The 21st of March marks a very important day on our calendars, and no, it’s not because it’s Mother’s Day today. Half of the world’s population celebrates Mother’s Day and the other half criticizes the so-called unthoughtful act that doesn’t bear in mind the feelings of those who lost their moms or children.
Amidst all of that, there are four other events taking place and you probably don’t know about any of them.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Racism has been around for ages, and thanks to the hidden agendas out there, all sorts of discrimination has arisen. Racial discrimination doesn’t just target those of African descent, but refugees and immigrants have fallen victim to it as well. As a way to show that all humans are born free and must be respected, the United Nations’ General Assembly has dedicated the 21st of March to acknowledge the cause and call for eliminating racism for good.
World Poetry Day
On this day, the UNESCO recognizes the magical power of poetry, aiming to support poetic expression and linguistic diversity. There’s no better way to celebrate this beautiful form of art than to practice or recite it. There were plenty of poets that revolutionized the use of words throughout history, and in the Arab world alone, poetry was considered a linguistic phenomenon! Words by people like Al-Mutanabbi or Nizar Qabbani will forever remain engraved in our hearts.
While on the subject, don’t miss those “13 Beautiful Lines of Poetry That Will Give You the Feels“.
World Down Syndrome Day
In late 2011, the General Assembly declared the 21st of March as World Down Syndrome Day in an attempt to raise awareness about the condition. Down Syndrome is a naturally occurring genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of the 21st chromosome 21. It normally affects physical features, delaying growth and causing intellectual disability.
Despite the challenges, a person diagnosed with down syndrome is no different than any other individual. They deserve inclusion in society by providing them with proper education, access to health care, early intervention programmes, job opportunities, and more.
Learn more as you check out those 14 misconceptions of down syndrome.
International Day of Forests
The UN also chose the 21st of March to raise global awareness about the importance of forests and their preservation. With topics like climate change and global warming being raised, sustainable management and use of resources, nature has given us, play a crucial role in protecting the environment. That is not something to belittle as Arabs just because we don’t have that many forests.
Ecosystems are becoming more fragile day after another, and even though not just forests we should aim to protect, we still have plenty of hidden green gems. Among those are the Cedar Forests of Lebanon, Ain Draham in Tunisia, and Dibeen Forest Reserve in Jordan, and much more.
