Around 500 people from the world of sport, politics, media and culture came together last night in Berlin, Germany, to celebrate the achievements of Paralympians. The “Night of the Stars” is the most important social event of the German Paralympic Movement, and the evening was deemed a success with distinguished guests such as Dr. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and Patron of the German Fundraising Committee for Disability Sport, and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Sir Philip Craven in attendance.

Last Thursday, Charity & Sport, the funding partner of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), organized a big gala to support various development projects of the IPC all around the world.

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games recently announced the introduction of IOC and IPC standards to Russia's national legal system. A new law assuring the status of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games was drafted in Russia's State Duma on 28 October.

On 3 November, B.C. Education Minister Shirley Bond, Vancouver 2010 Executive Vice President of Celebrations and Partnerships, David Guscott, and Canadian Paralympic Committee President, Carla Qualtrough, joined Paralympic gold-medallist Todd Nicholson to officially launch the first Pan-Canadian Paralympic School Week, together with Vancouver 2010 Paralympic mascot, Sumi and students and staff of James McKinney Elementary School in Vancouver.

After the success of its first seminar in May 2007, the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) is more than halfway through its second international seminar on “Sport in Post-Disaster Intervention” in Rheinsberg, Germany. The aim of the six-day seminar is to deliver practical and theoretical training, encouraging participants to develop psychosocial sport programmes in the early stages of disaster relief.

The London 2012 Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) kicked off its mascot search last week, which will include hopeful applicants from creative agencies who emphasize active public engagement. Like many of the previous Games, the Paralympic Games will have a separate and distinct mascot from the Olympic Games.