World Alliance for Citizen Participation

A Free Weekly Newsletter Promoting Civic Existence, Expression & Engagement Please send contributions, comments and questions to editor@civicus.org.

01 August 2008 ISSUE No. 400 PUBLISHER CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ingrid Srinath MANAGING EDITOR Eric Muragana EDITORS Julie Middleton Katsuji Imata Nastasya Tay OCCASIONAL CONTRIBUTORS Anupama Selvam Elisaberth Robson Irfan Mufti Natalia Kiryttopoulou Mandeep Tiwana Tania Gobena Vicente García-Delgado, Esq ABOUT e-CIVICUS  The CIVICUS weekly electronic publication is keeping tens of thousands of people informed of the developments taking place in civil society, the factors that are affecting them and the impact they are having on creating an informed and knowledgeable civil society.  e-CIVICUS WELCOMES CONTRIBUTIONS OF CIVIL SOCIETY NEWS e-CIVICUS offers a useful channel through which you and your organisation can share your news, publicise your events and articulate the issues you face. Please send us your contributions no later than Tuesday for publication in the coming week to editor@civicus.org. All contributions must focus on civil society issues or have a civil society angle. To read the contribution guidelines, click here.  REPRODUCTION OF e-CIVICUS Readers are welcome to reproduce, in part or in full, all sections of this newsletter, however please request permission to do so first. When reproducing or retransmitting content, please credit sources and authors. The content of this newsletter can be translated into another language and reproduced in other publications, as long as due acknowledgment is made to CIVICUS.  e-CIVICUS DISCLAIMER Although CIVICUS makes all reasonable efforts to obtain prima-facie reliable content for  e-CIVICUS  , CIVICUS cannot guarantee the accuracy of the reports, views or opinions of third-party content providers, nor does CIVICUS necessarily endorse the views reflected therein. Opinions expressed by contributors to  e-CIVICUS  are solely those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CIVICUS, its Board of Directors, managers or staff, or any CIVICUS members or partners. We request that readers exercise caution and alert us immediately if they suspect any fraudulent or incorrect material has been included in our publication. Please do send your comments and suggestions to  editor@civicus.org.  CONTACT US P.O. Box 933 Southdale, 2135  South Africa  Tel: +27 11 833 5959 Fax:+27 11 833 7997 1112 16th Street NW, Suite 540  Washington D.C.  20036 USA Tel: +202 331-8518 Fax: +202 331-8774 Websites: www.civicus.org www.civicusassembly.org To subscribe or unsubscribe: email subscriptions@civicus.org TELL A FRIEND Do you have a friend who works for a more just world? Would you like to share this newsletter with them? Please forward their e-mail address to subscriptions@civicus.org We value your comments, suggestions and contributions. Speak to us at editor@civicus.org Support CIVICUS To make an on-line donation, click here. Join CIVICUS Join or renew your CIVICUS Membership on-line now, click here.  Civil Society Watch Monthly Bulletin The CIVICUS e-newsletter Civil Society Watch Monthly Bulletin  is an action-oriented newsletter distributed to over 7,400 people around the world, featuring insightful interviews, updates on threats to civil society, and analyses of current situations. Read more at www.civicus.org. CIVICUS blog What do you think? Have your say on the CIVICUS Blog! CIVICUS seeks to amplify the voices and opinions of ordinary people and give expression to the enormous creative energy within civil society. Our recently launched blog gives you the opportunity to use your voice and engage with the rest of civil society. Have your say by visiting http://civicus.civiblog.org

FROM THE DESK OF CIVICUS' SECRETARY GENERAL Send your comments and contributions to editor@civicus.org. What now, Mr. Lamy? By Ingrid Srinath, CIVICUS Secretary General Dear friends and colleagues, This week, the Doha round of talks on world trade became another casualty of refusal to compromise on the part of a few countries protecting narrow national interests or, even worse, protecting the interests of powerful elites within those countries. Not even the spectre of the food crisis that is currently pushing millions over the margin of survival into starvation, malnutrition and indebtedness, and threatening to reverse such gains as have been made since the start of this millennium, proved a strong enough incentive to overcome these narrow interests. And, as with other global negotiations, the countries with the most to lose had the least leverage in the negotiations. African nations, for instance, were reduced to mute spectators, as global powers, established and emerging, played power games with their fates. To read more on this week's column, click here. WTO talks - Doha Round crumbles to dust By Gustavo Capdevila, Inter Press Service (IPS) The Doha Round of multilateral trade talks was brought crashing down by the same discrepancies between rich and poor countries that have marked the nearly seven years of negotiations from the start. An insurmountable rift between the United States on one hand and China and India on the other ended the emergency conference of ministers called by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which had stretched into its ninth day of sessions. Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana interpreted the collapse of the talks as the failure of an attempt by industrialised countries to give very little and ask for a lot, which was simply not accepted, in general terms, by the developing countries, he told IPS. For more information, click here. GCAP Arab region position on WTO talks in Geneva By: Kinda Mohamadieh, Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) The nature of the whole "Green Room" process which involves just a small group of countries and excludes the vast majority is undemocratic. This includes the news that the World Trade Organisations, Director-General, Pascal Lamy will be putting forward his own text for negotiations for the delegations to review it. The Doha Round will not alleviate poverty or promote development. Under the World Bank scenario, global gains projected for 2015 from the current trade model are US$96 billion, with $16 billion going to the developing world. This represents 0.2% of developing country national income, or less than a penny a day per person in the developing world. For more information, click here. One cheer for global trade talks By Sandra Polaski, director of the Trade, Equity, and Development programme at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, USA Trade ministers failed again this week to agree on the main terms of a new global trade regime. These officials have assembled most summers for the past five years, each time on the premise that a deal was urgent and within grasp. To add pressure, pundits and some leaders claimed each time that a failure to reach consensus would put the entire global trading system at risk. Each year the ministers failed, and each year trade expanded nonetheless. This year is a bit different, however. High and volatile food and fuel prices have put real strain on the global economy and inflicted serious harm on many poor countries. For more information, click here.  CIVICUS Poll Question This week’s question: Is the World Trade Organisation serious about bridging the gap between the poor and rich?  To answer the question, click here. Previous question: Do you think that civil society has intrinsic value, in and of itself? Results: Yes - 70.9%, No - 16.4%, Don’t Know - 12.7% TELL A FRIEND ABOUT e-CIVICUS The e-CIVICUS newsletter keeps tens of thousands of people and organisations informed of the many developments taking place in civil society around the world. As a subscriber you know the value e-CIVICUS can bring to your work. So why keep it to yourself? Do you have a friend who works for a more just world? Would you like to share this newsletter with them? Why don’t you suggest they register for a free subscription? They can send us an e-mail to subscriptions@civicus.org or fill out the subscription form here. Alternatively, please forward their e-mail addresses to us and we’ll contact them on your behalf. Please send us your contributions no later than Monday every week to editor@civicus.org. All contributions must be focused on civil society issues or have a civil society angle. e-CIVICUS DIALOGUES Mary Robinson: Human rights are good for business By Grace Segran in Geneva Mary Robinson remains an uncompromising voice for human rights. The former Irish President and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights asserted the central importance of human rights in achieving a more just and sustainable future at the Net Impact conference on sustainable prosperity, and explored with 400 participants how they can help remind the world that human rights belong to all people and are their shared responsibility. “That future can only come about through greater adherence to the rule of law within and between nations, through more effective and democratic states - and no less important, through wider participation by all sectors, including civil society and business, in meeting shared responsibilities and holding governments to account for their obligations,” says Robinson. For more information, click here. Analysis of the restrictive aspects of the Uganda NGO Registration Act By Mandeep Tiwana, Programme Associate, CIVICUS Civil Society Watch CIVICUS partner organisations in Uganda have expressed concern about the legislative framework governing NGOs in the country and the restrictions it places on their ability to function independently and contribute to national life. Upon close analysis, it is our opinion that the legal framework for the registration and operation of NGOs reflects a deep distrust of their activities and discounts their vital role in socio-political development. Key provisions in regard to the registration of NGOs create a web of bureaucratic red tape, which constitute a significant hurdle for individuals wishing to form an NGO. Moreover, the functioning of NGOs is impeded by excessive executive interference in their activities. For more information, click here. CIVIL SOCIETY NEWS Civil society and the new UN forum highlights parliaments’ role in foreign aid reform Source: IPU, eBULLETIN, Bringing parliament closer to global issues The new Development Cooperation Forum of the Economic and Social Council (DFC) met in New York at the beginning of July in what by most accounts was considered to be a very good start. The DFC aims to provide a forum for all old and new actors in the aid delivery machinery to come together for a frank and critical discussion on how to make foreign aid work better. Although the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness helped galvanise the international community on that issue, progress is still proceeding at a snail’s pace. A broader and more far-reaching consensus will be required to turn the tide once and for all. The DCF special presentation was also attended by Mr. Kumi Naidoo, Honorary President of CIVICUS. For more information, click here. Civil society takes global stage at the United Nations By Emily Geminder, MediaGlobal Of the more than 3,000 non-governmental organisations holding consultative status to the United Nations, only a handful address gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex issues. Today, we saw an incremental but significant step towards change: two groups, COC Netherlands and the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals of Spain (FELGTB), gained admittance to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The Council brings together civil society groups to advise the General Assembly on promoting economic and social development and essentially grants groups’ access to the floor of international decision making. For more information, click here.  