4th October 2008 marks the 7th Birthday of the International Young Professionals Foundation.

Born at the conclusion of the first International Young Professionals Summit in October 2001 on Australia’s Gold Coast, the IYPF has grown in to a strong global network of young professionals spanning 130 countries working together to create a better world for current and future generations.

To celebrate our 7th Birthday, we’ve put together 7 ‘gifts’ for you.

1. IYPS 2008 portal
http://scenta.interwise.com/etechb/Portal/IYPS

Go here to see all of the presentations, session summaries, and even live recordings from our 3rd International Young Professionals Summit, held 19-23 August 2008 in Manchester UK. Be sure to take the time to listen to the presentation by Professor Jeffrey Sachs on how young professionals can help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals

2. IYPS 2008 Declaration & Communique
http://www.iypf.org/files/iyps2008/IYPS2008_Public_Communique.pdf

The IYPS 2008 alumni present their commitments and call to action. Read it, join us, and pass it on.

3. Monthly virtual meetings
http://scenta.interwise.com/etechb/Portal/IYPS

At the IYPS 2008 portal, there are links to upcoming events to be held on Interwise. We will hold monthly meetings and all are invited. The October meeting will focus on projects and plans for engaging young professionals in the MDGs. The November meeting will be a learning opportunity as we invite someone working on the MDGs to brief us. In December, we will hold our Annual General Meeting + have another projects and planning meeting. Bookmark the portal website and come back regularly to see what is on.

4. Stand Up Against Poverty
http://www.iypf.org/?q=content/events

Join hundreds of other young professionals at more than 50 events in more than 30 countries to Stand Up Against Poverty between 17 and 19 October and demonstrate that we are ready to play our role in seeing the MDGs realised by 2015.

5. Mdgpledge.org
http://www.mdgpledge.org

Visit mdgpledge.org today and pledge to incorporate the MDGs in to your personal and professional e-mail signatures. It is a quick and easy way to raise awareness about the MDGs and start conversations with your friends and colleagues. More MDG pledges will follow.

6. Onedoes.org
http://www.onedoes.org

To create a better world for all, all we must do is what we can. Visit onedoes.org and nominate outstanding young professionals who inspire you.

7. New IYPF.ORG
http://www.iypf.org

We’ve revamped our website. It is now easier to quickly learn about IYPF and find out how to get involved.


Click through to enjoy each gift and share these gifts with your friends and colleagues.

We look forward to working with you all to mobilise and engage young professionals in achieving the Millennium Development Goals over the next 12 months.

Cameron, Greg and the IYPF team

At 77, Omara Portuondo is an elder stateswoman of world music. Here she tells Frederick Bernas about her new album, Gracias, and reflects on a long life of innovation, cultural enterprise and funny stories.

With a musical career spanning 60 years and counting, Omara Portuondo is far from finished. "It is never enough, there is always more to do, there is always something new," she states from a comfy couch in the top-floor bar of a London hotel. It's early Friday morning and the singer is probably not too enthralled by the prospect of a day with the media.

However, she speaks enthusiastically about her new CD, Gracias, which was released on September 25. "I selected these tracks because they are very popular and people know them in Cuba. I like all of these songs and I wanted to work with younger people who play modern music which is still rooted in tradition." Indeed, the backing band for this 13-track disc features the likes of jazz bass virtuoso Avishai Cohen and rising Cuban star Roberto Fonseca on piano. Other guest appearances include Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu, sweet-voiced Richard Bona from Cameroon, veteran pianist Chucho Valdés and Brazilian crooner Chico Buarque.

"The music doesn't know the barriers of age or language," she continues. "I wanted to bring everyone together to celebrate 60 years. I've done lots of records; this time I wanted to work with songs I've done before but make them more contemporary, more actual." Easily discernible from its title, the album is a gesture of appreciation -- "I wanted to say thank you to all these people: my family, musicians, authors, composers, the public, everyone who has helped me."

