(Picture from the University of Bath)

A simple link purge for your Sunday. Most of these are on sustainable development happenings, conferences or news:

*Haiti sure could use it's share of help. CHF International, a leading organization in humanitarian development worldwide, hosted a conference on June 7 and June 8 titled, Economic Opportunity and Stability: Critical Partnerships for Sustainable Development in Central Haiti. More on that story here.

*On "World Oceans Day" Dr Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, spoke at a conference on European maritime policy and sustainable development.

*But is the EU doing enough in any area? In a critical resolution addressed to the June European Council, the Platform of European Social NGOs has called on EU leaders to develop a real sustainable development strategy instead of a "catalogue of existing policies". From EurActive.

*At the Worldwatch Institute, a report on how biofuels are poised to replace oil, at least in the transportation sectors.

*In September, Pace University will present Aftershock: Rethinking the Future Since September 11, 2001 over three days, from the 6th to 8th. The conference will look at economic, cultural, environmental, educational and political changes that have come about since 9.11.

*TriplePundit on how to change the minds of holdouts on climate change and their "powerful cult of disbelief."

*More cities in the Western U.S. move to cleaner and greener. Is there a movement afoot?

*U.S. foreign aid agencies set to focus on "sustainable growth" ...

*The Canadian International Development Agency is co-sponsoring a two-day conference on children's rights and protection in developing countries, with workshops on a variety of themes including violence and sexual exploitation, armed conflict and child labour. Starts Monday, June 12th and winds up on the 14th. More information here on a number of Canadian programs, from the Canadian Embassy.

*The Poverty and Growth blog infoms us that the World Bank has recently published the report called "Sustaining Gains in Poverty Reduction and Human Development in the Middle East and North Africa." The results aren't very good.

*The Ford Foundation has announced that is is launching an independent foundation "to support and develop solutions to Africa's development challenges."

*At the Development Gateway, challenges to sustainability from pressured urban environments.

*Growth of deserts leads to warnings of growth of conflicts. We could certainly say the same thing about fresh water.

*India's sustainable development challenges.

*A sustainable development fund has opened in Hong Kong.

*Seed Magazine on the U.S.'s unstustainable practice of exporting its pollution.