Latest news with #Advocacy
CBC
2 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Conference in P.E.I. urges Canada to ACT on basic income guarantee
Women's Network P.E.I. is hosting a conference at Holland College this week called ACT BIG, which stands for Advocating Canada Towards a Basic Income Guarantee. CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin sat down with Tracy Smith-Carrier, a professor at Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C., who's one of the guest speakers at the event.
CTV News
10 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
‘Difficult and challenging': Consultations on Red Dress Alert pilot project underway
A report into a proposed alert for missing Indigenous women has been released, showing the benefits and challenges an alert would have.
CBC
27-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Early childhood educators need to take care of themselves during appreciation week, association says
It's Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Week in Newfoundland and Labrador. The association that supports them says it's important for educators to advocate for quality care while also advocating for themselves.
Zawya
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Zawya
Merck Foundation marks ‘World Art Day' through their Film, Song, Media and Fashion Awards 2025 in partnership with Africa's First Ladies to raise awareness about social & health issues
Merck Foundation ( the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, marks 'World Art Day 2025' through their Pan African 'Art and Fashion with Purpose' Community, established by Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation. Through this dynamic community, Dr. Kelej continues to raise awareness on critical health and social issues while empowering artists across Africa and beyond to use their creativity as a powerful tool for advocacy, education, and fostering a cultural shift within their communities. Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and One of 100 Most Influential Africans 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 emphasized, 'I am delighted to mark 'World Art Day 2025' as I strongly believe that art, fashion, and media hold immense power in raising awareness and addressing critical social and health issues—ultimately creating a culture shift in the communities. Art and fashion, to me, go far beyond aesthetics or entertainment, they serve as meaningful tools for education and advocacy. With this vision, we have launched many initiatives including our first-ever pan-African TV program, Our Africa by Merck Foundation, which uniquely highlights pressing issues across the continent through the voices of our 'Fashion and Art with Purpose' community. Through this one-of-a-kind show and our other unique initiatives, we continue to raise awareness about critical social issues such as Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Ending Child Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation, Stopping Gender-Based Violence, Women's Empowerment, and also about health issues like diabetes, hypertension, and much more.' 'Our Africa by Merck Foundation' is a pan African TV program that is conceptualized, produced, directed, and co-hosted by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation to feature African Fashion Designers, Singers, and prominent experts from various domains with the aim to raise awareness and create a culture shift across Africa. The program has captured the attention and hearts of millions of viewers across Africa. The TV program has been broadcasted on prime TV stations of many countries like KTN HOME (Kenya), GH One&TV3 (Ghana), NTV (Uganda), BTV (Botswana) Mashariki TV (Burundi), QTV (The Gambia), KTN (Kenya), LNTV (Liberia), Mibawa TV (Malawi), Deffi Media (Mauritius), AYV (Sierra Leone), NTV (Uganda), ZNBC (Zambia), ZTN (Zimbabwe), NTV (Namibia) and more. 'Our Africa' TV Program is currently on social media handles of Social Media handles of Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej (Facebook ( Instagram ( Twitter ( and YouTube ( and Merck Foundation (Facebook ( Instagram ( Twitter ( and YouTube ( Watch the Promo of the Program here: Beyond Our Africa TV Program, Merck Foundation in partnership with The First Ladies of Africa announces annually 8 important Awards, under two themes, for Media, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers and Musicians/ Singers, and potential young African talents in these fields. The themes of the two categories of awards are: 1) Breaking Infertility Stigma, Support Girls' Education, End Child Marriage, End FGM, Stopping GBV and/ or Women Empowerment at all levels and 2) promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. The 2025 editions were announced during the 11th edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary held in Tanzania in October 2024. Dr. Kelej emphasized, 'It is very well known that Africa's creativity reflects its rich heritage, expressed in the form of art, fabrics, music, and storytelling and is carried forward through generations. Hence, we launch these awards annually, with my dear sisters, the African First Ladies who are also the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation 'More Than a Mother'. Through our Awards, we aim to inspire the continent's youth to use their innate talents to address our important and critical social and health issues, by raising awareness through their creative work at all levels.' Entries for the Awards can be sent to: submit@ Also, as a part of the Community Awareness Programs, Merck Foundation has created over 30 songs with many African Artists, in English, French, Portuguese and also local African languages to address critical issues like breaking infertility stigma, empowering women, supporting girl education, ending child marriage, diabetes awareness, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and more. Merck Foundation in partnership with The First Ladies of Africa has also launched 8 Children's Storybooks in three languages: English, French and Portuguese. Additionally, Merck Foundation has adapted these storybooks to create interesting animation films with the purpose of reaching out to the communities to raise awareness on the important issues with an aim of instilling change at grassroot levels. To listen to the Merck Foundation songs, read Merck Foundation storybooks and watch Merck Foundation animation films, click on the below links: Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation. Contact details: Mehak Handa Community Awareness Program Manager +91 9310087613 / +91 9319606669 Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard! Facebook: X: YouTube: Instagram: Threads: Flickr: Website: Download Merck Foundation App: About Merck Foundation: The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality&equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare&scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook ( X ( Instagram ( YouTube ( and Flickr ( The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.
Scoop
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Denniston Should Be Scientific Reserve, Not Fast-tracked Coal Mine
Forest & Bird is calling on the Government to create a new scientific reserve covering the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast to save it from being mined for coal. 'Public conservation land should be for nature. Aotearoa New Zealand needs habitat for kiwi, not opencast coal mines,' says Richard Capie, General Manager for Advocacy. At a 'Celebrating Denniston' event over the weekend, Forest & Bird members and supporters visited the plateau, discussed its significance and how to save it. 'There is nowhere else in the world like this. It's a treasure trove of nature's curiosities, from unique icicle-like mosses to the unusual yellow variant of the West Coast green gecko,' says Mr Capie. 'Coal mining will destroy this forever. Once it is mined it will never be the same again, and we could be losing cryptic species we don't even know are there.' The Mount Rochfort Conservation Area, which includes most of the Denniston Plateau, is one of the conservation stewardship land areas currently being considered for reclassification by Conservation Minister Tama Potaka, with decisions expected next month. The national panel convened to look at reclassifications proposed it as conservation park, and did not recommend any areas as scientific reserve which would reflect its importance and protect it from coal mining. The Denniston area is also the site of one of the projects listed in New Zealand First's original drafting of a fast-track law. Coal mining company Bathurst Resources is expected to put in an application soon to mine 20 million tonnes of coal over 25 years. 'We're in the middle of a climate crisis, and the Government is trying to lock in new coal mining right up until 2050. To allow that, they've created the fast-track law to avoid public consultation and environmental safeguards.' When resource consent commissioners granted consent for a previous mine on the Denniston Plateau, they stated they did it with 'considerable reservations and anguish", adding: "From the evidence presented to us, it is abundantly clear that large scale mining is poised to invade the entire Denniston Plateau coal reserves which if unchecked, will totally destroy the ecosystems which are present." 'The Government pushing through that massive coal mining expansion is the threat we now face,' says Mr Capie. 'That's why Forest & Bird supporters and scientists gathered at Denniston this weekend, to showcase the intricacy and significance of the landscape. 'In a climate crisis New Zealand needs to protect the homes of endangered species, not destroy them for new coal mines.'
