World NGO Day - Newsletter August by World NGO Day

NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2013

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A STRONG AND VIBRANT CIVIL SOCIETY IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT FOR A WELL-FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY. NGOS AS PART OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN DEMOCRATIZING GOVERNANCE, ESPECIALLY BY EMPOWERING THE DISADVANTAGED AND MARGINALIZE COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE.

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Mahabub Hossain PhD, Executive Director of BRAC and BRAC International, BRAC Centre, Bangladesh

WELCOME MESSAGE We would like to welcome our worldwide supporters to our second monthly newsletter. The World NGO Day Initiative comes to raise positive averseness of NGOs in different communities and countries worldwide, and acknowledge the valuable work NGOs and all the people behind them do 365 days a year. Empowering NGOs is a crucial part of the post 2015 Millennium goals. Re-educating society and especially young individuals from an early age, that a career choice within NGOs is as valid as any other one - something that is not always encouraged by governments and communities in every country around the world.

OUR NEW GOODWILL AMBASSADOR We are honored to introduce you to our new Goodwill Ambassador from the Republic of Madagascar - Ms. Marie Lydia Toto Raharimalala, Vice Chairperson of FAWE - Forum for African Women Educationalists, and former Miniter of State for Technical Education and Professional Training, Republic of Madagascar. FAWE is a pan - African Non Governmental Organisation working in thirty two African countries to empower girls and women of all ages through gender-responsive education.

“OUR NEW SOCIAL BRAND”

OUR

As of this month we are rebranding all our social online platforms - we want to hear and see YOUR point of view - this will include our Facebook page, Twitter, YouTube channel and blog. From this month these platfroms will be know as “Your NGO Day”, and we even have a new logo for them! We want to publish more stories and picture of how NGOs make a difference to YOUR community, what YOU do as part of an NGO and what positive impact NGOs had on YOU and people YOU know. We also would like to share with everyone that In a couple of months we will be launching a second online website called “Your NGO Day” - a place to really step up our intentional “Social” activities and promote our various events worldwide - World NGO Day is ‘YOUR’ NGO Day as well...!

CONNECT WITH US

It was founded in 1992 by five African women ministers of education — the late Hon.VidaYeboa of Ghana, Hon. Simone de Comarmond of Seychelles, Hon. Paulette Missambo of Gabon, Hon. Dr Fay Chung of Zimbabwe, and Hon. Alice Tiendrebéogo of Burkina Faso. FAWE was born out of discussions between African ministers and donor agency representatives of the Donors to African Education (DAE). It was created on the staunch belief that women in decision-making positions have the potential to make a significant difference. FAWE was awarded by UNESCO Comenius Medal - one of UNESCO’s most prestigious awards - in 1994 and the Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership in recognition of their exemplary work in championing the cause for girls’ education in Africa, in 2008.

THE LATEST NEWS FROM OUR GOODWILL AMBASSADOR, MS. HEATHER MANSFIELD Founder and Creator of Nonprofit Tech for Good Ms. Mansfield, founder of Nonprofit Tech 2.0 has recently change the platform’s name to “Nonprofit Tech for Good” - since the online platform is a leading social and mobile media resource for non profit and non governmental professionals. Nonprofit Tech for Good focuses on providing valuable, easy-to-understand information, news, and resources related to nonprofit technology, online communications, and mobile or general social fundraising. Fueled by a strong passion for the Internet, Heather spends her days (and some nights) helping nonprofits, charities, and NGOs worldwide utilize the Web as a tool for social good - with over 50,000 monthly visitors and more than 750,000 followers on social networks. To learn more and if your NGO requires some online assistant please contact heater via the Nonprofit Tech for Good website. The World NGO Day is keen to receive feedback, ideas and suggestions for any social media activities to celebrate our calendar international day. You are more than welcome to contact us: info@worldngoday.com.

“THANK U NGO” SOCIAL CAMPAIGN

How would you say thank you to all the NGOs that keep this world moving? Share our new “Thank You NGO” symbol to help us celebrate and recognize the valuable NGOs in your community and all over the world! Print it, post it, paint it, draw it, take a picture of it, and spread the word! We want to welcome your creativity - feel free to express your gratitude to NGOs and the people behind them in any other way you see fit - and Share It With Us! Please Contact Us to get high resolution images of our new “Thank You NGO” symbol, and help us give a big thank you to those who deserve it!

THE LATEST NEWS FROM OUR GOODWILL AMBASSADOR, MR. TAJ HAMAD Secretary General of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations WANGO Secretary General Mr. Taj Hamad’s presented the 2012 Universal Peace Award to former Under Secretary General of the UN, Ibrahim Gambari. The WANGO Award is one of the world’s pre-eminent awards for NGOs, as well as for prominent individuals serving humanity. Past recipients of the Universal Peace Award include Dr. Federico Mayor, Director General of UNESCO; H. R. H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand; H. E. Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia; native American leader Chief Oren Lyons, and Mr. Bill Drayton, CEO and Chair of Ashoka

WANGO is one of the world’s largest - general purpose - international membership association for NGOs, with over 40,000 members and subscribers in over 120 nations. Find more on the WANGO website.

