UN Releases 'Calendar of Observances' App to Keep Track of International Days

[MacRumors]

The United Nations has released an app, created by three volunteers, to keep track of the United Nations observances such as World AIDS Day on December 1, or the International Day of Happiness on March 20th.

UN Calendar of Observances: Making a Difference allows users to import observances into the iPhone calendar and includes sharing options for email and social media.

The app is the electronic version of the print United Nations Making a Difference 2013 Calendar, which highlights areas of UN achievements through high-resolution photos and text bullets. The electronic version was developed -- at no cost to the United Nations -- by United Nations Online volunteers Christopher Bell (New Zealand), Aveline Sodji (Canada) and Andrew Thornton (United Kingdom), working with the UN Department of Public Information (DPI). DPI staff and interns created app-specific icons and provided development support.

"Working for the United Nations in any capacity is an honour, but doing so on a voluntary basis--even in this small way--seems to be the purest way to give back to an organization committed to world peace, development and human rights", said Mr. Thornton, the coordinator of the volunteers.

UN Calendar of Observances: Making a Difference is a free download on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: UN Releases 'Calendar of Observances' App to Keep Track of International Days

[Joe-Diver]

Its a good thing too. I have such a hard time with all these holidays.

[RoboCop001]

Nice. It would be cool if they also added the option to import or subscribe to the calendar, so you can have the days right in the Calendar app.

EDIT: Looks like there's an option to import

[184550]

Very neat.

[mactmaster]

How about an ICS file that I can subscribe to.

[coder12]

Originally Posted by RoboCop001

Nice. It would be cool if they also added the option to import or subscribe to the calendar, so you can have the days right in the Calendar app.

I was thinking the same thing. It's not like it's hard to create a file to import into your Google Calendar or iCal or anything else. Plus, events can be added/edited automagically with that too.

PS: This is a sweet app.

[nagromme]

Originally Posted by RoboCop001

Nice. It would be cool if they also added the option to import or subscribe to the calendar, so you can have the days right in the Calendar app.

Originally Posted by mactmaster

How about an ICS file that I can subscribe to.

Originally Posted by coder12

I was thinking the same thing. It's not like it's hard to create a file to import into your Google Calendar or iCal or anything else. Plus, events can be added/edited automagically with that too.

PS: This is a sweet app.

2nd paragraph: "UN Calendar of Observances: Making a Difference allows users to import observances into the iPhone calendar and includes sharing options for email and social media.”

(Import is all I’d need too—I doubt I’d use the app itself much.)

[RoboCop001]

Originally Posted by nagromme

2nd paragraph: "UN Calendar of Observances: Making a Difference allows users to import observances into the iPhone calendar and includes sharing options for email and social media.”

(Import is all I’d need too—I doubt I’d use the app itself much.)

How'd I miss that? lol. Anyway yea I discovered that option when I installed it.

I wonder if it updates in the background or if one must open the app to do so.

[whooleytoo]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

International Day of Happiness on March 20th.

Weird.. pretty sure we celebrate that on the 17th here in Ireland.. Followed by the International Day of Headaches on the 18th.

[BRLawyer]

Nice app, I will try it out.

[lazyrighteye]

Originally Posted by RoboCop001

Nice. It would be cool if they also added the option to import or subscribe to the calendar, so you can have the days right in the Calendar app.

Or these holidays were an ON/OFF toggle in Calendar settings.

[ffransis]

Originally Posted by mactmaster

How about an ICS file that I can subscribe to.

http://www.webcal.fi/cal.php?id=44&ts=1292603314

[andythornton]

Originally Posted by nagromme

2nd paragraph: "UN Calendar of Observances: Making a Difference allows users to import observances into the iPhone calendar and includes sharing options for email and social media.”

(Import is all I’d need too—I doubt I’d use the app itself much.)

I am one of the three volunteers that worked on this application. It is nice to see people being nice about it (I had been reluctant to even look at the comments out of fear of it getting slammed). All three of us were working regular jobs and just spent our free time working on this application over the past few months (well, we started early September with the requirements). The sponsor at the United Nations is keen to hear how the application could be improved, I am not sure I understand the points above regarding ICS files ... but if someone would like to explain a little more I can make sure that the requirement makes it to the sponsor. I think they may be putting together another team of volunteers in 2013 to either extend it/replace it or something - or at the very least pull in 2014 data (we didnt have time to implement a server-side component that holds the data, but that might be something in a future version).

If you think you'd like to do some online volunteering yourself, please consider the UN

http://onlinevolunteering.org/en/index.html

[ffransis]

Originally Posted by andythornton

...I am not sure I understand the points above regarding ICS files ... but if someone would like to explain a little more I can make sure that the requirement makes it to the sponsorhttp://onlinevolunteering.org/en/index.html

In response to the first request above for an ICS file, I posted a link to a calendar of UN observances. I have been subscribing to that calendar for some considerable time, and use the calendar on both my computer and tablet. I have no idea who is responsible for maintaining that ICS calendar, but there should be no need to duplicate effort. I suggest that the UN people responsible for the new iOS application cooperate with those behind the multi-platform ICS calendar, and work to keep it complete and up-to-date.

[andythornton]

Originally Posted by ffransis

In response to the first request above for an ICS file, I posted a link to a calendar of UN observances. I have been subscribing to that calendar for some considerable time, and use the calendar on both my computer and tablet. I have no idea who is responsible for maintaining that ICS calendar, but there should be no need to duplicate effort. I suggest that the UN people responsible for the new iOS application cooperate with those behind the multi-platform ICS calendar, and work to keep it complete and up-to-date.

Thanks FFransis

[annk]

ADMIN NOTE: Please keep the discussion about the app. If you'd like to discuss the UN, you can head over to the PRSI section.

Carry on.

[mactmaster]

Originally Posted by ffransis

http://www.webcal.fi/cal.php?id=44&ts=1292603314

Thanks bud