HAPPY SUSTAINABLE HOLIDAYS

It's the holiday season we have all been looking forward to and everyone is excited! It's that time of the year where we get to go shopping, eat amazing food (binging is not a problem), organize parties with family and friends, go on vacation and for many; let down your hair and breathe. This scenario
is the perfect picture for humans.

For the environment on the other hand, it's that time to get pensive, discomforted, polluted and considered less; if at all. This imbalance is the conflict amidst the joys of the holiday. That is, balancing the glee of the holidays as experienced by humans with the the gloom as felt by the environment and its constituents.

Don't be hard on yourself it's tradition, what has been before even our grandparents were born and celebrated their first Christmas, its the trees, the lights, the food, the fun, the open air grills, the hymns, the treats and of course, the new items acquired as a result of Santa's benevolence. The good news is, just as we have met tradition shaped by those ahead of us, we can also create our own traditions to shape the future we want especially for our children so that we may have an indeed merry Christmas with the generations to come having laid a foundation of sustainable celebration for them.

The most heinous environmental crimes are perpetuated amidst celebrations (my opinion). Many get too carried away with the glitz and glam of the season that we forget the looming effect of our inordinate actions or adherence to traditions.

To ensure a blissful holiday for ourselves and the environment, we should do the following;
1. Prepare as much food as can be consumed (better not enough than wasted). You can get fruits to make up for the excess that would have been wasted but for your sustainable thinking.
2. The use of lights in this season can be tempting but it's fine to go easy on the lights. If you can't, shop for sustainable lights such as LED lights ...I believe this way every body is happy! I mean what is a Christmas tree without the lights?


3. Use less paper, be virtual...the truth is many of us do not need the receipts we collect from the stores, or the fliers we distribute or collect; this season, think paperless. Electronic replacements of paper forms are easier to keep and move around with.
4. Use less plastic. Resist the temptation to use straws, plastic cups, plates and whatever form of plastic that has enmeshed itself into the fabric of celebrations. In the alternative, use reusable alternatives to these products, water and drink dispensers instead of disposable plastic ones, reusable chinaware, NO STRAWS! Essentially, do away with plastic!
5. Easy on the use of water, use as much water as you need without wasting. Do not leave the tap running when not in use.
6. Dispose your waste sustainably. Divide your waste into bio-degradable and non-biodegradable wastes then dispose accordingly.
7. Tis the season to be oily! La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la! This season has the highest grease and oil requirements on the history of human existence...do not dispose grease indiscriminately...do not toss grease down the drain...let your grease solidify( in a refrigerator)while in a container and throw it out in that container...grease should NEVER be disposed by itself.
8. Use less private transportation systems and opt for public or eco-friendly means of transportation such as walking, cycling, car pooling and public transportation among others.
9. Be charitable, feed the hungry, clothe the needy and create shelter for the homeless. Volunteer for a good cause towards the advancement of a better and sustainable world.
10. Show love and shun hatred in all forms!

Happy Sustainable Holidays from all of us at The Nineteen Initiative.

Thank you for taking time to read and share this post. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions do not hesitate to use the comment box.

Please visit and follow us on our social media accounts:

Facebook: The Nineteen Initiative
Instagram: @thenineteeninitiative.
Twitter: @19_thenineteen.

THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Against Trafficking in Persons: Libya

Trafficking in persons has consistently remained a recalcitrant evil universally. The anomaly seems to be growing just as the world evolves, given the demands for labor in different phases of life.
Human trafficking is a serious crime and a gross violation of human rights which takes different faces given the context and location in which it is carried out.

Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

According to the trafficking in persons Act, there must be three elements, the Act, the Means and the Purpose. The Act refers to the movement (any form) and receipt of persons.The means entails how the trafficking is done which may involve force, threat, deceit or giving money to the person in charge or care of the victim among others. The purpose above all is the reason for which it is done.

The trafficking crisis in Libya is a cause for global alarm. There's no gain saying the fact that the world has survived even worse forms of slavery and trafficking, however, the world has come too far to be taken back by a crisis it long fought and survived. The occurrence of such heinous crimes in recent times is proof of the fact that the world is probably not progressing as we think it is. It is a pointer to the fact that there are latent situations in some parts of the world that are beginning to resonate and fizzle into the modern world. It's a call for more action by everyone, you may not be in Libya but you may adopt the instrumentality of the social media for action. It's time for everyone to speak until definite action is taken by all parties concerned.

It holds no weight to argue that many of the persons trafficked consent to the act, because some voluntarily "offer" themselves to the perpetrators. Many take such decisions given their short sighted view about life as they have given up on whatever potential they wield because of their situation.

This post admonishes everyone not to take advantage of the outlook and situation of the voluntary victim but to do what is right by the tenets of justice and human conscience.

It behoves every right thinking person regardless of your position in life to speak until something is done about this obnoxious practice while ensuring that we are not perpetrators of this same evil especially under the umbrella of hiring "maids or voluntary victims".

The labor, sweat and blood of the heroes before us who long fought the battle against slavery and trafficking in persons must not be forgotten and swept under the carpet in a hurry or at all.If someone is being auctioned at this time of the century, it's a cause for alarm for everyone that is still breathing.

This post is dedicated to my friend and sister, Oluwaseun Adesanya, who is blessed with another year today.


Thank you for taking time to read and share this post. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions do not hesitate to use the comment box.

Please visit and follow us on our social media accounts:

Facebook: The Nineteen Initiative
Instagram: @thenineteeninitiative.
Twitter: @19_thenineteen.

THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Hit the Slums!

The United Nations has designated every 31st of October as World Cities Day. The Day is expected to greatly promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward
cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world (urbanoctober.org)

It is a day in which the General Assembly “decides to designate 31 October, beginning in 2014, as World Cities Day, invites States, the United Nations system, in particular UN-Habitat, relevant international organizations, civil society and all relevant stakeholders to observe and raise awareness of the Day”

FACTS ABOUT THE WORLD CITIES DAY.
Goal: GOAL 11; Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Establishment: 27th December,2013
Commencement: 2014
Date of Celebration: Every 31st October.
General Theme: Better City, Better Life.
2017 Theme: Innovative Governance, Open Cities.

This year, the World Cities Day seeks to exchange and showcase innovative practices around the world in urban planning, building and management, and discuss how to further implement New Urban Agenda.
  UN Habitat's Participatory Slum Upgrading Program reveals the laudable efforts of the United Nations to improve the slums, what can you do as an individual?

WHAT YOU CAN DO
1. Take action for the slums to make them develop as the rest of the city is.
2. Technological development in slums. Keep the slums abreast with the rest of the world, think of innovative ways to introduce technology a slum near you
3. Education in slums: many slum dwellers cannot afford to go to school or get quality education. Volunteer to teach in slums, no time is too little to contribute to the education of a fellow human.
4. Waste management : Waste management poses a serious problem in slums many do not have the knowledge or resources to dispose Waste effectively and sustainably. Donate a trash bin, engage in sanitation exercise or teach effective waste management in a slum around you.
5. Health Awareness: the living conditions in slums pose serious health risk to the dwellers, volunteer to create health awareness or take a health exercise in a slum through donation of materials, free medical services, volunteer to run periodic health checks in slums among others.
6. Improve livelihoods (skill acquisition): volunteer to empower slum dwellers with skills (catering, bead making, photography, hair dressing and so much more), statistics show that slums are economically vibrant and contribute to about 85% of employment opportunities given the young population of its dwellers.
7. Call on stakeholders to create innovative ways to develop our cities through urban planning,building and management
Taking steps to improve the slums will bring about inclusive cities.



Glaring inequality and inequity in our cities is a ticking bomb which willl explode to destroy all we have built in the past years.
The exclusion of slums in urban development will one day unsettle us in our comfy homes! Hit the slums today! Make a change!
Keep the cities sustainable, inclusive and resilient! Live on sustainable practices!


Thank you for taking time to read and share this post. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions do not hesitate to use the comment box.

Please visit and follow us on our social media accounts:

Facebook: The Nineteen Initiative
Instagram: @thenineteeninitiative.
Twitter: @19_thenineteen.

THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on 
this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

United Nations Day

The United Nations Day is celebrated on the 24th of October, every year. It's a day that is devoted to making known to people of the world,  the aims and achievements of the United Nations Organization.
The United Nations was founded after the Second World War with the main purpose of ensuring that the world never experiences a total breakdown of peace as was the case during the period which the war lasted (1939-1945).
The day is celebrated every year to reiterate the reason for the existence of the body; the maintenance of world peace hence the Olives in the emblem of the UN.
The day commemorates the declaration of the 24th October by the United Nations General Assembly as the anniversary of the United Nations Charter in 1948.
The continued existence of the UN reaffirms the commitment of the member states to preserve and maintain world peace.
The celebration of this day every year is not only the concern of the government of nations, workers of the UN or development stakeholders, rather, it should be celebrated by every one that is a beneficiary of the existence of world peace that is, everyone.
We must strive to maintain peace in all our interactions and ensure peace in situations where peace does not exist.

This year, the Nineteen Initiative in celebrating the UN day, calls for everyone to embrace diversity in every facet of life. Failure to embrace diversity on various levels has remained a major threat to world peace. Our position on diversity as discussed on the blog in our post; Diversity and Global Happiness remains unchanged.
It's important that we all take steps to give full effect to the name of the organization that is ensure continued unity among nations. Your attitude towards foreigners, comments on global issues, opinions overemphasized on issues among others can largely affect global peace and unity of nations.
Goal 17 calls for partnership for the goals and this is achievable when collaborative efforts are made towards giving full effects to the aims and objectives of the UN as well as taking steps to ensure that the targets of the global goals are met.
The UN is not a body that is high up and cannot be reached, making policies that seem unachievable except through actions by major stakeholders, rather, it is a body that we all belong to and must take steps to ensure that its aims and objectives are met. The aims and objectives of the United Nations include;
(1) To maintain inter­national peace and security;
(2) To encourage international cooperation in the spheres of social, economic and cultural developments;
(3) To develop friendly relations among nations on principles of equal rights and self- determination;
(4) To recognise the fundamental rights of all people.

We are able to celebrate the 24th of October this year because of the laudable efforts that have been made by the UN towards the maintenance of world peace. More can be achieved if we pay attention to the little things that we do that could be inimical to world peace, such as mindless venting on media platforms, failure to understand diversity, lack of commitment to achieving the global goals, having a laid back attitude towards global issues (because you feel like that's the concern of the government and development workers) among others.
It's never too late or too early to take action to ensure maintenance of global peace. Look into yourself and discover ways to collaborate with the United Nations to ensure that its objectives are met.
Say a prayer for a war torn nation today! Get off the couch! Your world needs you !

Thank you for taking time to read and share this post. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions do not hesitate to use the comment box.


Please visit and follow us on our social media accounts:

Facebook: The Nineteen Initiative
Instagram: @thenineteeninitiative.
Twitter: @19_thenineteen.

THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Hand Hygiene with Hannah Moreland

The previous week saw the celebration of the Global Hand Washing Day. This event is commemorated every year to re emphasize the imperative of hand hygiene if the global goals are to be met and quality health is to be achieved.

Good hand hygiene is the simplest and most effective way of preventing the spread of micro- organisms (germs) that could be of harm.


Many of us unknowingly live with micro-organisms on our skin, but they cause us no harm as our skin works as a protective barrier. However if these micro-organisms find a route to the blood stream (for example, through an open wound) then this is when people can become infected.

The removal of these micro-organisms through thorough hand hygiene is the most important factor in preventing them from being transferred to other people and if done effectively can therefore reduce morbidity and mortality.

To facilitate effective hand hygiene; cuts and wounds should be covered with waterproof dressings, sleeves should be rolled back, jewellery should be removed, finger nails should be kept short to prevent the build up of bacteria underneath and should be free from any nail polish or applications and the use of gloves should be considered before intervention.

The hands are the most exposed part of the body and the most easily susceptible to diseases. Diseases are easily transferred
Important times to ensure hand hygiene is carried out are; after using the toilet, before preparing/eating meals and before any contact with people who may be susceptible (have an open wound). Please see the picture below for steps to take for an effective hand hygiene technique.


Reference:

National Health Service (NHS)(2016) Community Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Health and Social Care. Harrogate: NHS

Thank you for taking time to read and share this post. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions do not hesitate to use the comment box.

