CM Punk

Phillip Jack Brooks[4] (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American mixed martial artist, comic book writer, and retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed to both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he competes in the welterweight division, and to Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC), where he works as a commentator. He is perhaps best known for his time in WWE, where his 434-day WWE Championship reign stands as the longest of the 2010s, as well as the sixth longest in history.

Brooks began his professional wrestling career on the American independent circuit, primarily with Ring of Honor (ROH) until 2005, when he signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). During his 15-year career, Brooks won the WWE Championship twice, WWE's World Heavyweight Championship three times, and the ECW and ROH World Championships once each. By winning WWE's World Tag Team Championship (with Kofi Kingston) and Intercontinental Championship, he became WWE's 19th Triple Crown Champion and the fastest to achieve this feat, in 203 days. He was voted WWE Superstar of the Year at the 2011 Slammy Awards, and Wrestler of the Year in 2011 and 2012 by readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Brooks retired from in-ring competition in 2014, but returned to WWE via Fox Sports in 2019, where he is an analyst on the FS1 series WWE Backstage.

Brooks used the CM Punk moniker his entire career, and consistently portrayed the character of an outspoken, sharp-tongued, anti-establishment, straight edge iconoclast. Most of the straight edge principles he portrayed, such as not drinking alcohol or not taking recreational drugs, are his real life views.[5] Depending on his alignment as a hero or villain, he emphasized different aspects of the straight edge culture to garner the desired audience reaction.[5]

After becoming disgruntled in WWE, Punk retired from professional wrestling in 2014. He pursued a career in mixed martial arts and was signed by the UFC in December of that year. His first professional fight took place on September 10, 2016, at UFC 203 against Mickey Gall, where he was defeated via submission in the first round. He lost his second bout to Mike Jackson via unanimous decision on June 9, 2018, at UFC 225. Later that year, he began commentating for CFFC, appearing at CFFC 71 on December 14.
Early life
Brooks was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in nearby Lockport, Illinois.[6] He is one of five children—his father was an engineer, while his mother was a homemaker.[7] Brooks' father struggled with alcoholism which inspired him to become straight edge from an early age, while his mother struggled with bipolar disorder, causing him to become estranged from her.[8] He attended Lockport Township High School.[7][9]

Professional wrestling career
Early career and IWA Mid-South (1999–2005)
Brooks' first venture into wrestling was a stint in a backyard wrestling federation called the Lunatic Wrestling Federation with his friends and brother Mike Brooks in the mid-late 1990s. Brooks first started using the ring name CM Punk when he was put into a tag team named The Chick Magnets with CM Venom after another performer skipped out on the card.[5][10][11] Unlike his friends, Punk genuinely wanted to be a wrestler and saw it as more than simple fun.[5] When the promotion started taking off, doing shows out of a warehouse in Mokena, Illinois, Punk found out that his brother Mike had embezzled thousands of dollars from the small company, causing them to become estranged and not have spoken since.[12]

Brooks soon left the federation and enrolled as a student at the Steel Dominion wrestling school in Chicago, where he was trained by Ace Steel,[13] Danny Dominion and Kevin Quinn to become a professional wrestler. As part of the training, he wrestled at Steel Domain Wrestling in St. Paul, Minnesota.[2][5] It was in the Steel Domain that he met Scott Colton,[14][15] who soon adopted the stage name Colt Cabana. Punk and Cabana became best friends and spent most of their early career together working in the same independent promotions, as both opponents and tag team partners.[14] In the independents, along with fellow Steel Domain graduates Colt Cabana, Chucke E. Smooth, Adam Pearce and manager Dave Prazak, Punk formed an alliance named the Gold Bond Mafia.[5]

Punk's home promotion for his early career was considered to be the Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (IWA Mid-South).[5] During Punk's time in IWA Mid-South, he had high-profile feuds with Colt Cabana and Chris Hero while also rising to the top of the roster winning the IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship twice and the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship on five separate occasions, beating wrestlers like A.J. Styles, Cabana and Eddie Guerrero in matches for the heavyweight championship. Punk's feud with Hero included a 55-minute Tables, Ladders and Chairs (TLC) match,[5] a 93-minute two out of three falls match[2] and several 60-minute time limit draws.[15] From July 2003 until May 2004, Punk refused to wrestle for IWA Mid-South, explaining this as a protest to Ian Rotten's mistreatment of Chris Hero in the company.[5] However, Hero has stated he believes there were other reasons and Rotten's treatment of him was just an excuse by Punk to stop working for the company.[16] Punk eventually returned to IWA Mid-South and continued to perform as a wrestler and commentator for them until July 2005.[17]

Ring of Honor
Feud with Raven and rise to prominence (2002–2004)
Punk's matches with Colt Cabana led him to being hired by the Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion.[2] Initially, Punk joined ROH as a face,[5] but quickly turned heel in a feud with Raven that featured numerous variants of no disqualification matches.[18] Their rivalry was rooted in Punk's straight-edge lifestyle, with him likening Raven to his alcoholic father; it lasted most of 2003 and was considered one of ROH's top feuds of the year.[19][20] Their rivalry was settled at The Conclusion in November 2003, where Punk defeated Raven in a steel cage match.[18]

Punk started climbing the ranks of ROH, including coming in second at the Second Anniversary Show during the tournament to crown the first ROH Pure Champion, losing to A.J. Styles in the finals[18] and winning the ROH Tag Team Championship twice with Colt Cabana as The Second City Saints (Punk and Cabana defeated the Briscoe Brothers to win the championship both times).[21] Circa October 2003, Punk was hired as the first head trainer of the Ring of Honor wrestling school,[5][22] having previously been a trainer for the Steel Domain[5] and Primetime Wrestling.[23]

ROH World Champion (2004–2006)
In 2004, Punk faced off against ROH World Champion Samoa Joe for the championship in a three-match series. On June 12 at World Title Classic, the first match resulted in a 60-minute time limit draw when neither Punk nor Joe could pin or cause the other to submit in the 60 minutes. On October 16 at Joe vs. Punk II, they wrestled to a second 60-minute draw.[18] In addition to Joe vs. Punk II becoming Ring of Honor's best-selling DVD at the time, the match received a five-star rating by Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It was the first match in North America to receive a five-star rating in seven years, the last one being the Hell in a Cell match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker at Badd Blood: In Your House in 1997.[15] Joe ended the series by defeating Punk in the third and final match on December 4 at All-Star Extravaganza 2 in which there was a no-time-limit stipulation
After a try-out match on May 9, 2005 which aired May 15,[24] where he lost to Val Venis on the Sunday Night Heat show, Punk accepted a deal offered by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in June. Though he had accepted the deal, Punk defeated Austin Aries to win the ROH World Championship on June 18 at Death Before Dishonor III.[21] Immediately after the match, Punk proceeded to become a villain and started a storyline where he threatened to bring the ROH World Championship to WWE with him. For weeks, Punk teased the ROH locker room and the ROH fans as well as mocking the championship he possessed, going so far as to sign his WWE contract on it. During the storyline, referred to by ROH as the "Summer of Punk",[25] Mick Foley made several ROH appearances, attempting to convince Punk to do the right thing and defend the title on his way out. On August 12, Punk lost the ROH World Championship to James Gibson in a four corner elimination match which also involved Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels.[21] Punk's final scheduled match in ROH took place at Punk: The Final Chapter on August 13, against long-time friend Colt Cabana in a two out of three falls match, which he lost.[18]

Punk made a special appearance at the ROH show Unscripted II on February 11, 2006, when the original card had to be scrapped due to Low Ki leaving ROH the week prior.[18] In addition, most of the ROH roster contracted to TNA were pulled from the show because of a snowstorm that TNA officials thought might prevent performers from reaching the TNA's Against All Odds event scheduled the next day.[26][27] In the main event, Punk teamed with Bryan Danielson to defeat Adam Pearce and Jimmy Rave in a tag team match.[27]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003–2004)
While wrestling for Ring of Honor, Punk joined the wrestling promotion NWA:Total Nonstop Action, later known as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), in which he was paired with Julio Dinero as members of Raven's TNA alliance The Gathering.[5]

Shortly before a TNA show on February 25, 2004, Punk had a physical scuffle with Teddy Hart outside of a restaurant that was broken up by Sabu. The scuffle reportedly stemmed from an ROH show in which Hart performed three unplanned spots putting several other wrestlers in danger of injury.[28][29] Around the time of the scuffle, Punk and Dinero stopped appearing on TNA shows, leading to speculation he was fired for the incident.[30] However, Punk said the scuffle had no bearing on his TNA career.[30] Brooks said the reason he and Dinero stopped appearing on TNA's pay-per-view events was that TNA officials believed that he and Dinero had not connected with the fans as villains, having turned against the popular Raven and instead formed a villainous tag team managed by James Mitchell.[30] The officials decided that since the team was not working as villains, the storyline would be put on hold indefinitely, and thus had no work for Punk or Dinero.[30] Punk officially quit TNA in March 2004 during the Rob Feinstein controversy after having a dispute with the TNA offices over his ability to compete in ROH following a TNA order that their contracted wrestlers were to no longer wrestle in ROH.[3]

