Human Rights VS The Winter Olympics 2014

For those who have been living on Mars the last few months (and for my own pleasure) I'd like to discuss the situation at this year's Winter Olympics in Russia.

Most discussion about the Winter Olympics this year is not about usual topics such as who can return with the most golden medals or what will be the new world record in certain sports. This year the most important discussions are about basic human rights and how Russia's president, Vladimir Putin signed a law that bans pro-gay "propaganda" that could be accessible to minors. This basical means that activists are forbidden from any public expression of gay-rights sentiment. This law passed through the parliament basically without any opposition and has extensive public support in Russia.

The law made several impacts on the Olympic Games, which open next week. "President Barack Obama, who has criticized the Russian law, is skipping the Olympics and named a U.S. delegation that includes tennis great Billie Jean King and two other openly gay athletes." There is nothing new about this though. What is more recent though is that in the US, Coca-Cola and McDonald's are trying to handle protesters that are against these companies for sponsoring an  event that takes place at an area where human rights are under oppression.

Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, predicted that sponsors will insist that the IOC makes human rights a more important factor in selection of host cities from now on.

"There will be a reckoning after the Games," Worden said. "Olympic sponsorship is supposed to be the goose that lays the golden eggs, but this goose is not laying golden eggs. It's laying stinky, rotten eggs."

Read the whole atricle on the controversial Olympic Games by clicking here!

Maysoon Zayid insiprational talk - the first female comedian in the Arab world

Ted.com is possibly the most amazing website I have found on the internet. This video is just another reason for why I feel this way. 

 "I got 99 Porblems and palsy is just one....I am Palestinian, Muslim, I am female, I am disabled and I live in New Jersey" starts out comedian Maysoon Zayid and continues: If you haven't felt good about yourself so far, you should start now! She challenges you with thoughts such as "People with disabilites are the largest minority in the world and we are the most underrepresented in entertainment" and by saying that "At some point of your life, you have dreamt of being disabled". 

I hope I got you curious and because I don't really want to ruin the video for you, just click here to watch the amazing video of this fearless, funny, intelligent woman who challenges all your false judgements and humor.

"To build your future, you have to know your past" - International Holocaust Remembrance Day

The above mentioned Otto Frank quote is just one of the thousands of precious paraphrases we cherish today. But remembering through other's memories and words is apparently not enough. 


The history of the genocide perpetrated during the Second World War does not belong to the past only. It is a ‘living history’ that concerns us all, regardless of our background, culture, or religion. Other genocides have occurred after the Holocaust, on several continents. How can we draw better lessons from the past?   

 - says Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General. How could we learn from past mistake smore efficiently? Education needs to concentrate on the Holocaust and through that, explain how genocide is still an issue today. Noone would have thought that after the determination of 6 million Jews today, 70 years later genocide could be a reemerging problem!

I chose this well-known image because I always thought it  was a perfect representation of the terror. I think that tt is clear that the men in this picture have given up on their lives and this is what broke most of them. The mentality where the captured were ashamed of being alive and were ready to great death as a friend was what the Nazis wanted to achieve. This picture has been in all my history books since high school and has always struck me, no matter how many times I saw it. I just found out recently that Elie Wiesel,a Romanian born Nobel Peace Prize winner was in the picture. Wiesel is in the second row from the bottom, seventh from the left. He is still alive today, still delivering his powerful message about peace, atonement and human dignity" to humanity.


The whole world remembers the Holocaust today. Click here
to see more about how the UN plans to remember the 70th anniversary of the Auschwitz camp liberation.

Young Artists, Attention!

There is a great program for artists called UNESCO-Aschberg Bursaries for Artists 2014.

The program is a great opportunity for young artists (ages between 25 and 35 practice creativity, work on cultural exchanges and see the importance of the need for artists to enrich their experience through contact with other cultures.The program, which is originally funded by a Swedish phylanthrophist couple with the name Aschberg (very surprising, I know) has been around since 1994. 

If you are interested in this (and aren't an Australian citizen - no jokes, for some reason, that is one of the criterias!), click on the link below and apply! I know I will check it out when I reach the age limit!

Swedish artist Ingmar Bergman, one of the greatest film directors of all time had the honor to be depicted on the 200 kroner bill (worth around $31). See how it all ties in? Swedish? Artist??
You can find out more about it on the UNESCO website here or visit a different site specifically for artists by clicking on this link.

New Motivation: Irina Bukova

I found some serious inspiration today when doing research on some of the top people working for UNESCO. This Bulgarian lady is my new role model and motivation - check out below to see why!

Irina Bokova, born in 1952 in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria has been the Director-General of UNESCO since 2009. She is the first woman to have been elected head of the Organization. In this short interview she talks about some relevant UNESCO topics & drinks tea at the same time - these 2 are definately some of my absolute favorite activites :))

 Keep reading to see why I look up to her!

Other than the fact that she has my dreamjob and is the first woman doing it, I have some other reasons for why I think she is exceptional. I keep finding similarities between us - or at least stuff I wish I had too! One of the things is that Bulgaria and my home, Hungary are very close to each other, especially when we look at them from my current residende, the USA. They are pretty much the same place. Also, she went to get her ungergrad degree at a different countrythan her own, just like I am doing right now. Three, we both studied International Relations. I hope that I am on the right track!

Later she went home and joined the  Foreign affairs (I should consider doing this ) and got involved with the UN. It seems to me that she has been passionate about human rights all her life, which is absolutely necessary when one wants to work for the UN. She speaks several languages other than her own first one...our similarities list just goes on and on!!

I will do my best to learn from her and keep her in mind. Pinkie promise to myself. She is AMAZING!

Check out the page on Irina Bokova at the UNESCO website by clicking here!

6th International UNESCO Conference on Global Geoparks

My love for geology and geography is huge...Believe me, I could spend a day studying a map or rocks and would be the happiest person on the planet! But for some weird reason, I have to admit it: have never heard of Geoparks. What are they?!

Geopark: a unified area with geological heritage of international significance. (Thanks Wikipedia!)

The Geoparks initiative was launched by UNESCO in response to the perceived need for an international initiative that recognizes sites representing an earth science interest. Global Geoparks Network aims at enhancing the value of such sites while at the same time creating employment and promoting regional economic development.

This year Stonehammer Geoparkin Canada is preparing to welcome delegates from around the globe to the Saint John region in September 2014 for the 6th International UNESCO Conference on Global Geoparks. Exact conference dates are September 19-22, 2014 (with pre and post field trips available to registered delegates including an exciting and interactive community event the evening of  Thursday, September 18, 2014).

Read more about the event at the official website or visit the website for geoparks to learn more about them! You can also check out the UNESCO homepagefor more information about the Conference.

A Possible Road

This Irish gentleman has an interesting career that is worth clicking on! Note to self: learn French (I have started it almost 10 years ago, but never really got into it!), Arabic (beautiful language!) or practice Spanish (started learning it over the summer. Not too hard after 6 years of Italian!)

Other than his whole story, some of his quotes really struck me:  "The best translation is usually the one that does not draw attention to itself." So true!

 Also this is what he says about his job: "Sometimes I need to quickly become expert on topics that are a bit more obscure. For example, I have translated national reports on fish stocks and fishing quotas. That involved an enormous amount of research into the words for different species of fish and fishing nets, which change from one country to another. Some of the answers were in biological dictionaries, and some I had to find on specialized websites. Perhaps the most moving document I have translated so far has been a postcard sent to the Secretary-General by a classroom of Italian children." Sounds like a great job to me so back to the top: keep practicing languages and learn new ones. Sounds easy huh...

--> This is how I imagine his life...which I would be perfectly happy with!

Apparently UNESCO is the Devil

This is possibly the silliest thing I've heard all year (espacially because we are only 14 days into it). Seriously though, what's wrong with people??

Believe it or not, this video is about UNESCO's Evil Purposes and Philospohy. Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, apparently, there is such a thing. Please, take a look at it and after you can't take it anymore, feel free to turn it off - but I'd suggest you to listen to the lady at the end before you do so.

Apparently, UNESCO is trying "to create a global culture by first destroying the old one and promoting internationalism over national sovereignty." It tells you to "destroy the family so that people will look to the state for direction"...??

From 7:12, this lady Charlotte Iserbyt calls reperesenting all religions and being tolerant of all of them the new world DISORDER. She says in an unapproving tone that because of UNESCO's ways to educate, today (especially in American schools)  "good teachers challenge student's fixed believes". 

This is from the UN website: "The United Nations is not a world government and it does not make laws. It does, however, provide the means to help resolve international conflicts and formulate policies on issues affecting all of us. At the UN, all the Member States - large and small, rich or poor, with differing political views and social systems - have a voice and a vote in this process." I think this sounds pretty descent and I personally would never question it.

Can someone explain this video for me please? Some people out there just make me really sad...

44 Endangered World Heritage Sites

Today I'd like to raise awareness to sites that are not secure up until today. Usually once UNESCO consideres a place a World Heritage site, it is well protected. Sadly this is not always the situation.There are some cases, where these sites are still in great danger, no matter how much attention does the agency pay to it. In 2014 fourty-four sites are considered to be unsafe.

One of them is the rainforests of the Atsinanana in Madagascar. This site includes six national parks distributed along the eastern part of the island. These relict forests are critically important for maintaining ongoing ecological processes necessary for the survival of Madagascar’s unique biodiversity, which reflects the island’s geological history.Some of the species are in great danger, especially the primates and lemurs. 

Other reasons for endangered sites can be war zones or other political fights. This is the case in Kosovo, at the Dečani Monastery.  The church was built in the mid-14th century for the Serbian king Stefan Dečanski. This monastery, which is the king's mausoleum, is built in a style that plays a great role in subsequent Balkan art.  Although the war is over, the peace of the church is still disrupted by people who oppose Kosovo's autonomy. When sufficient safety is ensured, it is intended that the church will once again function as a place of worship.

Here is the full list of endangered sites.

World Heritage List Criteria

To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. Let's take a look at what these are!

 

Here is the website for information on the Criteria for Selection and I have also summarized it a little here.

A World Heritage site must complete ONE of the following: 

 

(1) represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;

(2) exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;

(3) bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;

(4) be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;

(5)  be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture/ cultures, or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;

(6)  be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. 

(7) to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;

(8) to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;

(9) to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;

(10) contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

My images are possibly the most well-known World Heritage Sites. In fact, Stonehenge is one of the most famous sites in the world and Britain's greatest national icon. It is possibly the most popular natural site on the list. Vatican City is one of the most important cultural sites on the list. The small slice of the city that the image represents is packed with more history and artwork than most cities in the world.

World Heritage List

Here is my new favorite website: the World Heritage List with an interactive map. One can see all the different lists, zoom in, click on pictures of most of the sites and explore all the places UNESCO protects today!

I could spend days on this site, looking up all the cultural and natural 981 properties! These include 759 cultural, 193 natural and 29 mixed properties in 160 States Parties.

To see the awesome INTERACTIVE MAP,  click here!

I was especially interested by what sites does my home country, Hungary have. Here they are, all 8 of them! The funny thing is thatg I have only visited 2 out of the eight...I need to go home and catch up on all of them!

  
Hungary

• Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue
• Old Village of Hollókő and its Surroundings
• Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst *
• Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment
• Hortobágy National Park - the Puszta
• Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs (Sopianae)
• Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape *
• Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape 

Education on Holocaust Remembrance in Hungary 2014 - UNESCO grants its patronage to Holocaust memorial year in Hungary

UNESCO recognizes that teaching about the history of the Holocaust is fundamental to establishing respect for human rights, basic freedoms and the values of tolerance and mutual respect. UN Member States are encouraged to develop educational programmes that transmit the memory of the Holocaust to future generations so as to prevent genocide from occurring again. UNESCO promotes these learning materials and provides a platform for institutions, teachers, students and interested parties to access resources on Education for Holocaust Remembrance. 

--> This is the image of the most touching Holocaust Memorial that I know of. It is located in Budapest, Hungary (which is my hometown), on the shore of the Danube, right in front of our House of Parliament.  It was sculpted by Gyula Pauer and thought upon by film director Can Togay. 
 

 To encourage this there is an International Seminar this year called: "The Impact of Holocaust Education: How to Assess Policies and Practices?". The seminar is organized in the framework of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and aims to discuss the contents and quality of Holocaust education in several countries of the world. 

UNESCO has agreed to be chief patron of the Holocaust Memorial Year 2014 in Hungary. The memorial year will mark the 70th anniversary of the 1944 deportation of Jews of Hungary to the German extermination and concentration camp of Auschwitz Birkenau and commemorate victims of the Holocaust in Hungary during the Second World War.

 Here read about Holocaust Denial by UNESCO 2013

  Here read about Memorial Year in Budapest, Hungary 

International Year of Crystallography 2014

 2014 marks the centennial of the birth of X-ray crystallography. Over one century ago three gentlemen, William Henry, William Lawrence Bragg (father and son) and Max von Laue discoverered the diffraction of X-rays by crystals. In 1914 they won the Nobel Prize in Physics. 

International Year of Crystallography 2014 highlights the continuing importance of crystallography and its role in addressing post-2015 development issues such as food security, safe drinking water, health care, sustainable energy and environmental remediation; as well as commemorating auspicious crystallography accolades. 

 

Key events for the International Year of Crystallography

• Opening Ceremony of the IYCr204, UNESCO Headquarters, 20-21 January 2014
• Open Laboratories in Crystallography, in Africa, Asia and Latin America, during the Year
• Asian Summit Meeting on Crystallography, Karachi, Pakistan, 28-30 April 2014
• Latin America and Caribbean Summit Meeting on Crystallography, Campina, Brazil, September 2014
• African Summit Meeting on Crystallography, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 15-17 October 2014.

Read more here!

2014 World Heritage Calendar

This year's UNESCO Calendar has been released! 12 beautiful pictures of World Heritage sites, one for each month.

The calendar has been part of a project with Panasonic for almost 20 years now, showing the most amazing images every year since 1995.

To read more about the calendar, click  Here.


Click to watch a short video on the making of the calendars!

C for Culture

The C in UNESCO is for Culture...and for Cuisine!

Traditional cuisine, called Washoku is starting to disappear...and UNESCO World Heritage is here to step up against that!

The typical Japanese diet, which used to revolve around rice, fish and vegetables, has been heavily influenced by the introduction of fast-food restaurants from the West and prepackaged convenience foods from other parts of Asia, including China and Taiwan. 

On the dietary end, that means a lot more meat, bread, and oil. On the economic end, it means a heavier dependence on foreign imports and a lower level of self-sufficiency. Japanese top chefs are concerned that traditional food might disappear. 

Where UNESCO recognition will help is in preserving cooking techniques and dining traditions among a Japanese public that is becoming more accustomed to eating out, often alone. Food education, called Shokuiku in Japan, is a major concern: Passed in 2005, the Basic Law of Shokuiku established various food and nutrition education programs in Japan’s public schools.

To read more about the subject, click here!

S for Science

 Hello again, 

in case you were wondering, S stands for Science in UNESCO.

One of the largest science projects is the protection of water resources at the agency. UNESCO has one day a year to bring awareness for our drinkable water. 

This one day is called World Water Day and it will be held on the 22nd of March - like every year so far. Focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources is something that can never get enough awareness. 

 This year particular attention will be paid to identifying best practices that can make a water- and energy-efficient 'Green Industry' a reality and this is why I decided to make this article the one for Science. 

Click here to read The Article on World Water Day

 The next post will be about culture - my favorite topic!

E for Education

It is time to talk a little about the E in UNESCO: Education.

They are getting ready for a big conference In Okyama, Japan: the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development will take place here in November 2014!

Since this year is the last for the Decade of Education (mentioned in my latest post down there somewhere), they will be discussing what they achieved and summarize the work of 10 years. They will also talk about future plans. Wonder when is the next big conference for culture!

Check out the whole article for the 2014 Conference in Japan!

Here isa map about all the Japanese World Heritage Sites. Most of them are cultural sites and not natural, which is usually not the case. It is no surprise though, it is such an ancient culture...Japan had thousand and thousands of years to build these temples and shrines!

Want to volunteer for UNESCO? Deadline is coming up soon!

In the name of  "The Decade of Biodiversity" and part of the last year for the program "UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)", here is a volunteer program. 

Deadlines are coming up, so check it out if you are interested - I thought it looked great! 

 Here is a brief summary of the project: This program is one of the best opportunities to young people to go beyond borders, share cultures, and work together to preserve natural sites, restore archaeological finds, and raise awareness amongst local communities about their heritage.

If you are interested, check it out, applications are due the 17th January 2014!

For more information, click on this: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1086/

The UNESCO Logo

--> I also really enjoy their logo! Isn't it smart & simple? Love it how the word UNESCO (which stands for United Nations Eduaction Science Culture Organization) is basically the columns for the museum. (It is supposed to be a temple...but it more reminds me of the British Museums or the ones at my home, Budapest!) Makes me want to pat the designer on the shoulder! I also like the light blue and white wiith which they usually depict it with. They perfectly represent peace, which is one of the main motto's of UNESCO.

  

The UNESCO logo block is composed of three parts:

1. the emblem - the temple - including the UNESCO acronym;

2. the complete name (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in one or several languages;

3. a dotted line in a logarithmic progression.

