World Logic Day

Posted on January 15, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

In junior college (grades 11 and 12 to those who don’t follow the British system), I had a subject called Logic. This was a completely new subject for everyone and not everyone was enamoured by it. But I loved it and loved it so much that at one point in time, I wanted to major in it. Then I learnt that Logic was part of a Philosophy major and so Logic and I parted ways because I had decided on two majors I had to choose to become my major. So when I heard that yesterday was World Logic Day, I could not help but write about this subject, which was once a favourite.

The ability to think is one of the most defining features of humankind. In different cultures, the definition of humanity is associated with concepts such as consciousness, knowledge and reason. According to the classic western tradition, human beings are defined as “rational” or “logical animals”. Logic, as the investigation on the principles of reasoning, has been studied by many civilizations throughout history and, since its earliest formulations, logic has played an important role in the development of philosophy and the sciences. World Logic Day intends to bring the intellectual history, conceptual significance and practical implications of logic to the attention of interdisciplinary science communities and the broader public

In the twenty-first century – indeed, now more than ever – the discipline of logic is a particularly timely one, utterly vital to our societies and economies. Computer science and information and communications technology, for example, are rooted in logical and algorithmic reasoning. Despite its undeniable relevance to the development of knowledge, sciences and technologies, there is little public awareness on the importance of logic. The proclamation of World Logic Day by UNESCO, in association with the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences (CIPSH), intends to bring the intellectual history, conceptual significance and practical implications of logic to the attention of interdisciplinary science communities and the broader public.

World Logic Day was initiated to encourage the development of logical research, to foster and strengthen interactions between people having interest for logic, to make better known logic among researchers of all fields on location as well as to make the work of logicians on location better known and lastly to develop, promote and make better known logic in the world. So why was January 14 selected as World Logic Day? This date is the date of the death of Kurt Gödel and the date of birth of Alfred Tarski, two of the most prominent logicians of the twentieth century. Other than this, according to the Julian calendar, which was the calendar promoted by Julius Cæsar, in use from 45 B.C. to 1582 A.D. and still in use in some locations, January 14 was considered to be New Year’s Day, hence an apt day to start the new year with logic and rationale.

A dynamic and global annual celebration of World Logic Day aims at fostering international cooperation, promoting the development of logic, in both research and teaching, supporting the activities of associations, universities and other institutions involved with logic, and enhancing public understanding of logic and its implications for science, technology and innovation. Furthermore, the celebration of World Logic Day can also contribute to the promotion of a culture of peace, dialogue and mutual understanding, based on the advancement of education and science. The Day was first commemorated in 2019 and this year’s celebrations are the third time the world will celebrate World Logic Day. Academic, logicians, philosophers and mathematicians worldwide would have celebrated this day yesterday and if you have not yet done so, you can still do it today!

World Braille Day

Posted on January 4, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

Many years ago when I was in college, we used to have many visually handicapped students studying there. This was because it was one of the few colleges which had a fully functioning braille library and I remember them starting to add more books and resources to the library. This library was right next to the main college library and we also used to get students from other colleges come to use these resources. At one point, I was also recruited by a friend to act as a writer to a visually handicapped student for the final exam. My experience there was not very good as the student I got was not interested in the exam and since it was my subject and the student was a junior, they used to ask me to write the exam for them with no input from their side for each question. I refused to do so after the first question and the experience ended badly for me. But I did see sincere students who had prepped for the exams and even today, I remember this student who had so much to say that the student writer assigned to them had a cramped hand at the end of the exam!

Today is World Braille Day and this post is apt for the day. Celebrated since 2019, World Braille Day is observed to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realisation of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people.

A tactile representation of alphabetic and numerical symbols using six dots to represent each letter and number, and even musical, mathematical and scientific symbols, Braille, named after its inventor in 19th century France, Louis Braille is used by blind and partially sighted people to read the same books and periodicals as those printed in a visual font. Braille is essential in the context of education, freedom of expression and opinion, as well as social inclusion.

