AWARD OF THE MONTH ( SEPTEMBER 2008)    Part 1
Part 1 ( 130 MB )
Part 2 ( 120 MB )



Argentina
Argentina abolishes the death penalty through the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty.

Burundi
The government of Burundi endorses the global ban on nuclear testing by becoming the 145th nation to ratify the omprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

United Nations, donor countries and companies
After a meeting at the United Nations, 21 nations and several companies pledged US$16 billion in aid to developing countries to help them meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and about US$9.25 billion to the Horn of Africa for education, preventive health, and alleviate the food crisis.

United States of America
The United States government commits US$1 billion to support relief and reconstruction of Georgia.

Norway
Norway will donate US$1 billion to Brazil’s Amazon Protection Fund to help prevent deforestation.

United Nations World Food Program
The United Nations World Food Program sends US$500 million and additional aid workers to help alleviate the food crisis in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom donates US$87.7 million to Bangladesh to help the nation adapt her infrastructure, farming, and economies to climate change.

World Bank
As part of its Education for All – Fast Track Initiative, World Bank donates US$79 million to Mozambique to support the country’s economic development.

US Joint Emergency Operation Plan and Catholic Relief Services
Teaming up with the US government’s Joint Emergency Operation Plan, the US-based Catholic Relief Services distributes food from a US$53.4 million donation to nearly 3 million people in Ethiopia.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia donates US$44 million to Lebanon to pay for tuition fees and books for students in public schools.

Denmark
Denmark waives Liberia’s debt of more than US$30 million, provides scholarships to female students, and contributes US$22 million to support gender equality activities and programs.

Japan
Japan will give Mozambique US$10 million over a period of five years for the Millennium Villages Program, an initiative to end poverty.

General Electric
General Electric donates US$10 million in medical equipment and services to 81 healthcare facilities throughout nine African nations.

World Bank
World Bank donates US$8 million to Afghanistan’s Food Crisis Response Project which focuses on the rehabilitation of irrigation systems to help solve the nation’s food crisis.

Australia
Australia donates US$7.4 million to Ethiopia through the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the provision of food, healthcare, and clean water.

Iceland
Iceland commits US$6 million to assist small island nations in developing alternative energy sources to alleviate the effects of global warming.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia sends US$3 million in rice to Mali to alleviate the nation’s food crisis.

Saudi Arabia
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud donates US$2 million in agricultural machinery and equipment to Mexican Tabasco State’s flood victims.

Kirsty Coventry
Zimbabwe swimming hero Kirsty Coventry donates a generous portion of her US$100,000 Olympic award from her country to local charitable organizations.

Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio is the first city in the United States to recommend citizens to eat less meat in order to reduce greenhouse gases.

Nepal
The government of Nepal abolishes the slave-like Haliya system, thereby freeing over 20,000 people in bondage under this system.

Libya
Libya donates 60 tons of humanitarian supplies to Liberia in support of the nation’s reconstruction efforts.

Dubai Cares and Save the Children
Dubai Cares forms a partnership with Save the Children to provide emergency nutrition programs for over 30,000 children and over 21,000 lactating mothers in Ethiopia.

Yemen
Yemen opens her door and welcome approximately 2,200 displaced persons from the Horn of Africa.

Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine
The Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine has launched the Cancer Project to raise awareness about the health risks of processed meat and to ban them from the National School and Breakfast Lunch Programs for children in the USA.

Erik Solheim
Norway’s Environment and Development Minister Erik Solheim supports the call for the reduction of meat consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases to solve the global warming crisis.

Shaun Coffery
During the 2008 Crawford Fund Conference in Canberra, Australia, CEO Shaun Coffery of Industry Research, Ltd., encourages the reduction of meat consumption in developing countries to halt climate change.

Edvin Sugarev
Edvin Sugarev, co-founder of Bulgaria’s Democratic Party, supports the vegetarian diet as a morally preferred lifestyle which also helps preserve the planet.

Father José Roque Junges
Speaking at the Congress of Bioethics in Bogota, Colombia, leading bioethicist Father José Roque Junges calls for a morally-based lifestyle that includes a reduction of meat consumption to address the issue of global warming.

Liberia
Liberia passes new laws which prohibit the sale and use of tobacco in public places as well as a complete ban for children under 18 years old.

Edvin Sugarev

Edvin Sugarev, co-founder of Bulgaria’s Democratic Party, supports the vegetarian diet as a morally preferred lifestyle which also helps preserve the planet.

Jens Holm
Jens Holm, author and a European Parliament member from Sweden, Recommends governments to spend money on informing citizens about the benefits of a vegetarian diet on curbing climate change.

Gang Gi-Gap
South Korean Senator Gang Gi-Gap urges Koreans to switch to a plant-based diet to be healthy and environmentally friendly.

Bob Linden
Vegan radio host Bob Linden promotes the benefits of animal-free living on his radio show Go Vegan.

Erykah Badu, Angela Bassett, and John Salley
African-American celebrities Erykah Badu, Angela Bassett, and John Salley are switching to the vegetarian, animal-free diet.

Louise King and Mike the Sandman
Louise King and Mike the Sandman, co-hosts of Ireland’s popular East Coast Radio, adopt the plant-based diet for compassionate and environmental reasons.

Indonesia
The government of Indonesia announces that the bulk of the country’s defense budget will be spent on relief operations rather than on military development.

Russia, Israel
The citizens of Russia and Israel can now visit the country of the other for 90 days without requiring a visa.

William Yuan
Twelve-year-old William Yuan of Oregon, USA, invented a 3-D cell that is 500 times more efficient than the currently available 2-D cells.

Hwang Yean-ren and Shen Yu-ta
Professor Yean-ren and doctoral student Shen Yu-ta introduce a prototype air-powered scooter at a press conference in Taipei, Formosa (Taiwan).

Lê Trọng Hiếu
Young Lê Trọng Hiếu invented a floatable backpack to help children from drowning caused by floods.

Austin Shumway
Fourteen-year-old Austin Shumway of the USA bravely drove for help and saves a family friend who was stung by wasps during a hike.

Jennifer Nuttall and Atlanta Linning
The quick action of Jennifer Nuttall and Atlanta Linning, age 10 and 11, respectively, save the life of a young boy caught in a swing rope and was dangling from a tree.

Vakkutti Mohanas
When a passenger unintentionally left behind several hundred dollars in an envelope in his taxi, Vakkutti Mohanas promptly reported it and had it returned to its rightful owner.

2 anonymous young boys and their parents
When two twelve-year-old boys found thousands of Australian dollars in a container in Melbourne, Australia, their parents drove them to the police station to turn it in.

Islande Bonne Joseph
During Hurricane Ike, Islande Bonne Joseph guided about 50 people from the flooded streets to a ladder leading up to the safety of her roof.

Police dog
A police dog helped paramedics and firefighters to track down three missing people who were suffering from hypothermia, two of whom were also physically injured.

Rabbit
A bunny by the name of Rabbit scratched on the door to alert its human companions of a house fire and, thus, saved their lives.

Police rescue dog
A police rescue dog pulls a would-be thief to safety who was struggling to stay afloat in a river.

SPECIAL THANKS of the MONTH

Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain, and the United States
Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain, the United States pledge US$6.1 billion in donation and low- interest loans to support the World Bank’s new Climate Investment Funds (CIF) program

Gordon Brown
To help those struggling to pay their energy bill, United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown announces a 3-year initiative in which six major energy suppliers will supply US$1.75 billion to cover the cost for the insulation of 6 million households.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia authorizes over US$300 million to be given to families receiving social assistance.

Wyclef Jean and Matt Damon
After their visit to hurricanes ravaged Gonaives, Haiti, with United Nations officials Haitian-born musical talent Wyclef Jean and top actor Matt Damon help bring in donated funds over US$100 million for further humanitarian assistance.

The European Union, United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development, World Bank, Catholic Relief Services, and USAID
International organizations contribute to food security in Africa: The European Union donates US$2.1 million to be distributed to 14 African countries; the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development provides a US$31 million loan to disadvantaged farmers and agricultural traders; the World Bank makes $38.2 billion available to developing nations in the form of loans, grants, equity investments and guarantees to create jobs and provide food assistance; and Catholic Relief Services signs an agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to donate US$53.4 million in emergency food aid to Ethiopia.

Denmark
Denmark donates US$40.6 million to Âu Lạc to help the country adjusts to and mitigate global warming through increased resiliency measures as well as enhanced energy efficiency and eco-friendly construction.

Egypt
Egypt will invest US$40 million to maintain and protect the River Nile in order to preserve water security.

Libya
Libya pledges an agricultural assistance of US$30 million to Liberia to boost the country’s rice production and achieve food sustainability.

Spain
To curb the nation’s desertification due to global warming, Spain will plant 45 million trees, costing US$127 million, in 2009-2012.

Chou Hsi-wei
To promote eco-friendly cycling, County Magistrate Chou His-wei of Taipei, Formosa (Taiwan), plans to spend
nearly US$24 million to construct a 128-km bicycle trail system around the city.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng
Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng sets aside over US$18 million to help relocate families who currently reside
in areas that are prone to flooding and landslides.

Japan
Japan agrees to waive Yemen’s debt of US$16.8 million in support of the country’s development.

European Union Commission
European Union donates US$3 million to Ghana to help support the development of crafts, arts, and cultural endeavors.

Trees of Life
Trees of Life organization spends US$3 million to purchase 10,000 acre in the UK’s Highlands and plant half a million trees to help renew the Caledonian Forest.

Heather Mills
Heather Mills donates US$1 million worth of vegan food to children in Hunts Point, an economically disadvantaged neighborhood in the south Bronx, New York, USA.

Skye Bank
Skye Bank in Nigeria donates nearly US$350,000 to the government for the installation of solar powered streetlights in Anambra State.

Uganda, German Development Services
To assist the Ugandan people in Nebbi district who have welcomed Congolese refugees in their communities, the German Development Services has commissioned development projects valued over US$184,000.

Egypt
Egypt donates US$95,000 worth of rice and cooking oil to the flood victims of Namibia.

PetSmart Charities
US chain store PetSmart donates US$50,000 in relief supplies for the animal companions displaced by Hurricane Gustav in the US states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Tanya Dickson
Tanya Dickson spends US$15,000 on the recuperation of her 18-month-old rescued cat, Hetty, after he sustained many injuries.

North West Public Health Observatory
A new study by the North West Public Health Observatory in the United Kingdom reveals that alcohol is more harmful than previously thought, and includes the number of deaths related by drinking such as accidents, cancers, and heart disease.

German Medical Association
The German Medical Association believes tobacco consumption should be viewed as any illness and that re-categorizing the habit would lead to better treatment.

Garifuna doctors and Cuba
A first ever hospital has been open for 53 Garifuna communities through the combined efforts of Garifuna doctors and donations from the Cuban government.

Chierika Ukogu
15-year-old Chierika Ukogu in Pennsylvania, USA forms Flip Flop for Africa and, after receiving shoes contributions from various donors, donated 10,000 pairs to children in Nigeria.

Organization of Islamic Conference
Organization of Islamic Conference ships humanitarian aid to Gaza to alleviate suffering for Palestinians in the area.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Lions Clubs International, and ORBIS International
In collaboration with Lions Clubs International and ORBIS International, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, announces his personal funding of “Noor Dubai” to help people in the United Arab Emirates and developing countries who are at risk for blindness.

Foodwatch
A study commissioned by the group Foodwatch and conducted by a German institute finds vegan could save more than 86% emission than meat-eater.

Yemen and The Supreme National Commission for Refugees
Yemen reassures Somali refugees of ongoing humanitarian assistance and continues to welcome more into the country, bringing the total to 750,000.

Anonymous Canadian donor
A free soya milk distribution center funded by a Canadian donor provides soy milk to children and mothers in Herat city, Afghanistan, to increase their protein intake for preventing malnutrition.

Victor Ibrado
Commanding General of the Philippine Army, Victor Ibrado, implements “car-less days” within all major Army camps in the Philippines on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays except for deliveries, emergency situations, and bad weather.

The Ethical Vegetarian Alternative (EVA), World Wildlife Fund Belgium, Greenpeace Belgium, and Rajendra Pachauri
The Ethical Vegetarian Alternative, World Wildlife Fund Belgium, and Greenpeace Belgium organized
a “Less Meat, Less Heat” event where Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, the chief of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, gave a lecture in which he encouraged Belgians to switch to a plant-based diet to reduce greenhouse gas.

Stewart David
American journalist Stewart David’s article in the Citizen-Times states that switching to a vegetarian diet is the greatest contribution an individual can make to help solve the global warming issue.

Dr. Peter Vitousek
The USA’s Stanford University ecologist Dr. Peter Vitousek raises concerns about the detrimental impact of nitrogen, one of the gases attributable to the raising of livestock, to health and the environment.

The Saudi Popular Campaign for Relief of Lebanese People
The Saudi Popular Campaign for Relief of Lebanese People made a third distribution of emergency food assistance to Tripoli, Lebanon.

Bauchi State, Nigeria
To help offset the rising cost of grain, Nigeria’s Bauchi State government distributes 5,000 bags of grains through 20 local councils.

PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (PALYJA)
PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (PALYJA), one of Indonesia’s tap water operators in Jakarta, has boosted the availability of clean water for disadvantaged citizens by 500%, and plans to build 1,700 new water connections by 2009.

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization launched a US$500,000 emergency Technical Cooperation Project that provides rice seeds, bean seeds, and fertilizers to farmers in Madagascar to boost its local food production.

Costa Rica’s Channel 7
Airing nationwide, Costa Rica’s Channel 7 completes a series alerting the public to animal farming cruelty and its environmental impact.

Dr. Chen Shen Hsien
Dr. Chen Shen Hsien, Director General of Water Resources Agency, Formosa (Taiwan), recommends the reduction of meat consumption to protect water resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Kansas Vegetarian Society
The vegetarian society in Kansas, USA holds free vegetarian cooking classes in the Hays Public Library, introducing people to the benefits of healthy living.

Women’s Council
A group of women in Siberia found a council to curb alcohol abuse in community by helping those who want to quit heavy drinking.

United Kingdom
Beginning on October 1st, cigarette packets in the United Kingdom features graphic pictures showing the damaging health effects of smoking.

Dr. Margaret Chan
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan urges cancer prevention through anti-smoking measures such as advertising bans and higher cigarette taxes.

One Laptop Per Child, Rwanda
The non-profit organization One Laptop Per Child, whose goal is to provide opportunities to all children, donates 5,000 XO computers to Rwanda.

Japanese-Sri Lanka Friendship Association
The Japanese-Sri Lanka Friendship Association, in cooperation with the Oruwala Lions Club of Sri Lanka, donates eyeglasses, wheelchairs, sport articles, two ambulances, one fire vehicle, and school items to Matara, Sri Lanka.

Unilever and United Nations World Food Program
International manufacturing company Unilever works together with the United Nations World Food Program
to aid Pakistan in alleviating child hunger.

China
China donates a library to Nigeria equipped with numerous facilities such as computers, sewing machines
and DVDs, the library was donated to Universal Basic Education in the Federal Capital Territory.

Coalition of environmentalists, scientists, and former navy officers
A coalition of environmentalists, marine scientists and former navy officers advocate the creation of a marine sanctuary in Australia.

Florence Kabasomi
Ms. Florence Kabasomi opens a school, giving opportunity to hearing impaired children to receive education in Uganda.

Neurosurgeons at Pitie-Salpetriere
French neurosurgeons at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris are successful in removing malignant brain tumors from patients through a pioneering combination of computerized laser surgery and real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Indonesia
To protect its diverse species, the Indonesian government is more than doubling the size of Tesso Nilo National Park, going from 38,000 to 86,000 hectares by the end of this year.

William J. Clinton Foundation
The US-based William J. Clinton Foundation plans to help Cambodia preserve and reforest her lands as part of the Clinton Climate Initiative that includes Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Kazakhstan and World Bank
Kazakhstan launches a successful rescue project, supported by the World Bank, to revive and return the North Aral Sea to its pristine state.

Janina Ochojska
Janina Ochojska reorganizes the Polish branch of a French foundation, EquiLibre, into the independent Polish Humanitarian Organization (PHO) which becomes Poland’s most recognized charity in providing aid to those in need in Poland and other countries.

Prince Charles’ Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change
Eighteen major United Kingdom and international members of Prince Charles’ Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change sent a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other top politicians urging them to overcome economic concerns and act decisively in approving climate change legislation.

Linda Long
Linda Long compiles a new cookbook called “Great Chefs Cook Vegan,” featuring three- and four-course vegan meals developed by twenty-five of the world’s leading chefs.

Alanna Mitchell and Dr. Charlie Vernon
Alanna Mitchell, author of a book called “Seasick,” and scientist Dr. Charlie Vernon outlined how carbon dioxide emissions are acidifying the world’s oceans and, if without intervention, may cause mass extinctions on Earth.

United Nations World Food Program and Liberia
The United Nations World Food Program collaborates with the government of Liberia to feed those in need through a three-year school development program.

Italy
To protect honeybee colonies, Italy has banned a number of pesticides that were being widely used on crops such as sweet corn and sunflowers.

Formosan local governments
To help stop global warming, several local Formosan governments have cancelled the traditional barbecues, and Taipei City hosted festivities and a more plant-based dinner for 10,000 people.

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has released a new book, “Kick the Habit,” which provides information about how to achieve carbon neutrality, highlighting the large toll of meat eating on the environment, along with suggestions for its reduction to save money and reduce emissions.

United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates implements a two-month citizenship campaign to register those persons currently without a nationality with the hope of eliminating their travel difficulties between countries, as well as their ability to receive public services.

Israel
Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection organizes a conference where 50 Israeli Arab imams came together to discuss environmental issues.

Iowa State University students
Many students from Iowa State University in the US, have switched to a plant-based diet to protect the planet.

Wildlife Conservation Society, Rwanda, and Burundi
Rwanda and Burundi, with the assistance of US-based Wildlife Conservation Society, have partnered to conserve the largest remaining area of mountain forest in East Africa.

Jerusalem Biblical Zoo’s staff
Arava, a 10-year-old spurred tortoise whose back legs are paralyzed, has been fitted with a custom-made metal board with wheels attached by the staff at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo to enable greater mobility.

Lugbe, Nigeria
Lugbe, Nigeria plants 2,000 trees and plans to plant another 4,500 by the end of the year to help halt climate change.

 



  SPECIAL SALUTE OF THE MONTH (SEPTEMBER 2008) 
 AWARD OF THE MONTH ( AUGUST 2008) 

 
 
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