It seems the RedBubble caboose has been dragged along nicely by the RB inhabitants during March 2008. It’s come to my attention, via…
It seems the RedBubble caboose has been dragged along nicely by the RB inhabitants during March 2008. It’s come to my attention, via a large brown envelope delivered by a male courier dressed in a polka dot dress, that there’s five remarkable statistics being secretly spoken about in RB headquarters. They may, or may not, come as a shock to us all. Stats during March 2008 1. Only 56,893 complaints were submitted by RB members under the hate and vilification speech option. This figure is down substantially from 69,696 due to Collingwood Football Club now being involved in active competition for season 2008. 2. 7345 photos of cats were uploaded, and this represents a substantial increase of 69.69% compared to February. Photos of pussy remain popular at RB. 3. RB headquarters staff have consumed 17 large tins of International Boast coffee, 592 packets of Iced Vo Vos and five parts of Justin French’s anatomy. No surprises there. 4. Only 108,274 sincere comments were made on artists’ work. This is a worrying trend. 5. The pace at which new groups are being added to RedBubble continues to concern members. With view counts being a high priority, RB staff are continually being pressured behind the scenes to surpass the 58,329 groups on Flickr. RB staff are currently working feverishly on bronze medals and animated GIF’s as we speak.
Songs have a life and a nature of dictator – they oblige you to remembrance, they slam it on your face without modesty and so you see and…
Songs have a life and a nature of dictator – they oblige you to remembrance, they slam it on your face without modesty and so you see and feel and also smell the colour and the odour of that notes, in that day, a day which has ever more or less ten years and a century on its shoulders. / And today it happens to me to sense again – wonderful bastard – a song which has still now the taste of that highway, windy and made of salt (the one which reaches a beach). / There was that cliched italian sun and the skin of fever and a man i don’t forget (but I lost his voice). / Everything still to live. And it’s out of focus but in that moment i thought a poetic fear – / if (for a mistake) / i cut my life line / on my hand’s palm / will I die young? / Oh please, don’t / not today (it’s perfect) “Baby baby baby light my way” sang the radio. The palm’s lines are still intact – / so will i die old? And the truth is that / that song / doesn’t end / never. Le canzoni hanno una vita e una natura di dittatore – ti obbligano al ricordo, te lo sbattano addosso senza umiltà e tu eccoti che vedi e senti e annusi persino il colore e l’odore di quelle note, in quel giorno, un giorno che ha sempre più o meno dieci anni e un secolo sulle spalle. / E oggi mi capita di risentire – meraviglioso bastardo – un pezzo che mi sa ancora di autostrada, una di quelle ventose e di salsedine, che vanno verso qualche spiaggia. / Non ricordo che momento d’estate fosse, ma ben chiara la musica, i miei venti anni di spigoli stanchi (eppure sempre venti anni). / C’era quel nostro sole italiano da stereotipo e la pelle di febbre e un uomo in erba che non ho proprio scordato, ma di cui ho perso la voce. / Ogni cosa ancora da vivere. E non c’entra nulla ma so per certo di aver pensato una paura poetica e immaginifica, in quel momento – / se mi tagliassi per sbaglio / sul palmo della mano / con un coltellino / la linea della vita a metà, / morirei giovane? / Oddio no, non oggi, oggi è perfetto. “Baby baby baby light my way”, cantava la strofa. Poi infine la mie linee non son state tagliate - / morirò dunque vecchia? E la verità è / che / quella canzone / non è mai / finita.