World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
Ohio Valley Wrestling (2005–2006)
In September 2005, Punk was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling, a WWE developmental territory. He made his debut as a heel on September 8 in a dark match, where he, Nigel McGuinness and Paul Burchill were defeated by Deuce Shade, Elijah Burke and Seth Skyfire.[31] On September 26 in his OVW television debut, Punk suffered a ruptured eardrum and broken nose after Danny Inferno hit him with an overly stiff right hand. Despite the injury, Punk finished the match and quickly recovered.[32] [33]

On November 9, Punk became the OVW Television Champion after defeating Ken Doane,[32] which immediately led to a feud between Punk and Brent Albright, who had previously been feuding with Doane for the Television Championship and had lost his chance to wrestle Doane after Punk hit him with a chair so he himself could wrestle Doane. They wrestled in series of matches, including one that ended in overtime with Albright having Punk submit to Albright's finisher, the Crowbar, but Punk was able to keep the championship as he had not agreed to the extra time.[32] On January 4, 2006, Punk lost the OVW Television Championship during a three-way dance among himself, Albright and Doane. Doane was injured halfway through the match and was replaced by Aaron "The Idol" Stevens. Punk submitted to Albright's Crowbar and was eliminated, but he returned later in the match to distract Albright, allowing Stevens to pin Albright and become the new OVW Television Champion.[34] Albright and Punk then briefly teamed, but they became opponents again after Punk denied Albright the respect he demanded and proceeded to continually "punk him out". This feud continued for weeks with Punk always coming out on top until a double turn occurred on February 1, when Albright turned heel during a tag team match, allowing the Spirit Squad to attack Punk, turning him face.[34][unreliable source?] After Matt Cappotelli vacated the OVW Heavyweight Championship because of a brain tumor in February, a tournament was held to crown a new champion and Punk lost to Albright in the finals.[34][unreliable source?] Punk and Albright continued their feud, with Albright becoming more unstable and paranoid about maintaining his championship after several close call matches against Punk, resulting in acts such as threatening Maria. On May 3, Punk defeated Albright in a strap match to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship.[34][unreliable source?] As champion, Punk retained the title in matches against opponents such as Shad Gaspard,[34][unreliable source?] Ken Kennedy,[34][unreliable source?] Johnny Jeter[34][unreliable source?] and Mike "The Miz" Mizanin.[35]

On July 28, Punk and Seth Skyfire defeated Shad Gaspard and the Neighborhoodie to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship at a house show.[36] They lost the tag team championship on August 2 to Deuce Shade and "Domino" Cliff Compton after an injured Skyfire tagged in an already injured Punk.[34][unreliable source?] This altercation led to a feud between Punk and Skyfire after a rematch for the tag team championship on August 7 in which a healthy Punk purposefully tagged in an injured Skyfire to be beaten by Shade and Compton.[34] On August 30, a match was scheduled to take place between Punk and Skyfire for the OVW Heavyweight Championship. However, prior to the match Skyfire was attacked by Charles "The Hammer" Evans, with whom Skyfire had also been feuding and was replaced in the match by Chet Jablonski who pinned Punk to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship.[34][unreliable source?] As Punk no longer possessed the championship, OVW no longer required him and he was removed from the roster and brought up to the WWE roster full-time. Punk continued to make sporadic appearances for OVW such as on their 400th TV episode[34][unreliable source?] until WWE and OVW ended their developmental partnership on February 7, 2008.[37]

ECW Champion (2006–2008)
On June 24, 2006, Punk made his ECW debut during a house show at the former ECW Arena, defeating Stevie Richards.[38] He made his TV debut on the July 4 ECW on Sci Fi, cutting a brief pre-taped promo about his straight edge lifestyle emphasizing the disciplinary aspects of being drug and alcohol free.[39] Although he had retained the straight edge gimmick, he now had a Muay Thai training background. Punk made his TV wrestling debut on August 1 at the Hammerstein Ballroom, defeating Justin Credible.[40] Punk established himself in ECW by going undefeated, defeating opponents such as Christopher W. Anderson,[41] Stevie Richards[42] and Shannon Moore.[43]

Soon after, Punk began feuding with Mike Knox after Knox's girlfriend Kelly Kelly was seen to have feelings for Punk.[43] Punk defeated Knox in their first singles match[44] as well as the rematch, after which Kelly Kelly celebrated Punk's victory over her boyfriend.[45] Punk then teamed with D-Generation X and the Hardy Boyz in their Survivor Series match against Rated-RKO, Knox, Johnny Nitro and Gregory Helms, a match in which all the participants on DX's side survived elimination.[46] On December 3 at December to Dismember, Punk participated in the Elimination Chamber match for the ECW World Championship, but he was the first person eliminated by Rob Van Dam

Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia,[12] is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east. The population of 26 million[6] is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard.[13] Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Indigenous Australians inhabited the continent for about 65,000 years prior to European discovery[14] with the arrival of Dutch explorers in the early 17th century, who named it New Holland. In 1770, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788, a date which became Australia's national day. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades, and by the time of an 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored and an additional five self-governing crown colonies established. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy, comprising six states and ten territories.

Being the oldest,[15] flattest[16] and driest inhabited continent,[17][18] with the least fertile soils,[19][20] Australia has a landmass of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi).[21] A megadiverse country, its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes, with deserts in the centre, tropical rainforests in the north-east and mountain ranges in the south-east. Its population density, 2.8 inhabitants per square kilometre, remains among the lowest in the world.[22] Australia generates its income from various sources including mining-related exports, telecommunications, banking, and manufacturing.[23][24][25]

Australia is a highly developed country, with the world's 14th-largest economy. It has a high-income economy, with the world's tenth-highest per capita income.[26] It is a regional power and has the world's 13th-highest military expenditure.[27] Australia has the world's eighth-largest immigrant population, with immigrants accounting for 29% of the population.[28][29] Having the third-highest human development index and the eighth-highest ranked democracy globally, the country ranks highly in quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights,[30] with all its major cities faring well in global comparative livability surveys.[31] Australia is a member of the United Nations, G20, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Pacific Islands Forum, and the ASEAN Plus Six mechanism.
("southern land"), a name used for a hypothetical continent in the Southern Hemisphere since ancient times.[33] When Europeans first began visiting and mapping Australia in the 17th century, the name Terra Australis was naturally applied to the new territories.[N 5]

Until the early 19th century, Australia was best known as "New Holland", a name first applied by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1644 (as Nieuw-Holland) and subsequently anglicised. Terra Australis still saw occasional usage, such as in scientific texts.[N 6] The name Australia was popularised by the explorer Matthew Flinders, who said it was "more agreeable to the ear, and an assimilation to the names of the other great portions of the earth".[39] Several famous early cartographers also made use of the word Australia on maps. Gerard Mercator (1512–1594) used the phrase climata australia on his double cordiform map of the world of 1538, as did Gemma Frisius (1508-1555), who was Mercator's teacher and collaborator, on his own cordiform wall map in 1540. Australia appears in a book on astronomy by Cyriaco Jacob zum Barth published in Frankfurt-am-Main in 1545.[40]

The first time that Australia appears to have been officially used was in April 1817, when Governor Lachlan Macquarie acknowledged the receipt of Flinders' charts of Australia from Lord Bathurst.[41] In December 1817, Macquarie recommended to the Colonial Office that it be formally adopted.[42] In 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially by that name.[43] The first official published use of the new name came with the publication in 1830 of The Australia Directory by the Hydrographic Office.[44]

Colloquial names for Australia include "Oz" and "the Land Down Under" (usually shortened to just "Down Under"). Other epithets include "the Great Southern Land", "the Lucky Country", "the Sunburnt Country", and "the Wide Brown Land". The latter two both derive from Dorothea Mackellar's 1908 poem "My Country".[45]
Human habitation of the Australian continent is known to have begun at least 65,000 years ago,[46][47] with the migration of people by land bridges and short sea-crossings from what is now Southeast Asia.[48] The Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land is recognised as the oldest site showing the presence of humans in Australia.[49] The oldest human remains found are the Lake Mungo remains, which have been dated to around 41,000 year's ago.[50][51] These people were the ancestors of modern Indigenous Australians.[52] Aboriginal Australian culture is one of the oldest continual civilisations on earth.[53]

At the time of first European contact, most Indigenous Australians were hunter-gatherers with complex economies and societies.[54][55] Recent archaeological finds suggest that a population of 750,000 could have been sustained.[56][57] Indigenous Australians have an oral culture with spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in the Dreamtime.[58] The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically Melanesian, obtained their livelihood from seasonal horticulture and the resources of their reefs and seas.[59] The northern coasts and waters of Australia were visited sporadically by Makassan fishermen from what is now Indonesia.[60]

European arrival
The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland, and the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent (in 1606), are attributed to the Dutch.[61] The first ship and crew to chart the Australian coast and meet with Aboriginal people was the Duyfken captained by Dutch navigator, Willem Janszoon.[62] He sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in early 1606, and made landfall on 26 February at the Pennefather River near the modern town of Weipa on Cape York.[63] Later that year, Spanish explorer Luís Vaz de Torres sailed through, and navigated, Torres Strait islands.[64] The Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines and named the island continent "New Holland" during the 17th century, but made no attempt at settlement.[63] William Dampier, an English explorer and privateer, landed on the north-west coast of New Holland in 1688 (while serving as a crewman under pirate Captain John Read[65]) and again in 1699 on a return trip.[66] In 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain.[67]

