Sustainable development blog : ecology and humanitarian aid

Ever wondered what tampons are made from and, more important, if they are that safe?

Tampons aren't made entirely from cotton. They are made of dyes, fragrances and chemicals like: asbestos, dioxin, chlorine and rayon. Do these ingredients pose health risks? Read more »

Photo: Young adolescents in civilian clothing move away from the arms they used when they were soldiers after evacuation from a combat zone in Sudan.

This is still happening today.  Read more »

George Clooney and his Tango

Some of the wealthiest people on the planet are making the move towards green. This fact is demonstrable by the new trend of billionaire investors putting massive amounts of their money into electric cars, solar and wind power and geothermal energy initiatives. Read more »

Humanitarian development isn’t for the lighthearted.

Every type of job is based on specific rules of conduct and in international development adherence to strong values and commitments leads not only to acceptance, but also to easy interaction and partial inclusion in the local culture. In order to create closeness and a relationship based on understanding, it is vital to respect local practices and uphold the rules of neutrality. Read more »

Check out this You Tube video by Yolanda Dominguez. Read more »

Surveying 15 economic zones and 48 craft villages, the National Assembly Standing Committee’s supervisory group has warned of seriously environmental pollution caused by a wrong policy, which aims for raising budget revenue, but neglecting consequences.

A polluted river in Bac Ninh province.

According to the supervisory group, environmental pollution at trade villages is “alarming”. However, it is difficult to deal with this situation since all provinces are running after the goal of increasing budget revenue and economic growth. Read more »

23 September 2011: The seventh “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference concluded with the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration titled “Save water, grow green!” Through the Declaration, ministers agree to take the lead in the transition to a green economy and to make substantive contributions to the discussions on green economy within the context of sustainable development, poverty alleviation and the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). Read more »

Doing Time, Doing Vipassana is a poignant documentary showing how Vipassana, an ancestral hindu meditation technic rediscovered by Gotama Budhha 2,500 years ago, has been used in Indian jails as a way to improve the prison atmosphere, prepare inmates for their reintegration to the outter social environment and help to reduce recidivism rate. Beyond the rehabilitation aspect, it has completly changed the life of many criminals and deliquents and it demonstrates that a soft guided introspective is much more effecient than harsh inhuman methods.

Doing Time, Doing Vipassana is a poignant documentary showing how Vipassana, an ancestral hindu meditation technic rediscovered by Gotama Budhha 2,500 years ago, has been used in Read more »

Music against Poverty is a competition aimed at involving young people in the fight against worldwide poverty through concrete actions. Europeans between15-25 years old, willing to make a difference, are asked to submit their own songs on subjects related to development and, notably, on the eight Millennium Development Goals. Deadline is September 30.

Music against Poverty Contest is an initiative launched in July by the EC Directorate-General EuropeAid to raise awareness among young Europeans about the issue of development cooperation and the important role played by Read more »