According to the WHO, the World Health Organization, in 2012 half of the world’s population was at the risk of Malaria. Every year, this leads to 216 million cases of Malaria and to approximately 655 000 deaths.
April 25th commemorates World Malaria Day. The theme for 2012 is Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria. This theme has been chosen to remind the public that, although Malaria deaths have been reduced in the last decade (by 30% in Africa, and by 50% outside of Africa), malaria spreads easily and these numbers are fragile.
The day was first observed in 2007, at the sixtieth session of the World Health Assembly, the board of WHO. The United Nations hopes that the existence of World Malaria Day will open discussion for the countries affected by malaria to learn from each other’s experiences. In addition, for further progress, the UN hopes for new donors to set against malaria, for researchers to share their advances with each other, and for sponsors to showcase their efforts.
Today is St. George’s Day! St. George was a Roman soldier who lived approximately from 275-303 AD. He was killed as a Christian martyr, and after his death he became a patron saint for many countries.
St. George's Rose
Examples of countries that celebrate St. George’s day are Lebanon, Hungary, Spain, and England. In each country, the celebrations usually include street fairs, music, and food. In places like Valencia and Catalonia the day even hosts street performances and parades.
Red roses are traditionally associated with St. George in every country. Other than the rose, however, colours used on St. George’s day are usually appropriate to each nation’s flag. In England, for example, St. George’s Day has high nationalistic value. Currently, the day is not a public holiday but a large petition online is advocating it to become one.
International Mother Earth Day was established in 2009. It was introduced to the UN by the state of Bolivia, with the rationale that “the Earth and its ecosystems are our home,” and that “its necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth.”
Mother Earth
Once the resolution for Mother Earth Day was passed the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales Ayma, said “Sixty years after adopting the [Universal Declaration of Human Rights], Mother Earth is now, finally, having her rights recognized.”
Not everyone finds Mother Earth Day significant, but when thinking about the interdependence between human beings, other living species and the planet president Morales’ statement seems very appropriate.
In 1982, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) proposed to the UNESCO to launch an International Day for Monuments and Sites. This day was approved a year later, in 1983, and International Day for Monuments and Sites has been celebrated since on every April 18th.
Douro Vineyards, Portugal
According to UNESCO, the aim of this day is to “explore cultural heritage… and to encourage local communities and individuals to consider the importance of cultural heritage to their lives, identities, and communities.”
Every year the International Day for Monuments and Sites holds a theme. The theme last year, 2011, was Cultural Heritage of Water. This year’s theme, World Heritage and Sustainable Development: the Role of Local Communities, marks the 40th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.
Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi, is a Sikh celebration which originates in Northern India, specifically in the Punjab region. Although Vaisakhi is considered a Sikh holiday in Punjab it is celebrated by everyone regardless of religion.
Vaisakhi celebrations in Birmingham, UK
Vaisahki is mainly a celebration of harvest. It’s popularity in Northern India is supported by the fact that agriculture provides a livelihood for the majority of people in rural areas. Sikhism adds it’s own origin story for Vaisakhi, a story of the Beloved Five, five young Sikhs who were ready to sacrifice their lives for their fate but who were eventually spared.
The International Day for Street Children was organized for the first time in 2011.
Louder Together
The day was launched by a London-based organization called CSC, Consortium for Street Children which aims to bring a voice for the tens of millions of children who live and work on the streets all around the world.
Why the International Day for Street Children matters is that these children, extremely vulnerable and at risk for sexual abuse, exploitation, and extreme poverty, are too often ignored in policy and programming. They live in the margins of society and face constant discrimination, not only in their communities but from policy makers.
April 12th last year marked 50 years from the date a first human, Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen, first traveled to space.
Yuri Gagarin
To honor the first space flight, the United Nations declared this day the International Day of Human Space Flight.
The UN General Assembly “expressed its deep conviction of the common interest of mankind in promoting and expanding the exploration and use of outer space, as the province of mankind, for peaceful purposes and in continuing efforts to extend all States the benefits derived therefrom.”
Watch footage of Gagari’s space flight from 1961 here:
Today is Easter Sunday, which for many Christian families in the Western world means a long weekend, chocolate eggs, and perhaps a nice home-made dinner.
Bunny delivering Easter eggs
For others, however, Easter is more than that. Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus three days after he was executed. It also marks the end of Lent, a forty-day fasting period. People who regularly go to church usually attend a special Easter service, which is usually more elaborate than a regular Sunday service.
Good health adds life to years! This is the theme of World Health Day 2012.
Health adds life to years
World Health Day on March 7th marks the foundation date of WHO, World’s Health Organisation, in 1948. It is a United Nations observance day, sponsored by the WHO, with a purpose of highlighting the work of WHO and reminding the public of various health-related areas of concern.
This year, the priority area of concern is ageing and health. WHO explains the theme in the following way: “Over the past century life expectancy has increased dramatically and the world will soon have more older people than children…
Today’s date marks the birthday of the Danish storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen. International Board on Books for Young People, a non-profit Swiss organization trying to get more and more young people to read, has declared this date the International Children’s Book Day.
Andersen's Little Mermaid in Copenhagen harbor
The day was first celebrated in 1967, and it annually includes writing competitions, book awards, and various events bringing authors and young readers together.
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Hello, I'm Deborah Swallow and, for the last fifteen years, I've worked in over thirty countries addressing the complexities of people working internationally across multiple cultures, so individuals and organisations alike can gain an authentic competitive edge and win in international markets.
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Hello, I'm Deborah Swallow and, for the last fifteen years, I've worked in over thirty countries addressing the complexities of people working internationally across multiple cultures, so individuals and organisations alike can gain an authentic competitive edge and win in international markets. 