Politics – Kuwait Financial Express http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com Fri, 03 Nov 2023 20:52:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.3.2 Open Society Foundations Announce 2023 Soros Justice Fellows http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/open-society-foundations-announce-2023-soros-justice-fellows/ Fri, 03 Nov 2023 20:52:28 +0000 http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/?p=308977 New York, Nov. 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Open Society Foundations is pleased to announce the 2023 cohort of Soros Justice Fellows, which includes a mix of emerging and established leaders in the field of criminal justice reform, including public educators, artists, lawyers, activists, non–profit innovators, journalists, and filmmakers from across the United States.

"Over the more than a decade that I have worked with the Soros Justice Fellowships, I've seen a great number of fellows go on and continue to serve as changemakers in their local communities, and nationally," said Adam Culbreath, Senior Team Manager at Open Society""U.S. "This is an incredibly unique program to advance justice in the U.S., which supports the notion that change often happens from the ground up.

"Mass incarceration has an enormous and disastrous toll on our communities and represents one of the most glaring injustices of our nation. Today, nearly 10 million Americans""including millions of children""have an immediate family member in jail or prison," said Christina Voight, program manager at Open Society""U.S. "Each Soros Justice Fellow can play a role in changing this broken system."

Each fellow will receive stipends ranging from $100,000 to $140,000 for projects lasting between 12 and 18 months to ensure accountability in the U.S. criminal justice system by developing new ways to combat mass incarceration, youth criminalization, surveillance, immigration policies, racial disparities, and police violence. The Soros Justice Fellowships were founded in 1997 and have funded over 400 individuals working to curb mass incarceration and ensure a fair and equitable system of justice.

2023 Soros Justice Fellows

Ashley Rojas will educate movement leaders and cultivate power between the movement for #PoliceFreeSchools and the broader culture of abolitionist organizing efforts to end harm and punishment.

Avalon Betts–Gaston and Lloyd Gaston will research the scope and impact of Illinois Worker Rights amendment on incarcerated workers.

Betty Washingtonwill create OASIS (Our Aging Seniors Incarcerated Society), a project focusing on advocating for the needs of justice–impacted seniors.

Bridgette Simpson will educate the public and create The Protected Class Network, seeking to make justice–impacted people a protected class.

Cheryl Fairbanks will educate native Indigenous people and strengthen concepts of justice through an Indigenous peacemaking lens.

Dominique Branson will educate, document, and destabilize anti–Black ideologies that legitimize pretrial dangerousness predictions and harm Black communities.

Jenani Srijeyanthan will educate and establish a counter–narrative to carceral child sexual abuse prevention approaches through the amplification, technical resourcing, and proliferation of a nationwide prevention movement that does not prioritize policing, criminalization, or surveillance.

Jordan Martinez–Mazurek will educate the public and start local and regional dialogues around fighting the expansion of mass incarceration in the South and in Appalachia.

Mary Baxter will, through an art piece entitled Reimagining Dignity: A Love Letter to Ourselves, educate the public to reimagine racially–charged and gender–oppressive historical events. The piece will reckon with the fallacies of first– and second–wave feminism.

Omisade Burney–Scott will curate a multidisciplinary initiative and educate the public on reproductive justice, radical Black feminism, gender liberation, and pathways to normalizing menopause and aging for the marginalized Black population.

Rachel Gilmer will educate the public and build a united front of survivors and healthcare providers with the goal of creating non–carceral solutions that address the root causes of violence in our communities.

Talila Lewis will educate and create media and art that highlights how ableism informs and drives racism, anti–Blackness, capitalism, and other forms of oppression, violence, and inequity.

Toshio Meronek will educate the public and justice advocates about the expansion of involuntary medical conservatorship in Arkansas, with a focus on its potential human and financial consequences.

Wendi Cooper and Matt Nadel will organize a statewide screening tour of the documentary film CANS Can't Stand to educate the public about the archaic 1805 Crimes Against Nature by Solicitation statute and the harsh punishments it imposed.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8972502)

]]>
William Ruto, President of Kenya, joins GCA Advisory Board http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/william-ruto-president-of-kenya-joins-gca-advisory-board/ Fri, 29 Sep 2023 07:08:21 +0000 http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/?p=308631 Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change has accepted an invitation from Ban Ki–moon, 8th Secretary–General of the United Nations and Chair of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and CEO Professor Patrick Verkooijen, to join the GCA Advisory Board.

During a high–level official meeting which took place today at the State House in Nairobi , Professor Patrick Verkooijen and President Ruto discussed a roadmap to guide the mobilisation of the financial commitments for adaptation which were made at the Africa Climate Summit hosted by the President in Nairobi earlier this month.

The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) Country Compacts, announced during the Leaders' Dialogue on Adaptation, will drive the doubling down and scaling of adaptation action across the world's most climate–vulnerable continent. The country–led investment roadmaps, initiated by the Government of Kenya, outline adaptation investment priorities, financing needs, and finance mobilization strategies for implementing climate adaptation measures connected to the priorities outlined in National Adaptation Plans and other national strategies.

Recent research from GCA showed Africa may need a nearly tenfold increase in climate adaptation funding to $100 billion a year if it is to buttress its infrastructure, improve climate early warning systems and shield its agriculture from climate change.

On accepting the invitation, William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya said:
"African governments, businesses and communities have paid heavily for climate–related destruction and disruption, and have already invested heavily in adaptation action, but we need stronger international partnerships to support adaptation more than ever before. The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program , the world's largest adaptation program resulting from collaboration between GCA, the University of Nairobi, African Development Bank and the African Union Commission, is the best vehicle we have to mobilize additional funding. I look forward to working closely with Professor Verkooijen and the Board to build on the US$6.7 billion that the AAAP has already invested in resilient climate projects in 27 countries since 2021. By working together I am confident that we will make great progress in ensuring that international commitments to deliver highly strategic and comprehensive adaptation responses are fulfilled."

Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of GCA and Distinguished Chair of the Wangari Maathai Institute said:
"It is only by adapting to climate change that Africa can reach its potential. Yet promised climate finance""which is necessary to underpin wider development goals""remains critically short of what is needed. President Ruto has played a crucial role in the implementation of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program across the continent and I commend his leadership in hosting the Africa Climate Summit. I look forward to our continued collaboration to ensure the Summit outcomes are delivered for Africa's march to sustainable economic transformation and green growth."

During the Africa Climate Summit, President Ruto announced Kenya will host regional headquarters for GCA in Nairobi:
"I have had opportunity to interact with the Global Center for Adaptation, an international organisation based in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, whose constitution is an appealing emblem of our aspirations, from the aspirational design of its global headquarters and futuristic regional headquarters in Nairobi, comprising green walls and roof as well as rain gardens, to the collaborative culture of its staff. Unsurprisingly, the Center is intended to inspire the world to thrive with nature instead of pursuing the dangerous course of seeking to thrive at nature's expense."

It is expected the new Africa headquarters will open in Nairobi in January 2025.

Notes to Editors

About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that works as a solutions broker to accelerate action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sectors. Founded in 2018, GCA operates from the largest floating office in the world, located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Beijing, China.

About the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program
The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) is a joint initiative of the African Development Bank and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA). It aims to mobilize $25 billion, over five years, to accelerate and scale climate adaptation action across the continent. This ambition is delivered through the AAAP Upstream Financing Facility managed by the Global Center on Adaptation and the African Development Bank's climate action window in the ADF replenishment. AAAP works across four pillars to achieve transformational results: Climate–Smart Digital Technologies for Agriculture and Food Security; African Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator; Youth Empowerment for Entrepreneurship and Job Creation in Climate Adaptation and Resilience and Innovative Financial Initiatives for Africa.

Attachment


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8930853)

]]>
Richard Curtis lança nova versão da famosa cena do balneário de Al Pacino para salientar que o mundo está no “Intervalo” para alcançar os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/richard-curtis-lanca-nova-versao-da-famosa-cena-do-balneario-de-al-pacino-para-salientar-que-o-mundo-esta-no-intervalo-para-alcancar-os-objetivos-de-desenvolvimento-sustentavel/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/?p=308512
  • O mundo est no perodo de intervalo para alcanar os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentvel at 2030 – mas apenas 15% deles esto a caminho de ser cumpridos
  • Richard Curtis lana nova verso da famosa cena do balnerio de Al Pacino para assinalar que o mundo est no “Intervalo”
  • LONDRES, Sept. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — O cineasta e defensor dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentvel Richard Curtis e a sua organizao Project Everyone esto a lanar uma verso especial do famoso discurso de balnerio “Centmetro a centmetro”, proferido por Al Pacino no filme Um Domingo Qualquer, da Warner Bros. Pictures.

    A nova verso da cena coloca–a no contexto da chegada ao “meio–tempo” dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentvel (ODS) e inclui novas falas de Al Pacino gravadas especialmente para esta verso da cena.

