Recherche

image-i-nations trésor

social media

International Volunteer Day – 5 December 2024

5 décembre 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: better world, commitment, communities, culture of service, humanity, social media, sustainable development, volunteers

« Volunteers embody the best of humanity. On this important day, let’s draw inspiration from their example, and resolve to do our part to help shape a better world for all. »    António Guterres

Diverse volunteers, stronger communities

For the International Volunteer Day 2024, United Nations Volunteers (UNV) demonstrates its commitment to communities and the wellbeing of UN Volunteers across the globe through concrete community volunteer activities carried out with national and UN system partners.

It is simply not possible to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without including people at all stages, at all levels, and at all times.

Volunteering makes people part of the solutions. Volunteerism lets people and communities participate in their development. 

The challenges we face—climate change, conflicts, and social injustices can feel overwhelming. Yet, in these trying moments, the spirit of volunteerism shines brighter than ever. In every corner of the world, volunteers are usually the first to respond. They rise to meet challenges with courage, dedication, and selflessness.

Volunteers create a richer culture of service within their communities. They help bridge the gap between generations and support sustainable development. 

Volunteering allows us to work together across generations to achieve the SDGs. Volunteering is an intergenerational cycle.

Join us in recognizing volunteers all over the world through our social media campaign, using the hashtag #IVD2024. View the IVD 2024 Trello Board for resources.

 

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

World Radio Day – 13 February 2024

13 février 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: audience, educating, entertaining, future, informing, social media, UNESCO

Radio: A century informing, entertaining and educating

World Radio Day’s theme in 2024 shines a broad floodlight on Radio’s remarkable past, relevant present and promise of a dynamic future.

Looking Forward to Radio’s Next Century 

The opportunity provided by the 100-year-plus milestone of Radio begs to be trumpeted at full volume. The century is an occasion to proudly celebrate the medium’s extensive virtues and ongoing potency. It comes at an opportune time, as Radio – though statistically popular and enormously trusted by the public – faces increased challenges to audience and revenue numbers from digital platforms, pervasive social media, digital and generational divides, the headwinds of censorship and, for some media, stifling consolidation-induced debt as well as economic hardships exacerbated by a soft advertising market.  

UNESCO invites the worldwide Radio industry in all its many forms – commercial, public, non-profit – to join in this global celebration of the medium at this special and pivotal juncture in its century-spanning journey.

The 2024 observance highlights:

The indelible history of Radio and its powerful impact upon news, drama, music, sports … 

The ongoing utilitarian value of Radio as a relatively free and portable public safety net during emergencies and power outages brought on by natural and human-made disasters such as storms, earthquakes, floods, heat, wildfires, accidents and warfare. 

The continuing democratic value of Radio to serve as a grassroots catalyst for connectedness within underserved groups including immigrant, religious, minority and poverty-stricken populations; and as an instantaneous bellwether of public opinion expressed through the auspices of free speech in the public space. 

UNESCO recognizes and understands the tremendous variety of business models and technological architecture in Radio around the world as well as the independent nature of its companies and organizations, large and small, plus the idiosyncrasies of its on-air personalities. Thus, broadcasters are encouraged to bring their own culture, style and sensibilities to their individual celebrations leading up to and during the February 13 event. 

World Radio Day is also an opportunity for radio stations to connect on-air with fellow broadcasters around the world. UNESCO invites radio stations to take the initiative for such broadcasts.

It is a remarkable achievement for a major mass communications medium to continue its relevancy past 100 years and still be a force for freedom of expression, joy and knowledge. As we proudly tell its story, let’s welcome Radio’s future in the next century.

Source: Text & Image: https://www.unesco.org/en/days/world-radio/radio-next-century

Use Your Common Sense Day – 4 November

4 novembre 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: common sense, imagination, judgements, Memories, perceptions, social media

Use Your Common Sense Day is observed annually on November 4, since common sense is an important tool for living life. Common sense is “the applied knowledge of simple, sensible things”, such as not putting metal into microwaves or jumping into rivers without knowing what is under the water. This date also marks the birthday of Will Rogers — the man who remarked “Common Sense ain’t that common”! We need to remind ourselves of the importance of applying common sense to our everyday lives and decisions to avoid unnecessary dangers and make the most of opportunities! In the social media age, this is a pet peeve of many — that common sense seems to have fallen by the wayside. There are even calls for subjects stimulating common sense in the school curriculums in the U.S. because so few seem to employ it!

HISTORY OF USE YOUR COMMON SENSE DAY

Common sense as a concept is ancient, first being brought to the limelight by the great philosopher, Aristotle. He described it as the ability with which animals (including humans) process sense perceptions, memories, and imagination to reach many types of judgments. To his thinking, only humans have real reasoned thinking, which takes them beyond common sense. This was then carried forward in the Roman interpretation, which holds that concepts like ideas and perceptions are held by man and make them more sophisticated than animals.

