On this date in 1946, UNESCO was formed. 10 things you may not know about it:
- What does UNESCO stand for? United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
- Aside from designating World Heritage Sites, what does it do? According to its website, it seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. Making sure everyone has access to a quality education is one of its key aims, along with promoting diversity, preserving cultural heritage, developing scientific programmes and encouraging co-operation between nations.
- UNESCO as we know it was formed in 1946, but its roots lie in much earlier initiatives dating back to 1921, when the United Nations set up a Commission to look at the feasibility of intellectual co-operation between nations. Albert Einstein and Marie Curie were members.
- During the Second World War, a group called the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME) began meetings in London with the aim of setting up an organisation to promote education and culture, which ultimately led to the formation of UNESCO in 1946.
- UNESCO has instigated a number of international observance days. The best known are World AIDS Day on 1 December and International Women's Day on 8 March. There’s not room here to list them all but they include World Radio Day (13 February), World Poetry Day (21 March), International Jazz Day (30 April), World Oceans Day (8 June), International Youth Day (12 August), International Literacy Day (8 September), World Statistics Day (20 October) and International Men’s Day (19 November).
- UNESCO awards 22 prizes in education, science, culture and peace. They include awards for woman in science, literacy, promoting human rights, ethics in science and Arab culture.
- As of January 2019, UNESCO has 193 member states and 11 associate members. Palestine joined in 2011 which resulted in the USA withdrawing its funding and leaving altogether in 2018 (Hardly in the spirit of things, is it, America?) and Israel left in 2019 after being a member for 69 years, claiming that UNESCO “continually rewrites history” to Israel’s detriment.
- A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and thus given legal protection. To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be a unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable with special cultural or physical significance. They include ancient ruins or historical structures, buildings, cities, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, mountains, or wilderness areas. At time of writing there are 1,121 of them spread over 167 countries. The countries with the most are Italy and China, with 55 each, and Spain with 48. The idea of World Heritage sites arose in 1954 when the proposed Aswan High Dam in Egypt was going to result in cultural treasures of Nubia being submerged by the resulting reservoir. UNESCO stepped in to help salvage as much as possible, moving several temples to higher ground. The first heritage site to be designated, in 1978, was the Galapagos Islands.
- There’s also a list of intangible cultural heritage which includes languages, crafts and music. This list includes the Tango in Argentina, flamenco in Spain, horsemanship at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, falconry, Arabic and Turkish coffee, Belgian Beer, Cambodian ballet, Chinese calligraphy, dry stone walling, the Mediterranean diet, Jamaican Reggae music, Portuguese Fado music, and many more.
- There are two more lists which are proposed. One to focus on movable heritage such as paintings or artifacts. The Mona Lisa and Michaelangelo’s David might be examples of movable heritage. The other proposed list is of living species, such as komodo dragons, Pandas and Bald eagles.
Killing Me Softly
Sebastian Garrett is an assassin. It wasn’t his first choice of vocation, but nonetheless, he’s good at it, and can be relied upon to get the job done. He’s on top of his game.
Until he is contracted to kill Princess Helena of Galorvia. She is not just any princess. Sebastian doesn’t bargain on his intended victim being a super-heroine who gives as good as she gets. Only his own genetic variant power saves him from becoming the victim, instead of Helena.
Fate has another surprise in store. Sebastian was not expecting to fall in love with her.
Until he is contracted to kill Princess Helena of Galorvia. She is not just any princess. Sebastian doesn’t bargain on his intended victim being a super-heroine who gives as good as she gets. Only his own genetic variant power saves him from becoming the victim, instead of Helena.
Fate has another surprise in store. Sebastian was not expecting to fall in love with her.
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