Award recipients include Rotary International, Bahrain Women’s Society, Free the Children, SurfAid Internatioal, Roots of Peace, andArias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress (received by President and Nobel laureate Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez). In 2004 WANGO awareded Small Kindness, and in 2003, WANGO recognized the Green Belt Movement of Dr. Wangari Maathai, a year before receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

OUR GOODWILL AMBASSADORS WORLDWIDE Ms. Aicha Bah Diallo (France and Guinea) Vice President, NGO Liaisons Committee of UNESCO and Chairperson of FAWE Mr. Taj Hamad (USA) Secretary General, World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations Dr. William F Shija (UK and Tanzania) Secretary-General,Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Dr. Sakena Yacoobi (Afghanistan) Executive Director, Afghan Institute of Learning Dr. Mahabub Hossain (Bangladesh) Executive Director, BRAC, BRAC International, and BRAC Centre Ms. Marie Lydia Toto Raharimalala (Madagascar) Vice Chairperson, FAWE Forum for African Women Educationalists Dr. Hezron Mc’Obewa (Kenya) Executive Director, NGOs Coordination Board

Ms. Sharmila Karki (Nepal) President, NGO Federation of Nepal

Ms. Heather Mansfield (USA) Founder & Creator, Nonprofit Tech for Good

Ms. Nancy Gofus (USA) Chief Operating Officer, Public Interest Registry and Board Chair, Volunteers of America

Ms. Khady Koita (Senegal) Co-founder & President, La Palabre and award-winning women’s right activist

Mr. Chhith Sam Ath (Cambodia) Executive Director, NGO Forum on Cambodia

Mr. Hayford Siaw (Ghana) Editor-in-Chief, NGO News Africa and UN Volunteers Award winner

Ms. Zhanna Guzenko (Russia) Chairperson, Barents Regional Youth Council Mr. Sugeng Bahagijo (Indonesia) Director, International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development Mr. Rayyan Hassan (Philippines) Executive Director, NGO Forum on ADB Secretariat Mr. Zafar Iqbal (Pakistan) Founder & Executive Director, The NGO World Foundation Mr. Guntis Ulmanis (Latvia) Former President of Latvia

Ms. Sung-Joo Kim (South Korea) Chairwoman & CEO, MCM Holdings and SungJoo Foundation Mr. Suon Bunsak (Cambodia) Executive Secretary & Chief of Secretariat Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee Major General Roddy Porter (UK) Director-General, Royal Overseas League Mr. Filippo Addarii (UK) Executive Director, Euclid (European network of civil society professionals)

OUR MONTHLY STORY

“EDUCATION IS LIKE A LIGHT, LEADING PEOPLE TO A BETTER LIFE.” Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning and our Goodwill Ambassador

“Women have the capacity if you really give them the right environment, if you really work with them and give them opportunity, they will blossom and flourish and they will be able to provide so much for the nation that the nation will go through a transformation.” “...Let me tell you a story about one woman who came to my door begging for money - she had five children with her and all the children were begging in the street. I had to say, ‘I am not a humanitarian to give you money. The only thing I can provide for you is education.’ And she said ‘No, I really want you to help me.’ I then said, ‘Okay, you can work for us as a cook, but I have one condition; you have to let your children go to school.’ She said, ‘No, my children are breadwinners for me...’ I said ‘Then I cannot help you. The only thing I can do is to give you a job as a cook but you must put your children in school.’...She put her children in school, and ... her daughter has finished high school and became a nurse and worked as a nurse in my own hospital... she has gone back to medical school and became a doctor. She took her mother out of the cleaning and cooking job and is supporting her completely and still she is working in my program as a doctor.... now all her siblings are going to school. This is story where you can see the life of the whole entire family life has changed because of education. So for me, this is the power of education. Education changed my life, and I feel that education is changing everybody’s life. There are many, many examples of young woman who are blossoming; they are they holding important jobs, and they are so proud of it.”

Dr. Sakena Yacoobi is the founder of the Afghan Institute of Learning, the Professor Sakena Yacoobi Private Hospital in Herat, and the Professor Sakena Yacoobi Private Hig Schools in Kabul and Herat, Afghanistan. Dr.Yacoobi is Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL), a women-led Afghan NGO she founded in 1995. Under Sakena’s leadership AIL has established itself as a groundbreaking, visionary organization which works at the grassroots level and empowers women and communities to find ways to bring education, training and health services to rural and poor urban girls, women and other poor and disenfranchised Afghans. Dr. Sakena and AIL have received numerous awards for their work within Afghanistan. Some of these awards include: the Peacemakers in Action Award of the Tanenbaum Center for Inter-religious Understanding, the Women’s Rights Prize of the Peter Gruber Foundation, the Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and the Gleitsman International Activist Award from Harvard University. The Americans UNFPA Board of Advocates Award for women - Health and Dignity, the Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership. the Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights, the Afghan National Peace Award, the Asia Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Schwab Foundation, the German Media Award, the Lotus Leadership Prize from The Asia Foundation and the World Children’s Prize Honorary Award. Sakena was among the 1,000 women nominated to jointly receive the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize. She is a Senior Ashoka Fellow and has received honorary doctorates for from the University of the Pacific, Loma Linda University, Santa Clara University and Princeton University. Sakena is an advisor to many organizations. She sits on the board of directors of Global Fund for Women and is co-founder and Vice president of Creating Hope International.