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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.

 

Palace Day – 19 July

19 juillet 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: astrology, astronomy, cultural institutions, decorations, mythology, paintings, political institutions, royal residences

For the eighth year in a row, the Network of European Royal Residences invites its members, cultural and political institutions, historic houses and their audiences to celebrate heritage on social media on July 19, 2023! During one day, join us to discover the palaces of Europe, enter their history and their behind the scenes pictures!

THE 2023 PALACE DAY WILL BE ABOUT ASTRONOMY, ASTROLOGY, MYTHOLOGY!

If astronomy is a recognised scientific discipline based on the observation of the stars, astrology and mythology lie in the domain of beliefs, religions and legends. However, within European royal re sidences, this blurring of astronomy, astrology and mythology is used by Princes to illustrate their power, in an allegorical way. The massive use of allegory in paintings and decorations served to highlight the monarch and his family. Just entering in a royal residence, you are sure to find that stars, gods, symbols are everywhere!

This July 19, 2023, we therefore invite the public, palaces, museums and all cultural institutions to discover the hidden symbols, decrypt the allegories, and share the mythological stories of palaces in Europe and around the world.

Source: Text: http://www.palaceday.com/    Image: unsplash.com

Note from the editor: No entry has been found for 2024, but PALACE DAY remains posted for July 19.

15th Sunday of Year A – 2023

14 juillet 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: God's word, Matthew 13:1-23, path, rich soil, rock, seeds, senseless, serious, sower, superficial, thorns

In Jesus’ lifetime, sowing the seed for a harvest in Palestine was different from what is done nowadays here.
The gospel text of this Sunday (Matthew 13:1-23) tells us:

“Imagine a sower going out to sow…”

To imagine this scene, we must know that the method used would have been what we call:
‘sowing wildly’, or ‘sowing to the four winds’.

This is not a careful placing of some seeds in rows prepared to receive them.
The seeds are thrown haphazardly, they are cast far and wide without precision.

It is easy to conclude that the outcome will be different according to the place the seeds will eventually reach.

Listening to Jesus teaching, we can expect, as easily, that the same will happen with people.

Jesus’ words confirm our guess – people who receive the seed of God’s word react in different ways.

In Jesus’ parable, their attitude is compared to four types of ground:

  • The edge of the path…
  • Patches of rock with little soil…
  • Among thorns…
  • Rich soil…

Four words – starting with the letter S – can characterize the people themselves:

  • Superficial… God’s message is soon ‘gone with the wind’…
  • Senseless… people with no roots, no purpose in life…
  • Subdued… easily overcome by problems and obstacles…
  • Serious… about human existence and intent on finding its meaning…

I look at the words, I think of the personality they suggest, and I ask myself where do I belong?…
Suddenly, a comforting thought comes to my mind…

The seed cannot change the place where it is thrown but…
But a person can move from one position to another!
Superficial, senseless, subdued people can be transformed into…
the kind of people welcoming God’s word with their whole heart.

Welcoming God’s message,
and yielding a harvest
according to what God expects from each one individually.

A comforting thought indeed, and a promising perspective!…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/15e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: freebibleimages

 

World Population Day – 11 July 2023

11 juillet 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: equal opportunities, Gender equality, inclusive, injustice, marginalized people, policies, rights, sustainable world, women and girls
 What women and girls want matters.

They make up 49.7 per cent of the global population, yet women and girls are often ignored in discussions on demographics, with their rights violated in population policies. The result is a world that excludes and marginalizes half the population of the planet – a problem that will prevent all of us from experiencing a more prosperous, peaceful and sustainable future.

At the root of this problem is gender inequality. 

This pervasive injustice keeps women and girls out of school, the workforce and leadership positions; limits their agency and ability to make decisions about their health and sexual and reproductive lives; and heightens their vulnerability to violence, harmful practices and preventable maternal death, with a woman dying every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth.

When women and girls are empowered by societies to exert autonomy over their lives and bodies, they and their families thrive, as the UNFPA 2023 State of World Population report illustrates. The knock-on effect is a better, more inclusive world, equipped to deal with whatever demographic changes and challenges the future holds.

UNFPA brings its data, experience and stories to support women and girls around the world, and World Population Day gives us an opportunity to highlight the need to advance gender equality to help realize the dreams of all 8 billion of us on our planet. 

This process starts by listening to the voices of women, girls and other marginalized people and introducing laws and policies that enable them to exert their rights and make meaningful choices.

We must advance gender equality to create a more just, resilient and sustainable world. The creativity, ingenuity, resources and power of women and girls are fundamental to addressing demographic and other challenges that threaten our future, including climate change and conflict. Women play a powerful role in advancing consensus and building peace at all levels. Yet just six countries have 50 per cent or more women in parliament.

Too often, gendered economic barriers and challenges to women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, including lack of access to contraceptives, prevent women from creating the families they want – representing a violation of their bodily autonomy that threatens our global future. Governments must fortify the rights of women and girls  to ensure a more inclusive and resilient global population. 

The bottom line: Investing in gender equality today is an investment in our shared future. 

Source: Text: https://www.unfpa.org/events/world-population-day    Image: National Today

World Population Day reminds us that a truly inclusive Canada is one where persons with disabilities are embraced as integral members, enhancing the fabric of our diverse nation.

World Population Day, celebrated on July 11th, is an opportunity to recognize the diversity and value of every individual in society. This year, we shine a spotlight on persons with disabilities in Canada, highlighting their remarkable contributions and advocating for equal opportunities and inclusion. It is a time to celebrate their strengths, talents, and resilience, and to promote a society that embraces diversity and removes barriers that hinder their full participation.

Source: Text & Image: https://ccrw.org/event/world-population-day-2023/

14th Sunday of Year A – 2023

7 juillet 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: break, duties, invitation, life-style, Matthew 11:25-30, missed opportunities, painful memories, relaxed, rest, stress, vacation, worry

It is summertime and many people are longing for a break.
Some have been planning their vacation for a long time already.
Others have decided they’ll leave as a family for a ‘trip to nowhere’.
A few will be spending time at their chalet in the countryside.
All of them want to leave aside the usual routine and have a REST!

Surprisingly, the gospel text speaks precisely of this (Matthew 11:25-30).
Jesus himself invites us to experience true REST.
He tells us:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

God knows – he does indeed! – that we often feel wearied and burdened–
we really need a rest.
REST… from what?

From the burden of useless worry…
From the repeated efforts to prove ourselves…
From the constant feeling of having to perform…
From the painful memories surging so often from the past…
From the regrets of missed opportunities…
From the chores, the tasks, the duties demanding time, always more time…

It does not mean to give up the responsibilities we have freely accepted.
We are not to forget what we have committed ourselves to do for people who count on us.
We will not simply think only of ourselves and what we feel like, or desire.

It means that we will take on a new… ‘lifestyle’, if it can be put this way.
The gospel text adds:

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me”. 

This is the second part of Jesus’ invitation: to learn from him, taking on his ways, his ‘lifestyle’.
We may find – amazingly – that this takes away the stress as well as the self-centredness.
We go about daily living in a more relaxed fashion.
Life becomes lighter, freer, more enjoyable… restful!

It is worth a trial!…
Answering Jesus’ invitation is a good occasion to do this…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/14e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Images: pexels.com (Uriel Mont)   (Ron Lach)   Proud to Be T J’S Man

 

World Kiswahili Language Day – 7 July

7 juillet 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: cultural diversity, dialogue, tolérance, understanding, UNESCO

In the 1950s the United Nations established the Kiswahili language unit of United Nations Radio, and today Kiswahili is the only African language within the Directorate of the Global Communications at the United Nations. The United Nations General Assembly, through its resolution 71/328 of 11 September 2017, on multilingualism, welcomed implementation of a day dedicated to each of its official languages in order to inform and raise awareness of their history, culture and use, and encouraged the Secretary-General and institutions such as UNESCO to consider extending this important initiative to other non-official languages spoken throughout the world.

In that regard, the 41st session of the General Conference of UNESCO adopted resolution 41 C/61 that recognized the role the Kiswahili language plays in promoting cultural diversity, creating awareness and fostering dialogue among civilizations and noted the need to promote multilingualism as a core value of the United Nations and an essential factor in harmonious communication between peoples, which promotes unity in diversity and international understanding, tolerance and dialogue. The resolution proclaimed 7 July of each year as World Kiswahili Language Day. Kiswahili is the first African language to the recognized in such a manner by the UN.

 

Source: Text: https://www.unesco.org/en/kiswahili-language-day    Image: UN

International Plastic Bag Free day – 3 July

3 juillet 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: drainage systems, environment, Insdustrial Revolution, marine life, pollution crisis, shopping bag, wildlife

HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC BAG FREE DAY

For most of our history, single-use products were blasphemous. But through the end of the Industrial Revolution and into the modern era, plastic became a cheap and plentiful resource. Plastic bags are just one perfect example.

From birth to ban, the history of the plastic bag has impacted our world. In 1933, polyethylene, the most commonly used plastic, was created by accident at a chemical plant in Northwich, England. While polyethylene had been created in small batches before, this was the first synthesis of the material that was industrially practical, and it was initially used in secret by the British military during World War II.

By 1965, the one-piece polyethylene shopping bag was patented by the Swedish company Celloplast. Designed by engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin, the plastic bag quickly begins to replace cloth and plastic in Europe. After controlling 80 percent of the bag market in Europe, plastic bags went abroad and were widely introduced to the United States in 1979. Plastic companies began to aggressively market their product as superior to paper and reusable bags.

It wasn’t until 1997 that sailor and researcher Charles Moore discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the largest of several gyres in the world’s oceans where immense amounts of plastic waste have accumulated, threatening marine life. It was discovered that plastic bags are notorious for killing sea turtles, which mistakenly think they are jellyfish and eat them.

Bangladesh became the first country in the world to implement a ban on thin plastic bags in 2002 after it was found that plastic bags played a key role in clogging drainage systems during disastrous flooding. Other countries quickly followed suit, such as South Africa, Rwanda, China, Australia and Italy.

International Plastic Bag Free Day looks for safer alternatives to demonstrate that a world without the use of so much plastic is possible. It is part of the Break Free from Plastic Movement, which began in September 2016, and has been joined by nearly 1,500 different organizations. The movement is looking for solutions to the plastic pollution crisis, to make the planet safer for humans, the environment and wildlife. 

 

Source: text & Image: https://nationaltoday.com/international-plastic-bag-free-day/

13th Sunday of Year A – 2023

30 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: finding life, John 14:6, John 6:68, Matthew 10:37-42, option, priorities

The slogan is well known to us that says: “First things first!”
These words express a determination to set priorities.

The gospel text of this Sunday invites us to a different choice (Matthew 10:37-42):
Our priorities should be about putting people first,
more precisely putting someone first.
This someone is Jesus himself who claims the first place.

He tells us clearly:
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me;
anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

Being a Christian, a follower of Christ, is demanding indeed.
As he was teaching people, Jesus did not speak a message that would easily win disciples.
The option he presented was that of… taking up one’s cross to walk in his steps –
not the most appealing offer, some would say.

Yet, to this day, there are many who accept his way of life, demanding as it is.
Those who dare to follow him are convinced that he has “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
They believe that he is “the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).”

It is not a question of abandoning our loved ones but of setting the right priorities.
And even if they seemed to have lost their life in doing so,
the people who made this choice know that they have indeed found their life.

You may be one of them?… Then, you know!
 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/13e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: Scripture Images

 

International Asteroid Day – 30 June

30 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: catstrophic threats, comet, global issue, hazard, impact, planet, Siberia

Why Asteroid Day?

In December 2016 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/71/90, declaring 30 June International Asteroid Day  in order to « observe each year at the international level the anniversary of the Tunguska impact over Siberia, Russian Federation, on 30 June 1908, and to raise public awareness about the asteroid impact hazard. »

International Asteroid Day aims to raise public awareness about the asteroid impact hazard and to inform the public about the crisis communication actions to be taken at the global level in case of a credible near-Earth object threat.

The General Assembly’s decision was made based on a proposal by the Association of Space Explorers, which was endorsed by Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

Background

Near-Earth objects (NEOs) represent potentially catastrophic threats to our planet. NEO is an asteroid or comet, which passes close to the Earth’s orbit. According to NASA’s Center for NEO Studies, there are over 16 000 Near Earth Asteroids discovered. The Tunguska asteroid event in Siberia, Russian Federation, on 30 June 1908, was the Earth’s largest asteroid impact in recorded history.

