GLOBALink | Eyes on Hainan: International brands celebrate Chinese New Year with fresh products
As millions across China prepare to mark the Lunar New Year, did you know that international brands also celebrate "tu"? Take a look at some of the limited-edition products released to welcome the Year of the Rabbit on sale at the duty-free stores in Hainan, south China.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
2023 Winter session: the legal and human rights aspects of Russia's aggression against Ukraine
An urgent debate* on the legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, with the participation of Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, will be among the highlights of the Winter plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), to be held in Strasbourg from 23 to 27 January 2023.
#OnTheRoadToReykjavik, a report on the fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe, to be held in the Icelandic capital on 16 and 17 May, will present PACE's proposals.
There will also be addresses by the Prime Minister of Iceland Katrin Jakobsdóttir and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić will present her communication to PACE members. The Assembly will also elect its President and Vice-Presidents.
Combating violence against women will also be a focus of the session, with a first debate on conflict-related sexual violence, and a second joint debate on the Istanbul Convention, on the role and responsibility of men and boys in stopping gender-based violence against women and girls, and on finding solutions for marital captivity.
Other topics on the agenda include the environmental impact of armed conflict, Daesh foreign fighters and their families returning from Syria and elsewhere, and the ethical, cultural and educational challenges of contact tracing applications.
* The Assembly will decide its final agenda at the opening of the session.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili sets out on a working visit to the Republic of Armenia
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, accompanied by a delegation, has departed on a working visit to the Republic of Armenia.
"We Are ONE!" Ethiopian Youths Raise Voices at the Global Peace Workshop
On January 5, International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) held a Youth Empowerment Peace Workshop(YEPW) at CPU Business and Information Technology College, Ethiopia where 80 youths from various ethnic groups gathered together to solve and harmonize conflict issues. IPYG‘s Youth Empowerment Peace Workshop (YEPW) is a worldwide workshop aiming at protecting peace and youth human rights by driving solutions to social problems through free discussion of creative ideas. Participants tried to come up with a way to resolve ethnic conflicts in Ethiopia through the event.
At the group session they discussed about "What are the challenges for making Ethiopia One?”, “When do you feel Ethiopian are united as one?” and “How can we gather all the ethnic groups to become One ?” to reaffirm the importance of becoming one transcending racial differences and plan activities to achieve it.
Mr. Yonas Berhanu Mamo, Founder and Executive Director of Live for Generation, emphasized a respect and togetherness for becoming one, “Who respects himself respects others. If you have respect for yourself, your culture, your nationality, your religion, respect others without discrimination. Let us all be united in the name of humanity and togetherness.”
On the last question, groups gave presentations on event plans. Mr. Bethlehem Kumela, Member of Eshet Children and Youth Development Organization (ECYDO), said that it was urgent to admit diversity and understand each other to achieve peace. Furthermore, he shared plans to hold a citizen training and a project for the ‘Substance Abuse Prevention among Youth and Amplifying Youth Voice for Peace Building and Co-existence.’
To commemorate “One Ethiopian nation”, the participants finished the event by hand-stamping the Ethiopian flag. The participants agreed and promised their coalescence on propounded future activities with IPYG for his/her own country. The event organizer IPYG is joined by 959 organizations in 119 countries.
At the end of the event, participants chanted "We are ONE!" to take commemorative photos and attendees assented to continuing to carry out peace plans in the spirit of not giving up in and outside of Ethiopia. As an extension of the day, attendees will discuss practical activities through post-feedback and various meetings. In March, a workshop will be held to brief the results of the action plan shared.
