International Day for Biological Diversity/ World Biodiversity Day: Important Issues

 

International Day for Biological Diversity/ World Biodiversity Day: Important Issues

As human beings, we should observe this day of 22 May every year and generations after generations seriously otherwise one day human lives will be in danger. The United Nations proclaimed 22 May as the International Day for Biological Diversity (Biodiversity Day) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues (UNGA Resolution 1994, COP1 Decision (COP means Conference of the Parties, UNGA Resolution 2000).

The International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day) is a United Nations–sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. It is pertinent to mention that Biological diversity – or biodiversity – is the term given to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns it forms. This diversity means a wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms. Around 1.75 million species have been identified, mostly small creatures such as insects. The researchers and scientists have estimated that there are about 13 million species, though estimates range from 3 to 100 million.

  It may be mentioned here that the rich tapestry of life on this planet is the result of more than 3.5 billion years of evolutionary history. It has been shaped by forces such as changes in the planet’s crust, ice ages, fire, and interaction among species. Human beings should take interest in conserving nature and its resources and it has to be admitted  that whether land or water or animals or plants all are the creation of nature and not by human beings so it is our responsibility to save and conserve these.  Further, we are responsible for declining numbers of pandas, tigers, elephants, whales, and various species of birds, fishes etc.  And many are at the verge of extinction.  It is observed from the Report that many species have been disappearing at 50-100 times the natural rate, and this is predicted to rise dramatically (cbd.int/doc/publications/cbd-sustain-en.pdf). It is also evident from the Report that, an estimated 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal species – including one in eight of the world’s bird species – face extinction. A few lines from the conclusion part of the Report is presented here, “although still in its infancy, the Convention on Biological Diversity is already making itself felt. The philosophy of sustainable development, the ecosystem approach, and the emphasis on building partnerships are all helping to shape global action on biodiversity. ……..Much, much more needs to be done. The passage of the Earth’s biodiversity through the coming century will be its most severe test. With the human population expected to rise dramatically, particularly in developing countries, and the consumer revolution set for exponential expansion – not to mention the worsening stresses of climate change, ozone depletion, and hazardous chemicals – species and ecosystems will face ever more serious threats. Unless we take action now, children born today will live in an impoverished world”.

    Anyway, this year (2021) in the International Day for Biological Diversity/ World Biodiversity Day the theme is “We’re part of the solution”. The slogan was chosen to be a continuation of the momentum generated last year under the overarching theme, “Our solutions are in nature”, which served as a reminder that biodiversity remains the answer to several sustainable development challenges. This important slogan we must adhere.

The following Reports have been consulted for writing the article:

1)   1)   https://www.cbd.int/doc/publications/cbd-sustain-en.pdf

2)     2)  https://www.cbd.int/biodiversity-day

3)     3)  https://www.un.org/en/observances/biological-diversity-day

Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad

 

International Day of Families 2021: Titbit

In school days we all read the famous line ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (a Sanskrit phrase) which means "the world is one family". So, it is evident that family is sine qua non for a society, country and for the world. Although long long ago the Sanskrit phrase ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ was used to mean the importance of family but in1985, the United Nations put importance on families in the world. The Economic and Social Council and the Commission for Social Development requested the then Secretary-General to raise more awareness about the issues and needs of families. On May 29, 1985, the General Assembly passed a resolution by including a topic, "Families in the Development Process" on the recommendation of the Council. In 1993, the General Assembly decided in a resolution (A/RES/47/237) that 15 May of every year should be observed as ‘The International Day of Families’. This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. On 25 September 2015, “the 193 member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 goals aiming to eliminate poverty, discrimination, abuse and preventable deaths, address environmental destruction, and usher in an era of development for all people, everywhere. Families and family-oriented policies and programmes are vital for the achievement of many of these goals” (www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-of-families).The UN website further states, “Family policies are a mainstay of national public policies, and the most meaningful vehicle for governments to influence the living standards of upcoming generations. As part of achieving the global ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), family policies play an important part in meeting targets across many of the goals”. The theme of International Day of Families 2021 is ‘Families and New Technologies’.

 Today (15 May 2021) an  inaugural Conference was held in Bangkok , under the banner of Asia Pacific Leadership Conference ‘Providing Vision and Leadership for Nation Building and Peace’ 6th  Batch under Universal Peace Federation (UPF), an international and interreligious network of individuals and organizations, including representatives from religion, government, civil society and the private sector. UPF is dedicated to achieving world peace. An NGO in general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, UPF supports the work of the United Nations, particularly in the areas of interfaith peace building, peace education, and the strengthening of marriage and family. In today’s Conference I was one of the participants as it took place as a virtual conference. All gave importance today’s day as International Day of Families. Anyway by quoting from UN website I am concluding, “Family trends: Families around the world are changing, many becoming smaller, as the number of single-parent households grows. Currently, 65% of all families are made up of either couples living with children of any age, or couples living with both children and extended family members, such as grandparents. The diminishing number of extended families and the increasing number of single-parent families put into sharp focus the issue of social protection”, (www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-of-families).

Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad , 15 May 2021

Happy Easter: My Experience about Easter in a Foreign Country

 

Easter is a great and joyous festival of Christian community as they believe on this day the resurrection of Jesus Christ took place, three days after his burial. Hence this day is also referred to as Resurrection Sunday. In India on 4 April 2021 Easter will be celebrated with full gaiety but there is a country located in the North-east of Africa known as Eritrea (capital Asmara) there this year Easter will be celebrated on 2 May 2021 as most of them belong to Orthodox Christian. So there Easter is known as Orthodox Easter, also called Greek Easter, is the main festival of the Orthodox Church. And around 300 million Orthodox Christians celebrate 7 January as Christmas and based on the Julian calendar Easter date varies so this year it will be 2 May 2021. It is pertinent to mention that the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, as a modification of the Julian calendar. The Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar for the calculation of Easter, whereas the Western churches use the Gregorian calendar. It is important to mention that Easter is associated with crucification of Jesus Christ and “the Last Supper was essentially a Passover feast. However, the New Testament describes it as being given new significance by Jesus: He identified the matzah (or bread) He shared with his 12 apostles as his “body” and the cup of wine they drank as his “blood” (history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter).

 I had the opportunity to enjoy Easter in Eritrea in addition to my country, India. A few lines about Eritrea I wish to men for the benefit of readers. Eritrea is spread over to an area of approximately 117,600 square kilometres including the Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands. Its total population was around 61 lakh in 2020. Eritrea is a unitary one-party presidential republic elections were never held. Mr.  Isaias Afwerki has been serving as President since its independence in 1993. When I was in teaching in the years 2005 and 2006 a lot Indian persons worked in different teaching faculties. The Indian army was posted as ‘Peace keeping force’ as those days Eritrea and Ethiopia had awful relations.

  Anyway in India my Christian friends have invited me many times for Easter and I have thoroughly enjoyed cakes, biscuits, tea etc. Here, I am sharing my experience in Eritrea. I was in that country for about two years selected by them as Associate Professor to teach Economics. As mentioned already, they are Orthodox Christians so their celebration of Easter date is different from Catholic and other Christians. During 2005 and 2006 two times I was invited by two different families on Easter. They prepared varieties of foods such as cakes, popcorn, barley-grain fry, biscuits etc. But, I was amazed to observe their coffee preparation. They prepared coffee powder in their residences by grinding coffee seeds and the powder is mixed with hot water then boiled the same in a charcoal stove. Every time after serving black coffee in a small cup the pot is put on the charcoal stove. Thus, hot coffee is served 3-4 times to each person. I enjoyed the coffee preparation which I observed for the first time  in my life.

   On this auspicious occasion of Happy Easter I wish all in general and Christian brothers and sisters in particular for a blissful, healthy and prosperous life.

Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad

3^rd April 2020

 World Wildlife Day 2021: Few Points from Academic Interests 

  I still remember in my school days read Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam which means 'the world is one family', albeit these two words are in Sanskrit. The original verse is found in the Chapter 6 of Maha Upanishad also in the Rig Veda. It is considered as the most important moral value in the Indian society and culture. It is pertinent to mention that this verse of Maha Upanishad is inscribed in the entrance hall of the Parliament of India. Thus, it is evident that in ancient periods our saints, scholars and erudite persons believed that ‘the world is one family'. The stalwarts in the world also might feel the same and that is why on 20 December 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 3 March as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. The UNGA resolution also designated the CITES Secretariat as the facilitator for the global observance of this special day for wildlife on the UN calendar. CITES means Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

  World Wildlife Day has now become the most important global annual event dedicated to wildlife. As per www.wildlifeday.org, “World Wildlife Day will be celebrated in 2021 under the theme "Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet", as a way to highlight the central role of forests, forest species and ecosystems services in sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people globally, and particularly of Indigenous and local communities with historic ties to forested and forest-adjacent areas”. This aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals 1, 12, 13 and 15, and their wide-ranging commitments to alleviating poverty, ensuring sustainable use of resources, and on conserving life land. Also it is evident from the website that “Between 200 and 350 million people live within or adjacent to forested areas around the world, relying on the various ecosystem services provided by forest and forest species for their livelihoods and to cover their most basic needs, including food, shelter, energy and medicines.

Indigenous peoples and local communities are at the forefront of the symbiotic relationship between humans and forest, forest-dwelling wildlife species and the ecosystem services they provide. Roughly 28% of the world’s land surface is currently managed by indigenous peoples, including some of the most ecologically intact forests on the planet. These spaces are not only central to their economic and personal well-being, but also to their cultural identities”.

