Green Holidays and International Observances
World what day? Today, are you sure?
Every culture has traditions and celebrations which to many may seem odd or strange especially to the casual observer, but not to the world or global citizen. To them our own traditions also probably seem odd when we attach our traditions and history to them. Celebrations, observances, anniversaries, and the seasons all bring cause to celebrate, remember or observe different days of the calendar and solar year.
With these celebrations, observances and festivities come those people wishing to collaborate, participate, remark and reflect on creating a better life and bringing human purpose full circle to the ideals being presented. Among those leading and promoting these events are goodwill ambassadors from all walks of life representing the ideals and goals of these many international global and local observances from Africa to Asia and from Australia to America.
International Observances
Currently there are over 100 different 'official' international observances that are presented around the world each year covering a whole range topics and ideals, many of them are on the United Nations official calendar. Their purposes are broadly diverse and developed to bring attention to things in our human civilization that are vital to our well-being and the well-being of our societies. These events cover topics like hunger, war, inequality, climate change, forests, water, trademarks, social groups, cooperation and many others are all presented to give people around the world a general knowledge education about both the plight, pain and the prosperity of our human condition.
Most of the international observances are all based on good causes and ideals, some people may be critical of some of them but that may because there are politicians involved in creating some of them; however in general because they are coming from organizations that are not subject to nation-state politics they focus on the real problems and ideals we need to make the world a better place.
In 2009 when Globcal International began we found that promoting these international observances was a great way to bring attention and social interest to these observances within the social media community. As an experiment to take poll results we developed over a dozen different pages on Facebook so we could use them in training exercises and to conduct demographic studies. Since then we have passed the torch to others while we remained with some lesser known days that are convenient to our forum like Biodiversity Day, Earth Day and Forest Day which both complement and strengthen our online efforts with the United Nations and the Sustainable Development Goals program.
Still Celebrating Ideals
Globcal International and our Goodwill Ambassadors Corps have maintained a page that we call International Observances where one of our ambassadors, the Honorable Maria Veneke-Ylikomi maintains several posts each week that focus on both official and non-official observances that are popular on a global scale. Though it is not as well followed as it once was (on Facebook you need to pay to have the features we once enjoyed) we still maintain it as a way to advise members and friends of ongoing events.
Over the weekend we celebrated World Environment Day which has now turned out to become one of the more remarkable observances of the year around the world and a great introduction point for communities around the world in need of environmental programs and awareness especially in light of the new climate change agenda. Tomorrow we will celebrate World Oceans Day.
Good for Education
Children need activities that expand their consciousness, build their minds and prepare them for the future. Personally I remember all good times in making up an Earth Day poster in 1970 when our class marched through the community to commemorate the occasion, they are very fond memories which has led me through my life to do what I can to make the world a better place.
Children playing outdoors at an international summer community (Friendship Day, July 30th) for youngsters 9-18, near Bedford, Virginia, United States. UN Photo/John IsaacToday the ideal of schools is mostly the same, basically reading, writing and arithmetic. Surprisingly and much to my satisfaction many of these international observances are green (environmental) but many people have complained about the new emerging educational system because it differs so much from the indoctrinate nationalist education that they had when they were children.
The activities of saving dolphins, tigers, oceans, equalizing women, eradicating poverty, remembering our past, and honoring children are far from the ideals my baby-boomer generation celebrated, after examining the curriculum however I think the themes presented are much more fun and educational than teaching children about dead presidents and revolutionary heroes to boost national pride. The ideals we have evolved for the educational systems allow children today to respect diversity and prepare them for a future that free of polarizing ideals and for the most part politically and religiously neutral.
What about Traditional Days?
On the lighter side there are long-term traditions that we hold close to our hearts are not counted in this mix because they are rooted in regional or religious custom rather than logic or necessity, and today do not hold much substance within the reality of our existence. Holidays like Christmas, Ramadan and Hanukah are respected based in socially just freedom and today can only be promulgated by lifestyle or belief systems than necessity. Now beginning in 2016 it will be against the law to promote such holidays publicly or in the school system because of the diverse make-up of our populations today.
I was once among these people who held in high regard days like Christmas and Thanksgiving at least until I moved away from the United States, today I still enjoy preparing grand feasts and organizing celebrations but now I create holidays based on the occasion of spontaneous events or reaping a harvest, this is much how the indigenous peoples of the Amazon celebrate. I really don't miss these days personally, but I bet if I were to travel to my family home and see some snow on the group I would probably break down and come to tears for all the fond memories I hold in my heart.
Explore All of the Days
Share this article with your friends, encourage them to adopt a new global calendar that brings their awareness and consciousness to a whole new level. Explore all the days by visiting the links we are sharing here to give life a greater purpose as an ambassador of ideals, compassion and knowledge. For more information and to learn what you can do follow these links on Wikipedia, there are others that link to these based on region and other purposes.Have fun, have a holiday or celebration today.
Col. David J. Wright
Col. Wright works for Globcal International as the executive administrator and a cooperative contractor authorized by its charter. On the behalf of the Commonwealth of Kentucky he is a Kentucky Colonel and formerly international cooperation ambassador of goodwill for the city of Caracas in Venezuela. He pioneered Goodwill Ambassadors of the World, published in 2009, from Goodwill Ambassadors, Inc. est. 1992. He is the executive commissioner of the Goodwill Ambassador Foundation, est. 2013.
