Days in the quarter

World Food Day

Theme: Achieving Food Security in Times of Crisis
16 October

World Food Day is observed each year on 16 October. The lead agency for the day is United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The objectives of World Food Day are to:

• enhance attention on agricultural food production and to stimulate national, bilateral, multilateral and nongovernmental efforts to this end
• encourage economic and technical cooperation among developing countries
• encourage the participation of rural people, particularly women and the least privileged, in decisions and activities influencing their living conditions
• heighten public awareness of the problem of hunger
• promote transfer of technologies
• strengthen international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and draw attention to achievements in food and agricultural development.

For more information visit:
http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/worldfoodday/en/

Universal Children’s Day

Theme: Right to Play
20 November

The UN General Assembly recommended to celebrate Nov 20th as the Universal Children’s Day and with activities devoted to promoting the ideals and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the world.

First proclaimed in 1954, Children’s Day was established to encourage all countries to institute a day, firstly to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and secondly to initiate action to benefit and promote the welfare of the world’s children. The Date was chosen as for marking the
Universal Children’s day as it marks the adoption of Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

In India, Children’s Day is celebrated on the 14th of November, the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, as a tribute to his love for children.

For more information visit:
http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/children_day/

International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Theme: Making the Millennium Development Goals disability
inclusive: Empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world
3 December

The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, aims to promote an understanding of disability issues, the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities. The Day provides an opportunity to mobilize action to achieve the goal of full and equal enjoyment of human rights and participation in society by persons with disabilities.

For more information visit:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1484

CEE Himalaya

Villagers in Uri, Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir preparing “Village Contingency Plan” for their village as a part of the International Mountain Day celebrations with CEE Himalaya. CEE Himalaya has been working in mountain areas since 2005. Currently CEE has taken up VCPs in 50 villages from 5 selected districts of Kashmir Valley, areas falling under zones 4&5 of seismicity.

International Mountain Day
Theme: Disaster risk management in mountains
11th December

The UN General Assembly proclaimed 11th of December as International Mountain Day in 2003, and since then it has been observed each year with a theme relevant to sustainable mountain development.
Mountains are hazardous places. Many mountain communities live under the threat of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, landslides and floods. Many are the factors that cause people to live in these vulnerable situations: ties of kinship and community, a culturally different notion of risk and poverty.

International Mountain Day is an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life. The day highlights the opportunities and constraints in mountain development. It gives an opportunity to build partnerships to bring about positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands.

For more information visit:
http://www.fao.org/mnts/intl_mountain_day_en.asp