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.

 

12th Sunday of Year A – 2023

23 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: assistance, enemy, help, Jeremiah 20:10-13, obstacles, problems, threat

“Life is not easy” – nobody would rashly deny this statement.
Everyone has in mind many occasions when this has proved true.
Difficulties of all kinds come our way and make life something of a struggle.

How do people cope with situations where they are faced with problems?
What do they do to overcome the obstacles that they are confronted with? 

Some try to fight those who oppose them.
Others flee hoping to escape the threat and the enemy.
Some others look for help from people around them.
But such help is not always available, people are often unable to help, or refuse to do so.

Today’s 1st reading presents us with the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:10-13).
The message he spoke was not welcome and many of his people are against him.
He is aware that he is in serious danger, and he needs help.

He looks for assistance – real assistance where he is sure to find real support.
He addresses himself directly to God saying:

“To you I have committed my cause.”
 
I wonder how many of us dare to do the same:

  • Confiding to God whatever is a threat to us…
  • Relying on him being absolutely sure that he will not abandon us…
  • Depending on him with complete trust that he will not leave us without help…

Some may say that this is not easy either…
Perhaps… but the result can be amazingly rewarding!…

It may have already proved to be so for some of you…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/12e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: Bible Hub

 

International Widows’ Day – 23 June

23 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: basic rights, dignity, discrimination, grief, health, poverty, trauma, violence

Invisible Women, Invisible Problems

For many women around the world, the devastating loss of a partner is magnified by a long-term fight for their basic rights and dignity. Despite the fact that there are more than 258 million widows around the world, widows have historically been left unseen, unsupported, and unmeasured in our societies.

Today, as armed conflicts, displacement and migration, and the COVID-19 pandemic leave tens of thousands of women newly widowed and many others whose partners are missing or disappeared, the unique experiences and needs of widows must be brought to the forefront, with their voices leading the way.

Experience from the past, shows that widows are often denied inheritance rights, have their property grabbed after the death of a partner, and can face extreme stigma and discrimination, as perceived ‘carriers’ of disease. Worldwide, women are much less likely to have access to old age pensions than men, so the death of a spouse can lead to destitution for older women. In the context of lockdowns and economic closures, widows may not have access to bank accounts and pensions to pay for healthcare if they too become ill or to support themselves and their children. With lone-mother families and single older women already particularly vulnerable to poverty, this is an area that needs urgent attention.

On International Widows’ Day, 23 June, take a look at some of the issues affecting widows around the world and what must be done to safeguard and advance their rights.

Nicaraguan women

Problems for widows in developing countries

close-up of an older lady with gray hair

What you should know about widowhood

As widows move through their own experiences of grief, loss, or trauma after the death of a spouse, they may also face economic insecurity, discrimination, stigmatization, and harmful traditional practices on the basis of their marital status.

 

Source: Texte & Images: https://indonesia.un.org/en/237245-international-widows%E2%80%99-day-23-june       https://www.un.org/en/observances/widows-day

 

World Rainforest Day – 22 June

22 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: canopy, carbon dioxide, Climate change, diversity, flora and fauna, fresh water, oxygen, protect and preserve

World Rainforest Day is observed on June 22 every year across the world. This day is set aside to raise awareness about rainforests and also about all the biotic species that live in them. World Rainforest Day aims to encourage people to learn more about rainforests and join efforts to protect and preserve these forests for generations to come. Rainforests have been disappearing and taking the rich diversity of flora and fauna with them because of increasing deforestation and climate change. World Rainforest Day was instituted to halt this disappearance by reminding people of the importance of rainforests.

HISTORY OF WORLD RAINFOREST DAY

World Rainforest Day is observed throughout the world and aims to educate people about the importance of rainforests — why they are important and the diversity of life that lives in them. By educating people, World Rainforest Day aims to encourage more people to join the effort to protect and preserve rainforests for future generations.

