Tag Archives: Politics

WIE Symposium UK Bringing Together Most Powerful Women

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TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR THE FIRST WIE SYMPOSIUM UK BRINGING TOGETHER THE MOST POWERFUL MINDS TO INSPIRE AND EXCITE WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD

A host of prominent women from the worlds of business, fashion and film will congregate at the Women Inspiration and Enterprise (WIE) Symposium to lead a series of seminars after successfully launching in America with the support of Donna Karen, Queen Rania of Jordan and Christie Turlington. The event will happen on International Women’s Day, March 8th 2012 and will feature discussions from luminaries including Jo Malone, Kathy Lette and Lynn de Rothschild.

The WIE Symposium will offer a full day of thought-provoking panels, inspirational master
classes and powerful keynote speakers. Tickets will be on sale from 23rd January, available at
www.wienetwork.org at £150.00 per person.

Issues to be addressed at The Hospital Club, London range from the future of girls’ education
to getting women off the sidelines in business and public life and the ‘green revolution’.
Additionally the Symposium will launch the WIE Mentorship Scheme – an initiative designed to
coach and aid young female entrepreneurs through a year of advice and counsel from leading
business women.

Starting the day, WIE is thrilled to announce the inaugural Power Breakfast – an annual event
that will honour 50 of the top female business trailblazers at the iconic London Stock Exchange.
The WIE Symposium is the brainchild of television presenter June Sarpong and former film
executive Dee Poku, who conquered New York with a plan to help women from all walks of
life achieve their full potential.

June Sarpong said; “We are incredibly excited about launching WIE in the UK. The UK is filled
with incredible female thought leaders who are already doing their bit to empower the next
generation. Our goal is to harness the legendary creativity and innovation of London to
empower women and girls across the country and help them reach their full potential.”
PRESS RELEASE 23rd January 2012

Female leaders already signed up to take part in the event include Celia Walden, Julie Woods
Moss (BT), Baroness Scotland and Lynne Franks who join the likes Sarah Brown, Arianna
Huffington, Diane von Furstenberg and Iman from previous events.

International Women’s Day:
Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and
celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from
all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities
and networking events through to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion
parades and more.

The Hospital Club:
Sue Walter, CEO of the Hospital Club says, “The Hospital Club is privileged to be hosting
London’s inaugural WIE Symposium. We share many of the same values around inspiration,
enterprise and nurturing emerging talent and we’re very excited to be joining forces to bring
British women this unique opportunity to learn from each other and be inspired by what the
future holds.”

WIE Founders:
Dee Poku is a social entrepreneur, marketing consultant and philanthropic strategist. Poku is also the owner of Right Angle, a branding and marketing consultancy that develops and
implements innovative campaigns for a cross section of high profile films, non-profits and
consumer brands. Her background includes senior marketing roles at Paramount Pictures and
Focus Features where she oversaw the movie release campaigns for the likes of Al Gore’s ‘An
Inconvenient Truth’; the Coen brothers’ ‘No Country For Old Men’; Sofia Coppola’s ‘Lost in
Translation’ and Ang Lee’s ‘Brokeback Mountain’. She is a member of the British Academy
(BAFTA) and Women in Film.

June Sarpong has become one of the most recognisable faces of British television – as the
female face of Channel 4’s successful Sunday morning strand T4 for the first eight years, June
has become part of TV history. Her groundbreaking Tony Blair Channel 4 special, ‘When Tony
Met June’ saw her being granted unprecedented access to the British PM. She has also
interviewed and introduced some of the world’s biggest names including: Nelson Mandela,
HRH Prince of Wales, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bono, George Clooney and 50 Cent. June is an
ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and also campaigns for the Make Poverty History movement –
she was awarded an MBE on the Queens 2007 new years honours list for services to broadcasting and charity.

Trust in Government Suffers a Severe Breakdown Across the Globe

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Credibility of Governmental Officials and CEOs Experience Biggest Drops Ever, 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer Finds Blame for the financial and political chaos of 2011 landed at the doorstep of government, as trust in that institution fell a record nine points to 43 percent globally, according to the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer.

In seventeen of the 25 countries surveyed, government is now trusted by less than half to do what is right. In twelve, it trails business, media, and non-governmental organizations as the least trusted institution. France, Spain, Brazil, China, Russia, and Japan, as well as six other countries, saw government trust drop by more than ten points. Government officials are now the least credible spokespeople, with only 29 percent considering them credible. Nearly half of the general population — the first time the Barometer looked at this broader group — say they do not trust government leaders to tell the truth.

“Business is now better placed than government to lead the way out of the trust crisis,” said Richard Edelman, president and CEO, Edelman. “But the balance must change so that business is seen both as a force for good and an engine for profit.”

Although business experienced fewer and generally less severe declines in trust, it has its own hurdles to clear. Trust in business fell globally from 56 percent to 53 percent, with countries like France and Germany, in the heart of the Eurozone economic crisis, experiencing double-digit decreases. Lack of confidence in business spread to South Korea, where trust dropped 15 points. China was the only country to see a significant increase in trust in business, rising from 61 to 71 percent.

CEO credibility declined 12 points to 38 percent, its biggest drop in nine years. In South Korea and Japan, it dropped by 34 and 43 points, respectively.

In the midst of this systemic decline in trust, a “person like me” has re-emerged as one of the three most credible spokespeople, with the biggest increase in credibility since 2004, and now trails only academics and technical experts. Regular employees jumped from least credible spokesperson to tied for fourth on the list, with a 16-point record rise. Social-networking, micro-blogging, and content-sharing sites witnessed the most dramatic percentage increase as trusted sources of information about a company, rising by 88, 86, and 75 percent, respectively.

“This is further evidence of the dispersion of authority,” said Mr. Edelman. “Smart businesses will talk to employees first, because citizens now trust one another more than they do established institutions.”

The 2012 Trust Barometer reveals that the factors responsible for shaping current trust levels are less important than those that will build future trust.  Consistent financial returns, innovative products and highly regarded senior leadership are the primary factors on which current trust levels lie. However, listening to customer feedback and putting customers ahead of profits are far more vital to building future trust.

“Our analysis shows that the operational factors driving present trust in business aren’t enough to expand trust in the future,” said Neal Flieger, chair, Strategy One, Edelman’s research firm. “The path forward requires more of a focus on societal and employee-facing issues.”

Although business is substantially more trusted than government, 49 percent of global respondents believe government does not regulate business enough. Nearly one-third want government to protect them from irresponsible business practices and one-quarter want regulation that will ensure responsible corporate behavior. “The interventions people are asking government to take are changes business can step up and implement on its own,” said Mr. Edelman.

Once again, banks and financial services declined in trust, and were the two least trusted sectors with France, Spain, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea recording the most severe drops.  Technology remained the most trusted sector globally.

Media, the one institution to see an increase, saw its global trust level rise above 50 percent. It experienced significant regional upticks in India (20 points), the U.S. (18 points), the UK (15 points) and Italy (12 points).

“As the media landscape dimensionalizes and delivers a wider range of options, it is becoming more trusted,” said Alan VanderMolen, President and CEO, Global Practices and Diversified Insights Business, Edelman. “The media also did an exceptional job this past year of covering the financial problems throughout the EU.”

In Japan, site of last March’s earthquake and subsequent nuclear disaster, trust fell severely in three of the four institutions including government (down 26 points), media (12 points), and NGOs (21 points). That loss of trust extended to five industry sectors, including energy (down 46 points), media (21 points), banks (20 points) and financial services (17 points).

“The fragility of trust was never more evident than this past year in Japan, where the government’s lack of leadership and the local utility’s poor transparency revealed huge shortcomings in the command-and-control approach to communications,” said Mr. Edelman.

