Messages In This Digest (2 Messages)

Hello!

I'm sure this will be a fascinating session. Please note that you must RSVP and that it will require a Confirmation from the organiser, before your attendance is confirmed. MK

---

GAWAD KALINGA - the World's solution to Poverty?

Gawad Kalinga ("GK"- means to give care.), an organization founded in the Philippines, is an alternative solution to the blatant problem of poverty, not just in the Philippines but the world. GK strives to provide homes for the homeless, food for the hungry, education for pre-school children.

Save the date and meet the champion of GAWAD KALINGA –
ANTONIO 'TONY' MELOTO
Accompanied by BEBET GOZUN & Paolo Domondon

Tony Meloto at the 'Highway Of Peace (HOPE)' Caravan 2006
– GK restoring, building & healing for Muslim communities in Mindanao.

Evening Public Lecture
"Building the Heart of a Nation"
Supported by Youth Expedition Project, National Youth Council

Date
8 May 2008

Time
7.30pm – 10.30pm

Venue
Singapore Management University (SMU)
Lee Kong Chian School of Business
Level 2, Seminar Room 2.5

Attendance is FREE, with priority given to invited guests and those who RSVP early.

To RSVP, please email Ms Siti, with the subject header "Building the Heart of the Nation", at siti_salimah_rosli@..., by 5 May 2008 (Monday).

Tony Meloto (2006 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee)

Antonio "Tony" Meloto leads "Gawad Kalinga" - a growing global movement involved in building holistic and sustainable communities for a slum-free, squatter-free Philippines. He travels the Philippines and the rest of the world spreading the blazing spirit of heroism amongst Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike.

He represents the many ordinary Filipinos living extraordinary lives in service of the poor in the Philippines. His work now focuses on building the GK global network of partners and expanding advocacy abroad. This creates the possibility and access to open Gawad Kalinga in other developing countries like India, Nigeria, South Africa and Nicaragua, in addition to the fast-growing GK work in Cambodia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. In the span of 4 years since the vision of GK777 (building 700,000 houses in 7000 communities in 7 years) was launched, GK has built over 1700 communities nationwide and has helped hundreds of thousands of families.

"I am really sorry for the state of things, because of my failure to do something about it. And many are now sorry, just like myself because of this state of degradation… But feeling sorry is not enough. Sorry does not restore beauty, sorry does not restore dignity, sorry does not restore the plan of God for man. Sorry begins it, but sorry is not enough.

What needs to be done is to bring sorry to action, to convert regret to reform, to lift apathy to compassion and development. We who have not done well by the talents and treasures we have been gifted with, we who have abdicated our responsibility of shepherding the poor and the young to their birthright of enjoying the treasures of a beautiful and abundant country, we who have seen the errors of our ways and are sorry --- we must now restore what we destroyed… or allowed to be destroyed."

- excerpt from Commencement Speech at Ateneo University, March 2006.

Elisea 'Bebet' Gillera Gozun
(2007 Awardee of the UNEP Champions of the Earth)

Mrs. Elisea "Bebet" Gillera Gozun's commitment to public service and her passion for the environment has given her the energy to overcome obstacles, persuade disbelievers and shape alliances. Her leadership in World Bank projects resulted in tangible results such as the introduction of pollution charges for industrial effluents in the Philippines, the establishment of the ECOWATCH programme – an innovative public disclosure programme of environmental performance of priority industries – and the "Brown Fund"- the first tripartite funding source for local urban environmental initiatives, jointly managed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), business and government.

Mrs. Gozun recognized that without the local communities, the private sector and local governments on board led by mayors, no national policy could succeed. She has pushed for the introduction of community-based waste recovery, recycling and reuse in the Philippines and has also worked for the establishment of materials recovery facilities and on upgrading the quality and capacity of landfills for the residual wastes. Her personal integrity, combined with a keen pragmatic sense for what is politically feasible to constitute a viable solution, have won her the trust of business leaders, NGOs and political decision-makers alike. www.unep.org/champions/Winners/ winners2007/bebet.asp

Paolo Domondon
Executive Assistant to Tony Meloto, Gawad Kalinga
1st Magna Cum Laude in BS Psychology in De La Salle University, Manila Philippines
Student Leadership Awardee, De La Salle University, Manila Philippines
Commissioner Mission Task Force, Lasallian Youth Commission (umbrella youth organization of all 32 Lasalle Schools in the Philippines)

#250

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Thu May 1, 2008 6:20 am
Subject: Please check out: 'One Day Off' for Domestic Helpers (www.dayoff.sg)

melissa_kwee

Offline

Dear Family and Friends,

I am writing to you about a topic very close to my heart.

There are many things to love and appreciate about Singapore - including the fact that many of us have helpers to run our homes and assist with much of the household administration. We owe a great deal to those who move abroad, leave their homes and families to assist ours.

However, as you probably know, there are domestic helpers in Singapore that are not granted Sabbath, -- day of rest. On that day, they can go out, picnic in a park, see friends, attend religious services, shop, eat or do nothing.

But some are not even granted this.

We should also be concerned about employers with legitimate concerns (e.g. chronically ill family members) and need constant care, but we could also do something to support these families and neighbours to enable them to rest and grant others the same rest as well.

There is a good online resource at: www.dayoff.sg.

Please consider supporting the campaign and sharing it with others.

With love,
Melissa

--
If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,there will be peace in the world.
~ Chinese Proverb

#249

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:51 pm
Subject: EVENT! Borderlines: Talk by Humanitarian Doctor in Rural China@Substation, THIS Wed 630pm

melissa_kwee

Offline

Dear Friends in Singapore,

A Salt & Light *special event* this Wednesday for those keen to hear the stories of Dr. Tan Lai Yong. Dr Tan's life-work as a humanitarian doctor in rural China has been documented in Borderlines, an exhibition by Andrew Chai, now on at the Substation.

We thank Healthserve volunteers for their help in arranging this, and invite all friends and their friends to attend.

Wed Feb 20, 630pm
Substation Gallery

Pls RSVP - melissa@... (so we get a sense of what to prepare. There is no fee)

Hope you can make it. It should be awesome.

Much love,

Melissa

**MORE INFO ON THE EXHIBITION**

15-24 February 08

The Substation Gallery
11am-8pm daily
Free Admission

Borderlines: Life in a Chinese Village is a photographic exhibition that
captures the many layers of rural life found in Man Bong, a multi-ethnic
village perched on the mountainous plateaus of China's Yunnan province.

The images reveal life lived on the borderlines: of a Chinese village
next to the Thai border; of an ethnic minority group living on the
fringes of Chinese society; and of an age-old way of life that is now
experiencing the opportunities - and threats - of modernization and wealth.

The photographs from this exhibition have been published in "Pilgrims" a
book by Tan Lai Yong, an award-winning humanitarian doctor based in
China. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to HealthServe
Community Clinics, volunteer health clinics in Geylang and Little India
that serves the sex worker and migrant construction worker communities.

Profile of the artist: A former National Geographic filmmaker, Andrew
Chew is a freelance documentary photographer and writer, Based in
Singapore he travels to China, Japan, Cambodia, Philippines and
Australia for his work

Andrewchew@...

#248

From: Nurhaida Rahim <nhaida81@...>
Date:: Fri Feb 8, 2008 9:02 am
Subject: The Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations

nhaida81

Offline

The Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations

Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) is Proud
to Present
1st Harvard University On-Campus Conference, April 3-6, 2008
     Cosmopolitan Asia: Diversity and Disparity
5th HPAIR Business Conference in Kuala Lumpur, August 14-17, 2008
     Emerging into Focus: Asia Incorporated
17th HPAIR Academic Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, August 22-25, 2008
     Beyond Borders: Asia on the World Stage

You are cordially invited to find out more about HPAIR and apply to all
our programs at www.hpair.org. Note that the Harvard On-Campus
Conference is still accepting applications. There are limited spots
left. Acceptance is offered on a rolling basis. Apply now before the
application closes.

About HPAIR
HPAIR's primary mission is to provide a rigorous academic program and
continuous forum of exchange to facilitate discussion about the most
important issues relevant to the Asia-Pacific region. For more than 15
years, HPAIR has organized a number of highly successful, high-profile
conferences in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together students from
the world's foremost universities as well as leaders in the fields of
government, business, culture, and academia. The students and faculty
involved with HPAIR have demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting
the international understanding of important social, political, and
economic trends in Asia, complementing Harvard's own long-standing
relations with Asia. Since its founding in 1991, HPAIR has become
Harvard's largest annual event in Asia and also the largest annual
student-run conference in the Asia-Pacific region. For more information,
please visit us at www.hpair.org.
----
For any inquiries about HPAIR, please feel free to email help@...;

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.

#247

From: Jared Tham <theflyinguniversity@...>
Date:: Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:23 pm
Subject: Pulsate '08

theflyinguni...

Offline

Initiative SG: http://www.thechoiceinitiative.org/initiative.htm

Hi people,

Do find out more about the bond-free UWC scholarship that Pulsate 08 is promoting! http://pulsate08.livejournal.com/

cheers,
Jared

About us

Created by 4 university students, this is the official blog for the Pulsate '08 campaign in Singapore. Through this online portal, we aim to build a place where potential United World Colleges (UWC) students can read about the school, its academic program, as well as keep up with the events planned for the Pulsate '08 campaign.

For easy access to our entries, take a look at our links below! :D

Links

January 2008

Tags

13 December 2010 @ 08:54 pm

Contents page + Mailing List + Application forms

For easier navigation, this is a post that contains the important links to the contents on this blog. Think of it as a directory, or a contents page in a book. :)

( Questions about the scholarship )

( Wanna know more on the 4 Colleges? )

( The Events - The Pulsate Workshop and Speech Contest )

( Schools that we have visited a.k.a. look at your pretty faces! )

( Take a peek at what the current scholars are up to in UWC! )

If you want to be updated about our events and other ongoings, join our mailing list! Email us at uwcscholarship@.... Questions and comments are welcomed too.

free hit counter

Tags: application forms, contents, events, faq, scholars

6 comments | Leave a comment

28 January 2008 @ 10:54 pm

Scholarship presentation at CHIJ Katong Convent

What can we say? Schools in the east are just so much more open to scholarships, and so we're in the east again today. Today's invitation was from CHIJ Katong Convent, and there were 2 presentations, one for the sec 5s and one for the sec 4s.

( Into CHIJ Katong Convent )

Much thanks to Ms. Helen Lie for the invitation to your school!

Tags: katong convent, school talk

23 January 2008 @ 10:27 pm

Updates at our community

As though getting in contact with the current UWC scholars wasn't enough, we actually managed to get in contact with two fresh graduates from UWC too!

Yushan and Vanessa have both contributed blog entries, and you can read all about their UWC experiences by clicking on their names. If you're interested in the other scholars, try visiting our community at

uwcscholarship! :D

Also, for those of you who are interested in the one-day workshop that we are organizing in February (which is modeled after similar UWC workshops/forums so come get a feel of how UWC is like even before applying for the scholarship!), here's our application form! Download the application form here! And go here for a quick overview of all our events, including the workshop!

If you have any queries, please feel free to leave a comment below and we'll get back to you as soon as possible! Anonymous comments are accepted! :) Or you may feel more comfortable asking your question at our forum?

Tags: community, pulsate workshop, scholars

23 January 2008 @ 09:48 pm

Scholarship presentation at Tanjong Katong Secondary School

If we were speculating a while back, we're pretty much convinced by now that schools in the east are the most open to scholarship presentations, because we hit the east today! This time, the invitation was from Tanjong Katong Secondary School, and the presentation was opened to all interested students.

As we'd heard previously that we'd probably get around 30+ students, we were surprised when we opened the door and lo and behold, there was a good 60-70 students! :D

( And so begins our adventure in Tanjong Katong Secondary )

Much thanks to Ms. Karen for the invitation to your school!

Tags: school talk, tanjong katong

18 January 2008 @ 10:06 pm

Scholarship presentation at Pei Cai Secondary School

Today was Pei Cai Secondary's inaugural career seminar, and we were really excited to have been invited to attend. Despite some problems in the beginning (where our team members soorrrta got lost in the area and even went to the wrong campus ^_^;;) and one of our speaker having to pull out suddenly, we still managed to pull it off and present the UWC scholarship to the students.

( Into Pei Cai Secondary )

Much thanks to Ms. Fann Kang for inviting us to the career seminar in the school!

Tags: pei cai, school talk

17 January 2008 @ 11:55 pm

Scholarship presentation at East Spring Secondary School

Seriously, are schools in the east more receptive of scholarships? Because this afternoon, we were invited over to East Spring Secondary School to be 1 of 3 academies giving a presentation as it was the school's career guidance day.

Schools in the east seem to all be real pretty too, and upon stepping inside, we were instantly at awe with the lovely little image the school made!

( Here's us in East Spring Secondary School )

Much thanks to Mr Neu for inviting us to the school.

Tags: east spring, school talk

17 January 2008 @ 11:36 pm

Scholarship presentation at Catholic High School [now with videos!]

2 weeks into giving scholarship presentations, this is the first time we've gone into a boy's school. And to think it's actually one of our group member's alma mater (and who this person is is really obvious, since he's the only guy on our team :D)!

Unfortunately, the school had changed so much we actually had a bit of a problem finding our way around when we were getting in. Still, all for the scholarship! :D

( Onward to Catholic High School )

Much thanks to Mdm Ee and Mr Leong for arranging this presentation.

Tags: catholic high school, school talk

16 January 2008 @ 09:43 pm

Scholarship presentation at Orchid Park Secondary School

Talk about stage fright! Today at Orchid Park Secondary, Team PnP and the UWC National Committee faced their biggest scholarship presentation ever, with the whole secondary 3 to 5 students present. That's a brilliant 700+ students!

Luckily Anand, ex-UWC-USA scholar, was there to give the presentation! :D *cue for the rest of us to heave a sigh of relief*

( And so we head into Orchid Park Secondary School )

Much thanks to the lovely Magdalene for the invitation!

Tags: orchid park, school talk

15 January 2008 @ 10:01 pm

Updates at our comm and workshop!

After finding Ghariza, we managed to get in contact with Sabrina, 2nd-year student at Nordic College as well to tell us about her own UWC experience! According to her, her 2 years at Nordic has given her the experience of a lifetime and enabled her to travel throughout Europe for "a fraction of the cost"!

Aww, don't you just want to go to Nordic now? We know we do!

Anyway, read all about her experience and see some her photos of her school life over here!

Also, for those of you who are interested in the one-day workshop that we are organizing in February (which is modeled after similar UWC workshops/forums), we've given our application form one final finishing touch! Download the new application here! And go here for a quick overview of all our events, including the workshop!

If you have any queries, please feel free to leave a comment below and we'll get back to you as soon as possible! Anonymous comments are accepted! :) Or you may feel more comfortable asking your question at our forum?

Tags: community, pulsate workshop, scholars

14 January 2008 @ 11:09 pm

Scholarship presentation at Ngee Ann Secondary School

Maybe schools in Tampines are more open to scholarships, because Team PnP hit Tampines again this morning! :D Ngee Ann Secondary School was kind enough to invite us to give a talk about the UWC scholarship, and so we headed down there as quickly as we could.

( In Ngee Ann Secondary School )

Much thanks to Mr. Leonard Tan for inviting us to the school!

Tags: ngee ann, school talk

13 January 2008 @ 07:35 pm

Updates at our community - More entries from UWC scholars!

Well, whaddya know? We managed to find Ghariza, first-year scholar currently studying at Nordic Campus in Norway, to tell us about her UWC experience too!

So if you're interested in going to the Nordic Campus for your UWC experience, read up on Ghariza's life over there to get a feel on how yours may be like! :D

Click here and here for her entry!

And remember: If you have any queries, please feel free to leave a comment below and we'll get back to you as soon as possible! Anonymous comments are accepted! :) Or you may feel more comfortable asking your question at our forum?

Tags: community, scholars

11 January 2008 @ 06:26 pm

Scholarship application form

We're sure you've seen the UWC scholarship application form floating around in this blog and the UWC National Committee Singapore website for days already, and while applications don't open until 26th January 2008, a couple of you may already have downloaded the document.

Well, you may have downloaded an outdated copy of the application form with the wrong dates! So we'd advise that you check your forms one final time before sending it off when you're ready, just to make sure it's really the final, final copy!

We'll post a new entry when the final application forms are ready, but in the meantime, if you want to download the form just to see the required fields, it's right here. Right-click and save to download. :)

Also, don't forget about our events! Click here for a quick overview! We update the blog regularly, so do keep visiting for the latest details.

If you have any queries, please feel free to leave a comment below and we'll get back to you as soon as possible! Anonymous comments are accepted! :) Or you may feel more comfortable asking your question at our forum?

Tags: application forms

11 January 2008 @ 02:33 am

Updates at our community!

We've heard your calls for a more sharing of experiences from the current UWC scholars about life in overseas, and that you want to hear directly from them. So, we've invited several scholars to tell you about their UWC experiences.

Their entries are posted over at our community blog

uwcscholarship, and right now we've gotten Germaine and Kimberley's entries up. Click on their names for easy access!

Also at the community blog are 2 videos filmed by UWC students, so take a look to get a feel of how life is really like over there.

Lastly, don't forget about our events! Click here for a quick overview! We update the blog regularly, so do keep visiting for the latest details.

If you have any queries, please feel free to leave a comment below and we'll get back to you as soon as possible! Anonymous comments are accepted! :) Or you may feel more comfortable asking your question at our forum?

Tags: community, scholars

09 January 2008 @ 11:54 am

Scholarship presentation at Junyuan Secondary School

At our last scholarship presentation, we braved the rain (and risked getting lost). This time round, Team PnP forayed into Tampines, an area no one in our group was familiar with. And there to greet us, was Junyuan Secondary School.

( At Junyuan Secondary School )

Much thanks to Mr. Vanan for the invitation to the school!

Tags: junyuan, school talk

07 January 2008 @ 10:58 pm

Scholarship presentation at CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent

For most people, 2008 started on 1st January. But for Team PnP, the new year started slightly later on 7th as we kicked off our first scholarship presentation today at CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent.

( At CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent )

Much thanks to Mrs Cherry Lim for the invite!

Tags: school talk, st joseph

02 January 2008 @ 05:34 pm

Speak! For Yourself - A Speech Contest

( Learn more about the speech contest! )

Tags: events, speech contest

02 January 2008 @ 04:53 pm

Pulsate Workshop 2008!

( Find out more about the workshop! )

Tags: events, pulsate workshop

30 December 2007 @ 06:41 pm

About the 4 Colleges

As you may already have known, scholars chosen by the UWC National Committee Singapore gets to go to 1 of 4 colleges: Nordic College in Norway, UWC-USA College in New Mexico (USA), Adriatic College in Italy and Pearson College in Canada.

Here's a brief introduction about them, complete with photos!

( About the 4 Colleges )

Tags: about, colleges

13 December 2007 @ 09:43 pm

About Pulsate '08 campaign and Team Pen & Paper

Pulsate '08 is a collaboration between 4 NTU students and the UWC National Committee that aims to promote the UWC scholarship, a prestigious and no-bonds scholarship the 4 NTU students regret not applying for (though mostly it was a problem of not having heard of it back then). Through this campaign, the students wish to increase the level of awareness of the scholarship amongst all Singapore secondary students.

The 4 students have renamed themselves Team Pen & Paper in loving memory of their blue pens and notebooks that have sacrificed themselves as the team took down notes during their meetings.

( More on Team Pen & Paper )

Tags: about, pulsate, team pen & paper

15 November 2007 @ 10:45 pm

What you need to know about the scholarship!

UWC mission statement:
UWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future

The United World Colleges is a global educational movement that seeks to bring students from all over the world â€“ selected on personal merit, irrespective of race, religion, politics and the ability to pay â€“ with the explicit aim of fostering peace and international understanding.

This entry contains information on the Colleges, its scholarship, and the International Baccaluareate Diploma and other FAQs. All questions are welcome! We will answer them asap!

( Quick Links )

( The UWC Movement and the curriculum )

( The UWC Scholarship: Generalities )

( The UWC Scholarship: Applying & Selection )

( Post-UWC prospects )

( More Info? )

Tags: about, faq, ib, scholarship, uwc

Search. browse and book your hotels and flights through Yahoo! Travel

#246

From: farheen <fmukri@...>
Date:: Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:15 am
Subject: PAKISTAN: Bonded labourers, children eke out existence at brick kiln

firstfern

Offline

Dear all,
Further to Jared's post to ChildRights egroups recently (attached below), I wish to inform you all, that I have a contact of an organisation in Pakistan working specifically on child labour and child rights in Pakistan. I spoke to them at great length while I was in Pakistan last year. They are called Punjab Lok Sujag. They have also worked with child labour groups in India, including TCI's older partner, Janothsava and the follow-up group formed thereafter. They did the India-Pakistan peace flag together.

The guy who runs it, Mr Shafiq Butt, is keen to receive volunteers who can bring ideas of creative play into the lives of children there. He has sent me a link of an article he wrote for DAWN newspaper:
http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/28/nat35.htm

This will give you a background on the issues involved. If any of you wish to volunteer (perhaps under the auspices of TCI or GUI) even if it's for 2 weeks, do let me know if a small group can be formed. I know Mingwei has successfully led groups of 6-8 pax to India and perhaps a similar model can be applied for this. As Pakistan is not covered under the YEP funding mechanism, it will attract volunteers who are keen on the region and its issues rather than just a CIP filler. And perhaps requires more thought on saving up for funding. The organisation is based in Lahore, just across the Indian border from Amritsar. Thai Airways flies direct to Lahore from BKK.

As a volunteer you will gain a direct insight into the issues of Child Labour in Pakistan and be able to contribute in an uplifting way to the lives of children encouraging them to engage in non-formal education (you'll be conducting learning thru play techniques) and basically showing them that being a child is fun and not all work! They will still be working at the kiln but think abt it, as more and more volunteers touch their lives, these children will be able to feel a bit closer to their natural state of being 'free' as children should and not bonded by labour.

Pls contact me when groups are formed as individual emails are not smthg I can handle at this stage. :) Hope you understand.
Perhaps YSA, TCI, GUI members are interested in a volunteer activity in Pakistan part of Punjab. If ok, other interested individuals could join in. Time frames are as yet to be determined when groups are formed and according to their availability.

Happy to take on more questions abt volunteering there.
Many thanks.
Farheen

ps: Weilin, for funding of project re. Cargill. FYI.

On 27 Jan 2008 14:55:20 -0000, ChildRightsSG@yahoogroups.com <ChildRightsSG@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Child Rights SG

Messages In This Digest (2 Messages)

1.

PAKISTAN: Bonded labourers, children eke out existence at brick kiln From: Jared Tham

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76296

PAKISTAN: Bonded labourers, children eke out existence at brick kilns

Photo: Kamila Hyat/IRIN Thousands of children work as bonded labourers in Pakistan's brick kilns - their grins often disguising the hardship of the life they lead

LAHORE, 17 January 2008 (IRIN) - Twelve-year-old Salamat Ahmed works up to 14 hours a day in a brick factory in Sheikhupura, about 100km north of
Lahore. His hands bear burn marks from placing bricks in the kiln.

"I have been doing this work since I was six. Even when I was younger, I
helped my mother. We 'belong' to the brick kiln owner and cannot leave
this place," Salamat told IRIN, before he was pulled away by his older
brother, Karamat, who said: "We don't want any trouble."

Despite his arduous life, Salamat, who has never been to school, wears a big
grin across his face. He dreams of becoming a cricket player, or riding
his own motorcycle.

Salamat, his parents and three siblings, are among the 1.7 million bonded labourers that the International Labour Organization (ILO) says exist in Pakistan.

Despite laws banning bonded labour, including the Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act of 1992, forced labour, often through debt bondage, remains widespread.

"What happens is that employers, in this case the brick kiln owners, advance
sums of money to the labourers to meet urgent needs. Because the wages
paid to the labourers are so low, the loans cannot be paid back even
over many years, and the workers cannot leave the kiln as they are
indebted to the owners," said I.A. Rehman, director of the Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

Over half a million bonded labourers are working at brick kilns, says a 2003 study by the
Karachi-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), PILER (Pakistan
Institute of Labour Education and Research). The study, carried out at
the request of the ILO, concluded that nearly half these workers are
women or children.

Photo: Kamila Hyat/IRIN

Of the country's 6,000 brick kilns, the vast majority are in Pakistan's populous Punjab 6,000 brick kilns

The report said family labour by children aged 10-14 producing unbaked
bricks, and of male juveniles (14 -17 years) in other work groups, is a
central part of work at the 6,000 or so brick kilns across the country,
5,000 of them in the Punjab.

When female children are not
working at the kiln, they will be doing domestic chores, leaving other
family members free to manufacture bricks. The advances families are
able to get are most often larger when more members work at the kiln,
and this promotes the use of children as a labour force.

Most children engaged at kilns do not go to school and have never regularly attended one.

"I
sent my daughter to school for three months, but we need her help to
make ends meet," said Wazir Khan, 32, a labourer at a brick kiln in the
Batapur area of Lahore, close to the Indian border. Wazir and his
family are Afghans, and are paid piece rates, i.e. depending on the
number of unbaked bricks they can produce in a day.

With the help of his daughter, Azma, 10, and two sons, aged 8 and 7, Wazir and his wife make enough bricks to earn around US$50 a month.

"Any less, and we would starve," Wazir said.

Education

Over the past three or four years NGOs and social welfare organisations have
persuaded brick kiln owners to set up small schools for children
working for them.

More and more such schools are being set up, and several dozen are now operating, but the fact remains that most are inadequately housed in tiny rooms or sheds.

The standards of education they can offer are limited - and for the most part they depend for their survival entirely on the goodwill of their brick kiln
owner.

Yet even these limited facilities offer children, who usually attend them for a few hours a day, some semblance of opportunity, some ray of hope. They also offer an escape from the risks and hardship of life at the kiln, where injuries while using sharp implements to carve out mud, or from the hot ovens, are not uncommon. In most cases, the labourers, including the children, have no access to even rudimentary first aid.

"We must work here because we are poor. But now I go to school and one day I will be an educated man who can do something else," says Dilawar, 12, who has worked at a kiln in Lahore, where his family is bonded, for three years.

kh/ds/at/cb

Theme(s):
(IRIN) Children, (IRIN) Education, (IRIN) Human Rights

[ENDS]

[This report does
not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

V

#245

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Sat Dec 15, 2007 2:32 am
Subject: Migrant Workers - Burger Scrooge

melissa_kwee

Offline

Click here to tell Burger King to do the right thing.

Something to think about when you buy your next burger. This is from Sojourners, a Christian social justice organisation based in the US.

I've sent along a note.

much love,
M

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sojourners <SojoMail@...>
Date: 15 Dec 2007 01:10
Subject: Burger Scrooge
To: Melissa Kwee

Dear Melissa,

For Christmas, Burger King is trying to make the country's poorest workers even poorer.

A few months ago, we asked you to send messages to Burger King, asking them to join McDonald's and Taco Bell in increasing the sub-poverty wages of Florida tomato pickers.

Almost 20,000 of you responded, but Burger King's behavior has only gotten worse. Not only have they failed to heed the faith community's call to improve wages and working conditions for tomato pickers - they're working to undermine the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' existing agreements with other fast-food chains!

This Christmas season, tell Burger King to stop being a Scrooge and start paying farm workers fair wages.

As Eric Schlosser, author of Fast-Food Nation, explained in the New York Times:

The migrant farm workers who harvest tomatoes in South Florida have one of the nation's most backbreaking jobs. For 10 to 12 hours a day, they pick tomatoes by hand, earning a piece-rate of about 45 cents for every 32-pound bucket. During a typical day each migrant picks, carries, and unloads two tons of tomatoes.

Yum! Brands (owner of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC) and McDonald's had agreed to pay a penny more per pound to increase wages by 70 percent per bucket, but this holiday season workers aren't receiving the increase. Why? Because Burger King has refused to pay the extra penny ...

and its refusal has encouraged tomato growers to cancel the deals already struck with Taco Bell and McDonald's. This month the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, representing 90 percent of the state's growers, announced that it will not allow any of its members to collect the extra penny for farm workers.

A Burger King spokesman responded, "Florida growers have a right to run their businesses how they see fit" - apparently, even if that means putting profits ahead of justice and dignity for their workers.

Meanwhile, on Wall Street, Goldman Sachs - a major shareholder in Burger King, with two representatives on the board of directors - is preparing to pay holiday bonuses. Last year, Goldman Sach's top 12 executives received more than $200 million in bonuses - more than twice the annual earnings of 10,000 Florida tomato pickers.

Click here to send a message to Burger King and Goldman Sachs, calling for justice for farmworkers!

As we read of such injustices in this time of Advent, we reflect upon God's justice and mercy, as described in the words of Mary:

[God] has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; [God] has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty (Luke 1:52-53).

Advent reminds us that God intends well-being for all, not just some. We hope you'll join us in taking action.

Blessings,

Elizabeth, Ryan, Duane, and the rest of the team at Sojourners

P.S. We need Burger King to hear loud and clear that it is time to ensure fair wages for tomato pickers. Can you please share this message with at least five of your friends, members of your family, or congregation?

Quote source: Eric Schlosser, "Penny Foolish." The New York Times, 11/29/2007.

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
Tell-a-friend!

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Sojourners .

To stop receiving Sojourners Action Alerts , click to unsubscribe.

To stop ALL email from Sojourners, click to remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove" in the subject line).

#244

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:58 pm
Subject: B- Blood Donors Urgently needed

melissa_kwee

Offline

Please help if you know someone w/B- blood.

Blessings,
M

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Millie Chan < millie@...>
Date: 28 Nov 2007 23:29
Subject: Fw: Blood Donors Urgently needed
To: "Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@imss2.starhub.net.sg

Dear All

This appeal comes from my sons' school - legitimate - please help if you can or pass on to your contacts.

thanks

Millie

From: Responses [mailto:responses@...]
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 11:27 AM
To: Responses
Subject: Blood Donors Urgently needed

A Tanglin family have dear friends who are in Singapore in the dilemma described below. Their daughter is at present in National University Hospital and in urgent need of blood. If there are any B negative blood people out there who can help…. I'm sure it would be much appreciated.

Janice Murani

Lead Nurse

Craig and Kate McLean's beautiful daughter Molly is 18 months old and has been struck with a life-threatening virus which is attacking and depleting her platelets. She urgently needs B negative blood. Please circulate this email as far and as widely as you can and hopefully someone out there will be able to help. There is currently 1 unit of b-neg blood in the blood bank and she needs at least 3 units.

If you are, or know anyone who is or might be, B negative, PLEASE ask them to go to Health Sciences Authority, 11 Outram Road, opposite the MRT as soon as possible. The telephone number of the blood donor centre is 62130622. The system will take care of the rest, the vital thing is to get the blood into the blood bank.
Thank you.

----------------------------------------------------------
This email has been scanned for viruses by StarHub e.Scan.

#243

From: "Bernise Ang" <bernise@...>
Date:: Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:07 am
Subject: Last call: ESCAP RIM - CSD 16: Your inputs matter

bernise_ang

Offline

** Apologies for cross-postings **

Dear friends in Asia and Singapore,

Recently I posted a call for inputs for the ESCAP Regional
Implementation Meetings happening next week (Nov 26 & 27) in Jakarta.
Thanks very much for the submissions received so far, they are very
helpful!

I just wanted to make this final call for inputs, since there are 2
more days to put in submissions.

I have received the list of Major Groups participants: It looks like I
am the only person under the Youth Major Group who is attending. All
the more, I urge you to send your inputs to make the most of this
opportunity for our respective communities' interests to be brought to
the table.

We will rarely have this kind of luxury in time and interaction when
CSD-16 rolls around next May. So, let's do our best to do it justice.

Below again are the submission guidelines and links to further
information. Once again, organisations and individuals who submit will
be acknowledged in the paper I prepare.

I hope to hear from some of you soon!

Best
Bernise

===


Calling out to active youth in Asia and Singapore,

There is an opportunity for you to be heard!

The UN Economic & Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific (ESCAP)
Regional Implementation Meetings (RIM) for CSD-16 will be held in
Jakarta later this month. The meetings will focus on the themes of
agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and
Africa, according to the issue cluster for CSD 16 & 17
(http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/review.htm).

We have been notified that Bernise Ang from SYINC (based in Singapore)
has been nominated to attend under the Children & Youth Major Group.

If you wish to send your inputs, please note:

• Submissions should be brief (no longer than 1 page per theme)
• Clearly indicate which thematic area/s you are addressing (maximum 3)
• Your submission may also address cross-cutting themes*
• Latest date for submissions: 23rd November, 8pm Singapore time (GMT+8)
• Send all submissions and queries to: bernise@...

Due to space & time constraint, we cannot guarantee all submissions
will be reflected. However, converging points made by different youth
representatives will be captured to the greatest extent possible. CASE
STUDIES OF YOUTH-LED PROJECTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED.

For more information on the ESCAP RIM:
http://unescap.org/esd/rim/16th/

To see past documents for RIM CSD-14:
http://unescap.org/esd/rim/14th/detail.asp

For questions regarding CSD Youth Caucus, email the co-chairs:
selene@..., luckson_katsi@...


We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity for your
respective communities to  be heard!
The team @SYINC

*Cross-cutting themes: Poverty eradication, Changing unsustainable
patterns of consumption and production, Protecting and managing the
natural resource base of economic and social development, Sustainable
development in a globalizing world, Health and sustainable
development, Sustainable development of SIDS, Sustainable development
for Africa, Other regional initiatives, Means of implementation,
Institutional framework for sustainable development, Gender equality,
and Education.

#242

From: Bernise Ang <bernise@...>
Date:: Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:19 pm
Subject: ESCAP RIM - CSD 16: Call for Asian youth submissions

bernise_ang

Offline

http://unescap.org/esd/rim/16th/

** Apologies for cross-postings **

Calling out to active youth in Asia and Singapore,

There is an opportunity for you to be heard!

The UN Economic & Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific (ESCAP) Regional Implementation Meetings (RIM) for CSD-16 will be held in Jakarta later this month. The meetings will focus on the themes of agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and Africa, according to the issue cluster for CSD 16 & 17 (http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/review.htm).

We have just been notified that Bernise Ang from SYINC (based in Singapore) has been nominated to attend on behalf of Asian youth.

If you wish to send your inputs, please note:

• Submissions should be brief (no longer than 1 page per theme)

• Clearly indicate which thematic area/s you are addressing (maximum 3)

• Your submission may also address cross-cutting themes*

• Latest date for submissions: 23rd November, 8pm Singapore time (GMT+8)

• Send all submissions and queries to: bernise@...

Due to space & time constraint, we cannot guarantee all submissions will be reflected. However, converging points made by different youth representatives will be captured to the greatest extent possible. CASE STUDIES OF YOUTH-LED PROJECTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED.

For more information on the ESCAP RIM:

To see past documents for RIM CSD-14:

http://unescap.org/esd/rim/14th/detail.asp

For questions regarding CSD Youth Caucus, email the co-chairs:

selene@..., luckson_katsi@...

We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity for your respective communities to be heard!

The team @SYINC

*Cross-cutting themes: Poverty eradication, Changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, Protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development, Sustainable development in a globalizing world, Health and sustainable development, Sustainable development of SIDS, Sustainable development for Africa, Other regional initiatives, Means of implementation, Institutional framework for sustainable development, Gender equality, and Education.

#241

From: Jared Tham <theflyinguniversity@...>
Date:: Thu Nov 8, 2007 8:25 am
Subject: 'Your Name is Justine' dialogue session on Trafficking

theflyinguni...

Offline

http://www.unifemsingapore.org.sg/node/80

'Your Name is Justine' dialogue session on Trafficking on Sat, Nov 10 at 4pm

THE PICTUREHOUSE EXPLORES : YOUR NAME IS JUSTINE ä½ çš„åå—å«JUSTINE
Saturday 10th November @ 4pm
Guest Speaker: Ms. Saleemah Ismail

Join us at The Picturehouse Lounge for an open dialogue session lead by the President of UNIFEM Singapore Ms. Saleemah Ismail. The Picturehouse Explores the poignant and critically acclaimed film YOUR NAME IS JUSTINE with regards to the illegal trafficking of women and children within the global trade network. Human trafficking is rooted in discrimination, stereotyping and marginalization of certain individuals in society. Various internationally run organizations are within the web of this illegal trade which â€˜justifiesâ€™ this exploitative behavior and generates a demand for trafficked persons, especially women and children.

About the Speaker

Saleemah Ismail is the President of the National Committee for UNIFEM, Singapore. One of her major roles has been to raise awareness in Singapore of the problem of trafficking in women and children in the region, in particular the need to address the demand side of child sex tourism."

OPEN TO PUBLIC

Please reserve your place at this session by emailing us at thepicturehouse@... with the Subject line: The Picturehouse Explores: Your Name Is Justine

Submitted by unifem on Mon, 2007-11-05 15:20.

Yahoo! Movies

- Search movie info and celeb profiles and photos.

#240

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Sat Nov 3, 2007 7:17 am
Subject: IHT: The new imperialists, Nov 2, 2007

melissa_kwee

Offline

The new imperialists

By Greg Mills

Friday, November 2, 2007

JOHANNESBURG:

'Let's have a test," challenged a colleague recently in Rwanda, "as to what NGO Landcruiser next arrives in the parking lot."

It was no joke. The parking lot of any upmarket restaurant in any African capital speaks volumes about the neo-imperial game being played out in Africa.

Four-wheel-drive after four-wheel-drive emblazoned with the logo of some donor agency or children's charity jostle for space.

The humanitarians are not hard to spot in person either. Usually white, generally loud, they prefer a shabby-chic uniform of T-shirt, jeans and sandals. But they are more powerful and usually less benign than they appear.

Sitting recently in the Café Bourbon in the smart, new shopping precinct of Kigali opened my eyes (and ears) to some of the implications. "We must just transfer the $8.5 million," rasped the American working for a prominent NGO.

Such money grants them considerable power and influence. The average Rwandan earns $240 per year. The government's annual budget is $650 million. Recent events in Chad over alleged orphan smuggling by an NGO illustrate if nothing else the degree of suspicion such relative power produces.

Those sympathetic to the (mostly) young people performing humanitarian roles in Africa argue that they bring much needed skills to deprived Africans. The defense normally adds that they are giving up promising careers and suffering hardship in doing so.

What they don't emphasize is the less obvious harm they do. Those previously rendering imperial service suffered hardship, disease and violence. There were no emergency medevacs then, no media to dramatize their service, and no pop stars to campaign on their behalf.

And even if these forefathers and mothers promoted polices politically distasteful today, they were more accountable than those in this new quasi-colonial service. The imperial agents of old had at least to answer to parliaments and taxpayers, not self-appointed boards of self-important thought-leaders.

But this is not the worst of it. Recently Paris Hilton announced that she was going to be really brave and travel to Rwanda. "I'm scared, yeah," she said. "I've heard it's really dangerous. I've never been on a trip like this before."

She was reportedly planning to "leave her mark" - just like many others before her, supposedly helping Africa while helping themselves. Once there she might have considered a visit to the local Millennium Development Village, an idea to help Africa formulated by the Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs. Celebrity airhead might meet celebrity economist.

Explaining what motivated her trip, Paris said "There's so much need in that area, and I feel like if I go, it will bring more attention to what people can do to help." If it eventually happens, hopefully the hotel heiress' visit (now officially rescheduled) will be more successful than the village concept by which Sachs wanted to prove his theory that if you give a small unit enough resources then the inhabitants will prosper, a micro-prototype to the "more aid equals African development" thesis.

The cost of the "services" rendered by such foreigners is, as ever, borne by Africans. Their actions, fundraising techniques and prominence strengthen the perception that Africa is unable to help itself - both inside and, especially given foreign NGO funding requirements, outside the country.

It perpetuates perceptions of helplessness and a victim mentality. At a time when many have realized that African development depends on Africans determining their own policies and making those choices, such actions transfer power and emphasis away from the continent's decision-makers.

Portraying Africa as an object of pity also ignores the very real progress the continent - now in its fourth straight year of six percent GDP growth - has made in ending conflict and raising living standards. What Africa needs is extraordinary economic growth, not extraordinary pity. That is why eventually Africa will tire of this new generation of imperialists, just as it rejected the last lot.

--
'Love is most nearly itself when here and now cease to matter' - T.S. Eliot

#239

From: "Sabrina Szeto" <akemhur@...>
Date:: Fri Nov 2, 2007 9:47 am
Subject: Saharawi Solidarity Calendar and DROP

sabrinashl_415

Offline

Dear friends,

I am writing to you today to inform you about an initiative to take action on the Western Sahara Occupation by fellow students in my school.

We have two Saharawi students in Red Cross Nordic United World College and we've learnt first-hand from them about the political stalemate which has left thousands stranded in refugee camps in the desert of Algeria. Temporary camps like those in Tindouf have become permanent. Life in the camps isn't easy, despite the aid provisions there exists a constant sense of waiting for something to happen. In fact, they've been there for thirty years.

Knowledge is power, and when enough people get to know about this issue, that knowledge will help to disturb the political inertia that perpetrates this problem.

THE CALENDAR

We have produced a Saharawi Solidarity Calendar that can be viewed here. ( http://w3.rcnuwc.uwc.org/saharawi_calendar/) They will be sold at 60 NOK each - about 16 SGD.

Please show your support for the Saharawi people by forwarding this mail to your other friends and yahoogroups.

DROP: Do Remember Other People.

The proceeds will be going to a Norwegian registered charity organisation called DROP (of which I am a board member of). DROP raises funds for supporting education in less privileged parts of the world. Right now, we're paying the monthly rent of an Ethiopian school whose premises were destroyed by land developers. My school sends volunteers to Raselas Diversity School in Ethiopia every year and we have a close connection with the people there. Monthly, we have to raise about 1000 USD in order to keep the school in existence.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

When you buy this calendar, you will be helping to educate two groups of people. Those who will learn more about the Western Sahara issue and also the children at Raselas Diversity School in Ethiopia.

You can help by taking orders for this calendar and e-mailing me the number of calendars that your friends would wish to purchase, and I can get these calendars to you as soon as possible.

(I will be away from 5-11 November. But rest assured I will respond to your e-mails as soon as I can!)

Read more: http://www.vest-sahara.no/index.php?parse_news=single&cat=49&art=636

Thank you for your help.

Sabrina Szeto
Red Cross Nordic United World College '08

#238

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Sun Oct 21, 2007 4:34 pm
Subject: SPREAD THE WORD : PINK PADDLERS airing Sunday 28th Oct 2007 at 7.30pm, on Channel NewsAsia

melissa_kwee

Offline

Friends,

This is for all the women and people who care about the women in their lives. A friend of mine is a director who's done a wonderful documentary on breast cancer survivors who make up a dragon boat racing team. Its a true story and one that will be worth watching for encouragement - or to encourage others.

much love,
Melissa

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jasmine Ng <ngkinkia.jasmine@... >
Date: 18 Oct 2007 12:37
Subject: SPREAD THE WORD : PINK PADDLERS airing Sunday 28th Oct 2007 at 7.30pm, on Channel NewsAsia

Hey there Melissa and co!

It's another world away from the last independent flick I directed, ie. Eating Air (with Kevin Tong), and from motorcycle kung-fu love stories with ah bengs, now here I am, proud to present a current independent documentary about an amazing motley crew of women, of all shapes and sizes, sisters in dragonboats paddling for breast cancer awareness.

We could really use some help to spread the word about our documentary that will be screening on Channel NewsAsia, Sunday 7.30pm, 28th October.

Any help would be much appreciated, with e-mail blasting, putting up flyers on office bulletin board, blogging it etc. The survivor ladies gave this film their all, to campaign for awareness, so we'd really like to reach out to as many people as possible!

So any networks you are plugged into, pls help SPREAD THE WORD!

(we're getting some feedback that some women are setting up pizza-and-PINK-PADDLER-screening parties for sunday the 28th, to watch with their girlfriends and sisters - we think that's awesome, and so in the spirit of things - we encourage you ladies to do same too, with a bunch of the important women in your lives!)

much thanks!

regards,
jasmine! watch trailer at http://pinkpaddlers.wordpress.com

===================================================

To watch Desperate Housewives OR a documentary about housewives with cancer?
… Have you hit the remote control already?

Breast Cancer is the no.1 killer disease amongst women in Singapore.
Switching channels does not change this reality.

But watching this documentary, and learning and sharing the awareness message can make a difference.

So gather every woman you care about - your sister, your mother, your daughter, your best friend, your wife, your colleagues... and watch this film together.

Watch a kick-ass bunch of Singaporean housewives, biker chicks, senior managers, a bellydancer, air-stewardesses and a beauty pageant queen, all get in the same boat, stop asking themselves "why me, why did I get breast cancer" and start racing as sisters in a dragonboat team against this disease.

This October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, catch it
Sunday 28th Oct 2007 at 7.30pm on Channel NewsAsia

watch trailer at http://pinkpaddlers.wordpress.com/

P    I N    K    P A D D L E   R S
A HD documentary made possible by the support of
the Khoo Teck Puat Foundation
Directed by Jasmine Ng Kin Kia
Produced by Suzette Cody / Green Mango Productions

--
jasmine ng kin kia
m+65_9749 6642

gather the women you care for in your life and watch
      P   I   N   K      P   A   D   D  L   E   R   S
        this Breast Cancer Awareness Month
          Sunday 28th Oct 2007 at 7.30pm
                on Channel NewsAsia
    trailer on www.pinkpaddlers.wordpress.com

--
"The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are - - because the party wouldn't have been complete without you." ~ Frederick Buechner

#237

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:16 am
Subject: Buy to Save this Sunday, Oct 14th

melissa_kwee

Offline

Please come & support!

x
M

If you are unable to see the HTML below, please click here to read it off our website

To Unsubscribe, please click here.

--
'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God' - Gospel of Matthew 5:9

#236

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Thu Oct 4, 2007 12:08 am
Subject: TIMOR FILM Extended: WHERE THE SUN RISES @ Cathay's Picturehouse

melissa_kwee

Offline

Dear Friends,

Grace's film is being shown at the Picturehouse for an extended run.
If you haven't caught it - please do try to go.  It's a beautiful film
of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Blessings,
Melissa


--
"When we seek for connection, we restore the world to wholeness. Our
seemingly separate lives become meaningful as we discover how truly
necessary we are to each other."

Margaret Wheatley

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lux Lucis <luxlucis@...>
Date: 3 Oct 2007 16:17
Subject: Extended: WHERE THE SUN RISES @ Cathay's Picturehouse
To: info@...


Dear Friends,

Thanks to strong public response, Cathay has scheduled additional
screenings of  "WHERE THE SUN RISES"  at THE PICTUREHOUSE this Friday
and Saturday.  Do come, and spread the word to all who may be
interested to catch these final screenings!  Below are the new
showtimes:

Fri, 5 Oct
1:20pm  &  11:20pm

Sat, 6 Oct
1:20pm  &  3:20pm

Get tickets:
http://tickets.cathay.com.sg/(w0u5sf3w0koxkef03vciyd45)/visSelect.aspx?visSearch\
By=cin&visCinID=1104&visMovieName=*Where+The+Sun+Rises


This breathtaking feature about a journey of transformation was filmed
in East Timor with first President Xanana Gusmao.  This film has
travelled to over 15 countries, been nominated for 8 international
awards and is the winner of 4 top prizes:

Amnesty International's  MOVIES THAT MATTER  Award
Sydney Film Festival's  AUDIENCE AWARD
American Film Institute Dallas Intl Film Festival's  SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Australian Cinematographer's Society's  GOLD AWARD CINEMATOGRAPHY

READ ABOUT IT:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/moviesreviews/view/302640/1/.html

http://culturepush.com/2007/09/10/where-the-sun-rises-a-journey-of-forgiveness/

"If we can forgive, we liberate ourselves."
XANANA GUSMAO

"In all my more than 30 years as a film critic for the London Times, I
have never experienced anything like this. This film changed my life."
DAVID ROBINSON

"an unforgettable experience"
JEREMY SEGAY, Cannes Film Festival - Directors' Fortnight

#235

From: Kelvin Quee <kq@...>
Date:: Mon Oct 1, 2007 12:41 pm
Subject: Those B**tards!

filebot

Offline

(If you're under a minor, some pictures might not be suitable for you.)

"A troop of lone-tein (riot police comprised of paid thugs) protected by
the military trucks, raided the monastery with 200 studying monks. They
systematically ordered all the monks to line up and banged and crushed
each one's head against the brick wall of the monastery. One by one, the
peaceful, non resisting monks, fell to the ground, screaming in pain.
Then, they tore off the red robes and threw them all in the military
trucks (like rice bags) and took the bodies away."

http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/2007/09/3000-join-burma-protest-in-london-30.html

--
Kelvin Quee
+65 9177 3635
kq@...

http://kquee.com

#234

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Mon Oct 1, 2007 12:32 am
Subject: Burma - Call for Urgent Talks

melissa_kwee

Offline

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=39405

POLITICS-BURMA: Call for Urgent Int'l Talks at U.N.
By Jim Lobe

WASHINGTON, Sep 25 (IPS) - Amid growing anti-government demonstrations in Burma, the International Crisis Group (ICG) called Tuesday for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to convene urgent talks with the foreign ministers of China, India, and Singapore, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to promote a peaceful settlement to the political crisis there.

The Brussels-based group, which has long followed events in Burma, noted that pressure on the long-reigning military regime from its closest Asian neighbours and supporters was critical to preventing a bloody crackdown against the opposition which, led by Buddhist monks, has turned out in the tens of thousands in recent days.

"The regime has a long history of violent reactions to peaceful demonstrations," said Gareth Evans, ICG's president and a former Australian foreign minister. "If serious loss of life is to be averted, those U.N. members with influence over the government are going to have to come together fast."

The regime, which has remained uncharacteristically passive during more than a month of public protests that veteran observers have described as the biggest challenge to the military since the 1990 elections, warned Monday that it was prepared to take unspecified action against the opposition "according to the law".

More than 100,000 people reportedly marched in Rangoon, the capital, Monday, while other demonstrations were reported to have taken place over the last several days in Mandalay, Sitwe, Bago and at least a dozen other towns and cities.

U.S. President George W. Bush joined the chorus in his annual address to the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, during which he urged the U.N. and member states "to use their diplomatic and economic leverage to help the Burmese people reclaim their freedom."

"The ruling junta remains unyielding, yet the people's desire for freedom is unmistakeable," he said, adding that he had just issued a series of new regulations designed to tighten existing bilateral economic and diplomatic sanctions against the regime's leaders and their financial backers.

He said U.S. citizens were "outraged by the situation in Burma" and accused the military of imposing a "19-year reign of fear" against the population.

Among other measures, the United States banned new U.S. investment in Burma in 1997 during the administration of former President Bill Clinton and banned all imports from the Southeast Asian nation, which was re-named Myanmar by the military junta in 2003.

It has pressed other nations to take similar measures but has been frustrated by ASEAN, which until relatively recently tended to shield the Burma, an ASEAN member, from external pressure even as it encouraged dialogue between the regime and its long-confined opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and by the geo-political competition between India and China for influence with the military.

Indeed, ICG stressed in its statement Tuesday that only China, India, and, to a lesser extent, ASEAN have any influence on the government -- China, because of its "very close economic and political links" and India, as a result of its growing trade relationship and strong military ties with the regime.

Indeed, New Delhi prompted protests from human rights groups around the world when it announced two months ago the sale to Burma of an undisclosed number of combat helicopters that could be used in its counter-insurgency campaigns against Burma's chronically rebellious ethnic minorities in defiance of a 19-year western arms embargo. The helicopters are made from components manufactured by EU members.

The current round of demonstrations appear to have been fueled by several developments over the summer, beginning in July with an initiative to amend the constitution in a way that would ensure military dominance of the government through the control of major ministries and large numbers of unelected seats in the parliament.

A sharp and unannounced increase in fuel prices the following month also provoked spontaneous protests in the capital and elsewhere, many of them led by current student activists as well as leaders of the so-called "88 Generation", veterans of the student movement 19 years ago who led popular demonstrations that culminated in the landslide victory of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in the 1990 elections. The military rejected the elections results.

The regime unleashed pro-government militias against the demonstrators and arrested a number of the leaders in order to suppress the protests, but those tactics appeared to backfire as hundreds of Buddhist monks launched their own protests earlier this month. In recent days, the monks have been joined by ever-growing numbers of civilians.

While the military has so far permitted these demonstrations to take place peacefully, Monday's warning may signal that its patience is wearing thin. Fears that a crackdown could result in a massive loss of life -- some 3,000 civilians were believed to have been killed as a result of the military's repression of the 1988 demonstrations -- provoked the ICG's statement Tuesday.

"China, India and ASEAN should communicate to the military that a repeat of the 1988 violence would be unacceptable and would lead to serious consequences, including action by the U.N. Security Council," it said.

A number of observers believe that China, Burma's biggest source of investment and aid by far, may until now have played a key role in staying the military's hand. The New York Times noted Tuesday that Beijing arranged a highly unusual meeting in June between senior Burmese officials and U.S. diplomats at which the latter reportedly pressed for Suu Kyi's release.

While China has insisted that it would not interfere in Burma's affairs, it has also called for Burma to "push forward a democracy process that is appropriate for the country." On Tuesday, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Beijing "hopes to see stability and economic development."

(END/2007)

#233

From: Kelvin Quee <kq@...>
Date:: Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:59 pm
Subject: List of Singapore Companies with Interest in Burma/Myanmar

filebot

Offline

http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/to-zed-on-burma-investors.html

"What's behind the sudden surge in Western interest in ousting
Burma/Myanmar's military regime? Could it be an attack on another source
of oil for petro-hungry China? Here's some of the countries and
companies invested in B/M

Last modified 29 Sep 07


In response to calls from Burma’s democracy movement, the Burma Campaign
UK and other campaign groups around the world have been pressuring
companies to sever business ties with Burma.

Please contact one or more of the companies on the Dirty List and ask
them to cut their ties with Burma’s military government. If appropriate,
tell them you will not purchase their products as long as they continue
to support the regime in Burma.

Letters written in your own words are most effective. If you don’t have
much time, don’t worry - just one or two paragraphs will do. Please be
polite!

We would be grateful if you could send us a copy of any responses you
receive."

http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/to-zed-on-burma-investors.html

Singaporean companies include -

"CNA Group Ltd - NEW
CNA is as Sesdaq listed company headquartered in Singapore. It was, in
2005, awarded a contract for the expansion of Yangon International
Airport. Under the contract C.N.A. will design, supply, install and
commission 24 engineering systems for the airport terminals. The project
is to be completed by early 2007 but the CEO has commented “we will
continue to expand our presence in the region (Myanmar).”

Ginnacle Import-Export Pte Ltd - NEW
Ginnacle is a company located in Singapore involved in the sales and
marketing of Burmese teak lumber, decking and furniture. The Burmese
regime owns all teak plantations in Burma and teak sales earn the regime
millions of pounds every year.

Golden Aaron Pte. Ltd - NEW
Golden Aaron Pte. Ltd. is a Singaporean oil corporation. The company is
part of a consortium which in 2005 signed three production sharing
contracts with state run Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, to explore for
oil and gas in Burma, both on and offshore. It is a project which will
undoubtedly provide the Burmese junta with a large and valuable source
of income. The same consortium signed similar deals in 2004.

Interra Resources – NEW
Singapore listed Interra Resource’s principal activities are the
exploration and operation of oil fields for the production of crude
petroleum. It operates in Indonesia and Burma. In Burma its subsidiary
Goldwater Oil was the first foreign oil company to extract oil in Burma.
It is currently engaged in oil and gas exploration and production
through its jointly controlled venture with Geopetrol called Goldpetrol.

Keppel Corporation - NEW
Singapore’s Keppel Corporation is a multinational corporation with
interests in three key business areas: Offshore and Marine, Property and
Infrastructure. Its property wing- Keppel Land has a presence in eight
Asian countries including Burma where it owns the Sedona Hotels in
Yangon and Mandalay.

Kerry Logistics Group/Kuok Group
Kerry Logistics is a goods transport logistics company with branches in
12 countries, including the UK. Kerry Logistics also operates in Burma,
facilitating the export of Burmese goods. Kerry Logistics is part of the
Singaporean conglomerate, Kuok Group.

Shangri-La Hotels
Shangri-La Hotels is a Singaporean hotel company. It operates the
Traders hotel in Rangoon. Aung San Suu Kyi has asked tourists not to
visit Burma because it helps fund the regime and gives it legitimacy.
Forced and child labour was used to develop many tourist facilities. In
the UK, Shangri-La plans to operate an opulent 5 star hotel in the
proposed ‘shard of glass’ tower block at London Bridge."

--
Kelvin Quee
+65 9177 3635
kq@...

http://kquee.com

#232

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:56 pm
Subject: Petition & Prayer - Burma

melissa_kwee

Offline

For those of you interested to sign, this is a petition that was sent to me.

http://www.petitiononline.com/kha8954b/

And for those of us who believe in prayer, please pray for the people in Burma, for their strength, compassion and conviction despite the trials and tribulations they are facing. Pray that they know that thousands around the world stand with them in faith - in a community that stands for peace and justice.

Pray for their leaders - that they may see that violence is not the way, that they may realise that their brothers and sisters are suffering and that they are killing themselves by these actions. Pray that they see that leadership is about serving one another, about seeking each other's highest good, bearing each other's burdens and celebrating each other's joys.

Pray for the bold and wise ones who will lead and inspire others to nonviolent action and lead to a restoration in their blessed country.

M

--
"When we seek for connection, we restore the world to wholeness. Our seemingly separate lives become meaningful as we discover how truly necessary we are to each other."

Margaret Wheatley

#231

From: Jared Tham <theflyinguniversity@...>
Date:: Thu Aug 9, 2007 1:32 pm
Subject: Re: Films: Traffic and Travails: Documenting ASEAN's Moves (16 - 18 Aug)

theflyinguni...

Offline

Hi all,

There's another film on a similar topic you should consider watching, if you have the chance. http://www.thedaymygoddied.com/

cheers,
Jared

----- Original Message ----
From: Melissa Kwee <m.aratani.kwee@...>
To: global_cafe@yahoogroups.com; Julie Englefield <julie@...>; onedegreeasia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, 4 August 2007 2:04:42
Subject: [global_cafe] Films: Traffic and Travails: Documenting ASEAN's Moves (16 - 18 Aug)

Friends in/visiting Singapore,

You may be interested to attend. UNIFEM Spore is cohosting w/ACM.

Melissa

--

If your email program is unable to view the event emailer, please visit our website for more details.

Traffic and Travails I: Working Women
Thursday | 16 August 2007 | 7.00 pm – 8.00 pm

This screening and lecture is free. Registration is not required.

Documentary | B.A.T.A.M
2005. 33 min. Sweden/Indonesia. Dir: Liam Dalzell, Per Erik Eriksson, Johan Lindquist.

B.A.T.A.M. tells the contrasting stories of two women: Wati, a young factory worker, and Dewi, a prostitute, both of whom live through a dramatic transformation on the Indonesian island of Batam, located on Singapore's doorstep. In this free-trade zone, an official economy based in the factories, and an unofficial economy of prostitution, have developed together increasing Batam's population from 3,000 to 700,000. As the two divergent economies depend on female labor, the experiences of these two women illuminate the ways in which multinational capitalism and migration interact in the shadowlands of globalisation.

Lecture | Working Women
Saleemah Ismail, President, Executive Committee, UNIFEM Singapore

For decades, the movement of women from the home into the workforce has been seen as a form of liberation, where women had the same rights to pursue fruitful careers outside the confines of gender stereotypes. However, in many of Southeast Asia's developing nations, as seen in B.A.T.A.M, there has been a growing number of women who are imprisoned, rather than liberated by their work. In this lecture, the speaker will look at the lives of these working women, and the different issues they face and the implications of some of these issues on the region as a whole.

Traffic and Travails II: Nomads in the Hills
Friday | 17 August 2007 | 7.00 pm – 9.00 pm

$10 per participant. Limited to 15 participants. Registration is required. Please assemble at the museum's front desk at least 10 minutes before 7.45pm.

Documentary | The Ahka Way
1999. 25 min. USA. Dirs: Sharon Hainsfurther & Mary Flannery.

For over a thousand years, the Akha people have inhabited the hills of Asia — mainly Southern China, Burma and Northern Thailand. The Akha Way or Akhazaunh, is the code by which they live. This documentary describes their origins and their culture. It contains extraordinary footage of a shaman healing ceremony; a funeral, with the ritual sacrifice of a water buffalo; the reading of a pig's liver after a new house is built, and more. Today the Akha Way is fast disappearing. Forced migration, Christianity, money and drugs are eroding the cultural heritage of the Akha tribe.

Guided Gallery Tour | Shamans, Spirits and Sacrifice
Heidi Tan, Senior Curator, Asian Civilisations Museum

Join curator, Heidi Tan on walk through the museum's Southeast Asian galleries. Find out more about the different people groups that reside in the hills of Southeast Asia, as represented in our galleries and about their different traditional beliefs, rituals and practices. This tour will provide a historical context for the issues that have been and will be discussed in the lecture and dialogue session.

Traffic and Travails III: For Sale
Saturday | 18 August 2007 | 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm

$8 per participant. Registration is required. Free seating. Light refreshments will be served.

Documentary | Stop the Sale of Women and Children
2005. 36 min. Indonesia. Dir: Gadis Arivia.

Each year, a countless number of Indonesian women and children leave their homes, often driven largely by poverty and lured with promises of good jobs with a decent, stable salary. Some leave of their own free will, others taken by force. From the story of a 14-year-old prostitute, to former domestic worker, paralysed from abuse, Stop the Sale of Women and Children tells the stories of these migrants.

Documentary | Trading Women
2003. 60 min. USA. Dir: David A. Feingold.

Trading Women enters the worlds of brothel owners, trafficked girls, voluntary sex workers, corrupt police and anxious politicians. Filmed in Burma, China, Laos, and Thailand, this is the first film to follow the trade in women in all its complexity and to consider the impact of this 'far away' problem on the global community.

Narrated by Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie, the documentary investigates the trade in minority girls and women from the hill tribes of Burma, Laos and China, into the Thai sex industry. Trading Women conveys that this is not a simple issue with simple answers. It is an issue that affects the futures not only of young tribal women, but also of their communities. The film also explores the international community's response to the issue.

Dialogue | Traffic or Trade?
Saleemah Ismail, President, Executive Committee, UNIFEM Singapore
Bridget Lew, President, Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics

While we worry about rising ERP costs and CBD jams, there is a very different sort of traffic problem in many parts of Southeast Asia – human trafficking. In this modern age of development and civilisation, the problem of human trafficking marks a disturbing regression into a primitive form of trade, not unlike the slave trade that so many countries have fought and are still fighting so hard to eradicate. Join us as we examine this problem, from the causes to the process to the consequences.

To Unsubscribe, please click here.

--
"When we seek for connection, we restore the world to wholeness. Our seemingly separate lives become meaningful as we discover how truly necessary we are to each other."

Margaret Wheatley

Real people. Real questions. Real answers. Share what you know.

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (2)

#230

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Fri Aug 3, 2007 6:04 pm
Subject: Films: Traffic and Travails: Documenting ASEAN's Moves (16 - 18 Aug)

melissa_kwee

Offline

Friends in/visiting Singapore,

You may be interested to attend. UNIFEM Spore is cohosting w/ACM.

Melissa

--

To Unsubscribe, please click here.

--
"When we seek for connection, we restore the world to wholeness. Our seemingly separate lives become meaningful as we discover how truly necessary we are to each other."

Margaret Wheatley

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (2)

#229

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Fri Aug 3, 2007 4:29 am
Subject: Try Blackle! (An energy saving 'Google')

melissa_kwee

Offline

www.blackle.com

How is Blackle saving energy?

Blackle was created by Heap Media to remind us all of the need to take small steps in our everyday lives to save energy. Blackle searches are powered by Google Custom Search.

Blackle saves energy because the screen is predominantly black. "Image displayed is primarily a function of the user's color settings and desktop graphics, as well as the color and size of open application windows; a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen." Roberson et al, 2002

In January 2007 a blog post titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year proposed the theory that a black version of the Google search engine would save a fair bit of energy due to the popularity of the search engine. Since then there has been skepticism about the significance of the energy savings that can be achieved and the cost in terms of readability of black web pages.

We believe that there is value in the concept because even if the energy savings are small, they all add up. Secondly we feel that seeing Blackle every time we load our web browser reminds us that we need to keep taking small steps to save energy.

How can you help?

We encourage you to set Blackle as your home page ( set ). This way every time you load your Internet browser you will save a little bit of energy. Remember every bit counts! You will also be reminded about the need to save energy each time you see the Blackle page load.

Help us spread the word about Blackle by telling your friends and family to set it as their home page. If you have a blog then give us a mention. Or put the following text in your email signature: "Blackle.com - Saving energy one search at a time".

There are a lot of great web sites about saving energy and being more environmentally friendly. They are full of great tips covering the little things that we can all do to make a difference today. Try Blackling "energy saving tips" or visit treehugger.com a great blog dedicated to environmental awareness.

--
"When we seek for connection, we restore the world to wholeness. Our seemingly separate lives become meaningful as we discover how truly necessary we are to each other."

Margaret Wheatley

#228

From: Bernise Ang <bernise@...>
Date:: Sat Jul 28, 2007 3:09 pm
Subject: UNICEF HIV/AIDS youth project: Forming small task force

bernise_ang

Offline

** Apologies for cross-postings ** cc: syinc_panel **

Hi everyone,

A quick note for those who may be interested (if you received this
from a listserv, you are targeted audience).

I've been roped into a UNICEF HIV/AIDS youth project to build
outreach capacity to community and youth networks in various parts of
the world, and this phase of the project is focused on generating
content at the local/country level.

I am now forming a small task force of those able + keen to be part
of this - specifically from Singapore.

If you're keen, or want to find out more info, please get in touch!

projects@...  *** Be sure to include "unicef" in the
subject header ***


Bernise

#227

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Fri Jul 6, 2007 4:53 am
Subject: WOW! Students of Sustainability conference

melissa_kwee

Offline

Hi Friends!

Just saw this template for an awesome conference in Perth.  Looks amazing!

Friend just sent it....anyone in Spore keen to kick something like
this off?  Or just use this as a good reference for when you plan
environmental awareness & action gatherings!

M

  ----

Hey Mel,

Now THIS is the kind of conference we should be organizing in Singapore!!

http://radicalhack.com/sos07/program

Check out the program!
This is what I miss about my student days …. Aaahh … idealism;
invincibility; activism … can someone please tell me how I ended up
working for a US MNC?

J

--
'It's better to live a day as a tiger than one thousand years as a sheep'

#226

From: "Melissa Kwee" <m.aratani.kwee@...>
Date:: Mon Jun 4, 2007 5:40 pm
Subject: Re: Digest Number 156

melissa_kwee

Offline

Erica,
congrats on gettings this up and running!

wld like to have some input when it comes to auditing and watching corporatiions, esp thouse who contribute to our terrible haze through burning and not mechanically clearing the forests in indonesia.

we should not buy their products (paper, etc.) and this is a HUGE business and everyone contributes through their notebooks, copier paper, etc.

M

--
--
"Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in a lifetime, therefore
we must be saved by hope.
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any
immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone, therefore
we must be saved by love."

~ Reinhold Niebuhr

On 4 Jun 2007 14:56:42 -0000, global_cafe@yahoogroups.com < global_cafe@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Global Cafe

Messages In This Digest (1 Message)

1.

Looking for volunteers for fairtrade.sg ! From: Erica Walpole

View All Topics | Create New Topic

Message

1.

Looking for volunteers for fairtrade.sg !

Posted by: "Erica Walpole" ericawalpole@... ericawalpole

Mon Jun 4, 2007 10:09 am (SGT)

Hi all,

The current leadership team for fairtrade.sg and Footprint Singapore
is meeting this week to talk about how to energize and move forward
with our Fair Trade campaign and/or ethical consumption campagin
here in Singapore. We encourage anybody who would like to get
actively involved on an on-going basis to join us at this meeting.
We are not asking for a huge time commitment but rather a continuing
and active contribution. Your involvement can be at the overall
coordination level or at a school/institution/partner organization
specific level.

Visit www.fairtrade.sg to learn more about us.

We are meeting this Wednesday, 6 June, at 7:45 pm. If you would
like to join, please send me an email and I will send you the
details. This way we will know to expect you and will be able to
contact you if there are any last minute changes.

Please also send me an email if you would like to get involved but
cannot make this meeting!!

Best, Erica Walpole

Back to top
Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post
Messages in this topic (1)

Visit Your Group

Yahoo! Avatars

Express Yourself

Get animated.

Change your style

Yahoo! Groups

Start a group

in 3 easy steps.

Connect with others.

Need to Reply?

Click one of the "Reply" links to respond to a specific message in the Daily Digest.

Create New Topic | Visit Your Group on the Web

Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar

Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Individual | Switch format to Traditional
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

--
--
"Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in a lifetime, therefore
we must be saved by hope.
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any
immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone, therefore
we must be saved by love."

~ Reinhold Niebuhr

#225

From: "Erica Walpole" <ericawalpole@...>
Date:: Mon Jun 4, 2007 2:08 am
Subject: Looking for volunteers for fairtrade.sg !

ericawalpole

Offline

Hi all,

The current leadership team for fairtrade.sg and Footprint Singapore
is meeting this week to talk about how to energize and move forward
with our Fair Trade campaign and/or ethical consumption campagin
here in Singapore.  We encourage anybody who would like to get
actively involved on an on-going basis to join us at this meeting.
We are not asking for a huge time commitment but rather a continuing
and active contribution. Your involvement can be at the overall
coordination level or at a school/institution/partner organization
specific level.

Visit www.fairtrade.sg to learn more about us.

We are meeting this Wednesday, 6 June, at 7:45 pm.  If you would
like to join, please send me an email and I will send you the
details. This way we will know to expect you and will be able to
contact you if there are any last minute changes.

Please also send me an email if you would like to get involved but
cannot make this meeting!!

Best,  Erica Walpole

#224

From: "SYINC Projects" <projects@...>
Date:: Wed May 23, 2007 11:26 pm
Subject: "We Are One" Dialogue on Cultural Diversity for Youth of Asia and Europe

bernise_ang

Offline

Hi all, for those who might be interested. Contact: wyf@...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bernise Ang <bernise@...>
Date: 24-May-2007 07:18
Subject: "We Are One"  Dialogue on Cultural Diversity for Youth of
Asia and Europe
To: syinc.team@...

Please disseminate the news on our behalf to members in your mailing list.

Dear All,

We are please to inform you that the Asia Europe Youth Dialogue "We
Are One" will now be known as  "We Are One" Dialogue on Cultural
Diversity for Youth of Asia and Europe. All other details remain
unchanged. We enclose herewith the revise application forms for your
perusal. Please note that we are in the midst of updating our website.

The Dialogue in Malaysia will be constructed around the notion of
'Cultural Diversity', and will provide you with exciting opportunities
to experience first hand living experience of multicultural
Malaysians.  Beside paper presentations, participants will have the
opportunity to participate in  intercultural games, showcase
intercultural crafts;  a short stay with foster families and visiting
cultural places  in historical Melaka.  The Dialogue will provide you
an  'Intercultural Learning' experience.

The better way to fly to Malaysia is by Malaysian Airlines directly or
its partner airlines  (www.malaysiaairlines.com.) and we recommend
that you book your ticket online which is much cheaper. The landing
airport in Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Sepang
(KLIA).

You can also fly to Malaysia via Air Asia (www.airasia.com) which is a
budget airlines. Air Asia is a leading budget airlines and  flies to
certain destinations only so it is  wise for you to check it's
websites about the connections before deciding on your flight path.

We would also recommend that you check the following websites i.e
www.kln.org.my (Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia) on visa and
immigration rules. We would also advise all participants who need visa
to make sure they apply for visa as soon as their participation is
accepted. Please also make sure that you comply with immigration
requirements for yellow fever certificates.

Please note that the closing date is 31st May 2007.

We look forward to seeing you in Malaysia.

Thanks and regards,

Ms Varsha Ajmera
Chief Operations Officer

To join the World Youth Foundation Egroup please visit :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wrld_youth_foundation/join

#223

From: "Edmund Twohill" <spsy2k@...>
Date:: Tue May 22, 2007 3:30 pm
Subject: Go Global Business Case Competition (Case is on Social Innovation Park)

edmund_twohi...

Offline

Hey guys


Greetings from Go Global.

Go Global is a unique business case competition with a twist. Unlike
similar competitions, participants apply as individuals and then
form teams with other applicants whom they have never met.  What
results is a group of individuals from very different cultural and
educational backgrounds; a real experiment in diversity.

Many international students from Indonesia, USA, Thailand, Vietnam,
the Philippines and India have jumped at the opportunity to
participate in an event that involved local students. The oldest
participant stands at age 36.

"Go Global" is open to all students from the various Junior
Colleges, Polytechnics, Institutes of Technical Education and
International schools.  Together with the participation of
international schools, "Go Global" crosses traditional boundaries,
providing a learning opportunity for all participants as they learn
how to work with individuals very different from themselves.

  "Go Global" hopes to take advantage of the opportunities for
students to interact with youths from other countries. As one
organizer said, "Some of the questions we asked ourselves were: are
the international students given adequate avenues to interact with
the local students? How much do we know about them? How much do they
know about us? Will their ideas and ideals be vastly different from
us since they are from different backgrounds?"

The competition is supported by the National Youth Council, MP
Michael Palmer who will be the one of the judges and will be graced
by Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Community Development,
Youths & Sports, Mr Teo Ser Luck.

On behalf of the youth initiated and driven organizing committee, I
would like to cordially invite you, and students of your school, to
attend the 3 free public seminar titled "Youth Entrepreneurship and
Opportunities Abroad" and the final presentation of "Go Global" on
26 May 2007, 3.30pm – 6pm at Republic Polytechnic. (Please refer to
the Electronic Direct Mailer below for more details on the seminars)

I would appreciate it if you could RSVP Khai at
khai@...  by 24th May 2007 as seats are limited.

Alternatively you can SMS 97673663 to register. (Please read the
instructions below)

Warmest regards,

Edmund Twohill
Organizing Committee
Go Global Business Case Competition
WWW.GOGLOBALSINGAPORE.COM
H/P: 90028315





Youth Entrepreneurship and Global Opportunities

Co-organised with Talentpreneurhub

Date: 26 May 07 (Sat), Republic Polytechnic

Registration begins at 12.30pm

Meet youth entrepreneurs who are running successful and
unconventional businesses (such as funeral services!) while still at
school


Speak to successful local entrepreneurs such as Ms Elim Chew of 77th
Street and Mr Douglas Foo of Sakae Sushi and discover how they all
began


Watch the finals of the Go Global Business Competition - participate
in the SMS vote!



Refreshments Provided


Registration is free! Send an SMS to 97673663

The SMS should start with 'goglobal' and contain your email address
and which session you would like to attend,
e.g. "goglobal myemail@... 1a"





---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------


Programme Details



Time
  Event

1pm
  Session 1a: Business Opportunities for the Singapore Student
  Session 1b: Why be a Young Entrepreneur?

2pm
  Session 2: Going Global - A Local Perspective on Venturing Overseas

3.30pm
  Tea Break

4 - 6 pm
  Go Global Competition Finals with SMS Voting

Note - Sessions 1a and 1b take place concurrently. Particpants may
only choose one to attend.


Session 1a : Business Opportunities for the Singapore Student
So, you're a young student at the peak of your intellectual
capacity. You're smart, entrepreneurial and want a headstart in
raking in that one million dollars dream of yours. Not sure where to
start? Let us point you in the right direction! Join us and we will
show you how you can be an student entrepreneur!

Colin Lim, the owner of Singapore's premier board game cafe
Settler's Cafe will unveil his Settler's Lite franchise programme
for schools. So if you have always wanted to own and run your own
cafe together with your club mates or your best friends, don't miss
this golden opportunity!

For the self-initiated student entrepreneur, we have invited Mark
Yoong , e-entrepreneur and successful eBay Powerseller to share how
he made his fortune from his online store in eBay. Find out how to
be an eBay entrepreneur just like him with the Young eBay Ambassador
Programme (YeAP)!

Session 1b : Why be a Young Entrepreneur?
Why would anyone want to be an entrepreneur when you can be a
doctor, a teacher or even an engineer? Many youths dream of starting
their own business, yet feel that they need a financial blanket
before they can venture out to do what they really want to do. We
present to you a group of young dynamic entrepreneurs who will share
the advantages of starting starting your business while you're still
young!

Hear from Nicky Teo, part-time student and full-time entrepreneur of
Funeral Solutions as he tells you why he has no competition in his
chosen industry.

Goh Cheng Ze and Serene Yeo will show you how to walk the line
between being Republic Polytechnic students and managing their
social enterprise Dotbox.

Michelle Ow has a passion for developing youth and helping them to
grow as leaders. She's been living her dream for the past 8 years
and loving every minute of it! Find out how fulfilling it can be
(and how difficult) to live and breathe as an entrepreneur who has
walked the rarely trodden path of entrepreneurship.

Session 2: Going Global - A Local Perspective on Venturing Overseas
Entrepreneur Spotlight

In the globalised world today where boundaries are merely horizons
beckoning the bold to venture outwards, who is brave enough to move
into unfamiliar grounds? As the saying goes, ' Always learn from the
best!' We bring to you Ms Elim Chew, Founder of 77th Street, and Mr
Douglas Foo, CEO of Apex-Pal International (Apex-Pal International
manages and operates Sakae Sushi), our very successful local
entrepreneurs to speak on their entrepreneurial journeys and how
they have successfully made their business profitable overseas. So
join us and find out what is their secret to becoming accomplished
entrepreneurs!

Panel Discussion We invite you to engage and interact with these
entrepreneurs as they discuss the business scene here and overseas
in a panel discussion. The question of local talents versus foreign
talents. Is venturing abroad the only way to sustain a business?
Find out what these established entrepreneurs really think about the
future and how you can play a role in it.




---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------


The Go Global Business Case Competition Finals will take place after
the seminar.

#222

From: "Kelvin Quee" <kq@...>
Date:: Mon May 21, 2007 11:10 pm
Subject: [OT] Invitation to VillageTalk (25th May, 630pm)

filebot

Offline

Hi GlobalCafe!

==
Event Details:

VillageTalk - My One Wish for the Future
Video Conferencing Room
Research Technolplaza
Nanyang Technological University

25th May 2007
6.30pm to 9.30pm

Entry and Dinner is free.
==

We're organising an event that tries to bring different people of
different interests into one room to discuss issues.

We think that it's important people with different expertise exchange
ideas to see how they can collaborate on projects. We also believe
that the world's problems are getting increasingly complex. Hence,
we'll need multiple perspectives and cross-disciplinary ideas to
really make a difference.

VillageTalk is inspired by the TED conferences (http://TED.com).

You can take a look at our website here -

http://thevillagetalks.com

Renowned political scientist Prof Ho Khai Leong and youth leader
Bernise Ang are among the speakers.

We hope to have a vibrant and meaningful discussion, so our audience
is very important to us. Marketing of this event is hence very limited
and controlled.

Hope to see ya there! Do let me know if you're coming. Help us by
registering on the website and letting us know who you're.

Thanks.

(What has this got to do with GlobalCafe? Nothing and Everything!
Nothing because of the obvious. Everything because of the culture of
open learning, sharing and changemaking we're trying to build through
this event! Would you join us?)



--
Kelvin Quee
+65 9177 3635
kq@...

http://kquee.com