This is a special and unique online pageant for dolls around the world. You can watch how it unfolds by visiting our website at www.missunibarse.com!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
CONGRATULATIONS to OUR "FAST TRACK" WINNERS and RUNNERS-UP
Best in National Costume (2nd Place) Miss Unibarse PANAMA Best in National Costume (1st Place) Miss Unibarse PHILIPPINES MISS UNIBARSE 2008 "BEST in NATIONAL COSTUME" Winner MISS UNIBARSE NICARAGUA
Miss Photogenic (2nd Place) Miss Unibarse PUERTO RICO Miss Photogenic (1st Place) Miss Unibarse PHILIPPINES MISS UNIBARSE "MISS PHOTOGENIC" Winner MISS UNIBARSE UNITED STATES
Best in Swimsuit (2nd Place) Miss Unibarse UNITED STATES Best in Swimsuit (1st Place) Miss Unibarse PUERTO RICO MISS UNIBARSE "BEST in SWIMSUIT" Winner MISS UNIBARSE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Best in Evening Gown (2nd Place) Miss Unibarse NEPAL Best in Evening Gown (1st Place) Miss Unibarse PHILIPPINES MISS UNIBARSE 2008 "BEST in EVENING GOWN" Winner MISS UNIBARSE PUERTO RICO
"People's Choice" (2nd Place) Miss Unibarse UNITED STATES "People's Choice" (1st Place) Miss Unibarse INDONESIA MISS UNIBARSE 2008 "PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD" Winner MISS UNIBARSE PHILIPPINES Stumble It!
This is the first time in Miss Unibarse history that 5 newcomers have made it into the TOP 10 level of competition each representing 5 different continents!
This proves that Miss Unibarse is an event that is inclusive of all races and appreciates the differences we have in all of us.
In the TOP 10 we have doll-egates from:
Asia (4) Europe (1) Africa (3) Latin/Carribean (1) Middle East (1)
CONGRATULATIONS to our JUDGES for a job well done and for a very well rounded TOP 10!
Now, it's time to meet them one by one, up close and personal...
Miss Unibarse ZAMBIA 2008
This is ZAMBIA's first doll-egate to Miss Unibarse and with her dusky and exotic features she can definitely shine her way through the Top 5 making her a step closer to winning the crown. ZAMBIA was a late entry at this year's event and was almost denied participation due to a missing national costume headpiece. Turns out that she is destined to compete strong an dnow stands as one of the Top 10 doll-egates!
Miss Unibarse SRI LANKA 2008
She won 1st Runner Up in Miss Doll Asia Pacific pageant in China as her early 'training' for Miss Unibarse and from the looks of it, her preparation is paying off! SRI LANKA is now poised to win her country's very first Miss Unibarse title and with her unique beauty she can easily brek in the magic circle.
Miss Unibarse PHILIPPINES 2008
PHILIPPINES recently won the MISS EARTH title and winning another international pageant will send this pageant craze nation to the euphoria! This is PHILIPPINES best showing in Miss Unibarse and her enigmatic aura can definitely melt the hearts of our international panel of judges. PHILIPPINES was also a Top 15 finisher at Miss Doll World in Las Vegas
Miss Unibarse NEPAL 2008
NEPAL's inclusion in the TOP 15 is a pleasant surprise. This is NEPAL's first year in Miss Unibarse and this demure and striking Asian beauty can pull an upset winning her country's very first Miss Unibarse.
Miss Unibarse MALAWI 2008
This is MALAWI's first time competing in Miss Unibarse and pageant experts have high hopes for this African beauty to take it all with her dusky and charming features! MALAWI's perfect features are definitely what the Miss Unibarse Organization is looking for. Can MALAWI take home her country's first major beauty title?
Miss Unibarse KENYA 2008
KENYA made the semi-finals in 2005 and returns stronger than ever to the Miss Unibarse stage sending one of the most exotic and sultry faces in the competition! She is a 'silent threat' and definitely can take home the first Miss Unibarse crown for her country making it a second victory for Africa.
