PEACE LEADERSHIP on Climate Change

PEACE LEADERSHIP on Climate Change: "How To Open And Sustain A Loving Heart
 "Set Your Intention Sitting in a quiet and safe place start bringing your attention to your breath. Start to come into awareness of how long and deep each draw is. Bring your attention to your sternum, feel the rise and fall. Smile to yourself and thank yourself for taking the time to love yourself. As you come into a meditative state set your intention. Your intention here will be a two part statement. One aspect of it will be addressing your immediate crisis or need. For example, recognizing the end of a relationship or ending a cycle of self-perception that is harming you. The second part will be a long term intention, one meant to help enforce and keep your sense of love and appreciation. The last time I did this, my intention looked a lot like: ‘I am honoring the pain inside me, it is a result of intended love and I won’t let it stray to hurt me anymore. I will learn from this experience and not shy away from my potential in the future.’ Recognize What Is Affecting Your Heart As you visualize your heart energy, pay attention as equally as you can to both the positive and negative elements affecting it. Seek out the sources of hurt, who caused them? How did you feel, specifically? As you find the factors that are causing you discomfort forgive the person or concept that trespassed on your sensibilities. Then forgive your self. You are human and have every right to feel the way you do. Besides now you are taking the time to better yourself and your reactions. What else could you want from yourself? After you have acknowledged and forgiven the last step is to let go. Don’t push the formation away but stop paying it more attention than needed. Finishing the relationship on your terms only works if you stop feeding more energy into it. Forgive Any Second Stage Emotions You Don’t Care For This is reiterating the letting go aspect. It’s easy to remember an upsetting situation and getting twisted up over it all over again. Stop the cycle now! Make the last interaction between you and these formations a positive one. Then remind yourself that you are above this conflict now. Breathe and turn away from it. Don’t fill your time with running from or pushing it away. Let it hang out in the living room of your heart throwing it scraps of love. It will eventually dissipate. Affirm Your Inherent Worth And Beauty As part of your higher emotions your self-worth is something nothing can ever affect. No matter what anyone says, how any one treats you, or mistakes that you’ve made, NOTHING changes how important and beautiful you are. At times, with enough negativity clogging your heart chakra it may seem like our self-worth is in decline. This is just our perceptions. Take the time to remember that no matter how bad things seem now you are an infinite being. This means you have infinite mess ups and infinite ways to grow as a result. That fact that you recognize your need for self-love and are taking the time to address it productively should help bolster the concept of your potential. Experiment With Your Vibration’s Frequency So you’ve if identified, acknowledged, loved, forgiven, cried at, (hopefully) giggled a little at the independent elements that are affecting your heart space. The tinkering and tuning stage is over time to hook your chakra back up to the chest. Turn your attention from the nitty gritty to the sum that is you. Think back to the different resonance levels you experienced. What do your vibrations look like now? Make connections to the ideas, people and mindsets that varied your vibrations. "
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Wellness Pilipinas International: World Hepatitis Summit World Hepatitis Summit 201...

Wellness Pilipinas International: World Hepatitis Summit World Hepatitis Summit 201...: WHO | Eliminate hepatitis: WHO : "GENEVA - New WHO data from 28 countries - representing approximately 70% of the global hepatitis burd..."GENEVA - New WHO data from 28 countries - representing approximately 70% of the global hepatitis burden - indicate that efforts to eliminate hepatitis are gaining momentum. Published to coincide with World Hepatitis Day, the data reveal that nearly all 28 countries have established high-level national hepatitis elimination committees (with plans and targets in place) and more than half have allocated dedicated funding for hepatitis responses. On World Hepatitis Day, WHO is calling on countries to continue to translate their commitments into increased services to eliminate hepatitis. This week, WHO has also added a new generic treatment to its list of WHO-prequalified hepatitis C medicines to increase access to therapy, and is promoting prevention through injection safety: a key factor in reducing hepatitis B and C transmission. From commitment to Action "It is encouraging to see countries turning commitment into action to tackle hepatitis." said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "Identifying interventions that have a high impact is a key step towards eliminating this devastating disease. Many countries have succeeded in scaling-up the hepatitis B vaccination. Now we need to push harder to increase access to diagnosis and treatment." World Hepatitis Day 2017 is being commemorated under the theme "Eliminate Hepatitis" to mobilize intensified action towards the health targets in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. In 2016, the World Health Assembly endorsed WHO’s first global health sectors strategy on viral hepatitis to help countries scale up their responses. The new WHO data show that more than 86% of countries reviewed have set national hepatitis elimination targets and more than 70% have begun to develop national hepatitis plans to enable access to effective prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care services. Furthermore, nearly half of the countries surveyed are aiming for elimination through providing universal access to hepatitis treatment. But WHO is concerned that progress needs to speed up. "The national response towards hepatitis elimination is gaining momentum. However, at best one in ten people who are living with hepatitis know they are infected and can access treatment. This is unacceptable," said Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, WHO's Director of the HIV Department and Global Hepatitis Programme. "For hepatitis elimination to become a reality, countries need to accelerate their efforts and increase investments in life-saving care. There is simply no reason why many millions of people still have not been tested for hepatitis and cannot access the treatment for which they are in dire need." Viral hepatitis affected 325 million people worldwide in 2015, with 257 million people living with hepatitis B and 71 million people living with hepatitis C - the two main killers of the five types of hepatitis. Viral hepatitis caused 1.34 million deaths in 2015 – a figure close to the number of TB deaths and exceeding deaths linked to HIV. Improving access to hepatitis C cure Hepatitis C can be completely cured with direct acting antivirals (DAAs) within 3 months. However, as of 2015, only 7% of the 71 million people with chronic hepatitis C had access to treatment. WHO is working to ensure that DAAs are affordable and accessible to those who need them. Prices have dropped dramatically in some countries (primarily in some high-burden, low-and lower middle income countries), facilitated by the introduction of generic versions of these medicines. The list of DAAs available to countries for treating hepatitis C is growing. WHO has just prequalified the first generic version of one of these drugs: sofosbuvir. The average price of the required three-month treatment course of this generic is between US$260 and US$280, a small fraction of the original cost of the medicine when it first went on the market in 2013. WHO prequalification guarantees a product’s quality, safety and efficacy and means it can now be procured by the United Nations and financing agencies such as UNITAID, which now includes medicines for people living with HIV who also have hepatitis C in the portfolio of conditions it covers. Hepatitis B treatment With high morbidity and mortality globally, there is great interest also in the development of new therapies for chronic hepatitis B virus infection. The most effective current hepatitis B treatment, tenofovir, (which is not curative and which in most cases needs to be taken for life), is available for as low as $48 per year in many low and middle income countries. There is also an urgent need to scale up access to hepatitis B testing. Improving injection safety and infection prevention to reduce new cases of hepatitis B and C Use of contaminated injection equipment in health-care settings accounts for a large number of new HCV and HBV infections worldwide, making injection safety an important strategy.Others include preventing transmission through invasive procedures, such as surgery and dental care; increasing hepatitis B vaccination rates and scaling up harm reduction programmes for people who inject drugs. Today WHO is launching a range of new educational and communication tools to support a campaign entitled "Get the Point-Make smart injection choices" to improve injection safety in order to prevent hepatitis and other bloodborne infections in health-care settings."




/New WHO data reveal that an estimated 325 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The WHO Global hepatitis report, 2017 indicates that the large majority of these people lack access to life-saving testing and treatment. As a result, millions of people are at risk of a slow progression to chronic liver disease, cancer, and death. The report was launched at the International Liver Congress 2017.

7 seemingly innocent symptoms that could signal a serious health problem | Fox News

"While it's good to be on guard, not every new symptom should send you racing to your doctor's office, says Rob Danoff, DO, an osteopathic physician, and director of family medicine at Philadelphia's Aria Health System. At the same time, Danoff says some seemingly benign symptoms—stuff most of us would brush off—are worthy of close examination, especially if they stick around for more than a week or two. "I call it body talk," he says. "Your body does a good job of sending you signals or clues when something's wrong."  But sometimes those signals are super subtle. Here are a few of those signals you don't want to ignore. Your handwriting is shrinking. Any changes to your handwriting could signal a developing tremor, which is an early indicator of Parkinson's disease, Danoff says. Especially if your handwriting is getting smaller and tighter, this may be a furtive sign you're struggling to hold your hand steady, he says. (Find out what else your hands say about your health.) Your skin feels different. Dry and itchy skin are common issues. But if seasonal shifts—or a new soap or moisturizer—can't explain your sudden skin changes, you'll want to tell your doctor if your skin suddenly seems dryer, itchier, thicker, or scaly, says Lauralee Yalden, MD, a New Jersey-based family medicine physician. "The thickening of the skin can signify high blood pressure or kidney problems," Yalden explains. "Dry, itchy skin could be caused by an underactive thyroid, a nutritional deficiency, or even an autoimmune disorder."  Your breath smells fruity. "With diabetes or pre diabetes, people sometimes give off this weird, almost fruity odor," Danoff says. He and other experts attribute the smell to your body's efforts to burn off the excess sugar in your blood stream. "You'd notice the smell, and so would people around you," Danoff adds.  MORE: 10 Foods That Lower Blood Sugar Naturally You suddenly have trouble calculating tips. If math is an old foe of yours, a little confusion while figuring out the tip isn't a big deal. But if you've always been good with numbers, problems calculating a tip or managing your finances could be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's or dementia, Danoff says. "If it happens once or twice, don't worry too much about it," he says. "But if you keep staring at your bill and you can't figure out what 20 percent is, that may be something to pay attention to." MORE: This Diet Change Could Save You From Alzheimer's You struggle with stairs. Are you out of breath when you get to the top of your staircase? That's something to keep an eye on, Danoff says. Especially if you can think back a few months and you're sure you didn't have stair-climbing issues before, you'll want to notify your doctor. Being out of breath after a little stair-climbing could signal heart trouble or COPD. You feel dizzy when you stand up. "Standing up too quickly, overexerting yourself, or simply not eating enough can make us feel dizzy or lightheaded," Yalden says. So can dehydration or your meds. But if you have to steady yourself "on a regular basis," you could be grappling with issues like anemia, an inner ear problem, or heart trouble, she says.  MORE: 10 Warning Signs Of Burnout And Excessive Stress You're peeing all the time. Bowel changes are tricky. Most of us see daily fluctuations in the color, consistency, and frequency of our poop and pee. But if you're peeing all the time—we're talking a noticeable change that keeps up for more than a week or two—that could be a sign of new-onset diabetes, an infection, prostate problems (if you're a man), or even some bowel cancers, Danoff says. When it comes to you poo, a seaweed-green hue or sulfurous-smelling diarrhea are two changes you shouldn't ignore."



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ANZ, Barclays, Bradesco, Citi, Itaú, National Australia Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, Santander, Standard Chartered, TD Bank Group, and UBS have jointly committed to develop analytical tools and indicators to strengthen assessments and disclosures of climate-related risks and opportunities

"Representing over $7 trillion, eleven major financial institutions around the globe have joined forces with the United Nations to promote climate transparency in financial markets, the Organization’s environment wing said today.

According to a news release by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), ANZ, Barclays, Bradesco, Citi, Itaú, National Australia Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, Santander, Standard Chartered, TD Bank Group, and UBS have jointly committed to develop analytical tools and indicators to strengthen assessments and disclosures of climate-related risks and opportunities.

“The message from financial heavyweights is clear – climate change poses a real and serious threat to our economy,” said Erik Solheim, the Executive Director of UNEP, in the release.

“At the same time, there are enormous business opportunities in taking climate action. Transparency on how financial institutions mitigate the risks and seize the opportunities of a two degrees pathway is crucial to move international markets towards actively supporting a low-carbon and climate-resilient future,” he added.

In the news release, UNEP noted that increasing the amount of reliable information on financial institutions’ exposure to climate-related risks and opportunities would also strengthen the stability of the financial system and help boost climate-friendly investments.

The partnership between the institutions and the UNEP Finance Initiative follows the recommendations by the Financial Stability Board (FSB)’s Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

The Task Force was mandated by the Board to develop voluntary, consistent climate-related financial risk disclosures for use by companies, investors, lenders and insurers. Its final recommendations were published in June and submitted to the G20 last week.

It is anticipated that results from the undertaking will encourage banks worldwide to adopt such climate-focused efforts.

“After the G20, the issue now is about implementation: how can the finance industry put the framework into practice and deliver disclosure that is meaningful? Through this and other industry-led working groups UNEP FI is helping the finance sector to do just that: move from awareness to action.” said Christian Thimann, Group Head of Strategy, Sustainability and Public Affairs at the AXA Group, Co-Chair of UNEP Finance Initiative and TCFD Vice-Chair.

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'via Blog this'United Nations News Centre - Eleven global banks partner with UN to make financial markets more climate transparent:

Peace Innovation: fCAT: Technology: ICTs critical to achieve Global Goals, UN highlights in new report

Underscoring the importance of information and communication technologies (ICT) in today's world, the heads of over 20 United Nations agencies and offices have called for leveraging those technologies to “fast forward” implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In a new report, launched today, the senior officials also highlighted the critical link between information and communication technologies and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The 2030 Agenda […] recognizes the great potential of global connectivity to spur human progress,” noted UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his foreword to the publication, Fast-forward progress: Leveraging tech to achieve the global goals.

