Every person is entitled to human rights without discrimination. The right to equality and non-discrimination are cornerstones of human rights law. Yet in many parts of the world, discriminatory practices are still widespread, including racial, ethnic, religious and nationality based profiling, and incitement to hatred.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was established six years ago after an event, known as the Sharpeville tragedy or Sharpeville massacre, which captured the world’s attention. This event involved police opening fire and killing 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid “pass laws” in Sharpeville, South Africa, March 21, 1960.

Observed on the 21st March yearly, to remind people of the consequences of racial discrimination. It also encourages people to remember their obligation to combat racial discrimination. It is a day of great significance in the history of the struggle to end the policy of Apartheid which segregated people on the basis of their race and skin colour as well as denied the basic human rights of the minority.

The World Assembly of Youth (WAY), deem that racism is taught, and, thus, believe that the best way to combat this issue is to approach the concern with camaraderie and harmony. They seek to promote global citizenship education and develop tools and expertise capable of enhancing mutual understanding, critical thinking and intercultural dialogue. They, therefore, encourage the young people and youth leaders, to unite and incorporate the ethics of respect, equality and solidarity in daily activities.

The Melaka International Youth Dialogue (MIYD) is one of our main channels that seeks not only to help young people voice their opinions but also to find ways to fight racism, promote tolerance among each other and value diversification as an asset to explore ideas from different angles. There are many examples out there, past and present, that can be innovatively emulated and we urge young people to join us in the effort of combating racism and racial discrimination. Together, we take a step further in building a just and equal world for a better tomorrow.

Happy International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination!

Meetsabiha.com had organised an event called “How to take charge of YOUR career success” on the 6th April to inspire young people who are facing career dilemmas, help them make decisions and take positive actions. Throughout the night, the speakers will provide tips and techniques to help young people shape their existing careers, explore new ones, or start life as an entrepreneur. The focus of the evening is to help individuals make positive future career choices and live the life they dream of having.

About Future Made Simple & Meetsabiha.com

After spending years in this field of CIAG, the founder of FMS — British born expat, Sabiha spent time carrying out research, in addition to her practical experience, figuring out what help young people need across the globe in the 21st Century to create the perfect career for themselves. Out of this love of labour 2 flagship programmes were developed, e-book including the eagerly awaited launch ofFuturemadesimple.com , that will benefit young people globally, helping solve their fears and concerns related to their careers.

Sabiha chose Malaysia as her first launch country in SEA and will expand to other countries, including South Africa, later this year. The drive to create these solutions came from a desire to create meaningful impact and wanting to help young people avoid some of the pit falls Sabiha experienced in her own career journey & yes, she  had plenty of those!

There are over 142 million youth in the world that are unemployed (World Bank survey 2014). All of them have 1 thing in common – they ALL need help to bring positive change in their lives & FMS has created the solutions.

Contact:

Elena Tong
Tel. +60 11 1165 7533
Email: [email protected]

www.meetsabiha.com
www.futuremadesimple.com

Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

Action for Happiness is a movement of people from all walks of life who are taking action in their personal lives, communities, workplaces and schools to help create a happier and more caring society.

Celebrated on March 20, 2017, the International Day of Happiness is celebrated throughout the world on the 20 of March every year. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 28 June 2012.It is an official UN day that recognizes the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal and the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the well-being of all peoples.

There are currently about 1.8 billion young people in the world, more than ever before, creating an unprecedented opportunity for economic and social progress. Many studies have proved the link between happiness and productivity. For everyone, the day is a useful reminder that in general happiness does not necessarily come from buying and consuming, or from being famous or glamorous but often from friends, family and emotional well being.

The World Assembly of Youth (WAY), recognise this day as a vital human goal and they call upon countries, youth councils, NGOs and young people inclusive to approach public policies in ways that improve the well being of everyone. WAY aspires to focus global attention on the idea that nation’s growth must be inclusive, equitable and above all balanced, so as to promote sustainable development. They believe that by 2030 the plan for Sustainable Development is the time to realise a life of dignity for all people by progressing towards the interlinked Sustainable Development Goals; we can help spread happiness and secure peace for better tomorrow that we all wish for.

Happy International Day of Happiness!

Agoda, a world-leading accommodation site, today announced the results of its latest Travel Smart study, revealing the top 10 destinations in Asia gaining in popularity with travelers from around the world.

From the millions of bookings made on the site in 2016, travelers to Asia are showing a growing preference for lesser-known destinations that promise unique experiences.

Fastest riser is Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan’s mythical powder paradise. Niseko features four interconnected resorts with more than 800 skiable hectares along the eastern side of the mountain. With an annual snowfall of over 15m, Niseko offers off-trail skiing, uncommon in Japanese resorts. But it’s not just the snow that attracts visitors. Some go simply to savor the best of Hokkaido’s local cuisine.

With seven of the ten destinations in South East Asia , tropical island life continues to attract nomads looking for holiday spots off the beaten track. This includes islands like Thailand’s Koh Kood (3), Cambodia’s Koh Rong (5) and the Philippines’ Siquijor Island (9). To many Filipinos, Siquijor is an island known for its healers and witchcraft magic. For its visitors though, the Island’s most spellbinding features are found underwater on this marine reserve, on its pristine white beaches, or at the peak of Mount Bandilaan, the highest point at the island’s centre.

Andy Edwards , Global Director Brand and Communications adds, “It’s clear that more travelers are adopting a more adventurous approach to travel, exploring new, undiscovered places rather than the traditional ‘holiday’ to a well-trodden destination. We’re seeing an increase in bookings made in areas that bring travelers closer to local culture and nature, where life is experienced at a different pace, and against a different backdrop.”

The rankings for Asia’s 10 fastest growing destinations are as follows:

1. Niseko, Japan
2. Banaue, Philippines
3. Koh Kood, Thailand
4. Koh Lipe, Thailand
5. Koh Rong, Cambodia
6. Koh Lanta, Thailand
7. Harbin, China
8. Tangalle, Sri Lanka
9. Siquijor Island, Philippines
10. Khao Lak, Thailand

The study compared property bookings made by agoda travelers visiting Asian destinations from 2015 to 2016.

For images and further information on agoda’s list of top 10 destinations on the rise, click here .

About agoda.com

agoda, part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is one of the world’s fastest-growing online accommodation booking platforms. Established in 2005 as a start-up, agoda expanded quickly in Asia and was soon acquired in 2007 by the world’s largest seller of rooms online — the Priceline Group. agoda offers hundreds of thousands of accommodation options around the globe with service and support in over 40 languages. Operations are based in Singapore , Bangkok , Kuala Lumpur , Tokyo , Sydney , Hong Kong , and Budapest , and an additional presence can be found in major cities acrossAfrica , the Middle East , Europe , and the Americas.

SOURCE agoda

On 20^th December 2013, at its 68^th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3^rd March, the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness on the importance of world’s wild animals and plants.

World Wildlife Day is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora as well as a platform to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that conservation gives back to people. At the same time, this day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts.

Given that almost one quarter of the world’s population is aged between 10 and 24 years old, vigorous efforts need to be made to encourage young people, as the future leaders and decision makers of the world, to act at local, regional and global levels to protect endangered wildlife. The engagement and empowerment of youth is high on the agenda of the United Nations leading many youth programmes and youth-based activities on environment are organised in various UN system organisations and agencies. Realising the significant role that young people play today, the theme for the World Wildlife Day this year is “Listen to the Young Voices.”

World Wildlife Day 2017 encourages youth around the world to rally together to address ongoing major threats to wildlife including habitat change, over-exploitation or illicit trafficking. The world has witnessed the positive impacts on conservation issues made by some young conservation leaders. Governments, law makers, enforcement officers, customs officials and park rangers across every region are scaling up their efforts to protect wildlife. It is also up to every citizen’s effort, young and old, to protect wildlife and their habitat as we all have a role to play. Our collective conservation actions can make a difference between a species’ survival and extinction.

The World Assembly of Youth (WAY), encourage young people to be the agents of Sustainable Development in upholding the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption and stopping the degradation of our planet’s natural environment.

Let this day reminds us that we all have a task to protect wildlife and give back to our mother nature. We need to put aside our differences and unite as a powerful force in building a sustainable future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

Happy World Life Day!

Independent global researcher, GfK, has released findings showing   which vehicle features , from a given list, people see as being ‘ very important ‘ in a vehicle . Hygiene factors of safety in an accident , reliability, fuel economy and low running costs naturally top of the list . However,significant numbers state that t he latest driver technology and passenger technology are ‘ very important ‘ to them   –   and the percentage of people claiming this increases notably with income. 

Over a third (36 percent) of the online population across 17 countries see having the latest driver technology in a vehicle (e.g., steering or parking assist, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry or ignition) as ‘very important’, and over a quarter (28 percent) say the same for the latest passenger technology (audio or video streaming, social network connectivity, etc.).

Importance of vehicle technology increases with income

Looking at these results by income – i.e. breaking each countries’ earners down into quartiles – there is notable difference in the numbers that say having the latest technology in their vehicle is ‘very important’. On average, 44 percent of people in the high income quartile (the top quarter of the total income in each country), see the latest driver tech as ‘very important’, compared to just 30 percent of people in the low income quartile (the bottom quarter of total income within each country). Likewise, for the latest passenger tech, 35 percent of those in the high income quartile say it’s very important, versus 22 percent on those in the low income quartile .

The effect of income on what people see as important in their vehicle is seen across a range of features, not just the vehicle technology – in particular the quality of workmanship, a comfortable interior, a spacious interior, a powerful engine, the reputation of the manufacturer. In other areas such as the fuel economy or environmentally friendly, the results are much more even across all income bands.

Driver technology is most important in Brazil , China and Korea

Brazil (48 percent), China (43 percent) and Korea (42 percent) have the highest overall percentages saying that the latest driver technology is ‘very important’. And for the latest passenger technology, China(37 percent), Brazil (36 percent) and Mexico (30 percent) have the highest percentages saying it is ‘very important’.

Siegfried Hoegl , GfK’s Global Head of Automotive Research, comments, “The value of these findings for vehicle manufacturers lies in being able to assess precisely which features different consumer segments say appeal most to them – and adjust marketing content and product development to match those aspirations. By combining this attitudinal data with analysis of actual sales across different markets and consumer segments, or insights from running in-depth car clinics, we help our clients to fine-tune their customer insights to the maximum extent – both globally and at country-specific level.”

Download full findings for each of the 17 countries, visit   http://www.gfk.com/global-studies/global-study-overview/  

SOURCE GfK

Discrimination remains as an issue today as gender, nationality, age, ethnic-origin and sexual orientation are, unfortunately, still the root-causes for some form of discrimination. Only four out of ten countries worldwide do have equal numbers of girls and boys attending secondary school and 75 countries have laws that criminalise same-sex sexual relations.

Zero Discrimination Day is a global event that joins all national, regional and international efforts against discrimination and promotes diversity as well as inclusion. The United Nations firstly celebrated Zero Discrimination Day on the 1^st March 2014, after UNAIDS, through its program on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), launched Zero Discrimination Campaign on World AIDS Day in December 2013.

Celebrated on the 1^st of March every year, it aims to draw attention to the millions of minors who still suffer from social and economic exclusion due to prejudice and intolerance. Many women and girls in every region of the world, for instance, experience violence and abuse on a daily basis and struggle to access adequate health care and education.

Discrimination in health-care settings also continue to be widely reported. Cases, such as: a young woman newly diagnosed with HIV being told by her doctor that she must be sterilized, a sex worker who has been denied to access any advice or information about their sexual health, a gay man frightened of disclosing his sexual preference to medical staff, an over-dosed drugs-abuser who is dying after being refused for treatment and a transgender person attempting suicide after being turned away from a clinic, are some of the scenarios and indicators of more efforts are required towards the attainment of Zero Discrimination.

