In a world first this year, one of the local Maori tribes in the country’s North Island won a 140-year-old battle for recognition of their river as an ancestor. The new status for the Whanganui River – the country’s third-largest – now means if it is harmed in any way, for example, degradation of its waters, the new law will consider the harm inflicted on the river the same as it would a real person.
Continue reading... →Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is the first man to receive the Women’s Leadership Award in recognition of his efforts to promote gender equality at the Global Summit of Women in Istanbul, Turkey. In this address, Mr. Ban said, “Women who have fought for gender equality know that the battle does not end there. The battle does not end until there is no discrimination, against any human being, on any grounds. The battle does not end until all people can enjoy a life of dignity.”
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