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GEO/ICAE
VOICES RISING
YEAR VI - Nº 263
April 11, 2008
Content
1.-
Experienced gender official from Spain chosen to head UNIFEM
2.-
Statement from Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) on
the United Nations appointment of a new Executive Director for UNIFEM.
3.- How much does an office cost at the United Nations?
4.- Determination destroys hurdles!
6.- Carlos Núñez passed away…
7.-
Mother Tongue and Bilingual Education: A Collection of Conference Papers
8.-
World's Biggest Lesson - 23April
9.- Adult Educ.: Neuroscience finds ways to enhance adult learning naturally
10.- 5th World Environmental Education Congress in Montreal-
Canada from 10-14 May 2009.
11.-
JOB:
INTERNATIONAL PROJECT MANAGER; STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST GRILS IN SCHOOL
ICAE Thematic Virtual Seminar April 21 to May 9, 2008
The
general objective of the Virtual Seminar is “to generate an advocacy action
around the issues
proposed
by ICAE and contribute to the definition of advocacy proposals towards
CONFINTEA VI”.
If you
would like to receive further information please contact:
secretariat@icae.org.uy
--
1.- Experienced gender official from Spain chosen to head UNIFEM
7 April 2008 – The United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced today that Inés Alberdi of
Spain has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the UN Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM).
Ms. Alberdi, who succeeds Noeleen Heyzer, was selected by
UNDP
Administrator Kemal Dervis in consultation with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
and the
UNIFEM
Consultative Committee, the agency said in a press release.
“The selection process was comprehensive and extensive, taking into account
both the challenges facing UNIFEM as such as the broader requirements of
strengthening gender-focused work throughout the UN system, something to
which the Secretary-General attaches great importance.”
Ms. Alberdi has had a long career dealing with issues related to gender,
development and politics. From 2003 to 2007 she was a deputy in the Madrid
Assembly, and before that she has worked for the European Union, the Spanish
Sociological Research Centre and the Inter-American Development Bank.
She has also worked as a professor of sociology at Complutense University of
Madrid, and has published several books on the social status of women.
UNIFEM is tasked with providing financial and technical assistance to
programmes and strategies that foster women’s empowerment and gender
equality, focusing particularly on reducing poverty, ending violence and
reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
In another appointment, Mr. Melkert announced that Mr. Ban has appointed
India’s Ajay Chhibber as Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant
Administrator of UNDP and Director of its regional bureau for Asia and the
Pacific. He replaces Hafiz Pasha.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26238&Cr=unifem&Cr1=
--
2.- Statement from Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)
on the United Nations appointment of a new Executive Director for UNIFEM.
Statement
from Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era
We are dismayed by the way in which the UN has made the appointment of a new
Executive Director for UNIFEM. We feel that the selection process has been
deeply flawed and its integrity violated.
For a professional UN appointment the most important part is the panel
interview – a rigorous process to ensure that the selected candidate is the
best possible in terms of competence and experience. For a post like this,
strong background and knowledge of development issues as well as management
experience are critical. In addition, the panel looks for the person’s
leadership qualities including strategic vision and the ability to enthuse
and mobilize multiple partners including governments, civil society and
other UN agencies.
We understand that the interview panel, which carefully looked at the
qualifications of the six short listed candidates, identified one person,
Dr. Gita Sen, as outstanding and recommended her for the position. None of
the others were ranked as appropriate for this post.
However, because of the UN’s concerns over funding, and significant and open
political pressure from the Government of Spain, other names from the
shortlist were brought back into consideration. A decision that should have
been completed last November was delayed and increasingly politicized in the
worst possible way. This is a tragedy for the UN in terms of its ability to
draw competent candidates, transparency and fairness, and its credibility
with women’s movements and development organizations.
The UNIFEM appointment has attracted great concern among civil society and
governments about the seriousness of the Secretary General’s commitment to
advance the UN’s work on gender equality and women’s rights. This decision
could do serious damage at a time when there is a lot of talk of
strengthening the gender architecture of the UN and making sure it delivers
for women.
DAWN
--
3.- How much does an office cost at the United Nations?
Roberto Bissio *
New York
- Ines Alberdi has all the necessary requirements to have an excellent
performance as director of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), a
post for which she was appointed on Monday, April 7. The Madrid newspaper:
El Pais described her as follows: "sister of the former minister of
Social Affairs, Cristina Alberdi, and candidate of the Spanish Socialist
Workers’ Party (PSOE) in the elections of the Community of Madrid in 2003,
Inés Alberdi is professor of Sociology at the Complutense University and a
recognized expert with international experience on issues related to women
and family. She has been a consultant to several international agencies,
including the UN International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) dependent on United Nations ".
With excellent academic background, political involvement and support of a
government with an exemplary record on the issues of promoting women,
Alberdi should receive the applause and congratulations from women's groups
around the world. However, on Tuesday, the headlines of the global newspaper
International Herald Tribune read that the nomination "sparked
criticism" among feminists colleagues. According to Adrienne Germain,
president of the International Women’s Health Coalition, "we are deeply
disappointed because this decision was not based on merit but on factors
that should not be considered in a professional appointment in the United
Nations" even more considering that "since (boreal) fall a candidate, who
meets all the requirements and is from the South, had been identified."
Germain referred to the Indian economist Gita Sen, whose candidacy-supported
by women's organizations and networks around the world-was voted unanimously
by a selection committee as the best among more than a hundred applicants.
Although the Spanish EFE agency praised Alberdi as "the first Spaniard who
is head of a fund, agency or development programme in the United Nations",
in the organization chart of the world organization, UNIFEM is just one fund
under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and its leadership
(traditionally occupied by women) is a third level position in the UN
hierarchy, just a "D2" located below the deputy secretary-general,
under-secretary-general and assistant secretary-general.
A position with such a little hierarchical significance should normally be
appointed by Kemal Dervis, UNDP Administrator, the third in the hierarchy
after the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, and his Deputy Secretary, the
Tanzanian Asha-Rose Migiro. The office of Dervis was, in fact, responsible
for announcing the appointment of Alberdi on Monday, but all the sources
consulted in New York agree that the decision was personally made by Ban Ki-moon.
The official announcement said that the selection process (which took seven
months) was "comprehensive and extensive" but does not explain why it
started as a process based on merit and then their results were not taken
into account.
Despite the limited formal recognition, UNIFEM’s task is enormous, because
among its duties are the reduction of poverty and women’s exclusion,
combating gender-based violence, reducing the spread of AIDS among the
female population and support the presence of more women in governance. For
this ambitious goal, UNIFEM has an annual budget of less than one hundred
million dollars, while UNICEF, the Children's Fund has two billion. The
major donor country of UNIFEM is ... Spain, which contributed 7.3 million
Euros for the 2006-2007 period, followed by Sweden (7 million), Great
Britain (5), the United States and Norway.
The spokesman for the Spanish Mission at the UN, Jose Caballero, told Inner
City Press, a few hours before the announcement of the appointment of
Alberdi, "Spain is not well represented at senior levels of the United
Nations" and announced that for this reason "we will have more and more
representation" in the future. Spain currently contributes about $ 700
million annually to various UN agencies and programmes and this number
should grow because President Zapatero pledged during the recent election
campaign to increase by fifty percent Spanish foreign aid and reach 0.7% of
gross national product by the end of the current term of office. And Spain
would join the small group of donors who have achieved this goal, together
with the Scandinavian countries, Holland and Luxembourg.
But this should not mean, as Inner City Press said that "today in UN you
must pay to play." In the international system officials are not
representatives of their countries but public employees worldwide and, as
such, they do not owe loyalty to their governments but to the UN charter. If
the appointments depend on contributions, citizens of poor or small
countries would have no chance in the international arena.
