ubuntu Forum
• EdificiNexus II
• JordiGirona, 29
• 08034Barcelona (Spain)
Collecting signatures via the Internet
If you do not opt for a standard collection system, preferring to draw
attention to the Campaign Week by e-mail for example, then the best way to
go is to tell everyone that the Campaign's website is the place for signing
up:
http://www.reformcampaign.net/index.php?pg=adhesio&lg=eng
7.- Launch
of Alf@net website
Dear
Colleagues and partners,
We would like to inform about the launch of the new internet website of the
Alf@net project where you will be able to download tools, free and didactic
software in wolof and in other national languages of Senegal. With the blog
and a space for discussion (forum), the Alf@anet website is a space for
exchange and synergy of efforts with a view to improve the access to
information technologies in the african languages, particularly by the
localization of free software in those languages.
The website is:http://www.alfanet.anafa.org
Please note that this website is better visualized with the help of the
Mozilla Firefox 2 navigator, that you can download freely from this website:
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox.
Any comment is welcomed, and, above all, we encourage you to subscribe to
the discussion forum: http://www.alfanet.anafa.org/forum and to leave your
comments and observations and even your personal opinion about the computing
subject and national languages. All contributions are welcomed.
You can also contact us directly at: alfanet@anafa.org
Please receive our warm regards in the hope that you can browse through this
new website.
Le Secrétaire Exécutif
Ousmane Faty NDONGO
_________________________
Lancement du site web Alf@net
Chers Collègues et partenaires,
Nous désirons vous faire part du lancement du nouveau site Internet du
projet Alf@net sur lequel vous pourrez télécharger des outils, logiciels
libres et didacticiels en wolof et dans les autres langues nationales du
Sénégal. Avec le blogue et un espace de discussion (forum), le site Alf@net
se veut un espace d'échange et de synergie des efforts en vue d'améliorer
l'accès aux technologies de l'information dans les langues africaines
principalement par le localisation des logiciels libres dans ces langues.
Le site web est hébergé à l'adresse suivante: http://www.alfanet.anafa.org
Notez que ce site est mieux visualisé à l'aide du navigateur Mozilla Firefox
2, qu'on peut installer gratuitement à partir du site http://www.mozilla.com/firefox.
Vos critiques sont les bienvenues, et surtout nous vous encourageons à vous
inscrire au forum de discussion: http://www.alfanet.anafa.org/forum et à y
inscrire vous commentaires et critiques ou encore votre opinion personnelle
sur le sujet de l'informatique et des langues nationales. Toutes les
contributions sont les bienvenues.
Vous pouvez aussi communiquer directement avec nous au alfanet@anafa.org.
En vous souhaitant une bonne navigation, recevez mes salutations les
meilleures.
Le Secrétaire Exécutif
Ousmane Faty NDONGO
8.- Position
Available at MADRE
Vicki
Larson, MADRE
vicki@madre.org
MADRE
is seeking an experienced, passionate, highly organized development
professional to serve as our Development Director. Responsibilities include:
• As part of three-person Management Team, work with Executive Director to
generate and implement organizational fundraising strategy.
• Expand the range of MADRE s funding sources by continually cultivating new
funders.
• Create longterm work plans and oversee weekly work plans for a four-person
Development Department.
• Research, write, and edit proposals to foundations and corporations, and
meet monthly deadlines for sending proposals.
• Prepare project budgets and yearly organizational budgets.
• Generate narrative and financial reports for funders.
• Track pending proposals, grants received, and declinations.
• Expand planned giving program and materials and educate interested donors
on giving strategies.
• Develop earned-income strategy for 2008 and beyond.
• Oversee online giving program and develop online fundraising strategies.
• Oversee applications to state, federal, and corporate workplace-giving
campaigns.
• Oversee matching gifts program.
• Oversee state registrations process.
• With Grants Administrator, create work plans for and oversee development
department interns.
• Prepare quarterly fundraising reports for Executive Director and Board of
Directors.
• Maintain all relevant databases and files.
• Provide some content for MADRE s website and other public education
materials.
• Represent MADRE at conferences and meetings and speak publicly on behalf
of the organization.
• Give input on speaking engagements program.
• Help create special event plans as needed.
Qualifications:
• Knowledge of and commitment to MADRE s vision and programs;
• Knowledge of the human rights framework;
• Familiarity with our networks and funders;
• Demonstrated experience winning grants from bilaterals and multilaterals,
foundations, corporations, and religious and community organizations;
• Understanding of existing models for measuring program indicators and
outcomes;
• Ability to work comfortably and sensitively with major donors and other
funders; and
• Ability to prepare long-range development plans in alignment with MADRE s
strategic plan, manage staff, meet tight deadlines, fulfill reporting
requirements, and manage competing priorities.
Start Date: mid-November
Compensation: Commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits and work
environment.
Vicki Larson
Development Director
MADRE, An International Women's Human Rights Organization
121 West 27th Street #301
New York, NY 10001
212.627.0444 ph
212.675.3704 fax
www.madre.org
9.-
Overview of Second Fundher Report
AWID's second Fund her Report, 'Financial Sustainability for Women's
Movements Worldwide' is now available in print and online. In today's Friday
File we give an overview of the report.
