28 Sunday Aug 2011
Posted in Breaking News
Tags
My thoughts go out to the U.N. victims and my UNICEF colleagues.
A suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives outside the United Nations headquarters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Friday, destroying several floors in a thunderous blast that left at least 18 people dead, witnesses and officials said.
– via New York Times, 8/26/11
Read more about the attack: Continue reading
18 Thursday Aug 2011
Posted in Events
Tags
crisis, global, Horn of Africa, Secretary-General, UN, United Nations, World Humanitarian Day 2011
The UN Secretary-General will launch the 3rd annual World Humanitarian Day on August 19 at the General Assembly Hall.
A single and accompanying music video ‘If I Could Change’ will be premiered to pay tribute to humanitarian workers around the world. The track is a collaboration between various global artists including Ziggy Marley, Somali sister duo Sweet Rush and Salman Ahmad from the Pakistani band Junoon.
That’s not all. A contributing song and video by Beyoncé will be unveiled.
You can watch the UN commemoration online starting at 10:30 am on the United Nations Webcast channel.
The theme of this year’s World Humanitarian Day is “People Helping People.” Every day humanitarian aid workers help millions of people around the world. The day recognizes the sacrifices and contributions of those who risk their lives to give others help and hope.
As the Secretary-General expressed in his message:
There is never a year without humanitarian crises. And wherever there are people in need, there are people who help them – men and women coming together to ease suffering and bring hope. From Japan to Sudan, from Pakistan to the Horn of Africa, aid workers help people who have lost their homes, loved ones and sources of income.
Encouraging people to get involved in helping others is also at the heart of World Humanitarian Day. Anyone can be a humanitarian. This year, special emphasis will be placed on the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in the Horn of Africa.
Since we live in the age of the moving image, here is a short film featured in last year’s WHD about humanitarian aid workers who are from all corners of the world, male and female, and reflect all cultures and backgrounds.
For more information on how you can take action, visit the official website here.
What can you do in your own communities to celebrate WHD?
