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17/11/08 - 2008 Human Rights Awards Winners Take Centre Stage

International Service project manager, George Truckenbrod who is based in the city of Manaus, Brazil, participated in both events to share lessons learned and best practices from Brazil and Latin America, learn about new approaches and critical themes, and to build up contacts with key actors in the region.

Approximately 23,000 people working in different areas and aspects of HIV/AIDS met in Mexico City in August 2008 to discuss, share, analyse, and to strengthen the responses to this global pandemic at all levels.

Emerging themes included the critical importance of monitoring and evaluation strategies by governmental and civil society to ensure that STI/HIV/AIDS services are reaching vulnerable populations, that the policy makers are fulfilling both national and international commitments, and that good governance practices and accessibility to this information are prioritised.

Another key issue is the debate around strengthening health systems in general especially at the basic or local levels and a focus to strengthen health systems that are more disease specific i.e. STI/AIDS (sexually transmitted infections and AIDS). George Truckenbrod was able to share his experiences from an International Service project based in the State of Amazonas that is working with state and municipal STI/AIDS programmes to strengthen the responses to STI/HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive heath in the interior of this vast state that covers part of the Amazon rainforest. The project is working to mainstream STI/HIV/AIDS into other municipal programmes that are administered by the municipal education, health and social services departments and to advocate for the inclusion and the participation of civil society groups in all processes. Thus, International Service and its partner organisations are working to strengthen both to strengthen the response to STI/HIV/AIDS and to strengthen the primary level health and other governmental health services.

The third issue that is of particular interest to International Service is the inclusion of disabled people into STI/HIV/AIDS programmes and projects. The World Health Organisation estimates that approximately 10% of the world’s population live with one type of disability or impairment; however, disabled people are often excluded, they do not know their sexual and reproductive rights and have difficulties to access and use sexual and reproductive and STI/HIV/AIDS services. Through the participation in 3 sessions focused on disability and STI/HIV/AIDS, information was shared and contacts were established with people and organisations that are working in this critical area. International Service Brazil and its partners can integrate the knowledge into its activities on disability and STI/HIV/AIDS that have included the First Forum on Disability and STI/AIDS that was facilitated during the STI/AIDS Prevention Congress in Florianopolis, various meetings, and the development of strategies by International Service and its partners on how to mainstream disability and include disabled people.

Previous to the World AIDS Conference, George participated in a two-day meeting to share, discuss, and to strengthen public STI/HIV/AIDS policies through the inclusion of disabled people and disabled people organisations. During the first day, experiences were shared including the First Forum on Disability and STI/AIDS in Brazil. During the second day, various people presented their work including George, who presented International Service Brazil approach and methodology to mainstream disabled people into rights-based development and inclusive projects and programmes. The results of this meeting included the following:

• The development and dissemination of informational, educational and communication materials on STI/HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health that are accessible by disabled people;
   

• The development of monitoring and evaluation strategies and tools to monitor public STI/AIDS policies in relation to disabled people; and
   

• Greater networking and knowledge sharing to key stakeholders.

The participants of this meeting participated in the First International March and Rally for Inclusion that preceded the opening of the World AIDS Conference.

For more information, please visit our websites at www.aidsamazonas.org.br, www.isbrasil.org.br

03/04/08 - The Amazon Jungle comes alive in the Concrete Jungle - The Brazilian Amazon meets the Big Apple in three-month, citywide event

New York, NY, 2008 – This spring, lush green trees from the banks of the Amazon River will flourish alongside the Hudson River; shamans may be seen on the subway; and third and sixth grade students will be transported to the heart of the rainforests without leaving their classrooms. Amazônia Brasil, a citywide event of exhibits and workshops that seeks to bring models of sustainable living from the Amazon and present a contemporary vision of the region, will take place from April 17 to July 13, its creators and presenters the Health and Happiness Project, the Amazon Working Group and Fare Arte have announced.

Created by the Projeto Saúde e Alegria (Health and Happiness Project), Amazônia Brasil is the culmination of extensive research and collaborations with more than 600 organizations. More than 500,000 people visited the Amazônia Brasil exhibit in France, Switzerland and Brazil since the project began in 2002. After its New York City tour, the exhibit will go to Tokyo, Monaco and the Netherlands.

