Malawi NGO’s launch US$8m anti child labour programme
Mchinji – Malawi’s Mchinji border district has registered 137 child labour cases employed in the district’ agricultural farms since January this year, Mchinji District Commissioner Gasten Macheka has announced. Mchinji, which borders with Zambia and Mozambique in the west, is one of the districts in Malawi that grows tobacco, the country’s economic lifeline, representing 70 per cent of Malawi’s total foreign exchange earnings. 23 per cent of the country’s tax base comes from tobacco and one in every five Malawians relies substantively on income from tobacco production or employment. “The tobacco industry is the main employer in the agriculture sector whose labour is manual and easily sourced,” said Macheka pointing out that the workers are mostly engaged as tenants whereby they reside in the farms and estates with their families and children.
According to the Malawi Child Labour Report, 1.4 million children are employed in tobacco and tea estates. “Children are easily manipulated by employers for cheap labour,” said the Commissioner during the launch of the Child Labour Elimination Actions for Real Change (CLEAR), a project designed to tackle the causes of child labour in three tobacco growing districts of Mchinji, Ntchisi and Rumphi. The project will be implemented by a consortium of non-governmental organizations – Save the Children in Malawi, Creative Centre for Community Mobilistion (Creccom), YouthNet and Counselling (Yoneco) and Total Land Care – under the Malawi government blueprint, the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2010 – 2015). According to leader of the consortium and Save the Children in Malawi country director, Matthew Pickard, the US$8 million project is financed by ECLT Foundation “to protect children aged between 5 and 17 years old from exploitative, hazardous and worst forms of child labour in tobacco growing and 15 to 17 year olds from hazardous work. “We will create and foster inclusive processes that will lead directly to sustainable withdrawal of children from tobacco growing,” said Pickard.
He said at district and community level the project will improve access to quality education and other basic social services as well as livelihoods by improving school infrastructures, establishing complimentary basic education and skills training programmes. “CLEAR will also support families to improve their livelihoods, food security and health,” said Pickard adding, “ at the end 6, 000 children will be withdrawn from child labour, 3, 000 will be prevented from entering child labour while 500 will be protected from exposure to hazardous work.” A report on child trafficking in Malawi reveals that children are trafficked for exploitation within and outside the country through kidnapping, cooperation from family members, cohesion and because of orphanhood due to HIV and AIDS.
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In search of a place under the sun
Has the society’s attitude towards the LGBT community changed over the years?
It was gay abandon in all its hues. The ‘Pride March’, that drew more than 300 people from different parts of the City over the weekend, grabbed a lot of eyeballs and attracted a great deal of media attention. Were the flashy pictures of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT or Queer) communities of entertainment value only? Do these marches create an awareness among people on accepting transgenders, without being discriminatory?
People, who took part in the march, like to call it a celebratory march rather than a transgender march.
Transgenders of all classes, castes and professions came to take part in the march. It was an occasion for the transgenders from the working class as well as the upper class to wear their sexuality on their sleeves.
Metrolife spoke to a few people to understand why transgenders still can’t walk on the street like normal people, without fear of being harassed or made fun of.
Gurukiran, who works with Sangama, an NGO, says he had to convince his family as to why he was working among transgenders.
He had to move out and set up his own place but finally after years, his family came around and understood the nature of his work.
“Today, transgenders walk in and out of my house. My little son too watches them and is used to them being around. I am sure that the march has not only given transgenders a visibility but an acceptance as well,” says Gurukiran.
He points out that the patriarchal set-up and the gender bias that the male is always on the top has people discriminate against transgenders. “We have to accept them as they are,” he adds.
Akkaipadmashali, a transgender, wasn’t accepted into her family until recently. She says that her experience so far has been rather traumatic. She points out that a lot of people, like her, still feel very marginalised and are subjected to public humiliation.
“‘The Pride March’ was held to make our presence felt in the society. We still have a few people who smirk at us but that’s slowly changing and people have begun to give us our space. There are all kinds of discrimination but I feel Bangalore is very progressive when compared to some of the cities in the North,” she says.
Akkaipadmashali avers that no matter how many aws and legislations are passed in favour of transgenders, none will have an impact unless society opens up to them.
Nithin Manayat, a lecturer at Mount Carmel College, feels that in the society, there are a few people who choose their sexuality, dress and even choose to act in a different way but that doesn’t require them to be discriminated against.
“There are some people who don’t conform to a set pattern. I think society has a long way to go before giving more space to transgenders. They must be given an equal space and respect,” he says.
Shubha Chacko, a researcher, points out that the ‘Pride March’ is one of the youngest movements in the country. She thinks that marches and rallies, like these, have triggered a public discourse and forced society to sit up and take notice.
“This year, we have had gays and lesbians come out in the open and talk about their sexual preferences. It will be a long time before society accepts transgenders and this requires various strategies such as dialogues, writing and other sensitisation measures for people to take notice,” she says.
“These marches won’t make a sudden difference but they have done well in engaging the public in some debate and discussion on transgenders’ issues,” she adds.
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Dead AIDS victim awaits burial
The body of a 35-year-old HIV positive man from Maddel, Margao, has been awaiting a burial or state-funded cremation for the last 27 days, thanks to procedural lapses and the unwillingness of relatives to claim the body.
Raphael Pinto was found drunk on a road in Margao and was shifted to the Hospicio hospital in a 108 ambulance. Shortly later, on November 1, he was admitted to the orthopaedic ward of the Goa medical college and hospital, Bambolim, where he was diagnosed with fracture of the spinal cord and neurological deficit. Pinto died on November 3.
Registered as a medico-legal case, the Margao police were asked to investigate the death and hand the body over to relatives.
"Based on the address provided by the victim at GMC we checked the electoral rolls in South Goa and tried to trace his relatives, but the effort was in vain," said a senior police official. The police also announced Pinto's death in churches in Colva and Margao requesting relatives to claim the body. "No one has responded," the official added.
Sources said that as per procedure when relatives fail to claim a body police can cremate the body. But the police are unable to do this in Pinto's case as they have not got a no-objection certificate from forensic doctors at GMC.
"For the NOC the police have to state that they are not conducting any further inquiry and therefore a postmortem need not be conducted," said sources. With no move to get an NOC, forensic doctors have agreed to conduct a postmortem, provided the police get a cause-of-death certificate from the orthopaedic ward.
Police claim they have written to the doctor treating Pinto at GMC. "The doctor has informed us in writing that the certificate can be given only after a postmortem. Forensic doctors won't conduct the postmortem till Pinto's relatives are traced," said police.
Says Mahesh Govekar of NGO Zindagi-Goa: "We are celebrating World AIDS Day on Thursday and talking about rights of HIV positive people. But even today politics is being played by police and doctors over the issue of an HIV positive person's body. If the police can't trace Pinto's relatives they could at least contact NGOs working with HIV positive persons and ensure that the body is cremated."
(Name of HIV positive person changed to protect identity)
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They battled against all odds
KANPUR: "My life may be short but my mission is to spend the remaining days of my life in making people aware and educate them about the killer disease called AIDS," says 39-year-old HIV+ Suman Tiwari (name changed). Hailing from a small hamlet in Rajasthan and now running a social organisation that spread AIDS awareness in slums, Suman fights the odds of HIV stigma and of being a widow in her later twenties.
