Veronika Wild

Australia's Book Week Poster - Aug 17 -23, 2024 At this time of the year, there are several days which highlight the importance of literacy and education. Beginning in late August, Australia has had Book Week which it has been holding since 1945. On September 8 th the world celebrates International Literacy Day, on the 9 th it’s the International Day to Protection Education from Attack and on October 5, it's  World Teacher’s Day. Book Week is all about celebrating the importance of books and the joy of reading. Over the last week or two there have been all kinds of colourful characters on buses and in schools and kindergartens as children dress up as their favourite characters from books they know and love. It has also meant lots of story -telling, parades, celebrating home – grown literature, book awards, author signings in book shops and events in libraries.  Many other countries celebrate books as well. The USA for example, has a Book Month coming up in Octob

Remembering Argentina's Disappeared [Apologies, I don't know the source of this image] August is 30 th is the Day we remember the victims of enforced disappearance . Here we are mostly talking about government sponsored or condoned disappearances. There isn’t a region in the world which doesn’t have them and to their shame, 118 out of 193 UN member countries have not yet signed the Convention on the Prevention of Enforced Disappearances. In broad terms, this Convention adopted in 2010 covers the following points: Enforced Disappearance means the arrest, detention abduction or other forms of deprivation of liberty or concealing the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person. No exceptional circumstances - not war, nor internal political instability, can be invoked to justify such actions. UN member states have a duty to prevent enforced disappearance, to investigate all allegations and to prosecute those responsible. Victims and their families have a right to justice, r