Health and Happiness Project (Projeto Saúde e Alegria) and Amazon Working Group (Grupo de Trabalho Amazônico) are International Service partners.

Download press release (pdf 1.16MB)

01/04/08 - Same Difference visits Bromley. The Same Difference exhibition is in Bromley Central Library from the 1st April until the 30th April.

03/03/08 - The Same Difference UK tour continues. The exhibition is in the Southampton City Art Gallery from 3rd March until the 31st March.

01/02/2008 - Same Difference exhibition visits Dewsbury
The Same Difference UK tour continues. The exhibition is currently at Dewsbury Library.  The exhibition will be in Dewsbury until the end of February.

12/12/2007 - Winners of Human Rights Awards Honoured

The winners for 2007 International Service Human Rights Awards are:

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Women
Najia Haneefi
Former director of the Afghan Women’s Educational Centre.

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Disabled People
Rosangela Berman-Bieler from the Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusive Development.

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Children
Operation Sirigu, Afrikids

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS
Association for the Development and Support to Communities (ADAC)

Award for the Global Human Rights Defender
Unreported World
 

The winners were honoured at an award ceremony in London on 5th December 2007.

01/11/2007 - Same Difference exhibition visits Brighton
The Same Difference UK tour continues. The exhibition is currently at the Jubilee Library in Brighton.  The exhibition will be in Brighton until the end of December.

For more information about Same Difference click here

15/06/2007 - International Service Human Rights Awards 2007 - Call for Entries

We welcome nominations for our annual Human Rights Awards which will take place on 5th December 2007 at the House of Commons. For entry form click here

14/06/2007 - Making Connections from Anna Janota in Bolivia

Read the latest news from Anna Janota, International Service Development worker in Sucre, Bolivia click here

05/06/2007 - Same Difference exhibition visits the KC Stadium in Hull

The Same Difference UK tour continues as the exhibition moves from the DFID headquarters in East Kilbride and is placed in the Learning Zone at the KC Stadium in Hull. http://www.kcstadium.co.uk/
The exhibition will be in Hull until the end of June.

For more information about Same Difference click here

01/05/2007 - Coaching for Hope made FA Charity of the Year

The International Service project Coaching for Hope has been selected as the official FA Charity Partner for 2007 which will raise the profile of our work and help us to help more people at risk of HIV/AIDS. click here

14/12/06 - Winners Honoured at International Service Human Rights Awards Ceremony

The winners of this year's Human Rights Awards attended a ceremony at the House of Commons in London on 13th December 2006 and were presented with their awards by Jon Snow.

The winners are:

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Women-Joint Winners
Nizaam (Cookie) Edwards
Provincial Coordinator of the KZN Network on Violence Against Women and Intersect Coalitions. South Africa

Dominga Vasquez (Guatemalen Women’s Rights Activist) and Helen Woodcock (Peace Brigade’s International UK volunteer)

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Children
Phomolong Support Group

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Disabled People
AKASA (Association of Women with Disabilities)

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS
Nomakuze Solwande (deceased) and the Masonwabisane Women’s Support Centre.

01/11/2006 - Winners of Human Rights Awards Announced

The winners of this year's Human Rights Awards are:

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Women-Joint Winners
Nizaam (Cookie) Edwards
Provincial Coordinator of the KZN Network on Violence Against Women and Intersect Coalitions. South Africa

Dominga Vasquez (Guatemalen Women’s Rights Activist) and Helen Woodcock (Peace Brigade’s International UK volunteer)

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Children
Phomolong Support Group

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Disabled People
AKASA (Association of Women with Disabilities)

Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS
Nomakuze Solwande (deceased) and the Masonwabisane Women’s Support Centre.

The winners will be honoured at an award ceremony in London on 13th December 2006.

For more information on the International Service Human Rights Awards click here

05/09/06 - Fatboy Slim visits Coaching for Hope school in Mali

The world famous DJ Fatboy Slim (aka Norman Cook) has recently become patron of Coaching for Hope and has been out to Mali to visit the second Coaching for Hope school there. Norman was able to see the project in action and take part in Coaching for Hope football and art workshops. He also got the chance to visit a local orphanage we partner with and find out more about the realities facing children growing up in Mali. Norman has been extremely moved by his experience and is keen to carry on supporting the project in the future.

