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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.

 

World Population Day – 11 July

10 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: adolescent pregnancy, challenges, Child marriage, development programme, health, human rights, poverty, reproductive health, UN

2016-teenage-girls« On this World Population Day, I urge all Governments, businesses and civil society to support and invest in teenage girls. Everyone deserves the benefits of economic growth and social progress. Let us work together to ensure a life of security, dignity and opportunity for all. » Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

2016 Theme: Investing in teenage girls.
In 1989, the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme recommended that 11 July be observed by the international community as World Population Day, a day to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues. This year’s theme is ‘Investing in teenage girls.’

Teenage girls around the world face enormous challenges. Many are considered by their communities or parents to be ready for marriage and motherhood. Many are forced from school, damaging their future prospects. Even among girls who stay in school, access to basic information about their health, human rights and reproductive rights can be hard to come by, leaving them vulnerable to illness, injury and exploitation. These challenges are exacerbated among marginalized girls, such as members of ethnic minorities or those living in poverty or remote areas.  Yet when teenage girls are empowered, when they know about their rights and are given the tools to succeed, they become agents of positive change in their communities.

UNFPA’s programmes aim to end child marriage, curb adolescent pregnancy, and to empower girls to make informed choices about their health and lives. In 2015 alone, UNFPA programmes helped 11.2 million girls between ages 10 and 19 gain access to sexual and reproductive health services and information.

Source: Text: UN   Image: teenage girls © UNFPA/Anra Adhikari

International Gun Destruction Day – 9 July

8 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Arms ammunitions, governments, guns, illegal weapons, NGOs

l_389With as many as 640 million guns circulating in the world today, approximately one per every ten persons, the fear of and threat to civilians posed by small arms and light weapons (SALW) cannot be overstated. With this in mind, governments, international organization and NGOs around the world mark 9 July as the International Gun Destruction Day.

By providing independent, impartial and neutral technical advice as well as assistance for the development and implementation of safe and effective SALW destruction initiatives, SEESAC has directly contributed to the destruction of approximately 240,341 pieces of SALW and ammunition across South East Europe since 2002, making the region that much safer.

These SEESAC activities are closely linked to its regional effort to help the collection of illegal and unwanted SALW and to raise awareness among the civilian population about the dangers these weapons present.

Source: Text & Image: SEESAC

15th Sunday of the Year, C

7 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Good Samaritan, Jesus, Lk.10:25-37, neighbour, parable, Pr.6:2, question, walk the talk

Things we know too well, situations too familiar to us, or texts we know ‘by heart’, are in danger of no longer having an impact on us. The message has been heard long ago and ‘registered’ – it is G.Samaritanthere, at the back of our minds but with little bearing on how we live from day to day…

This may be the case for the parable of this Sunday (15th Sunday, Year C, Lk.10:25-37): The parable of the Good Samaritan. We know it so well, we could tell it with all its colourful details. But knowing it ‘by heart’ and knowing if ‘from the heart’ is quite different!

We could say that this text presents a typical case of someone being caught in his own trap. The lawyer was trying to catch Jesus by asking what he thought was a clever question. But his cleverness turns out to bring him shame. He may then have recalled a text of Holy Scripture: “You have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth” (Pr.6:2).

Most interesting – and inspiring – in Jesus’ reply is how he turns the question asked by the lawyer into another question with a completely different focus. In other words: what is at stake is NOT: “Who is my neighbour?” but in Jesus’ words: “Who proved himself a neighbour?”

The reluctant answer of the lawyer is followed by Jesus’ injunction:  The modern colloquial equivalent of WALK THE TALK!

Source: Image: www.youtube.com

International White Band Day Against Poverty – 1 July

1 juillet 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: anti-poverty campaign, Make poverty history, World Social Forum

GCAP_LogoGlobal Call to Action Against Poverty
The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) is a growing worldwide alliance consisting of national coalitions (or platforms) of campaigns to end poverty.
It is involved with some 38 million people in actions in 2005 in over 75 countries and 23 million people in 2006 in over 85 countries.

GCAP was initially a worldwide alliance committed to making world leaders live up to their promises and to making a breakthrough on poverty during 2005. However due to the success of the campaign during 2005, the 170 members of the campaign’s International Facilitation Group (IFG) met in Beirut in early 2006 and unanimously agreed to continue the campaign up to December 31, 2007. At a global assembly in Montevideo, Uruguay in May 2007 the national coalitions and other constituencies voted to extend the campaigning alliance until at least 2015.

The campaign was founded at a conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in late 2004 and officially launched at the World Social Forum in Brazil on the January 1, 2005. It rapidly grew to earn its status as the largest anti-poverty campaign in the world by building on existing networks, and their strategies and activities. Currently it boasts of more than one thousand member organisations and millions of supporters worldwide.

Source: Text: Wikipedia; Image: GCAP

14th Sunday of the Year, C

30 juin 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: God as Father, God as Mother, God's compassion, God's kindness, God's mercy, God's tendernessmercy, Is.49:15. Is.66:10-14, Lk.15:11-24, Psalms

nursing motherWe could easily have missed it! Yes, I mean the text for our reflection this Sunday (14th Sunday, Year C). The 1st reading is that of Isaiah 66:10-14. The book of the prophet Isaiah has exactly 66 chapters and the last one has 24 verses in all. So our reference for this Sunday comes… very late in the book and someone who has gone through all the previous contents could be forgiven to ‘forget’ the very last section. But then, that person would miss… a jewel!

In these days when we are very often reminded of God’s mercy, some preachers like to stress that, God being a Spirit, is not only a male figure – a father – but includes within Itself feminine attributes as well. They assure us that the Bible uses the metaphor of a mother and, at this point, they quote the well known text of Isaiah 49:15: “Does a woman forget her baby at the breast?… Yet, even if these forget I will never forget you.”

This Sunday presents us with the same image and perhaps even stronger. Here, we see God somehow playing with her child! We read: “Her nurslings will be carried and fondled in her lap”. And the text adds: “Like a son comforted by his mother will I comfort you.”

How encouraging, how comforting indeed, and what a forceful correction to our abstract presentations of an almighty distant God. Yes, God is mighty and all-powerful , but the Psalms keep repeating how kind and merciful, tender and compassionate he is (Ps.103; Ps.145).

Jesus best known parable (Lk.15:11-24) says it in a most vivid and convincing way: God is a father who cannot bear seeing his children far from him – yet, he will never force us, oblige us, or impose on us to return to him when we have gone away. God’s way is not that of coercion or threat, he knows only the way of gentle invitation and tender fascination. He knows us too well to attempt anything else!

Source: Image: www.desipainters.com

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture – 26 June

26 juin 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: crime against humanity, international treaties, law, rehabilitation centers, solidarity, torture, UN, victims of torture
2016-2

« The law is crystal clear: torture can never be used at any time or under any circumstances, including during conflict or when national security is under threat.  On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we express our solidarity with and support for the hundreds of thousands of victims of torture and their family members throughout the world. » Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Over the past 25 years crimes against humanity, including torture, have been committed in a widespread and systematic manner in Eritrean detention facilities, military training camps and other locations across the country. Torture seeks to annihilate the victim’s personality and denies the inherent dignity of the human being. The United Nations has condemned torture from the outset as one of the vilest acts perpetrated by human beings on their fellow human beings.

Torture is a crime under international law. According to all relevant instruments, it is absolutely prohibited and cannot be justified under any circumstances. This prohibition forms part of customary international law, which means that it is binding on every member of the international community, regardless of whether a State has ratified international treaties in which torture is expressly prohibited. The systematic or widespread practice of torture constitutes a crime against humanity.

On 12 December 1997, by resolution 52/149, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 26 June the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, with a view to the total eradication of torture and the effective functioning of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, (resolution 39/46), annex, which entered into force on 26 June 1987.

Recovering from torture requires prompt and specialized programmes. The work of rehabilitation centres and organisations around the world has demonstrated that victims can make the transition from horror to healing. This year, 2016, also marks the 35th anniversary of the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, administered by the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva, a unique victim-focused mechanism that channels funding for the assistance to victims of torture and their families.

Source: Texte: UN   Image: Eritrean refugees wait for protection and assistance, May 2014. © EPA/YAHYA ARHAB

13th Sunday of the Year, C

23 juin 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: anger, daily life, desire to retaliate, discernment, disciple, frustration, generosity, grâce, James and John, Jérusalem, Jesus, kingdom of God, personal experience, Rom.8:28

2092087_how-did-the-apostles-die_phoi6mn445vbbn4o2ra4kwuovmeatuw6lrlcsphco3flmkbrawuq_757x425Reading the gospel text for this Sunday (Lk.9:51-62, 13th Sunday, Year C) someone could explain with a touch of humour: “This is a mixed bag!” Indeed, we find in those few verses all kinds of ideas. More than one theme is presented to our reflection:

    •    Jesus resolute march to Jerusalem as the time of his passion draws near.
    •    The frustration of James and John faced with the Samaritans’ refusal to allow them to pass through their territory, their anger and desire to retaliate.
    •    A man’s desire to be a disciple of Jesus, perhaps without enough discernment.
    •    Two other individuals called by Jesus to follow him who make excuses for their delay and Jesus’ reply to each one of them.

As I look at the different people and the attitude of each one of them, I realize that, in fact, they represent much of what makes up our daily life: determination, frustration, anger, desire to take revenge, generosity, hesitation to commit ourselves… Yes, all this, and much more, makes up our personal experience from day to day.

What is wonderful is that God makes use of all of this to fashion us into the people he want us to become… if only we allow him to do so. No material is too coarse, no attitude is too rebellious, nobody is too unworthy – God’s grace is sufficient to transform all human experience into building material for the kingdom! Paul had assured the Christians of Rome – and it remains ever true: « By turning everything to their good God co-operates with those who love him » (Roma.8:28). Everything? Absolutely!

Source: Image: channel.nationalgeographic.com

World Day of Organ Donation and Transplantation – 22 June

21 juin 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: health, organ and tissu donation, saving lives

logoCMYK2Worldwide, thousands of people suffer or die waiting for an organ. While the majority of the population favors organ donation and transplantation, for a variety of reasons the potential of organ donation is still underexploited.

Fairtransplant contributes to increase awareness on the positive values of organ donation and transplantation by fostering initiatives, producing information material, and supporting events in the field of organ donation and transplantation.

Source: Text & Image: Fairtransplant.org

Join the 2.4 million Quebeckers who’ve registered their consent to organ and tissue donation!
On the occasion of the World Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation, held on October 17, 2015, * the Régie invites you to join the 2.4 million people already registered in the Registre des consentements au don d’organes et de tissus.

If you haven’t done so already, go to our « Consent to organ and tissue donation » webpage and download your personalized registration form, then send it to the Régie. This online service is available at all times so that recording your consent is easy and simple.

Spread the word! And remember, by donating your organs and tissues when you die, you could save up to 8 lives and help 15 other persons regain their health. Give life through organ and tissue donation.

*Wold Day on June 22nd   Editor’s note

Source: Text: Régie de l’assurance maladie Québec

World Day of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – 21 June

20 juin 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS, genes, Jean-Martin Charcot, maladie de Lou Gehrig, muscle twitching, neurological problems, neurons, Stephen Hawking, symptoms

logo_frAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a specific disorder that involves the death of neurons that control voluntary muscles. In a number of countries, the term motor neurone disease (MND) is commonly used, while others use that term for a group of five conditions of which ALS is the most common. ALS is characterized by stiff muscles, muscle twitching, and gradually worsening weakness due to muscles decreasing in size. This results in difficulty speaking, swallowing, and eventually breathing.

The cause is not known in 90% to 95% of cases. About 5–10% of cases are inherited from a person’s parents.About half of these genetic cases are due to one of two specific genes. The diagnosis is based on a person’s signs and symptoms with testing done to rule out other potential causes.

No cure for ALS is known. A medication called riluzole may extend life by about two to three months. Non-invasive ventilation may result in both improved quality and length of life. The disease usually starts around the age of 60 and in inherited cases around the age of 50. The average survival from onset to death is three to four years. About 10% survive longer than 10 years. Most die from respiratory failure. In much of the world, rates of ALS are unknown. In Europe and the United States, the disease affects about two people per 100,000 per year.

Descriptions of the disease date back to at least 1824 by Charles Bell. In 1869, the connection between the symptoms and the underlying neurological problems was first described by Jean-Martin Charcot, who in 1874 began using the term amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It became well known in the United States in the 20th century when it affected the baseball player Lou Gehrig, and later when Stephen Hawking gained fame for his scientific achievements. In 2014, videos of the ice bucket challenge went viral on the internet and increased public awareness.

Source: Text: Wikipedia    Image: Société de la sclérose latérale amyothrophique du Québec

World Refugee Day – 20 June

19 juin 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: migrants, OAU, refugees, UN

In a world where violence forces hundreds of families to flee each day, the UN Refugee Agency believes now is the time to show world leaders that the global public stands with refugees, and it will launch its #WithRefugees petition on June 20th to send a message to governments that they must work together and do their fair share for refugees.

The featured-image-index petition will be delivered to UN headquarters in New York ahead of the UN High Level Meeting on Refugees and Migrants, scheduled for the 19th September. The petition asks governments to:

Ensure every refugee child gets an education.
Ensure every refugee family has somewhere safe to live.
Ensure every refugee can work or learn new skills to make a positive contribution
to their community.
World Refugee Day has been marked on 20 June, ever since the UN General Assembly, on 4 December 2000, adopted resolution 55/76 where it noted that 2001 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) had agreed to have International Refugee Day coincide with Africa Refugee Day on 20 June.

We Stand #WithRefugees 2016 – Please Stand With Us

Source: Text & Image: UN