In her battle against the dreadful virus, she is strength personified. The harsh realities of life have only made her firm and have brought out a benevolent human being who is ready to go all the way to make sure that her story does not gets repeated. At a tender age of 20 she was married to a stockist in the city who transmitted her HIV.
After six years of marriage, her husband told her that they should not have a second baby as he was suffering from AIDS. Her husband left her with a baby girl and the knowledge she also was HIV positive.
After being disowned by her in-laws and community, Suman found support from her mother, who also gave her courage to fight with this adversity rather then dying like any other normal AIDS patient. A bit of help and some words of courage were all she needed and after that there was no stopping her. Though she holds no grudges against her husband, her only plight is that even her daughter is suffering from this deadly disease.
"I was too lonely at that time when I came to know that even my daughter was HIV positive. Then, at an ICTC centre, I met a woman called Nidhi who gave a u-turn to my awful life and I started working as an AIDS counsellor. Through my real life tales, I attempted to bring some hope in many other Sumans like me," said Suman while talking to TOI.
This year she got the honour of being one of the most active members spreading AIDS awareness from the district health authorities. "I could scale all obstacles due to the will to fight discrimination against HIV+ women. I channelised all my energies by working for the cause and I will not let it fade away," said Suman, who revealed her daughter about her HIV status when she was just 11 years old.
Instead of hiding in a world of anonymity, Suman believes in awareness and education. "When I got married, I had only studied till Class XII. Now, I am a graduate. However, spreading AIDS awareness will always be my first priority, even my daughter wants to do the same," she added.
Meanwhile, Shreekant (name changed), a 45-year old private employee had several grudges from the society that discriminated against his daughter because he was an AIDS patient.
Talking to TOI, Shreekant said when he was discriminated by everyone, from family to society, from wife to son, the only support he was left with was his daughter. However, this man has no personal grudges either against his family or from the society but the only thing he wants to change is the mindset of people, who have several myths regarding AIDS.
"I was lonely when my daughter supported me. She remained with me when I needed her the most," said Shreekant. He added that when he wanted to get his daughter married, people rejected her due to her father being an AIDS patient. Even after showing daughter Sneha's (name changed) HIV reports, nobody agreed to marry her.
"I was surprised that even well-educated boys with high-profile families rejected my daughter just because I was suffering from AIDS. And the worse experience was with an NGO owner who also disagreed to marry her even when he was working for AIDS awareness with NACO," added Shreekant.
"I have no problem that my father is suffering from AIDS. It's not his fault as he assured me that it happened after his operation when he might have been administered infected blood. I am sad when people misbehaved with me and my father just because he was suffering from this disease," says Sneha, daughter of Shreekant who is now working with an NGO and spreading AIDS awareness in rural and slum areas of the district.
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Corruption making euro debt crisis worse: NGO
Corruption is hampering efforts to tackle the eurozone debt crisis, a top anti-graft watchdog said Thursday, as Greece and Italy scored badly in a list of nations seen to be the most sleaze-ridden.
The economic dramas in the euro area have happened "partly because of public authorities' failure to tackle the bribery and tax evasion that are key drivers of the debt crisis," said the Berlin-based Transparency International (TI).
On a scale of zero (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 10 (thought to have little corruption), Italy scored 3.9 and Greece 3.4, ranking 69 and 80 respectively in the list of 182 countries.
Robin Hodess, TI's research director, said the eurozone crisis "reflects poor financial management, lack of transparency and mismanagement of public funds."
"There is a strong link between poor performance in terms of perceptions of corruption and broader issues around economic governance," added Hodess in an interview with AFP.
When graft is widespread, "people feel the pinch at all levels," she said, calling on Rome and Athens to do "much more" in fighting corruption.
Globally, war-torn Somalia and North Korea were joint bottom of the list, perceived to be the world's most corrupt countries with a score of 1.0.
Iraq climbed a few places up the list but was still close to the bottom at 175th and Afghanistan remained rooted at 180th despite efforts to curb bribery and corruption there. Libya was 168th.
Most Arab Spring countries ranked in the lower half of the index, scoring below 4.
TI said it had warned before the revolutions in the region that "nepotism, bribery and patronage were so deeply ingrained in daily life that even existing anti-corruption laws had little effect."
At the other, more virtuous, end of the scale, New Zealand topped the ranking with 9.5 points, coming just ahead of Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Singapore.
Nearly two-thirds of the countries listed scored less than five, indicating, according to TI, that much work remains to be done in battling graft.
"This year, we have seen corruption on protesters' banners be they rich or poor," said TI chief Huguette Labelle.
"Whether in a Europe hit by a debt crisis or an Arab world starting a new political era, leaders must heed the demands for better government," she added.
France and Germany, to which many are looking for a solution to the eurozone crisis, scored relatively well, coming in 25th and 14th respectively.
The United States was one place above France, while fellow global powerhouse China placed 75th. Russia was one of the worst countries on the list, coming in 143rd with a score of 2.4.
The survey "uses data from 17 surveys that look at factors such as enforcement of anti-corruption laws, access to information and conflicts of interest," TI said.
"Corruption continues to plague too many countries around the world," the NGO concluded.
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PM, Lieberman join to revive NGO-funding bill
Newest draft, written at PM’s request, divides organizations into 3 categories for potential foreign gov't funding.
Days after the NGO bill seemed to be history, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman are trying to revive it.
The measure seeks to limit foreign-government funding to political organizations.
At the request of Netanyahu, MKs Ophir Akunis (Likud) and Faina Kirschenbaum (Israel Beitenu) drafted a new version of the bill, which the Ministerial Committee on Legislation is expected to authorize in 10 days.
Following Netanyahu’s call for Akunis to further clarify and define which organizations are political, the new version of the bill divides NGOs into three categories, combining elements of both MKs’ original bills.
The new draft, which is signed by both Akunis and Kirschenbaum, forbids any foreign- government donations to NGOs that rejects Israel’s right to exist; incites racism; supports violence against Israel; supports putting Israeli politicians and IDF soldiers on trial in international courts; calls for boycotts of the state; or for IDF soldiers to refuse orders.
In addition, donations from within Israel to such organizations will be subject to a 45 percent tax.
Political organizations, such as B’Tselem or Peace Now, will also have to pay a 45% tax on donations.
However, they will have the option of undergoing a hearing in the Knesset Finance Committee, which may decide to waive the tax.
Non-political organizations that receive state funding will be taxexempt and may receive unlimited donations from foreign governments.
This category includes Magen David Adom and the Hebrew University, among other NGOs.
The ministerial committee originally approved Kirschenbaum’s bill, which would levy a 45% tax on foreign governments’ donations to NGOs, and Akunis’s, which capped such contributions to political NGOs at NIS 20,000, – but the initiatives were thwarted by an appeal from Minister-without-Portfolio Bennie Begin, who declared them “dead.”
On Monday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to attempt to pass Kirschenbaum’s bill despite the appeal, and Netanyahu’s office hurried to find a compromise that both the prime minister and the foreign minister would find satisfactory.
Earlier this week, Begin expressed confidence the NGO bills are “practically dead,” due to his appeal, and said Netanyahu is unlikely to allow them to pass when he and numerous other ministers oppose them.
