AWARD of the MONTH (MAY 2010)   


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.

Russia
Russia 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.

Iran
Iran 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 professionals
In 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 Child
The 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 Filterpure
Clay 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 doctors
A 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 Agency
The 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, England
Andrew Chivers of Surrey, England, rescues a woman from her flood-water submerged car in Queensland, Australia.

Firefighters of Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Firefighters 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 groups
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Malaysia works together with several other groups to protect the critically endangered Sumatran rhino.

Chilean volunteers, police, and navy personnel
Three 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 personnel
Eighty 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, USA
Children 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 Rossi
American 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, USA
Superintendent 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, USA
The city of Los Angeles, California, concludes a gun buyback program that has removed 25,000 weapons from the streets.

Russia
Russia 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 Zapatero
Five 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, Togo
Speech 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, USA
Thanks 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 Kingdom
Ten-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, Britain
British 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, UK
UK 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 TV4
Sweden's nationally broadcast television network TV4 releases an undercover report revealing the cruel practice of live geese feather plucking.

Ito En, Japan
Ito 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.

Morocco
Morocco 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 Emirates
Dr. 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 People
TIME 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, Mexico
The 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, USA
Frank 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 Emirates
Ehlam 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, USA
University 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 Island
Canada'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, USA
US Seattle-based Christian organization World Concern's 5-kilometer run and walk benefit raises US$80,000 to protect vulnerable children around the globe.

India
India'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 Africa
Cape 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, USA
Santa 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, USA
The 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 Emirates
The 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 Netherlands
A 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 Examination
India'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 China
Over 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 Obama
US 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 Hariri
Lebanese 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 states
Industry 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, Singapore
Jurong 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, UK
The 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 Tasmania
Australian 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 Adams
Vegan 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, USA
Joe-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 MONTH

The 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, USA
Former 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 MONTH

Delegates 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.


  AWARD of the MONTH (JULY 2010) 
 War in the World - The Cost 

 
 
Climate Change Conference with Supreme Master Ching Hai
Supreme Master Ching Hai on the Environment
Videoconference with Supreme Master Ching Hai and TV staff
Lectures from International Gatherings in 2008 and 2009
Simple & Nutritious Cooking with Supreme Master Ching Hai
Breatharians
The King & Co.
Aphorisms scrolls
Award of the Month Scrolls
Constructive Scrolls
Peace & Freedom Scrolls
Supreme Master Ching Hai's Aphorisms
Shining World Leadership Award