Listen up, bro, I saw what day it is today, June 19, and it gave me the chills. I don't know if you heard, but the UN declared this day as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. And this year, they're focusing on kids. I mean, the most innocent among us. My heart clenches when I hear about this stuff, especially since I have a 14-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl at home. Can you imagine if they had to go through something like that? Anyway, let me tell you what I found out.
So, June 19 wasn't chosen at random. In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 69/293, which references an older resolution from 2008 - Security Council Resolution 1820. It says in black and white that sexual violence is a way of waging war and a major obstacle to peace. And they didn't stop there: in 2016, Resolution 2331 also linked sexual violence to terrorism, organized crime, and human trafficking. So, bro, sexual violence is officially considered a form of terrorism. And here I thought a terrorist was just a guy with a bomb... See, the world is more complicated.
The 2026 theme is "Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Against Children. Protecting the Future and Supporting Caregivers." No joke: we're talking about rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, forced sterilization, forced marriage - all directly or indirectly linked to a conflict. And it's not just women, but also men, girls, boys. Including human trafficking for sexual exploitation. My wife Mioara, when she heard, said: "God forbid, it's like we're living in the Middle Ages." And what can I tell her? That's how it is.
At UN headquarters in New York, between 10 AM and 1 PM local time, there was an event dedicated to survivors. Organized by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Mission of Argentina to the UN. It was streamed live on UN WebTV. So if you wanted to watch, you could. I only caught part of it because I was at the terrace with Fane watching the game, but I gathered it's serious stuff.
And that's not the only event today. The European Council summer meeting convened in Brussels on June 18 and 19 to discuss Ukraine, competitiveness, budget, defense, the Middle East, and migration. Leaders dialogued with Volodymyr Zelensky. I think our EU keeps delaying the financial framework, but hey, at least they found time to talk about war. Well, that's something.
In the Orthodox Christian calendar, today is the Feast of Saint Jude, the Lord's brother, and Saint Paisius the Great. Greek Catholics celebrate Saint Jude Thaddeus, and Roman Catholics celebrate Saints Romuald and Juliana Falconieri. And what can I say? Happy feast day, but we better pray for peace in the world.
And what a coincidence, today, June 19, 1623, Blaise Pascal was born - the guy with the mechanical calculator, the Pascaline, and the vacuum. In 1919, Petre P. Carp, a politician, died. In 1941, actress Irina Petrescu was born. In 1996, gymnast Larisa Iordache, Olympic medalist. In 2001, in Fundeni, the first "Novacor" artificial heart implant in Central and Eastern Europe was performed. And in 2003, the Romanian Wikipedia was launched. See, from artificial heart to Wikipedia - humans evolved, but we still don't know how to be human to each other.
In Chinese astrology, June 19, 2026, is a Day of Destruction, when six zodiac signs, including the Wood Rat, escape what bothers them. The daily horoscope says it brings perspective changes and important discussions, especially for Sagittarius and Aquarius. As for my sign, I don't know what to believe, but if I get rid of some worry today, I'm happy.
On the cultural front, Gândul is broadcasting today, from 6 PM, a Best Of with Marius Tucă Show, with guests like Valentin Stan, Crin Antonescu, Dan Dungaciu, Ion Cristoiu, Mirel Palada, Alexandru Rafila, Nicu Alifantis, and General (ret.) Silviu Predoiu. That's exactly what you need to understand that the world is upside down. I'll tell Brian to watch it, maybe he'll learn something about politics, not just TikTok.
So, bro, this day is serious. Let's think a bit about the kids suffering from wars, not just about gas prices and loan rates. Because they call us bombardiers, but at least let's be human. Alright, I'm going to have a coffee with Mioara and try not to think about the bills.
