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.

 

World Day Against Child Slavery – April 16

16 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: children slavery, eradicate children slavery, ethical battles, explitation of children, workforce

Today we will tell you today is national what day.  Parallel to the day of struggle for the abolition of slavery (December 2 ) or the commemoration of the abolition of slavery in metropolitan France (May 10), we also “celebrate” a Day of fight against slavery of children.

This day was instituted in 1995 after the death of a 12-year-old Pakistani boy who had tried to denounce the mistreatment suffered since he was sold to pay off a family debt. It’s not a shell, you read “sold”!

10% of the potential workforce
Children represent more than 10% of the potential of the global workforce, that is to say the stakes. Slave children contribute more than 13 billion Euros each year to world GDP.

A commercial war instrument
The slavery of children has become an instrument of the global commercial war that sees arriving in our linear clothing, sports shoes and other manufactured objects.

Some big companies, broadcasting well-known brands around the world, exploit girls and boys in the poorest countries. Children are thus the most vulnerable and least protected working group.

Fortunately, other companies are also engaging in ethical battles to try to eradicate this scourge.

Source: Text & Image: NationalPedia, by Zyppia (October 26, 2017)

 

 

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year B

13 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Jn.2:1-5, Acts 3 :13-15, Acts 3 :17-19, Advocate, lie, manage, neo-Pelagianism, Pelagius, philosopher, sin

In today’s first reading (3rd Sunday of Easter, Year B – Acts 3:13-15,17-19), we see Peter addressing a group of Jews.
Of course, the scene takes place after the resurrection and Peter is now brave and bold in speaking the truth as he sees it.
He openly accuses those before him of having killed Jesus, “the Just One”.

But he goes on saying:
“I know that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing…”

I pause and I realize that this is exactly what sometimes happens in my life.
I can make stupid mistakes and do foolish things.
I may even commit serious actions that cause harm to people.
I may be sorry for it now… but I feel there is little I can do about it.

Then, some light comes as I move on to the 2nd reading where John writes to the first Christians
(1 Jn.2:1-5), and I read:
“I am writing to stop you sinning,
but if anyone should sin,
we have our advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ who is just.”

“We have our advocate…”
Perhaps the greatest mistake we can be guilty of is that of wanting to… manage on our own…
Pope Francis has been speaking quite a few times about ‘Neo-Pelagianism’ –
a big word but with a straightforward meaning:
it means that I choose to act on my own without reference to a greater power.
A person thinks and dares say that he/she can manage without God’s help for all practical purposes!

Pelagius was a philosopher (v. 305-420) who was the spiritual guide of a number of Christians to whom he was teaching this doctrine.
Pope Francis corrects this attitude in no uncertain terms: we need God to please God – it is as simple as that!

It is interesting to note that a search in Google shows it to be a ‘lie’
to imagine and believe that we could manage depending on our own resources alone!

Plenty to think about,
some serious truth to face,
and the necessary conversion to make, as Peter calls for: “Now you must repent and turn to God.”

Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/3e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-b/

Source: Image: SlidePlayer

World Parkinson’s Disease Day – 11 April

11 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: accept not to understand, awareness, central nervous system, disease, disorder, Dr. J Parkinson, marathons, motor functions, opportunity, problems, Red Tulip, research, shaking palsy

World Parkinson’s Disease Day marks the birthday of Dr. J Parkinson.  On this day there are efforts made to increase the public awareness of this terrible disease, as well as all the good works put forth by the world’s organizations dedicated to eradicating this disease. 

Dr. Parkinson first described the disease in “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy”, he described a pattern of lessened muscular power, involuntary tremulous motion, even if these are supported.  There is at tendency to bend the body forwards, and to involuntarily switch from a walking to a running pace, while the sense and intellect deteriorate.

One of the prominent symbols of Parkinson’s disease is the red tulip, and this was established at the 9th World Parkinson’s disease Day at the Luxembourg Conference.  The story of the Red Tulip can be tied back to J.W.S. Van der Wereld, a Dutch Horticulturalist who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.  He had successfully generated a Red and White Tulip, and named it in honor of the man who named his medical condition. On the tail of this, the Tulip received the Award of Merit, granted by the Royal Horticultural Society in London, and then was granted the Royal General Bulb Growers, Trial Garden Award.

Many people do not understand what Parkinson’s is, or are unaware of how to identify it.  In the interest of promoting awareness of this disease, a simplified description follows.  It is a disorder that results in the degeneration of the central nervous system, and directly impacts those that nerves that handle motor functions for the body as a whole. As the disease advances, it becomes apparent from the slowness of their body, and the increasing stiffness of their limbs that there is a developing problem.  Their limbs will begin to shake uncontrollably as it gets further on, and eventually an entire scope of additional symptoms will develop as more and more motor functions are impacted.  Sufferers are often tired, and memory problems become more apparent as time goes on.

Source: Text (summary): DAYSoftheYEAR  Image: HydroWorx

 

International Day of the Romani people – 8 April

8 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Balkans, compassion, concentration camps, discrimination, DNA, Gypsies, mercenaries, nomadic, pilgrims, respect, Romani, Roms, ziganism

The Romani are an ethnic group found mainly in Europe. They are also known as Roma. In English they are often called Gypsies. Some Roma consider « gypsy » a slur. The Roma are a nomadic people that originally came from the northern Indian subcontinent,[1][2][3] They came from the Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Sindh regions.

A DNA study by Indian and Estonian research lbs shows that the Roma/Romani/Gypsy and Sinti people originate from the Untouchable Dalit community of their ancestral homeland. They migrated northwest into Europe via the Middle East. Today there are populations of Romanis found all over Europe, although the largest populations are in Eastern Europe, and the Religion are: Eastern Christianity, Catholicism and Islam. Baptism by the Christian Roma and Male Circumcision by the Muslim Roma is practise.

There are various groups of Romani: the Roma of East European birth; the Sinti in Germany and Manouches in France and Catalonia; the Kaló in Spain, Ciganos in Portugal and Gitans of southern France; and the Romanichals of Britain.

The Roma language is now an official language in many countries of Europe under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

History

The 18th-century idea about the Indian birth of the Roma is based on the likeness between Romani and languages spoken in the Indian subcontinent and is now supported by genetic evidence. The origins of the Roms were not known until 1763, when a theology student named Stefan Vali met Indian medical students. He noticed that they were physically similar to the Roms he saw in Hungary. He also noticed that they were using similar words.

It is believed to have been around the 11th century that Roms left India to go northwest, through Persia and the Middle East. Around the 15th century, the Roma reached the Balkans. From there, they dispersed through Europe. The first arrivals were well accepted. European people thought they were Christian pilgrims. The local people of Europe were fascinated by their nomadic way of life and their new sciences. The Roms were often recruited as mercenaries, horse trainers and circus artists. Roms were crossing Europe aboard large caravans which contained their luggage.

Roms also left a great musical heritage. Guitars and violins are part of their traditions. They influenced a lot of musical styles in Europe, such as flamenco, rumba, jazz, etc. During World War II, Roma people suffered from the Nazis‘ discriminative policies. Statistics show that about 500,000 Roms died in Nazi concentration camps.

On 8 April 1971, the Roms’ nationality was legally recognised in Europe. Since this day, 8 April is the Roms national day.

Persecutions

Even though they have been recognised, they still suffer from discrimination. Some countries still apply discriminative attitudes towards Roms, especially in workplaces and schools, where they are not accepted. The main reason why they are not accepted is that they kept their nomadic lifestyle, which is against the law in some countries like France. Their squatting communities irritate locals. The Romani created an association in 1978 to defend their rights.

The day was officially declared in 1990 in Serock, Poland, the site of the fourth World Romani Congress of the International Romani Union (IRU), in honour of the first major international meeting of Romani representatives, 7–12 April 1971 in Chelsfield near London.

International reaction

Pope John Paul II exhorted his followers to treat Romanies with compassion and respect.

In 2003, the Dalai Lama lit a candle to commemorate the day.

In 2004, Adam Ereli of the US State Department addressed the continuing human rights abuses faced by Romanies and asked European governments to encourage tolerance.

In 2006, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General, stated her concerns for growing Antiziganism and encouraged Europe’s Romani populations to act to improve their poor living conditions, the result of longstanding and widespread discrimination.

In 2009,U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke of the U.S. commitment to protecting and promoting the human rights of Romani people throughout Europe.

Source: Text & Image: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

World Health Day – 7 April

7 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: disease, health, history, HIV-AIDS, medicines, smallpox, tuberculosis, WHO

World Health Day is celebrated every year on the founding day of the World Health Organization.  Established in 1950 this event has a theme each year to draw attention to a current world health issue.  The WHO puts together regional, local, and international events on this day related to that theme.  Local governments also tend to jump on this band-wagon, after all, global health means everyone!   On this day you may take some extra steps to care for your health, consider getting a gym membership (and going!), starting a diet, or starting multi-vitamins!

The World Health Organization is an agency of the United Nations that focuses on the public health of the world at large.  The WHO has a constitution that countries involved in the United Nations had an opportunity to sign, and unanimously did, agreeing to the tenets laid out within to promote the general health of the globe.  Through its efforts we have seen the eradication of small pox, and its focus then turned to communicable diseases, with a particular focus on tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

The World Health Organization has been involved in mobilizing many health efforts the world over. Describing what medicines are essential for public health, and which diseases to give a particular focus to.  The movement to eradicate smallpox started in 1958, initiated by pressure from Viktor Zhdanov, the Deputy Minister of Health for the then USSR.  In 1979, the WHO declared that smallpox had in fact been eradicated, making it the first disease in history to be eliminated by the dedicated efforts of humans.

Source: Text (summary): DAYSoftheYEAR   Image: Freepik

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year B

5 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: absence, Asking, Béatitudes, believe, blessed, closeness, happy are those, here and now, intimacy, Jn.20:19-31, Lk.11:27-28, Mt.24:35, Mt.5:1-10, présence, see hear touch Jesus

Beatitudes – there are 8 which are best known to us in the text entitled: ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ (Mt.5:1-10).
There is another one, less known and prompted by a woman who said to Jesus:
“Happy (or, blessed) the woman who gave you birth and nursed you” (Lk.11:27).
To which Jesus replied: “Happier (or, blessed) still are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Lk.11:28).

And there is the beatitude in today’s gospel (2nd Sunday of Easter, Year B – Jn.20:19-31) where Jesus says:
“Happy (or, blessed) are those who believe without seeing.”
 
This one can speak especially to us because it concerns us in a very immediate fashion.
It reaches us precisely where we are – in our ‘here and now’ condition…
It describes the situation which is ours:
that of people who cannot see, cannot hear, cannot touch the Risen Lord.

Many of us to whom this beatitude, this blessedness, is addressed, will not say they experience it!…
Many people will say they do not ‘feel’ any special happiness at not seeing Jesus with their own eyes nor hearing him as they do the voice of their loved ones.

I can truly say I share in their predicament.
I sympathize with their experience of ‘absence’ more than that of presence…
No cozy feeling of closeness, of immediacy, of rewarding intimacy.

Yet… as I write this, I recall the words of Jesus saying:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mt.24:35).
So, his assurance that we are happy and blessed remains, it cannot go away…

And what remains also, on our part, is this need to… believe –
a gift, yes, a blessing, given to those who dare ask for it, again, and again, and again…

Note: Another reflection is available in French on a different theme at: https://image-i-nations.com/2e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-b/

Source: Image: purplelovesorange – WordPress.com
                                                                   

 

Mine Awareness Day – 4 April

4 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: awareness, environment, eradication of mines, kill, maim, progress, safety, UN, victimes, war

The United Nations’ International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is observed on April 4 each year. This day aims to raise awareness about landmines and progress toward their eradication.

The day aims to raise awareness about landmines and progress toward their eradication. « Mine action » refers to a range of efforts to clear landmines and explosive remnants of war and to mark and fence off dangerous areas. It also includes assisting victims, teaching people how to remain safe in a mine-affected environment, advocating for universal participation in international treaties related to landmines, explosive remnants of war and their victims, and destroying landmines stockpiled by governments and non-state armed groups. 

Background
On 8 December 2005, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared that April 4 of each year would be officially proclaimed and observed as International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. It was first observed on April 4, 2006.

It called for continued efforts by states, with assistance from the UN and relevant organizations, to help establish and develop national mine-action capacities in countries where mines and explosive war remnants constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of people, or hinders social and economic development at the national and local levels.
 
According to the Landmine Monitor Report 2005, 84 countries were affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance, which together kill or maim between 15,000 and 20,000 adults and children annually. The UN works together with countries to find and destroy these devices. It also helps to provide various mine-action services in many countries.

Source: Text: timeandate.com Image: YouTube

 

 

Invisible Work Day – 3 April

3 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: AFEAS, carers, contribution, development, hospitals, invisible work, recognition, schools, status, support, survival, voluntary work

Invisible work, it counts!

In 2001, AFEAS in Canada set up the invisible work day and ever since, throughout the world, the first Tuesday of April has become a symbolic day.

What is invisible work? Invisible work, unpaid, consists of all of the work done within the family and voluntary work done in the community, whatever the status of the person.

How to make invisible work visible? The recognition of the value of invisible work will improve the status of those who do it, generally women as mother and carers, without forgetting all forms of voluntary work in schools, hospitals, old people’s homes, sports clubs and various associations…

In 2010, it’s difficult to understand the lack of recognition and support for men and women whose contribution to their family and the community is judged essential for its development and survival? How can we mark this day?

Source: Text: cms.horus.be/ Image: YouTube

 

World Autism Awareness Day – 2 April

2 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: autism, awareness, disorder, embrace, focus, knowledge, skills, talents, understanding, welcome

World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) aims to put a spotlight on the hurdles that people with autism – and others living with autism – face every day. As a growing global health issue owing to its increasing exposure in the press and common knowledge, autism is an issue that is only gaining more understanding – and WAAD activities are planned every year to further increase and develop world knowledge of children and adults who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

What’s more, World Autism Awareness Day goes one step further to celebrate the unique talents of those with autism, while putting a huge focus on the warm embrace and welcome that these skills deserve through community events around the globe.

Source: Text & Image: www.worldawarenessdays.com

 

Easter Sunday, Year B

31 mars 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: apostles Peter and John, comfort, Easter, Jesus' absence, Jesus' presence, Jn.20:1-9, Mary of Magdala, running, rushing, situations, stop running

It may have happened to you :
In a moment of candid admission, someone will say:
‘I rush all the time; my life is a non-stop running here and there. I can hardly breathe any more…’
Life can be hectic and the demands placed on us often fill our days.
Speed is of the essence if we are to carry out all the tasks we have taken on.

Many of those in such a situation will probably feel some comfort from today’s gospel text
(Easter, Year B – Jn.20:1-9) where people are also running:

“Mary of Magdala… came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved.”
“Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together.”
 
Reading this text, it is good to pause – yes, to stop running – and ask ourselves what our running is for, and where it is taking us to…

We are told that Mary of Magdala set out very early, it was still dark…
Why? She was looking for Jesus. At least, for Jesus’ body as she did not expect to see him alive.
The same can be said of the two apostles who made for the tomb after Mary’s report that Jesus’ body was no longer there.

The Easter celebration is, in fact, all about this: Jesus’ absence and Jesus’ presence.
A new mode of presence to which the disciples – and we – must adjust to.
And this, more than anything else perhaps, demands that… we stop running a little –
long enough to realize that he is always with us and often in the most unexpected situation!

Note: another reflection is available in French on a different theme at: https://image-i-nations.com/dimanche-de-paques-annee-b/

Source: Images: children’s chapel.org   padredelisle.blogspot.com