Voices Of Youth Inspire: "Young people need to know that whatever they choose is the right choice "
Posted on 04/23/13 by 
Etienne
Please tell us your name:
Francisco Iturralde.
And your age:
20 years old.
Where are you originally from and where do you currently live?:
I was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador and I am currently living in NYC.
According to your business card – what’s your job title?
I’m a full time athlete and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor.
And how does that compare with what you wanted to do when you were 10 years old?
I’m pretty sure I wanted to be a superhero, so fighting for living is close enough, the most important is that I really enjoy what I do. Every day I wake up and go to work I’m thankful to God for what I have.
Give us 10 words that describe your typical work day?
It is hard to list words but one word that is worth a thousand is HAPPINESS.
In a nutshell, how did you get to where you are right now? Name some of the most important milestones.
Winning 3 times the world championship and the Abu Dhabi World Pro were maybe the most important titles that I conquered, but when I was 15 I went to Brazil and won the Brazilian national championship, ever since I decided what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome to get to your current position and how did it help you to grow as a person?
You have to realize that there is nothing impossible, if you have faith and you believe you can achieve anything that you want. Your biggest obstacle will always be your own head.
How important was your choice of degree/field of study at university for what you’re doing now?
I am looking forward to start school soon and become a cook.
What are the top three things someone needs to excel in your field?
Discipline, love for what you do and faith.
What do you think is the MOST important thing governments and/or companies can do to help young people get started in their careers?
Young people need to know that whatever they choose is the right choice and not to be questioned or pushed to do something else.
On a lighter note, tell us about the strangest day you’ve ever had at work or the strangest thing you had to do?
Sometimes you feel sore and tired before training and is so easy to just say I will not do it, I’m going to rest today, but that’s when your will and your heart have to overcome what your body feels and just do what you need to do to become what you want to be.
Some words to youth out there: What advice can you give them when chasing their dream position?
Never give up, sometimes in spite of doing what you love, you will always face situations that will put to test your mind and how committed you are so even if the path is long and hard keep going till you chase your goals.
Find out more about Francisco Iturralde on his Facebook page
Enough!
Posted on 04/16/13 by Etienne
After more than two years of conflict and more than 70,000 deaths, including thousands of children …
After more than five million people have been forced to leave their homes, including over a million refugees living in severely stressed neighbouring countries …
After so many families torn apart and communities razed, schools and hospitals wrecked and water systems ruined …
After all this, there still seems an insufficient sense of urgency among the governments and parties that could put a stop to the cruelty and carnage in Syria.
We, leaders of UN agencies charged with dealing with the human costs of this tragedy, appeal to political leaders involved to meet their responsibility to the people of Syria and to the future of the region.
We ask that they use their collective influence to insist on a political solution to this horrendous crisis before hundreds of thousands more people lose their homes and lives and futures—in a region that is already at the tipping point.
Our agencies and humanitarian partners have been doing all we can. With the support of many governments and people, we have helped shelter more than a million refugees. We have helped provide access to food and other basic necessities for millions displaced by the conflict, to water and sanitation to over 5.5 million affected people in Syria and in neighbouring countries, and to basic health services for millions of Syrians, including vaccinations to over 1.5 million children against measles and polio.
But it has not nearly been enough. The needs are growing while our capacity to do more is diminishing, due to security and other practical limitations within Syria as well as funding constraints. We are precariously close, perhaps within weeks, to suspending some humanitarian support.
Our appeal today is not for more resources, needed as they are. We are appealing for something more important than funds. To all involved in this brutal conflict and to all governments that can influence them:
In the name of all those who have so suffered, and the many more whose futures hang in the balance: Enough! Summon and use your influence, now, to save the Syrian people and save the region from disaster.
¿Mil días hasta que?
La última cuenta regresiva de mil días que se destaca en mi memoria es la cuenta regresiva al mundial de fútbol 2010 en Sudáfrica. Si bien 1000 días son casi tres años, todos estuvieron muy excitados y entusiasmados – pantallas especiales de cuentas regresivas fueron instaladas en todos los aeropuertos y juntos vimos el numero disminuir. El cuatro de abril marca una fecha de 1000 días bien diferente – quedan 1000 días hasta la fecha límite para cumplir los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM).
En el año 2000 la comunicad internacional se unió para crear la visión para hacer del mundo un mejor lugar para millones de personas. La visión que desarrollaron es conocida como la Declaración del Milenio y como parte de ella, se fijaron algunos objetivos específicos, conocidos como los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio.
No muchos saben realmente lo que son los ODM y todavía menos saben de la Declaración misma.
Los nombres poco atractivos probablemente tienen mucho que ver con esto (¡espero que no hayan dejado de leer mi artículo todavía!).
La cosa es que por más que los nombres y la terminología tal vez parezcan pesados, extraños o hasta burocráticos, todavía no encontré a nadie quien no esté de acuerdo con el sueño de crear un mundo mejor. Un mundo en cual más niños puedan ir al colegio, donde mujeres y sus bebes estén sanos y donde muertes causadas por enfermedades prevenibles no cobren las vidas de nuestros seres queridos.
Para UNICEF y sus aliados fue especialmente importante de asegurarse que el bienestar de niños quede en el centro cuando este sueño, esta visión, se implemente alrededor del mundo. Especialmente los niños que habitualmente son los más difíciles de alcanzar por programas sociales u otros servicios elementales. Y mientras que el “camino” del desarrollo internacional no ha sido fácil, es importante también observar lo que se ha logrado y de entender lo que lo alcanzado realmente significa.
Para hacer esto, UNICEF ha creado un sitio web, que cuenta la historia de la visión del Milenio; el trabajo de UNICEF y sus aliados; y la historia del trabajo de cumplir un sueño para millones de niños.
Les pido que visiten este sitio y los invito a pensar y reflexionar sobre los hechos y las estadísticas que están mencionados ahí – cada una representa una vida que fue salvada – una vida que fue mejorada.
http://www.unicef.org/lastchildsp
Y mientras que estén en el sitio, no se olviden de compartir con sus amigos y seguidores. Pueden postear a través de Facebook o Twitter. También se pueden convertir en campeones de UNICEF y agregar su punto de vista a la visión para el mundo después de 2015.
A thousand days until what?
The last ‘1000 day observation’ that really stands out in my memory is the countdown to the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa. Even though 1000 days translated to almost 3 years everyone was incredibly excited – special countdown screens were placed at all the airports and we all watched the number go down. Today marks a different kind of 1000 day mark – until the target date for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In the year 2000 the world came together to envision a better world for millions of people. The vision they came up with is known as the Millennium Declaration, and as part of that some specific targets were set, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Not many people really know what the MDGs are, and even fewer know about the Declaration itself.
The daunting names have probably played a part in that (I hope you have not stopped reading this yet!).
The thing is that while the names and terminology may seem cumbersome, strange or even bureaucratic, I have yet to talk to a person who doesn’t agree with the dream of a better world. A world where more children go to school, where women and their babies are healthy and deaths from preventable diseases don’t claim the lives of our loved ones.
For UNICEF and its partners it has been especially important to ensure that the well-being of children remained centre-stage as this dream, this vision, started being implemented by countries around the world. Especially the children who are usually the last to be reached by social programmes or vital services. And while the global development ‘road’ has been neither straight nor smooth it is important to look at what has been achieved and to absorb what it really means.
To do this UNICEF has developed a great website, which tells the story of the story of the Millennium vision; the story of UNICEF and its partners’ work; and the story of realising a dream for millions of children.
I urge you to visit the site and to think about the facts and statistics that are mentioned there – each and every single one represents a life that has been saved, a life that has been improved.
http://www.unicef.org/lastchild
And while you’re there – don’t forget to share. You can post to your Facebook or Twitter account; become digital champion for UNICEF; and add your views to the vision for the world beyond 2015.
Voices Of Youth Inspire: "Scientific curiosity, Analytical Skills and Creativity!"
Posted on 03/28/13 by Etienne
Name: Bhamini Vaidialingam
Age: 25
Location: New York
According to your business card – what’s your job title? Research Assistant at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
And how does that compare with what you wanted to do when you were 10 years old? I wanted to be a doctor when I was little. Now, I do Bio medical Research (Structural Biology) and study the atomic structures of proteins that play a crucial role in cell growth and metabolism. These proteins are typically drug targets and their atomic structures (at the electron level) reveals how to better design a drug that can regulate its function.
Give us 10 words that describe your typical work day?
Hypothesizing, Designing experiments to test Hypothesis, Execution of Experiments, Organizing, Note-taking, Analyzing Results, Discussing Ideas, Reading scientific papers and Playing with expensive Robots!
What did you study? Biochemistry
How important was your choices of degree/field of study at university for what you’re doing now?
[ x ] Really important – couldn't do the job without it!
[ ] Not directly relevant but taught me a lot of skills which I use now
[ ] In this career, other factors are more important than a degree
What are the top three things someone needs to excel in your field? Scientific curiosity, Analytical Skills and Creativity!
What do you think is the MOST important thing governments and/or companies can do to help young people get started in their careers?
[x] Subsidize the cost of tertiary education more
[ ] Governments should create incentives for companies to hire young people
[ ] Companies should create more formal internship programmes for university students at all levels – with stipends.
[ ] There should be a stronger focus on developing entrepreneurship at school level
On a lighter note, tell us about the strangest day you’ve ever had at work or the strangest thing you had to do? We were carrying a large, black, heavily armored case (looks suspicious) containing protein crystals soaked in Liquid Nitrogen through the London tube (subway). As we were going through the crowds, my colleague was pushed and that resulted in jostling of the Liquid Nitrogen and wisps of smoke emanating out of our case. That caused a whole lot of panic and scrambling and being questioned by the Scotland Yard! But, in the end, we did make it to the syncotron, shoot our crystals with high energy X-rays, collect data and solve the atomic structure of the protein!
Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards UNICEF Challenge
Posted on 03/12/13 by Etienne
For the first time ever, Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards has partnered up with UNICEF to give YOU the opportunity to implement active change in YOUR community. The Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards UNICEF Challenge is looking to provide three youth led projects with grants to support the implementation of innovative initiatives.
First prize receives $40,000. Second prize receives $30,000. Lastly, the audience award-winning project receives $20,000. All Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards UNICEF Challenge prize funds must be used to support the implementation of the winning projects.
Show us your imagination, creativity, and innovation through the use of digital tools and social media. Produce a short video outlining your proposal for a new or existing initiative that will benefit other youth in your community. This is your chance to make a difference in the world, report about it, and show the progress made to millions of people through the Adobe Youth Voices network, UNICEF’s global social media feeds, and the Voices of Youth community.
In addition to receiving financial funds for your project, the local experts will also provide support during the initial implementation process.
Submissions now open! To be eligible for the contest, you must be between the ages of 13-19 years old, and your project must have been created between 2010-2013. Entries are being accepted now until April 19, 2013. Please go to the submissions page to submit today!
Mobilize, organize, and take action!
Submissions
In cooperation with the Adobe Foundation, UNICEF will provide three youth led projects with grants that that empower them to plan and execute a project that will help to bring positive change to their community.
The Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards UNICEF Challenge will focus on social media and digital empowerment, with the objective of creating sustainable opportunities for young people. UNICEF has an extensive network of Country Offices that work with local organizations. These organizations are often under-funded, yet they demonstrate creativity, resilience, and positive energy. The Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards UNICEF Challenge seeks to drive social change by calling for participants to enter a project proposal, for a current or a conceptual social change project that combines youth issues and concerns with digital media
The call for submissions will be issued through Adobe Youth Voices and UNICEF’s country and regional offices. Youth organizations (not individuals) will submit a video proposal to enter to win one of the three prizes. All entries will be featured on the Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards website.
If a group is chosen for one of the prizes, the money will go to the organization that is sponsoring the winning team. The local UNICEF office will support the organization in its implementation of the project. UNICEF HQ’s Social & Civic Media Section will monitor their progress and how prize monies are spent. Winners will be selected based on criteria such as creativity and sustainability as determined by UNICEF and Adobe.
UNICEF will work in collaboration with its country offices to support the implementation of the winning projects.
The structure ensures that prize money is awarded to vetted and trusted partners in a way that positively benefits young people.
Two years into conflict, Syrian Arab Republic is on the verge of losing a generation to violence
NEW YORK, United States of America, 12 March 2013 – For the past two years, the world has seen crisis explode in the Syrian Arab Republic. Twenty-four months of chaos and conflict have cost the country thousands of lives, many of them children.
The wait for a political solution seems never-ending. It’s a wait that has torn a country apart and placed it on the verge of losing a generation to violence.
A lost generation?
“Millions of children inside Syria and across the region are witnessing their past and their futures disappear amidst the rubble and destruction of this prolonged conflict,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “And, as they lose their childhoods . . . as their right to be children is denied . . . their views of their neighbours are coloured in ways that can create future generations of self-perpetuating violence. With all that implies for the region as a whole.”
With conflict spiraling out of control, basic infrastructure and public services are being systematically destroyed. Health centres have been damaged, clean water is scarce, and the education system is near complete collapse. UNICEF estimates that one in every five schools has either been destroyed or is being used by displaced people seeking shelter. Many children have been out of school for nearly two years.
The war has affected the entire country and left many Syrians with no choice but to flee. Every day, more and more families are crossing borders to escape the accelerating violence. A million people have already fled their homes for neighbouring countries. Imagine the residents of New Orleans and Washington on the run, says UNHCR. It’s as if the entire population of Ottawa, Canada, were seeking shelter in another country, they say.
And neighbouring countries like Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey are feeling the strain of the influx.
Children’s crisis
Director of UNICEF’s Emergency Programmes Ted Chaiban traveled inside the Syrian Arab Republic last month. He finds it hard to describe the gut-wrenching scenes and heart-breaking conversations he had with families. “I met children who were hearing the sounds of bombs and the sounds of shelling less than a kilometre away from their homes,” he says. “They were living in displaced shelters – 10 to 12 in a room with their families, with really very minimal possessions – maybe just the clothes on their backs and some plastic sheeting on the windows.
“These are children who witnessed violence against their families, and who have been subject to violence themselves.”
Children are the paying the heaviest price for the conflict. Of the four million people affected inside the country, almost half are children. These children face tremendous dangers every day. They are being targeted, killed, maimed, abused, tortured – and orphaned.
Heroic efforts
During his visit to the country, Mr. Chaiban was struck by the resilience of the Syrian people. “The first response to the crisis has been Syrian families and Syrian communities,” he says. “The courage of those families, the courage of those neighbourhood associations that have arisen to respond to the conflict really struck me. There are young people – 20- to 22-year-olds, really coming together and saying: we are going to take care of ourselves and our people.”
Despite the dangerous circumstances and grim situation, aid workers, too, have risked their lives to reach those in need. A new report released by UNICEF highlights efforts made to assist Syrian children inside and outside the country in such areas as health, water and sanitation, nutrition and education.
Within the Syrian Arab Republic, UNICEF and its partners have vaccinated 1.3 million children against measles, four million people have been provided with safe water, and over 421,700 children and women have access to basic health services.
Hands tied
But the lack of access inside the Syrian Arab Republic and a lack of funding are the biggest hurdles facing the humanitarian community. “Syria is a very difficult operating environment,” explains Mr. Chaiban. “We have very significant security constraints, and we have had difficulties also negotiating access. We're really trying our best – across lines, wherever children and women – people in need are, but the resource base has been difficult to mobilize for this crisis.”
UNICEF has only received 22 per cent of the US$68.4 million required –a shortfall that will affect the organization’s ability to effect large-scale vaccination campaigns, access to safe water and scale-up of psychosocial support for children.
“UNICEF, like all our partners in the UN and beyond, requires urgent funding – or these life-saving services will be placed in jeopardy,” appeals Mr. Lake. “We can only meet the growing needs if adequate resources are made available.”
“Don’t forget the Syrian child”
The international community has been working for two years to rescue Syrian children from irreparably damaged futures. And, while the ultimate solution to the crisis is certainly a political one, there is a lot the world can do the make the wait for an end to the war a less painful one for millions who are suffering and helpless.
“Don't forget the Syrian child – don't forget that this is child who, until 22 months ago, went to school, was playing to their friends, was living in their own homes…this is now a child who, for no fault of their own, is displaced, has seen conflict, has seen violence – and needs your support,” says Mr. Chaiban.
On International Women's Day: Violence against women impedes development
NEW YORK, United States of America, 8 March 2013 – The United Nations is focusing on violence against women on this year’s International Women’s Day.
A problem all of us need to address
Violence against women is a major obstacle to development, and, unless its root causes are addressed, many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will not be met. Women’s rights are tied to every MDG.
Violence is an issue that blights the futures of millions of women and girls, every day, all over the world.
“Gender-based violence is a problem that all of us need to address if we want our societies to look the way we would envision for our children,” said UNICEF Principal Adviser on Gender Rights and Civic Engagement Anju Malhotra.
Up to 7 in 10 women report having been physically or sexually abused at some point in their lifetime. Up to 50 per cent of sexual assaults are committed against girls under the age of 16.
One in four women experiences physical or sexual violence during pregnancy.
A problem not recognized as a priority
Part of the problem is that violence against women is often not recognized as a priority.
Six hundred three million women live in countries in which domestic violence is not considered a crime. According to United Nations estimates, 127 countries do not explicitly condemn rape within marriage. More than 60 million girls are married before age 18.
“How do we create public outrage against it? How do we say this is not an acceptable thing to do?” Ms. Malhotra said.
A problem that threatens development
The attitudes that perpetuate violence also hinder a country’s potential. In a 2005 report, the World Health Organization stated that violence against women is a major threat to social and economic development.
It’s linked to poverty, lack of education, gender inequality, child mortality and maternal ill health.
“So that really tells us that we need to look at the issue of gender-based violence in a much broader perspective than we have been doing,” Ms. Malhotra said.
A problem with humanitarian impact
International Women’s Day comes at a time when the United Nations is growing increasingly alarmed at the toll that conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic is having on women and children.
A senior official with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has outlined to the Human Rights Council the enormous humanitarian impact, particularly on civilians who have been displaced.
“This displacement is not only about loss of homes and economic security. It is also, for many, accompanied by gender-based crimes, deliberate victimization of women and children and a frightening array of assaults on human dignity,” said Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Erika Feller.
Voices Of Youth Inspire: "What I studied taught me a lot about what kind of life I want to live"
Name: Milisuthando Bongela
Age: I’ll be 28 on 30 April 2013
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
According to your business card – what’s your job title?
That’s a good question, I designed my business card to include all the various things I do! But over time, have realized it’s best to keep it short and sweet – A blogger, entrepreneur and trend consultant.
And how does that compare with what you wanted to do when you were 10 years old?
When I was 10 I think I wanted to be a politician or a lawyer because I was so argumentative but had good intentions. So it’s very different. It was when I was about 14 that I want to work in a creative industry.
Give us 10 words that describe your typical work day?
Unpredictable, unplanned, balanced, social, courageous, fun, slow, fast, detailed, administrative
What did you study?
I studied Journalism and Media Studies, History, Sociology, Art History and Philosophy.
How important was your choices of degree/field of study at university for what you’re doing now?
[ ] Really important – couldn’t do the job without it!
[ X ] Not directly relevant but taught me a lot of skills which I use now
[ ] In this career, other factors are more important than a degree
What I studied taught me a lot about what kind of life I want to live rather than how to live my life. I use the principles I learnt in all my subjects everyday. My work is not separate from my personal life, they are intertwined, they inform each other which is how I can continue doing it – for me that is work life balance.
What are the top three things someone needs to excel in your field?
A curated perspective, the ability to really enjoy beautiful things and it helps to be protean.
What do you think is the MOST important thing governments and/or companies can do to help young people get started in their careers?
Providing them with an opportunity to get work experience, so apprenticeships. I don’t know how, but there needs to be a bridge built between commerce students and BA students – BA’s have ideas and commerce people have skill and I think we would benefit from introducing these two faculties to working together at an early age, in the interest of entrepreneurship. Everybody wants to do their own thing these days.
[ ] Subsidize the cost of tertiary education more
[ X ] Governments should create incentives for companies to hire young people
[ X ] Companies should create more formal internship programmes for university students at all levels – with stipends.
[ X ] There should be a stronger focus on developing entrepreneurship at school level
On a lighter note, tell us about the strangest day you’ve ever had at work or the strangest thing you had to do?
The strangest thing I had to do was to try and make a cheese sauce with no cheese while making burgers for one of our events, with a CNN camera watching my every trip and fall in failing to make the cheese sauce.
Strangest day: Reading in a magazine that I’m an ‘’it girl’’ who basically does nothing all day but attend parties and focus on my good looks.
Family Health Days bring Ugandans the routine medical care they need
KABAROLE, Uganda, 4 March 2013 – Priscilla Tusima, a mother of two, used to worry a lot about her children falling sick with diarrhoea, malaria and other diseases. As her family lives in a remote area in western Uganda, where health facilities are lacking, she found it hard to access basic medical care.
With the introduction of Family Health Days, however, Priscilla and her family can now receive the care and attention they need.
Providing integrated services
UNICEF Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and faith-based organizations, has instituted Family Health Days, during which an integrated package of health interventions is offered at various places of worship for free.
“I heard on the radio that there are Family Health Days which offer services in the mosque and churches,” says Ms. Tusima. “That is why I decided to come to bring my children so they can be immunized and checked.”
Targeting hardship areas
Family Health Days are organized every four months. They are held after religious services on Fridays and Sundays.
They target the general population in hardship areas, where access to healthcare is limited. Services offered range from immunization and birth registration of children under 5 years old to free antenatal care for mothers, deworming and blood pressure checks for fathers accompanying their spouses.
Eliminating barriers
District Health Officer for Kabarole Dr. Richard Mugahi discusses the critical role of the participating faith-based organizations. “Religious leaders play an important role in mobilizing communities to access medical services. After prayers in church or the mosques, families receive routine services like immunization, which they could have missed.”
Through Family Health Days, traditional barriers to healthcare, such as long distances, have been eliminated. Communities are mobilized through radio announcements and awareness activities prior to the actual campaign days. The medical services provided, which are attracting large numbers of participants, are truly bringing much-needed relief and improving the lives of many across the country.
Back to school, for Syrian refugee children
ZA'ATARI, Jordan, 27 February 2013 – It’s back to school for thousands of Syrian children at Za’atari refugee camp in northern Jordan.
“I am more than happy to return to school and study. I love my teachers, my classes – and I really love my studies and the girls in my class,” said Arwa, a Syrian refugee child at the camp, with a joyful smile, on her return to school.
School closed for break, open for shelter
The school at the Za’atari refugee camp was closed for three weeks following heavy rains that flooded some of the refugee shelter areas. It became a make-shift home for thousands of refugees.
Luckily, this disruption took place at the same time as the winter school break. Classes are now full on again – bringing some degree of normality to the lives of these children living under challenging circumstances.
Back to school celebrated
At the start of the school term, a delegation from the European Union, one of the school’s largest funders, visited the reopening of the school. This visit, and the first day back at school, was an important marker for the girls and boys of Za’atari, who are eager to continue their education.
With the children’s return, a big celebration day was organized together with UNICEF, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Save the Children Jordan that included all kinds of activities for the children, such as singing, playing a variety of games, flying balloons and expressing themselves through drawings in which they could send messages to the world.
“Back-to-school-day is not only about education, but marks a return to normalcy for so many children who have not been able to go to school for months because of the crisis in their home country,” said UNICEF Jordan Representative Dominique Hyde. “It’s also the beginning of hope for many parents who see education as the only future for their children right now.”
Second school being built
To meet the needs of the large influx of refugees in the Za’atari camp, which is home to tens of thousands of refugees, half of them children, UNICEF is building a second school to educate another 5,000 children. A third is needed, but a lack of funds means over 5,000 children won’t be able to go to school in Za’atari – if money is not forthcoming.
See more at: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/jordan_68005.html#sthash.VcQqn096.dpuf
UNICEF podcast: Ahmad Alhendawi, newly appointed UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, on his new role
On 15 February 2013, the newly appointed UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi, was sworn in at the UN headquarters.
A native of Jordan, the 29-year-old Alehndawi comes to this position with extensive experience working on youth issues at the local, regional and international level. On his second day in this new position, Mr. Alehndawi spoke with UNICEF’s podcast moderator Femi Oke about his role and the post-2015 development agenda.
To listen to the podcast, please click here!
Crisis en Siria: 2 millones de niños en riesgo
La crisis de Siria afecta ya a 4 millones de personas, la mitad niños y adolescentes. Más de 2 millones de personas se han visto obligadas a desplazarse dentro del propio país y el número de refugiados registrados, 670.000 en estos momentos, en los países vecinos de Jordania, Líbano, Iraq, Turquía y Egipto sigue creciendo.
A lo largo de estos meses de conflicto los niños han sufrido directamente el impacto de la crisis. Algunos han sido usados en el conflicto y muchos han sido víctimas de bombardeos indiscriminados. Además, han dejado de tener acceso a la escuela y a servicios básicos, y sufren la angustia psicológica causada por la violencia y los desplazamientos.
Segun los útimos informes, 210.000 niños en la provincia de Homs necesitan asistencia humanitaria de manera inmediata.
Además, de 1.500 escuelas que hay en Homs, se calcula que 200 han sufrido daños como consecuencia de los combates y otras 65 han servido de refugio a niños y familias. Esta situación tiene graves implicaciones en la asistencia a la escuela de los estudiantes y en la calidad de la educación.
LA CRISIS DEL INVIERNO
Además, ahora, con la llegada del invierno, las bajas temperaturas están agravando las ya difíciles condiciones de la población siria, tanto la desplazada dentro del propio país como la refugiada en los países vecinos. La lluvia, la nieve y las temperaturas bajo cero en el norte de Jordania han empeorado la situación de los niños sirios que viven en el campo de refugiados de Za'atari, donde el deterioro de las instalaciones y la falta de acceso a suministros de protección frente al frío amenaza su supervivencia y protección.
Las últimas cifras ofrecidas por Naciones Unidas indican que al menos 60.000 personas han muerto entre marzo de 2011 y diciembre de 2012.
UNICEF está respondiendo tanto dentro como fuera del país para apoyar a los niños y sus familias y ha hecho un llamamiento de 197 millones de dólares. Hasta ahora solo se ha obtenido el 10% de los fondos que se necesitan y necesitamos ayuda urgente.
RESPUESTA DE UNICEF EN SIRIA
La respuesta humanitaria de UNICEF y sus aliados está llegando a cientos de miles de niños sirios y sus familias. Incluso en las zonas de conflicto, los niños están siendo vacunados, se están creando escuelas temporales, y se está alimentando y protegiendo a las familias.
UNICEF está trabajando dentro del país, con aliados locales como ONG, la sociedad civil y organizaciones solidarias, así como contrapartes gubernamentales. En alianza con 40 organizaciones, especialmente con la Media Luna Roja Siria y organizaciones no gubernamentales internacionales, se está realizando un trabajo vital para apoyar a los niños, los más afectados por la crisis.
En el área de salud, se ha llevado a cabo una campaña de vaunación contra la polio a 1,5 millones de niños que recibieron la vacuna contra la polio, y a 1,3 contra el sarampión. Además, con nuestros aliados, hemos proporcionado a casi medio millón de mujeres y niños kits de primeros auxilios y otros suministros médicos.
Además continuamos enviando y distribuyendo suministros para ayudar a los niños a afrontar el efecto del invierno: ropa para los niños, mantas, esterillas de plástico, sábanas y estufas para la cocina.
En educación, se está dando apoyo y 22.500 niños reciben clases de repaso y apoyo psicológico. Tambien se ha formado a profesores y trabajadores sociales y de la salud, que proporcionan apoyo psicosocial a niños que han sufrido traumas debido al conficto.
RESPUESTA DE UNICEF EN LOS CAMPOS DE REFUGIADOS
Los niños constituyen casi la mitad de los refugiados que están viviendo en campamentos y comunidades de acogida en los cinco países que están recibiiendo a la población afectada por esta crisis. La llegada del invierno está suponiendo una doble crisis para las familias que han huido de sus hogares a causa de la violencia con poca o ninguna ropa y se ven obligados a dormir en campamentos en condiciones precarias.
La respuesta humanitaria de UNICEF en los campamentos de refugiados de Jordania, Iraq, Egipto, Turquií y Líbano se centra en el suministro de ropa de abrigo, calefactores, y colchonetas para dormir. También se están instalando letrinas moviles y mejorando el acceso a agua y saneamiento adecuado. Además se han establecido Espacios Amigos de la Infancia que actúan a la vez de escuelas improvisadas para que los niños recuperen la sensación de normalidad y de centros de apoyo psicológico.
Know your rights! An adolescent-friendly version of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
In order to make indigenous adolescents knowledgeable on issues important to them and to support their active participation in decision-making processes to secure their rights, UNICEF has – in collaboration with the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus – developed an adolescent-friendly version of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) that targets 13- to 18-year-old children.
The adoption of UNDRIP in 2007 was the result and highlight of many years of work, and for indigenous peoples – numbering more than 370 million in some 90 countries around the world, the Declaration is an expression of their rights and place in the global community. It is therefore important that indigenous young people become acquainted with its provisions.
Written for a global adolescent audience, the adolescent-friendly UNDRIP provides background information on the international indigenous rights movement and the importance of the Declaration and summarizes its articles to highlight their essence. It is hoped that this adolescent-friendly version will soon be translated from English into indigenous and other United Nations languages.
The adolescent-friendly version of UNDRIP is set to be launched officially during a side event to the May 2013 session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York.
Please click here to access the adolescent-friendly UNDRIP.
La situación de la niñez es grave en la República Árabe Siria, incluso donde no hay combates
Información desde Amán (Jordania): mediante una serie de preguntas y respuestas, el asesor regional para situaciones de emergencia de UNICEF, Bastien Vigneau, describe lo que ha visto en Tartus (República Árabe Siria), así como sobre la labor de UNICEF allí y todo lo que queda por hacer. AMÁN, Jordania, 25 de enero de 2013. Hablamos con el asesor regional para situaciones de emergencia de UNICEF, Bastien Vigneau, durante su misión en Tartus, una importante ciudad portuaria de la República Árabe Siria, en el mar Mediterráneo.
Vigneau trabaja en la evaluación de las necesidades de los niños y las familias desplazadas de otras partes del país a causa del conflicto y en la preparación para ampliar los programas de UNICEF.
P. ¿Cuál es la situación humanitaria en general en Tartus?
R. Tartus es una zona que hasta ahora se ha librado de la violencia del conflicto que sacude muchas otras partes del país, por lo que inicialmente aquí se tiene una sensación de relativa tranquilidad. Es una ciudad de la costa que ha prosperado en la industria de buques, pero ahora, según la Media Luna Roja Árabe Siria, alberga a más de 25.000 familias, lo que quiere decir más de 150.000 personas que han venido a la ciudad huyendo de la violencia de otras partes del país, especialmente de Alepo y Homs. La llegada de personas supone una tremenda presión para las infraestructuras básicas de los servicios existentes.
La ciudad se encuentra a unos 45 minutos en automóvil de Homs, donde los combates continúan. Las personas desplazadas aquí están albergadas sobre todo en las casas de los miembros de la comunidad, o viven en centros colectivos. Se encuentran en condiciones muy duras en medio de un clima húmedo y frío, especialmente en las zonas montañosas, y muchos de ellos carecen de agua caliente o de instalaciones adecuadas de saneamiento.
Otros, como las familias con las que me encontré, no tienen ningún lugar donde permanecer, excepto en las cuevas oscuras e infestadas de roedores de las antiguas ruinas del Tartus histórico. La municipalidad hace actualmente todo lo que puede para apoyar a estas familias desplazadas, pero apenas tiene medios y no hay más posibilidades de vivienda ni más espacios públicos para albergarlos.
P. ¿Puede hablarnos sobre la situación de los niños, especialmente lo que usted vio?
R. Lo que vi en el centro colectivo, por ejemplo, fue sobre todo desesperación, ya que alrededor de 40 familias compartían un retrete y una ducha. Debido al clima frío, húmedo y difícil, muchos niños están cayendo enfermos con infecciones agudas de las vías respiratorias. Algunos niños que conocí habían tenido que abandonar la escuela cuando huyeron de sus ciudades y no han podido matricularse de nuevo, ya sea porque las escuelas están llenas de alumnos, o porque tienen que ayudar a mantener a la familia, o porque no han podido inscribirse a tiempo.
Una mujer joven que conocí había tenido que abandonar la universidad cuando escapó de los combates en Alepo y dijo que ahora enseñaba árabe y matemáticas a los niños desescolarizados que compartían la cueva con ella. Una mujer cuyo marido está desaparecido me dijo que había tenido que sacar a su hijo de 11 años de la escuela para que le ayudara a ganar dinero, con el de fin de mantener a sus hermanos más pequeños. A un niño de nueve años le pregunté sobre las dos cosas que le gustan más de la escuela y me dijo: “Una, me gusta aprender. Dos, me gusta aprender”.
Realmente tenemos que asegurarnos de que no se interrumpa el ciclo de educación para los niños. Estamos trabajando con nuestros aliados para distribuir materiales, bolsas y muebles escolares para los niños y para aumentar el número de clases.
P. ¿Qué hace UNICEF en este momento para ayudar a las familias a superar este duro invierno?
R. Hemos proporcionado suministros de invierno, entre ellos ropa de abrigo, mantas y otros suministros no alimentarios, como esteras de plástico y estufas de cocina para más de 260.000 personas vulnerables en diversos lugares de Siria. Tartus es una de ellas.
Concretamente en Tartus, estamos distribuyendo con nuestros aliados conjuntos familiares de higiene y mantas pesadas —que llegaron esta semana— entre 4.000 familias. También recibimos hoy paquetes con ropa de invierno, que serán distribuidos en los próximos días entre 5.000 niños desplazados que viven en las zonas de montaña y centros colectivos. Cada paquete incluye una chaqueta de invierno impermeable, un suéter y pantalones, zapatos de invierno, un gorro y un conjunto de ropa interior.
Apoyamos asimismo a los niños ofreciéndoles a ellos y a sus familias acceso a agua potable y ayudamos a los niños a participar en actividades sociales y divertirse en un entorno seguro. Los niños cuya educación se vio interrumpida reciben clases de recuperación.
Sin embargo, estamos hacemos frente de manera constante a los desafíos porque las necesidades aumentan rápidamente y necesitamos mantener el ritmo con las dimensiones de la crisis. Para ello necesitamos sin duda más fondos inmediatamente y un fortalecimiento de las alianzas sobre el terreno.
Trabajamos para aumentar nuestra presencia y nuestra labor con más aliados para poder llegar a todos los niños necesitados, que es nuestro objetivo. Así que muchas personas dependen de nosotros.
Resulta importante tener en cuenta que las necesidades humanitarias urgentes no sólo se dan en las zonas de conflicto, sino que existen en todo el país, como puedo ver en Tartus.
Students from the Bronx Global Learning Institute for Girls write about education
Recently, a group of students from the Bronx Global Learning Institute for Girls, who had learned about the tragic events in Pakistan that had left 14-year old Malala severely wounded, wrote to The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative expressing their solidarity, outrage and passion for education.
To read about these girls and their thoughts on education, please click here!
Tous en ordre de bataille contre les préjugés autour du cancer !
Ce lundi 4 février 2013 est célébrée la Journée mondiale contre le cancer. Pour son édition de cette année¸ l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS) et l’Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC) ont décidé de mettre l’accent sur les idées fausses qui circulent autour de cette maladie ; d’où le thème "Cancer : peurs, préjugés et idées reçues". Ce thème, illustré par la question "Cancer – Vous saviez ?", « est l’occasion de réfléchir aux réelles conséquences du cancer et d’améliorer la prévention à l’échelle mondiale ainsi que les efforts concernant les traitements », comme on peut le lire dans un article relatif à cette Journée mondiale 2013 et publiée sur le site atlantico.com. Pour la Ligue Française contre le cancer, « les préjugés et les peurs autour de la maladie sont à combattre activement pour changer « l’image sociale » du cancer ».
Mais qu’est-ce que le cancer. Selon l’OMS, « le cancer est un terme générique appliqué à un grand groupe de maladies pouvant toucher une partie quelconque de l’organisme. Les autres termes employés sont ceux de tumeurs malignes et de néoplasmes ».
L’organisation ajoute que « l’une des caractéristiques définissant le cancer est l’apparition rapide de cellules anormales dont la croissance s’étend au-delà de leurs limites habituelles et qui peuvent alors envahir des zones voisines de l’organisme et se propager à d’autres organes. Il est fait référence à ce processus sous le terme de dissémination métastatique. Les métastases sont la principale cause de décès par cancer ».
A l’occasion de l’édition 2013 de cette journée mondiale contre le cancer, nous vous proposons 10 faits et chiffres sur le cancer établis par l’OMS afin de non seulement nous alerter sur la situation du cancer mais aussi aux fins d’aider à déconstruire ces préjugés et autres fausses idées sur cette maladie :
- Il existe plus d'une centaine de cancers pouvant affecter n'importe quelle partie de l'organisme.
- En 2008 le cancer a été à l’origine de 7,6 millions de décès, soit environ 13% de la mortalité mondiale.
- Près de 70% des décès par cancer sont survenus dans les pays à revenu faible ou intermédiaire.
- Les cinq cancers les plus fréquents chez les hommes dans le monde sont (par ordre de fréquence): le cancer du poumon, de l'estomac, du foie, le cancer colorectal et de l'œsophage.
- Chez les femmes les cancers les plus fréquents (par ordre de fréquence) sont: cancer du sein, du poumon, de l’estomac, cancer colorectal et du col de l'utérus. Dans de nombreux pays, le cancer du col de l'utérus est le plus fréquent.
- Le tabagisme est le facteur de risque le plus important, entraînant dans le monde 22% de la mortalité par cancer.
- Un cinquième des cancers enregistrés dans le monde sont causés par une infection chronique comme par exemple, le papillomavirus humain (HPV) à l'origine du cancer du col de l'utérus et le virus de l'hépatite B (HBV) qui provoque le cancer du foie.
- Les cancers considérés comme des causes majeures de santé publique tels le cancer du sein ou le cancer colorectal peuvent être soignés s'ils sont dépistés précocement et traités de façon adéquate.
- Tous les patients souffrant pourraient être soulagés s'ils bénéficiaient des connaissances en matière de soins palliatifs et de lutte contre la douleur.
- Plus de 30% des décès par cancer pourraient être évités, en ne fumant pas, en ayant une alimentation saine, en ayant une activité physique et en modérant sa consommation d'alcool. Dans les pays développés jusqu'20% des décès par cancer pourraient être prévenus grâce à la vaccination contre le HBV et le HPV.
Aujourd’hui encore, l’oms nous rappelle que la prévention constitue la stratégie à long terme la plus rentable pour lutter contre le cancer. @Image importée de centreleonberard.fr
ONE BILLION RISING
ONE IN THREE WOMEN ON THE PLANET WILL BE RAPED OR BEATEN IN HER LIFETIME. ONE BILLION WOMEN VIOLATED IS AN ATROCITY. ONE BILLION WOMEN DANCING IS A REVOLUTION
On V-Day’s 15th Anniversary, 14 February 2013, we are inviting ONE BILLION women and those who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to this violence. ONE BILLION RISING will move the earth, activating women and men across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers, our solidarity across borders.
What does ONE BILLION look like? On 14 February 2013, it will look like a REVOLUTION.
ONE BILLION RISING IS:
A global strike An invitation to dance A call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends An act of solidarity, demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers A refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a given A new time and a new way of being
Make your Voice Heard - Use #childrenofsyria!
Posted on 01/24/13 by Etienne
They fled their homes with nothing—more than two and a half million Syrian refugees. And now, a brutal winter has arrived.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrian children are cold, hungry, and suffering. They need blankets, clothing, shoes.
UNICEF is there, saving and protecting their lives, but we need your help.
Crisis in winter with for Syria's children
Posted on 01/21/13 by Etienne
Syria's children are bearing the brunt of the ongoing conflict. The situation is critical.
It is the coldest winter to hit Syria and its surrounding countries in 10 years. Refugee camps have been flooded by rain and blanketed in snow. UNICEF is appealing for urgent help to help protect children who are suffering in these extreme weather conditions.
Source: http://www.unicef.org.uk/Latest/Photo-stories/syrian-children-in-winter-crisis/
In the grip of conflict for two years, Syrian children have been forced from their homes and are spending this winter frightened and cold.
As the freezing weather worsens, UNICEF has now declared the crisis in Syria and its neighbouring countries to be the highest level of emergency for children.
This photo was taken in January in the Za'atari refugee camp in northern Jordan. The tent belonging to this boy and his family been flooded, and they have had to be evacuated while an alternative place to stay can be found.
© UNICEF/Helen Pattinson/Jordan 2013
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow asks the world to step up for Syrian refugees
Lebanon, 16 January 2013 – Lebanese communities who have taken Syrian refugees into their homes are setting an example of selflessness and community spirit that the world must match, says UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow.
Exceptionally tough winter
Ms. Farrow made the remarks at a Beirut press conference following a two-day visit to Lebanon during which she met some of the estimated 200,000 Syrian refugees living in host communities scattered across the country.
She said she had been emotionally affected by the conditions the refugees were facing in villages and informal settlements she’d visited in Wadi Khaled in the north and in the eastern Bekaa Valley.
The situation of the children and women who make up about three quarters of the fast-growing refugee population was especially worrying during what has been one of the toughest winters in the region in a decade.
“People are living in a foot of mud,” said Ms. Farrow. “It was appalling.”
Host families open their homes
At the same time, the internationally renowned actress and long-time UNICEF advocate said she’d been deeply touched by the way ordinary Lebanese families – themselves very poor – had opened up their homes and hearts to the incoming refugees.
On her visit, Ms. Farrow walked the remains of two floors of an unfinished cement house in Baalbeck in the Bekaa Valley where five families of Syrian refugees are sheltered. The freezing atmosphere was thawed by the warm and friendly hospitality of young Syrian children, who came to join her under the porch to show the way to the second floor, which had been recently rehabilitated.
Seeing the freshly cleaned tiles on the floor, she removed her boots, heavy with mud from her visit to a nearby makeshift camp. Sitting cross-legged, her notebook filled with sad stories, she listened carefully to the concerns of women and children gathered around her.
Hanna, the Lebanese host, had welcomed the 45 family members for almost a year in an apartment with one living room, two bedrooms and a kitchen. The large family eat together from one big platter.
They spoke so highly of Hanna. One grandmother said, with tears running down her face, that never in her life had she thought she would be with nothing. Her husband had been killed, and Hanna’s family had taken her in. While she grieved for what is lost, they lifted her up.
“Let’s be a community”
In response to the Syrian crisis, UNICEF Lebanon is stepping up its work, with a focus on providing drinkable water to refugees, and ensuring more Syrian children have access to school and specialist assistance for those most deeply distressed by their experiences of the conflict.
Under the Regional Response Plan issued in December 2012, UNICEF Lebanon is seeking US$35 million, of which less than one third is currently funded. Speaking at the Beirut press conference, UNICEF Lebanon Representative Annamaria Laurini pointed out that the United Nations’ US$1.5 billion appeal for the Syrian Arab Republic issued in December 2012 had produced only a minimal response.
“All the agencies are underfunded. We don’t have enough of anything – whether it’s clothes, shoes, medicines or other supplies,” said Ms. Laurini.
It is time for the international community to demonstrate a similar level of generosity as the one she witnessed in Baalbeck, said Ms. Farrow.
“My plea for the world is: Let’s be a community. When people are suffering to this degree, surely we can all step up.”
Aux Philippines, les écoles primaires publiques prennent en main la promotion des bonnes pratiques d'hygiène
ÎLE DE GUIMARAS, Philippines, 12 octobre 2012 - Les écoliers de cette petite province vallonnée du centre des Philippines ont une nouvelle « matière » de prédilection : le lavage des mains et le brossage des dents, intégrés à leur programme quotidien.
VIDÉO (en anglais) : La correspondante de l'UNICEF Anja Baron explique comment les écoles primaires publiques prennent en main la promotion des bonnes pratiques d'hygiène aux Philippines. Regarder dans RealPlayer Au cours des dernières années, le Ministère de l'éducation des Philippines a développé une campagne continue pour apprendre aux enfants des écoles primaires à se laver les mains avec du savon et à se brosser les dents avec du fluorure. Grâce à son programme de soins de santé essentiels « Essential Health Care Programme » (EHCP), appuyé par l'UNICEF, l'Agence allemande de coopération internationale (GIZ), l'ONG locale « Fit for School » et le partenaire du secteur privé Procter & Gamble, le Ministère de l'éducation promeut le lavage des mains et le brossage des dents, ainsi que le déparasitage auprès des enfants de la maternelle et du primaire.
L'UNICEF et son partenaire Proctor & Gamble ont rejoint cette initiative en 2010. La participation de l'UNICEF au programme a ajouté 3000 écoles à l'étendue initiale du programme.
Les habitudes en matière d'hygiène font partie de la routine quotidienne
À 10h30, les élèves de l'école primaire de Piña font la queue devant des lavabos récemment installés à l'extérieur de leurs salles de classe. Ils s'installent jusqu'à dix côte à côte et chantent la chanson « Ten little children » et « Happy birthday » pour rythmer leur brossage de dents et leur lavage de mains. Les enfants sourient et rient.
Les résultats du programme EHCP révèlent déjà de gros progrès quant à la santé des enfants et à leurs performances scolaires.
L'hygiène est indispensable pour une bonne santé
« Le lavage des mains et le brossage des dents réguliers sont les façons les plus simples et économiques de prévenir les maladies chez nos enfants », explique Jon Villaseñor, spécialiste WASH à l'UNICEF Philippines. « Pour seulement 25 Php, ou environ 50 cents des États-Unis (le prix pour se procurer du savon, du dentifrice et deux comprimés vermifuges), un enfant philippin peut déjà être soutenu pendant une année du programme », ajoute-t-il.
Des maladies comme la diarrhée peuvent largement être évitées grâce au lavage des mains avec du savon à des moments clés de la journée, par exemple avant de manger et après avoir utilisé les toilettes. En fait, les études montrent que l'intégration d'un lavage des mains au savon régulier dans les écoles primaires et dans les centres de soins peut aider à réduire l'incidence de la diarrhée de 30 pour cent en moyenne.
Le brossage de dents régulier permet d'éviter les caries dentaires, une cause commune d'absentéisme chez les écoliers aux Philippines. Une étude de Fit For School sur le programme EHCP a révélé que, lorsqu'il est correctement mis en place, le brossage de dents peut réduire l'absentéisme jusqu'à 27 pour cent, 47 pour cent pour les infections intestinales dues aux vers et 38 pour cent pour les infections orales. Les enfants participant au programme ont davantage de chances d'aller à l'école, d'y rester, et d'aller jusqu'au bout de leur scolarité.
La mise en oeuvre de l'EHCP à Guimaras
En un an, les 97 écoles primaires publiques de la province de Guimaras ont adopté le programme.
En qualité d'organisme de mise en oeuvre, le Ministère de l'éducation a déployé du personnel de terrain pour superviser le programme. Il a été demandé aux conseils municipaux de fournir des fonds supplémentaires. Le Ministère de la santé a fourni les comprimés vermifuges.
Les écoles ont été encouragées à faire construire des installations d'eau et d'assainissement en fonction de leurs moyens. Les communautés locales, les groupes civiques et les parents ont été sollicités pour participer via des contributions financières, matérielles ou des services sur la base du volontariat.
Une preuve du succès et de la popularité du programme est que nombreuses sont les écoles qui ont pu passer d'un simple lavabo et de configurations moins viables à des installations plus permanentes.
Una ciudad de Ucrania se adapta a las necesidades de los niños con discapacidad y les abre nuevas puertas
Posted on 12/06/12 by Etienne
VINNYTSYA, Ucrania, 4 de diciembre de 2012. Hace muy poco que Oleksandra (Sasha) Berehuta (13 años) asistió a la escuela por primera vez.
Sasha llevaba toda su infancia estudiando en casa. Va en una silla de ruedas y los edificios escolares no estaban adaptados a estudiantes como ella, es decir a los niños y niñas con discapacidad.
“Quería estudiar con otros niños y niñas”
Los días de Sasha eran muy aburridos. No podía comunicarse normalmente con otros niños de su edad. Le resultaba especialmente doloroso escuchar las interesantes historias sobre la vida escolar que le contaba su mejor amiga, Nastya. Se sentía atrapada y privada de actividades y aventuras interesantes.
“Estoy en una silla de ruedas desde que era muy pequeña, pero sólo me di cuenta de lo difícil que era cuando llegó la hora de ir a la escuela: no podía estudiar en un aula con otros niños”, explica. “Por supuesto, estoy muy agradecida a mi primera maestra, que me ofreció una educación básica muy buena para continuar mi aprendizaje, pero quería estudiar con otros niños”.
Una escuela se adapta
Este verano pasado, la escuela nº33 de Vinnytsya fue adaptada a las necesidades de los niños con discapacidad. Se construyó una rampa para el acceso en sillas de ruedas y se modificaron un aula y unos baños a nivel de la calle.
Estas y otras mejoras han sido posibles gracias a la Iniciativa de las ciudades acogedoras para la infancia. Mediante esta iniciativa, en alianza con las ONG y las municipalidades locales, UNICEF contribuye a establecer cambios que hacen que las vidas de los niños en las ciudades sean más cómodas y seguras, incluidas las vidas de los niños con necesidades especiales.
La integración parcial o total de los niños con necesidades especiales en los centros educativos, así como la incorporación de la educación integradora, son esferas esenciales para garantizar el derecho de estos niños y niñas a una educación accesible de calidad.
“¡Usted no puede ni siquiera imaginar lo feliz que soy!”, dice Sasha. “Finalmente tengo la oportunidad de reunirme con mis compañeros, de estudiar con ellos, de comunicarme. Es estupendo formar parte del grupo. Mi vida ha cambiado a medida que me he vuelto más independiente: puedo moverme libremente por la planta baja de la escuela y comer en la cafetería. Cuando tenemos lecciones sobre salud y seguridad al aire libre, todos vamos al estadio y mis compañeros me ayudan. Algunos me piden a veces que les ayude con los deberes y yo siempre estoy dispuesta a hacerlo”.
Sasha participa activamente en las actividades públicas de su escuela. Es miembro de la junta asesora infantil del ayuntamiento de Vinnytsya, donde presenta cuestiones que afectan a los niños y niñas con necesidades especiales. Asiste a grupos de aficiones en el palacio de la Ciudad de Vinnytsya, organizados para los niños y los jóvenes. Sasha también realiza prácticas profesionales de natación.
Según los aliados en Vinnytsya, dos proyectos realizados en 2011 –”Estudiar en términos de igualdad” y “Ofrece la mano a tu compañero”– beneficiaron a más de 100 de los 226 niños y niñas que estudian en su hogar en Vinnytsya y les integraron en los procesos educativos y pedagógicos.
Un seguimiento realizado en octubre de 2012 mostró que, durante el año académico de 2012–2013, un número parecido de niños asisten parcialmente a clases y/o actividades extraescolares en las escuelas que proporcionan educación general. Además, durante 2012, más de 20 niños con necesidades especiales han participado en varios grupos y círculos de aficiones organizados en el palacio para niños y jóvenes.
Ocho edificios educativos de la ciudad de Vinnytsya disponen en la actualidad de rampas para sillas de ruedas. Dos escuelas han modificado las aulas y baños a nivel de calle para garantizar un acceso libre y fácil a los niños con discapacidad. Se han organizado sesiones especiales de capacitación para los maestros, los progenitores y los estudiantes, con el fin de crear un clima favorable en la escuela para los niños con necesidades especiales.
“¡No hay nada imposible!”, dice Sasha. “No te detengas. No te encierres en casa con tus problemas, ¡trata de avanzar! Hay muchas personas cariñosas a tu alrededor que están dispuestas a ayudarte y hacer que nuestra ciudad sea más acogedora para la infancia”.
Sasha espera que las oportunidades que han surgido para ella y otros niños y niñas en su ciudad natal estén disponibles en el futuro en toda Ucrania.
Foto: © UNICEF UKRAINE/2012
In Ukraine, a city adapts to the needs of children with disabilities and opens new doors for them
VINNYTSYA, Ukraine, 4 December 2012 - Oleksandra (Sasha) Berehuta, 13, recently went to school for the first time.
Sasha had had to study at home. She is wheelchair-bound, and school buildings were not fit for students like Sasha – children with disabilities.
“I wanted to study with other children”
Sasha’s days were dull. She lacked normal communication with her peers. It was particularly painful for her to hear exciting stories about school life from her best friend Nastya. She felt trapped outside interesting events and adventures. “I’ve been using a wheelchair since early childhood, but it wasn’t until the time to go to school that I realized: I won’t be able studying in the classroom, at school with other kids,” she explains. “Of course, I am very grateful to my first teacher, who gave me very good basic education to continue my learning, but I wanted to study with other children.”
A school adapts
This past summer, Vinnytsya school #33 was adapted to the needs of children with disabilities. A wheelchair ramp was built, and a street-level classroom and bathroom were modified.
These and other improvements were possible thanks to the Child Friendly Cities Initiative. Under the initiative, in partnership with local NGOs and municipalities, UNICEF contributes to changes that make children’s lives in cities more comfortable and safe, including the lives of children with special needs.
Partial or full integration of children with special needs into educational establishments, as well as introduction of inclusive education, are key areas for ensuring the right of these children to accessible quality education.
“You cannot even imagine how happy I am!” says Sasha. “I finally got an opportunity to meet my classmates, to study with them, to communicate...It is so delightful to be a part of the group…I started a new life as I became more independent: I can freely move around the school’s ground floor and eat in the cafeteria. When we have outdoor health and safety lessons, we all go to the stadium, and my classmates help me. Sometimes they ask me to help with homework, and I am always there for them.”
Sasha is actively involved in her school’s public activities. She is a member of the children’s advisory board of the Vinnytsya city council, where she raises issues that concern her, her friends and other children with special needs. She attends hobby groups at the Vinnytsya city palace for children and youth. Sasha also attends professional swimming practices.
Programme reaches dozens of children
According to Vinnytsya partners, during 2011, two projects – ‘Studying on equal terms’ and ‘Offer a hand to your classmate’ – reached more than 100 of the 226 children who study at home in Vinnytsya and integrated them into educational and pedagogical processes.
Monitoring conducted in October 2012 shows that, during academic year 2012–2013, similar numbers of children are partially attending classes and/or extracurricular activities at schools that provide general education. In addition, during 2012, more than 20 children with special needs have participated in various hobby groups and circles, organized at the palace for children and youth.
Eight educational buildings in the city of Vinnytsya are now equipped with wheelchair ramps. Two schools have modified street-level classrooms and toilet facilities to ensure free and easy access for children with disabilities. Special training sessions have been organized for teachers, parents and students to create a favourable school climate for children with special needs.
“There is nothing impossible!” says Sasha. “Do not stop. Do not lock yourself up at home with your problems, but move forward! There are many caring people around you who are ready to help and make our city more friendly to all children.” Sasha hopes that the opportunities that have emerged for her and other children in her hometown will be available throughout Ukraine.
Child Friendly Cities was launched in 1996 to act on the resolution passed during the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements. The Conference declared that the well-being of children is the ultimate indicator of a healthy habitat, a democratic society and good governance.
Photos: © UNICEF UKRAINE/2012
On the twentieth International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a call to remove the barriers that prevent equal participation in society
Today is the twentieth International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Today, we call attention to the importance of promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and mobilizing support to build a more inclusive society.
The theme of this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities is ‘Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all’. UNICEF is asking partners to join efforts to make the theme a reality.
Removing barriers
People with disabilities remain one of the largest overlooked minorities in the world. Over one billion people – approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population – live with some form of disability. Included are some 93 million children aged 0–14 with disabilities who face discrimination in every aspect of their lives.
Barriers for children with disabilities and their families exist in different forms, including in negative attitudes, policies and legislation that discriminate and are not inclusive, or in physical environments that are not accessible.
Whether barriers block acceptance in school or on the playground, access to health services, basic nutrition or inclusion in emergency response, children with disabilities encounter them on a daily basis. They are prevented from participating equally in society.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which came into force in 2008, recognizes that these barriers are often more disabling than an individual’s impairment, itself.
“Imagine a world where all children are included…involved,” says UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “Where their talents are celebrated…where their contributions are recognized. Where they count. That is the world towards which UNICEF is working.” An accessible, barrier-free environment is the first step towards fulfilling the rights of children and people with disabilities. Let’s make it happen.
Creating a difference
UNICEF is working around the world in partnership with governments, donors, other United Nations agencies, civil society organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities towards creating an inclusive and accessible society for children with disabilities. UNICEF believes that an inclusive society will benefit not only children and adults with disabilities, but also the entire population. For a glimpse of how UNICEF is creating a difference for children with disabilities in different countries, please visit:
World Toilet Day – Why Eliminating Open Defecation is A Corporate Priority!
Posted on 11/19/12 by Etienne
World Toilet Day – is an opportunity to reflect on one of the most basic common needs of man (and woman!) – when you need to go, you need to go! Readers of the British Medical Journal voted sanitation the single greatest medical advance of the last 150 years, and yet more than 2.5 billion people globally still do not have access to a safe, clean toilet. Of these, 1.1 billion people (15% of the global population) have no sanitation facilities at all and practise open defecation, the riskiest sanitation practice in terms of human development outcomes.
Over the past years, the elimination of open defecation has been recognised as a key contributor to improved outcomes in the health and nutritional status of children and has emerged as an area where UNICEF programmes are achieving results at scale. This is being done through Community Approaches to Total Sanitation (CATS) - an approach that is rooted in community demand and leadership, focused on behaviour and social change, and committed to local innovation. As a result of our programming and evidence-based advocacy, this has become an area of focus internationally. Earlier this year, at the Sanitation and Water for All High-Level Meeting (April 2012), our Executive Director called for the elimination of open defecation and described it as an “affront to human dignity”. Since then, the WASH Section in New York has developed a strategy to support the elimination of open defecation in priority countries, where numbers of open defecators are highest.
At the global level, UNICEF will use World Toilet Day to raise public awareness on the sanitation crisis through a massive social media campaign that follows-on from Global Handwashing Day in October. For UNICEF offices around the world, World Toilet Day provides an opportunity to advocate with Governments and partners to prioritise the elimination of open defecation and to highlight some of the great work that is already being done. Over 50 UNICEF Country Offices are now supporting Community Approaches to Total Sanitation: through our direct support, more than 24 million people are now living in over 39,000 open defecation free communities; while an additional 88 million people now live in open defecation free communities thanks to indirect support, such as policy development and capacity building, to Government and partners.
Eliminating Open Defecation in the world’s newest nation
In East and Southern Africa, CATS programming has proven extremely effective at changing behaviour and creating social norms across a range of different countries and contexts. Recently emerging from decades of civil war, South Sudan is one of the latest countries to adopt CATS. With extremely low access to adequate sanitation - a mere 12.7% of the population regularly use improved latrines - many factors inhibit the adoption of improved sanitary and hygiene practices, including the high degree of instability wrought by war, on-going intra-tribal conflicts, and returnee movements, as well as harmful and often contrary customary beliefs and practices that deepen resistance to behaviour change. In 2012, to start to address these challenges, UNICEF spearheaded the introduction of CATS in South Sudan. To date, five villages have been declared ‘open defecation free’ (ODF), and a further 8 villages have reached over 90% latrine coverage and are soon expected to achieve open defecation free status.
On 1st November, the village of Adiem held the first ever ‘open defecation free’ celebration in South Sudan. The occasion was well attended by the local community, State government officials and international WASH partners, and was covered by South Sudan Television. After a transect walk across the village to see the improved sanitation situation, congratulatory speeches were interspersed by song and dance by the community, and a group of youth led the community in several “laps of honour” to celebrate their achievement.
This early success shows that CATS is a viable option even in the context of fragile states and in post-emergency situations. It also demonstrates the latent demand for sanitation that exists even in the most remote and conflict-afflicted communities and that the ability to affect change for sanitation is entirely within reach.
That's my toilet!
Posted on 11/19/12 by Etienne
Source: <>
Alka, 7, walks out of the her family's new toilet and wet room in Kali Hardia. The toilet and wet room were built as part of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program in Rajasthan, India.
Did you know that every $1 spent on sanitation brings a $5.50 return by keeping people healthy and productive?
Find out more by playing the World Wash Up game: goo.gl/VO9f8
© UNICEF/2012/Sachin Soni
That’s my toilet!
Posted on 11/16/12 by Etienne
Source: <>
Gajanan Narahari Hemane, 6, poses outside his residential toilet in Chandrapur District, Nagpur.
Did you know that the economic gains from investing in sanitation and water are estimated to be $170bn per year?
Learn more by playing the World Wash Up game: http://goo.gl/VO9f8
©UNICEF/2012/Dhiraj Singh
That’s my toilet!
Posted on 11/14/12 by Etienne
Source: <>
Savina, 4, washes her hands alongside her 7-year-old sister Dinda in Bali, Indonesia.
Handwashing with soap can prevent diseases that kill millions of children every year. The crucial times for doing it are after going to the toilet and before making, eating or touching food.
Find out more by playing the World Wash Upgame:
© UNICEF/2012/Anne-Cecile Esteve & Josh Estey
¡Este es mi inodoro! Parte II
Posted on 11/14/12 by Etienne
Fuente: <>
Savina, de 4 años, se lava las manos junto a su hermana Dinda, de 7 años, en Bali, Indonesia.
El lavado de manos con jabón puede evitar enfermedades que matan a millones de niños cada año. Los momentos cruciales para hacerlo es después de ir al baño y antes de cocinar, comer o tocar alimentos.
¡Aprende más jugando a nuestro juego: El Mundo se Lava
¡Este es mi inodoro!
Posted on 11/13/12 by Etienne
Fuente: <>
En el periodo previo al Día Mundial del Inodoro, que se celebra el 19 de noviembre, vamos a estar compartiendo fotos de niños y sus inodoros.
En la foto, Saurabh, de 14 años, Dilip, de 11 años, y Amanshu, de 12 años, están orgullosos de su inodoro en Ratanpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. Y así debe ser. Los inodoros limpios y seguros reducen considerablemente el riesgo de contraer enfermedades como la diarrea, que mata a 2.000 niños menores de 5 años todos los días.
¡Aprende más jugando a nuestro juego: El Mundo se Lava http://uni.cf/Sgzs7p!
© UNICEF/2012/Vicky Roy
Ce sont mes toilettes !
Posted on 11/13/12 by Etienne
Source: <>
À l'approche de la Journée mondiale des toilettes, le 19 novembre, nous partagerons des photos d'enfants et de leurs toilettes.
En photo, Saurabh, 14 ans, Dilip, 11 ans, et Amanshu, 12 ans, sont fiers de leurs toilettes à Ratanpur, Madhya Pradesh, en Inde. Et ils ont raison de l'être. Des toilettes propres et salubres réduisent de façon spectaculaire le risque de maladies comme la diarrhée, qui tue chaque jour 2 000 enfants de moins de 5 ans.
Pour en savoir plus, jouez au jeu World Wash Up: http://uni.cf/TWncN3
© UNICEF/2012/Vicky Roy
That’s my toilet!
Posted on 11/13/12 by Etienne
Source: <>
In the run up to World Toilet Day on November 19, we’ll be sharing pictures of children and their toilets.
Pictured, Saurabh, 14, Dilip, 11, and Amanshu, 12, are proud of their toilet in Ratanpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. And so they should be. Clean and safe toilets dramatically reduce the risk of diseases like diarrhoea, which kills 2,000 children under 5 every day.
Find out more by playing the World Wash Up game: http://uni.cf/PLDpkf
© UNICEF/2012/Vicky Roy
Calling Youth Filmmakers: UNICEF wants your perspective on disabilities and disability rights for its one minute video contest: “It’s About Ability!”
Posted on 09/19/12 by Etienne
Make a video reflecting the theme of children with disabilities, whether your own personal experience or in the world at large. Videos must be one minute in length and will be judged by professionals and youth from around the world. The winning video will be featured in the State of the World’s Children campaign. Read more details about the contest and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at bit.ly/1minVideoContest
Deadline is 15 December 2012.
Questions: unicef.youthvideocontest@gmail.com
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Website address: http://www.unicef.org/videoaudio/video_videocontest.html
Bit.ly address: bit.ly/1minVideoContest
South Sudan Youth Baseline study completed
Posted on 09/19/12 by Etienne
A recently concluded youth baseline study in the Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei and Upper Nile states of the republic of South Sudan show that many South Sudanese youth still have their rights unfulfilled, experience violence and wish to contribute towards the development of their country South Sudan.
The baseline study was part of a youth initiative funded by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in partnership with the government of South Sudan and UNICEF.
The initiative dubbed Youth LEAD (Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy and Development) is a three year initiative aimed at enhancing the development and participation rights of youth as well as advocating for favourable youth policy environment in the Republic of South Sudan.
In the baseline study, youth denounce violence, demand for education, youth friendly spaces and express their desire to contribute towards the development of their communities and country.
The baseline study findings have been used in the advocacy for South Sudan's revision of the existing Youth Policy. At a recent youth dissemination workshop hosted by the Ministry of Youth Culture and sports and facilitated by UNICEF, participating youth confirmed the dire youth situation in the country while at the same time expressing optimism that their country would overcome most of the development challenges.
The Sweet Taste of Peace
Difference is good. Difference is essential. Inclusion equals Peace.
The Chaeli Campaign, as a non-profit organisation working throughout South Africa mobilising the minds and bodies of children with disabilities, and with a vision to normalise society through advocacy, education programs and events, will be joining the world in the celebration of September as Peace Month, and 21st September as International Peace Day. Growing a more inclusive society provides an environment that is more accepting of difference and automatically leads to a more peaceful society.
To promote inclusion as an essential element to achieving a truly peaceful society, the Chaeli Peace Pops have been born and, in September, will coat the country in sweetness. Buy Peace Pops during September to support growing a more inclusive society!
The Chaeli Campaign is well placed to drive the message of inclusion and peace in South Africa as, in November 2011 Chaeli Mycroft (co-founder and face of The Chaeli Campaign) was awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize. This was followed, in April 2012, by the awarding of the Social Activism Award to Chaeli at the Nobel for Peace Summit in Chicago. To check out Chaeli’s acceptance speech, visit www.chaelicampaign.co.za.
Small pops (35mm) will cost R150 for 50, medium pops (50mm) will cost R210 for 30, with large pops (70mm) costing R150 for 10! The proceeds of the sale of the pops will go towards supporting the eight inclusion focused programmes run by The Chaeli Campaign.
To place your order for Peace Pops, please email Debbie@chaelicampaign.co.za or visit www.chaelicampaign.co.za to download the order form.
About the World Water Week in Stockholm
Posted on 08/29/12 by Etienne
World Water Week is hosted and organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and takes place each year in Stockholm. The World Water Week has been the annual focal point for the globe's water issues since 1991. Join us!
World Water Week niche and theme Each year the World Water Week addresses a particular theme to enable a deeper examination of a specific water-related topic. While not all events during the week relate to the overall theme, the workshops driven by the Scientific Programme Committee and many seminars and side events do focus on various aspects of the theme. The themes change each year, but each fits within a broader "niche" that covers several years. The grouping of themes within a niche is designed to develop a long-term perspective on a broad yet significant water and development issue. It also ensures that each year builds upon the previous years' outcomes and findings.
The current niche for 2009-2012 is "Responding to Global Changes", which looks at the potential and necessary responses in water policy, management and development to address pervasive and increasingly impacting global changes. The themes within the current niche are:
2009: Accessing Water for the Common Good 2010: The Water Quality Challenge 2011: Water in an Urbanising World
Waste Food, Waste Water — A Message From World Water Week
Posted on 08/29/12 by Etienne
World Water Week—an annual conference in Stockholm dedicated to discussing the management of global water resources—opened Monday with a message about cleaning your plate.
Food waste, according to experts at the conference, accounts for significant water waste.
A third to a half of all food grown globally either sits untouched on our plates or rots before it even gets there. A new report from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) states that 40 percent of food purchased in the U.S. is thrown away. (And a new documentary called Taste the Waste highlights the problem—see the trailer below).
World Water Week—an annual conference in Stockholm dedicated to discussing the management of global water resources—opened Monday with a message about cleaning your plate.
Food waste, according to experts at the conference, accounts for significant water waste.
A third to a half of all food grown globally either sits untouched on our plates or rots before it even gets there. A new report from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) states that 40 percent of food purchased in the U.S. is thrown away. (And a new documentary called Taste the Waste highlights the problem—see the trailer below).
An Italian food market. Photograph by Michael Moore.
This is a horrible habit when you consider that nearly one billion people in the world already suffer from hunger and malnourishment.
The number of human mouths to feed is expected to grown by 2 billion before 2050 and the same amount of water we use today—often already found in scarce amounts in many places—will have to be stretched to support all of the food and energy needs that come with an expanding population.
This is why food security is inextricably linked to water security.
We currently use about 70 percent of available global freshwater to irrigate crops and produce food. A single burger takes 660 gallons (2,500 liters) of water to produce, with much of that used to irrigate livestock feed. (Check on the water footprints of other foods in our interactive: The Hidden Water We Use.)
Water losses through food waste occur at home, but they also happen through inefficient food harvesting, transport, distribution, processing, and storage methods. (Related: 365 Trillion Gallons of Water Thrown Away With Our Food Every Year.)
“Feeding everyone well is a primary challenge for this century. Overeating, undernourishment and waste are all on the rise and increased food production may face future constraints from water scarcity,” said SIWI director of knowledge services Anders Jägerskog. “We will need a new recipe to feed the world in the future.” Anders is the co-author of the new SIWI report: “Feeding a thirsty world: Challenges and opportunities for a water and food secure world.”
Colin Chartres, Director-General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the winner of the 2012 Stockholm Water Prize said during World Water Week’s opening ceremony: “Feeding over nine billion people by 2050 is possible, but we have to reflect on the cost to the environment in terms of water withdrawals and land resources. … Saving water by reducing food waste, increasing productivity, plant breeding and waste water recycling are critical to all of us.”
Not to mention improved irrigation. Sandra Postel, who leads National Geographic’s Freshwater Initiative recently wrote a blog post for Water Currents about the promise of efficient drip irrigation systems. “As the world population climbs and water stress spreads around the globe, finding ways of getting more crop per drop to meet our food needs is among the most urgent of challenges,” she wrote.
Launching today at the conference is a movie about the costs of food waste by German filmmaker Valentin Thurn. Watch the trailer for Taste the Waste.
UNICEF Advocate Ishmael Beah calls for the end of recruitment of children in armed groups in Central African Republic
Posted on 08/24/12 by Etienne
GENEVA/ N’DELE, Central African Republic, 24 August 2012 – At the end of his five-day mission to the Central African Republic, activist and author Ishmael Beah said there were still armed groups using children as combatants and in other roles. Following a visit to conflict-affected towns in the northeastern region bordering Chad, Beah witnessed the release of 10 children from the armed group Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP).
The release took place at the military camp in Akroussoulback where Beah said: “These children have been through so much, but their release marks just the beginning. Many of the children have little to return to and limited opportunities. Long separated from their families or orphaned by conflict, they urgently require special care over the long-term. More funds are needed.”
Beah, himself forcibly recruited as a child by the armed forces in Sierra Leone, saw the 10 children received at a centre managed by UNICEF partner, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). The centre supports the rehabilitation of children and their transition back to their community, including programmes providing basic education, sports, cultural activities and skills-building for 45 children, aged 10 to18. Among the children were three girls.
The purpose of the centre is to help children overcome the effects of exposure to various forms of violence, abuse and exploitation, which they may have experienced over a prolonged period of time.
At the centre, Beah led discussions on war, loss, and recovery. “When you are conditioned to function in war, it takes time to know that something else is possible. I went through that myself,” he told the children.
Beyond the release, children associated with armed groups require continued support and follow-up for several years to ensure successful reintegration into families and communities.
Despite the validation of national policies on child protection, the presence of armed groups in towns and other populous areas present an ongoing threat, including re-recruitment of children previously associated with one or more groups.
“With commitments by armed groups in the Central African Republic in place, funds are urgently required so we can act quickly to release all children and ensure programmes are in place for their successful rehabilitation and reintegration.” said Beah.
UNICEF y MTV EXIT Latinoamérica anuncian el proyecto ganador del concurso contra la trata de personas: “Volviendo”
Posted on 08/22/12 by Etienne
Miami/Ciudad de Panamá, 20 de agosto de 2012 - El proyecto Volviendo fue elegido ganador del concurso internacional de UNICEF y MTV EXIT cuya misión ha sido la de crear conciencia sobre la explotación y tráfico de personas a través de la creatividad de los adolescentes y jóvenes de América Latina.
Volviendo, fue declarado ganador del concurso en el cual participaron 162 iniciativas durante seis semanas: del 24 de mayo al 5 de julio. Luisa Silva (mexicana) y Diego Traverso (chileno), junto a Brittany Lefebvre y Phillip Abraham de Estados Unidos, además de Rob Butters de Reino Unido, realizaron el documental “Volviendo” que retrata a las víctimas del tráfico sexual de jóvenes mujeres latinoamericanas en diferentes localidades a lo largo de América Latina, así como en la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos. El jurado conformado por UNICEF y MTV EXIT, determinó que Volviendo obtuvo el mayor puntaje al combinar la creatividad, ejecución y abogacía.
Los hermanos René Pérez Joglar (Residente) y Eduardo Cabra Martínez (Visitante), líderes del reconocido grupo musical puertorriqueño Calle 13, son parte de la campaña de UNICEF y MTV EXIT que se lleva a cabo en toda América Latina y que pretende concienciar sobre esta problemática. Como parte de ello, son los portavoces en el documental Esclavos Invisibles, que expone la realidad de este problema a través de las historias de personajes de la vida real, del cual se estima que más de 550 mil niños han sido víctimas en América Latina y el Caribe. El documental tiene como tema musical Prepárame la Cena, que forma parte del más reciente álbum de Calle 13, Entren los que quieran.
El premio que UNICEF y MTV EXIT otorgarán a Luisa Silva y Diego Traverso, será un viaje a Barranquilla, Colombia, para conocer a Calle 13 durante el concierto que darán en esa localidad el próximo 14 de septiembre. El popular dúo puertorriqueño está comprometido con la causa desde que protagonizará el documental “Esclavos Invisibles”, producido por MTV EXIT y UNICEF en 2011.
También como reconocimiento, los integrantes de Volviendo serán protagonistas de una cápsula que relatará los pormenores de su proyecto, el cual corrió varios riesgos durante su producción en varias zonas peligrosas de América Latina y Estados Unidos, pero con los objetivos claros de informar, prevenir y denunciar el tráfico y explotación de jóvenes mujeres latinoamericanas.
Entre las otras 162 iniciativas que llegaron a mtvla.com/exit, destacan tres proyectos finalistas que fueron considerados por su gran aporte: El primero realizado en México, DF titulado “No se trata: haz el cambio” de Lautaro Bonapelch (Argentina) y Gerardo Maldonado (México); “¿Por qué grita esa mujer?” de Marina Chiaradia y Jorgelina Molina en Coronel Dorrego (Argentina) y “24 horas para ser felices” de Paola Maldonado y Ana Benalcázar en Quito (Ecuador). Los finalistas recibirán un diploma de reconocimiento por su participación en el concurso.
Los jóvenes que participaron, descargaron la caja de herramientas de mtvla.com/exit, la cual sirvió como recurso creativo para que dieran a conocer los riesgos asociados a la trata de personas, la explotación sexual, el VIH/SIDA y crearán iniciativas propias para protegerse a sí mismos, a sus amigos, a su familia y a su comunidad.
A través de promesas o engaños, más de 550 mil niños y niñas han sido víctimas de la trata en América Latina y el Caribe. Muchos de ellos están en riesgo de exponerse a prácticas sexuales peligrosas y al posible uso de drogas, lo que aumenta el riesgo de que contraigan el VIH SIDA. La campaña MTV EXIT es un proyecto multimedia para aumentar la conciencia, la prevención de la trata de personas y la explotación, a través de la realización de programas de televisión, contenido en línea, eventos en vivo y oportunidades para que los jóvenes y adolescentes sean los protagonistas de esta iniciativa.
The Olympic feat of ending global hunger
Posted on 08/10/12 by Etienne
The London Summer Olympics have been chock full of wondrous achievements and inspiring moments: Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Sarah Attar, Oscar Pistorius, an impressive roster of African athletes rising from deep poverty to the medal platform. Just imagine the journey from Somalia or Sudan to a stadium filled with 80,000 people, flashbulbs sparkling like stars. Amazing.
Source: http://one.org/international/blog/the-olympic-feat-of-ending-global-hunger/
But the most inspiring, significant moment of all may still await us. On Sunday, as the sporting competition winds down and the athletes gather for the Closing Ceremony and the torch passes from London to Rio de Janeiro, another competition will be joined. It is a push to make a huge dent in hunger and childhood malnutrition before the next Opening Ceremony in Rio in 2016.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Brazil Vice President Michel Temer will host the Global Hunger Event and challenge the world’s leaders -– and all citizens, really -– to accelerate efforts to improve nutrition and reduce the rate of stunting among the planet’s poorest children in the next four years. The unofficial Olympic event -– with its Olympian ambitions -– aims to identify innovative ways to tackle malnutrition and create new champions to spur a global movement.
Hopefully, we’ll see some truly Olympian traits emerge from the Global Hunger Event. Traits like vision, dedication, ambition, urgency, momentum and focus. These should also apply to the quest for global food security; the Olympics have been unfolding against a backdrop of worsening global malnutrition, severe droughts in several parts of the world, dwindling food stockpiles and rising food prices.
Hopefully, the summit won’t be a one-off talk fest, a performance that appears every four years and then falls from view, like some of the sports that only capture our attention during the Olympics. Hopefully, the UK government can keep the focus on hunger and malnutrition through next year’s G8 meeting that it will host, and beyond. Hopefully, the Brazilians can keep hunger and malnutrition a top priority of the G20 nations. Focus, focus, focus -– the mantra of every world-class athlete.
Athletes are also all about momentum, and there has been plenty of momentum building in the fight against malnutrition. The Scaling Up Nutrition and the 1,000 Days movements, the G8’s recently launched New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition, President Obama’s Feed the Future initiative, ONE’s THRIVE campaign and the expanding efforts of a number of humanitarian organizations to end hunger through agricultural development, the World Health Assembly’s new target to reduce the number of stunted children by 40 percent by 2025. Keep it going, don’t let up.
Finally, every Olympian -– and every Olympic Games -– desires to leave a shining legacy. One motto of London is: “Inspire a Generation.” That’s wonderful. But let’s not leave the inspiration solely in the athletic realm and the scope of individual growth and success. The Olympic Global Hunger Event can inspire a generation to achievements bigger than themselves.
Faster, higher, stronger not for one, but for all.
Kirani James Gave Grenada Its First Ever Olympic Medal
Posted on 08/08/12 by Etienne
Never heard of Grenada?! Well, Kirani James certainly made a point of putting the island of 100,000 on the map!
Source: http://www.iriedaleinc.com/2009/kirani-james-gave-grenada-its-first-ever-olympic-metal/
Kirani James became a hero yesterday when he gave Grenada its first ever Olympic medal.
The 19-year-old stopped the clock at 43.94 seconds to win gold in the 400 meter finals.
James’ win sparked nationwide celebration across the tiny Caribbean island. Not only did Prime Minister Tillman Thomas called James to offer congratulations, but he also declared a half holiday. PM Thomas told a huge gathering in Kirani James’ hometown Gouyave that all government offices will be closed a 1 p.m. today. “I say it’s an historic occasion because he is the first Grenadian to obtain gold at the Olympics. Not only for Grenada but the OECS,” Thomas said.
“So it’s an historic occasion and we are all are proud of him. We want to let him know we’re going to support him and continue to do whatever we can to help him because he has made us proud,” Thomas added.
Kirani James became the first non American to ever clock a sub 44 seconds in the 400 meter race. The World Champion sprints home to break legendary athlete Michael Johnson’s All Comers Record of 43.98 seconds.
James’ win drew a huge crowd to Gouyave, a small fishing town on the west coast of Grenada.
“It’s a lot. The whole place is probably crazy right now,” James told reporters after the race. “I can’t even explain I am so excited.” urbanislandz
To be fair.
Posted on 08/08/12 by Etienne
My name is Shaarn Hayward and I am an Indigenous Australian. I am a descendant of the Wiradjuri People and grew up on the land of the Biripi People. When I introduce myself to someone I’m meeting for the first time I often say that I am an Indigenous Australian. “You don’t look it,” is the common response.
You see, even though I am of Indigenous descent, my skin is fair.
It has been said that 1 in 4 Indigenous Australians have non-Indigenous DNA as well. This is because of a number of reasons, but within my family it is because my Great-Great Grandmother was taken from her traditional home, family and culture, forced into slavery on a cattle station for European settlers. It was then that she met and married my Great-Great Grandfather who was originally from England. He had witnessed the mistreatment she was enduring and after complaining to their boss about this, she was given to him as payment.
They consequently fell in love and had 13 children together.
Their names have been changed numerous times through fear of their children being classified as “half castes” and taken away from them. A “half caste” is a racially discriminating term for an Indigenous person that is also of non-Indigenous descent; a ‘fair skinned’ Indigenous person. Other terms of discrimination I have come across are “part-Aboriginal” and even “quadroon”.
My family hid their Indigenous roots and their culture. In large part, this is why I am so keen to speak out about my Indigenous heritage.
I know that to be Aboriginal is something that cannot be shown through the tone of your skin but shines through your passion and spirit; it’s something that is held deep within.
You see, I am one of the lucky ones. Not only am I aware of my cultural background, I’m also aware of my family’s story. Not all Indigenous Australians are lucky enough to know who or where they come from because of the shameful parts of our country’s history.
I am also lucky enough to be born in a time where Indigenous People can be proud. Today, as we saw with the push to reconciliation, we have the support of mainstream society.
A more recent example is the national discussion around recognising the first people of Australia in the Constitution. It’s something that my Great-Great Grandmother would never have dreamed possible.
So next time you meet an Indigenous Australian who happens to have fair skin, before you doubt their Aboriginality and say “but you’re white”, please take the time to reflect on the history and the pain behind why this is a fact. Try to understand that spirit and culture are what marks us as Indigenous, not the colour of our skin.
Share your voice with the UNICEF Australia Young Ambassadors here of via their facebook page.
About the author: Shaarn Hayward is a member of the Biripi people, and is one of UNICEF Australia's young Indigenous representatives in 2012/13. Shaarn is currently studying a BA Law at UNSW and is passionate about advocating for Indigenous child rights. She has been involved as a youth representative at the NCIE National Indigenous Youth Forum on Constitutional Rights, March 2012, and also as a Nura Gili Student Ambassador for the UNSW Indigenous Centre.
Make breastfeeding easier for mothers, says UNICEF
Posted on 08/02/12 by Etienne
On the 20th anniversary of World Breastfeeding Week, UNICEF says strong national policies supporting breastfeeding could prevent the deaths of around 1 million children under five in the developing world each year.
Despite compelling evidence that exclusive breastfeeding prevents diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia that kill millions of children every year, global rates of breastfeeding have remained relatively stagnant in the developing world, growing from 32 per cent in 1995 to 39 per cent in 2010.
“If breastfeeding were promoted more effectively and women were protected from aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes, we would see more children survive and thrive, with lower rates of disease and lower rates of malnutrition and stunting,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.
Some of the roadblocks to improving breastfeeding rates are widespread and unethical marketing by makers of breast milk substitutes, poor national policies that do not support maternity leave, and a lack of understanding of the risks of not breastfeeding.
In June, world leaders meeting in Washington, D.C., pledged as part of the “Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed” movement to work toward ending preventable child deaths. World Breastfeeding Week provides an opportunity to restate the critical role of breastfeeding in reducing child mortality.
The 2008 Lancet Nutrition Series highlighted the remarkable fact that a non-breastfed child is 14 times more likely to die in the first six months than an exclusively breastfed child. Breast milk meets a baby's complete nutritional requirements and is one of the best values among investments in child survival as the primary cost is the mother’s nutrition.
“Breastfeeding needs to be valued as a benefit which is not only good for babies, mothers, and families, but also as a saving for governments in the long run,” said Mr. Lake.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1822/Piyanun Kiatnaruyuth, Thailand, 2011
An AIDS-free generation is in sight
Much has been said at AIDS 2012 about the need for care and support for children and adolescents living with HIV. But Nina Ferencic, UNICEF’s Regional Advisor on HIV and AIDS for the CEE/CIS countries, came away with heightened awareness of a particular aspect of the issue: the importance of incorporating the mental health dimension into care and support for this group.
Nina learned that adolescents living with HIV often have serious difficulties with depression, and can also face other psychological challenges including post-traumatic stress disorder. As a consequence, they may start using substances to cope. She’d like to see a much stronger focus on addressing their mental health needs
Nina was also struck by the approach used in a German HIV prevention campaign aimed at adolescents. Titled “I Know What I’m Doing” (Ich Weiss Was Ist Tu), it conveys the message that teenagers and young people are capable of making their own choices — including choices that might include knowingly risking exposure to HIV infection. The idea, of course, is that they will choose not to risk infection, and will reach that decision on their own — not because they’ve been told to do so.
Many prevention campaigns simply tell young people to protect themselves against the epidemic — and give them information on how to do that — without acknowledging that they have the capacity to make decisions in their own best interest. “I Know What I’m Doing” stands out by emphasizing the fact that adolescents have agency — and trusting that they will use it wisely.
Photo: A psychologist holds a condom as she speaks with Denis, aged 20, about HIV prevention at a youth-friendly clinic in the port city of Odessa, Ukraine. The country has one of the fastest-growing HIV infection rates in Europe. |Photo credit: © UNICEF/NYHQ2005-1820/Giacomo Pirozzi
Highlights from Day Two at AIDS 2012, including Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates and Sir Elton John
Posted on 07/25/12 by Etienne
View highlights from speeches and remarks made on 23 July 2012 during the opening day of AIDS 2012 in Washington, D.C. Speakers include U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bill Gates, and Sir Elton John.
Financial Literacy by the Numbers
Source: http://www.lemonadeproject.tk
With over $15 trillion in debt, the American government is certainly burdened by its finances. But it's not only the American government that struggles with personal finance management.
According to the Survey of Consumer Finances conducted by the Federal Reserve Board in 2007, half of Americans do not maintain a budget. What's more, 1 in 9 Americans ages 18-24 spend forty percent of their income to pay off debt.
Perhaps most alarming, however, is the fact that 1 in 5 Americans live beyond his or her means. Are you smarter than that fifth American?
Bankruptcy and financial ruin are serious problems. But don't let it become your problem.
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Join the movement. Support financial education.
MTV's Shuga Radio
MTV’s Shuga hit our screens capturing the attention of most Kenyans. The series choose TV as its means to broadcast the program whose aim was to create HIV awareness and educate the youth on safe measures to carry out in order to refrain from getting infected with the virus.
Source: http://www.kenyan-post.com/2012/06/mtvs-shuga-to-be-aired-on-radio.html
MTV’s Shuga hit our screens capturing the attention of most Kenyans. The series choose TV as its means to broadcast the program whose aim was to create HIV awareness and educate the youth on safe measures to carry out in order to refrain from getting infected with the virus.
The catchy show became the topic of discussion all over the country. However, what about the people in rural areas who missed it due to lack of TV? Did they just miss out on the infotainment MTV program?
Well. I have good news for them. Shuga: Love Sex Money, MTV Staying Alive and MTV Shuga have announced the first season of Shuga Radio.
Yes. The series will now be conveyed using radio. The official promo of the radio drama series has just been released and the premiere is expected very soon before the end of the month. The radio station that it will air has not yet been revealed.
Rio + 20: Lifting up Children’s Voice on Climate Change in Viet Nam
Ha Noi, 18 June 2012 – “Everyone should feel they have a responsibility when it comes to climate change, and the first step we should take is to save energy”, 15 year-old Vo Giang Ha said proudly. “Children and young people are the most vulnerable to climate change, but they are also agents of change and can become part of the solution”, Ha added.
The young boy is one of a group of six young people aged 13-17 that were trained in filming and engaged in discussions around the theme of climate change, at a workshop in the coastal province of Quang Bing, in central Viet Nam, from 18 to 20 May. The three-day training was supported by UNICEF, in partnership with Viet Nam’s Youth Union – one of the country's largest mass organisations - and with funding from Norway.
The young people also planned, scripted and filmed a 6-minute video telling the story of a fishing community in the province, where a number of homes and a school were washed away by more frequent and devastating storms. The film not only focuses on climate change-induced challenges increasingly faced by coastal communities of Viet Nam, but also on possible ways to fight against the odds and how communities and children can be part of the solution.
A difficult legacy for Viet Nam’s next generation
During the workshop a number of discussions and brainstorming sessions around climate change and sustainable development took place. “That’s not fair! As children, we have nothing to do with global warming, yet this is what we inherit from our parents and grand-parents”, said 15 year-old Hoang Mai Trinh at one of these sessions. “Young people are the next generation. They are exposed to new concepts and trends, they can definitely come up with new ideas to cope with issues of their times. They should be listened to as much as adults when it comes to climate change!”
According to scientific data, Viet Nam ranks 13th of 170 countries deemed vulnerable to the impacts of climate change over the next 30 years, and is one of 16 “extreme risk” countries, due to its high level of poverty, dense population, exposure to climate-related events, its reliance on flood- and drought-prone agricultural land. In addition, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has identified the Mekong Delta as one of three ‘extreme’ global hotspots in terms of potential population displaced as a result of mean sea level rise. By 2050, as many as one million people risk being displaced in the Mekong Delta.
According to Vietnamese government’s climate change scenarios, the average annual temperature is due to rise by over 2 degree Celsius by 2100 compared to the last decades of the 20th century. By 2100, it has been estimated the number of heat waves will double, the total annual rainfall will increase and the probability of extreme rainfall events and flooding will also increase. In Viet Nam, as in other developing countries, children are among those hit the hardest by the emerging impacts of climate change, although they have the least responsibility for its causes. The types of climate risks confronting children are diverse, ranging from direct physical impacts, such as cyclones, storm surges and extreme temperatures, to impacts on their education, psychological stress and nutritional challenges. Agents of change Illustrating the vulnerability of Viet Nam to natural disasters, in 2011, a series of tropical storms and typhoons filled the Mekong River to record levels, causing widespread flooding. “The Mekong Delta floods cost 89 lives, 75 of which were children. In other words: those who have least contributed to climate change are suffering most from its consequences. Since almost one in three people in Viet Nam are children younger than 18, this is a population group to be reckoned with”, says Ms. Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Viet Nam’s Representative. “Yet Viet Nam’s children and young people have knowledge on global issues threatening our planet, they are ready to bring about social change. As world leaders in the Rio + 20 Conference on sustainable development gather this week to discuss the future of our planet, they should include young people in these discussions and ensure they are part of the response to climate change”.
Adaptation solutions
During the filming exercise, the young people had the opportunity to interact with communities directly impacted by climate change-induced natural disasters and conduct investigations on the issue. They interviewed fishermen in the commune of Nhan Trach and Quang Binh province’s Committee for Disaster and Storm Control – whose role is to look at disaster preparedness and ensure availability of early warning systems. They also talked to workers at a dyke construction site meant to protect the village from upcoming storms and typhoons, and to young people involved in a reforestation project, which is one of the most effective forms of coastal protection.
“We don’t think the government is listening enough to young people. They should do more of it. We hope through the video our voices will be heard by our leaders. We also hope this film will contribute to raise awareness of climate change in Viet Nam and let everyone know they can take action to reduce the impact it will have on our lives”, said Hoang Mai Trinh.
Caption Photo 1: During a three-day workshop in the coastal province of Quang Bing, in central Viet Nam, six young people were trained in filming and climate change, then planned, scripted and filmed a 6-minute video on climate change-induced challenges faced by their communities. Credits: UNICEF/ Viet Nam/2012/Bisin
Caption Photo 2:“Last year there was a powerful storm and we were flooded. People living in rural areas were the most affected”, 14 year-old Truong Phuong Nhung remembers. Credits: UNICEF/ Viet Nam/2012/Bisin
Caption Photo 3:“As children, we have nothing to do with global warming, yet this is what we inherit from our parents and grand-parents”, said 15 year-old Hoang Mai Trinh at the video workshop in Quang Binh province. Credits: UNICEF/ Viet Nam/2012/Bisin
Caption Photo 4: Caption: The film by young people from Viet Nam’s Quang Binh province tells the story of a fishing community where a number of homes and a school were washed away by more devastating storms. Credits: UNICEF/ Viet Nam/2012/Tran Phuong Anh
El compromiso con la supervivencia infantil: Una promesa renovada
Posted on 06/14/12 by Etienne
¿Piensas que los niños tienen derecho de vivir? Entonces mira el stream en vivo de la conferencia “El compromiso con la supervivencia infantil: Una promesa renovada” en www.apromiserenewed.org y participa a través de Twitter usando #Promise4Children!
También puedes subir tu promesa (en cualquier idioma) para los niños del mundo en www.uni.cf/facebookapp
Reducir la Mortalidad Infantil: Sí se puede
Cada año millones de niños mueren por causas que como sociedad tenemos ya el poder de prevenir y por enfermedades que ya tenemos la capacidad de tratar. Tenemos la tecnología, sabemos cómo y tenemos la responsabilidad de cumplir con nuestro compromiso de dar a todos los niños sin importar su nivel económico, una oportunidad justa para sobrevivir y prosperar.
La brecha de la mortalidad infantil entre países ricos y países pobres sigue siendo grande, sin embargo hay evidencia clara y convincente de que las tasas de mortalidad infantil en los países en vía de desarrollo pueden reducirse a niveles cercanos a los de los países más ricos, mediante intervenciones efectivas y de alto impacto, en los niños que más lo necesitan y sus familias.
La mortalidad infantil ha disminuido sin precedentes durante las dos últimas décadas en las que la cantidad de muertes de menores de cinco años se ha reducido de más de 12 millones en 1990 a 7,6 millones en 2010 y esto es prueba de que es posible disminuir la mortalidad infantil.
Se ha hecho mucho pero queda todavía más por hacer: acciones concretas como el empleo de productos simples y económicos para brindar tratamientos, pueden evitar la muerte de millones de madres y niños. A nivel mundial, unas 800 mujeres mueren diariamente debido a complicaciones del alumbramiento, como la hemorragia y la eclampsia materna, y todos los años mueren de neumonía más de 1,3 millones de niños y niñas y más de 8 de los 136 millones de mujeres que dan a luz sufren pérdidas excesivas de sangre en el alumbramiento. Son todas complicaciones que con los medicamentos adecuados pueden ser tratadas.
Un servicio sanitario eficiente que preste servicios a la población de manera equitativa, podría ser definitivamente un buen comienzo para salvar y mejorar la salud de las mujeres, los niños y los jóvenes de muchos países en vía de desarrollo.
El compromiso se renueva y muchas personas/instituciones y gobiernos se suman a los esfuerzos por prevenir la mortalidad infantil. "Una promesa renovada: Comprometidos con la superviviencia de los niños" es la nueva campaña de Unicef junto a otras agencias de naciones unidas para impulsar la movilización del sector público, privado y de las organizaciones de la sociedad civil hacía la reducción de la mortalidad infantil y maternal y apoyar a los distintos países a alcanzar los objetivos del milenio 4 y 5 para el 2015.
Y tú cuáles crees que son las acciones concretas que se deben tomar para disminuir la mortalidad de madres y recién nacidos? Sigue más actualizaciones en La Juventud Opina y a través del hashtag #promise4children en Twitter.
Imagen: Una enfermera registra la huella de un recién nacido justo después de su nacimiento en Beijing, China. © UNICEF/NYHQ1993-0407/Roger LeMoyne China, 1993
Photoshop, Self-Image, and Eating Disorders
It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder. And with the media industry producing images that distort public perception of body image, it's not hard to see why.
Britney Spears has allowed pre-photoshopped images to be compared alongside digitally-altered ones. Now, people can see not only the difference, but the truth as well.
Violence against Children in the Spotlight at Caribbean Meeting: Meet Craig
Posted on 05/24/12 by Etienne
There are many ways to describe the experience that I have been given the opportunity to witness. Originally I had the standard expectation of a conference, a long and monotonous ceremony where I would be lectured and put to sleep with no chance to offer input and everything be laid out in front of me. It was quite the opposite upon my arrival I have been met with nothing but participation and enthusiasm from both my fellow juices of our creative young minds for the betterment of children around the world and for this I express a million thanks for this marvellous and creative opportunity.
-Craig, Young Media team of the conference, Jamaica
About the event: Caribbean leaders converged in Jamaica on May 14-15, to discuss stepping up efforts to tackle the regional epidemic of violence against children. The meeting was organized by the Global Movement for Children in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Office of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Violence against Children, the Government of Jamaica and the CARICOM, with support from local partners and focused on the recommendations of the United Nation's study on violence against children (2006).
Rompiendo el Silencio: el abuso sexual infantil en el Caribe
Kingston, Jamaica, 15 de mayo de 2012 – Un niño de nueve años violado sistemáticamente por el pastor con el que su madre lo dejaba mientras ella trabajaba; un bebé de 18 meses que muere con los órganos internos desgarrados porque su tío lo violó; una niña pequeña infectada con VIH, gonorrea, sífilis y herpes por un tío que entraba y salía de la cárcel.
Estos son algunos de los casos que ha tratado Sandra Knight, una médico general que trabaja en el hospital pediátrico de Kingston desde hace 10 años. Los horrendos casos la han atormentado e impulsado a actuar y hablar con la prensa. El relato de la doctora Knight conmocionó a Jamaica y disparó una avalancha de artículos periodísticos de portada en todo el Caribe de habla inglesa sobre abuso sexual de niños.
“Sentía que mis colegas se estaban volviendo complacientes en este tema”, manifestó Knight. “A la vez, sentía un tsunami frente a mí y me estaba afectando, porque yo también tengo una hija de seis años. Vi a estos niños morir, enfermar, quedar traumatizados de por vida”, agregó.
Una emergencia silenciosa
El abuso sexual infantil suele resguardarse en el silencio y la vergüenza. Aunque la mayor parte de los casos de abuso se ocultan, sabemos que casi 150 millones de niñas y 73 millones de niños menores de 18 años han experimentado un coito forzado u otras formas de violencia sexual en todo el mundo (OMS 2002). En el Caribe, la violencia sexual muchas veces no es reportada y el abuso suele ser aceptado. Un estudio realizado el Jamaica indica que muchos hombres creen tener derecho a establecer relaciones sexuales con las niñas bajo su cuidado, y que niños en Guyana creían que la violencia sexual muchas veces es el resultado de la ropa utilizada por las víctimas. La violencia sexual contra los niños es la menos reportada y, en algunos países, ni siquiera se la considera un crimen.
“El abuso sexual ocurre en todas partes: en el hogar, en la escuela y en otras instituciones, y tiene graves consecuencias físicas, psicológicas y sociales, no solo en niñas y niños, sino también en la trama social. Es uno de los principales factores de transmisión del VIH, y por eso no sorprende que esta región tenga una de las mayores tasas de prevalencia de VIH y SIDA del mundo”, subrayó Nadine Perrault, asesora regional de Protección de la Infancia para América Latina y el Caribe.
“Nuestra experiencia en la prevención y respuesta ante el abuso sexual nos ha enseñado que las leyes por sí mismas no logran proteger a los niños, principalmente debido al silencio que rodea a este fenómeno y a los riesgos que las víctimas corren si denuncian los hechos: estigma, vergüenza, daño y más violencia. Además, muchas veces los niños no saben a quién acudir”, agregó. En un esfuerzo por acabar con el tabú que rodea al abuso sexual infantil, la Universidad de las Indias Occidentales en Trinidad y Tobago creó la campaña “Osito de peluche”.
Con la imagen de un osito de peluche azul con un parche en el corazón y la consigna “Rompe el silencio”, la iniciativa ha servido para crear conciencia y movilizar a una amplia variedad de asociados gubernamentales y no gubernamentales para la protección de los niños frente al abuso sexual.
La campaña fue tema de debate en la Conferencia subregional de seguimiento del Estudio del Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas sobre la Violencia contra los Niños (2006), que tuvo lugar en Kingston esta semana. Actualmente, UNICEF trabaja para ampliar esta campaña a otros países del Caribe.
“Algo de esta conferencia que me afectó profundamente fue descubrir la altísima tasa de abuso sexual que hay en el Caribe”, declaró Marta Santos Pais, representante especial del Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas sobre la violencia contra los niños. “Creo que todos los actores de la región están profundamente comprometidos a actuar y muy entusiasmados por la oportunidad de reproducir la campaña Osito de peluche. Confío en que la campaña se repita y adapte en cada país, y en que tengamos mayor conciencia, mayor compromiso y menos casos que lamentar”.
Defender los derechos propios
En marzo de 2012, Taisha (nombre ficticio), de 15 años, volvió a pelear con su madre, quien la echó de la casa. Taisha se fue a la casa de su hermana, y fue allí donde su hermano de 19 años llegó y la violó, para huir después. Aunque traumatizada, Taisha no perdió el tiempo y lo denunció a la policía.
El departamento de policía de Jamaica tiene una unidad especial para este tipo de delitos: el Centro de investigación de delitos sexuales y abuso infantil (CISOCA, por sus siglas en inglés). Cuando un niño se presenta en un hospital o una dependencia policial para denunciar que ha sufrido abusos, se llama al CISOCA. Un funcionario especialmente capacitado entrevista a la familia, mientras otro permanece con el médico que examina al niño.
“Mi madre no me creía y yo no sabía qué hacer, entonces decidí ir sola a la policía”, contó Taisha.
A diferencia de Taisha, la mayoría de los niños son acompañados por sus madres, muchas de las cuales han sido víctimas de abuso también.
“Es un círculo vicioso”, explicó Knight. “Las madres que sufrieron abusos de niñas y no obtuvieron ayuda ven que la historia se repite en sus hijos y no hacen nada o los culpan a ellos, porque lo ven de una manera distorsionada. Algunas sienten tanta vergüenza que no quieren que sus hijos pasen por eso y lo ocultan”.
Taisha está ahora en un hogar seguro, asiste a la escuela y piensa en una nueva vida. “A las niñas y adolescentes de todo el mundo que pasaron por lo mismo que yo les diría que mantengan la cabeza en alto, que están aquí por alguna razón, y que no deben permitir que lo ocurrido las detenga en su camino”, dijo. “Acudir a las autoridades es lo mejor que se puede hacer, porque guardárselo no sirve de nada”, aconsejó.
10 Years After: Meet Yvonne
I attended UNGASS as a member of the Kenyan Government delegation 10 years ago. I don’t think I fully grasped the impact of that opportunity at the time. It was the first time the Kenyan government had ever taken on any children on their delegation for any negotiations. I was terribly excited, particularly because they really made me feel like a valuable and significant part of the team despite my age.
I was around 13 at the time and UNGASS was my second opportunity to be in New York as I had already attended the preparatory session the previous year. My family was incredibly supportive, in light of their slight nervousness at me being away from home without them for almost two weeks! I had been involved with a number of initiatives leading up to UNGASS, including organizing events catered to engaging young people in dialogue with policy makers, written several published articles, edited youth publications and hosted a television program that featured young people who were doing great things around the country. I was and still am, very passionate about the engagement of young people and the power of our contribution when given a chance. Being invited to UNGASS and as a government delegate nonetheless was a blessing! I had so much to share, so much I still wanted to learn and I knew that UNGASS would be a phenomenal chance to express that power of our contribution.
I must say, I came in with high expectations. I was asked to chair a number of side events prior to the event and even to participate in a dialogue with Nelson Mandela. My only concern was the quality of my contribution and participation, I was worried that UNGASS would give young people several opportunities to be seen as being heard, but I wasn’t convinced that anything we said would be taken seriously or would motivate immediate action. While I appreciated the opportunities to attend and participate in the main meetings with the adults, it was the meeting held concurrently for the children that was a highlight for me. We were having conversations and expressing concerns that were the same despite the fact that we all represented different countries! Another great thing is the young people’s meeting was completely void of political affiliations and values, we knew what was best for us and for our futures and we expressed that without fear of political limitations. To this day, I remain in close contact with several of the young people I met during UNGASS. In fact, our advocacy work has on several occasions crossed paths and we are considering how to partner on some key projects in the coming years.
Furthermore, I am pleased to note that a lot has changed in Kenya in the past 10 years. For one, the advocacy work of many prior to and after UNGASS eventually led to the provision of free basic education for all children. In the media and civil society, the participation of young people is visibly even more prevalent. The voice of young people has become a lot louder, less of an obligation and more of a necessity in understanding long term development.
It's time for Soccer Aid 2012!
Posted on 05/22/12 by Etienne
On 27 May England will take on the Rest of the World in a football match that will help save and change children’s lives. Two teams of celebrities and football legends, captained by Robbie Williams and Michael Sheen, will go head to head at Old Trafford, Manchester for a chance to lift the Soccer Aid trophy.
You can support UNICEF and help children around the world by buying tickets, watching the game live on ITV1 or making a donation. Thanks to the the UK Government all donations to Soccer Aid will now be matched pound for pound so we can help even more children around the world!
For match updates and news you can follow @unicef_uk on Twitter or Facebook.f you’re following the match on Twitter please use the #socceraid hashtag and lets @unicef_uk know what you think by tagging them in your posts.
What is Rio+20? Why should I care?
Posted on 05/18/12 by Etienne
This year is the 20th anniversary of the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. From 20-22 June, decision-makers will again meet in Brazil to see what has been done, and what has not in the last twenty years. We hope to take you there, at least virtually, and make sure the work YOU are doing as a volunteer is made known to them.
Twenty years ago, the UN Earth Summit brought together 172 governments and thousands of representatives from the NGO community to put a stop to what was regarded as a cycle of decline in development. It was recognized that nothing short of a transformation of our attitude and behaviour would bring about the changes that were urgently needed in order to protect the planet from the effects of both poverty and over-consumption.
Now, in June 2012, we return to Rio with new hope of real political commitment for a new way of thinking about our future and the planet. The expressed aim of the conference is to identify the main gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the previous major summits on sustainable development, and to address the new and emerging challenges we face now.
It is with this last point - the addressing of the new and emerging challenges - that we need your help by not only tweeting but adding your issue area under Step 2 of the website! We want to take the issues that you consider important as volunteers and make them heard by those formulating agreements in Rio. It is our hope that the voice of the volunteer can impact the decisions of those holding the pens in Rio. So speak up, your opinion matters!
Find out more about Volunteer Action Counts! here!
What is MyCity+20?
MyCity+20 is a movement aiming to educate and mobilize young people on sustainable development issues, through simulations of the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development.
This growing global movement challenges young people to simulate the UN negotiations, to think about what is happening in the world and to personally commit to act for a prosperous future. By organizing simul-actions all over the world, MyCity+20 is educating and mobilizing thousands of young people to make a better tomorrow.
Throughout the MyCity+20 events, young people have worked together with one idea in mind: we cannot afford to fail. And they came up with youth statements, principles and ideas that will make a better tomorrow. This is why we decided to build upon the outcomes of the MyCity+20 events and to make these principles and ideas available online so that everyone can support them.
We are convinced that if we speak up clearly enough, from many countries, from many cities, if we bring together a hopeful and meaningful message, we can bring about positive change.
MyCity+20 events have already taken place in Dhaka, Guangzhou, Kinshasa, Mumbai, New York, and Vienna. Upcoming events are planned in Kathmandu, Hidalgo, Rio de Janeiro, Rotterdam, Sao Paolo, Brisbane, Mexico City, Yaounde, and Paris.
No innocent bystanders: fighting child sexual abuse in the Caribbean
Kingston, Jamaica, 15 May 2012 – A nine-year old boy systematically raped by the pastor his mother left him with while she went to work, an 18-month old baby boy dying because his inner organs were destroyed when his uncle raped him, a little girl who was infected with HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis and herpes by an uncle who was in and out of prison.
Those are some of the cases which Dr Sandra Knight, a general practitioner who has worked with the pediatric hospital in Kingston for the past 10 years, has treated and which have tormented her and pushed her to take action and speak to the press. Dr. Knight’s account created uproar in Jamaica and an avalanche of front page stories on sexual abuse of children have followed. “I felt that my peers were becoming complacent about this issue,” says Dr. Knight. “But I felt I had a tsunami in front of me which was affecting me because I also have a 6 year old daughter. I saw these children dying, getting sick, being traumatized for life.”
A silent emergency
Child sexual abuse is often shrouded in secrecy and abetted by shame. While most abuse is hidden, we know that nearly 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 have experienced forced sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual violence worldwide (WHO 2002).
In the Caribbean, 47.6% of girls and 31.9% of boys reported in a study that their first intercourse was forced or coerced by family members (WHO 2000). In Jamaica, according to the Ministry of Health, 33% of girls and 18% of boys aged 10 to 15 did not consent to their first sexual encounter (UNICEF 2011).
“Sexual abuse happens everywhere---at home, school, and in other institutions and has a serious physical, psychological and social impact, not only on girls and boys, but also on the fabric of society. It is one of the main factors that contribute to HIV infections, and that is why it is not surprising that this region has one of the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS worldwide,” says Nadine Perrault, Regional Child Protection Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Our experiences in preventing and responding to sexual abuse have taught us that laws by themselves have been ineffective in protecting children mainly because of the “silence” surrounding the issue and the risks that victims face in speaking out----risks such as stigma, shame, harm and further violence. And, then often children do not know where to turn.”
In an effort to address the taboo surrounding child sexual abuse the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago developed the Teddy Bear Campaign. Using the image if a blue Teddy with a Band-Aid over his heart and the tagline “Break the Silence” this initiative has been used to raise awareness and mobilize a wide range of government and non-governmental partners in protecting children from sexual abuse.
The campaign was discussed during the Sub-Regional Meeting for follow-up to the 2006 UN Study on violence against children which took place in Kingston this week. UNICEF is currently working to expand the reach of this campaign to other countries in the Caribbean.
“Something that has touched me deeply in the discussions that took place during this conference is the really high incidence of sexual abuse in the Caribbean,” says Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative for the Secretary General on Violence against Children.
“I think everyone in the region seems incredibly committed to moving forward and very encouraged by the opportunity to replicate the Teddy Bear campaign. I am confident that the materials will be replicated and tailored to each country and we will have greater awareness, greater commitment and fewer cases to be regretted.”
Get up, Stand up
In March 2012 15 year-old Taisha (not her real name) had yet another fight with her mother who kicked her out of the house. She went to her sister’s house and was there when her 19-year-old brother came by, raped her and left. Shocked and hurt Taisha wasted no time and went to the police to denounce him.
Jamaica’s police department has a special unit dealing with these types of crimes: the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA). When a child goes to the police or to a hospital and says he or she have been abused CISOCA is called. One especially trained officer will interview the family while another will remain with the doctor while the child is being examined. “My mom didn’t believe me and I didn’t know what else to do so I decided to go to the police by myself,” says Taisha.
Unlike Taisha, most children are brought in by their mothers many of which have been themselves victims of abuse.
“It is a vicious cycle,” says Dr Knight. “Mothers who have been abused as children and who did not get help see this again in their children and don’t do anything about it or resent them for it, looking at it in a distorted way. Some of them felt so much shame that they don’t want their children to go through that and cover it up.”
Taisha is now in a safe home where she is attending school and thinking about how to carve a new life. “If I were to talk to girls in the same situation all around the world I would tell them to keep their head up high and remember that they are here for a good reason and they should not let what they’ve been through stop them in their tracks,” says Taisha. “Going to the authorities is the best thing to do because keeping it to yourself will not help.”
Photo: © UNICEF/NYHQ2008-0270/Susan Markisz Jamaica, 2008
Live below the line - LAST DAY...
It's 5h30 on Friday afternoon and I'm close to finishing the challenge. My final thoughts:
surviving on $7.50 a week is tough, tougher than I thought it would be
i had underestimated the impact on my emotional health - you need more food than this to feel good
it was a great way to raise money, almost 2000 dollar so far!
i'm so grateful for being able to go back to "normal" and will keep those in mind who don't have that luxury
- we had a great team in Cincinnati, it was so powerful to come together to do this
See you next year...!
The unlikely story of Caroline Barebwoha
Posted on 05/10/12 by Etienne
Caroline Barebwoha was 15 when she heard that she was selected to participate in the 2002 United Nations Special Session on Children in New York. She was living in a small town in southern Uganda and had never travelled out of the country or stepped on an airplane. So it is not surprising that her first reaction was to jump up and down in excitement.
Caroline’s selection was based on her performance in a national competition held in primary and secondary schools that tested the debating skills of future leaders. Caroline won the contest, which qualified her to represent Uganda’s children in New York.
Listen to Caroline, telling you her story!
Meg lives below the line
Somehow, at the end of our week of office-wide Live Below the Line challenge, it did not seem unreasonable to order a bacon cheeseburger and macaroni and cheese for the same meal.
A few days previous, the Global Poverty Project New York team began our Live Below the Line odyssey at Trader Joe's in Union Square, where we purchased groceries for the oncoming week. Armed with mediocre math skills and superhuman ability to stand in lines, which are substantial in Manhattan, we navigated the aisles. The first goal? Starches. We bought 3 three-pound bags of brown rice, four bags of dry pasta, and a few potatoes. Thanks to iPhones, we discovered that a two-pound bag of dried beans would become five pounds of cooked beans, meaning that the 89 cent cans were a better option in terms of portion sizes.
Our next stop was the produce and protein aisles. Half the team trolled amongst the fruits and veggies, looking longingly at the broccoli and spinach, while the other half checked prices in the meat section. On $1.50 a day, however, greens were not an option and neither was meat. Although we had assumed that these items would not be affordable, the hard truth of eating rice and beans for each meal for a week began to become a reality.
We did manage two important splurges: a can of parmesan cheese and a box of teabags. We had all tried to wean ourselves off caffeine, with limited success, in the previous week or so, terrified by the prospect of a stimulant-free week. This meant that when we discovered an extra $1.50 in the budget, I scampered gleefully to the tea aisle and snagged a box of black teabags. Although it wasn’t the gourmet coffee we had grown accustomed as New York residents, it kept us sane during the hectic work week.
Having recently returned from Malawi as a Peace Corps volunteer, I thought that Live Below the Line would be relatively easy. After all, I'd spent the past two years eating rice and beans, regularly bemoaning the lack of soy sauce. But Live Below the Line was an unexpected challenge. For one thing, it was isolating. I went with friends to the bar, and sat with a glass of tap water while they downed cold craft beer. I smelled my landlord's butternut squash soup simmering on the stove and gazed pathetically at my Tupperware of plain pasta.
This all sounds very self-indulgent, and to some extent, it is. I didn't feed anybody else by doing Live Below the Line. But the experience was revelatory – by the end of the week, we were all zombies staring at our computers, unable to focus on anything other than our growling stomachs. And, of course, we have desk jobs. I can't imagine facing hours of hard labor on the same amount of calories.
Live Below the Line is not about playing poor. We knew, the whole week long, that we had the choice at any moment to buy a slice of pizza or a sandwich, and of course we still had access to health care, clean tap water, and the comforts of our apartments. Rather, LBL is about showing solidarity with the extreme poor; acknowledging that the differences between people in our world are profound, but that it is possible to feel real empathy for another; recognizing the enormous and undeserved gift we have been given by being born in our nation and time.
Friday night, we broke our fast with cheap greasy nachos and margaritas. (A note for future participants: your stomach will not thank you for following a week of plain starches with tequila and jalapenos). It was a fun night, made more so by our renewed commitment to serve the people who have no choice but to live on $1.50 per day. And by the knowledge that the next morning, we'd eat bagels.
Live below the line - HOW DOES IT WORK?
Posted on 04/30/12 by Etienne
So you want to Live Below the Line, but you’re not sure what you’re getting yourself into. Ok so here are the basics:
From May 7th – 11th, you can spend no more than US$1.50 (or the equivalent in your country) a day on food and drink.
This means you have a total of US$7.50 with which to buy all ingredients for your meals.
The full cost of all the items you consume must be included in your budget. This means budgeting for whole packages of food such as rice, pasta, noodles and eggs etc.
For items such as salt, pepper, herbs and spices, simply work out the cost of each item per ounce and budget your shopping proportionally. Separate your items before the challenge so there’s no need to be digging around in your pantry.
One of the easiest ways to partake in the challenge is to share the cost of ingredients amongst a team, as long as no participant spends more than US$1.50 a day or their total US$7.50 budget. Working as a team will allow you to pool together funds and do more with your cooking.
You can’t grab a snack from the pantry unless you include the cost of buying the item new in your budget.
You can use food sourced from your garden as long as you can account for the price of production!
No combination of meals on any given day can exceed the U$1.50 spending limit. Remember this is a challenge to eat creatively – don’t at any point deprive yourself of three meals a day.
You cannot accept ‘donated’ food from family or friends, but monetary donations towards your fundraising goals are acceptable, and encouraged!
You are allowed to drink tap water – remember you should try and drink at least 6-8 glasses of water each day.
Looks easy huh?
The Curse of Poverty
Your money, your phone, your handbag…. or I’ll stab you…” growled the gruff voice that had jerked open the taxi door. Yes, I was the unfortunate victim who after waiting for many hours for a public bus had to get into a taxi. Destination: home, after a long day at work. My fate: I was dispossessed of all my belongings. The perpetrators: poor and angry young Nigerian men who decided to vent their anger out on the wrong person. That’s right, I had just witnessed firsthand one of the many consequences of poverty.
Poverty indeed is a relative term. Poverty becomes even more glaring when it occurs in the midst of plenty. In Nigeria where I come from, the rich are very rich and the poor are dirt poor. The contrast between poverty and riches hits you very hard in the face. This is a country where people live on less than a dollar a day, while others (mostly corrupt government officials) can afford to lavish a mistress with a $1000 Chanel handbag. Similarly, many people live in sub-human conditions and still others in the same country own estates all over the world. Poverty in my country can indeed be likened to a rotting tooth begging to be pulled out. With poverty comes anger and with anger, the tendency to lash out at the perceived rich. No! I am not the government and I am not rich, but I can afford to take a taxi and so the poor angry robber on the street does not think twice about robbing me.
Crime is not the only consequence of poverty. Another major consequence is the inability to get an education. Cases abound of children having to drop out of primary schools as their parents simply cannot afford to pay school fees and attendant costs. Oh yes, even a bus ride to school is not cheap. Try entering a commercial bus in the mornings and what you see will definitely touch you. School children in uniform will have to carry (‘lap’ in local parlance) themselves in order to save bus fees. It is also a common sight to see uniformed children from public schools roaming the streets because their teachers have failed to show up. Apparently, these teachers have more important business to attend to as their salaries are nothing to write home about. I can imagine that some of these children may have to go to school on an empty stomach; this does not augur well for learning.
With poverty comes a decline in morals. We now live in a society without morals, the “get-rich-quick’ syndrome has taken over. Young girls will date men old enough to be their grandfathers to get basic necessities of life. Young Nigerian men have taken to dubious practices as well e.g. the popular ‘yahoo-yahoo’ (internet fraud), real estate fraud, dating older women, all to get out of the confines of poverty. Aspirations to positions of authority are for the sole purpose of self-enrichment. People will not think twice about emptying public coffers as the excuse is always summed thus “I must eat my own share of the national cake”.
Like a spider, poverty steadily spins a web that eats into every sphere of society. Poor people lack opportunities business wise. Subsistence farmers in the villages will never grow beyond a point because they lack education and funding. Small business owners in the city do not grow because profits are not ploughed back into the business, but used to survive. Youth will remain illiterate, because they have to drop out from school and hawk wares in the markets or on the streets to make ends meet.
Poverty is indeed a disease. It kills creativity and breeds hydra headed monsters and needs to be curbed, else dire consequences will be faced. In my opinion, the way to end poverty in Africa and especially Nigeria is to make public officials accountable. A situation where public funds for projects are misappropriated should never arise. Until the public starts to demand from public office holders, their inactions will remain and poverty will reside with us. Indeed, the time has come to get up and say NO to the curse of poverty. As always, please share your thoughts on this issue....
Deadly famine in Sahel: ECOWAS and African Union, please take note
The World Health Organization (WHO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are asking the international community for at least US $700 million to help them deal with the humanitarian crisis in the Sahel. Due to the urgency of the situation and public apathy - demonstrated by the fact that less than 50% of this amount has been raised so far - these UN agencies launched an appeal against “global indifference” on Tuesday 10 April 2012.
According to Anthony Lake, the Executive Director of UNICEF, there is a “ a 'certain fatigue' among the public when it comes to the Sahel; once more there is a famine, once more African children are dying, and people are tired of hearing that.” Yet, 95% of the almost 1.5 million children suffering from severe malnutrition in the region could be saved, says Margaret Chan, the Director-General of WHO. This could be done by "opening 24-hour care centres and mobile clinics to treat cases of malnutrition, diarrhoea, pneumonia, malaria and meningitis", she adds. António Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, regrets that “this region is receiving little attention from the media", who are mostly “focused on the situation in Syria”.
But to take a wider view of the situation, this global indifference is also being shown by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU). Over the past few weeks, these two organizations, one subregional and the other regional, have turned their attention to other issues in the region: the recent presidential elections in Senegal, where fears of widespread violence have been brushed aside by the maturity of the Senegalese people; the threat posed by the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria; and above all the political and military situation in Mali since the coup of 22 March 2012. With regard to the latter issue, ECOWAS has been in the vanguard of efforts to ensure, less than three weeks after the coup, that constitutional order is restored in Mali with the swearing-in this week of the President of the National Assembly as Mali’s interim president.
This subregional organization remains committed to the “complete liberation” of Mali, which faces partition with the north of the country currently under the control of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (NMLA). In short, ECOWAS and the AU are concerned about the Sahel merely because it has become Africa’s new powder keg, Courrier International notes.
Yet it appears that absolutely nothing is actually being done by these two organizations about the humanitarian crisis in the Sahel. It would almost seem that Africa is once again following the erroneous path of silence or even denial if not indifference, as initially happened in 2011 with the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.
Today, therefore, we want to convey a message to Africa, ECOWAS and the AU: the world is watching you, your children in the Sahel are watching you.
Photo: © UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0190/Olivier Asselin, Niger, 2012
Becoming global citizens through Connecting Classrooms
Bradley Miranda is a participant of UNICEF’s Connecting Classrooms program at the Harry S. Truman High school.
Hello, my name is Bradley and I am a senior at Harry S. Truman High school. I am part of Connecting Classrooms in my African Studies class. The Connecting Classrooms program was designed by UNICEF for students all over the world to learn about each other and to learn about life in places they may have never even heard of. Students go through a curriculum designed by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to help them write about topics around issues in their communities and post about them on an internet platform. I think it’s a great way to learn from other people my age that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to talk to. Through Connecting Classrooms I have learned that many people have misconceptions about Africa and other communities that with a little education can be corrected.
My favorite part of the program is being able to read all of the great things that students my age are doing in their communities, and then being able to comment or ask them about it. One post that really struck me was about students in Kenya working hard to succeed academically and go to top colleges. Thinking about the low graduation rate at my school, I was interested to learn how the Kenyan students were motivating themselves and to see how youth in my community could benefit from their methods.
I was also able to give feedback about the Connecting Classrooms program to the U.S. Fund’s Education team, so together we can make the program stronger. I even got to be a part of a (TeachUNICEF’s)[http://teachunicef.org/] promotional video (coming soon!). This experience has been amazing and eye opening not just as a student but as a global citizen.
Photo: Bradley Miranda at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
2 Lives:2 Miles Apart // Play
Posted on 04/12/12 by Etienne
Children can suffer dire consequences when they do not have regular access to safe spaces to play. Join John and Solomon, brothers living in the Alexandra township, and Robin and Raven, cousins living in the Orange Grove suburb, to find out how and where children play in Johannesburg.
2 Lives:2 Miles Apart // Work
Posted on 04/10/12 by Etienne
Children around the world have to work, some in more hazardous conditions than others. Join Reynold and JB from the Manila Metro area in the Philippines, as they tell us how labor affects them.
2 Lives:2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.
Directed and Produced by: Tim Gregory Production team: Marge Francia, Joseph Cataan, Hanna Jaber and Nicai de Guzman Music: Live Footage
2 Lives:2 Miles Apart // Work
Posted on 04/09/12 by Etienne
Children around the world have to work, some in more hazardous conditions than others. Join Reynold and JB from the Manila Metro area in the Philippines, as they tell us how labor affects them.
2 Lives:2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.
Directed and Produced by: Tim Gregory Production team: Marge Francia, Joseph Cataan, Hanna Jaber and Nicai de Guzman Music: Live Footage
Le Directeur général de l'UNICEF en visite au Tchad pour souligner l'importance de la crise qui menace le Sahel
Le directeur général de l'UNICEF, Anthony Lake, appelle à une acélaration d'urgence de l'aide humanitaire au Sahel pour prévenir le décès de plus d'un million d'enfants.
Anthony Lake est en en déplacement dans l'Ouest du Tchad afin de promouvoir une campagne mondiale de l'UNICEF, destinée à réunir 120 millions de dollars É.-U. L'usage de ces fonds devrait permettre de traiter et de nourrir les enfants de la région sahélienne, qui souffrent de malnutrition sévère aigüe et qui sans cela seraient en danger de mort.
Le Sahel est une région sans cesse au bord de la crise. Les familles et les enfants sont affaiblis par la sécheresse
« C'est une région qui est toujours au bord d'une crise. Les familles et les enfants ont été affaiblis par les sécheresses de 2005 et 2010. Maintenant l'insécurité s'aggrave dans plusieurs pays où l'on compte des centaines de milliers de personnes déplacées, où les prix alimentaires augmentent et où les récoltes sont mauvaises », a-t-il déclaré.
Des préparatifs en cours
En contribuant au déplacement massif des enfants et à l'affaiblissant de leur système immunitaire, la crise nutritionnelle à venir porte en plus les menaces de la poliomyélite, de la rougeole, de la méningite et du choléra - d'autres maladies majeures tueuses d'enfants.
Dans le cadre des préparatifs à la crise, l'UNICEF et ses partenaires ont mis en place des centaines de centres de réadaptation nutritionnelle dans les huit pays du Sahel. Des dizaines de milliers d'enfants y ont déjà été soignés pour une malnutrition sévère aiguë.
« Les populations du Sahel sont menacées par une "tempête parfaite" qui met en danger un million d'enfants » a déclaré Anthony Lake.
Au Tchad, plus de 6 millions de personnes sont affectés par la crise ; 3,5 millions d'entre eux ont moins de 18 ans. On estime que 127 300 enfants de moins de cinq ans souffrent déjà de malnutrition sévère aigüe.
Le pays connait également le nombre de cas de polio le plus élevé en Afrique et doit faire face à une épidémie de méningite, des maladies qui pourraient compliquer les besoins des enfants au moment ou frappe la crise.
En collaboration avec le Ministère de la santé, l'UNICEF a établi plus de 250 centres de réhabilitation nutritionnelle au Tchad, et doublera leur nombre d'ici à deux mois.
Renforcer la résilience des populations à l'avenir
L'UNICEF prévoit également de construire des systèmes de santé, d'assainissement et de protection partout dans le Sahel pour que les populations de la région puissent affronter les défis à venir avec plus de résilience.
« Il ne s'agit pas seulement de sauver des vies aujourd'hui, il s'agit de prévenir de nouvelles urgences demain avec la bonne réponse nutritionnelle, au bon moment, surtout pour les enfants de moins de trois ans. Il s'agit aussi de consolider les systèmes de santé de manière à prévenir une nouvelle situation d'urgence tragique et de manière à éviter que les enfants ne se retrouvent dans des centres nutritionnels », a déclaré Anthony Lake.
Photo: © UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0242/ Laurent Duvillier, Chad, 2012
UNICEF recauda fondos para prestar asistencia y salvar a más de 1 millón de niños cuya vida corre peligro en el Sahel
Conforme inicia la temporada de hambruna en la región africana del Sahel, UNICEF lanza una gigantesca campaña de recaudación de fondos para ayudar a más de un millón de niños que corren el riesgo de morir de desnutrición grave aguda.
La campaña coincide con la visita de Anthony Lake, Director Ejecutivo de UNICEF, a Chad, uno de los ocho países del Sahel que encajan el triple golpe de la sequía, el alto precio de los alimentos y la inestabilidad.
"Lo que queremos es llamar la atención del mundo sobre el calvario que sufren los niños del Sahel. Queremos asegurarnos de que la gente es consciente de lo que sucede antes de que sea demasiado tarde", afirmó Louis-Georges Arsenault, Director de Programas de emergencia de UNICEF.
Millones de personas afectadas
Más de 15 millones de personas en Burkina Faso, Camerún, Chad, Malí, Mauritania, Níger, Nigeria y Senegal son víctimas directas de la crisis. Pese a que la población del Sahel se sobrepone, las continuas situaciones de emergencia la han debilitado. La región sufrió el azote de las sequías en 2005 y 2010, y muchas familias se vieron obligadas a vender su ganado, sacar a sus niños de la escuela, pedir dinero prestado y sobrevivir con menos alimentos.
Una mujer sostiene a su hijo desnutrido en Chad. UNICEF corre a contrarreloj para asistir a más de un millón de niños que hacen frente a la desnutrición aguda grave en la región del Sahel.
UNICEF estima en 120 millones de dólares las necesidades para alimentar al millón de niños menores de cinco años, que precisarán un tratamiento salvavidas contra la desnutrición aguda grave. Hasta ahora sólo se ha cubierto el 32% de esa cantidad.
"Queremos asegurarnos de que la crisis en el Sahel sea de dominio público pues necesitamos más recursos para aumentar de verdad nuestra respuesta, antes de que sea demasiado tarde y se pierdan demasiadas vidas", expuso Arsenault.
UNICEF se ha preparado durante los últimos siete meses para satisfacer las necesidades extremas en el Sahel, mediante la adquisición y envío de alimentos y suministros alimenticios, además de la contratación de personal adicional. Se trata de un esfuerzo titánico que implica a ocho gobiernos nacionales, muchos aliados de las Naciones Unidas y ONG.
"Si no somos capaces de organizar la respuesta apropiada la cifra de niños gravemente desnutridos podría ascender a 1,4 millones, es decir, que está en juego la vida de muchas personas", manifestó Arsenault.
A contrarreloj para cubrir las necesidades de los niños
A la crisis se añade la inseguridad que se desata vertiginosamente en Malí, donde una rebelión interna ha desplazado a más de 200.000 personas. UNICEF también trabaja para satisfacer las necesidades de aquellos que se han visto forzados a huir de sus hogares.
Mientras UNICEF corre contrarreloj para cubrir las necesidades inmediatas, también se refuerza la capacidad de la infancia en el Sahel para sobreponerse a largo plazo.
"Estamos hablando de una grave crisis de nutrición para los niños y de una crisis que requiere un planteamiento más integrado, porque sin el acceso al agua, el saneamiento y la inmunización resultará muy difícil provocar el efecto necesario", agregó Arsenault.
Foto: © UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0191/Olivier Asselin ,Niger, 2012
UNICEF is raising funds to provide life-saving assistance to over 1 million at-risk children in the Sahel
NEW YORK, USA, 2 April 2012 – As the hunger season begins in the Sahel region of Africa, UNICEF is launching a massive fund-raising campaign to help the more than 1 million children in danger of dying from severe acute malnutrition.
VIDEO: Watch the UNICEF public service announcement urging donors to assist crisis-affected children in the Sahel region of Africa. Watch in RealPlayer The campaign coincides with the visit of UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake to Chad, one of eight countries in the Sahel facing the triple shock of drought, high food prices and instability.
“What we want to do is to draw the world’s attention to the plight of the children in the Sahel. We want to make sure that people are aware of what’s happening before it’s too late,” said UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes Louis-Georges Arsenault.
Millions affected
Over 15 million people in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal are directly affected by the crisis. And although the people of the Sahel are resilient, their position has been weakened by successive emergencies. The region suffered droughts in 2005 and 2010, and many families were forced to sell their livestock, pull children out of school, borrow money and get by with less food.
UNICEF estimates that it needs $120 million to feed the 1 million children under age 5 who will need lifesaving treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Only 32 per cent of that need has been met so far.
A woman holds her malnourished son in Chad. UNICEF is racing to assist more than 1 million children facing severe acute malnutrition in the Sahel region. “We want to make sure that the Sahel crisis is on the map as we need more resources to really scale up our response before it becomes too late and too many lives are lost,” said Mr. Arsenault.
UNICEF has been preparing for the last seven months to meet the extreme needs in the Sahel, buying and shipping food and nutrition supplies and hiring extra staff. It’s a huge endeavour, involving eight national governments, many United Nations partners and NGOs.
“If we are not able to mount the appropriate response, it could reach up to 1.4 million severely malnourished children, so we’re talking about a lot of lives which are at stake here,” Mr. Arsenault said.
Racing to meet children’s needs
Adding to the crisis is the rapidly unfolding insecurity in Mali, where an internal rebellion has displaced more than 200,000 people. UNICEF is also working to meet the needs of those who’ve been forced from their homes.
As UNICEF races to meet immediate needs, it is also preparing to strengthen the long-term resilience of the children of the Sahel.
“We are talking about a severe nutrition crisis for children but also a crisis that requires a more integrated approach, because without access to water and sanitation and immunization it’s going to be very difficult to have the impact that’s required,” Mr. Arsenault said.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0191/Olivier Asselin Niger, 2012
2 Lives: 2 Miles Apart - Argentina
Posted on 03/01/12 by Etienne
"2 Lives:2 Miles Apart" is a series produced by 8 young local filmmakers about the different challenges children face in urban areas around the world. This episode introduces Mariana and Bayan: Both left their homes to find a better future in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the 10th biggest city in the world.
While Bayan is on his way to fame with the football club Boca Juniors, Mariana lives in the Vi...lla 20 de Lugano slum, where she has to share her room with her many brothers and sisters.
Join them as they share their amazing stories in the second episode of our mini-series. http://uni.cf/2livesArgentina
Don´t miss tomorrow the launch of The State of World´s Children, UNICEF´s flagship publication, and the “2 Lives:2 Miles Apart" episode from Johannesburg!
To see the first episode, click here: http://uni.cf/2livesTurkey
2 Lives: 2 Miles apart in Istanbul
Posted on 02/27/12 by Etienne
Violence and crime are major issues in urban settings around the world. Join Eda and Ramazan from Istanbul, Turkey, as they tell us how they are affected by violence in their daily lives.
2 Lives:2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.
Directed and Produced by: Tim Gregory Director of Photography: Musa Ata Music: Live Footage
Filles en milieu rural, les oubliées du progrès ?
"L’égalité des sexes fera sortir de la pauvreté non seulement les femmes, mais également leurs enfants, leur famille, leur communauté et leur pays. Considérée sous cet angle, c’est aussi un aspect décisif du progrès humain".
Ce passage, tiré du rapport "La Situation des enfants dans le monde 2007", nous a inspiré la rédaction d’un article publié en décembre 2011 et relatif à l’égalité des genres. S’il est vrai que ces dernières années des efforts considérables ont été faits pour y parvenir, des poches de résistances existent encore quant à la seconde place qui continue d'être attribuée aux filles par rapport aux jeunes garçons. Et s’il ya un cadre dans lequel la situation de la jeune fille mérite une attention particulière, une sorte d’"égalité réelle" des chances de survie et de développement, c’est incontestablement le milieu rural.
Et oui, la fille en milieu rural reste encore largement dans une forme d’insécurité sociale (voire même juridique) qui hypothèque sérieusement son rôle d’acteur dans le processus de développement des nations, africaines singulièrement. En plus des problèmes communs avec le jeune garçon en milieu rural, la jeune fille est aussi confrontée à des défis spécifiques, sectoriels. Mis à part la question de l’accès à l’école qui fait l’objet de beaucoup d'attention, certaines questions restent encore peu abordées.
La question de l’excision et du mariage forcé (et précoce) qui, malgré l’existence de lois récriminant ces pratiques dans plusieurs pays, restent encore "normalement pratiquées" dans les régions rurales où elles ont toujours été réalisées est là pour l’attester. La vulnérabilité de la jeune fille en milieu rural est encore plus grande quand on aborde le point relatif à la santé des jeunes. En effet, elles n’ont généralement pas accès à une information complète et permanente, aux services de prévention, de conseil et de soin sur les IST et le VIH/sida, la santé sexuelle et reproductive en comparaison avec leurs consœurs vivant dans les zones urbaines.
Enfin, tout en rappelant que la liste des griefs reste longue, les cas de jeunes filles (comme de jeunes garçons bien souvent) non déclarées à l’état civil semblent demeurer aujourd’hui encore la règle dans plusieurs zones rurales.
Il est clair que le monde d’équité que nous souhaitons demande un vrai investissement dans l’amélioration de la place de la jeune fille dans nos sociétés. Cela dit, le cas de la jeune fille en milieu rural demande une action et un engagement plus importants car elle nécessite un travail sur les mentalités plus lent et plus assidu qu’en zone urbaine, sans compter la question des infrastructures et du matériel. Et le temps nous manque. Alors, bougeons-nous donc un peu plus maintenant !
It takes a village to educate a rural girl
The Commission on the Status of Women, a UN commission dedicated exclusively to promoting gender equality and advancement of women, has made the empowerment of rural women and girls its priority for the year to come. In my opinion, it’s of course a noble cause but empowering rural girls in the developing world is going to take a village (to borrow a line from Hillary Clinton).
Nothing illustrates this better than the story of Jackline Mantaine Lemeria, a young Maasai girl, who, at the age of 14, was brave enough to run away from an arranged marriage in her community. Jackline found shelter at the Tasaru Girls Rescue Center, a safe haven based in Narok (a town west of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya) protecting girls from child marriage and genital mutilation and she was able to attend school. With the encouragement of Agnes Pareiyo, the founder of the shelter, Jackline went one (huge) step further. She managed to reconcile with her father convincing him not only that she had made the right decision for herself but also not to arrange early marriages for her younger sisters.
As Scott Baldauf pointed out in his Christian Science Monitor’s article about the Tasaru Girl Rescue Center, “changing en entire culture –particularly a very distinctive one, such as the Maasai people’s- can be a difficult process (…) The key ingredient, activists say, is the consent of the people who find meaning from that culture”. Tanya Pergola, who runs “an organization in Tanzania that combines ancient wisdom with modern technology to create sustainable community development projects”, noted in a conversation [published here] (http://blog.tedx.com/post/5607552196/connecting-the-dots-a-conversation-on-maasai-culture), that many people in the Maasai community “don’t see the benefit of having their children leave their positions as cattle herders and nurturers of home and family to attend classes in far-away schools which often do not lead to decent employment opportunities”.
The approach taken by the Maasai Girls Education Fund, a nonprofit organization which provides scholarships to girls who have never enrolled in school, or who would be forced to drop out of school for cultural or economic reasons, therefore makes a lot of sense. “To have a significant impact, the education of girls must go hand-in-hand with the education of the community in which they live”, states the MGEF on its website. In other words, it takes a village to educate a rural girl….
@© UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1782/Giacomo Pirozzi
Join UNICEF today at 3pm (EST) for a Livestream Q&A with Ishmael Beah
Posted on 02/16/12 by Etienne
Make sure you tune in for the UNICEF Q&A with Ishmael Beah today at 3 pm (EST) on www.livestream.com/unicef . Ishmael will answer your questions around the issue of the recruitment of child soldiers.
Use the hashtag #childsoldiers on Twitter to chat with Ishmael! You can also ask us here and we will forward your questions to him.
Fighting malnutrition in Ethiopia
Posted on 01/25/12 by Etienne
GETER MEDA, Ethiopia, 24 January 2012 – Seven-month-old Aynadis played with her mother, Seta Temesgen, as they waited to be screened at the Geter Meda Health Post. Several weeks ago, Aynadis was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition – a condition that can be deadly if untreated.
“We don’t stay at home to feed them,” she said about mothers in their agrarian community. “We spend our day in the fields, and the babies spend the day on our backs… If we are working, we don’t want to miss the work, so we only feed them when they start crying, and that harms them.”
But Aynadis is fortunate. She was referred to the village’s outpatient therapeutic feeding programme (OTP), where she has been receiving life-saving treatment. Today’s check-up will show how much progress she has made since her diagnosis.
Treating malnutrition at the village level
Geter Meda is located in Lasta District, Amhara Region, an area that was affected by the two great famines of the late twentieth century, those of 1973–74 and 1984–85. A lot has changed since those crises, when there were no government systems in place to adequately respond to droughts or the nutritional needs of affected communities.
In 2004, the Government of Ethiopia, with support from partners including UNICEF, rolled out the Health Extension Programme, which trained more than 30,000 health extension workers to provide an integrated package of health, nutrition and sanitation services to largely rural populations.
The health extension workers – who are mostly women – are assigned to village health posts, where they are supported by volunteer community health workers. Every three months, these health workers and volunteers conduct Community Health Days for children under age 5 and for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. These children and women receive vaccinations, vitamin A supplements, deworming tablets, malnutrition screenings, as well as counseling on health, nutrition and sanitation issues. Children identified with severe acute malnutrition – but without complications such as fever – are referred to health posts for outpatient therapeutic feeding.
This programme has had major success identifying and treating severe acute malnutrition. National capacity to treat this deadly condition at the community level has grown from almost zero in 2004. Prior to the introduction of village-level OTPs, people with severe acute malnutrition needed to go to the nearest health center or hospital, many hours or even days away. Village-level OTPs now cover an average population of 5,000 people each.
According to the Ministry of Health, more than 300,000 severely malnourished children were treated in eight drought-affected regions of Ethiopia between January and November 2011 – with an 84 per cent cure rate and 0.6 per cent death rate.
Preventing future malnutrition
Habtam Byabel, a health extension worker at the Geter Meda Health Post, is conducting weekly check-ups for children in the OTP.
She counsels the patients’ mothers, then weighs the children and checks their mid-upper arm circumference – a measure of their nutritional status. Before they leave, Ms. Byabel gives them ready-to-use therapeutic foods for the week.
“She told me to prepare porridge made from ingredients that we have available at home,” Ms. Temesgen said after her consultation. “Also give her one and a half of these [ready-to-use therapeutic foods] together with your breast milk.”
And Aynadis will not only receive treatment, she will also get help avoiding malnutrition in the future. Geter Meda’s community-based nutrition programme offers monthly growth monitoring for children under 2 years old, and conducts community discussions at which villagers can identify problems that may result in malnutrition. Then, together with health workers, villagers agree on plans to resolve these problems.
These activities have greatly improved the nutritional status of children like Aynadis. Even during 2011, a drought year, the number of children participating in Geter Meda’s OTP had declined from the year before.
“Last year we had eight children in the OTP. Now we have three. When these children are discharged we don’t expect that there will be any more,” said Ms. Byabel. “My vision, when it comes to nutrition,” she continued, “is for all the children to be healthy and to grow up to be productive citizens.”
India records one year without polio cases
Posted on 01/13/12 by Etienne
ATLANTA/EVANSTON, Ill./GENEVA/NEW YORK/SEATTLE, 12 January 2012 – India appears to have interrupted wild poliovirus transmission, tomorrow completing one year without polio since its last case, in a 2-year-old girl in the state of West Bengal, on 13 January 2011.
India was once recognized as the world’s epicentre of polio. If all pending laboratory investigations return negative, in the coming weeks India will officially be deemed to have stopped indigenous transmission of wild poliovirus. The number of polio-endemic countries, those which have never stopped indigenous wild poliovirus transmission, will then be reduced to a historical low of three: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.
However, there remains no room for complacency. India must maintain sensitive surveillance and high childhood immunity against wild poliovirus to guard against any importation of polio until eradication is achieved globally. In 2011, Pakistan and Afghanistan have both seen alarming increases in polio cases, and poliovirus from Pakistan re-infected China (which had been polio-free since 1999). In Africa, active polio transmission continues in Nigeria, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with outbreaks in West and Central Africa in the past 12 months reminding the world that as long as polio exists anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere.
Global health leaders today paid tribute to the Government of India for its leadership and financial commitment to the polio eradication effort, and to the millions of vaccinators, community mobilizers, Rotarians, parents and caregivers who have supported polio eradication for more than a decade. The scale of the eradication effort in India is mind-boggling: each year, more than 170 million children under the age of 5 are vaccinated in two national immunization campaigns, with up to 70 million children in the highest-risk areas vaccinated multiple times in additional special campaigns; the whole effort requires nearly a billion doses of oral polio vaccine annually.
India’s achievement in stopping polio will save hundreds of thousands of children from lifelong paralysis or death each year. Poliovirus can travel easily to polio-free areas. Stopping polio in India will prevent a recurrence of the polio outbreaks – due to virus of Indian origin – seen in recent years in countries as diverse as Angola, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tajikistan, and Russia.
"India’s success is arguably its greatest public health achievement and has provided a global opportunity to push for the end of polio," said World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan. “The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is in full emergency mode and focused on using this momentum to close this crippling disease down. Stopping polio in India required creativity, perseverance and professionalism – many of the innovations in polio eradication were sparked by the challenges in India. The lessons from India must now be adapted and implemented through emergency actions to finish polio everywhere.”
The key to India’s remarkable progress in the fight against polio according to UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, has been the strong leadership of the Government of India and state governments, which launched a comprehensive polio eradication programme that has enabled sustained high immunization coverage in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with high rates of poverty, high population density and poor sanitation and infrastructure, conditions in which disease like polio can thrive.
“India’s achievement is proof positive that we can eradicate polio even in the most challenging environments — in fact, it is only by targeting these areas that we can defeat this evil disease,” Mr Lake said. “We have the ability to protect every last person, especially children, from this entirely preventable disease — and because we can, we must finish the job of eradicating polio globally, once and for all."
Rotary International first launched the global polio eradication effort in 1985, and President Kalyan Banerjee said that with the intensity of transmission in India, many experts had predicted it would be the last country in the world to achieve eradication. “India is undoubtedly the biggest domino to fall in the polio eradication effort,” Mr Banerjee said. “India’s success is a great credit to the Indian government and to Indian Rotary members – as well as those from around the world – who have worked with local leaders to conduct these immunization efforts to reach every child with the polio vaccine."
Like all countries that have stopped indigenous wild poliovirus transmission, India must continue to protect its children through supplementary immunization activities and improved routine immunization coverage rates or risk a potentially horrific re-importation event, said the Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Thomas Frieden. “Polio’s history contains many cautionary tales,” Dr. Frieden added. “Polio anywhere in the world is a risk everywhere in the world, and to protect itself from a setback, India is appropriately planning to continue meticulous monitoring and intensive childhood vaccination against polio.”
“Polio can be stopped when countries combine the right elements – political will, quality immunization campaigns, and an entire nation’s determination” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “World leaders must continue to raise the funds needed to run the global campaign and help to ensure that no child suffers from this crippling disease ever again.”
With India’s achievement, the global polio eradication effort now focuses on improving the implementation of emergency operations plans in Pakistan, Nigeria and Chad. Success depends on local ownership and accountability at all levels of government and international partners.
Special Focus theme: The road to the UN High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development 2013
Posted on 11/23/11 by Etienne
Hopefully there will be a Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in 2012 and the UN will host a major debate on migration and development 2013 at the UN High Level Dialogue. Do you think the UN and the GFMD should give more attention to the topic of youth migration - its positive and negative implications for development in countries of origin, transit and destination? If so, why? And on what specific theme do you think they should focus?
Gender and Age focus
A UN reports states, women and girls now make up half of all international migrants, totalling 95 million What does this figure state/say to you? Does it represent the inequality women face in the workforce and/or lack of educational opportunities in their country of origin? How do we ensure that migration policies are child, youth, and gender-sensitive as most of the time it is children and women that are put in highly risk situations in the host and/or home nation?
¡Unte a Calle 13, UNICEF y MTV en la lucha contra la trata de personas!
Posted on 11/22/11 by Etienne
Calle 13 presenta el documental “Invisible Slaves” (Esclavos invisibles) y dona los derechos de su canción “Prepárame la cena” para dar más visibilidad a la campaña.
Tr3s y MTV Latin America estrenan el 29 de noviembre un influyente documental y un nuevo video musical.
NUEVA YORK, 21 de noviembre de 2011 – Calle 13, una banda ganadora de 19 premios Grammy Latino, se une hoy a UNICEF, MTV Latin America y Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más para lanzar la campaña de MTV EXIT contra la trata y explotación de personas en América Latina y en las comunidades hispanas de Estados Unidos. La campaña multimedia se propone llegar a los jóvenes de habla hispana de América Latina y Estados Unidos para aumentar su conocimiento sobre la trata y explotación de personas y prevenir este flagelo mediante contenidos creativos, interacción por medios digitales, eventos comunitarios y oportunidades de participación directa. www.mtvexit.org/la
Atraídos por falsas promesas de una vida mejor, al menos 550,000* niños, niñas, adolescentes y jóvenes caen víctimas de la trata en América Latina y el Caribe. Con frecuencia, estas víctimas son forzadas a tener relaciones sexuales sin protección y a consumir drogas, lo cual aumenta su riesgo de contraer el VIH.
“La juventud es nuestro futuro y en vez de explotarlos tenemos que educarlos,” dijo Residente de Calle 13. “estamos muy orgullosos de formar parte de esta campaña, y buscamos trabajar con MTV y UNICEF sobre otros temas relevantes como la educación.” Agrego.
“Cada vez más adolescentes y jóvenes son vulnerables a la trata y la explotación en la región. Podemos reducir sus riesgos si les brindamos la educación y las herramientas necesarias para protegerse”, declaró el director regional de UNICEF para América Latina y el Caribe, Bernt Aasen. “La alianza que se inaugura hoy con Calle 13, MTV Latin America y Tr3s, todos referentes culturales muy importantes para los jóvenes, nos permite llegar a millones de posibles víctimas comunicándonos con ellas directamente y usando su lenguaje”.
Desde 2004, MTV EXIT ha producido galardonados componentes de medios de comunicación relativos a la trata de personas, valiéndose de canciones, películas y celebridades influyentes, y ha distribuido contenido innovador y creativo en más de 40 idiomas para un público joven de toda Asia y Europa. Calle 13 se une hoy a una influyente lista de famosos como Angelina Jolie, The Killers, Radiohead, Muse, Jered Leto y Lucy Lui, quienes han producido contenido innovador para ampliar el potente mensaje de MTV EXIT acerca de la esclavitud de la era moderna. René y Eduardo son los presentadores de un documental sobre cómo este problema mundial afecta a América Latina. El documental incluirá entrevistas personales con jóvenes latinoamericanos que han sido afectados por la trata y la explotación. Calle 13 también donó los derechos de Prepárame la Cena, una canción de su último álbum, Entren los que Quieran, para el video musical de la campaña.
“Si logramos usar el poder de nuestras marcas para promover los derechos humanos y echar luz sobre la cuestión de la trata y la explotación en los medios de comunicación, habremos dado un importante paso hacia la creación de conciencia y la protección de los jóvenes”, declaró Mario Cader-Frech, vicepresidente de Asuntos Públicos y Responsabilidad Social Corporativa de MTV Latin America y Tr3s.
UNICEF trabaja activamente para prevenir la trata y la explotación en América Latina y el Caribe, principalmente con el apoyo del gobierno de Italia. La protección de la infancia comienza por la prevención. UNICEF y sus asociados se ocupan de las causas profundas de la trata, lo cual es esencial en la lucha contra este delito internacional.
