World Alliance for Citizen Participation

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

10 April 2008 ISSUE No. 383 PUBLISHER CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kumi Naidoo COPY EDITOR Laureen Bertin MANAGING EDITOR Eric Muragana OCCASIONAL CONTRIBUTORS Carol Baloyi Henri Valot Julia Sestier Julie Middleton Katsuji Imata Raya Ubenova Tracy September Werani Zabula Olivia McDonald 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, please visit www.civicus.org/new/media/ e-civicuseditorialguidelines-finalDraft.doc 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. Similarly, links provided in e-CIVICUS may point to Internet sites that may be of interest to our readers; however CIVICUS does not take responsibility for, nor necessarily endorse their content. Stories are provided for information purposes only, and readers who intend to rely on information provided through such stories are strongly recommended to double-check its accuracy by reference to other sources first. 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. 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.civilsocietywatch.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 You can make an on-line donation at www.civicus.org/new/donatev2.html Join CIVICUS Join or renew your CIVICUS Membership on-line now at www.civicus.org/new/joinv2.html 2008 CIVICUS World Assembly  The World Assembly will take place between 18-21 June 2008, Glasgow , Scotland . Building on and continuing the success of past World Assemblies, the overall theme for this event is Acting Together for a Just World. This overall theme will be explored through the focus theme of People, Participation and Power. 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.civilsocietywatch.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. While the world waits for the delayed election results tensions in Zimbabwe grows By Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary General Dear Friends and Colleagues,  The calm atmosphere on Zimbabwean election day, 29 March, and the release of results for the parliamentary elections showing the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, had won the majority of seats, left many Zimbabweans and international observers with the fragile hope that a change was close at hand. Even Zimbabweans were increasingly optimistic it would come without the violence and a crackdown on the opposition and civil society that many had predicted. A free and fair election should not be judged solely on what happens on election day or the subsequent counting process. We must, for example, consider the media environment, which was heavily stacked against the opposition, and the ability to campaign for a reasonable period of time in the run-up to the election. Since the delay in the release of the Presidential results and the race for the Senate, tensions and repression have been growing. Last Thursday night five foreign journalists and at least one civil society activist were arrested in the capital, Harare - leaving many people preparing for impending repression. To read more on the column, click here. CIVICUS concerned about looming crackdown on civil society in Zimbabwe CIVICUS is seriously concerned about recent reports of the detention of foreign journalists in Zimbabwe, as well as threats to civil society. “These arrests are a disturbing indication that the Zimbabwean government is trying to silence any critical voices. We appeal to the authorities to ensure the space for public comment is re-opened and the rights of both media and civil society are protected. We also urge President Mbeki, on behalf of Southern Africa, to show leadership in calling for the protection of these rights, said Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of CIVICUS. For more information, click here. Civil society demands immediate release of election results in Zimbabwe Source: National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations Civil society organisations in Zimbabwe represented by a Working Group composed of thirteen umbrella organisations from all sectors met on 6 April to map out a strategy for civil society to respond to the ongoing election challenges. The meeting raised concerns over the incomprehensible explanations about the delay in announcing the results and perceived these explanations as intolerable, insofar as they have precipitated socio-economic paralysis. The organisations therefore unequivocally reiterated the demand for the immediate release of the presidential election results and for tangible displays of commitment by the ruling elites to respect the will of the people. For more information, click here. CIVICUS Poll Question This week’s question: Does civil society play a role in ensuring free and fair elections?   To answer the question, click here. Previous question: Does international civil society contribute to protecting human rights defenders? Results: Yes - 77%, No - 13%, Don’t Know - 9% 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 address to KumiNaidoo.e-civicus@civicus.org 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. COUNTDOWN TO THE 2008 CIVICUS WORLD ASSEMBLY CIVICUS looks forward to your participation in the World Assembly. Let’s Act Together for a Just World!!! Register now for the CIVICUS World Assembly The 8th CIVICUS World Assembly will take place this year from 18-21 June in Glasgow, Scotland. This year, the World Assembly will focus on the theme of People, Power and Participation, looking at how civil society accesses, engages with and participates in all forms and spheres of governance at the local, national and international levels. Register online now to participate! To register, please click here. 67 Days to go: The CIVICUS World Assembly Source: CIVICUS World Assembly Team There are only 67 days to go until the 8th CIVICUS World Assembly begins. The highly anticipated 4-day event will take place in Glasgow, Scotland from 18-21 