NEPAL

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco centers in Nepal recently hosted a meeting of the Salesian Youth Movement. The event, held at Don Bosco Institute Thecho in Kathmandu, brought together 90 youth and Salesian staff from five centers. Youth gathered to meet and connect with their peers and adults while speaking about challenges they face in life today. They also discussed solutions and ways to make their centers more enriching. Youth took part in songs, games and a campfire during the evening part of the event.

“The Salesian Youth Movement provides an opportunity for youth to connect with their peers, share in their faith and talk about challenges they face today,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through educational and social programs, Salesians across Nepal are helping youth became self-sufficient to support themselves and their families.”

Salesian missionaries arrived in Nepal in the 1890s and started a secondary school in Siddhipur, a village in the Lalitpur district. Today there are 20 secondary schools and nine Salesian centers in the central-eastern and far western regions of the country. Salesians provide education and social development programs to aid poor youth and their families.

Nepal is among the least developed countries in the world, with about one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Salesian missionaries are still hard at work with long-term reconstruction efforts after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, with a second striking on May 12, 2015.

More than 8,000 people died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and in need of shelter and other assistance. The United Nations reported that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes.

The construction of schools that can withstand earthquakes and provide access to education for the youngest and most vulnerable children is the daily commitment of Salesian missionaries in the country. The goal is to help equip youth to have the education and skills necessary to change their lives and become agents of development.

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ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Nepal – The Salesian Youth Movement unites the youth of the centres together

Salesian Missions – Nepal

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NEPAL

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Institute, located in Thecho, Nepal, recently held graduation for women in the tailoring and beautician training programs. Tailoring graduates received sewing machines at a discounted rate so that they can start work immediately after graduation. To date, Don Bosco Institute has trained close to 600 students in tailoring and 310 students in beautician skills.

Mayor of Mahalaxmi Hari Gobinda Shrestha addressed the students at graduation. He encouraged them to make use of their training and skills. He also expressed his happiness that the institute provides training programs at an affordable cost for local women.

“The educational opportunities provided by Salesian programs can be truly life-changing for young women,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through educational programs, both girls and young women have an opportunity to develop the skills to become self-sufficient and support their families.”

Salesian missionaries arrived in Nepal in the 1890s and started a secondary school in Siddhipur, a village in the Lalitpur district. Today there are 20 secondary schools and nine Salesian centers in the central-eastern and far western regions of the country. Salesians provide education and social development programs to aid poor youth and their families.

Nepal is among the least developed countries in the world, with about one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Salesian missionaries are still hard at work with long-term reconstruction efforts after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, with a second striking on May 12, 2015.

More than 8,000 people died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and in need of shelter and other assistance. The United Nations reported that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes.

The construction of schools that can withstand earthquakes and provide access to education for the youngest and most vulnerable children is the daily commitment of Salesian missionaries in the country. The goal is to help equip youth to have the education and skills necessary to change their lives and become agents of development.

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ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Nepal – Ushering local women to livelihood ambitions through Dress Making and Beautician training

Salesian Missions – Nepal

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NEPAL

(MissionNewswire) Nepal Don Bosco Society organized a teacher training program called “Empowering Teachers” in the city of Manthali, Nepal. The three-day program provided training to teachers and administrators from 10 schools in four districts that were rebuilt after the 2015 earthquakes. The training team included Father Stephen Biswakarma, principal of the higher secondary section of Nepal Don Bosco School in Siddhipur-Lubhu, who shared life experiences in providing quality education to students.

There were 31 participants who came to learn how to revamp policies and strategies to provide holistic education to students. Session topics included child-friendly teaching, best practices of the schools, personality of the teacher, media impact on student life and back to nature. The participants and school authorities were appreciative of the ongoing effort of Nepal Don Bosco Society to support schools with such programs.

Thought-provoking messages were shared by Hemanta Budathoki, chief guest at the training and the education officer of the Manthali municipality, and the organizing team led by Father Augusty Pulickal, director of Nepal Don Bosco Society.

Twenty Salesian missionaries at nine different centers in the country’s eastern, central and far western regions are working to rebuild the educational foundation in Nepal. A host of relief and recovery programs were undertaken in the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes and continue with the goal of providing quality and value-based academic and technical education in the country.

“Teachers are the backbone of the Salesian educational system and need our support in helping to ensure their work is valued and respected,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian teachers face many challenges educating poor youth. Many of their students have faced severe poverty and often lack basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. Some were previously living and working on the streets, and others have faced war as child soldiers or become refugees in war-torn communities. Salesian teachers, who often come from similar backgrounds, meet these challenges head-on, providing education and hope for a brighter future.”

Nepal is among the least developed countries in the world, with about one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Salesian missionaries are still hard at work with long-term reconstruction efforts after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 with a second striking on May 12, 2015.

More than 8,000 people died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and in need of shelter and other assistance. The United Nations reported that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes.

The construction of schools that can withstand earthquakes and provide access to education for the youngest and most vulnerable children is the daily commitment of Salesian missionaries in the country. The goal is to help equip youth to have the education and skills necessary to change their lives and become agents of development.

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ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Nepal – Nepal Don Bosco Society empowers its volunteer teachers to improve the teaching in the reconstructed schools

Nepal Don Bosco Society Facebook

Salesian Missions – Nepal

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NEPAL

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical Institute and Schneider Electric Foundation have launched a new Center of Excellence in Lalitpur, Nepal. The state-of-the-art facility will provide vocational training and skill development to close to 1,000 youth over the next five years in home and building installation, basic automation, home automation, safe and secure building operations, and industrial installations controls and drives.

Speaking at the launch event, Anil Chaudhry, CEO Schneider Electric India Pvt. Ltd. and zone president, greater India, said, “At Schneider Electric, we believe that access to energy is a basic human right. With this vision, we are proud to launch the Center of Excellence in partnership with Don Bosco Institute. Job creation and skill development must accompany universal energy access for maximum benefit. Through the launch of this center, we aim to contribute towards skill development in the industry and create a pool of highly skilled youth in Nepal.”

Gilles Vermont, senior vice president of corporate citizenship at Schneider Electric added, “Under the umbrella of the Foundation de France, we at Schneider Electric Foundation focus on global change and promote a fair society to ensure a better future for the younger generations. We aim to provide a fantastic opportunity to the youth of the country by helping them to acquire adequate skills and give them access to better job opportunities.”

The Center of Excellence will provide youth advanced vocational training in energy, which is beneficial to their professional development and society. Father Pulickal Augusty, rector of Don Bosco Technical Institute, said, “Our institution is doing a significant service to the society by skilling young people in various technical fields. The Schneider Electric Foundation France-sponsored lab is an added boon to the training imparted at this center.”

Nepal Don Bosco Society, which helps facilitate projects like the collaboration with Schneider Electric Foundation and is under the jurisdiction of the Salesian Province of Kolkata, India, promotes the education of poor youth in the Kathmandu Valley. Nepal Don Bosco Society began its work in 1999 with a high school in Siddhipur, a village within Lalitpur District. Schneider Electric Foundation has philanthropic initiatives focusing on training youth to improve their life and job prospects. The organization has already supported more than 150 ambitious professional training programs in the electricity sector, providing access to energy in emerging countries. The foundation aims to train a million young people and 10,000 trainers by 2025 globally.

Nepal is among the least developed countries in the world, with about one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Salesian missionaries are still hard at work with long-term reconstruction efforts after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 with a second striking on May 12, 2015.

More than 8,000 people died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and in need of shelter and other assistance. The United Nations reported that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes.

The construction of schools that can withstand earthquakes and provide access to education for the youngest and most vulnerable children is the daily commitment of Salesian missionaries in the country. The goal is to help equip youth to have the education and skills necessary to change their lives and become agents of development.

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ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Nepal – Don Bosco Institute Launches First Centre of Excellence in Nepal

Nepal Don Bosco Society Facebook

Salesian Missions – Nepal

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NEPAL

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Nepal have been working to help mitigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic for hundreds of families living in communities near the seven Salesian centers across the country. Salesians have also been helping children in Salesian schools.

COVID-19 is worsening in Nepal and the virus is spreading faster than the first wave. Salesians report that in the last 15 days of May, there was an increase of 102,104 cases and 2,271 deaths. The country has been on an extended lockdown with all malls and grocery shops closed for a week. Although all were advised to gather groceries and provisions for a week in advance, daily laborers couldn’t afford to buy provisions for a whole week.

Father Augusty Pulickal, the coordinator of the Nepal Mission, has assured the mayor of Kathmandu Valley that Salesians are working to make provisions available to those in need during this trying time. In addition, Salesians with Don Bosco Society are donating supplies to a newly established COVID19 Center in the Kathmandu Valley.

Through the help of a donor, Salesians have provided medical equipment and accessories including an oxygen concentrator, oximeters, PPE kits, masks, and sanitizer to the newly opened COVID-19 Center, which currently has 19 patients. Several people have already returned home after getting over the virus.

“Salesians in Nepal and around the globe have been stepping up in their communities to help families in need and provide support to local medical care facilities,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Living within the communities they serve, Salesians know the local landscape and are able to access and provide support to those who need it most.”

Nepal is among the least developed countries in the world, with about one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Salesian missionaries are still hard at work with long-term reconstruction efforts after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 with a second striking on May 12, 2015.

More than 8,000 people died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and in need of shelter and other assistance. The United Nations reported that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes.

The construction of schools that can withstand earthquakes and provide access to education for the youngest and most vulnerable children is the daily commitment of Salesian missionaries in the country. The goal is to help equip youth to have the education and skills necessary to change their lives and become agents of development in their country.

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ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) 

ANS – Nepal – Don Bosco Society donates Medical equipment to a newly established Covid Centre in Kathmandu valley for providing better and effective care

Nepal Don Bosco Society Facebook

Salesian Missions – Nepal

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NEPAL

Salesian Missions donors fund distribution of 1,500 copies of new book on the history of the Catholic Church in Nepal

(MissionNewswire) There is a new book out about the Catholic Church’s history in Nepal thanks to funding from Salesian Missions donors. The book The Cross on the Roof by Father George Thirumalachalil, former faculty member in the history department at the Salesian College Sonada in India, is being distributed to 1,500 people, focused particularly on youth to encourage their spiritual growth.

The Don Bosco Institute, located in Kathmandu, Nepal, received the funding for the book’s distribution. The Catholic Church has had a presence in Nepal for more than three hundred years, but very little was known about its history in the area. Fr. Thirumalachalil did extensive research and wrote the history of the Catholic Church in Nepal to share with Catholics in the country.

“Understanding the history of the Catholic Church in Nepal is a helpful step in educating youth about their spiritual roots and growth,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Capturing this long history is also important for its preservation and understanding the impact Catholics have had in Nepal. Salesians provide education and social programs for poor youth and their families and have been an integral part of the recovery and reconstruction efforts since the 2015 earthquakes.”

Nepal is among the least developed countries in the world, with about one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Salesian missionaries are still hard at work with long-term reconstruction efforts after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 and a second earthquake on May 12, 2015.

More than 8,000 people died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and in need of shelter and other assistance. The United Nations reported that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes.

The construction of schools that can withstand earthquakes and provide access to education for the youngest and most vulnerable children is the daily commitment of Salesian missionaries in the country. The goal is to help equip youth to have the education and skills necessary to change their lives and become agents of development in their country.

Since the pandemic struck, Salesians in the country have had to innovate how they provide services and education. Two Salesian schools in the Don Bosco Community of Bharoul in eastern Nepal are now conducting educational lessons for 1,500 students using 42 rented rooms, each called a community classroom. Each class educates only 10 students at a time and strictly follows government restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. There are 46 teachers who are facilitating this new way of learning. The lessons began on July 16. This method was preferred over online lessons because of the financial restrictions on many students.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Institute

Don Bosco Institute Facebook

Salesian Missions – Nepal

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NEPAL

(MissionNewswire) Two Salesian schools in the Don Bosco Community of Bharoul in eastern Nepal are conducting educational lessons for 1,500 students using 42 rented rooms, each called a community classroom. Each class educates only 10 students at a time and strictly follows government restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. There are 46 teachers who are facilitating this new way of learning. The lessons began on July 16.

