5 September: Day of Charity
The International Day of Charity was originally a Hungarian civil society initiative. It was supported by the Hungarian Parliament and Government in 2011, and was instituted on September 5 to commemorate the anniversary of Mother Teresa’s death.
In 2012, the UN General Assembly resolved to incorporate the Hungarian holiday and make it international.
The UN recognizes that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. This calls for a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.
Poverty exists in every country around the globe, from powerful industrial nations to the least developed countries. It continues to affect millions of people, regardless of their social and cultural situations, and is a barrier to true prosperity and equality.
On 5 September, the UN invites all its Member States, international and regional organisations, non-governmental organisations and individuals alike to commemorate the Day of Charity by encouraging charitable acts in their respective communities.
The prime purpose of the Day is to raise awareness and provide a common platform for charity-related activities all over the world. These activities are dedicated to defending human rights, providing disaster relief and promoting peace. The central concerns are: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership.
On the International Day of Charity, the emphasis is placed on enhancing visibility, organizing special events and increasing solidarity, social responsibility and public support.
So if you’re looking for a new charity to support, or if you would like to get more involved with a specific charity, then September 5 is the perfect day to do it.
16 September: Ozone Layer Day
Ozone (O3) constitutes a very small but vital part of our atmosphere. About 90% of this ozone resides in a region called the stratosphere, between ten and forty kilometres above the earth’s surface.
The ozone layer is a fragile shield of gas that helps to preserve life on the planet and protect its climate, by limiting the harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth. Without this protection, life on earth will cease to exist. Human, plant, animal life and even underwater life will be destroyed.
The ozone layer is getting thinner. The phenomenon of ozone depletion over Antarctica is referred to as the “ozone hole.” The effects of depletion are deadly—skin cancer, melanoma, and premature ageing. This has alerted the international community to protect the ozone layer.
The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was adopted and signed by 28 countries, on 22 March 1985.
In September 1987, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was drafted. Its principal aim is to protect the ozone layer by controlling the total global production and consumption of substances that deplete it. This means the control of nearly a hundred chemicals.
A number of commonly used chemicals are extremely damaging to the ozone layer.
Halocarbons are chemicals in which carbon atoms are linked to halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine). The man-made chemicals that have provided most of the chlorine and bromine for ozone depletion are methyl bromide, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and the families of chemicals known as halons, chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
These are widely used in medical equipment, cancer therapy, refrigeration, foam, solvents, aerosol, fumigation and fire-fighting sectors, commercial, marine, defence, and aviation industries.
What should we do in India?
We should limit the use of private vehicles, use eco-friendly products, have a total ban on pesticides, reduce the use of chemicals, and have strict norms and conditions for rocket-launching.
The Earth’s protective ozone layer is starting to repair itself because certain chemicals, like those used in aerosol cans, were phased out in the 1980s.
Let’s leave a cleaner Earth to those who come after us!
Meanwhile:
- Protect yourself by avoiding excessive exposure to the sun. (We need it, of course, but too much of it is harmful.).
- Minimize your appliances that impact the ozone layer.
Sr Esme da Cunha FDCC
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