Tuesday, October 25, 2011

6th World Youth Congress 2012 in Brazil - Apply by 31 December 2011


The application process for the 6th World Youth Congress by Peace Child International is open now. Check put the website: http://wycrio2012.org/ .

Deadline: 31st December 2011.

The Congress will bring together hundreds of young people (age 18-30) from around the world. They will include young development activists, young media professionals, young educators, young artists, young entrepreneurs, young health professionals, disadvantaged young people, young athletes for development, virtual delegates, and young environmentalists.

The Main criteria for selection will be evidence that you have done something significant in your community – which has shown leadership, invention, initiative, drive and determination to succeed.

All delegates will have the chance to meet many development / sustainability experts, academics, politicians, artists and diplomats in the Round Table discussions, the opening and closing plenaries, the skills workshops and the Action Projects.

Moreover, many young people who do not have the opportunity to ahttps://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#drafts/1333a42a521459d5ttendthe congress in person, will have the chance to listen to the plenaries, attend workshops and debates, pose questions and help draft documents as virtual delegates.

Don’t miss this chance! See you there!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

LEUPHANA SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT - Enabling a Transdisciplinary Approach 29th February – 2nd March 2012, Lüneburg, Germany


Dear colleagues,

For distribution to your networks of sustainability professionals: Call for papers!

On behalf of the Conference Organizing Committee, I would like to inform you of the:

LEUPHANA SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT - Enabling a Transdisciplinary Approach 29th February – 2nd March 2012, Lüneburg, Germany

The institutionalization of sustainability as a regulative idea has onlystarted in some spheres of activity and some areas of the world. To achieve transitions towards sustainability, continuous inquiry, learning, and adaptation is needed. And this requires science to go beyond disciplinary – and even interdisciplinary – approaches. By bringing about mutual learning, collaborative research, and problem solving among business, government and civil society, transdisciplinarity can serve as an important guiding concept for sustainability science and practice. Over the last 10 years, progress has been made to better understand and design the interface between sustainability science and transdisciplinarity. The conference focuses on three leading questions:

1. What insights about the role of transdisciplinarity for sustainability transitions have we gained over the last 10 years? 2. What gaps in research still remain? 3. How can we fill these gaps?

These guiding questions will focus the debates in workshops, plenary and parallel sessions in four topical areas: Biodiversity, Global Sustainability, Education, and Corporate Sustainability. At the conference leading researchers, particularly in sustainability, and high-level decision- makers will meet in a transdisciplinary setting with a goal of creating new insights to help move sustainability forward. Keynote speakers from civil society, politics, and business will be among others: Angelika Zahrnt (RNE, BUND/former chairwoman), Kersten-Karl Barth (Director Sustainability Siemens AG), Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Social Democratic Party of Germany, tbc).

For the pre-announcement of the conference and the call for papers please go to: http://www.leuphana.de/sustainability-summit

We are looking forward to receiving your abstracts and hope you will be able to join us in Lüneburg next February/March.

More information about the conference, such as the provisional program, venue etc. will soon be available at the conference website.

Best, Harald Heinrichs Gesa Luedecke
-----------------------------
Gesa Lüdecke Dipl. Umweltwissenschaftlerin / Environmental Scientist
Fakultät Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften / Department Sustainability Sciences
Institut für Umweltkommunikation / Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication
Leuphana Universität Lüneburg Geb. 11, Raum 131 Scharnhorststraße 1 21335 Lüneburg Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 4131_677-1565 Fax: +49 (0) 4131_677-2819
luedecke@uni.leuphana.de www.leuphana.de

Nominations open for UNEP’S Champions of the Earth Award - Nominate by 31 Oct


Nominations open for unep’s Champions of the Earth Award

2012 Awards Come in Run Up to Rio+20 and UNEP's 40th Anniversary Celebrations

Nairobi, 1 September 2011 - Nominations are now open for the 2012 Champions of the Earth -- the United Nations' flagship environment award that recognizes outstanding visionaries and leaders in the fields of policy, science, entrepreneurship and civil society action.

Next year’s award ceremony comes in the run up to Rio+20 or two decades after the Rio Earth Summit of 1992 that established treaties on biodiversity, climate change and land desertification and set the course for contemporary sustainable development. It also comes 40 years after the Stockholm Conference that established the UN Environment Program (UNEP).

The prize, which is organized by UNEP, seeks to honor men and women whose actions and leadership have made a positive impact on the environment. Whether by helping to improve the management of natural resources, demonstrating new ways to tackle climate change or raising awareness of emerging environmental challenges, the Champions of the Earth should serve as an inspiration for transformative action across the world.

The 2012 Champions of the Earth Awards will be especially interested in candidates whose achievements can be significantly linked to the outcomes of Stockholm in 1972 and Rio in 1992. Nominations of individuals and organizations providing leadership and creative contributions towards Rio+20 — under its twin themes of a Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and an institutional framework for sustainable development — will also be keenly considered. A laureate will be selected for each of the following categories: Policy, Leadership, Science and Innovation, Entrepreneurial Vision, and Inspiration and Action.

