Clean Energy Canada

Check out the following link on what Clean Energy Canada is doing: http://cleanenergycanada.org/

African water (or lack thereof)

Stats for the Day

tsk tsk tsk...

Indebted Students

Anti-black Friday

Words of wisdom here, really.

Capri Sun

Food for thought

Thinking of American politics here, at least..

European debt to GDP ratios

http://forumblog.org/2014/11/how-to-escape-the-debt-trap/?utm_content=buffer65ee9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

How can we stimulate growth without adding more debt? Adair Turner explores some options.  

Desmond Tutu Quote

The phrase 'global citizen' is a phrase a dear friend of mine used to use all the time when talking about our obligations as human beings living in any society, and not just for those of us who travel and live abroad. In memory of Esther Durbin, 1928-2014. Love you and miss you. You were the most inspirational woman I have ever known.

Thought of the Day

In light of current events in the US (and of course abroad), a good reminder, Kofi.

Unicef's thought of the day

http://www.unicef.org/

Stolen Innocence

So take a look at the following link with the trailer for a new documentary coming out next year called Stolen Innocence on human trafficking in India. Definitely an issue needing serious attention!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/03/stolen-innocence-india-sex-trafficking_n_5754864.html?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=World&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000010

Messed Up Priorities

http://www.upworthy.com/this-simple-graphic-shows-americas-messed-up-priorities?c=reccon1

So Upworthy often has some good stuff, check out this graph and the statistics, truly sad. :/ I guess here's one of the many reasons I don't live in the US anymore..

United Nations Assocation of Hannover / DGVN

Sooooooooooooo I realize it's been a long time since I've posted here properly, but I've simply been too busy this summer finishing up my last classes, passing exams, and travelling to various countries. :) While I plan to post on many of the topics learned of, conferences participated in, and activites having taken place during the past several months, for starters I'll briefly mention an association I joined back in May called the United Nations Association of Germany. Take a look at their site, their work topics are pretty interesting, especially for those living with Germany, I suppose. More to come soon, (and regularly) I promise.


http://www.dgvn.de/homepage/

Kidnapped Girls

So here is a story about over 200 school-aged girls who were recently kidnapped in the Eastern part of Nigeria, but there has been little international media attention on it, surprise surprise. The links below illustrate the growing call for attention on the issue which needs to occur in order to try to save them.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/01/opinion/ghitis-nigeria-kidnapped-girls/ 

http://boingboing.net/2014/04/30/where-are-the-stolen-girls-of.html?utm_campaign=moreatbbmetadata&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=boingboing.net

Women in Africa

 

In honor of women in Africa having to deal with an array of adverse life conditions, here are some links to different organizations dealing with African womens' issues and rights:

http://www.unwomen.org/ca/where-we-are/africa

http://archive.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu37we/uu37we0t.htm

http://www.womenforwomeninafrica.org.au/

http://en.unesco.org/womeninafrica/

http://www.our-africa.org/women

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/4a02d7fd6.html

Feeding the World

So here are a variety of links on different aspects surrounding the topic of feeding the growing world population. Check 'em out! 

http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/196220/icode/

http://www.fao.org/home/en/

http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/blog/how-do-we-feed-our-growing-population

http://www.croptrust.org/content/feeding-growing-world-despite-climate-change

http://earthopensource.org/index.php/7-feeding-the-world/7-1-myth-gm-crops-are-needed-to-feed-the-world-s-growing-population

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/docs/Issues_papers/HLEF2050_Global_Agriculture.pdf

Nets to prevent malaria

In celebration of World Malaria Day, here are a few links for more information on the fight against malaria.

http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/gmap/

http://www.who.int/topics/malaria/en/

Clean & Green

A good statistic to hear, but what is the rest of the clean and renewable energy situation currently like? Here are a few links to find out more information on the topic from The Climate Reality Project, United Nations Environment Program, and United Nations Development Program. Go clean and green guys!! 

http://climaterealityproject.org/

http://www.unep.org/

http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/environmentandenergy/focus_areas/sustainable-energy.html