These components cannot be disassociated.

 About the language used next to the logo: 

• The language chosen for the logo must correspond to that of the support used and of the audience targeted.
• Mindful of the same criteria, several languages may be used. The six official languages of UNESCO are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
• The use of the complete name in English, in association with one or several other languages provides an explanation of the acronym of the Organization.

Requirements for Project Officer at UNESCO - only for the brave hearted!

SO here is the question: What do you need so you can work for UNESCO?

The bars are set high. One has to work for several years at professional places before applying and needs to know fluent French...For those who still haven't lost their courage to do this, here is the whole page of requirements. 

Heads up everyone!

PROJECT OFFICER -World Heritage Centre -Culture Sector -Primary Location: PARIS, France

(Application to be sent to: wh-recruit@unesco.org)

OVERVIEW OFTHE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Under the overall authority of the Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC) and the direct supervision of the Chief of the Policy and Statutory Meetings Section at UNESCO Headquarters, the incumbent shall manage the WHC online State of Conservation Information System, prepare working documents for the sessions of the World Heritage Committee/General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, coordinate and finalize the state of conservation reports and supervise the decision-making process in French during the statutory meetings. In particular, the incumbent shall:

1) Further develop, manage and coordinate the WHC online State of Conservation Information System;

2) Identify further areas of conceptual improvement for the State of Conservation Information System,

including by cooperating with other Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and relevant international conservation agreements or programmes, as well as the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee (IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM), and ensure their implementation;

3) Coordinate with the WHC units and the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee the drafting of the reports on the state of conservation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List and on the List of World Heritage in Danger, analyze these reports, make recommendations to finalize them and the draft decisions, as well as conduct regular analyses of the trends of the threats to the World Heritage properties for inclusion in the World Heritage Committee documents;

4) Ensure an efficient and timely management of the documentation on state of conservation for the sessions of the World Heritage Committee, its Bureau and the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention in order to allow an easy retrieval of and access to the information;

5) Initiate and develop information and promotional materials related to the State of Conservation Information System for States Parties to the World Heritage Convention and other relevant stakeholders;

6) Supervise, in close cooperation with the Rapporteur of the World Heritage Committee/General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention and the Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, or his representative, the decision-making process in French during the sessions of the Governing Bodies of the World Heritage Convention and their Consultative Bodies, and ensure the accuracy of the content of the final Decisions report in light of the debates, in view of the Rapporteur’s approval and transmission to all States Parties and timely integration in the Decisions database;

7) Plan, develop and negotiate with potential partners future extrabudgetary project proposals and ensure their implementation;

8) Represent WHC and UNESCO to workshops, meetings and other events related to the state of conservation of World Heritage properties and/or statutory processes of the World Heritage Convention, upon request, report to WHC and prepare the statutory documents relating to these meetings, whenever appropriate.

EDUCATION

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a field related to natural and/or cultural heritage conservation, or to international law applied to the preservation of nature and/or culture or other related fields.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Four to seven years of relevant professional experience of which preferably 2 years acquired at international level. Excellent knowledge of the World Heritage Convention and its processes. Work experience in an intergovernmental framework in conservation or natural/cultural resource management would be an asset.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

Excellent knowledge of ICTs. Familiarity with the work of cooperating bodies such as IUCN, ICOMOS, ICCROM, MEAs and relevant international conservation agreements or programmes. Excellent communication, organization and interpersonal skills, team-player. Ability for networking and public relations with tact and diplomacy in a multicultural environment.

LANGUAGES

Excellent knowledge of French and very good working knowledge of English. Good drafting skills in both French and English.

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

UNESCO’s salaries are calculated in US dollars and exempt from income tax. They consist of a basic salary and a post adjustment which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates.

Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, home travel, education grant for dependent children, pension plan and medical insurance. More details on the ICSC Web site.

Please note that UNESCO is a non-smoking Organization.

All in all, this is not too bad, right? I am honeslty just trying to encourage myself...I can do this!! 

Start learning French, everyone!

Greetings!

Hello World, 

I created this blog so that through you guys, I can keep up with what's new with the UNESCO and with different World Heritage sites. Hopefully this amazing organization will keep doing amazing projects so that we can have a lot to discuss here!


Let me know if there is anything new going on with this agency and I will do my best to do the same! Until my next, very soon post, 

Peace! :)

Dori