September 8, 2016 marks the 50th Anniversary of International Literacy Day as declared by UNESCO and the United Nations.
The world has changed since 1966 – but our determination to provide every woman and man with the skills, capacities and opportunities to become everything they wish, in dignity and respect, remains as firm as ever. Literacy is a foundation to build a more sustainable future for all.
(Source: UNESCO)
Find out more:
From the United Nations:
On 16 October 1945, 42 countries acted in Quebec, Canada, to create the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In doing so they took another important step forward in man’s perpetual struggle against hunger and malnutrition. For through the establishment of FAO they provided themselves, and the many other nations that were to enter the Organization, with a mechanism through which its Member Countries could deal with a set of problems that are of major concern to all countries and all people… FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945.
Read more at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The United Nations has declared October 11 to be the International Day of the Girl Child. The day was first celebrated in 2012, as an opportunity to recognize the rights of girls, to raise awareness about the challenges that they face around the world, and to celebrate our daughters, sisters, friends and students. Sadly, girls around the world daily face discrimination, violence and the violation of their human rights.
The theme for 2014 is “Empowering adolescent girls: Ending the cycle of violence” – See more at the United Nations page on International Day of the Girl Child.
We can be thankful that Canada is amongst the leaders of the world in protecting the rights of girls.Yet even here there is more work to be done, and certainly we must continue to fight for the rights of girls around the world.
“Empowerment of and investment in girls are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full and effective enjoyment of their human rights”
-United Nations Resolution 66/170
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.
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.”
The United Nations has declared October 11 to be the International Day of the Girl Child. The day was first celebrated last year, as an opportunity to recognize the rights of girls, to raise awareness about the challenges that they face around the world, and to celebrate our daughters, sisters, friends and students. Sadly, girls around the world daily face discrimination, violence and the violation of their human rights.
The theme for 2013 is “Innovation for Education.” One of the most obvious inequities and injustices for girls is in education, as many girls around the world are deprived of their right to an education.
The fulfilment of girls’ right to education is first and foremost an obligation and moral imperative. There is also overwhelming evidence that girls’ education, especially at the secondary level, is a powerful transformative force for societies and girls themselves: it is the one consistent positive determinant of practically every desired development outcome, from reductions in mortality and fertility, to poverty reduction and equitable growth, to social norm change and democratization. (source: un.org)
We can be thankful that Canada is amongst the leaders of the world in protecting the rights of girls.Yet even here there is more work to be done, and certainly we must continue to fight for the rights of girls around the world.
For more on this vital issue, go to UN.org
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