With the loss of its American colonies in 1783, the British Government sent a fleet of ships, the "First Fleet", under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, to establish a new penal colony in New South Wales. A camp was set up and the flag raised at Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, on 26 January 1788,[68][69] a date which became Australia's national day, Australia Day. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land, now known as Tasmania, in 1803, and it became a separate colony in 1825.[70] The United Kingdom formally claimed the western part of Western Australia (the Swan River Colony) in 1828.[71] Separate colonies were carved from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859.[72] The Northern Territory was founded in 1911 when it was excised from South Australia.[73] South Australia was founded as a "free province" — it was never a penal colony.[74] Victoria and Western Australia were also founded "free", but later accepted transported convicts.[75][76] A campaign by the settlers of New South Wales led to the end of convict transportation to that colony; the last convict ship arrived in 1848
The indigenous population, estimated to have been between 750,000 and 1,000,000 in 1788[clarification needed],[78] declined for 150 years following settlement, mainly due to infectious disease.[79] Thousands more died as a result of frontier conflict with settlers.[80] A government policy of "assimilation" beginning with the Aboriginal Protection Act 1869 resulted in the removal of many Aboriginal children from their families and communities — referred to as the Stolen Generations — a practice which also contributed to the decline in the indigenous population.[81] As a result of the 1967 referendum, the Federal government's power to enact special laws with respect to a particular race was extended to enable the making of laws with respect to Aboriginals.[82] Traditional ownership of land ("native title") was not recognised in law until 1992, when the High Court of Australia held in Mabo v Queensland (No 2) that the legal doctrine that Australia had been terra nullius ("land belonging to no one") did not apply to Australia at the time of British settlement.[83]

Colonial expansion
In 1813, Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Wentworth crossed the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, opening the interior to European settlement.[84] In 1824, Hamilton Hume and former Royal Navy Captain William Hovell led an expedition to find new grazing land in the south of the colony, and also to find an answer to the mystery of where New South Wales' western rivers flowed. In 1826, the British claim was extended to the whole Australian continent when Major Edmund Lockyer established a settlement on King George Sound (modern-day Albany).[85] By 1850, large areas of the inland were still unknown to Europeans, but explorers remained ambitious to discover new lands for agriculture or answer scientific enquiries.[86]

A gold rush began in Australia in the early 1850s[87] and the Eureka Rebellion against mining licence fees in 1854 was an early expression of civil disobedience.[88] Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained responsible government, managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the British Empire.[89] The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs,[90] defence,[91] and international shipping.

Nationhood
On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation and voting.[92] This established the Commonwealth of Australia as a dominion of the British Empire.[93][94] The Federal Capital Territory (later renamed the Australian Capital Territory) was formed in 1911 as the location for the future federal capital of Canberra. Melbourne was the temporary seat of government from 1901 to 1927 while Canberra was being constructed.[95] The Northern Territory was transferred from the control of the South Australian government to the federal parliament in 1911.[96]

In 1914, Australia joined Britain in fighting World War I, with support from both the outgoing Commonwealth Liberal Party and the incoming Australian Labor Party.[97][98] Australians took part in many of the major battles fought on the Western Front.[99] Of about 416,000 who served, about 60,000 were killed and another 152,000 were wounded.[100] Many Australians regard the defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at Gallipoli as the birth of the nation — its first major military action.[101][102] The Kokoda Track campaign is regarded by many as an analogous nation-defining event during World War II.[103]

Britain's Statute of Westminster 1931 formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and the UK. Australia adopted it in 1942,[104] but it was backdated to 1939 to confirm the validity of legislation passed by the Australian Parliament during World War II.[105][106] The shock of the United Kingdom's defeat in Asia in 1942 and the threat of Japanese invasion caused Australia to turn to the United States as a new ally and protector.[107] Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US, under the ANZUS treaty.[108]

After World War II Australia encouraged immigration from mainland Europe. Since the 1970s and following the abolition of the White Australia policy, immigration from Asia and elsewhere was also promoted.[109] As a result, Australia's demography, culture, and self-image were transformed.[110] The passing of the Australia Act 1986 ended all possibility for any vestigial role of the British government in the government in Australia and removed the already seldom-used option of judicial appeals to the Privy Council in London.[111] In a 1999 referendum, 55% of voters and a majority in every state rejected a proposal to become a republic with a president appointed by a two-thirds vote in both Houses of the Australian Parliament. Since the publication of the landmark critique The Lucky Country (1964) by Donald Horne and the election of the Whitlam Government in 1972,[112] there has been an increasing focus in foreign policy on ties with other Pacific Rim nations, while maintaining close ties with Australia's traditional allies and trading partners.[113]

Geography

سيلينا غوميز

سيلينا ماري غوميز (بالإسبانية: Selena Marie Gomez) (مواليد 22 يوليو 1992) هي مغنية وممثلة ومنتجة أمريكية، وهي المولودة الوحيدة لأب من أصل مكسيكي وأم من أصل إيطالي.

عرفت بدور أليكس روسو (بالإنجليزية: Alex Russo) في مسلسل ديزني الحائز علي جائزة الإيمي ويزردز أوف ويفرلي بليس (بالإنجليزية: Wizards Of Waverly Place) بجانب الممثل ديفيد هنري، كما أنها ظهرت في أفلام تلفزيونية أخرى لديزني مثل قصة أخرى لسندريلا (بالإنجليزية: Another Cinderella Story) مع الممثل الكندي درو سيلي، وفي برنامج حماية الأميرة (بالإنجليزية: Princess Protection Program) مع الممثلة ديمي لوفاتو، وفي رامونا وبيزوس (بالإنجليزية: Ramona and Beezus) مع الممثلة الصغيرة جوي كينج، بالإضافة إلي مونت كارلو، وإجازات الربيع، والفرار، وأصول الرعاية. في عام 2008 أصبحت أصغر سفير رسمي لليونيسيف.

توسعت مهنتها إلى صناعة الموسيقي وأنشأت فرقة بوب تدعى "سيلينا غوميز أند ذا سين (بالإنجليزية: Selena Gomez & The Scene)"، والتي أصدرت 3 ألبومات غنائية: قبل وقل (بالإنجليزية: Kiss & Tell) وسنة بلا مطر (بالإنجليزية: A Year Without Rain) وعندما تغيب الشمس (بالإنجليزية: When The Sun Goes Down).
نشأتها
ولدت سيلينا في غراند براري، بولاية تكساس. ابنة "ماندي تيفي" ممثلة مسرح مشهورة، و"ريكاردو جويل جوميز". والدها أمريكي مكسيكي، وأمها نصف إيطالية. أطلق والدها اسم سيلينا لإبنته لأنه كان معجبا بالمغنية المكسيكية سيلينا بيريز. انفصل والداها عندما كانت في الخامسة من عمرها، وتربت علي يد أمها. في عام 2006 تزوجت أمها من برايان تيفي  . في حوار لها مع بيبول عام 2009 ذكرت سيلينا أنها طورت اهتمام مبكر في التمثيل من خلال مشاهدتها لأمها وهي تستعد للعروض المسرحية  . حصلت سيلينا علي شهادة الدراسة الثانوية من خلال التعلم المنزلي في مايو 2010.

التمثيل
بدأت الواعدة سيلينا مهنة التمثيل منذ أن كانت بالسابعة من عمرها في مسلسل بارني والأصدقاء وقالت أنها تعلمت كل شيء عن التمثيل من خلال بارني واكتشفت عن طريق قناة ديزني، فلها أدوار ثانوية بفيلم أطفال جواسيس، ومسلسل ذا سويت لايف أوف زاك أند كودي، وضيفة في مسلسل هانا مونتانا من الجزء الثاني حتي الثالث. وفي عام 2007 قامت بالتمثيل في مسلسل ديزني الجديد ويزردز أوف ويفرلي بليس كواحدة من الشخصيات الثلاثة الرئيسية بدور "أليكس روسو". وفي عام 2008 ظهرت سيلينا في فيلم قصة أخرى لسندريلا مع النجم درو سيلي. واختيرت في فبراير 2009 لتكون إحدى بطلتي الفيلم الناجح رامونا وبيزوس والفيلم لبيفرلي كليرلي، وفي مارس 2010 اختيرت لتكون بطلة فيلم مونت كارلو مع بطلة مسلسل فتاة النميمة "لايتن ميستر".


سيلينا غوميز في جوائز هوليوود ستايل لعام 2009 في بيفرلي هيلز.
الموسيقي
في 2008 سجلت سيلينا أغنيتها Cruella de Vil وصورتها كليب وكانت تابعه لألبوم ديزني بعنوان ديزني هاوس 6. وسجلت أغنية (بالإنجليزية: Tell Me Something I Don't Know) وهذه الأغنية تابعة لفيلم قصة أخرى لسندريلا (بالإنجليزية: Another Cinderella Story) الذي مثلته مع درو سيلي. وفي عام 2009 سجلت أغنية (بالإنجليزية: One And The Same) لفيلم برنامج حماية الأميرة (بالإنجليزية: Princess Protection Program) مع صديقتها ديمي لوفاتو، وسجلت أغاني مسلسلها ويزردز أوف ويفرلي بليس (بالإنجليزية: Wizards Of Waverly Place)، وأغنية منفردة بعنوان (بالإنجليزية: Magic)، وسجلت أغنية (بالإنجليزية: Whoah Oh) مع فريق "(بالإنجليزية: Forever The Sickest Kinds)".

