Day: May 5, 2022

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Triggerise and Elton John AIDS Foundation Partner to Expand Mental Health Care for Youth in Kenya

The new partnership will make mental health screenings and services accessible to thousands of young people in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Triggerise is pleased to announce a new partnership with Elton John AIDS Foundation to empower young people in Kenya to take control of their mental and physical health. The $1 million grant from Elton John AIDS Foundation will ensure all Triggerise associated clinics in Mombasa, Kenya provide mental health screening and services, ranging from individual and group counselling to trauma-based care, over the next three years. These crucial mental health offerings will be fully integrated with Triggerise’s pre-existing sexual and reproductive health services (SRH) for young people between the ages of 15 and 24.

The partnership is also ensuring pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and antiretroviral therapy (ART) services are a part of Triggerise’s established offerings in Mombasa, as seamless access to SRH is crucial for this age group. Triggerise will, for the first time, work across both its existing private sector network of clinics and expand its platform coverage to include public sector clinics providing HIV services, as it is essential to support young people who test positive for HIV throughout their care journey. They will then be enrolled onto Triggerise’s mobile-powered platform, connecting them to appropriate services at no cost. The platform will anonymously track their HIV care journey with the goal of keeping them on treatment and accessing services. The Triggerise platform also allows for youth feedback on service experience so improvements can be made to meet young people’s ever-evolving needs.

“We are honoured to partner on this important initiative with Elton John AIDS Foundation,” said Richard Matikanya, Chief Operating Officer of Triggerise. “The timing of this investment is particularly exciting, as the growing mental health burden among young people in their diversity – particularly those living with HIV – has largely been overlooked. Our partnership will allow us to contribute to the evidence base on how to ensure that young people have access to mental health services that respond to their needs on their terms.”

“The Elton John AIDS Foundation is very excited to have the opportunity to partner with the innovative team at Triggerise to expand its existing programme for young people to include services to support their mental health,” said Anne Aslett, Chief Executive Officer of Elton John AIDS Foundation. “We know that mental health and physical health are syndemic and therefore critical to address simultaneously.”

“Triggerise’s easy-to-use youth centric platform has the potential to reach underserved, and often discriminated against young people, many of whom are LGBTQ+,” says Dr. Lindsay Hayden, who leads the young people portfolio at Elton John AIDS Foundation. “We’re eager to empower them with the information, support and services they need to live holistically healthy lives.”

About The Elton John AIDS Foundation:

The Elton John AIDS Foundation was established in 1992 and is one of the leading independent AIDS organisations in the world. The Foundation’s mission is simple: an end to the AIDS epidemic. The Elton John AIDS Foundation is committed to overcome the stigma, discrimination and neglect that keeps us from ending AIDS. With the mobilisation of our network of generous supporters and partners, we fund local experts across four continents to challenge discrimination, prevent infections and provide treatment as well as influencing governments to end AIDS. www.eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org

About Triggerise:

We use data-driven insights to positively disrupt delivery of health and wellness services. By fusing tech and behavioural economics, we motivate people to adopt and maintain positive behaviours.

Let’s connect for change. Find us here: www.triggerise.org

Media Contact: Mary Pavlu, mary.pavlu@eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org

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Cellebrite to Showcase Advanced Access as a Service at the Techno Security & Digital Forensics Conference

The availability of Cellebrite’s advanced access capability as a cloud-based service is intended to enable a broader base of law enforcement agencies to benefit from the most cutting-edge technology

PETAH TIKVA, Israel and TYSONS CORNER, Va., May 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cellebrite DI Ltd. (NASDAQ: CLBT), a global leader in Digital Intelligence (DI) solutions for the public and private sectors, today announced the upcoming release of the SaaS-based version of Cellebrite Premium. Cellebrite Premium is an industry leading advanced access solution, providing unlock and extract capabilities for most iOS as well as the leading Android devices. The new offering, which is part of Cellebrite’s industry-leading DI suite of Solutions, will be previewed at the upcoming Techno Security & Digital Forensics Conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from May 9th to May 12th, 2022.

The solution aims to allow law enforcement agencies to benefit from flexible licensing options and reduce ongoing hardware and maintenance costs. In addition, the SaaS-based version of Premium aims to provide agencies immediate access to the most up-to-date capabilities, allowing more law enforcement organizations to decentralize device access and data collection efforts as they work to expedite digital investigations and reduce case backlogs.