For more information about the Coaching for Hope project click here

27/06/2006 - Jane Carter Appointed Director of Coaching for Hope

Jane Carter, Chief Executive of International Service, has been appointed Director of Coaching for Hope, an exciting and innovative project launched by International Service last year. "The growth of Coaching for Hope and the superb opportunity that it presents meant that we needed to find a very capable person to lead it. After 18 years as Chief Executive of IS, I decided to focus my efforts for the next few years on developing Coaching for Hope. The new post is vitally important and I need to get on with it right away but will need to ensure that IS continues in the right direction until a new Chief Executive is found" said Jane.

Malcolm Harper, International Service’s Chairman said “We are delighted that Jane will be taking on this important flagship project full time: her work during her time as Chief Executive makes her perfectly placed to ensure that the Coaching for Hope initiative is a huge success."

20/04/2006 - World Cup Celebration

To celebrate the success of Coaching for Hope, and to raise money for the project, we will be hosting a World Cup Celebration at The FA in Soho Square on 23rd May 2006.

For more information about the Coaching for Hope project click here

19/03/2006 - Study Tours in the Independent on Sunday

Andrea Wren has written an article in the Independent on Sunday today highlighting the benefits of our study tours to people from SMEs.

Study tours give senior level business people access to a number of skills which can be put to use in the workplace. Through visiting remote communities and seeing how development work is carried out, participants learn new communication techniques, problem solving skills, and a whole new approach to work.

To read the article click here
To find out more about our Study Tours click here

31/01/2006 - Coaching for Hope on Meridian Tonight

Coaching for Hope, International Service’s new project which uses football to make a positive impact on the lives of disadvantaged children in West Africa, will be featured on ITV's Meridian Tonight at 6.00pm.

The programme will feature interviews with International Service’s Chief Executive, Jane Carter, along with Jacob Naish and Darren Teague from Brighton and Hove Albion. Their recent visit to Burkina Faso piloted a new coaching scheme, Goals Without Goalposts, specially developed for football coaching in developing countries.

For more information about the Coaching for Hope project click here

16/01/2006 - International Service - Positive About Disabled People

International Service is pleased to announce that we have been given permission to use the disability symbol. This is a recognition given by the Employment Service to employers who have agreed to take action to meet five commitments regarding the employment, retention, training and career development of disabled employees.

International Service has agreed that we will take action on the following five commitments:
· to interview all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and consider them on their abilities
· to ensure there is a mechanism in place to discuss, at any time, but at least once a year, with disabled employees what you and they can do to make sure they can develop and use their abilities
· to make every effort when employees become disabled to make sure they stay in employment
· to take action to ensure that all employees develop the appropriate level of disability awareness needed to make your commitments work
· each year, to review the five commitments and what has been achieved, to plan ways to improve on them and let employees and the Employment Service know about progress and future plans.

For more information about our work with disabled people's organisations please click here

To see our jobs pages please click here

02/01/06 - Same Difference Project Launched

Ross Georgeson is flying out to West Africa today to begin the overseas leg of International Service's Same Difference project, which uses art and creativity workshops to boost confidence and self esteem of children living with HIV, conflict, disability and extreme poverty.

Over the next 12 months Ross will visit each of the five countries International Service is working in and provide art therapy workshops for the children and their teachers. All children taking part in Same Difference will create their own unique art postcard which will form an evolving art exhibition as more children take part throughout the year.

The project began in Craigmillar, Edinburgh where 120 children and their teachers participated in Ross's workshops, and after visiting Burkina Faso, Mali, Palestine, Bolivia and Brazil, he will return to Scotland to complete his year long journey.

Same Difference is a unique and exciting project which will improve the lives of 1,500 disadvantaged children and their parents, carers and teachers. Children will also learn about other countries and cultures taking part in Same Difference, and be given a chance to express themselves to the wider community through the exhibition of their work.

For more information contact Charlotte Morris

23/12/05 - Human Rights Award Winner in the Scotsman

International Service Human Rights Award winner Ross Georgeson was interviewed in today's Scotsman newspaper. To read a copy of the article, click here.

09/12/05 - Human Rights Award Winner in the Independent

International Service Human Rights Awards winner Dora Akunyili is featured in the Independent today. To read the article click here

To find out more about the awards click here or contact Charlotte Morris

05/12/2005 - Study Tours in the Guardian

International Service's study tour to Bolivia is featured in today's Guardian. To read the article click here

To find out more about the tours click here or contact Charlotte Morris

30/11/2005 - Partner Organisation Wins Award

Saúde e Alegria, one of International Service's partner organisations in Brazil, has just been awarded the ECLAC / Kellogg's Prize in the Experiences in Social Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean category.

For more information about Saúde e Alegria click here

03/11/2005 - The Yards Concert for International Service

Following the huge success of their sell out concert for International Service at York Minster last year, York group The Yards have kindly offered to play a fundraising concert for us again this year on 16th December at the Early Music Centre.

For more information click here

03/10/2005 - Winners of Human Rights Awards Announced

The winners of this year's Human Rights Awards are:

Volunteer Human Rights Defender – Ross Georgeson
Partner Organisation Achievement – REN-LAC
Grassroots Human Rights Campaigner – Dora Akunyili
Global Human Rights Defender – Benjamin Zephaniah

For more information on the awards and the winners click here

26/09/2005 - Private Sector Encouraged to Participate in the Year of the Volunteer

2005 is the official Year of the Volunteer but many businesses have yet to get involved. This need not be the case as evidence suggests that there is a strong volunteering spirit in the private sector. However, whilst the Home Office is spending millions of pounds advertising the benefits of volunteering to Britain’s youth the private sector seems to be largely bypassed by such government initiatives. To address this problem, International Service is organising a conference in October where businesses will be able to find out more about the diverse range of volunteering opportunities available to them from some of the top experts in the field.

The conference, entitled “Making the Most of Employee Volunteering”, is being held on October 4th 2005 at the Cranfield School of Business Management in Milton Keynes. It will include speakers from companies who have made volunteering work for them, including Viacom, KPMG, Lovells, Cadbury Trebor Bassett, IBM, Barclays and Standard Chartered Bank, as well as an interactive panel debate, hosted by BBC World Affairs Correspondent Mike Wooldridge, and a wide variety of interactive seminars and lectures.

Click here for more information. If you would like to book a place please contact Tom Pitchon on 01904 647799 or by email 

21/09/2005 - Coaching for Hope in the Telegraph and the Mirror

International Service's Coaching for Hope project is featured in both the Telegraph and the Mirror today. To find out more about the project click here

18/09/2005 - Study Tours in the Independent on Sunday

The Independent on Sunday today highlighted how International Service's Study Tours can benefit business leaders.

To find out about our study tour to Bolivia in November click here.

08/07/2005 - Nominations Closed for Human Rights Awards

The nominations for the International Service Human Rights Awards will close at 12 noon today.  Winners will be announced in September.

To find out more about the awards click here.

14/06/2005 - President Receives OBE

International Service’s President, Professor Haleh Afshar, has been awarded an OBE for her services to equal opportunities in the Queen’s birthday honours list.

18/05/2005 - Clare Balding Endorses Coaching for Hope

Clare Balding has endorsed Coaching for Hope, International Service's new project in West Africa. The project uses football to make a positive impact on the lives of disadvantaged children in West Africa.

“I’m a great believer in the power of sport to change lives, in its ability to heal rifts and to give people inspiration. I think this is a wonderful project and hope that it will bring light into lives that may otherwise be darker than anyone deserves.”

12/05/2005 - Hat Auction Raises £1,500

Royal Ascot is coming to York next month, so International Service organised a hat auction at the Impressions Gallery last night. Clare Balding kindly hosted the event and Jeremy Wood did a brilliant job of auctioning the hats.

The event was a huge success, it was covered in the local press, radio and BBC news, the auction was packed, and we raised over £1,500.

Thank you to everyone who helped by donating their time, hats, raffle prizes or coming along on the night.

03/05/2005 - Deadline For Manchester Run

The deadline for applying for a place to run for International Service in the BUPA Great Manchester Run is tomorrow.  We still have places left, so if you are considering running call us on 01904 647799 or email us

14/04/2005 - Places Left For The BUPA Great Manchester Run

We have eight places left for this 10 km run on Saturday 22nd May 2005.

Just £50 will secure your place.

For an application form contact us on 01904 647799 or email us

01/03/2005 - Nominations Open For Awards

Nominations are now open for the International Service Human Rights Awards 2005.  For more information please click here.

06/01/2005 - International Service Wins £1,470,000 Grant

International Service has been given a 26% increase from the Department for International Development (DfID) in a Partnership Programme Agreement, this means a grant of £1,470,000 towards the charity’s work each year for the next six years. The money from DfID will be used to help women, children and disabled people - the charity’s three main areas of work.
Gareth Thomas, Parliamentary under Secretary of State for International Development, said: ‘Aid agencies and civil society groups in the UK and internationally have a vital role in eliminating poverty and promoting development. The significant increases in our support for individual agencies shows our confidence in their ability to make a difference to the lives of the poorest people.’

16/11/2004 - International Service To Screen "Missing Young Women"

International Service would like to invite you to join us for a screening of extracts from the film 'Missing Young Women', in which filmmaker Lourdes Portillo investigates the murders of the women of Juarez. 
The film will be introduced by Esther Chavez, who is in the UK to receive an International Service Human Rights Award.
The film is being shown tonight at City Screen in York. It starts at 6.30pm and all 70 tickets are free. Tickets are available by calling 01904 54 11 44 or from the City Screen box office.

14/10/2004 - York Minster Concert Sold Out

We are pleased to announce that all 400 tickets for The Yards at York Minster tomorrow night have been sold, there will be no tickets available on the door.

01/10/2004 - Human Rights Awards Winners Announced

We are proud to announce the winners of the 2004 International Service Human Rights Awards.

Grass-Roots Human Rights Campaigner
Esther Chavez – More than 260 young women have been found murdered and mutilated in and around Ciudad Juarez over the last ten years; very little has been done by the Mexican authorities to solve these cases. In 1999, Esther Chavez founded Casa Amiga to provide services to the families of the victims and survivors of similar abuse. With an annual budget of just $4,500 it offers a wide range of services, primarily psychological, medical, and legal to survivors of violence, abuse, sexual assault, rape, incest, and sexual harassment. It functions as a rape-crisis centre and safety zone for battered women. Esther Chavez has won this award for great courage in a very dangerous situation, for the imagination and vision to create the centre and for dedication to the cause. This award will give international support to a small organisation as well as the possibility of greater protection and enhanced influence.

International Volunteer Human Rights Defender
Audrey Bomse - throughout her time at the Jerusalem Centre for Human Rights, Audrey has used her knowledge, experience and network from twenty-five years of civil rights legal representation in the US to help establish training programs for attorneys representing prisoners in Israeli military courts and to produce ground-breaking public documents, most significantly a report published in conjunction with the Mandela Institute for Human Rights on the status of Palestinian prisoners. The judges felt that Audrey had “clearly shown real personal commitment and used her skills and experience to precise and fruitful effect. She is a real role model for other development workers in this difficult region”.

Partner Organisation Achievement
Action on Disability and Development (ADD) West Africa – Disabled people in West Africa are often excluded from the social, educational, economic and political systems. They are thus denied their fundamental rights. ADD West Africa has won this award for defending the rights of disabled people in the area and for its excellent work in the fight against HIV/AIDS, facilitating physical access and influencing partners to include disabled people at all stages of development.

Global Human Rights Defender
Joint Winners
Sigrid Rausing – for her strong commitment to women’s rights. The judges said, “Her determination to provide for the cause of women’s rights is outstanding. She has shown huge dedication and vision in her work to help women escape from violence and poverty”.
Mark Thomas – for using his skills and talent so intelligently to raise public awareness of human rights abuses at home and abroad. One of the judges commented that, “Something I have always believed in is ‘do what you can to make a difference’ – and he has done that brilliantly”.

International Service wishes to thank Bryan Sanderson and Galliard Healthcare Communications for their kind support of these awards.