ألبومات
ألبومات مشتركة مع ذا سين
ألبوم قبل وقل (بالإنجليزية: Kiss & Tell): أول ألبومات سيلينا مع الفريق وصدر في 29 سبتمبر عام 2009. وفي 5 مارس عام 2010 نال الألبوم الشهادة الذهبية من خلال رابطة صناعة التسجيلات الأمريكية لمبيعاته العالية.
ألبوم سنة بلا مطر (بالإنجليزية: A Year Without Rain): وهو الألبوم الثاني للفريق، وقد صدر في 28 سبتمبر 2010. وفي 3 سبتمبر صدرت أغنية عام بلا مطر (بالإنجليزية: A Year Without Rain) واحتلت المرتبة الرابع في تصنيف بيلبورد.
ألبوم عندما تغيب الشمس (بالإنجليزية: When The Sun Goes Down): وهو الألبوم الثالث للفريق، وقد صدر في 28 يونيو 2011 واحتل المرتبة الثالثة على العالم واحتلت سيلينا المرتبة الثالثة في تصنيف بيلبورد.
ألبومات منفردة
ألبوم ستارز دانس (بالإنجليزية: Stars Dance): وقد صدر في سنة 2013.
ألبوم لأجلك (بالإنجليزية: For You) سنة 2014.
ألبوم إحياء (بالإنجليزية: Revival): صدر في 9 أكتوبر 2015.

سيلينا غوميز تؤدي أثناء جولة ستارز دانس في 2013.
الحياة الشخصية
واعدت سيلينا غوميز نيك جوناس عام 2008 بعد أن انتهت علاقته مع مايلي سايرس، إلا أن علاقتهم استمرت بضعة أشهر فقط. وفي أواخر عام 2010 ظهرت إشاعات عن علاقة سيلينا مع مغني البوب الكندي جستين بيبر، وتم تأكيدها في بداية 2011 عندما شوهد الاثنان في موعد رومانسي في المكسيك. وفي 2012 انفصلت عن جاستن بيبر بعد ابتعاده عنها وقربه لعارضات أزياء وطلبه لأرقامهم، وفي 2013 نشرت سيلينا صورتهما وقالت أنها ستبقى تواعده شرط أن يحسن تصرفه. في 27 سبتمبر عام 2015 نشرت مجلة "ستار" الأمريكية تقريرا ذكرت فيه أن المغنية سيلينا غوميز تواعد حاليا الممثل الوسيم زاك إيفرون وأنهما قد ذهبا معا للاحتفال في وقت سابق في أحد النوادي الليلية في مدينة أتلانتا في ولاية جورجيا، وقالت سيلينا غوميز في موقع "غوسيب غوب" الأمريكي، بأنها لم تواعد الممثل زاك إيفرون وأنها لم تذهب بصحبته للاحتفال. في يناير عام 2017 واعدت سيلينا الفنان الكندي "أبيل تسفاي" المعروف باسم ذا ويكند.  ولكن بعد عشرة شهور انفصلا في نهاية أكتوبر عام 2017. وبعد انفصالها عن "أبيل تسفاي" بأسبوع واحد شوهدت لعدة مرات مع جستين بيبر.

تم تشخيص غوميز مع مرض الذئبة في وقت ما بين عام 2012 وأوائل عام 2014. في 14 سبتمبر 2017، أعلنت عن طريق إنستغرام أنها انسحبت من المناسبات العامة خلال الأشهر القليلة الماضية لأنها أجرت عملية زراعة كلية بعد تبرع إحدى صديقاتها المقربات، الممثلة فرانشا رايسا.

نشأت سيلينا غوميز على المذهب الكاثوليكي، وعندما كانت في الثالثة عشر من عمرها، أردت خاتم العفة، لكنها توقفت عن ارتداء الخاتم في عام 2010. صرّحت غوميز في وقت لاحق في عام 2017 بأنها لا تحب مصطلح "الدين" وأنها في بعض الأحيان "تفزعني"، مضيفة "لا أعرف إذا كان من الضروري أن أؤمن بالدين، بقدر ما أؤمن بالإيمان والعلاقة مع الله". على الرغم من أنها لم تحب مصطلح الدين، إلا أنها تتردد على كنيسة هيلسينج.

Selena Gomez

Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television producer.[2] After appearing on the children's series Barney & Friends (2002–2004), she received wider recognition for her portrayal of Alex Russo on the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place, which aired from 2007 until 2012. Gomez also starred in the films Another Cinderella Story (2008), Princess Protection Program (2009), Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009), Ramona and Beezus (2010), and Monte Carlo (2011). Thereafter, she focused on more mature roles in Spring Breakers (2012), Getaway (2013), The Fundamentals of Caring (2016), and The Dead Don't Die (2019). She voices the character of Mavis in the Hotel Transylvania film franchise, and serves as an executive producer of the Netflix television drama series 13 Reasons Why (2017–present) and the Netflix documentary series Living Undocumented (2019).

With her former band Selena Gomez & the Scene, she attained the gold certified top-ten albums Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010) and When the Sun Goes Down (2011) on the US Billboard 200. In 2012, the band went on hiatus, and Gomez focused work on her debut album as a solo artist. The pop and dance influenced Stars Dance (2013) became her first number-one album on the Billboard 200, and included "Come & Get It", which became her first top-ten entry on the US Billboard Hot 100. To finish out her contract with Hollywood Records, she released the compilation album For You (2014). It included the single "The Heart Wants What It Wants", which became her second top-ten entry.

After signing with Interscope Records in late 2014, she released her second studio album, Revival (2015). It became her second consecutive number-one regular album on the Billboard 200, with the highest first week sales of her career. The album was well-received by music critics, who praised the album's production and lyrical content and became Gomez first album to achieve platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The first three singles, "Good for You" with ASAP Rocky, "Same Old Love", and "Hands to Myself", all became top-ten entries on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart. Since then, she was featured on several collaborations, including "We Don't Talk Anymore" with Charlie Puth, "It Ain't Me" with Kygo, "Wolves" with Marshmello, and "Taki Taki" with DJ Snake. After a short absence from the music scene, Gomez returned with new music, including "Lose You to Love Me" which became her first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 2017, Billboard reported that Gomez has sold over 7 million albums and 22 million singles worldwide. Gomez has earned numerous awards throughout her career, and was recognized as the Billboard Woman of the Year in 2017. She has a large following on social media, and was at one time the most followed individual on Instagram, before being surpassed by athlete Cristiano Ronaldo in October 2018. Gomez's other ventures include a clothing line, a handbag line, a fragrance line, and a production company named July Moonhead Productions. She has worked with various charitable organizations and became a UNICEF ambassador at the age of
Life and career
1992–2006: Early life and career beginnings
Selena Marie Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas on July 22, 1992[3] to Ricardo Joel Gomez and former stage actress Amanda Dawn "Mandy" Cornett.[4][5][6] Gomez was named after Tejano singer and actress Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who died in 1995.[7][8] Her father is of Mexican descent while her mother, who was adopted, has some Italian ancestry.[9][10][11] Regarding her Hispanic heritage, Gomez has stated, "My family does have Quinceañeras, and we go to the communion church. We do everything that's Catholic, but we don't really have anything traditional except [that we] go to the park and have barbecues on Sundays after church."[12] Gomez's parents divorced when she was five years old, and she remained with her mother.[4][13] Selena has two younger half-sisters: Gracie Elliot Teefey, through Amanda and her second husband Brian Teefey,[14][15] and Victoria "Tori" Gomez, through Ricardo and his wife Sara.[16] She earned her high-school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010.[17]

When Gomez was born, her mother was sixteen years old.[18] The family had financial troubles during Gomez's childhood, with her mother struggling to provide for the pair.[19] At one point, Gomez recalled, they had to search for quarters just to get gas for their car.[19] Her mother later recalled that the two would frequently walk to their local dollar store to purchase spaghetti for dinner.[19] Gomez stated, "I was frustrated that my parents weren't together, and never saw the light at the end of the tunnel where my mom was working hard to provide a better life for me. I'm terrified of what I would have become if I'd stayed [in Texas]."[20] She later added that "[My mom] was really strong around me. Having me at 16 had to have been a big responsibility. She gave up everything for me, had three jobs, supported me, sacrificed her life for me."[21] Gomez had a close relationship with her grandparents as a child, and appeared in various pageants growing up.[21] Her grandparents often took care of her while her parents finished their schooling, and the pair went as far as stating that they "raised her" up until she found success in the entertainment industry.[21]

Gomez first gained an interest in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry watching her mother prepare for stage productions.[22] She began auditioning for various roles, meeting Demi Lovato during an audition for Barney & Friends.[23][24] Both Gomez and Lovato were later selected to appear on the series in 2002,[25][26] with Gomez portraying the character of Gianna.[27] The show was her first experience in acting, with Gomez recalling, "I was very shy when I was little [...] I didn't know what 'camera right' was. I didn't know what blocking was. I learned everything from Barney."[28] Gomez appeared in thirteen episodes of the show between 2002 and 2004, though the show's producers released her as she was getting "too old" for the series.[29] While working on the series, Gomez had a cameo role in the film Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and the made-for-television film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005).[30] Gomez made a guest appearance in a 2006 episode of the Disney series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.[31]

