e-zine nEUws, 46th edition

e-zine nEUws, 46th edition
20th May 2005

• Dates to keep in mind

• Call for Tender from the European Commission

• Restrictive U.S. Policies Undermine Anti-AIDS Efforts

• Other Calls for Proposals and Tenders

European Parliament mini-plenary session 25 - 26 May 2005 - Brussels

Following the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Luxembourg the European Parliament will be meeting in session in Brussels with EU Ministers in Brussels.

Achieving the MDGs: The Need for Urgent Action 26 May 2005 - The Centre, Av. Marnix 22, 1000 Brussels

The seminar will be chaired by Peter Verhille of The Centre; participants include amongst others Bernard Petit, Director, DG Development, European Commission and Zia Qureshi, World Bank Focal Point on MDGs Please register by sending an email to meet@thecentre.eu.com with ‘May 26' in the subject field and stating clearly your name and organisation.

Seminar on Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting 1st June 2005 - Altiero Spinelli Building, Room ASP A3 - G-2 - Brussels

The objectives of the Seminar are twofold. Firstly to provide a platform for the exchange of experiences and commitments in fighting FGM/C, and secondly to discuss actions that could be taken by the EU to support the abandonment of FGM/C, as part of the global effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. For more information, contact: ngiovannini@npwj.org.  

Call for Tender from the European Commission

CALL FOR TENDER T/2005/010/INFO "Information and communication activities relating to the development cooperation activities of the European Commission"

DG Development, unit A/5, is organising a call for tender to award two framework contracts in the field of "Information and communication activities relating to the development cooperation activities of the European Commission". The deadline for submission of the offers is 27 June 2005. For specifications regarding the tender, including the draft contract, please go to: http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/tmp_docs/cc_appel_offres_2005-EN.pdf#zoom=100 Potential tenderers are requested to contact DG Development, unit A/5, by fax at number +32 2 299 30 02, who will address an invitation to tender.

Restrictive U.S. Policies Undermine Anti-AIDS Efforts

Mandatory 'Anti-Prostitution Pledge' Threatens Lives of Sex Workers and Trafficking Victims
 
(Washington, May 18, 2005) The U.S. government is trying to withhold anti-HIV/AIDS funding unless both U.S.-based and foreign organizations adopt policies that explicitly oppose all forms of prostitution, more than 200 organizations and individuals said today in a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush. Some of the organizations are going to hold an audio press conference next week.
 
The Washington Post, in today's edition, notes the Administration has pulled back from applying the policy to the grantees of multilateral groups to which the US contributes.  But, the policy is still in place for the majority of groups receiving funding from the US to address AIDS and trafficking.
 
This requirement for foreign organizations was mandated by the 2003 Global AIDS Act and 2003 amendments to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Now, the U.S. Justice Department has argued in an opinion letter that U.S.-based organizations should also be bound by this requirement.
 
"The so-called 'anti-prostitution pledge' was originally applied to foreign organizations," said Jodi Jacobson, Executive Director of the Centre for Health and Gender Equity.  "But in a sweeping reinterpretation of the policy, the Bush administration is now requiring U.S.-based organizations to adopt this pledge. We oppose the application to both sets of groups." 
 
"None of these organizations promotes prostitution," said Jacobson.  "Instead, they use advocacy and other strategies to address violence against sex workers, reduce their social isolation, and increase their access to health services."
 
"Because of their simplistic wording," said Jacobson, "people with good intentions vote for such laws, without realizing the dangerous implications for real people, and for public health and human rights."
 
Penny Saunders, of the Network of Sex Work Projects, said any anti-prostitution declaration by anti-HIV/AIDS organizations targeting sex workers has the potential to alienate the very people these organizations seek to assist.   "The 'anti-prostitution pledge' makes it difficult or impossible to provide services or assistance to the people who are most at risk of HIV/AIDS."
 
"Evidence from India, Thailand and Cambodia shows that these restrictions have already undermined promising interventions," said Alice Miller, Assistant Professor of Clinical Public Health at Columbia University. "In Cambodia, for example, NGOs discontinued plans to provide English-language classes - which could provide a path out of sex work - for fear that they would be seen as 'promoting prostitution.'"
 
Earlier this month, Brazil rejected $US40 million in anti-HIV/AIDS grants because the Bush administration conditioned funding for organizations on their adoption of a pledge opposing commercial sex work. Dr. Pedro Chequer, head of Brazil's national AIDS program, criticized the restrictions, noting that they could undermine the very programs responsible for Brazil's landmark success in reducing the spread of HIV.
 
The letter to President Bush points out that requiring domestic organizations with private and public funding to adopt positions consistent with U.S. government policy is a case of compelled speech, which is a violation of the First Amendment.
 
"The U.S. government's 'anti-prostitution' pledge not only undermines its global efforts against HIV/AIDS," said Rebecca Schleifer, researcher with Human Rights Watch's HIV/AIDS Program. "It also undermines the fundamental right of sex workers and trafficking victims to receive lifesaving information about HIV/AIDS. And it violates freedom of speech for anti-HIV/AIDS groups working with these high-risk groups."
 
The letter urges Bush to reconsider the interpretation of anti-prostitution clauses in U.S. global anti-AIDS and anti-trafficking laws, consult with a broad range of experts in crafting policy and guidance. It says the President should work with Congress to amend the laws to be consistent with the U.S. Constitution, international human rights law and best practices in public health.
 
For further information, please contact either Jodi L. Jacobson, jjacobson@genderhealth.org, or Sarah Heaton, sheaton@genderhealth.org.

Other Calls for Proposals and Tenders

In addition to the call listed above, I would also like to draw your attention on other calls for proposals and tenders which you can find yourself.
For all open calls, go to: http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/cgi/frame12.pl to find the full information available.
In the first field, please tick: “OTHER“, "ALA“, "MEDA“ depending on which programme you are looking for, Status: OPEN and or FORECAST and type: GRANTS
You will find calls like the following:
ASIA PRO ECO II (Programme “ALA”) Summary: The Asia Pro Eco II B - Post Tsunami Programme is a tailor-made program specifically designed to help local communities rehabilitate and reconstruct effectively and efficiently in the Tsunami hit areas of India, Indonesia, Maldives, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
* EU-Asia Pro Eco II B - Post Tsunami Programme
* Who can apply: Associations - Development NGOs - Local and Regional authorities
* Regions concerned: EU Member States, Asia
* Global Budget: 13 800 000 euros
* Amount awarded per project: 100 % of the global eligible cost
* Closing dates: June 24 and October 25 2005
* Guidelines:  http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/tender/data/AOF56885.doc
 

AID TO UPROOTED PEOPLE (Programme “ALA”)
Aid to Uprooted People in Bangladesh
closing date: 19.7.05; global budget: € 1 million
notice : http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/tender/data/AOF57170.htm
guidelines:  http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/tender/data/AOF57189.doc
FOOD AID AND FOOD SECURITY (Programme “OTHER”)
Support to reduction to food insecurity in the South regions of Madagascar
closing date: 25.6.05; global budget: € 7,6 million
guidelines:  http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/tender/data/AOF57443.doc
and many others.
Should you need help in finding your way through the Budget Lines, I would like to draw your attention to one of DSW's many useful publications:
 
"Tips & Tricks on how to apply for the European Commission's Budget Lines for Sustainable Development"
 
The in-depth information guide on European funding is available as an online version at http://www.eurongos.org/tips or in hardcopy (priced at EUR 10) at mailto:wolfgang.lange@dsw-hannover.de