Saturday, September 1, 2007

UNESCO WSIS Action Directory: How UNESCO is implementing the WSIS Action Plan

UNESCO works with all stakeholders towards the implementation of the outcomes of WSIS.

UNESCO’s role in the implementation process is three-fold:

* UNESCO implements concrete activities included in the Geneva Plan of Action within the framework of its regular programme and budget.

* UNESCO helps facilitating the coherent implementation of the Action Lines in its areas of competence.

* UNESCO, together with ITU and UNDP, is engaged in shaping the overall multi-stakeholder coordination of the Facilitators of all Action Lines

UNESCO WSIS Action Directory: How UNESCO is implementing the WSIS Action Plan

UNESCO works with all stakeholders towards the implementation of the outcomes of WSIS.

UNESCO’s role in the implementation process is three-fold:

* UNESCO implements concrete activities included in the Geneva Plan of Action within the framework of its regular programme and budget.

* UNESCO helps facilitating the coherent implementation of the Action Lines in its areas of competence.

* UNESCO, together with ITU and UNDP, is engaged in shaping the overall multi-stakeholder coordination of the Facilitators of all Action Lines

From Friends of World Heritage


Friends of World Heritage sent me this message:

Dear friend,

Did you know that the United States was the first country to sign the treaty that established UNESCO World Heritage sites? Or that there are 20 U.S. national parks and monuments inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List?

One of the most popular of these sites is Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, a unique and beautiful landscape that is home to two of the world’s active volcanoes. Its designation as a U.S. National Park (since 1916) and a UNESCO World Heritage site (since 1987) helps preserve the area’s striking geology, biodiversity and culture. But with over 1.7 million visitors last year alone, the challenges of conservation depend on a healthy relationship between the park and its visitors.

To learn more about this breath-taking site and the challenges it faces we interviewed Cindy Orlando, superintendent of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Read on to find out about touring two of the most active volcanoes in the world, the hundreds of species that are found only on their slopes, and the people who coexist on this constantly changing island.

FoWH: What makes HVNP a special place?

Orlando: There’s so much that makes the park special. Two of the five volcanoes on the island are within the park, making the volcanoes an important component of the park visit. The ability to approach an active volcano gives visitors an opportunity to discover first-hand how the Earth was born. And learning about the Hawaiian people who still inhabit these lands gives visitors a glimpse into the stories and journeys of the host culture of this area. Lastly, it contains outstanding natural values – such as craters, summit trails, desert and rainforest.

To read the full interview, click here.

From Friends of World Heritage


Friends of World Heritage sent me this message:

Dear friend,

Did you know that the United States was the first country to sign the treaty that established UNESCO World Heritage sites? Or that there are 20 U.S. national parks and monuments inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List?

One of the most popular of these sites is Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, a unique and beautiful landscape that is home to two of the world’s active volcanoes. Its designation as a U.S. National Park (since 1916) and a UNESCO World Heritage site (since 1987) helps preserve the area’s striking geology, biodiversity and culture. But with over 1.7 million visitors last year alone, the challenges of conservation depend on a healthy relationship between the park and its visitors.

To learn more about this breath-taking site and the challenges it faces we interviewed Cindy Orlando, superintendent of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Read on to find out about touring two of the most active volcanoes in the world, the hundreds of species that are found only on their slopes, and the people who coexist on this constantly changing island.

FoWH: What makes HVNP a special place?

Orlando: There’s so much that makes the park special. Two of the five volcanoes on the island are within the park, making the volcanoes an important component of the park visit. The ability to approach an active volcano gives visitors an opportunity to discover first-hand how the Earth was born. And learning about the Hawaiian people who still inhabit these lands gives visitors a glimpse into the stories and journeys of the host culture of this area. Lastly, it contains outstanding natural values – such as craters, summit trails, desert and rainforest.

To read the full interview, click here.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

I will be working in West Asia for two weeks

I will be working abroad for the next couple of weeks and will probably be pretty busy and constrained by limited connectivity. I probably will not post much. Sorry!

John Daly

I will be working in West Asia for two weeks

I will be working abroad for the next couple of weeks and will probably be pretty busy and constrained by limited connectivity. I probably will not post much. Sorry!

John Daly

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

UNESCO Americas Youth Forum

"Young People and the
Dialog among Civilizations, Cultures and Peoples"

From 9 to 15 September 2007, young people from 36 countries from North, Central and South America will meet in Mexico City and Acapulco to share experiences, consolidate their enthusiasm and propose new initiatives to tackle the regional youth issues.

This Forum will bring together young delegates from each participating country (nominated by the country’s National Commission for UNESCO and National Youth Council), facilitators and experts on the issues to be discussed, and observers from a wide range of youth NGOs and networks.

It is being co-organixed by UNESCO and the Mexican National Commission for UNESCO, in cooperation with the Estate of Guerrero (Youth Secretary and Secretary for Rural Development), the Mexican Institute of Youth and two NGOs, on behalf of the government of Mexico.

Through workshops, plenary sessions and meetings, the young leaders are to have the opportunity to discuss new strategies to promote cooperation amongst youth networks in the Americas, to strengthen youth participation in the regional community by engaging UNESCO and its partners, to develop tangible projects for the empowerment of young people in society, and to prepare for the upcoming 2007 UNESCO Youth Forum.

The Americas Youth Forum is part of the series of Regional UNESCO Youth Forums, focused on the theme of "Young People and the Dialog among Civilizations, Cultures and Peoples", which is to form the basis of discussion for the UNESCO Youth Forum, to be held on 12 and 13 October 2007 in the Paris Headquarters.

Apparently it is not all work!