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Network Newsletter  Rights and Democracy Network Number 19 March 27, 2008 Newsletter Sections |
The experiences of refugees and displaced people to be theme of the Network’s 5th anniversary National Event
The Rights & Democracy Network will be celebrating its 5th anniversary this year with a very special National Event. To be held this year from May 1 to 4, 2008 in
The event will begin with a gala event at the Studio Juste pour rire in downtown
Delegates to the National Event will participate in the 24 hour refugee camp experience, living the unexpected and difficult conditions that refugees face in daily life.
During the rest of the event, delegates will come together to share their experiences of organizing projects on their campuses, as well as to learn more about the Network, and the many ways of promoting human rights and democracy.
To find out more about the event, contact Elana Wright at ewright@dd-rd.ca.
contact Elana Wright at ewright@dd-rd.ca.
Regional Events bring Network members together in Winnipeg and Toronto
In February and March, delegates from across the Network’s Western and Central Regions came together for their respective Regional Events in
In
In
Both events offered delegates a chance to learn about each other projects, discuss issues, and develop friendships. Congratulations to the Glendon and Winnipeg Delegations for very memorable events!
For more info and pictures from the Western event, the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5654648892.
For more info and pictures from the
Ontario and Quebec Delegations welcomed Nepali youth activist Robin Sitoula
During International Development Week this February, Rights & Democracy Delegations, WUSC local committees and other partners in the 8 Goals Campaign at McGill, Bishop’s, U of Toronto, Glendon College, Carleton, Ottawa U. and Lakehead welcomed Robin Sitoula, a Nepali young activist who co-founded a youth-led, youth-driven organization called Youth Initiative, to speak about what Youth Initiative has done to work towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Nepal. Youth Initiative promotes youth empowerment and youth participation in Nepali politics and communities across the country, from the capital to small Himalayan villages.
See a video interview with Robin Sitoula: www.8goals.ca.
To learn more about Youth Initiative in Nepal, visit: www.youthinitiative.org.np
UVic Delegation presents fair trade film screenings
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A series of hard-hitting and thought-provoking documentaries on human rights have been presented this winter by the University of Victoria Delegation. Films have included Life and Debt – a film by Stephanie Black on the effects of free trade on developing countries like Jamaica, and Oscar-winning documentary Born into Brothels , a portrait of several unforgettable children of sex workers who live in the red light district of Calcutta. This film series has offered opportunities for members to learn more about and then discuss current human rights issues.
The Université Laval Delegation explores the maze of refugee life
After their courageous winter trek from Quebec City to Gaspé on $2 a day, the Université Laval Delegation is organizing another On the Refugee Trail project (Sur la piste des réfugiés), to be held on campus April 4 and 5, at the Pavillon Desjardins.
The Delegation has invited high school students and the community to explore a labyrinth and learn about the maze that refugees have to successfully pass through when seeking refuge. Discussions, testimonies and workshops will also allow broader awareness raising on the many challenges faced by refugees and displaced people.
For more information, visit http://www.surlapistedesrefugies.net/2008/ulaval/ (in French)
University of Saskatchewan Delegation to explore relationships between Canadians and Afghans
The
For more information abou the event, visit the U of Saskatchewan Delegation website at: http://www.dd-rd.net/usask.
For more information about Rights & Democracy's work in Afghanistan, visit: http://rightsanddemocracyaf.org/.
Mount Allison Delegation hosts a Community Literacy Festival
The Mount Allison Delegation of the Rights and Democracy Network hosted a Community Literacy Festival from February 11 to 15, 2008, which was organized to aid the work of the Donkoi Children’s Development Centre in Laos by awakening the Sackville public to the plight of elementary school-age children in developing countries. In a workshop presented by world-renowned New York storyteller Laura Simms, participants created children’s story books to be shipped to Laos and used in literacy education at the Centre. All contributions and proceeds from the event will also be donated.
Says Mount Allison student and event organizer Charlotte Gleave-Riemann, “Most children in Laos have never owned a book. Until recently, there weren’t any to be had. So, before libraries can be built, books need to be created. The centres are doing their best with minimal supplies, but any contribution, material or financial, is welcomed with grins!”
The Festival also included a film screening, community discussions and presentations on literacy in Sackville and abroad with Cynthia Adams, head of the Tantramar Adult Learning Centre and Laubach Literacy, and a presentation by Sophie Rondeau, Coordinator of the Rights and Democracy Network on basic education and human rights in a global context.
Partners in the event included Leadership Mount Allison, Student Life and Student Affairs, The Purdy Crawford Teaching Centre, STRUTS Gallery, and the Bridge Street Café.
Network members around the world
Read Stories from the Field by Network members including Kate Press (Carleton) in Sierra Leone, Ayesha Harji (Dalhousie) cycling across Africa, John Wires (Glendon College, York University) in El Salvador, Angelique Myles (Memorial University) in China and Kevin Freedman (University of Winnipeg) in West Papua:
http://www.dd-rd.net/cms/site/en/storiesfromthefield.
Do you have an experience overseas to share? Submit your Story from the Field to network@dd-rd.ca.
Rights & Democracy calls for restraint and dialogue in Tibet
Montreal, March 19, 2008 – Rights & Democracy today called on the People’s Republic of China to exercise restraint in its response to ongoing protests in Tibet and neighbouring provinces.
Employing violence to control the situation will only enflame the legitimate grievances that led Tibetans to the streets and result in further unrest down the road. China’s only hope for true and lasting peace in the region is to engage the Tibetan leadership in an open dialogue based on respect for free expression, freedom of association, freedom of religion and self-determination.
“China’s government has made numerous promises on human rights in these months leading up to the Beijing Olympics and they are being put to the test on the streets of Lhasa,” said Jean-Paul Hubert, Interim President of Rights & Democracy. “This is an important opportunity for China to show that it has turned a corner in terms of respecting international human rights commitments.”
To read more: http://www.dd-rd.ca/site/media/index.php?id=2238&subsection=news
Violence and intimidation threaten to undermine Nepalese polls – UN report
22 March 2008 – Nepal's political parties should stop intimidating voters during the campaign for next month's elections for a Constituent Assembly, the United Nations said today in a new report which warns that an upsurge of killings and acts of violence in the Terai region and daily clashes between party supporters are threatening to undermine the historic polls.
The joint report of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – the first in a series ahead of the 10 April vote – urges armed groups to pursue dialogue with their political opponents and to refrain from violence, intimidation and other activities against the election process.
“All political parties should publicly and unequivocally recommit themselves to abide by the outcome of the election,” the report said in one of its seven recommendations.
To read more: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26063&Cr=Nepal&Cr1=Election.
World Health Day: April 7, 2008
Protecting health from climate change
Photo: (OMS Benoist Matsha-Carpentier) Displaced people from Sudan's Darfur collect water in the Gassire camp in Eastern Chad. Lower precipitation due to climate change causes water scarcity and reduced food production, increasing the risk of displacement and conflict, as in Darfur.
World Health Day, on 7 April, marks the founding of the World Health Organization and is an opportunity to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. In 2008, World Health Day focuses on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change.
The theme “protecting health from climate change” puts health at the centre of the global dialogue about climate change. WHO selected this theme in recognition that climate change is posing ever growing threats to global public health security.
Through increased collaboration, the global community will be better prepared to cope with climate-related health challenges worldwide. Examples of such collaborative actions are: strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases, ensuring safer use of diminishing water supplies, and coordinating health action in emergencies. For more information, visit: http://www.who.int/world-health-day/en/.
The Network’s on-line forum announces job and internship opportunities in Canada and around the world. To access the forum, you must be a member of the Rights & Democracy Network. Become a member by signing up here: http://www.dd-rd.net/members/
If you are already a member, visit the Forum’s jobs and internships section by clicking here: http://www.droitsdemocratie.net/network-forum/index.php?login_lang=en
Network News is a newsletter published by the Rights & Democracy Network.
The Network Team:
Coordinator: Sophie Rondeau
Liaison Officer: Elana Wright
Administrative Assistant: Diane Migneault
Webmaster: Sylvain Aubé
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Available issues :
Issue 31 (June 1st, 2010)
Issue 30 (March 16, 2010)
Issue 29 (November 9,2009)
Issue 28 (September 25, 2009)
Issue 27 (July 28, 2009)
Issue 26 (March 27, 2009)
Issue 25 (January 29, 2009)
Issue 24 (December 9, 2008)
Issue 23 (October 29, 2008)
Issue 22 (August 27, 2008)
Issue 21 (July 23, 2008)
Issue 20 (April 24, 2008)
Issue 19 (March 27, 2008)
Issue 18 (January 24, 2008)
Issue 17 (December 20, 2007)
Issue 16 (November 27, 2007)
Issue 15 (November 6, 2007)
Issue 14 (October 18, 2007)
Issue 13 (September 25, 2007)
Issue 12 (September 11, 2007)
Issue 11 (Summer 2007)
Issue 10 (April 13, 2007)
Issue 9 (November 2006)
Issue 8 (August 2006)
Issue 7 (May 4, 2006)
Issue 6 (April 12, 2006)
Issue 5 (March 21, 2006)
Issue 4 (March 1, 2006)
Issue 3 (February 16, 2006)
Issue 2 (January 31, 2006)
Issue 1 (January 17, 2006)
