Yesterday was the International Day of Happiness. Today, there are five United Nations observances.
1) International Day of Nowruz
A holiday shared by several countries in Europe and Asia, including Albania, Turkey, and Iran, the holiday marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere and celebrates the renewal of nature. It promotes the values of peace and friendship within the family and among people from different communities.
For Afghans and Iranians, it is also the start of a new year. Happy New Year my fellow Persians.
2) International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
On September 8, 2001, the Durban Declaration and Program of Action document, adopted at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance, underlined the key role that world leaders and political parties play in combating this type of intolerance.
Promoting greater respect and trust among different groups within society must be a shared responsibility, but differentiated based on your status and role.
3) World Poetry Day
At UNESCO’s 30th session in Paris in 1999, March 21 was proclaimed World Poetry Day. By capturing the creative spirit of the human mind, poetry promotes linguistic diversity through written and oral expression.
Poetry shows that all humans share many of the same questions and feelings. The art form is a mainstay of oral tradition and contributes to the understanding and acceptance of diverse cultures.
The observance of World Poetry Day encourages a return to the oral tradition of poetry recitals, to promote the teaching of poetry, and to restore the relationship between poetry and other art forms, including dance and theatre.
4) World Down Syndrome Day
In December 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21 World Down Syndrome Day, which began in March 2012.
Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that results in different physical and psychological effects, including altered learning styles. It exists in all regions across the globe.
The United Nations invites people of the world to observe World Down Syndrome Day in order to raise public awareness of this disease.
5) International Day of Forests
Forests cover about 1/3 of the land on Earth, performing vital functions for humans and other living organisms. Everyone on Earth, in one way or another, depends on forests. For more forest-dependent communities, forests provide shelter, jobs, and security.
Forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land, home to more than 80% of the terrestrial plant, animal, and insect species.
They play a key role in battling climate change by acting as a carbon sink (absorbing CO
2) and provide oxygen for us to breath. Protection of watersheds, which supply 75% of freshwater worldwide, are another service forests provide.
Despite all of these social, economic, and environmental benefits, we continue to destroy forests at alarming rates. Global deforestation continues at about 13 million hectares per year.
World Forest Day provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types trees and forests.
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