History of International Women's Day

The History of International Women's Day

On March 8th of this week this was celebrated.

GENDER FACTS - Global Issues:

- Globally women account for the majority of people aged over 60 and over 80

- World population - 6,872,741,131

- Of 1.2 billion people living in poverty worldwide, 70% are women
- 80% of the world's 27 million refugees are women
- Women own around only 1% of the world's land
- AIDS sees women's life expectancy of 43 in Uganda and Zambia
- Women are 2/3 of the 1 billion+ illiterate adults who have no access to basic education

International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

1908
- 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

1909
 - In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.

1910 - A woman named a Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.

1911 -
on 25 March, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labor legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events. 1911 also saw women's 'Bread and Roses' campaign. 


1913-1914 - 
International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Women's Day ever since. In 1914 further women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express women's solidarity.

1918 - 1999
- International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. For many years the United Nations has held an annual IWD conference to coordinate international efforts for women's rights and participation in social, political and economic processes.

2000 - and beyond
IWD is now an official holiday in Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Israel, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam. The tradition sees men honoring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

Women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.

Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatrical performances, fashion parades and more.

*****

I recently learned that in Russia, every year on March 8, the men and children purchase roses for women in order to express their appreciation. I really like that idea – so men, give as many compliments as you can to women on that date – roses would also be appreciated :-)

You may have noticed that several countries are missing from the 'Official Holiday' list. I also have noticed in the past that March 8th usually passes without much fanfare in the United States but I am glad that the month of March has been designated as Women's History Month.

During this month I will be writing about some women who I personally admire, so stay tuned!

Who just knocked at my door......................

Stirred by a knock at the door,

a squirrel peers out of his nest

to find a woodpecker,

making a visit to the maple tree where

he resides in Orchard Park

Mark Mulville / Buffalo News

Sunday Reflection - The 7-Ups of Life

The 7-Ups of Life

1. Wake Up !!

Decide to have a good day.

"Today is the day the Lord hath made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up !!

The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.

A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.

Man looks at outward appearance;

but the Lord looks at the heart."

I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!!

Say nice things and learn to listen.

Listen to advice and accept instruction,

and in the end you will be wise." (Proverbs 19:20)

4. Stand Up !!

For what you believe in.

Stand for something or you will fall for anything.

"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time,

we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..."

Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up !!

To the Lord.

"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me".

Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up !!

For something higher.

...keep seeking the things above, where Christ is,

seated at the right hand of God."

Colossians 3:1

7. Lift Up !!

Your Prayers.

"Do not worry about anything;

instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."

Philippians 4:6

Remember the 7-ups of life and may

GOD BLESS YOUR DAY!

When A Soldier Comes Home, he finds it hard to..........

When a soldier come home he finds it hard

to .... listen to his son whine about being bored

... to keep a straight face when people complain

about potholes....

...to be tolerant of people who complain about the

hassle of getting ready for work....

....to be understanding when a co-worker

complains he had a bad night's sleep....

and

to be silent when people pray to God for a new car....

to control his panic when his wife tells him

he needs to drive slower....

to keep from laughing when anxious parents say they are

afraid to send their kids to summer camp....

to keep from ridiculing someone who

complains about hot weather....

to control his frustration when a colleague gripes

about his coffee being cold....

....to be calm when his daughter complains

about having to walk the dog

....to be civil to people who complain about their jobs

...to just walk away when someone says they only get

two weeks of vacation a year.

The only thing harder than being a soldier -

Is loving one!

Written by Captain Alison L. Crane R.N., M.S.

Mental Health Nurse

7302nd Medical Training Support Battallion

*****

Take a very slow look at these photos - they depict the daily life of the

troops who are serving in war zones.

5,927 U. S. Military have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Support the troops - let's work to get them home.

African American History Month-Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 27, 1897.

Today is the 114th anniversary of her birth. She was a contralto, perhaps best remembered for her performance on Easter Sunday, 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Anderson joined a junior church choir at the age of six, and applied to an all-white music school after her graduation from high school in 1921, but was turned away because she was black. Later, she debuted with the New York Philharmonic on August 26, 1925 and scored an immediate success with the critics. In 1928, she sang for the first time at Carnegie Hall. Her reputation was further advanced by her tour through Europe in the early 1930s where she did not encounter the racial prejudices she had experienced in America.

Ms. Anderson won the Julius Rosenwald scholarship allowing her to train abroad in England, France, Belgium, Holland, the former Soviet Union and Scandinavia. She toured Europe many times in her career.

In 1939, she was denied the right to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. because the venue owners, The Daughters of the American Revolution enforced a clause in their contract that stated “concerts by whites only.” DAR member Eleanor Roosevelt and several other members resigned in protest.

As an alternative to the Constitution Hall concert, Marian’s representatives arranged for her to perform at the Lincoln Memorial. In attendance were 75,000 people, the largest turnout to date at that time, and heard by millions of listeners on the radio.

Although she was reluctant to view herself as an activist, the Lincoln Memorial concert has been said to be one of the most dramatic events in civil rights history.

Several weeks later, at the invitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ms. Anderson performed at the White House for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England, making her the first African American to perform at the White House.

In spite of her treatment by the Daughters of the American Revolution Ms. Anderson remained a patriot. She performed in hospitals and bases for the troops in World War II and the Korean War.

In 1957 she toured India and the Far East as a goodwill ambassador through the U.S. State Department and the American National Theater and Academy. She traveled 35,000 miles in 12 weeks, giving 24 concerts.

Upon her return President Eisenhower appointed her as a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. As a member of the United Nations Trusteeship Committee, Ms. Anderson helped oversee the well-being of more than 100 million people living in U.N. trust territories in Africa and the South Pacific.

She sang at the inaugurations of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy.
Most important was her international stardom – she traveled the world extensively and enjoyed more freedom and appreciation abroad than at home.

In 1963 Ms. Anderson also sang at the historic March on Washington. She was alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I was able to see and hear her on that day along with my family and friends who attended the March. That same year she was awarded the American Medal of Freedom.

Ironically, Marion Anderson launched her retirement tour at the very hall where she had been denied so many years before, Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

Marian Anderson passed away on April 8, 1993 at the age of 96, leaving a legacy of excellence and selfless service to a world of adoring fans.

On January 27, 2005, a commemorative U.S. postage stamp honored her as part of the Black Heritage series.

Ms. Anderson was a recipient of the Silver Buffalo Award, the highest adult award given by the Boy Scouts of America.

She symbolized the civil rights movement with dignity and grace; and was the first African-American to be named a permanent member of Metropolitan Opera Company, also, she was a frequent performer at the White House.

Four years ago, while visiting Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to visit the home of Marian Anderson. It was a special experience as we were shown around by her family members. The home has the original furniture, piano, and china just as Ms. Anderson used them when she lived there. Even some of her dresses were on display. I would encourage anyone who is in the area to make an appointment to visit.

While hearing the personal stories of her life, I was, once again, in awe to think of the many experiences that she had and the courage that she exhibited while enduring racism and prejudice by others. She carried herself with dignity and with her head held high.

Her story is an inspiration for everyone.

I'm snowed in today.....................

5,914 - U.S. Military have died since 3/19/03

5,914 US Military have died since Iraq

war began on 3/19/03.

Today is President’s Day in the USA. It is named that way to recognize two former presidents, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, who happened to have birthdays in February.

This month is also designated as African American History Month and on this blog I have been writing about some famous people who contributed to Black History.

It just occurred to me that it would be appropriate to write about President Barack Obama on President’s Day in African American History Month.

He is, after all, the first person of African descent to become a President of the USA. Yes, I know that there have been some rumors that there may have been former presidents who had African blood in their lineage but he is the first one who is openly acknowledged to being fathered by an African parent and his complexion leaves no confusion there.

Most of you know his story –

Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned after his election to the presidency in November 2008.

A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, he graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.

Barack Obama served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid against a Democratic incumbent for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he ran for United States Senate in 2004. Several events brought him to national attention during the campaign, including his victory in the March 2004 Democratic primary and his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in November 2004. His presidential campaign began in February 2007, and after a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 general election he defeated Republican nominee John McCain and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009.

He and his wife, Michelle, were married on October 3, 1992. Their first daughter, Malia Ann, was born on July 4, 1998, followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), on June 10, 2001.

*****

When the outcome of the U.S. election was announced I received an e-mail that showed the front page of the newspapers of every state in the Union. All of them were hopeful and jubilant. Included in that message were also the front pages of newspapers from around the entire world. They all expressed joy at the election of Barack Obama.

President Obama has a multicultural background and is also very intelligent. In the days following his inauguration some of his first actions were to reach out to the opposing political party and he also reached out to leaders of many countries, cultures and faiths around the world.

This did not go unnoticed and I believe that this interaction along with the many visits from world leaders and his visible presence and rapport in many countries are directly responsible for his receiving the honor of Nobel Peace Prize Recipient.

There are some moments in our lives where we have an "I was there" moment. A moment that despite your best attempts to explain how you felt you can't convey how remarkable an experience it was that you just shared. I had that moment personally, on Thursday, July 16th, 2009 along with many others when President Barack Obama was the guest speaker at the 100th anniversary convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in New York City.

I was there.

As he spoke that evening his remarks embodied an understanding that we've made progress but we have more mountains to climb. They also reminded us that we have to dream higher and obtain more, which he so beautifully stated by saying, "our children can't all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne. I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers -- doctors and teachers -- not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court Justice. I want them aspiring to be the President of the United States of America."

Many of us in attendance remembered moments that we had taken part in that included marching, protesting, sitting in and standing tall- that night we all shared in this once in a lifetime moment - we were listening to the first African-American president who was in the house, and also living in the White House.

We had the good fortune to be sitting in the front row and were just a few feet from the President as he gave his speech. So, for generations to come, we are able to tell our children and grandchildren that we were there.

We believe that unbelievable things can happen - we have witnessed it!

