#InternationalDayOfPotato Day of Potato 2026

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FAO

On 30 May, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) spotlights the potato, Solanum tuberosum (L.) – a crop regularly consumed by billions of people, potatoes are a key crop across diverse farming systems globally, ranging from smallholders producing diverse heirloom varieties by hand in the Andes, to vast commercial, mechanized farms in different continents.

Potatoes contribute to the food security and nutrition as well as and livelihoods and employment of people in rural and urban areas the world over. The Day is an opportunity to build on the International Year of the Potato, which was observed in 2008. The observance will also be used to underscore the importance of the crop to combating hunger and poverty and addressing environmental threats to agrifood systems. The roles of small-scale family farmers, a significant proportion of whom are women, in safeguarding the wide spectrum of the crop’s diversity, will also be recognized, while the cultural and culinary dimensions of the crop’s cultivation and consumption will be celebrated. The third observance of the International Day of Potato will be on 29 May 2026 (as 30 May falls on a Saturday), with the theme Where potatoes grow, livelihoods flourish. The theme positions the role of potatoes in strengthening livelihoods for farmers and value chain actors —from the highlands of the Andes to Africa, Europe, Asia and beyond. By advancing potato farming and value chain development, the crop contributes to poverty reduction, resilience and more inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems.

Day of UN Peacekeepers 2026

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Day of UN Peacekeepers

On the Day of UN Peacekeepers, the United Nations (UN) honour peacekeepers past and present and reaffirm our shared responsibility to respect and strengthen their work.

For nearly 80 years, UN peacekeepers have delivered tangible change to communities across the globe. From Liberia and Namibia to Cambodia, Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste, their presence has been life-saving and transformative in some of the most volatile political and security contexts, guiding countries from conflict towards sustainable peace. Observed under the theme “Invest in Peace” the 2026 International Day calls for decisive action to ensure civilian and military peacekeepers have the resources to carry out their vital mandates. More than 51,000 civilians, military, and police personnel serve in 11 UN peacekeeping missions, confronting increasingly complex and interconnected challenges shaped by a shifting geopolitical landscape. In this era of rising tensions, peacekeeping is a proven and cost-effective way to restore stability and hope. The International Day pays tribute to their unwavering service and sacrifice, as well as the resilience of the communities they support. It also solemnly honors the nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace, including 59 in 2025 alone.

Links:
Day of UN Peacekeepers

 

Unlawful by Design: Exposing the Human Rights Costs of Generative AI – publicatie

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Datastromen voor generatieve AI schenden massaal onze privacy

In het rapport ‘Unlawful by Design: Exposing the Human Rights Costs of Generative AI‘ documenteert Amnesty International ernstige risico’s bij het grootschalig ‘scrapen’ (automatisch gegevens van internet halen) en verwerken van data.

De gegevens worden gebruikt om AI-systemen te bouwen en te trainen. Het gaat daarbij om schendingen van het recht op privacy, nadelige gevolgen voor het milieu en risico’s voor kwetsbare gemeenschappen. Bedrijven verzamelen enorme hoeveelheden online gegevens zonder onze toestemming. Ze gebruiken deze data om generatieve kunstmatige intelligentie (GenAI) te bouwen. Deze aanpak maakt een grootschalige inbreuk op onze privacy mogelijk. Hierdoor zijn deze systemen van meet af aan onrechtmatig, stelt Amnesty International in het onderzoek. Amnesty International onderzocht de modellen die ten grondslag liggen aan enkele van de populairste, openbaar beschikbare, generatieve AI-tools, waaronder GPT 3 van Open AI, Gemini van Google, Llama van Meta, DeepSeek en tools van Midjourney en Stable Diffusion.

Links:
Datastromen voor generatieve AI schenden massaal onze privacy

Sit-in van Rijksambtenaren in Den Haag

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Sit-in van Rijksambtenaren in Den Haag

Sit-in door een groep Nederlandse ambtenaren die zich ernstige zorgen maakt over het aanhoudende Israëlische offensief in Gaza – dat volgens het Internationaal Gerechtshof bestempeld werd als plausibele genocide- en het Nederlandse beleid in reactie hierop.

