devnetinternational.org - CHINA

Landscape Design - An Encounter Between Two Cultures

devnet — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:50:03 +0000

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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.

The aim of the Forum was to establish a dialogue between landscape designers from different backgrounds: China and the Rio Platense region of Latin America (an area of Argentina and Uruguay). The event was divided into two parts, the first seeing a presentation by Mr. Mulieri of 6 of his personal works conducted in Latin America. While the second part saw expositions by the Chinese counterparts with relevant personalities exhibiting their works.

After both sessions of presentations a large amount of time was dedicated to interaction between landscape designers in order to exchange information, ideas, points of views, and so that there could be a wide dialogues of the similarities and differences of the way Landscape Design is conducted in the two regions.

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Women leadership training hub envisaged to meet 21st century challenges

devnet — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 04:00:00 +0000

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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.

Together with relevant authorities of China, in particular the Ordos Women Federation, DEVNET has done preparatory activities, including the sending of a technical mission to Ordos City to confer with local authorities and project collaborators on the possibility of identifying suitable site for the physical infrastructure that would house the project.

With deep historical roots and rich natural resources, Ordos is fast rising as modern city in the 21st century. The project stakeholders consider locating the hub of the project in one of the areas in the city.

The project is dubbed as WINNER Women Leaders University, in the framework of the WINNER project that has developed transformative leaders among women from the developing regions of the world.

Todate, WINNER has benefited over 40,000 women from small and medium enterprises with training courses on information and communication technology, enterprise development and access to new markets.

The planning and realization of the concept of a WINNER Women Leaders University is a timely response to the call raised by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during his address at the Summing-up Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals, where he stressed that education is the fulcrum of change in the 21st century.

According with Mr. Milano, WINNER Regional Director for Asia, who conducted the mission to Ordos City , the WINNER Women Leaders University project aims to provide integrated leadership training courses along the themes of the MDGs.

The thrust of the training is leadership role of women, by fully exploiting their capacities and talents and to sharpen these to meet political, economic, environmental and development challenges of today and the future. The university aims to have state-of-the-art educational facilities and learning laboratories, modern amenities and life enhancing ambiance. It will form a vital part of a global network of academic communities that are dedicated to total human development.

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Shanghai Expo 2010 celebrate DEVNET Honor day

devnet — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0000

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September 8th 2010 has been DEVNET Honor day at Shanghai Expo 2010, a day dedicated by Shanghai 2010 Expo Bureau to DEVNET to celebrate DEVNET organization and Pavilion. World Expo authorities agreed to celebrate Devnet honor day on the 8th of September because it’s the day of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Millennium Declaration and the launch of the 8 Millennium Development Goals, strongly supported by DEVNET.

For the Honor Day, a special DEVNET delegation was appointed to represent and celebrate DEVNET. The delegation was composed of: General Director of DEVNET; Mr. Wang Jun, chief of DEVNET Pavilion; Mr. Benjamin Milano, DEVNET Regional Director for Asia and Africa for TIPS/WINNER; Mr. Roberto Mendes, Director Devnet Brazil, Mr. David Cadman, chairman of ICLEI and vice mayor of Vancouver, Mr. Zheng Rui, director for Asia of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD); Mr. Romi Khosla, UNESCO / Habitat / UNDP consultant on urban; Mr. Michele Miari Fulcis, executive director of Asia Development Bank; Mr. Arsenio Rodriguez, international consultant for sustainable development and former director of the United Nations Environment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean; Mr. Liberato Bautista, president of The Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO); Ms Zhang Lili, Chairwoman of Shanghai Women’s Federation; Mr. Yun Guangzhong, Mayor of Ordos City;Mr. Li Gang, Mayor of Danyang City; Mr. Dong Yanzhang, Executive Secretary General of World Cities Scientific Development Alliance and Mr. Ma Guoxiang, Member of CPPCC.

The honor day started with DEVNET flag-raising ceremony: a flag with DEVNET logo has been raised between China flag and the Expo flag outside the Expo center; after, in the main hall of the Expo Center in front of an audience of more than 300 people, the General Director of DEVNET and Chen Xianjin, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, delivered two speeches.

Quoting from DEVNET DG speech:

“We feel proud to celebrate our Honor Day the same day when 192 of head of states signed the United Nations Millennium Declaration to spur development by improving social and economic conditions in the world's poorest countries.
Progress towards reaching the goals has been uneven. Some countries have achieved many of the goals, while others are not on track to realize any. The major countries that have been achieving their goals include China (whose poverty population has reduced from 452 million to 278 million).（…）

The People’s Republic of China has been one of the first countries to join Devnet. Since then Devnet has been developing its programme and activities to support what China was doing for consolidating its process of reforms and opening up led by Mr. Deng Xiaping.

Many reasons are behind the decision of Devnet to establish its own an independent Pavilion.

First was to pay back the confidence of the central and local government of China, of the private sector, and the social and culture forces in Devnet and in our programmes.

Second because World Expo was a unique opportunity to summarize in our Pavilion our concept of how to build more resilient cities to give their own citizen a better life.

And above all these reasons because our Pavilion was thought to last far beyond the Expo not only as an icon of what meant this extraordinary world event, but mostly for continue being a focal point where Chinese local governments may find their own platform for launching its master plans, its projects as well as trade and investment opportunities for China and the rest of the world.

