Ascension of Christ by Garofalo 1520

NL-Aid wishes everyone a wonderful Ascension holiday for today. Tomorrow we are back online.

In its resolution, the General Assembly also noted that the family-related provisions of the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits of the 1990s and their follow-up processes continue to provide policy guidance on ways to strengthen family-centred components of policies and programmes as part of an integrated comprehensive approach to development.  Therefore following the resolution the year 1994 was proclaimed by the United Nations as the International Year of Families.  This was a response to changing social and economic structures, which have affected and still affect the structure and stability of family units in many regions of the globe. The International Day of Families has been held globally every year since 1995.

The 2012 Theme is, “Ensuring work family balance”, which places special focus on the growing demographic and socio-economic trends that continue to create changes in work and family life dynamics and balance.  Such changes have led to a higher number of working mothers, smaller families,  rapid urbanization, all which have weakened the role of the extended family, which has traditionally provided networks support in the care of both children and elderly family members.

In his message for the launch of 2012′s International Day of Families, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, stated;

“This year’s International Day of Families highlights the need for work-family balance. The aim is to help workers everywhere provide for their families financially and emotionally, while also contributing to the socio-economic development of their societies.”

The role of the family plays great importance in more than our economic stability and balance, but it also plays a role in our peace and security, including the exploitation of minors and adults.   In order for the global society to see a sustainable future the role of the family must be placed as a priority on all agendas.   Therefore governments must make a commitment to see that policies and services address the shift from traditional families.  Work-family balance policies must also demonstrate not only the well-being of families and employers’ social responsibility to support families, but also seek to increase successful labour relations, employee health and well-being, promote gender equality and ensure and protect child welfare.  Many workers in informal labor sectors face not only family-unfriendly work environments, but work daily in dangerous environments that place the entire family unit in jeopardy.  Therefore the day also highlights the importance to seek global employment protection to secure better working conditions and eliminate exploitation, especially for poor working families.

As a global community it is vital that family-friendly policies are enacted that support a healthy and sustainable work-family balance, in order to ensure that individuals and families are able to provide both economically and emotionally for their dependents and members.  However while progress has been made in much of the developing world to address the importance of work-family balance, in many developing countries work and family policies are in direct conflict with a majority of development priorities.  Therefore special consideration must be made by governments and development agencies to address this gap in a manner that will continue to preserve family values and traditions, while addressing socio-economic shifts.

Families are the core of our global stability and provide the foundation for a child’s development…the stability and harmony of families across the globe is the key to a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future for all of  our children.  Please take a moment today to remember the importance of family and appreciate the families you have been given!  Use this day to sit down with your family and see how you can better your work-family balance.

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clifford
URL: www.bridgetofreedomfoundation.org and http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: Cassandra [at] btff.org

Mr. Apollos Nwafor, WaterAid’s Team Leader for Liberia and Sierra Leone

The international organisation WaterAid has called on governments meeting in Cairo for Africa Water Week (13th to 19th May) to commit to bringing water and sanitation services to 100 million more Africans over the next two years.

In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 600 million people lack access to adequate sanitation, while 335 million people lack access to clean, safe water.

Over three quarters of a million children in Africa die every year due to diarrhoeal diseases caused, in the vast majority of cases, by a lack of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

Mr. Nelson Gomonda, WaterAid’s Pan-Africa Programme Manager stated: “African governments risk their credibility if they do not seize the opportunity to tackle this crisis by significantly increasing access to water and sanitation in their countries.

With thousands of African children dying every day, governments should honour previous promises to increase their spending on sanitation.”

Commitments previously made by African government include those made most recently by 30 African nations at the Sanitation and Water for All meeting in April in Washington DC, plus the 2007 eThekwini Declaration (where governments agreed to budget 0.5% of their GDP on sanitation), and Sharm El-Sheikh in 2008 (on accelerating water and sanitation goals).

A release quotes WaterAid as saying, only one African government, Sao Taome and Principe, currently has met the Thekwini Declaration target.

Mr. Apollos Nwafor, WaterAid’s Team Leader for Liberia and Sierra Leone also said: “At current rates of progress, Africans will be waiting 160 years before everyone has safe drinking water and 350 years for access to sanitation. We must find ways of doing better and increase the rates at which these essential services are being provided to people. Waiting centuries for water and sanitation is simply unacceptable.”

African Water Week in Cairo from 14 May 2012 brings together policy makers from across Africa. WaterAid will be the core convenor for the sub-theme of ‘Meeting water and sanitation targets’ and is also supporting Africa Water Week as an opportunity for sharing valuable skills, experiences, and best practice around achieving access to water and sanitation for all.

WaterAid is calling for African Governments to act to provide safe drinking water to 42.8 million people and adequate sanitation to 59.9 million over the next two years.

WaterAid successfully pushed for similar targets on increasing access to these essential services at the High Level Meeting of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership in Washington D.C. in April. Nearly 30 African Countries and many other governments from around the globe agreed to strive to implement baseline commitments to increase access to water by 5% and sanitation by 7% in their countries over the next two years.

Despite global progress, sub-Saharan Africa is not due to meet its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target on water until 2032 (17 years too late) and not due to reach universal access until 2075. The region is not due to reach its sanitation MDG by 2175 (160 years too late) and not due to reach universal access until 2360.

The United Nations Development Programme estimates that the shortfall in water and sanitation services cost sub-Saharan African countries around 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) each year ($55.6 billion in 2010), more than the amount provided in development aid to the entire continent ($47.9 billion in 2010).

AUTHOR: Shout Africa
URL: http://www.shout-africa.com
E-MAIL: news [at] shout-africa.com

MSF is working in camps in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger, and is concerned that the impending rainy season and the current shortage of aid will worsen the problem significantly. “MSF calls on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Program (WFP) to increase and speed up the distribution of aid in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger before the rainy season makes aid distribution even more difficult,” says Malik Allaouna, MSF director of operations.

In the makeshift Mauritanian camp of Mbéra, located in the middle of the desert, residents share one latrine for 220 people. They receive only 11 litres of water per person per day and the food distributed by the WFP does not meet the specific nutritional needs of children.

“We received four kilograms of rice – the quality is mediocre and it’s full of pebbles – two cups of oil and two cups of sugar for 10 days,” says one person in Mbéra camp. “They’ve given us just a single ration since we arrived.”

In Burkina Faso, where MSF is working in four camps, the organisation notes that food supplies are distributed inappropriately. “The same quantity is distributed without regard for the number of people in a family,” says Mohamed El Moktar, a refugee at the Gandafabou camp. “We are seven people. After two days, we have nothing left.”

Living conditions are significantly below international aid standards and render people who are already weakened by a very long journey even more vulnerable to illness. Most of the diseases treated during MSF’s medical consultations in the camps are directly related to poor living conditions.

At MSF’s treatment centre in Mbéra, four out of every 10 patients are suffering from respiratory infections and two out of 10 for diarrhoea. The next most common ailments are skin infections and malnutrition. Since the organisation started working in Mbéra, more than 500 children have been treated for malnutrition.

“Food insecurity is a threat both for the Malian refugees and for the host communities, which are already suffering from poor harvests,” adds Mr. Allaouna. “Only food distribution, in sufficient quantity and quality, will prevent children’s nutritional condition from further deteriorating.”

In Burkina Faso, MSF is working in the Ferrerio, Gandafabou, Dibissi and Ngatourou-Niénié camps. In Mauritania, in Mbéra, Fassala and Bassikounou; and in Niger, it is active in the communities of Mangaïzé, Abala, Chinagodrarand Yassan.