Miss Unibarse CHINA 2008
Shang Hai, CHINA hosted the very first Miss Unibarse Pageant in 2005 and their doll-egate have been considered one of the most competitive doll-egates from Asia and this year is no exception! CHINA sends a beauty that transcends global bounderies making CHINA one of the one's to beat countries in this year's Miss Unibarse!
Miss Unibarse AFGHANISTAN 2008
AFGHANISTAN joins Miss Unibarse for the very first time and she is determined to take it all with her exotic beauty and regal demeanor. Hr beauty is reminiscent of Ruffa Gutierrez and Mutya Crisostimo, both Pinay beauties who brought international accolades to their country! Should Afghanistan make it in the TOP 5, AFGHANISTAN will make history as the very first middle eastern beauty to make it in the winner's circle!
Miss Unibarse DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2008
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC sent one of their most competitive doll-egates in years! A definite crowd favorite, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC is poised to be the first Latina to win Miss Unibarse! She arrived with long beautiful wavy hair (see official crown pictorial) but her director decided to cut her hair short! It looks like that risk paid off as Dominican continues to surge forward!
Miss Unibarse MONTENEGRO 2008
This is MONTENEGRO's first entry at Miss Unibarse and this European beauty, with her Victoria Secret stature, could very well be the first from her country! For their first time MONTENEGRO sure knows the right recipe the Miss Unibarse judges are looking for! Will Europe be hosting Miss Unibarse next year?
WHO WILL BE IN THE MISS UNIBARSE 'WINNER CIRCLE'? Stay tuned and find out next week as we announce the lucky doll-egates who will move on to answer the FINAL QUESTON!
Also meet this year's FAST TRACK WINNERS, CONTINENTAL QUEENS, chosen by the global community and FINAL JUDGES!
Stay with us as we take one step closer to crowning MISS UNIBARSE 2008! Stumble It!
Miss Unibarse DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2008 National Director: Etienne Non-Profit Agency of Choice: The DREAM PROJECT
The Dominican Republic Education And Mentoring (DREAM) Project, a US 501c3 nonprofit organization, provides quality education for all children born into poverty in rural areas and small communities of the Dominican Republic.
We fulfill our mission by:
• Building classrooms, libraries, computer science labs and sport recreation areas • Securing books, school supplies and educational materials for the classrooms • Partnering with public schools • Operating private preschool classrooms • Operating youth groups and summer camps • Empowering local communities by providing models, resources and training • Raising awareness within the international community • Soliciting international volunteers; and • Training Dominican teachers and local community members in modern child centered teaching methodologies
We are sustained through the generous contribution of time, talent, funds, materials and supplies from individuals, foundations, government agencies and businesses.
Vision:
It is our vision that all children born in the Dominican Republic have the opportunity to receive an education and learn to their full potential. It is our hope that our efforts can be multiplied to allow the opportunity for every child’s gifts and challenges to be met with support nationwide. It is our goal to break the cycle of poverty and change peoples’ destinies. It is our dream that the world will be a better place for the children and families of the next generation.
Stumble It!
Miss Unibarse PHILIPPINES 2008 National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management Non-Profit Organization of Choice: BANTAY BATA
WELCOME TO CHILD WATCH: BANTAY BATA 163
Bantay Bata 163 is a child welfare program of ABS-CBN Foundation that not only rescues and rehabilitates sick and abused children, but also provides shelter, therapy and quality home care for rescued children until they can be reunited with their families or referred to proper child-caring agencies.
BB163 gives emphasis on the family through the following services: training and advocacy on child abuse prevention, rehabilitation of families in crisis, educational scholarships, livelihood, community outreach and medical and dental missions.
VISION
To be Asia’s best media-based child protection and welfare organization, providing comprehensive and integrated programs and services
MISSION
To create and provide a safe, nurturing and loving environment where children can develop and realize their full potential
OBJECTIVES
* To provide holistic and proactive programs, services and facilities and to uphold the welfare of the children;
* To heighten public awareness, responsibility, and community involvement in child protection and welfare through mass media and advocacy programs;
* To generate resources to ensure continuity, growth and long-term sustainability of the organization;
*To develop a committed, well-motivated and proficient BB163 workforce by providing opportunities for professional growth and excellence;
* To upgrade the capabilities of the child protection sector in the Philippines and Asia.
Stumble It!
Miss Unibarse MALAWI 2008 National Director: Bryan Non-Profit Agency of Choice:RAISING MALAWI
Our Mission
Since 2006, Raising Malawi has been dedicated to bringing an end to the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s one million orphans. Co-founded by Madonna and Michael Berg, Raising Malawi uses a community-based approach to provide immediate direct physical assistance, create long-term sustainability, support education and psycho-social programs, and build public awareness through multimedia and worldwide volunteer efforts.
As a part of its activities, Raising Malawi works to distribute financial support that will help community-based organizations provide vulnerable children with nutritious food, proper clothing, secure shelter, formal education, targeted medical care, and emotional support. We do not create or manage our own programs in Malawi; rather we support dedicated people on the ground and in the villages, the ones closest to the realities that exist. We believe in empowering the smartest and most caring of those people, the ones who understand the challenges and the solutions.
By choosing to work at a community-based level, rather than trying to impose Western beliefs and methodologies on a different culture, real and lasting change is occurring in the lives of hundreds of thousands of impoverished children in Malawi. Our Background
In the impoverished nation of Malawi it is thought that 15% percent of the population is HIV positive. It could be even higher, but very often, in many of these villages not a single person has been tested for the virus. A lack of proper medical care and nutritious food leaves sick Malawians unable to care for themselves or for their families.
The stigma and superstition surrounding wasting disease perpetuates a misunderstanding of how illness is contracted. And with an entire generation of parents dead or dying, twelve year old children suddenly find themselves the heads of their desperate households. Without the tools for transforming their fragile lives, these children will grow up to perpetuate the tragedy into which they were born. If they grow up at all.
This is a cycle that must be broken. Raising Malawi is an organization that has become synonymous with reclaiming human dignity for children whose lives have been devastated by disease, starvation, abuse and neglect. Bearing witness to the brutalities of the developing world, Raising Malawi works tirelessly to save lives, and strives also to bring the plight of suffering children to the forefront of the global community.
There was a moment, forty-five years ago, of great expectation for Malawi and her people. After decades of colonialism and dictatorship, the former Nyasaland became independent as Malawi in 1964. Peace Corps volunteers, who had just been granted permission to work there, were optimistic about the future of this fertile new country. The political and social climates were changing, and the people of Malawi were prepared to rebuild their nation. But then, as in so many other nations in Africa, a humanitarian disaster began to unfold in Malawi that would be unrivaled in modern times. Political corruption and violence would soon take hold of the country. A scourge of diseases ravaged its people and crippled their infrastructure. Famine and droughts left the lush landscape barren. Extreme poverty would eventually render this nation of thirteen million utterly without hope.
Moved by compassion and a desire for increased understanding of the global emergency of AIDS and extreme poverty, Madonna and Michael Berg began a journey that would bring them to this impoverished and often overlooked country. A country that had become home to one million orphaned children. What began as a modest effort to increase humanitarian aid for impoverished kids soon began to transcend the limits of what many thought possible in the developing world. By choosing to work at a community-based level rather than trying to impose Western methodologies on a uniquely African culture, Raising Malawi is empowering those who best understand Malawi’s challenges to implement lasting solutions there.
An intermediary between the planet’s most vulnerable children and those who possess the greatest resources in the world, Raising Malawi holds fast to the belief that we can never truly be happy in life until we care for other people at least as much as we care for ourselves. In reaching out to Malawi, Madonna, Michael, and dedicated volunteers all over the world are heeding that call. Many have shared their wealth with those who need it the most. Others have worked to create worldwide awareness of the realities of extreme poverty. Some have traveled to Malawi to provide direct medical care to dying children. All remain hopeful that a generation of children who once suffered so needlessly will now do more than just survive – they will play an active role in the rebirth of their nation, and go on to create a better world.
To date, hundreds of thousands of children have received nutritious food, proper clothing, secure shelter, formal education, targeted medical care and emotional support through Raising Malawi. Tens of thousands more will be reached this year. Join Raising Malawi in bringing sustainable change to the lives of children who need it most.
MESSAGE from MADONNA
From the moment I began my work on behalf of Malawi’s ONE MILLION orphans, people have asked, “Why did you choose Malawi?" I always answer “I didn’t. Malawi chose me."
Malawi is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Unfortunately, it is also one of the poorest - suffering from famine, drought, extreme poverty, and diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. All of which could be treated with proper health care and education, if it were available.
Through the Raising Malawi, Michael Berg and I have committed to doing all that we can to help this small country in desperate need. We have met with world experts in healthcare, economics, education, and international development - leaders like Dr. Jeffrey Sachs and Dr. Paul Farmer, who have given a voice to the most underprivileged sectors of society. Together we are working to raise the quality of life for a generation of orphaned and vulnerable children.
Now I’m asking you to join us.
Malawi and her children are at the heart of the humanitarian crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. The challenges facing these children are unimaginable. Everyday in Malawi, hundreds of children die from preventable illness, thousands are affected by abuse and neglect, and millions face a lonely struggle for survival without parents or adult supervision.
At Raising Malawi, we believe in turning these challenges into stepping stones. Malawi is a country with incredible promise. Malawians possess resiliency and great spirit. If we give them a chance to achieve lasting sustainability through smart solutions and the proper support we will, in fact, raise Malawi. No matter who you are or where you are, you can join this cause and get involved. Volunteers of all ages and from every corner of the world are needed. Donations, no matter how large or small, can make a big difference: from buying a bed net to helping build a school or a clinic. Every little bit helps.
I urge you to please support Raising Malawi and remember: by committing a little bit of your time, talent, or treasures to these extraordinary children, you will help to save a life.
Miss Unibarse SRI LANKA 2008 National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management Non-Profit Agency of Choice: SRI LANKA AID DIRECT
Sri Lanka Aid Direct is working to improve the physical and social welfare of the victims of the tsunami via a direct, project-driven approach, delivering practical support which leads to visible results.
We focus our efforts in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka's Ampara districts, worst hit by the Tsunami and affected by the ongoing civil conflict.We work in partnership with proven local individuals, charities and aid organisations. There are no middlemen or administration costs. All money raised goes directly to the front-line.
The charity is run by a team of people with strong links to Sri Lanka and a range of complementary skills and experience. Sri Lanka Aid Direct is a registered charity with no political or religious affiliations or agenda
Practical support with visible results Following the Tsunami we focussed immediately on helping the displaced victims of the Tsunami rebuild their lives and homes, through:
o Bicycles for displaced individuals in refugee camps o Community-based concrete block workshops
We also responded rapidly to local needs, while the main charities concentrated on large-scale reconstruction.
o Books, materials and equipment- supplied to Thambattai school o Children's playground- built in Komari o Water and electricity- connected to Lahugala school and cottage hospital
Longer-term we are now supporting practical projects to help rebuild and develop communities, through:
o Lahugala irrigation project o Girls' boarding hostel- Thambiluvil School o Youth Clubs
Stumble It!
An estimated 300 million children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse including the worst forms of child labor in communities, schools and institutions; during armed conflict; and to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage. Millions more, not yet victims, also remain without adequate protection.
Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is an integral component of protecting their rights to survival, growth and development. UNICEF’s commitment to protecting children is underlined in our Medium Term Strategic Plan and Child Protection Strategy. We draw on our Core Corporate Commitments, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Millennium Declaration, and numerous international human rights agreements as the basis for our response.
UNICEF advocates and supports the creation of a protective environment for children in partnership with governments, national and international partners including the private sector, and civil society. National child protection systems, protective social practices and children’s own empowerment coupled with good oversight and monitoring are among the elements of a protective environment and enable countries, communities and families to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation and abuse.
Stumble It!
The Kenya Human Rights Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental organization which was founded in 1991. KHRC conducts monitoring of human rights violations, education programs aimed at raising awareness of human rights in all parts of the country and advocacy on key issues.
KHRC includes refugee issues in its monitoring and research. It has been involved in lobbying for the passage of a refugee law in Kenya. KHRC also refers refugees to the Refugee Consortium of Kenya and UNHCR.
KHRC is a member of the African NGO Refugee Protection Network.
Stumble It!
Miss Unibarse MONTENEGRO 2008 National Director: Kenneth Non-Profit Agency of Choice: The HUNGER PROJECT
Mission Statement
The Hunger Project is a global, non-profit, strategic organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger.
In Africa, Asia and Latin America, The Hunger Project seeks to end hunger and poverty by empowering people to lead lives of self-reliance, meet their own basic needs and build better futures for their children.
The Hunger Project carries out its mission through three essential activities: mobilizing village clusters at the grassroots level to build self-reliance, empowering women as key change agents, and forging effective partnerships with local government. Vision
Our vision of the future is not based on everyone achieving a high-consumption lifestyle, which is environmentally unsustainable. Nor does it permit one-sixth of the human family to continue to live in abject poverty. The Hunger Project is committed to transcending this polarity and creating a future that rejects the inevitability of hunger and recognizes the limitations of a consumerist society.
Stumble It!
Miss Unibarse AFGHANISTAN 2008 National Director: Marco Non-Profit Agency of Choice:AFGHAN AID
Please watch the AFGHAN AID You Tube Video
About us
Afghanaid has worked alongside Afghan communities for over two decades. We currently work directly with over 500,000 adults and children focusing on long term sustainable development in rural areas.
In a country where 1 in 5 children die before the age of 5, our work has an immediate effect helping build a future where people have healthier lives.
Our vision is of a peaceful and secure Afghanistan, where Afghans exercise their rights to political freedom and economic opportunity in a country where institutions are held accountable.
Afghanaid works alongside poor and marginalised Afghans to increase their chances and capabilities to enjoy sustainable and fair economic and social development.
Afghanaid’s Head Office is in Afghanistan with a UK office providing advocacy and fundraising support. The UK office has five staff. We have 300 staff in Afghanistan, 95 per cent of whom are Afghan.
Approximately 60 women work for Afghanaid. Afghanaid is governed by a board of trustees in London and managed by a team of four directors and one managing director.
Afghanaid‘s origins are in the Afghanistan Support Committee which was founded in London in 1981. Two years later, Afghanaid was set up as an independent charity and has worked in Afghanistan continuously and independently ever since.In the 1980s, we helped Afghans who had fled their homes either to other parts of the country or to neighbouring Pakistan.
From the 1990s, we’ve concentrated on community development in some of the poorest and most remote parts of Afghanistan, rebuilding their lives and working to secure their future.
Afghanaid believes that our work must reflect the wishes and needs of the Afghan people.
Miss Unibarse CHINA 2008 National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management and Eve Advocacy Work of Choice: HUMAN RIGHTS in CHINA
Our Mission and Approach
Founded by Chinese students and scholars in March 1989, Human Rights in China (HRIC) is an international, Chinese, non-governmental organization with a mission to promote international human rights and advance the institutional protection of these rights in the People’s Republic of China (China). HRIC’s board and staff include Chinese, North American, and European individuals devoted to fostering greater space for democratic reforms and social justice.
