Peace Boat will present two workshops at the 59th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference in New York this week. Organized by the Department of Public Information, more than 2,500 NGO and civil society representatives from over 90 countries will gather from 6 – 8 September, the week before the opening of the United Nations General Assembly, to discuss ways and means for strengthening collaboration between local communities and global institutions. The theme of this year's conference will be Unfinished Business: Effective Partnerships for Human Security and Sustainable Development. A major focus of the conference will be discussion regarding the implementation of the Millenium Development Goals adopted by 189 UN Member States in the year 2000 as a road map for tackling poverty, instability, HIV/AIDS, gender inequality and violence in virtually all parts of the world.

The workshops jointly presented by Peace Boat will focus on the contribution made by grassroots organizations to disarmament, and the abolition of war through peace constitutions such as Japan's Article 9.

For further details:

• September 7, 2006 Workshop: How does Reducing Weapons of Mass Destruction Contribute to Peacebuilding and Human Security, and What Can Grassroots Efforts Offer?
• September 8, 2006 Workshop: To Save Succeeding Generations from the Scourge of War - The UN Charter, Peace Constitutions and Civil Society

Contact: Akira Kawasaki, kawasaki[at]peaceboat.gr.jp