Dear Supporters of the International Day of Light
We are excited to share some new materials and updates with you to help you get involved with the 2021 International Day of Light celebrations over the coming days. We already have a fantastic variety of events taking place around the world, and we are looking forward to celebrations of all kinds!
And importantly, even if you have forgotten to register in advance, you can let us know after the event as well! No event is too small – anything you can do to help achieve the aims of the International Day of Light is extremely valuable. We will add it to the calendar, and that will ensure your contribution is not forgotten. You can inform us of your light-related activities here.
Our #TrustScience campaign has kicked off in spectacular fashion, with support from Nobel and Breakthrough Prize winners, UNESCO L’Oreal For Women in Science laureates and many other scientists and students from over 75 countries. You can review our Founding Signatories and all supporters, and watch our specially-released video at Trust-science.org. Please also check out our Resources section for the #TrustScience pledge in all the UN languages, as well as several others that have been contributed by the community.
It is more important than ever for us to communicate the message that science is vital for the future of society, and so no matter how you are making plans in the coming weeks to celebrate the International Day of Light, please keep this in mind! And as always, please regularly check out the IDL Social Media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as we will be pointing out and highlighting new events as they come on-stream. And please use the hashtags for 2021: #LightDay2021 and #TrustScience.
John Dudley and Joe Niemela
International Day of Light 2021
Steering Committee Chairs
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Sign the Trust Science Pledge
We encourage everyone to visit and share trust-science.org to sign the pledge and learn more.
After you’ve signed, we hope that you will share the message to trust science with your friends, family and colleagues as well as on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, using #TrustScience and #LightDay2021.
To date, the pledge has seen enthusiastic support worldwide with founding signatories including Nobel laureates, UNESCO L’Oréal For Women in Science prize winners, Presidents and CEOs of major scientific bodies, as well as scientists and students from more than 75 different countries. The pledge is now being shared widely to invite all interested individuals to take part.
Translations of the Trust Science pledge text have also been developed for all UN Languages.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
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While today may mark the International Day of Light, we still invite you to register your light-related events, including those taking place any time in 2021 as well as remote and virtual activities, to be added to the IDL global event calendar. Share with us how you celebrate and use light!
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A special message from SESAME
The SESAME synchrotron located in Jordan is a flagship UNESCO project which provides a visionary example of science and diplomacy working hand in hand. SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) was inaugurated on 16 May 2017, and the annual International Day of Light, which falls on the same day, is a wonderful occasion to reflect on the tremendous progress that is being made, and the many opportunities in the future.
For 2021, we have received a special message from SESAME and its leadership, including the President of the SESAME Council Professor and former Director General of CERN Rolf Heuer, and the SESAME Director Professor Khaled Toukan. Please see our news item here for the video and more details.
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Announcement of the 2021 SPIE IDL Photo Contest
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, joins the global photonics community in celebration of the annual International Day of Light. All month long SPIE will share entries from their SPIE IDL Photo Contest on their social media channels, images that capture the enduring beauty and power of lifesaving, life-enhancing light.
As part of the celebration on 16 May, SPIE will launch the next iteration of the photo contest! Amateur and professional photographers alike can submit photos demonstrating the vital role that light plays in our lives. Enter the SPIE contest before 16 September for a chance to win US$2,500. Learn more and submit an image: spie.org/contest. Plus look for other useful resources to help create your own IDL celebration that day, like posters, banners, and activities submitted by SPIE Student Chapters as part of the SPIE IDL Optics Outreach Games. Get all these resources and more here.
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For event organizers who wish to issue participation certificates to your activity's attendees, you can download the official IDL event participation certificate template here.
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The 2022 Daylight Award is Open for Nominations
Nominations for The Daylight Award 2022, the dual prize for research and architecture are now open. This is a unique opportunity for researchers and architects to acknowledge fellow professionals for their dedicated focus on daylight. Nominations will stay open until 30 September 2021.
The Daylight Award honours and supports daylight research and daylight in architecture, for the benefit of human health, well-being and the environment. The award places specific emphasis on the interrelation between theory and practice. The Daylight Award was established by the philanthropic foundations VILLUM FONDEN, VELUX FONDEN and VELUX STIFTUNG, and is conferred biennially in two categories; The Daylight Award for Research and The Daylight Award for Architecture. The award is given as personal prizes, and each to the sum of €100,000.
Learn more in this news item on the IDL website here.
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