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Clinton Global Initiative
2007-10-01 17:50:00
A $30 million pledge to help educate children affected by conflict, especially in Iraq and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and a pledge of $1 billion to help improve maternal and child health worldwide were announced at the Clinton Global Initiative .The contributions were highlighted at two separate events in New York during the annual meeting organized by the William J. Clinton Foundation to address serious global issues.The education grant was announced late this afternoon as part of the Clinton initiative’s Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, co-chaired by economist Gene Sperling and actress and advocate Angelina Jolie. "Over 20 million children of conflict are out of school," said Ms. Jolie. "Education is often forgotten.""Today we launch a campaign to save millions of lives," Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference launching the pledge.Also on hand for the announcement were UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, President Armand...
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Mothers For Change
2007-09-28 18:16:00
Hey everyone, sorry I have been really busy lately, and so my posting has slacked off, I found this great story today and wanted to share it with you. A story about what it is to be a mother, to other people's children.White head scarves became the symbol of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo as they battled a dictatorship that killed their children. Now they've donned hard hats, filling a new role as homebuilders for the poor.The women are still fighting for the prosecution of agents of Argentina's 1976-83 military regime. But as their hair goes white and their numbers thin, they are trying to build a human rights movement that will outlive them. Their latest project: to build more than 1,200 apartments for low-income residents.Backed by center-left President Nestor Kirchner, with private donations and more than $10 million from the city of Buenos Aires, four projects are under way, employing the jobless and offering them a future.One of their leaders, Hebe de Bonafini, says the ...
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You gotta Laugh!
2007-09-24 21:51:00
I couldn't resist posting this, this baby has the funniest laugh I ever heard.. I can't help laughing every time I watch this lol. Instant Stress Killer! lolTags: Laugh ter, Happiness, Baby, Child, Children,
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Weekend Fun #12
2007-09-21 19:31:00
I hope everyone had an awesome week, I played my bball game this week and won, easily.. well, I was not distracted this week. :) - I decided to do something different for this weekend's post and share with you a couple of my personal top 10 lists.___________________________________ ________________________My Top 10 people I would love to meet.1. Roger Federer2. Tiger Woods3. Denzel Washington4. Justine Henin5. Maria Sharapova6. Catherine Zeta Jones7. Harrison Ford8. Bruce Willis9. Barack Obama10.Colin Powell___________________________________ ________________________Top 10 Loveable Gadgets1. Apple iPhone2. Gaggia Titanium Superautomatic Espresso Machine3. Ojo video phone4. Creative - ZEN V Plus Mp3 Player5. iPod Nano Mp3 Player6. Mac Mini7. Bose Headphones8. PowerShot TX19. Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control10. Dell Optical Mouse____________________________________ _______________________Have an AWESOME WEEKEND!!!!!! :)
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Stories of Compassion
2007-09-20 15:36:00
I discovered this wonderful website called QuantumShift.TV - they share stories of how every day people that are changing this world. Their goal is to shift this culture from 'me' to 'we' through a socially responsible media business that shares the stories of those who positively impact social and environmental change on our planet.Here is one such story, Enjoy. And for more like this please visit their website Here_____________________________________ _______Letters From Litein An emotional, thought provoking, and inspiring feature length documentary about a group of students, teachers, and parents, from a small school in Canada, reaching out from half way around the world, to touch the hearts of orphans in Africa, and as a result change their own hearts and world.Watch more videos like this at www.quantumshift.tvTags: Stories , Hope, Kindness, Compass ion ,
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Ana Ivanovic becomes Ambassador to UNICEF
2007-09-18 07:38:00
Great news, one of my favorite Tennis superstars - Ana Ivan ovic has officially been named as a National Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for her home country of Serbia, where she will advocate for children’s rights, especially in the realms of education and child protection."This is a great honor for me to be invited to be UNICEF Ambassador," said Ms. Ivanovic, speaking at the Vladimir Rolovic elementary school in the capital Belgrade. "I love children, and I relish this opportunity to help them in some small way."Ranked number six in the world, she has contributed funds to allow three schools to implement the "School without Violence" program."I’m looking forward to supporting UNICEF’s ‘child-friendly schools’ concept," she said. "Serbia is already on a good way in this respect thanks to UNICEF’s activities. I will give my contribution and hope that it will add up to the positive changes that are occurring for children in Serbia."The schools ...
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Weekend Fun #11
2007-09-15 03:24:00
Another great week come and gone, I hope everyone had a great week as well. :) While trying to figure out how to fix something I came across this website, which is filled with information on just about every subject imaginable. If you want to fix a tire or build a house or just improve your tennis game... try ehow.comWow, what to say - I have been very busy lately, a lot of family stuff happening, and the whole making money thing.. I have taken some time to play basketball, but unfortunately I lost this week so now I am down 2 games - only because I was distracted, or so I claim lolI will be doing some volunteering this weekend, which is always a good thing, and now that the US Open is over, and tennis, I will need to find another distraction. lolAlso if you get a chance.. run over to Alyssa's baseball blog and check out some of her new awesome posts.___________________________________ ________________________Here's is a funny Tiger Woods Ad, for all us Tiger fans!_______________...
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Good News for Children
2007-09-13 15:25:00
The number of children dying worldwide has dropped below 10 million a year for the first time, UNICEF said Today. "More children are surviving today than ever before," said Anne Veneman, UNICEF's executive director.New data collected from UNICEF suggests that life-saving measures like vitamin A supplementation, insect nets and vaccines are reaching more children than ever in poor countries. Global child deaths fell to 9.7 million in 2005, down from nearly 13 million in 1990.In Morocco, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic, UNICEF reported that child death rates dropped by more than a third. In Africa, increased vaccination coverage reduced measles deaths by 75 percent."We are very encouraged by this progress," Veneman said. "If we can maintain the sense of urgency, then real progress can be made."The World Health Organization agreed that the progress in reducing child mortality has stalled. In a press statement released earlier this week, its Asia office said that the decline in chil...
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Queen Rania's action for Iraqi Children
2007-09-12 21:05:00
Jordan's Queen Rani a issues call to action for Iraqi Children Tags: Queen Rania, Jordan, Children, Iraq, UNICEF,
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Goals For Girls
2007-09-11 14:57:00
In the run-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007, UNICEF has launched a new series of dynamic public service announcements called ‘Goals for Girls !’."The PSAs we’ve produced with FIFA are intended to capture the fun of football (soccer)and the sense of achievement girls and women who participate in the sport enjoy," said UNICEF Director of Public Partnerships Peter Crowley. "It’s also an attempt to show the links between girls playing in their own communities and the stars who make it to the top."In addition to being seen on television around the world, the PSAs will be played for hundreds of thousands of football fans before each match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup around China this month.Football- which is also known as Soccer - is the world’s most popular sport, and UNICEF has found that the game is an excellent way to reach out to girls, providing them with role models as well as opportunities to mix with their peers, enjoy the sense of achievement that comes...

Tribute to Roger Federer
2007-09-10 16:42:00
Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of posting lately, I hope all of you are doing well. :)I would like to highlight a very cool person, and someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for - and that is Roger Federer . If you have been following my weekend posts you know that I am a big fan of Tennis and the US Open.Roger Federer is a 26 year old Swiss tennis champ, by winning the 2007 US Open, Federer became the only player in the open era to win the US Open 4 straight times; he is now tied with Roy Emerson with 12 Grand Slam titles, only 2 behind Pete Sampras, who has the all time Grand Slam singles titles record with 14. With this win, Federer also became the only man to have won three of four Grand Slam singles tournaments in the same year three times, repeating his achievements of 2004, 2006 and 2007.On April 2006, Federer was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF. Roger has always loved children and wanted to give back, from an early age. "I am honored to join the ranks of...
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Queen Rania Visits China
2007-09-06 17:11:00
Her Majesty Queen Rani a Al-Abdullah of Jordan today visited a migrant community at Shibalidian Township in Chaoyang District, Beijing, to experience first-hand the situation of migrant women and children."I am very impressed by the work that is being done here – and elsewhere in Beijing, and China at large – to address the needs of migrant communities, particularly mothers and children." Queen Rania, UNICEF’s first ever Eminent Advocate for Children, said."What I have seen here today is a model of good practice in tackling the challenges posed by large migrant communities. It attests to the commitment of the Chinese government, alongside UNICEF, the WHO and other civil society organizations, to ensure that their children have not just the right start, but the best start of life."During her visit, Queen Rania toured a community health centre, where she met a number of pregnant women receiving antenatal care and learned about UNICEF’s work with national, county and local partn...

Creative Children
2007-09-05 17:31:00
Does every child have an inalienable right to be creative?What about the right to be empathic? Who said: Have empathy for your enemy?How can children build a more just, prosperous and nonviolent world when little attention is paid to their creative and empathic development? These are the words from a wonderful organization known as International Child Art Foundation. and they believe that art is a native language to all children. Through art you can nurture your child’s innate creativity. Research indicate that a child who is exposed to the arts will have a better chance to grow up to be more creative, imaginative, expressive, confident, self-reliant and critically thinking adult.The International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) supports a comprehensive, holistic approach to child development by embracing innovative programs that heal, inspire and unify children across the globe. From the Healing Arts Program for victims of natural disasters to the Peace Throug...
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Children in Iraq
2007-09-04 16:03:00
Afrah and her brother Bilal were barely teenagers when they were left to fend for themselves on the streets of Baghdad. The young brother and sister still carry the scars of their frightening separation from their family. "My father lost his job and my mother could not care for us," said Afrah, 13. "We were too poor to eat or stay in school, so we had to leave home, and this is how we ended up in the institution." By 2003, at least 15 per cent of Iraq i children under the age of 14 were working to support their families in some way. Today, the figure is likely to be far higher. Tens of thousands of family wage-earners have been killed in sectarian violence. Many more are fleeing to new areas in search of safety and jobs, disrupting family life and eating up household savings. Many street children end up trapped in even more desperate situations, drawn into drugs, prostitution and violence. The more fortunate ones find a refuge in government institutions. The unlucky ones end up in ...
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Weekend Fun #10
2007-09-01 02:05:00
I hope everyone had an awesome week, I did. :) I'm not sure what everyone else is doing this weekend but I plan on, watching the US Open, and relaxing.________________________________ ___________________________Got talent?I found this video on my friend Jose's blog The Good News Blog - When I saw this I was really surprised, and I think the comment I left on his blog was... Holy.. wow..For more on Paul Potts go to his Website__________________________________ _________________________And for all you educated "snobs" quit picking on Miss Teen South Carolina...The Question was : "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a world map.. why do you think this is?"Everyone is talking about how stupid or uneducated she must be for her complex.. mixed up answer.. yet... if someone would have asked me why a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a world Map.. I wouldn't know how to answer either...and if a fifth of American's can't locate their own country....
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UNICEF and HIV Education
2007-08-31 16:21:00
UNICEF on Monday launched a weeklong, $500,000 program in Zimbabwe aimed at training 1,500 primary and secondary teachers on how to provide HIV prevention education.About 500,000 children will participate in the program, which will focus on teaching life skills for HIV prevention, addressing gender dimensions of HIV, fighting sexual gender-based violence and providing counseling.The program also will help teachers to understand and handle their vulnerability to HIV and will examine prevention, care, support and treatment. The program will be held at seven teaching colleges in Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo, Mutare and Mutoko.About 20% of Zimbabwe's adult population is HIV-positive.Tags: AIDS, HIV, UNICEF, Zimbabwe, Education ,
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Queen Rania on Business
2007-08-29 16:32:00
Queen Rani a of Jordan - pushes Arabs to train entrepreneurs. Jordan's Queen Rania Al Abdullah emphasizes the need to teach Arab kids how to start their own businesses and create jobs. She's crisscrossed the region to drum up support for Injaz al-Arab, a fast-growing NGO that has helped 270,000 students learn business skills and set up their own mini-companies. Her Majesty answered Stefan Theil's written questions from the royal family's undisclosed vacation retreat. In many Arab countries, there are countless obstacles to starting a business—from punitive bankruptcy laws to lack of financing to the time and money it takes to set up a company. Why focus on education? Queen Rania: Because it's not just about creating an environment in which entrepreneurs can succeed, it's also about creating the entrepreneurs themselves. It's about nurturing creativity, innovation and critical thinking in our classrooms. Our schools need to graduate more students who can recognize opportunity...
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Tennis Teaches Kids
2007-08-27 15:51:00
In the spirit of the upcoming US Open series, and for all of you fellow Tennis fans, here is a great organization that has been helping kids form life skills and confidence, since 1972.The The Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program is a not-for-profit organization that offers free tennis lessons at the 369th Regiment Armory on 143rd Street, in Harlem, New York. We have a highly qualified and caring staff who are all USPTA and USPTR certified teaching professionals.Registration is open to anyone 7 to 18 years old from the greater New York City area.Bill Brown and Claude Cargill founded the organization because they were frustrated that few urban children had the opportunity to explore and excel in tennis. It was usually considered a “country club sport”, so they decided to provide tennis training to Harlem youth. They believed that children who learn to appreciate tennis as a lifetime sport develop self-discipline, sportsmanship, self-esteem and social skills.In 1979, HJTEP e...
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Weekend Fun #9
2007-08-25 00:44:00
I hope that everyone had an awesome week. I know that this has been said many times but it is very true - Life is a gift.Try to imagine yourself 100 years old, looking back over your lifetime, and think about the adventures, the experiences.. the relationships and friendships you have had. Think about the good times and the bad, what you learned, and what you did with that knowledge.We all have but one life, and it goes by very fast, we should spend our time doing things that enhance our life, and give us great memories. One of the best ways we can record our memories, is through photographs... and photo Albums. I wish I had taken even more photos from my past, although I have quite a lot of photo albums lol._____________________________________ ______________________Here is an Awesome Video - For us Speed Lovers.Lamborgini vs. Ducati___________________________________ ________________________I hope you have a great weekend!
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Denzel's Philanthropy
2007-08-23 15:54:00
Denzel Washington and his family recently visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC).This is where soldiers who have been evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the United States, especially burn victims. There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a Hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the Hospital.BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled most of the time. While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses.He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He took his check book out and wrote a check for the full amount right there on the spot. The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it.That's my boy! :)Tags: Denzel Washingto...
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If I Die before you Wake
2007-08-20 16:12:00
I got an email from my friend Lorna, she sent me an excellent flash video in honor of our soldiers around the world. I am totally against the Iraq war and believe war should always be the last possible option - but we should always respect and honor those soldiers who fight for us and keep us safe.Because some people can't view flash videos I located the vid on YouTube, below.If you can view Flash then here is the link to the actual Flash Video If I die before you wakeThanksTags: War, Soldiers, Troops, Honor, Hero, Movies, Youtube,
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Weekend Fun #8
2007-08-18 01:04:00
Greetings friends, I have redeemed myself during my weekly basketball game, winning yet another game. Yay me. I have been super busy this week, and thankfully I have been able to post pretty regularly. Hey, I found a cool Website with a Tonage of Blog Widgets and addons, Click Here if you want to add some fun to your blog.____________________________________ _______________________Here's a Video I found on you tube, one of my all time Fav Songs. :) Legendary " Purple Rain" - Prince___________________________________ ________________________In case you have not noticed, I am a Die Hard YouTube fan...but I am also a Die Hard Music fan, so how about visiting Anywhere.FM?You can upload your entire Music Collection, play it anywhere, and Make friends and discover new music. Check it out :)_______________________________________ ____________________I hope all of you have an awesome Weekend ! Have fun, you only live once... I think. :)

CARE has Issues
2007-08-16 15:42:00
CARE, one of the world?s biggest charities, is walking away from some $45 million a year in federal financing, saying American food aid is not only plagued with inefficiencies, but also may hurt some of the very poor people it aims to help.CARE?s decision is focused on the practice of selling tons of often heavily subsidized American farm products in African countries that in some cases, it says, compete with the crops of struggling local farmers.?If someone wants to help you, they shouldn?t do it by destroying the very thing that they?re trying to promote,? said George Odo, a CARE official.My Thoughts: While I think CARE is an awesome charity - I have to disagree with this, in "some" cases? Government corruption is what hurts these countries.Under the system, the United States government buys the goods from American agribusinesses, ships them overseas, and then donates them to the aid groups as an indirect form of financing. The groups sell the products on the market in poor countr...
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Help for Darfur
2007-08-15 14:51:00
Photo: Chinese peacekeepers prepare to depart for their UN mission to Sudan.France, Denmark and Indonesia offered Wednesday to contribute to a joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur .Acceptance of the new 26,000-strong force marked a major turnaround for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's government, which had resisted for months a push to send U.N. peacekeepers to the western Darfur region, where over 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million been chased from their homes in four years of fighting.The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved the force, which if fully deployed would be the world's largest peacekeeping operation.The new peacekeeping force will take over from the beleaguered 7,000-strong African Union force now in Darfur.France offered to send soldiers and participate in the chain of command, as well as take part in reconstruction and humanitarian efforts, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said. He did not say how many troops France might c...

A Challenge for our time
2007-08-14 15:42:00
Child prostitution is now a worldwide crisis.Worldwide, it is estimated that up to 1,200,000 children per year are brought into the child prostitution and human slavery industries.In the United States alone, it is estimated that 17,500 women and children per year are imported for this heinous work. Human trafficking is an industry so lucrative, that the U.S. intelligence community estimates it will surpass the business generated by the illicit trade in guns and narcotics within the decade. Child trafficking is an epidemic that is growing exponentially. Unfortunately, response to this pandemic and awareness of this issue has not kept pace. It has been said that ?Evil prevails when good men do nothing.? Will you help fight for those who cannot fight for themselves? ZOE Children?s Homes is a division of ZOE, an international Christian organization. The Children?s Homes were launched to proactively rescue children who are at risk of being sold into human slavery and/or child prostituti...
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Make a Difference
2007-08-13 15:55:00
With an extra $1,000, you could invest to make a profit -- or you could invest to make difference in someone's future, according to Kiplinger's Personal Finance, which offers these tips for putting your money to good use - Help teachers help students. Classrooms with limited budgets can now go to DonorsChoose.com, a Web site that connects donors with small schoolroom projects.A $1,000 donation can provide a computer to one classroom, or be split up among multiple classes, offering dress-up clothing to kindergarteners in one city and a digital camera to third graders in another.Do good with a donor-advised fund. Instead of the $10,000 minimum contribution required by most mutual fund companies to open a donor-advised fund, many community foundations allow you to start one for $1,000 or less. The program invests your assets, and as they grow, you have more oney to give. When your fund is large enough to make a grant -- that threshold is usually $10,000 -- you then recommend which ...
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Jordan helps Educate Iraqi Children
2007-08-12 18:30:00
UNICEF welcomes the Government of Jordan 's recent announcement that itwill open all public schools to Iraqi children. They and their families have fled violence from neighbouring Iraq and have encountered numerous obstacles as they resettle. Many have lost a parent, a teacher, their friends and their place in communities. A large proportion of Iraqi children living in Jordan had not attended school for years.For the first time, when Jordanian public schools start classes on 19 August, they will open their doors to these children, regardless of whether they possess a residency permit or not. Previously, formal education was available only to Iraqis holding residency permits.Education is a right for all children, including those in emergencies.Schools restore a sense of normalcy to children whose lives have been disrupted by violence and/or displacement, and provide the forum to deliver interventions beyond education.UNICEF has been supporting education of Iraqi children in Iraq and ...
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Weekend Fun #7
2007-08-10 23:26:00
Another great week come and gone, one thing I have learned.. yet again is not to let other people's problems affect how you live your life. Be willing to help if they ask, but don't let their issues consume you to the point of driving you crazy!I have missed 2 weeks of basketball, I am hoping to resume next week.____________________________________ _______________________One of my all time favorite 80's TV shows.. was Family Ties. I still enjoy watching old episodes.. and I found one of my favorite episodes on YouTubeIt's called "The Real Thing" and so here it is.. in 8 Parts. For all of you who believe in True Love :)Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5Part 6Part 7Part 8 ( The End )________________________________________ ___________________Have a Great Weekend !!!

Uplifting Athletes
2007-08-09 18:24:00
The Penn State Football Uplifting Athlete s fifth annual Lift For Life event was a tremendous success. Nearly 3,000 Nittany Lion fans joined kidney cancer patients from across the country and gathered in Holuba Hall on the Penn State campus to support the football student-athletes as they competed in a strength and conditioning competition to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association.The event was planned by current members of the football team to raise funds and help raise awareness for this rare disease. The university chapter has received over $75,000 in donations so far this year, increasing the total raised to more than $225,000 since 2003.Penn State Football student-athletes began the fight against kidney cancer in 2003 when they learned four team members had fathers battling this deadly disease. Only about 30,000 Americans are afflicted with kidney cancer each year, qualifying it as a rare disease. Consequently, kidney cancer struggles for attention and desperately competes for re...
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The Little Engine That Could
2007-08-08 14:37:00
Last month a Japanese railway company put the world's first environmentally friendly hybrid train into commercial service - a move designed to help curb global warming, a company official said.The train is powered by a diesel engine and electric battery that gets recharged by energy created from braking at curves and when entering stations, East Japan Railway spokesman Shinichi Harada said.The new technology helps reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter by up to 60 percent, compared to conventional trains, Harada said.It cuts fuel consumption by up to 20 percent, and also runs more quietly."It is our responsibility to help reduce global warming by running environmentally friendly means of transportation," Harada said.Resources: Forbes NewsTags: Hybrid, Train, Railroad, Global Warming, Environment
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