This dynamic event will bring together academics, activists and businesspeople from diverse countries with the purpose to:

1. Further explore the concept of Planetary Well-being, building on previous research and initiatives.

2. Evaluate progress on our contributions towards Planetary health and well-being for all people, the greater community of life and future generations

3. Identify and share examples of policies, decisions and actions countries generated over the past 30 years that have contributed to Planetary Well-being and consider what can be learnt from it.

4. Share examples from Costa Rica that have been contributing to Planetary Well-being in different realms.

5. Expand our consciousness, understanding and vision on the importance of Planetary Well-being and to consider the implications of that to education.

6. Network and forge collaboration towards further developing ways to evaluate and measure our contributions to Planetary Well-being.

Click here to register!

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You can find more information relevant to the conference in the following links:

Conference Brochure
Preliminary Agenda 1 and 2 December
Preliminary List of Speakers
Post-Conference Field Trip Options – 3 December 2022

Click here for more information.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Earth Charter International Team

– Español –

Acompañenos en Costa Rica para nuestra Conferencia sobre Bienestar Planetario
(1 – 2 de diciembre 2022)
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Le invitamos a que nos acompañe y se registre a la Conferencia que estamos organizando titulada “Poniendo el bienestar planetario en el centro: un llamado para convertir nuestra conciencia en acción” que se llevará a cabo el 1 y 2 de diciembre del 2022, en nuestro Centro de Educación de la Carta de la Tierra, ubicado en el campus de la Universidad para la Paz. Estamos organizando este evento especial como parte de nuestra Cátedra UNESCO sobre Educación para el Desarrollo Sostenible con la Carta de la Tierra. Puede registrarse aquí.
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Esta conferencia reunirá a académicos, empresarios y personas de la sociedad civil de diversos países, con el propósito de estimular el debate y la colaboración sobre el tema de nuestras contribuciones al Bienestar Planetario con los siguientes objetivos:

1. Explorar más a fondo el concepto de Bienestar Planetario, basándose en investigaciones e iniciativas anteriores.
2. Evaluar el progreso de nuestras contribuciones hacia la salud y el bienestar planetario para la gran comunidad de vida y las generaciones futuras.
3. Identificar y compartir ejemplos de políticas, decisiones y acciones generadas por los países durante los últimos 30 años que han contribuido al Bienestar Planetario y considerar qué se puede aprender de ello.
4. Compartir ejemplos de Costa Rica que han estado contribuyendo al Bienestar Planetario en diferentes ámbitos.
5. Expandir nuestra conciencia, comprensión y visión sobre la importancia del Bienestar Planetario y considerar las implicaciones de eso para la educación.
6. Establecer redes y forjar colaboración para seguir desarrollando formas de evaluar y medir nuestras contribuciones al bienestar planetario.

Registrese Aqui!

Encuentre más información sobre este evento en los siguientes enlaces:

Brochure de la conferencia
Agenda preliminar de la conferencia
Lista preliminar de ponentes
Opciones de giras después de la Conferencia

Puede encontrar más información al respecto haciendo clic aquí.

¡Esperamos contar con su presencia!

Equipo Carta de la Tierra Internacional

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The post Join us in Costa Rica for our Conference: Putting Planetary Well-being at the Core (1 – 2 December 2022) appeared first on Good News!.

The international traveler who once saw the world for 49 days from the vantage point of a cargo freighter, was born and raised in Philadelphia. She relocated to Costa Rica 30 years ago.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell, Homer has published her poetry and been interviewed on several podcasts, including that of Lisa Davis’s regional NPR program, Talk Healthy Today.

She has lived in Costa Rica for the past three decades, where she has taught languages and worked as a translator. For several years she penned a regularly published column, Local Color, for the English-language weekly, The Tico Times.

Homer is the author of three other books: Letters From The Pacific: 49 Days on a Cargo Ship, Journey to the Joie de Vivre, and The Magnificent Dr. Wao.

For more information, please consult her blog, www.writingfromtheheart.net

#sandra #shaw #homer #memoir #evelio’s #garden #evelio #environmental #activist #author #adventurer #survivor #incest #depression #copd #cornell #costa #rica #philly #letters #pacific #cargo #ship #journey #joie #de #vivre #magnificent #wao #writingfromtheheart

The post Sandra Shaw Homer, shares an engaging memoir, Evelio’s Garden appeared first on Good News!.

If you need a quick refresher, the Blue Zones are the five areas of the world that have the longest-living and healthiest populations: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California. It was found that they had nine things in common, including the way they eat, despite being in completely different geographical locations and cultures.

While a lot of their longevity success comes down to where and how they live, there are some key dietary takeaways that can be applied to an American lifestyle without too much work. In a seminar hosted by the Global Wellness Summit, Dan Buettner, a journalist and expert on Blue Zones, shared some of his top longevity nutrition tips gleaned from years of researching how these communities live. Here are the main takeaways:

1. They drink wine after 5 p.m., ideally with friends and a meal
This one may be a little tricky to pull off during quarantine—both the “having meals with friends” part and the “waiting until 5 p.m. to have wine” part. “There’s plenty of evidence in Blue Zones that a couple glasses a day, especially with friends and with a meal… probably lowers your mortality,” Buettner says. (In fact, four out of the five Blue Zones communities drink alcohol in moderation as part of their lifestyle.)

There are a few potential reasons for this: wine is rich in antioxidants, has some anti-inflammatory properties, and has been linked with a reduced risk of heart disease, Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, previously told Well+Good. (This is Sardinia’s red wine of choice, just FYI.) However, if you’re not drinking now, this doesn’t mean you should start; if you choose to imbibe, do it the Blue Zones way.

2. They eat mostly plant based foods…
Yup, even Blue Zones folks are on the plant-based train—and have been for generations. “They’re eating 90 to 100 percent plant-based food beyond a shadow of a doubt,” Buettner says. A plant-based diet has been shown to be good for your heart, your gut, and your brain—not to mention, plant-based foods like veggies and grains have less of a carbon footprint than meat and dairy.

3. …including plenty of carbs
Justice for carbs! Buettner says that people living in Blue Zones typically consume about 65 percent of their daily calories in the form of carbs. Which makes sense: the macronutrient typically comes paired with lots of fiber (great for gut health) along with vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function at its best.

But it’s important to remember that not all carbs are created equal, and people in Blue Zones are getting this macronutrient mostly from sources like grains, greens, tubers, nuts, and beans. (Read: Not the super processed stuff.) There’s one carb that beats all the rest: beans. “The longevity all-star food is beans,” Buettner says. “So if you’re eating about a cup of beans a day, it’s probably worth an extra four years of the life expectancy.”

4. They enjoy meat on occasion
Meat is considered a celebratory food in the Blue Zones, Buettner says, and is typically only eaten about five times per month. People in these communities typically stick to “a portion no bigger than the size of the deck of cards,” he adds, which translates to about three ounces. This makes sense—while meat is a great source of protein, B vitamins, and bioavailable iron, too much of it is also associated with cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and other health issues. And studies have shown that higher intakes of meat in both men and women are associated with higher cancer and all-cause mortality rates.

Like the wine tip, you don’t have to start eating meat if you don’t currently do so, but if you are a meat eater, know that a bit is totally fine from a longevity perspective. To take it a step further, here’s how to make the healthiest and most sustainable choices when you do eat meat.

5. They stick to water, coffee, and wine
These are beverage choices I can fully get behind. Buettner says people in Blue Zones drink six glasses of water a day, plus coffee in the morning and a glass of wine with dinner. Missing: sugary beverages like soda, which have been shown to negatively impact your health.

