International Events

OneWebDay Celebrates Online Life

- Adam Clare

onewebdayThe internet is changing the way we socialize and we don’t know yet how this will impact society at large. OneWebDay wants to celebrate all the great changes that the internet has brought us. For example, ThingsAreGood.com wouldn’t exist if the web went away.

“OneWebDay is one day a year when we all – everyone around the physical globe – can celebrate the Web and what it means to us as individuals, organizations, and communities.
As with Earth Day – an inspiration and model for OneWebDay – it’s up to the celebrants to decide how to celebrate. We encourage all celebrations! Collaboration, connection, creativity, freedom.
By the end of the day, the Web should be just a little bit better than it was before, and we’ll be able to see our connection to it more clearly.”

Also OneWebDay is going on a tour of Canada!

Dropping Knowledge

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

This has got to be the coolest thing ever! Dropping Knowledge is getting ” 112 of the world’s most compelling thinkers, artists, writers, scientists, social entrepreneurs, philosophers and humanitarians from around the world” and seating them around the world’s largest table in Berlin. It’s happening in three days on the ninth of September. I wish I could be in Berlin for this.

“Using dropping knowledge’s question-rating system, the public identified 500 questions as those most likely to initate open dialog on a social topic of most relevance to them. This group of questions will yield the final 100 Questions — representing a truly global sampling of cultures, themes and ideas — to be asked at the Table of Free Voices and beyond.”

Some sample questions:
“why is clean water more expensive than gasoline in many countries?” joshua dharma , 34, suratthani, Thailand

“Self serving global corporations are not held accountable in any real sense of the word for their actions, how can this be changed? ” David Anderer , 60, Albany, Oregon, USA

“What is the real reason we punish criminals through a court system?” Mathijs Koenraadt , 25, Oosterhout, Netherlands

Ozone Hole Stabilizing

- Adam Clare

ozoneLisa writes to us and says that “the hole in the ozone layer has stabilized, and may close again in 60 years, thanks to successful international environmental agreements.”

This latest report is similar to one we mentioned earlier about the ozone hole, however the new report says it will take a few years longer. I still find it rewarding to see that when politicians notice an environmental problem (the hole in the ozone layer) and work on it internationally things happen.

Proof that if we tried hard enough we can combat climate change.

I see a ship in the harbour

- Adam Clare

boatSomalia has opened the Mogadishu port and for the first time in more than 10 years a ship has docked. Until now porters had to unload ships from natural harbours and carry the goods ashore. Workers have been working hard to clear the access to the port.

This is a good sign for a country that has been plagued with strife and hardship. Ships arriving at the port are expected to bring down the price of goods such as TVs. There is hope that the opening of this port will also help curb piracy in the local seas.

“Mogadishu’s port used to be one of the busiest in East Africa, before the conflict led to its closure.

The port and international airport have been closed since United Nations and US troops ended their operations in the city as it descended into chaos in the mid-1990s following the collapse of central government.”

ADB Dislikes Corruption

- Adam Clare

divulge large expenditures to ensure that governments are transparent. Hopefully then, governments will be held accountable for their actions.

“ADB today launched a government and anticorruption action plan which aims to improve the effectiveness of ADB’s development assistance and to contribute to poverty reduction throughout the region.

ADB is committing $4 million to support initial implementation of the new plan, which follows a comprehensive review of the implementation of ADB’s first action plan, adopted in 2000, and will enable developing member countries in partnership with ADB to design and deliver better quality projects and programs.”

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