Although we have still almost 2 month to the end of World Expo we may say that our Pavilion is for Devnet the best stage to start the second and most important act of our performance in the People’s Republic of China”.

“The pavilion focuses on environmental protection, energy saving, high-tech relief efforts and conveys the message of -better life, more beautiful world-” said Chen Xianjin, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination and he ended his speech saying that “We believe that DEVNET Pavilion will become a highlight of this Expo and it will help people from all the world and from China understand better DEVNET”.

After the ceremony, the protocol visits of DEVNET delegation and the Expo bureau counterpart in the China Pavilion and in DEVNET pavilion took place.

In the framework of DEVNET Honor day, took also place, inside the Conference room of DEVENT pavilion, the Signing Ceremony for the agreement between DEVNET and the government of the city of Ordos, Inner Mongolia, for the establishment of the first WINNER University in China, an Ink Stone Award Ceremony and the opening session of the World City Scientific Development Forum, held in Beijing on the 10^th and 11^th September and co-organized by DEVNET and WCSDF.

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July 28th “2010 Unity in Aid Exhibition and International risk reduction forum”

devnet — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0000

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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 on 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.

Ms. Margaret Wahlstrom, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General Department of International Disaster Reduction, Mr. David Cadman, chairman of ICLEI, the General Director of DEVNET and other guests have attended the opening ceremony and will participate in the following activities.

In the “Unity in Aid Exhibition” enterprises and organizations show new technologies and equipment about the themes of risk of natural disasters within the city limits, disaster prevention, early warning and disaster recovery and reconstruction.

During the seminars, mayors and representatives from international organizations, International Plan of Action, from city relief agencies will discuss problems of pre-disaster warning, disaster relief and reconstruction.

The events is a combination of urban development and international investment activities with the “Unity in Aid Exhibition”, and seeks to promote and strengthen cooperation and international exchanges between Chinese cities and advanced cities, and to provide to domestic and international Rescue Industry enterprises a show and communication platform.

It is reported that DEVNET Pavilion organizes a series of theme events, which are held both inside DEVNET Pavilion and outside the Expo Park, to promote, in China and abroad, wider attention, a deeper understanding and a fuller attention to the theme of city development and relief.

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IDEASS programme

devnet — Mon, 31 May 2010 04:00:00 +0000

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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.

IDEASS is an international cooperation programme aimed at strengthening integrated and participatory territorial development processes by stimulating and increasing use of innovations.

It seeks to enhance the ability of public and private territorial actors to meet the needs of local population by using innovative working methods and tools that have been successfully and efficiently used both at the national and international levels.

This programme aims at reinforcing and strengthening already existing cooperation ties among Southern actors as well as creating new ones. IDEASS wants Southern actors to undertake the main roles, while being assisted and supported by more industrialized countries.

The IDEASS programme precisely wishes to facilitate the identification, promotion, and transfer of those innovations which have demonstrated their contribution to human development, to enhance environmental resources and to reduce poverty and social exclusion.

Amongst the objectives of the agreement, DEVNET will promote the IDEASS programme in the People's Republic of China. In this regard, DEVNET will gather, promote and develop innovative and efficient mechanisms and tools used in China in different fields. These range from the fields of governance and local economic development, to the development of sustainable environmental patrimony, and health, social and educational services.

Furthermore, DEVNET will support the formulation and implementation of South-South and South-North cooperation projects through its world-wide network.

For more information, please visit IDEASS website at www.ideassonline.org.

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Anthem of DEVNET Pavilion of Expo 2010 - Rainbow of Friendship

devnet — Fri, 21 May 2010 04:00:00 +0000

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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.

The anthem talks about establishing links throughout all of the “five continents” as well as displaying the multiple inventions as a sign of achieved growth and success.

The anthem ends by wishing hope for a better future of peace, friendship and for fulfillment of dreams.

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Water, the richness of our planet

devnet — Tue, 18 May 2010 04:00:00 +0000

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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.

Water is one of the four fundamental elements of human's existence, it is necessary for our survival. If water did not exist, we would not exist either. It is too much of an important relation to leave it in the background. The choice of water-filled columns symbolizes that water is a pillar of our society, it is there to support us.

The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are vital for China's economy and agriculture. Their waters have been irrigating and fertilizing the surrounding area for thousands of years, and it is in these areas that Chinese Civilization and Nation were born. The support that the capital, and all the Nation, gives to the people of Shanghai and to the World Expo is represented by the column filled with water from Tiananmen Square. Although the last column does not contain national water, is reason can still be found withing the borders. It comes from water sources in Canada, country of origin of Dr. Norman Bethune: a doctor who served under the 'Chinese Communists' – led by Mao Zedong – during the second Sino-Japanese war. He died at the front, in 1939, ´fighting´for the Chinese Cause. This column represents the gratitude that Chinese people have towards Dr. Bethune, and towards all Canadian people.

the last column, the middle one, is atypical. It's the only one out of the five that does not contain water. It contains soil from the highlands of Yungui, a region in south-west China that has been stricken with a heavy drought. This has caused the economic development to slow down and has had a huge impact on the availability of drinkable water. This column wants to be an invitation of reflection. It wants to awaken the conscience of human beings and remind them to protect and preserve our precious resources. Tourists can make a donation that will be used to send drinkable water to the drought-stricken area of the highlands.

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