Reflecting on the International Day of Light 2018-2021
As we look forward to celebrating the fifth edition of the International Day of Light on 16 May 2022, it is appropriate to review the successes of the first four editions and to review the many events that have taken place around the world.
The graphic above provides a succinct summary of the global outreach of the four celebrations to date, revealing the unique place of the International Day of Light in cutting across geographical as well as thematic boundaries, allowing people of all ages to celebrate the many and diverse themes of light. There is no other comparable international outreach event that brings together so many partners around the common objectives of promoting the importance of light and its applications in all areas of science, in art and culture, and for sustainable development. This broad impact is reflected in the messages of support that have been issued by the UNESCO Director General.
The total audience reached through International Day of Light activities since its inauguration in 2018 is estimated by our event organisers to exceed 2 million, including face to face activities, social media posts, video messages and other campaigns carried out nationally and worldwide. For further information and annual reports on International Day of Light activities, please see our dedicated reports page, as well as our news archives page. A report of our 2021 campaign focussing on promoting trust in science (which continues to be a critical issue of our time) can be seen here.
As always we acknowledge the continued commitment and support from the Steering Committee, all our other partners, our event organisers and our national nodes. The International Day of Light would not be the success it is without committment from the community worldwide. Information about our partnership and how to get involved is here.
For further information, please contact the International Day of Light secretariat:
John Dudley
IDL 2022 Steering Committee Chair
Email: john.dudley@univ-fcomte.fr
Joseph Niemela
IDL 2022 Steering Committee Chair
Email: niemela@ictp.it
Geethu Paulose
IDL Communications Coordinator
Email: contact@lightday.org