Rich and Poor

A Thought for the Day. And, as usual, a few NGOs on the issue:

http://www.one.org/de/

http://www.care.org/

Twenty Years Later

In honor of the remembrance of 20 years since the beginning of the Rwandan Genocide, here are many links on various memorial pieces, events, looks back, etc, again, all from a German perspective (sorry!)

http://www.nzz.ch/aktuell/international/auslandnachrichten/die-letzten-opfer-1.18277685

http://www.nzz.ch/aktuell/schweiz/ein-musterpartner-der-zum-genozid-staat-wurde-1.18278011

http://info.brot-fuer-die-welt.de/blog/20-jahre-dem-genozid-ein-blick-auf-ruanda

http://www.genocide-alert.de/genozid-in-ruanda-zwanzig-jahre-danach/#.U0GiplfYFeR

http://www.genocide-alert.de/genozid-in-ruanda-zwanzig-jahre-danach/podiumsdiskussionsreihe-von-genocide-alert-2014/#.U0GigFfYFeR

Sweet Poison - African Development Aide

So here is a new/updated documentary that just came out from Arte examining development aide to Africa. I honestly have not yet had the chance to view it, but I heard it could be worth watching, so take a look for yourselves, and watching it is on the top of my (constantly long) to-do list:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMORFqC_edA

Number of Executions Worldwide on the Rise

So here's an interesting article on the rate of executions still performed throughout the world, which is trending on the up at the moment. Sorry it's in German, but you can use a translator program, or just look at the map to get an idea, or better yet, learn the language! ;P

http://www.nzz.ch/aktuell/international/auslandnachrichten/zahl-der-hinrichtungen-weltweit-angestiegen-1.18271213

Here is also a link to Amnesty International after you've read the article mentioned above to look at what this group is doing for Human Rights:

http://www.amnesty.org/

Human Rights Council Committee Session

So these are a few pictures from our adventure into the real Human Rights Council committee session yesterday afternoon. To read a bit about what was passed from the US Mission to Geneva's perspective, click on the following link:

https://geneva.usmission.gov/2014/03/27/hrc-adopts-resolution-on-promoting-reconciliation-accountability-and-human-rights-in-sri-lanka/

Here is also the link to the HRC website to check out more of what they do, what issues they're looking at currently:

http://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/hrc/pages/hrcindex.aspx

Reaction - Innovative Refugee and Disaster Housing

http://www.upworthy.com/a-disposable-coffee-cup-has-inspired-an-indispensable-idea?c=ucfb1

This is a really great idea, I hope this project sees lots of support in the future! To check out more information on current refugee situations needing immediate response, check out:

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home

And also the following link for the project Reaction's home website:

www.reactionhousing.com 

Geneva Study Trip

So as part of our student study trip in Geneva for a week before the GIMUN conference begins, we have been able to visit and pass by many, mostly UN institutions in and around town, such as:

The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. Pictured here is a lecture given by the current President of the African Development Bank Donald Kaberuka, originally Rwandan, on Millennium Challenges and Development throughout Africa

Palais des Nations

WTO

Palais des Nations

UNDP

UNHCR

Universite Geneve

WHO

. 

It was truly a great trip academically, professionally, and personally! So glad I got and took the chance to go :)

The Economics of Birth Control

 

A pretty impression-leaving chart on population planning and connected economic prosperity. 

http://populationaction.org/data-and-maps/the-economics-of-birth-control/

Witness - Saving Levy (Honduras)

Check out this video on one approach to combating drug and gang violence in Honduras among its impoverished youth. 

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2014/03/saving-levy-201431132837244355.html

Access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

 

So check out this video, a short interview with Matt Damon addressing better water access worldwide. 

http://www.upworthy.com/matt-damon-asked-a-cheery-13-year-old-what-shell-do-with-her-free-time-her-answer-gave-him-pause?c=ufb1

And here are two links for WHO and UN Water on the issue:

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/mdg1/en/

http://www.unwater.org/water-cooperation-2013/water-cooperation/facts-and-figures/en/

Act Now, Save Later: Human Security Concerns

 

Here are two good links on human security concerns and what Unocha is promoting to help associated issues as well as a poignant outlook on the Philippines disaster from the UNHCR

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axb0KkB2Le4 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC5yFzmd-4c 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afj-vbqg-Tg