Civil society raises voice against closure of AK Party in Turkey Source: Today’s Zaman, www.todayszaman.com Several civil society organisations have voiced their concern about a case seeking the closure of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), saying a closure verdict against the party will deal a serious blow to Turkish democracy as well as the Turkish economy. Representatives from a number of diverse NGOs told Today’s Zaman that a closure verdict against the AK Party will plunge Turkey into further political and economic uncertainty and deal a fatal blow to Turkish democracy. Salim Uslu, president of the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (Hak-İş), expressed concern that the disbandment of a political party that received the support of 47 percent of the electorate in last year’s parliamentary elections will have not only political, but also economic consequences. For more information, click here.  Civil society losing face in Iraq By Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail, Inter Press Service (IPS) Welcomed at first after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, most NGOs have run into scepticism and mistrust. Few remain to help. Hundreds of local and foreign NGOs became active in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, after decades of restrictions under the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein. "The former Iraqi regime did not trust NGOs, and always thought them to be spies," Muath A'raji of the National Societal Organisation, a human rights NGO based in Baghdad told IPS. "Iraqis used to think the regime was wrong, but now they have changed their minds because of the many false foreign NGOs that look more like contracting companies than humanitarian and human rights organisations." For more information, click here.  Civil society says governance, not global crisis, is cause of poverty in Philippines Source: GMA News.TV, www.gmanews.tv The Social Watch Philippines (SWP) lead convenor Leonor Magtolis Briones called on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to stop blaming the global crisis for the severe hunger felt by millions of Filipinos and face the truth that poverty in the Philippines is caused by a grave governance problem. SWP is a civil society network that led citizens groups' engagement in the national budget process and campaign for financing for development. Briones, who is also a former national treasurer of the country, said that the slowing down of the economy is a manifestation of the inherent weakness in how GMA has managed the economy. She stressed that "Arroyo has wrong development priorities, as manifested by the lack of funding for social development, particularly the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)". For more information, click here. Chinese authorities’ broken promises threaten Olympic legacy says Amnesty International Source: Amnesty International  The Chinese authorities have broken their promise to improve the country’s human rights situation and betrayed the core values of the Olympics, say a new Amnesty International report. Published to mark the 10-day countdown to the Games, the report evaluates the performance of the Chinese authorities in four areas related to the core Olympic values of ’universal fundamental ethical principles’ and ‘human dignity’ including persecution of human rights activists, detention without trial, censorship and the death penalty. For more information, click here.  New study: Women’s influence on politics is on the rise, but gender equality is a long way off  IPU, eBULLETIN, Bringing parliament closer to global issues A new study undertaken by the IPU reveals that the participation of women in political life is changing political priorities across the globe. Women are making their presence felt in the world’s parliaments and are beginning to redefine political agendas. The study, entitled "Equality in Politics: a Survey of Women and Men in Parliaments", was launched at the thirteenth Meeting of Women Parliamentarians held during the 118th IPU Assembly in Cape Town. Conducted between 2006 and 2008, the survey collates the views of nearly 300 men and women parliamentarians from 110 countries on gender equality in politics. For more information, click here. Civil society calls for interim government in Zimbabwe By Absalom Shigwedha, Namibian, www.namibian.com.na The best solution to the Zimbabwean crisis is not a government of national unity but setting up an interim authority for six months, says the Forum for the Future of Africa. The civil society organisation's director, Saunders Jumah, said in a statement that such an interim authority should be set up by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) to temporarily rule Zimbabwe while political parties are allowed to sell their programmes to the electorate. The Forum suggested that Zimbabwe should be temporarily ruled by a presidential council consisting of three civil society leaders and none from the political parties. For more information, click here. MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS & GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION AGAINST POVERTY GCAP and Trade Justice Source: Global call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) believes that developing countries must have the right to determine their own trade and investment policies, putting their peoples' interests first. International trade rules and national trade policies should support sustainable livelihoods, promote the rights of women, children and indigenous people, and lead to poverty eradication. However trade rules and policies, and the imposition of harmful economic policy conditions, have become the vehicle for the indiscriminate liberalisation of developing country economies undermining sustainable development, increasing poverty and inequality. For more information, click here.  