ISSUE N째3
TE ROOPU WHAKAKOTAHI WHENUA O AOTEAROA
NOVEMBER 2010
UNANZ NEWS REPORT: 2010 UN DPI/NGO CONFERENCE
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INTERNATIONAL YEAR FOR BIODIVERSITY
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AUCKLAND PEACE HERITAGE WALK
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2010 UNITED NATIONS DAY REPORT
5 ISSN 1179-8009 (Print) ISSN 1179-8017 (Online)
UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
UNANZ News
Contents In this Issue Lachlan Mackay: A Farewell 4
International Year of Biodiversity 12 Book Review 14
Report: International Day for the UN 2010 5 Report: 2010 UN DPI/NGO Conference 6 UN DPI NGO Declaration Document 10
Kia Ora Gaza Project Update 15 Auckland Peace Heritage Walk 16
Regular Features Presidents Column 3 WFUNA Notes 16
Book Club: The Challenge of Peace 17 Branch Reports 18
UNYANZ Update 17
News in Brief 19
November-December
Upcoming Events November 3 November - World Harmony Run - Dannevirke to Masterton. 4 November - World Harmony Run - Masterton to Wellington. www.worldharmonyrun.org 6 November - National Council Meeting. 10am, L2 James Smith Building, Wellington. 6 November - E-Day Habitat For Humanity, Bryant Road Te Rapa, Hamilton. www.hamilton.co.nz/ewaste 10 November - World Science day for Peace and Development. 10 November - Tga Branch Ian MacLean (De-Mining Specialist) Lecture “De-Mining in the UN System”, 5.30pm, Bongard Centre, Tauranga. 15 November - National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies Lecture ‘Peacebuilding in the Future of New Zealand Foreign Policy’. 9.30am Parliament, Wellington. 16 November - International Day for Tolerance, UN Day. 17 November - New Zealand China Friendship Society Wellington Branch meeting, with guest speaker Michael Powles on “Perspectives on Human Rights in China”. 5:45 pm at Connolly Hall, Wellington. 17 November - Tga Branch Ros Noonan (NZ Human Rights Commissioner) Lecture “UN, Human Rights, and The Treaty”. 5.30pm, Bongard Centre, Tauranga.
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17-19 November - Involve 2010, National Youth Workers Conference, Auckland. 20 November - Universal Children’s Day. UN Day. 24 November – Admiral Sureesh Mehta (Indian High Commissioner) Lecture “India, the UN and NZ” 5.30pm, Bongard Centre, Tauranga. 21-28 November - Global Volunteer Network Conference ‘Be the Change’ Taupo. www.globalvolunteernetwork.org 25 November - Council for International Development ‘Disability & Development’ Seminar, Auckland. 25 November - International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. UN Day. White Ribbon Events Nationwide. 26 November - Council for International Development ‘Disability & Development’ Seminar, Wellington.
December 1 December - World Aids Day. UN Day. 1-3 December - DevNet Conference, Massy University, Palmerston North. 9 December - International Day against Corruption. UN Day. 10 December - Human Rights Day. UN Day. 10 December - Wellington Branch Human Rights Day Seminar, Turnbull House, Wellington. 18 December - International Migrants Day. UN Day. 23 December - National Office Closed for the year.
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UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
National President Michael Powles
Presidents Column These days we seem to hear more about what’s wrong with the United Nations than what’s right with it. The impression often is that the UN’s faults outweigh its advantages. Certainly, we all know it has failings and that sometimes these need highlighting in the interests of putting them right. But the focus on UN reform and on the ‘putting right’ can too easily obscure the importance and indispensability of the UN Charter and the system it created. Our present Ambassador to the UN, Hon Jim McLay, spoke eloquently to both UNANZ and the Institute of International Affairs in Wellington on 25 August. His focus was on New Zealand’s coming bid for election to the Security Council and his address provided a timely reminder of just how important and valuable the UN is. The following are some extracts from the address:
Our national interest For a small country at the edge of the world, an international system based on the Rule of Law is vitally important; it reduces (but doesn’t eliminate) opportunities for the strong to impose on the weak; it helps protect our sovereignty; it establishes norms which facilitate our trade and prosperity, building the Rule of Law and regulating the free passage of goods by sea and air; and it allows us to participate in global discussions directly relevant to our interests. The past 65 years have confirmed that New Zealand is more likely to advance its national interest by participating in different multilateral fora than by pursuing narrow, segregated selfinterests. And there are many such fora: As well as the UN and its organs, multilateral institutions (some related to the UN, others not) deal with all manner of global problems: the World Health Organisation (WHO); the International Monetary Fund (IMF); the International Labour Organisation (ILO); the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO); there as many organisations as there are problems. And we’ve also seen the establishment of regional groups such as the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU) - and, importantly for New Zealand, APEC, ASEAN and the Commonwealth. All are important (and make their own contribution to global security and development), but there’s still only one organisation that is universal in membership and general in scope - the United Nations. And for New Zealand, there are issues of national importance where multilateral for a – such as the UN – play a key role, and where we’ve gained considerable benefit. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) we have a four million square kilometre Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the world’s fourth largest. Under the UN’s extended continental shelf regime, our extended continental shelf covers 1.7 million square kilometres of seabed beyond the EEZ – six times the size of New Zealand; an outcome that could never have been achieved through bilateral negotiations.
Universality and legitimacy The UN is far from perfect, but its scope and membership gives it universality, and legitimacy that no other organisation can claim (indeed, at no other time in human history have we had a body of such scope). Only the UN can assemble 192 states to debate almost any issue, establish human rights norms, and exercise collective responsibility. It’s the world’s principal peacekeeping body; it can legitimise the use of force when international peace and security are threatened; and it’s a
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forum through which conflicts can be brought to an end. … questions about the UN’s effectiveness, scepticism about its relevance, and criticism of its performance have been around as long as the organisation itself. Much of this is inevitable; with 192 Member States - all protecting their national interests - decisions take time, and mistakes will be made. Like any political body, decisions are usually the product of compromise – “best fit” solutions for which all sides must concede ground; and the machinery that makes them is old, and reflects the epoch and context in which it was created – out of the ashes of World War II and the shredded files of the League of Nations; since when, little has changed. What has changed – in addition, of course, to the number of members - is the range of problems to which the UN is expected to respond. They continue to grow; and the remedial mechanisms, from which the UN must choose, can’t always keep up. …. But, despite the shortcomings and criticisms, and the questionable engagement of some, the UN has remained a crucial forum for dialogue, and the only venue for addressing some of the world’s most difficult, complex and often intractable issues…. Multilateralism has proved to be one of the few viable ways to address complex issues in a multi-polar world;
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UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER 2010 and, whatever its flaws, the UN is still the fulcrum of that multilateralism. Indeed, since the end of the Cold War, with the emergence of powers like China, it’s become clear that there are now multiple poles of power, and that no single country can solve the world’s problems. Put simply: The United Nations is here to stay; and only its members can bring it - bureaucracy and all - into the 21st Century, and ensure its ongoing relevance and effectiveness.
The Security Council Mandated with preserving international peace and security, the Security Council is at the sharp end of the UN system. It is the Security Council to which we turn in times of conflict. It is the Security Council that can sanction transgressing Member States, authorise or approve the use of force, establish tribunals to prosecute crimes against humanity, and broker agreements that end conflicts. … the Security Council is the only body that can authorise or sanction the use of force; for instance, the
ISSUE N°3 International Stabilisation Force in Timor-Leste, to which New Zealand is a significant contributor, is legitimised by the Security Council’s endorsement.