June 2008. This will be the last of the 3-year Glasgow series and the programme promises to live up to the legacy of previous World Assemblies. The World Assembly will bring together members of civil society, government, donors, business and media who will explore “Acting together for a just world” through the focus theme of “People, Participation and Power”. For additional information on the programme and what to expect, browse through our e-flyer available in English, Spanish and French. The Affinity Group of National Associations at the 2008 World Assembly Source: CIVICUS World Assembly Team and AGNA The CIVICUS Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA), a global network of 55 national associations, will be holding its 4th Annual General Membership Meeting on 18 June, prior to the launch of the 2008 World Assembly . AGNA was inaugurated at the 2004 World Assembly in Botsw ana to foster greater co-operation across national and regional boundaries and to increase national associations’ ability to pursue mutual interests. The AGNA Annual General Membership Meetings create a forum for leaders of national associations to engage in peer-learning, knowledge-sharing and joint action on issues of mutual concern and to plan priorities for AGNA. The topics addressed are related to the role of national umbrellas, their mandate, and relations with other sectors. For more information, click here. e-CIVICUS DIALOGUES Why so much aid for the poor has made so little difference? By Mark Lange Is poverty a problem of policy or destiny? Experts tend to pull in one of two directions. Some focus on the social fundamentals for prosperity, others on the technical and financial requirements for sustainable growth. In this view, policy is beside the point. Harvard University political scientist Robert Putnam says that "social capital" - how closely people in a community are connected - supports the basis for trust essential to commerce. Economist Gregory Clark of the University of California argues that prosperous societies grow their economies through Industrial Revolution values such as patience, hard work, innovation and education. Some cultures support such values, some don't, and they certainly can't be imported or master-planned. The implication of this is that some situations of poverty are permanent. For more information, click here. Towards a new and improved Green Revolution By Stephen Leahy As food prices soar and hundreds of millions go hungry, experts from around the world will this week present a new approach for ensuring food security, at the inter-governmental plenary for the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD). The conference takes place in South Africa's commercial hub, Johannesburg, from 7 to 12 April, and will be attended by representatives of an estimated 60 governments. In the past year the price of corn has risen by 31 per cent, soybeans by 87 per cent and wheat by 130 per cent. Global grain stores are currently at their lowest levels ever, with reserves of just 40 days left in the silos. Meanwhile, food production must double in the next 25 to 50 years to feed the additional three billion people expected on the planet by 2050. For more information, click here. CIVIL SOCIETY NEWS Civil society activists seek restoration of judges in Pakistan Source: The News The Concerned Citizens of Pakistan (CCP) held a protest in front of the Lahore Press Club Sunday, holding banners and chanting slogans for the rule of law, the supremacy of the Constitution and the restoration of the judiciary. A CCP representative, Zaman Khan, said that circumstances had altogether changed in the country but there were issues that needed commitment and dedication of the new parliamentarians. The CCP wanted to tell the Western powers, especially the US, that democracy stood revived in the country after a long period and the US administration should not stop the functioning of parliament in Pakistan. For more information, click here. Future of civil society organisations in Saudi By Fatin Bundagji During the last few decades the global community has witnessed an extraordinary leap in the positive impact civil societies have had on the communities they served. Their support for children, the young, the elderly, the challenged, and the disadvantaged... their advocacy for human rights and the rights of minorities... their campaigns on environmental threats; consumer rights; child abuse and domestic violence... and their attention to recreational and educational opportunities as well as the preservation of culture and the arts has not only prioritised these issues on the planning agendas of nations but it has also enabled these civil society associations to position themselves as “the” indispensable third sector development building blocks from which strong and prosperous nations emerge. For more information, click here. Civil society group targets child violence with workshop in Lebanon By Sara Mansour In an effort to curb violence among today's youth, the Social Movement launched a new campaign called the "Solidarity Days of Restriction from Violence." The campaign, which was launched on Saturday at the College des Soeurs du Rosaire, runs throughout the month of April. The Social Movement led about 120 students between the ages of 12 and 16 through various activities designed to address the issue of violence and its negative impact. The Social Movement, made up of a group of young volunteers, organises educational programmes at 16 public schools every year. This year the group is also taking its anti-violence message to private schools across the country. For more information, click here. Civil society is wounded when sports replaces spirituality By Douglas Todd, Vancouver, Canada Although he was raised in a family of staunch atheists, Douglas Todd has gone on to become one of the most decorated spirituality and ethics writers in North America. He has received more than 60 journalistic and