“The UNEP Champions of the Earth are pioneers and leaders in the fields of environmental sustainability with proven track records in advocacy and actions that are catalyzing a transition to a low carbon, more resource efficient future,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, “Next year in Brazil, governments will meet to evolve sustainable development under the themes of the Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and an institutional framework for sustainable development. The experiences, insights and practical achievements of UNEP’s Champions of the Earth can illuminate many of the transformational pathways that can make Rio+20 the success it needs to be.”

LG, corporate partner for the UNEP Champions of the Earth Award since 2010, reaffirmed the importance of celebrating role models who work to better the environment. “LG has been actively pursuing new environmental and energy-related initiatives not only because they’re good growth areas for LG, but because it’s the right thing to do” said Young-kee Kim, Chief Relations Officer of LG Electronics, “LG believes that the Champions of the Earth Award program can be the foundation to develop new environmental leaders among global citizens, to help make the world a better place for all.”

The 2011 laureates, who were honored at a high-level Award Ceremony in New York in May, included:
·         Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Policy Leadership category, for his commitment to lead international efforts to combat climate change;
·         Russian scientist Dr. Olga Speranskaya, Science & Innovation category, for successfully mobilizing civil society in eliminating obsolete pesticides and toxic chemicals in the former Soviet region;
·         BROAD Group’s CEO, Mr. Zhang Yue, Entrepreneurial Vision category, for his business leadership on energy efficiency and sustainable production;
·         Switzerland’s Louis Palmer and Benin’s Angélique Kidjo, Inspiration & Action category co-winners, for raising global awareness of the need for renewable energy and sustainable transport, and for advocating social equity and women empowerment in support of sustainable development, respectively.

Members of the public can now nominate a candidate who they believe is a true champion of green development. Nominations will be accepted until October 31, 2011 and can be made via the website:www.unep.org/champions.

Notes to Editors:

About the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) will take place in Brazil on 4-6 June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. It is envisaged as a Conference at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government or other representatives. The Conference will result in a focused political document.

The objective of the Conference is to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and address new and emerging challenges.

The Conference will focus on two themes: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development.

For more information about Rio+20, please visit:http://www.uncsd2012.org

About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 93,000 people working in over 120 operations around the world. With 2010 global sales of KRW 55.8 trillion (USD 48.2 billion), LG comprises four business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, and Air Conditioning & Energy Solutions. LG is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula 1™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. 

For more information about LG, please visithttp://www.LGnewsroom.com.

For more information about UNEP’s Champions of the Earth Award, please contact:

UNEP; Wambui Munge on +254 20 7625490 or
LG Electronics, Inc; Claire Jang on +822 3777 3925 or

Conference Announcement & Call for Papers: WATER SECURITY, RISK AND SOCIETY at St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford, April 16-18, 2012

Conference Announcement & Call for Papers: WATER SECURITY, RISK AND SOCIETY St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford, April 16-18, 2012

The University of Oxford announces the agenda-setting conference:

Water Security, Risk and Society.

The link for more information and to submit your abstract is available here:

http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/watersecurity/

Places are limited and the closing date for abstract submission is 18 November 2011.

This symposium will convene leading scientists and members of industry and government to advance the water security agenda and build partnerships across theory, policy and practice.

Keynote speakers will include:
Dr Don Blackmore (Member of the Order of Australia, Former CEO of the Murray
Darling Basin Commission), Professor David Grey (University of Oxford),
Professor Jerson Kelman (CEO, Light S.A. Brazil), Professor Mike Muller
(Commissioner, National Planning Commission of South Africa; University of
Witwatersrand), Dr Letitia Obeng (Chair, Global Water Partnership), Professor
Charles Vörösmarty (University of New Hampshire).

A series of panel sessions and presentations, including the open call for papers, will examine the following themes.

Defining and measuring water security
· Sources of water security;
· Metrics of water security;
· Development impacts of water security;
· Current state of water security around the world.

Pathways to water security
· Managing risk and variability;
· Policy and institutional responses;
· Infrastructure, incentives and financial instruments;
· Information and technology;
· Informing decision-making;
· An agenda and timelines for action

Please see our website for further information on the conference.
http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/watersecurity/

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The 1st South East Asia Forest Youth Meeting, 21-25 November 2011

The 1st South East Asia Forest Youth Meeting 

 

THEME: "Create History For Great Forestry"

 

SEAFYM (South East Asia Forest Youth Meeting ) is forestry event which will be held to celebrate The International Year of Forest. This event will be organized by IFSA Local Committee IPB and would be attended by students from the 10 ASEAN countries. 

 

The participants from ASEAN countries will be attending the 1st SEA-FYM in Indonesia on 21st – 25th, November 2011. The meeting will take place in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. The schedule of activities will be held for lectures and seminar, fieldtrip or excursion, cultural night.

 

We would like to invite students from ASEAN countries who are interested to attend this meeting and discuss together on how to make our forests more sustainable in the future...

 

In order of selection process, students must submit 300-500 words abstract under theme “Youth Innovation for Sustainable Forestry”, CV + Motivation Letter to seafym.2011@gmail.com before 14th November 2011

 

Finally, all selected participants will have to complete registration form, submit 1.200 words Full Paper and present the paper during the meeting.

 

 

Website: Southeast Asia Forest Youth Meeting

Contact: Organizing Committee of SEAFYM 2011