Aun San Suu Kyi, lidera birmaneza dizidenta si laureata a premiului Nobel, a fost condamnata astazi la inca 18 luni de arest la domiciliu. Dupa un proces, mai mult de fatada, ea a fost gasita vinovata de violarea termenilor de arest la domiciliu deorece John William Yettaw, un cetatean american, a intrat in casa ei in luna mai.

Fundatia pentru Dezvoltarea Societatii Civile (FDSC) se alatura organizatiei People in Need din Republica Ceha si societatii civile internationale pentru a protesta impotriva sentintei nedrepte si a cere ca mai multe masuri restrictive sa fie luate de catre Consiliul de Securitate al Natiunilor Unite impotriva juntei birmaneze.

Aung San Suu Kyi a petrecut peste 13 ani de arest la domiciliu. Pe data de 14 mai 2009, a fost transferata la inchisoarea Insein, Rangoon, iar pe data de 18 mai a fost acuzata de incalcarea normelor de arest la domiciliu.

La inceput, judecatorii au anunat ca Suu Kyi a fost condamnata la 3 ani de inchisoare de munca silnica. Dupa 5 minute de la aceasta sentinta, dupa spusele jurnalistilor prezenti la fata locului, ministrul de interne birmanez a intrat in sala de judecata cu o noua sentinta data printr-o ordonanta speciala de catre seful de stat birmanez , generalul Than Shwe, care comuta sentinta la 18 luni de arest la domiciliu. Cei doi colaboratori ai acesteia, Khin Khin Win si Win Ma Ma, au fost condamnati de asemenea. John William Yettaw a fost condamnat la 7 ani, dintre care 4 de munca silnica.

Procesul a fost marcat de erori de procedura, dupa spusele observatorilor si , in majoritatea timpului s-a tinut cu usile inchise, doar jurnalistii si diplomatii straini avand permisiunea sa observe din cand in cand. Doar 2 persoane dintre martorii propusi pentru aparare, au avut permisiunea de a depune marturie in comparatie cu cei 14 martori din partea acuzarii. Suu Kyi nu a avut deloc posibiltatea sa se intalneasca singura cu avocatii sai si unul dintre avocati a fost exclus cu doua zile inainte de proces.

In plus, zeci de tineri din Liga Nationala pentru Democratie au fost arestati dupa afisarea solidaritatii vis-a-vis de situatia lui Suu Kyi.

Toate acestea au aparut in ciuda promisiunilor generalului Than Shwe fata de Secretarul General al ONU, Ban Kimoon, de a elibera prizonierii politici, promisiune facuta pe parcursul vizitei Secretarului General in Birmania, in luna iulie.

’’Acuzatiile aduse lui Suu Kyi au fost nedrepte si cursul procesului, precum si sentinta demonstreaza ca a fost o procedura manipulata. Este tot mai evident ca junta birmaneza ignora apelurile facute de catre comunitatea internationala de a elibera imediat toti prizonierii politici. Consiliul de Securitate al ONU ar trebui astfel sa aprobe noi masuri de restrictie indreptate catre generalii birmanezi’’, a declarat Marie Perinova, directorul de proiecte in Birmania al People in Need.

Masurile care ar trebui luate in considerare de catre Consiliul de Securitate al ONU includ un embargo mondial asupra vanzrilor de arme catre Birmania si lansarea unei comisii de ancheta, cu scopul de a investiga crimele impotriva umanitatii din Birmania. Junta birmaneza conduce o armata de 500.000 de persoane care serveste nu doar impotriva protestelor pro democratice, dar si in lupta impotriva insurgentilor etnici din Estul Birmaniei. In aceasta regiune, peste 3300 sate au fost arse si distruse si peste un milion de persoane au fost stramutate intern sau s-au ascuns in jungla ca rezultat al conflictului, existand numeroase marturii privind violuri, executii si alte crime comise de catre armata birmaneza.

And TrustAfrica’s Executive Director, Akwasi Aidoo, emphasized that the AGN’s main function will be to “change the narrative of Africa as helpless and hapless, tilt the balance of stories, and increase the visibility and knowledge of Africa ”. He went on to say, “this is a network with a solid net across our continent and lots of good work for its people”.

The AGN will also:

Serve as a platform for peer learning and good practice to enhance good standards and practices;

Ensure an amplification of local voices in development discourse and African perspectives in global platforms;

Reinforce the tradition of African philanthropy;

Advocate for long-term and sustainable mechanisms and resources, including investments and endowments for philanthropic institutions in Africa

Serve as a reference point for Africans in the Diaspora and a point to affirm the identity of African philanthropic institutions;

Cultivate good relations with other civil society formations in Africa and increase networking for effective advocacy around the aid agenda and the legal environment, including the tax regime; and

Conduct pertinent research, capacity building and advocacy roles.

A Steering Committee was elected comprising:
Bisi Adeleye FAYEMI: Chair (African Women’s Development Fund , Ghana )
Janet MAWIYOO: Co-Chair ( Kenya Community Development Foundation , Kenya )
Akwasi AIDOO: ( TrustAfrica , Senegal )
Christine DELPORT: (Greater Rustenburg Community Foundation , South Africa )
Neville GABRIEL: (Southern Africa Trust , South Africa )
Ezra MBOGORI: (Akiba Uhaki Foundation, East Africa )
John ULANGA: (Foundation for Civil Society , Tanzania )

Source: www.trustafrica.org

The second Millennium Development Goal, universal primary education, is not far from being achieved within 2015. Both school fees and textbooks have been paid by the government. Thanks to this 84% of the whole children population could go to school in 2006. The percentage of female attending schools increased from 31% to 42%.

In the country there are about 900.000 people HIV infected (6,4 % of the adult population). In 1992 they were the 18%. But the improvement is not enough: HIV/AIDS is still one of the major causes of mortality in Uganda.

The 4^th MDG is far to be achieved: 76 children in 1.000 die before the age of one and 137 in 1.000 die before the age of five. The major causes of children mortality are malaria, meningitis and HIV/AIDS. About 50% of these children die at home.

The 5^th MDG will not be achieved either, until 2015. Maternal mortality ratio is 435 per 100.000 live births. The causes of maternal mortality are: the poor health facilities; the distance from homes to the hospitals; lack of ante-natal care.

According to WHO (World Health Organization) antiretroviral drugs reduced of 80% in industrialized countries the death rate. WHO think that at least six million people in undevelopment countries need to take this drugs. But costs are too high. During the last years antiretroviral drugs cost increased exponentially: if an year therapy costed 99 dollars for person, now it costs 487 dollars for person. This is due to the lacking of general medicines. The reason is the patent right. Pharmaceutical companies have a corner on these medicines for 20 years, due to the 1995 WTO (World Trade Organization) TRIPS agreement . Big Pharma, this is the name given to the eight largest companies in the world, assert that the entrance of a new medicine in the market costs about 500 million dollars, so the research will go on only thanks to new gains. But Big Pharma forget to assert how much every year pharmaceutical companies managers earn: Hank McKinnell, Pfizer, 58 millions of dollars; Raymond Gilmartin, Merck, 67,5 millions of dollars; PR Dolan, Bristol Myer Squibb, 11,9 millions of dollars; Jean Pierre Garnier, Glaxo Smith- Kline, 11,8 millions of dollars. With these four wages amount could be bought antiretroviral drugs for one year for 1.154.285 people. For every  AIDS sufferers in Africa there is someone in western countries gaining about his disease: “For each Joan of Arc there is a Hitler perched at the other end of the teeter-totter.”.[2]

Mandela tried to move around WTO rules, let producing by local companies some cheaper antiretroviral drugs. Western companies cited in judgement the South African Government. Then they renounced to the cause but South African government had to block the 1997 Medical Act. Mbeki, Mandela successor, fought pharmaceutical companies in another way: to do not pay for antiretroviral drugs anymore he denied the connection between HIV and AIDS.

What people ask is that the the Universal Declaration of Human Rights be respected, in particular Article 3 Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person and Article 25 (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.  (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Millennium Development Goals, aiming to reduce child mortality (number 4) and to combat HIV/AIDS (number 6) have been totally dismissed.

[1] Powdered milk for newborns is a serious problem in Africa. Nestlè is the major distributor of  artificial mink in Africa and they give this milk for free to many hospitals.  Moreover, due to deceptive promotion leaded by the company, people think that powdered milk is better for their children’s health. That’s not true because 15% more of children fed with powdered milk die, because mother’s milk has some antibodies that the artificial one have not. Besides some African mothers can’t sterilize baby’s bottles due to the lack of cooker and the water with which they mix the milk is dirty water. This cause deadly dysentery in the children. Moreover, due to the fact their children were fed at the hospital since when they born with powdered milk, mothers can’t feed more children with their own milk and they will be forced to buy artificial milk. But this milk will cost more than a half of the family incoming, so they will have to give less milk to the children than what they need…

[2] Charles Bukowski, Factotum.

