Friday, February 14, 2014
Friday, January 3, 2014
UN Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Assistance
Do You Know How UN Carrying Out the Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Assistance?
Whenever there is a disaster or a humanitarian catastrophe, the UN is on the ground providing relief, support and assistance.
From the population displacements caused by war, weather and natural disasters, to the impact of such disruptions on health, hygiene, education, nutrition and even basic shelter, the UN is there, making a difference.
The humanitarian and disaster-relief efforts of the UN system are overseen and facilitated by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), led by the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator. Among its many activities, OCHA provides the latest information on emergencies worldwide, and launches international “consolidated appeals” to mobilize financing for the provision of emergency assistance in specific situations.
Whenever there is a disaster or a humanitarian catastrophe, the UN is on the ground providing relief, support and assistance.
From the population displacements caused by war, weather and natural disasters, to the impact of such disruptions on health, hygiene, education, nutrition and even basic shelter, the UN is there, making a difference.
- World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), food is made available to those who might otherwise starve.
- Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and
- The International Organization for Migration (IOM), camps and other facilities are set up and maintained for those who have been forced to leave their homes.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) helps protect those displaced by natural and man-made disasters from the ravages of disease.
- The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), with the aid of such bodies as the International Save the Children
Alliance, provides education for children who have been uprooted by calamity.
The humanitarian and disaster-relief efforts of the UN system are overseen and facilitated by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), led by the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator. Among its many activities, OCHA provides the latest information on emergencies worldwide, and launches international “consolidated appeals” to mobilize financing for the provision of emergency assistance in specific situations.
When men, women and children are trapped in the midst of war, the Secretary-General and his representatives help negotiate “zones of peace” for the delivery of humanitarian aid. And UN peacekeepers protect the delivery of that aid —whether provided by members of the UN system or such humanitarian bodies as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red CrescentSocieties.
“Today, we recognize the millions of people who count on us for their very survival. The one billion people afflicted by hunger. The tens of millions forced to flee their homes because of disaster and conflict.
The children who die from diseases we know how to cure. The women and girls who are brutalized by sexual violence. We need to tackle these problems at their root. But until we do, lives will hang in the balance. And the humanitarian community will be on the scene, rushing bravely towards danger, determined to help people in need."
The children who die from diseases we know how to cure. The women and girls who are brutalized by sexual violence. We need to tackle these problems at their root. But until we do, lives will hang in the balance. And the humanitarian community will be on the scene, rushing bravely towards danger, determined to help people in need."
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Remarks to launch the first World Humanitarian Day
UN Headquarters, 19 August 2009
Remarks to launch the first World Humanitarian Day
UN Headquarters, 19 August 2009
A key player in coordinating this assistance is the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), which brings together all major humanitarian agencies, both within and outside the UN system. Chaired by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, it develops policies, agrees on the division of responsibilities among humanitarian agencies, and works to make the process as efficient as possible. Its “cluster approach” to the division of responsibilities in the face of disaster has revolutionized the provision of humanitarian aid.
Beyond all this, the UN system works to prevent disasters whenever possible, whether natural or man-made. A major man-made cause of human pain is war and conflict, and the UN works on the diplomatic front to prevent and resolve the human tragedy of war. It helps country’s set up early warning systems to give them time to prepare for an expected assault by the elements. And the UN is in the forefront of addressing the perils of climate change, which has already begun to increase the number and intensity of “natural” disaster situations worldwide.
It has been said that, in the face of life’s most unacceptable situations, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” In all of the global issues on its agenda — and especially with respect to emergency assistance for the protection of human life — the UN is part of the solution. A very big part.
By General Assembly resolution 63/139 of 11 December 2008, World Humanitarian Day is observed annually on 19 August, in order to increase public awareness about humanitarian assistance activities worldwide and the importance of international cooperation in this regard, as well as to honour all humanitarian and United Nations and associated personnel who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause and those who have lost their lives in the cause of duty.
By General Assembly resolution 44/236 of 22 December 1989, the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction is observed the second Wednesday of October.
Beyond all this, the UN system works to prevent disasters whenever possible, whether natural or man-made. A major man-made cause of human pain is war and conflict, and the UN works on the diplomatic front to prevent and resolve the human tragedy of war. It helps country’s set up early warning systems to give them time to prepare for an expected assault by the elements. And the UN is in the forefront of addressing the perils of climate change, which has already begun to increase the number and intensity of “natural” disaster situations worldwide.
It has been said that, in the face of life’s most unacceptable situations, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” In all of the global issues on its agenda — and especially with respect to emergency assistance for the protection of human life — the UN is part of the solution. A very big part.
By General Assembly resolution 63/139 of 11 December 2008, World Humanitarian Day is observed annually on 19 August, in order to increase public awareness about humanitarian assistance activities worldwide and the importance of international cooperation in this regard, as well as to honour all humanitarian and United Nations and associated personnel who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause and those who have lost their lives in the cause of duty.
By General Assembly resolution 44/236 of 22 December 1989, the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction is observed the second Wednesday of October.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
UN Millennium Goals Update & Post 2015
MDG Report 2013 released
The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013 was launched in Geneva by the Secretary-General on 1 July 2013. The report presents the yearly assessment of global and regional progress towards the MDGs. With the deadline for the MDGs on the horizon, this year's report examines where the targets have been met and where redoubled efforts are needed urgently to accelerate the progress. It also reveals that our attention needs to focus on disparities across geographical areas and population groups within countries.
The report is based on comprehensive official statistics compiled by the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on MDG indicators led by the Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
The report is available in all UN languages.
The Statistical Annex of the report can be viewed here.
Extract from website http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/News.aspx?ArticleId=75
For more background information,
http://data.worldbank.org/about/millennium-development-goals
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations have highlighted the following that need to step up efforts to build a more just, secure and sustainable future for all.
- one in eight people worldwide remain hungry.
- Too many women die in childbirth when we have the means to save them.
- More than 2.5 billion people lack improved sanitation facilities, of which one billion continue to practice open defecation, a major health and environmental hazard.
- Our resource base is in serious decline, with continuing losses of forests, species and fish stocks, in a world already experiencing the impacts of climate change.
This report also shows that the achievement of the MDGs has been uneven among and within countries. Children from poor and rural households are much more likely to be out of school than their rich and urban counterparts. Wide gaps remain in basic knowledge about HIV and its prevention among young men and women in sub-Saharan Africa, which has been hardest hit by the epidemic. In more than a decade of experience in working towards the MDGs, UN have learned that focused global development efforts can make a difference.
Through accelerated action, the world can achieve the MDGs and generate momentum for an ambitious and inspiring post-2015 development framework. Now is the time.
After Posting Note: Bill Gates Review of 2013 & Post 2013
After Posting Note: Bill Gates Review of 2013 & Post 2013
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The Power of Giving
Why Give?
We live in a world, full of violence, human sufferings and environmental destruction.
Just take the recent events, the earth quakes & nuclear accident in Japan to violence to people caught in war or suppression in the Middle East Countries. These have untold disastrous impact to human existence and well being.
The world has responded quickly to these crisis with assistance of every conceivable kind, to help heal the wounds of these people and reduce their pain.
We believe that giving is a fundamental human need - one that benefits both the recipients of the gift and the giver.
To know more of benefits of giving, please click the attached hyperlink below.
http://www.thepowerofgiving.org/excerpt
What about Other Disasters?
In today world, there are many "disasters" that kill many more people that the earth quakes and in war torn countries - they just aren't as graphic, immediate or as easy to present on TV.
Consider the following statistics:
Extract from http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/mpi/
What Can You Give?
You may have much to give, or you may have only a little to give.
The key to the power of giving is givng to your potential.
It is, to give what you have that could be of value to others.
These could include time, money, or the ability to organize a fundraising event, or they could be more intangible, like love, wisdom , and attention.
I strongly recommend you read "The Power of Giving" by Azim Jamal and Harvey Mckinnon. It is obtainable from the website http://www.thepowerofgiving.org/home
Declaration: Ideas and extracts are from The Power of Giving by Azim Jamal and Harvey Mckinnon. While some of you who reads this blog may has bought the book, my intention of spreading the news is that this book changes lives! This book is a seamless “giving” project. Azim and Harvey have donated their time to write and promote this book. All author profits will go to non-profits through Tides Canada Foundation.
Can the power of giving really change your life?
Many people, including me, believe wholeheartedly it will.
Read more from http://www.power-of-giving.com/
Generosity - The Power of Giving
http://www.wehelpyourock.com/2011/03/09/generosity-the-power-of-giving/
Let's help those who are in need of our "giving potential".