Today’s homepage marks the “International Day of I…
Today’s homepage marks the International Day of Indigenous persons
Cut from UN Daily News Diagest for 15th September 2008 DEMOCRACY KEY TO FURTHERING PEACE, RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT, SAYS BAN Marking…
Cut from UN Daily News Diagest for 15th September 2008 DEMOCRACY KEY TO FURTHERING PEACE, RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT, SAYS BAN Marking the first-ever United Nations International Day of Democracy, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed today how crucial that form of government is to bettering the lives of people worldwide. In an address to a General Assembly event marking the inaugural Day, Mr. Ban noted that democracy has its detractors, who believe that it has failed to help people or that it is propelled by interfering foreign influences. “This makes it all the more essential that we always explain the rationale of our mission: that experience has taught us, time and again, that democracy is essential to achieving our fundamental goals of peace, human rights and development,” he said. Acknowledging that these targets cannot be imposed from outside, the Secretary-General said that countries, backed by the people, must take ownership. “Although the word democracy does not appear in our Charter, the United Nations does more than any other single organization to promote and strengthen democratic institutions and practices around the world,” he told the Assembly meeting. Also speaking at the gathering was the body’s outgoing President Srgjan Kerim, who spoke of his own experiences living under non-democratic and democratic systems. “I have experienced the difference between being able to realize one’s individual initiative, and in circumstances that limit rights and opportunities,” said Mr. Kerim, who characterized democracy as a “universal” value. He called for a new culture of international relations that empowers the individual and boosts cooperation among Member States and civil society. That new system “should also embed democracy as an international principle, and stand up for the equal and fair representation of all States, as well as promoting their compliance with international law.” Several events were held to honour the Day, including a day-long celebration sponsored by the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF), featuring speeches, presentations and a question-and-answer session. In a speech to that body, the Secretary-General said that his home country of the Republic of Korea, a nascent democracy, underwent a difficult transition period that witnessed years of emergency laws, censorship and political imprisonments. “With our transition to a pluralist State came greater transparency and accountability, a more effective government machinery, and a thriving business sector able to compete with the rest of the world,” he said, voicing his appreciation to the world and the UN for their roles in bringing about the change. The General Assembly declared the Day to commemorate the 1997 adoption by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) of the Universal Declaration on Democracy. “It is deeply significant that this Day was brought into being by countries which are themselves working hard every day to nurture and consolidate their young democratic foundations,” Mr. Ban said in a message to mark the event.
Link to UN Development Goals PDF Report. Link to Report...
Link to UN Development Goals PDF Report. Link to Report / Enlightening read
Like LOVE … / IT should be Cherished EVERYDAY. / Celebrated ONCE a year
Like LOVE … / IT should be Cherished EVERYDAY. / Celebrated ONCE a year
Just spent like a good two hours typing my text for the seven sins comp called The Slothiest Girl in Town, and as I was making revisio…
Just spent like a good two hours typing my text for the seven sins comp called The Slothiest Girl in Town, and as I was making revisions I accidently deleted most of it cept the very last paragraph (who said there are NO accidents?!) ARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! It wasn’t super super good, twas okay I thought, anyone read it before I zapped / / it into cyber trash lands?? ( Lucky Mr Hook got to read before it disappeared! Now you are my only hope for feedback !!!I do expect a four page critic of course you must delete it b4 I can get to read it) Please give me some juice to give it another go guys! PS Note to self, favorite everything before you make revisions, so you have the original to fall back on!!! AGRRRRHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Indian government gives 100 million USD to UNRWA for Gaza aid Bethlehem – Ma’an – In response to the urgent call of the UNRWA, the I…
Indian government gives 100 million USD to UNRWA for Gaza aid Bethlehem – Ma’an – In response to the urgent call of the UNRWA, the Indian government decided to send 100 million USD in aid to help in provide housing and basic needs to families in Gaza. The Indian government urged Israel to put an immediate end to their violent acts in Gaza. Source The UK can’t even see fit to put any diplomatic pressure on Israel and the USA could pull the plug on the slaughter any time it wanted, instead G W Bush has publicly endorsed the killing of hundreds of civilians as a “defensive action”. And some people wonder why so many people hate the United States!
BBC New 24 is reporting the the UNRWA mission in Gaza has been hit several times by Israel with illegal white phosphorous shells. Israel …
BBC New 24 is reporting the the UNRWA mission in Gaza has been hit several times by Israel with illegal white phosphorous shells. Israel has a history of hitting humanitarian facilities from the Red Cross to the UN. Meanwhile hypocrite puppet extraordinaire David Milliband undergoes a Damascene conversion? No, he just has new orders from his new boss Barack Obama.. Now that his old boss George is leaving… war on terror is a mistake This is the 51st State of the USA
Cutfrom UN Daily Nes Diget for 2nd March 2009 UN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES ALL STATES TO TAKE PART IN ANTI-RACISM CONFERENCE The United N…
Cutfrom UN Daily Nes Diget for 2nd March 2009 UN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES ALL STATES TO TAKE PART IN ANTI-RACISM CONFERENCE The United Nations human rights chief today once again urged all Member States to put aside their differences and work towards ensuring a successful outcome to next month’s conference on intolerance, racial hatred and discrimination, noting these are problems that affect all countries. The conference, to be held from 20 to 24 April in Geneva, will assess progress since the landmark 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa. “A persuasive outcome of the review conference and beyond hinges upon the genuine commitment of all States to seek consensus,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told the UN Human Rights Council as it began its 10th session in Geneva. “Narrow, parochial interests and reflexive partisanship must be cast aside in the interest of a greater common good,” she added. Ms. Pillay underscored that a failure to seek consensus and ensure a successful outcome may reverberate negatively on the full spectrum of human rights work and mechanisms for years to come. “We need to prevent the acrimony of the past from encumbering the fight against intolerance which is – and I am sure we all agree – both of urgent concern and in the best interest of everyone.” The United States, along with Israel, had withdrawn from the 2001 conference citing concerns the forum was being used by some to push an anti-Israel agenda. Recently, the US decided to participate in the preparatory talks for next month’s conference, while Israel indicated last November that it does not plan to take part in the April review. The High Commissioner said she is aware that the legacy of the 2001 Durban summit has been “tainted by the anti-Semitic behaviour of some NGOs” at the sidelines of that conference. “And now the review conference has also been the target of a disparaging media and lobbying campaign on the part of those who fear a repetition of anti-Semitic outbursts. This is unwarranted,” she emphasized. Ms. Pillay, who is Secretary-General of the upcoming conference, said she has countered such distortions in order to set the record straight, and will continue to highlight the fact that the declaration and programme of action resulting from Durban transcended divisive and intolerant approaches. They also offer the most comprehensive framework and platform to combat intolerance and racism in their many forms anywhere and everywhere, she added. A working group made up of UN Member States has begun negotiations in Geneva on a draft outcome document for next month’s meeting. * *
Be sure to watch this… http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=63865811753 Sorry can’t get a link to work!