AUTHOR: Shout Africa
URL: http://www.shout-africa.com
E-MAIL: news [at] shout-africa.com

According to the official site of the Iranian judiciary in Tehran,” Majid Jamali Fashi” was convicted of “Moharebeh” and “corruption on earth” for murdering the Iranian nuclear scientist “(Masoud) Ali Mohammadi” and espionage for Mosad (the Israeli intelligence). He was sentenced to death in September 2011.

Iranian state media on Sunday announced that the trials of 10 to 15 “convicts of collaboraion with Mosad (the Israeli intelligence service) took place in Tehran. According to these news “most” of those charged were sentenced to imprisonment. According to the Iranian opposition website Kalemeh the Iranian student Omid Kokabee was among those convicted for espionage on Sunday. Iran Human Rights has now confirmed that Omid Kokabee, the Iranian graduate student at the University of Texas, who was arrested by the Iranian authorities when he was visiting Iran, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail. According to the state run Mehr news agency the verdicts can be appealed within 20 days.

Iran Human Rights spokesperson condemned today’s execution and the heavy jail sentences issued on Sunday. He said: “We have many reports indicating that prisoners are subjected to torture and forced confessions”. He added: “Often the prisoners are sentenced based on the confessions they have made under torture”.

AUTHOR: Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam
URL: http://iranhr.net/
E-MAIL: amirymoghaddam [at] gmail.com

On Palestinian Prisoners Day - 17 April 2012 - families protested the detention of their relatives in Israeli jails. (Photo: Anne Paq - ActiveStills)

British-Danish security firm G4S has been severely criticized for its operations in the occupied Palestinian territories and in prisons and detention centers in Israel, including those housing children and “administrative detainees” held without charge or trial.

On 17 April Palestinian organizations called for action against G4S for its role in Israeli prisons where Palestinian political prisoners from the occupied territories are held in contravention of international law.

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in London published Michael Deas’s report on the call and invited G4S to respond. G4S submitted an update with old statements that does not address the criticism of the provision of services to prisons in Israel. Meanwhile, about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners bellow out their ill-treatment in a mass hunger strike.

Who Profits – a research project of the Coalition of Women for Peace – has provided the information on G4S activities in Israel for the rejoinder below, including its extensive G4S report of March 2011.

Business as usual with private enterprises in settlements

Who Profits confirms that G4S provides security equipment and personnel to shops, supermarkets and businesses in the illegal settlements of Modi’in Illit, Ma’ale Adumim and Har Adar in the West Bank and in settlement neighborhoods of occupied East Jerusalem. Through its merger with Israeli security firm Aminut, G4S has incorporated security services to businesses in Barkan Industrial Zone in the West Bank. The continuation of Aminut’s business operations was announced on the website of G4S Israel.

Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and the annexation of East Jerusalem are illegal under international law. Numerous UN resolutions and the 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel’s wall in the West Bank have confirmed that settlements violate Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention — which states that “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”

Establishing businesses in the settlements entrenches the illegal settlements and may also lead to their growth. G4S assists this process by providing security services to the businesses concerned. Moreover, its action is discriminatory as services provided to the settlements cannot be used by Palestinians. G4S’s remark that “a number of contracts with private enterprises [in the West Bank] were not discriminatory or controversial” is therefore completely amiss.

Assistance to Israeli checkpoints

G4S Israel mentions its “homeland security activities” in a presentation of November 2011 (in Hebrew). The services include providing scanners to checkpoints in the “seam zone” and to Erez checkpoint in Gaza. The seam zone is located in the occupied territories between the green line — the 1949 armistice line between Israel as it was established in 1948 and the West Bank — and the wall. Who Profits ascertained that the checkpoints of Qalandia, Bethlehem and Irtah are included. The project has filed a request in the framework of the Israeli Freedom of Information Act to find out the full extent of G4S Israel’s services to checkpoints.

The system of checkpoints connected to the wall is designed to limit and control the movement of Palestinians within the West Bank. As such, the checkpoints serve Israeli settlement policies. The ICJ ruled that “the construction of the wall and its associated regime, by contributing to the demographic changes mentioned […] above, contravene Article 49, paragraph 6, of the Fourth Geneva Convention.” The “associated regime” of the wall includes the checkpoints. One can argue that by providing and servicing security equipment for the checkpoints, G4S Israel is facilitating breaches of the Geneva Convention.

Close ties with the Israeli police

There are close ties between G4S Israel and the Israeli police. G4S Israel mentions on its website that it is the sole provider of electronic security systems to the Israeli police. In its November 2011 presentation, the company confirms that it still provides security services to the Israeli police department in the West Bank. In addition, G4S Israel mentions that it provides access control systems, metal detection gates, public announcement systems, burglary detection systems, fire detection systems and building inspection systems to police stations inside Israel.

The ties between G4S and the Israeli police became even closer when – last year – the Policity group won a 25-year contract to build, operate and maintain the new Israeli police training center in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh. G4S owns 50 percent of Policity and will be the operating contractor of the project.

G4S must be aware of the instrumental role that the Israeli police play in implementing the country’s discriminatory and repressive laws, for example in the demolition of Palestinian property, the forcible eviction of Palestinians from their homes, the repression of protests against Israeli policies, the violent blocking of Palestinians from prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the shutting down of Palestinian media. By providing services to the Israeli police, G4S has sided with the force that tramples on basic human rights.

Assistance to the Israeli Prison Service

G4S Israel is deeply involved in Israeli prisons by providing security services to all jails run by the Israeli Prison Service, including the so-called “security prisons” inside Israel and in the West Bank. The Israeli authorities label Palestinian political prisoners as “security” prisoners and the prisons where they are held are therefore called “security prisons.”

For example, G4S installed the peripheral defense systems on the walls surrounding Ofer “security” prison in the occupied territories and it operates a central control room for the entire Ofer compound which houses a military court. G4S equipped Ketziot and Megiddo “security” prisons in Israel with their entire security systems. The G4S website clearly indicates that Ketziot prison holds “2,200 security prisoners.” The same source reveals that G4S provided the central control room for the entire security system in Megiddo “security” prison where over “1,200 security prisoners” are held.

In addition, G4S provides security services to Damon “security” prison, to the detention and interrogation facilities of Abu Kabir in Jaffa, to the “Russian Compound” in Jerusalem and to “Al-Jalameh” (Kishon) detention center in Haifa. Human rights organizations have collected evidence showing that Palestinian prisoners are regularly subjected to torture and ill-treatment in these facilities. Cell 36 of Al Jalame prison is one the cells where Palestinian children are locked in solitary confinement for days or even weeks, wrote The Guardian in January.

Israel systematically denies Palestinian political prisoners their basic rights, including the right to a fair trial and to protection from arbitrary detention which are enshrined in international law. At present, Israel holds over 300 Palestinians – including 27 lawmakers – in arbitrary detention, which is also known as administrative detention.

In addition, Israel is not allowed to transfer Palestinian prisoners from the occupied territories to prisons in Israel, because Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits this. Thousands of Palestinian prisoners are thus unlawfully held in prisons in Israel. By delivering essential security services to prisons in Israel, G4S is assisting Israel in these violations of international law.

In its response to Deas’s report, G4S keeps silent about its services to the Israeli Prison Service. It is obvious that the company has no intention to exit these contracts.

Legal advice to G4S criticized

Following fierce criticism of G4S involvement in the Israeli occupation, the company engaged Professor Hjalte Rasmussen to review its business in the West Bank and to provide a legal opinion. During a three-day trip to Israel and the West Bank, Rasmussen visited a number of banks and supermarkets in East Jerusalem, and a shopping mall in the settlement of Maale Adumim. He also collected information from G4S in London and Israel. Rasmussen did not visit Israeli prisons.

At the time, Dan Church Aid and Amnesty International Denmark expressed their discontent about the poor quality of Rasmussen’s report; the former described it as “shameful” because it contains so many errors. The Secretary General of Amnesty International Denmark, Lars Normann Jorgensen, said that “a case as serious as this one requires more thorough observations in the areas concerned than Hjalte Rasmussen has done.”

Nonetheless, G4S writes to Business & Human Rights that Rasmussen concluded that “G4S did not violate any national or international law.” Given its weaknesses, G4S would be ill-advised to rely solely on Rasmussen’s opinion in concluding that their activities do not violate international law.

Contractual obligations no justification for continued complicity in the occupation

However, G4S concluded that it “would aim to exit a number of contracts which involved the servicing of security equipment at the barrier checkpoints, a prison and a police station in the West Bank,” explicitly excluding the provision of services to private enterprises in the settlements. In addition, G4S shows no intention of terminating its services to prisons in Israel. As long as G4S is in any way involved in the detention of Palestinian political prisoners in Israel or the West Bank, it is not moving in the right direction.

Moreover, exiting the contracts concerning the checkpoints, a prison and a police station in the West Bank might take until 2015. The company decided that it needs the permission of its clients – who are engaged in implementing the occupation and repression – to exit the contracts before the expiry date. Contractual obligations to Israeli state organizations cannot justify the company’s continued complicity in the occupation.

G4S should therefore remain a target of the international boycott, divestment and sanctions movement as long as it continues to deliver services to the Israeli police, the Ministry of Defense, the Israeli Prison Service, the Israeli army, and the settlement businesses of any other client, since they are all key activities in the oppression of the Palestinian people.

First published at.

AUTHOR: Adri Nieuwhof
URL: http://www.samora.org
E-MAIL: a.nieuwhof [at] samora.org

The role of a mother is one of the most demanding roles a woman may ever have to undergo. From the moment her child is conceived a mother takes on the burden of life as now she is entailed with a job to ensure that their child is financially provided for, remains happy, safe and healthy for the rest of their life. The burden of motherhood is for many mothers in developing countries is more than any mother should have to bare.

For many mothers the greatest sorrow is that of losing a child before they have a chance to grow and prosper into adulthood.  Many mothers are forced to watch helplessly as their children go hungry.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition is the largest contributor to global child mortality. It is the cause of one-third of child deaths, which amounts to some 15 million children dying of hunger each year. According to UNICEF, 21,000 children die every day.

Mothers not only struggle to see their child is nourished, but also fight to give their children basic healthcare.  One in five children does not have access to vaccines that prevent deadly diseases, like measles, pneumonia or diarrhea. Nonetheless some 2.5 million children, under the age of 5, die every year as the result of preventable infectious diseases…Some 8 million children will die this year before they are 5 years old, that’s almost 21,000 children each day.  More than 80 percent of these deaths could have easily been prevented.

Other mothers needlessly give the ultimate sacrifice with their own lives, for every 90 seconds around the world a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. That’s 1,000 girls and women a day, more than half a million women every year.  Additionally, for every woman who dies, 20 or more experience serious complications, and 1 million babies are stillborn each year because their mothers could not access the proper medical care.  And yet experts say more than 80 percent of these deaths could have easily been prevented.

While significant progress has been made for the improvement of the lives of mothers, millions of women and young girls continue to be denied the right to equal and fair access to education and healthcare. As mothers continue to face some of the biggest inequalities across the globe, especially in obtaining access to social services, and the right to own land and other sustainable assets; not only are mothers unable to reach their full potential, their children often pay the ultimate sacrifice.

The role of the mother is vital to ensuring a peaceful and prosperous global community. Celebrate mothers today and everyday…empower them; they will lead us towards a better tomorrow!  Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms fighting for a better world for everyone!

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clifford
URL: www.bridgetofreedomfoundation.org and http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: Cassandra [at] btff.org

1. Health workers escalate protests, strikes called by the COB

1. Health workers escalate protests, strikes called by the COB

2. May Day nationalisation of electricity network

3. Indigenous march to La Paz begins

4. Summit of the Americas ends without agreement

AUTHOR: Bolivia Information Forum
URL: http://www.boliviainfoforum.org.uk/
E-MAIL: enquiries [at] boliviainfoforum.org.uk

Mr. Apollos Nwafor, WaterAid Team Leader in Liberia and Sierra Leone spoke last Thursday at the close of a 3-day Programme Planning Meeting in Monrovia.

“We are going to increase our support both technical and financial to ensure that more people have access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene services” said Mr. Nwafor.

He also assured that WaterAid will ensure that the poverty reduction strategy papers don’t remain on the shelves, but that results are seen, especially in the lives of the ordinary citizens.

About 13 Civil Society Organizations from Sierra Leone and Liberia convened from May 1-3, 2012 at the Corina Hotel in Monrovia to produce a 2-year new Action Plan for access to safe drinking Water, improved Sanitation and Hygiene in both countries.

“It was successful. We met with our partners and members of the government technical team and we were able to agree on priorities for the communities, districts and counties we will reach with safe drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene services for this year” said the WaterAid Boss.

According to him, the session also agreed on accountability, mutual respect, and rights for women and children who suffered most from the lack of access to WASH as the sector’s key values to guide its partnership.

He said they further agreed for WaterAid to adequately fund its partners and required said partners to provide periodic comprehensive reports on time because their success stories would be shared with the government.

“We will come up with case studies that can inform policy changes with government and also come up with programs results that would help improve government responses to the need of the poor and excluded people in both countries” averred Mr. Nwafor.

He said WaterAid wants its partners to ensure that Communities, Districts, and Counties have their management structures and pump technicians trained to ensure that communities are open defecation freed and that women and children are saved from sanitation and water related diseases, and that most girls are able to go to school and that children don’t die before their 5th birthday.

According to him there will be construction of water facilities, community management structure setup, policies reviewed and policies engagement with the civil society network as well as working on the ‘Water For All’ partnership to ensure increase sector financing for water and sanitation.

“WaterAid will provide safe water and latrines in the communities, there will be institutional latrines for schools and not for household or family because the communities would collectively also get theirs instead .We are now moving into the communities. One key innovation is that we are taking up water and sanitation for all partnership as the key issue” Mr. Nwafor further averred.

Mr. Nwafor also noted that there will be engagements with the Liberian National Legislature to ensure Legislative support for water and sanitation, especially for poor people who lack access to safe water and improved sanitation services.

According to him, this year’s engagement with Legislators is to further strengthen of Legislative capacity to deliver on water and sanitation services.

“Yes, yes, Governments are highly cooperating and in fact WaterAid is working with the Ministries of Public Works and Health & Social Welfare as we as serving on the National Committee on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) promotion in both Liberia and Sierra Leone” said Mr. Nwafor

He pledged to support the Liberian government in developing its management information system under the Public Works Ministry to monitor the WASH Sector, adding “We will also support the campaign awareness and the productions of maps as a results of the water point mapping to ensure that there is success for poor people to receive safe water and improved sanitation services”.

The Planning Meeting further developed a joint monitoring plan including Partners Plans of actions (PPAs) and a Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) between WaterAid and partners.

According to a dispatch from the WASH Reporters & Editors Network of Liberia, the 3-day Meeting commenced on Tuesday morning (May 1, 2012) at the Corina Hotel in Sinkor, Monrovia and was sponsored and facilitated by WaterAid Liberia and Sierra Leone an international NGO championing the improvement of the WASH sector.

In his welcome remarks during the opening ceremony, WaterAid’s Team Leader for Liberia and Sierra Leone, Mr. Apollos Nwafor lauded both the CSOs and governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone for their continuous cooperation to improve the WASH sector.

He said improvement in the sector would save millions of lives, money and precious time and at the same time minimize poverty and illiteracy if everyone gets involved.

According to him, lack of access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene could deny parents and students going about their regular business like going to school or work on time or best still bring about pandemic in their community.

Mr. Nwafor said the Meeting will help keep CSOs and governments focused on how to demonstrate their commitments in deeds for the betterment of people in both countries.

The WaterAid Boss clarified that although none of his partners has performed poorly last year, he would certificate partners who come up with innovative results that make impact on the lives of the people

According to the WASH R&E dispatch, UNICEF and Public Works Minister Samuel Kofi Woods could not grace the occasion due to other engagements.

At day-one session, participants reviewed last year plan of action and also examined the emerging challenges from the annual report.

They also made presentations of their individual Most Successful Challenging stories for 2011 while the WaterAid Boss expounded on his Organization’s partnership approach and procedures.

At day-two session, WaterAid’s Programme Officer for Liberia and Sierra Leone, Chuchu Selmah made presentation of WaterAid’s 2012 and 2013 Mid-year Planning Budget followed by the over 13 CSO WASH organizations making presentations of individual plans for 2012/2013.

The organizations include WASH Reporters & Editors Network of Liberia, Liberia NGOs Networks, WASH CSOs Network-Liberia, HELP-Sierra Leone, CODES, Jejunum District Council, ERS, and MOPADA.

Others were WSD, Youth-Development Group, WASH Net-SL, New Era, Kenema District Council, among others. They discussed on plans and budgetary alignments while the working session reviewed key activities and budgets.

AUTHOR: Shout Africa
URL: http://www.shout-africa.com
E-MAIL: news [at] shout-africa.com

Thousands of volunteer advocates, celebrities, medical experts and some of the country’s most influential voices joined together recently with the United Nations Foundation in launching Shot@Life campaign, a first-of-its kind campaign to build awareness, raise funds and advocate for the millions of children around the world who do not have access to life-saving vaccines.

“More than 100,000 people, including world-renowned photographer Anne Geddes and some of the most influential online moms, are activating their networks across the U.S. and around the world to take action to save and improve the lives of children. From Los Angeles to New York and Seattle to Miami, thousands of Americans are rallying to get life-saving vaccines to children in developing countries who need them most. Their time, their voices, and the money they are raising sends a powerful message that Americans understand the value of vaccines and are ready to rally on behalf of millions of moms and their children worldwide.” - Devi Ramachandran Thomas, director of the Shot@Life campaign.

The campaign aims to reduce child deaths from diseases such as diarrhea, measles, pneumonia and polio, by encouraging Americans to learn about, advocate for, and donate vaccines.  The campaign was established as national call to action to rally the general public, members of Congress, and civil society partners to work together and save a child’s life, one every 20 seconds, just by expanding access to vaccines.  The Shot@Life campaign and it’s supporters seek to raise $20,000 by Mother’s Day to help the United Nations provide immunizations to 1,000 children under the age of 5 years-old.

The idea of saving a life is always important and the thought of letting someone…a child…die from something that is so easily preventable is shocking enough.  However but the issue of vaccinations is greater than they even appear on the surface.  Vaccinations are a human right and they vital to our global development and security.  The failure to vaccinate children in developing countries creates ripple effect that pulls at more than our heart strings in developed nations.  By vaccinating children across the globe the rate of child disease and mortality will decline, leading to lower birth rates and lower medical costs to treat illnesses that create debt and deplete family resources.  All of this will then  see that children more likely to attend school regularly and finish, while will allow more mothers to work, thus increasing family incomes that then allow the entire community to prosper.  These effects then aid to the decrease in civil conflicts, which are caused by the desperation of poverty, which then will lead to more sustainable and peaceful individual communities, which then ripple to the rest of the country and across the globe.  Therefore giving a child a ‘shot at life’, gives us all a shot at a better life.

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clifford
URL: www.bridgetofreedomfoundation.org and http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: Cassandra [at] btff.org