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International Development News Diary: Events and Notable Dates
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[Anniversaries  United Nations, International Days Past events can be found in the News diary archive.]
Monday, June 30
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt - 11th AU summit: Assembly of the African Union (to July 1)
July 2008
July
BAGHDAD - Iraq takes over security responsibility for another southern province, Diwaniya, Qadisiya from the Multi-National Forces, the 10th of the country’s 18 provinces to return to Iraqi control. The western province of Anbar expected to be handed over in coming weeks.
IRAQ - The United States expected to complete a limited withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq by July
GENEVA - Next meeting of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, gathering major producers and consumers of cluster weapons
ABUJA - (TENTATIVE) Special adviser to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Ibrahim Gambari, has called for a summit in July or August with militants and stakeholders to help end unrest in Niger Delta
Monday, July 7
HOKKAIDO, Japan - G8 Summit (to July 9). Japan to host a meeting on African development on the sidelines of summit
July 7 - August 22
CO WEXFORD - The Odyssey of the Potato, Irish Agricultural Museum, Johnstown Castle Estate.
In celebration of the International Year of the Potato in 2008, the International Potato Center (Peru) has prepared a travelling exhibition. This exhibition will be presented in different countries and throughout Europe and Scandinavia in 2008. This exhibition will illustrate the history, evolution and impact of the potato in today’s world. Some of the subjects the exhibition deals with are: the potato’s importance in pre-Columbian cultures: its discovery, introduction and dissemination within Europe: and its importance today for food security and economic growth in the developing world. Further information available from the Museum, T: +353-(0)53-9171247, E: info@irishagrimuseum.ie.
Monday, July 14
PARIS - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner to host special meeting of EU counterparts some time between July 14 and 20 to deal quickly with European positions regarding WTO. See COMMENT: Did the IFA catch campaigners napping?
LONDON - Delivering the development message: why it matters. ODI, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JD, 13:00-14:15
CORK - Launch of the 1000 Families outdoor photographic exhibition, Fitzgerald Park, 12 noon
Followed by a viewing of the exhibition and the Building Unity through Diversity Family & Cultural Day, which will run until 6 pm. The photographic exhibition, brought to us by Concern Worldwide in association with Suas, is an internationally acclaimed outdoor series of images of families from across the world taken by photographer Uwe Ommer, and is an entry point to a series of events focusing on the theme Building Unity through Diversity. Contact: Mary Curtis, Concern, T: 4177797, E: mary.curtis@concern.net.
IRAQ - 50th Anniversay. On this day 1958: Coup in Iraq sparks jitters in Middle East
Tuesday, July 15
SYDNEY - World Youth Day 2008, gathering of young Catholics from around the world (to July 20)
SYDNEY - Environmentalists plan to block one of two rail lines into Australia and the world’s biggest coal export port at the weekend, amid international wrangling over efforts to combat climate change
Wednesday, July 16
Oxfam launches ‘Uganda: State of the Nation’ report (tbc), which will detail how climate change and unpredictable weather patterns are affecting different sectors in Uganda. Contact Oxfam Ireland’s Media Executive, Paul Dunphy on 01 6350 422.
MADRID - Interfaith dialogue of Muslims, Christians and Jews (to July 18)
Thursday, July 17
UNITED NATIONS - World Day for International Justice, which commemorates the adoption of the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court, the Rome Statute, on July 17, 1998 (10th anniversary in 2008)
OLYMPICS - On this day 1976: African countries boycott Olympics. (Compare with: July 25th, 1992, World unites at Barcelona Olympics; and August 22, 1972, Rhodesia out of Olympics.) Hook: China, Zimbabwe.
Friday, July 18
JOHANNESBURG - Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations
Saturday, July 19
KINSALE, Co. Cork - "A Footprint of Roses" at Kinsale Arts Week, Kinsale Further Education College, Bandon Road, 4.30pm.
There will be a performance of a Zimbabwean based human rights play “A Footprint of Roses” by Elaine Desmond, followed by a debate with the motion: 'The power of love is stronger than the love of power'. The play is a stark portrayal of the human rights abuses endured by the women of Zimbabwe who continue to campaign for social and economic reform in a country teetering dangerously on the brink of total collapse. It is based on the arrest of the Women of Zimbabwe Arise movement in 2007. Contact Padraig Fitzgerald.
Sunday, July 20
BEIJING - Beijing will introduce "odd-even" traffic restrictions for two months from July 20 to help ease congestion and reduce pollution during the Olympics and Paralympics.
Tuesday, July 22
BRUSSELS - EU foreign ministers meeting (to July 23)
Thursday, July 24
LISBON - Summit of heads of state of Portuguese speaking countries (to July 25)
Friday, July 25
OLYMPICS - On this day 1992: World unites at Barcelona Olympics. (Compare with: July 17th, 1976, African countries boycott Olympics and August 22, 1972, Rhodesia out of Olympics.) Hook: China, Zimbabwe.
Saturday, July 26
CUBA - Fidel Castro (as of 26/07/07) last appeared in public in July, 2006, at events to mark the anniversary of a revolutionary action, the assault on the Moncada Barracks.
Sunday, July 27
KANDY, Sri Lanka - 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit (to Aug. 3)
CAMBODIA - General elections
Monday, July 28
CHINA - On this day 1976: Chinese earthquake kills hundreds of thousands. Hook: handled differently this time.
Wednesday, July 30
SOUTH AFRICA - Labour union COSATU has called national strike to protest against job losses
Oxfam report on internally displaced people in DRC. Will include case studies and argue for more appropriate aid to those suffering from violent conflict. Contact Oxfam Ireland’s Media Executive, Paul Dunphy on 01 6350 422.