Be sure to watch this… http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=63865811753 Sorry can’t get a link to work!
cut from UN Daily News Diagest for 20th May 2005 UN ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF WORLD’S FIRST TUITION-FREE, ONLINE UNIVERSITY A leading ar…
cut from UN Daily News Diagest for 20th May 2005 UN ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF WORLD’S FIRST TUITION-FREE, ONLINE UNIVERSITY A leading arm of the United Nations working to spread the benefits of information technology today announced the launch of the first ever tuition-free online university. As part of this year’s focus on education, the UN Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technology and Development (GAID) presented the newly formed University of the People, a non-profit institution offering higher education to the masses. “This year the Global Alliance has focused its attention on education [and] how ICT can advance education goals around the world,” Serge Kapto from GAID told a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York. For hundreds of millions of people around the world higher education is no more than a dream, Shai Reshef, the founder of the University of the People, told reporters. They are constrained by finances, the lack of institutions in their region, or they are not able to leave home to study at a university for personal reasons. Mr. Reshef said that this University opened the gate to these people to continue their studies from home and at minimal cost by using open-source technology, open course materials, e-learning methods and peer-to-peer teaching. Admission opened just over two weeks ago and without any promotion some 200 students from 52 countries have already registered, with a high school diploma and a sufficient level of English as entry requirements. Students will be placed in classes of 20, after which they can log on to a weekly lecture, discuss its themes with their peers and take a test all online. There are voluntary professors, post-graduate students and students in other classes who can also offer advice and consultation. The only charge to students is a $15 to $50 admission fee, depending on their country of origin, and a processing fee for every test ranging from $10 to $100. For the University to sustain its operation, it needs 15,000 students and $6 million, of which Mr. Reshef has donated $1 million of his own money. * *
Cut from UN Daily Email News Diagets for 25th June 2009 / Sign Up To UN News Email / UNIFEM...
Cut from UN Daily Email News Diagets for 25th June 2009 / Sign Up To UN News Email / UNIFEM UN EXPERTS TACKLE ‘CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE’ OVER SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN WARTIME Women’s rights activists, senior military figures and top United Nations officials met in New York this week to discuss what the world body’s former humanitarian chief Jan Egeland described as “one of the biggest conspiracies of silence in history” – the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. The talks focused particularly on the lack of female involvement in peace negotiations, and on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1820, passed last year, which for the first time acknowledged the use of sexual violence in conflict as a deliberate tactic of war. According to the UN’s agency for women, UNIFEM, women comprise on average less than 10 per cent of peace negotiators and less than 2 per cent of mediators. Out of approximately 300 peace agreements reached in 45 conflicts since the end of the Cold War, only 10 peace processes even mentioned sexual violence. Anne-Marie Goetz of UNIFEM told a news conference that among the key principles endorsed by participants in this week’s talks were that sexual violence should be addressed right from the start of the mediation process, and that crimes of sexual violence should be given the same priority as other international crimes. “This kind of meeting backs up the quest for justice,” said Leymah Gbowee of the organization Women, Peace and Security Africa, who participated in the talks. “It emboldens mediators and gains greater respect for women’s groups, which the parties to peace talks can often ignore.” She added that resolution 1820 “changed the dynamic at the peace table and legitimized the status of women.” Ms. Gbowee said the opportunity to brief the Security Council on the results of the conference would serve to create awareness of sexual violence as a weapon of war among Member States, who she said might be inclined to see rape during wartime as a social or a humanitarian problem rather than a military issue. She added that the presence of senior military officers, including Major-General Patrick Cammaert, a former commander with the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC), was particularly effective in raising awareness that sexual violence was often used as a deliberate and systematic military strategy. Ms. Gbowee spoke forcefully of the barriers to women’s participation in mediation processes, including the fear that addressing sexual violence would prevent the smooth running of peace talks, since the negotiating parties might be seriously implicated. Recalling her own role in leading the women’s peace movement that helped bring Liberia’s stalled peace process to a successful conclusion in 2003, she added: “I am proud of the role women played… but one of my greatest regrets is that we did not use this opportunity to raise our own issues and demand prosecution for perpetrators of sexual violence.” * *
email I received today 26th June 2009 Financial Industry Receives 10 Times More Money in 1 year than Poor Countries Receive in 49 Year…
email I received today 26th June 2009 Financial Industry Receives 10 Times More Money in 1 year than Poor Countries Receive in 49 YearsFriday, 26 June, 2009 2:49 AM / From: “UN Millennium Campaign” Ahead of UN General Assembly’s high-level summit on the economic crisis on June 24-26, UN Millennium Campaign says new analysis indicates that finding money for aid is a matter of political will ? not lack of resources ? and calls on donors to finally meet their aid commitments / banner.jpg June 23, 2009 ? The United Nations Millennium Campaign today released an analysis showing that since the inception of aid (overseas development assistance) almost 50 years ago, donor countries have given some $2 trillion in aid. And yet over the past year, $18 trillion has been found globally to bail out banks and other financial institutions. The amount of total aid over the past 49 years represents just eleven percent of the money found for financial institutions in one year. The UN Millennium Campaign is urgently calling on rich countries gathering at this week’s high-level summit on the economic crisis to make no further excuses that they lack resources and to urgently deliver on their aid commitments. “The stark contrast between the money dispersed to the world’s desperately poor after 49 years of painstaking summits and negotiations and the staggering sums found virtually overnight to bail out the creators of the global economic crisis makes it impossible for governments to any longer claim that the world can’t find the money to help the 50,000 people who are dying of extreme poverty every day,” said Salil Shetty, Director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign. “This is a straightforward question of political will. Rich countries’ priorities will become crystal clear at this week’s summit on the economic crisis, where we hope they will finally deliver on the aid they have repeatedly pledged but not delivered to those who need it most.” Worse still, the global economic crisis is expected to further impact the delivery of aid to poor countries at a time when the need is greatest. Already, the consequences of the crisis, caused by the richest people in the richest countries, are being disproportionately borne by poor countries. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the economic crisis has resulted in 100 million more people going hungry, taking the total number of hungry people in the world to a staggering one billion. At the same time, only $9.4 billion of the $28.3 billion - less than a third - pledged at the Gleneagles Summit in 2005 to be delivered to Sub-Saharan Africa by 2010, has actually been delivered. The Millennium Campaign believes any discussions of a new financial architecture must be inclusive of the voices and needs of the poor. The Campaign is therefore calling on donor countries to immediately and unconditionally do the following: Urgently agree to a timetable to accelerate delivery of their aid commitments. Make rapid progress toward achieving the Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda to simplify and streamline aid, including a clear timetable for implementation of existing commitments. Reduce and/or eliminate all trade-distorting agricultural subsidies. Ensure that poor countries are fully represented in all decision making bodies and in the restructuring of the global financial infrastructure. The Millennium Campaign is calling on poor countries to immediately do the following: Ensure that national development policies and plans are pro-poor and focused on women and excluded groups. Prioritize expenditures on the Millennium Development Goals. Ensure accountability and transparency in the management of public money. Prioritize domestic resource mobilization. Go to www.youtube.com/mcampaign to watch the videoclip. —-—-- To arrange interviews with spokespeople across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America contact: / Kara Alaimo / 212-906-6399 / Kara.Alaimo@undp.org / Note to editors: / The UN Millennium Campaign was established by the UN Secretary General in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments to account for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals were adopted by 189 world leaders from the north and south, as part of the Millennium Declaration which was signed in 2000. These leaders agreed to eradicate extreme poverty and its root causes by 2015. Our premise is simple: we are the first generation that can end poverty and we refuse to miss this opportunity. For more information, visit www.endpoverty2015.org. Click here to unsubscribe / Copyright 2004 – 2007 UN Millennium Campaign
Thank you, so much!!
Thank you, so much!!
