UFUFUMA FOREST

What to do in Zanzibar when you’re a tourist? I had booked myself a 4-day trip to the island, and, taking the advice of friends and a quick online search, I checked myself in to one of the historic, colonial “houses” in the middle of Stone Town. It was a lovely experience, mind you. But after two days of getting lost in the streets, accumulating mosquito bites and being hustled by hundreds of mzungu-calling children and imbibing men, I was more than ready to check out another side of Zanzibar. I’ve seen hundreds of white-sand beaches in my life… I wanted something authentic, something unique, something magical.

Nigeria launches two satellites

Nigeria has successfully launched two Earth observation satellites which could be used to monitor weather in a region seasonally ravaged by disasters.

The NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X spacecraft were lofted into orbit aboard a Russian Dnepr rocket from a launch pad in the town of Yasny, southern Russia.

Nigeria collaborated with UK engineers on the project, and the satellites are being monitored from control stations in Guildford, UK, and Abuja in Nigeria.

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan praised the successful launch.

Mr Jonathan called the event "another milestone in our nation's effort to solve national problems through space technology".

The imaging satellites could have a variety of applications, including the monitoring of disaster-prone areas.

Nigerian territory stretches into Africa's Sahel, a belt of land on the Sahara Desert's southern fringe that sees extreme weather conditions.

The Sahel experiences severe droughts in the dry season and devastating rainfall in the wet season. Floods last year displaced about 500,000 people nationwide, with most of them in the Sahel region.

The satellites could also provide Nigeria with the ability to enhance food security through monthly crop monitoring, assist with burgeoning urban planning demands and, through the development of engineering skills, advance the country's technological capability.

Man Claiming Half of Facebook Never Had Proof After All

It would appear that the strange journey of Paul Ceglia — the wood pellet salesman from upstate New York who claims that Mark Zuckerberg owes him a 50% stake of Facebook — has reached an unfittingly boring end.
And what a ride it's been: We've seen everything from Facebook calling Mr. Ceglia (who reportedly has a history of fraud) an "inveterate scam artist," to lawyers specializing in marijuana brought in as prosecution, to a linguistics expert who inadvertently taught us how to write like Zuck himself.
But now, Facebook is on the verge of asking a federal judge for a dismissal of the entire lawsuit.


Read more: http://techland.time.com/2011/08/16/man-claiming-half-of-facebook-never-had-proof-after-all/#ixzz1VNov96AL

Well, in a court filing on Monday, it appears that "an authentic contract" that was "found embedded in electronic data on Mr. Ceglia's computer" made no mention whatsoever of Facebook, merely a company called Street Fax that Mr. Ceglia reportedly owned.
According to Reuters, Mr. Ceglia's lawsuit alleges an agreement was made in 2003 that if he hired Zuckerberg to work with him on Street Fax (a currently non-existent dot-com), Zuck would give him a one-half ownership stake in a project that eventually turned into the 750-million strong social network.
Facebook has been estimated to be worth as much as $100 billion by analysts, with Mark Zuckerberg estimated to be worth $13.5 billion alone.
And so it appears that the weirdest, most unintentionally hilarious lawsuit in quite some time is about to reach its non-dramatic conclusion. Unless, of course, Mr. Ceglia decides to go all Winklevoss on Zuck, which would also be hilarious.


Read more: http://techland.time.com/2011/08/16/man-claiming-half-of-facebook-never-had-proof-after-all/#ixzz1VNp9MKHq

San Francisco's BART transit system has a website hacked for 2nd time

A hacker publicly posted Wednesday the home addresses and other information of all 102 police officers with San Francisco's Bay Area Transit system, the second hacking incident against one of its websites since Sunday, a spokesman said.
The website for the BART Police Officers Association was broken into Wednesday morning, and the names and phone numbers of its entire membership were also posted publicly on the Internet, BART spokesman James K. Allison said.
The officers association, or union, took down their website after the hacking incident, Allison said.
It wasn't clear Wednesday who was to blame for the latest hacking incident.
In the prior hacking incident on Sunday, members of the well-known hacking group Anonymous took credit in online messages for breaking into a link off BART's website, and information from BART's internal network was posted, including phone numbers of hundreds of people.

