Marianist NGO Report: 15 May 2005 - International Day of the Family

Violence Against Children Study
The Study is a UN-led collaboration, mandated by the General Assembly (UN GA Resolution 57/190), to draw together existing research and relevant information about the forms, causes and impact of violence which affects children and young people (up to the age of 18 years). A major report will be published in 2006 and recommendations presented to the UN General Assembly.

2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
This conference is currently being held from 2 to 27 May 2005 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. NGOs are participating in numerous side-events. One such event the Marianist NGO representative recently attended featured an interesting "alternative" treaty initiative hoping to reduce military spending and transferring those resources into human development. It is called the "Global Wellness Fund Treaty." Some of the current sponsors of the treaty are:

  • Board of National Ministries, American Baptist Churches, USA
  • Bread for the World
  • Episcopal Peace Fellowship
  • Fellowship of Reconciliation, USA
  • Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space
  • Interfaith Fellowship for Peace and Development, Sri Lanka
  • Muslim Peace Fellowship
  • PAX 2100
  • Pax Christi USA
  • Peace Action

You can find out more and download the text of the treaty at http://www.globalwellnesstreaty.org

Resources for the Study of Arab and Islamic Culture
In the current atmosphere of distrust of those different from "us", (often approaching xenophobia), perhaps some of our Marianist schools or parishes may wish to avail themselves of these materials or the offer for a free workshop. "Let us conduct a staff development program for your school or district. Go to http://www.awaironline.org/workshop.htm for details on how this full-day's program can come to you FREE - grants cover ALL the expenses!"

Millennium Ecological Assessment Report
"Media reports about the findings of a massive new United Nations-sponsored study have been decidedly grim, but buried beneath the avalanche of bad news is a message of hope. Four years in the making, the project was given the tongue-twisting name Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and it brought together nearly 1,400 experts from 95 countries. Their goal was to conduct a global inventory of the state of our ecosystems, quantify the effect that human activities are having on them and make suggestions for the future."

Kenya CSOs get together in Pushing for Education to End Poverty
"As the Global Week of Action on Education gets underway, civil society organizations (CSOs) in Kenya have got together and drawn up an action-packed campaign program whose theme is "Educate to End Poverty". The campaign runs from April 25 to 29 and is focusing on poverty as the major impediment to achieving Education For All (EFA), which is one of the major components of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"We Don't Do Childhood Poverty - We Do Large Roads!" (April 2005)
This Save the Children Europe report examines the European Union's efforts to realize the UN Millennium Development Goals with regard to childhood poverty. According to the report, the EU has so far largely failed to focus on children's issues despite the fact that over 600 million children - an estimated one in four - live in absolute poverty worldwide. The report recommends the EU adopt a more coherent strategy to address children's rights, bring children to the forefront of its development agenda and increase its foreign aid spending.

US Rejects Call to Adopt UN Reforms as Package (April 8, 2005)
In response to Kofi Annan's UN reform proposals, the US has praised the security initiative against the spread of weapons of mass destruction, expressed support for a smaller human rights council and even said it welcomed reform of the Security Council (with conditions). However, the US has rejected Annan's key plan to adopt all recommendations as a "comprehensive package," because it opposes such reform ideas as increasing development assistance and canceling third world debt. This position "will come as a blow to UN strategists" as will Washington's dismissal of any "artificial deadlines" for reform consensus. (Financial Times)