Anwar El Amir

Anwar Al Amir is a talented and famous singer. His notoriety is large in the Middle East and he is beginning to get quite a following in North America where he is currently performing a series of live concerts. He is well known for his hit single Shtatillo which features prominently in the club scene of Europe and the Middle East. Growing up in Lebanon, Anwar understands the importance of striving for unity. His music is one way that he fulfills this in his personal life. Because of his upbringing and the values he lives by, Anwar supports Nations United and has agreed to take part in a joint promotion with Nations United.

Thexyz Network

Thexyz Network is an online advertising and social network platform. Nations United team member Perry Toone designed and currently runs the network. Perry Toone has done a lot of work for Nations United in the areas of information technology and web design and development. The popular and dynamic www.nationsunited.org website is run through Thexyz Network and is regularly updated and maintained by Perry. Aside from Nations United, Perry runs several international businesses in the fields of design, illustration, advertising and internet solutions. His clients include Ben E. King, Skywater Property Management Inc, and House of Cards greeting card line. Through Thexyz Network Perry manages campaigns for well known international brands such as Audible, Laura Ashley, eMusic, GoDaddy, CanAm Entertainment, and Apra.

On Thexyz Network, ads are published throughout the targetable network and beyond. Thexyz Network builds sustainable relationships with all their publishers and provides a tailored suite of web services and tools to ensure every website operating within the network is meeting certain growth guidelines. By creating simple easy to use web communities Thexyz Network is helping businesses and organizations embrace and unleash the power of the web.

Visit Thexyz for more details

Heart & Music

Inspired by a song of the same name from William Finn’s musical “A New Brain”, HEART & MUSIC is dedicated to raising money to support innovative ovarian cancer research. Net proceeds from this event will benefit the TEAL HEART Scholarship Fund at Ovarian Cancer Canada established by Dr. Darrin Bast as a tribute to his mother, Jackie. Diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2007, she is still with us today because of scientific advancements made each year in the areas of prevention, early detection and treatment.

The TEAL HEART Scholarship and Awards at Ovarian Cancer Canada will enhance the training and education of Canadian graduate students researching cures for ovarian cancer. With your help, events like HEART & MUSIC help fund this very necessary research. In 2009, we raised more than $13,000 for the fund and our first recipients are Raquel De Souza, University of Toronto, Jaeline Spowart, Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer Agency, and Rohann Correa, University of Western Ontario. In 2010, it appears that we have more than doubled last years contribution to the scholarship fund, and the HEART & MUSIC event has been compared to some of the largest and most successful events in the city of Toronto.

Nations United has attended and supported the HEART & MUSIC event since its launch in 2009. The 2010 HEART & MUSIC event boasted a long list of great performers including Alana Bridgewater, Blake McGrath, Jesse Labelle, Ma-Anne Dionisio, Stephen Carrasco, and Eastminster United Choir.

The HEART & MUSIC event was the dream of Darrin Bast. Darrin grew up in rural Ontario but later moved to Toronto where he became widely known, widely admired and widely accepted as a leader in his field of scientific research. With HEART & MUSIC, Darrin is fulfilling a dream, a mission if you like, to pay back to the community that has helped his Mom struggle with ovarian cancer. Darrin would like to thank all of the people involved, the volunteers, the sponsors, and the donators in making this event come to fruition. He would likewise encourage others to give back in a similar fashion whether it be in a much smaller or a much grander manner.

For general enquires or sponsorship details, please visit The HEART & MUSIC

Girls & Football SA

Founded in March of 2010, Girls & Football SA is a young, energetic initiative run by a team of 13 young female volunteers from all over the world who are impassioned by female empowerment, football, and education, and who believe that every girl has the right to play. Focusing on achieving sustainable change, this team enlists the help of community leaders and engages with professional athletes, teachers, coaches, and the media to expand the playing field for girls. With the help of their partners, Girls & Football SA have created a series of workshops in which girls aged 10-12 years old can play, gain confidence, self-esteem and body ownership. Furthermore, by providing girls with a platform to have fun and gain confidence through football programs in rural communities, and by implementing educational workshops and information sessions, several of the Millennium Development Goals are achieved including gender equality (3rd MDG), universal education (2nd MDG), and combatting HIV and other diseases (6th MDG). During one of these workshops, the girls participating had the chance to meet their idols, the players of the South African National Women’s Team, Banyana Banyana.

By establishing teams of girls in various regions in South Africa, Girls & Football SA create the necessary infrastructure for continued female sports participation. The United Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) has noted that sport contributes to the development of participants and to the society as a whole. The unique capacity of sport to promote gender equality and empower women should not be underestimated. By supporting and promoting female football players, greater levels of acceptance and inclusiveness are attained in an arena which is traditionally male dominated. By investing in girls, the entire community benefits.

Girls & Football SA have also devised promotional campaign material to link communities to strong female role models (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LHEO8RgC9o) who raise awareness about the importance of women’s sports. Through various channels, media outlets, and a documentary called “Can I Kick It?”, Girls & Football SA report on sport and social issues. By doing so, their audience includes not only girls, but also all those who are involved in the process of global equality.

To donate please visit the Girls & Football SA website and click “donate.” This brings you to the Girls & Football SA PayPal account.

Child Well-being Fund Ukraine

The All-Ukrainian Charity ‘Child Well-being Fund Ukraine’ has been working in Ukraine since 1997. For the period of its existence, Child Well-being Fund Ukraine has become one of the leaders in the sphere of developing and implementing innovative programs aimed at improving the educational potential of families, and mobilizing community resources to ensure the best interests of the child. The Fund’s mission is to ensure positive changes towards creating an encouraging environment in which the full potential of every child in Ukraine is ensured. The Fund’s main goal is the development and implementation of innovations into social work, community mobilization and the development of partnerships to improve the living conditions of children and families.

Activities:
Building up the capacity of communities to decrease poverty, to protect rights, and to address child, youth and family related issues.
Creating opportunities for people to have better control over their own health and the health of their children.
Enhancing parenting skills in Ukrainian families.
Implementing the principles and regulations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Since beginning in 1997, the Fund has implemented more than 50 international projects .These projects are aimed at solving social problems, improving the living conditions of children, and enhancing the quality of social services for children and families through the implementation of effective, scientifically-grounded technologies. These projects have resulted in an improvement of civil society for children and families.

The Fund is one of the first Non Governmental Organizations to become partnered with state institutions in the training of specialists – social workers and social pedagogues -who work with children. The specialists of the Fund have prepared more than 150 publications including teaching manuals, methodological materials, training modules, board games, and official extension course programs for the social sphere. These methodological materials and manuals issued by the Fund are recommended by both the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and the State Social Service for Family, Children and Youth.

Youssef Haddad

Nations United is proud to support Youssef Haddad – an established actor from Lebanon who supports the goal of unity between nations. He has appeared on numerous television series’ and films throughout the Middle East where he enjoys a celebrity status. He is currently starring in a television talk show on OTV – a local Beirut channel which featured the Nations United team during their trip to Lebanon. A true humanitarian, Youssef has spoken on many occasions about the poor conditions of refugees. It was through this humanitarian sensibility that he came into contact with Nations United, and he has remained a close friend to the team. While the Nations United team was in Lebanon, he met with them and discussed the state of affairs and possibilities for future projects. There will be some exciting and surprising collaborations between Youssef and Nations United in the coming months and years.

Women’s Humanitarian Organization (PALWHO)

Nations United is proud to feature the Women’s Humanitarian Organization (PALWHO) this month. An non-governmental organization working out of palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, the PALWHO strive to create better conditions for refugee women, children and the elderly in Lebanon through a number of programs that include education through tutoring, vocational training and workshop programs. PALWHO is also involved the reduction of health problems by integrating care programs into society through fun activities such as sports, outdoor trips, fitness programs and more. This month Nations United would like to recognize the great work done by this organization and encourage everyone to learn more about them by visiting their web site. Chaker Khazaal is working closely with PALWHO through his role as director of Freedom International for Nations United (FINU). He is acting spokesperson for their organization and provides valuable business mentoring and services and also helps them to find crucial funding. Jeffrey Barry, director of Artists United for Nations United (AINU) is working with PALWHO in Lebanon providing film training for the NU film initiative.

Dr. Albert Haddad

Dr. Albert Haddad is a board certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon.  He is also a Fellow of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and Diplomate of the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology. Dr. Albert received his Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD) at Université Laval in Quebec City in 1999. He subsequently completed a one year General Practice Residency at the Toronto General Hospital, University Health Networks in Toronto (1999-2000). Presently, he has completed his clinical training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Anesthesia at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, He completed his  Masters in Science component studying the effects of bone substitutes for cranial vault reconstructions. Dr. Haddad has published numerous articles and presented his research at several conferences worldwide, including the International Association for Dental Research in Nice, France (1998) and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Orlando, Florida (2003). Dr. Albert participated in ‘Dreams… all around you’, an event benefiting Nations United, held in Toronto on August 10, 2010 and his generous contribution allowed the success of the event and the support of young talents worldwide.  Dr. Albert has been an active member and supporter of Youth of Malawi, a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children in Malawi, Africa.

Dr. Philip M. Haddad

Dr. Philip M Haddad is a board certified prosthodontist who provides the full scope of cosmetic, functional and dental implant-supported rehabilitions. Dr. Haddad has a special interest in esthetic and reconstructive prosthodontics. Dr. Philip M. Haddad earned his D.M.D. at the Université Laval in Quebec City in 1998. Upon graduation, he completed a one year General Practice Residency at the Toronto General Hospital, followed by graduate prosthodontic training at the University of Toronto, earning his M.Sc. in 2007. He has been involved in continuing education in implant dentistry and complexe prosthodontic treatment planning.  He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. Dr. Philip has been an active member and supporter of the Youth of Malawi, a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children in Malawi, Africa.