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GCAP eletter 15

 

 

 

GCAP Together for Equality English

 

 

 

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THE GCAP E-LETTER 2007

 

5th December 2007 - Edition #15

 

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The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is a growing alliance of trade unions, community groups, faith groups, women and youth organisations, NGOs and other campaigners working together across more than 100 national platforms. GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality.
The white band is our symbol and expression of solidarity against poverty.

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Dear Friends,

This is a busy week for GCAP worldwide and one in which we need your help and participation in several appeals and actions. 

Firstly, a team has headed to Bali for the UNFCC Convention.  GCAP Indonesia and SENCA have worked closely with the IFT Support team to produce a climate change policy paper, promotional materials, agree spokespersons, sign-off press materials and write blogs. The Global Day of Action on Climate Change is on December 8th so please organise an action if at all possible to support the goals of this meeting wherever you are.  All details are below.

GCAP India, Wada-Na-Todo-Abhiyan, is also appealing for support from fellow GCAP coalitions following a violent human rights incident last week. A peaceful rally led by All Adivasi Students in the North Eastern State of Assam was grievously attacked by a mob killing 25 tribal activists. 20 activists are still missing and over 200 were injured.  Women were made the target of humiliation, including a horrific instance of a 16-year old Adivasi girl who was stripped and beaten while being chased by the mob across the city of Guwahati and which has shaken the whole country in India. Members of the local NGO network PAJHRA in Assam were involved and affected by this incident.  They have appealed for solidarity and support to ensure that they receive justice.  Please add your name to the letters of protest being sent to the Indian government as outlined below.

Also in India, the National Conference of Dalit Organisations, NACDOR, is holding a huge rally at the Indian Parliament on Wednesday Dec 5th opening a four-day conference. Last month they mobilised about half a million people across India and their focus is getting political party participation and hand over an Agenda for Action to the Prime Minister.

Our third appeal is for our Ethiopian colleagues Daniel and Netsanet who learnt on Friday Nov 30th that the verdict in their treason trial had unforgivably been delayed yet again.  The latest date for the verdict is December 24th when a newly appointed judge will join the court.  We are working closely with CIVICUS and human rights defenders groups in Amnesty and Frontline to set up a pre-Christmas appeal so that people all over the world can send messages of support to both men before the 24th.  Details will be posted on whiteband.org and e-mailed to regional secretariats this week.  They need your words of encouragement.

Mombassa is the scene for this week’s UNMC Africa meeting which follows from the global retreat in Milan last month.  GCAP coalition representatives will join other UNMC partners to review the year gone by and discuss action plans for 2008.  Sarah will be present from the IFT Support Team and feed back. 

Africa also prepares to keep the heat on the EU as the Lisbon Summit approaches on the 8th.  A join GCAP EUROPE and AFRICA press statement has been drafted by a working group and will be circulated to accredited media in the coming days.  GCAP is calling for a total re-think of the trade agreements being negotiated between the two and which stand to leave African’s worse off.


The discussion and consultations with GCAP constituencies and IFT are going on for the mobilization options, strategies and possible dates for 2008. The process wil be culminated on next IFT call on December 13th.


A transition committee has been set up to facilitate IFT support team in effective and efficient implementation of future structure proposal 2007.


Finally, please note that the CIVICUS World Assembly registration is now open it’s a good opportunity for GCAP constituents to come together  and network.  All the information on registration and the limited number of bursaries available is on http://www.civicusassembly.org/default.asp?page=13&item=51

Regards,

Irfan Mufti, GCAP Campaign Manager &  the IFT Support Team

MOBILISATION Update


Actions
BALI –Ben Margolis, Lani Villanueva and Chona Ramos are on the ground in Bali for the next 2 weeks and will be writing regular blogs on the seminars, meetings and atmosphere there.  They want to represent the views and voices of all friends so encourage input and analysis of the impact of climate change in GCAP countries and around the world.

December 8th is the main day of action against climate change global.  The bigger the mobilizations in each country , the higher the impact on the meetings in Bali so please log on see globalclimatecampaign.org for details of what is happening in your country and see if GCAP can support this or lead in some way.  We encourage all coalitions to send letters and the GCVAP poityc paper ( insert link) to their Environment minister and head of state before this date too.

INDIA – A template letter condemning the mob attack in Assam last week  can be downloaded and personalized on whiteband.org.  For more information on the incident please contact Mr. Stephen Ekka at pajhra@rediffmail.com, Web:  http://joharadivasi.org; Tel: +91 9435082656/ 371 2237870
Or
Lysa John & Pasang D Lepcha,
Wada-Na-Todo-Abhiyan National Secretariat
Tel: 91-11-46082371 to 74 / Fax: 91-11-46082372
Email: info@wadanatodo.net / Web:  www.wadanatodo.net

Reminder:  Reporting on what happened in your country on October 17th
If you have not already done so, please mail tebogo.sililo@civicus.org and sarah.gregory@civicus.org in no more than 250 words for the country report section of the GCAP annual report. Please include:
•    key mobilisation dates and activities
•    political demands and impact. 
Please also attach 2 photographs from your campaign this year and return this no later than December 18th, 2007.

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE


Pre and post November 30th press notes issued for Ethiopian activist’s trial in conjunction with CIVICUS.

Irfan Mufti and Julian Vaissier, GCAP Europe, were interviewed for Danish daily Kristeligt Dagblad and a European publication EuroPolitics.

LISBON EU/AFRICA SUMMIT (December 8–10) A small working group has drafted a press statement for GCAP regarding the summit.  It will be available online for local dissemination and GCAP working to establish who can represent Africa at the meeting and do interviews.

GCAP is working on its presence at the launch of the year of action to mark the 60th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Dec 10th) in Cape Town.  Kumi will represent GCAP and CIVICUS and will be accompanied by Katsuji Imata.

E-COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE


Join the GCAP E-Activism Study (by Brian Cugleman): So far, many websites operators have joined the GCAP E-Activism Study. If you are not yet participating, we invite to complete the online questionnaire and to invite others to do.  The study's closing date been extended till the end of December.
•    English
•    Español
•    Français
•    Português

 
eCampaigning Forum 2008
The next eCampaigning Forum will be 10-11 April in Oxford, UK. This year it will be held at St Anne's College based on popular demand and can accommodate up to 100 people.  The registration process will be launched at the end of next week. More on the cost estimate .

This year, there is some additional space at the venue for one or more groups to hold a pre-meeting on 8-9 April.  This is likely of interest for GCAP web masters and online communication officers and editors. The IFT support team will liaise with GCAP sites managers and investigate the opportunity of a GCAP web and new media staff and volunteers meeting at the eCampaigning forum.

More information: Duane Raymond, FairSay - Making Campaigning Count - fairsay.com

Some useful links


The GCAP IFT Support Team

Irfan Mufti, Campaign Manager 
Ciara O’Sullivan, Media and Communication Coordinator (E-letter editor)
Sarah Gregory, Outreach and Mobilization Coordinator  
Henri Valot, Web and New Media Coordinator 
Caitlin Blaser, Campaign Officer
Tebogo Sililo, Support Team Volunteer

GCAP IFT support team
C/O CIVICUS
PO Box 933, Southdale 2135
Johannesburg – South-Africa
Email: info@whiteband.org
Tel: + 27 11 833 59 59    Fax: + 27 11 833 97 79







GCAP Works on
Accountability Trade Aid Debt Gender Climate Chaos