International Volunteer Day

By ChiYoWo

International Volunteers Day was created in 1985 for organizations, communities, and individual volunteers to celebrate and make visible their contributions at local, national, and international levels. It is now observed every year on December 5^th.

Volunteering is defined as, “a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking.”

Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa with an estimated 170 million people, but despite being the largest economy, poverty rates are still climbing with 65% said to be living in extreme poverty. These conditions breed discontent and disaffection amongst youth. It also becomes an entry way for corruption, Islamic extremism and ineffective governance. VSO International says Nigeria needs to create at least 2.5 million jobs every year for the next decade to meet the needs of its growing workforce, and with 10.5 million children currently out of school, something needs to be done.

That is where volunteering comes in. There are many great benefits to volunteering. It can help

• fight poverty
• improve education
• by making sure that everyone gets the skills they need to live a full, exciting, and dignified life.
• volunteering can also help contribute to the delivery and enhancement of education. Baker, Gersten and Keating (2000) showed that volunteers can have a direct impact on students such as helping them to learn how to read.
• improve health
• by making sure people have access to better quality healthcare.
• improve livelihoods
• Giving people the freedom to live with independence and dignity by offering secure and reliable access to food and income.

 

It also has positive effects on the volunteers themselves, bot intrinsically and extrinsically. It can help with self-esteem, open and expand career paths and allow them to get proper training, along with helping with mental and physical health.  They are also able to build up their resumes, develop leadership skills, and develop long lasting relationships with people in their communities and community leaders.

There are many things for today’s youth to volunteer with. Things like working in a foodbank, volunteering for administrative tasks, working with children, and working with the homeless are just a few.

If you are interested in volunteering there are numerous volunteering projects available.

A few for you to look at are:

• http://www.icyenigeria.org/projects.html
• http://www.opportunitiesforafricans.com/category/volunteering/
• https://www.chiyowo.org

Let’s all start coming together and becoming a cohesive community. Let’s make sure everyone has the access to healthcare, education, and a chance for great livelihoods! Help us observe International Volunteers Day and show appreciation for our volunteers all around the world!

Sources:

Points Of Light – http://www.pointsoflight.org/sites/default/files/site-content/files/social_impact_of_volunteerism_pdf.pdf

UNDP – http://www.ng.undp.org/content/nigeria/en/home/library/human_development/undp-nigeria-annual-report-2015.html

VSO International – https://www.vsointernational.org/volunteering/ICS-youth-volunteering

VSO International – https://www.vsointernational.org/sites/default/files/the_role_of_volunteering_in_sustainable_development_2015_vso_ids.pdf

USAID – https://www.usaid.gov/nigeria

 

Stand Up For Someone’s Rights Today

By ChiYoWo

On December 10, 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document set out fundamental human rights to be universally protected. Human Rights Day is now observed every year on December 10^th to commemorate this huge milestone in human rights history.

Many feel that this year’s Human Rights Day is an especially important one because of the way the world is currently heading. People are fearful. Fearful for their lives and the lives of others. All over the globe there is disrespect for the most basic of human rights. There are senseless killings surrounded by messages of hate and intolerance. People come face to face with horrific violence from extremist movements. People are scared to be themselves, and we must put a stop to it.

This year’s theme is Stand Up For Someone’s Rights Today. United Nations states, “We must reaffirm our common humanity. Wherever we are, we can make a real difference. In the street, in school, at work, in public transport; in the voting booth, on social media.”

Ways to stand up for rights:

• Read and share the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Stand up for someone that you see is being bullied or harassed. It doesn’t matter if you see it online, at the mall, or at school.
• Donate to organizations that help those affected by human rights abuse.
• Combat myths with facts. Challenge those harmful stereotypes.
• Educate your children about human rights. Show them positive and diverse role models.

 

Though only a few are listed, there are many things you can do to stand up for human rights not just on Human Rights Day, but every day of the year. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. […] Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

If we want the world to change, it must start within ourselves first.

 

Source:

United Nations – http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/background.shtml

United Nations – http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/

United Nations Office of the High Commissioner – http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/HumanRightsDay.aspx

Let’s be kind to one another …

By ChiYoWo

In 1998 the World Kindness Movement introduced World Kindness Day on November 13^th. World Kindness Day focuses on the good deeds being done throughout communities, and focuses on the positive power and the common thread of kindness that binds us all together. According to Gulf News “it is a day that encourages individuals to overlook boundaries, race and religion” There are many ways you can participate in World Kindness Day.

Here are two suggestions to help you get started on World Kindness Day.

1. Share a kindness quote. There are many quotes out there about kindness, such as “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted “–Aesop. So, find your favorite one, put on Facebook and Twitter and tell it to your co-workers and friends.
2. Do Kindness. We should do kindness every day, but especially on World Kindness Day! There are many activities you can do such as: writing a note of encouragement to someone, picking up rubbish, recycling, helping someone out to their car, or donating to charity.

Random facts about kindness

Kindness Fact #1: Did you know engaging in acts of kindness produces endorphins, the brains natural painkiller?

Kindness Fact #2: Like most medical antidepressants, kindness stimulates the production of serotonin. This feel-good chemical heals your wounds, calms you down, and makes you happy!

Kindness Fact #3: The positive effects of kindness are experienced in the brain of everyone who witnessed the act, improving their mood and making them significantly more likely to “pay it forward.” This means one good deed in a crowded area can create a domino effect and improve the day of dozens of people!

So, no matter where you are in the world or whether you are young or old, be sure to spread kindness and participate in World Kindness Day!

Sources:

[1.] The World Kindness Movement – http://www.theworldkindnessmovement.org/

[2.] Random Acts of Kindness – https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/about-us

International Men’s Day

By ChiYoWo

On February 7, 1992 International Men’s Day was first created. It is now celebrated annually on November 19^th in over 60 countries. The objective of International Men’s Day is to focus on men’s and boy’s health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive role models. It is a day for men to celebrate all of their achievements and their contributions to their families, communities, marriages, and children. It is also a day to focus on men’s wellbeing socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

The theme for this year’s International Men’s Day is STOP MALE SUICIDE. Sadly, the suicide rate for men is three times higher than women in every country. Annually, there are some 475,000 deaths from murder, of which 80% are male. On top of high suicide rate, data shows that men are overall unhealthier than women in almost every part of the world due to numerous factors. Some of these factors being, the majority of smokers are male, men are also more likely to drink and do illegal drugs than women, they overall have a poorer diet and are faced with more occupational health hazards than woman. Globally, men’s life expectancy rate has dropped down from 69 years to 58.3 years.

Now is the time to bring attention to the issues the men in our world are facing! We need to show we are there for them and care for them as they care for us.

There have been and are many methods of commemorating International Men’s Day such as public seminars, conferences, festivals and fundraisers, classroom activities at schools, radio and television programs, religious observances, and peaceful displays and marches. You can participate in observing International Men’s Day by telling those special men in your life how much they mean to you! Let’s celebrate men and all that they do for the family, friends, jobs, communities and their nations!

 

[1.] Mens Day – http://www.mensday.ws/en/about.php

[2.] BCMJ – http://www.bcmj.org/articles/silent-epidemic-male-suicide

[3.] Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Men%27s_Day

[4.] Mens Health Week – http://www.menshealthweek.org.au

[5.] International Mens Day – http://www.internationalmensday.com/

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

By ChiYoWo

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was designated to November 25^th by the United Nations General Assembly. This date was chosen in remembrance of the assassination of three sisters Maria, Teresa, and Minerva Mirabel.  The Mirabel sisters were activists from the Dominican Republic who were opposed to the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo and were involved in clandestine activities against his regime. Because they were protesting against Trujillo, he ordered for them to be assassinated.

Today, the premise of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is to raise awareness to the fact that women all around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence as well as other forms of violence.

Quick Facts

• 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence-mostly by an intimate partner.
• Women who have been physically or sexually abused by their partners are more than twice as likely to have an abortion, almost twice as likely to experience depression, and in some regions, 1.5 times more likely to acquire HIV, as compared to women who have not experienced partner violence.
• It is estimated that of all women who were the victims of homicide globally in 2012, almost half were killed by intimate partners or family members, compared to less than six per cent of men killed in the same year.
• Around 120 million girls worldwide (slightly more than 1 in 10) have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts at some point in their lives. By far the most common perpetrators of sexual violence against girls are current or former husbands, partners or boyfriends.

Many women’s organizations have pulled together to increase awareness and gather support. It is time for us to join in and end violence against women together.

Please, help us celebrate and take action by participating in International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The 25^th of November is known as “Orange Day’ so be sure to wear something orange!

Sources

[1.] UN Women – http://www.unwomen.org

[2.] History – http://www.history.com

 

World Food Day: Food a Basic Human Right?

By ChiYoWo

Hunger.  What do you picture when you think of hunger? Do you think about how you have not eaten in four hours and you really need a snack? Or do you think about the over 805 million people (that is 1 in every 9 people) who live in chronic hunger? Food is a basic human right, yet many people around the world do not have access to safe and nutritious dietary food needed to lead productive lives.

Hunger Facts:

• Sub-Sharan Africa has the highest prevalence of hunger as 1 in 4 people are undernourished,
• Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45 percent) of deaths in children under five. That is 3.1 million children each year,
• 1 out of 6 children (roughly 100 million) in developing countries is underweight,
• Over 70 percent of food insecure people live in rural areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East. Many of them are small hold family farmers.

Now, wait a minute. Did that last statistic say that family farmers are food insecure? Yes. Most farmers are able to produce enough food to feed others around them, but not for themselves. Most often, they lack adequate storage for their crops, transportation, access to good seeds, well-functioning markets, and financing.

Did you know that if women farmers had the same access to resources as male farmers do, the number of hungry people could be reduced by up to 150 million! What an accomplishment that would be!

So, participate in World Food Day with us! World Food day is celebrated on the 16^th of October every year in in honor of the date that the Food and Agriculture Organization was founded. This is take action day is for everyone to come together and make a commitment to eradicate hunger. Join us on this journey of stopping world hunger!

Sources:

World Food Day USA – http://www.worldfooddayusa.org/what-is-wfd

All Africa – http://allafrica.com

World Food Programme – https://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats

International Day of the Girl Child 

The event which focuses on the theme ““Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement”.

Why International Day of the Girl Child?

October 11, 2012 was the first day the girl child was recognized. International Day of the Girl Child is an international observance day declared by the United Nations; it is also called the Day of the Girl and the International Day of the Girl (IDG). The observation supports more opportunities for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender. This inequality includes areas such as right and access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and the protection from discrimination, violence against women and child marriage.

 

Objective of IDG 2016

• Enhance national capacity and systems to collect, analyze and disseminate gender data across the age spectrum to improve statistics on gender-based violence, adolescent pregnancy and reproductive health, informal employment, entrepreneurship, unpaid work, and other priorities for girls and young women.

• Disaggregate data on boys and girls and along other dimensions (e.g., ethnicity, age, income-level, disability, location, migration status, etc.) to better understand exactly which children and adolescents are most disadvantaged and where.

• Improve data collection efforts for often undercounted groups – such as data on sexual violence against younger adolescent girls (10-14).

• Harness “big data” and technology to close the gender data gaps in areas where progress for girls is often difficult to measure due to issue sensitivity or the huge data volume required, including through analysis of girls’ opinions on key development issues on social media.

• Remedy the gender bias in existing measurement tools, particularly biases that exclude the most vulnerable. For example, improved data collection tools can prevent under-reporting of violence against girls and under counting of their births and deaths.

• Pilot and scale-up innovative real-time data platforms to monitor and adapt programming for girls, to ensure girls are active participants in program design and that programs achieve the most impactful results.

 

Global Handwashing Day- October 15th

By ChiYoWo

It is extremely important to teach our children how to properly wash their hands. According to Globalhandwashing.org every year, 1.7 billion children do not live to celebrate their 5th birthday because of diarrhea and pneumonia. Three quarters of these children are located in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The most effective way to prevent these diseases is to use soap when washing your hands.

Global Handwashing Day was created to promote hand washing with soap throughout the world and to raise awareness about the benefits of washing your hands. We must teach our children how to wash their hands the right way, and when they should be washing their hands.

How to properly wash your hands:
·Wet your hands with clean running water (either warm or cold).
·Apply soap (This can be liquid, bar or powder soap).
·Lather by rubbing your hands together and scrub vigorously for 20 seconds.
·Rinse hands really well.
·Dry your hands with either a clean or disposable towel or air dryer.

When to wash your hands:
· Before handling food
·Before treating wounds, giving medicine, or caring for someone who is sick
·After using the bathroom
·After you touch animals
·After you sneeze, cough, or touch your face
·After preparing food, especially raw meats
·After you get done being/playing outside

Celebrate Global handwashing Day with us every year on October 15th and help us raise awareness to the importance of washing our hands for the safety of ourselves and others. Using soap while washing your hands is not only an easy and effective way to prevent diseases, but it is also affordable.

[1.] Globalhandwashing.org – http://globalhandwashing.org/
[2.] CDC – https://www.cdc.gov/features/globalhandwashing/
[3.] Mayo Clinic – http://www.mayoclinic.org/

World Humanitarian Day on August 19 Celebrates “One Humanity”

Tokunbo Ifaturoti

On August 19, 2016 the international day observances shift to focus on the humanitarian that resides in us all. Under the theme “One Humanity”. Events on that day will pay direct homage to humanitarian aid workers and the over 130 million persons worldwide who depend on their selfless assistance.

It is vital that we acknowledge these efforts and support all plans to increase the reach and effectiveness of humanitarian aid workers. What should also be at the forefront of our thoughts is how we can contribute to make a difference. Being a humanitarian is defined as “having concern for or helping to improve the welfare and happiness of people”. That concern should drive us to

• learn more about the hardships and struggles of people displaced by war and strife
• use all means available to us to spread awareness of their plight
• encourage and instigate change how, when and wherever we can

Another way in which we can allow the humanitarian in us to shine through, is to give our support in time, skills and financial assistance to charities and organizations that are working to improve the conditions of those in need. These entities work to empower the disadvantage, enabling them to make positive changes in their personal lives and in their societies.

When each individual takes these actions in the spirit of humanitarianism then we are affecting changes to the happiness, health and safety of our fellow human beings. We are acting as “One Humanity”.

“In a world that is ever more digitally connected, each of us has the power and responsibility to inspire our fellow human beings to act to help others and create a more humane world.” — UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

Make It A Day To Remember

International Day For The Remembrance Of The Slave Trade And Its Abolition 2016

Tokunbo Ifaturoti

August 23 is the day set aside by the United Nations for us to focus on the lasting effects of the slave trade, the struggles that led to its abolition and what these mean to us as we try to improve conditions for all around the globe. Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General, puts it all into perspective when she states “All of humanity is part of this story, in its transgressions and good deeds.”

The establishment of the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition comes out of UNESCO’s The Slave Route Project. That initiative is also responsible for the setting up of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024).

Human nature is laid bare for open examination as we dissect the horrendous trade and the unstoppable movement to fight against it and bring about its downfall. That fight was not swift, but a centuries-long struggle running from the abolition of slavery in a handful of American states in the late eighteenth century to the 2003 banning of slavery in Niger.

Within Nigeria, many internally displaced persons (IDPs) have fled their homes out of fear of modern day slavery at the hands of insurgents. Also, Badagry in Nigeria’s Lagos State was a primary town for the export of slaves to the Americas. Whether past or present, slavery and its nuances have left an indelible imprint that tempers how societies and sectors within societies relate to each other.

It is important that the achievements of groups which were (or still are) physically, mentally and emotionally oppressed be highlighted as a way to restore a sense dignity and equality to them. In doing so we will be guaranteeing that they are able to freely continue to make worthwhile contributions to the growth of whichever countries they are in. In the case of Nigeria’s IDPs, it is worthwhile to focus on their strengths and empower them to become independent as a way to maintain their freedom.

Let us not forget the scourge of slavery but also, most importantly, let us collectively decide to focus on the powerful human traits that have led to its abolition. These are the traits that will drive the development of societies that respect and nurture all their citizens regardless their ethnic background, gender, age, or socio-economic status.