Peacekeeping The Council authorises the UN’s own peacekeeping missions Presently, about 124,000 personnel serve in 16 UN peace operations which directly impact - often directly protect many millions of people As well as preventing some conflicts, ending sexual violence and protecting civilians, UN peacekeeping makes financial sense. Those 16 operations cost about $US 8 billion a year - just 0.5 percent of global military spending. US Ambassador, Susan Rice, has said that, “for every dollar that the US would spend [deploying its own forces in such countries], the UN can accomplish the mission for twelve cents”.
Imperfect but necessary The second Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold, said the UN wasn’t
“created in order to bring us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell”; and so it is that the Charter puts an imperfect but necessary Security Council at the very centre of an imperfect but necessary United Nations But, when used effectively, the Council is the only forum that can urgently respond to, and maybe prevent, humanitarian crises. … [I]t can send clear messages to rogue governments that threats to peace and security won’t be tolerated. … When the Security Council does speak, governments, media, civil society, and the public, must listen; the Security Council is the high table of international affairs. … We’re not members of the G8, G20, NATO or other key groupings; but we are directly affected by many of their decisions. It’s therefore in our interest to be seated at the same table as the world’s powers, and to participate in and influence their decisions. The full text of Hon Jim McLay’s address can be found at www.mfat.govt.nz/Media-andpublications/Media/MFAT-speeches/ 2010/0-25-August-2010.php
By Shannon Steven, Administrative Officer
Lachlan Mackay: A Farewell Lachlan Mackay will be leaving UNANZ on the 6 November 2010. Lachlan has been involved with UNANZ since 2008, and in his two years with the organisation he has held positions as a Wellington Branch Member, Special Officer for Peace and Security, a National Council Representative on the National Executive, and most recently as the Vice President of the organisation. Lachlan is moving on from UNANZ in order to devote more time to his studies in Management, and his commitment to the Interfaith movement. Recently Lachlan was appointed the International Ambassador in the New Zealand region for the World Parliament of Religions. In September Lachlan was also appointed Ambassador for the
Millennium Candle Campaign, a position which involves raising awareness for the Millennium Development Goals. In his farewell speech Lachlan wanted to pass on that he was extremely thankful for the support of UNANZ, saying that many individuals had gone out of their way to support him in his roles. He also noted that he was greatly inspired by the commitment of UNANZ members. Despite having busy lives members always take the time to volunteer for UNANZ, and that has been a trait that Lachlan strives to cultivate in himself. In the future, Lachlan hopes that UNANZ can move towards a more diverse membership base, and looks forward to seeing UNANZ flourish in the coming years.
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Though Lachlan will be missed particularly in the National Office, where he spent a lot of his time helping manage the administrative side of UNANZ - we are proud to see Lachlan in such highprofile roles, continuing his work in Peace and Security fields. We look forward to regular updates about his activities in the future. www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER OCTOBER 2010 2010
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REPORT: INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE UN 2010 SHANNON STEVEN Reporting on the 24 October National Branch Celebration of the International Day for the United Nations.
There was a green ladies coat left behind at Premier House. I am looking after it at the Office, please give me a call and I’ll arrange to get it back to you! (04) 496 9638 Image: Sir Don McKinnon addressing UNANZ UN Day attendees.
The United Nations Association of New Zealand’s National Branch held it’s annual celebration of the International Day for the United Nations, on Sunday the 24 October 2010. UNANZ looks forward to hosting our UN Day event every year, as it is an opportunity for us to mingle with our members, affiliated organisations, and various friends of the Association. It is also, in effect, UNANZ’s birthday - and who doesn’t enjoy a good birthday celebration! Guest speaker Sir Donald McKinnon spoke about New Zealand and the United Nations in history, and about New Zealand’s upcoming bid for a seat on the UN Security Council.
Premier House UN Day Celebration 24 October 2010
Richard Evans, National President of the United Nations Youth Association of New Zealand spoke about the Youth Association’s activities, and aims for the year ahead. Michael Powles, National President of UNANZ took a moment to thank our guests this year, and proposed a toast to the United Nations. This year our venue was a very regal looking Premier House, and we timed the event to allow for a light supper. We had a great turn-out, with roughly 70 people showing up to enjoy the night. We were also lucky enough to have with us Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, Member of Parliament, Phil Twyford, a number of embassy representatives,
UNYANZ National President Richard Evans
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Defence personnel who have been involved in New Zealand’s peacekeeping efforts overseas, and we had a great turn out of Youth Association members, and THIMUN Delegates. UNANZ is grateful to the Prime Minister John Key, and Margaret Smith for the use of Premier House, Stephan Pickett for setting mood with his lute and classical guitar, and the fundraising ladies from Wilton Playcentre who took care of serving the drinks and food. Thanks for helping us make the night a success! I hope everyone enjoyed UNANZ’s UN Day National and Branch activities. Heres to another successful year for UNANZ!
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, Sir James Belich, and Dame Laurie Salas
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UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
REPORT: 63RD UN DPI/NGO CONFERENCE GRAY SOUTHON ROBIN HALLIDAY JOHN MORGAN MARGARET ARNOLD LACHLAN MACKAY ELIZABETH CHAN WILSON CHAU
Image: UNANZ and UNYANZ Youth Delegates at the 2010 UN DPI/NGO Conference.
Gray Southon This annual conference is held by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) for Non Government Organisations (NGOs) to advance the relationship between NGOs and the UN. The Conference this year was held in the very new Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) at the invitation of the Australian Government, and was very well catered for. The theme was “Advance Global Health: Achieve the MDGs”, in advance of the UN General Assembly review of the MDGs on the 20th September. The development goals are designed to provide all communities with the basics of health, education and
Lachlan Mackay, UN Under Secretary-General Kiyo Akasaka, and Gray Southon
rights to enable them to manage their own development. It is now two thirds of the way through the 15 years of the target period of the NGO program, and we are now trying to understand how to achieve as much as possible in the last five years. While there have been some substantial achievements, particularly in education, the economic crisis has put some back, and much more effort is necessary to achieve these objectives. The meeting was attended by 1600 people from over 350 NGOs. The main program consisted mainly of panel discussions on topics such as: ✦ The role of NGOs and civil society in helping the MDGs ✦ Equity, Rights and Progress towards the MDGs ✦ Strengthening an integrated systems approach. ✦ Achieving the MDGs in our changing world. The emphasis was almost entirely on the community health level with little attention to the nature of health services to the role of clinicians. While only some of the MDGs were health focused, it was accepted that all the MDGs were interrelated, and issues such as education
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and women’s empowerment contributed much in health goals. Lack of rights was also an impediment to health – some felt that if people had their rights then they could address their own health problems. Political power had to be returned to the community. Making health services sensitive to cultural issues was important so the people felt in control of their lives. Sustainability was also an issue. The position of the Australian Aboriginal was strong, but there were also a number of other indigenous communities represented, particularly from the Pacific. There were some concerns about the MDG program, particularly that it was too narrow, there was insufficient commitment or too paternalistic. Aid was seen often to be about the wealthy countries giving money to the poor to make the poor more like them, rather than being a shared program of development. Increasing military expenditure also deflected needed resources. While attention was overwhelmingly in the developing countries, I felt that we needed to recognise that the living styles of the West provided an unsustainable model for the rest of the world to attempt to attain.