On 15 February 2013, a large fireball (technically, called a « superbolide »), traveling at a velocity of 18.6 kilometers per second, entered the atmosphere and disintegrated in the skies over Chelyabinsk. According to NASA, the approximate effective diameter of the asteroid was estimated at 18 meters and its mass at 11,000 tons. The Chelyabinsk event was an extraordinarily large fireball, the most energetic impact event recognized since the 1908 Tunguska blast in Russian Siberia.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)  has worked on NEOs for many years, recognising a NEO impact hazard as a global issue demanding an international response.

 

Source: Text & 2nd Image: https://www.un.org/en/observances/asteroid-day     1st Image: Wikipedia

International Day of the Tropics – 29 June

29 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: biodiversity, Climate change, Equator, forests, marine ecosystems, planet, seasons, slums, température

Each year on June 29th, the International Day of the Tropics raises awareness about various challenges that tropical nations face. It’s also a day to celebrate the extraordinary diversity of the Tropics.

#InternationalDayOfTheTropics

The regions of the Earth that lie in the middle of the planet are called the Tropics. The Tropics account for 36 percent of the Earth’s landmass. It includes the Equator and parts of North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. This region is warm all year round. The temperature in the Tropics ranges from 77 to 82 degrees F. The Tropics get a lot of sun and only have two seasons: the wet season and dry season.

Some parts of the Tropics, like the Amazon Basin, get nearly 9 feet of rain per year. Other areas, such as the Sahara Desert, get only 2 to 10 centimeters of rain a year. This difference in precipitation affects which plants and animals live in the different parts of the Tropics. The Tropics are important because of the number of economic exports come from these regions. Also, about 40 percent of the world’s population lives within the tropical zone.

Biodiversity

While biodiversity is greater in the Tropics, the loss of biodiversity is also greater here than in the rest of the world. This loss of biodiversity is partly attributed to human activity, such as:

  • Destruction of forests and marine ecosystems
  • Overexploitation of industrial fishing fleets and commercial hunters
  • Spread of diseases and invasive species
  • Growing impacts of climate change

Because of these issues, many species of plants and animals in the Tropics face the loss of their habitats. They are also vulnerable to becoming endangered.
Humans living in the Tropics face many challenges as well. More people experience undernourishment in the Tropics than anywhere in the world. This is consistent with the higher levels of poverty in these regions.

Also, more people live in slums in the Tropics than in the rest of the world.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/international-day-of-the-tropics-june-29/

International PKU Day – 28 June

28 juin 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: brain damage, diagnosis, foods, liver enzyme, proteins, special diet

What is Phenylketonuria (PKU)?

PKU is an inherited disorder, caused by a faulty gene. People with PKU are born with a deficiency of a liver enzyme called phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). PAH is needed to process an amino acid called phenylalanine (Phe), found in foods containing protein. (Protein is made up of around 20 separate building blocks called amino acids). High protein foods include dairy products, red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and lentils.

Usually, when we eat protein, it is broken down into different amino acids and used for growth, functioning and repair of the body. Because people with PKU can’t break down phenylalanine in the usual way, it builds up in the blood and damages the brain. People with PKU need phenylalanine, but only a small amount.

People with PKU cannot break down foods containing protein in the usual way. When PKU is detected early and treated with a special diet, children are able to reach their full potential.

Finding out your child has PKU always happens suddenly and unexpectedly. The news of the diagnosis is a shock. Most parents have never heard of PKU, so receiving the diagnosis can be frightening and confusing.

All babies born in most countries in Europe are tested for PKU soon after birth, usually the second or third day. A blood sample is taken from a needle prick on the heel, and the phenylalanine level is measured. If it is high, more tests are done to confirm that the baby has PKU. As soon as the diagnosis is made, the baby is given a special formula (also called a supplement) to lower the phenylalanine to a safe level.

Maintaining the diet in childhood is essential to prevent damage to the growing brain. It is recommended that the diet is continued for life.

 

 Source: Text & Image: https://www.pkuday.org/about/