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Hello and welcome to Visual Learning Center's podcast Episode 4. Today I'm going to talk about World Refugee Day. Did you know that every minute of the day 20 people leave their homes to escape war or terror? World Refugee Day is a day when we can support and celebrate the strength and courage of millions of refugees worldwide. Across the world there are currently over 65 million people who have had to leave their homes. Some have settled in new countries; many more are living in refugee camps, waiting for it to be safe enough to go home or to be resettled in a different country. The United Nations decided that refugees should have a special day, when we think of them and show our support. The first World Refugee Day was on the 20th of June in 2001 and it's been celebrated every year since then. There are more refugees today than in any time in history. Sixty-five million people means that nearly one in 100 people in the world is a displaced person or refugee. We are now facing the worst refugee crisis in history. The number of refugees has doubled in the last 20 years. The situation is clearly worse in some countries than in others. Fifty-five per cent of refugees worldwide come from Syria, Afghanistan and South Sudan. Since the start of the war, more than 5.6 million Syrians have escaped the country and 6.1 million are still living in Syria but have had to leave their homes. Around half of these 11 million people are children. So what are the aims of World Refugee Day? A refugee crisis on this scale is difficult to deal with, but the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, reminds us that 'the problems are war and hatred, not people who flee.' World Refugee Day is about raising awareness of the situation and showing the refugees that together we can work to end the crisis and help displaced people to find safe and happy homes. So what happens on World Refugee Day? There are a lot of events on the 20th of June in different countries. Many famous landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Empire State Building in New York, are covered in blue lights, the colour of the United Nations. In Glasgow, Scotland, people hold hands to form an enormous human chain around George Square, in the city centre, to 'show the world that Scotland welcomes refugees'. In many places there are film showings, exhibitions and various fundraising events. If you want to get involved, there are lots of ways you can help. A few years ago, the United Nations started a petition, #WithRefugees, for people worldwide to ask their governments to support refugees. So far nearly two million people have signed the petition. Many people also write letters to their governments or make a donation to a charity that supports refugees. So, what will you do? You listened to the Visual Podcast Episoe 4 Wolrd Refugee Day

The People and Culture of Myanmar Hello everyone, Mingalarbar, this is the Visual Learning Center’s podcast Episode three that you’re listening. If you listened to the first episode and the second one, you will remember – I hope- that my name is Abel…… Today I’m going to talk about The People and Culture of Myanmar. Myanmar, the official name of the Southeast Asian nation commonly known as Burma is a must-visit destination for travelers who like beaches and Buddha. This beautiful country is dotted with thousands of Buddhist temples. Besides, it has serene white beaches along the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. I want to focus on language, population and people, religion and social of Myanmar regarding with this podcast. The Burmese culture is very different to the western interpretation of life and politesse. It's fascinating, gentle and very spiritually alive. Language Myanmar (Burmese) is the country's official language, though English is spoken in large towns and by elderly folk. There are also many languages and dialects among the 135 different national races. The modern alphabet consists of 33 letters (consonants) and 12 basic vowels (sequential extensions result in 21 vowels) which are combined with various symbols (4 in basic, 11 in total consonant combination symbols) to indicate the tones. Population and People Myanmar is a union of over 100 national races with their own languages and dialects, The major races are Bamar, Chin, Kachin, Shan, Kayah, Kayin, Mon and Rakhine. Myanmar embraces all the national races. The population of Myanmar is 51 million with the Bamar, the majority race making up about 70% Religion Buddhism is the predominant religion of Myanmar and Theravada Buddhism is embraced by about 80% of the population. The local temple is central to every community, and is also a traditional place of education. Every male person is expected to temporarily don the monk's robes at least once in his lifetime usually as a young man. There is freedom of worship for other religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Animism. Neat and respectful dress should be worn in all religious shrines. It is not considered polite to visit religious monuments in shorts, miniskirts or hot pants. Though shoes can be worn in temple compounds, they should be removed before entering the chapel of the principal Buddha image. Indeed, all Buddha images are regarded as sacred, regardless of size, age or position, and should all be shown due respect. Buddhist monks are not allowed to touch or be touched by a woman, or accept anything from a woman's hand. Social Names are preceded by a number of different titles. Ko is the general title for an adult male. U (pronounced oo) precedes an older or well-respected man's name, while Aung is used for younger men. A woman's name is preceded by Daw. A handshake is considered an acceptable form of greeting. Shoes are usually removed before entering a traditional home, though this may no longer be expected in modern city residences. Displaying the soles of the feet is considered offensive, as is pointing feet at people or objects or touching people on the head. Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon. Small presents are acceptable and appreciated, although never expected. Thank you for listening to my podcast of ‘The People and Culture of Myanmar’.

Meditation with relaxation is the most important parts of elements which can impact widely in this Covid 19 pandemic.

Knowledge around the world that improve your concept. People around the world have their own cultures and traditions which can make us amazing to learn.