International Celebration

“The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.”
The second United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, who paid for peace with his life; died on 18 September 1961 in a plane crash while on a peace mission in the Congo.[1]

What is the International Day of Diplomatic Multilateralism

In an effort to reaffirm the United Nations Charter and its principles for resolving disputes among countries through peaceful means, the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace has been declared and approved by a recorded vote of 144 to 2, through the UN Resolution (A/RES/73/127) which was adopted on December 12, 2018.[2]
The United Nations came into being, following the devastation of the Second World War, with one central mission: the maintenance of international peace and security, and the UN Charter has affirmed the importance of the commitment to settle disputes through peaceful means and spare the succeeding generations from the scourge of war.[2]

Furthermore, the nature of the current complex global relations made it difficult to measure the impact of the United Nations in reducing the outbreak, escalation, continuation, and recurrence of violent conflicts, and in there was the role of diplomacy and Multilateralism as the most effective tools, whether regional or global, to achieve comprehensive sustainable development and strive to secure human rights for all.[2]

Outcomes from the International Day for Diplomatic Pluralism

For the success of conflict prevention, Roselyn Akombe, Chief of Policy, Guidance and Learning at the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, says that there are five key elements to be achieved:
First, having your finger on the pulse, being close to the ground, and understanding the situation well.
Second, working on the political tract early, with the aim of preventing conflicts and mitigating the effects of wars as much as possible.
Third, is the inclusiveness of many voices such as those of women and the youth.
Fourth, partnership with regional organizations and international financial institutions, and linking short-term political work with the longer-term peacebuilding and development efforts.
Fifth, and most importantly, is the political will of all actors to prevent conflicts.[1]

The role of women in the peacemaking process

The focus on increasing the effective participation of women in the peacebuilding and conflict prevention efforts must be a major priority, as the number of women participating in formal peacebuilding processes remains inadequate despite the numerous commitments and initiatives at the regional and global levels, and many peace agreements still fail to address women’s needs in both security and peacebuilding areas.[1]

In conclusion, we, at Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative, call for taking serious and honest steps towards peacebuilding all around the world, especially in Syria, having suffered from the scourge of war and conflicts with all their physical, security, and psychological implications on civilians. Our initiative also calls for activating a greater role of women in all acts aiming at peacebuilding and conflict prevention.

♀️ Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative aims at sustainable peace building in Syria through targeting women and providing them with free online courses, workshops, discussion sessions and trainings, with a view to achieving the goals of Gender Equality, Quality Education and Decent Work and Economic Growth, which all fall into the interest of society as a whole and serve the purpose of rebuilding it.

“We must act decisively to protect our planet from both the coronavirus and existential threat of climate disruption.” [1]

– UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

When is the history of International Mother Earth Day

The world celebrates the International Mother Earth Day on April 22 of every year, the origins of this day go back to 1969; which witnessed massive destruction and damage caused by the oil spill in Santa Barbara, more than 20 million people took it to the streets in a peaceful procession in support for the earth and the environment.
Following this incident, 22 of April has marked the International Mother Earth Day to refocus the world’s attention on the need to protect the environment in order to keep it healthy for current and future generations. [2]

Although more than 190 countries agree to mark the International Mother Earth Day, harmful practices against the environment and the atmosphere continue to threaten the safety and stability of the planet. [2] [3]
This has led to consequences such as global warming and climate change that caused damage to the living organisms, thereby adversely affecting the temperatures of the seas, oceans, and the Earth’s interior; all of which portend environmental disasters we might not be able to bear in the future, such as the spread of viruses and the emergence of new species.

How can we preserve the environment and the earth

Perhaps the best way to keep the earth safe and guarantee a better future for the upcoming generations is to encourage positive behaviors and promote awareness-raising and environmental education. In order to achieve that, we need to inspire people to defend and protect the environment, by highlighting the importance of human biodiversity and its significant role in preventing the rapid spread of many diseases.
However, in spite of the efforts to achieve that, biodiversity continues to deteriorate throughout the world, and at unprecedented rates in human history. It is estimated that more than one million species of animals and plants are threatened with extinction.

In conclusion:

Countries must protect their ecosystems, which support all forms of life on earth; the healthier our ecosystems, the healthier the earth and its population, as restoring our affected ecosystems help end poverty, combat climate change, and prevent mass extinction. [3]
Through our initiative and on this special day, let us all remember the importance of our role in protecting the earth from all damage to its safety and stability, and that we urgently need to transform into a more sustainable economy that works for the benefit of society and the planet.

♀️ Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative aims at sustainable peace building in Syria through targeting women and providing them with free online courses, workshops, discussion sessions and trainings, with a view to achieving the goals of Gender Equality, Quality Education and Decent Work and Economic Growth, which all fall into the interest of society as a whole and serve the purpose of rebuilding it.

What would drive people to come together in the stands and in front of screens to watch a match between two teams that have no connection except for competing for a title that is more semantic than materialistic?
What causes many people to spend hours a week doing a sport?
What benefits do they get from exercising and how has it evolved this way?

Sport throughout the ages

The reliable history of sports goes back at least 3,000 years. In its early days, sports often included preparing for war or hunting, which explains why many early games involved spears, pegs, stones, and one-to-one rivalries.

To celebrate all that sport offers and the different human values it represents -the most important of which is the team spirit; an important characteristic that has contributed to the development of human societies, in addition to sportsmanship, honest competition, and the desire for personal development -, the United Nations chose April 6th of every year to celebrate sport and its importance and encourage everyone to benefit from it.

Given its impact on people’s opinions to make a positive change in society, it is undeniable that sport has a great influence on its fans. In addition to the impact of sport on society in general, it holds a positive sway that everyone who practices it on an ongoing basis can feel.

The benefits of sport

1. Physically:

– Reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases.
– Weight management.
– Lower blood cholesterol.
– Control blood sugar and insulin levels.
– Lower risk for several types of cancer.
– Help to quit smoking and get rid of addiction.

2. Mentally and psychologically:

Many studies have shown that daily exercising for 20 to 30 minutes reduces stress and depression, as exercise helps limit negative thoughts and daily worries, and improves sleep quality.

These benefits are due to the decreased levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, and the release of the “happy hormones” such as endorphins.

In addition to the above-mentioned benefits, there are some extra benefits to exercising that manifest in each age group:

• For children through development stages, sport provides the best growth of bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and reduces the risk of obesity.
  It also has an obvious psychological and social impact on children, helping them build social and leadership skills and boost their self-confidence.
• In adolescence, early, and even late adulthood, the human body needs sports to maintain the health of its organs and muscles.

Given all of the above, it is not surprising that sport is considered a human right rather than a luxury.

The downsides of sport

Foremost among them are injuries caused by some extreme sports, and the stress of trying to reach the ideal body which may lead to depression and appetite disorders. Also, the high prices of sportswear, equipment, and club subscriptions, as an attempt to achieve the ideal image imposed by the media, have turned sport from a right and natural activity into some kind of trade.

This common image of the sports body is unstable and changing from time to time; with the aim of obtaining new tools and resources that benefit the trader, and requires a lot of material resources and psychological and physical effort to reach, resulting in sport being associated with a sense of disappointment and frustration, rather than a source of happiness and confidence.

But with all these developments that have changed the shape of life, a lot of solutions have emerged that help us reconnect with our human nature, unfolded by some simple ways to practice sport, thereby increasing the ways to exercise freely and available for all to maintain their physical and mental health.

One of these solutions is using free online sports applications, such as the FitOn app, which contains a very large number of recorded exercises of trusted trainers in different fields, including:

– Cardio
– Strength training
– Yoga
– Meditations
Available at different times and different grades to suit all levels. With a weekly goal set to motivate members to follow the exercises. Achievements can also be shared with friends for encouragement.

Let us not forget that the main purpose of sport is to increase fitness, rather than achieve the commercial body image, as each body has a different nature.

Trainers always focus on accepting the body in all forms, and the importance of sport regardless of the external appearance, which is a personal matter for each individual.

And on this day, there is nothing better than to take up a sport, in celebration of ourselves and our desire to maintain our physical and mental health without any social pressure.

So what kind of sport do you prefer? And how many hours do you assign to sports on a daily and weekly basis?

References:

1. Webmd
2. Med-Line Plus
3. National Day Calendar
4. Thoughco
5. Better Health