Calendar of Events
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World Wetlands Day
In 2021 World Wetlands Day marks the 50th anniversary of the Ramsar Convention. Get more information about World Wetlands Day and a range of resources on how the Convention protects wetlands here. The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, is called the Ramsar Convention, after the Iranian city where the Convention was adopted in 1971.… Read More »World Wetlands Day
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1939 Cumeragunja Mission Walk-off
In 1939 the Aboriginal people walked off Cumeragunja Mission in New South Wales in protest at living conditions and restrictions.
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International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
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
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
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Word of God Sunday
Word of God Sunday
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
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St Josephine Bakhita
St Josephine Bakhita
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
1973: Woodward Royal Commission into Land Rights
1973: Woodward Royal Commission into Land Rights
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.
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World Day of Prayer for the Sick
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
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
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.
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1965: Freedom Ride in Australia Begins
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
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2008: Apology to the Stolen Generation by the Australian Government
On this day Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologized to Indigenous Australians, and especially the Stolen Generation, for past government policies of removing First Nations children from their families. The National Museum of Australia explains here how the journey to a national apology began with the Bringing Them Home Report. Watch the apology in the video… Read More »2008: Apology to the Stolen Generation by the Australian Government
2015: Death of Faith Bandler AC
Faith Bandler AC, activist for Indigenous and South Sea Islander rights, passed away on this day in 2005. An obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald highlighted her achievements: Faith Bandler changed people's hearts and minds in support of human rights and social justice. Her smile, no doubt, helped. The National Trust listed her as a… Read More »2015: Death of Faith Bandler AC
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2014: Murder of Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati in offshore immigration detention on Manus Island
Today we remember twenty three year old asylum seeker Reza Barati who was killed in riots at the Regional Processing Centre (RPC) on Manus Island. A Senate Committee inquiry later found that the Australian Government had failed in its duty to protect him, and other asylum seekers, from harm. Here is an extract from the… Read More »2014: Murder of Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati in offshore immigration detention on Manus Island
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World Day of Social Justice
On 26 November 2007, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared that, starting from 2008, 20 February will be celebrated annually as the World Day of Social Justice. It invited Member States to: devote this special day to the promotion, at the national level, of concrete activities in accordance with the objectives and goals… Read More »World Day of Social Justice
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International Mother Language Day
As the United Nations' website explains: Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and planet. Yet, due to globalization processes, they are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether. When languages fade, so does the world's rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, memory,… Read More »International Mother Language Day