Kenyans unite to raise funds for citizens battling drought

A campaign to raise funds for starving Kenyans has galvanized the nation as families battle a devastating drought in the nation's northern region.

The effort, dubbed "Kenyans for Kenya," has raised about $7.6 million so far. Hundreds of thousands answered the call to help fellow citizens, with some donating their entire monthly salaries.

"I was watching television one night when I saw a rail thin baby suckling on her mother long after she was dead," said Hashim Elmoge, a police officer in the capital, Nairobi.

"It was just sad ... As a Kenyan, I could not just sit there and not do anything especially after seeing those images of emaciated women and children."

A few days later, he handed over his entire July salary to the campaign, which will administer the funds through the Kenyan Red Cross.

"Those children are like our children. With the progress we have in the world, children should not go hungry," he said.

Elmoge declined to say how much he makes. Most Kenyans are paid monthly, with a police official in his position earning about $200 a month.

Obama promises 'very specific' plan for US economy

US President Barack Obama has promised a "very specific" plan next month to improve the flagging US economy.

In Iowa on day one of a rural Midwest bus tour, he said he would put forward the blueprint when Congress returned in September.

As President Obama spoke, his would-be 2012 Republican challengers blamed him for the flagging American economy.

With US unemployment jammed at just above 9%, jobs could well remain a major issue for voters in 2012.

Responding to a question in a town hall in Decorah, Iowa, on Monday evening, Mr Obama said: "I'll be putting forward when they [lawmakers] come back in September a very specific plan to boost the economy, to create jobs and to control our deficit.

"And my attitude is - get it done."

'Lowering the rhetoric'
Mr Obama set off on Monday morning on a three-day swing through Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois.


President Obama clashed with a member of the Tea Party in Iowa
The tour - in an imposing Secret Service armoured bus - is officially a White House event, although Republicans called it a campaign trip.

The BBC's Marcus George in Washington says Mr Obama is trying to reassert his leadership and, indirectly, shore up support in states that could make or break his campaign for a second term.

Mdee awalipua Mwinyi, Mkapa

VIGOGO wa CCM wakiwamo Marais wastaafu, Ali Hassan Mwinyi na Benjamin Mkapa wamelipuliwa bungeni jana wakituhumiwa kuhodhi maeneo makubwa ya ardhi mkoani Morogoro huku wakishindwa kuyaendeleza.

Katika orodha hiyo ya waliolipuliwa wamo pia Mawaziri Wakuu wastaafu, Frederick Sumaye na John Malecela, Katibu Mkuu wa CCM mstaafu, Philip Mangula, aliyekuwa Naibu wake (Tanzania Bara), Hassan Ngwilizi na Mwenyekiti wa CCM Mkoa wa Mbeya, Nawab Mulla.

Tuhuma hizo zilitolewa bungeni Mjini Dodoma na Waziri Kivuli wa Ardhi, Nyumba na Maendeleo ya Makazi, Halima Mdee wakati akisoma bajeti mbadala ya upinzani kuhusu makadirio ya mapato na matumizi ya Wizara ya Ardhi, Nyumba na Maendeleo ya Makazi kwa mwaka 2011/12.

Mdee alisema hali hiyo inawanyima fursa wananchi wa kawaida kumiliki maeneo kwa ajili ya shughuli za maendeleo na kuongeza kwamba vigogo hao kwa kutumia nafasi zao waliwanyang’anya wananchi ardhi hiyo na kujimilikisha wenyewe lakini kwa sehemu kubwa wameshindwa kuyaendeleza.

“Mheshimiwa Spika, matatizo ya ardhi kwa wakubwa kunyang’anya wanyonge yameikumba pia Halmashauri ya Wilaya ya Mvomero (Morogoro), ambako mgogoro huu unakumba shamba namba 299 iliyokuwa NARCO Ranches lenye ukubwa wa hekta 49,981,” alisema na kuongeza:

Barack Obama launches campaign-style Midwest tour

US President Barack Obama has begun a campaign-style speaking tour to make a case to voters for action to boost the US economy and create jobs.

Mr Obama's three-day Midwest swing comes as his poll ratings continue to slip amid poor economic news.

Meanwhile, the Republican 2012 election field is beginning to take shape.

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty pulled out after rival Michele Bachmann won the Iowa straw poll, while Texas Governor Rick Perry joined the race.

They are vying to become the chief rival to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the race for the 2012 Republican nomination.

Mr Romney leads in polling and in fundraising but is seen as vulnerable to a challenge.

'Partisanship and gridlock'
Mr Obama left for Minnesota on Monday morning for a three-day trip to include stops in Iowa and Illinois.

He will make the case to voters that his administration has stabilised the economy and laid the foundation for job growth.

Google to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5bn

Internet giant Google has announced a deal to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5bn (£7.7bn).

A joint statement said the boards of both companies had unanimously approved the deal, which should be completed by the end of this year, or early in 2012.

Earlier this year, Motorola split into two separate companies.

Mobility develops and manufactures mobile phones, while Motorola Solutions covers wider technologies for corporate customers and governments


Shares in Motorola Mobility jumped 57% in early trading in New York to $38.27, still below the offer price of $40 per share. Shares in Google fell slightly.

Meanwhile, Nokia shares jumped more than 10% on news of the deal, with renewed speculation that the Finnish mobile phone company could become a bid target itself.

'New opportunities'
The deal would allow Google to "supercharge" its Android operating system, the joint statement said.

Google said it would continue to run Mobility as a separate business.

"Motorola Mobility's total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies," said Larry Page, Google's chief executive.

Sanjay Jha, his counterpart at Mobility, said: "This transaction offers significant value for [our] stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers and partners around the world."

The deal is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.

Motorola was once one of the world's most successful mobile phone manufacturers, but has fallen behind the likes of Apple, Samsung and HTC in recent years.

Many of its handsets already use Google's Android operating system.

Raisi Jakaya Kikwete Aongoza Waomboleza ktika Kumwaga Marehem Mayunga

RAIS Jakaya Kikwete leo amewaongoza mamia ya waomboleazaji kuuaga mwili wa Luteni Jenerali Mstaafu, Silas Mayunga maarufu kama ‘Mti Mkavu’ aliyeaga dunia nchini India, Jumamosi iliyopita.

Shughuli hizo zilifanyika Hospitali Kuu ya Jeshi la Wananchi (JWTZ) ya Lugalo jijini Dar es Salaam na kuhudhuriwa na viongozi mbalimbali akiwemo Makamu wa Rais, Dk. Bilal, Rais Mstaafu Benjamini Mkapa, mawaziri wakuu wastaafu, Joseph Warioba na Salim Ahmed Salim na Waziri wa Ulinzi na Usalama, Hussein Mwinyi.

Tupac Shakur Covers "XXL" On The 15th Anniversary Of His Death

Rap icon Tupac Shakur covers the latest issue of XXL in a profile that celebrates the rapper, who passed away 15 years ago.

In the latest issue of XXL which hits stands on August 16, the mag pays tribute to the late great rapper by interviewing those who were closest to him. One such person was his biological father Bill Garland. In the profile Bill spoke of his late son saying,

“[Tupac] cared for people,” he said. “That was his main thing. He really cared for people. I think that’s why he would get so upset when people tried to question his commitment, his love for Black women or Black men. The East Coast/West Coast, you know, that’s a fabrication. I don’t have to begin to tell you that. So when that was questioned, it bothered him. Because he would give his heart or soul. He was a giving person. He would give anything to people. He would go in a store. [If there was a] Black man who couldn’t afford a $1,500 pair of boots, he would buy ’em for him. Think that Black man would ever forget Tupac? That’s just the way he is. But I don’t think that he did it for that. He did it because he had it, and he didn’t. That’s the way he is.”

In addition, XXL spoke with ’Pac’s ex-wife, Keisha Morris, his first manager and one-time roommate and mentor, Leila Steinberg, his stepfather Mutulu Shakur, and his rap group the Outlawz.

The mag also goes in depth about the studio shooting which led to the East/West Coast beef.

Kanye Goes Off In Another Media Rant

Kanye recently put his foot in his mouth (again) during a concert in Herefordshire, England.
While performing at the Big Chill music festival, Kanye went on a long rant about being an artist and how people do not understand him or appreciate how he is changing music. While we're not sure who has recently pissed in his cornflakes as we've seen nothing but mainly positive words spoken toward this new project of his, obviously someone's goten to him.

"I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street, and people look at me like I'm f**king insane ... like I'm Hitler." He continued, "One day the light will shine through and one day people will understand everything I ever did."

Or...maybe people are just staring because they're starstruck? He then told the audience he's in the hip-hop game to make a difference.

"Michael Jordan changed so much in basketball, he took his power to make a difference. It's so much f**king going on in music right now and somebody has to make a f**king difference."

And as Kanye poured out his emotions, he also talked about Amy Winehouse and her tragic death. He suggested that her death was caused by the pressures of fame telling the audience,

"“This is for McQueen, for Amy, for Michael and for all the media, can you lighten up on all your artists that are still here?"

It's clear that Kanye takes his "art" seriously......and we should just let him be great.

Globalwisesoftnet Has Joined the Partnership with Google and Microsoft

Company ya Globalwisesoftnet Tanzania, ime sign Contract na Company ya Google pamoja na Microsoft, kwa lengo la kuendeleza na kubuni mbinu za uandeshwaji wa ICT (Information Communication Technology)Kwa kupitia njia mbalimbali za mitandao, Haswa ikilenga njia za Website, na Mitandao ya Mikonono, ambapo watu wengi wamekuwa wakijipatia taarifa mbalimbali kupitia Simo za mkononi...

Why does Google+ insist on having your real name?

Google+ took only 24 days to reach 20 million users but their decision to delete accounts without real names attached has caused anger. So why do social networks insist on your real name?

Many people choose to conceal or alter their identity online.

Visit many forums and you'll see the likes of "Jboy72" and "NYgirl" outnumbering those giving their real names. But it's something social networks really don't like.

Over the past few days, Google has enforced its policy for requiring a real name on its new social network Google+ by suspending accounts.

The affected users were not happy at all. Blogger GrrlScientist, who prefers her real-life identity to remain private, thinks the decision to delete her account was "gormless".

"I've established an identity and a personality and an online and off-line world using this name," she says. "I look at it as the best part of myself so I'm not going to give it up now."

So why do the social networks want your real identity?

Google says it is addressing those with genuine complaints, but it maintains that to use the network effectively, users should be able to search for a friend or a family member as quickly and as easily as possible. And that, they say, means demanding real names.

Indeed, the guidelines are very similar to other social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn.

"By providing your common name, you will be assisting all people you know in finding and creating a connection with the right person online," a Google spokesman says.

Insisting on real names is supposed to combat spam. MySpace struggled with it in the past and Twitter "spambots" crop up from time to time.

And some see being made to use your real name as the antidote to the unpleasantness that happens on forums.

The theory goes that when people are using their real names online, they are more likely to act responsibly and engage honestly with the community.

"There is an issue of trolls," says Benjamin Cohen, Channel 4 News' technology correspondent.

Continue reading the main story
What the social networks say...


Facebook users must agree to provide their real names and giving any false personal information allows Facebook to stop providing all or part of the site
Google says: "To help fight spam and prevent fake profiles, use the name your friends, family or co-workers usually call you. For example, if your full legal name is Charles Jones Jr but you normally use Chuck Jones or Junior Jones, either of those would be acceptable."
"The authentication is important - it's a big problem on the internet and social networks make it more unlikely for someone to be pretending to be someone else."

And certainly things can get heated when the mask of anonymity is granted to users. Messageboard community 4Chan has received significant attention for its posts, often featuring adult content, which offer absolute anonymity, though founder Chris Poole still believes that this is vital to allow honest opinions and is responsible for much of the popularity of the site.

But choosing to use a pseudonym is not just about examples like GrrlScientist.

Some users choose to hide their identity to avoid being found by people they would not like to be contacted by. Others live in countries where identification could have serious implications for those who have expressed political views or associated themselves with others who have.

Many users in China, where access to Google+ itself is difficult because of restrictions by Chinese authorities on some websites, have called on Google to change its mind.

Twitter user Newsinchina - known by the English name Richard Zhang - wrote in Chinese on Google+ before his profile was removed: "Please Google+, when you are deciding regulations, you must consider Chinese usage, especially from users in mainland China.