  “Forests, forests species and the livelihoods that depend on them currently find themselves at the crossroads of the multiple planetary crises we currently face, from climate change, to biodiversity loss and the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic”.   

       To protect wildlife, the Government of India has taken many measures. One of them is declaration of wildlife sanctuary in different regions of the country. India has a network of 903 Protected Areas including 101 National Parks, 553 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 86 Conservation Reserves and 163 Community Reserves covering a total of 1,65,012.59 square kilometres  of geographical area of the country which is approximately 5.02 percent of the area 

  Before conclusion, top 25 Wildlife Sanctuaries in India are presented below (source: www.thrillophilia.com/blog/top-10-wildlife-sanctuaries-in-india)

1. Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand

2. Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan

3. Bandipur National Park, Karnataka

4. Keoladeo Ghana National Park – Bharatpur, Rajasthan

5. Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka

6. Sariska National Park, Rajasthan

7. Kaziranga National Park, Assam

8. Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka

9. Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

10. Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal

11. Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

12. Gir National Park and Sasan Gir Sanctuary, Gujarat

13. Periyar National Park, Kerala

14. Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh

15. Manas National Park, Assam

16. Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh

17. Panna National Park, Madhya Pradesh

18. Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra

19. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

20. The Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh

21. Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka

22. Silent Valley National Park, Kerala

23. Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand

24. Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa

25. Hemis National Park, Jammu and Kashmir

 The following websites have been consulted while writing the article:

1)      https://www.wildlifeday.org

2)      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasudhaiva_Kutumbakam

3)      https://www.thrillophilia.com/blog/top-10-wildlife-sanctuaries-in-india

4)      https://wii.gov.in/nwdc_

        

      Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad

        Dt. 03 March 2021

 

 

 

International Mother Language Day, 21 February: Titbits & the theme in 2021

Human beings are endowed with many qualities and one of the qualities is talking /interacting with others. I personally feel if interaction is in mother tongue/mother language both feel happy.  As per an estimate 6500 languages are spoken across the world which is really unique. Some of the languages are spoken by huge numbers of people and are spoken by less number of people. Only eight people speak a language known as Bussu. On the other hand, the top 12 most spoken languages in the world (millions speak) are English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, French, Arabic, Bangla /Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Indonesian, Urdu and German. It is noteworthy to mention that globally around 40 per cent of the total population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. Nevertheless, progress is being made in mother tongue-based multilingual education with growing understanding of its importance, particularly in early schooling, and more commitment to its development in public life.

  The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. It was approved in 1999 UNESCO General Conference and from 2000 it is being celebrated in the world. “UNESCO believes in the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies. It is within its mandate for peace that it works to preserve the differences in cultures and languages that foster tolerance and respect for others”. 

The theme of the 2021 International Mother Language Day is, “Fostering multilingualism for

Inclusion in education and society,” recognizes that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion, and the Sustainable Development Goals’ focus on leaving no one behind.

“UNESCO believes education, based on the first language or mother tongue, must begin from

the early years as early childhood care and education is the foundation of learning.

UNESCO’s celebration of International Mother Language Day calls on policy-makers, educators and teachers, parents and families to scale up their commitment to multilingual education, and inclusion in education to advance education recovery in the context of COVID-19”.

Background of International Mother Language Day: The celebration came up in tribute to the Language Movement sacrificed by the Bangladeshis (then the East Pakistanis). When Pakistan was created in 1947, it had two separate geographical locations: East Pakistan (presently known as Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (known as Pakistan). In 1948, the then Government of undivided Pakistan declared Urdu to be the only national language of Pakistan, albeit Bengali/Bangla was spoken by the majority of people of then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The people of East Pakistan protested. They claimed Bangla/Bengali should be one of the national languages, in addition to Urdu.

Unfortunately to counter the protest, the Government of Pakistan banned public meetings, rallies etc. The students of the University of Dhaka, with the support of the general public, arranged huge rallies and meetings. But unfortunately on 21 February 1952, police opened fire on rallies and killed  Abdus Salam, Abul Barkat, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abdul Jabbar and Shafiur Rahman and also hundreds of others injured. This was a rare incident in history, where people sacrificed their lives for their mother tongue.

Long live International Mother Language Day.

