3 March

• UNESCO official named ‘International Higher Education Professional of the Year’
  Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic of UNESCO’s Division of Higher Education received the ‘International Higher Education Professional of the Year’ award from the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) on 28 January. The award was signed by 21 leading personalities from the higher education community. “It is great honour for UNESCO and for me personally”, said Ms Uvalic-Trumbic, who is chief of UNESCO’s Section for Reform, Innovation and Quality Assurance.
  More information: http://www.unesco.org/en/education/dynamic-content-single-view/news/unesco_official_named_international_higher_education_professional_
  of_the_year/back/9195/cHash/d756b5fbd7/

2 March

• Théâtre de Quat’sous / FABG. Quebec (Canada)
  Théâtre de Quat’sous was established in 1963 by a group of actors under the direction of Paul Buissonneau. Together they bought a synagogue located on Avenue des Pins in Montréal and transformed it into a small theater that never ceased to present daring productions from young creators including the mythical psychedelic happening “Osstidcho” in may 1968. Serious problems related to the security and comfort of the users combined with the need for production spaces led to the decision to demolish and rebuild Théâtre de Quat’sous on it’s actual site after many feasibility studies demonstrated the impossibility to renovate the crumbling wood and brick structure built in 1907 as three row houses.
  More information: http://www.archdaily.com/50039/theatre-de-quat’sous-fabg/

• King Abdullah II House of Culture & Art / Zaha Hadid Architects (Jordan)
  The new King Abdullah II House of Culture & Art in Jordan designed by Zaha Hadid Architects has been announced this week. The project comes after a competition awarded in June 2008, which included Snøhetta (Norway), Atelier Christian de Portzamparc (France), Delugan Meissl (Austria), Henning Larsens Tegnestue (Denmark) and Kerry Hill Architects (Singapore). The project consists in a performing arts and cultural centre that includes a 1600-seat concert theatre, 400-seat theatre, educational centre, rehearsal rooms, and galleries. As you can see on the renderings, the building is mainly a carved volume, with voids crossing it creating several visual relations. On the outside, the volume looks very simple, contrasting with the carved spaces that express themselves on the facade.
  More information: http://www.archdaily.com/51018/king-abdullah-ii-house-of-culture-art-zaha-hadid-architects/

• Steven Holl Architects selected to design new Arts Building for University of Iowa
  Steven Holl Architects in collaboration with BNIM Architects, has won the commission for the new art studio facility for the University of Iowa (UI) Arts campus. The new building is to replace an original arts building from 1936, which was heavily damaged during a flood of the University of Iowa campus in June 2008. The proposed site is directly adjacent to and northwest of the Art Building West, designed by Steven Holl Architects, which since its opening in 2006 has received numerous awards, including the AIA 2007 Institute Honor Award for Architecture.
  More information: http://www.archdaily.com/51316/steven-holl-architects-selected-to-design-new-arts-building-for-university-of-iowa/

• History - International Women’s Day: Looking Back
  International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women. In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. In adopting its resolution, the General Assembly recognized the role of women in peace efforts and development and urged an end to discrimination and an increase of support for women’s full and equal participation.
  More information: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/history.html

• Essen in Germany, Istanbul in Turkey and Pécs in Hungary are the 2010 European Capitals of Culture
  Cultural events will be held throughout the year to highlight and showcase the attractions the cities have to offer.
  • Essen has chosen the banner of RUHR2010 for the year ahead and have planned a variety of events to show that “Essen and the Ruhr area don’t breathe dust anymore but the future. RUHR.2010 visualizes the transformation of the former mining region. It makes the future touchable with new ways of arts and culture around unconventional locations. It is a cultural capital for everybody and by all.” (MEP Jens Geier).
  • As Istanbul, Turkey, is hoping to establish itself as a firm candidate for European Union membership, this is a great opportunity to showcase what’s on offer. “British Liberal Member Andrew Duff MEP remarked: There is no better place to get a sense of Europe’s rich history than Istanbul. Only Rom compares. Today Istanbul is Turkey’s critical test-bed. The great city points the way forwards towards a multicultural, liberal and more prosperous future”
  • Pécs in Hungary is the third capital of culture in 2010. “Hungarian EPP member Ádám Kósa said of Pécs ‘it is a traditionally multi-racial city and it has a university with more than 30, 000 students. Everyone living here, or staying here for a while brings their own culture along, which creates the unique spirit of the city. As the slogan says, Pécs is a borderless city.’”

