"Creo que vivir con dignidad es vivir con el disfrute de adecuados niveles de atención de la salud, vivienda, educación, agua potable e instalaciones sanitarias; seguridad; no sufrir discriminación; participar en decisiones que afectan a su vida; contar un recurso efectivo cuando se vulneran sus derechos, y creo que carecer del acceso a estos derechos es vivir en la pobreza"
Hace un par de semanas, en un lugar centrico de la Ciudad de México (simultánemante que en otras partes del mundo) se presentó la campaña mundial de Amnistía Internacional: "Exige Dignidad", al mismo tiempo que se presentó el informe de AI.
La campaña <> es un llamado al debate, reflexión, aportación y cambio de la pobreza y los derechos humanos en el mundo. Uno de los principales mensajes que se presenta en su página de difusión (www.exigedignidad.org) es que LA POBREZA ES LA MAYOR CRISIS DE DERECHOS HUMANOS DEL MUNDO.
SIn mencionar si quiera los estándares o porcentajes de pobreza en el mundo, supongo que a todos nos queda claro que efectivamente la pobreza trae consigo todo un desorden de respeto a los derechos humanos.
Podrá parecer poco, pero para mí, después de asistir a este evento y poder presenciar casos concretos de violaciones de derechos humanos en el mundo y en México, al ver este portal se desprenden muchas herramientas para llamar a la acción.
Visiten el sitio, sin duda vale la pena la reflexión y hay muchos medios para participar.
Comparto con ustedes un video de una exposición que tuve la oportunidad de hacer el año pasado en representación de la Asociación Vientos del Sur, titulada "Participación Juvenil y Nuevas Tecnologías".
En mi exposición abordo someramente conceptos y herramientas útiles para el trabajo de las ONGs juveniles.
Web 2.0, Ciberactivismo, los nativos digitales, el poder de los Blogs, los Wikis, las mal llamadas redes sociales, entre otros temas están incluidos en este resumen de menos de 10 minutos (la exposición original duró 30 minutos)
Gracias a Gastón por realizar la filmación y a Nacho por convertirla a formato digital.
A quienes les interese la relación entre participación, juventud e internet, los invito a leer un artículo que escribí el año pasado para un dossier sobre "juventud y TICs" para el Portal de Juventud de América Latina y el Caribe, clickeando acá
The United Nations Millennium Campaign Deputy Director for Africa and leading Pan-Africanist, Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, died in a road accident in the early hours on Monday this week. He was 48.
He was enroute to Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi to board a flight for Rwanda where he was scheduled to launch a maternal health campaign and meet with President Paul Kagame.
Recognized for his outspoken nature and strong leadership, the Nigerian-born Taju as he was popularly known, was adamant in his beliefs that Africa and its people were perfectly capable of solving their own problems. As a prolific writer and public debater, the Nigerian political scientist joined the United Nations Millennium Campaign in March 2006 as the Deputy Director for Africa. His most prominent role was to direct the Africa team in motivating people across the continent to become more proactive in engaging their leaders to deliver on the Millennium Development Goals.
“His most untimely and tragic death on Africa Liberation Day comes as a terrible shock,” said Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT. “He was a true son of Africa, a tireless campaigner and champion of Africa and Africans at home and around the world. May he rest in eternal peace. Our prayers are with him and his family.”
Africa Liberation Day on 25 May 1963, marks the occasion when the leaders of 32 independent African states met to form the Organization of African Unity. It is on this day that Africa and the rest of the world reflects upon the development and growth of the continent.
Prior to joining the United Nations Millennium Campaign, Dr. Tajudeen was the General Secretary of the Pan African Movement Secretariat in Kampala, Uganda and Co-Director of the London based human rights and peace organization, Justice AFRICA. He was also a freelance journalist and widely sought after commentator on African affairs in major global media and across Africa, including Radio France International, Al-Jazeera, the BBC and Voice of America. He is well known for his syndicated weekly column, “TAJUDEEN’S POSTCARD”, which was widely circulated online and published in a number of newspapers across Africa.
I think I’ve figured it out. There’s something in public health called the “prevention paradox”: measures of disease prevention that offer great benefits to populations at large (such as fluoridation of water sources, wearing seatbelts, lifestyle changes, smallpox vaccinations, etc) offer little benefit or personal incentive to individuals.
But research shows that health education geared toward individuals (counseling on reducing salt intake for hypertension, exercise for diabetes, etc) are less effective when geared only toward individuals and/or used in a short-term approach. People are motivated to act for immediate gain and substantial personal benefits, but “the medical motivation for health education is inherently weak. Their health next year is not likely to be much better if they accept our advice or if they reject it. Much more powerful as motivators for health education are the social rewards of enhanced self-esteem and social approval.” (Geoffrey Rose, Sick Individuals and Sick Populations.)
Physicians also prefer individualized health education because with population interventions (such as anti-smoking campaigns), their success rates are low and results take a long time to achieve.
The US is such an individual-centric society that people have no cultural reason to care about population health as a whole. Most Americans do not see that universal access to healthcare means that problems are detected and treated early (which is less costly), and that sometimes preventive medicine can encourage life-saving behavior change. That the person going into the ER for stomach pain because s/he does not have health insurance is costing the taxpayer literally thousands more dollars than s/he would if s/he’d gone to a primary care physician.
Nor do they understand the concept of herd immunity- if a large proportion of a population is immune to or vaccinated against a particular disease, the likelihood that one individual will get that disease is far less.
The focus on the individual and the apathy toward the well-being of communities and populations is by no means restricted to health alone. The same can be said about the current financial crisis. Individuals who borrowed more than they could pay back, and their unscrupulous lenders have created a global downward spiral of hundreds of economies, with the bottom billion hit the hardest.
I find it ironic and deeply saddening that 30 million more people have been pushed into starvation thus far due to the financial crisis while bankers are taking hefty bonuses and governments are bailing out businesses that were failing even before the crash (GM, Chrysler, etc…)
Hoy es dìa de la Tierra, y supongo que algunos se enteraràn porque al usar su buscador favorito (google), las imàgenes alusivas les haràn reflexionar por un segundo sobre dicho día.
Es cierto que vivimos en un mundo lleno de días conmemorativos, pero la Tierra no necesita solo un dia para recordar lo importante que es que actuemos a tiempo. Y decir que actuar por el planeta es muy bello y simbólico, pero a estas alturas conviene más ser realista y decir que debemos actuar por nosotros mismos! Si lo pensamos pragmàticamente en realidad nuestro planeta seguirà ahi àún con el cambio climático, si, inerte o vivo el planeta seguirá flotando en el espacio...pero la vida dentro de él no! ASí que, hagámos eso que siempre comentamos, pequeñas acciones generan grandes cambios, busquemos acercarnos más al concepto de bright green y seamos positivos intentándo nuevas ideas para ayudar al planeta y a la preservación de nuestra vida!
También sería positivo como ciudadanos globales exigir políticas ecologistas realistas, que mejoren la calidad de nuestro ambiente, simplemente en México el gasto que ocasiona el deterioro ambiental equivale a la cantidad de dinero que el país debe invertir para remediar la degradación del suelo, mantos acuiferos, etc.
Y bueno, para terminar, recordemos en donde vivimos diariamente, al comprar productos biodegradables, al tratar de ahorrar energía, al apoyar campañas de reforestación o lo que sea que pueda apoyar acciones globales y por último, un video para entender los cambios climáticos...
Hacer periodismo online a veces puede parecer tedioso, repetitivo, y hasta alienante, pero en ocasiones, también puede ser gratificante. A mí me gratifica servir para que algunas historias sean contadas y difundidas:
“Somos una pareja de hombres y nos queremos casar”
Alex y José María se conocieron en 2005 y mañana solicitarán un turno para contraer matrimonio. “Sabiendo que la interpretación de la ley actual nos va a discriminar, les pedimos que nos acompañen en este acto de amor”, dice la invitación...Seguí leyendo esta historia en la nota que escribí para ElArgentino.com
Global and Regional messages
Invest in youth leadership: Policies and programmes will be most effective if they involve young people meaningfully in all stages of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Governments must foster mentorship by initiating youth-adult partnerships, by building capacities for mentorship programmes, and by creating sustained spaces for youth participation. Furthermore, youth representatives must be chosen democratically by youth-led and youth-oriented organizations and networks. Advocating for (core) funding, mentorship and political will to support youth organizations and for greater partnership between young people and political leadership on STI’s, HIV and SRH, but it’s not just having a seat at the table –it is about making that opportunity legitimate, effective and representative for civil society participation.
Address HIV in the context of other sexual and reproductive health needs: HIV does not occur in isolation. With HIV, young people often experience sexual assault, gender-based violence, maternal mortality, unsafe abortions and discrimination based on sexual orientation. Therefore, HIV must be seen and addressed not as an isolated problem, but in the context of young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The realities of young people’s lives must be taken into account in program and policy development, and implementation: It is crucial to acknowledge the specific needs of marginalized young people who experience an increased risk of HIV transmission. The experiences and expertise of young people living with HIV (YLHIV), young men who have sex with men (MSM), young injection drug users (IDU), and young sex workers must be respected and included in program and policy development to ensure that they are relevant and effective. In many parts of the world, injecting drug use is fuelling concentrated epidemics. Young IDU’s need access to youth friendly harm reduction programs that include needle and syringe exchanges, information about sexual health, HIV prevention, treatment (including substitution therapy), and support to protect themselves and their sexual partners. Young people living with HIV must have access to anti-retroviral treatment and complete health education with respect to HIV and AIDS, so they are able to manage opportunistic infections and maintain their personal well-being. All young people have rights to information, education, services, and support, which they do not lose as a result of their HIV status.
Take positive steps to promote and protect young people’s rights: The violation of young people’s rights puts them at greater risk of harm. The key to reducing vulnerabilities lies in the promotion and protection of these rights. Young people have all human rights irrespective of their age, gender, race or other status. These rights include the full range of their sexual and reproductive rights, including the right to be free from violence and persecution/stigmatization, and the right to confidentiality. These rights must be guaranteed regardless of HIV status.
Regional and Local messages
HIV is transmitted primarily through sex: Young people’s access to comprehensive, evidence-based sex education and HIV prevention programs that are safe, confidential, welcoming, and free from stigma and discrimination are imperative in responding to the HIV epidemic. Young people must also have access to youth-friendly services for testing, treatment, and care from trained providers in convenient and affordable locations. Sexual and reproductive health knowledge gives young people the tools they need to make educated decisions regarding their own health and to prevent HIV infection. HIV should be discussed from a young age by families, schools, and communities so that young people grow into adolescence with an understanding of the virus and the vulnerabilities particular to young people specific to gender, age, location, and sub-population.
Make health services more accessible to young people: Stigma, discrimination and lack of awareness contribute to making health services inaccessible to young people. Awareness must be raised about these services, and their use must be promoted by messages in local languages and popular means of communication. Spaces for young people must be established at existing service centers. Respect for confidentiality and privacy must be ensured at these spaces. Ensure access to comprehensive sexuality education. The provision of evidence based HIV prevention and comprehensive sexuality education is the most effective and sustainable mode of prevention. The best available evidence shows that “abstinence only” programmes fail and actually cause more harm than good. Young people must have the information, knowledge, skills and commodities they need to protect themselves from infection and to lead healthy lives.
Young people need a supportive and enabling environment with social norms that reinforce positive behaviors across generations: Local and global communities, governments, civil society, and young people themselves have a responsibility to make this environment a reality. Young people’s experiences are diverse and many find themselves in circumstances that greatly limit their ability to practice safer sexual behavior, even with access to sexual health information. Poverty, gender inequality, racial and ethnic discrimination, homophobia and transphobia, education inequality, homelessness, substance abuse, transactional sex, and sexual violence must be addressed in partnership with young people. Clear, comprehensive data on how HIV affects young people is needed. In all national censuses and health surveys, data must at the minimum be disaggregated by age, sex and sub-population. Such data, once available, will inform policies and programmes making them more effective.
Global, Regional and Local message
Young people Most-at-risk: Young people constitute a significant percentage of most-at-risk populations in several countries. Interventions should specifically target vulnerable and most-risk groups of young people who are often at the centre of HIV transmission. Many young people are particularly at risk of becoming infected with HIV because of the situations in which they live, learn and earn; as a result of the behaviors they adopt, or are forced to adopt because of social, cultural or economic factors. Limited amount of focus is placed on young people most-at-risk, which is a factor which is contributing to their vulnerability to HIV. The three groups most at risk of becoming infected with HIV: young sex workers, young injecting drug users and young men who have sex with men. Many of these young people live on the fringes of society, and are unlikely to be reached by interventions implemented through schools, health services or the media.
Young people have knowledge, skills, and creative energy to make an invaluable contribution to the HIV and AIDS response, and must be involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of HIV and AIDS programs and policies that affect their lives. Young people must have access to capacity building and leadership opportunities to facilitate their active contributions and be trained and empowered with skills to spread the information they have gained to their peers. This is particularly true for those young people most affected by the epidemic.
Criminalization of HIV - The evidence shows that criminalization of behaviors and communities (most-at-risk population). Many governments persist in implementing policies which have no proven public health benefits (travel and residency restrictions for PLHIV, mandatory testing for migrants denial of health care for prisoners in direct violation of prisoners rights and an over-simplistic and ideological approach to while law and policy reform were often cited as solution, law and policy reform won’t work if it is not enforced or the enforcers are the perpetration of violence.
Escribo esto mientras se me caen las lágrimas de tristeza y emoción al mismo tiempo leyendo todos los mensajes de agradecimiento y reconocimiento en Twitter, Facebook y diarios online.
Hace menos de dos horas murió el ex presidente de la Nación, Raúl Alfonsín. No tiene mucho sentido que me explaye mucho. Solamente vale decir que como joven político (en sentido amplio y estrecho de la palabra política) siempre tuve gran admiración y respeto por su persona. Me pareció siempre un tipo inteligentísimo, muy culto y sobre todo, honrado.
Durante mi adolescensia fui con ganas a varias conferencias que dio cuando ya era ex presidente. Me acuerdo cuando en una de ellas dijo -palabras más, palabras menos- que el "tercer sector" debía ser valorado, pero en su justa medida, porque también representaba una forma de privatización de lo público... en ese momento recién se empezaba a hablar de las ONGs y esa idea, en el contexto del menemismo, era una llamada de atención...
Hoy un compañero de trabajo me preguntó si me acordaba algo de su gobierno y sí, algunos fragmentos de esos tiempos tengo en la memoria.
Lo primero que recuerdo es la campaña presidencial. Tengo la imagen de estar en la casa de mi abuelo viendo la televisión (tenía 5 años) y a mí me había caído re bien esa forma de saludar de Alfonsín, agarrándose las manos y yo lo imitaba. Hasta que mi mamá me dijo que no hiciera eso delante de mi abuelo porque se iba a enojar (él era peronista hasta la médula). También me acuerdo de las pintadas Luder-Bittel y la RA de las calcomanías.
Me acuerdo de la gran movida cultural en los barrios. Mi papá me llevaba seguido a fiestas en las calles y a centros culturales, por ejemplo el de Parque Chacabuco, siempre con exposiciones y con actividades para chicos.
Una vez, en un festival se armó un concurso de baile y vaya uno a saber por qué me llevé uno de los premios! :P Tengo todavía el trofeo en la casa de mis viejos. El animador decía "que suba el chico que tiene tal y cual ropa (no me acuerdo exáctamente) y yo no me daba por aludido... hasta que alguien me dijo: che, me parece que hablan de vos, juajaua...
Otro gran evento al que fui con mi papá fue la Bienal de Arte Joven. Había mucha gente con boinas blancas y no recuerdo bien a raiz de qué exposición de la bienal mi papá me explicó de qué se trataba la llamada "guerra de las galaxias" (y no hablamos de la película eh...)
También me acuerdo de la elección de 1987. Yo tenía varicela, pero no me había pegado fuerte, así que mi papá me llevó a votar y me dejaron entrar en el cuarto oscuro!
Y sí, también me acuerdo de los momentos malos. Me acuerdo del copamiento al cuartel de La Tablada. Y me acuerdo de estar en el Supercoop con mi mamá y que muchos repositores estuvieran cambiando los precios permanentemente. Y me acuerdo en la colonia de vacaciones charlando con otros chicos sobre el precio del dólar (!)
Me acuerdo también de haber ido a varias marchas con mi mamá en contra de la ley de obediencia debida y punto final.
Y sí, también me acuerdo, aunque cueste decirlo, de festejar el triunfo de Menem en las elecciones de 1989 :S Pero también, de lo rápido que se desmoronó toda la ilusión cuando de revolución productiva se pasó a darle todo el poder a Bunge & Born.
Los ignominiosos años del gobierno de Menem y la mierda de la que se llenó el hacer política no hicieron otra cosa que iluminar la figura de Alfonsín.
Don Raúl, muchas gracias por todo. Como acaba de decir mi novia, al contarle de tu paso a la inmortalidad: fuiste "el político más capo que mi generación pudo conocer". Que descanses en paz.
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La foto que ilustra este posteo me la saqué en agosto de 1997, durante una conferencia que dio Alfonsín en la sede del Partido Demócrata Cristiano. Yo en ese entonces tenía 19 años, era militante político y presidía la Juventud Demócrata Cristiana de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. :)
25 March 2009 –With nearly three quarters of the world’s one billion slum-dwellers under the age of 30, a new United Nations programme seeks to empower urban-based, youth-led community initiatives.
The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) “Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development” scheme will provide grants between $5,000 and $25,000 to groups, steered by people between the ages of 15 and 32, promoting sustainable urbanization.
“In this time of worldwide economic crisis, it is not only banks and automakers who deserve financial support, we also need to encourage youth who are often best placed to solve problems in their communities,” said Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT.
“We must harness the energies of the young if we are to overcome the problems of urban poverty,” she added.
The Norwegian Government-backed initiative aims to support efforts in employment, education, environment, health and safety, among other areas.
Nairobi, 25 March 2009: Urban based Youth-led organizations in developing countries who are working to improve the living conditions of their communities can now apply for financial assistance from UN-HABITAT.
The Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development will provide grants between $5,000 and $25,000 to organizations led by young people, aged 15-32 years.
“In this time of worldwide economic crisis, it is not only banks and automakers who deserve financial support, we also need to encourage youth who are often best placed to solve problems in their communities,” said Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT. “The Opportunities Fund is designed to provide financial support of up to one million dollars per year, to youth-led initiatives aimed at sustainable urbanization. We must harness the energies of the young if we are to overcome the problems of urban poverty.”
Of the one billion slum dwellers in the world today, it is estimated that more than 70% are under the age of 30. Yet these young people have few resources available to improve their own living environment. This is a major oversight as there are many youth-led initiatives in slums and squatter settlements that are in urgent need of financial support.
The Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development has been established with support from the Norwegian Government specifically to provide funds to youth-led community initiatives. The initial grant is for two million dollars over two years with a possibility of renewal.
The fund is committed to support innovative youth-led projects in areas such as employment, education, environment, health and safety. Applications from organizations partnering with government agencies and the private sector are encouraged. Projects promoting gender equality are particularly welcome.
Applications details are now available at www.unhabitat.org/opfund.
UN-HABITAT has opened a new office in Kuwait City aimed at supporting the agency’s activities in the region.
A ceremony on 11 March was presided over by the UN-HABITAT Director of Regional and Technical Cooperation Division Mr. Daniel Biau and Mr. Ahmed Al-Adsani, Executive Director of the Arab Towns Organisation, on the occasion of the opening of UN-HABITAT Kuwait Office.
Top on the agenda of the office’s activities will be to offer support to local authorities and stakeholders to promote sustainable urban development and active implementation of the Habitat Agenda at the city level. In doing that, the office will closely cooperate with the Arab Towns Organisation and its subsidiaries. It will also partner with the Kuwaiti Government to respond to current and future urban development challenge when requested by the government.
Mr. Biau introduced the new chief of Kuwait Office, Mr. Tarek El-Sheikh to Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi Director of International organizations department in Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Valerie Cliff. In his introduction, Mr. Biau explained that the office’s main focus would be to assist Arab cities and towns.
And fresh from its opening, UN-HABITAT Kuwait office later in the week joined the Arab Towns Organisation in celebrating the Arab Towns Day on 15 March 2009 in Kuwait. Mr. Sheikh planted a tree on behalf of UN-HABITAT in the friendship and peace garden as well as sending goodwill message to the Executive Director of Arab Towns Organisation Mr. Al-Adsani.
UN-HABITAT and the government of Angola on Thursday signed an agreement that will allow the agency to establish a national office in that country.
Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director UN-Habitat, with Dr Antonio Paulo Kassoma,Prime Minister of Angola
The five year agreement was signed by UN-HABITAT Executive Director, Mrs Anna Tibaijuka and the Vice Minister for External Affairs George Rebelo Chicoty. Also present were the Prime Minister Antonio Paulo Kassoma and the Minister for Urban Development and Housing Diankumpuna Sita José.
The agreement was the outcome of fruitful discussions Mrs Tibaijuka had with the Angolan officials when she was in Luanda for the World Day celebrations last October. It was also made possible due to the strong support of the UN Resident Coordinator in Angola Mrs. Jocelline Basile-Finlay.
Responsibilities for the office will include encouraging international cooperation to implement the Habitat Agenda in Angola, cooperate with regional and international organizations, national government, local authorities, civil society institutions and private sector and promote the implementation of UN-HABITAT global programmes and global campaigns in Angola.
The office, to which the Angolan has pledged the first USD 680,000 will also raise funds, together with UN-HABITAT Headquarters, for the formulation and implementation of activities and programmes in Angola, promote and implement UN-HABITAToperational activities in Angola as well as organize international, regional and national conferences on human settlements issues.
During the talks with the Executive Director, the government of Angola expressed the need for immediate support of UN-HABITAT on two specific matters - housing (social housing and finance) and land reform.
