DREAM OF NUCLEAR-WEAPON-FREE WORLD CAN BE REALIZED, SAYS BAN

Despite the continued presence of thousands of nuclear weapons in global arsenals, it is possible to achieve the goal of ridding the world of this deadly scourge, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a gathering in the Japanese city of Nagasaki.

"A world without nuclear weapons may be distant, but it is no longer just a dream," Mr. Ban said in a message to the Seventh General Conference of Mayors for Peace. "I look forward to continuing to work with governments and global citizens to realize this shared vision."

Mr. Ban lauded the important work done by Mayors for Peace, which has helped to inform millions of people around the world about the catastrophic effects of the 1945 nuclear attacks. The initiative has also raised public awareness about the dangers that cities, in particular, would face if these destructive weapons were ever used again.

"I am grateful for your advocacy because I share your vision of a world free of nuclear weapons," stated the Secretary-General. "While we remain far from this goal, that is no reason to despair."

He recalled the five-point plan he launched last October containing "practical and realistic" steps the international community can take to make the vision of a nuclear-weapon-free world a reality.

The plan begins with a call for the parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to pursue negotiations on nuclear disarmament, either through a new convention or through a series of mutually reinforcing instruments backed by a credible system of verification.

More recently, on 13 June, the Secretary-General launched the "WMD-WeMustDisarm" multimedia campaign, kicking off a 100-day countdown to next month's observance of the International Day of Peace, which this year focuses on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

In the lead-up to the International Day, observed annually on 21 September, Mr. Ban and others will raise awareness of the need to eliminate nuclear weapons by issuing a daily message, via Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, email and radio, urging the world to disarm.

In a message for the WMD campaign, the UN chief noted that despite the carnage wrought when atomic bombs rained down on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 64 years ago, thousands of nuclear weapons remain in global arsenals.

"We must disarm to save lives," he said. "We must disarm so that we can redirect precious resources to health, education and development."
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MICROSOFT AIDS UN REFUGEE AGENCY BY MATCHING DONATIONS MADE ON FACEBOOK

The technology company Microsoft has pledged to match dollar for dollar, up to $50,000, every donation to the United Nations refugee agency made on social networking site Facebook.

The campaign, launched to help mark World Refugee Day on 20 June, has already received pledges of more than $10,000, to be matched by Microsoft, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Donations can be made through Facebook's Causes section, directly to the agency's "Gimme Shelter" programme, which seeks "to deliver the stark message that more than 34 million people of concern to UNHCR are fighting every day for shelter…"

The Gimme Shelter campaign is also supported by short films directed by American actor Ben Affleck set to the Rolling Stones' track "Gimme Shelter" – donated by Mick Jagger.

UNHCR's Claudia Gisiger-Gonzalez said the Facebook campaign "will help users double their donation, or effectively make a donation simply by joining the Gimme Shelter cause."

The theme for this year's World Refugee Day is "Real People, Real Needs." Worldwide events to mark the day include light shows, film screenings, photography exhibitions, lectures, panel discussions, food bazaars, fashion shows, cultural performances, concerts and sports contests.
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UNDER UN SCHEME, FACEBOOK USERS CAN LEND REFUGEES A HAND

Thanks to a partnership with the United Nations refugee agency, the over two million users of the popular social networking website Facebook can now lend a hand to uprooted people around the world in need of shelter.

Under a new virtual charity scheme, Facebook users can purchase "gifts" for 16 non-profit organizations, including the "Gimme Shelter" campaign of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Under the scheme to benefit refugees in Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Sudan, a virtual UNHCR tent is $10, while a "Gimme Shelter" token is $5.

"If 20 friends buy a virtual tent, they will raise enough funds for a refugee family to live in a real tent," said Claudia Gonzalez-Gisiger, UNHCR's Senior External Relations Officer. "That's the power of online social networking."

The agency's "Gimme Shelter" campaign is based on a short film of the same name by Academy Award winners Ben Affleck and John Toll. Shot in the DRC's volatile North Kivu province, it highlights the suffering and hopes of civilians forced from their homes by conflict.
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