    O filme lanado hoje [14 de setembro] para realar o facto de o mundo estar agora num interregno no que se refere aos ODS.

    Os ODS so um conjunto de 17 objetivos acordados pelos lderes mundiais nas Naes Unidas em 2015, que visam acabar com a pobreza, proteger o planeta e garantir a prosperidade para todos at 2030.

    No entanto, apenas 15% dos objetivos esto a caminho de ser cumpridos, com o triplo impacto da COVID–19, dos conflitos e da crise climtica a inverter anos de progressos arduamente conquistados.

    O filme est a ser lanado num momento em que os lderes se preparam para reunir na Assembleia Geral da ONU em Nova Iorque. Para sublinhar que o mundo est no perodo de intervalo no que diz respeito aos Objetivos, o artista de renome Es Devlin concebeu e construiu uma instalao artstica nica na sede da ONU – o Pavilho dos ODS – que arranca com um “Espetculo de Intervalo” s 19h00 EST de segunda–feira, 18 de setembro, com a participao de talentos e lderes mundiais.

    Richard Curtis disse: “A campanha 'Halftime' pede que todos se unam para atingir os ODS at 2030. Estou verdadeiramente otimista quanto ao facto de que, com as medidas certas e a vontade poltica, dentro de sete anos poderemos estar a olhar para trs e assistir a uma das maiores reviravoltas de segundo tempo de sempre. Tem sido muito emocionante trabalhar com o extraordinrio discurso de Al Pacino para ilustrar a paixo e o sentido de urgncia que so necessrios para mudar as coisas.”

    Vdeo gentilmente cedido pela Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
    UM DOMINGO QUALQUER e todas as personagens e elementos relacionados Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s23)

    Contacto para os meios de comunicao social: cbull@goodnesspr.co.uk

    Um vdeo que acompanha este comunicado est disponvel em http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2bcc4f3a–f733–4233–8321–2572934c8967

    Uma foto que acompanha este comunicado est disponvel em http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dc4d4e06–625c–41e0–929a–d7be3d7d35ac


    GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000839446)

    ]]>
    Richard Curtis veröffentlicht eine neue Version der berühmten Umkleidekabinen-Szene von Al Pacino als Hinweis auf die Halbzeit der Welt in Bezug auf nachhaltige Entwicklungsziele http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/richard-curtis-veroffentlicht-eine-neue-version-der-beruhmten-umkleidekabinen-szene-von-al-pacino-als-hinweis-auf-die-halbzeit-der-welt-in-bezug-auf-nachhaltige-entwicklungsziele/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/?p=308508
  • Die Welt hat "Halbzeit", wenn es darum geht, die 2030–Ziele fr nachhaltige Entwicklung zu erreichen "" aber nur 15 % sind auf dem besten Weg, sie zu erreichen
  • Richard Curtis verffentlicht eine neue Version von Pacinos berhmter Umkleideraum–Rede, um diese Halbzeit hervorzuheben
  • LONDON, Sept. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Der Filmemacher und Verfechter der Ziele fr nachhaltige Entwicklung Richard Curtis und seine Organisation Project Everyone verffentlichen eine besondere Version der berhmten Umkleideraum–Rede, die Al Pacino in dem Film "An jedem verdammten Sonntag" von Warner Bros. Pictures hielt.

    Der neue Zusammenschnitt der Szene stellt sie in den Kontext der "Halbzeit" der Ziele fr nachhaltige Entwicklung (Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs) und enthlt neue Zeilen, die Herr Pacino speziell fr diese Version der Szene aufgenommen hat.

    Der Film wird heute [14. September] vorgestellt, um die Tatsache hervorzuheben, dass sich die Welt bei den SDGs in der Halbzeit befindet.

    Die SDGs sind eine Sammlung von 17 Zielen, auf die sich die Staats– und Regierungschefs der Welt im Jahr 2015 bei den Vereinten Nationen geeinigt haben und die darauf abzielen, bis 2030 die Armut zu beenden, den Planeten zu schtzen und Wohlstand fr alle zu sichern.

    Allerdings sind nur 15 % der Ziele auf dem besten Weg, erreicht zu werden. Die dreifache Auswirkung von COVID–19, Konflikten und der Klimakrise machen jahrelange, hart erarbeitete Fortschritte zunichte.

    Der Film wird verffentlicht, whrend sich die Staats– und Regierungschefs auf die UN–Generalversammlung in New York vorbereiten. Um zu unterstreichen, dass die Welt bei den Zielen Halbzeit hat, hat der renommierte Knstler Es Devlin eine einzigartige Kunstinstallation im UNHQ entworfen und gebaut "" den SDG–Pavillon "" der am Montag, den 18. September, um 19 Uhr EST mit einer "Halbzeit–Show" mit globalen Talenten und fhrenden Politikern erffnet wird.

    Richard Curtis dazu: "Die Halbzeitkampagne fordert alle auf, sich zusammenzuschlieen, um die SDGs bis 2030 zu erreichen. Ich bin wirklich optimistisch, dass wir mit den richtigen Manahmen und dem richtigen politischen Willen in sieben Jahren auf eines der grten Comebacks in der zweiten Halbzeit aller Zeiten zurckblicken knnten. Es war sehr aufregend, mit Al Pacinos auergewhnlicher Rede zu arbeiten, um die Leidenschaft und den Sinn fr Dringlichkeit zu verdeutlichen, die notwendig sind, um die Dinge zu ndern."

    Video mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
    AN JEDEM VERDAMMTEN SONNTAG und alle damit verbundenen Figuren und Elemente Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s23)

    Medienkontakt: cbull@goodnesspr.co.uk

    Ein Video zu dieser Mitteilung finden Sie unter http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2bcc4f3a–f733–4233–8321–2572934c8967

    Ein Foto zu dieser Mitteilung finden Sie unter http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dc4d4e06–625c–41e0–929a–d7be3d7d35ac


    GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000839446)

    ]]>
    Richard Curtis sort une nouvelle version de la célèbre scène des vestiaires avec Al Pacino pour marquer la mi-temps de l'échéance de réalisation des Objectifs de Développement Durable http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/richard-curtis-sort-une-nouvelle-version-de-la-celebre-scene-des-vestiaires-avec-al-pacino-pour-marquer-la-mi-temps-de-lecheance-de-realisation-des-objectifs-de-developpement-durable/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/?p=308499
  • Le monde est la mi–temps de son chance pour la ralisation des Objectifs de Dveloppement Durable pour 2030, mais seuls 15 % de ces objectifs sont en voie d'tre atteints
  • Richard Curtis sort une nouvelle version du clbre discours des vestiaires d'Al Pacino pour marquer cette mi–temps
  • LONDRES, 14 sept. 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Richard Curtis, cinaste et militant pour les Objectifs de Dveloppement Durable, et son association Project Everyone publient une version spciale du clbre discours Centimtre par centimtre prononc par Al Pacino dans le film L'Enfer du dimanche de Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Le nouveau montage de la scne la replace dans le contexte de l'arrive la mi–temps de l'chance pour les Objectifs de Dveloppement Durable (ODD) et inclut de nouvelles rpliques, spcialement enregistres pour cette version de la scne par M. Pacino.

    Le film sort aujourd'hui [14 septembre] pour souligner le fait que le monde est maintenant mi–chemin de l'chance pour la ralisation des ODD.

    Les ODD sont un ensemble de 17 objectifs convenus par les dirigeants mondiaux aux Nations Unies en 2015, dont le but est de mettre fin la pauvret, protger la plante et assurer la prosprit pour tous d'ici 2030.

    Cependant, seuls 15 % de ces objectifs sont en voie d'tre atteints, le triple impact de la pandmie de COVID–19, des conflits et de la crise climatique faisant reculer les progrs durement acquis au fil des annes.

    La sortie du film est prvue alors que les dirigeants s'apprtent se runir New York pour l'Assemble gnrale des Nations Unies. Afin d'illustrer que le monde est mi–parcours de l'chance pour la ralisation de ces objectifs, l'artiste de renom Es Devlin a conu et mis en place une installation artistique unique au sige de l'ONU, dans le pavillon thmatique consacr aux ODD. Le coup d'envoi sera donn par un spectacle de mi–temps 19 heures (HNE) le lundi 18 septembre, auquel participeront des talents et des dirigeants du monde entier.

    Richard Curtis a dclar : La campagne Halftime invite le monde s'unir pour atteindre les ODD d'ici 2030. Je pense sincrement qu'avec les bonnes mesures et une volont politique, dans sept ans, nous pourrions assister l'un des retournements de situation de seconde priode les plus fantastiques de tous les temps. Il a t passionnant de travailler avec le discours extraordinaire d'Al Pacino pour illustrer la passion et le sentiment d'urgence qui sont ncessaires pour redresser la barre.

    Vido avec l'aimable autorisation de Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
    L'ENFER DU DIMANCHE et tous les personnages et lments associs Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s23)

    Contact media : cbull@goodnesspr.co.uk

    Une vido accompagnant cette annonce est disponible l'adresse suivante : http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2bcc4f3a–f733–4233–8321–2572934c8967

    Une photo accompagnant cette annonce est disponible l'adresse suivante : http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dc4d4e06–625c–41e0–929a–d7be3d7d35ac


    GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000839446)

    ]]>
    Richard Curtis releases new version of famous Al Pacino ‘locker room’ scene to mark that the world is at halftime on Sustainable Development Goals http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/richard-curtis-releases-new-version-of-famous-al-pacino-locker-room-scene-to-mark-that-the-world-is-at-halftime-on-sustainable-development-goals/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/?p=308478
  • The world is at "Halftime' when it comes to achieving 2030 Sustainable Development Goals – but only 15% are on track to be met
  • Richard Curtis releases new version of Pacino's famous locker room speech to mark this halftime point
  • LONDON, Sept. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Filmmaker and Sustainable Development Goal Advocate Richard Curtis and his organisation Project Everyone are releasing a special version of the famous "Inch by Inch' locker room speech, delivered by Al Pacino in the Warner Bros. Pictures film Any Given Sunday.

    The new cut of the scene puts it into the context of reaching "halftime' for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and includes new lines especially recorded for this version of the scene by Mr Pacino.

    The film is being launched today [14 September] to highlight the fact that the world is now at Halftime when it comes to the SDGs.

    The SDGs are a collection of 17 goals agreed by world leaders at the United Nations in 2015 which aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030.

    However, only 15% of the Goals are on track to be met, with the triple impact of COVID–19, conflict, and the climate crisis reversing years of hard–earned progress.

    The film is being released as leaders prepare to gather at the UN General Assembly in New York. To highlight that the world is at Halftime when it comes to the Goals, renowned artist Es Devlin has designed and built a unique art installation at UNHQ "" the SDG Pavilion "" which is kicking off with a "Halftime Show' at 7 pm EST on Monday 18 September featuring global talent and world leaders.

    Richard Curtis said: "The Halftime Campaign asks everyone to come together to achieve the SDGs by 2030. I'm genuinely optimistic that with the right action and political will, in seven years, we could be looking back at one of the greatest second–half comebacks of all time. It has been very exciting to work with Al Pacino's extraordinary speech to illustrate the passion and sense of urgency that is needed to turn things around."

    Video Courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
    ANY GIVEN SUNDAY and all related characters and elements Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s23)

    Media contact: cbull@goodnesspr.co.uk

    A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2bcc4f3a–f733–4233–8321–2572934c8967

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dc4d4e06–625c–41e0–929a–d7be3d7d35ac


    GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000839446)

    ]]>
    President of Kenya visits GCA Headquarters to mobilize action ahead of Africa Climate Action Summit http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/president-of-kenya-visits-gca-headquarters-to-mobilize-action-ahead-of-africa-climate-action-summit/ Sun, 07 May 2023 14:55:01 +0000 http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/?p=307532 Rotterdam, the Netherlands, May 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — His Excellency William S. Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, visited the floating headquarters of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in Rotterdam today to participate in a Strategic Dialogue on the Africa Climate Action Summit.

    The Africa Climate Action Summit is being co–hosted by the Government of Kenya and the African Union Commission on 4th to 6th September 2023, and is co–convened by the African Development Bank and GCA. The visit follows a meeting between Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of GCA and President Ruto in Nairobi in February 2023 where they discussed driving the implementation and financing of climate adaptation through the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP).

    GCA, as the only international organisation focused exclusively on climate adaptation, is working closely with the Government of Kenya to mobilize financial commitments for adaptation during the Africa Climate Action Summit. The Strategic Dialogue discussed developing Adaptation Country Investment Compacts and other mechanisms to determine the adaptation investment needs and financing opportunities for each country. The Summit will coalesce partners, including international financial institutions and the private sector, around accelerating adaptation financing and climate action leading into the United Nations Secretary–General's Climate Action Summit and COP28.

    The President, who is the Chair of the African Union's Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, was welcomed to the city of Rotterdam and the GCA Headquarters by GCA CEO Professor Verkooijen; the Mayor of Rotterdam, Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb; Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (2002–2010) and GCA Executive Board Member and Feike Sijbesma, Board of Trustees, World Economic Forum, GCA Co–Chair.

    His Excellency Ban Ki–moon, 8th Secretary–General of the United Nations and GCA Co–Chair; Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment and Dr. Kevin Kariuki, Vice–President of the African Development Bank joined the Strategic Dialogue virtually to discuss the Africa Climate Action Summit. The discussion highlighted the importance of rich nations coming forward with commitments to honor the pledges made at COP26 in Glasgow to double adaptation financing by 2025 and how the Summit can help deliver the priorities of African governments to advance the "Green Agenda for Africa" including opportunities in green industrialisation.

    Speaking during the dialogue, His Excellency William S. Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, said: "The world is now edging close and closer towards the brink of a climate disaster whose warning signs so far are the most catastrophic environmental and atmospheric phenomena humankind has ever encountered. The GCA exists to remind us of these fundamental truths, and to mobilise and empower effective responses in ways that are both reassuring and inspiring."

    Professor Patrick Verkooijen highlighted the importance of the Africa Climate Action Summit to mobilize climate finance for adaptation: "African countries are at ground zero of our climate emergency – they are already losing up to 15% of GDP growth due to climate change even though they are responsible for only 3% of global emissions. They must be given the chance to survive and thrive even as they suffer the impacts of a crisis they did not cause. Africa has the solutions but it needs climate finance and investment. I commend President Ruto for his leadership in hosting the Africa Climate Action Summit and look forward to the real and tangible commitments it will deliver."

    Notes to Editors

    About the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP)
    An Africa–owned and Africa–led program, the AAAP, is a joint initiative between the African Development Bank (AfDB) and GCA with the goal of mobilizing $25 billion for adaptation in Africa by 2025 through four pillars: food security, resilient infrastructure, youth entrepreneurship and job creation, and innovative climate adaptation finance. The African Union endorsed AAAP's two financing mechanisms. The first mechanism is the AAAP Upstream Financing Facility hosted by GCA, which has already influenced over $5.2bn in investment for adaptation in Africa since its inception in 2021. The AfDB administers the second financing mechanism through the climate set aside under the ADF–16 replenishment, which builds on the AfDB's commitment to finance $12.5 billion of adaptation programs "" half of the AAAP investment target.

    About the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)
    The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that works as a solutions broker to accelerate action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sectors. Founded in 2018, GCA operates from its headquarters in the largest floating office in the world, located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Beijing, China.

    About the Africa Climate Action Summit
    The Africa Climate Action Summit in Nairobi will be held from September 4th to September 6th. This summit is expected to bring together leaders, experts, and policymakers from across the world to discuss the pressing issue of climate change and its impact on Africa. The Africa Climate Action Summit will focus on a number of key areas, including adaptation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and climate finance. Participants will share their experiences, best practices, and strategies for addressing climate change, and will work to develop a roadmap for African countries to achieve their climate goals.

    Attachment


    GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8833600)

    ]]>
    U.N. Member States Remove Islamic Republic of Iran from Commission on the Status of Women http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/u-n-member-states-remove-islamic-republic-of-iran-from-commission-on-the-status-of-women/ Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:19:14 +0000 http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/?p=306552 NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    This fall, a coalition of Iranian women, along with Vital Voices Global Partnership and For Freedoms launched a campaign calling for the immediate removal of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) after the tragic death of Mahsa Jina Amini and ensuing protests. The following is a statement issued by the group in response to today's vote by the Commission in favor of the IRI's removal:

    Today the United Nations and its Member States heeded the call of Iranian women to remove the Islamic Republic of Iran from the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. Earlier this year, to the dismay of women's rights advocates around the world, the Islamic Republic began a second four"'year term on the 45"'member entity that serves as the preeminent global body dedicated to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. The final decision included 29 Member States voting in favor of removing the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Commision.

    Today's vote marks a pivotal step forward with the U.N. Member States removing a country from the Commission with an appalling record on women's rights from its membership. Every day that the Islamic Republic of Iran was a member of the Commission on the Status of Women, the body lost credibility.

    As we previously stated in an open letter published in The New York Times, the IRI's long"'standing, systematic oppression of women and the absence of tangible improvements after decades of engagement, should have disqualified them from election to the Commission on the Status of Women.

    Yesterday, Iranian women currently imprisoned inside the notorious Evin prison came out with tremendous courage in listing their names in support of this effort.

    For decades, gender inequality and discrimination against women have been legally enshrined in the IRI. Under the regime's penal code and other laws and regulations, Iranian women's rights are severely restricted in marriage, divorce, inheritance and custody. In addition, they must comply with the IRI's mandatory hijab laws from the onset of puberty.

    Yet, the IRI was elected to the Commission on the Status of Women.

    Today, we commend the Member States for upholding their duty to mandate and defend values that support gender equality and for standing on the right side of history by showing their outrage in the face of blatant state violence.

    This is a critical moment for leaders in the international community to continue to vocally and unequivocally demonstrate their support for women's rights by standing in solidarity with Iranian women and girls.

    In solidarity with Iranian women and girls who are courageously demonstrating for their fundamental human rights, we condemn the brutal violence against peaceful protesters and the violence at the forceful hands of the Islamic Republic's regime that includes executions, targeted attacks on women's bodies, sham trials, mass imprisonment, sexual assault, beatings and torture.

    To world leaders who are watching, we urge you to continue to meet the courage of the women leading this revolution and act within your realm of power and influence in favor of women's rights, fairness and equality.

    To the Iranian women who are on the ground continuing to fight tirelessly for basic human rights, we will continue to listen to you, support you, and boldly move in ways that provoke justice, fairness and equality for you and all women, all life and all freedom.

    In Solidarity,

    – Coalition of Iranian women leaders alongside Vital Voices and For Freedoms
    www.womenlifefreedom.today

    Visual Assets Available for Use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqiBdtq2nnI

    Attachments


    GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8714699)

    ]]>
    Water For People Expands Country Programs in East Africa to Include Tanzania http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/water-for-people-expands-country-programs-in-east-africa-to-include-tanzania/ Thu, 01 Dec 2022 16:49:01 +0000 http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/?p=306462 Denver, CO & Dodoma, Tanzania, Dec. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This fall, Water For People launched Water For People Tanzania, the first new country program in ten years and the fourth in Africa. Program expansions like this are critical for reaching the organization's 2030 goals of bringing bring clean water and sanitation to 200 million people. These goals support U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 6 which ensures the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

    "Tanzania has had comprehensive sector development plans since 2008," says Co–CEO Samson Bekele. "The national government's desire for accountable and effective services mean means our ability to collaborate in the districts we serve will be much more fruitful. Because Water For People plans to eventually exit countries, partnering with governments and strengthening national systems is vital for sustainable access." Additionally, Tanzania's proximity to the successful Water For People programs in Malawi, Rwanda and Uganda creates a unique opportunity to use shared learnings.

    The opening of the Tanzania program office in Dodoma will initially support regionwide WASH planning capacity with a special focus on the Mpwapwa district. Mpwapwa, one of the seven districts of Dodoma region, has a population of 375,523. There are 57 registered Community Based Water Supply Organizations that are unable to meet all operation and maintenance costs, and of the 119 public schools, 62 don't have water.

    Historically, Mpwapwa received a sizeable share of investment for water supply and the mix of rural and urban settlements mean that a range of WASH management institutions are present in the district; however, many installed/developed water infrastructure are no longer working and access to improved water supply coverage in the rural part of the district has remained below 40%.

    "Collaborating in Mpwapwa gives us a chance to understand and address sector sustainability challenges firsthand," says Country Director Rehema Tukai, "Sustainability is critical for making sure communities have access to safe water and sanitation forever."

    Water For People Tanzania:

    P.O. Box 2120 | Plot No.12 / Block F/ House No.1 , Medeli/ Mazengo Street, Kisasa – Dodoma

    Mobile No. +255 784 635245

    About Water For People:

    Water For People, motivated by the fact that water is a human right, is a nonprofit working across nine countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa to address the global water crisis. In bringing together communities, local businesses, and governments to build, operate, and maintain their own systems, Water For People's approach ensures that every family, health clinic, and school has lasting access to safe water and sanitation. This model, called Everyone Forever, secures sustainability for generations. Learn more at waterforpeople.org.


    GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8707043)

    ]]>
    EYES ON IRAN ART ACTIVATION FACES THE U.N. IN NEW YORK http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/eyes-on-iran-art-activation-faces-the-u-n-in-new-york/ Mon, 28 Nov 2022 20:04:15 +0000 http://www.kuwaitfinancialexpress.com/?p=306443 NEW YORK, Nov. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Iranian artists Sheida Soleimani, Aphrodite Desiree Navab, Z, Icy and Sot, Shirin Neshat, Mahvash Mostala, Sepideh Mehraban, and Shirin Towfiq, alongside artists Hank Willis Thomas and JR, activate New York's FDR Four Freedoms State Park with a provocative multi–day and multi–media art installation facing the United Nations entitled Eyes on Iran, November 28, 2022 – January 1, 2023.

    Timed for the U.N. initiative, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender–Based Violence, the installations are focused on the power of collective sight, with eyes facing the U.N., signifying the world's eyes on Iran. 'Eyes in the Sky' flying billboards featuring artworks by Thomas and Mostala will fly on December 3 in New York City and on November 28 and 30 in Miami. An interactive installation by artist JR will take place on December 4. Eyes on Iran aims to amplify the mission of Woman, Life, Freedom, a campaign demanding that the Islamic Republic of Iran is removed from the Commission on the Status of Women.

    The New York installation was unveiled at an event featuring former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Human Rights Lawyer and Director of the Strategic Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council Gissou Nia, artists Sheida Soleimani and Shirin Neshat, actor and singer Sepideh Moafi and more at FDR Four Freedoms State Park with a performance by Grammy award–winner Jon Batiste.

    “We are calling on the world to take more action, starting at the United Nations. We must remove Iran from the U.N.'s Commission on the Status of Women. The fact that Iran is a member is a bitter irony," said Clinton. "What we are seeing is a revolution led by young women who are just not willing to live with the loss of freedom being imposed upon them.”

    November 28 is significant because it is the anniversary of the 1943 Tehran Conference where Allied leaders, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin met in Tehran to coordinate the Allied military strategy and also stated a shared desire for the maintenance of the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Iran. Today, Woman, Life, Freedom shares the call for human rights for the people of Iran.

    “The world's eyes have been focused on the courage of Iranian citizens in their quest for freedom, in the face of increasingly grave danger,” said human rights activist Nazanin Afshin–Jam Mackay. “The Islamic Republic has censored them and attempted to blind the world to the potential of this movement. 'Eyes on Iran' is our response to their call for a free Iran.”

    “When we say that we must keep our 'Eyes on Iran,' we mean that what is happening deserves not only our attention but our vision. In solidarity with the courageous Iranians who are risking their lives to express their human rights, many artists throughout the diaspora and beyond are bringing our vision to bear to ensure international audiences and institutions remain aware of what is happening in Iran, in their eyes and in their hearts, and feel moved to respond,” says artist Shirin Neshat.

    An interactive installation by artist JR will take place on December 4 at FDR Four Freedoms State Park. Eyes on Iran aims to amplify the mission of Woman, Life, Freedom, a campaign demanding that the Islamic Republic of Iran is removed from the Commission on the Status of Women. Additional artists featured online including Emily Elise, Mahdis Nikou, Priscillia Kounkou Hoveydam, Ernesto Yerena, Hourdad, Golnar Adili, and Anonymous Artists.

    In October, the campaign published a two–page ad in The New York Times with a petition signed by women leaders from more than 14 countries, including Clinton, demanding the U.N. Member States remove the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women. Within days, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, along with nearly 100,000 others, signed the petition.

    The Woman, Life, Freedom campaign is a partnership between artist collective For Freedoms, a coalition of Iranian women leaders and Vital Voices Global Partnership, a non–profit elevating women leaders.

    Key Links:

    Press Images

    Woman Life Freedom Website

    Press Release: Open Letter Calling for the Immediate Expulsion of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women

    About Our Partners:

    For Freedoms is an artist collective that centers art and creativity as a catalyst for transformative connection and collective liberation. By wielding the power of art, we aim to deepen and expand our capacity to interrogate what is and imagine what could be. Together, we seek infinite expansion.
    www.forfreedoms.com

    Vital Voices Global Partnership celebrates 25 years of directly investing in more than 20,000 women leaders across 184 countries since 1997. Driven by the universal truth that women are the key to progress in their communities and nations cannot move forward without women in leadership positions, Vital Voices has provided early support for leaders who went on to become Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, U.S. Youth Poet Laureates, prime ministers, award–winning innovators, pioneering human rights defenders, and breakthrough social entrepreneurs.
    www.vitalvoices.org

    Four Freedoms Park Conservancy (FFPC), founded in 2011, operates under a Friends Agreement with New York State Parks to produce and curate public programs at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park. The park, designed by American modernist architect Louis Kahn, is among the greatest architectural masterpieces in New York City. By leveraging this spectacular architecture and the unique location of the park, the Conservancy produces events, installations,public art, and partners with local organizations that, together, serve a singular purpose: igniting the conversation around the Four Freedoms and the legacy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
    www.fdrfourfreedomspark.org

    The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by more than 78 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit www.parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer mobile app or call 518.474.0456. Also, connect on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

    Attachments


    GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8704529)

    ]]>