Eye conditions are remarkably common. The World Health Organization estimates that globally 36 million people live with blindness and 216 million people have moderate to severe visual impairment. Persons with vision impairment are more likely than those without to experience higher rates of poverty and disadvantage. Vision loss often represents a lifetime of inequality, poorer health, and barriers to education and employment. In November 2018, it was decided to proclaim 4 January as World Braille Day, recognising that the full realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms relies on an inclusive written promotion. Why 04 January? Because it is the birth anniversary of Louis Braille

World Braille Day is a reminder of the importance of accessibility and independence for people who are blind or visually impaired. Today’s reality is that many establishments such as restaurants, banks, and hospitals don’t offer braille versions of their print materials like menus, statements, and bills. Because of this, people with blindness or visual impairments often don’t have the freedom to choose a meal on their own or keep their finances private. This day spreads awareness about braille and other accessible forms of communication. It makes a visually impaired person be able to access educational opportunities and employment, be independent and be able to communicate with family, friends and society. Everyone deserves and is legally entitled to the same accommodations and service, regardless of ability. Let’s remember that and do our part to make our workplaces and community areas more accessible for everyone.

World Braille Day signifies inclusion and diversity. It is important to celebrate such days so that children become aware that people are different and unique, gaining an awareness of varying needs and requirements. Through celebrating days like this, it helps children raise important questions about additional needs and expands their knowledge of different people in our society.

World Television Day

Posted on November 20, 2020 by memoriesandsuch

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Can any of us imagine a world without television. The generation which has grown up with the flickering television screen would probably be as brefet of it as today’s generation without access to the internet.

In 1927, a 21 year old inventor by the name of Philo Taylor Farnsworth invented the world’s first electronic television. He lived in a home without electricity until he was 14 years old. In high school, he began to think of a system that could capture moving pictures, change them into a code, and them move those images with radio waves to different devices. He was years ahead of the mechanical television system as his structure captured moving images using a beam of electrons. Farnsworth later famously transmitted the image of a dollar sign using his television after a fellow inventor asked “When are we going to see some dollars from this thing?” Neither of them knew how prelevant the television would become across the world with young people today having no concept of a world without one. The first mechanical tv station called W3XK, created by Charles Francis Jenkins aired its first broadcast in 1928.

Television continues to be the single largest source of video consumption. I seriously doubt there are many households in this world today who don’t have access to a television set. Though screen sizes have changed, and people create, post, stream and consume content on different platforms, the number of households with television sets around the world continues to rise. The interaction between emerging and traditional forms of broadcast creates a great opportunity to raise awareness about the important issues facing our communities and our planet.

In times of internet, with people hooked to their laptops and mobile screens, does the television still hold importance, one may ask. As per the United Nations, television continues to be the single largest source of video consumption with the number of TV households across the world rising from 1.63 million in 2017 to 1.74 billion by 2023, according to a study. The World Television Day stands as a reminder of the power of visual media and how it helps in shaping public opinion and influencing world politics.

In recognition of the increasing impact television has on decision-making by bringing world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 November as World Television Day, through resolution 51/205 of 17 December 1996.

World Television Day is not so much a celebration of the tool, but rather the philosophy which it represents. Television represents a symbol for communication and globalisation in the contemporary world. On 21 and 22 November 1996 the United Nations held the first World Television Forum, where leading media figures met under the auspices of the United Nations to discuss the growing significance of television in today’s changing world and to consider how they might enhance their mutual cooperation. That is why the General Assembly decided to proclaim 21 November as World Television Day. This was done in recognition of the increasing impact television has on the process of decision-making. Television was thus acknowledged as a major tool in informing, channelling and affecting public opinion. Its impact and presence and its influence on world politics could not be denied.

Now the day is commemorated with meet-ups at local and global levels to raise awareness among people about the role television plays in communication and globalisation. This day acknowledges the role of broadcast media. Writers, journalists, bloggers and others associated with the medium come together to promote this day. The interaction between emerging and traditional forms of broadcast creates a great opportunity to raise awareness about the important issues facing our communities and our planet. The World Television Day also marks the commitment of governments, news organisations and individuals to deliver unbiased information in times when veracity of content on social media is questionable.

World Diabetes Day 2020

Posted on November 13, 2020 by memoriesandsuch

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Tomorrow is World Diabetes Day. As someone who is diabetic, this day is something that I like to write about each year so more people become aware of this silent killer. Created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organisation in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes, the World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2006. 14 November was chosen to commemorate the day as it is the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.

The world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries, the World Diabetes Day draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight.

The World Diabetes Day campaign aims to be the platform to promote IDF advocacy efforts throughout the year and be the global driver to promote the importance of taking coordinated and concerted actions to confront diabetes as a critical global health issue. The campaign is represented by a blue circle logo that was adopted in 2007 after the passage of the UN Resolution on diabetes. The blue circle is the global symbol for diabetes awareness. It signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes epidemic.

Today, world-wide, 463 million adults, or an estimated one in eleven, were living with diabetes in 2019, with the number of people living with diabetes expected rise to 578 million by 2030. Many must live with the complications of diabetes and many still die young as a consequence of their condition. 1 in 2 adults with diabetes remain undiagnosed and the majority have type 2 diabetes. More than 3 in 4 people with diabetes live in low and middle-income countries and 1 in 6 live births or approximately 20 million are affected by high blood glucose or hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. Two-thirds of people with diabetes live in urban areas and three-quarters are of working age. 1 in 5 people with diabetes or about 136 million are above 65 years old. Diabetes caused 4.2 million deaths in 2019 and was responsible for at least $760 billion in health expenditure in 2019, accounting for about 10% of the global total spent on healthcare. The numbers continue to grow but the resources allocated to diabetes are often insufficient and are under increased pressure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The WHO estimates that diabetes services have been disrupted in 50% of countries worldwide.

Every year, the World Diabetes Day campaign focuses on a dedicated theme that runs for one or more years. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2020 is The Nurse and Diabetes. This year’s campaign aims to raise awareness around the crucial role that nurses play in supporting people living with diabetes.

Nurses currently account for over half of the global health workforce. They do outstanding work to support people living with a wide range of health concerns. People who either live with diabetes or are at risk of developing the condition need their support too. People living with diabetes face a number of challenges, and education is vital to equip nurses with the skills to support them. As the number of people with diabetes continues to rise across the world, the role of nurses and other health professional support staff becomes increasingly important in managing the impact of the condition. Healthcare providers and governments must recognise the importance of investing in education and training. With the right expertise, nurses can make the difference for people affected by diabetes.

According to the World Health Organization, nurses account for 59% of health professionals and the global nursing workforce is 27.9 million, of which 19.3 million are professional nurses with a global shortage of nurses in 2018 being 5.9 million with 89% of that shortage concentrated in low and middle-income countries. The estimated number of nurses trained and employed needs to grow by 8% a year to overcome alarming shortfalls in the profession by 2030. WHO estimates that the total investment required to achieve the targets outlined in the Social Development Goals by 2030 stand at 3.9 trillion USD – 40% of which should be dedicated to remunerating the health workforce.

As highly valued members of the community, nurses do outstanding work to support people living with a wide range of health concerns. People who either live with diabetes or are at risk of developing the condition need their support too. People living with diabetes face a number of challenges, and education is vital to equip nurses with the skills to support them. The IDF wants to facilitate opportunities for nurses to learn more about the condition and receive training so that they can make a difference for people with diabetes. As the number of people with diabetes continues to rise across the world, the role of nurses and other health professional support staff is becoming increasingly important in managing the impact of the condition. Nurses are often the first and sometimes only health professional that a person interacts with and so the quality of their initial assessment, care and treatment is vital. Nurses play a key role in diagnosing diabetes early to ensure prompt treatment, providing self-management training and psychological support for people with diabetes to help prevent complications and tackling the risk factors for type 2 diabetes to help prevent the condition. Healthcare providers and governments must therefore recognise the importance of investing in education and training. With the right expertise, nurses can make the difference for people affected by diabetes.