The presentation ceremony will be held at the House of Commons on Wednesday 10th November and be hosted by Jon Snow.  For more information about the awards click here or contact Charlotte

20/09/2004 – Tickets On Sale For York Minster Concert

Tickets for The Yards' acoustic concert at York Minster are now on sale.  The concert will raise money to enable International Service to help Street Children in Brazil. To find out more about the concert click here. To buy tickets call 01904 647799 or email Charlotte.

06/08/2004 - Brazil: Past Partner Organisation Wins Award

COIAB (The Brazilian Amazon´s Council of Indigenous Organisations) was awarded the Brazilian Landless Movement´s "Fight for Land" award on Monday 26th July for their contribution to the fight for land rights.  Congratulations to COIAB from everyone at International Service.

05/08/2004 - Chief Executive Nominated For UK Award

Jane Carter, Chief Executive of International Service, has been short-listed at the UK Charity Awards 2004 in the Charity Principal of the Year Category. She is hoping to pick up the award at a star-studded awards ceremony in London on Thursday 23rd September.

Jane has been Chief Executive since 1987. She saw it separate from the United Nations Association in 1998 to become a charity in it’s own right and relocate to York in 1990 where it has gone from strength to strength.

28/07/2004 - Latin America: Brazilian Partner Commended by President

Dona Raimunda Gomes da Silva - Director of the Women's Secretariat of the National Rubber Tappers Council, one of International Service's partner organisations in Brazil, was one of 12 women commended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the First National Conference for Women’s Rights which took place in Brasília between 15-17 July 2004.

12/07/2004 - Nominations For Human Rights Awards Closed

Nominations for the International Service Human Rights Awards have now closed.  Entry forms are being passed to the the judges and the winners will be announced on Monday 4th October before the awards ceremony on Wednesday 10th November 2004.

25/06/2004 - Closing Date For Human Rights Awards Two Weeks Away

The closing date for the International Service Human Rights Awards is Friday 9th July. This year’s ceremony will be on Wednesday 10th November and we are pleased to announce that Jon Snow has agreed to present the awards again. For an entry form or to find out more about the awards click here.

18/06/2004 - International Service Highly Commended at Charity Awards

International Service has been Highly Commended at The Charity Awards 2004. The Charity Awards judges have recognised the excellent work International Service has undertaken in working for the inclusion of disabled people in overseas development programmes – this has included lobbying, organising two international conferences and setting up projects with our partner organisations in Africa.
Jane Carter, Chief Executive of International Service said: “Through our contact with disabled peoples’ organisations internationally, we have learned that unless the issue of disability is brought into the mainstream, the exclusion of disabled people will continue.
This is why the project is so exciting; it provides a model of good practice and an example for others to follow. Disability is a human rights issue and the problems of world poverty cannot be solved until disabled peoples’ rights are prioritised and disabled people themselves lead that process”.

11/06/2004 - International Service on York TV

Jane Carter, International Service's Chief Executive, has been interviewed on York Today about our nomination for the Charity Awards, the programme will be aired early next week ahead of the awards ceremony on Thursday 17th June.

28/05/2004 - International Service Nominated For National Award

International Service has been nominated for a major national prize at The Charity Awards 2004, the UK charity sector’s most prestigious award scheme. We have been short-listed in the International Aid and Development category and are hoping to pick up the coveted award at a star-studded awards ceremony in London on 17th June.
The annual Charity Awards ceremony is the most high profile event in the charity world calendar. The awards recognise excellence in the management of charities, acknowledging the outstanding work and achievements of all charities, big or small, from across the UK and the tireless commitment of the people behind them.
This is the fifth year that the awards have taken place and International Service is in illustrious company on the shortlist alongside some of the UK's most high profile charities including WWF, Barnardos, VSO and Crisis.
The Charity Awards judges have recognised the excellent work International Service has undertaken in working for the inclusion of disabled people in overseas development programmes. If we win in our category, we will then be in the running to pick up the Overall Award for Excellence in Charity Management – a prestigious award given to the best of the category winners, won last year by The Leonard Cheshire Foundation.
The Charity Awards 2004 is organised by Charity Finance magazine, the leading business publication for the voluntary sector. The distinguished panel of judges includes Sir Nicholas Young, Chief Executive of the Red Cross, Ian Allsop, Editor of Charity Finance magazine and Judith Hill, Head of Community and Charity at leading law firm Farrer and Co. Daniel Phelan, organiser of The Charity Awards 2004 said: This year, more than ever, The Charity Awards are recognising initiatives implemented by many of the UK’s national and regional charities on the ground in communities in need. This is the cutting edge of the work of the voluntary sector where excellent management makes all the difference. At a time when the charity sector is facing the challenging and exciting prospect of taking a much larger role in the provision of public sector services through the Government's recently announced proposals in the draft Charities Bill, acknowledging exceptional work and management achievement helps to spread good practice throughout the sector and draws attention to the talent and leading expertise that will deliver these services. By being short-listed, International Service has already demonstrated that they are among the best run charities in the UK and I wish them luck on the night."
For more information please email Charlotte

