Office For Justice, Ecology and Peace

International Literacy Day
2021-09-08 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Sydney)
“International Literacy Day, celebrated annually on 8 September, is an opportunity for Governments, civil society and stakeholders to highlight improvements in world literacy rates, and reflect on the world’s remaining literacy challenges. Sustainable Development Goal 4 has as one of its targets ensuring all young people achieve literacy and numeracy and that adults who lack these skills are given the opportunity to acquire them.” United Nations

World Suicide Prevention Day
2021-09-10 00:00 - 23:59
Organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention, World Suicide Prevention Day provides the opportunity for people across the globe to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention. Access resources and find out more here: World Suicide Prevention Day #WSPD2021

In their Social Justice Sunday Statement 2020-2021 To Live Life to the Full: Mental Health in Australia, the Catholic Bishops say they are:

... deeply saddened that over 3,000 people are lost to suicide each year and that young people aged 15 to 24 years of age are most vulnerable. This is a growing problem. It accounts for around one third of deaths among people in this age group, with around 90 per cent of victims experiencing mental ill-health.[i]

[i] Productivity Commission, 2019, 14; J Robinson, E Bailey, V Browne, G Cox & C Hooper, Raising the bar for youth suicide prevention, Victoria: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 2016, 10f.

Action

In To Live Life to the Full the Bishops call on Catholic people and communities to “promote the fullness of life for all” by ensuring “appropriate care for everyone experiencing mental ill-health” by :

rejecting stigmatisation,

working for the transformation of social determinants of mental ill-health,

calling for policies and service provision that meet the needs of the poorest, most marginalised and recognise in them the face of Christ Jesus.

Today is a good day to find out about suicide prevention services in your local area. Does your household, parish, school or organisation know how to help people experiencing thoughts of suicide to access support?

Get Help

Lifeline 13 11 14

Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

2007: Adoption by the UN of Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
2021-09-13 00:00 - 23:59
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the General Assembly on Thursday, 13 September 2007, by a majority of 144 states in favour, 4 votes against and 11 abstentions. Today the Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of indigenous peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.

United Nations

International Day of Democracy
2021-09-15 00:00 - 23:59
“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

International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer
2021-09-16 00:00 - 23:59
“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 concern about climate change. The ozone layer is a shield of gas that protects the earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun. While it is less common now to hear about the ozone layer, as the United Nations explain “the phaseout of controlled uses of ozone depleting substances and the related reductions have not only helped protect the ozone layer for this and future generations, but have also contributed significantly to global efforts to address climate change; furthermore, it has protected human health and ecosystems by limiting the harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth.” Find out more about protecting the ozone layer here.

1961: Death of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld
2021-09-18 00:00 - 23:59
“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 F. Kennedy as ‘the greatest statesman of our century’.” United Nations Archives

International Day of Peace
2021-09-21 00:00 - 23:59
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 Christ’s disciples. That peace is offered to all those men and women who long for peace amid the tragedies and violence that mark human history. The ‘house’ of which Jesus speaks is every family, community, country and continent, in all their diversity and history. It is first and foremost each individual person, without distinction or discrimination. But it is also our ‘common home’: the world in which God has placed us and which we are called to care for and cultivate.” Pope Francis, World Day of Peace Message 2020.

For the International Day of Peace in 2021 the United Nations have chosen the theme Recovering Better for a More Equitable and Sustainable World noting that:

In 2021, as we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, how to build resilience, and how to transform our world into one that is more equal, more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier.

Action

Find out about Pope Francis’ COVID-19 Commission, and his call to prepare the future.

World Maritime Day
2021-09-24 00:00 - 23:59
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.

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
2021-09-26 00:00 - 23:59
“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 the eradication of weapons of mass destruction.” Australian Faith Leaders’ Letter to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, August 2020.

The elimination of nuclear weapons is one of the oldest goals of the United Nations, yet the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has not yet been ratified by enough countries to enter into force. The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons helps to keep a focus on this goal.

Australia has not ratified the treaty while the Holy See was one of the first nation states to sign and ratify the treaty. You can find the list of ratifications here.

Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen, Chair of the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service, has signed an open letter by faith leaders in Australia urging the Australian Government to sign and ratify the treaty.

Action

Read the full letter from Australian faith leaders here.Distribute this prayer for nuclear disarmament in your parish, school, organisation and use it in your private prayer. Printed copies can be ordered here.Write to your local Member of Parliament asking them to support the signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

International Podcast Day
2021-09-30 00:00 - 23:59
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 of podcasting. That’s when Steve said to himself, ‘Let’s create a Podcast Day!’ So the adventure began and a collective team of podcasters put their heads together to establish means for podcasters and podcast listeners to raise awareness for this great entertainment and education medium…

Between 2015-2018, we successfully live streamed hundreds of hours, bringing in podcasters from nearly 65 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Poland, Germany, South Africa, Jamaica, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Philippines, India, France, Switzerland, Scotland, UK, Finland, Canada and the Unites States and more.”

Ideas for Celebrating International Podcast Day

Not sure what a podcast is? Find out more here.Sign up to follow the Office for Social Justice’s podcast The Revolution of Tenderness.Access Vatican Radio’s English language podcasts here, or check out their podcasts in other languages.Check out Wollongong Diocese’s Journey: Catholic Radio on demand as a podcast.Listen to Catholic Youth Parramatta’s podcast for young women, called At the Well.

1975: Ratification by Australia of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
2021-09-30 00:00 - 23:59
“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 – Guide to the Law

International Day for Older Persons
2021-10-01 00:00 - 23:59
“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 interventions must be targeted towards raising awareness of their special needs. Recognizing older persons contributions to their own health and the multiple roles they play in the preparedness and response phases of current and future pandemics is also important.” The theme of the 2020 commemoration is “Pandemics: Do They Change How We Address Age and Ageing?”

Action:

Revisit the 2016-17 Social Justice Statement, A Place at the Table: Social Justice in an Aging Society.

International Day of Non-Violence
2021-10-02 00:00 - 23:59
“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 sustains it. Nonviolence teaches us to say ‘no’ to an inhuman social order and ‘yes’ to the fullness of life… In every age, the Holy Spirit graces the Church with the wisdom to respond to the challenges of its time. In response to what is a global epidemic of violence, we are being called again and again to invoke, pray over, teach, and take decisive action in the spirit of Jesus’ nonviolence. Nonviolence is at the heart of the Gospel. It is the calling of the Church. It is not passive or naïve. It is a way of faith and action. It is an effective alternative. It is a constructive force to protect all people and our common home. It includes a broad spectrum of approaches and activities. It is the core of a new moral framework. It is essential to integral human development and at the heart of a culture of peace. It is at the core of the witness and action of Jesus and man who have come after him, including Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Dorothy Day, Beatus Franz Jagerstatter, Saint OScar Romero, Berta Caceres, Lanza del Vasto, Wangari Muta Maathai, and the many people involved in nonviolent social movements.” Reflections from the Pax Christi International/Catholic Nonviolence Initiative workshop on Path of Nonviolence: Towards a Culture of Pace, 4-5 April 2019, Rome.

World Habitat Day
2021-10-04 00:00 - 23:59
“Solutions begin with small steps individuals can take to alter the way our cities function. We must reduce the amount of waste we produce, and, at the same time, start seeing it as a valuable resource that can be re-used and recycled, including for energy.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. The Day is also intended to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns.

United Nations

World Teachers Day
2021-10-05 00:00 - 23:59
Held annually on 5 October since 1994, World Teachers’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. This Recommendation sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. The Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel was adopted in 1997 to complement the 1966 Recommendation by covering teaching and research personnel in higher education.

World Teachers’ Day is co-convened in partnership with UNICEF, UNDP, the International Labour Organization, and Education International.

UNESCO

World Post Day
2021-10-09 00:00 - 23:59
World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern. It was declared World Post Day by the Universal Postal Union Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969. Since then, countries across the world participate annually in the celebrations. The Posts in many countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services.

United Nations

World Mental Health Day
2021-10-10 00:00 - 23:59
“This year’s World Mental Health Day, on 10 October, comes at a time when our daily lives have changed considerably as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The past months have brought many challenges: for health-care workers, providing care in difficult circumstances, going to work fearful of bringing COVID-19 home with them; for students, adapting to taking classes from home, with little contact with teachers and friends, and anxious about their futures; for workers whose livelihoods are threatened; for the vast number of people caught in poverty or in fragile humanitarian settings with extremely limited protection from COVID-19; and for people with mental health conditions, many experiencing even greater social isolation than before. And this is to say nothing of managing the grief of losing a loved one, sometimes without being able to say goodbye.” World Health Organisation, Mental Health Day 2020

Action

Read the Social Justice Statement 2020-21 To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia today

Access the Do Not be Afraid website for guidelines and resources to assist parishes in welcoming and supporting people with mental ill-health and their families.

Find out about mental health services in your area.

International Day of the Girl
2021-10-11 00:00 - 23:59
“We need to uphold the equal rights, voices and influence of girls in our families, communities and nations. Girls can be powerful agents of change, and nothing should keep them from participating fully in all areas of life.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Since 2012, 11 October has been marked as the International Day of the Girl. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

United Nations

International Day for Disaster Reduction
2021-10-13 00:00 - 23:59
“Making infrastructure more climate-resilient can have a benefit-cost ratio of about six to one. For every dollar invested, six dollars can be saved. This means that investing in climate resilience creates jobs and saves money.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. Held every 13 October, the day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face.

