"As we mark Democracy Day, I urge all governments to respect the right to active, substantive and meaningful participation; and I salute all of you who strive tirelessly to make this happen." — UN Secretary-General, António Guterres United Nations
"As we rightly focus our energies on tackling climate change, we must be careful not to neglect the ozone layer and stay alert to the threat posed by the illegal use of ozone-depleting gases." — UN Secretary-General, António Guterres Concern about the hole in the ozone layer was in many ways a precursor to contemporary… Read More »International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer
"Mr. Hammarskjold, whose name is on buildings in and around the United Nations headquarters in New York, was an iconic Swedish diplomat, the organization’s second secretary general and a strong advocate for decolonization in Africa. He is the only person to have been posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and was described by President John… Read More »1961: Death of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld
For Reflection "In sending his disciples forth on mission, Jesus told them: 'Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace be to this house!" And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you." (Lk 10:5-6). Bringing peace is central to the mission of… Read More »International Day of Peace
When you think of shipping, do oil spills and cargo being washed up on beaches come to mind - or do you think of the sustainable movement of goods around the world? The theme for World Maritime Day this year is Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet.
"In each of our faith communities, we believe we are called to pursue peace and to love and care for all humanity and all creation. Collectively, our faith leads us to reject weapons designed to cause mass death and destruction and instill terror and fear. It is this faith that compels us to act for… Read More »International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
International Podcast Day™ is an initiative of a group of podcasters. They explain the origin of the day in this way: "In the summer of 2013, Steve Lee heard a radio announcement for National Senior Citizens' Day. thinking that was pretty cool, it begged the question of why there wasn't a day for the celebration… Read More »International Podcast Day
"The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1966 was one of the first human rights treaties to be adopted by the United Nations (UN). The Convention is widely supported, with more than 156 countries (four-fifths of the membership of the UN) having ratified it. Australia ratified the Convention on 30 September 1975."Australian Human Rights Commission… Read More »1975: Ratification by Australia of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
"The year 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and the 30th Anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons. This year has also seen an emergence of COVID-19, that has caused an upheaval across the world. Considering the higher risks confronted by older persons during the outbreak of pandemics such as COVID-19, policy and programmatic… Read More »International Day for Older Persons
"Just peace is the goal, nonviolence is the way. A sustainable culture of peace can only be established by nonviolence that absolutely respects human dignity. Rooted in the interconnectedness of God's creation, it also opens the way to an 'integral ecology' , as expressed by Pope Francis in Laudato Si'. Violence undermines this interconnectedness. Nonviolence… Read More »International Day of Non-Violence