22/05/2004 - International Service in The Independent

Jane Carter, Chief Executive of International Service, has signed a joint letter to The Independent newspaper on the situation in Rafah this week. To read the letter click here.

10/05/2004 - International Service Awarded Large Comic Relief Grant

International Service has received £535,460 from Comic Relief for one of our African partners, Jeunesse et Developpement, a Malian organisation which is working to help young people develop their potential.

The grant will help to improve the lives of many disadvantaged young people living in the towns and cities of Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali by supporting small business ventures that promote social and economic integration. Principal objectives of the project are to:
· Enable young people to establish their own small business ventures by providing funding, support and advice.
· Develop leadership capacity and self-confidence among the young people concerned. · Provide basic education and training to young people who may have missed out on schooling.
· Give young people experience of decision-making and management by enhancing their capacities to develop creative solutions to the social and economic difficulties they face.
· Promote a child-centred and gender sensitive approach to working with young people in organisations in the countries concerned.

Founded in 1993, the work of Jeunesse et Developpment is desperately needed in a society where poverty forces young people onto the streets to earn money from an early age. The organisation has been strengthened with the help of International Service development worker, Sue Upton, who has been working with us in Mali since 1994.

Edward Wilson, Africa Programme Manager at International Service said: “Young people are at the centre of every stage of the project. They initiate applications; they select which projects will be funded; they manage their own funds; they are involved in monitoring, evaluation and future planning. In this way, the project has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of those concerned. We are delighted to have received this grant.”

22/04/2004 - Susan Bertoni Appointed Palestine Field Director

Susan Bertoni has begun work as International Service's Palestine Field Director.  Formerly Women and Youth Development Specialist at American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), Susan will be responsible for managing our partnerships and development workers in Palestine.

13/04/2004 - Nominations Open for International Service Human Rights Awards

Nominations are now open for the International Service Human Rights Awards 2004. For more information please click here.

15/03/2004 - Partner Organisations in Brazil Win Chico Mendes Prize

Two of IS' partners have been awarded the Chico Mendes prize from the Ministry for the Environment. Dona Raimunda Gomes, the president of the women's secretariat of the Conselho Nacional dos Seringueiros (CNS) was awarded for her work in favour of the preservation of the environment. Vytycaty (with whom we have a 3 way partnership through CTI (Centro de Trabalho Indigenista) were awarded the prize in the community organisation category.

03/03/2004 - International Service in The Guardian

International Service development workers speak to The Guardian about the shooting of Yussef Bashir in Gaza.

Click here to see the full article.

24/02/2004 - International Service Expands into Chile

Next month International Service will send its first development worker to Chile, expanding its portfolio of countries to six. Katie Allison will be based in Santiago, where she will work with Consumers International as a Specialist Information Manager.

International Service currently has programmes in Brazil and Bolivia where we work in areas such as human rights, health and the environment. Pedro Gonzalez, International Service’s Latin America Programme Manager said; “By expanding to other Latin American countries we are able to network to produce a more significant and sustainable impact in the area. I am very excited about this new development.”

Consumers International’s main activities are around the elaboration of policies that defend the consumer on issues such as: product and food standards, health and patients’ rights, the environment, sustainable consumption and the regulation of international trade and of public activities.