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International Diabetes Federation

A campaign led by the International Diabetes Federation

The blue circle is the global symbol for diabetes but to many people around the world it still means nothing. One of the aims of World Diabetes Day is to increase awareness of the symbol and strengthen its role as a means of bringing diabetes to the attention of the general public and supporting all efforts to improve the lives of people living with diabetes and reduce the serious global threat that the epidemic represents.

The blue circle is the official logo of World Diabetes Day and is prominently featured on all campaign communications and materials. We are now pleased to introduce a new way of promoting the symbol in a fun and inspiring way: the WDD selfie app.

For those who don’t know, a selfie is a self-portrait of group picture, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone and shared on social media. Selfies can be taken anywhere, your imagination is the limit!

How to take your blue circle selfie:

  • Download the app to your IOS or Android device
  • Allow World Diabetes Day to use your picture to make sure it is shared on our Facebook page
  • Take a selfie or select an existing picture from your photo gallery
  • Move the blue circle around your picture. Be creative! 
  • Share your selfie with your friends and add a personal message to it.

All selfies submitted will be featured on the IDF website and in other campaign communication materials.

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The World Diabetes Day Go Blue for Breakfast platform is now available in French and Spanish and we continue to receive healthy breakfast recipes from around the world. Here is a recipe that we received from India, courtesy of the Public Health Foundation India (PHFI):

Vegetable Oats Upma

Serving Size: serves one
Portion Size: one plate

INGREDIENTS:    

  • Quick cooking oats: 40 gm
  • Oil: 10 gm
  • Groundnuts:  10 gm
  • Asafetida: a pinch
  • Mustard seeds: 2 gm
  • Black gram: 5 gm
  • Red chilli whole: 1
  • Curry leaves: a spring
  • Ginger chopped: 3 gm
  • Onion chopped: 20 gm
  • Green chilli: 1
  • Carrot: 10 gm
  • French beans: 10 gm
  • Cauliflower: 5 gm
  • Drumstick: 10 gm
  • Shelled peas: 20 gm
  • Water: 1 cup water
  • Salt: 2 gm
  • Red chilli powder: a pinch
  • Lemon: 4 gm

METHOD:

  1. Heat the oil in a karahi and fry groundnuts and remove.
  2. Fry the asafetida, add the mustard seeds.
  3. Fry the black gram dal to golden brown color.
  4. Add the whole red chilli and chop curry leaves.
  5. Add the finally chopped ginger, onion, and green chilli, fry lightly.
  6. Add the vegetables, and fry a little.
  7. Add the water, salt and chilli powder, bring the mixture to boil and add the oats.
  8. Cook till the mass is dried, serve hot, garnished with fried groundnuts and a dash of lemon juice in a bowl.

You can submit your own recipe online by listing the ingredients, measurements and cooking method, and providing a picture that can be featured on the platform.

We have also been informed of several Go Blue for Breakfast activities that are being planned around the world and are pleased to highlight what will take place in Ecuador. The member association of the International Diabetes Federation FUVIDA will be hold a breakfast for 400 people in a public park in Guayaquil where local residents exercise. The event will be supported by cooking schools, private businesses and the nutrition department of the local University. FUVIDA will also be lighting in blue El Hemiciclo La Rotonda and other local landmarks in the city.

Here's a reminder of how you can join our Go Blue for Breakfast campaign:

  • Get your friends, family, colleagues or members of your organisation together and asking them to join you for a healthy breakfast to mark World Diabetes Day on 14 November.
  • Identify a public place in your town or city where the breakfast could be held. If possible, choose a well-known location to engage the wider public and attract media interest.
  • Ensure that all participants at the breakfast wear blue, the colour of the blue circle - the global symbol for diabetes awareness. The International Diabetes Federation has a selection of blue-branded materials that you can choose from.
  • Once your activity is confirmed, share it with the global community by submitting it online at http://goblueforbreakfast.worlddiabetesday.org.

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Print copies of the World Diabetes Day 2014 poster, promoting the importance of starting the day with a healthy breakfast, are now available to request online in English, French or Spanish. Five, ten or 25 copies can requested free of charge for use in your local awareness activities.

Several translations of the poster have been received and it is now available for download in Bangla, Indonesian, Italian and Portuguese. If you would like the poster in another language, please provide translations for the following texts and send them to wdd@idf.org:

  • Diabetes
  • Healthy eating begins with breakfast
  • Diabetes: protect our future
  • World Diabetes Day – 14 November

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Many of you will already be planning your World Diabetes Day activities and getting ready to make November another special month for the global diabetes community. Here's an overview of some of the ways that you can put diabetes firmly in the public spotlight:

  • Pin a personality with the blue circle.
  • Promote the blue circle, the global symbol for diabetes, and/or integrate the colour blue into your WDD promotional materials, activities, and communications.
  • Light one or more iconic monuments and buildings in blue in your town, city or country.
  • Organise a public activity (eg, walk, cycle ride, aerobic workout, flash mob)
  • Form a human blue circle, a simple activity with a great visual impact that can be organized as an individual activity or as part of a bigger event.
  • Wear blue for diabetes awareness and ask your friends, family and colleagues to join you.
  • Promote World Diabetes Day on your website, blog or forum by creating a dedicated page with information about local events and other campaign information.

Already have an activity planned? Share it with us and we will include it on our global activities map.

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