In the early years, Omara learnt traditional songs from her parents and became a professional dancer in 1945. Swapping her dancing shoes for a mic, she was then part of several innovative movements in Cuban music, with fusion across genres such as jazz, bossa and other Latin styles. Her debut album was released in 1959 and for the next 40 years she worked steadily on different projects, mostly solo, including the Buena Vista Social Club.

A worldwide phenomenon emerged: Wim Wenders produced a compelling documentary and World Circuit Records released an album of the same name. Portuondo and others skyrocketed to international fame almost overnight, and she identifies this as the highlight of her musical life so far. "It made Cuban music known all over the world. I had been to Finland, Japan, other countries, but then with the Buena Vista Social Club everything went global. There was a collective feeling of joy and it made me very happy. I have huge pride that I worked with these musicians, sang these songs."

Had she expected such a boom of interest in Cuban music? "It's a difficult thing, it was a coincidence. It happened organically, without thinking about it -- [producer] Nick Gold, Wim Wenders and [guitarist/producer] Ry Cooder were there to work on the project and it just happened. We never really imagined it was going to be so successful. The record was going to be made anyway. You just need to be in the right place at the right time for an opportune moment!"

Portuondo already had a considerable reputation in Cuba: wonderful images from Wenders' film of her walking through Havana, singing choruses of popular tunes with members of the public, illustrate her significance in domestic culture. She maintains that her life "didn't really change" when her fame acquired this international dimension, but it perhaps fostered a heightened sense of consciousness at being a global ambassador for the little island's artistic scene. "I don't feel pressure from fans to produce a good album, but I feel responsibility that I am representing the music of a country. I feel like the public are on my side. And I don't really feel the high expectations because I am part of a team; the musicians with me are young, and they have won prizes in jazz festivals. They really help me to move forward."

Cuban influence on world music is disproportionate to the size of its population -- the nation has a history of producing great players who have collaborated fruitfully with foreign artists, particularly in the field of jazz. Dizzy Gillespie was one of the first to break away from the American mainstream he'd helped create, venturing into what is now known as Latin jazz to produce a series of albums which defined the sub-genre. Omara offers an insightful explanation, arguing, "It's no so much that Cuba is an influence, we've been very well-informed.

"Even though it's a small country, 11 million inhabitants, we still receive information. I knew the Beatles, I sung their songs, I sung with Nat King Cole, I sung Italian songs, American, English... We had people on TV from Italy, North America, Mexico, so we all saw that. Cuba has always been very well-informed on what's going on in the outside world -- whether it is music, film, recordings or whatever."

In terms of the future, she has prudent words: "I see it like any other country in the world. It all depends on the youth, the opportunities. Cuba is subject to a lot of things -- for example, hurricanes -- but I see it as any other country." Her tone possesses a grandmotherly air of wisdom on the subject, and she speaks brightly of new Cuban musical talent. "There are so, so many musicians to look out for! They are making all kinds of music, and lots of young people ask to work with me -- for example, I have worked with a rapper on something really funky, very upbeat. There is a lot of musical interest from young people in Cuba."

Like any grandparent, Omara has a wealth of random tales -- she bursts into life when asked about comical memories, animatedly recounting the time when "I was singing with a quartet live on TV, and one of the other girls swallowed a fly! It flew into her mouth as we were ending a song, and we didn't realise she had run away!

"Lots of unexpected things happen on stage. There was another time when the heel of my shoe wedged into a little gap in the stage live on TV and I fell down! And another time, when we were in Mexico preparing for a show, there was an earthquake while I was on the toilet -- we didn't know what was going on!"

The warmth of her personality shines through, a characteristic that has endeared her to music lovers the world over. This public familiarity as one of the queens of Latin music is aptly demonstrated by the fact her surname has been omitted from the cover of Gracias, a risky luxury few other musicians could afford. Her expressive, compassionate voice can be recognised instantly -- it's a "gift" she is profoundly grateful for. "I am lucky to be able to do things with my voice musically. Other people might be more limited, but I can, so I am always going to find something new and something to innovate."

