Manama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, and Amsterdam top destinations for expats.

A great work life and the ease of getting settled make Manama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, and Amsterdam top destinations for expats.

• Manama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Basel, and Frankfurt are the best cities for expats.
• Expats experience the best career opportunities in the world in Amsterdam, London, Beijing, Prague, and Munich.
• About seven in ten expats living in Johannesburg, Muscat, Cape Town, Amsterdam, and Manama are happy with their social life. 

Munich, 14 November 2017 — Manama takes first position out of 51 cities in this year’s Expat City Ranking. The small capital of the Arab monarchy Bahrain, as well as top-ranking Madrid (3rd) and Kuala Lumpur (4th), are highly appreciated for the ease of getting settled in these cities. Prague (2nd) rather attracts expats with its excellent work life, while Amsterdam (5th) manages to offer a good mixture of both. Other cities that offer above-average career opportunities are London, Beijing, and Munich, as the so-far unpublished Expat City Ranking 2017 reveals. The ranking is based on data collected in the annual Expat Insider survey, conducted by InterNations, the largest expat community worldwide. With nearly 13,000 respondents living and working abroad, Expat Insider 2017 is one of the most extensive expat studies worldwide. Apart from offering an in-depth analysis of expat life in 51 cities, the survey ranks them by a variety of factors from the areas quality of urban living, getting settled, urban work life, as well as finance and housing. According to all these rating factors, the top 10 cities for expats are Manama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Basel, and Frankfurt am Main.

Top 5 Cities Make It Easy for Expats to Get Settled and Enjoy a Great Work LifeManama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, and Amsterdam top the list of the best cities for expats: while Prague lags behind on 35th place for getting settled, the other four cities receive good to excellent ratings in this respect. A South African expat living in Kuala Lumpur likes “the easy-going temperament and friendliness of the local people” while an expat from the Philippines appreciates the “very friendly and helpful locals” in Manama. The majority of expats rates the general friendliness towards foreign residents positively in Manama (84%), Amsterdam (83%), Kuala Lumpur (78%), and Madrid (74%), compared to a global average of 67 percent. Prague, however, performs below average here: only about half of expats living there (49%) are satisfied with this factor. Nonetheless, the capital of the Czech Republic is one of the top destinations for expats, particularly due to its outstanding ratings in terms of work: nearly seven in ten expats (68%) are satisfied with local career opportunities in Prague — 19 percentage points more than the global average.

Move to Amsterdam, London, Beijing, Prague, or Munich to Boost Your CareerThe vast majority of expats in Amsterdam (78%), London (74%), Beijing (70%), Prague (68%), and Munich (66%) rates the local career opportunities positively, compared to a global average of only 49 percent. It seems to be fairly easy to pursue a career in these cities as an above-average share of expats cite finding a job on their own as their most important reason for moving abroad. However, some of them pay a high price for their career: while the European cities manage to combine expat jobs with a satisfying work-life balance, it is all work and no play for expats in Beijing. Only about half the expats in the Chinese capital (54%) are happy with their work-life balance, compared to about seven in ten, or more, in the four European destinations. “The work-life balance and the quality of work is really great”, says a Canadian expat living in Munich, and an Australian in Prague states that their “working conditions are excellent”.

Enjoying Social Life in Johannesburg, Muscat, Cape Town, Amsterdam, and ManamaFor those who are looking for a fulfilling social life, Johannesburg, Muscat, Cape Town, Amsterdam, and Manama are the cities to keep in mind: about seven in ten expats living in these cities are happy with this aspect of life abroad. A Mauritian expat especially appreciates “the social events and places to go out to” in Amsterdam, while a British expat mentions “socializing” as one of the benefits of living in Cape Town. In all of these cities, making friends does not seem to be a problem, either. An above-average share of expats finds it easy to make new friends in Muscat (71%), Johannesburg (66%), Manama (65%), Amsterdam (56%), and Cape Town (54%). However, even though the majority of expats also finds the local residents friendly, they seem to prefer sticking together: only very few respondents in Amsterdam (8%), Cape Town (8%), and Muscat (2%) — and not a single respondent in Manama — report being mainly friends with local residents. Only in Johannesburg does this share reach the global average of 19 percent and outnumber the percentage stating that they are mainly friends with other expats (15%). 

Interested in Talking to Expats in Your City?

Visit an InterNations Official Event and personally meet expats from all over the world who will share their stories with you. Find out here when and where the next official event in your community will take place.  To receive a personal press invitation including free access to the event and interview opportunities with InterNations members, please contactpress@internations.org or +49 (0)89 461 3324 79 and let us know which event you would like to attend.

Read More about the Expat City Ranking 2017

The Best and Worst Cities	Quality of Urban Living	Getting Settled	Urban Work Life	Finance & Housing

About the Expat City Ranking 2017For its annual Expat Insider survey, InterNations asked about 13,000 expatriates representing 166 nationalities and living in 188 countries or territories to provide information on various aspects of expat life, as well as their gender, age, and nationality. In 2017, the fourth year the survey was conducted, respondents were also invited to share their opinions on the city they are currently living in.

Participants were asked to rate more than 25 different aspects of urban life abroad on a scale of one to seven. The rating process emphasized the respondents’ personal satisfaction with these aspects and considered both emotional topics as well as more factual aspects with equal weight. The respondents’ ratings of the individual factors were then bundled in various combinations for a total of 13 subcategories, and their mean values were used to draw up four topical indices: Quality of Urban Living, Getting Settled, Urban Work Life, and Finance & Housing. These were further averaged in order to rank 51 cities worldwide. In 2017, the top 10 cities for expats are Manama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Basel, and Frankfurt am Main.

For a city to be featured in the Expat City Ranking 2017, a sample size of at least 45 survey participants per city was required. In total, the responses used for the city ranking represent 7,985 expats living in 40 countries.

About InterNationsWith 2.8 million members in 390 cities around the world, InterNations (http://www.internations.org) is the largest global network and information site for people who live and work abroad. InterNations offers global and local networking both online and face-to-face. At around 5,000 monthly events and activities, expatriates have the opportunity to meet other global minds. Online services include country and city guides created by a team of professional writers, guest contributions about life abroad, and discussion forums to help members with topics such as the local job or housing search. InterNations membership is by approval only to ensure we remain a community of trust.

The InterNations app is available for Android and iOS and can be downloaded for free onGoogle Play and the App Store.

Find more information about InterNations on our press pages, company website, Facebook,LinkedIn, Twitter, or in our Expat Magazine.

Press ContactVera GrossmannMedia Spokesperson 

InterNations GmbH
Schwanthalerstrasse 39
80336 Munich, Germany

A great work life and the ease of getting settled make Manama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, and Amsterdam top destinations for expats.

• Manama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Basel, and Frankfurt are the best cities for expats.
• Expats experience the best career opportunities in the world in Amsterdam, London, Beijing, Prague, and Munich.
• About seven in ten expats living in Johannesburg, Muscat, Cape Town, Amsterdam, and Manama are happy with their social life. 

Munich, 14 November 2017 — Manama takes first position out of 51 cities in this year’s Expat City Ranking. The small capital of the Arab monarchy Bahrain, as well as top-ranking Madrid (3rd) and Kuala Lumpur (4th), are highly appreciated for the ease of getting settled in these cities. Prague (2nd) rather attracts expats with its excellent work life, while Amsterdam (5th) manages to offer a good mixture of both. Other cities that offer above-average career opportunities are London, Beijing, and Munich, as the so-far unpublished Expat City Ranking 2017 reveals. The ranking is based on data collected in the annual Expat Insider survey, conducted by InterNations, the largest expat community worldwide. With nearly 13,000 respondents living and working abroad, Expat Insider 2017 is one of the most extensive expat studies worldwide. Apart from offering an in-depth analysis of expat life in 51 cities, the survey ranks them by a variety of factors from the areas quality of urban living, getting settled, urban work life, as well as finance and housing. According to all these rating factors, the top 10 cities for expats are Manama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Basel, and Frankfurt am Main.

Top 5 Cities Make It Easy for Expats to Get Settled and Enjoy a Great Work LifeManama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, and Amsterdam top the list of the best cities for expats: while Prague lags behind on 35th place for getting settled, the other four cities receive good to excellent ratings in this respect. A South African expat living in Kuala Lumpur likes “the easy-going temperament and friendliness of the local people” while an expat from the Philippines appreciates the “very friendly and helpful locals” in Manama. The majority of expats rates the general friendliness towards foreign residents positively in Manama (84%), Amsterdam (83%), Kuala Lumpur (78%), and Madrid (74%), compared to a global average of 67 percent. Prague, however, performs below average here: only about half of expats living there (49%) are satisfied with this factor. Nonetheless, the capital of the Czech Republic is one of the top destinations for expats, particularly due to its outstanding ratings in terms of work: nearly seven in ten expats (68%) are satisfied with local career opportunities in Prague — 19 percentage points more than the global average.

Move to Amsterdam, London, Beijing, Prague, or Munich to Boost Your CareerThe vast majority of expats in Amsterdam (78%), London (74%), Beijing (70%), Prague (68%), and Munich (66%) rates the local career opportunities positively, compared to a global average of only 49 percent. It seems to be fairly easy to pursue a career in these cities as an above-average share of expats cite finding a job on their own as their most important reason for moving abroad. However, some of them pay a high price for their career: while the European cities manage to combine expat jobs with a satisfying work-life balance, it is all work and no play for expats in Beijing. Only about half the expats in the Chinese capital (54%) are happy with their work-life balance, compared to about seven in ten, or more, in the four European destinations. “The work-life balance and the quality of work is really great”, says a Canadian expat living in Munich, and an Australian in Prague states that their “working conditions are excellent”.

Enjoying Social Life in Johannesburg, Muscat, Cape Town, Amsterdam, and ManamaFor those who are looking for a fulfilling social life, Johannesburg, Muscat, Cape Town, Amsterdam, and Manama are the cities to keep in mind: about seven in ten expats living in these cities are happy with this aspect of life abroad. A Mauritian expat especially appreciates “the social events and places to go out to” in Amsterdam, while a British expat mentions “socializing” as one of the benefits of living in Cape Town. In all of these cities, making friends does not seem to be a problem, either. An above-average share of expats finds it easy to make new friends in Muscat (71%), Johannesburg (66%), Manama (65%), Amsterdam (56%), and Cape Town (54%). However, even though the majority of expats also finds the local residents friendly, they seem to prefer sticking together: only very few respondents in Amsterdam (8%), Cape Town (8%), and Muscat (2%) — and not a single respondent in Manama — report being mainly friends with local residents. Only in Johannesburg does this share reach the global average of 19 percent and outnumber the percentage stating that they are mainly friends with other expats (15%). 

Interested in Talking to Expats in Your City?

Visit an InterNations Official Event and personally meet expats from all over the world who will share their stories with you. Find out here when and where the next official event in your community will take place.  To receive a personal press invitation including free access to the event and interview opportunities with InterNations members, please contactpress@internations.org or +49 (0)89 461 3324 79 and let us know which event you would like to attend.

Read More about the Expat City Ranking 2017

The Best and Worst Cities	Quality of Urban Living	Getting Settled	Urban Work Life	Finance & Housing

About the Expat City Ranking 2017For its annual Expat Insider survey, InterNations asked about 13,000 expatriates representing 166 nationalities and living in 188 countries or territories to provide information on various aspects of expat life, as well as their gender, age, and nationality. In 2017, the fourth year the survey was conducted, respondents were also invited to share their opinions on the city they are currently living in.

Participants were asked to rate more than 25 different aspects of urban life abroad on a scale of one to seven. The rating process emphasized the respondents’ personal satisfaction with these aspects and considered both emotional topics as well as more factual aspects with equal weight. The respondents’ ratings of the individual factors were then bundled in various combinations for a total of 13 subcategories, and their mean values were used to draw up four topical indices: Quality of Urban Living, Getting Settled, Urban Work Life, and Finance & Housing. These were further averaged in order to rank 51 cities worldwide. In 2017, the top 10 cities for expats are Manama, Prague, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Basel, and Frankfurt am Main.

For a city to be featured in the Expat City Ranking 2017, a sample size of at least 45 survey participants per city was required. In total, the responses used for the city ranking represent 7,985 expats living in 40 countries.

About InterNationsWith 2.8 million members in 390 cities around the world, InterNations (http://www.internations.org) is the largest global network and information site for people who live and work abroad. InterNations offers global and local networking both online and face-to-face. At around 5,000 monthly events and activities, expatriates have the opportunity to meet other global minds. Online services include country and city guides created by a team of professional writers, guest contributions about life abroad, and discussion forums to help members with topics such as the local job or housing search. InterNations membership is by approval only to ensure we remain a community of trust.

The InterNations app is available for Android and iOS and can be downloaded for free onGoogle Play and the App Store.

Find more information about InterNations on our press pages, company website, Facebook,LinkedIn, Twitter, or in our Expat Magazine.

Press ContactVera GrossmannMedia Spokesperson 

InterNations GmbH
Schwanthalerstrasse 39
80336 Munich, Germany

The Second Global Migration Film Festival Gets Underway

ON NOVEMBER 14, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Geneva – From Guyana in South America to Makati in the Philippines (and many other places in between) filmmakers from around the globe will soon showcase their skills as cinematographers at the Global Migration Film Festival. Organized by the UN Migration Agency, IOM and supported by UN Information Centers worldwide and with the financial support of DHL, the festival will take place in over 100 countries from 5 to 18 December 2017.

The second edition of the annual Festival will explore the challenges and promises of migration, the heterogenous journey of migrants, moving from one location to another, settling for temporary or permanent periods, in search for a better future and economic prosperity, reuniting with loved ones, or fleeing war and despair.

Films have the power to show different facets of life, through which viewers may cultivate deeper empathy for migrants and a better understanding of their realities, needs, perspectives and capacities. The objective of the Festival is to use films as educational tools that influence perceptions towards migrants bringing attention to social issues.

The opening movie of the festival in Geneva, Lost in Lebanon, delves into the news reports on the Syrian war and gives an intimate look at how four Syrians in Lebanon are trying to find ways to overcome the torment of their shattered lives.

One of the protagonists of the opening film, Mwafak, was invited to create the award statue for the Festival that will be collected and delivered by DHL, one of the partners of the Festival.

Mwafak describes the statue as “a human, female figure standing upright, portraying an optimistic gesture. The woman, stands as a symbol of harmonic life and consistent peace. She looks up to the sky, into the future. Her hair and cape wave softly in the wind. The breeze can be at the same time a challenge and her chance to fly and feel light. The material, bronze, with its warm color gives the sculpture a feeling of both strength and warmth.”

Explaining his choice for sculpting a woman, Mwafak says that “women represent hope – they are the ones who continue life as they give birth”, further adding that the women who endure the danger and strain of the migration journey are exceptionally strong and resilient.

Among others, the Festival will screen Sans Le Kosovo, in which the director and her father retrace his exile as a 19-year-old refugee from Kosovo in 1968. In Nowhere Man, a nameless refugee in Korea from Pakistan who does not appear onscreen, reminds us of all the refugees who have passed by us over the years. Over 30 movies in total will be screened worldwide.

Some of the filmmakers participating in the Festival have migrated at a certain point in their lives, and will put forth their talent, experiences and vision through movies spanning across all genres. Most of the screenings will be followed by a discussion panel consisting of filmmakers, migrants and other guests.

A committee of international film professionals and migration specialists will select three standout productions from the Emerging Filmmakers category and one standout production from the Professional Filmmakers category. Each winner will receive USD 1,500. The award ceremony will take place on 18 December in Les Cinémas du Grütli, Geneva.

The Global Migration Film Festival is not only spreading migration stories around the globe to inform, inspire, educate and transform, but it is also bringing the skills of storytelling through filmmaking, to vulnerable communities. With the support of IOM Development Fund (IDF) and Norcap, Participatory Video workshops took place in Amman, Jordan and Malakal, South Sudan.

During the five-day process, the youth groups created their own films. The participatory process empowers the participants. From the decision of the subject to the editing, every step was conducted by the group with the support of the facilitators.

The Global Migration Film Festival is a partner of Plural+, a youth-produced video festival, and the UN campaign, TOGETHER, which aims to change negative perceptions and attitudes towards refugees and migrants.

For more information, please contact IOM HQ:

Leonard Doyle, Tel: + 41 22 717 9589, Email: ldoyle@iom.int

Amanda Nero, Tel: +41 22 717 9111, Email: anero@iom.int

2017 Global Migration Film Festival: Call for Entries

ON NOVEMBER 14, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

 

Switzerland — The UN Migration Agency (IOM) is inviting professional and emerging filmmakers to submit perception-changing films about the migrant experience for the second annual Global Migration Film Festival (5–18 December).

The Global Migration Film Festival showcases films that capture the promise and challenges of migration for those who leave their homes in search of a better life and the unique contributions migrants make to their new communities.

In 2016, the inaugural festival took place in 89 countries. Nearly 10,000 people attended 220 screenings at cinemas, universities, cultural institutions and other venues. The festival hosted 13 films and documentaries, as well as 200 short films about and by migrants.

“The journeys migrants take, sometimes full of peril, often full of hope, have been the subject of films throughout the history of cinema,” said IOM Director General William Lacy Swing. “We hope the films at our next festival will instil understanding, empathy with characters, awe at their journeys and admiration for those who welcome their new neighbours.”

Categories, awards and submission information

• The film submission period is from 3 July to 17 September 2017.
• Festival themes: The promise and challenge of migration, and the positive contributions migrants make to their new communities.
• Professional filmmakers working in all genres are invited to submit films of at least 25 minutes in length for consideration.
• Emerging filmmakers from 92 select countries are invited to submit films of at least 25 minutes in length for both the festival and a competition.  A committee of international film professionals will select three standout productions, and each winner will receive USD 1,500.
• Filmmakers from 92 select countries who have migrated in their lifetime are invited to submit a short video about their own experience, or a profile of other migrants, to become part of IOM’s global i am a migrant campaign. These videos will also be considered for screening at the 2017 film festival.
• Festival locations, dates and selected films will be announced in October 2017.
• Visit IOM’s website for more details about categories, awards and submission guidelines.

The Global Migration Film Festival is a partner of Plural+ and the UN campaign,TOGETHER, which aim to change negative perceptions and attitudes towards refugees and migrants.

Contacts:
For more details about IOM’s Global Migration Film Festival and the i am a migrant campaign, email: migfilmfest@iom.int
Media queries, email: media@iom.int
For further information on becoming a partner, sponsor or festival co-host, contact: migfilmfest@iom.int

Labels promote sustainable forest management

ON NOVEMBER 14, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Dear Editor Sagar,

We are delighted to share with you our results of a recent YouGov survey, highlighting the importance of labels in promoting sustainable forest management. With COP23 already underway, the role of trees and forests in addressing climate change has never been more relevant.

