International children's day

The International Children's Day (ICD) is celebrated in numerous countries, usually (but not always) on 1st June each year.
The ICD had its origin in Turkey in 1920 (23rd April) and later in the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland in 1925. It is not clear as to why 1st June was chosen as the ICD: one theory has it that the Chinese consul-general in San Francisco gathered a number of Chinese orphans to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in 1925, which happened to be on June 1 that year, and also coincided with the conference in Geneva.
1st June has since been observed as the ICD by numerous countries, especially by communist countries; in the Western world the ICD is usually celebrated on other days of the year (if at all), and there is often little public awareness about these celebrations. Consequently there is sometimes a misperception that June 1 as the ICD was a Communist invention. Nonetheless, in recent years even some groups within the US started observing the ICD on 1st June.

In this year 2008, the ICD was celebrated amidst the sufferings of uncountable children made homeless due to natural disasters, in particular the earthquake in Sichuan, China and the nargis cyclone in Myanmar. Besides losing their homes, so many children have either perished, become disabled and/or orphaned.

For the past 2 - 3 weeks, since the Sichuan earthquake happened on 12th May 2008, there were daily broadcasts on many television channels updating the rescue efforts being carried out by the people of China. The undying spirit and sacrificial acts of the chinese people shown real life on my home TV screen has touched my heart deeply and I believe the whole world is touched. There were incidents of victims trapped together and offering to let the other be saved first when rescue workers reached them; a pregnant nurse suffered miscarriage while helping to evacuate patients from the hospital and still insisted to go back to the hospital to continue helping after just a day rest at home; a baby was rescued without any injury totally enwrapped in the protective arms of the mother who sacrificed her life to save her baby.

We must all pay tribute to and salute the rescue and medical teams who risk their lives on the front line, working round the clock to save as many lives as possible. As of 31st May, according to Beijing Xinhua news, the deathtoll has reached 68,977 with another 367,854 listed as injured and 17,974 as missing.

On 1st June Sunday, almost the entire showbiz community of Hong Kong staged a fund-raising concert for victims of the Sichuan earthquake. The 8 hour long concert, the largest ever charity show in the city, was held in the Pop TV Arena in west Kowloon.

Apart from HK, Taiwan & China, aid is also pouring in from overseas, especially the chinese communities throughout the world. The amount one contribute may be small when it is alone, but when we put all the small sums together, they are no longer small. Let's give whatever we can to contribute to the rebuilding and recovery program for the Sichuan people who are our fellow inhabitants of this beautiful earth.

One thing for sure is that mankind by nature is generous, loving and kind.....and because of that our mother earth is filled with love and hope, and her children's spirits will never be destroyed by any catastrophe...

... wishing all the children of the world ...

HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY !