News

Last inning of Oslo process to ban cluster munitions

The Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions will take place from 19-30 May 2008 in Dublin, Ireland. It is the crucial conference that will aim at negotiating a new instrument of international humanitarian law banning cluster munitions.

Statement from Sudanese women

As a side event to the Sudan Consortium held in Oslo, 40 women from Sudan met and through a three day workshop they produced a statement.

COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE AFRICAN EMERGENCY SUMMIT ON ZIMBABWE

The communique can be downloaded here.

Exhibition: Forest is more than trees

Lasse Berre opens an exhibition with photos from Borena in Addis Abeba ion April 23rd at 4 pm.

NPA joins rwandans in commemoration of 1994 genocide

On this 14th anniversary of the 1994 genocide, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) Rwanda honors and condoles with the victims and the entire people of Rwanda.

I want to live

Ashraf writes from a Gaza under massive attack from Israeli forces, he writes about his longing for freedom. He has worked for NPA for many years. All these years Ashraf has never been able to leave the Gaza strip.

Faith Leaders' Appeal for an International Treaty to Ban Cluster Munitions

As people of faith, we raise our voices for the protection of life and promotion of peace by calling on all governments to end the production, transfer, stockpiling, and use of cluster bombs.

Tender for supplies

Norwegian People's aid (NPA) is a NGO working in Southern Sudan with a turnover of ~ 40 million USD, hereby invites reputable suppliers to pre-qualify for the supply and delivery of various goods and services for the period as outlined below.

Strong landmark African declaration to ban cluster bombs

At the conclusion of the first ever meeting of African countries on cluster bombs, 38 out of 39 countries attending the meeting endorsed a strong political "Livingstone Declaration", committing them to negotiating a global ban on the weapons in Dublin next month. Only South Africa, one of the continent's two producer states, called for exceptions to the ban.

Sardine Fishing Season in Gaza

"I can't wait until sardine season so I can try out my new fishing equipment," said Rashad Farahat 53, one of the beneficiary fishermen. He smiles as he receives his fishing gear, carrying it outside. The gear Farahat has received includes all that he has been missing for so long: fishing nets, batteries, fishing light machinery, plastic ropes, floats and leads.

Calls for an immediate ceasefire

– Israel must stop its attacks on the Gaza Strip. A ceasefire must be put in place with immediate effect, says Norwegian People’s Aid Secretary General, Petter Eide.

Historic step forward for treaty to ban cluster bombs

After a week of tough diplomatic talks, the voice of survivors and committed states has prevailed and a draft treaty to ban cluster munitions has been endorsed for formal negotiation.

NPA-Ethiopia plan for Development Programs 2008- 2011.

This is our plan for the next three years.

Violence against women: How do we fight it?

Each day, Ethiopian women suffer blows and beatings, rape and threats, from husbands, colleagues and even strangers. Everybody knows! But what are the solutions? NPA Ethiopia wants a little less conversation, and a little more action! How? Read more here:

Not victims of violence, but survivors.

- After 13 years, I still cry when I hear the survivors stories, but never in front of them, says Maria Munir, Executive Directress of TTTM, the Organization against Gender Based Violence. (Tsotawi Tekat Tekalakeye Mahber) They run Ethiopia’s only safe-house for women. NPA supports them in a program that can rebuild a bruised and broken self image of abused women, as well as giving staff and other contacts more knowledge about the problem and possible solutions.

Expansion contract signed

On December 17th, NPA signed a 4 million Birr contract with the Ethiopian Mine Action Organization (EMAO) and a local engineer company named Afro-Tsion PLC with the aim of expanding the Mine Action Training Center at Entoto.

Conference on Cluster Munitions

The Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions: The last preparatory conference of the 'Oslo Process', an international initiative to ban cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians, assist survivors and affected communities and ensure clearance of their land.

Revitalizing Ethiopian traditions

-In our traditional system of land management, land and the other natural resources over it are owned and managed communally for the benefit of society, says village elder Debsso Halake.

–Egypt shows solidarity

–By allowing Palestinians to cross the border at Rafah, Egypt is giving a clear invitation to the world community to show a wholly different level of solidarity towards the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. Norway must follow suit, says Secretary General of Norwegian People’s Aid, Petter Eide.

M85 presentation

The main conclusions of the M85 report were presented in plenary at the Vienna Conference on Cluster Munitions 6 December.

–I need opposition to be a good leader

From January 1 Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) will have a new and experienced Secretary General. Peter Eide (48) has previously been Secretary General in the Norwegian chapters of Amnesty and Care. He can’t wait to start his new job at the top of NPA.

New report: M85 - higher failure rate

Producers and stockpilers of M85 have argued that their tests show that the failure rate for this bomblet type is only 1% or 2%, this new report proves that the failure rate for this bomblet in Lebanon was around 10%.

Union supports NPA in El Salvador and Cuba

The Norwegian Food and Allied Workers Union (NNN) will contribute 300.000 Norwegian Crowns a year in a five year period to Norwegian People’s Aid’s (NPA) projects in El Salvador and Cuba.

Strategic partners in Angola

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry and Norwegian People’s Aid have entered into a strategic partnership to support civil society in Angola and strengthen human rights and democracy.

Portfolio 2007 - 2008

NPA Mine Action Portfolio document is now updated.

No hope for cluster bomb ban in Geneva but momentum grows for Vienna treaty talks

Cluster munition talks proved fruitless in Geneva as the focus shifts to a major international conference in Vienna to develop a ban treaty. Cluster munitions have been the central issue at the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) at the United Nations, as proposals for future work were consistently weakened in the backrooms and almost no substantive work was undertaken on the issue.

No to increased trade with Israel - let Gaza live!

– Norwegian People’s Aid condemns Israel’s closure of the Gaza Strip and the collective punishment of the population by cutting gas and electricity. Collective punishment is a clear violation of international law. Israel is still the occupying power on the Gaza Strip. It is high time due that the international community holds Israel responsible for collectively punishing 1,5 million people, says Finn Erik Thoresen, Secretary General in NPA.

50 000 mines cleared in Jordan

Norwegian People’s Aid reports clearance of 50 000 mines in Wadi Araba region and the start of the technical survey on the Jordanian-Syrian Border

Sudan Mine Action: Third quarterly report

The SPLM decision on 11 October to suspend its participation in the Government of National Unity has sent a clear signal to the international community that there is an urgent need to re-engage with the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) lest Sudan’s North-South war resume. Against this challenging setting, there is positive news to report: work is underway in Nimule, Eastern Equatoria, to establish South Sudan’s first safari park – a clear sign of development and stability within the region.

Petter Eide new Secretary General in Norwegian People’s Aid

Petter Eide is new Secretary General in Norwegian People’s Aid from February 1st 2008.

Statement for Myanmar

International organisations in Myanmar appeal for better humanitarian conditions for the people of Myanmar and improved working conditions for the organisations to address the current crisis with more and more people falling below the poverty line.

Ambitious UN position on cluster munitions

The UN has recently adopted a new and ambitious position on cluster munitions. The decision was taken on 17 September in the so-called Meeting of Principles of the UN Interagency Coordination Group, which includes all the UN organizations from UNICEF to UNDP.

Psychosocial rehabilitation for landmine and uxo survivors

In the period from July 15 to August 12, 2007 NPA Mine Action Programme Croatia assisted Croatian NGO "Bembo" in the organisation and implementation of a project aiming at supporting the Psycho-social Rehabilitation for Landmine and UXO Survivors from South East Europe.

Solidarity with the Palestinian people

The staff of NPA Rwanda took the challenge and arranged a collect in the office in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Purple lines

For quite sometime I was preventing myself from writing thinking that what is happening in Gaza is a minute incident that will rapidly come to an end. Nonetheless, things sustained and it seems that they will never end.

Women and Participation

I was invited yesterday to participate in an open meeting of one of our projects which is Women and Participation in the middle area of Gaza. The meeting was to evaluate the status of the neighborhood committees and to discuss whether those committees are meeting the demands of women in the middle area or not.

Cluster munitions gallery

NPA and Cluster Munitions Coalition has developed a web gallery with pictures of cluster bombs and cluster bomb damage.

Australian documentary

The Australian television show Dateline has made a documentary called "Ban the Bomlets", about cluster munition, showing some of NPA's work and fotage from the Oslo meeting.

The speeches from the Oslo meeting on cluster munitions

Listen to the speeches held at the Cluster Munition meeting in Oslo in February.

Yellow killers

NATO's use of cluster munition in Serbia in 1999 still demands victims today. The report "Yellow killers" shows that when cluster munitions are used, sivilians suffer the most

Palestinian workers

We are very close to the 1st of May, which will be the international Labour Day. Some local servants, municipality employees and governmental employees went on strike, as they did not receive their salaries for elongated periods.

The Forced Starvation Diet of Palestinians

"Amidst extreme poverty, daily survival allows no luxuries." Mohammed Omer Al Moghayer comments the situation in Gaza.

Spirit of giving

Sometimes you feel lonely, desperate, frightened and unhappy; every one of us has a dark moment made him feeling miserable. Let me talk about myself for example; two weeks ago I had experience of all those feelings, when I lost my faith in humanity and solidarity between human being, until I had a unique experience with humans. I want to share this experience with you.

New Hope: A Palestinian diary

While I was walking in the main market in a refugee Palestinian camp, (where I live –Bureij camp), a woman stopped me and asked "Are you working with Norwegian People’s Aid?” “Yes”, I replied. “Why you don't ask Norwegians to help my daughter to get into Israel to have her medical treatment?”

The dreams of the white sail

After putting the final touches to the formation of the national unity government, which came following a series of grief and haunting incurred by the Palestinian people suddenly the Norwegian government sail lifted over the ship announcing its readiness to lift the siege which has been imposed on our land to lead the list of countries of the world and lead the Arab countries also.

New Foot for Courageous Saranda

Norwegian People’s Aid is supporting Saranda Kastrati from Kosovo with a new prosthesis. Saranda was employed by NPA as a deminer and later community liaison officer in Kosovo, and she was injured while clearing mines in Kosovo in the year 2000.

Call for international recognition

The European network SOLIDAR is calling for international recognition of the new Palestinian government.

Update on NPA's work against cluster munitions

NPA has during the course of the last year stepped up our involvement in the campaign to ban cluster munitions. This has had concrete results on the Norwegian home front and sparked the Norwegian government to take the initiative for an international process aiming to negotiate a ban on cluster munitions.

About alleviating suffering

On 22 February, I went to visit the sites of one project in rehabilitation of agricultural sector in Palestine which is funded by Norwegian People’s Aid in the eastern part of Gaza city. I was accompanied by the site agronomist from our partner organization (Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees) PARC.

What does power mean now?

Wadad finds it hard to understand that Palistinians fight among themselves over power, while the real power to affect the lives of the Palestinians lie with Israel.

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