Third UN-Observed World Diabetes Day Only Days Away

It is hard to believe that the third UN-Observed World Diabetes Day is only days away. This year, we will be building upon the United Nations connection to the UN Resolution on Diabetes by taking the Resolution Torch that was started at the UN Headquarters on the first UN-observed World Diabetes Day to the Joggins UNESCO World Heritage Site. While there we will complete a symbolic World Diabetes Day Walk, and will receive from the Joggins UNESCO World Heritage Site a World Diabetes Day Proclamation and artifacts for the Resolution Torch living time capsule. We will also be trying to find a way to illuminate the Joggings UNESCO World Heritage site (or part of it at least) in blue. The kids and I have decorated some shorts with the symbolic blue circles and we have received some special blue circle hula hoops and pins that we will be placing to be passed on at the Joggins UNESCO World Heritage site. We will keep you posted on our World Diabetes Day adventures.

You can find out more about the World Diabetes Day Walks at: http://www.globaldiabeteswalk.net

Inuksuk Torch 02 and 03: Banff, Alberta

I placed the Resolution Torch of Diabetes Advocacy Inuksuk Torch 02 and 03 at the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Included with the Inuksuks were small, laminated cards explaining the story of the Inuksuks and including this blog site address encouraging people who find the blue circle hula hoops to share when they found the torch and what happened next in the journey...I look forward to hearing more, or at least imagining more about what happened to the Inuksuks...

For more information about this UNESCO World Heritage Site: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/304

Inuksuk Torch 01: Dinosaur Park, Alberta

I placed the Resolution Torch of Diabetes Advocacy Inuksuk Torch 01 at the Dinosaur Provincial Park UNESCO World Heritage Site in Alberta, Canada. Included with the Inuksuk was a small, laminated card explaining the story of the Inuksuk and including this blog site address encouraging people who find the blue circle hula hoop to share when they found the torch and what happened next in the journey...I look forward to hearing more, or at least imagining more about what happened to the Inuksuk...

For more information about this UNESCO World Heritage Site: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/71

Inuksuk Torch 00: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

I placed the Resolution Torch of Diabetes Advocacy Inuksuk Torch 00 at the Historic Town of Lunenburg UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nova Scotia, Canada on the second UN-observed World Diabetes Day - November 14, 2008. I look forward to hearing more, or at least imagining more about what happened to the Inuksuk...

For more information about this UNESCO World Heritage Site:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/741

Resolution Torch Inuksuks

The word inuksuk means "something which acts for or performs the function of a person" - With the Resolution Torch of Diabetes Advocacy I have started the process of leaving blue circle hula hoops produced by the Canadian Diabetes Association as living Inuksuks at UNESCO World Heritage Sites. After igniting the torch on the first UN observed World Diabetes Day, the Second UN Observed World Diabetes Day saw the placement of the first Torch Inuksuk - a sympbolic blue circle torch intended to be passed on to help evolve diabetes knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. Torch Inuksuk 00 was left was at the Historic Town of Lunenburg UNESCO World Heritage Site on November 14, 2008 . The only thing is I have no idea what happened to this torch inuksuk. When I visited the site recently, the blue circle torches were gone, and my mind was working overtime trying to imagine the scenarios and possibilities of what could have happened to these blue circle hula hoops... There are all kinds of magical stories and possibilities...Did the hoops stay on the statue for a full day? Did the hoops stay on the statue for a full week? Did the hoops stay on the statue for a full month? More than a month? I wonder what happened...

This was a part of the epiphany I had in Ottawa at the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site - the need to document the journey of these inuksuk torches - to create brief, weather proof cards that could accompany the torches including this blog site address encouraging people who find the blue circles to share when they found the torch and what happened next in the journey...

I plan on initiating this process with Inuksuk Torch 01 when I visit my next UNESCO World Heritage Site. I'll be interested to see what happens...

The Second United Nations Observed World Diabetes Day

November 14, 2008 was the Second United Nations Observed World Diabetes Day. I advocated for a World Diabetes Day Proclamation from Lunenburg Mayor Laurence Mawhinney and placed a copy of the Proclamation along with Resolution Torch of Diabetes Advocacy Inuksuk Torch 00 at the Historic Town of Lunenburg UNESCO World Heritage Site. The World Diabetes Day Proclamation from Lunenburg Mayor Laurence Mawhinney plus three books about Lunenburg: "Dutch Oven: A Cook Book of Coveted, Traditional Recipes from the Kitchens of Lunenburg", "Lunenburg: Then and Now" by B. Cuthbertson as well as " Bluenose: The Ocean Knows Her Name" by H. Getson comprised the Resolution Torch time capsule artifacts added this year.

To commemorate this day I organized and completed a Global Diabetes Walk around the Historic Town of Lunenburg UNESCO World Heritage Site - Find out more at: http://www.worlddiabetesfoundation.org/composite-1942.htm

Every year on World Diabetes Day, monuments and buildings around the world are illuminated in blue. This year I had the priveleges to see the Nova Scotia Province House lit in blue - See some related photos at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=98994&id=695826141

Next Continent...

As a part of my goal to take the Resolition Torch of Diabetes Advocacy around the globe, I will be using TEAM Diabetes Canada running events to mobilize the torch. My next goal had been the continent of Oceania and I was planning on doing the Australia Gold Coast Marathon Event in July 2009 and taking the Resolution Torch of Diabetes Advocacy with me on the run. Unfortunately, with the death of my father in August 2008, I had to shift my goals for my TEAM Diabetes events. Although my next continent will not be Oceania, taking the Torch to each continent of the world is still part of my long term goals and we will get there, and take the torch there someday.

I am still fuindraising for TEAM Diabetes and you can make a donation to my TEAM Diabetes Canada fundraising by following this link to the Canadian Diabetes Association site.

https://ocp.diabetes.ca/Pledge/csSearch.asp?prId=td

Thanks - I appreciate your help!