http://www.youthpeer.org.tn

Despite successful elections and a lasting military ceasefire, Nepal’s peace process is facing its most severe tests yet.

Nepal’s Faltering Peace Process,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the fragile state of Nepal’s peace process. Ten months after the elections, the constitution-writing process is finally getting underway, but major parts of the peace deal remain unimplemented. Impunity is rife, and public security alarmingly weak. The consensus underlying the process has frayed, relationships between the parties are increasingly acrimonious, and fundamental elements of the deal are being challenged. Key political players, particularly the governing Maoists and the opposition Nepali Congress (NC), urgently need to rebuild consensus on the way forward.

“The Maoists must take the first steps to restore trust by proving their commitment to non-violence and political pluralism”, says Rhoderick Chalmers, Crisis Group’s South Asia Deputy Project Director. “In turn, their opponents should offer constructive criticism within the framework of the peace process rather than spoiling for its own sake”.

The Maoist-led administration’s first six months have been frustrating, with the government’s achievements overshadowed by poorly handled controversies. The Maoists’ longer-term intentions remain suspect, their strong-arm tactics still allied to a revolutionary strategy aimed at a people’s republic. There is little unity of effort or intent among their coalition partners and the opposition NC is in organisational and political disarray. The established parties have yet to face up to the need for reform to counter their poor past record, become more representative and reconnect with voters.

Very different interests and positions remain to be bridged – a task that is possible but that cannot be wished away with over-optimistic language. Heightened tensions between the Maoists and the Nepalese Army underline the urgency of tackling the future of the security sector. Issues such as the implementation of federalism will generate intense debate. Addressing these challenges is the job of Nepal’s leaders. But the international community must recognise the fragility of the process and be prepared to stick with it.

International actors have played important roles in promoting peace and now need to maintain consistent pressure on all parties to live up to their commitments and encourage them to face the threats to peace. Allowing parts of the peace agreements to drift into abeyance will put the entire process at risk.

“A successfully completed peace process could have broad positive effects for the Nepalese people and for the region”, says Robert Templer, Crisis Group’s Asia Program Director. “The need is for carefully targeted assistance and political pressure”.

A growing number of disputes between foreign investors and host governments are being determined within a closed, often secretive web of judicial tribunals that are ill-equipped to deal with the human rights impacts of investment projects. This is the main finding of a new report released today by Right & Democracy (the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development), entitled Bilateral Investment Treaties and Human Rights: Mapping the role of human rights law within investor-state arbitration.

The report, which is the result of a two-year research initiative by Rights & Democracy, describes the foreign investment protection regime as a maze of more than 2600 bilateral investment treaties and free-trade agreements designed to protect investors and their assets. While the agreements place strict legal restrictions on what actions can be taken by host governments, they impose no limits and confer no responsibilities on investors, even with respect to the protection of human rights.

Through a review of recent and current investment treaty dispute proceedings, chief researcher and author Luke Peterson describes in the report how some investors have invoked human rights jurisprudence to support their claims against governments. Conversely, there is only one example – revealed here for the first time – in which a respondent host-government has presented human rights arguments in its defence against the company claims.

"No one doubts that investment and the arbitration of investment disputes have direct implications for the human rights of people living in the project area," said Carole Samdup, Senior Advisor, Economic and Social Rights at Rights & Democracy. "But governments have an obligation to protect their people from human rights violations, even if those violations result from foreign investment projects. Signing investment treaties should not interfere with that obligation."

Iraq and Somalia Included For First Time in New Report Assessing Anti-Corruption Mechanisms and Government Accountability in 57 Countries.

Regardless of income levels, the #1 corruption threat facing a majority of countries
is the unregulated flow of money into the political process, a new report finds. The report, a major investigative study of 57 countries, was released today by Global Integrity, an award-winning international nonprofit organization that tracks governance and corruption trends globally.

“For the third straight year, poor transparency around the financing of political parties and candidates was the weakest element of most countries’ anti-corruption frameworks,” said Global Integrity’s Managing Director, Nathaniel Heller. “If we’re serious about rolling back corruption and abuse of power in both the developed and developing worlds, more effective safeguards to curb the influence of money in politics are desperately needed. The Rod Blagojevichs of the world are just the tip of the iceberg.”

The Global Integrity Report: 2008 covers developed countries such as Canada, Japan and Italy as well as dozens of the world’s emerging markets and developing nations, from Argentina and China to the West Bank and Iraq. Rather than measure perceptions of corruption, the report assesses the accountability mechanisms and transparency measures in place (or not) to prevent corruption through more than 300 “Integrity Indicators.” Gaps in those safeguards suggest where corruption is more likely to occur.