La campaña de MTV EXIT seguirá ampliándose en América Latina mediante comunicados de prensa, eventos locales y actividades con niños, niñas, adolescentes y jóvenes. Otros asociados, como la Fundación Panamericana para el Desarrollo (PADF, por sus siglas en inglés) y el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) se unirán a la iniciativa en próximos proyectos.
- “Every Child Counts New Global Estimates on Child Labour,”:IPEC—SIMPOC.2002:27.
Para obtener más información, visite: www.mtvexit.org/la Síganos en: Facebook-- MTVExitla y Twitter @MTVExitla
Viacom International Media Networks The Americas, una unidad de Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), es propietaria y operadora de la cartera de marcas de entretenimiento de la compañía, que comprende MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VH1 y sus respectivas propiedades en los países hispanohablantes de América Latina, así como Viacom Networks Brazil. Además, la cartera incluye Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más en Estados Unidos, que llegan a un amplio público hispano en Estados Unidos, y las asociaciones de programación de MTV Networks International en Canadá con Corus Entertainment para Nickelodeon y CTV Globe Media para MTV, Comedy Central y Vh1. Los nuevos negocios multiplataforma de la compañía incluyen sitios web de RED Viacom con 20 Music, Kids & Family, Tweens, Gamers y Entertainment, así como la oferta de alta definición con MTV Live HD, NickelodeonHD y VH1HD en toda América Latina. VIMN The Americas también sirve a un creciente número de consumidores conectados por vía digital a través de los siguientes sitios web: mtvla.com, mundonick.com, comedycentral.la, comedycentral.com.br, vh1la.com, vh1brasil.com.br, tr3s.com, mtv.ca y nickcanada.com, como también a través de sus sitios comunitarios y de banda ancha: mtvrevolution.com, mundonick.com/nickturbo, mtvmusica.com, neopets.com y mtvdemo.com.
Acerca de UNICEF UNICEF trabaja sobre el terreno en más de 150 países y territorios para ayudar a los niños y las niñas a sobrevivir y avanzar en la vida, desde la primera infancia hasta la adolescencia. El mayor proveedor de vacunas para los países en desarrollo, UNICEF apoya la salud y la nutrición de la infancia, agua y saneamiento adecuados, educación básica de calidad para todos los niños y niñas, y la protección de los niños y las niñas contra la violencia, la explotación y el SIDA. UNICEF está financiado en su totalidad por las contribuciones voluntarias de individuos, empresas, fundaciones y gobiernos. Para obtener más información sobre UNICEF y su obra, visite: www.unicef.org
Join Calle 13, UNICEF and MTV in the fight against Human Trafficking!
Posted on 11/22/11 by Etienne
Calle 13 hosts the documentary “Invisible Slaves” and donates their song “Preparame la Cena” to further drive awareness to the campaign
Powerful documentary & new music video premier on Tr3s & MTV Latin America on November 29th
NEW YORK, UNITED NATIONS November 21 2011 – Nineteen-time Latin Grammy winners Calle 13 joined forces with UNICEF, MTV Latin America and Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más today to launch the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) campaign within Latin American and US Hispanic communities. The multi-media campaign aims to reach Spanish-speaking youth in Latin America and the US to increase awareness and prevention around human trafficking and exploitation through creative content, digital media interaction, community events and opportunities for direct participation. www.mtvexit.org/la
Lured by false promises offering opportunities for a better life, at least 550,000* children, adolescents and youth have become victims of trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean; often forced into unsafe sexual practices and drug use, they are at a heightened risk of contracting HIV.
“Youth is our future and we need to educate them not exploit them,” said Residente de Calle 13. “We are thrilled to be supporting this campaign and look forward to working with MTV and UNICEF to address other related issues like education.” He added.
“Increasingly adolescents and young people are vulnerable to being trafficked and exploited in the region. We can reduce the risks they are exposed to if we provide them with the necessary education and tools to protect themselves," said UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Bernt Aasen. “The partnership that launches today with Calle 13, MTV Latin America and Tr3s--- key cultural references for young people-- allows us to reach millions of potential victims by communicating with them directly, using their language."
Since 2004, MTV EXIT has produced award-winning media components on the issue of human trafficking through influential music, film, and celebrities, and distributed innovative and creative content in over 40 languages to youth audiences, throughout Asia and Europe. Calle 13 joins a powerful list of celebrities including Angelina Jolie, The Killers, Radiohead, Muse, Jered Leto and Lucy Lui, who have all produced innovative content to amplify MTV EXIT’s powerful message about modern day slavery. Residente and Visitante host a documentary to address how this global issue is affecting Latin America. The documentary will include first-hand interviews with young Latin Americans who have been affected by trafficking and exploitation. Calle 13 also donated the rights of Preparame la Cena, a song from their most recent award-winning album Entren los que Quieran, for the music video for the campaign
“If we can use the power of our brands to promote human rights and bring this issue of trafficking and exploitation to light in the media, we will take an important step forward in raising awareness and protecting youth,” said Mario Cader-Frech, Vice President, Public Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility for MTV Latin America & Tr3s. UNICEF is actively working to prevent trafficking and exploitation in Latin America and the Caribbean, mainly with support from the Italian Government. Protecting children begins with prevention. UNICEF and its partners address the root causes of trafficking, essential in the fight against this global crime.
The MTV EXIT campaign will continue to expand in Latin America through mass media broadcasts, local events and activities with children, adolescents and youth. Other partners, such as PADF (Pan American Development Foundation) and the IDB (Interamerican Development Bank) will join the initiative in upcoming projects.
For more information, please visit: www.mtvexit.org/la Follow us on: Facebook-- MTVExitla and Twitter @MTVExitla
Civil Society theme 4: Investing in Development Alternatives to Migration
Posted on 11/22/11 by Etienne
While migration can promote development in countries of origin and destination countries, it can also have negative consequence on the development of countries of origin. This is the case especially for developing countries where skilled workers, like teachers and doctors, choose to migrate. This is what is known as “brain drain”; in fact, for instance the shortfall in the number of doctors and teachers could have a direct negative impact on the health and educational needs of young people.
What significance do you feel this plays in the overall development of the developing nation?
In the other hand, Diaspora communities, including youth groups, have been known to contribute to the development of their countries of origin in diverse ways, one of which is volunteering. How does the migration of skilled workers affect your community or country? How can governments address the challenge of “brain drain?” What could countries of origin do to avoid high scale migration of skilled workers? What could Diaspora youth do to contribute to the development of their countries of origin? How can governments and development stakeholders create opportunities for young people to develop their skills in order to promote development in their countries of origin?
Civil Society theme 2 & 3: Improving Protection of Migrants Moving or Working in Irregular Circumstances. Re-imagining Labour Mobility
Posted on 11/18/11 by Etienne
Here is our second question for you. Let us hear your opinion and then pass it on to policy makers!
The main reason why young people attempt to migrate is to find the decent work opportunities they struggle to find in their country of origin. In so doing, some of them travel without legal travel documentation while others overstay their permit in a country of destination. Additionally some employment, such as agriculture, home care, food processing, construction and entertainment (including the sex industry), turn out to be irregular or undocumented types of labour. This means that young migrant workers can easily become vulnerable to smugglers, with limited or no access to justice.
In what ways can governments and other development stakeholders, including civil society organizations, address the causes and implications of irregular or undocumented migration of and for young people? What could be done or done better to support young people who felt the need to migrate in an undocumented or irregular manner?
Civil Society theme 1: Rights-based Policy-making for the Benefit of Migrant Workers and Families
Posted on 11/17/11 by Etienne
In anticipation of the Global Forum on Migration and Development Civil Society Days (29th and 30th of November). Voices of Youth wants to hear your voice about issues that affect young people and motivate migration. During the next few days we will ask you one question about migration per day and we are really interested to hear what you have got to say about the issue. Make your voice heard!
There are interlinkages between migration and development. The underlying question is how could a humane or migrant rights-based approach in migration polices facilitate the contributions of young migrants to the development of their countries of origin, transit and destination?
Migration can enhance the livelihood of families and the wellbeing of children. Conversely its social cost implications can impact negatively on the wellbeing of children because of abandonment, alienation of children and difficulty of maintaining family ties. Most policy and social protection measures regarding families focus on the individual worker and not their family members like children and youth who are left behind by migration. How has the migration of your parents or guardians affected your wellbeing? In a positive or negative manner? What would you tell your government, or other stakeholders including NGOs who are working towards improving the wellbeing of children of migrants who remain in their country of origin?
Pourquoi de plus en plus d'étudiants vont faire leurs études à l'étranger?
Selon les données de l’Institut de Statistique du Fonds des Nations Unies pour l’Education, la Science et la Culture (UNESCO), 165 millions d’individus étaient scolarisés dans l’enseignement tertiaire (supérieur) dans le monde en 2009. Ce qui représentait une augmentation de 65 millions d’étudiants (65%) en comparaison à 2000. Sur la même période (2000-2009), L’effectif d’étudiants en formation à l’étranger est passé de 2,1 à 3,7 millions.
A partir des données contenus dans le rapport Regard sur l’éducation 2011 de l’OCDE (Organisation de Coopération et le Développement Economique), nous vous proposons un résumé de quelques indicateurs relatifs aux étudiants étrangers (ceux qui ne sont pas ressortissants du pays dans lequel ils sont en formation) ou en mobilité internationale (qui se sont rendus à l’étranger dans l’intention d’y faire des études).
Evolution et tendance
Depuis 2000, l’effectif des étudiants en formation à l’étranger dans l’enseignement tertiaire a progressé de 77 % dans le monde, soit une moyenne de 6,6 % par an ; et de 79 % dans les pays de l’OCDE, 6,7 % par an en moyenne. Cette logique de croissance existe depuis les trente dernières années : les étudiants étrangers ont plus que quadruplé vu qu’ils sont passés de 0,8 million en 1975 à 3,7 millions en 2009. Parmi ces 3,7 millions, on dénombre 2,6 étudiants étrangers non européens et qui se forment dans les 21 pays européens membres de l’OCDE.
Qui étudie à l’étranger ?
Les effectifs les plus élevés d’étudiants en mobilité internationale sont originaires de Chine, de Corée et d’Inde. Les étudiants asiatiques représentent 52 % de l’effectif mondial d’étudiants en formation à l’étranger.
Principaux pays et zones d’accueil des étudiants étrangers:
Selon les chiffres de 2009, la moitié des étudiants étrangers se répartissent entre cinq pays seulement: les États-Unis (18 %), le Royaume-Uni (10 %), l’Australie (7 %), l’Allemagne (7 %) et la France (7 %). Outre ces cinq pays, le Canada (5 %), le Japon (4 %), la Fédération de Russie (4 %) et l’Espagne (2 %) attirent un nombre important d’étudiants étrangers.
On note aussi que le choix des pays d’études se fait en fonction de la langue parlée et employée dans l’enseignement. C’est pourquoi les pays ou l’enseignement est dispensé dans des langues largement répandues (ce qui est le cas de l’allemand, l’anglais, l’espagnol, le français et le russe) sont, en toute logique, ceux qui accueillent le plus d’étudiants étrangers.
Domaines d’études les plus attractifs pour les étudiants en mobilité internationale
En comparaison avec l’ensemble des étudiants dans l’espace OCDE, les étudiants en mobilité internationale sont plus nombreux à suivre des études en rapport avec les sciences sociales, le commerce ou le droit, en particulier en Australie, en Estonie, aux Pays-Bas et au Portugal. Les étudiants en mobilité internationale en Europe orientale, en Belgique, en Espagne et en Italie tendent à opter pour une formation en rapport avec la santé.
Justification de la réalisation des études à l’étranger
Selon l’OCDE, s’inscrire dans un établissement d’enseignement tertiaire à l’étranger est l’un des moyens qui s’offrent aux étudiants désireux de mieux connaître des cultures et d’apprendre une langue étrangère et permettant d’améliorer leurs perspectives professionnelles dans des secteurs où le marché du travail est mondialisé, par exemple dans les multinationales ou la recherche.
De plus, le rapport note que l’internationalisation de l’enseignement tertiaire peut aussi permettre à des systèmes d’éducation plus modestes et/ou moins développés d’améliorer leur efficacité.
Pour finir, le choix de domaines d’études différents de ceux des étudiants locaux suggère soit la spécialisation des pays d’accueil dans les domaines les plus prisés, soit le manque de formations dans ces domaines dans les pays d’origine.
« C’est Dieu qui donne les enfants »
Depuis le 31 octobre 2011, nous sommes officiellement sept milliards de personnes sur terre. Mais pour Ban Ki-Moon, Secrétaire Général de l’ONU, comme le note Afrik.com, au-delà du chiffre, ce sont « sept milliards de personnes [qui] ont besoin de nourriture, d’énergie, d’offres intéressantes en matière d’emplois et d’éducation ».
L’Afrique, où le taux de croissance est le plus élevé au monde, compte plus d’un milliard d’habitants depuis 2009 ; certainement deux milliards d’ici 2044. Avec l’insuffisance alimentaire et la pauvreté qui touchent ce continent (n’oublions pas les émeutes alimentaires de 2008), ce n’est pas une bonne nouvelle.
Cette croissance "incontrôlée" s’explique en partie par le faible engagement des Etats en faveur du planning familial. A cela s’ajoute cette conception culturelle selon laquelle « ce serait Dieu qui donne les enfants ». Conclusion : de nombreux enfants n’ont pas accès aux services sociaux de base et/ou finissent dans les rues de nos villes.
En 2007, Sandrine Dékens, une ethnopsycholoque et psychothérapeute française, a publié l’article " Logiques sorcières : lorsque les accusations s’emballent", sur la situation des enfants des rues et la sorcellerie à Kinshasa, en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC). On y lit qu’en octobre 2006, 13 877 enfants âgés de 0 à 18 ans, vivaient et travaillaient dans les rues de Kinshasa. Ils étaient 15 694 si l'on inclut les moins de 21 ans.
Sandrine Dékens relève que « Les enfants des rues peuvent ainsi avoir été abandonnés par leur famille, jetés à la rue, rendus orphelins, ou être partis d’eux-mêmes tenter l’aventure de la rue lorsqu’ils s’aperçoivent que leurs parents ne peuvent assurer la charge financière qu’ils représentent ». A cela s’ajoute l’impact du VIH/sida et les accusations de sorcellerie.
Selon cette dernière, «certains parents trop pauvres, des marâtres insatisfaites, des frères et sœurs jaloux, utilisent les accusations [de sorcellerie] pour se débarrasser d’un enfant considéré comme encombrant et dont ils ne veulent/peuvent plus assurer la charge ». Elle conclut que « l’accusation de sorcellerie est alors une forme socialement acceptable pour justifier le rejet d’un enfant ».
Les conditions de vie des enfants dans les rues de Kinshasa restent aussi déplorables et caractérisées par un dénuement matériel extrême et l’exposition à une violence quotidienne. Privés de la protection des adultes et de soutien familial, ils n’ont pas accès à l’alimentation, au logement et aux soins sociaux. Vivant dans l’incertitude permanente, ils sont exposés à de nombreux risques de sévices sexuels, physiques et affectifs de la part des enfants plus âgés, des adultes des rues, et également d’autres adultes qui les maltraitent et les exploitent ».
Autre lieu, autre réalité. Le Sénégal et « ses enfants talibés ». Lorsqu’on arrive à Dakar, la capitale, on est frappé par ces nombreux enfants se promenant(mendiant serait le terme approprié) avec une boîte de tomates dans les mains. Les talibés sont en fait des enfants de familles pauvres qui, ne pouvant s’occuper de ceux-ci, sont remis à des marabouts afin d’assurer leur éducation. A Dakar, les marabouts sont de véritables dieux pour les membres de leurs différentes confréries.
Ce qui est révoltant, sans vouloir juger cette pratique culturelle, c’est que ces marabouts ont eux le plus souvent leurs enfants dans les grandes écoles sénégalaises, voire même en Europe ou en Amérique.
Selon Nteranya Sanginga, directeur général désigné de l’Institut International de l’Agriculture Tropicale (IITA), seule une recherche intensive et pertinente en agriculture pourrait contribuer à nourrir une population qui ne cesse de croître. Sans cela, note t-il, « nous risquons d’être plongés dans une situation de guerre, une guerre de nourriture et d’espace » en Afrique Centrale.
Alors, certes, c’est Dieu qui donne les enfants. Mais je pense savoir que c’est l’homme qui demande.
Thoughts on the Death of Muammar Gaddafi
People may celebrate because a very oppressive rule has ended, but people died, and people kill to end what Gaddafi had began. Gaddafi is a person, even though he may be an unjust or "evil" one. We also know that no one deserves to die violently, although it may have been necessary for the greater good.
In my opinion, the best thing that we could do is to have a moment of silence and give Gaddafi a proper burial, along with others who have died for the cause. We do not need to think of the other side of Gaddafi's character, but at least we could give respect to a dead man. At least, we could remind ourselves that even if necessary, killing other people is still evil.
Think of it as a means to meditate on the atrocities that happened under him. We give respect to him, we at least recognize that he is still a person. I also hope that this helps for other people to forgive or forget what he has done and slowly move on, rebuilding the broken pieces of a nation.
UNICEF Announces Nominees for the 2011 International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) Awards
Posted on 10/21/11 by Etienne
UNICEF announced the nominees for the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) Awards. The awards are given by UNICEF for outstanding commitment to the ICDB by television and radio broadcasters.
The winner of the 2011 ICDB Awards will be announced by UNICEF Headquarters in New York on 5 December 2011.
The nominees each won a regional competition and now go on to compete for global honours. This year’s nominees come from Andorra, Bangladesh, Benin, China, India, Iran, [Malaysia removed] Mexico, Nepal, South Africa, Togo and Uganda and represent the best work produced in 2011 for the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting.
The International Children’s Day of Broadcasting is a day set aside each year to celebrate children’s broadcasting and encourages young people to get involved in television and radio broadcasting. The 2011 ICDB theme, “Girls Are… Boys Are…,” and asked children to talk about children’s rights and their importance.
“We are pleased that so many broadcasters embraced the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting this year,” says Stephen Cassidy, Chief of UNICEF’s Internet, Broadcast and Image Section, “and are especially proud of the diversity and creativity that these nominated broadcasters demonstrated in fulfilling UNICEF’s mission to involve young people in the media-making process.”
Regional judging took place between June and August and entries were evaluated by teams of broadcasters, radio and television experts and communications specialists. The judges looked at content, execution and year-round youth participation.
The ICDB was launched in 1991 to encourage broadcasters worldwide to create awareness for children’s issues and takes place the first Sunday in March. On that day, youth write, report, produce and present programmes that allow them to reach a wide audience with their thoughts on the issues that affect them.
The ICDB Regional Prizes for television went to ATN Bangla (Bangladesh, “Dismantling Discrimination”), C7 Sistema Jalisciense de Radio y TV (Mexico, “Rosa o Azul”), Télévision Togolaise (TVT) (Togo, “A Nous la Planete”) and Step Television (Uganda, “Cool Kids (Boys Are Girls Are). The ICDB Regional Prizes for radio went to Ràdio SER Principat D'Andorra (“Hora L / IK+”), Office de Radiodiffusion et television du Bénin (ORTB) (“Quand les enfants prennent la parole…”), RadioRadio Beijing Corporation (China, “We are Different, We are the Best”), All India Radio (“Joy-Live”), Salamat Radio (Iran, “My Child”), C7 Sistema Jalisciense de Radio y TV (Mexico, “La Barra Infantil”)“, National Radio (Nepal, “Saathi Sang Manka Kura,” produced by Equal Access Nepal) and Maputaland Community Radio Station (South Africa, “Boys Are Girls Are”).
The 2010 ICDB Award for Television went Télévision Togolaise (TVT) for its program “A Nous la Planete.” The 2010 ICDB Award for Radio went to Maputaland Community Radio Station (South Africa) for its program “All Rights All Children.”
¡No se pierdan a La Colmenita!
Posted on 10/20/11 by Etienne
La Colmenita empezó como un pequeño teatro de comunidad en Cuba y logró convertirse en un teatro de niños internacionalmente reconocido. En una gira internacional, La Colmenita ahora va a traer sus obras maravillosas a Washington, Nueva York y San Francisco ¡No se lo pierdan!
Libyan Revolution
Libya is in a state of crisis.
In a civil war between military insurgents and Muammar al-Gaddafi's regime, armed conflict has swept the country and raged on for over two hundred days - with no definite end in sight.
But though the light at the end of the tunnel may not yet be clear, this is a revolution born out of necessity. These revolutionaries must continue to fight, to persevere, and to stand up for their basic human rights.
They watched their brothers fall into a pool of their own blood, their large brown eyes losing all the color that they once possessed as any nineteen year-old man had. They marched towards the gate, chanting for freedom and basic human rights, as that tank faced them with cold apathy. They extended their arms as fearless soldiers, waving their flags, demanding what they so rightly possess from that giant, stone-hearted monster of a government.
They, the revolutionaries, along with their nameless army of admirable bravery, marched on with civility and dignity, as men and women barefooted in their own skin in spite of the burning asphalt. They are not following the damned path that so many millions before them have tread like slaves bound to a master. No, they refuse to walk into that same burning Hell.
They are forging their own path. They are breaking the asphalt, and building new roads from ashes, with their own flesh and skin, tears and blood.
Fragile as any young revolutionaries, they may cry. They may cry, but they dare not stop. And so they walk on. They walk on with tears in their eyes - tears for their fallen brothers and sisters - but with their heads held high. Because they will not be chained to the same abusive institution of government any longer; they are determined to be freed and to pave a path of political freedom for the children of the future.
The road is long, and the battle is horrendous.
They are young. They are fearful.
But they must not give up. Because until that monster learns to listen to them, respect them, and treat them as human beings, they must continue to fight for the rights that they rightly deserve.
Why Step Up for Disaster Risk Reduction?
Posted on 10/12/11 by Etienne
Today is the International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction. Voices of Youth and the UN tell yo why you should step up for disaster risk reduction.
... To let the world know that children and young people are partners in reducing disaster risk.
Children and young people can and should be involved in reducing risk to disasters. This includes getting organized to lobby for more investment in disaster risk reduction at the local and community level by governments and companies.
Their actions to reduce disaster risk need to be recognized, including how these actions link into national and community development such as achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
... To promote more partnerships with children and young people in disaster risk reduction
Governments, companies and communities need to systematically include children and young people's participation in their decision-making processes for building disaster resilient societies.
Policy makers should recognize that children and young people-led organizations and initiatives are a valuable resource and involve them in DRR efforts.
... To connect and build bridges and understanding among children and young people
Children and young people's networks and partnerships need to be encouraged across cultures.
Children and young people need to be empowered and supported as agents of social inclusion and safety.
Full house
In the Philippines, teenage Mary is off the streets and studying for her exams
Last year I visited Manila, capital of the Philippines, with photographer Sharron Lovell to document a day in the life of three children, for the launch of the new UNICEF UK website. One of them was thirteen-year-old Mary (not her real name) who lived with her family on the street outside Starbucks, where her mother ran a cigarette stall. Back then, Mary spent her days working on the stall or looking after her younger sisters, and her nights hanging out on the streets with other street children, many of whom ‘did rugby’ (sniffed solvents).
I was in Manila again recently and spent an afternoon with street educator Butch Nerja from local charity Childhope Asia Philippines. After saying goodbye to Sally - see part one of this blog - we went to find Mary. Although her family was still on the streets, Mary was living temporarily with Butch and his wife in order to concentrate on her studies. “Mary is such a smart girl but it’s hard for her to study when she’s on the streets,” Butch told me. “Her brothers will be going to a shelter soon but Mary won’t leave her mother. I had to think of another solution. We live only two blocks away so I said ‘you can come and stay with us’.”
Butch and I first looked for Mary at Binondo church, where Childhope runs alternative learning sessions (ALS) and a choir for street children. Mary wasn’t there but her older brother Bayani was. He was studying hard, writing in a notebook on a wooden table in a humid upstairs room. Outside the church, we ran into Mary’s younger sister, Jasmine, who was running unsupervised across the busy square with other street children. In the evenings, children throw firecrackers here, with little regard for their own safety. Jasmine had a T-shirt tied around her head. “She got lice recently and was scratching her head,” Butch explained. “Because her fingers were dirty it got infected, and she had to go to hospital.”
“I think Mary must have gone home,” Butch said and we made our way to his house in the heart of Binondo, Manila’s Chinatown. We passed through busy side streets, where street vendors were selling fruit from wooden trailers, many of them piled high with purple dragon fruit. Elsewhere, wooden-fronted shops sold Chinese charms and herbal medicines, repaired mah-jong sets or sold ‘death money’ to burn for the spirits of dead ancestors.
Room with a view
Butch’s house was alongside the canal. It was an informal structure made from wooden boards and corrugated iron. Butch and his family lived upstairs, while his wife’s parents lived downstairs. “Welcome to my home,” Butch said, pointing to a narrow flight of wooden steps. Upstairs, the house had been partitioned into four rooms – one for Butch and his wife, another for their children, a small kitchen/lounge and a storage room overlooking the canal.
The lounge was decorated with a mixture of religious iconography and musical memorabilia. There was a small shrine to Jesus on top of the fridge, next to several laughing Buddhas. On the shelf opposite was a framed picture of Bob Marley and Butch’s own dreadlocks, hung over one of his many awards for social work. Also in the lounge were Butch’s wife and the two former street children he was currently looking after – Mary and Cecile. Mary was clearly a teenager now. She had much longer hair that she frequently brushed, and was obviously taking care of her appearance.
While Cecile ran out with 100 peso to buy some soft drinks, I asked Mary what she had been up to in the year since I last saw her. “I still go to Childhope’s street education sessions and to RockEd choir practice at Binondo church,” she replied in Tagalog. “I help Butch with the classes and I’m studying for my ALS certificate.”
Butch nodded in agreement. “If Mary passes our exam this year she can go to school in Grade 6,” he said. “I’m currently looking for a sponsor for her. She’s 14 years old now so it’s her last chance. She has the willingness and interest to learn. One hundred per cent I believe she can do it.”
Both girls do chores around the house, in exchange for which they get a place to stay and three meals a day. Mary washes the dishes and cleans the house. Cecile’s task, meanwhile, is to cook dinner. The two girls were obviously very close, although being teenagers they denied it. “Cecile is OK but she’s a bit lazy with the washing up,” Mary joked.
Value of education
Butch and his wife also employ Mary’s mother, August, to do their washing. “The local barangay council told her that she couldn’t run the cigarette stall anymore,” Butch said. “Now she works as a laundry woman.” August is happy that Mary is staying with Butch’s family. “She thinks about the welfare of her children and believes in the value of education,” Butch continued. “She wants them off the streets and back in school.”
For now, Mary is adjusting to her new structured lifestyle. She is learning to go to bed at 11pm, rather than 3am. “I had difficulty sleeping at first but now I’m getting used to it,” she said. Mary is also able to watch TV for the first time. I was encouraged to hear that she often watches documentaries and news programmes, as well as movies and cartoons. “Mary recently watched a documentary about the anniversary of the September 11th attacks,” Butch said. “She had a lot of questions afterwards, so I had to be a lecturer and explain the history.”
The girls are allowed out in the evenings but they have to ask permission first. “My wife is very strict,” Butch said with a smile. “She says ‘you can go out for two hours but be back on time’. So far, they always have.”
Not being on the streets has also helped Mary to give up solvents. “I was very patient with her and would explain the side effects,” Butch said. “She knows this but it’s still hard for her to give up. I would tell her ‘I understand, I’ve been there also’. This is why it’s important for her to be with normal kids and have better role models.”
I gave Mary an album of the best photos from our visit last year and she looked through it with evident pleasure, showing the pictures to Cecile. “Can we go and find my mum so she can see this too?” she asked Butch. He agreed and I started to pack up my camera and notepad. “I can see the change in Mary,” Butch commented as we left. “She used to be a pensive child but now she laughs and smiles more.”
The thing that struck me most about my visit to Butch’s house was that, despite being small and crowded, it had an obviously warm family atmosphere. I’ve known rich families that lack this and it makes all the difference. Here, the children were happy and well looked after. Mary and Cecile laughed and played with Butch’s daughter, and were clearly comfortable with him and his wife. In short, it felt like a home.
I felt honored to be invited there and humbled by the level of Butch’s generosity towards the children he works with. I like to think I do my bit for society – I work to raise awareness of and money for children’s rights, I make personal donations, including to Childhope, and run half marathons for UNICEF. But looking at Butch’s life forced me to re-evaluate my own and ask myself if I could do more. Would I, like Butch, take in vulnerable children to share my home? Honestly, I really don’t know. I’m just glad that he does.
Find out more + UNICEF Philippines + Childhope Asia Philippines + Andy Brown on Blogger
A la mémoire d’un enfant vendu
Je vais vous parler d’un temps que les moins de 8 ans ne peuvent pas connaître. Oui, il était une fois en l’année 2003, un souvenir maussade dans un pays ou les villes et l’agriculture, les civilisations et l’écriture ont pourtant vu le jour.
La terre d’entre les fleuves, le Tigre et l’Euphrate où fut inventé la division sexagésimale du temps. il s'agit bien entendu de l’IRAK… En 2003, une histoire dramatique a commencé avec la chute de la statue de Saddam Hussein marquant la chute d’un régime dit dictateur. L’Opération « liberté de l’Irak » est déclenchée. Les Etats Unis et ses alliées déclarent avoir dignement honoré leur mission sur cette terre –et s’engagent à continuer bien honnêtement le combat jusqu’au bout- Voyons alors ce que cette liberté a coûté ?
Aujourd’hui, après 8 ans de blessure passés, 2920 jours de terreur vécus: les enfants de l’Irak ne sont pas épargnés. Il y a quelques semaines, on a entendu parler dans les médias suédois d’un marché en plein Bagdad spécialisé dans la vente des enfants Irakiens. Des bouts de chair qui ont connu le châtiment du sort dès leur première tentative dans la vie et des adolescents qui n’ont même pas savouré le goût de cette vie, se présentent dans ce marché pour qu’on les échange contre des dollars ou des dinars -qui sait?
Oui, c’est bien cela le prix de la liberté extérieurement choisie et nationalement payée. Allons-nous alors fermer les yeux sur l’indignité dans laquelle s’englue ce peuple? Ne serait-il pas donc finalement temps pour que l’opération « liberté de l’Irak » prenne son propre sens ? Et que la démocratie voulue prenne forme selon le bon vouloir du peuple Irakien et pour les enfants de l’Irak???
Join Voices of Youth at the Social Good Summit
Posted on 09/19/11 by Etienne
Today is the start of the Social Good Summit in New York. Voices of Youth will be present at the event to inform you guys about what is happening in the social media universe. Follow us on Twitter to read updates and check #socialgood to join the discussion. All the presentations will be streamed at http://mashable.com/sgs/. Take part at this wonderful event and see how you can use social media to make a change!
7 Billion Stories: I am a young journalist.
Posted on 09/16/11 by Etienne
I left IBA (premium business school in Pakistan) to study Mass Communication. Young people all over the region choose their careers based on expectations of their parents and friends and family - I stand for individuality. For living your life according to your own wishes and wants and needs. We can only shine in our true colors if we do what we were meant to do!
To read more stories from the 7billions campaign and share yours, click here!
7 Billion Stories: "I am helping women choose LIFE in Liberia!"
Posted on 09/14/11 by Etienne
Post graduation in May 2011, I forwent corporate opportunities to help women, girls, & children in post-war Liberia. With a lens on maternal and infant mortality, I work w/ the Gbomai Bestman Foundation as the Projects Director maintaining current initiatives and building new ones that can prevent women from death due to pregnancy related causes. Currently, I work on "The Kiko Project," a creative initiative at the intersection of public school education & maternal mortality inspired by 79 girls I met in June. Learn more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32OTvn5j1O4&feature=channel_video_title
Nichole Bestman
To read more stories from the 7billions campaign and share yours, click here!
7 Billion Stories: Connecting People. Inspiring Actions.
Posted on 09/13/11 by Etienne
By the close of 2011, the global population will reach 7 billion. A world of 7 billion has implications for sustainability, urbanization, access to health services and youth empowerment. It is also an opportunity to renew global commitment for a healthy and sustainable world. 7 Billion Actions, a global movement for all humanity, was established by the United Nations Population Fund to highlight positive action by individuals and organizations and inspire others to join the movement.
7 Billion people mean 7 billion stories! Share yours with the world. Every voice matters. Go now to www.7billionactions.org/
Within the next few days we will post some of the inspirational stories from the 7 Billion Actions campaign here on VOY. Make sure to tell us what you think and participate!
You can also follow our friends from the 7 Billion Actions campaign on Twitter @7billionactions and like them on Facebook.com/7billionactions to be in touch and stay informed.
La Escuela - El lugar de los sueños
Posted on 08/19/11 by Etienne
La escuela, espacio privilegiado para desarrollar la imaginación de los niños, que les permite soñar, crear, jugar, volar sin cerrar los ojos, con la seriedad que requiere toda actividad libre, en donde el espacio y el tiempo se detiene para ingresar a ese mundo fantástico, colorido, lleno de figuras, colores, sabores, aromas, texturas, paisajes y personajes que solo cuando se quiere, y sin prejuicios, cualquier persona puede participar.
Colegio Mano Amiga - Antioquía, Colombia
Fundación Kine -1 Minuto por mis derechos
Posted on 08/17/11 by Etienne
Fundación Kine Cultural y Educativa y UNICEF Argentina, llevan a cabo talleres de expresión audio visual. Adolescentes de 13 a 18 años aprenden sobre la producción de videos y sobre la Convención sobre los derechos del Niño. Esto les permite relatar sus realidades en producciones de un minuto. Estos dos videos son una muestra de este trabajo.
Fuente: http://www.lacvox.net
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo to lead a live Q&A on Livestream on the crisis in the Horn of Africa
Posted on 08/15/11 by Etienne
WHO: Ms. Angelique Kidjo, Singer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mr. Louis-Georges Arsenault, Director of UNICEF Emergency Operations Mr. Maulid Aden Warfa, Emergency Specialist for UNICEF Central and Southern Somalia (via Skype from Nairobi)
WHAT: A live chat on Livestream, Facebook, and Twitter (#askUnicef) about the situation in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, in which everyone is encouraged to join in and ask UNICEF questions, where a child survival crisis has taken millions of children to the brink.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - 10:30 to 11.30 AM (ET)
WHY: Find out more about the crisis in the Horn of Africa – how it happened, what is happening, what needs to be done – and its impact on children. Angelique Kidjo will bring her own experience as an African, who has travelled extensively to developing countries. Louis-Georges, who just returned from the region and Maulid, who is currently based in Nairobi and is frequently in Somalia, will be sharing their own perspectives on the current situation.
Please join the Livestream Q&A session by visiting this link and RSVP: http://www.livestream.com/unicef?rsvptoeventid=411149
You can also follow and participate with us on Facebook and Twitter:
http://www.facebook.com/unicef http://www.twitter.com using #askUnicef
La multiculturalidad del juego
Posted on 08/15/11 by Etienne
Oaxaca es un estado que se encuentra en la parte sur de México, se caracteriza por ser uno de los estados con la mayor riqueza cultural pues coexisten 16 grupos étnicos totalmente diferentes, los lugares abarcan desde la selva, los bosques, la sierra, el mar etc. Los niños son muy diferentes en cuanto a lengua, costumbres y formas de pensar, sin embargo los une esa alegría de ser pequeños y sentir que el mundo es suyo. A pesar de las grandes desigualdades sociales se puede observar como adaptan el mundo a su forma de ver.
Estas fotos son una representación de esa multiculturalidad con la que contamos, en las cuales se expresa el derecho que todos tenemos a jugar y a tener una infancia feliz, son niños que con algunos recursos fáciles de conseguir logran un mundo nuevo y se lo apropian…
PARTICIPANTE: Eduardo Gómez Agustín PAÍS: México
Fuente: http://www.lacvox.net
The International Year of Youth - A brief Analysis
The International Year of Youth, which began on August 12 last year, drew to a close yesterday. The United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 2009, proclaimed the year commencing on 12 August 2010 as the International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding (IYY). Under its theme, the Year aimed to promote ideals of peace, respect for human rights and solidarity across generations, cultures, religions and civilizations.
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The UN system’s activities, led by the UN Programme on Youth of DESA, for the Year had three main objectives; to increase commitment and investment in youth; to encourage partnerships with young people and intensify their participation in society and in decision-making processes, and to foster dialogue and mutual understanding among youth.
This focus reflects the significance of the global youth population. Young adults aged between 15 and 24 number 1.2 billion people, and make up nearly a fifth of the global population. It is also noteworthy that 87% of youth live in developing countries and face limited access to education and employment opportunities.
In view of these circumstances, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon summed up aims of the International Year of Youth saying “youth deserve our full commitment – full access to education, adequate healthcare, employment opportunities…and full participation in public life.”
By highlighting the importance of public life, the UN Secretary-General also alluded to the great value of young people and their contributions to society. The Year of Youth also therefore celebrated the way young people demonstrate leadership, for example, by practicing environmental responsibility and developing innovative uses of new technologies.
The International Year of Youth has been celebrated all around the world by civil society, local, national and regional entities, through innovative and numerous events. The International Year of Youth Calendar of events recorded a total of 422 registered events held worldwide on a range of issues facing young people. In addition, more a 1000 events were posted on UN social media platforms.
The High Level Meeting on Youth was held in New York on July 25-26 as the highlight of the International Year of Youth. The Meeting brought together government entities, private sector and civil society representatives. The High-level Meeting on Youth provided a critical opportunity to strengthen international cooperation on youth issues and to address challenges they face, as well as opportunities that youth development creates. The meeting successfully underscored the importance of supporting young people’s vast and untapped potential as well as the need to promote dialogue and mutual understanding across cultures and generations.
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Another major aspect of the International Year of Youth has been the appointment of Monique Coleman, Hollywood Actress and youth activist, as the UN Youth Champion. In order to support the Year, Monique Coleman embarked for 6 months on a world tour; she visited 5 continents, 26 countries and met with thousands youth.
