The winners of the Natural Light - International Design Competition have now been chosen from the 172 impressive Natural Light Lamp designs submitted from 65 countries around the world. The winners are two very talented Argentinian Industrial Design students, Ms. Mariana Arando and Mr. Luca Fondello, both from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The production phase of the winning design for the Natural Light Lamp will begin shortly, followed next year by shipment of the lamps to three African countries without access to electricity.
Last year, the VELUX Group and Little Sun joined forces to launch the Natural Light – International Design Competition, which challenged design students around the world to create a design for a solar lamp which would help to bring clean, reliable, affordable light to some of the 1.2 billion people worldwide living without electricity. Now the jury has voted and decided on the winning solar lamp design by two Industrial Design students from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7533451-velux-winner-announcement-natural-light/
Approximately one year after leading roof window manufacturer VELUX Group joined forces with social business Little Sun and NGO Plan International, launching a design competition to bring clean, sustainable light to Africa, the first solar lamps have now arrived on African soil.
The VELUX Natural Light International Design Competition received 172 proposals from 65 countries. A high-level jury of experts in the fields of architecture, art and design subsequently selected the winning design, by Mariana Arando and Luca Fondello of the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Their solar lamp design was inspired by the way light can bring people together.
The VELUX Group has so far produced and donated 14,500 of the solar-powered lamps, and 150 local sales agents are now being trained in how to sell the lamps in off-grid communities in Senegal, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The training combines workshops, roleplay, demonstrations, and group work.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7724551-velux-natural-light-solar-lamps-in-africa/
To help officially launch Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) has released a new public service announcement featuring Emmy® Award-winning sports anchor and prostate cancer survivor, Brian Custer. This survivor story aims to raise awareness about the importance of prostate cancer screening among African-American men by delivering a simple message: Man Up and Get Checked.
“As men, we have this ego…we think we’re too macho to go to the doctor and undergo this type of check-up,” said Custer, who hosts Showtime Championship Boxing. “But the truth is: If you don’t get checked, you’re cheating your family out of having a husband or father around. And you’re cheating yourself out of life. I hope when people hear my story, they’re motivated to take action by saying: ‘I’m going to get checked, I’m going to make sure my dad or husband gets checked, too.’”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7598151-prostate-cancer-foundation-brian-custer/
UNCF and the Ad Council are joining Paramount Pictures to launch a series of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring footage from the upcoming film SELMA and original music written for the film by Common and John Legend. The :30 television spot, created pro bono by Paramount Pictures, will air on television stations in donated media around the country starting this week.
The PSAs are an extension of UNCF and Ad Council’s Better Futures campaign which aims to help African American students get to and through college by demonstrating how an investment in young people is an investment in all our futures. The campaign is a focused effort to remind Americans that their investments in education can change the life of a well-deserving student, and more importantly, the lives of generations to come.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7390751-uncf-ad-council-join-paramount-pictures-to-close-the-african-american-college-completion-gap/
The lion’s roar will soon return to Audubon Zoo thanks to Joy and Donald “Boysie” Bollinger.
Boysie Bollinger, a philanthropist and Louisiana shipbuilding magnate, and his wife have donated $5 million to Audubon Nature Institute that will fund design and construction of a sprawling habitat for African lions. Audubon officials say the project will spur a larger redesign of the Zoo’s popular African Savanna exhibit that opened in the 1980s.
The $5 million donation – the largest single gift Audubon Zoo has ever received from a private individual or family – was announced on Wednesday, September 14, 2016.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7926851-audubon-zoo-bollingers-bring-back-lions/
Today leading window manufacturer The VELUX Group and the social business Little Sun announce a partnership with the NGO Plan International to distribute a new solar lamp – the Natural Light solar lamp – in three African countries: Zimbabwe, Zambia and Senegal. The partnership with Plan International will deliver sustainable solar-powered light to people living off-grid in areas without electricity, through a program that involves and empowers local communities.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7519251-velux-plan-partners-solar-africa/
Black History Month is a time when all Americans honor the rich African American culture in our society. It was Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian, who began a weeklong celebration, called Negro History Week, in 1926 as a way to honor Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. One of the best ways to celebrate is by reading books by and about African Americans. Virginia Hamilton’s works are among the many books that call upon readers to think about slavery, freedom, and heritage. Through her stories, Hamilton began the genre of liberation literature, which serves to instill cultural pride, as well as a sense of family and the importance of relationships. Black History Month is a time to help readers realize that these universal themes transcend race and that through the power of story, all races are truly united. Non-fiction, Women's Lit, Liberation
With September marking National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the kick-off of the 2015 NFL season, the Urology Care Foundation and the NFL have renewed their commitment to driving prostate health awareness, as well as teamed up to highlight a Public Service Announcement (PSA) focused on educating men about prostate cancer and encouraging them to take charge of their health through the Know Your Stats® campaign.
The Know Your Stats® campaign is a rallying force to connect, educate and inspire men across the country to know their prostate cancer risk and talk to their doctor about whether prostate cancer testing is right for them.
“It is important for men to know their risk and talk to their doctors so they can determine if prostate cancer testing is right for them,” said Richard A. Memo, MD, Chair of the Urology Care Foundation. “Having the tools and facts empowers individuals and their doctors to make informed decisions.”
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in America, affecting one in seven men. Odds increase to one in five if they are African American and one in three if they have a family history; however, the educational tools are making an impact. More men are talking with their doctors and getting tested, and fewer men are dying from the disease.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7365551-prostate-cancer-know-your-stats-psa/
Hennessy, the world’s best-selling Cognac, is proud to announce the debut of the brand’s first-ever game day commercial airing this Sunday, February 3rd. Narrated by hip-hop legend Nas, the TVC, titled “Major,” brings to life the spirit of Hennessy’s “Never stop. Never settle.” mantra through the remarkable, yet widely unknown, story of cycling champion Marshall “Major” Taylor.
In the late 1890s, Marshall “Major” Taylor became the best cyclist of his time, and throughout his career he dominated his competition in the U.S. and abroad. He held seven world records by 1898, and in 1899, became one of the first African Americans to win a world championship. Marshall “Major” Taylor’s global fame established him as one of the world’s first international sports champions.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8487951-hennessy-never-stop-settle-game-day-commercial/
The Prostate Cancer Foundation is throwing a one-two punch to knock out prostate cancer for good with the recent production of a public service announcement featuring boxing legend and five-time heavyweight champion of the world Evander Holyfield. The message encourages African-American men to get regularly checked for prostate cancer because they are more than twice as likely to develop this disease than any other type of cancer.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7545851-pcf-holyfield-prostate-cancer-psa/
The unique sounds of South Africa reverberated through the streets of Manhattan earlier today during a free mobile pop-up concert hosted by South African Tourism honoring South Africa’s 20th anniversary of freedom and democracy. Featuring performances by two of South Africa’s most renowned Grammy-nominated musical icons, legendary trumpeter, Hugh Masekela and vocalist, Vusi Mahlasela, the special celebration was a dazzling showcase of South Africa’s vibrant culture and dynamic musical identity.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7101157-south-african-tourism-pop-up-concert-in-times-square/
Using an entrepreneurial distribution model, the Natural Light project will now donate a second instalment of 20,000 solar lamps. These will be sold by new sales agents in off-grid communities in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone and, for the first time, in Malawi.
The aim of this project, besides bringing a sustainable light source to off-grid communities, was to create a business model for local sales agents to make a living. This has been a great success. Today more than 50 sales agents in three African nations – Zimbabwe, Zambia and Sierra Leone – have their own businesses selling Natural Light solar lamps.
The Natural Light project, in collaboration with social business Little Sun, and NGO Plan International, was created to celebrate the VELUX Group’s 75th anniversary. Following an international design competition last year, which received 172 submissions from all over the world, the winning design was chosen and 14,500 units of the solar lamp were distributed in Africa – one for each employee of the VELUX Group and its sister companies.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8006751-velux-more-natural-light-shine-in-africa/