Global Integrity’s new Grand Corruption Watch List, introduced as part of the 2008 report, includes Angola, Belarus, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Iraq, Montenegro, Morocco, Nicaragua, Serbia, Somalia, the West Bank, and Yemen, all countries viewed at serious risk for high-level corruption. The Watch List identifies countries where the lack of effective conflicts of interest regulations, unregulated flows of money into the political process, and poor oversight over large state-owned enterprises combine to pose a systemic risk of large-scale theft of public resources. “Watch List countries are unfortunately characterized by a toxic mix of corruption risk factors that should be cause for alarm,” said Heller.

Other major findings of the report include the following:
. The most significant anti-corruption failure in much of the Arab world is poor access to government information. While the countries in the Middle East and North Africa assessed in the 2008 Report struggle to match global medians on many factors, their comprehensive lack of effective access to government information is virtually double those countries’ deficit on any other issue assessed by Global Integrity.

. Several key countries experienced gains or backsliding since 2007. Important anticorruption improvements were noted in Bangladesh and Nigeria; in China, a more positive assessment was linked to the introduction of a new regulation granting citizens access to government information. Noticeable decliners included Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ecuador; Georgia also slipped for the second straight year and continues to struggle consolidating democratic gains since the 2003 Rose Revolution.

. Corruption and transparency challenges appear to be worsening on the Horn of Africa, threatening to exacerbate tensions in an already-fragile security situation. Drops in performance in Kenya and Ethiopia, combined with Somalia’s ignominious honor of boasting the worst-ever overall Global Integrity country score, do not bode well for establishing the kinds of checks and balances in all three countries that could promote good governance and improve stability.

“The country assessments that comprise the Report offer among the most detailed, evidence-based evaluations of anti-corruption mechanisms available anywhere in the world,” said Global Integrity’s International Director, Marianne Camerer. “They provide policymakers, investors, and citizens alike with the information to understand the governance challenges unique to each country and to take action.”

Emerging East Asia's local currency bond markets are expected to expand this year with several governments likely to sell debt to pump-prime their economies.

Companies are also expected to turn to local markets to refinance or raise fresh funds, says the latest issue of the Asian Development Bank’s Asia Bond Monitor (ABM).
However, there are risks. Increased sovereign bond sales could raise yields, making issuance costlier. Also, investor concerns over sustained fiscal deficits could push up risk premiums and hurt sovereign credit ratings of some economies.

Companies face greater financing risks with borrowing costs remaining high and may get crowded out by higher debt issuance by governments. With Asia's financial firms huge buyers of government's bonds, debt sales need to be managed carefully to maintain financial stability.

"The economic outlook remains gloomy," said Jong-Wha Lee, Head of the ADB's Office of Regional Economic Integration. "Several Asian nations will rely more on local currency bonds to finance their fiscal stimulus packages. This provides an excellent opportunity for the region to further develop a more dynamic domestic bond market."

Overall, emerging East Asia's local currency bond markets held up well in the face of the global financial storm, continuing to expand throughout 2008. By end-December, total outstanding local currency bonds were US$3.7 trillion, 14.9% above the end-2007 level. The increase, however, was below the 17.6% annual growth rate in the third quarter of the year.
Foreign holdings of Asia's local currency government bonds appear to have held steady in most markets, indicating offshore investors have faith in emerging East Asia’s local currency sovereign debt.

Total local currency bond issuance in the region fell 15.1% at the end of December versus the end of September and tumbled 59.0% versus the end of 2007. That was largely because central banks and monetary authorities no longer needed to issue paper for sterilization purposes given capital flowed out of the region in the second half of 2008 after hefty net inflows in the first half of the year.

Excluding issuance from central banks and monetary authorities, fourth quarter government bond sales in the region were up 5.8% over the third quarter total, showing that there remains investor demand for safe-haven securities. Gross corporate bond sales increased slightly on the quarter but fell on the year.

The market in the People’s Republic of China - $2.2 trillion in outstanding bonds as of end-2008 - continues as the largest emerging East Asian issuer, accounting for most of the growth in the region's local currency bond markets. Viet Nam, however, posted the fastest quarterly rate of growth in the fourth quarter of 2008 and also grew more than other countries for the year as a whole.

Emerging East Asia refers to the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

A year after Timor-Leste’s president José Ramos-Horta was shot, security is markedly improved but at the cost of an army that is unreformed and increasingly unaccountable.

Timor-Leste: No Time for Complacency,* the latest update briefing from the International Crisis Group, says the government has been able to face its most pressing security threats, with armed rebels under control. It has at least temporarily addressed several of the most pressing security threats, in large part by buying off those it sees as potential troublemakers.

“There are worrying signs of disdain for the justice system and civilian control over the army”, says John Virgoe, Crisis Group’s South East Asia Project Director. “The police and army depend too heavily on a few individuals and on personal relationships that have been able to hold the security forces together”.

11 February 2008 was a major crisis for Timor-Leste: a rebel leader killed, the president seriously wounded, and an unsuccessful attack on the prime minister. The government imposed a state of siege and curfew. A week later, as the president lay in hospital, the government brought elements of the army and police under a joint command to track down the remaining rebels.

Since then, former soldiers known as the “petitioners” have been compensated, and a good start has been made on sorting out life for the 30,000 internally displaced persons. But the government’s tactics have often amounted to little more than buying off the complainants. The ready granting of money, rice or other economic inducements to various pressure groups – not just the petitioners and the IDPs, but also veterans, civil servants and others – creates social jealousy, risks distorting the economy and may foster an entitlement culture.

The underlying drivers of conflict – most especially in the security sector – remain. The government has bought time to pursue permanent solutions, but a lasting return to health will require the government to seriously tackle the causes of conflict, including fundamental reforms in the security sector, and to promote rather than undermine the rule of law. Presidential interventions in cases involving political violence have undercut an already-weak justice system. Timor-Leste has seen too much impunity, and too many people have evaded responsibility for their actions.

“The current calm is not cause for complacency”, warns John Virgoe. “The government needs to reform the army and police, but they also need to tolerate dissent, be more transparent, and get a grip on corruption”.

In Nepal, mountainous terrain, difficult weather conditions and the scarcity of roads are an obstacle for rural families in need of maternal or neonatal care. In regions where a single foot path winding its way through the mountains is all that connects one small village from the next, women typically give birth at home, without the assistance of a nurse, doctor or midwife. Indeed, only 19 per cent of all deliveries in Nepal are aided by a skilled birth attendant.

Less than half of Nepal’s population has access to all-weather roads, making it difficult for up to 95 per cent of mothers and newborns to reach modern healthcare facilities. For many Nepalese parents, it takes several days to reach a healthcare centre, and the expense of travel can be a deterrent for poor families. For those in need of emergency obstetric care, this geographic divide is far too often a death sentence for mother and child.

In remote locations such as these, community partnerships can prove invaluable in terms of reaching women and children, providing outreach services that monitor their health, educate mothers about proper nutrition and hygiene for themselves and their children, and identify problems that require facility-based treatment. At their best, community partnerships not only broaden access to services and facilitate closer contact between health workers and remote communities through home visits, but they also encourage behavioural changes – such as exclusive breastfeeding, regular hand-washing or, where needed, sleeping under insecticide-treated nets to prevent malaria.

Community health workers in Nepal have collaborated with skilled medical personnel for decades to provide care to mothers, newborns and children. Launched in 1988 by the Nepalese government with support from UNICEF and other partners, the Female Community Health Volunteer Programme boasts a corps of nearly 50,000 women throughout the country who have been trained to provide key services and interventions for pregnant women and children. Known throughout Nepal as pillars of the health system these volunteers provide services at the community level such as Vitamin A supplementation, distributing de-worming tablets, managing diarrhea and pneumonia, and supporting polio and measles immunization campaigns. Largely thanks to their efforts, Nepal has succeeded in reducing child mortality by two-thirds in the past 15 years.

In contrast, neonatal death rates have not fallen as dramatically. A great many newborns born at home are lost due to hypothermia, asphyxia, complications resulting from low birth weight, and infection. To combat this problem, the Government of Nepal – together with UNICEF and partners – has introduced a newborn care package component to the community health partnership, enabling community volunteers to provide a series of interventions to drastically reduce neonatal mortality. By providing services during home deliveries such as proper wiping and wrapping of the baby, encouraging skin to skin contact to prevent hypothermia and after-birth asphyxia, and monitoring for severe infections, community workers can prevent 67 per cent of all neonatal deaths, experts estimate.

Pregnancy 300 times deadlier in least developed world

Women in the world’s least developed countries are 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications than women in developed countries, according to UNICEF’s latest State of the World’s Children report.

At the same time, a child born in a developing country is almost 14 times more likely to die during the first month of life than a child born in a developed one.

The health and survival of mothers and their newborns are linked, and many of the interventions that save new mothers’ lives also benefit their infants. The 2009 edition of UNICEF’s flagship publication, The State of the World’s Children, highlights the link between maternal and neonatal survival, and suggests opportunities to close the gap between rich and poor countries.

“Every year, more than half a million women die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth complications, including about 70,000 girls and young women aged 15 to 19,” said Ann M. Veneman, UNICEF Executive Director, at the Johannesburg launch. “Since 1990, complications related to pregnancy and childbirth have killed an estimated 10 million women.”

Both mothers and infants are vulnerable in the days and weeks after birth – a critical time for life-saving interventions, such as post-natal visits, proper hygiene, and counseling about the danger signs of maternal and newborn health.

While many developing countries have made excellent progress improving their child survival rate in recent years, there has been less headway in reducing maternal mortality.

Niger and Malawi, for example, nearly cut their under-five death rates in half between 1990 and 2007. In Indonesia, under-five death rates fell to nearly a third of what they were in 1990, and in Bangladesh they fell by more than a half.

The same progress has not been made in addressing health risks for mothers, who are most vulnerable during delivery and in the first days after birth. And while the rate of survival for children under five years of age is improving globally, the risks faced by infants in the first 28 days remain at unacceptably high levels in many countries.

In the developing world, a woman has a 1 in 76 lifetime risk of maternal death, compared with a probability of 1 in 8,000 for women in developed countries. Approximately 99 percent of global deaths arising from pregnancy and complications occur in the developing world, where having a child remains among the most serious health risks for women. The vast majority occur in Africa and Asia, where high fertility rates, a shortage of trained personnel and weak health systems spell tragedy for many young women.


The ten countries with the highest lifetime risk of maternal death are Niger, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Chad, Angola, Liberia, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea-Bissau, and Mali. A woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death in these countries ranges from 1 in 7 in Niger to 1 in 15 in Mali.

And for every woman who dies, another 20 suffer illnesses or injury, often with severe and lasting consequences.

To lower maternal and infant mortality, the report recommends essential services be provided through health systems that integrate a continuum of home, community, outreach and facility-based care.

This continuum of care concept transcends the traditional emphasis on single, disease-specific interventions, calling instead for a model of primary health care that embraces every stage of maternal, newborn and child health.

“Saving the lives of mothers and their newborns requires more than just medical intervention,” said Veneman. “Educating girls is pivotal to improving maternal and neonatal health and also benefits families and societies.”

The report finds that health services are most effective in an environment supportive of women’s empowerment, protection, and education.

The first meeting of main committee of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 was held in Kathmandu on January 18, 2009 to discuss various issues relating to this mega event. The meeting has forwarded the proposal to form 12 sub committee. The meeting has also proposed Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Ms. Hisila Yami, Vice Chairperson of National Planning Commission and Chief Executive Office of Nepal Tourism Board as the chairperson, Joint Chairperson and Member Secretary of the main committee respectively.

There will be 61 members in the main committee. Twelve Subcommittees are Policy Advocacy, Physical Infrastructure and coordination, Product Improvement and Development, Events, Festivals and Activities, Marketing, Promotion and Publicity, Human Resource and Capacity Building, Aviation and Transport Coordination, Resources Mobilization and Monitoring, Natural and Culture and Heritages, Diplomatic Affairs and Political Coordination, and Legal Affairs Coordination.

Representatives of Adventure Sports Tourism Society, Association of Media House, Association of Trans Himalayan Tour Operators, Nepal Municipality Association, District Development Committee Association, Village Development Committee Association, and Computer Association of Nepal will be the invited members of the main committee.

Similarly, sub committee will also be formed in all five development region. Secretariat of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 will be at Nepal Tourism Board. Promotional activities of this campaign will be announced through a press conference. Nepal Tourism Year 2011 campaign has set the target to bring 1 million tourists in 2011. Main objectives of the campaign are to establish Nepal as a choice of premier holiday destination with a definite brand image; to improve and extend tourism related infrastructures in existing and new tourism sites; to enhance the capacity of service providers; to build community capacity in the new areas to cater the need of the tourists; and to promote domestic tourism for sustainability of industry.

Addressing the meeting, Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Ms. Hisila Yami said tourism industry is the main base of Nepalese economy, and further said members of constituent assembly representing different caste, creed and areas under the federal structure are eager to show then identity of their place.

Explaining that Nepal is moving toward adventure sports tourism along with aviation sports, she further said tourism plays an important role for development of the country. "New Tourism Policy is flexible and it's important for everybody to understand its importance and there is possibility to include new association in the main committee of Nepal Tourism Year 2011," she said.

The high ranking officials of Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal Tourism Board, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Nepal Airlines Corporation and representatives of various organizations and association also expressed their opinion to make Nepal Tourism Year 2011 successful.

In the United States, the majority of people who voted for president Obama were among the youth. They were all active and this is a good sign. My message to all politicians is: Count on the youth!

We in Afghanistan wish that our youth would work as hard as the youth in the United States and remain politically active. They have the power to end the suffering of our people with their vote and their voice. Youth are powerful and they can make a difference. Youth are for change.

The conflict in Afghanistan cannot be resolved by bombing cities and killing the innocent. The only way to end the conflict is to improve the economy, actively involving young people to create a new generation of leaders.

As the Presidential elections are getting closer, the security situation worsens on a daily basis. Opponents of the Afghan government are trying to intimidate the public and disrupt elections.

President Karzai’s government has had many achievements as well as weaknesses which are concluded as follows:

Achievements:
1. Women have the liberty to work in the governmental and non-governmental organizations. Some have occupied important posts in the government for the first time in the country’s history. E.g. Habiba Sarabi became the first lady governor.
2. Girls can go to school and the number of girls schools has more than doubled compared to previous periods.
3. Many important construction projects in major cities such as schools, roads etc. have been completed and others are underway.
4. A new Afghan National Police and National Army is being trained to secure the country in future.Although both are very weak at the moment, signs of progress are clearly visible.
5. Opportunities for higher education have increased to a greater extent than before. Several private and governmental higher education institutes have been initiated giving the youth a greater chance to achieve higher education.

Weaknesses:
1. The government has control of only over 30% of the Afghanistan territory. The rest is either being controlled by warlords, or insurgents.
2. The infrastructure still needs to be resurrected. Many of the major cities, including the capital lack basic facilities such as electricity, water and proper sanitation.
3. Environmental issues are neglected despite the fact that they pose a dangerous threat over the local population.
4. Most of the remote areas lack the availability of basic health facilities and trained medical staff.

The Afghans want President-elect Obama to learn from the mistakes President Bush made. After several decades of war, our people want to live in peace. If Obama really knows what peace means, he would definitely prevent the occurrence of incidents such as bombing weddings and causing civilian causalities just because the soldiers ‘thought’ they were faced by a threat from insurgents.

The U.S must realize that civilian casualties and mistreating prisoners (as in the case of Guantanamo) will only create more enemies and hatred towards them and NOT solve any problems.

The presence of international forces is welcomed by most Afghans because they realize that if by any chance they pull out,we will face the same catastrophic situation as the 1992-96 when different factions fought for power. However, it is important that the international forces respect the local traditions and realize that anyone wearing a turban and having a beard is not a terrorist.

They must also realize the sensitivity of the fact that Afghans don’t want to be ruled by foreigners and they are only here to help and not bully. They must seriously consider involving the national army and local elders in resolving issues rather than intruding with their own soldiers which will only create more enemies for them.
It is typical of U.S presidents to make promises in order to obtain votes and when they are elected,not all the promises are fulfilled. National interest is usually taken as the excuse.Obama promised many things to the Afghan people before being elected and the Afghans expect him to fulfill each one.

Tell us what you think. How can Obama solve this crisis?
(By Nargis Nemat, Source: www.expressezvous.wordpress.com)

Every two or three days a person is killed in Brazil in violence connected with his or her sexuality, according to Brazil’s oldest gay rights association, Grupo Gay da Bahia (GGB). In Mexico, the reported figure is nearly two a week.Most of the victims are men who have sex with other men (MSM) - whether they are gays or bisexuals - or transgender people.

But if Brazil and Mexico top the table of violence against men who have sex with men in Latin America, this may be because rights groups there monitor the situation more closely than elsewhere in Latin America. Much violence simply goes unreported elsewhere, gay activist organizations say.

“Brazil and Mexico are the only countries which have a register, which keep track of the murders. That does not mean necessarily that there is more violence there,” says Arturo Díaz Betancourt of the Mexican National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination.

It is notable that when the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Killings made an official mission to Guatemala in 2006 his attention was drawn to a series of murders of gay and transgender people, and his subsequent report to the Human Rights Council stated “There has been impunity for murders motivated by hatred towards persons identifying as gay, lesbian, transgender, and transsexual. Credible information suggests that there were at least 35 such murders between 1996 and 2006. Given the lack of official statistics and the likely reticence if not ignorance of victims’ family members, there is reason to believe that the actual numbers are significantly higher.”

Many Latin American countries boast socially advanced legislation when it comes to defending sexual freedom and orientation. With law reform in Nicaragua and Panama over the past 12 months, there are now no states in Latin America which criminalize homosexual relations, for example.

Yet perhaps influenced by a lingering “machismo”, prejudice and discrimination continue to flourish, whatever the laws say. Latin America is widely regarded as having a long way to go to successfully counter homophobia, or “fear or hatred of homosexuals.”

“There is a real contrast between reality and theory. This is the developing region of the world with the highest number of laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation,” says Dr. Ruben Mayorga, UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Aside from the individual pain homophobic attitudes inflict, the continuing stigma attached to same-sex relations is complicating hugely the task of slowing the spread of HIV in a region where sex between men is a leading mode of HIV transmission, health experts say.

Stigma and homophobia increase the isolation of gays, bisexuals and transgender people making them more reluctant to come forward, be identified and get advice.

“Homophobia represents a threat to public heath in Latin America,” the Pan American Health Organization affirmed in a report. “This form of stigma and discrimination based on sexual orientation does not just affect the mental and physical health of the homosexual community, but contributes to the spread of the HIV epidemic.”

UNAIDS has long campaigned against discrimination whether against those infected by the HIV virus or against a person for his or her sexual orientation.

Main driver of HIV:
The urgency in Latin America is underlined by official reports on the state of the HIV epidemic in Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru where sex between men is acknowledged as being the main source of new HIV infections. HIV prevalence is far higher than in the general population with rates of between 10% and 20% in many Latin America’s main cities.

In its 2008 report to the UN General Assembly (UNGASS) on the state of the HIV epidemic, Brazil stated that MSM are 11 times more likely to be HIV positive than the population as a whole.

In parts of Central America, where there is major political and social resistance to recognising the rights of gays, lesbians and transgender people, HIV incidence rates amongst MSM are particularly high.

And the impacts of these high rates of HIV extend beyond men who have sex with men themselves. In Peru, for example, most women who get infected by the virus get it from men who have had sex with other men, according to a Health Ministry study, thus prevention among MSM is crucial for effective prevention of HIV transmission to women.

Prevention fails to keep pace:
Spending on HIV prevention amongst MSM in Latin America is well below what is called for by the extent of the epidemic within that group. On average, less than 10% of the money spent on prevention goes into campaigns aimed specifically at MSM, according to UNAIDS.

In Bolivia, it was estimated in 2005 that fewer than 3% of MSM had access to prevention services, compared with 30% coverage for sex workers.

“All these years, prevention has not been carried out where it needs to be, which is where the epidemic lies,” said Díaz. “They have not worked with gays, with trans (gender people), on the contrary there is rejection and deep discrimination,” he said, referring to the situation across the region.

The explanation lies in a mix of political, cultural and even religious factors, rights activists and health officials say.

“Politically, MSM is not something to make a lot of noise about. In most countries and by many institutions it is not sees as a political gain,” says Mayorga.

Religious groups, whether Roman Catholic or evangelical, which regard sexual relations between people of the same sex as “sinful” have often strenuously opposed attempts to pay special attention to MSM.

“Governments are highly influenced by religious sectors that mobilise against policies that benefit gays, bisexuals or trans,” says Orlando Montoya, who works in Ecuador with ASICAL, an organization promoting the health of gays, other MSM and lesbians in Latin America.

However, it is hard to generalize. Some churches have been at the forefront of outreach to men who have sex with men and many local religious organizations in Latin America have responded to HIV with tolerance and compassion, including among the most marginalized populations.

Internationally overlooked:
But it is not just a question of country governments not paying due attention to MSM. Latin America has not attracted the level of international investment in stemming HIV epidemics that has been seen in other parts of the world -- in Asia and in Africa.

To some extent, the region has been victim of the three “nots” when it comes to receiving international financing for its HIV efforts, Mayorga says. It is ‘not’ very populated, it is ‘not’ very poor and it is ‘not’ a very big epidemic.

Rules covering assistance by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the principal international financing arm against the diseases, have worked against the region because they have tended to exclude middle and upper middle income countries, such as Argentina and Chile.

However, the Fund has recently agreed to study proposals for assistance for programmes in better-off countries facing concentrated epidemics with HIV prevalence rates of over 5 % in groups at risk, such as MSM, drug users, transgendered people or sex workers.

Renewing the focus:
In the face of the persistent evidence of neglect, there are some positive signs in the region that MSM epidemics will be responded to with more adequate measures and policies.

In the past four or five years, Brazil and Mexico, and to a more limited extent Argentina and Colombia, have run campaigns against homophobia. These countries, together with others, have also sought to incorporate special MSM action into programmes to contain the spread of HIV.

The official programme “Brazil without Homophobia” was launched in 2004, with the aim of improving the service given to gays, other MSM and transgender people within state health institutions. It will also scale up coverage and the response to the HIV epidemic within these groups.

Peru has launched a national plan giving priority to prevention programmes for what are defined as “most-affected” groups – which include MSM, sex workers and prisoners. With financing from the Global Fund, the plan aims to extend prevention coverage to at least 25% of MSM and 50 percent of sex workers.

Similarly, Bolivia has drawn up a national plan to cut HIV infection rates by half by 2015, which includes campaigns to strengthen rights of MSM and transgender people and to combat discrimination and stigma.

Despite these promising developments, Latin America is still a long way from getting its MSM epidemics under control and homophobia and stigma remain significant stumbling blocks to achieving it.
(Source: http://www.unaids.org)

News of global warming has sure hit the world hard. Pressing issues on such matters have raised a lot of concerns so that now people can no longer turn a blind eye towards it. Those of you who thought a third-world country, whose carbon dioxide emission is 0.008th of that of the United States was out of danger from the effects of it, are sadly misunderstood.

First of all the placement of the country as a delta of the three rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna makes it susceptible for grave trouble as the sea level rises. Those of us living here all know the tremendous flooding that occurs during the monsoon season. According to a report by the UN, approximately a rise of 40 centimeters of sea level will affect over 13 million people of one-third area of the total land. Appalling, isn’t it?

Among that one-third land falls our very own Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, home to around 200 Royal Bengal tigers and other diverse species. Already depicted as a fragile environment and protected by the World Heritage Site, rising sea levels are causing seawater from the Bay of Bengal to seep through the ground to reach the mangrove trees. Since these trees have a unique way of breathing through their roots, they are significantly cut down on oxygen levels by the salty seawater. The result – a mysterious increase in the number of dead trees and low growth level. If the mangroves disappear then the habitats of a wide variety of birds and monkeys will be hampered. Researchers have predicted that it will take as less as 10 years for the Sundarbans to be wiped out if the current trend continues.

The effects of salinisation do not end here. Moreover salt is contaminating drinking water and fields further up towards the northern region. Crops and harvests are affected terribly and the farmers have to restore to an alternate plan for a living. Shrimp cultivation is a prime option but the profits collected from this business are enjoyed by only a few. The reason for this being the minimum amount of labor needed in the process. Hundreds of people are thus getting unemployed. Stark increase in unfair means like poaching in the Sundarbans has started to take place.

Overall it is not only the wildlife and environment that is getting the aftermath of global warming; the economy of Bangladesh is being hit hard as well. It is projected that by 2035 the rice production will have decreased by 10 percent and wheat by one-third, pushing the country into the brink of starvation. Water supply will also suffer a drastic shortage. Therefore it is our plea to the government and all the concerned authorities to not overlook this matter further. Let us take up all means to protect Bangladesh and its wealth before it’s too late.

(Source: www.expressezvous.wordpress.com)

On Tuesday 4th November 2008, there was the moment when the fates of two men would be decided, with long excruciating campaigns, the two presidential candidates were tired and worn out. But they knew the extent of their work would be decided by the American public, would it be the republican candidate John McCain, or the much favourite Democratic candidate Barack Obama?

It would only take 270 Electoral College votes for one candidate to win, with 64% estimated turnout, Obama would go on to win over 349 of the college votes; with the votes so bias towards Obama, it was obvious the Americans were looking for change.

Since announcing the choice to run as President, Obama has gained much media attention and also the attention of the public, not just in America but in the world. People were surprised he would go for the post because of his ethnic race, being African American and the first Black President, which proved to be irrelevant when it came to voting with 43% of white people voting for Obama. But people were gripped by his speeches; he would speak of the troops in Iraq, the need for universal healthcare and the energy independence.

Obama used his strengths to his advantage, his compassion for America, the world and for his people. The charisma is his speech. But people thought it would all be talk and he would not know what to do in situations, people would question his views on climate change and since becoming the President -Elect, he has already started the ball rolling. With new policies already set in place, saying that America should be the leaders in Climate Change. In his policies he states that by 2012, 10% of America’s electricity should come from renewable sources, rising to 25% by 2025.

Another is providing short term relief for American Families facing pain at the pump, Obama is looking to help families on low income, so that they can live a sustainable life. But the question is what will Obama do for the world? In four years he plans to come up with a verifiable global plan, to stop the production of all nuclear weapons, as well as securing all loose Nuclear Material from terrorists. In the main interest of the people, Obama wants to renew the Diplomacy, willing to rebuild alliances, meeting nations, friends or foes in order to advance American interests.

People think Obama is just a pretty face, but in truth he is ready and willing for whatever task he is faced with, he will show us what he can do when he takes the presidency in January. Starting by tackling the economy, in order to help not just America, but all other countries in economic turmoil.

(By Mathew Bruce from www.expressezvous.wordpress.com)

The year 2008 was memorable for a multitude of reasons. So, we decided to get on the task of listing down the top 10 events of the year. We hope these events were as memorable for you as they for us. And if it’s not the case, cast your mind back and try to remember your own top 10.

Election of Barrack Hussein Obama as the First African-American President
Inevitably, the election of the man that every child in Africa knows as the ‘God Father’. Doubtlessly, he has encouraged a sense of hope within young people throughout the world and proven that with determination and tenacity attitudes can be changed. Is it any wonder then that Time magazine hailed him “Man of The Year” and he features in our very own little rundown of the year? The road the White House wasn’t easy, but he fought off his critics and triumphed amid a wave of controversy and tough political opponents. For many, his election into the White House was the event of the year.

