| Posted: April 15 2005,02:03 |
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
Yes,
we have. We launched Good News Agency in June 2000. It is issued on a
Friday in English and the following Friday in Italian. It reaches
directly 3,700 media in 48 countries, as well as 2,500 NGOs. The
attrition rate has always been extremely low. Media have been receiving
our electronic newsletter with a remarkable degree of interest proven
by the journalists' request, when they change place of work, to keep on
receiving it at their new e-mail address. And in the past five years,
media have increasingly reported news of the development activities
around the world. The news included in Good News Agency are broken down
by subject: International Legoslation, Human Rights, Economy and
Development, Solidarity, Peace and Security, Health, Energy and Safety,
Environment and Wildlife, Religion and Spirituality, Culture and
Education. This wide range has ensured media's interest.
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OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
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This
has been an all-volunteer activity since its beginning. It has not been
possible to devote time to the building of teams of translators in
other languages, which would enhance the newsletter strength of
persuasion within the editorial offices of many countries. We have been
thinking of French, German, Spanish and Portuguese, languages that
would allow media's stronger acceptance in those countries that are the
major contributors to the Official Development Assistance, and cover
large regions of development work. This expansion would be an important
factor towards the formation of a public opinion supporting the formula
of 0.7% of GNP.
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ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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With
regard to the formation of public opinion the publication of the
telematic newsletter Good News Agency continued with intensity and
regularity throughout the period 2001-2004 and presently. During 2004,
31 editions were issued, 16 in English and 15 in Italian. The
distribution increased from 2,500 to 3,700 TV, radio and press
editorial offices, thanks to the utilization of the survey of United
States media carried out by the UNA-USA Association, a survey which our
Association was able to adopt. Besides the media in 48 countries, Good
News Agency was regularly sent to 2,500 non-governmental associations,
voluntary associations, universities and colleges in the world.
Considering the ease with which the newsletter is circulated by the
addressees themselves to their ‘mailing lists’ and the fact that many
NGOs include it in their own web sites, it has been estimated that the
global circulation of this telematic newsletter is in the order of
100,000 copies, all distributed by Internet.
The activity of
research for news continued, both through direct research and on the
basis of a flow of information that has been spontaneously established
from the UN and their specialized agencies, other international
institutions, and the world of NGOs and service associations For
the translation of the news from English, the valuable and precious
help of eight young voluntary collaborators (graduates in Languages and
Foreign Literature or holders of the diploma of the High School of
Interpreters and Translators) and of two senior voluntary collaborators
was obtained.
The Campaign “Let’s Take Good News Agency into the
Schools”: this telematic newsletter, which is also being introduced
into some secondary schools through some Rotary Clubs, was supported by
a press campaign offered free by the Italian monthly magazine Rotary,
which included in every issue, starting in May 2003 and for the whole
of 2004, two whole pages in colour with the exhortation to Rotarians to
present Good News Agency in the secondary schools. The magazine Rotary
is sent to the 671 Clubs and 40,000 Rotarians in Italy. This support,
which has a very high financial value, has – as for the media – an
excellent potential for promoting a more aware public opinion,
considering the multiplying effect which can be obtained in the high
schools.
As a result of the campaign, the Association gave
some talks in several higher institutes and Rotary Clubs. These talks,
on the theme “A Revolution of Consciousness” to promote a culture of
peace, were organized and given in order to permit, as a logical
conclusion, the presentation of the two important activities of the
Association in this field: the Ethical Code of the Media and the
telematic newsletter Good News Agency. Several teachers of higher
institutes asked to received the newsletter, which is thus discussed in
class and which constitutes the stimulus for research and in-depth
analyses on the part of the students. The English edition is also
utilized in class for this purpose by some teachers of foreign
languages.
The Ethical Code of the Media, which identifies media's
task and responsibility "to pursue the aim of disseminating information
on every aspect of the reality in which we", has been signed so far by
125 NGOs, service associations, v.i.p., and concerned people around the
world.
The work of the Association continues to be much
appreciated by the Department of Public Information of the United
Nations, with which the Association is associated. Of particular
importance for the UNDPI is the fact that the editorial activity of
Good News Agency, with 12 pages and 40 news items on average per issue,
disseminated to the media of 48 countries during the year 2004 more
than 650 positive news items, of which 70 percent concerned the UN and
its specialized Agencies. The same flow of information was disseminated
in the previous four yrears.
Lastly, in 2004 - as alrerady
done in the previous four years - some issues of this telematic
newsletter included some editorials and interviews on these subjects: 8
March, International Women’s Day: Being a woman today; World
crisis: it is not too late to change this situation; interview
with the Undersecretary-General of the UN for the Least Developed
Countries; Millennium Development Goals: civil society takes
action; interview with the Manager of the global policy programs,
United Nation Association of the USA.
A special number was entirely dedicated to the global response to the drama of the tsunami.
A picture of the Earth that we include in the Good News Agency.
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ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
Major
efforts to strengthen the formation of a well informed public
opinion should be undertaken. Public opinion is the determining factor
for the development of a culture of peace. Media and high schools and
colleges should be the primary target of a concerted effort to promote
public's knowledge and understanding of the information relevant to
facts and trends that demonstrate the buiding of a culture of peace,
which is under way and whose progress can be accelerated by an
enlightened public opinion.
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PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
The Association has been recognized by UNESCO as an actor of the global movement for a culture of peace.
Good
News Agency has fostered the creation of an informal network of NGOs
and service associations that ensure an constantly increasing flow of
information from the field.
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
The development of new editions of Good News Agency in other languages .
The increase of its circulation to reach the target of 10,000 media all over the world.
The expansion of its introduction into the high schools and colleges.
The formation of a team of co-workers who will speak to the youth in various countries.
The
strengthening of the campaign for the Ethical Code of the Media so as
to reach a stronger and wider support that will enable its meaningful
presentation to the media publishers of the world, country by country.
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Postal address of organization
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Via Antagora 10 - 00124 Rome, Italy.
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E-mail address of organization
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s.tripi@tiscali.it
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Website address of organization
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www.goodnewsagency.org
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Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Free flow of informaton
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Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Education for a culture of peace
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Highest priority country of action (or international)
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international
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Second priority country of action (or international)
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Italy
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