Protesters stormed police barricades surrounding a UN office in Sri Lanka today to demand the organization, as VOA reports, "scrap a three-member panel established last month to advise whether human rights violations took place during the civil war that ended last year with the defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels."
User name: vikalpasl
Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Date uploaded: July 6
Event date: July 6
Views: 198
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.
Last month, the United Nations and U.N. Ambassador George Clooney asked citizens to post videos detailing what they would say to the United Nations General Assembly if they were given the chance to do so. The U.N. received over 475 videos to become a "citizen ambassador" to the UN.
The five winners (from Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States) have been chosen and will travel to U.N. Headquarters in New York to meet with Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on U.N. Day, October 23rd. This video announces the winners, and also gives a very cool look at the intensive approach the U.N. took to narrow down the entries:
To view the winning videos, you can scroll through this playlist:
Though the United Nations has had a presence on YouTube for several years, it recently re-vamped and re-launched its channel with the goal of providing more relevant videos to citizens around the world. Now, you can find pertinent information about a wide range of topics including peace and security, social and economic development, human rights and climate change.
In its new incarnation, the UN's YouTube channel is particularly focused on providing timely content. Today, to mark the International Day of Peacekeepers, they released this video to highlight the fact that in 2008, 130 peacekeepers lost their lives in the line of duty -- the highest one-year total in the UN's history. They've also uploaded this piece, which takes a deeper dive into the unique challenges that female agents of peace face.
The UN is also uploading some unexpected videos to their channel. Sure, you can still find statements from Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and information about the latest UN endeavor to save lives. But you can also discover archival footage of Che Guevera speaking on the UN floor in 1964 or immerse yourself in this retrospective of sci-fi classic Battlestar Galactica:
So take a few minutes to peruse the UN's updated channel -- you may find information you were looking for, or stumble across a great video you didn't think you'd find.
Best,
Ramya Raghavan
YouTube Nonprofits & Activism
For years, the potato has been an integral part of the global food system, serving as the world's number one non-grain food commodity. Now, as food shortages around the world become more prevalent, and the price of other staple foods like wheat, maize, and rice skyrocket, the humble spud is becoming an even more important player in the international fight against hunger. That's why the United Nations has decided to give the potato its rightful due, by naming 2008 the International Year of the Potato:
The aim of the International Year of the Potato is two-fold: to raise awareness about the crucial role of the potato in agriculture and economic security around the world, especially in developing nations, and to promote sustainable potato-based systems which would provide nutritious food for present and future generations. Other organizations besides the UN are also using YouTube to pitch in and meet these objectives. For example, the Idaho Potato Commission recently launched "ITuber Take," a contest which invited potato aficionados to create and submit YouTube videos about potatoes:
In celebration, other YouTube users are offering practical advice, like expertvillage, who is educating others on how to plant, grow, and harvest potatoes, and chefs Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough, authors of the Ultimate Potato book, who demonstrate an easy recipe for Indian potato curry.
In, ahem, starch contrast, if you're in the mood for a little music, you can enjoy Potato 2008 by reveling in the melodic stylings of this potato choir, which received RocketBoom recognition, or watch the classic "My Name is Potato" video performed by Italian songstress Rita Pavone. And if you like your baked potato with sour cream, chives, and a dash of the ridiculous, you may want to explore this "Conan O'Brien"-led potato dance posse, which puts Michael Flatley to shame.
For more on how YouTube users are taking this opportunity to celebrate their carb-laden pal, take a look at the full playlist of "YouTuberlicious" videos:
