1 June:
Global Day of Parents
This day is also International Children’s Day, and so it is a time of international concern for strengthening the family.
Since it was declared in 2012 by the UN, it is held annually to honour parents around the world. Having parents is something we take for granted, but being a parent is definitely not an easy task. It has its challenges long before the kids are even born. With many complications resulting from pregnancy, just having a healthy parent is something to be grateful for. And while many of us grumbled when told to clean our rooms, or do other jobs around the house, or study, or pray, we were lucky that our parents brought us up well. If we had never learned to handle any responsibilities, we would have had no hope of coping with the adult world.
So today, make it special:
- Let us thank our first teachers and nurturers. And if you happen to be a parent, give yourself a big pat on the back.
- Exchange your thoughts and experiences on parenting with others, even with your own grown and not so grown children. There will be stories to laugh and hug each other for.
- Watch a movie about parents and kids. It’s a family day and that means time for a family movie.
Global Day of Parents reminds us to respect others, our elders and also our children. We have so much to learn and appreciate from both. Regardless of age, it’s something that has to be earned. Our parents have supported us through our ups and downs, all while dealing with their own personal issues.
It encourages fathers to take a more active role in parenting. Children benefit from having fathers play an active role in their lives. There is always room for a smile and a game of ‘catch me.’
Parenting is really a team game. Both men and women play an equally important role.
17 June:
Desertification and Drought Day
Formerly called ‘World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought,’ it is observed by the UN every year to promote awareness of international efforts to combat desertification.
Desertification is an increasing ecological problem. Previously fertile land becomes desert through deforestation, drought or improper agriculture. A relatively dry land region becomes increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife. This is caused by climate change and human activities. Desertification does not refer to the expansion of existing deserts.
Techniques exist for mitigating or reversing the effects of desertification. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification, consisting of 197 countries, specifically covers the areas of the planet which are most at risk. It tries to restore and maintain soil fertility and mitigate the effects of drought. Local people are encouraged to participate in schemes like tree-planting. They are educated about effective methods to work the land without causing degradation.
Globally, 23 per cent of the land is no longer productive, and 75 per cent has been transformed from its natural state, mostly for agriculture. This transformation in land use is happening at a faster rate than at any other time in human history and has accelerated over the last fifty years.
The theme for 2020 focuses on the link between consumption and land.
The next few decades are the most critical. A decade of land degradation may create irreversible damage, but a decade of land restoration may bring multiple benefits.
The problem is human-made. If so, we need to be part of the solution as well. Together, we can restore the productivity of over two billion hectares of degraded land, improve the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people around the world and mitigate the effects of drought.
Nearly 30% of India is affected by land degradation and desertification. In 2015, India joined the voluntary Bonn Challenge, pledging to restore thirteen million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2020 and an additional eight million hectares by 2030.
No matter where we live, the consequences of desertification and drought affect us.
Sr Esme da Cunha FDCC
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