By Kathambi Kinoti
'Financial Sustainability for Women's Movements Worldwide' is AWID's second
report under the Fund her initiative that analyses the funding landscape for
women's rights work. It builds on the first report, which was released last
year, by providing further analysis on funding trends as well as information
on donors who fund women's rights work and practical fundraising guidelines.
The Report is not merely about increasing individual women's organizations'
access to more money by providing information about how to fundraise and
what donors to approach. Rather it makes a strong case for collective
strategizing and action around long term mobilization of resources for
women's rights work worldwide. It argues that there is a need for the
strengthening of feminist and women's movements and a collective political
engagement with the people and institutions that provide (or should provide)
the funds for social justice work, in order to ensure that the women's
rights agenda is adequately resourced. This can only be done if
these movements are involved in setting the agenda for development financing
by influencing relevant policies and processes.
'Financial Sustainability' analyses six funding sectors: bilateral and
multilateral development agencies; international NGOs, women's funds, large
private foundations; individuals and small private foundations and corporate
philanthropy. It shows the specific opportunities and challenges within each
sector. It points out that there is a lot of money that could be availed for
women's rights work, but is not for a variety of reasons. For instance, the
misapplication of gender mainstreaming within bilateral and multilateral
agencies has made women's rights work suffer. Thus, since gender is supposed
to be mainstreamed in all policies and programmes there is the perception
that there is no need for women-specific initiatives. The aid effectiveness
agenda which channels overseas development assistance (ODA) through
governments reduces its accessibility to women's groups. The Paris
Declaration on Aid Effectiveness fails to centralize gender equality yet
gender equality is central to economic development.
Much of the funding to women's organizations comes from bilateral and
multilateral agencies, although in terms of the actual amounts of assistance
that such agencies give overall to development, women's rights work is
comparatively poorly funded. Like the large private foundations, they are
typically far removed from the politicization of the women's rights agenda
and tend to apply a technical approach to complex social and political
realities. International NGOs (INGOs) also provide a significant proportion
of funding, but there are tensions in the relationship between
international and local NGOs. For instance there is the fact that INGOs are
campaigners, programmers and funders all at the same time. They therefore
fund their own ideas and campaigns and often overshadow the work of local
NGOs. They also compete- with greater advantage than NGOs- for ODA and other
funding.
The Report highlights the growing presence and significance of women's funds
which are the 'fundraising arm of the movement.' These women-led funds tend
to focus exclusively on women's rights initiatives and provide funding to
groups that have difficulty accessing resources and are therefore neglected
by other donors. For instance, women's funds support marginalized groups
like young women, lesbians and indigenous women. Most of them appreciate the
need to provide core funding to women's organizations. They also provide
support for travel to strategic conferences, something that other agencies
tend not to do. Some women's funds also actively engage in capacity building
for women's organizations as well as movement building. Although women's
funds are growing in number and in terms of resources, they still provide
relatively small grants and therefore serve mainly smaller women's
organizations.
'Financial Sustainability' not only discusses the 'what' about financing for
women's rights, but the 'how'. It suggests strategies that women's
organizations can employ individually and as part of movements. For instance
it explores the creation of alternative and autonomous ways of raising funds
and investment in organizational capacities. It also provides practical tips
for raising money as well as information on details of institutions that
fund women's rights work. By providing insight both into
where the money is for women's rights as well as why women's movements need
to politicize the agenda for gender equality financing, 'Financial
Sustainability for Women's Movements Worldwide' is a vital resource for
individuals and organizations working for women's rights.
'Financial Sustainability for Women's Movements Worldwide' is available at
www.awid.org .
10.-
MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, 2007
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Grantmaking
WUNRN
http://www.wunrn.com
http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.2626595/k.8D31/MacArthur_Award_for_Creative_and_Effective_Institutions_2007.htm
Expanding on its tradition of encouraging individual creativity and building
effective institutions to help address some of the world’s most challenging
problems, the MacArthur Foundation selects a group of small non-profit
organizations around the world for this prestigious award each year. Winners
are awarded up to $500,000.
Read more about the award.
The 2007 award winners are:
• Action Health Incorporated
• Protecting the sexual and reproductive health of young Nigerians
• (Lagos, Nigeria)
• Institute for Security and Democracy
• Reforming police, strengthening democracy in Mexico
• (Mexico City, Mexico)
• Institute of Law and Public Policy
• Championing constitutional and legal reform in Russia
• (Moscow, Russia)
• Kartemquin Films
• Filming documentaries, changing society
• (Chicago, Illinois)
• National Housing Law Project
• Advocating housing justice for America's most vulnerable
• (Oakland, California)
• Resources Himalaya Foundation
• Protecting biodiversity where earth meets sky
• (Kathmandu, Nepal)
• Society for Education Welfare and Action -- Rural
• Saving the lives of mothers and their babies in India
• (Jhagadia, India)
• Woodstock Institute
• Increasing and protecting financial assets of low-income people and
communities
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