Ronnen Armon, Cellebrite’s Chief Products & Technologies Officer, commented: “Law enforcement agencies of all sizes should have access to solutions that can help them combat continuously growing digital evidence challenges. We are committed to addressing our customer needs in the face of the ever-growing quantity, variety, and complexity of digital evidence, and enabling a flexible consumption of our most advanced capability is our latest innovation to achieve this goal. We look forward to continuing to partner with our customers to enable them to protect and save lives, accelerate justice, and preserve privacy in communities around the world.”

For more information on Cellebrite Premium, please visit https://cellebrite.com/en/premium/

About Cellebrite
Cellebrite’s (NASDAQ: CLBT) mission is to enable its customers to protect and save lives, accelerate justice, and preserve privacy in communities around the world. We are a global leader in Digital Intelligence solutions for the public and private sectors, empowering organizations in mastering the complexities of legally sanctioned digital investigations by streamlining intelligence processes. Trusted by thousands of leading agencies and companies worldwide, Cellebrite’s Digital Intelligence platform and solutions transform how customers collect, review, analyze and manage data in legally sanctioned investigations. To learn more visit us at www.cellebrite.com, https://investors.cellebrite.com, or follow us on Twitter at @Cellebrite.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This document includes “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “forecast,” “intend,” “seek,” “target,” “anticipate,” “will,” “appear,” “approximate,” “foresee,” “might,” “possible,” “potential,” “believe,” “could,” “predict,” “should,” “could,” “continue,” “expect,” “estimate,” “may,” “plan,” “outlook,” “future” and “project” and other similar expressions that predict, project or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Such forward looking statements include estimated financial information. Such forward looking statements with respect to revenues, earnings, performance, strategies, prospects, and other aspects of Cellebrite’s business are based on current expectations that are subject to risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those indicated by such forward looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: Cellebrite’s ability to keep pace with technological advances and evolving industry standards; Cellebrite’s material dependence on the acceptance of its solutions by law enforcement and government agencies; real or perceived errors, failures, defects or bugs in Cellebrite’s DI solutions; Cellebrite’s failure to maintain the productivity of sales and marketing personnel, including relating to hiring, integrating and retaining personnel; uncertainties regarding the impact of macroeconomic and/or global conditions, including COVID-19 and military actions involving Russia and Ukraine; intense competition in all of Cellebrite’s markets; the inadvertent or deliberate misuse of Cellebrite’s solutions; political and reputational factors related to Cellebrite’s business or operations; risks relating to estimates of market opportunity and forecasts of market growth; Cellebrite’s ability to properly manage its growth; risks associated with Cellebrite’s credit facilities and liquidity; Cellebrite’s reliance on third-party suppliers for certain components, products, or services; challenges associated with large transactions and long sales cycle; risks that Cellebrite’s customers may fail to honor contractual or payment obligations; risks associated with a significant amount of Cellebrite’s business coming from government customers around the world; risks related to Cellebrite’s intellectual property; security vulnerabilities or defects, including cyber-attacks, information technology system breaches, failures or disruptions; the mishandling or perceived mishandling of sensitive or confidential information; the complex and changing regulatory environments relating to Cellebrite’s operations and solutions; the regulatory constraints to which we are subject; risks associated with different corporate governance requirements applicable to Israeli companies and risks associated with being a foreign private issuer and an emerging growth company; market volatility in the price of Cellebrite’s shares; changing tax laws and regulations; risks associated with joint, ventures, partnerships and strategic initiatives; risks associated with Cellebrite’s significant international operations; risks associated with Cellebrite’s failure to comply with anti-corruption, trade compliance, anti-money-laundering and economic sanctions laws and regulations; risks relating to the adequacy of Cellebrite’s existing systems, processes, policies, procedures, internal controls and personnel for Cellebrite’s current and future operations and reporting needs; and other factors, risks and uncertainties set forth in the section titled “Risk Factors” in Cellebrite’s annual report on form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 29, 2022 and in other documents filed by Cellebrite with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which are available free of charge at www.sec.gov. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, in this communication or elsewhere. Cellebrite undertakes no obligation to update its forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

Contacts

Media
Renee Soto
+1 212-433-4606
cellebrite@reevemark.com

Investors
Anat Earon-Heilborn
VP Investor Relations
+972 73 394 8440
investors@cellebrite.com

 

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Pluribus Networks and Tech Data announce partnership in Asia Pacific & Japan

Partnership aims to accelerate customers’ digital & network transformation journeys leveraging the unique Pluribus Unified Cloud Fabric solution

SINGAPORE and SANTA CLARA, CA, USA, May 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tech Data, a TD SYNNEX Company, and Pluribus Networks have today announced a new partnership which will leverage Pluribus Networks’ unique vision of Unified Cloud Networking and their Unified Cloud Fabric™ solution to accelerate the digital and network transformation journey for customers across the Asia Pacific & Japan region.

“With Asia Pacific region’s data center market slated to grow at a CAGR of 6.3 percent during 2022 – 2027 with investments of USD94 billion by 20271, this partnership with Pluribus Networks is timely and perfectly complements our rich data center infrastructure solutions portfolio,” shared Anand Chakravarthy, Head of Business Development for Networking, Tech Data Asia Pacific & Japan. “We are excited to introduce Pluribus Networks’ Unified Cloud Fabric solution and Netvisor ONE networking operating system, which we predict will be game-changers for our data center infrastructure customers and partners.”

“We are delighted to welcome Tech Data to the Pluribus Partners First Program as a distributor and to tap into Tech Data’s vast reach across the Asia Pacific & Japan region’s Channel Partner Community, while also complementing their existing solutions portfolio,” said Nitin Acharekar, Head of APAC Sales, Pluribus Networks. “Both companies are aligned in our vision of incubating and growing disruptive technologies, as well as simplifying the go-to-market for all channel partners in the region.”

The benefits of this new partnership include:

  • Faster time-to-market & enriched datacenter infrastructure offerings for all channel partners
  • Easy access to Pluribus Networks’ uniquely differentiated network solutions
  • Value-added services such as pre and post-sales support to partners and customers

The Pluribus Unified Cloud Fabric solution is a next generation data center fabric that unifies and automates networking and distributed security across switches and servers, overlay and underlay networks and distributed cloud data centers. Based on the principles of open networking, the SDN automated fabric reduces network operations tasks by orders of magnitude, strengthens data center security with microsegmentation and enables pervasive network visibility, all at the lowest total cost of ownership.

To learn more about the Unified Cloud Fabric please visit https://pluribusnetworks.com/products/unified-cloud-fabric/

To learn more about Tech Data’s Modern Data Center offerings, please visit:

https://asia.techdata.com/solutions/data-center-solutions/

1Ariston Advisory & Intelligence, APAC Data Center Market – Industry Outlook & Forecast 2022-  2027, January 2022

About Tech Data

Tech Data, a TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) company, is a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem. We’re an innovative partner helping more than 150,000 customers in 100+ countries to maximize the value of technology investments, demonstrate business outcomes and unlock growth opportunities. Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, and Fremont, California, TD SYNNEX’ 22,000 co-workers are dedicated to uniting compelling IT products, services and solutions from 1,500+ best-in-class technology vendors. Our edge-to-cloud portfolio is anchored in some of the highest-growth technology segments including cloud, cybersecurity, big data/analytics, IoT, mobility and everything as a service. TD SYNNEX is committed to serving customers and communities, and we believe we can have a positive impact on our people and our planet, intentionally acting as a respected corporate citizen. We aspire to be a diverse and inclusive employer of choice for talent across the IT ecosystem. For more information, visit www.TDSYNNEX.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

About Pluribus Networks

Pluribus Networks, the Unified Cloud Networking company, delivers solutions based on the principles of open networking and distributed, controllerless SDN automation. The Linux-based Netvisor® ONE operating system and the Unified Cloud Fabric™ software have been purpose built to deliver radically automated and simplified cloud networking along with superior economics by leveraging white box switches from open networking partners as well as Pluribus’ own Freedom™ Series of switches. The Unified Cloud Fabric is optimized to deliver a modern cloud network fabric across distributed clouds and data center sites with rich services, automated operations, intrinsic security and visibility and no single point of failure. Pluribus is deployed by hundreds of customers, including more than 100 tier one mobile network operators, in mission critical networks around the globe. Visit Pluribus Networks to learn more.

Jason Loo
Tech Data Asia Pacific & Japan
jason.loo@techdata.com

Andy Meltzer
Guyer Group for Pluribus Networks
andy.meltzer@guyergroup.com
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Préparez-vous à devenir viral avec vos créations sonores originales grâce à la nouvelle fonctionnalité #OGSounds de Lomotif

La nouvelle fonctionnalité Original Sound de l’application mondiale de partage de vidéos courtes, Lomotif, permet aux utilisateurs de créer des clips audio originaux et de créer du contenu en remixant également les Original Sounds d’autres utilisateurs

NEW YORK, 5 mai 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Lomotif, une plateforme mondiale de partage de courtes vidéos qui offre une création facile et intuitive, a lancé sa nouvelle fonctionnalité Original Sound à travers sa campagne « #OGSounds – Go viral with your original sound ». Cette nouvelle fonctionnalité Original Sound de Lomotif permettra aux utilisateurs de créer des clips audio originaux et de créer du contenu vidéo en remixant également les Original Sounds (sons originaux) d’autres utilisateurs.

Lomotif est l’endroit où les créateurs de tous les jours peuvent libérer et développer leur potentiel créatif, avec un large éventail d’outils créatifs faciles à utiliser, une variété de chaînes thématiques attrayantes et une communauté active de créateurs de tous les jours partageant les mêmes idées, qui permet aux utilisateurs de s’inspirer mutuellement de leur créativité. En amplifiant la nouvelle fonctionnalité Original Sound de l’application, le défi #OGSounds donne à la communauté de Lomotif l’occasion d’expérimenter la création audio et la collaboration musicale.

Lomotif_Logo

Pour encourager l’exploration et faire appel au côté créatif des utilisateurs, la création Original Sounds ne se limite pas au chant ou aux chansons autoproduites – des sons de l’océan à la poésie parlée, en passant par le miaulement d’un chat – les Original Sounds peuvent être créés par des créateurs du quotifien avec des sons du quotidien. Les utilisateurs peuvent créer leurs propres Original Sounds, d’une durée maximale de 30 secondes, en enregistrant simplement un Lomotif et en le publiant. Si aucun clip musical n’est sélectionné pendant le processus de création à partir du vaste catalogue de musique de Lomotif, un Original Sound est immédiatement créé et attribué à l’utilisateur. D’autres créateurs partageant les mêmes idées peuvent ensuite collaborer en remixant leurs propres Lomotifs à partir de ces Original Sounds créés.

À propos de cette nouvelle fonctionnalité, Paul Yang, PDG de Lomotif, a déclaré : « En tant que foyer pour les créateurs du quotidien avec des utilisateurs internationaux dévoués de pays allant de l’Asie à l’Amérique latine, et de l’Afrique de l’Ouest aux États-Unis, Lomotif a créé cette fonctionnalité Original Sound comme un nouveau moyen pour nos utilisateurs de nourrir leur créativité et de susciter l’inspiration par une collaboration facile. Notre communauté Lomotif partage des contenus vidéo courts et authentiques qui permettent aux autres de s’exprimer librement. Donner à nos utilisateurs la possibilité de créer et d’être accrédités en tant que créateurs d’Original Sounds était une étape naturelle de notre évolution. Nous sommes ravis d’avoir mis en place cette nouvelle fonctionnalité qui va améliorer l’expérience Lomotif et donner plus de pouvoir à nos créateurs. Nous sommes impatients d’assister à la prochaine création de #OGSounds ! »

Découvrez dès aujourd’hui la fonctionnalité Original Sound sur Lomotif. Téléchargez l’application sur https://lomotif.app.link/LomotifOGSounds

À propos de Lomotif

Lomotif est une plateforme de réseau social mondiale de partage de vidéos qui démocratise la création de vidéos. Lomotif, qui accueille les créateurs du quotidien depuis 2014, est l’une des plateformes de réseau social de partage de vidéos à la croissance la plus rapide, avec une communauté sociale de base composée d’utilisateurs dévoués de pays allant de l’Asie à l’Amérique latine, et de l’Afrique de l’Ouest aux États-Unis. Lomotif compte parmi ses partenaires officiels des entreprises comme LiveXLive, Snapchat et Universal Music Group (UMG). Lomotif est détenu majoritairement par ZVV Media Partners, LLC, une coentreprise de ZASH Global Media and Entertainment Corporation et Vinco Ventures, Inc (NASDAQ : BBIG). Téléchargez l’application Lomotif dans les magasins Apple et Google ou visitez le site www.lomotif.com.

Vidéo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1808682/Remixing_OG_Sound___Watermark___English.mp4

Vidéo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1808681/Creating_OG_Sound___Watermark___English.mp4

Logo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1809440/Lomotif_Logo.jpg

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Bahrain condemns terrorist attack on African Union Mission camp in Somalia

Manama, The Kingdom of Bahrain has condemned the terrorist attack that targeted a camp of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in the Shabelle region, southwest of the capital Mogadishu, which resulted in killing and injuring several members of the mission from the Republic of Burundi.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the sincere condolences of the Kingdom and its sympathy to the government and people of the Republic of Burundi and to the families of the victims, and its wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured, stressing its solidarity with the African Union Mission, and its appreciation for its efforts to maintain peace and achieve security and stability in the Federal Republic of Somalia.

It renewed the kingdom’s call for the need to unite the efforts of the international community in combating violence, extremism and terrorism in all their forms, regardless of their motives or justifications.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

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PRESIDENT AOUN CHAIRS MEETING ATTENDED BY MINISTERS BOU HABIB, HAJJAR

Foreign Affairs Minister, Abdullah Bou Habib, asserted that the Lebanese position in the “Supporting Syria and the Region” conference, which will be held in Brussels on the ninth and tenth of May, will be based on the directives of the President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, that Lebanon can no longer tolerate the Syrian exodus on its lands.

“Lebanon does not want help the displaced on its lands. We will take care of ourselves if the displaced Syrians return to their country” Minister Bou Habib said.

The Foreign Minister also stressed that “We will implement the cabinet decision that was taken in the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab in this context, and we want to cooperate with the United Nations, but we must take into account our interest, not that they dictate our interest”.

Minister Bou Habib’s words came while the President chaired a meeting this morning at Baabda Palace, attended by Minister Bou Habib, Minister of Social Affairs Hector El Hajjar and representatives of the government’s presidency, Ambassador Boutros Assaker and Mr. Ziad Mikati.

Minister Salim Jreissati, General Director of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Antoine Choucair, and advisors Raymond Tarabay and Osama Khashab also attended the meeting.

The meeting was devoted to discuss the Lebanese position that will be communicated during the Brussels Conference, which will be held with the participation of representatives of governments, international and regional organizations and civil society organizations.

Statement:

After the meeting, Minister Bou Habib made the following statement:

“We discussed with the President Lebanon’s participation in the Sixth Brussels Conference, which will be held next Monday and Tuesday to help the displaced Syrians in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.

The meetings will be on Monday in the form of seminars and the Minister of Social Affairs will participate in them. On Tuesday, the general meeting will be held and I will be present in it. The European Union and the United Nations are calling for this conference, but due to the disagreement between the two parties because the European Union objected to Russia’s invitation, the United Nations refused to participate in it.

We took the President‘s directives, regarding the Lebanese position, which is that Lebanon can no longer tolerate the Syrian displacement on its lands. We take care of ourselves if the displaced Syrians return to their country. I think that most of the Syrians who go to Syria and return take hard currencies with them, because the Lebanese pound there is a hard currency, these people work and move between the two countries and they should not be here.

We will implement the decision of the Council of Ministers which was taken in the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab in this context. We implement it without cooperating with the United Nations? We no longer want anyone to dictate anything to us. This is the Lebanese position in Brussels”.

Questions & Answers:

Question: Is there an understanding with the Syrian government, especially since the international community was not cooperating with Lebanon in the past in this regard?

Answer: “There is no understanding with the Syrians, but one of their duties is to take people from their country, and there are many Syrians who go to Syria and take money with them because in Syria it is not possible to use the dollar or the Lebanese pound, and the large part of the hard currency goes from Lebanon to there.

This is legal and we do not say it is illegal. We know that the international community, and who is the international community is not Africa, but Europe and the United States, we know that these do not want refugees to migrate to their countries. We are no longer able to prevent them from migrating at sea. We do not have this possibility, so what happened a week ago? We cannot take on a responsibility of this kind again. Will they help us compensate people? We asked the international community last week to give us mechanisms that can go down in the sea to a depth of four hundred meters, and so far we have not received an answer. Does the international community care about Lebanon’s interest? No, Lebanon’s interest concerns the Lebanese, not the international community, which cares about its own interest, and the same applies to Europeans who care about their own interest, as it is more important than Lebanon’s”.

Question: Do you expect any reaction from the international community, and secondly, what do you think of Turkey’s initiative to return about a million Syrians to their country, and can Lebanon not follow Turkey’s example?

Answer: “Lebanon cannot do what Turkey is doing, especially since the latter occupies Syrian lands on which it can build houses. Lebanon cannot do that. Syria does not accept, just as Lebanon does not occupy Syrian territory, and it does not have this kind of hostile relations to some extent with Syria”.

Lebanese Ambassador to UAE:

The President met Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Fouad Dandan, today at Baabda Palace.

Ambassador Dandan briefed President Aoun on the preparations made by the Lebanese Embassy in the UAE to hold the parliamentary elections next Sunday in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, especially since the UAE is the Arab country in which the largest number of voters registered around 25,000 voters.

Moreover, Ambassador Dandan briefed President Aoun on the situation of the Lebanese community in the UAE, in addition to other issues dealing with Lebanese-Emirati relations.

Dandan also presented the communications that accompanied the release of Dr. Richard Kharrat after his arrest in the UAE, where the President praised his efforts and follow-up of Dr. Kharrat’s case since his arrest until his release.

Dr. Kharrat:

The President met Dr. Richard Kharrat, and a delegation from his family.

Dr. Kharrat thanked President Aoun for his interest in addressing the issue of his arrest in the United Arab Emirates on March 30, and the efforts he made to secure his release and return to Lebanon on April 29.

Fitr Feast Congratulations:

President Aoun received additional Eid al-Fitr congratulations.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune stated:

“On the occasion of the blessed Eid al-Fitr, I am pleased to extend to you, on behalf of Algeria, its people and government, and on my own behalf, my warmest congratulations and most sincere fraternal wishes, asking God Almighty to repeat this feast with good health and wellness, and to your brotherly people with more progress and prosperity, and to our Arab and Islamic nation with general good and security and stability.

I pray to the God Almighty to accept the fasting and prayers of the blessed month of Ramadan, and to unite our Arab and Islamic nation after uniting our hearts with faith in God and His Noble Messenger.

I also take this opportunity to renew our keenness on our brotherly relations, and our constant readiness to strengthen them in the service of our two brotherly peoples. Please, Mr. President, and my dear brother, accept my sincere expressions of appreciation and respect”.

Kuwaiti Prince:

Kuwaiti Prince, Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah stated:

“I would like to extend to you my sincere congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, asking God Almighty to repeat this feast to the Arab and Islamic nations with goodness and blessings, and to achieve more progress, development and growth for the Lebanese Republic and its brotherly people, and to perpetuate your Excellency with good health and wellness”.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also sent Fitr congratulatory cables.

Source: National News Agency

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Cameroonian activist wins Wangari Maathai Forest Champions’ Award 2022

Seoul – Activist Cécile Ndjebet, of Cameroon, today won the 2022 Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to preserving forests and improving the lives of people who depend on them.

Presented by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), which is chaired by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the award was conferred at a ceremony during the XV World Forestry Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

“This award celebrates Cécile Ndjebet’s energy and dedication over three decades in promoting women’s rights to land and forests. She has actively shown that women’s participation in forest governance and preservation is fundamental to achieving sustainable forest management,” said FAO Deputy Director-General and CPF Chair Maria Helena Semedo.

Championing gender equality

Roughly 70percent of women in Cameroon live in rural areas and are dependent at least in part on harvesting wild forest products for their livelihoods, yet in some communities women are denied the right to own forest land, inherit it if their husband dies or even to plant trees on degraded land.

Ndjebet has tirelessly promoted the concept that women should be involved in forest management and have equal rights to forest land and resources – and that when they do, forests are better preserved and entire communities benefit.

Through the African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests, which she co-founded in 2009, Ndjebet has become a leading voice, both in Cameroon and internationally, in building global recognition on the importance of gender equality in forest management. The organisation now has 20 member countries across Africa.

“Men generally recognise the great role women play in improving families’ living standards,” Ndjebet said. “But it is important for them also to agree that for women to continue to play that role, and even improve in that role, they need secure access to land and forests.”

Ndjebet has long been a driving force in implementing forestry law and good governance in Cameroon and establishing a new approach on community forestry and the restoration of degraded lands and forests through Cameroon Ecology (Cam-Eco), which she founded in 2001. Cam-Eco has worked to inform, train and support women to understand sustainability issues and to get involved in forest conservation and restoration.

Inspired by Wangari Maathai

Established by the CPF in 2012 in memory of Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, the Forest Champions Award recognises inspiring individuals who have helped preserve, restore and sustainably manage forests.

This year’s award winner met Wangari Maathai in 2009, and the environmentalist personally encouraged Ndjebet in her work to support women planting trees.

Previous Wangari Maathai Forest Champion Award winners are Nepalese community forestry movement leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha (2012), Mexican environmental campaigner Martha Isabel ‘Pati’ Ruiz Corzo (2014), Ugandan forestry activist Gertrude Kabusimbi Kenyangi (2015), Brazilian forestry activist Maria Margarida Ribeiro da Silva (2017), and Burundian forestry activist Léonidas Nzigiyimpa (2019).

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests comprises 15 international organizations working together to promote sustainable management of all types of forests and strengthen long-term political commitment to this end.

Source: Food And Agricultural Organization of the United Nations