The World Assembly of Youth (WAY), understand that discrimination is a violation of human rights and must be addressed with an extensive approach. They acknowledge that Zero Discrimination Day is an opportunity to celebrate everyone’s right and pride, especially young people, in order to assure full and productive life for all without any forms of exclusion and segregation. Indeed, it is a day to call everyone in promoting and supporting diversity, tolerance and inclusion as well as standing together against discrimination.

Since their establishment, they channel young people’s voice against discrimination and their initiatives to spread awareness within their networks. Therefore, they encourage young people to carry on their fight to defend justice and respect diversity as pertinent asset of unification.  Let us all be part of this transformation and stand out for fair, equal and just societies and strongly commit to upholding human rights and dignity for all.

 Happy Zero Discrimination Day!

Mont’Kiara International School (M’KIS) officially announces its first school-wide open day to be held on March 24th, 2017.

Located in the predominantly expatriate suburb of Mont’Kiara, the open day is being held during school hours, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm . This whole school open day will allow potential and current families to see M’KIS in action. A customized registration platform has been created for parents to register their attendance for the event.

M’KIS’ Director of Marketing and Communications, Mr. Darren Brews, mentioned, “As a community-based school, we believe it is important to open our doors to our neighbors. We are proud and very excited about this opportunity to showcase our wonderful school, our amazing students and, our talented faculty. This open day is a celebration of our dedication to excellence, diversity, and community.”

M’KIS is licensed by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Malaysia , and certified by the Malaysian Certification Agency (MQA). M’KIS is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and has been an authorized IB World School since 2000. M’KIS has been consistently rated a five-star school since 2009 by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia.

Delivering a North American Curriculum, M’KIS offers both IB and non-IB pathways.
Building upon its longstanding history of excellence with the IB Diploma Programme, M’KIS is officially a candidate school* for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP).

IB World Schools share a common philosophy — a commitment to improve the teaching and learning of a diverse and inclusive community of students by delivering challenging, high quality programmes of international education that share a powerful vision.**

*Only schools authorized by the International Baccalaureate can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme or the IB Career-related Certificate (IBCC). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.

For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org

**Mission Statement from the IB

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Social justice is more than an ethical imperative; it is a foundation for national stability and global prosperity. Equal opportunity, solidarity and respect for human rights, these, are essential to unlocking the full potential and productivity of both nations and their peoples.

Observed on the 20^th of February yearly, the World Day of Social Justice marks the difference between patronizing charity and a firm rights-based approach to human development and their well-being. Effective social justice transforms altruistic gestures into justifiable rights, particularly for the benefit of the most vulnerable people.

Circumstances, such as: their place of birth, where they live, their gender or even their ethnicity, should never determine individual opportunities for quality education, basic healthcare, decent work, adequate shelter, access to drinking water, political participation or living free from threatened, or actual, physical violence. As inequalities widen, the social fabric of our societies is both stretched and strained. This often leads to a downward spiral of economic and social uncertainty and even unrest. Violent conflict in many parts of the world is, often, rooted in deep inequality, discrimination, and widespread poverty.

Yet there is nothing inevitable about inequality. Our shared goal should aim at taking practical steps to remove this formidable barrier to development and human dignity.

Almost 21 million people are victims of forced labour. Among them, 11.4 million are women and girls while remaining 9.5 million are men and boys. Youth commit only a small portion of the nation’s crime, for example, in 2009, 11% of violent crime clearances and 17% of the property crime clearances nationwide involved young people. According to the facts on social justice, youth under age 18 accounted for 14% of all arrests. Youth crime has also been going up for many years, the number of adults arrested in 2009 and in 2000 increased, whereas the number of juveniles arrested dropped a staggering 20%.

The World Assembly of Youth (WAY), believe that the World Day of Social Justice is a call for all countries to take concrete actions that give meaning to the universal values of human dignity and opportunity for all. They uphold the principles of social justice by promoting gender equality and giving young people a voice to speak up as well as removing barriers that young people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability.

Let us strengthen our efforts to achieve a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable society built on constructive dialogue, transparency and social justice.

Happy World Day of Social Justice!