International Photography Contest Sponsored by the Spanish Family Planning Association
	The Face to Face Campaign in Portugal
	Newest Face to Face Campaign Partner
	Keeping Face to Face Campaign Celebrity Spokesperson Informed
	Just For Your Information...

The Federación de Planificación Familiar de España (FPFE), our Face to Face Campaign partner in Spain, is sponsoring an international photography contest as part of its second year Campaign project. The contest is titled, Women of the World, Face to Face: A View of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

The objective of this contest is to bring together the best ../imagess representing the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women around the world. These ../imagess will transmit the reality of the everyday health conditions of women around the world, the ways in which women's sexuality is expressed and their wide-ranging experiences in relationships with others. This contest also seeks visual expression of related areas such as reproductive health education, access to contraceptive methods and access to adequate health care services. Photographs that capture the grassroots promotion of sexual and reproductive health themes, such as those activities organized by Face to Face Campaign partners, will be welcomed.

The Federación de Planificación Familiar de España is calling for the submission of photographs from around the world between July 15, 1999 and October 15, 1999. A jury will select the contest winners in December, and next March award a first prize of 200,000 pesetas, second prize of 150,000 pesetas, and third prize of 100,000 pesetas. The jury will also select from the many submissions the photographs to be displayed in a major photography exhibition which will be unveiled in Madrid on March 8, 2000. All photographs will be published in an exhibition catalogue, Women of the World, Face to Face.

The Face to Face Campaign and the Federación de Planificación Familiar de España invite all Face to Face Campaign spokespersons, partners, affiliates and their clients to participate in this International Photography Contest.

Associação para o Planeamento da Familia (APF), our Face to Face Campaign partner in Portugal, has undertaken a series of successful television Face to Face Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on the commercial Portuguese network, SIC. Featuring Catarina Furtado, Portuguese actress and APF Face to Face Campaign Spokesperson, the PSAs highlight sexual and reproductive rights and women's problems in developing countries. APF is negotiating with International Portuguese TV to broaden this coverage into several African countries. This television coverage has increased the public commitment of Portuguese government officials, parliamentarians and other opinion makers. APF is also working on a project called "Portuguese Initiative with Parliamentarians." The goals of the project are to promote:

* the public commitment of government officials and parliamentarians to the development of population programs;
* the understanding that human rights includes women's rights, environmental awareness, health, education, and family planning;
* links between Portuguese and Lusophone institutions and other bodies that are or may be interested in population programs.

Parliamentarians have asked APF to display its Campanha Cara a Cara Traveling Exhibit in their facilities. The exhibit was developed as background material for the launch of the Face to Face Campaign and the announcement of the appointment of Catarina Furtado as Face to Face Campaign Spokesperson for Portugal on March 8, 1999.

In her acceptance speech, Catarina said, "I am here because to do nothing is the easiest and worst attitude. This is not the way I live my personal life and is far from being in respect with my Public Figure position. After seeing the numbers from around the world for women who have no information on their rights of citizenship, I couldn't stay silent. I consider the right to family planning and sexual and reproductive assistance the fundamental step to the quality of the individual's life. However, it is necessary to do more, without forgetting the pleasure and privilege of being a woman, of having the gift of birth - in safe conditions. I offer my face, a happy face, to the Face to Face Campaign."

The Austrian Foundation for World Population and International Cooperation has joined the Face to Face Campaign. SWI was established in 1998 by the entrepreneur, Dr. Erhard Schreiber, with the goal of raising the awareness of the Austrian public on issues of global demographic evolution, reproductive health, and sustainable development.

Dr. Johannes Mende, its Executive Manager, has years of experience in working with NGOs primarily in public relations and communications positions.

SWI offers current and comprehensive information to the public on world population and sustainable development topics. It publishes and disseminates studies on global demographic questions as well as original, relevant Austrian research studies. SWI supports pilot projects in developing countries in Africa and Asia that benefit women and children.

SWI has collaborated with the Austrian Family Planning Association, Osterreichische Gesellschaft fur Familienplanung, on the recommendation of celebrities for the post of Face to Face Campaign Spokesperson for Austria.

The SWI Face to Face Campaign project involves the collection and dissemination of teaching materials related to population and development issues.In Austria, world population growth is a taboo subject. Neither the media, nor politicians, nor NGOs like to discuss this issue because it raises ideological differences, irrational fears and defense mechanisms. In fact, most NGOs maintain that poverty, famine and refugee tragedies are caused by world trade mechanisms and unfair national policies, not by population growth itself. Austrian school children learn these "facts" from "political education" teaching materials that present racism, migration and refugee problems, but fail to discuss issues like sustainable development, natural resources and world trade.

With financial support from the Face to Face Campaign and the cooperation of the Austrian Ministry of Education, SWI is re-editing and producing a current collection of teaching materials that contain essays, stories, graphs and charts with the latest research results, transparencies, slides and videos. The Austrian Ministry of Education welcomes this activity and will promote the results through distribution to teachers, schools and other interested groups.

SWI will announce the results of this project at a press conference being organized by the Ministry of Education around the "Day of 6 Billion." The collection and promotion of these educational materials are viewed as a very important step toward the goal of raising public awareness about population issues in Austria.

The Federación de Planificación Familiar de España produces weekly bulletins for its Face to Face Campaign Spokesperson and UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, Xavier Sardà, the popular Spanish television comedian and talk show host.

The idea behind this bulletin is to give Xavier updated information about sexual and reproductive health and rights around the world, the activities of the Face to Face Campaign, and activities of the Spanish FPA. The bulletin is divided into four sections: Up To Date; Activities; Press Reviews; and Figures, Face to Face. The first section contains information from the Face to Face Campaign and explanations of the Spanish FPA's perspectives and positions. The second section deals with all campaign-related local activities of the previous week and forecasts of coming activities. The Press Review section includes relevant news that comes to the Spanish FPA and is not generally available in traditional sources. The last section is a "compilation of figures that explain, in some way, the very diverse realities of the world."

Xavier uses the information from the bulletins in his television talk show, especially the updates and figures reflecting the state of women's sexual and reproductive health. He has also organized special debates based on information from the bulletins. For example, Xavier has hosted a debate about the Catholics for a Free Choice campaign to modify the Holy See status in the United Nations.

The Federación de Planificación Familiar de España also uses this weekly bulletin as the basis for its monthly publication, Face to Face Bulletin, first published in May, 1999. Copies of this publication were widely distributed to all media sources, Members of Parliament, government administrators, health experts and NGOs, especially family planning associations throughout Spain.

To date, the FPFE Face to Face Bulletin is working very well for the Spanish FPA and the Face to Face Campaign. There have been a number of interviews on live radio and lengthy newspaper articles. Most important, however, is that the Spanish FPA is now considered a reliable and credible source of information by the media.

Distribution of the Face to Face Update has grown, by request, from approximately 60 copies with our first issue last October to 400 copies today. Copies of Update are sent throughout the world to Campaign donors, UNFPA and IPPF staff members and field representatives, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassadors and Face to Face Campaign Spokespersons, Face to Face Campaign Partners, affiliated NGOs, multi- lateral organizations, government officials, media representatives, libraries, consultants, and concerned corporate executives.

If you have names you would like to add to the Update mailing list, please contact us.