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These kids have a positive attitude
BANGALORE: "I want to become a scientist and discover a cure for AIDS," says 11-year-old Mohit (name changed), who himself is an HIV+ patient.
Diagnosed with this condition four years ago, Mohit has been a part of Snehadaan, an NGO looking after 101 HIV+ children. After he lost both parents to the deadly virus, Mohit was abandoned by his relatives and he landed at this centre at the age of seven.
"I have HIV due to less CD4 in my blood. I'm undergoing anti-retroviral therapy," says Mohit. "I'm fine and healthy but I get headaches at times which don't go away easily," he says.
But 10-year-old Naina (name changed) gives the impression she's completely aware of the gravity of the situation. "I am HIV+. I came here with my mother who died two years ago. Since then, this has been my home," says Naina.
Mohit is greeted warmly during his visits home during the holidays. But Naina is not as lucky. "Most of my friends don't talk to me anymore. They maintain a distance and don't want to play with me," says Naina, who wants to be a teacher.
Numbers of hope
There are 743 HIV+ children (under the age of 14) in Bangalore, while the entire state has 13,658 of them, according to the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) and National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
"Although a lot still needs to be done, there's been a decrease in the number of HIV+ children by 10-15% over the past year. The dip can be attributed to more awareness about the problem," says Dr M Naina Rani, deputy director, PPTCT-NRHM.
The dip is also being attributed to medical assistance to pregnant women. "At the state level, about 95% of pregnant women who tested positive know their CD4 count and 92% of them who are eligible start on Anti-Retriviral Therapy (ART). It's the highest number achieved by any state. Moreover, the risk of a child contracting the virus can be brought down by 15%-20% if appropriate medical help is provided to an HIV+ mother during pregnancy," says Dr Rani.
Experts feel the number of HIV+ children will further decrease owing to the Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) technique launched in March 2010. "With EID, babies can be diagnosed at six weeks, a good 18 months earlier than before. Of 565 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres across Karnataka, 219 have already rolled out the EID programme," said Dr Rani.
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Views differ over another push for Starbus operator
NAGPUR: Scrapping the contract of Vansh Nimay to run Starbuses and replace it with another private operator will not solve the problem, feel some city activists. According to them, only government-run MSRTC can ensure proper city bus services. There are others, though, who feel otherwise, and want the civic body and citizens to improve their act before blaming the bus operator.
The social activists were reacting to the report by a 13-member committee, advising scrapping of the contract of Vansh Nimay due to poor maintenance of Starbuses.
President of NGO Aakrosh Ashok Lanjewar said, "NMC does not have its own division and I think that they should hand over ownership to the government. The maintenance should be the main focus, which the citizens are rightly demanding. However, we are only getting excuses for the repairs not happening even as corruption is increasing. It should be handed over to Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC)."
"The handing over of the city bus service to a private operators was not acceptable to us earlier too. Also, the norms stated in the contract were flouted," alleged social activist Rajiv Jagtap.
There have also been frequent incidents of Starbuses being involved in road mishaps, showing that the staff running it was inexperienced. "Re-tendering should be done and the responsibility should be handed over to MSRTC or any other company that can maintain the buses," he said.
However, there are a few activists who feel that MSRTC can't run the show properly. Activist and engineering consultant Bhagwan Tewani said, "I think it is a political move. This is a trial and error method. How do we know if any other body or organization will do a good job of maintaining such a huge fleet of buses? Starbuses were better than what we experienced during MSRTC's tenure but thanks to the mismanagement by NMC the buses are in a sorry condition today."
President of NGO Jeevan Suraksha Prakalp Raju Wagh said, "However big and experienced the company may be, it will not be able to make a difference till citizens do not change. Signal jumping, speeding also add to mishaps and road related problems. The private operator is not to blame alone."
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This carnival taught safe driving, traffic awareness
NOIDA: With Wednesday being the last day of the traffic awareness month for the district police, commuters in the city witnessed a novel manner of educating motorists about traffic rules and regulations.
Models dressed as traffic inspectors walked a ramp atop a moving truck, while a procession of students armed with drums, acrobats, dancers and a grim-looking Yamraj followed it. This procession was the culmination of various activities that had been taking place in the city aimed at increasing traffic awareness.
In the last week alone, the city saw three deaths and four injuries in separate accidents on Noida roads. Even as the city is rapidly improving its road infrastructure to ensure that the drive for commuters becomes smoother, traffic police officials say that there is a basic lack of respect for traffic rules and road safety among motorists.
"The traffic police cannot do much if the commuters themselves don't see the need to follow traffic rules. Ultimately, the rules are meant to protect the commuters," said Saifuddin Beg, traffic inspector, Noida traffic police.
The carnival that started from Noida Stadium saw the truck carrying the models and acrobats over a distance of five kilometres and was organized in association by the Noida traffic police and the NGO trafficzam.com.
The social organization aims at increasing awareness regarding the importance of road safety and organizes seminars and events in association with the traffic police.
"Over the last few years, there has been an increased focus on highways and bigger roads, but at the same time our research has shown that maximum number of accidents take place on smaller roads and lanes where commuters are lax. This is what we want to make people aware of," said Rajni Gandhi, founder of Trafficzam.
According to the NGO, an analysis of road accidents in the city shows that around 5 lives are claimed on the roads every day. "While the focus of the government bodies and people lies in conservation of resources, the threat of losing your loved one in a road accident is much closer to home and needs to be taken seriously," said Anushree Deb, a resident of Noida present at the carnival.
School students also participated in the gala carnival. Organizers explained that the future lay in the hands of the children and it was them who needed to be educated the most.
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Coming in January: .NGO, .ECO, .EARTH
It's no secret that a brand with an established, trusted online presence is worth its digital weight in gold these days. Thanks to iPads, Droids and the like, more on-the-go consumers are logging on to learn about a company, brand or individual than ever before. Even the more "traditional" marketing tools -- whether a 30-second spot or magazine ad -- now typically tout a Web address (or at least a Facebook page). In other words, the "Internet trifecta" -- .com, .net or .org -- is everywhere we turn.
That's all about to change.
Until recently, companies and organizations had only a handful of domain extensions to choose from when it came to registering a website or establishing an online presence. But in January, the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers, the global coordinator of the Internet, will begin accepting applications for new domain extensions (otherwise known as top-level domains, or TLDs). As a result, a countless variety of extensions -- such as .eco, .nyc and .ngo, -- will be introduced into our lexicon, expanding our surfing (and branding) options -- especially for organizations or corporate social responsibility programs looking to boost mission awareness and build larger donor bases.
For the past year, I've been overseeing the Public Interest Registry, a not-for-profit organization that manages and operates the .org domain. The core of PIR's mission since Day One has been simple: to provide an online space where people come together to make a difference. Our simplicity has bred efficacy, as the .org domain now boasts more than 9.5 million registrations, most of which are nonprofits, companies or individuals who view the .org domain as a safe, trusted venue to educate, mobilize and empower their communities.
Now, as the Internet evolves and introduces more online opportunities for all, PIR's mission likewise evolves.
In January, PIR will formally submit an application to create and manage the .ngo domain extension (yes, we will also continue to manage the .org domain). Our reasoning -- much like our mission with .org -- is straightforward. As the Internet gains entry into more and more markets, particularly the emerging markets and developing world, it's becoming critical that nongovernmental organizations have access to online branding with built-in trust and credibility -- especially in an age where donors are increasingly more pennywise.
Through PIR's work with and commitment to the nongovernmental community over the past eight years, we've found that these organizations worldwide very strongly identify with the three letters NGO. So much as the .org coda at the end of a Web address inherently certifies nonprofits and social responsibility programs, .ngo will provide an exclusive online signature for self-identified nongovernmental organizations worldwide -- one that will allow millions of organizations to broaden their audiences, strengthen their brands and make even stronger societal impacts.
That's not to say that .org will no longer be a safe haven for nonprofits and organizations. In fact, one reason PIR would like to create .ngo is so that it can serve as a complement to an existing .org site. Again, it all comes back to the concept of simplicity breeding efficacy: Providing two online venues that are both trusted and credible will enable and empower philanthropic communities of all sizes to further their online reach and embolden their brands.
At a time where potential donors and supporters are following a company's every move online and, in part, judging the online "cover," something as simple as a domain extension can be the deciding factor as to whether a nonprofit or NGO's targeted audience trusts or ignores the information. When you think about it, those three little letters -- whether it's .org or .ngo -- hold the potential to be the most powerful branding tool to date and determine an organization's ability to make a difference.
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Police on the beat – the missing link of HIV prevention in Southeast Asia
HIV has claimed the lives of more than 30 million people since it emerged more than 30 years ago. But despite worldwide efforts to control the spread of the deadly disease, 2.6 million people contracted HIV in 2009 alone.
Public health agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGO) are making some progress in halting the spread of the disease but it’s ineffective to simply ask people to change their behaviours, when these are out of their control (in the case of drug addiction, for instance). We must look beyond traditional public health programs and consider innovative ways of containing the disease.
Engaging police officers, who have close contact with drug users and sex workers, in harm reduction programs is just one measure that could help make a difference in Asia, where five million people live with HIV.
Australian model
One of the mainstays of Australia’s public health triumph in stopping the HIV epidemic among injecting drug users over the past 25 years has been police operational support for harm reduction programs: needle and syringe programs, methadone, outreach services and drop-in centres.
This is not a new or an unusual phenomenon – police have always been key players in the maintenance of public health. Enforcement of seat belt and motorcycle helmet laws being two very obvious examples of this relationship.
Where police have been allies and supporters in the fight against HIV, as in Australia, the fight has been hugely more effective. But this rarely occurs in the developing world and in some developed countries, including the United States.
Current role of police
Police in most of Southeast Asia engage with marginalised groups vulnerable to HIV, especially people who inject drugs (PWIDs), sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), migrants, prisoners and detainees, but most of this contact is adversarial. Its impact has been to further criminalise behaviour and marginalise vulnerable individuals from their communities.
Police are often faced with competing priorities. They’re encouraged to arrest drug users in an attempt to stop drug use – or, more commonly to meet arrest quotas or quieten community outcry – rather than support interventions to stop HIV transmission, overdose and other harms.
Not being health or social workers, police usually respond to the demand that’s most pressing and in accordance with their culture. So they arrest the drug user, sex worker, or other marginalised individual, who is then driven underground, away from programs to help them protect themselves and others from HIV.
The young Vietnamese or Cambodian police officer on the beat is, on the one hand, part of a community which is sick of drug use, crime, stand-over tactics, violence and improperly discarded needles and syringes. All of this is associated with drugs and all of it police are expected to solve.
Responding to the same pressures, the officer’s superior may have imposed an arrest quota on him. He knows the targets will be out in force – the drug users need to feed their addiction, and the sex workers need their trade to make a living – so they are easy targets.
More iniquitously, the policeman is systematically underpaid and knows he can supplement his income to a living wage by squeezing those he arrests. After all, everyone else is doing it; petty corruption is everywhere.
Working with police
Our team at the Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction Network at the Nossal Institute has been investigating programs to engage Australian police and public health experts to work with Southeast Asian police forces. Our aim has been to change police cultures so officers see marginalised communities vulnerable to HIV infection as needing protection and support.
As with any other group, the most effective way of doing this is peer education. In these partnerships, Australian police assist their Southeast Asian colleagues to devise ways to achieve local policing goals more effectively, while at the same time protecting the whole community.
Rather than go after drug users and sex workers, the program educates local officers about effective ways to go after drug distributers and human traffickers. With evidence-based policing, officers learn to break the cycle of low-level arrests and target the criminals who grow fat from the drug and sex trades.
Other police-community liaison programs exploring broader roles and partnerships for police, such as drug diversion programs, neighbourhood justice centres and drug courts, are also being trialled in Southeast Asia.
But some barriers remain, such as ensuring police wages are high enough that officers don’t have to be part of a culture of corruption. There is also demand for welfare, drug treatment and mental health care that is far from being met.
It’s too early to say how much of an impact these programs are having on changing the culture of police interactions in Southeast Asia. But police chiefs are beginning to acknowledge that their officers have a role in protecting life and curtailing HIV, as well as helping to divert drug users into the treatment system.
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Malawi NGO’s launch US$8m anti child labour programme
Mchinji – Malawi’s Mchinji border district has registered 137 child labour cases employed in the district’ agricultural farms since January this year, Mchinji District Commissioner Gasten Macheka has announced. Mchinji, which borders with Zambia and Mozambique in the west, is one of the districts in Malawi that grows tobacco, the country’s economic lifeline, representing 70 per cent of Malawi’s total foreign exchange earnings. 23 per cent of the country’s tax base comes from tobacco and one in every five Malawians relies substantively on income from tobacco production or employment. “The tobacco industry is the main employer in the agriculture sector whose labour is manual and easily sourced,” said Macheka pointing out that the workers are mostly engaged as tenants whereby they reside in the farms and estates with their families and children.
According to the Malawi Child Labour Report, 1.4 million children are employed in tobacco and tea estates. “Children are easily manipulated by employers for cheap labour,” said the Commissioner during the launch of the Child Labour Elimination Actions for Real Change (CLEAR), a project designed to tackle the causes of child labour in three tobacco growing districts of Mchinji, Ntchisi and Rumphi. The project will be implemented by a consortium of non-governmental organizations – Save the Children in Malawi, Creative Centre for Community Mobilistion (Creccom), YouthNet and Counselling (Yoneco) and Total Land Care – under the Malawi government blueprint, the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2010 – 2015). According to leader of the consortium and Save the Children in Malawi country director, Matthew Pickard, the US$8 million project is financed by ECLT Foundation “to protect children aged between 5 and 17 years old from exploitative, hazardous and worst forms of child labour in tobacco growing and 15 to 17 year olds from hazardous work. “We will create and foster inclusive processes that will lead directly to sustainable withdrawal of children from tobacco growing,” said Pickard.
He said at district and community level the project will improve access to quality education and other basic social services as well as livelihoods by improving school infrastructures, establishing complimentary basic education and skills training programmes. “CLEAR will also support families to improve their livelihoods, food security and health,” said Pickard adding, “ at the end 6, 000 children will be withdrawn from child labour, 3, 000 will be prevented from entering child labour while 500 will be protected from exposure to hazardous work.” A report on child trafficking in Malawi reveals that children are trafficked for exploitation within and outside the country through kidnapping, cooperation from family members, cohesion and because of orphanhood due to HIV and AIDS.
Mchinji – Malawi’s Mchinji border district has registered 137 child labour cases employed in the district’ agricultural farms since January this year, Mchinji District Commissioner Gasten Macheka has announced. Mchinji, which borders with Zambia and Mozambique in the west, is one of the districts in Malawi that grows tobacco, the country’s economic lifeline, representing 70 per cent of Malawi’s total foreign exchange earnings. 23 per cent of the country’s tax base comes from tobacco and one in every five Malawians relies substantively on income from tobacco production or employment. “The tobacco industry is the main employer in the agriculture sector whose labour is manual and easily sourced,” said Macheka pointing out that the workers are mostly engaged as tenants whereby they reside in the farms and estates with their families and children.
According to the Malawi Child Labour Report, 1.4 million children are employed in tobacco and tea estates. “Children are easily manipulated by employers for cheap labour,” said the Commissioner during the launch of the Child Labour Elimination Actions for Real Change (CLEAR), a project designed to tackle the causes of child labour in three tobacco growing districts of Mchinji, Ntchisi and Rumphi. The project will be implemented by a consortium of non-governmental organizations – Save the Children in Malawi, Creative Centre for Community Mobilistion (Creccom), YouthNet and Counselling (Yoneco) and Total Land Care – under the Malawi government blueprint, the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2010 – 2015). According to leader of the consortium and Save the Children in Malawi country director, Matthew Pickard, the US$8 million project is financed by ECLT Foundation “to protect children aged between 5 and 17 years old from exploitative, hazardous and worst forms of child labour in tobacco growing and 15 to 17 year olds from hazardous work. “We will create and foster inclusive processes that will lead directly to sustainable withdrawal of children from tobacco growing,” said Pickard.
He said at district and community level the project will improve access to quality education and other basic social services as well as livelihoods by improving school infrastructures, establishing complimentary basic education and skills training programmes. “CLEAR will also support families to improve their livelihoods, food security and health,” said Pickard adding, “ at the end 6, 000 children will be withdrawn from child labour, 3, 000 will be prevented from entering child labour while 500 will be protected from exposure to hazardous work.” A report on child trafficking in Malawi reveals that children are trafficked for exploitation within and outside the country through kidnapping, cooperation from family members, cohesion and because of orphanhood due to HIV and AIDS.
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In search of a place under the sun
Has the society’s attitude towards the LGBT community changed over the years?
It was gay abandon in all its hues. The ‘Pride March’, that drew more than 300 people from different parts of the City over the weekend, grabbed a lot of eyeballs and attracted a great deal of media attention. Were the flashy pictures of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT or Queer) communities of entertainment value only? Do these marches create an awareness among people on accepting transgenders, without being discriminatory?
People, who took part in the march, like to call it a celebratory march rather than a transgender march.
Transgenders of all classes, castes and professions came to take part in the march. It was an occasion for the transgenders from the working class as well as the upper class to wear their sexuality on their sleeves.
Metrolife spoke to a few people to understand why transgenders still can’t walk on the street like normal people, without fear of being harassed or made fun of.
Gurukiran, who works with Sangama, an NGO, says he had to convince his family as to why he was working among transgenders.
He had to move out and set up his own place but finally after years, his family came around and understood the nature of his work.
“Today, transgenders walk in and out of my house. My little son too watches them and is used to them being around. I am sure that the march has not only given transgenders a visibility but an acceptance as well,” says Gurukiran.
He points out that the patriarchal set-up and the gender bias that the male is always on the top has people discriminate against transgenders. “We have to accept them as they are,” he adds.
Akkaipadmashali, a transgender, wasn’t accepted into her family until recently. She says that her experience so far has been rather traumatic. She points out that a lot of people, like her, still feel very marginalised and are subjected to public humiliation.
“‘The Pride March’ was held to make our presence felt in the society. We still have a few people who smirk at us but that’s slowly changing and people have begun to give us our space. There are all kinds of discrimination but I feel Bangalore is very progressive when compared to some of the cities in the North,” she says.
Akkaipadmashali avers that no matter how many aws and legislations are passed in favour of transgenders, none will have an impact unless society opens up to them.
Nithin Manayat, a lecturer at Mount Carmel College, feels that in the society, there are a few people who choose their sexuality, dress and even choose to act in a different way but that doesn’t require them to be discriminated against.
“There are some people who don’t conform to a set pattern. I think society has a long way to go before giving more space to transgenders. They must be given an equal space and respect,” he says.
Shubha Chacko, a researcher, points out that the ‘Pride March’ is one of the youngest movements in the country. She thinks that marches and rallies, like these, have triggered a public discourse and forced society to sit up and take notice.
“This year, we have had gays and lesbians come out in the open and talk about their sexual preferences. It will be a long time before society accepts transgenders and this requires various strategies such as dialogues, writing and other sensitisation measures for people to take notice,” she says.
“These marches won’t make a sudden difference but they have done well in engaging the public in some debate and discussion on transgenders’ issues,” she adds.
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Dead AIDS victim awaits burial
The body of a 35-year-old HIV positive man from Maddel, Margao, has been awaiting a burial or state-funded cremation for the last 27 days, thanks to procedural lapses and the unwillingness of relatives to claim the body.
Raphael Pinto was found drunk on a road in Margao and was shifted to the Hospicio hospital in a 108 ambulance. Shortly later, on November 1, he was admitted to the orthopaedic ward of the Goa medical college and hospital, Bambolim, where he was diagnosed with fracture of the spinal cord and neurological deficit. Pinto died on November 3.
Registered as a medico-legal case, the Margao police were asked to investigate the death and hand the body over to relatives.
"Based on the address provided by the victim at GMC we checked the electoral rolls in South Goa and tried to trace his relatives, but the effort was in vain," said a senior police official. The police also announced Pinto's death in churches in Colva and Margao requesting relatives to claim the body. "No one has responded," the official added.
Sources said that as per procedure when relatives fail to claim a body police can cremate the body. But the police are unable to do this in Pinto's case as they have not got a no-objection certificate from forensic doctors at GMC.
"For the NOC the police have to state that they are not conducting any further inquiry and therefore a postmortem need not be conducted," said sources. With no move to get an NOC, forensic doctors have agreed to conduct a postmortem, provided the police get a cause-of-death certificate from the orthopaedic ward.
Police claim they have written to the doctor treating Pinto at GMC. "The doctor has informed us in writing that the certificate can be given only after a postmortem. Forensic doctors won't conduct the postmortem till Pinto's relatives are traced," said police.
Says Mahesh Govekar of NGO Zindagi-Goa: "We are celebrating World AIDS Day on Thursday and talking about rights of HIV positive people. But even today politics is being played by police and doctors over the issue of an HIV positive person's body. If the police can't trace Pinto's relatives they could at least contact NGOs working with HIV positive persons and ensure that the body is cremated."
(Name of HIV positive person changed to protect identity)
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They battled against all odds
KANPUR: "My life may be short but my mission is to spend the remaining days of my life in making people aware and educate them about the killer disease called AIDS," says 39-year-old HIV+ Suman Tiwari (name changed). Hailing from a small hamlet in Rajasthan and now running a social organisation that spread AIDS awareness in slums, Suman fights the odds of HIV stigma and of being a widow in her later twenties.
In her battle against the dreadful virus, she is strength personified. The harsh realities of life have only made her firm and have brought out a benevolent human being who is ready to go all the way to make sure that her story does not gets repeated. At a tender age of 20 she was married to a stockist in the city who transmitted her HIV.
After six years of marriage, her husband told her that they should not have a second baby as he was suffering from AIDS. Her husband left her with a baby girl and the knowledge she also was HIV positive.
After being disowned by her in-laws and community, Suman found support from her mother, who also gave her courage to fight with this adversity rather then dying like any other normal AIDS patient. A bit of help and some words of courage were all she needed and after that there was no stopping her. Though she holds no grudges against her husband, her only plight is that even her daughter is suffering from this deadly disease.
"I was too lonely at that time when I came to know that even my daughter was HIV positive. Then, at an ICTC centre, I met a woman called Nidhi who gave a u-turn to my awful life and I started working as an AIDS counsellor. Through my real life tales, I attempted to bring some hope in many other Sumans like me," said Suman while talking to TOI.
This year she got the honour of being one of the most active members spreading AIDS awareness from the district health authorities. "I could scale all obstacles due to the will to fight discrimination against HIV+ women. I channelised all my energies by working for the cause and I will not let it fade away," said Suman, who revealed her daughter about her HIV status when she was just 11 years old.
Instead of hiding in a world of anonymity, Suman believes in awareness and education. "When I got married, I had only studied till Class XII. Now, I am a graduate. However, spreading AIDS awareness will always be my first priority, even my daughter wants to do the same," she added.
Meanwhile, Shreekant (name changed), a 45-year old private employee had several grudges from the society that discriminated against his daughter because he was an AIDS patient.
Talking to TOI, Shreekant said when he was discriminated by everyone, from family to society, from wife to son, the only support he was left with was his daughter. However, this man has no personal grudges either against his family or from the society but the only thing he wants to change is the mindset of people, who have several myths regarding AIDS.
"I was lonely when my daughter supported me. She remained with me when I needed her the most," said Shreekant. He added that when he wanted to get his daughter married, people rejected her due to her father being an AIDS patient. Even after showing daughter Sneha's (name changed) HIV reports, nobody agreed to marry her.
"I was surprised that even well-educated boys with high-profile families rejected my daughter just because I was suffering from AIDS. And the worse experience was with an NGO owner who also disagreed to marry her even when he was working for AIDS awareness with NACO," added Shreekant.
"I have no problem that my father is suffering from AIDS. It's not his fault as he assured me that it happened after his operation when he might have been administered infected blood. I am sad when people misbehaved with me and my father just because he was suffering from this disease," says Sneha, daughter of Shreekant who is now working with an NGO and spreading AIDS awareness in rural and slum areas of the district.
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Corruption making euro debt crisis worse: NGO
Corruption is hampering efforts to tackle the eurozone debt crisis, a top anti-graft watchdog said Thursday, as Greece and Italy scored badly in a list of nations seen to be the most sleaze-ridden.
The economic dramas in the euro area have happened "partly because of public authorities' failure to tackle the bribery and tax evasion that are key drivers of the debt crisis," said the Berlin-based Transparency International (TI).
On a scale of zero (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 10 (thought to have little corruption), Italy scored 3.9 and Greece 3.4, ranking 69 and 80 respectively in the list of 182 countries.
Robin Hodess, TI's research director, said the eurozone crisis "reflects poor financial management, lack of transparency and mismanagement of public funds."
"There is a strong link between poor performance in terms of perceptions of corruption and broader issues around economic governance," added Hodess in an interview with AFP.
When graft is widespread, "people feel the pinch at all levels," she said, calling on Rome and Athens to do "much more" in fighting corruption.
Globally, war-torn Somalia and North Korea were joint bottom of the list, perceived to be the world's most corrupt countries with a score of 1.0.
Iraq climbed a few places up the list but was still close to the bottom at 175th and Afghanistan remained rooted at 180th despite efforts to curb bribery and corruption there. Libya was 168th.
Most Arab Spring countries ranked in the lower half of the index, scoring below 4.
TI said it had warned before the revolutions in the region that "nepotism, bribery and patronage were so deeply ingrained in daily life that even existing anti-corruption laws had little effect."
At the other, more virtuous, end of the scale, New Zealand topped the ranking with 9.5 points, coming just ahead of Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Singapore.
Nearly two-thirds of the countries listed scored less than five, indicating, according to TI, that much work remains to be done in battling graft.
"This year, we have seen corruption on protesters' banners be they rich or poor," said TI chief Huguette Labelle.
"Whether in a Europe hit by a debt crisis or an Arab world starting a new political era, leaders must heed the demands for better government," she added.
France and Germany, to which many are looking for a solution to the eurozone crisis, scored relatively well, coming in 25th and 14th respectively.
The United States was one place above France, while fellow global powerhouse China placed 75th. Russia was one of the worst countries on the list, coming in 143rd with a score of 2.4.
The survey "uses data from 17 surveys that look at factors such as enforcement of anti-corruption laws, access to information and conflicts of interest," TI said.
"Corruption continues to plague too many countries around the world," the NGO concluded.
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PM, Lieberman join to revive NGO-funding bill
Newest draft, written at PM’s request, divides organizations into 3 categories for potential foreign gov't funding.
Days after the NGO bill seemed to be history, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman are trying to revive it.
The measure seeks to limit foreign-government funding to political organizations.
At the request of Netanyahu, MKs Ophir Akunis (Likud) and Faina Kirschenbaum (Israel Beitenu) drafted a new version of the bill, which the Ministerial Committee on Legislation is expected to authorize in 10 days.
Following Netanyahu’s call for Akunis to further clarify and define which organizations are political, the new version of the bill divides NGOs into three categories, combining elements of both MKs’ original bills.
The new draft, which is signed by both Akunis and Kirschenbaum, forbids any foreign- government donations to NGOs that rejects Israel’s right to exist; incites racism; supports violence against Israel; supports putting Israeli politicians and IDF soldiers on trial in international courts; calls for boycotts of the state; or for IDF soldiers to refuse orders.
In addition, donations from within Israel to such organizations will be subject to a 45 percent tax.
Political organizations, such as B’Tselem or Peace Now, will also have to pay a 45% tax on donations.
However, they will have the option of undergoing a hearing in the Knesset Finance Committee, which may decide to waive the tax.
Non-political organizations that receive state funding will be taxexempt and may receive unlimited donations from foreign governments.
This category includes Magen David Adom and the Hebrew University, among other NGOs.
The ministerial committee originally approved Kirschenbaum’s bill, which would levy a 45% tax on foreign governments’ donations to NGOs, and Akunis’s, which capped such contributions to political NGOs at NIS 20,000, – but the initiatives were thwarted by an appeal from Minister-without-Portfolio Bennie Begin, who declared them “dead.”
On Monday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to attempt to pass Kirschenbaum’s bill despite the appeal, and Netanyahu’s office hurried to find a compromise that both the prime minister and the foreign minister would find satisfactory.
Earlier this week, Begin expressed confidence the NGO bills are “practically dead,” due to his appeal, and said Netanyahu is unlikely to allow them to pass when he and numerous other ministers oppose them.
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These kids have a positive attitude
BANGALORE: "I want to become a scientist and discover a cure for AIDS," says 11-year-old Mohit (name changed), who himself is an HIV+ patient.
Diagnosed with this condition four years ago, Mohit has been a part of Snehadaan, an NGO looking after 101 HIV+ children. After he lost both parents to the deadly virus, Mohit was abandoned by his relatives and he landed at this centre at the age of seven.
"I have HIV due to less CD4 in my blood. I'm undergoing anti-retroviral therapy," says Mohit. "I'm fine and healthy but I get headaches at times which don't go away easily," he says.
But 10-year-old Naina (name changed) gives the impression she's completely aware of the gravity of the situation. "I am HIV+. I came here with my mother who died two years ago. Since then, this has been my home," says Naina.
Mohit is greeted warmly during his visits home during the holidays. But Naina is not as lucky. "Most of my friends don't talk to me anymore. They maintain a distance and don't want to play with me," says Naina, who wants to be a teacher.
Numbers of hope
There are 743 HIV+ children (under the age of 14) in Bangalore, while the entire state has 13,658 of them, according to the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) and National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
"Although a lot still needs to be done, there's been a decrease in the number of HIV+ children by 10-15% over the past year. The dip can be attributed to more awareness about the problem," says Dr M Naina Rani, deputy director, PPTCT-NRHM.
The dip is also being attributed to medical assistance to pregnant women. "At the state level, about 95% of pregnant women who tested positive know their CD4 count and 92% of them who are eligible start on Anti-Retriviral Therapy (ART). It's the highest number achieved by any state. Moreover, the risk of a child contracting the virus can be brought down by 15%-20% if appropriate medical help is provided to an HIV+ mother during pregnancy," says Dr Rani.
Experts feel the number of HIV+ children will further decrease owing to the Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) technique launched in March 2010. "With EID, babies can be diagnosed at six weeks, a good 18 months earlier than before. Of 565 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres across Karnataka, 219 have already rolled out the EID programme," said Dr Rani.
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Views differ over another push for Starbus operator
NAGPUR: Scrapping the contract of Vansh Nimay to run Starbuses and replace it with another private operator will not solve the problem, feel some city activists. According to them, only government-run MSRTC can ensure proper city bus services. There are others, though, who feel otherwise, and want the civic body and citizens to improve their act before blaming the bus operator.
The social activists were reacting to the report by a 13-member committee, advising scrapping of the contract of Vansh Nimay due to poor maintenance of Starbuses.
President of NGO Aakrosh Ashok Lanjewar said, "NMC does not have its own division and I think that they should hand over ownership to the government. The maintenance should be the main focus, which the citizens are rightly demanding. However, we are only getting excuses for the repairs not happening even as corruption is increasing. It should be handed over to Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC)."
"The handing over of the city bus service to a private operators was not acceptable to us earlier too. Also, the norms stated in the contract were flouted," alleged social activist Rajiv Jagtap.
There have also been frequent incidents of Starbuses being involved in road mishaps, showing that the staff running it was inexperienced. "Re-tendering should be done and the responsibility should be handed over to MSRTC or any other company that can maintain the buses," he said.
However, there are a few activists who feel that MSRTC can't run the show properly. Activist and engineering consultant Bhagwan Tewani said, "I think it is a political move. This is a trial and error method. How do we know if any other body or organization will do a good job of maintaining such a huge fleet of buses? Starbuses were better than what we experienced during MSRTC's tenure but thanks to the mismanagement by NMC the buses are in a sorry condition today."
President of NGO Jeevan Suraksha Prakalp Raju Wagh said, "However big and experienced the company may be, it will not be able to make a difference till citizens do not change. Signal jumping, speeding also add to mishaps and road related problems. The private operator is not to blame alone."
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This carnival taught safe driving, traffic awareness
NOIDA: With Wednesday being the last day of the traffic awareness month for the district police, commuters in the city witnessed a novel manner of educating motorists about traffic rules and regulations.
Models dressed as traffic inspectors walked a ramp atop a moving truck, while a procession of students armed with drums, acrobats, dancers and a grim-looking Yamraj followed it. This procession was the culmination of various activities that had been taking place in the city aimed at increasing traffic awareness.
In the last week alone, the city saw three deaths and four injuries in separate accidents on Noida roads. Even as the city is rapidly improving its road infrastructure to ensure that the drive for commuters becomes smoother, traffic police officials say that there is a basic lack of respect for traffic rules and road safety among motorists.
"The traffic police cannot do much if the commuters themselves don't see the need to follow traffic rules. Ultimately, the rules are meant to protect the commuters," said Saifuddin Beg, traffic inspector, Noida traffic police.
The carnival that started from Noida Stadium saw the truck carrying the models and acrobats over a distance of five kilometres and was organized in association by the Noida traffic police and the NGO trafficzam.com.
The social organization aims at increasing awareness regarding the importance of road safety and organizes seminars and events in association with the traffic police.
"Over the last few years, there has been an increased focus on highways and bigger roads, but at the same time our research has shown that maximum number of accidents take place on smaller roads and lanes where commuters are lax. This is what we want to make people aware of," said Rajni Gandhi, founder of Trafficzam.
According to the NGO, an analysis of road accidents in the city shows that around 5 lives are claimed on the roads every day. "While the focus of the government bodies and people lies in conservation of resources, the threat of losing your loved one in a road accident is much closer to home and needs to be taken seriously," said Anushree Deb, a resident of Noida present at the carnival.
School students also participated in the gala carnival. Organizers explained that the future lay in the hands of the children and it was them who needed to be educated the most.
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Coming in January: .NGO, .ECO, .EARTH
It's no secret that a brand with an established, trusted online presence is worth its digital weight in gold these days. Thanks to iPads, Droids and the like, more on-the-go consumers are logging on to learn about a company, brand or individual than ever before. Even the more "traditional" marketing tools -- whether a 30-second spot or magazine ad -- now typically tout a Web address (or at least a Facebook page). In other words, the "Internet trifecta" -- .com, .net or .org -- is everywhere we turn.
That's all about to change.
Until recently, companies and organizations had only a handful of domain extensions to choose from when it came to registering a website or establishing an online presence. But in January, the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers, the global coordinator of the Internet, will begin accepting applications for new domain extensions (otherwise known as top-level domains, or TLDs). As a result, a countless variety of extensions -- such as .eco, .nyc and .ngo, -- will be introduced into our lexicon, expanding our surfing (and branding) options -- especially for organizations or corporate social responsibility programs looking to boost mission awareness and build larger donor bases.
For the past year, I've been overseeing the Public Interest Registry, a not-for-profit organization that manages and operates the .org domain. The core of PIR's mission since Day One has been simple: to provide an online space where people come together to make a difference. Our simplicity has bred efficacy, as the .org domain now boasts more than 9.5 million registrations, most of which are nonprofits, companies or individuals who view the .org domain as a safe, trusted venue to educate, mobilize and empower their communities.
Now, as the Internet evolves and introduces more online opportunities for all, PIR's mission likewise evolves.
In January, PIR will formally submit an application to create and manage the .ngo domain extension (yes, we will also continue to manage the .org domain). Our reasoning -- much like our mission with .org -- is straightforward. As the Internet gains entry into more and more markets, particularly the emerging markets and developing world, it's becoming critical that nongovernmental organizations have access to online branding with built-in trust and credibility -- especially in an age where donors are increasingly more pennywise.
Through PIR's work with and commitment to the nongovernmental community over the past eight years, we've found that these organizations worldwide very strongly identify with the three letters NGO. So much as the .org coda at the end of a Web address inherently certifies nonprofits and social responsibility programs, .ngo will provide an exclusive online signature for self-identified nongovernmental organizations worldwide -- one that will allow millions of organizations to broaden their audiences, strengthen their brands and make even stronger societal impacts.
That's not to say that .org will no longer be a safe haven for nonprofits and organizations. In fact, one reason PIR would like to create .ngo is so that it can serve as a complement to an existing .org site. Again, it all comes back to the concept of simplicity breeding efficacy: Providing two online venues that are both trusted and credible will enable and empower philanthropic communities of all sizes to further their online reach and embolden their brands.
At a time where potential donors and supporters are following a company's every move online and, in part, judging the online "cover," something as simple as a domain extension can be the deciding factor as to whether a nonprofit or NGO's targeted audience trusts or ignores the information. When you think about it, those three little letters -- whether it's .org or .ngo -- hold the potential to be the most powerful branding tool to date and determine an organization's ability to make a difference.
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Police on the beat – the missing link of HIV prevention in Southeast Asia
HIV has claimed the lives of more than 30 million people since it emerged more than 30 years ago. But despite worldwide efforts to control the spread of the deadly disease, 2.6 million people contracted HIV in 2009 alone.
Public health agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGO) are making some progress in halting the spread of the disease but it’s ineffective to simply ask people to change their behaviours, when these are out of their control (in the case of drug addiction, for instance). We must look beyond traditional public health programs and consider innovative ways of containing the disease.
Engaging police officers, who have close contact with drug users and sex workers, in harm reduction programs is just one measure that could help make a difference in Asia, where five million people live with HIV.
Australian model
One of the mainstays of Australia’s public health triumph in stopping the HIV epidemic among injecting drug users over the past 25 years has been police operational support for harm reduction programs: needle and syringe programs, methadone, outreach services and drop-in centres.
This is not a new or an unusual phenomenon – police have always been key players in the maintenance of public health. Enforcement of seat belt and motorcycle helmet laws being two very obvious examples of this relationship.
Where police have been allies and supporters in the fight against HIV, as in Australia, the fight has been hugely more effective. But this rarely occurs in the developing world and in some developed countries, including the United States.
Current role of police
Police in most of Southeast Asia engage with marginalised groups vulnerable to HIV, especially people who inject drugs (PWIDs), sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), migrants, prisoners and detainees, but most of this contact is adversarial. Its impact has been to further criminalise behaviour and marginalise vulnerable individuals from their communities.
Police are often faced with competing priorities. They’re encouraged to arrest drug users in an attempt to stop drug use – or, more commonly to meet arrest quotas or quieten community outcry – rather than support interventions to stop HIV transmission, overdose and other harms.
Not being health or social workers, police usually respond to the demand that’s most pressing and in accordance with their culture. So they arrest the drug user, sex worker, or other marginalised individual, who is then driven underground, away from programs to help them protect themselves and others from HIV.
The young Vietnamese or Cambodian police officer on the beat is, on the one hand, part of a community which is sick of drug use, crime, stand-over tactics, violence and improperly discarded needles and syringes. All of this is associated with drugs and all of it police are expected to solve.
Responding to the same pressures, the officer’s superior may have imposed an arrest quota on him. He knows the targets will be out in force – the drug users need to feed their addiction, and the sex workers need their trade to make a living – so they are easy targets.
More iniquitously, the policeman is systematically underpaid and knows he can supplement his income to a living wage by squeezing those he arrests. After all, everyone else is doing it; petty corruption is everywhere.
Working with police
Our team at the Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction Network at the Nossal Institute has been investigating programs to engage Australian police and public health experts to work with Southeast Asian police forces. Our aim has been to change police cultures so officers see marginalised communities vulnerable to HIV infection as needing protection and support.
As with any other group, the most effective way of doing this is peer education. In these partnerships, Australian police assist their Southeast Asian colleagues to devise ways to achieve local policing goals more effectively, while at the same time protecting the whole community.
Rather than go after drug users and sex workers, the program educates local officers about effective ways to go after drug distributers and human traffickers. With evidence-based policing, officers learn to break the cycle of low-level arrests and target the criminals who grow fat from the drug and sex trades.
Other police-community liaison programs exploring broader roles and partnerships for police, such as drug diversion programs, neighbourhood justice centres and drug courts, are also being trialled in Southeast Asia.
But some barriers remain, such as ensuring police wages are high enough that officers don’t have to be part of a culture of corruption. There is also demand for welfare, drug treatment and mental health care that is far from being met.
It’s too early to say how much of an impact these programs are having on changing the culture of police interactions in Southeast Asia. But police chiefs are beginning to acknowledge that their officers have a role in protecting life and curtailing HIV, as well as helping to divert drug users into the treatment system.
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Malawi NGO’s launch US$8m anti child labour programme
Mchinji – Malawi’s Mchinji border district has registered 137 child labour cases employed in the district’ agricultural farms since January this year, Mchinji District Commissioner Gasten Macheka has announced. Mchinji, which borders with Zambia and Mozambique in the west, is one of the districts in Malawi that grows tobacco, the country’s economic lifeline, representing 70 per cent of Malawi’s total foreign exchange earnings. 23 per cent of the country’s tax base comes from tobacco and one in every five Malawians relies substantively on income from tobacco production or employment. “The tobacco industry is the main employer in the agriculture sector whose labour is manual and easily sourced,” said Macheka pointing out that the workers are mostly engaged as tenants whereby they reside in the farms and estates with their families and children.
According to the Malawi Child Labour Report, 1.4 million children are employed in tobacco and tea estates. “Children are easily manipulated by employers for cheap labour,” said the Commissioner during the launch of the Child Labour Elimination Actions for Real Change (CLEAR), a project designed to tackle the causes of child labour in three tobacco growing districts of Mchinji, Ntchisi and Rumphi. The project will be implemented by a consortium of non-governmental organizations – Save the Children in Malawi, Creative Centre for Community Mobilistion (Creccom), YouthNet and Counselling (Yoneco) and Total Land Care – under the Malawi government blueprint, the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2010 – 2015). According to leader of the consortium and Save the Children in Malawi country director, Matthew Pickard, the US$8 million project is financed by ECLT Foundation “to protect children aged between 5 and 17 years old from exploitative, hazardous and worst forms of child labour in tobacco growing and 15 to 17 year olds from hazardous work. “We will create and foster inclusive processes that will lead directly to sustainable withdrawal of children from tobacco growing,” said Pickard.
He said at district and community level the project will improve access to quality education and other basic social services as well as livelihoods by improving school infrastructures, establishing complimentary basic education and skills training programmes. “CLEAR will also support families to improve their livelihoods, food security and health,” said Pickard adding, “ at the end 6, 000 children will be withdrawn from child labour, 3, 000 will be prevented from entering child labour while 500 will be protected from exposure to hazardous work.” A report on child trafficking in Malawi reveals that children are trafficked for exploitation within and outside the country through kidnapping, cooperation from family members, cohesion and because of orphanhood due to HIV and AIDS.
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