Kindest regards,

The PEFC International Communications Team

Labels promote sustainable forest management, consumers agree

As politicians and activists gather for the COP23 Bonn climate talks, people are wondering what they can do to help avert the climate catastrophe.

One simple action is to look out for the PEFC label on everyday products, something that 53% of all consumers already do at least sometimes, according to a recent YouGov survey.

“Forests and trees are a cornerstone of addressing climate change, as are products made of wood – if they originate from sustainably managed forests,” explains Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International.

“Consumers can easily identify such products through the PEFC label, which is exclusively available for products coming from certified, healthy forests.”

Forest certification plays a key role

Consumers agree that forest certification plays a key role in safeguarding our forests. The YouGov survey found that more than 2/3 of consumers globally believe that forest certification labels are important in promoting sustainable forest management.

PEFC, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, is the world’s leading forest certification system. The organization sets standards for sustainable forest management.

Globally, hundreds of thousands of forest owners – smallholders, communities, public authorities and companies – have their responsible forest management practices certified to PEFC. Tens of thousands of companies around the world manufacture PEFC-certified products.

Consumers can help!

“The role of consumers in helping us protect forests through the straightforward act of opting for a PEFC-certified product cannot be underestimated,” highlights Mr. Gunneberg.

“I am excited about the fact that more than half of all consumers already do so.”

So what you can do to help? Next time you’re shopping, whether it’s for new furniture, tools for the garden, paper, or just the weekly food shop, make sure you look for the PEFC label!

Editors section

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 21,194 adults from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA.

Fieldwork was undertaken between 8 June – 12 July. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been given an even weighting for each country to produce an ‘average’ value.

Thorsten Arndt
Head of Communications, PEFC International
t.arndt@pefc.org
+41 22 799 4542

PEFC, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, is the world’s leading forest certification system. More than 300 million hectares of forests are certified to PEFC’s internationally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks, supplying almost 20,000 Chain of Custody certified companies with responsibly sourced timber and wood-based products. PEFC was founded by small- and family forest owners to demonstrate excellence in sustainable forest management. For more information, please visitwww.pefc.org

“Paradise Papers” leak show

ON NOVEMBER 14, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Avaaz.org – The World in Action

Dear friends, Eight years ago as UK Prime Minister and chair of the G20, I tried to end the injustice of global tax havens. But as the “Paradise Papers” leak shows, trillions are still being siphoned off to dodge tax in the most shadowy places in the global economy. It’s one of today’s greatest injustices, allowing the richest to stand aside while the rest of us pay for health, education, and protecting the most vulnerable. But now we have a chance to stop it — through an international agreement that outlaws tax havens and imposes penalties and prison sentences on tax evaders. And the G20, the leaders of the world’s biggest economies, can make it happen. Please join me in signing this open letter to Argentine President Mauricio Macri, chair of the G20 — if a million of us sign, I will personally deliver it to him, asking him and other G20 leaders to take urgent action to finish the job we began in 2009. Join with one click:  ADD MY NAME To President Mauricio Macri and all leaders of the G20: The level of global inequality is appalling — 8 people own as much wealth as half the planet. And the gap is growing, thanks in part to the shadowy world of tax havens which lets trillions be siphoned offshore from our economies. Right now, the rich get richer, and the rest of us pay. Eight years ago the G20 agreed it would shut down these practices. It’s time to deliver. We call on you to act immediately to end tax havens and ensure that those that run and exploit them are held to account. Nobody should be able to evade their duty to pay tax for the public good. It is your responsibility to make that so. As citizens from around the world, we demand action. Sincerely, ADD MY NAME Sign now with one click The G20 is the right home for this issue — and has already made real progress in forcing tax havens to clean up their act. So there’s already momentum, and now the Paradise Papers give us the chance we’ve been waiting for to finish the job. G20: shut down tax havens! As someone who was the target of Avaaz campaigns when I was Prime Minister, I can tell you that they make a powerful difference. This movement is driving forward the idealism of the world. This scandal gives us the chance to tackle one of the biggest challenges we face head-on — let’s not waste it. With hope and determination, Gordon Brown, with the Avaaz team MORE INFORMATION Everything you need to know about the massive Paradise Papers leak (Vice) https://news.vice.com/story/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-massive-paradise-papers-leak Reaction around the world to release of Paradise Papers – live (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/news/live/2017/nov/06/reaction-around-world-release-paradise-papers-live Just 8 men own same wealth as half the world (Oxfam) https://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2017-01-16/just-8-men-own-same-wealth-half-world

Avaaz is a 44-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decision-making. (“Avaaz” means “voice” or “song” in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz’s biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Nishant Patel and Mit Bhatt set Extreme Adventure records in India and Asia

ON NOVEMBER 14, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Nishant Patel and Mit Bhatt set Extreme Adventure records in India and Asia

 

First Indians to set records in – Scuba Cycling Undersea & Fly to the Edge of Space respectively

Mumbai, 14th Nov 2017: Mr. Nishant Patel and Mr. Mit Bhatt have made India proud by being the first Indians to set records in Asia and India under the category of extreme adventure sports – Nishant Patel has set records with Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records as the first Asian for‘Deepest & Fastest Scuba Cycling Undersea’ and Mit Bhatt has set a National Record with Limca Book of Records and India Book of Records as the First Indian Civilian to Fly Highest & Fastest to the Edge of Space whilst Enduring Maximum G-Forces’. They were both honoured with an award and certificate in the Top 100 Unique National Records recently by India Book of Records in New Delhi.

Speaking on this momentous occasion, an avid adventure sports love, Mr Nishant Patel said, “I always like to challenge myself to take the adventure to another level and I am very thankful to the two PADI certified Dive Centres in India for enabling me to achieve the unattainable. During my many practice sessions, I realised that to be able to cycle at a depth of 30m+ (100+ feet) and allow myself a safe & longer bottom time and to achieve the target would be a challenge. I would need about 20-25 minutes to cycle the 100m distance factoring in any currents, surface conditions, obstructions and atmospheric Pressure (ATM) etc., and that was bigger risk and the real challenge! But accomplishing my aim and creating this record wouldn’t have happened without the excellent guidance of the diving instructors at both the dive centres I developed and practised this adventure with and a robust cycle that required modifications to achieve this feat in the sea. You live once, you dream once, you should put efforts to make your dream a reality”

Nishant Patel has participated in many cycle races in Ladakh and has cycled on the world’s highest motor-able road in India, to cycling down most of the south on cycle. But being an adventure enthusiast he wanted to challenge himself further and hence decided to conquer some depths through ‘Scuba Cycling in the Sea’. Though he was an amateur in this field, and without any formal Scuba certification, he developed and practiced the sport undersea at 5-7m in the Andamans and decided to take on this challenge to greater depths. He became the first Asian to set a record of ‘Deepest & Fastest Scuba Cycling Undersea’ in the Bay of Bengal off Puducherry at a depth of 32.7m (107 feet) in the ocean cycling a distance of 100m in just 6 minutes 47 seconds. Nishant, besides being an avid adventurer, he is also the Founder and Trustee of Equal Street. He is also a Treasurer and event felicitator for Australian Alumni Association Mumbai Chapter (AAA, body formed under Australian Consulate to help build ties between the two countries)

Another winner of Limca books of Record & India Book of Record Holder, Mr.Mit Bhatt an adventure enthusiast took the challenge of creating the record of first Indian civilian to touch the ‘Edge of Space’. A dream for many as it is still a prerogative of fighter pilots and astronauts, but it was achieved by Mit Bhatt.  Having experienced many adventures on land, undersea and air, Mit wanted to take it to the next level by ‘Experiencing Space’. To realise his dream and create a record, Mit went to Russia to fly in a MiG-29UB Fighter Jet to reach the Stratosphere. He touched the Edge of Space at Supersonic speeds whilst enduring pulverising Gravitational forces (G-Forces) followed by Top Gun style Aerobatic Manoeuvres.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mit Bhatt said, “It was an unforgettable experience which cannot be expressed in words to fly to the stratosphere (edge of space) and come back, though there were lots of technical and physical complications involved. During the Vertical Take-off I felt as if someone kept punching really hard on my stomach when the gravitational forces (G-forces) hit, it took the wind out of me and I felt breathless and was gasping for air for a minute. But when we reached the edge of Space, it was quite magical! We tore through the clouds at supersonic speed, the view was like a dream – a thick carpet of snow white clouds below, an electric blue horizon and the sky above getting deeper blue to black with some stars appearing in broad daylight – I felt like I am in heaven! I am glad that I took it up on myself and create this amazing record”.

In the cloudy, snowy and unsuitable weather condition, which makes even trained pilots uncomfortable, he took this ride to the edge of space in 40 mins (max allowed is 45 mins and entirely up to the person how much longer he/she can endure these G-forces) with a top speed of Mach 1.7 (approx. 2,080 kmph), altitude of 17.3km ABSL (approx. 57,000ft) enduring a G-Force range of +4G to +7G.

When Mit is not indulging in extreme adventures, he loves to travel in style which inspired him to found The Grand Vacationist with Nishant Patel and Rishabh Shah. He is also been a Management Coach & Advisor to 4-Star Generals and Squadron Commanders of the US Air Force & US Army Aviation Commands as well as Business Unit Heads of some of the top MNCs such as Delta Air Lines, L&T and BHP Billiton.

Taking their adventure streak into business, Nishant Patel and Mit Bhatthave come together to start an experiential travel start-up called ‘The Grand Vacationist’ offering customised adventure and luxury vacation solutions and have also started the country’s first formal Scuba Advisory Service called ‘Scuba Dooba Do’ for anyone who wants to start their underwater journey with the right advise or for certified divers to plan their dive travel around the world.  So people looking at a unique lifetime experience in luxury adventures can now plan their next trip with the record-making experts ‘The Grand Vacationist’!

Website: www.thegrandvacationist.com

First Indians to set records in – Scuba Cycling Undersea & Fly to the Edge of Space respectively

Mumbai, 14th Nov 2017: Mr. Nishant Patel and Mr. Mit Bhatt have made India proud by being the first Indians to set records in Asia and India under the category of extreme adventure sports – Nishant Patel has set records with Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records as the first Asian for‘Deepest & Fastest Scuba Cycling Undersea’ and Mit Bhatt has set a National Record with Limca Book of Records and India Book of Records as the First Indian Civilian to Fly Highest & Fastest to the Edge of Space whilst Enduring Maximum G-Forces’. They were both honoured with an award and certificate in the Top 100 Unique National Records recently by India Book of Records in New Delhi.

Speaking on this momentous occasion, an avid adventure sports love, Mr Nishant Patel said, “I always like to challenge myself to take the adventure to another level and I am very thankful to the two PADI certified Dive Centres in India for enabling me to achieve the unattainable. During my many practice sessions, I realised that to be able to cycle at a depth of 30m+ (100+ feet) and allow myself a safe & longer bottom time and to achieve the target would be a challenge. I would need about 20-25 minutes to cycle the 100m distance factoring in any currents, surface conditions, obstructions and atmospheric Pressure (ATM) etc., and that was bigger risk and the real challenge! But accomplishing my aim and creating this record wouldn’t have happened without the excellent guidance of the diving instructors at both the dive centres I developed and practised this adventure with and a robust cycle that required modifications to achieve this feat in the sea. You live once, you dream once, you should put efforts to make your dream a reality”

Nishant Patel has participated in many cycle races in Ladakh and has cycled on the world’s highest motor-able road in India, to cycling down most of the south on cycle. But being an adventure enthusiast he wanted to challenge himself further and hence decided to conquer some depths through ‘Scuba Cycling in the Sea’. Though he was an amateur in this field, and without any formal Scuba certification, he developed and practiced the sport undersea at 5-7m in the Andamans and decided to take on this challenge to greater depths. He became the first Asian to set a record of ‘Deepest & Fastest Scuba Cycling Undersea’ in the Bay of Bengal off Puducherry at a depth of 32.7m (107 feet) in the ocean cycling a distance of 100m in just 6 minutes 47 seconds. Nishant, besides being an avid adventurer, he is also the Founder and Trustee of Equal Street. He is also a Treasurer and event felicitator for Australian Alumni Association Mumbai Chapter (AAA, body formed under Australian Consulate to help build ties between the two countries)

Another winner of Limca books of Record & India Book of Record Holder, Mr.Mit Bhatt an adventure enthusiast took the challenge of creating the record of first Indian civilian to touch the ‘Edge of Space’. A dream for many as it is still a prerogative of fighter pilots and astronauts, but it was achieved by Mit Bhatt.  Having experienced many adventures on land, undersea and air, Mit wanted to take it to the next level by ‘Experiencing Space’. To realise his dream and create a record, Mit went to Russia to fly in a MiG-29UB Fighter Jet to reach the Stratosphere. He touched the Edge of Space at Supersonic speeds whilst enduring pulverising Gravitational forces (G-Forces) followed by Top Gun style Aerobatic Manoeuvres.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mit Bhatt said, “It was an unforgettable experience which cannot be expressed in words to fly to the stratosphere (edge of space) and come back, though there were lots of technical and physical complications involved. During the Vertical Take-off I felt as if someone kept punching really hard on my stomach when the gravitational forces (G-forces) hit, it took the wind out of me and I felt breathless and was gasping for air for a minute. But when we reached the edge of Space, it was quite magical! We tore through the clouds at supersonic speed, the view was like a dream – a thick carpet of snow white clouds below, an electric blue horizon and the sky above getting deeper blue to black with some stars appearing in broad daylight – I felt like I am in heaven! I am glad that I took it up on myself and create this amazing record”.

In the cloudy, snowy and unsuitable weather condition, which makes even trained pilots uncomfortable, he took this ride to the edge of space in 40 mins (max allowed is 45 mins and entirely up to the person how much longer he/she can endure these G-forces) with a top speed of Mach 1.7 (approx. 2,080 kmph), altitude of 17.3km ABSL (approx. 57,000ft) enduring a G-Force range of +4G to +7G.

When Mit is not indulging in extreme adventures, he loves to travel in style which inspired him to found The Grand Vacationist with Nishant Patel and Rishabh Shah. He is also been a Management Coach & Advisor to 4-Star Generals and Squadron Commanders of the US Air Force & US Army Aviation Commands as well as Business Unit Heads of some of the top MNCs such as Delta Air Lines, L&T and BHP Billiton.

Taking their adventure streak into business, Nishant Patel and Mit Bhatthave come together to start an experiential travel start-up called ‘The Grand Vacationist’ offering customised adventure and luxury vacation solutions and have also started the country’s first formal Scuba Advisory Service called ‘Scuba Dooba Do’ for anyone who wants to start their underwater journey with the right advise or for certified divers to plan their dive travel around the world.  So people looking at a unique lifetime experience in luxury adventures can now plan their next trip with the record-making experts ‘The Grand Vacationist’!

Website: www.thegrandvacationist.com

Seminar on Italian Technology

ON NOVEMBER 14, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

At  Seminar on Injection  Moulding and Post-Finishing of Plastic Components for Automatic.T here are six hundred Italian company in India and 6000 machines of Italy make. Plastic 12 Kg consumption whereas China 16 Kg Global at development states 24 Kg.

India per capita consumption is ten million ton. Indian aims to consume 22Millions tons of the Plastic  by 2020.

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Pahle India Foundation

ON NOVEMBER 14, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Thank you once again for confirming your participation at the ‘Pahle India Foundation – YES Global Institute Monthly Seminar Series on SMEs’. The topic for discussion is “Role of MSMEs in Make In India” and is scheduled on Tuesday, November 14, 2017 at 3.00 pm at Seminar Hall 1 & 2 (Above Multipurpose Hall), India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi.

The registration would begin at 2.30 pm. All guests are requested to be seated in the Hall by 3.00 pm.

For any clarification, you may please contact Anil Kumar, Pahle India Foundation Mob: +91-88264 08889, email: anil.kumar@pahleindia.org

We look forward to welcoming you at the seminar.

Best regards,

Anil Kumar Gupta

Asstt. Manager (Admin & Project)

Pahle India Foundation

Knoxville Challenger: Leander Paes and Purav Raja lift men’s doubles title

ON NOVEMBER 13, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Leander Paes and Purav Raja have lifted Knoxville Challenger men’s doubles title at Tennessee in United States. Top seeded Indians defeated American-Australian duo of James Cerretani and John Patrick Smith 7-6, 7-6 in the final of the men’s doubles ATP challenger at the indoor hard court of Goodfriend Tennis Center tonight.

Paes and Raja won their first ever title after joining forces in August this year. Earlier, Leander Paes won three Challenger level titles this season pairing with Canadian Adil Shamasdin and American Scott Lipsky. Purav Raja before teaming up with Paes had won Bordeaux Challenger with Divij Sharan and also made the final of the Chennai Open.

Top seeded Indian team of Leander Paes and Purav Raja  take on the American-Australian duo of James Cerretani and John Patrick Smith in the men’s doubles final of the Knoxville Challenger tennis tournament.

In the semi-final of the competition at Knoxville in the United States, the Indian pair defeated the South African-British combination of R. Roelofse and J Salisbury in straight sets 7-6, 6-3.

In the other semi-final, Cerretani and Smith overcame the Venezuelan-British pair of Maytin R and Narrie C also in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.

Launch of BharatNet phase 2 project

ON NOVEMBER 13, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

To provide high-speed broadband service in all Gram Panchayats by March 2019, government today launched its second and final phase of BharatNet project. It will be implemented at an outlay of around 34 thousand crore rupees.

Communication Minister Manoj Sinha, Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Modi and IT ministers of different states launched this at a function in New Delhi.

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) today signed MoUs with states for the implementation of the second phase of BharatNet. Under this phase, broadband connectivity will be provided in remaining 1.5 lakh Gram Panchayats in the country.

Broadband infrastructure on Optical Fibre network has been made available in more than one lakh Gram Panchayats as part of BharatNet Phase-1 and by December this year, all these Panchayats will be operational on the BharatNet infrastructure.

Almost 90 thousand installations have been completed and broadband services are expected to commence in 80 thousand Gram Panchayats soon.

SC to hear plea to curb rising pollution in Delhi-NCR

ON NOVEMBER 13, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Supreme Court has agreed to hear today itself a fresh plea seeking to curb rising pollution in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR).

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud considered the submission of lawyer R K Kapoor that rise in dust particles on roads and stubble burning in Delhi’s neighbouring states have led to an alarming rise in pollution levels in the NCR and its adjoining areas.

Asserting that the pollution cannot be ignored, the bench decided to hear the plea today after finishing the listed matters.The plea seeks direction to the Centre and the states concerned to take measures on curbing road dust and stubble burning. It also seeks effective implementation of the odd-even car rationing scheme.

PM Modi holds talks with Donald Trump

ON NOVEMBER 13, 2017 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump today held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Manila.

Both leaders discussed a range of key issues including defence and security.

The meeting in the Philippines capital came a day after officials of India, the US, Japan and Australia held talks to give shape to the much talked about quadrilateral alliance to keep the strategically important Indo-Pacific region free, open and inclusive.