Office For Justice, Ecology and Peace

International Day of the Girl
2020-10-11 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Sydney)
“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

World Mental Health Day
2020-10-10 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.

World Post Day
2020-10-09 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

Our Lady of the Rosary
2020-10-07 00:00 - 23:59
“The purpose of the rosary is to help us meditate on the great mysteries of our salvation. Pius XII called it a compendium of the gospel. The main focus is on Jesus — his birth, life, death, and resurrection. The Our Fathers remind us that Jesus’ Father is the initiator of salvation. The Hail Marys remind us to join with Mary in contemplating these mysteries. They also make us aware that Mary was and is intimately joined with her Son in all the mysteries of his earthly and heavenly existence. The Glory Bes remind us that the purpose of all life is the glory of the Trinity.” Franciscan Media

World Teachers Day
2020-10-05 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 Habitat Day
2020-10-05 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

International Day of Non-Violence
2020-10-02 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.

1869: Birth of Mahatma Gandhi
2020-10-02 00:00 - 23:59
“Gandhi constantly highlighted the gap between what we do, and what we are capable of doing. On this International Day, I urge each and every one of us to do everything in our power to bridge this divide as we strive to build a better future for all.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres

International Day for Older Persons
2020-10-01 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.

Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church
2020-10-01 00:00 - 23:59
“Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face is the youngest of all the “Doctors of the Church”, but her ardent spiritual journey shows such maturity, and the insights of faith expressed in her writings are so vast and profound that they deserve a place among the great spiritual masters.” – Pope John Paul II

Popularly known as the Little Flower, Therese of Lisieux was canonized in 1925. She became the 33rd Doctor to receive the title when declared by Pope John Paul II on October 19, 1997. “Story of a Soul” is the book that made Therese known throughout the world which became a world wide bestseller, and has been translated into more than sixty languages and dialects.

Society of the Little Flower Quick Facts

1975: Ratification by Australia of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
2020-09-30 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 Podcast Day
2020-09-30 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.

Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels
2020-09-29 00:00 - 23:59
The Franciscan Media Saint of the Day website notes that “angels—messengers from God—appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named.” It goes on to explain that “each of the archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides”.

For reflection:

What are the names of some of the people through whom you experience God’s protection, communication, and guidance in your life? Do you ever think of them as angels?

1983: Death of John Pat in Roebourne Prison WA, prompting the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
2020-09-28 00:00 - 23:59
Noel Olive explains in the Australian Dictionary of Biography:

“On 28 September 1983 several members of the Roebourne police force attended a meeting of the Western Australian Police Union of Workers at Karratha. They adjourned to the local golf club for drinks, and then proceeded to the Top Bar of the Victoria Hotel at Roebourne. A brawl broke out between the off-duty police officers and a group of Aborigines, including Pat, a 16 year old Aboriginal boy who died of head injuries alleged to have been caused in a disturbance between Aboriginal people and Police… The circumstances of Pat’s death were investigated by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, established in 1987… Pat’s death became for Aboriginal people a symbol of injustice and oppression. The Aboriginal poet, Jack Davis, wrote John Pat (1988). The John Pat Memorial Day for Deaths in Custody is observed each year with a ceremony at the old Fremantle Prison.” Noel Olive, “Pat, John Peter (1966-1983)”, in Australian Dictionary of Biography

1872: Birth of David Unaipon, Aboriginal writer and activist
2020-09-28 00:00 - 23:59
What do you know about David Unaipon, the man on the fifty dollar note? He was a preacher, writer and inventor and was the first Aboriginal published author. David was born in 1872 on the Point McLeay mission in the town of Raukkan, just 80 km southeast of Adelaide. Find out more on the NITV website.

“David Unaipon first of all, forced Australians to accept Aboriginal intelligence then he forced them to consider the scientific knowledge of the world’s oldest culture. His legacy paves the way for younger Aboriginal people to unearth the Indigenous science Australia has buried beneath a ton of denial.” – Bruce Pascoe, Author Quoted in Luke Briscoe, in Remembering David Unaipon: the man on the fifty dollar note, NITV.

National Indigenous Television (NITV)

1988: Formation of Burma's National League for Democracy by Aung San Suu Kyi
2020-09-27 00:00 - 23:59
The Nobel Prize website explains that Peace Prze Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is “the daughter of the legendary liberation movement leader Aung San. Following studies abroad, she returned home in 1988. From then on, she led the opposition to the military junta that had ruled Burma since 1962. She was one of the founders of the National League for Democracy, and was elected secretary general of the party. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, she opposed all use of violence and called on the military leaders to hand over power to a civilian government. The aim was to establish a democratic society in which the country’s ethnic groups could cooperate in harmony.”

Saint Vincent de Paul
2020-09-27 00:00 - 23:59
“Love the poor. Honour them, my children, as you would honour Christ himself.” – St Vincent de Paul

The St Vincent de Paul Society website explains that as a young man, “St Vincent de Paul ministered to the wealthy and powerful. However an appointment as chaplain to a poor parish, and to galley prisoners, inspired him to a vocation of working with those most marginalised and powerless. Vincent urged his followers to bring God’s justice and love to people who were unable to live a full human life: ‘Deal with the most urgent needs. Organise charity so that it is more efficient…teach reading and writing, educate with the aim of giving each the means of self-support. Intervene with authorities to obtain reforms in structure… there is no charity without justice‘.”

