World Summit Commits to Universal Access to Reproductive Health by 2015

The largest ever gathering of world leaders resolved in September to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015, promote gender equality and end discrimination against women, at a recent three-day World Summit.

They adopted the Summit Outcome recommended by the General Assembly and will integrate the goal of access to reproductive health into national strategies to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to end poverty, reduce maternal death, promote gender equality and combat HIV/AIDS.

No country in the world has more women than men in its national parliament, the recently released Inter-Parliamentary Union survey reveals. To Rwanda goes the credit of leading the list of 183 countries surveyed: an impressive 48.8% of Rwanda's parliamentarians are women. Nordic countries dominate the top positions, with 39.9% of their parliament seats being occupied by women. Sweden (45.3%), Norway (38.2%), Finland (37.5%) and Denmark (36.9%) follow Rwanda, while Iceland, Netherlands, Cuba, Spain, Costa Rica and Mozambique occupy the top positions.

In total contrast to the blinkered US government approach to AIDS prevention, a young Dutch organisation has launched an international campaign to teach young people about the risks of HIV infection through dance and pop culture. The campaign, supported by the Dutch Stop AIDS Now! campaign and World Population Foundation held its first pop dance festival in November 2004. Simultaneous events were held in South Africa and Indonesia involving more than 50,000 school kids. 43 schools in Indonesia and South Africa participated.

The Lancet, the respected UK-based medical journal, has published its conclusions about homoeopathy after examining findings from 110 homoeopathy trials and as many trials of conventional medicine. "There was weak evidence for a specific effect of homeopathic remedies, but strong evidence for specific effects of conventional interventions - this finding is compatible with the notion that the clinical effects of homeopathy are placebo effects."

The 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) and the 1925 Geneva Protocol comprehensively prohibit biological weapons but they make no provisions for monitoring or verifying compliance. The BioWeapons Prevention Project (BWPP) is a new global civil society activity that aims to strengthen the norm against using disease as a weapon. It was initiated by a group of non-governmental organizations concerned at the failure of governments to act.

A number of recent news stories in India have reported on Shari'a courts and fatwas.

The Indian Express of 19 August 2005 reported the case of a Hindu approaching an unofficial Shari'a Court in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Puranbhai Shah, a Hindu businessman found it difficult to recover money from Zariful Hasan, a customer to whom Puranbhai had supplied marble.

At the suggestion of a friend, Shah then approached the Shari'a court on 4 August 2005. On August 8, as settled at the Shari'a court, he got a cheque for Rs 30,000 from Zariful Hasan. This swift 'justice' is rarely possible through the traditional courts in the Indian sub-continent and was welcomed by the petitioner. An indication that a failing system encourages alternative means that may ultimately weaken the system further. The 'court' was set up nearly a year ago by the unofficial All India Personal Law Board and is headed by Mufti Abdul Qayyum Jaipuri. Of the 128 cases referred to it so far, it has settled 46.

IHEU congratulates Maryam Namazie who is the first recipient of the UK National Secular Society's NSS-Irwin Secularist of the Year award. The £5,000 annual prize, sponsored by Dr. Michael Irwin, was presented by Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee at a lunch at the Montcalm Hotel in London.

Namazie is a well known campaigner for secularism and refugee and women's rights, and against political Islam. She is host of TV International, a Central Council member of the Organisation of Women's Liberation, and director of the International Relations Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran. She has campaigned against stoning and executions in Islamist societies, has opposed Shari'a laws, defended the banning of religious symbols from schools and public institutions, opposed the incitement to religious hatred bill in the UK, and called for secularism not only in her native Iran but in Britain and elsewhere.

The Secular State and the Secular School are under attack on all fronts in France.

While the French law relating to the Separation of Churches and the State prohibits the recognition of any religion by the French Republic, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy who already organised the French Islamic Council is putting in place a Commission to modify the 1905 Law to satisfy the demands being made by various religions.

The mind-numbing tragedy of the Asian tsunami, the devastating hurricanes in the Americas, the terrible floods in Asia, and the horrible earthquake in Kashmir - we have had ample reminders of nature's awesome power in recent months. IHN pays tribute to the resilience of the tens of millions of victims who are rebuilding their lives with determination, and to the world community which so generously stepped forward to help victims of these natural disasters.

The raison d'àªtre of IHEU, indeed the primary justification for its existence, is to serve its member organisations. By providing a voice for international Humanism at the UN and other international forums, by organising World Humanist Congresses and regional conferences, and by providing support, guidance and leadership to individual, often struggling Humanist organisations around the world, IHEU has for over 50 years amply fulfilled its role. But, as our members frequently remind us, we could do more, and could do it better.