• How will you bring diabetes to light?
• Materials available online
• Post your World Diabetes Day event to the calendar
• New friends of World Diabetes Day
• Emblematic Belgian landmark to urinate for diabetes

How will you bring diabetes to light?

The monument challenge

Last year, the global diabetes community rallied behind the call to light iconic landmarks and buildings in blue to mark World Diabetes Day. A total of 279 iconic monuments were lit. This year the goal is to light up more than 500. See the first confirmations that we've received.

Want to take up the challenge but not sure how? We have prepared a guide to help you illuminate an iconic landmark in your area. Download it here (also available in French and Spanish).

We have personal experience in encouraging monuments to join the campaign. Please ask us for help if you need it. Mail us at wdd@idf.org and we'll arrange a time to call you.

Engaging local politicians

Last year many individuals and organizations showed their support by seeking local, national and regional proclamations in support of World Diabetes Day. Political representatives around the world responded by issuing official statements in support of World Diabetes Day. Why not approach your local governmental representative for an official message of support? An official signing provides an ideal opportunity to support the official lighting of a local monument and other awareness-raising activities in your area.

Community action

Each year, diabetes representative organizations, industry partners and committed individuals organize activities on or around World Diabetes Day. Typical activities include walks, cycle rides, educational rallies and exhibitions. These activities can be linked to an official lighting and/or an official signing. Last year saw a number of human blue circles organized. It was a simple idea that had great visual impact. Share ideas and register your event through the World Diabetes Day website.

Individual action

Can't find an event near you but want to join in? Why not illuminate your home in blue or simply light a blue candle for World Diabetes Day? Candles will be available soon from http://shop.idf.org. For every candle sold, a small amount of income will be generated to support children on the IDF Life for a Child Program. If you would like to pre-order candles in bulk, please contact dominique.robert@idf.org.

WDD tool box now available

The World Diabetes Day campaign tool box is now available. Items ready for distribution include:

• 2008 poster 'No child should die of diabetes'
• 2008 booklet on diabetes in children and adolescents
• Fact sheets/backgrounders relating to the campaign and this year's theme

The International Diabetes Federation's global network of Member Associations will receive copies of the kit over the next two-four weeks.

If you are interested in receiving the kit, please request copies from WDD team member Lorenzo Piemonte. Alternatively, the posters and booklets can be ordered in packs of 10 through the IDF online shop (http://shop.idf.org). The packs are available for the price of handling and shipping.

Electronic versions of the World Diabetes Day logo, poster and booklet can be downloaded in multiple languages from www.worlddiabetes.org/materials.

Post your World Diabetes Day event to the calendar

With only four months left to go, you have likely started planning your World Diabetes Day events. You may already have solid plans. Once you or your organization have finalized the plan, please share your events through the online calendar. If, subsequently, you would like to make any changes, please e-mail the World Diabetes Day team at wdd@idf.org.

New Friends of World Diabetes Day

TuDiabetes.com

Last year the World Diabetes Day campaign received tremendous support throughout the blogosphere. This year we are looking to recognize the activities of key diabetes bloggers by inviting them to join the campaign as 'Friends of World Diabetes Day'. The first blog to join us is tudiabetes.com. Run by the Diabetes Hands Foundation, TuDiabetes.com is a social network for people touched by diabetes. Along with its sister 'Spanish-speaking' site, TuDiabetes connects more than 4000 members from all over the world. The Diabetes Hands Foundation develops initiatives to raise diabetes awareness. Among these are the well-known Word In Your Hand and Drawing Diabetes campaigns.

Una Bandera al Cielo

World Diabetes Day is looking for friends who will go out of their way to promote diabetes awareness. Our latest friend, Bandera al cielo (see www.diabesport.com), brings together sports practitioners and enthusiasts who share one thing in common: they all have type 1 diabetes. The 'Una Bandera al Cielo' (literally 'a Flag to the Sky') project engages people with type 1 diabetes in different sports events and challenging expeditions throughout Latin-American. The main objective is to monitor and balance blood-sugar levels before, during and after each activity to show that, with access to the appropriate care and education, people with diabetes can achieve anything.

On the occasion of World Diabetes Day 2008 the Bandera al Cielo team will carry a flag bearing the World Diabetes Day logo to the top of Vallecitos, a 5500-metre-high mountain peak in Argentina. The team is expected to reach the summit to coincide with World Diabetes Day. By achieving this, the team hopes to increase awareness of diabetes, the World Diabetes Day campaign and show everyone that, as their vision statement puts it: 'you can do anything with diabetes'.

Would you like to become an official friend to this year's campaign? Send us an outline of what you are doing along with your contact details to wdd@idf.org.

Emblematic Belgian landmark to urinate for diabetes

The World Diabetes Day team have recently received confirmation that the Manneken-Pis, the famous Belgian statue of a little boy urinating into the basin of a fountain, will pass water in blue on 14 November to mark World Diabetes Day and raise awareness of the 2008 campaign theme - diabetes in children and adolescents. Fittingly, one of the key objectives of the campaign is to raise awareness of the diabetes warning signs, encourage early diagnosis and thereby reduce diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), the leading cause of death and disability in children with type 1 diabetes around the world. For the occasion, the Manneken-Pis will be outfitted in a specially designed costume.

Any budding designers out there? We would welcome help in designing the costume for the Manneken-Pis to wear on World Diabetes Day.

Posted on Mon, 07/14/2008 - 13:57