IN THIS ISSUE

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
HUMAN RIGHTS
WIDE annual conference: What ‘state’ are we in?
"Cooperating with eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries" international seminar

NEWS
CULTURE
Lebanon assumes position as region's cosmetic-enhancement capital
ECONOMY & TRADE
Abu Dhabi unveils $27 billion island tourism project
Ras al-Khaimah to build $5.44 billion resort
Beirut should call in the IMF
Oil revenues bring welcome rise in Arab development aid
EDUCATION
Alam Simsim - Egypt
Sesame Stories (Sippuray Sumsum/ Hikayat Simsim) - Israel, Palestine & Jordan
The Educational Impact of "Rechov Sumsum/ Shara'a Simsim: A Sesame Street" Television Series to Promote Respect and Understanding among Children Living in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza
UN predicts 18 million new teachers needed to meet millennium goals
DEVELOPMENT AID
Sudan aid efforts near collapse
Qatar pledges $50 million for Palestinian Authority
GENDER
Bahraini women long for fairer laws
Gulf women enraged over Islamic ruling on strings-free marriage
Iran opens stadiums to women
Lebanese women will have their say
Lebanese Ministry makes women prime targets for literacy courses
Pakistani woman describes nightmare of rape, imprisonment
Promoting FGM Abandonment in Egypt: Introduction of Positive Deviance
HURRIYAT
Groups call on UN, EU to help save lives of detainees in Israel
Rights group speaks out on Egyptian judges
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Border village in Lebanon is off the beaten path - way off
Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction plan aims to prove doubters wrong
Conference in Lebanon addresses Millennium goals
Mini-marathon in Lebanon marks hope that conflict stays in past
Lebanese NSSF's problems are major headache for all Lebanese
… And Cabinet urges its overhaul
UNDP backs broad survey aimed at cutting poverty in Akkar – Lebanon
YOUTH & CHILDREN
Child labor thrives in Iraq due to lax enforcement
Encouraging young bookworms

REPORTS & BOOKS & ARTICLES
EDUCATION
Investing in Research and Education: GNR-MENA Report on HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa
DFID: Keeping our Promises: Delivering Education for All
GENDER
Creating an enabling environment for the advancement of women and girls
Development magazine focuses on women's rights and development
Empowering Women, Developing Society: Female Education in the Middle East & North Africa [MENA]
Education for Girls & Issues of Early Marriage & Motherhood
Gender Caucus in WSIS - Challenges for Gender Equality
Gender Baseline Study for Finnish Development Cooperation
Iraqi Women under Siege
Researching Violence Against Women: a Practical Guide for Researchers and Activists, Ellsberg, M. and Heise, L., 2005
Syria's First Study of Violence Against Women Breaks Taboo
SOCIAL WATCH
No Country in the World Treats Its Women as Well as Its Men
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence Against Women, WHO, 2005
Women, Islam, and the New Iraq By Isobel Coleman (From Foreign Affairs, January/February 2006).
HEALTH
HERP Iraq Health Enterprise Planning: Information Technology for the MOH for the Year 2005 and Beyond

RESOURCES
A new recruitment agency established for NGOs
Business Against Corruption - A Framework for Action
Guide to Equality in the Family in the Maghreb
Guidelines for Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings, IASC Taskforce on Gender in Humanitarian Assistance, 2005
Key List of Bibliographical Resources on Culture and Development
USEFUL WEBSITE: Free Directory of 47,500 Development Organizations
The International Poverty Centre (IPC)