awareness Archives - Lucian Hodoboc

Dwarfism Awareness Month – October, 2021

While International Dwarfism Awareness Day is observed every year on the 25th of October, the entire month of October is Dwarfism Awareness Month. One great way to participate in Dwarfism Awareness Day is by learning more about dwarfism.

In 1957, actor Billy Barty and some of his friends founded an organization for people with dwarfism, called Little People of America (LPA). In 2012, LPA wanted to honor Billy Barty, so they created International Dwarfism Awareness Day, choosing Barty’s birthday (October 25th) as the official date.

Considering the complexity of the topic, I’d rather only list the basics and leave you with a few links to some websites where you can deepen your knowledge.

Dwarfism is a condition characterized by short stature, usually resulting in an adult height of four-feet, 10-inches or shorter. For children, this means being below the height growth curve for their age, which would be less than the 3rd percentile.
The terms usually preferred by people with this condition are “short-statured” or “little person” rather than “dwarf.” The term “midget” is considered to be offensive by the majority of people.
There are several hundred genetic diseases that can cause dwarfism, but the most frequent ones are listed on this page in alphabetical order.
Achondroplasia makes up 70% of all cases of dwarfism and affects about one of every 25,000 to 30,000 newborns. Achondroplasia is caused by a problem with the gene that allows the body to convert cartilage to bone while growing, especially in the long bones. The word achondroplasia comes from Latin and literally means “without cartilage formation.”.

If you want to learn more, I invite you to explore the following sites:

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/international-dwarfism-awareness-day-october-25/
https://www.lpaonline.org/dwarfism-awareness-month
https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-many-types-of-dwarfism-are-there-2860725
https://www.webmd.com/children/dwarfism-causes-treatments

Conflict Resolution Day, 2020

The Bible teaches us to love peace and to live in harmony. In the Beatitudes from The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blessed the peacemakers and mentioned that they will be called “Sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

This is one of the reasons why I think that everyone, and Christians in particular, should observe Conflict Resolution Day, a global event intended to promote the concept of peaceful conflict resolution.

Each Year, since 2005, the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) celebrates Conflict Resolution Day the third Thursday of October. This year it is held on October 15.

The ACR logo of the tree was designed as a symbol to celebrate growth in Conflict Resolution. The first year, start small, but, just like the tree, the seeds you plant one year, will continue to grow and blossom each year.

Conflict Resolution Day was conceived in 2005 by the ACR to:

Promote awareness of mediation, arbitration, conciliation and other creative, peaceful means of resolving conflict;
Promote the use of conflict resolution in schools, families, businesses, communities, governments and the legal system;
Recognize the significant contributions of (peaceful) conflict resolvers; and
Obtain national synergy by having celebrations happen across the country and around the world on the same day.

October has become a time to promote and celebrate peaceful conflict resolution practices worldwide. Dedicated dispute resolution practitioners are helping to educate the public about mediation and other innovative conflict management processes.

The Art of Listening presentation by Don Schapira for the Conflict Resolution Day Planning Committee

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 2020

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is commemorated each year on 15 June to highlight one of the worst manifestations of ageism and inequality in our society, elder abuse.

Elder abuse is any act which causes harm to an older person and is carried out by someone they know and trust such as a family member or friend. The abuse may be physical, social, financial, psychological or sexual and can include mistreatment and neglect.

Elder abuse is a problem that exists in both developing and developed countries yet is typically underreported globally. Prevalence rates or estimates exist only in selected developed countries — ranging from 1% to 10%. Although the extent of elder mistreatment is unknown, its social and moral significance is obvious. As such, it demands a global multifaceted response, one which focuses on protecting the rights of older persons.

Approaches to define, detect and address elder abuse need to be placed within a cultural context and considered along side culturally specific risk factors. For example, in some traditional societies, older widows are subjected to forced marriages while in others, isolated older women are accused of witchcraft. From a health and social perspectives, unless both primary health care and social service sectors are well equipped to identify and deal with the problem, elder abuse will continue to be underdiagnosed and overlooked.

There are several ways you can help fundraise for the cause of this day if you so wish. You can also donate to charities which support the elderly and their well-being.

Perhaps today you could play your part by volunteering somewhere which ensures the happiness of the elderly, such as in a retirement home. You could also visit an elderly relative and spend some time chatting or having a cup of tea.

Be sure to spread the word by posting about the day on your social media accounts.

No Diet Day, 2020

International No Diet Day (INDD) is an annual celebration of body acceptance, observed on the 6th of May. This day is dedicated to promoting a healthy life style with a focus on health at any size and in raising awareness of the potential dangers of dieting and the unlikelihood of success; the Institute of Medicine summarizes: “those who complete weight loss programs lose approximately 10 percent of their body weight only to regain two-thirds within a year and almost all of it within five years.

First started by Mary Evans (who had battled anorexia in her life) in 1992 with the aim of helping men and women around the world appreciate their own bodies, No Diet Day has evolved over the years and currently brings attention to tough issues regarding diet and body awareness, focusing on a number of agendas. This includes the following:

Educating people about the right way to diet responsibly and effectively
Having all people take a one-day break from their diets
Celebrating the diversity of different shapes and sizes

To celebrate No Diet Day, you can start by recognizing that your own body is beautiful exactly as it is. De-emphasizing your efforts to shed weight to look a particular way, it is far better to celebrate the holiday with efforts at beginning to live a healthier lifestyle altogether. Worry less about your final goal, and more about getting out and being active and keeping your body healthy.

Participants are also encouraged to:

Compliment colleagues on skills, achievements, and contributions instead of focusing on appearance
Declare a day free of dieting and obsessions about weight and shape.
Challenge the idea of one “right” body shape and embrace body diversity.
Learn the facts about the diet industry and understand the inefficacy of commercial diets.
Help end weight discrimination, sizeism, and fatphobia.
Use the #NoDietDay hashtag to share on social media.

World Suicide Prevention Day, 2019

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is an awareness day observed every year on 10 September in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world since 2003. It is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP).

In past years, over 300 activities in around 70 countries were reported to IASP, including educational and commemorative events, press briefings and conferences, as well as coverage on most social media sites.

According to statistics listed on Wikipedia and other websites, an estimated one million people per year die by suicide. That is about one person in 10,000 (1.4% of all deaths), or “a death every 40 seconds or about 3,000 every day”. As of 2004 the number of people who die by suicide is expected to reach 1.5 million per year by 2020.

On average, three male suicides are reported for every female one, consistently across different age groups and in almost every country in the world. “Conversely, rates of suicide attempts tend to be 2-3 times higher in women than in men, although the gender gap has narrowed in recent years.” More people die from suicide than from murder and war; it is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide.

If you needed a sign to NOT kill yourself, here is a video I made a long time ago:

Anti-suicide video

Anti-bullying Day

According to various online sources, there is no official date for celebrating Anti-bullying Day, as different countries celebrate it on different days of the year.

The idea originated in Canada more than a decade ago, and while Canadians celebrate Anti-bullying Day on February 27, the United Nations declared the official day to be May 4.

Anti-Bullying Day was instituted to prevent further bullying and it is a day when people wear mainly a pink shirt to symbolize a stand against bullying.

Anti-Bullying Day activities can take place at schools, workplaces, or any peer group location. They may include “abolishing bullying” rallies, information and networking booths to help the community in understanding the evils of bullying, and publicizing anti-discrimination organizations. Examples include Blue Shirt World Day of Bullying Prevention, National Bullying awareness month, and Pink Shirt Day.

Other features include handouts, resources, and information promoting the message of the “National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence”. Examples of other activities include races, conferences, video-creating competitions such as the “ScreenIt!” and the “Back me up” competitions, and community events, all used to spread awareness of bullying and violence.

Personally, I think that bullying is such a major problem in today’s society that we need as many anti-bullying days as we can get throughout the year.

Are you going to get involved in stopping bullying this year? Share your opinions about Anti-bullying Day and let me know (in the comments section) how or if bullying has affected your life. It certainly has affected mine a lot.