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June 27, 2013
Sites in Germany and Italy bring to 19 the number of sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List this year
Photo: Burgos Cathedral, Spain (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The Cathedral of Burgos was begun in the 13th century at the same time as the great cathedrals of the Ile-de-France and was completed in the 15th and 16th centuries. The entire history of Gothic art is summed up in its superb architecture and its unique collection of works of art, including paintings, choir stalls, reredos, tombs and stained-glass windows. Photo Credit: Lumiago.
Photo: Pilgrimage Church of Wies, Germany (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Miraculously preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, the Church of Wies (1745-54), the work of architect Dominikus Zimmermann, is a masterpiece of Bavarian Rococo. Photo Credit: Rita Willaert.
Photo: The Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India (UNESCO World Heritage Site), are about 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 or 650 CE. The caves include paintings and sculptures described by the government Archaeological Survey of India as “the finest surviving examples of Indian art, particularly painting”, which are masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, with figures of the Buddha and depictions of the Jataka tales. The caves were built in two phases starting around the 2nd century BCE, with the second group of caves built around 400-650 CE according to older accounts, or all in a brief period between 460 to 480 according to the recent proposals of Walter M. Spink. The site is a protected monument in the care of the Archaeological Survey of India, and since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photo Credit: Amit Rawat.
Photo: A view of Himeji-jo from the West Bailey, Japan (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Himeji-jo is perhaps the most well known castle in Japan. It has remained in its current condition for almost 400 years. Unlike other Japanese castles, this one has not been damaged by warfare—and that includes WWII. The “White Heron” castle was originally constructed in 1333, but later improved by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and later by Terumasa Ikeda, a son-in-law of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Photo Credit: Jpellgen.
Photo: Maloti Drakensberg Tranboundary, South Africa (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Cathedral Peak area trail Ukhahlamba Drakensberg National Park South Africa. Photo Credit: Jono Hey.
Photo: Agricultural Landscape of Southern Oland, Sweden (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The southern part of the island of Oland in the Baltic Sea is dominated by a vast limestone plateau. Human beings have lived here for some five thousand years and adapted their way of life to the physical constraints of the island. As a consequence, the landscape is unique, with abundant evidence of continuous human settlement from prehistoric times to the present day. Photo Credit: Allie Caulfield.
Photo: Khami ruins, Zimbabwe (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been abandoned in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological interest. The discovery of objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a major centre for trade over a long period of time. Photo Credit: Lars Lundqvist.
Photo: Putorana Plateau, Russian Federation (UNESCO World Heritage Site). This site coincides with the area of the Putoransky State Nature Reserve, and is located in the central part of the Putorana Plateau in northern Central Siberia. It is situated about 100 km north of the Arctic Circle. The part of the plateau inscribed on the World Heritage List harbours a complete set of subarctic and arctic ecosystems in an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga, forest tundra, tundra and arctic desert systems, as well as untouched cold-water lake and river systems. A major reindeer migration route crosses the property, which represents an exceptional, large-scale and increasingly rare natural phenomenon. Photo Credit: Filipp Solovev.
Photo: Detail of Qutb Minar (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi. Built in the early 13th century a few kilometres south of Delhi, the red sandstone tower of Qutb Minar is 72.5 m high, tapering from 2.75 m in diameter at its peak to 14.32 m at its base, and alternating angular and rounded flutings. The surrounding archaeological area contains funerary buildings, notably the magnificent Alai-Darwaza Gate, the masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art (built in 1311), and two mosques, including the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the oldest in northern India. Photo Credit: Chaostrophy.
Photo: Iguacu National Park, Brazil (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The park shares with Iguazu National Park in Argentina one of the world’s largest and most impressive waterfalls, extending over some 2,700 m. It is home to many rare and endangered species of flora and fauna, among them the giant otter and the giant anteater. The clouds of spray produced by the waterfall are conducive to the growth of lush vegetation. Photo Credit: Claudio Alejandro Mufarrege.
Photo: Historic Centre of Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Situated on the banks of the Vltava river, the town was built around a 13th-century castle with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. It is an outstanding example of a small central European medieval town whose architectural heritage has remained intact thanks to its peaceful evolution over more than five centuries. Photo Credit: Matthias Ripp.