As for motivation, another crucial facet to her thinking is creative exchange: "I did all this so I could spread culture to other countries in the world, and I think I have succeeded. My father taught me all the old Cuban songs when I was a young girl and I've been singing them for more than 50 years now." Did she think it would come this far? "It's not something you think about, it's something that happens. It doesn't matter about the language. It's not something I thought ahead about. I'm doing something I like, so I will always keep going: I never tire of singing, I will not stop singing until one day when I might have to!"


UK tour dates:
10/12/08 -- Sage 1, Gateshead
13/12/08 -- Town Hall, Birmingham
13/12/08 -- Union Chapel, London

Links:
www.omaraportuondo.com
www.myspace.com/omaraportuondoworldcircuit


Published @ Fly, 4/10/08 - click here for original.

On his sixth solo album, the award-winning Wilson looks more towards commercial influences than previous work.

It would be easy for a man of Alex Wilson's pianistic talent to cruise along comfortably, picking up sideman or session gigs here and there and continuing to operate in the time-honoured medium of standard small jazz groups. But that doesn't match his creative vision. Instead, recent records have seen him assemble a 12-piece all-singing, all-dancing Latin ensemble, capable of swirling grooves and intricate polyrhythms which bring out the best in his compositional nous.

After Inglaterra (2007), a disc which firmly established his arrival as a major player on dancefloors around the world, Wilson has opted for a more western, singer-oriented outing - as the title of Salsa Con Soul would suggest. Welcome to a truly globalised world, where traditional elements of Latin music are combined with more mainstream genres like soul, R&B and gospel.

The band is spot on, raking through sharp, classy arrangements that complement the assortment of vocalists and help them sound really good. The word 'diva' has become cliché, including its use in this CD's press release, and there is a sense of a diva complex in the music: the English lyrics occasionally veer precariously close to the rather crass realms of our dearly beloved pop kingdom. However, spicy instrumentation will often step in to save the day, like a knight in shining armour to rescue the damsel in distress, going some way to appease even the staunchest anti-pop crusaders. This is not said lightly, but it's forgivable in the name of fun.

Salsa Con Soul ticks pretty much all the boxes. There's even a sprinkling of fiery non-vocal tunes to soothe the aforementioned purists - 'Sabroson' and 'Antonio' offer a pleasant respite from soul diva shenanigans. If you're planning a Latin-themed dance party, this record should be number one on the shopping list.


Release: 20/10/08

Tour:
19/10/08 - Leeds University
8/11/08 - Birmingham Town Hall
21/11/08 - Jazz Café, London

Links:
www.alexwilson.net
www.myspace.com/alexwilsonpiano



Published @ Fly, 3/10/08 - click here for original.

We in Me


It is we
Not he
Who make things great

Our minds our hearts
Have opened gates

To new and old
To rise and fall
To sink and float
To shout and call

Oh next big thing
Come out and play

Not green or pink
Not black or grey

I wonder why
I stop and think
Back to the time
When someone winked

You had a hunch
a big desire
To make it right
To take a leap
To stay and fight

With one they come
Some fast some slow
They help us grow

The we in me
The me in we.

As the Bristol scene becomes increasingly self-confident and highly talented players pour out of the city seeking wider exposure, Frederick Bernas profiles the latest to make a splash, saxophonist James Morton.

“I don’t class myself as a jazz musician,” says James Morton. This 26-year-old saxophonist’s philosophy reflects the Bristol music scene that has nurtured him. The city has attracted recent attention in the jazz world, with The Blessing taking home the Best Album gong from this year’s BBC Jazz Awards and a string of ear-catching performances at Glastonbury’s Jazz Lounge. Morton, however, keenly emphasises its position as “a real hub of creativity in a very eclectic way” and his passion for other forms of music is crystal clear.

“I’m not one of those people who was obsessed by jazz from a really young age, although I was listening to it. I’ve always loved funk, reggae, soul, motown and dance music. Being a saxophone player, I think everyone has the expectation that jazz is the predominant thing, but for me it wasn’t that way. Jazz was secondary in my musical journey; it’s now very important to me, but I discovered it later.”

