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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.

 

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – 9 August

8 août 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: discrimination, education, historical abuses, human rights, indigenous peoples, marginalisation, UN

featured-image-index-32016 Theme: Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Education
This year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is devoted to the right to education. The right of indigenous peoples to education is protected by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which in Article 14 states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.”

The right of indigenous peoples to education is also protected by a number of other international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for ensuring equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations. In spite of these instruments, the right to education has not been fully realized for most indigenous peoples, and a critical education gap exists between indigenous peoples and the general population.

Where data exist, they show consistent and persistent disparities between the indigenous and the non-indigenous population in terms of educational access, retention and achievement, in all regions of the world. The education sector not only mirrors the historical abuses, discrimination and marginalization suffered by indigenous peoples, but also reflects their continued struggle for equality and respect for their rights as peoples and as individuals.

Source: Texte & Image: UN  Indigenous Wayuu children in the village of Pessuapa, Colombia. UN Photo/Gill Fickling

19th Sunday of the Year, C

4 août 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Be rady, expectation, Jesus, Lk.12:35-40, waiting for someone

be ready« Are you ready? » A question that is familiar indeed.
The husband will ask his wife, or the wife her husband, as they wait for the partner to go somewhere.
A group of friends will call out the same words to one who has still to join the group leaving for an outing.
And the words will be heard by students asked by the teacher the same question about the coming exams.

Ready for a journey, an excursion, a meeting, a gathering, a feast, an adventure – so many occasions awaiting our presence, our readiness.
But this Sunday’s gospel message (19th, Year C – Lk.12:35-40) is about more that readiness for something.
Jesus speaks of being ready… for someone – someone’s coming, someone’s sudden arrival.
The unexpected return of the one who should find us waiting, expecting, attending to the tasks confided to us.

The long text of Luke can be summarised in the key sentence in the middle of those 14 verses: “You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

This theme of ‘expectation’ comes back three times and is expressed in a contrast: the attitude of the servant who does not expect his master’s return and what is expected from the person who “has been given a great deal on trust.”
So, perhaps our life is meant to be a coming together of two sets of expections… ours and … that of God!

Source: Image: www.pinterest.com

World Day against Trafficking in Persons – 30 July

30 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Children, crime, forced labour, human traffciking, migrants and refugees, sexual exploitation, UN drugs, victimes, vulnerable people, young people

trafficking-protest« Human traffickers prey on the most desperate and vulnerable. To end this inhumane practice, we must do more to shield migrants and refugees — and particularly young people, women and children – from those who would exploit their yearnings for a better, safer and more dignified future. » Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Human trafficking is a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes including forced labour and sex. The International Labour Organization estimates that 21 million people are victims of forced labour globally. This estimate also includes victims of human trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation. While it is not known how many of these victims were trafficked, the estimate implies that currently, there are millions of trafficking in persons victims in the world.

Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. The link between the refugee and migration crisis and trafficking in persons was highlighted at this year’s observance of the day by the UN Office for Drugs and Crime.

Source: Text: UN  Photo: OHCHR A demonstration against human trafficking

18th Sunday of the Year, C

28 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: human destiny, human existence, Jesus, Lk.12:13-21, questions, rich man, true values

rich foolIf suddenly someone were to ask you: “What do you live for?” Would you be taken aback and be at a loss as to what to answer?
Have you ever asked yourself the question? And… if a second question followed the first asking you: “What are you ready to die for?” would you be more confused?…

We may find these two questions quite… intrusive but they are nonetheless at the very heart of our human existence. In the hustle and bustle of our daily life, we may not allow these concerns to claim much of our attention.
Our many occupations and preoccupations keep us focused on more down-to-earth matters and yet… is there anything more important than knowing the purpose of our human destiny?

Some people have settled for the life-style of the man in Jesus gospel story: “Take things easy, eat, drink, and have a good time” (Lk.12:13-21).

