Greetings to each and everyone of you.
This section for English-speaking viewers –
and all those enjoying the culture –
has developed over the months and is now offering materials of all kinds:
texts, images, poems, videos, etc.
It will continue to provide you with rich contents week after week.
World Autism Awareness Day – 2 April
2017 Theme: « Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination »
Autism affects approximately 1 out of every 150 children around the world. It is a neural development disorder that affects their ability to socialize normally by impacting their abilities to utilize verbal and non-verbal communication. Since 2012, there has been a 30% increase in the amount of children being affected with autism, and World Autism Awareness Day helps to bring awareness to this growing health concern.
Autism first appears very early on, sometimes manifesting as early as infancy, in other times waiting until later in childhood. The disease progresses steadily without remission, its first symptoms generally appearing around six-months, and being firmly in place by age two or three. Rather than having one distinguishing characteristic, Autism is indicated by the coming together of three separate symptoms. The triad includes difficulty socializing, problems in communication, and a limited number of interests combined with repetitive behavior such as can-stacking.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes the right of persons with disabilities to independence of person and to individual autonomy (article 3).
Legal capacity is instrumental to the recognition of a person as a human being of full personhood, with the right to take decisions and enter into contracts. However, certain abilities have often been seen as necessary qualifications for full personal autonomy, creating a barrier to full societal inclusion for people with autism.
The WAAD observance, on 31 March 2017, will discuss policies and approaches being implemented with regard to guardianship and the path to self-determination and legal capacity of persons with autism.
Source: Textx: UN; DAYS of the YEAR Image: giphy.com
World Bipolar Day – 30 March
Like many mental illnesses, bipolar has become a flippant by-word to describe an unpredictable, emotional person. But for the millions of people who deal with the
misunderstood condition, bipolar is not a joke.
On World Bipolar Day, those living with the disease, as well as the health experts and charities who help them help to cope, raise awareness of the disease.
Nia Charpentier from Rethink Mental Illness told The Independent: “Bipolar disorder causes your mood to swing from high (mania) to low (depression). Everyone experiences changes in mood but when you have bipolar, the symptoms are severe, affecting all areas of life.
“Bipolar disorder is often misunderstood. Awareness raising is absolutely crucial to reduce the stigma that surrounds it, we know many people with mental illness say the discrimination and prejudice they face can be worse than the illness itself.
“Alongside this, people with Bipolar need a mental health service that’s fit for purpose. For too long support for mental ill health has been the Cinderella service, neglected and underfunded.”
Source: Text: Independent Image: Pinterest
5th Sunday of Lent, Year A
The publicity is well known that says: “A diamond is for ever.”
What is precious is the diamond, yes, but also the ‘FOR EVER’ aspect.
It answers our deep longing for something that will last, something that will endure.
The good and enjoyable experiences that we make, we would want them to last… for ever!
The fleeting moments of happiness are not enough for us.
The joyful moments of reunion are too soon ended, we would want them to go on and on.
And a deeply satisfying relationship, we would not want it to end, it should be… for ever!
In today’s gospel (5th Sunday of Lent, Year A – Jn.11:1-45) Jesus addresses this ‘for ever’ need.
Speaking with Martha who mourns the death of her brother, he opens up the perspective of life for ever –
a life that goes on beyond the grave.
He says: “If anyone believes in me,
even though he dies, he will live.”
The baby born with a rare disease without cure and whose life is ended in infancy.
The child suddenly killed in an accident.
The young person half conscious struggling between life and death.
The father or mother yesterday full of life and now… mysteriously close to death.
The elderly person, not yet ready to let go of the remaining life within a frail body.
For all of them, Jesus’ words are the answer to their deepest need: to live, yes, TO LIVE FOR EVER.
In the first reading, speaking in God’s name, the prophet Ezechiel (Ez.37:12-14) says:
“I mean to raise you from your graves, my people.”
And in the second reading, Paul writing to the first Christians of Rome tells them (Rom.8:8-11):
“He who raised Jesus from the dead
will give life to your own mortal body.”
One can accept a diamond or… refuse it…
One can believe these words… or ignore them…
One may also like to see the video at: http://image-i-nations.com/martha-of-bethany/
Source: Images: PNG images; catholicpreaching.com
Martha of Bethany
She was mourning the death of her brother, Lazarus.
Jesus had not come in time to save his friend…
Now he was there, there with strange words…
and a question…
One may also like to see: http://image-i-nations.com/5th-sunday-of-lent-year-a/
World Theatre Day – March 27
World Theatre Day was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute ITI. It is celebrated annually on the 27th March by ITI Centers and the international theatre community. Various national and international theatre events are organized to mark this occasion. One of the most important of these is the circulation of the World Theatre Day Message through which at the invitation of ITI, a figure of world stature shares his or her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace.
On this special occasion, FIA wishes a happy World Theater Day to all theater lovers and professionals.
Here is the Message of World Theatre Day 2017 by French theatre and cinema actress Isabelle Huppert:
« So, here we are once more. Gathered again in spring, 55 years since our inaugural meeting, to celebrate World Theatre Day. Just one day, 24 hours, is dedicated to celebrating theatre around the world. And here we are in Paris, the premier city in the world for attracting international theatre groups, to venerate the art of theatre. »
Paris is a world city, fit to contain the globes theatre traditions in a day of celebration; from here in France’s capital we can transport ourselves to Japan by experiencing Noh and Bunraku theatre, trace a line from here to thoughts and expressions as diverse as Peking Opera and Kathakali; the stage allows us to linger between Greece and Scandinavia as we envelope ourselves in Aeschylus and Ibsen, Sophocles and Strindberg; it allows us to flit between Britain and Italy as we reverberate between Sarah Kane and Prinadello. Within these twenty-four hours we may be taken from France to Russia, from Racine and Moliere to Chekhov; we can even cross the Atlantic as a bolt of inspiration to serve on a Campus in California, enticing a young student there to reinvent and make their name in theatre.
Source: Text: FIA Image: BC Alliance for Arts and Culture
World Tuberculosis Day – 24 March
March 24 commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing to a small group of scientists at the University of Berlin’s Institute of Hygiene that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus.
According to Koch’s colleague, Paul Ehrlich, “At this memorable session, Koch appeared before the public with an announcement which marked a turning-point in the story of a virulent human infectious disease. In clear, simple words Koch explained the aetiology of tuberculosis with convincing force, presenting many of his microscope slides and other pieces of evidence.”
At the time of Koch’s announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch’s discovery opened the way toward diagnosing and curing tuberculosis.
Source: Text: Wikipedia; Image: Zehabesha
4th Sunday of Lent, Year A
Strange things happen among us, people.
Something good can be done for someone and the person who benefits from the good deed is penalized for it!
It should not surprise us – this is what happened already in the time of Jesus.
We see it in today’s gospel on this 4th Sunday of Lent, Year A (Jn.9:1-41).
Jesus has cured a man who had been born blind and the religious leaders give this fortunate man – (or, unfortunate?) –
a hard time indeed.
Questions upon questions to him, to his parents, back to him again – evidently trying to find Jesus somehow guilty.
Unable to have the man say anything that would enable them to reach such a verdict, “They drove him away…”
They cannot SEE the good.
They cannot accept the evidence.
They push aside what is plain and clear.
They cannot face the truth.
They blind themselves in the most obvious way.
Why? Why such an attitude? What this kind of reaction?
But the next question is… Can this not be found in… us?
We may ‘drive away’ a memory… too painful to face.
We may ‘drive away’ a remark… unpleasant to acknowledge.
We may ‘drive away’ a warning… that would call for a decision.
We may ‘drive away’ a piece of advice… that would ask for a change of attitude.
We may ‘drive away’ some information… that invites me to do something.
So, we do as if the truth were not the truth!
We may fell afraid, ashamed, incompetent, powerful, not equal to a situation.
So, we hide, we pretend, we escape.
We literally ‘drive away’ what is plain to SEE but which threatens us.
LENT may be precisely that: the time to make special efforts to SEE.
And to pray for, yes, vision AND insight!
See also: http://image-i-nations.com/the-man-born-blind/
Source: Image: request.org.uk
The Man Born Blind
He is well known – in the gospel, that is.
He is ready to tell us again
what happened to him
when he met the Man of Nazareth…
After the video, you may like to see also: http://image-i-nations.com/4th-sunday-of-lent-year-a/
World Water Day – 22 March
Water is the essential building block of life. But it is more than just essential to quench thirst or protect health; water is vital for creating jobs and supporting economic, social, and human development.
Today, there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home, spending countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources, and coping with the health impacts of using contaminated water.
2017 Theme: Why Wastewater?
This year, we focus on wastewater and ways to reduce and reuse as over 80% of all the wastewater from our homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature polluting the environment and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.
We need to improve the collection and treatment of wastewater and safely reuse it. At the same time, we need to reduce the quantity and pollution load of wastewater we produce, to help protect the environment and our water resources.
Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030 – includes a target to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse.
Source: Text: UN Image: Shilpsnutrilife