Romeo Does Not Have to Die!

On April 3^rd, Jet Li, an international film star and a martial arts expert, was appointed to be World Health Organization's Goodwill Ambassador. After experiencing the 2004 South Asian tsunami firsthand, Jet Li became actively involved in disaster relief efforts as well as promotion of mental health amongst youth. He set up the Jet Li One Foundation, which collaborates with the Red Cross Society of China in focusing on education, health, environment, and poverty. In honoring his effort as well as encouraging his future involvement, the World Health Organization chose Jet Li to be the spokesperson for raising awareness on key health issues. The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that directs and coordinates support on international public health issues.

Before Li’s appointment, many other celebrities have led the efforts of United Nations, such as George Clooney as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, Drew Barrymore as the Ambassador Against Hunger for the World Food Program, and Angelina Jolie as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Women Conquer Everest!

Everest, the world’s highest peak at 29,000 feet (more than 8,800 meters), was successfully scaled by ten Nepali women last year. They overcame many obstacles including avalanches, extreme cold, sudden storms and low oxygen levels. They received support from the UNDP, the UN World Food Program and the Government of Denmark.

Now, seven of these women are touring schools and making presentations about their expedition in order to teach and inspire children. They focus on issues like gender equality, women’s empowerment, and global warming. The group is made up of women from very different backgrounds – a journalist, a fashion model and a woman who supported her family by washing clothes.

Click here for more information.

Reaching for the Top

Have you ever dreamed of scaling Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world? This year, that dream became reality for a group of Nepali women. The first all-female, all-Nepali expedition team successfully reached the summit of Mt. Everest in May 2008. Known as the First Inclusive Women Sagarmatha Expedition 2008 (FIWSE 2008), this group of women came together from a wide range of castes and ethnic backgrounds to promote tolerance and break down traditional gender barriers. Supported in part by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Food Program (WFP), their climb promoted the Millennium Development Goals by facilitating women’s empowerment and gender equality. The ten courageous women who reached the summit this spring hope that their actions will encourage young girls in Nepal to pursue an education, enter male-dominated professions, and strive for success regardless of their gender or caste.

Read UNDP’s press release about FIWSE

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Oil and Grain in the Midst of Pain

Sunday was no day of rest for the United Nations which spent the day transporting oil and grain to citizens of Kenya. After highly contested election results, many people in this East African Nation have taken the streets, contributing to national insecurity.

The United Nations, in conjunction with the Red Cross, has stepped up to mitigate the problems caused by the violence. They have moved in to provide oil and grain for the people of Mathare, a cluster of slums in the nations capital, after bursts of post-election instability.

Because of such strife in Kenya, 250,000 people have been displaced, 300-500 have died, and many local businesses have been stuck in a standstill. These disruptions have prevented citizens from accessing basic resources needed to maintain their usual day-to-day lifestyle.

In the midst of this painful situation, you can help those Nairobi.

To help continue the work of the United Nations and other transnational organizations, donate to groups such as the World Food Program or UNICEF. Your contributions will assist these agencies in providing oil, grain, and other resources to those in Kenya.

Promoting Potatos

Did you know that spuds can save lives? Yep, it is true... the carb laden potato that you shun in the name of weight loss has huge potential to deal with global hunger problems.

Why? The potato produces more nutritious food more quickly, on less land, and in harsher climates than any other major crop - up to 85 percent of the plant is edible human food, compared to around 50% in cereals.

In honor of this humble nightshade plant (and its potential to help solve the global hunger crisis), the United Nations has declared 2008 to be the year of the potato.

Check out the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for more information on the International Year of the Potato! The video on the home page is quite informative, although a bit dry.

Learn something, feed people

You enrich your vocabulary while putting rice on a hungry person's table somewhere in the world. That is the basic plan Free Rice, the vocabulary game that is sweeping through the halls of DC think tanks and high school writting classes.

It is much easier for you to play it than read about it... so click here and spend 3 minutes. You will get addicted or feel inferior, either way you will earn some rice for hungry folks and learn something about the English language.

Ok, you are still reading and want to know how it works? Well, basically there is an ad banner on the site and the advertisers pay for the rice that you win in the game. The rice goes to the United Nations World Food Program for distribution to those who need it most.

What a good idea!

They Need To Eat

When the most recent flood disaster hit in South Asia earlier this month, the World Food Program (WFP) was one of the first UN agencies on the scene, providing immediate assistance to those in need. The flood has affected thousands in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.

From distributing high energy biscuits (left) to stopping the spread of water-born diseases, WFP does its best to make sure that the aftermath of the disaster is punctuated by as little human suffering as possible.

Also looking to the long-term, WFP will dedicate attention to rebuilding livelihoods based on crop production and animal rearing, thus restarting lives and ensuring that the rest of the population continues to receive food supplies.

WFP delivers $90 million in food aid every year, often working in the most severe crisis areas of the world. Learn more about its important work in this setting and many others.