This document provides a lighthearted summary and commentary of various international decades, years, and days proclaimed by the United Nations. It notes that in 2022 there are ten international decades, four international years, and a long list of international days being celebrated. It pokes fun at some of the more obscure focus areas, such as International Mountain Day and World Toilet Day. The author questions why there is no recognition of areas beyond mountains, which only cover 27% of the earth's surface. Overall, the tone is one of amused skepticism toward the plethora of UN designations.

1. Gettingexcitedwiththe UnitedNations
Russell Grenning
I’ve reachedthe age where itisadvisable nottoget tooexcitedaboutanythingreally.
For that reason,Itry to studiouslyignore the impassionedpleasfromthe UnitedNationstowhip
myself intoafrenzyof enthusiasmfortheirmany – and,I’msure,worthwhile –International
Decades,International YearsandInternational Days.
Thisyear we are celebratingtenInternational Decades,fourInternational Yearsandaverylonglist
of InternationalDays.
Thisyear isthe InternationalYearof Solidarity with the Palestinian People (I betthat iswildly
popularinIsrael),the InternationalYearof Small Island Developing States,the InternationalYearof
Crystallography andthe InternationalYearof Family Farming.
My upcomingfavouritesare World Toilet Day on 19 November, World SoilDay on 5 Decemberand
InternationalMountain Day on11 December.
The importance of these andotherdecades,yearsanddays simplycannotbe over-stated.
For example,the UN notesinrelationto InternationalMountain Day, that“... mountainshavea
high incidence of poverty...” - I thinkthattheyshouldbe ashamedof themselves –and,withouta
trace of discernible ironythat “...mountainshavegained an increasingly high profileon agendasat
all levels.”
It seemsthatmountainsare very,verypushy,throwingtheirweightandsize aroundtogetthat
“increasingly high profile” especially,Iguess,withpeakbodies. TheInternationalYearof The
Mountain was2002 and we have had to endure theirpushinesseversince. Irememberthatyear
well because,inanact of defiance,Ifordedeverystreambutflatlyrefusedtoclimbeverymountain.
What concernsme is that the UN doesn’thave anInternational Yearforvalleys, gullies,ravines,
gorges,hollows,dells,glens,strathsorany bitof the planetwhichisn’tamountain.Eventheyadmit
that mountainsonlycover27% of the earth’ssurface,so whataboutthe rest? Thisis notjust
panderingtosomethingthatistoobig to be ignored,itisclearlydiscriminatory.
Thenagain,I suppose World Soil Day couldbe celebratedasa daywhenwe salute soil whichhas
escapedfromthe high-handedattitude of mountainsand,inthe process,diminishedthe size of their
original parent. Itservesmountainsrightinmyview.
I can’t imagine SmallIsland Developing States goingintorapturesaboutmountains.Isuspectthat
theywouldbe publiclydismissive butsecretlypea-greenwithjealousy. Ihaven’treallygotaclue
whatcrystallographyisandI’m notgoingto waste the precioustime Ihave lefttryingtofindout.
Life isjusttoo short.

2. We are celebratingthe InternationalYearof Family Farming bybuyingoutrageouslyexpensive
tuckerfrom ourlocal Farmers’Marketand surelythatisenough.Mindyou,it musthave beena thrill
a minute when,accordingtothe UN, “Romanian farmersand nationalleaderscametogetherin
Bucharestfora nationalconferenceundertheemphaticbanner,‘Family Farms – The Core of
SustainableAgriculture.”
Haven’ttheycome a longway fromthe collective farmingideainflictedbytheirformercommunist
masters?But I didwonderwhowastendingthe cropsand milkingthe cowswhile they andtheir
familieswhoopeditup..The UN hasn’treportedanycelebrationsinNorthKorea,China,Cubaorany
othercommuniststate whichonlygoestoshow whata bunchof spoilsportstheyare.
I was goingto remarkthat I hopedthat World Toilet Day will be flushedwithsuccess butif my
motherlearnedthatI wasindulginginwhatshe calls “toilet talk” there wouldbe hell topay.
Didyou knowthat youcan celebrate nofewerthanthirteenUN International DaysinNovemberand
a furthereleveninDecember?Imean,the partyjustneverends!
Nextyearisthe InternationalYearof Light and Light-based Technologies andabouttime too.It
shouldmarkthe endof the longreignof the Prince of Darknessandgood riddance. Are “Light-based
technologies”onesyoucan see?
I’msure the InternationalYearof Pulses in 2016 will be tremendously popularbutIam a bitworried
that whenIgo to my GP for a regularcheck-upandhe wants to take my pulse,he mightaskme fora
lentil.TryasI may, I cannotsee myself weepingtearsof joyovera chickpea.
I am still sadthat I missed InternationalHappinessDay on20 March last and thatI didn’tobeythe
UN directive toobserve it“in an appropriatemanner”. Yes,itdoeshave acertain, “Vehaff waysto
makeyou happy”tone aboutitand my ideaof beinghappyisto run downthe streetstarknaked.
No,I haven’tdone thatyetand I’mthinkingaboutaskingthe UN if thiswouldbe a celebration “in an
appropriatemanner”
Perhapsnot- especiallyatmyage.