A major concern of NGOs is the strong emphasis being put on the privatization of water as a solution to government's inability to enough clean water to their peoples. According to reports presented at the session, private companies have provided no more than 4% new money for these investments (leaving other funding to the governments or existing funding sources). Also, when water is privatized the reports indicate that in most cases, access to water decreases and rates increase. The net result is that those living in conditions of poverty are worse off than before privatization took place.

A second major concern related to water has to do with the persons appointed to an advisory panel on water appointed by the Secretary General Kofi Annan. Research conducted by Trade Union indicates that those appointed come from either the government sector, the private corporate sector or are those supportive of the privatization of water. NGOs are lobbying to try and broaden the representation on this advisory panel.

Colombia and Human Rights
Catherine returned from a short visit to Bogotá , Colombia ( April 12-15,2004 ). While there she worked with Paul Lansu of the Pax Christi International Secretariat and Laura Vargas of CEAS ( Peru ). They met with Msgr. Hector Fabio Henao of the Social Pastoral Office of the Colombian Bishops Conference to make final preparations for the fact finding delegation visit that will take place in July or August of this year. While there, they did a bit of their own fact finding discussing the situation of human rights abuses and the practical possibilities for peace with more than 8 different groups - among them the Social Pastoral Office, the Colombia Commission of Jurists, Peace Brigades International, Sismamujer - a women's group concerned with women's human rights, an Interecclesial commission for peace.

Each of these meetings provided a bit more information to complete the report being prepared by Catherine which will be discussed at the international meeting of Pax Christi in mid May in New Jersey . Once the final delegation visit is over, the report will be finalized. It is hoped that its conclusions and recommendations can provide a significant contribution to those working for peace and an end to human rights violations in the country.

Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
UNANIMA International will be sponsoring the presence of two persons at the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2004. Valerie Henderson is youth worker with aboriginal youth at Rossbrook House in Winnipeg , Manitoba . Therese Mukeni-Beya is a young immigrant from Congo in the United States who has been granted asylum status. Both will speaking at a side-event discussing the issues of indigenous girls from their perspectives of aboriginal Canadian and a member of the Luba tribe respectively.

Trafficking
In preparation for the meeting of the Committee reviewing the country reports for the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in July 2004, several of our members have expressed willingness to help by reflecting on the state of compliance of the Dominican Republic and Equatorial Guinea who will be reporting this summer.

The first, Gina Pultorak, lay volunteer and Kathleen King, SHCJ, working in a poor batey with Dominicans and Haitians in Santo Domingo , will be looking at their situation in the light of trafficking and the CEDAW convention. The second, RJM Yudith Pereira in Equatorial Guinea will be commenting on that country's report in the light of discrimination experienced by women there.

Trafficking: Request for sponsorship in the US
Janet Raymond, researcher from the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, met with Clare Nolan, RSCG, and discussed that fact that United States government has money available for those who are working against trafficking. However, because little information has been publicized about how to access this money, there is need for a group to sponsor a workshop or workshops that can make this information available to those who need it. Perhaps this might be a project for a regional LCWR? - or some other organization to which some of you are affiliated. Please contact Catherine at fergcf@earthlink.net for further information.

Survey Participation
Newly on our web site in all three languages is a survey on how much our members know about the UN millennium development goals. (www.unanima-international.org) It would be helpful to have anyone willing respond to the survey even if there is little knowledge of the goals. The sub-committee on poverty eradication is preparing a report for ECOSOC.

Return to top of page