HOME |
RSS | 
The next time your significant other complains that you spend too much time online you can tell them that internet access is a human right. So says the United Nations in a report released this past week citing how the Internet has become vital in ensuring freedom of expression.
As LaRue highlighted, Internet access can be particularly valuable during times of political unrest, as evidenced in the Arab Spring uprisings. LaRue emphasized the power of the Internet as a communication medium and said in his report that, “given that the Internet has become an indispensable tool for realizing a range of human rights, combating inequality, and accelerating development and human progress, ensuring universal access to the Internet should be a priority for all states.”
We’ve got human rights, animal rights, … but what about the rights of Mother Earth? That’s right – Bolivia has just drafted a United Nations treaty giving "Mother Earth" the same rights as humans:
The bid aims to have the UN recognize the Earth as a living entity that humans have sought to "dominate and exploit" — to the point that the "well-being and existence of many beings" is now threatened.
The wording may yet evolve, but the general structure is meant to mirror Bolivia’s Law of the Rights of Mother Earth, which Bolivian President Evo Morales enacted in January.
That document speaks of the country’s natural resources as "blessings," and grants the Earth a series of specific rights that include rights to life, water and clean air; the right to repair livelihoods affected by human activities; and the right to be free from pollution.
It also establishes a Ministry of Mother Earth, and provides the planet with an ombudsman whose job is to hear nature’s complaints as voiced by activist and other groups, including the state.
The American Chemical Society produced the video A Day Without Chemistry to raise awareness of the many ways we depend on chemistry in our daily lives. The International Year of Chemistry (IYC) officially begins on February 1st.
The 63rd General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry, envisioning a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind. Also being celebrated in 2011 is the centennial of the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Marie Curie for her work on radioactivity, and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Association of Chemical Societies.
The American Chemical Society has a site full of ways to learn about chemistry and share your interest called ACS Celebrates IYC 2011, featuring new information and activities each day. Link
A staff photographer for New Yorker magazine referred to only as Platon set up a studio in the United Nations building this past September to get portraits of as many world leaders as possible. For five days he took photographs of each member of the General Assembly that came to his temporary studio. Those portraits are now posted in slide show form. Click on any of them, and you can hear Platon’s story of how he got the picture, and his impressions of each president or prime minister. Link -via the Presurfer
The United Nations is in session, with leaders and representatives from all over the world meeting to exchange ideas. Just how can they do that, when they speak so many different languages?
The United Nations hires about 120 interpreters—not to be confused with translators, who translate text—who are considered the best in their profession. No education is required, but roughly 70 percent of the members of the American Translators Association have college degrees. Interpreters slot the languages they know into three categories: A, B, and C.
Interpreters work under strict protocols, which you can read about at Slate Magazine. Link
When the United Nations decided to redecorate the Human Rights Hall of their Geneva headquarters, they called upon renowned Spanish artist Miquel Barcelo to provide his own unique take on the redesign.
Using 77,000 pounds of paint and a multi-million Euro budget, the artist created a textured and engaging grotto complete with multi-colored stalactites.
A $23 million ceiling painting featuring hundreds of dangling icicle shapes that has been criticized for its hefty price tag was unveiled Tuesday at the United Nations.
The 16,000-square-foot (1,500-square-meter) elliptical dome full of bright colors and torn aluminum took over a year to produce.
Spanish abstract artist Miquel Barcelo used more than 100 tons of paint with pigments from all over the world, and worked with architects, engineers and even particle physics laboratories to develop the extra-strength aluminum for the dome.
“On a day of immense heat in the middle of the Sahel desert, I recall with vivacity the mirage of an image of the world dripping toward the sky,” Barcelo says. “Trees, dunes, donkeys, multicolored beings flowing drop by drop.”
From the Upcoming 
ueue, submitted by whitespace.
Many of you have heard the phrase “Knowledge is Power,” but what about
“Knowledge is Philanthropy?” At freerice.com, your intellect and breadth of vocabulary allow you just that, the opportunity to give.
By simply playing word games, freerice.com gives you have the ability to donate an unlimited amount of rice grains to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP.) The process is simple. For every correct answer you submit 20 grains of rice is donated, for every 5 correct answers 100 grains are donated, and so on and so forth. No risk, just reward.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by whitespace.