French philosopher, René Descartes, established the most common modern meaning, and its controversies, when he stated that everyone has a similar and sufficient amount of common sense, but it is rarely used well.

Since the Age of Enlightenment, the term “common sense” has been used for a rhetorical effect both approvingly, as a standard for good taste, and source of scientific and logical axioms.

In modern times, common sense is defined as ‘the basic level of practical knowledge and judgment that we all need to help us live reasonably and safely”. Without any doubt, applying common sense could save one a lot of problems.

Common Sense Day was created by Bud Bilanich, a career mentor, motivational speaker, blogger, and author. He’s starred in some leading TV shows and magazines and has written 19 books that highlight how to succeed in life, and how the application of common sense is vital to that success. Common Sense Day was first celebrated in 2015.

 

Source: Text: https://nationaltoday.com/use-your-common-sense-day/    Image: iStock

International Internet Day – 29 October

29 octobre 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: internet, invention, online, search engines, social media, web

International Internet Day on October 29th celebrates what many consider the most important invention in human history.

It’s hard to fathom a world without the Internet. The Internet provides instant access to information. Search engines make this information easy to attain. Besides gaining knowledge, internet users have an endless supply of entertainment. The internet makes it possible to do banking and shopping from the comfort of your own home. The internet is also a great way to make donations and raise funds. Thanks to the internet, many people are able to work remotely from anywhere in the world. Many use the internet to find a love connection, and many have had success. What in the world would we do without the internet?

To further prove the greatness of this invention, here are some mind-boggling statistics:

  • In 2019, there were 4.39 billion internet users in the world
  • About 4 billion people use the internet via a mobile device
  • Fifty-seven percent of the global population uses the internet
  • There are one million new internet users every day
  • On average, internet users spend 6 hours and 42 minutes a day online
  • On average, internet users spend 2 hours and 16 minutes a day on social media
  • Google is the world’s most visited website on the internet
  • YouTube and Facebook rank 2nd and 3rd for most visited sites

One of the reasons the internet is so widely used is because of the World Wide Web. The WWW became publically available in 1991.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/international-internet-day-october-29/

14th Sunday of Year C – 2019

5 juillet 2019
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: aim of life, fame, Is.49:16, Lk.10:1-12, Lk.10:17-20, names, reputation, social media

Many people long to be well-known and popular.
Eager to be famous, they want their reputation to spread far and wide.
They want their names to appear in newspapers or important publications.
They expect their realisations to be broadcast and their names acknowledged in social media.
For them, being forgotten, worse still being ignored, is a disaster and they cannot accept not to be in the limelight.

And yet… yet… is people’s opinion that important?
Being considered famous, even being recognised as a genius, is this the aim of life?

This reflection came to me as the last line of today’s gospel (Lk.10:1-12,17-20) was read.
To his apostles, overjoyed with the miracles they have been able to perform, Jesus says:

“Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you,
but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
 
Long before, through the prophet Isaiah, God had said:
“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands”. (Is.49:16)

Does the rest really count for that much?
This is how close we are to God – someone he simply cannot forget!
If only the reverse were true!…

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/14e-dimanche-de-lannee-c-2019/

Source: Image: thechurchinmalta.org

World Recycling Day – 15 November

15 novembre 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: awareness, commitment, environment, landfill, recycled materials, social media, waste

America Recycles Day
 Each year on November 15, millions of people across the United States take part in America Recycles Day, a day which was created to raise awareness about recycling and the purchasing of recycled products.

How to observe
Recycle, buy recycled goods and help teach others the benefits of recycling and continue to do so each day! Use #AmericaRecyclesDay to post on social media.

History
America Recycles Day was started in 1997 by the National Recycling Coalition and is declared each year by Presidential Proclamation, encouraging Americans to commit to recycling.  Since 2009, this day has been a program of Keep America Beautiful.  There are thousands of events that are held across the United States to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and offering personal pledges that can be signed, committing to recycling and buying products made from recycled materials.

Source: Text & Image: America Recycles Day

In Canada, not only do we join in the World Recycling Day but we have a whole week dedicated to this.

Canadians generate a lot of waste. On average, every Canadian will generate 720 kg (1,587 lbs.) of waste that goes to landfill, which is equal weight to a full grown female giraffe. In the spirit of Waste Reduction Week in Canada here are ten easy take-action tips that will reduce our reliance on landfills and help you adopt more environmentally conscious choices.

Source: Text & Image wrw.com