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International Day for the Abolition of Slavery – 2 December

2 décembre 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: contemprorary forms of slavery, forced labour, Freedom campaign, ILO, prostitution, sexual exploitation, slavery, traffic in persons, UN

The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949).

The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.50forfreedom

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are currently an estimated 21 million forced labour victims worldwide, creating US$ 150 billion in illegal profits in the private economy each year.

ILO has adopted a new legally binding Protocol designed to strengthen global efforts to eliminate forced labour, which entered into force in November 2016.

The 50 for Freedom campaign aims to persuade at least 50 countries to ratify the Forced Labour Protocol by 2018.

Source: Text & Image: UN

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – 25 November

25 novembre 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: survivors of violence, UN, violence, Women, YWCA

25 November each year marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and is the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender vaw-300x201Violence Campaign. Historically, the date is based the day of the tragic 1960 assassination of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic; the killings were ordered by Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo (1930–1961). I

In 1981, activists marked November 25 as a day to combat and raise awareness of violence against women more broadly; on December 17, 1999, the United Nations (UN) adopted the resolution making November 25 the official date.

The World YWCA observes this day in recognition of all those women, young women and girls around the world who have lost their lives and those who are survivors of violence.

Source: Text & Image: World YWCA

World Television Day – 21 November

21 novembre 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: communication, conflicts, decision-making, globalization, information, media, peace, security, UN, world issues

world-television-day-e1416427368614-764x382The first World Television Forum was staged by the United Nations in the mid ’90s, and it was out of this event that World Television Day was born. The forum brought together leading figures from the media industry to analyze the growing impact that TV had on decision-making and public opinion when it comes to issues of peace and security around the planet.

The History of World Television Day

In December 1996 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the 21st of November World Television Day, the same year the first World Television Forum was held. According to the United Nations, this decision was taken in order to give recognition of the increasing impact television has had on decision-making by bringing various conflicts and threats to peace and security to the world’s attention, as well as its coverage of other major issues, including economic and social.

World Television Day is not meant to be so much a celebration of the electronic tool itself, but rather of the philosophy which it represents–a philosophy of openness and transparency of world issues. Television has long been thought to represent communication and globalization in the contemporary world. However, not all of the government representatives present saw matters quite that way.

The delegation from Germany said, “Television is only one means of information and an information medium to which a considerable majority of the world population has no access… That vast majority could easily look at World Television Day as a rich man’s day. They do not have access to television. There are more important information media and here I would mention radio in particular.”

Source: Texte & Image: DAYSoftheYEAR

Universal Children’s Day – 20 November

20 novembre 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: build better world, chidlren's welfare, dialogue, media, UN, UNESCO

un-child-rightsUnited Nations Universal Children’s Day was established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20th each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.

November 20th is an important date as it is the date in 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Since 1990, Universal Children’s Day also marks the anniversary of the date that the UN General Assembly adopted both the declaration and the convention on children’s rights.

Mothers and fathers, teachers, nurses and doctors, government leaders and civil society activists, religious and community elders, corporate moguls and media professionals as well as young people and children themselves can play an important part in making Universal Children’s Day relevant for their societies, communities and nations.

Universal Children’s Day offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for Children.

Source: Text: UN  Image: timeanddate.com

International Day of Democracy – 15 September

14 septembre 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: better future, change, democracy, freedom, Sustainable Development Goals, UN

« The implementation of the Goals must be underpinned by a strong and active civil society that includes the weak and the marginalized. We must defend civil society’s freedom to operate and do this vote count in Dili polling stations during parliamentary elections. 7 July 2012. Photo by UNMIT/Martine Perretessential job. On this International Day of Democracy, let us rededicate ourselves to democracy and dignity for all. » — UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

2016 Theme: Democracy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
In September 2015, all 193 Member States of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — a plan for achieving a better future for all, laying out a path over 15 years to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect our planet. At the heart of the Agenda are the Sustainable Development Goals, which call for mobilizing efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

Speaking at the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended the parliamentarians of the world for the valuable role they played in shaping the new framework. He also underscored that their contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda will be equally critical: “People will look to you to hold your governments accountable for achieving the goals, and to write the laws and invest in the programmes that will make them a reality,” he said, noting that democratic principles also run through the entire document “like a silver thread.”

Sustainable Development Goal 16 addresses democracy by calling for inclusive and participatory societies and institutions. It aims to “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” The Goal is both an end in itself and a crucial part of delivering sustainable development in all countries. It has been seen by many commentators as the transformational goal and key to ensuring that the Agenda can be accomplished.

Source: Text: UN Image: Polling officers tally votes after ballots were cast in Timor-Leste’s parliamentary elections (2012). UN Photo/Martine Perret

 

 

International Literacy Day – 8 September

7 septembre 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: communicable diseases, education, epidemics, health, Literacy, schools, UN, UNESCO

The United Nations’ (UN) International Literacy Day annually falls on September 8 to raise people’s awareness of and concern for literacy issues in the world.int-literacy-day

UN International Literacy Day
International Literacy Day highlights the importance of literacy in areas such as health and education.

What Do People Do?
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and its partners promote the day to underline the significance of literacy for healthy societies, with a strong emphasis on epidemics and communicable diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Background
According to UNESCO, about 774 million adults lack the minimum literacy skills. One in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women. About 75 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out. However, literacy is also a cause for celebration on the day because there are nearly four billion literate people in the world.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed a 10-year period beginning on January 1, 2003, as the United Nations Literacy Decade. The assembly also welcomed the International Plan of Action for the Decade and decided for UNESCO to take a coordinating role in activities at an international level within the decade’s framework. On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. This day was first celebrated on September 8, 1966.

