On Saturday October 30 St. Lucia was hit by Hurricane Tomas. Although Tomas was only a category 1 it is said to be the worst natural disaster in the island's history. The south of the island is still cut off from the north. There have been at least 7 confirmed deaths with several persons missing. My family all live in the south of the island and I had not heard from them form ore than 2 days. That was the most frightening experience for me.

i did manage to get through to them late sunday night and thankfully they were all safe. My heart goes out to the persons who lost their loved ones or have not heard from them.

I am trusting God for strength and healing for our nation and I urge you all to show your aupport in whatever way you can.

Please consider in reading the Green my parents (GMP) book, http://www.amazon.com/Green-My-Parents-Tom-Feegel/dp/0615369383

Thank you.

This looks strange but sound real. tradition matters, a man dressed in a ghost-like shape posing for a photo. Handshaking from down is the author of this post

Rotary Centers provide Rotary World Peace Fellows with the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in conflict resolution, peace studies, international relations, and related areas.
Each year, up to 60 Rotary World Peace Fellowships are offered on a competitive basis at six Rotary Centers, which operate in partnership with seven leading universities:
Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA (joint Rotary Center)
International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina
University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
University of California, Berkeley, USA
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Coursework at the Rotary Centers focuses on preventing and resolving conflict by addressing its root causes ― for example, responding to hunger with food security, disease with health care, illiteracy with education, poverty with sustainable development, and environmental degradation with conservation. Fellows put classroom lessons into practice through an applied field experience, when they work with a variety of governmental and nongovernmental organizations worldwide.

The fellows are chosen from countries and cultures around the globe based on their potential as leaders in government, business, education, media, and other professional areas. Learn more about program eligibility and deadlines .

Rotary Centers alumni have demonstrated their ability to further global understanding and peace in their work for United Nations agencies, the World Bank, European Parliament, the Organization of American States, and other nongovernmental organizations, along with national governments and international businesses.

To find out more about the Rotary Centers program, contact your local Rotary club or the Rotary Centers Department at The Rotary Foundation.

Get to know program alumni , and read more about the centers that are transforming the world (PDF).

Eligibility criteria
Applicants must


Hold an earned undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university or its international equivalent (based on a four-year curriculum)
Be proficient in a second language (including the language of the proposed host university)
Possess excellent leadership skills
Demonstrate a commitment to peace and international understanding through service, academic, or professional achievements
Have a minimum of three years combined paid or unpaid full-time work experience in relevant field
Be a citizen of a country where there is a Rotary club

Download the application to apply:


Rotary World Peace Fellowships Application 2009-11 (Word)
Rotary World Peace Fellowships Application 2009-11 (PDF)
Rotary World Peace Fellowships Brochure (PDF)
Program Guide for Rotarians (PDF)
Rotary World Peace Fellowship Handbook (PDF)
Contact detail: rotarycenters@rotary.org

More info: Click here

The MMMF was established in 1981 to honor the late Margaret McNamara and her commitment to the wellbeing of women and children in developing countries. The purpose of the grant is to support the education of women from developing countries who are committed to improving the lives of women and children in their home countries. Previous grant recipients studied agriculture, architecture, urban planning, civil engineering, education, forestry, journalism, nursing, nutrition, pediatrics, public administration, public health, social sciences, and social work.
Applications can only be submitted by accessing our website at www.mmmf-grants.org and completing the online application form.

A. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING APPLICATION
Your completed application must include the following items:
1. The Application Form must be filled out online.
2. Personal Statement Form consist of several questions and an essay.
3. Two Recommendation Forms must be completed online (www.mmmf-grants.org see the application package requirements).
a. Both must come from professors or supervisors.
b. One form must be from a professor at your current institution and the other may be from your country.
c. One professor or supervisor must have known you for at least two semesters or one year.
Additional recommendations will be discarded.
4. Official Estimate of Expenses for Foreign Students. This document is available from the Foreign Student Advisor or Financial Aid Advisor of your institution. Highlight on the official university document the information that applies to you.
5. Recent Transcript and Registration. Transcripts are available from the Registrar’s Office. Please send us your most recent transcript and a copy of your fall registration.
6. Copy of your visa.
7. Copy of your I-20 or Study Permit.