"Be sure to consider the user's actual situation. Please do not force them to use a real-name system. Otherwise, I think that Google will be violating its principle of 'don't be evil'."

Indeed, Google's motto of "Don't be evil" has featured in a number of posts, but some analysts think Google+ suspending accounts is more an oversight than anything else.

"They're still in Beta [test] mode and perhaps been too strict in enforcing the rules," says Robin Grant, managing director of social media agency We Are Social.

"They are most probably going to change it to allow human rights activists, for example, to hide their identity. They're not going to leave themselves open to that sort of criticism.

"It's not a fully fleshed out product and they made a mistake but I don't think it's sinister."

President Barack Obama says Republican and Democratic leaders have struck a deal to raise the US debt limit.

Under the proposal, which is set for debate and votes in Congress on Monday, the US debt ceiling would rise by up to $2.4tn from the current $14.3tn.

The US government deficit will be cut by a similar amount over 10 years, and a special bipartisan committee will also be set up to agree spending cuts.

Without a deal the US would face the prospect of defaulting on its debts.

Party leaders in the House of Representatives and Senate still have to present the deal to their members on Monday, before the package goes to a vote.

The BBC's Jane O'Brien says the package is still likely to be a tough sell, with some Republicans and Democrats in the House remaining opposed to different aspects.

A number of conservative Republicans, including first-time congressmen, are likely to vote against the plan, while some liberals in the Democratic party will be disappointed by the prospect of cuts to benefits.

But Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi is expected to ensure enough Democrats vote for the bill to help smooth its passage, analysts say.

Shares up
The US faces a Tuesday deadline to raise its $14.3tn (£8.7tn) debt limit or risk the first full-scale default in its history, a possibility that has spread mounting unease through international markets.

Speaking on Sunday night, the US president said it was not the deal he would have preferred, but noted that the compromise plan would make a "serious downpayment" on the US deficit.

Can Microsoft Make You ‘Bing’?

To take on Google, Microsoft is spending billions to make its search engine the intelligent “decision engine.

How Different Are Google and Bing?

Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in Bing, its search engine. But it faces a daunting rival in Google, the giant in search. To compete, Microsoft has focused on aggregating and presenting specific kinds of information in areas like travel, restaurants and recipes as part of a search result. Below is a look at some of the specific ways that Bing is trying to distinguish itself from Google

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appoints Martin Nesirky of the United Kingdom as his Spokesperso

Mr. Nesirky comes to the United Nations from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), where he served for more than three years as Spokesperson and Head of Press and Public Information. He also served for more than two decades as an international correspondent and editor for Reuters, working in Moscow, Berlin, The Hague and Seoul.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL

DR. ASHA-ROSE MIGIRO
Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro of Tanzania took office as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations on 1 February 2007. She is the third Deputy Secretary-General to be appointed since the post was established in 1997.



Career Highlights
Dr. Migiro served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from 2006-2007 -- the first woman in the United Republic of Tanzania to hold that position since its independence in 1961. Before that, she was Minister for Community Development, Gender and Children for five years.



As Foreign Minister, Dr. Migiro spearheaded Tanzania 's engagement in the pursuit of peace, security and development in the Great Lakes Region. She served as Chair of the Council of Ministers' meetings of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, a process that culminated into a Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region.



Dr. Migiro was also Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation and President of the UN Security Council during its open debate on peace, security and development in the Great Lakes Region. As Chair of the SADC Organ,

Dr. Migiro coordinated SADC assistance to the democratic process, including elections, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as support for national elections in Zambia and Madagascar . At the time of her appointment, she was chairing an important SADC Ministerial Troika Meeting ahead of the national elections in the Kingdom of Lesotho .



Prior to Government service, Dr. Migiro pursued a career in academia. She was a member of the Faculty of Law at the University of Dar -es-Salaam, where she rose to the rank of Senior Lecturer. She headed the Department of Constitutional and Administrative Law from 1992 to 1994, and the Department of Civil and Criminal Law from 1994 to 1997. Her work was published widely in local and international journals.



Dr. Migiro served as a member of Tanzania 's Law Reform Commission in 1997 and as a member of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 2000.



Education
Dr. Migiro obtained a Master of Laws from the University of Dar-es-Salaam in 1984 and a Doctorate in law from the University of Konstanz in Germany in 1992.