 

Other key findings from the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer include:

  • The United States held steady across three major institutions, unlike last year when it posted significant declines in NGOs, media, business, and government.
  • Traditional media and online search engines are the most trusted sources of information for people searching for general news and information, new product information, news on an environmental crisis, and company announcements. Traditional media, TV, newspapers, and magazines are still the most trusted sources of information, according to the Barometer.
  • Among 18-29 year olds, digital media is the most popular source for general news and information.
  • With the exception of technology and automotive, South Korea experienced extraordinary drops in trust in every industry sector. Telecommunications, down 32 points to 39 percent, and financial services, down 25 points to 39 percent, endured the largest drops in trust.
  • Brazil saw the greatest drops in trust across all major institutions – government (53 points), NGOs (down 31 points), business (18 points), and media (12 points). At the time of last year’s Trust Barometer, Brazil had just been awarded the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics and President Dilma Rousseff had just been elected. This year’s declines represent a return to normalcy for businesses and the arrest of four government officials for corruption.

Prince William is St Giles Trust's 50th Anniversary Patron

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Tonight, staff at St Giles’ Trust are celebrating after Royal endorsement from His Royal Highness Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge. He has agreed to become Patron of St Giles Trust for 2012 – the very year they will celebrating their 50th Anniversary. 
 
The Duke’s Patronage highlights his interest in affording people of all ages and stages of their lives – and especially those who feel disengaged or excluded from society – the opportunity to develop a sense of purpose and realise their true potential. 

Rob Owen, CEO of St Giles Trust, said: 

“We are honoured and delighted that the Duke of Cambridge will be our patron for our important 50th anniversary year.  By supporting us, he is leading by example in helping some of the most excluded, disadvantaged people in society who really need support.  We are very much looking forward to working with Prince William over the coming year.”
 
This will be the third generation of Royal endorsement St Giles Trust has enjoyed, with previous support from the Queen Mother who opened the original day centre in 1963 and HRH Prince Charles when he opened their premises in Camberwell in 1995.

St Giles Trust started out as a soup kitchen in the crypt of the still standing and used nearby church St Giles Church. St Giles Trust’s work has continually evolved to meet the needs of society’s most vulnerable. Their valued work includes work with the homeless, illiterate, innumerate, gang and community work and supporting people back into work.

As many as one in five of their staff are ex-offenders or ex-service users and they remain an organisation supporting people who have fallen through the gaps in the state’s safety net.

The Prince previously visited the charity in March 2009 when he met clients and staff at the charity’s head office in Camberwell, South London.

A Tribute to Adonis

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First U.K solo exhibition of art works by great Syrian poet

3 February – 30 March 2012                                                          

The Mosaic Rooms, 226 Cromwell Road, London, SW5 0SW

 

‘His vision is extraordinary. His poetry sublime… He is for me a master of our times’ V.S. Naipaul

 

The Mosaic Rooms is delighted to announce for 2012 a tribute to the Arab world’s greatest living poet, Adonis. From February to March 2012, the Mosaic Rooms will host an exhibition of Adonis’ exquisite drawings alongside a series of literary events celebrating his life, poetry and criticism. This is the first solo exhibition of Adonis’ artwork in the United Kingdom.

 

Adonis, who is now in his eighties, has been painting and creating works of art for the past 12 years. His pictorial pieces are beautiful collages, made up of rags, yarn, fabric, documents, ancient papyri, used cans, and other found objects that have inspired him. By unifying these materials which belong to different cultures, Adonis aims to give sense to objects that have previously had no significance.

 

Each collage has a background of Arabic writing, not only used because it is Adonis’ native language, but also because he considers the language to have an exceptional graphic quality. Through his art work Adonis demonstrates the beauty of the Arabic language, both in its musicality and also in its literal written form. ‘The written word’, he says, ‘is a picture in itself’.

 

The Italian artist Marco Nereo Rotelli has previously described Adonis’ artworks as being ‘like a short story told in an instant.’ Adonis himself considers the pieces to be an extension of his poetry, defining his art work as poems but in a different form.

 

Winner of the 2011 Goethe Prize and a favourite for last year’s Nobel Prize for Literature, Adonis is recognised as the man who led the modernist movement in the Arabic literary scene in the past 50 years and brought Arabic poetry the international recognition it deserved. He is also famous for his critical views on Arab culture, politics and current affairs and even today, at 81years of age, he retains his fresh and critical outlook on the events in his homeland, attracting controversy and debate because of his cautionary and critical worlds on the Arab Spring.

ADONIS: A BIOGRAPHY

 

Adonis was born Ali Ahmad Said Esber near the city of Latakia, western Syria, in 1930. He had no formal education for most of his childhood, learning the Quran at the local mosque school and memorising classical Arabic poetry, to which he was introduced by his father. His formal education began after he impressed the then President of Syria as a teenager by reciting one of his poems. He was given a scholarship to a French lycée and went on to study philosophy at Damascus University.

 

In 1956, he was forced to leave Syria after being imprisoned following his involvement with the Syrian National Socialist Party. He moved to Beirut, Lebanon, and, together with Yusuf al-Khal, set up the legendary Shi’r (Poetry) magazine, one of the Arab world’s most influential literary journals. Adonis then studied in Paris before returning to Beirut and taking up a post teaching Arabic Literature. In 1982, he and his family relocated to Paris as a result of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and they have remained there until this day.

 

Adonis’ work includes over 50 books of poetry, criticism and translation in his native Arabic. His multi-volume anthology of Arabic poetry (Diwan al-shi’r al-‘arabi) covers almost two millennia of verse. He has also translated a number of works into Arabic, including the first complete Arabic translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses (2002). He has won several awards, including the Goethe Prize in 2011, and has been shortlisted for the Nobel Prize for Literature a number of times.

 

Frost's Review of 2011

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2011 was an eventful political year, with the Arab Spring, phone Hacking and the death of more than one tyrant. On the flip side, it was also a year of wedding fever, Prince William finally made an honest women of Kate Middleton on April 29. Kate Moss and Jamie Hince, Lily Allen and Sam Cooper (she also announced her pregnancy), Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig, Prince Albert and Charlotte, Zara Phillips and Mark Tindall and Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell all tied the knot. Kim Kardashian got married too, but so briefly it is barely worth mentioning.

There was tragedy when Japan was struck by an record 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a tsunami. Followed by nuclear disaster at Fukushima, which is still being cleared up by brave workers, at serious risk to their own health.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were acquitted of the murder of Meredith Kercher.

In August London burned as riots spread all over England, people died, lost their homes and taxpayers were left with a bill of over 100 million.

The Arab Spring started when 26-year-old vegetable seller Mohamed Bouazizi. set himself on fire in protest in a Tunisian marketplace on December 17th 2010. It lead to leaders all over the Arab world standing down including Hosni Mubarak (Egypt), Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and the death of Gaddafi in October.

Silvio Berlusconi also finally stepped down.

Osama Bin Laden was killed ten years after 9/11.

The press went mad over Pippa Middleton’s bottom. As did PR companies.

Super Injunctions were the buzzword of the year, but the name of the footballer came out after he was named by multiple people on Twitter. The film star who slept with the same prostitute as Wayne Rooney, however, got away with it. Our article on it was one of our most popular of the year, getting over 14,000 hits in a matter of hours

Borders book store closed down, as did the Space Shuttle Programme and Harry Potter ended after a decade.

The Iraqi war ended in December. A date set by the Bush administration.

Liam Fox lost his job.

The Phone Hacking scandal ran and ran.

Charlie Sheen lost it, but bounced back.

Aung San Suu Kyi was finally released from house arrest.

Frost’s Politician of the year is the people of Libya.

Anders Behring Breivik went on an murderous rampage in Norway on the Island of Utoya, leaving over 80 people dead and many more injured. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg called the attack a “national tragedy” and the worst atrocity in Norway since World War II. Stoltenberg further vowed that the attack would not hurt Norwegian democracy, and said the proper answer to the violence was “more democracy, more openness, but not naivety”. In his speech at the memorial service on 24 July 2011, he said what a proper reaction would be: “No one has said it better than the AUF girl who was interviewed by CNN: ‘If one man can show so much hate, think how much love we could show, standing together.’

