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World Aids Day – 1 December 2024

1 décembre 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: communities, discrimination, girls, HIV-AIDS, progress, public health, rights path, Women

Take the rights path  – World AIDS Day 2024

The world can end AIDS – if everyone’s rights are protected.

With human rights at the centre, with communities in the lead, the world can end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The substantial progress that has been made in the HIV response is directly linked to progress in protecting human rights. In turn, the progress made through the HIV response has galvanized broader progress in realizing the right to health and strengthening health systems.

But gaps in the realization of human rights for all are keeping the world from getting on the path that ends AIDS and are hurting public health, and now a surge in attacks on rights is threatening to undermine the progress that has been made.

Ending AIDS requires that we reach and engage everyone who is living with, at risk for or affected by HIV – especially including people who have been most excluded and marginalized. Gender equality is an essential element of an approach to AIDS that is grounded in human rights. Acceptance, respect and care are vital. Laws, policies and practices that punish, discriminate against or stigmatize people – because they are women or girls, or from key populations, or from other marginalized communities – obstruct access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care. So do laws, policies and practices that hinder the work of people who are providing vital HIV services for affected communities or who are advocating for reforms.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.unaids.org/en/2024-world-aids-day

International Literacy Day – 8 September 2024

8 septembre 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: adults, education, literacy challenges, progress, respect, socio-economic benefit, understanding, young people

Despite steady progress made across the world, literacy challenges persist with at least 763 million young people and adults lacking basic literacy skills in 2020. The recent COVID-19 crisis and other crisis, such as climate change and conflicts, have been exacerbating the challenges.

This year, ILD will be celebrated under the theme of “Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace”.

There is a pressing need to harness the transformative potential of literacy for promoting mutual understanding, social cohesion, and peace. In today’s world, in which multilingualism is a common practice for many, empowering people by adopting a first language-based, multilingual approach to literacy development and education is particularly effective for its cognitive, pedagogical, and socio-economic benefits. Such an approach can help promote mutual understanding and respect, while solidifying communal identities and collective histories.

If literacy is a victory for humanity, it is a fragile one: there is always the possibility of a relapse. Let this International Literacy Day be a reminder of this – and an opportunity to honour all those who are dedicated to making universal literacy a reality, not just a goal.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/evento/international-literacy-day-8-september/

 

22nd Sunday of Year B – 2024

30 août 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: God's choice, honesty, Isaiah 29:13, love in action, lucidity, Mark 7:1-8.14-15.21-23, perspective, process, progress

In our moments of lucidity and honesty, we are usually ready to admit that…
there is often quite a gap between what we say and what we do!
Our way of acting does not always match our way of speaking…

This is true of many people and shows itself in all kinds of situations.
This thought came to me as I read the gospel text of this celebration (Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23).

We hear Jesus say clearly:
“These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me”.

His words are an echo of what, long before, the prophet Isaiah had proclaimed in the name of God (Isaiah 29:13).
God had already told the people of Israel that he was not satisfied with their repeating religious formulas and performing rituals.
He wanted them to behave as his people, a people faithful to his commands.
He expected them to follow his ways, treating their neighbors as he, God, treats each one of them.

Hundreds of years later, Jesus must repeat the same teaching to correct the attitude of the scribes and the Pharisees.
They are concerned with their own traditions, “human prescriptions’, focusing on small matters, while forgetting the great commandment of love for God and for other people.

It may be that… we also need to hear these words…
It may be necessary to listen to Jesus himself reminding us of… God’s priority!
This is where our ‘heart’ should be!

It is possible that we are more concerned with being attentive to small details and regulations that WE consider important, while leaving aside GOD’S obvious choice of genuine love in action.
We may need to be brought back from pious words to the faithful carrying out of what God asks of us…

Some will say: “It is a difference of perspective”.
It is indeed, but it is much more than that!
It is about the transformation of our thoughts and ways to take on God’s thoughts and God’s ways.

An on-going process… an ever-needed progress…

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/22e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2024/

 

Source: Image: https://www.scripture-images.com/bible-verse/asv/mark-7-6-asv.php

World Telecommunications Day – 17 May 2024

17 mai 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: challenges, digital technologies, innovations, policies, progress, prosperity, télécommunications

Digital innovation can help tackle the world’s most pressing challenges

From fighting climate change to eliminating hunger and poverty, digital technologies can help achieve 70% of targets under the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Now more than ever, building a sustainable future demands innovative thinking and action in the digital world.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2024 offers the chance to explore how digital innovation can help connect everyone and unlock sustainable prosperity for all.

With 2.6 billion people still unconnected, glaring digital gaps hinder innovation across much of the world. Many countries – lacking key policies, investments, and digital skills – are struggling to keep up in today’s fast-changing digital landscape.

WTISD 2024 reminds the world of the progress yet to be made to ensure that everyone can benefit from digital technologies.

 

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

International Women’s Day – 8 March 2024

8 mars 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: change-makers, financing, Gender equality, green economy, human rights, poverty, progress, Women

Invest in women: Accelerate progress

Achieving gender equality and women’s well-being in all aspects of life is more crucial than ever if we want to create prosperous economies and a healthy planet. However, we are facing a key challenge: the alarming $360 billion annual deficit in gender-equality measures by 2030.

Join us on March 8, 2024, for International Women’s Day under the theme ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress”, and take a stand with us using the hashtag #InvestInWomen.

Here are five key areas needing joint action:

  • Investing in women, a human rights issue: Time is running out. Gender equality is the greatest human rights challenge, benefiting everyone.
  • Ending poverty: Due to the COVID pandemic and conflicts, 75 million more people have fallen into severe poverty since 2020. Immediate action is crucial to prevent over 342 million women and girls living in poverty by 2030.
  • Implementing gender-responsive financing: Conflicts and rising prices may lead 75% of countries to cut public spending by 2025, negatively impacting women and their essential services.
  • Shifting to a green economy and care society: The current economic system disproportionately affects women. Advocates propose a shift to a green economy and care society to amplify women’s voices.
  • Supporting feminist change-makers: Despite leading efforts, feminist organizations receive only 0.13% of official development assistance.

This International Women’s Day, let’s unite to transform challenges into opportunities and shape a better future for all!

Did you know?

  • In 1984, Australia introduced the world’s first Women’s Budget Statement, paving the way for many others to follow suit.
  • There is an alarming lack of financing with a staggering USD 360 billion annual deficit in spending on gender-equality measures.
  • Just 5% of government aid is focused on tackling violence against women and girls, and less than 0.2% is directed to its prevention.

 

Source: Text: https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day   Image: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

World Malaria Day – 25 April 2023

25 avril 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: detect, disease, prevent, progress, treat

World Malaria Day 2023 will be marked under the theme “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”. Within this theme, WHO will focus on the third “i” – implement – and notably the critical importance of reaching marginalized populations with the tools and strategies that are available today.

In 2021, there have been 619 malaria deaths.

According to the latest World malaria report, countries have made some progress in expanding access to malaria services for most-at-risk populations. However, too many people at high risk of malaria are still missing out on the services they need to prevent, detect and treat the disease.

Challenges in expanding access to malaria services have been compounded, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, converging humanitarian crises, restricted funding, weak surveillance systems, and declines in the effectiveness of core malaria-fighting tools.

A number of malaria vaccines are currently in development. Like the RTS,S vaccine, many of them target the malaria parasite before it enters the human liver where it can quickly multiply. The most advanced of these candidates is R21, which recently completed Phase 3 clinical trials. Other vaccine candidates seek to stop transmission of the malaria parasite, and still others to protect women during pregnancy.

 

Source: Text: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-malaria-day/2023/   Image: www.allworlday.com

International Day of Women and Girls in Science – 11 February

11 février 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: climate action, engineering, girls, higher education, mathematics, progress, science, status, technology, Women

Background

A significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world. Even though women have made tremendous progress towards increasing their participation in higher education, they are still under-represented in these fields.

Gender equality has always been a core issue for the United Nations. Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will make a crucial contribution not only to economic development of the world, but to progress across all the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well.

On 14 March 2011, the Commission on the Status of Women adopted a report at its fifty-fifth session, with agreed conclusions on access and participation of women and girls in education, training and science and technology, and for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work. On 20 December 2013, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on science, technology and innovation for development, in which it recognized that full and equal access to and participation in science, technology and innovation for women and girls of all ages is imperative for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Did you know?

  • Women are typically given smaller research grants than their male colleagues and, while they represent 33.3% of all researchers, only 12% of members of national science academies are women.
  • In cutting edge fields such as artificial intelligence, only one in five professionals (22%) is a woman.
  • Despite a shortage of skills in most of the technological fields driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution, women still account for only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of graduates in computer science and informatics.
  • Female researchers tend to have shorter, less well-paid careers. Their work is underrepresented in high-profile journals and they are often passed over for promotion.