In 2005 a new drought in the country caused the same problems for 4, 7 million people, more than one third of Malawi population.

Also 50 years before, in 1949, there was a hard drought. But in that case Malawian males working abroad, overall in South Africa mines, sent funds to their families and they could overcome. Malawian males used to emigrate to South Africa till 90’s; there they could earn more than in their own country but they learnt bad habits too, like drinking beer after work and getting drunk. Then the work demand in South Africa ceased and Malawian males didn’t emigrate anymore due to the foreign policies of both countries too. After these new famines, women usually employed in harvest work, started to look for ganyu. Ganyu is a short duration casual labors contracts, usually paid in cash or food. It started in Malawi at the beginning of last century, but now, due to the famine, women had to look for ganyu far from their house. The work consisted in housework, agricultural works… but now the owners want something more… Sexual services are often required and this kind of sex should be distinguished by prostitution: prostitutes can impose safe sex to their clients while the ganyu worker has less power. Additionally Malawian men use to get drunk, as they learnt working abroad, so they don’t think about sexual diseases…Consequently if in 1985 HIV prevalence in Malawi was of 2%, in 2002 prevalence of adults increased to 14,4% and due to these sexual behaviors it is going to increase more. Every year 80.000 people die of AIDS and 110.000 are infected. Expectations say that climate change will cause a temperature increasing of 2-3° Celsius during the next 40 years, with a precipitations decrease. It will cause a 10% reduction of Malawian maize and consequently casual labours like ganyu will be even more pursued. And, of course, HIV prevalence will increase.

It’s easy to understand how neither one of the Millennium Development Goals have been respected in the situation described above: 1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger but they have to eat agricultural seeds, 2)Achieve universal primary education but they need to take back children from schools, 3)Promote gender equality and empower women but women can t decide neither about safe sex, 4)Reduce child mortality but children mortality increased after the famine, 5) Improve maternal health and 6) Combat HIV AIDS malaria and other diseas are not respected as we wrote before, 7) Ensure environmental sustainability is perhaps the only goal respected in this situation, 8 ) Develop a global partnership for development but western countries started to help Malawy two years after the famine… when a lot of people were already died…

The purpose of Transboundary Protected Areas is the protection of biological diversities and promotes peace and cooperation. The unsaid aim is tourism development: western people could be excited visiting one of the largest parks in the world. And the Shingwedzi River, in Limpopo Park, should offer to tourists the possibility to admire the “real wild Africa”.

So, “voluntary resttlements” started for the 7.000 inhabitans living there. But when the Park was just a project, environmental organization and foreign investors promised to Shingwedzi`s inhabitants employment and benefits deriving from tourism. They quickly changed their minds. In 2003 German Development Bank, the main park donor clarified that resettlement should be voluntary whenever possible, and when unavoidable, it should be executed as a sustainable development programme, enabling people to share in project benefits.[1]

Is the resettlement voluntary? When Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park started up, Shingwedzi people didn’t realize it. But after few time, elephants moving from Kruger Park, arrived in the Limpopo one. Elephants ate harvest and people could not kill them because it was against park rules: hunters could be seriously punished and arrested.

Further more lions also moved to Limpopo Park: immediately they begun to eat cattle, and they were dangerous for people too. People couldn’t defend from the lions: what was hunting before the park was created, became poaching after. There is no chance but go away. Where, if there will be no rain to produce their maize, they will die because they don’t know where fruit trees are; where if they will get sick they can’t heal themselves, because they don’t know where medicine plants are; where, children will have to stop studying because they will have to look after cattle. As one man said; “Here we just let the cattle free for days at a time without having to watch them”.

Finally, due to the agreements between Mozambique and South Africa about the Park, it started a new cooperation about migration. Since the end of XIX century Shingwedzi young people used to move to South Africa in order to look for a job. They used to walk through Kruger Park being beware of the beasts. Now the main problem is the Limpopo Park rangers: they exchange information with Kruger Park rangers to catch illegal migrants; usually, if caught, migrants are both plundered and beaten by rangers and then send back home.

