Month: October 2020

 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and its founding Charter.

The U.N was founded 75 yrs ago, on the 24th of October 1945, in San Francisco, California, United States. The United Nations is an organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly international relations, achieve international cooperation, and help in the harmonization of the actions of nations.

It was formed after the Second World War by 51 countries that aimed for a peaceful world,  prosperous nations, better living standards, and human rights. The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26th June 1945, in San Francisco, after the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24th of October, 1945. The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter.

This charter ensured that there would be no global organization with the convening power or impact of the U.N. The Charter of the United Nations, also known as the UN Charter, is the foundational treaty of the U.N. At first, it was signed by China, France, The Soviet Union, The U.K, The United States of America, and a majority of other signatory states.

By now, most countries in the world are members of the United nations. The charter establishes the purpose, governing structure, and framework of the UN, including its principal organs: The Secretariat, The General Assembly, The Security Council, The Economic and Social Council, The International Court of Justice, and The Trusteeship Council.

The Secretariat is the United Nations’ executive arm, as it is responsible for putting laws into effect. The general assembly is the policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations.

The Security Council is tasked with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and approving changes to the UN Charter. The Economic and Social Council is responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields of the organization.

The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, is the judicial organ of the UN. It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946. The Trusteeship Council suspended operations on 1 November 1994. By a resolution adopted on 25 May 1994, the Council amended its rules of procedure to drop the obligation to meet annually and agreed to meet as occasion required –  by its decision or the decision of its President, or at the request of a majority of its members or the General Assembly or the Security Council.

International sloth day was made in 2010 by the AIUNAU Foundation, a non-profit conservation, and wildlife organization based in Colombia that came up ‘cause of the need to contribute to the protection of wildlife, in particular Xenarthra.

Xenarthra is a major clade of placental mammals unique to the Americas. There are 31 living species: the anteaters, tree sloths, and armadillos. Extinct xenarthrans are the glyptodonts, the ground sloths, and the aquatic sloths. They originated in South America during the Paleocene about 59 million years ago.

 The unofficial holiday raises awareness about the life cycle and natural habitat of the Sloth.

Even though sloths live most of their lives upsidedown, they are amazing swimmers.

There are 6 species/ variations of sloth. These are – Pygmy three-toed, maned, pale-throated, brown, Linnaeus’ two-toed sloth and Hoffman’s two-toed sloth. Generally, they are simply known as ‘two-toed’ and ‘three-toed’ sloths’. Some sloths are completely nocturnal, such as the two-toed sloth, but most sloths don’t do a lot day or night. They usually spend 15 to twenty hours asleep, and only 4 – 9 hrs roaming in the woods.

Evidence suggests that once, giant ground sloths known as the megatherium/ the great beast once existed mainly in woodland and grassland environments of the lightly wooded areas of South America. They are estimated to have been around 20ft or 6.1m tall and weighed 4tonnes.

Don’t be slothful and remember to celebrate sloths and appreciate them.

On September 2, 1964, the United States Congress passed Joint Resolution 88-566, authorizing the President to proclaim October 9 as Leif Erikson Day. 

Leif Eriksson Day commemorates the Norse explorer believed to have led the first European expedition to North America, nearly 500 years before the birth of Christopher Columbus. Around 1001 A.D, a group of European sailors left their homeland behind in search of a new world.

 President Calvin Coolidge gave recognition to Leif Erikson as the discoverer of America during his appearance at the Norse-American Centennial celebration at the Minnesota State Fair. This was because of research by scholars such as Knut Gjerset, a Norwegian-American author, historian, and college professor together with Ludvig Hektoen, an American pathologist.  Wisconsin was the first U.S. state to adopt Leif Erikson Day as a state holiday in 1929, mainly thanks to efforts by Rasmus Anderson.

 In 1931, Minnesota also acknowledged this day. Thanks to the efforts of the Leif Erikson Memorial Association of Saskatchewan, the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan proclaimed—through an order-in-council in 1936—that Leif Ericsson Day would be observed on October 9. By 1956, Leif Erikson Day had been made an official observance in seven states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, and California) and one Canadian province (Saskatchewan).

In 1963, Senator Hubert Humphrey and Representative John Blatnik, both from Minnesota, introduced bills to observe Leif Erikson Day nationwide. On September 2, 1964, Congress unanimously authorized and requested the President to create the observance through an annual proclamation. Lyndon B. Johnson did so that year, as has each president in the years since, often using the proclamation to praise the contributions of Americans of Nordic descent generally and the spirit of discovery.

Bills have also been introduced in the Parliament of Canada to observe Leif Erikson Day.

World Animal Day was originated by cynologist Heinrich Zimmermann. He organized the first World Animal Day on 24 March 1925 at the Sport Palace in Berlin, Germany. Over 5,000 people attended this first event. Initially, he found a following only in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Czechoslovakia. Every year Zimmermann worked tirelessly on the promotion of World Animal Day. Finally, in May 1931 at a congress of the International Animal Protection Congress in Florence Italy, his proposal to make 4 October World Animal Day universal was unanimously accepted and adopted as a resolution.

 Now’s the time for all animal-lovers to show their compassion because October 4 is World Animal Day and we’re planning to take care of these wonders of nature. Animals can’t talk in the conventional way that humans communicate with each other. But this is a day we can all give a voice to the animals who can’t speak for themselves. On October 4, people spanning the globe will come together to celebrate World Animal Day. In any corner of the planet, no matter which country you explore, animals will consistently have a strong impact on the region’s culture.

Don’t miss this special opportunity to help animals, whether it is to feed a stray animal, provide shelter until the owner or a new home is found; to talk to others about the special bond animals have with us; to raise funds for your local animal charity, to raise awareness of World Animal Day, or maybe take your dog an extra-long special walk or snuggle your cat for a gloriously long time! But please remember, although the event only lasts a day, animal suffering continues every day. That’s why they need your understanding, kindness, and help all year round.

Animals are the second-best things in nature, after trees and plants of course. They help preserve the ecosystem and look cute doing it. Even dangerous animals are relaxed in their natural habitat. They are not as dangerous when they are full, bathed, and healthy. Bears, coral snakes, swans, polar bears, and chimps for example. When the above conditions are provided,  they are rather harmless. At least if you don’t irritate them.