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The global work of the United Nations is not without reason compared to that of a family — striving for a common goal in concert with all members for a better future.
— Kofi Annan.

 The United nations Charter entered into effect on Octomber 24 1945, commemorated on this day.

The United Nations General Assembly designated the Day on October 31, 1947, by resolution (168 ((II)), to be dedicated to promoting awareness of the Organisation’s aims and accomplishments and securing support for its activities.

UN Day has been marked as a public holiday by all Member States, the Assembly suggested in 1971 (resolution 2782 (XXVI)). United Nations Day provides a chance to expand on the shared agenda and reaffirm the UN Charter’s goals and ideals, which have guided us for the last 76 years.

A concert to commemorate United Nations Day is usually conducted at the Organisation’s General Assembly Hall at Headquarters in New York. As the globe slowly recovers from the Covid-19 epidemic, the 2021 Concert serves as a call to promote international collaboration in the interests of both countries and peoples in order to ensure a more peaceful and prosperous future for everybody.

This year’s United Nations Day Concert had a hybrid format, with part live and half pre-recorded performances and a small crowd that adhered to physical separation standards. The performance was sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. It was held on Thursday, October 21, 2021, with the theme “Building Back Together for Peace and Prosperity.” In-person performances were given by renowned violinists Angela and Jennifer Chun and vocalist Youngok Shin at the UN Headquarters in New York’s General Assembly Hall. During the occasion, pre-recorded footage of noted soprano Youngmi Kim, the Goyang Philharmonic Orchestra, pianist Yungwook Yoo, and all-female K-pop band aespa were displayed.

United Nations Dat at the Dubai Expo 2020 will honour United Nations Day with a series of formal activities on October 24, 2021.

The Emirates Youth Symphony Orchestra (EYSO), a unique group of young musicians in the UAE and the Arab world at large, is devoted to cultivating the musical talent of young people by creating a cultural and artistic environment for young talents for audiences of all ages, will perform an exciting cultural performance at the Al Wasl Dome.

The event will occur on the Stage of Nations at Al Wasl Dome, with high-ranking UAE authorities in attendance. Amina Mohammed, the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General, will attend the celebration in person and deliver the opening comments to honour the United Nations’ 76 years of service to people and the environment.

In honour of the United Nations’ 75th anniversary, the UN will reveal a selection of pictures from the exhibit #TheWorldWeWant, which was handpicked from more than 50,000 images submitted from over 130 nations a worldwide photo contest sponsored and coordinated by mobile app Agora. Starting on Sunday, October 24, 2021, the physical exhibit will be displayed in the Opportunity Pavilion plaza, just across from the #UNHub.

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. Accounting for 60 to 80 per cent of dementia cases worldwide. It’s a progressive brain disorder that gradually degenerates neurons causing memory loss and other cognitive abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life

Alzheimer’s worsens over time. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s develop gradually and deteriorate over time. As critical cells die, drastic changes to your memory and personality can occur, which ultimately severely impact and interfere with daily tasks.

Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of ageing. On the contrary, the most significant known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older.

“We remember their love when they can no longer remember.”

Few Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s that one could identify

·      Memory loss that disrupts daily life

·      Challenges in planning or solving problems

·      Difficulty completing familiar tasks 

·      Confusion with time or place

·      Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

·      New problems with words in speaking or writing

·      Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

·      Decreased or poor judgment

·      Withdrawal from work or social activities

·      Changes in mood and personality

If you notice one or more signs in yourself or your loved ones, it can be challenging to know what to do. It’s natural to feel uncertain or nervous about discussing these changes with others. This may cause you to fear upsetting someone by sharing observations about differences in their abilities. However, these are significant health concerns that medical professionals should evaluate. Therefore, if you doubt whether you or your loved ones are in concern, please seek medical help. Receiving an early Alzheimer’s diagnosis may help lessen anxieties about why you are experiencing symptoms.

Alzheimer’s disease typically progresses slowly in three general stages: early, middle and late (sometimes referred to as mild, moderate and severe in a medical context). Since Alzheimer’s affects people in different ways, each person may experience symptoms or progress through the stages differently.

Early-stage Alzheimer’s (mild)

During the early stage of Alzheimer’s, a person may function independently.

Common difficulties include:

•           Coming up with the right word or name.

•           Remembering names when introduced to new people.

•           Having difficulty performing tasks in social or work settings.

Middle-stage Alzheimer’s (moderate)

During the middle stage of Alzheimer’s, the dementia symptoms are more pronounced. the person may confuse words, get frustrated or angry, and act in unexpected ways

Symptoms, which vary from person to person, may include:

•           Being forgetful of events or personal history.

•           Feeling moody or withdrawn.

•           Experiencing confusion about where they are or what day it is.

•           Having trouble controlling their bladder and bowels.

•           Showing an increased tendency to wander and become lost.

•           Experiencing changes in sleep patterns, such as sleeping during the day and becoming restless at night.

Late-stage Alzheimer’s (severe)

In the final stage of the disease, Individuals may tend to lose the ability to respond to their environment, carry on a conversation, and, eventually, control movement.

At this stage, individuals may:

•           Require around-the-clock assistance with daily personal care.

•           Lose of awareness of recent experiences as well as of their surroundings.

•           Experience changes in physical abilities, including walking, sitting and, eventually, swallowing

•           Have difficulty communicating.

•           Become vulnerable to infections, especially pneumonia.

There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, but there are treatments that may change disease progression and drug and non-drug options that may help treat symptoms. Understanding available options can help individuals living with the disease, and their caregivers cope with symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Researchers believe there isn’t a single cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Instead, it likely develops from multiple factors, such as genetics, lifestyle and environment.

Resource: https://www.alz.org/

Over the last few decades, we have made progress in minimising the damage to the ozone layer by curbing the use of certain chemicals. Yet to this date, a large proportion remains to be complete to protect and restore the atmospheric shield in the stratosphere above the Earth’s surface.

Recognition of the harmful effects of CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances led to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987, a landmark agreement to phase out those substances that all 197 UN member countries have ratified. If it’s not for these stern steps by 1987 today, we might have seen one of the most catastrophic environmental impacts with raising skin cancer and cataracts. Also, scientists predicted if it’s not today, the world would be at least 25 per cent hotter.

More than three decades after the agreement in the 1987 Montreal Protocol, NASA scientists documented the proof that currently, Antarctic ozone is recovering because of the stern actions in 1987. Today many have observed that the Ozone depletion in the region has declined to more than 20 per cent since 2005.

The ozone layer is expected to recover. Many are projecting that it would heal completely in the (non-polar) Northern Hemisphere by the 2030s, followed by the Southern Hemisphere in the 2050s and polar regions by 2060.

PROTECT THE OZONE LAYER, AS IT PROTECT US

The world is not yet recovered from this global catastrophe, especially regarding harmful gases from coolants. Some hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), transitional substitutes that are less damaging but still harmful to ozone, are still in use.

Developing countries need funding from the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund to eliminate the most widely used of these, the refrigerant R-22. The next generation of coolants, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), do not deplete ozone, but they are potent greenhouse gases that trap heat, which in tern contributing to climate change.

On October 15, 2016, 197 countries adopted an amendment to phase down HFCs under the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Rwanda. Under the agreement, governments are now committed to cutting HFCs’ production and consumption by more than 80 per cent over the next 30 years.

In the meantime, companies and scientists are working on climate-friendly alternatives, including new coolants and technologies that reduce or eliminate dependence on chemicals.

Suicide is still seen as a taboo instead of a serious health problem. More than 800 000 people are considered to be victims of suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds. 

Suicide is a global phenomenon and occurs throughout our lifespan in different stages of our lives. Suicide is a desperate attempt to escape suffering that has become unbearable. Blinded by feelings of self-loathing, hopelessness, and isolation, a suicidal person can’t see any way of finding relief except through death. But despite their desire for the pain to stop, most suicidal people are deeply conflicted about ending their own lives. They wish there was an alternative to suicide, but they just can’t see one.

Almost everyone who attempts  suicide has given some clue or warning. Therefore don’t ignore even indirect references to death or suicide from your close peers. Statements such as  “You’ll be sorry when I’m gone,”
“I can’t see any way out,” no matter how casually or jokingly said may indicate suicidal thoughts.

The best way to prevent suicide is to recognise these warning signs and know how to respond if you spot them. If you believe that a friend or family member is suicidal, you can play a role in suicide prevention by pointing out the alternatives, showing that you care, and getting a doctor or psychologist involved

Ways  we can start a conversation:

• “I have been feeling concerned about you lately.”
• “I wanted to check in with you because you haven’t seemed yourself lately.”
• “Recently, I’ve noticed some differences in you and wondered how you are doing.”

Questions you can ask:

• “When did you begin feeling like this?”
• “Did something happen to make you start feeling this way?”
• “How can I best support you right now?”
• “Have you thought about getting help?”

What you can say that helps:

• “You are not alone in this. I’m here for you.”
• “You may not believe it now, but the way you’re feeling will change.”
• “I may not be able to understand exactly how you feel, but I care about you and want to help.”

       Source: https://www.helpguide.org

Many people do not seek treatment because they fail to recognise the signs and symptoms, or they are too embarrassed to reach out for help. The majority of the conditions can be treated, allowing people to recover and lead productive and satisfying lives. Therefore do reach out to seek professional help and talk with your family, friend or someone closer to you. Today there are many organisations dedicated to operate specific hotlines where you can reach out to them and seek help for free of charge.

Here are some organisations that you can reach out in Sri Lanka to seek help,

National Institute of Mental Health
Hotline: 1926 (24/7)
Website: https://nimh.health.gov.lk

Sri Lanka Sumithrayo
Hotline: 011 268 2535
Website: srilankasumithrayo.org

Sri Lanka Beautiful Minds
Hotline: +94 76 680 0657

CCC Foundation – Sri Lanka
Hotline: 1333

World Lion Day is celebrated on August 10 of every year to raise awareness about lions and mobilise support for their protection and conservation. Currently, they are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Living in the grasslands, scrub, and open woodlands. The lion is the second-largest cat in the World. It is dwarfed slightly by the tiger, which is closely related and has a very similar body type. Unlike other cats, lions are very social animals. They live in groups, called prides, of around 30 lions. A pride consists of up to three males, a dozen related females, and their young. The size of the pride is determined by the availability of natural resources available in the area. Males and females take on very different roles in the pride. Male lions spend their time guarding their territory and their cubs. At the same time, Female lions are the primary hunters of the group. Lions spend 16-20 hours of the day sleeping or resting.

Lions are the apex predators of their habitat, and checking browsers and grazing populations can help maintain ecosystem balance. Lions also target the weakest herd members, keeping prey populations healthy and robust and indirectly helping control prey population diseases.

Lions have undergone catastrophic declines since the commercialisation of livestock ranching and agriculture and are now only secure in a handful and are on the brink of extinction.  Over the years, certain activities have highly impacted the population of the species. They are illegal bushmeat hunting and body part trade, conflict with local people due to livestock depredation, habitat loss and fragmentation, and to a lesser extent by unsustainable trophy hunting. The rise of poaching for body parts is incredibly alarming and might mean the end of many smaller, less well-protected lion populations.

“The beauty of the World is not man-made. It is natures gift to humanity.”

Lion populations have dropped by more than 40% in the last two decades. Unrestricted exploitation of wildlife threatens our biological diversity & causes ecological imbalance. Their conservation also helps protect natural forest areas and habitats, which in turn helps manage biodiversity. If these majestic predators are unprotected, the interrelated ecosystems of various other species and regions will be disrupted. The time has come, and the World needs more than ever to take a step to save this majestic and courageous beast who we referred as the King of the Jungle