UN rights office gathering info on air strikes in Yemen; urges protection of civilians
25 August 2017 – Reiterating that attacks targeting civilians are prohibited under international law, the United Nations human rights office today confirmed dozens of casualties in airstrikes on villages near the capital, Sana'a.
Briefing journalists in Geneva, a spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioners for Human Rights (), Liz Throssell, said one of the airstrikes on 23 August hit the Istirahat Al Shahab hotel in Bayt Al Athri in Arhab district, destroying the second floor and seriously damaging the rest of the building.
So far we have been able to confirm that 33 civilians were killed and another 25 injured in the attack, Ms. Throssell said of the attack, which is being blamed on Coalition Forces.
Gulf College celebrates the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
Gulf College, through its Centre for Languages and Cultural Studies, beamed with pride as it undertook to uphold its mandate as a member of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in celebrating the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development on 21 May 2017. The theme Exploring the World of Innovation and Entrepreneurship through Multiculturalism helped focus good practices that encourage cultural pluralism and discourage all expressions of extremism and fanaticism, highlighting instead the values and principles that bring people together.
Dream big, but be well grounded, be kind.- Sri Sri
A few years ago, I came to the United States with my life packed in two suitcases, no cell phone, no money and no familial support. Recently, I was privileged and honored to be selected as a Peer Mentor for the 2017 Summer Youth Assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York, representing the World Experiences Foundation and the United Nations Association of Oklahoma City. On arrival at the United Nations, when I first entered the historic General Assembly Hall, I took a few minutes to sit down, close my eyes and take a few deep breaths—to stop and smell the roses, as it were.
Halal tourism: Promoting high-quality service
In considering developments in the tourism industry especially in the past 20 years, including the diversity of tourism services and special interest tourism, we find that tourists are looking for new destinations and using new services aligned with their religious beliefs and values. Halal tourism is one such example; and health, physical fitness and mental health are some of its central concerns—tangible effects enriching the soul and spirit as well as comfort of travelers.
Halal tourism is also worthy of attention because a substantial part of tourism markets and destinations is located in the Islamic world. Moreover, 11% of international tourists are Muslims, which has led non-Muslim countries to offer Halal tourism services in order to better position themselves to gain a share of the $200 billion market of Muslim tourists.
Thousands flee as Iraqi forces advance on ISIL-held Tal Afar – UN
21 August 2017 – The top United Nations humanitarian official in Iraq has warned against the consequences of displacement as thousands of civilians are expected to flee from Tal Afar and surrounding communities during the Iraqi military operation to retake these areas from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) terrorist group.
Thousands of people are fleeing Tal Afar for safety,  Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, in a press release issued yesterday. Families are trekking for 10 to 20 hours in extreme heat to reach mustering points. They are arriving exhausted and dehydrated.
Strengthening the UN's Research Uptake
The United Nations system faces a constant demand for evidence-based research which can be met by researchers in the academic and think tank community. Nevertheless, the implementation of this cooperation often faces considerable obstacles.
Bridging this research-policy gap and promoting ways to enhance the cooperation between the UN and the academic community was at the center of a two-day roundtable event hosted by the UN University and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. Titled 'Strengthening the UN's Research Uptake', the event assembled senior representatives from UN research and policy units and more than 50 leading research organizations in the Palais des Nations in Geneva in April 2016.
UNAI Global Hub on Sustainability and Model UN-New Silk Way discussed collaboration opportunities for the Silk Road countries
18 August 2017- The Global Hub UNAI on Sustainability Al Farabi Kazakh National University has contributed to the workshop of the Model UN - New Silk Way Program discussing collaboration opportunities for the Silk Road countries on 21 July 2017.  The workshop was organized by the Model UN - New Silk Way program for the international and national students – participants of the Silk Road Summer School in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Youth Voices on Substance Abuse: A Guide to Empowerment and Action
18 August 2017 - The Youth Voices on Substance Abuse: A Guide to Empowerment and Action program engaged over one hundred upstate New York high school students in studies of key human rights documents, like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals, followed by readings and classroom discussions exploring the causes and results of potentially addictive substance use.
Working with their teachers, with informed health and policy experts, and with resources and guidance by project organizer Gertrude Noden, from Words Into Deeds and Global Education Motivators, participants developed fact-based perspectives, then designed outreach projects to raise awareness among their peers and also provide direct support for local service organizations.
Many Languages, One World® Winners Attend Global Youth Forum in NYC & Boston
11 August 2017 – , in partnership with the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), invited 60 student essay contest winners from around the world to attend the Global Youth Forum in New York City, NY, and the Global Youth Symposium at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. from 16-26 July, 2017.
Bullying Survey 2017: Cyberbullying impacts young people's real lives
Ditch the Label -- an international anti-bullying charity working across the UK, US and Mexico that participated in a recent United Nations Academic Impact co-organized 'Prevention Forum' (https://academicimpact.un.org/content/prevention-forum-participants-disc...)—has just published the findings of the largest ever UK study of bullying.
The charity surveyed 10,020 young people between the ages of 12 and 20, in partnership with schools and colleges across the UK, to gather data and to gain insight into the extent of bullying behaviour among young people and the impact on their lives.
The focus for this year's research was technology and the lives that young people live online, covering areas such as cyberbullying, online abuse, online behaviours, online personas and social media addiction.
World café gives a voice to young researchers
The International Association of University Presidents (IAUP)'s general assembly took place in Vienna, Austria from 5-8 July 2017. This year's conference did not only provide IAUP members with a platform to discuss challenges and changes faced by higher education across the globe but also introduced a second conference: the Young Scientist Conference. This conference invited scholars from around the world to discuss the topic of sustainability in regard to two special fields: global challenges and mobility of the future. To ensure the knowledge transfer from scientists to decision makers, the results of this conference were discussed during a world café with university presidents and the chief of the United Nations Academic Impact, Ramu Damodaran, during the closing event of the IAUP's conference.
The results of the world café can be found below:
UN Hub „Capacity Building
Meet the #MLOW2017 Winner: Jimena
Jimena Chacon Quesada is a winner of Many Languages, One World® 2017 and will be attending the Many Languages, One World Global Youth Forum in Boston and New York City!
Jimena is a winner in the Chinese language group and is originally from Costa Rica. to learn more about Jimena and her upcoming trip to Boston and New York City.
To see what Jimena and the other Many Languages, One World 2017 winners are doing while in Boston and New York, join the conversation on your social media platforms using #MLOW2017!
To watch all of the winners present live in the General Assembly of the United Nations, visit: WebTV.UN.org at 10:00 AM EDT on 21 July 2017! The presentations will be streamed live in the six official languages on the United Nations!
Meet the #MLOW2017 Winner: Nicholas
Nicholas Bloom is a winner of Many Languages, One World® 2017 and will be attending the Many Languages, One World Global Youth Forum in Boston and New York City!
Nicholas is a winner in the French language group and is originally from the United Kingdom. to learn more about Nicholas and his upcoming trip to Boston and New York City.
To see what Nicholas and the other Many Languages, One World 2017 winners are doing while in Boston and New York, join the conversation on your social media platforms using #MLOW2017!
To watch all of the winners present live in the General Assembly of the United Nations, visit: at 10:00 AM EDT on 21 July 2017! The presentations will be streamed live in the six official languages on the United Nations!
Meet the #MLOW2017 Winner: Jamilya
Jamilya Nurkanova is a winner of Many Languages, One World® 2017 and will be attending the Many Languages, One World Global Youth Forum in Boston and New York City!
Jamilya is a winner in the English language group and is originally from Kazakhstan. to learn more about Jamilya and her upcoming trip to Boston and New York City.
To see what Jamilya and the other Many Languages, One World 2017 winners are doing while in Boston and New York, join the conversation on your social media platforms using #MLOW2017!
To watch all of the winners present live in the General Assembly of the United Nations, visit: at 10:00 AM EDT on 21 July 2017! The presentations will be streamed live in the six official languages on the United Nations!
Health services, especially vaccines, must 'reach the unreached,' stress UN agencies
Globally, nearly 13 million infants – almost one in ten – did not receive any vaccinations last year, putting them at serious risk of potentially fatal diseases, the United Nations Children's Fund () and the World Health Organization () said today, urging greater efforts to extend the reach of health services.