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World Day to Combat Desertification – 17 June

LAND HAS TRUE VALUE. INVEST IN IT.

The World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) will be celebrated worldwide on 17 June with the focus on sustainable land management as a way to regenerate economies, create jobs and revitalize communities. Under the slogan “Land has true value – Invest in it,” WDCD2018 will call all involved – producers, consumers and policy makers – to make a difference by investing in the future of land.

The WDCD2018 global observance will be hosted by the Government of Ecuador. The country promotes sustainable land management as one of the pillars of bio-economy – the knowledge-based production and utilization of biological resources, innovative biological processes and principles to sustainably provide goods and services across all economic sectors. Ecuador will use the WDCD as an occasion to showcase its nation-wide efforts in making sustainable land management the principal tool for the development of bio-economy.

WDCD was established by the UN General Assembly 23 years ago to raise awareness on the global and national actions that address desertification, land degradation and drought.

Source: Text: UN Image Wellness News at Weighing Success

 

World Autism Awareness Day – 2 April

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

 

3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B

In all religions, whatever be the name and description of a given set of beliefs,
there are principles and prescriptions,
rites, and rituals, and regulations,
commandments and observances.

Whichever way they are formulated, there are admonitions saying:
“Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not.”
The language used indicates clearly the ‘should’, the ‘must’, the ‘have to’
that guide the believers of a certain group.
And the behaviour of the faithful is meant to translate these into concrete actions.

This is the whole area of what WE are expected to do for God.
It is sometimes described at length and with much insistence.
Yet, this is only one side of the coin, only one aspect of religion.
There is the whole area of what GOD does for us.

This aspect is presented to us in a beautiful and inspiring way
in some of the texts of this 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B.
God’s messenger acting in his name,

“brings good news to the poor,
binds up hearts that are broken,
proclaims liberty to captives,
proclaims a year of favour from the Lord.”  (1st reading: Is.61:1-2,10-11)

“His mercy reaches from age to age,
the hungry he has filled with good things,
he comes to the help of his servant,
he remembers to show mercy.”   (Response: Lk.1:46-50,53-54)

Why do we concentrate so much on what we should do for God?
This season of Advent is a good time to change our focus and, at long last,
to consider and marvel at all that God does for us, day after day!

Source: Image: 123RF Stock Photos