UPDATE

March 2006

 

(Note:  Lenten prayers for 2006 are posted on the UNANIMA International web site http://www.unanima-international.org/english/resources.htm)

Commission on Social Development – 7-17 February 2006. 

UNANIMA International was well represented at the UN during the Commission Session.  There were fifteen members of the coalition present during the session.  Four of the delegates came from Asia specifically to share their expertise on strategies for alleviating poverty.  Celerina Estacio, sp, volunteers in a squatter settlement in Balanga City, Bataan, the Philippines.  Marcellina Aguiar, CCV, works with street girls in Mumbai, India. Atif Jamil, Deputy Director, Centre for Human Development, Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan works for peace, providing relief efforts, and development of women and children.  Jesusa Gamboa, a young woman from the Philippines, has lived most of her live in the extreme poverty of squatter settlements near Quezon City.

Twice during the session, the UI delegation made especially noteworthy contributions.  Jesusa Gamboa presented a moving keynote speech on the day of the NGO orientation session. 

 UNANIMA International also sponsored a parallel event in which each of the delegation members from Asia answered the question “Poverty Eradication: Has it happened at the community level?” Celerina, Marcellina and Atif and Jesusa each gave a presentations and then responded to the questions of the audience.

Information from the presentations is posted on the UNANIMA International web site: http://www.unanima-international.org/english/resources.htm

 50th session Commission on the Status of Women – 26 February-10 March 2006.

Although the delegation to this Commission which deals most directly with issues of concern to women was not as numerous as that of the Social Development Commission, UNANIMA International was very present to the session.  Coalition Coordinator chaired a roundtable event on 9 February to prepare delegates to discuss one of the major themes:

Enhanced participation of women in development: An enabling environment for achieving gender equality and the advancement of women, taking into account, inter alia, the fields of education, health and work.

  Through the generosity of two donors – the Amnesty International Club at St. Mary’s Academy in Winnipeg and the Hollione Foundation, we sponsored clinical psychiatrist Dr. Wendy Freed to present her work on the harms to the health of women sexually exploited as part of two panel presentations.  Dr. Freed has done extensive work in Cambodia and with refugees in the Seattle area. The power point she used with her presentation will be posted on the UNANIMA International web site on the resources page.

  We also co-sponsored three other parallel events – two on trafficking with the Coalition Against Trafficking and the Congregation of the Religious of the Good Shepherd and one on HIV/AIDS with Franciscans International and the NGO Committee on HIV/AIDS.

 Upcoming Trip to Africa.  Catherine will be visiting coalition members in Cameroon, Lesotho and Nigeria between 14 March and 15 April.  She hopes to learn more about the ministries and concerns of some of the African members of UNANIMA International and also to be able to invite a more active participation in the lobbying efforts being made at the UN headquarters on the issues of violence against women, trafficking and HIV/AIDS.

 Board Meeting.  The UNANIMA International board members will hold their first meeting of this year in New York 10-11 March. On Friday of the meeting, all members will attend a morning session of the Commission on the Status of Women.  Much of the rest of the meeting will be devoted to moving ahead with planning for the anti-demand campaign.