International Day of Older Persons 2013

“The future we want: what older persons are saying”

By Terry Orr

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of Older Persons, observed on 1 October:

“The global community has reached a critical moment in our collective efforts to address poverty and usher in a better future.  The 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals is fast approaching while discussions on shaping a vision for development beyond that date are intensifying.  In this effort, we must address shifting demographics, especially the needs and concerns of the world’s increasing number of older persons.”

“By 2050, the number of older persons will be twice the number of children in developed countries, and the number of older persons in developing countries is expected to double.  This trend will have profound effects on countries and individuals.”

“There is broad recognition that population ageing presents both a significant opportunity and a challenge.  The opportunity is to benefit from the many contributions older persons make to society.  The challenge is to act on this understanding now through the adoption of policies that promote social inclusion and intergenerational solidarity.”

“We often hear people talk about revering older persons for their wisdom, but older persons also want to have a voice.  In our consultation process for the post-2015 development agenda, the United Nations has heard from more than a million people, including many older persons.  They are calling for a world where all have food, shelter, clean water and sanitation, and access to basic health services and education.  I have included these messages in my vision for a transformative post-2015 development agenda, which is set out in my report, “A Life of Dignity for All”.

INTERNATIONAL PICNIC DAY 2013

By Diane Forrest

When my son was young, my mother would occasionally take a pack lunch and take him down to the Mississippi River, where they would play, watch the boats rolling by and eat a sandwich or two.

Today is a good day not to cook.  It's International Picnic Day.  A day to pack a lunch in a basket, grab a blanket, head to the nearest large oak tree with lots of shade.  Make a few sandwiches, or some cold fried chicken.  Invite some friend and grab a quick lunch and relax and talk about the weekend, before heading back to work.

This style of dining is thought to originate from the French word, Pique-nique - Piquire meaning to pick at food and unique - something small of no value. Many historians believe that picnics date back to Medieval feasts that would occur after village hunters had a successful kill.

When I was younger, my grandmother would take me to the zoo, and pack up a basket full of food.  We would walk around and see all the animals, then go outside the gate where there was a little pond.  We would spread out our blanket and dig into the sandwiches, chips cookies and fruit that she brought.  We would eat until we were stuffed, then laid back and listened as she read stories to us…well until we fell asleep that is.

Having a picnic is just a nice way to break away from the hustle and bustle of the office, and traffic, and noises and other people, and just have a little while to gather your thoughts and breath fresh air and listen to the sounds of nature. You can even kick off your shoes and walk barefoot in the grass.  If it is raining, and you can't get out today, try watching the movie Pretty Women, where she takes Edward out on a picnic, then try to go out on one another day.

(Photos from Google) 

World Water Day

By Terry Orr

Most of us in America have never had to worry about drinkable water or dealt with water rationing.  When we travel, often we are told - “Don’t drink the water” as it is really not safe for our consumption. Yet there a literally hundreds of millions of people who are faced with this problem  every day of their lives. 

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Culture Organization (USESCO) has an excellent brochure available for viewing and downloading (see link below). I highly recommend reading this brochure and pass it along to others.

Why Is World Water Day Important?

• 780 million people—almost entirely the poorest and most marginalized in the world—live without access to safe drinking water. 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation (a pit latrine or better); that’s 40% of the world’s population.

• Lack of access to WASH contributes to two of the three leading killers of children under five years old in the world. These diseases are pneumonia, which could be prevented by good handwashing and better hygiene; and diarrhea, which comes from drinking unsafe water and lack of sanitation around the world. With good quality water, sanitation and hygiene, many children’s lives could be saved.
• Up to 40 billion working hours are lost every year to water collection, mostly by women and girls who must walk long distances, sometimes in dangerous circumstances, to collect water. This, combined with water-borne diseases keeping people from school and work, costs countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia 5-6% of their Gross Domestic Products each year. This is a significant blow to economic growth and global financial stability.

Water cooperation

The fulfilment of basic human needs, our environment, socio-economic development and poverty reduction are all heavily dependent on water. 

Good management of water is especially challenging due to some of its unique characteristics: it is unevenly distributed in time and space, the hydrological cycle is highly complex and perturbations have multiple effects. Rapid urbanization, pollution and climate change threaten the resource while demands for water are increasing in order to satisfy the needs of a growing world population, now at over seven billion people, for food production, energy, industrial and domestic uses. Water is a shared resource and its management needs to take into account a wide variety of conflicting interests. This provides opportunities for cooperation among users. 

Promoting water cooperation implies an interdisciplinary approach bringing in cultural, educational and scientific factors, as well as religious, ethical, social, political, legal, institutional and economic dimensions. (Source: UNWATER.ORG) 

References and Links:

http://www.unwater.org/fileadmin/user_upload/watercooperation2013/doc/YWC2013_Brochure_web.pdf 

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/world-water-day/ 

http://www.washadvocates.org/act/world-water-day-2013/ 

(All images from Google) 

International Networking Week – 2013

(Google Image)

By Terry Orr

International/Global Networking has taken on an entirely new and important meaning over the past decade.  Today we live in a 24/7 environment - our blog site are view globally is just one of many enterprises that has worldwide exposure. 

(Google Image)

Networking has always been an important means of communication both in the business and personal worlds. Doctors, Vets, mechanics, appliance and home repair are a small sample of our network.

(Google Image)

As an exercise several years ago, our customer asks that each person on the team, build their “network (bubble) environment.”  Collectively we white-boarded a couple to ensure we were on the right track – then each member went away to develop their “network environment.” The results were very interesting as we began reaching out beyond the first couple of layers and discovered just how far out we can reach people. That was what the customer wanted – for us to understand our reach.  I still have mine somewhere in my files.

(Google Image)

Today, the Internet has significantly increased our capabilities to network – Facebook, Twitter, Groups, Linkedin, Trade associations and groups, newsletters, blog sites and the list goes on and on. 

(Google Image)

I personally find all of this exciting – how lucky folks are to have all these marvelous tools available – especially the younger people.  Where will be ten years from now?

National and International Anti-Corruption Day

(Google Image) 

By Terry Orr

Put a stop to bribery and corruption or risk leading business down a path of destruction!

International Anti-Corruption Day

9 December 2012

International Anti-Corruption Day - In 2010 the Secretary-General of the United Nations broadcasted a message loud and clear about the role of the day!

So what is anti-corruption? It’s businesses taking the initiative to adopt strong policies against corruption. Why? Because corruption crimes like bribery and extortion, corporate espionage can be detrimental to businesses and eventually democracy.

And there are signals that corruption could be occurring. If cash payments seem abnormal, lavish gifts are appearing out of the blue or normal procedures are suddenly being bypassed you might want to consider if there is something else at work.

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has opened a past event which saw her voicing some very serious words about the issue! She emphasized the importance of fighting together to prevent the weakening of our economic climate by stopping criminals from feeding into black markets. Basically, the clearer the rules and leadership, the more transparent organizations will be forced to become! (Source: national-awareness-days.com)

(Google Image) 

2012 Theme: Act Against Corruption Today

Corruption is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon that affects all countries. Corruption undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development and contributes to governmental instability. Corruption attacks the foundation of democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes, perverting the rule of law and creating bureaucratic quagmires whose only reason for existing is the soliciting of bribes. Economic development is stunted because foreign direct investment is discouraged and small businesses within the country often find it impossible to overcome the "start-up costs" required because of corruption. (Source: UN)

(Google Image) 

Corruption is an appearance known since ancient times, and includes practically every corner of the world. Recently this problem is perceived negatively in the international scale. Corruption, after the organized crime, is regarded as the greatest threat to the economy and democracy.

Corruption deprave society and denies the fundamental moral values. It is a crime primary associate with the public sector, but also applies to business, where impede free competition. (Source: Pepe.com)

(Google Image) 

So my fellow citizens I ask you just how the heck can we correct this significant and ever increasing dilemma?

• Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual; the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country. ~ Karl Kraus
• I am against government by crony. ~ Harold L. Ickes
• I have often noticed that a bribe has that effect -- it changes a relation. The man who offers a bribe gives away a little of his own importance; the bribe once accepted, he becomes the inferior, like a man who has paid for a woman. ~ Graham Greene
• Life is a corrupting process from the time a child learns to play his mother off against his father in the politics of when to go to bed; he who fears corruption fears life. ~ Saul Alinsky

(Google Image) 

Top 7 Corruption Quotes:

1.    “Corruption is authority plus monopoly minus transparency.”  - Unknown

2.    “The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

3.    “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” - Lord Acton

4.    "Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power." - George Bernard Shaw

5.    "Power attracts the corruptible. Absolute power attracts the absolutely corruptible." - Frank Herbert

6.    "It has often been said that power corrupts. But it is perhaps equally important to realize that weakness, too, corrupts. Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many. Hatred, malice, rudeness, intolerance, and suspicion are the faults of weakness. The resentment of the weak does not spring from any injustice done to them but from their sense of inadequacy and impotence. We cannot win the weak by sharing our wealth with them. They feel our generosity as oppression." - Eric Hoffer

7.    "Money is truthful. If a man speaks of his honor, make him pay cash." - Robert A. Heinlein

(Google Image) 

Depending upon your source of information the past US Presidential cost exceeds $4 billion and up to $8 billion.  There are lots of folks wanting something for all that money.  Think of all the good that kind of money could take care of – especially in the wake of Sandy.  Is there any hope of changing the direction we are headed in America?

(Google Image) 

Your thoughts and recommendations are most welcome!

References and Links:

• http://www.national-awareness-days.com/international-anti-corruption-day.html
• http://www.un.org/en/events/anticorruptionday/
• http://www.aeriagloris.com/YesToRiches/Top7CorruptionQuotes.htm

Celebrating International Men’s Day 2012

“Helping Men and Boys Live long, Happier and Healthier Lives”

By Terry Orr

(Google Image) 

This theme above simply was not something in my younger years considered.  Instead, focus and priorities were duty, God, country and taking care of your family – in that order. Role models were a figment of one’s imagination – you simply considered the facts and made your best decision based upon them.

Family time was mandatory in our home. We all sat down to supper as a family – the kids cleaned up afterwards and did homework. At 7 PM (central time) we sat around in the family room and watch two hours of ‘family TV’ programs – Walt Disney; Ed Sullivan Show,; I Love Lucy; Danny Thomas Show, Andy Griffith Show; Red Skelton Hour; Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; Beverly Hillbillies; Dick Van Dyke; Donna Reed and My Three Sons; Bob Hope; Jackie Gleason and Gunsmoke rounded our weekly entertainment.  Sunday morning was Church – all hands participated without question.

(Google Image) 

Today – we need to take better care of ourselves, find balance and provide our children and families better role models and be activity involved in their total development.  This will help enable men to be happier, healthier and have a more rewarding and longer life.

Goals:

• Improving male life expectancy;
• Helping men get help;
• Improving boy’s education;
• Tackling tolerance of violence against men and boys; and
• Promoting fathers and positive male role models.

The objectives of celebrating an International Men's Day include focusing on:

• Men’s and boys' health;
• Improving gender relations;
• Promoting gender equality; and
• Highlighting positive male role models.

It is an occasion to highlight discrimination against men and boys and to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular for their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care. The broader and ultimate aim of the event is to promote basic humanitarian values. (Source: Wikipedia)

From my perspective, today is about focusing on all men being Positive Male Role Models – setting the example for all young people to follow.

(Google Image) 

References and Links:

• http://www.internationalmensday.com/
• http://www.mensday.ws/en/theme.php
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Men's_Day
• https://sites.google.com/a/imd-global.org/international-mens-day/