Political Unrest in Africa-A never ending struggle
Though the tide of change has swept through America, there comes a new problem in Africa: Political Strife, unrest and corruption. Hundreds of people have been killed across various parts of Africa, all through Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Congo, Sudan and Somalia. These nations which were already hit by most of the problems mentioned above now face a new trouble; the menace of despotic, corrupt governments.

Harmful effects of excessive use of resources
As the year goes by, we seem to lose one more year of life. It’s not just us; the Earth has lost one year of its life too. The excessive use of resources such as petrol and octane has caused over heating and pollution level to rise again this year. Due to this over heating, icebergs are melting and causing the water level to rise. Deforestation is left unmentioned by the international press, yet is responsible for the decimation of plant and animal species upon which life as a whole is dependent. The fact of our interconnectedness is something that both civilians and governments must grasp if we are to tackle ecological destruction.

Global Economic Crisis – Credit Crunch Leaves a Bitter Taste
2008 was a significant year for international business as an economic recession was suggested by analysts. The financial world had gorged itself and everyone else now has to pay the price. People looked on in horror as the symptoms appeared: high oil prices, which led to drastic high food prices and global inflation; a substantial credit crisis leading to the drastic bankruptcy of large and well established investment banks as well as commercial banks in various, diverse nations around the world; increased unemployment; and signs of contemporaneous economic downturns in major economies of the world, a recession. In December, it was said that the world’s largest economy, the United States, had been in recession since December 2007.

Mumbai Blasts- terrorism in the name of Jihad
For the residents of Mumbai the final few months have been gloomy to say the least: first the financial crisis, then the Mumbai attacks which tore through the famous Taj Hotel, the Oberoi hotel, a Jewish community center and the train station. The country and indeed, the whole world was sickened by what happened. Yet, in India this incident has been taken as an eye opener. People now feel that the ministers who they elected to be the leaders and protectors of their country are not so efficient after all.

Bush’s last year: A time to reflect
By American President George W Bush, 2008 will be remembered because this was his last year in power. For millions of the world’s citizens it will raise just one perplexing question: How could it take a journalist 8 years to throw a shoe Dubya? Well, as they say “it comes late, but comes in time”. It has been a memorable 8 years for Bush. And yet, amidst all the criticism, he has done some good, hasn’t he?

First Olympic of the 21st century- China shows its might and power
2008 was a grand year for China. The 2008 Olympics was special in many ways: a grand opening, records broken (37 at the last count) and the fact that this was the first Olympics of the 21st century. From Usain Bolt, Stepanie Rice, and Micheal Phelps to Rafael Nadal – all showed their capability to the world! This was an amazing experience which not only the athletes will remember, but also the millions who watched throughout the world.

Politics in Asia
From the change in power in Thailand to the Maoist win in Nepal, all was memorable. The situation today is still mixed, with hostilities in parts of Asia such as the continuing tensions over Kashmir and between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China. There are also moves towards greater co-operation and communication within the region with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a notable example.

India launches its first Missile: Another powerhouse in the making?
2008 was a memorable year for India, not just because of the Mumbai attacks, but also for its launch of a missile. In 2008, Asian nations have taken the lead in exploring the moon: Japan and China both sent up spacecraft last year and India’s Chandrayaan-1 will join them in orbit around the moon for a two-year mission designed to map the lunar surface. With talented young engineers, India certainly seems to be a future powerhouse.

Facebook- Avalanche of friends?
Social network fatigue has set in as people are getting tired of getting yet another invitation from so-called friends to join yet another social network. And, in the wake of Facebook’s fumbled social ads initiative, it has become even more apparent there’s no obvious way to pitch products on these sites without turning off members. Social features have snuck into all kinds of Web services, from search to news. Despite this, it appears this has yet to deter the millions of people of all ages who are continuing to use the sites everyday.

Well, there it is, just a few of the events which made up 365 days in the history of our little corner of the universe. What then, could the next 12 months bring us?

(Source: www.expressezvous.wordpress.com)

South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) will hold its first South Asian documentary interactive festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 27th to 30th December. Twenty four documentaries from all eight member countries of SAARC will be presented over four days of the festival in the Regal Hall of Yak and Yeti Hotel. Festival is being inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) on 27 December at 4 pm and its closing ceremony will be performed by Madhav Kumar Nepal, former general secretary of CPN-UML, on December 30 at 5 PM.

Around hundred documentary producers, directors and leading journalists from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri-Lanka are participating in this festival. “The first SAFMA Documentary Festival will focus on conflict, peace, peoples and cultures. It will help understand each other and create better appreciation of the art of documentary making in our region” Said Imtiaz Alam, Secretary General SAFMA, during the Press Conference.

“Since the documentaries are focused on peace, peoples and cultures, they will create better awareness among the South Asian people and help build a fraternity of South Asian documentary makers”, he added. Next SAFMA Documentary Festival will be held in Mumbai in 2009.