Photo: Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, Burgundy Region, France (UNESCO World Heritage Site). This stark Burgundian monastery was founded by St Bernard in 1119. With its church, cloister, refectory, sleeping quarters, bakery and ironworks, it is an excellent illustration of the ideal of self-sufficiency as practised by the earliest communities of Cistercian monks. Photo Credit: Jim Forest.
Photo: The Statue of Liberty, USA (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in the middle of New York Harbor, in Manhattan, New York City. The statue, designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886, was a gift to the United States from the people of France on the centenary of American independence. The statue is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. Photo Credit: A Herrero.
Photo: Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India (UNESCO World Heritage Site). An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage. Photo Credit: Michael Baun.
Photo: Everglades National Park, Florida, USA (UNESCO World Heritage Site). This site at the southern tip of Florida has been called ‘a river of grass flowing imperceptibly from the hinterland into the sea’. Photo Credit: Stig Nygaard.
• During the 37th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is being held until 27 June 2013, in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (Cambodia), 19 new sites have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. This brings the List to a total of 981 properties being divided into 759 cultural, 193 natural and 29 mixed properties, in 160 States Parties.
The latest inscriptions are:
• Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe (Germany). Descending a long hill dominated by a giant statue of Hercules, the monumental water displays of Wilhelmshöhe were begun by Landgrave Carl of Hesse-Kassel in 1689 around an east-west axis and were developed further into the 19th century. Reservoirs and channels behind the Hercules Monument supply water to a complex system of hydro-pneumatic devices that supply the site’s large Baroque water theatre, grotto, fountains and 350 meter long Grand Cascade. Beyond this, channels and waterways wind across the axis, feeding a series of dramatic waterfalls and wild rapids, the geyser-like Grand Fountain which leaps 50m high, the lake and secluded ponds that enliven the Romantic garden created in the 18th century by Carl’s great-grandson, Elector Wilhelm I. The great size of the park and its waterworks along with the towering Hercules statue constitute an expression of the ideals of absolutist Monarchy while the ensemble is a remarkable testimony to the aesthetics of the Baroque and Romantic periods.
• Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany (Italy). Twelve villas and two pleasure gardens spread across the Tuscan country side make up this site which bears testimony to the influence the Medici family exerted over modern European culture through its patronage of the arts. Built between the 15th and 17th centuries, they represent an innovative system of rural construction in harmony with nature and dedicated to leisure, the arts and knowledge. The villas embody an innovative form and function, a new type of princely residence that differed from both the farms owned by rich Florentines of the period and from the military might of baronial castles. The Medici villas form the first example of the connection between habitat, gardens, and the environment and became an enduring reference for princely residences throughout Italy and Europe. Their gardens and integration into the natural environment helped develop the appreciation of landscape characteristic Humanism and the Renaissance.
• Bochnia Royal Salt Mines (Poland) is an extension to the Polish Wieliczka Salt Mine, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978, which is now to be known as the Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines. The Wieliczka Saltworks Castle used for the management of the property was also added to the site. The rock salt deposit in Wieliczka-Bochnia has been mined since the 13th century and is the oldest of its type in Europe. Spread over several levels, it has 300 km of galleries with underground chapels, storerooms and more. It includes altars and statues sculpted in the salt, making a fascinating pilgrimage into the past of a major industrial undertaking that developed over 700 years.
• Hill Forts of Rajasthan (India). The serial site, situated in the state of Rajastahan, includes six majestic forts in Chittorgarh; Kumbhalgarh; Sawai Madhopur; Jhalawar; Jaipur, and Jaisalmer. The ecclectic architecture of the forts, some up to 20 kilometres in circumference, bears testimony to the power of the Rajput princely states that flourished in the region from the 8th to the 18th centuries. Enclosed within defensive walls are major urban centres, palaces, trading centres and other buildings including temples that often predate the fortifications within which developed an elaborate courtly culture that supported learning, music and the arts. Some of the urban centres enclosed in the fortifications have survived, as have many of the site’s temples and other sacred buildings. The forts use the natural defenses offered by the landscape: hills, deserts, rivers, and dense forests. They also feature extensive water harvesting structures, largely still in use today.
Five natural sites were inscribed:
• Xinjiang Tianshan (China)
• Mount Etna (Italy)
• El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve (Mexico)
• Namib Sand Sea (Namibia)
• Tajik National Park (Tajikistan)
Fourteen cultural sites were inscribed:
• Red Bay Basque Whaling Station (Canada)
• Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, (China)
• Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong (Democratic People’s Reublic of Korea)
• Levuka Historical Port Town (Fiji)
• Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe (Germany)
• Hill Forts of Rajashtan (India)
• Golestan Palace (Iran)
• Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany (Italy)
• Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration (Japan)
• Historic Centre of Agadez (Niger)
• Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine (Poland / Ukraine)
• University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia (Portugal)
• Al Zubarah Archaeological Site (Qatar)
• Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora (Ukraine)
Three sites received extensions:
• Mount Kenya-Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (Kenya)
• Maloti Drakensberg Transboundary World Heritage Site (Lesotho / South Africa)
• Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines (Poland)
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:49 PM | View the original post
June 25, 2013
The United States and India Announce Awards Connecting Universities to Solve Global Challenges
Photo: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry opens a Higher Education Dialogue in New Delhi, India, on June 25, 2013. State Department Photo.
Photo: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry poses for a photo with young Indian leaders who have participated in programs in the United States as he arrives at Lodi Gardens in New Delhi, India, on June 24, 2013. State Department Photo.
In a continuation of the educational partnership between India and the United States, the U.S. State Department has announced eight institutional partnership projects for the second round of 21st Century Knowledge Initiative awards:
U.S.-led Partnerships:
Harvard School of Public Health
Project Title: Harvard-India Nutrition Initiative
Partner Institution: St. Johns Research Institute, Bangalore
Ohio State University
Project Title: The STEM Faculty Project: Training the Next Generation of STEM Faculty at Higher Education Institutions in India
Partner Institution: Aligarh Muslim University
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Project Title: Inclusive Universities: Linking Diversity, Equity and Excellence for the 21st Century
Partner Institution: University of Pune
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Project Title: Partnering for Success: Advancing Sustainability Research and Education in India
Partner Institution: Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
Indian-led Partnerships:
Annamalai University
Project Title: Tamil Nadu Energy Futures: Mapping Uncertainties and Risks
Partner Institution: Tennessee Technological University
Assam Agricultural University
Project Title: Engineering ADP - Glucose Pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) enzymes for heat tolerance in rice
Partner Institution: Washington State University
Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women
Project Title: A Sustainable ‘Response to Intervention’ model for successful inclusion of children with disabilities - A India-US Partnership
Partner Institution: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
National Institute of Technology - Trichy
Project Title: Cognitive based Curriculum Development Tool for emerging areas of Computer Engineering and Management Studies for improving Teaching-Learning Process
Partner Institution: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India and President Barack Obama of USA had announced the Obama-Singh Initiative in November 2009 as an affirmation of their commitment to building an enhanced India-U.S. partnership in education. The next request for proposals for the Obama-Singh Initiative grants will be announced in July 2013.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:18 PM | View the original post
June 23, 2013
PANDORA Unveils a Contemporary Charm Bangle Bracelet
Jewelry firm PANDORA has announced that it is debuting a signature sterling silver bangle that is “classic yet striking in its simplicity”. According to PANDORA, the bangle is uniquely customizable, allowing each woman to tell her unforgettable story or showcase her individual style by adding PANDORA charms.
Made of sterling silver with a round barrel clasp, the new bracelet works the same way as a traditional PANDORA charm bracelet. The bangle is very flexible allowing consumers to twist the end piece to one side to slide the bracelet on or off the wrist. The metal memory ensures the bracelet springs back into its shape.
“We’re really excited to add the new PANDORA bangle to our bracelet offerings,” said Angel Ilagan, Vice President, Marketing, PANDORA North America. “We have heard from lots of women who wanted to combine the look of a more traditional bangle bracelet with our charms.”
Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, PANDORA employs over 6,200 people worldwide, of whom more than 4,200 are located in Gemopolis, Thailand, where the company manufactures its jewelry. PANDORA jewelry is sold in over 70 countries in over 10,200 locations, including approximately 900 PANDORA branded concept stores.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:56 AM | View the original post
June 18, 2013
G8 Summit 2013 concludes in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland
Photo: One of the lodges at the Lough Erne Resort in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland; the venue of the UK’s Presidency of the G8 Summit 2013. © G8 UK Presidency.