educational honours, many of them international. With this blog, readers are invited to adventure with Todd in exploring the ideas and movements shaking up the world of spirituality and philosophy. Is the dream of a civil society threatened by the marginalising of organised religion? For more information, click here. Journalists continue hunger-strike in Azerbaijan Forty-three editors, journalists and staff are on hunger strike in Azerbaijan since 26 March. The hunger-strikers are all striking with the same common demands, formulated by Eynulla Fatullayev. These include the release of all journalists and political prisoners, and the development by the Council of Europe and OSCE of a mechanism to Azerbaijan's society for resolution of the situation with political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. For more information, click here. Kazakstan keeps lid on freedom of assembly By Anton Dosybiev Rights activists in Kazakhstan say Astana’s success in winning the chairmanship of the OSCE in 2010 has had little effect on the tight restrictions surrounding freedom of assembly. In particular, they complain that the government places numerous obstacles in the way of public meetings and protests, and say this violates people’s constitutional right to assemble. Article 32 of the Kazak constitution says citizens have the right to gather peacefully for rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets. Moreover, this right may be limited only “in the interests of state security, public order, protection of health, and the protection of the rights and freedoms of other people”. This latter phrase is borrowed from the United Nations’ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Institute for War & Peace Reporting (ICCPR), to which Kazakhstan has signed up. For more information, click here.   Human Rights Watch calls on government to end sexual violence in Darfur The Sudanese government and rebel groups in the war-ravaged Darfur region should immediately take measures to end the sexual violence endemic to the conflict, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. "The risk of sexual violence is a fact of everyday life for many women and girls in Darfur ," HRW said in a report released on April 7, Five Years On - No Justice for Sexual Violence in Darfur. "It is a particularly disturbing feature of the ongoing armed conflict, a consequence of abusive state armed forces and non-state armed groups, and of the breakdown of law and order." Five years into the Darfur conflict, HRW said, sexual violence had continued both during attacks on civilians and in periods of relative calm, with women and girls living in camps for the displaced, towns and rural areas remaining "extremely vulnerable" to sexual violence. For more information, click here. ACCOUNTABILITY AccountAbility Forum 12 Source: AccountAbility, www.accountability21.net   This special issue of AccountAbility Forum, AccountAbility’s quarterly academic journal, brings to light the nature of the challenges today’s global leaders have to deal with. Global poverty, climate change, peace and security worldwide, environmental damage, and society’s health and education problems all pose a demand for a new type of governance and new kind of accountable leaders. Solutions of today’s and tomorrow’s issues demand extraordinary imagination, multilateral thinking and collaborative governance. For more information, click here. Partnership discussions held to curb corruption in Yemen By Zaid al-Alaya’a Head of the Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption, Ahmed al-Anesi, said that bringing corrupt officials to justice is a national duty and has called for co-operation from all sectors of society, including officials, NGOs and media organisations. The Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption (SNACC) has met with civil society organisations to discuss mechanisms for creating partnerships with the authorities in the battle against corruption and how important this co-operation is to address the corruption prevailing in the country, said Dr. Bilquis Abu Usba, Deputy of SNACC. For more information, click here. UN-backed corporate responsibility initiative of 100 schools A global educational initiative developed to promote social responsibility in private enterprise has now been endorsed by more than 100 business schools around the world, the head of the corporate partnerships programme at the United Nations announced. “We are very happy about reaching this milestone because it brings us closer to mainstreaming UN values into the corporate world,” Manuel Escudero, head of Academic Initiatives at the UN Global Compact told reporters in New York. For more information, click here. GET INVOLVED! GlobalVote 010: Should the UN intervene in the current conflict between China and Tibet? Source: TheGlobalVote For the past two weeks the Tibet region in China's southwest has seen a number of mass scale protests and riots asking for greater autonomy and independence. These displays were condemned by the Chinese-backed government in Tibet and forcefully suppressed by the Chinese police and military. Since independent media sources are not allowed within the region, estimates of the casualties vary: the Chinese claim 19 deaths, the Tibetans 140. The response from much of the world to the Tibetan cause has been sympathetic but cautious. On March 17 Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General, called on the Chinese to show restraint. Mr. Ban has said that his office will monitor events but that there is currently no room for further action. Russia's UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, has said that Tibet is "not a matter for the Security Council." Russia is chairing the Security Council this month. To vote, click here. Join the WWSF International Coalition for Prevention of Child Abuse campaign WWSF is pleased to announce that 786 organisations from 128 countries joined the international