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.

 

Days of Remembrance and Reconciliation for those who lost their lives during WWII – 8-9 May

8 mai 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: fascism, reconciliation, remembrance, sacrifices, UN, victory, WWll

  PURPOSE

The day was designated to Pay Tribute to the 40 million civilians, to the 20 million soldiers dead and to promote reconciliation. The Second World War Tribute program honors the sacrifices of those who served.

The date of 8 May was chosen because it is the day the Nazi forces in Germany surrendered in 1945 but, recognizing that United Nations member states may have their own memorable days associated with the victory over fascism, the General Assembly invited all countries, the United Nations organizations, non-governmental organizations and individuals to celebrate either 8 May and 9 May, or both of these days annually as a tribute to all victims of the Second World War.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.internationaldays.org/may/

6th Sunday of Easter, Year B – 2024

3 mai 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Samuel 16:7, Acts 10:34-35, bias, cronyism, favoritisim, God's qualities and attributes, nepotism

Trying to make a list of God’s attributes could be quite a challenge.
All the qualities we can ascribe to him can be declined over time, but we always risk missing some!

Today’s 1st reading in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48) mentions one aspect of God’s being that could be easily forgotten, yet…
Yet, it is very important for us to recognize it.
The text says:

“God does not show favoritism” (Acts 10:34).
Or, as stated in another translation: “God is no respecter of persons”.

At first sight, this may be surprising and a little puzzling.
But in simple words, it means that God is not impressed with titles and qualifications whatever they may be.
Social ranks, nominations, honorific mentions, do not come high on God’s list of priorities.

It would be safe to assume that what is important to God is a person’s heart of hearts!
Long ago, we have been told that:

“God does not see as human beings do” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Bias, nepotism, favoritism, cronyism – these are all too present nowadays when it comes to the choice of candidates for different positions of power.
God’s choice follows another direction altogether.
The 1st reading tells us clearly:

“God accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:35).
“Fears him” can be read as: “trusts him, relies on him”.
God accepts, welcomes, delights in, every such person – no matter his/her origin, social class, education, or even religious group.

This is truly comforting and leaves no one of us out… unless we choose to exclude ourselves from God’s chosen ones!

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/6e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-b-2024/

 

Source: Image: Scripture Images

World Press Freedom Day – 3 May 2024

3 mai 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Climate change, democratic societies, disinformation, environmental crisis, freedom of expression, inequalities, international efforts, journalism, planetary crisis

A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the environmental crisis

In 2024, World Press Freedom Day is dedicated to the importance of journalism and freedom of expression in the context of the current global environmental crisis.

Awareness of all aspects of the global environmental crisis and its consequences is essential to build democratic societies. Journalistic work is indispensable for this purpose.

Journalists encounter significant challenges in seeking and disseminating information on contemporary issues, such as supply-chains problems, climate migration, extractive industries, illegal mining, pollution, poaching, animal trafficking, deforestation, or climate change. Ensuring the visibility of these issues is crucial for promoting peace and democratic values worldwide.

In the context of the world’s triple planetary crisis —climate change, biodiversity loss, and air pollution— dis-/misinformation campaigns challenge knowledge and scientific research methods. Attacks on the validity of science pose a serious threat to pluralistic and informed public debate. Indeed, misleading and false information about climate change can, in some cases, undermine international efforts to address them.

Dis-/misinformation about environmental issues can lead to a lack of public and political support for climate action, effective policies, and the protection of vulnerable communities affected by climate change, as well as of women and girls, as climate change tends to exacerbate existing inequalities.

To achieve sustainable development, it is necessary for journalists to report accurately, timely, and comprehensively on environmental issues and their consequences, as well as on possible solutions.

This requires a comprehensive strategy that includes:

  • Preventing and protecting against crimes committed against journalists.   
  • Ensuring the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of scientific research, and access to key sources of information, in addition to combating dis-/misinformation through journalism.   
  • Promoting the plurality, diversity, and viability of media, especially regional, local, indigenous, and/or community-based media.   
  • Ensuring that the governance of digital platforms foster the transparency of technology companies, their accountability, due diligence, user empowerment, and content moderation and curation based on international human rights’ standards, as indicated in UNESCO’s Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms.
  • Promoting Media and Information Literacy programs to empower users with skills to engage and think critically in the digital environment.
Source: Text: https://www.un.org/en/observances/press-freedom-    Image: UNESCO

International Workers’ Day – 1st May 2024

1 mai 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: collective action, decent work, dignified employement, economic fairness, industrial revolution, security, Social justice, solidarity, workday

The Origin

International Workers’ Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of laborers and the working classes (See here). The day traces its roots back to the late 19th century, during the height of the industrial revolution. On 21 April 1856, Australian stonemasons in Victoria undertook a mass stoppage as part of the eight-hour workday movement. This event inspired American workers to have their first stoppage.

The 1st of May was chosen to be International Workers’ Day to commemorate the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago. In that year, there was a general strike for the eight-hour workday. This movement was a significant step towards ensuring human rights and promoting inner peace among the working class (See here).

Importance of International Workers’ Day

Upholding Human Dignity and Equity: International Workers’ Day serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for human dignity and equity in the workplace. From the historic labor strikes to modern-day advocacy efforts, this day commemorates the sacrifices and triumphs of workers who have fought for fair treatment and respect. By championing the principles of diversion and inclusion, International Workers’ Day uplifts humanity and reinforces the belief that every worker deserves to be valued and protected.

Promoting Inner Peace Through Labor Justice: International Workers’ Day fosters inner peace by advocating for just and equitable labor practices. By addressing issues such as worker exploitation, unsafe working conditions, and income inequality, this day contributes to social harmony and cohesion. When workers are treated fairly and their rights are respected, it leads to greater positivity and solidarity within communities, fostering a sense of unity and empowerment among all members of society.

Recognizing Workers’ Contributions: International Workers’ Day is a day to celebrate the contributions and achievements of workers in all sectors of the economy. From the factory worker to the teacher, from the healthcare professional to the farmer, this day honors the dedication, hard work, and sacrifices of individuals who labor tirelessly to build and sustain our communities. By recognizing the diverse talents and skills of workers, International Workers’ Day spreads positivity and gratitude, reminding us of the vital role that workers play in shaping our world.

Empowering Workers Through Collective Action: International Workers’ Day is a celebration of solidarity and collective action in the pursuit of social justice and economic fairness. Through union movements, advocacy campaigns, and grassroots activism, workers come together to amplify their voices and demand change. This day serves as a rallying cry for unity and empowerment, inspiring individuals to stand up for their rights and work towards a future where every worker is treated with dignity and respect. By lifting the voices of the marginalized and oppressed, International Workers’ Day uplifts humanity and reaffirms the principle that justice and equality are fundamental rights for all.

Theme for 2024

The tentative theme for International Workers’ Day 2024, “Social Justice and Decent Work for All,” encapsulates the essence of the ongoing struggle for fair labor practices and equitable treatment in the workplace. This theme underscores the importance of promoting social justice and ensuring that all workers have access to dignified and secure employment opportunities. “Social Justice and Decent Work for All” emphasizes the fundamental principles of fairness, equality, and inclusivity in labor relations, highlighting the need for policies and practices that prioritize the well-being and rights of workers worldwide.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://unescobmw.org/2024/04/22/labourday/

World Day for Safety and Health at Work – 28 April 2024

28 avril 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Climate change, diseases, health, législation, policies, right, safety, work

The impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health

Climate change is already having serious impacts on planetary health, human health and the world of work. As this problem intensifies, workers around the globe find themselves at an increased risk of exposure to hazards such as excessive heat, ultraviolet radiation, extreme weather events, air pollution, vector-borne diseases and agrochemicals. Numerous health conditions are linked to climate change, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, and mental health disorders.

Promoting, respecting and realizing the fundamental principle and right at work of a safe and healthy working environment also means addressing dangerous climate change impacts in the workplace. Mainstreaming occupational safety and health (OSH) into climate policies and integrating climate concerns into OSH practices is crucial. Legislation may need re-evaluation or new regulations as climate hazards evolve.

Collaboration between governments and social partners is vital for climate mitigation and adaptation policies. The time to act is now!

On the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2024, the ILO has launched a new report titled « Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate, » which reveals alarming new data on the impact of climate change on workers’ safety and health.

 

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

 

5th Sunday of Easter, Year B – 2024

26 avril 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: bearing fruit, John 15:1-8, logic of God, pruning, The Father, vine

Recently, I found a bookmark with a text that kept me pondering.
No author was mentioned, but the words led to a prolonged reflection.
It said: “Keep your eyes on the logic of God”.

I was asking myself: What can be considered ‘the logic of God’?
It is at that moment that I came across the gospel text for today, (John 15:1-8).
There, I read Jesus’ words saying:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser…
Every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes to make it bear even more”.

We would think – with our human logic – that a branch bearing fruit will be left as it is.
It would be allowed to come to fruition and then the fruit would be collected.
But it seems that… God’s logic is different!

Jesus says something rather puzzling:
“Every branch that does bear fruit, the Father prunes to make it bear even more”.

This speaks of cutting out, of taking away, of letting go, of detachment, …
This is not according to our usual choices…
This does not go along the direction of our preferences…
Normally, we want to add, to increase, not to diminish or to lessen…

But then, we need to focus on the purpose of God’s doing:
“to make it bear even more”.

This is where the increase, the expansion, the growth, the fulfilment will come…
In God’s time, at God’s rhythm, in God’s way…
And our human logic has to get familiar with this…

A familiarization that may take time and adjustment.
But this may be part and parcel of the ‘more’…

And who knows what the ‘more’ may still hold in reserve for us!

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/5e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-b-2024/

 

Source: Image: https://insightsfromtom.com/tag/john-152/

World Day For Animals in Laboratories – 24 April

24 avril 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: animals, experiments, human cells, killing, laboratories, safety, science, suffering
World Lab Animal Day is another name for World Day For Animals In Laboratories, observed every year on April 24 globally. The purpose of this day is to draw attention to the suffering and killing of animals that take place in laboratories all around the world.
Animals used in experiments include baboons, cats, cows, dogs, ferrets, fish, frogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, horses, llamas, mice, monkeys (such as marmosets and macaques), owls, pigs, quail, rabbits, rats and sheep.
Source: Text: Google   Image: AffairsCloud.com

For nearly a century, drug and chemical safety assessments have been based on laboratory testing involving rodents, rabbits, dogs, and other animals. Aside from the ethical issues they pose—inflicting both physical pain as well as psychological distress and suffering on large numbers of sentient creatures—animal tests are time- and resource-intensive, restrictive in the number of substances that can be tested, provide little understanding of how chemicals behave in the body, and in many cases do not correctly predict real-world human reactions. Similarly, health scientists are increasingly questioning the relevance of research aimed at “modelling” human diseases in the laboratory by artificially creating symptoms in other animal species.

It is estimated that more than 115 million animals worldwide are used in laboratory experiments every year. But because only a small proportion of countries collect and publish data concerning animal use for testing and research, the precise number is unknown. 

Within the European Union, more than 12 million animals are used each year, with France, Germany and the United Kingdom being the top three animal using countries.

What’s the alternative?

If lack of human relevance is the fatal flaw of “animal models,” then a switch to human-relevant research tools is the logical solution. The National Research Council in the United States has expressed its vision of “a not-so-distant future in which virtually all routine toxicity testing would be conducted in human cells or cell lines”, and science leaders around the world have echoed this view.

Source: Text & Image: https://www.hsi.org/news-resources/about/

World Book and Copyright Day – 23 April

23 avril 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: books, copyright, indigenous languages, linguistic diversity, literature, publications, UNESCO

What is World Book and Copyright Day

World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books – a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. On this occasion, UNESCO and the international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry – publishers, booksellers and libraries, select the World Book Capital for a year to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the Day’s celebrations. 

23 April is a symbolic date in world literature. It is the date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. This date was a natural choice for UNESCO’s General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone to access books.

By championing books and copyright, UNESCO stands up for creativity, diversity and equal access to knowledge, with the work across the board – from the Creative Cities of Literature network to promoting literacy and mobile learning and advancing Open Access to scientific knowledge and educational resources. With the active involvement of all stakeholders: authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, public and private institutions, humanitarian NGOs and the mass media, and all those who feel motivated to work together in this world celebration of books and authors, World Book and Copyright Day has become a platform to rally together millions of people all around the world.

Books, in all their forms, allow us to learn and to keep ourselves informed. They also entertain us and help us to understand the world, while offering a window into otherness.

For books to be able to unleash their full potential, it is essential that they reflect the linguistic diversity of our world. That is why, as part of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL), launched in 2022, UNESCO is supporting the publication of books in both Indigenous and regional languages.

 

Source: Text & Image:  https://www.unesco.org/en/days/world-book-and-copyright#

4th Sunday of Easter, Year B – 2024

19 avril 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: believe, give one's life, Isaiah 43:40, John 10:11-18, love, precious, shepherd

Nowadays, some people speak of our ways as those of a ‘throw away culture’.
It seems that people buy a lot of objects, and they soon throw them away.
They acquire many items and discard them readily.
Not much is precious to them, it looks as if nothing is of real value.

Sad to say, this mentality sometimes spreads to the way we relate to people.
We do not value who they are, and what they can contribute to society.
Short-term relationships are prevailing, and enduring commitment are not the norm.

This is what has led me to notice a section of today’s gospel text (John 10:11-18).
It speaks of the hired man who acts as a shepherd.
Seeing a wolf coming to attack the sheep, that man runs away, and Jesus explains the reason for this attitude:
“The man does not care for the sheep”. (Another translation says: “He has no concern for the sheep”).

Jesus repeats and insists, saying:
“I am the good shepherd… I lay down my life for my sheep”.

Someone ready to give his/her life for another, surely that person is precious to him/her.
The life of the other person is of great value.
It means so much that one is ready to sacrifice his/her own existence to save another.

This is how precious we are to God.
This is really amazing, so amazing that we find it difficult to believe…

Long ago, God had given this very message to his prophet Isaiah who was to say in God’s name:
“You are precious in my eyes…
You are honored and I love you” (Isaiah 43:40).

This is GOD speaking to each one of us!
We are precious to him, and he loves us –
a message spoken long ago but always valid, permanent and unconditional.

Why do we hesitate to accept this tremendous reality?

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: 4è dimanche de Pâques, année B -2024

 

Source: Image: https://quotesgram.com/the-good-shepherd-jesus-quotes/

World Voice Day – 16 April

16 avril 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: artistic voice, effective communication, physicians, singing teachers, speech pathologists, voice problems

 World Voice Day (WVD) is a worldwide annual event that takes place on April 16 devoted to the celebration of the phenomenon of voice. The aim is to demonstrate the enormous importance of the voice in the daily lives of all people. Voice is a critical aspect of effective and healthy communication, and World Voice Day brings global awareness to the need for preventing voice problems, rehabilitating the deviant or sick voice, training the artistic voice, and researching the function and application of voice. A goal of World Voice Day is to encourage all those who use their voice for business or pleasure to learn to take care of their voice, and know how to seek help and training, and to support research on the voice.

Voice production is studied and applied in many disciplines such as medicine, speech-language pathology, music, physics, psychology, phonetics, art, and biology.

The World Voice Day was established on April 16 with the main goals of increasing public awareness of the importance of the voice and alertness to voice problems.

This celebration started in Brazil in 1999 as the Brazilian National Voice Day. It was the result of a mixed initiative of physicians, speech-language pathologists and singing teachers that belonged to the former association ‘Sociedade Brasileira de Laringologia e Voz – SBLV’ (Brazilian Society of Laryngology and Voice), under the presidency of Dr. Nedio Steffen. This Brazilian initiative was followed by other countries, such as Argentina and Portugal, and the Brazilian National Voice Day became the International Voice Day. In the United States, the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery officially recognized this celebration in 2002 and in that year the event obtained the name ‘World Voice Day’.

 

Source: Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Voice_Day#        Image: