The word philosophy comes from the Greek philo (love) and sophia (wisdom). It is defined thus as the love of wisdom, and is the study of human existence: why a person is born; what is their purpose and how life is to be understood. The term is applied to a formalised secular or religious system of thought, […]
4.2 billion people -- over half the world's population -- lack safe sanitation. 3 billion people -- 40% of the world's population -- live without basic handwashing facilities with soap and water available at home. 800 children die each day from diarrhoeal diseases (such as cholera and typhoid) due to poor hygiene, poor sanitation or […]
Established in 1954 as Universal Children's Day, the now-named World Children's Day is to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide, and to improve children's welfare. The date marks the adoption of both the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. World Children's […]
Industrialisation is social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian to an industrial society through economic reorganisation for the purpose of manufacturing. The key factors for industrialisation are: (1) natural resources and raw materials that can become goods; (2) capital to pay for the production of goods and stable currency; (3) […]
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is to remember the millions who have been killed and seriously injured on the world’s roads, and to acknowledge the cumulative toll on and suffering of all affected victims, families and communities. Tribute is paid also to the dedicated emergency crews, police and medical professionals who deal […]
Electronic television was first demonstrated successfully in San Francisco in 1927 by Philo Taylor Farnsworth, a 21-year-old inventor who scanned images with a beam of electrons showing first a line and then a dollar sign on the screen. Today, television continues to be the single largest source of video consumption. Though different platforms are now […]
1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most frequently by an intimate partner. Only 52% of women married or in a union freely make their own decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use and health care. 71% of all human trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls, and 3 […]
Chemical weapons used during World War I (WWI) resulted in >100,000 deaths and a million casualties, but were fortunately not used on the European battlegrounds in WWII. Particularly with the threat of nuclear war, many countries had come to realise the significant threat to all of humankind from chemical weapons. Adopted in 1993, the Chemical […]
World Aids Day is to fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection that occurs when the body’s immune system is badly damaged because of the virus. With appropriate medication that stops the […]
An estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery, including 24.9 in forced labour and 15.4 million in forced marriage. There are 5.4 victims of modern slavery for every 1,000 people in the world with 1 in 4 being children. 16 million people are exploited in the private sector such as domestic work, construction or […]