UN Day 2004

GEM to Advise in Creation of New High School for Peace

Essential Briefings:

 The Academy is pleased to announce a new format is being added to the Town Square program. "Essential Briefings" will be periodic discussions by experts on environmental issues that are current and highly topical. The "Briefings" will provide an opportunity for the public to gain insight into scientific and environmental problems that are having direct and immediate effects.

"Dodging Doomsday: From Tsunamis to Dead Zones"
   A Town Square Essential Briefing

January 20th, 2005
6:30 -7:30PM

Academy of Natural Sciences Auditorium
1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
Philadelphia PA

Featuring:
Dr. D. James Baker
President and CEO, Academy of Natural Sciences;
Formerly Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Join one of the nation's foremost experts on marine science for an intriguing discussion about predicting and preventing human and natural disasters in the world's oceans.

About Town Square
Welcome to the Academy's newest program - the Town Square Initiative. The Town Square is an exciting new series of discussions, workshops and public forums designed to bring together scientific and policy experts to consider critical environmental issues. The goal is to promote dialogue and thoughtful exchanges on important public issues that relate to sustainability and the environment.

Town Square is an opportunity for the public to hear--and be heard by--some of the most influential scientific experts and key decision makers.Although the programming will usually be held in the Academy's state-of-the-art auditorium here in Philadelphia, they will be webcast to sites around the world. Audience participation, both for the live audience and via e-mail for the remote sites, will be supported and encouraged. For more information visit the Academy of Natural Science website.  

For information on how to participate in this webcast contact GEM at:
Chestnut Hill College
9601 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
Tel: 215-248-1150
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Awakening Global Responsibility: A Call to Sustainable Democracy

Friday May 14, 2004; 12:30 - 2:30pm
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jane Goodall
Speaker: Jonathan Granoff
Moderator: Ashok Gangadean

First Friday Opening at the MYX Art Gallery

GEM invites you to join us on Friday January 7 from 6pm - 8pm
at the MYX Art Gallery
for an open house and reception

Students from the Greater Philadelphia area will display their artwork with artwork from students in Henan Province, China. The theme of the exhibition is Students Take Action Against HIV/AIDS and the works explore the students’ thoughts, feelings, and actions towards the HIV/AIDS crisis and its impact on human rights. The exhibition opens on First Friday, January 7, 2004 at the MYX (Multicultural Youth eXchange) gallery in Old City, 110 Church St. There will be a reception from 6pm- 8pm with light refreshments, free and open to the public.

The exhibition is part of the ongoing efforts of local students to speak out against HIV/AIDS and take an active role in the fight against the disease. This year-long program is coordinated locally by Global Education Motivators (GEM) a non-profit educational organization.

The program began in October 2004 with 350 students from area schools meeting at Chestnut Hill College for an all day program during which the students created a Greater Philadelphia Youth Declaration on HIV/AIDS. This declaration was then incorporated in a human rights conference at the United Nations on December 3, 2004, where the voices of Philadelphia students were joined with the voices of students in South Africa, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Great Britain. 

The Chinese artwork, entitled Living Dreams in a Dying Village, is on loan from The China AIDS Orphan Fund (CAOF). The work comes from a village where a large number of the adult population is dying of AIDS, and the children dare to dream, holding on to the hope of a better life. The exhibit features approximately 20 paintings by AIDS orphans in the Henan province. Each drawing is accompanied by a one page Chinese essay and its English translation. Most of these paintings illustrate the hopes and dreams of these children who are living through a tragedy with devastating social and economic impact.

For more information on how you can be involved in the Students Take Action Against HIV/AIDS initiative, to learn more about the exhibition, or to find out about other Global Education Motivators programming, please visit our website at gem-ngo.org or call 215-248-1150. For directions to the MYX Art gallery, please call or visit www.myx-world.org.

The China AIDS Orphan Fund's mission is to improve the lives of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in central China, especially Henan Province. Please visit their website at www.chinaaidsorphanfund.org.

Student Conference on Children in Armed Conflict

On December 4, 2003 more than 600 students (Grades 5-12) from five countries came together at the United Nations for a Student Conference on War Affected Children. Many Philadelphia area students came by bus for the day and interacted with students from Canada, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Mexico, and various parts of the United States.

More than 350 secondary school students from the Greater Philadelphia area met again at Chestnut Hill College, this time to learn more about Human Rights and the Millennium Summit Development Goals. The United Nations Day program has become a staple of fall schedules for schools in the Philadelphia area. Students began the day together for the moving key-note address by Dr. Abiodun Williams, Office of the UN Secretary-General, as he spoke on "The Implementation of the Millennium Summit Development Goals". Dr. Williams spoke on a variety of issues ranging from his role at the United Nations to his experiences in Sierra Leone, giving students a wonderful basis for their discussions throughout the day.

Eduation for All

Students gathered again at Chestnut Hill College to celebrate the creation of the United Nations on October 24.

Empowering Young People to Fight Racism

The 6th Annual Student Conference on Human Rights, held on Friday, December 5th, 2003, explored the theme of Education For All.

Join the Academy for a two part series on the legacy of Lewis and Clark:

December 8, 2004: Lewis and Clark's Legacy Part 2: Managing the future of the Delaware and Columbia watersheds

Featuring:

Carol Collier Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Colin Apse Deputy Director of the Eastern U.S. Freshwater Program The Nature Conservancy

John Volkman General Counsel, Energy Trust Former Senior Policy Advisor, National Marine Fisheries Service Prof.

Robert Giegengack - Moderator University of Pennsylvania, Dept. Earth & Env. Science

All Town Square events are free and open to the public.


About Town Square
Welcome to the Academy's newest program - the Town Square Initiative. The Town Square is an exciting new series of discussions, workshops and public forums designed to bring together scientific and policy experts to consider critical environmental issues. The goal is to promote dialogue and thoughtful exchanges on important public issues that relate to sustainability and the environment.

Town Square is an opportunity for the public to hear--and be heard by--some of the most influential scientific experts and key decision makers.Although the programming will usually be held in the Academy's state-of-the-art auditorium here in Philadelphia, they will be webcast to sites around the world. Audience participation, both for the live audience and via e-mail for the remote sites, will be supported and encouraged. For more information visit the Academy of Natural Science website.  

To watch the Urban Sprawl Townsquare Program - click here.

For information on how to participate in this webcast contact GEM at:
Chestnut Hill College
9601 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
Tel: 215-248-1150
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Students Take Action on HIV/AIDS

Students from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware joined together at Chestnut Hill College for an exciting all day program on the Human Rights issues impacted by HIV/AIDS. Students worked together to draft a youth declaration on HIV/AIDS. Keynote address was made by UN Special Envoy Dr. Demetrios Argyriades.

• Become familiar with issues of human security;
• Meet other like-minded students from North America;
• Hear speakers who have working in the field on issues of security;
• Become proactive with respect to finding long-term solutions to problems;
• Draft the Student Declaration on Human Security;
• Learn about the role of the United Nations and the part it plays in world issues.

Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) is a content destination renowned for its exciting programs that range from the arts to science to history – the possibilities are nearly limitless. Hundreds of single events, series, and classes are offered through partnerships with over 75 program providers. These providers include hospitals, universities, museums, businesses, and more.