Please visit and follow us on our social media accounts:

Facebook: The Nineteen Initiative
Instagram: @thenineteeninitiative.
Twitter: @19_thenineteen.

THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

First, A human being...

This week, the International Day of the Girl Child is being celebrated in numerous ways and we thought it fit to add our voice to the global discussion.

The default modern approach to raising the girl child screams gender equality, capacity to be and do better than the boy child! No glass ceilings! And other related advice. It's important, however, that we do not through our zeal to pass the message of gender equality to the girl child, transfer a legacy of struggle and aggression.

A legacy of struggle and aggression which colors a good part of the social values transferred to the girl child forces her to develop an aggressive stance towards her journey through life. Forcing her to think that she will have to struggle than the boy child to achieve the same feat, prove herself (in comparison to male competitors) and the list goes on. The legacy does not encourage her to approach her growth through life with the demeanor of a human being, rather, she approaches it first as a girl before she does as a human being (this should be the other way round), thereby painting an altered picture of life to her.

She was not born to fight, she was born to live just like every other child. Preach first to her humanity before feminism so that she does not grow up to a shaped loyalty to the feminine gender than to the human race.

Teach her not to approach life with aggression as very soon, the battle against her sex and the attendant impediments will be etched out. The existence of a male child is not the presence of another battle to fight but an opportunity for co-existence and collaborative development.


Life should not be served to her on the altar of gender awareness but on the awareness of the fact that she is first human before she is a girl.
Teach her that "because I am a girl " is never her primary defense. She must merit what she desires, where merit is impossible; create her own opportunities and bask in the greatness she has achieved because she is human.

This post does not undermine the fact that gender inequality is still a global issue or the global efforts towards achieving them, rather, it is to  call our attention to the fact that if the predecessors of the girl child who are already working towards gender equality are successful (which is our desire), it becomes important to raise the girl child in preparedness to live the life the success of her predecessors makes available for her (one where she doesn't have to struggle for equality).

Thank you for taking time to read and share this post. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions do not hesitate to use the comment box.

Please visit and follow us on our social media accounts:

Facebook: The Nineteen Initiative
Instagram: @thenineteeninitiative.
Twitter: @19_thenineteen.

THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

TRUE INDEPENDENCE

The colors green, white and green!

The color green has from time immemorial being seen to symbolize fertility which of a truth, paints a clear picture of Nigeria. Nigeria breathes fertility in terms of  people, endowment and resources.
All that we need to lead a successful life and sustainable future exist in abundance, however, the big question that threatens the sustainable future is "Whether the country and its people are poised to ensure the sustainable future?"

In the spirit of celebrating our independence anniversary, it is imperative for the true Nigerian to pay attention to certain issues that may limit the ability of the Nigerian citizen and future to attain holistic independence.

The fact that Nigeria lies in a position where it ought to have moved past in the face of the devils of corruption, mismanagement and poor governance admits no further argument. However, we need to pay attention to behavioral patterns that will bedevil the country even when the above named problems are solved. This is the crux of today's post;True independence from unsustainable behavioral patterns.
It's imperative that we gain independence from inability to pay attention to actions that pose a threat to the guarantee of sustainable development and the future of our country, global issues and how they affect our country. It's imperative to gain true independence from;

1. Cultural and religious sentiments that pose a serious threat to global peace.
2. Lack of awareness about proper use of the environment which has led to climate change which the whole world is battling.
3. Impulsive use of the earth's resources without replenishing.
4. Lack of collaborative efforts in the quest to provide a sustainable future for coming generations.
5. Selfless service geared towards the achievement of the sustainable development goals and its targets.


The above listed points may seem vague, however, all the previous posts on the blog will provide you with details on each of them.

The woes we face in Nigeria today will someday soon fade away but our lack of attention to the provision of a sustainable future produces results that will never fade away. True independence begins from paying attention to the issues as discussed above.


In the spirit of the assurance of the possibility of a sustainable future for Nigeria, we wish the country and its citizens, a Happy Independence Day from all of us at The Nineteen Initiative!

Thank you for taking time to read and share this post. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions do not hesitate to use the comment box.

Please visit and follow us on our social media accounts:

Facebook: The Nineteen Initiative
Instagram: @thenineteeninitiative.
Twitter: @19_thenineteen.

THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.