This is the time of the year when we all think…”presents”!!!! What should I buy for my husband…my children…my parents…my friends….and so on but, giving is not all about “just presents” and giving, in my opinion, should not be a one-time event that happens once a year but something that you do daily.
So….at this time of year when the stores live for “Black Friday” or “Shop Small Saturday” or “Cyber Monday.” take a moment to think about giving something less material.
Think about giving of yourself…your time, like babysitting for a single mom who is going to school and working so that she can have an “adult” evening out with friends or going grocery shopping for someone who is home-bound or volunteering to serve meals at a homeless shelter or think about giving an experience, like a picnic in the park or a campfire at the beach, that will live for years in the memory of the person you give it to.
And while you’re at it, whether you are a Soroptimist or are just reading this blog because you think it is interesting, remember these other days of December:
December 1: UN World Aids Day
2017 Theme: My health, my right
Everyone, regardless of who they are or where they live, has a right to health, which is also dependent on adequate sanitation and housing, nutritious food, healthy working conditions and access to justice. The right to health is supported by, and linked to, a wider set of rights.
Ending AIDS as a public health threat can only happen if these rights are placed at the centre of global health, so that quality health care is available and accessible for everyone and leaves no one behind.
This year’s World AIDS Day campaign focuses on the right to health.
The #myrighttohealth campaign will provide information about the right to health and what impact it has on people’s lives. It will also aim to increase the visibility around the need to achieve the full realization of the right to health by everyone, everywhere.
Almost all of the Sustainable Development Goals (link to SDG website) are linked in some way to health, so achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which include ending the AIDS epidemic, will depend heavily on ensuring the right to health.
Remarkable progress is being made on HIV treatment. UNAIDS has launched a new report showing that access to treatment has risen significantly. In 2000, just 685 000 people living with HIV had access to antiretroviral therapy. By June 2017, around 20.9 million people had access to the life-saving medicines. Such a dramatic scale-up could not have happened without the courage and determination of people living with HIV demanding and claiming their rights, backed up by steady, strong leadership and financial commitment.
source: http://www.un.org/en/events/aidsday/
December 10: UN Human Rights Day
Let’s stand up for equality, justice and human dignity
Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December – the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year, Human Rights Day kicks off a year-long campaign to mark the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document that proclaimed the inalienable rights which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being — regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. It is the most translated document in the world, available in more than 500 languages.
source: http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/
December 10: Soroptimist International President’s Appeal
Every Soroptimist International (SI) President proposes a ‘President’s Appeal’: a project Soroptimists worldwide, across all four federations, are called upon to raise funds during the President’s two-year tenure. The 2017-2019 President of Soroptimist International is Mariet Verhoef-Cohen. Her appeal is “Women, Water & Leadership” – supporting projects that educate, empower and enable women and girls, ensuring they have the capacity, experience and education needed to manage water resources and gain careers in water-related professions.
As SI President Mariet launches her appeal let’s take the opportunity to learn and share information about “Women, Water & Leadership” by utilizing the tools provided below to raise awareness about this program to improve the position of women and girls as experts and leaders on the topic of water.
Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA) clubs and members can help fund the 2017-2019 President’s Appeal by sending donations to SIA Headquarters with the completed federation financial transaction form.
To read more about the 2017-2019 President’s Appeal: Women, Water & Leadership:
https://www.soroptimistinternational.org/campaigns/women-water-and-leadership-
And so as we enter the biggest “giving” month of the year, I wish you, your families and friends, a happy, healthy holiday season and hope for peace in the world.
and there is more…..
The following multicultural events and celebrations are among those that will happen this year:
- Saint Nicholas Day (Christian)
- Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican)
- St. Lucia Day (Swedish)
- Hanukkah (Jewish)
- Christmas Day (Christian)
- Three Kings Day/Epiphany (Christian)
- Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, Irish)
- Kwanzaa (African American)
- Omisoka (Japanese)
- Yule (Pagan)
- Saturnalia (Pagan)
