Development

27.05.2005 "L’Africa, con i suoi 13 milioni di sfollati - circa la metà di quelli contati nell’intero pianeta - continua a vivere sulla propria pelle crisi gravissime come quella provocata dal maremoto del 26 dicembre 2004 in Asia: lo ha detto a Nairobi l’inviato speciale dell’Alto commissariato Onu per i rifugiati (Acnur/Unhcr) Dennis McNamara. Ma “L’Africa deve trovare da sola il cammino per lo sviluppo del continente, perché la soluzione non verrà dall’esterno” - ha replicato il Premio Nobel per la Pace Wangari Maathai, ecologista keniana e vice-ministro dell’Ambiente in visita in Germania ieri in occasione della Giornata mondiale dedicata all’Africa. A settembre i leader di tutto il pianeta si riuniranno alle Nazioni Unite per verificare i progressi della 'Dichiarazione del Millennio' e dovrebbe essere il momento delle decisioni, inclusa un'audace iniziativa per fornire risposte ai problemi dell'Africa.

27.05.2005 "Una campagna di tre anni, nel corso della quale in tutta Italia prenderanno la parola le Terre Contadine, del Nord come del Sud del mondo, per raccontare la loro lotta quotidiana per produrre cibo sano e di qualità, per proteggere l'ambiente e per stringere con i cittadini e i consumatori un'alleanza che costringa le leggi che regolano il mercato a rispettare e dare il giusto valore al patrimonio rurale di questo pianeta". Così Nora Mckeon dell'ong Terra Nuova ha presentato ieri a Roma EuropAfrica/Terre contadine, la nuova campagna promossa da Terra Nuova e Crocevia per il GA Gruppo d’Appoggio al movimento contadino dell’Africa Occidentale- fra gli altri AUCS, CIPSI, CISV, COSPE - con la partecipazione di Coldiretti e del Réseau des organisations paysannes et de producteurs agricoles de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA), in collaborazione con Roba dell’Altro Mondo fair trade.

26.05.2005 The Dominican Republic - Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) is a threat to poor people in developing countries, said international agency Oxfam today, as the presidents of five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic are meeting with President Bush. The six presidents have just completed an unprecedented road show to convince US citizens and their lawmakers to support the Free Trade Agreement between their countries and the US, but opposition to the agreement is mounting.

26.05.2005 WASHINGTON, D.C., May 26 (OneWorld) - Activists are seeking to use a European breakthrough this week to turn up the heat on some of the world's richest countries to come up with money they promised decades ago in the global fight against poverty.

26.05.2005 The European Union agreed Tuesday to set concrete timetables for fulfilling a promise the world's richer countries made in 1970 to allocate 70 cents of every $100 of national incomes to aid for poor countries. The move, which would double European aid by 2010, is expected to give a massive jolt to poor countries seeking to finally throw off the yoke of poverty.

26.05.2005 In India, residents, political parties, and environmentalists are protesting proposals to build a new water-intensive Coca-Cola bottling plant in a community already suffering water shortages. Coca-Cola's reputation for groundwater depletion and pollution has fuelled suspicion of the proposed plant.

25.05.2005 En un año la deforestación de la Amazonía brasileña llegó a uno de los puntos más altos de los que se tiene registro: entre el 2003 y el 2004 la mayor reserva de biodiversidad del mundo perdió más de 26 mil kilómetros cuadrados, un capítulo más en la historia de depredación incesante que ya acabó con 680 mil kilómetros de ese territorio, un área equivalente a Francia y Portugal juntos.

25.05.2005 Ulkomaankauppa- ja kehitysministeri Paula Lehtomäki on tyytyväinen EU:n ratkaisuun, jonka mukaan EU:n vanhat jäsenmaat, joihin Suomikin kuuluu, tavoittelevat 0,51 prosentin kehitysyhteistyöosuutta bruttokansantulosta vuoteen 2010 mennessä. ”Tavoite ei estä meitä etenemästä ripeämmässäkin tahdissa kohti YK:n suosittamaa 0,7 prosenttia", ministeri kommentoi.

25.05.2005 UNICEF announced Wednesday a partnership with Proctor and Gamble to provide home-based water purification systems for millions in poor countries around the world. The alliance will focus on bringing safe drinking water to schools, helping families in emergency situations, and reducing household exposure to arsenic-contaminated water.

25.05.2005 Despite skepticism that they could ever succeed observers of the global debt crisis now predict that 100% cancellation for poor countries is within reach--possibly as soon as this summer. At the same time barriers lie ahead for the debt relief movement and developing nations even in a post-debt-relief era, writes analyst Mark Engler of Foreign Policy in Focus.

24.05.2005 The Centre for Contemporary Arts promoted the new internet site www.reka.org.mk, at the press conference held today at the NGO InfoCentre in Skopje. The web-site is dedicated to the Reka Region in Western Macedonia.

24.05.2005 WASHINGTON, D.C., May 23 (OneWorld) - The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are preventing foreign aid from reaching HIV/AIDS programs in the world's poorest countries, according to an assessment appearing in a leading medical journal.

23.05.2005 Yhdysvallat on jo kahden vuoden ajan ilmoittanut pyrkivänsä parantamaan Irakin ifrastruktuuria ja luomaan alueelle lisää työpaikkoja. YK:n kehitysohjelman, UNDP:n uusi raportti kuitenkin paljastaa että tuloksia ei ole saatu aikaiseksi. Irakin kansalaisten elämänlaatu on heikkoa, sähköä ei ole aina saatavilla, juomavesi on usein saastunutta ja neljäsosa alle 5-vuotiaista kärsii aliravitsemuksesta.

23.05.2005 Swaziland donor agencies are increasingly asking theatre groups to write and perform dramas about hot topics like HIV/AIDS and women's rights. Particularly with HIV/AIDS, donor agencies hope that by providing the message in an entertaining way, they can reach more people about the dangers and spread of the disease.

21.05.2005 The Commission for Africa Report contains many recommendations which recognise issues raised by global justice campaigners but which the government may hold back from supporting. Gordon Brown was on the Commission so there is no excuse - but write to Tony Blair to seek real commitment.

20.05.2005 "Steadily prudent economic policies" have resulted in Africa's highest economic growth in eight years, according to a new report from the community of wealthier nations and the African Development Bank. But more debt relief, action against corruption, and support for small businesses is still needed, it said.

20.05.2005 The One World Broadcasting Trust has published the shortlist for each category of its annual awards for media coverage of international development issues. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on June 9th.

19.05.2005 Education International, which is a global union federation representing over 29 million teachers, says that indigenous education should be strengthened to bring about sustainable development. It should therefore be included in the Edcuation for All campaign.

19.05.2005 Luonto on otettu ainutlaatuisella tavalla huomioon Bhutanin erikoisissa kehityssuunnitelmissa. Laki vaatii että jopa 60 prosenttia Himalajan vuoristossa sijaitsevan maan pinta-alasta säilytetään metsänä. Bhutan kulkee kehityksessä omaa reittiään, jota eivät sanele kansainväliset rahoituslaitokset tai historia Länsimaiden varjossa. Se on myös ensimmäinen valtio, jossa mitataan bruttokansantulon rinnalla bruttokansanonnellisuutta.

19.05.2005 A 32-year-old Italian aid worker who has lived and worked in Afghanistan for more than three years was abducted by armed gunman in Kabul Monday evening. This comes just two weeks after the bodies of three women were found in the north of the country with a note saying "this is retribution for those women who are working in NGOs and those who are involved in whoredom."