Category DAYS TO REMEMBER

          We are all concerned about the well-being of our body and mind. Medical science testifies that many of our diseases are due to the disharmony between body and mind. There are many socio-cultural and religious practices across the globes that target the holistic health of an individual. Yoga is one such popular practice. We celebrate the International Day of Yoga on June 21.

            Yoga is an ancient art. With a strong spiritual and meditative core, yoga offers a variety of physical exercises that lead to both physical and psychological well-being. The word ‘Yoga’ derives from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’, which means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’, thus signifying the union of body and consciousness. This physical, mental and spiritual practice originated in India thousands of years ago. However, Yoga became popular all over the world only in the 20th century. Today, people practice yoga in various forms around the world irrespective of cultural and religious boundaries.

             The UN has recognized Yoga’s universal appeal and has initiated measures to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practising Yoga. The theme for the 2018 celebration is ‘Yoga for Peace’.

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            Donating blood is considered a noble act. Every year on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. The observance of the day started in 2004 and is aimed at raising awareness regarding the need for safe blood and blood products. Thousands of blood donors give their blood voluntarily every day! The day is an opportunity to thank them for their kind act and their life-saving blood.

            Blood is the vital sap of our body. It needs to be replaced when an injury or an illness causes loss of blood in our body. Millions of lives are saved every year through blood transfusion. Blood transfusion and blood products support complex medical and surgical procedures too. During maternal and perinatal care, blood products are vital in their life-saving role.

            Blood donation becomes effective only when there are regular donations by voluntary unpaid blood donors. One of the goals of World Blood Donor Day is to encourage people across the globe to volunteer for blood donation. World Health Organization aims to obtain the required blood for all countries by the year 2020.

            Autism is a serious developmental disorder that impairs the ability of an individual for communication and social interaction. April 2 is observed as the World Autism Awareness Day.

            Such a dedicated day for autism can raise awareness about people with autism. The day was designed to focus on the importance of empowering men and women affected by autism and involving them and their representative organizations in policy and decision making to address their challenges.

            As is generally observed, girls with disabilities are less likely to complete primary school and most of them drop out of educational institutions. There is less likelihood of any institution providing them employment as well.

            World Autism Day also prepares a platform for discussions about fully exercising rights in matters relating to marriage, family and parenthood on an equal basis with others without the disability.

            Psychiatrists say that autism should not be seen as a disability, disease, disorder or impairment. It is just that some people are different from the rest. Therefore, autism calls for awareness among those unaffected by it rather than those who have it.

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            Today’s generation would find it difficult to believe that human beings were once sold in markets like vegetables or stationery.

            However, the history of our civilization testifies that slavery, an inhuman system of treating humans without any due respect did exist for centuries. Therefore, it is apt to dedicate a day for remembering the victims of slavery and March 25 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

            One of the darkest episodes of human history is about the transatlantic slave trade in which more than 15 million men, women and children were put up for sale and spent their lifetime under inhuman conditions. It existed for about 4 centuries. The International Day offers the opportunity to remember and honour the victims who suffered and succumbed to death in the cruel system of slavery.

            In honour of the victims, a memorial has been erected for the slaves known as the Ark of Return at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

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            A healthy body houses a healthy mind, people say. There are innumerable diseases that await us at our doorstep every day; and thanks to modern medical science, we keep most of them at bay.

            Some diseases, however, have managed to stay untamed and have taken the lives of millions of people. Tuberculosis is one such malady that has claimed millions of lives so far.

            We observe World TB Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.

            Medical interventions have helped considerably in containing the disease in many parts of the world. However, TB continues to be the top infectious killer worldwide, claiming over 4,500 lives a day. A new version of the disease called ‘multidrug- resistant TB’ is a major threat to the ongoing efforts.

            World TB Day is aimed at building a commitment to end TB, not only at the political level with Heads of State and Ministers of Health, but also at the grass root level. Therefore, everyone should be brought to awareness programmes and incorporated into the fight against this deadly disease.