Schools in Nepal have been closed for the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, and there is still uncertainty when schools will be back to normal. School premises cannot be used to conduct lessons because the students cannot all come together to learn. To continue reaching students, Salesians rented rooms to conduct lessons in nearby villages, educating smaller subsets of students. This method was preferred over online lessons because of the financial restrictions on many students.

The local government educational department has given Salesians the authorization to carry out the lessons this way. All regulations must be strictly respected, such as the use of masks, social distancing and frequent hand-washing.

Currently, lessons in major subjects such as English, Nepali, math, science and social studies are being taught. Students, parents and teachers are all in support of these new lessons. From the first day lessons started, 95 percent of students were in class.

Nepal is among the least developed countries in the world, with about one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Salesian missionaries are still hard at work with long-term reconstruction efforts after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 and a second earthquake on May 12, 2015.

More than 8,000 people died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and in need of shelter and other assistance. The United Nations reported that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes.

The construction of schools that can withstand earthquakes and provide access to education for the youngest and most vulnerable children is the daily commitment of Salesian missionaries in the country. The goal is to help equip youth to have the education and skills necessary to change their lives and become agents of development in their country.

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ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) 

ANS – Nepal – Parents and students welcome new innovative teaching method

Salesian Missions – Nepal

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Nepal has struggled with a poverty rate of 25 percent even before the earthquakes and the rate jumps to 50 percent for those living in the mid-western and far western parts of the country due to rough terrain that makes farming almost impossible. Close to 80 percent of the country’s population live in rural areas and rely on farming to make a living and these rural residents, many affected by the earthquake, face the worst poverty. Most of these households have little to no access to health care, education, safe drinking water, sanitation or other basic services. In addition, nearly half of all children under the age of five in the country are malnourished.

The earthquakes exacerbated already challenging conditions especially for residents of remote villages and those living in poverty. More than 8,000 people died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and remain in need of shelter and other assistance.

Salesian missionaries have been living and working within Nepal’s communities for many years and were among the first to respond with emergency relief after the earthquakes, providing food and water to those who had lost everything. Less than two weeks after the earthquakes, Nepal Don Bosco Society, a Salesian non-governmental organization, distributed more than 100 tons of relief materials including sixty tons of food and tarpaulins for temporary shelter to more than 30,000 people in 19 villages spanning six districts.

“Salesian missionaries have been able to reach out to many places, many villages, including those areas that government officials were not able,” says Bishop Paul Simick, Vicar Apostolic of Nepal. “There are other places that are very difficult to reach and we have heard that people are still waiting for the first relief to reach them.”

Today, months after the earthquake, Salesian missionaries are building temporary schools and addressing long-term training needs as part of their reconstruction and relief efforts, especially in the Kathmandu Valley where Salesian missionaries operate two programs. Don Bosco Thecho is a technical school located in the Kathmandu suburb of Lubhu and Don Bosco Siddhipur, located in the Lalitpur district, offers both a primary and secondary school.

The United Nations has noted that more than 32,000 classrooms and 1,383 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes. Salesian missionaries will utilize the skills of the newly trained students from Don Bosco Thecho to assist in the rebuilding of schools with a goal of reconstructing at least 40 schools. Each village in the area will be asked to form a school-reconstruction committee that will mobilize the villagers to contribute as much as possible in cash, labor and locally available materials. To date, more than 21 temporary learning centers have been completed. In a recent evaluation meeting with Nepalese government officers and other non-government organizations, it was acknowledged that the temporary learning centers built by the Salesian missionaries and students were of such high quality they could possibly serve as permanent school buildings.

Children of Nepal have been most affected by the earthquakes and getting them back to school has remained a priority for Salesian missionaries. Schools provide a sense of normalcy for children who have faced devastation and destruction. Along with normal classroom instruction, schools also provide psychosocial programs to help children process their fears and concerns as well as the changes they are experiencing as a result of the earthquakes and displacement. They also provide a safe haven from the human trafficking that has surfaced in the country in the wake of the earthquakes.

“As with any natural disaster, the children are the worst affected,” says Father Tony Valiaparackattu, a Salesian missionary serving in Nepal. “They have been displaced from their homes and families and have been traumatized by the scenes of devastation surrounding them. Many have lost parents, siblings or other loved ones. Their world has been turned upside down.”

Immediately after the initial earthquake, Salesian Missions launched an emergency fund to assist Salesian missionaries in Nepal. The funding goes directly to support relief efforts on the ground in communities and remote villages. Salesian Missions is urging the public to donate to its Nepal Emergency Fund. Go to www.SalesianMissions.org/Nepal for more information and to give to the relief efforts.

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Salesian Missions – Nepal is Calling

Salesian Missions – Nepal Emergency Fund

Don Bosco Thecho

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Celebrated each year on August 19, the day was established by the United Nations to recognize those who face danger and adversity in order to help others and was designated to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. The theme of World Humanitarian Day 2015 is, “Inspiring the World’s Humanity” and highlights humanitarian organizations around the world while inspiring people to become active messengers of humanity.

“On World Humanitarian Day, we honor the selfless dedication and sacrifice of workers and volunteers from around the world who devote themselves – often at great personal risk – to assisting the world’s most vulnerable people,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in a statement on World Humanitarian Day 2015. “This year, more than 100 million women, men and children need life-saving humanitarian assistance. The amount of people affected by conflict has reached levels not seen since the Second World War, while the number of those affected by natural and human-induced disasters remains profound. On this Day we also celebrate our common humanity. The families and communities struggling to survive in today’s emergencies do so with resilience and dignity. They need and deserve our renewed commitment to do all we can to provide them with the means for a better future.”