coalition marking the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse on 19 November 2008. Register before 1 May to have the name of your organisation printed on the global poster 2008 and published on the Internet. Launched in 2000, the World Day has as its main purpose to create a global culture of prevention of child abuse worldwide. Every year, more and more governmental and non-governmental organisations join the campaign to help make prevention of child abuse a global priority. WWSF invites organisations to join the 2008 coalition. For more information, click here. Join TAG campaigns for deaf telecoms The TAG Consortium, which represents a range of hearing charities including the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, has launched a campaign called ‘Bringing Deaf Telecoms into the 21st Century’. It hopes to force government to fund technology such as captioned telephony, which uses speech-recognition software on a PC to convert voice into text, and Video Relay, which uses webcams. For more information, click here. MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS & GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION AGAINST POVERTY GCAP message to the UN General Assembly By Dennis Howlett, Coordinator of Make Poverty History Dennis Howlett recently delivered a message on behalf of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), the international campaign that the Make Poverty History Canada is part of, to the United Nations General Assembly. The occasion was a special Thematic Debate on the Millennium Development Goals organised by the President of the General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York. The audience included government delegations from most of the 192 member countries, plus invited guests and non-governmental organisation observers. The hall was full, and Howlett was the first NGO speaker recognised by the chair. For more information, click here. OECD DAC report: Global anti-poverty appalled by latest aid data The world's largest anti-poverty civil society movement (GCAP) expressed outrage as new figures show that rich country spending on international aid has dropped for the second year in a row, despite promises made by these countries nearly 40 years ago to give 0.7% of their Gross National Income as aid, and shows that new political leadership is required urgently if they are ever to be met. The OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) report released in Japan notes a drop of 8.4% in real overseas development aid (ODA) in 2007. Most donors are not on track to meet their stated commitments to scale up aid and will need to make unprecedented increases to meet the target of a $50 billion increase annually by 2010. The 22 DAC member countries, the world's major donors, provided US$ 103.7 billion in aid in 2007. Taking into account this is the end of a period of exceptionally high debt relief, this represents a drop of Gross National Income (GNI) to 0.28% in 2007, against the internationally agreed target of 0.7% of GNI. For more information, click here. GCAP Russia enjoyed positive advocacy outcomes in recent consultations In recent meetings with Japan and with poverty reduction groups in Russia, the Japanese Embassy expressed interest in having regular consultations with the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) Russia and agreed that the GCAP coalition will present the Tanabata action there on the eve of the G8. The second advocacy success was on healthcare. The GCAP coalition handed their recent report on access to health by poor and marginalised groups in Russia, to the Minister of Health. Parts of the report were subsequently cited in a Ministerial speech leading to legislative reforms on the rights of invalids, homeless people and poor families that will take effect shortly. GCAP Russia can be proud of pushing through some significant and concrete legislative amendments that will affect thousands of poor and vulnerable people. For more information, click here. UN Assembly proposes annual meetings to chart progress on anti-poverty goals The General Assembly should meet every year until 2015 to take stock of the progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and to hold all partners to account for the commitments they have made to fight poverty and other ills, its President Srgjan Kerim said today at the conclusion of this week’s special debate on the issue. Mr. Kerim told the debate participants that while it was clear that significant progress has been made since world leaders pledged in 2000 to try to achieve the Goals, it has been uneven and still too slow, despite the availability of solutions. “The key issue is that we all have to deliver on our commitments, scale-up our efforts and accelerate progress,” he said this morning as he wrapped up the four-day debate, adding that Africa and the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) need additional long-term assistance from the international community if they are to catch up. For more information, click here. CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISM AND GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS The global food crisis: Are the rich abandoning the poor? By Vicente García-Delgado, CIVICUS Representative at the UN Basic food prices have increased dramatically over the last few years and are expected to continue their upward spiral for the foreseeable future, causing food shortages, increasing hunger and malnutrition, social unrest, large human displacements and desperation in poor regions of the world. Yet, the response of the wealthy North, except for a few honourable exceptions, has so far been manifestly inadequate. Unless this situation is reversed soon, our own generation could be witnessing unprecedented humanitarian crises, increased social unrest, and new and renewed conflicts over scarce water and agricultural resources leading to mass migrations, peace insecurity