Thursday, July 31
ABIDJAN - Deadline for Ivory Coast to stop the abuse of child labour on its cocoa farms. The country faces sanctions on its exports to the United States if it misses the deadline, set by U.S. lawmakers
WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD - U.S. President George W. Bush’s administration has set an end-July deadline for Iraq and the United States to wrap up talks on reaching a new long-term security pact
UK - 10th anniversary - On this day 1998: UK imposes total ban on landmines See Winning the fight against inanimate killers (blog 20/07/07). Hook: recent cluster munitions conference.
Later in 2008
August 1-7
GLOBAL - World breastfeeding week (story)
August 2
KUWAIT - On this day 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait
August 3-8
MEXICO CITY - AIDS 2008
International AIDS Conference. Media registration now open.
August 6
BEIJING - Olympic torch relay arrives in Beijing after its 130-day world tour
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s biggest miners union has said it will stage strike that could halt production in world’s biggest source of platinum and major gold producer
August 7
WASHINGTON - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hurricane forecast
KENYA & TANZANIA - 10th anniversary US embassies in Africa bombed in 1998
August 8
BEIJING - 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (to Aug 24). U.S. President George W. Bush to attend at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao
August 9
GLOBAL - International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. Coincides with the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People; 2005-2014.
August 12
GLOBAL - International Youth Day. 2008 Theme - Youth and Climate Change: Time for Action.
August 13
CHINA - On this day 1966: China announces Cultural Revolution
August 14
LEBANON, ISRAEL - Anniversary of U.N.-brokered truce between Israel and Lebanon
August 16
UGANDA - 5th anniversary of death of Ugandan 'War criminal' Idi Amin in 2003
August 17-23
GLOBAL - World Water Week
Second global meeting, Stockholm. 2008 Theme - Progress and Prospects on Water: For a Clean and Healthy World with Special Focus on Sanitation.
August 18
OLYMPICS - On this day 1964: South Africa banned from Olympics
August 19
UNITED NATIONS - 5th anniversary of the attack on the UN in Baghdad
August 21
CAMEROON - On this day 1986: Hundreds gassed by CO2 in Cameroon lake disaster
The cause was a phenomenon called lake overturn. A subsequent study revealed that Lake Kivu, in Rwanda, is seriously at risk of lake overturn. Scientists have warned that if nothing is done, millions of people living around Lake Kivu are in danger. Hook: Chinese 'earthquake lake'.
PHILIPPINES - 25th anniversary. On this day 1983: Filipino opposition leader, Benigno Aquino, shot dead
This was the beginning of a mass challenge to President Marcos, who was forced out three years later.
August 22
KENYA - 30th anniversary of death of Kenya’s founding father, president Jomo Kenyatta in 1978
ZIMBABWE, OLYMPICS - On this day (1972): Rhodesia out of Olympics
The National Olympic Committees of Africa had threatened to pull out of the games unless Rhodesia was barred from competing. (Compare with: July 17th, 1976, African countries boycott Olympics and July 25th, 1992, World unites at Barcelona Olympics.) Hook: China, Zimbabwe.
August 23
GLOBAL - International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
September 1 - October 20
GLOBAL - GCAP 50 Days of Action Against Poverty and Inequality
The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), which was a driving force behind the Make Poverty History campaign, continues to campaign across the globe. Under the theme of “Act Now Against Poverty and Inequality”, campaigners from over 100 countries are combining forces for 50 Days of Action. Contact Dochas.
The campaign is timed to coincide with a series of political opportunities to mobilise for change in September and October 2008:
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2-4 September: High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, Accra
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25 September: UN High Level Conference on the MDGs, New York
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7 October: World Day for Decent Work
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12-19 October: Global Week of Action on Debt
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11-13 October: Annual Meetings of the World Bank & IMF
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15 October: Global Rural Women’s Day
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16 October: World Food Day
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17 October: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
September 2-4
ACCRA - High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness
September 8
GLOBAL - International Literacy Day (UNESCO literacy portal)
September 25
NEW YORK - UN High Level Conference on the Millennium Development Goals, New York
October 7
GLOBAL - World Day for Decent Work
October 9-13
WASHINGTON, DC - Civil Society Policy Forum concurrent with the October 11-13 Annual Meetings of the World Bank & IMF. See: The World Bank and Civil Society and The IMF and Civil Society.
October 11-13
WASHINGTON, DC - Annual Meetings of the World Bank & IMF
October 12-19
GLOBAL - Week of Action on Debt
October 15
GLOBAL - Rural Women’s Day
October 16
GLOBAL - World Food Day
October 17
GLOBAL - International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
October 17-19
GLOBAL - GCAP Stand Up and Take Action Mobilisation
October 20
GLOBAL - End of GCAP 50 Days of Action Against Poverty and Inequality
October 30
ATHENS - 13th International Anti-Corruption Conference (to Nov 2)
November 9
TEHRAN - International Conference on Religion and Media (to Nov 12). Disasters experts say it should be of interest to anyone who wants to discuss the importance of faith communities in disaster risk reduction. Contact Mahdiye Tavakol at IRIB University on +98 21 22652238.
November 29 - December 2
DOHA - UN Financing for Development Conference
December 3
MELBOURNE, Australia - Parliament of the World's Religions (to Dec 9). There will probably be a session on disaster risk reduction. Contact Marcus Oxley at TearFund.
Note. The diary information is compiled from a variety of Irish and International sources, including the resources for journalists available from Alertnet. Source information is often augmented here with appropriate URLs, etc.
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