"Water is a Human Right and a Public Good."
See and sign the petition that respectfully calls upon the United Nations to add a 31st article to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, establishing access to clean water as a
human right, not a privilege: http://www.article31.org.
FEBRUARY 2009
Women of Courage
Last year UNANIMA International presented its first annual WOMAN OF COURAGE award to Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, a journalist and women’s rights activist from Mexico. This year, while at the UNANIMA International conference in Mumbai, India, coordinator Catherine Ferguson, will present a joint award to two women from India who have shown courage in the struggle against poverty, HIV/AIDS, and human trafficking in the Northeast India.
Historically isolated by geography and politics and torn by ethnic conflict, Northeast India is a center for human trafficking. Poverty, an effect of armed conflict in the region, has displaced people from their homes. Additionaly, it has increased the vulnerability of children and young women to sexual exploitation and HIV/AIDS.
Hasina Kharbhih, a founder, president, and team leader of the NGO Network Impulse, responded by developing a comprehensive model to combat child trafficking in Northeast India. This expansive tracking system successfully brings together the state government, security agencies, legal groups, media, and citizen organizations to combat the cross-border trafficking of children in the region and on the nearby crossings to Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Her desire to build a world fit for children takes on issues of child trafficking, HIV/AIDS intervention, and livelihood support initiatives for rural Northeast India.
Sr. Judith Shadap, RNDM, the founder of the NGO Women for Integrated Sustainable Empowerment (WISE), one of the NGOs supported by Impulse, uses the self-help group ideology to promote a transformation process in vocational training for women in difficult situations. Through her work Sister Judith aims to alleviate poverty and holistic development of those living in rural areas.
UNANIMA honors both women for their courage. They have recognized the forces that work against the liberation and empowerment of women. They have met the challenges of HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, poverty and lack of possibilities for women and have acted in difficult circumstances to about social change in Northeast India.
Co-Executive assistants
UNANIMA welcomes Amber Baker (top) and Jessica Chen as part-time executive assistants. Amber takes on the traditional role of executive assistant, following issues related to women and children in the NGO Committee on Migration and assist with phase 2 of the STOP THE DEMAND campaign. Jessica will be responsible for working with the UNANIMA web site and follow issues related to water and sustainable development. Amber is studying for her MA at Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and Jessica is a junior English and Linguistics student at New York University.
Looking ahead
UNANIMA will have delegations at the two upcoming commissions: the Commission on Social Development, 4-13 February, and the Commission on the Status of Women, 2- 13 March 2009. Our delegates have active roles in the preparatory events for each commission. We have sponsored educational side events during the commission and have submitted written interventions for both of the commissions.
UN World Day of Justice
Commemorate the first annual UN World Day of Social Justice on 20 February.
Invitations to be part of the work of UNANIMA
Defend the Rights of Women: Develop an NGO report for CEDAW (Convention to Eliminate all Forms of Discrimination against women). The CEDAW committee will be considering the government reports from the following countries in late July 2009 in New York: Argentina, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Spain; and in January 2010 in Geneva: Botswana and Malawi. UNANIMA members who might be interested in developing an alternative report, please contact Catherine at fergcf@earthlink.net for more information.
Defend the Rights of Children:
The expert committee which reviews the situations of the rights of children
based on the Child Rights Convention (CRC) will convene in Geneva to
consider the following countries:
In mid-May- June 2009: Bangladesh, France, Niger, Romania
In mid-September 2009: Bolivia,
Mozambique, Pakistan and the Philippines
In mid-January 2010: Burkina
Faso, Ecuador, El Salvador and Paraguay
Also in mid-January they will consider the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution,
and Child Pornography related to Ecuador and El Salvador; and the Optional
Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict related to
Ecuador and Israel.
Members who are willing to prepare an alternative report on the situation of children in any of
the countries, please contact Catherine at the email address above.
Mexico City UN Conference
The 62nd Annual UN NGO Conference will be held in September in Mexico City. This is the first time the conference will be held there. UNANIMA invites members from Latin America to consider attending the conference and to learn more about the work of the United Nations. While the theme for 2009 is Disarmament, which is not one of those followed by UNANIMA, the conference will be lively and an opportunity to network with many NGOs throughout the world.
Article CMSM Forum
Catherine has written an article on the STOP THE DEMAND campaign for
the web forum of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men. The
article may be found at the following web site: http://www.cmsm.org/forum/