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            Our Earth is not what it used to be a few hundred years ago. Natural change along with massive human intervention, has led our planet to an environmental crisis. As a result, we face a wide range of hazards today, such as tropical cyclone storm surges, heavy rains, heat waves, droughts and many more. Therefore, in order to spread awareness, the World Meteorological Day is held on March 23.

           Climate change is no longer about mere themes of science fiction novels and films; we face it in our everyday life. The weather is turning extreme in some regions. Sea levels are rising and acidification of the oceans is taking place at a fast pace. Life seems more and more vulnerable as urbanization is spreading. Therefore, the message of the day is to be weather-ready, climate-smart and water-wise!

            World Meteorological Day is an occasion to set our priorities right and take initiatives to protect the lives, livelihoods and property of people from risks related to weather, and climate and water.

            One of the ways of readying people for imminent dangers is by installing early warning systems and implementing various disaster-risk-reduction measures.

            If nations do not start executing policy level decisions regarding climate change, our planet will soon become inhospitable to life.

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            Can we survive without water? An essential building block of life, water is much more than a vital commodity for quenching our thirst or protecting health. It is an indispensable material for the economic, social and human development of a nation.

           It is imperative to hold an International Water Day when there are about 663 million people who live without safe water supplies. World Water Day is observed on March 22.

            Although more than 70 percent of the earth’s surface is covered with water, clean drinking water is not as abundant. Water-related crises are erupting every day as environmental damage and climate change are happening rapidly. The world is looking forward to overcome the water challenges of the 21st century.

            Communities in general and individuals in particular have to partake actively in water conservation initiatives. We have to explore nature-based solutions, such as planting new forests, reconnecting rivers to floodplains and restoring wetlands as they will rebalance the water cycle and improve human health and livelihoods.

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          Forests are the lungs of the earth. Without them, life on Earth is impossible. Therefore, when we celebrate the International Day of Forests on March 21, we are providing a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of woodlands and trees, and celebrate the ways in which they sustain and protect us.

        Forests are an indispensable part of our life. They store carbon, which helps reduce the impacts of climate change in and around urban spaces. They also help improve the local climate. During these times of soaring heat, placing trees in certain strategically significant areas can cool the air by up to 8 degrees Celsius. Thus, trees, in fact, can replace air-conditioners. They are effective air-filters too, as they sieve out harmful pollutants in the air.

          Forests can filter and regulate water too. They help increase the quality of groundwater supplies. Flooding is to a certain extent prevented by trees. Forests can provide us with fresh fruits and nuts, provide habitats for animal diversity, and boost tourism.

          Thus, they encourage an active and healthy lifestyle, improve mental health, prevent disease and provide a place for people to socialize and commune with nature.

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          Poetry is often said to be the food for the human soul. A medium for the deep thoughts and feelings of mind, poetry has a universal appeal. Poetry has the unique ability to record the creative spirit of the human soul; and therefore, we have a dedicated day for celebrating poetry. World Poetry Day falls on March 21.

          Why, do you think, we celebrate the 16th century poet Shakespeare even today? It is because the poems and plays written by him living in a distant land and in an alien cultural background still have a universal value to which people across the globe can relate. Poetry has the distinct ability to affirm humanity by revealing through choicest words that the angst and agony of individuals are the same across regions.

          World Poetry Day attempts to support poets and poetry from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. It also offers an opportunity to return to the oral tradition of poetry recitals, to promote the teaching of poetry, to restore a dialogue between poetry and the other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and to support small publishers.

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           Racism is one of the evils that the world is facing even today. For hundreds of years, men and women have been held slaves because of the colour of their skin.

           In the slavery that existed in the Americas and Europe, black men and women were not even considered human beings. This evil practice was legally banned after incessant interventions by great men like Abraham Lincoln, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. However, racial discrimination exists in various forms even today.

           March 21 is recognized as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Human dignity is the foundation stone for human rights. Every individual is entitled to human rights without discrimination. Governments across the globe have recognized the importance of the rights to equality and non-discrimination.

          The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

          Most societies are afflicted by racism, xenophobia and intolerance. Minorities are discriminated against, and migrants are treated with hatred and cruelty. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is a reminder to all of us that we should all stand up against racial prejudice.

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