Can I bargain with the Mayor?

The New York City Council has approved Avonte’s Law. With this legislation, the Town Hall will install audible alarms in the city’s public schools. This law was inspired by the disappearance and death of a 14-year-old with non-verbal autism who ran out of his Queens school. The bill,  passed unanimously, will require alarm installation on the exterior doors of city schools catering to students grades pre-K through fifth, and schools with special needs programs. The bill was named after Avonte Oquendo, who walked out of his Long Island City school while class was in session, and went missing in October 2013. His remains were found in January along the East River. At least eight other New York City children went missing from school since then, spurring the introduction of the bill.  Among them was a 4-year-old boy in Brooklyn who wandered away from school and walked home without a coat on a bitterly cold winter day. The ...

In Albania today, Bledar Çuçi, the Minister of State for Local Issues, who also serves as Albania’s National Co-ordinator on Anti-corruption, and the OSCE Presence presented the draft Anti-corruption Action Plan 2014-2017. The Action Plan was put together with the support and co-operation of the OSCE Presence in Albania. Attending the presentation of the Plan were some 70 representatives of government and independent institutions, civil society, business community and international organizations. Most of the participants have been involved in the drafting of the Action Plan or were consulted during the drafting process. “Corruption hinders development. Public resources are diverted to the pockets of corrupt individuals instead of being used for investments in transport, energy, environment, health and education,” said Ambassador Florian Raunig, Head of the OSCE Presence, as he presented the plan. “It is important to undertake harmonised efforts and concrete actio...

Today, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented its  Handbook on Promoting Women’s Participation in Political Parties  at a side event on the second day of the OSCE Gender Equality Review Conference in Vienna. The handbook is the first tool of its kind for the OSCE region, produced to support political party leaders in facilitating broader access for women to party structures and elected office. The handbook highlights different strategies for enhancing women’s participation in political parties, including successful examples from political parties in the OSCE region, such as voluntary measures and capacity-building initiatives. Political parties play a key role in increasing women’s political participation, both as candidates and holders of elected office.. We must recognize women’s rights to participate on an equal footing in all spheres of decision-making process within political parties. As part of the event, members of par...

A new fund launched in Skopje today offers grants to municipalities, students, teachers, parents and schools for organizing activities that bring members of different communities together. The “Building Bridges Fund” is a joint effort by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Swiss Embassy and the OSCE Mission to Skopje. Among the Fund’s Advisory Board Members are the well-known music artists Toni Zen, Adelina Tahiri and Rebeka. The Fund is based on the premise that the cultural and linguistic diversity of the country can be an extraordinary asset if channels for communication and exchange exist between the communities. Diversity should be seen as enriching. Negative attitudes towards diversity undermine the development and stability of a country. The Fund can help prepare students for an integrated future in a diverse Europe. The main aim of the Fund is to foster interaction among different communities as a way of increasing their mutual understanding and acce...