Je kent ze misschien van de sit-ins die elke donderdag om 12:00 plaatsvinden voor het Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken. Als ambtenaren zijn zij doordrongen van het belang van internationaal recht. Ze legden een eed af op de Grondwet, inclusief artikel 90 waarin staat dat de regering de internationale rechtsorde bevordert. Het is aan de politiek om het beleid uiteen te zetten, dat klopt. Maar ook de politiek heeft zich te houden aan onze Grondwet en aan internationaal verdragsrechtelijke verplichtingen. Het is aan ambtenaren om de politiek erop te wijzen wanneer beleid het internationaal recht (mogelijk) schaadt. En die taak – die plicht – nemen zij zeer serieus. Zij verwachten van onze regering dat zij zich onvermoeibaar in gaat zetten voor consistente naleving van het internationaal recht. Concreet stellen zij vier eisen aan de Nederlandse regering en verwachten wij van de regering dat alle diplomatieke middelen worden aangewend om onderstaande te bewerkstelligen:

1. Maximale inzet op een onmiddellijk en permanent staakt-het-vuren en volledige humanitaire toegang tot Gaza.

2. ⁠Een eind aan alle vormen van steun voor én rechtvaardiging van Israëls huidige militaire optreden in Gaza en erkenning van het internationale humanitaire en oorlogsrecht;

3. ⁠De onmiddellijke naleving van recente uitspraken van het Internationaal Gerechtshof (ICJ).

4. Een strategie voor duurzame vrede, met garanties voor de mensenrechten en veiligheid van zowel Palestijnen als Israëliërs.

Links:
Ambtenaren en de Grondwet

Nederland: Sluit de genocide geldkraan! – petitie

Sprouts Film Festival 2026

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Sprouts

The team behind Sprouts has developed a recurring platform for fictional ecocinema and socially critical debut films. We have steadily grown into an interdisciplinary film festival, now present across six venues in three of Amsterdam’s city districts: Studio/K, Kriterion, De Uitkijk, Droog, MidWest, and QRU.

While a five-year anniversary calls for celebration, each day the team behind Sprouts is reminded of why they felt the need for a festival like Sprouts in the first place. Autocrats, tech bros, and far-right factions continue to wreak havoc on our planet, disrupting ecosystems and undermining international law and human dignity. This is why the team cherish the brave filmmakers of our 2026 edition so deeply: they defy systems to share bold, uncompromising visions. The team also support the shaping of a new generation of green storytellers by hosting the very first Sprouts Eco Shorts Pitch and Industry Day. From 1 – 7 June 2026, focussing on bringing people together and inspiring one another to resist. Whether by visiting the free Eco Expo, joining community dinners, attending outdoor screenings, supporting our fundraiser for Sudan, or simply watching a film together.

Links:
Sprouts Film Festival

#SaveOurOcean #WorldOceansDay / Wereld Oceanen Dag 2026

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World Oceans Day

World Ocean Day (WOD) is an international day that takes place annually on June 8, the concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“World Oceans Day” was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008. The international day supports the implementation of worldwide Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fosters public interest in the protection of the ocean and the sustainable management of its resources. World Oceans Day is observed by all UN member states.World Oceans Day reminds every one of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our Planet and a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere. The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans. Hosted by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations, in partnership with the non-profit organization Oceanic Global, this year’s annual program will celebrate the wonders of the ocean as a source of life that supports humanity and all other organisms on Earth. The ocean covers over 70% of the planet. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth. The ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen, it is home to most of earth’s biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world. Not to mention, the ocean is key to our economy with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030. Even though all its benefits, the ocean is now in need of support. With 90% of big fish populations depleted, and 50% of coral reefs destroyed, we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. We need to work together to create a new balance with the ocean that no longer depletes its bounty but instead restores its vibrancy and brings it new life. “Reimagine”, the theme of World Oceans Day 2026, invites us to change the way we see and care for the ocean. For too long, we have viewed it as something distant, when in fact it is part of our daily lives: the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the climate balance that makes our existence possible. Let’s stop being mere beneficiaries of its resources and let’s become true guardians of its future.

Links:
World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day 8 June

Wereldoceaandagen

World Oceans Day 2020 – YouTube afspeellijst

World Whale Day / Wereld Walvisdag

World Oceans Day / Wereld Oceanen Dag

7 ocean mysteries scientists haven’t solved yet

2022 UN Ocean Conference

5 Actions You can Take to #SaveOurOcean

Seascape: the state of our oceans

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