Please mail all the items mentioned above to the MMMF office. Do not mail items separately. The envelope containing your complete materials must be postmarked no later than February 28.

Applications that are incomplete or postmarked after February 28 are not eligible.
Only recipients of grants will be notified by April 30. If you have not heard by May 15, your application has not been successful.

B. CONDITIONS ON ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT
Please note that grant recipients are required to sign a contract agreeing to the following constraints:


If an MMMF grant recipient receives a grant from the World Bank Graduate Scholarship program in the same calendar year she receives an MMMF grant, her MMMF grant shall be rescinded.
The MMMF expects the grant recipients to return to their home countries or another developing country within approximately two years after receiving their grants and then to perform at least two years of service in her country or another developing country. As a condition of the grant, the recipient will agree to make a contribution to the MMMF of the full amount of her grant if
a. she does not return to her country or another developing country within 30 months of receiving the MMMF grant or after completing her studies in the US/Canada; or if
b. she does not complete two years of service within 54 months of receiving the MMMF grant or after completing her studies in the US/Canada.
Please also note that grant funds that are used for expenses that are not required for enrollment (e.g. room, board, travel, research, child care, etc.) are generally subject to US/Canada tax and income tax withholding, even for non-US/Canada nationals. Only tuition and related expenses (e.g., tuition, required fees, books, supplies, etc.) are exempt from US/Canada tax and withholding. The tax treatment of grant funds may be affected, by the terms of a tax treaty between the recipient’s home country and the United States/Canada. For your specific tax responsibility, contact your advisor or your institution’s financial office.

MMMF grant payments will be disbursed directly to the recipient’s institution around June 1. Grant funds may not be used to repay debts or loans.


Applicants must be nationals of developing countries that are currently eligible to borrow from
the World Bank. The current list is given below.

Afghanistan Dominican Republic Macedonia, FYR of Senegal
Albania Ecuador Madagascar Serbia
Algeria Egypt Malawi Seychelles
Angola El Salvador Malaysia Sierra Leone
Argentina Eritrea Maldives Solomon Islands
Armenia Ethiopia Mali Somalia
Azerbaijan Fiji Marshall Islands South Africa
Bangladesh Gabon Mauritania Sri Lanka
Belarus Gambia The Mauritius St. Kitts and Nevis
Belize Georgia Mexico St. Lucia
Benin Ghana Micronesia, Fed. Sts. of St. Vincent & the
Bhutan Grenada Moldova Grenadines
Bolivia Guatemala Mongolia Sudan
Bosnia-Herzegovina Guinea Montenegro Suriname
Botswana Guinea- Bissau Morocco Swaziland
Brazil Guyana Mozambique Syrian Arab Rep.
Bulgaria Haiti Myanmar Tajikistan
Burkina Faso Honduras Namibia Tanzania
Burundi India Nepal Thailand
Cambodia Indonesia Nicaragua Timor- Leste
Cameroon Iran, Islamic Rep. of Niger Togo
Cape Verde Iraq Nigeria Tonga
Central African Rep. Jamaica Pakistan Tunisia
Chad Jordan Palau Turkey
Chile Kazakhstan Panama Turkmenistan
China PR Kenya Papua New Guinea Uganda
Colombia Kiribati Paraguay Ukraine
Comoros Kyrgyz Rep Peru Uruguay
Congo, Dem. Rep. Of Lao PDR Philippines Uzbekistan
Congo, Rep. Of Latvia Poland Vanuatu
Costa Rica Lebanon Romania Venezuela, RB de
Côte d’Ivoire Lesotho Russian Federation Vietnam
Croatia Liberia Rwanda West Bank and Gaza
Djibouti Libya Samoa Yemen Rep.
Dominica Lithuania Sao Tome & Principe Zambia
Zimbabwe

Contact detail:

1818 H Street, NW MSN H2-204 , Washington DC 20433, Tel: (202) 473 8751, Fax: (202) 522 3142, Email: MMMF@worldbank.org

The Master’s Program International Media Studies is a four-semester, full-time program for further education. It is a joint project from the University of Bonn, the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster with its headquarters in Bonn.
The bilingual Master’s Program offers a unique course offer given the current development of global media and the connection between media and cooperative development. Students from around the world will benefit from the inclusion of partners and the
unparalleled mix of research, lectures and practical experience.
The program combines topics like media and development, journalism, communication science and media economics, while developing practical skills and competencies that are important for the world of media.

Philosophy
Free and independent media is a significant factor for a functioning democracy, social justice and the protection of human rights. The Master’s Program is based on the belief that there is a connection between democracy and development, between the freedom of opinion and democracy as well as between free media and development. The prerequisite for the establishment of a functioning, free media system are journalists who realize their role as a critical observer and reporter. This can only be guaranteed when they are professionally trained and feel obligated by a set of journalistic ethics.
By training journalists academically, the Master’s Program is therefore a targeted step towards making the media spokespeople for openness within democracy.
The courses are based on the values of democracy, freedom and conflict prevention, civil society and good government – representative of the connection between the media and cooperative development.

Objective
Students will acquire the knowledge and skills that are essential for a journalistic career. They will be able to meet specific occupational requirements with expertise and communicative independence.
The Master’s Program trains students – personally and professionally – to be competent journalists and prepare them for a challenging role as expert or manager in the media sector.

Target Group
The program is targeted at students from around the world that want to work in a position of responsibility in journalism or the communications sector. It especially addresses journalists-in-training, media representatives from radio, TV, online and print and communication experts.
Those interested must have already completed an academic program (bachelor’s or equivalent) and have at least one year of professional media experience.
The program will be bilingual (English and German), whereby English will be the prevalent course language.
Especially targeted at:
• Media representatives from radio, TV, online and print
• Journalists-in-training, especially from electronic media
• Journalists and management from community radio stations
• Communication experts
• NGO employees
• Employees from ministries
• Employees from cooperative development groups and projects
• Representatives from regional working groups and national broadcasters
• Media association representatives
Scholarships
15 Scholarships will be awarded to applicants from Africa, Asia, Latin America or Eastern Europe. The scholarship will be about 750 Euro covering your cost of living and costs for accommodation. The tuition fee and the flight will be remunerated, too. A committee will decide which applicant will receive a scholarship.If you would like to apply for a scholarship, you are required to submit the following documents:
• completed application form (attachment)
• curriculum vitae in table form
• statement of purpose
• academic degree including transcripts
• proof of at least one year's work experience in the field of media after your degree
• proof of English-language skills (TOEFL: score of 550 or higher, IELTS: Score of 6.0 or higher, BULATS: score of 70 or higher, LCCI: level of 3, etc.)
• proof of German-language skills (TestDaF level TDN 3 or DSH level 1)
• one passport-size photograph
• copy of the first two pages of passport
• original Certificate of APS (for applicants from China, Vietnam and Mongolia)
Please note that the copies of the certificates and the translations into German or English need to be certified. Please send your application form to: Deutsche Welle, DW-AKADEMIE, International Media Studies, Dr. Christoph Schmidt, 53110 Bonn, Germany, E-Mail: Barbara.Hiller@dw-world.de
Moreinfo: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,12278,00.html

I have declared this year to be my year of opportunity. I will make this year my own. Grab on to all opportunities handed to me and make the most of it. No more leaving things for later. Or waiting for something better.

Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a floor, upon which one walks as a matter of course and prescriptive right.

Aldous Huxley

A man should have any number of little aims about which he should be conscious and for which he should have names, but he should have neither name for, nor consciousness concerning, the main aim of his life.

Samuel Butler

Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will.

Jawaharal Nehru

Life is like the dice that, falling, still show a different face. So life, though it remains the same, is always presenting different aspects.

Alexis

The geat blessing of mankind are within us and within our reach; but we shut our eyes, and like people in the dark, we fall foul upon the very thing we search for, without finding it.
Seneca
(7 B.C. - 65 A.A.)

Hi everyone!

Merry X-Mass and a prosperous new year from Uganda.:D

"More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginning of all wars -- yes, an end to this brutal, inhuman and thoroughly impractical method of settling the differences between governments."
-- Franklin D. Roosevelt.

" Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow."