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March 19, 2013
In This Issue
Article Headline
News
Help NC Refugees
Resources
Upcoming International Events
About International Focus
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 "We are all members of a single humanity; inside our hearts we all speak the same language, we all love our children and our parents, we all live in the same world."

 

~Marc Forne Molne~

crocus
Greetings!

 

The beauty and promise of spring is celebrated around the world as a time of renewal and rebirth. I hope you and yours are well as we remove our winter layers and welcome another wonderful North Carolina season of growth.

 

Please enjoy the resources and information in this issue of International Focus News and don't forget to check out our international calendar with listings of the diverse happenings around the Triangle. I look forward to seeing you at some of these great events!

 

Happy Spring from all of us here at International Focus!!


Very best wishes
,

Clodagh Bastian

Executive Director

 


Help Select the 2013 Festival Theme! 

Each year the International Festival has an overriding theme that is incorporated in the poster, exhibits, and activities; and each culture tells about that theme through the prism of their traditions.This year's three finalists are Sports and Games, Famous Lovers, and Arts, Music, and Crafts

Cast your vote here and help us decide which to chose!

 

   Image of foreign newspapers
Culture
in
the
News

 

 

European Union regulators announced a ban on the import and sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals and to pledge more efforts to push other parts of the world, like China, to accept alternatives.

 

Australia Tops OECD Better Life Index

Australia is the world's happiest nation based on criteria including income, jobs, housing and health, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said. Australia led Norway and the US, the Paris-based group's Better Life Index showed, when each of 11 categories surveyed in 36 nations is given equal weight.

 

Learning New Languages Helps The Brain Grow

The learning of languages allows the brain to stay "in shape" by causing certain parts of the brain to grow, including the hippocampus and three areas of the cerebral cortex.  

  

France fights back against bad manners

Long criticized for their rudeness, the French are becoming more and more annoyed by bad manners. Judging by a new campaign on Paris's public transport network, the French have decided to fight back against impoliteness.

 

people on globe

Volunteers Needed! 


Help Welcome Refugee Families to the Triangle
 
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) North Carolina field office is looking for groups that want to serve others through the Welcome Home Project. Since 2007, USCRI NC has helped refugees from Burma, Burundi, Eritrea, Cuba, Vietnam, Somalia, Bhutan, Iraq and other conflicted areas as they reconstruct their lives in the US. Many of them have suffered great hardship and long waits before they finally arrive here. More...

Resources 
 
Travel is about spending time on new experiences, not your inbox. So next time you go away, try one of these simple web and mobile applications to help keep trifling messages out of sight and ease the eventual return to reality.
  

Globalization101.org provides information and interdisciplinary learning opportunities to promote an understanding of the trade-offs and dilemmas facing global policy-makers. The site hopes to serve as an informative and engaging space for those interested in learning more about changes in the international economy.


The Rosetta Project is a global collaboration of language specialists and native speakers working to build a publicly accessible digital library of human language.

Tagwhat, a free app for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Android is a comprehensive feed of hyperlocal content. Using your mobile device's built-in location sensors, it delivers the web, social networking, and third party app content about the places around you.

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Calendar

Check out the International Focus Calendar for full listings of international events across the Triangle, and search by date and category or submit your own international event. 

 

A Sampling of Calendar Highlights:

 

Festivals/Celebrations

Exhibits

Theatre

Poetry

Film

Dance/Musical Performances

Conferences/Participatory
 

International Focus, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization with the mission to support North Carolina's international communities and promote American ideals through cross-cultural communication, education, understanding, and the celebration of culture, arts, and cuisine from around the world.

 

International Focus strives to be a resource for international and native North Carolinians through information, outreach, and its annual celebration of multiculturalism, the International Festival of Raleigh.


This newsletter and all content and information contained herein are the property of International Focus, Inc. and may not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.