Growing up in Cheddar, a village near Bristol, Morton’s first instrument was the violin: “I started playing when I was five, but when I was nine I looked at the saxophone and thought it was sexy and tactile – I thought ‘yeah, I want to play that!’ A violin case doesn’t look cool, but if you walk around with a saxophone a few girls might look at you,” he says with a cheekily confident air. A couple of years later he was gigging regularly with older musicians, earning money and drawing inspiration from how “playing, rehearsing and performing became a normal part of life.”

After leaving school at 16, Morton graduated from the Guildhall jazz masters course age 22. He returned to Bristol and has been mentored by Andy Sheppard and Pee Wee Ellis, both of whom he is quick to acknowledge as major influences. Touring with Ellis’ African Tribute to James Brown project has been fruitful – “I’m learning an amazing amount. Every gig, every rehearsal, every moment I’m absorbing. It’s a few different categories: horn section playing, concentration, building solos, grabbing an audience, listening… I could go on forever.”

A productive relationship with Sheppard took off when the talismanic tenorman showed up at Morton’s residency in a small Bristol wine bar, Luna. “The first bit of advice he gave me was to get a stable house band, as I’d been using different people every week. When I did, he came and played a gig with us and I started hanging out with him more. We’ve done a few gigs now – the project is called ‘James Morton and the Luna-tics featuring Andy Sheppard’ and I feel very privileged to be working with him. He’s taught me a lot about approaching solos, jazz composition and even valuable skills like presenting yourself to promoters and that kind of business angle.”

This understanding of the need to pick up information from those with greater know-how was boldly apparent. When asked about his ambitions, Morton replies: “For now, I want to keep on working with really inspirational people who are more experienced than I am. I feel I am still very much learning about playing and writing music.” And he is adamant there is no better place to do it than Bristol.

“Bristol is kicking off musically. There are loads of young players coming through, getting better very quickly, and there’s some really good stuff going on. I don’t want to stick with the jazz thing – the scene is very diverse. There’s some great reggae music by Dub From Atlantis, which I’m loosely involved with. Edenheight is a 10-piece funk collective I’ve been working and recording with. James Gardiner-Bateman and Josh Arcoleo are talented sax players and look out for Bellatrix, a bebop-playing bassist and award-winning beatboxer who is currently studying in London.”

As for his own projects, in addition to the Luna-tics Morton currently leads a “nine-piece soul and hip-hop influenced jazz-funk thing” called The Rawness. “In between touring and gigging, I’m working hard to develop the band – it’s getting there, I’m still writing. I hope to have something finished by early autumn.” Once again demonstrating a full awareness of the challenges this can entail, he admits that “the way I recorded it the first time didn’t match the sound in my head, so I’m re-recording in a different way. You have to make mistakes; making records and playing gigs are two completely different sports. I’m learning a lot by doing things, not being happy, and doing it again.”

This calm level-headedness stems from an iron desire to succeed as a solo artist, rather than going down the hallowed session road. “I’ve always been headstrong about the things I do. I decided I wanted to make a living out of music and nothing’s got in the way.” Nominations for the Jerwood Foundation Take Five scheme and the Promoters’ Choice Award pay testament to his vision and drive. “I want to sell records, see my name in lights and be an amazing musician… with people who are better than me! I want to be able to choose the musicians I want to work with and the venues I want to play.” With a work ethic that produced 8-10 hours’ practice per day in the run up to his Guildhall audition, the alto player is obviously not lacking commitment.

Morton’s modus operandi also stresses the need for a fiery live persona: “To me there’s more than just playing notes, I like to perform and give people a show, which is part of communication and entertainment. I’m much more an emotional player than an intellectual player. I want to make people move without thinking about it. I want to make people dance, to give them tingles down their spine and make asses shake uncontrollably. That’s my thing. I’m not really a beard-scratcher, I don’t want to go down the beard-scratching audience route. I want to make music that sounds good and feels good and makes people happy.” Amen to that.