2007–2012: Breakthrough with Disney and Selena Gomez & the Scene
Gomez was given a recurring role on the popular Disney Channel series Hannah Montana in 2007, portraying pop star Mikayla.[32] During this time, Gomez filmed pilot episodes for two potential Disney Channel series; the first, titled Arwin!,[33] a spin-off of the Suite Life series, while the second titled Stevie Sanchez was a spin-off of the series Lizzie McGuire.[34] She later auditioned for a role in the Disney series Wizards of Waverly Place, ultimately winning the lead role of Alex Russo.[29] Upon receiving the role, Gomez and her mother moved to Hollywood, Los Angeles, California; Lovato and her family also moved to Hollywood, hoping to achieve similar success to Gomez.[35] Wizards of Waverly Place saw Gomez portraying a teenage girl in a family of wizards who own a restaurant in New York.[36] The series quickly became a hit for the network, propelling Gomez to more mainstream success.[37] The series received numerous nominations and awards.[38][39] Gomez recorded the theme song for the series, titled "Everything is Not What It Seems".[40] Gomez later appeared in the music video for the song "Burnin' Up", which the Jonas Brothers had recorded and released,[41] and later, she also appeared in an episode of the reality series Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream.


Gomez at the 2009 Hollywood Style Awards in Beverly Hills
While working on the second season of Wizards of Waverly Place, Gomez appeared on the Disney Channel special Studio DC: Almost Live alongside various other Disney stars.[42] She contributed a cover of the song "Cruella de Vil" to the compilation album DisneyMania 6,[43] and later recorded the original song "Fly to Your Heart" for the soundtrack of the animated film Tinker Bell.[44] She had a leading role as an aspiring dancer Mary Santiago in the direct-to-video film Another Cinderella Story, a sequel to A Cinderella Story, starring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray and the second installment of A Cinderella Story series. Gomez recorded three songs for the soundtrack, and released one of them, "Tell Me Something I Don't Know", as a promotional single.[45] Later that year, Gomez had the supporting role of Helga in the animated film Horton Hears a Who![46] The film was a commercial success, and went on to gross nearly $300 million worldwide.[47]

At 16 years of age, Gomez was signed to a recording contract with the Hollywood Records label, which had already signed both Cyrus and Lovato.[48][49] Gomez formed her own production company in 2008, which she called July Moon Productions.[50] She partnered with XYZ Films for the project, giving Gomez the opportunity to option articles, hire writers and create talent packages to shop to studios.[50][51] Gomez was slated to release two films under the company. The first, titled What Boys Want, featured Gomez as a girl who could hear the thoughts of men.[52] She later announced a film adaptation of the novel Thirteen Reasons Why, in which she was to play a young girl who commits suicide; ultimately, neither film was made,[53] though Gomez would later executive produce a television adaptation of Thirteen Reasons Why.[54]

Gomez continued to have mainstream success throughout the following year, appearing as Alex Russo in a crossover episode of the Disney series The Suite Life on Deck.[55] She later made a guest appearance on the Disney series Sonny With a Chance, starring Lovato.[56] She appeared in a remix of the Forever the Sickest Kids's single "Whoa Oh! (Me vs. Everyone)", released as a single in April of that year.[57] Gomez, along with Lovato, starred in the Disney Channel film Princess Protection Program, which aired in June 2009. The film was a critical success,[58] and had a total of 8.5 million viewers during its premiere.[59] For the film, Gomez and Lovato recorded the song "One and the Same", which was later released as a promotional single.[60] She later provided the voice of Princess Selenia in the animated film Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard.[61] On August 28, 2009, Gomez starred in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, a television film based on the series.[62] The film premiered to an audience of 11.4 million viewers becoming cable's No. 1 scripted telecast of 2009 and Disney Channel's second most-viewed film premiere after High School Musical 2.[63] The film won the series its second consecutive Emmy for "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.[64]


Gomez performing in 2011
Hoping to achieve a successful crossover into music, Gomez formed the pop-rock band Selena Gomez & the Scene through her record deal with Hollywood Records.[65] The name of the band is an "ironic jab" at the people who called Gomez a "wannabe scene".[66] The group released their debut studio album in August 2009,[67][68][69][70] which debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States, with first-week sales of 66,000 copies.[71] The album received a mixed reception, some critics praised the album for its "fun" nature, while others criticized Gomez for her vocal performance.[69][72][73] The lead single failed to have commercial success,[74] however the second single was successful.[75] With heavy promotion through Disney and performances, the song had success on radio and with sales.[76] In 2010, Gomez starred as one of the two female leads in Ramona and Beezus, a film adaption of the children's novel series by Beverly Cleary.[77][78][79] The film premiered on July 23, 2010, and it was met with generally positive reviews.[80] Selena Gomez & the Scene released their second studio album A Year Without Rain that same year,[81][82] which debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number 4 with sales of a little over 66,000.[82] The album received mixed to positive reviews where some noticed that Gomez's vocals contained the Auto-Tune effect.[83] The record's two singles both achieved moderate success.[84][85] Having previously announced plans to launch a fashion line, Gomez launched Dream Out Loud in 2010.[86][87] The collection consisted of, and featured, bohemian dresses, floral tops, jeans, skirts, jackets, scarves and hats, all of which were made from recycled or eco-friendly materials.[88][89] Gomez stated, "With my line, I really want to give the customer options on how they can put their own looks together [...] I want the pieces that can be easy to dress up or down, and the fabrics being eco-friendly and organic is super important [...] Also, the tags will all have some of my inspirational quotes on them. I'm just looking to send a good message."[86][89] To design the actual items, Gomez teamed up with designers Tony Melillo and Sandra Campos, both of whom had previously worked with big-name fashion houses.[87] Melillo and Campos teamed with New York-based Adjmi Apparel to manufacture the brand, which was formed by Adjmi CH Brands LLC, the holding company for the brand.[90]

In 2011, Gomez starred in the film Monte Carlo. Her character Grace is a teenager "mistaken for a socialite while on a trip to Paris".[91] To prepare for the role, Gomez learned how to play polo and also took two weeks of vocal training to learn two different British accents.[92][93] She also began a relationship with Justin Bieber that year, which lasted until 2014.[94] Before breaking up, they recorded an unreleased duet titled "Can't Steal Our Love".[95] Gomez appeared in a cameo role in the film The Muppets[96] and appeared in the Disney shows So Random! and PrankStars.[97] Selena Gomez & the Scene released their third and final studio album that same year.[98] The album received mixed reviews,[98] with the album's second single receiving a 4x Platinum certification from the RIAA.[99] However, the album's lead single and last single both achieved moderate success.[100][101] It was announced on July 14, 2011, that Gomez had signed a license agreement with Adrenalina, an extreme sports and adventure-themed lifestyle brand, to develop, manufacture, and distribute the actress's fragrance. Chairman and C.E.O. of Adrenalina, Ilia Lekach, said, "We are incredibly enthused to be working with Ms. Gomez and will reveal more details pertaining to the fragrance as we get closer to the launch date."[102] The perfume was released in May 2012.[103]

2012–2014: Stars Dance
Gomez confirmed in January 2012 that she would be taking a break from her music career, thus placing Selena Gomez & the Scene on a hiatus.[104] That year, Wizards of Waverly Place officially ended its run on the Disney Channel after four successful seasons.[105][106] Gomez hoped to focus on her film career outside Disney and starred in the animated film Hotel Transylvania (2012).[107] The film premiered at the 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival and was released on September 28, 2012.[107] Gomez had a role in the controversial exploitation film Spring Breakers (2013), starring James Franco.[108] The film saw Gomez in a more mature role than her previous works, and reportedly led to Gomez having a "bit of a meltdown on set".[13] In 2013, Gomez starred in the film Getaway.[109] The film was a critical and commercial failure,[110] and earned Gomez a nomination for Worst Actress at the 34th Golden Raspberry Awards.[111]


Gomez performing during the Stars Dance Tour (2013)
Despite her earlier claims that she would be taking a break from her music career, Gomez confirmed in October 2012 that she was working on new material.[112][113] She later confirmed that she would be releasing her solo debut album, as opposed to another album with her band.[114] Gomez released "Come & Get It" as the lead single from the album.[115] The single became Gomez's first top ten entry on the Billboard Hot 100.[116] Another single from the album, "Slow Down", peaked at number 27 in the Billboard charts.[117] Stars Dance was released on July 23, 2013. It became her first album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, where it sold 97,000 copies in its first week.[118][119] The album remained in the top ten in its second week, though declined down the chart in the following weeks.[120][121][122] The record was met with mixed reviews where some music critics noticed her inability to create her own musical identity and her lack of vocal abilities "doesn't help".[123][124][125] Gomez incorporated choreography and dance routines into her promotional performances and music videos for the album, feeling inspired by artists such as Janet Jackson and Britney Spears.[126] As of September 2015, the album has sold 392,000 copies in the United States, making it her lowest selling studio album to date in the country.[127] It remains her only studio effort to not receive a certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[128]

Gomez embarked on her Stars Dance Tour on August 14, 2013.[129] After touring in North America and Europe, the tour was set to continue throughout 2014, though Gomez cancelled the Australian and Asian leg of the tour in December 2013, claiming that she would be taking a hiatus to spend time with her family.[130] In January 2014, it was reported that Gomez had spent two weeks at Dawn at The Meadows, which is a treatment center in Wickenburg, Arizona that specializes in treating addiction and trauma in young people.[131][132] Her representative stated that she had spent time there "voluntarily [...] but not for substance abuse".[133][134] Gomez confirmed in 2015 that she had been diagnosed with the auto-immune disease, lupus, and that she had cancelled the tour and entered rehab to undergo chemotherapy.[135][136] Gomez appeared in the film Behaving Badly (2014) with Dylan McDermott and Nat Wolff.[137] The project, filmed prior to Gomez's stint in rehab, was released in August 2014 to a generally negative critical and commercial reception.[138][139][140][141] Even the author of the original autobiographical novel, has disavowed the film.[142] She later appeared in the film Rudderless (2014), the directorial debut of William H. Macy.[143][144][145] The independent film received a mixed reception from critics.[146][147]


Gomez performing in December 2013
In April of that year, it was reported that Gomez had fired her mother and stepfather as her managers; the two had managed Gomez since her career began.[148] Gomez later signed with the WME and Brillstein companies to manage her career.[149][150] The news of Gomez's new management also fueled rumors that her recording contract with Hollywood Records was ending, and that Gomez was searching for a new label.[151][152] Gomez surprise released her new single "The Heart Wants What It Wants" (2014) on November 6, and confirmed after months of speculation that she would be releasing a compilation album as a means of finishing out her contract with Hollywood Records.[152] The single went on to become her second top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and sold over one million copies in the United States.[153] Gomez released her first solo compilation album, For You (2014), on November 24.[154] The album received minimal promotion and failed to achieve much commercial success, selling 35,506 equivalent album units in the United States during its first week of release, and entered the Billboard 200 at number twenty-four.[155] Gomez officially signed a recording contract with Interscope Records in December 2014.[156]

2015–2016: Revival and personal struggles
While working on her second studio album, Gomez collaborated with Zedd for his single "I Want You to Know", released as the lead single from his second album on February 23, 2015.[157] The single became Gomez's fourth top twenty entry on the Billboard Hot 100, and received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[153] Gomez became the face of haircare brand Pantene in 2015.[158] Gomez released "Good for You" (2015) as the lead single from her second studio album on June 22, 2015; the single features rapper ASAP Rocky.[159] The song sold 179,000 copies in its first week of release alone, and went on to become her first top five single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.[160] The single became her first to top the Mainstream Top 40 chart.[161][162] In August 2015, Gomez appeared in the documentary Unity among many other actors and actresses.[163] She reprised the role of Mavis in Hotel Transylvania 2, which was released on September 25; the film was met with a positive critical and commercial reception upon its release.[164]

Gomez released her second studio album, Revival, on October 9, 2015.[165] The album was met with a positive reaction from critics, who praised the album's production and lyrical content.[166][167][168] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 117,000 equivalent album units.[169] This remains Gomez's highest first week sales to date.[169] "Same Old Love" was released as the album's second single, and went on to top the Mainstream Top 40 chart.[170][171] The single peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, tying with "Good for You" as her highest charting effort.[172] "Hands to Myself" was the album's third single, which became her third consecutive number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart.[173] This made Gomez one of only six female artists to have three singles from the same album top the chart.[174] Gomez had a cameo role in the film The Big Short, which was released on December 11 by Paramount Pictures.[175] She was the musical guest on the January 23, 2016 episode of Saturday Night Live, with host Ronda Rousey.[176]


Gomez in 2016
Gomez embarked on her worldwide Revival Tour (2016) on May 6.[177] Gomez claimed that the tour would focus solely on her as an artist and would feature less choreography and fewer effects than her previous tour.[177] After touring in North America, Asia and Oceania, she cancelled the European and South America leg of the tour in August 2016 due to anxiety, panic attacks and depression caused by her lupus.[178] Gomez had a supporting role in the comedy film Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising; she portrayed the president of a Phi Lambda sorority.[179] Her collaboration with Charlie Puth, "We Don't Talk Anymore" (2016),[180] reached the top ten in the United States.[181] Also in 2016, Gomez starred in the drama film The Fundamentals of Caring,[182] which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 29,[183] was released on Netflix on June 24,[183] and had a mixed critical reception.[184] She also starred in In Dubious Battle with James Franco; the film was released on September 3, 2016.[185] Gomez has begun working on her third studio album while touring, and added a new song titled "Feel Me" to the setlist of her Revival Tour.[186] The song leaked online nine months after the first performance.[187] The album, which currently has no title or release date, will be her second release through Interscope Records.[186] Gomez and Canadian singer Tory Lanez were featured on "Trust Nobody", the second single from Norwegian DJ Cashmere Cat debut studio album 9. The song was released in September 2016.[188]

Following the cancellation of her tour, Gomez rechecked into rehab to focus on her mental health and was noticeably absent from social media.[189] She made her first public appearance at the 2016 American Music Awards,[190] where she was nominated for two awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Artist of the Year. She further went on to win the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.[191]

2017–present: 13 Reasons Why, standalone singles and upcoming third studio album
On February 4, 2017, she posted a snippet of a new song on her Instagram story.[192] Five days later, Norwegian DJ Kygo posted a snippet of his collaboration with Gomez.[193] Gomez and Kygo confirmed the single titled "It Ain't Me" via their social media accounts a week later, which was released on February 16.[194] The song reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[195]

Gomez serves as executive producer for the series adaptation of the novel Thirteen Reasons Why.[54] She shared the first trailer of the show on January 25, 2017,[196] and the show premiered on Netflix on March 31, 2017.[197] Besides the project, Gomez has been working in new music with producers The Futuristics, Jonas Jeberg,[198] Ryan Tedder[199][200] and songwriters Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter[201] and Jacob Kasher.[200][202] On May 5, 2017 Gomez launched a countdown on her official website which led to May 18. Many websites speculated about the release of a new single.[203][204][205] On May 11, it was confirmed the release of the single "Bad Liar" as the countdown result.[206] On May 18, it was premiered alongside its first music video, which was available for streaming only through Spotify.[207] A second music video was released on YouTube the next month which also teased the follow-up single "Fetish",[208] released on July 13, 2017.[209] In August 2017, Gomez was cast in A Rainy Day in New York, a film directed by Woody Allen for Amazon Studios.[210] Gomez announced she would be donating her salary from the film to the Time's Up initiative.[211] On October 19, 2017, Gomez and EDM producer Marshmello announced that they would be collaborating on a new track titled "Wolves", which was released on October 25.[212][213]


Gomez promoting Pantene (2018)
On May 10, 2018, Gomez released a new single from the 13 Reasons Why Season 2 Soundtrack, titled "Back to You". She once again voiced the character Mavis, in Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, which was released in July 2018.[214][215] On July 13, 2018, Los Angeles prosecutors announced that a New Jersey woman had been charged with hacking into email accounts belonging to Gomez posting online images and other material she found there.[216]

Gomez, alongside Ozuna and Cardi B were featured in DJ Snake's song "Taki Taki". The song was released in September 2018.[217] Gomez was featured on Benny Blanco's song "I Can't Get Enough", alongside Tainy and J Balvin, which was released in February 2019.[218] In 2019, she appeared in Jim Jarmusch's film The Dead Don't Die.[219]

In September 2019, it was announced that Gomez is the executive producer of the Netflix docuseries Living Undocumented, which follows eight undocumented families in America.[220] The series, consisting of six episodes, premiered on October 2, 2019.[221] On October 23, 2019, Gomez released "Lose You to Love Me" as the lead single from her upcoming third studio album.[222][223] The next day, she surprise-released the second single, "Look at Her Now".[224] "Lose You to Love Me" became Gomez's first chart topping single in the United States, surging from number 15 to the top on the issue dated November 9, 2019.[225] In January 2020, Gomez will voice a character in Dolittle, directed by Stephen Gaghan.[226][227]

Artistry
Sound
Gomez is described as a pop singer and songwriter,[228][229][230] showcasing the genre in form of dance-pop[229][231] and incorporating EDM[229][232] into her sound. As her career has been progressing, she has been experimenting with a large number of music genres. While her debut album with The Scene was inspired in electronic rock and pop rock,[233][234] her following records with the band opted for a dance-pop[235][236] sound. A Year Without Rain noted synth-pop characteristics[237] and When the Sun Goes Down went into a more electropop[238] and electro-disco-influenced musical direction.[239] Her debut solo record Stars Dance was rooted in the EDM-pop[240][241] genre, and Gomez herself described it as "baby dubstep",[242] featuring elements from multiple genres as electronic, disco, techno or dancehall.[243][244] Her songs "The Heart Wants What It Wants" and "Good for You" have been described as "minimalistic" and "grown-up",[245] transitioning her sound into adult pop.[246]

Influences
Early in her music career, Gomez cited Bruno Mars as an influence, for "his style of music, his style in general, the way he performs, the way he carries himself".[247] Gomez also named Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Rihanna as influences.[248][249][250][251] Gomez has stated that she finds English singer Cheryl Cole as a significant influence to her artistry, "She made me feel better, I just love her music and I think she's a really nice person. She's been through a lot, but she carries herself with a lot of class and I love that."[252] Gomez's debut solo album Stars Dance (2013) was prominently influenced by Spears, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, and American electronic producer Skrillex.[253] Her second album, Revival (2015), was mainly influenced by Christina Aguilera's album Stripped (2002) and singer Janet Jackson.[248][254]

Endorsements
In 2009, Gomez was part of Sears's back-to-school fashion campaign and was featured in television commercials.[255] She hosted the "Sears Arrive Air Band Casting Call" to select five winners for the first-ever "Sears Air Band" to perform at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.[256] She also became the spokesperson for Borden Milk and was featured in campaign's print ads and television commercials.[257]

From 2010 to 2014, Gomez released her own clothing line, Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez, through retailer Kmart.[258][259] In 2012, she released a self-titled fragrance, Selena Gomez by Selena Gomez. It was also announced that she would partner with the cellphone brand, Case-Mate, as part of its upcoming "Right Case, Right Occasion" marketing campaign. In 2013, she released her second fragrance, Vivamore by Selena Gomez.[260] She also created her own collection of nail polish colors for Nicole by OPI.[261]

From 2013 to 2015, Gomez was a spokesperson and partner for Neo by Adidas.[262] In 2015, Gomez signed $3 million endorsement deal with Pantene.[263]

In 2016, Gomez appeared in a fashion campaign for luxury brand Louis Vuitton.[264] Gomez also appeared in ads for Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign, and she appeared in advertisements for the campaign and lyrics from two of her songs will be featured on packages of Coca-Cola products nationwide.[265]

In 2017, Gomez confirmed that she was partnering with Coach, Inc, beginning with their fall line.[266] She has a limited-edition collection of handbags called the "Selena Grace" that she designed in collaboration with luxury brand Coach, Inc. On March 29, 2018, Gomez released photos from her partnership with Coach on her Instagram account. The photos featured a black and brown Coach bag and the numbers “3 29 ‘98”, referencing a date 20 years before.[267] She also partnered with the athletic brand, Puma, as brand ambassador appearing in campaigns, including the Phenom Lux sneakers that was released in March 2018.[268][269] Also in 2018, it was reported Gomez was earning $800,000 for each sponsored Instagram post.[270]

Philanthropy
UNICEF
In October 2008, Gomez participated in St. Jude's Children's Hospital "Runway For Life" benefit.[271] That same month, Gomez was named UNICEF's spokesperson for the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign, which encouraged children to raise money on Halloween to help children around the world.[272] She said that she was "extremely excited" to "encourage other kids to make a difference in the world".[272] In August 2009, a 17-year-old Gomez became the youngest UNICEF ambassador at the time, passing fellow songstress Hayley Westenra, who was 18 when she was chosen. Actress Millie Bobby Brown later became the youngest UNICEF ambassador at 14-year-old.[273] In her first official field mission, Gomez traveled to Ghana on September 4, 2009 for a week to witness first-hand the stark conditions of vulnerable children that lack vital necessities including clean water, nourishment, education and healthcare.[274][275] Gomez explained, during an interview with Associated Press correspondents, that she wanted to use her star power to bring awareness to Ghana: "That's why I feel very honored to have a voice that kids listen to and take into consideration [...] I had people on my tour asking me where IS Ghana, and they Googled it [...] and because I went there, they now know where Ghana is. So it's pretty incredible."[275][276] Gomez said, of her role as ambassador, that "Every day 25,000 children die from preventable causes. I stand with UNICEF in the belief that we can change that number from 25,000 to zero. I know we can achieve this because every moment, UNICEF is on the ground providing children with the lifesaving assistance needed to ensure zero becomes a reality."[274]


Gomez at the UNICEF 2012 Snowflake Ball in New York City
Gomez was named spokesperson for UNICEF's 2009 Trick-or-Treat campaign, for the second year in a row.[277] Gomez, who raised over $700,000 for the charity in 2008, stated that she hopes to be able to raise 1 million dollars in 2009.[275] Gomez participated in a celebrity auction[278] and hosted a live web cast series on Facebook in support of the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign.[279]

Gomez returned as the UNICEF spokesperson for the 60th anniversary of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign in 2010.[280] In celebration of the organization's 60th anniversary, Gomez and her team, The Scene, held a benefit concert donating all proceeds to the campaign.[281] In February 2011, Gomez traveled to Chile to witness and meet with the families of UNICEF's supported program, "Programa Puente", which helped families better understand, and developed skills to deal effectively with, early childhood education, development, and other issues related to raising children. From her field trip experience, Gomez said, "UNICEF is helping Chilean families get out of poverty, prevent violence within the home and promote education. To witness first hand these families' struggles, and also their hope and perseverance, was truly inspiring."[282] In March 2011, Gomez participated in the UNICEF Tap Project's "Celebrity Tap Pack" limited-edition, custom-made water bottles which featured tap water from the homes of each celebrity advocate, in order to raise funds and increase profile for the clean water and sanitation programs.[283] She was also featured in videos that promoted the campaign.[284][285]

Other charity work
Gomez was involved in the UR Votes Count campaign which encouraged teenagers to learn more about 2008 presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain.[286]

Gomez became the ambassador of DoSomething.org after being involved with the charity Island Dog, which helped dogs in Puerto Rico.[287] She began her involvement while filming Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie in Puerto Rico.[288] Gomez is also involved with the charity RAISE Hope For Congo, an initiative of the Enough Project, which helps raise awareness about conflict minerals and violence against Congolese women.[289]

From 2009 to 2012, Gomez was involved in "Disney's Friends for Change", an organization which promoted "environmentally-friendly behavior", and she appeared in its public service announcements.[290] Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers, as the ad hoc musical team "Disney's Friends For Change", recorded the charity single "Send It On", all of whose proceeds were accepted into the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.[291] It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 20.[291]

In April 2012, Gomez was named ambassador to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.[292] The year before, Gomez made an appearance at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia during a Ryan Seacrest Foundation broadcast from the hospital's multimedia center.[293] She was also a spokesperson for State Farm Insurance and appeared in numerous television commercials, which aired on the Disney Channel, to raise awareness of being a safe driver.[294]

Gomez attended the WE Day California event in Los Angeles in 2018 and 2019. During the 2018 event, Gomez introduced Nellie Mainor, a young fan who had a rare kidney disease.[295] Her participation in WE Day 2019 was her first appearance after an extended break from the spotlight.[296]

Personal life
Religious beliefs
Gomez was raised Catholic. When she was 13, she wanted a purity ring, and her dad went to the church and got it blessed. She stated, "He actually used me as an example for other kids. I'm going to keep my promise to myself, to my family and to God." The singer stopped wearing the ring in 2010.[297] Gomez later stated in 2017 that she did not like the term "religion" and that sometimes it "freaks me out", adding "I don't know if it's necessarily that I believe in religion, as much as I believe in faith and a relationship with God."[298] Despite her aversion to the term ”religion”, she attends Hillsong Church.[299][300][301] In 2014, she said that she listened to Hillsong United's song "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" before performing in the American Music Awards 2014.[302] In 2016, she appeared at a Hillsong Young & Free concert in Los Angeles, leading worship by singing her song titled "Nobody".[300][303][304] When a fan asked her who the lyrics in "Nobody" referred to, Gomez answered on Twitter that the lyrics referred to God.[305] She also covered Hillsong Worship's song "Transfiguration" during her Revival Tour.[306]

Health
Gomez was diagnosed with lupus sometime between 2012 and early 2014. On September 14, 2017, she announced via Instagram that she had withdrawn from public events during the previous few months because she had received a kidney transplant from actress and friend Francia Raisa.[307][308][309] During the transplant, Gomez broke an artery. An emergency surgery was conducted to build a new artery using a vein from her leg.[310][311][312]

Relationships
Gomez dated Nick Jonas in 2008. She appeared in Jonas' band music video for "Burnin' Up".[313] In December 2010, Gomez began dating Justin Bieber. After separating in November 2012, they reconciled a few weeks later before splitting up again in January 2013.[314][315][316][317][318] They later reconciled for a few months in each of 2013, 2014, and 2015.[319][320] Late in 2017, it was reported that they had gotten back together again. However, they broke up again in March 2018.[321][322]

Gomez reportedly started dating The Weeknd in January 2017 and they moved in together temporarily in September 2017 in Greenwich Village, New York.[323][324] They broke up in October 2017.[325] The Weeknd released My Dear Melancholy in March 2018, which—according to media outlets—referenced Gomez in several songs.[326]

Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez has won several awards, including an ALMA Award, an American Music Award, two Billboard Women in Music Awards, an iHeartRadio Music Award, an MTV Video Music Award, and sixteen Teen Choice Awards, as well as seven Guinness World Records. She has received seven Billboard Music Awards nominations.

Filmography
Main article: Selena Gomez videography
Discography
Main articles: Selena Gomez discography and Selena Gomez & the Scene discography
Gomez has released two studio albums, one EP, and one compilation album in her solo career.

Gomez was the lead singer of the former band Selena Gomez & the Scene, which released three studio albums and one remix album.

Solo albums
Stars Dance (2013)
Revival (2015)
Selena Gomez & the Scene albums
Kiss & Tell (2009)
A Year Without Rain (2010)
When the Sun Goes Down (2011)

World Kindness Day

World Kindness Day is an international observance on 13 November. It was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of nations' kindness NGOs. It is observed in many countries, including Canada, Japan, Australia, Nigeria and United Arab Emirates. In 2009, Singapore observed the day for the first time. Italy and India also observed the day. In the UK, it is fronted by David Jamilly, who co-founded Kindness Day UK with Louise Burfitt-Dons. In 2010 at the request of Michael Lloyd-White, the NSW Federation Parents and Citizens Association wrote to the Minister of The NSW Department of Education to place World Kindness Day on the NSW School Calendar. In 2012 At the request of the Chairman of World Kindness Australia, World Kindness Day was placed on the Federal School Calendar and the then Minister of School Education, Early Childhood, and Youth. The Hon Peter Garrett provided a Declaration of Support for World Kindness Australia and placed World Kindness Day on the National School Calendar for over 9000 schools. Schools across the globe are now celebrating World Kindness Day and work with local NGOs such as the Be Kind People Project and Life Vest Inside In the USA. In 2012 in Australia, Marie Bashir, Governor of NSW, hosted an event for the first time at Government House to celebrate World Kindness Day and accepted a Cool To Be Kind Award from year 3&4 students. Australian Councils representing over 1.3 million residents have also signed Declarations of Support for World Kindness Australia placing World Kindness Day on the Council Calendar of Events. Events include THE BIG HUG, handing out Kindness Cards, Global Flashmob, which was coordinated by Orly Wahba from USA which was held in 15 countries and 33 cities with its images of the event making the big screens in New York City. Canada celebrates with The Kindness Concert and in Singapore in 2009, 45,000 yellow flowers were given away. In 2017 World Kindness day was also celebrated in Slovenia, organised by volunteering organisation Humanitarcek as part of their project Randomised Kindness.

World Kindness Day is to highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us. Kindness is a fundamental part of the human condition which bridges the divides of race religion, politics, gender and zip codes. Kindness Cards are also an ongoing activity which can either be passed on to recognize an act of kindness and or ask that an act of kindness be done. Approaches are being made to the United Nations by the peak global body, the World Kindness Movement, to have World Kindness Day officially recognized and its members unanimously sign a Declaration of Support for World Kindness.

According to Gulf News, "it is a day that encourages individuals to overlook boundaries, race and religion

Childrens Day

Children's Day began on the second Sunday of June in 1857 by Reverend Dr. Charles Leonard, pastor of the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in Chelsea, Massachusetts: Leonard held a special service dedicated to, and for the children. Leonard named the day Rose Day, though it was later named Flower Sunday, and then named Children's Day.[1][2][3]

Children's Day was first officially declared a national holiday by the Republic of Turkey in 1920 with the set date of 23 April. Children's Day has been celebrated nationally since 1920 with the government and the newspapers of the time declaring it a day for the children. However, it was decided that an official confirmation was needed to clarify and justify this celebration and the official declaration was made nationally in 1929 by the founder and the President of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.[4][5][6]

The International Day for Protection of Children is observed in many countries as Children's Day on 1 June since 1950. It was established by the Women's International Democratic Federation on its congress in Moscow (4 November 1949).[citation needed] Major global variants include a Universal Children's Holiday on 20 November, by United Nations recommendation.[7]

Even though Children's Day is celebrated globally by most of the countries in the world (almost 50) on 1 June, Universal Children's Day takes place annually on 20 November.[8] First proclaimed by the United Kingdom in 1954, it was established to encourage all countries to institute a day, firstly to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and secondly to initiate action to benefit and promote the welfare of the world's children.

That is observed to promote the objectives outlined in the Charter and for the welfare of children. On 20 November 1959, the United Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.[9] The United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 20 November 1989 and can be found on the Council of Europe website.[10]

In 2000, the Millennium Development Goals outlined by world leaders to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015. Albeit this applies to all people, the primary objective is concerning children.[9] UNICEF is dedicated to meeting the six of eight goals that apply to the needs of children so that they are all entitled to fundamental rights written in the 1989 international human rights treaty.[11] UNICEF delivers vaccines, works with policymakers for good health care and education and works exclusively to help children and protect their rights.[11]

In September 2012, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations led the initiative for the education of children.[12] He firstly wants every child to be able to attend school, a goal by 2015.[12] Secondly, to improve the skill set acquired in these schools.[12] Finally, implementing policies regarding education to promote peace, respect, and environmental concern.[12] Universal Children's Day is not just a day to celebrate children for who they are, but to bring awareness to children around the globe that have experienced violence in forms of abuse, exploitation, and discrimination. Children are used as laborers in some countries, immersed in armed conflict, living on the streets, suffering by differences be it religion, minority issues, or disabilities.[13] Children feeling the effects of war can be displaced because of the armed conflict and may suffer physical and psychological trauma.[14] The following violations are described in the term "children and armed conflict": recruitment and child soldiers, killing/maiming of children, abduction of children, attacks on schools/hospitals and not allowing humanitarian access to children.[14] Currently, there are about 153 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 who are forced into child labor.[15] The International Labour Organization in 1999 adopted the Prohibition and Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour including slavery, child prostitution, and child pornography.[15]

A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child can be found on the UNICEF website.[16]

Canada co-chaired the World Summit for children in 1990, and in 2002 the United Nations reaffirmed the commitment to complete the agenda of the 1990 World Summit. This added to the UN Secretary-General's report We the Children: End-of Decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children.[17]

The United Nations children's agency released a study[18] referencing the population increase of children will make up 90 percent of the next billion people

تحدي القراءة العربي

تحدي القراءة العربي إحدى مبادرات محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم العالمية والذي أطلقها الشيخ محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم، نائب رئيس دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة رئيس مجلس الوزراء حاكم دبي في عام 2015  لرفع الوعي بأهمية اللغة العربية وإعادة إحياء عادة القراءة لدى الطلبة العرب وتكريسها أسلوب حياة وخلق أجيال مثقفة . تحدي القراءة العربي مبادرة عربية لتشجيع القراءة في العالم العربي من خلال التزام كل طالب وطالبة بقراءة خمسين كتاباً خلال كل عام دراسي
شروط المسابقة وكيفية الاشتراك

جوزات تحدي القراءة العربي
تضم المنافسة التي تقوم على مرتكز القراءة باللغة العربية، جميع طلبة مدارس العالم العربي المشاركة من الصف الأول الابتدائي وحتى الصف الثاني عشر (الثالث الثانوي)، وتبدأ من شهر سبتمبر كل عام حتى نهاية شهر مارس / آذار من العام التالي، وخلال هذه المدة يقوم الطلاب بقراءة الكتب في خمس مراحل تتضمن كل مرحلة منها قراءة عشرة كتب وتلخيصها في جوازات التحدي. وبعد الانتهاء من القراءة والتلخيص، ينتقل الطلاب إلى مراحل التصفيات وفق معايير معتمدة، وتتم على مستوى المدارس ويتم اختيار 12طالبا لتمثيل الادارة في التصفيات على مستوى المناطق التعليمية ثم يتم اختيار 12طالبا لتمثيل المنطقة التعليمية في التصفيات على مستوى الدول العربية، وأخيراً يتم اختيار10طلاب للسفر إلى دبى والطالب صاحب المركز الأول يمثل الدولة في التصفيات النهائية والتي تقام في دبي في شهر أكتوبر من كل عام.

الغاية من التحدي
يسعى تحدي القراءة العربي إلى غرس حب القراءة في نفوس جيل الأطفال والشباب في الوطن العربي، وتمكين القراءة في نفوسهم لتصبح عادة متأصلة في حياتهم، لا مجرد هواية تمارس وقت الفراغ مما يحفز ملكة الفضول ورغبة المعرفة لديهم. بالإضافة إلى أنّ القراءة تدفع الطلاب إلى تنمية مهاراتهم التحليلية والنقدية والتعبيرية، وتعزز قيماً أخلاقية عديدة لديهم كالتسامح والانفتاح الفكري والثقافي، وذلك يتم عبر القراءة التي تعرّفهم بأفكار الكتاب والمفكرين والفلاسفة المتنوعة واعتقاداتهم المختلفة وتجاربهم الغنية والواسعة.

كما يصبو تحدي القراءة العربي إلى توحيد الميادين التعليمية والأسرية في العالم العربي، جنباً إلى جنب من أجل تحقيق هذه الغاية التي تسعى إلى تغيير واقع القراءة العربي وغرس حبها في الأجيال من الأطفال والشباب.

أهداف التحدي
رفع الوعي بمدى أهمية القراءة لدى طلبة الوطن العربي.
تنمية مهارات اللغة العربية وتحسينها لتمكين الطلاب من التعبير بلغتهم بفصاحة وطلاقة.
تنمية مهارات التحليل والتفكير النقدي.
دعم القراءة وتغيير واقعها المزري في العالم العربي.
إبراز جيل جديد متفوق في مجال الاطلاع والقراءة وشغف المعرفة.
تشجيع القراءة بشكل مستدام ومنتظم عبر نظام متكامل من المتابعة للطلاب طيلة العام الأكاديمي.
تعزيز الحس الوطني والعروبة والشعور بالانتماء إلى أمة واحدة.