Photo: UK Prime Minister David Cameron and United States of America President Barack Obama visit school. © G8 UK Presidency.
Photo: UK Prime Minister David Cameron and United States of America President Barack Obama visit school. © G8 UK Presidency.
G8 is a forum that brings together 8 global leaders to address international issues and tackle the most pressing global challenges.
The G8 (Group of 8) is made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the USA and the UK. The EU is represented by Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, and Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council.
The Presidency of the G8 rotates each calendar year and the country holding the G8 Presidency is responsible for hosting and organising the annual summit, with a number of preparatory meetings leading up to it. At the summit, the G8 leaders discuss important global issues of the day.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has the presidency of the G8 Summit 2013. Other G8 members who attended the summit are: Canada — Prime Minister Stephen Harper, France — President Francois Hollande, Germany — Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italy — Prime Minister Enrico Letta, Japan — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Russia — President Vladimir Putin, United States of America — President Barack Obama, European Union — Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
The Lough Erne Declaration from the G8 Summit 2013 sets out agreed principles for the future. It focuses on private enterprise, which drives growth, reduces poverty, and creates jobs and prosperity for people around the world. It also sets out that governments have a special responsibility to make proper rules and promote good governance. In addition, fair taxes, increased transparency and open trade are vital drivers of this. The G8 leaders will make a real difference by acting on the principles in the declaration.
In the preamble of the communique agreed to by G8 leaders at the 2013 summit, the leaders write:
“As leaders of the G8, we are committed to open economies, open societies and open governments as the basis of lasting growth and stability. We have today agreed concrete steps to play our part in ensuring a safe and prosperous world.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:24 AM | View the original post
June 17, 2013
MISS USA 2013 - Erin Brady from Connecticut
Photo: Miss Connecticut USA 2013, Erin Brady of East Hampton, is crowned Miss USA 2013 at the conclusion of the 2013 MISS USA Competition at PH Live in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday June 16, 2013. She receives the coveted Miss USA Diamond Nexus Crown and will represent the USA at the 2013 MISS UNIVERSE Competition on November 9th from the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. © Miss Universe Organization L.P., LLLP. Photographer: Greg Harbaugh.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:11 AM | View the original post
June 11, 2013
Asian Universities set to Dominate Global Rankings Within Two Decades
Photo: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon receives an honorary doctorate degree during a ceremony at Jamia Islamia University in New Delhi, India. 27 April 2012. New Delhi, India. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
Asian universities could overtake their western counterparts within two decades, say the compilers of QS University Rankings: Asia, released today.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology tops the rankings ahead of National University of Singapore and Hong Kong University, which tie for second place. Peking University moves up one place to fifth, its highest ever position.
2013 QS UNIVERSITY RANKINGS ASIA: Top 10
QS RANK — INSTITUTION — COUNTRY
• 1 — The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology — Hong Kong
• 2= — National University of Singapore — Singapore
• 2= — University of Hong Kong — HK
• 4= — Seoul National University — South Korea
• 5 — Peking University — China
• 6 — KAIST — South Korea
• 7 — POSTECH — South Korea
• 8 — The Chinese University of Hong Kong — Hong Kong
• 9 — The University of Tokyo — Japan
• 10= — Kyoto University — Japan
• 10= — Nanyang Technological University — Singapore
ASIA TOP 300 — UNIVERSITIES FROM INDIA
2013 QS RANK — INSTITUTION
• 38 — Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD)
• 39 — Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB)
• 49 — Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)
• 51 — Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK)
• 58 — Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IITKGP)
• 66 — Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR)
• 80 — University of Delhi
• 89 — Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG)
• 140= — University of Mumbai
• 143= — University of Calcutta
• 181-190 — University of Pune
ASIA TOP 300 — UNIVERSITIES FROM PAKISTAN
2013 QS RANK — INSTITUTION
• 119 — Quaid-i-azam University
• 120 — National University of Sciences And Technology (NUST), Islamabad
• 151-160 — Aga Khan University
• 191-200 — Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
• 201-250 — University of Engineering & Technology (UET), Lahore
• 201-250 — University of Karachi
• 201-250 — University of the Punjab (Punjab University), Lahore
“Asian higher education is undergoing a rapid transformation. Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Korea are at the forefront of the assault on the global academic elite,” says Ben Sowter, head of QS Intelligence Unit, which also compiles the QS World University Rankings.
