May 15 is celebrated as the International Day of Families, the International Day of Conscientious Objectors, the International Day for Climate Action, and the World Day for Endangered Species. This day combines events of different years in politics, technological progress, and culture that have significantly influenced the further course of world history.
International Day of Families
This holiday was introduced by the UN General Assembly to draw attention to the problems faced by families in different countries. These include poverty, forced displacement, unemployment, access to education and medicine, fertility, population aging, and the conditions in which children grow up and receive support.
For Ukraine, this day has a special meaning because of war, family separation, evacuation of children, loss of housing, captivity, death of loved ones, and family life in different countries. Many Ukrainian families have been keeping in touch at a distance for years, raising their children in new conditions and at the same time trying to preserve a sense of home.
Interesting facts
The idea of a separate day for families appeared after the UN declared 1994 the International Year of the Family. The day itself was established earlier, in 1993, to annually remind us of the impact of the economy, demography and social policy on families.
In Sweden, more than half of children are born outside of official marriage, and this has long become a common phenomenon for society. Many couples live together for years without registering their relationship, have a common budget and children.
In Iceland, surnames in the usual sense are almost not used. Most often, a child receives a name formed from the name of the father or mother with the addition of “-son” or “-dottir”, so there can be different “surnames” in one family.
In South Korea and Japan, more and more young people are postponing starting a family due to high housing costs, work overload, and economic instability. As a result, the birth rate there has become one of the lowest in the world.
In China, after many years of the “one-child” policy, the problem of a rapidly aging population and a shortage of young workers arose. The authorities were forced to allow families to have two, and then three, children, but the birth rate continues to fall.
In the Netherlands, “father’s days” are popular, when one of the parents officially works fewer hours a week in order to spend more time with the children. For many families, this is a familiar pattern of life.
In India, large families are still common, where several generations of relatives live under one roof. In some regions, living together of parents, children, grandparents, and relatives is considered the norm, even in cities.
After the outbreak of a full-scale war, millions of Ukrainian families found themselves divided between different countries. Some children have only seen their parents via video link for years, and many families are facing a long-term life at a distance for the first time.
In Finland, the state provides expectant parents with a free “newborn box” containing clothes, blankets, care products, and items for the first months of their child’s life. This practice was started in the 1930s to reduce infant mortality.
In some European countries, pets are legally considered part of the family during divorce. The court can determine who gets to keep a cat or dog and who bears the costs of its care.
International Conscientious Objector Day
This day is dedicated to people who refuse to participate in military service due to religious, ethical, or ideological beliefs. This is not about evading responsibility, but about the human right, recognized in many countries, not to take up arms when it goes against one’s conscience.
The beginning of the international movement is associated with meetings of conscientious objectors in Europe in the early 1980s. This day acquired special significance after the Bundestag’s decision on May 15, 1997 on the rehabilitation of people who were prosecuted by Nazi military justice for refusing to serve, desertion and unwillingness to participate in the criminal war.
Interesting facts
In Nazi Germany, refusing military service could result in a death sentence. One of the most famous conscientious objectors was the Austrian Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to swear an oath to Hitler and was executed in 1943.
The first European actions in support of conscientious objectors were held even before the Bundestag’s decision. In the 1980s, this day was used to draw attention to imprisoned conscientious objectors in various countries.
In many countries, conscientious objectors are not exempted from their duty to society, but rather perform alternative civilian service. This may involve working in hospitals, social institutions, caring for people with disabilities, or working in communities.
In Ukraine, the right to alternative non-military service is enshrined in the Constitution for citizens whose religious beliefs prevent them from performing military service. In practice, during martial law, this issue has become much more complicated and has caused many legal disputes.
After the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine, alternative service for mobilized people has become virtually unavailable. Some people who invoke conscientious objection face criminal charges or forced conscription.
Most often in Ukraine, conscientious objection to military service is declared by representatives of religious communities that traditionally do not take up arms. Such communities include, in particular, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Adventist Reformers, and certain evangelical Christian movements.
In 2015, the Supreme Court of Ukraine recognized that the right to alternative service may apply not only to conscription, but also to mobilization. After 2022, the application of this approach has become much more complicated due to martial law and defense needs.
The issue of conscientious objectors during the war in Ukraine is particularly sensitive, because there are two strong social demands at the same time: protecting the state from aggression and respecting human rights. That is why this topic often causes heated discussions even among human rights activists.
In some countries, conscientious objectors are recognized not only by religious people, but also by those who have deep pacifist or ethical beliefs. In Ukraine, legislation is traditionally more tied to religious grounds.
International Day for Climate Protection
This day is dedicated to the problem of climate change and its consequences for people, nature and the economy. It is associated with the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect forests, water resources, soils and switch to a more energy-efficient lifestyle.
The climate is changing due to the accumulation of gases in the atmosphere that retain heat, primarily carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. The consequences are already noticeable in the form of more frequent droughts, heat waves, flooding, heavy rains, soil degradation and loss of biodiversity.
Interesting facts
Ukraine is one of the countries that is already experiencing noticeable warming: the average annual temperature has increased faster than the global average in recent decades. This is especially evident in milder winters, hotter summers and more frequent periods without rain.
The steppe regions of Ukraine suffer the most from droughts. For the south of the country, climate change means not only heat, but also direct risks to crops, water supply and soil conditions.
The explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in 2023 was one of the largest environmental disasters during a full-scale war. The destruction of the reservoir changed the water regime of a large territory, affecting protected areas, agriculture, drinking water and local microclimate.
The war in Ukraine has a climatic dimension due to fires, explosions, destruction of industrial facilities, movement of equipment, construction of fortifications and the future restoration of destroyed cities. All this is associated with additional emissions and pressure on the environment.
During the war, Ukrainian forests suffer not only from logging, but also from mining, fires and hostilities. Some areas will remain dangerous for foresters, firefighters and scientists for years, so the restoration of natural ecosystems will be very long.
Cities are more susceptible to heat stress due to asphalt, concrete, and a lack of trees. In densely built-up areas, temperatures can be several degrees higher than in parks or near bodies of water.
Bogs and peatlands are natural carbon sinks. When they are drained or burned, large amounts of greenhouse gases are released into the air, so preserving such areas is no less important than planting new trees.
Methane traps heat much more strongly than carbon dioxide in the short term. Its sources include livestock farming, landfills, gas and oil extraction, so reducing methane emissions has a rapid climate effect.
World Endangered Species Day
This day draws attention to animals, plants, fungi, and other living organisms whose numbers are declining due to habitat loss, poaching, pollution, climate change, disease, and the effects of human activity. It is celebrated every year on the third Friday of May to remind us of species that may disappear without the protection of natural areas and control over the destruction of ecosystems.
The status of endangered species is assessed according to international conservation lists, the most famous of which is the IUCN Red List. In Ukraine, the Red Book of Ukraine plays an important role, which lists rare and endangered species, including the lynx, bison, black stork, white-tailed eagle, stilt, beluga, Ukrainian feather duster and many steppe, forest and aquatic species.
Interesting facts
Endangered Species Day began to be celebrated in the USA in 2006 with the participation of environmental organizations, and later it acquired a wider international meaning. It is often associated with the third Friday of May, rather than with a permanent calendar date.
The IUCN Red List has existed since 1964 and has become the main global tool for assessing the risk of species extinction. In it, a species can have different statuses – from the least threatened to complete extinction.
In Ukraine, endangered species are especially vulnerable in the steppes, because the real virgin steppe has been almost completely destroyed by plowing. It is the steppe plants, insects, birds and small mammals that often disappear unnoticed, without a wide public outcry.
“Askania-Nova” is of great importance for the preservation of steppe ecosystems and rare animals. After the start of a full-scale war, the reserve was under occupation, and reports of fires, the removal of animals, the movement of equipment and the destruction of natural areas became some of the most alarming for Ukrainian nature conservation.
The explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in 2023 had a severe impact on aquatic and coastal ecosystems. Fish spawning grounds, bird nesting sites, floodplain forests, floodplains, and areas where rare species adapted specifically to the water regime of the lower Dnieper lived have been affected.
Some Ukrainian species may suffer from the war not through direct destruction, but through the loss of scientists’ access to the territories. Without observations, it is difficult to understand how many individuals remain, whether the population is reproducing, and which areas need to be protected as a priority.
Mining of forests, steppes, and protected areas poses a long-term threat to nature. Even after the end of hostilities, some of the habitats of rare species may remain inaccessible for protection, research, and restoration for years.
The bison in Ukraine was once almost extinct, but it has gradually returned thanks to resettlement and protection. Populations remain vulnerable because they need large forest areas, peace, and protection from poaching.
The white-tailed eagle, one of Ukraine’s largest birds of prey, depends on water bodies and old trees for nesting. Destruction of coastal forests, drainage of territories and disturbance near nests can quickly affect its numbers.
Historical events on this day
1648 — a battle took place near Zhovty Vody between Ukrainian Cossacks led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky and the advanced units of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army. The victory of the Cossacks was one of the first major successes of the National Liberation War and showed that the uprising had grown into a large-scale military and political confrontation.
1848 — the abolition of peasant duties, stipulated by the law of the Austrian Emperor Ferdinand I, began to take effect in Galicia. The peasant reform eliminated serfdom and became an important change for the Ukrainian peasantry, which received more personal freedom and the opportunity to build economic life differently.
1891 — Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical “Rerum Novarum”, in which he raised the issue of workers’ rights, fair wages, living conditions of employees and the church’s attitude to social conflicts. The document became one of the foundations of Christian democracy and the social teaching of the Catholic Church.
1905 — Las Vegas was founded, which was originally a small settlement near the railroad in the desert area of Nevada. Over time, the city turned into one of the most famous centers of entertainment, tourism and gambling in the world.
1940 — nylon stockings went on sale in the United States, which quickly became popular due to their strength, convenience and lower cost compared to silk. The appearance of nylon was a notable event in the history of mass production of synthetic materials.
1948 — The first Arab-Israeli war began, which was a consequence of the declaration of independence of Israel and the escalation of the conflict over the partition of Palestine. The war changed the political map of the Middle East and laid the foundation for a long Arab-Israeli confrontation.
1955 — in Vienna, representatives of the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and France signed the State Treaty on the restoration of an independent and democratic Austria. The document ended the post-war occupation of the country and opened the way to its neutral status.
1957 — Great Britain launched Operation Grapple, carrying out a thermonuclear test over the Molden Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The explosion power was about 300 kilotons, which significantly exceeded the power of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
1976 — An An-24 plane crashed near Chernihiv, killing 52 people. The death of all passengers and crew members made this tragedy one of the most serious aviation incidents of that period in Ukraine.
1992 — The newspaper “Flot Ukrainy” was founded by order of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. The publication became an important information platform for Ukrainian military sailors in the first years of the formation of their own Armed Forces after the restoration of independence.
2022 — the Ukrainian band “Kalush Orchestra” with the song “Stefania” won the Eurovision Song Contest, gaining 631 points from the jury and the audience. After the performance, Oleg Psyuk appealed to the world to help Mariupol and the defenders of “Azovstal”. These words were heard on the air of the competition, which was watched by millions of people.
