In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour
monthly, year 24th, number 326 – 24th August 2024
Good News Agency carries positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day. It is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists, NGOs, service associations and high schools and colleges around the world.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, an educational charity associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information It is a supporter of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace. In the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) provided to the UN Secretary-General for presentation to the UN General Assembly, Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing an active role in the field of Information through Internet.*
Government and politics – Education and teaching – Economy, finance and planning
Arts of living and relationships – Work, science and industry
Society and communication –Rules, regulations and environment
REGULATION (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act) (Text with EEA relevance)
July 12, 2024 - The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (…) have adopted this Regulation:
CHAPTER I- GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1
Subject matter `
1. The purpose of this Regulation is to improve the functioning of the internal market and promote the uptake of human-centric and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI), while ensuring a high level of protection of health, safety, fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter, including democracy, the rule of law and environmental protection, against the harmful effects of AI systems in the Union and supporting innovation.
2. This Regulation lays down:
(a) harmonised rules for the placing on the market, the putting into service, and the use of AI systems in the Union;
(b) prohibitions of certain AI practices;
(c) specific requirements for high-risk AI systems and obligations for operators of such systems;
(d) harmonised transparency rules for certain AI systems;
(e) harmonised rules for the placing on the market of general-purpose AI models;
(f) rules on market monitoring, market surveillance, governance and enforcement;
(g) measures to support innovation, with a particular focus on SMEs, including start-ups. (…)
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401689
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
DIRECTIVE (EU) 2024/1799 of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 13 June 2024 on common rules promoting the repair of goods and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 and Directives (EU) 2019/771 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Text with EEA relevance)
July 10, 2024 - The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (…) have adopted this directive
Article 1
Subject matter, purpose and scope
1. This Directive lays down common rules strengthening the provisions related to the repair of goods, with a view to contributing to the proper functioning of the internal market, while providing for a high level of consumer and environmental protection.
2. This Directive shall apply to the repair of goods purchased by consumers in the event of a defect of the goods that occurs or becomes apparent outside the liability of the seller pursuant to Article 10 of Directive (EU) 2019/771.
3. Articles 5 and 6 shall only apply to goods for which and to the extent that repairability requirements are provided for by Union legal acts listed in Annex II.
4. This Directive is without prejudice to Directive (EU) 2018/958. (…)
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401799
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
EU's Net Zero Industry Act comes into force
July 1, 2024 - The European Union has published the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), i.e., it comes into force on June 29 for all 27 member states. The Act is designed to counter the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and China's cleantech dominance, while kick-starting clean energy production across the continent. The European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) urges EU Member States to implement the NZIA provisions in public procurement, auctions and other forms of public intervention. By 2030, the annual capacity of the EU to produce net-zero products (e.g. solar panels) should meet at least 40% of the EU's annual deployment needs. (…)
https://www.energytrend.com/news/20240701-47702.html
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
European Commission approves $3.2 billion German State aid scheme to support the development of Hydrogen Core Network
(by Juan Pedro Tomas)
June 27, 2024 - In Belgium, The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, an estimated $3.2 billion German scheme to support the construction of the Hydrogen Core Network (HCN). The measure will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the EU Hydrogen Strategy and ‘Fit for 55’ package, by enabling the creation of hydrogen transmission infrastructure that is needed to foster the use of renewable hydrogen in industry and transport by 2030, the commission said. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
United Nations - General Assembly - Seventy-eighth session - Fifth Committee - Agenda item 146 - Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations - Draft resolution submitted by the Chair of the Committee following
informal consultations: Support account for peacekeeping operations
June 20, 2024 - The General Assembly (…)
5. Reaffirms that the support account funds shall be used for the sole purpose of financing human resources and non-human resources requirements for backstopping and supporting peacekeeping operations at Headquarters, and that any changes in this limitation require the prior approval of the General Assembly;
6. Also reaffirms the need for adequate funding for the backstopping of peacekeeping operations, as well as the need for full justification for that funding in support account budget submissions; (…)
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/ltd/n24/176/92/pdf/n2417692.pdf?token=CX9J6pv3U42Bbli4nc&fe=true
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Sustainability reporting: 120 Investors call for economy-wide ISSB standards adoption by 2025
(by Christian Angeloni)
May 24, 2024 – (…) A group of 120 major financial firms and investors have called on governments around the world to ensure they adopt consistent, comparable and economy-wide sustainability disclosure requirements by 2025 in order to provide a "level-playing field" for businesses and asset managers worldwide. A joint statement published this week, which has been signed by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Baillie Gifford, Ruffer, Rathbones and Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) - urges relevant authorities and jurisdictions worldwide to commit adopting by the end of next year the sustainability reporting guidelines developed by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) last year. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the European Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of the Regions, establishing an interinstitutional body for ethical standards for members of institutions and advisory bodies referred to in Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union
May 17, 2024 - The European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the European Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Committee of the Regions (…) agree as follows:
Article 1
Subject matter and scope
1. The European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the European Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of the Regions (‘the Parties’) establish by this Agreement an interinstitutional framework for cooperation on ethical standards setting up an interinstitutional body for ethical standards (‘the Body’) for the members of the Parties.
This Agreement sets out the framework and the operating principles of the Body. (…)
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401365
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Medical school is now free for most students at this top university after a $1 billion donation
(by Ramishah Maruf)
July 8, 2024, New York - Bloomberg Philanthropies is gifting $1 billion to make medical school free for the majority of students at Johns Hopkins University, joining other high-profile donors who have contributed to tuition-free medical schools across the country. In a letter by Michael Bloomberg in the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ annual report, the billionaire said the donation addresses twin challenges: declining health and declining education. Johns Hopkins said Monday that for most medical school students, the gift will cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition and living expenses. Students from families earning less than $300,000 will be eligible for the gift. Living expenses will be covered for students who come from families that earn less than $175,000. An October survey from the Association of American Medical Colleges found that 70% of medical students who graduated in 2023 have taken on some level of education debt. The average graduate left medical school owing more than $200,000, according to the AAMC. (…)
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/08/business/free-medical-school-tuition/index.html
News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
Emerald Suppler Myne London to Support the Malala Fund
(by Anthony DeMarco)
July 4, 2024 - London-based emerald supplier, Myne London, will become an official supporter of the Malala Fund to help girls’ access to education in Pakistan. It will do so through its charity arm, the Myne London Foundation. Myne London sources all its emeralds from Swat Valley, Pakistan. The business is also focused on promoting women’s empowerment through access to education, training and skilled employment, supported by the region’s high-quality emerald melee. The Myne London Foundation, established in 2021, receives 10% of all Myne London profits, to support those seeking access to education in the Myne London lapidary and emerald mining community. It hosted its inaugural fundraising event in London on March 19, 2022. As the foundation’s core focus is on advancements in girls’ education, the company said it chose to support the Malala Fund and donate $10,000 to its grassroots efforts in Pakistan. The Malala Fund was established by Malala Yousafzai and her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai in 2013 to champion every girl’s right to 12 years of free, safe and quality education (…)
News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
UNESCO and K-pop group SEVENTEEN announce $1 million grant scheme for youth well-being and creativity
June 26, 2024 - Today, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, appointed the 13 members of SEVENTEEN as UNESCO’s first-ever Goodwill Ambassador for Youth. They announced the launch of “Going Together – For Youth Creativity and Well-Being”, an ambitious joint grant programme for youth projects around the world. SEVENTEEN will contribute $1 million to finance this initiative. UNESCO and SEVENTEEN’s Global Youth Grant Scheme will support youth-led initiatives worldwide that address challenges affecting the well-being and development of young people and their communities, in particular through music, the arts and sport. To this end, it will support project leaders aged from 18 to 30 years old, from different backgrounds and regions. As part of their ambassadorship, SEVENTEEN will also take part in UNESCO’s awareness campaigns and events, and will promote UNESCO’s values and actions during their performances (…)
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Peru initiates actions with young people to safeguard the knowledge related to the traditional ceramics of Checca Pupuja
7 June 2024 - UNESCO Peru started the project “Strengthening and promoting the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and values related to the production of traditional ceramics in the community of Checca Pupuja” with the development of an informative workshop in Puno region with the participation of authorities and more than 50 members of the community. This project marks a crucial step in safeguarding the knowledge related to the traditional ceramics of Checca Pupuja. For this purpose, UNESCO Peru strengthened their relationship with Peruvian government to ensure the success of this initiative and its impact on the economic and cultural development of the community. At present, the knowledge related to this traditional ceramic is at high risk of disappearing due to limited transmission to new generations. Therefore, this initiative financed by the International Assistance Fund of the 2003 UNESCO Convention will seek to identify the meanings and techniques to produce traditional ceramics. It will also strengthen the capacities of young people to safeguard knowledge focused on handicraft production and promote learning in schools through the publication of training materials.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
World Refugee Day: ADRA shines a spotlight on the plight of refugee Children and the power of Education
June 4, 2024- Silver Spring, MD – As the world prepares to observe World Refugee Day on June 20 and World Refugee Sabbath on June 15, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) reaffirms its commitment to bringing attention to the challenges faced by millions of families, women, and children forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, violence, and climate change. ADRA has been working to aid refugees and internally displaced families for more than four decades. The global agency recognizes especially the plight of the more than 43 million children who are displaced from their homes, and represent over 41 percent of the world’s refugees, according to UN data. “Every action we take has a lasting effect on refugees and displaced people who are struggling to survive in many instances without food, housing, and opportunities to succeed. We can’t ignore their anguish or lack of access to basic needs. World Refugee Day serves as a poignant reminder for us to unite in ending their hardships and improving learning opportunities, particularly for young people,” says ADRA International President Michael Kruger(...)
https://adra.org/world-refugee-day-adra-and-the-power-of-education
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Building climate smart education systems
June 4, 2024 - In 2024, extreme heat has increasingly forced schools to close, from Southeast Asia to East Africa. In late March, South Sudan shuttered schools for its 2.2 million students, while Bangladesh repeatedly shut schools amid record-setting temperatures, affecting 33 million students. Simultaneously, governments in southern Africa have declared national emergencies due to drought, threatening food insecurity, and poor teaching and learning conditions. The Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative, funded by the Global Partnership for Education and implemented in partnership with UNESCO, UNESCO/IIEP, and Save the Children, aims to tackle these major challenges facing education systems. Through this initiative, the partners seek to enhance countries’ capacities to mainstream climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability into education sector plans, budgets, and strategies, and to reinforce coordination within the governments on climate and environmental programming. Zimbabwe, which faces droughts, cyclones, and unpredictable rainfall, is the first of 35 eligible countries to receive technical support through this initiative. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has prioritized the development of a risk analysis as part of this technical support. This risk analysis identifies the main climate risks, their impacts on the education system, and existing capacities to mitigate their impact (…)
https://www.iiep.unesco.org/en/building-climate-smart-education-systems-15030
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
ZymoChem unveils 100% bio-based super absorbent polymer
(by Juan Pedro Tomas)
July 13, 2024 - In California, ZymoChem, a biotech company dedicated to creating sustainable materials for everyday products, announced the launch of BAYSE, a 100% bio-based, and biodegradable Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP). The company noted that BAYSE is a drop-in replacement for traditional, fossil fuel-based SAPs, which are a key component in disposable, absorbent hygiene products such as infant diapers. Unlike petroleum-derived, polyacrylate counterparts, BAYSE is made from renewable resources, maintains a lower carbon footprint, and is readily biodegradable (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Austrian researchers use bioleaching and bioaccumulation process for recovering rare earths
(by Meghan Sapp)
June 28, 2024 - In Austria, a research collaboration between BOKU Tulln and IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems is using the further development of bioleaching and bioaccumulation to develop a two-stage, environmentally friendly and sustainable process for recovering rare earths. In the bioaccumulation step, metal recovery rates of up to 85% were achieved from electronic scrap. The key to success lies in the combination of biotechnological processes. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Autonomous car rules advancing faster than the vehicles themselves: UN
June 27, 2024 - Fully autonomous cars are still years away from hitting the streets, but internationally-agreed rules on their use could be ready by mid-2026, the United Nations has said. Safety concerns and the cost of developing next-level systems have slowed down progress on autonomous vehicles, but work on regulations is motoring ahead, said the UN. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
ORNL and University of Maine researchers design 3D recyclable natural-material floor panel to replace steel
(by Meghan Sapp)
June 26, 2024 - In Tennessee, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Maine have designed and 3D-printed a single-piece, recyclable natural-material floor panel tested to be strong enough to replace construction materials like steel. The project is part of the Sustainable Materials & Manufacturing Alliance for Renewable Technologies, or SM2ART, program. The SM2ART team previously constructed BioHome3D, the nation’s first additively manufactured home made entirely from biologically based materials. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Thai team develops durable leather alternative from pineapples
(by Rebecca Gendron)
June 25, 2024 - In Thailand, researchers at Mahidol University have converted waste pineapple leaves into a leather alternative stronger than polyurethane. The material is made by extracting the leaves’ fibers, half of which are subsequently treated with sodium hydroxide. The fibers are then made into non-woven sheets coated with natural rubber latex. The sheets are then heated, compressed, and dyed with natural colorings. The process, which is described in more detail in the journal Sustainability, results in material with strong stress-strain curves. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Anera and GIZ Celebrate Youth Employment in Beirut and Mount Lebanon Project Completion
June 13, 2024 | Beirut, Lebanon – Anera, in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ), is proud to announce the successful completion of the Youth Employment in Beirut and Mount Lebanon (YEBML) project. The YEBML project, initiated to address the growing unemployment crisis among Lebanese youth, provided comprehensive training programs in the healthcare and hospitality sectors. Over the course of this initiative, 340 youth enrolled. Through partnerships with top hospitals in Lebanon, Anera has facilitated practical training and job placements, hence equipping the participants with vital skills and knowledge, enhancing their employability in Lebanon’s challenging job market. On June 13th, Anera and GIZ celebrated the closing of the successful YEBML project through a graduation ceremony for the nursing training program students, held at the French Hospital of the Levant. (…)The event underscored the importance of skilled healthcare professionals in Lebanon and the success of the YEBML project in contributing to this critical sector. (…)
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
Illinois researchers identify family of catalysts that converts CO2 into chemicals
(by Meghan Sapp)
May 24, 2024 - In Illinois, in a collaborative project involving the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, Northern Illinois University and Valparaiso University scientists report a family of catalysts that efficiently converts CO2 into ethanol, acetic acid or formic acid. These liquid hydrocarbons are among the most produced chemicals in the U.S. and are found in many commercial products. For example, ethanol is a key ingredient in numerous household products and an additive to nearly all U.S. gasoline. The work is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The catalysts are based on tin metal deposited over a carbon support.
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
NREL’s DMR process key to SAFFiRE Renewables’ pilot project
(by Meghan Sapp)
May 13, 2024 - In Colorado, on its path to opening a facility designed to turn agriculture residue into a scalable biofuel business, SAFFiRE Renewables, LLC plans to break ground on its pilot plant near Liberal, Kansas, in late 2024. (…) DMR uses a “gentle” alkaline bath and a mechanical shredder to prepare corn stover for ethanol fermentation—essential steps for accessing the energy-dense sugars locked inside. Ultimately, ethanol made at the plant, which will be operated by Conestoga Energy, can be upgraded into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet technology. Estimates suggest the resulting SAF will have a carbon footprint at least 83% lower than conventional jet fuel. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
HURRICANE BERYL: ADRA Brings Relief to Devastated Communities
July 11, 2024, Silver Spring, MD–The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has mobilized operations throughout the Caribbean and Mexico to provide relief to communities impacted by Hurricane Beryl. The Category 5 storm kicked off the hurricane season as it ravaged the Atlantic for a week leaving a trail of destruction in the Atlantic. On July 1, Beryl hit Carriacou, Grenada, as a Category 4 storm with life-threatening gusts of 140 mph, demolishing about 90% of the island’s houses. According to local officials, Beryl impacted more than 200,000 people, destroying agriculture, livestock, fishing, and infrastructure in several Caribbean countries including Grenada, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines (SVG) islands. The hurricane proceeded to pound Jamaica and the Yucatan Peninsula before sweeping ashore as a Category 1 storm over the Gulf Coast of Texas on July 8, producing massive life-threatening flooding and cutting power for millions of people. While disaster management officials assess the situation on the ground, ADRA’s relief operations are underway in countries like Grenada, Jamaica, and Mexico (…)
https://adra.org/hurricane-beryl-adra-brings-relief-to-devastated-communities
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
It’s time to give peace another chance’: thousands gather for Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference in Tel Aviv
July 2024- Two hundred and sixty-eight days into Israel’s war with Hamas, thousands of Israelis queued at the entrance Tel Aviv’s Menora Mivtachim Arena on Monday night, waiting to enter an event called “It’s Time: The Great Peace Conference.” The rally was organized by a confederation of some 50 organizations and individuals from Israel’s left and pro-peace camp, with a message that revolved around the arena’s LED screens: “It’s time to reach a deal. To stop the war. To make peace.” The attendees represented a mixture of organizations, from Peace Now and Breaking the Silence to the anti-judicial overhaul protest groups. Some wore shirts reading “Bring them home now,” a call for a deal to return the hostages to Israel; others depicted watermelons, a stand-in for the Palestinian flag, which Israel’s police largely prohibit waving. A group of high schoolers in hijabs toted iced coffees, and a man in red and yellow Buddhist monk robes climbed over the barriers into the orchestra section to greet friends. (...)
https://cpnn-world.org/new/?p=35285
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
How an Egyptian foundation is building eco-classrooms with the whole community
July 2024- Rasha Emad Eldin, co-founder of BENAA and Project director said Education should be enjoyable. That's why when designing the classroom, they envisioned it as a space where children could enjoy the journey and find happiness within a sustainable place. Based in Cairo, the Egyptian foundation BENAA aims to build youth’s capacities through sustainable projects in Egypt and the MENA region. With their motto ‘Building Capacities, Building Communities’, their work focuses on raising awareness and engaging the community in their activities. In 2020, they led a project building an eco-classroom with plastic bottles as building blocks and clay for thermal insulation, as a hub of unconventional learning, taking part in the ‘Trash Hack Campaign’ organized by UNESCO and a team of ESD youth leaders. The Foundation’s co-founder Rasha Emad Eldin explains they were facing severe challenges starting the project. From the collection of sufficient plastic bottles as the base of the project, to understanding the durability and long-term effects of using bottles in construction, to the scarcity of references for building with solid waste in Egypt (…)
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/how-egyptian-foundation-building-eco-classrooms-whole-community
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Berlin hosts Europe’s largest poetry festival
July 2024- Germany hosts Europe’s largest poetry festival, celebrating its 25th edition in Berlin, featuring poetry from minority languages such as Catalan. (…)The annual event, started in 2000, is holding its 25th edition in Berlin.The festival's motto is to 'highlight under-represented voices'.
The festival includes training for poetry educators, workshops for children, and a panel on socio-political issues. Inside a circus tent in Berlin, movement mixes with the spoken word for one of the events. Mireia Casanyes and Carla Marco from Spain said they performed their work in Catalan because it’s an endangered language. Casanyes said that Poetry does express this feeling of being in a language that is not a hegemonic language so a language that is not part of the main European, cultural, historical thinking but Catalan does have a huge importance. More than 150 artists from around the world are coming to Berlin for what is billed as Europe’s largest poetry festival (…)
https://www.euronews.com/culture/2024/07/12/berlin-hosts-europes-largest-poetry-festival
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Bogota, Colombia: Youth trained as facilitators of peace and reconciliation
July 2024- Thanks to the coordination of the District Education Secretariat, ACDI / VOCA (North American NGO) and the Fe y Alegría Foundation, 110 students and two teachers from the towns of Kennedy and Bosa graduated as facilitators of peace and reconciliation. This initiative that began in November 2020 was carried out under the guidelines of the ECO Program – Protective and Reliable Educational Environments, with the purpose of contributing to the construction of the District’s ecosystem of peace and reconciliation. As a result of this exercise, the District Network of Facilitators for Peace and Reconciliation was formed, which includes students from the Soledad Acosta de Samper, Germán Arciniegas, Ciudadela Educativa, El Porvenir, Japan and Tom Adams schools from the localities of Bosa and Kennedy.
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Rotary clubs launch initiatives for community well-being
(by Dora Calkins, Seoha Lee, Reiko Tokiyama, and Kim Widlicki)
June 25, 2024 – Loneliness is a growing global health concern, affecting both mental and physical well-being. Its many causes include the increased isolation that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rotary clubs worldwide are tackling this silent epidemic. They’re launching a variety of innovative projects that seek to reconnect individuals with their communities and foster stronger social bonds. Here’s a sampling of how Rotary clubs are promoting mental health and making a profound impact on people’s lives. https://www.rotary.org/en/combating-loneliness-around-globe
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Here Israeli and Palestinian women who do not want to decide between Israel and Palestine
June 2024- (…) Nava Hefetz, a female rabbi and activist for peace and human rights, and Ghadir Hani, a Palestinian Israeli, were both in Jerusalem to organize “humanitarian guards” throughout the city and protect Palestinians from settlers. Since October 7, their movement, Standing Together, the largest bringing together Palestinians and Israelis for peace, justice and equality, has been organizing demonstrations across the country to call for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Their “humanitarian guards” also ensure the passage of aid trucks into Gaza, often attacked by settlers. They oppose the occupation and work so that both peoples can live in security, freedom and self-determination. (…) We cannot imagine the future without women. Peace cannot be won with weapons. Each in their own way, these women’s voices simply dare, and we know how difficult it is, to even imagine another present and a future other than that of war.
https://cpnn-world.org/new/?p=35041
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
UN Women: Rebuilding the women’s movement in Afghanistan, one organization at a time
June 2024- After the Taliban takeover, former magazine-owner Siamoy* redirected her work towards women’s empowerment and capacity-building focusing on the most vulnerable women, including illiterate women and women with disabilities, her NGO now provides training and start-up funding for women-led businesses in five provinces. (…) Hers is among the 113 women’s organizations being supported across 19 provinces through the ‘Rebuilding the Women’s Movement in Afghanistan’ programme. Launched in mid-2022, the UN Women programme provides tailored training, skills-building and seed funds for small-scale initiatives. According to International Labour Organization data, women’s employment rate was 25 per cent lower by the end of 2022 compared to before the Taliban takeover in 2021. With women also banned from working in national and international NGOs as of December 2022, and allowed to pursue a limited number of professions and run home-based small businesses, this programme is providing an essential lifeline for women to build their skills for future work and restore their hope...
https://cpnn-world.org/new/?p=34812
News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
Major investors call on petrochemical companies to tackle plastic pollution
(by Cecilia Keating)
July 11, 2024 – (…) Seventy financial institutions have signed a collective statement organised by financial think tank Planet Tracker, which commits them to requesting that companies they invest in that produce plastic polymers disclose their environmental impacts and set targets for transitioning to more sustainable forms of plastic production. The investors are also calling on companies to phase out toxic polymers and chemicals, establish dedicated governance and accountability measures at the Board level to ensure sustainability commitments are honoured, and link management compensation to circularity and resource efficiency goals. (…)
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
World’s first industrial plant for synthetic crude kerosene from electricity starts production
(by Meghan Sapp)
July 10, 2024 - In Germany, the world’s first industrial plant for the production of electricity-based CO₂-neutral kerosene for aviation has achieved a significant milestone towards full-scale operation, producing its first five tons of synthetic crude kerosene. This makes the atmosfair plant the first to successfully produce this new type of aviation fuel. (…) The plant is intended to demonstrate that the industrial production of electricity-based synthetic kerosene is technically possible, using only renewable energies and other fully renewable resources. The process is considered the most significant method for decarbonizing a substantial portion of air traffic in the long term. (…)
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
Chiba University team explores converting cuttlefish ink into bioplastic
(by Rebecca Gendron)
July 2, 2024 - In Japan, researchers at Chiba University have converted melanin sourced from cuttlefish ink into a bioplastic. From a resource perspective, the melanin concentrated in the ink sacs of cuttlefish and squid is easily recoverable natural melanin (…). Melanin derived from other renewable and easily accessible sources, such as insect exoskeletons, animal hair, or melanin-producing microorganisms, could be equally useful as a chemical precursor. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Amphibious electric buses on show at Coventry University’s Institute for advanced manufacturing and engineering
(by Robin Whitlock)
May 22, 2024 - The future of green transport technology has been on show at Coventry University’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME), with thirteen businesses at the leading edge of efforts to reduce the transport sector’s reliance on fossil fuels chosen to be part of the Clean Futures accelerator programme. (…) The ideas and prototypes that were on show at AME included a new way of charging electric motorbikes used by food service outlets and an amphibious tour bus that can go on the road and on water. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Shell faces shareholder revolt over climate strategy
May 21, 2024 - More than a fifth of Shell investors have revolted against its climate strategy in a key vote, the British energy giant revealed Tuesday. Shell said in a statement that almost 22 percent of shareholders rejected its current climate plan, in a vote held at the group's annual general meeting. Management faced criticism from investors and environmental protestors alike during the AGM that was held in the British capital. Almost 19 percent of shareholder votes supported a proposal for stricter emissions reductions in line with goals of the landmark Paris climate accord. (…)
https://www.oilgasdaily.com/reports/Shell_faces_shareholder_revolt_over_climate_strategy_999.html
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
Flour and oat “robots” could help replenish forests
(by Rebecca Gendron)
May 21, 2024 - In Italy, researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia have developed a “biohybrid” robot from flour and oat fruit that can be filled with seeds and fertilizers to help reforestation. Dubbed HybriBot, the robot features “oat appendices” that move in the presence of air moisture, building elastic energy and replacing the need for batteries or other artificial energy sources. (…)
https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e74264d2c60-flour-and-oat-robots-could-help-replenish-forests
News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land
Children out of school and educational gaps cost the global economy 10,000 billion dollars a year
July 2024- While 250 million girls and boys are currently excluded from access to education around the world, a new UNESCO report analyzes for the first time the economic and social cost of educational gaps. Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, calls on the Organization's Member States to break the "vicious cycle" of early school leaving as quickly as possible.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Abu Dhabi was chosen as the global host city for International Jazz Day 2025
July 2024- Every year on April 30, International Jazz Day is celebrated around the world, honoring the sound of artistic freedom. Along with the concert, educational programs and community outreach are the main features of the day. Abu Dhabi will bring music education to local schools across the city. The day pays homage to the art form of jazz, its ability to bring people together and its power to promote dialogue, freedom of expression, as well as respect for human rights and diversity.
News related with SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities
Ukraine: almost 30 States commit to support Unesco's efforts to recover the cultural sector
July 2024- Gathering in Vilnius on Friday, at the initiative of Lithuania, nearly 30 states pledged to increase their support for the revival of Ukraine's cultural sector, through the coordination of UNESCO. A medium- and long-term action plan will be implemented, developed by the Organization in consultation with over 40 international and Ukrainian institutions.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Radio: Unesco's Long-Lasting Commitment to information and communication
June 2024- UNESCO has long recognized the global power of radio. Since its creation in 1945, radio has been considered an important medium. Two years later, UNESCO created its first broadcaster to disseminate useful information to people around the world. Today, through radio projects and initiatives, the Organization helps Member States facilitate access to crucial information.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/radio-unescos-enduring-commitment-information-and-communication
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
K-Pop Group Seventeen to become Unesco's Youth Goodwill Ambassador
June 2024- SEVENTEEN, the K-pop group with the best-selling album of 2023 globally, will be appointed as a UNESCO Youth Goodwill Ambassador by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on June 26 during a ceremony at the headquarters of the Organization in Paris.
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY – 21 June 2024. the theme 2024: Yoga for self and society
June 2024- This year we celebrate the 10th anniversary of International Yoga Day with the theme “Yoga for self and society.” Yoga, a transformative practice, represents the harmony of mind and body, the balance between thought and action, and the unity of moderation and fulfillment. This discipline integrates body, mind, spirit and soul, offering a holistic approach to health and well-being, bringing peace to our busy lives. We celebrate its transformative power on this special day.
https://www.onuitalia.it/giornata-internazionale-dello-yoga-21-giugno-2024/
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Rules, regulations and environment
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Earthjustice Supports New Protections for the Arctic
Expanding Western Arctic protections will help safeguard irreplaceable Arctic ecosystems from harmful fossil fuel development
July 12- Washington, D.C. — Earthjustice applauded an announcement today from the Department of the Interior advancing a process to enact stronger protections for public lands in Alaska’s Western Arctic (also known as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, or Reserve). These lands provide irreplaceable wildlife habitat, are critical for traditional subsistence practices of local people, and are undergoing dramatic disruption due to climate change as they remain under threat from oil development. Interior announced today it will seek public comment for the next 60 days on a new process to determine how it might expand protections from oil development for the area’s critical ecological resources, like caribou, birds, and polar bears. The process announced today is the next step following new regulations within the Reserve that were announced by the Biden administration in April. (…)
https://earthjustice.org/press/2024/earthjustice-supports-new-protections-for-the-arctic
News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water
Korea Western Power to build biofuel plant using cotton stalks as feedstock
(by Meghan Sapp)
July 4, 2024 - In Uzbekistan, the Times of Central Asia reports that South Korea’s Korea Western Power plans to build a biofuel plant using cotton stalks as feedstock in the Ferghana region of Uzbekistan that is expected to reduce emissions by 120,000 metric tons over the next decade. Targeting demand for clean energy by farmers, the fuel will then be offered as an alternative to coal-based heating in greenhouses in the region. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Renewable Energy 44.7% of EU Electricity Production in 2023 — Now #1!
(by Zachary Shahan)
June 30, 2024 - Eurostat has now released electricity data from 2023, and it shows that 44.7% of EU electricity production came from renewable energy sources last year! Fossil gas (aka “natural gas”) production was down, a lot. Coal production was down even more. Even production from oil and petroleum products (already quite low) was down. Meanwhile, of course, renewable energy production was up! Clearly, in Europe, renewable energy is now winning. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Solar giants produce more useful energy than Big Oil, and fossil fuel spending is going to waste
(by Rachel Williamson)
June 27, 2024 – (…) A remarkable new milestone has been flagged by a Bloomberg NEF analyst, David Fickling, who says that seven Chinese solar companies are already providing more “useful” energy for the global economy than Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP and the other members of the “seven sisters” that once dominated oil production. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Lidl and WWF team up to promote biodiversity and responsible sourcing across 31 countries
(by Stuart Stone)
June 27 2024 - Retail giant and conservation group ink five-year agreement to address ecological challenges in Lidl's supply chain. Lidl and WWF have today announced a five-year strategic partnership to promote biodiversity and responsible sourcing across 31 countries that contribute to the budget retailer's supply chain. The partnership will focus on conservation and the promotion of biodiversity, responsible management of water resources, and climate action and the adoption of science-based emissions targets. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
Solar to be Vatican's sole energy source, pope orders
June 26, 2024 - Pope Francis has ordered the Vatican to install a solar plant that will provide electricity to the entire city state, as the pontiff does his bit to tackle climate change. Francis, a longtime advocate of environmental protection, issued an official letter published Wednesday demanding the establishment of an "agrivoltaic" plant in Santa Maria di Galeria, an extraterritorial area of Vatican land north of Rome. Agrivoltaic projects combine solar energy production and agriculture, with panels commonly installed above fields of crops or pasture land. (…)
https://www.solardaily.com/reports/Solar_to_be_Vaticans_sole_energy_source_pope_orders_999.html
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Companies partner to build biomass refineries to produce sustainable fuels and chemicals
Jun 26, 2024 - New Energy Blue, the clean-energy developer whose technology converts agricultural waste into lowest-carbon biofuels and biochemicals, and ARCO/Murray, one of America's largest, most experienced, and fastest-growing construction firms, today announced a partnership to build out the New Energy Biomass Refinery designed platform across the American Midwest. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
NZTC announces UK’s first national centre to advance geothermal energy
(by Robin Whitlock)
June 17, 2024 - The Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), Durham University, SHIFT Geothermal, and The Reece Foundation have announced the launch of the UK National Geothermal Centre (NGC), which aims to accelerate the UK geothermal sector. The NGC aims to accelerate the UK geothermal sector by stimulating and supporting research and innovation, transitioning and developing expertise, and driving the creation of a policy, regulation and investment framework which enables geothermal advancement. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Copenhagen Malmö Port teams with Green2x on one of world’s largest biogas plants
(by Meghan Sapp)
May 17, 2024 - In Sweden, Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) and Green2x have entered into a partnership with the focus on the design, establishment, and operation of one of the world’s largest biofuel plants to date at CMP’s terminals in the port of Malmö. The establishment contributes greatly to the green energy transition and at the same time creates opportunities for more jobs in Malmö. Green2x’s technology extracts green energy from the straw that remains after harvesting (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
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Good News Agency is published monthly (except August) in English, Italian and Portuguese. Past issues are available at www.goodnewsagency.org . Rome Law-court registration no. 265 dated 20 June 2000. Managing Editor: Fabio Gatti. Editorial research by Fabio Gatti, Isabella Strippoli, Elisa Minelli, Salvatore Caruso Motta, Chiara Damilano, Francesco Viglienghi, Carlo Toraldo, Andrea Landriscina, Nazzarena Franco. Webmaster, media and NGO coverage: Simone Frassanito (simone.frassanito@goodnewsagency.org)
Good News Agency is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists of the daily newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations, NGOs, service associations, high schools and colleges as well as over 26,000 Rotarians around the world.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered, not-for-profit educational charity chartered in Italy in 1979 The Association operates for the development of consciousness and promotes a culture of peace in the ‘global village’ perspective based on unity in diversity and on sharing. It is based in Piazzale degli Eroi 8, 00136 Rome, Italy. The Association is a member of the World Association of Non Governmental Organizations.
* http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/2010_civil_society_report.pdf - In section A - International Organizations, page 12, the Report says: ”Diffusion and exchange of culture of peace information via the Internet has become the major instrument for several international organizations, notably the Culture of Peace News Network, the Good News Agency and the Education for Peace Globalnet.”