“There are already 17% more Asian universities in the global top 200 since the recession, and the next two decades could see leading US and European universities objectively overtaken.”
“As Western governments struggle to maintain funding levels, Asian institutions have rapidly increased their ability to attract the world’s best faculty and students,” says Sowter.
QS University Rankings: Asia also shows a five-year surge in international students studying at ranked institutions in the region, from 175,286 in 2009 to 255,212 this year. Total international faculty has grown from 21,223 to 35,677.
According to QS, among the universities established since 1963, Asia boasts five of the world’s top six such institutions, a forecast of a future realignment of the global balance of power from West to East.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:59 AM | View the original post
June 8, 2013
World Oceans Day 2013
Photo: Volvo Ocean Race. CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand. On the final leg of their 2000 mile qualifier approach Auckland, New Zealand. Photo © Chris Cameron.
Photo: Volvo Ocean Race. Groupama Sailing Team, skippered by Franck Cammas from France at the finish of leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Cape town, South Africa, to Abu Dhabi, UAE. (Photo © Ian Roman/Volvo Ocean Race via Getty Images).
Photo: Bay of Bengal, near Chennai, India. Fishermen sail at dawn in their catamarans, consisting of four or five pieces of balsa wood tied together. Madras, India. UN Photo/John Isaac.
Photo: Orange fin anemone fish wards off predators that might eat the host anemone. Tuamotu, French Polynesia. Photo © Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation/Michele Westmorland.
Photo: Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation scientist, Badi Samaniego, conducts a reef fish survey in French Polynesia. Photo © Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation/Michele Westmorland.
• World Oceans Day was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008 and is now celebrated on 8 June each year.
The theme for World Oceans Day 2013-2014 is “Together we have the power to protect the ocean!”, which focuses on “getting involved with ocean conservation in our personal lives, within our communities and globally”.
According to United Nations, this day is celebrated to remind people about the shared ocean of the world and their personal connection to the sea. The day is also celebrated to raise awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in people’s lives and the important ways in which they can help protect it.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:24 AM | View the original post
June 6, 2013
World War Z - World Premiere
Photo: The ‘World War Z’ Fan Screening at Cine Capitol in Madrid, Spain, on June 21, 2013. (Photo © Juan Naharro Gimenez /Getty Images).
Photo: A view of atmosphere inside the theater during the Paris premiere of “World War Z” at Cinema UGC Normandie on June 3, 2013 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images For Paramount. © 2013 Getty Images).
Photo: A view of the film poster displayed next to the entrance to the Lido cabaret during the Paris premiere of “World War Z” at Cinema UGC Normandie on June 3, 2013 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images For Paramount. © 2013 Getty Images).
Photo: Angelina Jolie (R) and Brad Pitt (rear R) meet with fans as they sign autograph upon their arrival for the Paris premiere of “World War Z” at Cinema UGC Normandie on June 3, 2013 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images For Paramount. © 2013 Getty Images).
Photo: Actors Angelina Jolie (L) and Brad Pitt attend the World Premiere of ‘World War Z’ at The Empire Cinema Leicester Square on June 2, 2013 in London, England. (Photo © 2013 Dave M. Benett/WireImage for Paramount).
Photo: Actress Angelina Jolie attends the World Premiere of ‘World War Z’ at The Empire Cinema Leicester Square on June 2, 2013 in London, England. (Photo © 2013 Dave M. Benett/WireImage for Paramount).
Photo: Matt Bellamy of Muse performs at the ‘World War Z’ World Premiere at Horse Guards Parade on June 2, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Jo Hale/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures International. © 2013 Getty Images).
Photo: Dutch film producer, director and actor Ludi Boeken attends the World Premiere of ‘World War Z’ at The Empire Cinema on June 2, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures International. © 2013 Getty Images).
Photo: A general view of the crowd during the Muse performance at the ‘World War Z’ World Premiere at Horse Guards Parade on June 2, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Lucian Capellaro/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures International. © 2013 Getty Images).
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:46 AM | View the original post
June 5, 2013
World Environment Day 2013
World Environment Day (‘WED’) is celebrated every year on 5 June to raise global awareness of the need to take positive environmental action. It is run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The theme for this year’s World Environment Day celebrations is Think.Eat.Save. Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign.
Think.Eat.Save. aims to accelerate action and provide a global vision for the many and diverse initiatives currently underway around the world.
Worldwide, about one-third of all food produced, worth around US$1 trillion, gets lost or wasted in food production and consumption systems, according to data released by FAO. “Food loss occurs mostly at the production stages - harvesting, processing and distribution - while food waste typically takes place at the retailer and consumer end of the food-supply chain.”
“In a world of seven billion people, set to grow to nine billion by 2050, wasting food makes no sense - economically, environmentally and ethically,” said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
“Aside from the cost implications, all the land, water, fertilizers and labour needed to grow that food is wasted - not to mention the generation of greenhouse gas emissions produced by food decomposing on landfill and the transport of food that is ultimately thrown away,” he added. “To bring about the vision of a truly sustainable world, we need a transformation in the way we produce and consume our natural resources.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:01 AM | View the original post
June 2, 2013
The Sound of Change Live Concert in London
Photo: Danielle Haim performs on stage at the “Chime For Change: The Sound Of Change Live” Concert at Twickenham Stadium on June 1, 2013 in London, England. Chime For Change is a global campaign for girls’ and women’s empowerment founded by Gucci with a founding committee comprised of Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyonce Knowles-Carter. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Gucci. © 2013 Getty Images.)
Photo: (L-R) Actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan speak on stage at the “Chime For Change: The Sound Of Change Live” Concert at Twickenham Stadium on June 1, 2013 in London, England. Chime For Change is a global campaign for girls’ and women’s empowerment founded by Gucci with a founding committee comprised of Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyonce Knowles-Carter. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Gucci. © 2013 Getty Images.)
Photo: Singer Timbaland performs on stage at the “Chime For Change: The Sound Of Change Live” Concert at Twickenham Stadium on June 1, 2013 in London, England. Chime For Change is a global campaign for girls’ and women’s empowerment founded by Gucci with a founding committee comprised of Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyonce Knowles-Carter. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Gucci. © 2013 Getty Images.)
Photo: Members of the crowd pose at the “Chime For Change: The Sound Of Change Live” Concert at Twickenham Stadium on June 1, 2013 in London, England. Chime For Change is a global campaign for girls’ and women’s empowerment founded by Gucci with a founding committee comprised of Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyonce Knowles-Carter. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Gucci. © 2013 Getty Images.)
• CHIME FOR CHANGE, founded by Gucci, is a new global campaign to raise funds and awareness for girls’ and women’s empowerment. It serves to convene, unite and strengthen voices speaking out for girls and women around the world. Founded in Florence, Italy, in 1921, Gucci is one of the world’s leading luxury fashion brands.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:00 PM | View the original post
June 1, 2013
World Conference of Sports Ministers (MINEPS V) Concludes in Berlin
Photos from the Conference (MINEPS V). All photos Copyright © Federal Ministry of the Interior, Germany/Peter Himsel.
Photo: MINEPS V Welcome Evening: Hans-Peter Friedrich, Federal Minister of the Interior, Germany, at the screening of the film “Gold”, next to Pila Alvarez Laso (UNESCO Assistant Director-General) on the left, and Kirsten Bruhn (athlete and actress of the film “Gold”) on the right. Copyright © Federal Ministry of the Interior, Germany/Peter Himsel.
• The fifth UNESCO World Sport Ministers Conference (MINEPS V) was held in Berlin from 28 to 30 May 2013. It was organized by the German Federal Ministry of the Interior in cooperation with UNESCO and with the help of the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education.
The conference focused on the fight against match-fixing, corruption and doping in order to maintain the integrity of sport. The agenda also included the topic of participation in and through sport. A third focus was on promoting investment in sport and physical education programs and discussing standards for large-scale sporting events.
The conference adopted an extensive list of recommendations to curb corruption in sport, share the socio-economic benefits of sport more equitably and ensure access to sport for all.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:22 AM | View the original post