In my last year’s post on this day, I have written extensively about the types of diabetes, so read more there.

International Day of the Girl Child

Posted on October 12, 2020 by memoriesandsuch

Also called the Day of Girls and the the International Day of the Girl, the International Day of the Girl Child was first declared by the United Nations on 11 October 2012 to increase awareness of the gender inequality faced by girls worldwide and support more opportunity for girls. The inequality faced by girls include areas such as access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and protection from discrimination, violence against women and forced child marriage. The celebration of the day also reflects the successful emergence of girls and young women as a distinct cohort in development policy, programming, campaigning and research.

In 1995, before the girls of today were even born,the fourth World Conference on Women made history for the women’s rights agenda with the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted, the most visionary blueprint for the empowerment of women and girls. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls. Now, about half a century later, the Platform for Action remains a powerful foundation for assessing progress on gender equality. It calls for a world where every girl and woman can realize all her rights, such as to live free from violence, to attend and complete school, to choose when and whom she marries, and to earn equal pay for equal work. The Platform for Action specifically calls on the global community to eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls; eliminate negative cultural attitudes and practices against girls; promote and protect the rights of girls and increase awareness of their needs and potential; eliminate discrimination against girls in education, skills development and training; eliminate discrimination against girls in health and nutrition; eliminate the economic exploitation of child labour and protect young girls at work; eradicate violence against girls; promote girls’ awareness of and participation in social, economic and political life and strengthen the role of the family in improving the status of girls.

The International Day of the Girl increases awareness of issues faced by girls around the world. Many of the global development plans do not include or consider girls, and their issues have become “invisible.” More than 62 million girls around the world had no access to education, as of 2014, according to USAID. Worldwide and collectively, girls ages 5 to 14 spend more than 160 million hours more on household chores than boys of the same age do. Globally, one in four girls are married before the age of 18. Each year, 12 million girls under 18 are married; 130 million girls worldwide are still out of school; and approximately 15 million adolescent girls aged 15-19 have experience forced sex. The International Day of the Girl Child helps to raise awareness not only of the issues that girls face, but also of what is likely to happen when these problems are solved. For example, educating girls helps reduce the rate of child marriage, disease and helps strengthen the economy by helping girls have access to higher paying jobs.

This day began as a project of Plan International, a non-governmental organisation that operates worldwide through their “Because I Am a Girl” campaign, which raised awareness on the importance of nurturing girls globally and in developing countries in particular. Awareness for the initiative grew internationally and soon the United Nations got involved in this campaign which finally became the International Day of the Girl Child with the inaugural day on October 11, 2012.

The resolution states that the Day of Girls recognises the empowerment of and investment in girls, which are critical for economic growth, the achievement of all Millennium Development Goals, including the eradication of poverty and extreme poverty, as well as the meaningful participation of girls in decisions that affect them, are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full and effective enjoyment of their human rights, and recognizing also that empowering girls requires their active participation in decision-making processes and the active support and engagement of their parents, legal guardians, families and care providers, as well as boys and men and the wider community.

Each year’s Day of Girls has a theme; the theme for this year’s celebrations is “My voice, our equal future” where girls, especially adolescent girls will focus their their demands to live free from gender-based violence, harmful practices, and HIV and AIDS; learn new skills towards the futures they choose and lead as a generation of activists accelerating social change

If you want to get involved in the International Day of the Girl Child, you can do so by sharing stories of inspiring adolescent girls or girl-led organisations who are developing innovative solutions or leading efforts towards positive social change, including gender equality, in their communities and nations. Let’s amplify their leadership, actions and impact to inspire others. You can also participate in a youth-led digital activation which will be launched on the 11^th. This will be led by young people across the world who are developing a digital activism campaign, aiming to raise the diversity of girls’ voices and their vision for a reimagined future.

Memories and Such

Memories of a very ordinary life

Tag Archives: UN Days