• New Report Shows "Sprinkles" are Working to Prevent and Treat Childhood Nutrition Epidemic

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
DAVID WILLMAN
The Los Angeles Times
Mr. Willman, 44, won for ''his pioneering expose of seven unsafe prescription drugs that had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and an analysis of the policy reforms that had reduced the agency's effectiveness,'' the Pulitzer board said.
Mr. Willman's reporting focused at first on the diabetes drug Rezulin, then expanded to other medications. It culminated in a sweeping six-page article scrutinizing the deadly pitfalls in the agency's revised procedures for approving the safety of new products.
Medical records implicated the seven defective drugs in the deaths of 1,002 patients. All of those medications were eventually withdrawn from the market, but not until after billions of dollars in sales.
Mr. Willman, who interviewed the families of some victims, had a bittersweet reaction to the prize. ''I'm sobered by the fact that it won't bring back the people who died unnecessarily,'' he said.
NATIONAL REPORTING
THE NEW YORK TIMES
The Times staff was honored for a series of articles, ''How Race Is Lived in America,'' a yearlong examination of racial attitudes and experiences.
Reporting from locales as varied as the killing floor of a North Carolina slaughterhouse and the pews of a Georgia church, the series chronicled the way everyday citizens deal with race. More than 30 reporters, writers, photographers and editors collaborated to produce 15 articles in the series.
INTERNATIONAL REPORTING
IAN JOHNSON
The Wall Street Journal
As a correspondent in the Beijing bureau, Mr. Johnson detailed the Chinese government's repression of the Falun Gong movement and its implications for the country's future. Mr. Johnson chronicled the detention of a Falun Gong follower who died while in police custody and her daughter's attempts to discover what happened to her. To avoid detection by the Chinese authorities, Mr. Johnson often traveled to other cities by bus and taxi, switching cell phone cards and beepers and sleeping in private homes.
PAUL SALOPEK
The Chicago Tribune
Mr. Salopek, The Tribune's Africa correspondent, won his second Pulitzer Prize for chronicling the devastation wrought there by disease and war. (He won his first in 1998 for a series on the Human Genome Project.) He detailed the armed strife bedeviling Congo, traveling down the Congo River for 250 miles in a canoe made from a hollowed-out tree. During that trip, Mr. Salopek said, he was detained by competing militias ''more than I care to remember.''
BEAT REPORTING
DAVID CAY JOHNSTON
The New York Times
Mr. Johnston, a business reporter for The Times, was honored for exposing inequities and irregularities in the United States Tax Code. His writing profiled changes in the Internal Revenue Service, as well as the social consequences of shifting tax burdens. For instance, his reporting showed how, in 1999, the poor were for the first time more likely than the rich to have their tax returns audited, while corporations faced waning scrutiny.
Mr. Johnston, 52, joined The Times in 1995 and has been an investigative reporter for 25 years.
''Our tax system is fundamental to our democracy,'' he said, ''and for too long it has been covered in sound bites instead of what I hope have been sound insights.''
BREAKING NEWS
THE MIAMI HERALD
The Herald staff was cited for its coverage of the seizure by federal agents of Elian Gonzalez, the 6-year-old Cuban boy who was rescued from the Atlantic Ocean off South Florida after his mother died trying to escape to the United States. The newspaper devoted 18 pages to the raid. While 83 percent of Cuban-Americans thought the boy should remain in Miami, 76 percent of non-Hispanic whites thought he should be returned to his father in Cuba. ''It was an ethnically charged situation,'' said Martin Baron, executive editor. But, he added, ''We served the community really well. We covered it from every conceivable angle.''
EXPLANATORY REPORTING
THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
In a year of discontent among air travelers, The Tribune published a series of articles, titled ''Gateway to Gridlock,'' that traced the fortunes of individual passengers, a major airline, an overburdened air traffic control system and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.
The series began by describing 24 hours in which some 60 reporters and photographers were dispatched all over the world, some with what The Tribune called unprecedented access to control towers and airline operation centers.
''We needed to be everywhere,'' said Ann Marie Lipinski, the paper's editor.
CRITICISM
GAIL CALDWELL
The Boston Globe
Ms. Caldwell, the chief book critic at The Boston Globe, won for her observations on contemporary American life and literature, including a review of John Updike's ''Gertrude and Claudius,'' which explored the offstage adulterous relationship between the two characters in Shakespeare's ''Hamlet.'' This is the first time that she has been awarded the prize. She was a nominated finalist in this category three times before -- in 1993, 1996 and 1999.
FEATURE WRITING
TOM HALLMAN JR.
The Oregonian
Mr. Hallman, 45, won in the feature writing category for his profile of a facially disfigured 14-year-old boy who chose to have a life-threatening, 13-hour operation in an effort to improve his appearance.
Mr. Hallman's account of the boy's life and medical ordeal were captured in a four-part series that he said he began after learning of the teenager's situation from a friend of the boy's family. The teenager had been born with a rare vascular anomaly that severely disfigured his face with a mass of tissue; his condition was greatly improved by the grueling operation, but he still faces more surgery.
COMMENTARY
DOROTHY RABINOWITZ
The Wall Street Journal
Ms. Rabinowitz, a member of The Journal's editorial board and a television critic, has been a Pulitzer finalist three times, but this year, she was told early on that she did not earn even that designation. But the judges who made the final choice disregarded the three finalists the jurors had chosen, vaulting her from nonfinalist to winner.
Her commentary is known for its championing of unpopular causes, particularly of the wrongly accused. Her winning columns focused on a physician wrongly accused of sexually assaulting a patient, a Brandeis University student suspended in a date rape case, and on what Ms. Rabinowitz yesterday called ''one of my favorite targets of loathing: politicians who make endless references to the sacred family.''
EDITORIAL WRITING
DAVID MOATS
The Rutland Herald
Mr. Moats, 53, the editorial page editor of The Rutland Herald, won for his series of editorials on civil unions for same-sex marriages.
The Herald, the second largest newspaper in Vermont with a circulation of 22,000, had made a case for legalizing same-sex unions. The issue was controversial; according to The Herald, three Rutland politicians who had supported such unions had not been re-elected to office.
BREAKING NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
ALAN DIAZ
The Associated Press
Mr. Diaz was honored for his picture of federal agents trying to seize 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez in the home of the boy's Miami relatives. He was the only photographer to capture the predawn moment when agents entered the house in Little Havana. The picture was published on April 22, 2000.
FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
MATT RAINEY
The Star-Ledger
Mr. Rainey's photographs in a series called ''After the Fire'' won the prize for feature photography. In this picture, published Sept. 19, 2000, a victim of a dormitory fire at Seton Hall University in New Jersey is being treated in a burn unit. Mr. Rainey's photos show the care and recovery of two burned students.
EDITORIAL CARTOONING
ANN TELNAES
The Los Angeles Times Syndicate
In this cartoon, published June 7, 2000, Ms. Telnaes comments on the campaign financing of the two major parties. The prize was based on originality, editorial effectiveness, quality of drawing and pictorial effect.
Photos
Document nytf000020010712dx4h00jz4
"Considerable international goodwill" says Barclays of Nigeria.
544 words

1 April 2001

African Review Of Business & Technology

QARBT

5

English

(c) 2001 BY Janet Matthews Information Services, Sidcup, UK. JMIS and publishers assume no liability for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained in this database
Last year's real growth of three per cent in GDP is set to increase steadily to four points in both 2002 and 2003, says the February issue of Barclays Country Report (Nigeria). Inflation is likely to rise to just over ten per cent over the same period; last year it was just half that, but over the 1994-98 period it averaged more than 35 per cent annually.
Last year increased oil prices alongside further activity in the buoyant energy sector boosted economic growth. So 2000's delayed budget is estimated to have recorded a small deficit. Debt-service limitations remain, the international bank says. At just five per cent last year inflation is low, although it is rising as the Central Bank loosens monetary policy through the series of interest rate cuts.
Barclays says that concern over the economy has underpinned strong demand for foreign exchange, hence the weakening of the naira. "In the present political climate (relations between the executive and legislature being under strain, noted elsewhere) the government has been reticent in tackling many of its outlined reforms, notably the privatisation of the larger parastatals including power, oil refining and telecoms," the report says.
Nevertheless the donor community has been keen to support the elected government's efforts, and in the second half of last year the IMF approved a one-year stand-by credit. The World Bank has committed funds, and in December the Paris Club agreed a debt rescheduling deal which included commercial sums owed. And of course last year's oil price surge widened Nigeria' trading surplus, and helped raise the current account surplus, too.
"Developments will be boosted by the further expansion of the energy sector, debt relief and relatively firm oil prices," the report from Barclays confidently predicts. Structural and other impediments will persist nevertheless.
The modest acceleration expected in inflation will be partly due to increased government spending, and the naira is likely to drift lower. "Although a budget surplus has been projected for this year.... a further deficit is likely," the Bank says. And Abuja "may find it difficult to deepen the reform process and adhere to fiscal restraint. As a consequence much-need investment could be delayed.
"There is considerable international goodwill," the report concludes. "Although the trade surplus should narrow, the current account will remain in surplus and further strengthen foreign exchange reserves."
Top ten trade partners 1999

Exports to: Imports from:

US$mm % US$mm %
USA 4220 36.2 UK 819 11.0
India 1005 8.6 Germany 740 9.9

Spain 877 7.5 USA 709 9.5

Brazil 738 6.3 France 630 8.4

France 691 5.9 China 436 5.8

Ghana 439 3.8 Netherland 374 5.0

Portugal 286 2.5 Italy 366 4.9

Cote d'Ivoire 282 2.4 Japan 271 3.6

Canada 261 2.2 Thailand 258 3.5

Italy 224 1.9 Brazil 249 3.3

Others 2645 22.7 Others 2617 35.1

World 11668 100 World 7469 100


Source: IMF, Direction of Trade Statistics 2000


Copyright: Alain Charles Publishing. All rights reserved. Alain Charles Publishing and JMIS assume no liability for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement.

Document qarbt00020010714dx4100019

Women's empowerment seen as crucial to success of development strategies and fight against HIV/AIDS, Commission on Status of Women told -- Part 1 of 2
3,516 words

8 March 2001

M2 Presswire

MTPW

English

Copyright 2001 M2 Communications, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
The Commission on the Status of Women continued its forty-fifth session this morning, resuming its general discussion on follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century".
During the lengthy discussion, the Commission heard from 22 speakers who highlighted various national experiences, plans, programmes and actions taken as well as recommendations for future strategies and approaches by the Commission. The Commission also heard three exchanges of rights of reply between Israel and the observer for Palestine in response to charges made this morning.
Karen Mason, Director, Gender and Development of the World Bank, said the empowerment of women and men had become a central element in the Bank's strategy for poverty reduction.
She said that by reducing gender inequalities in access to economic opportunities and productive resources, as well as to health and education, the Bank was promoting both economic growth and empowerment for women. Only if men and women played equally active and productive roles in the economy, society and family, "can we hope to achieve the eradication of poverty in the next millennium", she said.
Elhadj Sy, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said it was imperative to eliminate the social, economic and political inequalities that made women vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. First, there was need for advocacy with development policy makers, legislators, health-care providers, educators and community leaders for policy development or reform that would reduce social inequalities. He also called for gender-sensitive AIDS activities to be mainstreamed into development programmes.
Azerbaijan's representative said her country had the largest per capita burden of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world -- 1 million. Of that million, the majority were women. The international community should not remain indifferent to their hardships. A new generation of children now had their birthplace listed as "refugee camp".
Those children were deprived of human rights and subject to stigmas. "We believe that women refugees must be involved in the process of peace-building because they, more than anyone else, are aware of the value of a peaceful stable society", she said.
Iran's representative said that while the role of information, education, access to preventive technologies, treatments and health-care services were highly significant in addressing that bitter phenomenon of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the dynamic and supportive function of morality and religion should also be given due consideration.
The observer for Palestine said that since September 2000 the situation of Palestinian women had deteriorated in the occupied territories, including Jerusalem, due to the "bloody" Israeli campaign. Israel's aggression had caused great destruction to the Palestinian economy and infrastructure. That had created great hardship for Palestinian women, preventing their advancement and empowerment.
She underscored that the rights of Palestinian women could not be achieved with an occupying power in the region.
The empowerment of Palestinian women was linked to the peace process, to which Palestine was committed and to which it was ready to adhere.
Speaking exercise of the right of reply, Israel's representative said there were important and legitimate issues relating to the status of women in Palestinian society. But far more simple than confronting those issues as other societies did, the Palestinians chose to place the full weight of blame for them on Israel's shoulders. That blame was completely misplaced. The cause of the violence which had placed a heavy burden on both Israel and Palestine, lay with the latter and not his country.
He said Israel had no interest in perpetuating the current kind of conflict since violence did not serve its interests.
His country had repeatedly expressed the hope that disputes between the two sides could be resolved peacefully around the negotiating table. Yet, it was the Palestinians -- seeking to achieve their political goals through confrontation rather than negotiation -- who had initiated and perpetuated the violence.
Also this morning the Commission designated Mariano Simon Padros (Argentina) and Christine Kapalata (United Republic of Tanzania) to serve on the Working Group on Communications.
Statements were also made this morning by the representatives of Norway, Egypt, Republic of Korea, Argentina, China, Guatemala, Brazil, Malaysia, Namibia, Zambia, Ghana, Tunisia, Kenya, and the United Republic of Tanzania. Representatives of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) also spoke.
The Committee will meet again at 3:00 p.m. today to begin its consideration of its multi-year programme of work.
Background
The Commission on the Status of Women met this met this morning to continue its forty-fifth session and resume its general discussion on follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century.
(For detailed background see Press Release WOM/1263 issued 2 March 2001.)
MOMINAT OMAROVA (Azerbaijan) said that at present, legislation in her country was being brought into conformity with the instruments that guaranteed women's rights in accordance with universal standards. For centuries, Azebaijani women had played a great role in shaping national and moral values. Currently they were actively participating in the process of democratization and social reforms.
Unfortunately, they constituted the most vulnerable strata of the society as well. They were currently healing from the wounds of war and aggression which had resulted in the occupation of 20 per cent of her country. That left Azerbaijan with one of the largest per capita burden of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world. The majority of them were women.
The international community should not remain indifferent to the hardships of the 1 million refugees and internally displaced persons. A new generation was growing up with their place of birth listed in their birth certificates as "refugee camp". Those children lived in tents and carriages. They were deprived of human rights and subjected to stigmas. Other women were also victims of the war were taken as hostages in armed conflicts. Women in wartime faced many problems including psychological trauma, health complications, poverty and unemployment.
She said the number of countries healing from the wounds of wars, ethnic conflicts and cleansing had grown to such an extent that humanity today more than ever, realized that only peace could guarantee the development of civil society. "We believe that women refugees must be involved in the process of peace-building because they, more than anyone else, are aware of the value of a peaceful stable society", she said.
SOLVEIG SOLBAKKEN, State Secretary, Ministry of Children and Family Affairs of Norway, said decisions on gender equality should be short and to the point and should include time-bound targets. The Communications procedure should be strengthened and brought more closely in line with that of the Commission on Human Rights. The inter-sessional and regional activities should also be more focused and action-oriented. It was important to integrate the results of that work in the United Nations process as well. Meetings with other commissions and entities of the Organization should therefore be encouraged.
Addressing the multi-year work programme, she said it was of utmost importance that the themes were selected to ensure that the work of the Commission was relevant to United Nations conferences and processes. "At the same time", she added, "we need to allow some degree of flexibility so that we can include discussions of emerging issues".
She said the spread of HIV/AIDS was closely linked to gender equality. The pandemic was not only a problem with gender implications, but also one that stemmed from gender-related premises. The empowerment of women was therefore a key to making preventive action truly preventive. The active involvement of men in the efforts against the pandemic must also be prioritized. Further, the Commission needed to consider evaluating and monitoring racial discrimination against women and the difficulties they faced in exercising their civil, political, economic, cultural and civil rights.
AHMED DARWISH (Egypt) said everyone realized that depriving women of their rights impeded development efforts all over the world. The achievements of women had proved to be an important and productive element in society. Egypt therefore reaffirmed its support for the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. It was imperative that obstacles to women's progress were removed and that their economic independence was promoted.
The promotion of women's rights, he added, was not only the responsibility of national governments. To achieve the various goals that had been set for the promotion of women's rights, it was necessary for the international community to earmark specific resources for the benefit of developing countries. He reminded members that a proposal for a special fund, similar to the international fund set aside for environmental issues, had been made by the first lady of Egypt and that it was time this was given serious consideration.
He expressed hope that the Commission's deliberations would go a long way towards enriching the work of the first World Conference against Racism to be held in South Africa. The conference should be a landmark on the road to eliminating all forms of discrimination and provide the political will to safeguard human rights regardless of sex, religion, race or colour.
On the plight of Palestinian women, he observed that they did not only suffer discrimination because of their sex but also had to endure suppression and violence perpetrated by the occupying Israeli forces. They also suffered as mothers and wives who had lost their husbands and sons killed by Israeli soldiers. The international community could not continue to ignore the pleas of Palestinian women and it was time that steps were taken to end the excessive and unjust violence against them. It was time for the United Nations to start a peace process based on all the Security Council resolutions on the land for peace formula.
HAN MYUNG-SOOK (Republic of Korea) agreed ways that ensure gender mainstreaming should be given priority. In this regard the Republic of Korea had strengthened existing gender focal points of its six ministries through its Ministry of Gender Equality. Though there was still much to be done regarding violence against women, the Korea Police Agency had created an Office for Women's Rights in an attempt to deal with domestic violence, sexual violence and Prostitution. On the legal front, the Government had passed a gender discrimination act granting the Ministry of Gender Equality quasi-judicial power to