Rainforests are lush forests that have a continuous tree canopy. The entire forest is heavily dependent on moisture. Rainforests do not have any forest fires. Flora, fungi, epiphytes, lianas, and trees forming a closed canopy, are found in rainforests. Many popular houseplants like the Pothos and Monstera, are native to rainforests. A majority of living organisms — birds, animals, plants, and trees — are native to rainforests. A large number of species of mammals, reptiles, birds, invertebrates, and amphibians are found in rainforests.

Rainforests are necessary as they are an important source of freshwater for humans. Additionally, they absorb carbon dioxide and protect the earth from the effects of climate change. They are an important natural resource directly and indirectly. Apart from freshwater and the production of oxygen, several ingredients used in everyday life and manufacturing are derived from rainforests. Timber, meat, animal products, plant derivatives, and tourism are among the other benefits offered by rainforests.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://nationaltoday.com/world-rainforest-day/

National Indigenous Peoples Day – 21 June

21 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: aboriginal, culture, héritage, summer solstice, truth and reconciliation

About National Indigenous Peoples Day

For generations, many Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on June 21 or around that time of year because of the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

National Aboriginal Day, now National Indigenous Peoples Day, was announced in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, through the Proclamation Declaring June 21 of Each Year as National Aboriginal Day. This was the result of consultations and statements of support for such a day made by various Indigenous groups:

  • in 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood, now the Assembly of First Nations, called for the creation of National Aboriginal Solidarity Day
  • in 1995, the Sacred Assembly, a national conference of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people chaired by Elijah Harper, called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Peoples
  • also in 1995, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples recommended the designation of a National First Peoples Day

On June 21, 2017, the Prime Minister issued a statement announcing the intention to rename this day National Indigenous Peoples Day.

National Indigenous Peoples Day is part of the Celebrate Canada program, which also includes Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24, Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27 and Canada Day on July 1.

The Government of Canada provides funding opportunities for community celebratory events, as well as for commemorations on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

 

Source: Text: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/   Image: The Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program

Journée mondiale de l’hydrographie – 21 juin

21 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: énergies renouvelables, infrastructures maritimes, océans, protection environnement marin, science, zones côtières

Journée mondiale de l'hydrographie

La Journée mondiale de l’hydrographie, célébrée le 21 juin, a été adoptée par l’Organisation hydrographique internationale comme une célébration annuelle destinée à faire connaître le travail des hydrographes et l’importance de l’hydrographie.

Utilisation durable des océans

Le but de la journée est de mettre en évidence comment l’hydrographie, en tant que science appliquée, soutient l’utilisation durable des océans.

Cela englobe la manière dont les levés et les données actualisées peuvent être utilisés pour aider les initiatives de protection de l’environnement marin, la gestion des zones côtières, les aires marines protégées, les infrastructures de données spatiales maritimes, les énergies renouvelables et toutes les autres composantes de l’économie bleue.

La journée mondiale de l’hydrographie permet de faire connaître les travaux et les services assurés par les Services hydrographiques, les partenaires de l’industrie, les intervenants à titre d’experts et la communauté scientifique.

Un site à visiter : iho.int    Source: Texte & Image: Journée mondiale

World Refugee Day – 20 June 2023

20 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: asylum seekers, displaced persons, home, international borders, refugees, stateless persons, threats, UN

2023 Theme: Hope Away from Home

World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.

Background

Every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror. There are several types of forcibly displaced persons:

Refugees

A refugee is someone who fled his or her home and country owing to “a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”, according to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention. Many refugees are in exile to escape the effects of natural or human-made disasters.

Asylum Seekers

Asylum seekers say they are refugees and have fled their homes as refugees do, but their claim to refugee status is not yet definitively evaluated in the country to which they fled.

Internally Displaced Persons

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are people who have not crossed an international border but have moved to a different region than the one they call home within their own country.

Stateless Persons

Stateless persons do not have a recognized nationality and do not belong to any country.

Statelessness situations are usually caused by discrimination against certain groups. Their lack of identification — a citizenship certificate — can exclude them from access to important government services, including health care, education or employment.

Returnees

Returnees are former refugees who return to their own countries or regions of origin after time in exile. Returnees need continuous support and reintegration assistance to ensure that they can rebuild their lives at home.

UN Action

1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol

Refugees are among the most vulnerable people in the world. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol help protect them. They are the only global legal instruments explicitly covering the most important aspects of a refugee’s life. According to their provisions, refugees deserve, as a minimum, the same standards of treatment enjoyed by other foreign nationals in a given country and, in many cases, the same treatment as nationals.

The 1951 Convention contains a number of rights and also highlights the obligations of refugees towards their host country. The cornerstone of the 1951 Convention is the principle of non-refoulement. According to this principle, a refugee should not be returned to a country where he or she faces serious threats to his or her life or freedom. This protection may not be claimed by refugees who are reasonably regarded as a danger to the security of the country, or having been convicted of a particularly serious crime, are considered a danger to the community.

The rights contained in the 1951 Convention include:

  • The right not to be expelled, except under certain, strictly defined conditions;
  • The right not to be punished for illegal entry into the territory of a contracting State;
  • The right to work;
  • The right to housing;
  • The right to education;
  • The right to public relief and assistance;
  • The right to freedom of religion;
  • The right to access the courts;
  • The right to freedom of movement within the territory;
  • The right to be issued identity and travel documents.

Some basic rights, including the right to be protected from refoulement, apply to all refugees. A refugee becomes entitled to other rights the longer they remain in the host country, which is based on the recognition that the longer they remain as refugees, the more rights they need.

 

Source: Text: https://www.un.org/en/observances/refugee-day    Image: https://www.universalcurrentaffairs.com/2022/06/world-refugee-day

Word Sustainable Gastronomy Day – June 18

18 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: agriculture, eating, food, Fruits, people, planet, profit, vegetable, vegetables

Word Sustainable Gastronomy Day on June 18 recognizes the practices and principals associated with sustainable food consumption combined with the art of collecting, preparing, and consuming the food we eat. As part of the observance, the day acknowledges the social, cultural, and artistic expression related to gastronomy and defines three dimensions of sustainable development – people, planet, and profit.

The United Nations says several principals guide sustainable food production and consumption:

  1. Improving efficiency in the use of agricultural resources.
  2. Direct action to conserve, protect and enhance natural resources.
  3. Responding to the changing needs of people, communities, and ecosystems is key to sustainable agriculture.
HOW TO OBSERVE WORLD GASTRONOMY DAY

Learn more about sustainable gastronomy and agriculture by visiting the www.un.org website.

  • Don’t buy more food than you need.
  • Recycle food by composting and converting unused foods into jams or sauces.
  • Shop locally grown vegetables and fruits.
  • Buy from small and local suppliers who use or promote sustainable agriculture techniques.
  • Use all of the food you have on hand.
  • Be mindful of what is in your vegetable drawer and use it before it wilts and rots.
  • Make lunch to take to work — compost food scraps.

Use #SustainableGastronomyDay to share on social media.

WORLD SUSTAINABLE GASTRONOMY DAY HISTORY

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed World Sustainable Gastronomy Day in December 2016 and first celebrated in 2017.

 

Source: Text & Image:  https://nationaldaycalendar.com/world-sustainable-gastronomy-day-june-18/

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought – 17 June 2023

17 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: drought, Gender equality, global goals, land degradation, land restoration, land rights, women's rights

Her Land. Her Rights.  

“Women are major actors in the global efforts to reduce and reverse land degradation. However, in the vast majority of countries, women have unequal and limited access to and control over land. We cannot achieve land degradation neutrality without gender equality, and we cannot exclude half the population from land management decisions because of their gender. » – Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary 

Women hold a vital stake in the health of the land, yet they often don’t have control over it. In all parts of the world, women face significant barriers in securing land rights, limiting their ability to thrive and prosper. And when land becomes degraded and water is scarce, women are often the worst affected. Investing in women’s equal access to land and associated assets is a direct investment in their future and the future of humanity. It’s time for women and girls to be at the forefront of global land restoration and drought resilience efforts. 

