Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

Over the summer I was approached to see if I was interested in speaking at the International World Conference “Sport and the Environment – Changing Today for a Better Tomorrow” (October 20 th to November 1 st ) organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  I felt very privileged to have been approached to speak on a platform with HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco ( who I had the pleasure to meet at the Monaco Oceans Workshop for Rio+20), Ms Claudia Bokel IOC Member, Vladimir Lukin President of the Paralympic Committee of Russia and Sonali Prasad a youth reporter.   The conference looks amazing and will have plenary sessions on: Beyond the Sporting Message: A Collective Vision for Sustainable Development Legacies of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Bid for Sustainable Development   Showcasing Innovation through the IOC Sport and Environment Award   The Environmental Sustainability Matrix ...

Will we get the first Liberal saint? Republished blog from my Friend David Boyle Some weeks have gone by since the strange news that the Roman Catholic Church is thinking of canonising G. K. Chesterton, author of ‘The Rolling English Road’ and other ditties. It felt like a silly season story, but the time has gone by and it still seems to be true. I’m sure it won’t happen. Chesterton was an early critic of Hitler, naming him for what he was before most of the commentariat, but his fatal admiration for Franco and Mussolini probably puts him beyond sainthood these days. These issues were more complicated then than they seem now. Much of the staff of  G.K’s Weekly , Chesterton’s newspaper in the 1930s, were followers of Mosley largely – it seems to me – because of the element of romanticism that Mosley retained when other political parties lost it. But here is the irony. Chesterton was a committed Liberal for the first half of his life, falling out with the party over t...

The summer has been a great time to start filling out what the agenda for the Nexus 2014: Climate-Water-Food-Energy Conference (3-7th March in Chapel Hill North Carolina). We have our first confirmed speaker the Adnan Amin the Executive Director of the International Renewable Energy Authority (IRENA). For those who do not know Adnan he has made considerable contribution to sustainable development over a career that has seen him direct UNEPs New York operations, head the secretariat for the UN Secretary Generals’ High Level Panel on System Wide Coherence which was one of the most successful Panels of the last two years and head the secretariat for the UN Secretary Generals Chief Executive Board (UN Cabinet). “In an increasingly resource-constrained world, there is a compelling case for decision makers to consider the interconnections between water, energy, food and climate – the Nexus. The nexus perspective increases the understanding of these interdepende...

Press Note: Congratulations to Peter Capaldi  the new doctor keep the seat warm for me Special early episode of  'Days of Future Past': The “unofficial” first Doctor Who new adventure after regeneration for the thirteenth Doctor: Part 3: The Corporation Part 3: The Corporation As the group of friends flew towards The Far Island back at the castle the Professor was dealing with the guards that had let the Doctor and his friends escape. “There is no excuse,” said the Professor “ you are to work in the mines.” They were taken away leaving the secretary and the Professor alone. “You weren't behind the escape were you?” The secretary looked calm and looked the Professor in his eyes and said. “No I wasn't behind there escape but I can not say I am unhappy the Doctor helped this planet and Alexander when we needed friends.” The Professors face got redder and redder then he exploded. “Don’t think you can’t be sent to the mines as well. You may be us...

68 th session of the General Assembly Overview of events with opportunities for civil society participation around its opening week The following events during the High Level Week of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly are intended to substantively contribute to shaping the post-2015 development agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals. Major groups of Civil society and other stakeholders will have an opportunity to engage in the inter-governmental processes, with limited access, as well as in a series of UN and/or civil society led events that will be open to all NGOs.  Participation details for each of these inter-related events are provided below. In addition, governments and/or civil society are convening side events for which dates and venues will be confirmed by late August. A provisional list of relevant side events can be accessed here:   http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/proposed-side-events-2013-special-event.pdf Friday 20 Septemb...