World down syndrome day falls on 21st of March every year. The reason behind why this specific date was chosen lies in the fact that down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of the chromosome 21, instead of having 2 chromosomes, people with down syndrome have 3. 
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The first WDSD (world down syndrome day) was seen celebrated in 2006 but was officially recognised by the United Nations around 2012 as an international day. It is a day to raise awareness on what down syndrome is and the many different ways people with down syndrome contributes to society. It is also a day to fight for their rights, which is why this year, 2020, has a significant theme, We Decide. 

”We decide” is the theme for 2020’s WDSD, to uplift the importance of people’s rights to make choices regarding their own lives. DSi, Down Syndrome International, is an organisation based in the UK, working to improve the life quality of people with down syndrome. They revealed that the theme for this year was inspired by the United Nations conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabillities, (CRPD). 

The stigmas, stereotypes, discrimination and false information surrounding people with down syndrome have made it hard for them to make choices regarding their own lives. Which is something they should fully participate in making, just like everyone else.  


What can we do to help? 

What we can do to break down stigmas and stereotypes is to firstly recognise our own views and how we also, wether intentionally or unintentionally, contribute to these stigmas. The way we speak and the word choices we use hold a lot of meaning. Here are some great examples to start the change in ourselves;  

This guide from DSi on the usage of our words 
This article written by Leticia Keighley explaining furthermore on how our message can be received. 

Wearing colourful and different pair of socks on each foot is also a thing to show solidarity. You can use the #LotsOfSocks to bring awareness to this day.  

Supporting organisations that help people with down syndrome by buying their products, for example DSi and their little merch store. 

Give space and platforms for people with Down Syndrome to talk about what they want. We no longer need to be their voice, they have their own, what we need to do is to sit down and listen. 

 

Sumaiyyah Sumaiyyah  

Is well known that Erasmus+ can acquire participants with many hard / soft skills. But what is happening to the ones who is not having the chance to be part of these projects and access to the info? This article describes one of the great values of Erasmus+, sharing. 

​After my participation in a training course in Ommen, NL called 'Projecting' I came back knowing a little bit more of how to organize and manage Projects.  Of course I needed to share all this excitement and there was no better opportunity by giving a presentation in Praxis office. The event published on social media and among with the long term European Solidarity Corps Volunteers, refuges from the local camp came too.

Through the workshop we have the chance to analyze the basic steps of project management and explore our motives and reasons behind our ideas. Methodologies such as 5W's and learning outcomes used on spot with examples of attendants ideas. Due to the expirienced audience many questions came up and we had a great discussion for possible future projects and how can we implement these tools beyond the Erasmus field. 

At the end, it is great to see how a simple training course,  far away from your city, can have these great results and multiplying its impact just by sharing with young people who are ready to make the next step. 

​Nikos Apostolidis

Opening a tap to wash your hands, cleaning the potato that you are going to make at the oven or putting some water in your toothbrush to have it wet; do you see anything strange? If you can see nothing, you are not one of those 2,200 millions of people all over the world that do not have drinking water and those who can not do those things in their daily lives.
Society should begin to become aware of it. In the last years people are realizing about the trouble of climate change or the massive use of plastics in our lives. I think that we must do the same with water. Do you know how many water liters we have to use to make a pair of jeans that you saw at store? According to the Politecnic University of Madrid, between 2,130 and 3,078 liters. It is awesome! So yesterday I went to my closet and I calculated “how many liters I had in my wardrobe”. I would rather you do not know it.

“700 million of people all over the world could take the decision to run away from their homes because of lack of water in 2030” La Vanguardia, a Spanish newspaper.

However, human stupidity is such that you do not know whether to cry or to cry. Those people who didn’t understand mathematics at school should pay attention to the next trouble. If wastewater of the human activity is throwing down rivers and seas, polluting all plants and animals. Who is going to eat these vegetables and fish? Easy, don't you think so?

Let’s keep killing ourselves, let’s keep being focused only on the last Iphone or on the pair of brand jeans that we want to wear on Saturday, instead of being aware of the serious problem of water.
The issue of water is everybody’s problem and it will only worsen unless something is done about the problem now. In a few years, millions of people will be forced to flee their homes not only because of the bombs but also because of the lack of water. And you still don’t see anything strange, do you?