From the recent earthquakes in Nepal and flooding in Myanmar to the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Salesian missionaries are on the forefront of relief efforts and operate programs in more than 130 countries around the globe. Missionaries provide immediate assistance but also remain in countries in need to assist families, rebuild communities and restore livelihoods long after other organizations have left.

“Because Salesian missionaries live within the communities they serve, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our programs help to provide food, clothing and shelter to those in need and our missionaries remain through the long recovery process after a humanitarian crisis to help families rebuild their homes and salvage their livelihoods.”

In honor and celebration of World Humanitarian Day 2015, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight its humanitarian efforts that have benefited more than 450,000 people since the start of 2015.

MYANMAR FLOODING

Salesian missionaries have been providing emergency relief and helping flood victims displaced by the heavy monsoon rain and flooding that has affected Myanmar this summer. Nearly 1 million people have now been affected by the widespread flooding across the country since June. Myanmar government officials have reported that close to 100 people have died and 1.2 million acres of rice fields have been destroyed. Heavy rains in early August caused by Cyclone Komen worsened the already precarious situation and led to intensified flooding across much of the country. Salesian missionaries living and working in the region are responding to the situation with aid for the flood victims, many who have lost everything. The regions most affected include Chin, Rakáin, Magwe and Sagaing which the Burmese government declared a state of natural disaster. The Salesian house of Kalay, a boarding school in the region of Chin, is located at the center of one of the most flood-stricken areas but did not suffer any damage. The Salesian community in the region is already actively engaged in emergency relief work and also planning long-term rebuilding and education and social development initiatives to help flood victims.

NEPAL EARTHQUAKES

Salesian missionaries immediately responded with food, medicine and temporary shelter after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25 and a second earthquake struck on May 12. More than 8,000 died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and remain in need of shelter and other assistance.

Salesian missionaries are building temporary schools and addressing long-term training needs as part of their reconstruction and relief efforts. To date, more than 21 temporary learning centers have been completed. In a recent evaluation meeting with Nepalese government officers and other non-government organizations, it was acknowledged that the temporary learning centers built by the Salesian missionaries and students from the Salesian-operated technical school, Don Bosco Thecho in Kathmandu, Nepal, were of such high quality they could possibly serve as permanent school buildings.

SYRIAN CONFLICT REFUGEES IN TURKEY

Sharing a 500-mile-long border with Syria, Southeastern Turkey has more than 1.6 million Syrian refugees, as reported by the United Nations. Salesian missionaries are providing services at three sites within Syria while also providing for Syrian refugees in Turkey. While many Syrian refugees stay in towns on the Turkey-Syrian border, many find their way to big cities like Istanbul where Salesian missionaries operate a program that currently serves close to 400 Syrian refugees.

At the Don Bosco Center in Istanbul, Salesian Father Andres Calleja Ruiz leads special programs for refugee children and youth from Syria as well as for a growing number of families fleeing ISIS persecution in Iraq. Because most refugees do not speak the local language it is difficult for children to attend school and adults to find work. At the Center, Salesian missionaries provide a school for more than 350 refugee children where they learn the English language and traditional school subjects such as mathematics, geography and music. Students have access to sports and dance programs intended to help them connect with their peers and find enjoyment and comfort in their new surroundings. In addition, the program provides counseling both for youth and their families to help them overcome the challenges and traumas they have faced.

Technical skills training is a critical component of Salesian work in Istanbul. Many refugees leave the country’s border towns and refugee camps and make their way to Istanbul hoping to find employment and a more stable life. If they fail to find work, refugees are often left in dire circumstances. The Don Bosco Center’s technical skills training program is a critical safety net for those in need.

WEST AFRICA EBOLA OUTBREAK

The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the most deadly on record, has infected close to 21,200 and killed more than 8,400 across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Salesian missionaries in both Sierra Leone and Liberia immediately responded with health prevention education and humanitarian assistance in the form of food aid and medical supplies as well as soap and other cleaning and disinfecting products to help slow and eventually stop the spread of Ebola. The Salesian-run Mother Patern College of Health Sciences, one of five colleges that make up the Stella Maris Polytechnic University in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia, was on the front lines of the Ebola crisis with all 63 of its staff reassigned to address the Ebola outbreak. Education was an important step in stopping the spread of the disease and Salesian missionaries in Liberia and Sierra Leone went door to door providing education on Ebola and passing out prevention materials. Salesian missionaries also continue to provide ongoing support, shelter and education to Ebola orphans, those children who have lost parents, and for some, their entire families, as a result of the deadly disease.

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ANS – Spain – “In the midst of calamities, we reassert our commitment to the poor”

World Humanitarian Day 2015

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Immediately following the initial earthquake, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, launched an emergency fund to assist Salesian missionaries in Nepal. The funding goes directly to support relief efforts on the ground in remote villages and affected communities, epecially those in the Kathmandu Valley where Salesian missionaries operate two programs. Don Bosco Thecho is a technical school located in the Kathmandu suburb of Lubhu and Don Bosco Siddhipur, located in the Lalitpur district, offers both a primary and secondary school.

“Salesian missionaries living and working in Nepal are continuing their long-term reconstruction efforts, helping communities to rebuild homes and schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Missionaries are beginning to assess and address training needs to help youth and their families develop skills for long-term employment. One of the primary training efforts underway is helping to further the reconstruction efforts and put those in the community who have lost their livelihoods back to work. Salesian missionaries are using the technical school at Thecho to train young men and women in the building and construction skills needed to assist in reconstruction.”

The United Nations has noted that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes. Salesian missionaries will utilize the skills of the newly trained students from Don Bosco Thecho to assist in the rebuilding of schools with a goal of reconstructing at least 40 schools. Each village in the area will be asked to form a school-reconstruction committee that will mobilize the villagers to contribute as much as possible in cash, labor and locally available materials. To date, more than 21 temporary learning centers have been completed. In a recent evaluation meeting with Nepalese government officers and other non-government organizations, it was acknowledged that the temporary learning centers built by the Salesian missionaries and students were of such high quality they could possibly serve as permanent school buildings.

Salesian missionaries are also in the process of developing an orientation program for teachers to aid them in assisting students who have dealt with trauma related to the earthquakes. Missionaries are working directly with students to connect them to therapy services and offer financial assistance to those who lack mid-day meals, textbooks, uniforms and other schools necessities.

In addition, Salesian missionaries are working with 40 volunteers from Teach for Nepal, an organization of university graduates and young professionals who are committed to end education inequity in Nepal, to help prepare students affected by the earthquake for their public examinations given by the Nepalese government after grade 10. The exams determine admission to higher secondary school.

A lack of rain during Nepal’s monsoon season has hampered agricultural production and has Salesian missionaries concerned about long-term food shortages. Missionaries will continue to monitor this situation as it unfolds and work to address food needs with its partners as they arise.

“Salesian missionaries are continuing their work but funds are limited. The emergency appeal will help provide aid directly to those who need it most,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Salesian Missions is urging the public to donate to its Nepal Emergency Fund. Go to www.SalesianMissions.org/Nepal for more information and to give to the relief efforts.

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Salesian Missions – Nepal Emergency Fund

Don Bosco Thecho

The post NEPAL: Salesian Missionaries Focus on Rebuilding Schools and Providing Long-term Assistance to Earthquake Victims first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries responded immediately after the earthquake providing food, medicine and temporary shelter to more than 17,000 families. Many residents remained in temporary shelter after the earthquake and faced the country’s monsoon season. Missionaries responded again providing stronger polythene sheets, tarpaulins and CGI sheets to ensure safer shelter.

Immediately after the initial earthquake, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, launched an emergency fund to assist Salesian missionaries in Nepal. The funding goes directly to support relief efforts on the ground in affected communities and remote villages.

“Salesian missionaries living and working in Nepal are now turning their attention to long-term efforts, starting by helping families to rebuild their homes and their communities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Their work will begin with the families of Salesian staff and students and will then branch out to other families in districts where there are Salesian programs.”

Salesian missionaries operate two programs in the Kathmandu Valley. Don Bosco Thecho is a technical school located in the Kathmandu suburb of Lubhu and Don Bosco Siddhipur, located in the Lalitpur district, offers both a primary and secondary school.

In order to help further the reconstruction efforts and put those in the community who have lost their livelihoods back to work, Salesian missionaries will be using the technical school at Thecho to train young men and women in the skills needed to assist in reconstruction. The United Nations has noted that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes. With a goal of reconstructing at least 40 schools, Salesian missionaries will utilize the skills of the newly trained students to assist in the rebuilding of schools. Each village will be asked to form a school-reconstruction committee that will mobilize the villagers to contribute as much as possible in cash, labor and locally available materials.

In addition to rebuilding the physical structures, Salesian missionaries are seeking permission from District Education Officers to hold orientation programs for teachers to aid them in assisting students who have dealt with trauma related to the earthquakes. Missionaries will also work directly with students to connect them to therapy services and offer financial assistance to those who lack mid-day meals, textbooks, uniforms and other schools necessities.

“Salesian missionaries are continuing their work but funds are limited. The emergency appeal will help provide aid directly to those who need it most,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Salesian Missions is urging the public to donate to its Nepal Emergency Fund. Go to www.SalesianMissions.org/Nepal for more information and to give to the relief efforts.

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Sources:

ANS – Nepal – Post-earthquake reconstruction

UN Office for Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Nepal Earthquake Situation Report

Salesian Missions – Nepal Emergency Fund

Don Bosco Thecho

The post NEPAL: Salesian Missionaries are Focusing on Rebuilding Homes and Classrooms after Earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries in the country were among the first to respond to those affected assisting with food, water, shelter and other supplies.

“Because Salesian missionaries live in the communities in which they provide education and social development services, they are often among the first responders providing emergency aid and assessing relief needs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries will remain to help local families restore their livelihoods and rebuild their homes and communities long after other relief services have left.”

Immediately after the initial earthquake, Salesian Missions launched an emergency fund to assist Salesian missionaries in Nepal. The funding goes directly to support relief efforts on the ground in communities and remote villages. The Nepal Don Bosco Society, a Salesian non-governmental organization, has reached out to more than 30,000 people in 19 villages spanning six districts and has distributed more than 100 tons of relief materials. Sixty tons of food and tarpaulins funded by the Salesian Kolkata Province and other donors were sent across the border from India.

Thousands of people who have been left homeless and are living in makeshift tents are now preparing to face the monsoon season. The United Nations has estimated that close to 160,000 homes and 1,383 schools were destroy by the first earthquake while the government of Nepal estimates the number of homes destroyed to be more than 300,000. A U.N. report on the relief work in Nepal has noted that while the Nepalese government has promised to give every homeless family 15,000 rupees (235 U.S dollars) to buy corrugated metal sheeting to protect them from the weather, many are still waiting to receive the money.

While initially providing tarpaulins and plastic tents for temporary shelter, Salesian missionaries are now working to distribute corrugated metal sheeting to give people greater protection from the rain of the impending monsoon season. The same sheeting can then be used to construct permanent roofs for the houses which will have to be constructed and completed before the onset of winter.

“We are moving into the second phase of our relief work and preparing for the upcoming weather,” says Father Jijo John, coordinator of emergency relief in Nepal. “Emergency rescue operations and the distribution of food concluded on Sunday, May 31 to make way for the relocation of families and the reconstruction of homes.”

Salesian relief teams have been traveling to places where little aid has arrived in order to serve those most in need. They are also extending their relief work to new areas including the local municipality of Kamlamai Nagara Palika in the Sindhuli district that was hit hard by the earthquake. A Salesian relief team has also gone into Khimiti, a village in the Ramechap district where there are 1,200 households and more than 1,400 adults and 1,500 children in need. Nearly 90 percent of the homes in this village have collapsed and the other 10 percent are partially damaged. In these villages, volunteers are distributing food, clean water, oil and materials for shelter, among other necessities.