Published in Jazzwise, October 2008.

We all know I'm a big fan of technologies and gadgets... so when I read last week in the New York Times that one of the more innovative genetic mapping companies (23andme) had reduced the price of its Genetic Mapping service (which many companies sell for up to $2-3,000) from $999 to only a few hundred dollars, I decided it was an amazing amount of information and education to be able to get access to for that amount, so I took the plunge and signed up.

A day later, FedEx delivered a Spit Kit to my house, which requires about 10 minutes of spitting into and mixing together with a solution, and your DNA sample is ready to send back! And off it went to Los Angeles, California to a laboratory today. Funny enough, the FedEx Pak they provide specifically says "do not send liquids" on it :)

So in 6-8 weeks, I'll know where my ancestors are from, whether I'm genetically lactose intolerant, whether or not I love broccoli because I can't taste the bitterness in it, and whether or not I'm a bit more likely than average to get certain diseases or be susceptible to certain conditions in my lifetime, along with dozens of other interesting facts. For less than the price of a university course in genetics, I can view and learn much of the world's most up-to-date knowledge on the relationships between genes and personal/medical conditions personalized to my specific genetic data. How cool is that?

You can make a case against "messing with your life" this way (I had an interesting discussion about this with someone just the other night), but I think that given the great power we have as humans to be intelligent and understand life in a way that no other species can, we then have a responsibility to use it to maximize the potential of our lives. Right? I guess it's also just a bit of an extra motivation knowing that you're slightly more at risk than average to do something about it! (from 1-2 times more or less likely than the generally population, in most cases)

I'll check back in with the results in a few months!

The Pigalle is not short of trendy downtown charm. It’s a little bit glitzy and supper-clubbish: definitely not the usual setting for “2% jazz, 98% funk” kind of music. Luckily, there is no better man to bring a venue to life than Maceo Parker, playing here with his nine-piece band featuring UK trombone star Dennis Rollins. Early on, the saxophonist stirred people up by patrolling dinner tables, many of which then gave way to open up a heaving dancefloor.

Song lengths went well into double figures without exception, moving up and down the dynamic spectrum with frightening rigidity. At times it felt a little like too much filler and not enough funk – Maceo would go through long periods without lifting horn to mouth – but since the set lasted almost three hours, we probably shouldn’t complain. And when he did play, he really played – with a towering stage presence, signature piercing tone and perfectly controlled melodic phrasing. It’s no exaggeration to state Maceo as the seminal influence on a generation of funk saxophonists.

Despite the drawbacks of the club, this was a rare chance to see Maceo on stage in such an intimate venue. Even at the age of 65, the former James Brown sideman shows no sign of slowing down. The king is dead, long live the king.



< Published in London Tourdates, 5/9/08.

Quoted from BBC News
Fighting in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia has caused death and widespread destruction. Georgian, Russian and South Ossetian forces have all been involved. There have also been clashes in Abkhazia, and Russian attacks on other parts of Georgia.
The separatist administrations in South Ossetia and Abkhazia have been trying to gain formal independence since breaking away in the early 1990s.
Tensions in both regions began to escalate after Mikhail Saakashvili was elected Georgian president in 2004, on a promise to re-unite the country.
The conflicts have remained largely frozen, despite occasional flare-ups, until this month.

What triggered the crisis?
A series of clashes between Georgian and South Ossetian forces in the summer of 2008 prompted Georgia to launch an aerial bombardment and ground attack on South Ossetia on 7 August.
Georgian forces controlled the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, for part of the following day.
Russia, meanwhile, poured thousands of troops into South Ossetia, and launched bombing raids both over the province and on targets in the rest of Georgia.
There have been unverified reports of war crimes on both sides.

Did the Russian forces enter South Ossetia before or after the Georgian attack?
This is unclear.
Georgia says it began its assault after learning that a large convoy of Russian armour was coming through the Roki tunnel, from North Ossetia into South Ossetia.
Russia says it acted to defend Russian citizens in South Ossetia, and its own peacekeepers stationed in the breakaway region.

