Category DAYS TO REMEMBER

           Do you know what our world is in dire need of, today? It is peace. Our world has been splintered into factions because of race, caste, creed, ethnicity and nationality. Intermittent wars and incessant civil strife have torn nations and communities apart. The International Day of Peace, observed on September 21, envisages a world community built on the foundations of lasting peace.

         The basis of peaceful society is the economic and social development for all people whose rights are protected. This is why the UN member states adopted in 2015 the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that cover a broad range of issues, including poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, environment and social justice. Without protecting justice and equality in a society, a peaceful society cannot exist. A peaceful society can promote a sustainable environment and the sustainable environment can foster peace, in turn.

        The International Peace Day’s theme for 2018 was ‘the right to peace’. The world also celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document in the history of human rights, last year.

          In modern societies, people are increasingly losing faith in the rule of kings, nobles or autocrats. In an egalitarian and just society, people are their own rulers; and therefore, democracy is the rule of the people. Do you know Abraham Lincoln’s famous definition of democracy? The International Day of Democracy envisages governments of the people, by the people and for the people. This day falls on September 15.

          The purpose of celebrating such a day is to look for ways to encourage democracy and seek answers to the challenges it faces. Democracy must make nations ready to tackle economic and political inequalities, bring the young and the marginalized into the political system and make nations more innovative and responsive to emerging challenges such as migration and climate change. The rulers and governments should be made aware of the values of freedom, and respect for human rights as essential elements of democracy.

         The international Day of Democracy tells the world that the relevance and significance of democracy can be upheld only through the protection and effective realization of human rights.

          Industrial growth, urbanization and ultimately man’s greed have slowly but steadily destroyed nature. Increasing number of factories, automobiles and other carbon emitting appliances have only escalated the crisis. The ozone layer that protects our earth from harmful rays from the space has developed holes, which can have disastrous effects on life on the planet.

        The ozone layer is nothing but a fragile screen of gases. Harmful and hazardous elements emitted from factories and other carbon-discharging units can destroy this delicate shield. If the uses of ozone depleting substances are not controlled, the ozone layer may not exist for future generations. The UN has advocated a gradual phase out of these substances and this can contribute significantly to global efforts to address climate change.

           The Montreal Protocol, proposed in 1987, was aimed at a global agreement that can protect the ozone layer by systematically ending the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances.

          The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is observed on September 16.

          The ability to read and write is one of the chief achievements of Man that led to the development and enhancement of civilization. It is an important skill for an individual’s participation in socio-political and cultural discourse. It helps develop one’s awareness of one’s rights, civil responsibilities and knowledge of the world. The UN has dedicated a day to celebrating literacy known as the International Literacy Day, which falls on September 8.

          Universal access to quality education and learning opportunities for people is part of the agenda of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Despite the progress people across the world have made, there still persist literacy challenges in certain parts of the world.

          Literacy has become an important requirement for livelihood, especially in the context of advanced employment schemes; The UN provides opportunities to achieve literacy for all the young people and the adults who lack these skills.

          International Literacy Day focuses on the competencies required for employment, careers, and livelihoods along with skills.

          We all are aware of the dreadful destruction that Hiroshima and Nagasaki underwent towards the end of World War II. The casualties and losses were not limited to the immediate effects of the bomb; the radiation still haunts the                                                  cities as deformed babies are born even now.

          However, nations have not stopped testing nuclear weapons. It is said that the nuclear weapons possessed by various nations have the firepower to destroy our planet five times over.

          The International Day against Nuclear Tests serves as a warning against the danger of deadly nuclear arm race and further testing of nuclear weapons.

         Nearly 2,000 tests have been conducted the world over since the first nuclear weapon test on 1945 July 16. Various international bodies have spared no effort to put an end to all forms of nuclear testing. The United Nations proposed a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which did not materialize.

         The international Day against Nuclear Tests calls for increasing awareness about the effects of nuclear tests, to achieve the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.

