‘If we can improve the images of the world, perhaps we can improve the world’
Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders’ words have perhaps never been more relevant to a movie than in the case of Home.
Following directly on from Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, Home is, of course, a film with a message that sets out to shift [...]

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Tomorrow, from 8.30 PM onwards for one hour, the world will cast a first truly global vote: between the planet or global warming.
Last year, 2.2 million people and several companies in Sydney switched off their lights for one hour, resulting in an equivalent of 48.000 cars being taken off the road and saving 10,2% energy [...]

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MPs highlight need for UK to work towards creating an ambitious climate change, and a modern and sustainable economy

Sir, In 2009 we face two key challenges: economic recovery and climate change. We can and must tackle both together. The UK must move to a low-carbon economy: not just to secure an ambitious climate change deal [...]

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Today, students are playing crucial roles in opposition movements throughout the world, fighting for democracy and the implementation of human rights. Though they often are the first ones to climb the barricades, sadly they are also the first ones to be forgotten. The purpose of the Student Peace Prize is to make their voices heard, [...]

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It a time of rising unemployment and economic insecurity, some argue that protecting the environment is a ‘luxury’; but a new report, Tackling Climate Change, Reducing Poverty shows that tackling climate change actually offers a huge opportunity to boost the economy and tackle UK poverty at the same time. For example, government investment in home [...]

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Today marks the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Some places you should definitely take a look:

Official UN website
Know Your Human Rights
Amnesty International
Opendemocracy | Human Rights at 60: early retirement or another chance?
International Herald Tribune; China hails ‘progress’ but quells protest on human rights anniversary
Right Now (Dutch language, festival, accessible flyer handed out to [...]

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Are you in a happy mood?  Take a look at this World Database of Happiness, a great scientific & inspirational directory for everything from a selection on valid measurement to a state happiness ranking.
Heard about Bhutan’s policy to measure ‘Gross National Happiness‘ instead of the traditional economic measure of GDP?
Or watch Goldfrapp’s ‘Happiness’, something you [...]

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The Biggest and probably most controversial games in history.

It’s a big day for China today. With its opening ceremony of the Beijng Olympics, it hopes to definitely settle its desired image of superpower in a world of shifting power, scarce resources, diverging trends of democracy and varying definitions of human rights.
While several world leaders will [...]

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The Monocle Global Quality of Life Index may one day graduate to adopt a scientific methodology that considers a larger spectrum of cities around the world, but I’m happy to settle for their current coverage and play the my-city-is-better-than-yours game, using the tidbits of quick facts they’ve compiled. For those who don’t buy [...]

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New Trailer for the project Rebuild Your Future. In co-operation with the Dutch National Youth Council, The Netherlands Refugee Foundation and UN Youth Representative Wouter Thiebou.
See also www.rebuildyourfuture.nl

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