Three words echoed umpteen times this year are “Wash your Hands”. In the fight against the COVID19, one thing that we cannot forget is the importance of handwashing. A simpler method to prevent the spread of any virus and ensures better health outcomes overall. Global Handwashing Day is being observed since 2008. It is a day that is designed to foster and support a global and local culture of handwashing with soap, showing the importance of handwashing across the world. The fight against COVID pandemic continues and with determination and adopting simple precautionary steps like washing hands and not touching the nose goes a long way, stopping the spread of COVID.
A mere rise of just 1˚C above the global average temperature is causing havoc to the environment. On-going COVID-19 pandemic is turning out to be unprecedented in the history of mankind, causing massive loss of lives and resources. People started wondering whether the world would be the same ever. With the passing of every year, disaster is taking on a new form. Unfortunately, disasters never wait for their turn. A disaster occurs when hazards and vulnerability meet. The world is seeing both natural and human-made disasters. The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is observed each year on 13 October. It is to celebrate the efforts of people and communities around the world in reducing their exposure to disasters and raise awareness. This year the celebration of the day is all about governance. Good disaster risk governance can be measured in the lives saved, reduction in the number of disaster-affected people, and reduced economic losses. It requires a proper national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction in place by the end of the year. The situation arising from COVID19 pandemic is a warning that the world should not ignore. It is the people who matter most, and without the people, we have no disaster.
International Day of the Girl Child is an international observance day declared by the UN, started in 2012. Aims at Increasing awareness of inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender. There are many challenges: inequality caused by lack of access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and protection from discrimination, violence against women and forced child marriage. 2020 also saw the launch of “Generation Equality” a multi-year, multi-partner campaign and movement for bold action on gender equality. Nearly 1 in 4 girls is neither employed nor in education, 1 in 3 women has experienced physical or sexual violence. In India, there are almost 5 crores more males, can you imagine the type of social imbalance and the consequences it creates. Preference to boy child leading to female foeticide, discrimination by family members, sexual exploitation is prevalent. Government has come out with excellent schemes be it “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” or measures for women empowerment. A lot is yet to be done; it is work in progress. Girls are breaking boundaries and barriers, including those with disabilities and marginalized. As entrepreneurs, innovators girls are creating a world that is relevant for them and future generations. This year’s Noble winners are an inspiration.
Migratory Birds have lessons to teach to humanity. The will to survive, the intelligence to preserve, plan and the determination to survive. More importantly, the willingness to go through the struggle. Travelling such long distances, facing harsh environments, surviving the predators, human-made obstructions. What a journey they make. Year after year, demonstrating that mother earth belongs to everyone. It is the humans who have created the boundaries, entry restrictions. Birds Connect Our World and are central to our cultures and have been reflected in our art, music, and belief systems throughout history. World Migratory Day is an annual awareness campaign to highlight the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats and Initiated in 2006. From 2018, it is being observed twice a year: on the Second Saturday in May and in October. It is an effort to bring awareness about the dangers faced by migratory birds, their biological significance, and the requirement for global participation to preserve them. India is a winter home for most of the Siberian birds such as Siberian Cranes, Greater Flamingo and Demoiselle Crane, also numerous species of birds from other regions of the world. We have the responsibility to “Make the world a better place, For you, me and the entire human race and species on mother earth”.
Post connects and includes people around the world
Not long ago, many used to wait for the arrival of Post, in anticipation of communication form the near and dear ones. Birthdays, New year and other special occasions, people use to spend time in selecting cards with impactful messages to convey the greetings and share happiness. It is the arrival of the Post that used to make their day. “The Post Office” in India, it is the most widely distributed postal system in the world. With changing times like many other things, Posts must innovate to remain relevant in the changing communication landscape. Indian Government finding innovative ways of utilising this sizeable nationwide network, for the last mile connectivity of many governmental services. During COVID pandemic times, postal services remained practically uninterrupted and reaching essential supplies to many.
Celebrating “World Post Day” is more relevant than any time before, as the new generation may not even know what it means to carry the message and deliver. The story must be told lest it is forgotten.
Survival of mother earth largely depends on the realisation that it is not an exclusive possession of humans. In the pursuit of finding pathways for enhancing the quality of life, the sensitivity to the environment and other species has diminished. Rapid urbanisation and overexploiting the natural resources have created an imbalance. Wildlife plays an essential role in the ecological and biological processes that are significant to life. The importance of coexisting of all living species and preserving the forest cover and wildlife is more relevant now than at any time. Bringing awareness about preserving wildlife becomes very important. Wildlife Week is an annual event and is celebrated all over India. Being sensitive and learning to Coexist is vital for the survival of mother earth and preserving wildlife is an essential component of it.
The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, to “disseminate the message of nonviolence, including through education and public awareness”. The name of Mahatma Gandhi transcends the bounds of race, religion and nations. Violence is self-directed, interpersonal or collective that is likely to result in injury, psychological harm, or death. WHO estimates indicate that every year 1.6 million people worldwide die from violence. Gender-based violence and domestic violence occurs across the world. Lower socioeconomic status has been shown to be risk factors for higher levels of domestic violence. Any form of abuse can leave deep psychological scars. Violence places a massive burden on national economies. When the world is celebrating 151st birthday of the great soul, Mahatma Gandhi, it is the time to resolve and reaffirm the commitment to work towards a world free of violence, not only the armed conflicts but all forms. May good sense prevails, and humans use its intelligence and ability to make this world a better place to live. Sarvesham Shnatir Bhavatu, Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavatu.
The year 2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons. The day is a celebration and respecting the contributions of the older individuals make to society. The COVID fatality rate for older people is higher, and five times the global average for those over 80. Globally, there were 703 million persons aged 65 or over in 2019. The global population of the “oldest old”, people aged 80 and older, is expected to more than triple between 2015 and 2050 and predicted to be quadruple in Asian and Latin American countries. People are living longer, but that does not necessarily mean that they are living healthier. People work through their lives to fulfil the requirements of life for the family and contribute to the growth of the siblings, and as one age, health issues would crop up. Word is seeing more nuclear families, single-parent households and young people travelling to far off places in search of prosperity, a situation is developing where care for old is becoming a challenge. In a society like ours, older people living on their own is not being accepted with grace, putting that much extra burden for the elderly to lead peaceful lives. Society must be prepared to tackle it. There is a need to build more inclusive, sustainable, and age-friendly communities that are fit for the future. No person is expendable. Older people have the same rights to life and health as everyone else.
Global nuclear disarmament is the primary goal. In 2014UN passed a resolution to observe26 September as “The International Day for theTotal Elimination of Nuclear Weapons“. It is estimated that various countries in possession have nuclear arsenal in excess of 13,000. Going by the record of testing, US, Russia, France, UK, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, are in possession of nuclear weapons. Strategists believe that Israel has nuclear weapons. The worrying factor is that there are no nuclear disarmament negotiations are currently underway. US’s withdrawal spelt the end of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, fearing the possibility of further escalation of testing and accumulating of nuclear weapons. Nuclear energy offers a source of abundant clean energy, if harnessed it would be able to meet the energy demands of the world, without CO2 addition. The fear of the possibilities of nuclear technology be used for destruction led to people becoming apprehensive about this form of energy. The race to achieve the mastery of nuclear weapons, in a way, demonstrates the capability of humanity to come together to achieve breakthroughs. Can the world come together and do it again to solve problems like “Climate Change” which are threatening the survival of humanity? More immediate to find solutions to COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted humanity, transcending rich, poor, famous or whoever. The world must come together to find a solution and that too in the shortest time possible. Someone somewhere in the universe, while writing about human history, would write “here was a race did not survive as it has failed to put together all its strength and capability to find solutions”.
Let us hope that one day all nuclear weapons are eliminated, and we live nuclear-weapon-free world.
Indian Scriptures have been emphasising the importance of being at Peace. Today humanity is split based on an individual’s sense of greatness and intolerance to different choices. Society is searching for solutions to end the misery despite all the progress made. 21 September is being observed as “The International Day of Peace”. Several Conflicts are going on in the world for several years. More people are getting killed because of conflicts in the world. Conflict and violence have multiple dimensions. Prolonged war keeps countries poor, and it takes a long time to return to normalcy. Gender-based violence too is on the rise, Casualties due to ware are civilians, most of them being women and children. Celebrate the International Day of Peace by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stand together with the UN against attempts to use the virus to promote discrimination or hatred. Let us all create Peace Day every day!
