Global Village News and Resources Issue 91 - October, 2004

Unlimited New Energy from Sun and Water

A revolutionary new way of harnessing the power of the sun to extract almost unlimited energy from water will be a reality within seven years. “It would be the cheapest, cleanest and most abundant energy source ever developed,” say scientists from Australia’s University of New South Wales. "The main by-products would be oxygen and water."

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First European Conference on Complementary Currencies

Complementary currencies, often called local or community currencies, are evolving. Professor Margrit Kennedy, author of 'Interest and Inflation Free Money' and a key speaker at the first European Conference on Complementary Currencies, says: “Few people understand how money functions. If they did, we would have a quite different monetary system immediately – one which would bring more social justice, better opportunities for a healthy environment and higher stability of currencies.”

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http://www.gvnr.com/91/2.htm

Parliament of the World's Religions

At the Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona, nearly 8,000 members of diverse religious communities made strong commitments for action. Rev. Dr. William Lesher said, "The mere presence of 8,000 people from so many different religious and spiritual traditions and places is remarkable in today’s world.”

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http://www.gvnr.com/91/3.htm

Alliance for a New Humanity

The Alliance for a New Humanity holds its second Forum in Puerto Rica in December. Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Arun, and Robert Redford are among those invited to speak. The Alliance is working to connect those who strive for peace, social justice and ecological balance. Board members include Nobel Peace Laureates, Betty Williams and former Costa Rica President, Oscar Arias, Deepak Chopra and singer Ricky Martin, pictured.

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Running on Sunshine

Simon Roberts is running his car on sunshine! The photovoltaic panels on the roof of his house in London, supply 80 per cent of the fuel for his Peugeot 106. With his own kerbside electric car charger, he's now enjoying emission free, silent motoring.

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The Rainbow Peace Caravan

Over the past eight years, 500 people traveled with the Rainbow Peace Caravan as it journeyed through 20 Latin American countries. Adventures included mediating in the conflict between Colombian guerrillas and paramilitary forces and meeting with the Zapatista Liberation Army

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Children's Lives, Children's Voices

Children from the Democratic Republic of Congo and El Salvador have won this year’s OneWorld and UNICEF competition for the best radio produced by, for and with children. The runners up were 7-13 year olds from Afghanistan, who produced a show creating an ideal imaginary city.

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School Lights Up On Sunshine

The Hong Kong University Department of Architecture recently built 835 solar panels on a school in Park Island in Hong Kong. In May 2004, the Kei Wai Primary School and its gleaming new photovoltaic (PV) arrays were officially opened by the Permanent Secretary for Education, Fanny Law. The project was co-sponsored by the Government's Innovation and Technology Fund and the China Light and Power Research Institute.

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Homegrown Health Plan
by Paul Glover

Ithaca, New York, known for printing its own money, boasts its own co-op health plan, costing members just $100 per year (local cash accepted). Though still small, the Ithaca Health Fund currently provides coverage for everyday emergencies such as broken bones, ambulance rides, emergency stitches, burns and some dentistry. The Fund has become a practical alternative for those without health insurance.

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Water, Lifeforce by Maggie Black

The world is running out of water. That is what the doom-mongers say and there is no doubt that the growing world population and its devouring thirst for water is putting our finite supplies under severe strain.
Large numbers of people are already suffering water stress ­ meaning that the available supply per head is less than 1,700 cubic metres. In Africa the figure is 3,000 million and growing, over one-third of the continent's pop-ulation. In the Middle East, nine out of 14 countries face water scarcity ­ meaning that the supply is already down to less than 1,000 cubic metres annually per head. What happens when their populations double, as those of several will do within 25 years?

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