Musicians across the world stand in solidarity on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day #ConcertForAHealthyPlanet

-          Celebrating solidarity and kindness amongst all and our planet

-          Over 40+ musicians from 6 countries, 13 cities, including 5 Grammy® Award Winners

New Delhi, April 22, 2020: On Earth Day, 5 Grammy® Award-Winners led by UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP)’s, #KindnessMatters for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)campaign ambassador, Ricky Kej, and an ensemble of stellar musicians came together for a one-of-a-kind online #ConcertForAHealthyPlanet: Ricky Kej LIVE at One Page Spotlight. The musicians collaborated to promote the message of “solidarity”during the Covid-19 and performed from their respective homes to encourage #StayHome and #StaySafe.

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, thousands of people from around the world joined the #ConcertForAHealthyPlanet to support togetherness, solidarity and kindness for our planet. The Concert was deferred-live to the world over the internet and the official music video of the #KindnessMatters Anthem --- "Shine Your Light", was launched by Ricky Kej with performances in 13 cities of 6 countries, including- India, USA, Canada, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Switzerland. The #KindnessAnthem is an energetic, upbeat song, filled with positivityand has a central theme of “Kindness to Everyone”. The anthem is about showcasing simple acts kindness in our everyday lives, and how these acts can help solve our problems. The Anthem was developed for the #KindnessMatters Global Campaign, which has thus far received over 7,300 stories from people in more than 140 countries.

Speaking about the #ConcertForAHealthyPlanet,Prof. Dr. Anantha Duraiappah, Director UNESCO MGIEP said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the global community closer and made us realise that collectively we can make a difference for humanity and our planet. Thus, it is imperative for us to empower youth, promote their actions to preserve the environment, thereby strengthening a culture of tolerance and respect, supported by kindness. This concert is a perfect example of our belief in#KindnessMatters. UNESCO MGIEP is proud to be joined by dozens of musicians in this concert to celebrate the power of kindness, togetherness and most importantly physical distance with social connect.Remember, kindness is contagious and does wonders for our flourishing and for the planet.”

Talking about the concert and its relevance, UNESCO MGIEP’s #KindnessAmbassador and Grammy Winner, Ricky Kejsaid, “Given the current situation, an online concert is the best way for musicians to express ourselves. I am honored and humbled to collaborate with such accomplished musicians from around the world, this is truly a global musical experience. All the musicians have performed from their own homes to encourage #StayHomeStaySafe. I am also excited to have released my new song "Shine Your Light", the official anthem for UNESCO MGIEP's #KindnessMatters Campaign.”

UNESCO MGIEP joined forced withWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Earth Day Network and One Page Spotlight to put together a virtual #ConcertForHealthyPlanetin collaboration with accomplished musicians from around the world

Link to the official #KindnessMatters video is available here: #KindnessMatters Anthem

The concert featured performances by some of the biggest names in music such as Ricky Kej  - Grammy® Winner and internationally renowned Indian music composer (India), Lonnie Park - Grammy® nominee (USA), Wouter Kellerman - Grammy® winning South African flutist (joined from Australia), IP Singh - lead vocalist of the band ‘Fardikot’ (India), Mzansi Youth Choir - globally recognised finest show choir (S. Africa) and Laura Dickinson -  Grammy® Winner and popular voice actress in Hollywood (USA) among others.

About UNESCO MGIEP:

The UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) is UNESCO’s Category One Research Institute that focuses on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 4.7 towards education for building peaceful and sustainable societies across the world. In line with its vision of ‘Transforming Education for Humanity’, the institute’s programmes are designed to mainstream Social and Emotional Learning in education systems, innovate digital pedagogies and to put youth as global citizens at the center of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development. For more information, please visit the website.

About the #KindnessMatters for the SDGs Campaign:

The world today is home to 1.8 billion young people - the largest generation of youth in history. Any discussion of Agenda 2030 is futile if the youth is kept on the sidelines. In spite of their sheer size and inspiring work on the ground, young men and women continue to be marginalized. To inspire social change through the power of kindness, there is a need to provide agency to the 1.8 billion people of the world - the youth. UNESCO MGIEP’s #KindnessMatters Campaign aims to mobilize young people to carry out transformative acts of kindness to tackle the SDGs and create a positive culture of kindness. The purpose of this Campaign is to mobilise the world's youth to achieve the 17 SDGs through transformative acts of Kindness.

To be a part of the #KindnessMatters Global Campaign, submit your act of kindness here

On the occasion of Earth Day, actress Deeksha Joshi shows her creativity as she shares a poignant doodle based on Mother Earth!