St Vincent de Paul Society was named after him and follows his teachings and compassion for people in need.

Migrant and Refugee Sunday
2020-09-27 00:00 - 23:59
The theme for Migrant and Refugee Sunday 2020 is “Forced Like Jesus Christ to Flee”. Read Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees here.

From this year forward, Migrant and Refugee Sunday will be celebrated in Australia on the last Sunday in September. This brings the practice of the Church in Australia into line with the practice of the Church around the world.

The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) produces a Migrant & Refugee Kit it to help parishes, schools and Catholic organisations to celebrate Migrant and Refugee Sunday.

The Migrant and Refugee Section of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development also offers resources for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The 2020 Theme is ‘Forced like Jesus Christ to flee.’ You can read Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2020 here.

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
2020-09-26 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.

World Maritime Day
2020-09-24 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.

1959: Launch of Australian Consumer Association (ACA)
2020-09-23 00:00 - 23:59
The Australian Consumer Association is now known as CHOICE. It describes its aim as “to tackle the issues that really matter to consumers, arming them with the information to make confident choices and lobbying for change when consumers are getting a raw deal.”

It played an important role in the drafting of the Trade Practices Act, Australia’s first national consumer protection law. It also campaigned for the introduction of the Australian Consumer Law, which guarantees consumer rights today.

Find out more about the history of CHOICE

International Day of Peace
2020-09-21 00:00 - 23:59
“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 2020 the United Nations have chosen the theme “Shaping Peace Together” noting that:

“This year, it has been clearer than ever that we are not each other’s enemies. Rather, our common enemy is a tireless virus that threatens our health, security and very way of life. COVID-19 has thrown our world into turmoil and forcibly reminded us that what happens in one part of the planet can impact people everywhere.”

We are invited to celebrate the day by spreading compassion, kindness and hope in the face of the pandemic. We can stand together against attempts to use the virus to promote discrimination or hatred and instead shape peace together.

1961: Death of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld
2020-09-18 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

Saint Robert Bellarmine
2020-09-17 00:00 - 23:59
Robert Bellarmine was a Jesuit scholar who was eventually made a Cardinal. His major work Disputations on the Controversies of the Christian Faith, helped to discredit the divine right of kings theory. This paved the way for Catholic Social Teaching’s contemporary understanding of the Pope’s role in temporal affairs, and of the role of the laity.

Find out more about his life here.

1993: Death of Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker), Aboriginal poet, activist and artist
2020-09-16 00:00 - 23:59
Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) was born Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska, on Minjerribah (the Stradbroke Island). She was a poet, political activist, artist and educator. Oodgeroo Noonuccal means Oodgeroo of the tribe Nunuccal. Oodgeroo was a strong promoter of Aboriginal culture and a campaigner for indigenous rights.

As the Australian Women’s Register explains:

“Oodgeroo’s work has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Mary Gilmore Medal (1970), the Jessie Litchfield Award (1975), the International Acting Award and the Fellowship of Australian Writers’ Award. She also held an honorary doctorate of letters (Macquarie University) and was awarded the degree of Doctor of the University from Griffith University. In 1970, Oodgeroo (under the name Kathleen Walker) was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) for services to the community. She returned it in 1987 in protest against the forthcoming Australian Bicentenary celebrations (1988). It was around this time that she reclaimed her traditional name, Oodgeroo of the Noonuccal Tribe.” The Australian Women’s Register

Action

Read Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poems about her experience of racism and dispossession. Has anything changed? Consider what you can do.

International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer
2020-09-16 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.

International Day of Democracy
2020-09-15 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

1981: Pope John Paul II's encyclical Laborem Exercens ('On Human Work')
2020-09-14 00:00 - 23:59
“Pope John Paul II issued Laborem Exercens to mark the ninetieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum. It is also known by the English title On Human Labour. John Paul II’s own experience as a manual labourer and his personalist philosophical ethics shape this social encyclical.

Unemployment and the impact of technology on work are major concerns of this encyclical. As well as affirming a right to work, to a just wage, and to form unions, Laborem Exercens introduces the concept of an ‘indirect employer’…

Laborem Exercens concludes with a spirituality of work. This spirituality focuses on the role of work in the transformation of nature and in personal fulfillment, the provision of the basis of family life, and contributing to the common good. John Paul II values the subjective over the objective dimensions of work. Work is valuable because it is the free act of a human person who is a subject and not an object.”

Sandie Cornish, Introduction to Laborem Exercens, Social Spirituality.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross
2020-09-14 00:00 - 23:59
“The cross is a sign of suffering, a sign of human cruelty at its worst. But by Christ’s love shown in the Paschal Mystery, it has become the sign of triumph and victory, the sign of God, who is love itself.” Loyola Press

2007: Adoption by the UN of Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
2020-09-13 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