Stories

collage of portraits with title: Women scientists on the forefront of climate action

Women scientists on the forefront of climate action

Over the last few decades, the world’s understanding of climate change has improved exponentially thanks to science, technology and the dedication of some of the world’s top climate scientists.

We pay tribute to the women who champion the science behind climate change.

 

Source: Text & 2nd Image: https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day       1st Image: Unsplash

World AIDS Day – 1 December 2022

1 décembre 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: AIDS, Covid-19, equalize, HIV, inequalities, pandemic, progress, support, UN

Equalize

Every year, on 1 December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. People around the world unite to show support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS.

The inequalities which perpetuate the AIDS pandemic are not inevitable; we can tackle them. This World AIDS Day, UNAIDS is urging each of us to address the inequalities which are holding back progress in ending AIDS.

The “Equalize” slogan is a call to action. It is a prompt for all of us to work for the proven practical actions needed to address inequalities and help end AIDS.

Data from UNAIDS on the global HIV response reveals that during the last two years of COVID-19 and other global crises, progress against the HIV pandemic has faltered, resources have shrunk, and millions of lives are at risk as a result. 

We have only eight years left before the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a global health threat. Economic, social, cultural and legal inequalities must be addressed as a matter of urgency. In a pandemic, inequalities exacerbate the dangers for everyone. Indeed, the end of AIDS can only be achieved if we tackle the inequalities which drive it. World leaders need to act with bold and accountable leadership. And all of us, everywhere, must do all we can to help tackle inequalities too.

Dangerous Inequalities

Dangerous Inequalities, the UNAIDS World AIDS Day report 2022, reveals that inequalities are obstructing the end of AIDS. On current trends the world will not meet agreed global targets on AIDS. Millions of lives are at stake. The new UNAIDS report shows that only urgent action to tackle inequalities can get the world’s AIDS response on track. It shows how world leaders can tackle those inequalities, and calls on them to be courageous in doing so.

 

Source: Text & Image: un.org

International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers – 29 May 2022

29 mai 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: lasting solutions, partnerships, peace, people, progress, UN peacekeepers

2022 Theme: People. Peace. Progress. The Power of Partnerships

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, 29 May, offers a chance to pay tribute to the uniformed and civilian personnel’s invaluable contribution to the work of the Organization and to honour nearly 4,200 peacekeepers who have lost their lives serving under the UN flag since 1948, including 135 last year.

The theme for this year’s Day is « People. Peace. Progress. The Power of Partnerships.”

Peacekeeping has helped save countless lives and brought peace and stability to many countries over the decades. But UN peacekeeping cannot fully succeed on its own in creating the necessary conditions to end conflict and secure lasting political solutions. It’s partnerships with Member States, civil society, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies and other parties are fundamental to bringing tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary people, in areas such as economic development, the rule of law, women’s rights, human rights, health and education.

The first UN peacekeeping mission was established on 29 May 1948, when the Security Council authorized the deployment of a small number of UN military observers to the Middle East to form the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Since then, more than 1 million women and men have served in 72 UN peacekeeping operations, directly impacting the lives of millions of people and saving countless lives. Today, UN Peacekeeping deploys more than 87,000 military, police and civilian personnel in 12 operations.

 

Source: Text & Image: UN

5th Sunday of Easter, Year B – 2021

30 avril 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Jn.3:18-24, condemn, God knows, God understands, hearts, progress

We try to live as followers of Jesus.
We do our best to be faithful to what he asks from us.
We make special efforts to carry out what we believe is his will.
But . . .

But, when we look at the result of our efforts, we may lose heart.
We may feel discouraged at seeing the outcome of what we thought was our best…

If so, today’s message in the 2nd reading (1 Jn.3:18-24) is meant for us –
meant to give us comfort.

The apostle John writing to the first Christians assures them:

“If our hearts condemn us,
we know that God is greater than our hearts,
and he knows everything.”
 
What an encouraging thought!
What a truly wonderful reality: God knows, God understands!

God knows our inner feelings, he is aware of our good intentions.
He understands – so much better than we do – that we do not always succeed in doing what we would like to do.
We are not always able to be the person that we would like to become.
We are not yet the ‘ideal self’ that we want to be.

He knows that we are still on the way and… he walks on that way with us!
So, one more step today is what he accepts, ready to wait for what we see as our slow progress,
and not condemning us for it, simply walking with us.

Truly, « God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

 

Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/5e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-b-2021/

 

Source: Image: Quotefancy