6. They practice modified forms of intermittent fasting
But no, that doesn’t mean they’re dieters. Rather, Buettner says that people in Blue Zones communities typically eat in ways that are similar to what we could call intermittent fasting. “They breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper, and they tend to eat all their calories in an eight hour window, leaving 16 hours for their digestive systems to rest,” Buettner says. Basically, their largest meal is breakfast, their smallest one is dinner, and they don’t eat late into the night. (And it comes with lots of potential longevity-related benefits.) However, this is not an eating plan for everyone, especially if you are recovering from an illness, pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive, or have a history of eating disorders.

https://apple.news/A_LQmTT8dRme2-r9vnx701A

The post The 6 Golden Rules of Eating for Longevity, According to the Longest-Living People on Earth appeared first on Good News!.

By Terri Hirsch

The 36-floor luxury Waldorf Astoria Panama located just 15-minutes from Tocumen International Airport (PTY) offered us a personalized hospitality experience. Our very own concierge made our appointments for private car arrangements, tours and enticing dining experiences. Nearby attractions included the Panama Canal (5 miles), the financial district with restaurants and bars just steps away and a world-class championship golf facility designed by architect Jeffrey Myers – 5-minutes away on the east bank of the Panama Canal.

Our morning excursion started with a visit to the Panama Canal Miraflores Locks, the first locks of the Canal coming from the Pacific Ocean, considered to be one of the world’s most acclaimed engineering marvels. We observed the movements of the ships in the locks and learned about the Panama Canal operations as we toured the Canal Museum. The museum photos included people at work in the early 20th century, the bridges and ships in transit and prints illustrating the history of the Panama Canal.

The next day we embarked on our Gateway to Adventure at the Shelter Bay Marina in Colon, Panama as we boarded the 32-cabin Mega-Yacht Variety Voyager. The Voyager would take us through the Panama Canal, crossing the Gatun, San Pedro and Miraflores Locks to Punta Patino, Darien, Panama and Coiba Island, Panama before continuing to Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio National Park in Quepos and Curu and Tortuga before reaching Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

The ship was outfitted with oversized cabins, large windows, a spa and fitness equipment, a glass-enclosed dining room and a sundeck. Day-by-day shore excursions were led by an on-board naturalist who guided us through tropical rain forests, natural parks and wildlife up-close. Beach picnics with swimming and snorkeling and a thrilling zip-line where you soar through the canopy of rainforest treetops were also on our program. There would be Zodiac wet and dry landings – towels and bottled water were given to us as we left the ship.

The Variety Voyager set sail to Punta Patino in Darien, Panama, a nature reserve in the San Miguel Bay, where the ship anchored overnight near the Punta Patino Reserve. After breakfast we stepped into dugout canoes (flat bottom boats) for sightseeing through the Mogue River and then continued upstream to the settlement homes of the Embera Indians. We were welcomed by the sound of local instruments and a group of villagers in colorful traditional costumes. They showed us their homes perched on tops of silts, performed traditional dances and shared traditional food before returning to the ship for our early afternoon sailing to Coiba Island.

Coiba Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest island in Central America. Once we arrived on the beach our naturalist led us to a location where we could towel off the sand and mud and put our shoes on. We were now ready to explore and started to walk up the San Juan Hill (1400 feet above sea level). Not only did we see monkeys, eagles, macaws and birds, but we had a spectacular view of the cove where we landed. Returning to the Coiba Beach area we were joined by our hotel manager and the barbeque team for lunch. There was free time for swimming and snorkeling with turtles and other species of fish including sharks and sting-rays. The waves had picked up on our return to the ship and one actually went over the zodiac and drenched us. Late in the afternoon we left Panama and sailed to Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica.

The Voyager arrived the following morning for immigration procedures at Golfo Dulce, Costa Rice before continuing to Casa Orquideas Botanical Gardens, one of the oldest and most interesting botanical gardens. Casa Orquideas has been planted and cultivated by Ron and Trudy McAllister. Arriving at the gardens our naturalist guided us through hundreds of different species of tropical plants such as palms, heliconias, orchids, exotic fruit trees. We discovered an exotic world of ornamental wild and edible plants and were able to smell and taste exotic fruits most of us never heard of before. Afterwards, the ship set sail across the Bay of Puerto Jimenez while having a deck barbeque and arrived in the afternoon at the Osa Peninsula Reserve.

Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula offered us some of the best birding on the Pacific Coast of Central America. The trail, part of the Corcovado National Park, was mostly flat and shaded. We had a chance to see numerous birds including one of the most beautiful birds in the world – the scarlet macaws. Scarlets are primarily a vivid red with bright yellow and blue edging on their wings. Returning to the ship for dinner, the Voyages continued sailing overnight to Quepos, Costa Rica.

Buses were waiting for us in Quepos after our zodiac transfer. The Manuel Antonio National Park is considered to be one of the most beautiful parks in Costa Rica. Our local guides and naturalists led us through trails abounded with wildlife citing iguanas, sloths, red squirrel, white-faced and howler monkeys. Manuel Antonio had one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica – a half mile long with white sand bordered by deep green mangroves and palms. There was time for shopping, swimming and snorkeling. We returned to the Voyager for lunch and by mid-afternoon we were on our zipline canapy tour of rainforest tops.

Curu Hacienda and National Wildlife Refuge is located on the southern Nicoya Peninsula of northwestern Costa Rica, Central America. Once we arrived on the beach our naturalist led us to a location where we could put our shoes on and get ready to explore. This area was teaming with abundant wildlife, such as white-faced monkeys, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, scarlet macaws, white-tailed deer and hundreds of species of tropical and migratory birds. On the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridge the sounds of rare bird species can be heard and seen.

In the afternoon the Variety Voyager sailed to Tortuga Island for a barbeque at Tortuga Beach with swimming, snorkeling and time to explore the island before the ship sailed during the night to Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where we said goodbye to this dream vacation.

The post Gateway to Adventure appeared first on Good News!.

The 144 citizenship candidates originate from the following 52 countries: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kosovo, Liberia, Mexico, Montenegro, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Serbia, Russia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, St. Kitts-Nevis, The Gambia, Togo, Turkey, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam and Yemen. Of those naturalizing, two are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

This year, USCIS will welcome more than 10,000 new citizens in nearly 130 naturalization ceremonies between Nov. 7 and 13. Of those being naturalized, more than 250 are veterans, service members and military spouses. USCIS is asking new citizens and their families and friends to share the experience and photos at their ceremonies via Twitter using the hashtag #newUScitizen.

WHO:
USCIS New York District Director Phyllis Coven

WHEN:

Friday, November 13, 9 a.m. (media will be escorted in starting at 8:30 a.m.)
WHERE:
USCIS NY District Office
26 Federal Plaza (please use the entrance on Duane Street between Broadway and Lafayette)

CONTACT:
Katie Tichacek, USCIS Public Affairs Officer, 212-264-5098, 202-420-9581 (cell) katherine.tichacek@uscis.dhs.gov

NOTE:
Media interested in participating, please RSVP to Katie Tichacek (contact info above) no later than 9:00 am EST on November 13.

– USCIS –

News Release Nov. 9, 2015

USCIS Will Host Naturalization Ceremonies to Honor Veterans and their Families

WASHINGTON—Veterans, service members and military spouses across the country will become U.S. citizens this week as they take the Oath of Allegiance at special Veterans Day naturalization ceremonies. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will highlight the sacrifices that military members and their families have made while serving our country. From Nov. 7-13, USCIS will welcome more than 10,000 new citizens in nearly 130 naturalization ceremonies across the country and around the world. Of those being naturalized, more than 255 are veterans, service members and military spouses.

Many current and former military members and their families are eligible for citizenship, including expedited screening and overseas processing, under special provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Since Oct. 1, 2001, when data collection on military naturalizations began, more than 109,000 service members have become U.S. citizens, including individuals serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, Germany, Japan and elsewhere. In 2015 alone, USCIS hosted nearly 175 naturalization ceremonies at military installations in the U.S. and abroad.

“On Veterans Day, we salute the men and women who have so courageously served our country and defended the freedoms that it was built upon. Among our brave veterans are thousands of immigrants, many of whom vowed to defend their new home even before they were citizens,” USCIS Director León Rodríguez said. “It is because of their extraordinary sacrifices, and those of their families, that we can enjoy the rights and liberties of living in this great country.”

USCIS has a robust military outreach program that provides information about immigration and naturalization to service members and veterans at military installations, Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, universities and various military organizations. USCIS also has offices on multiple military installations, including Fort Benning, Georgia; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. These offices identify recruits who may be eligible for naturalization.

USCIS’ Veterans Day activities this year will feature a naturalization ceremony at the USS Torsk and USS Constellation, located at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, on Nov. 11. During this event, Dan Renaud, USCIS associate director for the Field Operations Directorate, will administer the Oath of Allegiance, and Sgt. Maj. Mercy A. Diez of the U.S. Army Band will be recognized as an Outstanding American by Choice.

Other ceremonies include events at:
· American Heroes Air Show in Orlando, Florida, on Nov. 7.
· Cullman Performance Hall of Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina, on Nov. 11.
· Joint Base Lewis McChord in Seattle, Washington, on Nov. 13.

In addition, 12 recruits will become new citizens at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California, through the Naturalization at Basic Training Initiative. Developed with the Department of Defense, this program allows enlisted service members to complete the naturalization process during basic training.

USCIS invites new citizens, and their families and friends, to share their experiences from the ceremonies through Twitter and other social media using the hashtag #newUScitizen.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook(/uscis), and the USCIS blog The Beacon.

– USCIS –

The post USCIS to Welcome 144 New Citizens… appeared first on Good News!.

When Oscar Arias became President of Costa Rica in 1986 many countries in Latin America were at war because of external interference and internal conflicts. In the Esquipulas II Peace Agreement, Costa Rica saw national reconciliation, an end to hostilities, democratization, free elections, resettlement of refugees and negotiations on arms control in all Central American countries. Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize. They were the first country to abolish the death penalty and their army! They have a Minister of Peace! Today with the help of the Rasur Foundation’s Rita Marie Johnson and the U.N. University of Peace Director Nancy Marin, Santa Ana, Costa Rica joins our ICP Association of cities showing the way forward. Please welcome them!

The post SANTA ANA, COSTA RICA BECOMES THE 74th INTERNATIONAL CITY OF PEACE appeared first on Good News!.

One of the most beloved travel personalities from the NatGeo channel, Julia Dimon. Even better we did this on a boat! We are going to be doing a live remote with her from the deck of the cruise line in Los Angeles to talk about tips on cruising and how to travel with kids when on one.
Overall 2012 Cruise Trends
Planning the trip
•    Plan to stay at a nearby hotel the night before departure to minimize the stress and risk of missing the ship due to travel delays.  Be sure to choose a hotel that has free transfers to the pier as well.
•    Think about whom you are traveling with and the amenities you will use the most when picking your cabin. On larger ships, make sure stay close to stairwells and elevators, as it can be a long walk to everything.
•    If you’re traveling to the Caribbean or Bahamas, pick a cruise that has a visit to a cruise line’s private island. The private island stops are often cruisers’ favorite parts of the trip.
Traveling with children
•    Select a cabin on the deck close by to the kid’s program area and the pool.
•    Make sure to take advantage of the child programs so you and your spouse can enjoy an adult evening (or two) out at one of the specialty restaurants.
•    If you have small children and are not carrying on luggage, pack a carry-on with sunscreen and bathing suits, as several hours can pass between checking in and the arrival of luggage.
Cruising in a group
•    If you are traveling with more than 3 guests, think twice before you try to fit everyone into one cabin. You may be able to find a combination of two cabin categories that still fit within your budget and deliver a much better experience.
Onboard
•    If you plan to dine in any of the alternative dining restaurants, book in advance if possible, or as soon as you get onboard – same goes for spa appointments and shore excursions. Consider the ship times in port when making reservations too. Sea days are the toughest to get reservations for anything, so book those first. Some cruise lines offer discounts on services on the days the ship is in port.

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