Cut from UN Daily Email Diagest for 10 July, 2009 ========================================================================= HEL…
Cut from UN Daily Email Diagest for 10 July, 2009 ========================================================================= HELPING WORLD’S HUNGRY ALSO PROMOTES PEACE AND STABILITY – BAN By helping the world’s hungry, who now number one billion, the international community can also secure a more peaceful and stable future for all, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations today in L’Aquila, Italy. The annual G8 meeting, which wraps up today, has reportedly agreed to mobilize $20 billion over three years for a comprehensive strategy focusing on sustainable agriculture development to ensure global food security. Addressing the summit’s session of food security, Mr. Ban said that last year’s major spike in food and energy prices affected hundreds of millions of people. “It amplified suffering, hardship and political unrest. We lost ground in our race to reach the first Millennium Development Goal,” he stated, referring to the globally agreed target of halving poverty by 2015. Governments, regional agencies, civil society groups and international organizations responded by joining forces to feed the hungry and prepare for a better future, and while global food prices have come down, they are still high in many developing countries, he noted. The Secretary-General added that the situation is only getting worse with today’s volatile markets, breakdown in world trade, climate change effects and falling income from job losses. “We need to do more, faster. The food crisis is permanently harming millions of children. They need our help. This is about even more than alleviating human suffering; it is about global peace and stability.” Mr. Ban outlined four areas in need of concrete action, beginning with need to combine new initiatives to maximize their impact and avoid duplication. He also cited the need to commit to a comprehensive approach that tackles both the immediate and long-term dimensions of the problem. Also crucial is to support national food security strategies, working through regional institutions, as well as to ensure that countries have the financial support they need for immediate assistance and longer-term actions. While in L’Aquila, the Secretary-General met today with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, with whom he discussed climate change and food security. Last night, he met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and they talked about the H1N1 pandemic and Somalia, and also touched on the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. UN agencies are welcoming the G8’s food security initiative, with the head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) saying it signals an “encouraging shift of policy” in favour of helping the poor and hungry to produce their own food. Director-General Jacques Diouf voiced confidence that G8 leaders will translate their pledge into concrete action. “I am convinced that you will ‘walk the talk’ not only for natural ethical considerations but also for sound economic reasons and, last but not least, to ensure peace and security in the world,” he told the summit. In addition, the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Kanayo Nwanze, noted that the G8 leaders had recognized that food security has two dimensions: food aid for critical situations and sustained investment in agriculture to break the poverty cycle. Investing in smallholder agriculture is the corner stone of this new push for development because it is the key to boosting economic growth and reducing poverty, he added. Meanwhile, the independent UN expert on the right to food said heads of State will have to do more if they want to help the billion people now suffering from hunger. While welcoming the pledges announced today, Special Rapporteur Olivier De Schutter highlighted a number of issues that need to be tackled, including food price volatility, social protection, and protection of the rights of agricultural workers. “Only then will real progress be made to ensure greater enjoyment of the right to food now denied to so many,” said the expert, who reports to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council. Mr. De Schutter called for a global action plan on food security, firmly based on human rights, focusing on five areas: reducing volatility in global agricultural markets; encouraging States to build social protection schemes; channelling resources to scale up sustainable agriculture systems; protecting agricultural worker rights; and reforming global governance for food and agriculture. * *
Cut from UN Daily Email News for 16th July 2009 * * MIGIRO SAYS UN MUST NOT ONLY PREACH GENDER EQUALITY, IT MUST PRACTICE IT T…
Cut from UN Daily Email News for 16th July 2009 * MIGIRO SAYS UN MUST NOT ONLY PREACH GENDER EQUALITY, IT MUST PRACTICE IT TOO The United Nations must both be on the cutting edge of change and practice fully what it preaches when it comes to achieving gender equality and parity, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told the Group on Equal Rights for Women in the UN (GERWUN). “We cannot simply promote gender equality outside our walls, if we do not implement it inside them,” she said in remarks delivered yesterday at UN Headquarters. “Indeed, it is a sad reality that a group such as yours is still needed as we continue to strive to ensure that gender equality is practiced and parity achieved within our Organization,” she added. “GERWUN’s very existence shows that there is still some work to do.” She noted that despite the Organisation’s commitment, progress has been slow. “Some departments have made notable progress towards achieving gender parity. However let us be honest that, overall, the numbers are gloomy.” A working mother herself, Ms. Migiro acknowledged that the modern workplace is a “testing and demanding” environment, and that combining a career with family life is difficult. “I know that finding the right balance between professional advancement and motherhood, between work and life, is the toughest challenge we face, not least because we have to admit that we cannot achieve a perfect balance,” she stated. Among other things, she pointed out that women tend to be under-represented in the more substantive fields such as political affairs and peacekeeping, “a fact often attributed to the stereotyping of women and their situations and capabilities. “While this needs to be changed still, we must remain optimistic and note that the Secretary General is insisting on progress, and the issue is gaining momentum where it was lacking before,” she said. The Deputy Secretary-General noted that an effective gender balance strategy requires strong commitment and leadership from the top, as well as information-sharing to ensure that managers and staff at all levels are made aware of the strategy and the actions expected from them. “The Secretary-General is committed to ensuring this. All managers must get on board. All staff must play their role.” *
Cut from UN Daily Email News for 20th July 2009 * * G8 LEADERS ‘IGNORED’ UN’S SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, SAYS OFFICI…
Cut from UN Daily Email News for 20th July 2009 * G8 LEADERS ‘IGNORED’ UN’S SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, SAYS OFFICIAL The world’s largest economies have “clearly ignored” the findings of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning United Nations scientific body that evaluates climate change when formulating their recent proposals on slashing greenhouse gases, a top official said today. It was a “big step” for leaders of over one dozen developed nations attending the Major Economies Forum (MEF) – including the Group of Eight (G8) nations and others – on 9 July meeting in L’Aquila, Italy, to recognize that the global average temperature should not increase by more than 2 degrees centigrade, Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told reporters in New York today. But they have disregarded the IPCC’s findings that emissions will have to reach their pinnacle in 2015 and rapidly decline thereafter, he said. “If the G8 leaders agreed on this 2-degree increase as being the limit that could be accepted, then I think they should have also accepted the attendant requirement of global emissions peaking by 2015,” Mr. Pachauri said. At the very least, he added, the countries should have “categorically” committed to cuts by 2020, the date agreed to at the landmark 2007 UN climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia. The official also pointed out that despite committing to “deep cuts” in emissions, the leaders of the MEF nations have yet to discuss the substance of the reductions. “The science is getting clear,” Mr. Pachauri underlined. “The gaps in our knowledge are certainly filling up,” he said, stressing the need for “the global community to take action” and ensure that this December’s climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, ends with countries wrapping up negotiations on a strong successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, whose first commitment period ends in 2012. An IPCC meeting in Venice, Italy, last week drew 200 climate change experts from all over the world to discuss the focus of the body’s next assessment report – considered to be the most comprehensive study globally on global warming – due to be released in 2014. While in L’Aquila earlier this month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the cuts in greenhouse gas emissions proposed by the MEF nations, “while welcome, are not sufficient.” Underscoring that “the time for delays and half-measures is over,” he stressed that “the personal leadership of every head of State or government is needed to seize this moment to protect people and the planet from one of the most serious challenges ever to confront humanity.” To support countries in their bid to conclude a successor pact in December to the Kyoto Protocol, whose first commitment period ends in 2012, the Secretary-General is convening a high-level summit – expected to be the largest climate change gathering this year – in New York on 22 September. *
Just added fresh photos, text, and video from Guadalajara! “Getting out of Toluca was a little bit of a challenge. I just can’t seem t…
Just added fresh photos, text, and video from Guadalajara! “Getting out of Toluca was a little bit of a challenge. I just can’t seem to get the logic of the Mexican highway signs. That’s assuming of course that there is any such logic. I’m perpetually following a sign that’s telling me “This way to go to this such and such highway or city…”… everything seems to be going smoothly. I’m watching carefully for any change in the direction and see none. Next thing you know, I’m completely off course and have to get out the map to devise a new plan. It’s as if the signage points you in the general direction and then assumes you’re a local and can take it from here. This is fine… if you’re a local! If you’re not, you’re sorta screwed. Finally found my way out of the city and onto the toll road heading toward Morelia. There’s a free highway that I think I should’ve taken, because this route had toll fee after toll fee. By the time I’d made it all the way to Guadalajara, I’d spent nearly $100US in toll fees alone! I hate to keep on with this cuota (toll fee) griping, but it just seems wrong that the only ones who get the privilege of driving on safe, well-maintained roads in Mexico… are the wealthy. Seems like the locals wouldn’t stand for that, but oh well… ain’t my country so I best just bite my tongue. Anyhow, I took the autopista (toll highway) because I was going to try a route off the beaten path that I was told was beautiful and great to do on a motorcycle. By the map, it looked like it could potentially take awhile through the mountains and I really wanted to try and at least make it to Guadalajara in one day. The route between Toluca and Guadalajara via Morelia has an alternate route between Ciudad Hidalgo and Morelia over a beautiful winding road through endless pines and great curves and magnificent blacktop. Unfortunately, the road getting to this detour from the cuota is all torn up and nearly off-road. Fun, for awhile… but really cuts down on your speed if you’re trying to also make distance. It was in fact a great ride all the way to Morelia. Just not quite worth the hit in time I took. And, the delays ended up spitting me out in Morelia right as rush hour was taking hold. Another thing you really have to be careful about on these free two-lane highways in Mexico are not so much the quality of the road, but the way locals drive on them. Seriously, I can’t figure out how much of a hurry you have to be in to cross your chest in faith, and then pass another vehicle while careening at top speed around a blind mountain curve in a big truck. That’s just absolutely insane to me. On several occasions I would meet vehicles heading straight for me head-on with no shoulder! If I’d been in a car I’d certainly be toast! I just don’t get that, and that’s why I try to just suck it up and pay the high-priced toll fees. At least those are usually four lanes and I’ve got room to get out of the way of those who evidently don’t mind risking everyone’s life in close proximity because they believe they’ll be just flyin’ up to see the Virgin and Jesus if anything goes awry… so they don’t really care.” To continue reading, go HERE Hasta, Skip
By Julian Drape, AAP, 27 August, 2009, 8:24 pm A UN expert on indigenous rights says the ongoing intervention into remote Aboriginal…
By Julian Drape, AAP, 27 August, 2009, 8:24 pm A UN expert on indigenous rights says the ongoing intervention into remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory is overtly discriminatory and Australia must tackle its “entrenched” racism. The critical comments by the UN’s special rapporteur on indigenous rights, James Anaya, came just hours after a proposed new indigenous representative body was unveiled by Australia’s Aboriginal social justice commissioner Tom Calma. Mr Calma told the National Press Club indigenous people had suffered from the absence of a strong national body since the abolition of ATSIC in 2005. “We have lacked the most fundamental of requirements for a reconciled nation – a robust genuine partnership between government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” he said. But Professor Anaya believes that’s not all that’s been holding back indigenous Australia. He says NT intervention measures, including compulsory income management and blanket bans on alcohol and pornography, are “overtly discriminatory” and further stigmatise already stigmatised communities. They’re incompatible with various international conventions, covenants, treaties and declarations, he said. “Some kind of special measures could be justified but they need to be narrowly tailored to the specific circumstances that exist,” the rapporteur told reporters in Canberra. “(But currently) people who have a demonstrated capacity to manage their income are included. “It’s inappropriate to their circumstances but is also, as expressed by them, demeaning.” Prof Anaya was also scathing of Labor’s insistence that housing funds would only flow if indigenous communities leased their land to the government for 40 years. [this is about Govt and Mining companies not needing to negotiate with Aboriginal people — mining and money] “It’s a mistake to assume that indigenous peoples … aren’t capable of taking care of their homes,” he said. Prof Anaya said the Rudd government should “swiftly” reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act, which was suspended by the Howard government so the intervention’s more extreme measures could be rolled out. Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin has promised to introduce legislation to reinstate the act in the spring session of parliament, but wants to continue many of the compulsory measures. A new national representative body could be up and running by October next year if Mr Calma gets his way. [this so-called Rep body is top-heavy and loaded with Westernised and assimilated Aboriginal (selected) safe people, favourable to modern culture, ignorant of their spiritual/cultural ancestry] _ It won’t deliver services or wield real power, but rather provide “credible and robust” advice on policies such as the intervention. _[yeh, right, as in right-wing that is] The body will be independent from government and operate as a registered company, comprising an eight-member national executive, a 128 seat national congress and an ethics council to ensure its members are all “fit and proper persons”. by who’s definition of “fit and proper”?] There’ll be an equal number of men and women members, and two full-time co-chairs, one male and one female. Mr Calma’s model, which draws on 12 months of extensive consultations with indigenous people, would be set up using $5 million of commonwealth funds. But after 10 years it would be “self sufficient, self determining and truly independent of government”. The social justice commissioner envisages government, corporate and charity dollars would contribute to a $200 million investment fund “to ensure a sufficient recurrent expenditure base for the organisation”. But that vision’s already somewhat cloudy. “The government has no plans to contribute to such a fund at this time,” Ms Macklin said in a statement after Mr Calma released his model. “The government is prepared to provide modest and appropriate recurrent funding for the national representative body once it is established, as well as providing support in its critical establishment phase.” Mr Calma believes the new representative body will help Australia own its history – both good and bad – within 20 years. Prof Anaya also sees reasons for hope. “I have been impressed by the strength, resilience and vision of indigenous communities determined to move towards a better future despite having endured tremendous suffering at the hands of historical forces and entrenched racism,” he said at the end of his 11-day visit.
Old boat !http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/framecolor:charcoal/framestyle:box20/mattecolor:black/product:framed-print/size:large/...
Old boat was featured in “All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical” group! and Un/happiness was featured in the group “Shapes & Patterns”! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! :)
Lumbago! / Limbes ago! / Help, / No help! / Workers who care or not? / Goverment cuts in public sectors! / Bad working conditions, / Rising suff…
Lumbago! / Limbes ago! / Help, / No help! / Workers who care or not? / Goverment cuts in public sectors! / Bad working conditions, / Rising suffering, / Rising illnesses, / Less beds, / More care! / No help! / Screams, of those in hospitals! / Patients and staff alike! / Heading where? / CUTTING IN NEEDED AREAS! / Holding populations hostage! / Too uch money where not needed! / Too much money wasted! / Backs aches, / Spirits aches, / Peoples aches, / People suffer! / How empty is your purse? / How full of medication is your stomach? / To be able to care, / To be able to survive, / What do goverments do? / Cut into the most important fields of work! / Sitting workers! / Stand up too, / Standing workers, / Need care too! / WHERE ARE WE HEADING TO? / COLASPE IN THE WORKING FORCE. / More people needed to be offsick? / Why? / Working conditions everywhere! copyright caroline caux-evans august 2009 / / /
I don’t normally do this. But lately due to a series of events in my life, I wanted to post that there have been many other people on th…
I don’t normally do this. But lately due to a series of events in my life, I wanted to post that there have been many other people on this site who have nurtured me and inspired me and made my heart beat and tears come to my eyes, and Provided wonderful and sublime support for me as a writer, I actually was going to write Individual letters to each these three, then thought to myself, perhaps these letters / Need to see the light of day LisaJewel Lisa knew innately somehow that Biographyofred8 was the car / And I was the driver. Meaning that she completely accepted me / As a person with the right to not be conveniently slotted into the narrow / Definitions that our society have created such as the binary gender ones / From the very moment I began to post on redbubble, she accepted me and she also / Did what not many people know how to do, that is separate the art / From the artist. Or as writers, find that balance where a person can / Interpret their world by presenting it in a non-flattened form. Also she / Has nurtured me as a writer in / Ways that are not tangible, not solid to explain. I do dance along / The wayward paths, but when I read her work I do, for she is speaking / To me through images, emotions and frames (she carries around with her / These picture frames) and she is able to interpret her world in a visual narrative / Form that speaks to me beyond reason; meaning that for some strange / Reason I often feel as though she is a kindred spirit and perhaps she is. / That is not to say that other writers are not; but Lisa’s writing speaks to / Me in a way, that brings about a place and a time that steps out / Of the ticking of the clocks and the barricades. Cassidy Like no other bird that flies so close to the sun, Cassidy has been the net / That has caught me so many times and often without him being fully conscious of / His tender heart that softened my fall / Cassidy has a strength and wise wisdom; he has the ability to nurture / By holding out his hand and his smile and he listens, Cassidy really listens / To people which is so rare in this world, to have that ability, to read between / The lines, to see out of the corner of his eyes, to transform, liberate, break down / The boxes and then build them again, interpreting boxes in shapes that / Have never been created before in this world, Cassidy is the “he knows, / He knows, he knows” in his writing and in his support, friendship and love / He has experienced things that people in this world should not, and yet / Has walked through the fire on bare feet, each burn, each spark for he / Is the keeper of the fires, the magician and the fool at the same time, he / Is the one walking towards the edge of the cliff and willingly with his / Beautiful to bear all to the rays of the sun, leaping into the unknown / With a strength, brilliance and marvel of a shooting star / Whilst at the same time, holding out lollypops with new made up flavours, / To dance in the forest with the other wild things that refuse to be tamed Mr B Butchart was one of the first artists and writers on this site to plant the seeds / Of hope in my fingertips, his writing often leaves me stunned and silent, / Like walking into a Buddhist temple or spiritual place created by / Nature, something that is rare and few and far between in this world, a person / Who genuinely without fan fair supports other people and writers with a heart / That is of the lion, Mr B knows that people write in different ways, interpret the / World in different ways and all of those different ways of interpretation / Are just as valid and important as the driver of the words, his presence for me / Has always been as the voice of reason, even if he does not see this for himself / He has inspired me to push forward, to reach that unreachable thing that is ahead, / That I know exists and he knows exists perhaps all of / Us knows exists but does not have a form or shape / He is the reaching, hope, survival, wisdom of the shaman
Many thanks to the hosts …
Many thanks to the hosts of “Left Wing Values and Positive Global Awareness” who have given a Group Feature to “Josepine Baker – Burlesque II” FEATURES NOVEMBER 2009 /
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