Three of the eight Millennium Development Goals have not been pursued in the Great Limpopo Park setting up. The first one, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; the second one, to achieve universal primary education, but we know that children will have to look after cattle ; and the last one, develop a global partnership for development: there is a global partnership, also WWF and some european banks agree and gave funds for that park… but there is no development for local population!

[1] Huggins, Barendse, Fischer et al. 2003; Limpopo National Park, 2007.

]]> http://medipromania.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/great-limpopo-transfrontier-park-a-chance-for-whom/feed/ 0 stefancelmare http://medipromania.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/european-partners-of-medipro-project/ http://medipromania.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/european-partners-of-medipro-project/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:33:00 +0000 stefancelmare http://medipromania.wordpress.com/?p=33 ]]> S.O.S Malta

Presentation
SOS Malta, a Maltese-registered NGO set up in 1991, aims at aiding people experiencing times of crisis and empowering them by providing support services and opportunities to implement development and change in their country to ensure a better quality of life. It encourages advocacy on behalf of social causes, as well as promotes models of good care and practice. In all its operations in Malta and overseas SOS Malta also promotes volunteerism for effective sustainable development. The organization is a source of knowledge and advice about the role and contribution of volunteerism and the benefits of civic engagement.

Aims and Objectives

•SOS Malta is a non governmental organization working in Malta and overseas
•SOS Malta assists all peoples through projects of a social and charitable nature
•SOS Malta provides assistance to the poor helping them to improve quality of life
•SOS Malta helps to enhance the knowledge and skills of those it serves
•SOS Malta advocates on behalf of the poor
•SOS Malta promotes models of good care and practice
•SOS Malta works with local and international NGO’s in order to achieve its aims

Range of activities

•Overseas development
•Social Integration
•Resource and Training Services for NGOs
•Volunteering

For more information: www.sosmalta.org

DemNet – Foundation for Development of Democratic Rights

Presentation
DemNet works for creating a democratic civil society in Hungary and other developing countries. It aims at strengthening non-governmental organizations, increasing their role in the society, and contributing to their sustainability. Through its grant-making and grant-distributing activities, DemNet provides financial resources to NGOs, and through various projects contributes to the empowerment of civil society organizations. DemNet places a special emphasis on supporting community initiatives, and considers cooperation, transparency and professionalism as basic principles in its supporting policy

Aims and Objectives

•Preparing NGOs for accessing EU funds
•International development cooperation and development education
•Supporting local, community-based NGOs and their activities

Range of activities

•Overseas development
•Social Integration
•Resource and Training Services for NGOs

For more information http://www.demnet.org

The European Institute of Cyprus (EIC)

Presentation
The European Institute of Cyprus (EIC) was founded in 1996, after mutual agreement between the Republic of Cyprus and the European Union, as an independent and an autonomous Institute. The Republic of Cyprus in cooperation with the European Union desires to take all necessary measures to facilitate the attainment of the objects of the Institute and at the same time the maintenance of free research, training and teaching. The Institute’s fundamental mission is to constitute the main vehicle that will promote the study and information on matters related to the European Union.

Aims and Objectives

•The study of the European Institutions, as well as of the European economy and policies.
•The provision of a forum for the purpose of discussion and exchanging views with leading figures of the European Union who are policy makers, officials, business leaders and academics.
•The cooperation with Universities and other national or international bodies of established level dealing with research and teaching on European affairs.
•The training of civil servants and other persons with leadership abilities in European Union affairs
•The operation of a Centre with a specialized library on European matters, as well as the European documentation Centre.
•The information of the public on European matters as well as on funding opportunities.

Range of activities

•Resource and Training Services for NGOs
•Research studies
•Volunteering

For more information http://www.eicy.eu

Slovene Philanthropy (Slovenska filantropija,
Združenje za promocijo prostovoljstva)

Presentation
Slovene Philanthropy, an Association for the Promotion of Voluntary Work, was established in 1992 and aims to promote and develop voluntary work and solidarity between people. Besides promoting voluntary work as a positive opportunity, our core activities are: connecting individuals with organizations that need volunteers, training volunteers and supporting civic organizations to further develop voluntary work.
Slovene Philanthropy is also very active in the field of immigration. Within the organization is the Centre for Psycho-Social Assistance to Refugees, which helps asylum seekers and separated minor refugees, and supports the integration of refugees into society. Another part of the organization is the Centre for the Promotion of Health, which aims to help people whom, due to a variety of reasons, cannot even afford basic health insurance.

Aims and Objectives

•Give support to local voluntary organizations and volunteers
•Provide Psycho-Social Assistance to Refugees
•Support projects of health care and diseases prevention

Range of activities
•Resource and Training Services for NGOs
•Volunteering
•Health care.
•Social work

For more information: http://www.filantropija.org

Jaan Tõnisson Institute

Presentation
The mission on the Jaan Tõnisson Institute is to promote forming and strengthening civil society in Estonia. Since the beginning of our activities we have considered education to be one of the key issues in that process. For introducing and teaching at school the ideas of democracy, in 1993 in the Institute was created as an independent Civics Program.

Aims and Objectives

• Support schools’ teachers in teaching about the basics of Democracy
• Educate the young people to the respect of the Human Rights

Range of activities
• Methods of teaching Civics
• Content of Civics
• Integration of the Society
• Human Rights
• History
• Multicultural Society
• Law Education
• Econonimcal Education
• Education, include. Curriculum Development
• Consumer Education

For more information: http://jti.ee

Din aceasta perspectiva, initiativa jurnalistei Alessandra Stoicescu este cu adevarat inedita. Prezentatoarea principalului „Observator“ de la Antena 1, a plecat pe 13 martie 2009 intr-o misiune umanitara de sapte zile in Bangladesh. Ea s-a alaturat UNICEF-ului in campania „2 pentru viata“ vizand ajutorarea sute de copii cu varste de pana la cinci ani, din tara asiatica, care mor zilnic din pricina lipsei unor banale suplimente de zinc. Alessandra Stoicescu a realizat in Bangladesh, alaturi de cameramanul Silviu Neagu, un documentar despre aceasta criza umanitara, care a fost difuzat in luna aprilie si a coincis cu debutul campaniei umanitare „2 pentru viata“.  În aprilie 2009, UNICEF împreună cu Antena 2 au lansat campania de strângere de fonduri “2 pentru viaţă” pentru procurarea tabletelor de zinc pentru copiii sub 5 ani din Bangladesh care suferă de deshidratare severă provocată de diaree. După o lună de campanie au fost strânşi 217.000 de dolari. Aceste fonduri vor salva viaţa a peste 200.000 de copii din 14 districte din Bangladesh.

In Uniunea Europeana exista o preocupare deosebita pentru forma pe care aceste mesaje umanitare o imbraca. In  multe tari, si la nivel european, au fost adoptate coduri de conduita privind imaginile si mesajele transmise catre public in cadrul acestor campanii. Aceste coduri se bazeaza pe principii de baza, ca de pilda: respectul pentru deminitatea persoanelor implicate, credinta in egalitatea tuturor oamenilor, acceptarea necesitatii de a promova echitatea, solidaritatea si dreptatea. In general se porneste de la premiza ca durerea si mizeria oamenilor nu trebuie exploatata nici macar in vederea strangerii de fonduri pentru a-i ajuta. In plus, cel putin in statele UE unde exista o traditie a cooperarii pentru dezvoltare, a existat (si continua sa existe) o inflatie de campanii pe diverse teme. S-a observat la un moment dat ca publicul european, bombardat cu mesaje si imagini privind mizeria si deznadejdea din aceste tari, a ajuns treptat la concluzia ca totul este in zadar si ca nu are rost sa mai contribuie la niste eforturi umanitare care nu par a schimba nimic. Ceea ce este fals. Din pacate, stereotipurile pe care se bazau aceste campanii prezentau o lume a nevoii perpetue si a lipsei de speranta. Ceea ce lipsea din acestea campanii erau oamenii de la fata locului care stiu mai bine decat oricine altcineva arta supravieturii si gasesc solutii (adeseori miraculoase) pentru a lupta pentru ei si familiile lor. Publicul european trebuie sa stie ca acesti oameni nu se simt comfortabil in postura de cersetori, aflati la mila celor bogati, ci doresc si sunt capabili sa isi rezolve problemele in mod autonom si cu demnitate. De multe ori acest lucru nu este posibil, si mai ales in momente de crize ajutorul din afara este vital. Dar aceasta reprezinta doar un scurt capitol din viata lor.