Planet Positive (Planet +) is a non-profit-making internet site, founded in 2003, by Isabelle Alexandrine Bourgeois, a freelance Journalist. The site is in the French language with the main sections in English. The objective of Planet+ is to help build a better world by gathering positive news about what is best in humanity and publicising the kind of “news” that highlights spiritual qualities such as joy, loyalty, courage, nobility and beauty. Planet+ believes that people are receptive to news with an emphasis on beauty and goodness, news that will be therapeutic, promote reflection and encourage listening and sharing skills. Planet+ is helping to bring a much needed balance to the media’s tendency to concentrate mainly on bad news. The “webhome” of Planet+ is user friendly and welcomes contributions from visitors. On entry to the ground floor there is a positive photo, which celebrates humour, nature or the human touch. In the entrance hall can be found the most recently published article and a tour of the ground floor rooms reveals articles, chosen from international news sites, on such subjects as: Politics, Economics, People, Culture, Society, Spirituality, Health, Environment, Animals and Oddities. On this floor visitors can also access links to the lives of Great People via an extensive list of some of those forerunners who have uplifted human consciousness through the ages to the present day; visitors can also suggest their own nominees. There is a Diary and there are Links to useful websites. The first floor includes discussions, debates, a forum and a guest book; the second floor includes a photo gallery, a games room and library –“a laboratory of the positive”. Finally, visitors to the attic will discover the mission statement of Planet+

Website address: http://www.planetpositive.ch/version_2_0/news/index.stm

The second World Forum on Human Rights will be held in the Nantes Métropole International Convention Centre from July 10th to 13th, 2006 (2006 will mark the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights, and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by the General Assembly of the United Nations). As in 2004, topical issues relating to Human Rights will be debated by policy makers from both local and national politics from all over the world, along with members of international organisations, academics, and representatives of civil society.

The main objective for the 2006 Forum is the same: to be a centre for unrestricted dialogue in which all actors from the field of Human Rights can participate equally and where they can create and reinforce international solidarity networks for promoting, defending and implementing Human Rights all over the world.

Three main topics will be debated during the plenary sessions and further discussed, along specific topic lines, in round tables and workshops. These three main topics are:

1.Discriminations and Diversity (discrimination in a worldwide context of cultural diversity)

2. Economic Globalization and Human Rights

3. Responsibilities and Solidarities

For more information: Cité International des Congrés Nantes-Metropole, 5 rue de Valmy, 44041, Nantes Cedex 01; Tel: +33-(0)2-51-88-21-54; Fax: +33-(0)2-51-88-20-20; Email: ac.thiolat@congres-nantes.fr;Web: www.forum-humanrights.org