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UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER 2010 Coordination of the many NGOs in cooperation with the UN was a major issue. Examples of the way that organizations worked together were interesting, including the Rotary program to eradicate Polio. Faith-based organizations played a major role, and in some case took over some of the roles of government. I felt that the process of bringing together so many people from around the world was very stimulation, and the chance to view the various booths, and to talk to people with very different perspectives was valuable. A declaration was approved virtually unanimously. A draft of this had been circulated before the conference, and was open to amendments during the event.
Robin Halliday I attended the three day Conference as part of the 8 person delegation of the United Nations Association of New Zealand. Two delegates also attended from the United Nations Youth Association. The four Millennium Development Goals directly related to Global Health and agreed on in 2000 are that by 2015 all 189 United Nations Member States have pledged to: Goal 4 Reduce Child Mortality – Reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five. Goal 5 Improve Maternal Health – Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio. And provide access to sexual and reproductive health Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDs Malaria and other diseases – Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/ AIDS Goal 8 Develop Global Partnerships for Development. Overall I found the Conference a stimulating and satisfying experience – a kind of large UNA Conference with a theme, considerable resources and 1500 participants. Stimulating because of the calibre and professionalism of the presenters and satisfying because of the commitment and indeed passion of the delegates. While many of us do not claim to be Health Professionals the issue of Global
ISSUE N°3 Health is relevant to us all because it affects all. The delivery of MDGs are the responsibility of both developing and developed countries through Governments NGOs and private donors we were reminded that while communicable diseases in the Third world can and should be addressed non communicable diseases such as Cancer, Diabetes and Mental Health know no boundaries but their causes are identified differently. In workshops addressing these it was acknowledged that in developed world the causes are said to be related to affluence and life style but in the Developing world poverty and land dispossession were seen to be the trigger. This caused one professor a specialist in Diabetes to acknowledge he was doing some rethinking. For me was an acknowledgment that although through drugs we are achieving results we do not always know how to prevent these conditions. It is important though to share research across communities and to provide access to treatment. Non communicable diseases are now very much more evident in Developing countries partly because of improvements in the prevention of Malaria Polio HIV/ AIDS and improved Child Mortality figures influenced greatly by Clean Water and Sanitation. In China and India progress has been considerable but in our regional especially in PNG it has been mixed and in some cases has regressed. In Asia Afghanistan the continuing conflict has made it difficult to raise the levels in what was already a poor country and in Africa water Sanitation and agriculture are contributing factors.
John Morgan I thank the We the People Foundation, and the National Council of the United Nations Association of New Zealand UNANZ, for the opportunity to attend the Conference, an immensely valuable experience. Many thanks to my fellow delegate Robin Halliday, and to her son Iain and daughter-in-law Linda of Reservoir, Melbourne, for accommodation and convivial company.
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I found the five plenary 'Roundtable' sessions - please see the widely circulated references, particularly by my fellow delegate Lachlan Mackay, to how to locate details of the sessions , including names of participants, on the Internet - quite inspiring and stimulating. We heard cogent analyses from Roundtable speakers of the difficulty of the challenges facing both poor countries, and people in rich countries who wish to help them, who want to improve the health of the poorer people of the world. Speakers made an articulate and stirring plea for we rich nations not to accept the appalling statistics of maternal death, and of the death of so many children, because of inadequate nutrition and inadequate medical attention. Even when, as Dr Kumar Sujit Bramochary of Calcutta illustrated on his recent visit to Wellington Te Whanganui a Tara, when such medical attention would in many cases be cheap and simple. I feel that motivating the rich countries to help the poor countries will never be achieved by concentrating too much on how helping the poorer nations to achieve decent standards of housing, nutrition and health follows the notion of enlightened self-interest for the rich of the world, for example, notably in these days, with regard to the problem of terrorism. Rather there must be a focus on the moral imperative, as enshrined in all the major human rights instruments of the United Nations from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 to the more recent instruments such as the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I think my view was on the whole reflected by Roundtable speakers. It was something of a revelation to me, to learn in workshops I attended,
UNANZ Delegates, Margaret Arnold and Robin Halliday www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER 2010
Delegates Lachlan Mackay, Michael Shroff, Antony Vallyon, Kate Smith, and Gray Southon.
ISSUE N°3 The wording of the Millennium Declaration signed in 2000 by Heads of State and Governments, is as follows: “We will spare no effort to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law as well as respect for all internationally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development”. Human Development is about ✦ expanding the choices people have to lead lives they value; ✦ the resources which will make their choices meaningful; ✦ the security to ensure that these choices can be exercised in peace.
What was this consultation ABOUT?
UNANZ Delegates, John Morgan, Kate Smith, and Antony Vallyon
how terrible a scourge noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cardio-vascular disease and cancer, are to people in poor countries. The notion that NCDs are the preserve of rich people is completely mistaken, I learnt.
Margaret Arnold What was this consultation FOR? Some had to work to ensure that the final “Declaration” would in fact get to the Secretary General to become part of the input to the MDG summit this month – I had expected that to be a given! Reflection – who was this conference for? The Declaration contained a whole lot of details well known from the MDG Scorecard which will be available to the Summit – why then was the first page repeating these statistics? A lot of the outcomes to be ensured are related to systems to manage the lack of health rather than the creation of health. Reflection – How do we, the UNANZ, help our Government to gain perspectives/use this Declaration and how do we go about owning any challenges it contains for Aotearoa New Zealand?
Global Health – any focus on diseases and associated services (split unconvincingly, for me, into Communicable and non communicable) could not of itself be a sufficient attempt to advance global health which is so much more than the absence of disease. (My experience is that Health systems even by NGOs are not usually known for their holistic activism as they are usually built into deep even narrow silos which have evidence based data and protect great respectability internationally - they are very useful in partnerships but too often compromise others as they compete for funding.) For Global Health to advance it will require inhabitants to make some holistic changes and cooperate more generously ✦ to embrace and address the continuing abuse of land, sea and air – the environment we have forgotten we share and/or are destroying and to address its carrying capacity – consideration of biodiversity and interrelating sustainable populations; ✦ to listen to the communities of need – the inhabitants without sufficient food, clean water, shelter, freedom and hope; ✦ to acknowledge that some of our current ways of relating and governing individual, communal, national and global systems, mitigate against the safety and security of all and diminish the collective development the MDGs are attempting to use as the mechanisms to advance Global Health.
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Reflection – (a) How will we now prioritize our time, resources, knowledge, influence, privilege, health because we sent people to this consultation? (b) How/who will we listen to and what will our advocacy strategy be? (c) Should we change how we work and with whom we seek to partner?
UNANZ – the peoples movement of the UN aims to involve the power of civil society. Are we really educators within civil society? Are we supporting groups igniting the power of community to make the links with the MDGs and the advancement of Global Health? Possible supporting themes – understanding the environmental movement and its global and cultural impact on holistic health; ✦ NGOs and the military – evolving relationships in conflict and disaster zones ✦ Faith-based organizations/migrant diversity and public health ✦ Philanthropy and the Culture of Giving; Fair Trade cf Free Trade.
The voices I personally heard and wish to pay attention to: (a) The original Australian people (b) The people from small island states (c) The women whose lives are seriously affected, and too often terminated unnecessarily, by the consequences of a lack of universal and local gender equity (d) The children, especially girls, whose lives are stunted or cut short from lack of health systems, human rights and access to resources. (e) Those who take control of their communities and their health outcomes and create role models of sustainable, culturally appropriate and holistic health promotion. Maybe this is too general. I can share a lot of details and information but prior to that I think we need to hear the challenges to how our association is perceived and work it out together to be of use. We are wiser when we listen together and maybe we should choose to focus our message together.