This New Book Released on Earth Day Offers Measures People Can Take to Combat Climate Change

April 24, 2019

Hyderabad, India - In an eye-opening new anthology, Climate Abandoned: We’re on The Endangered Species List, Hari Krishna Nibanupudi with twenty-two additional authors mince no words about our Earth’s future. There isn’t much time left. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that the “planet has only until 2030 to stem catastrophic climate change.” The United Nations Secretary General called climate change a “direct existential threat.” We must act with constructive outrage now.

In Climate Abandoned, published on International Mother Earth Day, 2019, scientists and environmental experts discuss the sad realities, causes and after effects of the climate crisis’ interconnected issues. They shed light on the greenhouse effect, declining biodiversity, warming oceans, ice, ideology vs. science, energy, corporations, national security, children, health, religion, zombie myths, sports and other urgent topics.

Climate Abandoned is not a scientific terminology full of jargon and buzzwords. Rather, it is written for readers who want to know more about the interdependent issues of the climate crisis and what constructive activities they may implement. At the end of each chapter, practical tips are suggested for what the reader can keep doing, stop doing, and start doing to combat climate change and make better choices for the future, such as:

•    Keep in mind that your vote counts. Vote for those who have genuinely committed themselves to address the myriad climate crisis challenges ahead.

•    Keep enjoying the natural world so that your connection to it is not severed.

•    Stop thinking that climate change is a done deal and that the crisis is beyond our control.

•     Stop allowing misinformation, disinformation, and ignorance to persevere and spread.

•    Start investing in clean energy, and assure that your stocks and pension funds are invested in renewable energy sources and not in dinosaur sludge.

•    Start believing in yourself and your ability to be a leader in your community, county, state and federal governments.

PRAISE FOR CLIMATE ABANDONED

"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. Since the survival of humankind depends on awareness and action on climate change, Climate Abandoned is must

read for everyone concerned about these issues.” — Robert Swan, Founder of the 2041 Foundation and the first person to walk to the South and North Poles

“The diverse, thoughtful voices in Climate Abandoned are urgently calling readers to step off the sidelines and act now for a just, sustainable future for generations to come. This book captures passion." — John de Graaf, author of Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic, filmmaker, and environmentalist

ABOUT Hari Krishna Nibanupudi

Hari Krishna Nibanupudi is a senior disaster risk reduction and climate change specialist with over two decades of experience of working with communities, developing programs, advocating policies, building capacities and fostering regional cooperation. He helmed senior managerial and technical portfolios in South Asia, South East Asia and Africa with several International organizations such as Oxfam, World Bank Institute, International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), etc.

Mr. Krishna’s strategic as well as creative contributions in climate and disaster resilience have been recognized globally with honours. He was given Mary Fran Myers (MFM) scholarship award for disaster resilience contributions in 2013. “Resilient Tacloban” a short film scripted and produced by Mr. Krishna received best foreign short film award at Texas short films festival in 2016 and his blog article on Resilience in Dignity and Self-Worth published by Reuters won first prize in a competition conducted by Asian Cities Climate Change Reduction Network (ACCRN). As a researcher and author, he has published over three dozen of articles, papers and blogs on wide range of Issues such as natural resource management, disaster resilience, gender, climate change, sustainable development, etc. He has recently co-edited and published a Springer book volume titled Mountain Hazards and Disaster Risk Reduction.

AVAILABILITY: Hyderabad, India, available nationwide by appointment

THE REGION’S FIRST SINGLE-USE PLASTIC FREE FLIGHT BY ETIHAD AIRWAYS TOUCHES DOWN IN BRISBANE ON EARTH DAY

          

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is the first airline in the region to operate a flight without any single-use plastics on board, in a bid to raise awareness of the effects of plastic pollution. Flight EY484 landed in Brisbane on 22 April – Earth Day.   

The milestone flight is part of Etihad’s ongoing commitment to the environment, to go beyond Earth Day celebrations, and pledge to reduce single-use plastic usage by 80 per cent not just in-flight, but across the entire organisation by the end of 2022.

Etihad identified over 95 single-use plastic products are used across its aircraft cabins.  Once removed from the Earth Day flight, Etihad prevented over 50 kilograms of plastics from being landfilled.

Guests on board enjoyed replacement products including sustainable amenity kits, award-winning eco-thread blankets made out of recycled plastic bottles, tablet toothpaste and edible coffee cups while children were treated to eco-plush toys.

As a result of planning the Earth Day flight, Etihad additionally committed to remove up to 20 per cent of the single-use plastic items on board by 1 June 2019. By the end of this year, Etihad will have removed 100 tonnes of single-use plastics from its inflight service.