Salesian missionaries operate two programs in the Kathmandu Valley. Don Bosco Thecho is a technical school located in the Kathmandu suburb of Lubhu and Don Bosco Siddhipur, located in the Lalitpur district, offers both a primary and secondary school. The Salesian relief teams are made up of missionaries, teachers, students and volunteers from these programs.

“Salesian missionaries are continuing to provide aid and emergency relief but supplies are limited. The emergency appeal will help provide aid directly to those who need it most,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Salesian Missions is urging the public to donate to its Nepal Emergency Fund which will go directly to support missionaries currently working on the ground helping those affected by the devastation and aftermath of the earthquake. Go to www.SalesianMissions.org/Nepal for more information and to give to the relief efforts.

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Sources:

Spain – Emergency Aid to Nepal enters second phase, with fear of Monsoons

UN Office for Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Nepal Earthquake Situation Report

Salesian Missions – Nepal Emergency Fund

Don Bosco Thecho

The post NEPAL: Missionaries Distribute Aid, Begin Providing Materials for Shelter in Preparation for Monsoon Season first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts have been affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. There are more than 500,000 people who have been displaced as a result of the earthquakes who are in desperate need of tents, food, water and medicine.

The second earthquake hit the already devastated regions of Dolahka and Sindhupalchok making an already difficult situation worse. Salesian missionaries have been tapping financial resources and organizing volunteers to aid as many victims as possible.

“An earthquake again rocked Nepal leaving us in shock and panic”, reported Salesian missionaries working in Kathmandu. “However, there was no damage to our properties and personnel that has been reported so far. Though warned of a more powerful quake than the previous one, no injuries or damages were reported from our communities and we continue to provide relief work.”

After the first earthquake, Salesian priests, brothers and sisters (who are living and working in Kathmandu and surrounding villages) immediately responded to those in need. Risking their own safety, Salesian missionaries assessed the damage and began bringing residents food aid and tarps to provide shelter to those who had lost their homes. Close to 1,000 people were provided aid the evening of the earthquake.

Once Salesian missionaries could access remote villages that were unreachable due to blocked roads and debris directly after the earthquake, they immediately supplied village residents with large quantities of provisions and relief kits including food, clothing, hygiene products and other necessities.

In the two weeks since the earthquake, the Nepal Don Bosco Society, a non governmental organization affiliated with the Social Welfare Council of Nepal, has reached out to more than 30,000 people (close to 7,800 families) within 19 villages across six districts and distributed more than 100 tons of relief materials. In addition, with funding from the Salesian Kolkata Province in India and other donors, 60 tons of food and tarps were sent across the border from Siliguri, India to Nepal.

Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, launched an emergency fund immediately following the first earthquake to assist Salesian missionaries in Nepal. Salesian Missions offices in Italy, Germany, Austria, Australia, China, Korea, Japan and India have also been supporting the relief work on the ground in Nepal.

“Salesian missionaries have been providing education and social development services in Nepal since the 1990s, and because these missionaries are part of the community, they are well positioned to provide immediate aid after disasters like this earthquake,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Reports from missionaries on the ground in Nepal indicate that many people have lost everything and are living in tents exposed to cold and rainy weather. The second earthquake has caused more devastation and fear and has left those affected in a more desperate situation.”

“Salesian missionaries are continuing to provide aid and emergency relief but supplies are limited. The emergency appeal will help missionaries on the ground provide aid directly to those who need it most,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Salesian Missions is urging the public to donate to its Nepal Emergency Fund, which will go directly to support missionaries currently working on the ground helping those affected by the devastation and aftermath of the earthquake. Go to www.SalesianMissions.org/Nepal for more information and to give to the relief efforts.

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Sources

ANS – Nepal – Earthquake again; Salesians are unhurt

Don Bosco India – A Salesian response to the earthquake’s aftermath

CNN – Death toll from this week’s Nepal earthquake rises above 125

The post NEPAL: Salesian Missionaries Respond Providing Continued Relief and Assistance after Second Earthquake Hits Nepal first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The ILO launched the World Day Against Child Labor in 2002. Each year on June 12, the day brings together governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, civil society and millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child laborers and what can be done to help them.

The movement is succeeding in its ambitious goals. In the late 1990s, the estimated number of children in various forms of child labor was nearly 250 million. Today, that figure has dropped to 168 million. The decline has particularly benefitted girls; total child labor among girls has fallen by 40 percent since 2000, compared to a drop of 25 percent for boys.

Child labor is defined as work that is hazardous to a child’s health, education, or physical or mental development. Too often, it traps children in a cycle of poverty. Too many children in the world still work instead of going to school. For example, an estimated 98 million children worldwide work in agriculture. Children harvest tobacco, cocoa, rubber and other global commodities. Children also work in dangerous industries like shipbreaking in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and in services such as construction and restaurant work. However, the U.S. Government has made a substantial contribution to ending this vicious cycle for tens of millions of children.

What have we learned about what works?

Social mobilization and awareness-raising: Like so many of the world’s ‘wicked’ problems, addressing child labor requires a concerted effort by multiple stakeholders acting together. Work to promote awareness of child labor among citizens and consumers in developed countries, and among families and communities in developing countries where children are at risk, has proven to be an important part of the solution. U.S. Government agencies, in particular the U.S. Department of Labor, have produced important reports documenting the issues thoroughly. Recognizing that raising public awareness also requires compelling photo and video documentation, in the mid-2000s USAID supported the creation of a photo and video repository, in particular to document conditions faced by girls. This material was ultimately turned into a film, Stolen Childhoods. The film documented not only the problem but examples of what interventions could help working children – such as a new USAID-supported schoolhouse in communities of coffee pickers in Kenya, creating opportunities for children who had been working on coffee farms to attend school for the first time.