HRIC’s approach is a long-term process of engaging multiple international actors, including the media, governments, corporations, various United Nations bodies, and other multilateral organizations. HRIC also aims to maximize and leverage its resources by collaborating with other local, regional, and international NGOs.
HRIC’s education, research, and advocacy strategies are guided by three key objectives:
* Supporting the work of local civil society groups to promote the process of economic, administrative, and legal reforms;
* Generating international pressure for social change through monitoring to ensure accountability, transparency, and compliance with the Chinese government’s international human rights obligations; and
* Strengthening international human rights frameworks and facilitating international cooperation by working with other non-governmental organizations, the UN, and other multilateral and bilateral organizations, national governments, and donors.
Stumble It!
Miss Unibarse NEPAL 2008 National Director: Marco Non-Profit Agency of Choice: STREET CHILDREN of NEPAL
Welcome to The Street Children of Nepal Trust
The Street Children of Nepal Trust is a UK registered charity that raises funds to support projects and initiatives in Nepal. We focus on helping those organisations that help both children who live and work on the street and those from the poorest families.
The aims of the charity are:
* To relieve hunger and improve nutrition amongst destitute street children * To support education of both street children and children from the poorest families * To provide basic healthcare for children in need * Assist in providing shelter for children who have nowhere to live
About Nepal
Nepal is a country of soaring mountains, beautiful valleys and subtropical jungle. Its steep terrain, lack of natural resources and inaccessibility has meant that it has remained one the very poorest and least developed countries in the world with 24% of the population living on less then US $1 a day.
The UN’s Human Development Index (2005) ranks Nepal 142nd out of 177 countries and shows a life expectancy of 62.6 years, adult literacy rate of 48.6% and a GDP per capita of US $1550. However these figures mask major differences between the majority who live in the countryside and those who live in urban environments as well as very significant gender and income inequality.
UNICEF report that:
* More than 50,000 children die annually in Nepal, with malnutrition as the underlying cause in more than 60% of those deaths
* Half the children in Nepal are underweight
* Only 35% of the population have access to adequate sanitation facilities
* The literacy rate for 15 – 24 year olds is 81% for males and 60% for females
* Only 3 out of every 100 have access to a phone
* 31% of children aged 5 to 14 are involved in some sort of child labour
Although the majority of the population still live in rural areas and derive their livelihood from agriculture the pressure of change including population growth, declining fertility of farmland and the pressures of globalisation has seen a significant and rapid rise in the numbers living in cities.
Currently an estimated 38% of the population is aged under 14 years and the pressure of change falls heavily on this age group and this has resulted in significant levels of child migration. Children move away from their homes for a variety of reasons including the death of one or both parents, poverty, illiteracy, domestic abuse and the perceived attractions of city life. Many of these children find themselves living on the streets in urban areas and attempt to earn money in marginal economic activities such as collecting rags, shining shoes, dishwashing in hotels, pulling carts and rickshaws and begging. Street children are highly vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse.
Trafficking of children also occurs with children being ‘recruited’ often for an exchange of money. These children will often then be used for domestic labour, carpet weaving and a variety of other jobs. They and their families are lured by promises of good employment but the reality is very different with very low pay, if any at all, and harsh living and working conditions.
Stumble It!
Miss Unibarse ZAMBIA 2008 Miss Unibarse SWITZERLAND 2008 Miss Unibarse SRI LANKA 2008 Miss Unibarse PUERTO RICO 2008 Miss Unibarse PHILIPPINES 2008 Miss Unibarse NEPAL 2008 Miss Unibarse MALAWI 2008 Miss Unibarse KENYA 2008 Miss Unibarse JAPAN 2008 Miss Unibase INDONESIAN 2008 Miss Unibarse CHINA 2008 Miss Unibarse AFGHANISTAN 2008 Miss Unibarse DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2008
Stumble It!