You are a conduit - the more you give, the more you receive.
Giving is a beautiful experience.
Make a positive difference to other people lives.
We live in a world, full of violence, human sufferings and environmental destruction.
Just take the recent events, the earth quakes & nuclear accident in Japan to violence to people caught in war or suppression in the Middle East Countries. These have untold disastrous impact to human existence and well being.
The world has responded quickly to these crisis with assistance of every conceivable kind, to help heal the wounds of these people and reduce their pain.
We believe that giving is a fundamental human need - one that benefits both the recipients of the gift and the giver.
To know more of benefits of giving, please click the attached hyperlink below.
http://www.thepowerofgiving.org/excerpt
What about Other Disasters?
In today world, there are many "disasters" that kill many more people that the earth quakes and in war torn countries - they just aren't as graphic, immediate or as easy to present on TV.
Consider the following statistics:
- One out of every four people in the world is hungry.
Extract from http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/mpi/
- Every few seconds a child dies from a preventable disease
What Can You Give?
You may have much to give, or you may have only a little to give.
The key to the power of giving is givng to your potential.
It is, to give what you have that could be of value to others.
These could include time, money, or the ability to organize a fundraising event, or they could be more intangible, like love, wisdom , and attention.
I strongly recommend you read "The Power of Giving" by Azim Jamal and Harvey Mckinnon. It is obtainable from the website http://www.thepowerofgiving.org/home
Declaration: Ideas and extracts are from The Power of Giving by Azim Jamal and Harvey Mckinnon. While some of you who reads this blog may has bought the book, my intention of spreading the news is that this book changes lives! This book is a seamless “giving” project. Azim and Harvey have donated their time to write and promote this book. All author profits will go to non-profits through Tides Canada Foundation.
Can the power of giving really change your life?
Many people, including me, believe wholeheartedly it will.
Read more from http://www.power-of-giving.com/
Generosity - The Power of Giving
http://www.wehelpyourock.com/2011/03/09/generosity-the-power-of-giving/
Let's help those who are in need of our "giving potential".
You are a conduit - the more you give, the more you receive.
Giving is a beautiful experience.
Make a positive difference to other people lives.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Philanthropists Forum 2011_The Importance of Philanthropy
Philanthropists Forum 2011
In the inaugural Credit Suisse Philanthropists Forum in Asia on 07 April 2011, Senior Minister Mr. Goh Chok Tong of Singapore Government Cabinet had highlighted the importance of Philanthropy.
"In recent years, the problems facing the world have been getting more acute. The World Bank estimated that the recent Global Financial Crisis pushed an additional 64 million people into extreme poverty. Rising energy and food prices have put additional stress on the most vulnerable, who spend more than half their income on food. The New Zealand, Japan and Myanmar earthquakes are the latest in a line of disasters to plague the Asia-Pacific. Climate change and natural disasters are creating new and pressing needs on an unprecedented scale.
In the inaugural Credit Suisse Philanthropists Forum in Asia on 07 April 2011, Senior Minister Mr. Goh Chok Tong of Singapore Government Cabinet had highlighted the importance of Philanthropy.
"In recent years, the problems facing the world have been getting more acute. The World Bank estimated that the recent Global Financial Crisis pushed an additional 64 million people into extreme poverty. Rising energy and food prices have put additional stress on the most vulnerable, who spend more than half their income on food. The New Zealand, Japan and Myanmar earthquakes are the latest in a line of disasters to plague the Asia-Pacific. Climate change and natural disasters are creating new and pressing needs on an unprecedented scale.
Fortunately, philanthropy has risen to play an important role in dealing with these problems. Generous donations have brought about immediate relief in the aftermath of disasters, and have also funded medium to long term programmes, such as education and health services, to improve the well-being of communities."
More of his speech,
public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/micacsd/speech/S-20110407-1
public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/micacsd/speech/S-20110407-1
In the panel discussion on the second day of the same Forum, Mr. Lim Chee Onn, chairman of Temasek Holdings unit: Singbridge International Singapore, who also chairs the advisory board of the Harvard Singapore Foundation said,
"These is a need to fuse social entrepreneurship and business entrepreneurship so that they reinforce each other. Philanthroypy can be embeded in the way we do business."
