World Population Day today

The ILO (International Labour Organisation) World Day for Safety and Health at Work highlights the importance of a preventive safety and health culture. This year the theme is Managing Risk in the Work Environment. Risk assessment is the cornerstone of the European approach to occupational safety and health (OSH). EU-OSHA are currently preparing their two-year Healthy Workplace campaign to promote a step-wise approach to risk assessment and improve acess to good practice, tools and resources to help businesses and organisations to assess and manage the risks.
(source: http://osha.europa.eu/index_html/news_article.2008-04-03.28april)

Pakistan: The day was ignored in the provincial metropolis, as no seminar or conference was arranged to raise awareness regarding safety at work place. According to statistics, approximately 2.2 million people fall prey to work-related deaths annually. Of these, about 350,000 deaths are caused by workplace accidents whilst 1.7 million die owing to work borne diseases. The theme of the day was "My Life, my work, my safe work - managing risks in the work environment". Talking to The Post, Assistant Professor Occupational Health Punjab Institute of Public Health Ilyas Arshad Faridi said the relevant data showed that appropriate safety procedures were not followed in Pakistan. "Decent and safe working environment is the right of every individual", he said.

Global Action Week (GAW 21^st to 27^th April to 2008)

“Unfortunately today 72 million young children will not have even the chance to go to school. Where I come from alone, Colombia, in South America, 3 million young people under 18 years old do not go to school and many more drop out without knowing how to read or write. It is especially hard for girls, children with a disability, children affected by conflict, orphans, and poor children who have to do a job instead of going to
school.  This is not right. It is not just.

Together we can say to our leaders during Global Action Week that no one should be excluded from a quality basic education – and the chance to reach their potential. We can start by taking part in the World’s Biggest Lesson during this year’s Action Week. We need to teach our leaders the reality of all those millions of children out of school.”

Shakira, Honorary Chair of Global Campaign for Education’s Action Week 2008


In Pakistan – The World's Biggest Lesson in Pakistan will take place in 40
districts with politicians joining schools and local community groups to
be part of the lesson.  The Coalition has produced education materials
with education for all messages to be handed out to politicians and
parents and media organizations. There will be public rallies, walks and
seminars at district, provincial and national level.  The World's Biggest
Lesson will take place in 40 districts with politicians joining schools
and local community groups to be part of the lesson.  There will be public
rallies, walks and seminars at district, provincial and national level.

In NWFP – Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) is celebrating the week
in about 10 districts of the NWFP. For details please visit the GCE site
http://www.campaignforeducation.org/index.html and PCE site http://www.pcepk.org/ for further information contact

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most universally accepted human rights instrument in history. It recognizes the human rights of children, defined as persons up to the age of 18 years. In 54 substantive articles, it establishes in international law that States Parties must ensure that all children - without discrimination in any form - benefit from special protective measures and assistance; have access to services such as education and health care; can develop their personalities, abilities and talents to the fullest potential; grow up in a happy and caring environment; and are informed about and participate in, achieving their rights. The International Day of the Child is celebrated every year on November 20, the day on which the UN General Assembly first adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and registered the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1990. Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of Child on 12^th Nov 1990 and signed it on 20^th Sep 1990. Every country in the world has ratified the Convention on The Rights of the Child with the exception of the United States of America and Somalia. Every year Association of Network for Community Empowerment (ANCE) celebrates Universal Children Day. This year ANCE got membership of World Women Summit Foundation (WWSF) and committed to participate in the creation of a culture of prevention of child abuse by organizing activities and events. To mark the World Day for Declaration of the Convention on the Rights of Child’ and ‘World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse’ ANCE organized CHILD LABOUR FREE WEEK from 13^th to 20^th November in Lahore. Keeping in view, children need love and respect to grow to their full potential.   

The United Nations is pleased to announce the launch of the Human Rights and Poverty Children's writing competition, one of the activities being organized for the upcoming Human Rights Day 2006, 10 December. The competition is a joint initiative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), with assistance from the Department of Economic and Social Affairs' Division for Social Policy and Development.

Human Rights Day 2006 will focus on Fighting poverty as a matter of obligation, not of charity.  
 
The Human Rights and Poverty children's writing competition gives students between the ages of 8 to 18 the chance to share their thoughts on how to tackle poverty and protect human rights.  In case you know any teachers (or students) please feel free to pass on the message below about the launch of a writing competition for children for Human Rights Day on the theme of Human Rights and Poverty. The deadline is 10 December.  The writing competition is now open up to all six official UN languages (English, French, Spanish and Russian - Arabic and Chinese to come soon). Find out more about the competition and the contest rules at http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/index.shtml.

Dir is one of the most backward regions of Pakistan. Earlier it was a “State” ruled by a cruel “Nawab of Dir” Shah Jehan Khan and his ancestors. Dir was merged into Pakistan in 1969, before it, education, sophisticated houses and white dress, political activities, social development etc were considered as prohibited trees for a common man. All these things were allowed to only the family of “Nawab”. Public were merely servants of “Nawab” and “Biggar” (Free of cost manual work) was common in the state.

When Dir was merged into Pakistan in the reign of General Ayub Khan (The then president and Field Marshall of Pakistan) the people of Dir took the sigh of comfort. Social development process started here in 1971 after Pak-India war on East Pakistan.

Schools and dispensaries opened, roads and bridges were constructed. Since 1970, the state was dominated by religious clerics, who were in favor of “Nawab”. When Nawab Shah Jehan was over thrown these clerics maintained their dominancy over the people and still they have a strong position in society. This was the basic reason District Dir remained backward till now. In this context, the women class suffered more than the male.

Due to this crucial background, at the present the situation is not more different as compared to the past. The women have no suitable education, health and other basic facilities. They have no role in social political development. Though the women play their active role in agriculture and live stock and they earn a lot of money but this role of the women is not recognized and they are not paid only a

single penny. The political rights and freedom of expression of the women are not recognized.

ABKT organized a one day seminar on the topic of

women’s participation in political process. The seminar was supported by Action-Aid Pakistan and was held in Al-bahar Hotel Talash, Dir Lower.

Representative of the NGOs, Press, political parties’ leaders, religious scholar and Ulamas, lawyers and other social activists attended the seminar. The seminar started at 10:00 AM and was attended by more than 60 persons. Almost all the local political leaders of various political parties i.e. Jamaat-e-Islami, (JUI), PPP, ANP, PML and PPP (Sherpaw) along with party workers were present on this occasion.

See more details in the attachment....