The World Summit on Birth invites everyone who believes that by changing the way we give birth, we can change our way of life. Through the Summit, we shall recognize and elevate the sacredness of Birth, hearing and integrating childbirth experiences from different cultural perspectives. We celebrate Birth for the rebirth of humanity.

Giving birth is a living act of excellence. Its mystery brings us to experiment, research, and dive into a boundless ocean of discovery. People all over the world are supporting women and childbirth in this spirit of exploration, which at the Summit, shall bring us to encounter ancient and modern wisdom from diverse cultures. By recognizing and understanding birth cultures, we shall support the crux of humanity's rebirth into a new way of being.

Conception, pregnancy and childbirth, with respect, are the right of every newborn, a real investment in the future.

Falco's (Oberto Airaudi's) writings on the topic of love, edited by Esperide Ananas, are featured in the book The Love of the Fifth Spiritual Paradigm, recently released in publication by the Oracle Institute Press. The volume is an international collection of over 70 stories, essays and poems written by past and present spiritual guides who speak about love in its various forms. Falco's writings, entitled "Gift of Love, Luminous Calling: Here I Am to confuse Your Heart," offer the poetic titles of selected Selfic paintings on love, interspersed with text discussing various forms of love: the love that connects people with each other, for instance, and divine love as a force that unites everything in the universe.

The book is organized in themed chapters: Love of Earth, Love of Animals, Love of Family, Love of Community, Romantic Love, Love of Learning, Love of the Arts, Love of Self, Love of Freedom, Spiritual Love, Unconditional Love, and the Love of God. While Falco's contribution was originally intended for the "Love of Community" chapter, the beauty and completeness of the writing prompted the editors of the book to place it within "Unconditional Love."

Esperide, Daniela and Tridacna have participated in the Mid-Atlantic Conference on Birth and Primal Health Research in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, 26 - 28 February 2010. The patron of the event was French doctor Michel Odent, well known for over 50 years of work in promoting natural childbirth and postpartum conditions, in which the needs of women and children are respected. According to Odent, a harmonious birth is the basis of a joyous existence, one that guides the newborn toward a pathway of evolution. Odent shall be one of the featured speakers at the World Summit on Birth to be held at Damanhur 5 - 9 May 2010.

Astrophysicist Walter Ferreri gave a presentation on star systems and planets that exist beyond the solar system, illustrating some of the discoveries of the last decade. He enumerated various techniques that have allowed for the discovery and exploration of the characteristics of these planets. He discussed various theories about 2012 from a scientific perspective, maintaining that the change in the magnetic field of the earth could at most, increase the temperature by one or two degrees.

Geodata

The engineering company Geodata has cited Damanhur in their monograph, The Art of Engineering, celebrating twenty-five years of the company's activity, with a review important works completed during this period. A two-page description is dedicated to the Temples of Humankind, as an underground edifice in the section of the book, "Underground." The article includes information about the verification of the Temple's structural solidity. The book is bilingual with parts in English and Italian, and features a full color photograph of the Hall of Earth.

by Massimo Introvigne, a Turin based sociologist, director and one of the founder of the Center for the Study of New Religions. CESNUR also studies contemporary communal and spiritual movements, and their impact on social life.

This article has been published on two major Italian newspapers on January 30th and 31st, and is also avalible on the CESNUR website.

During the holiday season in December 2009, Julia proposed to all those involved with What's Your Tree worldwide to participate in a Gift-Giving Challenge. This challenge involved offering three gifts: on a personal level by giving money to someone in need, on a community level with volunteer service, and on a world level with a day of minimum environmental impact. Julia invited all those participating to write their experience of the Gift-Giving Challenge, as she was to choose one story to honor with a donation of the author's choosing. Julia chose Giada - the Damanhur group leader for What's Your Tree - and her story, and Giada chose that the donation of US$300 shall go to support the Temple of Peoples.

The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) awarded the Green Flag to the nursery school children of the Damanhur School for their project: A Garden for Discovering Biodiversity. The three-to-six year olds of the "Piriporo" class received the Green Flag during an award ceremony at the school.