World AIDS Day - December 1

December 1st is World AIDS Day. Established by the World Health Organization in 1988, World AIDS Day serves to focus global attention on the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Observance of this day provides an opportunity for governments, national AIDS programs, faith organizations, community organizations and individuals to demonstrate the importance of the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Elections 2008: Political Parties

President George Washington warned about "the danger of parties" and when America's founders wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787, they did not envision political parties playing a role in the government. But even then, leaders didn't always agree. In the 1790s, a quarrel broke out between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton over how much power to grant the federal government. The argument split their followers into two separate groups - the beginning of U.S. political parties.

Teaching Literature: Christmas

Introducing short stories by well-known American authors - The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. Unselfish love, The Gift of the Magi suggests, is like the gifts given by the wise men, called magi, who brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the newborn Jesus. A Christmas Memory tells the story of the seven-year-old Buddy and his aging cousin Sook’s holiday traditions.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas… - Clement C. Moore is thought to have composed the tale, now popularly known as The Night Before Christmas, on December 24, 1822, while traveling home from Greenwich Village. Moore’s vision of St. Nicholas draws upon Dutch and Norwegian traditions of a magical, gift-giving figure who appears at Christmas time, as well as the German legend of a visitor who enters homes through chimneys.

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus - an editorial from the New York Sun in 1897. Little Virginia’s question sparked history's most reprinted newspaper editorial. “Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?”

American Traditions & Customs - The contemporary Santa Claus, derived from the Dutch Sinter Klaas and the German Saint Nicholas, was born in the United States - thanks to a myriad of artists, writers, legends and the evolving nature of the country at the time.

This Month: December - A Month of Multicultural Holiday Celebrations

Not everyone celebrates the holidays with tinsel, Santa Claus and eggnog. Introducing Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, La Posada, and other celebrations and religious observances.

New eJournal: Rethinking International Aid

The eJournal Rethinking International Aid, describes how U.S. foreign aid, directed through government and faith-based organizations, individuals, businesses, and a multiplicity of partnerships, has developed, how it fits into foreign affairs, and how it is related to advancing altruistic objectives.

Information on Upcoming Webchats and EductionUSA