United Nations

International Day of Rural Women
2021-10-15 00:00 - 23:59
“As early adopters of new agricultural techniques, first responders in crises and entrepreneurs of green energy, rural women are a powerful force that can drive global progress.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The crucial role that women and girls play in ensuring the sustainability of rural households and communities, improving rural livelihoods and overall wellbeing, has been increasingly recognized. Women account for a substantial proportion of the agricultural labour force, including informal work, and perform the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work within families and households in rural areas. They make significant contributions to agricultural production, food security and nutrition, land and natural resource management, and building climate resilience. Even so, women and girls in rural areas suffer disproportionately from multi-dimensional poverty.

United Nations

World Food Day
2021-10-16 00:00 - 23:59
World Food Day 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). As countries around the world deal with the widespread effects of the COVID-9 pandemic, it’s a time to look into the future we need to build together.

Action

Use the hashtag #WorldFoodDay to share your action online or join the FAO call to develop a virtual event or activity. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
2021-10-17 00:00 - 23:59
Find out more about why the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was established here.

Learn about the Sustainable Development Goals here.

The goal of the Raise the Rate campaign is to fix our social security safety net for good so that it keeps people out of poverty. Find out how to join the campaign here.

United Nations Day
2021-10-24 00:00 - 23:59
UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.

This year is the 75th anniversary of the UN. Learn about the celebrations here. To mark the anniversary, the UN has launched a global conversation on how to tackle the challenges we face and build a better future for all. Join the conversation here #UN75

World Development Information Day
2021-10-24 00:00 - 23:59
“Information and communications technologies have the potential to provide new solutions to development challenges, particularly in the context of globalization, and can foster economic growth, competitiveness, access to information and knowledge, poverty eradication and social inclusion.” — General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/65/141)

The General Assembly in 1972 established World Development Information Day to draw the attention of the world to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them (resolution 3038 (XXVII)). The Assembly deemed that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilization of public opinion, particularly among young people, would lead to greater awareness of the problems of development, thus, promoting efforts in the sphere of international cooperation for development.

1945: Establishment of the United Nations
2021-10-24 00:00 - 23:59
In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United Nations Charter. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States.

The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories. United Nations Day is celebrated on 24 October each year.

Disarmament Week
2021-10-24 00:00 - 2021-10-31 23:59
“The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was a defining moment for global efforts to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit arms trade: the Agenda included a specific target to significantly reduce illicit arms flows by 2030.”— UN Secretary-General’s report

Disarmament Week begins on the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (24 October). The creation of this week was recommended in the Final Document of the General Assembly’s 1978 special session on disarmament (resolution S-10/2). That document called for abandoning the use of force in international relations and seeking security in disarmament.

World Cities Day
2021-10-31 00:00 - 23:59
The United Nations General Assembly designated the 31st of October as World Cities Day, by its resolution 68/239. The Day is intended to promote interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.

How can you take action today to make your city or town more sustainable?

World Tsunami Awareness Day
2021-11-05 00:00 - 23:59
In the past 100 years, 58 tsnamis have claimed more than 260,000 lives, or an average of 4,600 per disaster. The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 lone caused an estimated 227,000 fatalities in 14 countries, with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand hardest-hit.

“In December 2015, the UN General Assembly designated 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day. World Tsunami Awareness Day was the brainchild of Japan, which due to its repeated, bitter experience has over the years built up major expertise in areas such as tsunami early warning, public action and building back better after a disaster to reduce future impacts. The date for the annual celebration was chosen in honour of the Japanese story of “Inamura-no-hi”, meaning the “burning of the rice sheaves”. During an 1854 earthquake a farmer saw the tide receding, a sign of a looming tsunami. He set fire to his entire harvest to warn villagers, who fled to high ground. Afterwards, he built an embankment and planted trees as a buffer against future waves.” Tsunami Day, United Nations

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
2021-11-06 00:00 - 23:59
“… the environment has often remained the unpublicized victim of war. Water wells have been polluted, crops torched, forests cut down, soils poisoned, and animals killed to gain military advantage. Furthermore, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has found that over the last 60 years, at least 40 percent of all internal conflicts have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources, whether high-value resources such as timber, diamonds, gold and oil, or scarce resources such as fertile land and water. Conflicts involving natural resources have also been found to be twice as likely to relapse.” United Nations

Action

Read the United Nations resolution declaring 6 November the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. How can you respond?

What does Pope Francis have to say about this in Laudato Si’? How might you include action to prevent harm to creation as a result of war and armed conflict in your commitment to justice, ecology and peace?

World Science Day for Peace and Development
2021-11-10 00:00 - 23:59
By linking science more closely with society, World Science Day for Peace and Development aims to ensure that citizens are kept informed of developments in science. It also underscores the role scientists play in broadening our understanding of the remarkable, fragile planet we call home and in making our societies more sustainable. This year’s theme focuses on how science can help society to deal with the pandemic.
