Human Wrongs Watch
Palestine Becomes a UNESCO Full Member Despite U.S. Threat to Cut off Funding
Paris –The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today Octobre 31, 2011 voted to admit Palestine as a full member of the Paris-based agency.
UNESCO’s General Conference, the agency’s highest ruling body, took the decision by a vote of 107 in favour to 14 against, with 52 abstentions, according to a news release.
Just Help the Banks, Not the Cooperatives – These Generate Only $ 1,1 Trillion and Benefit Barely 800 Million People
While European politicians are spending millions of euro on never-ending summits to seek the best way how to further fund their banks through new re-capitalisation plans, cooperatives silently gather over 800 million people in 100 countries, employing more than 100 million persons worldwide—that’s 20% more than the multinationals, without due attention from politicians.
Bangladesh: Cell Phones Are More Popular than Toilets
‘By some measures, Bangladesh is modernizing rapidly – one in two residents now owns a cell phone. However, when it comes to basic sanitation, progress is clogged.’
While some point to obstacles of funding and a lack of political leadership, others say toilets, despite their long-established health benefits, have an image problem, adds IRIN,
World’s Elderly Face Abuse, Stigmatization and Violence
They now total 700 million people. By 2050 they will be about two billion or over 20 per cent of the world’s population. Many of them are still vibrant and essential contributors to the development and stability. Yet, they are largely excluded from the wider global and national development agendas.They are the elderly–our parents and grandparents.