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28 October: what is celebrated today
On 28 October, the world moves between imagination and discipline, between the art that brings drawings to life and the technique that teaches us to fall and get back up. On this day, two different expressions coexist, but are linked by the search for balance: animation, which turns fantasy into movement, and judo, which turns the body into thought. They are joined by the great global campaigns for peace and media education, reminding us that culture—in any of its forms—is always a form of resistance.
World Animation Day
Cinema was born twice: once with the Lumière brothers and again with Charles-Émile Reynaud, the pioneer who in 1892 screened his Pantomimes Lumineuses at the Musée Grévin in Paris. In his optical theatre, drawings danced before an audience for the first time, opening the door to a universe where everything could move.
Since 2003, World Animation Day has celebrated that spark of ingenuity that made it possible for a line to come to life. Behind every animated short or film lie centuries of experimentation, childhood curiosity and art. Animation does more than entertain: it creates worlds, awakens empathy and reminds us that imagining is also a way of existing.
World Judo Day
On the same day, on tatami mats around the world, thousands of practitioners greet one another with reverence and respect. World Judo Day commemorates the birth of Jigoro Kano, founder of this discipline that combines strength, intelligence and humility.
More than a sport, judo is an ethical path. It teaches that the body is mastered through the mind and that the highest victory is not one won over another person, but over oneself. The 2023 motto, “Bring a Friend”, sums up its philosophy: sharing the experience, learning together, growing as a community.
Disarmament Week
From 24 to 30 October, the United Nations promotes Disarmament Week, an invitation to imagine a planet where security does not depend on violence. In a world marked by tensions and growing arsenals, this campaign champions the value of dialogue and cooperation as the only true weapons of progress.
Disarmament begins in language, education and empathy. It is a political act, yes, but also a moral one: a promise for the future.
Global Media and Information Literacy Week
From 24 to 31 October, UNESCO promotes this week devoted to critical reading of the digital world. Under the 2024 motto —“The New Digital Frontiers of Information”—, the campaign addresses the challenges of artificial intelligence and disinformation in digital spaces.
In an age where anyone can speak but not everyone listens, this literacy is a form of cultural defence. Learning to distinguish truth from falsehood is now a civic duty and a tool for peace.
28 October vibrates between harmony and movement: animation that breathes life, judo that teaches balance, and campaigns that seek a more conscious and less armed world. Behind each one beats the same human impulse: to create, understand and improve.
It is a day that celebrates the art of movement in all its forms —from pencil to body, from mind to society—, reminding us that evolution begins with a gesture.