Category: News
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DPI/NGO Conference: On the Road to Rio+20
The third day of DPI/NGO opened with a round table on “Sustainable Development Governance: Issues from Local to Global”. The focus was on the role of citizen participation and much of the discussion spoke directly to the experience of civil society organisations and NGOs. Thierno Kane from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa explored…
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DPI/NGO Conference: "Green is the New Brown"
The second day of DPI NGO opened with a roundtable on Green Economy and Poverty Eradication. In particular, the roundtable focussed on the green economy through the lens of climate change, and what this means for poverty eradication and economic growth in both the global north and the global south. The first speaker was Surveyor…
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DPI/NGO Conference: “The Planet is in our hands – for better or for worse”
This was the message from the mayor of Bonn during his opening address at the welcome ceremony at the 64th DPI/NGO Conference. As we move towards Rio+20 where the DPI/NGO theme of sustainability societies will be top of the agenda, this was both an intimidating and inspiring opening thought. This set the framework for thinking…
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Soroptimist Review: Progress of the World's Women 2011: In Pursuit of Justice
Every three years, UN Women (previously UNIFEM) produces a report looking at a particular aspect of gender equality and women’s rights. This year, the report looks at legal systems through the eyes women, exploring ways in which women still experience discrimination, rights violations, and barriers in access, but also ways in which innovative change in…
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Governments held to account – dying in childbirth is NOT acceptable
It is with great pleasure that we share this story with you. SI’s Programme Director, Reilly Dempsey, worked on this case in 2006 while at the Center for Reproductive Rights. For five years she has been watching this case with bated breath. Alyne da Silva Pimentel from Brazil died of pregnancy-related causes in 2002 –…
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SIA Welcomes New Executive Director
SIA welcomes Elizabeth M. Lucas of Lake Bluff, Illinois, as its new executive director. She replaces SIA’s long time executive director, Leigh Wintz, who has assumed a full-time position as Principal Consultant with Tecker International. Lucas comes to SIA with a diverse professional background. Her experience includes 15 years with the American Massage Therapy…
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SI Receives Letter of Thanks from UN Women
Soroptimist International Past President Hanne Jensbo has received a letter of thanks from UN Women, recognising the work of SI and the Danish Union in supporting the former UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). "In these historic moments that hold great promist for women, as the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of…
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Update Report from the Working Group on Ageing
At the start of the month, we reported from the Working Group on Ageing. Here is a follow up report from our UN Representative in New York, Carol Themm. Throughout the four days of the working group on ageing, the focus kept returning to the legal gaps which exist in all governments around the world. Civil…
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Youth, Dialogue and Understanding
At the end of July, our UN Rep in New York attended a High Level Meeting on Youth as part of the UN Year of Youth. Carol Themm reports back. The General Assembly held a high Level meeting on youth with 60 international speakers from government and civil society to understand the participation of the…
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UN International Day of Worlds Indigenous Peoples 2011 – 9 August
Read a message from Soroptimist Chris Knight in celebration of The International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples To all our SI Indigenous Members and Friends I wish you a great day of celebrations. Today is the UN designated day to celebrate the International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples. The theme for 2011 is…