A launch pad for an ambitious women’s land rights agenda 

The global focus for the 2023 Desertification and Drought Day is on women’s land rights— essential for achieving the interconnected global goals on gender equality and land degradation neutrality by 2030 and contributing to the advancement of several other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will reaffirm its commitment to gender equality with these Desertification and Drought Day 2023 objectives:   

  • Raise awareness of the disproportionate impact of desertification, land degradation and drought on women and girls and the barriers they face in decision-making on land issues; 
  • Highlight women’s contributions to sustainable land management and broader SDGs; 
  • Mobilize global support to advance land rights for women and girls around the world. 

This year’s global observance of Desertification and Drought Day will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, with events taking place in all parts of the world.  

Gender equality remains unfinished business  

According to UNCCD’s landmark study “The Differentiated Impacts of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought on Women and Men,” gender equality remains unfinished business in every part of the world. Consider the following: 

  • Today, nearly half of the global agricultural workforce is female – yet less than one in five landholders worldwide are women. 
  • Women’s rights to inherit their husband’s property continue to be denied in over 100 countries under customary, religious, or traditional laws and practices. 
  • Globally, women already spend a collective 200 million hours every day collecting water. In some countries, a single trip to fetch water can take over an hour. 

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day/2023

11th Sunday of Year A – 2023

16 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: become aware, Exodus 19:2-6, look back, obstacle, perception, perspective, problem, questions

We ask one another many questions, questions about all kinds of things.
But it happens also that we ask questions of… ourselves.
This situation may arise especially when faced with situations which we find disturbing.

At such times, we may wonder:
“Is God unaware of what is happening to me?
Does God not mind how I am suffering just now?
Can God not do something about what I am troubled with?”

In fact, these questions are directed to… God himself!
At such times, it may be good to do what God tells Moses in today’s 1st reading (Exodus 19:2-6):

“The Lord called to Moses and said: “This is what you are to tell the people of Israel: 
‘You yourselves have seen what I did …
 and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself’.” 

God’s words invite us to look back – look back to how he, God, has dealt with us in the past.
To remember, to become aware again – or, perhaps for the first time – of what God has already done for us previously.
Could it not be that God has indeed carried us, pulled us out of difficult situations and, literally, brought us back to himself?

This looking back, this remembering, may not remove the present obstacle, or solve the actual problem.
But the perspective may change, the perception of what I am faced with may take on a completely different aspect.
And I may then feel better able to cope with what seemed overwhelming before…

It is worth a try!…
 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/11e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: Depositphotos

 

International Day of the African Child – 16 June 2023

16 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: change-makers, Child Labour, child marriages, courage, potential, résilience, rights of children

The International Day of the African Child is a significant event that honors the courage, resilience, and potential of African children. Celebrated annually on June 16th, this day raises awareness about the rights, needs, and challenges faced by children across the African continent. In this blog, we will explore the history of this day, its theme for 2023, the importance of celebration, ways to observe the occasion, and inspiring quotes that capture the spirit of the African child.

History of International Day of the African Child:

The International Day of the African Child commemorates the Soweto Uprising that took place on June 16, 1976, in Soweto, South Africa. Thousands of black students marched in protest against the inferior quality of education they were receiving under the apartheid regime. Tragically, hundreds of children lost their lives during the protest. The day symbolizes the brave fight for equal education and serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for the rights of African children.

Theme for International Day of the African Child 2023:

The theme for the International Day of the African Child 2023 is “Education for Empowerment: Unlocking the Future.” This theme emphasizes the transformative power of education in shaping the lives of African children. It highlights the need for accessible, quality education that equips children with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities necessary to build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.

Why Do We Celebrate International Day of the African Child?

The celebration of the International Day of the African Child serves several important purposes. Firstly, it raises awareness about the challenges faced by African children, including poverty, lack of education, child labor, and child marriage. It also encourages governments, organizations, and individuals to take action to protect and promote the rights of children across the continent. Moreover, the day provides an opportunity to celebrate the resilience, talents, and potential of African children, who are the future leaders and change-makers of Africa.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.allworldday.com/international-day-of-the-african-child/