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| SHSviews 21 |
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| UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector Magazine |
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| Nantes, crossroads of cities against racism / Interview with Bernard Loing: “NGOs are the cornerstone of civil society” / Dossier: social and human sciences within National Commissions for UNESCO – Focus on Malawi – July-September 2008 (English | Français | Русский) |
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 The reasons for anger
Faced with images of those migrant workers killed by their poverty-stricken brothers in the slums of Johannesburg, how should we react? Can we settle for a broken heart and a troubled mind? And in the face of the indifference of those holiday-makers who continued to tan themselves, while, ten meters away, two Roma girls lie dead on an Italian beach, how should we react? Should we become accustomed to it?
Sixty years after the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and thirty years after the adoption of the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice, we repeat incessantly: all men are born with equal rights, as stated in the Human Rights Declaration; all individuals and groups have the right to be different, to consider themselves as different and to be regarded as such, as stated in the Race and Racial Prejudice Declaration.
Inscribed clearly in the latter, it is becoming increasingly obvious that: existing disequilibria in international economic relations contribute to the exacerbation of racism and racial prejudice. They are the breeding ground of violence and wars.
So, when the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) informed us, last June, that world military expenditure increased by more than US$ 135 billion in 2007, and that we know that, give or take a dollar, it is the estimated amount needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals – the foremost objective being the eradication of extreme poverty – what should we think? When confronted with violence, injustice and poverty, we have no other choice but to combine forces and individual effort to give meaning to the word ‘humanity’.
Working together is, undoubtedly, far from obvious; it is far more than a function bestowed on this social being, the human being: it is a condition for the survival of society. For UNESCO, it is the raison d’être. And for all its partners, peace-builders, and actors in social and economic development: a constant requirement, an absolute necessity.
‘For every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main, because he is involved in mankind’ as stated in the 1950 Declaration on Race drafted by an expert group which met at UNESCO. For the first time, in the headlines of this issue of SHSViews, we have been bold enough to pronounce a watchword reuniting 6 billion human beings to work together to build a world of dignity and justice. We know, indeed, that it is not enough to make statements, to be indignant or to speak out for our dreams to become a reality.
If man is a thinking being, he is also active. And if some acts – like those mentioned above – disgust us, others – brought up throughout this issue – strengthen our conviction that although it is difficult to measure the impact of ideas dispersed throughout the world by UNESCO networks, social and human sciences are a perfect tool to respond to the needs of society.
Pierre Sané
Assistant Director-General
for Social and Human Sciences
This issue of SHSviews covers topical issues from July to September 2008:- Dossier - Social and Human Sciences within National Commissions for UNESCO – Focus on Malawi
SHSviews continues its round-the-world journey in a bid to explore the way social and human sciences are perceived within the National Commissions for UNESCO. After the Philippines and Canada, this issue is an opportunity to visit Malawi, where social and human sciences are not handled within a separate programme but contribute to all projects by participating in a "silent revolution of society". More … [PDF]
- Interview with Bernard Loing: “NGOs are the cornerstone of civil society”
A true global forum collecting opinions and suggestions from NGOs on the priorities of action of the United Nations, the annual NGO conference organized by the Department of Information of the United Nations will be held for the first time in its history at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, from 3 to 5 September 2008. On the eve of this important meeting, the President of the International Conference of the 310 NGOs accredited to UNESCO invites us to review human rights in terms of universality and globalization. Bernard Loing considers NGOs as “the cornerstone of civil society” and asserts that they must play a larger role in world governance. More … [PDF]
- Human Rights: Nantes, crossroads of cities against racism
In 2004, the World Forum of Human Rights was launched in Nantes (France), at the initiative of UNESCO. That same year, UNESCO launched an appeal to cities around the world so that they organize themselves to fight more effectively against all forms of discrimination. Four years later, while 6 regional coalitions had been created and the Nantes Forum confirmed its success, it is at the "Cité des Ducs" that the launch of an international coalition of cities against racism was announced. More … [PDF]
Also in SHSviews N° 21:Promoting principles, practices and ethical norms
- Energy technologies: what ethics in Asia and the Pacific?
- New perspectives for ethics in the Arab States
- The global resources on ethics will be available soon on GEObs
Contributing to the dialogue of civilizations and cultures
- Europe: "Voices of Youth against Racism"
- A South-African think tank, winner of the 15th Education Peace Prize
- "Why celebrate a World Day of Peace in 2008?" by Moufida Goucha, Chief of Human Security, Democracy and Philosophy Section of UNESCO
- Call for nominations for the UNESCO / Bilbao 2008 Prize. Deadline: September 15, 2008
Directing research for action in the service of populations
- "Greater Horn Horizon": intellectuals committed
- Sport for Peace? An open debate in Zanzibar
- Building a centre for women for the Great Lakes Region
- 600 youths expected in Quebec for a world congress
- International Meeting of Youth in Bahrain
- 2nd UNESCO Youth Forum in Asia
- Neighbourhood youth investigate on the role of migrants in the city
- Fight against youth violence: a UNESCO project in Salvador awarded
- Conference at UNESCO on the first great migrations of peoples
- What freedom of movement at the regional level?
- Giving value to the qualifications of migrants
Publications
- That Pesky Rat for educating children in need
- The rights of migrant workers: a special issue of Hommes et migrations
- Russian literature for children crosses borders
- International Journal on Multicultural Societies: Tests of citizenship are now scrutinized
- Bioethical Perspectives in the Asia-Pacific region
Readers’ forum
- “UNESCO, a network, instigator of networks”, by Michael Omolewa, Nigeria's Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, President of the General Conference of the Organization from 2003 to 2005
Back cover
- Call for applications for small research grants against poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. Submission deadline: August 31, 2008.
- The calendar of SHS activities from July to September 2008
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