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World Refugee Day

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What is World Refugee Day?

World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.

Why is World Refugee Day important?

World Refugee Day shines a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees can not only survive but also thrive. While it is important to protect and improve the lives of refugees every single day, international days like World Refugee Day help to focus global attention on the plight of those fleeing conflict or persecution. Many activities held on World Refugee Day create opportunities to support refugees.

When is World Refugee Day? When did World Refugee Day start?

World Refugee Day falls each year on June 20 and is dedicated to refugees around the globe. World Refugee Day was held globally for the first time on June 20, 2001, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It was originally known as Africa Refugee Day, before the United Nations General Assembly officially designated it as an international day in December 2000.

What happens on World Refugee Day?

Each year, World Refugee Day is marked by a variety of events in many countries around the globe in support of refugees. These activities are led by or involve refugees themselves, government officials, host communities, companies, celebrities, school children and the general public, among others. 

International Day of Families

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International Day of Families is an annual observance celebrated on May 15. It is organized by the United Nations and aims to raise awareness about the economic, social, and demographic issues that affect families all around the world, and to highlight how important families are in the fabric of international communities and the foundation of society. In recent year, the International Day of Families has commemorated all families, both traditional and non-traditional, to enforce the fact that there is no blueprint for what a family is meant to be – a family is simply a group of people that love and support each other, and are connected by a strong bond.

Background
During the 1980’s, the United Nations began focusing attention on issues related to the family. In 1983, based on the recommendations of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission for Social Development in its resolution on the Role of the family in the development process (1983/23) requested the Secretary-General to enhance awareness among decision makers and the public of the problems and needs of the family, as well as of effective ways of meeting those needs.

In its resolution 1985/29 of 29 May 1985, the Council invited the General Assembly to consider the possibility of including in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session an item entitled “Families in the development process”, with a view to consider a request to the Secretary-General to initiate a process of development of global awareness of the issues involved, directed towards Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and public opinion.

Later, based on the recommendations of the Commission for Social Development, formulated in its 30th round of sessions, The Assembly invited all States to make their views known concerning the possible proclamation of an international year of the family and to offer their comments and proposals.

The Council also requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-third session a comprehensive report, based on the comments and proposals of Member States on the possible proclamation of such a year and other ways and means to improve the position and well-being of the family and intensify international co-operation as part of global efforts to advance social progress and development.
In its resolution 44/82 of 9 December 1989, The General Assembly proclaimed The

International Year of the Family.
In 1993, the General Assembly decided in a resolution (A/RES/47/237) that 15 May of every year should be observed as The International Day of Families. This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.

On 25 September 2015, the 193 member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 goals aiming to eliminate poverty, discrimination, abuse and preventable deaths, address environmental destruction, and usher in an era of development for all people, everywhere. Families and family-oriented policies and programmes are vital for the achievement of many of these goals.

The United States returned the stolen antiques to Afghanistan

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According to several news outlets, the Manhattan District Attorney handed over 33 looted antiquities valued at roughly $1.8 million to the Afghan ambassador to the U.S., Roya Rahmani and other officials on April 20th , at a repatriation ceremony in New York City.
Based on the reports, these artifacts are a small number of thousands of historical artifacts, some of which are more than 1,800 years old, and were removed from Afghanistan over the past half century due to war and unrest.
The returned artifacts were part of 2,500 historical artifacts worth $143 million that were seized during dozens of police operations and in the collection of disgraced antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor, who is now in prison in India and awaiting extradition to the U.S.
The works handed over to the Afghan ambassador on Monday will finally be exhibited at the Kabul National Museum.

World Creativity and Innovation Day 21 April

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Celebrating the creative economy in 2021

After a year of pandemic-induced lockdowns, there couldn’t be a better time to appreciate the creative economy. The United Nations is doing just this as it marks 2021 as the International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development . UNCTAD , alongside UNESCO , WIPO , UNIDO , the WTO will drive the annual celebrations and observations of the year.

UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General Isabelle Durant said the resolution was timely. “The creative industries are critical to the sustainable development agenda . They stimulate innovation and diversification, are an important factor in the burgeoning services sector, support entrepreneurship, and contribute to cultural diversity,” she said.

Creativity and innovation in problem-solving

There may be no universal understanding of creativity. The concept is open to interpretation from artistic expression to problem-solving in the context of economic, social and sustainable development. Therefore, the United Nations designated 21 April as World Creativity and Innovation Day to raise the awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development.

Wealth of Nations

Creativity and innovation, at both the individual and group levels, have become the true wealth of nations in the 21st century, according to the findings of the special edition of the Creative Economy Report ” Widening local development pathways “, co-published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) through the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).

Creativity and Culture

Cultural and creative industries should be part of economic growth strategies, according to the UNESCO report on culture and sustainable development . These industries are among the most dynamic sectors in the world economy, generating $2.25 billion in revenue and 29.5 million jobs worldwide. In that spirit, countries are harnessing the potential of high-growth areas of the market for economic returns and poverty
alleviation.

Happy Nowruz March 20, 2021

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Nowruz is first day of Spring and the beginning of the Iranian year . Nowruz is celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox , on 20th March or the previous / following day depending on where it is celebrated. Nowruz is celebrated and observed by Iranian people as well as several other countries across Asia including Afghanistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan and many more. The new year starts at the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day or exactly when the Earth has completed one cycle around the Sun.
The celebration has its roots in Ancient Iran. Due to its antiquity, there exist various
foundation myths for Nowruz in Iranian mythology. The Shahnameh dates Nowruz as
far back to the reign of Jamshid, who in Zoroastrian texts saved mankind from a killer
winter that was destined to kill every living creature. In the Shahnameh and Iranian
mythology, Jamshid is credited with the foundation of Nowruz. In the Shahnama,
Jamshid constructed a throne studded with gems. He had demons raise him above the
earth into the heavens; there he sat on his throne like the sun shining in the sky. The
world’s creatures gathered in wonder about him and scattered jewels around him, and
called this day the New Day or Now-Ruz. This was the first day of the month of
Farvardin (the first month of the Persian calendar). On Nowruz, families gather together
to observe the rituals and celebrate the beginning of the new year.
In addition, it is believed that originally the celebration was the holiest Zoroastrian
festival, and Nowruz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although
there is no clear date of origin. Since the Achaemenid era, the official year has begun
with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox.
International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in
its resolution A/RES/64/253 of 2010, at the initiative of several countries that share this
holiday (Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan

On the occasion of the Yalda Festival

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Learn from evergreen trees
Yalda is one of the few celebrations in the world that is thousands of years old. This festive event has gone through many highs and lows. And more than any other Iranian festivity, it has been targeted by oppressors who detest joy, music, and celebration, those who cannot even stand the sight of the cypress tree that the pre-Islamic Iranians beautifully decorated every year.
The Persians loved plants, especially the evergreen cypress and pine trees, because of their extraordinary interest in nature (and the fact that in ancient Persia, political and religious leaders encouraged them to preserve nature). They could see that these trees were resilient, standing tall, green, and proud in the face of snow, storms, and cold as winter cold blew through the land, and that these magnificent trees welcome spring in short time with freshness and joy.
It is not a surprise that the cypress has played a prominent role in all of our history: in stories, in rituals, in poetry and literature and art, in architecture and reliefs and inscriptions, and on fabrics and carpets.
I believe it is quite clear that the custom of hanging colorful and cheerful cloths (fabrics and materials) on ancient trees, to which people still adhere to in corners of Iran, is a continuation of the same ancient ritual of decorating cedar and pine trees on the occasion of Yalda. All of these rituals have changed over the last few centuries because during different times, people have been fearful of religious zealots and fanatical leadership.
However, today people who decorate trees come from many different cultural and religious backgrounds. It is good that centuries before the Arab invasion, our evergreen tree and the ritual of decorating the tree was exported to Europe with the followers of Mehr, or Mithra. In Europe the practice and rituals of decorating an evergreen tree was adopted by the Christians and to this day, around the same time as Yalda, in the houses and streets of many countries around the world, this beautiful and glorious tradition is practiced and celebrated. Although as Iranians we have been deprived of the gift of Yalda cypresses in our homes and streets for centuries, we fortunately still celebrate Yalda. Despite the oppression, this beautiful festive date with its green cypress has been engraved in our hearts and mind.
Yalda’s tradition has been with us for a long time, with its enduring light, joy, and the thought of its evergreen, even when they changed the name to “Chelleh.” Even when we have been forced to gather in the corners of our houses for this celebration of sun and love, instead of celebrating it with dancing and singing in public streets and alleyways. Let’s celebrate with pride and joy and away from the eyes of oppression.
Unfortunately, this year, on the eve of the great Yalda, the people of Iran are experiencing immense suffering, pain, and darkness. Both the pandemic and the monster of darkness and tyranny of the Islamic government has fallen on our land. But it is at this time that Yalda reminds us to learn from the evergreens and t0 attain enlightenment. It is not solely our spring of love, but also our wish for future generations’ of happiness and freedom that our people truly deserve.
Next to the Yalda’s ornamented and adorned cypress tree, I wish everyone happiness and a spring of freedom illuminating our land to come.
Desember 20. 2020

Celebrating Cyrus day, even virtually

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This year is the 16th year that the people of Iran, both within and outside of the country, celebrate October 29th (Aban 7th on the Iranian Calendar) as “Cyrus the Great Day.” The day coincides with the arrival of Cyrus in Babylon and the issuance of a charter within which, for the first time, human rights were stated.
In the early years of “Cyrus the Great Day,” many people from all over Iran went to Pasargadae and celebrated, marking the day with dancing and singing. (Pasargad is the Tomb of Cyrus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
However, the Islamic Republic of Iran, which only celebrate sadness, and at the same time cannot bear to honor a great leader who is the first flag-bearer of religious freedom in the world, has instead been using cannons, tanks, guns, and threats for several years. Recently, the threat of imprisonment has prevented people from going to Pasargadae.
In recent years, however, people have come to celebrate Cyrus’ Day on the roads leading to Pasargadae, or in schools, universities, private halls, or even in their own homes. And these celebrations have been getting bigger every year.
Fortunately, in the last three or four years, people in other countries in addition to the people of Iran have also started to celebrate the day of Cyrus. The people of Tajikistan, for example, have been more diligent than any other country, because, unlike the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Tajik government is vigilant and observant in encouraging the people to celebrate on this special occasion.
It is a perfectly timely and natural reaction for the people in the lands once ruled by Cyrus the Great to realize now, centuries later, the exceptional values ​​of his character, and to pay homage to him on different occasions. It is true that man today cannot live up to the standards of his past. Every sensible and rational human being can inevitably make a logical comparison between the orders and behaviors of Cyrus the Great (2550 years ago), and the brutal behavior and reactionary orders of the Islamic government in Iran in the 21 st century. Hundreds of years apart, the two are completely different
governments: one (Cyrus’s government) gave people the right to choose their faith and religion, transformed their citizens’ lives from unconscious beings to human beings with rights and decisions, and the other (today) deprives people of their simplest and most basic human rights.
It is clear that due to the pandemic and COVID-19 this year it is not possible to easily gather anywhere, without taking into account all mandated health precautions and restrictions. But fortunately we are in a time with the most advanced digital and media systems and we can use these to facilitate us wherever we are and to hold the day of Cyrus the Great in the most beautiful way, even if it is just done simply.
Today, while many people have lost loved ones and might have endured difficult times, we remember the great leadership Cyrus the Great showed to his citizens and the people of the world.
The Pasargad Heritage Foundation proposed years ago this day as the day to celebrate Cyrus the Great, and is once again asking everyone to celebrate today as a reminder of our common civil struggle against
oppression and tyranny.

Wishing you health and joy
Shokooh Mirzadegi
Pasargad Heritage Foundation
www.savepasargad.com

Statement from the Pasargad Heritage Foundation Mehregan: a message of love and enlightenment

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Statement from the Pasargad Heritage Foundation
Mehregan: a message of love and enlightenment
(10th – 16th Mehr – 1st – 7 h October)

Mehrgaan : Painting by Nestor Rakhshani

We are now on the eve of one of the largest celebrations in the world, the Mehregan celebration, which dates back thousands of years.
Mehregan is a nonreligious and apolitical celebration which to this day remains a symbol of beauty and new beginnings, as it carries a compassionate and cherished message.
Mehregan fosters a message of love and enlightenment, and for this reason it is known as “the Day of Love” in Iranian culture. It is also a day of commemoration for “fulfillment of the covenant,” because in our ancient culture, breaking the promise or pledge was considered deceitful and destructive as one of the worst sins.
Another important aspect of Mehregan, like other Iranian celebrations, is its secularity. During Mehregan, all people, regardless of gender, faith, religion, or race can be together, celebrating and sharing their joy.
Unfortunately for the last forty-two years, due to the dominance of an anti-Iranian culture and religious government, Iranians have not been able to hold and celebrate their national and non-religious celebrations easily, yet these festivities deserve to be celebrated in Iran.
This year, in particular because of challenges and problems from the pandemic and COVID-19, people have had more difficulty holding celebrations, even for Iranians abroad, therefore severely reducing and limiting the celebration of Mehregan and other annual events.
The Pasargad Heritage Foundation, like every year, asks the friends of Iranian culture to participate in the Mehregan celebration and to help preserve and spread its invaluable messages however possible.
This year our advice to lovers of Iranian culture, especially young people, is to use the internet and social media and to celebrate Mehregan with new initiatives and in a virtual way.
And let us not forget, in every Iranian celebration and ritual, to honor the memories of the martyrs and prisoners in Iran who have been fighting for freedom, so as to give more meaning and honor to our celebrations by remembering them and their names.
With kindness and joy,

Shokooh Mirzadegi
Pasargad Heritage Foundation
September 24, 2020
www.savepasargad.com

World Humanitarian Day 19 August

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Providing life-saving support during the pandemic.

On World Humanitarian Day (WHD) August 19, the world commemorates humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work, and we honour all aid and health
workers who continue, despite the odds, to provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need.
This year World Humanitarian Day comes as the world continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic over recent months. Aid workers are overcoming unprecedented access hurdles to assist people in humanitarian crises in 54 countries, as well as in a further nine countries which have been catapulted into humanitarian need by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This day was designated in memory of the 19 August 2003 bomb attack on the Canal
Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 22 people, including the chief humanitarian in Iraq, Sergio
Vieira de Mello. In 2009, the United Nations General Assembly formalized the day as
World Humanitarian Day.

International Day of Friendship, July 30th

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Our world faces many challenges, crises and forces of division — such as poverty, violence, and human rights abuses — among many others — that undermine peace,
security, development and social harmony among the world’s peoples.
To confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by
promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms — the simplest of which is friendship.
Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good.

Background
The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General
Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and
individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
The resolution places emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in
community activities that include different cultures and promote international
understanding and respect for diversity.
To mark the International Day of Friendship the UN encourages governments,
international organizations and civil society groups to hold events, activities and
initiatives that contribute to the efforts of the international community towards promoting
a dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation.
The International Day of Friendship is an initiative that follows on the proposal made by
UNESCO defining the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes and behaviours that
reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems. It was then adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1997.