ARTISTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Invite you to an evening of protest by Arundhati Roy, Ashok Vajpayee, Danish & Mehmood, Gauhar Raza, K.Satchidanand, Manu Kohli, Nageen Tanveer, Rahul Ram, Vishnu Nagar and many other artists, poets, writers and cultural workers demanding the release of Dr Binayak Sen and other political prisoners. May 2008 marks the first anniversary of the arrest of well-known health and human rights activists Dr Sen by the Chhattisgarh government.

Date: May 14, 2008, 6pm onwards

Venue: Rabindra Bhawan Lawns (Opposite Mandi House),
Copernicus Marg,  New Delhi

Contact: satyasagar@gmail.com
Committee for the Release of Dr Binayak Sen New Delhi

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 POPULATION FIRST

Invite you to the UNFPA-Laadli National Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2007

Date: May 15, 2008, 6.30 pm

Venue: Golden Jubilee Hall, FICCI Auditorium Tansen Marg, Janpath New Delhi

Programme:

  • 'Sita's Daughters', by Mallika Sarabhai;
  • 'Bitter Chocolate', by Lushin Dubey
Chief Guest: Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit; Special Guest: Lara Dutta, Goodwill Ambassador, United Nations Population Fund

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 Centre for Science & Environment

Invites you to a two-day media briefing workshop in New Delhi to discuss, debate and understand the issues and the solutions thereof (such as the BRT system currently under trial in Delhi).

Date: May 29-30, 2008
Venue: CSE Office, Core 6 A, Fourth Floor
India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

Most cities in India are stuck in a logjam: growing traffic congestion and air pollution generated by vehicles have become vexed and critical problems. They have grim environmental repercussions that set off staggering health and economic fall-outs, affecting tens of millions of people. Your city, in all probability, is not an exception.

Key experts will explain and demystify the science and subject of air pollution and congestion. Be it fuel quality or adulteration; pollutants, respirable suspended particulate matter or toxic emissions; maintenance of in-use vehicles, vehicular technology or transportation policy; and the critical importance of public transport. The workshop is expected to encourage greater understanding and clearer reportage by getting behind the realpolitik.

Eligibility requirements and registration procedure: The workshop is open to active journalists from India. To register, just send us an e-mail or a fax, along with a copy of your CV, by May 15. The Workshop offers limited seats; please register immediately. We have the resources to support the travel and lodging of a few outstation candidates on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration requests must be sent to:
Souparno Banerjee
Coordinator, CSE Media Resource Centre
Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area
New Delhi 110 062
Ph: 099108 64339, (11) 2995 5124, 2995 5125, 2995 6394, 2995 6401
Fax: (11) 2995 5879; E-mail: souparno@cseindia.org
Website: www.cseindia.org

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 VOICES of Youth

Will hold a National Youth Convention in Bangalore in partnership with UNICEF and other youth organizations in India from May 28th to 30th in Bangalore. The purpose of this convention is to create a Platform to Voice of Youth to fight against HIV and AIDS along with take up issues that affecting young people in the country. The programme is being organized in association with organizations such as ICYO (Indian Committee of Youth Organizations), New Delhi, CARDTS, Bangalore, CYDA Pune and other youth organizations and networks from different parts of India.

Date: 28-30th May 2008

The participants have to reach Bangalore on 27th May while the departure is May 31, 2008. Youth groups/organizations from India can nominate the 3-4 youth between 18 to 24 years to join this programme. The organizers will take care of the logistics, food, accommodation and expenses of transportation from Bangalore Railway Station to the programme venue and back to the railway station. There is no financial support available for travel expenses to and from Bangalore and should be borne by participating organizations.

Interested organizations have to send the details of names, age, oganizations and contact information to youth4changeindia@gmail.com

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 Development Alternatives

A non-profit organization established in 1983 creating large scale sustainable livelihoods is holding a Capacity Building Series (2008-09) on Communication & Presentation Skills

Date: May 27th -29th, 2008

The proposed 3-day training programme on presentation and communication skills will start you on the path of becoming a better communicator and presenter. Participants will build up their self confidence during the workshop. They will also learn to plan, structure and deliver their first presentation in front of an audience.

The workshop will be fully participatory with exercises, small group works and presentations. It is designed for Development Professionals from NGOs, academic institutions, CSR Professionals, officers from Central and State Governments and International development organizations.

It will be held in TARAgram, Appropriate Technology Centre, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh. TARAgram is a campus set in the rural environment of Orchha. It is a centre which showcases the livelihood models developed by DA in the field of appropriate technology, and environment. There will also be an evening out to visit the Orchha temples and fort.

Fee: INR 10,000 per participant for Indian participants; INR 18,000 (450 USD) for overseas participants.