Jesus qualifies this attitude in strong terms calling the man: “Fool.” Nobody likes to be seen as foolish but… some types of wreckless living deserve this attribute – the kind of life which leaves us insensitive to anything that does not bring about our personal satisfaction. The kind of life with no thought of the true values, those that make us “rich in the sight of God.”

This Sunday’s gospel message may appear somehow the bearer of a stern warning. But… what if it were necessary and salutary?

Source: Image: www.bible-basics-layers-of-understanding.com

World Hepatitis Day – 28 July

27 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: antiviral medicines, communicable diseases, cure, hepatitis, HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis, vaccine, WHO

20 JULY 2016 | GENEVA – Ahead of World Hepatitis Day, 28 July 2016, WHO is urging countries to take rapid action to improve knowledge about the disease, and to increase access to testing and treatment services. Today, only 1 in 20 people with viral hepatitis know they have it. And just 1 in 100 with the disease is being treated.

JESS3_WHO_WHD16_Final_English-v1« The world has ignored hepatitis at its peril,” said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. “It is time to mobilize a global response to hepatitis on the scale similar to that generated to fight other communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.“ Around the world 400 million people are infected with hepatitis B and C, more than 10 times the number of people living with HIV. An estimated 1.45 million people died of the disease in 2013 – up from less than a million in 1990.

In May 2016, at the World Health Assembly, 194 governments adopted the first-ever Global Health Sector Strategy on viral hepatitis and agreed to the first-ever global targets. The strategy includes a target to treat 8 million people for hepatitis B or C by 2020. The longer term aim is to reduce new viral hepatitis infections by 90% and to reduce the number of deaths due to viral hepatitis by 65% by 2030 from 2016 figures.

The strategy is ambitious, but the tools to achieve the targets are already in hand. An effective vaccine and treatment for hepatitis B exists. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C but there has been dramatic progress on treatment for the disease in the past few years. The introduction of oral medicines, called direct-acting antivirals, has made it possible to potentially cure more than 90% of patients within 2–3 months. But in many countries, current policies, regulations and medicine prices put the cure out of most people’s reach.

Source: Text & Image: WHO

International Fonio Day – 27 July

26 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: diabetes type 2, droughts, FAO, floods, fonio, food security, Senegal, West Africa

RAE96SD024_C“Fonio is tasty, light, easy to digest and can be served with meat or poultry or vegetables,” says Diakité, who could be considered as the world’s principal champion of the cereal, which is eaten in a huge swathe of Africa, from Lake Chad – on the border between Chad and Nigeria – to Cape Verde, on the continent’s Atlantic coast. Furthermore, Diakité points out, a respected researcher, Dr Djibril Traoré, has recently proved some of the health benefits of fonio.

Professor Traoré, who is a scientific and technical counsellor at Senegal’s Institut de technologie alimentaire (Institute of Food Technology), carried out a series of experiments on mice, some of which had Type 2 diabetes. A sample group of the diabetes mice was fed fonio. “The most important result of the tests was that those fed with fonio were almost cured. [After the experiment] three out of 10 of the mice had completely normal livers. This is strong proof of the value of fonio.” Dr Traoré adds that eating fonio also helps prevent obesity, which is a step on the way to diabetes.

Diakité adds that Fonio Day is also promoting awareness of fonio. Originally proposed by Diakité himself several years ago, Fonio Day had its third annual celebration in July this year. The customary date – 27 July (the date on which Diakité’s first machine was manufactured in 1993 was changed in some areas so as not to conflict with Ramadan.

“Fonio Day is proposed now on the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations] calendar,” Diakité says, stressing that, with food security widely predicted to be a major risk in the decades ahead, fonio is an ideal crop for West Africa – this hardy cereal can withstand drought and floods, grows in poor soil and needs no fertilizer and very little water.

Source: Text & Image: Rolex Awards

International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem – 26 July

25 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: biomass, Biosphere, fisheries, food security, mangrove ecosystems, UNESCO

for-the-mangrove-ecosystem-and-oceans-1Mangroves are rare, spectacular and prolific ecosystems on the boundary between land and sea. They ensure food security for local communities. They provide biomass, forest products and sustain fisheries. They contribute to the protection of coastlines. They help mitigate the effects of climate change and extreme weather events.

