Namibia demands return of genocide skulls from GermanyWindhoek, Namibia (PANA) - Namibia said German universities should return about47 human skulls, remains of colonial era German genocide which are in German archives, reports said here Wednesday. 23/07/2008 Full Text... Jul 23, 2008
Namibia's ambassador to Germany, Peter Katjavivi, told ARD that the skulls must be repatriated to Namibia, citing a UNESCO convention which stipulates that the s kulls must be taken back to their country of origin. It is a question of regaining our dignity. (Panapress.com)
Preah Vihear Jul 23, 2008
A Rumble in the Jungle. A Rumble in the Jungle. (Time.com)
UN help sought over temple row Jul 22, 2008
Earlier this month Unesco listed the temple as a Cambodian World Heritage Site, reigniting nationalist tensions, particularly in Thailand. Opposition forces there have been using the issue to attack the government - which initially backed the heritage listing. (BBC News)
Jurassic past Jul 22, 2008
" But villagers have now embraced their famous heritage, and most of Madar's 3,000 inhabitants have even watched the Hollywood blockbuster, Jurassic Park. Scientists in Yemen have applied for the prints to be given Unesco status, not only to properly protect them, but also in the hope that the dinosaur tracks might help pull in curious tourists as well. Madar's friendly locals are keen for more foreigners to visit the village. As Mr Arshami, whose home is ringed by dinosaur prints, said: "It's... (BBC News)
Cambodia Wants UN Meeting Jul 22, 2008
8 square miles of land near the temple escalated earlier this month when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. More than 4,000 troops have been deployed around the temple and in the immediate vicinity since July 15. (Time.com)
Cambodia: Little Hope for Thai Talks Jul 21, 2008
The conflict over territory surrounding the ancient Hindu temple escalated earlier this month when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai activists say the new status undermines Thailand's claim to the compound of a nearby Buddhist pagoda. (Time.com)
Cambodia, Thailand deploy more troops Jul 18, 2008
The confrontation came to a head last week when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application for World Heritage Site status for Preah Vihear ... They have also accused Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej of bypassing Parliament and backing the UNESCO application in exchange for business contracts for the cronies of toppled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. (Boston Globe)
Parkland expanding at 'extraordinary' pace Jul 18, 2008
The enlargement of the Nahanni National Park Reserve, also in the NWT and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, shifted another tract of nearly the same size into the protected category. The amount of land protected in the Northwest Territories alone in the past year was equal to about 25 Prince Edward Islands. (Globe and Mail -- National)
Penang Hokkien in peril Jul 16, 2008
He said it was even more important now to preserve the dialect with George Towns recent listing as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Many people here do not know that our native dialect has become a dying heritage, Tan told a press conference to promote the sale of the books to raise funds for Penang Adventist Hospitals needy patients. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Thai opposition seeks to impeach foreign minister Jul 13, 2008
UNESCO, the U.N. agency for culture and education, voted on Monday to register the temple, which the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 belonged to Cambodia and has been at the centre of a bitter dispute between the two neighbours ... Noppadon, who returned to Bangkok on Thursday after attending the UNESCO meeting in Canada, avoided 150 protesters at the airport waving placards and shouting "Noppadon: The Traitor.". (Reuters)
Edinburgh risks losing status as world heritage site Jul 8, 2008
Scottish heritage groups have applauded Unesco's decision to send a team of investigators to assess Edinburgh's world heritage status. The groups hope that an intervention by Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation) will halt several planned building projects that they claim will ruin the city's distinct character ... Unesco's world heritage committee decided to send the investigators after hearing, as one insider put it, something might be amiss in Edinburgh. (Times Online)
* World News Quick Take Jul 8, 2008
UNESCO adds heritage sites. The UN cultural agency UNESCO approved three new additions on Sunday to its prestigious list of world heritage sites ... At the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee, UNESCO voted to expand the list. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Diao Ai Lien: Challenging public perception Jun 30, 2008
Much of what is presented in the symposiums is the result of her experience and extensive research funded mainly by the National Library and by the UNESCO.. In 2004 to 2005, Ai Lien was chosen as one of the researchers of UNESCO's Project on the Development of Information Literacy through School Libraries in Southeast Asian Countries. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
UN rules Nepal monuments now safe Jun 29, 2008
The UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) listed seven monuments in the Kathmandu valley as endangered in July 1993 ... The seven ancient monuments removed by Unesco from the list of world heritage sites in danger include the Patan and the Bhaktapur Durbar Squares, two centuries-old Hindu temples and two Buddhist stupas ... The sites were classified as heritage sites in 1979, but Unesco ruled 14 years ago that modern high-rise constructions around them had destroyed... (Yahoo News -- Nepal)
Abhisit: Govt telling lies Jun 28, 2008
The documents will be used by Phnom Penh to have World Heritage Committee members under the United Nations Educational, Scientific,and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) consider its bid for the temple to gain World Heritage Site status. The committee meeting starts on July 2 in Quebec. (Bangkok Post)
Thai PM Fights for His Political Life Jun 28, 2008
The Democrats also charged that Samak has mismanaged the economy and dented national sovereignty by supporting Cambodia's bid to procure UNESCO World Heritage status for an ancient Khmer temple located on land some Thais believe is theirs. On occasion, the no-confidence sessions veered close to political farce. (Time.com)
Thai premier survives no-confidence vote Jun 27, 2008
The opposition also accused him of bypassing Parliament last week when he endorsed Cambodia's application for UNESCO World Heritage Site status for a disputed border temple. The temple is located on still-disputed territory although it was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962. (NJ.com)
Serena would vote for Obama, but she can't Jun 26, 2008
"I feel that what I do in tennis isn't really political,'' Venus said after her 7-6 (5), 6-1 win over British wild card entry Naomi Cavaday on Tuesday. The work she does for UNESCO and other agencies was about helping people, she said, "I don't see it as political. I don't vote. (MSNBC -- Sports)
Quebec builds joy for its 400th birthday Jun 23, 2008
When the modern city grew up outside the fortifications, Old Quebec was lucky to have been abandoned rather than razed, leaving more than 3,000 historic buildings and its encircling stone walls to become, in 1985, the first city in North America to win UNESCO World Heritage status. It is a split-level town. (San Francisco Chronicle)
On Your Left: The Unabomber's Cabin Jun 22, 2008
Sichuan's other UNESCO site, Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area, was unharmed. Other popular places such as Jiuzhaigou Scenic Spot, Ermei Mountain and the Leshan Giant Buddha were undamaged. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Travel)
'Creative tourism' conference accepting registrants Jun 18, 2008
It will be the first conference of its kind under the UNESCO Creative Cities program. UNESCO is the. (New Mexico Business Weekly, NM)
New travel books cover a range of topics Jun 17, 2008
Following the "gotta see it before you kick the bucket" theme comes "1001 Historic Sites You Must See Before You Die," in collaboration with UNESCO. It's a must for exotic travelers and helpful as well to those who stay closer to home. Recommendations include Paris' Pere Lachaise Cemetry (final resting place of iconoclasts Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde); the Livingstone Statue at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe; Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Guan Eng takes your questions Jun 17, 2008
For heritage tourism, we want to leverage on the fact that Penang is the most prominent heritage city in Malaysia and hopefully, with the Unesco listing, we can attract more interest. Thats number one. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
died from pneumonia Jun 12, 2008
Aitmatov's works have been translated into more than 170 languages and UNESCO said he was among the world's most read contemporary authors ... After independence in 1991, Aitmatov also served as Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to European countries (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg and France), UNESCO, the European Union, and NATO. Works by Aitmatov have received numerous awards, including Soviet-era accolades like the Order of Lenin, the Gold Olive Branch of the Mediterranean Culture Research Center, the... (Harper's Magazine)
China to unveil 2nd national intangible cultural heritage list Jun 12, 2008
Four items from China have been listed by UNESCO as world intangible cultural heritage items. They are the 500-year-old Kunqu Opera, known for its graceful movements and poetic lyrics; the 3,000-year-old guqin seven-string zither; the Twelve Mukams, a12-part suite of ancient Uygur music; and Mongolian Pastoral Songs. (Xinhuanet, China)
Vietnam celebrates royal past Jun 4, 2008
But on Tuesday night the arched roofs of its South Gate restored as part of the city's UNESCO World Heritage-listed complex served as a backdrop to a show that featured more benign explosions in the night sky. "I tried to make a very poetic and elegant fireworks," said Hue Festival pyrotechnics designer Pierre-Alain Hubert, who choreographed Vietnamese women travelling in cyclo rickshaws and waving lotus flowers alight with flames. (iAfrica.com)
Escape From Moscow: Side Trips in the City's Suburbs May 31, 2008
Pilgrims come here to visit the saint's tomb, a silver-and-gold edifice encased in glass, but the site is a breathtaking assortment of cathedrals, chapels, bell towers, defensive battlements and other structures, and is now a Unesco world-heritage site. Interiors of the churches are frescoed and include icons by the great painters Andrei Rublyov and Simon Ushakov. (Yahoo News -- Russia)
Sand and Sea May 24, 2008
Our trek started after midnight at the sixth-century monastery of St. Catherine, a UNESCO World Heritage site at the base of the mountain. There are two routes to get to the peak of the 7,500-foot mountain: hike the four-plus-mile path, or climb the steep 3,750 "Steps of Repentance." Camels are available for hire for part of the journey, but the final ascent can only be done on foot as it is extremely steep and rocky. (Syracuse.com)
Save the mothers May 24, 2008
PBST works closely with the Prasar Bharati Corporation, Doordarshan and All India Radio which meet half of their production costs and provides free airtime, UNESCO, the Max Mueller Bhavan (MMB) the British Council, SARAI and Ankur Society for Alternatives in Education. Other Headlines. (Deccan Herald)
* [EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT] May 23, 2008
NSO Masters of the Century X Meeting Penderecki (@jvPNSO X w), features Krzysztof Penderecki, arguably the greatest composer since Stravinsky, who has achieved international recognition with numerous accolades including the UNESCO International Music Council Award. He has also achieved renown as a conductor, working with prominent symphony orchestras around the world. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Rabbi Grollman honored May 23, 2008
It received the UNESCO award. He has appeared on national television and radio the Oprah Winfrey Show, All Things Considered, and Mr. Rogers Neighborhood where he was interviewed by the late Fred Rogers a number of times. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Faculty members, lab scientists elected to two national research academies May 16, 2008
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, Kew Gardens holds the world s largest collection of living and preserved plants and is also a major tourist attraction. Before his appointment at Kew, he was director of the Field Museum in Chicago. (Univeristy of Chicago Chronicle, IL)
issued a report May 15, 2008
The World Bank is one of ten co-sponsors of UNAIDS, along with International Labor Organization (ILO), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization. The Agenda for... (allAfrica.com)
As markets emerge, newspapers find growth May 13, 2008
When people first learn how to read, they want to let people know, Kalra said, and "the first thing you want to do is be seen to be reading a newspaper." The literacy rate in India hovers at about 61 percent, according to Unesco, but the number of literate people between the ages of 15 and 24 is above 76 percent, signaling that education is improving. Today in Technology & Media. (International Herald Tribune -- Technology)
Promoting technology adoption and prosperity through PPP May 9, 2008
A great example is a program run by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to create a set of global technology competency standards for teachers. The goal is to ensure that teachers have the training and materials to provide students with the technology skills they will need to participate in the global knowledge economy. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia)
James Danandjaja: Bringing back Chinese folklore Apr 23, 2008
World Book Day was first celebrated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1995 to promote reading ... UNESCO decided on the date as it was also the birthday of several world authors, including William Shakespeare. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
Ancient Buddhas painted in oils Apr 23, 2008
The Bamiyan caves are now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. The researchers removed tiny samples of the painted surface (typically less than 1 millimetre across) for analysis using state-of-the-art techniques. (Nature News Service)
Your very own climate change Victory Garden Apr 22, 2008
" Similarly, a fierce political war over President Calderon's proposed legislation to allow Pemex, the national oil company, How much simpler it would be if government didn't get in the way of independent oil multinationals! This is a favorite line of argument in such places as the Wall Street Journal's editorial pages, where the writers are always eager to point out the inefficiencies that follow in the wake of oil industry nationalization -- whether as recently as that perpetrated by... (Salon)
The bisphenol A blues Apr 19, 2008
How the World Works - Salon. In light of the news that concerns about potential health risks associated with the chemical bisphenol A have encouraged the makers of Nalgene water bottles to pull their product off of retail shelves, it seems like a good time to remind readers of my notoriously headlined HTWW post, originally published in July 2007. (Salon)
UN study urges farmers to cut fossil fuel use Apr 16, 2008
The report, three years in the making, was released yesterday at UNESCO headquarters in Paris as surging food prices fanned violence and exposed serious concerns about the global food supply in coming decades ... Wheat prices have risen 130 percent since March 2007, UNESCO says, while soy prices jumped 87 percent. (Boston Globe)
Steps of Emperors| Apr 16, 2008
Being included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1987 has only added to the numbers of the many who make the pilgrimage. Pausing for breath near a holy cave surrounded by stone inscriptions, I heard the familiar "hello, hello" greeting given to foreigners and turned to see what looked like a mountain man emerging from the shadowed entrance. (iAfrica.com)
Creative tourism showcases cultural industries Apr 15, 2008
That model is part of an emerging trend called "creative tourism," and it will be the centerpiece of an international conference in September organized in collaboration with UNESCO, the. Santa Fe is the first American site designated as a UNESCO Creative City ... The conference, organized by the city of Santa Fe Arts Commission and the in collaboration with UNESCO, is the most ambitious project to date involving , a nonprofit established in the wake of a 2004 report detailing the significant... (New Mexico Business Weekly, NM)
• A maker of books destroys 100,000 Apr 14, 2008
Inquiry has been launched, UNESCO director says ... PARIS - For more than two decades, 250 historians and specialists labored to produce the first six volumes of the General History of Latin America, an exhaustive work financed by UNESCO, the organization created to preserve global culture and heritage ... Then, over the course of two years, UNESCO paid to destroy many of those books and nearly 100,000 others by turning them to pulp, according to an external audit. (FOX59, IN)
Tourists die in Peru plane crash Apr 10, 2008
They were named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1994. News agency AFP said the plane was owned by Aero Ica, a firm which runs flights over the tourist attraction. (BBC News -- Europe)
Celebrating women in science Apr 3, 2008
Today, Israeli Prof Dr Ada Yonath is a multi-award winning structural biologist who was recently named one of the five exceptional scientists who won the 2008 LOreal-Unesco For Women In Science Laureate Award. Held at the Unesco Headquarters in Paris last month, this years ceremony also marked the 10th anniversary of the award ... Laureates of the 2008 LOreal Unesco For Women In Science Awards: (from left) Asst Prof Dr V. Narry Kim, Prof Dr Elizabeth Blackburn, Prof Dr Ada Yonath, Prof Dr... (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Tourists extend lifeline to Laos elephants Apr 2, 2008
Elephant Park, which is privately financed, is also targeting tourists with a two-day Live like a Mahout programme to learn the skills of a elephant keeper, and offers elephant treks near the Unesco World Heritage listed city of Luang Prabang. The elephant watchtower had a rocky start when its first construction collapsed two days after completion but a new, seven-metre tower was built and opened in 2005 where visitors can stay overnight to see wild elephant herds from up high. (India Times)
Excavation starts at Stonehenge Apr 1, 2008
The last dig inside the Unesco World Heritage monument was in 1964. The dig will also provide a more precise dating of the Double Bluestone Circle, the first stone circle that was erected at Stonehenge. (BBC News -- Europe)
Circle of life Apr 1, 2008
1986 Stonehenge, Avebury and their landscape become Unesco World Heritage Site. 1989 Parliamentary public accounts committee condemns visitor facilities as "a national disgrace". (Guardian Unlimited)
A sheikha, a queen and a first lady Mar 28, 2008
With a beautiful face that evokes pride and seriousness, Moza travels the world with her laptop, attending and chairing meetings both as first lady of Qatar, and a special envoy for UNESCO on Basic and Higher Education. She is also President of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Qatar, and Vice-President of the Supreme Education Council. (Asia Times Online)
Spain dig yields ancient European Mar 27, 2008
These caves have yielded abundant, well-preserved evidence of ancient occupation by humans and have been designated a Unesco World Heritage Site. The new remains were unearthed at the archaeological site of Sima del Elefante, which lies just a few hundred metres from two other locations which have yielded remains of early Europeans. (BBC News)
Argan - an Anti-Ageing Super Oil Mar 24, 2008
Argan oil is the nut oil of the Argan tree, which grows in south west Morocco and is currently endangered and under UNESCO protection. The Egyptian botanist and physicist Ibn Al Baytar first documented its health properties in the 13th century and nowadays it is widely used by the local population for cooking and to soothe dry skin, acne, chicken pox and to prevent stretch marks. (Suite101.com)
Ranger held over gorilla killings Mar 20, 2008
Ten gorillas were killed in 2007 in the Virunga National Park, a Unesco world heritage site. The park is in a volatile region where rebels have set up a base. (BBC News -- Science)
Salisbury Plain Mar 19, 2008
So much so, in fact, that its image was used to bolster London's winning bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, and UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site in 1986. Of course, it's also a mecca for New-Age seekers, who see it as a center of mystical energy. (Time.com)
Key Catholic woman activist dies Mar 15, 2008
The Unesco peace prize winner, who was close to the late Pope John Paul II, had been in poor health for years ... She won the Unesco Prize for Peace Education in 1996, the Council of Europe's Human Rights Prize in 1998 and the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1977. (BBC News -- Europe)
Who Owns History? Mar 9, 2008
A 1970 UNESCO convention has given those laws force in the courts of other nations, like the U.S., that have accepted it. Cultural-property claims by foreign nations are also enforceable in the U.S. under the ordinary law governing stolen property. (Time.com)
U.S. ranks No. 7 in new Booz Allen Hamilton travel, tourism report Mar 6, 2008
Although the U.S. falls behind six countries -- Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Australia, Spain and Great Britain -- it ranks first for business environment and infrastructure and second for natural resources because of its protected wildlife and number of World Heritage sites, cultural and natural sites maintained by the international World Heritage Programme and administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. However, the U.S. ranked 100th for environmental stainability because... (San Jose Business Journal)
Schoolgirls worldwide suffer abuse, says Amnesty Mar 6, 2008
A Unesco study published last year found that 40% of the 77 million school-age children not attending school lived in areas affected by conflict. In Afghanistan alone, more than 170 violent attacks on schools took place in the first six months of 2006. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
WOLEDZI v. AKUFO-ADDO and Another Mar 3, 2008
When I was almost opposite the UNESCO building, I had a burst tyre ... My recollection of it was that prior to getting to the UNESCO building, I was driving in the inner lane. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Budget '08: Relief for farmers, tax payers Feb 29, 2008
25 lakhs n FM: 5-year tax holiday from Income Tax for hospitals across India n FM: 5-year tax break for UNESCO heritage 2,3 r hotels n FM: Banking transaction tax to be withdrawn from Apr 2009. Speak Now Total Number of Votes - 34. (Times Now.tv)
UN pledges action against female genital mutilation Feb 28, 2008
The 10 UN agencies are: the Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN Development Program (UNDP), The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNHCHR), The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Editor: Yan Liang. (Xinhuanet, China)
The fun's going out of Chinese festivals Feb 27, 2008
Since the 2005 UNESCO listing of the Dragon Boat festival, South Korea has applied to have its ritualized Confucius memorial ceremony listed as another unique cultural heritage and is reported ready with an application for the listing of "Chinese traditional medicine" as "Korean traditional medicine". To Beijing's angst, other countries have also succeeded in claiming parts of cultural heritage that China considers as its own. (Asia Times Online)
More HIV education needed in schools Feb 27, 2008
The ministry runs many of these programs in collaboration with UNESCO.. "Last year we went to Bogor to run a seminar. We invited students from surrounding schools, with the idea that other schools would replicate the seminar and invite more schools ... like a multiplier effect," said Ratna T. Sinaga, chief of educational affairs at UNESCO. ... The Education Ministry, UNICEF and UNESCO focus much of their efforts on Papua. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
Cheap, Clean Drinking Water Purified Through Nanotechnology Feb 27, 2008
The recent report entitled 'Water for People - Water for Life' of the World Water Assessment Program of the UNESCO says that more than 6000 people die every day due to water-related diseases, including diarrhea, worm infections, and infectious diseases. In addition, organic pollutants from industrial waste water from pulp and paper mills, textiles and leather factories, steel foundries, and petrochemicals refineries, are a major cause of illness in parts of the world where regulations do not... (Science Daily)
* MOE honors those who help preserve languages Feb 22, 2008
However, according to UNESCO estimates, 50 percent of the 6,000 languages in the world today will become extinct by 2050, she said. The ceremony yesterday, therefore, was to honor those who work hard to preserve Taiwan's diverse languages and cultures, Wang said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Hope for Iraq's holy city| Feb 20, 2008
Today, violence is falling in Samarra, some businesses are reopening and the United Nations cultural organisation UNESCO has teamed up with the Iraqi government to start work rebuilding the desecrated shrine complex. But the US unit charged with securing the city 2 Battalion 327 Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division recognises that Samarra is still one of the toughest corners in Iraq. (iAfrica.com)
