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Celebrating Cyrus the Great Day and reflecting on the need for human rights today

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Pasargad Heritage Foundation Statement on Cyrus the Great Day

This year is the 15th year that Iranians are celebrating October 29th , known as “Cyrus the Great Day.” On this day, people from all over Iran go to Pasargadae (the ancient capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great, 559–530 BC, and the location of Cyrus’ tomb) and pay homage to Iran’s most important national and historical figure. Many Iranians, both at home and all across the corners of the globe, celebrate this glorious day.
Unfortunately, as the popularity of Cyrus the Great Day grows and people around the world continue to celebrate this historical day, the Islamic State ruling Iran has established numerous forms of harassment and persecution to prevent Iranian people from celebrating the festivities and visiting Pasargad.
 In recent years, as the Iranian government and enemies of Persian culture and history have become more hostile towards celebrating Cyrus the Great, it is fortunate that his life and the love and affection of Iranian people for the beloved Persian leader has increased. Cyrus’ life has global importance and the understanding of how his human rights charter impacts history has great significance.
Naturally, a prime reason for the current attention to Cyrus the Great and his charter (the Cyrus Cylinder charter of human rights) is the development of an understanding of the importance of human rights. It is also due to the oppressive and abysmal conditions imposed by the Islamic regime on the Iranian people.
The decree of Cyrus the Great on human rights 2550 years ago was the first to confer tolerance, freedom of religion, abolition of forced labor, and the pursuit of prosperity and peace. In contrast to Cyrus’ charter, the Iranian nation in the 21 st century is experiencing inhumanity, injustice, and cruelty under the Islamic government. It is by this simple and clear comparison that people can understand the importance of the role of a human rights charter and laws. Celebration of Cyrus does not mean just looking at the history of ancient times. It means understanding the humanitarian concepts and ideas that can still be embraced today.
It is clear that the Islamic State and its affiliated individuals and organizations cannot suppress the love of Iranian culture and patriotism of Iranian people for their identity and history by force and violence. After forty years of extensive propaganda by the Islamic state, they have failed to replace the Persian culture of joy and wisdom with sadness, fear, and retribution.
This year, on the eve of Cyrus the Great Day, the Pasargad Heritage Foundation calls on the people of the world, those who love Iran and are believers in human rights, to celebrate this day more beautifully and gloriously than ever before.

With love and affection,

Shokooh Mirzadegi
From the Pasargad Heritage Foundation
October 2019
www.savepasargad.com

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

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“One of the keys to ending child poverty is addressing poverty in the household, from which it often stems. Access to quality social services must be a priority.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
In a world characterized by an unprecedented level of economic development, technological means and financial resources, that millions of persons are living in extreme poverty is a moral outrage. Poverty is not solely an economic issue, but rather a multidimensional phenomenon that encompasses a lack of both income and the basic capabilities to live in dignity.
Persons living in poverty experience many interrelated and mutually reinforcing
deprivations that prevent them from realizing their rights and perpetuate their poverty,
including:

  • dangerous work conditions
  • unsafe housing
  • lack of nutritious food
  • unequal access to justice
  • lack of political power
  • limited access to health care

This year marks the 27th anniversary of the declaration by the General Assembly, in its resolution 47/196 of 22 December 1992, of 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This year also marks the 32nd anniversary of the Call to Action by Father Joseph Wresinski — which inspired the observance of October 17 as the World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty — and the recognition by the United Nations of the day as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

World Migratory Bird Day

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World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) was initiated in 2006 and is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. 2018 was an important transition year in the history of WMBD – unifying the planet’s major migratory bird corridors, or flyways: the African-Eurasian flyway, the East Asian-Australasian flyway, and the Americas flyways. Celebrated from now on twice a year, on the Second Saturday in May and in October, WMBD aims to reach out to a broader audience and amplify its message for bird conservation.

Every year people around the world take action and organize public events such as bird festivals, education programmes, exhibitions and bird-watching excursions to celebrate WMBD. All these activities can also be undertaken at any time on the year because that countries or regions observing the peak of migrations at different times, but the main days for the international celebrations in 2019 are Saturday 11 May and Saturday 12 October.

The theme for WMBD 2018, which also took place in the “Year of the Bird”, was “Unifying our Voices for Bird Conservation” and focused clearly and strongly on the development of its new identity and the need for people celebrating WMBD around the world to communicate and learn from each other, across borders, within and between the world’s flyways.

International Day of Non-Violence

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“Gandhi constantly highlighted the gap between what we do, and what we are
capable of doing. On this International Day, I urge each and every one of us to do everything in our power to bridge this divide as we strive to build a better future for all.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres
The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and
strategy of non-violence.
According to General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”. The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.
Introducing the resolution in the General Assembly on behalf of 140 co-sponsors, India’s
Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Anand Sharma, said that the wide and diverse
sponsorship of the resolution was a reflection of the universal respect for Mahatma
Gandhi and of the enduring relevance of his philosophy. Quoting the late leader’s own
words, he said: “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is
mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man”.

International Day of Charity

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September 5 was chosen in order to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 “for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace.”

International Day of Charity serves to enhance and increase social responsibility amongst us all, solidarity and to increase the public’s support for charitable causes. This day is a great opportunity to raise awareness and provide a platform for charity events to take place on a global scale.