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12 November: what is celebrated today
On 12 November, the world pauses to talk about three things which, though different, share the same root: care. Caring for health, peace and the quality of what we do. It is a day when science becomes hope, prevention becomes an act of love and constant improvement becomes a commitment to the future.
World Pneumonia Day
Pneumonia is an old silent enemy. Every year it claims hundreds of thousands of children's lives, especially in places where diagnosis comes too late. That is why, since 2009, World Pneumonia Day has sought to break the silence surrounding it, reminding us that preventing it is possible and that access to healthcare should not depend on where one is born.
Promoted by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia, this day raises the profile of one of the planet's most underestimated diseases. An estimated 800,000 children under five die from it every year, often after it has been mistaken for a cold. Behind each figure is a story that could have been prevented with a vaccine, an antibiotic or an early diagnosis.
On 12 November, hospitals, schools and social networks turn blue, a symbol of the fight against this infection. More than a medical call, it is an ethical reminder: caring for the world's lungs is caring for its future.
International Week of Science and Peace
Between 9 and 15 November, the UN celebrates the International Week of Science and Peace, an occasion where knowledge is put at the service of human understanding. Since 1986, this initiative has reminded us that science is not neutral: it can serve to build weapons or to build bridges.
In conferences, universities and laboratories, people talk about cooperation, sustainability and dialogue. Because every discovery is also a responsibility. When science allies itself with ethics, it becomes one of the most solid forms of diplomacy: it unites peoples where politics sometimes fails.
World Quality Week
From 11 to 15 November, companies and institutions around the world celebrate World Quality Week, a tradition promoted by the Chartered Quality Institute of the United Kingdom. Its 2024 theme —“Quality: from compliance to performance”— sums up the challenge of our era: it is not enough to do things well; they must be done better.
Quality is not only a matter of standards or ISO certifications; it is an attitude towards life and work. It means respect for the person receiving a product, for the person who trusts a service, for the person who devotes time to improving something. During this week, talks, workshops and internal audits are organised, but above all the idea is celebrated that excellence is a form of honesty.