Brazilian children take up cause of cleaner surroundings

By Kevin Grieves
CNN World Report

Puppets pass along recycling message to Brazilian children

In this story: Brazilian children take up cause of cleaner surroundings Children benefit from Red Cross clinic in Cyprus China to reduce weight of students' book bags Following in the footsteps of the Fab Four in Spain Austrian farmer passes on accordion tradition to new generation Music makes the world go round for Sufi dancers Bouncy baby finds new family in New Zealand RELATED STORIES, SITES

Brazilian children take up cause of cleaner surroundings

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Talk of pollution usually conjures up images of industrial plants spewing clouds of smoke into the air, or factory run-off pouring out of pipes into nearby streams. But Manaus, Brazil, is facing a serious pollution problem brought about by average people going about their daily lives: The city's streams and canals are being choked by household trash thrown out the back door by careless residents.

Brazil's Amazon Network told CNN World Report viewers how the youngest citizens of Manaus have decided to tackle the growing trash problem. The city's schoolchildren have studied the ecological implications of the "throw-away" culture in their classrooms and are now spreading the message of environmental awareness to their peers and to their parents.

A puppet show is one of the tools in the fight against garbage. Other solutions to reduce refuse piles are equally creative: "Plastic bottles become recycled toys, and egg cartons become folders," says Amazon Network reporter Daniela Assayag. She says the organized children's campaign has the backing of UNICEF as well as the local government.

Children benefit from Red Cross clinic in Cyprus

Clinic staffer spends playtime with disabled Cypriot child

Life on Cyprus has been overshadowed for several decades now by the division of the island, and despite recent efforts at a peaceful resolution sponsored by the United Nations, tensions remain high between the Greek and Turkish sides. Children are often caught in the middle in political disputes, and Cyprus is no different, as Greek Cypriot broadcaster CyBC reported to CNN World Report.

CyBC explained that a home for disabled and severely ill youngsters in northern Cyprus was closed following the Turkish occupation of that part of the island in 1974. The home has now been relocated to the southern port area of Limassol and is again caring for more than 70 youth with disabling diseases. The clinic is run by the Greek Cypriot branch of the Red Cross, with financial support from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

CyBC reporter Costas Yennaris says the children's home employs a staff of highly specialized teachers and physicians who are trained to work with disabled children. "The staff who work here know what they are doing and how to deal with these children," said the home's director, Katerina Christodoulou.

China to reduce weight of students' book bags

Cramming for college: Chinese students hope for homework relief

Young people in China face a pressure known to their counterparts around the globe -- homework. The bane of each new generation of schoolchildren has been an integral part of the learning experience since the beginning of the modern education system in countries around the world. Many students would likely respond in the affirmative if asked whether their workload outside the classroom is too rigorous. But a recent study by the Shanghai Education Commission in China found that some of those complaints may be legitimate, and Chinese students may be doing too much homework at the expense of personal development.

Shanghai Broadcasting Network says educators in China are rethinking some aspects of that country's traditional way of teaching. Chinese parents place a premium on a university education for their offspring, and as a result, students must dedicate a great deal of time to preparing for the required college entrance exams. Students must pass what SBN reporter Lu Jinmei referred to as "endless rounds of tests and homework."

But in what seems to be a significant shift in educational philosophy, Chinese pedagogues have launched a nationwide campaign to reduce student workloads, hoping to foster greater personal development. Zhang Minsheng of the Shanghai Education Commission says students need more spare time to build their talents and individual abilities. "They should be encouraged to be more independent in learning so as to cultivate the imagination and creativity," Zhang said.

Following in the footsteps of the Fab Four in Spain

Extracurricular jam sessions are spotlighting the musical creativity and talent of some Spanish teen-agers. The Grasshoppers, as the band is called, hopes some of the popularity of their idols, the Beatles, rubs off as the teens perform some of the legendary band's hits.

Spain's Telecinco reported on the boys' musical efforts, which began as a bit of after-school fun. Those efforts have now gained the Grasshoppers international attention, and recognition is even coming from some former Beatles themselves.

Austrian farmer passes on accordion tradition to new generation

Florian Danter has been surrounded by folk music since he was a young boy in Austria's pastoral Salzkammergut area. He began playing the accordion at age 8, and is now so accomplished on the instrument that others come to him for accordion instruction.

Austria's ORF Television spent some time with Danter on his farm in the small village of Weyregg, where the musician sat down with his wife to play a few traditional tunes on the accordion. The Danters frequently entertain the guests who spend time vacationing on their farm. They are accustomed to a small audience to their musical sessions. The Styrian accordion has a long history in the region's culture, and so-called "house music" has become a regular feature for tourists in many of the area's bed-and-breakfast farmhouses.

But Florian Danter is not keeping his talents to himself: He's now supplementing the accordion lessons he provides to young music students with an instructional video on accordion playing.

Music makes the world go round for Sufi dancers

Sufism is a branch of mystic beliefs rooted in Islam, and originated in Turkey. Many visitors to the Middle East encounter Sufism in one of its most dynamic traditions: Sufi dancers, also called whirling dervishes, are eye-catching entertainment for tourists, but the dances carry a deeper meaning for the participants.

Spinning skirts of Sufi dancer enliven Egyptian performance

Egypt TV took CNN World Report viewers to the old section of Cairo known as Fatimid Cairo for a performance of Sufi dances. Reporter Shereen Alwakeel explained that for the dancers, the whirling movement is a way of offering praise to God. The spinning dancer is surrounded by musicians, representing the sun surrounded by planets. The dance also reenacts the image of Muslim pilgrims surrounding the holy Kaaba at Mecca.

The dancers say the movements they perform require years of training. For the Sufi dancers, the spinning is a means to focus their minds and bodies on spiritual quests. "Even though many visitors do not understand the symbols or the lyrics, still they are impressed by the spectacle," Alwakeel says.

Bouncy baby finds new family in New Zealand

A joey finds loving care: Bara at home with her human family

Young kangaroos, known as "joeys," grow up spending a lot of time in their mothers' pouches. One young joey in New Zealand was left without a pouch when its mother fell ill and died in a Christchurch nature park. Good news came when the recently orphaned joey found a new family, but with a twist.

New Zealand's TVNZ told CNN World Report viewers about the animal's unusual adoption by Barbara Bowers, a worker at the Orana Park preserve. Bowers has wholeheartedly embraced the role of foster mom, providing round-the-clock care for Bara, the baby kangaroo. Bowers told TVNZ reporter Lauren McKenzie that it took a while for the joey to warm up to its new, human mother, but the two have now formed a strong bond. "I'm her mother now, you know, and if I'm out of sight, she calls out to me," Bowers says.

Bara has also grown accustomed to the family's two dogs, who for their part seem unfazed by the new marsupial sibling. The young kangaroo will remain with the Bowers' until its first birthday, when it will be returned to Orana Park. "...Otherwise she may grow up thinking she's a dog rather than a kangaroo," Bowers said.