“This report presents evidence of how UN agencies are adopting – and adapting – ICTs to maximize their impact and help communities and people in need,” he added, highlighting efforts underway to extend telecommunication networks and ICTs into remote areas; train and equip workers with new digital skills; and ensure that schools, hospitals, clinics and whole cities are smarter, more energy efficient and safer.

The five key areas highlighted as the “take aways” in the publication include ensuring that no one is “left offline;” recognizing the catalysing factor of ICTs for innovation and change; putting people first; importance of prompt action to leverage ICTs; and creating new .innovative partnerships.

The report, coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), was written as a collaborative effort between top officials from UN entities and international organizations, with each leader selecting one Goal and explaining why ICT is important for it, including drawing on their personal insights.

“As UN leaders have identified […], ICTs must be leveraged to advance achievement of all 17 of the SDGs – and we at ITU look forward to partnering with other UN agencies to facilitate this,” said Houlin Zhao, the Secretary-General of ITU, said at the report's launch, in Geneva.

The report's release coincides with the ongoing 2017 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the main UN platform dealing with sustainable and inclusive development."

Peace Innovation: fCAT: Technology: ICTs critical to achieve Global Goals, UN highlights in new report:



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Peace Innovation: fCAT: Culture: 'Smart' money moving to 'green' financing, reveals new UN report

Peace Innovation: fCAT: Culture: 'Smart' money moving to 'green' financing, reveals new UN report

July 19, 2017

"In its new report on green finance, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has noted that the G20 and other countries have taken huge strides over the last year towards mobilizing public resources and private capital needed to make sustainable development and climate action a reality.

“The world has committed to creating a better future for people and planet. But we will not be able to achieve [this] vision without the global financial system using its capital to fuel the transformation,” said the Executive Director of UNEP, Erik Solheim, in a news release announcing the findings.

“This new research […] shows encouraging progress in this regard. From a record number of new green finance measures to ambitious plans for green finance hubs, we are seeing the smart money move to green financing,” he added.

The Green Finance Progress Report further notes that the establishment of the Green Finance Study Group by the G20 last year, under its Chinese Presidency, showed the group understood that green financing at scale is critical to achieve the G20's goal of securing balanced and sustained growth.

This message was reinforced by Germany's decision to continue the work during its G20 Presidency this year, the report highlights.

The report also draws out examples from G20 countries of actions they took in relation to green finance, such as the disclosure requirements announced by the Securities and Exchange Board of India for the issuing and listing of green debt securities, and pilot areas for green finance announced by the State Council of China.

It also finds that the progress made nationally, internationally, and in financial and capital markets shows that financial system is reshaping themselves to align with the sustainable development imperatives of the 21st century.

“The challenge now is to rapidly increase capital flows to investments that will support our sustainable development objectives and create commercially viable green businesses for decades to come,” said Mr. Solheim.

“The G20 and others have set the wheels in motion. Now is the time to press hard on the accelerator,” he added."

Peace Innovation: fCAT: Culture: 'Smart' money moving to 'green' financing, reveals new UN report:



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Wellness Pilipinas International: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World ...

United Nations News Centre - UN food standards body kicks off session by tackling arsenic in rice, pesticide residues: "The Codex Alimentarius Commission, charged with protecting consumer health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade, is meeting in Geneva from 17 to 22 July 2017. Standards-setting for food is a joint initiative of two UN agencies – the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

At today’s session, the Commission set maximum residue limits for medicines Ivermectin, which is used to kill parasites in tissues from cattle; Lasalocid sodium, which is used for a similar purpose in tissues from chicken, turkey, quail and pheasant; and insecticide Teflubenzuron used in salmon.

The Commission also adopted revisions to its risk-based Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables to provide detailed guidance to stakeholders along fresh fruit and vegetable value chains – from producers through to final consumers.

The aim is to minimize microbial hazards, avoid risks to health, and maximize the safety of these nutritious food products, which are also of major economic importance for many countries in global trade.

The Commission also adopted the Nutrient Reference Values for vitamins D and E to be used for nutrient content labelling that would help consumers make informed choices to support healthy diets.

On spices and culinary herbs, the Commission adopted commodity standards, such as tolerances for defects, permitted levels of food additives and labelling, for cumin, dried thyme and pepper, which are among the world’s most widely used seasonings."



Wellness Pilipinas International: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World ...: United Nations News Centre - UN food standards body kicks off session by tackling arsenic in rice, pesticide residues : "The Codex Ali...