Report: Progress on drinking water and sanitation Source: eGov Monitor and World Health Organisation (WHO) Every day, over 2.5 billion people suffer from a lack of access to improved sanitation and nearly 1.2 billion practice open defecation, the riskiest sanitary practice of all, according to a report issued by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation. The programme is the official UN mechanism tasked with monitoring progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Target 7c on drinking water supply and sanitation. The report titled "Progress on drinking water and sanitation - special focus on sanitation," comes halfway through the International Year of Sanitation. The report assesses -- for the first time -- global, regional and country progress using an innovative "ladder" concept. For more information, click here.  G8 and the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals By Aliyu Othman, Voice of Nigeria, www.voiceofnigeria.org There is palpable fear that the chances of many countries in Africa meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are becoming slimmer by the day. African leaders invited to attend the recently concluded Group of Eight industrialised counties’ summit in Hokkaido, Japan did not mince words about the fact that developed countries have been paying lip service to the compelling need to assist African countries to meet the MDGs by 2015. At every opportunity, the G8 had given assurances of its commitment to the developmental needs of African countries with a view to providing them with the leverage to attain the MDGs target date just seven years away. For more information, click here. GET INVOLVED! Register for the World Social Forum 2009 The registration process for World Social Forum (WSF) 2009 starts in mid-August. The first moment will be dedicated to register self-managed activities. Regarding the WSF Charter of Principles, activities can only be proposed by organisations. The second stage of registration process will attend individual participants and media. The Facilitation Group and members of Methodology Commission met in Belem from 10-12 July to evaluate the answers to the consultation process and define the action objectives for WSF 2009 participants. The Consultation about the WSF objectives was called by the WSF International Council in order to expand or adjust the current action objectives for 2009 event. All the activities (conferences, panels, seminars, workshops and others) will be organised related to those objectives. For more information, click here.  Speak Out with the electronic whiteband - (E-White Band)  The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is the world's largest civil society movement calling for an end to poverty and inequality. GCAP is a worldwide alliance of non-government organisations, trade unions, community groups, faith groups, youth, women and other campaigners working together across more than 100 national platforms. The electronic white band (E-White Band) is a virtual white band where you can leave your message to end poverty and inequality. For more information, click here. ACCOUNTABILITY AccountAbility creates discussion forum for sustainability reporting and assurance Source: AccountAbility, www.accountability21.net In order to raise awareness around sustainability reporting and assurance to underrepresented groups, including civil society; AccountAbility has expanded the AA1000AS revision site (www.accountabilityaa1000wiki.net) to include an Assurance Portal. It is crucial to promote dialogue and understanding around these issues and the Assurance Portal aims to promote learning. To encourage dialogue and debate around these issues, AccountAbility and SustainabilityForum.com have recently started a discussion forum relating to sustainability reporting and assurance on the global SustainabilityForum.com website. For more information on how to participate, click here. The proliferation of development sector data efforts Source: www.KeystoneAccountability.org Lucy Bernholz has recently published a blog post with the title 'Data, Data, Everywhere…But How Do You Find What You Need?' that refers to the proliferation of the data efforts -among them, Keystone- is "tracking, comparing, and discussing social outcomes in comparable, meaningful ways". Bernholz captures the moment of innovation in the sector and argues for greater focus on the information 'users' needs. For more information, click here.  CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISM AND GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS Civil society groups caution WTO on services clauses Source: Marketplace News Civil society organisations in Namibia have told international trade negotiators meeting in Switzerland that the pressure on developing countries to accept trade in services was undermining an earlier agreement, allowing such states to decide if they wanted to join this sector or not. Trade ministers started talks at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva last week to discuss cuts in subsidies and import tariffs with the aim of mapping out a new deal under the so-called Doha Round of WTO talks. "The undersigned civil society organisations (CSOs) in Namibia are concerned that the current WTO negotiations in services are based on a draft text which substantially undermines and contradicts the previously agreed right of developing countries to choose whether or not they wish to engage in negotiations over their services sectors," the statement said. For more information, click here. Calls to reduce taxes and controls on food aid Source: IRINews The World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a call by the World Bank for a UN resolution to scrap taxes and export controls on food aid purchases, but experts say there is little chance of such a resolution being affected. "The problem is that the UN General Assembly can pass a resolution to this effect, but it cannot enforce it if passed," said Christopher Barrett, who teaches development economics at Cornell University, New York, and is the co-author of the book, Food Aid After Fifty Years: Recasting Its Role. "The sharp domestic political pressures that lead politicians to adopt such short-sighted and ultimately ineffective policies as export restrictions and export taxes will likely trump the gentle diplomatic pressure of UN member states," he commented. For more information, click here.  PROFILES DONOR: The Finnish NGO Foundation for Human Rights (KIOS) KIOS is an independent, non-political, non-religious and non-governmental foundation. The foundation was established in September 1998 by eleven Finnish NGOs working with human rights and development issues. KIOS works to promote human rights in developing countries, as human rights are defined in the treaties and other instruments of the United Nations, and in regional human rights instruments. KIOS provides financial support to local civil society organisations that work for the promotion and protection of human rights in their own countries and regions. The foundation’s aim is to especially support the promotion of the human rights of the most disadvantaged groups of the societies. In Finland, KIOS aims at increasing the knowledge of Finnish civil society on the human rights situation in developing countries. For further information, click here. MEMBER: Pro-Hope International, The Gambia Pro-Hope International, The Gambia (PHIN Gambia), was founded to combat injustices faced by women. The gross violation of the rights of women makes them highly vulnerable, and reduces their ability to assert themselves and attain their developmental potentials. Hence PHIN Gambia addresses issues of domestic violence, child marriage, limited access to reproductive health info rmation and facilities for women, poor self-perception because of poverty and low educational attainments, and social and religious prejudices. The organisation has three main activities: reproductive health/rights advocacy, gender based violence (GBV), and women empowerment initiatives. The GBV programme seeks to reduce the level of GBV in The Gambia through raising the awareness among various stakeholders, creating a holistic concept of GBV, and mainstreaming gender sensitivity in community affairs. For more information, click here. BOOKS, REPORTS & RESOURCES From Poverty to Power: How Active Citizens and Effective States Can Change the World Published by Oxfam International, author: Duncan Green From Poverty to Power contributes to an urgent and fast-changing debate about development. The book argues that a radical redistribution of power, opportunities, and assets is needed to break the cycle of inequality and poverty, and that this change can be achieved through a combination of active citizens and effective states. Why active citizenship? Because people living in poverty must have a voice in deciding their own destiny, fighting for rights and justice in their own society, and holding states and the private sector to account. Why effective states? Because history shows that no country has prospered without a state structure than can actively manage the development process. The book's analysis draws on the experience of Oxfam and its partners in more than 100 countries around the world, as well as on extensive discussions with development professionals. For more information, click here.  Book launch focuses on global democracy Source: World Bank - Civil Society Lunch Discussion The World Bank-Civil Society team held a lunch Discussion on "Global Democracy - The Struggle for Political and Civil Rights in the 21st Century" on 25 June. It was sponsored by the Bank's Infoshop and Civil Society Team together with Oxfam America. Didier Jacobs, the author, made a short presentation on the contents of the book highlighting three trends in global governance: globalization, rise of emerging countries (i.e. China, India, Brazil), and increase of global citizenship. Panelists included Ann Florini of Brooking Institute and Amar Battachrya of the G24 Secretariat who brought varying views on how to improve the ‘democratic deficit’ of international organisations such as the World Bank. For more information, click here.  2008 State of the Future By Jerome C. Glenn, Theodore J. Gordon, and Elizabeth Florescu The Millennium Project publishes a report periodically assessing the current state of the world and projecting developments in the future. The 2008 State of the Future continues its excellent annual tradition of providing a comprehensive, insightful, and highly readable review of issues and options facing global decision-makers. The Millennium Project and its State of the Future report represent best practice on how collective intelligence across borders and sectors can be focused on critical global challenges and opportunities. The enhanced participation of developing nations (especially in Africa) in such futures outlook is essential to our shared future. For more information, click here. Report on the regional consultations on Financing for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) held a regional consultation in preparation for the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development from 9 to 13 June 2008 within the context of its thirty-second session in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The first section examines issues relating to trends in official development assistance (ODA), initiatives for innovative financing mechanisms, and aspects concerning North-South and South-South cooperation. The second section analyses the shortcomings exhibited by financial systems in the countries of the region in terms of the mobilisation of resources for development, particularly in the long term, together with their limitations in generating sufficient levels of national saving. For more information, click here.  Publication: Perspectives from 25 years of civil society engagement in Tourism Source: Dr. T T Sreekumar, ECOT, Development Gateway - a Civil Society Coorperating organisation Tourism has eclipsed traditional industries and livelihood options in many parts of the world and has emerged as the most important industry in several countries. However, studies that seek to understand its impacts on economy, environment, and culture are constrained by methodological and theoretical limitations. One of the reasons for the ambiguities and inadequacies in the area of tourism research has been its inability to properly appreciate the importance of the ethical dimensions of human development. For more information, click here.  CONFERENCES & EVENTS Financing for Development Review Conference 29 November - 2 December, Doha, Qatar In accordance with General Assembly resolutions 61/191 and 62/187, the review conference will address progress made, reaffirm goals and commitments, share best practices and lessons learned. The conference will identify obstacles and constraints encountered actions and initiatives to overcome them and important measures for further implementation, as well as new challenges and emerging issues. The conference will also include plenary meetings and six interactive multi-stakeholder round tables on the six major thematic areas of the Monterrey Consensus. It will result in an intergovernmental agreed outcome and summaries of the plenary meetings and of the roundtable discussions. Civil society organisations that do not have a standing invitation from the General Assembly to participate as observers to the Monterrey Conference or its follow-up process are welcome to apply. The deadline for application is 31 August 2008. For more information, click here. INTRAC International Conference: Whatever Happened to Civil Society?  3-5 December 2008, KDK Conference Centre, the Netherlands Civil society is a development buzzword that is used by many, but whose meaning has become unclear. International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC)'s conference will re-examine the concept and role of civil society and focus on its significance in relation to current debates and practice in development, human rights and democracy promotion. Participants will include a wide range of global civil society actors such as activists and lobbyists, social movements’ members, local and international NGOs and community based groups. Academics, official and private donors, and policymakers engaged in civil society support programmes will also be present. For more information, click here. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES Grants to help women-led organisations gain access to capacity building and training  No application deadlines WHEAT (Women's Hope Education and Training) Trust is a South African women's fund committed to grassroots women's empowerment through education and training. The Trust offers grants to help women-led organisations gain access to capacity building and training. Areas of interest include HIV/AIDS, human rights, income generation, leadership development, community development, substance abuse and rehabilitation, street kids and at-risk youth, and family counseling. For more information, click here.  Human Rights Watch fellowships Application Deadline: 3 October 2008 These fellowships are for recent graduates of law schools or graduate programmes in journalism, international relations, area studies, or other relevant disciplines from universities worldwide. Human Rights Watch, the international human rights monitoring and advocacy organisation, invites applications for its fellowship programme. Human Rights Watch is known for its impartial and reliable human rights reporting on over 70 countries worldwide, it’s innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in affecting the policy of the US and other influential governments toward human rights abusers. For more information, click here.  WORKSHOPS & COURSES Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation course 22-26 September 2008, Oxford, UK The International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC) course in monitoring and evaluation is essential to provide greater accountability for civil society organisations; it can also provide unique information about the performance of policies, programmes and projects. On this course, participants will learn how to begin designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems enabling them to understand the different realities and perceptions around their work. For more information, click here.  CALL FOR PAPERS, SUBMISSIONS, SURVEYS & NOMINATIONS Call for submissions: 5th European Symposium on Gender & ICT Submission of abstracts by 1 September 2008 Submission of papers by 15 January 2009 Information Society with its variety of new information and communication media offers many new options to participate in today's social, cultural, political and economic activities. However, chances are still distributed unequally by class, ethnicity, age - and by gender. Access to and the ability to use information and communication technology (ICT) is necessary prerequisites for participation. The 5th European Gender and ICT Symposium is calling for the submission of abstracts and papers to take a closer look at the complex interdependences between gender and ICT. For more information, click here. APPOINTMENTS CURRENT JOBS Gender Adviser Application Deadline: 20 August 2008 UNAIDS Secretariat Location: Geneva, Switzerland For more information, click here.   Sr. Manager, Communications Application Deadline: 30 August 2008 CRY - Child Rights and You Location: Mumbai, India For more information, click here.  Global Development Policy Internship Application Deadline: 4 September 2008 Women Thrive Worldwide (formerly Women's Edge Coalition) Location: Washington, D.C., U.S.A For more information, click here.  CONTACT e-CIVICUS e-CIVICUS is a free weekly online publication keeping tens of thousands of people, organisations and programmes informed of the many developments that are taking place in civil society organisations around the world, the many factors that are affecting the impact of civil society on creating a more just world. We value your comments and suggestions. Please send these to the Editorial Team at editor@civicus.org. 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