          Man being a social creature is neighbour to another man. What makes him different from the other animals is not only his superior intelligence, but also his quality of being humane and altruistic.

         Every day, millions of men and women help others in need without expecting anything in return. The World Humanitarian Day is celebrated every year to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world. The day is observed on August 19.

         Sadly, the world is not a peaceful place any more. Incessant conflicts and wars have torn our world apart. Millions of civilians are affected by armed conflicts every day. Children have turned to militancy to fight with guns and other deadly weapons for causes they do not know.

          Humanitarian workers attempt to treat their wounds and illnesses and bring them relief. The World Humanitarian Day is a reminder to the world that humans need to be more humane and brings an assurance that humanity and compassion have not left the human heart yet.

           The wealth of a nation is its youth, people say. A nation with a considerable number of young people needs only to direct them in the right path; they will subsequently lead the nation to glory. Young minds are full of fresh thoughts and novel ideas. Therefore, the International Youth Day, falling on August 12, is an occasion to celebrate the young, who are humanity’s future.

          Statistics suggest that the world has the largest number of young people currently, around 1.8 billion, between the age of 10 and 24. Although it is a matter of great promise, the fact is that one in 10 young children live in conflict zones and 24 million of them do not get any education. The youth in our societies are increasingly isolated due to political instability, labour market challenges and limited space for political and civic participation.

          The International Youth Day aims to provide them safe spaces where they can come together and engage in activities related to their diverse needs and interests. The youth should be encouraged to participate in decision-making processes and freely express themselves.

          Governments should provide spaces for accommodating the needs of diverse youth.

          Many would turn to a dear friend in times of a dilemma or a crisis. A friend might be able to understand certain problems better than a parent or an older sibling. Friendship is said to have the ability to increase happiness and diminish misery by doubling our joy and cutting down our grief. Hence, a day dedicated to friendship on July 30, the International Day of Friendship, has so much relevance today.

          The world offers us both happiness and sorrow. There are many challenges, crises and forces of division in the world such as poverty, violence and human right abuses in the world. There are many others that undermine peace, security, development and social harmony among the world’s peoples. The anxiety and depression that they have on young minds is beyond imagination. To confront these crises and as an answer to them, a shared spirit of human solidarity, which is otherwise known as friendship, must be promoted among men and women.

          Man learns to trust and love through friendship. These qualities will eventually transform the world to a better place to live.

          Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Indian nation, advocated the need of educating children in a skill-based system, so that they would be skilled and employable after their education. Education should not only aim at moulding a good human being, but also ensure a decent means of living and the ability to lead an honourable life in the world. On July 15, the World Youth Skills Day, the UN envisages a world where the young people are self-reliant and responsible for themselves.

         According to a recent study, the youth are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than adults. They are continuously exposed to lower quality of jobs, greater labour market inequalities and longer and more insecure school-to-work transitions. In the case of women, there is a higher probability of their being unemployed than men. In addition, women, in general, are underpaid and forced to undertake part-time jobs or work under temporary contracts. In this regard, the UN considers that education and training are key determinants of success in the labour market.

          The World Youth Skill Day is an opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of empowering the youth and investing in youth skills development.

          Do you know the number of human beings in the world now? It comes to around 7.7 billion in total!

          In 1989, the governing council of the United Nations Development Programme established the World Population Day as July 11 in order to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.

          July 11 was formerly observed as the Day of ‘Five Billion’ and it had generated considerable interest among people across the world then. Population explosion is a reality. According to statistics, the world population increases by 100 million every 14 months. The explosion in population can result in a range of evils such as poverty, unemployment and corruption.

          The World Population Day attempts to raise awareness about the implications of rising world population. The theme of the celebrations last year was ‘Family Planning is a Human Right’.

          The 50th anniversary of affirming family planning as a human right in the 1968 International Conference on Human Rights was celebrated. The celebration included awareness campaigns regarding the right of women and girls.

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