Personal
Dr. Migiro was born in Songea , Tanzania , on 9 July 1956. She is married to Professor Cleophas Migiro and has two daughters. In addition to English, she speaks Kiswahili, basic French and German.

THE POST

The post of Deputy Secretary-General was established by the General Assembly at the end of 1997 as part of the reform of the United Nations, to help manage Secretariat operations and to ensure coherence of activities and programmes. The purpose was also to elevate the Organization's profile and leadership in the economic and social spheres.

The General Assembly, decided to establish the post of Deputy Secretary-General as an integral part of the Office of the Secretary-General. The details were set out in Addendum 1 to the report of the Secretary-General and in the statement made by the Secretary-General on 4 November 1997 to the open-ended informal consultations of the General Assembly on United Nations reform. The item was entitled: measures and proposals, without prejudice to the mandate of the Secretary-General as provided by the Charter of the United Nations and, in accordance with the existing system of decision-making. Responsibilities delegated by the Secretary-General, to the Deputy Secretary-General included the following:

(a) To assist the Secretary-General in managing the operations of the Secretariat;

(b) To act for the Secretary-General at United Nations Headquarters in the absence of the Secretary- General and in other cases as may be decided by the Secretary-General;

(c) To support the Secretary-General in ensuring inter-sectoral and inter-institutional coherence of activities and programmes and to support the Secretary-General in elevating the profile and leadership of the United Nations in the economic and social spheres, including further efforts to strengthen the United Nations as a leading centre for development policy and development assistance;

(d) To represent the Secretary-General at conferences, official functions and ceremonial and other occasions as may be decided by the Secretary-General;

(e) To undertake such assignments as may be determined by the Secretary-General;

Louise Fréchette was the first Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. A national of Canada, she assumed her duties on 2 March 1998, after having been appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. She remained at her post until 31 March 2006.

On 3 March 2006, Mark Malloch Brown was appointed as Deputy Secretary-General. He assumed his new functions on 1 April following the departure of his predecessor Louise Fréchette. He remained in his post until the end of December 2006.

Warning of climate change’s threat to global security, Ban urges concerted action

Climate change is a real threat to international peace and security, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, urging developed countries to lead the global effort to find ways to mitigate and adapt to it detrimental effects, with emerging economies shouldering their fair share of the responsibility.
“Extreme weather events continue to grow more frequent and intense in rich and poor countries alike, not only devastating lives, but also infrastructure, institutions, and budgets – an unholy brew which can create dangerous security vacuums,” said Mr. Ban, addressing the Security Council’s debate on the impact of climate change on international peace and security.

Mr. Ban noted that the international community had made some progress through agreements reached in Copenhagen and Cancún in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), adding that those pacts formed the foundation for action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enabling all countries to adapt.

“Now we need accelerated operationalization of all the agreements made at Cancún, including on protecting forests, adaptation and technology. Climate finance, the sine qua non for progress, must move from a conceptual discussion to concrete delivery of ‘fast-start’ financing and agreement on sources of long-term financing,” said the Secretary General.

Ban asks Iberoamerican artists for help in solving global problems

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today asked television producers and artists in Spain, Portugal and Latin America to use their imaginative talents to find new ways to help solve challenges related to the environment, women’s empowerment, organized crime and drug trafficking.
In a video message to the Iberoamerican Creative Summit being held in Aviles, Spain, the Secretary-General said “Please use your visual sense, your narrative touch, your imaginative gifts to find new ways to tackle old problems.”

The meeting is the latest in a series of such one-day forums, organized by the UN Creative Community Outreach Initiative (CCOI) to provide film, new media, television, and documentary producers around the world with access to information about the work of the UN and its priority issues.

The forum in Spain discussed gender equality and empowerment of women, environmental sustainability, combating drugs and crime and their effects, and organized crime.

“We will never solve these challenges unless we shed light on them. The spotlight is in your hands,” Mr. Ban said.

“You are artists. I am a diplomat. But we all feel pain when we hear about a father killed in war, or a mother lost to disease, or a child who dies of hunger,” he said. “We all want to stop these tragedies in our world. I am doing my part as Secretary-General, but only you can reach mass audiences.”