International Civic Engagement

Poverty Reflected in Children's Schools As Well As in the Home - UN Report

[Courtesy of the UN News Service]

Social inequality has a major impact on the kind of schooling children receive and poses a significant challenge to provide all children with equal learning opportunities, according to a report released yesterday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

“The data reveal how social inequality affects a child’s opportunity to learn. And clearly, no country – rich or poor – is immune to these disparities,” Hendrik van der Pol, director of UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics, said.

The report, which is based on a survey of 7,600 schools in 11 countries in Latin America, Asia and North Africa, reveals a particularly glaring gap between the resources available to urban and rural schools.

In India, the report found that 27 per cent of village schools have electricity compared to 76 per cent of schools in towns or cities. Only about half of the rural schools surveyed have enough toilets for girls and fewer than 4 per cent have a telephone.

In Peru, fewer than half of village schools are equipped with electricity, a library or toilets for boys or girls. Yet, in urban areas, nearly all schools have electricity, 65 per cent have enough lavatories and 74 per cent have libraries.

In general, village schools are in greater need of repair, according to the survey results. In Brazil, half the pupils in villages sit in run-down classrooms compared to fewer than 30 per cent of pupils in urban establishments.

The survey also found wide variations in how much parents were expected to contribute financially. In Tunisia, the parents of one-third of pupils were asked to pay for textbooks. This was the case for 24 per cent of pupils in Argentina and almost 10 per cent in India. Sri Lanka was the only country to provide textbooks for free to virtually all students.

“It is disturbing to think that students get more or less resources based on where they live. But that is just part of the story,” says Yanhong Zhang, one of the authors of the report. “The inequalities in school resources are linked to their socio-economic status. In effect, these children are subject to a double-jeopardy – with fewer resources at home and in school.”

According to the study, teachers and principals in schools serving socially-disadvantaged children tend to report lower levels of pupil motivation and more behavioural problems. In these schools, teachers were generally dissatisfied with salary, parental support, class size and access to classroom materials.

The UNESCO survey was carried out in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Malaysia, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Uruguay.

Further Sharp Increases in Global Food Prices 'Likely' - UN Report

[Courtesy of the UN News Service]

Further sharp price hikes and continued volatility in markets for food supplies appear to be likely for the next few seasons, according to a report released yesterday by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the run-up to a summit on the global food crisis which is being held in Rome early next month.

FAO lists 22 countries that it says are particularly vulnerable to food price increases because of high levels of chronic hunger and because they are net importers of both food and fuel. The report cites Eritrea, Niger, Comoros, Haiti and Liberia as being especially at risk.

“We hope that world leaders coming to Rome will agree on the urgent measures that are required to boost agricultural production, especially in the most affected countries, and at the same time protect the poor from being adversely affected by high food prices,” said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf.

The report says that increases in domestic food prices, even by moderate rates of 10 to 20 per cent, can have immediate negative impacts on poor households that spend a large part of their income on food staples.

Protecting the most vulnerable in rural and urban areas will require targeted direct food distribution, food subsidies and cash transfers, as well as nutritional programmes including school feeding, FAO says.

The agency also calls for the distribution of seeds, fertilizers, animal feed to small-scale farmers through vouchers or smart subsidies.

New Report Sheds Light on Success Strategies of Fast-Growing Countries

From the World Bank:

South Korea was once one of Asia’s poorest countries. Today, it’s one of the wealthiest, a high-income country with a standard of living about the same as Slovenia, Israel, or Saudi Arabia, and higher than in the Czech Republic, Oman or Portugal.

South Korea is one of only 13 countries that managed to pull off a kind of miracle in the post World War II era—economic growth averaging 7 percent or more for at least 25 years in a row, according to the “Growth Report: Strategies for Sustained Growth and Inclusive Development.” The report was prepared by the Commission on Growth and Development, an independent body supported by Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the World Bank Group.

High, long-lived growth isn’t easily achieved, but the report by some of the world’s top policy-makers and thinkers argues it can be repeated in other countries, thereby giving them a chance to reduce poverty and improve opportunity and quality of life for their citizens.

“The Growth Report,” released last week in London, Cairo, Cape Town, New York and St. Kitts, seeks to unlock the growth strategies of high growth countries and highlight the potential of economic growth to improve lives around the globe. Some 3 billion people have been able to enjoy the fruits of growth in the post-war period, and another 2 billion could also benefit from the global economy.

A Reminder about Human Goodness and Decency

On Saturday, I upgraded my cell phone at a local electronics supercenter.  I subsequently went out for lunch with my family.  We left the restaurant and returned to our car.  I proceeded to buckle in my son in his car seat, when the lunch receipt flew out of my pocket.  I bent down to pick up the receipt and could not reach it under the car.  I backed up the car, so my wife could grab the receipt.

At our next stop, I realized that my cell phone was missing, and I attempted to retrace my steps.  I looked inside the restaurant and in the restaurant parking lot but found no phone.

This morning, I received a call from a City of Kansas City, MO employee who found my phone in that restaurant parking lot.  He located my father's number in my cell phone directory.  My father, to whom I spoke yesterday about my missing phone, directed him to my place of employment.

Imagine how I felt losing a new cell phone less than one hour after obtaining it!  I am extremely grateful to this individual and for his willingness to seek me out.  My belief in human goodness and decency has once again been reinforced.

Park University Essay Contest Winner Helps Homeless Teens

The Kansas City Star published this feature article on the inspiring efforts of Sohail Jouya, winner of Park University's 2006 Democracy Day High School Essay Contest:

Sohail Jouya knows the travails of couch-surfing, the way homeless teens bounce from friend’s house to friend’s house in search of a safe place to sleep.

The Oak Park High School grad lived off the generosity of friends for months when he had to leave home at 16.

“There was a huge panic for me personally. I didn’t know what to do,” Jouya said. “And I always thought I was a burden for my friends.”

Jouya, 19, eventually found safety and a fresh start with Synergy Services, a group that, among other things, offers a variety of help to homeless youth. And he’s pleased now to witness the organization’s expansion.

When Jouya hooked up with Synergy, the group’s Synergy House for youth was “a house on top of a hill behind some woods” on the Park University campus. Come June of 2009, teens in the same spot Jouya was in will be able to count on a new $8.4 million Synergy House campus that is more conveniently located at the juncture of Interstates 29 and 35.

Jouya, who now volunteers with Synergy’s steering committee between the classes for his triple major at William Jewell College, has seen the renderings of the new campus, which just broke ground last week.

“It really blows the old facility out of the water,” he said. “This is somewhere that people will want to go if they have problems.”

Laurie Jackson, Synergy’s associate executive director, said that despite being able to serve 250 to 300 kids a year at Synergy House, conditions are cramped enough there that “we turn away one kid for every kid we serve.”

The new facility, at 2001 Northeast Parvin Road, will double the number of available beds, from 12 to 24. Jackson estimates, though, that there are some 2,000 homeless kids on any given night in Kansas City.

“It’s triage,” Jackson said of Synergy’s short-term residential program. “We try to do as much as we can for them as quick as we can.”

And, she said, the new campus will help not just homeless kids set to check in, but also youth not quite ready to take that step and other teens who’ve been through the program and just want to reconnect with Synergy staff.

So besides basic necessities like beds, showers and laundry facilities, the new campus will boast a youth resource center with offerings ranging from recreation to arts therapy.

For the group, Jackson said, the move likely will also mean a few new job openings and a host of potential volunteer positions.

The old Synergy House will remain among the group’s assets. It will be re-geared toward other Synergy programs and serve as a forensic interview center for abuse investigations.

Jouya’s just happy to be a part of it all.

“I’m not really sure what would have happened with my life if there was no Synergy Services,” he said.

Colleges and Universities Make Uneven Progress In Internationalizing Their Campuses, ACE Analysis Finds

From the American Council on Education:

Despite ongoing efforts to broaden global knowledge and understanding, an analysis by the Center for International Initiatives at the American Council on Education (ACE) finds that internationalization is not a high priority on most college campuses.
 
Mapping Internationalization on U.S. Campuses: 2008 Edition is the second in a series, following a 2001 study, on the policies and practices of colleges and universities in furthering internationalization. When possible, the report compares the 2001 data with the most recently collected 2006 data. The results, taken from a survey of more than 2,700 colleges and universities, present an overview of U.S. higher education institutions as well as information by institutional type.

While there has been some progress since 2001, ACE's 2006 data found that gains have been slow and uneven, few areas registered sharp increases, and some experienced declines.

Position Announcement - AmericaSpeaks Communications Coordinator

From AmericaSpeaks:

 

Communications Coordinator

Overview

The Communications Coordinator will support the communications and marketing activities of a fast-growing nonprofit organization with the mission of reinvigorating American democracy by engaging citizens in the public decision-making that most impacts their lives.

The Coordinator will raise the visibility and profile of AmericaSpeaks and its projects. The Coordinator will research, write and disseminate key communications documents as well support organizational branding and messaging to media, clients, prospective clients and donors, partner organizations and the organization’s volunteer network. The Coordinator will support the development and implementation of media strategies for AmericaSpeaks’ projects.

AmericaSpeaks is a world leader in the field of citizen engagement and public deliberation. For more than a decade, AmericaSpeaks has helped citizens influence many of the most pressing issues facing the public, including the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site after 9/11, the creation of regional plans for the greater Chicago and Cleveland regions, and the development of a recovery plan for New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. For more information about AmericaSpeaks, visit www.americaspeaks.org.

The Coordinator will report to the Communications Manager and Chief Operating Officer of AmericaSpeaks.

Duties and Responsibilities (listed in order of priority)

§        Write and disseminate op-eds, web content, case studies, newsletters, press releases, speeches, presentations, marketing and other organizational materials

§        Support the execution of AmericaSpeaks’ Strategic Communications & Marketing Plan

§        Secure speaking opportunities and track progress of speakers bureau program

§        Oversee production of AmericaSpeaks printed materials

§        Support the development and implementation of media strategies for citizen engagement projects and assist with on-the-ground efforts

§        Monitor the field of deliberative democracy and identify opportunities to generate interest in AmericaSpeaks’ work

§        Plan seminars or roundtable discussions with think tanks, universities

§        Archive media coverage, marketing materials, project materials

§        Manage media contact list of national print and electronic media sources

Knowledge and Skills Preferred for the Position

§        A commitment and passion for increasing the voice of citizens in key policy making and planning

§        Excellent writing, editing, proofreading and oral communication skills

§        Experience in research, written preparation and dissemination of information to the public through media such as publications, broadcast, internet, and periodicals 

§        Proven ability to meet multiple deadlines and balance numerous projects while maintaining a perspective on long-term goals

§        Willingness to adjust hours according to the demands of the job

§        Experience working with the web, online marketing and blogs

§        2 years experience in the field of journalism, marketing, public relations, public affairs, or citizen engagement

§        Nonprofit or Congressional experience a plus; campaign experience also a plus

To Apply

Send application to Susanna Haas Lyons at shaaslyons [at] americaspeaks [dot] org. Please include the following:

§        Cover letter describing why you are interested in this work, summarizing why you should be considered for this job, and identifying your salary requirements

§        Resume

§        Four distinct writing samples (op-ed, report, news article, journal article, research summary, etc.)

§        Telephone and e-mail contact information for three employment references

All attachments should be in PDF or Microsoft Word format and titled as follows “Lastname_Firstname_documentype”.

AmericaSpeaks is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage and value a diverse work force, and we seek diversity among applicants for this position.

Park University Assistant Professor Awarded Fulbright

By Toni Cardarella

A Park University associate professor of criminal justice has been awarded a Fulbright to teach the fall 2008 semester in Ukraine.

Carol Getty, Ph.D., associate professor of political science and public administration, will teach at the National University of Internal Affairs (KhNUIA) in Kharkiv. Getty said she also might develop curriculum and programs, as well as do some consulting while in Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine.

The Eastern European country borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. Ukraine became independent after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

"I wanted to see a country in transition," she said of her interest in Ukraine. "This is a country that doesn't actually teach criminal justice, a country that doesn’t have a democratic law system."

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and established in 1946, the Fulbright Program provides funding for students, scholars and professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. The Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the U.S. and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills.

Before joining Park in 1997, Getty spent 13 years as regional commissioner of the north central region of the U.S. Parole Commission, appointed first by President Ronald Reagan then President George H.W. Bush. For about 1½ years during that period, she chaired the U.S. Parole Commission in Washington D.C., becoming the first (and so far only) woman to chair the commission in its 80 years. Previously, Getty was board member and vice chairman of the Arizona Board of Pardons and Paroles for five years. (The position was a gubernatorial appointment.)

Getty said she found out in April that she would be awarded the Fulbright.

"I'm excited about winning it," she said. "I know from teaching in Taiwan and China that it's an incredible and fulfilling experience to teach in another country. I think you get more out of it than you give."

Steven Youngblood, associate professor of communication arts at Park University, taught last spring in Azerbajan on his second Fulbright (his first was teaching in Moldova in 2001). Park's other Fulbright scholars were Pete Soule, Ph.D., professor of economics (2002) and Nicolas Koudou, Ph.D., professor of business administration (2003).

Member States Elect 15 Countries to Serve on UN Human Rights Council

[Courtesy of the UN News Service]

Fifteen countries from around the world have been elected to serve on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) for three-year terms starting next month after one round of balloting yesterday among Member States at UN Headquarters in New York.

Zambia, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Gabon were chosen in that order to fill the four vacant African seats on the 47-member panel, according to a formula that allots seats among regions.

The three seats up for grabs in the Latin America and the Caribbean region – successful candidates in each category must obtain an absolute majority of valid votes cast by the 192 General Assembly members – went to Chile, Brazil and Argentina.

In the Eastern European category, Slovakia and Ukraine won the two available seats, while Serbia was unsuccessful.

Six countries contested the four positions distributed to Asian States, with Japan, Bahrain, the Republic of Korea and Pakistan winning the most votes to join the panel, and Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste missing out.

The closest contest occurred in the race for the two vacant seats in the Western European and Other States category. France scored 123 votes and the United Kingdom picked up 120, edging out Spain, which garnered 119 votes.

General Assembly spokesperson Janos Tisovszky told reporters that there were 190 valid votes and two invalid votes in the Western European and Other States category. Ten of the valid votes cast were abstentions.

Some of the successful candidates had been due to retire on June 19, when their current term on the HRC expires – they were Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Ukraine, Brazil, France and the United Kingdom.

Under Council rules, members serve for three-year periods and cannot run for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms. Overall, the 47 members include 13 from Africa, 13 from Asia, six from Eastern Europe, eight from Latin America and the Caribbean, and seven from Western Europe and Other States.

International Transparency & Secrecy Research Network

Here is an except of a message I received from Rutgers University-Newark Assistant Professor Suzanne Piotrowski:

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join the International Transparency & Secrecy Research Network listserv. The aim of this initiative is to keep you up-to-date with new publications and research on transparency and secrecy, and to foster dialogue and collaboration in the field of transparency broadly defined. Through your participation, this network will facilitate online discussions of current research topics, flag new reports and articles, publicize your work, and ease future cooperation among participants.

This network is different from others in its multi-disciplinary, international focus on research. Contributions and interactions are sought from researchers and academics including, but not limited to, scholars of public administration, business administration, public policy, political science, journalism, communication, law, management, anthropology and sociology. This initiative is made possible through a grant from the Academic Excellence Fund at Rutgers University.

The International Transparency & Secrecy Research Network will be as successful as your involvement. It will be possible to access it in digested and undigested form.

You can register at:

https://email.rutgers.edu/mailman/listinfo/itsrn_l

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Respectfully,

Suzanne J. Piotrowski, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Public Affairs and Administration Rutgers University-Newark 830 Hill Hall 360 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Newark, NJ 07102-1895
973.353.5093 Ext. 20 (phone)
973.353.5907 (fax)

spiotrow@rutgers.edu

http://spaa.newark.rutgers.edu/