The end of Harry Potter.

Frost started a campaign to end Prescription charges in England, the only place in the so called ‘United’ Kingdom still paying them.

Jessie J had a breakthrough year and confessed to being bisexual.

David Walliams swam the Thames. He raised £1 million for Sports relief.

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher split.

As did J-Lo and Marc Anthony

Ryan Gosling had a brilliant year and was in the brilliant Drive. http://frostmagazine.com/2011/09/drive-film-review/

Sir David Attenborough dazzled again with Frozen Planet.

Frost Women of the year: Kate Middleton. After ten years and two break-ups, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton finally married her Prince Charming. Their wedding was watched by more people than 20 million people and the new Duchess of Cambridge has been wowing press and public alike with her style, charm and poise.

Man of the year: Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs died too young, aged 56, after a long battle with cancer. He changed the world with his vision and business acumen and when he died the outpouring of grief would rival that of Princess Diana. A true loss of a visionary man.

Most inspirational person: Eva Schloss. Eva survived the holocaust. She lost her father and her brother, her mother also survived and went on to marry Otto Frank and Eva became Anne Frank’s step-sister. She is truly the most inspirational women I have ever met. If you don’t believe me, read her books. The Promise: The Moving Story of a Family in the Holocaust
or Eva’s Story: A Survivor’s Tale by the Step-Sister of Anne Frank
[Full disclosure: I was in the West End Production of the play of Eva’s life; And Then They Came For Me.]

Kim Jong-il, Lucien Freud, Christopher Hitchens, Liz Taylor, Amy Winehouse and Vaclav Havel all died in 2011.

Adele and Katy Perry released the albums of the year.

Kristen Wiig co-wrote and starred in the hilarious Bridesmaids, which proved women could be funny.

Unemployment was high and economical troubles rumbled throughout the year. The US lost their triple AAA credit rating.

Finally, a great article.

http://frostmagazine.com/2011/10/top-10-common-faults-with-human-thought/

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il Dies aged 69.

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Death seems to be having a pre-Christmas clear out of the good; Christopher Hitchens, Vaclav Havel, Maurice from The Phoenix Bar and the bad; erm, Kim Jong-il.

The North Korean leader died today at the age of 69. Jong-il died of a heart attack on a train in Pyongyang. World leaders are now asking for reform in North Korea. Power will now go to the deceased leader’s youngest son Kim Jong-un’s, an untried heir with no experience. South Korea is keeping a watchful eye.

The BBC has some regional reactions and the New Scientist has a brilliant article showing a satellite image of Kim Jong-il’s darkest hour.

What are your thoughts?

Michael Douglas Speaks Out Against Nuclear Weapons.

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Hollywood Legend Michael Douglas Speaks out in Support of the Treaty That Bans all Nuclear Explosions, Forever

Oscar-winning actor and producer Michael Douglas is well known for his commitment to nuclear disarmament. Now he has teamed up with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization on a series of austere but powerful TV spots aimed at raising support for the Treaty.

“The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is a guiding light on the road to a nuclear weapons free world. Once in force it will help prevent the kind of nuclear arms race we experienced in the past and will make it much more difficult to continue to build up nuclear arsenals,” says Douglas.

Douglas says his engagement with nuclear disarmament issues stems from a childhood set against the backdrop of the Cold War arms race. “I grew up in the United States at a time when nuclear weapons testing was commonplace. We used to have air raid drills at school and my father had a bomb shelter built in his yard in California. As a child, it was difficult to grasp the meaning of what was happening. It had a nightmare, monster-like quality which always haunted me,” he says. “Later, as I began to understand the ramifications of nuclear weapons testing, my commitment to nuclear disarmament grew.”

In the five decades following World War II, more than 2,000 nuclear bombs were tested at over 60 locations around the world. Radioactive fallout from these explosions impacted humans, animals and the environment. Many test sites will remain uninhabitable for thousands of years to come.

Born of the optimism following the end of the Cold War, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty opened for signature in 1996 amid acclaim and hopes for a speedy cessation to the nuclear testing madness. Today it enjoys widespread support from more than 180 countries around the world, but it cannot enter into force until nine outstanding nuclear-technology holder countries ratify. They are China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States of America. Indonesia’s commitment to complete the ratification process this year brings new hope and moves us closer to entry into force. But as the world waits for the others to follow, the threat of resumed nuclear testing and a new arms race hangs over us all.

“The world has waited long enough for the Treaty to become global law,” says Douglas. “So today, as an actor and a United Nations Messenger of Peace, I’m using my voice and my name to raise awareness and support for this crucial Treaty. I’m calling on the nine countries that still need to ratify the Treaty to do so without further delay, so that we can bring it into force and remove the threat of these terrible weapons once and for all.”

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty outlaws all nuclear explosions anywhere, anytime, by anyone. It stands for a safer and more secure world because it prohibits the development of new nuclear weapons as well as the upgrading of existing nuclear arsenals.

In the past, concerns about the verifiability of the Treaty were sometimes given as reasons for not ratifying but today, with the CTBT’s billion-dollar, state-of-the-art verification regime almost completely in place, that is no longer an issue. “The CTBT is clearly verifiable,” says Douglas. “No nuclear test will go unnoticed with the International Monitoring System firmly in place.”

The International Monitoring System (IMS) is the backbone of the verification regime. Its facilities worldwide scour the planet for signs of a nuclear explosion – underground, underwater and in the atmosphere. It uses four monitoring technologies: seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide. The network is nearing completion with 285 of the planned 337 facilities already operational.

Earlier this year, the crisis in Japan underlined the growing importance of the system’s civil applications – monitoring earthquakes, speeding up tsunami warning alerts and tracking radioactive dispersal from nuclear accidents.

‘Do Good, Get Good’.

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Coldplay and Noel Gallagher have already signed up to the new currency at www.bluedotworld.com, which gives fans access to live shows and exclusive material by artists, authors and movie stars in return for donations, volunteer work and media sharing.

Blue Dot is the new social currency given to people who do good things for their favourite charities by sharing on social media websites, volunteering and donating to any one of the 100k non-profit organisations globally. The idea also influences young people to get involved with charities, as a recent survey conducted by SAGA showed that people over the age of 75 are the most likely generation to give to charity… yet Blue Dot is hoping to overturn these figures by rewarding youngsters with amazing prizes for ‘doing good’.

Within moments of the site going live, Noel Gallagher offered last chance tickets to his debut UK dates exclusively to Blue Dot citizens. Within 48hrs, thousands of positive actions had been taken for causes, including cash donations to over 70 UK different charities. Coldplay also used Blue Dot in the UK and US, to offer the chance to see them live exclusively to fans of Blue Dot.

Blue Dot is rapidly claiming recognition and credibility… founder of Blue Dot, Chris Ward, filmed exclusive backstage footage for Blue Dot with artists at BBC’s Children in Need, including with Ed Sheeran, Rizzle Kicks, Coldplay, JLS, One Direction, Snow Patrol, The Saturdays, Elbow and James Morrison.

One Direction have commented: “We’re thrilled to be part of Blue Dot; It’s a brilliant concept and a great cause. We really hope that our exclusive dressing room acoustic performance of ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ encourages people to donate.”

Nichole Scherzinger, Professor Green, Katherine Jenkins, Rebecca Ferguson, Anton Du Beke and Joe McElderry are amongst others that have donated singed albums and tour tickets.

Blue Dot Founder, Chris Ward said: “I was previously Creative Director of the UK’s Comic Relief, where we work first hand with major stars and brands to create attention-grabbing moments that engage millions of people in volunteering and charitable giving.

I created Blue Dot, as a genuinely new & innovative way to enable every single Cause to create that same impact, every single day of the year.”