hello

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 United Nations Peacekeepers – 29 May

29 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: courage, dedication, pay tribute, peacekeeing, professionalism, UN

Background

The General Assembly, in its resolution 57/129, designated 29 May as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. This is the date when in 1948 the first UN peacekeeping mission named the « United Nations Truce Supervision Organization », or UNTSO, began operations in Palestine. On this day, we pay tribute to the professionalism, dedication and courage of all the men and women serving in UN peacekeeping operations, and honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

Since the first UN Peacekeeping mission was established in 1948, 3,800 military, police and civilian personnel have lost their lives in the service of peace as a result of acts of violence, accidents and disease. On 29 May, UN offices, alongside Member States and non-governmental organizations, hold solemn events to honour fallen peacekeepers.

At the UN Headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General presides over a wreath-laying ceremony in honour of all peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving under the UN flag. In addition, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is awarded posthumously to the peacekeepers who have fallen while serving in the cause of peace, during the preceding year.

UN Peacekeeping operations use the Day to strengthen bonds with the local populations that they have been deployed to serve. For example by holding sporting events, school and orphanage visits, art and essay competitions, photo exhibits, neighbourhood clean ups, tree plantings, concerts, and conferences and workshops on peace issues.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.un.org/en/events/peacekeepersday/background

 

Feast of Pentecost, Year A – 2023

26 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
1 commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Abba, Acts 2:1-3, dove, Genesis 1:2, Jean 3:8, Matthew 3:16, Romans 8:15, Spirit of God, tongues of fire, wind, wisdom

People think about God… and they talk about God…
Some ask the question whether God exists…
Others wonder about him… Who is he really?…

Professors explain his attributes with expertise,
Scripture scholars search ancient documents to know more about him, as they should…
Theologians teach about his nature and his relation to human beings, of course…
Wise people continue to reflect about what they hear…

It may be appropriate to remind ourselves that…
GOD is NOT
                      a thought
                     a theme
                     a thesis…

He is not the product of our imagination, he is beyond all we can think of.
He is a PERSON really and truly.

Such a reflection is relevant on this feast of Pentecost.
It is significant because it is precisely in ‘signs’ or ‘symbols’ that we can speak of God’s Spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Different Bible texts evoke his presence:

  • “hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).
  • “descending like a dove and alighting on Jesus” after his baptism in the Jordan (Matthew 3:16).
  • Like “the wind (that) blows where it wishes… So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit”, in the words of Jesus to Nicodemus (John 3:8).
  • “When the day of Pentecost came… they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that came to rest on each of them” (Acts 2:1,3).

Sings, symbols, evocation… leading to the perception of God’s Spirit who alone can reveal himself to us.

A lifetime attuned to this Spirit,
moving under his guidance,
transformed by his presence…

The Spirit enlightening our own spirit,
gently blowing within us his wisdom,
teaching us to speak ‘Abba’ with the unique accent of his children… (Romans 8:15)

This is what this celebration is about.
      

Another text is available on a different theme, in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-de-la-pentecote-annee-a-2023/

 

Source: Images: pexels.com (Cesar Coni)   3-Minute Bible Studies    pexels.com (Indonesia Nature)    Living in the Spirit

 

World Turtle Day – 23 May

23 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: endangered species, environment, extinction, protect, reptiles, tortoises

Turtles are a type of reptile that exists in many environments throughout the world and have found their way into literature, poetry, and parable throughout the world’s history. World Turtle Day celebrates these noble reptiles and their place in the world and encourages people to take action to help protect both the common pet turtle and the ever endangered sea turtle.

History of World Turtle Day

Well, the first thing to know is that Turtles and Tortoises are not the same thing, though this day is dedicated to celebrating and protecting both. First created in 1990 by American Tortoise Rescue, World Turtle day recognizes that some species of our hard (and soft!) shelled friends are suffering and almost on the edge of extinction due to environmental hazards, issues with hunting and harvesting of their eggs.

American Tortoise Rescue was created by Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson, a married pair of animal activists who had a particular passion for tortoises. We all have to have something that drives us in this life, and for these two it was bonding over animal right’s activist work. Don’t think these two are just closet hippies with an overwhelming adoration for all things shelled and scaly.

Susan is deeply involved with television arts & sciences and the public relations society of America while being a partner in Tellem Grody Public Relations Incorporated. They organize charity collections and works around the world to help protect these amazing critters, and created World Turtle Day to get everyone involved and spread awareness of the shrinking habitat and declining numbers of these sensitive creatures.

So what is the difference between turtles and tortoises? Although they are both reptiles, the main difference between the two is that turtles live in the water at least some of the time, while tortoises live on the land. Because they live in the water, turtles have streamlined and mostly flat shells, while tortoises often have larger and more domed ones.

Our tortoise friends can also live longer than their reptilian cousins. Tortoises can live over 300 years, although their average lifespan can go up to around 150 years. Turtles live up until the age of 40, although one record-breaking turtle almost lived to the age of 90!

 

Source: Text: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/turtle-day/    Image: National Today

International Day for Biological Diversity – 22 May 2023

22 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: conservation, ecosystems, natural world, nature, sustainable development, UN

 Introduction

The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. When first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, 29 December (the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity), was designated The International Day for Biological Diversity. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted 22 May as IDB, to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This was partly done because it was difficult for many countries to plan and carry out suitable celebrations for the date of 29 December, given the number of holidays that coincide around that time of year.
Source: Text: https://www.cbd.int/idb/

As the global community is called to re-examine our relationship to the natural world, one thing is certain: despite all our technological advances we are completely dependent on healthy and vibrant ecosystems for our water, food, medicines, clothes, fuel, shelter and energy, just to name a few.

This involves respecting, protecting, and repairing our biological wealth.

Undoubtedly, this year is special in terms of biodiversity conservation. We now have a renewed sense of hope with the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a historic agreement signed in December 2022 that sets goals and concrete measures to stop and reverse the loss of nature by 2050.

That is why the theme of the International Day for Biological Diversity (2023) is from agreement to action: build back biodiversity. The slogan promotes the idea that, now that we have an action plan agreed upon at a global level, we must implement all the measures that the agreement contemplates before 2030. Only in this way will we be able to obtain protected and sustainable biological diversity by 2050. That is the main message from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the key international instrument for sustainable development.

Source: Texte: https://www.un.org/en/observances/biological-diversity-day      Images: Convention on Biological Diversity

World Fish Migration Day – 21 May

21 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: environment, impact, life cycle, océans, rivers, safeguarding, survival

What is a Migratory Fish?

Migratory fish swim short or long distances daily, monthly or annually, to complete their life cycle, mate and feed! Some migratory fish migrate up and down rivers, others between rivers and oceans, and others across the oceans. Are there some migratory fish species you may know? Salmon migrate up rivers as adults to spawn in the same river they were born. On the flipside, freshwater eels are born in the ocean but migrate epic distances to carry out their lives in rivers. Bull sharks migrate up rivers and back through the oceans to breed and feed. And there are many more examples! Check out our downloads page for some cool fish fact sheets. Learn about their migratory routes and about some species you may have never even heard of!

Goals of World Fish Migration Day

We need to ensure the survival of these species for generations to come. But many times, fish do not receive the proper attention they deserve. For this reason, it is important we raise awareness about the plight of migratory fish and the importance of their survival not only for the environment but also for us.

Creating awareness is an essential first step to make real change. The primary purpose of World Fish Migration Day is to improve the public’s understanding of the importance of migratory fish, and how to prevent negatively impacting them. The next step is to enable citizens on the world to take action on these topics. Ultimately, we aim to create sustainable commitments from NGOs, governments and industry on safeguarding rivers and restoring swimways or migratory fish.

Source: Text: https://worldfishmigrationfoundation.com/portfolio-item/world-fish-migration-day/     Image: https://nationaltoday.com/world-fish-migration-day/

World Bee Day – 20 May

20 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: biodiversity, butterflies, ecosystems, hummingbirds, plant species, pollinators, survival, UN

We all depend on the survival of bees

Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities.

Pollination is, however, a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day.

The goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminate hunger in developing countries.

We all depend on pollinators and it is, therefore, crucial to monitor their decline and halt the loss of biodiversity.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day

World Metrology Day – 20 May 2023

20 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: distribution, global food system, measurements, Meter Convention, population

Measurements supporting the global food system

Welcome to the 2023 World Metrology Day Resource website. The theme for World Metrology Day 2023 is Measurements supporting the global food system.

This theme was chosen because of the increasing challenges of climate change, and global distribution of food in a world whose population reached 8 billion at the end of 2022.

World Metrology Day is an annual celebration of the signature of the Metre Convention on 20 May 1875 by representatives of seventeen nations. The Convention set the framework for global collaboration in the science of measurement and in its industrial, commercial and societal applications. The original aim of the Metre Convention – the world-wide uniformity of measurement – remains as important today as it was in 1875.

The World Metrology Day project is realized jointly by the BIPM and the OIML. We hope that you enjoy this site and that your Country or Metrology Organization will join us and participate in this year’s event.

Warm regards,

The WMD Team

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.worldmetrologyday.org/

Feast of the Ascension, Year A – 2023

19 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: believe, departure, John 14:19-20, Luke 24:51, Mark 16:19, Matthew 28:16-20, présent, see, sky, up above

The anecdote is well known of the space exploration of a Russian cosmonaut.
Returning to earth he said with deep conviction and absolute certainty:
“There is no God – I’ve been up there, and I didn’t see any sign of God!”

No wonder, could we reply, because God is NOT ‘up there’!
Of course, in the past, many people have been instructed in this way.
Preachers, and teachers of religion, would point to the sky when they mentioned God.
This familiar gesture towards the clouds was meant to describe ‘another world’.
Nowadays it is sometimes referred to as ‘another dimension’.

We celebrate today the feast of the Ascension.
The gospel text of our celebration (Matthew 28:16-20) is very short and does not describe what happened to Jesus on that day.
The other gospel writers – Mark and Luke – add something to the text of Matthew, telling us:

“The Lord Jesus… was taken up to heaven”.  (Mark 16:19)
“As he (Jesus) blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven”.  (Luke 24:51)

What the apostles see is Jesus going up and disappearing in the clouds.
This description given to us refers to the experience of Jesus’ friends:
Jesus has left them… for good – this is what they are meant to understand.
He will no longer appear to them from time to time as he has been doing since he came back to life.

They are not to imagine that Jesus is hiding behind a cloud!
What they are to believe is what he has told them on the eve of his death:

“In a short time, the world will no longer see me: but you will see me…
On that day, you will understand that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you.”   (John 14:19-20)

The Ascension is the beginning of “that day”…
The day when we celebrate NOT a departure but a new way of being present!
 

Another text is available on a different theme, in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-de-lascension-annee-a-2023/

  

Source: Image: pexels (Nikita)

 

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia – 17 May

17 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: discrimination, gender identity, inclusive policies, LGBT, media, sexual orientation, violence

Combating discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity

Fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation has been an aim of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe since 1981. European governments took a historical step on 31 March 2010, when they recommended measures to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This is the first specific legal standard in the world to combat discrimination of this kind.

History

17 May is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, commemorating the 1990 decision of the World Health Organization to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders. Every year, policy makers, opinion leaders, the media and the general public are challenged to address the urgent need to combat violence and discrimination against LGBTI persons and to build inclusive societies, enriched through their diversity.

The Council of Europe has been adamant in voicing its commitment to end homophobia and transphobia in its member states.

Discrimination against LGBTI people remains a reality across Europe. But some progress has been made. 

Examples of the positive impact of the Council of Europe’s standards and activities include the adoption of new legislation to recognise and protect LGBT couples and families, the adoption of legal gender recognition laws, the launch of national action plans on LGBTI persons’ rights, and exchanges of good practice and know-how on LGBTI inclusive local and regional policies.

 

Source: Text: https://human-rights-channel.coe.int/    Image: Freepik

World Hypertension Day – 17 May 2023

17 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: cause of death, détection, high blood pressure, symptoms, treatment

17 May is World Hypertension Day – check your blood pressure

This is an exciting time of the year for us! May is a month with lots of public activities marking World Hypertension Day and May Measure Month (being marked from 1st May to 31st July 2023). The purpose of this activity is to highlight the importance of better prevention, detection and treatment of high blood pressure.

This year, the theme of World Hypertension Day is Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer, focusing on combatting low awareness rates worldwide, especially in low to middle income areas, and accurate blood pressure measurement methods.

Background information on high blood pressure (hypertension)

Hypertension is a long-term condition where blood pressure is increased.  It is the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting more than 1.4 billion people and accounting for more than 28,000 deaths each day.  Initially, it does not cause any symptoms but if left untreated it can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, vision loss, and dementia. Control of high blood pressure can help protect against these conditions and there are many steps that can be taken to help lower blood pressure.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://ish-world.com/world-hypertension-day-17-may-2023/