The 3oth August each year offers the world community the
opportunity to remember the victims of enforced disappearance. The day aims to draw our attention to the plight of those who have been imprisoned without their friends or relatives knowing where or why; the agonising of their families; and also to highlight the work of those organisations who campaign against secret imprisonment and work to support the ‘disappeared’ and their families. The International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances has instigated this date as a commemorative day in a bid to bring about the effective implementation of an international convention to protect the ‘disappeared’. Watch the movingly illustrative video…

In a bid to achieve a safer world, the UN has designated 29th August
each year as the day to galvanise people around the globe into advocating the banning of nuclear tests. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted in 2010 that “A world free of nuclear weapons would be global public good of the highest order.” In the five decades between 1945 and 1996, over 2,000 nuclear tests were carried out all over the world. The International Day of Action Against Nuclear Tests aims to raise public awareness about the effects of global nuclear weapon tests. Nuclear weapons tests have caused environmental degradation and harmed the health of millions.

The 23rd August each year offers the world community the
opportunity to commemorate the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its abolition. Apart from remembering those who suffered as slaves the day highlights the fact that millions still live as slaves in all but name. The UN’s cultural organisation, Unesco, chose the date to commemorate the 1791 San Domingo (Haiti) revolt, which marked the first decisive victory of slaves against their oppressors and led to the creation of the first black independent state.

On 22nd August 2011, Hindus around the world will be celebrating
Krishna Janmashmati, the birth of their deity Lord Sri Krishna. Krishna is seen as the source of joy and his birthday is one of the most important celebrations in the Hindu calendar. Sri Krishna lived in luxury throughout his life and so the festival is celebrated with great splendour. As well as celebrating the birth of Sri Krishna, the festival symbolises the lighting of the spark of the Divine power in every human being.

World Humanitarian Day is commemorated each year on
19th August and gives special recognition to all humanitarian, UN and other personnel who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause. The day is a collaborative global celebration of humanitarian aid work joining the United Nations and over 500 national and international NGOs, aimed at engaging and inspiring the general public to get involved.  It especially commemorates those who have lost their lives in the cause of duty. It marks the day on which the then Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Iraq, Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 21 of his colleagues tragically lost their lives in the bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August 2003.

Google’s doodle for India’s Independence Day which is shown on
Google’s main search page for the country depicts the Red Fort in Delhi. As a recent visitor to Delhi, I was awed by the magnificence and size of the building.  When you think this was built early to mid 1600, during the reigns of James I and Charles I in the UK, rather puts the achievement into perspective.

As someone who has spent many interesting and happy moments in
Beirut, I was delighted to be signposted to a website showing the world’s largest collection of postcards and photos of the Old Levant region depicting a century in the life of the region – The Foad Debbas Collection.   It’s surprising to contrast the life then and now and reflect that most of the photos were taken less than 100 years ago. The photo here was taken in 1929.

I expect some interesting photos, experiences and cross-cultural
insights while following the Journey On Two Wheels to Istanbul on the blog One Hell Of A Ride. You might want to join me virtually on this trip. Our intrepid motorcyclist comments on Day 2: After some riding across Georgian towns with a lot of Armenian markings, captions and labels, I arrived at Posof border crossing [with Turkey]. Huge Turkish flags, everyone acted extremely professional and there was this feeling after Georgia of somehow entering Europe…

‘Would You Take Tea With Tyrants?’ is the question that journalist
Lyse Doucet put to politicians, diplomats and activists around the world. In an interesting article for the BBC she gets people who have dealt with the worst tyrants in modern history to open up about how they separate emotion from the need to conduct business and asks whether engagement is always the right thing to do. Ambassadors and envoys often talk to people they see as tyrants or terrorists. But why do they do it? Former Finnish President, Marrti Ahtisaari, a Nobel Prize winner advises, “You don’t need to love the people you talk to but you have to talk to everybody whose assistance you need to solve the problems.” Listen to the programme or read the article. Comments Norwegian Envoy, Jan Egeland.

If you want to make a difference where human rights are most at stake, you have to meet them”