Facts and The World Around

World Deaf Week 2008 On the 27th of September, 2008, Guwahati marked celebration of World Deaf Week with the launch of the Chapter of Deaf Children’s Foundation held at Guwahati Gymkhana, Guwahati. "The Crusaders" Mrs. A Gohain, State Programme Officer (left) with Mrs Inky Sen, Vaani, Kolkata Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Inky Sen, Programme Officer, VAANI, Kolkata stated that “VAANI, Deaf Children's Foundation hopes to bring issues around deafness to the forefront during this week with various activities planned to raise the awareness of the general public. VAANI hopes to also get the attention of corporate groups who can support us in our activities”. India celebrates Deaf Awareness Week in the last week of September. The last Saturday in September, that is 27th of the month this year, is celebrated as World Deaf Day...

RUSUTSU, Japan - The Group of Eight leading industrial nations on Tuesday endorsed halving world emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, edging forward in the battle against global warming but stopping short of tough, nearer-term targets. The G-8 countries — the United States, Japan, Russia, Germany, France, Britain, Canada and Italy — also called on all major economies to join in the effort to stem the potentially dangerous rise in world temperatures. "The G-8 nations came to a mutual recognition that this target — cutting global emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 — should be a global target," said Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who announced the endorsement. The G-8 last year at a summit in Germany pledged to consider the 2050 target, and this year's Japanese hosts had hoped to solidify that commitment at the meeting in Toyako, northern Japan. The G-8 has been under pressure to secure commitments by wealthy nations to push forward stalled U.N...

- Prof. Anil Sadgopal 1n October 1997, as I walked out of the international airport of Toronto (Ontario, Canada), my eyes caught the newspaper headlines announcing “State-wide School Teachers’ Strike’. Coming from India, this was nothing unusual. However, the next headline puzzled me. It read: “Joint Rally of Teachers and Parents.” It made no sense at all. How can the teachers and the parents join hands in a protest? In India, parents would be furious if teachers go on strike but here they were marching and shouting slogans together. The protest was so massive that the entire state of Ontario came to a standstill for the next seven days. It was a common political issue for all. The faculty and the students of the University of Toronto extended full support. Seminars and sit-ins were held at the university campus, addressed by the leadership of the unions of school and university teachers alike and supported by student organizations and parent groups. I was amazed at this soli...