View from the Editor's chair: International take the biscuit day

Some of the press releases that pass over this desk never cease to amaze me. I credit you Dear Reader, with enough intelligence to be able to read between the lines.

Unlike the dead-tree press, we are not limited by space constraints and invite our readers to comment on every article we publish. In fact, if a release is factual and not offensive, with a Welsh angle, it has a good chance of getting published here.

Politicians of all parties except one (have I done something to upset you Mr Griffin?) are forever sending us details of their every movement.

At the start of this month I received a notice stating that the first week in October was 'Welsh Leek Week'. Fair's, fair, the story had a Welsh connection, I like leeks and respect the company behind the story and wish them all the best with their 'Welsh Leek Week'.

Trolling through the Welsh Assembly website this evening I came across this:

"There are a number of dates throughout the year that have been designated by the United Nations (UN) as observances. These dates provide a platform for promoting action by highlighting human rights as well as UN activities and programmes.

"The Welsh Assembly Government’s promotion of equality and commitment to the principles of human rights has led to a distinctive equality agenda in Wales. A list of the UN Observances which the Welsh Assembly Government is keen call attention to can be found in the attached document."

Intrigued I thought I'd have a closer look.

These are the dates the Assembly are asking us to observe:-

• International Year of Human Rights Learning (one year, beginning on 10 December 2008)
• International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2010)
• International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust (27 January)
• World Day of Social Justice (20 February, beginning in 2009)
• United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace (8 March)
• International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March)
• Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination (beginning 21 March)
• International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (25 March)
• World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (21 May)
• World Refugee Day (20 June)
• International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June)
• International Youth Day (12 August)
• International Day of Older Persons (1 October)
• International Day of Non-Violence (2 October)
• International Day of Rural Women (15 October)
• International Day for Tolerance (16 November)
• International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November)
• World AIDS Day (1 December)
• International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (2 December)

I for one are all for human rights but couldn't some of these days be combined, and how much is it costing us to observe all these events in Wales?

Sorry, I've got to go as I've just receive a fax from Prof J Cake saying that tomorrow is World Biscuit day and biscuits reduce the risk of hunger, starvation, heart disease, cancer....

The views expressed in this article are those of Dom alone and do not represent or reflect the views of other members of the Welsh Icons Team.

As always, please leave your comments below.