| December 2009: The monthly newsletter detailing Non-Governmental Organization events at the United Nations |
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Greetings Augustinian Community, Augustinians Represented at 62nd Annual DPI/NGO Conference From September 9-11, the OSA NGO was represented at the annual DPI-NGO conference in Mexico City. The theme of the conference was “Disarmament Now.” Friars in attendance came from Rome, Italy, Columbia, Canada, Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Malta, Peru, and the United States. The presentations, which were held in different locations in Central Mexico City, included: Women, Disarmament and Control of Arms in an era of Global Economic Crisis; The impact of Armed Violence on Vulnerable Peoples; A new model for Peace and Disarmament; and Youth and a World Without War. A resolution was passed by the attendees that supported the efforts of the United Nations to move the First World Powers toward the elimination of all nuclear weapons as soon as possible in the name of humanity. Evaluations of the Augustinian course were submitted by the attendees, most of which were returned with satisfied reviews. A number of constructed suggestions were presented as to how to improve the course for future gatherings. Featured UN Event: Giving Voice to the Victims and Survivors of Human Trafficking. The problem of human trafficking continues to mar civil societies throughout the world, including within the United States. As more survivors and victims begin to surface and tell their incredible stories, the shocking prevalence of human trafficking worldwide is beginning to be revealed. The problem is so important to a large breadth of human rights issues that the General and Curia have placed human trafficking at the forefront of our issue agenda. On October 22, 2009, the United Nations held a special event to give voice to real life victims of human trafficking from various parts of the world. The event was opened with a speech by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who called for broad based action against human trafficking, which should be considered both an issue of human rights and global security. The event featured four real life victims who shared their stories. Charlotte Awino is a Ugandan woman who, at the age of 14, was taken from her school and forced into sexual slavery for nearly a decade. Charlotte's plea to the Secretary General was to help the children who are being deprived of a chance at livelihood with great regularity throughout the world. Buddhi Gerung tried to come from Nepal to the United States, but along the way was kidnapped and forced into labor in Iraq. Gerung, with several others, was kept in Jordan for three months before being driven across the desert into Baghdad, where he was kept for 15 months in forced labor. Gerung called for greater punishment for those responsible. Kikki Cerpa was a 17 year old girl in Venezuela when a man she considered to be her boyfriend convinced her to go to New York with her. When she arrived, she was forced into a sex trafficking business run by the man's family. Her first night in New York, Kikki was forced to service 19 men. Kikki was kept there as a sex slave for three years, and her cries for help were often ignored by authorities. This happened in New York City. Rachel Lloyd faced similar responses from authorities when she was victimized by commercial sexual exploitation as a teen girl in Europe. Ms. Lloyd stresses the need to remember that trafficking goes on within our own borders. Human trafficking is an especially important issue for the Augustinian NGO to keep an eye on because of its inherent tie to one of our main focuses—human rights. A tremendous internet resource exists at www.humantrafficking.org. Here you can find information about trafficking as it exists all over the world, what is being done to combat the problem, and what we can do locally to help. Fall 2009 Briefings The fall calendar of the 2009 DPI-NGO briefing season will conclude on December 17, 2009. If you have not been receiving periodic summaries to these events, and would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact brian.roe@villanova.edu and request to be added. The recent schedule has been: --- 12 November - Global Action to Seal the Deal on a New Climate Change Agenda |
NEWS: 63rd Annual DPI/NGO Conference The 63rd Annual DPI/NGO Conference will be held in Melbourne, Australia in 2010. The Conference will be chaired by Dr. Mary E. Norton, Associate Dean and Professor, Global Academic Initiatives at Felician College in Lodi, NJ. More information will be released shortly by the Department of Public Information and provided in future newsletters. UN Calendar - December Events Dec 1 - World AIDS Day World AIDS Day On December 1, 2009, the UN and the NGO community observed World AIDS Day. World AIDS has been observed on the first of December since 1987. It is a day dedicated to promoting worldwide unity in the fight against HIV and AIDS. On December 3, DPI/NGO conducted a briefing entitled "Keep the Promise: Stop AIDS- Search for a Cure" dedicated to discussing the pandemic and where we currently stand. While great progress has been made in stemming the growth of new cases of AIDS, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, statistics still show that we are falling behind. One of the speakers at this briefing was a man named Michael Manganiello, HIV positive for almost 20 years. Michael spoke about how incredibly influential the NGO community has been in raising awareness about AIDS, but now, more than ever, we must "step up our game". It is important to continue educating the world (before 2000, roughly 20% of the population was considered "aware" of the AIDS epidemic. Today it is only about 40%) about what AIDS is and is not. It is especially important to educate young children, who have not necessarily seen the ravages of AIDS that the preceeding generation has. An incredible resource for information and initiatives can be found at the website of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, found here: www.unaids.org Announcements The following decisions were made by the General and Curia: 1. A full time member will be appointed to the O.S.A/NGO team. Additionally, a full-time Augustinian Volunteer will be requested for September 2010. 2. The Augustinian NGO will seek ECOSOC status. 3. An office will be sought near the United Nations, perhaps to be shared with another religious group. |