and untold human suffering. For more information on the CIVICUS ‘View from the UN’, click here. Southeastern NGOs urge Prime Minister to push for EU process A group of representatives of 17 civil society organisations from south-eastern and eastern Anatolia arrived in the capital on Tuesday to share their views on economic and democratic solutions to Turkey's Kurdish question with the president, prime minister and opposition politicians. The group's visit comes amid recent tensions sparked by conflict between the police and Kurdish protestors during the spring festival of Nevruz celebrated in March, and recent fights between pro-Kurdish and nationalist student groups on some university campuses. For more information, click here. World Bank both player and referee in road to Accra Source: Better Aid Blog The Africa Cup of Nations has ended, but Ghana will host two other international events this year: the UN Conference on Trade and Development quadrennial conference in April and the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in September. On aid effectiveness, the World Bank is both player and referee, prompting cries of foul play by civil society groups. The Bank is heavily involved in the process of monitoring commitments and in the run-up to the Ghana meeting. Despite being a player, the World Bank also gets to be the referee on three targets, related to public financial management, ownership and results. For more information, click here. Climate change: Urgent action is needed The World Health Organisation's chief on Monday called for urgent action to tackle climate change, saying rising temperatures and widespread natural disasters posed a growing threat worldwide. "The reality of climate change can no longer be doubted. The effects are already being felt," WHO Director General Margaret Chan told journalists. Extreme weather events such as storms, floods, droughts and heatwaves all pose health risks by spreading disease, destroying homes and livelihoods, and uprooting populations, she said. For more information, click here. CAPACITY BUILDING MBA Toolkit For CSR: Government Relations And Public Affairs By Bill Valentino The concept of corporate social responsibility has gained a great deal of importance in recent years as companies begin to grapple with a whole set of fundamental questions about governance and the role of corporations in the world. Companies are gradually beginning to understand the extent to which public sector involvement and close governmental relations are increasingly driving responsiveness to expectations in the area of CSR. Lobbying depends upon sound advanced intelligence, skillful timing, and understanding the pressure points and driving factors that can influence the development of public policy and government decisions that have an impact on business. This is where the emerging mix of government engagement in CSR is evolving into an important tool in the MBA toolkit for government relations and public affairs practitioners. For more information, click here. PROFILES DONOR: Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation aspires to the ideal of a sovereign Canada that is dedicated to the security and well-being of all Canadians and committed to tolerance, pluralism and democratic participation. An independent Canadian grant-making foundation, The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation is dedicated to the development of sound and innovative public policies, founded on those values fundamental to Canadians, and designed to foster the continuing evolution of a dynamic and independent Canada. The Foundation’s decision-making is informed by the guiding principles of progressive social policies and sound economic policies, human development and participation by Aboriginal Canadians in Canadian society, which must be secured in ways that respect their unique rights and cultural identity. For more information, click here. MEMBER: Philippine Peace and Solidarity Council (PPSC) PPSC is an NGO founded in 1977 by Filipino intellectuals and human rights advocates during the dark days of martial rule in the Philippines. Its early activities included campaigns against the presence of military bases in the country, anti-imperialist, anti-racist and progressive struggles in Asia, Africa and Latin America. At present its solidarity activities are concentrated on the protection and promotion of civil liberties and all fundamental human rights, promotion of democracy and human dignity through social justice and the democratisation of wealth. The PPSC is affiliated with the World Peace Council and the Afro Asian Peoples Solidarity Organisation based in Athens, Greece and Cairo, Egypt, respectively, and also with several national and regional organisations whose advocacies include gender equality, protection of children and minors, protection of the environment, poverty alleviation and world peace. For more information, please contact Professor Reynaldo de Guzman, National Chairperson at deguzman@hotpop.comm or Attorney Antonio Paris, National Secretary at parisantonio2001@yahoo.com. BOOKS, REPORTS & RESOURCES Eurodad report: Donors putting brakes on aid effectiveness? Source: European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad) Aid effectiveness was the main subject for discussion in the OECD this week in Paris. Representatives from developing country governments, donors and CSOs converged in Paris to discuss the recently released Accra Agenda for Action (AAA), effectively a draft Communiqué for the Accra High Level Forum in September. CSOs are very concerned that donors are dragging their feet in current negotiations, given the very weak commitments being proposed. The current draft of the AAA (dated 18th March) is disappointing. It starts from a low common denominator which will have to be substantially strengthened if it is going to attract the high level Ministerial attendance at the Forum that the aid reform process demands. For more information, clik here. Interpreting Violence Anti-civilian thinking and practice and how to argue against it more effectively The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre) is pleased to present its most recent publication "Interpreting Violence: Anti-civilian thinking and practice and how to argue against it more effectively". This short guide, produced with the support of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), is intended to help anyone concerned with the protection of civilians to recognise anti-civilian ideologies and methods and to negotiate against them more effectively. This booklet concentrates instead on the perspective of the perpetrators, and examines why they use civilian suffering as an aim and method of war and how they mobilise others to do so. It tries to interpret the motives, interests and social conditioning of the perpetrators of violence against civilians. For more information, click here. ITUC Campaign Guide Decent Work, Decent Life for Women March 8 2008 marked the Centenary of International Women’s Day (IWD), which has its origins in the protests, strikes and marches of women trade unionists. Their courage and determination to stand up for women workers’ rights calls for a very special celebration. That is why the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Global Union Federations (GUFs) are launching a two-year Global Campaign for Decent Work, Decent Life for Women on this historic date. This guide explains what the campaign is, why it is important, and what you can do to take part. It includes background information on decent work for women, and tips and resources to get started with your Campaign. The guide is available in English, Spanish and French.  About Time: Speed, Society, People and the Environment Edited by Tim Aldrich, Forum for the Future, UK The essays in About Time gather together some of the best thinkers on this subject to approach this issue from every conceivable angle, and aim to create debate about where the values of our contemporary society are taking us. It will foster reflective thinking about different aspects of time, using the concept of time to communicate and illuminate the idea of sustainable development and question our obsession with speed. For more information, click here. Buying Power Aid, Governance and Public Procurement By Olivia McDonald, Senior Governance Advisor, Christian Aid ''Strong rules for the contracting of goods, works and services are a cornerstone of a robust and accountable public budgeting system. It is important for donors to not only support the development of those systems but also to use them; this has been shown to be a more effective use of aid resources. Government procurement is also big business. It is worth about US$2,000 billion each year which explains why rich countries have been keen to put the subject of access to these lucrative markets on the agenda at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and pursue it bilaterally through regional trade agreements. In this report Christian Aid assesses donor support for procurement reform and finds it is reliant on imposing a standard procurement model that emphasises market opening over increasing accountability to poor men and women. The findings in this report will be of interest to civil society groups involved in campaigns around free-trade policies as well as those working on government accountability and budget monitoring. It is targeted at the Accra aid effectiveness meeting in September where donor uses of, and support to, recipient procurement systems will be assessed. For more information, click here. CONFERENCES & EVENTS International Symposia on ICTs and Climate Change 15-16 April in Japan and 17-18 June in United Kingdom Organised by the UN International Telecommunication Union, high-level experts from industry, government and academia are set to convene and to examine how information and communication technology (ICT) can be used to combat the global challenge of climate change. “Climate change is a concern for all of humanity and requires efforts on the part of all sectors of society, including the ICT sector,” said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré. “ITU is committed to achieving climate neutrality and to working with our membership to promote the use of ICTs as an effective tool to combat climate change.” ICTs are estimated to contribute some 2 to 2.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that is likely to grow as technology becomes more widely available. For more information, click here. Global Philanthropy Forum 9-11 April 2008, New York, USA Dabelko, the director of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Programme (ECSP) will join distinguished speakers including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former UN Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, Virgin Atlantic’s Sir Richard Branson, Google.org’s Larry Brilliant, scholar Samantha Power, and singer Annie Lennox in a discussion of “Human Security, Human Rights and the Shared Responsibility to Protect.” Five hundred of the world’s best-known and most effective philanthropists in addition to on-the-ground advocates from the developing world, social entrepreneurs, business leaders, and policy practitioners will be in attendance. For more information, click here. ANSA-Africa stakeholder conference: Growing the social accountability network 19-20 May 2008, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia The conference will encourage active involvement by stakeholders in exchanging information, promoting their respective organisations and activities, and taking part in hands-on training in social accountability methodologies. It will also provide a look at cutting-edge research on the conference focus areas. A Knowledge Fair will provide an opportunity for participants to present their work in the areas of social accountability and demand-side governance initiatives. The conference will focus more on the status of social accountability in Africa today, establishing social accountability in fragile and post-conflict states as well as social accountability in the context of decentralisation and revenue generation. For more information, click here. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES 2008 United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights Application Deadline: 15 July 2008 The United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights was instituted by the General Assembly in 1966 (Res. 2217/XXI of 19 December 1966), and was awarded for the first time on 10 December 1968 on the occasion of the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Thereafter, the prize has been awarded in 1973, 1978, 1988, 1993, 1998 and then in 2003. The prize is honorary in nature and is awarded approximately every five years to individuals and organisations in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of human rights. The Prize is an opportunity not only to give public recognition to the achievements of the awardees themselves, but also to send a clear message to human rights defenders the world over that the international community is grateful for, and supports, their tireless efforts to promote human rights for all. For more information, click here. 2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award Application Deadline: 15 April 2008 Rights & Democracy is currently accepting nominations for the John Humphrey Freedom Award, which is presented every year to an organisation or person who has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion of human rights and democratic development. The award consists of a grant of $30,000 as well as a speaking tour of Canadian cities to help increase awareness of the recipient’s human rights work. For more information, click here. COURSES AND WORKSHOPS Governance and Management of Non-profit Organisations (NPOs)/Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) 21 July - 29 August 2008, India This training programme is sponsored by Indian Technical and Economic Co-operation (ITEC), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The participants from the 156 countries as listed by ITEC, under SCAAP, will have training, accommodation and travelling expenses covered, and provision is made for some personal expenses. However, applicants from countries other than those listed by ITEC can join the training programme on payment of a fee of $1500. For more information, click here. Research Workshop on Entrepreneurship, Technological Innovation and Development  30- 31 October 2008, The Netherlands  Entrepreneurship can make an important contribution to development by providing technologies that improve people’s productivity and living standards. While the role of entrepreneurship in technological innovation has been widely studied in the context of advanced economies, less is known about entrepreneurship in developing economies. This joint workshop by the World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) and Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) of the United Nations University (UNU) is intended as a platform for the discussion and promotion of research. For more information, click here. CALL FOR PAPERS, SUBMISSIONS & NOMINATIONS Call for Participants in Survey on Civic Space in USA, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia Final Deadline: 11 April 2008 CIVICUS is developing a Civic Space Barometer to monitor the perceived space for civil society around the world. As part of this project, CIVICUS is searching for civil society actors (including individuals involved in the media, non-governmental organisations, trade unions and faith-based organisations, among others) in the USA, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia to participate in a survey on the space for civil society in their countries. Applicants should have an understanding of civil society in their countries, and be willing to complete approximately four simple surveys over the next two years. For more information, click here or e-mail cswatch@civicus.org.   Call for Statements of Interest - Partner organisations for the implementation of the CIVICUS Civil Society Index Deadline Extended: 30 April 2008 Due to the strong interest for participation from civil society organisations around the world, the application deadline for statements of interest to partner with CIVICUS on the Civil Society Index has been extended. The CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI) team is pleased to announce its open call for statements of interest to implement the CSI around the world. If your organisation's work focuses on strengthening civil society in your country and is interested in implementing the CSI, please complete the full application form in English, French and Spanish, or let us know at index@civicus.org. The project implementation starts in June 2008 and spans 2008 and part of 2009. The call for statements of interest is available in English, French and Spanish. APPOINTMENTS This week 22 new civil society job openings have been added to the CIVICUS website. Please click here. JOBS OF THE WEEK Communications and Media Manager  Application Deadline: 18 April 2008 CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation Location: Johannesburg, South Africa For more information, click here. Programme Officer (2 posts) Application Deadline: 30 April 2008 CIVICUS Civil Society Index Programme Location: Johannesburg, South Africa For more information, click here. Outreach and Mobilisation Coordinator Application Deadline: 25 April 2008 CIVICUS/Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) Location: Johannesburg, South Africa 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. Unsubscribe: To unsubscribe from e-CIVICUS, get a password reminder, or change your subscription options by entering your subscription email address: Click here.