Happy President's Day to President Barack Obama and to those who went before him.

African American History Month - Muhammad Ali

African American History Month

I first met Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay at the time) when he would visit his friends in Springfield, Massachusetts. He would do his daily workout in Blunt Park and then have breakfast at his friend’s house in Amore village. I lived in the neighborhood and we were always welcomed to attend. He was a pleasure to be around and we all admired him because he was able to speak up for himself publicly in an era when it could have been dangerous to do so.

So why do I, a pacifist, have so much admiration for a pugilist? Here is why. When Muhammad was inducted into the U.S. Armed Forces in 1966 he declared himself a conscientious objector.

At the time the United States was engaged in the Vietnam War. Muhammad stated that "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an." When appearing for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28, 1967 in Houston, he refused three times to step forward at the call of his name. He was warned that was committing a felony punishable by five years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Once more, Muhammad refused to budge when his name was called. As a result, on that same day, the New York State Athletic Commission suspended his boxing license and stripped him of his title. Other boxing commissions followed suit.

At the trial two months later he was found guilty. After a court of appeals upheld the conviction, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. Later, on June 28, 1971, the Supreme Court reversed his conviction for refusing induction by unanimous decision in Clay v. United States.

Boxing fans adored his courage in the ring and he is widely respected, but I admire the courage he displayed in his personal lifestyle.

I saw him again in 1985 when I was having breakfast with a friend, Susana, at a well-known hotel in London, England. He was walking through the buffet line selecting items for his meal. I was amazed to see the difference in him. He had his forever-present smile on his face but his ambulation was slow and his hands and arms were trembling noticeably. I had heard that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s but was not prepared to see how it was affecting this courageous warrior.

Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., was born January 17 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. He was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr., who was named for the 19th century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay. He changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to Sunni Islam in 1975 and then Sufism.

Daring to go against political policy to help people in need, Muhammad has made goodwill missions to Afghanistan and North Korea; delivered sorely needed medical supplies to an embargoed Cuba; traveled to Iraq and secured the release of 15 United States hostages during the first Gulf War; and journeyed to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela upon his release from prison.

Today, championing the issues in the developing world has become a major focus of his life. He has been instrumental in providing over 232 million meals to the world's hungry. Traveling across continents, he has hand-delivered food and medical supplies to children in Cote D'Ivoire, Indonesia, Mexico, and Morocco among other countries.

In addition to his international efforts, Muhammad is equally devoted to helping charities at home. He has visited countless numbers of soup kitchens and hospitals, and helped such organizations as the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and the Special Olympics.

To me his greatest triumph lies in his legacy as a champion, leader, humanitarian, and artist. His honors and recognitions include: (read this list slowly to allow these thought-provoking words to sink in)

• Sports Illustrated's "Sportsman of the Century"
• BBC's "Sports Personality of the Century"
• GQ magazine's "Athlete of the Century"
• World Sports Award's "World Sportsman of the Century"
• United Nations Messenger of Peace in 1998-2008, for his work with developing nations
• Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, the United States of America's highest civil award
• Amnesty International's Lifetime Achievement Award
• Germany's 2005 Otto Hahn Peace Medal, for his involvement in the U.S. civil rights movement and the United Nations
• International Ambassador of Jubilee 2000, a global organization dedicated to relieving debt in developing nations
• State of Kentucky's "Kentuckian of the Century"
• The Advertising Club of Louisville's "Louisvillian of the Century"
and February 12,2009 - NAACP's President Award

Other honors include an Essence Award, an XNBA Human Spirit Award and recognition from the National Urban League; 100 Black Men; Givat Haviva; the Oleander Foundation; The National Conference of Christians and Jews; TIME magazine and many other.

President Jimmy Carter once cited Muhammad as "Mr. International Friendship."

Muhammad published ‘The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey’ in which he discusses the meaning of religion, forgiveness, and some of the defining moments in his life and career. He is also the co-author of 'Healing: A Journal of Tolerance and Understanding' and 'The Greatest: My Own Story.'

Whether promoting tolerance and understanding, feeding the hungry, studying his religion, or reaching out to children in need, Muhammad Ali is devoted to making the world a better place for all people. No athlete has ever contributed more to the life of his country, or the world, than Muhammad Ali.

Muhammad Ali is a retired American boxer and as a professional, he became the only man to have won the linear heavyweight championship three times. They tried to humiliate him when they stripped him of his title. From being publically disgraced to being the recipient of America's highest civil award the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 is an incredible testimony.

You may have seen him on TV on Inauguration Day. He was walking very slowly with the aid of a walker. He was slouched over and it was obvious that he was concentrating hard on the process of moving forward. My heart went out to him – this man who has always refused to give up. He stood tall when they took away his belt and title, he stood tall when they tried to break his spirit and on this day, in my eyes, he was walking even taller.

He would always say, “I’m the Greatest!”

Yes, Muhammad Ali, indeed you are!

*****

For a great treat copy and paste this website into your computer –For those who remember him when he was Cassius I dare you to try not to laugh!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxczlps5_bg