And finally On 24 February 2011, The United Nations Celebrated the historic launch of UN Women, its newest organization, with an evening including luminaries from the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, the media, music and film in the UN General Assembly Hall. 

UN Women, formally known as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, combines four previous UN bodies and represents the United Nations’ most ambitious effort ever to accelerate actions to achieve gender equality. Around the world, supporters of women’s rights have heralded its debut.

The estimated half-million garbage pickers in Brazil, known as catadores, turn waste into gold: they sort out recyclable items in the country’s dumps, then sell their findings to recycling companies. The collection of recyclable material in Brazil is largely from these waste pickers. Waste picking activities are supported by government. In Brazil waste picking is now recognized as an occupation . And organized waste pickers are seen as legitimate stakeholders who can voice their opinions at the local, state, and national levels.  But the catadores typically receive only a fraction of the value of the materials they collect because they usually sell to middlemen who earn most of the profits. The process of getting the recyclables to their final destination involves fleets of fuel-consuming vehicles which accounts for one-fifth of their operating expenses.

Now — with help from some MIT students — the catadores have a less-expensive and environmentally friendly fuel option: recycled cooking oil.