We thank the following
and those unknown
persons, groups, agencies,
organizations and
governments for their
loving and selfless actions
that bring meaningful
comfort and assistance
to others.
May your lives be graced
by the Divine
with evermore joy
and fulfilling reward.
The European Union
The European Union
formally ratifies
a March 2010 pledge to
provide more than €1.2
billion in post-quake aid
to help Haiti with
longer-term rebuilding
efforts; and is donating
€122.5 million to assist
Azerbaijan in areas
such as climate change,
transportation,
and environment.
The US Agency for International Development
The United States Agency
for International
Development is donating
US$220 million in
nutritional assistance
to Bangladesh
over the next five years;
and donates US$55 million
to rebuild southern Sudan's
agricultural sector.
Switzerland and Swiss Solidarity and partners
Switzerland pledges
a donation of more than
US$33 million to Haiti,
with an additional
US$50.5 million being
donated by the non-profit
Swiss Solidarity
and its partners,
to aid with the country's
reconstruction efforts
The Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic
donates US$50 million
to Haiti to build
a new university
as well as assist with
humanitarian needs.
The United States
The United States
donates US$20 million
to aid Palestinian
war victims living in
Lebanon's
Nahr al-Bared camp.
Patrick Roche and Barbara Roche, Massachusetts, USA
US entrepreneur
Patrick Roche and
his wife, Barbara Roche,
donate US$20 million
to the Boston College
Center for Catholic
Education for teacher and
administrator curriculum
development training.
The Canadian International Development Agency
The Canadian
International Development
Agency is providing
US$19 million
for the second phase
of education reforms
in Jordan.
Japan
Japan donates US$13.3
million to Zimbabwe to
support education
and maternal and
infant health; and
US$10 million to
Mozambique for
the purchase of rice to
sow, harvest and sell,
with sale proceeds then
funding additional
development projects.
The United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates
donates US$10 million to
support developmental,
educational, and health
projects in the Maldives.
The Netherlands
A donation of
€8.8 million from
the Netherlands helps
global charity
Save the Children launch
an education program
in Pakistan's
Balochistan province.
India
India is donating funds to
build 13 new schools
in Afghanistan's
Kunar province.
Officer Wayne Rhatigan, New York, USA
The quick assessment
and actions of
New York City
horse-mounted Officer
Wayne Rhatigan
protects the public
from the danger of
an explosive device.
Father Thomas Remedios Fernandes, India
Father Thomas Remedios
Fernandes gave his life
in saving three youths
from drowning at sea
off the shore of
Galgibaga Beach
in Goa province, India.
Italy
Italy passes a law that
obligates motorists to
help injured animals
on a roadway.
Sergeant Mark Fry, Ohio, USA
Sergeant Mark Fry
performs an emergency
cesarean section
on a mother deer who did
not survive her injuries,
saving her baby fawn
after administering
mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation
and massaging
the fawn's chest.
SPECIAL THANKS
of the MONTH
US President Barack Obama
US President Barack
Obama's Feed the Future
initiative distributes
US$3.5 billion
in donations to
20 recipient countries
including Nepal
with the goal of reducing
hunger and poverty.
American citizens
American citizens have
donated US$1.3 billion
through 96 charitable
organizations to
contribute to quake relief
in Haiti.
Regional companies in the Niger Delta
Regional companies
in the Niger Delta donate
US$30 million to
the central government
to support programs that
include education
and job training
for local residents.
Japan
Japan donates
US$16 million to Jordan
to support projects in
the areas of water,
energy, infrastructure,
transportation,
and environment;
US$9 million to Pakistan
to provide food
for war victims
in the country's
northwest region; and
donates an additional
US$3.5 million to
improve the healthcare of
Haitians affected by the
January 2010 earthquake.
The European Union and Austria
The European Union and
Austria jointly donate
€10.1 million
to be distributed as
social allowances by
the Palestinian Authority
to families in need
in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip.
The United States
With construction costs
donated by the US,
a new US$10 million
teacher training facility
opens in Aceh, Indonesia,
to increase the number of
much-needed teachers
that graduate each year.
The United States
donates US$250,000
in tents to Tajikistan
for residents displaced
by floods and mudslides.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
The United Nations
Food and Agriculture
Organization donates
US$7 million to Bolivia
to finance projects
for reducing hunger.
The European Commission's Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection
The European
Commission's
Directorate-General for
Humanitarian Aid and
Civil Protection (ECHO)
donates €6.9 million
to aid war victims in the
central African region.
Norway
Norway increases
her donation by
€6.4 million to Haiti for
reconstruction in areas
such as reforestation,
agriculture, energy,
and the environment.
The European Commission
The European
Commission donates
€6 million to provide
food and basic services to
Ugandan victims of
civil conflict
who are returning to
their home villages.
France
France donates over
€6 million in food
assistance to alleviate
the food crisis in the
Sahel region of Africa;
and €5.8 million for
a project in West Bank,
Palestine that will
provide storage space
for medical supplies
in an effort to improve
access to medicines.
The US Agency for International Development
The US Agency for
International Development
donates US$4.7 million
to renovate a Yemeni
hospital and improve
the country's food supply
through water and other
agricultural projects; and
holds regional seminars
to introduce
multimedia technology
to schools throughout
Turkmenistan.
South Korea, private donors, and the Inter-American Development Bank
South Korea,
private donors, and
the Inter-American
Development Bank
donate US$2.6 million
to the Latin American
organization
A Roof for My Country's
home construction
project for quake-stricken
Haitian families.
Italy
Italy donates €1.8 million
to Lebanon to fund
a water resource study
and launch a new
water management and
preservation center;
and €133,000
for the construction
of a gymnasium
for Palestinian students
in Rashidieh,
southern Lebanon.
The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office
The European
Commission's
Humanitarian Aid Office
donates €1 million to
help Palestinian
Iraqi refugees
obtain housing in Syria.
Armenia
Armenia allocates
US$100,000
in humanitarian aid for
flood victims in Tajikistan.
South Korea
South Korea donates
US$100,000 in food and
medicines to Mongolia
to help nomadic people
affected by a cold wave.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation
announces grants of
US$100,000 each to
78 new projects for
health innovation that
seek to improve
global health.
Latin American affiliate countries of the International Water and Youth Movement
Latin American
affiliate countries of
the International Water
and Youth Movement
have raised US$75,000
to bring clean water to
quake-stricken
Haitian families.
Malaysia
Malaysia donates
US$50,000 to Fiji to
assist storm-affected
residents
with rebuilding efforts.
Students from Watchung Hills Regional High School, New Jersey, USA
Students from
Watchung Hills
Regional High School
in New Jersey, USA raise
US$25,000 to support a
girls' school in Pakistan.
The US television station Animal Planet
The US television station
Animal Planet donates
US$25,000
to the American
Humane Association
to rehabilitate abused
or neglected animals.
The Mituo Vege Restaurant, Brunei
The Mituo Vege
Restaurant in Brunei
raises more than
US$10,000 to assist
victims of the Qinghai
earthquake in China.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia donates
more than 1,000 tons
of dates to support the
shelter and relief mission
of the United Nations
World Food Program
in Yemen; and
400 tons of dates to
Egypt and Mauritania
as a gesture of friendship
and to support those
in need.
Jordan's Hashemite Charity Organization, the Saudi government, and Jordanian civil society organizations
Jordan's Hashemite
Charity Organization,
the Saudi government,
and Jordanian civil society
organizations donate
300 tons of wheat flour
to the less fortunate
in Gaza, Palestine.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia sends
a second convoy of
268 metric tons of flour
to Gazans in Palestine.
RussiaRussia swiftly sends
more than 14 tons of
emergency aid including
pumps, boats and diesel
generators following
the severe flooding
in Poland; and makes
a second delivery of
humanitarian aid
including disinfectants,
medicines and
medical equipment to
quake-stricken residents
of China's
Qinghai province.
Turkey Turkey sends 11 tons
of humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan to help
families affected by floods
in Jowzjan province.