The ability of social media to connect people was crucial to the success of the Year and particularly of UN Youth Champion Monique Coleman’s endeavors. Ms. Coleman’s role was to engage in dialogue with young people and raise awareness of the challenges they face. In addition to her tireless traveling, she conversed daily with youth through Facebook, Twitter and her online chat show “Gimme Mo”. Today’s event was shaped through these efforts in coordination with those driven by the UN Program on Youth.
The Culmination Celebration, bringing together UN departments and International Year of Youth partners, paid particular attention to the achievements of young girls and women in society. It was also emphasized that long term progress can only be achieved through nurturing the aspirations of young people.
The International Youth Day was also marked on 12 August 2011 under the theme “Change Our World.” The UN Programme on Youth invites young people to celebrate the International Youth Day by submitting their initiatives working to change the world on Facebook
As summed up by the Secretary-General as call to action to young people, “you have the opportunity to change the world, seize it.”
Photo: OASIS is a Brazilian community action project that develops activities in cities and responds to social and environmental issues while making a positive change.
Here, the goal was to revitalize the Escola Estadual Eng. Prado Lopes, a public school located in one of the most impoverished areas of Belo Horizonte.
¿Hasta dónde llegarán?
Posted on 08/10/11 by Etienne
Esa carrera que todos algún día comenzamos y que aún seguimos corriendo para alcanzar sueños, esperanzas, ser esos personajes que en cada juego representábamos de la mejor manera, intentando cambiar el mundo, siendo superheroes y en solo unos segundos convertirnos en villanos, ser los mejores deportistas y luego pasar a ser unos artistas, convertir las cosas en objetos inimaginables, de una caja salir una nave, con unas gafas hacernos invisibles, transportarnos a lugares donde ningún ser humano antes llegó, viajar a la velocidad de la luz, dar vida a cualquier juguete o ser inanimado, y lo mejor tener a nuestro lado los amigos para conectarnos en esa fantasía de transformar todo lo que nos rodea sin limites por medio del juego, y que al pasar el tiempo vamos guardando en los recuerdos, por que vamos creciendo y la sociedad y el consumo nos limita a ser lo que eramos "niños".
Por Edison Alexander Gomez Gallego de Colombia
Fuente: http://www.lacvox.net
Rowdies or Revolutionaries?
Posted on 08/10/11 by Etienne
It is with great concern that the world looks to London in the days of the worst riots that the city has seen in the recent past. Pictures of burning cars and masked hordes facing armed police on the streets instantly bring back memories of the civil unrest in that spread out from the suburbs of Paris all over France in 2005. The trigger for the violence was similar: fleeing from the police after a banal incident, Zyed Benna and Bouna Traore were electrocuted while climbing into an electrical sub-station in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois. In London Mark Duggan aged 29 years, got killed last Thursday after an apparent fire exchange with police officers. When hundreds of people marched one day later to Tottenham police station to ask for justice, the situation escalated and what started with thrown bottles and cars being set on fire turned into a national crisis.
Though six years and 340 kilometres of distance lie between the incidents, the causes and results seem to be identical and bring to light how dramatically politicians and the economy have failed to provide perspectives for youth even after the warnings of France 2005.
It is easy to stigmatize the rioters of London as looters and hooligans and the fact that many of them are not politicized might fuel this impression (see video).
However, to think that only well-educated middle and upper class people have the right to protest might be one of the root causes for the sudden outburst of violence itself. Like it or not, but what is happening in London right now is a public protest and there are reasons for it.
A lot of those currently on the street might actually don’t know those reasons are, but the fact that there is an urge to run around and destroy things shows that something is terribly wrong with modern western society. Once again, it would be the time to rethink the principal of survival of the fittest and lend our ears to the weakest and most vulnerable.
One would have thought that the global financial crisis had taught us valuable lessons, but instead of questioning the principal of the invisible hand and the self-regulating market, voters in countries like Sweden or the Netherlands fell for neo liberal right wing parties offering (too) easy solutions.
Paying taxes to favour the “losers” of the fast pace race of modern capitalism is traditionally unpopular amongst the wealthy, even more so in times of crisis and with everyone thinking that he is treated unfair and should be helped, solidarity is hard to find.
Children and youth need a perspective in order to be expected to live within the rules of the society they were forced to be part of. If you never had a chance to make it anyway and have nothing to lose, what difference does it make not to obey the law?
Of course, violence is absolutely unacceptable and many homes and family businesses have been burned down and destroyed, but this is the result of something that happens every day and that we like to turn a blind eye on too often and eventually at some point, injustice becomes unbearable and the rage unloads in terrible acts of violence.
As Daniel McGowen, member of the Earth Liberation Front put it: "I'm not suggesting that the path of destruction is the right path," he said. "But, when you're screaming at the top of your lungs and no one hears you, what are you supposed to do?"
Photo 1: Fires in London during recent riots (Creative Commons)
Video: Interview performed by the BBC
Photo 2: Mark Duggan's death started the outburst of violence
Breidy Leandro Rodríguez Umaña y el Programa Social Meta Colombia
Posted on 08/09/11 by Etienne
"El juego representa la posibilidad de recrear, divertir y aprender; por medio de el se expresan los derechos y los deberes necesarios para el crecimiento de la población juvenil, permitiendo la libre expresión en un ambiente sano. Valores como el amor, la amistad, la unión, el respeto y la pulcritud se evidencian en cada juego, orientando a todos y todas hacia el mejoramiento de la calidad de vida. Jugar no es solo de niños y de jóvenes, es un espacio para compartir con los demás, fortaleciendo las relaciones interpersonales y el pensamiento creativo".
El Movimiento Internacional Cuarto Mundo de Bolivia
Posted on 08/05/11 by Etienne
"La felicidad de los niños y niñas es nuestra felicidad”, tenemos que pensar en ellos porque son el presente, y a través del juego pensemos que estamos apoyando a un desarrollo pleno en lo físico e intelectual.
El Movimiento Internacional ATD Cuarto Mundo-Bolivia realiza actividades que fortalecen y estimulen las capacidades de los niños y niñas con actividades que rescatan los juegos tradicionales como el avioncito, pata pata, trompo, el salto en soga, o creando otros como el túnel o gusanito en sus espacios como “la Biblioteca de Calle y el Festival del Saber”.
Las calles, plazas y avenidas de las zonas de Urkupiña y Andino ubicadas en la ciudad de El Alto-Bolivia los días martes, sábados y durante las vacaciones de tres semanas son ocupadas por los gritos de alegría y risas de los niños, niñas y adolescentes, porque están ejerciendo su derecho al juego, porque ríen, saltan y corren libres.
Estamos seguros que el juego es una forma para que las y los niños descubran sus capacidades, porque ellos son sujetos con derechos y no objetos.
Fuente: http://www.lacvox.net
Juan Diego Ochoa y Meta Colombia
Posted on 08/04/11 by Etienne
El domingo nos bañamos en el caño que está al pie de mi casa, con mis amigos, vecinos y mi mamá fue a lavar la ropa aprovechando para cuidarnos, jugamos al que se lanza mas lejos de la orilla, y quien lo haga es el ganador, eso significa que no sale del juego. Nos gusta hacerlo por distracción y por que el calor después de medio día es insoportable. Lo importante es tener cuidado y que alguien nos esté cuidando.
Casi siempre despues de salir de clases jugamos canicas con mis hermanos menores y vecinos, ya que nos distrae bastante; hacemos un círculo en la superficie de la tierra, allí se depositan las bolitas, aparte se hace una linea, y el niño que se pase de esa linea al lanzar la canica queda de últimas… lo importante es que no esté haciendo mucho sol, porque jugar dentro de la casa…no es igual.
Fuente: http://www.lacvox.net
Jugando a ser felices
Posted on 08/03/11 by Etienne
Las fotos ilustran el trabajo realizado con los beneficiarios del programa Proniño de Fundación Telefónica en Colombia.
Fuente: http://www.lacvox.net
Victims of the Norway Attacks
Posted on 08/01/11 by Etienne
Anders Behring Breivik, an anti-Muslim extremist, killed 77 people in an Oslo bombing and a shooting rampage at a summer camp for young political activists on July 22, 2011. Learn more about the victims by clicking on the images below.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/world/europe/Norway-Victims-Oslo-Utoya.html?hp
Young leaders and politicians discuss HIV/AIDS
Posted on 07/26/11 by Etienne
During the event “Crossfire: A dialogue between youth leaders and decision‐makers to answer the tough questions on HIV and young people” young leaders had the chance to address their questions about HIV and AIDS related topics to international politicians. Latoya Cadogan from Barbados, Mawethu Zita from Barbados, Milinda Rajapaksha from Sri Lanka, Nadim Abou Alwan from Lebanon and Magda Pochec from Poland took the chance and “interrogated” ministers and parliament members from different countries.
Photo 1: The participants arrive. Djibril Diallo, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director, greets Magda Pochec, member of the initiative YouAct.
Photo 2: Honorable Shaw Kgathi, Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture from Botswana answers Latoya Cadogan’s question.
Photo 3: Honorable Anurag Thakur, member of the Indian Parliament explains parts of the Indian HIV/AIDS policies to Mawethu Zita from South Africa (on the right).
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"Latinoamérica tiene todo para llevar una posición de liderazgo en la política mundial"
Posted on 07/26/11 by Etienne
En un evento organizado bajo el título "Los retos generacionales de las personas jóvenes de Iberoamérica en el marco del Año Internacional de la Juventud” el ex presidente de México Vicente Fox Quesada habló de la importancia que tiene la participación juvenil en la política. Fox reconoció que el siglo pasado a México y todo Latino América le fue “bastante mal”: “Vimos a otros países pasándonos y nos dio envidia. No crecimos como sociedad por haber sido gobernados por dictaduras durante gran parte del siglo”.
El hombre que lideró el país del 2000 hasta el 2006 destacó además la importancia que tiene la participación política juvenil a pesar del “cansancio democrático” que había reconocido dentro del pueblo mexicano. Fox Quesada siguió de poner enfoque en el valor de la democracia y se mostró contento por los movimientos democráticos en el Medio Ambiente.
Fox Quesada está convencido que la democracia va a prevalecer, pero para el ex presidente queda la pregunta que y quien gobierna después: “Ciertamente van a ganar los valores democráticos pero el interrogante es quien va a venir después”. Finalmente el ex presidente cerró su discurso con un pronóstico optimista para el continente cuando dijo que si bien no se sabe cuáles van a ser los valores dominantes en el futuro con países como China y Corea en el auge, Latinoamérica tendría todo para llevar una posición de liderazgo en la política mundial.
Foto 1: Los panelistas en el evento "Los retos generacionales de las personas jóvenes de Iberoamérica en el marco del Año Internacional de la Juventud”.
Foto 2: El ex presidente mexicano Vicente Fox Quesada.
“Youth deserves to get special attention”
Posted on 07/26/11 by Etienne
On the first day of UN’s High Level Meeting on Youth, I had the chance to attend a panel discussion with the promising name “Strengthening Youth Leaders: Advocacy from the Ground Up”. The organization International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region (IPPF/WHR) had brought in four young panelists from Costa Rica, Barbados, Peru and Haiti.
Under the moderation of Jovana Rios from Panama, the panelists emphasized how important it is to include youth in the decision making process. “Youth deserves to get special attention” said Casimir Caidor who is an activist for PROFAMIL Haiti. He was joined by Camilo Saldarriaga who lamented that many delegations at the meeting did not include youth members. Camilo also accentuated how important it is to involve more young women and minorities into decision making.
“We want to exercise our participation rights” insisted Stefanie Suclupe from Peru, adding that it is not always easy to advocate for sexual and reproductive rights in the UN. In order to make advocacy more efficient, we as youth advocacy organizations have to “improve our messages. We have to ensure that they are clear and action driven to advocate better to our delegates” said LaToya Cadogan-Williams, the most powerful speaker on the panel.
Latoya also pointed out how difficult the last years have been for youth organizations and how great the effort was that many of them made to keep up the work and help people. Still, she reckons that there is a long way to go to make government leaders actually take action that they often promise when cameras are around:
“Governments should implement the measures that they sign off on. Things can no longer go on the way that they are”. The way is stony and long but with young leaders like Camilo, LaToya, Stefanie, Casimir and Jovana speaking out their voice and spreading their message, others will join and eventually things will slowly begin to change.
Meet the youth participants #2
Posted on 07/25/11 by Etienne
Our VOY reporters gathered short introductions of young people attending the high-level meeting. Enjoy this freshly delivered content from the first day of the HLM in New York. If you are not at the event, you can make us ask your questions, adding us on Twitter @voices_of_youth and using the #VOYbackstage hashtag and, we will try to get you an answer.
Voices of Youth @ the UN Highlevel Meeting on Youth
Posted on 07/25/11 by Etienne
Voices of Youth's coverage from the UN Highlevel Meeting on Youth has begun. Today and tomorrow we will provide you with information and reports from the event with articles on the sites, live tweets and exclusive interviews with the participants. Follow us on Twitter @voices_of_youth and join us on Facebook.com/voicesofyouth to get the newest information and submit us the questions that you want to ask the participants of the event!
Empieza la cobertura de La Juventud Opina de la Reunión de Alto Nivel de las Naciones Unidas sobre la Juventud en Nueva York
Posted on 07/25/11 by Etienne
Hoy y mañana La Juventud Opina estará reportando de la Reunión de Alto Nivel de las Naciones Unidas sobre la Juventud en Nueva York en el marco del Año Internacional de la Juventud. Vamos a proveerles con artículos, tweets en vivo y fotos y videos del evento. ¡Mándanos tus preguntas para los participantes a través de Facebook.com/voicesofyouth o por Twitter @voices_of_youth!
Voices of Youth - Mejoras del sitio #1
Posted on 06/20/11 by Etienne
Estamos mejorando el sitio de Voices of Youth para ustedes. Nuestros programadores están trabajando para que sea para ustedes más fácil compartir sus historias con el resto del mundo y así interactuar con otros usuarios dentro de la comunidad. Este es el primero de una serie de actualizaciones que van a continuar durante los meses siguientes para optimizar nuestra plataforma.
Estos mensajes los mantendrán informados sobre los cambios y mejoras en el sitio de Voices of Youth.
Estas son las primeras actualizaciones:
· Como usuario ahora tienes la posibilidad de agregar información más detallada a tu perfil: simplemente haz click sobre el botón de Configuración y personaliza tu página personal. Adicionalmente, puedes subir una imagen a tu perfil que también se verá cuándo comentes un artículo.
· El manejo del sitio ha sido optimizado: se mejoró el interfaz de ingreso, ahora puedes eliminar artículos en fase de borrador, suprimir comentarios y también tienes la posibilidad de cancelar tu cuenta de usuario si lo deseas.
· Además, también estamos en el proceso de traducir el sitio en su totalidad a otros idiomas. Por ejemplo, la sección Aprende Más ahora está disponible en inglés, francés y español.
Descubrí los cambios en el sitio, disfruta de las nuevas funciones que te ofrece y está atento para futuras actualizaciones!
Al-Shabab says aid group ban remains in place
Posted on 07/22/11 by Etienne
Islamist rebel movement rejects UN's famine claims and will not allow certain support groups into drought-hit Somalia.
Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/07/201172291538656428.html
UNICEF responds to Horn of Africa food crisis that has left 2 million children malnourished
Posted on 07/13/11 by Etienne
UNICEF correspondent Kun Li reports on the organization's response to the food crisis in the Horn of Africa and a visit by UNICEF Regional Director Elhadj As Sy to a settlement in north-eastern Kenya for Somali refugees from drought and conflict.
For more information, please visit http://www.unicef.org
Emergencia nutricional en el Cuerno de Africa
Posted on 07/12/11 by Etienne
El Cuerno de África se enfrenta a una de las peores crisis nutricionales de los últimos 60 años. La falta de lluvias y la crisis económica, además de los conflictos bélicos ha agravado una situación, ya difícil.
Amidst the region's worst drought in decades, Somali refugees crowd camps in Kenya
Posted on 07/12/11 by Etienne
“It’s a very long, treacherous journey,” says Ms. Ahmed. “By the time they come to the camps, they are hungry, very emaciated, some of them almost naked, holding their children.”
When they get to Kenya, the refugees tell horrific stories of deprivation and danger.
“Some of them lost family members along the way due to hunger and thirst. Some reported that family members were eaten by wild animals,” Ms. Ahmed reports. There are also unconfirmed reports of armed militia members attempting to prevent people from leaving Somalia.
Source: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/kenya_59174.html
El Eterno Problema de la Discriminación
A la hora de hablar de discriminación vienen a mi muchos pensamientos, de todo tipo: discriminación racial, religiosa, política, orientación sexual o por razón de género entre otras. A lo largo del tiempo hubo un gran avance frente a estos problemas sociales, y lucha debe continuar.
Valga aclarar que hoy en día existen derechos que ciento de años atrás, ni las personas que se sentían discriminadas, eran capaces de luchar. Con la ayuda de distintas políticas y/o personas extraordinarias de la historia, ellos pudieron hacerse escuchar.
Igualmente me tome el pequeño trabajo de buscar la definición en Wikipedia: "Discriminación es el acto de separar o formar grupos de personas a partir de un criterio o criterios determinados. En su sentido más amplio, la discriminación es una manera de ordenar y clasificar. Puede referirse a cualquier ámbito, y puede utilizar cualquier criterio. Si hablamos de seres humanos, por ejemplo, podemos discriminarlos entre otros criterios, por edad, color de piel, nivel de estudios, conocimientos, riqueza, color de ojos, etc. Pero también podemos discriminar fuentes de energía, obras de literatura, animales, etc. " Hasta aquí estamos hablando de la misma problemática. Pero, ¿Qué sucede con la discriminación que algunos tienen por el simple hecho de haber nacido en el lugar "no indicado para la inserción social"?
Un lugar donde, todo lo que uno quiera hacer cuesta muchas veces más. Un lugar en el que tal vez los padres no tienen dinero ni forma de educar a una nueva generación de chicos, resultando en un grupo que ya comienza con una gran desventaja. Ese tipo de discriminación, ¿cómo se llama? Un grupo separado de otro que, el más beneficiado prefiere no ver. Muchos creen que todos tenemos las mismas posibilidades, podemos estudiar, pensar y salir adelante. Pero, si un niño ya comienza sus primeros años de vida con desnutrición, cómo pretendemos que pueda pensar y más tarde buscar un trabajo digno?
Me surgen otras preguntas como: ¿Cómo hace uno para pagar los estudios si éste requiere mucho tiempo para ser excelente y uno termina no teniendo tiempo para trabajar? ¿Qué es lo que termina eligiendo? ¿Y en los países donde la educación pública no existe?
Las igualdades todavía no están claras a mi parecer. Las oportunidades no son las mismas.
Mi idea con estas palabras no es denunciar una "discriminación", si no que, a mi parecer, hacer conciente esta problemática. Cada uno puede ayudar a una persona, escoger a alguien y ayudarlo. Tal vez no dándole dinero, pero sí, facilitando el desarrollo del otro con herramientas propias de uno. Una cadena de favor.
Favela Vidigal en Rio de Janeiro. Autor: Jeff Belmonte Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffbelmonte/106444226/
Millions need urgent aid amidst drought, conflict and food crisis in the Horn of Africa
Posted on 07/06/11 by Etienne
30 June 2011 - UNICEF's Regional Emergency Advisor for Eastern and Southern Africa, Robert McCarthy, dicsusses the food crisis arising from severe drought and armed conflict in the Horn of Africa.
For more information, please visit http://www.unicef.org
El precio que los libios pagan por el estancamiento
Posted on 06/23/11 by Etienne
La columna de Anne Applebaum del 7 de Junio, “Una apuesta al estancamiento”, habló del valor estratégico de un estancamiento en Libia, pero para las mujeres y los niños afectados por este conflicto sangriento, mientras más dure la indefinición, más devastadoras serán las consecuencias.
Durante los últimos cuatro meses, después de que estallaron las protestas populares contra el régimen, decenas de miles de niños han sido traumatizados por la exposición directa a la violencia donde algunos de ellos han sido, incluso, matados o mutilados.
Muchos niños libios han quedado atrapados en sus casas, sin posibilidades de visitar la escuela o ni siquiera poder jugar afuera. El fuego de las armas sigue siendo algo que ocurre a diario en Benghazi, y los bombardeos son escuchados por los hijos y sus madres en Trípoli.
Este mes, tres miembros de una familia fueron asesinados y otros dos resultaron heridos en Ajdabiya cuando un niño trajo a su casa una parte de una un artefacto explosivo que no había detonado.
Yo fui testigo cuando dos niños, de 14 y 9 años, fueron traídos en un barco a Benghazi de Misrata con varias heridas. Ellos estaban jugando en la calle, algo que todos los niños deberían de poder hacer sin mayores preocupaciones, cuando un objeto que recogieron explotó. El chico mayor perdió sus dos manos.
UNICEF y otras organizaciones con quienes colabora, apoyan programas de educación en Benghazi para crear mayor conciencia al respecto de estas armas mortales. Estos programas urgentemente tienen que ser expandidos dentro de Misrata y por todo el resto de Libia.
Cuanto más rápido termine este conflicto con un resultado aceptable para la gente de Libia, menor será el precio que tendrán que pagar los civiles con sangre, mutilaciones y la pérdida de seres queridos.
Rebecca Fordham, Benghazi, Libia
La autora es una Especialista en Comunicación que trabaja con UNICEF Libya Emergency Response.
La carta de Rebecca Fordham fue publicada en el diario Washington Post el día lunes 13 de Junio de 2011.
Foto: Hasam Hamid, de 9 años, de Ajdabiya, explica a Rebecca Fordham lo que aprendió en un taller sobre explosivos remanentes de guerra en Benghazi. Los talleres se realizan con voluntarios entrenados de Handicap International y los Scouts de Libia con el apoyo de UNICEF.
Fotografo: Anas El Abbanr Copyright: UNICEF
Racism on the Green Grass
Posted on 06/23/11 by Etienne
Only a couple of months ago, the plans of the French Football Federation (FFF) to reduce the number of players with African or Muslim background in the national team caused outrage all over the world.
Now another case of racism shattered the idyllic world of "fair play": in a game of the Russian football Premier League fans of the home team Krylya Sovetov threw a banana at the Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos. The man who won the World Cup 2002 with Brazil immediately left the pitch as a protest against the racist outburst.
The Russian Football Federation launched an investigation against Krylya Sovetov. In March the club Zenit St Petersburg was fined with $ 10, 000 after their fans offered a banana to Carlos.
Cases of racism occur frequently on the stands and the pitches all over the world. It is on the FIFA, the clubs and the fan scenes to do something about it and show future generations that football is not only about how hard you can kick the ball or how high you jump, but also about sportsmanship and tolerance.
Safe and Friendly Cities for All
Posted on 06/22/11 by Etienne
Please also watch the video about the "Safe and Friendly Cities" initiative. Do YOU live in a large city? Do YOU feel safe? Please comment below!
UN launches initiative to make cities safer for women and children
New York, 22 June 2011 - UNICEF, UN-HABITAT and UN Women launch “Safe and Friendly Cities for All,” a five-year programme that aims at making women and children feel safer in their local neighbourhoods, while improving their quality of life.
This partnership initiative builds on prior experience that all three organizations have accumulated on preventing gender-based violence, using innovative tools for child and youth engagement in urban settings, and promoting integrated crime prevention strategies in cities.
By working with local municipalities, women’s groups, child and youth advocates, the joint initiative will focus on increasing safety among women, youth and children, and preventing and reducing violence, including sexual harassment and violence against women and girls in public spaces.
More than half of the world’s population- approximately 3.4 billion people - live in cities today. This number is projected to increase to 69 per cent by 2050. With this rapid urbanization come increased risks for the citizens of urban areas, especially women and children. Currently one billion people are living in urban slums and are denied basic human rights, such as access to safe housing and reliable health services.
Global crime rates jumped by about 30 per cent between 1980 and 2000, and between 2002 and 2007 approximately 60 per cent of urban residents in developing countries reported that they had been the victim of crime. Many of these are women and young girls, facing sexual assault or harassment on streets, public transport or in their own neighbourhoods.
The new partnership will address these challenges by supporting a variety of initiatives in the participating cities. By working with local authorities and organizations on the ground, women and young people will be able to identify those areas in their neighbourhood where they feel most at risk, and find solutions together.
Potential interventions may include:
• Enabling women and young people to have a voice in decisions that affect their lives such as decisions on budgets and local infrastructure
• Establishing female councilor-led committees for effective response to sexual violence and crimes in communities
• Increasing street lights in high-risk areas, including the use of solar lights which are cost-effective and more resilient to damage and vandalism.
• Training of community police units to prevent gender-based violence
The five year initiative will be piloted in with municipal leaders. Dushanbe, Greater Beirut, Metro Manila, Marrakesh, Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro, San Jose and Tegucigalpa are among the cities currently being considered.
The price Libyan civilians pay for a stalemate
Anne Applebaum’s June 7 op-ed column, “A bet on stalemate,” talked about the strategic value of a long stalemate in Libya, but for the women and children caught up in the ongoing bloody conflict, the longer the stalemate, the more devastating the consequences.
During the past four months, after popular protests against the regime erupted, tens of thousands of children have been traumatized by direct exposure to violence in which some of them were killed or maimed.
Many Libyan children have been trapped inside their homes, unable to go to school or even to play outside. The firing of guns continues to be a daily occurrence in Benghazi, and bombing is heard by children and their mothers in Tripoli.
This month three members of one family were killed and another two injured in Ajdabiya when a child brought home a piece of unexploded ordnance.
I witnessed two children, 14 years and 9 years old, who were brought into Benghazi from Misurata on a boat with severe injuries. They had been playing in the street, something all children should be able to enjoy in safety, when an object they picked up exploded. The older boy lost both his hands.
UNICEF and some partner organizations are supporting educational programs in Benghazi to raise awareness of these deadly weapons. These programs urgently need to be be expanded into Misurata and across Libya.
The faster this conflict is brought to an end acceptable to the Libyan people, the lower the price that civilians pay in blood, limbs and the loss of loved ones.
Rebecca Fordham, Benghazi, Libya
The writer is a communications specialist with the UNICEF Libya Emergency Response.
Rebecca Fordham's letter has been published in the Washington Post on Monday the 13th of June 2011
Photo: Hasam Hamid, 9 years old, from Ajdabiya explaining to Rebecca Fordham what he had learnt at an explosive remnants of war workshop in Benghazi. The workshops are takng place with trained volunteers for Handicap International and the Libyan Scouts with support from UNICEF. Photographer: Anas El Abbanr Copyright: UNICEF
2500 Young People Newly Infected with HIV Every Day, According to Opportunity in Crisis
Johannesburg/ New York, 1 June 2011: Every day, an estimated 2500 young people are newly infected with HIV, according to a global report on HIV prevention launched today. While HIV prevalence has declined slightly among young people, young women and adolescent girls face a disproportionately high risk of infection due to biological vulnerability, social inequality and exclusion.
For the first time, Opportunity in Crisis: Preventing HIV from early adolescence to young adulthood, presents data on HIV infections among young people and highlights the risks adolescents face as they transition to adulthood. A joint publication by UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNFPA, ILO, WHO and The World Bank, the report identifies factors that elevate their risk of infection as well as opportunities to strengthen prevention services and challenge harmful social practices.
“For many young people HIV infection is the result of neglect, exclusion, and violations that occur with the knowledge of families, communities, social and political leaders. This report urges leaders at all levels to build a chain of prevention to keep adolescents and young people informed, protected and healthy,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “UNICEF is committed to this cause. We must protect the second decade of life, so that the journey from childhood to adulthood is not derailed by HIV – a journey that is especially fraught for girls and young women.”
According to the report, people aged 15-24 accounted for 41 per cent of new infections among adults over the age of 15 in 2009. Worldwide, an estimated 5 million (4.3 million to 5.9 million) young people in that age group were living with HIV in 2009. Among the 10 to 19 year age group, new data shows, an estimated 2 million adolescents (1.8 million to 2.4 million) are living with HIV. Most of them live in sub-Saharan Africa, most are women, and most do not know their status. Globally young women make up more than 60 per cent of all young people living with HIV. In sub-Saharan Africa that rate jumps to 72 per cent.
"Our success with improving access to antiretrovirals means more young people are surviving with HIV, but many are still unaware of their status,” said World Health Organization Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan. “WHO is committed to helping improve adolescents' access to HIV testing and counseling and to making sure that health services address their needs for prevention, treatment, care and support."
Early adolescence is a window of opportunity to intervene, before most youth become sexually active and harmful gender and social norms that elevate the risk of HIV infection are established. Communities, leaders and young people all have a role to play in changing the behaviours that place young people at risk and creating an environment where they may thrive. In southern Africa, for example where HIV infections are high in older age groups, sex with multiple partners and age-disparate relationships are fuelling HIV transmission among young people, particularly young women. But progress can be made. Community-led efforts to change such norms have been effective in communities in Tanzania, where the image of men seeking relations with younger women and girls was effectively turned into an image of ridicule.
"As the report says, too many adolescent girls become pregnant before they are ready, and have children while they are still children themselves," said UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin. "This puts their own health and their children’s health at risk and limits their opportunities and potential. To achieve the MDGs, it’s absolutely critical to improve access to comprehensive sexuality education and integrated reproductive health services, including family planning and male and female condoms. Evidence shows that sexual and reproductive health information and services do not lead to more frequent sexual relations or high-risk behavior, but rather to fewer unintended pregnancies, reduced HIV infections and better health."
Certain high-risk behaviours – such as early sexual debut, pregnancy and drug use – are all signs of things going wrong in the environment of the young adolescent, and may be associated with violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect. Yet social protection systems that are HIV-sensitive can contribute to the financial security of vulnerable families, improve access to health and social services and ensure that services are delivered to marginalized youths.
“The world desperately needs new HIV prevention strategies; for every two people who receive life-saving AIDS treatment, another five become newly infected, which is an impossible situation for many poor countries and their communities,” says the World Bank’s Managing Director, Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin. “Existing prevention strategies have had limited success, so we have to look for creative new approaches to reverse the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These must address people’s very basic needs for education, economic security, inclusion, dignity, and human rights. These issues are particularly crucial when we consider the health and well-being of adolescent girls, mothers and children, and socially marginalized groups.”
Family members, teachers, community leaders have a role to play in setting norms for responsible behaviour, and in advocating for the full range of services needed for young people to stay healthy. Indeed, reducing the level of HIV incidence requires not one single intervention, but a continuum of prevention that provides information, support and services throughout the life cycle. Yet many adolescents lack access to basic HIV and prevention information, commodities and testing services.
“Young people need to have access to comprehensive knowledge and services in order to make safe choices about their health and relationships”, said UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova. “We are fully committed to this effort, leading the evidence-based push to scale up sexuality education and supporting the different needs of young people as they transition from early adolescence to adulthood. We must work together to ensure that all young people, especially girls and vulnerable populations, receive the education, support and protection necessary for preventing HIV and promoting their overall well-being”, she added.
Worldwide many young people driven by economic duress, exploitation, social exclusion and lack of family support turn to commercial sex and injecting drug use. They face an extremely high risk of infection as well as general stigma and discrimination for engaging in such behaviors. The very same young people most often lack access to HIV prevention and protection services. For national HIV responses to be effective, governments need to address the underlying problems of poverty, exclusion and gender inequality that threaten the health of future generations. Using equity as a guidepost helps to ensure those hardest to reach are not last in line, and that services are available to them and used by them.
“Nearly one of every two new adult HIV infections occurs among 15 to 24 year olds. The ILO Recommendation on HIV and AIDS and the World of Work calls for a special focus on young people in national policies and programmes on HIV and AIDS and highlights the role of education and training systems and youth employment programmes and services as critical channels for mainstreaming information about HIV,” said Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO). “Already young people often bear a disproportionate share of the burden of unemployment, underemployment and poverty, a situation aggravated by the global recession. We must enable young people to realize their full potential. Their strength is the strength of communities, societies and economies.”
As the report points out, there are opportunities to use proven prevention strategies in all epidemic contexts. In countries with generalized epidemics there are opportunities to encourage healthy attitudes and behaviours, ensure greater gender equality and allow protection to become the new norm. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the same social norms that tolerate domestic violence also prevent women from refusing unwanted sexual advances, negotiating safe sex, or criticizing a male partner’s infidelity – all of which threatens the goal of achieving an AIDS-free generation. And in countries with low-level and concentrated epidemics, where HIV infections among youth are driven by injecting drug use, sex work, or male to male sex, there are opportunities to reshape the legal and social milieu that compounds vulnerability and to empower young people with knowledge, prevention services and health care.
“Young people are not only tomorrow’s leaders, they are the leaders of today,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “If young people are empowered to protect themselves against HIV, they can lead us to an HIV free generation.”
Photo 1: © UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0239/Olivier Asselin Cote d'Ivoire, 2011 Nurse Atse Kousso squeezes a drop of blood from the finger of Fatoumata Kabore onto an HIV test strip, during an antenatal consultation at the hospital in Kani, a town in Worodougou Region. Ms. Kabore is one month pregnant. HIV testing is an important part of routine antenatal care.
Photo 2: © UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0335/Olivier Asselin Congo, Democratic Republic of the, 2011, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake chats with children affected by HIV/AIDS (either they or their parents are HIV-positive), at the HEAL Africa hospital in the eastern city of Goma, capital of North Kivu Province. The UNICEF-supported hospital provides free or low-cost health services for vulnerable populations, including antiretrovirals (ARVs) and other medicines for HIV-positive people.
Social Media Internship (UNICEF Haiti Youth Empowerment Initiative) in New York
Posted on 05/25/11 by Etienne
INTERNSHIP DETAILS The Youth Section of UNICEF is looking for a dynamic social media intern who will work primarily on the Haiti Youth Empowerment Initiative engaging its community and creating content for its various online presence. The intern will be responsible of the administration of the Vwa Jen blog, a new platform created by UNICEF to report on issues which affect young people and adolescents in Haiti.
WHAT IS VWA JEN?
VwaJen is open to contributors from around the country and features articles and posts from children and adolescents, UNICEF staff and partners. Much like VOY, Its objective is to report on global and local issues affecting young people, promote a global dialogue and the sharing of information as well as featuring projects, events and ideas to enable meaningful interactions. VwaJen is under the Voices of Youth umbrella. . For more information on this internship and how to apply, please check this link.
"Spring Movements": Hope and Despair in 4 Minutes
Posted on 05/19/11 by Etienne
From the Iranian-American filmmaker Justin Mashouf comes this powerful video inspired by recent uprisings in the Middle East and the North of Africa.
On his Youtube channel, Mashouf calls his piece an "an ode to movements striving to reclaim their dignity and sovereignty from their keepers."
Voices of Youth live @ Global Migration Group Symposium
Posted on 05/17/11 by Etienne
Voices of Youth is tweeting live from the Global Migration Group (GMG) Symposium in New York! Follow us at Twitter.com/voices_of_youth !
Adolescents and Youth Migration: Harnessing the Development Potential while Mitigating Risk
Adolescents and Youth Migration: Harnessing the Development Potential while Mitigating Risk
Adolescents and youth migration: A reality to be taken into account Migration is not a new phenomenon; however, there are new demographic revelations with the estimated 214 million international migrants (World Migration Report 2010). For instance, women now comprise approximately 49 % of the world’s migrants – the so-called “feminization” of migration. More important is the startling numbers of young migrants. According to the Youth Supplement of the United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA) State of the World Population Report 2007, young people make up about a quarter of migrants worldwide. If the definition of youth includes young people up to the age of 29 , young people represent half of global migrant flows (UNFPA, 2006).
Beyond migrating themselves, youth are affected by migration in other ways. As the total number of international migrant’s increases, so does the number of children and youth who accompany their parents in the migration process or feel the impacts of migration – negative or positive – if they are left behind. The recent revolution in North Africa has already led to refugees seeking asylum and work in Europe, and is likely to further increase the number of young people in forced migration.
For demographic reasons and forecasting with various economic theories of migration, it is important to note that, Europe with its aging population will need young migrants more than ever to sustain and promote its economic growth.
Youth in the age of globalization have access to relatively cheap and easy means of transport, and are more likely than ever to migrate for reasons ranging from family reunification to the desire for better education and employment opportunities to the need to escape war or conflicts. As mobile phone networks and internet spread rapidly around the developing world, youth are increasingly aware of opportunities beyond their borders, even as immigration laws become stricter worldwide. A recent study in Ghana by an affiliate of Young People We Care, for example, found that over 88% of Ghanaian youth internet users had plans to leave the country within five years for education or employment.
A call for attention for the largely “invisible” people
Despite the growing number of young people affected by international migration, youth migration is rarely a key issue at international debates as compared to other issues like female migration. It is exciting, however, to see that the international community was no longer turning a blind eye to Child and Youth Migration at a time when youth unemployment – a key reason why many young people wish to migrate – has sparked revolutions in countries like Tunisia, spreading through Egypt to other North African countries. The entire African continent is at the brink of a revolution if we use youth unemployment as a yardstick for unseating failed governments or regimes. Still within the confines of the UN-proclaimed International Year of Youth, and for the second time the World Bank has advised African governments to urgently tackle youth unemployment to avoid losing economic gains in its 2011 World Development Report.
These developments also reminds me of a recent speaking engagement I had with UNICEF following the launch of its flagship State of the World Children’s report, which tried to make a case for investing in adolescents.
Traditionally, many politicians see young people as a “problem group.” Economists and demographers have put forth a number of reasons why Africa’s current youth bulge should be seen as a catalyst for development, however; if offered the right investment of resources, they will yield great economic, social and political dividends. All other things being equal, when a greater proportion of a country’s total population is in the middle-age phase of the demographic transition the country enjoys increased income growth, higher savings rates and increasing economic power, as experienced by as many as a third of East Asian countries with their so called “miracle” growth rates over the past few decades. This middle age or youth bulge presents a demographic dividend or potential which can help increase productivity, savings and investments – all of which are crucial for economic growth. However, sound economic policies are needed at this stage to help propel economic growth.
There are many logical reasons to invest in young people by promoting entrepreneurship and smooth school-to work-transition opportunities, amongst other programs. For instance, young people who would otherwise have been engaged in socially destructive activities such as armed robbery, irregular migration and prostitution, instead find worthwhile opportunities that promote their personal and community’s development in their country of origin. When opportunities are abundant for young people, they are able to make rational choices. Conversely, when youth lack opportunities such as education and employment, migration for instance becomes a necessity rather than a choice.
Appropriately, the Global Migration Group shall host a two day Informal Thematic Debate on International Migration and Development at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 19th of May, 2011 on “Migration, Adolescents and Youth: Harnessing Opportunities for Development”.
The way forward: Realizing needs of young migrants and involving them in shaping their own future To add to the debate on adolescents and youth migration, below are some recommendations that we would like the President of the General Assembly and the Global Migration Group to consider:
Create formal spaces for key affected populations of young people in migration policy debates: According to a recent UNICEF report, “young people are one of the important stakeholders in international migration. However, they are largely invisible in research, public debates and policy about international migration.” The first step to minimizing the costs and maximizing the gains of migration is to ensure the formal participation children and youth in the migration discourse at local, national and international levels, such as this UN-hosted event and the Global Forum on Migration and Development. Lessons could be learnt from the formalized participation of youth in other issues like HIV/AIDS. For instance, there is the youth-for-youth organized program at the annual International AIDS Conference that promotes exchange of both experiences and resources to promote active youth leadership in the addressing a key development issue like HIV/AIDS for which young people remain one of the hugely affected constituents. Participation should also move beyond tokenism to ensure that the views and concerns of young people are respected and the necessary projects and policies undertaken by policy planners, elected officials and decision-makers.
Capacity building for co-management of migration: There is a need for institutional capacity-building of youth-led organizations working on adolescents and youth migration issues, such as through trainings and funding of youth-led migration initiatives. By supporting grassroots, youth-focused organizations, development organizations and policy makers can learn firsthand about the real needs of young people to minimize the negative aspects of child and youth migration while leveraging the benefits and opportunities. Youth-led initiatives often lack the expertise, staff experience and long-term relationships to make a sustainable impact on issues like migration. Financial support and technical capacity-building are necessary for youth-led organizations to function effectively.
Support co-development: Host countries and countries of origin are increasingly initiating programs that recognize youth migrants as agents of development for their sending countries, but these programs should be greatly expanded. International organizations could support such initiatives with funding and capacity building. At this stage, the EC/UN Joint Initiative on Migration and Development is worth mentioning as one of the paramount examples of the ways in which international organizations can work with host countries, diaspora communities and sending countries to maximize the gains of migration. However, it is important for such initiatives to recognize youth-led migration initiatives as key to harnessing the development potential of youth migration.
Youth in the diaspora should also be targeted to help mobilize financial resources for development in sending countries with “diaspora bonds.” African youth such as Chelsea’s ace midfield player Michael Essien and Ghanaian singer and songwriter Rhian Benson are just two such African youth in the diaspora who could be targeted for diaspora bonds. A diaspora bond is a debt instrument issued by a country — or potentially, a subsovereign entity or even a private corporation — to raise financing from its overseas diaspora. Israel annually since 1951 and India on three occasions since 1991 have raised over US$35 billion using these bonds. Diaspora bonds could provide a lifeline to countries struggling for access to capital and funds for infrastructure development, according to Dilip Ratha, the World Bank’s Lead Economist on Migration and Remittances.
Address the root causes of migration: Despite the number of information campaigns conducted to dissuade youth from migrating irregularly, there are still media reports and empirical evidence of young people who undertake perilous journeys in attempts to reach the so-called greener pastures of Western countries. Meanwhile academicians exploring the relationship between economic development and emigration tend to agree that improving the economic opportunities for people in source countries is the best long-term solution to unauthorized migration. It is imperative for sending countries, especially African governments, to create the necessary opportunities for youth to be gainfully employed and educated, while also ensuring the meaningful participation of youth in the governance process of their countries of origin. Governments should note that migration can never be a substitute for the long-term gains of sound economic policies.
Ensure the social protection and promote human rights of young migrants: UNICEF country studies suggest that children and youth who are left behind by migrating relatives have a greater incidence of drug abuse and teen pregnancy , and are more prone to bouts of violent behaviour than children who live with their parents. Additionally, some studies find that children left behind face discrimination in their communities as a result of their parents' migration. Young migrants remain vulnerable to human rights abuses, such as labour exploitation, trafficking and physical abuse. It is important that governments initiate social protection mechanisms to help provide for and develop young people in sending countries, while their parents are away. Moreover, children whose parents are arrested or detained for legal issues during the migration process should be offered protection; detainment in deportation centers in developed countries increasingly lasts months or even years, during which period children are often left to fend for themselves or join their parents in degrading and humiliating detention conditions. Civil society organizations and the media should stimulate and play active role in ensuring government accountability in enhancing protection and integration of young migrants and alternative ways of participation for individual development.
Lastly, it is important for host countries to note that restrictive migration policies can never be the solution to reducing the rate of youth migration. Despite the huge benefits that guest worker programs have provided to countries like New Zealand and Canada, it is disappointing to note that such temporary or guest worker programs no longer exist for young people from many sending countries. Temporary migration programs could be one of the meaningful ways to satisfy the curiosity of young migrants while reducing the rate of irregular and non-circular migration among young people.
Conclusion Following the above discussion, it is apparent that there are various ways for the UN, sending countries and destination countries to work together to harness the development potential of children, adolescents and youth who are affected by migration, whether as migrants themselves or as family “left behind.” Properly managed which also requires the active participation of youth in migration debates, polices and actions , migration can serve as a “triple win” for sending countries, destination countries and young migrants themselves, all while minimizing the social and economic cost of migration.
**An open access article by Michael Boampong, with inputs from Ausrine Pasakarnyte and Céline Lemmel submitted to the Global Migration Group and the President of the General Assembly ahead of the informal debate to be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 19th of May, 2011 on “Migration, Adolescents and Youth: Harnessing Opportunities for Development”. Michael, Ausrine and Céline are youth development activist who have coordinated three Youth Consultations on Migration and Development since 2008 to enhance youth perspectives on migration and development for NGO – Young People We Care. For further enquiries contact Michael via mboampong@gmail.com
Sources and Footnotes:
As is the case of the UNFPA report, the African Union also considers young a person to be young up to 35 years of age.
See: UNFPA (2006). Moving young : State of the world population 2006 – youth supplement: New York: United Nations Populations Fund.
The case for investing in young people was first made in the 2007 World Development Report, which postulated that “developing countries which invest in better education, healthcare, and job training for their record numbers of young people between 12 and 24 years of age could produce surging economic growth and sharply reduced poverty.”
See: Diaspora Bonds: Tapping The Diaspora During Difficult Times, http://siteresources.worldbank.org/TOPICS/Resources/214970-1288877981391/Ketkar-Ratha.pdf
See: World Migration Report, 2000. International Organization for Migration
See: Remarks By Ms. Kirsi Madi Deputy Regional Director For CEE/CIS, UNICEF On Behalf Of The Chair Of The Global Migration Group at http://www.unctad.org/sections/wcmu/docs/ciem4_OP_Madi_en.pdf
Picture uploaded by user Michael Boampong
La jeunesse haïtienne compte sur Michel Martelly pour propulser le pays sur la voie du changement
Le 14 mai prochain, Michel Martelly, un chanteur connu sous le nom de « Sweet Micky », succédera à René Préval à la présidence d’Haïti. A cette occasion, Voices of Youth a interrogé Carel Pedre, un animateur de radio âgé de 29 ans, célèbre dans son pays pour avoir été la « voix et le visage d’Haïti » alors qu’un séisme dévastateur venait de secouer l’île. Adepte des réseaux sociaux, Carel Pedre fut en effet le premier à tweeter des images du tremblement de terre du 12 janvier 2010 et à informer le reste du monde de la réalité de la situation sur le terrain.
VOY : Michel Martelly s’est fixé comme priorité la réforme du système éducatif en Haïti. Qu’attend la jeunesse haïtienne du nouveau président ?
Carel Pedre : Tout d’abord, il est important de souligner que la jeunesse de Michel Martelly, (qui n’est âgé que de 50 ans), par rapport à sa rivale, la candidate Mirlande Manigat (âgée de 71 ans), a été un facteur déterminant dans son élection. Ajoutons à cela le fait que Michel Martelly est un musicien très populaire en Haïti et qu’il est considéré dans le pays comme l’idole des jeunes. Il a également obtenu leur soutien en faisant de l’éducation gratuite son cheval de bataille [ndlr : 500 000 enfants en Haïti ne sont pas scolarisés] et a promis de créer des écoles professionnelles et des universités. Il a aussi déclaré qu’il donnerait accès au crédit aux jeunes. Il s’agissait de promesses bienvenues sachant qu’il est aujourd’hui extrêmement difficile pour les jeunes haïtiens d’obtenir des crédits pour acheter une maison ou une voiture. Son charisme et sa personnalité l’ont propulsé sur le devant de la scène politique alors qu’il n’avait aucune expérience politique. Dans un pays constitué d’une forte majorité de jeunes, je dirais d’ailleurs que c’est un peu un rêve vendu à la jeunesse qui l’a propulsé au pouvoir. Enfin, soulignons aussi qu’il s’agissait d’une des rares fois où les jeunes se sont impliqués dans les élections présidentielles, Michel Martelly ayant mené une campagne basée sur les réseaux sociaux et ayant participé à beaucoup d’émissions radiophoniques ciblant spécifiquement les jeunes.
VOY : Le nouveau président entend financer cet ambitieux projet d’éducation gratuite en instaurant une taxe spéciale visant la diaspora haïtienne. Cette mesure est-t-elle populaire et la diaspora est-elle prête, selon vous, à relever le défi ?
Carel Pedre : Pour financer son projet d’éducation, Michel Martelly a en effet proposé à la diaspora haïtienne une taxe sur les transferts d’argent ainsi que sur les appels internationaux et selon lui, l’Etat devrait pouvoir récolter plus de 8 millions de dollars par mois grâce à ce système de taxation [en prélevant 1 dollar sur chaque transfert et 5 centimes par minutes sur chaque appel]. Le nouveau président veut également donner aux gens de la diaspora la possibilité de créer une économie dynamique dans leur pays d’origine [ndlr : le parlement nouvellement élu vient d’autoriser la modification de la constitution haïtienne afin de rendre légal l’acquisition de la double nationalité, une mesure qui vise à encourager la diaspora à participer à la vie politique et économique du pays]. Michel Martelly devra cependant créer les conditions nécessaires afin de permettre à nos jeunes ingénieurs et docteurs de retourner au pays pour œuvrer à sa reconstruction. Mais Haïti souffre cependant d’un problème grave : trop souvent, les jeunes refusent de travailler pour l’Etat car ils ne bénéficient d’aucun avantage financier ou matériel et que l’Etat est faible. Le défi du nouveau président sera donc de créer un climat où les jeunes trouveront normal de travailler pour l’Etat. J’estime aussi qu’il appartient aux ONG installées dans le pays d’embaucher plus d’Haïtiens, ces dernières employant beaucoup d’étrangers qui n’ont pas forcément conscience de la réalité haïtienne.
VOY : Les élections législatives récentes se sont soldées par la victoire du parti de l’ancien président René Préval sur fond d’allégations de fraude. La corruption, qui continue de prévaloir dans le pays, ne risque-t-elle pas d’être le frein principal aux réformes envisagées par Michel Martelly?
Carel Pedre : L’image d’Haïti en souffre car il ne peut y avoir de stabilité politique sans élections crédibles. Le peuple haïtien n’a pas confiance en les institutions et le nouveau parlement peut bien entendu bloquer les réformes préconisées par le président. S’il veut redonner confiance aux bailleurs de fonds qui jugent qu’Haïti ne dépense pas l’argent prêté à bon escient, Michel Martelly devra donc redorer l’image du pays et redonner confiance aux investisseurs. Les mesures qu’il propose à ce jour semblent populaires mais la confiance continue de faire défaut car les gens se demandent si le nouveau gouvernement sera aussi corrompu que le précédent. On espère que le nouveau président va tenir ses promesses mais on ne connait pas encore la composition de son gouvernement. Les gens croient en sa bonne volonté mais Michel Martelly n’a pas encore fait ses preuves. Le défi sera donc de convaincre le parlement nouvellement élu de travailler harmonieusement avec son gouvernement. Il devra être le chef d’orchestre capable d’atteindre cette harmonie.
VOY : Constatez-vous un regain d’activisme porté par un désir de changement de la part de la jeunesse haïtienne et quel est le rôle d’outils de communication tels que Facebook et Twitter qui ont eu, semble-t-il, un impact très important dans les révolutions arabes de ces mois derniers?
Carel Pedre : Les choses ont complètement changé et il serait dommage que Michel Martelly et son gouvernement n’utilisent pas cette force de la jeunesse haïtienne qui souhaite aujourd’hui s’impliquer dans la reconstruction du pays. On sent une mobilisation de la part des jeunes qui s’organisent et sont prêts à travailler pour le pays. Les réseaux sociaux ont certainement facilité cette évolution mais en Haïti la vraie révolution se fait à la radio. Les jeunes appellent les stations de radio pour dire qu’ils sont prêts à mener le pays sur la voie du changement même s’ils réalisent que des problèmes politiquent bloquent la route. Trop souvent, nous pensons que c’est au gouvernement de faire des choses alors que nous devons être la force qui fait pression sur le gouvernement. S’il veut reconstruire le pays le nouveau président devra non seulement écouter la jeunesse mais aussi la mobiliser.
Image: Carel Pedre by @bousiko
The Right to Choose, the Right to Learn
I grew up seeing young people having to choose between work or school. I think that isn’t right – youth need both to grow up. In my life, I have been confronted with many situations; sometimes my parents could not pay the loans for my school, and sometimes I had more than enough. But most of the people in my life had no choice except to start working and to leave education behind.
In Thailand I have seen so many children lift trays of vegetables on their heads to sell around the city with no time left to play or to study. I strongly believe that young people, no matter where they are from and who they are, all have the right to both work and learn.
In the city where I am from, many young people crossed the border from Burma to find jobs in Thailand’s factories. I met a couple of girls from Burma at the Baptist Church and they told me that religion had kept them away from danger and the dark side of the city. One of the girls, who was 17-years-old, said she was happy with her work and her standard education at the religious school because she was able to make enough money to send back to her family in Burma. I was confused at how their families could allow such young teenage girls to cross the border by themselves in order to live in a new place and work in factories.
In reality, life held very little choice for them as the 17-year-old girl was sent illegally to Bangkok by an agency. I was scared for her as she headed to Bangkok. For a couple of months, I waited until she contacted me to tell me about life as an illegally employed adolescent in the big city. All of the money she made was sent to her family and it made me think, “couldn’t we support hard- working, illegal young people around the world instead of just calling them “illegals””?
This has to do with one particular country’s policies, but wouldn’t it make a big difference if we could offer illegal youth a lawful career along with education? Perhaps, this support could be volunteering at school in exchange for free education or free meals. What if the youth around the world no longer had to face discrimination and trafficking? Would they have more time to study and play? Would they have more time to become the world’s leaders? And would my friends have to be sent away to live with strangers and work from 6 a.m. until 1 a.m. the next day?
Photo: © UNICEF/NYHQ2009-2056/Josh Estey Thailand, 2009, (Centre) Pimolpan, 9, attends class in the town of Phang Nga, Thai Mueang District, in Phang Nga Province. Pimolpan and her brother live with their aunt. Their mother was killed during the tsunami and their father died of AIDS.
De Religiones y Diversidad
Si hablamos de religión en latinoamerica, quizás la referencia más inmediata que tengamos sea la del cristianismo católico, la principal religión en nuestros países, y en menor medida, el cristianismo protestante.
Pero no es el caso de muchos de los otros países del mundo; El Islam es la segunda religión más profesada en el mundo seguida del budismo...y la lista que le sigue es bastante más larga. Adicionalmente podemos encontrar a los creyentes pero sin religión, a los no creyentes sin ninguna religión o incluso a los que no saben si creer.
Tanta diversidad, tanta diferencia y quizás tantos puntos en común, no han demostrado ser un punto de encuentro, de intercambio, de enriquecimiento entre los seres humanos. Por el contrario, ha sido motivo de violencia en todos los niveles y de todo tipo. Y un mundo así, es realmente invivible, como ha sido el mundo de muchas personas donde estos conflictos están cada vez más acentuados: países europeos que prohíben a las mujeres musulmanas a usar el velo, países musulmanes en los que chocan católicos y diferentes líneas del islam, países ocupados, etc.
Recuerdo alguna vez que conversaba con una compañera musulmana de Sri Lanka, y con quien creía que no tenía absolutamente nada en común. Como no había ningún motivo para no querer conocer mejor su cultura, sus creencias, sus ideas, las dos nos dimos un espacio para el intercambio de nuestras formas de ver la vida, la naturaleza, el ser humano. Al final, me di cuenta que efectivamente teníamos muchas diferencias en cuanto a la forma de considerar el mundo, empezando por el simple hecho de que yo como estudiante de geología veía muy poco probable la creación del mundo en unos días, sino que en cambio, habría sido en millones de años. Sin embargo, al final teníamos también muchas cosas en común: ambas trabajábamos a nuestro modo y adaptadas a nuestro contexto, por los derechos de las niñas y mujeres en nuestras comunidades. Y eso fue mucho más importante que lo otro, porque por distintos caminos, las dos buscábamos un cambio, para que las mujeres allá y acá pudieran vivir de una forma más digna.
Los medios de comunicación nos pueden tirar valoraciones directas o indirectas de una religión u otra, muchas veces sesgadas. Puedes estar de acuerdo o no con una opinión o con esa ideología, pero sobre todo yo pensaría que la mía no tiene porque ser la correcta y “absoluta”. No todo es negro o blanco, quizás si miramos un poco más en detalle a nuestras sociedades, encontraremos también muchas de esas cosas que le criticamos a otras religiones. Respetando y aceptando otras formas de vida, de ideas, de creencias, o incluso la no creencia en ninguna religión, quizás sea un buen paso para vivir en una sociedad que respete la pluralidad y la diversidad del mundo, en paz.
Foto: © UNICEF/MENA01324/Giacomo Pirozzi. Una profesora esta parada al lado de una alumna en un colegio secundario en Amman, la capital de Jordania, 1999.
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L'énergie nucléaire a-t-elle signé son arrêt de mort avec Fukushima?
Le violent tremblement de terre qui a touché le Japon le 11 mars 2011 a causé de nombreux dégâts matériels et la mort ou la disparition de plus de vingt mille personnes. Malheureusement, que ce soit du côté des populations affectées, voire même du peuple nippon en général, ou de celui des autorités, le deuil de ce drame semble pour le moment un peu ralenti, sinon suspendu.
En effet, le tremblement de terre a débouché sur une catastrophe nucléaire à la suite de l’explosion d’un des réacteurs de la centrale nucléaire de Fukushima, dans le Centre-Nord de l’Ile de Honshu. L’arrêt du système de refroidissement est principalement en cause. Malgré les nombreux efforts consentis par les autorités et l’opérateur gestionnaire de cette centrale pour faire face à cette situation et rassurer les populations et autres médias, avec la création d’un périmètre de sécurité de trente mètres autour de la centrale, ces derniers ne cachent pas que la situation reste critique. L’annonce d’une probable autre fuite d’eau radioactive qui se déverserait dans la mer a été faite le courant de cette semaine par l’Opérateur gestionnaire de la centrale de Fukushima. L’ampleur de cette catastrophe nucléaire, même si la vérité sur la situation réelle actuelle nous parait un peu incomplète, risque de se rapprocher de celle d’une autre qui s’est durablement inscrite dans l’histoire du nucléaire : l’accident de Tchernobyl, en Ukraine.
Le 26 avril 1986 l’un des quatre réacteurs d’une centrale nucléaire située à une vingtaine de kilomètre de Tchernobyl a explosé. L’accident, arrivé alors que le système de refroidissement fût éteint, a détruit l’enveloppe de protection du réacteur. Ce qui a libéré dans l’atmosphère une quantité si grande de radioactivité que certains spécialistes ont estimé être au moins égale à cent fois celle libérée par les bombes de type Hiroshima. En plus de l’Ukraine, la Biélorussie, la Finlande, la Pologne, l’Allemagne et la France font partie des pays qui ont été touchés par ce nuage radioactif libéré à Tchernobyl. L’impact sur l’homme (des certaines de milliers de victimes chez qui les doses de radioactivités ont créé des problèmes de santé, situation dramatique des milliers de personnes – les Liquidateurs- qui sont intervenues sur le site) et sur l’environnement (terres et nourritures contaminées, taux très élevé de mutation chez certains animaux dans la zone) a été et reste très fort.
Alors, la catastrophe de Fukushima va –telle faciliter la mort du nucléaire, comme le souhaitent depuis longtemps de nombreux militants écologiques ? Ce que nous savons, c’est que la situation au Japon a remis sur la table le débat de la fin du nucléaire et du développement des énergies renouvelables. Ce débat est beaucoup plus prononcé dans les "grands pays nucléaires" tel que la France qui compte le plus de centrales nucléaires au monde et dont la part du nucléaire dans l’électricité est très importante. D’un côté les "pros nucléaires" qui considèrent que la sortie du nucléaire serait préjudiciable pour l’économie, voire suicidaire, car obligerait à une forte augmentation du prix de l’électricité (le nucléaire permet d’avoir des coûts moins élevés). En plus, s’ils sont d’accord qu’il faut augmenter la part des énergies renouvelables et propres (panneaux solaires, éoliennes, par exemple) dans l’énergie produite ou utilisée, ils estiment que cela reviendrait plus cher. De l’autre côté les "anti nucléaires » qui estiment que le nucléaire reste très dangereux pour la vie humaine.
A côté de la sûreté nucléaire (réduction jusqu’à son plus faible niveau des risques radioactifs liés au nucléaire) qui n’est pas garantie à cent pour cent, la gestion des déchets nucléaires, qui restent bien souvent dangereux pendant des milliers d’années, reste un problème permanent pour les générations futures. Pour ce qui est du coût élevé des énergies renouvelables, les militants écologiques estiment que le débat est faussé vu que dans le nucléaire l’évaluation des coûts ne prend pas en compte celui du démantèlement des installations. Sa prise en compte changerait la donne.
Nous, nous pensons que si le nucléaire permet d’avoir une énergie à moindre coût, et c’est certainement ce qui pousse le Sénégal (pays en Afrique de l’ouest) à s’y intéresser pour faire face à ces grands problèmes d’énergie, son impact sur l’environnement et sur l’homme reste grand. En plus, la question de la gestion des déchets ne nous parait pas encore rassurante car le stockage à des milliers de mètres sous terre et dans des zones géologiques dites stables a montré ses limites en Allemagne. Doit-on donc en sortir ? Certainement, mais de toute façon ce doit être un processus qui s’étale sur le long terme et dans lequel le développement des énergies renouvelables sera amélioré. Il faut cependant garder à l’esprit les réalités économiques du monde et le fait que les populations devraient comprendre qu’elles devront mettre un peu plus la main à la poche.
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Photo 1: © UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0424/Adam Dean In 13 March, children and their mothers play in an emergency evacuation centre for people affected by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, in the city of Koriyama, in Fukushima Prefecture.
Photo 2: © UNICEF/NYHQ1991-0829/Andrew Shukin Since the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power generating plant in the Ukraine, increasing numbers of children born in the southern regions of neighbouring Bylorussia - downwind at the time of the explosion - have genetic abnormalities.
Stuttering and Being Confident
As a person who stutter, I was recently involved in a challenging situation and had a great lesson, which I want to share in this post. Looking for a new job as an Engineer here in Brazil, I was called few weeks ago by a great Engineering company with 15.000 employees for an interview in their facility in another state, along with 13 other candidates.
Stuttering is influenced by numerous factors, including the kind of situation. One of the worst kinds is a job interview. And another very critical one is a round of individual self presentations in a group. And what happened to me in that afternoon was both, simultaneously.
I waited for my turn concentrating the more I could in the speech techniques that effectively help me improve fluency, but knowing the situation's complexity was very high. I was going to be evaluated for a big job opportunity, and the attention of all 13 candidates and 3 supervisors in the room would be in me for those moments. When my time came, I started my speech as slow as I could, saying my name and telling they would probably notice I may stutter when I speak - which is always a good way to bring more comfort to the conversation. Before I could keep talking, one of the supervisors stopped me to make a comment I will not forget.
The man told me that months ago, in another selection process, there was a candidate they liked very much and who stuttered. Facing this condition, their director decided not to pick him. The process continued, and that candidate was picked by another department in the same company. And today he is a great Engineer there, who helps everyone a lot and is very important in his team.
Noticing this, the department that did not choose him felt really bad about their wrong criteria, concerning productivity, and learned the person's abilities for the job and what one has to say were more important than the way one speaks, and that communication could work properly even with stuttering. So he told me not to worry, and that my skills and potential for the job were the subjects to be evaluated at that moment.
What followed was I could speak really well by feeling confident, a feeling I hope more and more people who still struggle with their speech get.
Rodrigo Ribeiro Porto Alegre, Brazil
Photo from recent Academy Award winning movie "The King's Speech" in which Colin Firth impersonates Prince Albert, Duke of York/King George VI. The film details him working to overcome his speech impediment while becoming monarch of the United Kingdom at the outbreak of World War II. (Creative Commons)
Les enfants de Fukushima
Alors que le Japon vient d’annoncer la fermeture de la Centrale de Hamaoka, située dans une région où les risques sismiques sont élevés, par peur d’un accident nucléaire et que le premier ministre a déclaré que le pays allait désormais privilégier les énergies renouvelables, Voices of Youth s’inquiète de la situation des enfants, victimes innocentes de Fukushima.
Au collège de Shoyo localisé dans la préfecture de Fukushima, les élèves portent masques, casquettes et t-shirts à manches longues, rapporte une dépêche de Bloomberg publiée le 12 mai dans le Japan Times.
Non par choix mais par nécessité, cet uniforme de fortune étant censé les protéger des effets radioactifs. « On demande aux élèves de ne pas sortir dans la cour de récréation et les fenêtres de notre établissement restent fermées », assure Yukihide Sato, vice-proviseur de cette école située à 60 km de Fukushima, ville devenue fantôme, siège d’une catastrophe nucléaire digne de Tchernobyl déclenchée par le séisme et tsunami qui ont dévasté le Japon le 11 mars dernier.
La décision de rouvrir certaines écoles de la région ces jours derniers a été particulièrement controversée, le gouvernement japonais ayant fait le choix de relever le niveau de radioactivité considéré sans danger pour les citoyens de 1 à 20 milisievert par an, histoire de permettre aux écoliers de la région de Fukushima de regagner les bancs de l’école et de reprendre une vie normale. « 20 milisievert par an, c’est le niveau admis pour les travailleurs du nucléaire. C’est 20 fois plus que ce qu’on tolère d’habitude pour des citoyens lambda !», s’est notamment indigné Yannick Rousselet, chargé de campagne nucléaire pour Greenpeace, association environnementale qui milite pour une sortie du nucléaire, dans un communiqué de presse.
Inquiètes pour la santé de leurs enfants, les familles des écoliers concernés se sont cependant mobilisées pour faire pression sur le gouvernement afin qu’ils n’exposent pas leurs enfants à des risques de cancer et autres maux liés aux effets radioactifs. « La catastrophe de Tchernobyl nous a montré que les enfants sont bien plus vulnérables que les adultes aux effets des radiations », martèle Greenpeace qui fait pression sur les gouvernements étrangers pour qu’ils exigent des autorités japonaises qu’elles cessent de manipuler les normes et de prétendre que les risques sont contrôlés. Dans une lettre adressée au président français Nicolas Sarkozy, pourtant farouche défenseur de l’énergie nucléaire, Greenpeace priait ce dernier d’intervenir sans délai auprès du gouvernement japonais. « Une limite d’exposition maximale de 1 milisievert par an doit être appliquée dans la préfecture de Fukushima, et des mesures d’urgence sont nécessaires pour garantir qu’aucun enfant (ni aucun adulte) ne soit exposé à des niveaux de radioactivité qui ne seraient en aucun cas tolérés pour des citoyens français », écrit Pascal Husting, directeur général de Greenpeace France, à Nicolas Sarkozy.
Le quotidien britannique The Guardian rapportait de son côté qu’un groupe de parents avaient livré un sac rempli de terre radioactive provenant de la cour de récré d’une école de Fukushima à des fonctionnaires du ministère de l’éducation afin d’exprimer leur fureur, preuve que les citoyens ne sont pas dupes et sont prêts à se battre pour protéger leurs enfants.
Photo @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoosay/5529032597/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Promouvoir la tolérance religieuse à l’école : un impératif pour la paix
Alors que de violents affrontements interconfessionnels opposant musulmans et chrétiens ont secoué l’Egypte le weekend dernier et fait 12 morts et plus de 200 blessés, Voices of Youth souhaite encourager les jeunes du monde entier à réfléchir sur les différentes façons de combattre l’intolérance religieuse de manière collective et individuelle. « L’intolérance d’une société est la somme de l’intolérance de ses membres » rappelait un rapport de l’UNESCO publié il y a quelques années. « Le sectarisme, les stéréotypes, la stigmatisation, les insultes et les plaisanteries racistes sont autant d’exemples de manifestations individuelles d’intolérance auxquelles nombres de personnes sont soumises quotidiennement », précisait ce même rapport qui préconise notamment l’implémentation de solutions locales.
Un récent article du Jakarta Globe, quotidien indonésien en langue anglaise, raconte que le gouvernement indonésien étude la possibilité d’inclure des leçons de tolérance religieuse dans le cursus éducatif national, les violences interconfessionnelles menaçant l’unité de la plus grande nation musulmane au monde. Muhammad Nuh, le ministre de l’éducation nationale, cité par le quotidien, a expliqué notamment qu’il considérait que les écoles pouvaient jouer un rôle fondamental en promouvant la tolérance entre les jeunes et en les éduquant sur le sujet.
Le gouvernement québécois, pays où le nationalisme est parfois exacerbé, offre depuis trois ans un programme d’éthique et culture religieuse ECR à tous les élèves du primaire et du secondaire qui remplace les programmes d’enseignement moral et religieux (catholique et protestant) dispensés jusque-là dans les écoles du pays. But de cette initiative ? « Acquérir ou consolider la notion selon laquelle toutes les personnes sont égales sur le plan des droits et de la dignité et s’épanouir dans une société où se côtoient plusieurs valeurs et croyances ».
Selon un article publié le 23 avril dernier dans le journal québécois Le Devoir, si certains militants nationalistes souhaitent l’abolition de ce programme car ils y voient « un cheval de Troie du multiculturalisme », une majorité de québécois semble l’avoir accepté. Le Devoir cite notamment les propos d’Elisabeth Garant, directrice du Centre Justice et Foi, publiés dans un ouvrage collectif intitulé « La religion sans confession : regards sur le cours d’éthique et culture religieuse », récemment paru au Québec. « A notre époque, vouloir ignorer totalement les phénomènes religieux et leur influence n’a aucun sens », estime-t-elle. « La réflexion faite au Québec, en choisissant de maintenir dans nos écoles le cours d’ECR, est de considérer qu’il est nécessaire de le faire sous le mode de l’apprentissage culturel sans chercher à influencer les choix de croyance ou d’incroyance des individus », poursuit cette dernière avec justesse.
« La tolérance est une porte ouverte sur la paix » titrait le rapport de l’UNESCO cité plus haut qui préconise la mise en route d’un processus d’apprentissage de la tolérance dans les écoles et donne quelques pistes de réflexion aux professeurs et aux étudiants:
-Quelles possibilités d’apprentissage y-a-t-il dans votre école ou votre communauté pour promouvoir le respect des différences et pour encourager les jeunes à régler des conflits ?
-Comment pensez-vous promouvoir la tolérance religieuse ? Les réseaux sociaux peuvent-ils encourager une réflexion multiculturelle sur ce sujet?
-Quelles actions concrètes souhaitez-vous prendre pour éliminer les discriminations raciales, sexuelles et religieuses au sein de votre école et communauté ?
Voices of Youth souhaite participer activement à la discussion. Envoyez-nous vos témoignages et suggestions et nous les publierons afin de faire avancer le débat.
Picture: @http://www.flickr.com/photos/kentofkent/4786986517/
Learning Religious Tolerance in Grade School
"You can only trust a Muslim when he's asleep or dead.”
I used to hear some people in my neighborhood say this when I was a kid. I grew up as a half-Catholic, half-Pentecostal Christian in southern Mindanao in the Philippines. My mother brought me to mass on some Sundays and I tagged along with my paternal grandmother to her church service on other days. Our city has a sizable Muslim population but the majority is non-Muslims or rather loosely grouped as "Christians." We didn't have any outright religious riots or sectarian violence but there were occasional bombings attributed to a Muslim terrorist group.
My mother had a friend who would come to our house once in a while and bring us home-made nata de coco, a semi-sweet dessert ingredient made from fermented coconut water. I knew she was a Muslim because she wore a hijab. She and my mother would sit in our living room and talk for hours so I safely assumed that she had no plans of blowing up our house. Besides, my life philosophy as a child was anyone who brings me stuff must be a nice person.
I eventually gained a few Muslim friends when I went to school. The thing about being in a playground is that your religion matters way less than your ability to throw a ball, run fast and find a really cool hiding place. Our 10-year-old selves didn't care much about why we have a different God or who stole land from whom.
One of my friends told me about her father's four wives and how they were able to get along. I was clueless then about the concept of polygamy in Islam. I thought it was strange but she seemed perfectly fine with her dad having other wives aside from her mother so I figured hey, her family just happens to have a different structure from mine. No big deal.
I had another friend who was head over heels in love with a Catholic girl. Like any pre-adolescent boy, he expressed his affection by wordlessly staring at her and running away like a scared puppy whenever she comes near. He swore that he'd marry her someday. I bluntly pointed out that she's not a Muslim. He readily and recklessly answered that he's willing to convert to Christianity just for her. We were 11, what did we know.
My Muslim friend was neither asleep nor dead but I realized that, contrary to what some grownups in my neighborhood had said, I could actually trust him. He was there for me when a mean teacher made me cry, he saw me through my first childhood heartbreak, and he often gave up his seat for me in Home Econ (there was a limited number of good seats in our Home Ec class).
The high school I went to had a slightly higher Muslim population than other schools in our city. It was part of a university system which was established to facilitate "the integration of peoples in southern Philippines particularly Muslims and other cultural minorities." My Muslim classmates attended Arabic classes while Catholics held mass once a month. We did not throw rocks at each other and we didn't set each other's worship areas on fire. For the most part, we really just wanted to get through high school.
In college, I made friends with a girl in my dorm who is an avid Harry Potter fan. She also had this phrase posted on her wall: Allahu Akbar, Subhan Allah, Al-hamdu Lillah (Allah is the Greatest, Glory be to Allah, Praise be to Allah). We watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets together, cheered for our school's basketball team in the opening game of the season, and screamed our heads off when our favorite band played in the biggest concert on campus. We had different ideas about Jesus and there were times when we had intense arguments about it but at the end of the day, we still had the same favorite song.
Ever since grade school, my friends and I have never had classes on tolerance and religious freedom. We got along simply because we had fun together, and the things that brought us together mattered more than the stuff that made us different. This is not to dismiss religion as a peripheral issue or to say that our common interest in music is more important that our concept of God. Our spiritual beliefs after all are an essential part of what defines our identity. But as we go through life together, we realized that we can live with our differences and still celebrate our commonalities.
I'm not saying though that things are perfect in my corner of the world as far as religious tolerance is concerned. I also have Christian friends who are afraid of and angry at Muslims. It would be all too easy to brand them as narrow-minded bigots but the thing is, they also grew up in places where grenades were thrown at Christian churches. They've lived with the fear of bomb threats and terrorist attacks. For them, trusting a hijab-wearing woman or a taqiyah-wearing man is out of the question.
Unfortunately, they can't go back to a more innocent time in grade school and meet a Muslim kid who would give up his seat in Home Ec for them. But hopefully, they'd still have a chance to realize that terrorism and Islam are not synonymous terms. Hopefully, we would never be too old to learn that we can still trust people even if they happen to pray to a different God.
Photo: Kristine in her high school senior year 2002 with multi religious friends: Two of them are muslims, one protestant and the others catholics.
High School is Not the Same as You See in Movies!
The first day at Brooklyn International High School (BIHS), my first United States education experience, was different from what I would refer it today. I arrived in NY with my family from Thailand in June of 2008. With the limited English language I had learned in Thailand; I found life in New York wasn’t fun and easy at all. During summer of 2008, I was told from people who have been here ahead of my family that I have to continue my education in New York public high school, which later I learned I would be attending BIHS in Brooklyn.
Before the fall semester of 2008 started, I had to be in summer school to prepare myself for learning in a new language, the United States education system and getting used to a new type of environment. The Karen family, who lived in the same apartment where my family lived, guided us to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), New York resettlement office to find me a summer school. IRC helps refugees from many countries, diverse ages and life background and support us to go through a process: I would call it “Building a new life”. Steps to build a new life starts from learning English, learning about the transportation system (subway), learning about going to the hospital, making an appointment, contact a bank, apply for social security card, state ID card, apply for public assistance and search for job/school.
At the 2008 IRC Refugees Youth Summer Academy, I was a high school student and studied with friends from all around the world. It was then when I learned what high school actually is: it is not the same high school you see in movies at all. For example there are no mean or jealous girls or boys in the hallway all the time. High School to me is to learn to study, learn to have fun, learn to love each other and learn to know who you are and to reach what you dream of.
I have to say, I did not get perfect English from the IRC summer academy. That was not actually the primary purpose of the program either. All subjects they taught were scary to me, subjects were all taught in English and I missed school for two years in the refugee camp, so those were almost like new things in my head. In fact, the primary purpose of IRC summer academy program is to help us, young refugees who have left our homes and come to new country to overcome challenges and know how to solve them - not to solve the challenges for us but to teach us how to solve it. My success at the IRC summer academy was I became a learner about my environment, adaptability and learned how to build new friendship with friends from countries I had never heard about before. More importantly, I learned to overcome myself. I think these are the most powerful tools I need in order to survive and succeed anywhere, everywhere I go.
