Veronika Wild

  -Image generated by Bing AI I was in town the other day and very sad to see so many of our small shops struggling. Many already had for lease signs or had changed hands. Even McCann’s Music Store in its landmark building had become a thrift shop after 142 years. Given the current economic climate, charity shops are about the only businesses which seem to be thriving, with the possible exception of noodle and sushi shops and new, old -fashioned   barbershops -–a lot of our young men are sporting beards these days. This is a great pity since it is the variety of little shops which bring life and colour to the city. In these days of globalisation – where the same brands appear on every main street, what apart from a few landmarks and historic buildings makes a city unique and special? I’m thinking here of the tiny shops crammed into every nook and cranny in Budapest, each one different from the next and each bringing its own special flavour and personality to the overall fabric of

-Thanks to James DeMers per Pixabay for the lovely photo  Today is the day to tell your favourite teacher how much you appreciate them.   How you do it, is up to you, but here are some ideas from various countries. Not all of them celebrate on the same day. Some prefer the date of a prominent educator or other important influence on education. In the USA National Teacher’s Day is celebrated on the first Tuesday of the first full week in May. Students show their appreciation with cards and flowers and some communities organise special events.  In South Korea, Teacher’s Day is celebrated in February with children bringing red carnations and small gifts. India celebrates on September 5, with students organising events and putting on drama performances, reciting poems and singing traditional songs. Senior students teach classes on the day, while former students may visit to pay their respects to their former teachers and bring them a rose.  China celebrates on September 10, wit

 I won't say too much about this. This UN report says it all. I am just shocked that it needs to be said and that a special commemorative day has to be created for it. Children are the most innocent victims here and it is particularly important that their lives become as normal as possible and as quickly as possible to help them to heal from the trauma associated with war, loss and displacement.  The following facts and figures are from the UN's website   In 2022, children continued to be disproportionately affected by armed conflict, and the number affected by grave violations increased compared with 2021. From January to December 2022, there was a 112 per cent increase in attacks on schools and hospitals, particularly in Ukraine, Burkina Faso, Israel, the State of Palestine, Myanmar, Mali and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the UN verified 95 attacks (72 on schools; 23 on hospitals), including attacks on protected persons. While non-state armed groups were responsible f