For further details: Training Coordinator
Development Alternatives
1087, Civil Lines
Jhansi-284001(UP)
Telephone: Juhi Nigam: + 91 510 2911 368, +91 983 9820 689
E-mail: trainings@devalt.org

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 Wada Na Todo Abhiyan

Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh told a visiting delegation of campaigners from 'Wada Na Todo Abhiyan', a nation-wide coalition of over 3,000 NGOs and networks, which is acting as a watchdog to ensure that the government keeps its promises, that the Right to Education Bill will definitely be tabled in the Monsoon session of Parliament.

For further information contact:
Pasang D Lepcha 9810745404 or Aditi Kapoor at 9810306200 Email:AKapoor@Oxfam.org.uk

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 Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group

Informs you of the upcoming 'Sixth Annual Winter Course on Forced Migration' organised by Calcutta Research Group, certified by the UNHCR and supported by the Government of Finland and the Brookings Institution. Developed through last few years as a programme on human rights and peace education, the course has gained recognition in the region of South Asia as one of the most well known educational programmes on issues of rights and justice relating to the victims of forced migration. The winter course is aimed at scholars and educationists working on issues of rights and justice, functionaries of humanitarian organisations, national human rights institutions, peace studies scholars and activists, and minority groups, refugee communities, and women's rights activists. The course includes a 15-day orientation course on Forced Migration to be held in Kolkata, India (1-15 December 2008) and will be preceded by a two and a half month long programme of distance education.

For more details: Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group
GC 45 Sector III First Floor
Salt Lake , Kolkata -700106
Telephone: 23370408
Fax No : 23371523
Website:www.mcrg.ac.in
Contact person: Ranabir Samaddar, director

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 SAFHR

Invites applications for the Seventh South Asian Orientation Course in Human Rights and Peace Studies. The last date for receiving applications is 31 May 2008.

The course will have a three months long distance learning beginning between July 1, 2008 and September 30, 2008; and, a two-week long Direct Orientation in November 2008 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The distance-learning will be conducted on SAFHR's secure e-learning platform. Participants will also receive the course material on CDs. However, familiarity with e-learning skills and proficiency in the English language are essential.

For further information on the course structure, content and methodologies and to read the fifth course report, go to the website: www.safhr.org

Those sending the applications by post or courier should do so to the SAFHR at the following address:
Som Prasad Niroula
South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR)
3/23 Shree Durbar Tole, Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur
G.P.O. Box; 12855, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 00977 1 5541026 Fax: 00977 1 5527852
E-mail: peacestudies@safhr.org
Website: www.safhr.org

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 SANGAT

Invites nominations for the 13th Feminist Capacity Building Course on Gender, Sustainable Livelihoods, Human Rights and Peace. Women activists, gender trainers, NGO workers, researchers, media workers, lawyers and other professionals are eligible to participate in the course.

Date: From August 11th to September 7th, 2008

Venue: A quiet and attractive place in Nepal.

To apply for this course please send Sangat:

  1. Detailed CV of the applicant;
  2. Write up of 800 - 1000 words on why the applicant would like to attend this course;
  3. Complete application form;
  4. If the applicant is not able to pay, an application for fellowship.

The applications should reach Sangat by May 31, 2008.
Contact Benu Verma: sangat@sangatsouthasia.org

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 UNDP

The survivors of Cyclone Nargis, in which at least 22,980 people were killed and more than 42,000 are still missing, according to state authorities, need urgent aid and care.The effect of the Cyclone has been particularly devastating in the Delta, where entire villages have been flattened and the highest number of casualties is recorded. Whilst UNDP is not a relief Agency, it is the only UN Agency located in the region, which is home to seven million people.

UNDP has sent rotating teams of national staff to work with and relieve its field staff in four of the affected townships: Bogalay, Mawlamyinegyun, Labutta and Kyaiklat, where its Microfinance and Integrated Community Development Projects (ICDP) operate. The teams are making assessments of the disaster, delivering small relief items and providing support to the populations UNDP serves.

In terms of relief items, the UN Country Team in Myanmar considers critical needs to be plastic sheeting, water purification tablets, cooking sets, mosquito nets, emergency health kits and food.

Humanitarian partners are working together to collect information about the scale of the destruction and the UN Disaster Management Team and the Inter Agency Steering Committee have established a system of nine key "clusters' of the humanitarian response. UNDP is leading the Early Recovery cluster, a complex area that is critical in linking immediate responses to disasters with medium and long-term recovery efforts.

Further Information:
All UN and UN Agency updates can be found by visiting http://yangon.unic.org
For UN system media queries:
Aye Win; Telephone: +95 1 546 933 or +95 9 5123952;
Email: Aye.win@undp.org
For UNDP media enquiries: Ms. Jennifer Watson or Mr. Alex Credo (Nyi Nyi Aung); Telephone: +95 1 542910 or +95 1 542917 (ext. 107)
Email: Jennifer.watson@undp.org or nyi.nyi.aung@undp.org

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