This year’s International Day for Biological Diversity, on Thursday, 22 May 2025, highlights the inherent connections between people and the natural world through the theme, “Harmony with nature and sustainable development”. It underscores the need to achieve the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss – interlinked with achieving the 2030 […]
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development – 21 May
Held every year on 21 May, the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrates not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development. The United Nations General Assembly first declared this World Day in […]
International Tea Day – 21 May
Why drink tea? Tea is a beverage made from the Camellia sinesis plant. Tea is the world’s most consumed drink, after water. It is believed that tea originated in northeast India, north Myanmar and southwest China, but the exact place where the plant first grew is not known. Tea has been with […]
World Fish Migration Day – 21 May
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 […]
World Bee Day – 20 May
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 […]
World Metrology Day – 20 May
A bit of history: the metric system which is now the universal standard for measurements was created over 200 years ago. World Metrology Day commemorates the signing, on 20 May 1875, of the Metre Convention, an international treaty designed to ensure that everyone around the world used the same metric […]
World IBD Day – 19 May
Worldwide, five million people live with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, conditions known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). World IBD Day is marked on 19 May each year. World IBD Day is led by patient organisations representing 35 countries on four continents from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, 28 European nations […]
World Telecommunications Day – 17 May 2025
Background The purpose of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide. 17 May […]
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia – 17 May
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 […]
5th Sunday of Easter, Year C – 2025
The texts of the Bible come to us in different forms.Those who have transmitted to us their message used different styles and ways of speaking.Some of them were prophets, others were poets. Every week, this section offers you a reflection on one of the readings, occasionally referring to two of […]