GETTING INVOLVED IN INTERNATIONAL DAYS AS GLOBAL CITIZENS (PT. 1)

International Days are days mapped out by the United Nations to remember or consider certain global issues. They are sometimes called Commemorative Days or Awareness Days. The purpose of international days is to promote global awareness on certain areas. There are many international days in a year. As international days are celebrated, we gain insights into how their subjects matter and affect the world.  Examples of international days are: World Cancer Day International Women’s Day, World Autism Awareness Day, International Day of Peace, Global Handwashing Day, United Nations Day, etc. For the comprehensive list, click here.

Celebration of international days calls for stakeholders to gather globally in international conferences or in different locations across the world, where papers are presented, speeches made and discussions are open in order to address the issues in focus- often closing with a resolution on the way forward.

As global citizens, we should get involved in the celebration of international days by creating awareness of their importance to our society and to the world at large. We can also identify those that are in line with the areas we are passionate about and decide to support their course.

Over the years, I have been involved in some international days, including World Cancer Day, World Water Day, World Press Freedom Day, International Youth Day, Malaria Day, International Day of Peace, Global Handwashing Day, among others.  Most times I get involved in awareness campaigns, by attending conferences, some other times in projects that serve their essence.  They have been really nice experiences for me.

What can you do for/on international days?

1. Have a calendar of international days. Click on this link to find a list of international days.
2. Plan to attend conferences and meet-ups to commemorate the international days of your interest.
3. Determine to become awareness ambassadors. In other words, you will enlighten others on international days- on what they mean, why they should be considered and what should be done to celebrate them.
4. Have a calendar for internationals days you want to be personally involved in. They could be 5, 12, 29, etc. Make sure that the issues of these days interests you and that you are passionate about and will be committed to them. On a cardboard paper, draw a table of four columns with the dates in progressive order, the name of the international day, and your planned action or activity and an assessment portion. Your activity must be attainable and realistic.
5. Join community development groups or organizations like NGOs, CBOs, voluntary associations, etc. If you are already a part of one or more, suggest small achievable projects in line with your group’s objectives which your group can execute on international days.
6. Make sure you document all activities you do for international days by writing a summary of your events and achievements; as much as possible, include photos. You can have soft copies and publish them online on your personal blog, social media or on your group’s website.
7. You can do short documentaries on your international days projects to remind you of what you had done. That would give you lasting memories and spur you to do better next time.
8. Your documentations would help you when applying for opportunities and when you are accessing yourself. So, don’t forget to tick on your international days calendar you had earlier created when you have successfully executed your plans, by grading on a scale of 10, how well you had done the execution.

You should able to tell how far you have ascended in your global citizen ladder through international days. Remember that being a global citizen means that you are aware of what is happening in the world and that you are actively engaged in them and making inputs to make the world a better place.

In conclusion, I would love to ask: What international days are you involved or intend to get involved in? and how do you get involved or intend intend to get involved?