SHANGHAI

On August 21st 2010 Devnet Pavilion and Shanghai Landscape Design Committee of Garden Green Industry Association organized a Forum titled "An Encounter Between Two Cultures". The event was hosted at the Longtong Lucky Plaza Hotel and saw the participation of Mr. Roberto Mulieri, President of Argentinean Landscape Network (Red Argentina del Paisaje), Mr. Guo Qiang, President of Shanghai Landscape Design Committee, along with many personalities from different sectors of Landscape Design, including Universities, Associations and Research Institutes.

Preparing the next generation of women leaders to meet the challenges of the 21st century is the rationale of a project initiative, crafted within the framework of women economic empowerment of the UNDP - sponsored global program WINNER (Women into the New Network for Entrepreneurial Reinforcement). China, specifically the City of Ordos (Inner Mongolia Region), expressed commitment to support the initiative in order to put to action gender equality in the pursuit of development and peace in the context of the MDGs.

Today, July 28th 2010, Shanghai Xin Hua Agency (reporter: Lu Bin): One of the important theme events organized by Shanghai Expo 2010 DEVNET Pavilion is “2010 Unity in Aid Exhibition and International risk reduction forum”, held in Shanghai Everbright Convention Center Hotel. The event started today Wednesday July 28th. This big event, jointly organized by DEVNET, UNISDR, UN-Habitat and ICLEI, consists of two different parts: a forum and an exhibition.

DEVNET has signed an agreement with the UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Service) to cooperate in the framework of the IDEASS programme (Innovation for Development and South-South Cooperation), alongside with three United Nations Agencies, namely: UNDP, ILO and UNIFEM.

The title of Devnet´s anthem is “Rainbow of friendship” and the lyrics are written by Wang Lidong who is a member of Chinese Musicians´ Association, China´s largest and most important music organization.

With its many colors the rainbow represents diversity and multiculturalism, and with his words the author brilliantly represents the international character of both the World Expo and Devnet´s organization.

Five columns. Five large glass columns guard the entrance to the DEVNET pavilion. And they are not just any columns. No, they contain a special meaning. The four outer columns are filled with water. Neither this is just any kind of water. It is water from the Yellow River, from the Yangtze River, from Beijing's Tiananmen Square and from Canadian sources.

Dear Ladies and Gentleman

I may say that today is one of those days that DEVNET has been preparing for a quarter of a century, since 1985 when China became one of the nine first founding members of our international information network.

During these 25 years, DEVNET always tried to do its best to support and communicate to the rest of the world the opening and reform process that China, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, its government and its Communist Party was starting to carry on.