“On this International Day of Solidarity, let us reaffirm our commitment to upholding the rights of the Palestinian people.” - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (resolution 32/40 B). The resolution on the… Read More »International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Dorothy Day was a journalist and social activist who cofounded the Catholic Worker Movement with Peter Maurin. Her approach to social issues combined direct service of the poor, prayer, advocacy and civil disobedience. People began hailing Dorothy a saint shortly after her death in 1980. The cause for her canonisation is underway and in 2012… Read More »1980: Death of Dorothy Day, Founder of the Catholic Worker Movement
"Dear Aboriginal people: the hour has come for you to take on new courage and new hope. You are called to remember the past, to be faithful to your worthy traditions, and to adapt your living culture whenever this is required by your own needs and those of your fellowman. Above all you are called… Read More »1986: Meeting of Saint John Paul II with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Alice Springs
"St. Andrew was a fisherman who lived in Galilee during the time of Jesus. He often followed John the Baptist and listened to his teachings. Like the other apostles, Andrew became a missionary. He preached about Jesus in the area around the Black Sea. Tradition tells us he preached in northern Greece, Turkey, and Scythia… Read More »Saint Andrew
The Post Synodal Statement of the 1971 Synod of Bishops contains some of the most quoted words in the body of modern Catholic Social Teaching: "Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or, in other… Read More »1971: Synod of Bishops’ Statement “Justice in the World”
This commemoration provides an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the elimination of the threat of chemical weapons, thereby promoting the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism. United Nations, Day of Remembrance for all Victims… Read More »Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare
"A trailblazer who won hearts around the nation, the achievements of Sir Douglas Nicholls KCVO OBE JP are many and varied, taking in the fields of sport, politics and social justice. He broke new ground — as the first Indigenous Australian to receive a knighthood in 1972, and the first to be appointed to vice-regal… Read More »1976: Appointment of Sir Douglas Nicholls as Governor of South Australia, first Aboriginal person to hold vice-regal office
The morning star flag was first raised in West Papua 60 years ago on 1 December. The flag was raised by West Papua legislators promised independence, however, Indonesia invaded the area in 1962 and since then the flag has been a sign of resistance and outlawed. The day is usually celebrated with marches, prayer services and flag raising services, however, there is currently an outbreak of violence in West Papua. Peter Arndt speaks to the current situation.
The International Day of People with Disabilities is on 3 December. The theme for the day is ‘Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world’. Over 4.4 million people in Australia live with a disability and this United Nations observed day aims to increase awareness, understand and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate their achievements.
The purpose of International Civil Aviation Day is to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of States, and of the unique role of the International Civil Aviation Organization in helping States to cooperate and realize a truly global rapid transit network at… Read More »International Civil Aviation Day
7 December will mark the anniversary of the release of Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1965, this key document in Vatican II called all to holiness and to integrate their life so that their deeds and words align privately and publicly. It also put human dignity and value at the centre and stood against a split between worship and mission.
"It is clear that social divisions are being replicated online. More worryingly, as essential services continue to shift online, digital inclusion becomes mandatory for basic participation in society. It should therefore be considered a human right. This is especially important in the context of e-government, where the welfare of the most vulnerable is at stake."Australian… Read More »Human Rights Day
Celebrate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by reading a simplified version or the illustrated booklet of the Declaration, or watching the Declaration in sign languages.
"It begins, I think with that act of recognition. Recognition that it was we who did the dispossessing. We took the traditional lands and smashed the traditional way of life. We brought the diseases. The alcohol. We committed the murders. We took the children from their mothers. We practised discrimination and exclusion. It was our… Read More »1992: Redfern Speech by Prime Minister Paul Keating
Pope Paul VI instituted the World Day of Peace in 1968. It is celebrated each year on 1 January and the Pope issues a special World Day of Peace Message for the occasion. The theme for the World Day of Peace Message 2022 is Dialogue Between Generations, Education and Work: Tools for Building Lasting Peace.… Read More »World Day of Peace