  More information: http://europedirectleeds.org.uk/?p=2027

• EU study on "Map and analyse existing websites in Europe"
  The objectives of this study are to map and analyse existing websites in Europe which are used as a means for exchange of information and debate on culture, artistic expression and as a space for an exchange of opinions on the European project, with a view to proposing recommendations on how to enhance the use of the internet as a means of information exchange and debate at the European level on cross-sector issues in the field of culture and artistic expression.
  The study was carried out for the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (European Commission DG Education and Culture) coordinated by empirica with the partners P.A.U. Education and and IBK Remscheid. Support has been provided through National Correspondents from the ENIR network and age-culture.net.
  More information: http://www.culturemap.net/

1 March

• Teatro Castro Alves refurbishment / Estudio America. Salvador (Brazil)
  Brazilian architects Estudio America won a competition in Salvador for the refurbishment and expansion of the Castro Alves Theatre.
  The project attends the proposition to intervene in so-called three levels: REQUALIFICATION, REALLOCATION and ADDITION. A strict chronogram, divided in steps, will be followed for the retrofit, focused on maintaining the NTCA functioning during the construction, having as a warranty its feasibility and the proposition for future partnerships. The architectural party was created with two strategies in mind: the preservation of the existing volume and the construction of a new evolving topography – an extension of the city’s territory – organizing the flows from the main accesses and the communicability of its functions. An extension of the level of city’s public circulation is created through a plaque that intercepts the existing theater volume and enlarges it on a suspended garden. The negative spaces are occupied, thus giving strength to the idea of creating a cover that generates shadow. The physical and functional permeability between the existing and proposed buildings make them one organism with separated systems: the technical one, which articulates the existing and proposed functional spaces; and the public one, which guarantees a flow through the exhibition galleries to the visitors.
  More information: http://www.archdaily.com/51093/teatro-castro-alves-refurbishment-estudio-america/

• Learning the new Chinese Painting (On-line Course)
  New China, the online portal for the Chinese Language and Culture, offers visitors an online course on Chinese painting. This course, which is mainly aimed at beginners, consists of two main parts. The first introductory part (“Before we begin”) introduces the necessary tools we need to have as well as the correct way of holding the art paintbrush. The texts included in this introductory part belong to the sinophile poet Jean de la Pagode.
  Hold the paintbrush between your thumb and your forefinger.
  The heart finger in action controls pressure,
  The ring finger, on the contrary, helps keep the balance
  The little finger gives you hold and support.
  An honest paintbrush tip
  calls for a good grip.
  Paint or Write, as you prefer,
  but don’t you ever get apart from your paintbrush.
  The second part of the course is made up of 19 units that depict those animal models that should be reproduced. Among other things, the ladybird, the bee, the shark, the Panda bear...Each unit is illustrated in a way that it allows the user to exercise his/her skills step by step. A simple and fascinating learning method. The First book of this course is the only one you can find online; it is expected that other models (landscapes, flours, bamboo) will be available soon. This course is aimed at everyone, both teenagers and adults who wish to familiarize themselves with the painting techniques that have mesmerized the entire world and that aid in the projection of the Chinese culture.
  More information in French: http://www.chine-nouvelle.com/methode/peinture

• Cultural tourism (on-line) Management
  Managing an organization calls for an approach that best suits the organization, due to the idiosyncrasy of the products or services that are offered, the individuals who make it work and work for it, and finally, because of the reasons that drive clients to make use of its products and services. This course approaches the tensions and paradoxes that link tourism and culture. The study of cultural tourism in this course will be carried out considering the offer and demand of cultural and touristic products while dealing with the main actors involved.
  More information in French: http://www.cursus.edu/?module=directory&action=getMod&subMod=PROD&uid=8064

26 February

• River Banks as a Space for Civic Integration. 22-23 March 2010, Gdansk (Poland)
  can rivers make us more creative?
  can we bring our creativity back to the rivers?
  we believe we can
  Want your river to be an exciting, inspiring, and unique experience? Well, that’s not necessarily easy, but possible. You can change your river and let it change you.
  Rivers are often regarded as simply means of transport, or – at best – a space for water sports. But they are also powerful and symbolic icons for connecting people and ideas across regions and national borders. They are the land’s blood system that can both join and sometimes divide people. They are THE PLACE that may connect many important fields in the city: environment, architecture, city planning, transport, but also arts, culture, cultural tourism, and education. The River//Cities Platform is a partnership between cultural, environmental and political initiatives which work in their cities to interact with and develop their rivers or waterfronts as cultural spaces. Vienna (Austria), Rijeka (Croatia), Berlin (Germany), Budapest (Hungary), Dublin (Ireland), Venice (Italy), Skopje (Macedonia), Gdansk and Warsaw (Poland), Lisbon (Portugal), Stockholm (Sweden), London (United Kingdom).
  More information: http://www.river-cities.net/news.php

• High-level discussions on decentralization policies (Uganda)
  The seminar on “Decentralization: overcoming challenges, achieving success” organized by IIEP, 10-12 February 2010 in Uganda, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports, was a very fruitful event. The seminar focused on the roles of and challenges faced by District Education Offices (DEO) in a context of decentralization, based on the results of research carried out by IIEP and its partners in 2009 in Kenya, Lesotho and Uganda. Discussions took place on key issues:
  • quality monitoring,
  • financial and staff management at DEO level, and
  • relationships with central and district authorities.

  All participants agreed on a set of resolutions and policy suggestions to improve the effectiveness of the DEO in a context of decentralization. The main conclusion was that for decentralization to be successfully implemented, the DEOs need to become more pro-active and think more strategically. Their autonomy in certain decisions, related for instance to the use of funds or staff development, may need to be strengthened and their involvement in local and national policymaking must be promoted.
  More information: http://www.iiep.unesco.org/news/single-view/hash/e14a7ab06f.html?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=246&tx_ttnews[backPid]=262

23 February

• 2010, International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures launched at UNESCO, Paris (France)
  The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova today launched the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures with the establishment of the High Panel on Peace and Dialogue among Cultures. “This day marks the beginning of an intellectual journey throughout which we will reflect on ways to trace new perspectives for peace in the 21st Century,” declared the Director-General. Meeting for the first time in Paris this morning, the international panel comprises prominent political, intellectual and religious personalities from all regions of the world. Its members have been asked to reflect on and reinvent the construction of peace founded on justice, respect for human rights, gender equality and solidarity in the context of globalization, and the challenges its poses, such as climate change, management of resources and ethical and economic issues, to which we must respond by consistently using the strength and impact of dialogue.
  More information: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/2010_international_year_for_the_rapprochement_of_cultures_
  launched_at_unesco_exchange_and_dialo/back/18256/

• Sci-Park Maribor / SADAR + VUGA - Maribor (Slovenia)
  Designed by SADAR + VUGA, the Sci-Park Maribor scientific park is founded by the University of Maribor and is to occupy a section of a degraded former industrial area of Tezno at the south fringe of the city. Six individual buildings with a combined 30.000 m2 total floor area will be constructed on a 80.000 m2 site in several phases. These buildings, together with a shared parking garage, form ‘garden islands’ that accommodate irregular shapes of the site’s border; the way these islands are arranged on the site creates different ambients of open urban areas among them.
  More information: http://www.archdaily.com/50258/sci-park-maribor-sadar-vuga/

• (in Italian) I nuovi orientamenti del turismo culturale alla Borsa Internazionale del Turismo
  Il turismo torna ad essere protagonista con l’apertura della Borsa Internazionale del Turismo (BIT), una delle più importanti manifestazioni del settore, che ogni anno offre un’ampia panoramica del mondo dei viaggi e delle vacanze. Una delle novità di questa trentesima edizione, che si tiene dal 18 al 21 febbraio presso gli spazi della Fiera di Milano, è la partecipazione del Ministero per i beni e le attività culturali, che ha accettato l’invito del Ministero del Turismo con cui condivide lo stand istituzionale e gli incontri congressuali.
  More information: http://www.tafter.it/2010/02/17/i-nuovi-orientamenti-del-turismo-culturale-alla-borsa-internazionale-del-turismo/

Online Publication: The Unfinished Story of Women & the United Nations
By Hilkka Pietilä
Published in January 2007 by UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS)
This book covers more than eighty-five years of history between women and inter-governmental organizations. Unrecorded by history and untold by the media, this book recalls the success story of women and the League of Nations and describes the unfolding history of women at the United Nations for the advancement and empowerment of women, especially in the 30 years since the First UN World Conference on Women in Mexico City in 1975, and up to the ten-year review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2005…

This book tells the story of how the United Nations has become a womenfriendly global institution in spite of being a forum of governments, the great majority of which until lately has reflected primarily the visions and aspirations of men. Through the strenuous and skilful diplomacy and struggles of women over the decades, women’s aspirations and visions have been brought to the forefront of the international agenda and have resulted in declarations, covenants and programmes for the advancement and empowerment of women, which go beyond existing legislation and policies in most of the UN Member States.
http://www.un-ngls.org/orf/pdf/UnfinishedStory.pdf