AFRO-NETS> Vote for a 2003 World Breastfeeding Week Slogan

[Claudio Schuftan <aviva@netnam.vn>]

Vote for a 2003 World Breastfeeding Week Slogan
-----------------------------------------------

From: "Waba Forum" <wabaforum@pd.jaring.my>

Dear friends,

Vote for WBW 2003 Slogan! Deadline: 2 December 2002.

Greetings! WABA is pleased to announce that the World Breastfeeding 
Week (WBW) 2003 will focus on breastfeeding and globalisation. Please 
read the outline of the theme carefully. We invite your participation 
in selecting the slogan for the theme. Please let us know which title 
you think best reflect the focus of WBW 2003.

Please prioritise your choice by stating '1' to '4' for these four 
themes ('1' being your first choice). Please e-mail/fax to the WABA 
Secretariat by 2 December 2002.

(A) Breastfeeding: Just World, Just Health           [ ]
(B) Just breastfeeding: Possible in an unjust world? [ ]
(C) Breastfeeding: A just world fit for children     [ ]
(D) Breastfeeding in a Globalised World              [ ]

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.

With best wishes from the WABA Secretariat,
mailto:wabaforum@pd.jaring.my

----------------------------------------------------

Outline of the theme Breastfeeding and Globalisation

Breastfeeding in an increasingly globalized world brings together new 
challenges and new opportunities to parents, women's groups, health 
care workers, health care institutions, public health clinics, policy 
makers and those working for justice and a better world.

New Challenges: 
- national legislation to implement the International Code may be 
  challenged under trade agreements

- trade agreements and trade blocks may reduce a government's ability 
  to determine national policies on infant feeding and the protection 
  of breastfeeding

- harmonization of trade rules may require governments to accept in-
  fant formulas and infant food products contrary to public health in-
  terests

- publicly funded breastfeeding promotion programs may be perceived 
  to be unfair competition to the infant foods industries

- a government may not be able to refuse technologies such as genetic 
  modification of ingredients in infant foods

- the labeling of infant foods may be determined by Codex outcomes 
  rather than according to national public health needs and interests

- UN agencies are increasingly losing independence to develop public 
  interest programs and policies as they partner with trans global cor-
  porations

- Increased privatization of health care systems as for profit sys-
  tems with more dependency on pharmaceutical and infant foods industry 
  sponsorships

- deregulation of governmental food safety standards, including in-
  fant foods - decreased accountability and liability of governments 
  for the public good

- increased disparity between rich people and poor people between 
  rich countries and poor countries


New Opportunities:
- people's movements to analyze and present directions and action for 
  more just global relationships

- increased globalization of breastfeeding movements to address com-
  mon problems and issues

- increased cooperation of public interest non-governmental groups 
  working towards global understanding and justice

- New roles and responsibilities for the global breastfeeding commu-
  nity, for health care workers, for policy makers.


Examples of the above challenges/opportunities to be more fully high-
lighted in the text of the action folder are:

- Alliance for a Corporate Free UN

- World Health Assembly outcomes 

- The Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding; the WHA 
  Resolutions on Infant and Young Child Nutrition

- ILO - maternity protection

- The Convention on the Rights of the Child

- The Millennium Goals

- The Codex Alimanterius Commission

The action folder will also provide information on the global breast-
feeding movement - WABA, IBFAN, LLLI, ILCA etc. - and actions that 
WBW participants can take in your community to "act locally and think 
globally".

--
Claudio Schuftan
Hanoi, Vietnam
mailto:aviva@netnam.vn

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