Female genital mutilation comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It is an attack on the human dignity and physical integrity of women and girls. It undermines their well-being, and can threaten life… Read More »International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
Waitangi Day marks the signing in 1840 of a treaty between representatives of the British Crown and over five hundred Māori chiefs. Claudia Orange explains that: Most chiefs signed a Māori-language version of the treaty. The English- and Māori-language versions held different meanings, and Māori and Europeans therefore had different expectations of the treaty’s terms.… Read More »Waitangi Day
The Word of God Sunday is devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God. We will celebrate it in Australia for the first time on 7 February. So our podcast, The Revolution of Tenderness, will consider the Word of God in Catholic Social Teaching. With help from Scripture scholars, we will explore… Read More »Word of God Sunday
St Josephine Bakhita was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery. Her feast day is now observed as the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. The video below outlines her story. Download Resources The Diocese of Parramatta, which includes a significant Sudanese community, has prepared a range of resources for the… Read More »St Josephine Bakhita
On this day in 1973 the Woodward Royal Commission into Land Rights in the Northern Territory was established. The Central Land Council situate this event in its historical context here.
The World Day of Prayer for the Sick was initiated by St John Paul II in 1992. It coincides with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Pope Francis' messages for the World Day of the Sick can be found here. Catholic trivia: did you know that Pope Benedict XVI announced his decision to resign… Read More »World Day of Prayer for the Sick
In 2015 the General Assembly of the United Nations decided to establish an annual International Day to recognize the critical role women and girls play in science and technology. You can read about the decision in Resolution A/RES/70/212. UNESCO and UN-Women are the two UN agencies responsible for the implementation of the Day's celebration.
A group of Sydney University students organised a bus tour through western and coastal New South Wales towns in 1965. As the National Museum of Australia website explains: Their purpose was threefold. The students planned to draw public attention to the poor state of Aboriginal health, education and housing. They hoped to point out and… Read More »1965: Freedom Ride in Australia Begins