News about grants, gifts
Aviva Canada, provider of home, auto, leisure/lifestyle and business insurance, announced the 15 grand prize winners of the $1,000,000 Aviva Community Fund.
On December 8th, a humanitarian coalition comprised of Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc., the Li Ka Shing Foundation and Okeanos, in partnership with The Oceanic Preservation Society and Obscura Digital, and under the auspices of the World Bank Group‘s Connect4Climate initiative, presented a gift of contemporary public art entitled “Fiat Lux: Illuminating our Common Home” to Pope Francis on the opening day of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
IKEA Canada will offer support for refugee families settling in Canada through donations of IKEA home furnishings. In response to the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis and Canada’s commitment to welcome 25,000 refugees by the end of February 2016, the company will invite requests for support from Canadian registered charitable organizations that have a mandate to support newcomers to Canada.
Mothers2mothers (m2m) won $10,000 from the Skoll Foundation for the Giving Tower Holiday Challenge, bringing the total prize winnings to at least $35,000.
In response to the growing need for humanitarian aid and relief for Syrian refugees, the Intact Foundation has donated $100,000 to UNICEF Canada to support displaced youth remaining overseas. The Foundation will also be donating $75,000 to immigrant employment centres across Canada.
News about people, groups
VIA Rail Canada joined 65 members of the International Union of Railways (UIC), in Paris in committing to take strong action to support international goals to limit climate change by reducing its carbon footprint and supporting a shift toward more sustainable transport. The UIC represents the worldwide community of railway operators and infrastructure managers.
Khristopher Carlson, senior researcher at the Small Arms Survey, presented on the impact of the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons on poaching in Africa at an Arria-formula meeting of the UN Security Council. The meeting is co-hosted by the Permanent Missions of the UN of Lithuania and Angola in New York.
The Vodafone Foundation, in partnership with NASSCOM Foundation, hosted the Winners Announcement and Social App Exhibition at the Mobile for Goods Awards 2015. The Keynote Address was given by Shri J. S. Deepak, Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information, Technology, Government of India, and the Inaugural Address was given by Mr. Sunil Sood, MD & CEO, Vodafone India.
On December 7th, Earth To Paris brought together experts, advocates, and CEOs to discuss climate change, how we can stop and reverse its effects using creative and impactful solutions to inspire bold, meaningful action for people and the planet. The program was broadcast live in all 6 UN languages.
The Disney Conservation Fund announced its 2015 “Disney Conservation Heroes” to honor people whose efforts help to save wildlife, protect habitats, and educate communities. Rosabel Miro, Executive Director of Panama Audubon Society (BirdLife in Panama) is one of this year’s Heroes.
Dr. David Hik of the University of Alberta has been appointed to the Science Advisory Panel of the Alberta Environmental Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting Agency.
Animal Defenders International has launched a new appeal and website to secure funds for the lifetime care of 33 lions rescued from travelling circuses in Colombia and Peru. The lions will be flown by a specially chartered Boeing 747 to Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Limpopo province, South Africa, where they will live in huge natural bush enclosures.
Democracy Reporting International celebrates 10 years of supporting democracy by meeting in Berlin to discuss how to scale up their impact. This was followed by a special debate on the future of democracy at Humboldt University with former German Justice minister Herta Däubler-Gmelin and political scientist and activist Gesine Schwan.
On December 15th, winners of the Sport Media Pearl Awards in sport journalism were recognized for their work. The search committee was led by the Association of International Sports Press and included a study of more than 700 international submissions across a range of categories. Italian footballer Alessandro Del Piero, NBA star Yao Ming, and Olympic Gold Medallist Jonathan Edwards attended.
News about opportunities, initiatives
Target will partner with UNICEF to sell Kid Power Bands to help kids save lives by getting active. The more kids move, the more points they earn, which in turn unlock therapeutic food packets for severely malnourished children around the world.
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