In September of 2008, I started my first year of high school at BIHS as a “freshman” (9th grade). I did not know what a freshman actually was (I thought it sounded like fisherman, and was too confused why older students were calling us “fisherman” and we called them “seniors” if they are not that old?). I did not like it, first year at this school. The school with almost no rules, we called teachers by their first names, and almost did not have to use Mr. or Ms. in front of their names. We could bring food in the classroom and dating, make up, coloured nails and hair and jewellery were allowed? Then how can students live with discipline and limitation?
Being the only student who speaks Thai as the first language in school gave me the advantage to learn English faster than others. I was able to understand different accents and pick up English faster than I thought I would, but it was not always good. I missed the opportunity to enjoy my culture and traditions from my home. I missed the encouragement to express my culture to others. But the reason I think BIHS is the best place in the world where I could be right now, is not because there is not a lot of rules but because of the supports and help I can find from the BIHS community and because it is a place where everyone can find out who they are (later, I learned that it was me who sat at the corner and did not do any reach out, there are plenty of places in school where I can share my culture.)
By the second semester of sophomore year (10th grade), I learned why rules are not the most important thing in the school. Rules are not the most important factor in school because they make us only think in terms of “have to do it” not “want to do it”. Because of support and understandings from BIHS community, it makes me think that the truth is “I want to be good here and I want to do good things, while I am still in this house not because I have to but because I want to.” If anyone at BIHS especially the “freshman” says they do not want to be in BIHS, I would not be surprised, because for us to love this school we must first find the difficulty and then we will know why this school is so supportive. And One day they will know that they are lucky to have a chance to grow in the BIHS.
Receiving unique ways of teaching and exploring subjects from teachers in BIHS helps us understand about schoolwork better. Teachers teach us slowly and lay their trusts on us that we can do it. Students at BIHS have been in this country, the USA, less than four years and English is not our first language. So, everyone is new and everything is complicated for us. Learning what we have to know from school is not the only thing we need to know now but we must learn to “survive” in this country as well.
Together with support from the IRC, BIHS community, other organizations and supporters (the list is really long) and of course, my friends and family, I was able to figure out, what I think I want to become. I want to share this story from my school with everyone because I think it is important that we often talk about the positive aspects and the help that we get, rather than recognize only what we need or miss. Any change for good, starts from small, passionate and positive movements and it must also often be talked about what we have so there will be enough encouragement and powerful will-power to keep fighting for good.
Photo: Brooklyn International High School students won the award of second place at the Social Expo event, topic of "Human Rights" at New York University May 2011.
Energía nuclear vs. Energías alternativas
Quizás si pensamos en energía nuclear, puede que se nos vengan a la cabeza varias ideas: progreso?, riesgo?, Chernóbil?, Japón?...
Pero antes que nada…sabemos qué es la energía nuclear? La energía nuclear (de forma muyyy simplificada), es la energía que se libera espontánea o artificialmente en los procesos de combinación y transformación de las núcleos atómicos.
Sin embargo, cuando hablamos de energía nuclear también nos referimos al aprovechamiento de esta energía ya sea para la obtención de energía eléctrica, térmica y mecánica, y su aplicación, bien sea con fines pacíficos o bélicos. Sin embargo, uno de sus principales problemas es que ésta genera residuos peligrosos los cuales es necesario almacenar en algún sitio (el cual no se sabe con certeza dónde), además de los altos costos que implica el mantenimiento de estos residuos. La “crisis” del modelo nuclear revivió luego que la central nuclear de Fukushima fuese dañada tras el terremoto y posterior tsunami del 11 de marzo. El gobierno de Japón lucha aún hoy para contener la radiación derivada de la explosión de la central en la que el grosso de las victimas, han sido jóvenes entre los 20 y 25 años. A propósito de las tragedias nucleares, no olvidamos tampoco, que el pasado 26 de abril, se cumplió 25 años de la tragedia de Chernóbil.
Entonces, nos preguntamos….¿cuál es la alternativa? La respuesta es bien sabida, aunque poco difundida: Las energías renovables.
Existen muchos argumentos que señalan la poca preparación de las energías renovables para suministrar la totalidad de la demanda de energía en el planeta y además señalan las ventajas del uso de la energía nuclear contra el cambio climático. Sin embargo, se va conociendo cada vez más de que las energías renovables no sólo son posibles sino que además factibles. Incluso, si el uso de las energías renovables es masivo, cada vez más hogares podrían producir su propia energía. Si las personas empiezan a poner paneles solares o molinos de viento en sus tejados y jardines, etc., su dependencia del suministro de energía eléctrica por parte de compañías privadas, se vería considerablemente reducido. Es acá donde viene el conflicto: grandes compañías de explotación y suministro de energía, apoyadas en varias ocasiones por gobiernos, mantienen un negocio rentable y en algunas zonas, el monopolio energético total, que difícilmente dejarán que sea reemplazado por energías más baratas y sustentables.
El paradigma debe cambiar, y es nuestra responsabilidad como jóvenes el impulsar cambios en los hábitos, a nivel personal y colectivo. En caso contrarío, el planeta no daría para mucho más. Los jóvenes manifiestan cada vez más su apoyo a las energías renovables porque somos concientes del planeta que tenemos y el planeta que queremos. Imagen: 20090725elpepivin_2
La Muerte de Niños en Conflictos Armados: Un Problema Sudamericano
Durante el último decenio, se estima que más de 2 millones de niños y niñas murieron a causa de conflictos armados y violaciones de los derechos humanos y 20 millones tuvieron que abandonar sus hogares debido a guerras en el mundo. Cuando hablamos de cifras globales puede sonar un poco lejano, pero cuando miramos a Latinoamerica, quizás encontremos que el problema está más cerca de lo que pensamos.
En Colombia, nuestro caso regional, se estima que son casi 15.000 el número de niños y niñas con edades comprendidas entre 9 y 16 años, los combatientes en los ejércitos de fuerzas insurgentes y de grupos paramilitares. Estos menores de edad son utilizados para acciones de alto riesgo tales como la activación y desactivación de minas antipersonales, espionaje, servidumbre y esclavitud sexual para la tropa. Según el informe de UNICEF Impacto del Conflicto Armado en los Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes de América Latina, "los niños y adolescentes son reclutados por representar un potencial humano disponible, maleable y capaz de realizar diversas tareas en los frentes de combate sin medir riesgos...... La proliferación de armas pequeñas y ligeras de fácil manejo, tales como pistolas, revólveres, fusiles de asalto livianos, ametralladoras, minas y granadas, permiten su utilización a niños y niñas de apenas 10 años".
No hay duda que el reclutamiento de niñas y niños a grupos armados, es un hecho que viola gravemente sus derechos a la vida, la libertad, a la seguridad, a una familia, a la educación, a la salud, la protección contra la explotación y el abuso sexual.
Sin embargo, uno de los daños más complejos y profundos que experimentan los niños y niñas involucradas en la guerra, es quizás el daño psicológico. Crueles historias de niños obligados que han sido reclutados de manera voluntaria o involuntaria han sido bien documentadas, como las encontradas por la investigadora Liliana Ramirez Arías. Una de sus entrevistas, recogida en un artículo de la periodista Luz María Sierra sobre el reclutamiento de niños por parte de grupos paramilitares, cuenta que:
“En el 2001, ’Martín Llanos’ decidió hacer fuerte su ejército. En un solo curso, de los varios que hizo en el 2002, entrenó a 220 muchachos. Se veían niños hasta de 13 años. A muchos los recogían de los pueblos y fincas de la zona, a otros los sacaron de correccionales como la de Villavicencio, se llevaron niños de la calle de Bogotá, hasta algunos incautos que caían con avisos que invitaban a ir a un "centro de rehabilitación especial para la drogadicción. A muchos les decían que iban a recoger arroz, y cuando llegaban y se daban cuenta, se veía mucho hombre llorar", recuerda uno de ellos.
*Y lloraban porque los entrenamientos eran campos de exterminio: muchos se quedaban a mitad de camino destrozados por sus mismos compañeros. El método ’pedagógico’ era macabro: se deshacían de los débiles o los que no parecían estar convencidos de la causa y con sus crueles asesinatos le daban al resto lecciones de barbarie. A los pocos días de llegados, les tocaba participar del descuartizamiento de cualquier recluta por una falta ínfima. No importaba la falta, era solo una excusa para convertir, en menos de dos meses, muchachos de 16 años en hombres dispuestos a matar.
"Los cursos antes eran más difíciles, de 20 que entraban solo salían (vivos) 10 ó 5. Después, de 180, solo se quedaban en el camino 10 ó 15". En un momento dado, abrumados además por la inmensidad del llano y la soledad, perdían cualquier sentido de los valores humanos. Hasta el punto de que tomaban como un pasatiempo de adolescentes comer carne humana. Contaba también como les hacían tomar la sangre de los compañeros que mataban en entrenamiento "para obtener la fuerza del muerto".*
Estas historias son muy graves, pero más grave aún es el hecho de que gran parte del país nunca se enteró de esto, ya sea porque evidentemente los noticieros tenían noticias más “prioritarias, felices y entretenidas” para mostrar o porque todo formaba parte de todo un esquema impulsado desde el mismo estado para ocultar la existencia real y las consecuencias del conflicto armado. Aún hoy, el estado colombiano no reconoce públicamente la existencia de un conflicto armado en Colombia.
Y qué pasa con la vida de un niño, una niña, un adolescente que ha sido sometido a todas estas situaciones crueles de guerra, de qué forma puede retomar una vida “normal”? Cuál sería el rol de la sociedad civil en la "reinserción" de estos niños y niñas a la sociedad? Sin duda, el rol del estado debería ser lo suficientemente fuerte para velar por la seguridad y la protección de los chicos que han sido forzados a participar de la guerra, aunque lamentablemente no ha sido el caso de la gran mayoria de paises con esta problemática.
_Photo by © UNICEF/NYHQ2004-0784/Donna DeCesare A boy waits for his sister near a playground outside her school, Escuela Urbana Mixta, in the remote jungle village of Bellavista in the municipality of Bojayá in the north-western department of Chocó. The guns and military packs behind him belong to government soldiers.
http://www.nodo50.org/tortuga/Una-historia-de-crueldades
Vivons Ensemble
« Faire échec à la contre-révolution ». Ainsi peut-on résumer la détermination du ministre égyptien dans sa réaction suite aux violents affrontements qui ont opposé les musulmans et les coptes (chrétiens de l’Egypte, environ 10% de la population) dans la soirée du samedi 7 mai 2011. Le bilan officiel donne au moins dix morts et plus de deux cent blessés, sans préciser la confession des victimes. Depuis plusieurs mois, des musulmans reprochaient aux responsables de l’Eglise de séquestrer des femmes de leur communauté, précisément deux épouses de prêtres, qui souhaiteraient se convertir à l’Islam.
Ce sont certainement ces tensions confessionnelles qui ont conduit les musulmans à attaquer une église dans le quartier pauvre d’Imbaba, à l’est de la capitale égyptienne (Le Caire) ce samedi soir. Ils estimaient qu’une chrétienne voulant se convertir y était enfermée. Malheureusement l’Egypte, pays arable le plus peuplé avec ses plus de quatre-vingt millions d’habitants, n’est pas le seul à avoir connu des affrontements de cette nature ces derniers temps. Nous avons aussi le Nigeria, à la différence qu’ici les affrontements interreligieux semblent être devenus un sport national.
Pays le plus peuplé de l’Afrique avec plus de cent cinquante millions d’habitants, la République fédérale du Nigeria est régulièrement touchée par des conflits entre les musulmans, essentiellement dans le Nord, et les chrétiens au Sud. La dernière illustration a été en avril 2011 avec l’élection du Président de la république après la proclamation le 16 avril 2011 de la victoire du Chef d’Etat sortant, Goodluck Jonathan, un chrétien du Sud. La contestation des résultats par le principal opposant, Muhammadu Buhari, a conduit à de violentes manifestations. Selon Civil Rights Congress, une ONG basée dans l’Etat de Kaduna (Nord du Nigeria), une des régions affectées par ces violentes manifestations, ce sont plus de cinq cent personnes qui ont perdues la vie, et seulement trois jours après les résultats. En décembre 2008, d’autres affrontements interreligieux ont causés la mort d’au moins deux cent personnes dans le Plateau de Jos, au centre du pays.
Ces différentes violences viennent monter que nos pays, en plus des nombreux défis pour le développement (infrastructures, éducation et formation, bien-être, emplois,…) auxquels nos autorités doivent faire face, restent aussi confrontés à celui de la construction de nations fortes. L’homme est fait pour vivre en groupe, en communauté, et le principal but de son existence est de vivre en paix le plus durablement possible. Mais comment réussir à créer un équilibre entre la nécessité de vivre avec les autres et le besoin de paix ? Certainement, l’une des réponses est le développement chez chacun de nous de l’acceptation de l’autre et de la tolérance. Pour réussir cette cohabitation, chacun doit faire l’effort de respecter l’autre dans ce qu’il est, et singulièrement dans ses croyances. Parler de respect c’est admettre que chacun (musulman, chrétien, juif, bouddhiste, animiste, non croyant, ou autre) a sa place dans chaque société.
Mais pour que chacun ait une place, il nous faut nous parler, apprendre à nous connaître les uns et autres. Il faut donc dialoguer, non après des affrontements pour tenter d’apaiser la situation, mais de façon permanente et au quotidien. Instaurer ce dialogue n’appartient pas aux responsables politiques ni aux autorités, mais plutôt aux chefs religieux, aux chefs et leaders communautaires, et doit prendre forme dans nos cellules familiales par des messages de levée des barrières et d’ouverture vers les autres.
Nos communautés sont suffisamment mélangées pour justifier aujourd’hui encore des conflits interreligieux. Ils sont nombreux les couples mixtes (différentes religions), les enfants ayant des parents de religions différentes ou ces amis qui vivent sans que leurs différences de croyance ne soit une préoccupation pour eux. Aidons nos sociétés à se construire dans la cohésion sociale la plus solide. Avant d’être musulman, chrétien ou autre, vous êtes d’abord et avant tout soit égyptien, soit nigérian, soit ivoirien, et que sais-je encore. Dans nos différents pays, nous sommes tous ensemble et ne formons qu’un. Vivons dans ce sens.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-2304/Susan Markisz /// A gauche, l’Evêque Emérite d’Oslo et modérateur du Conseil des Leaders religieux, Gunnar J. Stålsett, s’adressant aux participant d’une table-ronde de discussion sur la fin des violences contre les enfants, au siège de l’Unicef. A sa gauche, le Grand Mufti du Conseil Suprême des musulmans d’Ouganda et co-modérateur du Conseil Africain des leaders religieux, Son excellence Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje ; et le Président du Comité International des Juifs pour les consultations interreligieuses et du Comité pour le financement des religions et de la paix et Grand Rabbin David Rosen
Pour un enfant, la guerre c’est l’esclavage
Les dernières estimations de l’UNICEF restent inquiétantes et révoltantes. Ce sont plus de trois cent mille enfants, et donc des personnes âgées de moins de dix-huit ans selon l’Article premier de la Convention relative aux Droits de l’Enfant, qui sont toujours engagés dans plusieurs conflits armés. Par engagés il faut comprendre qu’ils sont des soldats, armés, conditionnés pour tuer, mais aussi transformés en esclaves sexuels, cuisiniers, …. Beaucoup de ces enfants soldats le sont devenus après avoir été recrutés par les différentes parties en conflit (gouvernement et forces rebelles) sur l’effet de la force ou sous la menace de représailles.
Malheureusement nous avons aussi ceux qui, après avoir été victime du conflit (proches assassinés ou violentés, villages pillés, …) ou chez qui la haine contre l’autre a été développé, ont décidé de s’engager avec pour seul slogan : si je ne les tue pas, ce sont eux qui me tueront. Dans tous les cas ce sont actuellement plus de trois cent mille enfants qui ne peuvent pas s’amuser, à qui on refuse la nécessité d’apprendre à lire et à écrire, à qui des adultes volent chaque jour l’enfance et la possibilité de se construire des repères qui les aideront à grandir plus facilement dans un monde de plus en plus dur et peu solidaire.
Le plus important n’est malheureusement pas de les sortir des lignes de front, ni de leur prendre leurs armes. C’est celui de les encadrer, de les former, de les aider à se reconstruireafin qu’ils redeviennent des civils et se considèrent eux même comme tel, rejettent la violence qu’ils ont développés comme moyen d’expression et qu’ils ne retournent pas dans les rangs des combattants à la première difficulté. Il s’agit là d’un travail long et difficile mais que de nombreuses organisations, et toutes les personnes qui les composent, réalisent quotidiennementsur le terrain.
Malgré toute ces difficultés, ils sont nombreux ces anciens enfants soldats qui aujourd’hui ont une seconde chance pour se préparer un meilleur avenirmais aussi à leurs différentes communautés, loin des armes à feu. Certains d’entre eux s’engagent même dans l’action pour la fin de ce phénomène et pour l’aide à d’autres enfants soldats. Parmi eux, figure Ishmael Beah.
Ancien enfant soldat en Sierra Leone, il a écrit "[Le chemin parcouru : mémoire d’un enfant soldat]" (http://www.ishmael-beah.fr/site/accueil_site_ishmael_beah_&600&isb01.html), un livre très fort en émotion dans lequel il partage son histoire. Au-delà des passages très durs de sa vie de soldat, mais aussi de scènes plus digestes (tel celle où ses cassettes de RAP lui sauvèrent la vie ainsi que celle de ses amis), au-delà des souffrances personnelles (perte de la trace de ses parents, mort de l’oncle qui l’a accueilli après sa réinsertion dans la vie civile), ce livre-témoignage donne aussi au lecteur une idée des difficultés que rencontrent les Animateurs d’un Centre d’accueil d’ex-enfants soldats, puis montre la détermination et la patience dont ils font preuve dans l’accomplissement de leur travail.
Co-fondateur du Réseau des Jeunes Affectés par la Guerre, membre actif de Human Rigths Watch pour les questions relatives aux droits des enfants, Ishmael Beah est aujourd’hui Défenseur pour l’UNICEF des enfants affectés par la guerre. C’est dans ce cadre qu’il s’est rendu en juin 2010 à N’Djamena (capitale au Tchad) où il a assisté à une [Conférence régionale sur l’abolition du recrutement et l’utilisation des enfants soldats] (http://www.unicef.org/french/protection/chad_53966.html). En visitant l’un des centres de transit pour ex-enfants soldats, un groupe de jeunes garçons lui demanda de transmettre ce message au monde entier : « Pour un enfant, la guerre c’est l’esclavage ». Que pouvons-nous dire d’autre et qui pourrait mieux exprimer la réalité de ce qu’est la guerre pour les enfants qui la vivent de l’intérieur ? Pas grande chose en tout cas.
Aujourd’hui encore, la question des enfants soldats montre que le plus important défi de la protection des Droits des enfants n’est pas de signer ou ratifier les différents protocoles, conventions, déclarations sur les Droits de l’homme en général, et ceux des enfants en particuliers. C’est d’abord et avant tout les efforts que chacun fait pour une meilleure application de leur contenu. Et ce boulot chacun doit y contribuer au mieux. Le premier pas c’est d’en parler et dire que « Enfants » et « soldats » sont deux mots qui ne vont pas ensemble. C’est ce que nous essayons de faire ici.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-1153/Olivier Asselin // le 10 juin 2010, un enfant dessine un véhicule militaire dans un centre de transit et d’orientation pour les anciens enfants soldats à N’Djaména (Capitale du Tchad). Il s’agit d’un centre dirigé par l’ONG Care International et bénéficiant du soutien de l’UNICEF.
L’Europe doit-elle accueillir les migrants de la Révolution du Jasmin?
Nous l’avons déjà écrit, et certainement d’autres mieux que nous : née après que Sidi Bouzid se soit immolé le 17 décembre 2010 en Tunisie, et véritable vent de contestation qui secoue depuis lors les pays maghrébins et le Moyen-Orient, la « Révolution du Jasmin » est un processus qui changera forcement le monde arabe quel que soit l’issue dans chacun des pays touchés. Aujourd’hui encore, la situation reste critique dans certains d’entre eux : persistance de la répression barbare et annonce d’un malheureux ultimatum de quinze jours lancé aux manifestants par les autorités en Syrie, refus du Président Saleh au Yémen de signer comme président l’accord à lui proposé par les pays de la région pour une fin pacifique, enlisement de la situation en Libye.
Mais absolument rien ne semble affaiblir la détermination des populations, les jeunes en tête, à conduire jusqu’à son terme cette révolution afin d’aboutir au but visé par ces vagues de protestations sans précédents : un véritable changement de régime et l’arrivée d’un nouvel ordre politique et social dans la région.
Au-delà des différents développements dans les pays touchés, la Révolution du jasmin fait naître un autre combat dans son sillage : celui de la conquête de l’ « eldorado européen ». Les violents combats, les nombreux pillages, la fermeture des universités et autres entreprises causant une montée du chômage et du nombre de jeunes sans occupation pouvant leur rapporter de quoi aider leur familles à vivre décemment, la dégradation de la situation économique, la situation humanitaire inquiétante, … poussent les populations à fait le choix de l’exode vers le vieux continent : l’Europe. Depuis janvier 2011, et quotidiennement, ils sont nombreux ceux qui décident de quitter la terre de leurs ancêtres tout en espérant avoir de l’autre côté de la méditerranée la possibilité de réaliser leurs rêves.
Leur première escale est l’île italienne de Lampedusa, situé entre Malte et la Tunisie. Aujourd’hui, ils sont plus de vingt-cinq mille, essentiellement des jeunes et arrivant pour la plupart de Tunisie et de Lybie, qui viennent taper aux portes de l’Europe. Comme beaucoup de leurs concitoyens africains qui, bien souvent au péril de leur vie, tentent régulièrement de gagner par tous les moyens cette partie du monde, les « migrants de la révolution » espèrent avoir accès à cette partie du monde où tous les rêves sembles possibles de l’extérieur. Mais les choses ne sont pas si faciles.
Face au flux important de ces migrants clandestins, le gouvernement italien a au départ décidé de leur octroyer, à partir du 7 avril 2011, des permis de séjours temporaires pour protection humanitaire. Permis qui leur permettent de voyager dans tout l’Espace Schengen. Il s’agit d’un espace de libre circulation comprenant aujourd’hui vingt-cinq pays : vingt-deux membres de l’Union Européenne (la Bulgarie, la Roumanie et Chypre non compris), en plus de la Suisse, de l’Islande et de la Norvège. La France a vivement réagi face à cette démarche de son voisin italien, affirmant qu’elle n’entendait "pas subir une vague d’immigration". Il faut dire que la grande majorité de ces migrants clandestins veulent surtout se rendre en France où beaucoup ont de nombreux parents, proches ou autres connaissances.
Mais après un sommet bilatéral de haut niveau entre le Président français (Nicolas Sarkozy) et le Président du Conseil italien (Silvio Berlusconi) le 26 avril dernier, la décision d’amender le traité de Schengen a été adoptée. Les deux pays, surtout la France (initiatrice de ce mouvement), veulent autoriser les Etats membres de cet espace à restreindre le principe de la libre circulation et à établir des contrôles aux frontières nationales lors de circonstances exceptionnelles. Cette position de la France a provoqué de nombreuses réactions dans le pays, surtout du côté des associations de défense des droits de l’homme ou d’aides aux migrants et des partis de l’opposition. Tous condamnent un manque de solidarité des responsables français et dénonce une attitude que certains qualifieront d’irresponsables, et d’autres de faire le jeu de l’extrême droite.
Une question se pose donc : faut-il « accueillir » ces migrants de la révolution du Jasmin ? Sans tomber dans la polémique, nous pensons que la réponse est en deux étapes. Tout d’abord, face à l’urgence et à la réalité que nous savons dans les pays d’origine de ces personnes, il est indispensable que les pays européens face jouer le principe de solidarité internationale. Ces gens doivent être secourus et assistés dans les meilleures conditions possibles. Ensuite, pouvons-nous demander, voire exiger que ceux-ci régularisent à bout de bras la situation de ces milliers de personnes qui continuent d’affluer à Lampedusa chaque jour afin de leur permettre, pour ceux d’entre eux qui le veulent (certainement 90% au moins), de refaire leur vie en Europe ? Ce serait idéal pour tout ce monde mais ne soyons pas hypocrites. Ces populations qui ont fui leur pays de résidence habituelle d’avant la révolution sont et restent malgré tout des migrants clandestins. S’il doit avoir régulation de leur situation et que celle-ci se fait au cas par cas, il n’y a rien de vraiment choquant. Si les autorités des différents Etats européens concernés décident de renvoyer dans leurs pays d’origine l’immense majorité d’entre eux, bien évidemment si la situation locale le permet et dans le strict respect de la personne humaine que chacun représente, nous n’avons pas à en rougir. Ces pays ont aussi à faire face à de nombreux défis au quotidien et il faut admettre qu’ils sont en droit de mener une politique d’immigration spécifique à leurs réalités, même si nous pouvons souvent en contester certaines modalités. Tel est notre point de vue.
Creative Commons. Protester tribute to Mohamed Bouazizi
Syria´s Bloody Fridays
For nearly three months now, Friday prayers have become an ominous prologue to bloody deaths across Syria as security forces reportedly met anti-government protests with gunfire.
There was Great Friday, April 22, when at least 75 people were killed. It was said to be the deadliest day since the uprising started. A week later, about 50 people died in another round of rallies dubbed the day of rage. On May 6, the day of defiance, activists said that up to 30 people have been killed. Based on reports of human rights groups and activists, more than 500 people have died since mid-March. News agencies, however, cannot verify this; the Syrian government has banned foreign journalists from entering the country.
For Muslims, Friday is the day of assembly and communal worship, a time for earnest remembrance of Allah. And when the prayer is ended, then disperse in the land and seek of Allah’s bounty, and remember Allah much, that ye may be successful, says a translation of the Quran. In Syria’s tragic case, deadly violence rather than divine bounty has followed Friday prayers.
It started with graffiti: The people want the regime to fall. Fifteen kids, all under 17 years old, wrote these words on a wall in the town of Deraa in southern Syria and they were promptly thrown in jail. Their arrest and imprisonment set off the first in a series of major protests in the country.
Al Jazeera’s timeline of the Syrian unrest tells of protests, clashes and deaths on a daily basis. It also reports moves by President Bashar al-Assad to try to placate the growing opposition: sacking the governor of Deraa, releasing several protesters from detention, lifting the 48-year-old state of emergency. These efforts, however, hardly made a dent in quelling the uprising. It turns out that people tend not to believe you when you say the government “wants to keep up with the aspirations of the people” and then your security forces go and open fire on civilians.
The government has blamed foreign conspirators, armed gangs and criminals, and terrorist elements for the violence. It insists that the advancement of the military into anti-government protest hubs was done in pursuit of extremist groups in the area. It also maintains that troops do not confront protesters. With the government in control of the local media and no foreign journalists to report independently on events on the ground, the Syrian leadership apparently wants the rest of the world to just take their word for it. Meanwhile, news inside Syria is pieced together from reports of activists and raw videos of street protests, gunshots, dead bodies and funerals.
As the government continues to meet the people’s fight for political freedoms with bullets and tanks, it is highly unlikely that violence and death in the streets of Syria will stop anytime soon. How many more days of defiance and rage will result in a tally of casualties? How many more Friday prayers will end in bloodbath?
Photo: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (Photo Creative Commons)
Non aux enfants kamikazes…
Posted on 05/06/11 by Etienne
Le 1er mai dernier, le Taliban a fait le choix d’utiliser un enfant de 12 ans en guise de kamikaze pour lancer son offensive de printemps en Afghanistan. Revêtu d’une veste bourrée d’explosifs, l’enfant a déclenché sa bombe dans un bazar de la province de Paktika au sud-est de l’Afghanistan. Bilan de cette opération ? Quatre morts et une douzaine de blessés selon une dépêche de l’AFP.
Aussi choquant que puisse être cet acte, il n’est cependant pas surprenant. On sait depuis longtemps que le Taliban recrute des enfants kamikazes pour servir sa cause. Un rapport de l’ONU datant de 2010 confirme que des cas d’enfants âgés de 13 ou 14 ans utilisés pour commettre des attaques-suicides ou pour poser des explosifs ont été documentés en Afghanistan et au Pakistan.
On sait aussi que les Talibans détiennent des enfants dans des camps d’entraînement et qu’ils les recrutent dans les madrassas (les écoles coraniques). Dans son documentaire « Children of the Taliban », Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, journaliste d’origine pakistanaise, part à la rencontre de jeunes gens recrutés par les Talibans.
L’un d’entre eux témoigne qu’on lui a d’abord appris à manier un kalachnikov avant de le préparer à mener une attaque suicide. Lorsqu’elle interroge un représentant du Taliban (qui admet recruter des gamins pour des opérations suicides dès l’âge de 5-6 ans), ce dernier explique que « les enfants sont des instruments destinés à accomplir la volonté de Dieu »…
Il y a quelques semaines une vidéo mettant en scène des enfants pachtounes simulant un attentat suicide circulait sur Internet suite à la publication d’un article alarmant sur le sujet dans la presse britannique. Cette vidéo, publiée à l’origine sur Facebook par un internaute originaire du Pakistan qui l’avait trouvé « drôle », a été vue 529 066 fois sur You Tube.
Une analyse publiée sur le site de France 24 considère cependant qu’il pourrait s’agir « d’une manipulation orchestrée par un adulte à l’adresse du reste du monde ». Tahir Imran Mian, producteur pakistanais basé à Islamabad au Pakistan, sollicité par France 24, estime ainsi que cette vidéo pourrait s’adresser aux Occidentaux « pour leur dire qu’une nouvelle génération d’islamistes est en train de se radicaliser pour devenirs de parfaits kamikazes ».
Personne n’est cependant en mesure d’affirmer l’origine de cette vidéo. Reste que le message véhiculé confirme une réalité douloureuse. Facilement manipulés les enfants sont une cible de choix. Selon les estimations de l’UNICEF, 300 000 enfants soldats sont exploités dans plus de 30 conflits armés répartis à travers le monde. Rappelons que le Protocole facultatif à la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant, entré en vigueur en 2002, interdit la participation d’enfants de moins de 18 ans aux hostilités et que les Etats sont censés tout mettre en œuvre pour empêcher cela.
Une maigre consolation…
Photo Les enfants sont une cible de choix pour les Talibans en Afghanistan © UNICEF/AFGA000319/John Isaac
Du bruit contre le sida
Depuis 12 ans déjà, Solidarité Sida, une association française de lutte contre le sida, organise chaque Eté et le temps d’un week-end le Festival Solidays alliant musique et engagement contre le sida. L’un des objectifs est de rappeler, qu’au-delà des chiffres, la lutte contre le sida a un visage humain et que l’engagement et la contribution de tous sont nécessaires pour une réponse efficace et durable.
Solidays est un festival de musique militant, mais également un moment d’échanges et de sensibilisation sur toutes les questions liées au VIH/sida. C’est également l’occasion d’y présenter le travail que font les associations françaises et étrangères, surtout dans les pays les plus touchés par cette pandémie, sur la prévention, la prise en charge et l’accompagnement des personnes vivant avec le VIH et leurs familles, les enfants et jeunes compris.
J’ai eu la chance de participer à ce festival en 2007 et en 2009. Je reste émerveillé par ces nombreux jeunes qui non seulement donnent une place très importante à ce festival dans leur programme de l’Eté, mais aussi sont conscients que le passe qu’ils ont au poignet contribue à l’action associative. Solidarité Sida, association créée en 1992, soutient aujourd’hui 120 associations de part le monde et le Festival Solidays lui permet de mobiliser une partie des fonds nécessaires pour la mise en œuvre de cette politique.
L’édition 2011 se tiendra les 26, 27 et 28 juin 2011 sur son site traditionnel : l’hippodrome de Longchamp, à l’ouest de Paris. Ce sont 80 concerts qui sont programmés et l’affiche, comme chaque année, tient compte de tous : Peter Doherty, Klaxons et AaRON mettront le rock dans tous ses états quand Aloe Blacc, John Butler Trio, Ebony Bones et Alice Russell feront vibrer les foules avec leur groove sexy.
Côté gros son, Shaka Ponk, Moby et Vitalic viendront enflammer Longchamp à coups d’électrochocs sonores et visuels. En plus, les lauréats des Victoires de la musique seront de la partie cette année : Yael Naim, Stromae, Gaëtan Roussel et Bernard Lavilliers. Enfin, aux côtés des monstres sacrés du reggae, Alpha Blondy et Israel Vibration, retrouvez aussi Mark Ronson, Vitalic V Mirror, Katerine, Cold War Kids, Popof, Cocoon, The Go ! Team, Syd Matters, Yodelice, Patrice, Têtes Raides, The Bewitched Hands, Puggy, Bumcello, Raggasonic, The Joy Formidable, Zone Libre VS Casey, Fool’s Gold, Goose, HK & Les Saltimbanks, Madjo, Nasser, l’Orchestre National de Barbès, Quadricolor.
Participer au Festival Solidays, c’est pour le prix d’un concert, avoir la possibilité de vivre une véritable aventure humaine tout un week-end et de contribuer à l’action associative contre le sida dans les pays les plus touchés au monde. Solidairement.
©Image site de solidays : www.solidays.com – Festival in Love
Liberating Child Soldiers in the Philippines
“Sometimes I wondered whether my bullet really hit somebody. When the shots are fired, you get the hang of it and killing people seems exciting.”
At a time when she should’ve been in high school, Aida (not her real name) was learning how to fire an M16 rifle and move quickly to avoid military raids. She was recruited as a child soldier into the New Peoples’ Army (NPA), the armed group of the local communist movement in the Philippines. She was first tasked with relaying messages from the commander to the field groups and vice versa. She then became a radio operator while also acting as a squad leader.
“Being responsible for other people was distressing. It’s either they die or I die in the crossfire because I am the one leading them,” Aida said. She was one of the five women aged 15-17 who were interviewed by the Quaker United Nations Office for a report on girl child soldiers in 2003.
She seemed to be a brave, strong and intelligent young woman but even then, assuming responsibility for her comrades’ lives was too heavy of a burden for a teenager to carry. Her squad members were actually older than her. She was very familiar, however, with taking on adult duties. While still in second grade, she was already thinking about how to help her mother in providing food for the family. After getting the highest marks in her class, she dropped out of school and worked as a house helper.
Poverty and lack of access to education make children and young people like Aida more vulnerable to recruitment of armed groups like the NPA, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a rebel group in southern Philippines, and even the government-sponsored paramilitary group Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU). Faced with no foreseeable opportunities to improve their lot in life, they tend to find a sense of purpose and adventure in being a part of these groups.
Aida learned to read and write while in the NPA. She gained confidence and a stronger self-esteem as she worked on community organizing and recruitment in rural areas. She also found security and belongingness in living closely with her comrades. These are crucial needs that a well-functioning community and a stable and economically secure family life are supposed to provide.
She was captured by government forces when a former comrade surrendered and identified her as an NPA member. She was scared of being raped by military men but she said that she got lucky to have humane captors. Others who were caught were reportedly tortured and killed. While in government custody, Aida admitted that she was still interested in the communist movement and strongly attached to life in the NPA. What she would really want, however, is to go back home and see her mother again.
“I really want to rest and be with my mother… The best is to go home. I have this feeling that I’d be able to forget about the movement… I just want to laugh. I was always crying [when I was in the movement],” she said. In the battlefield, Aida was forced to be an adult but she was very much still just a young girl who wants a piece of her childhood back.
Eight years after Aida’s story was told, the NPA and MILF have finally agreed to develop action plans to remove minors from their ranks. Radhika Coomaraswamy, United Nations envoy for children and armed conflict, announced last April that she has met with Philippine government officials and the communist and Islamist rebel groups to secure commitments on stopping the recruitment of child soldiers.
Armed insurgencies in the Philippines have been running for four decades now. There have been peace talks, all-out wars and skirmishes in between. Amidst all the violence, children have been involved as combatants, refugees and collateral damage. If it took about forty years to get the government and rebel groups to try and do something about child soldiers, how many more decades then will it take to ensure that children will be completely safe from the wars that adults wage?
Photo A child soldier among the rubble. (Photo Credit: Creative Commons)
Guns Instead of Toys
Children should be able to be children, no matter who they are and where from. According to the Convention of the Rights of the Child, adapted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989, “everyone under the age of 18 (the definition of a child), regardless of gender, origin, religion or possible disabilities, needs special care and protection because children are often the most vulnerable”.
So far the theory, but reality shows a different picture: chances of children dramatically increase or decrease according where they are born and who their parents are. While in Iceland only 2.9 children in a thousand die, in Sierra Leone unbelievable 160 minors don’t survive the first 18 years of their lives (according to the United Nations Population Division’s List).
Not by coincidence Sierra Leone is the country with the highest child mortality rate, being one of the countries that made the headlines way too often for so called“military use of children”. In a bloody fight for power and money that lasted over 11 years, over 50,000 died and more then 2.5 million Sierra Leoneans have been displaced. Children have been forced to fight on all sides: for the RUF, the SLA and the Kamajors.
Child Soldiers were believed to be fearless and easier to manipulate than adults. Not all of the abducted children were used as fighters, others were abused to be porters, spies, messengers, look outs, and sexual slaves.
The Convention of the Rights of the Child also proclaimed that "State parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons who have not attained the age of 15 years do not take a direct part in hostilities." In 1998 the International Criminal Court adapted the decision as an international law, those who fail to obey commit a war crime.
According to the BBC World Service, there is an estimate of 300,000 child soldiers all over the world and the despite of the efforts of several organizations, the number is growing. Some of the countries where child soldiers reportedly are recruited are: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan or Burma. Military use of children must be stopped in order to give all children the chance to become what they are ought to be: the future of our planet and hope for all mankind.
Photo Credits: Creative Common/ Pierre Holtz / UNICEF CAR / hdptcar.net June 2007, Child in a rebel camp in the north-eastern Central African Republic