International Volunteer Day takes place on December 5^th each year and is celebrated in a majority of countries throughout the world.  Its main goal is not only to thank volunteers for their efforts, but to encourage everyone to get involved and make a difference in their own communities.

The day has been observed since 1985, when the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution marking the global celebration.  For the past quarter century, governments, businesses and non-profit organizations have contributed to International Volunteer Day through a host of activities, including community projects, parades marches and rallies, award ceremonies for volunteers, and of course, volunteering activities.

Many counties have also utilized International Volunteer Day to focus volunteers’ time to help achieve the targets of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, which aim to combat hunger, poverty, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women.  Representatives from the media and academia, faith groups and even sporting and recreational organizations are often involved as well.

This makes International Volunteer Day sound like a celebration where only the big players are involved.  But don’t let this stop you from getting together with your friends and volunteering or holding an event in your own community, because the bulk of the day’s activities really take place at the local level.  Small groups of people all over the world will be volunteering their time in a variety of activities.

How about yourself?  What will you and your friends and family do this December 5^th?  Volunteer with a local non-profit organization, a hospital, or environmental group?  Hold your own event to raise funds and awareness about an issue you care deeply about?  There are a number of groups in your community that need your help.  They’re just a phone call away.  If you’re not sure who to contact, simply go online and look up some of the non-profit organizations in your town or community.   

In fact, why stop on December 5^th?  For young adults, there are opportunities to travel abroad and work with non-governmental organizations and charitable groups.  I have had the pleasure of travelling and volunteering in places like Latin and South America, south-east Asia and central Africa.  And believe me, it is a pleasure.  You’ll have the chance to take on once in a lifetime experiences and meet people from all over the world.  What else could you ask for?

This year’s International Volunteer Day has a very special theme.  Just two weeks from now, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to discuss solutions to global warming, air pollution and other serious environmental problems.  Recognizing this, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is inviting everyone to join the “Volunteering for Our Planet” campaign and volunteer their time this December 5^th to help clean up the environment.  There is more information about the programme at www.sealthedeal2009.org/unv.

As I’ve written many times before, volunteerism shouldn’t really be considered “work,” mainly because it’s so much fun!  So start making plans for December 5^th and get ready to make a difference.  

 Author:Bilaal Rajan

In this statement of prayer made by Muhammad, God’s Messenger, there is an overflowing offering of the self in the presence of God. To sincerely acknowledge the Almighty as Provider and Maintainer, Creator and Supreme Lord, is to realize and affirm one’s reason for existence—to live in the humble servitude of God. There is no meaning in existence, if the presence of God is denied and rejected. Life is not simply a time of merriment and pleasure, where nothing matters except the prevalence of human desires and wants.

According to tradition, via a series of dreams, Prophet Ibrahim was asked to sacrifice his son, Ismail. (In Jewish and Christian thought, Isaac was the recipient of this command.) Though extremely difficult, he complied; and at the final moment a ram was divinely substituted. In commemoration of this remarkable event, Muslims make the pilgrimage to the sacred Ka`ba, the House of God, the sanctified shrine to remember God which had been built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail (Ishmael).

 In fact, life is a time of responsibility and obligations, a time when the sacred “trust” is completed and the obligation for the devoted service to God is fulfilled. In this context, Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) is a good paragon for representing pristine human obedience and devotion in the fulfillment of God’s commandments.

 According to tradition, via a series of dreams, Prophet Ibrahim was asked to sacrifice his son, Ismail. (In Jewish and Christian thought, Isaac was the recipient of this command.) Though extremely difficult, he complied; and at the final moment a ram was divinely substituted. In commemoration of this remarkable event, Muslims make the pilgrimage to the sacred Ka`ba, the House of God, the sanctified shrine to remember God which had been built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail (Ishmael).

There is much merit and limitless blessings associated with the pilgrimage or hajj. The Prophet stated that: “If anyone performs the pilgrimage for God’s sake without talking immodestly or acting wickedly, he will return [pure] as on the day his mother bore him.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

As an important practice of faith, it becomes essential for all Muslims to be able to complete the hajj at least once during their lives. According to the Prophet: “The pilgrimage should be performed once, and if anyone does it more often, he performs a supererogatory act.” (Ahmad, Nasa’i, Darimi) The question arises regarding those who cannot for some reason complete this important practice.

In a narrative from Ibn Abbas, the merit of the pilgrimage can be passed to someone who cannot perform it when another person fulfills the requirements instead. Thus, “A woman of the tribe of Khatham asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah! The ordinance regarding the pilgrimage made obligatory by Allah for his servants found my father a very old man unable to sit firmly on a riding camel, shall I perform a pilgrimage on his behalf?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ And this happened in the Farewell Pilgrimage.”

On another occasion, Ibn Abbas told of a person who came to the Prophet and stated that his sister had taken a vow to make the pilgrimage, but had died. The Prophet asked whether he would pay a debt, supposing she owed one, and when he replied that he would, he said, “Well pay the debt due to God, for it is the one which most deserves to be paid.” (Bukhari and Muslim) 

As for the actual etiquette of the both genders performing the pilgrimage simultaneously, the hadith narratives again provide directives. According to the following tradition, “Ibn Juraij reported that when Ibn Hisham forbade women making circuits along with men, `Ata said: ‘do you forbid them, while the wives of the Prophet made circuits along with men?’ I said, ‘Was it after the verses related to the curtain [were revealed] or before?’ He said, ‘By my life! I found this after the curtain verses.’ I said, ‘How did men mix with them?’ He said,’They did not mix with them; A’isha used to make circuits remaining aside from the men, not mixing with them; … but when they intended to go into the Sacred House, they stopped before entering it till the men were turned out.’” (Bukhari)

The practice of both genders to simultaneously perform this ritual, consolidates the idea that in Islam all people have equal dignity, prestige and respect. One gender is not more superior to another. Despite biological differences, spiritual obligations are the same. Hence as directed with wisdom by the Prophet, men and women were to acknowledge the presence of God as a unified community, with equality and harmony.

The sacred Ka`ba, is a gift to be cherished and respected by all Muslims, and commemoration of the ultimate sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim is formally concluded with the Hajj. The actual existential fulfillment of this sacrifice by all Muslims is to be of service to the creation of God– and willingness to make the peaceful sacrifice of time, resources and energy. With Eid al-Adha we celebrate the human destiny to truly live when we bequeath in peace.

 Author: Dr. Habibeh Rahim is the Professor of Religion at St. John University.

What is Remembrance Day?

Every year on November 11, Canadians pause in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace. We honour those who fought for Canada in the First World War (1914-1918), the Second World War (1939-1945), and the Korean War (1950-1953), as well as those who have served since then. More than 1,500,000 Canadians have served our country in this way, and more than 100,000 have died. They gave their lives and their futures so that we may live in peace.

Why Remember?

We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand Canadian lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument.

We often take for granted our Canadian values and institutions, our freedom to participate in cultural and political events, and our right to live under a government of our choice. The Canadians who went off to war in distant lands went in the belief that the values and beliefs enjoyed by Canadians were being threatened. They truly believed that “Without freedom there can be no ensuring peace and without peace no enduring freedom.

Whom Do We Remember?

As the artillerymen swung three abreast down Main Street, traffic stopped and people watched from the sidewalks. Some stood in silence. A few wept. Some cheered a bit or called out to soldiers they knew – to an officer who had for years devoted his spare time to the militia battery, to a genial giant from the slums, to a farmboy from Taylor Village, to a man with a police record, to a teenager leaving the prettiest girl in town.³

When war has come, time and again Canadians have been quick to volunteer to serve their country. From farms, small towns and large cities across the country, men and women signed up, motivated by reasons like patriotism, ideological belief, family tradition, the seeking of adventure, or just to escape unemployment. They join Canada’s war effort prepared to defend, to care for the wounded, to prepare materials of war, and to provide economic and moral support.

How Do We Remember?

In remembering, we pay homage to those who respond to their country’s needs. On November 11, we pause for two minutes of silent tribute, and we attend commemorative ceremonies in memory of our war dead.

