News About Us
13 October 2008
World Population Day, 14th July 2008
Population and Sustainability Network was pleased to co-sponsor this years World Population Day event held at the Houses of Parliament on the 14th July 2008. The event which was hosted by IPPF and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health marked World Population Day with addresses by Gillian Merron, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development, and Sarah Brown, Chair of the White Ribbon Alliance.
The event was attended by organisations working in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights, Ministers, Parliamentarians and Peers, Ambassadors and other high level decision makers and sought to raise the profile of population growth issues and the implications for poverty alleviation efforts and international development.
Other Co-Sponsors included FPA, Action Aid, Human Rights Watch, Marie Stopes International, White Ribbon Alliance and Women and Children First.
PSN participates in strategic workshop in Istanbul, May 15th/16th 2008
“SRHR-Population- Environmental Degradation- Climate Change”
The Population and Sustainability Network (PSN) were pleased to participate at a conference co-hosted by the EuroNGOs network and the European Parliamentary Forum (EPF) in Istanbul. The event brought together 32 representatives from the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), humanitarian and environmental sectors from the EU member States, the USA and Africa in order to further understanding on the linkages between population issues, climate change and the environment.
PSN’s new coordinator, Karen Newman, spoke in the same session as Frances Kissling, Former President and founder of Catholics for Free Choice, whilst addressing the ethical considerations implicit with SRHR and population related issues. Click here for presentation. PSN also led a workshop with delegates to examine the links and further discussion about the impact of the population factor on environmental degradation and the links between climate change and population.
Representatives from UNFPA, WHO, IPPF, Population Action International, DSW, World Watch Institute and Global Footprint Network were some of the international delegates at the two day event. For a list of attendants click here.
With the combined knowledge from the SRHR and environmental sector, lively discussion ensured, and stimulated by a diverse range of presentations, concluded that there is pressing need for further partnership between the two sectors.
The findings also emphasised that this relationship is multifaceted and densely nuanced with a great need for further research, since while experts agree that there is a connection between population and environment, with the current paucity in empirical findings the exact relationship will remain contested territory.
Given the emerging interest in the relationship between population growth, other general demographic trends, and climate change the strategic workshop was an important initial step within Europe to encourage discussion and examine the implications for donors and policy makers.
PSN plans to build upon this initiative with a proposal to hold an International Forum with government specialists, academics, policy makers and NGO personnel in order to map out key target areas for research and subsequently appropriate policy responses. More information relating to this forthcoming project will be posted on the website shortly.
A new coordinator takes the PSN baton
May 1st 2008
PSN is delighted to announce that Karen Newman is taking over the coordination of the Population and Sustainability Network from Catherine Budgett-Meakin from the beginning of May, 2008.
Karen worked for IPPF from 1982 till 2003, focusing in the later part of that time on policy and governance issues, with a special responsibility for sexual and reproductive health and rights. She was one of the main architects of the IPPF Charter on Sexual and Reproductive Rights.
Since 2003 she has carried out a range of consultancy work, including assignments for DFID, WHO, UNFPA, Interact Worldwide, Amnesty International and IPPF Arab World, East and South East Asia and Western Hemisphere Regions. Her breadth of experience in terms of subject area and regional knowledge will be of considerable value.
PSN is also delighted to announce that Louise Carver has been appointed to help develop our communications strategy. Louise has been working with us for some time but now we are able to formally consolidate the appointment.
Catherine Budgett-Meakin will continue to work actively alongside the new team.
PSN Welcomes Sustainable Population Australia as a new member
April 2008
PSN is pleased to welcome Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) to the network. SPA is an ecological group dedicated to preserving species' habitats globally and in Australia from the degradation caused by human population growth. SPA works on many fronts to encourage informed public debate about how Australia and the world can achieve an ecologically sustainable population.
For more information see www.population.org.au |  |