Office For Justice, Ecology and Peace

International Day for Biological Diversity
2021-05-22 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Sydney)

International Day to End Obstetric Fistula
2021-05-23 00:00 - 23:59

International Day of UN Peacekeepers
2021-05-29 00:00 - 23:59

International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
2021-06-04 00:00 - 23:59

World Environment Day
2021-06-05 00:00 - 23:59
Celebrated every year since 1974, World Environment Day is a good time to focus on the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals. This year the theme is celebrating biodiversity.

The 2020 World Environment Day global campaign aims at highlighting how we as humans are inextricably linked to and depend on nature for our existence and quality of life. Recent events, from bushfires in Brazil, United States and Australia to locust swarms to the COVID-19 outbreak, highlights how meddling with ecosystems and biodiversity from its natural state is creating unprecedented challenges for humankind on a global scale. Human activities such as pollution, unsustainable use of land and sea, exploitation of organisms, climate change and invasion of alien species, are leading to biodiversity breakdown and the decline and degradation of natural ecosystems at an unprecedented scale. The crisis also reflects our connectedness to one another and how actions and events in one part of the world affect us all. It also brings to the spotlight the need for international cooperation and coordination in responding to the challenges posed by environmental degradation. Yet, these events are symptomatic and require us to address the decline of nature through transformational and sustained reforms with nature at the heart of decision-making. This World Environment Day, the need to heal our relationship and start living in harmony with nature, perhaps, has never been this stark in modern history. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is calling on governments, businesses and civil society to work together in building global understanding of biodiversity and nature’s key contribution to our survival… 2020 is a critical year for biodiversity. It’s a year of crucial decisions for planet and people, and all other forms of life on Earth. While 2020 also concludes the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, the scientific community continues to sound the alarm on global biodiversity breakdown. Living in harmony with nature—a goal world leaders have set for 2050—cannot be achieved unless we stop the loss of the planet’s biodiversity by 2030. This leaves us with a decade for action, which will start with the 2020 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in October in Kunming, China and the design of a new 10-year framework for biodiversity. UN Environment Program, Working Brief, 6 April 2020

World Oceans Day
2021-06-08 00:00 - 23:59

World Day Against Child Labour
2021-06-12 00:00 - 23:59
The Catholic Church teaches that child exploitation is a serious violation of the dignity of the human person, with the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church n 296 stating that “Child labour, in its intolerable forms, constitutes a kind of violence that is less obvious than others, but it is not for this reason any less terrible”. In an address from the Vatican on the 2014 World Day Against Child Labour, Pope Francis urged all people to renew their commitment to protect the dignity of every child, offering children the opportunity to grow in peaceful, healthy environments that foster hope and confidence.

According to the United Nations, children are are classified as child labourers when they are:

“…either too young to work, or are involved in hazardous activities that may compromise their physical, mental, social or educational development. In the least developed countries, slightly more than one in four children (ages 5 to 17) are engaged in labour that is considered detrimental to their health and development.”

Almost nine out of every ten children in child labour worldwide can be found in Africa, Asia and the Pacific regions, with the Americas (11 million), Europe and Central Asia (6 million), and the Arab States (1 million) also having some form of child labour. Child labour effects 5% of children in the Americas, 4% in Europe and Central Asia, and 3% in the Arab States.

The impact of COVID-19 affects the poorest countries and those in already disadvantaged or vulnerable situations. These include children, particularly women and girls. In 2019 it was estimated that there were 152 million child labourers with 7 out of every 10 of these children working in agriculture. The UN asks all nations to work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal Target that seeks an end to child labour in all its forms by 2025.

Going Deeper:

https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-day-against-child-labour

Prayer:

For An End to Child Labour

God of freedom, we pray for all your children around the world who are bound by unjust child labour. Free them from their work so they can learn and grow. Heal their physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds, and protect them from further harm and exploitation.

We ask that you sustain child labourers with hope for new beginnings in safety and peace. Amen.

Fiona Dyball

Artwork:

Victoria Villasana and Zabou Street Art, London, UK, 2016.

Child Labor Free Street Art

Music:

Let them Fly by Ridma Weerawardena and Charitha AttalageSourced from https://www.musicagainstchildlabour.com/songs

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
2021-06-15 00:00 - 23:59
Today is a good day to revisit the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Social Justice Statement for 2016–17 ‘A Place at the Table: Social justice in an ageing society’. It celebrates the value, dignity and significant contributions of older people to the life of the community. In solidarity with all generations, older people have a rightful place in the heart of community life. The Bishops consider the circumstances of those who are approaching the end of their lives and warn of the loneliness, ageism and abuse that older people can experience. In particular, the Bishops warn about implications of the current community debate on euthanasia. The Bishops call for communities of mercy and love – where people reach out and minister to vulnerable older people, where bonds between generations are built up, and where no one is cast as being a burden or as rivals to younger generations.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
2021-06-17 00:00 - 23:59

International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
2021-06-19 00:00 - 23:59
The United Nations has designated 19 June as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict since 2015. The day raises awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence. It honours the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world, and all those who devote their lives to fighting for justice for victims, survivors, and vulnerable people at risk of sexual violence. Although the right to live free from sexual violence is upheld in several international agreements such as the 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, violence persists – especially against women and girls in war zones – across the world. From the United Nations:

The term “conflict-related sexual violence” (CRSV) refers to rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilisation, forced marriage and any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity perpetrated against women, men, girls, or boys that is directly or indirectly linked to a conflict. The term also encompasses trafficking in persons when committed in situations of conflict for the purpose of sexual violence or exploitation. – United Nations

One consistent concern is that survivors do not come forward to report crimes due to the fear and cultural stigma they face. There are broader issues of discrimination and gender inequality at play, with women’s rights and full participation in society areas that can aid the prevention of sexual violence. The impact of COVID has also made it harder for reports to be processed. It is estimated that for each rape reported, 10-20 other cases are not documented. Sexual violence is a form and tactic of terrorism. As people committed to truth and healing, we stand in solidarity with survivors, listening to their voices and stories, and acting to protect those most at risk. All people have a right to fully participate in political, social, and economic life, and to access justice that supports their safety.

Prayer:

For Victims and Survivors of Violence

Loving God, you are the author and sustainer of our lives. You know the anguish of the sorrowful, you are attentive to the prayers of the brokenhearted. Hear your people who cry out to you in their need; strengthen their hope in your lasting goodness. We pray today for those who have died because of sexual violence. Draw them to yourself; let your face shine upon them. May they be greeted with choirs of angels and experience your eternal peace and joy. Be near to all those who have been impacted by sexual violence:those who have been hurt, lost their loved ones, or lost their sense of security.Be for them a steady comfort and safe resting place.Soften the hearts and steady the minds of those who would harm others. May hate be replaced with love, violence with peace, and darkness with your light. Amen.Adapted from the Catholic Health Association of the United States Prayer for the Victims of Violence.

Photo:

Rohingya human rights advocate and lawyer, Razia Sultana.

Music:

No More Violence by Hip Hop Femenino of El Salvador.

World Refugee Day
2021-06-20 00:00 - 23:59
Deuteronomy 10: 12 – 19 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Welcoming the stranger, the poor, and the marginalised is central to the lived expression of an authentic Christian faith. Both Scripture and tradition are clear in their teaching that refugees are to be treated with dignity and offered hospitality in new places if they are not able to stay in their home countries. We remember that Jesus was a stranger in Egypt with Joseph and Mary. Today, Pope Francis also urges us to compassionately support those fleeing violence and injustice through no fault of their own. In the Message for the World Day of Migrants in 2016, he encouraged Catholics around the world to recognise Christ in those who seek safety and welcome: Biblical revelation urges us to welcome the stranger; it tells us that in so doing, we open our doors to God, and that in the faces of others we see the face of Christ himself.

In welcoming, sustaining, and protecting refugees, we follow Catholic teaching and respond to the call of Christ for unity in respecting the dignity of every person. Welcoming Christ in Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Persons from the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, 2013: Any person at a frontier, who has a well-founded fear of persecution, has the right to protection and should not be returned to his/ her country, irrespective of whether or not they have been formally recognized as refugees. Refugees should be treated on the same level as citizens of the hosting country, or at least on the same level as other resident foreigners. They should be entitled to the rights which are ensured to them.

Going Deeper:

Australian Catholic Bishops Social Justice Statement 2015 – 2016 For Those Who’ve Come Across the Seas: Justice for refugees and asylum seekers. https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au/2019/11/18/social-justice-statement-2015-16/

Refugee Council of Australia Events, 2021: https://www.refugeeweek.org.au

Prayer:

Pope Francis’Prayer on the 106th World Day for Migrants and Refugees, 2020.

Father, you entrusted to Saint Joseph what you held most precious: the child Jesus and his Mother, in order to protect them from the dangers and threats of the wicked.