Poppies are worn as the symbol of remembrance, a reminder of the blood-red flower that still grows on the former battlefields of France and Belgium. During the terrible bloodshed of the second Battle of Ypres in the spring of 1915, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a doctor serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, wrote of these flowers which lived on among the graves of dead soldiers:

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, Germany signed the Armistice, ending one of the deadliest conflicts ever that cost the lives of 15 million people, World War I.  What was to become Remembrance Day is observed throughout the British Commonwealth and dozens of other countries to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces as well as civilians in times of war.

On this day, we remember those who have fallen on the battlefields, whether on land, in the air or at sea.  Yet in honouring them, we acknowledge the importance of creating a more peaceful world, so that their deaths are not in vain – and that no one should ever have to die in war again.

Although World War I was supposed to be “the war to end all wars,” battles raged throughout the 20^th century and took the lives of 85 million additional people.  “War is hell,” once wrote William Sherman, a Union General in the American Civil War.  What on earth could really be more catastrophic than people utilizing deadly weapons to kill other human beings on a massive scale? 

Not only does it destroy life and waste resources, it squanders the talents of young people who would rather be learning, creating, enjoying life with friends and family, and helping to create a better world in their own right.

As South Asians, it is especially important to remember those who are sometimes forgotten by history books and the mainstream media.  During World War II, for example – and despite Britain still refusing to grant India independence – millions of Indians and Pakistanis of all religious backgrounds joined the armed forces to fight the Empire of Japan.  Some of these veterans later moved to Canada to tell their story, yet far too little has been written of them.  Once again, this is not to celebrate war, but to remember those who fought and gave their lives against Fascism and tyranny.

Very seldom are wars waged by people.  They are almost always propagated by leaders to want to enhance their prestige and power and desire for more of the world resources.  Knowing this, it is important to create conditions that will make war unnecessary. 

This inevitably means creating societies throughout the world where children are taken care of, growing up in safe and loving environments, going to school, having a home to live in and a doctor to go to when their sick.  It means protecting the rights of girls and ensuring gender equality.  It also means giving young people the opportunity to live their dreams and succeed in whatever they want to in life, to ensure that when they turn 18 years old, they pick up a first-year university textbook and not a rifle.

On November 11^th, we remember those who have given their lives in battle for the principles of freedom and democracy, but we also protect the living by helping to ensure that no one has to see the horrors of war ever again.

 Author: Bilaal Rajan

It was all about the celebration of workers’ solidarity. Well I am talking about Labour Day. It originally gave workers the chance to campaign for better working conditions or pay. Most workers, public or private, are entitled to take statutory holidays off with regular pay on this day. Though some businesses remain open on holidays, such as medical clinics and some stores, restaurants, and tourist attractions, it is also the time of the year again, when schools reopen and people return from vacation.

What Happens on Labour Day?

Traditionally, this day was celebrated to campaign and celebrate workers’ rights by parades and picnics organized by trade unions. Though these still play a major role on Labour Day, many people today, take it as an opportunity to celebrate a long weekend with their friends and families. People head up north to cottages or campsites or their country cottages. For professionals, it is an opportunity before the beginning of the year to realize and to prepare them for back to work after what could be slow summer for many. For teenagers and other students, the Labour Day weekend is the last chance to party.

Background:

The origins of Labour Day can be traced back to April 15, 1872, when the Toronto Trades Assembly organized Canada’s first significant demonstration for worker’s rights.

The objective behind this demonstration was to release those twenty four leaders of the

Toronto Typographical Union who were imprisoned for striking to campaign for a nine-hour working day. Striking was considered as a crime and Trade Unions were considered illegal, in those days.

A few months later, a similar parade was organized in Ottawa. Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John Macdonald was the one who promised to repeal all Canadian laws against trade unions. This led to the founding of the Canadian Labour Congress in 1883 and Labour Day was made an official holiday in Canada on July 23, 1894.

The South Asian Way:

“Whatever one does, it is definitely a precious opportunity to spend quality time together with your family and friends before the unending streak of work and the start of the academic year,” says Madina Madda, student.

“I do respect the movement that was started in Wellington and I also take part in fairs sometimes. But what I really enjoy on this day is the fireworks. They are amazing,” says Shreya Shah, Mehendi Designer on Dundas.

Author: Staff Writer