September 21-27 is Banned Books Week in the United States, as established by the American Library Association. We can observe it in Canada too. We live in a society where we believe everyone should learn to read, that reading is important, and that people should have the right to read what they want to read. So many of our fundamental rights and freedoms are represented in the fight for educated, literate citizens to have control over what they read. Sadly, our society also has powerful forces that work against those freedoms. Sometimes those countering forces are well-meaning, hoping to protect us from lies, hate, propaganda and such. Sometimes these countering forces are even necessary, as we seek to protect children from pornography and other age-inappropriate material. Yet a free and vital democracy requires that individuals, not the state, determine what is acceptable reading material and what is not acceptable. Parents must be able to protect their children from the mistakes of society, yet the state must also protect children from the mistakes of their parents. There are no easy answers in all this, yet that is not a reason to shy away from this vital issue.
Category: Holidays & Observances
International Day of Families
The United Nations has proclaimed that May 15 of each year shall be used to celebrate the importance of Families. 2014 marks the 20th year that International Day of Families has been observed.
For more information:
Youth and Child Mental Health Day
Over a million Canadian children and youth are affected by mental health issues, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Yet less than 20% will receive treatment or appropriate care. In recent years in Canada we have taken strides towards removing the stigma of admitting to mental health issues. However, we still have so far to go.
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Israel Independence Day
Known as Yom Ha’atzmaut in Hebrew, this day is a celebration of the declaration of the independence of the State of Israel in 1948. That event took place on May 14, according to the Gregorian Calendar, but on the Hebrew Calendar, which varies in relation to the Gregorian, it takes place on the 5th of Iyar, which goes from sundown on May 5 through May 6 in 2014. In 2015 it will fall on April 23.
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Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day (actually celebrated on September 16). In fact, in Mexico itself Cinco de Mayo is a minor holiday outside of the state of Puebla. However, this holiday is observed in a big way in the United States, particularly in states with high Mexican-American populations, such as California, Arizona and Texas. More and more Canadians are celebrating Cinco de Mayo as well, including those with Mexican roots and those without. Just as you don’t have to have Irish heritage to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, you don’t have to have Mexican heritage to join in on the fun of Cinco de Mayo!
May the Fourth Be With You
World Press Freedom Day
o we really need World Press Freedom Day? Take a look at some of these statistics:
Freedom of the Press is one of the fundamental requirements of democracy. Citizens are not free when the state restricts their access to information, or when the state fails to stop others from doing so.
Violence is a threat to the press in many parts of the world. However, even here in North America, where we live in one of the most democratic societies, control of our free and open access to information is an ongoing battle.
Learn more:
May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada
Asian Heritage Month gives Canadians of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds the opportunity to learn more about, and celebrate, the history of Asian Canadians and the contributions of Asian Canadians to the development of our nation. Canadians trace their roots to all corners of the globe, including such places as China, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Vietnam and many more Asian nations.
for more information on Asian Heritage Month:
Earth Day is Coming Up
World Health Day
From the World Health Organization:
World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected that highlights a priority area of public health. The Day provides an opportunity for individuals in every community to get involved in activities that can lead to better health. The topic for 2014 is vector-borne diseases.
Mosquitoes, flies, ticks and bugs may be a threat to your health – and that of your family – at home and when travelling. This is the message of this year’s World Health Day, on 7 April. This short video highlights simple measures we can take to protect ourselves.
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
Sports really are about much more than winning and losing. It is easy to forget that, as we get caught up the moment. We are taught from an early age that winning isn’t everything, but so much that happens in sports that seems to indicate that, for many people, they have lost perspective. The fact that an organization like the UN has an entire section like Sport for Development and Peace reminds us that sports are powerful in ways that go far beyond winning and losing.
From the United Nations:
Due to its vast reach and unparalleled popularity, sport is ideally positioned to contribute towards the United Nations’ objectives for development and peace. To raise awareness of this potential, 6 April was declared as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the UN General Assembly.
In the words of the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, Mr. Wilfried Lemke, sport “has the capacity to empower individuals and bring one’s moral values to the forefront” and “can play a strategic role in transferring life skills and communicating useful and encouraging messages on important issues, thus driving social change.”
April is Poetry Month
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 