IranIran sends humanitarian
aid, including medicine
and medical supplies,
to assist war-affected
residents of Kyrgyzstan.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych Ukrainian President
Viktor Yanukovych
instructs that
humanitarian assistance
be sent to Tajikistan
to help
flood-affected residents.
Twenty physicians of Turkey's Association of Health Employees Twenty physicians of
Turkey's Association of
Health Employees travel
to Uganda to provide
free medical services
and deliver one ton
of medicines
to the less fortunate.
The United States Agency for International Development The United States
Agency for International
Development funds
canal construction
in Afghanistan to prevent
the annual flooding of
50% of Kabul's streets.
Saudi Health Minister Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Rabeeah Saudi Health Minister
Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz
al-Rabeeah offers to
increase the number
of Yemeni patients
being provided with
free medical treatment
in his country.
Remote Area Medical and volunteer healthcare professionalsIn a free clinic sponsored
by US-based Remote
Area Medical, volunteer
healthcare professionals
offer medical and
dental services
to the less fortunate in
Los Angeles, California.
The US naval hospital ship USNS Mercy The US naval hospital
ship USNS Mercy
embarks on
a humanitarian mission to
several Southeast Asian
nations including
Âu Lạc (Vietnam) to offer
free check-ups and care
for the less fortunate.
International Islamic Relief Organization and a medical team of Saudi military and National Guard personnel Organized by the
International Islamic
Relief Organization,
a medical team of
Saudi military and
National Guard personnel
perform free cardiac
operations and specialist
examinations in Yemen.
The UN Relief and Works Agency and One Laptop per ChildThe UN Relief and
Works Agency,
in partnership with
US-based non-profit
One Laptop per Child,
has initiated delivery
of 200,000
portable computers
to young students
in Palestine's Gaza Strip.
Non-profit organizations Potters for Peace and FilterpureClay filters from the
non-profit organizations
Potters for Peace and
Filterpure help bring
clean water to Haiti and
countries such as
Sudan, Honduras,
and Afghanistan.
Saudi Health Minister Dr. Abdullah al-Rabeeah and a team of 25 Saudi volunteer doctorsA team of 25
Saudi volunteer doctors
led by Health Minister
Dr. Abdullah al-Rabeeah
successfully performs
a separation surgery for
Jordanian Siamese twins.
The European Union and Belgium In coordination with a
European Union program,
Belgium donates
25 Volkswagen Jetta cars
to the Palestinian
Civil Police.
China China continues to
provide post-landslide
assistance to Pakistan
with road construction
and relocation efforts
for affected residents.
Christina Aguilera United Nations
Ambassador Against
Hunger and Grammy
award-winning pop singer
Christina Aguilera
visits schools and
helps serve meals
to children in Haiti.
The UN World Health Organization and the UN Children's Fund The UN World Health
Organization and the UN
Children's Fund release
an online guide to assist
doctors and organizations
in more quickly acquiring
necessary medicines
for children.
The US Environment Protection AgencyThe US Environmental
Protection Agency
publishes a report on
climate change indicators
to help foster
better understanding
of the effects of
global warming.
The UK's BBC World News The UK's BBC
World News airs
an episode featuring
retired vegan millionaire
Bernard Bialylew's
humanitarian activities
and vegan lifestyle.
Andrew Chivers, Surrey, EnglandAndrew Chivers of
Surrey, England,
rescues a woman
from her flood-water
submerged car in
Queensland, Australia.
Firefighters of Phoenix, Arizona, USAFirefighters of Phoenix,
Arizona, regularly come
to the aid of
a half-paralyzed man
by helping him
get to his wheelchair,
installing handrails
in his shower and paying
for wheelchair repairs.
Brent Leong and Bobby Bates, Oregon, USA The swift actions and
CPR of Oregon's
high school teacher
Brent Leong and
school security guard
Bobby Bates save
a student whose heart
unexpectedly malfunctioned.
The Hawaiian Legislature The Hawaiian
Legislature has approved
a bill banning
the possession, sale and
distribution of shark fins
throughout the state,
including
its coastal waters.
International musicians and performers International musicians
and performers
such as Elton John,
Bruce Springsteen,
Mary J. Blige, and Sting
come together for a
rainforest benefit concert
in Carnegie Hall,
New York City, USA.
Denmark, World Wildlife Fund, and TRAFFIC With donations from
Denmark, World Wildlife
Fund and TRAFFIC
launch a campaign
in Âu Lạc (Vietnam) and
other Asian countries'
airports to raise travelers'
awareness about wildlife
laws and protection.
Residents in Russian cities Residents in Russian
cities call upon leaders to
adopt humane regulations
for stray animals and
implement a national law
to protect
animal companions.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Malaysia and other groupsThe World Wildlife Fund
(WWF)-Malaysia works
together with several
other groups to protect
the critically endangered
Sumatran rhino.
Chilean volunteers, police, and navy personnelThree hundred Chilean
volunteers, police and
navy personnel work
together to successfully
return 12 of 15 stranded
pilot whales to the sea.
Formosan Coast Guard Administration personnelEighty Formosan
(Taiwanese) Coast Guard
Administration personnel
guide 21 beached
pygmy orcas
in Kaohsiung County
back to the open sea.
Pacific Marine Mammal Center, California, USA Pacific Marine Mammal
Center marine biologists
free a gray whale from
fishing nets and rope
in Dana Point Harbor,
California.
Children and members of a community in Berkeley, California, USAChildren and members
of a community
in Berkeley, California,
donate money to help
a local animal shelter
recover from fire.
The American Humane Association The American Humane
Association celebrates
its 96th annual “Be Kind
to Animals Week” with
programs that include
encouraging youths to
speak up and take part in
caring for animals.
Ashley Judd Hollywood actress
Ashley Judd joins call on
Governor Steve Beshear
of Kentucky, USA, to
ensure that humane laws
to protect homeless
animals are upheld.
Portia de RossiAmerican actress
Portia de Rossi speaks
for Alley Cat Allies'
campaign to
raise awareness and
support for the millions
of volunteers in the US
who care for stray
and feral cats in
their neighborhoods.
SPECIAL SALUTE
of the MONTH
The US Obama administration The US Obama
administration allocates
US$5 billion to ensure
the provision of
medical insurance for
retirees who otherwise
would not be covered.
The United Nations The United Nations
launches a US$25 million
project for a smokeless
brick-making technology
in Bangladesh that will
decrease greenhouse gas
emissions and protect
both workers' health
and the environment.
The UN Refugee Agency The UN Refugee Agency
donates more than
US$8.5 million to
aid war victims in Iraq.
Ron Farrell, Michigan, USASuperintendent Ron Farrell
of Montabella Community
Schools in Michigan, USA,
volunteers for an
US$80,000 reduction in pay
to help offset the school
district's budget shortfall.
Government dignitaries from more than 100 nations Government dignitaries
from more than
100 nations convene
at the UN Headquarters
to discuss ways to
fully implement goals of
a nuclear-free world.
Spain and Bulgaria Spain and Bulgaria
each agree to accept
former detainees from the
US-run Guantanamo Bay
detention facility
in Cuba.
The Maldives The Maldives plans to
welcome two released
detainees from
the US Guantanamo Bay
detention facility.
The city of Los Angeles, California, USAThe city of Los Angeles,
California, concludes
a gun buyback program
that has removed 25,000
weapons from the streets.
RussiaRussia passes
an additional measure
to prohibit
gambling activities.
Five hundred European mayors, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek,
European Union Commission President José Manuel Barroso, and Spanish
Prime Minister José Luis ZapateroFive hundred
European mayors sign
an agreement to reduce
the carbon emissions of
participating towns
and cities 20% by 2020.
European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard, European
Parliament members, and environment ministers from 40 nations In a climate change
meeting in Germany,
European Commissioner
for Climate Action
Connie Hedegaard,
European Parliament
members, and
environment ministers
from 40 nations agree to
advance talks in areas
such as climate-friendly
technology transfer and
forest protection
at the United Nations
climate conference
in Cancun, Mexico
in December 2010.
“Know One, Teach One,” Âu Lạc (Vietnam) Âu Lạc's (Vietnam)
organization “Know One,
Teach One” launches a
training center to provide
underprivileged youths
with the necessary skills
for work
the hospitality industry.
Speech therapists in Lomé, TogoSpeech therapists
in Lomé, Togo, assist
youngsters with
medical disabilities to
better express themselves,
as well as launching
campaigns to raise
community awareness.
Lance Orton, Duane Jackson, and equine Officer Miggs, New York, USAThanks to an alert from
New York City street
vendors Lance Orton
and Duane Jackson,
New York City police
were able to dismantle
an explosive device
after the public
was safely evacuated
by equine Officer Miggs
and colleagues.
The Aulacese (Vietnamese) Navy The Aulacese
(Vietnamese) Navy
rescues a Burmese
ship captain and eight
Indonesian sailors
in a lifeboat nine days
after they were forced to
leave their vessel.
Zimbabwe's media commission Zimbabwe's
newly-established media
commission grants
operational licenses to
three new daily news
publications in support of
greater freedom
of the press.
The US government The US government
issues a formal apology
to the peoples of five
Native American nations
for mistreatment
in earlier times.
The US Food and Drug Administration The US Food and Drug
Administration
sends warning letters to
livestock feed lots,
feed mills and dairies
across four states, stating
that their excessive use
of antibiotics
was depositing harmful
drug residues
into the food supply.
The UN World Health Organization The UN World Health
Organization (WHO)
launches a new website
with pictures and
a database of approved
snake poison antidotes,
designed to bring timely
help and save lives.
Elliot Dunn of South Wales, the United KingdomTen-year-old Elliot Dunn
of South Wales,
the United Kingdom,
uses newly acquired
first aid skills to
dislodge a peanut that
was blocking
his mother's breathing.
David Kirby, USA Investigative journalist
David Kirby releases
a new book which
documents his two years
of research and
interviews that reveal
the adverse health and
environmental impacts
of meat-producing
factory farms on all lives.
Robert Redford Hollywood actor, director
and environmental
activist Robert Redford
records a public service
announcement,
urging US President
Barack Obama to
avoid eco-disasters
by supporting
clean and sustainable
energy sources.
Joan Jett American rock musician
and meat-free advocate
Joan Jett distributes free
vegetarian starter kits
to the people of
New York City, USA.
Lewis Gordon Pugh, BritainBritish environmental
campaigner
Lewis Gordon Pugh
swims across
a Mount Everest glacial
lake to bring attention
to the world's
quickly melting glaciers
and urge governments
toward making
climate change a priority.
Trudy Boyle, UKUK resident Trudy Boyle
is recognized as an
honorary crew member
by the local Banbury
fire station for her
selfless service in arising
at all hours of the night to
drive her firefighter son
Jed to respond to
emergency calls
from the station.
Sweden's television network TV4Sweden's nationally
broadcast television
network TV4 releases
an undercover report
revealing the cruel
practice of live geese
feather plucking.
Ito En, JapanIto En, the world's
leading maker of
green tea in Japan,
bans animal testing
for all their beverage
and food products.
SPECIAL
CONGRATULATIONS
of the MONTH
Central African Republic, Trinidad, and Tobago The most recent
ratification by
Central African Republic
and Trinidad and Tobago
of the UN nuclear ban
treaty brings its ratified
nations up to 153, with
182 total signatories.
MoroccoMorocco has been
elected as member of
the UN World Food
Program's Executive
Board as a result of
the nation's many
humanitarian aid efforts
and shipments of supplies
to disaster-stricken areas
across the globe.
Former Argentine President Néstor Kirchner Former Argentine
President Néstor Kirchner
has been elected as
the first secretary general
of the Union of
South American Nations.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco King Mohammed VI of
Morocco launches
the first integrated
solar-thermal power
station in the country
and Africa.
Dr. Hessa Abdullah Ahmad Al Otaiba, the United Arab EmiratesDr. Hessa Abdullah
Ahmad Al Otaiba
becomes the United
Arab Emirates' first
ambassador to the Vatican
and the Vatican's
first ever female envoy
to represent her country.
TIME Magazine Top 100 Most Influential PeopleTIME magazine
recognizes individuals
as being the most
transformative
in bringing ideas
and visions and actions
to the world in its
Top 100 Most Influential
People list.
Mexico City, MexicoThe air quality of
Mexico City improves
as a result of initiatives
such as limiting
the number of cars on
city streets, encouraging
the use of bicycles, and
regulations requiring more
eco-friendly vehicles.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
inaugurates a cardiac
bio-implant manufacturing
plant to produce cardiac
valves constructed from
human-made materials
that will replace the need
for live transplant tissue.
China and Formosa (Taiwan) China and Formosa
(Taiwan) are set to
add additional direct
passenger and cargo
flights in response to
growing interest from
Chinese and Formosan
visitors and
business persons.
Luis Valdes US playwright and
filmmaker Luis Valdes
is honored with Cuba's
Gallo de la Habana Prize
for his significant
contributions to
contemporary
Latin American culture.
Jeyaprakash Tissainayagam Media member
Jeyaprakash Tissainayagam
is pardoned of
all charges and set free
by Sri Lankan President
Mahinda Rajapaksa.
US President Barack Obama's grandmother Sarah US President Barack
Obama's grandmother
Sarah receives an
honorary doctorate from
Great Lakes University
of Kisumu in Kenya
for her charitable works
and devoted aid
to those in need.
Frank Sterling of New York, USAFrank Sterling of
New York, USA, is being
freed following 19 years
of detainment after
DNA testing cleared him
of all charges.
200 Zambian youths from nine provinces Nearly 200
Zambian youths from
nine provinces gathered
in Lusaka to discuss
climate change and
propose constructive
actions to counter it.
Ehlam Al Qasimi, the United Arab EmiratesEhlam Al Qasimi of
the United Arab Emirates
is the first Arab woman
to reach the North Pole
without
motorized equipment.
Scott Jurek, USA US ultramarathon
star athlete and vegan
Scott Jurek sets a new
American record
for 24 hour marathons
in Brive, France.
University students in Minnesota, USAUniversity students
in Minnesota, USA,
unveil their 2010
solar car which they plan
to enter in the 1100-mile
2010 American
Solar Challenge race.
Canada's Sable IslandCanada's Sable Island,
home to some 400
wild horses, will become
a protected national park.
Italian scientists Italian scientists develop
new method of
oil analysis to determine
the source of cosmetics
and vaccines, thus
aiding in the protection
of such species
as deepwater sharks.
SPECIAL APPLAUSE
of the MONTH Âu Lạc (Vietnam) Âu Lạc (Vietnam)
allocates more than
US$1.5 million
to assist the underserved
in education, job skills
training, work creation,
social aid, and the provision
of unemployment insurance.
Christian organization World Concern, Washington, USAUS Seattle-based
Christian organization
World Concern's
5-kilometer run and walk
benefit raises US$80,000
to protect
vulnerable children
around the globe.
IndiaIndia's new law
establishes that
school attendance is
required and free for
every child between
the ages of six to 14.
Bolivia Bolivia increases workers
rights through measures
to ensure labor and social
regulations are observed
as well as rules relating
to seniority benefits.
Cape Town City Council, South AfricaCape Town City Council
in South Africa calls for
one red meat-free day
a week to benefit
residents' health and
to reduce the impact
of climate change.
Santa Clara County in California, USASanta Clara County in
California, USA,
becomes the first
in the nation to ban toys
used for promotion
or as rewards in fast food
children's meals that are
high in fat, sugar and salt.
Baltimore, Maryland, USAThe city of Baltimore,
Maryland, USA, appoints
a special food policy
task force to promote
and provide more access
to healthy fruits
and vegetables.
The United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates
launches a program on
World No-Tobacco Day
to inform about
the dangers of smoking
and passive secondhand
smoke, and sales
of cigarettes also
halt for 24 hours
in certain establishments.
Wageningen University, the NetherlandsA study by
the Netherlands'
Wageningen University
found that forest
certification programs are
helpful in ensuring that
the certified areas are
optimally maintained
economically, socially,
and ecologically.
India's Central Board of School Education and the Council for the Indian School Certificate ExaminationIndia's Central Board of
School Education and
the Council for the Indian
School Certificate
Examination have
accepted a proposal
from vegetarian
Parliament Member
Maneka Gandhi to replace
black leather shoes
with white canvas
cloth equivalents
for school children.
Chefs from Formosa (Taiwan) and ChinaOver 30 chefs from
Formosa (Taiwan) and
China met in Taipei to
discuss the importance of
providing pure, animal-free
vegetarian food
and propose
a quality certification of
vegetarian food.
US First Lady Michelle ObamaUS First Lady
Michelle Obama lauds
16 large food supply
corporations for their
agreement to reduce
their products
one trillion calories by 2012
and 1.5 trillion by 2015.
San Antonio, Texas, USA
San Antonio, Texas,
USA, is removing
all sugary drinks from
beverage vending
machines in municipal
buildings to help promote
better health,
with plans to also
remove high-fat snacks.
San Francisco, California, USA
San Francisco,
California, the first
US city to sponsor
Meatless Mondays,
now has a second
Loving Hut restaurant.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Saad HaririLebanese President
Michel Suleiman and
Prime Minister Saad Hariri
help launch a beach
clean-up event that is joined
by hundreds of students,
soldiers, and other
environmental campaigners
in cleaning up
the country's beaches.
Tacheng Elementary School, Formosa (Taiwan) Tacheng Elementary
School in Formosa
(Taiwan) launches an
Aulacese (Vietnamese)
study program to foster
cultural exchange
and help intercultural
students learn their
parent's native language.
Industry ministers for the European Union's 27 member statesIndustry ministers for
the European Union's
27 member states agree
to create a unified system
of standards for electric
vehicles and methods
of recharging them.
Jurong Town Council, SingaporeJurong Town Council
becomes the first
in Singapore to replace
fluorescent lights with
their LED counterparts
in public-housing areas,
a switch that saves energy
as well as money.
Martha Stewart, USA American author and
television host
Martha Stewart
recommends spinach,
kale, beans, and nuts to
assure adequate amounts
of iron in a meat-free diet.
Sharrow Primary School, Sheffield, UKThe green roof of
Sharrow Primary School
of Sheffield, UK, is
the first in the nation
to be declared
a local nature reserve
by Natural England,
an advisor to
the government
on the environment.
Tasmanian Conservation Trust, Wildlife Tasmania, and Against Animal Cruelty TasmaniaAustralian animal
welfare groups
Tasmanian Conservation
Trust, Wildlife Tasmania,
and Against Animal
Cruelty Tasmania urge
the state government
to ban the cruel and
unethical practice of
quail shooting.
Bryan AdamsVegan Grammy Award
winning singer,
song-writer, producer
and photographer
Bryan Adams has
taken part in many
animal protecting
endeavors including
distributing postcards
at his concerts to support
a southern Antarctic
whale sanctuary.
Joe-Joe Spencer and Eric West, Oregon, USAJoe-Joe Spencer and Eric
West in Oregon, USA,
stop traffic to rescue
baby ducklings that have
fallen into a storm drain.
Mike Dirnt Bassist and vocalist
Mike Dirnt of American
rock band Green Day
collaborates with
shoemaker Macbeth to
design his second line
of 100% vegan shoes.
SPECIAL KUDOS
of the MONTH
The European Union, the Humane Society International and scientists at
the Flemish Institute of Technology, Belgium, and the Free University of
Berlin in Germany With a funding of
€500,000 from
the European Union,
the Humane Society
International and
scientists at the Flemish
Institute of Technology,
Belgium, and the Free
University of Berlin
in Germany launch a new
initiative to develop
alternative methods
to animal testing.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon United Nations Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon
announced that 58% of
chemical weapons
have been eliminated and
89% of related
production facilities
have been closed since
the chemical weapons
treaty 13 years ago.
Samoa and the United Kingdom Samoa and the
United Kingdom ratify
the Convention
on Cluster Munitions,
banning the use,
production, stockpiling
and transfer of
cluster weapons.
The International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic
Energy Agency
announces plans to train
African doctors, nurses
and radiotherapists
in cancer specialties to
provide the continent's
people with
more effective diagnosis
and treatment.
German airline Lufthansa German airline Lufthansa
announces the cessation
of the practice
of transporting
dogs and cats for use
in experiments.
SPECIAL THANKS
of the MONTH
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The United Nations
High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR)
builds a US$5 million
water supply project
benefiting 51,000 people
in Ethiopia, including
16,000 Somali refugees.
The Norwegian government The Norwegian
government increases
its annual donation from
US$1.6 million in 2009
to US$4.6 million
this year to provide
food aid for
Zimbabweans in need.
The US National Football League, local Tennessee Titan's team owner Bud
Adams, the National Hockey League, local teams and players, singers
Vance Gill, Keith Urban and Taylor Swift, and the US Federal Emergency
Management Agency The US National Football
League; local Tennessee
Titan's team owner
Bud Adams; the National
Hockey League
as well as local teams
and players; singers
Vance Gill, Keith Urban
and Taylor Swift; and the
US Federal Emergency
Management Agency
donate time
and resources
to assist flood victims
in Tennessee, USA.
SPEICAL SALUTE
of the MONTHThe United Nations The United Nations
delivers 60 metric tons
of food, after delivering
more than 100,000
tree seedlings to Khosan
District, Afghanistan to
restore an irrigation canal
damaged by deforestation
and drought.
Pakistan Pakistan sends planes
full of tents and medical
aide to benefit victims
of the recent earthquake
in Qinghai, China.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh Yemeni President
Ali Abdullah Saleh
releases journalists and
detainees sentenced for
press offences, as well as
700 members of
the Shi'ite Houthis
and other groups.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev signs
a law granting legal
work status to millions of
migrant workers from
former Soviet republics.
Nathan Runkle Founder Nathan Runkle
of Mercy For Animals
encourages the protection
of farmed animals by
raising public awareness
about their exploitation
and suffering,
while highlighting
the importance of
a plant-based diet.
Parish Priest Böjte Csaba, Déva, Romania Parish Priest Böjte Csaba
in Déva, Romania founds
the Saint Francis
Foundation of Déva,
which houses, feeds,
clothes and provides
schooling for
1,800 Hungarian
ethnic children.
Cheri Vandersluis, Massachusetts, USAFormer livestock farmer
Cheri Vandersluis
cares for 100 abused,
abandoned or unwanted
farm animals at the
Maple Farm Sanctuary
in Massachusetts, USA,
now promoting
a vegan diet as well
to end animal suffering.
Dr. Wender Yang, Formosa (Taiwan) Dr. Wender Yang
works to restore
Xinjiang, China's
Taklimakan Desert to
a thriving green oasis
through the New Loulan
Project and his non-profit
HIMA Foundation.
SPECIAL
CONGRATULATIONS
of the MONTH
Jessica Watson Australian Jessica Watson
became the youngest
person to sail solo
around the world,
crossing the finish line
just before
her 17th birthday.
SPECIAL APPLAUSE
of the MONTHDelegates from the 189 nations Delegates from the
189 signatory nations
to the UN's Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty
advance toward the goal
of a nuclear-free world
as they agree
on negotiations
for a Middle East
nuclear-weapon free zone
starting by 2012 and that
all nuclear programs
should stay open
to inspection.
60,000 Syrian youths Around 60,000
Syrian youths sign
a 200-meter long banner
describing the adverse
consequences of smoking
to appeal for an end to
the dangerous habit.
Five-year-old
Danila Zaitsev of
Siberia, Russia rescues
sister Valia from a fall
through the ice,
keeping her afloat until
15-year-old Ivan Zhamyanov
arrives and
pulls the girl to safety.