EVERY day is another ‘Day’ for celebration or observance of some International Day designated by the United Nations (UN) in commemoration of or to highlight the importance of an issue or date with global import.
This past week in Saint Lucia, we observed International Day for Disaster Reduction (October 13), International Rural Women’s Day (October 15), World Food Day (October 16) – and today is International Credit Union Day (October 18).
Local stakeholders had something to shout about on International Day of Disaster Reduction (See statement opposite). The efforts of rural Saint Lucian women have been commendably observed and highlighted by the Gender Relations Department (see statement opposite). On World Food Day, Fond D’Or was a beehive of local foods and drinks. And today, local credit Unions will join their peers worldwide in continuing celebrations that started here last weekend.
It is indeed commendable that Saint Lucia joins the world in celebrating and observing these important ‘International Days’.
However, what happens after? What impact does the observance of the ‘Day’ here, in whatever way, leave after it’s all over? What else is done between the day of observance and the next time it is observed one year later?
It’s not that nothing ever happens. Even the observance or celebration is ‘something’ to shout about by all who did whatever. But more often than not, the celebration or observance is just a routine with no significant objective or intended impact identified.
Again, not that this is so in all cases, but it can be safely said that in most cases, organizers and stakeholders seem well-prepared to simply say that ‘We joined the world” in observance of whatever day it was.
That’s just not good enough. All efforts are to be commended, but in each case, planners would do well to include in each year’s plans an aim to report on an achievement in the past year.
Each ‘Day’ has a theme. But these themes must be more than merely repeated, they must also be applied in real terms to ensure that the international aspect of what’s being observed is indeed reflected here.
Here’s hoping that organizers of these days here do much more to make their observance have more meaning and impact.
Meanwhile, even while it is not one of those ‘International Days’, Saint Lucians yesterday were well-prepared to offer ‘Viv La Magwit’ greetings to each other, be they la Rose or La Magwit followers.
We observed the two flower festivals on different dates. Will we ever have an National Flowers Festival Day?
Just a thought…