On 11 February, the United Nations, partners worldwide, women and girls will mark
the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrating the theme, “Investment in Women and Girls in Science for Inclusive Green Growth.”
The Day focuses on the reality that science and gender equality are both vital for the
achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, long-standing biases and gender stereotypes are steering girls and women away from science related fields. According to data from the UN Scientific Education and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), fewer than 30% of
researchers worldwide are women and approximately 30% of all female students select
STEM-related fields in higher education. Globally, female students’ enrollment is
particularly low in ICT (3%), natural science, mathematics and statistics (5%), and
engineering, manufacturing and construction (8%).
In order to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and
girls, and further achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls,
the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/70/212 declaring 11 February as
the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Education
The International Day of Education
The world will celebrate the International Day of Education on 24 January 2020, a day proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly to honor education and its entrality to human well-being and sustainable development. The 2020 celebration will position education and the learning it enables as humanity’s greatest renewable resource and reaffirm the role of education as a fundamental right, a public good and an enabler of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It will frame ‘inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all’ as a goal in and of itself, as well as a necessary means to accelerate progress to meet the targets of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. As the UN organization mandated to lead on education in the 2030 Agenda, UNESCO will draw on its convening power and engage with education and development partners to celebrate the Day around the world by focusing on the many ways learning can empower people, preserve the planet, build shared prosperity and foster peace.The 2020 theme ‘Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace’, highlights the integrated nature of education, its humanistic aims, as well as its centrality to our collective development ambitions. It also gives stakeholders and partners flexibility to tailor the celebration for diverse audiences, a variety of contexts and for priority themes.
A humanistic approach to education implies an integrated approach to the multiple individual and collective purposes of education. Education is at the heart of both personal and community development. Its mission is to help all people develop their talents fully and to realize their creative potentials, including responsibility for their own lives and the capacity to contribute to society. Education is also a powerful catalyst – for combating poverty and inequality, improving health and well-being, and overcoming discrimination. It is the key to achieving gender equality and is vital for peacebuilding and reconciliation. Education initiatives have a proven potential to help marginalized populations gain access to justice that contributes to peaceful societies.
World Science Day for Peace and Development
The World Science Day for Peace and Development (WSDPD) is annually held on November 10 to raise awareness of the benefits of science worldwide. The WSDPD is
also known as World Science Day.
Background:
It was recommended at the World Conference on Science in Budapest in 1999 recognition was required for the need for a new compact between science and society. It was discussed at the conference that a World Science Day would help strengthen commitments to attain the Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge’s goals and to pursue the Science Agenda: Framework for Action’s recommendations.
Following the World Conference on Science, UNESCO established the WSDPD through
a proclamation at a general conference in 2001. The WSDPD was to be served a reminder of the organization’s mandate and commitment to science. The day was first celebrated on November 10, 2002 and has been held annually on November 10 since then.
Celebrating Cyrus the Great Day and reflecting on the need for human rights today
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
“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