UNDP recommends all countries that civil service appointments be based on
competitive and transparent procedures, but is far from implementing this at
home. Thus, at the same time Alberdi’s appointment was announced, UNDP
announced the appointment of Indian citizen (and World Bank official) Ajay
Chhibber as UNDP assistant administrator and director of the regional office
for Asia and Pacific, a similar or higher position than that of Alberdi in
UNIFEM, albeit with much less political visibility. The simultaneity of both
announcements is a clear diplomatic message ... for India, which failed to
get a post but succeeded to get an equivalent one.
But what this message says about UN governance is not very good. In the
coming days, Ban Ki-moon has to appoint three key members of his cabinet:
the high commissioner for human rights (replacing Canadian Louise Arbour),
the head of peacekeeping operations (replacing French Jean-Marie Guéhenno)
and the principal legal adviser (in place of Swiss Michel Nicolas), all of
them with the rank of assistant secretary general.
Three weeks ago, a group of non-governmental organizations wrote a letter to
Ban Ki-moon asking to "announce the procedures to be used for such
appointments." The signatories affirm that "there are highly qualified
people in each region, philosophy, gender and race" and suggested the
secretary-general to demonstrate his commitment to a better management of
the United Nations applying good selection practices such as "the public
announcement of the vacancies to be filled, the publication of the list of
candidates and seeking opinion on them." "In this way - the signatories say
- the secretariat would prevent from appearing as being engaged in
reciprocal agreements with certain member states."
In the case of UNIFEM they could not prevent this. And this complicates the
huge task that Inés Alberdi has now to elevate this fund to the hierarchical
category and budgetary allocation that women around the world need and
deserve.
* The author is director of the Third World Institute and co-author of the
report "Unifem: Past, Present and Future" requested by the Advisory
Committee on the UN Development Fund for Women
Este artículo fue
publicado el 11 de abril de 2008 en Agenda Global, un suplemento semanal que
circula los jueves con el periódico La Diaria de Montevideo, Uruguay
www.ladiaria.com.uy
http://www.choike.org/nuevo/informes/5160.html
--
4.- Determination destroys hurdles!
Dear
DAWNEES,
UN (Lords
of Poverty) have definitely lost its credibility and is further at stake. I
am not surprised that agencies like UN appointment is prejudiced as I see
this everywhere even within the organization that I work. I feel that an
individual or organizational ethics has no value these days as personal
interests rule out collective interests.
We should
make a pledge to ourselves that everyday we get an opportunity to fight
against favoritism, prejudices and be able to create a small difference in
our own thinking and others thinking. This is the hope and truth that will
lead us to victory.
No hurdle
can stop us when we have determination. Lets keep our spirits high and
continue our struggle for justice!!
In
solidarity,
Tara
Dhakal
HELP
PRESERVE THE SANCTITY OF DZONGU IN SIKKIM. HELP US IN OUR STRUGGLE!
If you
have not signed the petition in solidarity with our struggle please do so
at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/trb2007/
If you
want to know more or keep yourself updated visit:
http://www.weepingsikkim.blogspot.com/
--
Dear
Friends
Please circulate
DAWN demand the interim government of Fiji respect the Fijian people’s right
to exercise their fundamental freedom of expression and peaceful protest
against human rights abuses in Tibet. We insist that all peaceful
demonstrators at a vigil in support of Tibet outside the Chinese embassy in
Suva are not charged and allowed to express their solidarity with our
sisters whose human rights and peace remain under threat in other countries.
This is a blatant violation of the human right of free speech and peaceful
assembly which is protected by the Fiji Constitution and international law.
If the interim Government of Fiji continues to pay no regard to such
fundamental freedoms, their plans for a more democratic Fiji are in deep
trouble.
in solidarity
Yvonne Underhill-Sem
DAWN Pacific
Ph: +64 9 3737599 ext 82311
cell: 0210453020
Activists held
HAROLD KOI
Friday, April 11, 2008
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=86101
SEVENTEEN
people protesting against China's human rights abuses in Tibet were arrested
and detained in Suva yesterday.
The human
rights advocates were being questioned by police at the Central Police
Station last night.
They could
face charges of unlawful assembly.
The people
held included Fiji Human Rights Commissioner Shamima Ali, Claire Slatter, a
former coordinator of DAWN; Noelene Nabulivou, coordinator of Women's Action
for Change, Tara Chetty and four other women's rights activists from the
Fiji Women's Rights Movement, Edwina Kotoisuva and colleagues from the Fiji
Women's Crisis Centre, Jane Keith-Reid and three other activists from the
AIDS Taskforce.
The group
was taken away by police after being picked up from outside the Chinese
Embassy in Suva shortly after 1pm yesterday.
Ms Chetty
confirmed Neemah Khan, Unaisi Valenitabua and Shirley Tagi of FWRM, Tevita
Seruilumi of FWCCC, Pita Sipeli, Niraj Singh and Jope Naviti joined them in
custody later in the afternoon.
Talking from
the Central Police Station last night, Ms Chetty said they had no complaints
and they were being treated well.
She said
they held a peaceful vigil outside the Chinese Embassy, on the Suva
foreshore on Queen Elizabeth Drive, to show their solidarity with human
rights defenders in Tibet and Tibetans who had been killed and assaulted by
Chinese troops.
"These
unnecessary arrests have made a big incident out of what was a quiet and
peaceful vigil showing solidarity with our fellow activists in Tibet," she
said.
"The
detainees attempted to sit in separate groups in order to comply with laws
governing public assembly."
Ms Chetty
said the interim regime supported China and the suppression of Tibetan
activists.
"This
violation of the human right of free speech and peaceful assembly, protected
in the Fiji Constitution and in international law, is particularly troubling
at a time when Fiji is ruled by an unelected government," said Ms Chetty.
She said the
FWRM urged the authorities to release the detained human rights defenders
and drop all charges.
In a press
statement, the Citizens Constitutional Forum executive officer Reverend
Akuila Yabaki called on police to immediately release those arrested.
Mr Yabaki
said the group was not violating the peace of the country and CCF was
concerned that the interim Government appeared to be condoning human rights
abuses.
Police
spokesman Josaia Weicavu confirmed the group was being investigated for
unlawful assembly outside the Chinese Embassy.
The protest
by the activists in Fiji follows a global trend that started with the
lighting of the Olympic torch in Athens, Greece, for its journey across the
world to Beijing, the Chinese capital which hosts the Summer Olympic Games
from August 8-24.
Protests
have dogged the Olympic torch from the moment it was lit in Athens over
China's handling Tibet's call for greater autonomy despite Tibetan spiritual
leader, the Dalai Lama, supporting the Beijing Games.
FIJI Times Online
--
6.- Carlos Núñez passed away…
CARLOS
NÚÑEZ HURTADO has passed away in the city of Guadalajara, México.
He was a
popular educator and a man committed with the best social causes of our
America.
He was
Honorary President of CEAAL and his memories and lessons will always guide
us.
SG CEAAL,
April 10, 2008
Send
messages to: canuhu@gmail.com /
info@ceaal.org
--
7.-
Mother
Tongue and Bilingual Education: A Collection of Conference Papers
Please
find enclosed a publication from the Danish NGO Education Network:
Mother Tongue and Bilingual
Education: A Collection of Conference Papers.
This publication is based on a conference held by the Danish Education
Network, November 28th–29th, 2007 in cooperation with The Danish University
of Education and The University College (Copenhagen & North Zealand):
CONFERENCE ON MOTHER TONGUE AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION: Myths, realities and
consensus?
Feel free
to share it will all members of the CCNGO/EFA and others, who may find it
interesting.
The
document can also be downloaded from this link to our website:
http://www.uddannelsesnetvaerket.dk/rdb/1205421604.pdf
Best
regards,
Eva
Iversen
Coordinator
The Danish NGO Education Network
C/o
IBIS
Noerrebrogade 68B
2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
E--mail: ei@ibis.dk
www.uddannelsesnetvaerket.dk
--
8.- World's Biggest Lesson - 23April
sarah.gregory@civicus.org
Dear regional secretariats – for your distribution to national coalitions,
As you know, the Global Campaign for Education’s week of action is one of
the mobilization opportunities we have identified in our plans for 2008.
As such, I am forwarding you some information provided by GCE on the
World’s Biggest Lesson, taking place on 23 April. This is, as the
name suggests, an attempt to create the world’s biggest lesson on poverty
and education and to influence decision makers, create awareness and
generate public support on the need for Education For All. The theme is
“Quality Education to End Exclusion”. There is a brief explanation of how to
get involved attached, and on their website
www.campaignforeducation.org
there is information in English, Spanish and French, including the lesson
plan, how to register, and a 60+ page background document with useful
information and statistics on education around the world. There are also
resources to download, many of which are already co-branded with GCAP. Also,
check out the brilliant short clip they made at
http://www.youtube.com/user/campaignforeducation.
For copies or further information contact Alex Kent [alex@campaignforeducation.org]
or Muleya Mwananyanda [muleya@campaignforeducation.org].
Some suggested ways to get involved:
- get in touch with the GCE coalition in your country (if you are
not already!) to find out what is happening. I have attached a list of all
GCE national coalitions.
- Circulate information to the members of your GCAP national
coalition
- Put it up on your website and encourage members to do the same
- Circulate to your school, university and youth networks – if
there is a GCE campaign in your country you should coordinate with them on
this.
- Take part in the lesson!
Let me know if you have any questions. Information will be forwarded in
other GCAP languages.
Best,
Sarah Gregory
Global Call to Action Against Poverty - GCAP
Mobilisation / Outreach Coordinator
sarah.gregory@civicus.org
skype: sarahgregory1
www.whiteband.org
--
9.- Adult Educ.: Neuroscience finds ways to enhance adult learning naturally
Anne Rosenfeld
anne@edupr.com
For Educators, Parents, Clinicians, and Adult Educators
Cognitive neuroscience has discovered that the brain is not ‘hardwired’ from
birth, but holds a remarkable lifelong power to change—a phenomenon called
‘plasticity.’ Positive or negative environments, exercise, nurturance,
learning, and other experiences continue to change the brain throughout
life.
These
revolutionary findings point to new possibilities for ‘rewiring’ the brain
to help overcome learning disorders and to enhance memory, learning, IQ and
achievement in all learners.
Learning & The Brain
Rewiring the Brain:
Using Brain Plasticity to Enhance
Learning &to help Overcome
Learning Disorders
April 26-29, 2008
Boston Marriott Cambridge Hotel
Cambridge, MA
Contact Us
Phone:
Conference Registration: Trish Hagerty, 781-449-4010 ext. 102
Membership Registration/ Conference Info: Kristin Cusack, 781-449-4010 ext.
101
PIRI Administration/Hotels/Exhibits: Anne Rosenfeld, 781-449-4010 ext. 104,
or 617-388-0906
Conference/CEU Information: Kelly Williams, 781-449-4010 ext. 105, or
508-361-0209
Address:
35
Highland Circle, First Floor
Needham, MA 02494
E-Mail:
Learning & the Brain Kelly
Williams learningbrain@edupr.com
Kristin Cusack
kristin_piri@yahoo.com
Media
Inquiries/Propose a Conference
Anne Rosenfeld
learning_brain@yahoo.com
Website
Questions/Feedback
Caitlin McCartan
pirimcc@hotmail.com
http://www.LearningAndTheBrain.com
--
10.- 5th World Environmental Education Congress
in Montreal- Canada from 10-14 May 2009.
secretariat@environmental-education.org
French
below
Lucie Sauvé
and the University of Québec in Montréal, Bob Jickling of
Lakehead University (Ontario), the Quebec Association for the
promotion of the environmental education AQPERE, the Canada network
of the environmtal education and communication EECOM are pleased to
present:
5th World Environmental Education Congress in Montreal-
Canada from 10-14 May 2009.
The topic of this congress, Live together on Earth, invites the
participants to contribute to the most important project of our humanity: to
learn to live better the Earth, developing an hearthly fraternity within our
Oïkos, this house divided between the humans and the other forms of life.
The search of this better living together implies to tackle the questions of
identity, solidarity and socioecologic action. We will explore the links
between ecology, economy and écosophism. We will consider the way how the
environmental education can help to fastening between them these three
dimensions of our relationship with the world.
The general
objectives of the Congress are:
-
to
highlight and to stimulate the role of environmental education in the
search of meaning and human identity;
-
to
highlight and to stimulate the contribution of environmental education
to the social innovation for the assumption of problems of
socioecological nature and écodévelopment of the society;
-
to
highlight and to stimulate the contribution of environmental education
to the development of the public policies, about the big stakes
of our contemporary society.
www.
5weec.uqam.ca
5weec@jpdl.com
1555 rue Peel, suite 500, Montréal (Québec) Canada
tel. and fax +39 0114366522 (r.a.)
..
Lucie Sauvé et l Université du Québec à Montréal, Bob
Jickling du Lakehead University (Ontario), l Association
québécoise pour la promotion de l éducation relative à l environnement
AQPERE, le Réseau canadien d éducation et de communication relatives à l
environnement EECOM sont heureux de présenter:
Le Le Congrès aura lieu au Palais des Congrès de Montréal-Canada,
du 10 au 14 mai, 2009.
Vivre ensemble sur Terre, invite les participants à contribuer au plus
important projet de notre humanité: celui d apprendre à mieux habiter la
Terre, à développer une fraternité terrienne au sein de notre économie
et
-
mettre
en évidence et stimuler le rôle de l éducation relative à l
environnement dans la recherche de signification et d identité
humaine;
-
mettre
en évidence et stimuler la contribution de l éducation relative à l
environnement à l innovation sociale pour la prise en charge des
problèmes d ordre socioécologique et de l écodéveloppement des sociétés;
-
mettre
en évidence et stimuler la contribution de l éducation relative à l
environnement à l élaboration des politiques publiques, relatives
aux grands enjeux de nos sociétés contemporaines.
Contacts:
CANADA
tél. et fax +39 0114366522 (r.a.)
--
11.- JOB:
INTERNATIONAL PROJECT MANAGER; STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST GRILS IN SCHOOL
Position
Title:
INTERNATIONAL PROJECT MANAGER; STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST GRILS IN SCHOOL
Contract:
5 year
contract on national / international terms and conditions of service
(£29,370 p.a. basic salary plus benefits)
Location:
Home-based with a preference for Johannesburg, Kenya, Mozambique or Ghana
Reports
To:
International Head of Education in London (David Archer)
Also
Accountable to:
International Head Women’s Rights / Education Rights and HIV Coordinator /
Country Directors of Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique
Purpose of Role:
To manage
the 5 year Lottery funded project on addressing violence against girls in
schools in Kenya, Ghana and Mozambique, ensuring effective delivery of the
project in line with the original proposal and with donor requirements.
Skills and
Qualifications:
·
Demonstrated skills in managing international and multi-country projects
including:
·
Team
building and coordination experience
·
Experience in financial management and budgeting
·
Skills
and experience in delivering projects to high quality and to donor
requirements
·
Demonstrated hands on experience in programme development, planning,
delivery, and Monitoring and Evaluation
At least
5 years experience in international development
·
particularly in education, women’s rights, or Violence Against Girls in
Education
·
Demonstrated skills and experience in cross-country capacity building for
civil society organisations in Africa.
·
Demonstrated skills in supporting advocacy
·
Demonstrated skills in partnership development and networking with
government, civil society and other stakeholders
·
Demonstrable strategic and analytical skills and research skills
·
Excellent
writing/ communication and computer skills– writing clearly in different
ways for different audiences.
·
Masters
Degree in Education, Social Sciences or a related field
·
A strong
commitment to human rights and socio economic justice and proven track
record in exercising human rights.
Alejandra.Scampini@actionaid.org
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