Appropriate song.
4 Likes
Good morning! 
It is Sunday, 21 March 2021
(W11/D80/285 rem)
Today is: 
Human Rights Day (in South Africa)
Human Rights Day in South Africa is historically linked with 21 March 1960, and the events of Sharpeville. On that day 69 people died and 180 were wounded when police fired on a peaceful crowd that had gathered in protest against the Pass laws.
This day marked an affirmation by ordinary people, rising in unison to proclaim their rights. It became an iconic date in our country’s history that today we commemorate as Human Rights Day as a reminder of our rights and the cost paid for our treasured human rights.
The history of Human Rights Day is grounded in the Sharpeville Massacre that took place on 21 March 1960, where the apartheid police shot and killed 69 people in a peaceful protest march.
On the 25th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre, on 21 March 1985, members of the South African Police opened fire on a crowd of people attending the funeral of an apartheid activist in Langa, Eastern Cape. This incident became known as the Langa massacre.
The anniversaries of these painful events from our past are a reminder that many paid the ultimate price for us to live in a society governed by human rights and dignity for all.
Since 1994, government commemorates these painful chapters of our past to unify South Africans and affirm our human rights culture. It is an affirmation that the dark deeds of our past will never be repeated again in a democratic society.
What are human rights?
Human rights are rights that everyone should have simply because they are human.
In 1948, the United Nations defined 30 articles of human rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It established universal human rights on the basis of humanity, freedom, justice, and peace.
South Africa has included indivisible human rights in our own Bill of Rights, Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. The articles of our Constitution can only be changed by a two-thirds majority in Parliament, which means it is difficult for anyone, including the government, to take away the basic rights of a citizen.
The Bill of Rights preserved in our Constitution is the cornerstone of our constitutional and representative democracy. The Constitution as our supreme law means that no laws may be passed that goes against it. The Bill of Rights also comprehensively addresses South Africa’s history of oppression, colonialism, slavery, racism and sexism and other forms of human violations. The Bill of Rights embeds the rights of all people in our country in an enduring affirmation of the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom.
The holiday also commemorates the establishment of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
The aim of the SAHRC is to promote respect for human rights, promote the protection, development and attainment of human rights, and to monitor and assess the observance of human rights in South Africa.
The SAHRC was launched on March 21st 1996, marking exactly 35 years after the events of March 21st 1960 when anti-apartheid demonstrators in Sharpeville were gunned down by police.
Interestingly, and unknown to me, so TIL, in recognition of the events on this day, the United Nations declared that 21 March each year is “The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination”. Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
Have a beautiful Sunday, it’s your right! 
P.S. World Human Rights Day is observed annually on 10 December.
4 Likes
In addition to today also being recognized as The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by the UN, March 21st has more observances and celebrations than any other day I’ve looked at so far.
I’ve found 11 other events that take place today, so if Human Rights is not your bag, try one of these:
Today is also:
World Poetry Day
Vermouth Day
Healthy Fats Day
Slytherin Pride Day
International Day of Forests
International Fragrance Day
World Down Syndrome Day
Memory Day
Single Parent’s Day
French Bread Day
Common Courtesy Day
3 Likes
Slytherins are people too!
1 Like
It is Monday, 22 March 2021
(W12/D81/284 rem)
Today is: 
World Water Day 
World Water Day is an annual event that looks at the global issues surrounding access to clean, safe drinking water and sanitation.
World Water Day is an annual United Nations observance day held on 22 March that highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The theme of each day focuses on topics relevant to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.
In 2021, World Water Day will be celebrated in an online event. The World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the global water crisis , and a core focus of the observance is to support the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The theme of World Water Day 2021 is valuing water. The value of water is about much more than its price – water has enormous and complex value for our households, food, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource. SDG 6 is to ensure water and sanitation for all. Without a comprehensive understanding of water’s true, multidimensional value, we will be unable to safeguard this critical resource for the benefit of everyone.
Across the world there are billions of people without access to fresh, safe drinking water, and even more that still lack access to adequate sanitation facilities.
This concerning lack of accessible options for meeting these two basic human needs is a tragedy that people from across the globe are looking to reduce and manage, bringing clean water and better sanitation facilities to underprivileged communities across the world.
The first Water Day was proposed in Agenda 22 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development that was held in Rio de Janeiro. In December of that year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution that on the 22nd of March each year, Water Day would be held; a day dedicated to raising awareness around global water-related issues, with the key focus being on ensuring every community has access to a clean water supply. In March 1993, the first Water Day was held, and has been held every year since then.
More info and resources:
Have a marvelously moist Monday! 
5 Likes
It is Tuesday, 23 March 2021
(W12/D82/283 rem)
Today is: 
World Meteorological Day
World Meteorological Day* is observed every year on March 23 to highlight the importance of the role that people and their behaviour play in protecting Earth’s atmosphere.
The day also commemorates the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which is an intergovernmental body, on March 23, 1950.
With today’s technology, it’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t know what the weather was going to be like. Instead of having a five-day forecast right on your weather app, you had to read wind patterns for weeks if you wanted to know whether you needed a rain jacket or a light sweater.
That’s why, on March 23, we celebrate the World Meteorological Organization, an international organization that collects data from all over the world to help us better understand the weather and its impact on our lives.
Without the data collected by the World Meteorological Organization, it would be impossible to get accurate daily weather forecasts. Most people plan their whole day — from how to dress to what to do — around what the weatherman says. A world with no weather forecasts is a world with a lot more ruined picnics.
The World Meteorological Organization is about more than just weather. They detect and monitor changes in climate. This can range from changing sea levels, fluctuations in temperature, and rising levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. This information is crucial to our understanding of the climate change crises.
Natural disasters are, well, disastrous, but they would be much worse if we couldn’t track the storm for days before it strikes. Because of the WMO, we are able to predict huge storms with enough time for people to evacuate the area, or at least make the necessary storm preparations.
https://public.wmo.int/en/resources/world-meteorological-day
Have a terrific Tuesday!
* Not to be confused with World Metrology Day, an event occurring on 20 May celebrating the International System of Units.
4 Likes
I listened to an interesting podcast about the history of the modern weather report awhile ago.
It’s amazing how much ridicule and backlash innovators face, even when they are working towards a noble goal. (Aside: it reminds me a little of Elon Musk, even if the criticism he so often faces is justified.)
4 Likes
It is Wednesday, 24 March 2021
(W12/D83/282 rem)
Today is: Chocolate Covered Raisins Day
We’ve had a number of more serious days lately, so today something a little less heavy: Chocolate Covered Raisins Day! Yum!
This day is all about a delicious sweet treat that doesn’t get the love it deserves. It lives in the hearts of theatergoers the world over, masquerades itself as a healthy addition to trail mix.
On the outside is the utter definition of decadence: sweet, delicious chocolate that shines in the light with its own inner richness. And within? Coated in a lover’s embrace that caresses every nook and cranny is that beloved childhood treat, the raisin.
Combined, these two come together to create a sweet and rich symphony of flavor on the tongue. Chocolate Covered Raisin Day celebrates this delicious treat and its place in the hearts (and mouths and stomachs) of people all over the world.
One of the most common and popular brands of chocolate-covered raisins on the market is Raisinets, first introduced to the United States in 1927 by the Blumenthal Chocolate Company. It was so successful for almost 60 years that candy giant Nestle took the opportunity to add the company to its holdings in 1984.
While many other brands have existed in the market at large, for many people, in the US, Raisinets are the ‘Kleenex’ of the chocolate-covered raisin world. When people there talk about chocolate-covered raisins, regardless of the brand, they often refer to them as Raisinets.
Celebrating Chocolate Covered Raisin Day doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. It’s an easy way to relax and enjoy the little things (literally) that make life special.
Basically, it’s Get > Eat > Share > Repeat 
This day presents the perfect opportunity to enjoy being generous by sharing chocolate-covered raisins with everyone around. Friends, neighbors, coworkers and family members might all enjoy being part of the celebration of Chocolate Covered Raisin Day!
For those who are of the creative, do-it-yourself persuasion, it’s even possible to use a crock-pot to melt down chocolate, whether dark, milk, white, or whatever is preferred and dip your own raisins in it. It might be a bit difficult to get them separated into individual pieces, but they taste just as good when they are stuck together.
Sure, they have some sugars and fat in them, but chocolate-covered raisins do actually have more nutritional value in them than many other candy treats.
Take into consideration the health benefits of raisins when eaten in moderation:
- Fiber: for cleaning out bacteria and helpful for the digestive system
- Vitamin E, A & K: important for cell repair and organ function
- Iron: great for the blood cells as well as for growth and hormonal health
- Calcium: for maintaining strong bones, muscles and heart
- Potassium: helps with nerve and muscle function
Although covering them with milk chocolate doesn’t make them more healthy, dark chocolate can actually be good for the body.
Have a wicked Wednesday my dudes 
!
4 Likes
Keep that stuff away from me! They are GROSS!
4 Likes
What? They’re delicious!
Let’s vote:
Are chocolate covered raisins:
- A deliciously healthy snack
- Gross
0 voters
3 Likes
I love raisins but coving them in chocolate sounds odd.
3 Likes
I dont eat raisins at all…
1 Like
Ani also hates raisins. She would agree with you that chocolate-covered ones are an abomination.
1 Like
Fuck yeah my dude 
3 Likes
See I knew she was awesome!
1 Like
I snack on raisins.
Also I noticed there is a show called Agatha Raisin on BBC Brit.
3 Likes
raisins are fine, I would eat them if they were placed before me in like a sweet or confectionery but I won’t actively choose them myself, think it stems from my grandparents being grape farmers and always having grapes and raisins as snacks in their house, so I am kinda overeaten on them
2 Likes
I forgot I got a bag of raisins from a grape farmer a week or two ago. I figured I’d see if my hamsters like them
2 Likes
Oh sweet! I celebrated Chocolate Raisin day already without even knowing 
3 Likes