Another very important part of the solution is mobilizing communities and empowering them to work at a grassroots level on practical solutions to address root causes of child labor. For example, through our Global Labor Program, USAID has helped workers in the rubber sector in Liberia to organize, mobilize and negotiate with their employer to end exploitative wage practices that compelled rubber tappers to bring their children to work. In the early 2000s, the problem of child labor on the world’s largest rubber plantation in Liberia came to light. Adult tappers were compelled to bring their entire families to work with them just to meet their daily quotas. Following the exposure of this problem, a transnational campaign emerged, linking civil-society organizations and trade unions in Liberia with consumer, labor and human rights groups in the United States. Through USAID’s Global Labor Program, the Solidarity Center was able to work directly with rubber workers in Liberia and assist them to organize, join unions and negotiate better wages and working conditions for themselves and their families. Today, thanks to the combination of effective awareness-raising, campaigning in the United States and the work of trade unions in Liberia to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, there is a school on the rubber plantation where all children attend school while their parents, the adult workers, are paid a living wage.

Businesses are also an important part of the solution to the child labor problem. Awareness-raising campaigns have succeeded in flagging this as a business issue for many companies worldwide in many industries, and those companies and industries are working on innovative new approaches to ensuring their supply chains do not exploit workers. Goodweave is one of the best-known examples of a program effectively addressing child labor in a sector where it was endemic, the carpet-weaving sector in India. Goodweave is a certification system that works with retailers, rug importers and exporters, and looms to ensure that child labor is not used in carpet production. The program is active in the ‘carpet belt’ of India and Nepal, and recently extended into Afghanistan. The program provides educational transition programs and works with schools to ensure that children that are found working receive the assistance and support they need to go to school. By building awareness about the widespread use of child labor in the rug industry and creating an effective market-based solution, GoodWeave is ending child labor one rug at a time. Since 1995, 11 million child labor free carpets bearing the GoodWeave label have been sold worldwide, and the number of ‘carpet kids’ has dropped from 1 million to 250,000. GoodWeave’s work in Afghanistan is supported by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Finally, governments also have a very critical role to play in addressing child labor, through their role in establishing laws and policies to protect children, and equally important, their role in ensuring that all children have access to basic education. USAID’s Education Strategy is working to increase access to education for all children worldwide, and in particular for children in crisis and conflict environments. To achieve these goals, USAID is committed to working closely with host country governments and civil society to contribute to shared goals. For example, we are supporting a multi-million dollar initiative in Haiti, Room to Learn, that is working to provide universal, compulsory access to education in Haiti. USAID works closely with the Government of Haiti to build up the education system and provide safe, equitable education to children. USAID and the Government of Haiti are planning to work together to offer schooling to working children. Last March, USAID Assistant Administrator Eric Postel visited Haiti to set priorities for the design of the program. Postel visited an evening school for working children with former Minister of Education Vanneur Pierre. A study commissioned by the USAID/Haiti’s education office estimated more than 24,000 children work as domestic servants. Most of them are teenage girls whose education level is low. The Room to Learn project will work with the Haitian Ministry to offer improved services for these girls.

This year’s theme for World Day is Social Protection: Keeping Children Out of Work. This theme builds on last year’s World Report on Child Labor [PDF]. As we learn more and more about the root causes of child labor, we also are moving further back toward addressing those causes and preventing child labor from taking place at all. We now know that poverty and shocks play a significant role in driving children into work, and also in driving adults into forced and trafficked labor. Development assistance will have a very significant role to play in addressing these issues. With more support for social protection programs that have been proven to play an effective role in helping poor families cope with various types of shocks, we can keep even more children in school and continue to ensure children receive other basic protections.

Support for the World Day grows every year and today we look forward to even wider support from governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, NGOs and civil society, international and regional organizations and active citizens worldwide. You can add your voice to the millions worldwide that will celebrate our continued progress toward ending child labor.

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Posted by Bama Athreya on Thursday, June 12th 2014

Photo © U. Roberto Romano

See this Article at its original location >

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Those living in rural areas face the worse poverty. Close to 80 percent of the country’s population live in rural areas and rely on farming to make a living. Most of these households have little to no access to health care, education, safe drinking water, sanitation or other basic services. Nearly half of all children under the age of five are malnourished.

Access to education in Nepal is a path out of poverty for youth.  The Salesian-run Don Bosco Technical Institute in Kathmandu kicked off the second educational session of the year with a new program to empower rural and disadvantaged youth.

Both boys and girls from all over Nepal have entered into the “Learn, Earn and Pay” educational program. The program is structured for those who cannot afford normal job training courses. The program is initially free and students are able to choose a six-month course in a subject of their choice. The cost of the course will be repaid by the students later when they have found work and are able to pay off the debt.

“The program is intended to give even the poorest and most disadvantaged young people a chance to acquire professional skills and to have the best possible opportunities to enter the workforce,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In turn, once they are working, they contribute back to the program which then pays for free courses for other students in need.”

Current students for this new program are enrolled in training programs for computer, electrical, fashion design, tailoring, beautician and automobile repairs.  Youth are able to learn new employable skills, join the workforce and then have the satisfaction of contributing back to the school and program that helped them on their way. Newer students directly benefit from older students success.

According to a school representative, this program has attracted twice the number of young people who joined the school than in previous school sessions. Close to 160 students began their skills training program this past school session. Youth from distant parts of Nepal are able to attend the school as well and are accommodated in hostels run by the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Salesian Sisters.

Don Bosco Technical Institute started its technical and vocational training in November 2011.  Today students are able to take coursework and gain certification in a number of highly needed trades including computer application, computer graphics and hardware, accounting, both building and industrial electrician, mobile repairing, welding and carpentry as well as fashion, apparel and lifestyle design. Most of the trades offered are for a shorter duration and in modules of basics, intermediate and advanced courses.

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Sources:

ANS – Nepal – “Learn, Earn & Pay”: new scheme for skilling Nepali youth

World Bank- Nepal

The post NEPAL: New Program Helps Poor Youth Gain Employment Skills first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The meeting between the Secretary-General and the President of Tunisia, Moncef Marzouki, saw the two men discuss the North African nation’s constitution-making process and women’s empowerment, as well as the President’s efforts to promote economic recovery and regional integration within the Arab Maghreb Union. They also discussed the impact of recent attacks in Tunisia by extremists.

Libya’s democratic transformation process, as well as the security situation in the country following the attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, was a topic for discussion in the Secretary-General’s meeting with President of the General National Congress of Libya, Mohamed Yousef El-Magariaf.

They also discussed continued cooperation with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), and they agreed on the importance of the Alliance of Civilizations, especially in light of the recent intolerance and violence. Mr. Ban also underlined the need for a comprehensive review of the status of conflict-related detainees, and both men agreed on the need for human rights and due process to be respected.

Senegal’s long-running conflict in its southern Casamance region, as well as the latest developments regarding the prosecution of former Chadian Head of State Hissennè Habré, were covered in the Secretary-General’s meeting with the African country’s President Macky Sall.

They also exchanged views on the situation in Guinea-Bissau, Mali and the Sahel region, and on ways for the international community to support the region in addressing these crises. In addition, they discussed the importance of international partnerships to try to alleviate the problems resulting from global climate change, as well as drought in the Sahel.

The situation in Mali was also discussed in the Secretary-General’s meeting with the Foreign Affairs Minister of Burkina Faso, Djibrill Yipènè Bassolé. In addition, they discussed the upcoming electoral process in Burkina Faso and exchanged views on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire.

In his meeting with the President of Togo, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, the Secretary-General welcomed the African leader’s efforts to engage in national dialogue with opposition parties and encouraged him to work towards the creation of a more conducive environment for the conduct of legislative elections.

Mr. Ban and the President also discussed Togo’s efforts towards the achievement of the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the areas of education and agriculture. The UN chief underscored the importance of Africa’s constant efforts towards enhanced regional unity, coordination and cooperation for peace and sustainable development – and he urged Togo to continue to play a leading role in this regard.

Meeting with the Vice-President of South Sudan, Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, the Secretary-General commended the Government, and its President Salva Kiir in particular, for reaching agreements with the Government of Sudan on post-secession issues at a meeting in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa earlier this week. The two men also discussed the current situation in South Sudan, particularly in the state of Jonglei.

Meeting with Burundi’s First Vice-President, Therence Sinunguruza, the Secretary-General thanked the African country for its contribution to peace in Somalia and welcomed its readiness to participate in peacekeeping efforts.

They also discussed the human rights situation and peace consolidation efforts in Burundi, including the establishment of the truth and reconciliation commission and preparations for the next elections.

In their meeting, the Secretary-General and the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Michael Spindelegger, discussed a range of issues of mutual interest, including the Western Balkans, the Alliance of Civilizations and its upcoming Annual Forum to be held in Vienna in February 2013, and efforts to reform the UN Secretariat.

The two men also agreed that it is essential for the international community to pursue mutual understanding, tolerance and cooperation through cross-cultural dialogue.

The situations in Syria and Afghanistan were among the topics discussed in the meeting between the Secretary-General and Sweden’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Bildt.

They agreed on the gravity of the situation in Syria, and the urgent need to find a solution and to address the humanitarian crisis there. Concerning Afghanistan, they discussed the upcoming elections and the importance of ensuring continued and long-term international commitment to support the Afghan people towards national reconciliation and stability.

The Secretary-General exchanged views on developments in the Western Balkans in his meeting with Slovenia’s Prime Minister, Janez Janša. They also discussed issues relating to the principle known as the responsibility to protect, and the involvement and participation of civil society in this context, in addition to discussing the situation in Syria.

Malta’s role as a strong advocate for tackling climate change, as well as its contributions to international efforts to combat piracy, was discussed in the Secretary-General’s meeting with the Mediterranean nation’s Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Tonio Borg,

They also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa and Malta’s strategic role as “a bridge between North and South,” in addition to discussing the immigration and refugee issue in the Mediterranean region. The Secretary-General commended Malta’s efforts in this regard and recalled the importance of upholding the human rights of those affected.

The President of Albania, Bujar Nishani, emphasized his country’s commitment to UN principles and actions – especially regarding human rights, women’s empowerment and peacekeeping – in his meeting with the Secretary-General.

They discussed developments in Albania and UN-Albanian cooperation, and Mr. Ban thanked Albania for its support in piloting the UN’s Delivering as One initiative. They also exchanged views on progress in the areas of peace and stability in the region.

In the meeting between the Secretary-General and San Marino’s Minister for Foreign and Political Affairs, Antonella Mularoni, the two discussed the political and economic situation in the small landlocked nation and in Europe, with Mr. Ban thanking San Marino for its continuing support to the UN.

The Secretary-General discussed regional cooperation – particularly the need to find a mutually acceptable solution to the region’s water and energy challenges – in a meeting with Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rashid Meredov.

The two men also recognized the useful role of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) and its head.

Uruguay’s presidency of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council and its participation in UN peacekeeping operations were discussed in the Secretary-General’s meeting with the Latin American country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Luis Almagro. Other topics discussed included the implementation of the Delivering as One programme in Uruguay, the issue of drug control and regional developments.

In the meeting between the Secretary-General and the Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam, Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the two men discussed issues related to UN-Brunei cooperation and the UN-Association of Southeast Asian Nations Comprehensive Partnership.

Also on Friday, the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, met with Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha. They exchanged views on Nepal’s peace and constitution-making process and the economic and social situation in the country, including the MDGs.

The Deputy Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the role of the United Nations in Nepal’s peace process, and briefed Mr. Eliasson on current efforts to end the political deadlock and to move forward, including possibly through new elections. The Deputy Secretary-General was encouraged by the new efforts and urged the Nepalese parties to complete the constitution-making process without delay while protecting the gains achieved so far.

The pair also exchanged views on the importance of transitional justice and international standards in the context of Nepal’s peace process, and Mr. Eliasson expressed his appreciation for Nepal’s contribution to United Nations peacekeeping.

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PHOTO: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

See this article at its original location at UN.org: http://www.un.org/News/

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