This is why the protection of mangrove ecosystems is essential today. Their survival faces serious challenges —from the alarming rise of the sea level and biodiversity that is increasingly endangered. The earth and humanity simply cannot afford to lose these vital ecosystems.

UNESCO has always been on the frontline of promoting new and harmonious relations between humanity and nature, where the preservation of mangrove ecosystems carries special importance.

To this end, UNESCO is working across the board and with all partners on an open initiative on mangroves and sustainable development. UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves has 86 sites out of 669 that include areas of mangroves.

Source: Text: UNESCO;  Image: Mouvement Mondial pour les Forêts Tropicales (WRM)

World Youth Day – 23 July

22 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Krakow-Poland, Philippines, Pope Francis, Pope John PAul ll, WYD

220px-WYD-2008Not to be confused with International Youth Day or World Festival of Youth and Students.

World Youth Day (WYD) is an event for young people organized every three (or sometimes, two) years by the Catholic Church. The next occasion, World Youth Day 2016, will be held 25–31 July 2016 in Kraków, Poland.[1]220px-Francisco_Papa_Jornada_Mundial_de_la_Juventud_Rio_de_Janeiro_Julio_2013_A

World Youth Day was initiated by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1985. For the first celebration of WYD in 1986, bishops all over the world were invited to schedule an annual youth event to be held every Palm Sunday in their dioceses.

It is celebrated at the diocesan level annually, and at the international level every two to three years at different locations. The 1995 World Youth Day closing Mass in the Philippines set a world record for the largest number of people gathered for a single religious event (with 5 million attendees)— a record surpassed when 6 million attended a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in the Philippines 20 years later in 2015.

Source: Text & Images: Wikipedia    Images, left: Crowd at Barangaroo, Sydney, for first day of WYD08 celebrations    right: Pope Francis arrives at Copacabana, 26 July 2013

17th Sunday of the Year, C

21 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Abraham, bargaining with God, boldness, friend with God, Gn.18:2-32, God, God's mercy

Boldness is not usually appreciated – it is sometimes judged as a display of arrogance, the attitude of someone aggressive. But boldness is also recognised in someone courageous, daring, fearless.

In the first reading of this Sunday (17th Sunday, Year C – Gn.18:2-32), we meet someone surprisingly bold!
This text shows us Abraham being bold not with a fellow human being but with God!abraham-believed-god-and-was-strong-in-faith
He acknowledges this himself, saying: “I am bold indeed to speak like this.”

Abraham having heard of God’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, he does not hesitate to advise God: “Do not think of doing such a thing!” And he repeats: “Do not think of it!”

Yet, far from correcting himself, he keeps on literally bargaining with God! And, amazingly, God goes along with this! Not once, not twice but six times, Abraham will repeat his plea and make God lower the number of people needed for the cities to be spared the destruction intended by God.

The most astonishing in the narrative is the way God interacts with Abraham – it is obvious that he appreciates the boldness of his human ‘partner’. Who would imagine a god sharing with human beings his plan about a divine intervention?! This implies that Abraham is God’s friend and he relates to him with complete trust as close friends can do – a trust that is daring, audacious in its boldness.

It is as if Abraham had found God’s ‘weakness’, and God’s ‘weakness’ is his mercy! He is indeed a merciful God – a God who delights in the boldness of his friends.

Source: Image: mudpreacher.org

International Day Nelson Mandela – 18 July

17 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: discrimination, equality, hate, helping others, human rights, humanity, Nelson Mandela

mandelalogo« Nelson Mandela’s extraordinary compassion after 27 years in prison showed that human rights and equality are stronger than discrimination and hate. » – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Can you spare 67 minutes of your time helping others?

Every year, on Mandela Day, people around the world are asked by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to do just that.

By devoting 67 minutes of their time – one minute for every year of Mr. Mandela’s public service – people can make a small gesture of solidarity with humanity and a step towards a global movement for good.

Source: Text & Image: UN