In 1981, the UN General Assembly declared an International Day of Peace.
"Imagine all the people living life in peace." John Lennon
This coincided with the opening of the UN assembly. The day calls on all nations to observe a day of ceasefire and nonviolence worldwide. The aim is to make people honour a cessation of war and hostility.
“Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding.” Albert Einstein
Read more.. »
If you take no other measures during the year, today, at least, you
should think about the planet and do your bit to help protect our ozone layer. In 1994, The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 16th September each year to be the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This commemorates the 1987 date in which the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete The Ozone Layer was signed.
Read more.. »
The International Day of Democracy was set up to examine the 
state of democracy in our world today. In 2007, the UN General Assembly declared it to be a day to encourage governments to strengthen programmes devoted to the promotion of democracy.
Democracy is a universal value that freely expresses the will of people to determine…
Read more.. »
2003-12 has been designated the ‘Literacy Decade: Education For All’
by the United Nations. Creating literate environments is essential to ensuring sustainable development, gender equality and poverty eradication. The UN believes that literacy is a human right and a means for social and human development. One in five adults is illiterate and of the illiterate population, two-thirds are women. Read about my experiences and see my photos of my time in Ghana teaching literacy to a group of engaging women.
Read more.. »
‘Eid-ul-Fitr’ celebrates the end of the Muslim period of fasting, known as Ramadan.
It's forbidden to fast on Eid ul-Fitr.
At the end of the month, once fasting has been completed, a big celebration takes place known as ‘Eid-ul-Fitr’, the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. During this celebration Muslims dress in their finest clothes, give gifts to children and spend time with their friends and family. At Eid it is obligatory to give a set amount of money to charity to be used to help poor people buy new clothes and food so they too can celebrate.
Read more.. »
To honour the spirit of the Olympics 2012, 204 poems from around the world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, have been collected from each of the 204 participating countries by the Scottish Poetry Library.
Here is the second set of ten from Asia. Enjoy!
Follow the link to read the first set of ten Asian poems
The poems selected are often not by the most notable poet a country has produced. Some of them are funny or light-hearted. Often they are snapshots of lives rather than grand narratives. And some of the choices may be controversial. However, they all give a glimpse of lives in countries spanning the globe. Together these poems depict a world united not only by sport, but by emotions that are universal and need no translator other than the heart.
To honour the spirit of the Olympics 2012, 204 poems from around the world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, have been collected from each of the 204 participating countries by the Scottish Poetry Library.
Here is the second set of ten from Africa. Enjoy!
The poems selected are often not by the most notable poet a country has produced. Some of them are funny or light-hearted. Often they are snapshots of lives rather than grand narratives. And some of the choices may be controversial. However, they all give a glimpse of lives in countries spanning the globe. Together these poems depict a world united not only by sport, but by emotions that are universal and need no translator other than the heart.
You will find the first set of ten here: Africa
To honour the spirit of the Olympics 2012, 204 poems from around the world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, have been collected from each of the 204 participating countries by the Scottish Poetry Library.
Here are the first ten from South America and the Carribean. Enjoy!
The poems selected are often not by the most notable poet a country has produced. Some of them are funny or light-hearted. Often they are snapshots of lives rather than grand narratives. And some of the choices may be controversial. However, they all give a glimpse of lives in countries spanning the globe. Together these poems depict a world united not only by sport, but by emotions that are universal and need no translator other than the heart.
To honour the spirit of the Olympics 2012, 204 poems from around the world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, have been collected from each of the 204 participating countries by the Scottish Poetry Library. 
Here are the first nine from Australia and Oceania. Enjoy!
The poems selected are often not by the most notable poet a country has produced. Some of them are funny or light-hearted. Often they are snapshots of lives rather than grand narratives. And some of the choices may be controversial. However, they all give a glimpse of lives in countries spanning the globe. Together these poems depict a world united not only by sport, but by emotions that are universal and need no translator other than the heart.
Taking place during the Hindu month of Sravana (13th August 2011),
Raksha Bandhan is a very beautiful and important festival. It celebrates brotherhood and love, promoting harmonious coexistence between all. It is mainly celebrated in Northern India. Raksha Bandhan is a significant event in the Hindu Calendar and the importance of the brother-sister relationship is emphasised throughout.
Read more.. »
Hello, I'm Deborah Swallow and, for the last fifteen years, I've worked in over thirty countries addressing the complexities of people working internationally across multiple cultures, so individuals and organisations alike can gain an authentic competitive edge and win in international markets.
Contact me now for better international performance and increased profits
Tel: +44 (0) 207 1936 281
Email: deborah@deborahswallow.com