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UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER 2010
Lachlan Mackay The 3 days were packed with meetings, attending roundtables and attending workshops as well as visiting the information booths of some of the NGO’s who came to the conference and networking with likeminded people and organisations. Throughout this conference I kept feeling that the idea of ‘empowerment through education’ was the key to success of achieving the M.D.G’s because if we are not able to reach out to the people most affected by poverty and disease and if we are not able to give them the tools and empowerment to live a healthy and sustainable life then we would fail in meeting the MDG goals at all let alone by 2015. Another key reflection for me from this conference was realising that there needs to be more collaboration with the young people of the world in the wider campaign to promote the MDG’s and advocate for the MDG’s. It is my view that young people could play a vital role in the leadership of this campaign and this was certainly echoed in the workshop: ‘Engage, Educate, Empower Youth to Advance Global Health: Youth Activism for the Millennium Development Goals’ where the attendees were inspired by the stories from Nick Allardice (The Oaktree Foundation), Alice Bleby (United Nations Youth Association of Australia), Chris Varney (World Vision Australia) and Alischa Ross (Youth Empowerment against HIV/ AIDS). Nick focused on a perspective of a youth-led organisation, Alice focused on the values and processes of youth participation, Chris focused on youth participation in large N.G.O’s and Alischa focused on young people in global advocacy forums. Throughout the conference there was concern on the fact that so far we, the international community, had not focused or emphasised as much on a human rights based approach to the MDG’s nor on gender equity and so many attendees successfully appealed for the final declaration of the conference to include stronger emphasis on these areas. For someone who doesn’t have expertise in health nor primary focus in
ISSUE N°3 health, the 63rd UN DPI/NGO conference on Advancing Global Health was an incredibly inspiring and informative experience. I have come away with a better understanding of the Millennium Development Goals and with the sense of urgency of encouraging not only our organisation or our government but also many like-minded organisations throughout New Zealand to put their support in the UN Secretary’s General’s appeal for assistance in order to achieve the MDG’s by 2015.
UNYANZ Delegates
Elizabeth Chan and Wilson Chau The 63rd UN DPI NGO Conference was held in Melbourne on 30 August to 1 September, focusing on the theme of advancing global health. Elizabeth Chan and Wilson Chau represented UNYANZ. The presence of so many NGOs under one roof created an atmosphere of enthusiasm and high energy. Although NGOs may hold diverse views, the NGO community shares one common desire: change. The clear consensus was that much more could and should be done by our governments and civil society to advance the MDGs. There was also a consensus that the word “progress” is meaningless unless the international community couples ambition with action. The youth aspect of the conference was the most enjoyable and effective part of the conference. The youth breakfasts were great. The conference offered a free (and delicious!) breakfast to all young people. There was usually a speaker who would facilitate discussion on a topic relevant to youth. The youth empowerment workshop was also very interesting. It was a great opportunity to hear about the work that the Oak Tree Foundation, World Vision Australia, the UN Youth Association of Australia and YEAH (Youth Empowerment Against HIV/AIDS) have carried out in the youth community. We have returned from the conference enthused about empowering young people in New Zealand towards achieving the MDGs. As Chris Varney, the Australian youth representative to the United Nations, said in his address to the
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UNIC Director Christopher Woodthorpe, and Lachlan Mackay
conference: “NGOs and the UN are a fellowship, and youth have a vital role to play in this fellowship...the MDGs are a blueprint, but will we step up to the challenge?...As 2015 dawns let this be a new morning for the children.” We thank UNYANZ and UNANZ for the opportunity to attend the 63rd UN DPI NGO Conference.
More Information
Contact the Delegates Individual delegate reports have been shortened in the interest of space. Additionally, many of the delegates have DPI/NGO resources from individual workshops and panel discussions in Melbourne. If you have any questions for our 2010 UN DPI/NGO delegates, please contact them via email: Delegation Leader: Antony Vallyon avallyon@blumail.org UNANZ Delegates: Robin Halliday rhalliday@paradise.net.nz Gray Southon gray@southon.net Margaret Arnold margaretarnold@xtra.co.nz Michael Shroff mshroff@ihug.co.nz John Morgan humanrights@unanz.org.nz UNANZ Youth Delegates: Lachlan Mackay mackay.lachlan@gmail.com Roneil Kintanar UNYANZ Delegates: Elizabeth Chan vp.education@unyanz.co.nz Wilson Chau auckland.uni@unyanz.co.nz www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
DECLARATION DOCUMENT 63RD ANNUAL UN DPI/ NGO CONFERENCE, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA www.undpi.org www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/ www.makinghealthglobal.com.au
For more information on the UN Progress Summit on the Millennium Development Goals, please visit: www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
This Declaration is agreed by the 1,600 participants representing over 350 NonGovernmental Organizations from more than 70 countries who met in Melbourne from 30 August to 1 September, 2010. Recognizing that: ✦ “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood1” ✦ The Millennium Development Goals are basic to human rights, to human development, and to equity; achieving the MDGs is a moral imperative. ✦ The Millennium Development Goals, all of which affect the health of populations, are significantly off-track for the poorest and least politically powerful people, despite progress in many countries and the increased efforts of the international community. ✦ Significant health challenges, targeted by the MDGs remain. They include: o One billion people do not have access to adequate and appropriate food o 2.6 billion people around the world lack access to an improved sanitation facility
o Eight out of 10 people who are without access to safe drinking water live in rural areas o Almost 9 million children die before the age of five; uncounted more have preventable disabilities o At least 340,000 women die each year of pregnancy-related causes, including the lack of trained health care professionals during childbirth o Millions of people die prematurely of non communicable diseases, as well as TB, malaria and complications of AIDS every year o An estimated 420 million people in developing countries have a disability; 267 million worldwide have preventable visual impairment o Human induced environmental degradation causes short and long term health threats including climate change. ✦ Most major physical and mental health problems of people in low income countries can be prevented or treated by well-informed individuals, families and communities; international and national efforts must do much more to support family and community based strategies. ✦ Communities have a right to a voice and significant influence in policy and
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programs that affect their health and well being. ✦ Informed citizens play a critical role in monitoring and improving the quality, effectiveness, and sustainability of health and other services. ✦ Financial constraints are being experienced by many countries as a result of the global financial crisis and budget priorities. This is not an excuse to reduce efforts to achieve the MDGs. ✦ The UN Secretary General has appointed an Advocacy Group to build political will and mobilize global action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. We, the people gathered here at the 63rd Annual United Nations DPI/NGO Conference, are in support of the Secretary General’s appeal for action and we call upon all governments, agencies, corporations and individuals to deliver on their human rights obligations to over a billion people living in poverty, by committing the finances and political will necessary to achieve the MDGs. We call on parties at all levels to: 1. Ensure that national health and nutrition plans prioritize integrated and evidence-based health promotion, illness prevention and treatment services for all people. www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER 2010 2. Actively support, encourage and resource community voices to be heard through active representation in program planning, implementation and evaluation; always including representation of women and men, children, youth and older persons, indigenous peoples, the disabled and marginalized groups. 3. Ensure that all agencies, including donors, involved in health promotion and healthcare delivery prioritize the formation and strengthening of national health systems to deliver, sustainable and equitable health improvements. Provide additional assistance where required to achieve equity in health related outcomes. 4. Ensure gender equality, empower women and expand programs to end violence against women. 5. Ensure governments respect and implement existing international covenants and agreements that will make major improvements to health such as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the International Code of Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes, and WHO’s Global Recommendations for the Retention of Health Workers. 6. Change international financial and trade systems so they create equality of opportunity for people in resource poor countries – fair trade not free trade and trade that maximizes health and well-being before profits 7. Ensure urgent needs for financing are met, such as the replenishment of the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations. 8. Significantly expand support for international and developing country
ISSUE N°3 NGOs. Coordinate activities among organizations, donors and governments to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness in support of services for the most vulnerable. 9. Advocate for the conversion of military spending to greater expenditures on: training and retraining health workers, teachers, and infrastructure for the health and education sectors. To achieve the objectives outlined above, the citizens of the world depend on the political will and moral commitment of governments and parties at all levels. In conclusion, it is unacceptable that so many children and adults in low income countries continue to suffer preventable illness, disability and premature deaths each year. The world knows how to prevent and treat most of the causes and has shown that wellfocused efforts can significantly reduce levels of suffering. The MDGs can be, indeed must be, achieved by 2015 This Declaration highlights the central role that individuals, families and communities must play in fostering global health. It compels all governments and health actors to respect the rights of communities while also maximizing the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of their work by leveraging community knowledge and support. We thank the people and Government of Australia, the State of Victoria, and the City of Melbourne, for their warm welcome and hosting of the 63rd Annual United Nations DPI/NGO Conference. Source: http://www.undpi.org/
UN RENEWAL GRAY SOUTHON For those who have given up on the reform of the Security Council, take heart – there is still progress. In fact, the first-ever negotiating text was issues earlier this year, with a revised text to be issued shortly. This is a 47 page document covering issues such as Categories of Membership, The question of the veto, Regional representation, Size of an enlarged Council and working methods, and the Relationship between the Council and the General Assembly. To find more about this program go to www.reformtheun.org. Another angle on UN Reform can be achieved from UBUNTU “The World Forum of Civil Society Networks” at www.ubuntu.upc.edu. Ubuntu is an African term for “Humaneness” (it is also the name of a software system, so don’t be confused). Anyway, they are featuring a campaign for the “Tobin” or “Robin Hood” Tax. This is a tax of 0.005% on all currency exchange transactions that would raise over $30 billion for development and other activities approved by the UN (e.g. Climate Change programs). It might also slow a little the frenetic pace of international transactions a fraction. (Note, this tax is about 1/1000 of the charges that we pay at the airport agencies!) There is increasing support for such a tax, detailed in a statement to the General Assembly, however it will undoubtedly be opposed by those wary of giving the UN too much power. It will be interesting to see what comes out of the current UN General Assembly session.
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www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY AUDREY VAN RYN Audrey Van Ryn from Northern Region Branch answers the question ‘What are you doing for the International Year for Biodiversity? audrey@writeaway.co.nz www.eco.org.nz In answer to the question, “What are you doing to recognise Biodiversity?” posed in the last issue of UNANZ News, I offer the following overview of a section of the ECO conference, held 2-4 July in Christchurch. ECO is the umbrella group for 66 NZ conservation and environment groups and I was one of about 70 who attended, in my role as a board member of Civic Trust Auckland. On the Sunday morning the conference programme was devoted to the topic “International Year of Biodiversity: Foundations for life”. The first speaker was Bruce Jeffries, vice-president of the World Commission on Protected Areas, which works in the area of landscape scale connectivity conservation - looking after some of our planet’s most special places by considering the landscape as a unit, rather than split up into countries with borders, e.g. the Y2Y: Yellowstone to Yukon, the Terai Arc Landscape across Nepal and India, and the sacred Himalayan landscape. The
methodology is Conservation Action Planning, which includes amassing a repository of plans, thus creating a learning network The organisation’s concerns include climate change, the pressure of human population, habitat destruction and the depletion of natural resources. In New Zealand, Bruce has proposed the McKenzie Basin as a conservation area. Next up was Kay Booth from the NZ Conservation Authority, speaking on biodiversity tourism, i.e. nature-based tourism and adventure tourism, and considering whether one benefits from the other. She noted that $59 million per day comes from tourism in NZ, naturebased tourism being its mainstay - in 2008 two million tourists took part in nature-based activities. She noted that the economic value of, for example, a national park, is based on use statistics, not intrinsic value. The tourism industry works in partnership with local groups as regards such activities as pest control and clean-ups, and engages in conservation advocacy through such initiatives as Whale Watch. The industry submitted on the Mining in Schedule 4 areas consultation, saying that, “Their mineral worth is a risk that the Tourism Industry
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Association does not believe is worth taking”. Mike McGinnis from Victoria University spoke on “Marine Biodiversity: ecosystem based management”. He talked about the loss of coastal communities and their stories, i.e. the loss of our maritime heritage, the consequence of less protein from the sea, meaning that more protein is required from the land and therefore more use of water and more use of oil due to the resulting exports. He said that NZ does not have governance for its oceans. In his view, ecological literacy is on the decline, with people becoming disconnected from their local environment. Leaders need to be educated, he said, groups need to work together and funding should not be connected to industry or other vested interests. Cath Wallace, co-chair of ECO, gave a rundown on the issue of mining on Schedule 4 land, through her slide presentation showing what mining actually looks like in terms of what happens to the land. Her view is that we should leave minerals where they are until we can use less intrusive ways of getting them out.
www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS NOVEMBER OCTOBER 2010 2010 Geoff Keey from Greenpeace also addressed the mining controversy and referred to the associated “extraordinary rhetoric” coming from the government, e.g. last year the government said it was not interested in mining in lands of value. He noted certain tensions within government ranks: Nicky Wagner and Nikki Kaye having personal views which differ from their party line. It is recognised that the government is looking at undeveloped areas due to economic pressures. He noted that until the Schedule 4 controversy much mining has taken place without the public being aware of it. Now people are more aware of mining per se and more ready to question the economic benefits, current mines thus “now vulnerable to public opinion”. Steve Wratten from Lincoln University spoke on “Conserving biodiversity in modified landscapes: worth the bother?” He told us that on 70% of the lowlands in NZ only 1% of their vegetation remains. He noted that business is starting to take note of biodiversity loss, for example, the dairying industry involves huge costs with massive energy use and therefore is not sustainable. He reinforced the message that monoculture and pesticides are bad and that organic is good and that there is a need to recognise the value of nature’s services e.g. friendly plants which provide what beneficial insects need. Marine biodiversity conservation was the topic of Duncan Currie from Globelaw. He emphasised that oceans are critical to life on Earth and that due
ISSUE N°3 to climate change the oceans are under pressure and are low on oxygen. We need to revise our current ocean governance, our fisheries need to be assessed so we know what’s there and we need to establish marine reserves: places where there are controls. There are some good UNGA agreements on paper but they are not necessarily being implemented. Biodiversity loss is a global economic risk. . On Sunday evening we were treated to what was the highlight of the conference for many, due to excellent filming of huge tracts of ice and snow and the scenes of fish and penguins: extracts from the self-funded feature documentary by Peter Young called “Ross Sea – The Last Ocean”, the basic premise of which is that there should be no fishing in the Ross Sea. A trust called FORSE (Friends of the Ross Sea) has been established, consisting of scientists as well as many groups, with the main aim of turning the Ross Sea into a marine protected area. This sea is the most pristine area on the planet and is seen as our last chance to understand how a marine ecosystem functions. Many nations are now fishing in the Ross Sea for Antarctic toothfish, sold as “Chilean sea bass”. A longline fishing method is used, which catches everything else too, including corals and anemones. www.lastocean.co.nz ECO has carried out sterling work over several decades in the areas of conservation and the environment. I would like to see UNANZ become one of ECO’s member groups.
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2010 IS THE UN INTL YEAR FOR BIODIVERSITY, AND THE UN INTL YEAR FOR YOUTH
UNANZ WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO RECOGNIZE THEM
www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS OCTOBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
BOOK REVIEW DAME LAURIE SALAS lsalas@xtra.co.nz Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time By: Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin Published by Penguin (2006) NZ $30-00 Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan By: Greg Mortenson Published by Penguin, (2009 ) NZ $30-00
These two books tell a remarkable tale of a genial and resourceful American man, ex-Marine, devoted husband and father, who believes that fostering education in places like Pakistan and Afghanstan is a better way of winning hearts and minds than dropping bombs. A keen mountaineer he was aiming to reach the summit of Mount K2 – the ‘Savage Peak’ - , in 1993, but lost his way and landed up in a remote village where he was given food and shelter by a local family headed by a kindly elder who became his lifelong mentor. Greg Mortensen - Dr. Greg as he became known because of his nursing skills – recovered his strength thanks to the family’s care and attention, and later asked to see the village school. He was dismayed to see that the children had to sit outside for their lessons, and to scratch in the dust to write their figures and letters , having no books or slates. Because of his conviction that all children, particularly girls, should have ready access to schools with teachers he determined to initiate the building of a proper school in this village, so, having consulted the local people about probable costs for building materials and been given the promise of voluntary labour, he returned to America and set about raising
money for the enterprise. He had no response to his initial approach to some 580 potential donors, but through a happy coincidence he became acquainted with a Swiss physicist, who had made a lot of money from his invention of the silicon chip. This man was impressed by Mortensen’s plan for building a school for a remote village in Pakistan, and donated the first $12,000 for this school, later provided funds for many more schools. The story details the growth of the movement for village schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan which involved: - the setting up of an administrative body, the Central Asia Institute; hundreds of fundraising meetings in America, at which Mortensen spoke and showed slides; the approaches for support to people in high places such as the President of Pakistan and high-ranking American military officers as well as to children in American schools; the constant consultation with the local elders and influential women in the villages. Always he had the loving support of his wife and children who had to carry on family life on their own sometimes for months at a time . Over the next decade Mortensen initiated the building of fifty-five schools in Pakistan and many more in the remote parts of Afghanistan where threats from
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the Taliban were a constant worry. Mortensen tells the story in association with his co-writer, and comes through as a most engaging and unselfish man with a real respect and fondness for his Muslim friends and helpers: he was brought up by Christian missionaries but never tries to impose his own religion on the local people. The title of the first book (which as a best-seller sold 3 million copies in the United State) reflects the local “business custom” in Pakistan: “We do business by drinking three cups of tea, the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, the third you join our family, for whom we will do anything”. Another thing which comes through, in the second book, is the revelation that the US military are really trying to absorb and understand the culture of the local Afghan people, in an effort reach their hearts and minds; some of the ‘top brass’ are fully supportive of Mortensen’s programmes and of his keen desire to see girls properly educated. The narrative is well-written and there are many interesting photographs. As one of the reviews says: ‘His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit”. www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS OCTOBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
KIA ORA GAZA PROJECT UPDATE AUDREY VAN RYN The Kia Ora Gaza team left London on 18 September to join a convoy of vehicles bound for the Gaza with Aid supplies.
Audrey is a UNANZ Northern Region Branch Member. audrey@writeaway.co.nz
My husband Chris is in an ambulance as I write this … but thankfully not on a stretcher in the back. That space is packed to the gunwales with medical supplies, bound for Gaza. He is one of six Kiwis who left London on 18 September, driving one of the three Kia Ora Gaza ambulances as part of a huge convoy of vehicles carrying supplies specifically requested by groups in Gaza. The Kia Ora Gaza team is traveling through Greece as I write, having spent the night in tents. I recall the protest in Auckland on 5 June against the Israeli attack on the Mavi Marmara. Some of our Northern Region Branch joined the march down Queen St and three of us together read a statement on behalf of UNANZ which included the following: “The United Nations Association of New Zealand supports the calls for: the immediate ending by Israel of the counterproductive and unacceptable blockade of the Gaza Strip ensuring the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza”. The full statement is on the UNANZ website. It is aligned with statements by the UN, such as the following:
“The United Nations Human Rights Committee has found Israel in violation of its commitments under international law. The violations identified by the Committee include forced evictions of Palestinians from their homes, the demolition of Palestinian homes, and denying Palestinians access to safe drinking water and sanitation. “The Committee found that the Israeli violations of Palestinians’ housing rights, including forced evictions and house demolitions in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. “For the first time ever, the Human Rights Committee also addressed denial of access to water and sanitation as violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), finding that in the case of Israel, they amounted to violations of the right to life and the right to equal protection under the law.” (8 August 2010)
From the General Assembly President M. Joseph Deiss:
are blocked by Israel. The United Nations has repeatedly called on Israel to lift the blockade, but Israel continues to impose collective punishment on Gaza’s civilian population, in contravention of international law. Israel must heed the call of the international community to release its stranglehold on civilian life in the Gaza Strip and to lift the illegal blockade.” (30 November 2009) Chris was on that 5 June protest. On 7 July he went to the public meeting calling for volunteers to go to Gaza. He applied to be one of them, was successful, and has been appointed vice-captain of the five-man, one-woman team. His driving partner is Hone Fowler, son of Roger Fowler, the team captain. The latest email Chris has sent me, on 24 September, reads, “It is tough going here but I am not complaining. I do not mind the discomfort. I do not mind the tiredness. For four weeks of my life I have become singularly focused and now, I can feel the energy growing so that it will all descend on the port of El Arish when our real time comes to be tested”.
“International efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip and to assist its civilian population
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www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS OCTOBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
By Audrey Van Ryn Northern Region Branch Special Officer for Peace and Security
Auckland Peace Heritage Walk Why was I standing on the summit of Maungawhau on one of the windiest days of the year, my bicycle teetering on the edge of the crater? I had figured that there was a small possibility that someone in Auckland might not be deterred by the weather from setting out on the Auckland Peace Heritage Walk. While I was up the volcano my friend Janet was down at ground level in Ponsonby by the VAANA mural (Visual Artists Against Nuclear Arms), in case anyone turned up there. I created the Auckland Peace Heritage Walk last year as the Auckland event for the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. I entered it again this year as an event in the Auckland Heritage Festival and again it was the UN Peace Day event for Northern Region Branch
Michael Shroff & Audrey Van Ryn on Maungawhau
and run in conjunction with Civic Trust Auckland, a group that works to protect Auckland’s heritage and environment. In contrast to last September when about 500 people took part, this year the event was very small in scale. For a start, there were no international visitors and no AUT event management students involved. This year I ran the event over both a Saturday and a Sunday, and from two different starting points, to end at QEII Square, which was the starting point last year. Auckland UNYANZ members were on hand to organise participants into a human peace sign at the conclusion of the walk, but via text, I let them know that nine people (Sat) and eight people (Sun) were not, in my opinion, enough to form a peace sign - well, maybe we could have got creative, but not in that wind!
Auckland Peace Heritage Walkers!
On the Saturday I met my friend Ivan on the mountain, who’d gone all the way up on his mobility scooter, and then I cycled to QEII Square to meet the walkers. When I called at the Peace Place in Emily Place, Chris and Brendan gave me a lovely reception and a cup of tea. Pictured at QEII Square are, from left: Emily Chai, president of Auckland UNYANZ, Gil Hanly, Janet Begg, Margaret Thomson from Dunedin (who’s writing a book about peace sites around NZ), Grant Morgan and Robyn Hughes from Kia Ora Gaza, and Auckland Central MP, Nikki Kaye, who’d attended the event last year. On Sunday I cycled to Maungawhau for the 11am start and met Michael Shroff, vice-president of Northern Region Branch, at the summit, and we walked via the Auckland Domain sites to QEII Square, sheltering from the rain several times. We assumed that the other walkers had left the Square by this time, but we held up the UN banner in front of Ahi Kā for a short time. The updated brochure of the Auckland Peace Heritage Walk is on the UNANZ website. audrey@writeaway.co.nz
By Gray Southon, Special Officer for WFUNA
WFUNA Notes
The WFUNA web site (www.wfuna.org) is featuring the International Year of Youth August 2010 – with a August 2011, a series of youth seminars, the first to be held in Oslo. This is good news following the report on WFUNA Youth last issue. The website is also featuring the UNA of Slovenia. UN Connections provide an overview on Nuclear Non-proliferation and disarmament, with a summary of the outcomes of the 2010 Review Conference, and a report from the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) by Randy Rydell, the Senior Political Affairs Officer.
WFUNA has been making some substantial progress in reviving the Indonesian UNA, which fell into inaction recently. Through UNA Australia there has been progress in PNG and other areas of the Pacific. Soon we should have some more neighbors to work with.
The WFUNA Sec-Gen on Youth Issues “[It] is of the utmost importance that this issue is clarified, youth are fully integrated into WFUNA’s activities, they are included in decision-making, and that no momentum is lost as a result of any
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confusion that may be have arisen in our network. Towards this end, I will continue consultations with UNAs and UNYAs to find the best long-term solution for a structure for WFUNA’s youth activities for presentation to the next Plenary Assembly in 2012. However, so as not to deter progress in the nearfuture, I will use the information I have been gathering from UNA and UNYA leaders to come-up with an interim solution, so that we don’t have to wait until the next Plenary Assembly to move forward.” wfuna@unanz.org.nz. www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS OCTOBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
By Lachlan Mackay Special Officer for Peace and Security
Book Club: The Challenge of Peace The Great War for Civilisation Robert Fisk (2005) .A comprehensive survey of 25 years of Middle Eastern conflict. Notable for its depth of observation and insight and for the vividness of its descriptions of particular events and people. Fisk has a strong affection and respect for the suffering majority of Palestinians and Israelis inexorably caught up in the storm of violence, fear, mythology, and hatred that the former territory of Palestine has become. Crimes of War 2.0 Anthony Dworkin, Roy Gutman, and David Rieff (2007) An A-Z guide to the laws governing armed conflict and their application in practice. The chapters include discussions
of the crimes prohibited by international humanitarian law, key terms relating to modern warfare, analysis of legal categories, and case studies showing the place of war crimes in recent conflicts. Challenges to Peacebuilding Edward Newman, Oliver Richmond (2006) Managing Spoilers during Conflict Resolution. "Spoilers" are broadly defined as groups and tactics that actively seek to hinder, delay, or undermine conflict settlement. In this volume they present six theoretical papers exploring spoiling behavior and eight case studies. Topics in the
theoretical section include links between devious objectives and spoiling behavior, terrorism as a tactic of spoilers, the role of diasporas, and the spoilage aspects characteristics of ‘new wars’. The cases discuss conflict resolution processes in Northern Ireland, Basque Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, IsraelPalestine, Cyprus, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and the Kashmir. The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace Howard Zinn and A stirring anthology of writings about peace and nonviolence from Buddha to Arundhati Roy. The Power of Nonviolence presents the most salient and persuasive arguments for peace in the last 2,500 years of human history.
By Richard Evans National President for the United Nations Youth Association of New Zealand
UNYANZ Update Strategic Plan In July, the National Council agreed on a Strategic Plan for the 12 months ahead. This has a particular focus on governance and the mechanics of the organization. We’re learning a great deal from others in the NGO community. I have bi-monthly Skype meetings with the President of UNYA Australia, for example, with two officeholders traveling to an UNYA National Council in December. There is also an ongoing focus on better understanding the value of our programmes, and on better explaining that value. Relationships with other organisations are bearing real fruit in this area.
National Events NZ Model UN 2010 was one of our most successful ever, ably led by Mary DaviesColley and her team. Planning is well underway for NZ Model UN 2011, with
Scott Summerfield at the helm as coordinator. Planning is similarly underway for Youth Declaration 2011. Youth Declaration sees approximately 150 students from around the country come together to debate and distill their views on some of the challenges facing young New Zealanders. Past declarations have been presented to the Governor-General, regional Mayors and Members of Parliament. NZ Model Security Council, our tertiary level flagship, was held in Christchurch in August. Appropriate for the programme’s Canterbury debut, the theme was water. We’ve recently invited bids to host the 2011 conference.
Regions Most UNYANZ regions have come to the end of their calendars, as officeholders and secondary school students alike face exams.
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Particularly notable are the Model UN events run outside of UNYANZ’s traditional bases – in Nelson, Greymouth, Palmerston North, Porirua and New Plymouth (in partnership with the New Plymouth District Council). Students, schools and communities generally have been enthusiastic about these events. With 2010’s programmes over, attention turns to the 2011 calendar.
Use us Remember to make the most of us. Those UNANZ regions that run Model UNs are encouraged to use the resources we have available online and to seek the support of officeholders who can support you. We would also appreciate it if you could connect the delegates who attend your events to UNYANZ, so that they can pursue their interest – by attending NZ Model UN or YouthDec, or by simply being in our loop so they can hear of other opportunities. www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS OCTOBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
BRANCH REPORTS BRANCH PRESIDENTS UNANZ has active regional Branches in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wanganui, Wellington, and Christchurch. The best way to get involved in UNANZ is through your nearest regional branch. Akld: auckland@unanz.org.nz Wkto: waikato@unanz.org.nz Tga: tauranga@unanz.org.nz Wnui: wanganui@unanz.org.nz Wgtn: wellington@unanz.org.nz Chch: canterbury@unanz.org.nz
Image: Northern Branch Members Michael Shroff, and Audrey Van Ryn Branch President Gray Southon
Tauranga
Tauranga Branch had a very successful Junior Model UN on Saturday 21st August when 50 students addressed issues of Sports for Peace, and the Rights of Child Refugees. It was chaired by Miles Jones, a student member, addressed by Jean-Paul Bizoza, and prizes were presented by Stuart Crosby, the Mayor. Jean-Paul also addressed a general meeting the night before on the challenges of being and of managing refugees. We are very grateful for JeanPaul, and the Northern President, George, Valentine for coming from Auckland to assist us.
Branch President George Valentine
Northern Region
There are a number of activities in which the Northern Region branch has been involved during the last quarter that should be reported. A few of us participated in the demonstration down Queen Street, Auckland, carrying the UN flag, against the Israeli aggression against the people of Gaza and the murder of those trying to provide humanitarian assistance. This demonstration was peaceful but noisy and culminated in a shoe-throwing
demonstration at the US ConsulateGeneral. We felt, from our observations and the comments that were made to us, that this involvement of UNANZ had been a very positive show of our support for the beleaguered people of Gaza. It is important that we should all recognise the commitment of Audrey van Ryn’s husband, Chris, who is now on the Kia Ora Gaza flotilla making its way to Gaza with a substantial amount of humanitarian assistance. Jean-Paul Bizoza gave two very effective and eloquent presentations about his experiences as a refugee from Burundi: one was at a meeting, in Gray’s home, of the Tauranga branch, the other at the Model United Nations Assembly. The young people who participated in the MUNA, in their assessment of the day, all mentioned how much they had gained from what Jean-Paul had to say. We have agreed to co-sponsor (no financial commitment) the Soka Gakkai International New Zealand (Buddhists) Exhibition at Massey University from 20 to 24 September. The Exhibition is promoting the statement from the preamble of the UNESCO Constitution: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences
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of peace must be constructed.” George will be giving a speech to formally open the Exhibition, along with two members of parliament: Vikki Kaye and Phil Twyford. Auckland Peace Heritage Walk: this was launched during the Auckland Heritage Festival 2009 as part of the World March for Peace and NonViolence. The Walk this year was organised by Civic Trust Auckland and UNANZ, Northern Region Branch.
Branch President Robin Halliday
Wellington
It was great to Celebrate International Day of Peace and my 70th birthday with UNA Wellington members and friends. Wellington branch has been focused on the UNANZ delegation to the UN DPI/NGO Conference in Melbourne in early September. The topic was Advance Global Health and Delivery of the Health related Millennium Development Goals. As part of our focus on the Pacific in July and August we had held a lunch hour Forum with Public Health experts and those with a knowledge of the Pacific to prepare ourselves for the Conference and on Friday 8th October we will follow this up with a similar Forum and www.unanz.org.nz
UNANZ NEWS OCTOBER 2010 debriefing session where we will hear reports from the Melbourne Conference and from MDG Summit in New York September 20-21. On October 20th and 21st there is a Seminar on Africa -- organised by NZIIA but with some sponsorship from UNANZ .If you are able to go do ring the National office as we are offering some subsided places. Tel 496 9638 Email office@unanz.org.nz On the 20th Dr Keith Suter former UNAA President and a Futurist and communicator on International Affairs will speak at Turnbull House at 12.15 – 1.30 on ‘Is the Global Economy Heading for a Major Crash?’. Four scenarios on the Future of the Global Economy. This is a joint meeting with Wellington UNA and NZ Futures Thinking Aotearoa.
Branch President Mary McGiven
Canterbury
Canterbury Branch has (understandably!) been a little shaken up following the earthquake, but still organised a celebratory church service on the 24th October for UN day at the Christrchurch Cathedral. We also held our Model United Nations General Assembly on 28 October. with ten schools took part, with 31 Delegations attending, and over 100 students in total. During October Canterbury Branch, in conjunction with Community Education at the University of Canterbury ran the ‘Future of World’ Lecture series with presenters Terence O’Brien, Gareth Moore-Jones, Keith Suter, and Kevin Clements.
Branch President Mano Manohoran
ISSUE N°3 dressed in the national costume of the country they represent. We do not charge registration fee from the students but we encourage many students to take part in the assembly. Management School of Waikato University provide the Cooper Lecture Theatre in Price Water House free of charge and also provide morning tea for the students. We also request the students not to bring lunch and afternoon tea since we provide them out of the grants we receive from funding organizations. Our duty is to educate the future generation about how UN works. In my opening speech of the assembly I asked the students who is the first female head of the UNDP. Only one student knew the answer “ Hon.Helen Clark”. We had over 65 students from various schools representing 25 countries. Topic for the day was “A declaration of Economic rights of Nation states”. Schools are taking interest in the event and encouraging more and more students to take part. Students had commented that they have learnt a lot by attending the event. Letters received from the teachers indicate that they are looking forward to the 2012 model UN assembly. Best debating trophy was won by the team from Hillcrest High School representing Brazil, best team leader speech was won by Hamilton Boys High School representing Russia, and the best dressed team prize was won by Hamilton Boys High School representing Mexico. On 6th September 2010 we represented the branch at the citizenship ceremony where 120 residents took New Zealand citizenship.
Waikato
Branch President Kate Smith
Model UN is a simulation of the United Nations. At the Model UN students assume the roles of Ambassadors to the United Nations and seek ways, through the means of diplomacy and negotiation, for the world community to find solution to global concerns, while speaking from the viewpoint of the member state they are representing. At Waikato we add something more to our MUN’s by allocate the countries to students and we request them to come
Wanganui Branch ran a successful Peace Day, in conjunction with Operation Peace Through Unity, planting Gingko Trees in Queens Park, hosting a pannel discussion at the Quaker Settlement, followed by a dinner. We also publicised the Millions and Millions for Peace Campaingn, more information can be found here: www.amillionminutesforpeace.org
Wanganui
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NEWS IN BRIEF WINNERS OF SECOND ANNUAL ‘CITIZEN AMBASSADORS TO THE UNITED NATIONS’ VIDEO CONTEST Winners Honoured for Creative Takes on Reaching Millennium Development Goals. The Department of Public Information today announced the six winners of the second annual “Citizen Ambassadors to the United Nations” video contest, which focused this year on the Millennium Development Goals. The selected videos were created by citizens of Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Russian Federation, Mexico and the United States. From more than 400 entries, the six winners were selected by a panel of United Nations officials and contest partners. They are: Adetoye Oremosu, age 32 ( Nigeria), Mansour Albadran, age 18 ( Saudi Arabia), Olga Shibaeva, age 28 ( Russian Federation), Gerardo Mendoza Capetillo, age 23 ( Mexico), Adam Burtle, age 29 ( United States) and Connor Parker, age 19 ( Australia). The winning videos can be viewed at www.uncitizenambassadors.org. UNANZ ON THE WEB Join UNANZ on Facebook! www.facebook.com/UNANZ
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UNANZ NEWS OCTOBER 2010
ISSUE N°3
UNANZ
National Council and Affiliates National President Michael Powles Immedate Past President Antony Vallyon National Vice Presidents Lachlan Mackay and Graham Kelly Treasurer Robin Haliday
Branch Presidents Northern Region: George Valentine Waikato: Mano Manoharan Tauranga: Gray Southon Wanganui: Kate Smith Wellington: Robin Halliday Canterbury: Mary McGiven UNYANZ Inc: Richard Evans Honorary Life Members
Special Officers Lachlan Mackay - Peace and Security John Morgan - Human Rights Gray Southon - UN Renewal Jean-Paul Bizoza - Humanitarian Affairs Gray Southon - WFUNA Liaison Cherie Jameson - Sustainable Dev. Lynette Hardie-Wills - Model UN National Council Representatives Izolda Kazemzadeh and Margaret Arnold Ordinary Members Margaret Arnold, Alyn Ware, Ivan Demsen, Marie Nissanka Affiliate Representatives Bradley McDonald, Beryl Anderson, Joy Dunsheath
Gwen Ryan, Margaret Knight, Dame Laurie Salas, Robin Halliday, Lady Rhyl Jansen, Joan Morrell, Grace Hollander, Ivan Demsem, Carrick Lewis, Patricia Morrison, Diana Unwin, Clinton Johnson, Antony Brooke, Gita Brooke, Mary Gray, Colin McGregor Affiliate Members Baha’i Faith Office External Affairs Humanist Society of NZ NCCD NZ Assn of Rationalists & Humanists NZ Council of Trade Unions Operation Peace Through Unity Soroptimist International SW Pacific UNIFEM Zonta Club of Wellington
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ABOUT THE UNANZ NEWS The UNANZ News is the quarterly publication of the United Nations Association of New Zealand. UNANZ News welcomes articles, short letters, and images from outside sources. If you would like to submit something for consideration, please send it to the newsletter editor Shannon Steven.
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