Business leaders in Asia are urged to encourage others to incorporate philantrhropy into their business activity.
Extract from article on "Let philanthropy beget more philanthropy" written By Conrad Tan of Business Times
Asia's philanthrophy has not reached the maturity of Europe's or Amercia's, with envangelists like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett rallying the rich to give. But this is only natural as most rich Asians made their wealth recently, said speakers invited to the Forum.
One of the them who did it in his own way is Mr, Niu Gensheng, founder of Chinese dairy products manufacturer Mengniu Dairy. He set up Lao Niu foundation to support other other charity funds and is own environmental, healthcare and education projects, mostly in Inner Mongolia.
Peter Buffett, son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, made a similar point, when asked about the differences between Asia and the West when it comes to giving instead of keeping wealth in the family.
Philanthropy Initiatives by Some Other Organizations
The Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium
The Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium is an independent association of grantmaking philanthropic institutions and organizations that support the growth and development of philanthropy in the Asia Pacific region.
Asian Philanthropy Forum
Asian Philanthropy Forum is a global, online community where donors, philanthropy advisors, nonprofit professionals, and other social sector investors unite, act, share best practices, and leverage their philanthropic capital and knowledge to advance human justice and security, improve quality of life, and to protect the environment. The Forum promotes philanthropy in Asia, to Asia and for Asia through a growing network of international contributors.
Asian Philanthropy Forum's vision is of a world where every philanthropic impulse to improve life in Asia is effectively fulfilled and shared with others.
Centre for the Advancement of Philanthropy
Philanthropy Asia is the website of the Centre for the Advancement of Philanthropy. It is the first organization of its kind established in Malaysia (2007) in direct response to the philanthropic challenges in Malaysia and Asia and to assist in the development of more institutionalized, progressive and strategic forms of philanthropy. The Centre plays an important role in the advancement of indigenous, transregional and transnational (global) philanthropy. The Centre aims to engage Asians in philanthropic action to produce a better world, one that is more humane and sustainable.
Tracking the Pulse of Philanthropy in Asia
http://www.asianphilanthropyforum.org/articles-on-asia-pacific-.html
Thursday, February 3, 2011
21st IAVE World Volunteer & Youth Conferences 2011
21st IAVE World Volunteer Conference 2011
The event had taken place in Singapore on January 24 - 27, 2011. Hosted by Singapore’s National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, the event was run in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the UN International Year of Volunteers (IYV +10) and IAVE’s 40th anniversary. In the tradition of recent IAVE conferences, an affiliated Youth Volunteer Conference was held on January 21 - 23.For more details, see http://iave2011.org/home/index.php
News of conference, see http://www.iave.org/ & GCVC news http://www.iave.org/gcvc
For News, Videos and Comments on IAVE Youth Volunteer Conference http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/IAVE-Youth-Volunteer-Conference-2011/120359401358317
About IAVE
Introducing IAVE
The International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) was founded in 1970 by a group of volunteers from around the world who saw in volunteering a means of making connections across countries and cultures. It has grown into a global network of volunteers, volunteer organisations, national representatives and volunteer centres, with members in over 70 countries, and in all world regions. The majority of IAVE members are in developing countries. IAVE is registered as a charity in the USA, in California, with By-Laws which set out the governing principles and procedures. IAVE has special consultative status with the UN ECOSOC Committee, and associate status with the UN Department of Public Information. It is a member of the UN Confederation of NGO’s, and has a strong working relationship with UN Volunteers, underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding.Aims
IAVE exists to promote, strengthen and celebrate the development of volunteering worldwide. It is the only international organisation for which this is the primary aim.National Volunteer Centres
IAVE supports the development of strong national and local volunteer centres throughout the world. It has researched and published the first directory of existing national volunteer centres. There is a position on the IAVE Board of Directors for a member from the NVC network. http://www.iave.org/content/national-volunteer-centres
For IAVE Events
http://www.iave.org/events
IAVE National Representatives http://www.iave.org/content/national-representatives
For IAVE Events
http://www.iave.org/events
Sunday, January 16, 2011
UN Millennium Goals: Snapshot of Singapore Life 2010
UN Millennium Goals: Snapshot of Singapore Life 2010: "Census of population 2010 Population Profile 5.08 million (from 4.03 million in 2000)Citizens increased by 8 per cent, to 3.2 millionPermane..."
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