How did the conflict develop?
Russian forces occupied parts of Georgia adjoining South Ossetia, including the town of Gori, a strategic town on the main road linking eastern and western Georgia.
They also moved from bases in Abkhazia into parts of western Georgia, and the Russian fleet went into action against the Georgian navy.
Abkhaz forces re-captured the Kodori Gorge - a region of Abkhazia taken under control by Georgian troops in 2006.

Who are the main casualties?
Large numbers of civilians have been driven out of their homes in South Ossetia. Many South Ossetians have crossed over to the Russian republic of North Ossetia.
Residents of Georgian villages in South Ossetia, and the town of Gori, have also fled.
The South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, is reported to be largely in ruins.

Why is Russia involved?
More than half of South Ossetia's 70,000 citizens are said to have taken up Moscow's offer of Russian citizenship. Russia says its actions were designed to protect those citizens.
Russia also has peacekeepers based in South Ossetia. Some of these were killed in the Georgian attack on 7 August.
Until recently, Russia said it respected Georgia's territorial integrity, and only wanted to look out for Russian citizens. But, following Georgia's military action, Russian PM Vladimir Putin said it was now unlikely that South Ossetia would reintegrate with the rest of Georgia.

Does Georgia have links to Nato?
President Saakashvili has made membership of Nato one of his main goals - and Nato agreed in April 2008 that Georgia would become a member of the alliance at some unspecified date in the future.
The country has had a close relationship with the United States - sending troops to join the US-led coalition in Iraq.
The US has helped to train and arm the Georgian military. It also helped Georgian troops return from Iraq after the Russian incursion into South Ossetia.

What is the status of South Ossetia?
South Ossetia has run its own affairs since fighting for independence from Georgia in 1991-92, in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
It has declared independence, though this has not been recognised by any other country.
Abkhazia is in the same position.

Why do Ossetians want to break away?
The Ossetians are a distinct ethnic group originally from the Russian plains just south of the Don river. In the 13th Century, they were pushed southwards by Mongol invasions into the Caucasus mountains, settling along the border with Georgia.

South Ossetians want to join up with their ethnic brethren in North Ossetia, which is an autonomous republic within the Russian Federation.
Ethnic Georgians are a minority in South Ossetia, accounting for less than one-third of the population.
But Georgia rejects even the name South Ossetia, preferring to call it by the ancient name of Samachablo, or Tskhinvali, after its main city.

Look out for TakingITGlobal's staff conducting quick interviews with WYC delegates! We'll be recording your thoughts about the Congress and the sessions that you're looking forward to. Videos will be uploaded to this virtual congress page, so stay tuned!

If we capture you on camera, you might be able to get a nice gift!

International Youth Day will take place this year on August 12, 2008. This year’s theme is “Youth and Climate Change: Time for Action.” Climate change has already begun to devastate communities and deepen the effects of poverty, making the challenges facing young people even more difficult. However, young people have a powerful voice, and together have great potential to call for action and work towards ensuring a better future for every generation. On International Youth Day, it is important to celebrate the achievements of young people, encourage their further involvement in decision-making and development of their communities, and recognize their potential to change the future.

“Left unaddressed, climate change could cause an unraveling of the progress that has been made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and could also have serious implications for peace and security,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, in a message to young people about International Youth Day. “Unless we make radical changes in the way we live, by the time the youth of 2008 reach my age, the world may well have become a rather inhospitable place.”

“Today’s young people will bear the consequences of climate change, thanks to the unfortunate legacy of their elders,” he continued. In many developing countries, girls and young women are often responsible for farming, collecting wood, and finding water sources. These duties will become much more challenging as climate change reduces the availability of water and agricultural productivity. Young women and girls will be forced to spend even more time on these activities, rather than on education.

But young people have a distinct advantage in the fight against climate change, said Ban Ki-Moon. Young people are skilled at using and spreading new habits and technologies. They can also easily adapt to low-carbon lifestyles and can work towards a transition to a low-carbon economy. Such economic growth based on clean energy will also create jobs that help reduce youth unemployment. Overall, young people should be given the opportunity to become more involved in decision-making.

“We will need the spirit of youth in abundance as the world seeks to embrace cleaner, more sustainable forms of energy, including renewable resources,” said the Secretary General.


Some of the specific areas that need to be addressed by young people are:

• Preparedness and disaster risk reduction: It is necessary to work towards building the capacities of individuals and communities so that people are prepared for any disasters that come about as a result of climate change. Moreover, the likelihood of such disasters occurring should be reduced.
• Adaptation and mitigation: Actions must be taken to reduce the harm and exploit the benefits of climate change.


What can you do to join the global youth movement on IYD08?

Team up! Team up with other young people within your community. Look for existing youth organizations in your local, regional, or national communities that are taking action on climate change. Together, you can work to make climate change a priority for stakeholders – like governments, NGOs, academic institutions, businesses, and individuals.

Take action! Once you have gathered a group of people interested in climate change, go one step further by taking concrete action to achieve your goals. Conduct research on how your local community is contributing to climate change – and do something about it! Get young people involved in planning a local project to promote sustainable development practices in your community. Research what has successfully been done in other communities, and lobby for implementing those practices in your own community. Hold events, talks, public discussions, campaigns, and forums to raise awareness about climate change, encourage more young people to get involved, and to find out what other young people are already doing. Use media such as the internet, blogs, advertisements, newspapers, and the radio to raise awareness of International Youth Day, climate change issues, and to motivate other youth to take action.

Celebrate! If you or others in your community have already been involved in projects that address climate change, plan an event to showcase your work and to inform others of what is being done about the issue of climate change. Raise even more support for your project by inviting leaders, officials, and young people from your local community.

According to the Secretary General – ultimately, young people around the world have a chance to “invest their energies and bright ideas into shaping a safer, more sustainable planet.” So make sure to celebrate International Youth Day 2008 by taking action on climate change, making your voice heard, and working towards a bright future for all young people!

What are YOU doing to celebrate International Youth Day 2008? Leave your comments here!

Credits: Information from Here and Here.

I headed off in the morning to the Australian Science and Math School, hosted at Flinders University. The school is only a few years old, and is built with an open concept -- no classrooms, but instead a number of large spaces with desks and chairs that reconfigured in many different ways to foster teamwork and collaboration. We had a large group - about 50 teachers and school leaders, and had a really interesting day -- when I showed the "Are you listening?" video, a whole bunch of students gathered upstairs in the area overlooking where I was speaking to watch - I think they were really curious that so many teachers were learning about their way of using technology!

After a fantastic dinner by the water with a group of curriculum developers, I headed to sleep -- because I had to catch a 6:40am flight to Canberra!

I made it to the nation's capital early in the morning, and it was freezing! 0 degrees but it warmed up as the sun rose... I had a few hours to fit the gym and have lunch before heading to Canberra University -- the group in Canberra decided to have an evening workshop (4-9pm) with dinner. Although everyone had a full day of work before showing up, we still had a lot of active participation, and after wrapping up at 9 and getting back to the hotel around 10, it was time for sleep for another 6:45am flight back to Sydney for the last workshop of the trip!

Arriving in Sydney in the morning, with my 32kg on-the-dot bag faithfully appearing on the carousel, I headed off to Parramatta right on time, and arrived 3 minutes before the workshop was to begin! We had the biggest crowd of any session -- around 60 people, and so a lot of the interactive sections took a lot longer than usual, but they had great ideas and a large group of schools approached me after and wants to deeply engage their entire district with TIGed, which is exciting! After wrapping up and chatting with a bunch of the attendees, I was off to one of my favourite hotels in the world -- the Westin Sydney, to relax, enjoy their great gym, and have dinner with Jenny, who had the whole series of workshops organized, to debrief on the experience (yum, Tasmanian lamb!). After that, I met up with Jarra and Nick, and headed to Micky's for dessert (Banana Pancakes and Ice Cream!) to catch up and for me to celebrate the completion of 10 sessions in 11 days in 5 cities!