Grant that we may experience his protection and help. May he, who shared in the sufferings of those who flee from the hatred of the powerful, console and protect all our brothers and sisters driven by war, poverty, and necessity to leave their homes and their lands to set out as refugees for safer places.

Help them, through the intercession of Saint Joseph, to find the strength to persevere, give them comfort in sorrows and courage amid their trials.

Grant to those who welcome them some of the tender love of this just and wise father, who loved Jesus as a true son and sustained Mary at every step of the way.

May he, who earned his bread by the work of his hands, watch over those who have seen everything in life taken away and obtain for them the dignity of a job and the serenity of a home.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son, whom Saint Joseph saved by fleeing to Egypt, and trusting in the intercession of the Virgin Mary, whom he loved as a faithful husband in accordance with your will.

Amen.

Artwork:

Freedom (2013) by ‘Mohammad’ Villawood Detention Centre, NSW (Coffee on Paper)

This image is one of a number of works made with instant coffee powder that has been diluted in water and then put to the page. The technique was initiated by an Iraqi detainee who had some knowledge of art and who liked to paint in his free time. Upon entering detention, he had no access to paints, so he reached for whatever was at hand, in this case finding an alternative use for instant coffee. Coffee painting has gained a life of its own inside the Villawood Detention Centre and is now something of a tradition. The recourse to food as an artistic medium speaks to the ingenuity of detainees who have limited access to adequate materials and tools.

Music:

Shine Your Light (Song By Refugees) Feat. Ricky Kej, Aditya Narayan, Neeti Mohan and Salim Merchant

Olympic Day
2021-06-23 00:00 - 23:59

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
2021-06-26 00:00 - 23:59

World Social Media Day
2021-06-30 00:00 - 23:59
Can you imagine living through a pandemic without social media? World Social Media Day is a time to recognise and celebrate social media’s impact of global communication.

Here are some ideas for activities:

Revisit the Social Justice Statement Making it Real: Genuine human encounter in our digital world with your parish, school or community group.Share examples of positive uses of social media to promote social justice.Review the social media policy or guidelines of your parish or community group.Write reviews of your favorite spirituality apps for your parish Facebook page or Catholic magazines – you can submit them for our Social Justice Trends!

International Day of Cooperatives
2021-07-03 00:00 - 23:59
The United Nations International Day of Cooperatives is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July. This year, the theme of the International Day of Cooperatives 2020 is Cooperatives for Climate Action. Since 1995, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the United Nations have been setting the theme for the celebration of the International Day through Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC).

Find out more here.

World Population Day
2021-07-11 00:00 - 23:59
World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues.

World Youth Skills Day
2021-07-15 00:00 - 23:59
This day highlights the importance of youth skills because rising youth unemployment is seen as one of the most significant problems facing economies and societies in the world today, both for developed and developing countries. Find out more here.

Nelson Mandela International Day
2021-07-18 00:00 - 23:59
“It is easy to break down and destroy.The heroes are those who make peace and build.” Nelson Mandela

South African leader Nelson Mandela was born on this day in 1918. A timeline of his life, and links to the texts of some of his major speeches can be accessed here.

For Reflection

What can we learn from the life and work of Nelson Mandela that will help us to promote justice and reconciliation in Australia today?

International Day of Friendship
2021-07-30 00:00 - 23:59
“Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good.” United Nations

Find out more about this day here.

World Day against Trafficking in Persons
2021-07-30 00:00 - 23:59
“On this World Day against Trafficking in Persons, let us reaffirm our commitment to stop criminals from ruthlessly exploiting people for profit and to help victims rebuild their lives.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Catholic Social Justice Series paper no 79 Human Trafficking and Slavery, A Response from Australian Catholics comes out of the work of ACRATH, the Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans. It reminds us that human trafficking and similar forms of exploitation affect every country on earth. They flourish because of society’s greed for cheap goods and services, and because it is so easy to forget that those who meet these needs are human beings with their own innate God-given dignity. Deliverance from slavery is one of the great themes that run through Scriptures.

2010: Entry into force of UN Convention on Cluster Munitions
2021-08-01 00:00 - 23:59
The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) prohibits all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of Cluster Munitions. The CCM was adopted in Dublin on 30 May 2008. It has 108 signatories. The Convention became binding international law when it entered into force on 1 August 2010 after 30 States – including the Vatican City State – had ratified it. As of September 2011, 60 States have ratified the CCM and future States Parties will accede to the Convention by submitting their ratifications to the United Nations.

Why does the Church Opposes Cluster Munitions?

The use of force must be a last resort, and it can only be considered for the defense of innocent lives. Even if these conditions are met, the use of force must discriminate or distinguish between combatants and civilians, and the suffering caused must not be greater than the good to be achieved. Cluster munitions are not able to meet these tests. Sandie Cornish, Why Cluster Bombs Should be Banned, Social Spirituality

Find out more on Church teaching and cluster bombs here.

Take Action

Find out about the Cluster Munition Coalition and how you can support its work. You will find plenty of resources for action here.

1945: Destruction of Hiroshima by atomic bomb
2021-08-06 00:00 - 23:59
“With deep conviction I wish once more to declare that the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is today, more than ever, a crime not only against the dignity of human beings but against any possible future for our common home. The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possessing of nuclear weapons is immoral, as I already said two years ago. We will be judged on this. Future generations will rise to condemn our failure if we spoke of peace but did not act to bring it about among the peoples of the earth. How can we speak of peace even as we build terrifying new weapons of war? How can we speak about peace even as we justify illegitimate actions by speeches filled with discrimination and hate?” Pope Francis, Address at the Peace Memorial, Hiroshima, 24 November 2019.

The hibakusha, as the survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are known, are becoming fewer. You can read the story of Junko, who now lives in Sydney, here.

Pope John Paul II was the first Pope to visit Hiroshima. You can read his address from 1981 here. It was in response to this address that the Catholic Bishops of Japan established the 10 Days for Peace which run from 6 to 15 August. This is a good time to pray for peace and nuclear disarmament.

You can find more information about the atomic bombs here.

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples
2021-08-09 00:00 - 23:59
Do you know who the name of the Indigenous people of the place where you live? Check the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies map of Australia here.

Find out more about why the United Nations decided in 1994 to celebrate a World Day of Indigenous Peoples on 9 August here.

1945: Destruction of Nagasaki by atomic bomb
2021-08-09 00:00 - 23:59
“Countless people at home and abroad, including the hibakusha, hope that Japan, the only country to experience atomic warfare, will lead the international community in abolishing nuclear weapons. In response to that hope, we urge you to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.” Mitsuaki Takami, Archbishop of Nagasaki, President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan, in a Letter to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 12 December 2019.

International Youth Day
2021-08-12 00:00 - 23:59
12 August was first designated International Youth Day by the UN General Assembly in 1999, and serves as an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change, and an opportunity to raise awareness of challenges and problems facing the world’s youth. More information here.

2020 Theme: To be confirmed.

World Humanitarian Day
2021-08-19 00:00 - 23:59
World Humanitarian Day is a time to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world. Find out more here.

International Day Against Nuclear Tests
2021-08-29 00:00 - 23:59
Did you know that the Vatican ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty on the very first day that it was opened for signature and ratification? The Holy See’s diplomats continue to urge more states to ratify the treaty so that it will enter into force.

Find out about the International Day Against Nuclear Tests

International Day of the Victims of Forced Disappearances
2021-08-30 00:00 - 23:59
Enforced disappearance has frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror within the society. The feeling of insecurity generated by this practice is not limited to the close relatives of the disappeared, but also affects their communities and society as a whole. Special attention must also be paid to specific groups of especially vulnerable people, like children and people with disabilities. Find out more here.

Beginning of National Biodiversity Month
2021-09-01 00:00 - 23:59
Biodiversity Month is held in September each year and aims to promote the importance of protecting, conserving and improving biodiversity both within Australia and across the world.

Find out more about the Australian Government’s efforts to protect biodiversity here.

2013: Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers
2021-09-05 00:00 - 23:59
“On September 5, 2013, the ILO Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers (Domestic Workers Convention or C189) entered into legal force. This groundbreaking new treaty and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 201) establish the first global standards for the more than 50 million domestic workers worldwide—the majority of whom are women and girls, and many of whom are migrants—who clean, cook, and care for children and elderly in private households. The Domestic Workers Convention provides desperately needed and long overdue protections for domestic workers and represents a significant breakthrough in human rights, including labor rights, women’s rights, and children’s rights. Under the new convention, domestic workers are entitled to the same basic rights as those available to other workers, including weekly days off, limits to hours of work, minimum wage coverage, overtime compensation, social security, and clear information on the terms and conditions of employment. The new standards oblige governments that ratify the convention to protect domestic workers from violence and abuse, to regulate private employment agencies that recruit and employ domestic workers, and to prevent child labor in domestic work.” Human Rights Watch, Claiming Rights: Domestic Workers’ Movements and Global Advances for Labor Reform

Find out more about the Domestic Workers’ Convention (ILO Convention C189) here.
