General News

Michael Franti often sings about social issues and has been using his music and other artistic endeavours to advocate for the environment.

He recently took part in an event held by Envision, a UN initiative that brings together the creative community with scientists and the corporate world to work towards a more sustainable future.

Mr. Franti says everyone has a responsibility to protect the planet because it sustains life.

Julie Walker spoke with him at the ENvision event where he also performed.

Duration: 4’52”

United Nations relief agencies and their partners are making preparations for humanitarian operations in Syria.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that one million Syrians are in need of urgent assistance inside the country.

At the same time the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), is helping Syrian refugees who fled to neighbouring countries.

Relief agencies gathered in Geneva on Friday for a humanitarian forum on Syria.

For hundreds of millions of people around the world, safe water and proper sanitation remain a challenge according to the UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF).

Ministers from several dozen countries, both developed and developing, are meeting in Washington, DC to discuss ways of speeding up global access to these basic necessities of life.

Violence continues to be a serious problem in Africa, according to a Tanzanian scholar.

Dr. Lindah Mhando says the causes of violence include unemployment, the unequal distribution of resources and marginalization of women.

She has edited a book entitled “Birthing Masculinity”.

African countries continue to make steady progress in continue to

Dr. Mhando spoke to Derrick Mbatha about the recent and past incidents of violence on the continent.

Duration: 4'47"

Chinese investment in Sub-Saharan Africa has been on the rise in recent years.

In 2008, it peaked at more than $5 billion dollars. However, some controversy does surround the issue.

Right now the increasing investment is having a major impact on African growth. But will it continue?

Amy Held speaks with Antoinette Sayeh, the director of the International Monetary Fund’s Africa Department about this.

Duration: 2'49"

The United Nations and the Syrian government have worked out a deal for the UN observers in the country who are tasked with monitoring elements of the six-point peace plan.

The agreement outlines the functions of the observers and the responsibilities of the Syrian government.

Similar discussions are taking place with the opposition.

Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General is requesting up to 300 monitors to be sent to Syria, while acknowledging that violence has continued in the country.

Julie Walker reports.

Duration:  3'01"

Three quarters of poor people around the world don’t have a bank account, according to a report issued by the World Bank on Thursday.

The survey conducted last year of about 150,000 people in 148 countries found that more than 75 per cent of adults earning less than $2 a day did not use a bank.

The number of people who are internally displaced by conflict and violence in Africa has been declining since 2004, according to a new report.

The Global Overview 2011, People Displaced by Conflict and Violence was compiled by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (iDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

The report shows a total of 26.4 million people were internally displaced in the world at the end of last year, a fall from 27.5 million the previous year.

Don Cheadle may be well known for his on screen work, but it’s his off screen efforts to let the world know about environmental issues that he is trumpeting ahead of the Rio+20 Sustainable Development conference.

The actor and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Goodwill Ambassador says the issue is one that effects everyone and eventually people will have to treat the world’s resources better for future generations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working to post mobile clinics in areas of Syria where there are no functioning health facilities.

The joint effort involves the Syrian Family Planning Association and the country’s Ministry of Health.

The mobile clinics are basically buses that are being refitted with medical equipment and supplies.

WHO says doctors, nurses and other health professionals will staff the mobile health clinics.