I'm writing this now on the flight to Vancouver -- I managed to get right to sleep after lunch on the 10am flight, which will hopefully mean I can work through the North American day and head to sleep at a proper time tonight. Saturday, we head to Quebec City for the World Youth Congress to meet TIG members from all over the world. I've also agreed to head to Brisbane on the 19th to speak at the Queenland Government's e-learning summit, and after that, I'll be ready to just settle down at home and enjoy the rest of the summer in Toronto :)

To spread a social movement, like scaling up the world AIDS response, religious leaders need to talk to religious leaders, business to business, youth to youth, and media to media. Studies show that messages spread most effectively when they come from their peers.

In an initiative to bridge the gaps between groups that don’t usually connect, the World AIDS Campaign is convening 12 “leadership encounters” – small facilitated meetings away from the microphones and crowds of the main conference. By having these meetings, the campaign hopes the different sectors will find common ground and uncommon activities.

For instance, in the dialogue between leaders of the youth and media, MTV committed to convene a youth advisory panel. Other dialogues occurred between leaders of faith communities and men who have sex with men, and between commercial sex workers and the business community.

The World AIDS Campaign will compile a report of the commitments, and follow them up and report on them in Vienna at the AIDS conference in 2010.

But this isn’t the only group collecting commitments in Mexico. At the Youth Pavilion in the Global Village young people staff a “youth commitments desk”, asking for leaders to promise to scale up youth participation in their programs.

In 2006, the youth commitments desk at the Toronto AIDS conference collected 371 commitments. But making commitment doesn’t guarantee action. A team of youth followed up the 371 commitments and found a completion rate of 25%.

What is standing out for me at the conference is the need to focus on investment and programs for and research of the most at-risk groups---, men who have sex with men, drug users, sex workers and prisoners.

Let’s be frank, this is no “save the children” kind of cause – generally people are afraid of these groups and don’t know much about them. I’ve had a lot of global experiences in my life, but I have never spoken directly with a sex worker or prisoner (to my knowledge). With so many sex workers here, I can surely change this soon.

Simple prejudices and impressions aside – the numbers tell a shocking story. Of global AIDS expenditures, only 1.2 percent is spent on specific responses to men who have sex with men. This totals $3 million out of the estimated $30 million needed according to UNAIDS.

“Less than 10% of high risk populations are receiving appropriate prevention.” Alex Coutinho, Executive Director, Infectious Disease Institute Uganda.

Outside of Africa – drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men make up the vast majority of those contracting HIV. It’s amazing after 25 years and billions of dollars we are not able to better address these populations. There is research and success stories that document what works in these populations, especially in Mexico and Brazil.

Youth are key to this struggle actually – we need a generation of young people that can fearlessly empower and protect the human rights of sex workers, prisoners and drug users.

To spread a social movement, like scaling up the world AIDS response, religious leaders need to talk to religious leaders, business to business, youth to youth, and media to media. Studies show that messages spread most effectively when they come from their peers.

In an initiative to bridge the gaps between groups that don’t usually connect, the World AIDS Campaign is convening 12 “leadership encounters” – small facilitated meetings away from the microphones and crowds of the main conference. By having these meetings, the campaign hopes the different sectors will find common ground and uncommon activities.

For instance, in the dialogue between leaders of the youth and media, MTV committed to convene a youth advisory panel. Other dialogues occurred between leaders of faith communities and men who have sex with men, and between commercial sex workers and the business community.

The World AIDS Campaign will compile a report of the commitments, and follow them up and report on them in Vienna at the AIDS conference in 2010.

But WAC isn’t the only group collecting commitments in Mexico. At the Youth Pavilion in the Global Village young people staff a “youth commitments desk”, asking for leaders to promise to scale up youth participation in their programs.

In 2006, the youth commitments desk at the Toronto AIDS conference collected 371 commitments. But making commitment doesn’t guarantee action. A team of youth followed up the 371 commitments and found a completion rate of 25%.