Source: Text & Image: timeandday.com ©iStockphoto.com/Emrah Turudu

International Day of Charity – 5 September

4 septembre 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Charity, Children, fighting diseases, Mother Teresa, UN

international-day-of-charity-1-e1450098273597-808x380-2Every year, charities all over the world help to save and improve people’s lives, fighting disease, protecting children, and giving hope to many thousands of people. To honour the important work that these many charities do, in 2012 the United Nations decided to nominate an annual International Day of Charity as an official day of recognition and celebration.

The reason the date was chosen is because it is the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. This choice commemorates the tireless work that Mother Teresa did by devoting her whole life to charity work. To celebrate this special day every year, the work of different charities all over the word is publicised and celebrated, and people are encouraged to donate money and time, to carry out charitable works, and also to educate people and raise awareness about the many charitable issues worldwide. Education and giving are the essence of this special day.

Source: Text & Image: daysoftheyear

International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances – 30 August

29 août 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Children, disabilities, Enforced Disappearances, global problem, human rights, impunity, insecurity, terror, UN, victims, vulnerable people
Thousands of people commemorated the 17th anniversary of the Santa Cruz massacre today with a march from the Motael Church to the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili. Many mourners carried photographs of loved ones who died or who disappeared on 12 November 1991 when the Indonesian military opened fire on a group of pro-independence supporters during a peaceful demonstration at the Santa Cruz Cemetery. UNMIT Photo/Martine Perret
Thousands of people commemorated the 17th anniversary of the Santa Cruz massacre today with a march from the Motael Church to the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili. Many mourners carried photographs of loved ones who died or who disappeared on 12 November 1991 when the Indonesian military opened fire on a group of pro-independence supporters during a peaceful demonstration at the Santa Cruz Cemetery. UNMIT Photo/Martine Perret

« On this international day, I urge all Member States to ratify or accede to the Convention without delay, and I call on the States parties to the Convention to implement it. It is time for an end to all enforced disappearances.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Enforced disappearance has frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror within the society. The feeling of insecurity generated by this practice is not limited to the close relatives of the disappeared, but also affects their communities and society as a whole.

Enforced disappearance has become a global problem and is not restricted to a specific region of the world. Once largely the product of military dictatorships, enforced disappearances can nowadays be perpetrated in complex situations of internal conflict, especially as a means of political repression of opponents. Of particular concern are:

– the ongoing harassment of human rights defenders, relatives of victims, witnesses and legal counsel dealing with cases of enforced disappearance;
– the use by States of counter-terrorist activities as an excuse for breaching their obligations;
– and the still widespread impunity for enforced disappearance.

Special attention must also be paid to specific groups of especially vulnerable people, like children and people with disabilities.

Source: Text & Image: UN

International Day against Nuclear Tests – 29 August

28 août 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: nuclear fallout, nuclear testing, nuclear weapons, UN

« On this International Day against Nuclear Tests, I call on the world to summon a sense of solidarity commensurate with the urgent need to end the dangerous impasse on this issue. »   —   UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

featured-image-index-5Since nuclear weapons testing began in the mid-twentieth century, with the first test on 16 July 1945, nearly 2,000 have taken place. There has been little consideration of the devastating effects of testing on human life, let alone the understanding of nuclear fallout from atmospheric tests. Early on, having nuclear weapons was a measure of scientific sophistication or military might. Hindsight and history have shown us the terrifying and tragic effects of nuclear weapons testing, especially when controlled conditions go awry, and in light of today’s nuclear weapons which are far more powerful and destructive. Subsequent incidents world-wide have provided compelling reasons for the need to observe the International Day against Nuclear Tests – a day in which educational events, activities and messages aim to capture the world’s attention and underscore the need for a unified attempt in preventing further nuclear weapons testing.

The international instrument to put an end to all forms of nuclear testing is the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which has however yet to enter into force. On 2 December 2009, the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly declared 29 August the International Day against Nuclear Tests by unanimously adopting resolution 64/35. The resolution calls for increasing awareness and education “about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation as one of the means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.”

The resolution was initiated by the Republic of Kazakhstan, together with a large number of sponsors and cosponsors with a view to commemorate the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test site on 29 August 1991. The Day is meant to galvanize the United Nations, Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, youth networks and the media to inform, educate and advocate the necessity of banning nuclear weapon tests as a valuable step towards achieving a safer world. 2010 marked the inaugural commemoration of the International Day against Nuclear Tests.

Source: Text & Image: UN   Illustration: Licorne test, 1971, French Polynesia. Photo: The Official CTBTO Photostream UN

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – 9 August

8 août 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: discrimination, education, historical abuses, human rights, indigenous peoples, marginalisation, UN

featured-image-index-32016 Theme: Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Education
This year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is devoted to the right to education. The right of indigenous peoples to education is protected by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which in Article 14 states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.”

The right of indigenous peoples to education is also protected by a number of other international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for ensuring equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations. In spite of these instruments, the right to education has not been fully realized for most indigenous peoples, and a critical education gap exists between indigenous peoples and the general population.

Where data exist, they show consistent and persistent disparities between the indigenous and the non-indigenous population in terms of educational access, retention and achievement, in all regions of the world. The education sector not only mirrors the historical abuses, discrimination and marginalization suffered by indigenous peoples, but also reflects their continued struggle for equality and respect for their rights as peoples and as individuals.

Source: Texte & Image: UN  Indigenous Wayuu children in the village of Pessuapa, Colombia. UN Photo/Gill Fickling