This new grant program supports the federal goal to eliminate lead poisoning in children by 2010. State and local governments, Federally-recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal consortia, territories, institutions of higher learning and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply.

Grant applicants must represent communities with historical and likely incidences of elevated blood lead levels. Proposals should include ways to address unique and challenging issues in lead-poisoning prevention, particularly ones that could be replicated i? other high- risk areas.

Applicants should submit written applications on plain paper to regional lead contacts. Decisions will be made on the basis of this informal application; successful applicants will then be required to submit the full application.

The EPA intends to award individual grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000. The grantees will be announced in April 2005.

In Mozambique, corruption was almost non-existent in the 1970s but grew to high levels during the 1990s. At least two forms of corruption — "state capture" (taking control of ministries, judiciary or regulatory agencies for personal or business interests) and "administrative corruption" (making unofficial payments to get officials to flout or to apply existing laws, rules and regulations) — are now rampant in the country.

Joseph Hanlon of the Open University, UK, who has written extensively on Mozambique for over 20 years, outlines how increasing intervention by international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, and bilateral aid donors in support of economic liberalization is one of the
primary causes of this growth in corruption.

Adding to the process have been tacit alliances between aid donors and a section of the Mozambican elite.
Corner House Briefing Paper 33
"How Northern Donors Promote Corruption:
Tales From the New Mozambique"
by Joseph Hanlon
is now on The Corner House website on the home page,
[url=http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk]http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk[/url]
and in the briefings section

Please contact us [email]enquiries@thecornerhouse.org.uk[/email] if you would like to
receive a 12-page printed-paper copy.

Best regards

Larry Lohmann
Susan Hawley
Sarah Sexton
Nicholas Hildyard
The Corner House

⌠We can confirm to you the sale of part of our investment in the BTC project,■ the bank said in a statement in response to questions from the FT. ⌠We are, in addition, negotiating with several parties the complete sale of our position.

The bank, Italy▓s largest in terms of assets, declined to name the buyer due to confidentiality reasons.

The FT also wrote ⌠Banca Intesa had expressed concerns about the pipeline sealant. Executives from the bank sought a meeting with Derek Mortimer, the whistleblower who highlighted potential problems with the sealant in an independent report for BP.■

Onc? the BTC is put into operation, a group of banks, which would have included Banca Intesa, was to take over financing of the project. The remaining syndicate members are ABN Amro, BNP Paribas, Citibank, Credit Agricole, HVB, ING, Royal Bank of Scotland, Societe Generale and WestLB.

Candidates should have: an university degree; proven expertise in office management, at least one year; working experience with international projects, preferably with a PHARE Agency; previous experience in grant schemes and / or civil society and relation with public administration is an asset. Key competencies: excellent secretarial skills; good knowledge of computer including MS Off?ce (specially ACCESS and Excel); good knowledge of office equipment; fluency in English and good writing skills are a must; excellent communication skills; capacity for organising and establish priorities; capacity to work with minimum supervising and under pressure; initiative and efficiency. Continue reading →

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded the grant July 21 to the Romanian Ministry of Environment and Water Management to modernize its network of laboratories.

As Romania prepares for membership in the European Union in 2007, it is introducing and enforcing new environmental laws, and the labs will help ensure compliance, according to the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

(MEWM) to develop a modernization plan for the Government of Romania?s network of environmental laboratories. As Romania edges closer to European Union (EU) membership in 2007, the country is introducing and enforcing a large body of new environmental law. The USTDA grant awarded today represents a continuation of the agency?s commitment to assist Romania in its effort to provide a cleaner, safer environment for all of its citizens. Continue reading →

That important fact has left some critics of the World Bank, the largest financier of antipoverty programs in developing countries, dissatisfied, and they have begun throwing down an essential challenge. It is not enough, they say, just to measure how many miles of roads are built, schools constructed or microcredit loans provided. You must also measure whether those investments actually help poor people live longer, more prosperous lives. Continue reading →

Programme objectives:
Financial assistance under this Call for Proposals may be provided for NGOs, which are involved in contributing to the development and implementation of Community environmental policy and legislation in different regions of Europe. The Programme will also contribute to the strengthening of small regional or local associations working to apply the ‘acquis communautaire’ in relation to the environment and sustainable development in their local area.
Support from this Programme will target the priority areas from the Sixth Environment Action Continue reading →

The International Finance Coorporation–the World Bank Group’s private sector lending arm–is launching a complete revision of the environmental and social policy requirements that govern its lending operations. Civil society groups have long sought adoption, implementation, and strengthening of these “safeguard” policies given significant social and environmental harm caused by many IFC-sponsored projects. Continue reading →