 The following websites have been consulted while writing the article:

1)     https://blog.busuu.com/most-spoken-languages-in-the-world/

2)     https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/motherlanguageday

3)     https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/imld_2021_concept_note_en.pdf

4)     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mother_Language_Day

DDr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad 

 

Global Trade in Plastics: Few Points from UNCTAD Report

Many of us use plastic at least for marketing purposes because it is easy to carry. As a sequel use of plastic has been creating many issues in the present world.   In this article, a few points about the types of plastics and its trade for the leading countries are presented. The points have been collected from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Report published in  December 2020. So, the article is exclusively based on the points collected from the Report.
1) According to the Report plastic has been creating pollution in the  world. And this pollution has fuelled environmental debate since the 1950s.
2) The plastic life cycle starts when oil and gas are extracted then refined  by the petrochemical companies.  Fossil fuel feed stocks for plastic productions are the outputs of the oil and gas refining process and  the key inputs for virgin plastic polymers.
3) There are about 30 different types of primary plastic polymers in the first stage of the plastic life-cycle.
4) The buyers convert the pellets and fibres into value-added plastic products (intermediate or final )that are tradable internationally.
5) Although there are many plastic products traded internationally, some of these are plastic packaging, synthetic textiles and finished clothes, construction materials and industrial machinery, electrical and electronic goods, beauty and household consumer products, paints , coatings and markings, auto mobile parts etc.
6) Total trade in plastic products (excluding feed stocks and additives) was  US$ 1008 Billion in 2018.
7) It may be mentioned that in case of primary forms of plastic, the United States, Germany and the Republic of Korea were the top three exporters in terms of value. On the other hand, China , Germany and the United States were the  top three importers in 2018.
8) In case of manufactured plastic goods in intermediate form , China  is the main exporting country.
9) On the other hand, in  case of synthetic textiles China is the leading exporting country.
10) The Report also reveals that Bangladesh, Brazil, the Philippines, Egypt , Indonesia and Pakistan are the main importers of intermediate forms of synthetic because this in turn they use  to manufacture final products.

 Before conclusion, I wish  to mention from the Report that the main content of  the research paper is that international trade plays an important role across the life cycle of plastics. “Both the volume and value of trade are higher than commonly estimated and efforts to properly capture such trade face a number of methodological challenges”.

Savitribai Phule: Birthday Tribute & Pronam to the Great Lady

   On 3rd  January , 1831, a great lady, endowed with a holy soul was born  at Naigaon of  present Maharashtra who is still in the heart of millions of Indians because of his noble and great deeds albeit her activities irritated those days some  men in that area. She is none other than Savitribai Phule, who is considered as one of the pioneers of the feminist movement in India by spreading women education.  She started the first school for girls in the country in 1848 at Bhide Wada, Pune. During her activities albeit many men in the society could not tolerate in those days but her husband Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, was one of the pillars supporting her journey.  Because of his support, she was moving alone which in Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s poem, we find “Jodi Tor Dak Shune Keu Na Ase Tobe Ekla Cholo Re (If no one responds to your call, then go your own way alone)”.     Savitribai set up India’s first women’s school consisting of different castes at Bhidewada, Pune and became the first woman teacher in the country. Thus the concept ‘inclusive growth’ can be observed from her activities. It is pertinent to mention that in her lifetime she initiated to set up 18 such schools in the region. Because of her activities, many mainly upper caste people who opposed Dalits education were annoyed. To dampen her spirit, they even threw cow dung and mud at her while she was going to the school. Also, her immense contribution was recorded for abolition of slavery and discrimination on the grounds of caste and race. She is regarded as the mother of Indian feminism.    Mahatma Jyotirao Phule presented Savitribai Phule and his own work in an interview given to the Christian missionary periodical, Dnyanodaya, on 15September 1853, saying, “It did occur to me that the improvement that comes about in a child due to the mother is very important and good. So those who are concerned with the happiness and welfare of this country should definitely pay attention to the condition of women and make every effort to impart knowledge to them if they want the country to progress. With this thought, I started the school for girls first. But my caste brethren did not like that I was educating girls and my own father threw us out of the house. Nobody was ready to give space for the school nor did we have money to build it. People were not willing to send their children to school but Lahuji Ragh Raut Mang and Ranba Mahar convinced their caste brethren about the benefits of getting educated”.      

   Savitribai Phule was not scared of her death. She and her adopted son, Yashwant, started a clinic to treat those affected by the worldwide Pandemic of the Bubonic Plague when it occurred around Nalasopara in 1897. She came to know that the son of Pandurang Babaji Gaekwad had contracted the Plague in the Mahar settlement outside of Mundhwa. She immediately rushed there and carried him on her back to the hospital. In the process, Savitribai Phule caught the Plague and died on the night of 10th March 1897.

On the occasion of her birthday, I extend my respectful Pronam to her. 

The following websites were consulted while writing the article:

1)    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savitribai_Phule

2)    https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/who-was-savitribai-phule-remembering-indias-first-woman-teacher

3)    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekla_Chalo_Re

4)    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Pune-university-to-be-renamed-after-Savitribai-Phule

 Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad