International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, 6 February. http://www.un.org/en/events/femalegenitalmutilationday/

2016 Calendar of Holocaust Remembrance Events

“The Holocaust and Human Dignity”

The theme for the Holocaust remembrance and education activities in 2016, including the Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, is “The Holocaust and Human Dignity”. The theme links Holocaust remembrance with the founding principles of the United Nations and reaffirms faith in the dignity and worth of every person that is highlighted in the United Nations Charter, as well as the right to live free from discrimination and with equal protection under the law that is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Holocaust, which resulted in the destruction of nearly two thirds of European Jewry, remains one of the most painful reminders of the international community’s failure to protect them.

For more, visit Unesco’s website at http://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/2016/calendar2016.html

Sarah Parcak, an archaeologist and a National Geographic Fellow, whois potrayed as a modern world “Indiana Jones”, won a $1 million TED Prize for 2016.

Sarah has spent the last several years using satellites, initially designed for use by the military, to identify potential sub-surface remains.

Sarah is also a 2012 TED Fellow. She is an elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and was a featured lecturer (2009-12) of the Archaeological Institute of America. She received the UAB Exceptional Innovation Award in 2011, as well as the UAB Honorary Alumni Award in 2012.

According to the Iranian Cultural Heritage News Agency, Marco Giovanni Brambilla, PhD in architecture and Urban development, and a professor in Harvard and Penn Universities, gave a lecture on the Sultanieh Dome, in Iran. The lecture is to be convened in the Study Center of Farhangestan-e Honar, an academic setting for art studies.

This is important due to the fact that, after the Islamic Revolution, the historical heritage of Iran was neglected systemically and their repair and up-keeping were commissioned to unprofessional repairing teams. Thus, most of the repair-works done in important historical sites such as Pasargad Mausoleum, Persepolis, Bisotun and many others were handled unprofessionally and in an ugly manner.

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on 5 June to raise global awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature and the planet Earth.

What do people do?

World Environment Day is celebrated in many ways in countries such as Kenya, New Zealand, Poland, Spain and the United States. Activities include street rallies and parades, as well as concerts, tree planting, and clean-up campaigns. In many countries, this annual event is used to enhance political attention and action towards improving the environment. This observance also provides an opportunity to sign or ratify international environmental conventions.