The Antinea Foundation is a Switzerland-based non-profit organisation with the mission to play an innovative role in the conservation of the oceans. The Foundation’s projects are articulated around its flagship: the sailing boat "Fleur de Passion" which will circumnavigate the world over the next decade, exploring its most important and threatened marine regions as identified by the WWF’s Global 200 project. This expedition named "Changing Oceans Expedition" is conducted in close co-operation with the IUCN. In 2008 Antinea Foundation and its expedition received patronage of the UNESCO.
To carry out its mission the Foundation is creating a partnership network of leading organisations in the scientific, conservation, eco-tourism and media fields. The organisation acts as a supporting and strengthening element, not only assembling skills and know-how but also contributing its resources to the particular mission of each of its partners and communicating the underlying conservation issues to a wider public.
Objectives
Antinea Foundation's mission to play an innovative role in protecting the oceans is carried out by focussing on three main objectives:
1. Scientific Research: Contributing to a better scientific understanding of the marine environment, in particular by providing scientists access to the organisation's expedition vessel "Fleur de Passion"
2. Communication & Education: Raising public awareness and media attention on marine conservation issues making use of cutting-edge communication tools
3. Participation: Giving members of the Foundation and further individuals the opportunity to become involved in projects as eco-volunteers
Changing Oceans Expedition
On October 8, 2008 at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona the Antinea Foundation, in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), launched a 10 years, worldwide expedition called "Changing Oceans Expedition". The purpose of it is to take stock of what the state of the oceans is, how they have changed and what can be done to strengthen their health.
Along its voyage Antinea's flagship Fleur de Passion will visit over 100 sites that are exceptional for the richness of their biodiversity. Included in those will be marine World Heritage Site and other globally significant marine protected areas. Small and large organisations will be given access to use the ship for research purposes. The expedition will follow the routes of past expeditions, and compare modern surveys with ancient logbooks in order to measure the changes that occurred in the past decades. IUCN, through its Marine programme, will collaborate with Antinea to retrace the most significant expeditions, to develop the tools needed to measure and understand the trends in ocean conservation.
In summer 2009 the 33 meter sailing boat will leave Marseille, France for its first research tour through the Mediterranean Sea.
The Flagship "Fleur de Passion"
Fleur de Passion is the Foundation’s flagship and project station. It is a sailing ship with a surprising past. Originally a motor boat of the German Navy, it was built in 1942 for war services, such as de-mining and resupplying submarines. For this reason, the boat has a mixed structure with a wooden hull and steal ribs. In 1945 it was surrendered to the French Navy in compensation for war damages. In 1976 it was disarmed and sold to an individual who transformed it into a ketch and named it Fleur de Passion. For the following 20 years it was used in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic for socio-educational and scientific activities. Fleur de Passion, which had been abandoned for years, was bought in 2002 by the Association Pacifique and put it in a dry dock in January 2003 to start its total restoration. After more than 5 years and 60’000 hour of work it is now ready to set sails.
History
The history of the Antinea Foundation dates began in early 2000 with the creation of the Association Pacifique and the inauguration of the Association Antinea in 2005. Both organisation were based in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 2001, the Association Pacifique bought "Fleur de Passion", an almost 60 year-old abandoned 32 meter sailing boat. This boat was used by its previous owner in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic in the framework of socio-educational, navigation, diving and scientific projects. Since 2001, the Association Pacifique worked assiduously to completely restore "Fleur de Passion", preparing it to sail once again soon.
Meanwhile, the Association Antinea had as its objective to organise a global circumnavigation on board of a yacht which would serve as a platform for research and communication, in a quest to contribute to the protection of the marine environment. The sailing ship Antinea, a 17 meter sloop accomplished the first leg of the expedition, crossing the Atlantic from the Caribbean to Europe in 2005. The project quickly outgrew its humble beginnings with the realisation that the boat had become too small to fulfill Antinea’s new ambitions.
Realising that the objectives of the two organisations were complementary, the Associations Pacifique and Antinea decided, at the beginning of 2006, to unite their assets, resources and energy and create the Antinea Foundation effectively carrying out their projects together.
In June 2007 the Antinea Foundation was officially established as a foundation under Swiss law.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
American Indoor Air Quality Council ,CIEC,CIE,CMC,CMI,CMRS,CMR,CIAQM,CMCA,CRMI
The American Indoor Air Quality Council is a not-for-profit environmental organization founded in 1993. It provides professional certification programs for the indoor air quality industry (IAQ). The Council administers certifications for indoor environmental investigators and consultants, microbial remediation professionals, IAQ administrators and residential mold inspectors. IAQ Council certificants number more than 5,000 in the United States, Canada and overseas.
The IAQ Council is independent of product manufacturers, certification training providers and all other for-profit enterprises. Its certifications are board-awarded by a nationwide panel of industry professionals serving as volunteers.
In 2006, the IAQ Council became the first certification body dedicated to indoor air quality to achieve third party accreditation for a certification program.
History
Indoor air quality as a separate discipline emerged in the United States in the late 1980’s. By the mid 1990’s there were thousands of consultants, investigators and remediators across the country addressing indoor environmental problems from sick building syndrome to mold contamination.
A variety of organizations appeared on the scene to serve this new profession, offering membership services such as training, certification and continuing education. In the absence of government regulation of the indoor air quality industry, the certification programs offered by these organizations proliferated throughout the 1990’s. In general, they followed a pattern: an IAQ professional seeking certification would join the organization as a member, take a training course from the same organization, and pass a certification exam, also administered by the organization (which would collect fees at every stage of this process).
Leaders at the American IAQ Council grew concerned in the mid 2000’s about the quality and integrity of certifications administered this way. They concluded that such certifications provide little value to the public:
1. Because they do not require validated field experience of the candidate, they often fail to provide the customer with assurance of a certificant’s abilities and expertise.
2. Because they are not based upon verifiable documentation, they often fail to protect the certificant from legal challenges to his or her professional reputation.
3. Because they are not recognized by independent accreditation bodies, they often fail to demand respect in the marketplace.
The sheer number of competing certifications available with little to differentiate them, coupled with the widespread perception that they were much too easy to acquire, led Council executives to search for ways to raise standards in IAQ certification.
Unification and Accreditation
In early 2006, the IAQ Council formed an alliance with the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) and the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization (IESO) for the purpose of raising standards in IAQ certification. Under the terms of this alliance (or “unification,” as it was called), each organization narrowed the scope of its activities to a single group of services, and transferred its other operations to its unification partners. The IAQ Council, for its part, gave up membership and training operations entirely and became an independent certifying body.
The IAQ Council's policies reflect its commitment to high standards for certification. Each candidate must pass a psychometrically rated examination which is delivered independently of any training course. Each candidate is required to submit verifiable documentation of field experience before his or her application is reviewed by the certification board. The board grants certification by unanimous vote only.
These policies bore fruit in 2006, when the IAQ Council became the first organization dedicated to indoor air quality to achieve third party accreditation of a certification program. The Council for Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB), a nationally recognized accreditation body, approved the IAQ Council’s highest designations as engineering-related certification programs.
Certifications
The IAQ Council offers certifications in five disciplines related to indoor air quality:
Indoor Environmental Consulting and Investigation
* Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC)
* Council-certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE)
Microbial Consulting and Investigation
* Council-certified Microbial Consultant (CMC)
* Council-certified Microbial Investigator (CMI)
Microbial Remediation
* Council-certified Microbial Remediation Supervisor (CMRS)
* Council-certified Microbial Remediator (CMR)
Indoor Air Quality Administration
* Council-certified Indoor Air Quality Manager (CIAQM)
* Council-certified Microbial Claims Adjuster (CMCA)
Residential Mold Inspection
* Council-certified Residential Mold Inspector (CRMI)
The IAQ Council is independent of product manufacturers, certification training providers and all other for-profit enterprises. Its certifications are board-awarded by a nationwide panel of industry professionals serving as volunteers.
In 2006, the IAQ Council became the first certification body dedicated to indoor air quality to achieve third party accreditation for a certification program.
History
Indoor air quality as a separate discipline emerged in the United States in the late 1980’s. By the mid 1990’s there were thousands of consultants, investigators and remediators across the country addressing indoor environmental problems from sick building syndrome to mold contamination.
A variety of organizations appeared on the scene to serve this new profession, offering membership services such as training, certification and continuing education. In the absence of government regulation of the indoor air quality industry, the certification programs offered by these organizations proliferated throughout the 1990’s. In general, they followed a pattern: an IAQ professional seeking certification would join the organization as a member, take a training course from the same organization, and pass a certification exam, also administered by the organization (which would collect fees at every stage of this process).
Leaders at the American IAQ Council grew concerned in the mid 2000’s about the quality and integrity of certifications administered this way. They concluded that such certifications provide little value to the public:
1. Because they do not require validated field experience of the candidate, they often fail to provide the customer with assurance of a certificant’s abilities and expertise.
2. Because they are not based upon verifiable documentation, they often fail to protect the certificant from legal challenges to his or her professional reputation.
3. Because they are not recognized by independent accreditation bodies, they often fail to demand respect in the marketplace.
The sheer number of competing certifications available with little to differentiate them, coupled with the widespread perception that they were much too easy to acquire, led Council executives to search for ways to raise standards in IAQ certification.
Unification and Accreditation
In early 2006, the IAQ Council formed an alliance with the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) and the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization (IESO) for the purpose of raising standards in IAQ certification. Under the terms of this alliance (or “unification,” as it was called), each organization narrowed the scope of its activities to a single group of services, and transferred its other operations to its unification partners. The IAQ Council, for its part, gave up membership and training operations entirely and became an independent certifying body.
The IAQ Council's policies reflect its commitment to high standards for certification. Each candidate must pass a psychometrically rated examination which is delivered independently of any training course. Each candidate is required to submit verifiable documentation of field experience before his or her application is reviewed by the certification board. The board grants certification by unanimous vote only.
These policies bore fruit in 2006, when the IAQ Council became the first organization dedicated to indoor air quality to achieve third party accreditation of a certification program. The Council for Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB), a nationally recognized accreditation body, approved the IAQ Council’s highest designations as engineering-related certification programs.
Certifications
The IAQ Council offers certifications in five disciplines related to indoor air quality:
Indoor Environmental Consulting and Investigation
* Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC)
* Council-certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE)
Microbial Consulting and Investigation
* Council-certified Microbial Consultant (CMC)
* Council-certified Microbial Investigator (CMI)
Microbial Remediation
* Council-certified Microbial Remediation Supervisor (CMRS)
* Council-certified Microbial Remediator (CMR)
Indoor Air Quality Administration
* Council-certified Indoor Air Quality Manager (CIAQM)
* Council-certified Microbial Claims Adjuster (CMCA)
Residential Mold Inspection
* Council-certified Residential Mold Inspector (CRMI)
Aga Khan Trust for Culture,AKTC,AKAA,HCP,AKMICA,AKPIA
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). It focuses on the revitalization of communities in the Muslim world—physical, social, cultural, and economic
The AKTC was founded in 1988 and is registered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a private non-denominational philanthropic foundation. It is an integral part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a family of institutions created by Aga Khan IV with distinct but complementary mandates to improve the welfare of people in the developing world.
Programs
* Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize recognizes architectural excellence in the Muslim world.
* Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (HCP) supports the revitalization of historic sites in the Muslim world.
* Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia (AKMICA) provides financial resources and technical assistance to support the preservation and promotion of professional oral tradition music in Central Asia and surrounding regions.
* Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) is an endowed center for the history, theory and practice of Islamic architecture at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
* ArchNet is a website on architecture, urban design, urban development, and related issues in the Muslim world, created in cooperation with MIT.
* Aga Khan Museum refers to two museum projects, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto and the Museum of Historic Cairo at Al-Azhar Park, Cairo. It also provides support services for museums in the developing world, including the National Museum of Mali.
The AKTC was founded in 1988 and is registered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a private non-denominational philanthropic foundation. It is an integral part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a family of institutions created by Aga Khan IV with distinct but complementary mandates to improve the welfare of people in the developing world.
Programs
* Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize recognizes architectural excellence in the Muslim world.
* Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (HCP) supports the revitalization of historic sites in the Muslim world.
* Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia (AKMICA) provides financial resources and technical assistance to support the preservation and promotion of professional oral tradition music in Central Asia and surrounding regions.
* Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) is an endowed center for the history, theory and practice of Islamic architecture at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
* ArchNet is a website on architecture, urban design, urban development, and related issues in the Muslim world, created in cooperation with MIT.
* Aga Khan Museum refers to two museum projects, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto and the Museum of Historic Cairo at Al-Azhar Park, Cairo. It also provides support services for museums in the developing world, including the National Museum of Mali.
African Wild Dog Conservancy
The African Wild Dog Conservancy (AWD Conservancy) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), non-governmental organization, working with local communities, and national and international stakeholders, to conserve the African wild dog through scientific research and education.
Projects
The AWD Conservancy has a community-based conservation project in two biodiversity hotspots in southeastern Kenya. This region is rich mosaic of protected areas and community lands under extreme threat, with at least 70% of the original habitat destroyed. Due to past civil strife little is known about the many threatened species there. This area is a potentially significant refuge for wild dogs and an important corridor for the metapopulation of the Horn of Africa, as well as for other threatened wildlife species. Virtually nothing is known about the conservation status and ecology of wild dogs in this region, including their interactions with people and potential impact on one of their prey species, the Critically Endangered hirola, Beatragus hunteri. This project has been identified as a wild dog conservation priority by the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA)/Wild Dog Species Survival Program.
The AWD Conservancy is currently working with AZA member zoos to better understand the process of pack formation in this socially complex species. This ongoing study aims to provide a scientific basis for establishing introductory guidelines to minimize stress, reduce risk of physical injury, and facilitate social integration when forming artificially selected packs. Findings have potential application for zoo management and translocations in free-ranging populations.
Projects
The AWD Conservancy has a community-based conservation project in two biodiversity hotspots in southeastern Kenya. This region is rich mosaic of protected areas and community lands under extreme threat, with at least 70% of the original habitat destroyed. Due to past civil strife little is known about the many threatened species there. This area is a potentially significant refuge for wild dogs and an important corridor for the metapopulation of the Horn of Africa, as well as for other threatened wildlife species. Virtually nothing is known about the conservation status and ecology of wild dogs in this region, including their interactions with people and potential impact on one of their prey species, the Critically Endangered hirola, Beatragus hunteri. This project has been identified as a wild dog conservation priority by the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA)/Wild Dog Species Survival Program.
The AWD Conservancy is currently working with AZA member zoos to better understand the process of pack formation in this socially complex species. This ongoing study aims to provide a scientific basis for establishing introductory guidelines to minimize stress, reduce risk of physical injury, and facilitate social integration when forming artificially selected packs. Findings have potential application for zoo management and translocations in free-ranging populations.
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