Local government

Local government is a form of public administration which, in a majority of contexts, exists as the lowest tier of administration within a given state. The term is used to contrast with offices at state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or (where appropriate) federal government and also to supranational government which deals with governing institutions between states. Local governments generally act within powers delegated to them by legislation or directives of the higher level of government. In federal states, local government generally comprises the third (or sometimes fourth) tier of government, whereas in unitary states, local government usually occupies the second or third tier of government, often with greater powers than higher-level administrative divisions.

The question of municipal autonomy is a key question of public administration and governance. The institutions of local government vary greatly between countries, and even where similar arrangements exist, the terminology often varies. Common names for local government entities include state, province, region, department, county, prefecture, district, city, township, town, borough, parish, municipality, shire, village, and local service district.

Government

A government is the system by which a state or community is controlled. In the Commonwealth of Nations, the word government is also used more narrowly to refer to the collective group of people that exercises executive authority in a state. This usage is analogous to what is called an "administration" in American English. Furthermore, especially in American English, the concepts of the state and the government may be used synonymously to refer to the person or group of people exercising authority over a politically organized territory. Finally, government is also sometimes used in English as a synonym for governance.

In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislators, administrators, and arbitrators. Government is the means by which state policy is enforced, as well as the mechanism for determining the policy of the state. A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political systems and institutions that make up the organisation of a specific government.

Center for Ecoliteracy

The Center for Ecoliteracy (CEL) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to education for sustainable living.

About

Located in Berkeley, California, the Center for Ecoliteracy's stated mission is to support and advance education for sustainable living. It was founded in 1995 by philanthropist Peter Buckley, physicist/author Fritjof Capra, and think tank director Zenobia Barlow to apply ecological, systems thinking principles to K-12 education.

The Center for Ecoliteracy has supported projects in habitat restoration, school gardens and cooking classes, partnerships between farms and schools, school food transformation, and curricular innovation. Together with the Chez Panisse Foundation and Berkeley Unified School District, the Center for Ecoliteracy implemented the School Lunch Initiative to provide local, seasonal, and sustainable meals for students as well as experiential learning in gardens, kitchen classrooms, and cafeterias. Using a systems approach, the Rethinking School Lunch program offers a planning strategy for revamping food service programs.

United Nations University

The United Nations University (国際連合大学, Kokusairengōdaigaku), (UNU), established in 1973, is the academic and research arm of the United Nations. It is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with diplomatic status as a UN institution. Since 2010, UNU has been authorized by the UN General Assembly to grant degrees. It also provides a bridge between the UN and the international academic, policy-making and private sector communities.

Organisation and leadership

The university is headed by a rector who holds the rank of Under-Secretary General of the United Nations.

To date, there have been six Rectors at UNU, Dr. David M. Malone being the current Rector since March 2013.

List of Rectors of United Nations University:

The Council of UNU is the governing board of the University and is composed of 24 members who are appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations with the concurrence of the Director-General of UNESCO.

History

The University was established in 1973 and formally began its activities in 1976 following the signature of the permanent headquarters agreement between the United Nations and Japan. The creation of the United Nations University was set in motion by Secretary-General U Thant in 1969.

NationsUniversity

NationsUniversity, also known as Nations University, is a distance education university that describes its mission as the development of faith and the training of Christian leaders around the world using distance learning. While Nations University founding faculty and staff are affiliated with the Churches of Christ, Nations University itself is an interdenominational online Christian university, which offers certificate, bachelor's and master's degrees in religious studies, and a Master of Divinity degree. All courses are offered online with select courses offered to prison inmates in the U.S. via mail. The institution is incorporated and based in Louisiana, but originally had its offices in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Nations was incorporated in 1996 by Richard Ady, Mac Lynn, and Darrell Frazier. Ady and Lynn had been college classmates. Ady's career had been in church work and Lynn had worked in higher education as a teacher and administrator. Ady had previously founded the World English Institute. NationsUniversity has legal authority under Louisiana law to grant degrees in religious studies. The institution is currently accredited by The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) a nationally recognized accrediting body approved by the U.S. Secretary of Education. As of January 31, 2013, the school reported 3,902 students in 145 countries. NationsUniversity tries to minimize the costs for its students, charging no fees to students outside the United States and only modest fees to U.S. students.